Viennale 2014 – Day 13: Jauja

Posted on March 16, 2015 by cornholio1980

JaujaJauja
Argentina | Denmark | France | Mexico | USA | Germany | Brazil | Netherlands 2014
Written by Lisandro Alonso & Fabian Casas
Directed by Lisandro Alonso

I visit the Viennale regularly since roughly five years, and in all this time (combined!), I don’t think that I’ve seen as many people leave the cinema as I saw during the screening of “Jauja”. The exodus started roughly 15-20 minutes in, and after that, the sound that you heard the most during the movie was the opening and closing of the doors. It went on almost constantly. It’s not that the movie would have been so disturbing and/or offensive, but rather that it was boring as hell. And while I braved “Jauja” and stayed until the closing credits, the urge to just get up and leave has rarely been stronger – and to be honest, if I wouldn’t have had one of my regular seats in the middle and didn’t want to inconvenience and/or wake up the people sitting in my row, I probably would have. I strongly believe that time is the most precious commodity of our life, and during “Jauja”, I could almost hear the seconds of my life ticking away, wasted.

Now, obviously, this is just my opinion. I rarely ever discourage anyone to check out a movie that he or she thinks sounds interesting, and I definitely wouldn’t in this case. I think “Jauja” simply is one of those movies that will speak to a very small, limited audience – but that those will absolutely love it. Unfortunately, I can’t count myself among them. Pretty much the only thing that I liked about it was the beautiful first shot, that looked like an old photograph. Actually, the whole movie gives out this vibe, visually, thanks to the 4:3 format and the rounded edges. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much everything the movie has going for it. Viggo Mortensen was absolutely wasted, the story was uninteresting and confusing, the ending nonsensical, and the whole movie a pointless exercise in boredom. I also missed some music to enhance the mood. And some shots looked rather amateurish, like the scene at the campfire where you could clearly notice that the light was coming off from a spotlight. I guess that was intentional, but it totally took me out of the movie.

The two biggest issues of the movie, however, were the thin plot and the tedious pacing. “Jauja” moves along at a pace that would make even the continental shift blush in embarrassment. Most of the shots went on way too long, far overstaying their welcome. All in all, the combination of no plot to speak of and the leisurely pace it was told in, just didn’t work for me, and made for one of the most tedious and exhausting movie screenings of my life. Maybe you’ll be able to take out more from it than I (or Kalafudra) did, but for me, “Jauja” simply was a complete and utter waste of time.
1/10


IMDB

Posted in cinema 2014, movie reviews, Viennale | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Viennale 2014 – Day 12: Birdman

Posted on March 5, 2015 by cornholio1980

BirdmanBirdman
USA | Canada 2014
Written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris & Armando Bo
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu

If I would have been more timely with my Viennale-reviews, I would not now be pretty much the last movie blogger on this planet who adds his voice to the high – and highly deserved – praise for “Birdman”. Hell, I didn’t even beat the Oscars to it! Unfortunately, real life – and my work for fictionBOX – once again interfered. But, as the saying goes: Better late than never, right? So for those 5 people who either live under a rock or who, despite all those positive reviews and the oscar-wins, are still undecided if they should give “Birdman” a try: Yes, it really is that good.

Almost feeling like a lighter, funnier and more playful version of “Black Swan”, “Birdman” is a highly entertaining look on artistry, obsessiveness, the desire to be relevant, self-doubt, (self-)delusions, the clashing of divergent personalities, and so much more… – all offered up with an incredible, frantic level of energy, stellar performances from an all-star cast, and many hilarious scenes. One of it’s most remarkable (and oft-cited) features is the impression that it consists of only one long take. That doesn’t mean, however, that the movie is supposed to be in real-time. Sometimes, the passage of time is marked by time lapse-scenes while the camera points towards the sky. More often than not, however, we clearly go from one day to another simply by switching the location, with the occurred passage of time only remarked on by the protagonists, but not felt by us as a viewer. It can be a little irritating at first, but once you got accustomed to it, it’s vital to the “force of nature”-like energy that marks the movie. It’s also more than just a gimmick, since it gives the proceedings a very surreal tone, and also adds quite a few layers to the movie – not the least of which being that it unfolds (and feels) like a play, but without having to forego the greater directorial and/or dramaturgical freedom that comes with film.

