The Citizen Review " A man goes to the movies. A critic must be honest enough to admit that he is that man." -Robert Warshow

"Happy-Go-Lucky"

By Matthew Meriwether 7/30/10

Happy-Go-Lucky is an introduction to one of the most unique and genuine characters I've seen in a long time. Poppy. This is the world through Poppy's eyes. And usually, it can be quite happy. However, this isn't the most happiest film around. This film is about Happiness and how people react to happiness. And not everyone is as happy as Poppy is.

Happy-Go-Lucky doesn't really have much of a plot. Which is part of the beauty of it. It's simply looking at average situations that could happen to anyone. Because Poppy is just an ordinary person. She's a primary school teacher who shares an apartment with her best friend and rides her bike everywhere.

In the first scene, Poppy's bike has been stolen. "We didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." says Poppy to herself. She then takes up driving lessons. Her driving instructor couldn't be more opposite to Poppy. He's humorless, angry and sees the worst in people. Poppy tries to lighten him up. But it's to no avail. There's also a little romance in this movie. But like I said, there's really no plot, and trying to make one would be pointless.

Poppy is played by Sally Hawkins in one of the best performances of the decade. And yet, no Oscar nomination. When will the Academy learn? She creates this character with subtle quirks and plays her with such breathless effervescence, you just can't take your eyes off of her. Sally has played her fair share of supporting roles in other British films, but in this one, she shines. And in return, so does the movie.

You can see the greatness of the film, just by seeing the way people react to it. I was on Netflix, and saw the comments from users about the film. Almost every single one of them hated it. They said that Poppy was obnoxiously happy to everyone and even when she was in a horrible situation, she was still happy as a clam. And yes, Poppy is happy. But part of the greatness of the film is seeing how people can react to happiness. It's almost like a wake up call to America. "Hey America, lighten up!"

Happy-Go-Lucky has an ease of it's greatness. It's easy to miss. But it's there. Just seeing these real characters live and interact as normal human beings, without plot twists and chase scenes, is like a breath of fresh air. I've seen this movie countless times, and I never get tired it. I smile bigger and bigger every time I see it.

Jack says:

Matthew says:

1. Ottoman

2. Walcott

3. M79

4. Oxford Comma

5. Boston (Ladies of Cambridge)

Honorable Mentions: (in alphabetical order)

Diplomat's Son, Giving Up the Gun, Horchata, Mansard Roof, White Sky

Jack says:

1. Oxford Comma

2. M79

3. Horchata

4. Walcott

5. Ottoman

Honorable Mentions: (in alphabetical order)

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, Giving Up the Gun, Mansard Roof, The Kids Don't Stand a Chance,White Sky

Sincerely,

"Paranoid Park"

By Matthew Meriwether 7/28/10

Paranoid Park is film as an art form, visually and poetically. It has a seemingly modest plot progression and is done in a modest way. But the back and forth timeline, the change in cinematography, and switch of rock music and classical music is very embracive to art in general, and it's almost exhilarating to watch a movie that's done in that manor.

The story shouldn't really be explained. The less you know about it, the better it is. The main character tells the story in his own words. In a way it's a mystery, but not the sort you're used to.

Aside from being dark and mysterious, the film also wonderfully shows an average life of a teenager. And in this case, how something not average can affect it. And it does it in a way that isn't in any way in your face, or stereotypical. It's just honest and real.

This film, although modest, is very brave and an innerly emotional experience. From the start you're intrigued, and even though it's slow moving, it keeps your interest. Some indie films are stylish, but without much to say. This is stylish, but has quite a bit to say.

"Memento"

By Jack Meriwether, 7/27/2010

Christopher Nolan is the master of the unknown, the dark and the ominous and real-life dramas that tie all these elements together. So why does his early thriller Memento not work as well as his great films like The Dark Knight, The Prestige or Inception? Let me list the ways.

