Films of Summer 2012 Part 3

Summer 2012 has been an interesting year, with the release of two major superhero films, both the products of mainstream hype. Plus Wes Anderson returned after almost 3 years, the 16th president battled the undead and Pixar introduced a female protagonist. I'm compiling a blog series about the best and worst of Summer 2012.

I've devised a new ratings system for the occasion and I hope it helps you out:

1. Buy it on Blu-Ray (must see ASAP)

2. Redbox the DVD (highly recommended)

3. Save it for HBO (deserves commercial-free viewing)

4. Catch it on TBS (doesn't deserve commercial-free viewing)

5. Don't touch it with a 10 foot pole (speaks for itself)

In Part 3, I'll be discussing The Dark Knight Rises, Magic Mike, Safety Not Guaranteed, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and The Amazing Spider-man.

1. The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan)
with Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard and Michael Caine
The thrilling conclusion to Christopher Nolan's revisionist Batman trilogy (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) is possibly one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It definitely delivers. The cast is uniformly excellent. I was especially excited for Hathaway and Gordon-Levitt and they live up to their promise. Hathaway brings some much-needed humor to the movie while JGL brings his sensitivity. Tom Hardy makes for an oppressive, brutal villain; it was kind of cool to see Batman in some real danger for a while. My one complaint: at 165 minutes (2:45), the film drags a little towards the middle but for the most part, the movie is exciting and intense.
My rating: Buy it on Blu-Ray

2. Magic Mike (Steven Soderbergh)
with Channing Tatum, Cody Horn, Alex Pettyfer and Matthew McConaughey
Unfortunately this movie was marketed as a "girls-night-out-male nudity-fest-guilty-pleasure" so it will probably never get taken seriously as the sensible, somewhat existential comedy-drama that it is. While this movie does feature several men shakin' their groove thang, it is also a movie about not getting stuck on your way to realizing your dreams. Tatum offers a conflicted, knowing, lived-in performance (his best ever, really) as Mike. The movie also features an understated if somewhat awkward romance between he and Horn's character. But the most surprising part of the movie is that the stripper sequences have a sort of winking sense of humor and they are photographed quite well. The editing, the lighting, the terrific soundtrack really make those scenes flow naturally and it's refreshing to see a mainstream movie take male sexuality seriously as opposed to resorting to regressive gross-out humor. I guess my main problem is that Soderbergh throws in a really cliched conflict but the movie recovers perfectly with a great final sequence. Plus it's a movie where McConaughey says "all right, all right, all right, all right, all right" like 9 times.
My rating: Redbox the DVD

3. Safety Not Guaranteed (Colin Trevorrow)
with Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Karan Soni and Jake M. Johnson

It's rare to see a romantic-comedy/sci-fi mashup so when a movie like SNG comes along, it's refreshing. It's even better that this movie really delivers. And for a movie that's about time travel, it doesn't come with a gargantuan budget; it is very low key and understated. Plaza and Duplass make for a believable pair, both damaged and lonely and seeking some honest companionship. Unfortunately this movie also features New Girl's Jake Johnson and I have an irrational aversion to that actor's acting style. I could have done without the subplot with the two FBI agents. That kind of stuff seems out of place in this understated romance. I got the feeling that the writer/director got too into the whole sci-fi thing, which is fine, but doesn't every sci-fi movie have FBI people? In any case, SNG is a great little movie with a few surprises.
My rating: Redbox the DVD

4. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Conrad Vernon)
with the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett-Smith, David Scwimmer, Jessica Chastain, Sacha Baron Cohen and Frances McDormand
I've always been a fan of the Madagascar series. It is fun, colorful and delightfully absurd. The visual gags are spontaneous and original and the script is really clever. Major props to the character Capt. DuBois, a female (!!!) animal catcher who gets some of the biggest laughs, including a bizarre musical sequence set to Edith Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien" (the main theme song from Inception). Some of the major comic set pieces wear out their welcome and in the second half, there's a lot of random back story for the new characters. But all in all, I really enjoyed this 3rd entry. And, like most animated films, it really earns its 3D treatment.
My rating: Redbox the DVD

