Friday, December 18, 2009

Avatar

Being director James Cameron’s first non-documentary feature since his monster epic Titanic which was over twelve years ago, I was honestly expecting a great deal more, especially considering that this is a movie that he wrote, directed and produced. However, he does have a track record for technically advanced films that often fall short on plot and structure. And Avatar is no exception to this trend. This is probably the most overly hyped film of the year. Aside from the radiant special effects and masterful editing, there was nothing too impressive about this movie. Cameron had originally written an eighty-page scriptment some fifteen years ago and filming was supposed to commence immediately after Titanic. But he held off on pursuing its development and production because the visual effects capabilities were limited at the time. Cameron had a vision of what the film would look like and did not want to cheapen his foresight of this imagined world on screen. This kind of integrity for a filmmaker is indeed admirable, and I am not saying that this is a bad movie nor am I saying that Cameron’s work isn’t without merit. What I am saying is that Avatar simply isn’t as great as people have been making it out to be.

The self-proclaimed “King of the World” has created an entirely fictional universe centered around this lush Earth-like moon called Pandora. When a new deployment of soldiers from Earth arrive on Pandora, one of the commanding officers proclaims, “You’re not in Kansas in anymore,” which is a reference to Cameron’s favorite film The Wizard of Oz. As a satellite of the planet Polyphemus, it harbors enormous deposits of an extremely rare and valuable mineral called Unobtainium. Over 150 years into the future, humans have exhausted their resources on their own planet and have begun the relentless pursuit of this substance that is vital to the very survival of the human race. This aspect presents one of many gaps in the storyline; the backdrop as to what exactly happened on Earth is never explained and why humans are forced to travel light years away to recover this precious mineral Unobtainium. All this is unveiled early on in the film as the audience quickly realizes that the humans are the predators invading another species’ realm of existence. Sound at all familiar? Well, if you ever saw Hector Babenco’s At Play in the Fields of the Lord about an indigenous tribe that is being threatened by gold miners in the jungles of Brazil, then you can probably identify with Avatar. And this isn’t even the most compelling film comparison.

Now in all fairness, the conjoined art direction and special effects employed to create this alien planet is nothing short of spectacular. The two worlds of live action and computer-generated segments gracefully combine together on screen and in no way appear false or layered. Much of which is a direct result of the technological advancements made in the computer-generated images (CGI) filming process on this film. The use of digital images on screen began in1993 when Steven Spielberg integrated live action scenes with computer-generated dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. The visual effects team at Weta Digital of New Zealand has taken this process to a whole new level. For Avatar, Cameron made use of an augmented reality system called a "virtual camera" to view the computer-generated outcome of the motion capture process in real time, much in the same way video games manipulate images from various angles. This new virtual camera system fosters a brand new method of motion-caption filmmaking. All previous methods limited the extent of the virtual output profusely. Cameron proclaimed this development as a “form of pure creation where if you want to move a tree or a mountain or the sky or change the time of day, you have complete control over the elements.”

They also created a new system of digitally lighting massive areas so as to realistically create the atmosphere and nuances of the jungles on Pandora. But probably the most significant achievement was the design of a specialized camera that captured the intricate facial expressions of the actors themselves. This allowed the filmmakers to transfer 100% of the actors' physical performances to their digital counterparts. So the filmmakers don’t just create a computer-animated image in response to prerecorded dialog. The real emotions and reactions of each actor’s face are actually used to create the image of the generated character. Therefore, the depictions of the alien beings on screen are just as much performances as the actual humans are. Weta Digital’s procedure could possibly eliminate any future issues of considering CGI performances for acting awards. This was so controversial in 2002 when Andy Serkis was in contention for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for his voice role as Gollum in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers which until now has been the most plausible character created in this manner.

The aliens on Pandora are the Na’vi, a ten-foot-tall blue-skinned species of sapient humanoids. They intricately co-exist with the nature on their planet/moon, and worship a Mother Nature-type being known as Eywa. Much of who they are revolves around the animals and plants, to the point where they can feel can the very livelihood of their surrounding environment. Dr. Paul Frommer, a linguist professor at USC, created the fictional language spoken by the Na’vi in the movie. Their tongue's phonemes include ejective consonants such as the "kx" in "skxawng" that are found in the Amharic language of Ethiopia, and the initial "ng" that Cameron may have taken from New Zealand Maori. While Unobtainium draws strong comparisons to society’s addiction to oil, the Na'vi draw obvious parallels with Native Americans. This faction presents obvious similarities with such films as Terrence Malick’s The New World which retells the story of Captain John Smith and British settlers invading the Powhatan Tribe in what is now Virginia, and Disney’s version of the same story Pocahontas.

The anticipated resistance of the Na’vi against the human invasion of Pandora entices alternate methods to infiltrate their world in a more diplomatic fashion. A group of scientists develop the Avatar Program, which telepathically implants the mind of a given human into a genetically engineered biological body of a Na’vi alien. These Avatars are genetically created from the DNA of its designated human occupant, creating a kind of sixth sense connection. Sigourney Weaver plays Dr. Grace Augustine, an exobiologist in charge of the Avatar Program. She brings a cursory sense to the role while still maintaining a presence of authority. From her Alien roles, we already know that Weaver is very capable of portraying such a strong intelligent female character.

Jake Scully (Sam Worthington) is a paraplegic US Marine who is recruited for the mission on Pandora after his twin brother is killed in action before he can partake in the Avatar Program himself. Because his DNA is of the same make-up as his sibling, Jake essential takes over where he left off. After waking up from a six-year cryogenic sleep, Jake finds himself on Pandora amidst the Avatar Program and all that embodies it. Once in his Avatar form, Jake fully inhabits his new part-alien, part-human body from its head to its prehensile tail. Revealing in his new found abilities to run, jump, and have complete use and feeling of his legs again. Worthington is tough, gruff and assertive all at once as the genetic pioneer turned insurrectionist. He fosters his character both as a human and an Avatar quite well. We believe that his remorse for his dead brother is genuine, but can empathize with his desire to be able to walk again.

