Movie Review: 'The Tree of Life'

Rating: 5/5
by Brian Kesler

In many ways, Terrence Malick reminds me a lot of my favorite director, Stanley Kubrick. He's a perfectionist, he makes a film only once every several years, he is totally hands on and involved, he uses wide angle lenses for close-ups and medium shots, and he tackles subject matter that is important, risky, and very ambitious. This film rivals '2001: A Space Odyssey' in terms of ambition. In fact, you could say this is the long-lost companion film to Kubrick's science-fiction masterpiece. They both jump from prehistoric times to modern and futuristic times, and they both ask compelling questions on the nature of our place in the universe. Where '2001' is cold and scientific, 'Tree of Life' is warm and religious. They are perfect companion pieces.

The film opens with a theory that every living things follows the rules of nature or the rules of grace. Jessica Chastain is the mother, and Brad Pitt is the father, and they get a letter in the late '50s, telling them their son has died. The film rewinds to the creation of the universe, the big bang, the development of landscapes on earth, the birth of the sun, single-celled organisms, life in the sea, and the discovery of shore, after which dinosaurs roam the earth and become extinct after an asteroid crashes into the ocean. This sequence is long and set to classical music - in the style of Kubrick - and reminded me of a similar chain of events drawn by the master animators of the early Disney studio in the classic 'Fantasia.' The film fast-forwards to the late '40s, documenting the birth of the couple's first son, and the two consecutive sons, and the journey of life from naive infant, discovering new things and seeing the world with a fresh pair of eyes; to childhood, playing to your heart's content, but knowing something is wrong, something bad is happening to you; to teenagerhood, being confused by the contradictory nature of adult rules and adult philosophy, struggling with a belief in God, hormones that you mustn't talk about, and the constant fascination with violence; to adulthood, plagued with cynicism and the loss of innocence.

Jessica Chastain represents grace (literally depicted as a floating angel in one sequence), where Brad Pitt represents nature. Some have complained that his character is almost too much a stereotypical wife-beater, when in fact, he's a well portrayed vision of a man struggling with his addiction to control and his need of love and pity. There are two scenes showing the children being woken up by their parents. Chastain wakes them up by dropping ice cubes down their shirts as they laugh and giggle. Pitt storms into the room and pulls the sheets from the bed without saying a word. It's difficult to see these children smiling as infants as they take their first steps to then being afraid to speak or smile in front of their father.

As I said before, the film deals with the belief in God, especially in a scene where the eldest son, not older than 13, sees the hatred that plagues the adult world and asks God, "Why do I have to be good if you're not." It's a profoundly personal film with big questions regarding faith. There is voice-over narration throughout, whispered by the characters, speaking to God and asking him: Why? They will never know the answer, but the eldest son, played later in the film by Sean Penn as a modern financial capitalist, gets a glimpse into the afterlife, as he transcends dimensions and witnesses his mother giving her dead son from so long ago to God.

There are many things in 'The Tree of Life' that are up to interpretation, more so - even - than with '2001,' which has become pretty consistently explained. It's a movie that should be seen with an open mind, a mind ready for exercise, a mind ready to explore its own questions on faith and the universe. It's a movie that should be seen twice, three times, examined and studied and pondered. These are the kinds of movies that are important and it is imperative that we are open to seeing them and benefiting from their philosophy. 

The Gleek Critique: "Yes/No" Episode

Sam singing "Summer Nights" from Grease along with the other McKinley boys.

by Jack Garcia

Fox's Glee returned after their holiday hiatus with an episode all about love... and it's not even Valentine's Day yet.  The night opened with the girls asking Mercedes to fill them all in on her summer romance with Sam (because let's face it, we as viewers don't know anything about it!).  The boys ask Sam the same question and we instantly launch into a Grease moment with the song "Summer Nights."  Talking about the summer causes Sam to ask Mercedes if there's any way the two of them can get back together, but Mercedes insists that it was just a fling and all in the past.  All talk, of course, because in reality the diva just can't stop thinking about Trouty Mouth... even though she has a new beau.

