Capitalism: A Love Story

Written & Directed by: Michael Moore

Starring: Michael Moore, The U.S. Government, American Tax Dollars


Ahh Michael Moore. Where do I begin on his latest documentary about the American love affair with making a profit? With the factory workers in Chicago that refused to be put out of their job without their proper severance? With the Congresswoman who urged any homeowners facing foreclosure to become squatters in their own homes and refused to be moved? With the ex CEO?s of Goldman Sachs that became in charge of the U.S. Treasury and used their power to bail their buddies out? The Dead Peasant policy, where your company profits from your death? No. I think I?ll start at the end of the movie. Where Michael Moore states that he refuses to live in a country like this. And no, he doesn?t plan to move.

Michael starts the film with footage of his childhood. Growing up in Flint, Michigan, the son of a factory worker. Where they own their own home, off one income. Taking vacations every other summer to New York. His father had healthcare coverage for the entire family, and his pension was safe and secure, ready for him in his retirement. The American Dream.

Somewhere between then and now, Americans? dreams have shifted to making as much money as they possibly could and squashing whoever stands in there way. We work twice as much but don?t have the pay to show for it. Digging ourselves deeper and deeper into debt, ?working jobs we hate to buy shit we don?t need? ? Tyler Durden.

The documentary covers many aspects of the failing economy. Financial analyst, Harvard professors, foreclosed homeowners, property vultures, and even the clergy give their view on how we got to be where we are now, and what exactly there is to be done about it.

I was particularly interested in the clergy?s point of view on the evils of capitalism and the amazing power of propaganda, which is doing an excellent job of making the people support the very thing that is taking them down.

There?s tons more to the movie, but I don?t want to spoil it. I can?t say that Michael Moore breaks new ground on the government screwing over the people for their money, but it is a different perspective on some aspects of history (my mouth was wide open in shock during the part about FDR?s proposed Second Bill of Rights). I give it an A. Just like I would have given Sicko, Fahrenheit 911, and Bowling For Columbine. Yes you will be upset when you leave. And yes you will think of Huey Freeman calling Ronald Regan the devil. But do everyone a favor, and take someone who called President Obama a Socialist, like it was a bad word, with you to see it.

Taking Woodstock

Written by: James Schamus (screenplay), Elliot Tiber (book)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Rated R for graphic nudity, some sexual content, drug use and language

Starring: Demitri Martin, Henry Goodman, Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Groff, Emile Hirsch, Eugene Levy, Liev Schreiber

There was this little concert in 1969 that you might have heard of. Took place in a little town in New York. Few giant musicians. Couple hundred thousand hippies. Woodstock. But this movie isn’t about the music acts. It’s about the people. Particularly the people in White Lake, New York.

Elliot Tiber (Martin) is trying to make a life for himself in the Big Apple. But he’s holding himself back by constantly making sure that his parents Jake and Sonia Teichberg (Goodman and Staunton) run their “resort” the El Monaco. The Teichbergs (of course Elliot changed his name to a more gentile-y Tiber) have run into a little financial difficulty and Elliot has promised the bank that they would be caught up on their mortgage before the end of the summer.

To keep himself busy, Elliot dabbles in the arts (even has a group of players living in their barn) and is the chairman of the city’s board. And every summer the townspeople gather for his music festival, which consists of some records and a hi-fi on the lawn. He pays his dollar fee and has the permit approved to host as usual.

At the local diner Elliot finds out that a big concert was supposed to happen in a nearby town, but it was shutdown by the townspeople. He gets on the phone with a group called Woodstock Ventures and has them come out to view his property.

Michael Lang (Groff) hops off a helicopter with his long, flowing hippie hair and peace mentality, and about twenty lawyers. They find the rest of the El Monaco resort to be in the same position as the hotel itself. They pass. Immediately. But before they go, Elliot takes them down the road to his neighbor Max’s (Levy). Beautiful lush green lawn. This is where they decide Woodstock will be held.

Suddenly word gets out and everyone in White Lake hates Elliot for what is potentially about to happen to their town. They protest and try to get the permit pulled, but the show is already on the road and the hippies are on the way.

