2012 Les Miserables -More Thoughts

2012 Les Miserables -More Thoughts


After watching Les Miserables a second time, I have some further thoughts -I want to discuss the pluses and minuses more thoroughly.  There are more pluses.

I am a tough critic when it comes to Les Miserables, having a great passion for the musical, and very high expectations.  I thought that this first musical film version did an overall excellent job of bringing a complicated and beautiful story to the big screen; however, there are some things that didn't work for me.

First, I would like to look at some of the pros:


1) Translation from stage to screen: They did an excellent job adapting the stage production into a movie.  Instead of trying to just film the musical (Think The Producers), they did a great job of making it work on screen.  It had terrific cinematography and took full advantage of the benefits of the film medium by using great effects and finding incredible film sets/locations (I am thinking in particular of the opening sequence where they are hauling in a massive ship and the part where Valjean is walking through the gorgeous mountains after his release from prison).  The main focus was on the acting (Again, unlike The Producers, a perfect example of a very bad stage to film adaptation, with massive amounts of overacting as the stars continue to emote like their audience is far, far away instead of watching a few yards away on the couch -Will Farrell is the exception, he was great), which is why the music doesn't work very well if you're just listening to it without watching the film -this isn't the soundtrack to buy, stick to a Broadway cast version.  For example, if you just listen to Russell Crowe, you're going to think it's pretty bad.  If you watch him, however, he acts the part so well that his singing works.  They are performing for the camera, which is as it should be.  It works perfectly on the screen.  Which brings us to the second pro...

Idina Menzel and Lea Michelle.

2) Anne Hathaway as Fantine: Similarly, Anne Hathaway's main focus was clearly on her acting.  Her voice is very good, but her performance is about expressing the torment of Fantine, not about singing a pretty song.  If I want to listen to the song, I will listen to the Lea Michelle/Idina Menzel duet (amazing!), but if I want to watch it sung, and really feel Fantine's pain, Anne Hathaway is the one to watch.  Her emotional performance was so moving, I'll be very surprised if she doesn't get the Oscar.  Unbelievable.



3) Eddie Redmayne: Eddie Redmayne as Marius was incredible.  His voice and his performance (particularly in Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, where he laments the loss of his friends in battle and ponders why he is the one to survive) were amazing.  I was really impressed with his singing and his acting.  Blew me away.


There's a grief that can't be spoken.
There's a pain goes on and on.
Empty chairs at empty tables
Now my friends are dead and gone.

Here they talked of revolution.
Here it was they lit the flame.
Here they sang about `tomorrow'
And tomorrow never came.

From the table in the corner
They could see a world reborn
And they rose with voices ringing
I can hear them now!
The very words that they had sung
Became their last communion
On the lonely barricade at dawn.

Oh my friends, my friends forgive me
That I live and you are gone.
There's a grief that can't be spoken.
There's a pain goes on and on.

4) Colm Wilkinson's cameo as the Bishop: It was thrilling for me (and my for my dad -another huge Les Mis fan) to see the original and quintessential Jean Valjean make an appearance in the movie -and his voice is still amazing.



5) Suddenly: The new song written for the movie, sung by Valjean in the carriage as Cosette sleeps next to him after he has rescued her from the Thenardiers.  It really highlights the fact that Valjean has finally found a purpose in his life when he adopts her.


How was I to know at last
That happiness can come so fast? 
Trusting me the way you do

I’m so afraid of failing you
Just a child who cannot know
That danger follows where I go
There are shadows everywhere
And memories I cannot share
Nevermore alone
Nevermore apart
You have warmed my heart
Like the sun.
You have brought the gift of life
And love so long denied me.
Suddenly I see
What I could not see
Something suddenly
Has begun.

6) Javert and Valjean's final confrontation: It's so powerful when Javert tells Valjean that he will shoot him if he takes another step, but then lets him go.  Javert's inner turmoil is evident.  Great stuff.  Also, when Javert pins his medal on a fallen rebel boy, Gavroche, even though they had been enemies, it brought tears to my eyes.



