Star Dust

“Stardust”

So, here it is: “Stardust“, the film based off of Neil Gaiman‘s book (whom by the way is a terrific storyteller, but moreso in the Graphic Novel arena).

The film stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro and Claire Danes.  Everybody else…well, they are okay.  In fact, Claire was little too old for the part I thought.  She seemed a little too old to be that whining sort of character.  That and she looked WAY older that her co-star, the affable Charlie Cox.  He’s okay. Nothing to write home about.  Claire looks good, but she doesn’t seem to be stretching herself too much with this role.

The other stars though were absolutely TERRIFIC!!!   I can say without hesitation that both Michelle and Bobby D steal this movie!  Bobby D in particular is hysterical!  I can only image that this 2nd time director was sort of in heaven. Like “Hey, Robert DeNiro, here’s the script….uh, just go for it; whatever you do is fine!”  And man was it ever!  Michelle meanwhile looks as though she hasn’t aged a day (granted I have not seen “Hairspray” yet) – ladies, here’s to you gals over 45 that STILL look amazing!!!! (You know who you are!)  And her acting was flawless – witty, sharp, and just absolutely spot-on PERFECT!

The other bonus is that the movie’s story is in a word: romantic.  I love that stuff, and it is so mythical.  A boy falls in love with a star while thinking he wants this other nasty wench.  Yeah, right.  Like Sienna Miller is any comparison to Claire Danes!  Besides, the beauty of this tale is that the message is clear: love changes everything.  And it does!  (I personally can vouch for that one!)

So, if you are in the mood for a sort of “out there” romantic film with a strong element of comedy (I loved the Dead Princes) set in a fantasy world – then check out “Stardust” for a wonderful date movie!

…and that’s it for this edition of THE REEL VOICE.

 

 

 

 

 

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• Stardust: a movie review (thefirstgates.com)
• Stardust (2007 film) – based on the book by Neil Gaiman (redvinylchair.com)

It’s Complicated

“It’s Complicated”

I know this kind of comedy doesn’t appeal to younger audiences, but “It’s Complicated” is pretty hilarious!  When you have Alec Baldwin acting smarmy, he’s fantastic.  When you have Meryl Streep  just simply personifying her role, it’s a thing of beauty.  And when you add Steve Martin acting the role of nice guy, it gets better than you would think.  All in all, this film keeps you entertained from beginning to end.  Isn’t that the goal of any film, really?

“It’s Complicated” follows a pretty modern story.  The parents (played by Baldwin & Streep) have been divorced for a couple of years and the ex-husband has moved on and married again.  The parents have 3 children, the youngest of whom is about to leave home & go off to college and the others have just graduated college and the eldest is about to get married.  The chaos of this tale revolves around what happens when the parents hook-up over their son’s college graduation weekend.  He’s now having an affair with his ex-wife, and she is now the other woman with her ex-husband.

The whole story may not have worked with other actors, but the talent here made it work in spades!  There are 2 particular elements that supported this effort: Steve Martin and John Krasinski.  Specifically, it is Martin’s lovable nice-guy architect that I found myself rooting for.  He sort of stumbles into the whole scenario and you can’t help but want him and Streep to end up together.  I was laughing hysterically at the two of them when they go on their 1st date.  It’s priceless and so simple as far as humor goes, but they both have such talent at pulling it off!  Krasinski plays the fiancé to the parent’s eldest daughter.  His scenes both at the hotel and the family gathering right afterwards were funnier than I was expecting.  He’s so likeable anyway and you know he can do funny, but the character was indicated as being that strong of a role.  I think the actor just sort of ran with a couple of scenes – and they made the movie better for it!

I found “It’s Complicated” to be a strange story but filled with some great moments.  It was funny than I thought it was going to be, so if you’re in the mood for a little different kind of comedy, this is worth the watch.  It has a realistic feel to it, which I think sells it better than most other comedies out there.  I have to say – once again – that Meryl Streep is a fine actress.  She may try to be all humble and mild-mannered about things (which makes you like her even more), but I think she might be one of the greatest actors of all time.  She does this stuff so effortlessly!

I recommend this film for the 20+ crowd, mainly due to the subject matter.  The story doesn’t get dark or twisted, but I think a lot of younger viewers would just find the whole film too slow to keep them engaged.

…and that’s it for this edition of THE REEL VOICE

 

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Mamma Mia

“Mamma Mia” 

Alright, so I never saw the musical live – shocking, I know.  I love a lot of musicals, but it’s usually the older ones.  “South Pacific” is really my speed when it comes to musicals.  That being said, some people in recent years have done a fantastic job at creating musicals.   The very 1^st one on that list would be “Sweeney Todd” – a film which I adored!  So, even though I am an old stick in the mud when asked my preference for musicals, I DO enjoy some modern works as well.

