films: Love Actually, He's Just Not That Into You

warnings: possible spoilers ahead. for sure a metric ton of swearing.

11. Love Actually, dir. Richard Curtis. 2003.

watched March 9, 2011

57. He's Just Not That Into You, dir. Ken Kwapis. 2009.

watched November 25, 2011

Tackling these two (vaguely entertaining but frankly terrible) movies together, because I have things to say that only have marginal relevance to both. (Or maybe possibly it is entirely too relevant.)

Fuck these movies. Seriously, fuck 'em. I am so ridiculously sick and tired of these tired ridiculous heterosexist white-people romantic comedies that espouse ridiculous gender conventions that are often demeaning to women.

The first half of Love Actually I spent cooing reluctantly at the actors on the screen, and by the second half I was just shoveling popcorn into my mouth shouting, "Yeah, white people! Go forth and conquer the day!" and "Yeah, white man! Why don't you show off just how entitled you think you fucking are by doing what-the-fuck-ever you are doing!" Which is, alright, a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously, Hollywood, seriously. You have that much cash on you and you can't pay decent writers to write you something fucking new? Do you think only white people go out to see movies? On that note, do you think all non-white people have a shit ton of baggage that the script must address and oh no, a two-hour movie just ain't long enough for that? I get that at least one of these movies is about holiday cheer and spreading the warm and fuzzy feelings of love but god way to alienate a good percentage of your viewers by making every single love story between white people. (And don't give me shit about how Keira Knightley's husband in Love Actually was black, the story revolved mostly around her and her husband's white best friend.)

Some people might read this and go, "Whoa, aren't you being a bit racist against white people?" And I will reply, very earnestly, "No. You can't be racist against white people. You can't erase privilege like that." So if I had to admit to being anything, I'd say that I'm prejudiced against white people in shitty films like Love Actually and He's Just Not That Into You. Why are they the only ones represented? Do Asian-Americans and other hyphenated Americans just not matter? Are our stories not worth being told on the silver screen?

What else did I hate about these movies? Ah yes, the heterosexism. Way to erase the homosexual population, the bisexual population, the trans* population, the anything-that-isn't-straight-straight-straight population.

Also, He's Just Not That Into You: fuck you. Fuck you and your massive hard-on for gender essentialism. Fuck you and your pedantic "girls shouldn't be so assertive!"

Also, who the fuck was Drew Barrymore's character? Why was she even relevant? Was it just to give everyone a happy ending, if only in potentia? (I'm pretty sure I used "in potentia" incorrectly, but at this point I don't give a fuck.) Did she exist just to poke fun of the supposed perils of internet dating? Really?

God. I just. Come on, Hollywood, is a romantic comedy not about a straight white couple too much to ask for?!

film: Shame

warning: possible spoilers ahead.

59. Shame, dir. Steve McQueen. 2011.

watched December 13, 2011

This is a really fucking sad movie. Or a really sad fucking movie. Literally.

Awkward joke aside, Shame, directed by Steve McQueen (who, as every movie review seems to need to clarify, is a British director), is a movie about sex. About fucking, and a lack of intimacy, and how what we need shapes our lives.

I'm not sure I can clarify how I feel about this film. On the one hand, it's beautiful. McQueen mixes the classy, uptown-side of downtown New York and the breathtaking skylines and the seedy underbelly (good god everything sounds like a reference to sex, now) all in one film and does it seamlessly, forces us to see the full spectrum of the cityscape. On the other hand, it's stark and painful and so, so desolate - twisted, really, twisted and needy and when the film starts off you're sitting in the theatre staring helplessly at Michael Fassbender's bouncing dick wondering if you can give this movie what it needs, what it wants you to feel. Because really, Shame wants a visceral reaction out of you. Shame bares it all but doesn't tell you how to react to it. You watch the events play out on the screen and you can't help but ask questions: what is wrong with Brandon Sullivan? Did they just hint at the fact that his condition is a result of a brain injury? Are we supposed to judge him? What happened to him and Sissy, his sister? What the fuck is going on between the two? Is this movie brilliant or just really fucking unnecessarily convoluted? but the ending of the movie doesn't offer any answers. You feel like you should watch the film a second time in an effort to puzzle things out, but it's such a jarring, arresting movie that you feel like watching it again would just break your heart and refuse to return the pieces.

