In the Red: Paper Heart & Gomorrah

Paper Heart is twee, but not so twee as to be unwatchable. Cute, but no so cute as to be lovable and clever, but not nearly as clever as it think it is. The film plays around with reality by having the film be a faux documentary; intermingling actual interview sections with Charlene Yi (who was less cloying and obnoxious then I thought she'd be), staged and improvised sections where Yi is starting up a reluctant romance with Michael Cera and finally staged paper doll retellings of love stories. It works but never really coheres. If you think you might find this adorable you probably will. I can't fathom why they attempted to try to make this seem real, what was the point? Why hire someone else to play the director? There's a lot of needless artifice here. I will admit though to laughing pretty hard when Yi was interviewing a bunch of young girl who volunteered that they were in love with Chris Brown (in hindsight that may have been a bad idea).
Gamorrah is Matteo Garrone's gritty, noisy, messy and uncompromising gangster drama set in Italy. We've come a LONG way from the attempts as civility and honor found in the Godfather.
Now would-be street kids quote the DePalma Scarface at each other unaware tha they're caught up in the game that's likely to get them all killed and little to no chance of ever reaching that level of wealth and excess. The film does a very through job of showing many different levels and rites of passage for young and old gangsters. From Don's to wannabes the film gives a sense of Wire-like depth to its world in its short (for a gangster epic) run-time. Its easy to get lost in this very busy world but attentive reviewers will be rewarded with fairly well developed characters and even the casual viewer will be struck by the powerful set-pieces (like a young boy's bullet test or testing out heavy weapons on the beach). Recommended for fans of more street level crime amongst the ruins as seen in City of God and La Haine.

You don't have to be an A student to be an A-List Star Part 1: The Men

Ah nothing like basking in the afterglow of a reference like three people will get in the title.

This past week's Entertainment Weekly (#997 June 13, 2008) featured a cover-story about their picks for the next Hollywood A-listers. As my friend Etan pointed out at the Academy Awards several years ago we're well into the beginning of a transitional period where the big stars of yesterday; the DeNiros, Pacino, Nicholsons and Fords (or what have you) are giving way to the Seymour Hoffmans, the Crowes, the Phoenixs and so on. So now ET is making some predictions about the names you'll be seeing above the title in coming the years and here are my thoughts about them.
Dwayne Johnson-Having officially (and seamlessly) retired his "Rock" moniker Johnson seems primed to really tackle the worlds of action, comedy and hopefully drama. Even back in his wrestling days the Rock was one of the most charismatic and articulate of brawlers (I've been a fan for a long time). I've maintained that ever since he got into movies that had the Rock been around in the 80's he would've been the most successful of all his action peers and subsequently become one of the biggest stars in the world. He's ten times more charismatic and amusing than Schwarzenegger, Segal, Van Damme or any of those guys. Also the guy is sexy. Yeah that's right, I said it. Johnson has not been in the best movies but he never gives less than 100% in them and I still maintain that the Rundown is one of the better pure action films of the twenty first century. Johnson has had his first major success in The Game Plan (which I skipped because I saw the movie for free in a three minute nugglet known as a trailer) so now he's going to be in family films for a bit (hence the forthcoming Escape from Witch Mountain, I guess he plays the mountain). Johnson's appearance in Southland Tales wasn't enough to save the film but it showed me that he doesn't always have to be the tough guy and that he's willing to do unconventional material. I have high hopes for his work in Get Smart (a movie I'll be writing about with great enthusiasm shortly). If he can get a little more selective in his scripts and stretch once in a while he could be like no performer we've seen before.
Is he A-List?: Not quite yet, but if Get Smart does well (and no reason it shouldn't) then he's well on his way.
Shia LaBeouf-LaBEOUF! In two disappointing hours LaBeouf went from beinga decent young actor to my favorite thing about the new Indiana Jones movie. Breathing more life into Harrison Ford then any other actor on screen, the new Spielberg wunder-kid has real presence and two huge potential franchises under his belt. I like this kid, but I'd like to see him in some indie (not to be confused with Indy) films. I don't mean Hitchcock retreads but a Fox Searchlight sort of thing.
Is he A-List? material: Very close, but he needs to do a quality film where he is the main attraction, not an energy cube.
Seth Rogen-At the moment he can do no wrong. His projects always feel fun, cutting edge and tend to be hilarious. I've heard that he doesn't have much of a presence in Kung-Fu Panda but then again the movie is hardly his to own. Pineapple Express looks sensational and both Rogen and Gordon Green are benefiting from each-others company. Zak & Miri looks cute and Monsters versus Aliens sounds incredible. Then there's the Green Hornet that he and friend and co-writer Evan Goldberg wrote. Rogen is constantly making cool, exciting creative choices, I just hope he doesn't neuter himself like Will Ferrell was doing for a while there.
Is he A-List material?: Yes and has been since 40 Year Old Virgin as far as I'm concerned.
Robert Downey Jr.-He's the elder statesman of this list but he definitely belongs on it. He's straightened out his life AND he looks poised to make 2008 the summer of Downey. Let's see, a colosally successful on all accounts franchise (Iron Man)? Check. Fun, edgy looking comedy he looks poised to steal from more accomplished comedy co-stars (Tropic Thunder)? Check. Schlocky sounding awards bait ready for the fall (The Soloist)? Check. Just stay clean and keep being awesome.
Is he A-List material?: If you look up A-List in the dictionary do you know what you see? A picture of Robert Downey Jr? No, the definition of the word a-list, idiot.
James McAvoy-I love him in press conferences and award shows where he seems fun and impish and playful. His movies are a bit of a mixed bag though. I like him in Atonement but he mostly just walks around looking dour. Last King of Scotland was good to him but in the eyes of the public that's Forest Whitakers movie. I'll see Wanted but I'm going to be pretty pissy through it because it looks NOTHING like the comic. As of right now the movie that best shows off what he can do is Starter for 10, but like three people saw it. Maybe he should try to hook up with the Apatow guys or another comedy clique.
Is he A-List material?: Not for another three or four successful movies at least.
Michael Cera: I talked a lot about what makes Cera great a few posts ago. I think that right now if you're an even remotely media savvy person between the ages of 15-28 you love this guy. His upcoming film slate looks pitch-perfect.
Is he A-List material?: Unquestionably. I hope he has a very sexy time.

