The Descendants

This movie is jammed with stuff to talk about.  Having said that, one of my hopes as I write this blog is to give my readers a snap shot of a movie rather than a novel.  This is probably informed by my busy life as a father and husband, but I think the length of my entries is a plus because it gives my readers a chance to read my entries in a short sitting.  Forgive me if I go too long on this one, but there is a lot to say.

in order to keep myself at bay, I want to focus on three things that stood out to me about this movie:

1)  The Setting.  This move could have been set nowhere else.  Hawaii plays such an integral in the movie, that this movie could not have been shot elsewhere.  The opening monologue sets that tone, as it ponders what it is like to live all the time in the place that most people consider a paradise.  As it turns out, Hawaii and its citizens have just as many problems as anyone else.  Also, a key part of the plot of the film involves the fact that Matt (George Clooney) is the trustee of an enormous piece of land, and he has to decide whether to sell it or not so that he and his family can make millions.  The music in the film is also almost totally Hawaiian, so the film drips with Hawaii and its ethos.  Most films set in Hawaii focus on the beach and the romanticized ideals of the place.  This film gives us real life in that place.

2)  The performance of George Clooney.  George Clooney has made a couple of great decisions lately.  It began with his work in "Up in the Air."  Let's face it...George Clooney is the essence of cool.  He is a good looking guy, he seems charming, and the roles he takes often reflect that.  However, in recent films he has begun to chip away at that image.  In "Up in the Air", he begins the film a man totally in control.  He is cool, unattached, and bedding women at an alarming rate.  At the end of the movie, his life is in disarray.  His very existence is in question.  This movie represents a step farther away from the classic Clooney persona.  To quote my wife, "It's tough to make George Clooney look dorky, but he does it in this movie."  As usual, my wife is right on the money.  Here, Clooney plays Matt, a man detached.  He has lost his wife to a boating accident.  While she lies in the hospital in a coma, he is left to pick up the pieces that is his family.  He has maintained a large distance from his two daughters by burying himself in his work, and his wife's demise forces him to deal with that.  He finds out that his wife had been having an affair, but the viewer never really suspects that he has been unfaithful.  Instead, he simply seems out of touch, and his older daughter is angry with him for that.  As Matt's wife drifts deeper into a coma, he begins to share the news of her demise with her loved ones.  As they come to say their goodbye, it is clear that he is coming to grips with his failures as a husband and a father.

3)  The theme of masculinity (SPOILER ALERT).  The last image of the movie is the most important one of the movie.  The movie seems to be focused on what it means for Matt to be a man, and what he has to do to repair the relationships that he has broken.  These themes could be present without the theme of exploration of masculinity.  That's where the final image comes in.  After Matt and his two daughters have scattered his wife's ashes in the Pacific ocean, they go home.  As the final shot begins, Matt's younger daughter Scottie is sitting on the couch watching television.  As we hear the voice on the screen, it becomes clear that she is watching the film "March of the Penguins" as we hear the comforting rhythms of Morgan Freeman's narration.  As the scene goes on, both Matt and the older daughter Alexandra join Scottie on the couch.  They all snuggle up on the couch with ice cream underneath an orange hibiscus blanket and watch the movie together.  There are three things to note in this scene that, to me, define the whole film.  First, it is the first scene in which all three members of this nuclear family are sitting together alone and in harmony.  Second, the orange quilt that they are using was the same quilt that covered their wife/mother on her death bed.  The symbolism here of the three of them finally coming together underneath their mother's/wife's blanket after her death is poignant.  Third, and most important, they are watching "March of the Penguins."  For those of you who have not seen "March of the Penguins", one of the major themes of that film is the unique role that penguin males have in the protection of the eggs of baby penguins.  As they watch this movie, could the movie be saying that Matt has a unique role as a man in the protection and nurturing of his daughters?  Could he just now be beginning a more profound relationship with these two young ladies?  Better late than never.

Alexander Payne's films are profound and complicated.  The ones I have seen portray people with difficult lives.  The question becomes how they handle the difficulty.  In "Sideways", I found the overall reactions of the characters to be unsatisfying, though the film was entertaining and well made.  Here, the truths to be found are profound.  As Matt deals with such heavy issues, he learns something about himself and about the women in his life.  When he asks the question, "What is it that makes the women in my life destroy themselves?", we know the answer, and we are pretty sure he knows the answer too.  As a father of one daughter, how can I both shelter her from the dangers of the world but prepare her to walk on her own one day?  These are profound reflections.  The reason this movie works so well is that it provokes this kind of questions in the viewer.