7) The finale: The emotional high as Jean Valjean enters heaven -the expansive barricade holding all the lost characters singing in triumph gave me goosebumps.


Do you hear the people sing
Lost in the valley of the night?
It is the music of a people
Who are climbing to the light.

For the wretched of the earth
There is a flame that never dies.
Even the darkest night will end
And the sun will rise.

They will live again in freedom
In the garden of the Lord.
They will walk behind the plough-share,
They will put away the sword.
The chain will be broken
And all men will have their reward.

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring
When tomorrow comes!

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring
When tomorrow comes...
Tomorrow comes!

Cons:


1) Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen as the Thenardiers: I loved the idea, and had really high hopes, but I found them lackluster.  They were a little funny, but considering the actors, I expected more.  Watching the two actors at the 25th Anniversary Concert perform on stage really made me feel the absence in the movie of the vulgar, big-boned, boisterous couple as they are traditionally portrayed in Broadway productions.  Master of the House should be a raucous, jubilant, hilarious scene, and I just wasn't feeling it.  On the other hand, I did like Sasha Baron Cohen's take on The Bargain/The Thénardier Waltz of Treachery -his best comic moment.

The Thenardiers on stage.

2) A Little Fall of Rain: The director chose to follow the book, rather than the musical, when directing Eponine's bittersweet death.  It is supposed to be a tragic, but tender moment.  In the musical, Eponine climbs the barricade to bring Marius a letter from Cosette and is shot.  When he realizes she is hurt, he wants to get her help, but she knows she is dying, and asks him to stay with her, revealing her love for him.  He is stunned to discover she loves him, and begs God to spare her.  Right before she dies, they kiss, and when he pulls away, she is gone.  Or, as in the revival, she leans up to kiss him, but dies before she can.  He cries over her body in shock and despair until his comrades take her body away from him.  He still loves Cosette, of course, but he deeply feels the sadness of the death of a girl who lived a very hard life and loved him in secret.  In the movie, they follow the book instead.  In the book, she moves the barrel of a gun away from him and takes the bullet herself (in the movie he never even realizes that she took a bullet for him), and the movie follows this course.  She then reveals that she had been hiding a letter from Cosette from him, and gives it to him, before singing her song.  He seems a little sorry, but not all that sorry.  He feels sad for her, but never seems to have a big moment of realization that she loves him, and when he says "But you will live 'Ponine, dear God above!" he sings sweetly, but without passion or conviction.  After she dies, he gives her a kiss on the forehead, just like in the book, then starts reading Cosette's letter without a second thought.  I felt even worse about Eponine's death -not only has she died for the man she loves, who never loved her back, but he really doesn't even seem to give much of a crap that she is gone.  This must have been the director's choice, and I didn't like it one bit.  Of course, I compare every performance of this song with Lea Salonga and Michael Ball -the most perfect performance of this song ever.  Lea Salonga sounds so sweetly serene to be in the arms of her love at last, and he seems so tortured and is very loving towards her in her final moments.  Romantic and tragic at the same time. 

A Little Fall of Rain on stage.

EPONINE
Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius
I don't feel any pain
A little fall of rain
Can hardly hurt me now
You're here, that's all I need to know
And you will keep me safe
And you will keep me close
And rain will make the flowers grow.

MARIUS
But you will live, 'Ponine - dear God above,
If I could heal your wounds with words of love.

EPONINE
Just hold me now, and let it be.
Shelter me, comfort me

MARIUS
You would live a hundred years
If I could show you how
I won't desert you now...

EPONINE
The rain can't hurt me now
This rain will wash away what's past
And you will keep me safe
And you will keep me close
I'll sleep in your embrace at last.

