Passengers

Passengers is one of the first films that I have watched on my Samsung BDP3600 Wi-Fi Blu-Ray Disc Player using my Netflix instant queue to stream the video live on my television. I added this film to the instant queue from the Netflix website, after reading the synopsis, which appealed to me. The concept seemed intriguing, although an effort at misdirection. It took me about half the film to figure out that I was watching something I have seen before (in other films).

Warning: The following paragraph will analyze the material in this film that has been done before. It will not expose the plot of the film, but will provide enough information to act as a spoiler...

Passengers borrows concepts that were better applied in the films The Others and The Sixth Sense. Obviously, The Sixth Sense set the standard for this type of film and will never be adequately replicated. However, The Others took this genre in a different direction with a phenomenal performance by Nicole Kidman, that elevated that film to a close second. With two excellent movies already available with similar themes, this one trails as a distant third. Passable, but not nearly as good.

Spoiler Alert concluded. You may resume reading here, if you skipped the previous paragraph...



Generally, psychological thrillers necessarily seem subdued with a slower pacing than other films. That is okay if the film is using the lag time for the viewer to cogitate on the information being provided. Also, some films in this genre use the slower pacing to provide visual cues to the audience regarding the plot. Tidbits that can be collected on subsequent viewings. At times, those sluggish plots squander opportunities and simply flail while they try and figure out a direction. That is how I felt about Passengers. I enjoyed the film, but the lag time seemed wasted.

Passengers also seemed to try and go too many different directions. Although everything was tied up in a neat bow at the end, the beginning was awkward enough to create confusion. I know that this misdirection was intentional, but the extent that it was taken seemed excessive. Almost as if Rodrigo Garcia (Director) and Ronnie Christensen (Writer) conspired to create filler to extend the length of the film to its current 93 minute run time...short by most movie standards (although those horrible spoof movies all seem to run 88 minutes). The slack times in this film did not appear to add anything to the movie.

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Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a Woody Allen joint. I am not a big fan of Woody Allen and found the movie to be a bit irritating from the very beginning. When a narrator provided a "first-grade-reader" level of introduction to the characters, I told my wife that I sincerely hoped that the narration was only part of the introduction. It was not. The story-teller interjects throughout the film with distracting simplistic explanations that seem a failed attempt at humor.



Vicky Cristina Barcelona tells the story of two friends (Vicky and Cristina...played by Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson, respectively), who spend a Summer vacation in Spain. Vicky is grounded and stable, while Cristina is impulsive. The two end up crossing paths with a blunt artist (Javier Bardem) who talks them into spending a weekend with him. The artist has a mentally deranged ex-wife (Maria Elena AKA Penolope Cruz) who enters the picture later in the film. The four experience a variety of relationships during the course of the film, with very little in the way of closure. The film seemed more like an excuse to show off the phenomenal products of talented Spanish artists and the Spanish landscape than anything else. For that reason, I can give the film a star.

The acting was also very good...so I will throw in another star for good measure. Bardem was fairly good in this film, but was up-staged by Penolope Cruz, who was allowed to let her fiery side out. Cruz was actually funny in a tortured sort of way. Hall and Johannson had decent roles and good chemistry with Bardem. As a whole, the acting made up for the boring plot and forced dialogue. (The dialogue was anything but cliche...but it seemed to try to hard to be original...to the point that I had no idea what people were talking about at times). Penolope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress for her role in this film, and it was well deserved. Her performance upstaged the leads and even upstaged the script!

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The Station Agent

I recently signed up for NetFlix, which allows you to rate movies in order to allow the database to suggest films you might like. The hundreds of movie reviews I have posted on Epinions made the task quick and simple, allowing me to enter enough data to give the database a strong background to draw from. One movie (The Station Agent) drifted to the surface with a NetFlix suggested rating of 4.7 based on my viewing and rating habits. Close, but not an exact science. I would go with a solid 4 stars. I am glad NetFlix found this film for me, because I do not recall having seen this film when it was released in 2003.

The Station Agent has that quirky independent quality which I have enjoyed immensely from films like Lars and the Real Girl. The film briefly examines the relationship between and dwarf (Finbar McBride, played by Peter Dinklage) and an elderly man (Henry Styles, played by Paul Benjamin) who share their passion for trains. The two run a train hobby shop and sponsor “train chasing” film nights, where they live vicariously through members of their club who document their train travels on film. A quick turn events lands the dwarf in an abandoned train depot, where he takes up residence. Finbar (Fin) is a bit reclusive and finds it difficult to adjust to small town life.



The parking lot of the disused train station hosts a local hot dog vendor (Joe Oramas, played by Bobby Cannavalle) who boasts about his café con leche. Joe is a talkative extrovert who forces his way into Fin’s personal space. Fin’s obvious reluctance to engage with Joe seems lost on Joe. In a pesky sort of way, Joe eventually seems to grow on Fin and the two spend some time together. The two are joined by a tortured artist (Olivia Harris, played by Patricia Clarkson) who’s grief over her lost son appears to be temporarily eased by the duo, before returning with intensity. The film follows the interaction between these strong likeable characters while exploring different issues.

