Ocean's 11

Somewhere amidst the bombardment of teen movies, comic book remakes, gross out films, and sequels of the past few years, it appears that one simple fact has been mostly forgotten in movie making. Movies are supposed to be fun, and can be so, while also telling a story that is interesting. Oceans Eleven is a swaggering, smart, hip and slick remake of the Rat Pack heist movie from the 50's, and director Steven Soderbergh kept the most important thing from that movie, the attitude, while incorporating a spirit of playful confidence with a simple plot, and a script that is rapid fire intelligent and so cool, that most will barely feel worthy to absorb the words. Soderbergh continues to show his diversity, yet consistency in his work. Save a small stumble at the conclusion, this was a near perfect example of how things should be done.

There is a certain prevailing atmosphere that the city of Las Vegas exudes, one of cockiness, braggadocio and confidence. Rarely do films that use it as a backdrop also contain this spirit, and only someone who has lived there can truly understand it, until now. This film captures it to a tee. The story is actually quite simple, but it is the details, the words, the characters and the little things that make this film a gem. Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is paroled from a New Jersey prison, and sets out, Blues Brothers style, to rebuild his old acquaintances for a common purpose. The best of this is done in one of the movie's many memorable moments, when Brad Pitt is shown teaching cards to a group of Gen-X actors (I couldn't name them all, but I recognized the faces). The group is formed to pull off the impossible, a "smash and grab" theft of money from 3 Las Vegas casinos, in a method much more creative and unique than its predecessor. There are, of course, underlying factors, one actually, that I will leave for the film to reveal, since its part of the enjoyment, suffice to say it involves casino mogul Andy Garcia, who bears more than an inferred similarity to real life casino mogul Steve Wynn. There so many wonderful things, big and small, that I could go on and on about them, but watch just about everything Bernie Mac does, Don Cheadle as well, and listen to most of Pitt's dialogue. Soderbergh takes a story idea that other directors would have botched with multiple ideas, and instead shrugs off implausibility and realism, in some cases, in favor of a calm, confidant air of "so what, just go with it", rarely even giving us time to question before the next cool thing happens and we become caught up in the joy of it all once again. The plot becomes secondary to the dialogue and attitude of the characters, but neither is ever forgotten about, but instead balanced in mood and in complex simplicity. He has proven that he can obviously handle heavier works, but here he's just having fun, while still maintaining his stylistic touches and mood. He and writer Ted Griffin have simplified the complex, and complicating the simple, without losing the audience in the transition. The unbelievable seems plausible in this hip alternate universe of all that is cool, where the lines of good and bad are blurred. This is a world we all secretly fantasize about being a part of, and personally, it instilled a bit of swagger and confidence in my step, just knowing that these people, and situations, could even remotely exist. By keeping things simple, and letting the characters and dialogue carry things along, as it should be.

In a movie with an ensemble cast, there is a fear of underdevelopment or lack of sufficient screen time, but here, Soderbergh pulls off the near impossible. Every character, save Roberts I guess, is given the time and importance required, the complexity is given to the characters rather than the story, but still not crowding things as to over emphasize one thing, or steal from another. Obviously, amidst the mass amount of talent, the focus lies on Clooney, he has apparently slipped into his role in Hollywood as the cocky, confidant, yet still charming and appealing, obviously good looking leading man. My problem with him early on, was that he suffered a similar mindset that befell Tom Cruise during his cutesy days. He would be onscreen, knowing his good looking, whether his character was supposed to be or not. Now he's taking roles where the character requires that kind of confidence, and he is a natural at it, but his roles are not fluff. They are complex and deep, but that is all buried in the charm and wit that Clooney so effortlessly exudes. The best of the supporting lot is Brad Pitt, hearkening back to his Fight Club attitude sans violence. He and Clooney's chemistry in their scenes, including a memorable exchange involving the plan, is near perfection. Also standing above and beyond the rest is comedian Bernie Mac, as a fast-talking dealer, Don Cheadle as a British explosives expert who may or may not have a screw loose, and Casey Affleck and Scott Caan, as bickering brothers who also have several memorable exchanges. In a cast this large, it is nearly unimaginable that all of its stars could shine, but here, for the most part, they actually do. Julia Roberts's role is the most understated, but still exists just as much as it needed to, as most of this movie does.

