Film critic Ty Burr took your questions
October 31, 2008
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Heading to the theater this weekend? Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr was online Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. to field your questions and comments about new and upcoming releases, and more. Miss the chat? Catch up here.
The transcript follows.
Ty_Burr: Hey all -- Ty Burr here, ready to talk movies.
Ty_Burr: Or whatever else crops up: Halloween, the election -- I'm easy.
Ty_Burr: Send in your questions, comments, broadsides and bromides, and I'll deal with them some way or another.
Popcorn__Guest_: Hi Ty..Saw Bee's this week with my wife and loved it. Any chance it will win best picture? Have you seen Sunshine Boys yet? Love the Movies at West Newton Cinema. Any inside scoup on the movie being filmed with Mel Gibson on my old street in Roslindale
Ty_Burr: Hi Popcorn -- "Bees" is I think a good, honest feel-good flick that plays better with audiences than with critics and, I think, the Academy. I admit I got verklempt watching it more than once.
Ty_Burr: And, yes, the acting's excellent all around (even Sophie Okenedo as a mentally disabled character, the sort of thing that usually is way too sticky on screen, works very well).
Ty_Burr: It might pick up some nominations -- depends on what's out there.
Ty_Burr: Do you mean "The Golden Boys"?
Ty_Burr: Small Chatham-shot and set drama about old codgers in 1905.
Ty_Burr: A real labor of love from filmmaker Dan Adams. Wesley saw it, reviewed it, admires it.
Ty_Burr: I haven't seen it, but it looks like solid regional filmmaking, the sort of thing that should be supported.
Ty_Burr: No word on teh Gibson film, although it looks likea ctraight-up cop action-drama. Director Martin Campbell did "Casino Royale," which was quite good (and a lot better than the new Bond, which I saw the other day).
indie_anna__Guest_: hi there ty. so where do i best spend my $10.50 this weekend?
Ty_Burr: Depends, indie-anna -- what are you in the mood for? Judging by your screen name, I'd say go check out "Ballast" at the Kendall or "Lola Montes" at the Coolidge.
mimzy__Guest_: Last nite I saw Happy Go Lucky & thought it was horrible, what did you think?
Ty_Burr: LOL. Yeah, that's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of movie. It helps if you've seen a Mike Leigh movie before and know his largely improvisatory style.
Ty_Burr: I liked it and Sally Hawkins in the lead, even while recognizing she's the kind of person that would drive you CRAZY in real life. I warmed to her over the movie, even if not all the film worked.
Ty_Burr: But, yeah, if you don't take to the main character, that movie's like dentistry performed slowly.
mimzy__Guest_: Last week I saw Appaloosa, liked Viggo's lean acting style, but still do like Open Range (k Costner, yeah) western more than this.
Ty_Burr: I agree, mimzy -- "Appaloosa" is very good (if not great), but that Costner western is one underrecognized movie. Well worth a rental, folks, if you haven't seen it -- one of the director/star's best works in ages.
mimzy__Guest_: And Bond 22? that is Marc Foster, right? The Swiss director who declined Bond 23?
Ty_Burr: He's German, but yes -- I keep forgetting he's from Euro, since to my mind he's become a Hollywood hack :)
Ty_Burr: The movie's disappointing compared to "Casino," and especially pales next to the Bourne movies. It's back to the old comic-book Bond but without any saving sense of humor. But Craig is fine, and worth keeping in the role for another day.
Changeling__Guest_: I've read reviews of Changeling that aren't so good. However, I've heard people praise Angelina's performance and (of course this was TV talking heads) "Oscar-worthy performance" used to describe her performance in the film. Care to comment?
Ty_Burr: Mmph. The movie works for you or it doesn't, I guess. I saw it t a festival where a bunch of critics were over the moon for "Changeling," and I was one of the few left cold. It's beautifully produced but thee are about three or four different movies in there and it loses focus.
Ty_Burr: And I couldn't get past Jolie the star in the lead. But maybe that's more my problem than hers.
