Review: Quantum of Solace

The latest edition of the Bond series.  I haven't been out to the theaters for awhile, other than Wall-E, and this was a nice straight-forward film to go see.  Especially during this "awards season" and all that means.  This film is pretty much out of theaters so this isn't a cutting edge review.  I found the film enjoyable on the whole.  The type of action was interesting and the pace was snowmobile-into-the-fence fast.  I really like Dame Judi Dench as M, I think it is one of the things that holds the series together since she's been on board.  The earlier (Connery, Moore, etc eras) were held more by Q than M, but Dame Judi really is the strongest presence.  This change is also reflected in how the movies use technology.  The tech in this film is shown as a tool of management, not the playthings of the field agent.  I like Daniel Craig, but this film portrays a much more wooden Bond that is charming but flat.  Not 1-dimensional - just flat.  There is no place in the film to look into the Bond character.  I think a little more character building would be something that Craig could pull off nicely and it would add to the films.

I'm not sure I like the whole shaky-cam, follow-the-person style of action sequence.  The Bourne films really did that well and I like the action and the gritty nature of the sequnces, but that technique is feeling old.  I'd like to keep the fast pace, improvisational nature of the action, but with a camera that isn't bobbing and weaving.

I went to see this film with a friend and his first comment at the end was "There's no SPECTRE anymore, so they needed to have something new [Quantum]."  I think it was a good thing.  The attempt to tie environmentalism with coups and nation-manipulation was half-hearted.  I'm guessing they didn't want to hit us over the head with these ideas so they can play them out over the next few films.  I like the theme that ran through saying that as one grows old, right and wrong don't seem so different.  Nice to see that maturity even in an action film.  I'd recommend this film for anyone who is looking for entertainment without a huge effort.

Rating: **1/2

The Office (Season 4)

In the interest of satisfying some that would have more posts here, I bring you some comments about the current season of the Office:

"We really got gipped this season." [Ed: because it was so short.]

"Toby used to be cool, but now he's just a creepy jerk."

"They should have written in Angela's pregnancy because she has super-bloaty-pregnancy-face."

"Stupid NBC for making everyone think that the Office would be on when instead it was some stupid Donnie and Marie special. ...Donnie and Marie should be dead..." [Ed: this was followed by rant about how the FCC should fine NBC for colluding with the digital guide providers to trick people into watching Donnie and Marie by falsifying listing data which indicated that the Office was on during the aforementioned "stupid special".]

These comments were lovingly crafted by my wife for local consumption. I found the living room too confining for such wisdom and shared it with you. And, I admit, I felt the need to pad my posting total.

Review: Shake Hands With the Devil

I bought this movie without having seen it for a few reasons. The first was that I have heard pieces of Romeo Delaire's story and heard this was a good film version of that story. The second is because I like Roy Dupis. I liked him in the made-for-cable spin off of "La Femme Nikita" titled "Nikita" - though we always called it "The Michael Show" after Dupis' character. That and the biography "Maurice Richard". I know it sounds like I'm going on and on about this guy, but he is central - essential - to this film.

This is a difficult film, but one everyone should watch. I knew I was going to write a review within the first 10 minutes and so I've been thinking about it over the course of a day. I realized that this film provoked the same sensations as Shindler's List, but somehow more personal, drawing the viewer into the story. The real life tale about a soldier doing his best with the resources he has. The general is depict has a model soldier - strong, stoic, resourceful. That is the acting genius, that I could recognize the public figure Delaire under the subtle facade projected by Dupis.

The film shows how the stunning beauty of Rwanda seizes Delaire, but the tragedy of the situation unfolds with the an informer, the death of U.N. troops, the widening massacre around them they are powerless to stop and finally to the floating bridge that breaks the general.

The film does a good job of telling the story without nationalism, pointless history or racism. There are no loud heroics, no charging into the fray - just quiet, stubborn defiance of a few and the suffering of many. The only parties that may be slighted in the telling are the diplomats - the U.S., French and of course the U.N. administration. I cannot say how accurate this tale is, but the movie aligns with my existing opinions in the matter so I tend to think it is an accurate portrayal. The general is shown with his faults and all the decisions are laid out before us.

