2007 / Taika Waititi > Quirky can work, but it has to work with the film and its characters, not against them. In Eagle vs Shark, the joke is mostly on the male lead (Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords) and much of the cast surrounding him. It’s supposed to be a romantic comedy, but the film progresses more as a portrayal of family dysfunctionality. That would have been fine if it weren’t for the fact that only the female lead (who, played by Loren Horsley, is a quiet joy to watch) shows any emotional development. In the end, what seems to annoy/anger me the most is the sheer human patheticness that’s accepted. Films like Oasis approach those who aren’t capable of intertwining with society on their own behalf with intelligence and tact, but here, it’s just utilizing them as fodder for cheap, nervous laughs.
Category Archives: 2.0
The Brave One
2007 / Neil Jordan > It’d be one thing if the moral dilemma was abrasive or tactless, but The Brave One somehow manages to turn the inherent tension necessary in a film such as this into a bit of a snoozefest. Jordan’s attempt to re-wrap the revenge genre fails as there’s too much being slapped together to create some greater meaning. Ultimately, much of the film is simply conventional—Not to mention that the whole bit is a minor personal attack on the borough of Manhattan.
The Ten
2007 / David Wain > The Stella boys are pretty hit and miss: Wet Hot American Summer was fun and quirky, though far from brilliant. The Baxter had a sort of undeniable charm that kept it interesting. But The Ten and its gimmick of playing individually upon Moses’ commandments gets old a bit too quick. Most of the stories lose steam when one realizes that they really don’t go anywhere: They amuse briefly before simply becoming an obstacle until the next story. How much it reverberates simply depends on how much of the Stella comedy you can appreciate without thinking if its all a bunch of inside jokes.
Soo: Revenge for a Twisted Fate
2007 / Sai Yoichi > As a revenge noir, Soo has most of the components under its wings, but nonetheless fails to fly. The characters are simply uncompelling and the storyline continuously absurd. In short, it lacked the panache that drove the success and enjoyment of A Bittersweet Life. I wouldn’t be surprised if a little tighter editing could turn this into something a lot more memorable, as its saving grace is its coldness, and that’s both unique and worthy of further exploration.
Protege
2007 / Derek Yee > One Nite in Mongkok is arguably one of the finest Hong Kong crime/noir films ever made, so I was very much anticipating Yee’s follow-up within a similar genre. In Protege, however, Yee has disappointed me considerably, as the film falters from incredibly uneven pacing and a lack of passion and focus that sucks the juice out of what could have been a rather powerful storyline. There are definitely some great moments (such as Andy Lau in the bathroom), but the overall tone is too pedantic and constantly meanders for meaning and approval.
1408
2007 / Mikael Hafstrom > It pains me to say that the payoff in 1408 didn’t suffice, because it’s definitely a well-crafted psychological horror with none of the childish tactics of the latter two Saw films. Hafstrom has skill as a director (noted in both Derailed and Evil), but these scripts just don’t do him justice. Or maybe I’m overestimating his ability past the pure technical aspect. Either way, Cusack’s presence made the film bearable for me even if the end didn’t equate.
Four Eyed Monsters
2006 / Susan Buice & Arin Crumley > I don’t deny that the intent here is of great interest: How has the world of relationships evolved with the advent of social networking for those who are still somewhat lost, especially in their twenties? And with that, it starts off quite strong. But somewhere along the way, it digresses into issues of identity that are specific to a certain demographic (of which I can’t entirely relate to). Ultimately, it’s a deeply personal film by Buice and Crumley, who also star, and one that should attract those who have a certain sense of disillusionment from urban living vs. original expectations.
The Hole
1999 / Tsai Ming-Liang > While I’ve gotten somewhat used to Hou Hsiao-Hsien, it’s still been a bit of a dogfight “getting” Tsai’s films. The question I find myself asking is: If nothing really happens in a film, do you go out of your way to find meaning? I think no, mostly because if we did that with every film, it’s possible to find loads of layers that were not intended to begin with. And in many ways, I still find intention to be one of the cornerstones of filmmaking. (It is, of course, possible to not execute your intention properly but still result in a better film than originally intended—and judging that is quite another dilemma.) Anyhow, The Hole and its semi-apocalyptic romantic musical isn’t for everyone. Tsai remains a director you love or you hate, and while I won’t go to the polar negative, I can’t say I’ve warmed up to him by any means.
Cars
2006 / John Lasseter & Jon Ranft > Toy Story might have jumpstarted the animated film genre a little over eleven years go, but the magic of previous Pixar films have definitely failed to carry into 2006. This, what has widely been called the best animated feature of the year, is long, arduous and painstaking in its delivery of an all too obvious life lesson. It rarely entertains but instead folds back into a shell to manipulate emotions and make us feel as if there’s something below the hood, but alas there isn’t. It’s a little insulting, even, when compared to the magic of The Incredibles and the ingenuity of Monsters, Inc. One can only hope that Brad Bird comes back in full force with Ratatouille to restore the pride of Pixar and take the art form back to respectability.
Factory Girl
2006 / George Hickenlooper > First, a blessing of sorts: Sienna Miller can actually kind of act. Unfortunately, however, Hickenlooper’s attempt at mimicking a Warhol-in-film style falls flat through its brash interruptions of what could have been a decent biopic. The script starts decently enough, but then the drawn out storyline with the faux Bob Dylan takes the film further into the realm of unbearability. It becomes bland and boring, and while Guy Pearce’s Warhol raises a few eyebrows, the ultimate result is forgettable.