Rushmore Day - Bill Murray in "St. Vincent"

Fans of Bill Murray will be delighted with his new movie "St. Vincent" as it combines all the traits the actor has perfected over the last four decades.  In the title role of Vincent, he's a witty curmudgeon with a heart of gold.  He speaks his mind, lives by his own rules, and people love him.  Written and directed by first timer Theodore Melfi, "St. Vincent" is a funny, though not very original, independent movie.

Vincent lives alone in Brooklyn, content in his routine of drinking, smoking, and engaging in a weekly visit from a pregnant Russian dancer prostitute (Naomi Watts).  A decorated Vietnam veteran, Vincent doesn't work but lives off his reverse mortgage which is quickly running out.  When Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her young son Oliver move next door to Vincent, the young boy forms an unlikely bond with the cranky neighbor.

Vincent teaches Oliver how to fight, how to bet on horses, and introduces him to the term "lady of the night."  Little by little, layer by layer, Vincent reveals a sensitive character worthy of sainthood.  One of the movie's more touching moments occurs when Vincent visits his Alzheimer-suffering wife in a nursing home.  Vincent's true pain shows through, and Murray the actor shines brightest.

Is Vincent a bad influence, or is he the missing father figure?  Oliver and Vincent need each other, especially when they suffer a couple major setbacks.  "St. Vincent" works best when Vincent and Oliver cut loose, each teaching the other about life, laughter, and love.

The film does an excellent job showing the everyday struggles of working Americans.  Each character fights to just barely make it, and I really enjoyed seeing these fine actors embody these very real characters.  I especially appreciated the scenes set in familiar settings - yet updated to their post-recession reality.  For example, a daytime trip to Belmont Park is not a sunny day at the races, but a two-thirds empty depressing vision of gamblers and lowlifes.  Oliver's Catholic elementary school class is neither a cheap jab at religion, nor an optimistic "Boys Town," but a modern melting pot of multiple ethnicities and every faith imaginable.

If the story sounds predictable, and maybe even familiar, it is.  "St. Vincent" is not the freshest film this season, as it follows a formula of redemption for the unlikely saint.  Vincent's rough edges are never too sharp, and Bill Murray is just too likeable for anyone to hold grudges.

Still, it's a fun little film, and credit goes to Theodore Melfi for writing the story and bringing it to life.  His behind-the-scenes story of how he landed Bill Murray in the role is a priceless revelation told here.  A fun anecdote that all writer-directors should read.

20 Years of "Ed Wood"

"We're about to embark on quite a journey.  4 days of hard work."

Most movies take a lot longer, but not Ed Wood's infamous "Glen or Glenda."  At least according to Tim Burton's 1994 biopic about the worst director of all time.  "Ed Wood" was released twenty years ago this week, and it remains one of my all time cherished films.

"Ed Wood" tells the true story of Edward D. Wood, Jr. the movie director of such 1950s horror movies as "Bride of the Monster" and "Plan 9 From Outer Space."  He follows his Hollywood dreams as he writes, directs and acts in no-budget pictures about monsters, aliens, and transvestites.  When he meets the cranky and retired Bela Lugosi, they form a friendship and creative partnership that gives Ed Wood the credibility he needs to make big movies.

I love the black and white, romantic reimagining of old Hollywood.  The authentic locations are pefect - I'd swear that the entire movie takes place on Hollywood Boulevard.  I love the humor, the acting, and the witty dialogue.  But most of all, I love "Ed Wood" because it's a very true profile of someone in love with movies.  It's about dreamers and their struggles.  Ed Wood tries like hell to make one, but realizes how incredibly difficult filmmaking can be.

Written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, "Ed Wood" was an odd premise that seems unlikely to get made today.  Before DVDs and Netflix, it was much harder to see forgotten movies, so being aware of the director Ed Wood and his movies was a rarity.  Deciding to make a movie about him was a risk, but the end result is such a mainstream entertainment it's a testament to all the filmmakers involved.  Clearly all of the cast and crew love movies - especially the old obscure ones.