The rain that brings you here
Is Heaven-blessed!
The skies begin to clear
And I'm at rest
A breath away from where you are
I've come home from so far
So don't you fret, M'sieur Marius

I don't feel any pain
A little fall of rain
Can hardly hurt me now

That's all I need to know
And you will keep me safe
And you will keep me close

MARIUS(in counterpoint)
Hush-a-bye, dear Eponine,
You won't feel any pain
A little fall of rain
Can hardly hurt you now
I'm here

I will stay with you
Till you are sleeping

EPONINE
And rain...

MARIUS
And rain...

EPONINE
Will make the flowers...

MARIUS
Will make the flowers... grow...

Frances Ruffelle as Eponine on the stage.

Mixed Feelings:

1) Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean: I am a definite Hugh Jackman fan, and love what he has done for musical theater, so I hate to say anything disparaging; however, I was torn on his performance.  I thought he made a very sympathetic and appealing Valjean.  I liked him in the role.  His acting in some places was exceptional -when he discovers that he played a part in Fantine's misfortunes, when he retrieves Cosette from the clutches of the Thenardiers, when he is questioned about his past by Cosette and resists telling her the truth...But there are other moments where I felt his acting slipped and came across as melodramatic, such as when he delivers his final "who am I?" to Marius.  His singing is good, but is not incredible.  I find it hard not to compare his voice to the voice of Colm Wilkinson or John Owen-Jones from the 2010 cast recording -he just doesn't have the chops to compare.  Overall, however, he clearly poured his heart and soul into his performance, and I liked him as Valjean.

2) Samantha Barks as Eponine: I'm really torn on this one.  In some ways I like her -she's a pretty girl, with a really good voice (she has actually performed the part on Broadway).  She really captures the sadness of Eponine as she helps Marius find love with Cosette, while secretly longing for him to love her instead.  On the other hand, sometimes I feel like she doesn't quite have the look of Eponine -she's prettier than Cosette (which makes us wonder why Marius is choosing Cosette over her), not especially waif-like (as she is supposed to be), and attempts to make her look more waif-like by synching her up in a super tight corset just make her waist look freakishly out of proportion with the rest of her body.  They didn't dress her right, which didn't help.  They glammed her up too much (good makeup).  I would have liked to see her in the traditional over-sized coat and hat she wears on the stage.  She didn't have the coarseness that she should have as a street-urchin and daughter of the Thenardiers.  I don't know if she was the perfect casting choice, but I didn't hate the choice either.

Frances Ruffelle (the original Eponine).

Lea Salonga (another famous Eponine).

3) Amanda Seyfried as Cosette: I was fine with her (Cosette has never been a character of much interest to me anyway, being Team Eponine), but her quivery voice really bothered a lot of people, including Tyler.

More 2012 Movies: Farewell, My Queen, Zero Dark Thirty and Django

More 2012 Movies

Marie Antoinette greets the Duchess de Polignac.

2012 Farewell, My Queen

Farewell, My Queen was a very different sort of movie.  It's aesthetically interesting, showing the court of Marie Antoinette, with the beautiful costumes and jewels, but in a much grittier way than Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette.  It shows the dirt, the cracking makeup, the rats, the fleas, the lack of washing machines.  It is told from the perspective of Sidonie, a servant assigned to be reader to the queen.  It follows the last days of King Louis XVI being in power in Versailles.  Versailles is portrayed as a world in a bubble, with very strict roles and routines.  As the outside world bursts this bubble, the inhabitants all seem to be flailing about, not sure what to do, and in danger of losing their heads (literally) if they don't get it together, get a move on, and escape.  Louis XVI decides to stay, and so Marie Antoinette must stay as well.  Sidonie is determined to stay nearby and support the queen, as she apparently has a crush on her -one that is not reciprocated or ever fully explored or explained.  Marie Antoinette is depicted as in love with her friend, the Duchess de Polignac.  I know the condemning pamphlets of the time liked to paint the picture of a lesbian relationship between Marie Antoinette and her friends, especially between her and the duchess, but I don't believe that there is any real evidence to support this idea.

