"Head" is a movie starring The Monkees at a time in their career when their popularity was starting to wane. It defies classification and doesn't really have a plot. It contains a series of loosely connected episodes and musical numbers. It is an entertaining film even if it is somewhat derivative of the films of the Beatles such as "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!"
But, the Monkees were never famous for their originality or daring. Many saw them as a rip-off of and a nostalgic yearning for the Beatles in their "Hard Day's Night" days before they became all serious and stopped touring. The Monkees were better known for their zany, free-spirited antics best captured in their famous television series "The Monkees". "Head" was written and produced by director Rafelson and actor Jack Nicholson who, if you look closely, has a brief cameo in this movie. The writers do a good job of capturing the essence of the band and putting them in situations that highlight their charm and talent. They expertly interweave the musical moments with those of the anti-plot action.
"Head" is a movie that takes the zeitgeist of the late 60's as its main theme. It makes comments on war, consumerism, commercialization, and free love. It is anti-establishment and youth-oriented. Many of its sequences have a psychedelic nature to them, utilizing surrealistic colours and special effects.
I really enjoyed the music in this film. Some of the numbers are so catchy that I hit the rewind button on my remote control to hear them again. It is a film that could not have been made at any other time in history and is an eccentric, entertaining counter-culture spectacle.
Thoughts and insights on film, television, and other aspects of culture by Matthew J. White.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Five Easy Pieces (1970, dir. Bob Rafelson) ****/****
"Five Easy Pieces" is one of the greatest films of the 70's and contains one of Jack Nicholson's greatest performances. Nicholson stars as Bobby Dupea, a conflicted, complex man who has abandoned the values of his upbringing to live a life of humble squalor and dead-end oil rig jobs in California. He is a man who is not functioning at his highest potential and lives his life among working-class, uneducated people who don't stimulate him intellectually. His girlfriend Rayette (Karen Black) is likeable but dim-witted. He is attached to her in a way but we are constantly aware of his discomfort and ambivalence about being with her.
Eventually, Bobby learns that his father back home has suffered a stroke and his sister tells him it would be nice if he could come home to see him and his family one last time. So, with some reluctance, Bobby decides to make the trek up north with Rayette at his side to pay his respects. The Dupea family is no ordinary family, they are group of accomplished musicians and prodigious piano players who live in an isolated existence somewhere in the country-side of Washington State. There is a jarring difference in the cinematography and mise-en-scene of the two locales. The road-trip in between slices the film into two distinct halves.
"Five Easy Pieces" represents the mind-set of the post-sixties ex-flower-child. The drifting, aimless, vagabond lifestyle expressed by Bobby Dupea reflects the zeitgeist of the approaching 70's and the disillusionment felt by many at the crossroads of two distinct eras. It is a moving portrait of a fractured time in American history and speaks volumes of the spirit of the post-60's baby boomer. It features an unforgettable, heart-rending performance by Nicholson and a gripping story.
Eventually, Bobby learns that his father back home has suffered a stroke and his sister tells him it would be nice if he could come home to see him and his family one last time. So, with some reluctance, Bobby decides to make the trek up north with Rayette at his side to pay his respects. The Dupea family is no ordinary family, they are group of accomplished musicians and prodigious piano players who live in an isolated existence somewhere in the country-side of Washington State. There is a jarring difference in the cinematography and mise-en-scene of the two locales. The road-trip in between slices the film into two distinct halves.
"Five Easy Pieces" represents the mind-set of the post-sixties ex-flower-child. The drifting, aimless, vagabond lifestyle expressed by Bobby Dupea reflects the zeitgeist of the approaching 70's and the disillusionment felt by many at the crossroads of two distinct eras. It is a moving portrait of a fractured time in American history and speaks volumes of the spirit of the post-60's baby boomer. It features an unforgettable, heart-rending performance by Nicholson and a gripping story.
Man of Steel (2013, dir. Zack Snyder) **.5/****
"Man of Steel", the new Superman movie is an ambitious, high-energy spectacle. It offers enough action to please most action movie aficionados but it's light on the charm and humour of the Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve from the 70's and 80's. It doesn't pack the emotional wallop or bravura of its predecessors. It left me longing for those days when Superman did things to aid the average, every-day man on the street and help fight crime on a microcosmic level. Instead, the man in the red cape (played by Henry Cavill) is called on to take on the beings from his former home, Krypton, led by General Zod (Michael Shannon) in a showdown that leaves streets destroyed and buildings pulverized.
