Movie 179: Kids

Kids (1995) by Larry Clark

starring Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce and Chloe Sevigny



In a nutshell: Very powerful at times, very annoying at others

Quick synopsis: Some inner city teens without any supervision are engaging in risky behavior with some bad consequences.

Content: Kids is a movie that a lot of people I grew up with saw when we were in middle school or high school, but somehow I never saw more than bits and pieces. Because of its controversial reputation, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Yikes...where to start? How about the end? The end was easily the most interesting (and disturbing) part of the movie. Casper's reaction after waking up on the couch (at the very end) was the film's best moment and had a very very dark humor to it (considering what we know and he doesn't). Up until the last 15 minutes or so, I did not feel glad to have watched Kids at all, but the ending made it somewhat worthwhile, despite its darkness.

The rest of the movie was a mixed bag. I did not like Telly (or the actor playing him) at all, except when he and Casper go into his house and suddenly we can actually see him let his guard down. Casper, on the other hand was great. As much as I wanted to Telly to get the beatdown that he deserved, I also wanted Casper to get his s**t together and make it through the movie ok and to stop hanging out with losers like Telly. Casper is a funny and likeable guy. Fun to root for which makes his single catastrophic alcohol-fueled decision particularly potent.

As the opening credits started rolling, I wondered if I'd recognize any names of teens who have since become successful actors. Sure enough, the next name that appeared on the screen was Chloe Sevigny who I have been seeing a lot of recently in Big Love. She is pretty good in Kids and very good on Big Love. Kids was the debut of Rosario Dawson as well.

Sevigny's character is the only other one (besides Casper) in the movie that I cared about, although her fate is a little preachy and predictable if you took health class in high school. Dawson and the other girls were all so annoying that I couldn't sympathize with any of them and wanted them to go away whenever they were on screen.

I noticed quite a few similarities with the movie Alpha Dog. Both are stories about teens who get in over their heads by trying to act badass. The major difference is that Alpha Dog was centered around some very extraordinary events and Kids was a "slice of life" movie, taking place over the course of a few days when not too much happens. But both suffer from the same problem: very inauthentic-feeling "hangout" scenes. When both the males and the females are hanging out with their groups, the joking, ballbreaking, storytelling and bragging is pretty brutal to tolerate. It took me out of what was otherwise a realistic-feeling and moving tragic story. And I understand that director Larry Clark was trying to drive home his point by shocking us with behavior that does indeed go on among teens as young as these, but some of the stuff he showed us was indulgent and downright gratuitous.

The unfortunate thought I was left with when it was over was "What was the point?" The best answer I can come up with is that it is a reminder that events like these really happen more than most of us would like to admit. Most of the characters even reminded me of a person or two with whom I grew up. But Kids steadfastly insists on making the viewer feel uncomfortable by presenting situation after situation in which characters do exactly what you hope they won't. It is pretty much just a series of bad things happening with no redemption or lessons learned. I recognize that a movie can be unpleasant to watch and still be very, very good (like Requiem for a Dream), but Kids has too many flaws to fall into that bucket. I maintain that the disturbing way that the end of the movie unfolded was well put together and could have been the end to a good movie, but the first three quarters didn't do a good enough job setting it up for the ending to hit hard as hard as it could have.

Rolling rankings:
1. Jackie Brown (#173)
2. Avatar (#176)
3. Sherlock Holmes (#178)
4. Adventureland (#170)
5. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (#172)
6. The Cove (#177)
7. Julie and Julia (#175)
8. Kids (#179)
9. Angels & Demons (#174)
10. The American Nightmare (#171)

Movie 178: Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes (2009) by Guy Ritchie

starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law



In a nutshell: An all-around enjoyable movie. Enough Guy Ritchie flair so that you know its his work, but not so much that it overshadows the iconic detective and his sidekick.

Quick synopsis: Sherlock Holmes and John Watson try to solve the mystery of a man whom Watson himself declared dead after his execution, but has seemingly risen from the dead.

Content: Guy Ritchie has finally made another good movie. It has been a long time since his career peaked with the excellent Snatch in 2000. He had gone a little off the reservation with his last few movies and needed an established foundation for a movie to get back on track. What better foundation for this purpose than one of the most prolific franchises in media history? Ritchie stays true to the spirit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous creation, even while applying his trademark flair. Robert Downey Jr's version of Holmes is certainly more eccentric than some other versions of the character, but he conveys the necessary brilliance, even if the depth of it only becomes apparent as Holmes explains everything towards the end.

