Room 237

Room 237 (Rodney Ascher, 2012)

An exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980).

Dedicated to the many possible meanings of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece The Shining, Room 237 is narrated by many fans, enthusiasts of the film and its director. At first, the most important fact about Room 237 is that it demonstrates how much people actually love and cherish this movie. Even I can’t hide my enthusiasm and cult towards The Shining. It is my favorite film from my favorite director of all time and each new viewing is an experience that is almost religious for the atheist that I am.

With this documentary I realized first that I am not the only one to vow such a cult to this movie, and that many people are interepreting films and analyzing so many elements that the movie itself gets forgotten. Sure, Kubrick was one heck of a wizard with his obsessive control over his films and perfectionism of every detail. When interpreting a movie, every theorie is as worth as the other. It is interesting to discover some of the most out of there and other more consensual visions of The Shining. It leads us to many things to think about : much like an artist less we know about the original meanings of its creator there is more to discover; it is impossible to have only one reading of a dense work of art; is the Calumet can there on purpose or not, is it true that Kubrick directed the landing on the moon, do we tend to give too much credit to Kubrick and his films and should watch them for their first level of reading.

Well, as aforementioned, every theory is as worth as the other and when a movie is celebratred by critics and the public it is recognized as worthy. But suppose that Citizen Kane was never revisited and completely forgotten maybe it wouldn’t be the masterpiece we know today just because it was at first hated and almost destroyed by the industry. Let’s think about this, for Kubrick’s The Shining its initial released was received with mixed reviews, except the fact that Kubrick was already established as a cult director, it could have been the death of the value of it. However, time and revisits, many revisits, led the film to be recognized as technically, esthetically, and thematically important in the history of films and in Kubrick’s filmography.

It is a playful documentary that has the merit to making its viewer wanting to watch again its subject. However, the exercice seems to loose its breath near its end and it probably would need a book to accompany this film essay. By the way, I would buy such a book.

Frances Ha

Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach, 2012)

A story that follows a New York woman (Greta Gerwig) (who doesn't really have an apartment), apprentices for a dance company (though she's not really a dancer), and throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles.

Top Films of 2012

My Top 10 Films of 2012

With a year of delay and so many films still to catch up, here’s my first gist at my Top 10 films of 2012.

1. Moonrise Kingdom
2. Argo
3. Django Unchained
4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
5. Magic Mike
6. Silver Linings Playbook
7. Bones Brigade : An Autobiography
8. 21 Jump Street
9. Cabin in the Woods
10. Beasts of the Southern Wild

Blind spots:  The Avengers, Skyfall, The Hibbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Amazing Spider-Man, Life of Pi, Ted, Les Misérables, Prometheus, Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln, The Master, Amour, Haywire, Dark Shadows, To Rome With Love, Killer Joe, Anna Karenina, Looper, Frankenweenie, Holy Motors, Hitchcock, Tabu, Promised Land.

The Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard, 2012)

While getting into things as the typical horror slasher film where every character must be typecast and situations  of scares and behaviors like having sex in the woods or reciting an ancient formula to rise their death, The Cabin in the Woods twists it topsy turvy and uses the stereotypes to demonstrate its manipulation of the characters and the viewers. Director/writer Drew Goddard and co-writer Joss Whedon are showing the strings behind your typical horror flick and translate it in a some kind of dark prophecy for film geeks and satire lovers. All that in a fashion way to criticize torture porn and a great sense of dark comedy. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chboski, 2012)

After having issues in mid school, Charlie (Logan Lerman) is having problems making friends as a freshman. Reserved and mostly silent, he gets along with his English teacher Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd), who becomes his guide or older advice. Until he meets Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), they are step siblings and immediately took Charlie under their wings.

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography (Stacy Peralta, 2012)

When six teenage boys came together as a skateboarding team in the 1980s, they reinvented not only their chosen sport but themselves too - as they evolved from insecure outsiders to the most influential athletes in the field.

Recommended Readings: Steve McQueen : A Biography

Steve McQueen : A Biography (Marc Eliot, 2012)

First, I must thank the fine folks over at Three Rivers Press that sent me a bunch of great movie/ movie stars related books. It took me a while getting to read those books, because I’m such a slow reader. But I got around it and it revealed an actor that was more or less stuck between the 1950’s and the 1960’s Marlon Brando and Paul Newman.

McQueen was a Method actor and wanted to get a hold on his life and career just like Clint Eastwood did with his Malpasso company. However, McQueen was a broken man and from the star the had struggles with life, drugs, alcohol, women.

Not being such a big fan of the actor I wasn’t really into the man either. Having seen him in classics like The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, and bits of Bullitt, I can’t say I was really well informed about his career.

Marc Eliot’s biography is an honest try at a very traditional version of the thing and very poor one if you ask me. Well, if you are reading those lines you probably want to know my opinion. You’ll get it anyway. While not citing much of his sources, Eliot writes a contemptuous and judgmental piece that seems to be more of a defence to Steve’s first wife than actually a recalling of this iconic man. It also feels like he likes to put a stain on the memory of the man. It is probably written in the same spirit that Peter Biskind’s shocking but very entertaining Easy Rider’s Raging Bull’s biography of the 1970’s with lots of sordid details of the lives of the fathers of the second golden age of Hollywood.

