Hitchcock

"Hitchcock" has a similar feel to it as "My Week with Marilyn" (2011) as the audience is taken behind the curtain of the making of a classic film with an icon of American cinema.  "Psycho" (1960) is the backdrop for the story between the 'Master of Suspense' and his wife and muse Alma Reville.  Director Sasha Gervasi works off a screenplay based on the book "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho" by Stephen Rebello.

"Hitchcock" follows the same template as the television program "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" with Hitchcock (Sir Anthony Hopkins) introduces the film in front of the house where Ed Gein lived because if it wasn't for him we wouldn't have this story.   In this personal look into the man behind the classic film the audience is asked to call him Hitch, because you can hold the cock.  The story picks up in 1959 after Hitch releases "North by Northwest".  Searching for his next project with his wife Alma (Dame Helen Mirren) he comes across the "Pyscho" book written by Robert Bloch that was loosely based on the crimes of Wisconsin murderer and grave robber Ed Gein.  Hitch was confronted by Paramount Studios unwillingness to finance a film about a transvestite and his murderous relationship with his dead mother, which led him to finance the film himself and mortgage his home in an effort to get the film into production.  With the added stress of the film, his relationship with his loving wife, and un-credited screenwriter of "Pyscho", Alma begins to strain and pushes her to seek the attention of another writer, Whitfield Cook (Danny Huston).

The film takes us through all aspects of the production of "Psycho" including the casting interviews with Anthony Perkins (played dead on by James D'Arcy) and Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson) and the fights with the ratings board (Kurtwood Smith).  Hitch didn't want to use music during the infamous shower scene but was convinced by his Alma. 

Anthony Hopkins plays Hitch with a touch of the arrogance and you see the emotional attachment to the story and his own personal history of abandonment with a voice that at times sounds like Hannibal Lecter.  Yet the playfulness of the character is captured through the signature profile and background "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" theme music.  Helen Mirren perfectly balances the performance with Anthony Hopkins notably in a scene where Alma is confronted about having an affair.  You cannot help but admire the two on screen together and know that they are both deserving of a nomination for Best Actor and Supporting Actress. 

Not only was the acting well done, but the screenplay was well adapted and the makeup was equally impressive and deserving of nominations.  The film is fun, suspenseful and Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of the film.  It is very deserving of 5 Quacks and hope that everyone goes to see this film.

Skyfall

What can be done with the twenty-third Bond film that hasn't been done before?  Quite simply you can make him more human than any of the previous films.  Sam Mendes provides a delicate and emotional touch that is rarely seen in the Bond films, which usually specialize in action sequences that involve the chase and explosions.  But staying with the Bond template is a requirement and Sam Mendese delivers exactly what fans of the series are expecting.  The most notable signature for the Bond series is the opening title sequence which includes an original song by Adele (see below). 

The story for "Skyfall" begins in Istanbul, Turkey where James Bond (Daniel Craig) is on a mission to retrieve a computer hard drive that has a list of British agents.  As Bond chases the man who stole the hard drive through the streets, rooftops and countryside of Turkey we reach an ultimate moment on top of a train where another agent, Eve (Naomie Harris), is ordered by M (Judi Dench) to take the shot which leads right into the opening title sequence from Adele.

The more delicate side of the story takes over as MI6 is evolving with Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) telling M that the British government is upset with MI6 for losing the list; and that she'll be allowed to retire.  The theme of growing old runs throughout the film as a new younger Q (Ben Wishaw) is introduced as the story takes us to Shanghai, China and the discovery of who has the list of British agents.  The main villain is someone from M's past and who has it in for her and is intensely portrayed by Javier Bardem.

