Happy Saturday, you made it. Happy August, you made it.
I woke up feeling good today, which was nice, so I decided to use this time to spout out whatever came to mind about two movies I love. Thanks for reading. Have a nice weekend.
"Inside Llewyn Davis" (Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013, USA, 104 Minutes)
This was my favorite movie to come out last year. The Coen Brothers have done it again. And, by "it" I mean write and direct a fantastic film.
Our subject matter is Llewyn Davis himself (think Bob Dylan but homeless and looked down upon by the people closest to him,) and the 60's folk scene in Greenwich Village, New York. The plot isn't too mind-blowing, it's simply a week in this man's difficult life. But, hey, nobody ever said being an artist is easy.
"Inside Llewyn Davis" gets everything softly, quietly right. T-Bone Burnett supervised the music, and it never sounds as if it's been lifted out of some dusty vault - it's alive. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel gives us a half-tarnished, half-burnished vision of early 1960's New York, just dreamy enough, rather than laden with false nostalgia.
Besides being a great film, it's also a great pleasure to watch. The music numbers are absolutely wonderful and the acting is superb. Oscar Issac's performance as the lead is subtle, nuanced, and true. This was the first I've seen of him and I was extremely impressed. He is supported by the always great Carey Mulligan (Joan). The anger coming from her character practically oozes out of her pours. Our other support is Justin Timberlake (Jim), who we all know is extremely talented. I gotta say, the more I see out of the guy the more impressed I am. He makes a great SNL host, great (almost) 4th member of The Lonely Island, and a seriously talented actor. His role here in an earnest folk singer-songwriter who is eager to please.
A scene between Llewyn and Jim is especially hilarious (they are recording a song for a corporate label and Llewyn is rightly questioning the absurdly hilarious, but not meant to be, song).
Llewyn - "Jim, I don't want to insult anybody here but... who wrote this song? (laughs)"
Jim - (looking puzzled at the question) "Well, I did."
Llewyn - "Oh, OK, yeah I was just.. yeah, OK."
This movie is funny, heartbreaking, and true all at the same time. This is what I'm sometimes looking for in films. Something to make me feel my world views are not crazy. The Coens seem to see the world as I do: absolutely ridiculous and without obvious meaning.
This is a must-not-miss film. Do yourself a favor and watch it.
My Rating 5/5 Stars.
"The Darjeeling Limited" (Directed by Wes Anderson, 2007, USA-India,
Well, I'm sure many of you have seen this film. It's Wes Anderson after all, how could you miss it?
"Darjeeling" is called by many Anderson's worst film. I strongly Disagree. It is actually my 2nd favorite Wes film. The movie casually meanders from scene to scene, and like the first film I talked about today, is also a pleasure to watch.
Our film stars the brothers, Jack, Peter, and Francis Whitman (Jason Schwartzman, Adrian Brody, Owen Wilson.) Why are they in India? Well, to reconnect as brothers. Their father died 1 years previous and they haven't spoken since. But I think that question is best answered by Wilson's character, Francis, when he says "Well, we originally came here on a spiritual journey, but that didn't really pan out." It's comic lines like this that are delivered dryer than a saltine cracker that make me love this movie.
I said the movie meanders. It will therefore inspire people complaining that it doesn't fly straight as an arrow at its target. But it doesn't have a target, either. Why do we have to be the cops and enforce a narrow range of movie requirements? Anderson is, in a way, like Jerry Garcia, who I'm listening to right now. He knows every note of the original song, but the fun and genius come in the way he noodles and improvises around. And in his movie's cast, especially with Owen Wilson, Anderson takes advantage of champion noodlers.
Watch this one for the laughs, for the colors of India, and for the love of brothers and family in general.
My rating 4.5/5 Stars
Thanks for reading, now get out there and enjoy your weekend, "ya filthy animals!"
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