Hector and the Search for Happiness: Keep Looking

My friend and I went to see Hector and the Search for Happiness because AMC was giving away free tickets. Free tickets were exactly how we discovered the marvelous Begin Again, so we turned up at the theater with reasonably optimistic expectations. Sadly, you can't win 'em all.

The movie tells the story of Hector (Simon Pegg), a psychiatrist who is fed up of hearing about his patients' middle-class woes and is sick of his dull, routine-obsessed existence. He lives with his long-time girlfriend Clara (Rosamund Pike), who ensures Hector's life is always worry-free and running according to schedule. Hector decides he needs a change and announces he is going on a global research trip to find out how people in different countries find happiness. Clara is not pleased about this sudden decision, but agrees that Hector needs to do whatever he can to feel fulfilled again. 

What follows is a very strange movie that goes from Shanghai to Africa (yes, I believe no country was specified, it was just vaguely Africa) to Los Angeles. Hector meets many people (some more stereotypical than others) and asks them how they define happiness. Answers vary tremendously and he writes them all down in his diary as "research." The movie's tone veers wildly from absurdist humor to weepy drama and it all feels weird and manipulative and rather poorly thought out. It is based on a French novel by Francois Lelord, so one can only suppose that either something got lost in translation or this is one of those books that should never have been turned into a movie. 

I will say, I've never seen Simon Pegg in a dramatic role and he acquits himself remarkably well in this film. Despite the ridiculousness of the plot and general incredulity I felt throughout, I had no trouble empathizing with Hector and getting a bit swayed by his emotions. Similarly, Rosamund Pike does a valiant job to make Clara less of a nagging ice queen and more of a loving partner. The cameos by various well-known actors throughout the movie are much more hit and miss. In the end, it seems like the director, Peter Chelsom, slapped together a stew of movie with whatever odds and ends he could find in the hope that the result would be something palatable. He did not succeed.

Hector and the Search for Happiness is a remarkably ambitious movie but it fails spectacularly. It cannot figure out what it wants to say or how to say it, and the ultimate resolution feels entirely too tame and conventional for what has been such a deeply unconventional movie. It feels like one of the sketches that would air at 12:50 on Saturday Night Live; if it genuinely hung on to that absurdist streak, it might have been successful enough to gain a cult following. However, its mawkish and ultimately predictable storytelling is a letdown that doesn't deliver any happiness at all.

The Comeback: Nine Years Later

After nine long years, Valerie Cherish is back on our screens. The TV gods have answered our prayers.

Back in 2005, Lisa Kudrow starred in thirteen episodes of The Comeback on HBO. The show followed sitcom actress Valerie Cherish who was trying to revive her flagging career by filming a behind-the-scenes "reality" show about her life while she embarked on a new role playing Aunt Sassy in a broad network sitcom. It's a lot of shows within shows, and it's complicated to explain but fascinating to watch. 

The first season was a superlative example of cringe comedy. Valerie would routinely suffer humiliation at the hands of her younger co-stars, bemused camera crew, and horrific writer Paulie G. (Lance Barber), who did everything he could to debase her on the sitcom and in everyday life. The second season picks up nine years later: Valerie has had a failed stint on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, flirted with Botox, done some independent student films and is generally getting by. When she finds out that Paulie G. is out of rehab for his heroin addiction and has sold a show to HBO that sounds suspiciously like his life story as a writer on a sitcom starring a lady named "Mallory Church," she gets sucked back into the drama. 

The second season is filled with just as much cringe-inducing comedy as the first and most of the original cast are back. It also features new characters, including Seth Rogen in a very endearing role as Valerie's new co-star. Paulie G. might be off heroin but his relationship with Val is just as fraught as ever. Valerie is sweet and clueless, desperate for fame and insecure about aging in Hollywood. Her patient husband Mark (Damian Young) is still tolerating her craziness, even after production invades his house when the show's budget gets slashed. It is shocking to think that this show hasn't been on the air for nine years because they haven't missed a beat. 

The Comeback is alternately hilarious and awkward, sweet and awful, a perfect send-up of fame, Hollywood, and actorly desperation. Lisa Kudrow is a wonder to behold; she turns Valerie into a sort of female Michael Scott who does really stupid things and yet remains a likable character that the audience will earnestly root for. So tune in to The Comeback's triumphant return, and discover if Valerie's finally going to make her dreams come true.

Supermensch: The Most Interesting Man in the World

Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon is a documentary about one of the most interesting men you've never heard of. Correction: you've never heard of him if you're a regular person like me, but if you're a celebrity, he's probably your best friend. Here's a man who accidentally became Alice Cooper's manager at the age of 21 and helped launch multiple musical acts into stardom, produced independent movies that won awards at Cannes, created the whole concept of "celebrity chefs," and brewed yak tea for the Dalai Lama in his spare time. The Dos Equis guy has nothing on him.

