Saving Mr. Banks is a Mixed Bag, Saved Largely by Thompson and Hanks

Saving Mr. Banks (2 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by: John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, The Rookie)

Written by: Kelly Marcel, and Sue Smith

Starring: Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti and Tom Hanks

P.L. Travers was not invited to the premiere of Mary Poppins in the States.  Walt Disney was a much bigger smoker and drinker than shown in the film.  The creative session with Travers and the team behind the film were taped, and yes she was mean, maybe meaner than Thompson.  Travers also had a dark family history, as somewhat displayed in the film.  There were historical accuracies in what was displayed, but it was often the way it was displayed that cause more problems for Saving Mr. Banks.

Banks tells the the story of two people, P. L. Travers or Mrs. Travers (Thompson) as she preferred to be called, and Walt Disney (Hanks), the man behind Mickey Mouse.  When Disney's children were young her promised to make the Mary Poppins books into a film, for many years he and his team pursued Ms. Travers, but no avail.  In 1961 she finally caved, and this film chronicles the two weeks Ms. Travers spent in California trying to adapt the film "which would not be a musical or contain animation." Poppins of course had both, and this film also had flashbacks to Travers child hood, which connected directly to her books.

While some will call me a grump, and say I hate films of this style, which can been seen as contrived, they may be right, but the film does not feel right.  Mary Poppins is one of my favorite films from my childhood, there is such a magical experience within that film, something this film tries to capture, but you can't capture lightening in a bottle twice.  

The biggest problem with the movie is the script, which had two different drafts versions combined from two different women.  While their versions may have ended up feeling cohesive for some, I felt as though the script missed the mark.  Banks had far too many flashbacks to Travers youth, who knew people thought in flashback as much as P.L. Travers did, maybe it was all the drugs in the air from 1960s California, or the chlorine as Thompson says in the film.  There is an emotional journey, and while Travers may crankier than Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey her character has journey, which at the end does have emotional impact.  The flashbacks do not work because they feel manipulative.

Emotional manipulation is the name of the game for director John Lee Hancock, who tried to get audiences to remember The Alamo, and showed us a white family saving a young black man from the streets in The Blind Side.  Hancock's direction is so by the book, and it never let's the material feel authentic or merely just breathe.  

Luckily for Hancock there was a strong ensemble, and two strong actors at the core of the story.  Emma Thompson is brilliant as Travers, there is something fulfilling about her performance which satisfies and save this film.  They give her humanity towards the end, while the real Travers never did like the final product, Thompson made me a believer in the "what if" the screen writers constructed.  Thompson is a great actress, and luckily she is around to make you care about Travers; she gives the character humanity not the script.

As for the man behind the film, Hanks is great as Walt Disney, the final scene where visits Travers is just beautiful; he also captures the levity most people assume Disney had.  Meanwhile Hanks portrayal of Disney adds some deeper layers I assumed would be missing, although they do no paint him as the complicated man he was, Hanks is great in this role.

If you want to see a film with heart, go see The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, this film misses the mark, never achieving the impact it wants.  Banks wants you to believe in the larger story, but the piece mill editing, which puts together the story of Travers is boring rather than emotional.  Thompson and Hanks help create the emotional impact, and make you feel, as they both find the importance in bringing Mary Poppins to life for their own emotional well being.

2013 Entertainers of the Year

Entertainment Weekly has done this list for years, and I try to create my own list without looking at their list, and I do not know their list sans Sandra Bullock as the "Entertainer of the Year" because the cover was everywhere on twitter.  With that said I have to agree with her as Entertainer of the Year, and here is the rest of my list.

1-Sandra Bullock-"Box Office Powerhouse/Great Actress"

Bullock made everyone laugh, and maybe cry this year in two of the biggest films of the year, The Heat and Gravity.  Bullock is one of the few actresses working today who can always draw a crowd.  Big studios always seen to want to use men or male oriented themes to make money, but over the years they have been proven wrong by women like Julia Roberts, and Sandra Bullock.  Bullock is a bit different from Roberts; she has had the romantic comedy mode, but Bullock has a charisma to her which is not only like able, but can carry a variety of films.  This year Bullock helped turn the buddy cop film into more than just a guy thing in The Heat.  Bullock showed everyone this is not always a mans game, this was also true with Gravity.  Bullock carries the film or floats through the film on her own two legs.  Sandra Bullock is the entertainer of the year, because she is a box office power house; she is funny, a good actress, and states simply with her presence the power women can and should have in film.

