CHASING MAVERICKS (Curtis Hansen and Michael Apted, 20th Century Fox, 2012)

Know this right now. It is impossible for me to write anything about CHASING MAVERICKS (Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted, 20th Century Fox, 2012) without gushing like a giddy school girl discussing her first crush. I read the script a few weeks back and it had me simultaneously near tears and fully stoked to paddle across Monterey Bay. With this level of expectation it would be easy for a film to fall under that much weight, to get crushed like a kook going over the falls at Mavericks. And while the film doesn't fail miserably it doesn't succeed in the way I wanted it to. This in no way means I wasn't completely and utterly captivated and fully stoked! I don't often like to read a script just prior to a films release as it, like reviews or blogs, tend to give me a distorted view upon watching the film. With CHASING MAVERICKS there was quite simply no option when it came to reading it. I am completely obsessed with surfing; I think about surfing constantly. So if a movie about surfing is coming out not much is stopping me from seeing it immediately. When the script came my way a few weeks back of course I read it. And this is the immediate problem I see with the film, the finished product doesn't match the written word. The narrative to the film is a great one. The tale of Jay Moriarity (Jonny Weston) is one of inspiration and pride. His story makes me want to be not only a better surfer but a better person and his story gives me great pride in that I do surf and I do strive to reach an ideal he sets forth. This narrative is well developed and involving with complete character development and full story arcs. It is at times humorous and at others full of emotion and love. The father/son dynamic to the story is touching and hits me on a personal level. Yet the film as a whole falls flat, something is missing. All the ingredients are there only it's as if they didn't follow the directions in putting everything together. And this is a shame because this could have been a great film otherwise. What is done remarkably is the casting to the film, the performances turned in by the actors and the chemistry achieved between certain pairings of actors. Each of the top five billed actors does a good job and is good casting for the role. Jonny Weston nails the likability and determination of Jay; his smile and attitude are infectious. This spills over into his relationships within the narrative. The father/son dynamic with Frosty (Gerard Butler) is touching as I mentioned but as they struggle to come to grips with what they mean to each other you find yourself pulling for these two men. The same can be said for Jay and Kim (Leven Rambin), two sweethearts destined for each other. Finally, how great is it to see Elisabeth Shue as Kristy Moriarity, Jay's mother. Was it really twenty five years ago that Shue was Danny LaRusso's teen love interest in THE KARATE KID? One aspect of the film is simply outstanding and that is the cinematography of Bill Pope. There are times when you feel as if you are in the water with the performers; maybe paddling across the bay, maybe surfing some ten foot swell. They also did not appear to use a tank for any shots (one of the most maddening things mainstream surf films do, think Point Break). What Pope did successfully is he made the wave at Mavericks a character within the narrative. Looming large and foreboding, the wave was a menacing force, something to be taken with life or death seriousness. The spectacular cinematography in the film helped humanize the wave as well as adding gravity to the narrative. I felt Pope did the most remarkable work in the film unless that was truly Gerard Butler surfing early in the film. Damn, not only is he a good actor starring in films with beautiful women but he surfs that well? Some guys have all the luck! I guess all I can do is try to live like Jay.

THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (Walter Selles, Focus Features, 2004)

It is not often that a film is good enough or powerful enough to enable you to feel the entire array of human emotion as well as inspiring the viewer to want to be a better person and to accomplish more in life. THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (Walter Selles, Focus Features, 2004) is just such a film; powerful, emotional and inspirational. It definitely is one of those films I wished I had watched sooner but still I am honored to have seen it when I did. The film is absolutely beautiful. The cinematography is spectacular with such an array of the beauty of South America as to be breathtaking. The picturesque shots of the Andes, the South American countryside and the different countries accompany our characters along their journey. We are on the journey with the two protagonists through this visual feast. Also, along the way we see numerous black and white stills, particularly of the indigenous people's of the country. This creates a striking juxtaposition to the panoramic beauty of the country. We see the people as part of the land but are left with the feeling they are being ripped from it. Even so it is one spectacular shot that I will remember most vividly. As Ernesto (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Alberto (Rafael de la Serna) are river bound to the leper colony of San Pablo a shot is crafted wrapping itself around the boat they are on. As the camera moves around the boat the sun slowly sets as the camera moves. Obviously some effects were added but a stunning shot was created, one which made me sit up and immediately take note. And for me this film became a personal viewing experience because of moments like the one I just described but also due to the thematic content the film provided me as an individual. The film is thought provoking to say the least. I want to read more about Che Guevara, know truly what kind of man he was. This film provides a glimpse into a journey that transformed him but it leaves me wanting more. At the same time the film is motivational to me. I question myself and wonder what I have done with my life, have I lived it fully and/or accomplished all that I can? Our protagonists rode a beat up motorcycle halfway up the South American continent and walked and hitched the rest, all with little or no money and relying on the generosity and kindness of strangers. There is nothing that cannot be accomplished if desire resides in your heart and mind. Finally the film provides real emotion. Not forced, not manipulated. There are moments of laughter, sadness and shock and revelation. All natural. If anything this film provides impetus to be more in life and can any film want to achieve more than that? I think not and I truly believe I am a better person for having seen this film.

