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Moriarty looks at THE STORY OF US
I don't know if any of you have seen the trailer for this one folks, but when I saw it... I just had a feeling about the movie. I instantly called Moriarty, and told him about the trailer and said, "You must see this movie, I think it's a winner." Well, the dear Professor has returned from his mission in top form. "the best Rob Reiner film this decade" says Moriarty. Well... I loved AMERICAN PRESIDENT, but after reading this review, and knowing the source... I'm sooo there. I just wish I could see it sooner than mid-October.
Hey, Head Geek...
"Moriarty" here.
I'm not sure how it's going to affect anyone else, but
I was positively shattered tonight by Rob Reiner's
wonderful new film THE STORY OF US. Easily his best
film this decade, it's a delicate, uncomplicated
portrait of one key moment in a troubled marriage, and
it's blessed by a career-best performance from Bruce
Willis as well as Michelle Pfeiffer turned up to a
luminous "10" on the movie star scale. It's also an
experience that hit me on a deep, personal level, one
which will take me some time to recover from.
I guess I should explain some background so you can
understand why the film touched me in such a profound
way. Two years ago, in the summer on 1997, I was
engaged to be married. This was a long-term
relationship, the most significant I've had, and I was
less than three months out from the actual date when
my world crumbled around me. I found myself out of a
home, out of my relationship, and in a free fall. It
was the single most crushing experience of my adult
life, and it left me questioning everything... the
most fundamental things about myself came under close
scrutiny.
I loved this woman with every fiber of my being, but
that wasn't enough. There were things that came up
between us, hurts and misunderstandings and
disappointments that cut so hard that there was no
retreating, no finding reconciliation. I know because
we tried almost seven months later. Both of us were
still floundering around, wounded, confused, and we
tangled up one more time, only to hurt each other
again because we had too many ghosts between us. In
the end, it was too painful, and we cut off pretty
much all contact. It is something that I haven't even
begun to heal from, and I didn't realize how close
those wounds were to the surface until this movie
began to play. There are so many individual moments
within the arguments between Pfeiffer and Willis here
that are familiar, even frighteningly close to
arguments that I had that I actually found myself
wondering if I was going to have to leave for a while.
Forget about BLAIR WITCH PROJECT... this is the film
viewing experience that most affected me on a physical
level this year.
Written by Alan Zweibel and Jessie Nelson, this is a
film that has to have sprung at least partially from
real life. Willis plays Ben, who originally met his
wife Katie when he was a comedy writer for a TV show
and she was an intern. Well, I have no idea how
Zweibel met his wife, but he was one of the original
writers for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE during the halcyon
days of 1974-1980, and he was the co-creator of IT'S
GARRY SHANDLING'S SHOW. Besides professional
similarities, there are just too many moments that
ring too damn true in this film for it to have been
completely outside Zweibel's experience.
Reality may also have intruded on the performance of
Bruce Willis, and it may well have worked to his
advantage. I don't profess to know anything about the
reasons behind his high-profile breakup from Demi
Moore, and I wouldn't presume to say that Bruce acted
with her the way he acted here. Still, when you see
the restaurant scene between Bruce, Rita Wilson, and
Rob Reiner that ends in Bruce storming out and
collapsing, destroyed, on a bench outside, I am sure
that his real world informs that wrenching moment.
It's egoless work, and Bruce comes off more human,
more frail, more real than he ever has. This isn't
some guy living some movie-star life. This is just a
man, any man, having his heart torn open, his life
reshaped around him, powerless to stop it.
Pfeiffer is one of those actresses that I respect more
than I like. I think she does technically fine work
most of the time, but with few exceptions, I've always
found her to be slightly distancing as a performer.
Maybe it's that otherworldly beauty of hers. Maybe
I'm not able to get past that. Maybe it's that her
directors are intimidated, puzzled about how to best
use her. Whatever the case, it's nice to see her get
it all right here, striking every note right. I
believe in the passion between her and her husband,
and I believe that it could create love as well as
hate between them.
The unique structure of the script is one of the
things that makes this stand out above the typical
picture in the genre that most people will lump it
into, romantic comedy. The film starts as Ben and
Katie hit a wall in their marriage. Their kids are
leaving for eight weeks of summer camp, and the couple
decides to take that eight weeks apart, try to sort
their feelings out, never telling the kids or their
friends. Over the course of those eight weeks, both
of them freely slide back and forth in time in their
memories, and we get a dynamic, breathing portrait of
a marriage. There's a great game that the family
plays each night at the dinner table called,
"High/Low." Each person has to list their day's high
point and low point. Reiner's film ultimately plays
like a 15 year game of High/Low as we see each of the
steps that brought Katie and Ben together, and each of
the steps that has driven them apart. A lot of the
film is written with a sharp, biting wit, but most of
my laughs died in my throat because of the bitter
truth they were wrapped in. Anyone expecting a light
confection like WHEN HARRY MET SALLY is going to be
surprised.
