Starring: Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender

Written by: Christopher Hampton 

Directed by: David Cronenberg 

Once you’ve accepted that the plot of David Cronenberg’s latest film will only go so far and that, at a certain point in time it stops being a story and starts being a character study, then you can really enjoy A Dangerous Method with all of its great writing, intense performances and well-directed scenes. I have to admit though that, despite all that worked in it, it did bug me that the film’s main conflicts became less and less important as the plot progressed. This is a real surprise coming from Cronenberg, who has established himself with his previous films as being a true master of rising tension.

The story takes place in Germany in the early nineteen hundreds. Carl Jung (played by the only guy getting close to as much work as Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender) finds himself treating a curious young russian girl named Sabina Speilman (Kightley). Speilman is in a constant state of nervous breakdown and a history of beatings from her father have left her with severe sexual dysfunctions. Jung, who at the time was still fairly anonymous within the psychological community, enlists the help of one of his idols, the already legendary Sigmund Freud (Mortensen). The two strike up a fast friendship despite the fact that they disagree on so many key points within their field.

With Freud’s help, Jung virtually cures Sabina. However, things get complicated when the young girl (now training to be a doctor) expresses her desire for Jung.  Jung, who’s trapped in a virtually loveless marriage, obliges.

All of these are very intriguing elements. There’s the obvious hero worship Jung has for Freud and how that starts to turn on its ear. There’s the forbidden love between doctor and patient, there’s the time bomb of Jung’s wife finding out. Add to this the hint that Freud himself has an interest in Sabina (something he develops as the relationship between him and Jung becomes strained) and you’ve got a hell of a lot of possibilities stirring in the same pot.

And…well…nothing really happens with any of them.

I really don’t feel like I’m spoiling anything by telling you this. Mostly because, well, there isn’t much to spoil. None of these elements explode in anyone’s face and by the end of the movie everyone is pretty much okay. We get a little “here’s what happened to them after” text right before the end credits, but that kind of covers it. I suspect that Cronenberg  wanted to make this film as historically accurate as possible. And sadly, true stories don’t always have heart wrenching climaxes. Sometimes they just kind of peter out.

But that being said, just because the movie loses a great deal of momentum doesn’t mean it’s not a fascinating study of some truly important historical figures. and even though Jung and Freud’s friendship/competition never really reaches a head it’s still really fascinating to watch how each reacts to the other as they change courses in their careers.

I always have high expectations with David Cronenberg movies. He’s kind of earned it. And so, when he does something that’s good but could be better it’s tough not to find yourself criticising it more than you would with another director. I liked a Dangerous Method, it’s a good movie, but I do think there’s a better movie that could be made with the subject matter and I just wish that Cronenberg was the one that made it.

Okay, next up should be a round up covering a slew of the January titles, from Contraband to Underworld 3D with a couple stops in between.

Cheers.

Sef. 

Okay, the 2011 movies are actually still being released so this one’s gonna be a mixed bag of stuff from last year that I just hadn’t written up yet, stuff that just came out but was officially from last year, and at least one 2012 release. Enjoy.

We Bought a Zoo

Cute, well put together, nice characters, no body got hurt making it. Over all it was pretty okay.

Cameron Crowe’s story of a widower who blows his life savings buying a nearly bankrupt Zoo is a fairly predictable but still heartwarming tale. I think Crowe, who hasn’t had a hit for some time, was trying to get into the black again so he could get funding for his more Vanilla Skyish risks. Whatever reason, it’s a decent movie to see with someone you like cuddling with, but it’s not lingering in anyone’s memory for too long.

The Darkest Hour

Picture it, you’re an internet entrepreneur in Russia on business (because that’s where all internet start ups go to do business) and after a night of drinking Vodka and hitting on women all the power goes out. I mean all of it. Everywhere. Then these beautiful lights start drifting down from the sky. Only they’re not lights, they’re some sort of alien force that incinerates you if you touch it. They attack without warning, save the flickering of nearby lights which their presence seems to effect.

This movie is pizza. Fun to eat and goes well with alcohol. It’s premise is so outlandish that you already know that you don’t need to take it too seriously, but a lot of clever twists and exiting action scenes make the ridiculous concept a lot of fun. It’s most glaring flaw is, sadly, it’s ending. I’m not against a somewhat happy ending to a story like this but an ending this happy just isn’t justified when contrasted with the rest of the film. It’s too bad, because other than that this has all the signs of a late night cable classic.

