edited by Jonathan Doyle

Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

Upcoming

November 12

Slumdog Millionaire

November 14

A Christmas Tale

B.O.H.I.C.A.

Dostana

The Dukes

Eden

House of the Sleeping Beauties

How About You

Quantum of Solace

We are Wizards

November 21

The Betrayal

November 30

"Jesse James" arrives

email this story
read comments (22)
post a comment

I was told that earlier this week that the review date for Andrew Dominik's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner Bros., 9.21) would be Tuesday, 9.4 -- a curious guideline that didn't take into account the imminent unveiling at the Venice Film Festival. The bottom line is that Variety's Todd McCarthy and the Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt went with reviews earlier today -- a euphoric rave and a sneering pan, respectively.

I'm too travel-whipped to tap out an opinion -- it's 11:05 pm and I'm fading fast -- but McCarthy's take is the one to consider and trust. Don't even read the Honeycutt -- it's not even there.

This is a major "art western" of the first order -- one of the most immaculate and uncannily "right" time-machine visits into a bygone world ever put to the screen. As far from a post-modern shoot-em-up as you can get and not even a contender in the ways of the rousing, rip-snortin' Wild Bunch, this is one of those awesomely assembled visitations that just sinks in like a sunovabitch. It makes you sit right up and forget everything except for the novelistic richness and aliveness of what's filling the screen. Either a movie like this is "in the zone" or it isn't, and Jesse James' worth is unquestionable in this respect. Any film maven who doesn't recognize this simple fact has, no offense, his head up his ass.

I'll grant that the story meanders in the middle (only nitpicky soreheads will make a big thing out of this...an urge that never once crossed my mind) and that Dominik's theme about twisted hero worship and the hunger for celebrity is not the most rousing I've considered or absorbed (although it's servicable enough), but the bottom line is that this is a movie about cinematic painterliness of a stunningly fine pedigree, and sometimes this is entirely enough in itself. And to this end kudos are due to not only Dominik but cinematographer Roger Deakins.

As McCarthy allows, "Even those who resist the film itself will be in awe of its surpassing visual beauty and consummate craftsmanship. Just when it seemed that...Deakins had achieved another career high with No Country for Old Men, he trumps himself yet again, here using a subdued palette of parched-plains earth tones captured with an extraordinary luminosity and delicacy."

As I watched Jesse James the closest atmospheric analogies among westerns I could think of were Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven and Philip Borsos' The Grey Fox. McCarthy also brings up McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, Bad Company, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid, Jeremiah Johnson, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Long Riders and Heaven's Gate.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is "a ravishing, magisterial, poetic epic that moves its characters toward their tragic destinies with all the implacability of a Greek drama," he begins, and is thereby "one of the best Westerns of the 1970s, which represents the highest possible praise. It's a magnificent throwback to a time when filmmakers found all sorts of ways to refashion Hollywood's oldest and most durable genre."

Toronto subway<< previous | next >>"Halloween" is a hit

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 31, 2007 at 7:53 PM

comment #1

Nate West says ...

Nice to hear. I'd add: read Ron Hansen's wonderful novel of the same name. A writer's writer.

Posted by Nate West at August 31, 2007 9:22 PM

comment #2

abraham says ...

Re: "The Assassination of Jesse James is brilliant"

Kirk Honeycutt is what we call "a piece of shit" in Hollywood.

Once again his personal inner anger is reflected in his critic.

Honeycutt is a miserable nobody, that believes that by wearing a felt fedora it transforms him into an intellectual.

Posted by abraham at August 31, 2007 9:44 PM

comment #3

actionman says ...

I agree, I have always thought Honeycutt was sort of a douche. Jesse James is incredible filmmaking, i will probably see this 5 times in the theater. i am just curious to see if it's different from the cut I saw last March. Seems as if the release version is longer than what I saw.

Posted by actionman at August 31, 2007 9:47 PM

comment #4

Hickenlooper says ...

This is one that I am really looking forward to. McCarthy is a smart critic. I have a good feeling about this one.

Posted by Hickenlooper at August 31, 2007 10:05 PM

comment #5

erniesouchak says ...

Deakins is an artist on the order of Conrad Hall and Gordon Willis, but I would never call "No Country" a high point in his career. It's well made, of course, but the look is pretty nondescript, like "Fargo."

Posted by erniesouchak at August 31, 2007 10:06 PM

comment #6

alynch says ...

It will be my biggest disappointment of the year if this does not turn out to be great. This is simply the biggest sure thing of the year.

Posted by alynch at August 31, 2007 10:07 PM

comment #7

Ishmael says ...

American reviewers writing about a western? Not to be trusted, obviously.

Posted by Ishmael at August 31, 2007 10:53 PM

comment #8

Nick J says ...

"Call me Ishmael, the guy who only has one point to make and just makes it over and over again."

