Purple Violets
Directed by, Written by, Produced by, and Starring Edward Burns, alongside Selma Blair, Patrick Wilson, and Debra Messing.
Brian Callahan (Wilson) is a bestselling novelist that hopes to shed his vacuous series for a more serious type of literature. Unfortunatley, everyone around him from his free of spirit and free of mind girlfriend, to his best friend and lawyer Murph (Burns), thinks he should stick with what he knows. During his existential mini-crisis, Brian runs into his old college girlfriend, and love of his life, Patty (Blair). Fueled by the resurgence of his dreams from the past and the hopes he had for the future, Brian puts himself out there emotionally, both in his relationships and his writing.
For Patty, seeing Brian again brings to the surface her own dreams of becoming a serious writer, and finding the love she deserves. And, while helping Brian with his crises, Murph faces one of his own, as he tries to reconcile with his college love, Patty's trepidatious best friend Kate (Messing). With their lives as intertwined as their hearts, the foursome come to realize the reality of their situations and what matters most in life.
I've been an Edward Burns fan since the first time I saw The Brothers McMullen many years ago. Following my late night television viewing of that, I rushed out to find it on video. I watched The Brothers McMullen over and over, like I watched Star Wars as a kid, and it quickly became one of my favorite films. Yearning for more of Burns' characters and great New York locales, I sought out his other films. Over the years I managed to acquire them all, She's the One, No Looking Back, Sidewalks of New York, Ash Wednesday, Looking for Kitty, The Groomsmen, and now, Purple Violets. I have yet to see an Edward Burns film that disappoints.
Though they all have their merits, not since The Brothers McMullen has an Edward Burns film reached its full potential. Purple Violets shows that Burns has the ability to juggle the responsiblity of being a director, producer and actor, as well as the ability to bring an intelligent, well written script with fully realized characters to the screen. All the promise shown in The Brothers McMullen that was seen in flashes in his previous films is on display in Purple Violets.
The humanity and flaws of the characters seamlessly fit together, and their moods match the coloring and tone of their environments. In addition to pulling everything together aesthetically, Burns' use of music in Purple Violets is phenomenal. The moody feel of the music by The Blue Jackets perfectly underscores the emotions of the characters and really sounds great.
With so many great established directors and auteurs failing to provide new cinema that builds on their previous films, it really is nice to see one whose great body of work is complemented by and improved upon by their latest feature. Purple Violets has not only become my favorite Edward Burns film, it has become one of my favorite films period, and one of the best I've seen in quite some time. Other directors should take note that a romantic comedy or drama can be a quality film.
If you like any of the actors involved, if you're a fan of Edward Burns, or you just happen to like good film, you should watch Purple Violets. Set aside a night, free of distractions, open a bottle of wine, curl up with your significant other and hit play on your Ipod, computer or dvd player. And for those who don't have a significant other, if you watch it alone with a few cold beers and a couple slices of pizza, you'll still end up full hope, and beer and pizza as well.
Those who have already seen Purple Violets may recognize the blog title. If you don't recognize it, watch Purple Violets, or watch Purple Violets again. Besides having a connection to the film that makes it apropos title-wise, "Today I Met An Old Friend" also represents the feeling I got after watching Purple Violets. The undescribable feeling that one gets from watching something that touches you, moves you, and makes you think. So, I leave you with the highest recommendation I can give to a film, because, today I met an old friend, great cinema.
31 August, 2008
30 August, 2008
Perfection
Writing about my idea of a perfect movie night seemed like an easy way to churn out a blog with little effort. Instead, I have found that it would require more effort than just typing about films. So, I'm going to save blogging about my idea of a perfect movie night for another day, one where I feel a bit more motivated.