In order to impress Mercedes, Sam decides to join the swim team.  He's not the only one trying to win over hearts, however, and we soon learn that Becky has developed a crush on Artie.  She asks him out on a date, and out of kindness he says yes.  But when she texts him dirty pictures, he realizes she wants to be more than friends.  He doesn't know how to tell her that he isn't interested and Sue Sylvester gives him some advice.  Feeling rejected, Becky runs into Sue's arms and the two of them eat ice cream and watch chick flicks.

Will thinks it's time to propose to Emma, but after talking with her parents he begins to have some doubts.  He finally overcomes these doubts and proposes to Ms. Pillsbury in show-stopping over-the-top Glee fashion.  She says yes of course!  The wedding proposals don't stop there though.  Finn reveals a desire to join the military, and his mother tells him the truth about his father's death--which wasn't in war like he thought it was.  His father was dishonorably discharged before dying of a drug overdose somewhere in Cincinnati.  Feeling like the only thing good in his life is his girlfriend Rachel, he proposes to her with a ring and everything...

What does Rachel say?  We'll find out in two weeks!

The Pros:

• The "Summer Love" song was a cute redo of the original scene in the Grease movie and was even filmed using the exact same bleachers!
• Becky's voice-over in a British accent was pretty hilarious... and I'm glad she got a bigger role.
• Emma's cover of "Wedding Bell Blues" was funny with Sue and Beiste in the background wearing the ridiculous hats Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie wore to the Royal Wedding.
• Although more or less pointless to the plot, the mash-up of Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" and the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin Jack Flash" was pretty cool.  Who doesn't like Mick Jagger?
• Sam in a swimsuit.
• Leona Lewis' "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" sung by Tina, Rachel, Santana and Mercedes was very beautiful, as was the slower version of Usher's "Without You" sung by Rachel to Finn.  So many great love ballads!
• The scene where Emma is crying and bearing her heart to Will was so touching.  Damn it, Glee!  Why do you have to make me cry??
• Rihanna's "We Found Love" sung to synchronized swimming in vintage bathing suits was pretty out there... but I liked it.  When Will came in dressed in a white tux I almost died!  What an adorable proposal!  I AM SO HAPPY FOR THEM!
• The news of Finn's father was so shocking!  Totally came out of the blue.
• I loved when Sue said "Lifetime: Television for Ovaries."  Ha ha ha.... oh, so true.

The Cons:

• Emma's parents are horrible, this we know, but why did they seem oblivious to the fact that their daughter had been married once before?  Did they forget or was it an oversight on the writer's part?
• Not much Blaine, which is sad.
• They are making me wait two weeks to find out whether or not Rachel accepted Finn's proposal... so rude!

Movie Review: 'My Week with Marilyn'

Rating: 3/5
by Brian Kesler

'My Week with Marilyn' has a major problem. It isn't a movie. There is not a single full length sequence or scene in the supposed screenplay. It is a series of vignettes, without range or serious questions about who Marilyn Monroe was, how she lived, or her effect on American pop culture and the effect of America's fascination on her. Each vignette is just so pretty. It is a series of pretty little vignettes. Even a vignette in which Marilyn is asking for more pills doesn't seem like a serious inquisition of Hollywood's dark undercurrent. It's more like, "Awww ... sad ...." kind of stuff.

There are exactly two (2) saving graces to the film: Michelle Williams, whose frightfully spot-on performance of Marilyn Monroe makes one forget they aren't watching the real thing; and Judi Dench, who is delightful as always. Kenneth Branagh fails to humanize that cartoon-like characterization of Sir Olivier, and Julia Ormond has equal difficulty personifying the legendary Vivian Leigh. Eddie Redmayne does well enough as Colin Clark, a gofer who does the spending of the week with the blonde bombshell, but his part is horrifically under written. He just stands there. Well, in the presence of Marilyn Monroe, what else could you do?

