French horror import High Tension opens today and for about a hour the movie is one of the better horror flicks to come along in recent times. And then it ruins itself with one of the worst last acts in horror, no, movie history. It's a textbook example of how to retroactively destroy your film.
Still, director Alexandre Aja has a great style and when the movie works it works very well. After a little set-up the film is pretty much relentless suspense and horror, with some extreme gore and an appealing lead actress in Cecile de France. It will be very interesting to see Aja's English language debut, a remake of Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes.
Horror fans will have to check this one out (considering most of the crap they have to make do with even half a good movie is worth seeing) but people who hate scary movies can rest easily about passing on this one. They're not missing much.
(The uncut, international version of High Tension that I saw was slightly different from the R-rated, partially dubbed version Lions Gate is releasing in theaters today. Apparently slight adjustments were made to the storyline to justify the dubbing, otherwise it's the same narratively. The ludicrous and unforgivable last act remains.)
Friday, June 10, 2005
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Dancing kids and damaged teens
With all my recent posts about television I've fallen behind on writing about the movies I've seen lately. So far the major Hollywood releases this summer have been pretty dull but the next few weeks look a little brighter. However, that doesn't mean there's nothing of interest in release right now, you just have to look a little harder to find it.
A couple weeks ago I saw two very different films, both worthy in their own ways. One is a highly accessible, broad appeal picture while the other is artistically stunning but deals with subject matter that will scare more people away than invite them in.
The mass appeal film is Mad Hot Ballroom, a documentary about ballroom dance programs at New York City public schools. Although there is definitely truth to Christian Science Monitor film critic David Sterritt's charge that the movie plays like a "cuteness exploitation flick" it's pretty hard to resist the doc's modest charms.
Ballroom has received numerous comparisons to 2003's phenomenal spelling bee doc Spellbound but Ballroom isn't as mad hot as all that. It's a pretty shallow exploration of the dance program which hints at the economic and living conditions of the eleven-year-old kids who are participating in the program but prefers to focus on the cute, outrageous or unexpectedly mature things those kids say.
It works on its own terms because the kids are genuinely endearing and the looming dance competition provides a narrative focus, and keeps the film moving at an appropriate pace. It may make hardcore doc aficionados cringe but Mad Hot Ballroom is an enjoyable and satisfying film.
No one would ever accuse Mysterious Skin of being a "cute" movie but it's something much more than that. It just might be one of this year's best (it's certainly one of the very best so far).
The controversial topic at the center of the film is child molestation, but it's not handled in a way that I've ever seen on screen before. This is not an issue movie. It doesn't sugarcoat, moralize or devolve into melodrama. It's a sensitive, thoughtful creation that never feels exploitive but also doesn't shy away from the darker elements of the topic at hand. There are definitely scenes that are shocking, disturbing and repulsive but there are also moments of real beauty, sadness and humor. The movie is an astonishing, and entirely unexpected, step forward in the career of cult writer/director/producer/editor Gregg Araki.
Mysterious Skin tells the story of two teenagers living separate lives in the same small town who are clearly connected to each other although they never seem to cross paths. One is gay, the other is (presumably) straight. One is promiscuous to a dangerous degree, the other is completely repressed sexually. One has fond memories of a sexual relationship he had at a very young age with a much older baseball coach, the other suffers from blackouts and lost time (he believes he was abducted by aliens, the audience suspects otherwise). About the only thing the two teens have in common is they are desperately in need of help (even if one of them doesn't quite know it), and it becomes clear that they can only find that help from each other.
Araki's previous work has been relegated, deservedly, to very small cult followings. Films like The Doom Generation and Nowhere were filled with campy overacting and an in-your-face nihilistic attitude. It's not necessary to see those films to appreciate his work here, but it makes it all the more surprising.
This is his first film based on a pre-existing work, in this case a novel by Scott Heim, and that might have made all the difference. Araki's faithfulness to the material might be responsible for the strongly developed characters, believable situations and overall humanity that was previously missing in his work.
As much as a step forward as this is for Araki the film is also an incredible showcase for a breakthrough performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Best known as the wisecracking alien teen Tommy on Third Rock from the Sun, Gordon-Levitt fully comes into his own here as a true leading man, at least in the indie world. The role requires an extremely delicate mix of sexuality, rebelliousness and vulnerability. Gordon-Levitt meets every challenge expertly and, most importantly, his character never feels more like a symbol than a real damaged person.
The rest of the cast is equally fine, including Brady Corbet as the awkward yin to Gordon-Levitt's confident yang, Michelle Trachtenberg doing the indie-movie departure quite well, Jeff Licon as the fourth key teen character, Elisabeth Shue and Lisa Long making the most of their "mom" roles, reliably kooky Mary Lynn Rajskub as an alleged UFO abductee and Bill Sage in the challenging role of the baseball coach.
A movie like Mysterious Skin is very tricky. It's likely to make many viewers uncomfortable, but this isn't lowbrow shock cinema. It's a movie that greatly rewards the emotional investment of the audience. And that's all too rare.
A couple weeks ago I saw two very different films, both worthy in their own ways. One is a highly accessible, broad appeal picture while the other is artistically stunning but deals with subject matter that will scare more people away than invite them in.
The mass appeal film is Mad Hot Ballroom, a documentary about ballroom dance programs at New York City public schools. Although there is definitely truth to Christian Science Monitor film critic David Sterritt's charge that the movie plays like a "cuteness exploitation flick" it's pretty hard to resist the doc's modest charms.
Ballroom has received numerous comparisons to 2003's phenomenal spelling bee doc Spellbound but Ballroom isn't as mad hot as all that. It's a pretty shallow exploration of the dance program which hints at the economic and living conditions of the eleven-year-old kids who are participating in the program but prefers to focus on the cute, outrageous or unexpectedly mature things those kids say.
It works on its own terms because the kids are genuinely endearing and the looming dance competition provides a narrative focus, and keeps the film moving at an appropriate pace. It may make hardcore doc aficionados cringe but Mad Hot Ballroom is an enjoyable and satisfying film.
No one would ever accuse Mysterious Skin of being a "cute" movie but it's something much more than that. It just might be one of this year's best (it's certainly one of the very best so far).
The controversial topic at the center of the film is child molestation, but it's not handled in a way that I've ever seen on screen before. This is not an issue movie. It doesn't sugarcoat, moralize or devolve into melodrama. It's a sensitive, thoughtful creation that never feels exploitive but also doesn't shy away from the darker elements of the topic at hand. There are definitely scenes that are shocking, disturbing and repulsive but there are also moments of real beauty, sadness and humor. The movie is an astonishing, and entirely unexpected, step forward in the career of cult writer/director/producer/editor Gregg Araki.
Mysterious Skin tells the story of two teenagers living separate lives in the same small town who are clearly connected to each other although they never seem to cross paths. One is gay, the other is (presumably) straight. One is promiscuous to a dangerous degree, the other is completely repressed sexually. One has fond memories of a sexual relationship he had at a very young age with a much older baseball coach, the other suffers from blackouts and lost time (he believes he was abducted by aliens, the audience suspects otherwise). About the only thing the two teens have in common is they are desperately in need of help (even if one of them doesn't quite know it), and it becomes clear that they can only find that help from each other.
Araki's previous work has been relegated, deservedly, to very small cult followings. Films like The Doom Generation and Nowhere were filled with campy overacting and an in-your-face nihilistic attitude. It's not necessary to see those films to appreciate his work here, but it makes it all the more surprising.
This is his first film based on a pre-existing work, in this case a novel by Scott Heim, and that might have made all the difference. Araki's faithfulness to the material might be responsible for the strongly developed characters, believable situations and overall humanity that was previously missing in his work.
As much as a step forward as this is for Araki the film is also an incredible showcase for a breakthrough performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Best known as the wisecracking alien teen Tommy on Third Rock from the Sun, Gordon-Levitt fully comes into his own here as a true leading man, at least in the indie world. The role requires an extremely delicate mix of sexuality, rebelliousness and vulnerability. Gordon-Levitt meets every challenge expertly and, most importantly, his character never feels more like a symbol than a real damaged person.
The rest of the cast is equally fine, including Brady Corbet as the awkward yin to Gordon-Levitt's confident yang, Michelle Trachtenberg doing the indie-movie departure quite well, Jeff Licon as the fourth key teen character, Elisabeth Shue and Lisa Long making the most of their "mom" roles, reliably kooky Mary Lynn Rajskub as an alleged UFO abductee and Bill Sage in the challenging role of the baseball coach.
A movie like Mysterious Skin is very tricky. It's likely to make many viewers uncomfortable, but this isn't lowbrow shock cinema. It's a movie that greatly rewards the emotional investment of the audience. And that's all too rare.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Reality TV with a purpose? Say it isn't so!
My unhealthy interest in TV game shows led me somewhat hesitantly to another new summer reality series. But ABC's The Scholar turned out to be a little different from the norm.
