The Iceman

"The Iceman" has all the staples of a film about the mob.
There's the basics like a business to serve as a front for illegal activity and the money coming in paired with themes like the main character struggling not to betray their family and who they work for.
Either scenario doesn't end well. That is certainly the case in "The Iceman," and it's all based on a true story.
Michael Shannon stars in the film as Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer from New Jersey who killed more than 100 men. The film focuses on a period of his life from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, but it is reported Kuklinski's mob career started in 1948.
Director and co-writer Ariel Vroman tells the story, for the most part, in a linear way to show the highs and lows of Kuklinski's life.
He was a family man in the beginning, one that would do anything for his wife Deborah (Winona Ryder) and two kids.
But you soon learn Kuklinski has a dark side that blurs the lines between what he can justify as good and bad all with the purpose to support his family.
At first Kuklinski simply follows orders from his boss in the mob, Roy Demeo (Ray Liotta) while his family thinks he has a day job lucrative enough to support their comfortable lifestyle in the New Jersey suburbs.
After Demeo is told to stay off the grid for a while by his boss, Leonard Marks (Robert Devi), Kuklinski continues on by working with another contract killer Mr. Freezy (and unrecognizable and amazing Chris Evans).
In the film Kuklinski and Mr. Freezy freeze their victims' bodies to cover up when they died. Thus, Kuklinski's nickname "The Iceman."
The filmmakers credit a novel ("The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer" by Anthony Bruno)
and documentary ("The Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer) about Kuklinksi's life as sources for their work.
Shannon stands out for his portrayal of Kuklinski over about 20 years of his life and the actors cast in roles of those closest to him help show the type of man he was.
The cast also includes a mustachioed David Schwimmer as Demeo's sidekick, another actor it is difficult to recognize at first glance, and James Franco.
I wasn't familiar with Kuklinski's story before seeing "The Iceman," but I feel the filmmakers effectively used their own style to tell it while staying true to what happened and the book and documentary they credit.
Kuklinski was ultimately arrested and received two life sentences in prison for his crimes. He died in 2006.
In an interview, Vromen said he wanted to focus on the "love story" between Richard and his wife Deborah (named Barbara in real life) in making "The Iceman."
The other side of it is the undercover investigation that led to Kuklinski's arrest.

“When you have 18 or 19 years of stories, of so many characters, and a limitation of time and budget, you gotta choose what story you’re telling,” Vromen said at a recent press gathering in New York, when asked about the brevity of that important chapter. “I wanted to tell the love story. So I started the movie on a date and I end up on a separation.” (northjersey.com)

Maybe Vromen's choice will divide audiences and, understandably, people who knew Kuklinski.
But I think it was a choice worth making to expose people, like me, to one facet of a story they had not heard about and to the inspiration it came from.

The Great Gatsby

After seeing the above photo and reading James Franco's thoughts on Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gastby" I began to wonder why Mr. Franco wasn't cast in the film.
This is really off topic from where I wanted to start this post, but I will go ahead and say Franco would have made a very interesting Nick Carraway opposite Leonardo DiCaprio's Jay Gatsby.
Franco, a writer and actor with a diverse film resume, could have pulled off the depth of Carraway's character.
Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of the great American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald already seems to be a love it or hate it film so it is unlikely that Franco as Gatsby's neighbor and, ultimately, best friend, would create any more of a divide between critics and audiences.
My personal preferences aside, Tobey Maguire did fit the bill of Carraway's character quite well.
Carraway is introduced right away, but the narrative to connect him with Gatsby is a slow burn.
Luhrmann's use of glitter, green, and glam are enough of a distraction until Gatsby's delayed appearance.
Carraway speaks the narrative from a perspective slightly different than the novel. I actually didn't notice that until listening to Slate's Spoiler Special about the film. That review, and others I've listened to so far, did not criticize Luhrmann for his choice.
The script, co-written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, stays true to the rest of the story.
The visualization of it is to reach a new audience. I just hope they read the novel to see Luhrmann's inspiration.

