"SPEED RACER" (2008) Review
When I had first seen the trailer for "SPEED RACER" at my local movie theater years ago . . . I simply cringed in my seat. Granted, I had been a fan of the Japanese cartoon when I was a kid. But looking at that trailer, my mind simply cried, "Hell no!" There was no way in the world I was going to see this movie.
But the more I saw the trailer, old memories of the cartoon kept welling in my thoughts. Soon, I found myself filled with nostalgia for the cartoon. I had eventually decided to go see the movie after all. It might turn out to be a pile of crap, but I had to exorcise the ghosts of my childhood. Well . . . I went ahead and saw the movie. And I must say that it turned out to be a hell of a lot better than I had expected.
At a running time of two hours and fifteen minutes, "SPEED RACER" is about a young 18-year-old American with natural racing instincts. His goal is to become a world-class car racer, in the wake of the tragic death of his older brother, Rex Racer during the Casa Cristo, a cross-country rally. Speed is loyal to the family business, run by his parents - especially Pops, who is a racing car designer. In fact, Pops had designed Speed's car, the Mach 5. The owner of Royalton Industries makes Speed a lucrative offer to join the company's racing team, but Speed rejects the offer, angering the owner. Speed also uncovers a secret that top corporate interests, including Royalton, are fixing races and cheating to gain profit. After Speed denies his offer to join his racing conglomerate, Royalton wants to ensure that Speed will not win any future races. Speed finds support from his parents and his girlfriend Trixie and enters the Casa Cristo Rally in a partnership with his one-time rival, Racer X, in an effort to rescue his family's business and the racing sport itself.
I must admit that when I first saw this movie, the first ten minutes had left me puzzled. Although I enjoyed how the story introduced Speed Racer's obsession with racing and the death of his older brother, Rex Racer; I must admit that I had been taken aback by the movie's visuals. It looked very cartoonish and I have not seen such bold colors since Warren Beatty's 1990 film, "DICK TRACY". But my mind adjusted to this new visual style and proceeded to enjoy the rest of the story. In fact, by the time the movie focused upon The Casa Cristo cross-country race, I found myself marveling over John Gaeta's visual effects and David Tattersall's photography. Quite frankly, I also ended up enjoying Larry and Andy Wachowski's screenplay. "SPEED RACER" must be one of the few movies based upon a cartoon that possessed a strong social message - namely one against corporations' involvement in the sport. And I found it pleasantly surprising.
As for the cast, Emile Hirsch struck me as a little flat at first. But in the scene in which Speed rejected Royalton's offer, Hirsch's Speed Racer finally bloomed into life. Christina Ricci gave a fun and charming performance as Trixie, Speed's girlfriend. Both John Goodman and Susan Sarandon were excellent as Speed's parents. Both were given the opportunities to strut their acting skills in private scenes with Hirsch's Speed. And I do not think that Matthew Fox had never been as sexy and enigmatic as he was as Racer X - Speed's rival and ally in the fight against Royalton. The movie also featured a scene in which both he and Emile Hirsch gave a superb performances in an intense conversation about car racing between the two characters. I especially enjoyed his fight with a ninja assassin. Richard Roundtree gave a surprisingly sly and funny performance as Ben Burns, a former racer who became a commentator. To my surprise, Roger Allam's slightly bombastic performance as the corrupt Royalton did not bother me at all. In fact, his character's over-the-top personality seemed perfect for the movie. The biggest surprise turned out to be Paulie Litt as Spritle, the youngest Racer sibling. Perhaps I should not have been surprised. Regis Philbin once described the young television actor as a 40 year-old in a child's body. Perhaps he is right. But young Paulie was a bundle of energy with great comic timing.
"SPEED RACER" did possess a few imperfections. Either the movie is fifteen minutes too long or its pacing managed to drop off a bit, following the Casa Cristo race sequence. And I was a little annoyed with the Wachowskis' interruption of the fascinating sequence between Speed and Royalton's discussion about the racing scene with comic moments featuring Spritle and his pet monkey, Chin Chin, trying to break into the businessman's candy storage. It just seemed out of place and it nearly ruined the marvelous scene between Speed and Royalton.
