Another Morning, Another Opportunity To Do Something Progressive, To Prove That He's Worthy

Observe and Report (Hill, 2009)

I recall when this film was first released, I was interested in checking it out but never had the chance to getting around to the theatre because school was pretty hectic at the time. Upon finally getting around to the film I find myself pretty disappointed that I did not get out earlier and actually support it during the theatrical run. In many ways Observe and Report is far from a perfect film. Hell, it's far from a great comedy. Still, I could not help but being fascinated by the entire implications of releasing this major Hollywood film on unsuspecting audiences. Obviously following the release of Paul Blart: Mall Cop a few months earlier the initial comparison is to think this film will be a slightly more mature, in terms of humor, film that operates on a similar premise. Now while I have not seen Paul Blart, I feel mostly confident in saying that the similarities between these two films are likely very minimal. Observe and Report is a black comedy that breaks so many conventional rules of standard Hollywood comedies that I am practically obligated to at least respect the film, but thankfully it also works as a film incredibly well. Also, I should state before getting into my review, that the film has drawn criticism for a 'sort of date rape' scene. I'm not going to talk about that because the scene is used very nicely in the film's context and the real problem people should be having with the depiction is not the sex, but rather the fact that Seth Rogen had a huge glass of beer during the date, yet he still drove Brandi home. Buzzed driving is drunk driving!

By this point in his career Seth Rogen has started establishing himself as a talented actor. While many would likely point to the recently released Funny People as his coming out party, those who watched Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno from last year should already know of his acting abilities. That being said, Observe and Report is likely Rogen's best performance to date. Ronnie gives Rogen a character that experiences and expresses a range of emotion while remaining distinctive enough that Rogen must make the character his own. Not surprisingly, Rogen approaches the role with a certain amount of respect and hits all the major aspects of the Ronnie characters perfectly. As for the supporting cast, Anna stands out because she is pretty funny and mighty pretty, while Michael Pena and Ray Liotta turn in two really great performances as well. Actually, next to Rogen I would have to say that Liotta provides the second best performance, both dramatically and comedic.

Of course the film's strength is not really in the actors themselves but really in the writing and the different characters on screen. Faris, for most of the film, plays the perceived 'love interest,' but Hill makes it clear from the very beginning that she is, despite being physical beautiful, one of the least attractive people in the entire film. Similarly, Ronnie plays the protagonist, but he is so deluded and misguided that any perceived positive qualities are constantly underscored by the obvious negatives. Mixed in with some genuinely funny comedic writing, Observe and Report is set to be decently successful from the start; however, the film always seems to be self aware as well, which actually enhances the entire experience instead of detracts. The line that stands out to me is uttered in the police station by Ben Best, "I thought this was going to be funny, but it's actually kind of sad." The film shifts from humor to drama at the drop of a hat, and instead of feeling disjointed or out of place it actually meshes nicely simply because it is so off putting. Hill seems to know what he is doing with the writing and the film does not feel manipulative just to elicit a response, it seems to directly mirror Ronnie's character. Not to mention that, in a genius move, the film takes a pseudo-There Will Be Blood approach and has a finale that is cleverly shot as realistic but actually is a fabrication in the mind of the main character.

Thankfully the writing here is so strong because, sadly, the technical aspects are nothing worth mentioning in any detail. The direction is mostly solid, but very few shots actually stand out as definitive marks of Hill's style. The film does have a nice sequence where Dennis and Ronnie are going around the mall causing havoc which is shot wonderfully though, and is also really funny. The lack of definitive direction is made up for with a pretty stellar soundtrack that features a ton of perfectly used songs. Still, the one that stands out the most is the song that is used in conjunction with the finale, the tipping point that solidifies the sequence as one of Ronnie's creation rather than any sort of reality. Next to Adventureland and Hannah Montana: The Movies, Observe and Report probably has the best soundtrack of the year, unless I am overlooking an obvious choice to two, which is fairly likely.

On the whole, Observe and Report is much more than the sum of its parts. The film is not side splittingly funny throughout. The movie is not a revolutionary drama. It is not even the most in depth or amazing of character studies. Still, Observe and Report is one Hell of an experience that proves to be both casually entertaining and deceptively complex, depending on how a viewer decides to approach the film. There is a certain genius in the way the film is constructed and the way it was marketed. It is hardly a typical comedy, much like the year's stand out gem Adventureland, but it can exist as a fairly typical comedy. I am a sucker for these multi-layered films and Observe and Report is no exception. Now it looks like I need to go back and check out Hill's previous works since he apparently deals with similar ideas in both his television series and The Foot Fist Way.

A- or 4.1892342748213750213760572348

Comments are welcome and, for anyone with a literary mind, I encourage checking out my poetry blog filled with all original works for your reading pleasure.

Also I am on the old Twitter thing so I guess you can follow me at twitter.com/FLYmeatwad.

