The Art of Making Art: Putting It Together

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Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:13:46 -0500

The Beauty Is - The Light In The Piazza

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The Master

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Cult or not, the fact of the matter comes down to this: the true Master in any sense is Paul Thomas Anderson, the visionary director of such films as There Will Be Blood (one I consider to be among the best films ever made) and Boogie Nights, among many others. Anderson’s latest venture, The Master, is a glowing, enthralling, and visceral example of the amazing things that happen when there is a marriage of acting, writing, directing, cinematography, and score. The Master creates a puzzling reaction, one that is too confused for its own good, perhaps, for it is a tricky film that does require a dedicated and intelligent audience, one that will go where Anderson wants to take them, yet realizing the brilliant conceits behind the storytelling at hand, both on the technical and performance levels.

Freddy Quell (Joaquin Pheonix) is an impulsive, agitated, and scarred (literally and figuratively) man who has returned from serving in World War II, frazzled at his own existence and utterly lost, living in an isolated world of drunkenness and eternal lust. How’s chances that Quell encounters Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a man claiming to know the answers to maybe what Quell is searching for, but is too clever to ever show that. Dodd is fascinated with Quell; his utter brokenness, his long lost love, his psychological turmoil that leads him down a destructive and wild lifestyle. Dodd is the showman who has founded the theory known in the film only as “The Cause,” though the resemblance to the roots of Scientology cannot be ignored. His beliefs are that there is a trove of memories within everyone, and that each soul has been around for trillions, yes trillions, of years. The atmosphere changes as Quell enters the picture perfect family lifestyle; Dodd’s daughter attempts to cheat on her new husband, Dodd frequently gets drunk with Quell, and Dodd’s wife (Amy Adams) struggles to keep everything the way that it is. The path for success, for convention, institution, and compliance are what motivate Adams, and her plainness screams with vicious undertones.

These two men need each other, both as father and son dynamic, as leader and follower, as friends, as competitive energies. They are the distinctions of control and order versus chaos. The result is a maddeningly engrossing tension that escalates in both men, who need each other as much as they want to conquer one another. Quell represents genuine truth. The character aches with heartbreak and the decline of sanity, essentially, in a seemingly tumultuous life. The interest in Dodd lies not in his ability to make things up on the spot, to control great crowds at length, or his simple charm of maneuvering conversations, and more importantly, beliefs to fit his wants and needs. No, Dodd’s depth is what is underneath his façade, which comes out only on occasion, and yet is so dangerously lurking in every scene. Dodd literally creates a religious empire, and is often referred to as the Master. His quest for power and control relies on Quell, and yet Quell could very much ruin Dodd. Quell’s childlike innocence and abandon creates the perfect playground for Dodd’s psychological conquest. Yet as much as Quell wants to believe (he often takes oppnents of Dodd down, literally), his instincts drive him to ultimately leave Dodd to find his sweetheart, a decision based on pure romantic idealism. The opposition of truth and fiction, reality and fantasy, control and chaos, heat the relationship and the two men play it to the fiercest of levels.

Pheonix gives an incredible physical performance. Every word seems thought out, his characterization so apt and completely consuming, it reminds one of the work of the great Marlon Brando or Robert de Niro. He is lost in Freddy’s desperation, sympathizing with the character enough to fully understand who he is and what he has been through that made him the violent and depressed state he is in. Hoffman finds nuance in every inch of this character, never over-playing the sensation that the character must have, but also allowing the inner life of Dodd to be revealed when his success is threatened. Both of their desperations play out in a fascinating game of master of control and victim of being controlled. Amy Adams delivers one of the most difficult of tasks, having less screen time and less dialogue to showcase the dual personality of her equally simple and monstrous Peggy Dodd. The three of them together could never be anything less than outstanding, and they live up to the standards they have already set for themselves.

