Alice in Blunderland

For those people who just want to know what I thought of the movie, look no further: Tim Burton, you have tarnished a classic. Disney, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Perhaps that’s being a little unfair, but unfortunately I’m biased. The original, hand drawn, Disney version of Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite movies of all time. In high school, I wrote a paper on its’ direct correlation to the American anti-communist attitudes at the time. I’ve seen it many times, read the books, and I’ve visited the statue in Central Park. Bottom line: Alice is the best. I thought that being a huge Tim Burton fan (his current exhibit on display at Moma is brilliant) and a GIANT Disney fan that the combination would be brilliant. As trailers and images slowly leaked out over the past couple of months, I could not contain my excitement. Earlier this week I got advanced passes to see it and I was thrilled. The day finally came and…I left feeling empty. Here’s why:

Tim Burton is a master of pulling the darkly comic moments out of any situation. Lewis Carroll’s books were darkly comical, rife with sarcasm and wit. The animated film expertly blends shadowy characters and backdrops with just the right amount of sass. Burton’s Alice just…doesn’t. Yes, the whole film is murky, but where’s the comic gold? It’s surely not found in Johnny Depp’s one-note Mad Hatter. His character looks fantastic, but he lacks an edge. The only truly interesting moments Depp has are those he shares with the brilliant Helena Bonham Carter. Burton likes to focus on his wife/muse in his movies, and this film is no exception. The Red Queen has a hefty part to play, but Carter plays it with both a fiery disposition and a childlike sense of amazement—it’s the best performance in the movie and one of her best to date. For the sake of time (and so this doesn’t go on and on) I’ll tweet in my opinions on the other performances:

Mia Wasikowska as Alice: Boring, uninspired, and flat. Poor job by a phenomenal actress

Anne Hathaway as the White Queen: On screen for maybe seven minutes. Laughable accent, good acting. Something off about her appearance.

Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts: Quite good, on par with Carter. Excellent foil to Depp.

Matt Lucas as Tweedledum and Tweedledee: Hysterical, one of the best parts of the movie.

Alan Rickman as the Caterpillar: Literally the same character as his Professor Snape, but that’s not to say he wasn’t excellent as per usual.

Imelda Staunton as the Tall Flowers: A blink-and-you-miss-it performance by the frighteningly good actress who played Professor Umbridge in Harry Potter.

Christopher Lee as the Jabberwocky: Poorly animated, amazingly voiced by the nearly 90 year old Brit. Commanding and engaging vocal work.

Scenery (CGI and all): Victorian England looks more beautiful than Underland does. Burton has made it as dark, dreary, and uninviting as possible.

All in all, this was an extremely disappointing movie, salvaged only by a few select performances. When the title character herself seems to be phoning in her performance, you know you’re in for a movie rougher than a fall down the rabbit hole.

Little Boots at Highline Ballroom—March 3, 2010

On Tuesday March 3, New York had the honor of being the first stop of British recording artist Little Boots’ US tour.  Some critics like to describe her as Lady Gaga meets Lily Allen.  One journalist referred to her as “Baby Gaga.”  From the first song of the show, Boots blew the roof off the intimate Highline Ballroom, simultaneously shedding the Baby Gaga misconception and solidifying her place in the recording industry.

            Stepping on stage wearing a hood and looking ethereal, Boots (real name Victoria Hesketh) kicked off the show in style with the slow ballad “Ghost”.  As soon as the haunting song ended, Boots literally jumped right into her biggest UK hit “New in Town”, with synthesizers pumping and feet stomping.  I thought this was a genius move—it set the tone for the entire show, in which Boots would jump back and forth seamlessly and effortlessly between calm and fast paced tunes.  Each song showcased her beautiful and airy voice.  For such a heavily produced album, I went into the concert with low expectations, but Boots’ vocal prowess proved to be flawless.

Her amazing enthusiasm brought the concert to new levels of fun—here is an artist who truly loves what she’s doing and it shows.  At times she even seemed to be having more fun than the audience, giggling and banging her star shaped tambourine on her leg.  While fiddling with her instruments, she apologized for spending so much time playing around commenting that “I’m like a little girl up here, thanks for letting me have my fun!”  Her confidence shone through like one of the lasers that hovered over the audience, but the great thing about her is that she knows she isn’t perfect.  She premiered a new song based on the Twilight novels, which she acknowledged was “pretty douchey!”

            Boots showed her true artistry when she whipped out such instruments as her laser harp, key-tar, and her Tenori-On.  Ever the whimsical innovator, Boots has spent the past few months hard at work creating a musical instrument that she calls a “laser harp.”  Words can’t describe the thing; the picture above does it justice.  Her key-tar (a combination keyboard and guitar) growled with glee when Boots’ fingers danced across the keys.  The singer seemed to be genuinely having a blast when she fiddled with her Tenori-On; it looked like a large pad with a grid pattern on it.  Each row on the grid seemed to correspond to a noise (some musical notes, some human sounds).  Each column corresponded to a second in time; a line of light traveled across the grid every eight seconds or so that played the notes she had pressed.  She used it several times throughout the show, whirling her hands around like a tornado, using the device to sample such musicians as Peaches (riffing on her hit “Fuck the Pain Away”) and, surprisingly, Kelly Clarkson (who knew “I Do Not Hook Up” fit in so perfectly her hit “Remedy”?).