2-Vince Gilligan, and the creative team behind Breaking Bad-"The Men who made Television Magic"

Can you believe this happened?  This was a statement uttered at work every  Monday after an episode of Breaking Bad.  Twitter and Facebook were a buzz talking about a show about to end, and the way it was ending.  Vince Gilligan and the team behind all of the seasons of Breaking Bad crafted a beginning, middle, and end to Walter White, and Co, that some are calling the most flawless from start to finish.  The reason this show had people hooked was because week after was because something "real" and dark was happening on a weekly basis for a man who started at a desperate place.  The entire run of this show was great, but the final season was an edge of your seat ride that may never be matched.  Hell Anthony Hopkin wrote a letter to Bryan Cranston saying it was some the best work he'd ever seen.

3-Justin Timberlake "He Brought Sexy Back with his 20/20 Experience"

Over the last seven years Justin Timberlake has focused more on his acting career, and while his movie has not taken off, his role as a variety performer on Saturday Night Live has been triumphant.  Yet JT is the most successful through his music, with two albums one released in March, the other September, which complete the 20/20 Experience, and sold out concerts all over the country Timberlake has soul, and boy does this guy shine on stage.  The man is unstoppable selling about 3 million albums.  While Timberlake has not done as great at the movies this year he also starred in Runner Runner along side Ben Affleck, and stars in the critical darling Inside Llewyn Davis.  What a guy!

4-Netflix "It's Not TV it's Binge Watching at its Best"

I remember about 7 or 8 years ago when Netflix was all the rage because they would send you DVDs in the mail.  After this novelty wore off the company seemed to be in a little bit of trouble, but this past year marked the biggest turn-around I have seen in a while.  Netflix created a partnership with Disney, and other companies, and now the amount of first run movies and television series on their Instant feature is incredible.  Netflix did not make the list for this fact, Netflix made the list for their original and revitalized programming.  House of Cards was the first, and with Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Corey Stoll and Kate Mara this show was an Emmy winner, and all around great series.  Netflix brought back the cancelled series Arrested Development, and fans rejoiced.  Netflix also has partnered with Weeds creator Jenji Kohan on Orange is the New Black, which in my opinion surpassed the buzz on House of Cards.  This service is unstoppable. Every year a network makes my list, well Netflix is not a network, but they have revolutionized the way television series are consumed.

5-Jennifer Lawrence "The Girl on Fire with our Hearts"



Lawrence stole our hearts when she tripped, and stepped up to the podium in February to win her Best Actress.  Jennifer Lawrence is an "every girl" she is honest, upfront, and never seems to let go of herself for Hollywood.  Lawrence has two movies this year, one The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which on pace to give Iron Man a run for his money at the top of the box office this year.  Films centered around a strong female character rarely do well, and it could be in part because of the popularity of the books, but people who are not fans of the series are showing up to see Lawrence; she is a star on the rise, and great in this film.  Lawrence has already claimed another acting prize just this week for her other film American Hustle, Best Supporting Actress from the New York Film Critics Circle.  While I think Lawrence is a bit miscast in the role she certainly is a presence, and will most likely score her third Oscar nomination at the young age of 23, what a talent!

6-Tom Hanks "How Tom got his Groove Back"



For most of the 2000s Tom Hanks has been more of a behind the scenes guy, sure he took on roles in the Dan Brown adapted films, and Charlie Wilson's War, but Castaway was his last "great" role way back in 2000.  Since this time Hanks was producer extraordinaire. This year two roles seem to be knocking people out of the water, critics and audiences are saying he is "back."  In Captain Phillips the last five minutes will break your heart, Hanks has never been better, and the film made 100 million domestic, and incredible feat for an adult drama.  Look out for Tom Hanks as Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks; he is getting a lot of buzz for this role from early screenings.  With both of these roles he may even be a double nominee at the Oscars this year.

