Okay folks, two out of three ain't bad. I just stated an excellent new book - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - so you only have a movie and television show for the week. I'm sure you'll make do.
Film: Burn After Reading
Ignore the critics as they know nothing! This new addition to the black comedy genre comes from the two contemporary film geniuses, Joel and Ethan Coen. Can these two do no wrong? I laughed my ass off throughout the whole film. You need to go for the awesome cast. Don't let anyone (those nasty critics again) say anything bad about John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Frances McDormand. They are all hysterical as selfish, self-centered, wack jobs. The plot is foolish, but then what dark comedy has a serious plot? The point of this film is to let that amazing bunch of actors act silly. There will be a couple of plot surprises. (I will say no more.) And the end will make you throw up your hands and shake your head. (But in a good way.) If you get the chance, run down to the local cinema and catch this film before it leaves. Will it give the Coen brothers their next Oscar? Absolutely not. But I bet they didn't make it for Oscar glory. Instead, I bet they, like their actors, just had a good time.
Television Recap: Heroes
Heroes stated with a bang. I had lost interest during last season; thank goodness it was cut short due to the writer's strike. I was concerned with how the new season would begin. Creator Tim Kring did not pull a single punch. There is Future Peter and current Peter-trapped-in-a-bad-guy's-body, there is the potential of an Ando with powers, and Mrs. Petrelli seems to be reunited with a third son. That is just three storylines. Somthing's wrong with Claire, Nathan can heal, and Matt Parkman is in Africa. Not to mention a bunch of big bads escaped from Level 5. All that in the first episode. I can't wait to see where Kring goes from here. I am hoping that he sticks with his promise to return to his roots of Season 1. If he can pull off half of the plotlines he introduced last Monday, Season 3 will be a roller coaster ride of good times. I can't wait!
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Good call on the Coens. After I saw Burn After Reading I remembered an interview the Coens did with Uncut when O' Brother Where Art Thou came out. The interviewer asked them why they chose to cast George Clooney, and their response was that Clooney was the only one, out of everyone who read for the part, who realized that the character did not have some hidden motivation...he was just really stupid. I think you are so right about the fun these actors had playing stupid. And they were SOOO good at playing it totally straight.
And I think this is also where the critics got this film wrong. Critics are so often so genre specific or at least clinging onto the familiar. Usually when we see stupid its Jim Carey or a film that is advertised as being about cartoonishly stupid people. For anyone who has ever worked retail and seen this film, the stupidity of Pitt, Clooney, and McDormond [sic] is banal. If you've ever worked a register its the stupidity you traffic in day in and day out. For a dark comedy, their stupidity is not over the top. But it does get them into some absurd situations.
In a way too this film is very Coen. These people (like in Barton Fink and No Country) stumble into a violent world and they make mistakes in dealing with it.
Oh, and if anyone gets the chance to see Frozen River SEE IT...its a low budget film that only out in a few theatres. I saw it last night and it unseated Burn After Reading as my favorite film this year.
I'll give you a comment on Heroes! Yes, the S3 premiere was far better than last year. (Anything is better than the Wonder Twins and Hiro-in-Japan.)
But I still think this show has serious problems. One is that nobody on the show should be omnipotent. And now we have two: Peter and Sylar. I know the X-men comparison is inevitable and the Heroes folks don't like it, but...X-men has lasted for forty-some years for a reason. I can't think of any good X-men who are all powerful. It's usually only villains--Apocalypse and Phoenix are the main two I can think of. Having scary Sylar be all-powerful is OK (for ONE season). But I can't keep track anymore of all the powers Peter has. It's just ridiculous and it can paint the writers into a dramatic corner. (What situation CAN'T he fix?!) There were X-men who could draw others' powers (Rogue, Mimic, Synch) but all had limits, such as the powers only lasted for a short while or only a certain number of powers could be absorbed. Heroes needs some limits like this. In the beginning, I did think that Peter's "mimic" ability was limited, but that didn't turn out to be the case.