I would go so far as to call this an "anti-romantic
comedy" in the tradition of Albert Brooks' masterwork
MODERN ROMANCE. That film began with a break-up and
traced the arc of Brooks' character as he struggled to
deal with himself and his feelings as a result. This
film deals with the reality of marriage versus the
idealized romantic version we are sold by movies, by
pop songs, and by soap operas. This is a film that
acknowledges just how hard it can be to hold a
relationship together, and it asks one of the hardest
questions there is: is the effort worth it? Isn't it
easier to cut and run, to go find someone else to
start over with? Even though that's easy, is it
right? When we say, "Till death do us part," do we
mean it? This film explores the idea of "for better
and for worse," and it does it without an hint of
pretension. That may be the key to its greatness.
For years now, I've felt that Reiner's films were
marred by a reaching, a desire to be something bigger
than what they were. When he began his career, he
seemed to be charmed, skipping from genre to genre
with a grace and an ease that made it seem like he
could do anything. STAND BY ME, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY,
THE PRINCESS BRIDE, SPINAL TAP, MISERY... none of the
films were even remotely alike. Then came the film
that I think knocked him off-track for the decade...
and, no, it's not NORTH. It's the very popular, very
Oscar-nominated A FEW GOOD MEN. That film set Reiner
up as an "important" filmmaker, and he stopped making
films that seemed to have been written organically or
from a place of joy. Instead, he started making films
that felt more calculated... "big" films. He made
them with a remarkable amount of craft and ability,
but GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI isn't a film I'd ever watch
again for pleasure. It feels like the kind of movie
studios release at Oscar time, and it left me cold.
This time out, Reiner has made a film that overflows
with honesty, and part of my extreme emotional
reaction to the film tonight was joy at getting back
one of the directors I really love and respect. By
pushing these actors to do great work, Reiner also
seems to have pushed himself to do great work, and he
makes remarkable use of montage here. He also takes a
few detours for some fine wig comedy, something I can
personally never get enough of (check out Reiner's
hair in the flashback to Willis and Pfeiffer's wedding
-- outstanding!). The supporting cast in the film --
Paul Reiser, Rita Wilson, Tim Matheson, Julie Hagerty,
Red Buttons, Jayne Meadows, Betty White (continuing
her recent swearing-like-a-sailor streak in fine style
here), and Reiner himself -- all do fine work, but
this is really a duet, a two-character piece.
There's interludes like a trip to Venice and a
magical, devastating attempt at a date between Ben and
Katie, but we never stray from a simple look at these
people as they total up who they are as individuals
and as a couple. This is a universal story, and if
this were an indie, directed by some newcomer, this
would be hailed as a work of razor-sharp brilliance.
I'm afraid some people might see the poster for this
or hear the names of the stars and dismiss it as this
season's YOU'VE GOT MAIL or SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE.
Perish the thought. This is a film that delves past
all the movie notions of love and marriage to
something that rings right. Every emotion it elicits,
it earns.
Part of the film's spell is woven ably by the score
that Eric Clapton and Marc Shaiman have co-written. I
cannot stress strongly enough that Marc Shaiman has
now earned a trip to this year's Oscars twice: once
for Best Dramatic Score with Clapton for this film,
and once for Best Comedy or Musical Score with Trey
Parker for SOUTH PARK. Whoever is releasing the
soundtrack for this film better start printing extra
copies right now, because it's going to be one of this
year's hottest stocking stuffers. That single, the
haunting theme that plays throughout the movie, is
going to be omnipresent on MTV and VH1, and with good
reason. Like "Tears In Heaven," it perfectly captures
a mood, an emotional state. It is simple, quiet, a
perfect compliment to the subtle pleasures of this
film.
I have now reached the point where I will fistfight
anyone who tells me that 1999 is anything less than a
high watermark for films this decade. I don't know if
I think it's the best year of the decade yet, but it's
sure in contention. One of the strangest things about
this year is how many of the films explore the same
basic theme, this disconnected dissatisfaction that so
many people seem to share right now, and how well the
films all manage to explore some totally different
aspect of that. ELECTION, RUSHMORE, this film, the
upcoming FIGHT CLUB... there's a case that could be
made that the films all really start with someone in
the same place. We are truly blessed to have been
taken on such differing trips by these filmmakers this
year.
On Tuesday, I'll be giving a heads up for the rest of
the year in my RUMBLINGS FROM THE LAB, since I think
there's so much worth talking about between now and
January. Right now, I can tell you that September 15
(AMERICAN BEAUTY's release date) and October 15, when
this film comes out, are two days you should set aside
right now. You will be ecstatic that you did.
"Moriarty" out.
