Z is for... [part 2]

If there's been a zombie apocalypse and you're road-tripping alone though the wasteland, you could do worse than run into Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a bourbon-swilling bad-boy butt-kicker with a really cool car. This is where the careful hero of Zombieland, a kid nicknamed Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), finds himself early in the film, and you can hardly blame him for hitching a ride with this swaggering Alpha Male. Still, they have their hands full not only with gibbering zombies but also with two sisters (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) who will stop at nothing to reach a Disneyland-like amusement park in L.A. Although Zombieland gets off to a rocky start with Columbus's overly-cute narration (he's got a list of rules for surviving in the zombie world), it settles into an amusing comedy, regularly interrupted by bouts of blood-letting. The road-trip stuff is enough fun that when the movie does arrive at its version of Disneyland, the air goes out of it a little; sure, there's a giant zombie blowout, with entrails flying, but it's not quite the same. Director Ruben Fleischer keeps the gags coming, although the movie is often funnier in its odd little asides (both Eisenberg and Harrelson are expert at this) than in its official jokes. Comic high point: an interlude at the home of a very famous movie star, who plays himself--and we'll leave the spoiler unspoiled, in case anybody hasn't heard about this funny extended cameo. (synopsis provided by Amazon.com)

released 2009

directed by Ruben Fleischer

Zombieland [2009]

I was hesitant to see Zombieland in the theater – as it looked like it’d either be really good – or dreadfully bad. Sometimes those stylized “hip at the time” kind of films – especially comedies - can lead you in with it’s sweet promises – only for you to walk out cursing that you were duped again.

The United States has been overrun by zombies. An overly cautious boy named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) meets a violent Twinkie obsessed guy named Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson)– they join up to travel and to survive. They meet a girl named Wichita (Emma Stone) and her younger sister named Little Rock (Abigail Breslin)– and a cat and mouse chase develops.

This film tries to have some varying themes and zombie like messages – but that’s coated so very thin – that it’s almost not worth mentioning. The main theme would probably be the detachment of people from each other – given the fact that Columbus was basically a shut-in – and they all call themselves by the town they grew up in – in order not to get too attached to one another.

The film is pretty much all fun and zombie killing from there. It provides some VERY solid laughs – some good zombie kills – and a special cameo that was quite satisfying. The movie felt like a video game at times – which is fine – but it does lack substance for it.

Everybody was as good as can be expected in their respective parts – with a special nod to Woody Harrelson who hits a big home run in the role of Tallahassee. The performances – really don’t equate into the liking of the film – you just basically don’t want to follow around a bunch of unlikable characters – so as long as the parts are written right – there’s no problems.

As Columbus ticks off his “rules to survive” there’s graphics showing up on the screen – and demonstrations of what he’s talking about. The graphics don’t added or detracted from my personal enjoyment of the film – but in other films I know it’s really gotten to me. Don’t try and be too cute or try to bee too cool “look at us” – or else I’ll turn off right away.

There's plot holes the size of something very big and there’s a couple of really stupid decisions made my some of the characters – that you just want to shout at the screen and ask “why?” – but it’s no more dumb than giant robots who can transform into stuff in order to hide in plain site but not transforming when they need to because they want to play peek-a-boo around the corner of a fucking house while that stupid fucking kid is having some inane conversation with his dumber than rocks family in that one really fucking stupid film that makes me want to punch myself in the head over and over and over and over... Sorry.

Zombieland is fun – just plain fun – I won’t tell you to turn off your mind and enjoy it because life doesn’t work that way – but if you want to watch it I won’t tell you not to – if you are on the fence I would give you a nudge toward the ‘watch it’ side – if you have no interest I won’t tell you you’re missing a lot. In my book - Woody and the cameo make it worth it - I’m giving it a solid 4 out of 5.

No Country for Old Men [2007]

Plenty has been said about this film – so I’m not going to give you my traditional style of review – I’m just going to kind of explain my experience with the film – what I understand – what I don’t.

First time I saw this film – I walked out of the theater feeling embarrassed because I thought I fell asleep – and my friend was being kind and denied that I was asleep. Till just recently – I couldn’t understand what was so special about this film – and I still think the hype hurts this film more than it should – but after two subsequent viewings – I get it now.

I think.

Llewelyn stumbles upon the aftermath of a gunfight – where there are virtually no survivors – with the exception of one dying man begging for water. Knowing there must be something special around for all these people to be dead – he tries to determine where the last man standing is – and finds a case full of money. Later that night after he gets home - he realizes that if that dying man survives to tell someone that he was sniffing around – he’d be in real trouble.

He goes back to the scene – only to be discovered and chased by another group of men. Realizing he’s not going to be safe – he sends his wife away to be safe with her mother – and he goes on the run. How right he is – because an unreasonably violent man named Anton Chigurh is coming after him for the money.

I think what threw me so completely my first viewing – is that I was expecting an “ah-ha” moment to be verbalized by some character – and shared with the audience. The problem was all the “ah-ha” moments were internalized – the Cohen Brothers kind of expect you to be right there in the moment with the characters – and thinking along the same lines.

The other thing that threw me is the Chigurh character – he doesn’t really appear to have any driving motivation to him other than to get the money – even though he’s not running around saying “give me the money”. He’s really scary in that sense – he’s got no conscience – no sense to the viewer that he has a stopping point. He can’t be reasoned with or sent off course in any way. You get the sense that even if he gets the money the parties responsible for inconveniencing him in the process – will be killed. He’s crazy – but is too reasoned and calm to appear crazy – and that’s what’s scary.

As you can see I really haven’t mentioned the Sheriff character at all – and that’s because I’m not sure if I would call him the glue that makes the story come together – or if he’s the commentator that helps us justify the story. Some places I’ve read that he should be considered the “good guy” or the “main character” – which is interesting considering – his impact to the story is minimal. He’s certainly interesting as a character in the story – but maybe not as necessary to the conflict.

Then I start to think that the glue is the Llewelyn character – that holds the story of the “good guy” and the “bad guy” together – but it’s so difficult to put your finger on it since none of the characters ever share the screen.

I lean more towards the sheriff being the “glue” that holds the story together in a more above the fray narrator sort of way. He will wax poetically about the condition of the world – and then we’d go back into the violent chase between Llewelyn and Chigurh.

What I have really learned to appreciate about the film is the stark realism of it. I consider it a chase film – but I would imagine in real life – not every chase involves cars screeching down the highway – shooting out the windows at each other. I would imagine a more accurate real life chase would be – the chaser is always just a step behind the person being chased – just like this film. They may have just crossed paths and there’s not a bunch of unbelievable coincidences that link them and bring them together – but a rare coincidence.

I’ve also heard a theory about Chigurh – that I think is a bit stretching the character and implying things that aren’t really there – this is the one where Chigurh is the personification of death. On one hand if you beat death at his “game” (the coin flip) he’ll let you live – but that would also imply that everyone who crosses his path is marked which obviously – not everyone dies. I just think he’s scarier as an unstoppable person with no understandable morals.

So, now that I’ve seen the film 3 times – and got a better grasp – I quite like it and would rate it much higher than I did previously – but I’m still confused about some of the hype – but I’m more than happy to take Paul’s advice and “let it be”.