Bedtime Reviews Numero Dos

Wow--I am so behind with my bedtime reviews! As promised on Cinemaperspective.com's Facebook page, I am going to review Changeling, Body of Lies and more. It's been quite a film-filled week! First up?

Changeling:
Let me start out by saying that visually, I think Changeling is one of Clint Eastwood's best films. The cinematography in this is extremely well-done, bringing the viewer into this story of the past while at the same time maintaining that it does in fact take place in the 1930s. The initial shot of the film is of a black and white street, essentially an old photograph, that is slowly permeated with color and coming to life as the audience travels through time. It is a wonderfully subtle way to establish the setting. Now, in comparison to some of his other films, Mystic River for example, this is as emotional a story, however Changeling is oddly not as powerful--perhaps because it goes from initially being a tragic slice-of-life to essentially a re-telling of history.

The story of Christine Collins' search for her son Walter and her fight against the corrupt LA police department is a fascinating one which is what keeps the film interesting despite its turn to reenactment mode after the first hour or so. Angelina Jolie delivers a stellar performance as the fiercely independent single-mother Christine who is unfortunately bound and condemned by the societal expectations of 1930s America and the corruption of the 1930s Los Angeles police department.

Body of Lies:
Disappointing. What can I tell you? Basically, I saw Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott and thought, well, this should be pretty good. I am sad to say that I was incorrect. Through a convoluted plot full of deception and trickery between DiCaprio's Roger Ferris and Crowe's Ed Hoffman (both US agents working against terrorism), the film eventually comes to a conclusion that is just as convoluted and meaningless as the entire film. There is no real point to Body of Lies and it does not inform the viewer so much as make them terribly afraid for their privacy (due to the amazingly clear and accurate satellite cameras that can apparently track a person's every move). Hoffman is uncaring for both terrorists, innocent civilians and his own agents; therefore, Body of Lies paints a rather negative picture of American agents working in the Middle East to find terrorists and prevent their crimes. Ferris tries to remain a good guy, attempting to work the system within each country but Hoffman nonetheless constantly ruins his plans and, as a result, typically puts Ferris in danger. And to what end? None that I can see.

Quarantine:
Like last year's Cloverfield, Quarantine tells a story through a handheld camera, the action highlighted through a small, bouncing lens and its trusty (and extremely long-lasting) camera light. Unfortunately, unlike Cloverfield in which the technique works and keeps the audience on the edge of its seat, Quarantine fails to become much more than a remake of 28 Days and the Resident Evil films. People get sick (hence the title) and in turn attempt to eat everyone else. Starring in this attempted rehashing of the old zombie flick is a (constantly hyperventilating) newswoman (Jennifer Carpenter) and her trusty cameraman (Steve Harris) who manages to hold on to his camera despite the gore and multiple attempts on his life--he even kills someone with the camera at one point. Overall, skip this one and if you haven't seen Cloverfield, pick that one up instead.

The Children of Huang Shi:
Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the real-life George Hogg, this is yet another re-telling of history. Hogg was a young reporter who came to China when it was consumed by civil war and infiltrated by the Japanese. Enemies were all around and Hogg wanted to get to the front of the war in order to write a story about it. Unfortunately, he witnesses something so tragic that he gets much more than he bargained for. I don't want to ruin the story, but Hogg eventually finds himself caring for forgotten and wild boys at an orphanage and having a long-lasting effect on their lives that they carry with them throughout their adulthood.

It is a good film, if not a bit predictable, and the story of George Hogg is one that should be told. His selflessness is truly a lesson that all of us should take to heart. I do wish, however, that Meyers would cease to be cast in so many films! He never actually becomes a character; he is always pretending--in Match Point this worked because the character that he was playing was a pretender and a fake. However, this method has carried on in every one of his performances that I have seen. He overacts and comes across as false, exaggerating each sentence to the point that one almost cringes. Maybe this seems harsh but sitting through two hours of this began to grate on my nerves!

Miracle at St. Anna:
I am honestly not sure why this film does not work. Just like Spike Lee's previous attempt at a more mainstream film, Inside Man, St. Anna tries to tell a powerful and provocative story but ends up falling short. Part of the reason for this could be the stereotypical roles of the black characters, each fulfilling a traditional expectation: one is big and dumb, one is oversexed and the other is a good man and soldier, faithfully believing that the war could be a sign of progress toward equality. The fourth main character is a half-Puerto Rican, half-African American man named Hector Negron (seriously--Negron) who does his best to remain neutral in the constant struggle between the other three stereotypes. Unfortunately, there is no real resolution of these stereotypes as the film concludes and the mystery is not as exciting as one has been led to believe. Overall, it is flawed yet worth watching. I believe that Spike Lee is trying to do something different here; he presents a story that one believes is going to tell the story of African American World War II heroes when, in fact, he simply tells one about real people. His misstep is to make these real people stereotypes. With this , he fails and the film falls a bit short.

Whew!! Bedtime Reviews Numero Dos is concluded--next up? Australia. Soon to be followed by Watchmen.