Revival Review: "Is the juice worth the squeeze?"

Nylon Guy's cover boy this month will be none other than Paul Dano, and this inspired me to do a short Revival Review! Plus we're nearing summer (don't let the hail storms fool you), and this always felt like a summer flick to me.

I was first introduced to shy Dano via The Girl Next Door, one of the best teen comedies I've seen (and often overlooked). My initial pull to see it came from leading man Emile Hirsch, but after watching I realized the film is successful because it's a group effort from everyone involved, not just one "shining star." The plot revolves around soon to graduate high school senior Matthew Kidman (Hirsch), a boy who's had no life in order to plan for his future at Georgetown University. His goal is to be the next JFK, and he's got the hair to do it... but holed up in his room writing queue cards, he's not not getting too much "life" experience. As Matt daydreams about ditching class to go the beach with the jocks and the anorexic mean girls, his best friends (each outcasts in their own way) Klitz (Dano) and Eli (Chris Marquette), try to talk him back to down to earth, they even try bribing him with porn. It doesn't take much to deflate easily walked over Matt, and thus he returns to his life of solitude. But just as he's about to give up on the idea of fun in high school, beautiful blonde Danielle moves in next door, complete with a silver Beetle (the car, not the insect) and a vast collection of brightly colored bras. Various comedic/naked antics ensue.

The film's premise is cute as far as teen comedies go, but this film had a surprising amount of heart. Beyond Matt and Danielle's adorable fumbling toward ecstasy relationship, the "tripod" of friendship is the best 3 man team since the Evil Trio (wikipedia Buffy if you don't know what that means) (and I exclude the Super Bad boys because they are in a league of their own). Before Zack and Miri Make a Porno, there was this movie, and if I'm being 100% honest, Girl Next Door is far superior. When Matt realizes that the girl of his dreams is actually indeed a porn star, it throws his world into turmoil leading him to do things he never thought he would, including showing up at an adult film expo in an attempt to save Danielle from evil Kelly (played to perfection by the amazing Timothy Olyphant), and sleezy Hugo Posh (played by James Remar who is creepy no matter who he's playing). There's cake, boobs, and a parrot... and if that's not enough to get you even a little interested, then nothing is. But, in all seriousness, this little movie turned out to be a launching pad for Dano, Marquette, and Cuthbert (who had prior only been known as Jack Bauer's daughter). And only furthered my enduring love of both Hirsch and Olyphant. It gave everyone a chance to show their lighter side without becoming an American Pie. And in case you aren't familiar with what an American Pie is; An American Pie is any film that seems humorous and telling in its hay day, but does not stand the test of time. Example: She's All That is an American Pie, while Can't Hardly Wait is not. But, I'm getting off topic. More reasons why you should see this movie below.

In listening to the director commentary (yes, I am that obsessed) you realize just how much of himself director Luke Greenfield put into the movie. The soundtrack is lovingly handcrafted to perfection including David Gray's "This Years Loving" playing during a pivotal scene. Greenfield actually said that he had the soundtrack nailed down before the script, because music is one of the things that inspires him most in his writing. The commentary also illuminates that it is NOT Emile Hirsch's bare behind that we see running alongside Danielle's car, but a stunt doubles (no surprise there). This is a movie for anyone in high school that wasn't a loner, but felt overlooked. You may not have been the star of your "team" and you did have friends, but you never made that long lasting "he's (or she's) the man" impression amongst your co-eds. This is the movie that helps imagine and embrace what it might have been like if you had. And sure, like any teen comedy, it has its moment of cheesosity, but on the whole, the reason this movie sticks with me as being worthwhile is that it's funnier and sweeter than the trailers let on, and it's more creative than what you've seen come out of this genre before.

So while it may never reach Can't Hardy Wait status (nor should it, that movie was genius), The Girl Next Door is definitely worth an afternoon or evening of your time, Especially if you're looking for a movie that somehow makes the porn industry look like it has heart (or at least part of it). And if you're looking for a good buddy movie, than it's for you. And if you're looking for a good romance than it's for you. And if you're looking for some Olyphant, than it's for you. But mostly, you just have to ask yourself one question; where the hell is Luke Greenfield now?

