Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
What a pleasant surprise. My favorite militant film freak just popped back up after an extended absence from AICN, and it's always good to see him. Segue Zagnut dropped by the Labs earlier today to grouse about Dubya and tell me about his plans for the next few weeks. It sounds like we've got all sorts of coolness to look forward to. Let's welcome him back and take a peek at Scott Hicks' new film from one of Stephen King's recent books...
Hey Morty,
This is Segue Zagnut and it has been a long time. Working too hard, doing too little. Ever since the Supremes anointed the Wolf in Pinocchio's clothing my glaucoma has been acting up. It seems that it proves again that sometimes… two Rights make a wrong. Funny that they call themselves right really, when you consider that it is our rights they consistently take away. Oh god, my eyes, my eyes. Okay much better.
Before I review "Hearts of Atlantis", I must throw my hat onto the "Moulin Rouge" bandwagon. Will it be for everyone… no, but fuck'em. Moulin Rouge isn't your mother's musical. Unique, clever, wild, fun, smart, original, brilliant. Moulin Rouge slows down near the end with maybe one too many scenes of distraught lovers being… well… distraught. That is my only criticism. The re-use of popular songs out of context and massed together is inspired. Ewan can sing and his version of Elton John's Your Song swept me up enough I might be gay. The Elephant Love Medley, Like A Virgin, and a horde of completely original songs, had me singing all the way to Napster. My favorite scene is near the beginning as Ewan, Nicole, and company adlib the description of "Spectacular Spectacular", their next play for the Duke. With corporate cookie cutter movies like Pearl Harbor in every theater, this movie gives us a chance to support something original.
Hearts of Atlantis stars Anthony Hopkins in a screenplay adapted by William Goldman from a Stephan King novel by the same name. Scott Hicks (Shine)directs. The story centers on an 11 year old boy and his relationship with a mysterious old man one summer many years ago. As is true with most of King's work it is set in a small town in Maine only this is not a horror film. It is more like Stand By Me with a touch of the charm and sweetness of My Girl. Yet the main characters growth and understanding of life perhaps makes it closest to a little seen Soderbergh film from the early 90's named King of the Hill.
Anton Yelchin plays the boy, Bobby Garfield. His performance is strong and on target, which is important since he is in every scene. Bobby lives alone with his mom in an old two-story apartment building. Bobby's mom is never home, working to pay the bills left by his missing father. The story begins really when Hopkins moves in the upstairs apartment and hires Bobby to read the daily newspaper to him. Hopkins claims to not have good enough eyesight, but we soon find out that Bobby is more useful for his knowledge of the neighborhood and its happenings then his reading. Hopkins tells Bobby to look out for "low men in black hats" who will come looking for something Hopkins has. But this storyline is secondary and the Hopkins part does not over take the movie, instead it helps lead it toward Bobby's self discovery and understanding of relationships and his heart.
Books are dense with description and blessed with time that movies don't have. Let's face it, King wrote over 1000 pages and Goldman had to fit it in two hours. I haven't read the book, but I can image what a great job Goldman did adapting. The film is dense with many overlapping story lines in Bobby's life but it doesn't lose itself or us. It firmly flows through his first real kiss (the one in which all other kisses will be judged), his mother's abandonment, his relationship with Hopkins, his fights with bullies, his steps toward adulthood, all on a character arch that reaches us personally. Much like Stand By Me was driven by understanding friendships, Hearts of Atlantis is driven by understanding love. I don't mean this movie is a sappy love story. I mean as Bobby comes to understand his mother, father, Hopkins, first love, etc… he grows up. Another explanation of how innocence isn't lost, it just matures like everything else.
Scott Hicks does a great job of underplaying everything, especially Hopkins' secret, which goes a long way toward keeping the film focused on Bobby's character. Mika Boorim, who plays Carole, the first love, is perfect. She shines. Her charm is grounded and real. The believable best friend turned semi-girl friend is key to the heart of this film and the childhood chemistry sells it.
Did it have problems? Not really. It was a little slow, but they will tighten it up. The music sucked but I am confident it was temporary. I didn't care for the wrap around opening and ending that told the story as a flashback or the very occasional narration. Both seemed unnecessary and a little contrived.
It will be interesting to see how they market this. I will be very disappointed if they give away what makes Hopkins mysterious and I think it will be hard to not make it look like something we have seen before… frankly, because we have. But I had seen Die Hard before I saw Speed and it was still great. I'd seen Antz and Bug's Life was still great. I had seen Stand by Me and Hearts of Atlantis was still great. Thank you Castle Rock and company for another great King novel turned movie.
I've said too much.
