Hey Harry and Historic Rebels,
I’ve got a double header today. No, I don’t mean cannibal double-headed babies that torture and devour their Mothers. (I just watched Takashi Miike’s Imprint. Weeeeeeeeee. It’s a keeper for sure!) Instead I saw Man of the Year the other night at the ArcLight Hollywood and Marie Antoinette the next at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. First up is Man of the Year.
There’s a lot of enmity for Robin Williams out there. I can understand it, but I’ve always really liked him. Even in his lesser performances I appreciate his energy, humor, and overall charisma. I feared Man of the Year would fuel the fire of negativity. But this is his most focused performance in a while. Like in Good Morning, Vietnam, Barry Levinson reigns in his improvisational riffing so it’s integrated into the story both emotionally and in subject matter. This time drama and comedy are ideally balanced in Williams.
However, the movie as a whole falls short despite wonderful supporting performances and outstanding ensemble acting.
The Story: Williams plays Tom Dobbs, a Jon Stewart-like talk show host who runs for President. He rebukes television campaign ads since the soft money needed for them corrupts Washington. He articulates many peoples’ frustration with today’s extremely bipartisan yet special interest bound government. He does so with pointed humor that punctuates his policy arguments. To paraphrase the film’s Presidential debate:
Moderator—“Mr. Dobbs, you’re making a mockery of this debate.”
Dobbs— “These debates were a mockery long before I got here.”
Mr. Dobbs is elected President and the movie stops going for the jugular. Instead, the remaining two-thirds bog down in the dull story of how a computer malfunction screwed up the election results. The company who created the computerized polling system pulls a cover up. Jeff Goldblum exudes slime a company spin doctor. Laura Linney, the honest programmer who wants to expose the truth, is forced to overact. A scene where she freaks out on drugs (pumped into her against her will) grates half-way through.
It’s too bad. Writer-director Barry Levinson could have really slammed Washington’s hypocrisies. But the truth is no conglomerate backed studio would probably let him do that. Even so, the film’s underlying intelligence render it consistently watchable. Christopher Walken is reliably terrific as Dobbs’ manager. The Daily Show’s Lewis Black more than holds his ground with such esteemed cast members. You get the sense these people really have worked together for years. Side soliloquies criticizing the media strike a chord.
It’s not completely defanged, but the acerbic cynicism of Wag The Dog is needed. The self-aware honesty of Robert Redford’s The Candidate would be good too.
Now onto head chopping…of royalty. Interestingly the famed beheading is not depicted in Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. This syncs with the film’s presentation of a mad bubble world out of touch with common day reality. Yes, that’s right, royal aristocratic bourgeoisie totally disconnected from the needs of their people back a war for political reasons. In this case, the war is our war of independence. The king (Jason Schwartzman), who inherited the throne from his royal father (Rip Torn), would rather hunt than attend boring meetings where manipulative advisors essentially make decisions. Good thing stuff like this doesn’t happen today. Do I have to spell sarcasm?
Marie Antoinette is a hypnotic prism of a film that bristles with energy. It mocks regimented protocols and pageantry. It’s a contemplative daydream. It simultaneously appears to rigidly adhere to historical accuracy while flagrantly tossing it to the winds. It’s a fun contemplation on Sophia Copploa’s multi-film themes of disconnection, isolation, and being caught in the machinery of a cold uncaring society.
It’ll be best remembered for its use of 80s tunes, but the soundtrack as whole is a unique beast consisting of opera, classical, aforementioned 80s, and modern composers (e.g. unplugged Aphex Twin). Why the rock? I see two reasons. One, it jeers Versailles’ pompous court. Two, like in Moulin Rouge, the songs telegraph in modern terms what the characters feel. But ultimately it’s all part of Ms. Coppola’s unique vision. She sticks to her guns and bless her for it.
The nauseating opulence of the court is quite stunning. If you love period costumes, this is your wet dream. Shoes, cakes, jewels, parties, candy, campaign, vibrant colors, dogs, ornate art, weave the menagerie in which Marie (Kirsten Dunst) is trapped. Her whole existence is to bear children and follow inane arbitrary protocol. Her mother drives her to tears because she’s not pregnant. Even when she becomes queen she still seems like a prisoner. She’s sensitive and sweet and might have been able to contribute something constructive to society if she’d been born elsewhere. Was Marie Antoinette really like this? She’s depicted with only one additional lover and a brief fling at that. I would think she had a male harem. But I don’t know. It’s all part of Ms. Coppola’s purposely precise compelling dream.
Coppola’s command of visual language is remarkable. There are many outstanding sequences. It’s a wonderful slap in the face to Hollywood cookie cutter film school direction. She’s maturing into a cinematic animal to be reckoned with. European influences hang on her sleeve focused with American showmanship. Her opening shot and credits even tip the hat to Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. It’s a definitive step forward. No matter how it’s received I hope she continues to defiantly follow her muse.
This was booed by some at Cannes. I guess the French don’t like their history being turned into an intelligent pop confection. I suppose it’s understandable. What will the rest of the world think? I’d be surprised if it was a mainstream hit. The costumes and production design will probably get Oscar nods. I surmise the reception will be divided like Moulin Rouge’s and it’ll develop a cult following. Marie Antoinette has far more on its mind, however, and Sophia Coppola earns her place as one of the most unique filmmakers to emerge in this decade.
-Psychedelic