Another strength of “Birdman” is the obvious meta-level. Granted, in contrast to his movie alter-ego, Michael Keatons career never really halted, but after the 90s, his star nevertheless did fall a little bit. In addition to the obvious Batman-reference (small aside: After seeing him here, I kinda wish Snyder would have approached him for “Batman vs. Superman”), it’s clear that Riggan is at least partially based on Keaton. At any rate, I can’t think of anyone who would have been better suited to play the part, and Keaton absolutely shines in the role, giving us the performance of a lifetime (one that tragically wasn’t acknowledged by the Academy). Not that the rest of the cast isn’t great either. Edward Norton is the wild card of the movie (and the play it depicts), and amps the energy level up yet another notch. Emma Stone plays Riggans daughter with an effortlessness and genuineness which makes it all look so easy, even though it most certainly isn’t. And Zack Galifianakis finally branches out from the obnoxious characters which he got typecast for as of late. Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough and Amy Ryan, who all give equally great performances, round up the stellar cast.

There’s one thing, however, that I didn’t quite like as much, and that’s the ending. I know that I’m probably in the minority on that. And, granted, the final shot was a thing of remarkable beauty. But, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times already on this blog, I ultimately prefer it when a movie lets us choose our own interpretation, instead of seemingly imposing one, and unfortunately, I felt that “Birdman” did exactly that (in contrast to, again, “Black Swan”). Because of that, and in my very humble opinion, “Birdman” ultimately – by a narrow margin – falls short of being a masterpiece. Which doesn’t make it any less incredible, entertaining, extraordinary and commendable…
9/10


IMDB

Posted in cinema 2014, movie reviews, Viennale | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rest in Peace, Leonard Nimoy

Posted on February 27, 2015 by cornholio1980

Leonard_Nimoy_1

This one cuts deep…

I’ve been a Star Trek-Fan for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching the Original Series in reruns when I was a child, and when they finally came to the TV, I also watched all the movies. Granted, Star Trek is more than Leonard Nimoy, but he still was a tremendously important part of it, and without Star Trek, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. Star Trek was the first show that I called myself a fan of. It started my life-long fascination with Space, Science Fiction, TV-shows and Movies.

Of course, Leonard Nimoy is not the first member of the Star Trek-family that we have lost. In 1999, DeForest Kelley passed away, and in 2005, we lost James Doohan. I mourned both of them, especially Doohan, since I always had a really soft spot for Scotty (which is why as soon as I learned of his passing, I put on the great TNG-episode “Relics”). But for whatever reason, Leonard Nimoys death hits he harder than both of them.

Leonard_Nimoy_2

Maybe it’s because nowadays, because of the internet, we learn of such passings in a much more immediate way. Maybe it’s because we don’t mourn alone, but thanks to Social Media, we share our grief, and mourn collectively. Maybe it’s because Spock, as much as he would hate to hear it, was very much the heart and soul of Star Trek. Maybe it’s because he was such a great character: An outsider, forever torn between his two heritages – not really feeling at home either on Earth or on Vulcan – who on the Enterprise, found a new home and a new family; thus giving hope to each and every one of us who feels different (and don’t we all, from time to time?).

I never had the pleasure of meeting Leonard Nimoy in person, and right now, I’m saddened that I never made the effort to come to a Star Trek-convention to do so. From the interviews that I read and from his tweets, he seemed like a warm, gentle, wise and thoughtful man, with an incredibly big heart. He also was a great actor, and while he starred in many roles, I first and foremost will always remember him as Mr. Spock. Despite the fact that he played a seemingly unemotional Vulcan, he always managed to let you feel his underlying emotions – and as great he was whenever he got the chance to break out of his emotional corset and set his feelings free, the moments that stuck with me the most are those where he’s trying to suppress them, to hide them from the world, but you can still very clearly see them shining through.