This is Daniel Craig's third turn at 007 and every time I watch him I forget about Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton and Roger Moore (but of course not Sean Connery).  Daniel Craig provides a physical quality to 007 that is matched by his good looks.  Daniel Craig is an intense performer and watching the "Skyfall" reminded me of why I didn't agree with his casting in "The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" (2011).  He carries a brutal grittiness that is balanced by a suaveness that works so well as 007 and lesser so as a journalist.  Also returning for the seventh time is Judi Dench who is masterful in her performance as a "Bond-girl"  and after declaring it would be her last she is certainly sent off in a respectful manner.  Judi Dench will always be the quintessential handler of the 00 section of MI6 as she provides tough love yet remains motherly in the film as she gets to know James Bond better than she ever has before.  Javier Bardem does what he is best it, which is dominates the screen at all times as the ultimate Bond-villain, Raoul Silva.  His mannerisms and the most simple facial expressions provide a chilling sociopath that reminded me of the Joker from "The Dark Knight" as he leaves you completely uncertain of what extremes he is willing to go. 

I couldn't help but wonder if Sam Mendes was at all influenced by Christopher Nolan and "Batman Begins" or "The Dark Knight" or "Straw Dogs".  There are certainly similarities between the stories, but "Skyfall" stands on its own as one of the most entertaining films of the year and is easily worthy of 4 Quacks.  The film has an A-list villain, exotic locations and brilliant cinematography.

Lincoln

Steven Spielberg is a well-known history buff, and leaned heavily on historian Doris Kearns Goodwin who wrote the book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" for which the film “Lincoln” is in part based.  The film is a portrait of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and some of the men who served with him in his Cabinet.  The film focuses on Lincoln's mostly successful attempts to reconcile conflicting personalities and political factions on the path to abolition and the events leading up to the 13^th Amendment of the United States Constitution.   

 

The film opens on the battlefield, but little more of the Civil War is shown beyond this sequence.  The words of the Gettysburgh Address are recited to Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) by soldiers establishing how powerful of an orator the President was.  As the Civil War continues to rage, Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing the numbers lost in battle and fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.  President Lincoln and other Republicans was concerned that the Emancipation Proclamation would be seen as a temporary war measure, since it was solely based on Lincoln's war powers.  Working closely with his Cabinet notably including Secretary of State William H. Seward (David Strathairn) and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Bruce McGill) the struggles to pass the 13^th Amendment through the House of Representatives proved to be difficult.  The glad-handing mission to win votes from Democrats is taken on by Robert Latham (John Hawkes) and WN Bilbo (James Spader) while Preston Blair (Hal Holbrook) works as a civilian to help negotiate peace with Alexander Stephens (Jackie Earle Haley) and others.  In the House of Representatives the 13^th Amendment is championed by Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones) and others within the Republican Party who uses quick wit to provoke the opponents on the other side of the isle.  While the fight to abolish slavery takes place both in Washington and the battlefields there is also a fight at home between Lincoln and Mary Todd (Sally Fields) who are still struggling with the loss of their son and the appropriate amount of attention to give to their two remaining sons, Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Tad (Gulliver McGrath).  The assassination is well known, and in true Spielberg fashion we are left with the emotions of the event even though it is not shown specifically. 

The film has a theatrical feel to it that never allows the audiences to be fully engaged by the story.  Instead the legal procedural jumps from scene-to-scene requiring message boards similar to an episode of "Law and Order" to inform the audience just who each actor is and the date of this most significant event.  The film is a whitewash of Lincoln and slavery, instead celebrating the amazing man without acknowledging his political views.  With its drawbacks, the acting in the film is what really stands out.  Many are required to deliver long and memorable speeches, with just a small amount of humor delivered by James Spader in a performance that would make Falstaff roll in the isles.  Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field are very much deserving of a best actor and supporting actress nomination, but don’t be surprised if Tommy Lee Jones also receives a supporting actor nomination.  Everyone in the cast absolutely delivers a flawless performance that  

There are no vampires in this more honest telling of the 16^th President of the United States, but the script leaves the audience wanting to know more about the actual individuals involved.   The make-up is amazing as you get lost in the faces of the actors to recognize who they are.  Not only was Daniel Day-Lewis transformed into Abraham Lincoln, but also Jared Harris into Ulysses S. Grant among others.  This is a 5 Quack film that will be the measure for Lincoln in the classroom for years to come. 

