Are You Not Entertained?

The futuristic nation in The Hunger Games is called Panem. One’s first thought might be that this is a variation on Pan-American, but it actually derives from the Latin phrase “Panem et Circenses” meaning “Bread and Circuses.” This phrase comes from the latter period of the Roman Empire when the government chose not to maintain public services. Instead, they would appease the masses by providing violent gladiatorial combat for the people to watch. If the people were entertained, they would not expect more from their government. This parallel to the film’s subject matter makes the name quite fitting.

The Hunger Games is set in a dystopic future in which the countries of North America no longer exist. The nation that has replaced them is Panem, which consists of 12 separate districts and the all-watching Capitol that governs them. In this reality’s history, a great war was waged between the social classes. The twelve districts revolted against the upper-class Capitol. When the Capitol came out the victor, they chose not to simply destroy the insurgent districts. Instead they demanded a yearly penance for such treasonous behavior. Every year, each district selects a teen of each gender, called “Tributes,” to test their mettle in a gladiatorial competition known as the Hunger Games. It is televised across the nation as entertainment and to reinforce the government’s total power. When her young and ill-prepared sister is chosen as District 12’s tribute, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to compete in her place. Now, she must navigate the social labyrinth of the Capitol with only the tutelage of the inebriated former Hunger Games champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) and socialite Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks). Before the games have concluded, Katniss will have to survive the attacks of 23 other competitors, some of whom were her friends.

Director Gary Ross, known for Big, Seabiscuit, and Pleasantville, takes his first foray into action filmmaking. This is the first of three films that will be based on the bestselling series by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games follows in the same vein as the classic The Lord of the Flies and the Japanese hit Battle Royale. Even if you go into this story without any previous experience, this grandiose and strange world will quickly catch your interest. Even Salvador Dali would be proud of some of the surreal fashions and customs found in Panem. Gary Ross and the original author Collins have done a good job of converting the sometimes gruesome acts of the Games into a PG-13 movie. While we know that these violent murders are taking place, most of these sequences are left to our imagination. Ross took a big risk in choosing not use the Stedicam for the combat sequences. The shakiness of the camera accurately conveys the urgency of the situation and Katniss’ volatile state of mind. However, at the same time, it can also distract the viewer from the major plot. Jennifer Lawrence is the one actress that brings this entire movie together. Lawrence proved last year that she could play a burdened teen that is skilled in survivalist techniques in Winter’s Bone. Now, she does it again and lends this film an amount of gravitas that belies her young age. It would be a breath of fresh air to see more female leads that are as physically and morally strong. Costarring in this dystopian action film are Donald Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz, Toby Jones, Liam Hemsworth, Wes Bentley and a charismatic and blue haired Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman.

The Hunger Games is interesting from beginning to end. With a break-neck pace and terrific acting, I almost do not care that 23 fictitious people have to die. But what really makes us eager for the next film is the ensemble of good and believable characters. In the words of another Hollywood combatant, “Are you not entertained?”

New to DVD: My Week with Marilyn

In 1973, Elton John released his song, “Candle in the Wind.” It told the story of how the media transformed a girl named Norma Jeane into the famous Marilyn Monroe. Before its release, very few people even knew that Monroe was not the cinematic icon’s true name. The 20^th Century Fox executive Ben Lyons felt that the then aspiring actress Norma Jeane Baker needed a stage name. She chose Monroe because it was her mother’s maiden name. Lyons chose Marilyn because it was reminiscent of Broadway star Marilyn Miller. Eventually, Norma Jeane disappeared into the actress we know as Marilyn Monroe.

The year is 1956. Young Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) is the son of a wealthy English lord and art historian but he does not intend to continue in the family business. He is determined to break into world of film; a world that has fascinated him for many years. Through persistence and being very thick skinned, Colin manages to attain the position of third production assistant on the film The Prince and The Showgirl. His primary responsibility is to act as a “go-fer” for none other than one of his heroes, Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). But the woman playing opposite Olivier is equally, if not more, impressive to the young man. Blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) had just married the playwright Arthur Miller and had grand aspirations of becoming classically trained actress. When Miller is called away from the production, Colin seizes the opportunity get to know the famous sex symbol. Their friendship gives her a chance to escape from the always present pressures of fame, even if it only lasts a week.