Although physically emancipated, Jake is consciously bound to the corporation that put him in his Avatar. He is tasked to infiltrate the Na’vi culture and persuade them to cooperate with the mining operation. Jake soon meets a Na’vi female by the name of Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) who saves his life and brings him back to her clan. As Jake spends more and more time with her, a profound trust ensues and inevitably a romance blossoms between them. This angle is very cliché and becomes the obvious contradicting motive behind Jake’s do or don’t dilemma. Even though Saldana never appears on screen as anything but an alien, the melodramatic level to which she takes her character to is a huge saving point for the film. Saldana embraces the technology and allows her performance to transcend her character's unfamiliar appearance. You can almost feel the emotion in her eyes and hear the compassion and conviction in her dialogue, making you forget that you’re even watching a CGI hybrid of human performances. I could see Saldana being nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, which would make her the first to do so as a fully computer generated character.

Another performance that renders well is Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch. Lang creates a comic book-like character of masculinity as this marine turned warrior who seemingly can endure anything. He is consumed by his will and sees this as a do or die mission for the sake of all mankind; this is a common character type for Cameron. The scars on his face only reinforce that he is just as tough as he lets on. Lang reaches out and fiercely dominates this role, much in the way that he did earlier this year in Michael Mann’s Public Enemies. Colonel Quaritch becomes the bad guy you love to hate. The other token villain of the movie is Parker Selfridge, played by Giovanni Ribisi. He is the nasty corporate executive who will stop at nothing to overthrow the Na’vi and ultimately harvest their Unobtainium supply. Parker is the most ignorant of all and represents a cliché sense of Capitalism that is overly exhausted throughout the film.

Putting all the technical achievements and filming developments aside, the overall story of the film is not anything revolutionary. Too many people are consumed by the layers of special effects and forget that at there is a story at the root of it all. Cameron’s script is rooted in this contemporary eco-green mindset, nurturing messages and sympathies that are entirely predictable and unchallenging. When Jake infiltrates the Na’vi and falls in love with Neytiri, he begins to question his own values and the morals behind the Avatar Program. He is torn between two bodies and his two loyalties. This story has been told before, and before it, and before it again. Avatar too closely parallels other major films, namely Elliot Silverstein’s A Man Called Horse and Kevin Costner’s Academy Award winning Dances With Wolves, right down to the conflict of interest that evolves from the romance with a native woman and reverenced denouement for the tribe. Cameron’s characterizations and dialogue are often crude and simplistic, although the hackneyed dialogue does seem appropriate for the genre. However, it is notable that Cameron does attempt to use a classic three-act structure here, which is unlike most sci-fi and action films that have an aggressive opening scene to draw viewers in. When a film is regarded as highly as Avatar has been, it is only fair to expect a marvelously intricate and original storyline. Avatar fails at this and thrives only on its visual effects for mass appeal. This alone is not enough to constitute a great film.

James Cameron is a great overall filmmaker, even if his prose is shoddy and mediocre. Thematically, Avatar plays too simplistically into stereotypical nefarious white-man versus virtuous-native clichés. It is undeniable that he does have a knack for orchestrating movies that effectively forge a variety of aspects on screen. And he has gone to great lengths to create a movie that seeps with profound detail and has visually stimulating scenes. On a purely experiential level, the technical advances made will certainly be employed in future films to come and has raised the standards for all features of its kind. His relentless effort to bring credibility to science fiction cinema is an archetype of achievement. While Avatar may indeed be the most expensive and technically ambitious film ever made, it falls short on overall illustriousness for an epic.

Rating: ★ ★ 1/2
Bottom Line: Although a visually stunning spectacle, it is an overly hyped epic that is essentially just Dances With Wolves in Sci-Fi.


Leona Lewis: "I See You"

Friday, December 4, 2009

Up In The Air

Have you recently lost your job? Is your business suffering because the consumer market is on a severe down? Have you felt the repercussions of the poor economy in any way, shape or form? If you are living anywhere in America right now, you probably answered “yes” to one of these questions. And if so, I highly recommend that you see this film. Director Jason Reitman has once again crafted a movie that drives its message home by focusing on characters through lightweight existentialism. Much like his prior films, Juno and Thank You For Smoking, Up In The Air takes a typically nontraditional protagonist and gives us a rare window into their unconventional existence. Reitman co-wrote the screenplay with Sheldon Turner, whose previous work is limited to mediocre horror film remakes and a bad Adam Sandler movie. Although it is based upon Walter Kirn’s novel of the same name, the film takes a vastly different approach than the original story. I would not be surprised if both Reitman and Turner take home an Oscar this year for their lofty adaptation.

George Clooney & Director/Screenwriter Jason Reitman
Reitman brings this typically unspoken situation of losing one’s job into the limelight and parades the victims around in a less than exalted manner. And through this, we ourselves see venerability, fear, and honest human emotion. The film begins with a montage of everyday people’s reactions to loosing their everyday jobs. Reitman employed real people, not actors, for this segment. Each one had recently been terminated in their real-life jobs and were asked to reenact what they actually said (or wish they’d said) when they found out the bad news. This sequence was an excellent introduction into the storyline that relates present day economic realities without trivializing them. Now even if you’ve been fired yourself, you probably haven’t seen someone else’s response to such a situation. It is far more unpredictable than most have ever witnessed. Firing a coworker is typically the last thing that anyone wants to perform them self, nonetheless someone has to do it—enter Ryan Bingham.

George Clooney as Ryan Bingham
Ryan Bingham, played by George Clooney, is a “career transition counselor” for Career Transition Counseling (CTC), an Omaha-based company whose sole responsibility is to intervene on the daunting task of laying-off employees for corporate executives who are too gutless to handle it themselves. “Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's because they sat there that they were able to do it.” This is Ryan Bingham’s borderline cliché response that he systematically feeds to people who are now eligible for unemployment benefits. In fact, much of the way Ryan manages his life is cliché. He believes in efficiency and opportunity above all, he lives for his job, and he has little affinity for anything else, including his home, his lovers and even his family. Clooney astutely combines his dramatic talents with the witty natured zeal that he has come to be known for. Ryan Bingham consumes us because of Clooney’s charismatic portrayal of this otherwise menial man. This is someone who spares no luxury while commuting from city to city for work, but lives in a barely furnished studio apartment that overlooks practically nothing. He boasts, “Last year, I spent 322 days on the road, which means I had to spend 43 miserable days at home.” Clearly this man has attachment issues. But putting the psychoanalyst hat aside, Ryan himself seems content with his impersonal existence and interprets this as “happiness”.

