Under 250: Women in Trouble

I've read suggestions that with Women in Trouble director Sebastian Gutierrez is aspring to be Almodovar or trying to be Altman, albeit a knock-off model.  I'd say this is a fairly accurate summation.  Gutierrez has assembled an ensemble cast, 10 LA women headed up by Carla Gugino (an actress who deserves a solid lead), and placed them in a talky rinse cycle of the torrid and superficial.  Women in Trouble feels soapy in its pretention.  As Gutierrez struggles to piece together loosely connected plots with near constant dialogue on oral sex, the perks of being a porn star, or the strains of extramarital affairs, he never succeeds in grounding these women and making them accessible. There's a strange sense of friction between the women (most of who are playing into objectified roles/allowing objectification) and what the film wants us to take from our experience watching them. This, to me, was what made the film perhaps more interesting than some critics would have you believe.  Gutierrez is operating within the realm of the exploitation cliche.  The women, like the subplots themselves, are standard-issue homogenized renderings, yet while the pieces themselves are silly fluff, there's something that feels more deliberate between the lines.  Gutierrez is working towards something, though what that is is not quite clear. Even as I questioned its motives, however, I found the end result of Women in Trouble strangely pleasant.  The narrative never stayed put too long, the stories told were intriguing confections.

Under 250: Gentlemen Broncos

I was optimistic about Gentlemen Broncos. Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess seemed to be going back to low-rent basics, eschewing the Jack Blackisms of Nacho Libre in favor of off-kilter time warped middle America. The premise seemed ripe with absurdity: a home schooled boy (Michael Angarano) writes a sci-fi novel and enters it into a high school writing competition where its premise is stolen by a creatively challenged established genre author (Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords). On the outside looking in, it has all the makings of an instant cult classic. Bad outfits, Clement acting in full-on pomposity, horrendous sci-fi art, and an insane student grade reenactment of the novel in question. Once you get in, however, you realize you're watching the film slowly commit artistic suicide. The side characters become unwatchably quirky as our supposed hero exists as a black hole of personality. He's forgettable and bland, leaving the work to Clement (who is perhaps the film's saving grace, and spot-on as a caricature) and an oddly-cast Sam Rockwell, who elicited the most snickers as a flamboyant, reindeer-riding hero searching for his stolen gonad. Past the issues with character, the story is a mess and the humor frequently falls back on toilet references and exploding bodily fluids. Napoleon Dynamite succeeded mostly because it was so deadpan, so odd, that you couldn't help but find the comedy. Gentlemen Broncos doesn't seem to know that the plot alone would have been enough fodder for comedy. While, thanks to Clement and Rockwell, there are indeed amusing moments, the film is largely a failure. Alarmingly juvenile and frequently downright gag inducing, there's too much poorly placed shit & vomit for Hess to ever pull his third effort out of the gutter.  If we cut everything down and made a movie solely out of Jemaine Clement....we would have had comedy gold.

Under 250: The September Issue

Within minutes of pushing play, I began to wish I'd gone out of my way to see The September Issue in its theatrical run.  The reason?  It should have had a place on the list of my favorite documentaries of the aughts.  The September Issue is a riveting glance behind the scenes at American Vogue.  As the editors, stylists, photographers, and designers collaborate tirelessly on each piece of the mammoth titular issue, you begin to see the true extent of their genius, and the push pull struggle between artistry and commerce that goes into the creation of every glossy fashion rag on the newstand.  As we watch Anna Wintour shift uncomfortably or observe Grace Coddington (who truly earns her time in the spotlight as a driving force behind the magazine, you'll fall in love with her) shrug off another small disappointment, we are brought into their world.  Director R.J. Cutler knows how to focus a chaos of clashing personalities and big budget ideals and pin down a narrative that effectively transforms the seemingly superficial into something dense with meaning.  Wintour sits as a high priestess; a curator responsible for the production and perpetuation of a luxurious dream. As the days are counted down, the tensions are palpable and the results are as surprisingly engrossing as the fashion industry itself. When it was all said and done, I can honestly say I once again wanted to be Anna Wintour.  Or, at least, Grace.  