Leonard_Nimoy_3

Many of your are probably going to watch “The Wrath of Khan” today, and while my first reflex was to do just that, I’m not sure yet if I can handle it. That death scene… wow. “I have been, and always shall be, your friend.” Or the funeral. “Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most… human.” Those scenes already got me before, every freakin’ time that I watched it. I can’t imagine what it will be like now. Because in real life, there is no Deus Ex Machina, no Genesis planet, no Sequel where Leonard Nimoy will return from the dead. Today, the world has lost one of Science Fictions greatest icons. He will be mourned. He will be missed. But he will not be forgotten.

There’s one thing that Star Trek got wrong, though. It’s not Space that’s The Final Frontier, but rather whatever awaits us after we’ve drawn our last breath, when our heart beats one last time, and we close our eyes forever. Whatever Leonard Nimoy may find there, may his journey be gentle, peaceful, and “fascinating”.

Leonard_Nimoy_Final_Tweet

Photo Credit Image 1: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Photo Credit Image 2: CBS/Paramount
Photo Credit Image 3: Paramount Pictures
Photo Credit Image 4: Twitter

Posted in A Geeks Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Viennale 2014 – Day 12: Whiplash

Posted on February 13, 2015 by cornholio1980

WhiplashWhiplash
USA 2014
Written by Damien Chazelle
Directed by Damien Chazelle

Of all the screenings that I went to at last years Viennale, “Whiplash” by far got the most cheers and applause. The audience seemed to be in a real frenzy afterwards. Me? I’m afraid I wasn’t quite as taken by it as many others were. It’s a good movie, but I also had some issues with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPOILERS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My main problem with “Whiplash” definitely lies in its ending, and the message it entails. This is one of those movies where a young artist suffers mental and physical abuse from his teacher/idol/whatever, but in the end, it’s all worth it, since he prevails and gives the performance of his life – thus condoning the questionable methods of his mentor. In other words: abuse is good, because without it, you’d never be able to reach your full potential. A message that just really makes me want to puke (for a more eloquent elaboration on why this is wrong on so many levels, read my friends kalafudra’s review). I also thought that some scenes were a little too melodramatic and/or clichéd. This is especially true for the car accident. I also found it rather unbelievable that he would rush to the venue afterwards to actually try to play at the concert. Finally: In my opinion, the final drum solo went on too long. After a while I got the impression that it wasn’t just one for the ages, but actually went on for ages. Less would have been more, at least in my very humble opinion.

Despite those flaws, I liked “Whiplash” quite a bit. The movie has an incredible, sweeping and infectious energy. Apart from the aforementioned abusive teacher-syndrome, I also liked how it dealed with matters of ambition and motivation, and how our life can sometimes be directly influenced by success or failure in our job, our hobby and/or in whatever we perceive to be our calling. How invigorating it is to finally reach a certain goal. What a boost of self-esteem it is. I love how Andrew, after getting admitted to Fletchers class, finally finds the courage to ask the girl at his local movie theatre out – and also, how he pushes her away a couple of weeks later, totally convinced that if he doesn’t leave her now, she’ll end up leaving him sooner or later; not even giving her the chance to prove him wrong. He simply thinks that he knows better. Thus, the movie not only shows the positive sides of ambition and success, but also its potential negative consequences. The acting was great, too, with J.K. Simmons a particular standout – highly deserving of all the praise and awards he already got, and most likely will continue to get until Oscar night finally comes around. He really shines in this role, and makes Fletcher – and the movie – highly entertaining. My favorite part of the movie, however, was how Andrew, being drawn into a trap, prevails and ultimately triumphs over his archnemesis and mentor. Still, I can’t quite get myself to disregard – and forgive – “Whiplash” its dubious connotations.
6/10


IMDB

Posted in cinema 2014, movie reviews, Viennale | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Viennale 2014 – Day 12: Olive Kitteridge

Posted on February 12, 2015 by cornholio1980

Olive KitteridgeOlive Kitteridge
USA 2014
Written by Jane Anderson, based on the novel by Elizabeth Strout
Directed by Lisa Cholodenko

Thanks to Sky, who held a screening of “Olive Kitteridge” during the Viennale, I had the chance to see this HBO mini-series all in one go, for free, and on the big screen. The only drawback was that the screening took place in the afternoon on a weekday, thus I had to take the day off. However, “Olive Kitteridge” was totally worth it.

