REVIEW: Kubo and the Two Strings

Brought to us from Laika studios, Kubo and the Two Strings is a stop motion animated family feature.  Laika specializes in stop motion, and from the visuals in Kubo, you can see that they are very good at what they do.  It does not take long for the viewer to get completely immersed in the world that is created, and it only gets better as the movie progresses.  This is also one of those special movies where seeing it in 3D actually makes a difference to the story telling.  So many 3D films are just as good in normal formats, but Kubo uses the technique to make the world and the story all the more magical.

The tale is about a young, one-eyed boy named Kubo (Art Parkinson) who has an ability and power to create moving origami through the use of his guitar.  He is a story teller in the village square, hooking the residents to his every word, but never seems to know how a story should come to an end.  His life is turned upside down when he does not heed the words of his mother to get home before dark, and the truth of his past comes to track him down in the form of The Sisters (Rooney Mara).  They are his aunts, and they are after him at the command of Kubo's grandfather, the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) to take his remaining eye.

In one final act of protection, Kubo's mother uses the last of her magical abilities to send him far away.  She also transforms a monkey shaped magical charm into his protector, voiced by Charlize Theron.  Kubo must seek down a fabled set of armour to be able to protect himself from the Moon King and The Sisters.  Along the way, the come across a samurai beetle (Matthew McConaughey) who has had his memory wiped and is up for helping Kubo on his quest.

The story is a sweet one, as Kubo and his youth must face the grown up task that is set before him.  He has to rise above his age to be something that he is not, going from the teller of the stories to the main character.  His inability to know how a story must conclude is something that he must confront at the end of the film to find triumph and safety.

Much like Big Hero 6, this is an animated film that is not just good as a family film, but a good movie, period.  There is a lot of fun humour that comes from many different directions, such as gags, facials, and punch lines.  It also excels in its action sequences and brings a great deal of entertainment in choreographed battles.  The layout and story flow that happens through the action scenes surpasses the abilities of many main stream blockbusters.

The true heart of this film comes through in the voice acting.  It is genuine and sincere.  Art Parkinson embraces the character of Kubo and opens the door to invite the audience into his heart.  Theron and McConaughey have a chemistry between them that builds towards a relationship that appears true and time weathered.  Notably, Rooney Mara is chilling in her performance as The Sisters.

It is a beautiful movie.  The animation and the story itself create a world that the audience is a part of.  The magic seems real and has a flow to it.  The use of lighting is exceptional, as it assists in the telling of the story by bringing out the wonderful colours of the world as well as dimming things down to invite the darker aspects into the fold.

I do not simply recommend this film to families, but to everyone.  There is something neat about a story about story telling, and how real life needs story tellers to assist in the great feats of humanity.  It is a coming of age tale that has a note of resonance for all ages.  It is a very special kind of movie that doesn't come along that often.

Rating - 3.5 out of 4 stars

Bernie

This is a review that I had planned on having up on Friday, but other tasks and goals conspired against me and before I knew it the time was 2:30am and it seemed more advisable to get some sleep than to push out a sleep deprived review of a great film.  The movie is Bernie, a film directed by Richard Linklater, and it is a dark comedy that also strives to add some depth to it by making a social commentary around the perception of people and the acts that they do.

Let me take a moment away from talking about the movie to speak of my adoration for Linklater.  As far as great directors go, he is one that most people may never have heard of before, which is a great shame due to his ability to capture the essence of characters and great authentic and intimate scenes that ring true to the growth of the human experience.  He was able to take a ‘stoner movie’ in Dazed and Confused and spin a tale of phases of life, motivation, and the journey.  With perhaps twenty or more characters you meet in the film we are given a sense of understanding as to who they are, an accomplishment that is remarkable seeing as how many movies fail to do that with even their main character.  I could go on and on about him, but perhaps I shall turn my attention to the film at hand.

Bernie (which is based on a true story) follows a small town mortician named Bernie Tiede (Jack Black), a man who wins the hearts of the residents of Carthage, Texas once he arrives to work in the local funeral home.  He quickly shows his ability to not only excel at his job, but also his desire to strengthen the community through his continuous efforts in everything from assisting in the local church to helping the theatre group rise to new heights.  Bernie soon befriends Marjorie (Shirley MacLaine), a horrifically bitter and alienating women of financial excess after her husband dies.  The relationship soon faces tension as she begins to become dominating of Bernie’s life, suffocating him with her demands to the point of making the gentlest man on the earth break and take her life.

The film is done in a bit of a mockumentary style, with interviews of the locals of Carthage talking about both their town and Bernie.  This choice really plays well with the story as it is able to evoke the down to earth atmosphere, and sometimes miss-guided gossip, that circles around such communities.  It had a feel very similar to Christopher Guest’s Waiting for Guffman, a full on mockumentary around an individual who has appeared in a proud small town.  There is so much glee and laughter to be had in these snippets that are given to us, with the actors fitting into their roles appropriately, both in physical appearance and line delivery.