Ultimately, Ocean's 11 is just one heck of a cool ride through the fast talking world of cons, thieves and other social miscreants that makes their lifestyle seem playful, likeable, and almost envious to those of us on the outside. This spirit is attained through its casting, its words, and even its subtle little looks and images that are so fluid, they nearly go unnoticed. Along with Robert Altman, and Oliver Stone, I would be hard pressed to imagine a better director to handle a large, famous cast, and pull it off to near perfection, which mirrors his story here in a fitting bit of irony. You may see films that are more emotionally powerful or have better performances, but you will not see a slicker, sharper and deftly, scripted piece of cinematic fun. Oceans 11 will breeze right through and leave you feeling refreshed, smarter, relieved, more positive and thankful for the experience. Movie makers of the future should watch and learn something from this film, movie fans should see this to remember what a truly well balanced and fun film looks like.

Riding in Cars With Boys

First impressions would probably classify this movie as a "chick flick," since it appears to fall into that group of movies that celebrate feminity, strength and independence, while possibly making the simple statement that men are bad, and women are good. This would be a gross miscalculation, if anyone avoids this film because of that. Riding in Cars With Boys is actually a brutally honest, powerful and realistic look at the struggles and joys that life brings, and the little moments in between that strengthen the human spirit, and make us into who we are. The script is straightforward and truthful, mixing in an even balance of humor and sadness, with those little things that we overlook in life, but really do mean so much. By focusing on these details, director Penny Marshall has presented a film that celebrates not just females, but the human spirit and emotion and their reactions under the pressures and hurdles that life throws at us.

We all have dreams, a sketch or a plan of how we see our life going, where we see ourselves, and what we want to do to make a difference or just fit in and survive in the madness of reality. Beverly D'Onofrio (Drew Barrymore) had a fairly simple and common dream. She wanted to go to school, be a writer, have a family, and be happy. Unfortunately for her, based on the story, things didn't exactly happen in that order. Based on real-life events, we are told the story of how she got pregnant at 15, married the father, and the roller coaster ride that ensued. The cast of characters in her life never changes, her disapproving father who only wanted the happiness and success that he feels he worked so hard to give to her, the child's father, a slow-witted, forgetful, but well meaning slacker who wants to amount to more than he actually does, her best friend, who becomes her conscience and savior amidst the madness, and her son, who narrates the story. He tells the story from the perspective of being made to feel responsible for his mother not accomplishing what she wanted due to having him. Marshall, also a young mother, has a delicate but brutally realistic touch with this tale, which is based on a true story. The script is filled with insightful but not flowery commentary on the growing pains of watching a dream die, then struggling to cope with drastic changes, sometimes finding the light, other times bathing in tears, but always bringing out the true heart of the matter.

Barrymore had never really proven her acting range to me, taking some fluffy roles (Never Been Kissed, Ever After, Home Fries) to further her career. Granted, she's likeable and fit into those roles, but never really showed much dramatic flair above being cute and adorable. But with this film, she should silence the critics and carry her famous (or infamous) name strongly into the next century. In aging herself from 16 to 35, the natural progression and transgression flows smoothly not only aesthetically, but emotionally as well. The film almost mirrors her own progression through life, from childish to impulsive to embattled, and now here, her triumphant cinematic moment. Paired with Brittany Murphy, who almost makes up for her wasted chance in Don't Say A Word, the two of them grow up and play off of each other with the power and bond that best friends should have. But if viewers take any performance away from this film, it should be Steve Zahn's. Long overdue and underrated, Zahn has continually but subtly shown himself to be a versatile, talented performer. He is usually overlooked because he plays the slow, dim-witted member of an ensemble (That Thing You Do, Saving Silverman, Happy Texas), but this is his moment to shine and he doesn't waste it. Showing an innocent, well-meaning but self-destructive nature, Zahn coasts through this complex emotional journey with a comfortably painful ease. His eyes show so much, and his words seem to come from somewhere deep inside, as if he doesn't know where they originated, but he feels them nonetheless. His spirit, reflects that of the whole movie. He is easily the one that most should relate to, and the reason that this should not be classified as a chick flick. His character may not have been perfect, but by portraying both sides of him, the movie showed a brutal honesty of a person who is trying so hard to do the right thing, but who cannot resist the succumbing to the simplicity.

Ultimately, Riding in Cars With Boys is a strong commentary on the strengths and weaknesses of the human spirit, and how to find the light of the moments in between to carry forward. The unbreakable determination of a soul, especially one with a dream, is rarely personified from such a complete perspective. With every happiness, there are several sorrows, with every triumph, there were several failures, but what makes us into our true self is not the highs and lows but the little moments in between each journey, where we find the strength to continue on, while opening our hearts up honestly to the way things really are. Marshall has done it again, as she did in A League of Their Own, by never being too serious, too light or too sappy, but instead finding the balance in the story, that the characters in the movie seek for their lives.