I don’t know the short novel this is based on, so I can’t compare the two, but I really liked the mini-series. It offered a wonderful, complex and multi-layered portrait of a woman, and deals with difficult topics like depression and mental illness. Despite the fact that Olive can be quite stern and harsh, she never crossed a line that would make her unlikable for me. Granted, she’s not an easy person, and as far as identifying yourself with the protagonists goes, I definitely found more of myself in her ever-friendly, helpful, understanding and kind husband Henry than in her, but that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t sympathize with her. The fact that she’s just as harsh on herself as she is on the rest of the world definitely helped with that. I also really loved the more humorous scenes. While most of “Olive Kitteridge” is a rather serious and somber affair, there are also some lighter moments, especially at the wedding in episode 2, and I loved them all. Which is not to say that I didn’t also appreciate the more sad and depressing moments, but it was nice to get a little fun here and there. I also loved the fact that the mini-series takes place over the course of a couple of decades. The story was very engaging, the dialogues very well written, and the sadder moments worked just as well for me as the funny ones.

It’s also extremely well cast. I can’t imagine Olive Kitteridge played by anyone else than Francis McDormand, who gives an absolutely stunning performance. The rest of the cast is great too, with Richard Jenkins, Zoe Kazan and John Gallagher Jr. particular standouts. I also quite enjoyed Bill Murray (they really let us wait for him, by the way; after showing up for two seconds in episode 3, it’s not before the fourth and final episode that he gets a bigger role), even though he pretty much plays his regular grumpy and cynimal old man; but at least he does it well. I also loved Lisa Cholodenko’s direction. Some of the landscape shots were especially beautiful, and there are a couple of wonderfully staged scenes. The pacing is also great, finding the right balance between moving the story forward and staying in the moments long enough for us to enjoy them. My only complaint is the hostage situation. I get that it served as a means to escalate the story, and to bring some long-hidden truths and feelings to the surface, but it still felt too overly dramatic to me, and didn’t really fit with the rest of the miniseries. Apart from that, however, “Olive Kitteridge” was absolutely great.
8/10


IMDB

Posted in cinema 2014, movie reviews, Viennale | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Viennale 2014 – Day 12: Stimmen (Voices)

Posted on February 11, 2015 by cornholio1980

StimmenStimmen (Voices)
Austria 2014
Written by Mara Mattuschka
Directed by Mara Mattuschka

This movie sounded really interesting and promising – so interesting and promising in fact, that it was one of the reasons why I decided to take the day off to catch a midmorning-screening. Ok, granted, the chance to see “Olive Kitteridge” on the big screen for free, shortly after it debuted on HBO (which should give you an idea how far behind I am on these reviews), admittedly played an even bigger part in this decision, but still – and despite not having seen a movie by Mara Mattuschka before – I looked forward to seeing this. Mostly because of the description in the Viennale programme, which unfortunately made me expect a totally different movie than the one I was ultimately getting.

See, the way I understood the short description of the plot that was printed in the programme, I expected “Stimmen” to be a visual interpretation of the inner struggle of a man between different aspects of his personality. A young boy, a teenager, a woman, and his adult self in a tête-à-tête, taking place in a small apartment that represents his mind. That could have been interesting, but instead, “Stimmen” was far more fantastical than I expected. Because, you see, the apartment isn’t just a visual representation of Alex’ mind (and whoever leaves it is in charge of his body – which in itself would have been strange enough), but it’s actually possible for other people to enter the apartment and to meet Alex’s other personalities. Which I just couldn’t get into; that was far too weird for me. And that’s only the beginning! “Stimmen” also features a scene where Sandra, Alex’ female personality, lures his therapist into her room (in the cellar, of course, since she appears to be some sort of devilish creature), sleeps with him, and just a couple of days later gives birth. Now… maybe you’re into this kind of crazy shit, but it just was far too nonsensical for my taste.

