I saw the movie 127 Hours last night with some friends. I liked it. Scenic cinematography, creative editing, keeps moving, excellent acting by James Franco, and a gripping story. I give it a B+.
I do have some bias. The film was shot in the canyon country of Utah, a place I've visited many times. The film also features canyoneering, something I was heavily into for 3 years and very much enjoy. In fact, I've hiked parts of Bluejohn Canyon 3 times. I also read Aron Ralston's book, Between a Rock and a Hard Place.
Spoiler Alert - I'm going to comment on the film below.
Aron did ride his mountain bike to where he dropped into the canyon, and he did crash once, but pretty sure he stayed on the road. I don't think there are any big stretches of slickrock to ride out there. Still, it was fun to see a good stand-in rider ripping it up a bit on a bike.
"The Dome" doesn't exist. There are many slot canyons where you have to stem up off the ground, but very few have water underneath and none have pools of clear water. The water in canyons is muddy at best and usually scummy, sometimes with a floating rotting carcass. Canyoneering is not for germaphobes. The pool in the film is actually the crater pool at the Homestead in Midway. Some have complained about the film taking this fictitious detour to "The Dome", but I was OK with it because there are some magical hidden places out in canyon country and they are worth the effort to see.
The book kept me engaged during Aron's 6 days stuck in the canyon, but I wondered how the film would keep it interesting. I thought Danny Boyle (also directed Slumdog Millionaire) and James Franco did an excellent job showing Aron's attempts to free himself, his video-tapped messages to family, his daydreams / hallucinations / memories. Some scenes may have gone a bit long, but I was never bored.
There is no narration conveying Aron's thoughts, just acting. Cody Clark (review here), the critic for the Daily Herald felt this was a mistake. In general I like Boyle's call here because with no voice-over you are more fully aware of the silence and emptiness of the canyon. However it does mean the viewer doesn't know exactly what Aron was thinking.
Narration is most missed when Aron finally figures out how he can break the bones in his arm to get free. This was a high point in the book - Aron reported that it filled him with hope. In the movie the impact of this moment is lost.
The amputation scene was hard to watch. It was graphic. I've seen worse gore, but it's more distant - in this film you can't help put yourself in Aron's place and wonder if you could cut off your own arm. It's more personal. I was determined to watch it, but it was uncomfortable. I had to tell myself it was just surgery. Watching the amputation impacted me more than reading it - seeing left little doubt what amputation entailed.
Back in 2003 when this happened to Aron and I heard the story, I thought about what I'd do in that situation. To be honest, I'm not sure I could have cut off my arm. It would be so easy to keep telling yourself that someone would come along and you'd be saved from having to cut off your arm.
The high point of the movie for me was when Aron made the last cut and staggered back from place he had been stuck for 6 days. The feeling of freedom was strong and poignant.
This wasn't the end, Aron still had to scramble down the rest of the canyon, rig his rope and rappel over 100 feet down into Horseshoe Canyon - one handed. The film handled this well.
At the end of the rappel was a pool of turbid water which he immediately drank from since he ran out of water days ago. I heard some audiences had almost as much difficulty with this scene as with the amputation. Really? If you've ever been truly thirsty you know you'd drink any water in this situation.
The end of the film was moving. Seeing the real Aron Ralston with his wife and young son the message is unmistakable - you are only seeing this scene because Aron did something very difficult and he very well could have died. Life is precious.
127 Hours
Spaghetti Westerns
Over the weekend I watched the holy trinity of Spaghetti Westerns: A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.
I'm a sucker for these films and love everything about them. The gritty, macho characters with squinty eyes. The desert locations and ramshackle towns. The wacky musical scores with lots of horns and whistling. The loud overdubbed sound effects (the screaming ricochet bullet is my favorite). The kill-or-be-killed, emotionless violence. The faces (it's obvious Sergio Leone had a thing for unique and extraordinary faces - especially rugged, gnarled, weathered, leathery faces.) The stories of greed.
I know these films are bizarre, but I like them anyway. And I think Leone is a film genius for creating this unique style. Thanks, Sergio, for these great films.
In other news, Les Miserables was pretty good. Hard to believe high school kids could pull off such a big production. Most had good voices and performed well. The young man playing Jean Val Jean sang well and brought energy to the part. The set was simple, but effective - and they threw in some theatrics that worked well. My girls enjoyed it and we've already had a few discussions about it. The biggest negative was not from the production, but the family of 4 kids under 10 behind us that made a lot of noise. I don't know what the parents were thinking bringing such young kids to a 2+ hour play. In spite of the distractions we enjoyed the show.
I got out for a quick ride Saturday. It felt great to get out on the bike, but my fitness has declined significantly. I better get exercising or this Spring will be ugly.
