REVIEW: The Master

**** stars

With The Master breaking the record for biggest limited release opening of all time (an astonishing $147,262 per screen average and $736,311 overall) while simultaneously receiving monumental critical acclaim, I feel like my raving of it may come off as just another ripple in the pond. If that is the case, I consider it a compliment. The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson's first film in five years (since There Will Be Blood scared the living soul out of all who saw it) is another film that scares, enlightens, and blows our minds.

Upon its initial release, all those creatively involved with the project had to explain to the world that The Master is not a story about Scientology. While many could argue otherwise, the most important aspect of this film is the relationship between the two main characters.

It begins at the end of World War II, a time where many returning soldiers were understandably unable to transition from the horrors of war to a normal life. One of them is Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a soldier turned alcoholic drifter who after hitting his own version of rock-bottom meets a man named Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the leader of a religious movement called "The Cause". His teachings do have similarities to L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, but The Master is not a film about Scientology. It is a story of two men, one trying desperately to find himself, while the other uses that man's desperation as a pawn in his own game. Freddie never seems to have a moment of clarity as his alcoholism skids him down a path of self-suicide while Lancaster never seems to understand the meaning behind his words. He is simply a master at manipulating those who are so desperate that they are willing to turn to his contradicting ideology.

Paul Thomas Anderson's breathtaking vision is within every frame of The Master. This talented filmmaker has the gift of foresight within America's own history, telling us more about the world we live in now at a time where many of us hadn't even existed yet (or at least me anyways). Where There Will Be Blood was a foreshadow of America's downfall through greed, The Master is a foreshadow of the corruption of the American Dream. It seemed for only a moment after World War II, all was supposedly right in our country. But as time progressed and the sugarcoating became thin, many real-life troubled souls like Freddie Quell probably turned to manipulators like Lancaster Dodd. Because of this, the man looking for righteousness gets left behind while the other successfully sells his righteousness to the next troubled soul and uses it to their own advantage.

Joaquin Phoenix is mind-blowing. He is so perfectly cast in every conceivable way it's almost as if his orchestrated downfall shown in Casey Affleck's documentary I'm Still Here was all apart of his preparation for this role. The role calls for a lost soul, becoming horrifyingly skinny and brutally battered emotionally. Phoenix nails this on all fronts. Beside him is Philip Seymour Hoffman, a master at his craft himself. His mannerisms and tone are flawless. The finest piece of acting you will see all year comes down to these two, especially the scene where Lancaster finally is able to crack beneath the surface of Freddie's subconscious. Who knew a lightning fast moment of questions and answers would be so riveting? Keep an eye out for Amy Adams grabbing another best supporting actress nomination for her role as Peggy Dodd, Lancaster's wife. Fearless and dominating, Peggy is either the brains behind the movement or the cause of its downfall. Adams gets the crown for the most terrifying shot in the film. I won't give it away, but lets just say it has something to do with her eyes changing color.

Did I just leave you with a huh? Good, now you have to go see what I'm talking about. The Master, the best film so far this year and for now, the Oscar frontrunner.

Why The Dark Knight Rises (And The Movies) Are Not To Blame

First off, before I say anything at all about how movies were affected by the senseless tragedy in Aurora, Colorado last week, there is nothing more important than giving all the thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families. This was a day felt by all and through these dark times, we hope for the powers of humanity to rise.  

I say that last line with a little bit of a pun because this website is a movie website. It's not meant to be the hub of a debate about the controversy of something as tragic and polarizing as a national tragedy. So feeling the anger and sadness that I do, I thought I would take the time here to discuss why movies like The Dark Knight Rises are not to blame, even while the media has spun this event into what they call "The Dark Knight Rises Massacre". The headline is simply a sick excuse for trying to come up with a catchy title. 

For the first few days following the event, I was glued to the news for one reason: to see just how much the film industry had changed in such little time. Then I turned away because I realized there's only one thing like myself, a film lover thousands of miles away from it all, can do. And that is to continue going to the movies and prove to the world once again that they are meant for the reason why we fell in love with them in the first place: escapism.

Ten years ago, like any other thirteen year old kid, I was searching for a passion that could stick with me for life. At the time I wasn't aware of just how much I loved the movies until I started writing about them. And it was because of the movie theater itself that allowed me to feel free. It created this neutral place where I could go where no one would judge me. What I loved (and still love) is that your fellow moviegoers are there to share the same experience with you, creating a common interest. Why do you think so many people go on dates to the movies? Because there's something there to be shared and experienced together. You wouldn't get that connection by ordering Tower Heist for $60 On Demand. It's a good thing that deal didn't work out last year, but now I fear after the dust settles and changes start to be made around the industry, this idea of direct-to-your-home entertainment may be sold as the "safe alternative" to the movie theater. I hope I'm dead wrong on this one. Seriously.