I think everyone should watch this film. It will make you uncomfortable and it doesn't have a silver lining. But it should be watched, simply to recognize all those people that died.

Rating: ****

Anime that I like

I was asked about what anime I liked in a comment to my Ghost in the Shell review. It was starting to get too long to reply there, so here it is.

I find Ghost in the Shell to be an excellent example of the genre, one that shows the art and intricate story without getting too wrapped up in either Japanese culture or anime culture. Some of the TV series can be very self-referential, doing parodies of other series. I've watched a few of them and it can be very funny, but requires a lot of background.

It's been a long time since I've seen Akira and I only saw it once. If I remember correctly, it is something like 2.5 or 3 hours long, so the details have become fuzzy. I remember that I liked it, but I can't recall details.

There have been other anime movies that I've liked. There was "Metropolis" which was a remake of the classic 1920's film and pretty much anything by Hayao Miyazaki. I liked the sequel to this film called "Ghost in the Shell: Innocence" but I'm planning to write a review of it sometime soon.

I just checked the credits for "Princess Mononoke" which is my favorite Miyazaki film and found out that Niel Gaiman did the English adaptation. I really liked the English version - it is much better than most I've heard. One great thing about Miyazaki (and his Studio Ghibli) is that the distribution rights to the films was purchased by Disney - and championed by John Lasseter, and he only agreed if Disney would not change the films. Lasseter did this while working at Pixar and before he was brought into the studio executive because he loved Miyazaki's films so much. All his films revolve around young characters, going through a big change in their life. One of the best Studio Ghibli films is "Grave of the Fireflies", by Isao Takahata (who is Miyazaki's partner in Studio Ghibli). This is a difficult film to watch, about a boy who struggles to keep his sister alive near the end of WWII after their mother is killed in an air raid.

One thing I really like to do is to watch them in Japanese because the mere sound of the dialog fits better. There is something compelling about the different intonation, voices and urgencies done in the original language. As I said above, "Princess Mononoke" is one of the best adaptations I've heard, preserving the sense and feeling of the original. Sometimes you have to wonder at the voices they choose (I didn't really like Gillian Anderson as Moro - the Japanese actor is much more ominous). I liked the "Ghost in the Shell" translation as well, but as it didn't have too much dialog, it could be done well.

Enough rambling for this evening - I intend to post more reviews of anime that I've enjoyed. I just hope that people don't get hung up on "Sailor Moon" or "DragonBallZ". There are films that well done and leave a completely different impression.

Review: Ghost In The Shell

Like many things, I was first exposed to Anime in university. And I did inhale - it was quite good. I have always liked animated shows and when I found movies and series that had depth, sophistication, subtlety and, above all, did not "dumb it down", I was hooked. Ghost in the Shell was released in 1996 and I saw it (in English overdub) on IFC a couple of weekends ago, so I thought it was time I got off my fingers and started reviewing!

First off, I'm not going to talk about the plot. If you watch the movie, you'll understand. The meaning and symbolism isn't hidden - just well laid out. The opening credits set the tone with a striking choral arrangement. The visual images make you understand that it is a future where mankind can produce machines that look like humans. Like good science fiction, the setting isn't splashed about, it simply is.

The next thing that stands out for me every time I watch this film are the cityscapes. The animation is realistic and subtle, but the detail in this imagined future city is exquisite.

There is very little dialog in the movie - there can be long scenes were nothing is said. This is another signal of a great movie for me. The director doesn't feel they have to fill up spaces with exposition, voice-overs, dialog.

The movie begins as an action-type film, but then switches to be a full-blown examination of humanity and the meaning of life.

This is an excellent film to introduce someone to good anime. It runs about 82 minutes (no Akira) with a story that isn't embedded in a particular culture.

Rating: ****