Surviving Progress

This documentary about the dangers of over development without forethought is interesting but unfocused. This is the result of the filmmaker’s unfortunate decision to cover as many topics as possible while leaving very little room for investigation. The result is we hear a lot of the stuff that we’ve heard before (resources are getting low, we consume too much in the west, we should forgive third world debt) without getting any new information. There’s also one notion this movie brings up that always bugs me. It’s the “the world is overpopulated, we need to have less babies” idea. I’m sorry but this just rubs me the wrong way. You can’t give people child quotas. The results are barbaric and it’s especially hypocritical to say the whole planet should have them when only certain countries are causing over population.

It’s these kind of opinion documentaries (here’s what I think, let’s not worry about alternate viewpoints) that makes all us liberals looks like sheep. Come on guys, challenge yourselves.

Joyful Noise

The years first complete failure (I know, I was expecting so much more from the pairing of Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton), Joyful Noise , a faith based comedy which delves into the seedy underbelly of Christian Choral Competitions, is an unfunny mess that’s very existence is an insult to the intelligence of film going audiences everywhere. It’s only (unintentional) bright spot is the hilarious cameo by country legend Kris Kristofferson, who’s character dies two minutes after his name is listed in the credits. Seriously. Like, as soon as “And Kris Kristofferson” comes up on the screen his character starts having a heart attack. It almost made this painful experience worth it.

And Lastly…

The Iron Lady

I really hate to sound like a broken record here but I’ve got to repeat what the majority of the critics are saying. It’s Meryl Streep’s performance is the only thing that makes this tame biopic of Margaret Thatcher worth it.

What surprised me most about the film was that, after It had finished a very touching opening and started on Thatcher’s life story, how quickly it went through everything. In fact, with the exception of the Falkland invasion it feels like the majority of the major events we all associate with Thatcher were done in montage form. In addition to this, the film also suffers from “please everyone” syndrome in that it tries to portray the former leader as both a sympathetic patriot and a heartless know it all. It’s never recommended to sit on the fence but it’s especially tedious when dealing with a story about someone this polarizing.

But  for all it’s flaws there is one reason to see this move. Meryl Mother Fucking Streep. She really does give so much soul to this otherwise paint by numbers biopic it almost makes you angry at her for trying so hard. If Streep is going to do Thatcher this well she should do it in a better move, maybe one along the lines of Secret Honor where she plays a drunken Maggie T giving her point of view of her time as Prime Minister in between double Gin and Tonic’s hold the tonic. That would really be something. Unfortunately all we’ve got is this occasionally entertaining but mostly forgettable stroll through the life of one of recent histories most controversial figures.

Okay, that’s all for now. Next up we go back into full length review mode for David Cronenberg’s period piece A Dangerous Method and the Mark Wahlberg action vehicle Contraband. 

Cheers.

Sef. 

Okay, 2011 is over, but the creation of my precious Seffie awards plus some other random business in my life has kept me from posting many a review, leaving me about seven films behind. In short, this post is all about playing catch up. I’ll try and keep it brief.

Carnage 

You know, despite all of its flaws this film almost cracked my top ten. It’s just so vicious and cynical but at the same time sympathetic that you have to be impressed.

The story centres on two sets of parents meeting in one of the couple’s apartments to discuss a violent altercation that took place between each of the pairs young sons. The meeting starts out polite, but as the afternoon proceeds the layers of civility get peeled away and the discussion descends into chaos.

I can see why some people have a problem with this move. It is adapted from a play and you can tell by the text that the play took place entirely in one living room.  While with the movie allows the characters to occasionally (and unnecessarily) venture into the hallway and the kitchen. This takes away a lot of the momentum of the piece. Christ, even just editing from one actor to another slows down the pace.  Whereas in a stage show, where you get to sit and watch one stage picture that changes bit by bit as the characters lose their cool in real time, it must be much more of a roller coaster ride.