If there's one definite thing Shame shows the viewers, though, it's this: Michael Fassbender can and will act the fucking heart out of you.

He is Brandon Sullivan. And as terribly cliché as that sounds, it's fucking true. You don't sit there watching him fuck a prostitute against a window and think, "god in that other movie he had such a huge stick up his ass that he probably didn't even know there was a meaning to fuck other than 'I'm going to kill you'!" You sit there in that theatre simultaneously repulsed and sympathetic and forlorn because here is a man, perfectly capable of being friendly and dating a lovely woman from work, who can't have sex when it's intimate and can't go on without sex. You sit there wondering if he tried so hard with that woman because he wanted intimacy, because he knew he couldn't deal with it but needed it anyway, or if he tried because it was just what was expected of him, what society told him to want.

Whether you loved the film or hated it, you can't deny that Michael Fassbender fucking owned the screen.

On a rather contradictory note, I think part of the reason why the film resonated so well with me is because of the underlying tone of emptiness. The opening scene of Brandon on his bed, just breathing - god. There's something so quiet and understated about it. It should be desolate, lonely, but it's not. It's just... there.

...good god, I am so terrible at movie reviews it's ridiculous.

film: 2011

For my own reference, mostly. Re-watched movies will be included on the list, but won't add to the count. Will edit as I go.

Also, because it's fucking awesome: Filmography 2011, edited by Gen I.

January

The Social Network, dir. David Fincher. 2010.

1. The Green Hornet, dir. Michel Gondry. 2011.

2. Team America: World Police, dir. Trey Parker. 2004.

3. The Fighter, dir. David O. Russell. 2010.

February

4. Unstoppable, dir. Tony Scott. 2010.

5. Date Night, dir. Shawn Levy. 2010.

6. Pride & Prejudice, dir. Joe Wright. 2005.

7. The Cove, dir. Louie Psihoyos. 2009.

8. 127 Hours, dir. Danny Boyle. 2010.

9. Raiders of the Lost Ark, dir. Steven Spielberg. 1981.

10. The King's Speech, dir. Tom Hooper. 2010.

March

11. Love Actually, dir. Richard Curtis. 2003.

12. Roman Holiday, dir. William Wyler. 1953.

13. The Fog of War, dir. Errol Morris. 2003.

14. The Yes-Men Fix the World, dir. Andy Bichlbaum & Mike Bonanno. 2009.

April

15. Zombieland, dir. Ruben Fleischer. 2009.

16. Living in Emergency, dir. Mark N. Hopkins. 2008.

17. In the Loop, dir. Armando Iannucci. 2009.

May

18. Armadillo, dir. Janus Metz Pedersen. 2010.
19. Rio, dir. Carlos Saldanha. 2011.
20. Source Code, dir. Duncan Jones. 2011.
21. Raw Opium: Pain, Pleasure, Profits, dir. Peter Findlay. 2010.
22. God No Say So, dir. Brigitte Uttar Kornetzky. 2009.
23. Tears of Gaza, dir. Vibeke Løkkeberg. 2010.
24. Il Lupo in Calzoncini Corti (The Wolf in Shorts), dir. Nadia Dalle Vedove & Lucia Stano. 2010.
25. War Is Not A Game, dir. Lode Desmet. 2010.
26. Neurotypical. dir. Adam Larsen. 2010.
27. Food Inc., dir. Robert Kenner. 2008.
28. The Market, dir. Rama Rau. 2010.
29. Food Security: It's In Your Hands, dir. Nick Versteeg. 2009.
30. If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, dir. Marshall Curry. 2011.
31. No! The Rape Documentary, dir. Aishah Shahidah Simmons. 2006.
32. The National Parks Project, dirs. Scott Smith, Zacharias Kunuk, Peter Lynch, Sturla Gunnarsson, Kevin McMahon, Louise Archambault, Hubert Davis, Catherine Martin, Daniel Cockburn, John Walker, Jamie Travis, Stéphane Lafleur & Keith Behrman. 2011.
33. Thor, dir. Kenneth Branagh. 2011.
Star Trek, dir. J.J. Abrams. 2009.
34. The Hangover Part II, dir. Todd Phillips. 2011.

