Sara will graduate from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 with a BA in Cinema Studies. Currently, she has no idea what she wants to do with the rest of her life, though she will gamely field the question. She has been conducting independent film research for two years and presented a paper on Orson Welles’s The Stranger at the 2008 Society for Cinema and Media Studies conference. Sara’s personal mission is to convince everyone that, no, being a film major doesn’t just mean that you sit around and watch movies all day.
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February 5, 2009
I’ve been cinema speed-dating for the past few weeks and honestly, there has to be a better way to find a match.
Every year, the holiday season hits and something hits me—I need to get out there more. There are so many attractive films out there: exciting, passionate, foreign. Why why why have I just been staying in and rewatching my West Wing DVDs when I could be seeing a different new movie every night??
Of course, I and every other unattached cinephile have to come to this conclusion just as the Hollywood year is coming to a close. (It ends on February 22—Oscar Night, in case you’re not sensing where I’m headed.) We’re all running around our respective cities, elbowing each other on line, frantically clicking away at movietickets.com as though our future happiness depends on the loading of one web page. I say “cities” because you’re really out of the game if you live anywhere else. How can you see anything worthwhile if you’re not living in a well-populated city? Most of the best stuff doesn’t even make its way over to smaller towns and if you live somewhere like Albuquerque, well you’re not getting it until everyone else has already had a taste.
Look, we’re trapped in a system. We can’t help it. We’re programmed to think that it is absolutely imperative for us to see most if not all of the movies that are nominated for Oscars in time for the Oscar ceremony. The kicker is that the studios only release their sure-things a couple of months before the big night so we have no choice but to speed-date if we want to avoid the falsely sympathetic smiles of our friends and family. God help you if you’re a well-known movie lover and you haven’t seen one of the Best Picture nominees; you will get it from everyone.
Why do we buy into it? It’s the studios who are making us think that our biological clocks are ticking, ticking, ticking and that time’s running out because no one wants to be that girl on Oscar Night without any movie to cheer for. I certainly don’t.
So, we go online and do our research. We read reviews and gossip with our friends to dig up all the dirt on our prospectives. And then, we speed-date.
The world of cinema speed-dating is a dog-eat-dog hell. Nothing feels worse than seeing a glaring “Sold Out” sign at a Tuesday afternoon screening of The Reader, a time you assumed was safe from the hungry hordes, who should be at work but instead are gleefully frustrating your plans. This time of year, it’s almost impossible to see a good film, especially with your schedule.
Where’s the fun? Where’s the joy? It all gets lost somewhere in the frenzied desperation of cramming everything in before it’s too late. How can you really find anything special if you don’t let yourself relax? It makes sense, though, since the dating pool can be tricky to navigate. You’re torn between picking what should win and what will win, which is a pretty unfair choice to make. The Academy, like love itself, can be a real bitch.
Here’s what we have this year (in high school terms, since I haven’t had much experience in The Real World and most everyone remembers what high school was like, right?):
There are the obvious candidates, the “looks-good-on-paper” movies. Everyone makes a big deal out of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; it has all the ingredients to be a winner. It’s the well-liked jock that most people take at face value—no one will be surprised if it wins. On the other hand, it can keep you there for, say, three hours and just keep going until you’re politely checking your watch and already thinking about the next date. Doubt is like the arrogant rich kid, a classic prestige pic that knows all too well just how desirable it is. Once you actually sit down with him, however, you might be turned off by his stiffness and proper façade. You could go for brains over flash and choose Frost/Nixon—this year’s valedictorian. Smart and sharp with quiet thrills, this is a movie you can share with Mom and Dad. You have to dig a little bit to find the heart, and maybe not everyone’s into that, but this is a movie that won’t run out of things to say. The question is: Can it survive against the more popular offerings?
Speaking of popular, don’t forget about the James Dean of this year’s class: The Dark Knight. Dark, indeed—girls always do have a thing for bad boys. The Dark Knight will throw you on the back of a motorcycle and tear through the city for one of the most exhilarating rides of your life. It’s doubtful, though, that this is the kind of movie you want to settle down with and, years later, still see on the Best Picture winners list. Less enticing, but more substantial, is the guy you should be with—Milk. Well-rounded and charming, this one is a true gem. Milk makes you feel good about yourself, someone you can spend two hours with and it feels like two too-short minutes; you just can’t get enough. Milk is a stable choice.
Never underestimate the underdogs, who somehow squeeze themselves into your dating pool while you’re not paying attention. Maybe your parents set you up with someone like The Reader—the last person in the world you expected to be spending time with, but you have to do it to avoid all the nagging you’ll get later about not giving it a try. There are good surprises too, like this year’s write-in candidate for Homecoming King, Slumdog Millionaire. This is the one that gets everyone talking excitedly as they scan the bandwagon for some extra space. Power to you if you got in early and saw the potential before everyone started making such a big deal. The problem is that popularity is fickle and it’s not always so easy to tell whether this is the real deal or whether tomorrow, people will be annoyed that Slumdog is getting so much attention. As good as it might feel to have the King on your arm for one night, you don’t want to be left sitting in an empty bandwagon.
