Not Bad for Time Killing - Charlie Bartlett

A Latin speaking, wealthy kid in a public school, also fairly good looking and kind. What would you expect? Drugs, sex, juvenile delinquency. What you would be expecting in this movie psychology, love, sunshine, and rainbows. Charlie Bartlett – what kind of a name of a movie is Charlie Bartlett? I get Nelson Mandela, Lincoln, but I don’t get Charlie Bartlett. He positions himself as his new school's resident psychiatrist, offering treating sessions in the school’s bathroom and writes prescriptions.

This movie is really not made in the right time to be this cheesy and meaningless. Looking at the script I would say it should date back to the 90s. It is supposed to be a family comedy drama targeting the hypocrisy, apathy and helplessness in society. But judging from today’s point of view, this is really just a TV movie that can probably enter the preliminary selection of Best Supporting Actor in a comedy series, if it is a thing. 

Anton Yelchin stars as Charlie Bartlett, I would say that he did a good job. Staring in a movie like this requires you to be able to show that your character is a real person and not a real person at the same time. Sometimes actors gets too far into the situation and the movie either seems completely absurd or the actors is always breaking the fourth wall. His character was actually genuine and cute. He's confident, smart but vulnerable. The confounded look that he has on his face was precious for this film. Getting beaten up, selling drugs, having sex, all with that look on his face. This actor is a natural at playing naive.

Hope Davis was also enjoyable to watch. Sensitive, neurotic, adoring, not too hard for her as a versatile actress. Robert Downey Jr. is still himself, playing the absolutely same type of character each time but still welcomed every time because of his likability. 

The movie isn’t that big of a disaster, just don’t look at it critically.

P.S. Drake’s in it.

All images retrieved from IMDb.com

We Need More Brilliance from Robert Downey Jr. – The Judge (Spoiler’s Alert)

The Judge is undoubtedly a brilliant story acted out with precision. Almost two and a half hours of content did not bore me to death or seem redundant in any possible way, but kept me wanting more from the script. Robert Duvall and Robert Downey Jr., playing father and son, were the main conflict of the film and both of their performances were intense, precise, and profuse. Robert Downey Jr, once again playing a cynical, frisky, intelligent, and rich character, is more than skillful. The scene at the bar catches your attention by flaunting his wit and the film goes on having you envy his humor and intellect as a lawyer exploiting every other advantage. Timing is very important for such a character but the dexterity of Robert Downey Jr. did not let us down, not one millisecond too fast or too slow. “The most generous and at the same time most selfish”, Vera Farmiga concluded the character from an old lover’s point of view. The generosity was touching – his relationship with everybody is so screwed up in every possible way, inducing your compassion on the man despite his evil practices. Him pounding his cell phone out of inner conflict, or his tone of voice when soothing his father down was all too real and too touching. 

The film’s choreography has achieved something rather delicate. If you have watched enough films or has experience in directing, editing or producing, you might have felt it as well. The movie is predictable in some small details that makes you fell accomplished. You know what the actor’s next move is going to be but like it like a drug rather than hate it as predictability. David Dobkin knows what you want and flow the movie down that stream. Like candy crush, every time you had a victory he throws you another challenge to keep you engaged and playing. I will try to give you an idea by mentioning all of what I caught.

Hank, leaving the divorce drama, yells “water the fucking hydrangea”. I knew it is his mother’s favorite flower.

After Hank locks eyes with Judge and shakes hands with him, I knew someone is going to cut in line while he is trying to utter a word or two to Judge.

I almost hit the jackpot when I guessed that Karla is Sam and Hanks’s daughter.

When the “confirmation of eye contact” happened in the hearing, I knew Hank is about to flare up.

When Hank asked about Judge playing chess with Dr. Morris, I knew he had cancer.

When Hank goes out with his Metallica shirt, I first thought he is going back to the crime scene. But I got several things right after he falls over backwards – Sam finds him, Karla’s in the car and the film really got me here as I thought Karla is their daughter.

I knew he Hank is going to throw up when the camera refuses to move and the shot seems extra-long.

Hank questions Sam about Karla in the bar and wow, isn’t Vera Farmiga a great actress – I could tell that Karla is not their daughter from her tone and look. But mostly the evasive speech told the truth. Thank you who wrote the script.

WTH Karla is Glen’s?!

I saw those candy I was melted – “Where is my big old honey old man”, yea I bet anyone would have saw that coming.

The camera moves away and flows an extended shot of Hank sitting there babbling – I instantly knew that Judge passed. Yea that one was easy too.

 The last scene – I got it half correct. The chair spinning, stops to face him. I thought he would have sat on it.

Later I thought – yea, fortunately he did not. Look at the name of the film – The Judge.

All images retrieved from IMDb.com

A Nice and Sweet British Holiday Film - Love Actually (Spoiler’s Alert)

     I mentioned this film in last week’s post to make sure you understand the absolute horror of He’s Just Not That into You. Afterwards I thought “hey I really don’t remember what happened in Love Actually” and I was just throwing out words that I am not even sure about. So this week I watched Love Actually, for the third time in my life and… still liked it. Let’s break down its choreography.