I guess I should have told you the plot before I started to ramble. By now you've guessed that the movie involves famous movie stars Marilyn Monroe, Sir Laurence Olivier, and his wife Vivian Leigh. By process of elimination, we can deduce that the film focuses on the making of 'The Prince and the Showgirl,' since it was the only film Monroe and Olivier ever made together. As legend tells us, they despised one another, he because she was that "new" kind of actor. The actor who focused on the method that became so popular in the 50s and 60s. The Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, James Dean, Natalie Wood, Elizabeth Taylor era of actors. It was no longer apt to let the character grow organically through dialogue, but to find the character, embody the character, be the character. Monroe was always late because she was searching for the character with her acting coach in the dressing room. To Olivier, who was in the tradition of actors from the '30s and '40s, this was a waste of time and money. An actor's job was to speak the lines, and as long as they did so well, the character would be seen. This was the center of the disputation between them, and because Vivian Leigh, now middle-aged, was naturally suspicious of her husband working all day with a sex icon like Monroe.

This all sounds like terrific drama, but it is deduced to television melodrama. Branagh's performance is so over-the-top, and he's given the most clunky dialogue, which is unsuitable for a man of Olivier's stature. Judi Dench has some interesting moments, but is given very limited screen time. The plot is told through the eyes of gofer Colin Clark and based on his memoirs. It's not an interesting way to bring us into the life of Marilyn Monroe. Clark has the limitation of being a voyeur, who doesn't see much of Monroe's personal life, but imagines her as a spontaneous, sexual, lost kitten based on the behavior he sees from her. But we already know that about Monroe. What this movie doesn't do is go into the details of her marriage with the great playwright, Arthur Miller. It doesn't suggest at all that she and Olivier may have had an affair, or how it must have felt to be the most adored person on the face of the earth when all you wanted to be was normal. It doesn't spend time with Marilyn alone. She is always seen through the eyes of Colin, again, a voyeur's eyes. That doesn't help create an intimate and honest portrait of this human being. This movie just highlights the idea we have of Marilyn Monroe. We imagine this is how she must have been. But, it isn't daring, it isn't compelling, and it isn't intellectually stimulating.

A pointless side plot involving a wardrobe girl (played by Emma Watson with a disgusting, embarrassing wig) wanting to go steady with Colin only lowers the film's credibility.

The 69th Annual Golden Globes

by Jack Garcia

Ricky Gervais made quite a stir when he hosted last year's Golden Globes, and tonight he returned to host the ceremony all over again, insulting the Hollywood elite left and right!  But hey, they were winning awards so they can't get too mad!

Here are the winners in the order they were announced:

• Christopher Plummer won best actor for his role in the movie Beginners.
• Laura Dern won best actress for her show Enlightened on HBO.
• Best Mini-Series or TV Movie went to Downton Abbey.
• The gorgeous and talented Kate Winslet won her third Golden Globe tonight for her role in the mini-series Mildred Pierce. 
• Kelsey Grammer won for the TV drama Boss.
• The Golden Globe for Best TV Series - Drama went to Homeland on Showtime.
• Best Original Score - Motion Picture went to Ludovic Bource for the movie The Artist.
• Best Original Song - Motion Picture went to "Masterpiece" by Madonna from the film W/E, which is her second Golden Globe (the first being for her role in the movie Evita).
• Idris Elba won a Golden Globe for  his role in the miniseries Luther.
• Michelle Williams won the Golden Globe for her superb portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in the movie My Week with Marilyn.
• Peter Dinklage won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Game of Thrones.
• Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin won for Animated Feature Film.
• Best Screenplay - Motion Picture went to Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris.
• Jessica Lange won Best Supporting Actress for the TV series American Horror Story on FX.
• The Iranian movie A Separation won Best Foreign Language Film.
• Claire Danes won the third Golden Globe of her career for her starring role in the TV drama Homeland.
• Matt LeBlanc won his first Golden Globe for his TV show Episodes.  He never won for Friends... weird.
• For her role in The Help, Octavia Spencer won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture.
• Morgan Freeman won the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement.
• Director Martin Scorsese won for his movie Hugo.
• Modern Family won for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical.
• Jean Dujardin won the Golden Globe for his starring role in the movie The Artist.
• The goddess Meryl Streep won the Golden Globe for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.
• The black and white silent film The Artist won Best Picture - Comedy or Musical.
• George Clooney won for The Descendants.
• And the winner for Best Picture - Drama also went to The Descendants!

