The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Movie name: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Year of release: 2008
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond, Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Elias Koteas, Jason Flemyng, Jared Harris, Elle Fanning
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:
David Fincher is without a doubt one of the most interesting and accomplished directors working these days. His films are always probes into the depths of the conflicts of men (within themselves most of the times). Following the superb "Zodiac", the new film from David Fincher is an adaptation of a F. Scott Fitzgerald short story. The film follows Benjamin Button, a man that ages inversely to everybody else - he is born with a body of an old man, and as time progresses he keeps getting younger. His family abandons him in a nursing home, where he is raised by Queenie. During his childhood he meets Daisy whom we realize is his soulmate. Though life takes them in different directions, they end up reuniting at a time in their lives when they are chronologically balanced. They experience bliss together, but time keeps ticking. The film is a very interesting meditation on the passing of life and the the real value of what you keep. The film is peerless, as is always the case in David Fincher's films, in the look and feel - the production design, photography, soundtrack are all beautiful. The performances are great, with a strong highlight for Brad Pitt, who finally shows what a good actor he can be. However, the jump that the story deserved, is never really reached, and mostly because the screenplay over simplifies everything. As it is, this is a beautiful cinematic experience, that doesn't achieve the heights it could mostly due to a contrived screenplay. Still a great film to see!

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Movie name: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Year of release: 2008
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, John Cleese, Jon Hamm, Kyle Chandler, Robert Knepper
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:
Remaking a classic sci-fi film from the 50's is always tricky. Steven Spielberg tackled the paranoia of the alien invasion in "War of the Worlds", but his was a film about family and the fears of terrorism. Scott Derrickson, mostly known as the director of the surprise hit that was "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" goes for something more current: the environment menace. The film follows Klaatu the messenger of an alien civilization that lands on Earth to protect the planet from humans, that are destroying it. Klaatu slowly begins to understand the uniqueness of the human race thanks to the help of Dr. Helen Benson and her stepson Jacob. The film is not without good ideas, the main issue is the fact that none of it feels new or tackled in a way that is different and bold. Keanu Reeves tries to play off his usual stiffness while Jennifer Connelly is merely on automatic pilot. The film is competent but easily forgettable.

Milk

Movie name: Milk
Year of release: 2008
Director: Gus Van Sant
Stars: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, Alison Pill, Joseph Cross, James Franco, Denis O'Hare, Victor Garber, Lucas Gabreel, Stephen Spinella
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9

Synopsis:
Following his more experimental work that dominated his previous films, namely the cycle started by "Gerry" and followed with the terrific "Elephant" and the hit or miss "Last Days" and "Paranoid Park", Gus Van Sant returns to form with "Milk", one of the best films of the year. The film follows the life of the first openly gay elected politician, Harvey Milk. We follow him from his life in New York on the brink of turning 40, to his move to San Francisco where he settles in the Castro district (with his partner, Scott Smith). We see through his eyes the changes that occur in the city and his political activism grows as he realizes the discrimination that gay people suffer. Through his attempts to get elected, his group of friends grows as does their ambitions in changing the ruling that is trying to get passed, Proposition 6. Milk's sad demise in the hands of one of his co-workers Dan White, cuts short his attempts to improve the life of the gay community. What is so admirable about this film, is the way Van Sant's vision blends so perfectly with the period pieces. The reconstitution of San Francisco of 30 years ago is perfect, as is the beautiful photography of Harris Savides (one of the great cinematographers working these days). The actors are all fantastic, but three strike a chord, starting with Josh Brolin's amazing portrayal of Dan White. He is remarkable as someone losing grips with a reality that far surpasses his understanding. Emile Hirsch is also great as a young gay man trying to find meaning in his life. But this film belongs to Sean Penn - his portrayal of Harvey Milk is touching, powerful and simply amazing (he truly deserves another Oscar). A great film that needs to be seen now, for what it represents and for the artistry that went into it!

Rolling Stone Magazine Albums of 2008

Though I always think their choices are a bit trendy and don't really reflect the best music being released, I think it's interesting to know what their views of this year in music have been.
Check their choices clicking here!

Studio Output and Glug Xmas

Studio Output is involved with Glug Xmas.
This event is not for profit and all proceeds go to Children with Leukemia!
Check the event clicking here, also here and finally check the Studio website here.

Thanks to Gemma at Studio Output for passing along the news!