LOOPER, (Rian Johnson, TriStar Pictures, 2012)

In LOOPER (Rian Johnson, TriStar Pictures, 2012), assassins from the present patiently wait in empty cornfields for men to be sent to them through time to be assassinated. These men sent through time are other assassins or 'loopers' and eventually the present day assassin ends up killing their future self. At this point the present day assassin is retired and gets to live out the remainder of their lives knowing that exactly forty years later they will be sent back through time to be killed, closing their loop. The idea strikes me that this is a marvelous concept particularly if it could be applied to either watching a film or even simply reading about, hearing of or seeing a films trailer. I would immediately loop back to the point where I had never heard a word about LOOPER and therefore be able to enjoy the film for what it is, a decent thriller; not a smart and inventive new style of film which is what I wished I hadn't read prior to seeing the film. Which is not to say the film isn't damn good, the film just doesn't evoke memories of classics such as BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (George Roy Hill, 20th Century Fox, 1969) or even THE MATRIX (Larry and Andy Wachowski, Warner Bros., 1999) for that matter. LOOPER provides a unique and innovative narrative. It is well developed, not overly hard to follow and if anything maybe a little too tidy in its conclusion. What it is not is a film that blows your mind. I remember after watching THE MATRIX for the first time instantly wanting to watch it again, speaking softly to myself "what the hell has just happened to the way I look at things"? That's a mind blowing film, one that changes they way you look at things. And LOOPER is not the that nor is it the type of film where I can see myself re-watching it time and again, gaining nuance and appreciation with each viewing like I do with BUTCH AND SUNDANCE. In the end I think what ultimately derailed LOOPER for me is the mistake I made of buying into the comments I had heard about just how 'great' it was. As always, never believe the hype. One thing I can believe is that cinematographers and directors are constantly coming up with brilliant things to do with the camera and cinematography to their films. I really liked the visual style created here by Johnson and cinematographer Steve Yedlin. They used different camera set-ups and placement to give us a unique glimpse into the world of the film. They allowed the camera and by extension our sight to linger, to gaze at its inhabitants, to soak in all that they had created. The film just exists with a different look and feel. Also looking different is the star of the film Joseph Gordon Levitt. A great makeup job gives him the Bruce Willis nose and lends credence to the narrative. The performances of both Willis and Levitt are both rather good and what can I say about Emily Blunt? I mean already she is absolutely stunning and here in the film she looks great but her British accent is not only gone it is replaced with an American south one. There is nothing I don't love about her. There were a few things I didn't love in the film. Time travel does not exist and the capabilities more than likely will never be within our reach. Yet Hollywood insists on using time travel in its narratives. When a film does this I immediately think the film is using a narrative crutch and this weakens the narrative for me. I cannot take a film seriously if it so outrageously looks past universal laws of physics. Finally, the little boy in this film was scary as hell. But that's the problem, he belongs in a horror film not this one. Sure hope the poor guy isn't typecast. LOOPER is a pretty decent flick, just not what I would consider amazing.

BAD TEACHER (Jake Kasdan, Columbia, 2011)

There are times when I need to shut my mind off. To not think about anything, to watch a film that doesn't render any greater meaning or feeling is usually my choice of activities and the other night I had the perfect movie to watch. BAD TEACHER (Jake Kasdan, Columbia, 2011) is just such a movie, a mindless time filler. There are some charming moments, like anytime Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz) interacts with her students yet these moments are few and far between. Diaz does give a bold and provocative performance, turning the expected behavior of a teacher on its ear. She looks good, acts bad and makes every male audience member wish he had her as a teacher growing up. At the same time, the roles of Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch) and Lynn Davies (Phyllis Smith) are nice counterparts to Elizabeth, providing great comic foils to her disastrous teaching. Conversely the character of Russell Gettis (Jason Segal) is allowed to languish in obscurity, never fully becoming a large part of the narrative. And the Scott DeLaCorte (Justin Timberlake) is not only annoying, sad and desperate but on screen way too much. Flip around the screen time for those two male characters and the narrative gets a little better. The film is not very memorable at all except for one great scene and that is the car wash scene. Diaz goes all out in her slutty turn as teacher gone wrong here, shocking her students, teasing her pre-pubescent boys and completely titillating any passing male parent. The scene is also a great homage to 80's hair bands and their videos and it provides a particularly great use of the song "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake. And if memory serves I think Tawny Kitaen slithered all over a car in the video for that song. Ah the 80's, last bastion of morality in America. So, if you have nothing to do, if you love 80's hair bands and their songs, if you would like to punch JT in the face at times and if you think Cameron Diaz is incredibly smoking hot then try to catch BAD TEACHER. I think it's right up your alley.