Three Highly Anticipated 2007 Releases.

In the last week, I have seen three of my very highly anticipated 2007 releases. One was a huge disappointment. One was expectantly wonderful. One was a perfect end to what may be my favorite franchise. Some brief thoughts on all three:

Sunshine

4/10

A pretty big disappointment. A lot of it was just unrealism that bugged me. The "5th member" twist near the end was, to be blunt, completely pathetic. I've rarely seen a more idiotic and illogical move in a film. I was sitting there for the entire last 30 minutes in stunned silence, the strong thought of "You've got to be kidding me." just racing through my head. But, no that's not where the unrealism ends. So we are in the future, the sun is dying and we need to revive it. So, what do we do? We send a shuttle of eight people who are absolute geniuses at one particular element that is vital to the mission. It doesn't matter if they can work as a team, and it certainly doesn't matter if these people are complete morons outside of their one particular job, which they are. Seriously, the entire mission is based on dropping the payload and only one person on the entire shuttle has the ability to do it? What a joke. The characters had no depth at all, in my opinion, except for maybe Capa and Cassie though they ignore the small chance of development for Cassie pretty early on. They were all just flat, generic characters that I've seen in 99% of all "epic crisis" films. The cinematography was very poor. All of the snappy cuts and blurs and tilts made me a thousand times more nauseas than impressed. Don't get me wrong though, it wasn't all bad. The visuals were absolutely breathtaking. Mainly through them, the film created an entrancing experience that completely drew me out of the real world. The acting from the entire cast was pretty great, though they didn't have much room to create depth with the shallow characters they were given. Cillian Murphy and Rose Byrne were definitely the highlights, as I expected since they were by far my favorites of the cast in general. So, while entertaining and superbly acted the film was a huge disappointment for me.

Talk to Me

9/10

A perfect blend of uproarious comedy and gut-wrenching drama. This film was a machine built to be driven by Don Cheadle. His performance is the stuff of legends. I don't think I've ever seen an actor become as immersed in a character as he was. It's impossible to describe how absorbed he is into this role. I simply could not believe it. Everything from the voice to the walk, to the facial expressions, Don Cheadle is Petey Greene. Chiwetel Ejiofor also delivers a very solid performance in a role that unfortunately takes the backseat to Cheadle's tour de force. They bounce off each other perfectly and deliver stellar performances, as does Taraji P. Henson. Much like the blend of comedy and drama, the film does a great job of spending as much time on the relationship between Petey and Dewey, the crisis of the nation at the time (MLK's death, the Chicago riots), and the public's reaction to Petey. The contrast between Petey and Dewey was phenomenal. Dewey was living vicariously through Petey, trying to get him to be a bigger and bigger star until he lived Dewey's dream of being on The Tonight Show. But in doing all of this, he ignores why Petey is Petey. He doesn't want to be the big star all over television. He just wants to be the badass motherfucker who speaks the truth and doesn't care who gets offended, but he just wants to do it on the radio. I really loved to see this progression throughout. The film is definitely one of the best of the year so far. I can easily see Cheadle winning the Golden Globe for his performance and hopefully he'll get his second, well deserved, Oscar nomination. I really can't decide whether him or Bale is my winner so far.

The Bourne Ultimatum

9/10

Continues with the tradition of the series so far. Once again, the series excels at being an intellectual, action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller that starts with a bang and never lets up. It's a gritty, stylized espionage thriller that is certainly one of the most exhilirating and visceral experiences I've had in recent memory. Greengrass implies the "in your face" techniques that he used in Supremacy which makes the action seem authentic and really puts you into the POV of Bourne, getting your pulse racing and your eyes completely attached to the screen. The cast is all great, as usual. Damon and Allen add the intellect and commanding power to the film. It was great to see Julia Stiles getting a more pivotal rule, since I felt she was pretty underused in the previous installments. The addition of David Straithairn and, more importantly, Albert Finney was absolutely brilliant. They just continued the tradition of brilliant, insanely commanding actors playing the generic "hunt him down" role. They certainly added a lot to what could have been very flat characters. The style used is gritty, suave and very authentic. However, it can become a bit too stylized at times. It can cut too quickly and zoom in and out and tilt all over the place, and the editing could be pretty sloppy from time to time. Other than that though, I don't really have much to complain about. If you liked the first two installments, you'll surely be pleased by this one. If you didn't, then this obviously isn't for you. I was a big fan.

The English Patient

10/10

A passionate tale of determination and romance. Like with all of Minghella's work, every single character is so layered and complex. He takes time and devotion to give each character a sufficient amount of intricacy that we truly feel like we know these people and when one of them feels pain, we do as well. When one of them is joyous (the rain scene, for instance) our faces light up with glee.