Raise The Trumpet, Sound The Drum

The Hurt Locker (Bigelow, 2009)

Apparently the latest film from director Kathryn Bigelow has been called the best Iraq War movie ever made. Considering that it is the only film dealing with the Iraq War that I have watched forces me to be inclined to agree with this statement. However, as an action film and a war film, two other genres that I am none too fond of, the film succeeds as a staple of each genre and is certainly one of the best war films and one of the best action films that I have yet to see in my limited exposure to each genre. The Hurt Locker is a breath of fresh air in what has been, once again, a lackluster summer blockbuster season. Even with good films like Public Enemies, there are glaring flaws that are a detriment to the film. In most cases The Hurt Locker avoids these flaws and makes for a compelling ride from start to finish. Though I appear to be getting ahead of myself, it seems more beneficial to delve a bit deeper into the film before calling it one of the year's must see films.

For all intents and purposes The Hurt Locker is an Iraq War movie, and in many senses it is very topical to the fallout of the conflict in Iraq. Instead of taking place during any battles the film focuses on the final 45 days of a company's tour to apparently keep the peace and maintain liberty, or victory, it's never made very clear. Despite being applicable to the Iraq War, the film is structured in such a manner that the conflict is really an after thought. Sure the title metaphor would not work in other historical contexts, this bomb safety suit and the lengthy use it gets appears to be a more modern occurrence, but the interaction of characters and the focus on inner conflict and other psychological strains are, I imagine, applicable to taking part in any high stress conflict. Amidst all the bomb disarming, detonations, and gun fights, Bigelow attempts to get into the collective military mentality rather than simply present a conflict for conflict's sake. While not every attempt she makes succeeds to its fullest potential, Bigelow's work here can best be likened to the sniper in the desert battle sequence: never very far off of the mark.

The film has a number of set pieces to build the tension, all of which work spectacularly, I found myself during each suspenseful sequence completely engrossed in what was going on and at times completely wrapped up in the film's world. I do not find myself this engaged at the best of times in most films, so the ability of The Hurt Locker to pull me in as quickly as it did and as often is certainly an aspect worth noting. Of course the majority of this is likely a result of Bigelow's direction and the manner in which she uses the camera. She switches from a standard and very well disciplined hand to a more documentary and free approach on the fly, kicking up and leaving out the grain as each situation demands. However, the visual aspect that stood out most about the film is, without a doubt, the cinematography. I find it with little surprise that Bigelow was, at one point, a painter. Whether it is a man's outline paired against a raging fire, a cat limping through the street, or a bird's eye view of the disarming crew from the top of an Iraqi building, the film mimics a canvas incredibly frequently during the film's over two hour run time.

Speaking of that limping cat, the one problem that I did have with the film was that it seemed to set up all these allusions, we get cigarettes as the focus of two shots and felines as the focus of two more, but none make recurring appearances enough to provide all that much substance. Even the sniping sequence, flies glide around a man, walking over him and into his eyes and mouth, making him no different than any other corpse, is only really used once. Though perhaps the film's decision to not commit to these images is to its strength as The Hurt Locker is such a success because it never takes a side in the Iraq conflict, it just documents. The good is placed along side the bad, fun sequences followed by gruesome ones, and the loyalty of each man to the war is constantly fluctuating instead of remaining constant in generic Hollywood style. There very well may be a political agenda here, but if that agenda exists it is so deeply buried beneath all of the psychology and characters that it might as well not exist at all. In no way do political motivations add or detract from the film though, reinforces the idea that the Iraq setting is not as important to the film as it seems.

I have spent all this time without talking about the acting, all of which is pretty damn top notch. The performance that stands out the most is delivered courtesy of Jeremy Renner in the role of William James. He plays the role with such an intensity and charm that it is hard not to become, at least at points, a supporter of how he handles each situation. However, his brash attitude is also cause for concern and Renner sells this perfectly. It's a really impressive performance and adds a ton to the film. Of course each supporting role is pretty damn impressive as well and the way that humor is handled in the film, always blended in nicely and rarely forced or unbelievable, is particularly impressive. The film is well balanced, action and humor work with psychology and the war perfectly. The film is damn impressive.

The film really grabs hold and does not let go through the entirety of the run. Bigelow has crafted an impressive film that does not only capture the Iraq mentality, but attempts to capture the military mentality. Now I do not have the personal experience to know how well she has succeeded in doing so with the film, but Bigelow certainly provides enough to chew on to provide an idea of this life to the common viewer. Hitting all the ups and downs with a masterful grace, Bigelow brings audiences into the suit, into the Iraq conflict, and captures this intensity magnificently. An unrivaled adrenaline rush, The Hurt Locker is an action film and a war film for the ages.

A or 4.7267187342146293781456239

Comments are welcome and, for anyone with a literary mind, I encourage checking out my poetry blog filled with all original works for your reading pleasure.

Also I am on the old Twitter thing so I guess you can follow me at twitter.com/FLYmeatwad.