a tom shadyac joint

So, on Friday night I went to see Evan Almighty, a movie which I had been intrigued by, but didn't quite have high hopes for. Certainly, I can say that it is much better than Bruce Almighty right off the bat. Steve Carrell isn't given space to flex every one of his comedic chops, but he certainly suits the role of the congressman turned prophet dubbed by media outlets as "New York's Noah" after inadvertently emulating the biblical figure, because he is likable yet over-the-top.

Since I have gained further distance from the movie, it has diminished in my estimation, which I was hoping wouldn't happen. But I guess the problem is that I couldn't understand why anything happened in the movie except to place environmentalism high on the list of things people see in theaters this summer. There can only be so many penguins at a time.

I remembered seeing the "AMC First Look" at Evan Almighty a few months ago, which allowed me to expect that the main theme of the movie was conservation and "going green," and I guess if you're going to make a high-grossing movie about the environment, you should do what you can to have a green production, which is what I gather was the case for this movie.

Past the transparent (and valid) messages of the film -- protect nature, love your family, no man is an island -- everything in the movie just kind of happened just because. When Wanda Sykes wasn't being "that" woman in the theater commenting on everything that was happening, Evan's family was being almost unbearably annoying, and the diegesis was being unbelievable. People would have noticed the miraculous nature of the events surrounding Evan's transformation, and would have made a much bigger deal of them one way or the other. And when demolition of Evan's ark full of animals was threatened, where was PeTA making a fuss? Actors to highlight were certainly John Michael Higgins and Jonah Hill, two great character actors whom I always enjoy. Higgins made me want to break out the not-so-dusty Arrested Development DVDs, and I am really looking forward to seeing Hill in Superbad (see trailer here).

One other point which I can't ignore...Morgan Freeman continues to baffle me. Sometimes he looks really helpful and friendly, and other times his snaggletooth is lit at just the wrong angle and he looks terrifying. I guess it's not a stretch to cast a friendly/scary looking person as God, but he is just the quintessential example of the "mystical black man" nowadays. From actually playing God, to playing an angelic/prophetic figure, to voicing God as an eponymous narrator, Freeman seems to have found his niche. I guess the movie doesn't hit audiences over the head with bible as much as it does its main characters, but it's certainly religiously confusing. I took a "Biblical Traces in Hollywood Film" class a couple of semesters ago, which was fantastic, and we examined how films will try to get a biblical message across sometimes even when there is not explicit content. I felt that Evan Almighty was sweet and gave mostly positive messages, though it never quite answered the questions about why God went to such trouble for so little payoff.

(SPOILER ALERT!)

Okay, maybe that's not entirely fair. The message there was certainly "do one small act of kindness and you can change the world," but come on. I was expecting full-on biblical flood action. I really wanted to be able to use the word "antediluvian" in this post. Instead, a freaking dam burst. Sure, it probably killed some people, but I mean...the whole flood thing was really just a big tease. Anyway, the most relieving aspect of the movie after the realization that God wasn't trying to punish a world full of sinners, was that Evan's annoying tic was a little happy dance, as compared to Bruce's "baaaaeeeeeutiful" shtick which made me want to claw my own eyes out.

Concusion: wait until it's on HBO a million times in a row.

trailer mondays?

Let's see if they stick! I know I should have gone with my lit major roots and used alliteration, but I was too bored to wait until Trailer Tuesdays... Also, I want to give props to Stagafling and thank him for the shout-out. I knew something good would come of watching too much TV!

Waitress (April 27)
I have been waiting for this movie for quite some time now, and I think it's going to be delicious (I can't stop with the crappy puns...sorry). It's a real shame how the tragedy of filmmaker Adrienne Shelly may skew the reception of the film, but it seems to be a perfectly stylized vehicle from which I expect the best of Keri Russell and Cheryl Hines. Nathan Fillion, of course, is never a bad thing!


Duck (May 11)
I couldn't tell you what this is about or if it looks like it'll be any good. But the website certainly has enough leafy crescents to imply that there's great critical value to this film that nobody else has ever heard of. One thing's for sure, Philip Baker Hall has given such amazing performances in Paul Thomas Anderson's movies that I must expect greatness from him in a starring role.


Fay Grim (May 18)
Parker Posey and Jeff Goldblum together seems like it would promise some off-beat chemistry, but I cannot say I have high hopes for this picture. First of all, the entire movie seems to be filmed in dutch angles, where the camera has been tilted to lend a sense of unease or quirkiness to everything, which gives me pause in a movie about terrorism? kidnapping or murder? government plots? Can't quite tell. The most unfortunate thing about the trailer is the final title card, which reads, "Watch the way you want. Opens May 18th in theatres and on HDNet Movies. Available May 22nd on DVD." Yeah, the studio really thinks this one is going to make money...see for yourself:


Evan Almighty (June 22)
Bruce Almighty was surprisingly better than I could have expected, but I found the main characters too unlikable and unrelatable for the humor to really come across and hit the mark every time. I have a lot of faith (hee) in Steve Carell's ability to pull this antediluvian character off, and I must say that the story looks quite a bit sweeter and easier to stomach than having to watch Jim Carrey conjure a monkey out of a cholo's ass. Though I must wonder how the film is going to get around the implications for the audience of creating a diegesis where the moviegoers are part of a world of abhorrent sinners that need to be wiped out by a new deluge. Also, notice The Office's Ed Helms in a small role!


Stardust (August 10)
Oooh, this looks like so much fun! Couldn't really tell you what's going on, but I know I want to see this one on the big screen. Hopefully Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert DeNiro, Ricky Gervais, and Sienna Miller won't fall into the same stylistic ruts they've individually occupied for the past few years. And man, do I loves me some Claire Danes!


Superbad (August 17)
Yes! This looks like much of the funny could not be included in the trailer. Reminiscent of Knocked Up, perhaps? Why yes! Produced by Judd Apatow and starring Seth Rogen, it looks like a broader take on "Freaks and Geeks," which can only be a good thing (as long as it isn't too broad, I suppose). And let us not forget - Michael Cera is a bonafide God-among-men. Stay tuned after the trailer below for some bonus Michael Cera action...



Martian Child (October 26)
I wasn't sure how I felt about this at first (K-Pax meets Millions? Starring The John Cusack?), but now I am starting to think that this may be just the kind of movie I'd like to see him in at his age. Identity was good, but having seen Must Love Dogs and (oh hell no) America's Sweethearts, I feel like studios haven't known what to do with such a good actor when he's too old to play Lloyd Dobler anymore. Certainly, he's mastered some more "adult" roles, but I think he will settle into the fatherhood role with the grace of a Shopgirl Steve Martin instead of a Cheaper by the Dozen one. Also, John Cusack --> High Fidelity --> Nick Horby --> About a Boy --> the right kind of role for John Cusack right now.