Television director Simon Curtis ventures into the world film to give us a vision of what the cinema was like in the late 1950’s. The story is based on the diary of Colin Clark, entitled “The Prince, The Showgirl and Me.” By the first musical number, it is like we have stepped into the summer of 1956. Michelle Williams flawlessly inhabits what we perceive to be the larger than life persona of Marilyn Monroe. You can almost smell the Chanel Number 5 as she nonchalantly sashays through the production studio. At the same time, the profound emotional damage of Norma Jeane Baker is also evident. This is the side of Hollywood’s most famous actress of which I wanted to see more. Every person in the world knows Marilyn Monroe. But even in a biopic intended to inform about who she really was, we only begin to scratch the surface. Much to her chagrin, the title character states, “People always see Marilyn Monroe. As soon as they realize I’m not her, they run.” The interplay between Monroe and Olivier really is what sets the tone for the entire film. Olivier is appalled by Monroe’s new school ideas of acting according to “The Method.” But secretly he can see past that and admire her as a cinematic force to be reckoned with. Branagh seems to be born to play the grandiose and ego-centric Sir Laurence Olivier. The two classically trained actors have played many of the same roles and directed many of the same plays. This biopic has an ensemble of costars including Dame Judi Dench, Emma Watson, Toby Jones, Dominic Cooper, Zoe Wanamaker and Dougray Scott. Julia Ormord gave a very graceful and sensitive portrayal of actress Vivien Leigh.

This examination of the quintessential movie icon is a sympathetic look at a life lived under the magnifying glass. While this film is interesting and entertaining, the negative or more complicated aspects of Monroe’s life are somehow MIA. This would be a good introduction for those too young to remember why Marilyn is so beloved.

A Warlord of Mars

The film John Carter holds the record for having the longest period of “development hell” for any movie, at 79 years. Pre-production for a film version was first started in 1931. Robert Clampett, director of The Looney Tunes, approached the author Edgar Rice Burroughs himself to make an animated feature out of the first book in the series, A Princess of Mars. Had plans gone through, the story of John Carter of Mars could have become the world’s first animated feature, beating Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Civil War veteran John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) is still haunted by the horrors he saw on far too many battlefields. He considers himself to be a man with no connection. If anyone tries to control him, they will be facing the wild ferocity of a wounded animal. Now, he only searches for a cavern made of gold that he has gleaned from Native American myths. When he stumbles across it in the Utah desert, he is inexplicably transported to the barren deserts of Mars. He is soon taken captive by the indigenous people, the Tharks, who are 12 feet tall barbarians with green skin, tusks and four arms. These primitive warriors are intrigued by Carter’s athletic prowess. He is accustomed the greater gravity of Earth and is therefore stronger and more agile than the natives of Mars. The wayward Earthling quickly learns that he has fallen into the center of an ongoing war between the city states of Helium and Zodanga. The malicious warlord Sab Than (Dominic West) proposes a cease fire only if the Princess of Helium, Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) will marry him. On the Red Planet, compassionate people are few and far between. John Carter must be the courageous hero for which the Martians have been waiting. Now, John Carter will have to change his ways and fight for someone other than himself.

