The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Credible Credits

Year: 2013

Director: Ben Stiller

Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Patton Oswalt, and Sean Penn

Tagline: Stop dreaming; start living
Synopsis: When an important photo goes missing, Walter Mitty must stop living in daydreams and start adventuring in real life. 

Review

Did you know this is actually the second film adaptation of James Thurber's short story?  For that matter, did you know it was based on a short story?  I first read Thurber's tale in my 9th grade English class.  I don't remember much beyond the premise: a timid man spends a lot of time daydreaming.  Well, the premise is about all the films and the short story have in common.  The first adaptation was in 1947 and is a comedy featuring the inestimably talented Danny Kaye.  It's terrific.  So I was very leery when I learned a few years ago that a new adaptation was in the works, especially when I saw that it would be Ben Stiller starring and directing.  And then I saw the movie trailer.

If the Academy Awards had an Oscar for Best Movie Trailer it should go to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  The various trailers are beautiful, touching, epic, witty, and unlike the cookie cutter trailers you see everywhere else.  And they perfectly utilize their songs.  One view of the trailer and I was sold on seeing the film.  With each successive trailer my hopes climbed higher.

I can't say that the film is perfect.  It has its flaws, its moments that are slightly jarring, its inconsistencies and illogicalities.  But I can forgive all that.  Because overall it is a beautiful, touching, and humorous film that puts a smile on my face just recollecting it.  It isn't so much a film about daydreaming so much as it is a film about becoming.

Ben Stiller's Walter Mitty isn't henpecked by his wife (like the story) or his mother (like the first film).  Instead, you might say he is henpecked by life.  He is quiet and shy and has a frequent tendency to "zone out" as he daydreams about being more than he is.  But we find that he wasn't always quite so reserved and afraid of life.  Circumstances in a sense knocked the adventure out of him until he became overly sensible and reserved.  And then throughout the film, more circumstances bear down on him: a merger at work, a lost photo, and an insensitive jerk who holds Walter's job -- and the jobs of his friends -- in his obnoxious hands.  Necessity is the mother of invention, and apparently the mother of adventure as well.  But the story isn't simply about finding the lost photo.  It is about Walter finding Walter.  And watching Walter learn to love life and truly live it is wonderful to behold.

While the film is certainly about Walter, he is surrounded by some great supporting characters.  His mom is empathetic and encouraging.  It is through her that we start to understand Walter better.  Sean O'Connell is the adventuresome photographer Walter must track down.  He also serves as an inspiration to Walter, helping him to see what matters.  The most humorous character is Todd, a customer service representative from eHarmony who becomes phone buddies with Walter.  And then there is Cheryl, the girl of Walter's dreams and daydreams.  What makes their relationship work is that it is shown early on that while she may think Walter is a little odd ("Where do you go?" she asks after he has zoned out), she starts to like him even then.  Her real life encouragement is genuine, so when Walter conjures her as his inspiration to help him on his journey, it works.

The film itself is also beautiful.  Ben Stiller did a terrific job directing.  The scenery, as Walter is skateboarding through Iceland or trekking through the Himalayas, is truly stunning.  But it is also fun to see the ways in which Stiller used the scenery.  For example, films usually start off with titles about who the production company is and what the name of the movie is.  In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, those titles appear as though written on the street as seen from a bird's eye view, or on train station signs.  They are absorbed into the world.  Words from the motto of Life magazine are shown on the walls of the airport and then within the plane's cabin as Walter first embarks on his adventure.  My favorite was when Walter receives a text message which the audience gets to read etched onto the side of a mountain.

My favorite part of the film may actually be the soundtrack.  Partly because the songs used in the film (e.g., "Dirty Paws" by Of Monsters and Men, "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire, and "Step Out" by Jose Gonzalez) are great songs.  But mostly because they are absolutely perfect for the tone of the film.  I was so excited to discover the two songs that helped the trailers work so well were actually part of the soundtrack ("Dirty Paws" and "Step Out").  Movie trailers often use completely unrelated music.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty won't appeal to everyone.  It has kind of an indie feel to it.  And it does have its flaws.  But as long as this post is, I still feel like I could go on and on about it.  It it is a fantastic film that I look forward to seeing and reliving again and again.