While the faces of the townsfolk bolster the story, the leads turn in performances that rise to the level of the script.  Jack Black’s portrayal of Bernie is one that is able to give a sense of genuine sincerity, compassion, naivety, as well as being very unique in a way that breeds humourous moments thanks to his appearance, and subtle, small voice.  Jack Black is usually known for being a silly man, and I won’t try to defend that perception as his choice of roles does allow him to be pegged in that category.  However, it is important to note that behind this singing comedian is a true actor who just does not seem to come out near enough.  It was in Shallow Hal (believe it or not) that in a moment I saw something in him that told me there was untapped talent that needed to be birthed.  Bring on more opportunities for Black, I say!

Sitting opposite, constantly chewing her food with an absent look that burrows into your soul and exudes her personal disappointment in you is Shirley MacLaine.  She really is a terrific old bitch in this film.  Her character is such that while everyone in the community absolutely despises her there are opportunities for us to see the true humanity that lies below the socially destructive exterior.  MacLaine makes the softer side of Marjorie appear to be a natural state that is hidden by her defense mechanism of putting up walls to keep the world out.

The third main player in this film is local District Attorney, Danny Buck (Matthew MCConaughey).  A man who loves the limelight and plays the media, Buck is an energetic man of the legal system who does have a hope of seeing justice properly served.  If there was ever a wrestler gimmick of a DA, Danny Buck would be the man to do it, because he cuts a promo well, something that he has used to keep his job secure.  Buck’s gun slinging verbiage comes up against the task of trying Bernie in court after the death of Marjorie, and finding the tension that exists in the people of Carthage who either refuse to believe that Bernie did the crime or think that Bernie is just too nice to convict.

And this is an underlying theme in the film, as perception of the killer leads to an improper perception of the crime.  Linklater creates a dance around this concept by allowing the voicing of the townspeople to be heard to the audience through the mockumentary interviews, to the point that the viewer may start looking at justice a little differently.  It is pushed back on by Buck’s comments and statements, which can begin to pull the audience over to his point of view.  In essence, the viewer becomes the jury, bouncing around from different points of view over a crime that has so much evidence that there really needs to be no trial at all.  Just as easily as public opinion could overlook a crime such as Bernie’s due to his personality, it is so often the reverse, where we instantly want to see the full strength of the law fall on someone who has committed such heinous crimes.  

When a film is able to cross the lines of being comedic with having a true message that is not forced or heavy handed, it can be a wonderful experience.  The majority of the laughter in the film takes place in the first half of the movie before it begins to explore the themes.  One movie which I reviewed, It’s a Disaster, was frontloaded in terms of the comedy as well, but as it moved forward in its change of pace it felt like it forgot the tone that had been established, and almost felt like the movie was broken into two.  Bernie is able to do such a thing, but it stays true to itself in the process and it stays as one coherent story.

What more can I say, other than the fact that Linklater continually proves to be a very dynamic director who captures people and communities with perfection.  It is almost as though he sees something and places an upside down bowl over it to contain it in its absolute reality.  What you get is a slice of entertainment that rings with authenticity, transporting the viewer to the subculture and lives of the tale.

Rating – 3.5 out of 4 stars

Dazed and Confused

Currently there is a plethora of strangers patrolling the halls, nooks, and closets of my apartment to see if this is where they want to live once we vacate.  I have hidden with my tea, but they seem to have no problem finding me, as my hiding place is actually kind of out in the open.  The morning was full of cleaning, tidying, and also looking at a potential apartment of our own.  Oh, the fun of it all.  Since my wife and I do not have a place lined up as of yet, the only definite in life is the fact that we will be out of our current apartment by the end of December.  We have so far viewed some disastrous accommodations.  Moments like this, it is fine to desire simpler times.

Perhaps that is what drew me to review Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, a film that looks at the life of high school students, focusing around the last day of school.  While a lot of movies that focus on the end of the school term follow students who are graduating and moving on to college or careers, Linklater takes a different approach to the film.  His focus is on the shifting environments students find themselves in, following those who are now about to enter into high school as freshmen, and those who are about to be elevated to seniors.

There are probably a lot of people who would look at this film and believe that it is just stupid, stoner humour.  There are also a number of people who have seen it and perceive it as stupid stoner humour, but it is a film that is so much more than just that.  Yes, it does have a number of characters who partake in the use of marajuana.  It even has an ever so creepy Matthew McConaughey.  It has typical adolesent behaviour, staying out late, partying, and destroying property.

What this film excels at is creating the memories of high school, and even though it is a period piece, there are a number of social structures and people that almost all of us could relate to from our experiences.  Linklater brings this all out through great establishing shots as well as a soundtrack that is second to none.  There is such a smattering of songs throughout, that we are constantly reminded of the feel and the style of the film.