7-Matthew McConaughey "Pretty Boy turned Go to Actor"



While Tom Hanks got his groove back Matthew McConaughey started to find his last year with Magic Mike, Bernie, Killer Joe, and The Paperboy.  McConaughey was a great in each one of those films.  This year McConaughey has only two performances but they are the best of his career.  McConaughey takes more of a supporting role in the Jeff Nichols film Mud where he plays a man looking to get the love of his life back.  McConaughey's acting within this film is so natural, but brazen its fun to see him play vulnerable; he does it well.  McConaughey's other role is bit showier, but boy is it jaw dropping.  In Dallas Buyers Club McConaughey lost tons of weight to play a man diagnosed with AIDs; he was a bigot, a kind of bad guy, but he fights hard to survive, and this performance is the most raw performance of his career.

8-Macklemore and Ryan Lewis "Music with a Message Never Sounded Better"



While this group has been met with a myriad of emotions, I think what they have done for music this year is great. They have three massive hits on the charts "Thrift Shop" "Can't Hold Us" and "Same Love."  This duo who avoided major labels is proof that the music game can, and should be done in a less corporate way.  There is something to be said for the way they sky rocketed to success, and the way they have incorporated meaningful messages into their music.  I think rap has started to go back to including deeper meaning into their music, but I like the message these two men present, and I think they are proof in the "Cinderella story" effect of entertainment.

9-Michelle and Robert King "Saviors of  Quality Network Television"



If you are not watching The Good Wife, or if you have never seen an episode its time to go back to the beginning and play catch-up.  The ensemble acting which goes on within this show is like a perfect well oiled machine, and they were almost picked, but the credit has to go with the shows creators, who write and direct for the show, Michelle and Robert King.  The way they have constructed the humor and drama within the show reminds of the way this was done on The West Wing.  There is something special about a show that can take the "procedural" of weekly cases, intertwine them to the emotional wellness of the cast, and never make you feel as though the story is forced.  The Kings are my favorite duo working today, they know how to build genuine non soapy drama, their is a humanity to this show, and they proven that networks can step up their game.  They have in fact just look at the slate of this year's new dramas on network television.  This credit is largely due to this show.

10-Allison Janney-"The Queen of Scene Stealing"



Allison Janney has made a name for herself and to many as CJ Cregg from The West Wing, but prior to this role she was one of the great character actresses who would show up in small roles, and steal scenes, see 10 Things I Hate About You, or Primary Colors and tell me I am wrong.  Janney is at it again this year in both films and television.  This summer she starred in the indie film The Way Way Back where she played a hilariously obnoxious neighbor, Janney's lines stole most of the film proving her comedic genius. Janney is also stealing the show Mom on a weekly basis as Bonnie a grandmother, mother, and recovering alcohol and drug addict.  Janney's timing is perfect, and she makes this show better week after week.  Janney is not just about the laughs her recurring guest role on Masters of Sex has provided a richer context to show, and the development of a woman's sexual awakening in the 1960s.  This woman is a chameleon, and its hard to ignore her greatness.

State of the Oscar Race 2013: Which of the Many Best Actor Candidates Make the Cut?

Yesterday's Independent Spirit Award Nominations proved one fact, there are so many great performances from male leads this year that there had to be six nominees.  The six nominees are Bruce Dern for Nebraska, Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave, Oscar Isaacs for Inside Llewyn Davis, Michael B. Jordan for Fruitvale Station, Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club, and Robert Redford for All is Lost.

Looking at this list of six most folks, including myself would go wow, this would be a great line-up for Oscar, and they and I would be right.  There is just one or well a few minor problems, and they include: Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips, Forrest Whitaker for Lee Daniels' The Butler, Christian Bale in Out of the Furnace or American Hustle, Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street or even The Great Gatsby, and the bigger long shots Idris Elba for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Joaquin Phoenix for Her, and Ben Stiller for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  That is 15 possible candidates, and astounding.