The people of Versailles waiting for news and instructions from Louis XVI.

Lea Seydoux as Sidonie.

The movie is French with subtitles, and Marie Antoinette is played by German actress Diane Kruger (appropriate, as Marie Antoinette was Austrian).  I thought she did a good job, though I would have liked to see her on screen more so I could get a better idea of her character (she is a personality that I am intrigued by).  The story in general needed more meat to it -I don't feel like I left the movie with a real understanding of the character I had been following for the duration of the film (Sidonie).  It had a lot of promise, it just needed some filling out -it was like a peak though the window of a very interesting place at a very interesting time, and you want to walk in the door and really see what's going on, but that peak through the window is all you're going to get.  It's unsatisfying.  The actress that played Sidonie, Lea Seydoux, struck me as someone that I would love to see play Anne Boleyn.  She is how I picture her -not overtly beautiful, but with a beguiling nature and a clever, sometimes devious expression in her eyes.  That would be dream casting for me!

2012 Zero Dark Thirty

"Quite frankly, I didn't even want to use you guys, with your dip and velcro and all your gear bullshit.  I wanted to drop a bomb.  But people didn't believe in this lead enough to drop a bomb.  So they're using you guys as canaries.  And, in theory, if bin Laden isn't there, you can sneak away and no one will be the wiser.  But bin Laden is there.  And you're going to kill him for me."

First I have to say that Tyler absolutely loved this movie, and gave it props for being enormously accurate (as far as the military scenes go -he can't really comment on the CIA aspects, as he is not in the CIA...or is he?).  If Tyler says a movie is accurate, it gets high marks from me.  Zero Dark Thirty is about the decade-plus long hunt for Osama bin Laden (they keep calling him UBL in the movie, and Tyler says this is because the CIA spells it Usama, and I'm pretty sure he's not pulling my leg...), focusing on the determination of one particular CIA agent, Maya (not sure if she is based on a real person, or if she is an amalgamation of various CIA members), played  by Jessica Chastain.  Maya has spent her entire career in pursuit of the infamous terrorist, and she will not stop until he is taken down, no matter what she has to do, or who she has to brow-beat, to make it happen.  It's painstaking, brutal, dangerous, and often unfulfilling work, as she and her colleagues interrogate (often quite brutally) suspects and follow endless leads, trying to determine which are important and which will lead to dead ends.



Maya latches on to one particular name, Abu Ahmed, a
supposed courier for bin Laden, convinced that he is the key to finding the Al Qaeda leader.  For years this fails to yield any fruit, until suddenly there is a breakthrough.  The movie is extremely well filmed, capturing the the dangerous atmosphere in Pakistan in a way that makes you feel like you're there.  Kathryn Bigelow definitely should have gotten a Best Director nomination (so, too, should Ben Affleck have been nominated for Argo, but the Academy missed the ball on that).  The best part of the movie is the raid on the compound, when the Seals are finally sent in to kill bin Laden.  It is supposedly extremely accurate, and your heart pounds as you watch it.  It's intense.  Arguments by some that the movie takes a pro-torture stance are unconvincing to me -the movie merely shows that such things happened.  It is telling a story and not shying away from tricky subject matter.  It isn't pro or con, it just tells it like it is, and lets you decide for yourself whether the CIA techniques were justified or not.  A great movie.  Oh, and Tyler liked the quote I used at the top, so it must not be insulting to the military -I wouldn't have found it funny and repeated it if it were!  In fact, it's one of his favorite lines.



2012 Django Unchained

Dr. King Schultz and Django.

