Flint Lockwood lives with his dad on an island whose inhabitants’ sole source of food and income comes from the sardine business. Flint has always had a passion in science and inventing things since childhood. So when the sardine supply vanishes one day and the town is left to go hungry, he comes up with the perfect invention: a machine that will turn water into food.
All of a sudden it’s raining hamburgers, hot dogs, pie — you name it. Flint is hailed as a hero, and people from all over the world come to the island to see (and eat) for themselves. Eggs and bacon for breakfast, pizza and sushi, bagels and donuts falling from the sky — you get the picture. My favorite scene is when it snows ice cream. Kids build snowmen out of vanilla, strawberry, and mint ice cream, have snowball fights, and make snow angels — facedown.
Gradually, the food gets bigger and bigger, until things get out of control and a tornado of spaghetti and meatballs threatens to destroy the island. The only solution is to destroy the machine, which by now is no easy task, as the machine has grown dramatically in size too.
The movie does bring up some serious issues. Flint’s scientific invention is useful at first, but ultimately destructive. There is a view in American culture that science/innovation is harmful, or at least dangerous. This view is reflected widely in literature and cinema. Frankenstein comes to mind. Another issue here is food, or rather too much of it. Especially in America where obesity is such a growing concern, the message of this film is loud and clear.
As far as the animation quality, this is no Pixar. But the over-abundance of animated food is enough to make your mouth water, and I found myself constantly reaching for more popcorn. The movie is available in IMAX 3D format. However, I saw it at a regular theater where Digital 3D was not available. I wish I had seen it in 3D — there’s nothing better than a giant meatball flying out of the screen at you.
Overall, it was a fun movie, great for kids and adults alike.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Taking Woodstock
Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Hulk; Brokeback Mountain) has once again proven his insight and versatility as a director. Taking Woodstock is a delightful comedy set in the Catskills in upstate New York, 1969. It tells the story of Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin), a Greenwich Village designer who comes home to help out with his parents' old, run-down motel in White Lake, NY.
Elliot holds a musical festival permit for nearby Bethel, NY. When he hears that an upcoming music festival has been denied a permit and cancelled, Elliot offers to hold it in Bethel and offers his parents’ motel up for accommodations. He meets some initial resistance from the townsfolk, who are adverse to the idea of a bunch of high-on-drugs hippies partying in their town, but goes ahead with it anyway. Half a million people show up and clog the freeway into the Catskills, in what would become the famed Woodstock Festival. Along the way, we meet Max Yasgur (Eugene Levy), who owns a farm on which the festival will be held on, Sonia and Jack Teichberg (Imelda Staunton and Henry Goodman), Elliot’s crazy Jewish parents, Billy (Emile Hirsch), Elliot friend and recently returned Vietnam War vet, Vilma (Liev Schreiber), a transvestite, and a local theater troupe living in a barn next to the motel. Elliot himself experiments with drugs in a visually colorful and experimental scene.
It quickly becomes clear that music is not the focus of this film. In fact, there are no scenes of the concert itself, nor do we see any of the performers. Instead, we hear music in the distance and catch a glimpse of the stage from afar. The focus is on the personal stories surrounding the concert, and the music/concert is simply a backdrop that brings the stories together.
The film experiments with technique. In one scene Elliot and everyone are getting the motel ready for guests, dealing with inspections, etc. The screen is split, and in one we see Elliot from where the camera is placed in front of him; in the other we see the same scene, but from behind Elliot. This split-screen adds another dimension of space and conveys a sense of chaos in the room.
For a non-American director, Ang Lee certainly has mastered this very American story. For a good filmmaker like Lee, it doesn't matter what country or language the film is in. Time and time again (Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm, Brokeback Mountain) Lee shows us what great filmmaking is about.