It didn’t help that I felt that “Stimmen” used total “movie logic” when it comes to depicting a split personality (then again, I’m not a psychology scholar, so maybe I’m wrong). Overall, I just couldn’t buy into any of it, and thus couldn’t take the movie seriously. I also didn’t relate to Alex or one of his sub-personalities. Consequently, I just didn’t find my way into the movie, and ended up feeling rather bored for most of it’s running time, simply waiting for whatever crazy shit Mara Mattuschka had in store for us next. Granted, there were a couple of nice scenes, the acting was pretty good (especially Alexander Fennon and Julia Schranz), and despite not quite being able to totally hide the rather cheap way this was produced (“Stimmen” was financed at least partially via the crowdfunding-platform “Startnext”), it still looked ok. Ultimately, though, this just wasn’t my cup of tea.
3/10

IMDB

Posted in cinema 2014, movie reviews, Viennale | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Viennale 2014 – Day 11: Listen Up Philip

Posted on January 29, 2015 by cornholio1980

Listen Up PhilipListen Up Philip
USA 2014
Written by Alex Ross Perry
Directed by Alex Ross Perry

“Listen Up Philip” is in line with recent movies about obnoxious people, like (and I’m mentioning those two simply because they were the first to come to mind) “Greenberg” and “Young Adult”; however, due to a couple of flaws, it doesn’t quite play in the same league. Which also means, however, that if you’ve got a problem if your main character is a vile, self-centered asshole who’s totally oblivious to his own shortcomings, this is probably not the movie for you.

What I liked most about the movie is that despite his flaws, his arrogance and his unpleasantness, Philip still has a certain charm that stems mostly from the fact that he’s some sort of wish-fulfilment for the viewer. Not that I’d actually want to be like him, but there’s something alluring about a guy who simply speaks his mind, no matter what others may think about it. Most of us, I guess, tend to keep things to ourselves for whatever reason – maybe because we don’t want to hurt the other person, or we fear rejection, or to lose our jobs, or whatever. Philip simply doesn’t give a shit, and that definitely has a certain appeal. I also thought that the dialogue was well written (and performed); whenever two people talked to each other, the movie came to life. Unfortunately, there repeatedly are longer stretches where this is not the case, and which are mostly accompanied by a voice over commentary that got annoying astonishingly fast.

I also did not care at all for the shaky cam, which was especially bad at the beginning (the scene with the passersby). I already don’t like that style in action scenes (where one could at least argue that they have a certain purpose, namely to make the scene more dynamic. This “one” wouldn’t be me, but on an objective level, I get the point), but here it’s totally unwarranted and unnecessary IMHO. Plus, I’m not quite sure what to make of the longer stretches where the attention drifts away from Philip and towards the people in his life, like Ashley and Ike. On the one hand: The more Elisabeth Moss and Jonathan Pryce, the better (which is not meant to slam Jason Schwartzman, who also does some nice work here). It also fleshed out their (otherwise rather one-note) characters considerably. On the other hand, the movie seemed to lose its focus during those scenes. However, the performances ranged from very good to great, and I loved the ending, which was also very much in line with, for example, the aforementioned “Young Adult”, and which offered a different kind of “what happened afterwards”-epilogue. Still, despite a couple of nice individual scenes, a great ending and the mostly superb dialogue, “Listen Up Philip” didn’t quite rise above mediocrity for me.
5/10


IMDB

Posted in cinema 2014, movie reviews, Viennale | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Viennale 2014 – Day 10: La chambre bleue (The Blue Room)

Posted on January 27, 2015 by cornholio1980

La Chambre BleueLa chambre bleue (The Blue Room)
France 2014
Written by Stéphanie Cléau & Mathieu Amalric, based on the novel by Georges Simenon
Directed by Mathieu Amalric

