Stream of the Week- One For The Money

In my need for cutesy crime comedies, I found One for the Money. Based on a popular book series, this romantic crime comedy really did surprise me.


Stephanie Plum is a girl down on her luck and in need of cash. She takes up a job working for her cousin as a recovery agent on bonds and finds herself with a case that she would really like to solve. A boyfriend from her teenage years is one of her cousins criminals and she offers to bring him in for a ten percent cut of his bond. She tracks down this Morelli character only to find that his case wasn't exactly solved. Morelli could still be the bad guy, but she swears she's in it for the money. And maybe some revenge on Morelli. Maybe neither. Her investigation leads her into a crime ring that Morelli had been on for weeks before he was accused of murder. As she searches for answers she receives help from a man named Ranger, who is always bailing her out, and from a few working gals who were friends with Morelli's informant before the shooting. Plum's personality leads to these people trusting her and to her ultimate success.


What I really like about this movie is that the actual crime part of it doesn't matter to the story. You don't have to pay attention or connect the dots. The real heart of this movie comes from the interaction of Stephanie Plum with both Morelli and her band of assistants on her mission. Sure, it lacks substance, but it makes up for it with it's jersey accent.


Character wise, Stephanie Plum is a really down to earth kind of gal. She's pretty, but she has a love for tasty cakes and cheese balls. She isn't really trained for her job, but that doesn't stop her. Plum has a crazy family and a wicked sense of humor that makes her a relatable lead. Plum is played by Katherine Heigl, and I don't care what the critics say, I think she is great for this kind of role. She's funny, pretty, and she keeps her character real. Morelli is the basic good cop kind of "heart throb". He doesn't let other people get in the way, but he also doesn't let his name go down without a fight. Jason O'Mara plays Morelli, and personally I thought he did a really great job delivering a performance that painted him as both the antagonist and the love interest all in one.


Some films just need to be watched because they are fun. That's what this film is and that's probably why I enjoyed it. Sit back, eat a donut, watch learn and love.

Capture of Culture- Confessions of a Superhero

I love documentaries. To me there is nothing like getting a culture shock while watching someone else's life unfold on screen.

This film is an amazing look into the lives of the actors who play the characters who occupy the street outside the TCL Chinese Theatre. Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Hulk and several others take part in the craziness which is Confessions of a Superhero.

 

Though the costumes seem tacky, the people on the inside are quite real and raw in front of the camera. Some of them have been homeless or addicts; others left perfectly normal lives, but what draws them together is their aspirations to be actors in the bright and beautiful Hollywood which they call home. This documentary isn't so much about the costume part of their life, where they run around taking pictures and asking for tips, but rather the affects that this type of lifestyle has had on their actual quality of life.

 

I found the people in this film captivating. I could never live the life they do, but somehow they make it work. Superman in particular appears completely sane, but when you follow the crew that enters his home, you quickly realize how obsessive he is over the character of Superman. I can't imagine being in a world where that is the norm, and that is why I believe this film is an important one to watch. You can't understand people when you only see them as one thing. There are so many layers to the human psyche that a full picture can not be presented until you see all sides.

 

Matthew Ogens, the director of this film, knows what questions to ask that shows us little by little the inner workings of each hero's mindset, and I think he has done a fantastic job. This film is well edited and does an amazing job of putting all the stories together in a streamline vision. I also love the setup that he creates when he interviews the heroes in their separate spaces. For example, Superman is interviewed on a couch in front of a wallpapered wall and Batman is questioned in a warehouse. Each location has a different vibe that matches the person being interviewed.

 

I have seen this movie several times and each watch is different from the previous. I think anyone who has ever had an interest in the lifestyle of small time actors should see this film. 

Stream of the Week- Little Black Book

I am always in the mood for an easy going, simple chick flick. Sure the plot lines aren't always life changing or that original, but the ability to relate to the characters as normal people is something that I believe all films should strive to do. That is why Little Black Book is important.

