REVIEW: Searching for Sugar Man

10/10 - I wonder...

Two men try to track down what happened to their favorite 1970's recording artist. It's a simple premise, but this story retells the events that span over 30 years or so. The artist in question, Sixto Rodriguez, released two albums to little fanfare in the United States. In fact, other than the album's producers it seems like no one has heard of him. Those who had heard of him, really believed in him and yet he was a commercial failure. Through bootlegging and anti-establishment protests, Rodriguez's two album's became quite prolific in South Africa in the 90's. He became a music icon in that part of the world, and the mystery of who he was bloomed from this unexpected popularity.

If you intended to watch this film, which I highly recommend, then do yourself the favor of not researching Rodriguez or anything about this movie before watching it. This is a movie best watched blind. It's an experience of learning about this artist and digging into his background with those who make the doc.

Everyone should see Searching for Sugar Man. It has this remarkable universal appeal, because it tells the story of a man who had nothing besides his great passion. Rodriguez was a sort of vagabond. He performed from club to club, often turning his back to the audience. Fans who recognized that passion kept his music alive in this far away police state, where his albums sat with other iconic artists. It's a story that shouldn't be real, it should be preposterous. This journey of discovery is something with so much universal appeal, I think anyone who offers their time to this film will be satisfied.

Without fail, the film is engulfed by the very music that inspired it. I found it easy to see what others saw in his music. There is a familiar warmth, emotion, and ease to his music. I also have a great appreciation for a documentary like this that illuminates beautiful visuals. It can be difficult to break the mold of sit down interviews and archival footage, but Searching for Sugar Man strives to be visually inspiring. The combination of those two elements, the sounds of Rodriguez and the sights of South Africa, give this movie a unique texture that's quite memorable.

The documentary shares both a beautiful people story, and the fascinating experience of discovery. It's quite touching because it really is a remarkable story. These are the kinds of stories that reach out and remind us that individuals are capable far beyond the reach we assign to them. I feel like this is the kind of story that audiences need to have, not just to enjoy, but to fill their souls.

Searching for Sugar Man won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Documentary.

IMDb - Searching for Sugar Man (8.2)
Wikipedia - Searching for Sugar Man
Rotten Tomatoes - Searching for Sugar Man (95%)
Amazon.ca - Searching for Sugarman

REVIEW: Blue Jasmine

Best Original Screenplay Nominee

8/10 - Way better than expected. 

This review was a long time coming. It was one of the first Oscar nominated movies that I watched, but I've been stewing on how to phrase my review for a long time.

First and foremost, I've never liked Woody Allen movies. I typically don't relate to that slow, cerebral uncertainty that fuels his many dozens of movies. After 2-3 that did it, I stopped watching his movies. Maybe I judged his body of work prematurely, because this was quite a great movie, but I'm still not particularly interested in watching more of his movies.

The other reason to preface this review would be because of the controversy that has surrounded Woody Allen during this years award season. I'm not interested in dancing with the veil that the morals of the individual should have some reflection in how we perceive their work. I found myself quite frustrated with the fact that over and over again Cate Blanchett would get on stage, having won awards for this movie, and praise the great female roles that were being written, and over and over again she would be overshadowed by media coverage of a 20 year old scandal.

So. Having said that. Blue Jasmine is a movie about a rich woman going poor. That's too simplistic of a definition for a movie this complicated, but there it is. Under the surface layer, this film is about a woman who has protected herself in layers of narcissism, and her need to rebuild relationships. There are some terrific performances supporting the infallible Cate; Alec Baldwin, Louis C. K., Sally Hawkins, and Bobby Cannavale. It's a stunning cast that scrambles around Jasmine as her world unravels. This movie is not just about social class, but it's about empathy and understanding of individuals for whatever position they are in. It's of the typical Woody storytelling, with lots of talking and big characters. This movie explores fantasy and reality, what is selfish and what is selfless. It's quite engaging and interesting, if not a bit dull at times. I had a hard time understanding what was happening to the characters, but some of that was probably intentional.

Although Blue Jasmine was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, it strikes me as a Best Picture nominee. This is a filmmakers story, not on the page but in the eye. The Academy Awards recognized this work with the Best Actress statue going to Blanchett. I'm of the opinion that this award belongs to Allen. This was the best female character written, this was the best female driven film this year.

IMDb - Blue Jasmine (7.4)
Wikipedia - Blue Jasmine
Rotten Tomatoes- Blue Jasmine (91%)
Amazon.ca - Blue Jasmine

REVIEW: Delivery Man

BLOGGER NOTE: Yeah, this wasn't an Academy Award Nominee. The weekend of the awards, I smashed my laptop, thus putting the breaks on any unnecessary computing. I have a few more Oscar nom reviews to do, but it might take a little while longer than I intended. In the meantime, here's something completely different.

6/10 - More like "Meat Truck Man" amirite? 

Delivery Man is based on a french movie called Starbuck, that a good reviewer might have watched before writing a review. I'm not a good reviewer. 