June
35. X-Men: First Class, dir. Matthew Vaughn. 2011.
Pride and Prejudice
36. Super 8, dir. J.J. Abrams. 2011.
37. Waiting for 'Superman', dir. Davis Guggenheim. 2010.
38. Notting Hill, dir. Roger Michell. 1999.
39. District 9, dir. Neill Blomkamp. 2009.

July
40. Never Let Me Go, dir. Mark Romanek. 2010.
41. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: part 2, dir. David Yates. 2011.
42. Easy A, dir. Will Gluck. 2010.
X-Men: First Class
43. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, dir. Robert Greenwald. 2005.
44. Captain America: The First Avenger, dir. Joe Johnston. 2011.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: part 2

August
45. Black Swan, dir. Darren Aronofsky. 2010.
46. Becoming Jane, dir. Julian Jarrold. 2007.
47. Conan the Barbarian, dir. Marcus Nispel. 2011.

September
48. The Interrupters, dir. Steve James. 2011.
49. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, dir. Edgar Wright. 2010.

October
50. The Price of Sex, dir. Mimi Chakarova. 2011.
51. 50/50, dir. Jonathan Levine. 2011.
52. Die Hard, dir. John McTiernan. 1988.
53. Miss Representation, dir. Jennifer Siebel Newsom. 2011.
54. Bridget Jones' Diary, dir. Sharon Maguire. 2001.

November
55. 도가니 (Silenced), dir. 황동혁 (Dong Hyeuk HWANG). 2011.
56. The Ides of March, dir. George Clooney. 2011.
57. He's Just Not That Into You, dir. Ken Kwapis. 2009.

December
58. 500 Days of Summer, dir. Marc Webb. 2009.
59. Shame, dir. Steven McQueen. 2011.
60. Contagion, dir. Steven Soderbergh. 2011.
Hitch, dir. Andy Tennant. 2005.
61. Midnight in Paris, dir. Woody Allen. 2011.
62. Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol, dir. Brad Bird. 2011.
Iron Man, dir. Jon Favreau. 2008.
Iron Man 2, dir. Jon Favreau. 2010.

...JESUS CHRIST.

film: The Ides of March

Blowing dust off the ol' blog again in an attempt to organize my thoughts on the film The Ides of March.

Warning: spoilers ahead.


56. The Ides of March, dir. George Clooney. 2011.

watched November 20th

What the fuck was up with the film's treatment of Molly and what happened to her?

I mean, it's possible I was missing things because I was occasionally acting as translator for my friend and so missed a few bits of dialog, but come on. I suppose I should give credit to the screenplay writers for not overtly casting judgment on her, but the moment it was revealed that she had "slept with" Governor Mike Morris, George Clooney's character, my face was a huge :/ because I'm not sure what I got.

See, I thought that the governor had raped her. I thought he chatted with her for a bit that night in the hotel, and then reached behind her and shut the door and raped her. And even if she didn't protest and even if she did go along with it, it wouldn't rule out rape because rape is very rarely the "guy jumps the well dressed (provocatively dressed?) girl in a darkened alley and rapes her while she cries and cries and tries to fight back" story that seems to pervade society's collective consciousness.

But then Steven, Ryan Gosling's character, tells the governor during the climactic blackmailing scene that the governor "made the one mistake [he] shouldn't've - [he] fucked an intern." (Or something along those lines, anyways.)

I was sitting there going, "wait a minute, did I not comprehend things properly? Did he not rape an intern??"

What kind of conclusions are the viewers supposed to draw about Molly? Are we supposed to assume that because she slept willingly with Steven - no, not only that she slept with him, that because she even took the initiative and flirted with him, whatever happened between the governor and her was consensual?

Also, wtf was up with the immediate questioning of Molly's sobriety?

I get that this film is about the ~corruption of politics~ and how it's so ~tough~ being a ~good person~ in politics. But really, we already know this shit. So George Clooney's environmental, secularist governor isn't actually perfect. So Ryan Gosling is perfect as Steven, the driven career man who'd do anything to get a seat at the big boys of campaign managing's table.

