Hey folks, Harry here with a rather shocked Penthouse-style "I never thought I'd ever have anything to write in about..." review of the new Cameron Crowe movie... that is still like a bazillion years from coming out. Depending who you talk to this film is titled STILLWATER or CAMERON CROWE'S UNTITLED. Many, including Moriarty, the despicable John Robie and the absurd Seque Zagnut all feel that it should remain UNTITLED. We'll see. Those that I've talked to having seen it in the Los Angeles metropolitan area... liked it quite a bit, but ya know... How will it play in Albuquerque, New Mexico? Well, that's what Dreamworks wanted to know, so now we can tell em. There are minor spoilers, but suffice to say... the author calls the film "great". We've got a long ways to go till we can say that too.
On my way to a second viewing of Gladiator at the local 24-plex here in Albuquerque, NM, on Saturday (since the sneak preview of Shanghai Noon was sold out by the time I got there), I was accosted by a stranger who stated that his purpose was to invite me to a move screening on Monday. Once I was assured there were no costs involved, I was eager to accept. Once I found out it was Stillwater, my first thought was, "I get to write in to AICN about something!"
Gathering up the usual movie-going gang proved more difficult than usual, as most of them were not as excited about the film, and as it was Monday night, and so what group we could gather assembled and headed off to the theatre. After a typical process of filling out little cards that asked for our names, addresses, and places of businesses, we were shown in to wait for an hour before the movie started.
The movie was long, about two hours and ten minutes by my probably inaccurate estimate. There were a lot of scenes that could be taken out - the scene at the beginning in the high school boys' locker room comes to mind - I thought that they were all consistent in adding flavor and depth to the characters. The acting was excellent; everyone knew his or her parts. Cameron Crowe's direction worked with the characters well enough that I didn't find myself thinking about it - there was no exceptional cinematography, but it let the focus stay on the characters. This is a movie about people, and it is told that way.
The film is at heart a somewhat unique coming-of-age story. That may sound like an oxymoron, but unlike most coming-of-age stories, there was no easy to spot "message". No Wonder Yearsish voice-over saying, "and this is what I learned," or a Mufasaesque lecture to tell William (Patrick Fugit) what the right thing to do is. Instead it takes a realistic approach; William has to figure most things out for himself as he goes, having only a little sensible advice from a engagingly wonderful performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
What really makes this film great is that all of the supporting characters have their own lives, their own quirks and personalities. There were no purely static or cardboard characters - everyone had the sense of having their own story. Frances McDormand as the mom was particularly good, delivering both the sorrow of a mother whose children are ready to leave the nest in a chaotic world of "promiscuous sex and drugs" as well as some humorous, old-fashioned "motherly lecture" lines.
. . .which is one of the best things about this film: its humor. Without it, this could have been a horribly depressing, "life is pointless" type movie. In the first few minutes it almost seemed like it could be setting up a comedy - but once we are comfortable with the characters, know them well enough to care about them, it shifts into dramatic gear, but keeps a laugh or two here and there to bring out when the movie just might be getting a little too heavy.
So overall, a thumbs-up from me, although this isn't really my kind of movie - movies too close to real life don't usually help me escape well enough.. Even so, I enjoyed Stillwater, and will have to see it in October when they'll have probably cut out half of it. Hopefully they'll put all of the scenes they take out of the final print onto the DVD though, as I thought it was all good material. Worth the $8, possibly a good date movie. 'Til next time a cool preview happens to land 'round these parts (likely to be awhile, since if there's a bright center to the world, this is the city its farthest from). . .
Call me Wunderhund
Hey folks, here's another... more critical.... look at Cameron Crowe's UNTITLED. I sure as hell want to see this film!
A test screening of Cameron Crowe's latest film "Untitled" was held tonight (5-22-00), in New Mexico. Here's my brief non-spoiler thoughts.
Plot: The story involves a 15 year old aspiring writer/journalist (William) in the early 70's who grabs the attention of Rolling Stone Magazine (who hires him without seeing that he's only 15) and is put on assignment to follow an up and coming fictional band called "Stillwater". The main plot involves William's coming of age in the face of older rock stars who act younger and more immature than he does.
The film stars Patrick Fugit as the writer, Billy Crudup as the lead guitarist of Stillwater, Jason Lee as the lead singer, and includes many great actors in supporting roles including Frances Mc Dormand and Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kate Hudson.
Before I get into my assesment of the film, we were told it was still in rough form, no color correction... music and sound only partially complete.. blah blah blah....
Overall, this film was very solid. I think it's main problem is in the area of focus. On the one hand, you have the story of the young aspiring journalist, and I liked his story. On the other hand you have the band itself "Stillwater".. The film spends an awful lot of time on these guys and it felt like the Crowe hadn't quite decided which story he liked better so he covered both equally. The result is a good but somewhat muddled film which is too long. Also, a subplot involving a groupie named "penny lane" (Kate Hudson) takes up a little too much screentime and never really pays off that well.
The other thing I noticed was that for a film about Rock and Roll... it seemed to be very "clean" the film I saw tonight had enough in it to make it "R" rated and yet they never showed much drug use, or any sex, or any of the other indulgences that rock musicians are famous for. This rang a little untrue to me.
On the positive side, there are some very funny moments in the film, (most of them thanks to Frances Mc Dormand) and the story of the young writer coming of age (while somewhate derivative) still had enough emotional resonance to keep me interested.
I think when they go back to the editing room, they need to tighten it up and decide what this movie is about... but that there is indeed enough there to make a really good film. I would reccommend it...
The Garnisher