*** Spoiler Section ***
The film's "MacGuffin" (a film term for the plot device a protagonist/antagonist is after) is a lost picture that is meant to be on the cover of the very last issue of Life magazine.  Walter spends the bulk of the story trying to track it down.  It is the catalyst to get him to start living.  The fact that Walter has the picture in his wallet all along is a nice touch.  As is the fact that his loving mother -- who he has clearly spent a lifetime sacrificing for -- is the one to rescue it after a discouraged Walter throws his wallet in the garbage.

The film spends a lot of time building up the wonder of the missing picture.  It is described by Sean O'Connell as the "quintessence of life."  They did so much to build it up that by the end I was thinking there was no way they could truly live up to the expectations they'd set.  I almost hoped they wouldn't show the picture.  I thought they should just show people's reactions to it and let the audience imagine what they would.  But when they did reveal the picture, on the cover of the last issue, it truly did work.  It's not a picture of an exploding volcano, a storm-tossed ship, or an elusive snow leopard.  It is the "quintessence of Life" magazine: a candid shot of Walter, outside the Time & Life building, eating lunch, and scrutinizing a sheet of negatives.  For all the grand adventures both Sean O'Connell and Walter Mitty have, there is a beauty in the simplicity of life: dedication to a job well done.

Quotable Quotes

• "That's a shark!" -- Ship captain
• "Have you done anything noteworthy or mentionable?" -- Todd
• "Beautiful things don't ask for attention." -- Sean O'Connell

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Credible Credits

Year: 2013

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, and more dwarves than anyone can keep track of

Tagline: N/A
Synopsis: Bilbo, Thorin, and the rest of the dwarves continue their quest to reclaim Erebor whilst Gandalf sets off on a journey of his own.

Review

Yes, I have actually read The Hobbit.   It has been a number of years, though, so I don't remember all the details.  My main recollection is that the dwarves got captured a lot and Bilbo/Gandalf rescued them a lot.  The films have certainly been true to that aspect of the story.

I'll admit, I was a bit surprised when it was announced that The Hobbit was going to be split into not two but three movies.  And they are not short movies either.  But, for the most part, The Desolation of Smaug doesn't feel too long.  I love Jackson's interpretation of Tolkien's world and enjoy the time I get to spend there.  The scenery is astounding -- both the real places and the ornate sets.  Both Thranduil's elven kingdom and the dwarf kingdom Erebor have an epic grandeur to them that is unique to the culture and temperaments of their occupants.  Every place characters visit feels different, which just makes this world feel that much more real.

I think Desolation of Smaug is an improvement upon the first film.  It keeps the pace going nicely and has some terrific action sequences (like the river chase).  There were a few minutes when it felt like it started to lag.  But not many.

While the film is mostly true to the book, Peter Jackson has certainly taken some liberties: some to round out the story more and others to tie it in more to Lord of the Rings.  Most of the subplots with Gandalf, Radagast, and the Necromancer are additions.  And I think they work.  In the book, the Necromancer is only mentioned briefly and we are told little if anything about what Gandalf was up to when he left the dwarves.  In the book it felt a little bit like a plot device to make things more difficult for the dwarves.  But Jackson has used it to greater effect.

I was a little nervous when I first learned that Legolas would be in the film, since he is not in the book whatsoever.  But then I learned he is the son of Thranduil, king of the woodland elves that the dwarves have a run in with.  That seemed like decent justification.  And Legolas is indeed put to good use.  Tauriel, who is completely made up for the films, is another interesting character.  She's a fun addition who manages to bring some much needed heart and conscience to the woodland elves.  I'm not entirely sure how I feel about her subplot though.  I guess we'll see how it plays out in the third film.

