jcphoenix Reviews

Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)

Incredible, one of the best shows on TV today...(S1 Review)

[9/10 · 26 August 2007]

What a fantastic show. Yes, football is a huge aspect of this show, but in the way that it's a backdrop rather than the focus for the most part. I like to think of Friday Night Lights as similar to The O.C. and at the same time, completely anti-O.C. The thing about this show is, it deals with some issues that you see all the time on The O.C. - alcoholism, drugs, cheating, high school stuff...and yet, it comes off infinitely ahead of The O.C.

It's in the treatment, the way they execute the story lines where the difference is, and that difference is MASSIVE. It's the difference between a guilty-pleasure borderline soap and a sophisticated and earnestly dramatic piece of film-making. This show takes those elements that could be turned into melodramatic/stereotypical clichés, that could be simplified into the escapist world of The O.C., and it manages to wring out every inch of raw emotion and drama out of them. It doesn't put its moments to waste. I really don't think I ever saw a moment of honest, real emotion in The O.C.. Friday Night Lights easily has three powerful and honest moments an episode, if not more.

Besides the stuff that is similar to The O.C., the series also tackles more issues like racism, mental disorders, rape, and parent/child relationships.

In fact, the two episodes that deal with racism are a great example of how FNL is so great. It showcases a lot of viewpoints from different people inside the show, and while it doesn't solve things completely (just like real life), it certainly shows more insight into the issues than most shows or movies I can think of. If Crash won an Oscar for its simplified and stereotypical view of racists and racism, the complexity in the way FNL deals with the issue should've made it the Best Picture of the century.

That's not to say the stories themselves are perfect. When I step back and look back at the season of FNL, yeah, a lot of the story lines can seem at the end of the day overwrought and almost melodramatic. But that's the nature of the story lines. In the moments themselves, they are almost always written believably with perfect dialogue and acting. There are a few moments in the series where a character's turnaround or change of opinion might happen too drastically, but considering the 100 things they do right in every episode, 1 small problem like that per episode is really not much in the long run. There is always a fine line between melodrama and drama when dealing with shows about high school, and FNL hits the dramatic mark more consistently often than nearly anything else on TV or on the silver screen. The other thing is, like I said, FNL has a lot of raw and powerfully emotional moments in it. It wears its heart on its sleeve and some people may mistake that for melodrama.

These are characters you care for, that are intensely real - yes, so the girls in the show may be hotter than most, the cast is good-looking, etc...but the root of the characters feels like real people. The actors feel naturalistic, and the breadth of the show is stunning. You feel like this town actually exists somewhere. It's not just about the high school kids either. This show is equally about the parents. This is a show about an entire town, a town that is in love with football, that lives for football because, well, quite simply, most of them have nothing to look forward to except for football. It really nails the closeness and intensity of living in a small town, of everyone knowing everyone, etc.

If I had to use one word to describe what I think Friday Night Lights is about, it would be - dreams. This comes to the surface towards the end of the season but its always been there since the beginning. This show is about everyone's dreams, how and what everyone wants out of life, where they wanna go, where they seem themselves in the future. There are people who long for an escape from the town where there's not much of a future (Tyra), there are people with crushed dreams who have to rebuild (Jason and Lyla), there are people who are starting to live their dream (Matt), and there are people who are well on their way to their dream (Smash)...the entire show is about the struggle to follow your dreams and what that is worth. It's one of the best shows on TV and the best show that you're not watching.

The Namesake (2006)

Rich cultural film

[7/10 · 8 March 2007]

I was pretty surprised to see that Kal Penn doesn't actually appear on screen till a third/halfway into the movie...in fact, while Kal Penn has more screen time in the last section of the film, his two parents in the film actually both have equal amounts of screen time as well, as they carry much of the first part of the film which focuses on their relationship and how they met each other, etc. Because of this, the film is somewhat oddly structured and its actual story unveils in sort of smaller ways (ie: the film doesn't really have a goal, etc driving it through each scene) which does make the narrative a little sloppy. But that sprawling sort of feel where we follow the different characters etc is sort of what gives the film its charm and richness in its characters.