Paul Thomas Anderson creates this genius work by carefully and diligently crafting every single shot. His script is devilishly funny and he is able to find the human heart and humor within these characters and this story. Mihai Malaimare Jr.’s cinematography is luscious and shown in gorgeous 70 mm, it captures the essence of the time period and the psychosis of the main characters, with tight shots effortlessly blended in with sweeping landscape photography, the result is truly stunning. The score, by Jonny Greenwood, accentuates the tone of the film brilliantly, with interesting rhythms and involving melodic mechanics that let the tension build, and show the practicality of the huge cult lies that are being spewed.

Or are they? The greatest fact about The Master is its sense of belief. It is said that sanity can only come when one’s beliefs have some shred of doubt. The audience in The Master wants to believe in Dodd so much (a credit to both Anderson and Hoffman) and yet knowing the banality of the theology that Dodd creates. Quell being such a real human being, he is simply lost and wants to find a peace. He can never get that peace because Anderson realizes the truly American struggle between individuality and the desire to be lead, a theme that is so relevant to today’s world, with an important election coming in just a few months, and to the world at the time, when the imposing war made for new discoveries and the very beginnings of what would turn into a complete cultural and social revolution where conventionalities, organized religion and Christianity one of them, being questioned, challenged, exposed, and leading to an array of political and institutional disillusionment. The entire film restores a faith in not just American cinema, but in the life of cinema at all. It may not have the emotional tangibility that There Will Be Blood possessed, but it delves into a fascinating corner of American pastime and Western thought, that the movie becomes more than just a film, but a political, psychological, and sociological statement that reflects the inner pursuits of desire and need to break away from isolation that instill in all of us the essences of our beliefs. In the end, the film represents the very “cause” that Dodd presented; that to look to the future, one must understand their past completely, which goes beyond what we might even think or know, and into the ocean of tragedy and success that we have known. It is a balance of past and future that create the present, and the balance of belief and doubt that shape who we are. If you understand this about the film, we may very well be in the cult of Dodd, or perhaps a cult all of our own.A

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Best Movie Posters of 2011

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:20:49 -0500

Best Movie Posters of 2011

Slew of Reviews

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:33:15 -0500

Beginners is a charming film, and so quirky, it almost out-quirks itself. Trying to be the ideal “indie” film, it essntially loses it’s sight along the way, but it has some really fantastic attributes to it. One, or shall I say three, are the leading performances. Ewan McGregor and Melanie Laurent as the two love-birds in this low-key RomCom are both great, McGregor playing his usual best and Laurent giving us something new and subtle and fantastic, in a bizarre you-can’t-take-your-eyes-off-of-her way. The real star, of course, is Christopher Plummer, who plays a 80 year old father to McGregor, finally coming out of the closet. Plummer brings such grace and such youth to his role, it is truly astonishing. He captures the essence of the character so much (the wit, the class, the wistful nature) that you honestly forget it’s an actor playing the role. The direction and cinematography are both great, though it tends to lose it’s kitsch towards the end of the film. It’s sweet, lovely, and down-to-Earth in the most hipster way possible. And the hipsters all probably pretend to hate because it’s too “mainstream” but really all love this movie for how hipster it is. But that may get in the way sometimes to tell a truly great love story, with a powerful heart. Just because it’s indie doesn’t mean falling into cliché of indie. However, there’s way much more good than bad, and Plummer alone brings such sensibility and beauty to his role, you simply can’t resist.

