My Week With Marilyn

Hey hey Cinema Conversations fan club, it's almost Wednesday which traveling back in time to my late high school and then college years would mean I'd probably be watching Dawson's Creek at this time of night (or there would be a VHS tape all set to record it). The show was not nearly as good as say Felicity or Gilmore Girls, but I still managed to catch every episode. Maybe you're not in my fan club anymore, but if you are still reading I know now all those hours of the Pacey/Dawson/Joey drama were worth it because the show introduced the world of Hollyweird, and me, to Michelle Williams.
As a fellow child of the '80s, I admire Williams' rise from the WB to the big screen in Oscar-nominated films and quirky indie fare. If I could be or wanted to be an actress, I would try be one like her.
One minute she's Cecil in The Baxter (love), the next she's Cindy in Blue Valentine (also love, even though it's SO depressing) and most recently Williams took on the iconic Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn.
The role, which focused on Monroe while the actress filmed The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Olivier in 1956, earned Williams one of three Oscar nominations. (They also include Blue Valentine and Brokeback Mountain).
In particular, the story is about the fleeting relationship Monroe develops with Colin Clark, a young, naive employee on the movie set.
Clark's diary of his work on the film, according to Rotten Tomatoes, was published 40 years later without the scoop on his week with Marilyn Monroe. Eventually that too was published and was the source of Simon Curtis' 2011 film also starring Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne and Julia Ormond.
Clark, in his early 20s, worked his way into a gig at Olivier's studio as the crew there prepared for The Prince and the Showgirl and Monroe's arrival to the film set.
That scene in My Week With Marilyn turned the film around for me because it started to develop the story more and allow the viewer to know more about the characters.
Marilyn Monroe is an iconic Hollywood image and it's a bit surreal to watch a movie about the making of a movie she starred in even before her career boomed with Some Like It Hot.
It's also educational to learn about the struggles in Monroe's life and about what she was like as a person, not an actress. Monroe was constantly late on set, had trouble remembering her lines and medicated herself with drugs and alcohol.
But Clark was able to help her through it when no one else could and in turn had the once in a lifetime experience of connecting with Monroe.
At times the story in My Week With Marilyn was a bit unbelievable, but I think that was more of a minor flaw of how the film was made, not the true lives it came from.
Overall the film captures one week in the life of Marilyn Monroe that no one would otherwise really know about. (I am intrigued to read Clark's book now.)
Perhaps there will be movies made about Michelle Williams one day. Whether or not that is true I am definitely going to keep up on her to-dos. Up next: Take This Waltz on June 7. Can't wait!

The Cabin In The Woods vs. The Avengers

It's the weekend, and if it weren't so darn nice out I'd check myself into the movie theater for some serious cinema therapy. I do have Take Shelter to watch, as it has shamefully been sitting by my television for weeks on end, but first I will catch up on documenting The Cabin in the Woods and The Avengers.
The Cabin in the Woods has been out long enough in theaters that the secret about what's "inside" may be out for everyone, but if you haven't seen it don't read anything about the film and get your tickets now.
Before the film's release I suspected it would leave me awake at night for weeks like most horror movies do. In fact, it wasn't scary at all and I like it. I'll take the sequel (I am sure there will be one) to any more of the frightful Paranormal Activity franchise any day. The movie-within-a-movie style, plot twists and fancy visual effects had me glued to the screen and I didn't even shut my eyes in fear once.
So, as soon as the sun goes down on this glorious day what else are you going to do but go to the movies? If you have the time, I recommend kicking off the summer blockbuster season just right with a double feature of The Cabin in the Woods and Marvel's The Avengers. Then go to the Marvel Bar and discuss over cocktails!
The films have some similarities, the main one being Joss Whedon is a writer and the producer for The Cabin in the Woods and the director and a writer of The Avengers. If you're not a fan of Joss now, you will be. If nothing else, ladies, you'll get a double dose of hunk-of-burning-love Chris Hemsworth since he is a star in both films.
It would really be a sight to see if all the characters in The Cabin in the Woods and The Avengers (there are A LOT) were to fight each other to really prove which film is better.
That may be the only way to determine that fact because the scripts, casting, action and the acting are all just right. My only complaint about The Avengers is it is a little too long, especially the final fight scene, but it still held up in entertainment value for those extra 30 minutes.
So there you have it, I hope these movies can tie you over until what we've all been waiting for. Have you seen the latest The Dark Knight Rises trailer? Oh, the anticipation.

