Ummm... a year has passed?

So, a year has passed since I last entered the bloggosphere. And, well, a lot has happened. I got married. I bought a new house. I got my newly crowned wife pregnant. Yep, I went and knocked up my wife! Which, is pretty awesome. We are expecting the little youngling at the end of November and we couldn't be happier or more excited... and yes, nervous as hell!! Okay, enough backstory. Movies. Movies. Movies. To be quite honest with you I have not seen as many movies over the past year as I normally do, but that's okay... life is busy. Also, over the past year I have not written as much, which you can clearly see by looking at the date of my last post. But, I have written some little dittys and will continue to do so from now on. I am working on a short film right now (editing) that my very funny friend and I did a few weeks back called, Anything Goes: Adam and Max Run a Guy Over. And, by the looks of it, it's going to be pretty funny. I will post it here when finished!! Below is a little short my family and I did last winter for the Sundance Film Festival. I had a blast working with my family... wish I could do it all the time! Enjoy.







This was a lot of random rambling, so thank you for letting me rant in no sort of discernible order. Swanny out.

An afternoon bike ride down memory lane...

I'm not sure what it is today, but I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, so I decided to hop on memory lane for a quick bike ride. As I peddled down the proverbial time lined street I started to remember when I loved movies for, well, movies. I remembered why I loved movies in the first place... a place and time that was not my life. Now, that's not to say that my life has been riddled with tragedy or heartache... far from it in fact. Sure, I've had my fair share of ups and downs, but show me someone who hasn't. I digress. I found myself at lunch today telling a good friend of mine,
"that with every passing day I want, with a degree of certainty, nothing more to do with movies and the movie business." It was as if I could actually see the letters forming the words leaving my mouth and gravitating toward his ears and all I wanted to do was reach out and grab them before they reached their final destination. Have I really become that bitter, that cynical... that jaded, that I can't enjoy movies anymore? Has the incestuous pool that is Hollywood finally gotten to me? So, I started thinking about all the films I loved as a kid. All the films that made we want to make movies, write about movies, tell people about movies, and so on and so forth. And I was rewarded with the feelings of happiness and calmness as I went down the list in my head while riding my bike down memory lane.

Some of my favorite childhood movies (in no particular order)!

E.T.



Star Wars.


The Goonies.


The Explorers.



Indiana Jones.


Monster Squad.


Weird Science.


Close Encounters.


Back to the Future.


Stand by Me.


Willow.


I'm sure I will think of more while I'm at home rummaging through my movie closet trying to find something to watch tonight and remember fondly when movies were movies... period.

Swanny out.

An, as of yet titled, piece of gloriousness!

Holy shirts and pants people! So, I was surfing the information super-highway the other day when I stumbled across a bit of movie news that made me light up like a fucking Christmas tree... Woody Allen has just cast non-other-than Larry David in his, as of yet titled, new movie. First, let me just say, I don't give one flying fuck what you think of Woody Allen as a person... all of you who seem to feel the need to judge everyone, judge away! The fact still remains that over the course of thirty plus years, Woody Allen has proven himself the world's greatest writer of witticism and quip. Period. He has also done what no other comedian/filmmaker has ever been able to do... make his own movies on his own terms, every fucking time! Not even Chaplin, Keaton, or The Marx Brothers were able to do that. I digress, back to the tattooed smile on my face. Larry David has often said that Woody Allen's writing is something to admire... I personally believe his writing is something to worship, but what do I know? So, Larry David, the impeccably funny co-creator of Seinfeld and the creator and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm has signed on to star, along side Woody mind you, in Allen's new film. I love Larry David and I can't think of anything better. Larry David spouting Woody's dialogue, maybe Woody should re-think his atheism, because holy fuck this has to mean there's a God, right? If not, we are all the luckiest people on the planet. Here's to next Summer and an hour and a half dedicated to neurotic Jewish New York behavior. Yes please!

