THE WRESTLER (2007), ANVIL (2008)

Son of 21st century films month! (Post 12 of 12)

The Wrestler and Anvil! The Story of Anvil

The Wrestler and Anvil! both feature high testosterone subjects (wrestling and heavy metal music) and whose ultimate moral for me is the same. “Hang in there! Do what you believe! Never give up!”

In the case of the fictional film, The Wrestler, aging grappler Randy the Ram is still trying to eke out a living in small wrestling venues while being tossed onto tables, having his head cut open or having another wrestler use a staple gun on him! It doesn’t seem too glamorous, but what else is Randy going to do? That is what he knows and who he is. When he develops a heart condition and is told to stop wrestling, he tries to do something different. The scene with Randy the Ram, hairnet and all, trying to work at a deli counter in a grocery store is one of the most tragic yet funny scenes I can remember. Of course, he hangs in there. Doing what you believe and never giving up may cost Randy his life, but he truly doesn’t seem to have a choice.

Anvil! is a documentary about an actual Canadian heavy metal band and their attempts to make a comeback, or just make another record, really.

This film has a lot of similarites to the fictional This is Spinal Tap!-Anvil even visits Stonehenge! Their sound equipment goes up to 11! They even have a gig in Europe where the owner of the club refuses to pay them! (If I told ‘em once I told them a hundred times to put Spinal Tap first and puppet show last!) And there is even the obligatory falling out between bandmates Lipps and Robb where these best friends will never work together again! Of course, they do get back together. “I was wrong. I’m an asshole. I love you brother. I can’t do this without you!”.

Like Randy the Ram, we see Lipps trying to make money at a “real” job. His attempt is as a phone solicitor. He can’t do it. It just isn’t in him. What’s he going to do? I’m not a fan of heavy metal, but you got to admire their perseverance and root for them to get their record made... Or at the very least have a fan like Sacha Gervasi who might one day become a documentary filmmaker and make a movie about you.

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (2007)

Son of 21st century films month! (Post 11 of 12)

The Bourne Ultimatum

There continues to be a steady supply of new books coming into the library featuring Robert Ludlum’s super agent Jason Bourne. It’s especially telling since Robert Ludlum died in 2001. The Bourne movies that these books spawned have proven to be even more popular than the books. I must confess, I’ve never read a Bourne book or seen a Bourne movie before. The Bourne movie on one of the 1001 lists is The Bourne Ultimatum, which is the last one (I think) in the Jason Bourne series with Matt Damon. Since this was the one on the list, this is the one I chose to watch. I quickly realized after the first few minutes of the film, that I probably should have started off with The Bourne Identity because I found myself quickly caught in the middle of a story that I didn’t know where it was supposed to go or why it was headed there. About half way through, I started to catch up a little better on what was happening and thought that overall it was a pretty good action flick, as action flicks go.

MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2004)

Son of 21st century films month! (Post 10 of 12)

Million Dollar Baby

Anyone interested in a close look at Clint Eastwood's long career as a movie star might want to read Marc Elliot's American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood. From the Leone films of the mid 60's to Grand Torino over forty years later, how many other stars can really compete with Clint's longevity?

It's hard for me not to first think of Clint as the Man With No Name or Dirty Harry, but it's his career as a director (Over 30 films, two Best Director Oscars) that really makes me take note. Elliot sees him as a flesh and blood auteur, with a recognizable signature on most of his films (Though maybe not for Breezy).

Clint won his second directoral Oscar for Million Dollar Baby, which I don't like as much as Unforgiven, but does have Hillary Swank as The Million Dollar Baby, Morgan Freeman as the trainer and Clint himself as the crusty old manager, training someone who he doesn't want to train because of her persistence. The strong, but at times depressing story, is one of those movies that I saw once and didn't want to watch again. But on my second viewing, I admit to liking it even more. It's really an emotional and dramtically involving movie. Come to think of it, I liked Unforgiven more the second time I saw it, too. Maybe there's something to this auteur theory after all!

Note to self: Watch Mystic River again.

INTO THE WILD (2007)

Son of 21st century films month! (Post 9 of 12)

Into the Wild

After viewing the movie Into the Wild or reading the John Kraukauer book it is based on, the question you may ask yourself is what is within us that makes us want to throw of the vesitages of our identity and become Alexander Supertramp? Life gives us responsibilities and we either accept them or slowly try to shed them. Can we ever act totally free? Is it worth starving to death to achieve a sense of self or a sense of oneness? Do you feel sorry for Chris McGinnis? Do you envy him? Do you wish you had the courage to do what he did? Or was he just mentally ill?

The heart of darkness may be in all men, but so is the heart of light. Where and how you find it is up to you.