The town’s inhabitants quickly form from dairy farmers to flower children. The El Monaco is triple booked. Chocolate milk is selling like hot cakes. Even some of the townspeople have gotten in on the fun. And Elliot is driving himself crazy. Making sure his parents are safe and aren’t driving themselves crazy. Making sure that the concert is actually going to happen. And in the midst of things, trying to enjoy himself.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from the movie. The previews were semi-funny, and I absolutely love Demitri Martin’s comedy, but I’m wasn’t so sure how he would do acting…in a starring role. But he was great. He’s wonderfully awkward like a grown up Michael Cera. The parents were stereotypical Jewish parents, but that’s probably really how parents were in the 60s, and I’m sure there are plenty of parents out there like that now.
But I really really loved whoever the hell Jonathan Groff is. I swear they invented a time machine and went back to Woodstock and plucked him off the lawn and brought him back to be in this movie. Wonderful.

And Ang Lee had some absolutely great scenes. Particularly the “wave” scene that almost makes you want to trip on acid and see a crowd of thousands bouncing up and down to the music. Almost. Like a happier version of the cave rave scene in the Matrix Reloaded. The movie had a mellow tone to it. It’s funny, and a little sad at times, but very enjoyable. Word is that some of the scenes are done just like the documentary of Woodstock (I’ve only seen footage of the actual concerts). I give it a solid B.

Note: Do not ask who played Jimi or Janis or Santana or Jerry Garcia, or The Who. They weren’t to be found. And that’s a good thing.

World's Greatest Dad

Written & Directed by: Bobcat Goldwaith

Starring: Robin Williams, Alexie Gilmore, Daryl Sabara, Evan Martin, Henry Simmons, Geoffrey Pierson

Rated R for language, crude and sexual content, some drug use and disturbing images.

Whenever I go to see a movie at the River Oaks (Landmark) Theater, we see a commercial for HDNet movies. And it?s like ?watch them at home before they?re out in theaters? because somehow or another they get rights to show some movies (Indies) before they?re released wide. Well I never had HDNet till recently, and one Saturday after getting suckered into watching Big Fish yet again, I see this great preview for a Robin William?s movie called World?s Greatest Dad. So I set the DVR to record it cause this looked like something I?d want to see in the theaters, so hell yeah I wanna see it at home for free.

Lance Clayton (Williams) is pretty much a loser. He?s divorced. Is a high school English teacher whose favorite class to teach has the lowest attendance possible. He loves crappy music. And has been denied publishing for everything he has ever submitted. His son Kyle (Sabara) is obsessed with fetish porn, has no friends at school save for Andrew (Simmons), hates his father, and is pretty much a dick.

The bright spot in Lance?s life is his girlfriend and co-worker Claire (Gilmore). She?s smart, attractive, and way out of his league. He gets visibly jealous when the more popular English teacher Mike (Simmons) flirts with Claire, especially after she congratulates Mike for being published in The New Yorker after his first submission.

But despite all the crap in his life, Lance still tries. Tries to be a good man for his girlfriend. Tries to incite poetry in his students. And most of all, he tries to get his son to love him.

Suddenly, a tragedy strikes Lance?s small family and while trying to cope with his grief and loss, he uses the situation to greatly benefit himself.

I got the movie. It was darkly, darkly humorous. And I?m usually a fan of such films, but I just did not like it. I even thought it was a timely theme about how once tragedy happens then everyone wants to be a part of it to make themselves feel?however we feel when we want to be a part of something. Like when Michael Jackson died and everyone had Michael Jackson tshirts and bought all the cds and went to the funeral like they really knew him and were die-hard fans since ?ABC?.

Robin Williams truly is a great actor. And for some reason he?s really good at creepy, oddball roles (see: The Final Cut, One Hour Photo, Death to Smoochy). And I don?t recall seeing Daryl Sabara in anything else, but man that kid is a good actor because I wanted to jump through the screen and beat his ass for how he talked to his father. And beat the dad?s ass for letting him. The supporting cast was ok. No stand out performances for me.

I just did not like it. I didn?t care one way or the other what happened to these people cause they were all so horrible or self absorbed or so pitiful that I just wanted the movie to be over. Then I get online to check out what other people thought and they LOVED it. I had to make sure I was reading about the same movie. It?s a decent premise for a story. And the acting was good, there was just?some missing magic for me. When I finally hit ?stop? on the remote, I promptly hit the ?delete? key and was all too thankful that I saved myself $7. D.

Inglourious Basterds

Written & Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl

Rated R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality.


This is a World War II movie like you have never seen before. 1941. Nazi occupied France. A small dairy farmer gets a visit from one Colonel Hans Landa (Waltz). A hell of a dectective sent by the SS to re-inspect for Jews and make sure the paper work is correct and no Jews are in hiding. After an incredible tense few minutes, Landa makes his discovery. But a young teen named Shoshana (Laurent) is able to escape.