RIP: Corey Haim

Lost Boys: Jamison Newlander, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman. Photograph: Kobal Collection

 
Lost Boys star and one half of the 80's Corey heartthrob duo of Feldman and Haim, Corey Haim has died due to an accidental overdose of prescription drugs while suffering from the flu, very similar to to Brittany Murphy. He was 38 years old.

The Hurt Locker Wins, But Maybe It Shouldn't

Although Kathryn Bigelow's sweep at the Oscars makes my little feminist heart beat a little faster in recognition of a historical mile marker that's been a long time coming, the critic in me has been cringing all night. Last night, when The Hurt Locker took home the big win, it finally solidified the Oscars as a meaningless popularity contest (not that there's anything wrong with that). And while scores of women are rejoicing this epic win, I'm going to sit here an be the cranky one that may very well be stripped of her feminist credentials.

In high school, I was a high ranking member of one of the most prestigious orchestras in my state. During freshmen year, each new member was excited to be a part of something creatively engaging and important, a great place to showcase their talent and move up in the ranks, gaining solo responsibilities and a piece of fluff to add to a college application. It all seemed merit based, and as a result freeing and meaningful, a place to gain true validation for your work. But as the years progressed, politics started to play a huge role as reality set in. There were people who deserved to be first chair but didn't get it because they were younger, there were people who deserved to move back but didn't because they'd always sat there and it would look bad if they did. And there were people that were rewarded just because it was something different, even if they didn't deserve it. Suddenly, it all seemed rather pointless and practicing became even more arduous. When Mo'Nique thanked the Academy for cutting out the politics and concentrating on the performances, I thought back to those high school orchestra days and desperately hoped that she was right. Too bad she was wrong.

Here's the thing. The Hurt Locker is a very solid movie, very neatly and correctly put together. It deserves the awards it received in Editing and for Bigelow as Best Director. It is a tense, exciting experience. But it is also just another war movie that does little, outside of building a constant anxiety in the audience, to move beyond those confines. It is not a best picture, not even close.

A best picture should or can be a number of things, but over all, it should do something incredible. Maybe it's truly innovative in its use of the medium (Avatar), or maybe it captures something powerful that can only be felt, not described (A Serious Man). This is the highest award a film can receive, and it better be damn good, above and beyond just being well put together.

But tonight, the Academy got caught up in the politics, as they've done since the beginning all 82 years ago. Avatar was the expected win, and oh gosh, it is a sci-fi movie, just like District 9, we can't have that. It would also be just another notch on James Cameron's Oscar bed post and another reason for his smug smile to float around the talk circuit. Let's face it, The Blind Side isn't really an Oscar movie, we all know I think Up in the Air was the most overrated movie ever marketed, and Up already took home its golden statue in the animated category. Like Cameron, Oscar wins are old hat to the Coen Bros., and Inglourious Basterds is a film that everyone loves, but seems afraid to love too much. Really, seniority, dues, and genre issues all considered, that just leaves Hurt Locker, even if it's not the most deserving. And An Education? Apparently everyone forgot that that was also, like Bigelow, directed by a female, Lone Scherfig.

It's interesting to note the difference. Bigelow, as every news media source keeps trying to tell us, made a male movie, about war and violence, her gender in relation to the subject matter making her some sort of alien anomaly, and perhaps feeding the power leading up to this win and reports that she's the new "transvestite of directors." Scherfig's gender on the other hand, goes unnoticed by the masses, perhaps because An Education is a female movie. It's rather ironic that both films are the same in that they tell their story very effectively, but that neither does anything we haven't seen before, and no, those films aren't, nor should they be, categorized by gender.