The movie is directed by Mike Myers, who first met Shep on the set of Wayne's World. Shep helped Myers through a particular difficult time in his life (as is his wont) and the two became fast friends. Having spent so much time with Shep, Myers knew he wanted to make a movie filled with this man's crazy stories and the result is Supermensch. Featuring tales from the man himself as well as assorted celebrities and family members, the movie is a lighthearted and bewildering romp through one man's rather brilliant life.

In keeping with Shep's personality, the movie focuses on the positive and breezes past the more uncomfortable bits of his life. While Gordon seems like a genuinely lovely and caring person, some of his early tales contain excessive references to drugs, booze, and women to seem totally kosher. At one point, he refers to how he would struggle to make sure underage girls weren't caught in the vicinity of his clients, as that would make for terrible publicity. When Myers asks off-camera, "And because that would be wrong, right?" Shep laughs and says, "Oh yeah, it would be wrong too." It's a tad too casual to be comforting. Certainly, it seems like Shep's early career was fueled by ambition and the pursuit of success at all costs. He minted money and platinum records, but his personal life took a toll, and as he saw his friends dropping dead or checking into rehab, he decided it was time for a change.

This is heavy stuff, yet the tone of the movie always remains strangely upbeat, and it's difficult not to get swept up in the charm and warmth of the man. Now a Jewish Buddhist who is an excellent cook with a house in Maui that is the nexus of some of the most epic celebrity dinners of all time, Shep Gordon is clearly living a wonderful life. The only thing missing is a wife and kids, and everyone interviewed in the movie casually says how they hope Shep will settle down soon and have a baby. I would think you ought to have some qualms about hoping a nearly 70-year-old man would father a child, but Shep Gordon is capable of just about anything and who knows where the next chapter of his life will lead.

Mike Myers has collated some excellent archival footage and evocative music, and re-enacted Shep's stories in ingenious ways that make the movie very entertaining to watch. Rather than just listening to Shep tell his stories, you get to experience them vividly on screen, with all the highlighted absurdity. In 84 minutes, I was presented with a unique life that I loved learning about but would never want to emulate. So watch Supermensch and catch a glimpse of how the other half lives and what you have (not) been missing. 

Mockingjay - Part 1: The Fight for Freedom

When I first read The Hunger Games, I was obsessed. I couldn't stop reading the books until I was all done. Then I saw the first movie, and loved it. I re-read the books with just as much enthusiasm and watched the second movie, which I adored as well. And now I've just watched The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1. No surprise, I loved it too.

The movie picks up in the underground bunkers of District 13. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is trying to process her rescue from the arena of the 75th Hunger Games and deal with the guilt of leaving Peeta behind. Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), the President of 13, is trying to figure out if this traumatized girl really is capable of being the spokesperson of the revolution to overthrow the Capitol, a view only enthusiastically being espoused by Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Gale (Liam Hemsworth) is turning into a soldier, invested in the fight and eager to obtain retribution for the destruction of District 12. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go read the books or watch the previous movies, because this is a sequel that has zero interest in recapping events for you and making sure you're caught up.

This movie is jam-packed with action, emotion, and high-stakes drama. There are some brief moments of levity (mostly through Elizabeth Banks' wonderful performance as the ridiculous Effie Trinket), but this is a tale that is true to its dark and dystopian roots. Lawrence's performance is powerful as always, capturing every nuance of Katniss' fear, anger, and bravery as she reluctantly agrees to become the Mockingjay and lead the rebellion. Her conflicted feelings for Gale and Peeta are explored carefully, and despite the many action sequences and epic set pieces, there are also moments of quiet reflection and haunting beauty that remind you of what these people are fighting for. Always a sucker for soundtracks, I have to say the most affecting moment for me was when Katniss sings "The Hanging Tree," which is filmed and turned into a propaganda video, subsequently becoming a rebel anthem. It's a moving and powerful sequence that brilliantly distills the mood of the novels and the complex narrative.

Director Francis Lawrence has a real knack for these movies and he knows how to pace them perfectly. The action is always punctuated with plot and moments of stillness, and while you are swept away in the narrative, you are never overwhelmed. Screenwriters Peter Craig and Danny Strong have done a fantastic job of adapting Suzanne Collins' work and it is very clear that the decision to split the story into two parts was the right one. A lot happens in the novel, and it would have been crazy to pack that all into one movie. By splitting the story into two parts, we get to fully experience the world of the novel and the heart-stopping events that will lead to the ultimate battle against the Capitol. The cliffhanger is perfectly frustrating, and even though I know what's going to happen next, I still can't wait to see it all unfold.

The Hunger Games is a truly great franchise, and Mockingjay - Part 1 is an excellent addition. While I am desperate to see Part 2, I am also sad that this means it's all almost over. But then again, I'll just re-read the novels and re-watch these movies for many years to come. 

