Martin's Musings

In the film A Single Man, Colin Firth plays George, a gay college professor still mourning the loss of his partner, Jim (Matthew Goode), who was killed in a car accident eight months earlier. The film follows George over the course of one day in 1962, as he prepares to end his life by committing suicide. As George remembers the life he shared with Jim, he is also consoled by his closest friend, Charley (Julianne Moore), who is also still getting over a lost love. Then hope and a chance at a future comes in the form of an attractive student (Nicholas Hoult, all grown up since most folks saw him in About a Boy), who shows interest in George and thinks he can help his professor break out of his depression.

Directed and co-written by the designer Tom Ford, A Single Man is one of the most stylish movies I’ve seen recently. Every frame, every detail, is impeccably arranged and composed — almost to the point of overdoing it — with colors becoming muted and brighter throughout. No surprise, Firth is also very well dressed; all of his clothes were designed by Ford himself. Thankfully, there’s also plenty to feel. Firth gives a heartbreaking performance that’s surely one of the year’s best. Much of the film finds George in quiet contemplation, and the look of sadness on Firth’s face is just devastating.

Thankfully, the film does not stay downbeat throughout. That said, this is clearly not a happy, festive movie. (And, by the way, it is not to be confused with A Serious Man, even though both are set in the 1960s and focus on a college professor.) Rather, this is a showcase for Firth, and a chance for Ford to indulge his cinematic interests. And indulge may be the operative word here. Ford does overdo it a bit, and that becomes a distraction, but so be it. Colin Firth makes the movie worth seeing, in spite of his director’s meddling. But that’s why I’m only going to give this movie a B.

I wish I had more to tell you about Sherlock Holmes, but to be honest, it’s not really worth a very long blog post. Soon after it was over, I had pretty much already forgotten about it. Continue reading →

James Cameron’s Avatar sure is a feast for the eyes.

The film takes place on the faraway planet of Pandora, where paralyzed Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) has come to infiltrate the tall, blue, powerful, and prideful residents using a genetically engineered Avatar.

The tribe, called the Na’vi, are standing in the way of American industrialism, and a full-scale military operation — led by Stephen Lang’s gruff, buff, and tough general and Giovanni Ribisi’s slick, determined businessman — has been set up to get at the precious mineral that’s sitting just below where the Na’vi live.

Cameron has created the world of Pandora completely from scratch, and, with the help of some high-tech 3D tools, it’s photorealistic, lush, and truly breathtaking.

What a technical achievement. Continue reading →

It isn’t complicated to see why It’s Complicated is going to be a big, fat hit this holiday season.

For one thing, you have an audience-pleasing plotline: 10 years after their divorce, Jane and Jake (Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin) rekindle their flame, even though he has remarried.

At the same time, Jane is pursued by Adam (Steve Martin), the architect she has hired to do work on her house.

Can Jane and Jake keep their passion alive — and a secret from their kids? Suffice it to say, the film’s title isn’t a random choice. Continue reading →

In the new film Brothers, Natalie Portman stars as Grace, a woman who learns her Marine soldier husband, Sam (Tobey Maguire), has been killed in battle in Afghanistan. Distraught, she finds comfort in her till-then irresponsible brother-in-law, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), who also becomes a father figure for Grace’s two daughters … until Grace learns Sam was not killed after all, but had been captured and held prisoner in a mountain village. Suffice it to say, when he returns home, Sam is not the man he once was and things between the brothers and with Grace are a bit tense. If you’re thinking this is not the stuff of cheerful holiday merriment at the movies, then you’re right.

Directed by Jim Sheridan (In America) and based on a Danish film of the same name, Brothers tells a very current and very unfortunate story in a very spare and intimate style. Acting by the three leads is effective (though I never did buy that Sam was Tommy’s older brother), and Portman is especially impressive in a much more grown-up role than she’s used to playing. However, the film is a bit slow-moving, and when it ended, I felt a bit relieved. Brothers is the kind of mezza mezza movie that’ll eventually make a fine rental. For now, I’m giving it a B.

A friend of mine once told me that if he was ever stuck on a deserted island, he’d want Morgan Freeman with him. His reasoning was that if Morgan Freeman was there, that’s the only way he’d know they’d be rescued and that everything would be alright. I thought about that because Freeman’s at it again. After years and years of starring in uplifting roles (e.g., The Shawshank Redemption, Bruce Almighty), now he ups the ante in Clint Eastwood’s latest, Invictus. Here, Freeman stars as no less an inspiring figure than Nelson Mandela, who brought together the people of South Africa with the help of the country’s rugby team nearly 15 years ago. Wouldn’t you know it, the role’s a natural fit.

To say that Freeman gives a good performance here is stating the obvious; it seems almost too easy. But he’s great. So is Matt Damon, who stars as Francois Pienaar, the rugby team’s captain. (Damon clearly got back into fighting shape for this role after expanding his size for his role in this fall’s The Informant.) Damon doesn’t have a ton of dialogue, but he seems to have the accent down and he has the presence of a leader.

Eastwood keeps the action moving, and in his spare but effective style, doesn’t hit you over the head with cues to tell you how to feel. Invictus is a much better movie than his Changeling and Gran Torino were a year ago. It’s about a rugby team, but it’s not about rugby. It’s about quiet dignity and leadership, and with his graceful and powerful performance, Freeman demonstrates both. I’m giving Invictus an A–.