Well that's it for the men. Tomorrow (or Thursday) I'll write up my thoughts on the women (and hopefully have a review up of Kung-Fu Panda). Stay awesome.

Awesome Birthday Guys

Two Sickness Cinema favorites celebrate their birthdays today. First up is the Arrested Development alum that has taken the world by storm, Mr. Michael Cera who is turning 20. Mr. Cera's colossal talent and nice-guy persona make him a fan favorite of the highest order. No one just likes Michael Cera, they love him. In addition to rocking the aforementioned AD as the demure, sweet and cousin-loving (maybe...maeby) George Michael Bluth Cera had a huge 2007 starring in Superbad and making me cry giant dorky tears in Juno. Cera can also be seen as a giant douchey version of himself in clarkandmichael.com. Cera has a bright future ahead of him with an awesome slate of films including Year One (think the Apatow version of History of the World Part One). He'll be romancing the well-endowed daughter from 40 Year Old Virgin in the sure to be popular soundtrack having Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, playing very much against type as the titular Youth in Revolt and then kicking the most ass ever in the Edgar Wright (YAY) helmed Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Double YAY). Then there's those rumors of an Arrested Development movie. Oh I hope there's a ribbon cutting at the premiere.

Cera's co-star in the sensational (and maybe best directed of the Apatow stable) Superbad turn 30 today, Mr. Bill Hader. Hader, in addition to being a huge comic fan and movie buff in his own right, is probably one of the most talented cast members on SNL right now. A talented impressionist and avant-garde scenarist, Hader has quickly asserted himself in the Akroyd, Hartman, Farrell role of SNL utility player. He's the guy who can be brought and play it straight but still manage to be hilarious. The man also does superlative impressions of Daniel Day Lewis (as Daniel Plainview), Vincent Price, Peter O'Toole, James Mason, Al Pacino, The Emperor from Star Wars, Tony Blair and Gregory Peck. Hader is also an Apatow regular in addition to appearing Superbad showed up in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up and will be seen in Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder. I am of the opinion that his Vincent Price show, Comic Chat and Captain Hook sketches are some of the best that have ever been on the show in the last decade.