Swanny out.

And the Oscar goes to...

So I thought that I should throw together my Oscar picks, being that the big day is just around the proverbial corner. I saw some excellent movies this year... and, some not so excellent movies this year. I was fortunate enough to go to Sundance last year and preview some great films. Only one of which is up for anything... that being, Laura Linney in, The Savages. Anyway, I will try and keep this short and sweet. Touching mostly on the main awards... that is to say, Picture, director, actor, actress, et cetera. Here we go...

Actor;
George Clooney (Michael Clayton)
Daniel Day-Lewis (There will be Blood)
Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd)
Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)
Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for old Men)

For me it's a no-brainer... Daniel Day Lewis' performance was so menacing, yet touching, I found myself wondering at times why do I like this person? And, other times wondering why don't I like this person? I think I could listen to DD Lewis read the bible and he would somehow make it more interesting than it is. But nevertheless PTA pulled an extraordinary performance from an even more extraordinary performer.


Supporting Actor;
Casey Affleck (Assassination of Jessie James)
Javier Bardem (No Country for old Men)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson's War)
Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild)
Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)

Again, all extremely talented individuals, but it has to be Mr. Bardem. Holy fuck! That was such an amazing performance. I can't say enough, or for that matter, anything. He was just that good.


Actress;
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)
Julie Christie (Away from Her)
Marion Cotillard (La vie en Rose)
Laura Linney (The Savages)
Ellen Page (Juno)

I have to be honest, I haven't seen all these performances, but please... pretty please, I beg of the Academy to give Oscar to Ellen Page. I absolutely loved this little film and this big performance!


Actress Supporting;
Cate Blanchett (I'm not There)
Ruby Dee (American Gangster)
Saoirse Ronan (Atonement)
Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone)
Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)

Have to give it to Ms. Blanchett. If for no other reason that it takes quite the gifted individual to be nominated for an Oscar, let alone... two.

Cinematography;
Assassination of Jessie James
Atonement
The Driving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for old Men
There will be Blood

Holy 35mm Shit! This is a toughie, because Jessie James, No Country, and There will be Blood may be three of the best shot films in quite sometime. All are just fucking gorgeous, but I have to give it to, There will be Blood. It's beautiful. Moving on.


Directing;
The Driving Bell and the Butterfly
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for old Men
There will be Blood

Oh, shit... what is a boy to do? Just when you thought the Coen Brothers couldn't get any better, they go and make their masterpiece. Oh, but wait... another little filmmaker by the name of Paul Thomas Anderson goes and makes his masterpiece as well. FUCK! I love the Coens and I have to admit that I was not the biggest PTA fan on block, but There will be Blood is just fucking awesome. However, PTA did have Daniel Day Lewis by his side, maybe the best actor ever. And the Coens went and made Josh Brolin amazing again... okay, I'm going with The Coens. In terms of combined directing and filmmaking I have to give it to the Gods that are the Coen Brothers.


Picture;
There will be Blood
No Country for old Men
Juno
Atonement
Michael Clayton

And I thought picking director was hard. Let me get this out of the way... Juno is an amazing film, maybe my most liked film of the year. Okay, now that that is over... There will be Blood and No Country for old Men are in a dead heat if you ask me. I haven't left a movie theatre in quite sometime like I left after these two. In that, I have been thinking about both since I saw them. I won't bore you with what I think of both, you all know we are talking about two amazing films here. So here is how I came to my conclusion... I decided that I had to go with the film I'm still thinking about and that made a bigger home in my mind than the other. I had to go with that visceral feeling one gets when they see something. Okay... hardest thing I've had to do in awhile by the way, so on those grounds the best picture of 2007 was...

THERE WILL BE BLOOD!

Hopefully, this year will produce two masterful works like last year and make my head explode from trying to decide once again!

Swanny out.

Juno? Like the city in Alaska? No.