Rachel Getting Married

Movie name: Rachel Getting Married
Year of release: 2008
Director: Jonathan Demme
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger, Bill Irwin, Anna Deavere Smith, Mather Zickel, Anisa George
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:
Jonathan Demme is one of the most interesting directors working these days. After directing a series of interesting films, including "Something Wild", "Married to the Mob", "Philadelphia" and the terrific "Silence of the Lambs", this decade has seen him with a very modest output. His "The Truth About Charlie" (a remake of "Charade") and "The Manchurian Candidate" (another remake), both went largely unnoticed, and now he went to the indie side to present a more modest effort. Written by Jenny Lumet, "Rachel Getting Married" comes in the trail of better films that addressed family disintegration and the secrets that destroys us, which can be largely noticed in the staple that is Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" or even on a smaller scale Dan Harris' "Imaginary Heroes". Anne Hathaway plays Kym, just out of rehab and at home for her sister Rachel's wedding. Kym is a mess - in terms of Hollywood that means having spiky hair, smoking and wearing dark clothes. Everyone wants away from her, except for her dad who wants to make sure she doesn't do drugs anymore. Kym has a secret that haunts her and that is the root for her self destructive behavior. What could have been a really interesting premise, turns out to be a strangely self imploding film - Declan Quinn's camera tries to create the sense of intimacy and home movies, but it never really manages much. And that is because the story never really develops much. The real core of the movie ends up being Debra Winger, who plays the ice queen to perfection (she gives Mary Tyler Moore's character in "Ordinary People" a real brush aside). Her tension is palpable and Debra Winger captures the character perfectly. Anne Hathaway twitches but doesn't really make a character very believable. A sadly missed opportunity for what could've been a really great film.

Australia

Movie name: Australia
Year of release: 2008
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Brandon Walters, David Wenham, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson, Bill Hunter, John Jarratt, Jacek Koman
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:
"Australia" is Baz Luhrmann's 4th film since 1992. In 16 years his production has been rather meager, and his results have been very mixed. Unlike a lot of opinions I found "Moulin Rouge" extremely overrated, though I did admire his approach in "William Shakespeare's Romeo+Juliet". With "Australia" Luhrmann set out to create his own version of "Gone With the Wind" taking place in his native country. He decided to throw the love story between people of different backgrounds, with the eruption of second World War AND the social agenda that surrounded the treatment of the native Australians. The results are again mixed. On the positive side, there's the definite feeling of the epic, the photography and the entire production design that are exquisite. On the weaker corner, we have all the clichés that have been treated in the most conventional of ways - the screenplay follows all the formulas, which even though sometimes it can be interesting, in this case feels a bit tiresome and overblown. The actors also give mixed performances - Nicole Kidman who did a terrific work last year in "Margot at the Wedding", here becomes almost too artificial when some more naturalistic approach would be commendable (I for one, think this would have been a perfect role for Naomi Watts). Hugh Jackman, filling for Russel Crowe, does his best rugged with a heart impression, takes off his shirt quite often, but still his character needed some extra charisma that is surely missing. The bad guy, handed off to David Wenham, barely registers. This is a film that relies on the visuals that it presents, and it doesn't fail in that department. It's unfortunate that all the rest does.

Kellen Styler

Kellen Styler is a designer with great work. Check his photos and his website clicking here.

Gonçalo Salgueiro Updates

Gonçalo Salgueiro, the Portuguese Fadista has updates on his web presence. He has now a MySpace page, Facebook and a Blog. Be sure to check all those.

Quantum of Solace

Movie name: Quantum of Solace
Year of release: 2008
Director: Marc Forster
Stars: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Almaric, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Atherton, Jeffrey Wright, Jesper Christensen, David Harbour
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis & Review:
Marc Forster once again surprises with his latest film. His eclectic career doesn't seem to stop touching different genres and styles. Since "Monster's Ball", he has done elegant dramas, such as "Finding Neverland", smart comedies such as "Stranger than Fiction" and interesting thrillers such as "Stay". His take on James Bond has more of a contemporary look and feel, one that seems very much in the line of what Paul Greengrass has done with "The Bourne" series. The action is non stop, very gritty and unlike the previous James Bond films, there are no special gadgets or little tricks. It's a leaner and meaner Bond. The film opens directly following where "Casino Royale" dropped off. We're pulled directly into the action sequence with a great chase scene through the streets of Italy. The action continues from then on, with James Bond stopping at nothing to achieve his goals - the vengeance of his loved one, Vesper Lynd. As usual there is an organization/villain, aiming to take control of the world, this time using an ecological trap as a device (sign of the times of course). The screenplay follows the usual structure of the Bond films, this time adding very little consistency to the meager roles played out by the Bond girls or the main villainous character for that matter. The film is about a spy on a mission, one that won't stop at nothing to reach his goal. It's an intelligent action film, that shows the craftsmanship of the director and showcases again the talent of the great Judi Dench. Sadly most of the supporting character lack any dimension, or even motivation, but overall it's a film that manages to keep the iconography surrounding this character moving forward. The production team is solid as always, including the cinematography from Roberto Schaefer and the score of the always fantastic David Arnold. While not as compelling as Martin Campbell's "Casino Royale", it's nonetheless worth watching. 

Claud and Facebook

Claud has now a page on Facebook. Be sure to check it out for new photos, updates and other information. You can check it clicking here.