Short and Sweet

The Tripod, porn, minions, and an Asian exchange student named Samnang. It's all worth the squeeze.

Fav Quotes

"And you can still like her with your penis inside her. Matthew, I tell you that you're going to regret this. What would JFK do? You know he'd tap that ass."

-Eli

"Goddammit Matt! I swear to God if you don't fuck her, I'll kill myself! Matt! Please! Please, Matt! Fuck her for me! For me!"

-Eli

The Girl Next Door Trailer

Revival Review: Go West Young Man, Into The Wild

In honor of Penn and Hirsch's most recent team up in Milk (and the fact that I just saw it again on DVD), I thought it might be time for a revival review of Into The Wild.

I’ll be the first to admit, that I like a lot of movies. In point of fact, my DVD collection is currently at 312. But that aside, it’s not very often that I see a movie I truly love: a movie that inspires me to be better or try harder (however cheesy that may sound). The first time I saw Into the Wild, I was blown away. Emile Hirsch’s performance as the ultimately doomed Alaskan adventurer, Christopher McCandless, is mesmerizing. I imagine a lot of people know someone like the character of Chris, a new-experience junkie who has a gripe with materialism. Many of these people may tend towards a drifter existence, causing them to shower and shave less, therefore giving them that icky hippie vibe. Chris McCandless wasn’t a hippie though (especially since he lived in the 80’s and 90’s), but it would be easy to write him off as one. Through reading Jon Krakauer’s original book Into the Wild as well as the real Chris McCandless’ diary, Director Sean Penn was able to show a character that in spite of his incredible gift with people, in the end, was left entirely alone. 

Many readers have dismissed McCandless’ story as nothing more than the tale of an irresponsible and arrogant boy who got what

he deserved by thinking he could conquer nature without the proper tools. Even the Alaskan rangers said if he’d only taken a map with a list of the emergency cabins on it (one of which was down the river from his campsite), the story would have ended differently. Ultimately what I took away from this film and this story had nothing to do with the ending, that was just a detail. The film felt like taking the ride you always wanted to go on but never did, the one where at the end, you would sit and reflect on “what a long, strange trip it’d been.” The movie consists of an incredible supporting cast alongside Hirsch, most notably old-timer Hal Holbrook, newcomer Kristen Stewart and narrator Jena Malone. Malone's soothing voice, as Chris' sister, glides through the film, giving you insights to the boy he was before he became the drifter we see now (this is Hirsch and Malone's second film together, they played boyfriend and girlfriend in The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys). The film flashes back to blurred Polaroid colored shots of Chris and his sister growing up in a home of deceit under their parents, played by veterans Marcia Gay Harden and the always wonderful William Hurt. We're led to believe that because of Chris' lack of respect for them not just as parents, but as people, that this led directly to his descent into the wild. 

Chris gives his savings to charity, burns what cash he has, abandons his car on a beach, and leaves the life he knew behind. As he meets people, like Jan (Catherine Keener) and Wayne (Vince Vaughn) and whoever else happens across his path, and starts rambling on about the merits of having nothing, there are times when you want to write him off or even smack him upside the head. "He's just some annoying kid who's read too many books for his own good," you'll say. Part of that's true, but he grows on you, to the point where I could not get this character out of my head. To see someone so incredibly free, and yet not at all, really does make you reflect on yourself and what does ultimately matter the most. We see that Chris has a way of making people fall in love with him without trying, whether they're a married hippie couple in a rut, a scheming business man, a grandchildless grandfather, or a 15 year old love struck girl. He's the metal and they're all magnets. He could do anything, and yet we find him serving fries or cutting wheat just to make enough cash so he can hoof it to Alaska. 

Sean Penn directs with a clear vision not only of McCandless, but of his expansive and often breathtaking surroundings. The film is beautifully shot, bringing you on that cross country road trip you keep telling yourself you'll take. Chris, who sets out with unwavering determination to abandon his parents and make it to Alaska, finds himself being unexpectedly affected by the strangers he meets, and even more taken aback when he realizes all his theories, notions and beliefs mean nothing without someone to share them with. One of the most heartbreaking and perfectly performed parts of the film is when Chris meets Ron Franz (Holbrook), an elderly man who takes him into his home. Their friendship is pivotal for both men, and ultimately leads to one of the best scenes in the film. But, as I said before, despite all the people he encounters who try to show him how important family is, Chris ends up trapped in the wilderness alone. But as Malone's narration tells us, he needed to escape, and he needed to go to Alaska to do it. I truly don't want to give too much away, especially since the film has a million memorable "must see" parts, but I can tell you, it all makes for one hell of a movie. 