Avatar, Christmas
Avatar
I saw Avatar Saturday and I give it an enthusiastic thumbs up. I was expecting just a good eye-candy movie, but it's better than that.
The story is solid but familiar, with a few twists. From what I'd heard about the plot, I was wary it would be a message movie, gladly I only rolled my eyes a few times.
The buzz about Avatar has been the formidable technology used to create it. (Popular Science has a good article on it. My favorite was the LCD tablet Cameron used to see the rendered motion captures set in the computer generated scenery as he roamed the stage to preview the performance and establish the camera shots.) My expectations were high and the movie exceeded them. Every scene looks gorgeous - filled with both lush outdoor environs and detailed sci-fi tech. The art in this movie is astounding in detail, scope and quality.
I saw the movie in RealD 3D and enjoyed the experience. With so many big scenes, the 3D depth added to the film. Sometimes objects looked a little blurry, but usually everything was crisp. RealD uses circular polarization so you can tilt your head and the 3D still looks great. The glasses resemble wayfarers and were comfortable for the whole 3 hours.
The world Cameron creates feels real, or perhaps super real. As I exited the theater into a dreary Winter day, I wanted to go back to Pandora (the planet location for the movie). I want to see it again.
Christmas
We had a good Christmas. The kids seemed happy with their presents.
We got a new TV. A 42" LCD. I've been watching these big TVs for years and finally this year the price dropped to where I couldn't resist. So far I'm pleased with it. And I'm already becoming a hi-def snob - the sharpness and detail is amazing.
For me the big gift is the new bike. Last post I mentioned the frame. It arrived and I was amazed how light it is. I bought a Medium 2008 HiFi from Kieth and I'll be moving the parts over to the Large frame the next week or so. Can't wait to ride it. Road trip down south anyone?
Reviews: Planet Earth, Naked Economics, Bobke II
Planet Earth is an 11-part series of absolutely stunning nature cinematography. Co-produced by the BBC and the Discovery Channel with a budget of $25 million and shot completely in hi-def, the result is a true work of art. The first episode, Pole To Pole, introduces the series then each episode portrays a different habitat: Mountains, Freshwater, Caves, Deserts, Ice Worlds, Great Plains, Jungles, Shallow Seas, Seasonal Forests, Ocean Deep.
I rented the BBC DVD set from the Orem Library and was mesmerized as I watched African Hunting Dogs setup an ambush, Great White Sharks attacking seals in super slow motion, Birds Of Paradise perform their flamboyant mating displays, the freakishly giant crystals of Lechuguilla Cave, intimate footage of the elusive Snow Leopard in the Himalayas, and much more.
Following each 50 minute episode is a Planet Earth Diaries segment showing how some of the shots were accomplished. A gimbaled camera aboard a helicopter, days sitting in blinds, tracking camels - it was amazing what went into capturing these images.
My only complaint was the audio mix - the narrator, David Attenborough, was too quiet (or the music too loud).
Hours of gorgeous imagery, stunning scenery and fascinating animal and plant life. Watch it, buy it, rent it now. Get the Blu-Ray hi-def version if you have the player for it.
Naked Economics takes you beyond the (oversimplified) basics of Econ 101 but still keeps the concepts clear and fairly easy to understand. The academic nature of economics has filled it with an arcane language (almost like law) that presents a barrier to the lay person, but Charles Wheelan translates and boils it down to the essential concepts. A timely read for our currently troubled economic climate, this book helped me understand economics so I can better evaluate the current problems and the proposed fixes. Recommended.
Bobke II is the follow-up to the original Bobke which is out of print, rare and quite expensive. It wanders and feels like pages from his journal torn out and plastered into a book. Bob's style is unique and feels incoherent, but just go with it and enjoy the wild ride.
Some of his stories, and the way he tells them, are hilarious. His story about being constipated during a stage of the Tour Day France and how he remedied the problem had me laughing so hard I cried.
This book is not a monument of literature, but most cyclists will find it entertaining. Recommended for cyclists. (How did I miss this in my review of cycling books? I've added it now.)
Movies And A Ride
We rented two Miyazaki movies from the Orem Library. (Hard to beat $1 each for a week and they have a pretty good selection.)
My Neighbor Totoro - Miyazaki films always portray a sense of child-like imagination, and this film focuses on seeing the world through a child's eyes. As such there isn't much story and it wanders - just like a child's short attention span and sense of adventure and wonder about the world around them. Good art, but not as astounding as Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle (below). I enjoyed it, but the children in the movie were a bit much for me. Dakota Fanning does a good job voicing the lead character, but after a while the frequent outbursts of the two girls got on my nerves (but that's how kids are). My kids enjoyed the movie and laughed a lot. Once was enough for me, but a very good movie for kids.