Thing that bummed me out, thing that cheered me up

I am definitely bummed by the passing of Anthony Minghella. In the interest of total candor I was never especially close to his work as a director, but the man did have an eye for directing complex, adult dramatic material, something that grows increasingly difficult to do in studio films. The infinitesimally tiny silver lining is that this may prompt many to go discover or re-discover the man's small but powerful body of work as a director. It should be noted that Minghella was a legitimately multi-talented worker in the film industry serving as writer, director and producer.

Of my own personal connection to Minghella I originally disliked The Talented Mr. Ripley but I am happy to say that subsequent viewings of the film have altered my dislike into great affection. The director's other film I've seen, Cold Mountain, is certainly ambitious but encumbered by all sorts of tinkering to make it award bait. It rarely feels organic. Obviously my q needs some tinkering.
On the OTHER HAND I was thrilled to wake-up and discover this golden nugget (which I first heard from Frank via e-mail and subsequently saw at this link). Edgar Wright, probably my out and out favorite director working today, is in talks with the sublimely talented Michael Cera to star in the director's adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's superlative comic series Scott Pilgrim. If you're not a reader of Pilgrim (something you can rectify by clicking here and dropping a few shekels, it's only ten bucks cheapo) let me fill you in. Scott Pilgrim is a Canadian slacker who must defeat his new flame Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in combat to make her his girlfriend. In the process Scott grows and matures in tiny baby steps, he also gets extra lives, plays in his band Sex B-Bomb and re-evaluates his own sordid love life. Think Superbad meets Kicking & Screaming (the Baumbach one) meets Kung-Fu Hustle and you're getting closer. What's particular exciting is that Scott Pilgrim doesn't really match up with the current awkward/cute schtick that Cera excels in. Scott can be hyperactive, a bit of a jerk, egotistical and a bit of a dunderhead all at once. It'll be great to see Cera stretch and really show to the world the no doubt enormously talented comedian I just know in my heart of hearts he is. Honest and truly people you should be getting excited (and buy those Pilgrim trades).

Save Our Bluths: The Movie

Welcome to the many, MANY visitors from Beingfamous. I’m the Sickness/El Gigante and I love movies.

Let’s get down to it.

You would be hard pressed to find a bigger Arrested Development fan than I. I think the show serves as a benchmark for quality television comedy. The kind of show that deserves to be mentioned in the same breathe as Your Show of Shows, All in the Family, Taxi, the old Simpsons, the Larry Sanders Show, the Office; really the best of the best. But now that the strike is over can the potential AD join the ranks of great movie comedies? I’m cautiously optimistic. Obviously the die-hard fans will come out (maybe we’ll do a big ribbon cutting premiere) but does the cast appeal to the common man? Perhaps, but who the big pull may surprise you as I run down the MOVIE CAREERS OF THE BLUTH FAMILY.
The reason for this article is for my late-night-can’t-sleep-screening of The Brothers Solomon. Damn it all the math just didn’t work at all. I mean check it out.

Will Arnett=Funny, Bob Odenkirk=Funny, Will Forte=Funny, Chi McBride=funny

But somehow

(Will Arnett+Will Forte+Chi McBride) x Bob Odenkirk=Not funny

This is why I scored so low on my math SAT’s. It’s really made me reconsider my whole stance on Will Arnett as a viable filmic leading man. On Arrested the guy is fall on the floor funny just by existing, but is it that I find GOB Bluth that funny and not Arnett? Blasphemy I know.

Ok so let’s run it down:
Jason Bateman: A frequent face in the "Comedy clique" films people may recognize him from his work in Dodgeball, Starsky & Hutch or the Break Up all of which did big business. As Bateman branches out he begins to demonstrate greater range he is not pulling in an audience in films like The Kingdom or Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. Too many he’s the wryly funny supporting guy. He ain’t a lead.
UPDATE: Oh crap, I forgot Juno. Or did I? Could my omission be a tacit reaction to my feelings on Bateman in the film? Or am I just an idiot?

