Movie chat with Ty Burr: October 27, 2006

Ty_Burr: Hey all -- Ty Burr here from the Globe. Happy Friday and enjoy the sunshine before it gets all nasty tomorrow. Questions? Comments? Opinions? Send 'em in.

Ty_Burr: Let' see what's in the queue...NeuenburgI just saw 49 Up at the Kendall - Was the "Up Series" ever shown on US Television. Best Docu Series I have ever seen.

Ty_Burr: Hi Neuenberg -- No, to my knowledge, this series has never been shown on US TV (except for movie channels like HBO). It didn't really get traction here until 28 Up, the first one to get a theatrical release in the states.

Ty_Burr: Pretty amazing series, eh? I feel like I'm almost related to these people after so many years. Can't wait to see where it goes from here (other than the obvious, that is).

mike_2: hey there...what do you think about Saw 3 and have you had a chance to review the Borat movie? I am excited to see both

Ty_Burr: Wesley saw Saw Trois today -- it's exactly the kind of movie they *don't* screen for critics.

Ty_Burr: Personally, screen sadism doesn't do it for me unless it's leavened with a lil bit of wit and/or style. Just not my idea of a good time.

Ty_Burr: "Borat" on the other hand -- oh, Lord, is that funny.

Ty_Burr: Saw it once already and am going again on Monday, just to make sure I saw what I saw. Funniest and rudest movie of the year, by a long shot.

Buckly: What would you rate the Departed from 1 to 4 stars?

Ty_Burr: What' you can't pick a newspaper or surf over to the movie page, Buckly? :) I gave it a three and a half. And stand by it. But you can put too much weight on star ratings...

Woodrow_Wilson: Any early buzz on Mel Gibson's new film -- "Triumph of the Will Part II"?

Ty_Burr: Ha! Early buzz -- it screened at Harry Knowles' movie fest recently -- is that it's intense and not bad at all but that it doesn't really connect with a viewer. At least that's the sense I get from what I've read. Can't wait to see it though. I think Mel may actually become an unintentional David Lynch...cheesesteakI'm surprised Borat's getting all the buzz it's been getting. I mean, I like the Ali-G show, but can't believe the buzz its getting. Is the film a significant improvement?

Ty_Burr: Yeah, it is. I'm a fan of the show too but I recognize its limits. The movie blows past those and works very well within its 90-minute runtime. It's of a piece and the longer format allows some larger satiric points to emerge. But only because the laughs keep coming.

Cheesesteak: Babel comes out next week in Boston I'm guessing, any spoilers for your take on it?

Ty_Burr: I'm seeing it on Wednesday, Cheese, so can't comment. Wesley saw it in Toronto and wasn't knocked out -- which is what a movie like this is aiming for -- but one maybe has to take festival fatigue into account. Anyway, I'll let you know on Friday :)

Danielle: Hi Ty, I'm looking forward to "For Your Consideration", as a huge Chris Guest fan. Any reviews? I heard that Catherine OHara gives a great performance. Gervais too

Ty_Burr: Another one I missed in Toronto -- no way am I taking the second week shift anymore -- but word was that it was fine if not grade A+ Chris Guest. My boss got to interview O'Hara at the fest and said it was like trying to catch chipmunks in a bag.

miltonben: hey ty,borat is really funny and im wondering if they have to get releases from the"victims"and if so why would they ever sign?

Ty_Burr: There have been some interesting articles -- easily googled -- about how Sacha BC and his producers went about pulling the wool over their victims' eyes...

Ty_Burr: Baiscally they'd give them a very compicated legal release to sign at the very last minute, and "Borat" himself wouldn't show up until just before the cameras rolled. A real case of social engineering it sounds like.

dan: Hi Ty big fan of ours!! In your opinion who are some the greatest actors of my generation? 20-30yr olds

Ty_Burr: Hi dan -- hm, off the top of my head: Edward Norton, Ryan Gosling, Joseph Gordon Levitt

Ty_Burr: What are yours?fozzieI rented Thank You for Smoking and saw it last night. It was good but was wishing for a great movie that never started. Did you think it was also tame in ways?