But the thing is, I still really enjoyed it. The dialogue is refreshing, the actors are outstanding, and the message, while diluted, still comes across. Is it as good as this story could have been told? Probably not. Is it still worth your time? Definitely.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

Comedian and actress Jenny Slate has a large part in this movie. This made me happy. She’s a very talented performer who got fired from SNL simply because she accidentally said the F word on national television. When I saw her I smiled. I’m glad she’s working.

The movie still sucks but at least it gave me one thing to smile about.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol 

Tons of fun!!!! A nailbiter!!!! It doesn’t actually make much sense but I’m okay with that!!!!!!!!

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is really everything you’re looking for in a holiday blockbuster. It’s got massive action set pieces, cool villains, Tom Cruise, and it’s shot in Vancouver (always fun for the locals, as we get to watch Tom Cruise and his team run into a building in “Dubai” and say to ourselves “hey, that’s my starbucks!”). One of the biggest points in this films favour that puts it above and beyond other big budget fare, is that it doesn’t just rely on spectacle. Tom Cruise climbing the tallest building in the world may be exciting, but what’s more exciting is watching him lose control of the special gloves that are supposed to get him to the top. Or when he stops half way up and just looks really….really tired. There’s a lot of genuine peril in this movie and it really ups the stakes.

There’s still a crap load of flaws in this sucker. But I’ll forgive a lot of a movie that has characters I care for in cool, high tension situations that I don’t necessarily know the outcome of.

The adventures of Tintin

Then, on the other side of the action adventure spectrum you have this. Steven Spielberg’s Tintin is beautiful, breath taking, and I’m sure it’s true to the adventure books it’s based on (I don’t think I read more than one of them in my childhood so there’s no nostalgia factor for me) but the movie is absolutely soulless. I never once felt even an ounce of worry for the characters well-being, not even when they were riding on top of a plane that was about to crash into a sand dune. I didn’t care. I knew they’d be fine and they were.

It might be a good distraction for the wee ones as there are a lot of pretty pictures, but I don’t think I could recommend it to anyone looking for a good story.

War Horse

Second dose of Spielberg for the week and it sadly shows both the best, and the worst that he has to offer.

The worst comes first where we get sappy tale about a down and out farmer in pre WWI england who bets his entire fortune when he purchases a runty looking horse at auction because he “see’s something in it.” The horse, of course, turns into a wonder beast that saves his farm and wins the heart of his young son, who trains it and names it…I totally forget. It was a really random name.

The best, once the horse goes off to war (the farmer sells him in an overly weepy scene) it suddenly becomes the horses movie and we see the war through the horses eyes. Here is where Spielberg shows you his amazing gift for story telling as the audience follows the  the horse through various different story lines all connected by the Great War. I was in bliss for a while. I even thought the opening shmaltz was  just to fake me out before the real story started.

Unfortunately it wasn’t, and as the movie is coming to a close we go right back to the unbelievable family and that stupid kid that gave his horse a stupid forgettable name. There is a drawn out reunion scene between the two of them that made me wish I was a German sniper.

Look, there is a lot of entertaining material in this film, just not enough to make me recommend it.

The Devil Inside

I think all horror movies should end the same way The Devil Inside did.  Instead of some tedious conclusion, just suddenly turn off the camera and then give the audience a web link to look at “if they want to know more”. Sure, most of the people in the audience I was with either laughed or looked confused or said something along the lines of “that is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen” but the first over the fence always takes a few hits. Well done Devil Inside. You are a true trailblazer.

And finally…

Margaret

I really struggled with this one.

Kenneth Lonergan’s long-delayed post 9/11 New York Drama just has too much good stuff in it for me to turn it away, but it’s also got a shit pot of flaws. What works? The realistic dialogue, believable scenarios, and Lonergan’s way of making a mundane drama feel vibrant and original (much as he did with his superior You Can Count On Me). What doesn’t work? The main character, a teenaged girl played by Anna Paquin, is so cruel to those around her that it makes it difficult to feel sympathy for her. The idea is that she is so confused due to the stresses in her life that she is taking it out on her mother, her teachers, and less popular boys at school, but really it just comes off as nasty behaviour by someone who I kind of wish wasn’t the centre of the story (and yes, I’m aware that I recently creamed over Young Adult which features a very unsympathetic protagonist. What can I say, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t). Also, the films running time feels more than a little awkward. It’s two and a half hours. Nothing wrong with that, but there are stretches of scenes that don’t seem to develop into anything and even a sub plot involving a teacher (played byMatt Damon) which was just distracting. You’d think with the years this sucker spent on the shelf they might have considered a little triming.

