IN MEMORIAM TOP 6 LIST: RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH
Best recognized by many for his iconic role in Jurassic Park, British actor/director Richard Attenborough received two Academy awards for his work on the 1982 Best Picture winner, Gandhi, including one for Best Director. Attenborough also directed Chaplin, the biopic that earned Robert Downey, Jr. his first Oscar nomination. Attenborough was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976 for his contributions to British cinema and later received a life peerage in 1993, becoming Baron Attenborough of Richmond upon Thames.
I don’t pretend to be a Hayao Miyazaki expert; I know there are far more knowledgeable and dedicated fans out there. However, when I read that our 84athon host, Forgotten Films, was looking for NEW reviews of films from 1984 and that Nausicaa was still available, I saw this as an excellent opportunity to continue my exploration of Miyazaki’s illustrious career while highlighting a classic film that I suspect is still relatively unknown to the average movie fan. Hayao Miyazaki has long been referred to as the Walt Disney of Japan. Famed for being both the writer and animator of his many works, the list of recognized Miyazaki masterpieces is vast. Unfortunately, back in 1984 when Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was originally released, American audiences weren’t privy to the original version; instead, we were given a poorly edited 95-minute film under the name Warriors of the Wind. This crudely dubbed variant of Nausicaa angered Miyazaki so much that he later enacted an absolute no-edits clause in every future foreign distribution contract. Luckily for us in the States, after two decades of waiting, the uncut, original version of Nausicaa was finally made available in 2005. Since then, fans of film, animation, and Studio Ghibli have discovered just how impressive this post-apocalyptic adventure truly is.
For those accustomed to today’s advanced methods of animation, it may take a minute or two get acclimated to the more traditional animation techniques utilized in Nausicaa. But once acclimatized, be prepared to be astonished by the world Miyazaki was able to create. The aerial animation and cinematography are genuinely exhilarating. Princess Nausicaa’s preferred mode of transportation is a jet-powered glider, allowing her to ascend from earth and soar high into clouds. These scenes showcase Miyazaki’s wondrous skill for landscapes and topography. Adding to the aerial display are hordes of winged creatures including monstrous dragonflies menacingly swooping and slithering through the air while swarms of giant insects create a dark buzzing blanket in the sky. Miyazaki’s passion for planes can also be seen in the film, as many battles between the Torumekians and Pejites were fought up among the clouds, delivering a profusion of aeronautical assaults.
In comparison to the other movies released in 1984, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a film that was far ahead of its time in narrative content and character development. Miyazaki created a story that offers both socially and environmentally conscious themes decades before it was fashionable to share such beliefs. Nausicaa’s message about the dangers and long-term effects of human wars and uncontrolled pollution felt even more prescient as I watched the film for the first time thirty years after its debut. Its post-apocalyptic depictions of society are as soberingly impressive as any other classic film of the genre such as Mad Max or 12 Monkeys. I also appreciated how Miyazaki managed to deliver these personal messages subtly without ever coming off as preachy or heavy-handed.
Another aspect of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind that was decades ahead of its time was Miyazaki’s heroic depiction of his protagonist, Princess Nausicaa, voiced by Alison Lohman. In Nausicaa, Miyazaki created a strong, smart, caring, compassionate, independent, fearless heroine during a time when movies were dominated by archetypical heroes like Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker. Nausicaa’s unique qualities are even more noticeable when compared to the film’s primary antagonist, Kushana, Princess of the Torumekia. Kushana, voiced by Uma Thurman, is a cunning and brilliant leader who displays all the typical characteristics of female leader we have grown accustomed to: ill-tempered, calculating, venomous. These attributes make her a successful “female” leader. In contrast, Nausicaa is every bit as clever and accomplished a commander of her people, but she leads without using overbearing forcefulness. When, in 2014, we are still asking studios like Marvel if they are going to create a film with a female hero, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a beacon spotlighting how successful a heroine-led adventure can be.
Of all the exotic critters Miyazaki created for the film, his most fascinating and arresting are the mystical Ohmus, giant, highly intelligent insect-like creatures with dense exoskeletons that become enraged and violently stampede when anyone attempts to harm the toxic jungle or the creatures that inhabit it. While watching the Ohmus, I couldn’t help but be reminded of similar looking creatures from the 1973 French animated classic, Fantastic Planet. Princess Nausicaa’s singular relationship shared with the Ohmus offers yet another understated message about the importance of living in harmony with the natural world. Their emotional final exchange is a stirring and almost hallucinatory climax that gave me chills.
As many of us know, IMDb’s Top 250 is something that always needs to be taken with a grain of salt. However, if you have a peek at what’s currently listed, you’ll find there are four films from 1984: Once Upon a Time in America (a film that also languished for years waiting to be released and seen in its unedited version), Amadeus, The Terminator, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I find that fact to be quite the testament to the lasting brilliance of Hayao Miyazaki’s masterwork. Exhibiting thematic and visual elements found in many of today’s beloved action films, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a truly epic post-apocalyptic adventure that has emerged as one of 1984’s brightest gems.
