Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here, with my review of a collection of films that will hopefully be making their way to you very soon in select venues that play the non-blockbusters. Enjoy...
WHATEVER WORKS
The story goes that more than 30 years ago, Woody Allen wrote the script that became WHATEVER WORKS for Zero Mostel to star in. Motel died in 1977, so Allen put the script aside. When the most recent writers' strike loomed last year, Allen took the script, updated it, and made it his latest film starring the great Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") as one of the least likable men on the planet, Boris Yellnikoff. Everyone is assuming that Boris/Larry is a stand-in for Allen, a mistake a lot of critics and fans have made over the years. But the truth is Allen would never have played a character as cruel toward and judgmental of others; if anything, he would have turned that loathing against himself. But Boris is a certifiable genius, making everyone else he comes into contact with a microbe, a worm, an imbecile, and he has no problem letting them know that he feels this way about them.
Putting aside the brilliance of VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (which to me was a perfect blend of comedy and drama), Whatever Works is one of Allen's most consistently funny films in years, but it might be difficult for some to recognize that with David's often venomous diatribes against humanity (sometimes aimed at young children or at those in his life who care about him most). When a barely legal young woman from the South named Melodie St. Ann Celestine (The Wrestler's Evan Rachel Wood) enters his life seeking shelter and food after roaming the streets of New York, Boris naturally rejects the very notion of her, but her unbridled optimism and sunny nature gets the best of him. Boris is also intrigued by her unformed and uninformed feelings and philosophies, and he's more than happy to school her on his doom-and-gloom window to the world.
I've always had generally positive feelings about Wood as an actress, but between THE WRESTLER and WHATEVER WORKS, she's transformed into a performer whose work I will actually anticipate from this point forward. When she enters the story, you assume she's going to be a one-note Southern ditz, but there's a wonderful, subtle metamorphosis going on here that is pretty special. Melodie begins to quote Boris to others without truly understanding all of what his theories mean, and when she spouts off about "We're all going to die, so what's the point?", it doesn't ring true.
Patricia Clarkson enters the story as Marietta, Melodie's Bible-thumping mother, who is appalled to find out that her daughter has taken up with this much older man. Once again, Allen surprises us in his script by making Marietta's adventures in the big city perhaps even a bit more interesting than her daughter's. Eventually Melodie's father (Ed Begley Jr.) comes searching for his ladies as well, and eventually Melodie's connection to Boris changes in ways she does not anticipate. I don't want to ruin all of the surprises in WHATEVER WORKS (and there are quite a few), but throught it all, Larry David barrels through all of the new-age nonsense and the Up with People attitudes to deliver a character that is quite different than the one he plays on "Curb," while maintaining what it is I've always loved about the guy--he delivers every line like it's the unmistakeable, undeniable truth. Although he doesn't do it often (and that's a good thing), occasionally Boris addresses the audience directly--he even makes mention of the fact that there's an audience in a theater watching him, people who paid good money to hear him tell his life story. The other characters around him see him talking to someone, but they don't see an audience. Boris' reason for this? Because he's the only one who sees the big picture. I guess in that sense, I do see the relationship between Boris and Allen.
WHATEVER WORKS is yet another example of Allen coaxing out a romance between an older man and younger girl, a theme that I thought he maybe had gotten all the mileage he could have years ago, but this story feels fresh thanks to its PYGMALION/MY FAIR LADY twist (despite the fact that Boris says right off the bat that his story is not like those; he's both wrong and right). But the simple truth is, the film made me laugh a great deal, and about as much as it made me think about a variety of subjects, including the impossible art of letting go and how there is almost without a doubt someone for everyone. I've heard WHATEVER WORKS described as "classic" Woody Allen, and I respectfully disagree. There's a maturity and intelligence in this movie that I'm not sure Allen could have pulled off when he'd originally intended on making it. If my chronology is correct, this film would have been his follow-up to ANNIE HALL, and I'm by no means saying that lovely work is lacking either of these qualities. But I firmly believe that WHATEVER WORKS could only have been successfully written by a much older man than Allen was in the mid- to late 1970s. I can't remember when something that showcased a character so uncomfortable in the world still felt like comfort food to me. This is great stuff.