The mixed reviews for Delivery Man are accurate. It's a great concept with a great cast, but I kept thinking there are so many missed opportunities in this film. Missed chances for comedy, for a more dynamic plot, for more interesting characters. One of the reasons I think writer/directors are not always a great idea. This was well written, and well directed, but a separate voice might have improved this film tremendously. 

Here's the plot rundown: Vince Vaughn as David Wozniak, donated sperm under the pseudonym Starbuck for many years, and then 20 years later all the many hundreds of kids he helped produce decide to try and find him. 

The first 10 minutes of this movie are so dreadfully boring that you might wonder if you accidentally started watching a real life documentary about depressing jobs in America. I went on Wikipedia to double check that it was, in fact, meant to be a comedy. Typically, Vince Vaughn spearheads comedies that cater to his strengths, fast talking absurd situations. Surprisingly, this is neither and I wished it was. Despite Vince Vaughn being naturally funny, and Bobby Moynihan playing his younger brother, nothing is particularly funny until Wozniak's friend Brett shows up, played by Chris Pratt. Somehow the movie gods shined upon his role because he injects the first moments of laugh out loud comedy. Chris Pratt really shines in this movie being effortlessly hilarious in a movie so nuanced, more seasoned comedians fell flat.

Cobie Smulders play's Wozniak's girlfriend, Emma, a cop. My first gut reaction is to throw my arms in the air, overjoyed by the fact that Emma is a cop. She is casually playing a role typically reserved for males on screen, showing that her character has her own life with consequences, and it's not the butt of a joke. That being said, Cobie is hilarious and she doesn't get the chance to make a single joke in the whole movie. She's a buzzkill, ruining the momentum in every scene she's in. It's not really the fault of Cobie who is a great actress, but rather the fact that David's life with Emma represents the serious steps toward adulthood and responsibility and that's not so funny. Every scene does not have to be comedic, but they do have to be entertaining. 

I was also quite put off by the fact that every one of the kids in this movie who David helped create, considers him their "real" father, or "biological" father, or something to that effect. Granted the movie proposes that of the many hundreds of children that David helped create, only a smaller percent chose to actively investigate his identity. I also understand that this movie is about David accepting fatherhood through very extreme circumstances. However, I was desperate for someone to stand up and remind those kids that they had their own real parents. Not adoptive parents. Parents. These kids had families that choose to have kids and choose to get pregnant through this method. At what point is it okay to imply that real parents who raised these kids are not as important as someone who provided the DNA but never wanted kids themselves. Again, that's not the point of the movie. I just felt like it was a strange message to put on the screen, pretending that their real parents don't exist. Also, can we talk about why his kids are 80% male?

I've been doing quite a lot of complaining, but this isn't really a bad movie. Many of these complaints stem from the fact that this feels like a great movie in disguise. With some more polish and punchier jokes, it would be a great comedy. This is a movie about family and fulfilling the desire to be a better person. It's quite heartfelt and there's nothing wrong with a movie that can put a smile on your face. This is one of those movies that tries to discover the unbridled optimism in everyday life, and that's why I go to the movies. 

IMDb - Delivery Man (6.4)

Wikipedia - Delivery Man

Rotten Tomatoes - Delivery Man (39%)
Amazon.ca - Delivery Man

REVIEW: Dallas Buyers Club

Best Picture Nominee

Best Original Screenplay Nominee

9/10 - Alright, alright, alright.

Sometimes I hate the 'drama' genre because it often refers to movies that are just not funny, or not exciting, and not interesting. Dallas Buyers Club is such a deeply emotional, touching story, that you remember why 'drama' is the Academy favorite.

I had no idea what this film was even about before I saw it. For those as ignorant as I was, Matthew McConaughey plays Ron, a blue collar guy who is diagnosed with AIDS, while living in Texas in 1985. His refusal to accept this death sentence leads him to discover his hospitals drug trials, and the drugs unavailable in the United States due to FDA regulations. The cast is rounded out with Eve, a doctor treating AIDS patients played by the wonderful Jennifer Garner, as well as the undeniably talented Jared Leto playing Rayon, a transgendered woman who is also HIV positive.

I don't have a whole lot to say, it's one of those movies that beautifully encapsulates someone's life and struggles, and how can you critique that? It's quite difficult to get through at times because it's very gritty and raw. It was hard for me not to get emotional when someone is fighting for their life. Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto were those characters through and through. The role of Ron was really the role of a lifetime for McConaughey, who never faltered. They both deserve all the praise and all the awards. I also thought the direction and script were particularly outstanding. It's rare to see a character drama like this move alone at a quick pace with interesting events happening. Rarely did the movie stop to dwell in emotion, which it easily could have.

Dallas Buyers Club is really great. It's the story of frailty, and the story of fighting. I don't think wide audiences are going to flock to a movie directly about the effects of AIDS but those who do will be rewarded with a bold and haunting story.

IMDb - Dallas Buyers Club (8.0)
Wikipedia - Dallas Buyers Club
Rotten Tomatoes - Dallas Buyers Club
Amazon.ca - Dallas Buyers Club