Serendipity

ser·en·dip·i·ty n 1) The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. 2) The fact or occurrence of such discoveries. 3) An instance of making such a discovery.

Normally, the contrived occurrences that thread together Serendipity would make me cringe and lash out at anyone associated with it. This tale of fate, love and emotion bases itself around near misses and coincidences, which in any other film would elicit comments of "Come on" or "There's no way that could happen in reality." What makes this film different is that it knows that these are the improbable events and takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to them, smirking a sugar-coated smile at all of those other efforts which were done in the name of serious film making.

The film takes a very simple story, with hints of Sliding Doors and Sleepless in Seattle, and threads it with situations that may seem like fantasy, or "something that only happens in movies." But as Magnolia showed, reality can sometimes be full of these situations, hence art imitates life, rather than vice versa. There is an unwritten terminology amongst those who analyze film, known as the "meet-cute." It occurs when two people, who may or not be about to become involved, are first introduced to each other through some sort of interaction, which may seem improbable, or at least fantasy-based, in nature. It is usually so sugary and sweetly done that it is considered to be almost too cute for words. Serendipity acknowledges the existence of it, but also flaunts it, teases it, mocks it, and flies in the face of it at times. This attitude sets the tongue-in-cheek spirit that abounds throughout the film. Jonathan and Sara meet while selecting the same pair of gloves at a Bloomingdales department store (pay close attention in the very beginning, and you will see the film makers intentions at greater forces possibly being at play). They spend an evening together, both of course involved with others, but obviously smitten with each other. Sara is a believer in the philosophy of everything happening for a reason, and that there are no accidents. The title itself, is a Latin term for "happy accident", or in more lay terms, those unexpected things that occur which bring joy into our lives. At the end of their evening, Sara goes through a series of events to test fate and make sure that this was indeed meant to be. I shall leave the rest to the film to unveil, though suffice it to say that a five-dollar bill and a book come into play.

Of course it doesn't hurt that the lead characters are absolutely adorable, and from moment one look perfect together. Does that mean they end up together? Well, only fate, and the movie will tell that. John Cusack has a natural ease at playing versions of this character. He is a male that every male can relate to, at least those in contact with their sensitive side, but often blindsided by their foolish, spontaneous one. If Loyd Dobler had grown up to live in New York, this is who he would have been (if he didn't own a record shop of course). Add in Kate Beckinsale, as cute and proper here as she was cardboard and annoying in Pearl Harbor, and they make a charming pairing. Mix in a dose of Jeremy Piven, the proverbial best friend (like Jack Black on Prozac) and Molly Shannon, as Beckinsale's sisterly conscience, and you have the foundation of a movie dripping with heart, soul and sap, allowing us to savor every delicious drop.

Ultimately, Serendipity proves that there is success to be gained by not taking yourself so seriously, and taking a lighthearted look at something that other films have taken a heavy handed serious approach to. The actions and interactions that occur in reality sometimes lend support to the saying that the truth is stranger than fiction. But this time, the fictional storytellers admit that there may be some external forces at work, base their entire movie around it, and succeed by having fun with it, instead of trying to pass it off as reality. In doing so, they make a movie that is light, fun, easy going, sometimes honest, but lending credence to the fact that movies can be an escape from reality. By taking this path, they also show a realism that exists in our greatest fantasies. The dialogue may be contrived, the conclusion and journey may be predictable but after 85 minutes, the results will leave viewers with a warm hopeful spirit, and faith in the power of belief and passion. Maybe life is just a series of instances, predestined only in layout, but defined by our choices that we make when faced with crossroads. Serendipity never pretends to be deep, or profound, just simple and sweet. It is the right film, at the right time, for a society searching for healing, searching to find that which defines us, and for people wondering why things happen, or believing things happen for a reason, the film allows a fluffy alternative to the harsh realities that force their way into our lives. To anyone who would seriously dissect this film, I say, turn off your brain, and turn on your heart and imagination for a few. If you let this film in, it can be, just as life, whatever you want it to be.

Training Day

Training Day was rescheduled, deservedly so, due to the horrific events of September 11th, because the makers felt that the subject matter would be too intense to deal with, after such traumatic happenings (I like to believe this reason, over the very superficial "we need appropriate time to market it"). After seeing the film, I can definitely see why. This film and its characters are the very personification of human intensity and emotion, on many different levels. It is good versus bad, but much deeper because the lines are blurred and the evil is never really clearly defined, but instead masked by justification. Despite a letdown in the finale, Training Day still serves as a powerful portrayal of what stress, environment and exposure can do to the human soul and spirit.