This movie is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic novel A Princess of Mars. Andrew Stanton, director of Wall-E, Finding Nemo and A Bug’s Life makes his first attempt to bridge the gap between animation and live action with John Carter. While this film can be considered live-action, so much CGI was used to flesh out Mars and its native peoples that it probably did not feel very different from Stanton’s animations. In some places it is hard to distinguish which characters are flesh and bone and which are made only of pixels. This movie’s one major liability is its poorly executed, almost bi-polar pacing. When the story is action-packed you will be interested. But when it must rely on person-to-person dialogue, what was once interesting becomes plodding and uninteresting. It has taken this story so long to reach the silver screen that others inspired by Burroughs’ work were quicker at the draw. It is disappointing that his ideas that were once revolutionary now seem generic. Taylor Kitsch, who was previously best known for Friday Night Lights, brings the displaced Virginian to life. His performance in this Martian adventure is reminiscent of the swashbuckling Errol Flynn. John Carter may just give him the opportunity to become a well-known action star.  Costarring in this interplanetary adventure film are Willem Dafoe, Thomas Hayden Church, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds and Bryan Cranston. While all of these actors gave good performances, the one who really stole the show was not even human. Woola, a six-legged conglomeration of a puppy and Gila monster was easily more interesting and more heartwarming than the rest of the cast.

The extremely high $250 million price tag for John Carter gives one pause. Masterpieces can be costly, but then you realize that this is no masterpiece, but just another entertaining, “screw off the top of your head,” popcorn movie. While it is not as grandiose as it wants to be, it is still good escapist fun.

Unless…

In the original book The Lorax, the character of The Once-ler was only a pair of mysterious green arms. This adaptation is the first time that The Once-ler is shown to be a human. Executive producer Christopher Meledandri said, “The minute you make the Once-ler a monster, you allow the audience to interpret that the problem is caused by somebody who is different from me, and it ceases to be a story that is about all of us. Then it’s a story about, ‘Oh I see, the person who led us into the predicament is not a person. It’s somebody very, very different.” And so it takes you off the hook.”

In Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, a twelve-year-old boy named Ted (Zac Efron) lives in the town of Thneedville. Everything about this town is synthetic from plastic trees to the bottled air they breathe. Every citizen in Thneedville wants it this way except for one. A young girl named Audrey only wishes to see one real, living Truffula tree. Smitten with the beautiful Audrey, Ted sets out beyond the walls of the city to find the landscape completely denuded of all vegetation. If he is going to find a tree he will have to dig much deeper. Upon returning home, his spirits are lifted when his grandmother tells him that only one man still knows what happened to the trees. This eccentric recluse named The Once-ler (Ed Helms) relates to him the story of a gruff and charming creature who fought to save the Truffula forests. At the same time, the diminutive Mr. O’Hare, CEO of O’Hare Air Co is hunting down Ted. If Ted ever finds a Truffula tree it would introduce free breathable oxygen and destroy his monopoly on the air of Thneedville.

Dr. Suess’ The Lorax is based on the original ecological cautionary tale by children’s literature’s most famous author. Co-directors Chris Renauld and Kyle Balda who brought us Despicable Me have now brought the warnings of The Lorax to the big screen. Unfortunately, movies whose titles are preceded by the original author’s name usually have very little to do with the original source material. This is simply insult upon injury. While this film does get Seuss’ central message correct, you will have to dig through several layers of superfluous story material just to reach it. Almost every scene appears just as synthetic as Thneedville and contains a multitude of sight gags, one-liners and musical numbers. This could be entertaining for children, but older viewers will still be waiting for all of the wit and wisdom that made Seuss so beloved. When we do finally get a brief quote from the book, the beautifully rhyming words are mocked as being confusing and without meaning. Costarring in this environmentalist animated film were Betty White, Rob Riggle and Taylor Swift.  Danny DeVito was easily the best performer in this movie. His “sharpish and bossy” voice made this character stalwart and gruff enough. But at the same time his charm captures our hearts.

The Lorax used to have a message for children about the evils of consumerism, urban sprawl, and unchecked greed. Now, he sells Mazdas and IHOP pancake deals. I felt like a hypocritical Once-ler for paying twice the ticket price for plastic glasses with which to see The Lorax speak for the trees. Any movie that introduces children to ecological ideas cannot be all bad. But instead of seeing Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, read the book. Hollywood has sold out The Lorax and his forests of Truffulas, but they will be rolling in the green.

