Steven Spielberg once said he thought the best directed
action sequences of all time were by James Cameron for “T2”. I agree—up until
now that is—because a new standard has just been set.
George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” should come with a
warning label. This is a movie that grabs you by the balls, squeezes you, and
takes you on a thrill ride of unrelenting intensity candy-coated in wicked
euphoric glee. And this is not the shoot everything in extreme close-up, shake
the camera, and cut every 0.007 seconds incoherent bullshit that passes for action
directing these days. This is instead an old-school work of art filled with
master shots, wide-angle steady cams, and breathtakingly executed tracking
shots peppered with push-ins and pull-outs zooms amid an orchestra of grinding
metal and dust.
Charlize Theron is absolutely fantastic as Imperator Furiosa,
the heart and soul of this movie. Tom
Hardy is the perfect Max, exuding every bit as much charisma and cool as Mel
Gibson did playing the reclusive, emotionally scarred anti-hero back in the early 80s “Mad
Max” trilogy. The middle part of that trilogy, “The Road Warrior” (1982) is the
best of those films, a cult classic, and one of the best ten action films of
all time. “Fury Road” surpasses “The Road Warrior” in every aspect by tenfold. Really!
It is that good. What is astonishing is that amid the non-stop action, Miller
and company manage to tell a tight, good story with strong character
development and real emotional resonance.
Amid the kinetic movement, there is so much going on here
visually, from the twisted “Beetlejuice” inspired villain, to the “Indiana Jones
and the Temple of Doom” looking henchmen, to the “Dune” styled production
design. There is even a hefty dose of “The Fast and Furious” here. But make no
mistake, like the original trilogy, “Mad Max: Fury Road” burns with a searing
originality of post-punk retro modernism.
Bottom line: “Mad Max: Fury Road” is a masterpiece of action
cinema.
I began keeping a review journal of films (and to a certain
extent television series episodes) in 1985. It is based on the four star rating
system (I despise the currently in style five star system used by Amazon,
Goodreads etc. I mean since when is three stars a bad review?). Anyway, since
starting that journal the number of films rated four stars out of four averages
out to 6.7 per year—not even enough to make a best ten list. And since 2005 the
average has been only 5.1.
So for me to get excited enough and be emotionally and
artistically satisfied enough to dish out that highly coveted mark of
excellence, can be a rare occurrence at times. But this year is turning out to
be the exception (and hopefully the start of a new trend). Already I
have seen four knockout films that earned four stars and had me leaving the
theater feeling exhilarated and brimming with stirred up emotions.
What is most encouraging about these four movies is that
each feels like the work of an auteur, a very distinct voice with a very
specific philosophy and stylistic approach. And they represent a variety, both
in terms of approach and budget. For so long the range of choices at the
multiplex has been far too limited with only mega-blockbusters or Oscar bait to
choose from.
At any rate, here are four masterworks that will be somewhere near the top of my best ten list come year end.
Ex Machina
Written and directed by Alex Garland
Starring: Domhnall
Gleeson, Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac
A 13 million dollar film that looks better than any 100
million dollar opus, this Kubrickian , stylized, brilliantly acted science
fiction drama is utterly captivating in such a carefully crafted mise-en-scène manner, you
literally feel like you are inside this world right alongside the mesmerizing
Ava (played by the astonishing Alicia Vikander!)
Artificial intelligence is the subject, and as a matter of
fact, this film can be thought of and plays out like an unofficial prequel to “A.I.
Artificial Intelligence” (2001), Steven Spielberg’s underrated masterpiece that
was based on ideas and a story treatment by the very same Stanley Kubrick whose
influence is omnipresent in this absolute gem of a motion picture.
The Age of Adaline
Directed by Lee Toland Krieger
Written by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz
Starring: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Kathy Baker, Amanda
Crew, Harrison Ford, and Ellen Burstyn
I have been touting Blake Lively for years and even have
championed her as the actress I would want playing ‘Caitlin Star’. I always knew she had the talent to compete
with the top A-list Oscar contenders, and I have been proven right. Blake gives
an absolutely extraordinary and emotionally affecting performance in the
magical new film, ‘The Age of Adaline’, directed with superb understated
elegance by Lee Toland Krieger, with a pitch perfect sentimental glow of
powerful emotions. Translation, this movie is a true tear-jerker with “true”
being the key phrase. An emotional masterpiece.