CHERI
There are few filmmakers I can count on to deliver a film I will inevitably like or love that rival Britain's Stephen Frears. Going back to MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE and continuing through such marvels as THE GRIFTER, HIGH FIDELITY, THE SNAPPER, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, and THE QUEEN, Frears is so consistent and reliable that he was bound to disappoint me to a degree sooner or later. His latest work, CHERI, based on the scandalous books by Colette and adapted by Christopher Hampton (who adapted ATONEMENT and DANGEROUS LIAISONS, which Frears also directed), is something of a misstep if only because the titular male leading character (or at least the actor who portrays him, Rupert Friend) is such an obnoxious, annoying fop that I had an impossible time believing that anyone as refined and lovely as the aging courtesan Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer) would ever fall for this colossal douche.
Set during the Belle Epoque era in Paris, CHERI is set in a world where courtesans were able to make enough money in their prime from rich clients that they could retire at a respectable age and live the rest of their lives comfortably. Lea is at such an age and time in her life when an old friend and fellow woman of ill repute, Charlotte Peloux (Kathy Bates), recruits her to teach her lazy, sometimes cruel son, nicknamed Cheri (Friend), a thing or two about women. Quite unintentionally, Lea and Cheri fall in love and spend several years essentially living together in unwedded bliss. Suddenly Bates' swoops in once again to alert Lea that the relationship must end so that her son may marry a nice girl from a disgustingly rich family. But neither Cheri nor Lea are quite ready to give the relationship up, which leads to countless complications.
As much as I loathed Friend's performance, I was impressed with what Pfeiffer achieves. She manages to be radiant, without being afraid to show us the cracks (both physical and emotional) on her face. She knows that she's getting to the age where Cheri might stop loving her because she's simply too old and society would shun him for remaining with her. While it was hardly unusual at the time for older courtesans to take up with much younger men, Cheri's station in life would be compromised by looking like a fool. Watching her emotional journey in this film is the only reason to pay money to see it. Pfeiffer is still a viable, vivacious, talented actress, and it is my most sincere wish that she find some quality roles to sink her teeth into. This is certainly a step in the right direction, especially since her last couple of efforts went right to video or she's be demoted to supporting roles in such films as STARDUST, HAIRSPRAY, and WHITE OLEANDER. Those aren't terrible movies, but she deserves so much better. I realize it's a broken record heard often that actresses over 40 have a tough time getting work, and while I don't know if any actress can have the kind of career that, say, Meryl Streep does, I'd hate to see Pfeiffer vanish from the scene. I for one still very much enough looking at her, and her highly sexual and sensual performance in CHERI is exactly the kind of proof I've needed to make my point. She's pretty damn flawless here, and the quality of her work makes it easier to ignore the idiot playing her leading man.
JERICHOW
This film from Germany features one of those great stories that starts out like a solid slice-of-life tale and turns into a complex and layered works that gets so deep under your skin that it makes you edgy and weirdly uncomfortable at how intimate things get. That's a good thing, by the way. JERICHOW, named after the small, impoverished town where it takes place, follows a former solider named Thomas (SPEED RACER's Benno Furmann) whose mother has just died. Rather than sell her place, he wants to hold onto it and renovate it himself. But after using what little money his mother left him to pay off his debts, he's left with nothing. After fruitlessly searching for a job through an employment agency, Thomas meets a Turkish man named Ali (Hilmi Sozer), who owns a chain of small snack bars throughout the region. Ali has lost his driver's license, so he hires Thomas to drive him on his daily rounds, visiting each store location to replenish supplies, collect money and receipts, and see who's ripping him off. With Thomas' soldiering skills, Ali has unknowingly hired himself a grateful bodyguard as well, and the two settle into a nice routine and become friends.