Sean Durkin’s first feature is quite the trip. Durkin’s sensibility as a director shines with this film, and shows undeniable promise. The really crazy thing about this film is that it’s quietness is only juxtaposed by the really messed up things that are happening in the plot. An intriguing analytical mess of reality, memory, and fantasy, Martha Marcy May Marlene is about a paranoia, an extreme desire to escape the past, though it always comes back to haunt you. It is the isolation and the trouble that comes with that, that Martha really suffers from— the cult has a certain way of thinking and the film geniously explores the psychological persuasion into a way of thinking…the way that the cult tries to make their ethics and morality universal is a terrifying, and intriguing thing. Elizabeth Olsen does a helluva job as Martha, giving her dewey eyed complexity, both bewilderment, shock, digust, and intrigue. She gives quiet moments great momentum, and is an actress to keep an eye on. Jody Lee Lipes’ cinematography is eerily distant and then uncomfortably close; the mixed bag reflects Martha’s psyche in an interesting way. The scariest thing about Martha Marcy May Marlene is that it actually could happen. It may have even benefited from taking that dive a bit further, let us know just how paranoid and altered Martha is, and especially contrasting that with the old Martha, and the only complaint I might have is that we never get to see what the original Martha was like; it is only infered as to why she would even accept and join this group in the first place, or what exactly she was running away from. But perhaps that makes the film only more intriguing—running away brought her to this society, and of course it looks fine on the outside, with it’s acceptable living conditions and always a “family’ of sorts around you. But, ah, there’s always more than meets the eye.

Martin Scorsese knows a thing or two about magic. Or so it would seem from his stunning film Hugo.

Hugo is about a variety of things, one being a boy, who lives in a clock tower, obsessing over finding the key to his last recollection of his father, which happens to be a robot. Other various plots includes the young boy meeting a young girl and them discovering her grandfathers past passion for cinema, and his work as a director. Another involves a train stration security guard of sorts who is out to find Hugo after chasing him around the train station. The plots go on and on and on, a lot of times without any clear throughline or connection. The characters are sometimes random and the events don’t always pay off (or feel like they should or have to pay off). The performances are fine, nothing too outstanding (besides Ben Kingsley’s brilliant turn as the ex-director). Whatever. Those things don’t seem to matter at all. Scorsese truly shows what he can do in this film. His direction is seemingly magical and he brings these strange stories to life in such an inventice and fascinating way (some of his single shots are fantastic) that you are deeply invested into everything that is happening for the 2 and a half hours you are spending in the theatre. Sure, it’s a little long and there are unnecessary parts, but Scorsese’s love song to cinema and to film is a stroke of genius rarely seen in film, let alone commercial film, these days. The art direction and photography for this film are also breathtaking, and this may be the one film worth seeing in 3D this year. Hugo may not be the most fulfilling time this year, but it certainly is one of the most magical.

I am not sure if Tabloid is a great film or a great story, so I am going to go with BOTH! Morris captures this cooky (and fascinating) story of Joyce McKinney, and if there was ever any performance award for a documentary, she would be the winner! Such an interesting story, and it’s told with such umph and intrigue, it keeps you there throughout the entire film, which is hard to say for many other documentaries.

The Muppets

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:37:45 -0500

The gang is back! And thank God for that!

As I walked into the theatre I got such a sense of enormous joy and excitement to see what the Muppets can bring, after a nearly ten year absence from pop culture altogether. They’ve always been there, distilled in numerous films, television shows, and random videos but never were given the chance for a true comeback. I was extremely happy to find out that they did not disappoint. Walter, a Muppet-obsessed Muppet, is dying to visit the old Muppet studios, and finally gets his chance when his best friend Gary (writer Jason Segel) and his girlfriend Mary (a delightful Amy Adams) vacation to Los Angeles. They finally meet Kermit, to Walter’s shock, who tells them that the entire Muppet studios is being renovated…but what Kermit doesn’t know is that Tex Richman, a meta-name if there ever is one, is planning on tearing down the studios to drill for oil. Unless Kermit and the classic Muppet gang, who have long separated and moved on since their days together, can come up with 1 million dollars, they will lose their beloved studio. So what else to do than put on a show?!