Let's look at Independent Spirit Award Nominees past track record, meaning the last 5 years, or even 10 before that the amount of crossover between minimal.

2012

Only Bradley Cooper was nominated for both Oscar and and the Independent Spirit Award (ISA), but he did not win either John Hawkes who was a strong contender to be nominated, but missed out because of Joaquin Phoenix.  Hawkes won the Spirit Award.  Of the five nominees Cooper and Hawkes were the only strong contenders.

2011

Jean Dujardin won the ISA and the Oscar for Best Actor for The Artist, this rarely happens, but could happen again this year. Dujardin and Demian Bichir were the only two nominated for the ISA, and Oscar.  The only other nominee for the ISA who had a possibility of being nominated was Ryan Gosling for Driver, but the Academy appeared to hate this film.

2010

James Franco was the only person nominated for ISA, and Oscar of the five nominees; he won the ISA, but lost Oscar to Colin Firth.  None of the other four contenders were ever "serious" contenders for Oscar.

2009

Jeff Bridges won the Oscar and the ISA for Crazy Heart.  The only other person nominated for both ISA and Oscar was Colin Firth for A Single Man.  None of the other three men were "serious" contenders.

2008

If you want to find a year similar to to 2013, where ISA, and the Oscars line-up was 2008.  4 of the 5 nominees were nominated at both, and they were Sean Penn in Milk (who won the Oscar) Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (won the ISA), Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker, and Richard Jenkins for The Visitor.  I could see a similar situation to this happening this year, 4 of the five nominees come from this line-up, while two are snubbed.

Let's look at this year's ISA nominees:

Locks:
Chiwetel Ejiofor-12 Years a Slave
Robert Redford-All is Lost
Matthew McConaughey-Dallas Buyers Club

Ejiofor and Redford are the two top contenders at the moment, but watch out for Matthew McConaughey his performance in Dallas Buyers Club is the thing Oscar performances are made of!

Near Lock:
Bruce Dern-Nebraska

Dern is almost the next closest thing as a lock in this category, with his buddies like Nicholson and his daughter Laura Dern championing him, he can/will be a strong contender to not only be an Oscar nominee, but a surprise winner.

Longshots:
Oscar Isaacs-Inside Llewyn Davis
Michael B. Jordan-Fruitvale Station

Isaacs and Jordan are the newcomers of this group, they have critically acclaimed performances, but breaking into this category as relative new comers is going to be tough.

Who takes the fifth spot of the non-ISA contenders?

Tom Hanks-Captain Phillips-The film just made 100 million and he is getting rave reviews for his performance.  The thing working against him is that people may just nominate him in supporting for Saving Mr. Banks.

Forrest Whitaker-Lee Daniels' The Butler-The film is going to better with Oscar voters than critics, and with Weinstein Company behind the film I can't imagine it not getting more than one acting nomination  Whitaker has won before, is the movie out of sight out of mind?

Christian Bale-Out of the Furnace or American Hustle-If he was going to get nominated my money would be on Hustle, but in this tough year his performance and weight gain may be overlooked.

Leonardo DiCaprio-The Wolf of Wall Street or The Great Gatsby-Wolf has not been seen by anyone, and DiCaprio is always a dark horse especially in a Scorsese film.  Gatsby is only a contender in the technical categories.

At the moment my prediction for Best Actor is:
Bruce Dern-Nebraska

Chiwetel Ejiofor-12 Years a Slave

Tom Hanks-Captain Phillips

Matthew McConaughey-Dallas Buyers Club

Robert Redford-All is Lost

Anything is possible in this category, but I only see one of these men losing out, if any.  The truth of the matter is that Oscar should take a note from the ISA nominees, and have 6 nominated performances.