Ten high school seniors compete for a "full ride" to the college of their choice. The competitions involve a series of interviews with college admissions professionals, team-oriented tasks that test leadership skills and trivia challenges (last night's "19th and 20th Century Literature" challenge felt ridiculously easy).
Each week one person secures a slot in the finals and is guaranteed at least $50,000 in scholarship money. Five students will make it to the final showdown while the other five will leave with at least $20,000 in scholarship money. Basically everyone's a winner.
The contestants don't have to eat bugs, attempt to sing or pretend they're looking for their soulmates. And none of the judges mock or belittle them.
So, uh, what the hell is this doing on network TV right?
I guess it's part of the "feel good" movement in reality TV (although I think Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is the only bona fide success in that genre). The Scholar does have a few Real World elements, the kids all live together during the competition and in the first episode there was already groundwork laid for potential relationships and feuds (Real World producer Jonathan Murray is also a producer here), but this is still one of the nerdiest reality shows I've ever seen. And that's what makes it unusually charming.
Despite the noble intentions last night's ratings, somewhat predictably, were not so hot. It was up against Fear Factor and Hell's Kitchen after all (although everything was beat by reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond and Two and a Half Men). It's hard to make noise in the bottom-feeding world of reality TV when your gimmick is giving away scholarship money to smart kids.
Ten high school seniors compete for a "full ride" to the college of their choice. The competitions involve a series of interviews with college admissions professionals, team-oriented tasks that test leadership skills and trivia challenges (last night's "19th and 20th Century Literature" challenge felt ridiculously easy).
Each week one person secures a slot in the finals and is guaranteed at least $50,000 in scholarship money. Five students will make it to the final showdown while the other five will leave with at least $20,000 in scholarship money. Basically everyone's a winner.
The contestants don't have to eat bugs, attempt to sing or pretend they're looking for their soulmates. And none of the judges mock or belittle them.
So, uh, what the hell is this doing on network TV right?
I guess it's part of the "feel good" movement in reality TV (although I think Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is the only bona fide success in that genre). The Scholar does have a few Real World elements, the kids all live together during the competition and in the first episode there was already groundwork laid for potential relationships and feuds (Real World producer Jonathan Murray is also a producer here), but this is still one of the nerdiest reality shows I've ever seen. And that's what makes it unusually charming.
Despite the noble intentions last night's ratings, somewhat predictably, were not so hot. It was up against Fear Factor and Hell's Kitchen after all (although everything was beat by reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond and Two and a Half Men). It's hard to make noise in the bottom-feeding world of reality TV when your gimmick is giving away scholarship money to smart kids.
Friday, June 03, 2005
NBC's Hit Me Baby One More Time, which I posted about yesterday, turned out to be pretty awful and more suited for desperate cable channels than network television (even a desperate network like NBC). Watching washed up musical acts perform actually isn't much fun, it's just kind of sad.
The one exception was hip hop group Arrested Development. They were the only act to give an energetic, comfortable performance on stage (on both their original hit Tennessee and their cover of Los Lonely Boys' grating Grammy nominated song Heaven, which was better than the original). Considering they were the only ones who seemed like they should still be recording today it wasn't much of a surprise to see them win the evening's "competition."
The same sense of desperation and resulting viewer discomfort is mined for laughs in HBO's new reality/sit-com parody The Comeback, and the results are very mixed.
The brainchild of Friends star Lisa Kudrow and Sex and the City showrunner Michael Patrick King, The Comeback presents "raw footage" from a network television reality show that follows a minor 90s sit-com star (played by Kudrow) as she returns to the world of TV comedy. It's a scripted show about the making of an unscripted show about an actress starring on a scripted show, if that makes any sense.
Kudrow is worth watching but, after seeing the first two episodes, it's not entirely clear if the same thing can be said for the show. The series is already racking up mostly negative notices from TV critics (including the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Times and TV Guide) ahead of its Sunday night premiere.
Pretty much everyone points out that HBO already has too many inside Hollywood shows, which they do (The Comeback is paired with Hollywood sleazeball comedy Entourage, an often grating series which some critics inexplicably insist is "charming"). And how can your Average Joe Viewer possibly relate to jokes about upfronts and agents, the Zone diets and veteran sit-com director James Burrows playing himself?
But HBO doesn't program for mass audiences, they program shows that are creatively and/or artistically interesting, and The Comeback fits that bill just fine.
The show's main problem isn't that it's too inside Hollywood, it's that it's too singularly focused on Kudrow's shallow, desperate, insecure main character. That works for at least one episode, primarily because Kudrow is an uncommonly gifted comedic performer, but by the second episode the series begins to feel a bit too narrow. There's a fairly large ensemble cast, but everyone takes a back seat to the star. For the show to work it's going to have to allow the supporting characters some room to grow. Even Larry David doesn't try to carry Curb Your Enthusiasm on his own.
But it will be interesting to see how The Comeback progresses. It's possible that over the course of a season Kudrow and King will wind up telling a reasonably compelling complete story. Following their respective successes with Friends and Sex and the City, they both could've done pretty much whatever they wanted to. And they came up with a very quirky, alternative show that clearly aims to stretch them both artistically.
Even if the show winds up a failure, it will be a noble one.
The one exception was hip hop group Arrested Development. They were the only act to give an energetic, comfortable performance on stage (on both their original hit Tennessee and their cover of Los Lonely Boys' grating Grammy nominated song Heaven, which was better than the original). Considering they were the only ones who seemed like they should still be recording today it wasn't much of a surprise to see them win the evening's "competition."
The same sense of desperation and resulting viewer discomfort is mined for laughs in HBO's new reality/sit-com parody The Comeback, and the results are very mixed.
The brainchild of Friends star Lisa Kudrow and Sex and the City showrunner Michael Patrick King, The Comeback presents "raw footage" from a network television reality show that follows a minor 90s sit-com star (played by Kudrow) as she returns to the world of TV comedy. It's a scripted show about the making of an unscripted show about an actress starring on a scripted show, if that makes any sense.
Kudrow is worth watching but, after seeing the first two episodes, it's not entirely clear if the same thing can be said for the show. The series is already racking up mostly negative notices from TV critics (including the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Times and TV Guide) ahead of its Sunday night premiere.
Pretty much everyone points out that HBO already has too many inside Hollywood shows, which they do (The Comeback is paired with Hollywood sleazeball comedy Entourage, an often grating series which some critics inexplicably insist is "charming"). And how can your Average Joe Viewer possibly relate to jokes about upfronts and agents, the Zone diets and veteran sit-com director James Burrows playing himself?
But HBO doesn't program for mass audiences, they program shows that are creatively and/or artistically interesting, and The Comeback fits that bill just fine.
The show's main problem isn't that it's too inside Hollywood, it's that it's too singularly focused on Kudrow's shallow, desperate, insecure main character. That works for at least one episode, primarily because Kudrow is an uncommonly gifted comedic performer, but by the second episode the series begins to feel a bit too narrow. There's a fairly large ensemble cast, but everyone takes a back seat to the star. For the show to work it's going to have to allow the supporting characters some room to grow. Even Larry David doesn't try to carry Curb Your Enthusiasm on his own.
But it will be interesting to see how The Comeback progresses. It's possible that over the course of a season Kudrow and King will wind up telling a reasonably compelling complete story. Following their respective successes with Friends and Sex and the City, they both could've done pretty much whatever they wanted to. And they came up with a very quirky, alternative show that clearly aims to stretch them both artistically.
Even if the show winds up a failure, it will be a noble one.
Top Tens from people who make movies
U.K. newspaper The Independent's online edition has posted an assortment of movie top 10s by an eclectic group of film directors. The lists are taken from Halliwell's Top 1000 and the intro to the lists, by Halliwell's author John Walker, devotes an oddly large amount of space to criticizing Quentin Tarantino's selections.
At any rate the lists are interesting to look at for a glimpse at influences on and personal taste of a handful of major filmmakers.
At any rate the lists are interesting to look at for a glimpse at influences on and personal taste of a handful of major filmmakers.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Developments
Deadwood star/future Emmy winner Ian McShane is joining Woody Allen's next project. Like all Allen films the details are vague but this one will again be shot in London and again star Scarlett Johansson, just like his most recent film, Match Point, which received universal rave reviews (something very rare for Allen these days) at Cannes and was just acquired by DreamWorks for a U.S. release later this year. Unlike Match Point though Allen is supposedly taking an on camera role in this one.
X-Men 3 has no director even though it's due to begin production this summer. Matthew Vaughn (whose directorial debut Layer Cake is in theaters now) dropped out, supposedly for "family reasons" but I'm sure there's more to it than that. The rumored options for his replacement do not look promising.
X-Men 3 has no director even though it's due to begin production this summer. Matthew Vaughn (whose directorial debut Layer Cake is in theaters now) dropped out, supposedly for "family reasons" but I'm sure there's more to it than that. The rumored options for his replacement do not look promising.
Where have you gone Flock of Seagulls?
There's a lot of new reality shows premiering over the summer but one of the two that I'm most interested in debuts tonight.
