REVIEW: Sunshine · 2007-08-06

I have been waiting for sometime for this movie to make it stateside and into our theaters. Luckily, we did get to view the movie on the big screen before it was inevitably taken away due to poor box office numbers.

This movie had so much promise. At the helm was Danny Boyle, the director of Trainspotting, Millions, 28 Days Later, and many other acclaimed films. The premise had lots of potential: A group of elite scientists must travel to our nearest star and drop off a giant bomb to “reignite” it. The CGI was hyper-realistic. What went wrong?

The revolving US release date certainly didn’t help the film. Top it off with a strange third act that seems very out of place. I can’t see why this new element was thrown in. Hopefully this film will receive a proper edit on DVD and we’ll truly get to see what Mr. Boyle really meant to show us.

I still give the movie 3 stars (out of four) for it’s fantastic cinematography, effects, and direction. The story eschewed many cliches and had tons of potential. Much was left up to the imagination including what was going on back at earth and why this dying star was in such a bad state.

Wait for the DVD.

Farewell Poppa · 2007-04-23

Donald Albert Hodgins (1916 to 2007)

NASA Weekend · 2007-04-08

No, not that NASA. I’m referring to the National Auto Sport Association. Last weekend David and I went to the Fool’s Paradise weekend at VIR with NASA Mid-Atlantic. Three days of pure driving pleasure. The weather couldn’t have been better for driving.

Thursday started well other than receiving a frantic phone call on my way out of town. Apparently Chris Cobetto had an incident on 360 and needed any and all hands to assist moving his racecar and NASA gear from his trailer to another. All the while I was on the phone myself accepting my new position at Comsys.

Once down at VIR the stress levels weaned and I spent the evening helping a fellow track buddy prep his beautiful M3 for the weekend’s activities. I managed to get three hours of sleep and Friday started out with a bang. The day consisted of track time and class time. Class, track, class, track, rinse and repeat.

Saturday started out early with an Instructor’s meeting and then immediately followed by a session for HPDE 2. This set the tone for both days – riding, driving, riding, driving … I was in the car 12 times on Saturday, 9 on Sunday.

I managed to get some video from a HPDE 4 session. See it here.

Okay, now to the point of this post. NASA put on one of the best track events I have been to yet. The weekend went very smoothly despite the 500+ cars in the paddock. The mixing of racing and driving went much better than I had anticipated. The levels of professionalism and organization were first rate. In addition, we all had fun and we were all safe.

I highly recommend NASA driving events. They put on a good show!

REVIEW: Pan's Labyrinth · 2007-01-22

I could not resist seeing this film given the buzz it generated at Cannes and the barrage of rave reviews for it. This film has been in the theaters since December but only in limited release. I finally got the opportunity to see it last Friday night. I bring this up because I feel the anticipation for the film may have ruined some of the experience for me.

Where to begin? The cinematography and art direction were first rate. I left with lasting impressions of a few key scenes that still haunt me. The acting from young actress Ivana Baquero was simply amazing. The villain in this film is easily one of the most heinous characters ever seen before. Really, he’s that awful.

El Labertino del Fauno is not really a fairy tale that the trailer makes it out to be though. It is a morbid film and one that leaves you with a sunken heart. Director Guillermo del Toro chose to bookend his other recent film, The Devil’s Backbone, with this one. Both films are set during the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. More of a war piece than fantasy, this film rivals Saving Private Ryan for detail and gore. Like Children of Men, the action sequences really impressed me with excellent sound design and realism.

I am rarely one to cringe during films, but Pan’s Labyrinth had me looking away a few times. Here in lies what I feel is a fault with the film. There is a point where the director’s vision gets mired by his love for shock value. I feel as though I lost respect for the film during a few scenes due to the over the top violence. I realize that it was not a pleasant time in Spain, and that Francisco Franco’s henchmen were not the nicest of people but do we really need to see how far they went in a supposed “fantasy” piece?

All in all I loved the film and recommend it for anyone who enjoys leaving the theater with a strong impression of a film in his or her mind. I saw this movie with a few friends and we were all talking about it while leaving the theater.

Go see it!

REVIEW: The Fountain · 2006-12-20

Are you bored of Hollywood’s latest creations? Are you tired of switching off the grey matter and just absorbing garbage at a frantic pace and leaving the theater feeling like you have been ripped off? You owe yourself the pleasure of viewing this film.

Many of the film’s critics harp on what this project could have been. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett were originally signed up to star in this film. Principal photography began in Australia as early as 2002. The project was given the “go ahead” for $70 million. How would this film have turned out? I don’t know, and frankly I don’t care. However, so many film critics have given this film a negative review based on this assumption.

Director Darren Aronofsky didn’t give up after losing these so called “megastars.” He continued on and hired Hugh Jackman to be his protagonist. I think this was a wise choice. Jackman puts on a performance worthy of an Academy Award.

The Fountain tells the tale of a 16th century Conquistador on the quest to save Spain, a modern day scientist struggling to find a cure for his wife’s disease, and a 26th century nebula bound astronaut. These tales are seamlessly woven into an intricate story fabric that at first leaves one confused then in awe in the final half. It is at this point that the real journey reveals itself and the amazement begins.

On the surface, The Fountain is a fairly simple love story. Unravel the layers, however, and another story is revealed. The ending and “true” story are ambiguous and open to interpretation, but according to Aronofsky there is an answer. The journey to discover that answer is up to the viewers.

Matthew Libatique handles the cinematography deftly. According to Aronosfky, the golden-hue applied throughout is intentional but for what reason I will leave for you to decide. Each shot is carefully planned and deliberate. Upon a second viewing I caught some detail that helps explain some of the other scenes in the film. There is nothing left to chance.

The minimalist special effects are not only an effect of the budget slashing, but also a creative choice. Aronofsky sought out a “natural” technique for creating star field and nebula scenes, so he hired a micro-photographer. Using high-powered lenses, the effects manager filmed chemical reactions in Petri dishes to create an organic feel the 26th century scenes. These shots come alive in the third act of the film and are truly breathtaking.

Equally amazing is the score by Clint Mansell. Mansell teamed up with the Kronos Quartet again, and hired Scottish rock band Mogwai. The collaboration lends to a score that is progressive and intense. This is a score worthy of an Original Music Academy Award.

The Fountain has been compared to 2001. Both are ahead of their time; both are conceptually daring; both are both loved and hated. For me, this film was truly profound and enjoyable. It is a shame that the critical mass trashed the film into the red. My only hope is more directors will bring forward audacious and entertaining films like The Fountain.