A Truly Great Dictator

           

          Charlie Chaplin is considered to be one of the most influential personalities to have ever been a part of the film industry. The usual fashion of this blog is to critique contemporary movies that are currently in theaters but sometimes it is suiting to take a look back at talent that has molded some of the films we see today. Charlie Chaplin is a talent to thank in a moment like this. A lot of individuals, especially those born within the last 30 years, are becoming unaware of the work Charles Chaplin embodied during his career that spanned over five decades and made arguably the biggest impact over any one person in movies. 

            When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my family had a collection of about 10 VHS tapes of Chaplin's greatest short films. Being a kindergartner at the time, I found him kind of scary looking but liked the slapstick, self-sacrificing humor he stole every show with. After a little while I did lose interest and it wasn't until I was a freshman in college that I even gave him another shot. Now that I am almost 22 years old I have a deeper appreciation for this man that was so far ahead of his time and knew what entertainment truly was. Although I still consider myself an amateur when it comes to knowing his work besides his big hits on the silver screen, it does not take much at all to be captured by his presence onscreen and to keep wanting more. Right now it is nearly 3am and I've just finished watching his most acclaimed film, The Great Dictator (1940) that is a satire of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party that is included with probably the most powerful monologues ever given in a movie and is still recited by many today. Throughout the film, I was laughing out loud at his character's clumsiness antics and one-liners that could give a pointer to today's most experienced comedy writers. The dictator is named Adenoid Hynkel of Tomania and there is a lowly Jewish barber that looks like his identical twin (also played by Chaplin) that ends up in the mix with the Tomanian army. --One thing to pay close attention to if you would like to check out this movie is a scene where Hynkel is aware of his worldly impact and begins playing with a globe in a childlike manner--. Sure, the movie poster pictured here makes him look scary and uninviting and who really wants to watch a movie about a guy that looks like Hitler? Even if it is the greatest comedic genius of all time...

          His style of acting and directing resembles that of Mel Brooks or even Steve Martin and it is easy to see how most funnymen got their inspiration; from that British guy with the funny mustache. Chaplin's smooth, lower voice and perfect delivery of every joke or tripping over his own feet are exactly what every comedian or actor nowadays draws from to gain laughs. Charlie had it figured out. A side note about him is that he actually entered a "Charlie Chaplin Look-A-Like Contest" and placed third. This does point out the lack of perception by the judges but also that he was a man who can have fun in any way possible which is what this industry is all about, right? I don't want to seem like I'm rambling on but I feel it pertinent to make the point known, coming from a kid like me, that Charlie Chaplin is the innovator behind most of the way show biz is in the 21st century. He took creativity to a whole new level and created a sense of humor that is the epitome of "timeless". 

A Remedy for The Hangover

The Hangover Part 3:
            "This is the end, beautiful friend, the end." -The Doors. The Hangover Saga has finally reached the finish line, and with a thunderous applause. I'll be honest, it was a bittersweet moment for me when word of Hangover 3 started to circulate from here to Las Vegas. Bitter in the sense that I was forced to roll my eyes that director Todd Phillips planned to stretch out the ridiculous adventures of the Wolf Pack even further from the complete dud that was The Hangover Part 2. But it was also Sweet news that the trilogy could come to a somewhat appropriate end and be redeemed after all. Walking out of the theater I can say with a smile on my face that this trip to the movies was indeed much more sweet than bitter.
            The Wolf Pack is a quartet that will go down in cinema history and the term "wolf pack" itself has become synonymous with every 17-25 year old in the past 4 years. These guys really need no introduction but for continuity purposes: we have Phil (hunk Bradley Cooper) as the brawn, Dr. Stu (dentist Ed Helms) as the brains, Doug (clueless Justin Bartha) who's just along for the ride, and last but not least, Alan (bearded Zach Galifianakis) as the 42 year old man in a perpetual coming-of-age tale.
            If you've seen the commercials you know the premise of the movie: Alan sings "Ave Maria" at his father's funeral, there's a [unneeded, if you ask me] giraffe on the highway, and John Goodman (The Big Lebowski) fits in somewhere in there as well. That's it. If there was more that you think you've figured out, fahhgetaboutit! Take every scenario that panned out in the previous two films that [you think] can foreshadow the plot of this film and throw it out the window. After you do that, remember that the sky's the limit with The Wolf Pack and that is one thing that stays constant in this final installment. The details that were paid attention to by the audience throughout the first two movies are what make this third one so enjoyable and the laughs just keep on coming with room for seconds.
            The supporting cast that is added to Part 3 is more like a multiplication of intensity and humor. John Goodman is a crime boss (in case you didn't know what he did in his free time) and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) gives the bearded member of The Wolf Pack a run for his money with her sharp tongue. Then there's Ken Jeong, this may not be his first hangover but Mr. Chow comes out of his little Asian shell to party and takes charge like we've never seen before. Heather Graham makes a come back as well and does not disappoint (not that she ever does).
            The Hangover Part 3 is filled to the brim with plot twists, violence, one-liners, awkward laughs, side-splitting laughs, and surprisingly touching moments that all mix into one of the more impressive trilogy-enders given the material at hand. But what happens in Vegas...well, you know the rest. Grade: 7.6/10