Short and Sweet

I literally cannot lavish enough praise on this film, and I cannot recommend enough. For all Penn's onscreen credits, his turn as a director in this will be the most memorable for me. Hirsch is just... bangarang.

Fav Quotes

"Mr. Franz, I think careers are a 20th century invention and I don't want one."

-Christopher McCandless

"You're a super apple! And I'm a supertramp."

-Christopher McCandless

Into The Wild Trailer

Revival Review: "Same person. No difference at all... just a different sex."

Orlando's sex doesn't seem to matter at all. This is a novel idea, given the typical need to promote the division between men and women. It's difficult to say why this separation is so important within our culture, but there is and always has been an inherent fear in blurring of the sexes. Virginia Woolf's novel and Sally Potter's film, Orlando, address the idea of one person living as one sex and then becoming another, all the while never aging. First, as a man, Orlando becomes fed up with the behavior of his fellow men, and then, after miraculously becoming a female, she tires of the restraints placed on women. Orlando lands in modern day, still the same age, and fully embraces the idea of androgyny (shown externally through hair and dress), becoming both mother and father to her daughter.

I believe this movie worked for one reason only, Tilda Swinton. Swinton, who embodies in every way the androgynous female, is the only person who could play this character. As a male, she retains her feminine facial features, which turn out to be beneficial, given the overwhelming femininity of men during the 1650's. But her voice is powerful, and her movements are masculine. As a man, he convincingly falls in "love" with a Russian girl, and throws tantrums like a spoiled boy after his poetry is criticized. Then, after 6 years of a deep sleep, the male side of her disappears, and she is left entirely female. Immediately we see her jumping into corsets and hoop skirts with ease, as though she'd done it every day of her life. It seems perfectly natural that this should happen to her, that she would wake up one morning as the same person, only a different sex. Orlando is Orlando, no matter who she/he is attracted to or what she/he wears. Isn't this how it should be? A person is just a person, no matter their form. When Swinton looks straight into camera at you, it's clear that despite the passing of the years, Orlando is unchanged. 

You may notice that Billy Zane graces the DVD cover with Swinton, but don't be fooled. He's only in the film for around 10 minutes, but they are a GOOD 10 minutes. Some of the best/most ridiculous dialogue is between the two of them. And he has hair in this movie! A lot of it (actually it's kind of gross, I prefer him bald). Other people weave in and out of the story, but are purely peripheral and don't make much of a lasting impression, with the exception of Quentin Crisp as Queen Elizabeth I.  

Technically, the film exceeds as well. Given the massive number of time period changes, costumes could have become difficult to master, but each outfit is detailed, incredible and memorable. The scene transitions are flawless. The film is unique, but has a feeling in common with films like Marie Antoinette, or Lost in Translation, another Sophia flick. There isn't much dialogue, but when characters do speak, it's worth listening to. Just like Sophia, Director Sally Potter has a way of making the people even more beautiful through beautiful surroundings. Potter took a very difficult story to tell, and made it look effortless. The film doesn't feel overworked, or like it's trying too hard to be something else. It just is what it is, like Orlando.

Short and Sweet

Tilda Swinton makes you believe that Orlando could be real. The film convinces you that there is male and female dominance within every person, it just chooses to surface at different times. Beautifully shot, well written and costumed, amazingly acted, unique film. But they don't produce the DVD anymore, so again, Netflix is the way to go.

Fav Quotes

"I can find only three words to describe the female sex. None of which are worth expressing."

-Orlando

"Will you marry me?"

"Ma'am... I would gladly, but I fear my ankle is twisted."

-Orlando and Shelmerdine

Revival Review: "Come out, come out... wherever you are."

