I saw this movie at the screening for the 2005 Portland 48 Hour Film Project, where it won the top prize. I was surprised that it took the high honors, not because it's bad but because it had good competition, and it's a fairly standard thriller scenario. The case of mistaken identity late at night in a lonely woman's home creates some tension, and the movie has an interesting video look reminiscent of a low-budget 1980s slasher film. It has very good acting, especially for a 48 Hour Project entry, but it's not a particularly exciting or rewarding narrative. It's worth watching if you get a chance, and you might be able to find it on a 48 Hour compilation DVD.
Reviews
3 Reviews
Fantasy Unlimited
(2005)
Good acting but standard story in a 48 Hour Film Project short
11 April 2007
Million Dollar Baby
(2004)
Somewhere, Spike Lee is mad. Right here, I'm disappointed.
13 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Much like Clint Eastwood's last supposed masterpiece, Mystic River, Million Dollar baby combines stereotypical, recycled characters with overwrought photography and an inexcusable score to create mediocre Oscar bait (check the release date - suspicious). Perhaps the film's worst offense is Eddie, the custodian/trainer at Frankie's gym. The character is a blatant example of what Spike Lee calls the "super Negro" - a wise old black man who uses his uncanny insight and common wisdom to help white people who either take him for granted or treat him like crap. Eastwood even gave Eddie a severe cataract in one eye to emphasize that his vision is not like ours (or Frankie's). I don't know why Morgan Freeman accepts these roles. In Million Dollar Baby, a minor character even uses the n-word against Eddie; it's in a context that strives to be non-offensive, but it only adds to the "super Negro" character stereotype. The other two leads, Frankie (played by Eastwood) and Maggie (Hilary Swank) are just as stereotypical but not nearly as offensive. They are the grizzled old stubborn veteran and the hard-luck, hard-working gal who does things her own way. Eastwood forces the surrogate father/daughter relationship between the characters with corny, overt dialog at tender moments and with the letters Frankie's own daughter returns to him each week. This subplot goes unresolved - it exists only to drive an already obvious point about the lead characters' relationship into our minds.
Eastwood and his pet DP/former gaffer Tom Stern blanket their walking stereotypes in shadows. In some scenes more than 50 percent of the frame remains true black. Stern offsets this with contrived lighting that highlights pieces of objects or faces with no relation to the supposed sources in the story world. For example, Maggie often has a triangular swatch of highlight on her nose and forehead, and in the last hospital scene, the far corner of her bed mysteriously glows in the moonlight while her head, with nothing between it and the window except the glowing sheet corner, remains in complete shadow. I imagine Eastwood and Stern used this high-contrast look to make the film gritty and "real," but with the outrageous point sources and conveniently-placed flags it looks about as lifelike as Jurassic Park III. Perhaps Stern's background as a long-time gaffer made him into a cinematographer who pays much attention to complicated lighting schemes and little attention to composition as a whole. Sure it's nice with Eddie literally casts a long shadow in scenes where he's in a position of power, but it's a bit over the top. I feel sorry for Swank and Freeman for having to act while frozen in those tiny, micromanaged pools of light.
Stern's photography, however, seems masterful compared to Eastwood's score. I thought he did a fine job developing emotion at the key story points through direction and editing, but he seems to feel it's necessary to cue his viewers with grating strings (sad!) or bright piano (happy!) that reflect exactly what's happening a few moments before it occurs on screen. Apparently Clint doesn't trust his storytelling enough to leave his amateurish songwriting skills out of the mix.
Eastwood seems to pay so much attention to craft that I imagine he could make a truly great film instead of overrated Oscar bait in his old age. I wish he would ditch his old buddy Stern, hire a real composer and get a script with characters that are more than tired stereotypes.
Eastwood and his pet DP/former gaffer Tom Stern blanket their walking stereotypes in shadows. In some scenes more than 50 percent of the frame remains true black. Stern offsets this with contrived lighting that highlights pieces of objects or faces with no relation to the supposed sources in the story world. For example, Maggie often has a triangular swatch of highlight on her nose and forehead, and in the last hospital scene, the far corner of her bed mysteriously glows in the moonlight while her head, with nothing between it and the window except the glowing sheet corner, remains in complete shadow. I imagine Eastwood and Stern used this high-contrast look to make the film gritty and "real," but with the outrageous point sources and conveniently-placed flags it looks about as lifelike as Jurassic Park III. Perhaps Stern's background as a long-time gaffer made him into a cinematographer who pays much attention to complicated lighting schemes and little attention to composition as a whole. Sure it's nice with Eddie literally casts a long shadow in scenes where he's in a position of power, but it's a bit over the top. I feel sorry for Swank and Freeman for having to act while frozen in those tiny, micromanaged pools of light.