The very best part of the film is Smaug.  As dragons go, he is stupendous (to borrow Bilbo's description).  Benedict Cumberbatch is utterly brilliant as the voice: equal parts intelligent and menacing.  He also did motion capture to make Smaug's facial movements and expressions more realistic.  I love the way his chest and throat begin to glow before he breathes fire.  The whole scene in the treasure room with Smaug and Bilbo is terrific.  Speaking of Bilbo, Martin Freeman continues to do an excellent job as the titular hobbit.  He is clever, witty, and optimistic.  But it is also interesting to watch as the One Ring does begin to affect him.

As the middle part of a trilogy, Desolation of Smaug does a pretty good job.  It isn't nearly as strong as, say, The Two Towers (which is the film that turned me into a Lord of the Rings fan).  But it carries the story along and builds things up for the finale.  Sadly, we have another 11 months to wait before the Battle of Five Armies.

Quotable Quotes

• "I am fire ... I am death." -- Smaug
• "I ... found something in the goblin tunnels."  "What did you find?"  "My courage."  "Good.  You'll need it." -- Bilbo and Gandalf
• "When did we allow evil to become stronger than us?" -- Tauriel
• "What have we done?" -- Bilbo

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2013: The Year in Cinematic Review

'Tis the season to look back and review the year.  I've managed to see quite a few films in theaters: 19 to be precise, 21 if you count that I saw both Monsters University and Frozen twice in theaters.  Since I didn't start this blog until after the summer blockbuster season, I thought it might be fun to give mini reviews of all the previous movies I've seen in 2013.  So here goes:

• The Impossible
• This is one of those incredible films I don't ever feel the need to see again.  It's about a family's struggle to survive and reunite after being caught in the 2004 tsunami that devastated Thailand and many other places.  It was an excellent film.  It was also very emotional and heart wrenching.
• Les Miserables
• Wolverine and Catwoman can sing!  No really, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway are outstanding in the roles of Jean Valjean and Fantine.  And while I know that not everyone agrees, I even liked Russell Crowe as Javert.  I thought this was a terrific adaptation.  But I'm glad that whenever I watch it at home I can completely skip the "Master of the House" segment.  If I could somehow delete it from the disc, I would.
• Oz: The Great and Powerful
• Sadly, this film was neither great nor powerful.  But it was kinda fun and it had its good moments.  I enjoyed it overall and the various nods it gave to The Wizard of Oz while at the same time creating its own world.
• Iron Man 3
• While it may not quite recapture the brilliance of the first movie, our third solo outing with Tony Stark is a lot better and a lot more fun than the second one.  I thought the film did a good job unfolding its plot and villains.  It kept me guessing.  And while not perfect, it had nice helpings of both humor and heart ... and a whole lot of action.
• Epic
• Epic has some beautiful animation, but it falls far, far short of its title.  It's a nice, albeit kind of bland, little movie.
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• I loved this movie!  Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant.  He manages to be terrifying and yet still somehow sympathetic.  The action is non-stop and the visuals are astounding.  Like its predecessor, the film is also very humorous.  Sure the film has a few gaping plot holes.  But I'm willing to overlook them because the movie is just plain fun.
• Man of Steel
• I'm not much of a Superman fan.  I prefer Batman.  But making Superman a bit more like Batman may not have been the best route.  I liked the movie overall.  But it got a bit heavy.  Perhaps this is DC's way of distancing themselves from the Marvel Universe and its witty humor.  The visuals were great.  And the origin story was well told.  It was neat to see so much of Krypton.  And I liked Henry Cavill and Amy Adams in their roles.  The gaping plot holes were a bit much though.  I'm cautiously excited for the next installment. 
• Monsters University
• No, it isn't as good as Monsters Inc.  But Monsters University is still very fun and very funny. And it managed to have a good amount of heart as well as a theme and resolution you don't see a lot in films.
• The Lone Ranger
• The only good thing about The Lone Ranger is the climax, which incorporates the classic William Tell Overture theme and some incredible set pieces and stunts.  The rest of the film is a schizophrenic mess that sloppily tries to balance humor and some very dark story elements.
• Despicable Me 2
• Yes, the minions and Agnes are cute and funny.  Gru and his secret agent partner/love interest Lucy were at times clever and witty.  Other than that ... meh.
• Planes
• Planes is basically just a rehash of Cars, minus all the heart, wit, and character development that actually made Cars likable.