State of the Oscar Race 2013: Exploring the Unknown in this Year's Supporting Actor Oscar Category

Last year's Supporting Actor race was one of the most interesting races.  The critics loved Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike, but he was ignored at all of the "major" award shows.  Tommy Lee Jones got some recognition from critics groups, and the Screen Actor's Guild Awards (SAG).  The eventual winner was Christoph Waltz who also won at the Golden Globes, and BAFTA, for what is largely refereed to by many as a lead performance. What made this category interesting last year was the fact that every nominee was a previous winner, the other two nominees were Alan Arkin for Argo, who won for Little Miss Sunshine, and Robert DeNiro in Silver Linings Playbook, who has two Oscars one for The Godfather Part II, and one for Raging Bull.

What makes this year just as interesting?  The fact that only Tom Hanks who will compete for Saving Mr. Banks has the most history with Oscar with 5 nominations, and 2 wins in the lead category.  This category has a lot of unknown factors. Many of the performers within this category have never received Academy attention, or have only been nominated once before.  See the the list of major contenders listed below:

Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club (never nominated)
Pro: Method performance, many actors eat up a performance like this, and why shouldn't they?  Leto is great and I would argue is the front runner.
Cons: Does the slight homophobia which exists in Hollywood understand this performance, the more conservative voters.  Will they get this role?

Tom Hanks, Saving Mr. Banks (two time Oscar nominee, 5 time nominee in acting)
Pros: Enter Tom Hanks who is getting rave reviews for playing Walt Disney, the man who has the most Oscar nominations, and basically beloved.  A beloved actor playing a beloved Oscar winner, Hollywood eats that up!
Cons: Hanks has 2 Oscars, is that enough?  Some may think yes

Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave (only nominated for Golden Globe)
Pros: Oscar loves their bad boys in this category, and Fassbender is the baddest!  
Cons:  Is he too bad?  I do not think he can win, but a nomination is likely.  He has also said that he will not campaign.,

Barkhad Abdi-Captain Phillips (never nominated)
Pros: Hanks is going to champion Abdi to a nomination, and he has a lot of friends.  I have heard a lot of celebrities talk about how impressed they were with this relative unknown.
Cons: His unknown status, are people going think only about the titular Captain Phillips aka Tom Hanks.

Daniel Bruhl, Rush (never nominated) 
Pros: Great performance about overcoming and affliction, and achieveing even further greatness, the classic success story Oscar likes to see.
Cons: No one saw this film, and unless Bruhl gets major love from the critics he could be all but ignored, if he shows up at the Critics Choice and Globes this could telling.

Harrison Ford-42 (nominated for 1 Oscar)
Pros: The only performer who could seen as that underrated performer in this category this year; he has only one Oscar nomination, and is vastly overdue for consideration.
Cons: Solid performance in a decent film, it has happened many times before, but 42 is not going to be considered in any other categories, which again has happened before, but does he deserve it for this?

John Goodman, Inside Llewyn Davis (never nominated)
Pros:  Goodman has been on the radar of Oscar the last few years turning in great scene stealing performances in Argo, and Flight.  Goodman is a Coen regular, could this be the role that finally gets him on Oscars radar?
Cons: Is Davis going to be one of those Coen movies Oscar voters "do not get?"  It could, but prestige may win out, and help sneak in this category.

Matthew McConaughey, Mud (never nominated)
Pros: He is going to get attention for Dallas Buyers Club, which could make others tune into this film as well; he also gives a great understated performance.
Cons: McConaughey a double nominee in one year?  The film did better than Take Shelter, but are people/voters going to tune in, or make this happen?

David Oyewelo, The Butler (never nominated)
Pros:  The film has the Weinstein Co. on its side, and they know how to get nominations, see Silver Linings Playbook last year.  Oyewelo is great in the film and deserves consideration.  People are underestimating the two men in this film.
Cons:  Another unknown, and while I am certain Harvey will do a major push for The Butler at the moment its an out sight film.

Jake Gylenhaal, Prisoners (nominated for 1 Oscar)
Pro: Like with his previous nomination Gylenhaal could get a nomination for a lead role, did they really campaign him supporting for Brokeback because he was the bottom?  "Leads" do well in this category
Cons: Prisoners seems out of sight out of mind, one of those forgotten films that just was solid and well made, but will never hit Oscars radar.