One of the aspects of this film that I appreciate the most is the depth that Linklater is able to give to all of the characters.  So many films seem inept at even giving us more than a surface concept of the few main characters they may have.  In Dazed and Confused, there are characters almost too many to count.  By the end of the film, we know enough of each of the characters to know who they are, why they act the way they do, and what the transition phase means to them.  This is all done through a well crafted script that never has blatant explanations of anything.  At the same time, it isn't hidden and needed to be deciphered, but is on a level that is seamless for all audiences.

This film is part comedy, part coming of age, and part contemplation movie.  It shows the transformation that people start having at that age when they look towards questioning what they do not understand and starting on the road to forming an opinion of their own.  As I said, it is about people in transitions in their lives, but at a time when social pressures are enough to completely mold a person, and individual thoughts and stances can be a very scary thing. 

While many hang onto their high school lives as their prime, this film paints the opposite picture.  It is a place we stop along the way.  It is who we are when we don't know who we are.  We may not know our destination, and that is alright.  It is what is to come that brings the adventure and journey.  It is fitting that the final shot of the movie is friends driving down a road, with the camera facing out through the front windshield as the car approaches a horizon.  What is on the other side is not important, as that is the journey.  High school is behind us, perhaps to be remembered with some fondness, but this movie states that it is merely a stop and there is no known future other than the company we choose to keep as we head towards it.

Rating - 3.5 out of 4 stars

Mud

Well, right now I should be at my parent's house, eating some home-cooked cookin', but sickness has kept me at home eating BBQ flavoured chips - yep, I don't necessarily take care of myself when I am ill and my wife is out of the house.  She is at my parent's home right now, visiting with them and our niece and nephew, who I always enjoy seeing.  That means my proof-reader is not here, so my apologies on anything I may have missed.  Today's movie is Mud, which came out in limited release back in late April, and is currently one of the highest rated films of the year on Rotten Tomatoes (98%) and is currently available to rent.

Mud is about a young boy who lives on a houseboat named Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) who live on southern waterways, and head on an adventure to an island to find a rumoured boat that is lodged high in a tree.  After finding the vessle that had been relocated thanks to flooding, they find that someone has been living in it.  As they are leaving the island, they meet the man from the boat, Mud (Matthew McConaughey) who is quite filthy and quite hungry.  Ellis feels compelled to assist the man.  As he brings him food and visits Mud, Ellis starts to get an understanding of the predicament that would cause a fellow to hide on a remote island and takes it on himself to assist Mud in connecting with his girlfriend, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon).

The main theme in the film is love, as Ellis' perception of the emotion and relational commitment are being challenged by the degrading marriage of his parents as well as his own exploration with it.  His understanding of what love is and should be is what drives him to help assist Mud, whom is driven by love as well.  It is when all the relationships around him have crumbled that he even starts to appropriately use the word.

Since I have mentioned that it is about love and that it stars Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, it is important for me to inform you that it is not a romantic comedy, and these are not the typical rolls which we are used to seeing these two in.  Mud is a very simple, yet still complex character who we see covered in dirt and seeming quite pathetic at times.  The performance of McConaughey is phenomenal, and he brings out the powerful moments of pity, rage, caution, and protection.  There is a little bit of Oscar talk around this roll (although his roll in Dallas Buyer's Club is getting a lot more conversation), and he shows a wide range of abilities as Mud.

The true acting performance in this film that needs noting is that of young Tye Sheridan.  I am saying this right now, keep an eye on this young man because he may be a future heavyweight in film.  It is the journey of Ellis that we follow, and Sheridan delivers his role in a way that grabs the audience and ultimately has us desiring a positive outcome for him.  His future looks great, and he seems to choose quality films to be a part of.  His only three movies are Mud, the Oscar nominated Terrence Malick film Tree of Life, and most recently a film that got decent talk around it at the Toronto International Film Festival, Joe, with Nicolas Cage.  A lot of times young talent seems to be coming up through Disney properties, but this one is quite possibly going to be gunning for awards before too long.

With great performances in the forefront, we are also treated to great locations and backdrops that make us feel a connection to the life on the water that Ellis knows.  We get a tactile feel of the blue collar life that Ellis lives within, which is contrasted when he is in town and interacts with others his age.  The film shows poverty, but also a beauty in the landscape and a connection to the earth and water that the characters have.

In the end, I give this film a very hearty recommendation.  It is a touching tale of the innocent, but naive, view of what love is.  Sadly, it is that naive view that we should really be aspiring to, but young Ellis finds out that the reality of life's circumstances put a somber reality to what love ends up being.  It is interesting, and it is touching, which is odd for a film that focuses on broken relationships.  Maybe what causes it to work is that we have too good an understanding of broken relationships and care enough about Ellis and Mud to hope they end up with something better.

Rating - 3.5 out of 4 stars