Stacy has spent her entire life working towards her career goals. Now in a new job at a failing TV show, Stacy and her new coworker, Barb, launch themselves into researching Stacy's boyfriend's, Derek, ex-girlfriends. Based on an idea for a show Barb and Stacy use Derek's palm (little black book) to determine his history. Stacy learns too much about his past life, but it only makes her want to go further and dig up even more. She meets Derek's three most important girlfriends and finds herself making up covers using her new position at the station to interview each of the girls. To her, it's quite obvious that Derek didn't tell her everything and in the words of Barb "it was a lie by omission". No one can ever get away with that kind of secrecy and work behind other's backs, and she is soon found out by Derek and the three girls from his past.

Content-wise, it's not the best story ever, but if you look at it from another view, a script kind of view, you can see how well done this film is. One of the first things that hits the viewer is the narration style. We get a quick recap of the past before Stacy's new job in a few minutes time. It doesn't take long, but it sets us up to see this entire film as a retelling of the story to someone else by Stacy. It's similar to reading a book. We get the action and the main plot by just watching and listening, but it's the extra stuff like Stacy's thought process or comments on each obstacle through her first person point of view in the recounting of the tale. Personally, I find it really interesting to have the mix of the seemingly present story with comments made overtop of it all like the story happened in the past. This way you get the best of both worlds. Of course you do have to deal with the cliché "I'll have to go back to where it started, here's my story" kind of thing, but sometimes it's nice to have a familiar thread in a film.

Another really interesting part to this film is the rhythm which is achieved by the actors and script in the presentation of their lines. Every time there is a staff meeting sign the entire script goes into this whole different mode where actors have a combination of not so funny on their own lines, but then they are sped up and placed in context with other similar lines that make the entire process seem hilarious. They use a lot of repetition at fast reaction times so that it almost hits you over the head that the world in that studio is very different from that of the streets of city Stacy lives in. The studio employees are fast thinkers who are constantly building and stealing ideas from each other, throwing false support and then backstabbing just to get ahead. The dialogue shows this. Then you take this kind of dialogue into the real world by Barb and Stacy and it shows the women they interview in a different light. They are not the office type of speakers. Their lines are slower and more natural sounding, as if they were really just talking to Barb and Stacy as real people. This juxtaposition is what makes the climax scene so great when these two cultures meet.

These kind of deliveries in performance are most likely due to the chemistry of the cast. I have always been a Brittany Murphy fan. I like how she plays the smart, witty, and emotional version of the normal girl. Holly Hunter, though, was the best in this film. Her character (Barb) was the kind of character that you think you understand until you realize you don't. She plays the nice friend, but she has motives for everything she does, which I think is a realistic interpretation of a power hungry person. They can't help it; it's an addiction, they need to be in control and if you are in the way- it's your own fault. The guys aren't strong in this film, but that's the point because it's supposed to be about women finding their strength to be successful without the help of the guys.

The Colors of The Spectacular Now

While watching this film I noticed some repetition, both in colors and in shot composition, that I think is kind of a big deal. Lots of viewers subconsciously understand what they are watching in the shot when it comes to these types of shots, but I think it's important to see them as part of the movie as well and not just as an afterthought. Someone obviously put a lot of time and energy into these subtleties, and I think they should have their work realized.

When watching The Spectacular Now, right away you can tell that there is a specific color group that the team has decided to use to tell the story. Let me show you...

The first time we see Aimee she is wearing this buttercup colored shirt. This yellow color is associated with Aimee throughout the rest of the film. Rarely do we see her with out a yellow cast over the scene from the lights or with a bit of the color in the physical shot with her.

This is from Sutter's scene before he has his first lunch with Aimee. The yellow backpack is our Aimee presence in this scene. It links Sutter to Aimee through the color and prepares us for seeing her again. Also note the orange lockers. They may not appear to have much of a purpose from a story standpoint, but this color keeps showing up in the frames relating to the color scheme.

This is a deleted scene from before the lunch, but it is an important scene from the color aspect. All the important colors are here. You have the yellow backpack from Sutter representing Aimee and you have Aimee's orange backpack which is a less important, but still present color throughout the film. This also introduces the blue as Aimee's secondary color. If there is no yellow with Aimee, then there is a shade of blue. It complements her pale yellow and appears in small scenes throughout and eventually in bigger scenes, like at prom.