           

Glitz, Glamor, Gatsby...old sport.

The Great Gatsby: The great American novel is immortalized on the silver screen once again. This time from the hands of Baz Luhrmann (Romeo+Juliet). Everyone knows the book from high school but, if you don't, I'm sure everyone else has told you all about it since the first trailer for this highly anticipated film hit every commercial break. The American Dream is something that is within reach for every citizen no matter what walk of life he or she may come from and the novel, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, for which this movie finds its namesake is said to be the greatest illustration of this phenomenon. There is a reason this piece of literature is called "the great American novel" but Luhrmann's latest movie is not the place to look when wondering why.
                     As I mentioned earlier, if you watch TV then you know the players that are dealt with in The Great Gatsby. Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man) and his awkward, innocent self plays the protagonist, Nick Carraway. Living right next door to the star himself, Nick is a scholar-turned- bondsman that keeps to himself and, if he gets bored, can always look across the bay at his cousin, Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) and her husband, Nick's former school mate, Tom (Joel Edgerton). Everyone that lives in the West Egg/East Egg area (or any part of New York for that matter) has heard of a man they call "Gatsby" and his lavish parties filled with every person on the red carpet as well as the phonebook. His mansion is more like a castle that could fit the White House inside and would give William Randolph Hearst a run for his money. Well since I've mentioned the others, without further ado ladies and gentlemen, the man, the myth, the legend--Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. We see a complicated individual with a bottomless wallet and hides some kind of past that is up for controversy. A man who is as mysterious as his wealth but enjoys to sit back and spend money. This is F. Scott Fitzgerald's most famous character that will call you "old sport", if your worth talking to, and will grant any favor for any friend. DiCaprio fully embodies the fame that precedes Jay Gatsby's character but, sadly, this is all over shadowed by Hollywood trying too hard to impress the audience.
                      The cinematography and bold, beautiful colors may look dazzling to the naked eye (seeing this in 3D would be cool, maybe) but it seems Baz Luhrmann has put forth all his energy in making the American Dream truly appear as a dream, and for that he gets a "D" for effort. Sure, it was fun for the flappers and teenagers to drink and rebel during the 1920s, but adding a soundtrack with hip-hop hits afrom Jay-Z and Kanye West is not the way to convey this notion. *Not a spoiler alert* Mr. Fitzgerald probably rolled over in his grave during one party scene in particular where Nick Caraway decides to let loose and, apparently, drops the bass.
                       Carey Mulligan (Drive) and Leonardo DiCaprio steal [what's left of] the show and suck the viewers in during the more serious parts of the film that are easier to take seriously. Joel Edgerton (Zero Dark Thirty) gives a commendable effort given the circumstances of sharing the screen with said talents and Tobey Maguire is cast well as Nick but does not seem to change much in character from Peter Parker in Spider-Man. The rest of the emotional supporting cast includes Jason Clarke (Lawless) and Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers) who have their own problems as the Wilson couple. There is a reason this is such a great story about what has become of the American Dream, and this film is not the answer to this classic. Grade: 6.5/10