T's Take on THE TOWN

You know what's awesome?

Violence.

There were a bunch of gunfights in this movie, really more than was necessary, but whatever. There were dudes with huge guns shooting at cops. And the cops? They were like, shooting back.

There's really not much to say here. If you saw the trailer, you saw the movie; the plotline is about as formulaic and baseline as it gets. The characters are exactly as deep as they need to be, which is to say that they aren't, and by the time you've met all of them it's not hard to tell who's going to make it out alive.

You mean the underdeveloped nobody third-wheel driver dies? And so does the bad guy? And so does the third-strike "I'm never going back to jail!" hardass with a penchant for unnecesary cruelty? There are no twists, per say, but again, that isn't to say that any were needed. This thing could only have gone one way, and though I was never surprised, I can't say I was ever disappointed either. The odds are good that if you find yourself walking into a theater for The Town you know exactly what you're there for, and you're going to get it, too.

Ben Affleck is what he is. It's like when I first saw Matt Damon in The Bourne Identity and thought to myself, "Wow, this guy can actually carry a serious role." I guess I had that moment with Ben in The Town, but in a different sense. His character is this beaten down ex-drunk fuckup with nothing to live for and a bunch of leftover friends/acquaintences that really do him more harm than good. He's got this really convincing washed-out unable-to-care disconnect that I as the viewer couldn't help but sympathize with. He's got this depressing 'poor-me' attitude as somebody who goes through life totally unloved because he doesn't love himself. Which suits him.

I guess what I'm saying is that Ben Affleck has found his place in my life, finally, and I could watch him go uncared for all day. For the first time he subtracted nothing from the work overall and fit in nicely with his surroundings.

Watch The Town.

M's Musings on THE TOWN

The Town.  Dir.  Ben Affleck.  Screenplay by Peter Craig, Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard.  Based on the novel by Chuck Hogan.  Ft.  Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner and Blake Lively.  Warner Bros, 2010.

T. and I thought we'd celebrate Thanksgiving by going to the movies last night.  When we arrived at the theatre, we realized we didn't know what any of the movies were.  Strangely, there were no posters, and no real advertisements, so we ended up piecing together what each of the movies were about in a haphazard way.  We asked a group of stoned teenagers.  This was their recommendation.

When chatting with them, we realized we knew exactly what movie this was.  In fact, T. mentioned that he had been waiting for this movie for months.  Who knew!  I came in with no expectations, beyond the fact that this was a "heist film".

I was pleasantly shocked at how much I enjoyed this film.  Ben Affleck was bang on, stealing my heart while still making me want to avoid him.  I loved how "all in the family" this story was.  Each of the crew members were tied to each other by family, sex, money and drugs.  As a result, the individual actions or desires of one member are subject to the interpretation and punishment by the group.

For the bank manager, I thought that she was kind of sympathetic, but very quick to fall for Ben.  The tatooed dream boat with an honest blue collar job, is a thrill for the "toonie" yuppie who otherwise spends all her free time helping the innocent and gardening for the community.  The extremes between the idyllic woman and the criminal with a heart of gold were perhaps a little too extreme.  If they developed her character a bit more, gave her something besides her "sunny days", I think she would have been more likeable.

I found the search for the water very moving.  I felt completely caught up with her steps as she relived it. I can only imagine how the trauma of such an experience could affect a person longterm.

T. taught me about the "death by cop" suicide attempts of the various crew members, which I thought made sense.  If you only have two options, life in a maximum security prison or death, I think I would make a last stand, too.

I found it did really validate the crew's actions and emphasize their humanity.  That, mixed with an unsympathetic cop who also went home to "nuke his dinner" really disrupted the binary of good/evil which made the movie more interesting.   The bad guys were "punished", but the system itself was put into question.  I liked that.

Overall, I did find that the movie was too violent.  I found it occasionally shocking, but that probably was mostly to do with the fact that the characters were relatively well developed before they were killed. This wasn't a random massacre, but a carefully executed game of cat and mouse by men on both sides of the law.

It was also interesting that they chose to throw in a sister/lover character to act as a foil to the bank manager.  She was disregarded by Ben Affleck, but at the same time, they did make a point of showing the two of them having some kind of weird pity fuck earlier in the film.

I thought this was an interesting, fun and powerful film.  Usually heist films have way less heart.  Good job, Ben Affleck.  I think we may need to consider expanding our repertoire to include more of your films.

M's Musings on DICK TRACY

Dick Tracy.  Dir. Warren Beatty.  Written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.  Based on characters by Chester Gould.  Ft.  Warren Beatty, Charlie Korsmo, Glenne Headly, and Madonna.  Disney, 1990.