"It all started with a chair."
Simple. Simple. Simple. That's three simples people. That's how I can and can't describe one of the best written films I've seen in a long time. The way Diablo Cody so simply, yet beautifully penned this screenplay gave me hope that there are still stories out there waiting to be told.
Now, is having a child at 16 or 17 easy and/or simple? Well, fuck no! But is the execution of this story simple and/or right to the picture perfect point? Well, fuck yes!
Juno tells the story of, well, Juno (Ellen Page) a VERY sixteen year old young woman (the 21st century sixteen year old vernacular is spot on). Juno, who leads a pretty normal suburban life in central Minnesota decides one night to have sex (for the first time) with her friend and band mate, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). Well, low and behold she gets preggers (apparently when a man sticks his hoo hoo in a woman's, what's that now?! there is the possibility of creating life... who knew?). The story then follows young Juno through the ever changing seasons, oh, and nine months of pregnancy. Whilst being pregnant, Juno decides that she is going to give the baby up for adoption and finds a lovely couple in an ad in the Penny Saver. The couple is played by Jennifer Garner, who gives a wonderful performance has a wanna be upper class mommy. And, Jason Bateman, in yet another hilarious turn as the once idealistic musician turned jingle writer for cheesy commercials. Juno becomes quite attached to the soon to be family of three as she tries to as she puts it, "deal with things way beyond my maturity level." Well, the nine months pass, Juno's tummy, which once looked like someone forced her to eat a basketball is now back to normal, the once happy Penny Saver couple ends up getting a divorce, and Juno finally finds out that what she was looking for all along was sitting in that chair the night she decided to experiment with a friend.
Jason Reitman's Juno might be the best movie of the year... I've seen some good ones, but with an oscar-worthy performance by Ellen Page and the oscar-worthy screenplay by Diablo Cody, this may take the cake. What starts out as a somewhat typical comedy involving experimental teenagers ends up being a wonderful character study into the lives of people, that at the end, you just want to hug.

Swanny out.

Away from Her

When it comes to Alzheimer's I don't really have any basis for comparison, that is, I haven't really had to deal with it in my own life, so I don't know just how terrible of a thing it can be. Although, I'm also not heartless, so I can imagine that a loved one not being able to remember you could be absolutely heart wrenching. I mean, isn't that what life is all about... acquiring memories? Which, leads me to, Away from Her. A film by actor turned filmmaker, Sarah Polley, adapted from the short story, The Bear Came Over the Mountain, by Alice Munro. Away from Her tells the story of Fiona and Grant Anderson (Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent), a couple who have been happily married for over forty years (or so we think). Fiona starts to slowly forget things, such as, where the frying pan goes after she washes it (she puts it in the freezer). Grant and Fiona start to struggle with the loss of memory in different ways. Grant, tells himself she's too young to start showing signs of Alzheimer's, and even if she was, he wants her around, as he's never been AWAY FROM HER. Fiona, on the other hand, starts to realize that it may be better if she checks into a small nursing home that deals with such cases. Grant tries to convince her to stay, but eventually relents to her request and they check her into to said nursing home. Over the course of her time there Fiona's memory fades more and more and Grant finds himself trying desperately to cope with the fact that the love of his life doesn't remember him. Not too mention, while in the home Fiona finds solace and comfort in another man, Aubry. A friendship that Fiona explains to Grant, "doesn't confuse her." Grant visits the home everyday, I suppose all the while having the hope that eventually she will come around and start remembering certain things (himself being the main one). Grant feeling lonely strikes up an odd friendship with Aubry's wife, Marian (Olympia Dukakis)... they sleep together, seemingly not feeling very guilty about the whole thing (considering the fact that they are both still married). As Grant and Marian's friendship grows, Fiona's condition worsens, which leads the home to transfer her to the second floor (the floor for individuals progressing quickly). Okay, I have to get this off my chest... I have a real problem with this film. I'm not saying Sarah Polly's foray into the directing world is a bad one. I just felt, almost, cheated in a way. Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent's performances are spot on, but we know nothing about their characters... at all. Seriously, there is not one bit of exposition in this film. Over the course of the opening credits we see them at their cottage in the middle of nowhere cross country skiing, having dinner, and then washing dishes... to which Fiona places the freshly washed frying pan in the freezer. That is it! That's how we are introduced to these characters and her slipping into memory loss. By the time she checks herself into the home the only thing we really know is that they've been married for over forty years, the haven't spent a month away from each other in that period of time, and Grant was a professor and that he had (apparently) cheated on Fiona once with a student. Basically, the back story is told (out of continuity) by Grant when he goes to meet Marian. And for the most part, the rest of the film is Grant sitting on a couch watching Fiona. Okay, he reads to her a couple of times. And you wonder why I wasn't emotionally attached to these characters. Again, Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent deserve all the praises, but this being a film where you are supposed to feel something for the the characters, I didn't really care. And that sucks! Fiona is afflicted by a terrible disease. Grant has to watch the love of his life slip away from him, literally. And I could not have cared less. Even when Grant and Marian strike up their friendship and eventually sleep together I wanted to feel something. Either anger or sympathy... something. But again, I wasn't angry at Grant for cheating on his wife and I didn't have sympathy for him considering that he was just lonely and, as all humans, was trying to seek affection. I simply didn't care. And the the clincher... Fiona remembering Grant at the end and the fact that he didn't leave her. Again, nothing. This film felt like Sarah Polley wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do with the source material. It was a feature that felt like a short. It needed to be more. I needed to know these characters more. I very much wanted to know these characters more!

