Watching The Detectives

I noted that Watching The Detectives was a film-noir based romance comedy starring Cillian Murphy and Lucy Liu. I was familiar with Murphy from Redeye, and Batman Dark Knight. Murphy was also in Cold Mountain, a film I have not seen in it’s entirety. Murphy has not hit the big time yet, but I consider him to be a solid actor. His co-star in Watching The Detectives is Lucy Liu…what more can I say? I decided that this film couldn’t be bad. I was wrong.

Watching The Detectives was written and directed by Paul Soter. As near as I can tell, this was Soter’s Directorial debut. It is also one that I think he hopes he can forget. If it is a sign of things to come, Soter won’t be Directing for long. Watching The Detectives is touted as a comedy romance about a lonely video store owner (Murphy) with a quirky group of regulars who treat his store like a coffee shop. It is a gathering place for hard corps film buffs. An eccentric and attractive girl (Liu) shows up one day and ends up dating/taunting the video store owner in a mating ritual unknown to any culture I have ever studied. The ensuing events are meant to create comedy but really act more as an incessant irritant.



Neil (Cillian Murphy) and Violet (Lucy Liu) are both eccentric in many ways. In terms of character development, I should have loved this movie. Generally we get a set of bland predictable characters with zero personality. Instead, Watching The Detectives pelts us with quirkiness in a non-stop bizarre plot that is difficult to follow and appears to go too many directions. Violet is a practical joker, but her jokes aren’t funny. In fact, her character was so tedious I started to dread any set up where I knew a joke was coming. It was simply bad. In every sense of the word. The plot was also non-existent. I think that they were going for something along the lines of…Violet sets Neil up to take the fall for her and then has a change of heart…but instead, I was completely lost. The dialogue was a bright point…it was interesting…even if it was predictable at times. The originality in this film make it a wasted opportunity. What could have been a decent film with strong characters and fresh dialogue was lost in a mess of failed comedy. Maybe they should have made this one straight drama.

I find it hard to judge Murphy and Liu because they really didn’t have much to work with. Murphy was actually good, considering he was the straight man. Liu made me grind my teeth. I like Lucy Liu. I didn’t want to dislike her character but it was like fingernails on a chalkboard. Her part was a complete mess, which is no fault of her own. However, if this were the first film I had ever seen her in, I would probably have an unfavorable opinion of her. I guess that is why it is important for actors to pick strong scripts. A bad script can really make a good actor look bad. That is exactly what happens to Lucy Liu in this film. The supporting cast were equally eccentric, but actually weren’t that bad. The misfit band of video store lurkers were a decent diversion from the train wreck script.

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Slumdog Millionaire

With all the new movies coming out this past weekend, nothing looked worthwhile. It was a down weekend for Premieres. Most of the mainstream movies were tracking three stars...the same for the Independent movies near me. I thought about Syndoche, New York or Happy Go Lucky, but they were both hitting three stars as well. I checked an Independent theater a little further from my house and saw Slumdog Millionaire which I had not heard of. A quick search of several movie websites (including Epinions) revealed nothing less than five stars. With raving reviews everywhere I looked, my mind was easily made up. What would we do without the internet?

Slumdog Millionaire tells a story of star-crossed lovers whose destinies are intertwined. It also tells the story of two brothers who love each other, but see the world through the eyes of opportunists. As young boys they are orphaned, leaving them to fend for themselves in the trash heaps of Mumbai. The older boy, Salim Malik (Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala and Madhur Mittal) takes on the role of protector at a very young age, often taking advantage of his more trusting younger brother Jamal (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Tanay Chheda and Dev Patel). The boys were portrayed during three stages of their lives (the actors being listed from youngest to oldest).



After their mother is murdered, the boys are forced to fend for themselves. The two boys fashion themselves to be two of the three muskateers (names given to them by their teacher for their early antics). Jamal notices young girl caught in the rain while he and his brother have found shelter. Malik tells the girl to go away, but Jamal convinces his brother to allow her into their shelter. The three have guaranteed their destiny. Through a series of life stories, Jamal ends up on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He has risen from a lowly slumdog to the position of Chai Wallah at a telephone company. His job is to bring chai tea around to workers. His sharp intelligence and quick wit makes him very popular amongst his friends at the company.

Jamal's knowledge of individual bits of trivia put him in a position to land himself on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He doesn't do it for the money. He does it in order to find his lost love, Latika (Rubiana Ali, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar and Freida Pinto). Destiny finds Jamal in the form of questions asked on the show. Every question is a story on Jamal's life journey. And through the questions, we learn how Jamal has come to being on the program. From his very first question, which tells the story of how Jamal ended up getting an autograph covered in dung to the very last question that brings events up to the present day, we are introduced to every element that has shaped his journey. It is an amazing piece of story telling where no idea or concept is lost. The biggest question is whether the ending will be happy, tragic or both.

Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan directed this amazing piece of cinema. Taken from a novel written by Vikas Swarup, the screenplay was created by Simon Beaufoy. The writing was spectacular. The approach was fresh, incorporating elements that people can relate to anywhere in the world with distinctly Indian flavors. The characters were incredibly well developed with human traits that transcend cultural differences. The dialogue was well formulated with language that was credible. The film was shot mostly in English with some sub-titling carefully placed in lighter areas of the film with back-shading. This made it easy to track the foreign dialogue during action sequences, so nothing was lost in the story telling. An incredible plot mixed with a dash of comedy made for an amazing story. It was gripping until the credits started rolling.


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The Eye 2

The Eye 2 (Gin Gwai 2) is an Asian horror film by the Pang brothers, who did the original, The Eye, as well as The Tesseract and Bangkok Dangerous. Although touted as a sequel to The Eye, this film is more of a stand alone production with it’s own storyline. The fact that this film is not merely a sequel works to it’s advantage, creating opportunities to go in different directions without the constraints of remaining true to some previously determined formula.

I like the Pang brothers. I thought Tesseract covered some new territory in a well constructed piece of cinema. In the first Gin Gwai, the main character discovers the spiritual world following a cornea transplant. Rather than bringing back the other characters and trying to create a continuation of the first film, the writers (Lawrence Cheng and Jojo Hui) created a new set of circumstances surrounding the delicate topic of suicide, which plays a prevalent role in the film. The choice to go in a new direction with this film seemed to be a wise one. The Pang brothers who produced the movies along with the writers managed to deliver a fresh look at the original concept in The Eye 2, without using the original as a crutch.



In The Eye 2, Joey Cheng(Shu Qi) has a deepening relationship with a man named Sam (Jesdaporn Pholdee). Joey does not realize that Sam is married. At the beginning of the film, you witness a cell phone conversation between Joey and Sam from Joey’s point of view. The telephone call gives the impression that Sam does not want to see Joey anymore. There is a bit of a misunderstanding, because Sam’s wife (Eugenia Yuan) overhears his conversation while he is speaking to Joey. The misunderstanding leads to a failed suicide attempt by Joey.

As the film progresses, we begin to see overlapping points of view regarding the conversation between Joey and Sam. Additionally, we find that Joey has become haunted, with a spirit taunting her leading those around her to think that Joey has emotional problems. Joey does not fully understand what it happening to her and seeks guidance from Buddhist Monks. The Monks assist Joey in understanding the spirits she is seeing, but Joey does not want to give in. To avoid spoiling major plot twists, suffice it to say that Joey is pregnant and does not want to have her baby. Her realization of the events that she is experiencing creates some good creepy fun.

The Eye 2 deals with interesting issues like Karma and Reincarnation. The reincarnation angle of the movie actually makes it a little less spooky, although the creepy factor remains high enough to keep the suspense level up. There were elements of The Sixth Sense in the film, although the concept was not stolen from that film. The idea for this film is more rooted in the religious traditions of the Far East. The writing is a bit confusing at times, but the overlapping stories eventually work well together to tie together some interesting plot twists. The writers did a good job of keeping the pace moving while maintaining a decent level of eeriness.


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The Flying Scotsman

The Flying Scotsman is based on the true story of Graeme Obree, a Scottish bicyclist who set speed records in the 1990’s with his unconventional riding style. But this movie is more than just an inspiring film about a bicycle deliveryman who builds a record breaking bicycle out of spare parts. This movie delves into the mental health issues that plagued Obree, and the affect that his illness had on Obree as well as the people around him. The real struggle in this movie wasn’t so much against the Cycling Federation as it was a struggle with deep emotional trauma. The movie is as much about exorcising demons as it is about exercising muscles. Obree’s exceptional physical condition belied the fragile mental condition explored delicately but poignantly in this film.

The Flying Scotsman was carefully crafted by writers John Brown, Simon Rose and Declan Hughes. The story balances the emotional turmoil Obree suffered from with the triumph of Obrees inventiveness and dedication to his sport. The story provides background on Obree’s emotions struggles before tracking his rise, fall and recovery in the sport of cycling. It is likely that the writers took some artistic license with the ingenuity that Obree displayed, drawing his inspiration from the unlikeliest of places. The characters in this movie are flawed in a way that makes them endearing. It is more than a story of inspiration and overcoming physical challenges to rise to the top of your sport. There are parallel plot lines dealing with the rule changes directed at Obree’s unconventional riding style as well as the mental health issues. The challenges are carefully scripted to augment the story without unnecessary distraction. The dialogue was rich and fresh with characters that interacted with credibility. The writing was exceptional.