Transparent: Groundbreaking Television

Transparent is Amazon's first big foray into the arena of prestige programming. They dropped all ten episodes of the show's first season (it has unsurprisingly been renewed for a second) in September and the rave reviews kept pouring in. I'm late to the party but finally binge watched my way through the show last week and can add my praise to the flood.

The show tells the story of Mort (Jeffrey Tambor), a seventy-year-old man who has decided to finally take the plunge and come out to his family as a woman. That is the last time I will be using masculine pronouns to describe her. Maura (that's her new name) is terrified to come out to her three grown children, who are all hideously self-obsessed human beings in their own special way. There's the eldest daughter, Sarah (Amy Landecker), who has two young kids with her husband, but is grossly dissatisfied with her stay-at-home lifestyle and is seeking to rekindle a romance with a former flame. The middle son, Josh (Jay Duplass), is a successful music producer but a fairly horrible and entitled person. The youngest daughter, Ali (Gaby Hoffmann), is smart but aimless, hitting her father up for money with no real life plans and ambition. The remaining member of the family is Shelly (Judith Light), Maura's ex-wife (they have been divorced for several years at this point), who is very Jewish and loud and equally fed up of her unhelpful children.

The series is brimming with plot - while Maura's coming out and transition to full time womanhood is obviously central to the show, her ex-wife and kids also have a lot going on in their own personal lives. At times, it seems like Maura might be the only stable one in her family, as she at least has decided to accept her true self and take control of her life. Tambor does an exceptional job playing Maura. His performance is so quiet and reserved, yet he is imbuing that character with years of frustrated femininity, fear, and finally acceptance. The show contains many flashbacks that give us some insight into Maura's early struggles to find a place for herself. It is an eye-opening and beautifully constructed look into the evolution of the LGBT community and the strange politics and rules within that world that manage to make Maura feel as unwelcome there as she does in the heterosexual sphere. 

The other actors are all doing tremendous work as well. Landecker, Hoffmann, and Duplass keep straddling the line between likability and loathing, portraying three very human siblings who are extremely flawed but still care for each other and their parents in some twisted fashion. There are plenty of guest actors you will recognize from other shows (Rob Heubel, Melora Hardin, Bradley Whitford, to name a few), who are doing things you've never seen them do before, and doing it spectacularly. Of course, ultimate credit is due to the show's creator, Jill Soloway, who wrote the show as a way of processing her own father's coming out as trans. Each episode is a thoughtful, empathetic portrayal of the trans community, LGBT issues, and general family dynamics. Some moments are farcical and hilarious, some are deeply moving and sad, others are odd and thought-provoking. But it is never dull, and is a constantly surprising piece of television that challenges you to assume you know where things are going and then takes you somewhere else.

Transparent is a sprawling, messy, dramatic comedy filled with moments of hilarity, profoundness, and just plain weirdness. It contains brilliantly-realized characters, who all have deeply complicated and nuanced relationships with each other. It is challenging and absorbing, heartbreaking and funny, and simply lovely. You've never seen anything like it before, so watch it right away.

St. Vincent: Sweet & Savvy

All I knew about St. Vincent is that it starred Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy. That was enough for me. Now that I've watched it, I can recommend it not only for its cast, but for the funny and moving story by writer-director Theodore Melfi. He tells a familiar story but tells it so well that you could just keep watching it forever.

The story is fairly simple. Vincent MacKenna (Bill Murray) is a cranky old man who doesn't like people and isn't much liked in return. He is fond of gambling and drinking, pays a pregnant Russian prostitute (Naomi Watts) for her services once a week, and is heavily in debt. One day, Maggie Bronstein (Melissa McCarthy) moves in next door with her 12-year old son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher). She is getting over a nasty divorce and is dealing with the chaos of single motherhood, while Oliver quietly takes it all in his stride. He is a remarkably self-possessed child, but after being bullied at his new school and arriving at his house without his keys, he is forced to seek refuge at his cranky neighbor's house. Vincent, desperate for cash, reluctantly agrees to become Oliver's babysitter, and proceeds to teach him some questionable life lessons, including how to break someone's nose and gamble all your money on a horse racing trifecta.

Murray and McCarthy are two of the greatest comedians to grace our screens and they both do a spectacular job in this movie. I don't know how much of the dialogue was improvised and how much of it was already included in Melfi's original script, but the humor is sarcastic, witty, and fantastic. Chris O'Dowd also plays a small but insanely memorable role as Oliver's teacher, Brother Geraghty (it's a Catholic school), who is resigned to the fact that his pupils are a bunch of heathens but he is going to teach them about morning prayers anyway. Naomi Watts is charming as Daka, the "lady of the night" who seems like a one-note character but gradually develops into a surprisingly funny and warm woman. And Jordan Lieberher is one of those child actors who is destined to become a star. He is utterly wonderful as the polite, capable Oliver, watching in resigned bewilderment as the adults around him proceed to screw up their lives in every way possible.

