Five Reasons to Watch 'The Fighter' (Excluding Mark Wahlberg's Torso)

1) Great acting.

2) A real guy movie. Now, I am a girl myself, but I really enjoy these kind of films. Maybe it's because I know that being a girl, I will never get to experience and have to go through some of the things men go through, for better or for worse. The Fast and the Furious, as much as I love that movie, is not a guy's film. This film is. Because, despite how much most men would want their life to be about outrageously fast cars and exotic women, it usually isn't (unless you are a Rolling Stone or Cristiano Ronaldo).

3) Christian Bale being his wonderful weird self again. Seriously, how many times has this man put his body through hell in order to deliver a performance? He lost about 30 kilograms to play his character in The Machinist. Then he went straight to working on Batman and buffed himself up to where he was 15 kg more than what he was before his diet for The Machinist. To make a long story short, it seems like there is nothing he won't do to make his character more believable and his performance more powerful. Here is a visual to prove it. In this film, he plays Dicky Eklund, a retired boxer - and current crack addict - known as a legend in his home town for going the distance against one of the best boxers of the time. Christian Bale once again lost a lot of weight to realistically portray a person struggling with a serious drug addiction, and his acting is great, where he manages to capture small nuances of the real Dicky's behavior and habits.

4) It's a true story worth being told. Before I go any further, i am not a big boxing expert, and I am not sure exactly how accurate this film is. But I did go on the savior of human kind, YouTube, and looked at some real fights of Micky Ward, and those seemed to be pretty spot on, so that's good news. Besides the accuracy issue, that I, unfortunately do not have much to say about, I did feel like I connected with the characters and believed that they could be real people. It's a great story to make a film about because it has all the ingredients: family, love story, drugs and jail, boxing.

5) The message this film sends. Despite the main theme of the film being boxing, and the film inside the film being about drugs, at the end of it, the story is about family. I thought the relationship with the two brothers and their mother was very well shown. In movies about the pursuit of greatness, I find that parents are always depicted as either extremely supportive or extremely unsympathetic. This film doesn't try to do that, which I really appreciate. Melissa Leo gives a wonderful performance as a mother of nine children, who tries her best at raising all of them equally, but inevitably struggles. She is by far not the perfect example of a mother, but neither is she a failure as one. That is what speaks to me as a viewer. Families are always tough to portray because the emotions that happen between people bonded by blood are often a challenge to show between actors that may know each other for a few weeks. It seems to me that the director David O. Russell and his team paid a lot of attention to this aspect of the film, and I think it really pays off.

Time Doesn't Stand Still

Unfortunately for me, Christmas/New Year has never been an extremely extraordinary holiday. More than anything, I associate it with the opportunity to take it easier and relax while catching up on my massive list of films to watch and stuff to read that I never got around to by being a lazy ass the rest of the year. In other words, few things surpass the importance of the advent chocolate calendar for me during this time.

This year is slightly different however, thanks to Darren Aronofsky. Yes, you read it correctly, my Christmas will be spent primarily waiting to get my hands on Black Swan, the film everyone has probably already heard about. There are many reasons why I am so excited about the film: Darren Aronofsky, great cast, Darren Aronofsky, the storyline, ballet finally being shown for the tough, impossibly competitive, and sometimes gruesome form of art that it is instead of the pretty, fluffy dance that it is usually portrayed as in movies, and Darren Aronofsky. The film has already got many great reviews, and I’m sure that it will be as good as everyone says it is. I also love how Aronofsky chooses his projects. I have no idea if it is intentional, but there seems to be a very interesting social perspective when it comes to his films. His previous film, The Wrestler was a typical guy film, about a guy competing in a strictly guy’s sport/show, and dealing with typical guy problems. In the Black Swan, Aronofsky uses the same outlet, that being athleticism, but approaches it from a strictly female perspective – what women go through for success, the pressure, and the way they struggle to juggle real life (it rhymes! Mental note, email Lil Wayne) and the high expectations in their careers. What’s especially great is that athleticism is in the essence of both of these films, because, having competed in professional sport, I know for a fact that it is one of the best ways to demonstrate the sacrifices people make in order to succeed. (For those who would argue that ballet is strictly a form of art that has nothing to do with sport, I beg to differ. I know a number of ballet dancers, and their regime resembles one of an Olympic athlete much more than say of a poet or a painter).