One interesting direction that this movie takes that was only briefly touched upon in the original series is the life on Krypton before its demise. Russell Crowe plays Superman's biological father Jor-El with swagger and intensity. In a world where there are no longer any real, biological births, Superman or Kal-El as he's known back home, is a daring exception. When the livelihood of the planet's inhabitants and the planet itself is threatened, Jor-El and his wife decide to send their newborn son out on a vessel that will carry him to Earth. The scenes on Krypton are imaginative and exciting.
Instead of telling the story in a straightforward, chronological order, we are shown images of Kal-El at various stages of his life with flashbacks. Eventually, his alien status and superpowers are discovered much to his father (Kevin Costner)'s dismay and he is told that he must hide them from people. Lois Lane (Amy Adams) comes into his life and soon he is on his way to donning the familiar red and blue costume with pride.
There is much to admire about the new Superman movie but I found myself feeling let-down and somewhat disappointed. It doesn't surprise in convincing ways and it lacks the humanity and depth of a great movie. In todays climate of high-budget, CGI-drenched spectacles, "Man of Steel" offers little in the way of complexity, daring, and emotional-connection that would have made the movie soar to new heights of originality and inventiveness.
One interesting direction that this movie takes that was only briefly touched upon in the original series is the life on Krypton before its demise. Russell Crowe plays Superman's biological father Jor-El with swagger and intensity. In a world where there are no longer any real, biological births, Superman or Kal-El as he's known back home, is a daring exception. When the livelihood of the planet's inhabitants and the planet itself is threatened, Jor-El and his wife decide to send their newborn son out on a vessel that will carry him to Earth. The scenes on Krypton are imaginative and exciting.
Instead of telling the story in a straightforward, chronological order, we are shown images of Kal-El at various stages of his life with flashbacks. Eventually, his alien status and superpowers are discovered much to his father (Kevin Costner)'s dismay and he is told that he must hide them from people. Lois Lane (Amy Adams) comes into his life and soon he is on his way to donning the familiar red and blue costume with pride.
There is much to admire about the new Superman movie but I found myself feeling let-down and somewhat disappointed. It doesn't surprise in convincing ways and it lacks the humanity and depth of a great movie. In todays climate of high-budget, CGI-drenched spectacles, "Man of Steel" offers little in the way of complexity, daring, and emotional-connection that would have made the movie soar to new heights of originality and inventiveness.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953, Jacques Tati) ***/****
"Mr. Hulot's Holiday" is full of gags and comedic moments as the title character bumbles his way through a vacation at a beach resort in France. Looking at it from today's perspective, the film is not very funny. I didn't laugh once and the humour is somewhat stupid and childish although there is a particular charm to the film. I've heard it is considered a cult film so I guess there is an audience for a film like this today and that others will appreciate the humour more than I did. But, to me Jacques Tati's character and sense of humour in situations pales in comparison to the likes of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
The plot unwinds in a sort of cyclical structure in which a number of days unfold with certain recurring time points: the morning when the day starts, meals which everyone attend at the appropriate times, and various things to fill the afternoon, until nighttime. This gives the film a very understandable and grounding structure with which we can make sense of the cinematic universe of Hulot.
Hulot as a character says very little and seems to exist in a bubble. He is totally oblivious to his surroundings and the other guests except for a potential love interest. This is what the comedy is built on and the source of much of its comedic elements.
There are two sides to the picture: silence and sound. In many ways, the film is like a silent picture because of the way that the visual gags are set up and the animated way that Hulot functions in his world. On the other hand, sound plays an important role, both comedically and normally, throughout the picture. There is a constant background noise of children playing on the beach that accompanies all the scenes in the resort that lends a sonic ambiance. Also, the simple sound of a swinging door in the dining room is brought about in a funny way.
Even though I didn't find it that funny, I enjoyed "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" for its whimsical portrait of the meanderings of a dimwit on a beautiful resort in the French countryside. It is relaxing experience and a charming endeavour.
The plot unwinds in a sort of cyclical structure in which a number of days unfold with certain recurring time points: the morning when the day starts, meals which everyone attend at the appropriate times, and various things to fill the afternoon, until nighttime. This gives the film a very understandable and grounding structure with which we can make sense of the cinematic universe of Hulot.
