I (Blanked) This

What: The Girlfriend Experience
Where: My apartment
When: October 23, 2009
Why: Steven Soderbergh has been one of my favorite directors since Out of Sight in 1998. I will see anything he does, mostly because he dares to take chances. Mixing big-budget extravaganzas like the Ocean’s series, pet projects like Che and tiny little movies like Bubble, Soderbergh cannot be confined to a single genre or method of filmmaking.

The Girlfriend Experience, much like Bubble, was conceived as a cheap, quick, casual picture. Most of the cast are not actors in the traditional sense, and Girlfriend resembles bubble in that way. It also looks and feels a lot like the mumblecore movement, small, talky pictures that are designed to look like (and often actually are) mostly improvised, naturalistic stories. These are not movies made by established directors; on the contrary, those who prefer this style tend to stay in it.

Not Sodebergh. he casts porn star Sasha Grey in the lead role of Chelsea, a call girl trying to juggle her career, a boyfriend, and a complicated sense of self-worth. Soderbergh, as is his signature, plays with time and juxtaposes audio with visuals that may or may not eventually synchronize. These tricks aid a story that might not have been as intriguing otherwise, for the twists and turns are only available with the story not playing out in chronology.

At 75 minutes, the pace of the picture makes it seem much longer, but any boredom I might have endured was gone by the third act, when Chelsea’s plight became more apparent. The resolution to the film, if it could be called that, comes unexpectedly and abruptly, leaving on just the right note. The Girlfriend Experience is not a great movie, but it’s a really good one all the same. In any other hands this story wouldn’t even work for a scene, but Soderbergh keeps things interesting for the the entire film.

What: This American Life, Season 2
Where: Netflix streaming to my Tivo (greatest thing ever, by the way)
When: September 10–11, 2009
Why: I’ve always been a huge fan of the radio show, even if I don’t take the time (even with the podcasts) to listen to it that much. That said, the first season of the TV version was one of the most consistently enjoyable television programs I’ve seen in the past decade. Season 2, as it turns out, is even better. The only way to describe this show is with a series of insufficiently nuanced adjectives: Remarkable. Uplifting. Heartwarming. Thought-provoking. Inspiring. Affecting. Fascinating.

I could go on and on. Episode 1, “Escape” features the stunning story of Mike Philips, whose inability to speak allows us to hear his emails read by none other than Johnny Depp. Episode 2, “Two Wars” featured one of my favorite segments of the season, where a young Iraqi put himself in a question booth and had frank conversations with all walks of life about his country, ours, and the war. Episode 5, “Every Marriage is a Courthouse”, kicks off with another charming animation from Chris Ware to accompany a funny story of a mis-remembered event in the life of one married couple.

The entire season, as great as it is, pales in comparison to the final episode, an hour-long feature dedicated to the life of “John Smith”. Not just one John Smith, mind you, but seven, from all stages of life. We first meet 11 month old John Smith and eventually say goodbye to 79-year-old John Smith. Along the way, the show deftly weaves storylines and life lessons, juxtaposing young discovery with old wisdom, and vice versa. The episode was, without a doubt, one of the finest hours of television I’ve ever watched. I urge anyone and everyone out there to find it however they can.

Oh, and Showtime, you better give Ira Glass, Chris Wilcha and the rest of the Chicago Public Radio crew more money for another season. America—and the world—needs more of this show.

What: Hancock
When: July 21, 2009
Where: My apartment
Why: Needing a break from my Netflix TV rentals (I’m currently in the middle of Spaced), I perused my streaming options and found Hancock. It was somehow both worse and better than I expected. Stylishly colored and kinetically directed by Peter Berg, this action movie has one of the most intriguing conceits in recent years.

The reluctant super hero turned PR project is both an original and fun notion, but for me the movie faltered as soon as we establish the backstory for Hancock’s super powers (and make a “big” reveal that was spoiled not just by pre-movie chatter but mostly by arch foreshadowing).

Typically I hate to judge a piece of art on what it is versus what I wanted it to be, but I really wish I could’ve seen more of Will Smith’s whiskey-swilling anti-hero and much less of the family drama. I also could have done without the Back to the Future-like code word (“chicken” anyone?) for our hero. It’s just too easy!

Finally, a note about the odd (yet welcome) casting of some smaller parts. Mike Epps? Thomas Lennon? Johnny Galecki? What are these people doing in this movie? So strange. All in all, an enjoyable if otherwise forgettable movie with seeds for greatness spoiled.

What: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
When: July 13, 2009
Where: Cinerama, Seattle, WA
Why: Why? Is that a question even needing to be answered? A better question might be how soon until I see it again? The past two Potter flicks I caught twice in the theaters and this one I might have to watch one more time as well for, despite a few quibbles, this is another marvelous film in the series. Throughout the second half of the film, I kept asking myself “Where are the horcruxes?” and then when the finally appeared, the ending felt rushed and abrupt. I could say the same for director David Yates’ previous entry into the Potter archives, 2007’s Order of the Phoenix, which I sadly found anti-climactic.