Bradley Cooper, American Hustle (nominated for 1 Oscar)
Pro: He was nominated for an O. Russell film just last year.
Cons: No one has seen the film, hard to say.

This is of course not every possible contender, but these appear to be the strongest at the moment.  The nominees will be centered around a combination of which films people "love" and performances they admire, except for Hanks none of these men have been "major" players for Oscar more than once.  Only Ford fits in the overdue category, like Christopher Plummer, James Coburn, and Morgan Freeman, but he is on the low end of most predictions.  I am excited to see how this category turns out, there are so many great supporting performances out there.

Captain Phillips proves to be another incredibly succesful film, which builds to incredibly tense, and emotional finale.

Captain Phillips (5 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by: Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum)

Written by:Billy Ray (The Hunger Games, State of Play)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, and Catherine Keener

Is it possible that I have seen three of the best films 2013, and we are only at October 3rd?  After Before Midnight, and Gravity, Captain Phillips proves to be another incredibly succesful film, which builds to incredibly tense, and emotional finale.

Captain Phillips is based on the real life event in 2009 where Somali pirates hijacked the MV-Maersk Alabama, the first US ship to be hijacked in over 200 years.  Captain Richard Phillips (Hanks) is a man who does his job; he follows and gives orders based on the way he was raised, and time in which he was raised.  Muse (Abdi) is in a similar situation, according to the film, but on a different level.  Muse is controlled by warlords who force men to hijack ships in order to ransom the crew and cargo for money.  This real life event delves head first into the hijacking, and attempted rescue of Captain Phillips.

The film has three stars, Paul Greengrass, Tom Hanks, and Barkhad Abdi.  Let's start with Greengrass whose visionary direction guides this film.  Greengrass knows how to build the intensity his work on the second Bourne film, The Bourne Supremacy changed the landscape for the modern day action film.  Within the second and third Bourne films, the direction proved even more crucial guiding the film a well paced, action packed moments.  Greengrass knows how to ramp up the intensity.  While the Bourne films were mostly high octane, he honed his craft with United 93.  In United 93 Greengrass created a slow burn, that long anticipation of the real life hijacking on September 11, 2001.  

Put these two together, and you have Captain Phillips.  Greengrass is an excellent director, and his work on this film is proof he crafts some of the most intensely wrought, and well directed films within the 2000s.  Greengrass knows how to amp the action, but to create some fantastic performances from both stars like Hanks and Matt Damon, but also with people who have never acted before.

Hanks is the obvious standout; he is fantastic as he fights for his crew, stands up for himself and blends even mild comedic moments within this intense situation.  Hanks has not been nominated for an Oscar in 13 years for Cast Away, the last few moments of this film are proof this man is a fantastic actor, and sells the heartbreak, and may even make you shed a tear or two namely because he leaves you just as breathless.

The person many will walk away talking about is Abdi, who plays Muse; he has no previous credits to his name, but this Somali actor is a scene stealer.  While Muse attempts to gain respect from the other hijackers, there is a glimpse in his performance of pure conflict, should this be happening, do I believe in this, but he sells this performance strongly, look out for this man and his strong performance within this film.

Bill Ray who wrote the film creates a parallel with these two men, Captain Phillips and Muse, the script forces you to see the struggle of both of these men as connected.  There are moments where this does feel forced, or that this connection is strained, but the editing by Christopher Rouse, and the direction from Greengrass which pull this film together, and make it the tight thrilling journey in a complicated time.  Even if you are not a fan of the shakier camera you have to admire the way the films comes together and the style with which this film explains the modern day economic struggles in the present day.

While the script is not my favorite Ray does something more pointed than most scripts he turns this "action film" into a deeper more meaningful example of the of macro and micro economic effects on society.  Muse and Phillips are both deemed in American eyes as working stiffs.  The opening sequence points to Phillips as a working man trying to do right, make a living to provide for his family, and give them more than he had.  Muse cites himself as "just a fisherman" but as Phillips says he is more than that, and he is bogged down by the turmoil of his countries poverty.   You can even see the role societal military influence has, no spoilers here, but can four Somali pirates stand a chance battling the US Navy?