Perks of Being a Wallflower

Stephen Chbosky wrote "Perks of being a Wallflower" in 1999 and immediately caused controversy due to Chbosky's portrayal of teen sexuality and drug use resulting in the book being banned.  More than a decade later he wrote the screenplay and directed the film that has yet to receive a wide distribution, but is a powerful film that should be seen by everyone. 

The story takes place in a suburb of Pittsburgh during the early 1990s, when Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a high school student counting the number of days until he graduates.  Charlie is apprehensive due to the death of his only good friend Michael, who committed suicide several months before the story begins.  He does not feel that he can lean on his perfect family with an older brother, Chris (Zane Holtz) that plays football at Penn State, an older sister, Candace (Nina Dobrev) that has a loser boyfriend, and their unnamed parents Dylan McDermott and Kate Walsh, because they never truely understood them.  He also explains that the only relative that he ever felt close to was his Aunt Helen (Melanie Lynskey), but she was killed in a car accident on his seventh birthday for which he blames himself.

Charlie's life is very simple yet complicated as he journeys through the challenges and the joys of falling in love for the first time.  Trust me when I tell you that this film is anything but an after school special.  Charlie has no friends at first, but receives special attention from his English teacher Mr Anderson (Paul Rudd) even though he realizes that if the only friend he makes is his teacher that he will likely never make any new friends.  The happy-go-lucky Patrick (Ezra Miller) takes him under his wing and welcomes him as a wallflower and to the band of misfits along with his step-sister, Sam (Emma Watson). 

The story manages to go through a spectrum of topics such as homosexuality, drugs and death.   The dialogue is so very honest and is the perfect vision of Chbosky that engages the audience and communicates to the teen that is still in all of us.  What really connects the audience with the story is the soundtrack that includes amazing songs from a mix tape from Chbosky that includes the Smiths "Asleep" and David Bowie’s “Heroes”.  The acting in the film from Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller is absolutely amazing.  While it was nice to see Emma Watson in something outside of Hogwarts, she seemed just a bit off to me.  The lack of parental guidance in the film also appeared amiss to me as they don't have names and are rarely involved with any of the kids lives.  Ezra Miller deserved a nomination for his performance in "We Need to Talk About Kevin", and even more deserving now as a positive role model to gay teens as his performance is not defined by his sexuality.

"Perks of Being a Wallflower" is a powerful film that will find a way to connect with most everyone.  It is one of the best coming-of-age films in recent years and deserves a much larger distribution than it has currently received.  In addition to Ezra Miller's performance which should receive a nomination for supporting actor the screenplay is also very deserving.  This is yet another 5 Quack film and I hope everyone will see this film.

Cloud Atlas

The architects behind "Cloud Atlas" are Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) and the Wachowski siblings, Andy and Lana (Lana was Larry until a gender transition that was completed about five years ago).  The film is based on the award winning novel written by David Mitchell.  The novel and film encapsulate six individual stories that narrowly have a link, which draws you in while you try to understand what exactly the link is.  You find yourself grasping at the small clues that link one story to the next, but in the end you aren't entirely sure you fully achieved the complete understanding.  The motives and background of each story is certainly lacking, but somehow the visual components overshadow this glaring void.

