Netflix Nebulous: Volume 5

And for today we have a trio of flicks that couldn't be more different. They were all good'uns, yet all tackle very different themes and approaches. One is a heady dissection of our culture's obsession with celebrities, one is a humorous look at a bachelor's misadventures in love, and the other is a harrowing tale of small-town life gone awry.

The first is another Woody Allen film and it is called Celebrity (1998). Here Woody enlists the help of one of his most star-studded casts with Kenneth Branagh in the leading role. Branagh is known for his work successfully adapting Shakespearean plays and here he channels Allen to a "T" and plays a neurotic and nebbish journalist who runs away from his wife and chases after his fantasies to find the identity he's been hoping was lurking inside him. The movie tackles a lot of our hang-ups and notions about celebrities and fame. It is very fun at times, and at times it is a lucid call-out of our inane posturing when it comes to famous people. A very worthwhile entry into the Allen portfolio.



The Baxter is a smart romantic comedy from Michael Showalter who is one of the dudes responsible for the summer camp send up Wet Hot American Summer. This tracks a baxter (a nice guy who always gets rained on) and his search for Mrs. Baxter. He, like any guy, gets caught up in the instant beauty of a very pretty Elizabeth Banks, and doesn't realize that Michelle Williams's character is fawning all over him and would be perfect for him. It sounds kind of schlocky, but if you are a fan of Showalters sleepy dramatic comedy, then you will probably drool all over the couch, and that's gross. But seriously, the movie is really funny. I watched it twice in a row.




The eerily gorgeous Shotgun Stories is the first entry (hopefully of many) by the up-and-comer Jeff Nichols who just happens to be the brother of Lucero frontman Ben Nichols (who does the soundtrack). This is a tale of deep seeded hate and loyalty bred out of rural Arkansas soil. This is a tale of step-brothers who couldn't be less like family and their vigor in making it stay that way. This was one of the most destructively beautiful films I've seen in a while and Nichols seems to be one of those guys falling in line with the Terrance Malik crew, which shouldn't come as a surprise seeing as how David Gordon Green produced it. The acting is superb and pitch-perfect as is the story. The way Nichols captures the mood and the restlessness of his characters is breathtaking. This is one of the better films I've seen in quite a while.



Ratings:

Celebrity- B+
The Baxter- B
Shotgun Stories- A

Netflix Nebulous Vol. 3: A look at the films of David Gordon Green

For this feature of the Nebulous I wanted to put the proverbial lens to a specific director named David Gordon Green. I was first introduced to Mr. Green's work when a friend of mine took a master's degree film class and had to watch Green's 2000 masterpiece George Washington. I was struck by the beauty he captured from a part of the South that seems to have been struck by endless atrophy. His depiction of these small town scenes can safely be regarded as somewhat of a love letter to the South. He sees it crumble and sees its despair yet somehow pulls real beauty out of a world that seems to be falling apart. There is much to be said about stylistic homage to a writer/director named Terrence Malick (which is very strong in Undertow which Malick also produced), but I like to think of Green as more of a disciple of the Charles Burnett classic Killer of Sheep. Here's a closer look at 4 of the films that were written/directed by David Gordon Green.



George Washington (2000)

This is the first film that Green did and it is a phenomenal movie that absolutely floored me with its pacing, cinematography, and the texture of its characters. The movie follows a group of 12-year old friends around as they explore the world around them in rural North Carolina. The film is devastatingly raw and intimate and hurts that much more when tragedy strikes in the group of friends. The scene where Vernon and Nasia are breaking up is one of my favorite scenes of all time. Also, it has a wonderful appearance by Green favorite Paul Schneider.





All the Real Girls (2003)

This film was Green's 2nd major one after a few short films and is easily one of the most suprisingly interesting movies I've ever scene. I had skipped over this one for a long time because I thought it was just another half-hearted indie movie, but let me reassure you that this is heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time. Its a movie about redemption and consequences. It's about love and how it doesn't fix everything. It's beautiful and hard to watch at time. It's real. Paul Schneider and Zooey Deschanel rack in career-best performances.






Undertow (2004)

This film is about a man who shelters his two boys in a house out in the middle of nowhere. Come to find out, this man has a brother who finds him and old rivalries flare up which sends the boys tearing through the rural Georgian countryside fighting for their lives. Near the end they find a commune of wayward folks in an abandoned factory and makes for some of the most dream-like scenery I have ever seen on film. Also, beware of the strange eating disorder the younger brother has which causes his body to reject regular food and crave things like paint, dirt, etc at the same time. Poor kid.



Snow Angels (2007)

Snow Angels was a first for DGG for a few reasons. One was that it is set in the North, presumably in Smalltown, Pennsylvania. The other new bit is that it is an adaptation of a novel written by Stewart Onan. WARNING: This movie is not for the faint at heart. It is a story about a few people in a small town as the watch their lives fall apart. It is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time which is absolutely a trademark of DGGs. There is a plot of redemption though that stands out in the love story between the young characters brilliantly played by Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby. One of the most wonderful, yet haunting movies I have ever seen.


Ratings:

George Washington: A
All the Real Girls: A
Undertow: B+
Snow Angels: A-


*Interestingly enough, DGG was picked to direct the major motion picture Pineapple Express. I have not personally seen the movie so I can't say anything about it one way or the other, other than to say that I think DGG is one of the most underrated director/writers ever so I can't see it being too bad.