Ty_Burr: I don't think it's Eastwood's best work, but it's certainly worth seeing.
quincy__Guest_: I live in Quincy and I'm not sure I like my movie theater choices. Braintree isn't all that fun and get's crowded, and it's a little bit of a pain to get to Boston Common. Any other ideas for me? Occasionally I'll drive to Kendall, too. Why no other theaters nearby? Quincy is a big place!
Ty_Burr: Hi Quincy. I agree, the movie theater situation in Boston right now, for lack of a better word, sucks. In Boston proper there are only two movie theaters left, the Common and the Fenway. There used to be over a dozen. And a lot of the multiplexes built in the 60s through 80s are falling apart and/or shutting down.
Ty_Burr: You should try to make it to the Coolidge in Brookline, the Somerville, the Brattle, the Dedham Community Theatre...
Ty_Burr: All showing interesting off-Hollywood stuff.
Ty_Burr: Per Fandango, the Patriot Loring Hall in Hingham looks good, though I've never been there. Any other suggestions?
mimzy__Guest_: I guess Body of Lies bombed, couldn't compete with B.H. chihuahua I saw it before I read the reviews Seems like Russell Crowe has same acting presence, Saw trailers of Revolutionary Road plus Doubt. with Meryl & Seymour. I liked Philip S.Hoffman in 25th hour, a spike lee movie from back when
Ty_Burr: "Body of Lies" is an okay action-contempo-thriller, got creamed in the reviews a little unfairly, I thought. Worth a rental, for sure. "25th Hour," I agree, is one of Spike's very best. If you're a Hoffman fan, strap in for Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York," which opens next week -- it's a mind-melter, all right, and he's in every frame.
jack__Guest_: wheres the best place to see a movie in Boston?
Ty_Burr: Good question, Jack. I think for that old-school cinema palace experience, the Coolidge is the only place left standing in the area. For new Hollywood films, the Common -- but only when the projectionist is on the ball!
mimzy__Guest_: Ty, the sound at Loring is not so good It is historic meeting house bldg. The Boston Common, Kendall, are better though it's convenient to just drive up to door of Loring
mimzy__Guest_: Yeah I will check out Changeling. As for Burn After Reading, it was like some of the other Coen Bros. things that fall apart in the second half. Though Tilda was a riot.
Popcorn__Guest_: The Globe's top 50 scary movies was good. Did you help out? My 3 teenagers arn't interested in "dawn of the dead" or Last house on the left". Which is the scary movie of your choice tonight?
Ty_Burr: No, actually, Wes and I had no input on that list -- it was the Boston.com folks.
Ty_Burr: Scary movie for a rental? For teenage girls? Hard to say -- my own girls are weenies when it comes to scary stuff. Can yours handle "Psycho"? :)
Ty_Burr: My own choice -- if you've got the nerves or the stomach -- would probably be "Re-Animator" or "Evil Dead II".
Ty_Burr: Classic drive-in stuff from the 80s. Or "Near Dark," a modern vampire movie that makes "Twilight" look fainthearted.
Ty_Burr: "Pan's Labyrinth" or "The Orphanage" are good creepy Euro art-horror.
film_lover__Guest_: Ty Do you ever get a chance to review final/thesis films of upcoming student filmmakers from local schools (CDIA@ BU, BU, Emerson, etc..)
Ty_Burr: I rarely do, film-lover, and I wish I had the time. We're sometimes asked to look at unreleased movies and give them a "spec review" which for ethical reasons we're unable to do. But student films often have great ideas and camerawork; I wish there were enough hours in the day.
Ty_Burr: Why, you got something?
mimzy__Guest_: How about The Others?
Ty_Burr: With Nicole Kidman? Also a good recent creepout.
indie_anna__Guest_: popcorn -- Nicole Kidman's The Others is dark, suspenseful and definitely has its scary moments, without being too intense. no blood or guts involved.
mimzy__Guest_: I read your article on bike riding, do you ride to movies also?
