Artwork and Review By: Daniel Albert

As my excitement to see yet another Coen Brothers take on the old west grew to a fever pitch, True Grit started to worry me.  I tried to block out all the praise I was hearing to avoid putting the film on a pedestal before I even set foot in a theatre, as I wanted to view it with a completely fresh approach.  This is also the reason I chose to forego seeing the John Wayne original (a classic in its own right), allowing myself an uninfluenced and unbiased opinion of the film.

What I found upon watching it was pretty standard Coen Brothers.  Vibrant dialogue, stunning visuals, and an overall sense of urgency that keeps the pace on point and holds your attention until the final frame.  However there was something not right about the film as a whole when I finished watching it and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Was it the acting? Jeff Bridges version of Rooster Cogburn is untouchable and newcomer Hailee Stanfield (as Mattie Ross) holds her own against her Hollywood heavyweight counterparts, without skipping a beat.  Hell even Barry Pepper, who in my opinion seems to steal the show at times to become a more important foe than Josh Brolin's Tom Chaney, is impeccible in his scenes, as is Matt Damon as LeBeouf.

So if it wasn't the scenery, which in the hands of the Coen brothers seems otherworldly in its beauty, or the acting, which again is spot on, what could it be?  Upon further contemplation I began to piece it together.

As the film approached its climactic confrontation I found myself trying to guess what the big twist would be.  Would Rooster die? Would Mattie? Would there be a huge train chase or a saloon gunfight?  I sat and waited yet no big twist came. What transpired was completely straightforward film making, which was very well done, but it left me wanting more.

Looking back now I realize the problem.  I've been so conditioned to feel like there has to be a huge twist in a film that I completely overlooked how refreshingly simple the outcome played out.  Not only was it satisfying but it was logical!  No leap of faith needed in order to maintain a suspension of disbelief.  It wasn't necessary at all for True Grit to conclude any other way, because the conclusion was poignant, elegant and completely in sync with the overall tone of the film.

Huge twist or not True Grit completely lived up to all the hype and then some, proving once again that Joel and Ethan Coen can put together a Western that'll put dust in your lungs.

The Fighter

Artwork and Review By: Daniel Albert

Going into The Fighter I wasn't really sure what to expect. Of course I knew it was about boxing and also that it was based on a true story, but those are the only two things I really knew about it, so I wondered what was in store.  Would I find a Raging Bull reboot?  Or maybe some cheesy reincarnation of the Rocky saga? 

I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Fighter was neither.  Instead of a formulaic "climb to the top" type fight flick, The Fighter actually proved to be quite complex.  That's not to say the story doesn't follow a common character arc, it certainly does, but instead of following the life of just the boxer in the ring we also follow the one struggling to get back in. 

At a glance most would suspect The Fighter is about "Irish" Micky Ward (played deftly by Mark Wahlberg).  Ward has become known as a stepping stone in his small hometown of Lowell after several tough losses mostly in part due to poor management from his mother.  But as the camera pans out and our point of view broadens we begin to see another fighter, brother turned trainer and ex-boxing pro Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). Dicky is also partially to blame for Ward's slump as his crack addiction and lackadaisical attitude towards training hinder Ward's preperation dramatically.

It would've been possible for Director David O'Russell to focus on Ward's ascension individually, but half the film would've been lost.  At times Bale's portrayal of Eklund, the one time all-star of Lowell who "knocked down" Sugar Ray-Leonard, outshines everyone including Wahlberg, giving nuance to one of the best performances of his career.  Dicky's drug addiction, which he uses to blind himself from the fact that he's been riding his famed coattails for much too long, becomes almost as much of a central part in the movie as Ward's title fight, as we get to see fictionally the filming of a real HBO Documentary: High On Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell.

With the addition of this storyline comes the depth of Wahlberg's character.  Not only does he have to train to fight in the ring, but he also has to battle his way from out of his brother's shadow.  In addition he has to tread lightly on the decision of whether to cut his family loose and perhaps get the quality training he deserves or keep his family in charge and possibly ruin his career, and his life, forever.

When the time comes for the actual scene of the title fight you're so emotionally involved with the characters you can't help but root for Ward.  Not only that, but the cinematography is so pitch perfect that it doesn't feel stilted or recycled, but instead fresh and exhilerating.  Sure you've seen boxing before in movies, but overall this movie plays out like there was a drama being filmed and then a fight broke out.

Rating: A

Black Swan Movie Review

Art and Review by: Daniel Albert

I suppose the saying "expect the unexpected" is a worthy advisory phrase for any Darren Aronofsky film.  Having previously viewed some of his other movies (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler) I knew quite well what he was capable of, yet adhered to this motto and expected to be given something I couldn't imagine. Fortunately for me, and I do stress the word fortunately, I wasn't too sure of the depths he would take his new film Black Swan, and after viewing it I have to say he once again gave me something completely unexpected, even if that's what I expected.