 

Of course the movie would not have such charm without Johnny Depp playing the title character.  Before he was Captain Jack Sparrow and other caricatures, Johnny Depp accepted bold and risky roles.  Each one invented an indelible persona, yet this may be his finest work.  His energy and emotion carries the picture; he brings to life this marginalized, weird character taking Ed Wood from the fringe to the megaplex.

During Awards season it was Martin Landau, however, who got all the attention.  He won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his mesmerizing portrayal of Bela Lugosi.  Watching the movie today I still forget that it's not actually the real Bela Lugosi.  It's a brilliant imitation where Mr. Landau uses his whole body and voice to capture the soul of the original Dracula.  It many ways he steals the show.

On one hand, "Ed Wood" is a very funny movie, inviting the audience to laugh at Mr. Wood's amazingly bad choices and even worse movies.  On the other hand, it's a very thoughtful look at the creative process.  No one - not even Ed Wood - tries to make bad movies.  But even the best ideas sometimes crash and burn.  Of course, Ed Wood knew he had no budgets, no time, and actors who were at best beyond their prime.  He approached each movie with passion, found the positives in every review, and he persevered.  In reality, Ed Wood made a living from writing and directing movies for over twenty years.  He's even the subject of a recent retrospective at the Anthology Film Archives in New York.

Were most of his movies really that bad?  It's safe to say they really were.  But "Ed Wood" exists to introduce him to subsequent generations who will be inspired to watch "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and judge for themselves.  In many ways, Ed Wood is more immortal that many of his contemporaries.  

"Worst film you ever saw?  Well my next one will be better."  

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" - Wes Anderson's Latest Masterpiece

Every Wes Anderson movie seems to exceed the previous one.  In terms of scope, ambition and style - each one adds to the whimsical genre that he has created for himself.  The newly released "Grand Budapest Hotel" continues that upward trend with a bold, fast-paced, hilarious, literary story featuring an endless parade of stars.

Following the success and ambitions of "Moonrise Kingdom," Mr. Anderson pushes his creative and cinematic limits with a highly imaginative comedy set in a fictional Eastern European country in 1932.  It's actually a story told in multiple flashbacks - a story within a story within a story within a story - thus making the audience both enthralled by, and dubious of, the storytellers' integrity.

The main plot focuses on Monsieur Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes) - the sophisticated, old-world concierge of the mountaintop resort.  Meticulous and proper, yet also profane and sneaky, Gustave's life mission is to maintain the highest standards of service and luxury for the grand hotel.  Even in 1932 he's a bit anachronistic.  Much like the movie's director, his perfectionist eye for detail is all about the personal, handmade touches of class that few people in the later generations notice or appreciate.

Gustave also has the habit of seducing older women.  MUCH older women who happen to be rich.  When Madame D. (Tilda Swinton) dies and leaves a priceless painting to Gustave, her family takes an elaborate revenge on the unsuspecting concierge.  What follows is an action-packed, genre-bending journey across the snowcapped chalets of prewar Europe, where we encounter the likes of Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, and Adrien Brody. 

This is Wes Anderson's most commercial movie to date, blending humor and thrills, while limiting the arthouse eccentricities.  It's a near perfect journey to an imaginative world, where both the narrators and audience recognize a bygone era.  Not just the opulence of European aristocracy, or the analog delights of handwritten notes, but also the beauty of original filmmaking.  Undoubtedly it's one of the more inventive and unpredictable movies we'll see this year.  It's not based on a comic book, or a remake, or a sequel.  But a good, old fashioned original story.

The one flaw is that with so many great character cameos, I wanted more.  Adrien Brody's sulking, menacing Dmitri could have been better utilized as a villain.  He only briefly appears, and is more of a caricature than a three-dimensional antagonist.  It's always great to see Owen Wilson, who practically steals the show in his brief 2 minutes of screen time, but again such a tease leaves the audience wanting more.  Clocking in at just over 90 minutes, I could have sat through a much longer version, and with these actors it would have been a pleasure.

Miniature set display from Arclight Theater, Hollywood.

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" is fun entertainment, but also nostalgic and melancholy.  I left the theater reflecting on the past.  Distant memories and details that we haphazardly choose to remember - and not just ones filtered through movies (although that happened too).  I realize it's only March, but I'm certain "The Grand Budapest Hotel" will be remembered  when the Oscar nominations are announced next year.