Dr. King Schultz: Now as to you poor devils?  So as I see it, when it comes to the subject of what to do next, you gentlemen have two choices.  One: once I'm gone, you could lift that beast off the remaining Speck, then carry him to the nearest town.  Which would be at least 37 miles back the way you came.  Or Two: You could unshackle yourselves, take that rifle, put a bullet in his head, bury the two of them deep, and then make your way to a more enlightened area of this country.  The choice is yours.  Oh, and on the off chance there are any astronomy aficionados amongst you, the North Star is that one.  Tata.
Calvin Candie: Are you brooding 'bout me getting the best of ya, huh?
Dr. King Schultz: Actually, I was thinking of that poor devil you fed to the dogs today.  D'Artagnan.  And I was wondering what Dumas would make of all this.
Calvin Candie: Come again?
Dr. King Schultz: Alexander Dumas.  He wrote "The Three Musketeers."  I figured you must be an admirer.  You named your slave after his novel's lead character.  If Alexander Dumas had been there today, I wonder what he would have made of it?
Calvin Candie: You doubt he'd approve?
Dr. King Schultz: Yes.  His approval would be a dubious proposition at best.
Calvin Candie: Soft hearted Frenchy?
Dr. King Schultz: Alexander Dumas is black.

As the opening credits for Django Unchained came up in the theater, I was thinking to myself that I really didn't want to watch the movie that I was about to watch.  I don't really get Quentin Tarantino's love of gore-fests, and I had read the synopsis of Django, so I knew it would contain much of his trademark violence.  I was surprised to find the movie so entertaining.  I actually did like it.  It was bloody, but so over-the-top bloody that it looked pretty fake, and I could look past it.  And Tarantino does cast himself in a small part as a slave trader and is himself blown to bits, so all is fair.  There are some particularly disturbing parts, such as a slave being killed by dogs and two slaves being forced to fight to the death, that will make your stomach turn, but these events sadly don't seem out of the realm of possibility for that time period.  The acting was amazing, particularly from Christoph Waltz, as German dentist turned bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz, who is clever, skilled at tracking criminals, fair-minded, charming and morally repulsed by slavery.  He's a very likeable character -the polar opposite of his villainous role in Inglorious Basterds.  Schultz basically tracks down people on the "Wanted: Dead or Alive" posters (and he goes with dead).  He enlists Django's help in tracking down three brothers Django can identify because of atrocities they committed against him and his wife:

Dr. King Schultz: Positive?
Django: I don't know.
Dr. King Schultz: You don't know if you're positive?
Django: I don't know what positive mean.
Dr. King Schultz: It means you're sure.
Django: Yes.
Dr. King Schultz: Yes, what?
Django: Yes I'm sure it is Ellis Brittle...I'm positive he dead.

Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen.

Django shows a real aptitude for bounty hunting, so after setting him free, Schultz and Django team up and work together, before setting out to try to free Django's wife from evil plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonard DiCaprio).  Their plans are hampered by Candie's devoted and cunning house slave, Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson).  The movie is never boring.  It doesn't worry about historical accuracy, but Tarantino rarely does.  It can be quite funny, as in a scene when a KKK group has trouble with the logistics of trying to ride horses with their signature white bags over their heads ("I think we all think the bags was a nice idea.  But, not pointing any fingers, they could of been done better.  So how bout, no bags this time, but next time, we do the bags right, and then go full regalia.").  I'm not sure why it is considered racist by some, as it depicts slavery as horrible, and is about a former slave getting revenge on the evil slave owners.  The cinematography was incredible.  It's not one I'd watch over and over, but I was surprised at how well it held my interest with excellent acting and a great script.  Tyler says that Quentin Tarantino is known for two things: over-the-top violence and great dialogue, and this movie certainly delivers both.  Also, the music is perfect.  I'm tempted to buy the soundtrack.

Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie.

More 2012 Movies: Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hunger Games, The Avengers, Trouble With the Curve, The Impossible and The Words

More 2012 Movies:

2012 Beasts of the Southern Wild


Well, this was an interesting exercise in nonsense.  It is a movie with no plot, full of condescending dialogue, as well as an indictment of Child Protective Services -where the heck are they while this six year old girl is being left to live in her own little pigsty of a hut next door to her abusive and crazy father who leaves her alone due to an illness to eat dog food and burn down her hut ("If my daddy don't come back soon, I'm gonna have to start eatin' my pets.").  They live in a place called the Bathtub, which looks like it's pretty much the absolute dregs of society, full the of the hillbilliest of hillbillies.

