Doubt: Best Film of 2008

Doubt (2008) - dir. John Patrick Shanley - 5 stars

The screen adaptation of the hit play succeeds at many levels, securing multiple award nominations. This should not come off as too surprising though considering the impeccable writing, thoughtful and deliberate acting on the part of the whole ensemble, and the somber cinematography. All in all, Doubt is one of the best films of 2008 and should have been awarded accordingly at the 2008 Golden Globes.

The film is about the suspicions of the head nun, played by Streep, about the nature of the priest's relationship with a black student. This could lead to the obvious central theme of the abuse of power, but rather the film spends most of its attention on the effects of doubt, suspicion and authority on all parties involved. This significant focus creates the battleground between the nun and the priest where each fight over the fate and faith of a younger nun and the whole congregation. What's important is not whether or not the deed was indeed done, but rather how one's faith can be shaken to its core even at times when we're most sure of it.

Meryl Streep once again outshines herself as the rigid nun and maintains a strikingly well-balanced divide between compassion and coldness, resulting in a well-rounded depiction of the character. On the other side, Philip Seymour Hoffman depicts a formidable counter party to Streep's character, causing the right amount of suspicion and reason for the viewer to doubt the whole story ourselves. They both shine when they are in the same screen working off of each other's energy. The knife-edge tension in the nun's room is something I will not forget soon. A final word in terms of acting should go to Amy Adams, who has finally convinced me that she is a diversified actress, who we should see from many times going forward.

The success of the film is in the fact that there is no absolute good and evil, right and wrong answers. The resolution that we seek might not always satisfy our expectations or faith, as life has a tendency to disappoint men when compared to the strict teachings of religion. Due to its handling of its content, its carefully chosen focus and the best ensemble I have seen in a film in a while, I will gladly call Doubt the Best Film of 2008.

Ordinary Revelations Need an Extraordinary Character

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - dir. David Fincher - 4,5 stars

Most films are about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.  On the surface, David Fincher's film appears to be the exact opposite of this formula whereby it tells the story of an extraordinary person in ordinary circumstances.  Benjamin Button, born as an old man, is destined to grow younger as he lives his life.  His curious ailment leads to a curious look on life, people and their ambitions.  Even though the film may seem to be only about this central character, it is all the more so about the ordinary people that Button meets and changes forever throughout his life.

Fincher spans Button's life journey with careful speed, neither too slow nor too fast.  The warm colors and smooth camera movements ensure an intimate setting whereby the viewer can almost experience the sensation of meeting Button face-to-face, although I must admit the pace may not be for everyone given the total running time of 159 minutes.  The well-written script is beautifully interpreted by the talented Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, who I must say has surprised me with his rendition of the character.  Pitt may not be as bad of an actor as I take him to be.

There are many theories to take away from this film, which in itself is an achievement.  But the one that stood out the most for me is that each and every one of us being special makes us all ordinary in comparison.  But that doesn't matter.  Life is a random, interconnected spiral where we die as we are born and have very little real control over anything.  The one thing that matters and is in our hands is to do what makes us happy given our own cases.  In our globalised world where now individuals are racing against each other to be more 'special' than the other, unfortunately it takes an extraordinary character to remind us of this simple fact. 

Steppenwolf production resparks theatre

August: Osage County by Tracy Letts is the first play in a long time that got me excited about theatre as an art form, so much so that I want to see more plays.  It is the rare American play of a time when large ensembles, big sets and incredible acting made the theatre a more exciting place than the movies.  Well, hail this Steppenwolf production for its cast, acting, drama, comedic one-liners, and overall aplomb.  You just gotta love this play!

Letts' script is an overarching bridge connecting the secrets of a big ol' American family.  As the beans slowly spill over about three hours, the characters have no choice but to learn each other, which they've obviously been avoiding for their whole lives.  It contains multiple threads of discussion, from different forms of escapism to the pompous feeling of our generation over our parents', that are applicable to all of us.  The cast do a wonderful job of tackling these with their true-to-life depictions of their characters over the course of some impressive and unforgettable scenes, the first of which is the dinner scene.  The absolute energy of that scene was not comparable to anything I have seen in a long time, which is kudos to the writer, director and actors.

For a generation who's been bombarded with minimalistic, self-indulgent pieces of prose and verse, this is a breath of fresh air from the past.  It is a grand production that will hold you to it until the last minute and make you wish you hadn't praised that minimalistic bullshit you had seen a few weeks ago as deep.  Everyone, this is theatre.  This is what theatre should be.  Enjoy.

007: Bye-bye Spy, welcome Rambo

Quantum of Solace (2008) - dir. Marc Forster - 3 stars

The James Bond franchise delivers its 22nd iteration, and unfortunately it's a dive from what even Casino Royale was. Director Forster diminishes Bond to a mean muscle machine that can't be stopped at all. Daniel Craig fits the new Bond well with his physical attention to detail, but where is the mysterious, mischievous, and spy Bond? I'm sure Craig can also fit the clever Bond profile who doesn't always solve problems by brute force. This new Bond is just like Rambo moving in to kill whoever stands in his path without much deliberation or thought. Gone are the suspenseful moments where Bond is just a spy, infiltrating enemy compounds, and silently but surely saving the world. I get the feeling that the producers are trying to compete with action films with their new type of Bond for better box office results, but viewers like Bond the way he was and pure action films are not the comparison for Bond films. Only previous Bond films will be the judge of how well the new generations fare.

Forster might defend his new Bond by saying that the story necessitates his rage, which is fueled by revenge for the death of his love, Vesper, in Casino Royale. I do understand that Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace are the pieces in Bond's history explaining how he came to be the Bond we've got accustomed to, but I still can't justify turning our back on Bond's most beloved qualities.

I sure hope that they return to the original idea of Bond soon as there is no need to try and upgrade Bond to the 21st century by phasing him into another indestructible hero. That's just boring. He's good the way he always was and why we keep seeing him on the big screen time and time again.

Ceylan's Cannes-winner recipe needs some spice

Üç Maymun (2008) - dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan - 4 stars

Since his success with Uzak, Ceylan has assumed a heightened place in European cinema, becoming a favorite of the Cannes film festival. His latest, Üç Maymun (Three Monkeys), returned from Cannes 2008 with a third best director award for Ceylan and was selected to be screened as part of the 2008 London BFI Film Festival. Having attended the screening, the down-to-earth director wasn't shy to admit he hadn't intended part of what the festival crowd could discern from his film, which was honest and unpretentious, instantly winning the hearts of the audience. His appearance also confirmed the root of my one-and-only struggle with his films: the silences.

Ceylan is a man of few words and it reflects in his work. His characters tend to speak only to lie or to hide, not to reveal. His latest is poignant in the fact that it drives home this very point that what's most important is often not said. The family in the film, playing the proverbial three monkeys, is so spread apart despite living in the most cramped space one can imagine. They are so interconnected with the rest of Istanbul by proximity of all kinds of transport and yet so isolated where they can't go anywhere.

This tale of cornered dreamers is perhaps the best material for Ceylan to hone his directorial skills. With a touch of impressionist cinematography, pointed sound effects, and a dash of excellent acting, he has created another fine film that will surely grace the bookshelves of film lovers. However, I do believe that his formula, which defines his oeuvre, is starting to feel a little bit overused. Ceylan needs to strike a fine balance between being an auteur with a visible signature in his films and making the same film over and over again with slightly different stories and characters.