Film Reviews: February 2004 Archives

What can I say? Despite trying to avoid all reviews about this film by the time I got around to watching it I could hear more and more people saying how good it was. Added in the numerous tips about Oscar nominations and the extension of the screening times of the film at the local cinema I knew that this was going to be a good film.

This was Sophia Coppola’s second film, her debut being “The Virgin Suicides” – a film I really enjoyed as well, so I imagine the pressure was on her to do as well artistically and financially once again. I believe Coppola (Jnr) has almost certainly succeeded with Lost in Translation, a story that she has written this time around.

This time the story seems to be about strangers in a strange land. The setting is the always intriguing Tokyo, and the subjects of the film Bob who is a famous actor reduced to making advertisements, hence his trip to the city, and Charlotte a recently graduated wife whose husband is a photographer on a band shoot assignment in the city as well. Bob and Charlotte are both estranged from their normal life and struggling to adapt to Tokyo’s Japanese culture. The film is riotously funny in places, most of the humour being provided by the remarkably adept Bill Murray in the role of Bob, and Scarlett Johansson (seen before in Ghost World – another recommended film) playing Charlotte. Giovanni Ribisi (Heaven – and also narrated “The Virgin Suicides”) provides brief but admirable support as the photographer rushing away from the increasingly depressed Charlotte.

Both Bob and Charlotte are going through life crises simultaneously, and meet each other in the hotel in which they are staying. At which point they become almost infatuated by each other. Fortunately Coppola steers clear of any blatant clichés, with the possible exception of the clip of “La Dolce Vita” pointing to Coppola’s acknowledgement of similarity of basis. The film is shot well for an independent movie, but the point of the film is the development of the characters and the escapades they get involved with. Bill Murray steals many of the scenes he is in and provides rather remarkable depth of expression in some of the more hilarious moments of the film showing both the intended expression whilst still managing to convey his characters inner thoughts. The best example of this is during the first shoot for the whiskey commercial.

With a run length of 105 minutes the film flies along with only a few pauses for breath. This film truly deserves its five star rating, and is one that I shall see again undoubtedly.

***** (out of 5)

This downbeat, yet brilliantly captivating biographic film came winging its way over to the cinema fairly recently. The real-life story is about a certain Harvey Pekar (played by Paul Giamatti), who was someone who I must confess I knew nothing about. By the end of the movie I wanted to know more about him and his work.

For those who do not already know Harvey Pekar is the mind behind the “American Splendor” comic series. This apparently came out in the seventies during a time when comics were normally of the fantasy, or super-hero variety. American Splendor brought humour down to a real life level, reducing every day occurrences to their most wry and base level. Narrated by the real Harvey Pekar the film rapidly transports us through Harvey’s disappointing childhood, into his disappointing adulthood. Where, whilst working in lightless office as a clerk in a hospital, he starts storyboarding the American Splendor comics. With the help of talented illustrators the publication becomes a cult classic, elevating Harvey to minor celebrity status, but ironically not transforming his day-to-day existence.

The thing that stunned me the most about this film was its construction and imagery. We, as film viewers, are used to seeing either actors or the subjects themselves portraying the real life events on the screen. However this film had both actors and the people! This was a nice step and well executed, we see scenes where the actors are watching the real people with interest from the background, obviously picking up tips from their behaviour. The most impressive piece of construction was when Giamatti appears in a scene – waiting to appear as Harvey – on the Letterman show. He is in the back room waiting to go on, in the room there is a monitor with the real footage of the Letterman show. Giamatti leaves the room, the camera pans and tracks to view the monitor and we see the real Harvey Pikar walk onto the show. Brilliant. This knocked my previous favourite piece of film construction, the “funky town” cut in “The Kid’s in the Hall’s” film “Brain Candy”, into second place. American Splendor is filled with style like this.

Obviously things in Harvey’s life were quite rough, we are carried through his cancer treatment delicately. We see the promise of a better life, which Harvey never seems to reach. However you know that he’s not really trying, he would just be disappointed if he moved on!

This is a really good film that does not shove its message down your throat, and treats the peculiar cast of characters with sympathy. Directors Shari Springer Berman, and Robert Pulcini, should be congratulated. I look forward to their next work be it together or separately.

***** (out of 5)