Documentaries to watch: Into the Abyss and Being Elmo

I caved and recently returned to using Netflix. I could not resist my queue just sitting there for two years and thinking of how many movies I could watch in that time. Probably not 449, which is the current number of DVDs on the list, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?
I did just cross two titles, both documentaries, off my list: Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey and Into the Abyss.
While I recommend seeing both, definitely watch Into the Abyss first and then take in Being Elmo as a little pick me up.
I like documentaries because they are a film medium where you can learn a little bit about a whole host of topics, stories, and people. For example, Werner Herzog's Into the Abyss explores the intricacies of capital punishment using a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas as the backdrop. Not very uplifting, I know, but after reading reviews and hearing the buzz about the film I had to watch it.
While a tough subject matter, Herzog presents a very balanced view about capital punishment, described in the film's synopsis as "to explore why people kill and why a state kills." Herzog even interviewed death row inmate Michael Perry (convicted for the triple homicide) eight days before his execution in Texas and his partner in crime Jason Burkett. Law enforcement, family members of the victims and even people who worked inside the walls of an execution chamber all had their stories told on screen through the documentary and honestly it sent chills down my spine. It's not something you want to see, but it's reality and educational.
Just remember, the little known, at least for me, life story of Elmo is not far away. Being Elmo, produced and directed by independent documentary filmmaker Constance Marks, is on Netflix instant if you have that service or on DVD. It is a rags to riches story of a young boy growing up in Baltimore who developed his career aspirations to work with Jim Henson one day from watching Sesame Street. Did you know that that boy, Kevin Clash, is now the senior Muppet coordinator on Sesame Street and the voice behind Elmo? And, he was a puppet in The Labyrinth. Talk about a dream job. The documentary does explore the highs and lows of Clash's career, which I like because it presents both sides of the story. As far as I can tell, Clash pretty much works all the time and because of that has sacrificed spending time with his family. But as Elmo he also influences the lives of many people, especially children.
It's too nice of a day to sit inside and watch mooooovies, but on the next rainy one, I recommend these titles.
Happy Sunday!

21 Jump Street

It's been slim pickings at the multiplex until this weekend, when the highly-anticipated (for me) The Cabin in the Woods released in theaters. I am in fact at a cabin in the woods right now, my parents' house in Wisconsin, but the movie is not playing at the theater here. My movie theater dry spell has already lasted long enough, so I suppose I can wait one more week to see it.
I believe The Hunger Games is to blame for the shortage of new releases lately, leaving the last one I saw in the theater as 21 Jump Street.
And, it was amazing. Luckily for all you Channing Tatum fans, it's still playing on the big screen. I highly recommend this picture if you want to see some mindless, quite hilarious entertainment with a surprise toward the end that will make it even more worth it.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum prove to be the perfect couple as undercover cops Schmidt and Jenko in this buddy comedy based on the short-lived "21 Jump Street" television show from the 1980s. And where can you go wrong with a supporting cast of Ice Cube, Dave Franco (James' little brother), Chris Parnell (Dr. Spaceman from 30 Rock) and Nick Offerman?
With a movie adaptation like 21 Jump Street, and especially one set against the backdrop of a modern high school, it can either be bad news bears or the best thing since sliced bread.
But, the undercover operation was a success.
If you're looking for a double feature this weekend forget about American Reunion and don't even get me started on The Three Stooges, see The Cabin in the Woods and then 21 Jump Street. That way, any lingering fear factor from the first one will be erased with some stellar comedy. BOOYA!

Young Adult

And, I'm back. I haven't really seen many movies lately and I decided to scrap my draft about the Oscars after it sat untouched for weeks.
 Frankly, the show was just like any other and Billy Crystal didn't help. I think the winners were deserving and the so called "losers" were films and actors that did not make the list of nominees anyway.
Luckily, there is a new year of movies ahead. I decided on an at-home screening last night after finding myself with nothing to do and a whole host of choices available at the press of a button. I went with Young Adult, the Diablo Cody/Jason Reitman project starring Charlize Theron as a teen fiction writer living in Minneapolis. Theron's character, Mavis Gary, grew up in a fictional small town of Mercury, Minnesota and decides it's time to go back to see if what she really needs in life is there -- namely her high school ex-boyfriend Buddy Slade.
The impetus for the visit is a birth announcement for Slade's daughter with his wife, who he also met at the Mercury high school. Mavis, meanwhile, is divorced and being hounded by her editor for more book chapters of a series with a dying readership.
In general, Young Adult is much less of a comedy that I thought it would be after learning the post-high school struggles of the main characters. The writing had enough wit, however, to keep the film from being totally depressing and the selected cast fit their roles well. Theron, a prom-queen type in high school, played the "beauty is only skin deep" persona with just the right mix of delusion and -- well -- a drinking problem.
The main cast is rounded out by Patton Oswalt as the nerdy guy from high school who was the victim of a hate crime and Patrick Wilson as Buddy Slade. All the characters, except for Mavis, still live in the fictional city of Mercury. Even though she doesn't live there, Mavis is part of the common thread of not having changed much since high school and she is especially still living with the scars of her teenage years.
I liked this film and was glad the dialogue wasn't quite as over the top as Juno -- also written by Diablo Cody. I know, I know it is a good movie and she deserves credit for a solid story, but something about the verbal interaction between the characters in Juno wasn't authentic. It is in Young Adult, however. My only complaint was that I was in the mood for a pick-me-up when I turned on Young Adult, and it is not that at all. However it is still a smart, well-written film that just about everyone can relate to. (When have you not been in a state where chugging Diet Coke first thing in the morning feels about right?)
If you need another suggestion of a title to watch at home, I highly recommend Roman Polanski's Carnage, due out on DVD March 20. Based on a play, Carnage is translated to the movie screen with a small set and cast -- Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly. The two couples' sons get into a fight at school and the adults decide to meet at the home of Penelope and Michael Longstreet (Foster and Reilly) to come up with a disciplinary solution. It soon turns out that the spat on the school playground is not the issue to be resolved, rather the intricacies of the two couples' psyche and personal problems. This type of movie could have been very boring or gone way over the top in an attempt to entertain audiences but, thankfully, it is neither of those things.
Instead Polanski and the cast deliver a glimpse into the life of four parents -- even on a fictional level -- that I couldn't look away from for a second. They also deliver a film that is close as possible to watching a play, highlighting the sense for viewers that you are peeking in on these couples' personal lives from outside -- much like Rear Window. So, there you have it. Go out and enjoy the nice weather this week and when the sun goes down watch one of these movies. It's good to be back!