Here is another shot of the cafeteria (actually used in the film). Here we have the yellow far in the back and the blue in the chairs and the lunch line in the back. Also off to the left of the frame peaking out from behind Aimee's friend Kristal we have the colors blue, orange, and yellow reappearing as the colors of shirts of Aimee and Sutter's classmates.

Here is an example of how colors can draw an eye to the background up to the foreground. The yellow is in the far back around the stove of Aimee's kitchen. Then your eye is drawn forward to the blue sweater on the chair, and then, finally, the orange pillow up front by Aimee's brother.

In Aimee's room we have the yellow and orange in the poster off to the left of Sutter in the frame. Closer to Aimee we have Sutter's yellow backpack and we end in the greenish blue shirt which Aimee is wearing. This draws the eye from left to right across the screen to end on Aimee.

 

 

This shot just restates the color scheme again. The yellow of Aimee's shirt and the blue of her jacket complement each other and Sutter's orange-red t-shirt contrasts the softness of her look.

 

 

At Aimee's locker, the eye is first drawn to the yellow note in her locker. The color is bright and it draws you in. As we get closer we see Aimee there in the blue against the orange lockers. Orange and blue are opposite on the color wheel so her blue stands out against them so that we see her.

 

 

The next big appearance is at prom night. Before prom we see the yellow of her dress. It matches her scheme and the pattern of her character's colors.

 

 

At prom we have the colors restated again. The yellow streamers set the background, as you get closer you see the girl in the blue dress off to the right of Sutter. By her legs, you can see the orange of someone else's dress. The table in the foreground is that powdered blue we associate with Aimee and, of course, her yellow dress. Now prom uses colors to show the confusion of Sutter's emotions. Up until now the only one to have the yellow and blue combo has been Aimee. But, at prom Cassidy, Sutter's ex-girlfriend, is wearing the powdered blue and her hair is a light shade of blonde/yellow. This shows that Sutter still has feelings for her because Aimee's colors get put on Cassidy. Up until this point Cassidy has been associated with pink. Her messages to Sutter have always appeared in pink, and several of her outfits, including the beach party scene, have had dashes of pink.

 

 

At graduation the robes are obvious uses of the color in frame and as you pan out on to the field you can see the blue of balloons and the blue of extras' shirts.

 

 

Here at the end when Sutter is writing his admission letter we flash to his disappointed teacher. Behind him we have all the colors reinstated. The blue and yellow of Aimee are there. The orange secondary color is there and as a bonus the pink of Cassidy is there.

 

 

This is the last shot. In the back there is that pop of yellow, and to contrast you see Aimee in purple which is opposite of yellow on the color wheel.


It's quite possible that I have read too far into this, but sometimes the coincidences are too hard to ignore.

Stream of the Week- Flypaper

Not all crime comedies are cop and donut films. That's why Flypaper is an interesting pick. It's funny and related to crime, but you don't have to be a CSI nut to understand everything or get where the characters are coming from. It's just simple comedy.

A bank is being robbed by two separate groups at the exact same time. One group is more professional; they have a plan and technology. The other group is a little less prepared and definitely amateur. As the two groups cross paths in the lobby of the bank, a crazy hostage named Tripp convinces the two groups they can rob the bank at the same time. The pro team can crack the vault while the other can hit the ATMs. From there the irregularities in this robbery continue to grow. The hostages are barely contained and both criminal teams are easily mislead by Tripp's conspiracy theories about this robbery. In Tripp's mind everything is a clue that leads to something else. When it's all over, the real heist is uncovered.