Well, all the other movies I've seen this year have full blog entries.  Or at least they will.  I only just saw The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  So out with 2013 and in with 2014.

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Saving Mr. Banks

Credible Credits

Year: 2013

Director: John Lee Hancock

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

Tagline: Where her book ended, their story began.
Synopsis: Walt Disney pulls out all the stops to get author P. L. Travers to sign over the rights to make Mary Poppins come to life on film.

Review

It is not an enviable task to create a film when everyone already knows how it is going to end.  The trick is to create a memorable journey that keeps the audience engaged along the way.  Saving Mr. Banks does just that.

The film pits Walt Disney's charm against P. L. Travers' cantankerousness.  From the get go, we learn that Travers doesn't want her books to be Hollywoodized.  She doesn't want it to be a musical, there is to be no animation, and Dick Van Dyke has to go.  Clearly Walt "wins" in the end.  But there is much more to the film than just artistic headbutting.  Saving Mr. Banks interweaves two stories, both centered around Travers (who is brilliantly portrayed by Emma Thompson).  Story one is about Travers' youth in Australia and her loving yet flawed father.  Story two is about the pre-production rigmarole Disney, Travers, and the other creative minds went through.  The two narratives weave in and out beautifully.  Story one gives depth and meaning to story two as the audience comes to understand not only why Mary Poppins and the Banks family mean so much to Travers, but why Travers is the way she is.

The acting in Saving Mr. Banks is terrific and helps to keep the clearly sentimental film from crossing over into the realm of sugary schmaltz.  Paul Giamatti has a fun role as Travers' amiable chauffeur while she is in L.A.  Tom Hanks does a good job as Walt Disney, full of charm and charisma.  Although the whole time I just felt like I was watching Tom Hanks with a mustache.  The film belongs to Emma Thompson though.  She is critical, harsh, stubborn, and cantankerous, with a sardonic wit that flows throughout the film.  Yet she still manages to be vulnerable and ultimately endearing, albeit in a prickly sort of way.  Also excellent was Colin Farrell as Travers' father.  He is entrancing one minute, tormented the next, and believable throughout.

As you might expect from a Disney movie about the making of a Disney movie, Saving Mr. Banks is full of humor, heart, and music.  The score is dotted with snippets of music from Mary Poppins as the Sherman Brothers (the composers) present things to Travers for her judgement.  The songs are there for more than just enjoyment, however.  The film deftly uses them to tell its own story.  "Feed the Birds," one of Walt Disney's favorite songs, is played when Disney is feeling particularly discouraged.  And without giving anything away, let me just say that "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" and "Let's Go Fly a Kite" are masterfully woven into the story line.

At the heart of the film is a theme of fatherhood.  Throughout the story are fathers, some more flawed than others, endeavoring to do right by their children.  Walt Disney is trying to keep the promise he made to his daughters.  P. L. Travers' father is doing his best while battling his own personal demons.  And as the stories unfold, the audience comes to understand why Mr. Banks needs to be saved.  He must be saved for his own sake, but also for the sake of the children ... all the children.

The film is not without its flaws.  The story has more than a spoonful of sugar to it and is perhaps more Disneyfied than realistic.  If it doesn't quite fulfill all one's expectations, it is not for lack of effort.  Still, I felt it didn't quite reach the level of magic it was trying to sell.  But it came close.  And though the outcome was assured, it was a fun journey to take.