The first reason is the principle character, Leonard Shelby, played by Guy Pearce. Pearce turns out a good performance, that's not the issue, the issue is that it's very difficult to find this character very likable. He, like all of Nolan's male protagonists, has issues. His was was brutally raped and murdered and he has short-term memory loss, so his situation is reset every 15 minutes or so. We'll get to that part later.

So he has issues, just like many Nolan characters, but he treats his differently. He seems almost to not care about the fact that he has short-term memory loss, which maybe comes with the territory, but maybe that's why the main character is impossible to pull off.

The other problem is with the fact-based part of this film. If Leonard Shelby says the last thing he remembers is his wife dying, then how does he remember every time his mind resets that he has short term memory loss and that he is trying to find his wife's killer? He has notes and tattoos on his body to remind him of his intent but he doesn't read these every time. So does he have selective memory loss? That seems like a gaping hole too big to ignore.

The film is also told backwards. Yes. This is merely a plot device in order to reveal the plot twist in an intriguing way. Is it completely necessary? No. It is interesting for a couple of flashbacks but I eventually found myself getting bored. I think that the twist at the end is good. It is believable and not the norm with these types of psychological thrillers.

The other good things about this film: the performances are well-done, the conversations are well thought out, the artistry is all there. But towards the end, the engine seems to loose a lot of steam and the short-term memory loss and flashback aspects get tiresome. Overall, Memento isn't Nolan's strongest film but it's interesting and unconventional and would most likely be enjoyed by most psychological thriller junkies and Chris Nolan die-hards.

"Arrested Development"

By Matthew Meriwether, 7/26/10

Arrested Development is the story of The Bluths. A very wealthy family that owns it's own real estate company. The family, however, is very greedy and uses the business as their personal piggy bank. So, Michael Bluth (the only sane one in this family) has to save this family and company from falling apart (or perhaps he's too late).

Comparing Arrested Development to any other comedy show on television is a sad, sad one. If you watch a comedy show today, you'll laugh every now and then (it is a comedy show), but when you watch Arrested Development, you laugh the entire show. There isn't plot, plot, plot with a joke here and there. Every second is a laughable moment. There isn't a moment in this show that isn't hilarious.

The show has a fairly large cast, but unlike other shows with large casts, there is almost no supporting cast. Every character shines in every episode. And to put them together in one family, is just about the most dysfunctional family of all time. They're all weird, and the more weird they get, the funnier they are.

The writing, of course, to a show is crucial. And the writing in Arrested Development is so good, that any improvisational actor would just read from the script instead of coming up with something else. In fact, that's exactly what happened. This show was meant to be 50% improv, but when the actors read the script, they just read from it directly. Each one is extremely well plotted, and each one is very dense with humor.

As well as being hilarious, Arrested Development is also great because of how original and innovative it was. It was the first single camera set-up for a comedy show. The sitcoms before this, were the ones with fake sets, multi-cameras and an audience. Having a single camera set-up allows for the show to be more cinematic, and cut to different scenes liberally for more comedic opportunities.

But this great show didn't last forever. It ended sadly with three seasons due to low ratings. Which makes me seriously question American television viewers. Arrested Development didn't make a single bad episode, and each one far greater than any show on today.

"The Red Shoes"

By Jack Meriwether 7/25/10

Upon viewing The Red Shoes, one can't help but get swept up in the large-scale grandeur of the film. It is dark, romantic, funny, eye-popping and also obscure at times. As Roger Ebert says in his Great Movie review, "You don't watch it, you bathe in it."

This film can fool you. In the beginning, The Red Shoes may seem like a charming but seemingly underachieving "backstage drama". But it's far from that. As you peer into it, you see it's whole other side. It's a film that has many beautiful images and moments and one that captures it's actors so very well. Moira Shearer, a ballerina-turned-actress, is ravishingly red-headed in this film. Could it be one of the greatest casting jobs in film history? She's a fierce talent: she acts well, she dances beautifully and her red hair emanates the idea of the red shoes.

The film is all about Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), the fierce and vibrant ballet impresario, trying turn Victoria Page (Shearer) into a ballet sensation and the baggage that comes along with that. It's also about the love between Miss Page and the fledgling composer/conductor Julian Craster (Marius Golding), and how Lermontov will have none of it.