A Flag-Waver that Does Not Wave

The military has often been known to fund Hollywood movies. War films have been used to boost the interest of people still at the homefront. “Rousers” or “flag-wavers” are intended to inspire national pride and to display the nobility of one’s own forces while harshly displaying and criticizing the evil of the enemy, especially during war or in post-war periods. Jingoistic-type war films usually do not represent the realities of war because of their focus on supporting a national interest. The horrors of are almost always avoided. The protagonists, who often have no faults, clash against evil antagonists. This type of movie is often revisionist, politically-correct and historically inaccurate.

Navy SEAL Lieutenant Rorke comes from a long line of fighters that goes all the way back to his great-grandfather. Rorke is making a home for his wife, himself and their unborn child. Before he can see these plans through, he receives new orders. Now, his team of U.S. Navy SEALS is sent to extract a kidnapped CIA agent, Lisa Morales (Roselyn Sanchez), from hostile territory. Bandito Platoon quickly discovers her abductors are only a small part in a web of terrorism that reaches across the world. Each successful mission brings them closer to shutting down this cell and preventing disaster. Meanwhile, Russian crime lord Christo (Alex Vaedov) and jihadist Abu Shabal (Jason Cottle) are already plotting an attack on American soil. If all goes according to their plans, these attacks will occur simultaneously in 16 different American cities.

The earliest version of the Act of Valor, was intended for the purposes of training or recruitment, and was made outside the usual guidelines for commercial motion pictures. Seeking to make their characters as realistic as possible, co-directors McCoy and Waugh decided that only active duty Navy SEALS would be cast. Because this was a pet project of the US Navy, the movie was not required to adhere to usual laws for feature films. For instance, all of the action sequences in Act of Valour were filmed using live ammunition. These action sequences are the only time when the audience can actually start to believe anything that is happening around them. Co-directors McCoy and Waugh’s concern with the realism of the tactical aspects of this movie became a stake through the heart of all personal aspects. To say that these characters were two-dimensional would be generous. Somewhere along the line, all interest in character just became collateral damage. Because we are only given very nebulous sketches of these characters, they are difficult to relate to and even harder to remember after you leave the theater. Because the majority of this consisted of active duty SEALs none of their names were released to the public.

While this was marketed as the most realistic view of military life, the opposite is actually true. All we can see is stilted acting, overused clichés, and vague characters that do not even convince. The Oscar nominated Hell and Back Again is a better option for an accurate portrayal of military life. If McCoy and Waugh wanted to make a film about the real servicemen that put their lives in jeopardy every day, they should have done them the honor of making it watchable.

Spy Versus Spy

In the 1960’s, Antonio Prohias was a Cuban cartoonist known for political satire. His depictions of the newly installed revolutionary leader Fidel Castro gained him much criticism. When mere criticism became unemployment, possible arrests and threats of execution, Prohias fled to America. This was only three days before Castro took over the last of the Cuban free press. Soon Prohias sought work with MAD Magazine. He then continued his satire in the form of SPY vs. SPY, a cartoon strip, in which a white and black spy continually and futilely attempt to destroy each other. Although Prohias is now deceased, SPY vs. SPY is still published by MAD Magazine.

Two of the CIA’s finest agents, FDR Franklin (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) are hot on the trail of two of the world’s most dangerous terrorists, the notorious Karl and Jonas Heinrich. After a failed covert attempt to capture the brothers, Jonas is dead and the agents’ covers are blown. Now, the only work FDR and Tuck will be getting will be pushing pencils across their desks. With more time on his hands, Tuck decides to reenter the dating world through an online dating site. There he is matched with Lauren (Reese Witherspoon). At the time, the successful consumer product tester was unaware that she was using an online dating service because her friend created her account. After Tuck and Lauren’s first date, she unwittingly encounters FDR. While she is not thrilled by his brash and cocky attitude, he is instantly attracted to her. Now these two friends who brought down enemy nations as CIA agents, will use every resource available to vie for one woman’s affection. While the sparks, bullets and IEDs fly, Karl Heinrich is still waiting for the right moment to avenge his brother’s death.