Quotable Quotes

• "No, no, no, no, no! 'Responstible' is not a word!"  "We made it up."  "Well, un-make it up." -- P. L. Travers and Richard Sherman
• "To be proper British, it should be 'Let Us Go and Fly a Kite' ... [tries singing it that way]  Maybe I'll let that one pass." -- P. L. Travers (approx.)
• "Don't you want to finish the story?" -- Walt Disney

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Merry Christmas

There's no movie review here, just a Christmas message:

Christmas is a season of hope.  We hope it snows; we hope the roads stay dry.  We hope the lines at the mall aren’t too long, that we can find a parking space, that what we want is on sale.  We hope the carolers and choirs sing in tune.  We hope the dinner turns out all right.  We hope we like the gifts we receive and that the gifts we give are appreciated.  We hope people (and ourselves) will be a little kinder, a little more generous, a little merrier.  We hope Charlie Brown’s friends enjoy his scraggly tree and that the misfit toys find homes.  We hope Scrooge will mend his ways and the Grinch’s heart will grow.  We hope for many things.  But at this Christmas season, may we remember that the truest hope is in Christ, “which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God” (Ether 12:4).

Merry Christmas!

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Frozen (Reprise)

So I saw Frozen again today and I felt like I ought to give my second thoughts on it.  First off, I still really enjoy the movie and indeed enjoyed it even more this time.  The music and visuals are still fantastic.

In my previous analysis, however, I felt the pacing was off.  I didn't feel that as much this time around.  Granted, this time I knew what was going to happen.  So that may have some bearing on it and I'm not necessarily discrediting my first reaction to the film.  But the scene I particularly made mention of in the previous spoiler section didn't feel nearly as rushed as I had remembered.  I'm not entirely sure what made the difference.  And I'm still not sure the scene was as polished as it could have been.  Something still felt a little lacking.  But it was a good scene, and better than I initially gave it credit for.

Even though I like it even more now, I still think Frozen has a few (generally forgivable) flaws.  But if any of you felt I was too harsh on it, I wanted to offer this second look.  Movies may not change, but sometimes they deserve second chances, if only because we change.

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Frozen

Credible Credits

Year: 2013

Director: Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee

Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad

Tagline: N/A
Synopsis: When Queen Elsa traps the kingdom of Arendelle in an eternal winter, Princess Anna must find a way to save not only her home and people, but also her sister.

Review

Ah, Disney.  It's good to see you returning to the style that you do so well: the musical fairy tale adaptation.  Frozen is Disney at its best.  It's breathtakingly beautiful, delightfully humorous, and earnestly heartfelt.

The animation is superb.  I wish real-life snow and ice were always as beautiful as they are in the film.  There's a gorgeous richness to all the scenery that makes Arendelle feel both parts real and magical.  And it is almost mesmerizing to watch as Elsa, the Snow Queen, unleashes her power.  In one particularly stunning scene she starts to fully understand just what she is capable of and creates an entire palace made of ice.  But the ice and snow aren't simply beautiful.  The film utilizes them in such a way that they help reveal Elsa's character.  Each time her powers are used, the ice reflects her mood, whether it be excited, scared, or frustrated.

Speaking of character, it is the characters that really make the film wonderful.  Anna is almost unflappably optimistic, and the film plays off that in different ways.  Elsa, as I mentioned, is very much like the snow and ice she can create.  Sometimes she can seem simply cold.  But there is an intricate beauty to her.  And the way the two sisters interact is what really ties the story together.  Kristoff and Hans round out the main characters nicely.  Which brings me to Olaf, the snowman.  When I saw the teaser trailer with him losing his carrot nose and him and Sven the reindeer battling it out to retrieve it, I was a bit leery.  He was cute in the short, but he seemed like he would get very annoying over the course of an entire film.  I was totally wrong.  Josh Gad, who voices Olaf, is perfect.  Despite being a snowman, his voice has an endearing warmth to it.  It doesn't hurt that Olaf gets some wonderfully witty lines and a terrific song of his own.

