Transamerica

Film: Transamerica
Director: Duncan Tucker
Year: 2005
Quick Glance:
Transgender woman finds that she is the father of a 17 year old son
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I was truly surprised when I found out this film was playing in my area. And it was really a fluke that I was able to see it at all. I had imagined this film as being some type of depressing, emotionally trying episode where we follow the main character, Bree, a transgender woman through the difficulties she faces when lo and behold she discovers a son from the one and only tryst years before. I was presently surprised that this film was not dull, not depressing, and not emotionally trying. In fact, the film was a cheery up beat, light hearted almost comedy in which you really felt for the main character not as a transgender person, but as a person.

This story could have been about any person finding out about a child they fathered without realizing it and about building those ties that were missed along the way. The main character is charming and cute. This film is about transformations, but not really about the obvious. Instead, in the film, Bree transforms from an isolated person to a parent and also reconnects with her family.

Over all, this film took common themes and gave them a twist. It ventured to places that Hollywood has in the past, not taken seriously, but rather used as comedy. This film really does deserve to be in the ranks of the Oscar contenders this year. I think it is fresh, fun and delightful to watch.

American Graffiti

Film: American Graffiti
Director: George Lucas
Year: 1973
Quick Glance:
Modesto was a hoppin’ place in the early 60’s.
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My favorite George Lucas film doesn’t involve tombs or space flight, but instead takes place in my own home town. Yes, really it is supposed to take place in Modesto – the town where both George and I grew up and attended Downey High School and Modesto Junior College. You probably would only know these cool little facts, if you were a well researched person, complete dork, or living in Modesto (I am two of the three - LOL). So besides the fact that this is an excellent film about transitioning into adulthood, the film does hold a special place in my heart because of its inspiration. When I see references to Downey (like the school colors or the D on the sweater Lori wears), I get all excited. People live in Turlock, go to JC, make references to streets and places that I have been to, very cool. Well, maybe not so cool considering this is the 2000’s and that was supposed to be the 60’s.

One of the things that strikes me about this film, that is so different from other Lucas films, is that this film is really focused on people. There are no if any special effects. All about people. This is a stories about a group of friends who are about to go their separate ways, about to become ‘adults.’ Many of the things could still apply today -- kids running around looking for booze, girls and sex. Many of the emotions apply to kids these days too – the wanting to grow up, but not wanting to, the fear of leaving home, but the wanting to leave. This time of live is nothing new for kids, and the film really hits it on the head.

Over all, the film is really just a fun film to watch. The filmmaking is well done. The characters are well developed and have more emotional depth than any other film Lucas will ever make in his lifetime combined. It truly is almost a beautiful ode to the transition of childhood.

X2

Film: X2
Director: Bryan Singer
Year: 2003
Quick Glance:
Mutants find themselves at the edge of a war.
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What is this X2 you say? Have you seen it? Well, X2 is just a fancy way to say X-men 2 the sequel of the first X-men movie. I actually love the X-men franchise. I think the characters are creative. I always think the movies are kind of a tease, because I see glimpses of people and their powers and I want to know more! I want to know their histories and their futures and all about their powers. Of all the super hero movies, I really love the X-men the best. So there, my bias is out on the table. Not only are the powers create, but the relationships are complicated, people change sides, and the lines between good and evil are never clearly delineated. To me that makes the stories more real, more complicated and just more interesting.

This film is a little more about Wolverine or Logan and some hints about his claws. We also have a new character named Nightcrawler, who was set up to kill the president. The guy who set him up has a grudge against all mutants and wants them all dead. He kidnaps some and tries to set forth on his evil plan.

The storytelling in these films is just amazing. I don’t know what they do, but they capture me and don’t let me go until they go. I do get kind of annoyed with their little hints there, little hints there, we’ll tell you in the sequel kind of things. But really over all, I just leave wishing I could see more, hear more, read more about the X-men. I find my self drawn into their world and wishing I could know all I can. To me, that is fantastic storytelling. And I find that even though this is a sequel, it doesn’t feel like it. It doesn’t say, “I’m continuing the story” Instead, it could be a stand alone film without the first one. So there you know it, I’m crazy about X-men.

Jaws

Film: Jaws
Director: Steven Spielburg
Year: 1975
Quick Glance:
A big shark finds humans a tasty summer treat.
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Dun-dun Dun-dun dun-dun-dun-dun! This was the movie that made me not want to swim in the ocean when I was a pre-teen. Yes, it sounds cliché but it frightened me. Well, I got to see it again with my more wise sensibilities (don’t laugh!) and it really was a fun movie to watch. In fact, I was pretty amazed at what a cutie Richard Dreyfuss was in his day. The basic premise of the movie is that this giant man eating (and boat eating) shark attacks this little island and must be stopped! Of course there are other things involved like a shark scientist (Dreyfuss) and a crazy fisherman and a skanky mayor of the town. But basically this film is pretty important historically because it changed the movie industry from art to blockbuster…shame shame shame.

And now we have a big mechanical shark that is attacking our boat! It is a fun movie, less horror now as an adult than slapstick. When Dreyfuss is looking at the remains of the girl in the box, it is almost like he is having an “intimate” moment he is making so many groans. The crazy fisherman cant just say something he has to SAY something. Of course, by the end of our boating adventure, the water fearing cop is sitting atop the weee tip of the top of the boat pole like a cartoon. There is a pretty funny Saturday Night Live Spoof on this called “Land Shark.”

Jaws is one of those films that is really just fun to watch. No wonder it was a blockbuster. A little thrill, a little terror, a little humor. It really is a classically great film, even if the shark looks about as fake as a blond with a bad boob job sporting a bikini. Over all Jaws is an evening well spent a good time to eat some popcorn and enjoy the Dun-dun.

Brokeback Mountain

Film: Brokeback Mountain
Director: Ang Lee
Year: 2005
Quick Glance:
Two men in love find life tormenting without one another.
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The basic fact that this film has two of most hansom young men Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie is enough to almost make me see it alone (yes, I can be shallow sometimes). But!!! The fact that this film also has beautiful scenery and a fine story isn’t something to shake your boot at either. I really enjoyed seeing the film, although it was kind of slow in parts, I think it brought up a lot of social issues.

Social issues in films and good films don’t always match up, but I think Ang Lee (who I respect for his diversity and artistry) has done well this time. The film, which focuses on two men who meet each other as young sheep herders and fall in love, goes on to chronicle how they deal with life married and spending time on “fishing” trips with each other. While the movie brings up the obvious questions of gay rights and the rights of two people being in love to be able to live with each other openly, I think it also brought up questions of bisexuality, of married gay/bisexual men, of abuse, of control and power and a whole host of other issues. It even touched on the basic question of what is love? How does love endure? Why does love endure?

The film was also very beautifully filmed in Canada (yes it was supposed to be Wyoming.) One might say that beautiful mountains are easily filmed beautifully, but I can attest that is not always true. In addition to mountains, the filmmaking and acting were well done. The story was slow, but so was the life of our characters. This was not a fast action thriller, this was a slow paced love story which moseyed on decades. If it had zipped by my eyes, it would have been an injustice to the nature of the film. Sometimes, the make-up of the two actors became a little tedious when they became older, but that was really my only complaint. Over all the film was a well done, although not perfect, piece of artwork.