read: Pirate Cinema (4 stars)

Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lively story that puts faces on the debate about copyright and intellectual property right protection.
On the one hand, I liked this story quite a bit. It's got good dollups of technology from the present and ten minutes into the future, along with a healthy dose of present day politics projected ten minutes into the future. I also liked the characters and Cory's writing brings them and the London setting to life.

On the other hand, it all seems a bit contrived. I never quite believed that the hero, Cecil B DeVil, and his companion squatters could be quite as successful as they are described, living on the edges of society. Then again, don't have any direct exposure or experience with such things.

There are long passages of explanations about copyright and intellectual property rights. It's pretty obvious that the author has an axe to grind here and things get a little preachy. Thank goodness that most of this gets broken up with some action or emotion and the the techno-babble is kept within palatable limits.

This is an easy and fun read and will get the reader caring about the characters and thinking about the issues involved.

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"Robot & Frank" [B]

"Robot & Frank" is a quiet, subtle film about a man and his robot. The man is a retired burglar, played by Frank Langella. The robot is an automated care companion foisted upon him by his son. He hates it. When the nameless little appliance demonstrates it might have skills beyond cleaning and cooking and the occasional enema, Frank decides it might be useful afterall. It's the sort of heartwarming setup that could easily descend into mindless humor and cliche. But it is saved from that fate by decent writing and a sly, low-key performance by Langella.

The story dances the knife edge of Frank's issues with memory and loss. It's obvious he's slipping away, more obvious to others than himself. But his flashes of insight and craftiness keep the audience guessing about his true mental state right up to the very end.

This isn't a science fiction film, or a caper film. It's the story of man grasping to hold onto what's left of his life. And the surprising helper that shows up just when he needs it.

Robot & Frank (IMDb)

"In Time" [B-]

Pretty solid science fiction adventure, even if the economic system doesn't jive with the technology. Essentially, you have enhanced genetics for endless lives and wireless interpersonal monetary exchange and all sorts of digital tracking and communication. But time is always passed around through physical contact? And there are big banks (because time is passed through contact with physical media)? And there are no (seen) networks of transactions? It just didn't quite make enough sense to me, although the story was reasonably fun.

In Time (IMDb)

"Argo" [A]

I've now seen a grand total of two of the nine films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar of 2012. And even though this was a fantastic film, from the writing all the way down, odds are I still haven't seen the winner. One thing this film demonstrates is that it's possible to create two hours of tension and suspense without any on-screen gun battles or explosions. Real spies are so much more interesting than fake ones, even if the movies artificially compress and distort events to heighten storytelling.

Argo (IMDb)

"Les Misérables" [A]

Before this, sad to say, I had not seen any of the films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. I think it must be a grand conspiracy by filmmakers to dump all of the contenders into the holiday time period and I wound up busy with family obligations, etc. I'm glad I can see one or two before the Oscar ceremony. Then again, I'm still working through the lists from previous years.

I'm not sure what the Oscar chances are for this one. Yes, it's magnificently shot and acted. The directing and production values are amazing. But I found myself a bit disappointed. I have not seen the show on stage, but I think the music must work better there. It didn't really work for me here. It seemed flat and repetative. The added realism that the film brings made the story seem that much more trite. Even so, I found myself genuinely weeping at (the appropriate) points. So the film was doing something right.

Les Misérables (IMDb)

"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" [B+]

I was pleased that this turned out to be even a little better film than I hoped. The on-location shots in India are fantastically alive with energy, color, and light. The camera shows both the beauty and the squalor without judgement. The story is simple and heartwarming and the star-studded cast bring the characters to life and show why they are stars. Highly recommended.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (IMDb)

"Looper" [A]

Looper is the type of science fiction film, heck it's the type of film period, that gets you thinking and talking about what you saw. It compels you to try to make sense of it, not just the science-baloney of it, which is obviously impossible and implausible, while remaining fun and thought-provoking. But it also makes you think about what the characters were going through and the decisions they were making in order to try and make sense of their motivations and actions. You don't walk out of it just satisfied with having been a spectator at a spectacle.

It isn't all talk, however. There is plenty of spectacle here. From gritty, gun-dominated streets (a la Resevoir Dogs, Robocop or Drive) to the futuristic, yet recognizable technology (the cell phones look even more cool, but still work like crap), it's all blended together with jaw-dropping writing, directing, and acting. One odd note comes in the form of the contortions performed on Joseph Gordon-Levitt's face to make him seem like a younger Bruce Willis. It's not any more convincing than probably half that much would have been and it's often just distracting.

This is a film I can recommend to anyone that can look past the gut-wrenching violence and find the lost souls within.

Looper (IMDb)

"Crazy, Stupid, Love" [C+]

While I was watching this movie, I was laughing. I thought I was enjoying it. But now that it's over, I have a hard time giving it more than grudging acceptance that maybe it was funny for those two hours. I think this is a little like the way the characters feel about their love lives. They think they're enjoying it, but if they think about it a little deeper they discover that what they have is not love, but lust (even for those yearning for monogamy) and self-centeredness. These love stories are not about giving, but getting.

Yes, there is good writing here (I was laughing, remember?). And there is some good acting and directing. These all lift "Crazy, Stupid, Love" above being a complete waste of time (like some recent rom-coms that seem to think that comedy is all about four letter words, prat falls, and potty mouth) and make it potentially very sweet and intelligent. I'm not sure where it really falls down (one big misstep is when the 17-year-old baby sitter decides it's OK to give the 13-year-old boy nude photos of herself to feed his unrequited obsession with her - huh?). All I know is that when all is said and done I am not convinced that anyone in this film is destined to live a truly happy life.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (IMDb)

"Recount" [B]

Very well done television movie of the debacle that was the Florida Presidential election of 2000. All star cast, well plotted, well directed, probably some invented drama and time compression. But I remember the actual events being just as dramatic for the time.