I liked all the colours.  And I liked the faces.  They were very bizarre and unbelievable in a very convincing sort of way.  This movie IS comical, but at the same time, it tried to really stay grounded in its own universe.  I liked the consistent association the characters have with styles and colours in determining their identities.  I liked the over-the-top dress, particularly because none of it was questioned.

On some of the exterior shots, I was very much reminded of Halifax with the bright coloured and individuated houses and businesses.  I think the world should always be painted in that kind of technicolour.  I find it very expressive and inviting.  It appeals to my senses to see so much loveliness captured on screen.

My biggest complaint about the film was about Tess Trueheart.  Though she did, indeed have a true heart, I hated that she never confronted Dick Tracy about cheating on her.  I mean, I know that Warren Beatty liked to screw women, but a sweet girl like Tess shouldn't have to stand for it.  It broke my heart to watch her stand by her man...  I know he really and truly loves her...  But that isn't good enough if he can't keep his tongue in his mouth and his dick in his (yellow) pants.

The kid was the best character.  I liked him best as the kid, before he became Dick Tracy Jr.

I like the characterization of the different villians, particularly Al Pacino which looked like a caricatured version of himself.  In many ways he is playing a pretty normal role for himself, but because of all the extra makeup and what not, it seems newer and more unique.

I definitely ennjoyed this movie from beginning to end.  It is light, easy, and has a fun, full cast.

And, I didn't want to tell T. this, but, I am positive that I've seen it as a child!  A happy memory, indeed.

M's Musings on RUSH HOUR 3

Rush Hour 3.  Dir. Brett Ratner.  Screenplay by Jeff Nathanson.  Based on characters by Ross LaManna.  Ft. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.  New Line, 2007.

Having just returned to my computer after four decontamination showers, I am ready to say something about Rush Hour 3.

Chris Tucker was paid $25 million to be in the film.  I hope he used the money to do something to work against racial stereotypes, just like the character he played.  So, hopefully his future is in drugs and skin.  He probably has a very nice fur coat, too.  And a rap cd, dropping next month.  I apologize for saying such things.  This is not the way people should be encouraged to speak or act, unlike this film suggests.

This movie was just awful.  I was so sad to see that after three films, there was no attempt to move beyond the typecasting of the first film.  I would have liked to see...  another film entirely.  There is no way to fix this film.

I hope that someday, new non-English speaking talent, as well as racially diverse talent of any kind, can experience a "break through" in the film industry without resorting to taking on roles like the ones written here.  This movie was written for people who feel patriotic because they like to exclude people.  They are the ones who encourage stereotypes, because they themselves are stereotypically dull and, unfortunately, racist.

I look forward to watching a slew of excellent movies to bury this day in review history.

Please, please don't make another one.

T's Take on RUSH HOUR 2

Jackie Chan: "I'll bitch-slap you back to africa."

M: This is the worst movie I've ever half-watched.

James Carter: "I have a dream..."

M: Wow... This is... Not at all going downhill.

James Carter: "I'm tall dark and handsome, you third world ugly."

T: It's like he's saying what we're all thinking.

M: (reading my Rush Hour (1) review) Who's James Carter?

So far so good. And by that I mean, neither one of us have weepingly smashed a window and attempted harri-carri with a massive shard of glass. I can just see M rolling back and fourth n the bed halfway through the next movie swatting my hands away while she rolls over to impale herself screaming "I'll never get it out of my HEAD!!!".

Rush Hour 2 was... Well, it didn't disappoint. It happened, we watched it, and we even chuckled at it. These movies are like the kid in the classroom who acts out making poop jokes, and he's funny, but you know once everyone leaves the classroom there's just no place for him. It's okay in this circumstance, because this is actually the perfect (and only) arena for people like Chris Tucker to completely fall apart in front of a group of people and be praised for it. Having said that, you can tell within minutes that he's not as energetic, not as fresh... He's just not as hungry for it, you know? He's not pushing himself, and testing the limits of his own creative vision. It's sad when young talent is dulled by the glamor of Hollywood. I mean, who is James Carter? Who is he really?

Rush Hour 2 picks up three weeks after the end of Rush Hour (1) where we find the no-nonsense Cheif detective (or whatever) Lee pushing Carter into casework instead of allowing him to relax and vacation. This is a valiant effort on both their behalves, but also wildly inappropriate and in real life would immediately cause a socio-political uproar that would forever change the face of foreign politics.