Here are my thoughts:

• Ricky Gervais was hilarious!!  Celebrities need to learn to laugh at themselves and understand that comedians will always find something to make fun of them about.  It's just the way it is!
• Julie Bowen looked beautiful with her retro hair and dress!  I also thought Kate Winslet, Claire Danes, Reese Witherspoon and Charlize Theron looked like perfection.  And yes, I watched E's red carpet coverage before hand...
• I was excited to see Debra Messing as a presenter... mostly because I loved her in Will & Grace!
• I thought it was cool when Michelle Williams mentioned that Marilyn Monroe won the same Golden Globe years ago.
• I loved when they showed Eric Stonestreet in the audience as they announced his nomination and Jesse Tyler Ferguson held a card behind his head saying "whatever."  Very funny!
• I thought The Adventures of Tintin was a terrific movie, but my heart of hearts wanted Rango to win.  Oh well... at least it wasn't Cars 2 (which is probably the first time I wasn't rooting for a Pixar win).
• William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman's musical presentation was very cute!
• I really liked when Madonna said "I haven't kissed a girl in a long time... on TV" to Ricky Gervais!  That's what you get for making fun of the Queen of Pop's lack of virginity!
• Ryan Gosling did not show up!  Rude!  He looks so good all dressed up!
• Two of television's funniest women, Tina Fey and Jane Lynch, presented an award together and I almost died!
• Matt LeBlanc's blue suit looked super sexy.  I love when men break away from the black!
• While watching, my boyfriend Brian said, "Sidney Poitier could walk into a Burger King and still get a standing ovation."  Oh, how I love my honey.
• Helen Mirren cracked me up with her "left is right" comment on driving in England... and for complaining about not being in enough Morgan Freeman movies.  And speaking of Morgan Freeman, I loved the montage of all his best films and his acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award was full of heart and humor.
• Angelina Jolie has skeleton arms and shoulders... she needs to eat more.
• Modern Family's acceptance speech in two languages was funny, mostly because Sofia Vergara was not saying anything he said she was saying!
• Jessica Biel's dress made her look like she had three boobs, and the middle one was sagging.  My friend Michelle would obviously make a better fiancee to Justin Timberlake than she does!
• I wanted Hugo to win!  I LOVE THAT MOVIE!  And Bridesmaids... that needed to win too.
• More Ricky Gervais would have been nice too.  Gosh, he's so funny!

Movie Review: 'War Horse'

Rating: 4.5/5
by Brian Kesler

It's easy to be cynical with a film like 'War Horse,' a sweeping period World War I epic through the perspective of a horse, and in the style of an old John Ford movie. It's easy to pass it off as sentimental, anti-contemporary, and simple-minded. But, to do so is to miss an incredible experience. Nowadays, with most movies shot on steady-cams, and editing so quick most shots don't last one second, it takes some investing in this movie before you realize: Oh yeah, this is how movies used to be made.

From the first shots, it's clear that Spielberg has a natural ability for storytelling, as a boy watches a horse giving birth. Like in older films, every shot has a point of view. We can't simply see the horse being born, we must first see the boy looking through a gate, then pull the camera behind the boy and look through the gate ourselves, with the back of the boy's head just visible camera left. This is very old school technique, and it works. Looking through his eyes, we immediately feel connected to this character, whose name is Albert, and whose father eventually buys the horse at auction, leaving no money to pay the rent. The horse, however, soon proves invaluable as a plowing horse, brought up by Albert who shares a special bond with the steed and names him Joey.

War comes, however, and a storm destroys the turnips Albert and Joey worked so hard on. His father, desperately needing money, sells the horse to a soldier in the cavalry as the English leave for war with Germany.