The new venture isn’t perfect. There needs to be more Muppets…many of the sequences and musical numbers are hardly performed by the crew that the film is titled after! Other problems consist of a lack true Muppet heart…the film feels all too much like a fun nostalgia trip, than a new addition to the Muppets canon. Some characters have been reduced: Rowlfe barely has a personality at all, while Rizzo is there in merely passing glances. But it does a whole lot of things right. It has the zany, cooky energy that the Muppets have lost and an endearing quality is back that has been missing since Jim Henson’s death. The simple nature, the meta-awareness, and this film finally brings back the great comedy that the Muppets are capable of. The songs, though short and often forgettable, express a lightheartedness and Amy Adams is just the kind of celebrity who would be a guest host, if the Muppet show were around today. She proves herself Muppet worth in this film for sure, though her character gets shifted at times due to the films lack of focus. To me, this film is great but could have been more, and maybe that’s just what will happen. The nostalgia is only nostalgia for those who knew the Muppets, but kids today have no idea who these felt creatures are! As an introduction, the film is lovely. It’s heartwarming, and may create a few tears for true Muppet fans…when Kermit begins to sing “The Rainbow Connection,” it is a reminder of what the Muppets have always been about: suspending disbelief and keeping the dream alive. They’ve infiltrated the hearts of America almost like no other since their inception, and judging by the box office reports, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of them. It may not fully capture all the magic of the Muppets in their golden age, but The Muppets is a brilliant, hilarious, and positively gleeful time to be shared, and certainly a promise of the greatness to come. B+

The Ides Of March

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 05:28:15 -0400

George Clooney’s newest film The Ides of March is anything but safe. This tale of a young Junior Campaign Manager, Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) who is working on winning his candidate, Mike Morris (George Clooney), the Demoicratic primary in Ohio to become the Democratic nominee in a modern-times election. With this battle comes private battles of their own. The angst between Meyers and Morris’ Senior Campaign Manager Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to get things done. The pace quickly picks up as Meyer’s secretly meets with the opposing candidates manager (Paul Giamatti) and becomes romantically involved with one of the interns working on the campaign (Evan Rachel Wood). There are twists and turns along the way, and the action only rises from there.

Clooney has a great sense of character (not uncommon coming from a director with an acting background). The manipulation of characters plays perfectly into the greedy twisty political interplay that everyone is basically akin to, but Clooney, along with screenwriters Grant Heslov and Beau Willmon do it in a way that maneuvers human emotion of the characters, a true strength of the film, and one that Moneyball REALLY wished it could have had. The performances were solid all around, even despite Gosling being a bit miscast in the role. Evan Rachel Wood is climbing a ladder of greatness, and her next few projects, whatever she decides those are, are going to take her to new levels; talk about a promising actress. It is no surprise that Clooney fits into the mold of his character extremely well, and the supporting cast (including a fabulous Marisa Tomei) are excellent.

The social context of the film is intriguingly displayed, with the plot revolving around an Obama-esque character, so soon to the start of his re-election campaign. It’s a film about winning and what that costs to the person themselves. And it’s handled pretty admirable. B+

The Trip

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 01:45:56 -0400

What a winning combination can be found in Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in Michael Winterbottom’s comedy The Trip. Utilizing every inch of British humor that they can, Coogan and Brydon take the witty script even further, making real characters out of themselves and playing it straight, whether it’s hilarious or a little heartbreaking.

Set up as a mockumentary, Steve Coogan (playing himself) is asked to make a country-wide tour of England and explore the best restaurants in the country. Unable to take his girlfriend, he ends up taking his actor best friend Rob Brydon (also playing himself), and the two must endure the trip together, which becomes quite a challenge for Steve and Rob. They make quite the pair from there, often feeding into one another’s humor brilliantly and in only a classy way, as they try to pass the time. They deal with their (sometimes dismal) outside life, which helps the film get some weight, but mainly focuses on the silly things they do when they are on the trip, which is usually impersonating people they admire or dreaming about roles and films they wish they would and I suppose could make. Even when their humor starts to repeat itself, it is surprisingly still intriguing. This is probably because it is such a refreshing contrast from the loud and obnoxious comedies we have been accustomed to in the Hollywood market. This film is quieter, but it’s so damn funny. It finds its humor from not playing dumb to the audience, and higher minded viewers will appreciate that while simpler minded viewers might even find the film dull or droning. What I found is a hilarious, classy, British comedy that never tries too hard, and in doing so, it succeeds where other comedies only wish they could. A-