Maybe I was getting fatigued – this was my 10th Viennale-day, after all, and my 27th showing – but despite having high hopes for this one, I was mostly bored with “La chambre bleue”. In fact, I was so exhausted and tired after the screening, that I just wanted to go home, so I sold my ticket for the next movie (thus I missed “Why don’t you play in hell?”, I’m afraid). It would be unfair to put all the blame for that on “La chambre bleue”; the fact that “Why don’t you play in hell?” has a running time of a little more than two hours (and started at 11 p.m.) definitely also played a significant part in my decision. However, the fact remains that “La chambre bleue” did little to keep me invigorated, energized and/or hyped.

It’s not so much that “La chambre bleue” would be a bad movie – it’s not – but rather that it – like a couple of other movies of this years Viennale before it – felt rather pointless to me. I thought that the story was told in an unnecessarily confusing way, given the fact that at the beginning, we don’t really know what’s it all about, why they question Julien, and what crime he’s accused of in the first place. Getting that out of the way right at the beginning would have helped me to find my way into the movie. The constant (and totally unnecessary and arbitrary) shifts in time didn’t help, either. Thus, it missed focus and a clear narrative. Also, a little backstory would have been nice, because as it were, I – once again – couldn’t really relate to anybody.

What made the movie even more frustrating for me is the fact that I think that this had great potential. Either tell it strictly from Juliens point of view, or – even more exciting – put the viewer in the jury’s shoes. Show us the story only through the testimonies of the accused and the witnesses (shown via flashbacks, from their respective point of view, Rashomon-style), and you have a winner in your hands. Because the way the movie was shot I got the feeling to only get half of the story anyway. So why not use all this holes, the contradictions, the doubts etc. and let the viewer feel like one of the jury members, thus forcing us to ask ourselves: Would we have convicted him and/or her? Whose story seems more credible? There would have been a lot of dramaturgic potential there – that, unfortunately, goes to waste. Instead, we get a so-so crime procedural without any resolution.

Regarded independently, both Mathieu Amalric and Léa Drucker were great in their individual parts. Unfortunately I felt that they had no chemistry together. I didn’t feel the attraction, the passion and the sizzle that’s supposed to exist between Julien and Delphine. Instead, their relationship felt rather clinical and cold to me. Visually, Mathieu Amalric mostly does a good job of shooting the movie, offering a couple of nice shots (like Julien and Delphine making love in front of the open window). However, I was a little baffled by his decision to shoot in 4:3, which inevitably gave this a “TV-movie”-look (or rather: a “TV-movie of the 90s”-look, since even on the small screen, 16:9 is the prevalent format nowadays). And I could have done without the pointless, gratuitous pussy-shots (especially since Amalric, while obviously having no problem to put the genitals of his female co-star front and center, doesn’t feel the need to return the favor). Ultimately, it felt way longer to me than its rather short running time of 76 minutes, and despite some nice moments, I have a hard time recommending it to anyone.
4/10


IMDB

Posted in cinema 2014, movie reviews, Viennale | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Viennale 2014 – Day 10: We Come as Friends

Posted on January 26, 2015 by cornholio1980

We Come As FriendsWe Come as Friends
Austria | France 2014
Concept by Hubert Sauper
Directed by Hubert Sauper

“We Come as Friends” is an important and often times fascinating look at the – mostly devastating – effects of colonization. In a way, it offers a window into the past, since Hubert Sauper compares the colonization of Sudan with earlier similar endeavors. The result is quite enlightening, often disturbing, and occasionally devastating. It shows that even with the best intentions, colonization will likely have a negative effect on the native inhabitants – and that, unfortunately, the colonialists rarely have their best interest in mind in the first place.