Clooney & Vera Farmiga
At a pivotal point, Bingham chance encounters another travel-holic in an airport lounge named Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) who seemingly lives as he does. Alex is a leggy, intelligent, full fledged romantic operative, who is basically the female version of him. She is his match in more ways than one. Almost immediately after they meet, the two quickly swap stories and business experiences, comparing each other’s privileges and membership perks in a series of inquisitive double-entendres. For people of their background, this is an obscure form of foreplay that eventually leads to them sleeping together. Before calling it a night, Alex assures him, “I am the woman you don’t have to worry about.” Farmiga has a magnificent connection with Clooney in this film. Their chemistry forges the characters like two elements of hydrogen with oxygen. They play off of one another’s complications and leave most everything else beyond the bedroom at the door, so we think.

Clooney hasn’t been this well matched since Brad Pitt in the Ocean’s Movies, and he’s not even a love interest. Farmiga delivers a confident and assertive performance while still maintaining a Baby Boom sense of feminism. We have seen this from her before in Scorsese’s The Departed, but not in so intricately a manner. Alex exposes a side of Ryan that few people have been able to do and we begin to see a side of him that is vulnerable, compassionate and human. She inadvertently lures Ryan into new territory, becoming his “plus one” in more ways than one.

Anna Kendrick as Natalie Keener
This revelation comes about almost directly as a result of Ryan’s recent interaction with his new protégé Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick). She is a fresh-out-of-college recruit who concocts the idea of conducting layoffs remotely over the internet in order to cut overall company expenses. This threatens Bingham’s very lifestyle and he immediately objects to the concept. He asserts that Natalie is too young and too inexperienced to understand just how difficult firing someone can be. As a result, his boss, Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman), assigns him to teach her the ropes. She soon embarks on her training under Ryan. From the very beginning, he imposes his travel standards upon her. One of his first lessons is on getting through airport security, “Never get behind old people. Their bodies are littered with hidden metal and they never seem to appreciate how little time they have left. Bingo, Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and they have a thing for slip on shoes. Gotta love 'em.” Natalie righteously objects, “That’s racist.” “I'm like my mother, I stereotype. It's faster.”

Clooney & Kendrick with J.K. Simmons
Natalie quickly learns that there is a lot more to firing people than just reciting a memorized script and handing out unemployment packets. Kendrick creates a character that is naive not only about her new job, but about how the world works and more importantly, how people work. When her long time boyfriend breaks up with her via text message, she has a complete emotional break down. Ryan’s response is, “Wow. That's kind of like getting fired over the internet.” And so Natalie finds herself at a point in her own life where she too is left to question her circumstances. So many young actors are inadvertently bred to be lazy when it comes to matters of true emotion—not Kendrick. Her youth does not hinder her presence in this role in the slightest. Her Broadway background carries onto the screen as we witness a performer who capitalizes on individual expression and inner monologue before all else.

Clooney
Reitman has crafted another fantastic portrayal of human happenstance that everyone can identify with, even if they can’t relate to specific incidents. This kind of consistency in his films is a rare sign of true film genius. Clooney, who already has a reputation for his commitment to making quality films with substantial story lines, also manages to impress. He proves again that despite his movie star status, he has integrity in his work and depth in his acting abilities. Much of the reason why the story is so alluring is because of the circumstances that surround Ryan Bingham. When he says, “To know me, is to fly with me,” we believe that his existence revolves around frequent flying and business ventures that are anywhere but home. But he soon discovers that he is much more than that and in the process, we too discover that he is much more than that. In the beginning, Ryan thrives on his isolation and independence, but realizes soon enough that perhaps life is better with family, friends, and loved ones. This film stretches beyond just the predicaments of firing people from their jobs. It is a profound insight into this man's life and how he manages to find a more profound sense of happiness than he ever knew.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: A splendid contemporary glimpse into one man's ventures that induces us to reflect upon our own lives


"Help Yourself" performed by Sad Brad Smith

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

For Your Consideration:
10 Best Pictures of the Year

On June 24th, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced some momentous news about next year's Oscars--there will be 10 nominees for Best Picture, instead of the usual 5. This is probably the biggest embarkment the Academy has taken since the inception of the supporting actor/actress awards in 1936. "After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year," said President Sid Ganis. "The final outcome, of course, will be the same – one Best Picture winner – but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009." This was clearly done in response to much debate concerning the exclusion of certain genres of films, such as animated features and action/adventure films, namely WALL-E and The Dark Knight. The Academy's decision opens the doors for more movies to vie for the ultimate honor of being named Best Picture of the Year. 
 
The following films (alphabetically) are my picks for this year's Best Picture Nominees:
 
1. Avatar
Directed by James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Ribisi
"In a distant future, humanity discovers the planet 'Alpha Centauri B-4', and for those scientists and astronauts who've traversed the gulf between neighboring suns and arrived on its alien soil know it as 'Pandora'. A world filled with an incredible diversity of beautiful and deadly ammonia-breathing lifeforms. Its also a world that harbors treasures and resources almost beyond price. But just as the original Pandora's Box wrought devastation on those who would use it for their own gain, so too this world may destroy not just the Pandorans home, but ours as well. Avatar is the story of a wounded ex-marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival." -Scificountdown.com
Rating: ★ ★ 1/2
Bottom Line: Although a visually stunning spectacle, it is an old story redone to the tune of CGI Special Effects; it's essentially just Dances With Wolves in SciFi.

2. The Blind Side
Directed by John Lee Hancock
Starring Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon and Kathy Bates
"Based on the true story of Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael "Big Mike" Oher. Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict. Michael has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him, including giving the coach a few ideas on how best to use Michael's skills. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Michael Oher was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft." -garykmcd
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: Even if you're not a fan of football, you will appreciate the message behind this film. It's the feel good movie of the year!