Changeling

Movie name: Changeling
Year of release: 2008
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Kelly, Amy Ryan, Colm Feore, Denis O'Hare, Jason Butler Harner
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:After the twosome World War movies that premiered in 2006, "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima", Clint Eastwood presents another period piece with "The Changeling" based on a true story that changed the life of Los Angeles. Taking place in 1928, the film follows Christine Collins, a young single mother that works for the phone company. When she has to work an extra shift, her son disappears much to her despair. When she presents the case to the police, they initially dismiss her and after filing a report, they bring back a child that turns out not to be her own. Christine continues to insist, with the help of Revered Gustav Briegleb, who has been exposing the corruption of the police department through his radio show. When Christine continues insisting, she is placed in a mental institution while simultaneously the story behing the disappearance of young boys comes out.
Clint Eastwood takes his time in telling this story - his attention to details and the period reconstruction are flawless. He lets the actors flash out this story, relying mostly on Angelina Jolie's terrific portrayal of Christine Collins. She plays the character as a lonely, fragile woman who sees her world being taken away when her son disappears. Christine is also a resilient woman, one that doesn't give up when the police tries to get away with something less than the truth. The film is a gem of detail, of production design and overall a great film to watch.

The Duchess

Movie name: The Duchess
Year of release: 2008
Director: Saul Dibb
Stars: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, Simon McBurney, Aidan McArdle, Alistair Petrie
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:The Duchess follows the life of Georgiana Spencer, who married the Duke of Devonshire at a very early age. There have been comparisons between the life of Georgiana and that of Princess Diana: both were glamorous and adored by everyone (social butterflies also). Saul Dibb's film follows a more traditional approach to the biopic of a woman married into a loveless marriage. Georgiana is naturally flirty and follows the arranged marriage that her mother provides - all in the exchange of a male heir for the much older Duke. The relationship between the two spouses is scarce and the Duke treats it very much like a contract based one. When Georgiana makes a friend with Lady Bess Foster, she brings home the woman that eventually becomes her husband's mistress, much to Georgiana's shock. Her desire to find love of her own leads to a clash with her husband and family life.
The film has a period scenery and attention to detail that reminds the classic Merchant Ivory, but unlike James Ivory's films, there's definitely something missing. Keira Knightley's portrayal of Georgiana doesn't really transcend anything she's ever done - the role needed someone who could make the character more alive, someone that could show the contradictions that a woman trapped in a loveless relationship experiences. Ralph Fiennes is terrific as always - his movements, his cold and reserved stare make his Duke a figure that is both tragic and hateful. The great Charlotte Rampling does a terrific job in her brief role as Georgiana's mother. This is a film worth checking with some reservations.

Blindness

 Movie name: Blindness
Year of release: 2008
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Alice Braga, Don McKellar, Danny Glover, Gael Garcia Bernal, Maury Chaykin, Yusuke Iseya, Yoshino Kimura, Mitchell Nye
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:The Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles is one of the most interesting directors working these days. After the success and acclaim of "City of God" and "The Constant Gardener" he chose to tackle and adapt the Portuguese novel "Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira" from Nobel winning author Jose Saramago. The result turns out to be uneven but is nonetheless a very interesting view on how society in general and people in particular react when an event they can't control appears. The film follows the people of a city, who suddenly become afflicted with a blindness epidemic. Afraid that the disease is contagious, the government decides to place everyone afflicted in a run down hospital, with no real support or sanitary conditions. Things get progressively worse, as food is scarce and a particular ward decides to implement their rules over everyone else. The only person aware of everything is a woman, the wife of an ophthalmologist, who isn't blind and watches everything degenerate around her. The film chooses to follow the lives of a few of these inhabitants of the hospital and displays the progressive horrors that happen as the conditions worsen. It's a bleak view of humanity and proves how low and what horrors people will inflict on each other to get power (or at least the illusion of power). The actors are uniformly good, particularly Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo - their weary eyes show the despair and lack of belief in what humanity and life in general has become. The photography is beautiful and Fernando Meirelles' direction is, as usual, focused on detail and always inventive. Worth watching.

Eagle Eye

Movie name: Eagle Eye
Year of release: 2008
Director: DJ Caruso
Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Ethan Embry, Lynn Cohen, William Sadler, Bill Smitrovich
Genre: Action, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:DJ Caruso who made a splash with "The Salton Sea" and with the surprise hit "Disturbia", reunites with his young star Shia LaBeouf and the great and underrated actress that is Michelle Monaghan. "Eagle Eye" comes in the tradition of such films as "Enemy of the State" and "The Firm", where the young protagonist faces odds that are far superior to himself and that due to his honesty and integrity, manages to defeat his oponents and demonstrate the prevailing sense of justice."Eagle Eye" follows the story of eternal underdog Jerry Shaw, whose twin brother always overshadowed him in everything. When his brother accidentaly dies, Jerry comes back to his apartment to see it covered with arms and enough material to create a lot of destruction. His only indication is a woman's voice on the phone who tells him what to do. At the same time Rachel Holloman is informed her young son is under threat. These two strangers are drawn together over a mysterious caller that propels, threatens and indicates where they should be headed. The film uses conspiracy theories to propel action, and though there's a lot of improbabilities, what really stands out is the craftsmanship of the director and the good performances of it's leads. An entertaining film that doesn't bring anything new, but that serves it's purpose.