Get Low

I'm in the middle of bunkering up on a project and as a result I decided to go see a film and try to not think about valuation allowances for a few hours. Of course I chose one about a 1920's hermit (Robert Duvall) who decides he wants to have a living funeral so he can finally reveal the dark secret he's held for the past 40 years. Needless to say the film didn't feature enough shiny objects to complete enrapture me so its entirely possible that my entire reaction to was driven by my inability to focus.

All that said, the film didn't do much for me. Don't get me wrong the performances are generally solid (it would be surprising if they weren't given that the cast featured Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Major Dad himself gerald McCraney) and I kind of liked its understated approach, but ultimately I couldn't help that feel the film felt it was much more profound than it actually was. The big denoucement actually didn't feel that shocking, and I never got that involved in Duvall's predicament (such that it was). Also the film features Bill Murray as the funeral director organizing the party and the casting ends up feeling generally distracting. Not because he does a bad job, he probably does as much as is possible with an underwritten part, but given his stature (and billing) you keep expecting much more to happen with a character that is essentially the fourth lead. I think the story would have been better served casting someone with less juice that I wouldn't have been distracted by waiting for something more to happen with the character.

Anyway, it could be that Get Low is truly a classic and my project induced ADD kept me from realizing it. I guess the lesson is when distracted go see something that doesn't require a lot of concentration like say...your mom.

Machete

Machete is an interesting, generally entertaining film, that can pretty much be described as the first 'pro-immigration reform-sploitation' movie ever made. Seriously more than anything, Machete is an old-school propaganda film, much like the old Frank Capra 'Why We Fight' Series except, you know, with more blood, gardening implements, and nudity. Like any good propaganda film Machete has zero subtlety (it features the line 'We didn't cross the border- the border crossed us) and portrays the anti-immigrant forces as being willing to shoot pregnant migrants as they cross the border. It also includes just enough factual touches (the campaign commercials for the anti-immigration senator will probably inspire a few tea-partiers) to make you think a bit (but to be honest not that much, its film called machete for crying out loud).

Anyway as for the film itself there's actually not too much to say. It has the charmingly low-budget aesthetic of most of Robert Rodriguez's work, and generally has a nice sense of humor about itself along with some well staged action scenes. Its also somewhat disjointed, is about twenty minutes too long, and in some ways indulges in as many hispanic stereotypes as Carlos Mencia. Of course it also has a very fat Steven Segal (I can't over-emphasize how fat he is, its mesmerizing. Most of his shots are close up and you can still feel his gravitational pull) as a mexican drug kingpin so you have to love that. Anyway its worth checking out as an example of a form of propaganda you rarely see any more. Just check out this trailer.

The Other Guys/The American

The Other Guys

An adequately amusing film that doesn't do the cop movie parody as well as Hot Fuzz, and isn't as gloriously unhinged as Step Brothers, but still has enough nice moments (particularly side comments) that you should find entertaining. But enough about that, the misguided nature of the closing credits sequence is just bizarre. They follow a slapstick filled film starring Will ferrel with credits that try to make a serious social point about the financial crisis, the bailout, and income inequality in America. At first I thought it was a joke, but its not. The entire sequence is just one statistic after another saying that corporate america ripped us all off, got bailed out by the government, and that today america is more unequal then every time in society. Its really irrelevant whether or not the claims are true, the whole setting was just completely jarring and out of place. It would be like following Twilight with Fahrenheit 911. Or the time on an international flight when I watched Raging Bull after The Devil wears Prada (seriously, I did this. I think I can safely say I'm the only in the world to see that double feature).

The American

The movies opens with George Clooney and his companion being attacked in the woods in Sweden. The attack ends with the death of his girlfriend and he ends up hiding in a small italian village, while an associate tries to find out who put the hit out on him. Most of the films running time is spent with Clooney working to make a custom weapon for a client, and starts a relationship with a local prostitute (or as I like to call it, the cheboygan two step), and there is surprisingly little action for a film where the protagonist is a hitman. While I actually enjoyed the vibe of the film, I don't think its going to be tremendously successful, and I can see a lot of people not enjoying it. Its incredibly stylish and mannered, with the dialog being kept as spare as possible. Right until the end (where it gets rushed and jumps the rails a bit) the film maintains a stylish and hypnotic pacing, with most of the characters thoughts and motivations being left unsaid. All that said I could see how some people would find it slow and uneventful, but it worked for me. Its true that not a lot happens, but I think if you let the whole just play out you'll find the film to be a reasonably engaging character piece.