Hype Kills Avatar for a Day

I'm not adverse to hype. God knows I had that thirty second teaser for The Dark Knight on an everlasting loop the moment it hit the internet two summers ago. Alfred dialoguing about the mentality of the mob, Joker declaring himself a man of his word, and blue bolts of light tearing apart the Bat emblem were a few of the many things that got me off in 2007.

Hype isn't bad. It's what drives us cinefiles and film buffs every year. We all have to take a ride at one point in our lives, but ultimately it is a tricky game. You see, the imagination of a fan is not a tepid thing. It bursts with life, light, and energy. It's easily swayed, rarely logical, and runs on the fuel of emotion. Thus, their excitement for a film can get the better of them, and it will reach that point of no return where they have fully over-hyped a film.

This happened with Avatar, James Cameron's upcoming science fiction epic about Na'Vi, Pandora, Marines and, well, Avatars. With Titanic, Aliens, and Terminator 2 under his belt, Cameron has definitely become a cinematic god, especially for those invested in science fiction - who I have no are no doubt the most passionate of fanboys. So what happens when Cameron decides to return after a decade-plus absence?

His Avatar has slowly been building layer upon layer of anticipation for the past four years. Soderbergh and Spielberg blew their loads to it. Descriptors like "Revolutionary!" "Mind-blowing!" and "Dreamlike!" have been thrown about these past few months. And all without a single lick of footage released! How a film without any comic book following manages to do this I'll never know. So once a two minute trailer is actually released, you can only imagine the overwhelming reaction!

"What is this?!" "Where's the photorealism?!" "This looks like a PS2 cutscene! More like a N64 game!" "These graphics suck!" And we mustn't forget the abundance of "FAIL!"

Ahh, hype. You are a fickle bitch. Or are fans the fickle bitches? After all, hype emerges from the fans, and once you have visionary filmmakers praising something how else are they going to react? Logic takes the back seat as an emotional override takes place. It's a betrayal on Shakespearean proportions. Cameron went from god to village idiot before the trailer was even done.

Do I classify myself as a fanboy? Depending on the material, yes. I turn into a hardcore geek every time Pixar promises to release yet another masterpiece. With Avatar, not so much. After watching the trailer it reached my expectations decently. Do I find it revolutionary? Not at all. Do I think it's the worst piece of cinematic filth to be released this year? Or even this month? No. I think it's beautiful to look at and there's something very intriguing about the project itself. It's a holiday event film, and I'd be daft to miss it. But I'd be daft to create a holy shrine to the film before seeing anything worth noting.

So, where do we go from here? Fanboys hate just as strongly as they love, and they enjoy both equally, so I would expect a lot of complaining until, and after, the film actually comes out in December. However, it surely is exhilarating to live in a time where the disastrous potential of hype has been realized so vividly. This will be a time that future cinefiles will look back on and say, "Damn, maybe we shouldn't get too excited." And they'll probably be right.

Middle-Aged Angst

“Are we fuck ups?” Verona (Maya Rudolph) solemnly asks her partner Burt (John Krasinski) after realizing they may not have any idea how to raise their soon-to-be-born baby. And so begins Away We Go, a journey of sorts in which our middle-aged protagonists search for a place to settle down and begin the next stage of their relationship. Along the way Burt and Verona visit their eclectic friends and relatives, experiencing the myriad of ways parenthood is expressed and ultimately learn what it means to be a family.

Away We Go isn’t the hip, indie-gasm the trailer would have you believe, and thankfully so. Quirky dramedies are seemingly on the verge of becoming mass produced commodities and the marketing for this film had it all: The trailer’s Juno-like title cards, the indie-rock music, and the half-animated poster. I love Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Little Miss Sunshine, but when these types of films aren’t done well you can smell how desperately original they try to be, slathering on the cleverness while sacrificing the heart.

In that sense, Away We Go is ultimately refreshing. Its comedy is heartfelt, clever, and never overdone. In the wonderfully inventive opening scene, Verona’s pregnancy is introduced with a session of oral pleasure courtesy of Burt. Apparently a woman “tastes” different either when she’s menopausal or expectant. If that doesn’t do it for you, Verona’s consequent slap will. The drama is grounded and at times incredibly profound. In one scene an allegory for love and family is made with sugar cubes, pancakes, and syrup. As saccharine as it sounds, it’s genuinely executed.

Unfortunately a lot of the film’s issues come from the supporting players. With names like Catherine O’Hara, Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, the film’s cast reads like a who’s who of successful comedians and character actors. O’Hara and Daniels comically play Burt’s parents who decide to leave before their grandchild is born. However, there’s nothing parental about them. Janney is obnoxiously shrill for seemingly no reason as Verona’s old friend. Gyllenhaal plays an unlikable elitist mother adverse to strollers in a sequence that’s more uncomfortable than humorous. These actors are fun to watch, but they come across as caricatures instead of actual characters. Because of this the film takes a while to actually find its depth. It finally does with Carmen Ejogo as Verona’s affectionate sister Grace, Paul Schneider as Burt’s regretful brother Courtney, and the moving Chris Messina who I need to talk about.