3. An Education
Directed by Lone Scherfig  
Staring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams and Emma Thompson
"Written by Nick Hornby, An Education is the story of a young girl's choice between Oxford and the university of life. Sixteen and gifted, Jenny (Mulligan) is destined for Oxford. Her parents' own dreams of fulfilment are built on Jenny's success. However, her eyes are opened to a world of glamorous possibility beyond the boundaries of suburbia when she meets the considerably older, distinctly urbane, David (Sarsgaard)." -BBC Films
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: A remarkably distinguished coming of age story that truly embodies the angst and emotional trauma of life's many lessons.

4. The Hurt Locker
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Staring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce
"Three members of the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad battle insurgents and each other as they search for and disarm a wave of roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad-in order to try and make the city a safer place for Iraqis and Americans alike. Their mission is clear-protect and save-but it's anything but easy, as the margin of error when defusing a war-zone bomb is zero. This thrilling and heart-pounding look at the effects of combat and danger on the human psyche is based on the first-hand observations of journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal, who was embedded with a special bomb unit in Iraq. These men spoke of explosions as putting you in 'the hurt locker'." -Summit Entertainment
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: Finally a modern war film set in the Middle East that isn't cliché. A great film that focus on the characters not the politics.

5. Inglourious Basterds
Directed by Quentin Tarantino 
Staring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Mélanie Laurent and Til Schweiger
"In Nazi occupied France, young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa. Narrowly escaping with her life, she plots her revenge several years later when German war hero Fredrick Zoller takes a rapid interest in her and arranges an illustrious movie premiere at the theater she now runs. With the promise of every major Nazi officer in attendance, the event catches the attention of the "Basterds", a group of Jewish-American guerilla soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine. As the relentless executioners advance and the conspiring young girl's plans are set in motion, their paths will cross for a fateful evening that will shake the very annals of history." -The Massie Twins
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: Entertainingly glorifies violence in a way we have not seen in some time.

6. Invictus*
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon
Based on John Carlin's book "Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation". "The inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (Freeman) joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team (Damon) to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match." -IGN
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: Magnificent story of liberation and triumph of an entire nation, superb acting as always from both Freeman & Damon. 

7. Precious
Directed by Lee Daniels
Staring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton and Lenny Kravitz
Already won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for Best Drama at the Sundance Film Festival this past January. "Set in Harlem in 1987, it is the story of Claireece 'Precious' Jones (Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She's pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo'Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write." -Lionsgate
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: A heart-wrenching story about the hardships of an abused and seemingly hopeless teenager in Harlem. Masterful performances take this film to a whole nother level, one that most are probably not used to seeing.

8. A Single Man*
Directed by Tom Ford 
Staring Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult and Jon Kortajarena
"Set in Los Angeles on November 30, 1962, a month after the Cuban missile crisis, A Single Man is the story of George Falconer (Firth), a middle-aged British college professor who has struggled to find meaning in his life since the sudden death eight months earlier of his longtime partner, Jim (Goode). Throughout the single day depicted in the film, George dwells on his past and his seemingly empty future as he prepares for his planned suicide that evening. Before meeting his close friend Charley (Moore) for dinner, he has unexpected encounters with a Spanish prostitute (Kortajarena) and a young student (Hoult) who has become fixated on George as a kindred spirit." -The Weinstein Company
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: Masterfully acted story about life, death and circumstance that truly relates human grievance and lament.

9. Up
Directed by Pete Docter 
Staring Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Bob Peterson, Jordan Nagai and Delroy Lindo
"From the revolutionary minds of Pixar Animation Studios and the acclaimed director of Monsters, Inc. comes a hilarious uplifting adventure where the sky is no longer the limit. Carl Fredicksen, a retired balloon salesman, is part rascal, part dreamer who is ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, Carl sets off to the lost world of his childhood dreams. Unbeknownst to Carl, Russell, an overeager 8-year old Wildnerness Explorer who has never ventured beyond his backyard, is in the wrong place at the wrong time - Carl's front porch! The world's most unlikely duo reach new heights and meets fantastic friends like Dug, a dog with a special collar that allows him to speak, and Kevin, the rare 13-foot tall flightless bird. Stuck together in the wilds of the jungle, Carl realizes that sometimes life's biggest adventures aren't the ones you set out for." -Disney Pixar
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: A candid tale of two explorers who find themselves through the help of the other. Heart-warming from beginning to end.

10. Up In The Air
Directed by Jason Reitman 
Staring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick and Jason Bateman
"From Jason Reitman, the Oscar nominated director of Juno, comes this dramatic comedy starring Oscar winner George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams (Farmiga)." -Paramount Pictures
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: A splendid contemporary glimpse of one man's ventures that induces us to reflect upon our own lives. An absolute must see!

+1. A Serious Man
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen  
Staring Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Sari Wagner Lennick, Fred Melamed, Aaron Wolff and Jessica McManus
"The story of an ordinary man’s search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and F-Troop is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith (Lennick) that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous acquaintances, Sy Ableman (Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur (Kind) is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny (Wolff) is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah (McManus) is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job." -Focus Features
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: A must see! Especially if you can appreciate the dark farcical style of the Coen Brothers.


The Short List:
  1. Avatar
  2. The Blind Side
  3. An Education
  4. The Hurt Locker
  5. Inglourious Basterds
  6. Invictus*
  7. Precious
  8. A Single Man* 
  9. Up
  10. Up In The Air
  11. A Serious Man
"Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going to allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize," commented Ganis. "I can’t wait to see what that list of ten looks like when the nominees are announced in February."
 

*Did not make the final cut on February 2nd, thereby did not get an Academy Award Nomination for Best Picture. Neill Blomkamp's science fiction thriller "District 9" was the other film nominated that was not previously mentioned by this list.

