Here's to you Mr. Ebert

"Mrs. Robinson, if you don't mind my saying so, this conversation is getting a little strange"

I stumbled across and old review of The Graduate by Roger Ebert today. No. Not that old. I'm talking 1997 when Mr. Ebert reviewed the 30th anniversary release of the film. The irony contained within is tangible.

First off, The Graduate is one my favorite films of all time. Seriously, It would be hard to overstate my love for this movie, and I'm known for my ability to exaggerate. What I'm trying to say is I'm biased. Moving on.

Roger Ebert is old.

When the he first reviewed this movie it would seem he liked it. He liked it a lot. Here's an example: As Benjamin and Elaine escaped in that bus at the end of The Graduate, I cheered, the first time I saw the movie.

Ah. The first time he says. However, times have changed the man as they must change us all. He proceeds to explain how wisdom has prevailed in his golden years. He now sees that the parents were in the right all along. Benjamin is simply a typical self-centered mentally challenged young'n. As Mr. Ebert states, Anyone with average intelligence should have known, in 1967, that the word plastics contained valuable advice. Clearly this generation gap the movie portrays is patently false.



"To be perfectly honest she doesn't like me"

Show it to a young Roger Ebert. He Cheers. Show it to an old Roger Ebert. He rejects the values as false. What's incredible here, what's mind blowing to me, is that he doesn't see how this neatly proves the entire point that he is dismissing. The disparity of views (his own views!) clearly shows the generation gap.

When does it happen? When do people forget what it's like to live for something other than the values of society and adherence to an ancient set of rules? When do our passions cease to be a factor in our lives? When do we stop wanting our lives to be... how did Benjamin put it? Different. It seems to happen to everyone at some point.



"Well, I would say that I'm just drifting. Here in the pool"

I'm not young myself, and far from championing the film's anti establishment themes I actually see Benjamin's actions as incredibly foolish. Of course that isn't the point, and I don't believe it was Mike Nichol's point when he made this movie.

Like most films, the ending is vital to understanding any message the artists might have. Watch it and you see Benjamin's expression of exuberance turn blank. He begins to look uncomfortable. Elaine looks at him and as she turns back to the front of the bus her face begins to mirror his. They both stare in awkward silence to the front of the bus. Sitting apart from each other on the bench the silence continues and the bus rolls on towards the horizon and an uncertain future.



"Goddamn that's great. So old Elaine Robinson got started in a Ford"

So what is the point? Is there one? Benjamin and Elaine had a lot going for them if they just played by the rules. A high paying and soul crunching career in plastics for Benjamin. A loveless but financially stable and socially acceptable marriage for Elaine. They both rebelled against their fates and had the daring to seek something more. Like real life though, there's no fairy tale ending to this picture. Maybe they come to regret their decisions, but that's something we all need to figure out for ourselves. That's part of getting old, and that's what The Graduate is all about. That's what Roger Ebert has forgotten.

Oscars 2009

The nominations are in!



I have to say I'm pulling for Heath Ledger posthumously being awarded the oscar for best actor in a supporting role. It would be the right thing to do, and I'm not just saying he should get it for the sake of the gesture. The joker was terrifying. Between James Newton Howard's and Hans Zimmer's unsettling score and Heath Ledger's powerhouse acting I would feel my intestines start to knot up any time he was on the screen.



Of course Robert Downey Jr. is in there too for his role in Tropic Thunder. I loved it as much as the rest of you (maybe a little bit more), but I'm still rooting for Mr. Ledger. Maybe if another actor ahem-tomcruise-ahem from Tropic Thunder was in the running I'd have more trouble making a decision.

Meanwhile we have Pixar cleaning house in the animated feature department. Honestly, it's not even a fair fight. Maybe Hugh Jackman will do the right thing and mumble the results away from the microphone before unceremoniously tossing the statue into the audience. I've got my fingers crossed.

It's interesting to see three films adapted from comic books in the running for various categories this year. I certainly never expected to use Wanted and The Oscars in the same sentence, but this is a brave new world. I wanted to see The Dark Knight up there for screenplay. Without shame I'll tell you the script was great. Also without shame I'll tell you In Bruges was boring and overrated to the extreme. Going back to comic books, I didn't find the effects for Iron Man that amazing. I think they're giving them the nod since it was cheated out of the running for best film.

Just kidding.

Sort of.

And last but least of all least! Best picture! This is the one everyone cares about, and if you (like me) haven't seen many of the films on the list this year, fear not! Call out of work next week and take a day trip to your closest metropolitan center. The theaters there are playing everything you need to see in order to get prepared for the big night. A large (read: ginormous) popcorn and a baby-sized Dr. Pepper (as in the size of a baby, not the size appropriate for babies) will be in order since you're going to be there for a while. If you survive this ordeal you can sit in front of your entertainment center Febuary 22nd and scream knowledgeably to family members about what a crock the academy awards have turned into.