            I have to also commend her excellent backing band.  Someone humorously pointed out her “all star cast” of a band, including what looked like John Lennon on synthesizer and a Karen O doppelganger on the keyboard.  Both performers provided excellent supporting vocals and kept up with their restless star.

            After this tour, Little Boots will never be mistaken for other artists again.  She has singlehandedly solidified her place in the music business.  She has proven that she is a unique, engaging, and exciting artist whose creativity and talent are unsurpassed by her American counterparts.

Oscar Watch 2010-Leading Actor

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”

With a moving take on a fading country star named Bad Blake, this race is Bridges’ to lose. Known for his work as The Dude in The Big Lebowski, Bridges is a fine actor, but his performance here is not quite as good as Clooney’s. His chemistry with the usually wooden Maggie Gyllenhal is impeccable and his singing voice is bounds ahead of what I was expecting. While his acting may be a bit stiff at times, the Oscars love a comeback story, so it’s Bridges for the win this year.

George Clooney in “Up in the Air”

Some critics disparage his performance as “Clooney playing Clooney” which I think is insulting and naïve. This is Clooney’s best work to date. He disappears seamlessly into the role of Ryan Bingham, transforming him from the sad sack he’s made out to be in the Walter Kirn’s novel of the same name into a classy, almost ruthless mogul. In the first half of the movie, Clooney showcases his character’s suavity and swagger, but he blows the audience out of the water when Bingham discovers just how meaningless and short his life really is. In any other year, the prize would be his.

Colin Firth in “A Single Man”

A masterful performance in a widely audience-ignored film, alas, this isn’t Firth’s year (for more, see my review of the film below).

Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”

Congratulations must be extended to Freeman for his masterful portrayal of South African President Nelson Mandela. Sadly for the great actor, the Oscars seem to have fallen out of love with director Clint Eastwood—it was considered a big snub when Invictus was left off of the list of 10 Best Picture Nominees. Freeman should consider that (in addition to the influx of Bridges love) his kiss of death this year.

Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker"

I must be the only one who doesn’t see what the big fuss is about this film and this actor. There is no debating that Renner is a good actor, and the film itself is quite good. To me, there was nothing special about Renner; he seemed almost replaceable. I would have much rather seen Ben Foster take his spot for his far more electric performance in The Messenger or even perhaps Peter Sarsgaard for An Education.

Will Win: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Should Win: George Clooney, Up in the Air

Should Have Been Nominated: Ben Foster, The Messenger

Movie Review-A Single Man

A Single Man marks a triumphant return to the screen for Colin Firth, whose last few movies (I’m looking at you “Mamma Mia” and “St. Trinians”) have been complete fluff.  In Tom Ford’s devastatingly beautiful and now Oscar “Best Picture” nominee, Firth rises above the occasionally slogging script to fuel the movie’s fire.

           

            Firth plays George, a recently widowed homosexual grasping to get on with his life as a university professor.  He brings to the role the fervor of an actor half his age—it is abundantly clear that this is a project that he felt supremely passionate about.  His passion is understood, his lines rolling off his tongue as if it was a whip, allowing Firth to disappear into the role.  Equal credit must be given to Firth’s supporting lady, Julianne Moore.  Her recently divorced Charley is absolutely heartbreaking and Moore, fresh off a poorly received stint on 30 Rock, is in fine form here.  The way in which her face crumples when she is upset is simultaneously the mark of a brilliant actress and a shattering revelation.  Ford’s decision to have Charley love George unrepentantly is a small stroke of genius—their scenes together are marvelous and near breathtaking.

Praise should also be set aside for the lovely Ginnifer Goodwin (so good on “Big Love” but so cloying in “He’s Just Not That Into You”) who plays “sixties housewife” with grace and charm.  Lee Pace of the now cancelled Pushing Daisies makes a brief but welcome appearance as a fellow professor (might this reviewer be overlooking things in seeing a love come and gone between Firth and Pace’s characters?).  Nicholas Hoult, who played the young Marcus opposite Hugh Grant in About a Boy, shows just how much he has grown (following a provocative role on the BBC hit Skins) in his role as a student of George’s who is completely infatuated with his professor.

            While the script at times runs into clichés and clunky monologs, Ford masterfully commands the movie, steering it to a crushing conclusion.  Ford’s fashion expertise (known primarily as a designer, this is his directorial debut) is abound—the costumes are first rate, as if the characters were born to wear their dazzling clothes, and the sets themselves could walk the runway.  The beautiful lighting expertly blends in with the film.  Firth, broken and haggard, veers in and out of an unflattering shade of gray, while Goodwin and her onscreen children are always bathed in a cheery glow.

            In the end, Ford has created a beautiful piece of art, buoyed by Firth and Moore, the masters of their craft.  Though the film has been labeled an “art house flick,” A Single Man deserves its Oscar moment.

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