I almost kind of couldn't get over the fact that teenage Kal Penn was pretty much Kumar but he does very well in the rest of the film for the most part; it's not a straightforward dramatic role, it has some comedic elements to it and I think he fits the role...I actually thought the namesake element that tied the film together was probably where the film was weakest though...but it was nice to see the story evolve fairly organically throughout rather than being driven in.

While I had issues with the film like said above, a lot of it for me is redeemed by how well this portrays the three cultures - the Indian, the American, and the in-betweens...it's a very very rich film when it comes to culture and it is endlessly fascinating even for that sole reason. And it portrays everything thoughtfully and interestingly, not with the standard stereotypes that might come along - as an Indian woman thanked Nair at the post-film Q&A for portraying the culture accurately and not resorting to the standard "women singing around trees" kind of stereotype.

I thought Tabu was fantastic as the mother, she really pulled off both the younger and older versions of her character well. Kal Penn was decent and it was nice to see the hot Jacinda Barrett in the film for a little bit :p though her character's kinda useless.

While I'm not Indian, I am a Chinese-Canadian who was born and raised in Canada, so I'm in a similar situation to the main character which helped me relate (though my parents are more Canadianized)...

Overall, I enjoyed the film - it isn't without its flaws but I think it's worth a watch.

City of God (2002)

A Modern Masterpiece

[10/10 · 5 March 2007]

Picture this: You are slowly walking towards a boy no more than 10 years of age – someone you have played soccer games with and joked around with. The boy reaches down with his hand, brings a gun back up, and pumps you full of bullets. In the multiple Academy Award nominee City of God, not only does this happen, but it does not even come as a surprise. This Brazilian epic takes the iconic movies of the '90s and creates an intense blend that utilizes the fractured structure from Pulp Fiction, the hard-hitting style of Requiem for a Dream, and the ambitious storytelling of Goodfellas. The oddity here is not that director Fernando Meirelles mixes parts from these films together, but rather that in doing so, he has created a modern masterpiece that will surely be remembered as one of the defining films for the millennium decade. Taking place during the 1960s and into the 1970s, City of God is set in the Brazilian city of the same name. Located close to Rio de Janeiro, the two places could not be more different. Rio de Janeiro, virtually a tropical paradise, contrasts starkly with the seedy slums of the City of God. The structure of the film is almost like a tangled skein – following a loosely chronological order, the movie often doubles back on itself to retell a story from a different perspective and it often takes detours to tell stories of the varied and fascinating individuals in the city. The result is a sprawling tour-de-force with a massive cast of characters – some who triumph over their enemies but more who fail. The film makes use of one of its many characters as the narrator, Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), but he is not so much the protagonist as he is a center for all the stories to meet. As an aspiring photographer that is always on the sidelines, he is the perfect character to take the audience on the journey through the decades. In fact, the main character of City of God is arguably not a person but rather the city itself, portrayed as cruel, relentless, and endlessly bloodthirsty. The closest thing the film has to a main character is Li'l Zé, the brutal and power-hungry man who quickly rises through the ranks (generally by shooting down the competition) to become the czar of the drug underworld. Brilliantly portrayed with wild abandon by Leandro Firmino, Li'l Zé's unpredictable and chaotic nature is counterbalanced by his closest friend, Benny (Phellipe Haagensen), who is like the yang to Li'l Zé's ying. Less temperamental and more relaxed, Benny is considered the coolest gangster alive by residents of the city and can save the lives of many people with a word to Li'l Zé. Stylistically, the film exhausts just about every film-making trick one can think of on the spot: split-screen (used sparsely but effectively); 360-degree camera turns; slam cuts; slow-motion shots – all of these and many more are present in the film. In one instance, the absence of sound during a key scene helps to heighten the impact. In another, a flashing strobe light enhances the haunting quality and atmosphere of the empty nightclub to a startlingly memorable result. City of God is most successful however not because of its stylistic choices, or its many interesting characters, or its score (which is also impressive). All of these contribute to the making of a great film, but what elevates City of God to the level of artistry that only a handful of films such as Schindler's List and The Shawshank Redemption achieve is its uncompromising screenplay. Not only is the structure brilliantly conceived and not only are the characters extraordinary well developed, but the screenplay is also able to bring in a sense of the never-ending and continuous cycles of war without ever trying to moralize. Simply put, the film is a window into a world, not a path, and it simply views rather than changes. In this way, what the audience sees in that small window shakes them to the core without any feelings of manipulation whatsoever. In a film in which despair and brutality are so common, the irony of the title is not lost. City of God is a masterpiece in every sense of the word – a stunning and merciless film that portrays the era, the people, and the sense of hopelessness honestly and without compromise. I would not have it any other way.