In terms of expense, it's not that theaters are any cheaper these days. But money aside, the idea of movie theater escapism needs to be reassured to moviegoers by those in charge of how they operate. Warner Brothers has been tackling this tragedy with grace and understanding, realizing that nobody (including myself, one of the biggest fans of box office figures) cares about how much The Dark Knight Rises would have made if it weren't for what happened. Now they simply have to focus on making sure movies like this (an absolute masterpiece) can continue to be made without the industry giving into the fear that every single movie that has violence in it causes real violence in the real world. 

But I fear that may already be happening....

Warner Brothers film Gangster Squad, a surefire Oscar contender until a week ago, has been moved to January 11th due to a climatic scene of gangsters shooting down people in a movie theater. The studio's plan is to reshoot this scene so the shooting takes place somewhere else. At this point, it doesn't even seem to be about the violence, but rather giving into the fear that people may not want to see the movie if it displayed something that really happened. In terms of business (aka making a profit), it's understandable, but in terms of artistry, the studio seems to be taking their worries one step too far.

For example, if the scene they are reshooting turns into a violent scene that happens in a parking lot, would they have to reshoot it again if a parking lot shooting happened in real life? Obviously there's more realism in films than parking lots, but my point is this: where's the line? Sure, the images that are in Gangster Squad may not be appropriate right now, but this film is already positioned to be a hard R-rated gangster flick whose runtime will primarily consist of shootings in the same nature as it would have been in the movie theater shooting scene. Since when did it become about the image we get in our head rather than the act of the actual violence itself? Why not go after every movie then, that has movie theater shootings in it? Would they have changed the ending of Inglourious Basterds if it were coming out now instead of three years ago? Maybe not, because the people being killed in that scene were all Nazi's. My point is that there are inconsistencies here, and just because it took place while The Dark Knight Rises was playing rather than say Savages (a far more violent film) doesn't mean that Christopher Nolan, Batman, Bane or Warner Brothers is to blame. Remember, it wasn't long after 9/11 that planes were crashing in movies again. Two 9/11 movies came out five years after it happened too, along with the countless post 9/11 movies that had been glorified for our entertainment.

So the fault is not on The Dark Knight Rises, and it's even more obvious considering he hadn't even seen the movie yet. It too was a victim of this senseless tragedy, because now people will waste their time trying to blame Batman (it's getting to the point where they are now pulling Batman comic books off the shelf for a month) rather than the guy who did it. The more we blame the movie industry, the more we give that pathetic excuse for a man exactly what he wants. 

Note: I apologize for being vague in some spots about the man responsible, but I refuse to say his name or anything about him. He doesn't deserve it.

The Avengers

***1/2 stars

NOTE: Apparently it takes the biggest film of all time to take me back to the film critic side of the industry. For my avid readers, I apologize for the delay. But in the words of Samwise Gamgee, "Well, I'm back".

The Avengers is the creme de la creme of summer movies, the extravaganza of a fan's lifetime. You will not find a film more epic and more fun than The Avengers in 2012.....before July 20th....when The Dark Knight Rises takes this crown. 

For now though, let's dissect The Avengers and all its component parts. Four years ago, a little movie called Iron Man was released and Robert Downey Jr. went straight to the top of the A-list. Then came the paltry The Incredible Hulk, the weakest link and biggest excuse of advertisement for The Avengers. Iron Man 2 came and went in 2010, then Thor & Captain America: The First Avenger followed a year later with enough spice in the tanks to get fans excited for the real reason of these films existence, The Avengers. If this film didn't deliver, we would be seeing a complete overhaul in Hollywood this Monday morning. The movie opened to $200 million and has become a fan's and critic's favorite. Ah, the sweet smell of success.

For all of this, you can thank Joss Whedon (Serenity, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer), a truly inspiring directorial choice for Marvel. If you want to please the fans, join them. Whedon is the go-to-guy for fanboys and mainstream audiences alike. He knows what he has and how to use it. You could not ask for a better-constructed script for this kind of film.

The Avengers takes place just days after the events of Captain America: The First Avenger. Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) is still rattled by his 70-year time jump to the future. For him, World War II was just moments ago and he is still grappling from its effects. In the meantime, Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, a fine choice to take over the role) is trying to stay calm by staying out of the way. He is tracked down by Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) in India to be recruited for the Avengers Initiative. Meanwhile, Tony Star/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) is kicking it in his Stark Tower in Manhattan while Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is trying to take down his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the ultimate villain, for many reasons. Not only does Loki want his home world destroyed, but Earth too. This in turn, forces Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to unite all the superheroes to protect the world from total destruction.