The most intriguing element of 'War Horse,' for me, is the idea that the beginning of the war started in old fashion, on horseback with a cavalry charging through the enemy camp. The other side, however, was past the civil war. They had machine guns. In a shocking sequence, we switch perspectives, first watching the charging cavalry, then seeing an endless sea of riderless horses jumping over the machine gun wielding Germans. By the end of the war, the soldiers were trapped in trenches, on opposite sides of No Man's Land - a vast, muddy plain of barbed wire and darkness.

Horses were soon discarded as useless, and Joey goes from being used by two German boys to escape the army, to being discovered by a young French girl, who longs to be a rider, and her grandfather, a farmer who is hesitant to teach her. The French Army, however, raids the farm of everything it has to offer including Joey, whom they use to pull equipment up steep, muddy hills. Soon, Joey finds himself abandoned and confronted with a new technology: a tank. In one of the greatest sequences of the last few years, Joey - escaping the tank - finds himself alone in No Man's Land. With gunshots being fired, a frightened and confused Joey runs through the trenches and into the muddy field of battle, barbed wire catching in his legs, until he falls in a pitiful tangle of barbed wire and blood. The is truly an accomplishment. From the special effects to the music, which doesn't cheapen the pitiful impact. I rarely get emotional in movies, and in the times I do it's usually when I see something I've never seen in film, something that strikes a chord. This is one of those moments and I was sobbing.

The sequence immediately following involves two soldiers, one English one German, who put down their guns, travel into the empty field of battle, and together, untangle the barbed wire and free the wounded horse before retreated for their separate trenches. It is another exceptional moment.

By the end of War Horse, there's a great shot of Joey, looking out at the sunset. It is a noble, regal, and elegant shot. It is also a sad one, where we see in his eyes the horrors of war but also the beauty of the people he met along the way, and the worth of every life, no matter the situation, heritage, language, or custom. He is no longer a horse who can run wildly and carefree in the fields.

Movie Reviews: My Week with the Horse Descendants

by Jack Garcia

Brian and I had a mutual day off and we figured we better take advantage of it.  So on a whim, we drove up to Salt Lake City and watched some movies that aren't playing where we live.  We saw My Week with Marilyn and The Descendants.  My favorite was the first one while Brian favored the second.  Also last week we were able to catch War Horse on a night out with our new friend (and Brian's cousin) Brett.

My Week with Marilyn AWESOME!

The film, based on a true story, is of a young man named Colin (Eddie Redmayne) who is third assistant to Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) working on the film The Prince and the Showgirl starring the world-famous Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams).  While struggling with pill addictions, depression and the stresses of becoming a "serious actress," Marilyn finds solace in the younger man and the two begin a romantic sort of friendship.  She feels that he is the only one who understands her, and he becomes absolutely smitten with her... and who wouldn't?  It's Marilyn Monroe after all.

Michelle Williams does a phenomenal job playing Marilyn Monroe.  So good, in fact, that I had to continually remind myself that I wasn't actually watching behind-the-scenes footage of the real Monroe's life.  Williams undeniably embodied the character in every way imaginable.  She sang and performed like Marilyn, talked like Marilyn, moved like Marilyn and played her with a lonely and sad innocence that brought out all the beautiful complexities of the starlet.  Other aspects of the movie may have been a tad sub-par (like an unnecessary side plot with actress Emma Watson), but really it's Michelle Williams' superb performance that makes this movie a must-see.

The Descendants AWESOME!

Written and directed by Alexander Payne, the film tells the story of a man named Matt King (George Clooney) who's wife is dying after a boating accident.  As he's trying to cope with this, he discovers that his wife was having an affair with a local real estate agent (Matthew Lillard), making the grieving process all the harder.  His daughter Alex (Shailene Woodley) helps him on his journey to find the man who slept with his wife, all while breaking the bad news of his wife's condition to various family members and deciding whether or not to sell a huge chunk of Hawaiian land once owned by his forefathers and entrusted to him and his cousins.

The movie, set in Hawaii, is both beautiful and ugly at times.  There is a good balance between drama and comedy and the performances all have an understated gravity.  Clooney does a terrific job in the role and will definitely be getting an Oscar nomination if not a win.  For me, however, the breakout performance was by the young Woodley who played his trouble-making daughter with heart and believability.  Judy Greer also has a small role and she did it amazingly well.  I always love when I see her on screen.