Meek's Cutoff

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:46:25 -0400

Meek’s Cutoff, the 2011 Western by Kelly Reichardt, is a film all about chances. What will chances bring? What chance are you willing to take to survive, to live, what path is the correct path? Essentially, it could be looked at as a metaphoric film, but, luckily, there is so much more there underneath.

Michelle Williams plays Emily Tetherow, a purebred settler, bonnet and all, heading out on the Oregon High Desert, with a small band of other settlers. They are following Meek (Bruce Greenwood), a so-called leader, who is attempting to get them to fertile land, but their short journey has taken much more time than they expected. Thirsty, hungry, and in desperate need of salvation, they take in a Native American to guide them to resources. But do they trust this captive? Will he lead them to what they need or set them up in a trap?

This film has as much dialogue as the wildlife surrounding the deserted plains the characters walk on. It is just about the quietest Western ever made, with very little action and so focused on the people themselves and, even more prominently, the landscape, which becomes a character of its own. Filmed with skill and beauty by Kelly Reichardt and cinematographer Chris Blauvelt, Meek’s Cutoff is stunning. Though the subdued nature of the film prevents any real powerhouse performances, the actor’s take shape in this film almost as if they were in a painting. It is understated, that’s for sure, but there is still a sense of urgency; a wary tension that builds until the characters must make the decision of where to follow, and essentially where they want their lives to go. Do they take the risk? Or do they comply and hopelessly wander? It is a question that Reichardt poses so subtly, but its done in a way with class, undeniable style, and a calm so intense, it never crosses into dullness. B+

50/50: Chance Worth Taking

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:10:29 -0400

Jonathan Levine’s new dramedy 50/50 hits all the right notes. It takes the most essential of the human heartbreak and turns it into something real, emotional, and, surprisingly, hilarious.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam, a young man stuck in a flux between his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) and his nagging, desperate mother (Anjelica Huston). Matters only get worse, naturally, when Adam finds out he has an extremely rare form of cancer on his spine. His best friend (Seth Rogen) tries to find the positives in the situation, like getting laid out of sympathy, while Adam tries to figure everything out with his young, inexperienced psychologist (Anna Kendrick). As you can imagine, there is a good amount of heartwrenching scenes, but the thing that makes them great is they’re not overcooked. It plays so much on the realism, that makes it even more powerful.

Will Reiser’s script calls for a lot more than tragedy, however. It’s a tricky subject to tackle, but Reiser does it almost perfectly. As much sadness that could be in a film about cancer, there is just as much, if not more, time for laughs. Seth Rogen gives his usual performance, but the personal aspect of this film (he essentially plays himself; Gordon-Levitt being a form of Reiser) takes him to a slightly new, better level of the performance he has given countless times before. The only real problem with the film is its misogynistic undertones, mainly from Rogen’s character, which don’t add to the film, and essentially demoralize it in a way. It was funny once, but the continuing notion seems a bit too crude for such an emotional story.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam perfectly; he is sweet and charming but you feel his struggle and the confusion as to what to do when faced with this in your life. Both supporting women give great performances. Anjelica Huston plays Adam’s mother with a desperation to find someone; her husband has Alzheimer’s and her son now with cancer, it drives all of Huston’s choices and though she plays her kind of crazy, you understand all the while. Anna Kendrick gives her finest performance. Very grounded, but so well-crafted, her performance is not loud in any way. I often forgot that there was a celebrity behind the character, that’s how great she was. If Up in the Air didn’t prove Kendrick as a rising star, 50/50 has to.