Ty_Burr: When I can, I get around Boston on two wheels rather than four. Winter's coming, though :(
Ty_Burr: I do my best not to look like Steve Carell in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" but it's just about impossible.
jmk__Guest_: I loved "Dead Ringers" with Jeremy Irons. Super creepy.
Ty_Burr: Oh, excellent choice! "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie..."
Ty_Burr: Critic friend was telling me that "Don't Look Now" from the 70s holds up really well -- that thing gave me nightmares for weeks.
mimzy__Guest_: Oh, one question for you - I see approx. 12-14 movies a month (record was 5 in four days) and have been watching career of mark wahlberg, I did not see Max Payne, tho I probably will, think there is a tendency to dismiss MW but I can see his potential, if you will.
Ty_Burr: Yikes, mimzy, are you gunning for my job?
Ty_Burr: Wesley saw/reviewed "Max Payne," and it wasn't one of the ones I felt I needed to catch up with right away. So I can't give you my opinion on it. But I love Wahlberg -- he's great within his limits and he's constantly expanding those limits. And he has a sense of humor about himself, which is rare.
jmk__Guest_: I also confess that "Signs" made my hubby and I just about pee our pants.
Ty_Burr: Ha! That shot where the alien leg retracts back into the cornfield... *brrr*
mimzy__Guest_: Your thoughts on The Duchess? I was impressed. Would NOT be great to view on rental. This is why I only go to cinemas
Ty_Burr: I liked it without loving it, but I agree it LOOKS great, and if you're at all interested it needs to be seen on a big screen. Knightley was fine, I felt -- the movie just seemed overly familiar.
indie_anna__Guest_: So Ty, what would you say is your biggest disappointment of late?
Ty_Burr: *laugh* Where do I begin?
Ty_Burr: The Bond movie bummed me out, I have to admit. "Casino Royale" pulled off the unexpected feat of rejuvenating a very tired franchise, and I'd hoped they could have kept the ball rolling for longer.
Ty_Burr: "What Just Happened" is a good example of a movie that has everything going for it on paper -- cast, crew, subject -- but that doesn't pull together onscreen.
Ty_Burr: It's nicer to be pleasantly surprised by a movie that surpasses your expectations. "Role Models," opening next week, is one. It's just a shabby little comedy, but Paul Rudd is really funny in it.
film_lover__Guest_: I currently attend CDIA @ BU and will have a final project next spring, but there is a graduating class every 9 months and a screening of their work (Doc and Narrative) at the Embassy theater in Waltham.
Ty_Burr: Will you or someone send me an email heads-up when that happens? Thanks.
indie_anna__Guest_: ummm, i'd start with "Blindness"
Ty_Burr: Ah, yes, I saw that a while back and had forgotten it. Actually, when I saw it at Cannes, there was a voice-over narration by Danny Glover's character that made it even worse -- but I guess they stripped that out.
mimzy__Guest_: Myvote goes to Rachel Getting Married - long sequences of no dialogue & an unbearable rehearsal dinner scene, ugh
Ty_Burr: Well, there you go -- I loved that movie. Loved it, loved it, loved it. It might be a generational thing, especially given the music. Mind if I ask how old(ish) you are, mimzy?
LargeJames__Guest_: Levinson has lost whatever he had.
Ty_Burr: Yes, it's sad, Large. You wonder why these directors that had it on the ball at a certain point in their career just can't make a good movie anymore.
Ty_Burr: Perhaps he needs to return to Baltimore? I'm ready for a "Diner" sequel.
rockin__Guest_: Have you seen a preview of Twilight yet? Any thoughts?
Ty_Burr: Just got the screening invite today, rockin -- it's in a few weeks and they're being very uptight about it. No guests allowed, which has my 13-yr-old daughter in a snit.
Ty_Burr: From the trailers, it looks pretty good. I mean, the book ain't art but it's a pretty good tale, and I really like Kristen Stewart. That just seems like ideal casting to me.
Ty_Burr: And director Catherine Hardwicke has become this weird expert on the emotional lives of adolescent women -- "Thirteen," then the Virgin Mary movie, now this.