     Rather than calling it a comedy drama, which is what it is on IMDb, I’d rather call it a romantic comedy, what it actually is. I absolutely hate romantic comedy, at least most of them. They always render themselves as brainless and commonplace instead of how they are supposed to be like – light-hearted and sweet. But Love Actually, actually pulled it off, and made me love it. There are eight story lines in the film and all of them are intertwined. They are all so split apart that I cannot summarize the stories in the order of their appearance. I will tell one story completely, comment on it, and move on to the next one.

     Rock star Billy Mack and his comeback cover of "Love Is All Around" aired weeks before Christmas. He is too old, too has-been to do such a thing and he knows it himself. Completely giving up on the promotion, he goes on shows and trashes his own record, causing his manager, Joe, to fret. Later Billy promised to strip naked in front of the nation if his song becomes the nation’s number one single, and it did. He goes Sir Elton John’s party, but realized how the true love of his life is Joe and suggests that he and Joe celebrate Christmas by getting drunk and watching porn. This is the sweetest story among all and creates the most laughter in the audience. The movie starts with Billy Mack singing “love is all around” and set the main theme by introducing this hilarious pair of old friends. He are beyond real, but also unveils the true circumstance is show business – crazy, lucrative, blinding. It ends with the sweetest ending too. My favorite story in the film.

     Juliet and Peter just had their wedding and Juliet is asking Peter’s friend, Mark, for the videos he taped on the wedding day. She goes to his house in search for the tape, unaware of Mark’s secret love for her. The video is full of her close-ups and reveals his crush. Juliet thought he doesn't like her because he behaves in an indifferent, unfriendly way when he is around her. Mark confesses to her on Christmas day and Juliet gives him a kiss in return. This story is not intriguing or very entertaining. But the highlight is when Juliet charges into the studio and watched the tape. The editing is very emotional and I considered it a wonderful climax of the film.

     Writer Jamie found his girlfriend sleeping with his brother after going to Juliet and Peter’s wedding. Jamie decides to take a break and engage in writing to forget about this in a foreign, quiet place. He met Portuguese housekeeper Aurélia at his vacation cottage who speaks only Portuguese. They had great chemistry and after the parted they both realized that they are actually… in love with each other. They starts to learn the other language and Jamie proposed to her on Christmas Eve. This story has a defect because it is unreal and built up only for the purpose of romance. 

     Harry buys his secretary Mia an expensive necklace and his wife Karen found the gift when searching his pocket. She assumed the necklace was for her. Meanwhile, she is preparing kids for the school Nativity play. Her brother is David, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Her friend Daniel, who she met because Daniel’s son goes to the same schools as her kids, just lost his wife. Before she sends the kids to the play on Christmas Eve, she unwrapped his husband’s gift and found out that it was not the necklace. Later she confronts Harry and Harry admits his foolishness. This story is kinda like the tie of most of the stories in the film and not particularly good.

     Karen's brother David, the British Prime Minister David unconsciously fell for Natalie, a staff member at 10 Downing Street. David bumped into the U.S. President attempting to seduce Natalie, and he has her redistributed. Unable to hide his feelings for her, he finds Natalie at her house went to the nativity play with them. They were kissing backstage when the curtain raised. They waved to the audience at the end of the film. This storyline is the absolute worst if you take it too seriously. The diplomatic strategy used by the two heads of state was atrocious and ignorant. The love story is not believable either and is in the movie just to make up the numbers.

     Daniel, Karen's friend, found his stepson Sam in love with his American classmate Joanna. Sam conjured up a plan to use his music talent to attract the attention of Joanna’s. The plan failed but Daniel convinces Sam that he must go catch his last chance as Joanna is returning to the US. The boy made it, after breaking through the security at the airport, and got his first kiss in life. This story is made to be cute and did its job. The young actor puts on a very impressive and authentic performance.

     Sarah was also at Juliet and Peter's wedding, sitting next to her friend Jamie. She has been in love with the company's creative director, Karl. Karl was apparently also into her as he danced and showed feelings for her at a party. They date was unfortunately interrupted by Sarah’s mentally ill brother, who she gives up her love for. The performance of the actress was significant and gave a rather somber veil to this jovial movie. 

     There are two more minor story lines of a British guy trying to date American girls and also two body doubles for sex scenes opt for a relationship. The two stories are both full of mild British humor and were entertaining.

            

     The movie starts and ends with people hugging each other at the airport, which is really just another way of saying “love is everywhere”. The director is really smart at not trying too hard. Unlike most storied with multiple story lines, Love Actually is not striving for intricacy, or strong emotional impact, but simplicity. The story is telling us love is everywhere, and that’s really all it try to say – Love is everywhere. A very successful holiday movie and although some stories are sloppily made, the short span of each story actually helped to reduce the evidence of hastiness. 

All images retrieved from IMDb.com