Director Jonathan Levine doesn’t seem to intervene too much in this film. The film feels well-guided but not super-imposed, like many other directors feel. The film feels so true to life, to the subtle triumphs that everyone with cancer has to at least tackle. He doesn’t turn it into a sappy epic, he allows the characters to play as they would play in real life, and that is maybe the most resonant of them all. A

Contagion: Art of Disaster

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 04:18:45 -0400

I have rarely been as scared at a film than I was in Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion. That’s not to say it was a horror movie, but it will seep into your conscience like a disease, and for what it’s worth, it really does it’s job well.

The entire pandemic of fear comes after a mom (Gwyneth Paltrow) comes home from a trip to Japan and begins the spread of a terrifying disease that begins to infect the entire world. People attempt to stop it (Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne at that) and there are a whole slew of celebrities filling in for characters either working against, working with, or dying from this disease. Soderbergh has an extremely effective sense of detail, and he is able to spin this into one of the most realistic pandemic horror films. Soderbergh uses the state of global anxiety and focuses that through a medical lens, creating a sense of bio-terrorism; one that seems so close to home as Contagion opened 2 days before the 10th anniversary of September 11th. Though there is rarely use of subtlety in his notions, the ideas and concepts of fear in Contagion may just keep you away from restaurants, and up all night long.

However nicely Mr. Soderbergh’s detailed film plays out, it certainly gets lost within itself along the way. Scott Z. Burns’ script gave plenty of hokey dialogue, and though the cast probably has more Oscar nominations between them than anyone would care to count, most of them are wasted here. Almost none of the characters are given sufficient depth; I left the film not remembering a single characters name. And perhaps that wasn’t the point; perhaps the idea behind Contagion was the widespread nature of this fear, this disease. But even then, several characters and plotlines were complete unnecessary and only hindered the film from reaching it’s full potential. Kate Winslet turns in an excellent performance as Dr. Erin Mears, an Intelligence Service Officer, who is on a mission to figure out whats causing this catastrophe. Winslet is intense, and real, and the audience is with her all the way. Unfortunately, out of the dizzying amounts of people we’re introduced to, she is the only one you can feel for. And that very well may be part of Contagion’s cold, bleak plan: to disconnect because of fear, only drives the fear itself. Makes you wonder, what’s the real pandemic going on here? B

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/154423-A-9-11-Reflection-When-the-Curtain-Came-Down-on-the-American-Heart/pg1

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:24:46 -0400

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/154423-A-9-11-Reflection-When-the-Curtain-Came-Down-on-the-American-Heart/pg1

Ready to Be Loved from EDGES

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:07:14 -0400

Ready to Be Loved from EDGES

Hobo With A Shotgun: A Horror, Alright

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:20:00 -0400

What do you expect from a movie called Hobo With a Shotgun? While it’s campy violence certainly makes for some huge laughs, it’s sadistic tone tends to be too much for me.

Rutger Hauer is devouring his role (though with perfect teeth, no doubt). It’s literally hell on Earth, and the only person out there to stop them is ~~Superman~~ the hobo with a shotgun. The film certainly gives us plenty of motives for why this man is killing, and what would seem deranged is then taken for a sort of heroism. That might be one of the working points of the film, a sort of metaphor for class dynamic and conflict, but that would be a much deeper reading into the film than it ever probably intended.

I appreciate the exploitation throwback to the classic slasher genres, but that still doesn’t qualify it as a necessarily good film, not that it ever tries to be more than a B, no more like Z, horror movie. It is a film to be enjoyed on the basis of it’s own ridiculousness, much like the hilarious Piranha 3D, but unlike Piranha, this one might leave an unwanted uneasiness in your stomach. If your into that, this totally works as a parody film (fans of this genre will revel in the consistently inventive ways the filmmakers kill off characters), but for me I couldn’t get past the incessant grotesque nature, right down to the over-the-top horrific color palette. C-

13 Assassins: HOLY SHIT!

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:15:00 -0400

It should just be said right now that there is a 40 minute long action sequence that closes Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins, and if you can just sit through the film for that alone, it’s totally worth it. Luckily, there are still more reasons than just that to catch this samurai epic.

