Monday, June 8, 2009
SIFF / Film Two Good Movies
Posted by Paul Constant on Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Yesterday, I saw two good movies. One of them will probably be back this fall, but the other is in theaters everywhere, and you should see it.
I didn't love Humpday as much as David Schmader did, but I loved it just the same. (Obviously, between Lynne Shelton's well-deserved Genius Award from last year and the film's inclusion of our Hump festival as the major plot point, there's a conflict of interest here.) The thing I most appreciated about Humpday was the quality of characterization: The relationships in the film seemed real, especially Alycia Delmore's highly appealing turn as a wife who is suddenly faced with her husband's crazy-ass, charismatic best friend.
But I felt as though Humpday's central idea—two straight dudes want to do it as part of a weird sort of artistic statement—wasn't developed as clearly as I would've liked. My spoiler-less problem with the film goes something like this: It's obvious that the two men are squicked out at the thought of sleeping together, but it doesn't really explain why in any way that felt new to me. Maybe it's just not possible to explore that sort of thing in film, and maybe any exploration of motivation would have turned the film into a giant, unappealing public service announcement. But I felt like it lacked this one vital element that would've knocked the film out of the park and made it a classic. As it was, it was simply better than 95% of all the sex comedies out there.
But then I saw Up last night, and Megan Seling is right on: I cried at the beginning, I cried at the end, and I laughed all the way through. I think it's my favorite Pixar movie, and it will last forever.
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1
A lot of people didn't love Humpday.
Go see UP in 3-D instead.
Or, see World's Greatest Dad when it comes out.
Go see UP in 3-D instead.
Or, see World's Greatest Dad when it comes out.
2
I've seen UP in 3D twice (once with my mother, once with my animation-nerd boyfriend). I'm actually considering seeing it in 2D -- I heard the colours in the 3D version were considerably dimmer.
5
Some spoilers here if you actually care.
I saw UP yesterday and loved it. The experience was made all the better by a girl of maybe two or three sitting in her dad lap right behind us. Now normally talking during movies is not a good thing, but its a kid movie. She kept asking her dad what was happening and asking questions like "why did his wife die?" or "why did he hit that man?". Then when the explorer guy caught the giant bird, Kevin I think, she just started bawling nonstop and asking why that happened to Kevin and why the old man did not help. Her dad tried to calm her down, but it was to no avail. She didn't really stop until Kevin showed up on the screen again at which point she started clapping and yelling HI KEVIN!!!
It was really rather cute.
I saw UP yesterday and loved it. The experience was made all the better by a girl of maybe two or three sitting in her dad lap right behind us. Now normally talking during movies is not a good thing, but its a kid movie. She kept asking her dad what was happening and asking questions like "why did his wife die?" or "why did he hit that man?". Then when the explorer guy caught the giant bird, Kevin I think, she just started bawling nonstop and asking why that happened to Kevin and why the old man did not help. Her dad tried to calm her down, but it was to no avail. She didn't really stop until Kevin showed up on the screen again at which point she started clapping and yelling HI KEVIN!!!
It was really rather cute.
6
I'm not a big fan of the whole shoe-gazing genre (I hate hate HATE the Duplass brothers' films), but I enjoyed myself at Humpday.
I agree that the initial creation of the central idea was not developed at all well. Because, seriously, what?
But, the rest of the movie rang relatively true. And, no, they wouldn't talk ad nauseum about why they were squicked...they just were. If you want an emotional or phyisological verbal dissection of human sexuality, a shoegaze comedy is not where you're going to find it.
I agree that the initial creation of the central idea was not developed at all well. Because, seriously, what?
But, the rest of the movie rang relatively true. And, no, they wouldn't talk ad nauseum about why they were squicked...they just were. If you want an emotional or phyisological verbal dissection of human sexuality, a shoegaze comedy is not where you're going to find it.
7
I thought Up was good, but definitely not my favorite Pixar movie. There was too much sloppy storytelling going on for me to really love it. Primarily related to [SPOILER] the part where they decide to drag the house (long parenthetical here, but it would have been better, I thought, if when they first landed the house was entirely too heavy to get off the ground, and he had thrown a bunch of stuff out, but couldn't bring himself to throw his wife's things out -- then the house floated, but not enough to really fly; the later scene where he throws stuff out could have been him finally deciding to throw his wife's stuff out so that the house could fly).