In 1849, Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) is on a slave ship and writes a journal that falls into the hands of Robert Forbisher (Ben Whishaw) in Cambridge in 1936 where he is working on a musical composition with Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent).  In San Francisco in 1973, Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) finds a recording of the musical composition titled "Cloud Atlas" after reading the letters between Robert Forbisher and his lover Rufus Sixsmith (James D'Arcy).  In London in 2012, Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) is writing a manuscript of the "Luisa Rey Mystery" when he is confined against his will in a nursing home from which he escapes and becomes the centerpiece of a movie titled "The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish", which is seen by Somni-451 (Doona Bae), a genetically engineered fabricant that has achieved independent thought and escapes from captivity with Hae-Joo Chang (Jim Sturgess) in Neo Seoul in 2144 where her story establishes her as a religious figure to a post-apocalyptic primitive society.  Meronym (Halle Berry) visits a distant post-apocalyptic primitive society and is lead to the temple of worship by Zachry (Tom Hanks) who must battle his inner demons represented by Old Georgie (Hugo Weaving) and other cannibals that oppose the new religion.  The final story of Meronym and Zachry is told to children by the campfire by Zachry several years later to conclude the story.

Confused yet?  There is even more going on as so many of the actors, as you may have noticed, play different characters in each storyline.  The make-up is impressive as you can see through the credits the transformation that takes place from one story to the next.  Hugo Weaving stood out the most for me as he transitions from an 1849 businessman, to a physical nurse in 2012, to an asexual interviewer in 2144, and finally as the Old Georgie who is a devil tormenting Zachry in the post-apocalyptic future.  The make-up for Halle Berry and Tom Hanks was equally impressive as their physical size and skin color was adjusted to each story. 

The performances from the entire cast are amazing; even the smaller contributions from Keith David, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant who traverse from one story to the next keeping the audience focused on even the smallest of details. 

David Mitchell took liberties with the novel that allowed for humor to be instilled through self-deprecating observances and clever writing that was incorporated with the film.  Whether it be the disdain for flashbacks and flash forwards, or Javier (Brody Nicholas Lee) warning Luisa Rey that it is usually this time in the story that the main character dies, the subtle humor is not missed by the audience or a theater of critics with the line "what is a critic but someone who reads quickly, arrogantly, but never wisely".  The story is rich with philosophical writing asking "if God created the world how are we to know what we can change and what must stay the same", or that "our lives are not our own, we are bound to others, past and present that with each crime and every kindness we birth our future".

This is a film that will not be for everyone as it challenges the audience much like "Tree of Life" with deep philosophical questions.  With the six stories and a nearly three hour run time it will be difficult to win everyone over.  However, there are some pieces that are worth noting.  The make-up and wardrobe is very deserving of award consideration and quite possibly an adapted screenplay nomination which finds a way to maintain a narrative in the atypical structure.  When I walked out of the theater I was not sure of the rating to give this film, but after taking the time to digest it and better understand the various stories I can see that it is much better than I initially realized and feel comfortable with giving the film 4 Quacks.

The Sessions

Yet another festival favorite from Sundance this year was "The Sessions" written and directed by Ben Lewin.  The film was inspired by the writings of Mark O'Brien and the short documentary (see below) by Jessica Yu "Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien" (1996), which won the Academy Award for best documentary short. 

While sex is at the center of the story, the film is more about how an individual gains independence.  Independence is a very tricky thing for disabled people.  It doesn't mean that they want to do everything themselves.  Independence has to do with the power being within us, and it is through Cheryl that Mark finds this power.

The film starts with Mark O'Brien's (John Hawkes) poetry and historical footage of Mark navigating his way through the streets of Berkley, California on his way to graduation with a voice over of his poem "Graduation Day".  His existence is confined by the 650-pound iron lung that encases his body and fills his chest with air. But the life he shapes inside is as vital, and as urgent, as breath.  At the age of 37, Mark O'Brien decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of a therapist and his priest (William H. Macy), he contacts Cheryl Cohen-Greene (Helen Hunt), a professional sex surrogate.  The film follows the evolving relationship between Cheryl and Mark as she takes him on his journey to manhood through body awareness exercises and intercourse.  Along with understanding his own body, he learns about the female body and the language of sex.  His assistant Vera (Moon Bloodgood) tells him that she prefers to call it a dick, because a penis sounds like a vegetable that you don't want to eat and a dick is what it is.  Cheryl educates Mark that when you touch one breast you have to touch the other, it is sort of a rule.  The biggest rule for a professional sex surrogate is to not let the relationship become personal, however this rule is broken by both Cheryl by allowing them to have a date and by Mark who sends her a love poem.  Cheryl's home life with her son and husband offer just enough of a look into this growing conflict.