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Blind Side

“This team is your family.” This line stuck out the most with me, on a personal level. A very close friend and teammate of mine recently conveyed very similar sentiments to me, having not been playing with them or even around much this past fall season. This concept of a team being like your family is the overriding theme of this film. There is much to be said about anything that unifies people from different walks of life and improves upon their very existence. This is the reason I have always loved playing team sports. Very few things in my own life have afforded me the kind of trust in my comrades and belief in my contributions as playing football and rugby. And that is precisely what The Blind Side so auspiciously conveys. Sandra Bullock, who portrays Leigh Anne Tuohy in the film, commented in a recent interview, “A family unit doesn’t work unless everyone’s working together. The Team doesn’t work, if everyone’s not working together… Working as a team or a family advances people faster and better than someone by themselves.”

Quinton Aaron & Sandra Bullock
The Blind Side is a warm-hearted drama that is based on the true story of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher. Director John Lee Hancock (The Rookie and The Alamo) first was inspired to turn Oher’s story into a film after reading Michael Lewis’ 2006 novel, “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game”. Lewis highlights Oher’s football career prior to the NFL, from his early days in high school and onto college. The book also focuses on the pivotal evolution of the very position of left tackle that revolutionized offensive football strategy during the 1980s. This occurred in large part in response to former New York Giant’s outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor’s significant blind side tackle of Washington Redskins' quarterback Joe Theismann which fractured both his tibia and fibula, ultimately ending his professional football career. Viewers in an ESPN poll voted the NFL’s “Most Shocking Moment in History” the injury, and The Washington Post dubbed the tackle “The Hit That No One Who Saw It Can Ever Forget”.

Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher
The movie itself opens with the very incident where Taylor snapped Theismann's leg. It connects the importance of the tackle position in football to the molding of Michael Oher and his uncanny protective instincts. The position brought unprecedented importance to the offensive lineman tasked with protecting the quarterback’s blind side from the pass rusher and befittingly preventing sacks. For my non-football-privy readers, the offensive tackle essentially became a “bodyguard” for the quarterback, with particular importance placed on the side that he could not see from while attempting a pass. Ultimately, this fostered a new dominance for the quarterback and placed an increased importance on the role of the left tackle.

Bullock with Patrick G. Keenan & Maria Howell
Sandra Bullock’s turn as Michael's vivacious foster mother is nothing short of marvelous. We have come to know Bullock for the numerous romantic comedies and action flicks she frequently stars in. It really wasn’t until Paul Haggis’ Best Picture Academy Award–winning Crash did we first see any glimpse of versatility from Bullock. She has broken the mold with this role and garnered a newfound respect as an actress. Her character, Leigh Anne Tuohy, truly is at the heart of this story. She is a wealthy Memphis interior decorator and socialite whose husband, Sean (Tim McGraw), owns several fast-food franchises. She clearly is the dominant one in her marriage and is somewhat of a control freak. But this doesn’t mean to say that she’s heartless. In fact, we quickly discover that she is actually very compassionate. When she first notices Michael Oher, he is interacting with her son S.J. (Jae Head) after school. She later sees him walking along a road after a school event in the cold. Knowing that he a friend of S.J.’s, she inquires as to whether or not he has a place to stay. “Don’t you dare lie to me.” She takes him home with their family and makes him a bed on their couch for the night. This begins her undertaking to help Michael in everyway she can.

Jae Head & Aaron
Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron), reluctantly nicknamed Big Mike, is a quiet recently transferred student on scholarship at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis. Based on his appearance alone, he is very much out of place among the other suburban kids being driven to and from school in their parent’s luxury cars. According to tests and conventional observers, Michael is a lost cause when he first enters Briarcrest. He is a 6-foot-5-inch, 340-pound giant with zero learning or communication skills, and a profound inability to indicate his own desires. Michael soon meets S.J. who gives Michael some advice on how to make friends, advising him to smile more so that he seems is less intimidating. But it is precisely Michael’s natural intimidation that proves to be an asset to him later on. Naturally, Michael struggles with the adjustment to the new school and his new life, but eventually find his nitch on the football field.

Aaron
Newcomer Quinton Aaron brings a subtle innocence to the role of Michael. Although Aaron has very few lines in the film, he still conveys an immense amount of emotion. Michael is curiously blank character despite this new opportunity for him to at Briarcrest. Hancock doesn’t really elaborate upon his past with the exception of a few menial flashbacks, which very well may have been a wise choice. Even when Leigh Anne is exploring his roots by visiting his former urban neighborhood and speaking with Michael’s drug addicted mother, the exposure is limited. This approach forces the audience to appreciate Michael as he makes his strides to improve himself and focus less on his former life of despair. Watching Michael go from this otherwise hopeless teenager to an all-around football star is quite endearing. We witness how Leigh Anne and the entire Tuohy family come to his aid and give him everything that he didn’t have before: a home, a family, love. One of Leigh Anne’s girlfriends eventually commends her, “You’re changing that boys life.” And she quickly responds, “No, he’s changing mine.”

Tim McGraw, Aaron & Bullock
This isn't a sports movie, any more than Friday Night Lights is a sports television show. As with that series, the emphasis is on the human story behind the game, and in particular on the selflessness and decency exhibited by the Tuohys and their new family member. From the beginning, Hancock viewed the The Blind Side as more than just another story of the underdog becoming top dog. While Lewis had used Oher’s story as a backdrop in his book to create a personal relation to the evolution of football, Hancock does exact the opposite and translates that secondary story into a feel good tale about human relationships. He saw Lewis' unconventional plot structure not as an obstacle but as an opportunity, “To me, it was all about the same thing: How did the stars align to shine so brightly on this one kid in the projects in Memphis?”

Quinton Aaron & Sandra Bullock
Hancock set his sights high by addressing the emotional journey of Michael and constructs a film that is so much more than just a sports movie. Sandra Bullock's performance is both devout and revolutionary and I expect will garnish her an Oscar nomination. There is a real life story here and that alone makes it endearing. This is a warmhearted drama that doesn't suffer too much from the emotional manipulation and trite platitudes that often plague such films about real people. True to Lewis' subtitle, "Evolution of a Game," the film highlights how even the most unconventional practices can evolve and develop given the right circumstance—just as Michael Oher did.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: Even if you're not a fan of football, you will appreciate the message behind this film. It's the feel good movie of the year!