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I'm the first one AGAIN !! I AM LEGEND !! Now for someone living in Belgium, this sure feels great !! Being the first one to reply twice in one day, what a feeling !
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If what Moriarty tells us i strue, then I think we have a winner on our hands ! I'm a big fan of both Willis and Pfeiffer and seeing them together in the same movie can only mean MAGIC !
I don't know when it's coming out in Belgium but I'm sure it's worth the wait.
Phew, it sure seems like there are going to be lots of great movies coming towards us in the fall... -
If what Moriarty tells us is true, then I think we have a winner on our hands ! I'm a big fan of both Willis and Pfeiffer and seeing them together in the same movie can only mean MAGIC !
I don't know when it's coming out in Belgium but I'm sure it's worth the wait.
Phew, it sure seems like there are going to be lots of great movies coming towards us in the fall... -
Thanks for the review.
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Gee, if Bruce Willis isn't careful, people may actually start respecting him as an actor! To release SIXTH SENSE and this in the same year, plus BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS waiting in the wings -- what a great year in any actor's career. Congrats, Bruce!
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It may be a good flick (which I'm sure my girlfriend will see), but don't you think your emotional attachment affected this review a bit?
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Oh dear God no! They are pitting this together with Fight Club on the same weekend. Well I will hands down choose Fight Club, a film I have been waiting for sooooo long. But to make others choose is a sin. This sounds like it is a great film and its about time for Reiner. I will try to see both but if you must see one, let it be Fight Club.
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A remake of the War of the Roses?
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And more are still coming. The Green Mile, Reindeer Games, Any Given Sunday, Sleepy Hollow, The Fight Club. I'm gonna go broke from going to the theater so much this year.
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I saw a screening of this movie over a month ago, sat 2 rows in front of Rob Reiner. For the record, I thought the concept was novel, some of the jokes were good, though some were pretty tired (how many times are we going to hear Rob Reiner talking about men's asses?)
Plus, I thought Bruce Willis was outstanding in his role, which was a bit of a departure for him (though with his recent slate of movies, he's definitely showing he's got range).
Now the down side: I think this was supposed to be (at least in part) a romantic comedy, but Bruce played such a likeable character, I couldn't fathom why he would want to have anything to do with that godawful shrew that was played by Michelle Pfeiffer. In her character, there was absolutely no redeeming value. Even if fire shot out of her privates, I could see absolutely no reason why anybody in the audience would want to see the two of these people reunite, which is kind of important in a romantic comedy, don't you think?
Maybe they recut it to make her character more likeable, but if not then the premise of this movie is idiotic. -
i too remember a time when rob reiner nimbly jumped between genres, pulling off the sweet-natured 'when harry met sally', the piss-funny 'spinal tap' and the terrifically malicious 'misery' (plus 'the princess bride' is virtually perfect, and 'the sure thing' is one of the funniest teen movies EVER - diagree and you'll have me to answer to, dag nab it)... he was like ron howard, only better. you're right, moriarty - 'a few good men' knocked him off track for a while (it's OK but bland, and i have to hear another comedian or sitcom stooge bellow 'you can't HANDLE the truth' under the mistaken impression that it's a punchline, i'm loading up on guns and bringing my friends). sure, reiner's no fincher, coen or burton, but he's solid and reliable, and you need that every once in a while. i'm looking forward to this one, and now five-tone's off to read moriarty's next (so you'll probably see my inane ramblings in that talk back too). good work, oh evil one
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I saw the trailer for The Story of Us last week and I have to say that it looks really good. Something about it just grabbed me, and I became determined to see this film, and Moriarty's review just cemented it. It may turn out to be a fine year for film after all. Though I have to say without a touch of sarcasm or exaggeration, that RUSHMORE is the worst film I have seen in my entire life.
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i saw this atrocity in it's first test screening back about a couple of months ago. with a review like the one moriarty just gave it you'd swear that he was on warner's payroll. this film was bland, unoriginal, and repetitive. bruce willis is bruce willis, he doesn't really change much. you people speak of his range like he's deniro, playing retards and psychopaths. let's not give the man too much credit. he's not winning oscars. if this is the kind of product willis is going to start putting out, maybe he and meathead should consider going back to t.v.
he and pfeiffer add nothing new to the romantic comedy genre if that's even what you'd call it. i sure didn't laugh(although i did find willis' crying scene to be a hoot). and i sure didn't find her pissing and moaning too romantic. i've experinced long painful breakups before and watching this movie was longer and more painful. i'm sure come time this movie is released everybody will be buzzing about this year's "you've got mail" which made lots of money and sucked too. the people that are gonna go out and see this movie will love it because this movie was made for them. because they loved it before when it was "sleepless in seattle" and rob reiner was "the friend". and before that when it was called "when harry met sally"
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