Hit Me Baby One More Time aired in the U.K. just a few months ago but now it's invading the U.S. courtesy of that bastion of good taste known as NBC (warning: clicking on that link brings up audio of Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend").
The very VH1-friendly concept pits former one hit wonders against each other in a battle of the bands. They perform current songs, people vote (I think it's people in the studio audience and not the TV viewing audience, lame) and then the winner donates money to charity. It's always so cute that they make the competitors donate to charity on these celebrity competition shows. We all know washed up celebs could use the money as much as most of the people who wind up on Survivor.
Anyway, here's a preview of tonight's show. If it doesn't get you interested then nothing will (and you're no doubt better off for that).
Hit Me Baby One More Time aired in the U.K. just a few months ago but now it's invading the U.S. courtesy of that bastion of good taste known as NBC (warning: clicking on that link brings up audio of Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend").
The very VH1-friendly concept pits former one hit wonders against each other in a battle of the bands. They perform current songs, people vote (I think it's people in the studio audience and not the TV viewing audience, lame) and then the winner donates money to charity. It's always so cute that they make the competitors donate to charity on these celebrity competition shows. We all know washed up celebs could use the money as much as most of the people who wind up on Survivor.
Anyway, here's a preview of tonight's show. If it doesn't get you interested then nothing will (and you're no doubt better off for that).
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Season Finales: Gilmore Girls
27 seconds.
It's not a very long time but it's enough to have caused me to hold back on posting this for two weeks. When The WB originally aired the season finale of Gilmore Girls the episode ran 27 seconds into the 9 o'clock hour. That decision was unannounced prior to airtime and consequently wreaked havoc on DVRs and VCRs everywhere, leaving some very angry fans.
What happened in those 27 seconds might have been a mystery if not for WB promos that promised a marriage proposal. But who proposed to who?
The specifics of that proposal had been spoiled for me by the time I saw it play out during WB's quickly scheduled rebroadcast last night but it was still worth the wait.
Much has been written about the creative resurgence of Gilmore this season, and happily the show also managed an impressive ratings boost (up 17% in total viewers and 24% in the 18-49 demo) making it the WB's second highest rated show for the season. It's extremely rare for a series to deliver one of its finest seasons in its fifth year but Gilmore did just that (I think this season stands with the first as the series' overall best).
So anyway, two weeks late, but yes Gilmore Girls finished off one of its very best seasons with one of the season's very best episodes.
Lorelai and Luke finally became a couple this season and wrapping the year up with a proposal was the perfect finish. It couldn't have happened in a better way.
Even if that meant that Rory had to act in a ludicrously un-Rory-like manner and decide to drop out of Yale because her boyfriend's powerful father told her she doesn't have what it takes to become a journalist - her lifelong dream.
I appreciate that the writers (and by writers I mean primarily Amy Sherman-Palladino, clearly the voice of this show) enjoy testing Rory's limits, throwing obstacles in her path to see how she'll react, complicating her relationships (especially with her mother) and allowing her to grown up in a messy, believable way. Losing her virginity to her married ex-boyfriend in last season's finale was a perfect way of doing all that. Forcing her to quit Yale for what seems like short term dramatic impact is not. I'm very curious to see where exactly they're going with this.
But I'm glad, and somewhat surprised, that after five seasons I can have such a strong reaction to a character's decision on a TV show. For all its cutesy quirks the reason Gilmore Girls works is because of the strong central characters it has developed over the years.
With its WB-size-appropriate audience the show has remained something of a cult phenomenon and not everyone has had the chance to discover its exceptional qualities. But it's quite unlike anything else currently on the air. It's funny, it's witty, it's smart and it loves its characters so much it's impossible not to love them back. Even when the decisions they make are really stupid.
Finale Grade: A
Season Grade: A-
It's not a very long time but it's enough to have caused me to hold back on posting this for two weeks. When The WB originally aired the season finale of Gilmore Girls the episode ran 27 seconds into the 9 o'clock hour. That decision was unannounced prior to airtime and consequently wreaked havoc on DVRs and VCRs everywhere, leaving some very angry fans.
What happened in those 27 seconds might have been a mystery if not for WB promos that promised a marriage proposal. But who proposed to who?
The specifics of that proposal had been spoiled for me by the time I saw it play out during WB's quickly scheduled rebroadcast last night but it was still worth the wait.
Much has been written about the creative resurgence of Gilmore this season, and happily the show also managed an impressive ratings boost (up 17% in total viewers and 24% in the 18-49 demo) making it the WB's second highest rated show for the season. It's extremely rare for a series to deliver one of its finest seasons in its fifth year but Gilmore did just that (I think this season stands with the first as the series' overall best).
So anyway, two weeks late, but yes Gilmore Girls finished off one of its very best seasons with one of the season's very best episodes.
Lorelai and Luke finally became a couple this season and wrapping the year up with a proposal was the perfect finish. It couldn't have happened in a better way.
Even if that meant that Rory had to act in a ludicrously un-Rory-like manner and decide to drop out of Yale because her boyfriend's powerful father told her she doesn't have what it takes to become a journalist - her lifelong dream.
I appreciate that the writers (and by writers I mean primarily Amy Sherman-Palladino, clearly the voice of this show) enjoy testing Rory's limits, throwing obstacles in her path to see how she'll react, complicating her relationships (especially with her mother) and allowing her to grown up in a messy, believable way. Losing her virginity to her married ex-boyfriend in last season's finale was a perfect way of doing all that. Forcing her to quit Yale for what seems like short term dramatic impact is not. I'm very curious to see where exactly they're going with this.
But I'm glad, and somewhat surprised, that after five seasons I can have such a strong reaction to a character's decision on a TV show. For all its cutesy quirks the reason Gilmore Girls works is because of the strong central characters it has developed over the years.
With its WB-size-appropriate audience the show has remained something of a cult phenomenon and not everyone has had the chance to discover its exceptional qualities. But it's quite unlike anything else currently on the air. It's funny, it's witty, it's smart and it loves its characters so much it's impossible not to love them back. Even when the decisions they make are really stupid.
Finale Grade: A
Season Grade: A-
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Empire falls, and it ain't pretty
The latest prestige project from HBO premieres tonight but unfortunately Empire Falls is not one of the network's better efforts.
Despite a cast that includes Ed Harris, Paul Newman, Helen Hunt, Robin Wright-Penn, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joanne Woodward, Aidan Quinn and Dennis Farina, the three-hour mini-series is pretty much a dud. It's the TV equivalent of pseudo-important Oscar bait movies that fall flat on their faces like The Human Stain, A Thousand Acres, All the Pretty Horses, Snow Falling on Cedars and numerous others (I doubt it's a coincidence all of these projects, and Empire Falls as well, were based on Important Books).
However, unlike the feature world, TV is kinder to projects like this and it won't be surprising to see Empire Falls walk off with an Emmy for best mini-series come September. But that's more about lack of suitable competition.
Unfortunately I haven't read the highly regarded novel by Richard Russo that the mini is based on, but as a film Empire Falls has a meandering, scattershot approach that tries too hard for folksy charm in its tale of a small New England town and the way life continually lets down local diner manager Miles Roby (Ed Harris).
Miles' story is the main thread but there are many, many subplots. Yet, despite all the characters and interaction the project still feels lethargic. As directed by the unremarkable Fred Schepisi, Empire Falls is a little too at home on the small screen and features a lot of really good actors giving solid performances that no one would suggest are career highs.
Of the overcrowded ensemble (which also prominently includes Theresa Russell, Kate Burton, William Fichtner, Estelle Parsons and a trio of young actors: Danielle Panabaker, Lou Taylor Pucci and Trevor Morgan) I'd reserve the highest praise for Newman, Wright-Penn and Woodward.
Newman's role as Miles' cranky old father feels like an overly simple character role for the great actor but he fills it well (it's worth noting Newman also executive produced this project and starred in a vastly superior adaptation of a Russo novel, 1994's Nobody's Fool, for which he was nominated for an Oscar that he also should've won).
Wright-Penn does some lovely work in flashbacks as Miles' dearly devoted mother and Woodward is pitch perfect as the feisty and self-important richest woman in town (no, Woodward and Newman do not share any scenes).
The rest of the cast is generally up to what's asked of them but it's a bit unfortunate that the always welcome Harris doesn't register stronger in the lead role.
Most viewers will probably struggle through the film's particularly aimless first hour but things do pick up a little after that. Unfortunately it barely seems worth it in the end.
The story's twists feel either a bit too obvious (the not-very-hard-to-guess true identity of Hoffman's character is full on spoiled by the end credits of part-one before it is revealed in the beginning of part-two) or simply confounding (the poorly handled high school subplot develops in a highly melodramatic and unsatisfying fashion). There's some pat commentary on disappointment and finding how to pick up the pieces of a broken life, but this sort of stuff would be underwhelming on CBS, let alone HBO.
At the end I just wished I'd read the book instead.