Ty_Burr: Yes, I did, Fox. Enjoyed it for what it was -- it *is* entertaining -- but if you're hoping for genuine satiric bite (a la Alexander Payne), you'll be waiting for a long time. It's no "Network," that's for sure. But neither was "Network," actually... dani would say kate winslet,leonardo dicaprio, ben affleck(i know im going to be made fun of for that one)

Ty_Burr: Affleck? Brave man. I'm with you on DiCaprio and also think Damon has what it takes to go the long haul. Women? Winslet for sure. Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal. Vera Farmiga, if she can get some good high-profile roles.

cheesesteak: Any traditional hallow's eve film rites at Chez Burr? .

Ty_Burr: Traditional? We don't bob for apples with razors in them, if that's what you're asking. My 11 yr old's going dressed as Morticia Addams -- we just got the DVD of the 1960s TV show -- and the 9 yr old is going as Marcel Marceau. I know, mimes. We thought about having an intervention, but she's a kid.

annie: Ty: Can't find the review for Catch A Fire - have you seen it?

Ty_Burr: Hey Annie -- there have been tech difficulties at Boston.com today -- a power outage or something -- so the Friday Arts reviews are taking a while to be posted. They'll be up soon. Hey, buy a paper!

Ty_Burr: I haven't seen the movie, tho -- Wesley got that one, gave it **½

cheesesteak: Stop mime before it spreads, I meant any 'ween themed films you catch around this time.

Ty_Burr: ah, yes, silly me. We just watched the old 1932 James Whale movie "The Old Dark House." Brilliant, funny, creepy -- with karloff as a Lurch prototype and Gloria Stuart from "Titanic" back when she was a silly young thing. Great stuff.

Ty_Burr: As the kids get older, I'm planning on upping the ante... "The Birds"... "Re-Animator" ... suff like that.

Danielle: Another one Ty, did you check out "The Fountain"? Requiem is one of my all-time favs, and I'm curious as to if Aronofsky can keep up the pace.

Ty_Burr: I have seen "Fountain" and, like you, am an Aronofsky fan. This one, well, it's a lot more personal and a lot more out there. I wish I could say all of it works. He's gunning for the grand statement this time -- he clearly has "2001" in his sights -- but the film doesn't pull it all together. Still, I admire the hell out of him for seeing it through. If you're a fan, yes, you owe it to yourself and him to check it out.

uu: I love to watch Arsenic and Old Lace while giving out candy to the kids - when the movies over, the porch light goes out.

Ty_Burr: lol. what do you keep in the window seat, uu?

cheesesteak: Children of Men, I was sort of surprised to see an adaptation of that book being made, thought it was slated for this season, any word?

Ty_Burr: Early word is strong, though I don't know anyone who has seen it. It's opening Christmas Day, interestingly -- a late-year Oscar slot.

Ty_Burr: Happy to see Clive Owen in anything and Alfonso Cuaron behind the camera. Sounds trippy, futuristic, good.

D_Wayne_Johnson: Ty.... Everyone's talking about Nicholson's performance inThe Departed but to me, the much better performamce was DeCaprio's. I thought he was great and I went into it not sure he could pull it off well. What was your take on his performance?

Ty_Burr: Nicholson was vastly entertaining while still being recognizably Jack, but he really doesn't have anything left to prove. DiCaprio does. I thought it was a tremendous performance, one that brought out all the stress and anger and sensitivity in the role. I also think Damon did just about as good work while being dealt less of a hand. And Marky mark stole the film.

beantownchick: I saw your opinion on Saw III and am interested in what you had thought of the original?