It's all getting tiresome. While I don't think that The Hurt Locker won because of Bigelow's gender, it's hard not to see how the obsession with gender and how it put her film into the spotlight didn't influence the decision and didn't place it into the minds of the Academy because of the controversy. While it's nice to see somebody finally caring about the representation of women, this feels a little like me having to choose between Hillary and Barack. And although the New York Times may be correct in asserting that a gender neutral acting category is best, doing so would not only cut out a good thirty minutes of programming and limit the nominees, it's also not something our country is ready for if we're still mentioning that Bigelow is a lady and getting all worked up because she made a war movie. I just get the feeling that had Bigelow been a guy, Avatar would have won.

Because of their presumed weight and importance as a mark of excellence, I wish that the Oscars would cut the politics once in a while and concentrate on the art. I know that in our current system that that automatically cuts a good portion of the people I want to have a voice. So I also wish that they would actively foster the right environment where a woman or an African American win would be normal and based entirely on the product, and not an occasional pat on the back for the Academy, which often feels something akin to a large corporation requiring diversity training to make themselves look better.  I wish we could go back to 2009 and give Mickey Rourke the Oscar for The Wrestler and give Colin Firth the award for this year. I wish we could go back and acknowledge all the other female directors, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, Mira Nair, Agnes Varda, and the countless others, in addition to all the minority actors that have been ignored. I wish that film was open to anyone with the talent and drive, regardless of who they were and the money they have. I wish that in the future, the pinnacle of film awards would mean something again.

But I know what you're thinking; this is the Oscars, what did you expect?

Field Trip: Cinema St. Louis Official Oscar Party Mar.7th, 2010

While Wilde.Dash was live blogging here at Love & Squalor, I was away at the Cinema St. Louis Oscar Party, twittering my little heart out (until I dropped my ancient phone in ketchup during the obituaries and it decided that it didn't want to work for a bit). While the Oscars themselves were a big disappointment (Hurt Locker? Are you kidding me!!!! And the walking, the walking! It added at least an hour to the program) the party was totally rocking.

Cinema St. Louis rented out the restaurant at the Clayton Crowne Plaza Hotel (that's just a few minutes outside of downtown for you non-residents and no, it was not featured in Up in the Air) and kept the beer flowing from sponsor Stella Artois throughout the night, with food supplied from the always delicious local fav Pasta House Co. Owner Kim Tucci was there to keep the commercial breaks exciting with a variety of auctions including fun George Clooney and Johnny Depp signed memorabilia, in addition to a raffle that yours truly ended up winning. They also gave away cards that had each nominee on it, and if your nominee won, then you got to go pick up some prizes from books, DVDs, to tee shirts. It was a great event for movie lovers to meet and mingle, professionally done and thankfully well executed so the over 150 attendees could forget how boring the show actually was. Thanks to Brian and Chris for letting me in even though I didn't make the correct RSVP date! Great party guys!

Christoph for the win.

Keeping track. 

Loot

Crossed fingers for Colin Firth...sorry Colin, should have crossed my toes too. 

And then they take away the win for White Ribbon...

Oscars 2010 Liveblog

Wilde.Dash watches the Oscars.  Wilde.Dash speaks in the third person.  Wilde.Dash is ready to eat pizza now.  How many more hours do I have to sit with this computer on my lap?  Why did I say I'd do this?  (Also, M. is twittering from St. Louis's official Oscar bash, check it out here)

6:22: Ryan Seacrest asks Kathryn Bigelow what she'll say to ex-husband James Cameron if she wins for Best Director.  My goodness that boy tries too hard.  Bigelow is likely a better person than I, because I'm pretty sure I'd have some choice words for that dude.

6:25: One time, I decided to 'liveblog' watching Salo: The 120 Days of Sodom.  I did, but I didn't publish it.  Maybe I should cut up pieces of it and insert them in here to see if you're paying attention.

6:32: Have noticed that whoever is filming for E! gets bored and decides to stalk Clooney's wanderings.  Am still really hoping that Colin Firth somehow trumps Jeff Bridges. Oh wait! Clooney watch '10  Now he's actually stumbled into the picture.  I don't like this pinky/lavendar/mauvey color scheme so many people are rocking.