Five for Fighting: "Chances"

Friday, November 6, 2009

The Men Who Stare at Goats

“More of this is true than you would believe.” is the opening statement for this film that sets a pretext for an astonishing tale. At least, that is what one would assume. Such isn’t the case, however. We all know George Clooney to be the kind of ambitious actor/director/producer who seeks out good stories and challenges greatness in his projects. He teams up again with Grant Heslov, who he had previously collaborated with on Good Night, and Good Luck. Although they have swapped productions roles here (Clooney produces while Heslov directs), you would think that they would have come up with the same kind of brilliance that they concocted in 2005. Perhaps the major difference with this film is that it was NOT co-written by the two. Regardless of this, the story just doesn’t execute.

Peter Straughan, whose work spans over numerous genres including radio sitcoms and stage plays, is the screenwriter. This movie is based directly upon Jon Ronson’s nonfiction novel, of the same name, which reveals the details behind a secret government unit called the First Earth Battalion (renamed the New Earth Army in the film). Ronson is probably best known for his documentary film work and distinctive self-deprecating reporting style, which incorporates aspects of Gonzo journalism. Unfortunately, Straughan does not execute the same treatment of expression in his script. But aside from the actual literary approach, the story doesn’t even grasp this so-called veritable world of military intelligence. I do realize that this is a comedy, however so much more could have been brought to the storyline, particularly some of the actual tactics used by the US Army. Instead, the story becomes cliché and doesn’t actually seem believable, or humorous for that matter.

Ewan McGregor plays the lead character of Bob Wilton, who is based on Ronson himself. Wilton is a recently divorced journalist who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan (this is a bad omen to begin with). In an attempt to redeem himself to his wife and in his professional career, he ventures to Iraq at the height of the war in the Middle East in hopes to find some revolutionary story. This is idealistic and hopeless on his part. Wilton is vastly pathetic, insecurely emotional and needlessly irrational. How could anyone possibly respect such a bloke? McGregor manages to be likeable here, despite his deplorable character. But it is not the same kind of allure that he has had in such films as Moulin Rouge! and Trainspotting.

The irony that this film is about these so-called Jedi Warriors and that Ewan McGregor is the main character is humorous in itself. They make references to Star Wars throughout the entire movie. Since McGregor played Obi-Wan Kenobi in Episodes 1 through 3 of the Star Wars saga, it adds an element of strangeness to his character here. Wilton is someone who is trying to coop with his wife leaving him for his one-armed boss and his own mediocrity in his professional life. His solution is to go to Iraq and write a groundbreaking story that would give him a career boost and personal redemption. Seems simple enough right? Not really. He inadvertently finds himself chasing a story about so-called psychic warriors, enter George Clooney.

In Kuwait City, Wilton inadvertently meets Lyn Cassady (Clooney) at a hotel while waiting for his chance to cross into Iraq. After an accidental interrogation, Wilton unveils that Cassady was once a member of the New Earth Army and is currently on a top-secret mission for the government. Cassady goes onto to explain his role and exactly how he came to be a part of this select group of psychic spies trained to use paranormal powers against the country's enemies known as the Jedi. It is around this point in the film where you start to roll your eyes. It’s not even that the scenario is so inconceivable, but that the reproach is utterly ridiculous. Clooney’s character is supposed to be this psychic guru, the most talented of all the Jedi. But all he really accomplishes throughout the story is extreme exasperation.

If there is anything or anyone to commend in this film it is Jeff Bridges. His performance as Bill Django, a Vietnam War vet turned hippie, is ridiculously charismatic. The character himself is based on real combat commander Jim Channon, who sought ways to make war dramatically less violent by using methods based around advanced human performance and the human potential movement. Channon spent two years in the 1970s investigating new age movements that subsequently resulted in an illustrated 150-page field manual entitled “Evolutionary Tactics” published by the U.S. Army in 1978. Bill Django, however, is less contemplative than Channon and finds foolheaded methods to train his so-called Jedi to be “warrior monks”. Through a series of flashbacks, we come to learn about Django’s initial endeavors and experiments, some wildly insane but all entertaining, all thanks to Bridges. As this flower toting-peace loving-weed smoking-Army officer, Bridges put forth his best performance since The Dude from the Coen Brother’s classic cult film, The Big Lebowski.

Kevin Spacy also headlines the supporting cast as the self-absorbed despicable sergeant Larry Hooper. Spacy isn’t anything special in this film. But that rests upon the fact that his character isn’t much himself. Hooper is an ambitious newcomer to the New Earth Army who eventually takes over the Team after he gets Django kicked out in disgrace. Hooper makes it very easy to hate him, and really only is looking out for number one. This self-preservation theme is reminiscent of The Italian Job, but without the big financial motive.

As things progressively go wrong for Wilton and Cassady during their mission, Wilton understandably starts to wonder if Cassady really is a Jedi Warrior with paranormal abilities or if he’s just plain crazy. Cassady blames it all on a "curse" he inadvertently acquired during an experiment in which he stared at a goat until its heart stopped beating. "The dark side took the dream and twisted it." "None of it was real," sites Wilton at one point. With material like this, one would have liked a more incisive comedy to materialize around the decline and fall of the New Age movement. The New Earth Army bears some historical significance because of the context for which it is based. Did our government allocate funds towards the development of a psychic team of soldiers? This question itself poses much intrigue for not only those who are supernatural zealots, but for the tax paying public on the whole. This story could easily have been converted onto the screen in a different way. A psychological thriller that breeds from the mystery of The X-Files and the human turmoil during wartime of Apocalypse Now, could have been a great screen epic. This film farce that plays upon the stupidity of its characters is mediocre at best.

This is not typically the kind of film I would go see to begin with. I am not someone who typically revels in the comedy of human situations. But that isn’t even why I disliked this movie. It’s supposed to be about psychic soldiers, super heroes if you will, and more interestingly, how our military has tried to use such people as weapons. Believable? Not really. Entertaining? Only somewhat. For me personally, The Men Who Stare at Goats just does not come together. There are ridiculous characters that seemingly have metaphysical abilities but aside from the dream sequences and flashbacks, you almost never see any of them performed. It basically just implies that these Jedi have extra ordinary talents. And it seems like you’re watching a version of the X-Men where they are all stoned and mental half-wits. “We’re Jedi. We don’t fight with guns, we fight with our minds.” Mind war indeed; I have been mentally trying to beat-up Clooney and Heslov since I left the theater.