Despite a cast that includes Ed Harris, Paul Newman, Helen Hunt, Robin Wright-Penn, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joanne Woodward, Aidan Quinn and Dennis Farina, the three-hour mini-series is pretty much a dud. It's the TV equivalent of pseudo-important Oscar bait movies that fall flat on their faces like The Human Stain, A Thousand Acres, All the Pretty Horses, Snow Falling on Cedars and numerous others (I doubt it's a coincidence all of these projects, and Empire Falls as well, were based on Important Books).
However, unlike the feature world, TV is kinder to projects like this and it won't be surprising to see Empire Falls walk off with an Emmy for best mini-series come September. But that's more about lack of suitable competition.
Unfortunately I haven't read the highly regarded novel by Richard Russo that the mini is based on, but as a film Empire Falls has a meandering, scattershot approach that tries too hard for folksy charm in its tale of a small New England town and the way life continually lets down local diner manager Miles Roby (Ed Harris).
Miles' story is the main thread but there are many, many subplots. Yet, despite all the characters and interaction the project still feels lethargic. As directed by the unremarkable Fred Schepisi, Empire Falls is a little too at home on the small screen and features a lot of really good actors giving solid performances that no one would suggest are career highs.
Of the overcrowded ensemble (which also prominently includes Theresa Russell, Kate Burton, William Fichtner, Estelle Parsons and a trio of young actors: Danielle Panabaker, Lou Taylor Pucci and Trevor Morgan) I'd reserve the highest praise for Newman, Wright-Penn and Woodward.
Newman's role as Miles' cranky old father feels like an overly simple character role for the great actor but he fills it well (it's worth noting Newman also executive produced this project and starred in a vastly superior adaptation of a Russo novel, 1994's Nobody's Fool, for which he was nominated for an Oscar that he also should've won).
Wright-Penn does some lovely work in flashbacks as Miles' dearly devoted mother and Woodward is pitch perfect as the feisty and self-important richest woman in town (no, Woodward and Newman do not share any scenes).
The rest of the cast is generally up to what's asked of them but it's a bit unfortunate that the always welcome Harris doesn't register stronger in the lead role.
Most viewers will probably struggle through the film's particularly aimless first hour but things do pick up a little after that. Unfortunately it barely seems worth it in the end.
The story's twists feel either a bit too obvious (the not-very-hard-to-guess true identity of Hoffman's character is full on spoiled by the end credits of part-one before it is revealed in the beginning of part-two) or simply confounding (the poorly handled high school subplot develops in a highly melodramatic and unsatisfying fashion). There's some pat commentary on disappointment and finding how to pick up the pieces of a broken life, but this sort of stuff would be underwhelming on CBS, let alone HBO.
At the end I just wished I'd read the book instead.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Season Finales: Alias
Maybe this was their strategy all along.
The extremely erratic fourth season of Alias finished with a bang (literally, but don't worry about Vaughn - no one ever seems to actually die on this show). The finale, along with the two episodes that aired the previous week, represented the very best this show can be and were easily the best hours of Alias since the second season. For the first time this year the show fully lived up to the promise of creator J.J. Abrams that things would be creatively back on track after a disappointing third season.
I don't think it's a coincidence that this sudden creative resurgence happened to coincide with the return of Lena Olin, reprising her role as Irina Derevko for the season's final two episodes. They might have been able to pull it off without her but it's impossible to deny Irina brought with her an emotional weight that has been greatly missed since she left. Olin is a fantastic performer, possibly the best to ever appear on the show, but more importantly her character seems to genuinely inspire the writers in a way no one else does.
Human drama was back in full force in the final hours, and the action was kickass. That perfect balance that made season two so exceptional was restored for a finale that brought together elements from the entire fourth season (and several prior seasons) for an exhilarating, surprising and entirely satisfying conclusion (are you listening 24 and Lost?).
In the finale, after a virus brings a Russian city to its knees, Sydney, Jack, Irina, Vaughn and Nadia race against time to stop the situation from occurring all over the globe. On the other side were Elena (Irina's sister and the woman who raised Nadia) and Sloane (Nadia's father, acting as a double agent but with murky intentions).
And that's the beauty of Alias at its best. The fact that all these characters were related upped the stakes significantly. Every betrayal, every showdown, every potential loss of life takes on greater emotional relevance.
And it didn't hurt that the finale was also just plain cool. It played out a little like a zombie movie but set against certain concepts that are deeply ingrained in the show (the Rambaldi prophecy, the Derevko sisters, Sloane's uncertain loyalties).
All this plus Vaughn proposed to Sydney. Alias fans couldn't ask for more.
If I have one complaint it would be about the lame way in which Dixon was sidelined. I love the character and Carl Lumbly, the actor who portrays him, but the writers really need to figure out a way to truly integrate him into the show. Come on, most people think there's one season left, think of something!
As for the new mysteries proposed (just who is Vaughn really?) we'll have to wait until next season to see if this is the start of something exciting or just another Sydney-wakes-up-two-years-in-the-future-because-we-don't-know-what-else-to-do style twist.
But I don't want to think about that now. Instead I'll just thank the TV gods that Alias, finally, lived up to its potential.
Finale Grade: A
Season Grade: B+
The extremely erratic fourth season of Alias finished with a bang (literally, but don't worry about Vaughn - no one ever seems to actually die on this show). The finale, along with the two episodes that aired the previous week, represented the very best this show can be and were easily the best hours of Alias since the second season. For the first time this year the show fully lived up to the promise of creator J.J. Abrams that things would be creatively back on track after a disappointing third season.
I don't think it's a coincidence that this sudden creative resurgence happened to coincide with the return of Lena Olin, reprising her role as Irina Derevko for the season's final two episodes. They might have been able to pull it off without her but it's impossible to deny Irina brought with her an emotional weight that has been greatly missed since she left. Olin is a fantastic performer, possibly the best to ever appear on the show, but more importantly her character seems to genuinely inspire the writers in a way no one else does.
Human drama was back in full force in the final hours, and the action was kickass. That perfect balance that made season two so exceptional was restored for a finale that brought together elements from the entire fourth season (and several prior seasons) for an exhilarating, surprising and entirely satisfying conclusion (are you listening 24 and Lost?).
In the finale, after a virus brings a Russian city to its knees, Sydney, Jack, Irina, Vaughn and Nadia race against time to stop the situation from occurring all over the globe. On the other side were Elena (Irina's sister and the woman who raised Nadia) and Sloane (Nadia's father, acting as a double agent but with murky intentions).
And that's the beauty of Alias at its best. The fact that all these characters were related upped the stakes significantly. Every betrayal, every showdown, every potential loss of life takes on greater emotional relevance.
And it didn't hurt that the finale was also just plain cool. It played out a little like a zombie movie but set against certain concepts that are deeply ingrained in the show (the Rambaldi prophecy, the Derevko sisters, Sloane's uncertain loyalties).
All this plus Vaughn proposed to Sydney. Alias fans couldn't ask for more.
If I have one complaint it would be about the lame way in which Dixon was sidelined. I love the character and Carl Lumbly, the actor who portrays him, but the writers really need to figure out a way to truly integrate him into the show. Come on, most people think there's one season left, think of something!
As for the new mysteries proposed (just who is Vaughn really?) we'll have to wait until next season to see if this is the start of something exciting or just another Sydney-wakes-up-two-years-in-the-future-because-we-don't-know-what-else-to-do style twist.
But I don't want to think about that now. Instead I'll just thank the TV gods that Alias, finally, lived up to its potential.
Finale Grade: A
Season Grade: B+
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Season Finales: Lost
Is this the season of disappointing finales or something?
Falling somewhere between the solid but unsurprising finish for Desperate Housewives and the dramatically subpar last hour of 24, Lost took two hours to deliver what turned out to be pretty average stuff.
Don't get me wrong, it was a solid episode (average on this show is still pretty damn good) but did we really need an extra hour just to have prolonged flashbacks of Hurley running through an airport or Charlie wrestling with a junkie/one night stand in a hotel room?
Yeah the annoying science teacher blew himself up (thankfully eliminating the possibility he could become a regular), Claire's baby was kidnapped and then found, Walt was kidnapped in a more menacing fashion, Charlie found some drugs, Locke/Jack/Kate/Hurley were attacked, Jin/Michael/Sawyer are lost at sea without a boat and the hatch was finally opened. But other than what happened to Walt none of it did very much to raise the stakes.
We found out a little more about how everyone got on the plane, but not a single question was answered or mystery solved, not even a tiny one (unless you count the name of Claire's baby).
When you're Everybody Loves Raymond it makes sense to end a season (or the entire series) with just another episode. When you're Lost, different rules apply.
But setting aside the fact that expectations are higher for a season finale, the episode still had enough of what makes Lost so good on a weekly basis. Action, twists, tantalizing clues to a larger mystery and a killer ensemble cast.
The finale was at its strongest whenever Jack and Locke shared the screen, Matthew Fox and Terry O'Quinn pretty much rule this show, but the entire cast was put to good use. Jin, Sun, Sayid, Shannon, Michael and Hurley each had especially strong moments, but it was nice to see everyone have something.
And at this point the show has viewers hooked, no matter what does, or doesn't, happen.
Finale Grade: A-
Season Grade: A
Falling somewhere between the solid but unsurprising finish for Desperate Housewives and the dramatically subpar last hour of 24, Lost took two hours to deliver what turned out to be pretty average stuff.
Don't get me wrong, it was a solid episode (average on this show is still pretty damn good) but did we really need an extra hour just to have prolonged flashbacks of Hurley running through an airport or Charlie wrestling with a junkie/one night stand in a hotel room?
Yeah the annoying science teacher blew himself up (thankfully eliminating the possibility he could become a regular), Claire's baby was kidnapped and then found, Walt was kidnapped in a more menacing fashion, Charlie found some drugs, Locke/Jack/Kate/Hurley were attacked, Jin/Michael/Sawyer are lost at sea without a boat and the hatch was finally opened. But other than what happened to Walt none of it did very much to raise the stakes.
We found out a little more about how everyone got on the plane, but not a single question was answered or mystery solved, not even a tiny one (unless you count the name of Claire's baby).
When you're Everybody Loves Raymond it makes sense to end a season (or the entire series) with just another episode. When you're Lost, different rules apply.
But setting aside the fact that expectations are higher for a season finale, the episode still had enough of what makes Lost so good on a weekly basis. Action, twists, tantalizing clues to a larger mystery and a killer ensemble cast.
The finale was at its strongest whenever Jack and Locke shared the screen, Matthew Fox and Terry O'Quinn pretty much rule this show, but the entire cast was put to good use. Jin, Sun, Sayid, Shannon, Michael and Hurley each had especially strong moments, but it was nice to see everyone have something.
And at this point the show has viewers hooked, no matter what does, or doesn't, happen.
Finale Grade: A-
Season Grade: A
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Season Finales: Deadwood
HBO's vulgar, witty, entirely credible exploration of life in Deadwood finished up its second season on Sunday and cemented its status as the best show of the 2004-05 TV season.
Last season the fresh take on TV westerns from TV genius David Milch aired in the shadow of The Sopranos. This season it had the attention of the HBO audience almost entirely to itself, all the more appropriate for the show to blossom into one of television's most complex and satisfying studies of characters, place and time.
No other show that aired this season demanded as much attention, and rewarded it as greatly, as Deadwood.
On the heels of a major funeral in the penultimate episode, the season finale featured a wedding, a stabbing, a new arrival in town, a hanging, plans for an election, a throat cutting and Calamity Jane in a dress. But, as always, the emphasis remains on the characters.
The last thing the Emmys need is another acting award but Deadwood makes a remarkably compelling argument for an ensemble cast honor. Lead players Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant and Molly Parker continue to carry the show in an estimable fashion and are ably supported by an impressive group of scene stealers including Robin Weigert (a standout as Calamity Jane), Paula Malcolmson, Powers Boothe, William Sanderson, Kim Dickens, Brad Dourif, John Hawkes, Dayton Callie and W. Earl Brown.
A strong argument could be made for each of them when it comes to Emmy nominations. I think McShane and Weigert are shoe-ins (for nominations and probably wins) and I'm optimistic about the chances of Parker, Malcolmson and Boothe.
This year the ensemble was strengthened even further with the addition of Garret Dillahunt, Sarah Paulson, Anna Gunn and Titus Welliver (sadly not all will return). This is a show that takes every character seriously, from McShane's saloon proprietor Al Swearengen (it's no longer too soon to call Al one of TV's all-time great characters) to smaller, recurring characters like saloon maid Jewel and Chinese businessman Mr. Wu. That only makes watching each episode even more critical, and some viewers may find the ideal way to watch Deadwood is in marathon viewings on DVD.
Managing a cast of this size while fully recreating another place and time is no small task, but Deadwood makes it look easy. And watching the show is an experience like no other.
Right now TV doesn't get better than this.
Finale Grade: A
Season Grade: A
Last season the fresh take on TV westerns from TV genius David Milch aired in the shadow of The Sopranos. This season it had the attention of the HBO audience almost entirely to itself, all the more appropriate for the show to blossom into one of television's most complex and satisfying studies of characters, place and time.
No other show that aired this season demanded as much attention, and rewarded it as greatly, as Deadwood.
On the heels of a major funeral in the penultimate episode, the season finale featured a wedding, a stabbing, a new arrival in town, a hanging, plans for an election, a throat cutting and Calamity Jane in a dress. But, as always, the emphasis remains on the characters.
The last thing the Emmys need is another acting award but Deadwood makes a remarkably compelling argument for an ensemble cast honor. Lead players Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant and Molly Parker continue to carry the show in an estimable fashion and are ably supported by an impressive group of scene stealers including Robin Weigert (a standout as Calamity Jane), Paula Malcolmson, Powers Boothe, William Sanderson, Kim Dickens, Brad Dourif, John Hawkes, Dayton Callie and W. Earl Brown.
A strong argument could be made for each of them when it comes to Emmy nominations. I think McShane and Weigert are shoe-ins (for nominations and probably wins) and I'm optimistic about the chances of Parker, Malcolmson and Boothe.
This year the ensemble was strengthened even further with the addition of Garret Dillahunt, Sarah Paulson, Anna Gunn and Titus Welliver (sadly not all will return). This is a show that takes every character seriously, from McShane's saloon proprietor Al Swearengen (it's no longer too soon to call Al one of TV's all-time great characters) to smaller, recurring characters like saloon maid Jewel and Chinese businessman Mr. Wu. That only makes watching each episode even more critical, and some viewers may find the ideal way to watch Deadwood is in marathon viewings on DVD.
Managing a cast of this size while fully recreating another place and time is no small task, but Deadwood makes it look easy. And watching the show is an experience like no other.
Right now TV doesn't get better than this.
Finale Grade: A
Season Grade: A
Season Finales: 24
I wish I could say that 24 was able to finish off its season in top form, living up to the promise displayed in the season's taut, energetic debut. I wish I could say the fourth season finale equaled the emotional gut-punch of season one's big finish, the thrilling shock of season two's ender or the cathartic release of the season three finale.
I wish I could say 2005's final hour of 24 wasn't hugely disappointing, but I can't. Because it really kinda sucked.
Luckily this season's late start allowed the show to air back-to-back hours for one supersized finale, because almost everything that worked in the finale came in that first hour.
The surprise return of Mandy (Mia Kirshner, continuing to put the hot in terrorist) was a classic 24 twist and tied up one of the show's biggest loose ends. Everything surrounding that plotline worked wonderfully, from Mandy kidnapping Tony and manipulating Michelle to her showdown with Jack and the necessary pardon for past and present crimes (the season two finale finally pays off!).
Yeah there was zero suspense in the whole "is Tony dead?" thing but at least it gave Michelle something significant to do for the first time this season.
And it was a lot better than the fake death in the second hour, but let's get back to that later.
Once Mandy was taken care of all we had left was Marwan (remember him? the season's criminal mastermind who's been unfairly underutilized for a few hours now) and the Chinese.
In terms of villainous ringleaders (which omits most of the show's best villains, almost all of them female) I'd argue Marwan was the very best, the most villainous. He was a genuinely deranged man with frighteningly brilliant plans. I think the season could've used a little more of his unpredictable edge. And he certainly deserved a better ending (slicing open Jack's hand was cool, but did we need yet another shoot out in a parking structure?).
Marwan's quick death just left the little problem of the nuke. Apparently it was so minor a problem that it was finished off with a blink-or-you'll-miss it "yay, we shot it down!" sequence. We watched 23 hours just for that?
Maybe not, since there was still...
the Chinese!
But did anyone really care about the Chinese since their late arrival this season, and, if so, why? Turns out the season's most boring distraction was all leading up to Jack faking his own death (sorry, no suspense there; you can't punk a 24 fan, a lot of them still think Dina's alive) and disappearing "across the border." Um, whatever.
All that and we never found out what happened to poor Behrooz. (Entertainment Weekly online reported that producers filmed a scene where Behrooz learns about the death of his mother but pulled it "for time." Bad call.)
A few things I hope for next season:
- Stay away from the old favorites and come up with some new interesting characters. The Araz family, Marwan and a few others really worked this season. I'm all for Mandy causing more trouble sometime in the future, and it's understandable that Chloe has been signed for a full season of scowling, but give Tony and Michelle a well earned break, and please leave Audrey behind.
- Never go back to Washington D.C. ever again. That might be unreasonable for a government agency series but at the very least let David Palmer remain a private citizen. The writers forced him to resign in disgrace and that was their mistake. Now they have to accept what they did and move on.
- Keep it simple. It might be time to reign in the threat a little bit, since, as the season five promo that ran over the closing credits pointed out, Jack has already saved the President, the country and the world.
But whatever happens it has to be fun. 24 provides more thrills, twists and effective character drama than a whole year's worth of Hollywood action films (or at least any year without a Jason Bourne movie). Even when it's bad, it's still pretty fun either to laugh at or escape with.
Creating a real-time action drama is a mighty scary high wire act and 24 has more or less pulled it off for four seasons now. I'm hoping that, even after a disappointing finish, the show's got a few more good days to go.