There's Hana, the caring nurse who is too afraid of love to let anyone near her since right from the start the two closest people to her are destroyed by the war. Slowly her friendship with Almasy becomes stronger and stronger and it gives her the courage and determination to pursue a sexual relationship with Kip, who is also a very complex character. On the surface we see him as a kind man, who is very spiritual and loving. But near the end he realizes how isolated he is and the fact that he barely even knew his best friend whom he worked side by side with for years sends him into a complete breakdown. This leads to a very emotional scene, where Binoche really shines. Next up there is David Caravaggio, a spy who eventually gets captured and loses his thumbs while being tortured for information. He sets out on a vengeance to murder everyone connected to his capture, which leads him to Almasy, his final target. But being around Almasy and realizing the pain and suffering that he has been through leads him to look deep inside himself and realize that he doesn't need his revenge. He relieves himself of all this pain and anguish and in the end we see him with a bright grin, just happy to be alive, thumbs or not.

Katharine Clifton is a character very similar to those in the past, but she has an extra spark that makes her very unique. As her husband spends less and less attention to her, she becomes involved in a tumultous love affair with Almasy which leads to some of the most beautifully romantic scenes ever brought to cinema. Minghella easily could have made her another whiny, confused housewife who just passed in and out of the film with no real connection the audience but he bestowed her with a certain grace and dignity which made us want her to have a happy ending and made us adore seeing her and Almasy enjoying each other's company. Even Geoffrey Clifton becomes a layered character when we learn that he isn't venturing off to do photographs, but is instead helping the army explore territory. So while he could have just been another ignorant husband to an adulterous wife, Minghella adds intricacy to him. And of course the entire story all revolves around Almasy, the man who would do anything, even sell out his country to the enemy, just to be with the woman he loved. A truly romantic and beautiful tale.

What I found very interesting, though, was how Minghella subtly displays the horrors and terrible effects that war has on the people that aren't even physically fighting it. Through Hana we see a woman who is permanently destroyed and almost unable to love due to the fact that this awful war took away everyone who became close to her. In Kip we see a man who is so blinded by his job and duty to his country that he never even takes the time to appreciate the man he considers his best friend. Caravaggio takes abuse after abuse, with unimaginable pain being inflicted on him as a result of the war. The Cliftons are a loving couple, who have no troubles whatsoever until the war starts and Geoffrey is off helping his country while Katharine becomes involved in an affair.

But the most horrific effect of war is shown constantly through Almasy's story. All he wanted was love and companionship, but the war wouldn't allow him that. He only gets his love because of the war, and due to it's changing seriousness his love is ripped away from him and he falls into complete heartache. Then we see him reclaim this love, and he does whatever he can to save her life. But, as Binoche mentions early on the film, when war times come even your name means a great deal. We see this terribly through Almasy who is beaten, dragged away and arrested merely due to his name when all he was trying to do was save the woman he loved. Of course we see the effect of war physically through Almasy in the horrific burning of his entire body. This film shows no huge war scenes and terrible travesties that blow off limbs and open chest cavities, but it manages to send an anti-war message stronger than I've ever seen before. No physical battle is shown, whatsoever, yet it makes me absolutely detest war due to the effect that it has on those who aren't even directly involved.

As always for a Minghella work, the performances are absolutely brilliant. Fiennes, Binoche, Thomas and Dafoe deliver some of the best work of the decade. Simply through their eyes we can see all of the pain and emotion searing through them. The right actors were definitely cast in this one. We never hear them shout or break down into a ten minute fit of crying and throwing objects across the room, but we see all of their anguish and torture simply through their eyes and facial expressions. It's a beautifully subtle way of showing emotion and really helped make the film the brilliant masterpiece that it is. I highly doubt that any other cast could have pulled it off so seamlessly.

Rescue Dawn

10/10

Exhilarating. It's a war film in the truest form. Herzog doesn't have to use a booming score and overdramatic sentimantality in order to highlight the horrors and effect that war has on the mind. He presents everything realistically and uses the actors to portray the effect on the mind rather than tricky sentimentality or bleak, scattered narration. The film does weaken a little bit during the scenes in the camp, but it still remains nothing short of brilliant. The beginning of the film beautifully displays a man's isolation and complete confusion and loneliness while the camp scene switches to men's desperation versus what they are willing (or not willing) to do to survive. Herzog does a fantastic job of putting us into Dieter's point of view, mainly through the lack of subtitles. We are just as confused as he is when they shout aggressively in what we can only assume are deadly threats.

