Filmsy - Movie Reviews Blog

I’m Not There… Bob Dylan in Pieces

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bob dylan

I’ve been meaning to watch I’m Not There since its 2007 release.  I finally got around to it.  While it’s no longer on the New Release list, I thought it was interesting enough to warrant an examination and a review.

The Accident/Picking a Story

Bob Dylan was white hot and everywhere.  Then he had a serious motorcycle accident that broke his neck in several places, cut up his face and forced him into a long period of recovery that slowly gave way to a phase of relative seclusion.

Maybe.

We really don’t know what happened on that Triumph.  The big accident story is one version of the truth.  Others say that an uncoordinated Dylan barely made it out of his manager’s driveway before accidentally falling off the bike and that he sustained only minor injuries.  There’s a version of the story with an oil slick.  One claims that a sun-blinded Dylan panicked at high speed.

He wasn’t hurt.  He was hurt.  He was severely injured.  He was on life support.  There’s probably some conspiracy nut who thinks the real Bob Dylan died and that a doppelganger replaced him (just like Paul McCartney).

Who knows?  It happened or it didn’t.  It was minor or nearly fatal.  Maybe we should just ask Bob.

Well, people have asked Bob.  And he’s given at least three different explanations of the accident himself.  When it comes to accuracy in reporting on the events of his life, Bob Dylan isn’t particularly reliable. [Read more…]

The Bridges of Wonder Boys

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Last week I was re-reading the novel Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon and I was once again struck by what a good job was done adapting the story from book to film. In this author’s humble opinion, the book is brilliant. Chabon’s descriptions not only of his characters but of the city of Pittsburgh and outlying areas is truly what makes the story come to life. The reader really gets a sense of location and how that location weaves in and out of the lives of Grady, Sarah, James, Terry, and pretty much everyone else in the novel.

Although the film can’t be categorized as your classic “road movie” it definitely has that feel as the characters spend a good amount of time traveling, whether it’s to a lecture on campus, a party at the chancellor’s house, Grady’s in-laws, or to rescue James Leer (from his parents/grandparents and himself). Wonder Boys takes us on a journey, exploring with richness and depth the relationships between men, women, generations, and even pets. [Read more…]

Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’ – 3 Movie Ships That Sink

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Far too many of us are stuck this summer, because we just can’t seem to afford a real vacation. So instead of really going somewhere and actually doing something, the term ‘staycation’ was developed to, I suppose, make us feel better as we wilt at home and suffer through the summer doldrums. So, what could be more refreshing than watching a cruise ship movie? You know the genre, all glitz and glitter, as glam passengers parade around the sun-kissed deck of some luxurious ocean liner. Tranquil seas, elegant surroundings, beautiful people, big drinks, and a good time was had by all. Escapism at its finest, I suppose.

Yet there are some cruisy type movies that have, to borrow a term, an assault and battery twist. These are the movies where, despite the happily ever after beginning, the cruise inevitably ends tragically. Given box office and fan ratings, these type of movies provide a guilty pleasure for many of us. So, and to help you feel better about being stuck in staycationville, here’s a few comments about vacationers in three such movies who really owed it to themselves to just stay home! So don’t even think of envying them.

[Read more…]

John Sayles working on movie in the Philippines

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John Sayles has begun shooting his latest movie without a lot of fanfare. The US media has been unusually quiet about this new Sayles project. Even though Sayles is known for being an independent filmmaker, the lack of media coverage far from the ordinary.

The cast and crew for the new movie, Baryo, has already arrived in the Philippines and word has it that filming will officially begin this week. Baryo will be a fictionalized account of the Philippine – American War. There is speculation though if this is going to be told from the point of view of the Americans or the Filipinos.

There are some who think that Baryo may be an offshoot of Sayles’ 1000 page historical fiction novel entitled Some Time in The Sun. Sayles had problems finding a publisher for the book.

If you’re interested in finding out the progress of the new Sayles film, a production blog is now online at http://johnsaylesbaryo.blogspot.com/.

Lee Jun-Ik prepares Zatoichi-inspired film

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MoonCloudDirector Lee Jun-Ik’s historical film The King and The Clown was a big commercial hit in Korea when it was released in 2005. Critics also raved over the film. It would go on to break box office records in South Korea and also be included in many critics’ lists for that year. Even though his subsequent work has failed to match his creative and financial success with The King and The Clown, his involvement in that movie has ensured that he remains one of Korea’s most highly watched directors.

Almost five years after The King… Lee Jun-Ik is returning to period movies, this time in a more action oriented fashion. Lee’s new movie, entitled Gureumeul Beoseonan Dalcheoreom or roughly “Like The Moon That Escaped the Cloud,” features Cha Seung Won as a revolutionary and Hwang Jun-Min, who will play a “legendary blind swordsman.”

Say what?

Doesn’t “legendary blind swordsman” describe a very famous character in Japanese legend and film? Based on a promo shot of the blind swordsman, it does look like Lee has taken inspiration from the legendary Zatoichi. I won’t be surprised if Lee’s movie will also borrow some elements and plot points from the Zatoichi story.

I still look forward to the movie though.