Family Film Friday: The Lion King

Recently, our family took a wonderful trip to California to spend time with our families.  Usually while we are on vacation, our kids spend more time than normal watching videos.  This trip was no exception.  The kids tend to latch on to one particular movie per trip, and the movie of choice this time was "The Lion King."  After our trip, I asked Corrie and Jack about this newer Disney classic:

Joel:  "Daddy first saw this movie 18 years ago, I saw it in the movie theater..."
Corrie:  "Ooo, you're lucky..."
Joel:  "I liked it a lot at the time, and one of the things that was really great about it when it came out was how advanced the animation was-like the first part, with 'The Circle of Life' and everything, how the camera goes over the land, that was really amazing animation at that time...it was kind of the cutting edge.  What do you guys like about 'The Lion King'."
Jack:  "Dad, I just want to tell you one thing I do not like about 'The Lion King.'  Scar tears into Mufasa's arm, and when I was little, Corrie had to cover my eyes."
Joel:  "Wow, is that the part where he kills his brother?"
Jack:  "Yeah...I don't like that!"
Joel:  "Well, do you think you are supposed to like that part?"
Corrie and Jack:  "NO!!"
Joel: "I don't think so either."
Corrie:  "I just thought that wasn't good for Jack yet."
Joel:  "Jack, what's your favorite song in the movie?"
Jack:  "I don't know."
Joel:  "Corrie?"
Corrie (singing):  "Oh I just can't wait to be king."
Jack:  "Actually that's my favorite song too."
Joel:  "It's not 'Be Prepared'?  (Singing) Be prepared!!"
Corrie:  "I like that one because of the way he sings, but I don't like him.  I like the way he sings and I like the whole earthquake and volcano deal, I think that was pretty appropriate.  I'm not saying I like him."
Joel:  "Who's your favorite character in the movie."
Corrie: "Nala...because she's a girl and because she's Simba's best friend."
Jack:  "Simba! "
Corrie:  "But I think the most funny character is Rafiki!"
Joel:  "Oh, who's Rafiki?"
Corrie:  "He's the baboon who shows the baby lions to all the animals as soon as they are born."
Joel:  "Does he remind you of anybody in any other movies?  If Rafiki were a character in 'Star Wars', who would he kind of be like?"
Corrie:  "All I can really think of is Yoda."
Joel:  "Yeah, why does he remind you of Yoda?"
Corrie:  "He just seems wise like Yoda is."
Jack:  "I think the most funny character is Zazu."
Corrie:  "Yeah, Zazu is funny.  'The only checking out you will do is checking out of here!'"
Joel:  "When I first saw the movie, I remember a lot of people laughed at Timon."
Corrie:  "Yeah, Timon is crazy."
Joel:  "I remember when he said, 'She wants to eat him, and, everyone's okay with this?!?!"
Corrie:  "DID I MISS SOMETHING!?!?!  There's something else we imitate all the time:  'Whoa whoa, TIME OUT!"
Joel:  "What do Timon and Pumba eat?"
Corrie and Jack:  "Bugs!"
Corrie:  "I actually think the crunchy bugs would be yummy, if I had to eat them I would like them more than the worms."
Joel:  "It's a funny movie, but it's also pretty serious.  What are some the things Simba has to learn in the movie?"
Corrie:  "He has to face his past."
Jack:  "Do we face our past?"
Joel:  "Good question Jack, what do you think?"
Jack:  "I don't know."
Joel:  "It really...for a little boy, he sees something that's really sad.  But aren't a lot of fairy tales like that.  Don't a lot of kiddos see some really sad things?"
Corrie:  "I think that in that one you learn that...when you get...it tells us something about ourselves.  Sometimes when you get used to one thing, like his life with Timon and Pumba, sometimes we won't go back to stuff that we need to try new again.  I think that kind of tells us something ourselves.  Like, me and Jack got used to no schoolwork in California, and now we have to get used to it again."
Joel:  "Anything else."
Corrie:  "You said this morning that it's kind of based on Hamlet."
Joel:  "I did."
Corrie:  "Now that you say that, I can see that."
Joel:  "You've read Hamlet?"
Corrie:  "I've heard people talk about it.  'This boy, his uncle killed his dad"
Jack:  "Well, there's one more thing I'd like to tell you about.  I love how at the end when Simba is made a new king how all the bones are washed away."
Joel:  "And the whole movie's a circle right?  What happens at the very end?  It ends the same way as it begins."
Corrie:  "I think the baby at the end is a princess...it's almost like it's starting over.  Except you see Timon and Pumba there...remember that?"
Joel:  "No , I don't.  It's been a long time since I have seen it."
Corrie:  "At the shot at the end, you can see Simba standing there with Nala, and you would think that it's starting all over if you've never seen it before, except you see Timon and Pumba there.  They were standing there next to Simba and Nala, and Rafiki comes out, lifts up the baby and shows her.  You know what I like?  When Simba comes up to Pride Rock, after the battle is over, in the rain, and he roars out to the lionesses and they roar back, and they're soaked with rain."
Joel:  "Is that the first time he roared in the movie?"
Corrie:  "Well, not proper roar...when he was a little boy he tried to growl when he was little."
Jack:  "But that was the first time he properly roared."
Joel:  "The hyenas are kind of nasty."
Corrie:  "I actually think they're funny in some ways.  Our favorite line from it is when a hyena falls into a big patch of thorns and comes out with thorns stuck all over him.  And then one of the hyenas named Shenzi says, 'OK, there he goes.'  And then the one who got stuck in the thorns says, 'Say go get him.'"
Jack:  "And then he says..."
Corrie:  "And she says, 'There's no way I'm going in there, I'm not going to come out looking like you, cactus butt!'"
Jack:  "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  CACTUS BUTT"
Wesley:  "I'm not going to come out looking like you, cactus butt!'"
Joel:  "Oh, Wessie does want to say something.  All right guys, thanks a lot!"