Review by-Jarrett Leahy
Over the last decade English actor Tom Hardy has built a resume of such accomplishment and role diversity that our lovely editor still has a difficult time recognizing him from one role to another. With Locke, the success of the entire film rests solely on Hardy’s shoulders, as there are no other actors on screen; he is the entire film. Hardy fully embodies the pain and frustration of a man who is trying to do the right thing and, in turn, watches as the career and family he so dearly loves are now both being put in peril. Hardy’s calm and deliberate delivery helps us better feel for this overly pragmatic man all while hiding the fear and anguish that is simmering just below the surface. Even if you don’t care for the film as a whole, I have a hard time believing you won’t be impressed by Hardy, as he offers one of 2014’s most accomplished performances.
Another highlight of Locke is the extraordinary nighttime setting created by cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos. Reminiscent of a Michael Mann film, Locke has some of the most hypnotically remarkable cinematography I’ve seen quite some time. Zambarloukos’ expert use of lights and harsh glares from surrounding traffic adds to the film’s distress and unease. He perfectly utilizes a wide variety of unusual reflections in the car’s many glass windows to help catch Hardy’s facial expressions as he tries to talk through the evening’s mounting problems. Zambarloukos, whose previous works include Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Thor, and Mama Mia, is definitely a gifted cinematographer to keep an eye out for in the future.
While discussing the movie with Jason, his biggest concern was with how the film builds up this great tension and then just…ends. While the abruptness of the film’s final moments were less of an issue for me, I was a bit let down by Knight’s choice on how to end the film. While not giving too much away, there was an opportunity for Knight to deliver a far more consequential gut punch to the audience that I truly believe would have better fit the mood and feel of the film he had worked so hard to establish. Instead, Knight lets his viewer off the hook, and it is that choice that kept me from giving Locke a grade higher than I did.
Review by-Jarrett Leahy
The brainchild of Austin-based auteur Richard Linklater, Boyhood is the ultimate coming of age film, as we observe this youth go from age 5 to 18. Over that time, we experience the difficulties, hardships, and frustrations of a boy as he tries to discover who he is and what he wants to become in life. Linklater, the film’s writer/director, has such a distinct anti-Hollywood persona that I think it’s easy for many to discount or forget his tremendous contribution to the art of cinema. Slacker is an ultimate cult flick, and Dazed and Confused only grows in stature every year since its arrival in 1993. Rarely has a love story moved so many people like the Before Trilogy has. School of Rock, Bernie, Me and Orson Welles showed that popular movies could still be smart and witty. While becoming the first director to use interpolated rotoscoping to create an entire feature film, Linklater pushed the boundaries of what was possible with digital animation—first with Waking Life, which examined the ever fascinating topics of dreams, reality, and existence; then with A Scanner Darkly which explored the frightening depths of a drug-addled, dystopian future. With Boyhood, Richard Linklater has officially ascended to the top echelon of American directors. It is time to stand up and give him a sincere and well-deserved round of applause. We are witnessing an iconic career in the making.
What can be said about this film’s breakout headliner, Ellar Coltrane? To say Linklater hit the lottery when casting this young man so many years ago would be an understatement. Without his unwavering commitment and faithfulness to the project over the last twelve years, none of this would have been possible. Ellar’s delivery and self-assurance in this character’s skin is truly engrossing throughout. His ability to keep us transfixed and utterly fascinated for almost three hours is a testament to his charisma. As for Ellar’s much-publicized onscreen maturation, Linklater’s choice of subtle, almost seamless transitions from one year to the next offers a very gradual aging process that only later in the film becomes wondrously apparent as we reflect back on Ellar’s appearance at the beginning. And it is through Ellar’s transformative maturation that we are constantly reminded over and over how miraculous this whole endeavor truly is. So many of us have an innate desire to leave something lasting in this world before we pass away. At only age twenty, Ellar Coltrane is off to quite a start at accomplishing such a lofty goal.
Because the film in entitled Boyhood, and Mason, our film’s protagonist, is the driving force in the story’s progression, Ellar has been receiving, and rightfully so, a large majority of the praise. But we mustn’t minimize the contributions and experiences of fellow child actress Lorelei Linklater who offers an equally impressive and graceful portrayal of Mason’s older sister Samantha. Daughter of film’s director, Lorelei was eight when filming started, and just like Ellar, we are granted the privilege of seeing her grow up on screen. Her performance as the older sister feels as natural as watching someone’s home videos. The fights, concern, and love she feels for and shares with Mason is a lasting tribute to her budding artistry throughout this process along with the bond that grew between these two emerging stars. I hope this once-in-a-lifetime experience for Lorelei was and remains a cherished memory shared with her father as they are both thrust into the spotlight these next few months and for years to come.