Also, I was a little surprised about what happened to the hero guy at the end. I think they could have come up with something more creative and on message than what actually happened to him.
The opening 10 minutes was amazing (I cried a bunch) and I thought the talking dogs were pretty funny, but afterwards I couldn't get past some of my gripes with the story...
Also, I was a little surprised about what happened to the hero guy at the end. I think they could have come up with something more creative and on message than what actually happened to him.
The opening 10 minutes was amazing (I cried a bunch) and I thought the talking dogs were pretty funny, but afterwards I couldn't get past some of my gripes with the story...
8
Paul, two great interviews with Up director Pete Docter in podcast form:
KCRW's "The Treatment", from last Wednesday: http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/tt/tt09…
Fresh Air, from the Tuesday before last: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story…
(both are also available free through iTunes)
KCRW's "The Treatment", from last Wednesday: http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/tt/tt09…
Fresh Air, from the Tuesday before last: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story…
(both are also available free through iTunes)
9
Humpday was great. I think less you know about the movie going into it the more you'll like it though. But I can see why cap hill hipsters would be a bit disappointed by it.
also, Alycia Delmore is dreamy.
also, Alycia Delmore is dreamy.
10
Up was really good, but The Incredibles is still the best. The Incredibles is one of the few Disney movies where they don't kill off the woman.
11
I hadn't seen a 3-D movie in years and I'm glad they're coming back. Up was a good movie, and they had a good 3 or 4 3-D trailers, which is exciting (ok, at least one looked painful).
12
I loved Up, but I think Finding Nemo wins as my favorite Pixar film of all time. I really liked The Incredibles, too.
@10 - I never really though about that, but you are absolutely right now that I do. A ton of Disney films that feature a family have the mom die at some point.
Wonder what that's about?
@10 - I never really though about that, but you are absolutely right now that I do. A ton of Disney films that feature a family have the mom die at some point.
Wonder what that's about?
13
Now, if you want the ultimate experience, see UP in 4-D.
Now that is a trip!
Mind you, you need some ... medication.
Now that is a trip!
Mind you, you need some ... medication.
15
Good phrase. I think they incorrectly assume that the death of the mom impacts kids more deeply than the death of a father.
16
Killing mom (or flat out completely orphaning (or in this case widowing) the hero) puts the hero in an emotionally vulnerable position that makes the audience more sympathetic to its plight, and frequently, for Disney, provides a central conceit to the plot.
It also scares the be-jesus out of small children (to whom the thought of mom dying is about the scariest thing they can conjure up.
Disney figured out fast that its exciting to be scared shitless and weepy sad all at the same time... when its not real.
That and the fact that Disney's characters are usually forced to rise alone through complete self reliance. (He was a supporter of Ayn Rand and shared her philosophic principals of Objectivism.)
It also scares the be-jesus out of small children (to whom the thought of mom dying is about the scariest thing they can conjure up.
Disney figured out fast that its exciting to be scared shitless and weepy sad all at the same time... when its not real.
That and the fact that Disney's characters are usually forced to rise alone through complete self reliance. (He was a supporter of Ayn Rand and shared her philosophic principals of Objectivism.)
17
Sheryl @12:
What's that about? It is the most common plot device in children's fiction. You'd be hard pressed to find a children's book (at least for the 9-13 set) that doesn't involve the death, abandonment, or disinterest of (usually) the mother. Off the top of my head, see:
Out of the Dust
A Single Shard
The Giver
Bambi
Cinderella
What's that about? It is the most common plot device in children's fiction. You'd be hard pressed to find a children's book (at least for the 9-13 set) that doesn't involve the death, abandonment, or disinterest of (usually) the mother. Off the top of my head, see:
Out of the Dust
A Single Shard
The Giver
Bambi
Cinderella
18
Interesting though, that in Up, while Carl's wife dies, it's the kid's father who abandons him...
19
Alicia Delmore is the weakest link in Humpday. Just like Natasha Lyonne is the weakest link in Little Dizzle (a much better film than Humpday, frankly). Maybe because both films are basically buddy movies about male relationships?
Lynn Shelton admitted that no lines were written for the actors at the Q&A, and Alicia admitted that she was out of her element -- it shows on the screen.
Lynn Shelton admitted that no lines were written for the actors at the Q&A, and Alicia admitted that she was out of her element -- it shows on the screen.
