Capone's Art-House Round Up with Ralph Fiennes in CORIOLANUS and Ti West's THE INNKEEPERS!!!

Hey, folks. Capone in Chicago here, with a few films that are making their way into art houses or coming out in limited release around America this week (maybe even taking up one whole screen at a multiplex near you). Do your part to support these films, or at least the good ones…


CORIOLANUS
No lie: I'm writing this after just coming from a production of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" done with elaborately constructed puppets, which iss one of the coolest things I've ever seen. The reason I bring this up is to illustrate that I love wild, original interpretations of Shakespeare's work, and I think it's pretty clear that Ralph Fiennes does as well, as he adapts one of the Bard's least performed works, CORIOLANUS, casting the lead character as a raving mad dictator who has had the humanity beaten out of him by a lifetime of soldiering. A wild-eyed Fiennes directs and stars in this tale of a Roman general who is cast out of Rome after winning it some of its greatest victories.

Also on hand in this thunderous production is Gerard Butler, in his best performance since 300, as the renamed Coriolanus' sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius, who soon becomes his ally against Rome. The ever-present Jessica Chastain plays the general's loving wife, but Coriolanus' heart seems more closely aligned with that of his scheming mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave, in fine form in one of her best roles in recent years). But an entire adult life of fighting has hardened the general's heart, and even the love of mother or wife cannot penetrate him long enough to keep him from brutalizing Rome. Fiennes interpretation of the work casts the plot (from a screenplay by John Logan) in a world where cable news is covering the battles (thus, when he gives a monologue to no one in particular, it comes off more like a press conference).

Fiennes and Butler really do play off each other like two wild dogs willing to sacrifice themselves as long as the other one dies. But when they pledge their allegiance to each other against Rome, it's certainly an uneasy union. CORIOLANUS feels modern because, like most of Shakespeare's great works, the story and fiery emotions are timeless. Toss in a couple of scene-stealing supporting roles from Brian Cox and James Nesbitt, and now you've got a film bordering on great.

Wisely, Fiennes keeps Shakespeare's words intact, but you'll understand exactly what's going on at all times. The film may feel a bit relentless at times, but that's war, isn't it? And while it wouldn't have killed the filmmakers to add a sprinkling of levity here and there, the film doesn't really suffer without it. I hope Fiennes and company continue to tackle and modify Shakespeare's writing, making them more identifiable to a modern audience without cheapening or dumbing-down the text, because CORIOLANUS is a great piece of loud-ass cinema.


THE INNKEEPERS
Writer, director and occasional actor Ti West is one of my favorite new filmmakers. He works fast, producers quality work, and has given us a slightly altered way of looking at the horror genre. For one thing, he actually cares about his characters and he wants us to care about them as well. Second, the way he weaves his plots, it's as if he wants us to back into the horror elements without even realizing we are. After making the highly effective TRIGGER MAN and THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (I wasn't a fan of CABIN FEVER 2), his latest effort, THE INNKEEPERS, is one of my favorite scare films of this year and last. I actually saw the movie nearly a year ago at the SXSW Film Festival, but upon a re-watch a couple of weeks ago, the thing still scared the crap out of me, thanks in large part to me liking the main characters enough to actually fear for their well-being.

But perhaps more than any of his other films, I also really enjoyed the non-horror story involving two employees Claire and Luke (Sara Paxton and Pat Healy) working the last weekend of operation in a rundown hotel. In addition, the pair are playing amateur ghosthunter, looking for a spectral presence in the hotel, and they get a little more than they bargained for—or do they? Perhaps what they hear and see is all a product of Paxton's paranoid imagination. West keeps that option open, and the result is spectacular while it maintains a fairly low-key atmosphere. A great deal of whether you will like this film or not comes down to whether you fall in love a little bit with Claire (that goes for the men and women). While she's far from a helpless little bird in a windstorm, Claire is not without her shortcomings that make you want to take care of her or at least nudge her in the right direction and away from a series of ill-advised actions.

THE INNKEEPERS kicks into a higher level of creepiness when Kelly McGillis joins the fun as a washed-up actress who checks into the hotel, and she just happens to be a psychic who does readings that point to a nasty presence in the dwelling. Rather than run screaming from the hotel, Claire and Luke use this as the impetus to up their ghost hunting activities. The film keeps its scares coming on the regular, and I was impressed with how much of the fear I was feeling was coming from the horror on the faces of the actors than anything West shows us (although he does show us things from time to time). I had a great time watching this buddy film disguised as a horror movie, and I think you will get into the quirky nature of the structure and characters.

For those of you in the Chicago area, writer-director Ti West will be doing a post-screening Q&A after the 7:20pm showing of THE INNKEEPERS on Friday, Feb. 3 at the Music Box Theatre, with my pal Scott Tobias from The Onion's A.V. Club moderating as part of his Cult Canon series. The film will be playing on a double-bill (only on Friday night) with West's THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL. Advance tickets can be ordered at the Music Box Theatre's website.

-- Steve Prokopy
"Capone"
capone@aintitcool.com
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