This whole process can be so frustrating that it’s easy to turn in desperation to something, well, easy. You know you shouldn’t just jump into bed with anyone, but dating in this high-pressure atmosphere is too damn exhausting and unfulfilling. That’s why My Bloody Valentine 3D and Push exist: no effort, quick satisfaction, lingering guilt, and then you’re back in the game.
Luckily, you have your friends to support you during this arduous process. WALL*E and Happy-Go-Lucky always lift your spirits and remind you just how wonderful this world can be. Good thing you have them by your side. Unfortunately for the, the old adage that nice guys finish last proves too true, and you know they’re just never going to be crowned. WALL*E and you may be a perfect match, but does a movie like WALL*E ever have a shot at Best Picture? Not when we’re consigning it to the nerdy Best Animated Feature Category. No, WALL*E gets to hang out in the Lonely Hearts Club with the equally underappreciated Man on Wire; you know documentaries will never get the love that’s reserved for sweeping narratives.
It’s all pretty discouraging. This isn’t the way we were meant to watch movies. It seems so forced and artificial. But some of us just can’t help ourselves. Come Oscar Night, no one wants to be alone.
December 24, 2008
Valkyrie (2008) – dir. Bryan Singer; starring Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh
I caught an advanced screening in Philadelphia of this movie, which gets a wide release on Christmas Day. I think I was one of the only people who hadn’t yet been exhausted by the Tom Cruise media-blitz when I decided to see this; I could barely find anyone to accompany me, because the mere mention of the actor’s name elicited long groans from everyone within earshot. I, however, was psyched; the trailer looked awesome and I had been hearing early buzz that this movie, plagued with every trouble that could possibly strike a project, could actually be good. And so, I waited in the theater for two hours while the film tried to make its way into Philadelphia.
Sadly, Valkyrie was not worth the wait. This film—following the final of many unsuccessful plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler—was stiff and shallow, trusting that the audience’s knee-jerk hatred of all things Nazi can stand in place of actual character motivation. Valkyrie suffers from an inevitability that exists in many historical films, but feels particularly frustrating here because of the extraordinarily high price of failure. It’s a fascinating piece of history, one that I imagine would be way more interesting in a History Channel special than this movie.
After loyally proclaiming Tom Cruise’s acting merits these last few years, I was really disappointed by his work in Valkyrie. He simply cannot play anything but a star, and the movie doesn’t give him room to try. His character, the woodenly heroic Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, delivers each line with a visible awareness that he is creating an heart-pounding moment. His performance is too Hollywood—the same sin that made Cruise’s The Last Samurai just as boringly epic as Valkyrie. It is a shame that the man who thrilled as Tropic Thunder’s biting and hilarious send-up of a studio honcho resorts in this film to every groan-inducing Tom Cruise cliché. The result is not so much Colonel von Stauffenberg as it is Tom Cruise playing Colonel von Stauffenberg, which is much less interesting to watch.
My biggest problem with this film is its refusal to dig deep into the crime of Nazism that is supposed to justify von Stauffenberg’s treason. The film begins and ends with the assumption that Hitler was bad for Germany, but that’s too simplistic. Fascism was seductive and persuasive; for many, the Fuhrer was synonymous with the nation. Valkyrie misses an opportunity to substantially engage the question of duty, opting instead for tired Hollywood moralizing. Von Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators are clear-eyed, pure-hearted rebels who seek to purge Germany of its Nazi evil. It’s a simple formula: Tom Cruise good, Nazis bad—and one that is depressingly insufficient for a film that’s really no fun at all. I could forgive Valkyrie’s uncritical perspective if it were intriguing, but the hollowness of the film plot took away a lot of the tension and suspense from the assassination plot.
Now, I’m not one to criticize without purpose; I have a suggestion for any of you who want to see the movie Valkyrie wishes it were. Jean-Pierre Melville’s Army of Shadows (1969) is absolutely riveting. This story of French Resistance fighters knows that the truth has enough drama; there’s no need for manipulative scoring or epic cinematography. What’s missing from Valkyrie abounds in Army of Shadows: the intrigue of seeing each meticulously-planned detail of an operation being perfectly executed; the heartbreak when something doesn’t go to plan; the impossible struggle to bury your fears and concern for your own person in order to serve a higher purpose. Valkyrie was too clearly a studio product for me to care about any of the characters; Army of Shadows is thrilling and poignant, affecting in a manner that doesn’t feel as if someone’s deliberately tugging at your heartstrings. My advice: save some money during this tough holiday season and forgo this particular movie ticket in favor of the rental price for Melville’s masterpiece.
