BuzzSugar

Valkyrie: Shallow and Underwhelming

BuzzSugar — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:30:18 -0800

While there are a zillion World War II movies out there already, I kept an open mind going into the Tom Cruise star vehicle Valkyrie. Sure, this is a movie that has been dogged by bad press from start to finish (even due, in part, to the fact that Cruise is a Scientologist) but I can see that there is a fascinating movie to be made out of a German resistance movement involving Nazi officers in Adolf Hitler's inner circle.

High-ranking, aristocratic officers attempting to assassinate Hitler? There's so much to explore here! Were these men heroes? Or was it a desperate and calculated power grab when it was clear the Germans were losing the war? What did these men know about the mass murders of Jews that had taken place and when did they know it? Did any of them, including Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) who led one of the most daring plots to kill Hitler, have a genuine crisis of conscience? And if so, what does that kind of moral awakening look like?

In a war that is often depicted very starkly as good vs. evil, within the German rank and file there were shades of gray and this makes for interesting psychological thriller fodder for sure. So why did Cruise and director Bryan Singer forego that kind of film in favor of a totally reductive, shallow, glossy, big-budget flick that will leave you feeling underwhelmed and a little icky because you just spent over an hour rooting for Nazis? I really don't know, but let's talk about it. Just read more.

First of all, I'm a little baffled at how little characterization exists in this movie. We are asked to very simply and easily accept these men as heroes and root for them when they are Nazis, for Pete's sake. Just trying to kill Hitler and place yourself and your pals into power isn't quite enough to make us care. And at times it's hard to root for people you know are going to fail because - spoiler alert? - Hitler survives the assassination attempt and World War II continues on.

The whole experience is confusing to say the least. For example, in the opening scene we see Cruise on the ground in Africa fighting on behalf of Hitler's Germany when the "enemy" (that would be the Allied forces fighting to stop Hitler from totally destroying Europe) airplanes zoom in to launch an air strike and bodies go flying everywhere. Instinctively my sympathy went toward the soldiers on the ground, but then. . . aren't these Nazis? Who am I rooting for here? And why?

My fundamental issues with the filmmakers' approach aside, the real question is: Is it entertaining popcorn cinema? And in my opinion the answer is no, not really. It's not the laugh-riot some thought it might be (Cruise, Nazis, eye-patch, ya know) thanks in part to a solid cast that props the movie up, including Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and Eddie Izzard. It's not a very satisfying experience that fails to keep viewers on the edges of their seats, save the moment when Cruise's character attempts to plant a bomb quite literally under Hitler's feet. There's also a nicely executed political coup late in the movie that is captivating to watch - an example of the potential this movie had.

Finally, at the center of this wannabe-blockbuster is one of the most self-conscious performances of Cruise's career in which he takes all that burning intensity he so often brings to the silver screen and buries it away. I've read that part of Stauffenberg's heroism was his ability to recruit others to his cause based on sheer charisma and charm. Never would have guessed that from this portrayal.

Photos courtesy of MGM

Prince Caspian: Heavy on the Battle Scenes

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:05:02 -0700

In Hollywood, despite major examples to the contrary, the general school of thought during the summer (especially when adapting fantasy stories) seems to be to rely on battle scenes and action in order to keep audiences riveted, rather than focusing on just telling a good story. This definitely appears to be the dominating mindset of the filmmakers in charge of the second installment of Disney's Narnia franchise, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Capsian. And I'm confused as to why this approach was taken with Prince Caspian when C.S. Lewis has given us a great, fantastical story to work with that even comes with nice allegorical ties to the real world, offering kids lessons in love, courage and honor.

This is my fundamental gripe about an otherwise entertaining movie. Because, sure, while there are some people who could watch giant armies storm an open field and men sweat and grunt as they battle each other for hours, there is no question the kids at my screening grew tired of all that. In fact, the girl next to me who was no older than 10 spent a good portion of the movie with her head buried in her father's shoulder, as it was just a little too violent and scary to endure (some people are even saying it's too violent for the PG rating).

To read more about why I think filmmakers missed an opportunity to tell a great story, read more.

The opening of the movie is promisingly filled with tension as Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to the Telmarine throne (a race of men that invaded Narnia after Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie left) is driven into the forest after his uncle attempts to assassinate him in the night. Right off the bat the musical score is wonderful, our hearts are racing, and we're treated to sweeping views of fields, mountains and cliffs. When Prince Caspian (played by newcomer Ben Barnes who is super cute but saddled with an unfortunate "Telmarine" accent) blows a horn left by Susan, she and her siblings are once again whisked back to Narnia after a year away in London. However, when they return they discover it's now been 1300 years since they ruled as kings and queens and the Telmarines have driven the Narnians underground and out of the history books.