Stern's photography, however, seems masterful compared to Eastwood's score. I thought he did a fine job developing emotion at the key story points through direction and editing, but he seems to feel it's necessary to cue his viewers with grating strings (sad!) or bright piano (happy!) that reflect exactly what's happening a few moments before it occurs on screen. Apparently Clint doesn't trust his storytelling enough to leave his amateurish songwriting skills out of the mix.
Eastwood seems to pay so much attention to craft that I imagine he could make a truly great film instead of overrated Oscar bait in his old age. I wish he would ditch his old buddy Stern, hire a real composer and get a script with characters that are more than tired stereotypes.
In the Cut
(2003)
Mediocre film; amazing sound design and nude scene
26 January 2005
"In the Cut" features solid acting and a nice color scheme but is mostly unremarkable in terms of story, script and visuals. Savvy viewers will recognize most of the plot elements and characters from other recent thrillers. The film does, however, have two remarkable elements: an amazing 5.1-channel sound mix and a nude scene that is notable not for its pornographic or fantasy-fulfilling qualities but for its stark realism.
Anyone who appreciates film sound should watch (or rather, listen to) "In the Cut" because it's one of the few existing films that uses 5.1-channel sound for more than SFX gimmicks or making sure the Dolby Digital logo appears on its DVD case. The film creates real ambiance and mood with its sound mix, which helped suck me into the story world and get a sense of the characters' environment. I first noticed this when Frannie descends the stairs in the restaurant (just before she sees the mysterious villain). As she walks through the noisy crowd and down the stairwell, the conversations, bustling and other background fade from the front to rear channels and mix with her footsteps as she descends. This, to me, is much more elegant use of 5.1-channel surround than sticking a few whizzing noises in the rear channels when a spaceship flies off the top edge of the frame. "In the Cut" makes full use of its available channels, which is more than 99% of high-budget films can say.
The other piece of the film that stuck with me was the nude scene with Frannie and Malloy that follows their inevitable hook-up. It's so rare to see a Hollywood nude scene that features characters just lounging with nothing on and in such an unromantic setting. It's especially amazing with an established star like Meg Ryan. There are no mysterious L-shaped sheets to hide their bodies but there is also no sense that Campion left them nude to attract voyeurs to her film. The characters don't assume erotic poses; they simply act as if they've already seen what they have to show each other, as most people do after sex. I don't often praise realism in films, especially stupid thrillers, but this scene stood out as much as the excellent sound design. If only the rest of the film could live up to those standards.
Anyone who appreciates film sound should watch (or rather, listen to) "In the Cut" because it's one of the few existing films that uses 5.1-channel sound for more than SFX gimmicks or making sure the Dolby Digital logo appears on its DVD case. The film creates real ambiance and mood with its sound mix, which helped suck me into the story world and get a sense of the characters' environment. I first noticed this when Frannie descends the stairs in the restaurant (just before she sees the mysterious villain). As she walks through the noisy crowd and down the stairwell, the conversations, bustling and other background fade from the front to rear channels and mix with her footsteps as she descends. This, to me, is much more elegant use of 5.1-channel surround than sticking a few whizzing noises in the rear channels when a spaceship flies off the top edge of the frame. "In the Cut" makes full use of its available channels, which is more than 99% of high-budget films can say.
The other piece of the film that stuck with me was the nude scene with Frannie and Malloy that follows their inevitable hook-up. It's so rare to see a Hollywood nude scene that features characters just lounging with nothing on and in such an unromantic setting. It's especially amazing with an established star like Meg Ryan. There are no mysterious L-shaped sheets to hide their bodies but there is also no sense that Campion left them nude to attract voyeurs to her film. The characters don't assume erotic poses; they simply act as if they've already seen what they have to show each other, as most people do after sex. I don't often praise realism in films, especially stupid thrillers, but this scene stood out as much as the excellent sound design. If only the rest of the film could live up to those standards.
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