I will recommend this film, simply because in a word that gives us Alvin and the Chipmunks we all deserve some intellectual fare, but be warned, you may have to fight through a lot of oyster to get to the pearl here.

Okay, that catches us up. Coming in the next couple days should be my Most anticipated films of 2012 list, plus I will finally announce what’s going to be happening with this blog.

Cheers

Sef. 

!!!!!!!!!!

etc.

It’s that time again. Time for my second annual year-end awards show listing my favourite films plus a bunch of other categories that I either stole from real awards shows or just made up.

The first thing that needs to be said before we get started is that this was a rough year for film. I don’t think I  realized just how rough it was until I looked over my top ten  list from last year and my first thought was…wow! 127 Hours, Black Swan, The Social Network, Inception, Kick Ass (yeah I said it) christ even Easy A gave me a smile just at the memory of my realization that it had to be on my list.  Last year was a great year for film, better than I think I knew at the time. But, though coming up with a top ten was a little more daunting than I expected (I seriously considered just doing a top eight) I’m still proud of the choices I made and I really think that they represent, in my opinion, the best the year had to offer.

Okay, two quick caveats. 1: I haven’t seen all of this years Oscar hopefuls yet as they won’t be coming to Canada until mid January or even February. Specifically I’m taking about A Dangerous Method, The Iron Lady, We need to talk about Kevin and Margaret which I literally just saw two hours ago so it’s a little early to process it. I know officially those are 2011 movies but I’m going to roll them into 2012.

Also, as some will notice, this years main Oscar hopefuls actually didn’t make my list. It’s not because I didn’t like them, I liked a couple of them a great deal, it’s just because, well, in each case there’s at least ten movies I liked better. So, for the record, The Artist, The Descendants, and Hugo are all fine films that you should go and see. But they are not my favourite films of the year. Those are…

10: Crazy, Stupid, Love

Proof that romantic comedies can be clever and break with traditional story structure, Crazy, Stupid, Love is the cinematic equivalent of a book that you didn’t expect to pick up but then you can never put down. With its mature look at divorce and its “how did I not see that coming!” twists and turns, this film is just an absolute treat.

9: Source Code

A science fiction film that isn’t an action film? Yeah, I was shocked too. Source Code‘s story of a soldier suddenly thrust into the body of someone he doesn’t even know on a train that’s about to blow up is like the kind of thing we hope to see from the upcoming big screen Twilight Zone reboot. Look, I know the reaction to Source Code (both from critics and from the people I drink beer with) tended to be that it was good, not great. But I’m here to say that Source Code is a movie that will gain more and more audience every year until it becomes a mainstay on late night science fiction and at whatever the future equivalent of a Video Store is.  And God dammit I don’t want to wait ten years to recognize it. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE IT NOW!  And so I did. there you go.

8: The Skin I live in 

Almodovar’s twisted tale about a disturbed scientist and the mysterious girl that he keeps in a room in his house is so full of surprises that  it’s impossible to discuss this film in depth without giving away key plot points. All that I can say is that if you are a writer and you’re thinking about playing with timelines and flashbacks in your upcoming script, see this film first so you can know how it’s done. It’s not for the squeamish by any means, but if you like to be challenged while you’re being entertained then seek this out.

7: Margin Call 

Do you want to know how the U.S.A managed to build a mountain of money then somehow fall off of it? Well then check out this sadly overlooked film and you will know, at least a portion, of why it is that a nation so rich can make itself so poor. But it’s not just the economics lesson that makes this film so amazing. It’s the tense story, the great performances, and the filmmakers crazy ability to be opinionated without seeming preachy that made Margin Call one of the best films of the year.

6: Midnight In Paris

Woody Allen continues to be my one “if I had to fuck a guy” pick by showing a consistent ability to be brilliant  and articulate and funny and memorable and god dammit HE’S JUST SO FUCKING GOOD. With its time travel plot involving an author visiting his literary idols, Woody Allen manages to show just how much he knows about great artists from history without ever making it feel over the audiences head. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have an awesome cast, including  Owen Wilson who plays the Woody clone in this one, and does it better than any other actor yet.