The Dark Knight
First, a second viewing of The Dark Knight. I found it flawed and bloated the first time I saw it, unfortunatley, my second viewing didn't better my opinion of Christopher Nolan's second Bat-flick. Christian Bale's portrayal of Bruce Wayne is passable, but his performance as Batman is laughable at best. His voice for Batman is awful. The other performances were okay, Gary Oldman makes a good Jim Gordon, Aaron Eckhart is a good Harvey Dent/Two Face, and Heath Ledger is a decent Joker.
Unlike 99% of peole that have seen The Dark Knight, I am not enamored by Nolan's vision of Batman. Nolan doen't quite seem to grasp that Batman isn't just an emo James Bond with a Halloween mask. He fails to capitalize on the rich history of the character as a genius level man that posses an unending drive to right wrongs. Instead of the world's greatest detective, we get a whiny wackjob in a cape and cowl that relies more on gadgets and those around him than on his own abilities.
If there is a third film in Nolan's Batman series, and I'm sure there will be, I'll most likely go see it, but I'm not clamoring for it. After seeing how self-congratulatory Nolan and his cohorts became following the success of Batman Begins, I'd prefer that they stop making Batman films, because I just don't see them getting it right.
SLiTHER
Moving right along to the second of three films in this blog, we have SLiTHER. Directed by James Gunn, SLiTHER is a horror comedy that stars Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Greg Henry and Michael Rooker.
When an alien organism falls to Earth, landing in a small town, it begins to assimilate the townsfolk to fulfill it's ultimate purpose, utter control of all living things. The only thing standing it the way is a small group of locals led by Police Chief Bill Pardy (Fillion), Mayor Jack McCreedy (Henry), and Starla Grant (Banks), wife of the first person to come into contact with the alien.
Where does one start with a film as nearly perfect as SLiTHER is? James Gunn's direction is wonderfully assured and fluid. Gunn mixes the horror elements and the comedy in such a sly way that at times they blend together so much that the lines between the two genres become blurred.
Besides Gunn's top notch direction, SLiTHER has some superbly talented acting. Nathan Fillion's take on a small town police chief is hilarious, as is Greg Henry's performance as a small town mayor that is as vulgar as he is inept, much like a real life small town mayor. Elizabeth Banks manages to be likeable and brings a subtle blend of humor, while Michael Rooker's Grant Grant provides the perfect obstacle for Fillion's Bill Pardy.
If you like films akin to Ghostbusters, An American Werewolf in London, or Dead & Breakfast, and haven't already seen SLiTHER, you should check it out. With a great blend of humor and horror, and the best ending in the genre, SLiTHER is well worth the rental or purchase.
Dark City
Directed by Alex Proyas, and starring Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, and Kiefer Sutherland.
After waking up in a bathroom, without any idea of who he is or why he is there, John (Sewell) is quickly swept up into a series of events that test his patience, resolve and sanity. While searching the streets and inhabitants of the dark city for the truth, John comes to learn that he is wanted for a string of murders, has a wife he doesn't know, and has life that isn't his. As John seeks questions and answers regarding his life, his wife Emma (Connelly) and Police Detective Bumstead (Hurt) begin to question the facts of the case and reality as they know it. With the help of Dr. Daniel Schreber, the inquisitive trio comes together and uncovers the nefarious plans of a group of strangers with a deep seeded power over the city, second only to their ambition.
Unfortunately, not long after Dark City hit theaters, a little flick called The Matrix came out, dwarfing Dark City and proving to be a box office smash. The theatrical version of Dark City saw limited success upon it's release, and, like so many other great films, it came to find a cult following on video. Far superior to The Matrix in many ways, Dark City is an intelligent film that questions the meaning of life, and what makes a man who he/she is. Heavily influenced by German Expressionist films like M, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Dark City has an industrial look that provides an atmosphere that is both foreign and recognizably familiar.
Though the theatrical version has been available for years, a director's cut of the film was recenlty released on dvd. There are several differences between the two versions. Certain scenes have lengthier shots in the director's cut, mostly amounting to less than a minute each, and the voice over introduction that dumbed down the previous release has been removed. What I found to be the most noticeable difference, along with a superior quality tranfser, was the two muscial performances given by Connelly's Emma.
