The Films of Richard Linklater
It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books
Slacker
Dazed and Confused
Before Sunrise
SubUrbia
The Newton Boys
Waking Life (June 16/06)
It's clear almost immediately that Waking Life's been geared almost exclusively towards followers and fans of various philosophical ideas, as the film is essentially a series of seemingly endless lectures delivered by several disparate figures. It's just as obvious, however, that neophytes to the many theories proffered by filmmaker Richard Linklater will be left out in the cold (there's certainly no storyline or actual characters for viewers to latch onto). The movie follows actor Wiley Wiggins through a particularly eventful series of lucid dreams, where he encounters a whole host of chatty folks - each with their own perspective on the meaning of life. Waking Life is initially kind of interesting - albeit on an incredibly sporadic basis - but the ceaseless prattle eventually becomes mind-numbing and meaningless. It doesn't help that the majority of this stuff comes off as pompous and utterly nonsensical, though there are one or two compelling moments mixed in with the chaff (the sequence in which Before Sunrise costars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have a brief dream-related discussion is an obvious highlight). The novelty of the much-lauded animation style wears off about halfway through, with the end result a film that's more interminable than anything else.
out of
Tape (June 3/02)
Tape, which follows three high school friends (Ethan Hawke's Vince, Robert Sean Leonard's John, and Uma Thurman's Amy) as they reunite within a dingy hotel room, has been directed (but not written) by Richard Linklater, known primarily for movies featuring an abundance of dialogue. He's chosen to use digital video rather than celluloid, and in this case, it works. Most movies that use this cheaper-than-dirt format (most notably the overrated Chuck and Buck) invariably end up about as entertaining as a school play. But it works here, giving the material (pardon the overused cliché) immediacy, while forcing the viewer to confront the characters in a more direct fashion (and even allowing us the somewhat unpleasant sensation of being trapped in that room with them).
But no matter how good the script is, it would have been worthless without some really spectacular acting backing it up. Leading the cast is Ethan Hawke, last seen losing the Oscar to Jim Broadbent. And while he was quite good in Training Day - the film he was nominated for - he's far better here. Vince is reminiscent of Hawke's character in Reality Bites, except this guy has to down a shot of whiskey just to get going in the morning. He's a slacker all right; the sort of character Hawke could probably play in his sleep. But instead, Hawke produces what is probably his best (and most versatile) performance to date. Vince veers between hyperactivity and resolute calm within seconds, and Hawke perfectly captures the restless nature of this character. Robert Sean Leonard, taking the far less flashy role (just as Hawke himself did in Training Day), is just as good as the seemingly normal guy with a terrible secret. And Uma Thurman, when she finally shows up, finally gets the chance to play a normal person (albeit one with a lot of hatred and spite within her). After years of playing blind women, vacuous beauties, and dolled-up courtesans, this just may be the most contemporary character she's ever played. She's very good here, and a fine addition to the cast.
What really makes Tape worth watching (not to mention so entertaining, given the fact that it's essentially plotless) is the script. Unlike some other filmed plays, this one contains dialogue that sounds realistic. It never sounds forced or stagy; rather, it's easy enough to imagine that these are real folks. One thing that may be a little jarring is the ambiguous nature of the screenplay. By the time the end rolls around, we're left in the dark as to what actually happened that fateful day in high school. And while that lack of a definitive conclusion may be a touch pretentious, it's worth noting that not every movie should have a finite ending. Tape begs repeat viewings and lengthy discussions. Few adaptations of plays work as well as Tape does. Don't miss it.
out of
School of Rock
Click here for review.
Before Sunset
Bad News Bears (July 5/06)
At 113 minutes, Bad News Bears feels overlong by at least a half hour; what should've been a fun and breezy comedy is ultimately transformed into an incredibly tedious ordeal, although there's certainly something to be said for Billy Bob Thornton's gleefully malicious performance. A remake of the eponymous 1976 Walter Matthau flick, Bad News Bears follows pro-baseball-player-turned-drunkard Morris Buttermaker (Thornton) as he attempts to whip a group of ragtag misfits into something resembling a competent little league team. Director Richard Linklater is clearly striving for a vibe similar to his own School of Rock, as the two films essentially feature the same storyline (ie a lazy slacker finds redemption after successfully teaching kids how to excel at something). But where School of Rock was engaging and entertaining, Bad News Bears is bloated and ponderous; screenwriters Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (working from Bill Lancaster's original) infuse the film with an unusually deliberate pace, a problem that's exacerbated by the fact that the final baseball game occupies over a half hour's worth of screentime (!) That the majority of these kids simply cannot act certainly doesn't help matters, nor does Buttermaker's magical metamorphosis from apathetic abuser to kind, caring coach.
out of
Fast Food Nation
A Scanner Darkly
Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach
Me and Orson Welles
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