John Hawkes has become one of my favorite actors as he has built an amazing resume with recent performances in "Martha, Marcy May, Marlene", "Winter's Bone" and the TV show "East Bound and Down".  His performance captures the spirit of Mark O'Brien perfectly, which is unbelievably difficult given the lack of a physical performance and a complete reliance on his voice and facial expressions.  After watching both the documentary and the film the likeness and voice is perfect.  Mark is a warm, wickedly funny charmer that quickly wins people over. 

Helen Hunt matches John Hawkes instilling a dignity and compassion to Cheryl as she educates Mark in the ways of physical intimacy.  Those teachings tastefully deconstruct the act of sex and all the awkwardness and uncertainty that goes along with it.   She combines professionalism, playfulness, sensuality, and compassion in series of sessions which require full nudity.

Not to be forgotten are the performances from William H. Macy's as Father Brendan, who gives Mark his blessing and becomes a source of counsel, friendship, and laughs throughout the film; and Moon Bloodgood as his main caregiver in a role that requires very little emotion, but just enough life is brought into the character even though her personal life is never the focus.  Additionally, Rhea Perlman makes a brief appearance as a Mikeh Lady assisting Cheryl with her conversion to the Jewish faith providing her own perfect timing and tone.

The film incorporates the vivid imagery of O'Brien's poetry, and his candid, and wry sense of humor.  He was a dynamic voice in a paralyzed body.  It is this body that god crafted for him and that is a beautiful thing.  Both John Hawks and Helen Hunt are very deserving of a nomination as their performances carry the film to a 5 Quack rating.  The screenplay should also get some consideration for its adaptation from Mark O'Brien's writings.




Let me know what you think of the following video in the comments section.

Silver Linings Playbook

"Silver Linings Playbook" is adapted from the debut novel of the same name written by Matthew Quick.  Crazed football fans are at the heart of "Silver Linings Playbook", but the book is also a moving story of a man with mental illness and the people around him.  The film was adapted for the screen and directed by David O. Russell, who is known for his work with ensemble casting and handheld camera use that was so perfectly used in his last film "The Fighter" (2010).  After receiving the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival the film quickly jumped to the top of my list of must see films for the year. 

At the start of the movie Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental health facility into the custody of his mother, Dolores (Jacki Weaver), and father, Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro).  All Pat's parents want is for him to get back on his feet - and to share their family's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team.  To adjust back to life at home, Pat formulates a theory that should he become a better man his silver lining will be the reconciliation with his ex-wife.  Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a tragically widowed and clinically depressed girl.  Tiffany agrees to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll do something for her in return.  As their arrangement plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.

The performances in the film are some of the best for the year.  Jennifer Lawrence is intense and with just the look in her eyes you feel that she is on the edge of doing something extreme at any moment.  Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro work amazingly togetherhaving recently worked together on "Limitless" just last year.  Both give a performance that makes it believable that they could be father and son.  Neither have a filter, but the best fatherly advice ever comes at the end as Robert De Niro holds Bradley Cooper close and tells him to go after the woman he loves.  Jacki Weaver is a rich character that keeps the family together. 

The story manages to be comic, tragic, and often surprising.  It delivers to fans of football and "Dancing with the Stars" at the same time as providing an emotional story with rich characters that you want to cheer for.  The movie doesn't end with a medical cure, but instead it ends with healing from his family and love.  Jennifer Lawrence should receive a nomination as well as one fore Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper.  The screenplay is very deserving of a nomination and the picture as a whole could even receive the nomination.  The fans at the Toronto International Film Festival got this one right as it is a 5 Quack film.

EXCELSIOR.