A storm floods the Bathtub, and the girl, Hushpuppy (played by Quvenzhane Wallis -try saying that three times fast), and her dad and neighbors decide to stay.  It's not very interesting.  We get a lot of "gritty" shots of the "raw" way of life in the Bathtub, with people spouting things that are meant to sound profound but don't ("When it all goes quiet behind my eyes, I see everything that made me flying around in invisible pieces.").  Just a big old blech.  An odd scene where Hushpuppy briefly goes off with some other kids to look for her absentee mom and ends up on some floating brothel (I think, it wasn't exactly clear) is particularly random and weird.  I could tell I wouldn't like it within the first couple of minutes, but stuck it out because I heard it might get some Oscar nominations (why??), and the gal that plays Hushpuppy was nominated for Best Actress, which I don't think was deserved, as the "actors" were hardly acting from I've heard: Quvenzhane Wallis in particular just did what felt natural and then they constructed a voiceover narration to fit.  Tyler declared that, while he didn't like it, it was still better than Moonrise Kingdom, which I have to definitely disagree with.  Not a movie worth seeing.

2012 The Dark Knight Rises

Blind Prisoner: Then make the climb.
Bruce Wayne: How?
Blind Prisoner: As the child did.  Without the rope.  Then fear will find you again.



I was disappointed in this movie, after going in with high expectations after hearing a lot of good things.  Perhaps because of the recent shootings, I found the violence particularly disturbing, and Tyler kept having to mute the movie.  Batman has basically been out of action for 8 years, when a new villain named Bane (a guy in a mask who talks like Tyler doing a really bad Sean Connery impersonation) comes to town with plans to take control of the city, which he does with surprising ease.  About 40 minutes or so in, Batman finally decides to make his comeback, which was definitely the most exciting part (He appears during a car chase, and one of the experienced police officers tells his young partner: "Oh boy, you are in for a show tonight, son!").

The slow buildup wouldn't have bothered me in the least, except that Batman very quickly has his back broken by Bane, which I found especially upsetting, and then spends most of the rest of the movie out of action once more while he recovers in a prison cell, and doesn't make his second comeback until near the end of the movie.  I wanted to watch Batman, not How Much Pain Can We Put Batman Through.  If he had stayed in the movie after his first comeback, that would have been good, but he is out of commission for most of the 165 minutes of the movie.  I have to disagree with Tyler and say that I did like Anne Hathaway as Catwoman; however, the sudden romance between her and Batman at the end made no sense, as there had been no buildup whatsoever -in fact, he was into another girl the whole movie (she turns out to be a lunatic villain, but that's beside the point).  I did really like Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Batman's new protege, Robin John Blake -he was a surprisingly likeable and interesting character.  The Dark Knight definitely remains the best of the trilogy.

2012 The Hunger Games



"May the odds be ever in your favor."


An awesome movie, based on a riveting book.  Probably the movie I have most looked forward to in a long time (aside from Les Miserables), and it lived up to my expectations.  A lot was omitted, and some things changed, but it stayed true to the tone of the book, and the actors were spot on.  My only qualm was that it was left unclear at the end whether Peeta and Katniss really cared about each other, and this is made clear in the book.  I am assuming it was left open-ended because they weren't sure how the movie would do and if there would be a sequel, so presumably this will be addressed at the beginning of the next movie.  I liked getting to see the behind the scenes portions included, as in the book everything is from Katniss's perspective, so we don't see what is going on outside of the arena.  I won't go into it more, because it's not nominated for anything significant, but I though I would give it a shout out -I'm very excited to see Catching Fire.



2012 The Avengers


World Security Council: I don't think you understand what you've started.  Letting the Avengers loose on this world.  They're dangerous.
Nick Fury: They surely are.  And the whole world knows it.  Every world knows it.
World Security Council: Was that the point of all this?  A statement?
Nick Fury: A promise.

