I think I will take that waltz sir

Canadian sweetheart, actor director extraordinaire, Sarah Polley's most recent film Take this Waltz is expected to debut at this year's Toronto Film Festival.  The film is based on the haunting son by singer/writer Leonard Cohen.  Seth Rogan and Sarah Silverman are starring in it.

A Polley film based on a Cohen song?  It's a Canadian dream come true. 

Leonard Cohen's The Essentials album cover.  Dreamy.

Jane Eyre's Tale of Woe

Yesterday I caught a matinee screening of Cary Fukunaga's 2011 film Jane Eyre based on the 1847 novel by Charlotte Bronte.  I had just finished reading Wuthering Heights, written by her sister Emily Bronte, so I was in a Bronte state of mind.

The thee Bronte sisters, Emily, Charlotte and Ann published their novels under the male names Ellis, Currer and Acton Bell because their publisher told them it was not proper for women to write novels.  These pioneer women writers' novels keenly explore the social niceties, inconsistencies and critical nature of their time period.  The successfully explore the inner workings of their male and female characters but for me it is usually the female characters that stand out.

In Jane Eyre the female protagonist is a spirited, intelligent and moral governess.  Her childhood 'tale of woe', where she is orphaned and abandoned by a mother in law and poorly treated in a boarding school, seem all forgotten when she falls in love with the her employer.  But all is not what it seems at Thornfield Hall.

The recent film version, Fukunaga's first major director project, manages to stay true to the novel while being under 2 hours.  The cinematography utilizes the english countryside to add whimsy and beauty to the film.   Mia Wasikowska's portrayal of Jane is the perfect mix of contemplative yet spirited.  I think those who already have a love for Bronte novels and those new to the style would enjoy this film.

The Bronte sisters have quite a few novels that have been made into films and I am inspired to watch more.  I think I may have a new theme for my next Movietraxx show on CFUV 101.9fm on May 16th, 2011.

Book Review

Defining Moments in Movies:  
The Greatest Films, Stars, Scenes, and Events that made Movie Magic

This book offers a very general overview of some of movies 'defining' moments with short paragraphs stating why the scene, star, film or event makes the cut.  The contributors are numerous are vary from directors to film critics to film historians and journalists.  The read inspired me to watch many movies I have not seen and reminisce about those I have.  

It's the kind of book it is nice to have on the bed side table to breakup other books you might be reading.

Blood Simple: The Coen Brothers the Early Years

Blood Simple (1984)


I watched this little gem after doing a random scan of my local video store's thriller section.  While it's nice to be directed towards a film because of something you have heard about it, it is always rewarding to find something you know little about and have nothing to influence your viewing experience.

Blood Simple was Joel and Ethan Coen's directorial debut.  It has a neo-noir feel, with numerous anti-heroes and visual plays with shadows and light.  A very young Frances McDormand (who would star in the Coen Brother's first big hit Fargo in 1996) plays a bar owner's wife having an affair with her bartender. Her husband (played by Dan Hedaya) hires a hitman to kill the two of them but his plan backfires and confusion ensues.

Frances McDormand (Blood Simple, 1984)

Blood Simple has many of the classic characteristics of a Coen Brother's film:  the dark nature of the plot, violence, minor misunderstandings leading to major events and a plethora of anti-heroes.  It has a simple premise held together by Joel and Ethan's great attention to detail and storytelling abilities.

The film was scored by Carter Burwell's first collaboration with the Coen Brothers.  It was a match made in heaven and he would go on to score all of their future films.  To accentuate the old bar feel, and add some classic poppy music to dark scenes, are songs like "Louie, Louie" (Toots and the Maytals) and "It's the Same Old Song" (The Four Tops).

Apparently Zhang Yimou released a loose remake of Blood Simple in 2009 as a comedy set in a Chinese noodle shop.   Might have to be the next film on my list!

They Live... and they Fight!

They Live (1988)

Director:  John Carpenter

Last night I watched John Carpenter's 1988 film They Live.  I was encouraged to see it after reading in Defining Moments in Movies:  The Greats Films, Stars, Scenes and Events that made Movie Magic that it was "the last Hollywood sci-fi movie to meaningfully indict contemporary reality."

Since I am interested in both the intentional and unintentional messages of movies, I was intrigued.

In some ways I enjoyed this film.  It was not the horror movie I imagined but pretty entertaining nonetheless.  Roddy Piper, plays George Nada, a down and out man struggling due to the hard economic climate of the 80s.  He finds and puts on a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see society for what it is.  Instead of advertisements on TVs or billboards he sees words like "CONSUME," "REPRODUCE," or "OBEY."

He also sees what society's leaders really look like, with  metal bloody skulls and hair.  Carpenter really hits you over the head with his message.  We are being controlled by the media and society leaders and are involved in a sort of class struggle.

It's no surprise that lead actor Roddy Piper was a pro wrestler in the 70s and 80s.  The fight sequences have a bit of a Naked Gun feel because they just keep going and going long past the point of ridiculous.  They do put to good use Piper's skill set though.

Rock on Roddy Piper.