Jude Law does just fine as Watson. I was worried about his ability not to overact as he has been known to do from time to time (see: The Holiday), but shockingly, he did an excellent job disappearing into the character. I have heard complaints that Law's characterization doesn't match the Watson that we know and love, but this is only partially true. The portrayals of Watson as a bumbling Englishman are from a few select movies that just happen to stand out in our memories. The Watson in this movie seems to be far closer to the original version from the books: a strapping and able former military man who has the commons sense to compliment Holmes' analytical genius. Well done, Jude. You surprised me.

Rachel McAdams was fine but probably not necessary, other than to make the movie appeal to women a bit more by supplying a strong female character. And I don't know anything about this Mark Strong guy, but he was very good as the evil Lord Blackwood. Very creepy. Love the crooked tooth.

I think that Guy Ritchie did a much better job of maintaining the "style" of Sherlock Holmes than I ever expected. Sure, he included a little more action than was necessary, but it didn't take away from the necessary elements much. Although my memories of reading some of the Holmes short stories in my freshman writing seminar are admittedly sketchy, I pretty sure traditional Holmes story structure made it through largely intact. The books are told from Watson's perspective. Although the movie gives us an impartial 3rd person perspective instead, it still has the same effect of not letting us into Holmes' head until he lets us in.

Like the books, the movie gives us the essential clues to solving the mystery along the way - items in the background for which no explanation is given. I hoped that these would be important (and not just scenery), and I was not let down. Every clue that Holmes cites at the end when he explains everything was shown to us at one time or another...exactly the way it should have been done. However it would have been nearly impossible for an audience to completely solve the mystery for two reasons. First, the breadth of knowledge and odd facts required is greater than almost anyone has. And second, a few liberties are taken with science, but exactly the same type of liberties are taken in the books. The bottom line is that if some of the "science" in a movie like The Prestige ruined it for you then 1) Holmes maye same effect on you and 2) lighten up...

Rolling rankings:
1. Where The Wild Things Are (#169)
2. Jackie Brown (#173)

3. Avatar (#176)
4. Sherlock Holmes (#178)

5. Adventureland (#170)
6. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (#172)
7. The Cove (#177)
8. Julie and Julia (#175)
9. Angels & Demons (#174)
10. The American Nightmare (#171)

New Week...New Tunes

As the first month of 2010 draws to a close, I think I need to share some great new tunes with the world. There is some great new stuff out there.

Vampire Weekend - Cousins

The new Vampire Weekend song didn't live up to the best of the first album upon first listen, but it is growing on me very fast.



OK Go - This Too Shall Pass

An underrated band that I am hoping will come visit the Bowery Ballroom soon. This clip will be available on youtube for a limited time only. Skip straight to the final commercial break.



Ray LaMontagne - Trouble

Maybe this one isn't so new, but it's been in a commercial recently, so it's fresh in my mind. What a great voice when it isn't being used to crack the American dentist office airways (which seems to be what he is usually going for).



Phantom Planet - Raise the Dead

Another very underrated band, sadly best-remembered for the theme song for The OC even though the two albums that followed blew away the pop-rock hook-heavy sound of "California". Raise the Dead is typical of their more recent songs. Melodic verses slowly build in a crescendo of sound until they completely let loose in a chorus that feels like it, quite literally, could raise the dead. I couldn't find an album version to post, but I strongly recommend seeking it out.



And at the risk of embarrassing myself, I will throw in one guilty pleasure

Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart

In today's music scene, solo artists of her tremendous all-around talent are few and far between. I cannot help but admire her. In addition to her vocal and instrumental talent, she is one heck of a songwriter. Not to mention the fact that she is not exactly unattractive. Her performance of this song was a bright spot in an otherwise poor episode of SNL hosted by Charles Barkley (...what did they expect?). I couldn't find that version, but here's something close.

A Pair of Books

I restocked my pile of reading material around the holidays and even managed to read a bit. Below are short reviews of the two books I've finished so far this year along with a quick look at what's next in the pile.

Liars Poker by Michael Lewis



Liars Poker is Michael Lewis' first book and the story of the first few years of his career, spent as a bond salesman with Solomon Brothers. Lewis has since gone on to write best sellers Moneyball and The Blind Side (yes, the movie is based on it), but this is where it all started for him. He reveals himself to be an extremely entertaining storyteller when discussing his years spent as a star salesman for one of the world's leading bond shops. His self-deprecating tone makes him a very likable character, even when he is confessing his most shameful acts. An excellent book full of stories that are not easy to believe. It certainly won't improve the image of the big wall street banks in anyone's eyes though, even if things have come a long way since the '80's.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown



In the years that have passed since I read the Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, their author experienced a bit of the backlash which typically comes along with the type of success his books experienced. At one time, the only bad things being said about Dan Brown's books were by the overly religious who couldn't tell the difference between fiction and non-fiction. But as time passed, I started to hear more snide comments about his very simplistic writing style and use of very short chapters and very frequent cliffhangers to artificially amp up the tension. Combine this with the two decidedly sub-par movie adaptations and I was starting to become convinced that the books were not as good as a remembered. That is until I picked up a copy of Brown's brand new book, The Lost Symbol, and was reminded why his books were so popular in the first place. I could hardly put it down (due partially to his short chapter trick that makes it VERY easy to say "just one more chapter"). In fact, I raced through the final 150 pages in one day. Some people will pick on Brown's work because of some iffy science, but these people need to be reminded that Brown writes FICTION. What's important is that his science is close enough to reality that it seems believable, even if it isn't correct. Don't get worked up that the antimatter bomb in Angels & Demons isn't real. Just remember that you found the book in the fiction section of your local bookstore or library.

Dan Brown is the literary equivalent of great "popcorn movie" along the lines of Pirates of the Caribbean or Indiana Jones. It's not going to give you a new perspective on life, but it will entertain endlessly. Highly recommended.



I'm already one chapter into my next book, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, which is off to a fantastic start

In my pile:
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
SuperFreakonomics by Levitt/Dubner
Baseball Between the Numbers by the Baseball Prospectus team
The Blind Side by Michael Lewis (probably wouldn't have bought this, but it was a gift)
The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman

...and hopefully soon to be added to the pile:
Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Movie 177: The Cove

The Cove (2009) by Louie Psihoyos
featuring Ric O'Barry, et al.

In a nutshell: A fascinating piece of investigative journalism - also doubling as a sort of propaganda - that will serve as a call to action for animal-lovers worldwide, but may ultimately fall a little short in its ability to change anyone's general stance on the matter

Quick synopsis: A group of dolphin activists attempts to reveal the horrific practices associated with the exploitation of dolphins in Japan.

Content: The Cove is a fascinating account of some dolphin activists' attempts to draw attention to what they claim are barbaric practices of one Japanese town desperately trying to keep them out. So, the documentary works on two levels. First, it is a Michael Moore-style documentary about the evils of hunting dolphins, meant to outrage its viewers so that they take action. Second it is an impartial account of some people with a mission, going to the ends of the earth to accomplish it. The Cove is unique in that it manages to be one film to some while another film to others, so that even if you don't agree with the activists stance, you can still enjoy an interesting study of devoted people or of the eternal struggle between two sides, neither of whom can relate to the other.

On the first level, a viewer's ability to become outraged ultimately lies in the viewer's inherent opinion on whether dolphins are any different than cattle or hogs. The activists clearly feel that slaughtering a dolphin is more akin to murder than it is to killing the livestock that we eat every day. If you are an animal lover, what is happening in Taiji (the Japanese town) will outrage you and you really shouldn't go asking questions about the beef, chicken and pork industries. But if not, then the film will probably not change your mind. The only proof offered by The Cove that killing these dolphins (which are not endangered, by the way) is more of a crime than the killing of "lesser" animals is a few amusing anecdotes that most of us have heard before, including dolphins saving surfers from sharks and even a dolphin committing suicide. Not really any hard proof, though.

Although I am by no means an animal rights activist, I tend to support the anti-dolphin killing people. Not because of the intelligence of these creatures, though. I was bothered by its needlessness. The dolphin meat is sold, but by most accounts, it is not exactly a delicacy and is actually somewhat poisonous due to high levels of mercury. The Japanese fishermen seem to be handcuffed by tradition into thinking that their annual slaughter must carry on, but in today's world, I think that no natural resource should be wasted without reason like these dolphins are.

On the second level, the film shines. It takes a group of people, dedicated to the point of obsession, and defines their holy grail: footage of what is happening in Taiji's top secret cove. We then get to watch these people plan and attempt their covert operation. The obtaining of the footage was not powerful to me because of what they found, but because it meant so much to these people. Watching them confront the people making excuses for the Japanese with cold hard proof that lies were being told was very powerful because it represented the culmination of years and years of work - lifetimes dedicated to a cause finally being validated. Knowing that it is real and that the stakes are very high (life and death is not a huge stretch based on what we are told) makes it almost as suspenseful as the best thrillers of the year.

Even if you don't care much about the issues at stake, it's worth watching The Cove. You won't see anything else quite like it and you will be on the edge of your seat at times.

Rolling rankings:
1. Inglourious Basterds (#168)
2. Where The Wild Things Are (#169)
3. Jackie Brown (#173)
4. Avatar (#176)
5. Adventureland (#170)
6. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (#172)
7. The Cove (#177)
8. Julie and Julia (#175)
9. Angels & Demons (#174)
10. The American Nightmare (#171)