Hulot as a character says very little and seems to exist in a bubble. He is totally oblivious to his surroundings and the other guests except for a potential love interest. This is what the comedy is built on and the source of much of its comedic elements.
There are two sides to the picture: silence and sound. In many ways, the film is like a silent picture because of the way that the visual gags are set up and the animated way that Hulot functions in his world. On the other hand, sound plays an important role, both comedically and normally, throughout the picture. There is a constant background noise of children playing on the beach that accompanies all the scenes in the resort that lends a sonic ambiance. Also, the simple sound of a swinging door in the dining room is brought about in a funny way.
Even though I didn't find it that funny, I enjoyed "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" for its whimsical portrait of the meanderings of a dimwit on a beautiful resort in the French countryside. It is relaxing experience and a charming endeavour.
After Earth (2013, M. Knight Shyamalan) ***/****
When it comes down to it, "After Earth" isn't a startlingly original nor deep science fiction tale from the mind of director M. Knight Shyamalan. Its plot is fairly straightforward and easily comprehensible. But, it is an entertaining spectacle and a vast improvement over the director's more recent ventures in cinematic storytelling.
It takes place 1000 years in the future when humanity, having abandoned an inhospitable Earth now inhabit the planet of Nova Prime, a world that has been threatened by creatures who weren't so welcoming of the human newcomers, called Ursa. Will Smith plays Cypher, a commander of space missions, who's son Katai (Jaden Smith - Will's son) would love to be a success in the eyes of his father. Unfortunately, Katai didn't earn the recent promotion that would have solidified his reputation in his father's eyes.
That's the setup and we are shown the preparations and eventual launch of a space mission in which Cypher commands the ship and Katai is allowed to come along. They unexpectedly encounter an asteroid storm which damages the ship, forcing it to crash land on the long abandoned planet that we know as Earth. No one but the two main father and son protagonist survives.
It is here that the mission of the film is hammered down because Cypher's leg is broken and now Katai must go on the 100 km journey through the dangerous wilderness of the planet to reach the other half of the ship where an emergency beacon is located. This is their only hope. "Fear is a choice," Cypher instructs his son. And so the movie's main plot is established. Pretty simple, right?
Katai's adventure and struggle through the environment is exciting and the dangers he encounters are well directed by Shyamalan.
It will be of little surprise that the final showdown will be between Katai and one of the awful Ursas that have so troubled his family in the past. (We learn from flashbacks that his sister was killed by one of them). The film's messages and themes are as straightforward as the plot: overcome your fears if you want to succeed and the idea that a son must establish his own path in life even if it means going against the wishes of his father. It is about the transcendence of boyhood into adulthood and the importance of individual liberty and family.
This is not the greatest movie to come out so far in 2013 but it is an entertaining one and exciting at times as well.
It takes place 1000 years in the future when humanity, having abandoned an inhospitable Earth now inhabit the planet of Nova Prime, a world that has been threatened by creatures who weren't so welcoming of the human newcomers, called Ursa. Will Smith plays Cypher, a commander of space missions, who's son Katai (Jaden Smith - Will's son) would love to be a success in the eyes of his father. Unfortunately, Katai didn't earn the recent promotion that would have solidified his reputation in his father's eyes.
That's the setup and we are shown the preparations and eventual launch of a space mission in which Cypher commands the ship and Katai is allowed to come along. They unexpectedly encounter an asteroid storm which damages the ship, forcing it to crash land on the long abandoned planet that we know as Earth. No one but the two main father and son protagonist survives.
It is here that the mission of the film is hammered down because Cypher's leg is broken and now Katai must go on the 100 km journey through the dangerous wilderness of the planet to reach the other half of the ship where an emergency beacon is located. This is their only hope. "Fear is a choice," Cypher instructs his son. And so the movie's main plot is established. Pretty simple, right?
Katai's adventure and struggle through the environment is exciting and the dangers he encounters are well directed by Shyamalan.
It will be of little surprise that the final showdown will be between Katai and one of the awful Ursas that have so troubled his family in the past. (We learn from flashbacks that his sister was killed by one of them). The film's messages and themes are as straightforward as the plot: overcome your fears if you want to succeed and the idea that a son must establish his own path in life even if it means going against the wishes of his father. It is about the transcendence of boyhood into adulthood and the importance of individual liberty and family.
This is not the greatest movie to come out so far in 2013 but it is an entertaining one and exciting at times as well.
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