As I said before I'm no stranger to the mans work.  With this viewing background in tow, along with a high intensity trailer and the header of "psychological thriller", I knew this was going to be a dark film.  What I didn't know is just how truly dark the movie could be. 

Black Swan is one of those movies that sneaks up on you.  It plays more like a concerto than a film, using every instrument in the pit to paint a visceral picture for its audience.  It starts off slow and steady, lulling you into the depths of its world, using every tool in the director's arsenal.  The cinematography is so pitch perfect I felt myself getting agitated more and more with every shot, a discomfort that is completely intentional and in no way haphazard.

What surprised me most about the film however wasn't just the skilled hand of the artisan behind the scenes, but instead the delicate strokes he used.  The film is essentially about Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) a fragile and timid girl obsessed with perfection.  Nina is finally given her chance to shine at the ballet where she's been working and we watch her character's descent into madness, as an obsession with perfection becomes so complete it manifests itself in every facet of the film.  The farther into the depths the she goes, the farther down we go with her, without remorse, because well, hey you kinda asked for it. 

As I watched I got swept along so subtly I hardly felt a transformation at all until the film reached its crescendo and I found myself thinking "Did I see what I think I just saw or am I going nuts?".  My madness, like many others I'm sure, is in a large part due to a tour de force portrayal of the swan queen by  Portman that will surely earn her Oscar nods come awards season.  The dichotomy of her character makes one wonder whether or not she used a split personality disorder to carry it off so effortlessly.

Being a dark film, there is always the line a director is never allowed to cross where entertainment becomes torture.  A director should never turn on the audience and as this movie progresses Aronofsky traverses this line like a tightrope walker, always pushing but never too far.  Every graphic or violent or disturbing scene serves its purpose as part of a whole and nothing is left in that isn't absolutely essential.  If the director wants you to be scared or agitated he shows it and if he wants you to be sympathetic he switches gears seamlessly.

However with all this talk of darkness I tread lightly,  I'm definitely not saying there's no beauty in this film. After all, at the end of the day it is set within a rendition of Swan Lake. What I am saying is that even though the film has heavily dark undertones, the beauty still manages to shine through. In fact I'd have to say that one of the darkest scenes, when Nina's transformation into the Black Swan is finally complete, I was taken aback by one of the most visually stunning scenes I've seen in years.  It was lyrical and sad, reverent, yet twisted and frightening.  You know a film has done it's job when you experience more than one emotion at a time.

Before I heap more praise upon this movie I'll just stop and say this film is everything everyone claims it to be, and perhaps even more.  It's heartfelt and visually stunning, terrifying and sensual, and even at times a bit funny.  You don't have to be a film snob to enjoy this one.

Rating: A

Movie Review: The Lovely Bones

Just by watching the trailer, The Lovely Bones looks to be a murder mystery where a dead teenage girl is trying to help her parents find her murderer. Don't be surprised though if you find that the movie is mainly about a girl being caught in "the in-between" between heaven and earth, while trying to still be close to her family on earth as they try to move on from her murder. The film is set in the 1970s, a time where missing kids weren't on milk cartons and no one was worried about their children being snatched away. Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) does her best to move on from death, while still help her parents find her murderer and heal.

Stanley Tucci was phenomenal (and I don't use that word often) as Mr. Harvey, Susie Salmon's murderer and neighbor. It was a challenge recognizing the actor behind the creepy comb over and blue eyes, as he was completely transformed into a middle-aged man who had a chilling presence throughout the film. There was an intensity to The Lovely Bones that almost never let up and made me feel like I ran a marathon after I left the theatre. I was so tense I felt like I could finally breathe when the two hours was over.

The film was consistently entertaining, but definitely depressing as Salmon's father (Mark Wahlberg) couldn't give up his obsession with finding Susie's killer. I almost forgot Mark Wahlberg used to be Marky Mark as his role was convincing and heartbreaking as he was put through hell to try and bring Susie's murder to justice. He can still feel his daughter all around him, but can't let go, even as his family falls apart. 

The film is an adaptation from the book, The Lovely Bones, and is directed by Peter Jackson, director of Lord of the Rings trilogy. A grip of CGI was used for Susie's "in-between" world where she danced with butterflies and played in nature in a place that was close to heaven. The special effects were impressive, but a bit distracting and detracted from the story line. Too much of the film was focused on Susie's new world, which didn't move the story along and left too many holes. There was also a handful of scenes deleted, which may have been the cause of unanswered questions and missing parts.

The most creative part about The Lovely Bones is Jackson's way of setting a chilling tone throughout the film through indirect ways: Mr. Harvey's obsession with building toy houses, mud being splattered as Harvey tries to dispose Susie's body, and Susie running home to her house, only to find it's empty and that she's in another world.

The Lovely Bones is a film that you'll either love or you'll hate. You definitely get your money's worth, but whether you'll have closure, happiness, or peace when leaving the studio depends on the type of person you are. If you're looking to relax when you hit the theatre, then go for something not so stressful and intense.

Katie Cervantes

Live OC Magazine

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