“Mamma Mia” looked like a lot of fun, and so I decided to give it a whirl.

Allow me to say the following very clearly: just because you are a decent actor or actress doesn’t mean you can sing.  Pierce Brosnan most assuredly cannot sing.  It is painful to listen to.  Please, can someone just inform the man of that fact?  Did anyone else notice how badly he stunk it up on film?   It was truly atrocious.  I mentioned “Sweeney Todd” earlier, and I can say that Alan Rickman in that film was far superior to Brosnan in this awful mess.  And that isn’t saying much.

As for the ladies of the film, they were fine.  There was nothing outstanding about their performances, one way or another.  I have nothing bad to say, but nothing good to say either.  Meryl Streep plays the “love interest” of the film and to be honest, she does okay.  Streep is a world-class actress, and I can understand the want of a professional actress to loosen up a bit and have some fun in a film for a change of pace.  Really, she was just adequate in the role – not the usual from Streep, to be sure.

The film is quirky with some of its casting, and the whole film is a little goofy.  The concept was a novel thing: a musical based on ABBA’s music.  The music is good, but it really makes you crave to hear the actual recording by the band.  The whole movie is like that.  Wonderful setting, but it made me want to go there.  Wonderful music, but don’t I own that CD somewhere?  See what I mean?  I forgot about the movie entirely.  That is my criticism of this musical: it is forgettable.

I suppose there are some positive upsides to a film being a little goofy and fairly forgettable.  For one, nobody will care enough to write anything truly nasty about your movie.  Unless I miss my guess, I would have to assume that the live theatrical musical would be better than this film.  It just didn’t strike me either in a good way or a bad way.

…and that’s it for this edition of THE REEL VOICE

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The Iron Lady

“The Iron Lady” 

What more can you say about Meryl Streep other than – as my lovely wife so clearly stated – she may be the greatest actress of all time?  It’s true.  In “Julie & Julia” she was stupendous as Julia Childs.  In “The Devil Wears Prada” she just ate up the screen.  In “Death Becomes Her” she was hysterical and campy.  In “The Bridges of Madison County” she was dazzling with such a subtle accent that it was absolutely amazing (I myself doubted her casting; something I will never do again.).  And as someone pointed out the other day, she was a stand-out even way back in “The Deer Hunter” (a film dominated by the some super male heavyweights).  The woman has range, depth, and an uncanny ability to BECOME the role she is playing.

“The Iron Lady” is the biopic tale of the 1^st female Prime Minister of England, Margaret Thatcher.  It is told in retrospective, which is always a pleasant way to tell the tale of someone’s life.  It chronicles her rise to political power and intersperses real news footage of those turbulent times, including the Brixton Riots, the Miners Strike, the bombing of the Grand Hotel (which nearly killed her), and of course the Falkland Island crisis.  The flashbacks of her life are made complete and contrasted in the present with her confusion regarding the loss of her husband Dennis, played by the likeable Jim Broadbent.  The entire story is kind of sad and melancholy.  It presents us with a woman that changed world history and lead her nation into an economic boom that has echoed over the decades since.  Margaret Thatcher was a tough woman, and an admirable leader through some of England’s more modern struggles.

That’s my summation of the film.  Yet the real heart of the film has to do with seeing Margaret as an elderly woman struggling with dementia.  Streep’s portrayal of this age of Thatcher is stunning and heart-breaking.  Her transformation into the elderly Thatcher is SO great that I had to wonder if that wasn’t the REAL Margaret Thatcher!  She blurs the line so amazingly that I no longer saw Streep – just Thatcher.  Streep guides us through flashbacks with grace and an ease, but she doesn’t stun.  When she really shines is when she gets to be Thatcher as an older woman (Prime Minister and on).  She provides such warmth to the character and her portrayal of her dementia is so delicate and sensitive that you can’t help but sympathize with her.

“The Iron Lady” is a rewarding film to see.  As a child of the ‘80s, it was kind of nostalgic film too with all of those flashbacks.   I forgot about her friend getting assassinated and just how drawn out the Falkland Island Crisis was.  In a way, this was a really interesting “return to the ‘80s” because it wasn’t involving movies, fashions, music, music videos, or TV shows.  Still though, I am stunned by the talent that Streep shows time and time again.  She deserved the Oscar, without question!

…and that’s it for this edition of THE REEL VOICE.