The Pevensies get to work helping Caspian reclaim his throne so he can bring peace between the two races. This is where I wish we could have spent some time discovering the "what"s and "why"s of all that has happened to Narnia by this new race of men, in order to give the film some depth to balance out the violence. Instead, these details are glossed over and we're launched into one battle after another. There isn't a ton of blood and for the most part they are well-executed (I especially like watching Susan do battle with her arrows) but for a movie that is very long (almost two and half hours) I felt like parents and children alike would have preferred more character moments and less Narnians getting beaten to death (and in one instance, beheaded).

Case in point: Reepicheep the Mouse - voiced by Eddie Izzard! - is absolutely charming and at my screening he was the best part of the film for the kids, judging by their laughter and sheer glee every time he was on the screen. There's also a lovely scene in which Lucy is swept away into the forest with the tree spirits and again, the kids in my screening sat upright, wide-eyed as they watched the little girl make her way through a magical land. I found myself yearning for more of that good stuff.

And as for that little girl sitting next to me, I got the feeling she would have also swapped more time with Reepicheep and other Narnians for most of the fight scenes. At the end of the day, I wish the filmmakers would have (as C.S. Lewis might have urged them) had a little faith and just told a great story.

For the trailer and more videos from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney

Interview: Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver on The Riches

BuzzSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:30:27 -0700

The Riches, FX's series about a family trying to steal and swindle their way to the American dream, begins its second season tonight. The show was able to complete just seven episodes before the writers' strike shut down production, but as star Eddie Izzard said in a recent chat with reporters, that just meant this season will have a tighter, quicker pace. He and co-star Minnie Driver had quite a lot to say about the series; here are highlights from the conversation:

On having just seven episodes this season because of the strike:
Izzard: "The writers were obviously aware of this beforehand, and so we built a sort of cliffhanger halfway through the season. So it really didn’t hurt us in any way. . . . The first season, if you watched it all the way through, the tone does move around somewhat. The second season, we just sort of knew where we were going, we locked down, we got on the railway lines, and we just went full steam ahead. So I think it makes it like a tighter punch."
On whether a viewer could start with season two having not seen season one:
Minnie Driver: "I honestly think that condensed trailer that you get at the beginning of any new season is enough to fill you in on where you’re at. And really, if you just read a blurb that says, “A couple of con artists and their kids trying to steal the American dream, move into a rich neighborhood in Louisiana,” you’re kind of good to go. I mean, I think that’s what’s wonderful about our show is that you can explain it really quickly, it’s high concept, and the characters are very immediate. And certainly, we pick up literally 15 seconds after where we left off at the end of season one, so you’re coming straight in, in a really dramatic place."

For more, and to watch a clip from tonight's episode, just read more.

On what's driving Dahlia this season:
Minnie Driver: "From my point of view with Dahlia, yes, she’s led by the truth, or her version of the truth, in this season and wanting to kind of cleanse herself of all of the deceit. She wants to be this new person, but I don’t think she has any idea of who the old person is. So wanting to be somebody new presents a huge challenge, and it’s very interesting and very kind of psychologically challenging to follow her down this rabbit hole."
On Dahlia and Wayne's tough relationship:
Eddie Izzard: "Well, at the moment it’s heading towards a sort of train wreck, and we won’t wreck the train. I’ve always thought that their ambition is similar, because they’re quite different people, but they’ve got this ambition thing. They kind of want it all and in different ways. And I think that’s going to keep them together, and there’s a love that’s underneath it."
On whether people actually could believe in and live a life like the Malloys/Riches:
Minnie Driver: "America likes to look at itself as this kind of straightforward picket fence ideal, when the reality of what’s going on is much rarer than that, and it’s much stranger. And I think we are fictionalizing an element of kind of Americana that people don’t want to think about, which is that I think a ton of people are coloring outside of the lines, they just maybe don’t want to admit it. And here we are kind of admitting it and going, you know what, this is literally what we do for a living and we’ve got a taste for it."

Photo and video courtesy of FX

First Look: The Riches, Season 2

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:32:47 -0700

The Riches, FX's drama about a family of Irish travelers trying to swindle their way to the American Dream, returns a week from tonight for its second season - and things aren't looking so good for the ~~Riches~~ Malloys. The first season was spent building their lies and getting their ritzy new community to believe them; now, it appears that their precarious dream life is about to collapse.

Maybe that's not giving enough credit to Doug Rich/Wayne Malloy (Eddie Izzard), the first-class con man who's always been able to get his family out of any jam up till now. But this time around, the rest of the Malloys - especially Wayne's wife, Dahlia (Minnie Driver) - don't seem to be as on board with his scams. It looks like an interesting new dynamic for a family that's gotten where they are by working as a unit, them against the world.