Ok, initially I was not planning on talking about the Black Swan at all, but clearly couldn’t help myself. The reason for the post, however, is not Black Swan, at least not completely.

What I like about well-done films that portray physically ambitious craft is that many times, real life professionals get to participate in the making of the film to make it more realistic and believable. In this case, Benjamin Millepied, a principal dancer at New York Ballet and a renowned choreographer plays a significant part in the creation of the Black Swan, as an actor and choreographer. I am not a big ballet aficionado, so I have never heard of Mr. Millepied before, but apparently he is a pretty talented actor, as well as an aspiring moviemaker, and he has an awesome tattoo! I found a short film by him and American filmmaker Asa Mader, starring Millepied himself alongside Lea Seydoux, called Time Doesn’t Stand Still. As is expected, dancing plays a big part in the short film. For now, a director’s cut is available to take a look at, and you can find it here. The short film will be available in its entirety in 2011, and I think it looks like a promising start for Millepied to expand his career into a new art form.

Most Stylish...

...Leading Man.

In today's world of stylists, magazines, runway shows, and, thousands of blogs/websites/tv shows dedicated to fashion, it seems like dressing the part should not really be THAT hard. However, often times, we see people, that possibly have the most access to looking phenomenal, opt for a "not so phenomenal" look, shall we say.

However, there are people who time and time again get it right. I especially love to see Hollywood's leading men looking dapper, whether on the red carpet or on a trip to Whole Foods. Being a big fan of Old Hollywood, I always get very touched when I see today's stars put the effort into looking their best, which seemed to be the standard rule about half a century or so ago.

Check out today's most stylish leading man after the jump!

Beautiful Biutiful

A film by Alejandro González Iñárritu has come out in Spain about a week or so ago. It stars Spanish star and Oscar winner Javier Bardem and tells a story of a man struggling with raising his two children while discovering that he is fatally ill. The film is set in the metropolitan love of my life, Barcelona. The film runs just under two and a half hours during which I have gone through many different stages of human condition ranging from nervous laughter to weeping in a cinema full of people while curled up in my seat in the fetal position (not particularly proud to reveal this one.)

After the movie world has been introduced to such films as Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Biutiful will be a drastically different view on the city for the audience. It is set in the more underprivileged area that even I have never been to nor heard of, and I’ve lived here for years.

Freddy vs. Leo

In honor of Inception coming out on DVD (and Bluraaaaaaay) today, I decided to post about the film. I actually found the film to be a very thought-provoking (albeit somewhat confusing) and engaging movie. A big part of that was, being the fashion fanatic that I am, me being very impressed with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s wardrobe. Seriously, that guy was so dapper in this film, I thought I could have spent the two and half hours just observing him float through that hotel.

Unlike many, I didn’t come away with a gazillion question marks over my head after the film, and that may be for one of two reasons: I took the film for what it was and didn’t delve too much into the twisted plot, or I wasn’t smart enough to notice a lot of the details that everyone else did (many mentioned that they lean towards the second one). Overall, I was a happy camper.

There was, however, one thing that made me think and think about the movie for a long time after seeing it, and that was… what would Freddy Krueger think about all of this? I mean, let’s give credit where credit is due, and no one, I repeat, no one knows how to navigate a person’s dream and dig up the toughest psychological traumas like one Mr. Krueger.

I could just imagine Leonardo DiCaprio running through someone’s dream, shooting at bad guys, and then suddenly, instead of his wife that liked to frequent his subconscious, Freddy showed up (yes, maybe staying up late last night and watching Horror on Elm Street on pay-per-view was not such a great idea after all).

So there they are, facing eachother. Who would take who out? Forget Freddy vs. Jason, these are the big boys here. What I was mostly interested in, was if the two decided to dislike each other, and a battle would break out, who would be the winner? On the one hand, Freddy knows a lot about this subconscious world, that even DiCaprio had a hard time deciphering at times, and he’s been there for a lot longer. The man’s afterlife is dedicated to torturing people in their sleep. On the other hand, DiCaprio has technology and guns. Freddy is very capable, but, let’s face it, a glove full of blades can only get you so far, just ask Edward Scissorhands.

