I haven’t done one of these in a while. I still owe you a Summer 2014 Films Part 2 review, but my computer recently crashed and I lost the file. Maybe I’ll post a re-write eventually. In the mean time…
Birdman
2014. Directed By Alejandro González Iñárritu
At its core, Birdman is an observation of man and his sense of worth. It repeatedly asks the question “Is it important to be important?” That question is dodged more than it’s answered, and the story often seems to be more interested in observing the intricacies of stage acting and actors, or mocking popular cinema, or naively criticizing critics. When it does get focused, it’s a fairly intense, emotional observation, with a camera that gets right up into actors faces as they wax eloquent or scream angrily. It offers few answers but raises a lot of engaging questions. The actors are all great. There’s a drum soundtrack that’s killer. It’s definitely worth a watch.
Nightcrawler
2014. Directed by Dan Gilroy
Nightcrawler delivers a cinematic double punch–it’s got both a unique world and an intense character to explore. The world of nightcrawlers–people who chase the police at night to get footage of accidents and crime scenes for news stations–is as dark as it is interesting; it’s a world you’ve never seen, and it’s hard to take your eyes off of it. Enter a relentless go-getter sociopath played brilliantly by Jake Gyllenhaal. He’s never held a camera before but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to be the best nightcrawler ever. You follow him on his nocturnal adventures, thrilled by his ingenuity while cringing at his carelessness for human life–how far will this guy go to get his footage? You’re constantly tempted to root for him, but slowly beginning to realize just how selfish and evil he truly is. Nightcrawler is a sharp observation of human character and interaction as well as a nail-biting suspense film. You may never encounter a more interesting world or character in a movie.
Into The Woods
2014. Directed by Rob Marshall
Disregarding a certain post modern apathy, Into The Woods is a grand observation of fairy tales, both of their basic structure and what they imply about the human condition. I was thoroughly entertained and challenged by this strangely un-Disney-like Disney film as it wound its way through a tangle of conflicted fairy tale characters, all in pursuit of something just out of their reach–the baker and his wife want a child, Jack wants his cow, Rapunzel wants her prince, the witch just wants to be young again. These characters’ desires are all cleverly entwined and the resulting chaos is both hilarious and tragic. The film’s narrative seems to meander, but proves to be tightly structured, tying up every loose end in a glorious if dark climax. I’m fully aware that certain adult elements were neutered from the original Broadway Musical script to cater to a larger audience, but it seems to retain much of its original bite regardless. Into the Woods is not your average feel-good fairy tale film, and it may not even have a hero to cheer for, but it has a lot of truth to share, if mixed with a bit of falsehood. The music and lyrics are also exceptionally good. You may just get a couple of these songs stuck in your head for a long, long time.