5: The Trip

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon (two english comedians) pulled off something special here with their heavily improvised film in which they play themselves, travelling across the English countryside reviewing various fine dining restaurants. It could have been a silly romp, but the decision to mix in sub plots about the actor’s families and about the all too familiar (to Canadians) dilemma concerning the merits and flaws of trying to make it big in America vs. taking the success you get at home and being just fine with it adds some serious depth to the whole thing. This movie managed to be hilarious, moving, and intensely realistic.  Plus, the scene where the two actors compete against each other with dueling Michael Caine impersonations needs to be seen to be believed.

4: The Ides of March 

While everyone’s been going all Clooney eyed over The Descendants (which as I said, is very good.  Go see it. Really) they seem to have been glossing over one of the best political thrillers in recent memory. This engrossing and tightly paced film could have easily been directed by Robert Redford or Sidney Pollack as it shows an adept hand at pacing, reveal, and a love for Oscar worthy actors ripping up the scenery with some serious dialogue (check out Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman as they use their oratory skills like they were super powers)  Really, when I think about it, this is not a political thriller. It’s a thriller that contains politicians, trying to be more than they are only to discover that they are all too human.

3: Hanna

How did this one fall into the cracks?

Hanna tells the story of a rogue government agent who also happens to be a small child. And for the duration of the movie it actually makes sense. And it takes it seriously and it mixes music with action in a way that makes me pray to God that academy voters can extend their memories back to the beginning of the year so that AT THE VERY LEAST this will get a nomination for best score (I’m realistic, this ain’t getting a best picture nod). By balancing its complicated subject matter with its high octane action, Hanna manages to feel like both mainstream entertainment and independent cinema at the same time. Not easy to pull off but the filmmakers were obviously up to the task.

2: Attack the Block

Attack the Block is the best eighties movie to come out of 2011 and quite possibly one of my favourite genre films of all time. This film, about an alien invasion that happens in an impoverished neighbourhood in England, manages to be one of the most socially relevant and at the same time one of the most entertaining films of the year.  The dialogue feels so accurate, the characters (a group of teenaged drug dealers that are the only force available to fight the invasion) manage to go from morally reprehensible to sympathetic within a matter of scenes. And oh my god is this sucker well directed. Joe Cornish (his first feature) has managed to make this story feel more personal than any science fiction film since E.T.  It’s just an amazing piece of art and, when I saw it, I didn’t think it would be possible for any film I saw this year to top it. That was until I saw…

1: Young Adult

Holy fuck.

I had already been compiling my top ten list when I went and saw this film and I admit, given the pedigree of people involved (the writer/director team behind Juno) I was hoping it would squeeze on to my list somewhere. What I didn’t expect it to do was kick my ass so thoroughly. Young Adult (The story of a former bad girl, now author, returning to her old home town to steal her high school sweatheart away from his wife and child)  is such an incredibly audacious film, equal parts raunchy and tender, that you never know what it’s going to hit you with next.

This movie doesn’t have a single off moment. Everything fits into this hideous but utterly compelling puzzle. From it’s surprisingly understated dialogue by Diablo Cody, to it’s perfectly staged scenes directed by Jason Reitman, to the stellar cast (Charlize Theron once again shows she’s unfairly talented and Patton Oswalt gives one of the most touching performances of the year) Young Adult is, in my opinion, a perfect film. And as far as I’m concerned it’s the best film this year had to offer.

Okay, next up on the awards show we have…

Best Canadian Film

5: Down the road again

4:Funkytown

3: Starbuck

2: Daydream Nation

1: Cafe De Flore. 

Cafe De Flore is just one hell of a good film that, as they say, sticks with you long after you’ve finished watching.

Best foreign film

5: Life above All 

4: Circumstance

3: Little white lies

2: In a better world 

1: the Skin I live in 

No shock here as The Skin I live in made my over all top ten. I will repeat what I said in my original review. I just LOVE this bug fuck crazy film.