There are many elements that make this film great. One is the stunning art direction. There is a twenty-minute long ballet sequence within the film. The ballet is The Red Shoes, based upon the Hans Christian Anderson story, written in the film by Julian Craster; the amazing thing is that they actually wrote a ballet for the film. The sequence is filmed in a frenzied, dream-like way which captures the spirit of the film: it is beautiful and simple but also dark and enigmatic.

The other element is the casting of Anton Walbrook as Lermontov, the layered impresario. His character is the central role of the film. On the outside he seems harsh and iron-willed, which he his; but as Victoria and Julian get to know him better, they see that he is more than that. He truly loves the ballet and will do anything to make it great.

The ending is certainly drastic and over the top, but for this film, a simple ending would have been completely wrong. In the end, Victoria has a choice to make and either way she chooses, she will be unhappy. The film can't simply end with her heart broken, it has to shatter everything to pieces, which it more or less does. The film is told as a modern fairy tale with a tragic ending. If you pay close attention, you'll see that the storyline of the ballet The Red Shoes repeats itself in the film so the ending is inevitable. You'll have to see what that ending is for yourself.

The Red Shoes is the quintessential film about ballet, just like Singin' in the Rain was for the film industry. It is grand, spectacular, mind-bending and just plain startling to behold.

"Inception"

by Matthew Meriwether 7/24/10

Describing a film like Inception is kind of like explaining an undiscovered country. And that's exactly what it is. Undiscovered territory for film. Nolan has created a concept and a story that is completely original in every aspect. And watching it for the first time is like a breath of fresh air.

No matter how anyone tries to explain the ideas behind this film, it will only make you more confused. Only the film itself can tell it, and quite wonderfully if I might add. And that is what it does for about the first fourth of the film. It explains the ideas, and rules of this thing called extraction and inception. But it never seems like it's just explaining to us.

Once this "inception" actually begins to unfold, it's quite exhilarating to watch. The deeper you get into these dreams, the more absorbed you are in this world. I can't really go into depth about this film without giving anything away. It's the kind of movie you need to discuss with someone right away.

It took Nolan about ten years to write the script. And it shows. The story and plot is completely new and intricate. New layers, secrets and ideas come through throughout the film. And by the end of it, when the screen goes black and the lights come up, you sit there in awe of what you just saw.

"Salt"

by Jack Meriwether 7/23/10

With Salt, Phillip Noyce's more than just a little over the top jolt ride, we have even more proof that Angelina Jolie is everyone's favorite superwoman. If maybe you are that moviegoer who shies away from big blockbusters with titles like "Salt", who is also tired of nearly falling asleep to a dozen "art" films, Salt may be the perfect punch of flavor to wake you up a tad.

The film stars Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, an American CIA agent, married to a loving German scientist, with a mysterious past. She's accused of being a Russian spy, which she isn't, which she is, then isn't all over again. Let's not fret too much over the story of this movie because it's not really about that. Salt is a well-made film that knows it's place in it's genre and uses the idiosyncrasies of said genre to give you one heck of a motion picture. We find the silky-haired action dame falling onto speeding trucks, dashing bullets, altering her appearance not only by hair color but as well as gender, use liquor bottles as deadly weapons, and looking slick good doing so. I got a special feeling watching Jolie beat the bad guys and deliver clever lines, she had the air of a classy actress who knew what she was doing.

The film eventually takes Evelyn Salt to the secret corridor in the White House where the President goes to be safe from the bad guys, nice try Chief of State. She is bloodied, beaten-up, bruised and still willing to konk her way out of a moving helicopter into icy water. I won't tell you whether or not she was doing this to be a good guy or a bad guy. We'll let this film have some sort of mystery.

Yes of course there a major, stun-gunner plot twists and all-out action sequences, and it's these ridiculously realized elements along with the charisma of a truly good actress that make Salt a good film to see in theaters this summer.