And speaking of music, the soundtrack and score for Frozen are catchy and beautiful.  Olaf's song is very clever.  And Kristoff gets a fun little song that tells a lot about his character.  That's what's so great about the best Disney musicals.  The music isn't just thrown in to add a number.  It furthers the story or the character development or both.  My favorite song in the film is Elsa's as she's harnessing her powers and building her ice palace.  The visuals and the music work in harmony (pun intended) to create a dramatic scene that might otherwise fall flat.

I really did love Frozen and I look forward to seeing it again and owning it.  That said, the film is not without its flaws.  The chief problem, I felt, was pacing.  The film just felt rushed at times.  Instead of being able to savor moments, we were hurried on to the next sequence.  I wanted a little more time to enjoy the breathtaking scenery or to understand the characters and what made them tick.  And I don't feel like we got that.  And while Frozen is a very, very good film and ranks among some of Disney's best, I think that pacing problem keeps it from being truly great.  It's terrific.  But it's not quite the same caliber as The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast.  And the sad thing is, it came so close.

Despite its imperfections, Frozen is well worth seeing.  And as soon as it is available it will join the ranks of Disney films that line my DVD/Blu-ray shelves.

*** Spoiler Section ***
I'll admit it, upon seeing the trailer, the posters, and the way the story was unfolding, I was totally expecting Hans to be a good guy who ended up marrying Elsa.  Not so much.  Hans has got to be one of the most intriguing villains in recent memory just because he does such a believable job at being the typical Prince Charming.  He's handing out blankets during the eternal winter for crying out loud.  The only giveaway I can think of was his being the youngest of 12 brothers.  That did set off a little red flag, but I disregarded it.  I was totally expecting a moment like Enchanted, where he kisses Anna but nothing happens because they are now in love with different people.  Again, not so much.  Talk about a villain with a heart of ice.  Considering he was willing to let Anna die and prepared to kill Elsa, he sure got off light.  Disney villains don't usually fare so well.  Honestly, simply sending him off in chains felt a little weak to me.

In terms of what I said about pacing, the main moment that I felt was rushed was the climax.  There were other moments, but that was the most important.  Anna has just sacrificed herself for Elsa's sake.  She was prepared to die, either from the sword or her frozen heart.  That's a pretty powerful moment.  But it felt far too rushed from that point to when she starts to thaw.  Elsa needed more of a moment.  She needed time to grieve.  Her sister's an ice sculpture because of her.  She needs to feel that.

Moreover, we as the audience needed time to settle.  We needed a few seconds to truly process what Anna just did and what Elsa is now feeling.  There needed to be a moment where we as an audience could wonder, is Anna really gone?  Yes, it's a Disney movie and we already know the answer.  But still.  Both Beauty and the Beast and WALL-E have similar moments, moments where you start to wonder if the hero is lost.  In both films, we get a moment with Belle and with EVE as they mourn.  There is a tremendous power in those moments.  They're part of why those two movies rank in my top 5 films.  I wish Frozen had been brave enough to take that moment, to let the characters and the audience grieve.

I don't think I'm just being a nitpicking former film student.  That moment was a powerful chance for the audience to empathize.  Instead we get near-instant gratification.  That's a bothersome trade-off.

Still, the things that Frozen did right outweigh what it could have done better.  I heartily enjoyed the movie and look forward to seeing it again and again.

Quotable Quotes

• "Some people are worth melting for ... just maybe not right this second." -- Olaf the Snowman
• "You're gorgeous.  Wait, what?" -- Anna
• "Somebody's gotta tell him." -- Kristoff
• "Oh, look at that.  I've been impaled." -- Olaf the Snowman

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