13 Tzameti (2005)

Would've been better as a short film

[6/10 · 17 February 2007]

Good but somewhat disappointing with very very little storyline. Basically, from the teaser trailer which just showed a scene from the part in the movie where they play the "game", I could make up this entire film. Besides the main concept, there is nothing new or original in the movie which was disappointing. We don't get to know any of the characters, and the game gets repetitive when they add nothing new to change it up. They also throw in a storyline with the police to try to put some meat on the storyline but it doesn't do much. On the flipside, this movie is quite well-filmed and despite its severe (and I really mean that) lack of tension, it still remained somewhat intriguing all the way through, with a very bleak atmosphere enhanced by the stark black and white look of the film. The first part up to the game worked well and would've worked even better had I known nothing about this movie. Essentially, I think this could've been one of the best 15-20 minute short films I'd ever seen. Instead, it is a diluted/flawed but passable feature film.

Chaos (II) (2005)

Predictable movie that thinks itself more clever than it actually is

[4/10 · 28 August 2006]

A predictable and pretty dumb movie that actually believes itself to be clever...complete with all the explanatory scenes at the end as if the audience wouldn't get what had happened.

Unfortunately for the film, as soon as a key piece of the puzzle that was held back comes into play, it becomes exceedingly obvious what the hell is happening (way before the so-called reveal) - and yes, it's everything you've seen, many times over, before. Also, all the pieces of the so-called puzzle only get put into play every time a character does a (really) dumb thing - I guess the screenwriter couldn't think of a way to reveal things without having certain characters act like total idiots. Not only that but the main character takes pretty much the latter half of the movie to put together what the audience figures out in seconds (as soon as he is given the key piece of information).

Besides that, Snipes' character is too campy at times and the dialogue feels stilted and unnatural. The part with Keegan Connor Tracy was just...absolutely random. Performances range from horrible (Natassia Malthe - awful overacting) to pretty bad (Justine Waddell) to just passable (Phillippe, Statham).

Ignoring even the predictability of the screenplay, the movie still has to deal with the fifty million plot holes and nonsensical aspects of its storyline including this - why the hell did Snipes' character even try to get through to Phillippe's character the whole "Chaos Theory" thing in the first place? Again, I'm trying to be as vague as possible to not spoil the movie for anyone. The only reason I'm giving this a 4/10 is because despite how dumb the movie actually is, it's still reasonably entertaining throughout.

Castle in the Sky (1986)

One of my fav movies

[10/10 · 18 January 2001]

This movie is an incredible work of art and music. The animation is breathtaking and quite detailed. The many bits of technology in the movie (the 'robots' etc.) were quite good pieces of imagination. Although this already made for an incredible movie, what made the experience whole, has got to be the music. The music was by Joe Hisaishi who wrote the music for Parasite Eve. Overall, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, is one movie you don't want to miss. Also, look for Disney's English dub, which came out at the New York Film Festival in February; hopefully, they will decide to release it on video.