What I really enjoy about this film is that as a viewer you aren't really too attached to the characters. Sure you like this one, and this one's funny, but when people start to get shot (and they do) you don't really mind because you aren't super invested in their characters. They all have different personalities which lead to a mismatched group of misfits who propel this film to being an easy watch. Tripp is an "I'm on meds" kind of guy who is continuously jumping from one point to the next without warning or reason. He is funny in a relatable way and he makes for an interesting lead. Kaitlin is the bank teller that Tripp drags along on his little crime solving mission. Her character isn't that important until the end, but either way you like her because she appears to be the only voice of reason throughout the film and she is one of the only people who can get Tripp to make sense.

The robbers are an interesting collection. The pro group is made of three guys. Two of them (Darrien and Weinstein) have worked together on many jobs. Their techie tag-along is Gates. He is trigger happy and wants to be in control. He also has a bit of a foul mouth, but his short temper with people allows him to take full presence of the screen when it comes to dealing with the hostages. Peanut butter and Jelly are the other group of robbers. They claim they are great at what they do, but they have no idea how to rob an establishment like the bank they've taken on. The interaction between these two groups sets the comedic tone for the film. The biggest difference between the two though, in their eyes, is their ranking on the FBI's most wanted banks list. Watch out for this list because it is important later.

So it may not be the world's greatest crime comedy, but it certainly isn't the worst. It's a good watch and I think you'll enjoy it.

Capture of Culture- Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's

I love documentaries and the way they capture an entire culture to display for a willing audience.

This documentary taps into the fashion industry and the importance on the well known department store Bergdorf Goodman in the history of clothing design. Scatter My Ashes covers the designers signed on to Berdorfs as well as the process in which they are contracted onto the team. The documentary also follows the window dressing of 5 of Bergdorf's holiday windows of 2011.

I have never really been a fashionable person, but I do have a respect for the industry because it is never the same for very long. Designers constantly have to be on the brink of new trends and create the new trends as each season progresses. In fashion documentaries, the best place to be is in New York. To the industry, you have the tents and for the stores you have Bergdorf's. It is the holy grail of department stores from a designer's point of view.

Matthew Miele, director and writer of this film, makes it a point to showcase the importance of Bergdorfs as a milestone for up and coming designers with his interviews with the greats like Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Rachel Zoe, and Linda Fargo just to name a few. His story is broken up into different segments highlighting the different aspects of the business while he weaves them together through common storylines- like that of the windows on 5th ave.

The one thing I found most interesting is that when Miele asked any questions of money to employees or associates of Bergdorfs there were no direct answers. Sales representatives and managers alike did not want to divulge the secret of their salaries to the man with the camera. Salaries made by commission, I might add. I thought this was an interesting aspect that kept coming up throughout the interviews.

For the most part the film was enjoyable and filled with interesting information. I did, however, think the editing was a little all over the place. Several times throughout the film, I thought that there were segments edited by other people that just were added in. This made the visual appearance a little less cohesive and at sometimes, a little hard to watch. Overall, though, I thought this film was well put together and the amount of people interviewed who were well known in the business was quite impressive. On a side note, I also thought the music was really well suited to the piece. Then again, I'm probably the only person who cares about that.

Try the fashion culture. Who knows, maybe you'll learn something.

(ps. if you enjoy this film try the documentary The Tents by James Belzer, similar cast of people different aspect of the business. Also very interesting.)

Stream of the Week- The Decoy Bride

There are few films which I can watch over and over again and still be completely enamored with. This film, however, is definitely one of those few.

Based on the small island of Hegg, a famous actress and her writing fiancé are trying to get married without the press finding out. When Lara Tyler, famous for her films and hatred of the press, sees a photographer on her big day she is forced to go into hiding. This leaves her agent to devise a plan to trick the press. He hires a decoy bride to stand in and marry James, Lara's fiancé, while he searches for Lara. Along the way James realizes that he may not love the beautiful, wonderful, and really really nice Lara Tyler. Instead he finds himself falling for his decoy bride Katie. However, he can't bring himself to break it off with "the most perfect woman ever", Lara Tyler.