5. The Amazing Spider-Man (Marc Webb)
with Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen and Sally Field
The main question is: why reboot Spider-Man so soon after Spider-Man 3? Well, there's no answer except to make more money off a reliable franchise (they tried to do a movie off the lesser known Green Lantern series and that tanked). But if you're willing to look past Hollywood greed (I always am), The Amazing Spider-Man is a pretty good movie. Garfield and Stone are just as good if not better than Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. The movie has some pretty great action scenes (especially one set in a high school). The filmmakers opted for another origin story which means scenes of Peter Parker adjusting to his powers. I find that stuff boring but once you get pasr that the movie picks up pace. Ifans is a good villain, not necessarily evil but monstrously delusional and crazy. The film has great style, the visuals are sublime and more artistic than most superhero movies. The score is a little old-fashioned but in a good way. And who can resist Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield? They're totally cool.
My rating: you know what, I'm torn between Buy it on Blu-Ray and Redbox the DVD. People who know me know I'm a total blu-ray snob so I'd go for the former even though the movie isn't totally perfect..

All right kiddos. I know August is technically still summer and they are some interesting movies coming out (Jeremy Renner taking over as Jason Bourne being the highlight) so check back here in a few weeks for a potential part 4 but I'm not making any promises. Incidentally that's what the makers of Madagascar 3 said about a 4th Madagascar movie.

Films of Summer 2012 Part 2

Summer 2012 has been an interesting year, with the release of two major superhero films, both the products of mainstream hype. Plus Wes Anderson returned after almost 3 years, the 16th president battled the undead and Pixar introduced a female protagonist. I'm compiling a blog series about the best and worst of Summer 2012.

I've devised a new ratings system for the occasion and I hope it helps you out:

1. Buy it on Blu-Ray (must see ASAP)

2. Redbox the DVD (highly recommended)

3. Save it for HBO (deserves commercial-free viewing)

4. Catch it on TBS (doesn't deserve commercial-free viewing)

5. Don't touch it with a 10 foot pole (speaks for itself)

In Part 2, I'll be discussing Brave, Snow White and the Huntsman, Prometheus, Savages and People Like Us. 

1. Brave (Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman)

with the voices of Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly and Julie Walters

Pixar made major headlines by introducing Princess Merida, its first female protagonist! Woo-hoo! Finally!! I mean, cowboys, cars, superheroes and bugs are all well and good but the time had come. But Brave is no different from other Pixar releases; it has a strong emotional core exploring complex relationships but balances it out with a very funny and exciting script. The movie reminded me of Finding Nemo and The Incredibles in that regard. The animation, depicting medieval Scotland, is impeccable (Merida's wild red hair itself deserves the Best Animated Feature Oscar) and the voice cast is just fantastic (special props to Thompson and MacDonald). 

My rating: Buy it on Blu-Ray

2. Snow White and the Huntsman (Rupert Sanders)

with Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane and Charlize Theron

Imagine an action/adventure/fantasy/romance movie with a little action, no sense of adventure, fantasy that doesn't really work and a romance so bland it's icy. Who knows why they chose Kristen Stewart to headline an action/adventure/fantasy/romance? Stewart has nothing that draws you to her character and the minimal character development don't help much. Hemsworth and Theron ham it up and try to liven up the proceedings but even they can't help much. The movie has a neat visual look but it's all so dull and grey. This movie did make a lot of money but it's easily forgettable. 

My rating: Catch it on TBS during a house-cleaning day.

