Flight [2012]

Flight is a 2012 production, directed by Robert Zemeckis from a script written by John Gatins, starring Denzel Washington, which tells the story of an alchoolic pilot who is forced to face his addiction after a plane crash threatens to end his career. Dramatic, surprising and moving, Flight ticks almost every box in the filmmaking to do list and is put in the spotlight with the help of a great performance by Washington.

Script-wise, I thought it was cleverly written- the characters were interesting and real; the story, built around the accident and an inevitabile trial, didn't actually focus on them, but more on the development of the characters; and the climax, the deposition, was emotional to watch. I liked the way they wrote and showcased the crash experience, or how we could see the ups and downs of Whitaker's state, and the ending was surprisingly sweet.

Another strong point for Flight was the casting. I especially loved Don Cheadle and John Goodman, both brought something interesting and different to the table, but my favorites were definitely Kelly Reilly and Denzel Washington. Kelly Reilly was a revelation for me- sweet, talented, peculiar and exceptionally beautiful, she shined throughout the film and I wished I saw more of her. And what can I say about Washington? He is, after all, one of the best actors of our generation, and he nailed this part, perfectly illustrating different sides of a broken man who is caught up on an addiction that could potentially ruin him. He definitely deserves his place in the top 5 actors of 2012-2013 awards season.

From a filmmaking point of view, everything was well-executed. Considering it is a modern story, there's nothing much to say about the sets or costumes, but I did like the direction and the way they shot the air accident. The soundtrack was remarkable- I especially loved the use of Under the Bridge by RHCP.

I thought Flight, overall, is a very good movie that is both interesting and moving, one that features wonderful performances and an emotional story. I highly recommend it, it's one of this year's most underrated films!

p.s. Special mention for the lovely patient in the hospital who's line I still remember: "My cancer might get cancer"

Argo [2012]

Last week, on its first day of release in Romanian cinemas, I went to see Argo, Ben Affleck's latest directorial and acting effort. Written by Chris Terrio and based on a true story, it tells the story of 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. It's a very well made film that has mostly high points, although it is not as perfect as some might say.

The true story set in the 1979/1980s recalls the conflict between the US and Iran over the extradition of former Iranian leader, which led to a hostage situation and even a revolution in the Arabic country, and that's the main trigger of the script. Tony Mendez, played by Affleck, comes in as an extraction specialist to help get out 6 embassy employees who managed to get out of the building before the people marched in and took control. As much as it is a suspense and thriller story, it is also an emotional one, and the end will keep you on your toes on all accounts. The screenplay is quite good and manages to mix different themes and characters without creating confusion or being too cliche. Maybe this where the movie's success lies in, in the interesting and qualitative combination of story, character development and emotional deliverance, one that has proven hard to accomplish lately in cinema.

But things aren't perfect all the way through; one thing that I particularly didn't like was Affleck's direction. It felt, in most cases, too dynamic, too fast, and it did not have a clean and fluid shooting style- some scenes were rather hard and visually tiring to watch. I know he is mentioned in many awards predictions of Best Director, but I think there are better ones on the list that should have the prize. Other than that, the rest of the filmmaking elements were pretty good, especially the score and cinematography, but also the set design.

Casting wise, Argo was flawless. I, personally, thought Ben Affleck was a better actor than director here, although I have seen better performances from him in previous years. I also don't get why people are pushing Alan Arkin for a Supporting category; if it would be my choice, I would go for either Bryan Cranston or John Goodman, these two shined much more than him. The actors portraying the 6 embassy employees were also well chosen and I particularly loved the woman playing Cora Lijek, Clea DuVall.

Since we are already talking about awards, I can definitely see it nominated for Best Picture, Director (although I don't agree), Cast, maybe Script, and I can see it being a worthy candidate for Best Picture, most likely.

Argo is a very well made film that deserves all the attention is getting, but it is not the masterpiece some are claiming it to be. It is a film that will appeal to many and I wouldn't mind it that much for it to win Best Picture, it would be a safe and predictable choice. Definitely see it!

The Big Lebowski [1998]

It's time for a new mini-marathon: the Coen brothers! First in line: The Big Lebowski!

Written by the two famous brothers, and directed by Joel Coen, the movie tells the story of Jeff Lebowski, a careless, lazy guy from LA (who likes to be called Dude), who gets mixed up in a shady business, as the other Jeff Lebowski, his older millionaire alter-ego, asks him to help get his much younger wife back after she is kidnapped. The plan derails and insanity occurs, as everything goes bad, and more people than necessary intervene.

I liked the movie. All the main characters (Dude, Walter, Donny, Maude) are well written and the supporting cast is very entertaining (John Turturro and the Nihilists, with Flea as a member, were particularly funny). I admired the fact that, although the Dudeness seemed like a stupid, lazy, out of this world loser, he was actually the only one who thought straight during those crazy moments and knew something was wrong most of the time; he was smart, smarter than Walter or Donny. Some call this Jeff Bridge's role of a lifetime, one that he will be remembered by his whole career, and I must agree. There is just something about his carefree, chilled, honest performance that makes the film ten times better. John Goodman, as the extreme pacifist, bowler and Lebowski's best friend, was particularly good, giving one of his best performances. I was annoyed most of the time by his character and his stupidity and stubbornness, but he complimented just fine with Jeff Bridges and Steve Buscemi's characters. (p.s. Does Steve Buscemi die in all of his movies? I just saw another Coen brothers film with him, and I know at least 2 or 3 others movies where he has the same fate). Other peculiar individual was Maude, played by Julianne Moore- strange character, weird accent, but she made it work; she always does, Julianne is fabulous in mostly everything. Special mention has to go to Phillip Seymour Hoffman, as the assistant of the millionaire, who always shines on screen, for some reason, at least for me, anyway.

The story flows smoothly and offers great laughs and an interesting situation, although I must admit some scenes were a bit off key (Dude's dreams of flying or dancing with Maude). The progressive involvement of third party people, like Maude or Treehorn, was a bit too much and it complicated the story, but it brought some great scenes; the only problem was that, in the end, the mix up was not actually fully explained or resolved, but I guess the Dude doesn't really care enough to want to know, right?  I thought the parking lot segment with the Nihilists was very funny, until that tragic moment, of course, and my favorite scenes are the ones at the bowling area or the one with the ashes.

Overall it was a very good movie and I understand the hype over it. Supported by a great cast and hilarious lines, Big Lebowski is a classic cult movie that should not be missed!

Favorite quotes
"You see what happens, Larry?"
"That rug really tied the room together"
" I still jerk off manually"
"The Dude abides"

p.s. I really want a White Russian now!