The casting in The Flying Scotsman added to the credibility of the movie. I am not one to distinguish a Scottish accent from any other, but the accents sounded believable. It did not appear to me that any of the actors were putting on their accent…and at times I had trouble distinguishing what some of the actors were saying. The stronger accents required intense attention to even catch the flavor of the conversation. There were times when the accent and unfamiliar terminology had me completely lost. The credibility came at the expense of my thorough comprehension of the exchanges. Jonny Lee Miller was cast as Obree, providing intensity to the role that was often needed, but at times a bit overdone. Miller was plausible in the mental health parts…the parts I felt were overdone were the training bits where I didn’t fully buy the intensity of his concentration.

Sean Brown was the younger Graeme Obree, struggling against the schoolyard bullies. Brown had a limited role but portrayed Obree nicely. Obree’s long-suffering wife Anne was portrayed by Laura Fraser. Fraser had a limited role, but was superb in her restricted capacity. Obree’s Manager and good friend Malky McGovern was played by Billy Boyd. Malky becomes frustrated at times with Obree’s moodiness and stubbornness but remains a good friend. Boyd found the right balance to demonstrate the tenuous relationship between the two men. One of the key relationships in this film was between Obree and a minister named Douglas Baxter. The role of Baxter went to seasoned Scottish actor Brian Cox. Cox’ performance was exemplary. The chemistry between the two men was plausible adding dimension to both characters. The casting complimented a well constructed script.


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Dorm Daze 2

I did not watch Dorm Daze, so I really did not know what to expect going into this film, other than the fact that it was a National Lampoon film. National Lampoon can be hit or miss. I guess National Lampoon without Chevy Chase is like cereal without milk. This movie just didn't have the oomph to hold my interest. A good clue regarding the quality of this film, if I had been paying attention, may have been the name "Kato Kaelin" in the credits.

Kato Kaelin actually had a minor role in this film. His line "I like boobs" was credible, but far from an artistic stretch. Who doesn't like boobs? I don't mind nudity in a film...in fact, I welcome it. But there is a fine line between art and pornography....this film bordered on pornography. The quality of the film, the dialogue and the constant need to find a way to insert nudity and sexual themes over shadowed the mediocre comedy.



The writers of this film, Worm Miller and Patrick Casey also have roles in the film...Brady and Mike, respectively. The plot centers around a College Cruise, a precious gem and a theatrical competition. The combination of factors converge to create inane situations that are attempts at humor. The comedy might work if it didn't borrow so heavily from other films. There was nothing new or original about this film. The characters were flat, the dialogue was hackneyed and the plot was barely visible. It seemed like a college free for all on a boat, with some plot lines thrown in for good measure. It wasn't very funny, was predictable and failed to measure up on any level. A look at the American Pie series might have helped the writers. American Pie was a very sensual group films, but the plot kept everything in context. It seemed like this film was striving for that type of humor without the intellect.

The acting was equally weak. There were no performances that I could point to that seemed credible. The characters were so flat I don't know if the cast could have done anything to save this film. The writers wrote themselves into the script, but did not impress me any...at least write yourself a good role. An idea about the thought process in the casting might be the selection of two porn stars, one for a major role. The Ship Captain's wife (Jasmine St. Claire) likes to invite men to her room, her large (obviously fake) breasts are given a starring role. I guess this was the Queen of Gang Bongs' attempt to go legit. She was joined by former Playboy Playmates, Katie Lohmann and Vida Guerra. None of the other cast members are worth mentioning.

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Arthur and the Invisibles

I watched Arthur and the Invisibles over the weekend. The synopsis on this film made it sound like it might be age appropriate...geared towards my ten-year-old son’s age group. After watching this film, I would probably adjust that downward a bit, with ten being on the upper end of the spectrum for this film. The very basic plot and predictable writing make this film a simple straight-forward movie with very little for the adults that are watching it. All things considered, it wasn’t bad, but it was forgettable.

Arthur and the Invisibles tells the story of a boy named Arthur (Freddie Highmore), whose grandfather was an explorer in Africa. Arthur lives with his grandmother while his parents look for work in a larger city. His grandfather mysteriously turned up missing sometime before the movie begins. Arthur’s grandmother (Mia Farrow) has a developer attempting to foreclose on her property so he can build. The foreclosure is looming two days away. Arthur is determined to prevent the eviction and sets out decoding messages left by his grandfather. In the process, he discovers a secret portal to the land of the “Minimoys” a small African tribe that his grandfather relocated to the family’s backyard.



Arthur alerts the tribe to the pending development which will destroy their habitat. Arthur must find rubies that his grandfather entrusted to the care of the Minimoys, in order to prevent the pending foreclosure. In the process of finding the treasure, Arthur is joined by a Minimoy Princess Selenia (Madonna). Arthur and Selenia travel to the land of Necropolis, where the Evil M and his henchmen have their own plans for destroying the Minimoys (and where the treasure and Arthur’s grandfather also reside). In a race against the clock, the group must save the Minimoys from the Evil M, while preventing the foreclosure.