Finale Grade: B (saved by the first hour)
Season Grade: B+ (saved by the first half, and select episodes thereafter)
I wish I could say 2005's final hour of 24 wasn't hugely disappointing, but I can't. Because it really kinda sucked.
Luckily this season's late start allowed the show to air back-to-back hours for one supersized finale, because almost everything that worked in the finale came in that first hour.
The surprise return of Mandy (Mia Kirshner, continuing to put the hot in terrorist) was a classic 24 twist and tied up one of the show's biggest loose ends. Everything surrounding that plotline worked wonderfully, from Mandy kidnapping Tony and manipulating Michelle to her showdown with Jack and the necessary pardon for past and present crimes (the season two finale finally pays off!).
Yeah there was zero suspense in the whole "is Tony dead?" thing but at least it gave Michelle something significant to do for the first time this season.
And it was a lot better than the fake death in the second hour, but let's get back to that later.
Once Mandy was taken care of all we had left was Marwan (remember him? the season's criminal mastermind who's been unfairly underutilized for a few hours now) and the Chinese.
In terms of villainous ringleaders (which omits most of the show's best villains, almost all of them female) I'd argue Marwan was the very best, the most villainous. He was a genuinely deranged man with frighteningly brilliant plans. I think the season could've used a little more of his unpredictable edge. And he certainly deserved a better ending (slicing open Jack's hand was cool, but did we need yet another shoot out in a parking structure?).
Marwan's quick death just left the little problem of the nuke. Apparently it was so minor a problem that it was finished off with a blink-or-you'll-miss it "yay, we shot it down!" sequence. We watched 23 hours just for that?
Maybe not, since there was still...
the Chinese!
But did anyone really care about the Chinese since their late arrival this season, and, if so, why? Turns out the season's most boring distraction was all leading up to Jack faking his own death (sorry, no suspense there; you can't punk a 24 fan, a lot of them still think Dina's alive) and disappearing "across the border." Um, whatever.
All that and we never found out what happened to poor Behrooz. (Entertainment Weekly online reported that producers filmed a scene where Behrooz learns about the death of his mother but pulled it "for time." Bad call.)
A few things I hope for next season:
- Stay away from the old favorites and come up with some new interesting characters. The Araz family, Marwan and a few others really worked this season. I'm all for Mandy causing more trouble sometime in the future, and it's understandable that Chloe has been signed for a full season of scowling, but give Tony and Michelle a well earned break, and please leave Audrey behind.
- Never go back to Washington D.C. ever again. That might be unreasonable for a government agency series but at the very least let David Palmer remain a private citizen. The writers forced him to resign in disgrace and that was their mistake. Now they have to accept what they did and move on.
- Keep it simple. It might be time to reign in the threat a little bit, since, as the season five promo that ran over the closing credits pointed out, Jack has already saved the President, the country and the world.
But whatever happens it has to be fun. 24 provides more thrills, twists and effective character drama than a whole year's worth of Hollywood action films (or at least any year without a Jason Bourne movie). Even when it's bad, it's still pretty fun either to laugh at or escape with.
Creating a real-time action drama is a mighty scary high wire act and 24 has more or less pulled it off for four seasons now. I'm hoping that, even after a disappointing finish, the show's got a few more good days to go.
Finale Grade: B (saved by the first hour)
Season Grade: B+ (saved by the first half, and select episodes thereafter)
Monday, May 23, 2005
Season Finales: Desperate Housewives
If there's one thing to fault the finale of Desperate Housewives for it would be failing to meet impossibly high expectations. But that has less to do with the episode itself and more to do with ABC's promo department and the show's writers, who delivered an overall brilliant and rather unexpected first season.
One of television's most welcome new additions, the highly enjoyable blend of mystery, satire and soap opera antics finished off its debut season in a fitting manner. The big mystery established in episode one (why did Mary Alice Young kill herself) was elegantly wrapped up, with all of the pieces falling into place in a way that came as little surprise to anyone who's been paying attention all season long.
The show had been gradually revealing information throughout its 22 previous episodes. That made the finale less about a big reveal and more about satisfying closure, while also ensuring new storylines opened up for all of the key characters.
Of those new developments I'm most concerned with where Bree's character is heading. If the finale had a "surprise" it would be Rex's death (although the groundwork had been laid in the previous episode and the death of a major male character had already been promised). So what next for Bree? How can a soap opera (especially a satiric one) credibly handle a recent widow in a central role? And how will this effect the established threat by her son, Andrew, who has vowed to rock his mother's world in a major way? I would guess the solution lies in looking within. Bree will likely have to struggle with some inner demons before she can begin to put her life back together, but this will be some very tricky territory for the writers to navigate.
Otherwise everything suggested for next season is extremely promising: Lynette re-entering the work world, Gabrielle dealing with a husband in jail and a lover who may be the father of her baby (and will she even have that baby? I kinda doubt it), two brand new characters whose arrival in town remains a mystery and Mike, who is about to discover that the son (?) he never knew he had wants him dead. Right now.
But we'll have to wait till September.
Finale Grade: A-
Season Grade: A
One of television's most welcome new additions, the highly enjoyable blend of mystery, satire and soap opera antics finished off its debut season in a fitting manner. The big mystery established in episode one (why did Mary Alice Young kill herself) was elegantly wrapped up, with all of the pieces falling into place in a way that came as little surprise to anyone who's been paying attention all season long.
The show had been gradually revealing information throughout its 22 previous episodes. That made the finale less about a big reveal and more about satisfying closure, while also ensuring new storylines opened up for all of the key characters.
Of those new developments I'm most concerned with where Bree's character is heading. If the finale had a "surprise" it would be Rex's death (although the groundwork had been laid in the previous episode and the death of a major male character had already been promised). So what next for Bree? How can a soap opera (especially a satiric one) credibly handle a recent widow in a central role? And how will this effect the established threat by her son, Andrew, who has vowed to rock his mother's world in a major way? I would guess the solution lies in looking within. Bree will likely have to struggle with some inner demons before she can begin to put her life back together, but this will be some very tricky territory for the writers to navigate.
Otherwise everything suggested for next season is extremely promising: Lynette re-entering the work world, Gabrielle dealing with a husband in jail and a lover who may be the father of her baby (and will she even have that baby? I kinda doubt it), two brand new characters whose arrival in town remains a mystery and Mike, who is about to discover that the son (?) he never knew he had wants him dead. Right now.
But we'll have to wait till September.
Finale Grade: A-
Season Grade: A
Friday, May 20, 2005
Requiem for a Trilogy (aka Piece of Sith)
The general consensus seems to be that Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is the best of the underwhelming second Star Wars trilogy. I guess it is, but not by much.
The trilogy's first film, Phantom Menace, was a scourge on humanity but I thought the follow up, Attack of the Clones, was decent enough mindless summer entertainment (although I've only seen it once, and am rather terrified at the idea of revisiting it).
The problem with the new Star Wars films is that being mindless summer fun (or just plain fun period) is not enough. For many people they must be important, epic, meaningful masterworks. This would be fine if George Lucas wasn't one of those people.
Although Sith is even more visually dazzling than its predecessors it is every bit as emotionally hollow. Lucas' inability to tell an emotionally resonant story can't be blamed on a lack of effort or means. Which only leaves lack of skill. It is disturbing to watch a movie that tries so hard to be powerful, moving and exciting and yet fails to convey a single simple human emotion in an effective way.
And now, after three hermetically sealed movies filled with wooden acting and painful dialogue, does it even feel necessary to have seen this part of the story played out?
I say no, not if it wasn't any fun.
And if there's one thing this trilogy was it's boring. It defeated talented actors like Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson and Samuel L. Jackson (and purportedly talented actors like Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman). It failed to offer any single new memorable character to stand with the likes of Yoda, C3P0, R2D2, Jabba the Hut and, uh, actual flesh and blood characters like Han Solo, Obi-Wan, Leia, Vader, etc. etc. It featured so much political and moral blather posing as legitimate dialogue it practically dared its audience to stay awake for the next "cool" battle scene. For three movies in a row, all over two hours long.
Yet it still seemed to capture the imagination of a massive number of people, if box office grosses are any indication: $431 million for Phantom Menace, $302 million for Attack of the Clones, $50 million on opening day alone for Sith.
But before anyone gets the impression I think Sith is one of the worst movies of the year or something (too late, right?), keep in mind I said it is better than Attack of the Clones, which I don't mind admitting I did find modestly entertaining.
Although most of Sith is seriously problematic it does come through at the end, with a final fifteen or twenty minutes that is at least entertaining, if not entirely compelling. But even then I was troubled as I found myself wishing they'd cut away from the climatic Anakin/Obi-Wan showdown and get back to the old British guy (Ian McDiarmid as the Chancellor gives the film's best human performance) and the special effect (ditto for Yoda on the CGI side).
In addition to the ending, the film's other standout element is its visual effects. There seems to be an effect in every scene, whether its a background detail or a fully formed character front and center. And it's all remarkable. I wasn't completely in awe of the visuals in either Menace or Clones but that's one department where I think Lucas seriously upped his game for the finish.