Can you imagine if you, a bookie and American or Canadian citizen, had your door knocked down by a violent Chinese martial artist who told you he was a Hong Kong inspector or prefect? Imagine he ordered you around crassly making solicitous claims and wild accusations, threatening you viciously before kicking your ass on the spot, handcuffing you and all your friends and badgering you for information about something you might know about just by pure virtue of your having involvement in the criminal underworld previous to that incident? The socio-political fallout would take months or years to sort out and would forever sully that foregn power's name in the international trading place.

The take-no-prisoners approach that the famed Rush Hour-verse presents is a perfect example of why police work is absolutely never conducted in this way. There were a wonderful number of narrow escapes, but when things are done by the book and due process is allowed there is no wiggleroom for criminals to gain the upper hand. Only when some massively stupid boondoggle like this occurs can traps be set and lies be swallowed and organized crime proliferate. It is only with the cooperation or failing of a justice system that people like this continue to do business in this way.

What if Lee and Carter hadn't made it out of that shipping container? They'd have been tortured for three days and had their penises dismembered. And it would have been their own fault. Nobody knew where they were or what they were doing or how to know if they needed help because they just picked a dude and chased him. They used and lied and strongarmed their way through every interaction they had and wound up in deadly situations over and over and over again. The reality here is terrifying and the message even moreso.

Don't watch Rush Hour 2.

M's Musings on RUSH HOUR 2

Rush Hour 2.  Dir.  Brett Ratner.  Screenplay by Jeff Nathanson.  Based on characters by Ross LaManna.  Ft. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.  New Line, 2001.

Thank God there was a second one!  God forbid we let this film franchise fade into obscurity.  Nah... We'll do it one better:  we'll make Rush Hour 2 the top grossing live action "martial arts" film of all time.  And then, we'll celebrate it.  Take that, China!  Take that, kung fu!  Who needs you, anyway?

T and I only half watched this movie while writing our carefully thought-through reviews for the last movie.  From what I saw, I was impressed.  No, honestly, I am serious.  This movie was actually better than the last one.  They took a more no-holes-barred approach to the humour.  Instead of tip toeing around being offensive...  this film is like, shit man, I am going to lay out every white stereotype I can about black people AND Asian people in an hour and a half!

Asian people are cuddly, but asexual, "like Snoopy".  Black people like titties.  Asian men have small penises.  Black men need small bills because they are broke ass.  Etc, etc, ad infinitum.

The best part of this movie was all the dialogue in Chinese.  Particularly for T. and I, who watched it without subtitles.  At one point we just looked at each other and said, "It's not like it matters anyway".  We need to do a cleanse and watch a good martial arts movie.  Maybe it's time we review Hero.  It is both beautiful, and stars Zhang Ziyi, who is also beautiful.  In Rush Hour 2 she plays the evil villian who never, not once, speaks English (it makes her easier to villify that way).

Before I go wash my eyes out with soap, I'd like to mention one more thing:  This movie did not have even a fleeting reference to a Rush Hour.

That is all.

M's Musings on Rush Hour

Rush Hour.  Dir. Brett Ratner.  Screenplay by Jim Kouf and Ross La Manna.  Based on a story by Ross LaManna.  Ft. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.  New Line, 1998.

Really had little to do with a rush hour.  It seems that in LA the traffic jam was a pretense for the kidnapping of a young girl.  Really, this movie centred around something that could not be encapsulated in two words.  This is a cop comedy that is also a juxtaposition of extremes from the east and the west.  Likely written by a white guy in his basement (note: upon some basic internet research, survey says: it is), this movie is based on the balancing of two different sets of racial stereotypes.


In some ways, we can view this as positive.  It inverts the usual racialized sidekick by having them both act equally in this capacity to each other.  And, the criminal turns out to be white.  So...  a big step forward for the film industry?


I think not.  This movie had lots of stuff blow up.  It also had lots of jokes surrounding mispronunciation and cultural assimilation...  I found it was funny, but never in a laugh-out-loud kind of way.  I felt like it both was and wasn't trying to be politically correct.  It definitely was appealing to the lowest common denominator...  In some ways I kind of felt like it was meant to give them a little "culture".  What it actually did was showcase how sad and conventional American culture and the film industry continue to be.  In this way, I am glad it happened.  At least there is no illusions about what we are dealing with here.

Watching the little girl sing along to the radio was sweet.  Watching Jackie Chan do the same thing was, well... taking an icon from one country and depriving him of his masculinity and status.  He became the butt of the joke, which, I guess, at least made him a ton of money.


Chris Tucker's shrill voice will probably keep me awake tonight.  Yeesh.