Despite the fact that Manhattan gets plummeted in this film (and for many people seeing a city destructed over and over again can be nauseating), what Joss Whedon does that makes the film work is his masterful ability to not let things be taken too seriously. We have aliens and superheroes battling against each other so clearly Manhattan is just a fancy backdrop for a fantasy-themed battleground. 

The difference here is that The Avengers was designed for fun where something like Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise is meant to be a statement on society. While The Dark Knight Rises looks for Oscar gold, The Avengers doesn't mind being the escapist entertainment it was meant to be. The best example: Loki is staring down the Hulk and screams something like, "I am a God and I will not be...", then the Hulk interrupts him by picking him up and smashing him to the ground numerous times. In The Avengers, humor goes a long way. Looking for the feelings of summer? Look no further. 

THE 2012 OSCAR PREDICTIONS

The 84th Academy Awards

Feb. 26, 2012

In wasting no time, let's get right down to the predictions with one sentence explanations in what could be the most predictable year ever...again.

THE BIG CATEGORIES

BEST PICTURE: THE ARTIST

Because Academy voters are filled with old white men yearning for a film they can relate to and are nostalgic for.

BEST DIRECTOR: MICHEL HAZANAIVIUS - THE ARTIST 

This year the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, so expect Hazanaivius to take home the gold.

BEST ACTOR: GEORGE CLOONEY - THE DESCENDANTS

If the Academy is ever going to recognize Clooney with a lead acting trophy, this is the film to do it.

BEST ACTRESS: VIOLA DAVIS - THE HELP

Because Meryl Streep already has 2 wins (and 17 nominations) and Viola Davis is going for her first. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER- BEGINNERS

It's either him or Max Von Sydow, but since their is one only on winner, I'm picking Plummer. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: OCTAVIA SPENCER - THE HELP

She's won everything already, so why should this be any different?

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: WOODY ALLEN - MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Because one of the greatest screenwriters who ever lived hasn't won an Oscar in 25 years and it's one of his best films in a long time. 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: ALEXANDER PAYNE, NAT FAXON, & JIM RASH - THE DESCENDANTS 

Alexander Payne delivered one of the best films of the year and this is the category the AMPAS will reward him with. 

THE TECHNICAL CATEGORIES

BEST ART DIRECTION: HUGO - DANTE FERRETTI & FEANCESCA LO SCHIAVO

BEST EDITING: THE ARTIST - MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS & ANNE-SOPHIE BION

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: THE TREE OF LIFE - EMMANUEL LUBEZKI 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: THE ARTIST - LUDOVIC BOURCE 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: THE MUPPETS - BRET MCKENZIE

BEST SOUND EDITING: HUGO - EUGENE GEARTY

BEST SOUND MIXING: HUGO - TOM FLEISCHMAN & JOHN MIDGLEY 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: RANGO  

BEST FOREIGN FILM: A SEPARATION

BEST DOCUMENTARY: UNDEFEATED

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: HUGO

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT: PENTECOST

BEST ANIMATED SHORT: A MORNING STROLL

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORTS: GOD IS BIGGER THAN ELVIS

BEST MAKEUP: ALBERT NOBBS - MATTHEW W. MUNGLE, LYNN JOHNSTON, MARTIAL CORNEVILLE 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: THE ARTIST - MARK BRIDGES

Top Ten Films of 2011: A Year Worth Celebrating

Finally, the end of a calendar year where I can safely say..."what a great year for movies!"


It really was. It seemed like week after week, there was another gem to behold and another entrance to the Oscar race. I apologize for my lack of posts in 2011, as our production company LaMarcable Productions took up quite a bit of my time. You will see caseylamarca.com merging with lamarcableproductions.com very soon, so keep an eye out for that! For now, here is my top ten films of 2011. Enjoy!


1.) Hugo
Why #1? Because it has everything. A timeless film for all ages. Martin Scorsese, the greatest filmmaker on the planet, attempts a 3D family adventure for the first time at the age of 69. He lets the newest generation in on a little secret: movies have been around for a while. And when the motion picture was invented (by the Lumiere Brothers in 1895), it was such a shock to audiences that it felt like a magic trick. That's what Hugo is, a magic trick. Because not only is it a beautiful love-letter to the art of film, it's a dazzling spectacle told with elegance and grace from its master storyteller.  


