Just some scribblings on a couple of movies I've seen recently. I'll be repeatin' myself to some of you, and for that, my apologies. I think you'll agree; they're things that bear repeatin'.
And, sweet Jesus, I can't believe I'm saying this...SPOILER ALERTS ARE IN EFFECT!!!
Iron Man: All in all, it's a pretty conventional, definitely enjoyable movie. However, it's full of these small touches that make it so much greater than it might have been. The two that really get me are:
1) Usually in any movie with masked characters, during the final showdown scene, one or both of the characters unmasks in a characteristically dramatic fashion. There's no real reason for that action (I'm not referring to scenes where identity is discovered)...other than drama. Iron Man accomplished this unmasking scene in what I thought was a deft and unassuming way. When Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) is fighting Obediah Stane (Jeff Bridges), Tony pulls out Stane's optic cable in his armor, thus necessitating Stane to unmask. As for Tony's mask, Stane's simultaneously pulled it off in hot armor-on-armor action. Thus, we have our hero and our villain unmasked. We can lay our eyes on the actors', without any unnecessary drama.
2) Before the scene I just mentioned, where Tony's leading Stane up into the clouds, Tony's computer informs him about his power loss. Unlike most self-destruct type scenes, where we're constantly hearing a seconds-to-impact countdown, Tony almost immediately says something like, "Stop telling me! Leave up on the display!" Love it. Love. It.
Ratatouille: I realize I'm seeing this much later than, well, everyone else I know. I have to say...this might be my favorite Pixar film. I stress "might;" I should watch The Incredibles again. It's not often I say this--because what do I know about kids' movies--but I feel like this film is packed with important lessons that kids can take away, not to mention the fact that it's stylistically very well put together.
Amidst the magic of the story, though, I was completely blown away by the ending. When food critic Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole) is delivering his review for the little chef's cuisine, he manages to encapsulate, with perfect eloquence and truth, the feeling for which any lover of any art form is in constant quest--be s/he creator, critic, or fan. I give you the quote in its entirety. Don't bother about the names, the plot references...just enjoy the poetry.
"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.
"But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends.
"Last night, I experienced something new...an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core.
"In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto, "Anyone can cook." But I realize--only now do I truly understand--what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.
"It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon...hungry for more."
To say I adore this speech is a gross understatement. In particular, thinking about the sentence, "The new needs friends," chokes me up. It's the school of the champion critic, and while I'm not championing the new today (until later, anyway), it's the school of which I enjoy being an ever so tiny part.
After all, there is a lot of awful stuff out there to wade through.
But you know what? And I can't believe I'm saying this either: there's a lot more great stuff.
Having all that greatness to look forward to, and getting to share my love of it with my friends...well, there are only a few things in life I enjoy more. And it's truly wondrous when movies or books or music or comics or anything else can grab hold of us like this and shake loose the stars from the sky...only to have them fall in our eyes.
Thanks, Little Chef. I didn't expect to get that from a Disney movie. But that just goes to show you too...anyone can cook.
Man...shake loose the stars from the sky? Well, coming next time...um...an entry on the decline of the zombie in recent years and...um...an evaluation of the best James Bond gadgets.
Eh. What the hell. You people know me.
Read: Come in Alone, by Warren Ellis
Watch: Seriously, if you don't know what I want you to watch here...
Listen to: (A Concise Introduction.) by The Scarring Party
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