Leonardo DiCaprio is an obvious inspiration for the director too. Did I mention he is FANTASTIC as Gatsby? Just checking.
Luhrmann builds the anticipation for the viewer, through Carraway's eyes, to meet Gatsby for the first time as one of many luxurious parties rocks on at his mansion off Long Island.
Then you're soon reminded it's all for his lost love Daisy (Carey Mulligan) who lives across the bay with her husband Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton).
I noticed similarities to Luhrmann's "Romeo and Juliet" in some of Gatsby and Daisy's interactions and in the visuals he used to connect the characters.
There is tragedy and darkness in both romances, but a feeling of just a little bit more hope from Jay Gatsby.
In fact, Carraway describes Gatsby as the most "hopeful" men he's ever met.
That hope held on until the end of the film and the life of Gatsby's character.
Luhrmann's "The Great Gastby" is very over the top at times, but it's worth it to see the life it brings to a classic story.
That's all, old sport.

Mud

"Have you been to the cinema lately?"

"Why yes, Doug Benson, I have. I saw 'Mud.'"

Doug: "Ooooh, what did you think?"

Me: "Well, if the Leonard Maltin game can wait a bit, let me tell you."

I'll stop my "Doug Loves Movies" dream there because I doubt I'd even be able get those words out on stage. But if you're reading, Doug, here are my thoughts on Matthew McConaughey's latest film. 

The Jeff Nichols (writer and director of "Take Shelter") project stars McConaughey as "Mud," a man on the run encountered by two teenagers, Ellis and Neckbone. 

The encounter is pretty early on the film, set in Arkansas, when Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) find him in hiding on an island in the Mississippi River.
Mud is living in a boat wedged in the treetops that, while it keeps him hidden, he ultimately needs a motor to get off the island so he can escape with his true love Juniper (Reese Witherspoon).
Ellis and Neckbone agree to help Mud by finding a motor for the boat, communicating with Juniper and bringing him food.
On the one hand Mud could be a bad guy, having killed a man in Texas and being pursued by bounty hunters for the crime, but his story also has a good guy component focusing on love and family.
The boys and Mud forge friendships and trust and in the end Nichols effectively mixes the love that is at the backdrop of the characters' actions with the danger connected to Mud's past.
In fact, the softer side of the story distracted me from the fact that Mud committed a crime and had his enemies seeking retribution for it.
I don't know if it was on purpose or not but Nichols' storytelling created a twist in the plot that then allowed for the secret of Mud's world to fully connect with that of Ellis and Neckbone.
The revelation, I think, ultimately brings everyone closer and defines the love they need in their lives.
For Mud, it is from an unexpected source.
Nichols doesn't completely spell it out for the viewer and leaves symbolism he uses in the film up for interpretation, which I liked.
I've never been a huge fan of Matthew McConaughey, but he is growing on me. It's hard not to see the capability he has as an actor through his portrayal of Mud and to know he will have his pick of roles in the future.
The supporting cast of Michael Shannon (also from "Take Shelter"), Sam Shepard, Tye Sheridan, and even Witherspoon are strong alongside McConaughey.
Sheridan and Lofland's characters are reminiscent of those in "Stand By Me" while moving the definition of performances in a coming-of-age story to a new level
I'll watch out for their next roles, as well as anything McConaughey is in.
I need to catch up on some of his work, such as "Bernie" and "Killer Joe," and let's not forget "Magic Mike." I've seen it four times already to study up on Channing Tatum, but McConaughey's performance is impressive too and may warrant a fifth screening.
Some of his next roles are in Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan films, which are always a good sign for an actor's resume.
I hope "Mud" stays on the radar for award season later this year.
Overall I can look past the fact that there are several scenes involving snakes in "Mud" and recommend the film as an original work of art to see if you like to think about stories long after they're over.
That's the magic of movies, right?