Many film critics had disliked the film. I suspect that "SPEED RACER"'s unusual visual style may have been a little too mind blowing for them. Unfortunately, a good number of moviegoers ended up paying attention to those critics. Which is a shame, in my opinion. I feel that "SPEED RACER" is one of the most entertaining films I have seen in 2008 . . . hell, in the past two decade; and one of the most unusual I have seen in a long time. It was a personal disappointment for me when it bombed at the box office. However, there is an ironic post-script to the movie. When it was first released on DVD, those moviegoers who had not bothered to go see it at the theaters, expressed surprised at how much they enjoyed it. I could have told them how enjoyable it was when it first hit the theaters back in May 2008. And now? Over the years, "SPEED RACER" has developed something of a cult following.
Below is a list of my favorite movies released in 2012:
TOP TEN FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2012
1. "The Avengers" - Joss Whedon wrote and directed this superb blockbuster in which S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury forms a team of superheroes to save Earth from Asgardian villain Loki and alien invaders. The cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Samuel L. Jackson.
2. "Django Unchained" - Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed this first-rate film about a slave-turned-bounty hunter, who searches for his enslaved wife in antebellum Mississippi, with the help of his mentor. Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson star.
3. "Lincoln" - Steven Spielberg directed this excellent look at President Abraham Lincoln near the end of his presidency. Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones star.
4. "The Hunger Games" - Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson starred in this first-rate adaptation of Suzanne Collins' novel about two teenagers who participate in a televised fight to the death in the post-apocalyptic future.
5. "Men in Black 3" - Barry Sonnenfeld directed this highly entertaining third entry in the "MEN IN BLACK" franchise, about Agent J's attempt to stop the assassination of his partner back in 1969. Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin star.
6. "Argo" - Ben Affleck directed and starred in this excellent account on the CIA's attempt to rescue six fugitive Embassy personnel from the Canadian ambassador's home during the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979-80, using a fake Hollywood production. John Goodman, Alan Arkin and Byran Cranston co-starred.
7. "The Bourne Legacy" - A CIA assassin and a government scientist are on the run from the government, due to the consequences from "THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM". Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, the movie star Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz.
8. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" - Peter Jackson returned to the universe of Middle Earth in the first of a three-movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 novel. Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage star.
9. "Cloud Atlas" - The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer wrote and directed this excellent adaptation of David Mitchell's novel about how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Jim Broadbent star.
10. "Looper" - Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in Rian Johnson's unusual science fiction thriller about a hired gun, who clashes with his future self when the latter sets out to find the boy who will be responsible for his wife's death in thirty years. Emily Blunt and Jeff Daniels co-star.
"CLOUD ATLAS" (2012) Review
The year 2004 saw the publication of author David Mitchell's science-fiction novel called "Cloud Atlas". Consisting of six different stories with subtle connections, the novel won two literary awards and was nominated for a series of other awards, including the 2004 Booker Prize. But when the Wachowskis (Lana and Andy) and Tom Tykwer decided to make a film adaptation of the novel, the trio had trouble finding financial backing.
Eventually, Grant Hill and Stefan Arndt agreed to co-produce the film and Warner Brothers Studios agreed to release it. The screenplay written by the Wachowskis and Tykwer closely followed Mitchell's novel, with the exception of a few changes. As stated ealier, the movie consisted of the following six stories:
1849: American lawyer Adam Ewing arrives at the Chatham Islands in the Pacific, to make a business arrangement on behalf of his wealthy father-in-law, now living in San Francisco. His father-in-law is involved in a agriculture business that involves the use of Moriori slaves. After witnessing the whipping of a slave named Autua, Ewing and a Dr. Henry Goose return to San Francisco, via clipper ship. During the voyager, Ewing discovers that Autua has stowed away aboard the ship. However, he is unaware that Dr. Goose is slowly poisoning in an effort to steal the chest of gold in Ewing's possession.
1936: English musician Robert Frobisher, who is gay, is employed as an amanuensis to famous composer Vyvyan Ayrs, allowing Frobisher the time and inspiration to compose his own masterpiece, "The Cloud Atlas Sextet". Ayrs wishes to take credit for the piece, and threatens to expose Frobisher's homosexual background to the authorities if he does not comply.