Posted by Nick J at August 31, 2007 11:15 PM

comment #9

EOTW says ...

I am just glad they are releasing the longer version. I'll be there the day it opens no matter what, but I was afraid WB would chop it up. They obviously know it isnt going to make any money anyway, so why not release the long cut?

Posted by EOTW at September 1, 2007 2:02 AM

comment #10

malibugigolo says ...

Fedoras are badass.

Posted by malibugigolo at September 1, 2007 2:58 AM

comment #11

Aladdin Sane says ...

Fargo's cinematography nondescript?

I thought it was a beautifully shot film. It's not supposed to wow you, which is good, because by making it look seemingly ordinary, the story really pops out at ya. That's my take at any rate.

Anyhow, back on to the subject matter. Can't wait for this Assassination of Jesse James...3 more weeks if I'm not mistaken. Definitely be there opening weekend. This film needs all the love it can get it seems.

Posted by Aladdin Sane at September 1, 2007 4:46 AM

comment #12

EDouglas says ...

I really liked the movie but I'll be shocked if this makes over $20 million.

Posted by EDouglas at September 1, 2007 5:59 AM

comment #13

christian says ...

matt drudge wears a fedora. nuff said.

but then, so does indy.

Posted by christian at September 1, 2007 9:54 AM

comment #14

The Movie Man says ...

Two questions: Is this thing going wide on the 21st? And is that release the full, uncut animal or was it shortened?

Posted by The Movie Man at September 1, 2007 10:15 AM

comment #15

Ian Sinclair says ...

So, having read both reviews, let me get this straight: if you want a strong story with good and coherent dialogue that you can lose yourself in, this is not the picture for you. If, however, you want to spend 160 minutes of your life staring at and admiring a series of pretty pictures as if it were a night at the museum, never for one second forgetting that you are sitting in a chair in a movie theater, then help yourself.

Posted by Ian Sinclair at September 1, 2007 1:06 PM

comment #16

jeffmcm says ...

Sinclair, why are you spending your time bashing a movie you haven't seen? Is your life that empty? (Never mind, already know the answer.)

Posted by jeffmcm at September 1, 2007 1:52 PM

comment #17

Ian Sinclair says ...

It's certainly fuller than your own deeply disturbed one, which from your own admission consists primarily of jerking off in movie theaters to the sight of women being tortured to death.

Posted by Ian Sinclair at September 1, 2007 2:22 PM

comment #18

jeffmcm says ...

Since you're so up on my life, could you find the exact quote where I stated that? I mean obviously it's correct, since you wouldn't be a lying douchebag with delusions of self-importance borne from a sense of entitlement and overcompensation from insecurities, would you?

Posted by jeffmcm at September 1, 2007 2:39 PM

comment #19

Ian Sinclair says ...

As you see fit to inflict upon us your worthless opinion on every single talkback on every single subject under the sun (being a "jack off" all trades and master of none), that would be almost as tall an order as your keeping your paw off your pecker for the hiatus of a heartbeat, but as memory serves it was on one of the Eli Roth/HOSTEL 2 TBs where your deeply creepy and all-too-public masturbatory practices were disclosed, along with your (literally) sinister admission of being a left-hander. Unfortunately for us all, you appear to have let the fact that you are presumably only ever typing with one hand not diminish your odious output one whit.

Posted by Ian Sinclair at September 1, 2007 3:16 PM

comment #20

jeffmcm says ...

I can tell when you're feeling especially frisky, because your vocabulary becomes ever more Dickensian. It's an interesting way to intimidate your opponent, but also a tedious and predictable one.

Also you really seem to be fixated on the masturbation practices of others, real or imaginary. Since you're a psychogist, I'm sure you know what that means.

Posted by jeffmcm at September 1, 2007 3:29 PM

comment #21

abraham says ...

"WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL FILM CRITIC?"

I think that this blog is loosing its way. The dialog should continue by focusing on film critics. Having said that and with all due respect to the "Film Critics" profession, most of the so called "film critics" are not qualified neither have the maturity to understand the nuances and multiple factors that comprise the filmmaking process. They simple "bash" a film due to their prejudices, personal anger, and because in today's new media world "they can." The "film critic HACKS" (i.e former entertainment news reporter and nowadays "film critic" Kirk Honeycutt) don't take the time to "critique" a film as any "PROFESSIONAL" reviewer will do. Basically, they just lash out with their sophomoric diatribe fuelled by their own personal disappointements.

Yes, nowadays any "village idiot" can call himself/herself a "film critic. Therefore, the proliferation of "sort of entertainment reporters," wannabe "film critics", pseudo intellectuals, and other bottom feeders of society, can create their websites and/or blogs and fancy themselves as "FILM CRITICS."

P.S. FILM CRITICS DO NOT VOTE ON AWARDS.

Posted by abraham at September 1, 2007 4:16 PM

comment #22