Taking Woodstock is not a blockbuster hit, by any means. It’s a subtle film about a special time and place in American history, and features a large supporting cast. As always, in Ang Lee style, it fuses a little bit of history with culture and human story.Monday, January 19, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire
Fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
Slumdog Millionaire is propelled by stunning visuals, breathtaking editing, and an out-of-this-world music soundtrack, composed by A.R. Rahman.
From the moment it begins, the film hits the ground running - and it never stops.
From the opening shot of boys living in the slums of Mumbai to the ending Bollywood dance sequence during the credits, this is one ride you won't want to miss.
The only words that come to mind are: jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, heart-stopping, and eye-popping.
It's got all of the elements - hardship, overcoming impossible odds, tragedy, death, violence, love, revenge, loyalty, betrayal, comedy, victory, success, destiny, fortune... and more. Director Danny Boyle has mastered the art of filmmaking. Despite the tragedy, hardship, and unsurmountable odds that take place, the film manages a feel-good ending that will blow away even the best of Billy Elliot, Forrest Gump, or Finding Nemo.
Film works in only two senses - sight and sound, but Slumdog is a film that will blow all of your senses and leave you feeling numb. It's an entertainment explosion that delivers an out-of-this-world experience.
The film reminds us to appreciate the things we have, both tangible and intangible.
There are too many profound, thoughtful, depressing films out there, but there's no need to resort to pre-packaged Hollywood fluff movies either - Slumdog Millionaire is a delightful compromise. Do yourself a favor and go see it. You'll be glad you did.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Nobody Knows
Recently I saw a film that was more haunting than any horror film I'd ever seen. And it wasn't even a horror movie. "Nobody Knows" is a Japanese film based on a true story in which a mother abandons her four children in an apartment and leaves them to fend for themselves.
Their mother comes back only once for Christmas bringing them presents, then leaves again for months on end without a word, except for sending a wad of cash. She does all this as if it were the most normal thing for a parent to do. It's a shame that no adults know about their situation, and even the landlady doesn't say or do anything when she becomes suspicious after they stop paying rent.
The kids carry on with their lives as if nothing is wrong. Only the oldest, Akira, understands the gravity of their situation. He manages the money and shops for groceries. The next oldest, Kyoko, does the laundry and plays on her miniature toy piano. Yuki likes to color. Shigeru plays videogames. At one point, they make friends and even invite them over. Akira meets a girl. They are normal kids living normal lives, but not quite. There is something wrong with this picture.
Aesthetically, the film is pleasant, soft, and light. It tiptoes its way through the story. It is both haunting and dream-like. I love how the film shows progression of time through close-up shots of Akira's sneakers, which go from brand-new white to gray to filthy black through the course of the film. There is a great sequence when the kids go outdoors for the first time after the winter, on a beautiful new spring day. The sequence is pure joy to watch, and you can almost smell the fresh scent of spring in the air. I love the shot of the kids' shoes as they run across the pavement, how they go to the store and pick out their favorite snacks, and how Shigeru brings back a plant from the playground. It's scary that they get so much joy from things that other kids take for granted everyday.
Their living conditions slowly deteriorate as the apartment gets messier and the utilities are shut off. Towards the end of the film they are living in filth. One of the kids, Yuki, dies. It's a loss of innocence moment for kids who are already dealing with things beyond their age. I was taken aback by how quickly they moved on with their lives. The ending shows them settling into a kind of routine - it's summer, there's a sense of carefree in the air - they almost seem happy.
But there is no resolution here, no Hollywood happy ending. The only resolution there seems to be is that this is their life, and that they've accepted it. There's a sense that things might get better - Akira has made a friend who is sympathetic of their situation - but that is all the film leaves us with. There is no sense that the mother will come back anytime soon, or ever at all. She has forgotten about her children. She doesn't know about Yuki's death. She might never know. She might never see her remaining children ever again.
Immediately after seeing the film, I felt haunted. By Yuki's death. By these kids living in that filthy apartment. By the thought of them going on like this indefinitely and eventually vanishing into oblivion.
