Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock's latest film, North by Northwest, was a huge success. But now what? Everyone wants him to make another North by Northwest but Hitchcock (played by Anthony Hopkins) wants to do something different, something bold and shocking. He stumbles upon the idea for his next movie when he reads Robert Bloch's 1959 novel, Psycho. Despite lacking the support of Hollywood executives, Hitchcock is determined to make this movie. His relationship with his wife, Alma (played by Helen Mirren), is tested as movie production begins to spiral out of control.

As a self-proclaimed history buff and film enthusiast, the chances were high that I would enjoy Hitchcock. It was a wonderful movie experience--easily one of the best that I've had in a long time. There is so much to love about this film, it's a little hard to know where to start. Ironically, Hitchcock--a film about the process behind the creation of one of the most iconic horror films ever--is, at its core, a love story. Although seriously lacking in the blood and gore departments, the movie does begin with a bang that even the great Alfred Hitchcock would not see coming. And, of course, I do mean this literally. Director Sacha Gervarsi successfully turns back the clock and creates a compelling and smart story thanks to the contribution of the costume, makeup, set, art departments, and of course the acting. It is not necessary to have seen the film Psycho or be familiar with Hitchcock's work to appreciate the film but I would be lying to say that this background information doesn't help. It was fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes peak at what goes on during the making of a film. The story wanders a bit as Hitchcock has conversations with the serial killer who inspired the novel (played by Miachel Wincott) in his head. It was a curious addition to the film but a little unnecessary.
  
The acting on the other hand was nothing short of outstanding. It would be a surprise--and a mystery--if both Hopkins and Mirren weren't nominated for Oscars for their respective roles as Hitchcock and Alma. While Hopkins psychical transformation on screen is more startling than Mirren's, both actors immerse themselves so effortlessly and completely into the plot and their roles. It was refreshing to see such a strong female character during a time period with such gender inequality and especially in such a male dominated field like directing and movie production. Mirren perfectly captures Alma's struggles on screen while not compromising her strength or her femininity. Hopkins portrays the legendary director as a complex  human being--both supporting and contradicting the dictatorial and obsessive caricature that is so well-known in pop culture.
     

 
The ending is a bit cliche but audiences will no doubt leave the theater with smiles on their faces. Hitchcock is certainly the most unexpected feel-good movie this holiday season and it is definitely worth the time and the money. Besides...it's Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren! Do I need to say more?

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FTC: I was lucky enough to attend a screening of Hitchcock before the movie was released. I have no affiliation with Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Rise of the Guardians

Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine) is lost--and he has been for the past three hundred years. Ever since he woke up in a pond and the Man in the Moon told him his name, Jack has been searching for his purpose and hoping that one day someone could see him. Jack finally get his chance when he is picked to help the Guardians--Santa (voiced by Alec Baldwin), the Tooth Fairy (voiced by Isla Fisher), the Easter Bunny (voiced by Hugh Jackman), and the Sandman--fend off the Boogieman (voiced by Jude Law) as he tries to regain the power he lost after the end of the Dark Ages.

Rise of the Guardians is animated eye candy--the character design, the scenery, everything is visual perfection. No fault can be found in any of the animation. Even going beyond the visual designs, each of the Guardians has a unique twist that sets them apart from other interpretations. Santa is a tough burly Russian with tattoos. The Easter Bunny is boomerang wielding Australian. The Toothy Fairy has feathers and countless mini-fairies to help her with her work. And the Sandman is the short and silent type. Although the comparison has been made it warrants repeating, this movie is animated Avengers for the little kid in everyone who still believes in magic. This rag-tag group of people come together, despite their differences, for the greater good--to save the world's children from a world of fear.

Warning to parents about to take their kids to see this: although this film is only rated PG, there are moments in it that are surprisingly dark for a movie aimed at such a young age group. Also be wary because this film tries and fails to reach a level of Pixar-like magic with a great chunk of the film dedicated to moments that are obviously meant to be tear-jerkers. Based on my experience, many of the younger children [four or younger] lost interest in the film half-way through. But while they may not appreciate it now, they will as they watch every year as they grow up. Because there is no denying that in a few years time Rise of the Guardians will be a Christmas staple--joining the ranks of other holiday themed classics in ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas and other programs like it. There will be no escaping this infectious and funny film. And I see no reason why you would want to. There have been rumors that there are plans to make a sequel--hopefully this is true and hopefully the sequel will be as original and exciting as the first.