Will Arnett: God knows they’re trying to make him a legitimate member of the comedy clique but nothing is sticking. The studios don’t push his comedies and then to compound the problem the movies aren’t that funny. Let’s Go to Prison? The Brothers Solomon? Sorry even the biggest Will Arnett apologist would be hard pressed to call these “good.” Sterling and amusing supporting work in films like Hot Rod and Blades of Glory are all well and good but he’s not the flashiest or funniest thing in either film. Maybe his work as an announcer in the forthcoming Semi-Pro will give him a Fred Willard-esque bump.

David Cross-The Mr. Show vet is a dynamic performer and powerful voice in alternative stand-up comedy. But again, the guy doesn’t bring in a massive audience. Except he appeared in a 200 MILLLION dollar grossing film last year. Oh sure, he got a mountain of shit for it but the fact is to thousands of little kids he’s Ian, Alvin and the chipmunks dastardly manager. Could seeing ole Ian bring in the kiddies? Maybe.

Portia De Rossi: Her life as Mrs. DeGeneres (and you know, give her a fulfilling relationship) may put her in a lot of magazines but nothing in her filmography suggests that audiences know who she is.

Tony Hale: Oh yes I can see it now “Oh hey that guy from the short lived Andy Richter TV series!”

Alia Shawkat: Puberty has been VERY kind to her. Who could blame the boys for flocking to see a lovely young woman?

Jessica Walter: Menopause has been VERY kind to her. Who could blame the septuagenarians for flocking to see this GILF? Watch out boys loose seal on the loose.

Jeffrey Tambor: I love that his mst successful film work has been in the Hellboy films. Should Golden Army be a success (and I don’t see why not considering Guillermo’s traction post Pan’s Labyrinth) Tambor could bring the geeks who don’t already know AD. Oh and on a personal note, please Mr. Tambor no more sub-par TV series. You’ve been on two of the greatest TV shows of all-time (AD and The Larry Sander Sanders Show) so why settle for Welcome to the Captain.

Michael Cera: Ladies and gentleman, meet the reason why an Arrested Development movie will be successful. The two movies he appeared in in 2007 broke 100 million. Heck even the most strident detractors of Superbad (which is to say most women) think Michael Cera is adorable and hilarious and EVERYONE likes Juno. Except the people who like to be contrary. Cera is now a bonnafide movie star with huge appeal to audiences, if virgins will check-out an AD movie, it will be to see Cera. “Everybody likes you, you’re George Michael.” Well said Michael, well said.

Random Film Thought: Looking back, looking ahead

While watching the commentary track on Superbad (which continues the noble tradition of Apatow DVD commentary tracks nearly being as entertaining as the movies themselves), this little nugget came out. One of Michael Cera's first ever auditions was for The Sixth Sense. When asked if he read the line "I see dead people" he said no. He explains that he did the scene where he passes Willis a coin and says "Some magic is real." Look blog people, if I could replicate Cera's delivery I would, but I probably laughed for five minutes straight. Good lord. Michael Cera I love you sooooooo much. A lot of great DVD's out this December (Once, Blade Runner, 12 Angry Men: SE, Hot Fuzz 3 Disc, Ratatouille, Wire Season 4) but if you just want to laugh non-stop you can't go wrong with Superbad.
OK looking ahead. I hate to make plans on the blog because its like begging fate to come along and screw with me royally but I have some break time coming up so expect reviews of The Savages, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a special review for Sweeney Todd, Walk Hard and my thoughts on the Walk Hard soundtrack. That's not even counting Monologue Mondays, Link Fridays and whatever other movie stuff that sticks to my craw between now and then. That's just between now and next Sunday. There's even better stuff coming down the pike. Get excited.