6:40: Sartorial love #1: Rachel McAdams. Simple dress, great colors.
6:45: "If fashion was porn, this dress is the moneyshot" - Gabourey Sidibe
6:49:  Oh RDJ. Geeky little bowtie.  Adorable.

6:58: Barbara Walters special has reminded me that Sandra Bullock is a cool lady with a solid perspective.  Alas, I don't think anything can turn me around to seeing how The Blind Side fits into the Best Picture category.   I'm sorry Sandy, I like you...but...

7:28: Memo to ABC: your red carpet interviewers are abysmal tools.  Hardcore sycophants. Next year, hire me. I'll get to the bottom of this and talk to people like they're actually people.

7:39: Neil Patrick Harris, Las Vegas Showgirls, already better than that horrendously awkward Baz Luhrmann sequence last year...is it wrong of me to wish that a wild and crazy guys skit makes it in here somewhere?

7:49: Well done Steve & Alec, now: SUPPORTING ACTOR.  Ok, how long is the clip reel? Geez, this could really drag it out, yeah? Woody's head looks real shiny in The Messenger. Remember when Christopher Plummer was Captain Von Trapp? He was a looker. And.....NO SURPRISES. Christoph Waltz.  Swank. "Uber-bingo!"  Looker --->

8:00: Eeegads, last minute alterations.  So much quality animation this year, I would have loved to have seen Fantastic Mr. Fox gain some recognition, but who can argue with a BEST ANIMATED FEATURE win for Up?  Pixar triumphs again.  Think Toy Story 3 will conquer again next year?  Or will it lose points for sequelness?

8:06: Wow. Standing next to Amanda Seyfried, you really notice how poorly proportioned Miley's dress is.  Hannah Montana - the bust line needs to come higher.  You look like an inverted triangle.  Another check on my Oscar ballot: ORIGINAL SONG: "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart.  No alarms, no surprises.
   --Good lord, "I love you more than rainbows" ?!? For reals.

8:17: Two favorites. Fey & RDJ.  Are those Chucks, Downey Jr.?  Wonderful. Sickly Little Mole People. There's truth to that, I'm afraid. Yes, indeed.
  --The Hurt Locker wins for ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY.  A Serious Man and Inglourious Basterds definitely had more complex, original writing.  Let's just put it out there.

8:26: John Hughes tribute is bumming me out.  How is it that Molly Ringwald looks like, the same, and Ally Sheedy transformed into a mutated Sigourney Weaver?  Which Breakfast Club-ber are you?  Ally Sheedy. Definitely.  PS: I'm a firm believer in Macaulay Culkin making more movies. Why not?

8:33: Sartorial loves 2 and 3: Carey Mulligan and Zoe Saldana.  My goodness, the bottom of Saldana's Givenchy dress is so unexpected. The top...so sparkly. Sparkle sparkle sparkle.
     --ANIMATED SHORT:  Logorama
     --DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Music By Prudence
     --LIVE ACTION SHORT: The New Tenants
I think that's 0/3 on my Oscar ballot. I was counting on Wallace and Gromit...

8:43: OH MAN. Ben Stiller in blueface.  Brilliant. He specializes in award show humor, I think.  Really, they should hire him as consultant.  James Cameron: wipe that uncomfortable expression off your face.
      --MAKEUP: Star Trek

8:54: ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: All that talk about being based on the novel Push by Sapphire finally paid off.  Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire adapted by Geoffrey Fletcher who's totally crying about dreams and believing and needs to skip off the stage.

9:00: And Miley Cyrus looks to Taylor Lautner and says: "Who's Lauren Bacall?"

9:01: Anna Kendrick was such a robot in Up in t he Air, but in a good way, I think. She was a sort of terrifying little person.  ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Mo'Nique. Here comes the two hour speech...

   --Speech much shorter than expected. Hurrah. Samuel L.  what is this face all about? Not a Precious fan?