We already know this shit, seriously. Is it too much to ask for a film that goes beyond the obvious and instead of ~showing us how it is!!1 in the ~hard world of politics~ offers us a new perspective? Is it too much to ask for a movie that will legitimize a point of view that ISN'T the white, privileged man's? Something that doesn't recycled the same old (wrong) ideas about politics and where men, women, men of color and women of color fit into it?

And don't give me shit about how if I "want to see it so badly" I should just "shut up and write it myself". I mean, I get the point, but wow, way to be dismissive.

Ugh. But overall, good acting and the plot was well-paced, no matter how hackneyed I found it. Also, Ryan Gosling's face was excellent.

films, film festivals, DOXA

ARGH I told myself that in 2011 I'd write little blurbs about each film I watch in an effort to actually retain some information, but it's already May and I've posted what, only January? Abject, absolute failure on my part, I know. Here's hoping I'll catch up by the end of the summer!Particularly because this past week I've been bussing/SkyTrain-ing downtown near daily to participate in DOXA, a documentary film festival. That's a lot of amazing films and important issues to write and think about...

And of course near the end of this month there's yet another film festival I'd love to check out: Projecting Change. It'll take place from the 26th of May to the 29th with 20+ films - all of which I will probably be aching to see, although they don't quite have a full schedule out for us to peruse yet. Once I get this job situation figured out, I'd love to sign up to be a volunteer.

Anyways! Time to list off all the films I've watched so far, as a kind of "write blurbs for these movies, you lazy procrastinating dumbass!" reminder.

books: February

5. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen. 1813.

Feb 1-8

AAAAAAAAH MR. DARCY AND ELIZABETH FOREVER AND EVER

It took me a long, long time to come around to reading P&P; I've had the book on my bookshelf for what's probably long past a decade. In a way I think it's a good thing I waited to read this classic novel - for one, the massive literary crush on Mr. Darcy is much less soul-consuming now than it probably would have been when I was in middle school.

As for the novel itself, it was lovely. The characters had humanity, the dialogue was sharp with no line wasted, and the plot chugged along at a nice pace. I found the beginning rather annoying, though it was mostly because I so desperately did not want to like Pride & Prejudice, but when Mr. Collins was introduced he was such an ass that I was fascinated, and by the time the ending rolled around I was deeply, deeply in like of everything about the story. (Particularly Mr. Darcy!) Seeing Elizabeth slowly get over her prejudice against Mr. Darcy was a real literary treat.

The only issue I have is all the Miss Bennetts. There are five Miss Bennetts, can we please just clarify? With first names? The moment there's more than one Miss in a scene it becomes ridiculously confusing trying to keep up in conversation. Other than that minor pet peeve, however, I do find it nice how everyone is called "Mr." or "Mrs." or "Miss". "Mr. Darcy" - it just has a very nice ring to it.

Now that I have adequately hammered people in the head with my Mr. Darcy-obsession, I am finished.

6. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk. 1996.

Feb 13-

Lovely as the book was, I'm going to have to stick by what I first thought when I finished reading - I like the movie better. It's easier to have a visceral reaction to seeing things played out on the screen, and while it can be seen as taking the easy way out, this story is one meant to punch you in the face with the sheer feeling of it all.

Put this off too long, and now I don't remember everything it was I wanted to write. Ugh. I haven't been too good about keeping up with reading, but hopefully I can finish up at least one more book before the end of March.

Still on my to-read list:

1. Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Steig Larsson
2. Game Change, John Heilemann & Mark Halperin
3. 9-11, Noam Chomsky
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
5. Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond

films: February

warning: spoilers, swearing, mightily uninformed opinions.

5. Unstoppable, dir. Tony Scott. 2010.

Feb 4 (on flight - Air Canada)

Air Canada is a nice airline to fly with. Each seat has a screen of its own, so you can go through and pick radio channels, tv shows, music programs, and best of all, movies. Instead of sleeping through my red-eye flight, I decided to watch movies. When I navigated my way to the "Blockbuster" category, the guy sitting next to me suddenly reached over, pointed at theUnstoppable box on the screen, and promised, "This is a really good movie. Watch it!"

