ethicks

So, I was watching Batman Begins on TV today and I was so struck by Katie Holmes' character. She has the worst, most pop kind of view of ethics. Complex ethics are so much more interesting to watch... I watched Mani Ratnam's film GURU the other day and it had the same problem. Up until the first half, the film developed nicely. We watch a small time villager bloom into a top businessman, taking over industry in India and redefining the export-import trade, finding love and what not. His foe is a small time reporter out to destroy his life and show you the power of the press. (The presence of that gorgeous Ms. Rai never hurts, Cinematography top notch. Here's a sample...)

The protagonist slowly becomes the antagonist and the reporter slowly starts to expose the kind of malpractice and moral flexibility it takes to make it big. Its a true story and its about one of the BIGGEST industrialist families in India. The lead actor is also from a very huge entertainment family and so its understandably awkward for him to portray one of his father's most influential and important friends in negative light but the director is brave and he made the film.

It was very interesting except for the third act which sank deep into sentimentality and preferred to buy the audience's sympathy for the character by showing him suffering a stroke, and face the press in a very Aviator like way, showing the senators what he did for India and why should stop pointing fingers at him. I wish they had pursued the tougher ending, the one where the industrialist dies a rich, wealthy man. The reporter gets screwed for exposing him because money can buy things earnest intentions can not. It happens, and its okay.

I also found out that men get calf implants today. I haven't looked at my calves long enough, nor do I have a good enough understanding of calves to know if mine meet the standards... The things we miss.

Goober

3.5 hours. That's all.
PS: the reviews for Breaking and Entering are out and they are not pretty. I warn you, watch it if you can. Don't listen to them... hiss!

Okay.

A SIMPLE PRINCIPLE
(Tatoo it on your DoP's forehead if you will):

There is absolutey no good reason, NONE at all, for not composing every single shot beautifully.
Every SINGLE shot should be well composed. The camera SHOULD NOT roll unless the shot is to die for.
Watch France's entry AVENUE MONTAIGNE if you get the chance. You will, so watch it.
Once again, there is absolutely NO GOOD REASON to NOT carefully compose EACH and EVERY single shot. None at all. Tatoo it on your DoP's forehead if you will.

D.I.A.L.O.G.U.E

Breaking and Entering goes on my list of films to watch when Im writing my next film. Jude Law will be Jude Law and no one should let that bother them but this is truly a wonderful movie to watch if you just want to be completely awed by the power of good dialogue and clean dialogue and honest dialogue and dialogue that comes from hard work and sweat and just writing the same scene over and over again and actually being two different characters in a scene with whole, unique voices. Here's the trailer.

That said, Jude Law needs to not be Jude Law. He needs to figure himself out, its pathetic how he cheats on every screen relationship of his. Its cliche, not surprising and I don't feel for him anymore. He just looks pathetic doing it, like some idiot infant who doesn't understand what they are doing. You can't just stand there looking cute and puppy doggish and kiss people and not know why you are doing it. You can do it once and twice but movie after movie it does not work. Cant cast him anymore. Can't do it.

93% full glass, that Breaking and Entering is. And Vera Fermiga is a complete revelation. She is also the only saving grace in that pathetic mess of a movie, The Departed. Martin Freeman, Juliet Bincoche and Robin Wright Penn are all delicious.

Sundance yourself

Click here for the best coverage of Sundance as it happens. Ive been using this blog last 4 years and they do a good job for Sundance obsessed people like me. The last months have been spent prepping THINK for the festival and I have a good handle on almost every film in every section there so its more fun, its like watching a game where you actually have a history with every player on the field.

Oscars and Screeners...

Quite simply, the most brilliant writing I've had a chance to soak in in a LONG time. Please see Breaking and Entering if you can. ITs remarkably sharp, incisive, thoughtful, smart, REAL and brilliant. I picked up a screener today and couldn't take my eyes off for a single second. Also saw Bobby. I mean, Ashton Kutcher, seriously? It completely ruined the whole experience for me. Demi Moore was actually good. Phew! Almost done with West Wing, Season 7. Episode: The COLD has the 2nd best episode opening in the entire series. Excellent, excellent.

Update!

Saw Cuaron's Children of Men and Del Torro's El Liberento del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) and that completes the three films. Very similar themes for these, Babel and even The Fountain. Outgrowths, anti-establishments, spiritual mythologies, faith-based, good stuff. Watch out for that sexy Maribel Verdu in Pan and some very sexy cinematography by Gillermo Navarro. Children of Men is particularly delicious. Cuaron and Lubetzki have walked this one into film classes, long-take heaven. Julianne Moore deserves major cred for making the film marketable by taking on a TINY and very impactful role. Actually because she is a huge star, the role and its length is surprising and very impactful. She lingers throughout the film in a very surprising way. Not sure any other actor could have had that effect.


The one interesting thing about it is how different it is from the book. Both are great, but this gives hope to anyone who wants to make a movie based on a book. They are different, they should be different, or rather, they CAN be different if it serves the medium. Another flick I'm excited about: Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is being adapted by the usually intelligent Marc Forster. Should be good...

Now Netflix: The West Wing Season 7, If you haven't seen The West Wing, you're lucky. You have seven amazing seasons of good writing, excellent acting, strong moments, great editing, excellent score, and so much more ahead of you. If you don't see it now, you'll see it later. Its just unavoidable. I discovered it very late and I've had a blast watching the show so far.