With all the notoriety now surrounding the Hollywood bio-pic of Milk (see my review here), it's no surprise that the original Milk, also known as Rob Epstein's Oscar winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk, would resurface. The film was released in 1984, six years after Milk's death by assassination, and also coincidentally, the year of shooter Dan White's release from prison. Despite the fact that the film was made decades ago, long before computers and even fax machines (as Rob joked), it's still as relevant today as it was then (and Hollywood would have to agree). A few weeks ago, hulu.com began streaming the film, and it was there that I was able to see it for the first time. However, last night, I was lucky enough to get to see it on the big screen at the Jacob Burns with Epstein himself there to talk about his creative process. There was something about seeing this film with an audience, especially after the release of Milk, that made last night very special. It was one of those times when you could tell everyone was reacting in unison. There was no doubt that the film nailed every minute.

Epstein's original documentary brainchild had been to do a film about the Brigg's Initiative (aka Prop 6). However, soon after beginning to do early research, he found that the right story to tell might be about Harvey Milk. Milk had become an icon for San Francisco and the Gay Rights movement, but it was through this documentary that much more of the world came to know about his legacy. The story is told through narration by different people who knew and were affected by knowing Harvey. Epstein interviewed everyone from the now famous Anne Kronenberg (his campaign manager) to a union machinist, who before meeting Harvey thought "if you beat up a gay, you were doing the community a service." The one thing all the narrators had in common, is that they came to love Harvey, and not only because of what he stood for, but because he was sometimes insane, rebellious, and always funny. Epstein hit gold with each of the storytellers, but that was in no way by accident. He, and others, spent months interviewing hundreds of people who knew Harvey (including lover Scott Smith who's not in the film, but is played in Milk by James Franco). Ultimately it was narrowed down to the right 8 people. Each voice gave you an insight, not only to Harvey, but to the issues of the time and how they affected them as individuals. They all do an incredible job of making you fall in love with Milk, and subsequently help you feel the weight of their loss. Their pain becomes yours.

The documentary does many things which the film Milk does not, one of which is go into the trial of Dan White, one of the most infamous trials to date. We discover that the man literally got away with murder. And not because of the "twinkie defense" as claimed, but because he was a handsome, white, catholic former fire fighter... and people like that just don't go committing murder in cold blood. While I understand the reason for Milk not telling this part of the story, I am glad that the documentary does. It is an extremely poignant part of the film about our justice system, and how too often, it just doesn't work. When doing a restoration of the film, Epstein had a option to add in a card at the end of the film saying that White committed suicide in 1985, but chose not to, deciding to keep the film intact as it was when finished.

The film is edited beautifully, from the opening of Diane Feinstein pronouncing the deaths of Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk, to the incredibly beautiful candlelight march shots. The score by Mark Ishman is so on point, that it, like the film itself, has become iconic. It's an incredible story that Epstein was brave for telling (especially at the time). To culminate all the hard work (sans computers), Epstein was awarded the Oscar for Best Documentary, a well deserved win. Towards the end of the Q&A, moderator (NYTimes Critic) Janet Maslin asked Epstein if he remembered his acceptance speech. He responded with a little laugh and said "Being Jewish, I didn't want to write anything down, thinking I might curse it, but then you have to write something... People started to say we were going to win, and I couldn't talk for a week. I do remember I thanked my partners on the film, and my partner in life." Throughout the interview, Maslin made no qualms about her strong feelings that Epstein was not thanked enough (though thanked in the credits) by the creators behind Milk. I understand her being of this opinion, given the rave review she gave to the documentary when it first came out and her emotional loyalty to it, but a Hollywood film and a documentary are entirely different no matter how you slice it. I think both films deserve a lot of credit in their own right, but being that the documentary paved the way for a story like this to be told, Epstein will always be considered a true original.

Short and Sweet

Gorgeous and emotionally compelling. The Times of Harvey Milk is an incredible example of what a good documentary can accomplish, and Epstein's look into Milk's public life shows you how much one person can accomplish, even if their life was cut short. While it was amazing to see it in a theater, it's good to watch this one at home, cause you'll probably cry (it's ok to admit it). Well edited, beautiful score, perfect narrative structure... it hits on all marks. And meeting Rob Epstein was an awesome (overwhelming) bonus!

Fav Quotes

"I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you... and you... and you... Gotta give 'em hope."

- (The real) Harvey Milk