Ghost in the Shell
Dir. Rupert Sanders
Watch Trailer
Even if you've never seen the classic Ghost in the Shell anime from 1995, chances are you're still familiar with the imagery it's inspired. The Wachowskis' Matrix trilogy, James Cameron's Avatar, and Alex Garland's Ex Machina all borrowed from its philosophical sci-fi ideas and dystopic view of technology. Ghost in the Shell is one of those properties held sacred by its fans, and I'm sure many of them were hoping this new film wouldn't repeat the embarrassment of other Hollywood attempts at adapting anime (let's forget Dragonball Evolution ever happened). While I consider myself more of an admirer of the original film than an enjoyer of it, I'm glad to say this live-action remake solidly captures the spirit of its animated counterpart. It's visually spectacular, the lead performances are strong, and even if this story is one that still left me a little cold, I actually found the remake much more approachable and enjoyable than the original film.
Ghost in the Shell takes place in a futuristic, Blade Runner-inspired future where humans can replace body parts and organs with artificial "enhancements," courtesy of the Hanka Corporation. Our heroine, Major (Scarlett Johansson), is no more than a human brain in a robotic body. She works as a professional assassin for the anti-terrorist outfit "Section 9" and is sent into action when a mysterious force starts bumping off the "doctors" performing these enhancement surgeries. Of course, sooner or later Major realizes that the people she works for are actually kind of shady (who would've thought a company that places human brains into killing machines would have a dark side?) as she discovers more about her past and the motives behind this "force."
As previously evidenced by Snow White and the Huntsman, director Rupert Sanders is incredibly skilled at generating eye-popping fantasy worlds. Filled with intricately-designed robo-geishas and slow-motion action scenes that look straight out of a manga comic, Ghost in the Shell is visually amazing. It isn't quite as bold or striking as the anime film due to its PG-13 rating and the physical limitations of live-action filmmaking, but it's still a gorgeous-looking, vibrant film. But I also appreciate how there's some substance to go with that style - even if the story is meted out with the rigid coolness of a robot.
With Lucy, The Avengers, Under the Skin, and now Ghost in the Shell, Scarlett Johansson is pretty much the go-to gal for any part requiring an ice-cold, stone-faced badass. While I would like to see her extend her talents beyond this same kind of role, there's a reason why she's hired again and again. She brings a complexity to Major that I didn't feel in the animated film - she's struggling with her identity, unsure if she's even a human or not, and Johansson sells this conflict with a grace and subtlety. Additionally, Michael Pitt (Hannibal, Boardwalk Empire) is delightfully strange as the hacker/android behind the doctor murders, and Juliette Binoche, who has much more to do here than she did in Godzilla, plays a "doctor" caught between her duty as a Hanka employee and her motherly feelings for Major.
Now for the elephant in the room: Scarlett Johansson's casting as Major has created quite the stir. Although it's commendable that Ghost in the Shell has way more asian actors in it than most other Hollywood releases, the film is currently being bombarded with Internet think-pieces from all sides, bemoaning that a white woman took the lead role. The character of Major was originally Japanese, and especially in the wake of other recent "whitewashed" Hollywood films, like Doctor Strange featuring Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One or Matt Damon playing the lead character in The Great Wall, it's hard not to be cynical about Johansson's casting.
However controversial this whitewashing is, however, it does serve a purpose in the narrative. It's explained that the "brain" inside Major belonged to a Japanese woman, and it was the Hanka Co. that chose the "shell" of a white woman. By placing the brain of a Japanese woman into the "body" of a white woman, it brings to mind some complex ideas of identity and what makes you "you." It's still an icky proposition that reads on paper more like: 'Hollywood doesn't trust an asian actress to lead a major studio film,' but judging the movie on its own merits, this aspect of racial insensitivity strangely enough adds another layer to the themes of the film.
Though the characters and pacing may feel a bit dry at times, clearly a lot of effort and care went into the film, even if some of that effort was misguided. Having a very similar reaction to this film as I did the original - I'd say I appreciated it more than I "liked" it.
