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

"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.

Overall grade: A-

Matthew Says: A-

Well, Pixar just can't let go. Toy Story was their first film, and arguably their most acclaimed film, giving them the success they now have today. And the story continues with a third and probably final chapter that will be welcomed well among the other two.

Andy is going to college, and the toys haven't been played with in years. The toys decide they will go in the attic and wait until (possibly) Andy has children of his own. Until then, they will still all be together. Not everyone is on board with this plan, but Woody wants to be loyal to Andy. However, fate has other plans. They eventually (after a series of events) get placed in a donation box for Sunnyside Daycare. They think it will be a dream come true, but later realize it's their worst nightmare. And soon enough, it's escape time!

This movie truly has everything. Adventure, wit, horror, and sadness. By the end of it, I had laughed, cried, been scared and held at the edge of my seat.

The movie picks up right where it left breathlessly. It's as if the story wasn't managed or adjusted by people or companies, but just continued on by itself. But the true power of this movie lies in it's true, ironic human quality. It shows the most endearing, dark and emotional parts of humans throughout the movie. And by the end, you just feel so moved by these toys that have showed you these things. They are saying goodbye to Andy, but really we are saying goodbye to them. And a sad farewell it is.

Jack says: A-

Everyone loves Pixar, just admit it. The storytellers and animators at work behind those doors have the ability to move us in a way that no other production company does with its movies. Ever since their first release, a movie called Toy Story, they have set their own little standard for comedy, adventure, animation and heartfelt storytelling. Their newest release has toys moving us from the edge of our seats, to fits of laughter and eventually to tears. Only Pixar can do this.

The third and most likely last installment in the Toy Story franchise has just been released and it manages to pack it all in. It opens with the beautifully familiar cast of toys griping over the fact that Andy, their devoted owner, is all grown up and moving away to college later that week. They are all discouraged and Woody, their faithful leader, tells them not to worry. Panic once again arises when they find out that they are likely to be thrown away when Andy does leave. This hurts the gang, how could their lifelong pal, Andy, abandon them like this? This sets off a roller coaster and thrills and chase sequences and mad escape scenes, just like we know Toy Story to do.

Like I said, Toy Story 3 has the ability to move the viewer. When Andy is looking at his old toys with trepidation and longing, wondering whether to throw them out, we feel heartache. When the gang is about to be devoured by evil flames, we are truly scared and wonder about their fate. When the final scenes play out, we feel sadness and comfort as well.

The film has the ability to reach such heights because it tells a story we can all relate to, or feel we could. We've literally grown up with these characters in real time. Pixar didn't skip around with its film's timeline. When the film opens up eleven years later, eleven years really have passed. Maybe we think about how much we've changed since we last saw Woody and Buzz. So we feel a certain familial tie to the characters. As we see Andy grown up and ready for college, it makes us sad too. It's also affecting on the viewers side because we all feel that Toy Story is finally ending, it's poignant on many levels .

Toy Story 3 has a common life theme: change. Change with the familiarity of life. Change from the 'good old days' when you were played with. Its theme is also feeling loved. It is said often in this movie that all the toys want is to be played with. The antagonist in the story is shown being deeply, psychologically affected by feeling unloved. The film shows us what happens when we feel unnecessary. The same can be said of humans, all we want is to be loved. It's the deepest desire of our hearts. But Toy Story 3 also teaches us that we not only want to be played with, but we want to be played with by the people who matter.

Sincerely,

10. Howl's Moving Castle

9. Ponyo

8. Sita Sings the Blues

7. Persepolis

6. Fantastic Mr. Fox

5. Ratatouille

4. Wall-E

3. Finding Nemo

2. The Polar Express

1. Spirited Away