Rise of the Guardians will surely be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature but it will certainly lose to Wreck-It Ralph. Not for lack of trying but most certainly because Rise of the Guardians tried so hard to enchant and endear that it its efforts feels forced--even, dare I say it, formulaic. But as last remark I must as why was Chris Pine casted to voice a teenage boy? He does his best but he can't help but sound a bit old coming from the mouth of a boy who doesn't seem to have completed puberty.

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Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph has spent the last thirty years being under appreciated. He is the bad guy in his video game but it seems impossible for people to see past his tough exterior after his is done for the day. He tries his best to fit in but his anger finally explodes one day. Ralph sets off into another game, Hero's Duty, in order to prove that he really is in fact a good guy. Along the way he finally makes the friends he's always wanted and single-handedly threatens the lives of every single video game in the arcade.

Wreck-It Ralph is the best time I've had at a movie theater in a long time. I was hesitant walking into the theater--mostly because I am not a terribly huge fan of any of the main voice actors and because I am still trying to recover from my disappointment after seeing Pixar's Brave this summer. Despite my hesitation, I was drawn to the theater because I wanted to see all of my favorite childhood video game characters on the big screen. And let me tell you, this movie is PACKED with references to "retro" video games and oddly enough, food. Although many of the references are aimed at people in their twenties--the first generation who grew up on video games--the film is just as enjoyable without understanding many of them. So adults and younger children don't worry. Some of my favorite cameos included Bowser, Sonic the Hedgehog, PacMan, and milk's favorite cookie, Oreos! Oreos--that's a reference that everyone can get.

The plot of the film was not what I was expecting. From the trailer, Wreck-It Ralph came off as movie geared toward stereotypical boys but after watching it I am convinced that it will appeal to girls just as much--possibly more! This film tackles the material in a very clever way and I will admit that the ending blindsided me. Which...is sort of embarrassing considering that this is, after all, a Disney film. But one of the most impressive features of this film is the  amount of time and detail the film makers put into creating three distinct worlds. The settings felt so real that it was almost as if this movie was revealing the secret life of video games--much in the same vein as Toy Story. Each world felt distinct but my only regret is that Ralph didn't do a bit more game-hopping so that I could see the rest of the arcade. Considering that was my only disappointment, I can easily say that this film was a job well done.

While on the surface, Wreck-It Ralph, seems like a vehicle for Disney to prey on our nostalgia in the modern era, it is a film that is equal parts humor and heart. The characters--both old and new--light up the screen and the material is handled in a way that is smart and respectful. I was not expecting much walking into the theater but on my way out I was impressed with what Disney had managed to create. This film proves that they are still the masters of creating new and engaging stories using other people's source material. Main point: if you have time this weekend, GO SEE IT!

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FTC: I attended a free early screening of this film. I have no affiliation with Disney.

Frankenweenie

Living in a small town, Victor only has one true friend--Sparky, his adorable and faithful dog. When Sparky dies, Victor uses his smarts and unwavering love to bring Sparky back to life. But trouble follows and Victor must find a way to save their town and return life back to normal.

After the Tim Burton disaster that was Dark Shadows, I was a little hesitant walking into the theater for this movie. Many people say that Burton is loosing his touch. Others said that he never had it to begin with. But Frakenweenie reaffirms that Burton has a gift for making wacky and creepy entertainment for families. Frakenweenie is no Nightmare Before Christmas but it is a story that will make even the coldest of hearts melt. Yes, that means even my father shed a few tears watching this movie...but you didn't hear that from me.

The style and design of the characters in this film are very similar to Burton's The Corpse Bride. And like TCB, Burton played with color to tell his story. Frankenweenie is completely in black and white. The lack of color compliments the somber tone of the film and makes the film stronger as a result. Other than the black and white style, there are many homages to old horror films including the plot and character design.