1973: San Francisco journalist Luisa Rey meets by chance, Frobisher's former lover Rufus Sixsmith, in a stalled elevator. A nuclear physicist, Sixsmith tips her off to a conspiracy regarding the safety of a new nuclear reactor, but is killed by a hitman named Bill Smoke before he can give her proof. Another employee at the power plant named Isaac Sachs becomes attracted to Luisa, eventually gives her the information, but is killed by Smoke. Luisa has find a way to expose Sixsmith and Sachs's employer before she can be killed.
2012: British publisher Timothy Cavendish has a windfall when gangster author Dermott Hoggins, whose book he has published, infamously murders a critic and is sent to jail. When the author's associates threaten Cavendish's life to get his share of the profits, Cavendish turns to his brother Denholme for help. However, the brother tricks him into hiding out in a nursing home, where he is held against his will and treated poorly. Cavendish and a few of his fellow inmates plot to escape.
2144: A genetically-engineered clone server at a fast-food restaurant in Neo Seoul, Korea named Sonmi-451 is being interviewed before her execution. She recounts how one Hae-Joo Chang, a member of the local Resistance, helped to release her fom her life of servitude. Chang and other members of the Resistance reveal that clones like her are "recycled" into food for future clones. Sonmi-451 becomes determined to broadcast this information to world.
2321: A tribesman on the post-apocalypse Hawaiian Islands named Zachry lives a primitive life after most of humanity has died during "The Fall" and is plagued by guilt for not interfering in the murder of his brother-in-law, Adam, at the hands of the Kona Chief, leader of a tribe of vicious cannibals. A member of the last remnants of a technologically advanced civilization called the "Prescients" visits his tribe. In exchange for saving Zachry's young niece from a near fatal bite, he agrees to guide Meronym into the mountains in search of Cloud Atlas, an outpost station where she is able to send a message to people who have left Earth and now live on other planets.
When I first saw the trailer for "CLOUD ATLAS", I thought it looked beautiful. My opinion of the film's visuals have not changed one bit. However, I had no desire to see the movie. I took one look at the trailer and knew it would be faux profound and self-righteous piece of claptrap that I suspect I would find confusing. A member of my family literally had to drag me to my local theater to see the movie. Recalling my disappointment in "THE MASTER", I decided that a nice long nap would help me overcome the movie's 164 minutes running time.
To my surprise, I did not fall asleep, while watching "CLOUD ATLAS". Even more surprising, I enjoyed it. Very much. I cannot explain this phenomenon. I could see that it was not the type of film that would appeal to a lot of people. The movie's technical aspects struck me as very impressive. In that regard, the Wachowskis have never disappointed, as past movies such as "THE MATRIX" and "SPEED RACER" have proven. "CLOUD ATLAS" featured some beautiful photography from cinematographers Frank Griebe and John Toll. I was especially impressed by their work in the 1973 San Francisco, 2144 Neo Seoul and 2321 Hawaiian Island segments. However, a part of me suspect that the visual effects team supervised by Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor and the special effects team were mainly responsible for the outstanding look of the segment set in 22nd century Seoul. But one also has to account for Hugh Bateup
and Uli Hanisch's production designs that beautifully re-created six different period in time, starting with the year 1849 and ending with 2321. Kym Barrett and Pierre-Yves Gayraud provided equally beautiful work through their costume designs - especially for the 1849, 1936, 1973 and 2144 segments. And I cannot say enough for the makeup work that allowed the cast to portray characters at different ages, cultures, genders and even race. I realize there was some controversy over the latter, but I will come to it, later.
Those who did not care for "CLOUD ATLAS" claimed that the screenplay failed to provide any connections between the six stories and the characters. Some believe that "CLOUD ATLAS" is simply about reincarnation, accepting the film's official synopsis:
"An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution."
Perhaps that is the truth. I did not bother trying to guess the movie's main theme, while I watched it. I believed I would not be successful. Instead, I simply treated all six stories as separate and enjoyed them as they unfolded. In doing so, I managed to find similar themes of truth, inspiration and freedom of tyranny without any heavy-handed narratives. I was also surprised by how the main character of each successive story was inspired somehow (many times unknowingly) by experiences of his or her predecessor. Robert Frobisher read part of a book on the life of Dr. Adam Ewing. Luisa Rey read Frobisher's letters to his lover, Rufus Sixsmith. And it was the latter who led her to investigate the power plant's illegal use of nuclear energy. Timothy Cavendish read a unpublished manuscript for a novel based on Luisa's investigation, which was probably written by her young neighbor. Following her escape, Sonmi-451 watched a movie about Cavendish's ordeal at the elderly home. And Zachry recalled a statuette of Sonmi-451 and saw an orison (future recording device) featuring a speech from her. By the film's final scene, I was surprised to find myself in tears. If there is nothing I love more is a movie that can take me by surprise in a positive way. And "CLOUD ATLAS" certainly achieved this.