The performances are all spectacular. Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies perfect the broken, defeated POWs who do whatever they are ordered to out of fear for their own life. Their conflicted views on Dieter's plan for escape is amazing to watch and the transgression of these characters only gets more stunning as the film progresses. Christian Bale delivers one of the greatest performances of the decade. Everything about him is flawless. His accent, his mannerisms, his neverending lust for freedom, absolutely everything. The score is exceptional and further brings us into the ambience of Dieter. The ending is a bit too sappy, yes, but I loved it all the less. A feel good picture of triumph through sheer determination. As of now it stands at a 10/10 and is my favorite picture of the year so far.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

10/10

Another masterpiece complete with a bounty of intricate layers from the genius mind of Anthony Minghella. The film is a noirish triller yet it is also a perfectly crafted character study. As with most of Minghella's work, the bulk of the film lies in contrasts between characters. First there is the contrast between Ripley and Dickie. Ripley is a poor man who has lived his entire life in isolation, and dreams of having a life like Dickie's. Dickie, though, takes his wonderful life for granted. On the surface he is a joyous man who basks in the magnificence of his life, and Ripley loves this. He does whatever he can to become best friends with Dickie.

But slowly, he realizes that Dickie isn't the perfect man he originally thought him to be. He takes everything for granted, and this is mainly displayed through Marge. She is the perfect woman in his eyes, and he is jealous that Dickie can be with such a flawless creation. However, he sees that Dickie doesn't care about her at all. He sleeps with other women, and doesn't appreciate Marge for the glorious woman she truly is. This begins Ripley's turn towards Dickie.

The arrival of Freddie is a catalyst for the complete shift of Ripley and Dickie's relationship. The contrast of Freddie and Ripley is also a very interesting one. Ripley is a relatively dull man who takes everything in and appreciates what he has. Freddie, on the other hand, is extremely charismatic yet, much like Dickie, takes his luxuries and good fortune for granted. He is an immature, disrespectful man and Ripley sees this from the start. But Dickie becomes more drawn to Freddie's charisma, as a result of being so close to Ripley's dullness for so long. This makes Ripley even more angry, and it also leads Dickie to the realization that his friendship with Ripley has really played itself out and he has nothing left to gain from it. So, when Dickie decides to end their friendship, all of the bottled up anger and thoughts between the two of them come out and it ultimately leads to Dickie's death.

Instead of being overwhelmed with guilt and pain, Ripley sees this as an opportunity to live the life that Dickie took for granted. He takes over his life and lives it to it's fullest. In this fake life that he has created for himself, he even finds his own Marge in the form of Meredith. The similarities between the two of them are overwhelming, through appearance, personality, even the fact that their first names start with an M. But living his life as Dickie becomes more and more difficult for Ripley. Marge becomes increasingly suspicious when she runs into Ripley at the opera and his stories become more and more unbelievable, especially to the whereabouts of Dickie.

This all comes to another climax when Freddie comes back into the picture and realizes that Ripley is leading a fake life as Dickie. This leads to another necessary death in order for Ripley to keep his perfect life alive. But with another death comes more complications, and as Marge continues to be suspicious, the police start to close in on the truth. Ripley takes an opportunity to pick up and leave, leaving behind a suicide note as Dickie which claims that he also killed Freddie. However, Dickie's father hires a private investigator to investigate these curious deaths.

Eventually, everything sorts itself out perfectly for Ripley as Dickie's past comes to haunt him and everything becomes cleaned up with everyone believing that Dickie committed suicide and was responsible for the murder of Freddie. Marge, however knows the truth and all of her initial thoughts on Ripley are completely shifted into sheer hatred. Ripley ignores this though, and starts a new life with Marge's friend Peter. But living a life of lies still haunts him as Meredith finds him, believing him to be Dickie, on a yacht vacation with Peter.

So, once again another murder must be committed to keep himself free from prosecution. This one proves to be the most emotionally painful for him yet because, since Meredith is with people who have already seen Ripley there, he has to kill the new love of his life Peter who has done absolutely nothing wrong. The abrupt ending is certainly one of my favorites. It shows that Ripley's life of pain and isolation will never end due to his greed and life of deceit. The mistakes of his past ensure that he will never find complete happiness and the final image is one of pain and absolute isolation.

I didn't even talk about the performances, which are all amazing seeing as it's one of the greatest casts of all time. From Damon all the way down to Philip Baker Hall, everyone knocks their part out of the park. Jude Law's charismatic, seductive portrayal is surely the highlight as we delve further and further into his ultimately dark and selfish character. Damon, Paltrow and Philip Seymour Hoffman also deliver very praise-worthy performances. One of my favorite films.

The Dead Girl

9/10

A truly phenomenal work. The film is seperated into five different stories, and each one is intricately detailed and each one is led by a poignant female performance. I can't rave about this enough. Every story is so beautiful in their own way. I must say that I greatly preferred the style of showing each story in it's entirety and then moving onto the next one, instead of continuing the tradition of the swarm of these ensemble films with very different characters linked by a small event that we've been seeing this decade. It showed some great originality to cut the stories into five different, linked short films instead of mashing them all together and just showing pits and pieces of each story.