Swanny out.

No Country for Old Men's Consequences

This is going to seem like more of a rant as opposed to an actual review, but some things happened to me the other day that got me thinking about consequences and the choices we make. How consequences, big or small can change the course of your life, your year... and quite simply, your day. I won't bore you with details of what happened to me, but let's just say it's amazing the amount that can happen after making one simple decision... good or bad. After asking one question and choosing how to answer it. Hell, after one sentence.

Just when you thought the Coen Brothers couldn't possibly get any better they smack you in the face with, No Country for Old Men. Literally, for me it was as if my face connected with one of Mike Tyson's famous knockout hooks. I had been following this film since it premiered at Cannes last year and have been waiting anxiously to see it. Well, let me just tell you it does not disappoint. I know, I know a lot of people have been criticizing the way it ended. But seriously, how else could it have ended? The whole point of the film is what ensues after the choices one makes. Were we all rooting for Josh Brolin? Yes. But did he not make quite an unethical choice once out in the desert? Of course it was a bad choice to take, excuse me, steal the money. Did he steal it from a bunch of drug runners? Yes. But it's still stealing and Josh Brolin's character has to deal with the consequences of his actions. The thing the fucking sucks for old Joshy boy is that the consequences of his actions just so happen to be the very bad-ass that is Javier Bordem. Fuck me! Is that not one of the creepiest, yet in some way likable bastards ever put on film? The only person I can think of is Daniel Day Lewis' portrayal of Bill in Gangs of New York. But unlike that film there is seriously no one to root for in this movie, except for... perhaps Josh Brolin's character's wife. I digress. What I really want to keep focusing on are consequences and choices. Josh Brolin's character made the choice to steal the money. He also made the choice to accompany that young lady by the pool in for beers. Woody Harrelson's character made the choice to be a bounty hunter and work for some pretty shady individuals. What's funny however, is that the only two who seem to make, in there own minds, rational choices are Tommy Lee Jones' character and Javier Bordem's character. As sinister and coldhearted as Bodem's character seems, to him they are all rational choices. And to be able to make a film and tell a story where I literally feel the need to write that last sentence takes quite the filmmaker, so well done Joel and Ethan. This film is a study in tension to say the least. And a lesson in what can happen from one little decision. "You can't stop what's coming." Genious!