Foxcatcher and The Theory of Everything

A few notes:

- I have a new pet peeve: people who make their disapproval known in movie theaters. When a character does something you disapprove of, don’t sigh or go “tsk, tsk” or whatever. It’s obnoxious. 

- I failed at seeing all three Hunger Games films, but I did see the first two. By next week, I'll have seen the third. Maybe.

Foxcatcher (Bennett Miller) 

 

            Foxcatcher has been one of my most anticipated films of 2014 ever since it was announced. The story of the bizarre relationship between John Du Pont, a man born into the richest family in America, and Mark and Dave Schultz, two brothers who both won gold medals for wrestling in the 1984 Olympics, seemed ripe with possibilities, especially when considering its bizarre conclusion. The final product is unfortunately a disappointment, but only because I loved so much of it that its massive flaws were even more frustrating.

The film’s biggest issue is the same aspect that has been garnering the most Oscar buzz, and that’s the performance of Steve Carell as John Du Pont. I adore Steve Carell. His Michael Scott is one of my favorite characters from any medium, and I will always have be willing to give the man a chance. No single film will be able to change that. But his performance in Foxcatcher simply isn’t very good. Du Pont is a fascinating man, but Carell only plays him as a creepy, awkward mystery. He speaks with long pause, he walks almost as if in slow motion, and he’s always very still. This is incredibly effective in the early scenes, when it feels like the possibility of something deeper is being hinted at, but then we get scene after scene of the same weird ticks, and eventually it becomes clear that the only real purpose they serve is to make us thing, “man, this dude is strange.” It’s no coincidence that all of the film’s best scenes are the ones without Carell in them.

            Despite all of the Best Actor buzz for Steve Carell, the real lead performance in Foxcatcher, and the one that actually deserves the nomination, is Channing Tatum as Mark Schultz, the wrestler and Olympic gold-medalist. Tatum’s mostly taken roles that emphasize his natural charisma, so it’s a bit unnerving to watch him play a character who seems uncomfortable in his own skin. The film’s masterful opening depicts his lonely and heartbreaking existence, awkwardly speaking at an elementary school about his experience at the Olympics, and later a fantastic scene of him training with his brother Dave, which tells you everything you need to know about their relationship without a single line of dialogue.

Equally great is Mark Ruffalo as Mark Schultz brother and mentor Dave Schultz, who represents everything Mark is not. He’s charismatic and friendly and he’s got a family that he will do anything for. Everything seems to come naturally to him, while nothing comes naturally to Mark.

            Foxcatcher tries to depict the consequences of unearned privilege, but the film makes its points on this subject so half-heartedly that it’s hard to really care. Miller tries it into to a larger indictment of the idea of American exceptionalism, but even his exploration of that feels lazy, consisting of a few patriotic lines from Du Pont and some heavy-handed American iconography. Foxcatcher works far better as a portrait of two men who feel isolated from society and want desperately to prove their worth to the world and to themselves.

            Then there’s the ending. For those who don’t know how this real life story played out, I won’t spoilt it here, but I will say that the film struggles to match the story it wants to tell with the story it has to tell. The conclusion is certainly shocking, but it doesn’t feel earned.

Foxcatcher is the most frustrating film experience I’ve had all year. It can be a powerful and even haunting experience at times (when Carell is not on screen), and a complete mess at others. It comes so close to greatness that its massive missteps are all the more infuriating.

Rating: 3/5

The Theory of Everything (James Marsh)

            I wasn’t even going to write a review of this. I was going to find a nice .gif of a steaming pile of dog crap that would have done the job just fine, but I decided that would be in poor taste.

            Anyway, The Theory of Everything is the worst film I’ve seen in 2014. I’ll qualify that by saying I don’t see a lot of genuinely awful films (if you’re into that sort of thing, I'd recommend  this). That said, this is just unbearable.

            Stephen Hawking undoubtedly has lived an incredible life. He’s lived with motor neuron disease his entire adult life, but hasn’t let that prevent him trying to uncover the origins of the universe. It was only a matter of time until they made a film about him. Unfortunately, it was inevitable that Hollywood would concentrate less on his great achievement on his personal life. The film trivializes his work even further by putting the focus on his unremarkable relationship with his ex-wife, Jane Wilde Hawking.