Recount (IMDb)

"The Amazing Spider-Man" [B+]

This gets extra points for having real actors and a real script. The effects were pretty well done, too. It gets marked down for having to re-visit the origin again. Why can't we start getting some superhero movies that just pick up where things were, or even in the middle. Time passes. We don't have to keep reinventing the same hero, over and over, do we? Also not quite convinced of the chemistry between Peter and Gwen. Why, exactly, does she like him?

The Amazing Spider-Man (IMDb)

"The Dark Night Rises" [B+]

It took a while for this film to build up a head of steam. But once it did, there was no stopping it. Every plot point and character was pushed to the limit and beyond in order to get to the labyrinthian end.

The writing and directing and acting were all decently done. The effects sequences were out of this world. On the other hand, the holding-the-entire-city-for-ransom was a bit overbaked and I've never really liked Bane as a villain. (spoiler alert) There's always somebody holding his chain.

All-in-all a very entertaining couple of hours (plus 30 minutes of filler) and a fitting conclusion to this volume of the Dark Knight saga. So, will we see Robin or Nightwing in the next installment?

The Dark Knight Rises (IMDb)

"Brave" [B+]

Brave is a romping, entertaining blend of a Disney princess movie with an offbeat Pixar movie. The core story is about the preciousness of family and the need to really communicate with each other. Thankfully, that heavy message is delivered in a blaze of farce and drama that can captivate both children and adults.

Brave (IMDb)

"Prometheus" [B+]

It takes a certain amount of discipline for a science fiction story to refrain from attempting to answer every question it raises. Such discipline is found here in the screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelhof and the directing of Ridley Scott. This same discipline is seen the stunning acting exhibited by every cast member and by the effects wizards that bring the alien creatures and planets to life.

Prometheus is creepy and disturbing in many of the same ways as its cousin, Alien. Yet, this is deliberately its own film, a bit brighter and more epic, as well as less claustrophobic. One hopes that the ending points to more entries in the saga.

Prometheus (IMDb)

"Water for Elephants" [B]

I had fairly high hopes for this film. I like the book on which it's based quite a bit. But the film, like the book, has both faults and virtues. In some ways, the two mediums wind up swapping faults and virtues.

One of the faults of the book was its structure. It included a framing story that broke up the main narrative and came across as a extraneous and cheesy. The film alters this part of the storytelling and reduces it to a brief prolog and coda. This works well and allows the script, the overall directing, and the art direction to empasize the circus and the period and the gritty reality of it all. These were also strenghts of the book, once the reader got past the other stuff.

On the other hand, the book was filled with great characters, all wonderfully cast by the reader's imagination. The film made a huge casting mistake for its two leads. They have no real chemistry and neither fits the part they are playing, resulting in some very disappointing scenes. It's also unfortunate that the realities of film reduced many of the interesting supporting characters to mere sketches. The one exception is the role of August, the ringmaster, who is both wonderfully cast and wonderfully played.

On the whole, this is a pleasant film, fun to watch for the period details and circus trivia. Readers of the book will be both delighted and disappointed.

Water for Elephants (IMDb)

"The Avengers" [A]

Absolutely one of the best superhero films, ever. It's even pretty interesting from the whole standpoint of collected fantastic science fiction (alien invaders, super suits, mutants, etc.). I will definitely want to watch this one again to see what I missed the first time, so much was going on.

The Avengers (IMDb)

"Tucker and Dale vs Evil" [B-]

There are some good laughs in this film. The writing is a bit on the sparse side. There is essentially one joke, and it has to be stretched and seen from several angles in order to result in a feature-length film. The directing is decently done. The acting is, for the most part, passable for this type of film. Lines are delivered without too much stiffness and scenery is chewed, when necessary. A decent entertainment when humorous horror is needed.

Tucker and Dale vs Evil (IMDb)

"Men in Black 3" [B]

I'm rating this third entry above average only because I thought it was fun. Like the others, if you think about it too much it makes no sense at all. I'm not sure it even fits in with the continuity of the first film. And time travel as a plot device is an easy out and hard to get right.

Men In Black 3 (IMDb)

"J. Edgar" [C]

I didn't much care for this film. Perhaps part of the problem was trying to watch it on an 8" screen on the back of an airline seat. It was just too dim, too fragmented, too uninvolving for that environment. Even so, this was a film I wanted to see and if it was good, it would have held my attention and kept me awake. It just never quite grabbed me.

J. Edgar (IMDb)

"Larry Crowne" [B]

This turned out to be exactly the pleasant little film that I expected it to be. Sometimes you want to see a story about pleasant people with realistic problems and you want to see them work them through. This is a feel-good movie that actually made me feel good. It's sad and funny and thoughtful. It makes you applaud second chances.

Larry Crown (IMDb)

"The Hunger Games" [A-]

This is one of those films that gets a high grade not because it's a pleasant experience, but because it does its job so well. This is the story of an America gone wrong. After an only partly explained cataclysm and war, the future USA is ruled by the technological haves. One way they have of keeping the apparently rebellious have-nots in line (part of a decades-old negotiated peace) is to have them submit two teenagers to an annual fight to the death. One of this years' participants is the unconventional Katniss.
Katniss' story is well told. The settings and other characters are appropriately evocative and provocative. Arguments can be made about whether the film is promoting violence or speaking against it. Thankfully, most of the actual gore is kept off screen, allowing us to focus on Katniss and her predicament. If you've read the book, the film is a fine adaptation. If you have not read the book, you may want to, in order to gain more insight into Katniss and her situation. Or you may not. Either way, I think the film is worth seeing, if for no other reason than to gain some clue about the phenomenon of The Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games (IMDb)