More 2007 Backtracking [Yuma, Away From Her, 300]

3:10 to Yuma (dir. James Mangold)
2007, 117 minutes
w/ Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Peter Fonda
[Although I'm guilty of not having seen the original yet, James Mangold's remake of 3:10 to Yuma successfully balances character study and a looming thriller-to-come (with an apt final shootout that satisfied). While Mangold's Walk the Line felt like a cut-and-paste formula of the musical biopic, he appears more artistically confident in this follow-up and has produced the better of the two major westerns this decade (The Proposition being the other) and elevates excitement for the coup of others recently and soon to be released this year (Western revival > Musical revival). The character "types" are simple enough; Good laborer Christian Bale and ruthless (nonetheless charismatic) killer Russell Crowe, but its in the conversations between the two and peaks into their lives that explain over time each man's motive for his refusal to give up (Bale escorting Crowe to be hanged, Crowe escaping). Bale and Crowe both give thanklessly sound performances that won't receive reward recognition but at least add more material to their resumes, Bale's especially as he remains Hollywood's best young actor without an Oscar nom. Phedon Papamichael's photography is beautiful and shines in the final twenty minutes.]

***1/2



Away From Her (dir. Sarah Polley)
2007, 110 minutes
w/ Gordon Pinsent, Julie Christie, Olympia Dukakis
[28-year old Sarah Polley immediately establishes herself as one the most prolific new directors of her country (Canada) and gender with a picture that most 50-year old directors lack the maturity or grace to helm. Approaching subject matter that has become very much relevant in society but generally ignored in films--who wants to watch old people...?--Polley adapts the Alzheimer-based Alice Munro short story humbly and effortlessly with a pair of the year's best perfs from the still beautiful Julie Christie and overlooked Gordon Pinsent. When the latter is stubbornly forced to insert his accepting wife (Christie) into an Alzheimer's special retirement home, he has a difficult time accepting not living with her anymore. After their initial, mandatory month of separation, Pinsent visits his wife only to find she has fallen in love with a mute patient (Michael Murphy) and occasionally doesn't even remember Pinsent. Polley plays with time in a manner reminiscent of Atom Egoyan's Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter (she had parts in both). She also deserves credit for fearlessly including short, inexplicit sex scenes among the aging couples, something she could have stayed away from or approached over-ironically. While I've not seen much competition, Jule Christie has the best thus far and will probably end up in my top five leading female perfs of the year, heart breaking and irritating. Pinsent carries most of the film's emotional baggage on his shoulders and does so naturally and believably, acting with his eyes as well as anyone. Olympia Dukakis and Murphy impress in their supporting roles as well, Polley truly gets the best out of everyone in and out of the pic.]

****

300 [dir. Zack Snyder]
2007, 117 minutes
w/ Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham
[300 is a silly, pretentious "historical epic" that takes itself way too seriously to the point where it can't even be thoroughly enjoyed with the brain turned off. Special effects excite about as long as a new video game's opening titles do, and I wanted to press START and skip them by the third fight scene. Butler's excessive screams are unintentionally campy and the subplot involving Lena Headey's rape so boringly stupid that it seems like they filmed six hours worth of battle scenes and threw the script/"plot" together in a few hours, figuring auds were coming to see Butler tear people's heads off not history. They were right, but that's where the movie's flaws appear in bunches and 45 minutes through I was the most bored I'd ever been in a film of this type. Nothing I loved about Dawn of the Dead ('04) was present here which is truly disappointing as its one of the most fun pics of the last few years. And uh wtf@Xerxes, but I'm already too bored with this review to get into that.]

*