While the movie starts off as a raucous comedy, the second half gets more dramatic, as Vincent undergoes some huge life changes, alienates his friends, and seems to return to his old ways. Oliver and Maggie have to face some challenges themselves, and things look a little bleak. However, the movie ends with a beautiful flourish that teeters on the edge of treacly sentimentality but is saved by Murray's no-nonsense acting. He doesn't chew the scenery in the dramatic moments, letting them play out naturally without getting too mawkish. Likewise with Melissa McCarthy, who is sympathetic throughout but never demands your pity. The proceedings are enough to bring a tear to your eye but not make you feel too manipulated, the Goldilocks zone of a great comedy-drama.

St. Vincent is a movie that you can predict all the way through: the story of a grumpy old man and a young boy becoming unlikely friends is one that we've all seen before. What makes it unique is the stellar cast, who can make you laugh uncontrollably one moment and then tear up the next. The characters are unlikely and bizarre, which makes it all the more fascinating to see how they all fit together and become a support system. It may be a tale as old as time, but it is a beautifully told tale, and will gladden your heart. 

Rosewater: A Profound Revolution

Some days, I feel incredibly fortunate to be a New Yorker. My oft-mentioned brilliant friend, Laura, alerted me to a special preview screening of Rosewater at the AMC Lincoln Square theater on Thursday. The screening would be followed by a live stream of a Q&A session between Stephen Colbert, Maziar Bahari, and Jon Stewart that was being broadcast across the country in multiple movie theaters. However, much to my shock and delight, since I was attending the Lincoln Square screening, I had unwittingly stumbled upon the location where Stewart, Colbert, and Bahari were physically present to conduct the Q&A. It was a wonderful event that fully conveyed the intelligence and earnestness of all parties involved in making this movie. But enough about that - you're hear to read about the movie.

Rosewater is the true story of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari (played by Gael Garcia Bernal), who went to Iran in 2009 to cover the presidential elections. These were the elections that sparked the Green Revolution that took Twitter by storm and brought the world's attention to the fact that Iran was full of educated, disenfranchised youth who wanted to have a say in their country's future and were being denied that opportunity. Bahari was caught in this political maelstrom and summarily arrested and placed in solitary confinement at Evin Prison, under accusations of being a spy for the Western media and charged with fomenting the revolution. His nameless interrogator (played by Kim Bodnia) played a clip of an interview Bahari had done for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. This satirical news segment was used as evidence that he was talking to American spies, further highlighting the dangerous absurdity of his situation, and ultimately leading to the reason why Jon Stewart got involved in this project.

Since Bahari wrote a book about his experience that Jon Stewart has turned into a film, we all know this story ends with him ultimately getting out of prison. But the story of how he got there, and his desperate attempts to cling to his sanity and some semblance of hope as he spent 118 days in solitary confinement is what makes Rosewater such a powerful and moving film. The movie rests squarely on the shoulders of Gael Garcia Bernal, who delivers a simply astonishing performance. His face is a flickering canvas of emotion and there are multiple scenes where he has to go from laughter to despair, from hope to anger, and convey impossible nuances of human emotion, all while wearing a blindfold. Kim Bodnia is equally effective as his ruthless but foolish interrogator, a man who is just trying to get his job done so he can get home to his wife and stop thinking about torturing people for a few hours. It's such an absurd and terrible situation, and despite the immense darkness of the story, Stewart deftly weaves in plenty of humor that allows you to decompress from the horrors of this stifling imprisonment.

This film is an impressive directorial debut and I greatly look forward to seeing what Jon Stewart comes up with next. The movie is not a polished affair - there certainly are times when the camera is too shaky, or montages are done a bit too cleverly to demonstrate technical proficiency at the expense of simple artistry. But all of the core elements of excellent storytelling, superb acting, and evocative cinematography and music are there. The background score by Howard Shore is wonderful, but the occasional blasts of Iranian hip hop are even more vibrant and exciting, challenging you to alter your perceptions of this society and recognize that it is filled with so much more diversity and animation than you would ever imagine from watching cable news stories.

Rosewater captures the beauty of Iranian society along with its ugliness, and this is a movie that has multiple tales to tell. It is a movie about the dangers faced by journalists in the field along with their responsibility to brandish their cameras and tell the world about what they see. It is a movie about an oppressive regime and the clamoring idealists who love their country and demand change. It is a movie about psychological torture and unlawful imprisonment. It is the story of the members of Bahari's family, a group of brave souls who all fought in their own way to change the status quo and paid dearly for it. And with its final shot, Rosewater is the story of the triumph of the human spirit, that refuses to be cowed, will laugh in the face of horror, and remain defiant in the quest for justice.