3. Prometheus (Ridley Scott)
with Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Logan Marshall-Green, Idris Elba and Guy Pearce
Theron fares much better in Prometheus, a sci-fi/horror/space thriller that asks a lot of big questions and asks the viewer to answer it on his or her own. The movie, set in the same universe as the massive Alien franchise, is very scary and disturbing. The movie mixes body horror with maddening suspense; it's a movie that offers visceral scares and attempts more philosophical questions. The cast is great; Rapace and Fassbender especially offer nuanced portrayals. The music is erie and grand and the visuals are out of this world.
My rating: Buy it on Blu-Ray

4. Savages (Oliver Stone)
with Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro and John Travolta
This pulpy crime noir has a nasty sense of humor and a thirst for violence. It's as zany as it is ludicrous but it packs a powerful punch. That is in no doubt due to the cast. Everyone seems committed to the part. The story has some nice twists and turns and the tension builds up and people start acting more recklessly. Savages has a sleek, colorful look to it. The editing is crisp and the soundtrack is outstanding. Blake Lively is really building up a solid resume (her performance in The Town was sadly overlooked) and her male leads are pretty good as well. But Hayek, Del Toro and Travolta are really great, playing with their screen personas and just having a blast. If this movie has one flaw, it's that the ending is kind of a letdown in a very unusual way. While it doesn't ruin the entire film, it doesn't really make the watcher beg for repeat viewings.
My rating: Redbox the DVD

5. People Like Us (Alex Kurtzman)
with Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde and Michelle Pfeiffer
This sensitive family drama is a very nice film, one that offers some laughs to go with the tears. The cast is exceptional; I've never been much of a Chris Pine fan (he can sometimes be too smug or slick) but he does some solid work here. Elizabeth Banks emerges at the best performer. Her character has so many layers and she really nails all the complexities. Pfeiffer does really well also and Wilde offers some decent support. While the script is mature and very human, it does rely on the tired trope of "person with secret delays telling it" and one wishes the filmmakers had found a more natural way for the story to progress. But that ends up being a minor complaint when the movie does so many things well. The cinematography is quite splendid to look at, the score hits all the right notes and I have to mention Banks' performance again. She's the real reason to watch this movie.
My rating: Redbox the DVD


Look out for Part 3! Feel free to leave your comments below!

Films of Summer 2012 Part 1

Summer 2012 has been an interesting year, with the release of two major superhero films, both the products of mainstream hype. Plus Wes Anderson returned after almost 3 years, the 16th president battled the undead and Pixar introduced a female protagonist. I'm compiling a blog series about the best and worst of Summer 2012.

I've devised a new ratings system for the occasion and I hope it helps you out:
1. Buy it on Blu-Ray (must see ASAP)
2. Redbox the DVD (highly recommended)
3. Save it for HBO (deserves commercial-free viewing)
4. Catch it on TBS (doesn't deserve commercial-free viewing)
5. Don't touch it with a 10 foot pole (speaks for itself)


In Part 1, I'll be discussing: The Avengers, Ted, Moonrise Kingdom, To Rome with Love and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. And here we go now!

1. The Avengers (Joss Whedon)
with Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L Jackson, Clark Gregg and Cobie Smulders
This superhero epic almost should not have worked. Bringing together 4 superheroes with larger than life personas, adding in two assassins and a Shakespearean villain--it's just too much. In other hands, this film would have seemed clunky and overcrowded. But Whedon, no stranger to ensembles, brings a nice sense of humor to the film, adds a zany group dynamic and makes sure that each character from Iron Man to Hawkeye to Loki gets a decent amount of character development. This film has already broken box office records and chances are if you wanted to see it you already did. This movie is probably the most fun you'll have all summer in a movie theater--The Avengers has entertainment on the mind and it delivers.
My rating: you should definitely Buy it on Blu-Ray.

2. Ted (Seth MacFarlane)
with Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and the voice of Seth MacFarlane
Fans of Family Guy and American Dad will not be disappointed. Ted is raunchy, politically incorrect, crazy but tied together with a strong emotional backbone. The film is hysterical, going from zingers to sight gags to pop culture jokes. The problem is that it's a first feature which means the sitcom plot is stretched a little thin until the film goes for an odd thriller-type finale. The cast is game and they sell their characters quite well. I especially liked Mila Kunis' refreshing portrayal of the tired "frustrated girlfriend" trope. Macfarlane, as the voice of Ted the teddy bear, is good enough but the voice is too similar to Peter Griffin.
My rating: your best bet is to Save it for HBO.

3. Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson)
with Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzmann, Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman and Tilda Swinton
I haven't seen many Wes Anderson movies but if they're all like Moonrise Kingdom, then I'm sure I'll love them all. Moonrise Kingdom is about preadolescents who fall in love and run away together. They're played quite convincingly by Gilman and Hayward. Their innocent but very serious romance baffles the adults around them who struggle to make sense of their own choices and their kids'. The script brims over with wit and insight, the comedy is subtle but also laugh-out-loud and the romance is treated with dignity and respect. Art direction, cinematography and editing are spectacular. Expect this one to get major awards attention in the coming months.
My rating: obviously you should Buy it on Blu-Ray

4. To Rome with Love (Woody Allen)
with Penelope Cruz, Alec Baldwin, Woody Allen, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Alison Pill, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig and Roberto Benigni
Woody Allen takes Rome by storm (well not really) in this frilly comedy. Allen returns to the front of the camera in this anthology film, which packs four unrelated stories all set in the Eternal City. These stories are silly but very witty. This is a fun movie, more akin to Scoop and Love and Death than more high minded fare like Vicky Cristina Barcelona or Hannah and Her Sisters. The cast is spectacular, each given good material perfectly suited to their talents. Allen goes from absurdist humor to romantic dilemmas to critiques of fame--it's vintage Allen mixed in together.
My rating: if you're a fan of Woody Allen, Redbox the DVD. If not, Save it for HBO.

5. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Timur Bekmambetov)
with Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie and Rufus Sewell
I loved the premise of this movie: a historical epic mashed together with action-horror. It should have made for a deliciously silly, satisfyingly fun film but instead we get an over-serious, dead on arrival action movie that is so dull you wish you were at the business end of Lincoln's silver axe. The one saving grace is Walker, who seems to be under the impression he had been cast in Spielberg's more straightforwardly Oscar-worthy biopic (it's actually Daniel Day-Lewis in that one). The rest of the cast seems to be begging to ham it up but they're stifled by the serious tone. The action scenes are boring as anything and the script is just tedious to sit through.
My rating: Please for the love of God, Don't touch it with a 10 foot pole!!

Look out for Part 2! Leave your comments below!

O Meri Chandni

A woman caught between 2 men, one passionate and proud, the other solitary and solemn.

It's a story about whether common sense will trump true love and, as it usually is, the answer is no. Chandni stars Sridevi, Rishi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Waheeda Rehman, Anupam Kher and Sushma Seth and it is the Yash Chopra movie that brought back the Yash Chopra formula after a decade of mindless action movies.

The movie is full of melodious songs and stunning cinematography. Sridevi performs one of her most iconic dance numbers, the catchy and unforgettable "Mere haathon mein"

If that song didn't define Sridevi's career as an actress and dancer, I don't know which one did (actually, it was probably this one).

Chandni (Sridevi, beautiful, charming and empathetic as ever) is a simple middle-class girl (read: she dances, sings, makes jokes) who is being courted by the rich Rohit (Kapoor). You know he's really in love with her because he snaps photos of her all the time and his walls are covered with them. In this country and century, Chandni would be calling the police (or at least Laura Mulvey) but this is Yash Chopra's Delhi in the 80s and so it is romantic. Maybe I just don't see Rishi Kapoor as a romantic hero. I wonder if I'd feel as weird if it were Anil Kapoor or Hrithik Roshan romancing Chandni.