Howl's Moving Castle - Wow! The art in this movie is stunning. Maybe even better than Spirited Away. It was fascinating to watch. I'm astounded to think how long it must take to hand draw animation of this quality to fill an entire movie. The story is odd, but that's Miyazaki and I like his out-there ideas. The story seems to ramble, but it all ties together and makes more sense as it goes on. There's even a point or message in the movie. I appreciate Miyazaki's creativity and imagination. Sure Miyazaki's films are kinda weird, but I get tired of the same old Hollywood retreaded ideas and these films are like a breathe of fresh air.
I went for a road ride with Mark today. He was working from home so we met up and rode around Herriman. As I layered up I questioned the sense of riding in the winter, but once I got on the bike I was happy to be riding. It was windy, but warm (for December). On the way back we got a few rain drops and it turned colder. I haven't been on the road bike in over a month and it felt good to cruise the black top. We chatted some as we went. A good 28 miles of rolling road.
Really Odd Movie Gems
I had a tepid response to the merely odd movie list from a few days ago, so here is my partial list of really odd movie gems. Certainly there are more bizarre films, but these are just odd AND good - you know, films I can watch more than once.
The Triplets Of Belleville - This one definitely qualifies as strange. A bizarre story told through incredibly stylized animation. It features a pro cyclist, so that may attract some. Keep an open mind and enjoy the fantastic imagery while the story takes its weird wanderings. Visually it kept my interest, even with the wild plot.
Koyaanisqatsi - This movie is out there. An experimental film that tests an idea: Can images alone convey meaning, even deep meaning? The cinematography is stunning and mesmerizing. I was indeed moved by this film as I let the images speak to me. The score was also an experiment - Philip Glass used only three notes. While I appreciated the range he wrung out of those three notes, it was too repetitious for me and I turned the sound way down or even off at times. Not much middle ground for this film - either the experiment will work for you or it won't. The title is a Navajo word (pronounced coy-on-a-scott-see) that roughly means "life out of balance".
Spirited Away - An incredible imaginative film by revered Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. The story features themes that are foreign to most Americans, but even if you can't get into the story you should appreciate the stunning quality of the art. I've watched a few other Miyazaki films (Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service) and this is my favorite.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within - Amazing quality and realism for early computer generated animation (it still holds up today). Excellent art and design. Back in the day, this was THE DVD you used to show off your home theater. The film was made in Japan and has themes that are foreign to most Americans, but it's so gorgeous to watch I just went with it.
What Dreams May Come - Don't let the casting of Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr. fool you, this is a heavy story. But good, in a hit-you-with-stark-reality kind of way. When the movie was released it got a lot of attention for the cool painting effects it employed. But beyond the eye candy is some serious dealing with life, death and after-life. I'm surprise a studio signed onto this film, given the subject matter. It's too much to watch very often, but every now and then I need the shock to my system this film gives me.
Odd Movie Gems
Bob recently posted about discovering a movie he really liked (McCabe & Mrs. Miller) and it got me thinking about movies. So here's a list of some off-the-beaten-path movies that I feel like I "discovered": GATTACA
The Matrix
- OK, this was a blockbuster so not obscure, but it is a very different movie. Put simply, this movie blew me away when I saw it for the first time. It was one of the first DVDs I purchased and I watched it 10-15 times in the next few months. I appreciate its inventiveness, novelty, attention to detail and depth. It would have been a good SciFi movie just with the profound story, but the Kung Fu and amazing special effects made it a landmark film. I can't believe it didn't make the AFI Top 100 when it was revised in 2007. The subsequent Matrix movies had some good elements, but they didn't have the whole package like the first film. There is no spoon.
Contact
- This movie stands the test of time with me. I watch it a few times each year. It's a plausible story of first contact with life beyond our planet, based on the book by Carl Sagan (the book is also good). Faith and science get equal and fair treatment and the story is surprisingly engaging. Jodie Foster is perfect in the role of Dr. Arroway and an up-and-coming Matthew McConaughey crafts an eccentric but solid man of faith. It's fairly long at 2 hours and 43 minutes, but it keeps my attention throughout so that's saying something.
The Princess Bride
- What can I say about this plucky little film? If you don't like this movie I'd guess you don't like puppies. Around Utah nearly everyone knows this film, but I'm not sure it's as popular in other areas. It's a masterpiece of one-liners. The quirky story is fun and playful as are the characters. To avoid any more preaching to the choir I'll just say: if you've seen it you know why it's good, if you haven't go watch it.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
- Another top-notch comedy. I know comedy is very subjective but this one hits me square on the funny bone. Steve Martin and Michael Caine (who knew he could do comedy?) play their roles, and off each other, perfectly. Several scenes in this movie are pure comedy gold (the "may I go to the bathroom" scene comes to mind). The story take a lot of fun twists and turns and keeps you going right to the end.These are the mildly odd films. In an up-coming post I'll list the really odd films I like.
