Odds and Ends

The Bounty

The Bounty tells the story of H.M.S. BOUNTY, Captain Bligh, and the mutiny led by Fletcher Christian.  It features a delightful, Vangelis synth score, magnificent overacting by a young Mel Gibson, and a glacial pace.  If that sounds like your cup of coconut water, have at it.

Ricki and the Flash

Ricki and the Flash tells the story of an aging would-be rock star in a San Fernando Valley cover band, the ex-husband and children she left behind to pursue her dreams, and the year when the chickens come home to roost.  It’s solid material, anchored by a powerhouse Meryl Streep performance, some subtle work from Kevin Kline, and even a solid turn by Rick Springfield in a supporting role as Ricki’s lead guitarist and love interest.

This is the kind of character study that depends utterly on its star, and it will surprise no one to find that Ms. Streep is entirely up to the task.  She makes us want to watch her even when we don’t like her, and want to watch her even more as or perceptions begin to change.  Truly, this actress Can Do No Wrong.

The Salvation

Hey, do you like Westerns?  Do you like Mads Mikkelsen and Jonathan Pryce?  Me too, but I’m sorry to report that not even Mssrs. Mikkelsen & Pryce can save this Western.

The Salvation is your basic revenge tale, with Mikkelsen going after the thugs who do away with a couple of barely sketched out characters named, I think, “Wife” and “Son.”  Things spin out of control, there’s a showdown, blah blah blah.  The movie looks cheap, the villain lacks complexity, and the whole thing is a drag.  If you’re really in the mood for a Western, go watch Open Range again, instead.

Let Me In

Let The Right One In is a brilliant, Swedish take on the modern vampire story.  Let Me In, the American remake starring Chloe Grace Moretz, lacks the beauty and subtlety of the original and exchanges it for ugliness and plodding literalism.  Stay outside.

The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book is a triumph of storytelling and technical filmmaking.  It’s beautiful, engaging, age-appropriately scary, and entirely convincing.  We loved it.

Get The Gringo

I've heard Get The Gringo described as the unofficial sequel to Payback. That's about right.

As you may recall, Payback is the story of a bad man who is doublecrossed by other bad men and seeks revenge. Its advertising slogan, as I recall, was "Get ready to root for the bad guy." Its unique charm lies in the fact that its protagonist really is a bad guy, but we let that go because he's played by Mel Gibson (Also, apparently, a bad guy. But an incredibly magnetic screen presence.).

Get The Gringo begins with Gibson making a run for the border with three duffel bags full of cash, a clown costume, and an associate who's bleeding out all over his money. Gibson is very concerned. About the money.

And that's about all you need to know about this picture.

Now, I liked Payback, and the comparison was enough to get me to queue up Get The Gringo.  I'm happy to report that this newer film hits just the right tone of relentlessly amoral, yet curiously fun, scumbaggery. Gibson steals and kills and generally behaves badly, yet he does exhibit a moral core, even if it is tainted by self-centeredness: there's just enough of a flicker of a soul in there to allow us to root for him.

And the film itself, well, it's direct-to-video yet it looks like a full-budget, big screen production. The Mexican prison where Gibson finds himself has an understandable geography, recognizable citizens, and lived-in feel that makes it seem organic, and not just a studio lot. The music accentuates the action without overwhelming it. The cast, featuring a number of well-known supporting actors in crucial roles, hits its marks and sells the material. And the action set-pieces, well, let's just say some stuff blows up real good.

So it comes down to this: if you liked Payback and you can still stand to look at Mel Gibson, I think you'll find that Get The Gringo comes through. It stays true to its premise, it's utterly professional, and it delivers a scuzzily entertaining hour and a half at the movies. It worked for me.

Apocalypto

I respect APOCALYPTO more than I liked it.

Don't get me wrong: there's plenty to like about the movie. It's your basic "hunted man" picture, and that's a formula that's nearly impossible to botch. Problem is, APOCALYPTO is just a "hunted man" movie. I guess I was expecting something more: a meditation on Mayan civilization, perhaps, or at least a deeper journey into that culture.

Here's the setup: Jaguar Paw is doin' all right. He's the heir apparent to his father's tribal chiefdom. He's a good hunter, a good guy, and a good husband and father. He essentially embodies a tribal Mayan version of rustic virtue. Then, slavers from the city show up. They burn down his village, capture him and his friends, and drive them to the corrupted city for sacrifice. During the raid, Jaguar Paw managed to hide his family. He has to escape and get back to them, and to do so he has to evade the hunters who track him every step of the way.

As I said, it's a perfectly good "hunted man" picture, and I liked it fine. The respect part comes in with APOCALYPTO's realization of Mayan culture. The scenes in the corrupted city are nothing short of breathtaking, as the film imagines, down to the last detail of architecture and costume, what Mayan civilization may actually have felt and looked. It's awesome, and awe-inspiring, and I wound up appreciating and respecting its ambition and audacity more than anything else.

I liked APOCALYPTO just fine, but I tip my had to its ambition and audacity. It's worth seeing for that alone.