It Follows
Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell
Starring: Maika Monroe
To put it simply—the scariest horror film I have seen in
decades and one of the most brilliantly directed films I have ever seen.
Once again it the mise-en-scène of a film savvy master craftsman,
but instead of Kubrick/Spielberg as in the case of “Ex Machina”, the
inspirations here are George Romero, David Cronenberg, and most of all, John
Carpenter.
The film opens with a brilliantly executed wide screen
composition that must be seen to be believed. Trust me, there are several
scenes in this movie that must be seen to be believed. I don’t scare easily and
this film scared me something fierce. The use of wide angle lenses and a John
Carpenter-esque musical score by Disasterpeace is brilliant. The late 70s style
setting and performances feel so real. Maika Monroe gives the best lead
performance in a horror film since Naomi Watts in “The Ring”.
Chappie
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
Based on a 2004 short film “Tetra Vaal” by Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Jose Pablo Cantillo,
Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman, and Watkin Tudor Jones (Ninja) and Yolandi
Visser of the South African zef rap-rave group Die Antwoord
The very essence of the true auteur is a filmmaker who
creates a new, highly-stylized, unique aesthetic of filmmaking. Neill Blomkamp
has done exactly that. Beginning with his instant classic “District 9” (2009)
and continuing into his underrated “Elysium” (2013), Blomkamp has demonstrated an
uncanny ability to balance special effects and character while telling rich,
emotional, exciting stories packed with thematic subtext and insights into the
human condition in all its wonder and cruelty.
“Chappie” may seem at first glance to be a re-imagining of
the 1985 John Badham movie “Short Circuit”, but it actually closer to a modern
(and masterful) retelling of the E.T. mythology for the digital age. The unorthodox
casting of Tudor Jones and Yolandi Visser of the South African rap-rave group
Die Antwoord is an inspired stroke of genius that works far better than anyone
could have imagined. And the character of Chappie himself, is pure movie magic.
I recently had the privilege of being interviewed by Judy
Robinson of “Imagination Magazine”. Below is an excerpt from that conversation.
The interview in its entirety will appear in June/July issue of the magazine,
available on newsstands everywhere starting June, 6th 2015.
J.C. Thank you. It is
the most satisfied I have ever been with anything I have written. I always have
said that I write books I want to read but nobody else has written them. So as
a reader, this is my favorite James J. Caterino book.
J.R. I understand it is
your tenth book?
J.C. Thank you and
yes. Tenth published anyway. I figure I have about ten productive years left,
so with any luck, I will be able to make it to twenty books before I expire.
J.R. I enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, I loved it. There
was something about this book—maybe it was the structure—that made it so light
on its feet. And yet it still manages to retain the raw intensity of the previous
two “Caitlin Star” entries.
J.C. Yes I do think part of it is structure. I really
enjoyed doing the A/B parallel storylines setup. I also think, at least in my
opinion, this book does a good job with the viewpoints. I was really happy with the voices of all the characters, especially the non-human ones such as Toby and
Krell.
J.R. Yes, it really shows. Reading it I felt like I was in
the hands of someone who knew exactly what was happening and was going to make
sure I felt every second of the story in a very visceral way.
J.C. That is
something I am conscious of during the writing process. What is the best way
for me to get you into the scene and have you as the reader experience it the same
way, and with the same intensity, as I do in my head.
J.R. Mission
accomplished. You do that in all of your books. But that approach has drawn
criticism as well. You have been accused of writing over the top and going too
far.
J.C. Oh you bet I
have. So be it. I would rather go too far than not far enough. Of course, the
main objective is to just tell the story I want to tell. But if I am going to
error, it will always be on the side of intensity. I would rather piss you off
than bore you. It is better to be hated than to be ignored and ineffective.
J.R. That is a very
Bull Mongoni like attitude.
J.C. Indeed!
J.R. I love how the
Bull Mongoni philosophy fits in with Caitlin’s inherent love of animals and
nature and her instinct to protect. What were the influences in creating her character?
J.C. A girl I once
knew who was—like Caitlin—a formidable physical presence and an outstanding athlete.