So I did, after thanking him for the recommendation.

The movie reminds me vaguely of The Fighter, because in a way the action is very much... subdued. You go in knowing what's going to happen: Denzel Washington and Chris Pine are going to save the day. The big execs in charge of the railroad company are going to show off how much of a profit-driven asshole they are. Chris Pine's character Will is going to get back together with his wife, and they're going to have a big kiss at the end of the movie because that's just the way Hollywood rolls.

It was a good movie, don't get me wrong. It was suspenseful in the right ways and not too heavy-handed with the melodrama and the characters, while rather two-dimensional, aren't terrible.

But ultimately this movie fails for me. Why so damn predictable? This is probably because I don't "know" movies - the technical details of filming or the use of lights or the editing - but I felt nothing for the characters. Frank's two daughters waitressing in Hooters? Baw, tell me more. Will is separated from his wife and son and yearns for them? Poor baby, what happened. The train is stopped by the heroic actions of Frank and Will and the support of Rosario Dawson's character Connie? So inspirational! Let's all put our hands together for these small town heroes!

The moral of this film is I'm a heartless word-that-I-shall-not-use-because-I-am-taking-women's-studies-and-using-this-word-makes-me-feel-guilty.

6. Date Night, dir. Shawn Levy. 2010.

Feb 5 (on flight - Air Canada)

If I had to describe this film in just one word, it'd be "disappointment". Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, shirtless Mark Wahlberg... Come on, it could have been so awesome. The jokes were flat, Steve Carrell and Tina Fey were bogged down with a script that was more stupid than entertaining, and jesus christ Mark Wahlberg will you cut your damn hair?!

7. Pride and Prejudice, dir. Joe Wright. 2005.

Feb 11 (at home, with momma)

AHAHA Mr. Darcy. Now that I've watched the British miniseries, I can just say that the movie version with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen is much more... sensual. The scenery, the costumes, the dialogue - everything is lusher, brighter. The understated

I watched the movie just a couple days after reading the book, which was helpful because it helped me stay on track, plot-wise.

8. The Cove, dir. Louie Psihoyos. 2009.

Feb 18 (at home, with parents)

This documentary was: beautiful heartbreaking inspiring but also very, very one-sided. I'm not sure, however, if showing the fishers' side of the situation would make it any better - I mean, how do you justify slaughtering dolphins the way they do? How do you justify something so obviously unnecessary?

9. 127 Hours, dir. Danny Boyle. 2010.

Feb 22 (theatres, with Mike)

The best word for this movie is "intense". But not overwhelmingly so, I felt - it may be because I knew what to expect from this movie, as the story is made the rounds the first time the news broke. A large portion of the audience is going to know what they're going into, and even if someone's never heard of Aron Ralston they're going to hear the whispers: "it's the movie about the guy who cuts his own arm off". Still, despite the predictability of the plot (he gets stuck, he's going to get flashbacks to happier times/regrets, he's going to film himself telling his parents/family goodbye, he's going to cut through his arm with just a cheap knife), the film is an enjoyable one thanks to the stunning scenery and the gorgeous James Franco.

What can I say, I'm just shallow.

10. Raiders of the Last Ark, dir.Steven Spielberg. 1981.

Feb 25 (theatres, with Norman)



11. Pride and Prejudice, dir. Simon Langton. 1995. (TV miniseries)
Feb 27

AHAHA COLIN FIRTH. Being a TV miniseries, there was more time to stay truthful to the novel, which was really enjoyable.

11. The King's Speech, dir. Tom Hooper. 2010.
Feb 28 (theatres, with Lareina)

Great film. Impeccable acting. Lovable characters.

Also the most disappointingly, boringly beautiful film of the year. I wish I was kidding. This is probably because of my disappointment with the Oscars this year (I know, such white people problems), but David Fincher should have won that goddamn Oscar, okay. It felt like anyone could have filmed this movie and made it as beautiful as it is.


(Off topic, but I had a moment in the theatre where I chuckled loudly because omg, Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice! In The King's Speech! COLIN FIRTH AND DAVID BAMBER REUNITED! /IMDB nerd)

ARGH I GIVE UP this will be all. February films, finished!