LargeJames__Guest_: I had lunch w/ the director of Swimming With Sharks recently and it reminded me that SWS is one of the better films about he industry.
Ty_Burr: Yes, that one holds up, especially compared to "What Just Happens," which seems so... unnecessary. But Kevin Spacey allowed himself to be hateful in that movie, and DeNiro can't commit that way. It's what happens when a producer writes a screenplay about being a producer; he comes out as the hero and it smells funny.
mimzy__Guest_: Now as for Batman Returns, do you expect to see best supporting actor nomination?
Ty_Burr: Absolutely. Slam-dunk.
rockin__Guest_: Hmmm....wonder if that means its pretty bad.
Ty_Burr: What, the tight reins on the "Twilight" screening? No, it means they're scared of piracy.
Ty_Burr: We practically get full-body searches at screenings for the big blockbusters these days. Sometimes they bring in night-vision cameras so they can check if anyone's got a vidcam.
ranger05__Guest_: Ty... A friend of mine was at some film festival in Toronto maybe middle of summer and saw a movie where Mickey Rourke plays a pro wrestler. He swears this movie is tremendous and that Mickey Rourke is gonna be nominated for an Oscar for it. This can't be true can it? Mickey Rourke as a Pro Wrestler just doesn't sound Oscar type..
Ty_Burr: Ranger, I've seen it, and your friend is right. So there. It's called "The Wrestler," and Rourke is terrific in it, playing a pro wrestler 20 years after his glory days and living out of a trailer. Directed by Darren Aronofsky in a very realistic style.
Ty_Burr: It's a character study more than anything else but it's surprisingly touching, and Rourke nails it. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he got a nomination out of it.
barelip__Guest_: If someone is looking for a non gory Halloween thriller try "Dead Calm" with Nicole Kidman.
Ty_Burr: Ooh, yeah. The movie that brought her to America.
Ty_Burr: Owes a lot to Roman Polanski's first film, "Knife in the Water, which is still psychologically creepy after all these years.
Bond_007__Guest_: is there any truth that they will be making a Bourne 4?
Ty_Burr: Yep.
Ty_Burr: Damon and director Paul Greengrass have committed but there's no title yet, let alone a script. It's slated for 2010.
brock_landers__Guest_: is it just me or does angelina jolie overact? Her role in just the trailer for the changeling makes me want to vomit. Is it just me or is she overrated?
Ty_Burr: *laugh* Tell us what you really think, brock.
Ty_Burr: I actually think she's a very good actor but there are roles where her acting calls attention to itself. It got in the way for me in "Changeling." It served her well in "A Mighty Heart." And, yeah, in a movie like "Wanted" she's playing games with her star charisma and having a ball doing it.
LargeJames__Guest_: Mickey Rourke had serious talent. He got very distracted over the last 15+ years but the guy did have some great performances. Pope of Greenwich Village, Angel Heart, Rumble Fish come to mind. (Year of the Dragon, sort of.)
LargeJames__Guest_: Jolie needs a good director.
Ty_Burr: She needs a director who helps her tailor the performance to the film and isn't scared of her...
rockin__Guest_: What's the latest on Ashecliffe? I saw them in Medfield filming this summer, but then they were just up in Acadia National Park. Still not done?
Ty_Burr: "Asheclife" or "Shutter Island" or whatever they're calling it seems to be mostly in post-production, though I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't shoot some pick-up shots to cover for things that didn't work or to take advantage of the foliage.
Ty_Burr: It's set for a release in fall of 2009 -- an Oscar-bait title if ever there were one. If that date gets moved, that means the film's not looking so good.
Ty_Burr: Folks -- the hour's up and I've got to run. Many apologiers if I didn't get to all your questions -- catch me in a couple of weeks. Have fun tonight!
Ty_Burr: Oh, and go vote on Tuesday, PLEASE.
Ty_Burr: Who you vote for isn't my business, just get out there and do it.
Ty_Burr: Okay, lecture's over.
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