U2: From the Sky Down

    This is another documentary that proves that this genre of film is only at its best when it tells a story well, just like any other kind of film.  The film bills itself as a behind the scenes look at the making of U2's "Achtung Baby".  If it were that, it would be woefully incomplete and unsatisfying.  However, if one takes a look at what this film is really about, the viewer will find a very captivating and satisfying story.  It is a reflection not only on the artists who make up the band U2, but it also has a lot to say about art itself.

    "The Joshua Tree", U2's seminal work, came out in 1987, when I was 12. The album was everywhere.  I heard some of its songs without having the album because they were so inescapable.  I remember my dad listening to "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" on the car radio, and us discussing the song.  The album went on to win the Grammy for best album and catapulted U2 into super stardom.  At this point, the band members were in their late 20's, and they were learning to deal with this level of fame.  They were very earnest, and their political beliefs and sympathies were on full display at their shows.  As the 80's drew to a close, it was clear to them that if they did not go in a different direction soon, they might become boring, both to themselves and to their fans. 

    The band decided to go to Berlin and try something new.  They were under the influence of European electronic rock, and they were looking for a new direction for their music.  As they begin, they are unable to find a way forward together.  The drummer and the bass player feel that they shouldn't change things, since they have had so much success.  The lead singer and guitarist seemed frustrated that they could not communicate their vision to their band mates.  Old recordings coupled with interviews with the band members and the producers give us a structure to the narrative of the making of this album.  When things seem the most hopeless, the band begins to play around with a bridge for one of its songs, and they use that bridge to write another different song.  The original song became one of their biggest hits ("Mysterious Ways"), while the song that came from the bridge went on to become not only one of their classic works, but one of the great rock ballads ever ("One"). 

    But there is more to it than that.  Here, we see a story of 4 coworkers who are at odds and they come together to build something beautiful.  In the last couple of months, I have been listening to the song "One" a lot.  It is a beautiful song, mainly because it is honest about the fact that people are not unified.  We are "One" people, but since there is so much that divides us we are not the same.  However, we must work together to find a way forward.  This is a different kind of idealism.  It is an idealism born out of realism.  The story of the writing of "One" parallels what the band is going through, but it also makes a bigger statement about humanity.

    The film also boasts some wonderful moments about the artistic process.  The highlight of the film is the band members listening to the "One" sessions, and commenting on what is going on in the recordings.  These moments show us a lot about how U2 writes their songs.  For those of us who love U2 as a band, these moments provide some great texture.  They give us a picture to go along with the phrase we see on all of U2's albums ("All songs by U2").

    I have read some criticisms of this movie.  One is that in trying to show how they escaped taking themselves too seriously, the band members take themselves too seriously.  I think that criticism is unfounded.  For example, if someone were making a documentary of my life, part of what they would see is that I take my job in groceries seriously.  It may seem that I take it too seriously, but in my world, groceries play a big role (I work at Trader Joe's, for those of you who don't know).  So here, the seriousness with which they discuss their work may not necessarily be pomposity, but simply an acknowledgement that they take their craft seriously, but maybe not themselves.  Having seen and heard much of their work, it would seem that the band members that make up U2 still acknowledge their egos, but also have a gift for self deprecation.  They seem to be some of the most down to earth rockers you will find, in spite of the egos that are clearly on display in this film. 

    In the end, as I mentioned above, the movie tells a great story.  This documentary has a classic dramatic structure.  There is a conflict, a crisis, a climax and a resolution.  These are the elements that make up any good story, and they are on full display here.  To see this story is touching.  It is good to remember that these 4 musicians who have so much still have to work very hard to accomplish something in their line of work.  In that way, they don't seem that much different from me, or anyone else.

NEW TRAILER FOR DARK KNIGHT RISES

Can't wait to see this....

Interesting Roger Ebert Link

 A very interesting article by Roger Ebert.  Every ten years since 1952, the British Film Institute has put out their "Sight and Sound" poll of the 10 greatest movies ever.  They interview critics, academics and directors.  Hereare Roger Eberts's entires for 2012:
 
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2012/04/the_greatest_films_of_all_time.html