The storyline had some major flaws, which would probably not be considered by the younger audience that this film was geared towards. One of the issues I had was the fact that the developer was interested in a remote plot of land in the middle of nowhere. The entire premise of the foreclosure was a bit forced and seemed to create an artificial timeline that was difficult to swallow. The characters were also shallow, with no compelling attributes. This created minimal connection with the audience, making the entire performance forgettable. The pacing was good, moving along at a fast pace, with very little wasted effort. There was plenty of excitement written into the script although not much in the way of sub-plots. It also appeared that film borrowed elements from many other works. Some of those elements could have been changed slightly to make them fresh, but instead were left as obvious reminders that the script lacked originality. As a whole, the writing left a great deal of room for improvement.

Freddie Highmore spent half the movie as a real boy and the other half as an animated Minimoy. Highmore surprised me with his performance. Although the script was rather predictable, Highmore was convincing. There is one scene where Highmore has tears in his eyes, which did not appear to be put there during a cut. Highmore sold the emotion and did not overplay his hand. He is an outstanding young actor who will probably have plenty more movies in his future. Mia Farrow had a more limited role, but was delightful nonetheless. Although her character did not have much room for development, she was great. Snoop Dogg had a cameo voice over as a Rastafarian club owner…a fun diversion, but not much in the way of demonstrating his acting chops. Madonna provided the voice of Princess Selenia. I can’t stand Madonna, but her voice over performance was tolerable. Other voice animation included cameo’s by David Bowie (Evil M), Robert DeNiro (Princess Selenia’s father), Harvey Keitel, Jason Bateman and Emilio Estevez. The casting was strong, but having a long list of familiar names certainly doesn’t guarantee a hit.

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Goya's Ghosts

Goya’s Ghosts begins in a dark room where several clergymen are gathered around a large wooden table. A high ranking clergyman (Michael Lonsdale) shuffles through a stack of prints that have been placed before him which depict grotesquely disfigured characters. It seems as if the characters are mocking the Church and the Holy Inquisition. A discussion ensues around the table regarding the artist, who it is discovered, it held in high regard. The Church’s response to the prints becomes the topic of discussion. An up and coming clergyman (who himself has commissioned a portrait) defends the artist, Francisco Goya (Stellan Skarsgard) indicating that the appropriate response should be to reinstitute the “old ways” of the Inquisition to elicit confessions from heretics. This clergyman, Lorenzo (Javier Bardem) asks to provide leadership and instruction in identifying heretics, which he is granted.

While he is sitting for Goya, Lorenzo notices an unfinished painting of a beautiful young woman. He inquires about the young lady, Ines Bilbatua (Natalie Portman) in a passing conversation with Goya. A few days later, the young lady is arrested by the Inquisition under suspicion of practicing Jewish beliefs. The unfounded charges are based on the fact that Ines visited a tavern where pork was served and ate only chicken. Ines’ denials of practicing Judaism are put to “the question” which consists of being stripped naked, having your hands bound behind your back, and being lifted by your arms until a confession is tendered. Ines confesses leading to her imprisonment pending trial. Goya is asked to intercede on her behalf by her wealthy family. Goya invites Lorenzo to dinner with Ines’ family in order to broach the subject of her release. Lorenzo indicates that her confession can not be overturned because it would erode the credibility of the Inquisition. Lorenzo is tortured until he confesses that he is the prodigy of two primates. The confession is tendered to King Carlos IV (Randy Quaid) after Lorenzo fails to convince the church to release Ines.



Lorenzo becomes a fugitive, fleeing to France. When the movie jumps fifteen years, the French are on the verge of seizing Spain, leading to a major power shift. The relationships established early in the film come into play in various ways after the French succeed in bringing their regime to Spain. The power shift creates interesting dynamics which end up shifting yet again before the movie completes. There are some interesting ironies that arise from the imprisonment of Ines that are explored following the arrival of the French. The ruthlessness and greed of the French occupiers is short lived leading to further events, all of which seem to loosely tie around the life of Goya.

Goya’s Ghosts was written by Milos Forman (who also Directed) and Jean-Claude Carriere. The story appears to be mostly fiction, although there are strong factual elements throughout the plot. The characters are well developed with actions that avoid the formulaic writing of Hollywood. The interactions are sometimes intense, avoiding any temptation to strive for tidy happy endings. Because Goya was considered one of the last great Masters, whose work influenced modern artists, it placed him half in one era and half in another. The political events of his era saw remaining influences from the Inquisition combined with the French Revolution and the ushering in of a new era. This creates an exceptional background for a Period Piece that explores some of these issues, incorporating them into a gripping story. The dialogue was sharp adding depth to the characters and script. As a whole the writing was excellent.

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