Earlier, I had pointed out a controversy that emerged about some of the Wachowskis and Tykwer's casting decisions. Someone noticed in the movie's trailer that European actors like Jim Sturgess, James D'Arcy and Hugo Weaving portrayed Asians - namely Koreans. The Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) officially criticized the movie's producers for allowing non-Asians to portray Koreans in the film. They also criticized the movie for allowing cast members of African descent - Halle Berry, Keith David and David Gyasi - portray Pacific Islanders. Of course, they failed to point out that Tom Hanks, Sturgess, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, Bae Doona and Zhou Xun also portrayed Pacific Islanders in the 2321 segment. And it was pointed out that the movie's two Asian cast members - Bae and Zhou - also portrayed Westerners. I suppose this is a topic that will never be resolved. However, I had assumed that each actor portrayed a series of characters that possessed the same soul . . . and that was the message the filmmakers were trying to point out.
Since the major actors/actresses portrayed multiple characters in six different stories, I decided to point out the performances I really enjoyed. I was impressed by Jim Sturgess' transformation of the Adam Ewing character from a mild-mannered personality to one who had the courage to defy his father-in-law and become an abolitionist. His hilarious portrayal of the Scottish soccer fan in the 2012 segment had me in stitches. Hugo Weaving portrayed a series of villainous characters in the movie. But the two characters that really impressed me out were his performances as the murderous hit man Bill Smoke in the 1973 segment and Old Georgie, an evil manifestation of the negative aspect of Zachry's subconscious in the 2321 segment. Halle Berry's Luisa Rey proved to be one of the film's more inspirational characters. And I enjoyed how she injected a bit of sly humor in her performance. Doona Bae gave a very memorable performance as the Korean fast-food clone, Sonmi-451. And she was hilarious as the Latina woman who ended up helping Luisa Rey in the 1973 segment. Hugh Grant really impressed me in his portrayal of Denholme Cavendish, Timothy's vindictive, yet witty brother. James D'Arcy was excellent in both the 1973 segment, in which he portrayed the elderly Rufus Sixsmith and the Korean archivist that interviewed Sonmi-451. Ben Whishaw gave an excellent performance as the English composer Robert Frobisher, who found himself caught in a moral trap. And David Gyasi provided another inspirational performance in his portrayal of Autua, the Moriori slave whose bid for freedom ended up inspiring Dr. Ewing.
If I had to pick the two best performances in the movie, they came from Tom Hanks and Jim Broadbent. First of all, Hanks did an excellent job in his portrayals of the Scottish hotel manager that blackmailed Frobisher into giving him the latter's waistcoat. Hanks' performance as the Hawaiian tribesman Zachry was poignant. And I found his performance as the British gangster Dermot Higgins both astonishing and hilarious. But his portrayal of the murderous Dr. Henry Goose was probably the best performance in the entire movie. Frankly, he was even more scary than any of Weaving's array of villains. Jim Broadbent portrayed two characters that really impressed me. One was his portrayal of the venemous composer Vyvyan Ayrs. Broadbent's transformation of Ayrs from an enthusiatic music lover to a vindictive blackmailer really took me by surprise. But his best performance turned out to be the funniest in the movie - that of the self-indulgent publisher Timothy Cavedish, who found himself a victim of his brother's vengeful nature.
I realize that "CLOUD ATLAS" proved to be a box office flop. Most people found the movie either too complicated or uneven to enjoy. I honestly thought I would end up sharing these views before I saw the film. I really did. But like I said, I found myself surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I heard rumors that author David Mitchell enjoyed this adaptation of his novel. And I am happy for his sake. Especially since I enjoyed it myself. Lana and Andy Wachowski, along with Tom Tykwer, really outdid themselves.