I'll see you there.

le plus en colère chien andalou dans le monde

So there's something wrong with Asians.


I mean what the crap dude.

I could go on at length about this but google up some of the crap the Japanese do one of these days, and then come tell me I'm wrong. It's not just the Japanese either. It's Asians across the board. I point you towards Oldboy, towards Curse of the Golden Flower. Korean and Chinese films respectively (South Korean, it's all good).

Before you go thinking I'm a racist know that some of my best friends are asian(ish).


See? I know an Asian person. Obviously I can't be racist.

To be fair most nations have their share of the truly tweaked. If you are one of the the few, the proud, the twisted who have actually sat through Eraserhead to witness David Lynch's mind and stomach rending climax you know Americans can really pour on the weird. And since we're talking about surrealist horror it would invoke the wrath of film snobs everywhere to not give a nod to An Andalusian Dog (or does having to mention it just insult the snob's intelligence?).

Personally I didn't find the short as disturbing as the images alone would suggest. While I wouldn't go as far as saying the choice in music gave things a comical tone, it certainly took the edge off the horror. Give this piece the unsettling mechanical score of Eraserhead and I think you'd have something equally terrifying and more than forty years ahead of it's time (non-linear narrative!?). I must admit the legendary opening scene still managed to give me shivers though.



Now unlike Lynch, Dali and Buñuel unequivocally state that their film defies interpretation of any kind. This is funny to me as David Lynch's work is completely freaking impenetrable. I particularly like how he gives "hints" to film meanings such as "We are like the spider. We weave our life and then move along in it. We are like the dreamer who dreams and then lives in the dream. This is true for the entire universe". I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to. Seriously, I couldn't.

Despite what may appear to be complaints these are all amazing films. Check them all out if you haven't already. See if you spot the similarities I did (is that a reference to Un Chien Andalou in the prison sequence from Oldboy?). You'll thank yourself for it later.

Wine and Film

So I watched Qui êtes-vous, Polly Magoo? the other day.

Looking for something nonsensical, satirical, and altogether entertaining? Pick it up on netflix. I had my french new wave fix with a glass of Paringa Cabarnet Sauvignon which I'd recommend to you with great enthusiasm. Like film it's a great mash of things you'll love. Berry, chocolaty, nutty, with and oaky finish to remind you how much you wish you had a fireplace. It's also reasonably priced at 13.99 a bottle. Of course, Polly Magoo is the kind of film you name drop to impress your film snob friends, so maybe you'd like to go with something a little more ritzy. Dom Perignon is available for 199.99 a bottle over at wine.com. Go nuts. Douchebag.

Now I can see you going back to reread that paragraph (that's correct, I can see you). I did just recommend a wine to go with a movie. If you are like my movie watching partner in crime you've begun to scream and hurl things at the screen with righteous indignation. Wine does not go with movies! Wine goes with food! I would submit that wine and film are more alike then you realize.

Firstly, they are both made in California. You see? Already your objections are falling under my shock-and-awe worthy barrage of logic. I'm just getting started. Movies and wine both share the position of being something (the only things) worth getting out of bed in the morning for. Also, if you read this blog long enough you'll see I don't know anything about either of them. Enough similarities for you? I hope so because that's I'll I can think of.

Back to this movie. Qui êtes-vous, Polly Magoo? (Who Are You, Polly Magoo?) is a 1966 film by U.S. expatriate William Klein. In most movie capsules you'll see it described as a satire of the fashion industry in France, but there is so much more here. In true French New Wave fashion you'll see and emphasis on form over content. It's a product of a tumultuous time of experimentation and rebellion. You can almost see the new Hollywood being born out of the wreckage. The titular protagonist jumps from one scenario to another in stream-of-consciousness fashion. Each moment only vaguely related to the next but delicious in its own right (pay close attention to Prince Igor and Polly's animated time together, then tell me if you don't see a young Terry Gilliam watching in awe). I particularly liked how we switch from biting satire, to primal slapstick, to a sort of Wes Anderson-esque deadpan in the space of one movie. After watching check out the back stories of William Klein and lead actress Dorothy McGowan as they are fascinating in their own right and will make any repeat viewings that much more enjoyable.

This complex, twisted film is altogether awesome. A satire of fashion, yes, but Klein has reinvented the movie. He does not just create! He galvanizes! I am galvanized! (Just watch it already) It's hilarious then thought provoking then whimsical then just plain bizarre. I loved it. I think you will to.