Ty_Burr: Embarrassing admission time,

beantownchick: -- I haven't seen any of the Saw movies yet. Partly it's because Wesley got assigned the first one and so therefore it made sense he do the second one (and the third). Also because while I try to catch up with a lot of movies I don't review, that one never made it to the top of my list. As mentioned before, watching people tortured just ain;t my idea of a good time. I realize I'm probably in a depressing minority here. Question for you: did you like it? And if so, why

Capt_Hiltz: Ty-You were asked earlier about the top actors of the 20-30 generation. Do you have an 'overated list'? If so, is Josh Hartnett at the top of it?!

Ty_Burr: Oh, Hartnett is what he is. He needs to be left outside to weather for a decade or two, like Tommy Lee Jones (to whom he bears a scary resemblance). Overrated? Rachel Weisz. Jude Law. Audrey Tautou.

cheesesteak: Yeah, Marky Mark stole at lot of The Departed, there was a vaccum in the film when he disappeared. Woodrow_WilsonI take it you're not a 24 fan then

Ty_Burr: I'm not *not* a fan. I don't get to watch a lot of TV -- mostly screening films in theaters and at home -- the same way that Matthew Gilbert doesn't get to watch a lot of movies.

D_Wayne_Johnson: Are you surprised at how good an actor Mark Walburgh ( and Donny to, to a lesser degree) has become?

Ty_Burr: Yes, sure, I think we all were surprised. "Boogie Nights" was great but there was the sense that his performance might have been a lucky fluke. It wasn't until I saw "I Heart Huckabees" that I finally got it -- the guy's an actor and a very, very good one.

cheesesteak: Back to Halloweenie, so to speak, questions, Youtube's got a lot of russian trailers for the sequel to Nightwatch, is Fox going to bother to pick up the sequels for U.S. distribution? I remember it getting a sort of fizzled review and I don't think it had a very wide release.

Ty_Burr: Don't count on the sequels hitting US screens. With luck there may be a DVD deal put in place. Probably most people who want to see the sequels will have already downloaded them with Bittorrent by the time the DVDs come out... I think the US audience is fairly miniscule.

beantownchick: Ty, I can't believe that as a critic, you haven't seen Saw! My personal opinion is that it is one of the *best* horror films of the last decade. If you've seen it, you realize that it isn't about the gore (which the first had much less of than II and from what I hear, III) but the plot twist and creativity. In II (and I suspect III), it seems that they've substituted gore and more violence for a more creative and intricate plot. I know that horror movies don't have a lot of credibility with critics, but I would highly suggest giving at least the original a chance.

Ty_Burr: You've shamed me, beantown, ok, ok. You're right, horror movies don't get a fair shake from critics -- personally I find most of them far too pleased with themselves and into pandering to audience sensationalism. Occasionally you get one done with the saving grace of humor or incredible style -- I'm a big Evil Dead II fan -- but they're the rarity. But, yeah, can't comment until I've seen it. Life's short, what can I tell ya?

Danielle: Have you seen the new Rocky yet? The first one was great, but seriously... does the world really need another one?

Ty_Burr: No, the world doesn't need another one, but Stallone's career does. It hasn't screened yet, doubt it will for a while. Which is fine, gives me time to re-view the first V.

D_Wayne_Johnson: Donny was surprisingly very, very good in that Path to 9/11 TV Movie from last month

Ty_Burr: .

Ty_Burr: But, hey, beantown, you still haven't answered my larger question -- what is it about horror movies you like? Does the graphic depiction of pain and suffering ever cross a line for you?

D_Wayne_Johnson: The script for his new Rambo sounds much better than the premise for the new Rocky.....

Ty_Burr: Yet still the sound of recycling continues. I feel for the guy -- he has painted himself into a corner. No one pays to see him do big action movies OR little indie films.

mike: Reviews of Flags of Our Fathers seem to a radically all over the place- some saying its an instant war classic akin to Saving Private Ryan- others calling it a little flat. What is your take?

Ty_Burr: I think it's honorable but bites off a bit more than Eastwood can chew. It wants to be a straight up honor-the-warriors recreation while also being an emotional deconstruction of what it means to be a "hero" while also telling the convoluted history behind a famous image.