War Horse ADMIRABLE

Steven Spielberg directs this World War I movie about a young man named Albert (Jeremy Irvine) who falls in love with a horse only to have it be sold to the cavalry.  The horse, named Joey, is a remarkable one and we follow him into both sides of the war, meeting a range of characters, until he is reunited with Albert once more.  The film shows the horrors of a war where one side was still on horseback while the other side was utilizing the newly-created machine gun, but does it in the sweeping style of yesterday's great epics such as Gone With the Wind.  The ultimate message is one of hope and courage.

I must admit that I didn't expect to like War Horse, mostly because I'm not that much of a horse fan and I had trouble getting on board with a plot revolving around a boy's love for his steed.  That being said, I was proven wrong about twenty minutes in when I started to really enjoy the movie.  Spielberg knows his craft and there are some fantastic shots and story devices at work here.  The story may be too romanticized for some, but I honestly felt uplifted while watching it. There is a really great scene where an old French man (Niels Arestrup) talks to his granddaughter (Celine Buckens) about the different kinds of courage.  You must always look forward and never down.

Movie Reviews: The Adventures of a Ghost Girl with a Chipmunk Tattoo

by Jack Garcia

I apologize for going so long without a movie review.  Christmas and New Year's always get a bit hectic and to top it off my laptop got a virus and I eventually had to buy a replacement.  That being said, I am back online and ready to fill you all in on the terrific (and one not-so-terrific) movies I've seen this holiday season... two of them with Daniel Craig.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ADMIRABLE

I would have given this movie an "AWESOME!" had it not been for the fact that I've already seen the original Swedish film and couldn't help but compare this new American version to it.  Rooney Mara is the tattooed bad-ass Lisbeth who joins up with Mikael (Daniel Craig) to find a killer of women while dealing with some of her own issues.  The movie looks good, is well-acted and pitch-perfect in many ways; what bothered me is that it's almost identical to the Swedish film.  Too identical if you ask me because it sometimes felt like a lesser copy.  If you've never seen the original film and aren't offended by violent rape scenes, I recommend it.

The Adventures of Tintin AWESOME!

Steven Spielberg directs this motion-capture animated movie based on the classic European comic series by cartoonist Herge.  Tintin (Jamie Bell) is a young reporter who finds himself in the middle of a mystery involving a model ship, a villain named Sakharine (Daniel Craig) and a drunken sea captain named Haddock (Andy Serkis).  Haddock, Tintin and his dog Snowy embark on an exciting adventure in the style of Indiana Jones and I loved every minute of it.  I felt that the movie was quick-paced, humorous, visually impeccable and the characterizations were believable and interesting, especially Captain Haddock.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol AWESOME!

I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed Ghost Protocol since "action movies" aren't really my thing and even less so when it's the fourth in a series.  However, I thought this movie was highly entertaining and a lot of fun to watch so I'm giving it two thumbs up!  Tom Cruise is back again as Ethan Hunt and this time the IMF is shut down and he and his crew (including Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Paula Patton) must work against orders to stop a man from destroying the world in a nuclear war.  The premise may be routine for this genre, but the gadgets are fun and the action is hair-raising.  I literally held my breath as he climbed up that building...

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked AWFUL

I'm not going to lie, I kinda have a soft spot for the first Alvin and the Chipmunks in 2007.  It was cheesy but cute.  But this one?  Cheesy and dumb.  That's a big difference.  Here Alvin (Justin Long) and the other chipmunks and chipettes (Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate) are on a cruise ship with their "dad" Dave (Jason Lee) when they are accidentally shipwrecked on a deserted island.  Dave and their former manager Ian (David Cross), dressed in a bird suit the whole movie, are looking for them and the poor little chipmunks learn a thing or two about responsibility while trying to survive in the wild.  I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the writing is utter crap... but in case I do, the writing is utter crap.  And they only sing snippets of songs!