As Tom Garnett, a close friend in Montreal, Chris Messina effortlessly creates a well-rounded and sympathetic character, further showing how deeply talented he is. In instances of either liveliness or grief, his performance sparked with a natural charm and passion, easily outshining his fellow cast. There’s a scene in which he describes his wife's fifth miscarriage and the remorse he exudes is so incredibly shattering. He’s definitely an actor to watch.

John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are quite endearing together, feeding off of each other’s comedic sensibilities to provide the audience with two amiable individuals. Krasinski is a gifted actor, however his performance here was honestly more of the same. He’s perfectly able to be the charming, dry-humored everyman, though he never goes much further than that. I want to see more than merely Jim in a dramatic situation.

In many ways this is Maya Rudolph’s film. As a performer on SNL she’s shown her affinity for frivolity, but I was always curious as to why she’d be in a relationship with director Paul Thomas Anderson. After watching this film it’s clear. She has an understanding of Verona and provides endless vulnerability and warmth to the character. You feel in her hesitancy towards motherhood, but completely believe she’ll be a great one. I’m sure having mothered a daughter aided Rudolph’s authenticity. She’s simply radiant.

The screenplay, written by husband and wife team Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, is insightfully designed around those little bits of life and both the comedy and the drama that arise are believable. I haven’t read any of Eggers’ highly recommended work, but it would be interesting to see how much of his style has carried over. However, the screenplay has a fatal flaw. We’re almost forced to believe that Burt and Verona are the perfect couple. They are juxtaposed with other zany, and sometimes insufferable, couples that we’re supposed to infer their normality. Krasinski and Rudolph are likable to pull this off, but likable can only take a couple so far. An important aspect of human relationships is conflict, and it's something these characters never do. It's addressed in the film, as Verona states Burt never yells or raises his voice, but we're just led to believe that they're way too exemplary for that. As character development goes, it just doesn’t ring true.

I was worried about Sam Mendes’ involvement in this project. Being a theatrical director, he’s very meticulous. This amounts to handsomely made projects, but there are times when they feel artificial. This isn’t an issue here. He gives his actors enough room to breathe and just exist. I’d almost go so far as to say the human relationships were better explored here than they were in Revolutionary Road… almost. The soundtrack by Alexi Murdoch strikes the right mellow, acoustic driven tone reflecting the film’s melancholy yet hopeful atmosphere.

Away We Go takes a while to build its emotional core, but once it does it becomes an affecting exploration of the hopes, fears, and dreams forthcoming parents have. The film never answers any questions or quells any worries. How could it? It merely tosses them out into the ether and lets you respond to them in your own fashion. After Burt stresses about their future as parents Verona consolingly says, “All we can do is be good for this one baby. We don’t have control over much else.” Life is such an unpredictable journey that there’s no failsafe way to have a family, you just have to do the best you can.


7.5/10

the minds behind pixar

As I sit here listening to Michael Giacchino's eclectic score for The Incredibles, I can't help but revel in the greatness of Pixar. Studies by renowned scientists show that they're undoubtedly one of the greatest studios to impact American filmmaking. They're a complete anomaly. I'm not complaining, but how is it that they manage to release such a consistent flow of quality? Cars is their only misstep, but in the grand scheme of things it's still better than anything DreamWorks has ever done. So how do they do it? Apparently all it takes is a dash of heart, a pinch of soul, and intelligent minds to bring it all to fruition. With hundreds of animators, storyboardists, artists, technicians, sound designers, mixers, and composers it's entirely a team effort. Sit through the credits for any of their ten features and you'll notice their endless barrage of names. But these four brilliant men are the ones who send us into worlds only their unique imaginations could provide.


Brad Bird was one of Pixar’s best discoveries and a breath of fresh, sophisticated air for the studio. In one of their greatest leaps of faith Pixar welcomed this fellow CalArts grad with open arms and gave his brainchild, The Incredibles, a home. When said film was released back in 2004 - my year of conscious cinematic appreciation - I thought, “Who the heck is this guy?” Lasseter, Stanton, Peterson, and Docter were the surnames I was familiar with. Bird flew in out of nowhere. Even the film’s composer caught me off guard. “Where’s Newman? How do you pronounce ‘Giacchino’?” I left the theater feeling completely spellbound and it wasn’t until a few years later that I recognized just how much of an accomplishment The Incredibles was. Ratatouille is no different. Bird is a genius when it comes to detailed writing and character development. He brings an unabashed sense of maturity and erudition to his work, exploring themes of acceptance, self-actualization and expression that transcend whatever expectations society has on animation. His progressive films have subtly revolutionized what Pixar is.