Too bad the same can't be said for the dialogue, narrative, performances and everything else that gives movies their humanity.
Oh well, at least we'll always have the first trilogy.
The trilogy's first film, Phantom Menace, was a scourge on humanity but I thought the follow up, Attack of the Clones, was decent enough mindless summer entertainment (although I've only seen it once, and am rather terrified at the idea of revisiting it).
The problem with the new Star Wars films is that being mindless summer fun (or just plain fun period) is not enough. For many people they must be important, epic, meaningful masterworks. This would be fine if George Lucas wasn't one of those people.
Although Sith is even more visually dazzling than its predecessors it is every bit as emotionally hollow. Lucas' inability to tell an emotionally resonant story can't be blamed on a lack of effort or means. Which only leaves lack of skill. It is disturbing to watch a movie that tries so hard to be powerful, moving and exciting and yet fails to convey a single simple human emotion in an effective way.
And now, after three hermetically sealed movies filled with wooden acting and painful dialogue, does it even feel necessary to have seen this part of the story played out?
I say no, not if it wasn't any fun.
And if there's one thing this trilogy was it's boring. It defeated talented actors like Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson and Samuel L. Jackson (and purportedly talented actors like Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman). It failed to offer any single new memorable character to stand with the likes of Yoda, C3P0, R2D2, Jabba the Hut and, uh, actual flesh and blood characters like Han Solo, Obi-Wan, Leia, Vader, etc. etc. It featured so much political and moral blather posing as legitimate dialogue it practically dared its audience to stay awake for the next "cool" battle scene. For three movies in a row, all over two hours long.
Yet it still seemed to capture the imagination of a massive number of people, if box office grosses are any indication: $431 million for Phantom Menace, $302 million for Attack of the Clones, $50 million on opening day alone for Sith.
But before anyone gets the impression I think Sith is one of the worst movies of the year or something (too late, right?), keep in mind I said it is better than Attack of the Clones, which I don't mind admitting I did find modestly entertaining.
Although most of Sith is seriously problematic it does come through at the end, with a final fifteen or twenty minutes that is at least entertaining, if not entirely compelling. But even then I was troubled as I found myself wishing they'd cut away from the climatic Anakin/Obi-Wan showdown and get back to the old British guy (Ian McDiarmid as the Chancellor gives the film's best human performance) and the special effect (ditto for Yoda on the CGI side).
In addition to the ending, the film's other standout element is its visual effects. There seems to be an effect in every scene, whether its a background detail or a fully formed character front and center. And it's all remarkable. I wasn't completely in awe of the visuals in either Menace or Clones but that's one department where I think Lucas seriously upped his game for the finish.
Too bad the same can't be said for the dialogue, narrative, performances and everything else that gives movies their humanity.
Oh well, at least we'll always have the first trilogy.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Fall Schedule Wrap
Now that all six networks have finished outlining their plans for the fall it's worth reflecting on a couple of significant trends.
Quirky comedy is in - If your show was facing possible cancellation it helped to be a quirky, single camera comedy. NBC renewed The Office, ABC will bring back Jake in Progress and Fox said yes to more Arrested Development and Bernie Mac. Many low-rated traditional comedies weren't so lucky (8 Simple Rules, My Wife and Kids, Listen Up, Committed, Life on a Stick).
Low rated drama is out - Many of the season's unique but struggling dramas got the ax: Joan of Arcadia, Eyes, Kevin Hill, Jack & Bobby, American Dreams, Revelations, even Carnivale on HBO. Only UPN's Veronica Mars received a reprise. Maybe the mainstream success of Lost and Desperate Housewives has something to do with it. The networks probably appreciate that comedy is tough right now, but dramas can succeed. So tough luck if you don't.
Reality is on the wane... - For the second straight season all the networks tried to avoid reality as much as possible in selecting their fall schedules. Yes the usual suspects are all there (Survivor, Top Model, Apprentice, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), and ABC brought back Wife Swap and Supernanny as well, but NBC is holding off on Fear Factor, Bachelor fans will have to wait awhile for the next proposal and both Fox and WB have no reality on the fall schedule at all.
Only NBC seems hot on the genre with Three Wishes and Apprentice: Martha Stewart joining their line-up (and The Biggest Loser returning as well). If too much reality looks like a sign of weakness NBC's schedule isn't likely to change that perception.
... but no, sadly, it's not dead - Just check out the networks' summer schedule. The hot season for movies is the dumping ground for TV and it's filled with reality, reality and more reality (or as UPN calls Top Model: dramality). There's also plenty of unscripted projects standing by at each network to fill the holes left by next season's scripted failures.
TV's latest genre of choice is sci-fi/horror - No less than three alien invasion dramas (ABC's Invasion, CBS' Threshold, NBC's Fathom) will hit the airwaves next fall. And WB is promising scares with Supernatural, while ABC hopes to generate some X-Files sparks with The Night Stalker and CBS seems to be doing Medium Jr. with The Ghost Whisperer. All good news to me, TV has been seriously lacking in a good spooky hour since The X-Files left the air three years ago.
It's interesting that this has been widely attributed to the success of Lost. My guess is the most successful of these new shows will capture not only Lost's mysterious vibe but also its winning character development.
Desperate Housewives didn't start a trend - Although there had been quite a few in development there is barely a single soap opera or female driven comedy on the schedule. ABC has new half hour Hot Properties with four female leads and UPN is introducing Sex, Lies & Secrets (the crudest possible simplification of what makes Housewives a hit) but they seem more inspired by Designing Women and Melrose Place respectively.
Pushing it a bit further one could argue ABC's female President drama Commander-in-Chief or WB's four sisters in the city series Related fit the bill, and Fox's high concept Reunion features an ongoing murder mystery and soapy elements, but it looks like the producers of Housewives don't need to worry about crude knockoffs harming their baby.
Breaking it down day by day:
Sundays look almost as the same as they do right now, with West Wing entering the race as a wildcard. ABC is all but guaranteed continued dominance there.
Mondays at 8 will see Fox's quality combo of Arrested Development/Kitchen Confidential taking on CBS' more traditional King of Queens/How I Met Your Mother. NBC will try to counter with Fathom and ABC has somewhat oddly decided to slot Wife Swap before the final season of Monday Night Football. CBS is the obvious favorite but maybe a surprise is in store.
Tuesdays will have an interesting battle at 9 between Fox's hot House (without an American Idol lead-in), CBS' strong Amazing Race and ABC's wildcard Commander-in-Chief. NBC's combo of My Name is Earl and The Office seems poised to take a beating. And if Commander-in-Chief fails that would be bad news for Boston Legal which faces potentially strong CBS suburban crime show Close to Home and dominant Law & Order: SVU.
As I've been mentioning all week Wednesdays at 9 could be a bloodbath. As long as Lost doesn't face a sophomore slump the four new shows up against it (E-Ring, Criminal Minds, Head Cases and Related) will have a tough time finding viewers. And UPN is sending cult favorite Veronica Mars into the slot as well, a tough place to prove your network's surprise renewal was justified. Criminal Minds and Head Cases are probably headed for short runs but little stands in the way of NBC's Apprentice: Martha Stewart at 8 and that could help E-Ring.
CBS is sure to keep a strong hold on Thursdays but the 8 o'clock battle of Survivor/Joey/Alias/The OC/Smallville/Everybody Hates Chris is one of the most interesting across all six networks. None of the shows can top Survivor but the race for second place could be interesting. New shows Night Stalker and Reunion will have to work hard to pull viewers away from CSI and The Apprentice at 9.
Fridays are always dull but the 8 o'clock hour could generate sparks as CBS' Ghost Whisperer takes on reality on NBC (Three Wishes) and ABC (Supernanny).
Quirky comedy is in - If your show was facing possible cancellation it helped to be a quirky, single camera comedy. NBC renewed The Office, ABC will bring back Jake in Progress and Fox said yes to more Arrested Development and Bernie Mac. Many low-rated traditional comedies weren't so lucky (8 Simple Rules, My Wife and Kids, Listen Up, Committed, Life on a Stick).
Low rated drama is out - Many of the season's unique but struggling dramas got the ax: Joan of Arcadia, Eyes, Kevin Hill, Jack & Bobby, American Dreams, Revelations, even Carnivale on HBO. Only UPN's Veronica Mars received a reprise. Maybe the mainstream success of Lost and Desperate Housewives has something to do with it. The networks probably appreciate that comedy is tough right now, but dramas can succeed. So tough luck if you don't.
Reality is on the wane... - For the second straight season all the networks tried to avoid reality as much as possible in selecting their fall schedules. Yes the usual suspects are all there (Survivor, Top Model, Apprentice, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), and ABC brought back Wife Swap and Supernanny as well, but NBC is holding off on Fear Factor, Bachelor fans will have to wait awhile for the next proposal and both Fox and WB have no reality on the fall schedule at all.