21
Humpday: It's not really about two guys considering poking, it's more about Ben (Mark Duplas' character) and his sociopathy: his character is driven by anger, but his friends are too hip to see it as anything but hipster cynicism and Ben is too empty and paranoid to see himself as anything but right and cool.
That's the driving force of the film, and in the end when (spoiler alert) Ben leaves the hotel to go do some splainin' with his wife, you feel unsettled, like he didn't get it out of his system as his wife had asked.
Ben and Andrew needed to have more of a confrontation at the hotel and tear each other open or something. Figure that shit out. But it just stays under the surface. It's like a movie about Pompeii where the ground shakes a little bit and everyone's confused and then it ends. Pretty, yes, but not real story.
That's the driving force of the film, and in the end when (spoiler alert) Ben leaves the hotel to go do some splainin' with his wife, you feel unsettled, like he didn't get it out of his system as his wife had asked.
Ben and Andrew needed to have more of a confrontation at the hotel and tear each other open or something. Figure that shit out. But it just stays under the surface. It's like a movie about Pompeii where the ground shakes a little bit and everyone's confused and then it ends. Pretty, yes, but not real story.
22
Can someone who has seen Up let me know if it is too much to bring my 3yrold daughter to? Its PG so Im assuming no at this point.
23
@22
Spoilers below
See my post @5 for how the 3 year old behind me took it.
Somethings that might be of concern:
The guys wife dies and her death is a big part of the plot.
He is pretty mean for most of the movie, but a kind of grumpy old men style mean.
There are some rather scary dogs(they are mostly played for laughs but I can see it being scary to a kid)
There is a reference to having a baby but it is pretty obscured and sexual
There is some violence including a little blood.
The kids father has basically abandoned him and left his mom for another women. again the references are pretty obscure and they are only a couple.
If it were my kid I would probably take them assuming that they are not the kind of kid that is prone to being scared easily. It is a great and sweet movie. My biggest concern would be that they would not understand it so I would probably go during the day so I could sit away from people and be able to explain things to them. That being said there is a lot of color and cute characters and the 3D is pretty cool so they would probably enjoy it just for that.
Spoilers below
See my post @5 for how the 3 year old behind me took it.
Somethings that might be of concern:
The guys wife dies and her death is a big part of the plot.
He is pretty mean for most of the movie, but a kind of grumpy old men style mean.
There are some rather scary dogs(they are mostly played for laughs but I can see it being scary to a kid)
There is a reference to having a baby but it is pretty obscured and sexual
There is some violence including a little blood.
The kids father has basically abandoned him and left his mom for another women. again the references are pretty obscure and they are only a couple.
If it were my kid I would probably take them assuming that they are not the kind of kid that is prone to being scared easily. It is a great and sweet movie. My biggest concern would be that they would not understand it so I would probably go during the day so I could sit away from people and be able to explain things to them. That being said there is a lot of color and cute characters and the 3D is pretty cool so they would probably enjoy it just for that.
25
@17: Don't forget the threat of Mom being locked away for insanity (Dumbo... "Mad Elephant!"). As a little kid with a mother who had mental-health issues, that movie scared me shitless.
26
@25: My daughter and I used to belong to a book club for elementary-aged girls and their mothers. After the third book (taken from the Newberry/Caldecott lists), and as someone whose own mother died when I was very young, I called for a temporary freeze on orphan-child stories. But it didn't last long, because most of them involve an absent parent.
27
@12: Finding Nemo? Hmm. I finally, *finally* saw it last week and I wasn't really blown away by the story or even the characters. Can anyone try and sell their case to me? I've been wondering what the rhubarb was about.
The Incredibles is my boyfriend's very close second to Up; If my favourite wasn't Up, it'd be Monsters Inc.
The Incredibles is my boyfriend's very close second to Up; If my favourite wasn't Up, it'd be Monsters Inc.
28
@22, 23:
**More spoilers**
I'd also add that Muntz is pretty menacing. Even I was kind of terrified of how evil he was. Example: When he more or less threw Russell, tied to a chair, off the ship.
**More spoilers**
I'd also add that Muntz is pretty menacing. Even I was kind of terrified of how evil he was. Example: When he more or less threw Russell, tied to a chair, off the ship.
29
I saw it with a friend last night and was disappointed in how they treated the guy who helped bring their world talking dogs. Surely there was more to his story than that. =\
30
I'm glad Julie In Eugene doesn't write movie scripts. Her "better" version of Up would have been quite redundant.
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