The Station Agent seems to end a bit trivially for a film that holds great promise. Yet, I found myself reflecting on the characters and their interactions after the film in spite of the timid ending. With a drama that balances levity with some darker issues, you almost expect a dramatically intense conclusion, which never came. The rather mundane completion of this film left some questions unanswered, but did not leave me feeling unfulfilled. The characters reached me with their realism. The characters all had flaws which surfaced at different times during the film. Combined with the interesting dialogue and great chemistry, the characters provide the audience with a sense that we are witnessing real people.

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The Boys Are Back

Just say “yes.” A simple slogan for child rearing that spells disaster. Sports writer Simon Carr wrote a novel based on the situation he was left in, raising a young boy, following the loss of his wife to cancer. Carr struggled with his relationship, realizing that it had become too easy to say no. “If a child asks to play together in the river, we automatically respond ‘no, I have to go buy milk.’” Carr’s fictional counterpart, Joe Warr (Clive Owen) takes the concept to dangerous levels, speeding along the beach with his younger son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty) sitting on the hood in front of the windscreen or allowing his to jump from a ledge in the bathroom into the tub. This reckless parenting style becomes further complicated when Warr’s teenage son Harry (George Mackay) asks to come live in Australia with him.

With the arrival of Warr’s son from his first marriage, the home dynamic becomes a bit more complicated. Although there appears to be some favoritism towards the younger son (from the second marriage) and the eight year age difference, the two boys grow very close. The house is filthy, the boys have very little structure and Warr does not ask much from the boys. What should be easy living bounces from obnoxious silly fun to a very dangerous scenario. Warr realizes that his lifestyle requires adjustments and struggles to do damage control to win back his oldest son.



The Boys Are Back is a touching drama based on the true story of Simon Carr. The film is based on Carr’s novel, with the screenplay adapted by Allan Cubitt. It is hard to tell how much of the story is fiction and what percentage is fantasy. It would be interesting to know where the line is drawn. The film is a touching examination of the family dynamic combined with superb drama and offbeat humor. Although not laugh-out-loud funny, the comedy elements were sweet and subtle. The dialogue was rich with the English and Australian vocabulary requiring a bit of attention at times. The characters were well developed with great interaction and surprising believability. The plot was predictable with a simple ending that was as fulfilling as it was expected. Overall, the writing provided a fresh examination of family dynamics with interesting characters, excellent drama and some well-placed levity.

I am a fan of Clive Owen. His performance in The Boys Are Back was consistent with the excellence that I have grown to expect from him. Because the plot requires Owen's character to be likeable (but with major issues) it required a special actor to make the role work. Owen was that actor. I was impressed with his grittiness and tenderness equally. The balance made the character connect. It made the audience want Warr to succeed and get his family back together. Owen deserves a look when the awards come around. Laura Fraser appears in a limited capacity as Warr’s second wife, Laura. She provided a nice balance in some of the scenes where Warr was unsure which direction to go. Although limited, her appearances were solid. The film also requires strong performances and good chemistry from MacKay and McAnulty, which both delivered. The characters were adequately brought to life by an exceptional cast.

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Ed Wood

I selected Ed Wood because NetFlix said I should. I did not know anything about this film and did not remember reading about it previously. However, the preview indicated that this was a Tim Burton film starring Johnny Depp, Sarah Jessica Parker and Bill Murray...all talented at their craft. That, combined with the fact that NetFlix accurately predicted I would like The Station Agent, were enough to convince me to add this to the queue.

Ed Wood tells the true story about the man (Edward Davis Wood, Jr.) who was voted as the Worst Director Of All Time at the 1980 Turkey Awards. Ed Wood fashioned himself as a quasi-Orson Wells. He endeavored to write, direct, produce and star in his own films. I am embarrassed to admit that Wood started his Hollywood career after his service in my beloved Marine Corps. That topic is briefly discussed in Ed Wood, but not accurately portrayed (he tells a film-make that he was a paratrooper). It seems that Wood accomplished a great deal simply because he wouldn't take "no" as an answer...even at times when he should have.



I decided to fact-check the film a bit after watching it. From what I could find on the internet, it appears that Burton did an excellent job keeping the facts very close to reality. I can let that part about the Marines slide...I don't want to claim this loser into that fraternity we call The Corps. But he was indeed one of our own. Wood kicked around Hollywood from 1947 to 1953 before he got his first big break. The film only briefly examines that period, before settling into the meat of the film with Wood's feature titled Glen or Glenda. This exploitation film was followed by Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 From Outer Space. There were other projects in the interim that the film paid passing homage to, but these were the three primary films covered in Ed Wood. The film examined some interesting side-notes, like the funding for Plan 9...the initial investment coming from the Baptist Church, hoping to raise money for future projects. Reports indicate that the cast members were baptised prior to filming...another topic covered in Burton's version (the screenplay was written by Scott Alexander, based on a novel from Rudolph Grey).