Rating: ★ ★
Bottom Line: They showed every good funny scene in the 3-minute preview. Save yourself the grief & disappointment, and stay home.

Precious

With all the hype surrounding this movie, I had expected an extremely moving film about the hard knocks of life. That was a huge underestimation on my part. This film relinquishes any preconceived inner-city stereotypes that one might have, and exposes a down right horrific world of destitution and misfortune. To call Precious merely a social statement is like saying that Titanic was about a sinking boat. Director Lee Daniels has created a disarming film that doesn’t force false empathy or emotion from its viewers. The story line alone pushes the audience to feel for these characters without seeming constructed or imposing. With each scene there is a new revelation, some are hopeful but most are disarming. It is a rare occurrence for a movie to entice such a deplorable emotional reaction.

You cannot discuss this movie without considering the book that it was based upon. Not knowing anything about the book itself or having never read it won’t hinder your impression of this film. But it might just make you appreciate the film that much more. Geoffrey S. Fletcher adapted the novel “Push” by Sapphire in a way that maintains the overall sense of the story, right down to the dialog. Much in the same way that Sapphire did, Fletcher purposely implores a dialect that reiterates the main character’s illiteracy. Because the script was written in the first person, told from Precious’ point of view, the choice to spell words phonetically, such as "nuffin'," "git," "borned" and "wif", fiercely adds to the realism of the story. Despite the fact that you don’t actually see the words spelled out on screen. When Precious was first screened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, it was listed under its original title “Push: Based On The Novel By Sapphire”. But because there was another film entitled “Push” being featured at the same time, Daniels changed it to Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire.

Gabourey Sidibe as Precious
Claireece "Precious" Jones, played by newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, is possibly the most unfortunate of characters ever to appear on the silver screen. The hardships she faces in her everyday life are unparalleled and it only seems to get worse. Her parents verbally, sexually and physically abuse her and is an illiterate overweight teenager expecting her second child from her own father. In the opening scene, we find Precious sitting in class, dreamily trying to engage in the lesson, proclaiming, “I like math. I don’t open the book. I just sit there.” So begins a series of voice-overs throughout the film that provide insight into Precious’ random thoughts and explains how she copes with her problems. Sidibe’s breakout performance has been rightfully hailed as one of the most moving performances of the year. Her physical appearance alone resonates this forsaken girl, and not just the fact that she is so morbidly obese. Her weight overburdens her eyes, but nonetheless resonates of someone who been through much hardship. Sidibe consumes the character of Precious so believably that we begin to see them, not as an actress playing a role, but as one in the same.

There are several dream sequences throughout the film of Precious fantasizing about the life she wants. One is of her onstage at the Apollo, acting out a scene from Vittorio De Sica's Two Women and receiving a scarf as a talisman from a red-clad fairy godmother (played by former Essence magazine editor Susan L. Taylor). Another is of her being photographed in paparazzi –like fashion for the cover of a magazine, adorning flashy ensembles and over the top outfits. These scenes transferred much of what Precious envisioned in her mind for the audience. Daniels’ choice to include these sequences takes a bit away from the story itself, but presents an aspect of Precious that simply couldn’t have been done in the book. While I do understand the motives for including these soliloquies, they present a certain level of confusion in the story as to what is real and what is imagined.

Mo'Nique as Mary
The root of Precious’ problems can be attributed to her heinous home life. She lives with her drug addict father Carl and her unemployed dysfunctional mother Mary, played by comedian and talk show host Mo’Nique. From a very early age, Precious is continuously abused by both of her parents. Carl began to sexual molest and rape Precious from a very early age, and as a result Mary develops a severe resentment towards her and is threatened that he prefers their daughter to her. In reaction, Mary abuses Precious, physically, mentally, emotionally, and on a smaller scale, even sexually. Precious’ first child Mongo (short for Mongoloid) lives with Precious’ grandmother, but Mary still claims the baby as a dependant and receives welfare benefits accordingly. Mo’Nique is absolutely astonishing as Mary. She steals every scene she is in with her poignant and terrifying portrayal of this absolute monster of a human being, “You’re a dummy! Ain't no body want you, ain’t no body need you!” There is a riveting scene with Mary, Precious and Ms. Weiss, a social worker played by a makeup-free Mariah Carey, which is as emotionally powerful as anything else we’ve seen this year from anyone. It is quite surprising to see Mo’nique in such a highly dramatic role because audiences know her mainly as a standup comic. It is highly probable that she will take home an Academy Award next March for her performance.

Sidibe with Paula Patton as Ms. Rain
Early in the story, Precious finds herself being interrogated by her school principal Mrs. Lichenstein (Nealla Gordon) about the circumstances surrounding her second pregnancy. This administrator has very little compassion for her and does nothing to discover how she became pregnant again, what her home life dictates upon her, or why she is still in middle school at the age of sixteen. This lousy excuse of an educator’s solution for Precious is to expel her and pass her onto someone else by referring her to an alternative school called Each One, Teach One where she can get her GED. It is here that Precious meets Ms. Blu Rain, played by Paula Patton, a former school teacher who believes that everyone has a future, no matter how dysfunctional their past may be. The character seems to be directly derived from Sapphire herself, who used to be a literacy teacher in Harlem and the Bronx. When Precious first begins classes there, she is almost completely illiterate and understands very little. But over time, Ms. Rain teaches her to read and write and Precious slowly develops both as a student and a person. Ms. Rain is the first person to ever take an active interest in Precious and push her in a positive direction. She instills a sense of self-belief in Precious that never existed on any level. This is a huge contrast to Mrs. Lichenstein and we witness how the influence of a teacher can indeed impact a child.