9:11: I love Sigourney Weaver. ART DIRECTION: Avatar.  Lots of good choices, though. Who else do I love? Tom Ford. Brilliant designer now brilliant filmmaker.  I hated the hats in Bright Star. COSTUME DESIGN: The Young Victoria. Period piece triumphs again, thought Coco Avant Chanel would have taken it.  Also, you probably don't want to start out with : "I already have two of these..." otherwise... dead on, lady, the contemporary costumes don't make it.  I can't believe A Single Man didn't get in there. They captured that period dead on.

9:23: Yeah, that Paranormal Activity reference is never going to get old.

9:29: SOUND EDITING: The Hurt Locker.  What, are you kidding me?  Over Star Trek and Avatar?  Is this a joke? I call foul.  I'm pretty sure the sounds of fake space are so much more complicated.
   --SOUND MIXING: The Hurt Locker again.  This is absurd.  Honestly. Dismantling bombs over transporters, spacecraft, etc? Frustrating.  I'm starting to get really bitter about Hurt Locker, guys.

9:40: Sartorial love #4: more sparkles on Sandra Bullock.  CINEMATOGRAPHY: Avatar.  Who else thinks Watchmen got totally gypped in the technical categories?

9:48: Ah yes, and here they act like animals. A pack on all fours and leashed. Barking and panting, thrusting their heads up to catch pieces of food, eating out of dog bowls and getting whipped when unruly. More fascist doctrine about the suit’s fascination in watching people who don’t enjoy what they do be forced to take part in it and a pastry filled with nails? Iron filings? Can’t tell, but it made her mouth bleed a lot. Not so healthy, I think. Oh yeah, everyone’s naked now. Except for the authority figures.
    ---Oh wait. That's Salo.  Strike that from the record please.

9:51: Dance Break! I enjoy the big heavy Sherlock Holmes score.
     ---9:54: alright. I've had enough dance break. End scene.
     ---9:56: the more I think about it the more I sort of think it might make sense for Avatar to take Best Picture.
      ---9:57: BEST SCORE: Up


9:59: VISUAL EFFECTS: Avatar.  As if you didn't know.

10:06: BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: The Cove.  Which looks totally depressing. I thought that film was about something completely different.  Dolphin slaying? My god. I know a half dozen people who probably cried during that clip reel.

10:12: I swear, guys. As soon as I can find a picture of Martin and Baldwin in a tandem snuggie I'm putting them up as sartorial love number 5.  That's only half a joke.  FILM EDITING: The Hurt Locker.  Editing wins usually win Best Picture, kids.  It's looking like a sweep for The Hurt Locker, for better or worse

10:19: Quentin and Pedro! Wonderful! BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: The Secret in Their Eyes....wait, wasn't The White Ribbon supposed to be a lock?

10:28: Wait a second, I just noticed, was Farrah Fawcett left out of the In Memoriam? That's not cool guys.

10:29: I love when they have individuals introduce the acting categories. Colin, Colin, Colin, you deserve recognition.  Come on, something needs to be shaken up...I love George Clooney, too.
     --10:36: And the award for ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE is: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart. One of those cases where the person is recognized for the wrong movie.  The Dude was the role of a lifetime, Bad Blake, I'm sorry to say, is not.  Colin Firth's performance was.  Someone cut off this speech already.

10:46: I'm feeling embittered. I think I'm becoming far too pretentious for the Oscars.  I have these delusions about art triumphing over all.  I choose Charlotte Gainsbourg. Book closed.

10:52: I forgot Sean Penn won last year. BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side. Oh boy. At least she's humble. Solid acceptance speech.

10:57: Shit my dad says (regarding Barbra Streisand): "The older she gets, the more she looks like Steven Spielberg"

10:58: BEST DIRECTOR (aka: battle of the exes): Kathryn Bigelow. First woman. Makin' history. Feminist that I am, though, I probably would've handed it to Tarantino, who has written and directed more strong female characters than Bigelow could even come close to.

11:03: Tom Hanks is the Academy Governor? BEST PICTURE: The Hurt Locker.  Another year, another war film.  Seriously: politics always wins.

Most predictable Oscars in recent memory.  I'm signing off now to be a little bit frustrated.