Secondly, these characters need more dimensions. Sylar, in particular, needs some believable motivation. In the first season, the writers briefly explored Sylar's background and his issues with his mother. That was interesting! But that fell by the wayside and now he is just a stock villain. Which is not interesting.
This is true of the other characters as well. It's good to have a lot of characters, but spend some time on each one! Most of the folks on "Lost" are interesting because you know their background stories, their strengths, and their flaws. On Heroes, there are too many people to go into any depth.
It's still a show worth sticking around for, but like you, I hope it can regain some of its narrative drive.
Jennica, what did you think of Monday's "Heroes" episode? I think you are absolutely correct with the too many, too little comment. Now the Petrelli family is increased by one? Really? What is Mrs. Petrelli pulling? And I wonder if Peter and Sylar are really omnipotent. There must be someone out there who can take their powers from them. And Mohinder is becoming Jeff Goldblum's version of the Fly. That's an odd development. I do, however, like the Speedster/Hero/Ando triangle. I think that has great potential, provided they get out of Level 5. (And why are they even there?) Just my rambling.
On another note, I am really liking "Fringe." Abrams is taking his time building the character dynamics, which is good. He's clearly identified the bad guys, even if their motives are utterly unclear. And the episodes are just plain creepy fun. I like it!
Fringe was great last night--the best one yet, IMO. That bald guy was so creepy and weird! And yet I don't think he's evil. Time will tell.
As for Heroes. Monday's episode was entertaining, but sometimes I want to just smack those writers. Hiro and Ando manage to subdue the Haitian, get the briefcase, and THEN stand there talking about it while they know the speedy girl is still around? Huh? I just don't believe these two are still that naive.
Plus, the blonde politician learns that she was born in the same hospital on THE SAME DAY as Niki, and all she says is "thanks" to the kid and that's it? One of them doesn't say "Oh my God, what are the chances of that happening? We could be related!" This is basic soap opera stuff here. Not to mention what any normal person would say.
And how did Claire's white trash mother become Obi-Wan Kenobi?
I have a theory about the Petrellis. I think that one of the brothers is NOT a Petrelli. This isn't a spoiler, just a theory. It wouldn't matter if it were Peter or Nathan, but somehow I think they are going to make it so Peter and Claire can hook up. They have chemistry and are a couple in real life, and this show desperately needs a romantic relationship. (Mo and twin don't count.)
I'm still interested in Heroes but I worry that not much thought is going into each episode. There are just too many inconsistencies and nonsensical actions. Not ready to give up yet though!
I love the Petrelli theory! Claire tells Peter in the first ep - when they are in the future - that she has always loved him. I thought it was a platonic love but maybe not. By the way, can anyone explain Peter's scar? Shouldn't he be able to heal himself? And I get the whole Hiro/comic book thing but you're right, he would not be that naive about the Speedster. Why doesn't he immediately get him and Ando out of there? You'd think with all Hiro has experienced he'd get a little sense. I missed a couple of eps last season, what happened to Micah's cousin, the one who could do whatever she saw?
Claire's line "I always loved you" lends further fuel to my theory. It's a weird thing to say to your uncle, right? And if you figure that Peter and Sylar are probably the same age, there could have been a switch. I don't put anything past these writers!
Yes, Peter should be able to heal himself. Another inconsistency. The writers probably just keep the scar there so you can tell the two Peters apart. (Or maybe there will turn out to be a real reason why it can't heal?)
The Niki/Micah/Uhura storyline :-) It seems as if that was written out to a certain degree. The cousin (Monica?) got involved with some gang at the end of last year--I really don't remember the details. I think Micah got kidnapped by them. She went to rescue him but screwed it up, and somehow Niki showed up to help, got trapped in the building and it blew up. The last time I remember seeing the cousin was when she and Micah were out in the street watching the building explode. (Which makes you wonder how Niki's intact body could be in that coffin!) I assume the cousin is OK and Micah is still living with her and Grandma Uhura, but this was never made clear.
Are you still watching Pushing Daisies?
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