Spring Breakers

"Spring Break, Spring Break, forever ..."
If you've seen Harmony Korine's "Spring Breakers" it's no doubt those words in James Franco's voice keep running through your head.
It's been happening to me since I saw the film last weekend and I really have no complaints about that or Korine's latest work of art.
Sure there is extreme nudity and lots of drug use that could be a bit polarizing for audiences, but at its core "Spring Breakers" is a story that really draws the viewer in and I actually did feel for the main characters.
Franco plays Alien, a gangster by way of St. Petersburg, Florida, in the film.
He bails a group of partying college girls on Spring Break out of jail and brings them into his world.
By this time in the story the girls Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Brit (Ashley Benson), Cotty (Rachel Korine) and Faith (Selena Gomez), have already been in a enough trouble so the addition of guns and even more money to their week of drinking and doing drugs is just a natural progression.
Well, not so much for Faith, who Alien is most taken with.
Faith, in addition to her friends, especially wanted to break free from the conformity of college and dorm life for a week but not enough to rob the "Chicken Shack" to fund their travels.
She isn't cut out to be a gangster's sidekick either.
After about half their time in Florida Faith, to Alien's dismay, decides she needs to go home.
And then there were three to take over St. Petersburg with Alien.
There are no hard feelings among the girls when Faith leaves, just the lingering sense they should have all been on that bus together.
Back in Alien land, he gets to know his three partners in crime or "soul mates."
As a boy who dreamed about being kicked out of school so he could live his life being bad, I find Alien, Brit, Candy and Cotty are very similar.
They adapt pretty well to the "bad" lifestyle and having Alien's back against his best friend turned rival in the St. Petersburg gangster scene.
It's a pretty simple story but when you're watching it play out on screen in the style that only Harmony Korine could do, you won't be able to look away.
James Franco's performance, dreadlocks, grill and all, really made the film for me.
I have seen "Kids," of course, and should watch Korine's other films but right now I just want "Spring Breakers" on repeat.
As for Franco, his IMDB page makes me dizzy and I can't wait for all of it.
He is directing, writing and starring in many films in the near future.
Franco probably wouldn't, but he could say "Look at all my sheeyit!"

Frances Ha

I don't normally craft a blog immediately after seeing a film, even if I am really inspired, but I feel it is pertinent to document my thoughts on "Frances Ha" tonight.
My sister and I attended a screening of it at Walker Cinema as part of their retrospective of Noah Baumbach films (such as "Kicking and Screaming" and "The Squid and the Whale.")
"Frances Ha" is Baumbach's latest work that has been popular on the festival circuit during the last year and hopefully will advance to other cinemas so more people can see it.
Tonight Scott Foundas, the chief film critic for Variety, introduced the screening of "Frances Ha."
He dedicated it to Roger Ebert, a legendary critic who Foundas said had been in the very theater where the screening took place. Of course it is known Ebert died today at the age of 70.
Ebert actually posted a blog on Monday about his hope for the future mixed with complete honesty about the challenges in life that took him away from his focus on films.
But he also said watching films could take him away from those challenges and the impact of his illness.
I will admit I haven't consistently read Ebert's work but I am influenced by his long time presence as a writer, critic and movie lover, complete with the "thumbs up" catch phrases and "I'll see you at the movies."
Foundas said in his brief dedication to Ebert tonight that he knew him for 20 years. There didn't appear to be any connection between Ebert and the film about to be shown, but comparing his last blog and the themes explored in "Frances Ha," I do see it.
Ebert's words from Monday reflected hope no matter what the future would bring and Frances, yes she is a fictional 27-year-old woman living in New York City, ultimately does the same.
I think it's fitting, while sad, that the screening was today.
Baumbach directed the film and co-wrote it with star Greta Gerwig, who he is reportedly coupled with in real life.
Gerwig, 29, helped Baumbach, 43, develop his idea and build a character audiences could relate to.
According to Foundas, Baumbach's characters in films such as "Margot at the Wedding" and "Greenberg" did not get a favorable response.
But Frances is irresistible and in turn audiences are loving the film, he said.
I concur.
The story centers on Frances, of course, as she pursues a career with a dance company in New York and battles the city with her best friend Sophie.
But there is soon trouble in paradise and Frances ends up moving from apartment to apartment in between seeing her parents in Sacramento for Christmas (without Sophie at her side) and going on a jaunt to Paris she can't afford.
Sophie continues to be present throughout the film and very important in Frances' life, even though she tries to pretend that's not the case. But the rift between the two friends and their lives also allows Frances to step out on her own.
The film is tough to watch at times and, while perhaps it was not intentional, does express a bit of hopelessness in Frances.
Whether or not Baumbach created that twist to contrast the hope that ultimately defines Frances, it does make the end all the more satisfying when things work for her the way they should.
Baumbach chose to make the film in black and white, which prevented any distractions from the character's faces, dialogue and actions.
It's a brilliant work, story and character that I personally relate to.
Regardless if that is the case for other viewers, on the surface "Frances Ha" is an inspirational film and I hope you see it.