In the theatrical release of Dark City, Emma's performances of the songs "Sway" and "The Night Has 1000 Eyes" were sung by Anita Kelsey, though they were filmed with Jennifer Connelly providing the vocals. In the director's cut, Connelly's vocals is used. Kelsey's rendition of both songs worked fine in the theatrical release, but they didn't quite fit with Connelly's regular voice. The placement of Connelly's vocals, which are really good, is a nice touch.
Dark City was already a fantastic movie that puts The Matrix and others like it to shame, but the subtle differences in the director's cut take it from being a really good movie to a great film. The little things really do make a difference, even if you don't immediately notice them. A gripping psychological thriller, with drama, touches of scifi, a love story, and a message that is neither heavy handed nor trite, the director's cut of Dark City has it all.
Next Blog: The latest film from Edward Burns, Purple Violets.
The Dark Knight
First, a second viewing of The Dark Knight. I found it flawed and bloated the first time I saw it, unfortunatley, my second viewing didn't better my opinion of Christopher Nolan's second Bat-flick. Christian Bale's portrayal of Bruce Wayne is passable, but his performance as Batman is laughable at best. His voice for Batman is awful. The other performances were okay, Gary Oldman makes a good Jim Gordon, Aaron Eckhart is a good Harvey Dent/Two Face, and Heath Ledger is a decent Joker.
Unlike 99% of peole that have seen The Dark Knight, I am not enamored by Nolan's vision of Batman. Nolan doen't quite seem to grasp that Batman isn't just an emo James Bond with a Halloween mask. He fails to capitalize on the rich history of the character as a genius level man that posses an unending drive to right wrongs. Instead of the world's greatest detective, we get a whiny wackjob in a cape and cowl that relies more on gadgets and those around him than on his own abilities.
If there is a third film in Nolan's Batman series, and I'm sure there will be, I'll most likely go see it, but I'm not clamoring for it. After seeing how self-congratulatory Nolan and his cohorts became following the success of Batman Begins, I'd prefer that they stop making Batman films, because I just don't see them getting it right.
SLiTHER
Moving right along to the second of three films in this blog, we have SLiTHER. Directed by James Gunn, SLiTHER is a horror comedy that stars Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Greg Henry and Michael Rooker.
When an alien organism falls to Earth, landing in a small town, it begins to assimilate the townsfolk to fulfill it's ultimate purpose, utter control of all living things. The only thing standing it the way is a small group of locals led by Police Chief Bill Pardy (Fillion), Mayor Jack McCreedy (Henry), and Starla Grant (Banks), wife of the first person to come into contact with the alien.
Where does one start with a film as nearly perfect as SLiTHER is? James Gunn's direction is wonderfully assured and fluid. Gunn mixes the horror elements and the comedy in such a sly way that at times they blend together so much that the lines between the two genres become blurred.
Besides Gunn's top notch direction, SLiTHER has some superbly talented acting. Nathan Fillion's take on a small town police chief is hilarious, as is Greg Henry's performance as a small town mayor that is as vulgar as he is inept, much like a real life small town mayor. Elizabeth Banks manages to be likeable and brings a subtle blend of humor, while Michael Rooker's Grant Grant provides the perfect obstacle for Fillion's Bill Pardy.
If you like films akin to Ghostbusters, An American Werewolf in London, or Dead & Breakfast, and haven't already seen SLiTHER, you should check it out. With a great blend of humor and horror, and the best ending in the genre, SLiTHER is well worth the rental or purchase.
Dark City
Directed by Alex Proyas, and starring Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, and Kiefer Sutherland.
