Review: Happy-Go-Lucky

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
It is so rare to watch a movie that motivates you to look at your life in a different way. Even rarer still is a movie that makes you want to take a more positive outlook on life, instead of the other way around (seriously, how dark and dreary are our "serious" films these days? not that I'm really complaining, since I'm a glutton for a good tragedy).

"Happy-Go-Lucky" is about the different ways that people live their lives: some, like an abused boy in Poppy's class, have psychological choices made for them. But, if we're lucky, we have a choice. Everyone's worldview is different-- heavily influenced by their environment, but also individually-crafted. When someone's bike gets stolen, they might shout or curse, or call the police. What does Poppy do? She shrugs her shoulders and says with a smile, "I didn't even get to say goodbye!"

Poppy (played brilliantly by Sally Hawkins) has chosen to be happy; others choose to be angry, or to be sad, or to be something in between, but Poppy wants to be happy, and wants others to be happy, too.

In the beginning she is someone that annoys most of us. With her effortless optimistic and constant energy, she was obnoxious enough to make me roll my eyes more than once. Doesn't everyone just hate people like that? Why are they so happy?

But stick it out, because by the end you might understand why Poppy is happy. In other films, you might expect there to be this "hidden side"-- this dark and painful interior that is masked by a bubbly expression and charming wit. What is radical about this film is that that simply isn't the case. You have to see just how complex this character truly is, but it is not in the way you might expect.

Mike Leigh has made a character study for a film, peeling back the layers of this optimistic schoolteacher until we see that, more than just being peppy, she is a truly good person and genuinely cares. Honestly, how many people can we say that about, both in real life and in Hollywood? In one scene she approaches a homeless man who is sitting alone outside, shouting incoherently to himself. He repeats the same things over and over, then pauses only long enough to say, "You know?" Poppy listens intently and replies sincerely, "I know." She was probably the first person to talk to him in days-- weeks, even-- and she not only talks; she listens. Poppy wants to be happy, so others will be happy.

If only it were that simple.

At exactly the same moment that we (the viewers) are all thinking it, Poppy's roommate Zoe suggests, "You can't make everyone happy." Poppy's response? "But there's no harm in trying, is there?"

And really, is there?

See this movie immediately-- not because it is a particularly funny comedy, or even all that warm and fuzzy, but because it is a brilliant, inspiring portrait of a genuinely good person. When was the last time you saw a movie like that?

And afterward, when you are feeling short-tempered or put-upon (which I know I feel daily on my commute), you will be asking yourself, "What would Poppy do?" That lasting impression is the mark of a great movie. I cannot recommend it enough.

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Review: The Visitor

The Visitor (2007)
It has been a rare few weeks without a single movie watched. The start of a job will do that to you. My first return to my blissful comfort zone was The Visitor, by the director of The Station Agent. I am sure that does not register with a lot of you, but having seen his previous work I knew what to expect from this one.

The Visitor lived up to all my expectations. Like Thomas McCarthy's previous film, this Sundance hit is a wonderful little indie gem, full of surprising acting chops and highly relatable characters. In the end, that is really the strength of this film: the characters are wholly authentic. Every blink, every frown, every smile is as real as you can find in the movies today.

The plot follows an emotionally-detatched intellectual (Richard Jenkins) continously mourning the death of his wife. When he goes to his NYC apartment for a conference, he finds two illegal immigrants living there. Instead of freaking out, he invites them to stay.

I am sure you can guess the rest (emotional awakening! the value of connecting with people! the issue of immigration in post-9/11 USA! etc). The story is a bit clunky at times, and maybe a bit heavy-handed, but the individual characterizations are so refreshingly realistic that the heavy-hand is lightened by their easy nature.

The highlight of this film for me was when the two older characters found a companionship they had long stopped seeking out. This type of storyline is rarely played out right. Sometimes, as in Something's Gotta Give, it is just awkward. Oftentimes, it is cheesy, or ignored altogether. In The Visitor, the subtle connection is explored with the appropriate amount of reserve, respect, and care.