All in all, I was somewhat happy to learn more about McQueen’s career but I can say that I would not count on that to learn about his personal life. I kind of think that biographers like to show sides of people that will make the sells go high and concentrate on infidelities, drug abuse, and their faults.

Overall note : C

My Year in Music – 2012

Without any other purpose than exposing my personal Top 25 albums of 2012 I post this incomplete roundup of the albums that I liked the best in the past year. I’ve been making this list since a couple of years and if you are interested here’s the list for 2011,

1.       Enslaved – RIITIIR

The Scandinavian kings of progressive black metal have once again reinvented themselves. With another true to their spirit album, it is an even more accomplished album than their latest acclaimed Axioma Ethica Odini.

2.       Propagandhi – Failed States

These Canadian Prairies punk rockers/thrashers have done one of their best albums. For those who say that their wave of punk rock is dead must have a listen to this very solid album. By the way, Propagandhi has been one of my favourite bands since high school.

3.       Neurosis – Honor Found in Decay

One of the most respected band in underground music has came back with another near-masterpiece. Legends never die and Neurosis is pretty freakin alive!

4.       Sigur Rós – Valtari

This Icelandic simplistic band has been one of my discoveries of the year. Sang entirely in their mother tongue, Valtari is subtle and epic at the same time. A beautiful album to listen.

5.       Metric – Synthetica

Canadian Dream pop success story has came back with an even more impressive offering than their previous Fantasies. Try to catch them live : they rock!

6.       The Shins – Port of Morrow

Another discovery for me, The Shins’ latest album rotated more than most of the titles of this list this year in my ears.

7.       Nile – At the Gate of Sethu

Extreme Metal has never been so well served than with Nile this year. Getting back to a more organic sound and more old-school sonorities, Fans won’t be disappointed and Metal enthusiast might easily be convinced by this more true to the roots sound.

8.       Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

Cult Montréal based band GYBE was back after a decade of absence. And we are well served with this behemoth offering. Maybe not as great as Lift Your Skinny Fist Like Antennas to Heaven, yes this is the real title of this album, but so great to have them back with new stuff.

9.       Muse – The 2^nd Law

After being completely disappointed by The Resistance, I jumped like a fan that rediscovered one of his favourtie bands with full excesses à la Queen and cheesy, ultra cheesy, hooks and effects.

10.   Mount Eerie – Clear Moon

Another discovery and a revelation, having only heard Clear Moon, one of the two records by Mount Eerie this year, I will have to complete my discovery with their other album.  Subtle and very Black Metal influenced accoustic minimalist band that diserves way more praise than their actually getting.

11.   The XX - Coexist

12.   Cryptopsy – Cryptopsy

13.   Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

14.   Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind

15.   Kreator – Phantom Antichrist

16.   Santigold – Master of My Make Believe

17.   John K. Samson – Provincial

18.   Animal Collective – Centipede Hz

19.   Natchmystium – Silencing Machines

20.   The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth

21.   Katatonia – Dead End Kings

22.   Ihsahn – Eremita

23.   Blut Aus Nord – 777 – Cosmosophy

24.   Alt+J – An Awesome Wave

25.   Marduk – Serpent Sermon

Runners-up : Storm Corrosion – Storm Corrosion, Vintersorg – Orkan, Dying Fetus – Reign Supreme, The Killers – Battle Born, Testament – Dark Roots of the Earth


What are your picks for 2012? Anything I've missed? Recommandations are much appreciated!

Argo

Argo (Ben Affleck, 2012)

A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.

As History goes the common people like you and me are more and more aware of international issues around the world with the democratization of the medias and the spread of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. In past years, many revolts in the Middle East have been fueled with the social networks. Sometimes it's for the best. In the case of Argo we are transported in 1979-1980's uprising of Iran with the Ayatollah and the Political refuge of the Shah in the USA. The Shah, being funded by the Americans against the wide spread of Communism of the Soviet Union and in the not so secret issue of keeping the access to petrol, has been declared an enemy of his land. During the uprisings, a group of 44 Americans of the Embassy were kept by the Islamic Republic of Iran. A small group of 6 escaped to the Canadian Embassy and were secretly living there waiting to escape the country.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild (Benh Zeitlin, 2012)

In the Bathtub, somewhere in Louisiana, we discover the little six year old girl Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) and her father Wink (Dwight Henry). They live together in the bayou full of waste, dirt, and trash. With the openning shot we understand that their state of living is like animals and they are surrounded by them. The chemistry between the girl and the father is brutish and he raises her to become strong and survive. Paralleled with the global warming of the entire planet and the revival of prehistoric creatures that were caught in the ice thousands of years ago, we are confronted with Hushpuppy’s vision of her world and her survival. This is clearly a child’s vision of her surroundings and her life. At some point, there are so many plot elements thrown in the air that it is possible to have an endless number of readings of the movie.