Anyway, Chandni in turn falls in love with him and that's swell. Except Rohit's family (well, his parents and sister--Sushma Seth plays an earlier version of Lajjo from Kal Ho Naa Ho) despise Chandni's upbringing (she dances, sings and makes jokes) and decide she only loves Rohit for his money. (Naturally, Chandni doesn't even think of his money or if she does, she sees it as a happy bonus). Disaster strikes and Rohit falls from a helicopter when trying to shower Chandni with rose petals (???) and the family blames Chandni. Only Rohit's jijaji (Anupam Kher) sticks up for her. Chandni takes care of Rohit when he is wheelchair-bound but the family torments the poor girl until finally Rohit himself throws her out.

Chandni "shifts" to Bombay, looking to move on and start a new life. I was like rock on, Chandni. I mean who wants to marry a guy with an evil family? She starts working for Lalit (Vinod Khanna) at his travel agency. Lalit himself is a grieving man, looking to forget the past (his dead lover is played by Juhi Chawla in a cameo so his pain is easy to understand).

Lalit sees Chandni as a kindred spirit (little does he know how awesome Happy Chandni is!) and she too is somewhat charmed by his subdued demeanor. He sings beautifully sad songs in the rain. And his mom is played by Waheeda Rehman (whose beauty is as angelic as her character) so that's another point in Lalit's favor.

Eventually, Lalit proposes to Chandni and she sort of accepts. Rohit and Lalit meet in Switzerland (Lalit's there for business and Rohit found a doctor/wizard to fix his handicap) and become friends. Rohit comes back to Chandni and freaks out when he finds out she's engaged. I was sort of expecting Chandni to give a strong speech about having her own life and how he done her wrong. But her dialogues in this scene are minimal and not very strong.

So when it comes time for Chandni to choose between Lalit and Rohit? Well, the men sort of make that decision for her. I guess, sure, she never stopped loving Rohit but would any real person choose to marry into a family who doesn't enjoy comic dance numbers like this?

You can literally feel the flop sweat! Know your audience, Chandni, seriously. By the way, the pretty woman who starts the song is Kiren, Chandni's BFF. I love her because she always says what the audience is thinking. For example, we want Sridevi to dance and she gets her to!

The thing is, Rohit might be Chandni's love but his parents and sister are evil, he threw her out and didn't even apologize. Lalit has freaking Waheeda Rehman as his mother and will love her in a way Rohit is too childish to understand. I feel like Rohit sees Chandni as a possession; the title song is "Chandni, o meri Chandni..."

I wonder if Yash Chopra intended for us to root for Chandni and Rohit or if he intended to show that love is irrational and crazy. I guess in most cinematic love triangles love triumphs over common sense so I shouldn't be surprised.

But the last 15 minutes don't spoil the wonderful movie that precedes it. Chandni is a less than perfect movie with a terrific central performance, some everlasting songs and a beautiful look to it.

But that ending...

Psychotic Love or Marital Cage: A Woman's Dilemma

Darr is a classic Yash Chopra movie to be sure, a staple of the era before Shah Rukh Khan became King Khan and when Juhi Chawla was just beginning her glorious star career. Darr is a particularly strange movie coming from director Yash Chopra; the man is famous for his passionate love tales, peppered with Hindustani wholesomeness and picturesque love songs. Darr is a love story (its subtitle actually claims that it is a "violent love story") but it's also a psychological thriller.

Well, a psychological thriller that runs 3 hours, has 3 love songs, co-stars Anupam Kher and Tanvi Azmi as comic relief and features two gratuitous dance numbers of both Holi and wedding. Nowadays this movie would probably run 130 minutes and have only some songs set in the background. Perhaps some famous actress would do a half-ironic item song sung by Sunidhi Chauhan.

Before I get into my analysis, let me just run through the plot.

Rahul (Khan) is a young college student, obsessively enamored of Kiren (Chawla), his classmate. He sings "Jaadu teri nazar" to her, which at first is romantic but becomes quite frightening as the film goes on. Kiren, on the other hand, is in love with naval officer Sunil (Sunny Deol, all brawn and little brains). Rahul calls and taunts and frightens Kiren, despite her begging to be left alone. When Rahul spots Kiren with Sunil, he goes off the deep end and his stalking of Kiren becomes more psychotic and dangerous. Kiren and Sunil continue with their marriage plans but try to fend off Rahul's attacks.