Ali's attractive wife Laura (Nina Hoss) is fairly cold toward Thomas at first, but soon he begins to realize that she is a deeply unhappy woman who Ali is suspicious of and cruel toward. During the course of the film, the dynamic among the three changes gradually, almost so slowly you don't notice this, and then without warning, Laura and Thomas are kissing on the beach after Ali has wandered away drunk. This small but significant event sets off a chain reaction of emotions and goings on that generate a genuine sense of suspense and anxiety. When Thomas drops Ali off on what is supposed to be a quick trip to Turkey, we see Ali head into the airport but the double back and catch a cab. Where is he going? Thomas and Laura seize the opportunity to hump like rabbits, and Laura details her life story and how she ended up with Ali and why she can never leave him. Yes, folks, this tricky little film becomes a modern film noir by the end, and I loved it for that.
As careful and the new couple are in their schemes, naturally there is one flaw that gives them away. But nothing quite prepared me for how this sharp and smart film concludes. It's sudden and completely unexpected. Writer-director Christian Petzold (Yella) manages to keep a lid on his plot's twists and turns with much more style and grace than most directors would have. He seems to relish in letting developments slowly trickle to the audience rather than pack the film with one explosive surprise after another. We're never quite sure who we can trust in JERICHOW, outside of Thomas, whom we're pretty sure is being taken on a ride by somebody, or perhaps two somebodies. Make an effort to track down and see JERICHOW. It's a great burst of strong storytelling from a filmmaker who is coming into his own as a visionary. That's always a good and exciting thing.
BREAK-UP DATE
This fun, insightful and endlessly amusing documentary on the world of modern dating manages to gather a fairly eclectic group of Chicago-area singles (most in their 20s and 30s) who share their stories of dating, rejection, and the endless and often painful search for someone to spend all or a significant chunk of your life with. While clearly the age of online dating is upon us, the film isn't entirely about coupling in the electronic age, despite the fact that one published expert on the subject does liken the pick-and-choose nature of dating in the 21st century to buying a pair of shoes. While managing to stay fairly neutral on the subject himself, director Collin Souter does present a group of players who range a great deal in their approach to finding the perfect man or woman. Some are experts at playing the game and following "the rules," while others seem to prefer (or at least they say they do) casual hanging out with someone for months or years on end until a more serious and committed contender makes an appearance.
BREAK-UP DATE covers familiar ground like speed dating, blind dates, casual sex, and web sites that match you with your "perfect" mate, but Souter also uncovers some less traditional paths such as Dating for Nerds, which actually looks like a great way to meet people whether you want to date them or not, and the hug-fest Cuddle Party, which looks something strikingly similar to my worst nightmare in a pair of flannel pajamas. The film never gets too serious, nor does it explore just how immensely lonely people get when they can't quite seem to conform to society's expectations of pairing up with someone. But this isn't that movie. The film features students, creative types, mothers and sons, strong independent women, professionals, and even WGN Radio's Nick Digilio, who provides what might be my favorite date story involving taking a woman to see David Cronenberg's DEAD RINGERS as what he refers to (regrettably) as "some asshole test" on his part. Film geeks will understand perfectly; my go to test film for years was DAWN OF THE DEAD.
The film has enough people of depth to make you really learn something from their experience whether you are single or otherwise occupied, but more than anything, BREAK-UP DATE makes you want to know what has happened to these folks since the cameras stopped rolling. Hell, there's at least one woman in this film that I would have pursued without a second thought were I single today. It's easy enough to get people to talk about themselves--and sure enough, listening to people chronicle their own dating histories made me think about my own way more than I had in years--but it's quite another thing to pull together an interesting film that isn't afraid to laugh at its subjects while still respecting their pain. For reasons I can't quite explain, this film cheered me up and gave me a small amount of hope for our future.
-- Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com
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