Captain Phillips is a great, and will remind audiences of the way in which taught thrillers can build to emotional and heartbreaking situations, based on the larger aspects of life.

Extremely Predictable and Incredibly Pandering, tries to Capture an Emotional Sanctuary for 9/11 but Fails

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (1 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours, The Reader)

Written by Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Munich, Ali)

Starring: Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, and Max Von Sydow

After months and months of debate of whether I would force myself to sit down and watch this film.  At the end there were lots of tears because the protagonists journey is sad, and you know that ahead of time because the film centers on a terrible tragedy September 11, 2001.  After I wiped away the tears I realized it was time my inner critic to step in to help curb my emotional reaction.

The film does not center on 9/11 but rather uses the event as the backdrop to tragedy in one families life.  Oskar (Thomas Horn) is a ten year old boy who solves puzzles with his father Thomas (Tom Hanks).  Thomas uses these puzzles in order to help his son who may or may not have Aspergers, which prevents his son from being able to cope with things the way other young boys do.  On September 11, Thomas happened to have a meeting in the World Trade Center, and unfortunately he does not make it out of the building.  After this happens Oskar finds a key in his father's closet that sends him on this journey to solve one of the many riddle and puzzles he thinks his father left him.

While reading some other critics reviews I was struck by a statement from Roger Ebert, and I would like to quote him as to not do his words injustice; he stated "No movie has ever been able to provide a catharsis for the Holocaust, and I suspect none will ever be able to provide one for 9/11. Such subjects overwhelm art. The artist's usual tactic is to center on individuals whose lives are a rebuke to the tragedy. They sidestep the actual event and focus on a parallel event that ends happily, giving us a sentimental reason to find consolation. That is small comfort to the dead" (Ebert, 2011). I honestly could not have said this better.

While I have not read the book the films direction/screenplay try to soothe audiences into feeling that this one young boys journey to find solace can help provide comfort for countless people who have felt loss throughout their lives.  Horn's Oskar represents an off the beat hero whose journey is plagued with pain and suffering only to come out on the end with support from his mother Linda (Sandra Bullock).  

Daldry has a knack for taking material like this and elevating it to be better than it should be, but his direction seems to abuse the point of the journey rather than letting unfold in a more simple less complex way.  Daldry's tale of the Holocaust almost removed the emotional heft of the story, while this film panders to audiences to make his point.  

Roth's screenplay is also one of the main culprits in making this film emotionally predictable  Roth beats the emotional journey over the head time and time again.  The audience never gets the opportunity to heal the gaping wound he opens time and time again.  The story never seems plausible and you lose the sense of reality as this young boy goes across the Burroughs of New York City to find different people with the name Black (the name on the envelope with the key in it).  From a tambourine that helps him cope to a man who does not speak (Von Sydow), like with past screenplays Roth does not tone down the implausible journey he maximizes it, and takes out the human elements of the story.  

While the story and the direction lead viewers down the rabbit hole, the actors attempt to bring some realism to this story.  Hanks and Bullock are supporting players, to fresh on the scene Thomas Horn.  This was Horn's first acting gig ever, and while he is often obnoxious; he does a solid enough job in his first role as an actor.  I found the role a bit grating, but I blame that more on the fact that screenwriter, and director used the characters Asperger's Disease as a crutch rather than letting the character evolve and develop.  Bullock shines in her last scene, but is not often on screen, her last moments talking about Thomas are simply heart wrenching and some of rare genuine moments within the film.  Von Sydow who was Oscar nominated for this film does the most solid acting in this film, but he does not even speak; he conveys all of his emotions through his face and action proving that the dialogue within this film was that bad.

The problems with this film is that it feels contrived and implausible.  Watching a young boy cope with his father's death using this tragedy as a backdrop, feels wrong, and like the film attempts to put a band aid over bullet hole.  The auteurs want audiences to be able to feel solace, but all this film provides is a more manufactured product, when the product should not have been made at all.