October 22, 2008
Sorry to be really lame, but I don’t think I have time to publish a worthwhile post this week. I have a decent excuse, though:
The second Penn Film and Media Pioneers conference will be held this weekend. I am participating in a panel on “Theory and Practice” (I really don’t know what that’s supposed to mean) where I will be sharing some of my work on Orson Welles. I’ve been working to get ready for that and while I hope I’ll find time to write a post for this week, my incredible ability to procrastinate will inevitably get in the way, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that I’ll be back next week.
For those of you who are interested, let me offer you an idea of some topics I hope to cover in the coming posts:
- a review of the new HBO vampire show, True Blood;
- my take of Penn Film and Media Pioneers (special guests include Jon Avnet!);
- a discussion of my thesis work on Orson Welles;
- why I believe film education can save the world;
- thoughts on the dangers of genre;
- random musings and digressions, etc.
So, I’ll be back soon with a more substantial post. Until then, I recommend that everyone pick up Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence (starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer) and watch it at least three times. This film serves up a sumptuous visual feast that is such a joy for the eye-senses (the way you can smell, feel, and taste just by looking at something) as well as for the intellect, if you’re willing to engage it. Believe me, this is a film worth studying.
Thanks for reading!
Sara
October 12, 2008
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? How have you been? You look good……what are you doing? Pilates? Yeah, I hear great things. I know! I wish I had the time…
Me? Oh, well, not a whole lot actually. I moved back to Philadelphia to start my senior year and got caught up in the business of coming back to campus. I mean, it’s only been……wow, almost two months? Really? Wow, I’m sorry I’ve been so out of touch. I’ll try not to let it happen again, but you know how it gets. Moving back into my apartment, the Jewish holidays, working on my thesis……it’s been a little disruptive. I’m settled in now and will hopefully stay in closer contact.
Classes are okay, thanks. I’m managing to stay on top of my work this year, which is a big accomplishment for me. I have two interesting film courses: The Road Movie and Film and Literature. The latter is a graduate seminar, which is a little bit intimidating for me, but the professor is one of the most brilliant film scholars and my thesis advisor, so it’s one of my favorite classes. The Road Movie is an interesting course; I’m not familiar with the genre as an area of study (unlike film noir, which I feel like I’ve beaten to death at this point) so I’m learning a lot!
The problem is that while I’ve been working hard to make sure I’m up to scratch in my courses, I’ve been neglecting my thesis. No, it’s not mandatory for Cinema Studies majors, but almost everyone in my program wants to go into Hollywood production, so the thesis isn’t super relevant for them. And a lot of people don’t want the extra work. Trust me, it’s intimidating for me as well. I’ve been doing an independent research project for……let’s see, this will be my third year……so I really don’t have a choice. I have a pretty good idea what its focus will be; I’ll have to tell you about it sometime when I get my thoughts sorted out.
There’s been so much cool film happenings on campus! Most recently, three experimental German filmmakers gave a talk and screened some of their films (one works in Super8!). They are all women, which is particularly exciting because we too rarely celebrate the work of women filmmakers. Penn will, however, be welcoming Mira Nair this fall and I can’t wait! I’ve been waiting to see The Namesake (even when Kal Penn taught a course here last year, I never found time to see it) so this is the perfect opportunity. Most exciting was when Frederick Wiseman—the “grandfather” of American documentary cinema—screened his films and gave talks. He is an inspiring filmmaker and listening to him talk about his process was eye-opening, to say the least. No, you’ve never seen a Wiseman film? Rent High School and then move on to Titicut Follies—that film was banned for many years and you can see why! Well, have you heard of Michael Cera? He and Kat Dennings screened Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist for a mostly-Penn audience. That film was disappointing. I know!—I was so excited about it too. There were some excellent moments—look for Norah’s stumbling-drunk best friend and Nick’s charming gay bandmates. Sure, I’ll let you know about Philadelphia film events. Rachel Getting Married is having its Philadelphia premiere next week and I can’t wait to see what all the buzz is about.
Have I found a job yet? Hahahahah……oh wait, seriously? No I haven’t found a job! In this economy? Yeah, I really don’t know what I’m going to do……are dot-coms still doing well? I’m putting together some interesting ideas about potential employment, but haven’t started a serious search yet. Do you have any ideas? Well, let me know if you do. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
Listen, it was great catching up with you! We should definitely do this more often. I’m more or less free on Wednesdays, so let’s try to meet then. Don’t be mad if I flake out—it’s not personal, I just have trouble managing my time. Anyway, you take care and we’ll talk soon. And let me know if you see any interesting movies!