If I were to choose which films best showcase Pixar’s visual splendor, I would venture no further than Andrew Stanton‘s opuses. He is without a doubt Pixar’s most technically challenging director. His vision is immense and the results duly reflect his ambition. Water is allegedly one of the most difficult substances to animate yet we’re given a vivid oceanic adventure with equally colorful characters in Finding Nemo. The first act of WALL•E features Pixar’s most skillful artistry to date. Watching WALL•E roam through a photorealistic dystopia where debris sweeps across the landscape and towers of trash scrape the sky is breathtaking. Amidst all the optical brilliance Stanton’s films are organic and profoundly moving, offering unique and well-rounded characters that your heart has no difficultly clinging to. The characters in his films all go through a state of arrested development, which they must rise above and grow from. Marlin battles between paternal overprotection and the selfless expression of letting his son go. Humanity is aimlessly floating through space, struggling to find their purpose. WALL•E and EVE also grapple with their directive. They have to realize the meaning of living and find a reason to exist. "I don't want to survive, I want to live!" may be one of the greatest lines in any Pixar film.

Pete Docter has certainly made a name for himself this year with Up. His films are the quirkiest and most comedic of the Pixar canon. They spark with so much creativity and childlike wonder that they feel like doodles scratched on napkins or ideas tossed back and forth between two childhood friends. The terrifying monsters in your closet are simply doing their job to sustain their energy-deficient metropolis. In order to fulfill his deceased wife’s wishes, an elderly curmudgeon flies his house to South America via millions of polychromatic balloons only to be accompanied by an overeager wilderness explorer, erratic avian, and devoted canine. These concepts are far out, but what makes Docter an impressive storyteller is his ability to wrangle these zany ideas and create heartfelt and engaging tales. Docter explores the process of relationships and how people learn to love each other. He hurls his characters into overwhelming situations through which they conflict and clash but ultimately grow both individually and collectively. While his films are endlessly entertaining, they are also deeply affecting. Boo’s relationship with Sully in Monsters, Inc. is beautiful in its simplicity. The baroque mosaic of Carl and Ellie’s life together in Up is one of the most poignant sequences you’ll find in any film, Pixar or otherwise. Docter blends the innocence and maturity of his imagination and designs vibrant and memorable fables, making such a feat seem effortless.

John Lasseter gets respect because without him Pixar would be nothing. He's a revolutionary man who is passionate about animation and storytelling. Watch any of his interviews and you'll realize this. With Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Toy Story 2his films touch me deeply on a nostalgic level. They're classic film. Very simplistic as well, but that's their charm. Pixar's known for taking simple concepts and creating something beautiful out of them, and Lasseter's the pioneer in this field. Now, I have to mention Cars, because while this is a fine, fine feature, I can't help but feel that his style is, I'd hate to use this word, but dated. It's all about the timing. Pixar's films have grown in complexity since Toy Story was released, and Cars just seemed like a minor setback, but only in context between The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Had it come out in '97 or sometime before Toy Story 2 it would have fit in perfectly with Pixar's timeline. Ultimately, I think he knows this, because he's great at scouting talent and featuring other filmmakers and getting their names out.

my first outing into the wonderful world of sedaris

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
In 22 essays, David Sedaris manages to create a unique portrait of his life. A dysfunctional family, a sex-crazed man, and a velveteen vest are all vividly seen through eyes of self-deprecation and dry humor. The charm is in the observations. In an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Sedaris expresses his concern that his mind hasn't aged since adolescence. In many ways it hasn't. While the essays in Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim chronologically span through his life from childhood to adulthood, Sedaris still sees his life through a lens of childlike wonderment and honesty. It's also hilarious. This is what makes his writing shine. It's his sincerity and heart that makes this piece of creative nonfiction such a joy to read. Each member of his family, which would seem unlikable in any other context, is given life and love through Sedaris' empathy and obvious admiration. Sedaris does a great job of rounding out his characters, allowing the audience to invest in them all the more. Sedaris as a character is also one I could relate to in many different ways. Self-deprecating? Check. Loves his sister, Amy Sedaris? Ahhh... check. But one needn't be or do any of these in order to appreciate David Sedaris' fresh and fanciful view of life. It's open to any and all. A sense of humor, however, is key.


View all my reviews.

ruminations on my cousin and her work

I don't know much about the nuances between spoken word and poetry. Poetry has been standing alone for centuries, but does it become spoken word once it's vocalized? Does it have to take place in a dimly lit cafe with men in sunglasses and berets, or can it be done anywhere? Does it matter?