The Black Canary character from D.C. Comics, the strong female characters from
James Cameron’s films, Kate Beckinsale from “Underworld”, and the comic strip
character of Sheena.
J.R. I see a bit of
all of those, especially Sheena in “The Rise of the Barbarians”. Caitlin is sort of a female Tarzan and Gunner
a Conan. Do you see yourself as a modern day version of Edgar Rice Burroughs or
Robert E. Howard?
J.C. That is a great
way of putting it. They are huge influences on me as a writer, no doubt about
that.
J.R. Is there a lot
of you in the Gunner Star character?
J.C. Absolutely. He
was constructed as my fictional alter ego way back in the original “Gunner Star”
screenplay which eventually morphed into the novel published in 2004 that got
everything rolling.
J.R. Speaking of screenplays,
the “Caitlin Star” books are very cinematic, and in the right hands, will make
for fantastic movies. Who would you like
to see play Caitlin in the film franchise?
J.C. Blake Lively is
my top choice right now. I have always loved her. I thought she had great acting
chops, and she just proved it in “The Age of Adaline”, a wonderful film! Of
course anyone who has seen “300: Rise of an Empire” knows that Eva Green would
be a fantastic Caitlin. Rounding out my top three would be Olivia Wilde in her “Tron
Legacy” mode with her hair blonde like it was in “The O.C.”
Full disclosure: I am a fan of the 1984 “Supergirl” film
starring Helen Slater. “Oh, a guilty pleasure?” you might ask. Well, yes, but
it is much more than that. When viewed in its intended 124 minute European edition
or 138 minute Director’s Cut (as opposed to the incoherent, butchered 105
minute American version), ‘Supergirl’ is a well-crafted, entertaining movie
with a lot to offer. Yeah, you heard me.
Comic book movie adaptions are now standard blockbuster fare
often accompanied by critical praise, prestige, and respect. This was not
always the case, especially back in 1984 when “Supergirl” hit theaters after a
long and troubled post production.
“Supergirl” was self-financed by “Superman" (1978)
producers Alexander and Ilya Salkynd. D.C. Comic’s parent company Warner Bros.
held the distribution rights. After releasing the movie in Europe, they decided
to drop the film just before the targeted North American release date in the
summer of 1984, citing the disappointing returns of the dreadful “Superman III”
(1983) as the reason.
The rights were eventually purchased by TriStar who cut the
film’s 124 minute running time down to an incoherent 105 minutes and dumped the
movie into U.S. theaters in November of 1984 with little fanfare. The result
was a choppy, disjointed origin story and a sloppy film that was savaged by
critics and ignored by movie patrons.
Actually the film is not without merit. It plays beautifully as a guilty pleasure and
works very well as a children’s film. The colorful movie has slowly attracted a
loyal cult following since the release of Anchor Bay’s two disc limited edition
DVD release in 2000, a fully loaded package that includes the 124 minute
international version, a 138 minute director’s cut, and a boatload of enticing
extras.
“Supergirl” has an enduring popularity for several reasons;
the art direction, Faye Dunaway’s delightfully over-the-top campy and yet
menacing portrayal as the film’s villain Selena the Sorceress, and the sensational
musical score by Jerry Goldsmith. But it all starts with the presence of the
luminous, fresh-faced Helen Slater who exudes an ethereal charm in the flying
sequences. The captivating actress is wonderful in this role and perfectly cast
as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl.
Working from a screenplay by David Odell, novelist Norma Fox
Mazer does an effective job of capturing the essence of Helen Slater’s
Supergirl and her alter ego Linda Lee. She manages to capture the wide-eyed
innocence of the character and has fun with it. And yet, there are more serious
passages where she makes us feel the character’s sense of loneliness.
The author also does a bang up job of nailing all of the
supporting characters, with spot-on, creative phrases. Norma Fox Odell never
forgets this is above all, a fun movie and she does a good job of creating
natural character driven humor. I actually laughed out loud several times while
reading this book, especially when it came to the scenes involving Lucy Lane.
But where this book really takes off is in the characterization of Selena.
Every scene written from her point of view is an absolute blast.
Bottom line: This is a skillfully written novelization and
like the 1984 film itself, is an entertaining, colorful, comic book adventure
with great humor and a sense of wonder.
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