2.) The Tree of Life
Terrence Malick is certainly a perfectionist. You know that because he's been working on The Tree of Life for 30 years. Now that it's out, how does it measure up to the expectations? It surpasses them. Perhaps even shatters them. Not often can a film evoke such poetic imagery it's as if it's teaching you more about the world than what you would get out in the world itself. Think 2001: A Space Odyssey with an aura of human emotion. Brad Pitt (in a career-defining year) is wonderful, Jessica Chastain is luminous, and Malick's direction is nothing short of masterful. The Tree of Life is life-changing experience.


3.) Take Shelter
Michael Shannon gives the performance of the year in Take Shelter, a mesmerizing slow-burning thriller about a man named Curtis who believes an apocalyptic storm is coming and he must build a shelter to protect his family. However, is it really a storm or is our hero suffering from the beginning stages of schizophrenia? It's a truly haunting mystery twisted with the raw emotions of horrible disease. Jessica Chestain has had an unbelievable year and she nails the role of the worried wife watching her husband's mind crumble into bits. What makes Take Shelter a masterpiece is its attention to detail and it's willingness not to compromise on the true nature of Curtis's mind. The final scene in this film will literally blow you away. 


4.) The Artist
The first legitimate silent movie to be released since the World War II era, you have to wonder, is it really as good as everyone says it is? The answer is yes. The performances, direction, and music are completely spot on. It captures an era of Hollywood that is so long ago that it feels like science-fiction. And how ironic that in 2011 where Hollywood is now all about loud-and-noisy sequels, that the movie that could represent the year, is a silent movie? The Artist is a film to be treasured, appreciated, and loved over and over again.


5.) The Descendants
Alexander Payne hasn't made a bad movie. The Descendants is no different. It takes a masterful director to anchor a film around a star who gives the performance of his career while simultaneously creating so many vivid supporting characters. A heartbreaking story that's truthfully funny. Jean Dujardin may deserve the Best Actor Oscar, but I believe that if the Academy is every going to give the lead award to Clooney, it has to be this role.


6.) Drive
Criminally overlooked by the Oscars this year (a mere one nomination for sound editing), Drive is a pulp masterpiece. Ryan Gosling is perfectly cast as a Hollywood stuntman selling himself to bad people by being their driver. The opening sequence to this film is so intense that you'll feel as if you are literally in the car with him. A truly mesmerizing piece of cinema from director Nicholas Winding Refn, who rebounds brilliantly after the horrific disaster that was Valhalla Rising. 


7.) Moneyball
Moneyball is going to be remembered as a truly great American film, capturing the country's past time by telling a story that is more than the sum of its parts. Sure, the 2002 Oakland Athletics season itself was not very memorable, but director Bennett Miller finds poetry in the game itself. Brad Pitt is splendid as the A's General Manager Billy Beane, who attempts to change the game of baseball forever. Sometimes it's not about whether or not you change something, but rather the heart and courage to do so when everyone around you calls you crazy. That is the definition of an American dream. 


8.) Midnight in Paris
There's something magical about Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, a deliciously fun and joyful experience that every aspiring or accomplished writer should see. What if you could get your work reviewed by the greatest literary geniuses in history by traveling back in time when they were in their prime? It's a concept the infamous filmmaker was born to write and one we were born to watch and enjoy. Expect Woody Allen to take home his first Oscar since 1987 for a truly fantastic screenplay.


9.) 50/50
This comedy-drama from the Superbad team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg is the film of the Oscar season that perfectly blends its two genres. In fact, there really isn't anything not to like about this film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues his tremendous success by playing Adam, a mid-20's New Yorker who one day after deciding to see his doctor about his intense back pain finds out he has cancer. The kind that shortens your life extensively. Imagine the cruelness of that day. He wakes up. Everything is normal. He goes to the doctor and his life changes in a matter of seconds. My heart aches for those who must go through this in real life. 50/50 honors this struggle with a story full of heart and humor, delivering trauma when it needs to and laughs when it has a right to. In this case, it's pretty much the entire movie.


10.) Source Code
In 2009, director Duncan Jones crafted the highly underrated independent film Moon, one of the best science fiction entries in modern cinema. Crossing over to the mainstream with Source Code, Jones is proving to be one of the most refreshing filmmakers of his genre. Breathing new life into a Groundhog Day-esque concept, (how fascinating that the mythology of a 1993 Bill Murray comedy about a groundhog is still a brilliant base for science-fiction movies) this highly entertaining thriller is a blast of exciting relevancy.