Another excellent and entertaining movie not nominated for anything important, but deserving of a mention.  It pulls together a bunch of superhero franchises (some of which were only so-so), which sounded like a bad idea to me, but Joss Whedon does it perfectly.  We get to know all of the characters more (Iron Man, the Hulk -played by Mark Ruffalo instead of Edward Norton, which sounded like a bad idea to me, but worked perfectly -Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye), the action sequences are exciting, it is funny and unexpected, and it leaves you wanting more.  If I'd paid attention and seen that Joss Whedon was the director before watching the movie, I wouldn't have been so surprised by how good it was, but it's always nice to be blown away by a movie you're expecting to be bad.  A great movie...but please bring back Agent Coulson!

2012 Trouble with the Curve

Gus: I think maybe, maybe I could change the way I do things.
Mickey: You already have.

After finishing this one, all I could say was: "Well, that was a movie."  There's not much to it -it's a very basic story, with workaholic Mickey (Amy Adams) taking time away from her job to help out her somewhat estranged father (Clint Eastwood), a baseball scout, as his eyesight is failing him.  Their relationship is strained, so naturally they get a chance to work through their issues.  Justin Timberlake is pretty weak as another baseball scout acting as Mickey's love interest, though there is very little (if any) chemistry between them.  Everything is predictable and expected.  Clint Eastwood plays his typical gruff stereotype of a character, but with less depth than usual.  There were some cute parts, but it's really one that's fine to miss.

The Impossible



As far as natural disaster movies go, see this one and skip Beasts of the Southern Wild.  It's tough to watch, but really an incredible story, and it keeps you riveted throughout.  Maria (Naomi Watts) and Henry Bennett (Ewan McGregor) are a husband and wife staying at a resort in Thailand with their 3 sons.  In a visually and emotionally powerful scene that will really get your heart pounding, they are hanging out at the pool when they are suddenly hit by a massive tidal wive that destroys everything in its path (the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami).  Maria and her eldest son, Lucas, are separated from the other three, and Maria is badly injured.  Thanks to their own fortitude and courage, as well as the kindness of strangers, they make it to a hospital.


Henry sets off to try to find Maria and Lucas, leaving his other sons in the care of strangers (a stupid idea, in my opinion, but oh well, it works out).  The movie is based on the true story of the survival of the Belon family against all odds, and it is very moving.  I think it did a good job of showing the devastation without getting overly graphic (bodies are typically shown in body bags) -it is powerful enough as is, without getting gory.  Naomi Watts has been nominated for her performance (though I don't expect her to win -I think it will go to Jessica Chastain or Jennifer Lawrence), and I thought Ewan McGregor was excellent as well (though not nominated).

The Words

"At some point, you have to choose between life and fiction.  The two are very close, but they never actually touch."

The Words was an interesting story within a story within a story.  Dennis Quaid plays an established writer reading to an audience from his newest book, The Words, which is about an author, Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), who discovers a manuscript in an old briefcase in an antique shop, and publishes it as his own -having failed to get his own work published.  It is a huge success, and he is able to get his own work published on the coattails of the first novel's success.  Eventually he is approached by the true author of the novel (played by Jeremy Irons), who tells him his life story, and the events that spawned the writing of the manuscript and its disappearance.

Chagrined and chastened, Rory tries to make amends, but the old man refuses any efforts to give him credit or money for the book, so he continues to take credit for the work, though he does confess the truth to his wife (played by Zoe Saldana), who is devastated to learn of his lie.  We learn only snippets about the Dennis Quaid character (such as that he is separated from his wife), as he discusses his book with a young woman (Megan Fox), after his reading.  Certain details fit with those in the novel, and we are left wondering if it really is a novel, or if it's actually a confession.  It's definitely a movie that leaves you thinking.  Thanks to my dad, Steven Martin, for the recommendation!