1944. Aldo Raine (Pitt) is a Lieutenant in the US Army and has recruited a band of crazy ass Jewish soldiers to be dropped into France. Their mission is fairly simple. Kill and scalp 100 Nazi soldiers.

Shoshana has relocated to another city in France and is operating a theater under the name of Emmanuel. A young German Private Frederick Zoller (Bruhl) admires her as she changes her marquee. He is instantly smitten, but she is worried that she is under scrutiny. She finds out that Frederick is actually a war hero and is starring in a movie about his sole sniper attack on a whole town filled with the Allies soldiers. He soon gets the idea to have the premier at Shoshana?s theater. Shoshana has another idea.

Raine and his Basterds have (not so easily) acquired some intel from a German spy, actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Kruger), about the premier of Zoller?s movie and want to infiltrate the premier.

Firstly this is a QT movie. I think the only historical accuracy about this movie is that there are Nazis and some Allied soldiers. In fact, the movie starts with ?Once upon a time?. I know there was a movie made in the 70s with the same title (correct spelling) but there is no way this is even close to a remake.

The movie is chock full of incredibly detailed conversations. Some in English. Most in French or German (with mostly correct subtitles?you?ll see what I mean). Incredibly realistic violence and gore. Hilarious dark humor. A little piece of Sam Jackson. And a shootout or two. All the proper ingredients for everything you love about Pulp Fiction ? Death Proof. Ok, except for Red Apple cigarettes, and I think they were deep in the background somewhere.

I don?t know who Melanie Laurent is, but she is incredible. I know she?s a French actress so I might have to Netflix some of her previous stuff. But like I said, she?s incredible. Christop Waltz is equally brilliant as the very tactical Lieutenant. He?s out for number one and always gets his man. There?s one scene in the movie where Shoshana runs into Col. Landa after she?s re-established her new life. Ooooh man its so intense. But Laruent plays it off without being over-dramatic. This scene is as debatable to me as the contents of Macellus Wallace?s briefcase. Everyone has their own opinion.

Brad Pitt is hilarious. Yes I am biased and no, I do not care. Eli Roth gets to live out what is probably every Jew?s fantasy.

If you like Quentin Tarantino, you will love this movie. I can?t necessarily say I?m a big fan of his, because between you and me I think he?s very overrated and creepy, but I do like his work. And yeah I?ll buy the BluRay and watch the commentary and read all the trivia that will pop up on IMDB for years to come about the connections to other movies he stole ideas from. So what. The shit is good. Go see it. Period.

A.

(500) Days of Summer

Director: Marc Webb
Writers:Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler

The narrator of this movie will tell you what it is about. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl does not. Tom Hansen (Gordon-Levitt) is a young guy who has always believed in love. He loves old movies and music. He studied to be an architect, but as life goes, he ended up writing greeting cards. One day his boss hires a new assistant named Summer Finn (Deschanel). Summer appears to be a normal girl, but somehow she has an effect on men that leaves them?stunned.

We are then shot back and forth between different days in their 500-day relationship. Around day 200 or so Tom tells a joke in Ikea that Summer isn?t amused with. On day 40-something, Summer is having a ball in Ikea with Tom. On Day 22 they have drinks and do karaoke in a bar and really get to know each other. On Day 300 they are working on being friends etc.

Tom is convinced that Summer is his one true love and is determined to make it work through the help of his friends and much younger sister.

The story is simple and has been done before, but I haven?t seen it quite this way. The back and forth between the numbered days is very simple to follow and the events often parallel each other. There is a hilarious dance number very Bollywood-ish and just cheesy enough to be endearing and not annoying. Even the parts done ?interview? style of Tom?s friends views on relationships was good and surprisingly not out of place.

Of course Joseph Gordon-Levitt was excellent as Tom. When is he not excellent as anyone (if you need an example see: Brick)? He?s so easy to indentify with even if you don?t love movies and music from the 60s. A hopeless romantic that is remarkably not a whiny bitch. You root for him. You want him to win at something in his mediocre life.

Zooey Deschanel is incredibly cute as usual. And the friends, although quirky and strange, weren?t the least bit annoying and were quite funny.

I give this movie an A. The hipster in me would watch this over and over as ?this is my love life? type movie. How lucky am I to get this AND Away We Go in one summer. I was worried they would be pretty similar. But they weren?t. And damn near equally enjoyable (I loved Away We Go just a hair or two more).