Best Documentary

4: Page One

3: Bill Cunningham New York 

2: Project Nim 

1: Conan O’brien can’t stop

And he can’t. Conan O’brien can’t stop  is one of the most entertaining portrayals of one of the most funny people on two feet who just happened to be having one of the hardest years of his life.

Best Animated film

5: Mars Needs Moms

4: Kung Fu Panda 2

3: Rango

2: Arthur Christmas 

1: Winnie the Pooh 

It was a slow year for animation (which is a nice way of saying that Pixar took a nap) but even if I’d seen a hundred animated films this year I’m almost sure Winnie the Pooh would still easily top my list. It’s the only kids movie I saw in the last twelve months that really and genuinely made me feel like a kid.

Okay, now for some more personal awards.

Movies you should have liked, but didn’t (Or I’m right and the critics are wrong part 1) 

3: Sucker Punch 

2: Immortals

1: Big Year

Seriously, what was the problem with Big Year? Look, I’m not saying it’s a masterpiece but it’s genuinely funny, well written, and honestly its the best film Steve Martin’s made in a long time. But the studio buried it, the critics panned it, and no one went to see it. Thankfully it’ll be on DVD soon. Ignore the haters, I say it’s worth a look.

Movies you shouldn’t have liked, but did (I’m right and the other critics are wrong 2) 

3. Like Crazy

2: Puss in Boots

1: Melencholia

Do you know who Lars Von Trier’s favourite filmmaker is? I bet you can guess.

Most forgettable

5: Tower Heist

4: Something Borrowed

3: The sitter. 

2: I don’t know how she does it. 

1: Umm….that one Nicolas Cage was in. You know, I think he was a witch hunter? And the guy from Beauty and the Beast was in it too. No it wasn’t straight to video it was in the theatre. No…not Drive Angry, that was actually kind of fun. Aw forget it, I’ll tell you when I remember.

Biggest disappointments 

4: Your Highness

3: Paranormal Activity 3

2: Battle Los Angeles

1: Super 8

I had such high hopes for Super 8 and for the first half hour or so I really thought it was going to be something special. Then it turned out the heartwarming alien that we were all supposed to be rooting for was actually kidnapping humans and eating them in an underground cave.  Made it tough to be happy when the rag tag group of kids rescued it.

Movie I really wish I liked, but just didn’t

5: Tree of Life

4: Martha Marcy May Marlene

3: Take Shelter

2: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 

1: Drive. 

So many critics that I admire liked this move so much that I realize there has to be SOMETHING there. But, as much as I want to see it I just don’t. All I see is a big art wank with underdeveloped characters and bad music choices. Oh, and surprisingly little driving.

Guilty Pleasures 

Okay, apologizing in advance…

5: Monte Carlo yeah I said it.

4: Glee the 3D Concert movie just a bunch of good kids.

3: Justin Beiber 3D  got some weird looks when I saw this alone.

2: Shark Night 3D Oh come on, you like it too.

1: The Smurfs Yes, I know. in the same stretch of page I just criticized Drive and recommended the Smurfs. I’ll get sterilized in the morning, don’t worry.

And finally, the worst films of the year were…

Hoodwinked Too: Hood vs. Evil, Beastly, Prom, Just go with it, Jack and Jill, Textuality, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Bad Teacher, Friends with Benefits, The Three Musketeers, Appollo 18, The Thing, Spy Kids: All the Time in the world, Straw Dogs, What’s your Number? New Years Eve,  

and the worst film of the year was…

Tie: Bucky Larson Born to be a star and The Art of Getting by 

One was an abysmal comedy that made me wish I was dead. One was a horrendously predictable and horribly over written teen movie that tried to dress it self up as an independent film. Both made me wonder how it was some people actually get funding.

Okay, that’s all for now. I’ll be back soon with an update about the future of seeeveryfilm (hint, it’s positive) plus a little on what I’m going to be up to for the next little while.

Cheers.

Jacob Spencer AKA Sef. 

my awards show is in the works and I’m as busy as a bee. Trust me, it’s coming sooner than you’d think.

Plus my announcement on the next year of seeeveryfilm. 

Plus some news on what this next year is going to look like for me, outside of the blog.

Yup, that’s all coming. Have some faith, constant reader, and thanks for checking in.

Stay tuned.

Sef.