This being Bollywood in the early 90s, Rahul's fate is pretty much sealed by his first appearance. Sunny Deol, after his successes in Damini and Vishwatma, was a bigger star than Khan so you pretty much know who is going to be alive at the end of the movie.

Quite unsurprisingly, the 3 leads fit quite well into their roles as Hero, Damsel in Distress and Villain. Throughout the entire film, Kiren is in constant need of protection and her attempts to protect Sunil are met with declarations of his duty to protect her. "I don't care if I die, I just can't see you getting hurt" is a line she says several times. I can't decide if that line is the script keeping Kiren into a cage of helplessness or pointing out that Kiren isn't helpless but is forced to be by her macho husband. In their final scene before the intermission, Kiren offers to move away to both be free of Rahul's torments and protect Sunil from getting hurt again. He rejects the idea, keeping her in his protection but also in harm's way.

Kiren needs to escape Rahul's figurative clutches but does she also need to escape Sunil's literal ones?

I would expect this interpretation of Darr is a radical one. Sunny Deol is an action hero and his romance with Chawla is protrayed as romantic and innocent. Their two love songs ("Likha hai yeh inn hawaaon pe" and "Darwaaza bandh karlo") are frothy and sweet as opposed to the voyeuristic "Tu mere saamne," not to mention this psychosexual dream sequence:

Chopra definitely has us participate in Rahul's obsession with Kiren. It's a credit to Chawla's strength as an actress that Kiren has any real human personality. She's either being leered at or tormented by Rahul or running into the protective arms of Sunil. The poor woman doesn't even get to kill her torturer--that is the man's job. That would have been a great character moment for Kiren. Fine, she has to be protected but when it's kill or be killed, she can help herself. This ending of Sunil coming to her rescue after a (rather brutal) fight with Rahul is an almost cheap way for Deol to fulfill his duties as action star.

(Rumor has it that Aamir Khan was offered the part of Rahul but objected to the fact that Sunil, not Kiren, kills Rahul. I don't know how that true that is because it's an almost 20 year old rumor I read on an IMDb message board but I'd sooner believe it than doubt it.)

Let's not forget the fact that Sunil has a habit of scaring Kiren. First he jumps out of her closet. But then later he hides in the pool and grabs her ankle as she tries to get out. This second scene is really disturbing because it goes on for a long time. We are really meant to think Rahul is attacking her.

Is Sunil trying to scare Kiren into submission? The "star constraints" (what I call it when an actor's status foreshadows their fate in the movie) don't really allow for a full exploration of this idea. We're supposed to feel reassured by Sunil's protections;.

But I can't shake off the feeling that Kiren is unfortunately stuck between a "Rukh" and a hard body. Yash Chopra, though he never really was a true feminist director, always told very fascinating female stories like Chandni, Lamhe and Dil To Pagal Hai (his most feminist film, kind of). Even Veer-Zaara is very woman-oriented.

After a while, Darr turns into a tug-of-war between Rahul and Sunil with Kiren stuck in the middle; this is especially true once Sunil figures out that the guy he sort of became friends with is actually Rahul pretending not to be crazy. Kiren doesn't even get to piece together that Rahul is the stalker! It bears repeating that the only reason Kiren resembles a human being at all is because Juhi Chawla breathes life into all her scenes.

I should mention that I'm not at all surprised that a psychological thriller from 1990s Bollywood is so masculine. Darr still remains one of that era's most daring films and it is very successful in establishing a sense of dread and paranoia even when indulging in a dance number like this:

You just know Kiren's marital bliss is not long for the world.

I liked Darr quite a bit, even with its old-school gender politics. I guess I was hoping that this movie, already such a game-changer for Bollywood, would raise the bar and allow its heroine to be, well, more heroic than usual.