McG, director of such films as Charlie’s Angels, We Are Marshall and Terminator: Salvation heads in a different direction with This Means War. McG intentionally blurs the line between the romantic comedy and action movie genres. The concept of a spy versus spy love triangle has the potential to be entertaining. However, the way in which it was executed weighed down the entire film. When a movie is led by a trifecta of charismatic actors, one tends to expect more than a complete lack of romantic chemistry. But with a script as formulaic, paint-by- numbers and glossily packaged as this, even the most talented actor in the world cannot make something of nothing. Because the romantic side of this rom-com was so uncoordinated and atrophied, the comedy is all that is left to carry the dead weight. For the most part it does. If this film does have one saving grace it is the comedic banter between Pine and Hardy. It was quite amusing and surreal to see Bane and Captain Kirk compete for the affections of Elle Woods. Even McG’s attempt to create a genre hybrid leaves us desperately looking for more. The violent antagonist’s role in This Means War acts more like bookends to the three-way romantic plot. He was under-utilized throughout the film. If he was used in more than just the beginning and conclusion, it would have added the tension needed to make an uninteresting romance passable. Costarring in this cross genre comedy were Chelsea Handler, Til Schweiger, Angela Bassett and Abigail Spencer.

      This Means War begins as a simple popcorn movie that has a romantic bent. However, with each scene the circumstances only grow sillier and more far-fetched. If this is the kind of escapism you are looking for, this is the film for you. But now that I have seen it, I would only re-watch this while incognito.

Small People Show Big Heart

When the English author Mary Norton’s novel The Borrowers hit shelves in 1952 it received a Carnegie Medal for Literature. Even in 2007, it was selected by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals as one of the most important children’s novels of the past 70 years. While this is appropriate, Norton may have drawn several central themes from Scottish and Northern English folklore. In mythology, the Brownie is a very small goblin that would make its home in the unused parts of households. During the night they would do small favors for the humans that lived there in exchange for materials such as clothes and food. But if they were ever offended, they would leave the house and steal such necessities.

In The Secret World of Arrietty, the spirited fourteen-year-old Arietty Clock (Bridget Mendler) and her parents, Pod (Will Arnett) and Homily (Amy Poehler), all live in a pleasant cottage in the country. The only difference between them and other families is that they stand only a few inches tall and make their home under the floorboards of a closet. Known as “Borrowers,” the Clocks will come out at night once the “human beans” are asleep. They borrow, or more accurately, obtain items necessary for their survival. They focus on items that are so inconsequential that the beans will never realize they are missing. Borrowers are taught from birth that beans are to be avoided at all costs. If you are ever seen by one, things will promptly spiral downward. One day while hunting in the garden, Arrietty is spied by a sickly young boy named Shawn. While she knows that he means them no harm, she also fears for her family because they could possibly be the last Borrowers.  Now, they must hastily move their home before other human beans become aware of their existence.

Hiromasa Yonebayashi makes his directorial debut with Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arrietty. While studio co-founder and director Hayao Miyazaki’s name is not to be found in the directorial credits, his presence can still be felt. The film does not deny its roots in English children’s literature. Instead, it embraces the European fairy tale aspects except for a change a locale. Yonebayashi differentiates this from other Studio Ghibli films by letting it build required tension and suspense at a much slower pace. This gives us enough time to understand the customs of this small family and at the same time revel in all of the beautifully lavish art. In this case, the magic is found in the details. Instead of the broad strokes of CGI animation, Studio Ghibli envelopes the viewer in a world of small and delightful hand drawn art. Instead of just telling the basic Borrowers story, the film focuses on the tenuous nature of this thumb sized family’s existence in a full scale world. Costarring in the American version of this film are David Henrie, Moises Arias and Caroll Burnett.

Due to the slower pace of the movie, it may be more difficult to get some energy drink infused, video game addicted youngsters to ever fully experience it. This is disappointing because they are the ones who most need its message of wonder and compassion. While the Japanese style of animation may not be to everyone’s tastes, the story is so universal that you probably will not even notice the difference. Like its title character, it may be a small story but it packs a lot of heart.