Sparky--the Frakenweenie of this film--is nothing like the monster of yore. Even after he's come back from death, Sparky is lively and thirsty for adventure. Burton chose to make Sparky a very realistic version of a dog making it even easier to fall in love with him. But while I enjoyed Sparky, there were a few of the characters felt like stereotypical representations. Toshiaki in particular felt like a stereotypical Asian-American. He spoke in broken English, was very intelligent, and was ruthless in his pursuit of success. It felt like a poor choice--intentionall or not--that only serves to perpetuate negative stereotypes and poor race relations.

Overall, Frankweenie was one of the sweetest movies released this year. The plot isn't terribly fast paced and some younger kids might lose interest. But, it is a must see for elementary aged children and for people who are just young at heart. Frankenweenie is a dog movie for the supernatural-obsessed generation. And anyone who has ever lost a pet can sympathize with Victor's plight. Although, I'm sure the number of electrified dead pets in the United States will increase in the near future. This is my warning to parent's taking their kids to see this film. Beware!

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Hotel Transylvania

Hotel Transylvania is a place for monsters to relax without fear that humans will find them. Count Dracula runs the place single handedly while still finding time to be an extremely overprotected father to his only daughter, Mavis. On the celebration of Marvis's 118th birthday, a human named Johnny finds the hotel and falls in love with Mavis. Count Dracula--and the rest of the monsters--must find a way to get past their hate for humans. And the count must also find a way to let his daughter go.

Hotel Transylvania should have been a Halloween classic. It all the right ingredients--a great cast, a fantastic premise, and an audience willing to be dazzled. But in many areas Hotel feel flat. Adam Sandler's voice is almost unrecognizable as Count Dracula but many of the bits are overused and fall flat. He is the main character of this tale and despite what the trailers wants us to believe, Hotel isn't about his daughter falling in love with a human. No, this movie is about Count Dracula falling in love with a human. This movie feels incredibly long--too much time at the beginning is dedicated to Dracula trying to hide Johnny from Mavis. The young couple is not given a lot of time to interact and allow the audience to fall in love with the idea of them together.

Mavis, played by Selena Gomez, is beautifully designed as a character. It was adorable that the animators gave baby Mavis black lipstick and nail polish like her older self. She looks gothic and girly and modern--all at the same time. I had reservations about Gomez walking into the theater but I left knowing that she was as strong--if not stronger--than any of the characters in the film. One character is easily out shined as Johnny the human played by Andy Samberg. Johnny is the weakest character thanks to the animators, the writers, and Sandberg. Johnny is meant to be carefree and youthful burst of energy in the hotel but he came off as loud and obnoxious. It was hard to like Johnny and everyone I went to see the movie with agreed that the film would have been stronger without him. Unfortunately, Johnny and Dracula commandeered most of the screen time while Gomez and the other monsters were relegating to supporting roles.

Hotel Transylvania is a film that will entertain the kids but it isn't a guaranteed hit with their parents. There are moments that are humorous and sweet but they can't makeup for the languid pace and uninspired plot. There was so much potential but director, Genndy Tartovsky, was unable to translate the success he achieved with animation on the small screen to a successful movie on the big screen.

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Snow White and the Huntsman

This is a story that on the surface everyone knows. As a young girl, Snow White (Kristen Stewart) lost her mother and her father, the King, was devastated. Shortly after her mother's death, the King met a beautiful and alluring damsel in distress. This damsel, Ravenna (Charlize Theron), proved to be more cunning than anyone expected when she murdered the King on their wedding night. Snow is sentenced to a life in the dungeon and Ravenna rules the kingdom with an iron fist. Snow White escapes and the queen sends a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth)  into the dark woods to retrieve the young girl.

From the looks of the trailer, Snow White and the Huntsman was sure to a fantastical, action-packed modern-interpretation of a well loved fairy tale. And as is often the case with these things, the trailer promised a lot more than the movie could deliver. It is titled Snow White and the Huntsman but a more apt title might have been The Evil Queen feat. Snow White. Charlize Theron is deliciously evil in this dark fairy tale. She radiates power in every frame and it doesn't hurt that she looks absolutely stunning at the same time. In the story, she may have had to worry that Snow White was the fairest in the land but everyone watching is wondering why. Theron--even as an old crone--possessed a quality of elegance that Stewart never seems to come close to matching.
 