This film is full of surprises and speckled with sarcastic and humorous scenes that add to the overall charm and warmth of this film. Kelly Macdonald plays the lead role of Katie, who is a young woman with a bad taste in men. She returns home to Hegg again in hopes of riding herself of men all together. Kelly, who is also the star of Brave, is adorable in this role. Her sarcasm and witty humor shines through leaving audiences in her corner throughout the entire film. The role of James is played by none other than the popular David Tennant. James is a writer who has lost his way, but who is convinced that based on popular belief, Lara Tyler is the perfect woman. Tennant is absolutely charming in this role as he plays a smart, witty character with a hint of starving artist thrown in for fun.

From a "romantic comedy" perspective, it's a heck of a lot better than some of the newer romance films. The set is beautiful and the script is well planned. You will never be bored and this film is something you can watch over and over again and still laugh at each new situation. I'm not going to lie, I think I've watched it four times over the past two months and I still love it whole-heartedly. Enjoy this adorable film!

 

 

As a side note...

The name of James's book is The Ornithologist's Wife. This becomes the basis for the romantic wedding that Lara has planned. When asked about birds on the island, Katie's mom states "We don't have any". Peppered throughout the scenes are small touches of birds to make up for the ones the island lacks in order to like Hegg with James.

 

 

The first appearance of birds is in the castle which has been redone for the wedding. Throughout the castle are birds and feathers to bring the book to life. Note them in the background linking James's book to the island and Katie is in the shot, clearly also being associated with the birds.

 

The next small little sighting is in the coffee cup that James gets from Katie at her house. It's small, but it is a link to James from Katie. Links are important to the plot.

 

In the same scene, two pheasants are shown on the mantle piece. Yep, they are there.

 

And the most important of these bird images is the one that involves Katie directly at the end. Katie's final dress is a pattern which involves birds as the primary print. You may not realize it, but they are showing the final link between James and Katie. (Spoiler) He has to come back for her now, the clothing shows us there is still a link.

 

That, my friends, is a deliberate move made by our film crew.

 

 

 

 



Stream of the Week- Blackfish

I have a massive amount of respect for documentary makers. They take what they believe and they go out to prove it to a public who may not always be so easily swayed. But by using effective editing and interviewing the right people, a documentary director can make you believe anything he/she wants you to.

Blackfish is a documentary that explores the story of Killer Whale Tilikum, who resides in the Florida SeaWorld as a show Orca. By using Tilikum's attack on trainer Dawn Brancheau and the court case following the incident as a base, Blackfish shows the history of Killer Whales in captivity. The filmmakers interview several prominent trainers who have departed from SeaWorld to speak out about the mistreatment of these huge animals in captivity.

I was completely amazed by this film. It is one thing to watch films like Free Willy or Dolphin Tale which show these mammals in their best form, but when you watch the footage of several of these noted attacks you become completely aware of how dangerous and powerful these creatures are. The most important thing to take away from this film, I believe, is not that these creatures are dangerous, but that even though they are trained and fed by the same people everyday, they lash out in some cases without provocation. It is expressed by several of the interviewees that this does not occur outside of captivity.

Startling facts are given to the view which contradict what most of us have grown up believing. We have been told since the very beginning that places like SeaWorld are safe havens for these creatures. They tell us that they live longer in captivity then in the wild and that they are incredibly well cared for. This however is not often the case. Trainers and SeaWorld employees are given information such as the standard lifespan of an Orca is roughly 30 years where as scientific research shows that in the wild, female Orcas live closer to 100 years in the open water. If you have ever been to one of these SeaWorld shows, the interviews and evidence given in this film can be rather eye opening.

From a technical aspect, this film had pretty good pacing, at least to me. The interviews were well spread out and the incidents surrounding the court case were well explained in several different viewpoints. What I found the most interesting was the actual footage supplied from the parks and news stations as the film progressed. There were several attack videos shows, none of which showed fatal attacks or any blood really involved from the trainer's side. Also included were several shots of these animals in their natural habitats which showed the difference in the animals' demeanor and appearance. For example-

 

Tilikum

 

 

I think this film is definitely something that anyone who has visited SeaWorld or has any interest in animals at should see. It is very well put together, and on a side not, the soundtrack is very well suited to the material. Do remember, though, that this is only one side of the story.