Sidibe with Mariah Carey as Ms. Weiss
At the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, the film received a fifteen-minute standing ovation from the audience after the film was screened. Daniels responded that he was “embarrassed” and weary of showing his film there because he did not want to “exploit black people”. This has been an underlying issue for the film since its release. Certain critics have reprimanded Daniels for “demeaning the idea of black American life” to the world. There is indeed a constant bombardment of social issues throughout the film: incest, rape, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, illiteracy. Which almost makes the story seem unrealistic and borderline cliché. We begin to wonder if anything else could possibly happen to this poor unfortunate girl. Dana Stevens felt that the film drags the audience “through the lower depths of the human experience” and “leaves no space to be able to come to their own conclusions.” Although the predicaments Precious finds herself in are no doubt horrendous and shocking, the film presents a subject matter that is not well known to the general public. And such awareness cannot be shunned upon, regardless of how demoralizing the story may be.

Lee Daniels directs Sidibe and Xosha Roquemore
Daniels’ film exposes a world that most people never knew existed or if they did, they pretend it doesn’t. I always speak about how certain directors foster a strong concept of realism into their films, but Daniels takes that reproach to another level. This film addresses the hard issue up front without sugar coating anything. It forces us to accept the fact that we do not live in a perfect world, not by a long shot. No matter how bad you may think your own life is, it is seemingly guaranteed that someone else is worse off. But that is not the message behind this movie. Precious is about cherishing what you do have, no matter how miniscule or depreciated it may seem. And instills a belief that there is always hope no matter how bad things may get. “The longest journey begins with a single step.”

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: A heart-wrenching story about the hardships of an abused and seemingly hopeless teenager in Harlem. Masterful acting performances take this film to a whole other level.


Mary J. Blige: "Destiny"

Friday, October 30, 2009

Skin

This movie has all the elements for a potentially riveting film: a disheartening story that deals with racial injustice, a protagonist who faces personal dissension beyond her control, and a historical setting that confronts the political transitions of an entire country. Television director Anthony Fabian makes his feature film debut here with good intentions but obvious inexperience. There are many gaps in the storyline that are caused by mere inconsistency with the overall flow of the film. Skin opens with Sandra Laing (played by Sophie Okonedo) on the day of the First Free Election in South Africa in 1994 and quickly flashes back to her childhood days, some three decades earlier. This is very similar to the approach that James Mangold took with his biopic Walk the Line; where you are introduced to the main character, taken back in time to their youth, and observe their development up to the opening sequence. Fabian, however, does not demonstrate the same kind of genius as Mangold and instead the film merely displays a series of misfortunate events rather than witnessing the growth of its characters. This is not entirely the fault of the director, the script probably was not character driven, but it still ultimately sells the real life story of Sandra Laing short.

Sandra was a “black” woman who was born to and raised by two white Afrikaner parents during South Africa’s Apartheid. Because of some sort of genetic irregularity, she has physical features such as dark skin and nappy hair that make her look black. Her white parents, Abraham and Sannie Laing (played by Sam Neill & Alice Krige) are modest yet successful shopkeepers in Transvaal, a rural region of eastern South Africa. No one in their hometown seems to care about the differences between Sandra and her parents because of their situation among the townspeople. But when the couple enrolls Sandra at a prominent boarding school where her elder white brother is already enrolled, for white citizens only, it becomes very apparent that she is “different”.

Young Sandra (played by Ella Ramangwane) adamantly proclaims “I'm not black!” to an open-minded dormmate of hers who conveys that she has many black friends back home in Swaziland. While Sandra realizes that she is a spectacle there, she does not find any fault in her appearance, yet. This is a major plot point in the film because it demonstrates how the innocence of a child can relate major injustices, in this case racial discrimination, to an otherwise ignorant society. As Sandra continues to attend classes and live there, the discrimination becomes more and more apparent. It quickly becomes an issue for many other students, their parents, and the staff, which ultimately leads to the legal proceedings to determine Sandra’s race and origin. Ramangwane adorns as the child Sandra, notably in a scene where she attempts to change her skin color by applying a lightening cream to herself that is not intended for human application.

Academy Award-nominee Sophie Okonedo portrays Sandra during her adolescent and adult years. She executes steadfastly as both a naïve schoolgirl and later on as an oppressed wife and mother. Such versatility is not surprising from Okonedo, as we have seen her discourse in such films as The Secret Life of Bees and of course Hotel Rwanda. Although Okonedo conveys a visceral presence on screen, her character does not really grow throughout the film. Her situations may change, but Sandra herself seemingly does not evolve as a character. The conflicts she faces are not enough to force the audience into an emotional state where they can sympathize with her. And while I may not know the complete story of Sandra Laing, this is the biggest downfall of the movie. How can viewers appreciate the film, if they are unable to identify with either the character’s situation or the circumstances surrounding her at the time?

Sam Neil turns in a decent performance as Sandra’s father Abraham. His efforts to fight the system and redeem his family are admirable. We watch his struggles to get Sandra reclassified as white, all the way up to the Supreme Court. There, a geneticist argues convincingly that, as a result of South Africa's long colonialist history, most Afrikaners probably have some “colored” blood in them. Abraham's relentless, angry pursuit of such justice unfortunately has little impact on the prejudices of others, and really only ensures that Sandra herself remains unacceptable in Afrikaner society. And while his stubbornness and convictions seem praiseworthy at first, it only results in his personal demise.

There seems to be a plethora of movies coming out this season set against the Apartheid. The word Apartheid literally means “separateness” in Afrikaans. The era known as the Apartheid was a system of racial segregation that was legally introduced and enforced by the ruling power of South Africa, the National Party, between 1948 and 1994. The historical background of this film plays a significant role in the story. I do not believe that the general public knows much about the Apartheid of South Africa. Because the film itself does not provide an extensive insight into the circumstances of the country at the time, the situation that surrounds Sandra Laing and her family become evanescent. This is a major oversight on the filmmaker’s part. It is clear why Skin has been so well received at the Pan African Film Festival and at the British Independent Film Awards. But audiences without background knowledge of the Apartheid may not yield as much empathy because of its overall lack of deliverance.

Rating: ★ ★
Bottom Line: A copiously done film about racial injustice that lacks cohesion and emotional appetite. At most, add it to your Netflix list.