The entire concept of the film is remarkable. How one, very unfortunate, death can be the new beginning of seven others. The end of one life leads to the reawakening, or liberation, of seven others. Such a phenomenal concept that was executed flawlessly. That alone makes it something brilliant, in my eyes, but then each story is filled with such strong symbolism and metaphors. One example of symbolism could be the color contrast in Leah's story. At the beginning there is just steely blues and greys to represent her dull, isolated life. But then, once she goes to Derek's party, there is life and vibrant color seen all around (the shining lights in the background and even the lights of the swingset). It's a truly beautiful scene.

Every character is so rich and deep and bring out every kind of sympathy I could ever feel. The ending of most stories is formed with a strong scene of liberation and change, that put a big smile to my face. Ruth's story isn't this way though in which we see a stunning scene of her realizing the horrible man that her husband is, but in almost an act of defiance, she shuts her eyes to his evil deeds. And of course Krista's ending has no liberation or freedom. Instead it's one of the most heartbreaking experiences of my life. We see this sweet adorable character light with joy, thinking that she is going to see her daughter on her birthday. But we know her eventual fate, and that she will never meet her daughter. It brought such tears to my eyes.

The performances really blew me away. I was expecting them to be good, but not some of the best of the year. Even Marcia Gay Harden, my least favorite actress, turns in a strong, subtle and emotional work compared to her usual whiny-annoying fare. James Franco really needs more chances to shine, because he is one of the most underrated actors around. He completely transforms his strong, hulky build into an adorable geeky character that makes it easy to see why he brings Leah out of her deep depression. I have to highlight the phenomenal work from Giovanni Ribisi and Rose Byrne in two of my absolute favorite performances of last year. Exceptional doesn't even begin to describe the brilliance of their work. They both get resounding nominations from me, and the film is one of the five best of last year.

The Good German

4/10

One of the biggest disappointments of my life. I was expecting this film to be a masterpiece, and it couldn't have been further from it. The film tries to be an homage to the 40's noirs but ends up being a carbon-copy of half and shitting all over the other half. None of the characters or actors even seem to belong in a noir, except for Blanchett who is absolutely exceptional. Her accent is pitch-perfect. I was very excited to see Tobey Maguire, who I feel is a very capable actor, in a role that will hopefully diversify himself from Spiderman. However, he couldn't have been more miscast. The film couldn't be less engaging, and it expects you to follow every tiny detail. Of course if you lose attention for a second, it can shine a bright light on a certain piece of paper so that you know what they're talking about when they bring it up a minute later. Speaking of minutes, there is no way to care for the characters when every two minutes it's switching to a completely different scene. Clooney, who I've always felt is a good actor, seems like he's as bored as the audience is. He just drags himself along the film, not caring if the audience hears him or knows what he's talking about. He's obviously going for a Bogart/Grant/Stewart mashup, but ends up falling into his charming, smug normal self half of the time he's on screen. As I said, the film couldn't be less engaging which leads to it being completely dull and just annoying. The cuts are contstant, and after the first ten minutes become tedious and unbearable. Before you even know what the film is talking about, one of the main characters dies, and you're apparently supposed to care about since they made the effort to dramatically pause on the character's face and throw in some ridiculously loud score piece. The quality of the film is incredibly poor, but that's because (since it was an homage to the 40's) they didn't use any equipment that was made after the 40's. I really never thought anyone could be more pretentious than Tarantino, but it looks like Soderbergh and Clooney have that covered. I guess it could have been an innovative idea, but it just came across as arrogant, showy and unecessary. However big of a disappointment the film was though, the lighting and cinematography are some of the best of the decade and Blanchett is absolutely brilliant in a role practically made for her. But still, one of the largest disappointments I've faced my entire life.

The Salton Sea

8/10

A very enjoyable film with phenomenal performances around. Sarsgaard was dynamic as always, and D'Onofrio is completely explosive. The score did a wonderful job of fitting the bleak tone. The plot itself was mostly excellent. It's full of twists and double-crosses, but doesn't become too convuluted like most films of this nature do. It does a good job of letting the audience catch up instead of throwing character after character after death after rat at you. Unforunately, the film was pretty one-dimensional and it seemed like it didn't know what it wanted to be in terms of genre. One second it was full of cops, rats and gunfire. The next it was a sentimental drama about a man trying to survive after watching his wife die. Then it was a revenge story about him destroying those who murdered his wife. Then it was a gimmicky comedy full of quirky, speedheads. Then it was a dark, noir with a trumpet player in a dark and dangerous world. I wish it would have picked one and stayed with it. I also wasn't a big fan of the trumpet playing scenes. They felt unecessary and really drew away from the plot. However they were nice to sound and I do understand what Caruso was trying to do with them, I just don't think he really succeeded.