Whereas the death of Cedric Diggory brought me to great sadness in Mike Newell’s Goblet of Fire, here Dumbledore’s death is much less emotionally taxing. I’m not sure why, but I don’t exactly recall getting worked up while reading the book, so maybe it’s not the fault of the director after all. What Yates does remarkably well is direct his actors. As usual, the all-star British cast found yet another perfect addition with Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn, and the kids are getting better and better all the time. Dan Radcliffe in particular has a knack for mixing comedy with his seriousness.

This is a funny film. Hard to imagine, considering all the creepiness of the deeper story of the Hogwarts-aged Tom Riddle (I would’ve liked to have seen some sequences from the Riddle household, even if they would’ve been overload for an already long film). Yates and his young cast are able to keep it light enough to balance the dark for much of the film, what with all this romance blooming amongst the adolescents. 

One more note on casting: everyone blasts Chris Columbus now for making two saccharine family films with the first entries in the franchise, but every last Potter fan should be thankful for the job that he and his casting director did all those years ago. Think about it, not one child actor has been recast, and every time you see them in each progressive film (Yates & team do a commendable job of giving everyone at least a scene in Prince), you never question that they are still that character. Bonnie Wright especially stepped it up here, and I look forward with great anticipation to see her increase her role as Ginny Weasley in the final two films.

What: Moon
When: July 9, 2009
Where: Metro, Seattle, WA
Why: First of all, I love thoughtful science fiction. Second, and maybe more importantly, Sam Rockwell is one of my favorite actors working today. Third, my brain needed a break today. Fourth, that poster is fantastic. Fifth, I really wanted to see this at SIFF but never made it. So I waited patiently for it to come out for real. I was not disappointed. On par with Solaris (both versions), the movie is a great look at the loneliness of space, the morality of… well, I don’t want to spoil it. Go see it/rent it. And in the meantime, I’ll be watching a movie I somehow have never seen: Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

What: John Adams Parts 1 & 2
When: July 5, 2009
Where: my couch
Why: I had these on my queue for a good many months, and have had the first two discs in my possession for nearly two weeks now. With nothing better to do late on Sunday, still a little lacking in energy after a 17-hour work day, I sat down and watched parts 1 & 2. I didn’t think much of what it meant coming on the heels of yesterday’s celebration, but now I can’t imagine a more perfect way to better appreciate the reasons why we held a big party and sent exploding rockets into the sky yesterday. Adams is stirring, personal look at history we all learned as kids, but never really could grasp as anything other than legend.

What: The House Bunny
When: June 26, 2009
Where: My couch
Why: I was stuck home on a Friday night, on call at work from 12am until 6am Saturday, and I felt like watching something light and forgettable. My Netflix DVDs were either John Adams or the so-bad-its-good War Birds, so I streamed this instead. I have to say, even though it didn’t have high aspirations, this movie could’ve been a lot better. Starting with the rating. If you’re going to do a classic college comedy in the vein of Old School, Animal House or even Revenge of the Nerds, it should be rated R. Especially if it’s about a Playboy bunny! The characterizations are stock and at times terribly unbelievable, even in the universe this movie has created for itself. I could do also with a few less points of intrigue (like the sabotage subplot) in order to smooth out the story. I could go on and on (as if I haven’t already), but I will close in saying Anna Faris is pretty hilarious, Emma Stone is adorable, and… what the hell is Dan Patrick doing playing a state trooper!?!?

What: Happy Go-Lucky
When: June 19, 2009
Where: on my couch
Why: I like British movies, Mike Leigh is a good writer/director, and Sally Hawkins got a Golden Globe nod. Oh, and the trailer looked interesting when I spotted it months and months ago. 

What: The Long Goodbye
When: June 18–19, 2009
Where: on my couch
Why: I read an AV Club article about The Big Lebowski and it touched on the influence of this film (and the Chandler novel). As a fan, I felt I owed it to myself to check it out. 

While this wasn’t nearly as enjoyable for me as the aforementioned Lebowski, I liked it well enough and can certainly see the huge influence it had on the Coens. Elliott Gould, never removed from his tailored suits and cigarettes, is the polar opposite of The Dude except in one key way: mysteries and the shady characters who inhabit them tend to find him. In a world of utter craziness and morally ambiguous, self-interested parties, both The Dude and Marlowe have one—well, two—things in mind. Setting the record straight, and getting their precious belongings back.

For The Dude of course this is the rug that tied the room together. For Marlowe, it’s his cat. Gould brings a wonderful lackadaisical quality to the role, and I loved the ambling approach to L.A., a city where everyone seems to be a lot more revved up than he is.