Rating: B-
Life
Dir. Daniel Espinosa
Watch Trailer
Gravity, Interstellar, The Martian, and now Life? There must be something in the air making audiences crave "space thrillers" recently. Whatever the case, I'm not complaining! Life is the latest stars-in-space movie, and it's more or less a ripoff of Alien. A team of astronauts - including Jake "Nightcrawler" Gyllenhaal and Ryan "Deadpool" Reynolds - find the first signs of life outside earth from a little microbe found in a sample of Martian dirt. However, as their research continues, this new, rapidly evolving life form is much more intelligent and terrifying than they originally thought - and yet again man's hubris over nature is payed back in bloodshed. It's a lot of fun!
While this movie feels pretty by-the-numbers, it's at least a good by-the-numbers movie. The way the camera seems to float in and out of the space station in zero gravity is disorienting in a good way, making you feel claustrophobic and trapped right alongside the characters. The creature itself is also a pretty original design and it's definitely the stand-out of the movie. It evolves throughout the film, getting bigger and bigger as it kills people, which makes each "kill" feel different because the creature itself is in a newer form.
The characters may be incredibly one-dimensional, but Life is basically a Roger Corman movie with world class actors and a big budget. It's not striving to be a masterpiece, but it does succeed in being a creepy, old school monster flick.
Rating: B
The Zookeeper's Wife
Dir. Niki Caro
Watch Trailer
If there's one type of movie we're not short on, it's WWII narratives. The Zookeeper's Wife feels similar to many of them - especially Schindler's List - but its familiar structure does little to lessen the emotion of this true story. In 1939 Poland, Antonina Zabinski (Jessica Chastain) and her husband operate a zoo in Warsaw, which flourishes under the Snow White-esque connection Antonina has with the animals. When their country is invaded by Nazis, however, they are forced to report to the Reich's chief zoologist, Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl). During this upsetting takeover, the Zabinskis covertly work with the Resistance to hide hundreds of Polish Jews underneath their zoo - interestingly juxtaposing the animals with refugees.
It goes without saying: Jessica Chastain is a goddess. I think few actresses would've been able to genuinely give off that pure connection with the animals that she displays here. She treats them like her own children - the film opens on a shot of her stroking a couple lion cubs lying on the same bed as her son. Daniel Brühl likewise makes for a great Nazi - probably not role he wants to be typecast in, but a job's a job. Also, be on the lookout for Shira Haas, a young Israeli actress who is amazing as one of the refugees. She plays a young girl shocked into silence, barely able to cope with the horrors of war - a very moving performance that goes toe-to-toe with Chastain's.
Although it's somewhat of a cliched WWII story, the acting, the direction under Niki Caro (Whale Rider), and the unique perspective of a family operating a zoo during wartime elevate the material. For some reason, I think we all feel more emotional at the death of an animal on screen than a human, and nothing better drives home the pointlessness of war than a beautiful, innocent animal suffering as the result of human political conflict. There were many moments throughout this film that really struck me hard, such as a group of children innocently saying "up!" to Antonina's husband, raising their arms in a "give me a boost" gesture so they could board the train to their doom.
It's an emotionally-wracking story, but The Zookeeper's Wife is very well handled and one that deserves to be told with this kind of care.
Rating: B+
Wilson
Dir. Craig Johnson
Watch Trailer
In Wilson, adapted from Daniel Clowes' graphic novel, Woody Harrelson plays an unfiltered, vulgar, lovable creep with no regards for people's boundaries. Feeling lonely and isolated, Wilson tracks down his estranged ex-wife, Pippi (Laura Dern). After being separated for 17 years, Pippi lets out of the bag that Wilson is actually a father to a teenager named Claire, who she gave up for adoption. Shocked and excited, hoping this will bring him a new lease on life, Wilson drags Pippi along on a road trip to meet his daughter in a series of one hilarious, dysfunctional family moment after the other.
I loved Harrelson and Dern in this movie. They both play people a little off their rocker and too crude for their own good - "unhinged" being a mode I love to see Dern channel as a fan of the canceled and forgotten-about HBO show Enlightened. While the plot feels a bit disjointed, and there's a sense that adapting the vignetted style of the graphic novel to film was a bit of a strain, I thought Wilson's oddball, sarcastic tone and delightfully bleak outlook on life catered very specifically to my own hard-to-pin-down sense of humor (think the same nihilistic sweetness as Bad Santa). Don't pay attention to the Tomato-Meter; if you enjoy watching well-meaning assholes trying to navigate through life, Wilson is a fun one.
Rating: B
No comments:
Post a Comment