Juno What I Mean: A Special Guest Review

Dearest bloggeratti,

Sickness here, while this may be my blog I am not so vast in my power I can be everywhere I want to be at once. So when something cool comes along like a screening of the much buzzed about Juno with a follow-up Q&A with star Ellen Page all the way in San Francisco, I know something must be done. Luckily one of my agents and friend of the site Carold Finkelstein was on hand to cover the event. Cary as a huge fan of virtually everyone involved in this picture has all the passion and knowledge I'd want from a guest-reviewer so consider yourself lucky to be reading his opinion.

I'll be checking in with Cary in a follow up entry to pump him for more information (yes, yes, I really do have it coming sometimes) about the flick and chatting with Miss Page in person. Let me go on by saying that I am incredibly pleased with Cary for not only writing up an especially eloquent and savvy review, but doing it so quickly amidst me yelling at him like J. Jonah Jameson (by which I mean I gchatted him saying to get me pictures of Spider-Man). Kudos to you Carold, go have a fashion show at lunch. Here's Cary:
Juno tells the story of a high school girl (Page) who gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby. There's no political or social statements about abortion. Juno doesn't have to fight her way across picket lines or deal with any religious backlash. Diablo Cody, in her sparkling screenwriting debut, leaves those at the door. Juno freely talks about the "sea monkey" growing in her belly or when it's going to pop out her "vag." The dialogue crackles with one-liners that will leave you slumping over your movie seats and wishing you had a remote to go back and catch the lines you missed while laughing so hard.

The movie doesn't waste anytime when Juno takes that fateful pregnancy test in the opening minutes. And here's where things get interesting: instead of turning into some Lifetime movie, Juno takes this opportunity to look at marriage, friendship, parenthood, and yes, love. It doesn't preach, it doesn't suggest any message or any way to live your life. Like any great comedy, it makes you laugh so hard that you don't realize how affecting it is until the closing credits roll.

All of the praise heaped on Ellen Page for this breakthrough role (yes I'm aware she was in Hard Candy and X-Men: the Last Stand, but this one is a career-maker), is well earned. Juno is smart, sassy, tender, confident, weak, and like most teenagers, unsure about who she is and where her life will go. Page hits the bulls-eye and effortlessly balances all of these traits. She doesn't come off as "too much" of anything, she comes off human.

But there is so much more to this movie than the luminous Page. It won't be long before you see posters of Michael Cera in a track uniform next to those of Zac Efron. Cera brings a subtle sweetness and the awkward romancing that made us love him in Arrested Development. Jason Bateman (Cera's father in Arrested Development) as the still-stuck-in-youth father to be and JK Simmons (best known for yelling "Parker!" in the Spidey movies) as Juno's endearing father delight. However, the true supporting stars are the women. Allison Janney redefines every fairy tale as Juno's stepmother Bren; she'll zip and zing her way into your heart. And the real surprise is Jennifer Garner as Vanessa, the adoptive mother of Juno's baby. Garner can do MUCH more than change wigs and beat people up. She takes a seemingly perfect and shallow character and brings more depth than you could imagine with one simple scene in a mall.

As a special treat at my screening, Ellen Page was on hand for a brief Q & A. I suspect she inhabited this character so deeply that it has rubbed off on her (or perhaps the other way around). Page is just as delightful in person - cracking jokes, very insightful, and honest. She really believes in this movie and in the Cody's screenplay and Jason Reitman's direction. I felt like I wanted to be on that movie set because of how much fun she made it sound. After accidentally saying the word "shit" Page proclaimed, "We're getting pretty loose at this Q & A. I bet Cate Blanchett doesn't get to have this much fun." And yes, I got to shake her hand. No you cannot touch it. Maybe she remembers my name.

There is so much more to tell about this movie but the best thing to do is to see it for yourself (no Fox Searchlight did not pay me to say that). When you're listening to the near-perfect soundtrack of Kimya Dawson and the Moldy Peaches, you'll understand. Juno is the kind of movie that you can't sum up in a couple sentences, or even in a short review for that matter. Yes Juno is about a girl who gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby, but that's not what it's really about, that's just what happens in the plot. After telling her parents she's pregnant Juno says, "I don't know what kind of girl I am" and even at the end of the movie, she's still figuring it out and so are we.