Rarely do actors as talented and famous as Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette ever take a backseat to anyone when working on a project as they are asked to here playing separated parents, Mason Sr. and Olivia. As we get to see the two children grow up, we also witness Hawke and Arquette’s aging, which is a singularly unique experience unto itself. Never before have movie fans and critics been asked to judge a performance spanning twelve years like they are here. Of the two, it is Arquette’s affecting portrayal of a single mother struggling to keep her family together that is the glue the binds the ever-changing storylines of Boyhood. Arquette’s ability to bring consistency to her role, year after year, is what I most remember about her touching performance. Arquette ably captures the fears and frustrations brought on by the unanticipated difficulties that many parents face in today’s fast-paced society. I hope the Academy won’t overlook her contributions next Oscar season, as Arquette is more than deserving of a Best Supporting Actress nomination.
When writing many of my reviews, I make a very concerted effort to limit my use of flowery superlatives. I consciously do this so that when I am lucky enough to come across film that…makes my insides smile, the praise I convey has the intended impact on anyone else who may read my thoughts. With that in mind, there’s no way for me to describe Boyhood any other way than as a truly transcendent film experience. For all intents and purposes, Boyhood is the “coming of age” film all others will now be compared to. The mind-blowing accomplishment of creating a film that spans twelve years is praiseworthy feat in itself. But Linklater takes what could have resulted in a contrived gimmick and turns it into a poignant and expressive film about the unique moments that make up a boy’s journey to adulthood, and in turn he asks us to reflect upon and contemplate our personal journeys. Furthermore, Linklater creates a cinematic time capsule of this post 9/11 period of explosive cultural and technological changes, all while offering a subtle portrait of the effects these changes had on the youth growing up during this generation. I tend not to make declarative statements like this so early in the movie year, but Boyhood IS the best film of 2014. I invite any other movie out there to try to change my mind.-JL
Review by-Jarrett Leahy
Guardians of the Galaxy has a vast world of dense jargon that I found, being a neophyte, to be increasingly challenging to decipher and absorb. Planets, galactic populations, and creatures, all with their own kooky sci-fi names, bombard the viewer right from the start. Adding to my personal disorientation was director James Gunn’s choice to offer very little exposition, instead, relying on the viewers’ familiarity with this world’s backstory. Unfortunately, I found myself in a constant game of catch-up while trying to figure out who is who and where they all fit in. Alien civilizations are at war with one another with no explanation as to why. It’s quite clear that everyone is terrified of this evil Ronan, yet later we discover the true overseer is supervillian Thanos (played by an uncredited Josh Brolin), but there’s no real clarification as to who he is or what his involvement is in this war. These unanswered questions may have been common knowledge for Guardians enthusiasts, but I found them to be frustrating distractions that kept me from truly engaging in the story.
Luckily, the heart of the film is the hod gepodge team of extraterrestrial outsiders and freakish creations that make up the Guardians of the Galaxy. Led by what appears to be a breakout performance from Chris Pratt, who plays the brash, overconfident leader Peter Quill, these eccentric misfits helped mitigate some of my frustrations with the film’s narrative. Pratt’s cocky, tongue-in-cheek delivery offers much of the film’s silly humor. While not all of his jokes quite hit the mark, overall, Pratt handily embodies this audacious space orphan. As for the rest of our band of miscreants, Zoe Saldana continues to make excellent choices in her film roles, as her portrayal of the slinky, florescent green assassin Gamora is yet another highlight on her growing resume. I also enjoyed Dave Bautista’s portrait of the superhuman Drax, whose literal interpretations of everything said to him are amusingly droll. But it is Vin Diesel’s lovable treelike humanoid, Groot, who winds up stealing the show. Groot’s entire vocabulary consists of repeating the phrase, “I am Groot.” It is left up to Rocket, a genetically mutated raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper, to translate for us what each “I am Groot” means. Cooper’s voice-over performance has a Napoleonic fervor to it, as Rocket’s unresolved issues about his freakish existence flair up whenever others react negatively to him. Combined, these two mutant creatures make quite the formidable team, but it is Groot’s amiable personality that truly shines, as he has already become an iconic movie character, complete with his very own catch phrase.
On the subject of iconic sci-fi films, I recently watched a documentary entitled Jodorowsky’s Dune, a film I hope to review sometime next week. Jodorowsky’s Dune is about an epic science fiction project from the 1970’s that was so ambitious, no studio would pay to have it made. Despite its terminal shelving, the documentary goes into great detail explaining how the film’s elaborate pre-production notes and artwork wound up influencing so many famous sci-fi creations over the last thirty years. I bring this up because much of Guardians’ visually arresting depictions of deep space, elaborate set pieces, and resplendent costumes reminded me of those discussed in Jodorowsky’s Dune. The vast array of characters in Guardians is an eye-popping, atypical bunch that are on par with some of Luc Bessson’s indelible creations in The Fifth Element. At times, however, the startlingly elaborate makeup teeters precariously on the edge of farce. I distinctly remember repeatedly being stunned by the peculiarities of the film’s diverse alien populations. I may be wrong, but I fear that future film fans may look back upon their creations in snickering amusement.
Guardians has an avid built-in fan base, and from everything I’ve read, they are absolutely giddy about this cinematic brainchild from the relatively unknown director whose resume is…light. I’ve even read some who compare this film to a 21
AmateurCinephile.com 