Wednesday, January 17, 2007

3 to See

I have been lucky enough to see THREE, yes 3 really good movies in the last few weeks. That's about 3 more than I'm used to, especially since 2 of them were actually in the theaters. I find many, many movies that Hollywood puts out to be boring, redundant and just lacking in any new ideas or imagery. Not all of them, of course, but many of them. Enter Borat, Pan's Labyrinth and Thank You For Smoking. All three are very different from each other, but what they do share is a rebellious spirit that rejects the typical Hollywood mold of what a movie should be, and forces the viewer to think about what they are seeing and how it makes them feel.

Borat was amazing. Sasha Baron Cohen is one of the most fearless performers I have ever seen and to hitch a ride on his madness on a trip through the dark underbelly of the US of A was magnificent. It's the classic road movie turned inside out and upside down. A tale of hope, of love, of betrayal and forgiveness, all done documentary-style, yet crafted into a hilarious narrative that surprises (and shocks) at every turn. There are scenes I cannot believe Cohen got out of alive.

Pan's Labyrinth was also a shock to the senses. Visually stunning, beautifully acted and artfully told, the movie delivers on a number of levels. It is at times visceral and brutal, making you hate the villains and love the heroes. It is at times dream-like and ambiguous, making you question the honesty of the characters, as well as the basic tenets of reality itself. It's both extremely realistic and utterly other-worldly. The use of symbolism is evident throughout, but the director uses a light touch, allowing the audience to make connections and draw conclusions on their own. Best of all, del Toro is not afraid to take the story to dark places, places American films often shy away from, or sugarcoat with artificial hope or saccharine joy. The film is all in subtitles, but that's not something that bothers me at all and it should not keep you away either!

Thank You For Smoking is satire, like Borat, but done in a completely different style. Whereas Borat looks like a high-budget, somewhat rambling PBS documentary, Thank You For Smoking is tight, slick and biting. It's a film of close-ups, of talking, of how words, spin, argument and excess can warp the mind and twist the heart. Despite the fact that the main character is easy to hate because of his job, the movie manages to make him likable, even brilliant. And, although this is a movie, the awful truths behind it are never far from your mind. The acting is spot-on, but it is the crisp editing and fast-paced dialogue that really propels the movie. I laughed straight through this one, even as I cringed at the diabolical efforts of the tobacco industry.

3 great movies in as many weeks! I still have to get to Children of Men and probably The Departed, as I've heard amazing things about both of them, too. It's so refreshing to walk out of a film and feel really good about the money you just spent. See Borat with friends. Watch Pan's Labyrinth on a cold night with just one or two other people. Thank You For Smoking is perfect for a lazy Sunday or chill week-night. But any which way you can, see these films!

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