This is not a visually appealing film and except the little Hushpuppy it is very hard to actually care for the characters of the story. On the other hand, knowing that the filmmakers got on location to places where the Hurricane Katrina destroyed the homes of many people is gut renching to watch that some lost everything. However, I did not particuarly excited about the directing of Benh Zeitlin especially knowing that he earned a Best Director Academy Awards nomination. Having not seen a lot of 2012 releases may play against me but I could name some other more worth deserving works by directors. With that said, one must not pass under the radar the presence of first timer Quvenzhané Wallis as the six years old Hushpuppy. She does not play Hushpuppy, she is this little girl. Her voice over is one of the best use of the technique even if it’s normally more annoying than helping a film her natural narration and naive perceptions carries the film. Actually, without Wallis there is no film.

Given that the movie earned that much recognition at the Oscars nominations I must admire its audacity and the fact that it is the first film by director Benh Zeitlin who made an overall good job and had a superb cast to support his beast of a film. It is a complex story and it might have had it’s faults here and there, and here again but it surely creates a reaction to its viewers and believe me it is always a good thing.

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012)

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Taking more seriously my new years' resolutions brought me to watch most of the films nominated for Best Picture at the 2013 Academy Awards. Having seen the highly praised Django Unchained I had to head for the other nominated movies. Back in 2010, David O. Russell directed The Fighter, a sports movie filled with outstanding performances by Amy Adams, Christian Bale, and Mark Wahlberg. This past year Russell comes back with another solid contender to the Oscars once again filled with memorable performances.

Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, 2012)

A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.

Just like Quentin Tarantino’s films, Wes Anderson’s cinema and universe is one that connects with me in a way that few other filmmakers can do. Possibly Martin Scorsese, Akira Kurosawa, François Truffaut, and Stanley Kubrick made films that I could easily relate to and get into with only the opening credits. Wes’ films are like a visual feast for a cinephile’s eyes. Just like the films of let’s say Max Ophüls, Anderson plays on the widescreen framing of his epic filmmaking and storytelling. This other coming of age story, that could easily be a bore if handle by anyone else, is quite unique and very quirky in its presentation. 

The Vow

The Vow (Michael Sucsy, 2012)

A car accident puts Paige in a coma, and when she wakes up with severe memory loss, her husband Leo works to win her heart again.

Inspired by true events, The Vow is a film starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams representing a couple madly in love that will have to pass over the fact that the wife completely lost her memory of the last five years in a car accident. While beautifully shot in Chicago exteriors most of the scenes involve interiors where the couple used to live together; their apartment, her workshop, his studio, etc. 

After the accident, Paige (McAdams) doesn’t recognize her husband or her current life. She still thinks she is in college living with her parents and pursuing a career in law. Tatum will have to make her fell in love with him again without pushing too hard. Even if the ending is quite obvious, the struggle of the two lovers is worth the watch. It is indeed a film that involves themes and stories that have been done dozens of times. However, the presence of the two leads, Tatum and McAdams, brings a little something that makes this movie more than actually a chick flick you would have sneezed over.

The beautiful cinematography and the nice presence of the supporting cast of Sam Neill and Jessica Lange paired with our aforementioned lovers keeps this enterprise from being the possible disaster many of my fellow critics may have shouted even without actually have seen the whole thing. It is far from being the best film of 2012 but also far from being its worst too.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games (Gary Ross, 2012)
Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to compete.

Just before watching this adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ novel I took the time to properly read the source material and have an informed view on Gary Ross’ adaptation of the whole thing. Let’s call a whore a whore and get to the truth that the novel written by Collins is a very good teenage literature that is well conceived and full of parallels with Reality television, the Olympics, propaganda, and all the things that make television one of the most evil inventions of men. However, The Hunger Games isn’t a denunciation of television or the violence that it often depicts. It is about the involvement of teenagers and sometimes child in the ways of bloodthirsty governments in their way to keep the power and its oppression on his people. As subtle as it can be. Or in the case of the Hunger Games as bold as it can be. 

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan, 2012)

Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.

With The Avengers, the last chapter of the Dark Knight trilogy was one of the most expected blockbusters of 2012. Having wowed thousands of movie enthusiasts and comic fans with the previous Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, writer/director Christopher Nolan is sometimes rank amongst the deities of the Seventh Art along John Ford, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock, and Stanley Kubrick. Sure Nolan has some kind of spectacular vibe around him and he captured the true dark essence of his central character. However, the filmmaker has proven to be more of a great technician at grand spectacle than a spectacular storyteller, much like Quentin Tarantino can claim to be on his side. Even this critic can actually agrees with some of the greatest qualities of The Dark Knight. However, the masterpiece that some Nolan enthusiasts were claiming in Inception isn’t really a thing I would agree on. Same thing when it comes to The Dark Knight Rises; it is not the masterpiece or even as great as its predecessor in the Dark Knight trilogy I could have had hoped for.