The Riches will only have seven episodes this season as a result of the writers' strike, so I'd expect things to move pretty quickly from the start of the March 18 premiere. To check out a couple of clips with scenes from the season and interviews with the stars, just read more.

Photos and video courtesy of FX

Learn to Scam with The Riches Webisodes

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:30:09 -0800

Ever wanted to be a professional con artist? Let Doug Rich teach you how. On the first-season DVD for FX's The Riches, which comes out on Tuesday, several of the bonus features show Doug (Eddie Izzard) teaching his kids how to con.

Best Buy has a few of the clips online now - including two that are exclusive to the Web site and won't be included on the DVD. It's so great to see this dysfunctional family in action again. Season two is slated for this spring, but FX hasn't announced a premiere date yet; I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, you can check out several of the Webisodes, plus a recap of season one, on the Best Buy site. Or, to watch my favorite video, in which a jaded Cael and Delilah brush off their dad's lessons on how to turn nothing into something, just read more.

Photo courtesy of FX

"Drive" Gets Parked, While FX Shows Get Good News

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:50:55 -0700

Well, the 37 of you who said "Drive" would be off the air within five episodes were right: Fox slammed the brakes on the show today, according to Variety. None of the four episodes that aired got good ratings, but this week's situation was particularly dire: The show finished fourth in its time slot, with the fewest viewers yet.

I didn't think the first episode was that bad, but it also didn't compel me to watch again. I guess it's official that Tim Minear + Nathan Fillion + Fox = early death, as I'm sure "Firefly" fans can attest. Two more episodes of "Drive" were produced, and Fox hasn't announced whether they'll be shown on TV or only online. In the meantime, reruns of "House" will be filling "Drive"'s spot.

Fans of "Dirt" and "The Riches" got better news today, though: The FX president said he expects both shows to get second seasons. While I like "The Riches" more than I liked "Dirt," I'm glad to see FX continuing its tradition of supporting unusual, edgy shows.

Photo courtesy of Fox

TV Tonight: "The Riches"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 05:30:23 -0700

Often, a TV show will have parts I absolutely love but won't quite hold up as a whole. "The Riches," though, is the rare show that's the opposite: It's lacking in the details, but over its first four episodes, I've found it well worth watching.

When I'm in the mood to nitpick, I can harp on a number of things about the show: Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver sound so fake as Southerners; the part of the story about the travelers' camp where they used to live, which I thought would be fascinating, has become the most boring piece of the show; and I simply cannot believe that the original Doug and Cherien Rich have not been found dead yet by curious relatives or friends.

And yet, the show has a certain overall effect that makes me stick with it. Wayne/Doug (Izzard), especially, is compelling as a con man piling lie on top of lie to keep his new life afloat. Dahlia/Cherien (Driver) - though still a caricature with her myriad addictions - is becoming more tolerable. There was a scene in last week's episode where Wayne (pretending to be someone else, of course) placed a phone call to Dahlia during a scam and turned it into an apology for the mess their lives had become, and it was absolutely heartbreaking, horrid accents aside. And while two of the three kids' stories aren't quite clicking for me yet, middle child Di Di is fun to watch as the member of the family who seems to be adjusting to "normal" life the fastest. For more on tonight's episode and to watch a video, read more

Tonight's episode sounds especially intriguing: Dahlia takes a job as a dental hygienist, presumably to have access to troves of her favorite drugs, and Wayne faces a tough situation at work that could expose him as a total fraud. I couldn't find a video preview, so check out this clip about the life of Doug Rich instead:

Photo courtesy of FX

TV Tonight: "The Riches"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 05:08:55 -0700

Ask me to name you a comedy genius, and one of the first names I'd offer is Eddie Izzard. I've been laughing at his standup specials for years, and I'm eager to see him try some darker material in his new FX show, "The Riches," which premieres tonight at 10 p.m.

Here's the story, in brief: Wayne Malloy (Izzard) and his wife Dahlia (Minnie Driver) lead a family of con artists who travel the country on the margins of society, proud not to have a permanent home. But then a fluke car accident kills Doug and Cherien Rich and leaves the Malloys with the keys to their new house, giving the Malloys a shot at the mansion, the good schools, the pricey televisions, and all the other markers of the American Dream. It's an interesting premise, but I'm nervous about a few things, so to hear more - and to see a preview with interviews with Izzard and Driver - read more

Despite the cool story, I have a few reservations: In the clips I've seen, Minnie Driver's attempt at a Southern accent makes me cringe. And I hate that the family's last name is Rich; when writers do that kind of obvious wordplay (see also: "The Wedding Bells") I just want to grab them by the shoulders and say, "We get it."

The reviews from critics who have seen the premiere episode are clearly divided into love it or hate it. Still, I'll be setting my TiVo for tonight and giving the show a chance. Check out the preview and let me know what you think.

Photo courtesy of FX