The pacing of this movie felt slow and discontented. A lot of time was allotted to development of the evil queen's character--her rise to power and her struggle to kill Snow White--but Snow White and the Huntsman received surprisingly less screen time than one would assume in a movie named after the pair. The second half of the film was rushed--Snow White's revival, an epic battle, and Snow White's coronation in half an hour to make up for the slow pacing earlier in the film. This film also suffered from overcrowding. The Queen was given a brother, the prince a father, there were eight dwarves instead of seven, and a whole slew of other characters were thrown in for good measure. It's confusing and with every character vying for screen time it is hard to create a connection with anyone--much less remember their names. The dwarves were all played by brilliant British actors--it's a shame that none of them got to show off what they could do.

Visually, the film was fantastic. The special effects were breathtaking and impressive. But expensive special effects and Charlize Theron's performance can't overcome a poorly paced, poorly written film with inconsistent actors. Kristen Stewart tries her best--even giving us a British accent that was some what believable--but she doesn't wear damsel in distress very well. She doesn't really wear lovestruck teenager living in Forks, Washington very well but what do I know? I'm not a casting director.

This film takes a few twists from the traditional Snow White story that we all know and love. But other than the expansion of the roles of the Huntsman and the Evil Queen, many of these changes hurt the film rather than help it. I must admit that I watched this for the first time after the Kristen Stewart and Rupert Sanders cheating scandal erupted. I tried not to let that influence my opinion [to be honest I've never been a big fan of Kristen Stewart's work] but at least I don't feel guilty for enjoying the film that broke up Robsten.

I gave this movie two stars becausein my humble opinion there were only two stars in this film--Ms. Theron and the special effects team. I'll be the first one to admit that it's hard to recreate a classic and make it better. The screenwriters and director were a bit too ambitious--there was too much story to be told in two hours.

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I Got to Meet Julie Andrews

It's so surreal that I'm writing this post. I mean, it's Julie Andrews. This past weekend [I wrote this right after it happened but never got around to publishing it. This happened sometime in early June.] at the Univeristy Bookstore held a signing event celebrating the release of The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Bride written by Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton and illustrated by Christine Davenier. My roommate actually heard about this event first but I knew that I had to go as soon as I heard about it. I was thrilled. I called up my parents to see if they wanted to come as well and it evolved into a family event.
 

We got there a couple hours early and spent most of the time rotating--a couple people would stand in line while the others would browse. Other than the book mentioned above [buying the book was compulsory to get a ticket to the signing] I only picked up one another thing. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan.
 

The one thing that was rather disappointing about the book signing was the strict no photo/video policy. When I went to the local John Green booksigning, they had a policy of no posed photos [time constraints] but I could take as many photos as possible. But we were told that Julie Andrews has been in the spotlight so long that she really, really didn't want to be photographed. I understand but I was a little disappointed. They even hid her signing table behind a large sheet contraption. Very top secret. I honestly didn't get to see her until five minutes before she signed our books.

 

In our group of five, I was the first person. Books were signed in groups and so at first all five of us were just standing there starring at her [probably quite creepily] in awe. But she was so gracious and open and kind. She thanked us for coming the event and for purchasing her books. She asked us if we were doing anything after the event. She recommended a warm cup of tea--very British of her. But we had a lovely--if short--conversation about going dress shopping for my little sister's prom. It was so surreal.

 

But the highlight of the day was when my dad asked if he could shake Julie Andrew's hand. The woman who was helping her sign looked as if she was about to have a heart attack. How dare this commoner ask to shake her hand. That's Julie Andrews. You could tell by the look in her eye that she was horrified that my dad would ask. She was going to say no but Julie Andrews, being the gracious woman that she was, said that it was okay and reached out her hand. I had already moved to leave and I didn't get to sign her hand because I felt that it would have been awkward to go back. But my mom got to shake her hand too. That's okay. I'll shake her hand next time.

 

It was a fantastic day! I would do it again in a heart beat. Also, just in case you were wondering, we DID find a dress for my sister. It is a lovely cobalt-blue dress. While I don't have a picture with Julie Andrews to prove that I actually met her--you will just have to take my word for it. I wouldn't lie to you, would I? Just kidding. Or am I? But I do have a picture of her signature. Does that count?