Southern Crime-dra-medy and others

Richard Linklater's Bernie is many things: A character comedy, a southern gothic, and then a courtroom drama, yet it is reductive to put it into even those 3 broad categories. Most broadly it is a tale of the modern south. With a character like the eponymous Bernie, Linklater explores the realities of living within such a specific place, one that is quite close to his own roots. Except for those that spent a fair amount of time in a culture like this, the film will likely  come off as parody, and it works as that. But for those familiar with the subject matter, the film  will seem far more realistic and perhaps even funnier than to those that are not. Jack Black does a superior job at understanding his character, one that could not exist in any other place in the world. Men like Bernie (and they are few) can only spring up in places like Carthage, Texas. Linklater also made the insightful move of integrating real citizens of the town in interview portions that, while hilarious, broaden the realization of the small town atmosphere. And while the movie is certainly a more than enough of a laugh to make a pleasant evening, there is some greater significance at stake, as well. The central action of the film and its consequences evoke some pretty serious questions about the US legal system and its often arbitrary assignment of penalty.

There isn't a whole lot to say about Julien, Donkey Boy, Harmony Korrine's 2nd feature length film. It has much of the same sensibilities of the masterful Gummo, not to mention the same evocative and downright beautiful camerawork. As with his previous work, story takes a back seat to imagery which Korrine will be most remembered for, though to continue the comparison, it did not have quite the same punch. And who can resist Werner Herzog even if he is playing an abusive father. A good film, but one with terrible consequences (particularly in the opening scene). 

When I saw Ratcatcher for the first time, it was a realization of a thing that cinema could do that was unknown to me until then. The emphasis on still images made for a gorgeous look. Lynn Ramsey's latest We Need to Talk About Kevin has a few instances of her signature visual flair, but it is a more good film with a spectacular central performance rather than simply a great film. Tilda Swinton, that alien god(dess? if anyone transcends gender it's her), turns in another of her absolutely mind-blowing performance as the mother of a sociopathic child. I keep wondering  what she would be like, if we would even know her name had she not hooked up with Derek Jarman and crew in the 80s. For that, we must be thankful that she did. Yes, the film has moments of beauty, both straightforward and terrible at different times, but the overall effect is less than those moments would suggest. 

Ok, so I saw Moonrise Kingdom. I liked it. It's not my favorite Wes Anderson film. I also don't have a lot else to say about it that hasn't been labored over by far too many people already. So I'll just leave it at that. 

Lost Highway is one of the lesser in in the Lynch oeuvre. It feels less coherent than many of his other films even though he fits the pieces together in much the same way that does in his other films. There was just something missing. There was the usual air of mystery which goes largely unanswered, moments of bizarre sexuality and violence; all the elements were there, but each bit lacked something credible. Don't get me wrong, it was still...entertaining (is that the right word?) but it didn't have quite the same Lynch stamp. 

Prometheus. Oh.....Prometheus. Ridley, you tried so hard, something I don't think we could say about you in the last 20 years, at least, but I think you got bored probably sometime right after the production phase. Some good elements were there, some bad ones were too. The script was a little off, but it looked like you were ready to really make something unique, and in some ways you did. It wasn't interesting though. After doing some analysis of the plot I noticed what were obviously some obvious dog ears in the book of history. 2000 years ago, something changed in the cycle of the "Engineers" (the race that apparently brought about the genesis of life on earth) had a change of heart about the nature of human existence. Wait....what happened 200 years ag- OHHHH! Ridley, you sly dog, slipping Space Jesus in without so much as a wink apart from the cross that one of the characters wears. To be fair, its not entirely a bad philosophical point of view (even though there is one scene that may suggest a questionable stance on abortion if you follow the rabbit hole down too far), but it doesn't really fit into the runtime. And why the hell did Charlize Theron forget how to run sideways?

The "Abstinence" episode of Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job! has got to be one of the best 15 minutes you could spend watching something. Most of the time Heidecker and Wareheim's show is riotous in its bizarre, DIY pairings and process. I had been waiting for a feature length by these guys for years, but unfortunately, this is not nearly as funny as it could have been. It has a few moments, most of which are character related (John C. Reilly as Taquito and very briefly Jeff Goldblum as Chef Goldblum), but dare I say it, there was way too much story here. That is not something I thought I would ever say when referring to these guys, but there simply weren't enough pointless asides, something they are great at. Almost everything related in some way to a central plot, which was uninspired given what I have come to expect from them. Maybe next time. I would still see something they produced in the hope that they could get it right.