To protect and serve is a motto of law enforcement, but at what cost or by what means? It is 24 hours, give or take a few, in the life of a rookie cop and a grizzled veteran, patrolling the seedy side of Los Angeles. Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) is a spirited, by-the-books academy graduate, put on his first duty with Alonzo (Denzel Washington), an unconventional veteran narcotics officer who works undercover but has garnered an impressive resume, which he loves to flaunt. Alonzo doesn't just walk the line of lawful and unlawful, he daringly sprints back and forth across with a wickedly gleeful bravado. Typically, there are places that the "good cop, bad cop" stories have to go, but thankfully Training Day sidesteps most of them, in favor of just showing the similarities yet contrasts in the characters, and giving them personalities, histories and emotions that infuse the story. The gripping progression of the story, which really isn't as much a story as a series of what could be lessons, or could be harsh reality, holds interest the way a bomb ticking in a crowded room would. You're never quite sure if the next tick will be the one to set things off, or if things will ever go off at all. Through the progression of the day, the overall grim and gritty darkness of the film is captured effectively in appearance, by cinematographer Mauro Fiore and in powerful realism, by writer David Ayer. The only slight letdown is a conclusion that seems to forego what the movie had set up and established through its running time, and while it doesn't steal the movie's power, it does dilute things a little that Antoine Fuqua gave in, even slightly, to conventional wisdom.

Amidst all of this, Washington shines through, as he usually does, in a role that he's rarely got the chance to play before; that of a potential bad guy, and it is this role, combined with Hawke's mature, frantic, but grounded rookie, who keep this story viewable. Without Washington, this may have become just another in that genre that I previously mentioned. But as Alonzo, he inspires admiration, fear, disdain and even sympathy, like only he can. There will, and should, be Oscar buzz around Denzel for this one. Even if it is difficult to watch, it is also difficult not to.

Ultimately, Training Day represents the resiliency and maturation of the human spirit, via exposure to circumstances. As evidenced recently, we, as people, find the true nature of who we are when we are pushed to the breaking point. Either we will break or we will grow, but our true spirit will be exposed, whether we like it or not. Training Day does this by generating a realistic, underlying intensity, which threads situations together creating a sense of fearful, impending doom. This is the way that buddy cop movies should be made, not necessarily always this powerful or gritty, but at least against the grain of the norm. We are given a brutally sharp look inside the question of the controversial question of whether the means and actions in a situation, justify the end result. Ironically, in execution at least, the journey may not justify the conclusion, but it definitely keeps you watching and may teach a thing or to the uninformed. As for the relevance of this film to recent events, I think that judgment, like beauty, should be in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I think it could be a testament to those who protect us, and what need and want can drive or turn us into.

Vanilla Sky

There are some genres which certain directors just should not venture into. Just as Oliver Stone doesn't make sappy romances and David Lynch doesn't make period pieces, nor should Cameron Crowe venture into the surreal world outside of his own reality. His Vanilla Sky is a languishing journey through the world of dreams and reality which, while beautiful to look at and well made, is lethargic and boring in its setup and silly and ridiculous in its resolution. Crowe should stick to what he knows best, his dreamers in reality, rather than exploring the meaning of those dreams during slumber.

Vanilla Sky is a remake of Alejandro Amenabar's (The Others) 1996 mind trip, Open Your Eyes. It is also the second film this year to explore the world that exists when the line between imagination and reality is erased; Lynch's masterfully twisted Mulholland Drive was the first, and much much better. Near as can be discerned, the story deals with magazine executive David Aames (Tom Cruise) who falls for a beautiful dancer (Penelope Cruz) after she meets his best friend (Jason Lee). Aames is also involved in a volatile, physical relationship with Julie (Cameron Diaz), which leads to the movie's twist, when they are involved in a car accident that changes everything, or does it? The remainder of the film is interspersed between scenes of David's life afterwards, and his counseling sessions with a psychologist (Kurt Russell). To even try and explain the rest would not only be futile and pointless, but rather difficult, since I'm not even clear after the conclusion. It also wouldn't help, because no explanation can justify the way this movie wraps up, which I will not spoil, but suffice to say, I was in the theater the whole time, and still feel like I missed something. If you're going to have a story that hinges on a twist, which will either surprise or clarify, then there is a near cardinal rule that must be followed; keep the audience interested enough to make it to the end, and to want to know what it all means. This is where Crowe fails miserably. The story lumbers forward, bouncing between scenes, tossing feeble hints of mystery at us, but never enough to peak any interest. After a while, we just want the ending to come, not to explain, but just to get the torture over with. Maybe I missed something, as I said, and maybe this is a film that you either get, or you don't, but if the filmmakers message is lost, what good is it to deliver it in the first place? There is an underlying theme involving having it all, yet not being happy, finding it, losing it and trying to define it. These ideas, unfortunately, are drowned amidst the convoluted delivery. Very few directors can pull off emotional and surreal, and while Crowe's attempt is appreciated, it is still unsuccessful. His ideas are clouded and ultimately drowned amidst in delivery and the attempt to be viscerally stimulating. Finally it folds in upon itself and implodes into obscurity with its disappointing, unsatisfying and inane conclusion. Crowe's movies usually have a consistent lyrical feel about them, flowing smoothly, as the characters seek to find themselves, and while that theme remains, the delivery is uneven and the message is lost amidst it all. Which is sad, because there may have actually been a strong translation and remake in here somewhere. I'm just not sure Crowe was the right person to tell it.