Ty_Burr: It's possible that another director might have pulled it off -- or possibly not -- but this isn't Eastwood's forte. Still, I do think it's worthy. Not a bad film, just a slightly misconceived one.

Woodrow_Wilson: saw is dumb, by the way. if you like implausible plot twists and silly bullcrap you might like it.

Ty_Burr: Well, someone already spoiled the big surprise for me. But

beantownchick: is right -- when a movie becomes a cultural touchstone, it becomes a critic's duty to put it in the hopper.

Ty_Burr: *sob* I've failed you all.

Ty_Burr: Next question?

D_Wayne_Johnson: Ty... whatever happened to that series he was producing about the Priest who is sort of a street hero preacher type? That is not a joke... He was pitching that as a TV show a few years ago..

Ty_Burr: Ah yes, "Father Lefty"... A pilot was made in 2002 for CBS but it was never picked up, don't think the pilot even aired. Like I said, even TV doesn't want him...

beantownchick: Ty, I like horror movies because they are a true escape. They are largely unrealistic and, for me, they serve the purpose of providing entertainment. I like also like being scared. I like to jump out of my seat and then laugh about it when I leave the theater! The pain and suffering sometimes crosses the line ... but not often. I find it far more disturbing to watch movies like "Saving Private Ryan" where you know that pain and suffering was real.

Ty_Burr: Huh, interesting. And I'm willing to put up with heinous violence in "Saving Private Ryan" precisely because it is real -- or references a historical reality -- and so therefore it doesn't bother me. If it's yoked to a strong fictional story, I can also deal with it. I still can't get into violence for its own sake as entertainment. I think we're talking about a gene you have and I don't or vice versa.

cheesesteak: Just read your rev of Death of a President, really smart, smarter than a lot of the other reviews, but as for real docu's, anything good coming down the pike in time for Oscars?

Ty_Burr: Thanks, cheesesteak. I think "Deliver Us From Evil," the one about the California priest, will probably get nominated -- it's just about faultless. I love the one that's opening at the West Newton today -- "So Much So Fast" about the Newton man with ALS. It's getting a national art-house release but I don't think it'll be Oscar bound, unfortunately.

Ty_Burr: Some of the Iraq war docs have been terrific. "The Ground Truth," about vets, is excellent.

mike: As a film critic does seeing every film that is release desensitize your response to films, is it harder for you to be impressed, or simply enjoy the average movey because you've see them all and your looking for more?

Ty_Burr: It's a good question, mike, and one that wesley and I and other critics wrestle with every day...

Ty_Burr: I try to compartmentalize. I don't like to go into a screening completely cold (altho sometimes I do) but I try to learn only the most basic info before I sit down. And then I just ask that the film be the best film it's trying to be. But, yeah, it's like trying to reestablish your moviegoing innocence every day. And yes, after you've seen the same old plot formulas a thousand times, you can get impatient with them...

Ty_Burr: and forget that some moviegoers haven't seen them once. So it's a balancing act.

beantownchick: It's interesting how people get different things out of their movie-viewing experiences. Some people thrive on the emotional or "real" connection that can be made. Others appreciate the non-emotional connection. It's not likely that you experience a Freddy Kruger-like experience in life but you probably know someone who has suffered through war or genocide.

Ty_Burr: Yes, and I guess that actuality makes me respect it and it think it's worthy of attention. Whereas if it's just made up, well, heck, why put me through it? For you, the issue is that you find it exciting on a visceral level. I guess I get that same charge out of brilliant comedy -- ask me about "Borat" again -- or well-turned action (like "The Departed").

Ty_Burr: But you're talking about a guy who had to leave the theater when they sliced the ear off in "Reservoir Dogs." And I love that movie.

Ty_Burr: Folks, it's past two and time to move on. Thanks for coming on -- and thanks,

beantownchick: , for holding my feet to the fire. Have a great weekend, all.

Cheesesteak: what's tarrantino doing with himself these days anyway?

Ty_Burr: One word: Grindhouse. April 6, 2007. laters, all.