There were a couple of scenes – some haunting, some funny – that stuck with me. Like the chinese workers watching “Star Trek”, and discussing the underlying message of colonizing the universe (To boldly conquer where no one has gone before?), the President of South Sudan who doesn’t know the text of their new anthem, the missionaries that set their minds on forcing their own way of life – and religion – on the “primitive”, heathen natives, or the chief who in good faith signed a contract without even knowing what it entailed. Unfortunately, sooner or later, the documentary starts to run out of steam. There comes a point where you get the impression that Hubert Sauper has now said everything that he had to say – but still it goes on and on and on. Thus, it gets a little exhausting, and loses some of its punch. Less would have been more. Apart from that, “We Come as Friends” is an interesting and at times harrowing documentary that takes a look at the present in order to illustrate the past – in the vague and fleeting hope that we’ll learn to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
6/10


IMDB

Posted in cinema 2014, movie reviews, Viennale | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Viennale 2014 – Day 10: Foxcatcher

Posted on January 21, 2015 by cornholio1980

FoxcatcherFoxcatcher
USA 2014
Written by E. Max Frye & Dan Futterman
Directed by Bennett Miller

“Foxcatcher” was praised by many as a stunning real-life drama, a dark tale about ambition and the american way of life, and/or a fascinating character study in the vein of “Citizen Kane” or “There Will Be Blood”; for me, however, it was mostly a study in boredom. I never really found my way into the movie. I couldn’t relate to any of the characters, and I didn’t get what drives anyone in the movie to do whatever they’re doing – which is especially true, but not exclusive to, John du Ponts actions at the end.

I didn’t know the real-life story behind the movie in advance (hell, I didn’t even know that I would see “Foxcatcher”, since it was the surprise movie, which I assumed and hoped would be “Fury”), and in hindsight, I can’t decide if that helped or hurt my “enjoyment” of the movie. Because even not knowing what’s going to happen, I found “Foxcatcher” to be incredibly dull; on the other hand, knowing beforehand where this is leading might have prompted me to pay more attention, and to look for telltale signs of the tragedy that awaits at the end. Because as it stands, this scene came completely out of the blue for me, and even now I can’t even care to guess what drove du Pont to do what he did there. If the movie was supposed to build up to it, to make it seem like the natural, maybe even unavoidable outcome of this story, then it failed – as least with me. But it’s not just the ending, I had a hard time getting the motivation of the characters for certain actions and developments in general. For example, I didn’t really get what the reason was for the big fallout between du Pont and Mark Schultz.

It doesn’t help that wrestling (the real sport, not the WWE-showfights; which can be fun and exciting to watch) is not a sport that lends itself to a thrilling cinematic representation. Watching two guys hugging and feeling each other up while rolling around on a mattress does not make for exciting action (at least outside of gay porn). It was also hard for me to overlook Steve Carells obvious fake nose. Granted, his appearance and his portrayal are based on a real person that I hadn’t even heard of prior to watching the movie, so it’s possible that from an authentical point of view, they did everything right. But since I know how Steve Carell looks in real life, I found the fake nose to be extremely distracting, and I gotta say I’m a little baffled about that “Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling” Academy Award nomination (though not nearly half as baffled as I would have been if “Foxcatcher” would have gotten a “Best Picture”-nomination).

By far my biggest problem with it, however, is that I was bored to tears. Neither the characters nor the story managed to grip, excite or even interest me. Thus, my reluctance grew with every passing minute, and ultimately, the movie felt a lot longer to me than its running time of just slightly over two hours (once again proving that Einstein was right: Time is relative). Pretty much the only aspect where I can agree with all the praise “Foxcatcher” received is the acting. Carell is very good, bringing a darkness and a sincerity to his performance that I don’t remember ever even glimpsing from him before. Channing Tatum is decent enough (even though the more often I see him, the more I realize that I prefer him in funny roles), but apart from Carell the standout here is Mark Ruffalo, who continues his streak of marvelous work in supporting roles. Overall, it’s – by far – not the worst movie that I’ve seen at this years Viennale, but having seen “Fury” by now (expect a review for it around the middle of february), I definitely would have preferred it if my guess for this years surprise movie would have been correct – and not just for the gratification of being right.
3/10


IMDB

Posted in cinema 2014, movie reviews, Viennale | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment