Laggies

Laggies - Dir. Lynn Shelton (2014)

As many indie directors do, Lynn Shelton became a recognizable name following the heralded debut at Sundance of her first film Humpday. She avoided the sophomore slump with her next (and best) picture, Your Sister's Sister, though she stumbled with her third feature Touchy Feely, which received a tepid response from critics. Shelton finds her stride once again with Laggies, which is the first film she did not also write. The screenplay is credited to Andrea Seigel, a YA author now trying her hand in the movie business.

Laggies is Shelton's version of the man-child comedy that Judd Apatow and Adam McKay have mastered with a feminist touch. Keira Knightley stars as Megan Burch, a highly educated 28-year old who lacks any ambition. She hasn't changed much since high school. Megan still hangs out with the same circle of friends, dates the same guy, and retains the same puerile sense of humor. She earns a quick buck by occasionally twirling a sign for her dad's accounting firm.

Megan's world is rocked during the wedding of her best friend, Allison (Ellie Kemper). Her nice, but bland, boyfriend Anthony (Mark Webber) proposes to her just before Megan catches her father (Jeff Garlin) receiving a handjob from another woman. Megan feels the scene and winds up at a convenience store where she agrees to purchase alcohol for Annika (Chloe Grace Moretz) and her friends. Next thing you know, Megan decides to lay low at Annika's house after telling everyone she's going away to a career counseling retreat. In an improbable turn of events, Annika's single father, Craig (Sam Rockwell), seems all right with this stranger staying at his home. Romance predictably blossoms between the unlikely housemates.

The central plot of Laggies strains credibility with a premise straight out of a hackneyed sitcom. It's quite the jump in logic for a dad to be so blasé about an adult sleeping in his teenage daughter's bedroom. Everything wraps up in a neat little bow though it takes longer than half an hour and it's left in the air if the protagonist learned any valuable life lessons. Credit goes to Shelton for treating her characters with such a gentle hand that you become invested in their stunted emotional journey.

A winning cast also helps. Keira Knightley's American accent is a bit off-putting and it requires a leap of faith to imagine the British beauty as a slacker on a street corner spinning a sign. Still, she throws herself into the part and it's satisfying to see her in something so light after the heavy duty lifting in A Dangerous Method or the overwhelming schlock of Pirates of the Caribbean. Knightley's casting is doubly ironic since actresses of her age are generally cast in the Chloe Moretz role. Moretz herself is a natural. She and Gretchen Mol, as the mother who abandoned her, share a low-key scene that is simultaneously tender and heartbreaking. It's one of the best moments of Laggies alongside just about anything with Sam Rockwell, who shines as the glib and somewhat awkward father.

Laggies is such a slight film that you are bound to forget it just as soon as the end credits roll. Yet, Shelton gives us enough of a refreshing take on the romantic comedy to consider this worth a rent.

Rating: ** ½ (*****)

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina - Dir. Joe Wright (2012)

Joe Wright is no stranger to adapting literary classics. He made his feature film debut with a big screen version of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Wright followed that up with an adaptation of Ian McEwan's Atonement, which was nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. After delving into sappy Hollywood territory with The Soloist, Wright went off the beaten path with Hanna, an action film with elements of Grimm fairy tales and Jason Bourne espionage. Now, he's returned to his bread and butter with Anna Karenina, based on the epic novel by Leo Tolstoy.

Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) is a wealthy socialite living in St. Petersburg with her older husband, Alexei Karenin (Jude Law), an influential statesman, and their son, Serhoza (Oskar McNamara). Anna reluctantly leaves her boy for the first time for a trip to Moscow in order to mend the broken marriage of her brother, Stiva (Matthew McFadyen), and his wife Dolly (Kelly Macdonald). Dolly has thrown Stiva out of the house after learning of his affair with their governess. While in Moscow, Anna becomes instantly smitten to a handsome cavalry officer named Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). The attraction is mutual and the two engage in an illicit affair that is doomed from the moment they lock eyes. The passion is heated, but the once respectable Anna becomes the subject of catty gossip and sneering glances from her fellow bluebloods.

What sets Joe Wright's Anna Karenina apart from other cinematic versions is the director's use of stylized theatrical sets. The production was unable to afford shooting on location in Russia or the numerous locales that the story called for. Instead, Wright renovated an old theater outside London and dressed it up with help from production designer Sarah Greenwood.

As Shakespeare once wrote, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." Wright truly takes that to heart as the theatricality works to enhance the idea that Tolstoy's characters are forced to play roles to conform to societal mores. Wright makes no attempt to hide the floodlights, curtains, or pulley ropes. The aristocracy lives on stage and in the seats while the servants and lower classes exist only backstage or in the rafters. The film sometimes transitions from one scene to another by opening stage doors. Anna's trip to Moscow is depicted by a toy train chugging past model homes and miniature snow banks. Only rarely does the story venture into an actual exterior such as during sun-lit picnic shared by Anna and Vronsky. Wright has become known for his tracking shots and he doesn't disappoint here. Wright glides the camera around the stage as extras move to and fro while stagehands alter the set. The intricate choreography will recall Alexander Sokurov's technical marvel, Russian Ark.

The sumptuous costumes and set design are almost enough to distract from the overwrought drama that is almost emotionally devoid. It's a difficult proposition to distill Tolstoy's prose into a palpable movie. Even at over two hours, the screenplay by Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love) still shortchanges the various storylines.

Anna Karenina is one of the great tragic figures in classic literature, but without fully developing her storyline, she doesn't come off in a sympathetic light. Meanwhile, Jude Law's Alexei isn't portrayed in stereotypical fashion as a brute. He's stodgy, yet caring and ultimately forgiving. The love triangle entrapping Anna, Alexei, and Vronsky run parallel with two other love stories that have generally fallen to the wayside in other adaptations. Cultural hypocrisy is highlighted by the contrasts between Anna's ostracizing and the lack of consequences for Stiva's frequent dalliances. While Dolly is asked to absolve her adulterous husband, Anna is allowed no such courtesy. Yet, Stiva is played up as something of a buffoon and most of his scenes have the manic energy of a screwball comedy, which never gels with the tragedy that is about to come. The third storyline focuses on Stiva's sister-in-law Kitty (Alicia Vikander) and her courtship by the meek Konstantin Levin (Domhnall Gleeson), a nobleman who has chosen to live in the countryside away from big city life. Levin was an analogue for Tolstoy who shares his creation's humble nature. The shy Levin and Kitty share a tender moment as they attempt to communicate with each other by using building blocks. However, their romance would mean a lot more had the filmmakers found a better balance between each love story.

Joe Wright's Anna Karenina is a bold re-imagining of Tolstoy's novel that is aesthetically pleasing, but lacking in emotional weight.

Rating: ** (*****)

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - Dir. Lorene Scafaria (2012)

An apocalyptic love story is unique, but not an entirely new concept. There was 1988's Miracle Mile with Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham searching for one another in a chaotic Los Angeles under the threat of impending nuclear war. You could also count Don McKellar's Last Night, about intersecting lives in Toronto on their very last night on Earth. Written and directed by Lorene Scafaria (Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist), Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a bit more bright and hopeful or as bright and hopeful as a movie can be when it's about Armageddon. Let's just say it's on the opposite spectrum of Lars von Trier's Melancholia.

Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck won't be saving anyone. The film opens with the dour announcement that a cataclysmic asteroid is about to collide with Earth and a last-ditch effort by NASA to divert it has failed. Insurance salesman Dodge Petersen (Steve Carell) gets another shock when his wife, Linda (played by Carell's real-life spouse Nancy) suddenly exits the car and runs off into the night without a word. Dodge stumbles into a numb daze while his friends throw wild parties. Eventually, he forms a friendship with Penny (Keira Knightley), the free-spirited girl next door. It turns out that Penny has been holding on to some of Dodge's mail for months, including a letter from an old flame.

As riots break out across the city, Penny agrees to help Dodge find his former high school sweetheart in exchange for getting her to England to be with her family. Accompanied by a scruffy little dog named Sorry, they embark on an epic road trip where they encounter an assortment of eccentric characters such as a trucker (William Peterson) who has decided to die via hired assassin and a military man (Derek Luke) fully stocked and prepared for the apocalypse.

It's a safe bet that no matter what Dodge and Penny will wind up together. The A-story may be a tad predicable, but Carell and Knightley make for a winning couple. They're likeable enough that you root for them on their cross-country adventure. Just as he's done in Little Miss Sunshine and Dan in Real Life, Carell gives an understated performance that mixes pathos with a dry wit. Knightley brings warmth to the role of Penny. Some critics have described her as the dreaded 'manic pixie dream girl,' perhaps because she totes around a collection of vinyl records like a safety blanket. Thankfully, Penny does not display the typical quirks of the archetype though she does resemble a pixie with her short hair and petite frame.

In addition to the leads, Scafaria has assembled a wonderful supporting cast that includes Rob Corddry, Connie Britton, Patton Oswalt, Melanie Lynskey, and Amy Schumer as Dodge's party pals. There's also Adam Brody as Penny's dim-witted musician boyfriend and Martin Sheen in an emotional turn as Dodge's estranged father. Gillian Jacobs and T.J. Miller cameo as the wait staff of a TGIFriday's type establishment that has descended into full-blown hedonism. But, some of the funniest scenes involve Dodge and his maid (Tonita Castro), who seems absolutely oblivious to the fact that all life on Earth is about to be wiped out.

Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back, world is destroyed by massive rocks from outer space. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a breezy and bittersweet romantic comedy bolstered by some terrific performances.

Rating: *** (*****)

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go - Dir. Mark Romanek (2010)

Many film critics have been cavalier about spilling the secrets of Never Let Me Go in their reviews. If you prefer to know as little as possible about a film before going in, then I will issue a minor spoiler alert.

Never Let Me Go is based on the critically acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, the author of Remains of the Day, which was adapted for the screen by Merchant-Ivory. For all intents and purposes, Never Let Me Go appears to be your typical British melodrama, but there are little things throughout the picture that just aren't right.

The film begins in the late-70's at a boarding school called Hailsham. The lead characters are best friends Kathy H. (Izzy Meikle-Small) and Ruth (Ella Purnell) and the temperamental Tommy (Charlie Rowe). Tommy is alternately painfully shy and a ball of rage. He screams to the heavens when he isn't picked for a soccer game. It's clear that Kathy is in love with Tommy, but it is Ruth who nets the boy.

The school itself emphasizes art above all other courses of study. Students are encouraged to submit their works (paintings, poetry, etc.) for the chance to be displayed in a gallery in the city. The headmistress, Miss Emily (Charlotte Rampling), encourages the children to stay as healthy as possible. Check-ups with the medical staff are regular occurrences. The children all wear electronic wristbands that are swiped whenever they enter or exit the school. They are told gruesome horror stories about what happened to children who leave the school grounds. Excitement grows when a delivery of goods arrives at Hailsham. The children fawn over an assortment of knick knacks that is clearly a collection of discarded junk, like broken toys and worn down pens. A sympathetic teacher (Sally Hawkins) tearfully confesses that they're lives are predetermined and they will never be astronauts or actors in America. The students learn soon after that she has been dismissed.

The movie jumps to the 80's where Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy have grown up to become Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield. The trio has graduated Hailsham and now resides in the Cottages, a countryside farm for former students. They make awkward attempts to acclimate themselves to their surroundings as the love triangle drives a wedge in their friendship.

Director Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) has fashioned a picture that is the epitome of awards fodder. His direction is skillful and the film is peppered with gorgeous shots that speak simultaneously to the beauty and loneliness of life. Colors have been muted into a drab world of gray tones. Screenwriter Alex Garland (28 Days Later) never draws attention to what makes this world different from ours. There is no sudden M. Night Shyamalan-esque twist at the end. Instead, he weaves the elements into fabric of the narrative. This strange way of life that the characters lead has become a crucial component of their society. It speaks volumes that Kathy or Tommy never try to escape their fates. For them, this is what life is supposed to be.

Despite the weighty subject matter, Never Let Me Go fails to achieve a deeper resonance. This is partly due to the almost mechanical way in which the source material was adapted. As Kathy, Mulligan provides the occasional voiceover to explain events and share her thoughts. In a novel, the author can get away with it. In a film, the director and screenwriter cannot. It becomes a superfluous storytelling device that ruins the subtle moments seen on screen.

Never Let Me Go is essentially the Merchant-Ivory version of Logan's Run. It is a beautiful looking film with superb performances, especially from Mulligan and Garfield, who has been on a roll following Red Riding Trilogy and The Social Network. However, it just feels like Romanek is going through all the motions to fish for an Oscar.

Rating: **

Pride & Prejudice

Pride & Prejudice - Dir. Joe Wright (2005)


The works of Jane Austen have been translated for film and television numerous times. Some of which include: Ang Lee's Sense & Sensibility and Clueless, a modern update of Emma. Of all her novels, Pride & Prejudice is the most often adapted. There was a 1940 version starring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson, a Bollywood version called Bride & Prejudice, and several BBC miniseries, the best of which is the one from 1995 with Colin Firth. It was Firth's performance in that particular version that lead to him being cast in the Pride & Prejudice-inspired Bridget Jones's Diary, in pretty much the same role, no less.

This latest attempt casts Keira Knightley in the role of Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest of five sisters. Elizabeth is intelligent and not afraid to speak her mind, unlike most of the women of her time. Her oldest sister is Jane (Rosamund Pike), who is considered to be the most beautiful. Mary (Talulah Riley) is the quiet, middle sister, more concerned with books and the piano than socializing. The youngest of the bunch is Lydia, played by Jena Malone, one of the few Americans in the production. Lydia is, perhaps, too fun-loving for her own good and she's always followed around by Kitty. Their mother, Mrs. Bennet (Brenda Blethyn), spends her day trying to find suitable husbands for all her daughters, especially in light of their financial situation. Without a son, the estate of Mr. Bennet (Donald Sutherland) will be passed onto a cousin, leaving the Bennet women without a home.

Things look up with the arrival of Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods), who hits it off right away with Jane. The same can't be said for Elizabeth and Bingley's friend, Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfayden), his arrogant and curt attitude rub her the wrong way. Elizabeth confesses, "I swore to loathe him for eternity." Of course, this is movie talk for, "I am madly in love with him and we will be together before the credits roll."

Darcy isn't the only one to get underneath Elizabeth's skin. Much to her dismay, she is courted by the diminutive Mr. Collins (Tom Hollander), the cousin that stands to inherit her home. Despite her mother's wishes, Elizabeth has no interest whatsoever in Mr. Collins. Spurned, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth's best friend, Charlotte Lucas (Claudie Blakely), who agrees as her family needs the money and at the age of 27 (a spinster in her era), she cannot expect another offer as good. It's an emotional moment that could have been more effective had her character been developed more.

Even at a length of over two hours, Pride & Prejudice isn't able to devote the time it needs to the multitude of characters and subplots. While it's hard to keep things straight sometimes, it's a small gripe considering how well-made the film is. This is, by far, the most gorgeous looking of all the Jane Austen movies which culminates with a rendezvous at dusk between Elizabeth and Darcy. This is a great accomplishment for director Joe Wright, who had previously worked in TV before making his feature film debut with Pride & Prejudice.

Wright uses a moving master shot at the start of the film to introduce us to the Bennet household. He uses an even better one during a ballroom scene. The camera seamlessly moves throughout the mansion as it follows one character to the next and so on. It's no wonder that Wright has garnered some impressive accolades for his work. He was chosen as Best New Filmmaker by the Boston Society of Film Critics, British Director of the Year at the London Critics Circle Film Awards, and won the Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the BAFTAs.

Speaking of awards, Keira Knightley has gained her own recognition for her performance as she snagged nominations for Best Actress at the Golden Globes and Oscars. As Elizabeth, she continues playing the tomboyish characters that she's done so often. Yet, at the same time, she is able to do more than the superficial macho posturing that was done in King Arthur or Domino. There's a splendid scene where the camera pans around Elizabeth as she comes to the realization of how much she truly loves Darcy, while she is staring at a bust of him. And I think it goes without saying that Donald Sutherland and Judi Dench are wonderful in their roles.

Pride & Prejudice is a solid film enhanced by a cast of great actors and a talented, young director.

Rating: ***

The Duchess

The Duchess - Dir. Saul Dibb (2008)

I’m not a hater of costume dramas, but I’m not a tremendous fan. There have been some weak efforts lately such as Elizabeth: The Golden Age and The Other Boleyn Girl. The Duchess is a much stronger picture though I wouldn’t expect too many Oscar nominations outside of Best Costume Design.

The Duchess acts as a parable for modern day celebrity with some not-so-subtle allusions to the life of Princess Diana, a descendent of the Duchess. It is a less anachronistic companion to Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. Georgina is beloved by her subjects, a hit at the parties, and even attracts 18th century paparazzi (in the form of sketch artists). The narrative unfolds just as you’d expect, the kept woman in a loveless marriage, the societal double standards placed on gender.

Saul Dibb does an adequate job in the director’s seat. He’s not as strong visually as Joe Wright who directed Keira Knightley in Pride & Prejudice and Atonement. Speaking of Miss Knightley, she seems to do her best work in these period pieces, Pirates notwithstanding. The true star of this production, however, is the great Ralph Fiennes as Georgina’s boorish lout of a husband. He underplays where others would overplay and lends an odd compassion to someone capable of great cruelty.

Rating: ** 1/2