Apart from that, DiCaprio has buddies. They helped him beat an army full of soldiers in the middle of something like the North Pole, so they can help him deal with Freddy and his dungeon-like hangar.

As far as style is concerned, I have to admit that there is a charm involved in Freddy’s everyday ensemble. I would call it casual with a touch of ivy league preppy-ness. Mr. DiCaprio doesn’t exactly disappoint either, but, he’s no Joseph Gordon-Levitt in this one style-wise, so I will have to settle on a tie in terms of sartorialism.

Lastly, I have to mention one query I do have about this. As we know, Leo and his team work for money. So, say a high-schooler from Elm Street were to break his piggy-bank and ask the fellows to help him beat Freddy, what would the price they ask for be? Considering the buyer’s age and very sticky situation? I would like to believe they would help the kid out just for the sake of doing the right thing, and, maybe making sure that if Leonardo DiCaprio’s character does get to raise his children afterall, they won’t be in the risk group of Freddy victims – whether in the real or subconscious world.

Life Imitating Art

...so I like to visit the cinema every now and again...

Chatroom

I came across a movie called Chatroom the other day. “Surprisingly”, it deals with a chatroom… The movie is not long, and it jumps right into the story from minute one. To summarize the film in a sentence or two, it is about a group of teens that meet in a chatroom, and get to know each other. However, very soon, we come to learn that all the teens in the new chatroom have secrets that they are hiding and maybe… oh my gosh, wait for it… ulterior motives!

Anyway, the film is a fast-paced thriller and an easy watch. I especially liked how they created an imaginary cyberspace with all the characters in it instead of filming everyone endlessly typing away on their computer. There are many cyber chat instances in the film that are portrayed in a very real and artistic way. The film has some obvious weaknesses that many others pointed out, such as the underdevelopment of about half of the characters that partake in the story. It also seems to stretch reality a bit too many times for my liking. The reason I decided to comment on this film however, is because I was reading my beloved GQ about two months ago. I don’t know how you call it when you first hear about something that you have never heard about before in your life, and ever since then it starts appearing everywhere you go. Well, that is what happened to me while I was reading an article in GQ that spoke about assisted suicide online, if you can call it that. I have never had any idea that something like this existed, but apparently, there are websites out there that serve as a place for suicidal people to come and either seek support or get advice on the best way to end life. It seems really creepy, but these are legitimate boards, which have a lot of visitors.

I guess like every board online, there is good and bad that comes from it. On the one hand, there is a big support system that helps some people who are struggling to cope. On the other hand, however, there is that other side. The side that GQ wrote about, and that Chatroom touched upon as well. That side consists of people that sort of get off on the act of talking someone into killing themself. Sometimes they even get to watch it happen, since many ask for moral support while taking their last journey and switch their webcam on to create the illusion of having someone there to help them through it.

GQ talked about a story of a man disguising himself as a young nurse that talked to troubled kids about the benefits of dying by hanging. This man is currently on trial, but, as the article points out, it does not seem like anything can really be done at the end of the day. First of all, talking to someone is not a crime, especially when it is done on the internet, where everyone lies and pretends. Secondly, these people made a choice to die, and if someone assisted them in providing helpful information in doing it the easiest way possible, on a website devised specifically for that purpose, well, it’s hard to find crime in that as well.

Nonetheless, it is very scary once you think about the situation and the poor youngsters that had the bad fortune of running into this “nurse” online instead of a person that could have maybe shined a light on their situation and talked them out of doing the irreversible. Chatroom is precisely about that. Maybe if I were to not read GQ before seeing this film, I would’ve thought it was highly improbable that someone could talk someone else into committing suicide online, and would’ve thought the movie went overboard on that storyline as well. However, I’m glad it didn’t go that way, because while there are very few teens that religiously read GQ, there are many more that might want to watch this film because of its good looking and young cast (with Kickass star Aaron Johnson as the lead), and who knows, maybe it'll save a cyber life or two.