Usually the script is the strong point of Crowe's movies, with the actors following suit with the verbal candy that he has given them, but this time, with the muddled story, the actors seem to be struggling to overcome and understand, and get lost in it all. Cruise takes a step back, over acting beyond belief almost to the point of annoyance. He doesn't play lost and clueless, near as well as he does spoiled, pretty or embittered, characteristics which come across here a bit, but are interspersed with rest of the confusion that gives his performance an imbalanced, uncomfortable feeling while watching. Cruz and Diaz serve mirror opposite, yet dual purposes as the beautiful temptresses of the tale. Cruz has the look, obviously, but as she proves yet again, fails to generate any kind of believable emotion or heart behind her character. Diaz, on the other hand succeeds in adorable, sexy and irresistible but vulnerable and fragile, as the story, or semblance of one, dictates. Her whiplash emotion changes shine above the script at times, and are swallowed by in others, unfortunately; rising slightly above. The only other shining performance amidst the mess is that of the underrated Jason Lee, as Cruise's best friend, he seems to be the only one trying to supercede it all with some personality and style to his character. Throw in smaller shining moments from Timothy Spall, as Cruise's attorney, and Tilda Swinton (whose presence will hopefully remind Oscar voters of her performance in The Deep End) and it still cannot keep things steady and afloat. Crowe does keep one consistency from his other films; the music and look of the film are quite stylish and well done. There are two great shots which bookend the film, a stunning shot of an empty Times Square (not effects, but real) and the insertion of the Trade Centers, in a near the end, opinions on this would give away some of the films secrets, but it is still an admirable feat as Hollywood continues to grapple with how to handle the situation. Unfortunately, in between these shots is a mess, which makes Jacob's Ladder seem sensible and realistic. These visual triumphs cannot, however, distract and hide from the mess that otherwise permeates.

Ultimately, Vanilla Sky is an unintentionally confusing and frustrating journey through dreamland, that would make most people just want to go to sleep to avoid confusion. It's a laborious exercise in futility that wants to elicit wonderment about emotions and feelings, and their validity and basis but serves only to cloud and already murky issue with convolution and in the end, banal absurdity. I am not sure what Crowe was seeking to accomplish by this departure into Lynchian territory, whether it be to explore new aspects of his film making, or just to show he can do something different, but he should apologize and beat a hasty retreat back to what his strong point of character and dialogue driven exploration of reality-based dreams, rather that than surreal ones. While he is good at showing us real people staying true to beliefs and themselves, he is definitely over his head when straying otherwise, if this effort is any indication. It's the difference between the dreams in our sleep, and those in our waking hours. The entire message of true love and the search for identity and happiness amidst life's twists, real and imagined, gets turned around, folded and ultimately imploded on itself. While trying to visual, it loses its power to be introspective, and clouds itself up to the point of restless aggravation. It's twisting ending only muddles things even more to the point of not caring about the depth of the intended social ideals. I like to consider myself a thinking persons movie viewer, but Vanilla Sky gave me a headache in anticipation, then heartache at its attempt to be deep and philosophical, becoming no more than a Lynchian science fiction wannabe, with no heart and very little brain.

Open your eyes Mr. Crowe, and when you try something new again, stay a little closer to the world that you know. Maybe he should have eased himself into this change of pace, instead of tackling some this complex. While he has proven that he can handle emotional diversity, the aspect of twisting reality isn't his strong suit yet. While the effort is admired, and I will rarely fault the attempt at originality, this was a bit much for him to delve into. He shows hints of potential, someone this talented cannot help it, but these are overshadowed by this nightmare that just left me tired and empty inside. I often listen to comments of people as I leave the theater, as sometimes they are the truest telling of alternate perspectives on a film. Leaving Vanilla Sky, I heard someone say, "I'm not sure what I was expecting, but that certainly wasn't it". Cinematically speaking, truer words may never have been spoken.