            Eddie Redmayne does an excellent impression of Stephen Hawking, but the performance, by its very nature, can only remain on the surface. Instead of trying to overcome this, director James Marsh instead decides to give equal attention to Hawking’s ex-wife Jane. As played by Felicity Jones, she’s a strong, devoted, and completely uninteresting woman. As their completely generic love affair plays out, Hawking’s ground-breaking theoretical research gets pushed to the side and is only occasionally acknowledged.

            Stephen and Jane Hawking divorced over two decades ago, and the film tries to acknowledge this while also trying to convince us their love is one for the ages. As they both drift in to new relationships, we’re asked to believe that they are still passionately in love with each other.

The Theory of Everything succeeds at turning the life of one of the most fascinating men of the last century into one of the most banal biopics in recent memory. This is about as tame as drama gets. Of course it’s going to be nominated for Best Picture.

Rating: 1/5

Force Majeure, Big Hero 6, and The Tale of Princess Kaguya

A few notes before I begin:

- First, a declaration. By this time next week I will have seen those damned Hunger Games films all the kids are yappin’ about. Now that I’ve stated that publicly, I feel more confident I will actually follow through with it.

- Feedback is always greatly appreciated.

- I’m really proud of myself for using the phrase “hunky dory” in one of these reviews. Just thought you should know.

Now, some reviews of movies I’ve watched in between episodes of Gilmore Girls.

Force Majeure (Ruben Ostlund)

A well-off Swedish family are vacationing at a skiing resort in the French Alps. Everything’s all hunky-dory, and the family seems to be getting along well. Then, while eating lunch on the patio of a mountain restaurant, they hear the sound of explosions and avalanche begins. The father, Tomas, assures his wife, Ebba, and their kids that it’s controlled, and ski resorts do this all the time. But then the snow rolls closer and closer, and it begins to seem like this avalanche may not be intentional.

Understandably, everybody freaks out. Tomas grabs his gloves and his phone, then runs for cover, abandoning his family. A cloud of snow envelopes the restaurant, but it quickly becomes clear that they are not in danger. Everybody returns to their meals, including Tomas, who sits down with his family as though nothing has happened.

This scene lasts only a few minutes, but, as you’d expect, it has significant consequences, and Tomas only makes things worse when he denies running away at all. Of course, Tomas is a coward, but director Ruben Ostlund isn’t interested in spending two hours mocking Tomas for failing to protect his family. Instead, he uses the incident to investigate gender roles in our society, based on the simple question of “what would you do?” The rift the incident leaves in the family forces both Tomas and Ebba to confront their roles within the family, and the damage it has caused even begins to infect their friends. It’s all done with a wicked sense of humor that induces as many cringes as it does laughs.

Force Majeure is one of the best films of the year, but not the sort I recommend seeing with loved ones. It’s a provocative film that forces us to confront how we would react when facing a crisis, and the answers may not be pretty. See it, but see it alone.

Rating: 4/5

Big Hero 6 (Don Hall, Chris Williams)

            It boggles my mind that this film has been receiving so much acclaim. Sure, the animation’s nice, but it’s in service of a story that combines every tired trope we’ve seen in every Disney movie and every Marvel movie from the last five years into a film we’ve all seen many times before. Seriously, someone please explain to me the appeal of this. Frozen had similar issues, but it had some catchy tunes and a few neat ideas to make up for what it lacked in originality. What does this have?

Rating: 1/5

The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Isao Takahata)

           I’ve only seen a handful of films from Studio Ghibli, the acclaimed Japanese animation company, but it’s still no surprise that their new movie, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, is the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous film I’ve seen all year. Every shot is absolutely breath-taking, but don’t let the pretty images fool you. It made be told with pretty colors, but there’s a powerful sadness at the core of Princess Kaguya. Its joyful opening scenes quickly give way to scenes of longing and regret, and by the time we reach the film’s final act, what lingers is a profound sense of loss. One moment in particular, where Princess Kaguya encounters an old friend, is among the most devastating scenes I’ve seen in a film all year. The film has pacing issues, and, at 137 minutes, it’s a little too long, but, even a week after I saw it, its emotional power still stings.

Rating: 3.5/5

Anyway that’s all for now. I’ll hopefully have something to say about those Hunger Games by next week. Happy Thanksgiving.