"I got a tax refund, want to go to dinner?"

Stoker

I really can't stop thinking about "Stoker," the recent release by director Park Chan-wook, known for films like "Oldboy" and "Lady Vengeance."
Fans of those films will love his first American language piece, and it's certainly a good place to start for newcomers. (Then see the "Oldboy" series, please).
The visual story of "Stoker" is just as telling as the script and leaves viewers equally thinking about the meaning of the imagery and the dialogue.
The main character of the film is India (Mia Wasikowska), whose father dies in a car accident on her 18th birthday. India is left living in an isolated mansion with her mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) and her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), who comes into the picture the day of the funeral.
India's father is clearly the person she was closest to and who understood her the most and his death causes her to unravel. Uncle Charlie's presence doesn't help. Overall it seems India is infatuated with Charlie and resentful and jealous toward her mother.

But she also has a side I couldn't really pinpoint. Was India's obsession with Charlie all a ploy to get revenge toward her mother, who seems equally infatuated with him, or just a side effect from her father's death?
I took away that India is the one in control, no matter the cause of her attitude toward her mother and Charlie, and she begins to put together the pieces of why he mysteriously shows up at the funeral and slowly moves into their lives.
As for the cinematography, Park Chan-wook uses each and every set piece, angle and shadow to visualize the strife between his characters as well as their internal battles for the viewer to take away as representation of the purpose of his film.
Kidman, Goode and Wasikowska play well together as three people "stuck" in the mansion to represent the after effects of a horrible tragedy and the depth of their own issues.
Here Park Chan-wook describes his film as a twisted fairy tale and translation of a day's events into a dream - or nightmare.
"Stoker" is a dark, but beautiful, film and I recommend you give it a chance. Park Chan-wook delivers a film that comes full circle by way of India's character and most certainly leaves the viewer wanting more of his stylistic storytelling.

Side Effects

"I think the hardest part about writing is writing." - Nora Ephron.

It's a new year of movies and Oscar predictions are already out for 2014.
Steven Soderbergh's "Side Effects" didn't make this particular list but it is definitely a film to watch, perhaps twice.
Soderbergh has billed the thriller as his last film, other than "Behind the Candelabra," which will air on HBO. Soderbergh unsuccessfully tried to sell the film, about Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon), to production studios.
I don't really know why the film didn't sell in Hollywood, especially with Soderbergh's solid and diverse library of work, but "Side Effects" is an effective big-screen note to go out on.
The cast includes Soderbergh regulars Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum, the star of two of his more recent films, "Haywire," and "Magic Mike."
Rooney Mara is a newcomer for Soderbergh as the female lead, Emily Taylor. Emily is married to Martin (Tatum) who at the beginning of the film is serving the last of his eight-year prison sentence for insider trading.
Martin's arrest turns the couple's white-collar lifestyle upside down and starting over causes some serious side effects on many levels.
Emily suffers from anxiety and depression, enough to drive her car into a cement wall at full speed, and is seen by psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) in the hospital.
The trailer for this film drops pretty obvious hints that something even worse than prison or depression happens to Emily and Martin. My only advice is to really pay attention to all the details the first time around and then see the film again once you know what clues to look for.
Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (who also worked on "Contagion" and "The Informant!") throw in a lot of twists and turns that change the story from what appears to be a dramatic commentary about the pharmaceutical industry to a straight up "whodunnit" mystery.
Maybe I am just that much of a fan of Soderbergh, but only he can manage to turn out an enjoyable film even if the viewer doesn't entirely know what is going on from one minute to the next.
I wouldn't say there are any stand out performances from the actors because, especially in this film, Soderbergh distributes the importance of the characters' motives pretty evenly.
One potential negative about "Side Effects" is there may be holes in Soderbergh's plot, but I think I'll know that better when I see the film again.
The Slate's Spoiler Specials podcast was also helpful to listen to for some insight into the story.
It would calm my nerves the most if Soderbergh really wasn't retiring from directing films.
He's had such a consistently solid career and, while Channing Tatum has many films in the works, who is going to direct "Magic Mike 2?"
I am always skeptical about sequels but Soderbergh's ability to work with regular stars over and over makes him the man to tell us ladies what is going to happen next for Mike.
Or maybe Tatum is the new Soderbergh?