The whole film is greatly directed; the action sequences are both comprehensible and thrilling and the work before that is equally as impressive. The cinematography by Nobuyasu Kita captures the sweeping grandness of the story and it’s certainly clear why these assassins are so passionate to kill this villain. It’s full of typical samurai thematics such as honor and bravery, while also accenting the struggle to respect the declining samurai genre directly through the characters who also try to honor the brethren with who they once stood with. It manages that, to a point, though it lacks the depth of a Kurosawa film and might have too many characters to ever get invested in any of them. But as a purely enjoyable action film, those last 40 minutes and the final denouement sequence will leave you breathless. B-

Manhattan Murder Mystery: It Was Fun While It Lasted!

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:39:10 -0400

Manhattan Murder Mystery may not be Woody Allen’s most enduring work, but it sure is a good romp. He combines his classic cinematic style and combines it into another genre with suspense, and reunites with his classic acting partner Diane Keaton. The chemistry is still there, and if only Allen had balanced his mystery-comedy with either more character or more comedy, but sadly, neither of those happen. To say that it’s one of his lesser works still means it’s a great time while your’e there, just maybe not one you’ll remember next year. B-

Manhattan: Rhapsody in Delight

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 16:56:18 -0400

From the very beginning of George Gershwin’s dazzling “Rhapsody in Blue” at the start of Woody Allen’s 1979 film Manhattan, you can feel the genuine nature of the passion of this film, and the artistry to boot. It will suffice to say, it’s undoubtedly one of Woody Allen’s masterpieces.

Allen plays a twice-divorced New Yorker, Isaac, on the brink of a mid-life crisis: he is struggling with his career and is dating a 17 year old girl (Mariel Hemingway). His best friend (Michael Murphy) is having an affair with culturally savvy Mary (Diane Keaton), the clash of classes so obviously seen. Despite the differences, Isaac falls for Mary and Mary falls for Isaac, quite the relational web for these characters, but so much more deep than one would imagine.

Manhattan evokes some sort of lost romanticism, the most effective use of idealized post-modern charm. It’s both relaxing and utterly thrilling, with Allen’s usual notions of his passion and love for New York, shown brilliantly in Gordon Willis’ black and white cinematography, which manages to highlight the beauty of New York, wrapped up in the gritty industrialism. Every nuance of the film has New York written all over it. From the iconic places and iconic music, it creates some iconic visuals. It is Allen’s adoration of the city and for cinema itself that make it an intimate spectacle on the backdrop of the epic concrete jungle.

The relationships and characters are as lively and complex as the gorgeous city around them. The way Manhattan never gives easy answers for it’s characters is one of the strengths of this film, and certainly one of the biggest weaknesses of the modern romantic comedy. He writes these characters as real human beings, with depth beyond adolescent themes and more into his common exploration of psychology and sexual desire, among other things. He really knows how to bring out the best in his cast. There is not a single performance that could be considered less than authentically magnificent, and Allen’s top-notch writing certainly helps. Diane Keaton gives another effortless performance, and she fits this film so perfectly: independent, confused, but ultimately bearing psychological American complexities that drive her character to choose what she chooses in the end. Mariel Hemingway is the most subtle, perhaps because of the ingenuity of her character, but always acting so true to form, as if she is living the life of her character and her transitions from bright-eyed-young-girl to bright-eyed-young-woman are done brilliantly. Of course Woody Allen is especially earnest, and throw in Meryl Streep and you’ve got one of the best casts ever assembled.

It’s such a romantic and charming story of loss, that you almost forget that Isaac is so wistful (like Allen himself), but he does what he does out of passion; for his city, for his love, and ultimately for himself. A-