The characters in Ed Wood are the type that I like to see. They are a complex and eclectic mix of the fringe-side of society. Strong characters can carry a properly constructed film. The plot was based on Wood's true life, which leaves limited room for interpretation. Because Wood was such an intense, interesting and eccentric person, the writers have plenty of material to work with. The dialogue avoided any tendency to be average or cliche. The dialogue was often sharp and crisp, enhancing the story. The worst part of the writing was the sluggish pacing which threatened to lose me more than once. The film seemed forced at times and adrift at others. The story ends around the apex of Wood's career, to allow viewers a sense of reward for identifying with the strange lead character, with the disappointing true-life endings coming in short written capsules before the final credits role. A decent strategy to give the audience the most without compromising the story.

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Where The Wild Things Are

I was uncertain whether I would like the screen adaptation to Where The Wild Things Are. It seemed like a stretch to make a feature-length film from a picture book that could easily be read in just two or three minutes. It is difficult for me to segregate the book from the film in order to evaluate it, so I won't. The two are inter-twined, with my interest in the film stemming from my love of Maurice Sendak's original. When I wrote my review for the book nearly ten years ago, my enthusiasm was evident.

Maurice Sendak was acknowledged in the closing credits, but I was unable to tell what role he had (if any) in producing the film. Spike Jonze directed Where The Wild Things Are as well as co-writing the screenplay with Dave Eggers. The writing in this film really needed to be precise to win me over. I was curious what direction the film would take to create enough filler to draw the movie out to the advertised length of 101 minutes. Jonze did an adequate job of adding content and dialogue without drastically altering the original.



My biggest complaint with the screenplay would be the alteration of the actual story. The filler was fine with me. The back-story leading up to Max's banishment was also tolerable. In the book, Max is sent to his room, which slowly evolves into his fantasy world, only to awaken to the smell of dinner at his bedside following his fantastic journey. The film handles this transition very differently and misses an opportunity at some interesting CGI. I won't discuss the changes and risk spoiling the film, but I thought it was an attempt at adding some dramatic elements at the expense of tracking the original story. A decision left to the Director, but one that I found a bit irritating.

For the uninitiated, Max (Max Records) is a troubled boy with an abundance of energy. In today's world, he would be diagnosed with ADHD and doped up with Ritalin. In this story, Max expresses himself through unacceptable antics while dressed in a white wolf costume. Max pushes his mother (Catherine Keener) too far with his behavior and ends up sent to bed without dinner (maybe). While in exile from dinner, Max journeys by boat to a far away land where he encounters a tribe of monsters with humongous owlish eyes and dagger teeth.

In fear of being eaten, Max uses his guile to convince the monsters that he is a king that has conquered other worlds. Max threatens the creatures with his incredible mind-power than destroy with a thought. The creatures take a liking to Max and make him their King. Max introduces the clan to a variety of games like dirt-wad war. He also encourages them to build a fortress for their kingdom where they can all be safe and sleep in a big pile. But things don't stay Utopian for the young King and the dynamic amongst the monsters changes. Max must decide if he is better off staying with his new found friends or returning to his own home.

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Wind That Shakes The Barley

Wind That Shakes The Barley examines Ireland in the early 1920s, when Republicans banded together to throw off the oppressive occupation of Great Britain. The film reminded me initially of the Revolutionary War, when the United States used non-traditional fighting techniques in our war for independence from England. But the film ends up reminding me more of our Civil War, pitting brother against brother, as Irishmen are forced to choose sides following a treaty to halt hostilities.

Wind That Shakes The Barley was another movie selected for me by NetFlix. It seems that I have a tendency towards Independent and Foreign Films (along with war movies). I guess that seems pretty accurate in retrospect. Wind That Shakes The Barley picks up the action with British troops terrorizing a small farm, killing a young man for refusing to speak his name in English. A young Doctor, Damien (Cillian Murphy) has deep reservations about confronting the British troops through guerrilla tactics due to the vast superiority of the occupying forces. His views apparently change and he joins a band of Irishmen who train to carry out attacks on the British forces.



The Irish opposition find ways to strike at the British, but only appear to invoke the wrath of the heirarchy, soon finding themselves awaiting the executioner. However, a sympathetic guard aids their escape allowing the attacks to escalate. Damien's brother Teddy (Padraic Delaney) is among the leaders of the small band and helps to orchestrate the attacks. The men manage to deal severe enough blows to the British that a peace treaty is pursued. Following the treaty, Irishmen find themselves divided over whether the treaty goes far enough to give them true freedom. Teddy and Damien find themselves on opposite sides of the argument, eventually leading to an inevitable confrontation.

This film examines the tumultuous experiences of the Irish during this period, paying special attention to the relationship between Damien and Teddy. The film takes a thoughtful approach to the issues, showing a variety of conflicts amongst the Irishmen, more than the broader conflict between the two nations. These dynamics are explored in a credible manner with interesting dialogue used to delineate viewpoints. The story takes a few interesting twists, without being entirely unpredictable. The characters were interesting and well developed. Writer Paul Laverty did an excellent job of creating an interesting period piece.

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