Films to Look Forward to

Blue Valentine (out end of December)

Blue Valentine is the the film I have been impatiently waiting for all year. I think this film could be the best film of 2010. After not seeing Ryan Gosling in anything for some time, this film caught my attention right from the start. Why do I think it will be as good as I think it will be? A number if things. For one, it stars Ryan Gosling, the best young(er) actor in Hollywood for some time now in my opinion. And he is astonishingly underrated, but I suppose that is how he prefers it. Apart from that, this is a story that has been waiting to see the light of day for many years, with both Ryan and Michelle Williams taking a huge leap of faith to see it get made. Of course, the buzz it has been getting now that we are slowly approaching award season has added some spice.

The film is about the life and relationship of a young married couple. It's about their ups and downs. Seemingly, it is the same old story we have all heard about so many times. But to me, these films (when done well) are the most interesting ones. Because they analyze people in their natural habitat – relationships. Just by watching the trailer, you can see that Ryan and Michelle will tell a top-notch story. I definitely intend to watch it once it comes around my way. Then again, I watch pretty much everything that comes my way, but if you are in America, and you plan on visiting the cinema only once in what's left of 2010, I recommend you choose Blue Valentine. Release dates for the rest of the world are unclear, which happens often with smaller films that need to battle for every single theater, but Blue Valentine  should be on limited release in US theaters from December 31st. Unless it gets an Oscar nod (which it might), the rest of us might have to be waiting for a DVD release or search the internet to check the film out.

Rare Exports (out December 3^rd in UK)

I personally don’t know how to get my hands on this film. I haven’t watched it, and considering that it is a smaller budget foreign film, it may be very long before I manage to. However, I have had the chance to read some about it, and based on the reviews the film seems promising.

But you know what, the whole review part of it is beside the point, because even if the movie was utter crap – which it does not appear to be – I’m saying you still have to see this film if you get the opportunity because it takes big balls to mess with Santa’s image. Because frankly, whoever Santa’s PR guy was, he deserves to have a monument built in his name. Because, let’s be honest here, Santa can’t do no wrong! Whether he is delivering presents or riding a big Coca-Cola bus, Santa only brings happiness and joy. He is the one stranger that parents do not tell their children to not take candy from. Santa is a fun loving, sweet, and friendly man.

What these guys do is take this image that was set in stone decades ago and they destroy it. According to the trailer and the synopsis, they make sure that Santa resembles the Texas Chainsaw Massacre dude more than a grandpa in red. I say, let’s support them! Because it’s something different, and as I said before, it takes balls to portray Santa as a child-kidnapping psychopath. And a good job on making Santa slim in this one. A fat psycho killer isn’t very credible, how will he chase his victims?!

 Debt (rumored 2011)

This movie looks quite promising. Mainly because it deals with a topic that I find extremely fascinating – medical experiments that took place in the concentration camps in Nazi Germany. To me, it is the most mind and gut wrenching part of everything that happened during those years. Mind you, I am not by any means downplaying anything else that took place in the camps. People were killed daily. They were beaten up, they were raped, they were starved, treated like dirt and executed. A human life had no value. But even the horrific system that the concentration camps followed, to me does not compare to the medical experiments (aka torture) that the doctors undertook supposedly for the good of progress and science. We hear of maniacs and serial killers and it freaks us out. God forbid this happens to me. If a person must die let it be instantaneous, painless. But all these maniacs, they are crazy demented people that were molested as children or whatever else story one comes up with. But here, these were completely sane, clear thinking professionals that supposedly entered the field to save lives!

I will definitely watch it, but having seen the trailer I can’t help but worry. Despite the great cast and seemingly interesting story, I fear this will end up having a problem that many big films suffer lately – accuracy. And another thing is that Sam Worthington just didn’t seem like a young Israeli Mossad agent from the 60s to me. Maybe that is my own issue, and it will definitely not stop me from trying to appreciate the film for whatever it will do well, but watching the trailer, sometimes I just couldn’t help but feel that Mr. Worthington was going to suddenly turn blue and plead that there is a better way out there and harmony, not violent search for progress, is the answer.


Until later,
Girl in Leggings