All best,
Sara
August 20, 2008
First off, let me apologize for completely skipping last week’s entry. It was my last week of work before I head back to Philadelphia for—oh lord—my senior year of college, and things were very crazy-busy. I think I owe my biggest apology to my friend Cherie who was studying for her DAT (the MCAT for wannabe dentists) all last week and was hoping to use my blog as a method of procrastination. Yeah, I dropped the ball there.
I also started to experience some blogger self-doubt—questioning whether anything I had to write was really worthy of being read. This is supposed to be an online community of bloggers writing about their specific roles in the film industry. Thing is, I’m obviously not a member of the industry. Not yet, and perhaps not ever. So I wonder what those of you who come to my blog are hoping to read. What perspective do you want to gain from a cinema studies student writing her thesis and looking for a job? Definitely don’t hesitate to suggest topics or ask questions or start conversations—this way, I feel like what I’m writing has some relevance.
On with the blogging: One of the many, many reasons why I value movies as important cultural resources is that they reflect our lives and how we live them. I firmly believe that children today learn how to behave in part from what they see onscreen. That said, movies aren’t always honest about what they show us. Decades of codes and conventions and cues that help us read what we see have settled into comfortable clichés that no longer hold any real meaning.
I’m watching Enchanted as I write—a delightful movie with a gorgeously sunny chanteuse in Amy Adams. I go crazy for that Oscar-nominated final ballroom song, although it is completely ruined when Patrick Dempsey starts singing (I’m not a McDreamy person). This film made me think of what has become, for me, one of the great puzzles of making movies: the Missed Kiss.
You all know what the Missed Kiss entails. Preceded by solemn conversation that decomposes into silly, empty sentences as the two parties involved realize that a liplock is imminent. They lean in toward each other, slowly, hesitantly, lashes fluttering downward, hearts racing……
And then someone wimps out. They were both right on track for a solid smooch (a feat indeed, when their eyes are closed and they’re moving that slowly). Then, one or both pulls away, usually for some lame reason—generally an internal struggle that helps to drive the rest of the plot. They turn from each other, bracing themselves for one of two inevitabilities: majorly awkward silence or embarrassing filler phrases.
I’ll stake my first-year salary (assuming I actually land a salary somewhere!) that the Missed Kiss just doesn’t happen in real life. Maybe it used to, when courting rituals were more defined and a stronger sense of propriety was instilled in the youth. I’ve never heard of anyone actually playing out a Missed Kiss, unless they were doing what they thought they were supposed to do, as based on the experiences movies show us.
There are many, many strange and different kinds of kissing that happen in real life. There’s the wonderful-for-you-two, annoying-as-hell-for-everyone-else kind of PDA you really only see in the streets of France. There are real kisses that happen between real people who don’t try to wring the drama from every minute they’re alive, kisses that actually contain traces of 1930s Hollywood romance. And then there are drunk kisses, which is really the most common kind at college. Mistake kisses, can’t-believe-I-did-that kisses, dare kisses, impulse kisses, but no Missed Kisses—the general rationale being kiss first, ask questions later. Sorry, but I think the only Missed Kiss in the movies that actually makes sense is from the genius Superbad: Jonah Hill’s Seth tries to find his crush’s lips, but falls drunkenly into her face, giving her a black eye. Now that one I’ve actually seen happen, at many a campus frat party.
The Missed Kiss has become in recent years one of the most overused groan-inducing plot devices—right up there with the I’m Not Gay (Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That) Speech and the Tom Hanks Accent. It indicates, in my opinion, a laziness on behalf of the artist responsible. The Missed Kiss should have been retired after the MTV Movie Awards did a Dawson’s Creek parody of a slow kiss between Dawson and Joey that takes the length of a room and the entirety of that mind-numbing theme song to complete. Once Samuel L. Jackson interrupted the imminent kiss by bursting in through the window and smashing the radio playing the ubiquitous tune, the Missed Kiss was done.
Or so we thought. Filmmakers have continued to resort to this and other tired tricks, maybe to give the actors a break from, you know, acting. They are stand-ins—rather than finding creative, expressive ways to get the point across, old favorites are called up as automatic replacements for genuine emoting. Everyone can recognize the Missed Kiss, so no further effort need be made to convey the characters’ internal struggles and external obstacles. Something stands in the way of true love—comedy, and this something is overcome; tragedy, and it will remain a mile-high roadblock. Yes, the Missed Kiss really says all this, but it is now just a pale echo left behind after decades of use.
There are few movies that show unique individuals relating to each other in something other than movie language. And I think there’s a part of today’s audience that’s getting fed up. Maybe this is why documentaries are becoming more and more popular. We crave something more substantial than cliché. We want something real to chew on.
Thanks for reading!
Sara