The Hot Shots of 2011

As the year comes to a close, let's take a look back at the people who had a very successful year in 2011.

In alphabetical order:

Woody Allen

After two slightly mediocre pictures, the master of neuroses bounced back with his loving ode to France's capital, Midnight in Paris. Not only was Paris Allen's biggest box office hit ever but it could possibly be his first Best Screenplay nominee since 2005's Match Point. Paris was definitely indicative that Allen's still got it.

Pedro Almodovar

Almodovar was another director who bounced back with another film The Skin I Live In. In 2009, he released Broken Embraces, a noirish melodrama that I loved but wasn't the critical darling Skin is. The film is a rape-revenge horror film that is as twisted as it is tragically romantic. Hopefully next month Almodovar find his film a Best Foreign Language Film nominee.

Jessica Chastain

Starring in diverse films like The Help, The Debt and The Tree of Life, Chastain randomly came into the spotlight as an acting force to be reckoned with. I have no idea where she came from but she has received some recognition for her work. She is even in the running for an Oscar nomination for her work in The Help (very much deservedly, in my opinion).

Dan, Emma & Rupert

The Harry Potter film series came to a close with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. While I personally found the film to be too rushed, fault cannot be found with the main trio. They really brought their A game and their onscreen chemistry reinforced why the series is so popular. They're normal and realistic, despite their extraordinary circumstances.

Viola Davis

This two time Tony winner and Oscar nominee is back in the Oscar spotlight for her fearless and empathetic performance as Aibileen in The Help. I'm hoping this major attention will bring more roles to Davis, who unfortunately gets sidelined into supporting roles (her Oscar nomination was for a single but still effective scene in Doubt). It doesn't hurt that The Help was a strong movie and a financial success.

Zooey Deschanel

When Zooey D was confimed for the sitcom New Girl, well, people were a little skeptical. Deschanel, who is famous for her adorably nerdy screen persona, isn't exactly an actress who one would think could sustain her own TV show. But Zooey D proved them all wrong as New Girl was a critical and popular victory. And who couldn't love that silky voice?

Michael Fassbender

Many actors probably dream about the year that Mike Fassbender had in 2011 but few actors actually have it with success. Fassbender won over hard-to-please Bronte fans in Jane Eyre, excited superhero geeks in X-Men First Class, bared himself physically and emotionally in Shame, and navigated the mazes of the mind as Carl Jung in A Dangerous Method. And yet he left us wanting more.

Ryan Gosling

With Drive, The Ides of March and Crazy Stupid Love, Gosling released three films that are diverse and interesting. The pick of the lot is Drive, the melodrama that occasionally exploded in graphic violence. I think Crazy Stupid Love is an intelligent romantic-comedy that showcases Gosling's lighter side. In 2011, Gosling has proved himself to be a versatile and interesting actor with a bright future.

Martin Scorsese

When every other movie is released in poorly converted, overpriced 3D, it took a real auteur with a gift for visual storytelling to be the first one to utilize correctly the technology since 2009's Avatar. Hugo was Scorsese's love letter to the origins of cinema and a child's exploration of his own past. The film was a visual delight, a treat for those who love movies like Scorsese does.

Emma Stone

In an era when young actresses rarely get any meaty roles. Emma Stone has provided some intelligent, three-dimensional characters for the audience to love. Stone has starred in two remarkable movies and had a memorable cameo in another (Crazy Stupid Love, The Help and Friends with Benefits respectively). Emma Stone is one of those rare actors who, like Meryl Streep, Tina Fey and Steve Martin, are probably as cool as they seem on the screen.

Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy & the Bridesmaids team

This summer saw a full on runaway hit with Bridesmaids, a hilarious and insightful look at the ups and downs in female friendship. Star and co-writer Kristen Wiig delivered a lead performance that was both incredibly funny and refreshingly honest. McCarthy became the year's breakout star, giving her character Megan the right balance between outrageous humor and emotuonal depth. Bridesmaids was definitely the comedy of the year.