Oscar nominated animated short films

Do you have a short attention span and want to cross some of the Oscar nominees off your list before the big show next weekend? I know I am not going to see all the best picture nominees, and frankly some of the titles are not of interest to me this year, but last night viewed a whole category of pictures in one sitting.

 The Lagoon theater in Minneapolis is currently showing all the nominated live action and animated short films. Stephanie Curtis from the MPR Cube Critics recommended the animated films over the live action and they were Jesse's top pick for our night out at the movies. I concurred with the choice, of course, and left the theater having loved every minute of it.
First off, here is the full list of the nominees:
1. Dimanche (Sunday) from Canada
2. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (USA)
3. La Luna (USA)
4. A Morning Stroll (UK)
5. Wild Life (Canada)

Of those, my top choice is A Morning Stroll about a chicken out and about on a stroll in three different eras of time and the experiences that materialize as a result. A Morning Stroll presented the most humor of the nominated films shown at the Lagoon, but also mixed in just enough subtlety to counter the laughs.

It was tough to pick a second favorite short film, but I've narrowed it down to Dimanche for its simplicity and unique animation technique. It's probable that The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore will take the cake at The Oscars. It actually wasn't my favorite but the imagery was, well, fantastic and fits the bill of what an animated film should do: take you away to a far away place where all that matters is your imagination.

Overall, all of the films did that through use of little dialogue to convey the story and plot. I think all of the films had an underlying meaning, but you don't have to go there if you don't want to. I suggest just taking in the art on the screen in front of you and not thinking too much about the life lessons that are likely there. I imagine the filmmakers did develop their projects from experiences in their own lives (think,

"art imitates life") but it's nice to be once removed from that and just appreciate what led to their brilliance and creativity from afar.

I definitely recommend checking out these five nominees at home, but there is an added bonus if you have a chance to see the series in the theater. In addition to the five top dogs, the screening included several other animated projects with the line-up that could snag a nomination if the Academy stretched the number allowed in the category. If the Best Picture subset can rise to 10, why can't their friends on the animated side join in with that level of competition?

As I mentally prepare to craft my full Oscar predictions by next week, I am glad to be able to make an educated guess about which cartoon creation should win.

Of course, there is always the question of which picture SHOULD win, and which one will. I personally think A Morning Stroll should take the prize, but there is no doubt The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore will.

(Similarly, think The Descendants vs. The Artist.)

The Artist

With all the buzz about The Artist before the Oscars, and its landslide wins at the Golden Globes, I had to do my due diligence and see it before the big award show is on. It's the clear predicted winner for the Oscars, but not my personal favorite this season. I also read The Help could be the biggest spoiler (to win?) among the top films and Melancholia should have been nominated. My personal pick is The Descendants, although I haven't seen all the nominees yet, but I can see now why The Artist cast and crew will likely be sent home with Mr. Oscar

As an homage to the silent film era, The Artist takes fans of it back to the glory days while drawing in a new audience from modern time. The film does so by slowly mixing a silent film with the style of talkies that evolved during the 1920s time frame it focuses on. At the center of the plot is George Valentin, a silent film actor who suddenly becomes washed up in the midst of talkies and the stardom of Peppy Miller, who started out as an extra.
The plot is simple and charming with the purpose to serve as a backdrop to the overall theme of the movie. As George struggles to find his place in the new world of film, and with being in existence all together, Peppy rises up in Hollywood. But she can't escape George and their connection while making silent films, and ultimately saves him.
George also has the help of his trusty sidekick, a Jack Russell Terrier named (in real life) Uggie. Sadly, I read today that he is retiring after his appearance at the Oscars with Billy Crystal.
In my mind, Uggie definitely stole at least part of the show in The Artist.
But I digress.
Overall, the film is effective in its mission and presents a strong use of sound and emotion to convey a story as well as a slice of history. So the question remains, do I recommend the film? There are certainly movies in theaters I wanted to see more and before The Artist, but it did take me by surprise. It's a film the viewer can get lost in and leave with a feeling of appreciation for a project with a lot of heart. Give it a try.