Obi Wan-derland: A joint Review of Ghost Writer and Alice and Wonderland

Both of these movies are ones that I have wanted to see, but convincing people to see them with me was difficult.  For Alice, the problem was that most of my friends were deterred by the typical dark spin that Burton tends to put on his films.  Ghost Writer on the other hand had an entirely different problem unrelated to the film except in its title.  When you ask someone if they want to see Ghost Writer it sounds a lot like Ghost Rider.  Ghost Rider is where Nicolas Cage sells his soul to become a hell-raising, motorcycle riding, vigilante ablaze.  Not exactly the political conspiracy drama that is Ghost Writer.  But alas, I was able to convince two different groups to see the films, and on the same night (don’t worry I actually paid for both films, no illegal double feature here).

The night began with a 3D trip (trip is good in both senses of the word) into Wonderland.  The movie is somewhat of a sequel to the Disney animated classic and references Alice’s first trip to “Underland” on a couple of separate occasions.  The plot is a sort of fantasy exploration and medieval epic hybrid.  Alice is the chosen one, fated to kill the dragon and set everyone free from the tyrannical Red Queen.  The details to much of the plot are underdeveloped and there is almost no explanation of what happened between the two installments.  The characters were all over the place from a March Hare (who clearly had more than just tea to drink) to Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter (who for some inexplicable reason gave a William Wallace-esque pre-battle speech, Scottish accent and all).  Much like in Avatar, the 3D presentation of the film is stunning and the sceneries are spectacular.  However, Alice had a couple of unnecessary uses of the technology that came across as cheap 3D tricks.  To be honest, the overall “you go girl” theme actually didn’t bother me a whole lot, but the weak resolution leaves you wanting more.  I usually don’t like Tim Burton films because of his bleak portrayal of the human condition, so I don’t know why I expected this one to be different

1.5 out of 5 Stars

Needless to say, any doubts I had about watching four hours of movies in theaters were lost after the first film.  I had to see another to get the bad taste out of my mouth.  I was excited to watch James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) team up in a political conspiracy drama.  With the exception of the blatant bashes against the CIA and the war on terrorism, the plot was intriguing.  McGregor’s character (known simply as The Ghost throughout the entire film) is thrown into a job writing a memoir for the ex-Prime Minister of Great Britain (Brosnan).  He is to replace the previous writer who’s accidental death seems more than suspicious.  The movie turns into a sort of mystery thriller as McGregor tries to follow what little clues he has found to get to the root of a greater conspiracy.  While it does not usually bother me, the movie starts out slow, and lacks the feeling of momentum necessary to continue at such a pace.  A few aspects of the plot kind of leave the viewer hanging, expecting more to come.  McGregor does a good job as the innocent bystander wrapped into a complex web he could not have foreseen.  He is not on any political quest for justice or ideological tirade which is refreshing.  Rather, he just wants to know what happened and why the pieces do not seem to fit together.  Kim Cattrall’s character was one of the lowlights of the film as she was both forgettable and unnecessary.  After going over the movie and writing the review, I feel as if I was harsher on it than I meant to be.  Don’t get me wrong, I was entertained by this movie and at  parts it is thoroughly engaging.  I just don’t know if it is a film that one would want to watch again and again.

3.5 out of 5 Stars

All in all it was a good night for movies.  I was disappointed by the first (but would still rarely pass up a chance to see a Disney movie in 3D) and the second was much better, but still had some room for improvement.  Hopefully after reading this, you too are not feeling like you chased a rabbit down a hole and bumped your head.

The First Annual Baum Awards

With the Academy Awards this weekend, I’ve decided to give my own awards.  Reader warning:  this will have nothing to do with the criteria that the Academy uses to determine its award winners.  My awards will be given out based on nothing more than my own personal preferences.  And since these are my awards, I will do them a little differently.  Eligibility is determined by whether or not I saw the film in theaters since the last Academy Awards.  Glad that’s all out of the way…on with the show!

Best Animated Movie

Disney Pixar’s Up

This film showed a new side of Pixar. Up is a heartfelt tale of a boy growing up and a man remembering how to be a kid. Pixar greatly redeems itself after the flop that was WALL-E and turns out another animation great. While some of the plot is heavier than a normal Disney family film, it gives the depth to the storyline that resonates with audiences. Adventure, imagination, comedy, and even a little romance all find there way into the latest masterpiece from Disney Pixar.

Best Actor

Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds

I know that this was a supporting role, but since I decided not to differentiate this year, Waltz wins the Baum.  His character is fundamental in developing a disgust and hate for the Nazis in the film.  The scene where he eats the strudel burns contempt into the viewers heart, and his monologue at the film’s onset stunningly gives insight into the psyche of the man they call the “Jew Hunter.”

Best Actress

Vera Farmiga as Alex Goran in Up In the Air

To be honest, this category was extremely slim pickings.  But, Vera did do a very good job.  Her character was portrayed as the modern woman, the independent woman.  The woman that got what she wanted when she wanted it, but in the end there was also a softer side.  Without giving away the ending, I’ll just say she wins because she fooled me (ok that may give away the ending).

Worst Picture

Public Enemies

This is the second gangster film with two stud actors that has severely disappointed me (see American Gangster). Bale and Depp are both average at best, and the story is extremely weak. While I realize that it is based upon true events, much of the dialogue between Dillenger and his girl had to be created for this film anyways. The plot takes you nowhere and leaves you with a film that has a couple hours of nothing between the few clips that were shown on the trailers.  To be honest, Wolfman was probably worse (read my review!) but this one was much more disappointing and therefore wins the Baum.

And the Baum for Best Picture goes to…

The Book of Eli

Denzel Washington is truly at his finest (a close runner-up for best actor). The post-apocalyptic plot is not like most, in that it does not have any holes and there aren’t any zombies. While some discard the film as religious drivel, it actually does a great job of addressing the interesting theme of what role religion plays in society. The intense action and subsequent gore will deter some, but in no way is it overdone. I was afraid that this would be a Boondock Saints type movie where the Bible is misquoted in order to justify murder and vigilantism. That is not the case at all. Denzel is simply on a mission from God, following a faith that he does not always understand. The colors and music add to a great story that is executed well.  I could go on for a while about different themes throughout this film, but will save your weary reading eyes.  Just know that it wins my approval and the first annual Baum for Best Picture.

I would love to hear your comments on my choices and even your own award winners.  Please send an e-mail to clawandnussreviews@gmail.com and I will post my favorites in an upcoming blog.

Word Life.

-Nuss