Dear Alfred Hitchcock, please forgive me.

Dear Alfred Hitchcock, please forgive me.

But when I last saw the masterpiece Vertigo, I noticed some similarities to the young adult vampire franchise, Twilight.

(I just shuddered writing that.)

If you look at the characters of Judy Barton (Kim Novak) and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), they seem to have similar goals. They want to be "changed" by their lovers, Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) respectively, as a way to fully get acceptance and affection. Judy lets herself be transformed into Madeleine and Bella begs Edward to change her into a vampire. These women believe the transformations will be the final step to uniting them with their male counterparts.

Feminist critics probably read Judy and Bella the same way; they both lack a personality of their own (Judy abandons hers for Scottie's memory of Madeleine while Bells never really had one to begin with). Neither character is really a healthy role model for children of any age. But there's a reason why I would happily let my kids watch Vertigo while I cringe at my mind's image of future kids viewing/reading the Twilight series.

And the reason lies in the characters of Scottie and Edward (and Jacob Black by extension) themselves.

While Judy is a weak character, it must be remembered that Scottie too is a weak character. Their bizarre, psychosexual relationship is toxic on both ends. Scottie is so crazy that he cannot see Judy for herself but only as Madeleine. His labored attempts to change Judy into Madeleine (when buying for Judy the grey suit that Madeleine wore, the sales clerk mentions twice that he "really knows what he wants") can be seen as him indulging in his deranged love for Madeleine.

In the famous scene where Judy emerges, metamorphosis complete, from the bathroom as Madeleine, it's not entirely sure if Scottie (and the audience also) is seeing Judy-as-Madeleine or Madeleine herself. The foggy air and ethereal music suggest a ghostly presence. When Scottie kisses Judy in that beautifully-filmed rotation kiss, does he even know he's kissing "another woman" or in his mind, is he actually kissing Madeleine?

Even before Judy comes into the picture, Scottie is far from a masculine ideal. For one thing, Scottie is a boy's name, not something you would call a grown man. Also, in the scene where Scottie tries to overcome his vertigo in Midge's apartment with a step-stool, he very effeminately faints into Midge's arms:

In the trial scene after Madeleine's death, Scottie is rather mercilessly emasculated by the judge. He is constantly reminded of his own weakness and failure to save Madeleine. In one scene, Madeleine jumps into the bay in a trance, Scottie saves her. Madeleine then tells Scottie, "The whole thing must have been rather embarrassing for you." Well, that line applies to the entire movie.

By contrast, Edward Cullen is depicted as a masculine ideal. He's handsome and strong and "dazzling." Bella seems him as an ideal romantic partner and her attempts to be changed by him are an attempt to be completely loved by him (like Judy). But the problem is, the audience too is expected to see Edward as Bella does. The audience knows that Judy and Scottie should stay away from each other and their onscreen love is twisted and paranoid.

But the Edward-Bella love story is free of any such psychodrama. Bella is a pretty normal high school girl (as normal as any high school kid can be) and Edward (and his isolationist lifestyle) is a ticket away from all that. That's what makes Twilight so scary; this sort of idealized romance suggests that the couple hide from the world. That's not exactly something I want my fourteen-year-old daughter or son to be thinking.

I know some Twilight fans don't see Edward as the perfect mate. But don't even get me started on Jacob Black. While Bella is described as delicate and is consistently infantilized (sitting on laps, piggy back rides, etc.), Jacob is a gigantic pile of brutish masculinity. Impossibly muscular and impulsively hot-headed, Jacob is basically Stanley Kowalski.

But without Tennessee Williams' words and Marlon Brando's talent. And Stanley is not seen as an ideal love interest.

While Twilight and Vertigo have similar female characters, their male characters are protrayed differently. Vertigo is a psychodramatic love story which should be populated by weak and twisted characters. But Twilight doesn't ever reach the suspenseful heights that Vertigo does. I don't even think it wants to. But its somewhat normalcy is what makes it such a dangerous pop culture enterprise.