This movie is about the happy and sad surprises in our lives, and how inextricable they are from each other. Ultimately, life becomes just one long string of them. But, the moral of the story is that each of them shapes us. Hopefully, in the end, we can find a way to adapt to being happy.

And, it is so nice to watch a movie that is not populated exclusively by the Beautiful People Club™. Even indie films have gotten too beautiful lately.

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Amy Adams & the Rom Com Genre

I think it's pretty safe to say that anyone who has seen Amy Adams in a film has fallen in love with her. Or, at least, it is very hard to dislike her infectious optimism and lighthearted innocence. She is one of the (very) few actors that are always an absolute pleasure to watch. Not to say that she is the best actress out there (though she's certainly one of them), but that she is downright enjoyable to watch.

If you do not know what I mean, watch the mellow, slightly dreary look at a North Carolinian family in Junebug. Adams' earnest take on her lonely character earned her a well-deserved Oscar nod.

Recently, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Amy Adams is likely to star in a rom com by the writers of Made of Honor called Leap Year. Reactions have been largely negative and incredulous as to why Adams, a well-respected up-and-coming Hollywood star with obvious talent, would sign on to the "lesser" form. Cinema Blend bemoaned the fact that she's morphing into the new Meg Ryan.

I have many problems with these reactions. First of all, though I'm not generally a fan of the genre, rom coms really get a bad rap. Full disclosure: I thought P.S. I Love You was one of the silliest, most contrived movies I have ever seen. But, the action-movie genre is just as beguiled as the rom coms by what will bang in the box office-- not in the Academy. In terms of quality scripts and performances, the action genre is at least as lacking. And Lord knows they both stretch the truth (A guy who can accurately predict the future feelings of his soon-to-be widowed wife? A car that can speed up a hill and fly through the air into a hellicopter?).

But the action genre does not get as bad of a rap as the rom coms. Why is that? The gender stereotypes of the two genres? The fact that the majority of film critics are males? Both genres have surprisingly high highs and very low lows. And yet, action films are not typically lambasted-- especially not in pre-production.

There is a vicious rom com stereotype out there. I guess I'm not wholly convinced that it is unwarranted, but at least it is a little unfair vis-a-vis the other box-office-driven genres. I mean, hello, the horror film genre?

And Re: Cinema Blend's woes over Adams becoming the next Meg Ryan: I unabashedly love the glory days of Meg Ryan rom coms (think Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and the best of the genre, When Harry Met Sally). Even a movie snob like me can admit the superior craft of a movie like When Harry Met Sally.

Not only were they well-made, they were entertaining, and really-- what's so wrong about that? Every now and then, I like living vicariously through emotions in the way that others love living vicariously through high-speed car chases down crowded highways in reverse. Sometimes I love rooting for the good-guy even though I know he'll win, or for a couple even though I know they will end up together.

Throw in a superb actress like Amy Adams, and I cannot help but have hope that Leap Year will defy the genre's stereotypes in the way that My Best Friend's Wedding did so well all those years ago. If you rent Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, you will see the beginnings of an actress who should have a great (and rare) career in both the dramatic and comedic genres. I am going to take a page from her own book and remain adorably optimistic about the rom com pick.

Best Actress Watch

Surely, you have already heard buzz about this year's Best Actress category. The race should be one of the closest in history. I may be biased, because all of my top favorite actresses are represented, but this should be something to behold. I can hardly wait for Febuary!

Here are my (very) early predictions. I know, I know-- they have not even been released yet. However, with such talent as what we will see in the women of the fall, it is not hard to guess who might come out in the top five.

Angelina Jolie: Changeling (Oct. 24)
It is disappointing to hear such lackluster reviews of Changeling from the New York Film Festival. I had high hopes for this one. I appreciate Clint Eastwood's work-- namely, Million Dollar Baby (Flags of our Fathers felt surprisingly uninspired to me). MDB is one of my all-time favorites, though. When it comes to individual actress performances, he certainly knows how to bring out the emotional powerhouse in them. As a mother whose child is kidnapped, Angelina will no doubt cry and scream her way into a nomination. No matter what people say, I am still really looking forward to this movie, if only to see what Angelina has done with it. It's far too infrequently that she chooses to remind us she's one of the best actresses of our time-- not just the sexiest (and, lately: fertile).