After waking up in a bathroom, without any idea of who he is or why he is there, John (Sewell) is quickly swept up into a series of events that test his patience, resolve and sanity. While searching the streets and inhabitants of the dark city for the truth, John comes to learn that he is wanted for a string of murders, has a wife he doesn't know, and has life that isn't his. As John seeks questions and answers regarding his life, his wife Emma (Connelly) and Police Detective Bumstead (Hurt) begin to question the facts of the case and reality as they know it. With the help of Dr. Daniel Schreber, the inquisitive trio comes together and uncovers the nefarious plans of a group of strangers with a deep seeded power over the city, second only to their ambition.
Unfortunately, not long after Dark City hit theaters, a little flick called The Matrix came out, dwarfing Dark City and proving to be a box office smash. The theatrical version of Dark City saw limited success upon it's release, and, like so many other great films, it came to find a cult following on video. Far superior to The Matrix in many ways, Dark City is an intelligent film that questions the meaning of life, and what makes a man who he/she is. Heavily influenced by German Expressionist films like M, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Dark City has an industrial look that provides an atmosphere that is both foreign and recognizably familiar.
Though the theatrical version has been available for years, a director's cut of the film was recenlty released on dvd. There are several differences between the two versions. Certain scenes have lengthier shots in the director's cut, mostly amounting to less than a minute each, and the voice over introduction that dumbed down the previous release has been removed. What I found to be the most noticeable difference, along with a superior quality tranfser, was the two muscial performances given by Connelly's Emma.
In the theatrical release of Dark City, Emma's performances of the songs "Sway" and "The Night Has 1000 Eyes" were sung by Anita Kelsey, though they were filmed with Jennifer Connelly providing the vocals. In the director's cut, Connelly's vocals is used. Kelsey's rendition of both songs worked fine in the theatrical release, but they didn't quite fit with Connelly's regular voice. The placement of Connelly's vocals, which are really good, is a nice touch.
Dark City was already a fantastic movie that puts The Matrix and others like it to shame, but the subtle differences in the director's cut take it from being a really good movie to a great film. The little things really do make a difference, even if you don't immediately notice them. A gripping psychological thriller, with drama, touches of scifi, a love story, and a message that is neither heavy handed nor trite, the director's cut of Dark City has it all.
Next Blog: The latest film from Edward Burns, Purple Violets.
23 August, 2008
Cold Fries
Everyone knows what it is like to eat cold fries. They're gross and lack the inner warmth that normally makes them so good. Unfortunately, that is how I have felt lately. Having had my heart-parts proverbially broken, I've felt like cold fries. An unwanted, poor facsimile of my former self.
As anyone that has experienced that powerful word that starts with an L and ends with an OVE knows, it sucks harder than a Hoover when it doesn't go as one would hope. It is infinitely worse when things go so far awry that you end up losing sight of yourself.
Directed by Matthew Leutwyler and starring Jeremy Sisto, Poppy Montgomery, Erik Palladino and Vincent Ventresca, This Space Between Us is a film about loss and life. Sisto plays Alex, a man who has spent the last two years brooding over the loss of the love of his life. Bottling up his emotions and keeping himself stuck in place instead of moving on has caused Alex to burst emotionally. In order to keep himself from cracking completely, Alex leaves L.A. for San Francisco, where he runs across old friends, comes to terms with his loss, and finds something within himself to push forward.
Sure, it has been done a thousand different ways a thousand times before, (Garden State, The Graduate, and anything made by Edward Burns, Francois Truffaut, or Wong Kar-wai) but the journey of self discovery in This Space Between Us still feels fresh and unique. Leutwyler's ability as a director shines through, with locations feeling like characters and characters feeling like people. And the actors all provide excellent potrayals of characters that are likeable, flawed and human.
The identifiability that seems almost inate to Leutwyler as a storyteller and Sisto as an actor are to be marvelled at. Though it may be jokingly referred to as something that no one has seen, This Space Between Us is deserving of a lofty place within cinema, right up there with the likes of Chungking Express and The Brothers McMullen. If you haven't seen this, you should.