Their mother comes back only once for Christmas bringing them presents, then leaves again for months on end without a word, except for sending a wad of cash. She does all this as if it were the most normal thing for a parent to do. It's a shame that no adults know about their situation, and even the landlady doesn't say or do anything when she becomes suspicious after they stop paying rent.
The kids carry on with their lives as if nothing is wrong. Only the oldest, Akira, understands the gravity of their situation. He manages the money and shops for groceries. The next oldest, Kyoko, does the laundry and plays on her miniature toy piano. Yuki likes to color. Shigeru plays videogames. At one point, they make friends and even invite them over. Akira meets a girl. They are normal kids living normal lives, but not quite. There is something wrong with this picture.
Aesthetically, the film is pleasant, soft, and light. It tiptoes its way through the story. It is both haunting and dream-like. I love how the film shows progression of time through close-up shots of Akira's sneakers, which go from brand-new white to gray to filthy black through the course of the film. There is a great sequence when the kids go outdoors for the first time after the winter, on a beautiful new spring day. The sequence is pure joy to watch, and you can almost smell the fresh scent of spring in the air. I love the shot of the kids' shoes as they run across the pavement, how they go to the store and pick out their favorite snacks, and how Shigeru brings back a plant from the playground. It's scary that they get so much joy from things that other kids take for granted everyday.
Their living conditions slowly deteriorate as the apartment gets messier and the utilities are shut off. Towards the end of the film they are living in filth. One of the kids, Yuki, dies. It's a loss of innocence moment for kids who are already dealing with things beyond their age. I was taken aback by how quickly they moved on with their lives. The ending shows them settling into a kind of routine - it's summer, there's a sense of carefree in the air - they almost seem happy.
But there is no resolution here, no Hollywood happy ending. The only resolution there seems to be is that this is their life, and that they've accepted it. There's a sense that things might get better - Akira has made a friend who is sympathetic of their situation - but that is all the film leaves us with. There is no sense that the mother will come back anytime soon, or ever at all. She has forgotten about her children. She doesn't know about Yuki's death. She might never know. She might never see her remaining children ever again.
Immediately after seeing the film, I felt haunted. By Yuki's death. By these kids living in that filthy apartment. By the thought of them going on like this indefinitely and eventually vanishing into oblivion.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Pixar Does It Again
Last night at the Golden Globes, WALL-E won for Best Animated Feature Film. It was up against Bolt and Kung Fu Panda.
I was rooting for Bolt all the way. I think it really came down to either Bolt or WALL-E, but WALL-E won because it carried a profoundly deeper message. It also had excellent sound design (in the absence of much dialogue) and a simple, to-the-point sci-fi storyline. WALL-E is a thrill ride for tech and sci-fi geeks. Roger Ebert gave it 3.5/4 stars.
What I loved about Bolt was its contemporary comedy (in the style of SNL, Family Guy, etc.) full of references to pop culture and the movie business. In contrast to WALL-E, Bolt was a dialogue-heavy film and it really depends on the dialogue to deliver.
WALL-E and Bolt are two very different films. In the end, the human-like robot named WALL-E captured our hearts (or at least the HFPA's) and took home the Globe.
I was rooting for Bolt all the way. I think it really came down to either Bolt or WALL-E, but WALL-E won because it carried a profoundly deeper message. It also had excellent sound design (in the absence of much dialogue) and a simple, to-the-point sci-fi storyline. WALL-E is a thrill ride for tech and sci-fi geeks. Roger Ebert gave it 3.5/4 stars.
What I loved about Bolt was its contemporary comedy (in the style of SNL, Family Guy, etc.) full of references to pop culture and the movie business. In contrast to WALL-E, Bolt was a dialogue-heavy film and it really depends on the dialogue to deliver.
WALL-E and Bolt are two very different films. In the end, the human-like robot named WALL-E captured our hearts (or at least the HFPA's) and took home the Globe.
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