Nicole Kidman: Australia (Nov. 26)
Lately Nicole has gotten a bad rap after being called the "Most Overpaid Celebrity" by Forbes magazine. What this says to me, however, is that she has focused on some different flicks that have stretched her abilities (Margot at the Wedding) without necessarily stretching the box office. While they may not have appealed to popular audiences (I was one of the few who loved Margot), they reminded the few who watched what great skill Nicole really has. Ignore Bewitched and recall Moulin Rouge! After all, it was the latter, helmed by the same director as Australia (Baz Luhrmann), that earned her her first nomination. She was the sleeper favorite then in 2002. Expect the same from a stellar Luhrmann-Kidman teaming and an Oscar-friendly epic war-romance.

Kate Winslet: Revolutionary Road (Dec. 26 - limited)
Husband and director, Sam Mendes (American Beauty), has some experience with the Academy. He's already done a film about suburban disillusionment, and it won him an Oscar. Revolutionary Road is another take on this idea, only it is set post-WWII. Based on an incredibly powerful novel (and a personal favorite of mine) by the highly underrated Richard Yates, this film will get tons of buzz around the Best Drama category. However, the story revolves almost solely around the emotions of the two lead characters (Winslet and DiCaprio), so it should also propel them into nominations. In this dramatic, tragic tearjerker, Winslet could have read the novel out loud and she might have gotten a nomination. Throwing her whole body into the spectacular character? You can count on her sixth nod.

Kate Winslet: The Reader (Dec. 12)
Yes, I listed Kate twice on purpose. The studio made absolutely certain to rush this film out in time to make the cut-off for Oscar nominations. That should pay off for Kate, who is the youngest actress to receive five nominations (no wins, which is unjust). This Holocaust film is likely to give Winslet a second nomination for this year, which is ironic for anyone who has seen Ricky Gervais's show Extras. She made an appearance on the first episode as a nun in the Holocaust and mocked herself, saying,

"I mean I don't the we even really need another film about the Holocaust, do we? It's like how many have there been? We get it, it was grim. Move on. I'm doing it because I've noticed if you do a film about the Holocaust-- guaranteed an Oscar. I've been nominated [five] times, never won. The whole world is going, 'Why hasn't Winslet won one?' That's it, that's why I'm doing it. Schindler's bloody List, The Pianist-- Oscars coming out their bloody ass!" (click here for the clip, start around 5:10)

Meryl Streep: Doubt (Dec. 12 - limited)
Did you know Meryl has not won Best Actress in 26 years? For anyone who has seen Sophie's Choice, there is no doubt that she is one of the best actresses of our time, and certainly even of all time. (For anyone who has not seen it, do yourself a favor and rent it now!) Doubt is an incredibly heavy film based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The lead actress of the play won a Tony for Meryl's role. There is no doubt in my mind that she will get her fifteenth nomination. I would give her a nomination for the trailer alone.

Honorable Mentions:
Anne Hathaway: Rachel Getting Married
Cate Blanchett: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kristin Scott Thomas: I've Loved You So Long

What I love about this race is that the top 5 women receiving buzz for the Best Actress Oscars are all heavy favorites of mine. However, I am so torn! I want all to win! They all deserve it. But, I have my inkling (yes, before I've seen any of the films, so obviously highly speculative) that the winner will be:

Kate Winslet: Revolutionary Road - Having read the novel and seen just about every Winslet project, I could not imagine a character better poised for award recognition than April Wheeler, and I could not imagine a better actress to bring her to life. Not to mention, teaming up with Mendes, who is incredibly talented in directing his lead stars (let alone his wife), should give her the advantage in a very, very tight race.

Completely Gratuitous

This is a completely gratuitous first post to welcome you to my happy home on the interweb. Real thought-provoking, life-changing posts to follow. For now, enjoy the superficial brilliance of Brangelina at the Changeling premiere the other night at the NYC Film Festival.