As anyone that has experienced that powerful word that starts with an L and ends with an OVE knows, it sucks harder than a Hoover when it doesn't go as one would hope. It is infinitely worse when things go so far awry that you end up losing sight of yourself.
Directed by Matthew Leutwyler and starring Jeremy Sisto, Poppy Montgomery, Erik Palladino and Vincent Ventresca, This Space Between Us is a film about loss and life. Sisto plays Alex, a man who has spent the last two years brooding over the loss of the love of his life. Bottling up his emotions and keeping himself stuck in place instead of moving on has caused Alex to burst emotionally. In order to keep himself from cracking completely, Alex leaves L.A. for San Francisco, where he runs across old friends, comes to terms with his loss, and finds something within himself to push forward.
Sure, it has been done a thousand different ways a thousand times before, (Garden State, The Graduate, and anything made by Edward Burns, Francois Truffaut, or Wong Kar-wai) but the journey of self discovery in This Space Between Us still feels fresh and unique. Leutwyler's ability as a director shines through, with locations feeling like characters and characters feeling like people. And the actors all provide excellent potrayals of characters that are likeable, flawed and human.
The identifiability that seems almost inate to Leutwyler as a storyteller and Sisto as an actor are to be marvelled at. Though it may be jokingly referred to as something that no one has seen, This Space Between Us is deserving of a lofty place within cinema, right up there with the likes of Chungking Express and The Brothers McMullen. If you haven't seen this, you should.
The Return
It has now been a full month since the last time this was updated. Since that time, the amount of films I have watched saw a dramatic increase and a rapid decrease. Instead of an incredibly long blog of the 30 plus flicks I've seen, I'll just post a list of them, and resume descriptions next blog. Kind of a lame way of catching up, but it is better than nothing.
Trivial Matters
Sound of Colors
The Golden Girls
Love is not a game, but a joke
Koma
Believe It Or Not
Oldboy
The Dark Knight
Love Trilogy
I Wanna Be Your Man
Summer's Tail
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
This Space Between Us
Lunch With Charles
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The Mummy 3
Serenity
The Oh in Ohio
Little Children
This Space Between Us
Death at a Funeral
Wall-E
Pineapple Express
Chungking Express
Juno
Looking for Kitty
Sidewalks of New York
Tropic Thunder
Blue Gate Crossing
24 Hrs Ghost Story
The Straight Story
Keeping Watch
The Golden Girls listed is not the television show starring the recently departed Estelle Getty. It is actually a Hong Kong film starring Lau Ching-Wan and Anita Yuen. Some of you may have noticed that both The X-Files and This Space Between Us are listed twice. That is not an error, I have listed every film I've seen since my last post in the order in which they were watched, and I happened to watch both of those films twice.
Next post: Why I love This Space Between Us, and my idea of a perfect movie night.
Trivial Matters
Sound of Colors
The Golden Girls
Love is not a game, but a joke
Koma
Believe It Or Not
Oldboy
The Dark Knight
Love Trilogy
I Wanna Be Your Man
Summer's Tail
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
This Space Between Us
Lunch With Charles
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The Mummy 3
Serenity
The Oh in Ohio
Little Children
This Space Between Us
Death at a Funeral
Wall-E
Pineapple Express
Chungking Express
Juno
Looking for Kitty
Sidewalks of New York
Tropic Thunder
Blue Gate Crossing
24 Hrs Ghost Story
The Straight Story
Keeping Watch
The Golden Girls listed is not the television show starring the recently departed Estelle Getty. It is actually a Hong Kong film starring Lau Ching-Wan and Anita Yuen. Some of you may have noticed that both The X-Files and This Space Between Us are listed twice. That is not an error, I have listed every film I've seen since my last post in the order in which they were watched, and I happened to watch both of those films twice.
Next post: Why I love This Space Between Us, and my idea of a perfect movie night.
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