Only NBC seems hot on the genre with Three Wishes and Apprentice: Martha Stewart joining their line-up (and The Biggest Loser returning as well). If too much reality looks like a sign of weakness NBC's schedule isn't likely to change that perception.
... but no, sadly, it's not dead - Just check out the networks' summer schedule. The hot season for movies is the dumping ground for TV and it's filled with reality, reality and more reality (or as UPN calls Top Model: dramality). There's also plenty of unscripted projects standing by at each network to fill the holes left by next season's scripted failures.
TV's latest genre of choice is sci-fi/horror - No less than three alien invasion dramas (ABC's Invasion, CBS' Threshold, NBC's Fathom) will hit the airwaves next fall. And WB is promising scares with Supernatural, while ABC hopes to generate some X-Files sparks with The Night Stalker and CBS seems to be doing Medium Jr. with The Ghost Whisperer. All good news to me, TV has been seriously lacking in a good spooky hour since The X-Files left the air three years ago.
It's interesting that this has been widely attributed to the success of Lost. My guess is the most successful of these new shows will capture not only Lost's mysterious vibe but also its winning character development.
Desperate Housewives didn't start a trend - Although there had been quite a few in development there is barely a single soap opera or female driven comedy on the schedule. ABC has new half hour Hot Properties with four female leads and UPN is introducing Sex, Lies & Secrets (the crudest possible simplification of what makes Housewives a hit) but they seem more inspired by Designing Women and Melrose Place respectively.
Pushing it a bit further one could argue ABC's female President drama Commander-in-Chief or WB's four sisters in the city series Related fit the bill, and Fox's high concept Reunion features an ongoing murder mystery and soapy elements, but it looks like the producers of Housewives don't need to worry about crude knockoffs harming their baby.
Breaking it down day by day:
Sundays look almost as the same as they do right now, with West Wing entering the race as a wildcard. ABC is all but guaranteed continued dominance there.
Mondays at 8 will see Fox's quality combo of Arrested Development/Kitchen Confidential taking on CBS' more traditional King of Queens/How I Met Your Mother. NBC will try to counter with Fathom and ABC has somewhat oddly decided to slot Wife Swap before the final season of Monday Night Football. CBS is the obvious favorite but maybe a surprise is in store.
Tuesdays will have an interesting battle at 9 between Fox's hot House (without an American Idol lead-in), CBS' strong Amazing Race and ABC's wildcard Commander-in-Chief. NBC's combo of My Name is Earl and The Office seems poised to take a beating. And if Commander-in-Chief fails that would be bad news for Boston Legal which faces potentially strong CBS suburban crime show Close to Home and dominant Law & Order: SVU.
As I've been mentioning all week Wednesdays at 9 could be a bloodbath. As long as Lost doesn't face a sophomore slump the four new shows up against it (E-Ring, Criminal Minds, Head Cases and Related) will have a tough time finding viewers. And UPN is sending cult favorite Veronica Mars into the slot as well, a tough place to prove your network's surprise renewal was justified. Criminal Minds and Head Cases are probably headed for short runs but little stands in the way of NBC's Apprentice: Martha Stewart at 8 and that could help E-Ring.
CBS is sure to keep a strong hold on Thursdays but the 8 o'clock battle of Survivor/Joey/Alias/The OC/Smallville/Everybody Hates Chris is one of the most interesting across all six networks. None of the shows can top Survivor but the race for second place could be interesting. New shows Night Stalker and Reunion will have to work hard to pull viewers away from CSI and The Apprentice at 9.
Fridays are always dull but the 8 o'clock hour could generate sparks as CBS' Ghost Whisperer takes on reality on NBC (Three Wishes) and ABC (Supernanny).
Fall Schedules: Fox
It was already decided earlier this week that two shows that looked in danger of cancellation (Arrested Development and Bernie Mac) would in fact return to Fox's fall schedule, so the interest in the line-up itself is all about scheduling.
The network is taking some interesting risks with a line-up of several shows that are nearing the end of their run, a few that have yet to prove their ratings worth and a crop of new series that borrow from previous Fox success stories. And not a single regularly scheduled reality show.
Arrested heads to Monday where it will be paired with new Darren Star comedy Kitchen Confidential, a good sign of the perceived quality of that show since Arrested's renewal was said to have been decided partly on the network finding a suitable companion show. Bernie Mac stays on Fridays, now paired with a relocated Malcolm in the Middle, which is presumably in its last season.
With Malcolm, That 70s Show, King of the Hill and possibly even Bernie Mac all headed into alleged final seasons Fox will have some big gaps opening up in its schedule. Conveniently the network has already announced a January line-up (when American Idol and 24 return). That will likely shift somewhat if something hits or flops bigtime come fall.
In addition to Kitchen Confidential the other new comedy is The War at Home, which looks closer to traditional Fox dysfunctional family comedies.
New dramas also build on current staples. Following the success of House the network adds two procedurals: forensics drama Bones on Tuesdays before House, and twisted cop show The Gate (from a CSI producer) on Fridays at 9 (CSI's old timeslot).
And there's two high concept dramas no doubt inspired by the success of 24: Reunion, which follows The OC on Thursdays and tracks six people from high school graduation to a 20 year reunion with each episode representing a single year, and Prison Break, which occupies the 24 timeslot in the fall and details a season-long jailbreak.
Other new hour is quirky lawyer dramedy Head Cases (shades of Ally McBeal?). Unfortunately not only does the show have the misfortune of going up against Lost and two highly competitive new dramas on CBS and NBC, but it also stars Chris O'Donnell, Adam Goldberg and Rachael Leigh Cook.
Hopefully, for new entertainment president Peter Liguori's sake, a few of these new shows will catch on, and this fall won't be yet another case of "just wait until January!"
The network is taking some interesting risks with a line-up of several shows that are nearing the end of their run, a few that have yet to prove their ratings worth and a crop of new series that borrow from previous Fox success stories. And not a single regularly scheduled reality show.
Arrested heads to Monday where it will be paired with new Darren Star comedy Kitchen Confidential, a good sign of the perceived quality of that show since Arrested's renewal was said to have been decided partly on the network finding a suitable companion show. Bernie Mac stays on Fridays, now paired with a relocated Malcolm in the Middle, which is presumably in its last season.
With Malcolm, That 70s Show, King of the Hill and possibly even Bernie Mac all headed into alleged final seasons Fox will have some big gaps opening up in its schedule. Conveniently the network has already announced a January line-up (when American Idol and 24 return). That will likely shift somewhat if something hits or flops bigtime come fall.
In addition to Kitchen Confidential the other new comedy is The War at Home, which looks closer to traditional Fox dysfunctional family comedies.
New dramas also build on current staples. Following the success of House the network adds two procedurals: forensics drama Bones on Tuesdays before House, and twisted cop show The Gate (from a CSI producer) on Fridays at 9 (CSI's old timeslot).
And there's two high concept dramas no doubt inspired by the success of 24: Reunion, which follows The OC on Thursdays and tracks six people from high school graduation to a 20 year reunion with each episode representing a single year, and Prison Break, which occupies the 24 timeslot in the fall and details a season-long jailbreak.
Other new hour is quirky lawyer dramedy Head Cases (shades of Ally McBeal?). Unfortunately not only does the show have the misfortune of going up against Lost and two highly competitive new dramas on CBS and NBC, but it also stars Chris O'Donnell, Adam Goldberg and Rachael Leigh Cook.
Hopefully, for new entertainment president Peter Liguori's sake, a few of these new shows will catch on, and this fall won't be yet another case of "just wait until January!"
Fall Schedules: UPN
There's not very much of interest at UPN as the struggling network unveils the week's least inspired fall schedule.
With ten hours a week to program UPN has decided to fill one of those with reruns of their most successful show (America's Next Top Model) while two hours remain devoted to WWE Smackdown! (now on the move to Fridays).
Of the two shows the network was high on last season, they've brought back one (Veronica Mars, which is now heading into battle against Lost) and cancelled the other (Kevin Hill, which was light, fun and smart but never found much critical or audience traction).
I have a feeling the less said about new Silver Lake-set soap opera Sex, Lies & Secrets, the better (and yes that's the real title, at least for now).
That just leaves new comedy Everybody Hates Chris which kicks off a new comedy block on Thursdays. It sounds like Chris Rock's version of The Wonder Years.
Ok, so maybe UPN had one good idea after all.
With ten hours a week to program UPN has decided to fill one of those with reruns of their most successful show (America's Next Top Model) while two hours remain devoted to WWE Smackdown! (now on the move to Fridays).
Of the two shows the network was high on last season, they've brought back one (Veronica Mars, which is now heading into battle against Lost) and cancelled the other (Kevin Hill, which was light, fun and smart but never found much critical or audience traction).
I have a feeling the less said about new Silver Lake-set soap opera Sex, Lies & Secrets, the better (and yes that's the real title, at least for now).
That just leaves new comedy Everybody Hates Chris which kicks off a new comedy block on Thursdays. It sounds like Chris Rock's version of The Wonder Years.
Ok, so maybe UPN had one good idea after all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)