Chills run up and down my spine, through my fingers, and across my skull whenever I hear my cousin LaVonne Natasha Caesar read her work aloud. She has this unique ability to take black letters strung together on white paper and create a visual tapestry of color and light. Her pieces drip with the beauty of nature and the dark disdain of humanity. When the two are mixed it's pure ecstasy.

The only way to fully experience the poems are through her. It's not enough to read them, or even listen to them. As a true performer she stimulates all your senses. Providing a touch of humor, a sense of journey, and a stratum of drama. I've been fortunate enough to witness a live reading from Ms. Caesar in my living room. Every time her words infiltrate my mind I'm literally able to see every abstract concept, statement, or scene. It's absolutely thrilling.


Need more from this glorious woman? Purchase her book, Black Pussy Revolution.

A Funny Man

"To me, it's not who gets the guest first, it's what you do with the guest once you have them on."

Conan's first episode of his inherited The Tonight Show airs this Monday. I'm excited because I've been watching this lanky, redheaded, Irish bastard since the winter of 2003. After nearly six years of string dances, it's the philosophy above that makes Conan such a genuine person and comic. It doesn't matter who he has on the show, he can always find a way to make the situation funny. There are times when he doesn't need the help at all, for instance Brian Williams, Jared Miller, Will Ferrell and even Harland Williams make the job easy for him. But if he's got the dullest teen idol on his show he can make it interesting. His boyish charm is most apparent with normal people like Iditarod champion Lance Mackey or idiosyncratic bull whipper Jordan Schlansky. He uses his honesty and comic innovation and creates something worth watching. This is a rare gift that a lot of talk show hosts don't have, and only one of many traits that make Conan leaps and bounds above any American comic.

An Epic Tale about Serious Stupidity

How the Coens went from No Country for Old Men to Burn After Reading I’ll never know. Not that I think they need to produce masterpieces one after the other, because that certainly ain't their style. But I feel their conversation went something like this…Watch the film, it’ll make sense. But the conclusion I’ve come up to with these cats is that they really don’t care what people think about them. They simply make films to please their tastes, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Think of them as the Anti-Spielberg. Here you could tell they were just dicking around with these great actors simply because... well... why the hell not?!

While Burn After Reading is a tale about simpletons, you’ll just have to keep up with me now…Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) is a CIA analyst who’s about to be fired, but quits instead and writes a memoir which makes its way onto a CD that his wife, a frigid bitch named Katie (Tilda Swinton), burns to give to her divorce attorney. You see, she’s leaving Osborne because she’s sleeping with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), an ex-bodyguard and sex addict. Oh, he’s also married. Remember that CD? Well, it makes its way into the hands of a clueless gym trainer, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), and he and his equally clueless friend, Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) use it to blackmail Cox for money that Linda will use on four plastic surgery procedures she really wants.

While all of that is a mouthful, it’s a film that essentially has nothing to say, and it revels in its idiocy and futility. Everyone here is in on the joke, Ethan and Joel just twirl each situation into endless chaos while each character misunderstands the next and no one’s really aware of anything until the last minute… or they just never figure it out. Every actor is just having a laugh with the material; even Carter Burwell ironically scores this picture in an overbearing thriller-like fashion, simultaneously adding to the darkness and ridiculousness of the comedy.

But here’s the thing, there’s a sacrifice that's made when Hollywood’s elite dick around. I didn’t really care about these characters. Nearly all of them are annoying and unlikable, and so it’s harder to care about anything that’s going on screen. It works with dramas such as Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, but this is a comedy. Ocean’s Twelve is a more extreme example of that, but trust me the screenplay for this flick is MUCH better than that one. Though it still doesn’t know exactly whether it wants us to take it seriously or just go along with the zaniness. But again, that’s the Coens.

And really, it’s a fun, fun film. When you just take it for what it is, it really is a joy to watch. Malkovich eccentrically plays Cox, utilizing his naturally slow and monotonous way of acting to perfection. It’s as if he frustratingly enunciates each word so that the cast of dullards around him can understand exactly what he’s trying to say. Clooney’s not an actor I love, but here I found his manic paranoia really appealing. Pitt’s entertaining enough, but it really just seems like, “Hey, look at Brad Pitt play this dumb character!” and McDormand’s just annoying… but it’s a great cast and each actor does his or her unchallenging job.

Once the film winds down and the twists and turns lead to nowheresville, don’t worry, you’re not supposed to think too much. You’ve just been on a ride that ultimately went nowhere and no one really knows anything. It’s the equivalent of most rollercoasters: You go on, have a chuckle or two, but come right back to where you started from, unchanged. But if you do take anything away from this film, take this:

Tilda Swinton is PERFECTION.

6.5/10