Why Side Effects (2013) is the Quintessential Soderbergh Movie

by Tony Dayoub

If Side Effects is the final theatrical film for Steven Soderbergh—even if only for a shorter period than the "forever" he originally implied—then what a movie to bow out with. There are all kinds of reasons even the most attentive moviegoer might have had cause to think otherwise. One could start with its generic title or its below-the-title ensemble cast or the fact that it's being released at a time of year studios usually reserve for dumping their most problematic films. But why not look at the way he's constructed the film itself. Side Effects is the kind of movie in which any review must be written carefully in order to preserve its effect on a first-time viewer, a promise I'll keep in my own brief assessment.

Cronenberg Blogathon: eXistenZ (1999)

by Evan Waters

[Evan Waters looks at movies, books and comics at Club Parnassus.]

eXistenZ has a bit of a place in my heart. It was the first David Cronenberg film I saw theatrically, having more or less discovered the man's work on video the year before. That was in 1999, a strange and far-off land, and seeing it in the immediate aftermath of the Columbine shootings—with media violence and video games in particular targeted as influences—made it resonate strongly. A decade later, it holds up in very unusual ways; it's unconventional even for Cronenberg and is a bit awkward in terms of how it's built and put together, but the sheer audacious oddness of it pulls us through and animates it with a unique energy.

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes (2009)

by Tony Dayoub

Interestingly, last night (24 hours after seeing Avatar) I had a great time watching Guy Ritchie (Snatch) work Sherlock Holmes over with his particular brand of Britstosterone-fueled filmmaking. In what seems to be the emerging pattern among reboots these days, Ritchie drops in on Holmes (Robert Downey) somewhat early in his career, before he has met the shadowy figure in the fringes of the movie who will ultimately become his archenemy. And rather than modify Holmes and sidekick Watson (Jude Law) to fit into his style of protagonists, Ritchie is able to stay somewhat faithful to Arthur Conan Doyle's mythos, peppering the film with details from his novels while melding his sensibility into a London that is possibly one of the most historically accurate to ever serve as a backdrop for a cinematic Holmes adventure.

Yes, it's a grungier Holmes than we're used to seeing, one that could easily fit into the lineup with any of the other underworld characters from Ritchie's filmography yet still true to Doyle's depiction of the character. Downey has just the right flair for theatricality to embody the Holmes we're familiar with. The deductive reasoning, the dry wit, the lightning fast reflexes both mental and otherwise, are faithfully preserved. The one thing Downey brings to the mix which may shock some who only know the character from the movies is a physicality that has often been referred to in the novels. Holmes could have been a prize-fighter according to Doyle's novels, and Downey, looking leaner and sleeker than he ever has before (an allusion to Holmes' unspoken—at least in this movie—drug addiction?) brings the attitude of a bare-knuckle brawler and the grace and agility of a martial artist into the film's multitude of action scenes. This, in fact, is an action movie, but it will probably be one of the smartest and most historically accurate ones you'll see for a long time.

If there are any drawbacks they lie in the predictability of what is basically a traditional detective story/action-adventure tale. There's seldom any question that Holmes will save the day, that our heroes' lives are in danger, or that we won't figure out the villain, Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), and his agenda. And Rachel McAdams is sorely miscast as the one woman Holmes has ever found formidable. She seems like a young schoolgirl next to these men. But Ritchie makes up for this by pumping some adrenaline into the story—the film moves like a juggernaut, quick, muscular and unstoppable—and giving the movie a real sense of place and time that make every scene worth exploring if only for the simple pleasure of soaking in the ambience. Ritchie also gets points for avoiding the expository origin story that often plagues reboots of this nature. Instead he introduces us to Holmes and Watson—virtual equals in the way their strengths complement each other—in what seems like mid-career.

The most interesting performance is Law's as Holmes' faithful aide, Dr. Watson. Often presented as somewhat of a bumbler in other movies (particularly when played by Nigel Bruce in the forties), Law imbues Watson with dignity and self-respect, reminding you always that this man's intellectual stature must be of some note in order to even keep up with the arrogant genius that is Holmes. Details about Watson usually reserved solely for Doyle's stories come to the forefront in Ritchie's film: his distinguished military service in Afghanistan; his medical acumen; and his self-deprecating habit of acknowledging his limitations in the presence of his intellectually superior friend. There's even a subplot that touches on the closeness of the two men, with Holmes experiencing a bit of jealousy at the thought of Watson's impending marriage to a governess (a wonderful excuse to pass some time with the underrated Kelly Reilly).

Sherlock Holmes is hardly as ambitious as Cameron's Avatar,a film that may overshadow its opening at the box office this weekend. But Holmes succeeds on its own merits in some ways Avatar fails to. It gives us a fresh take on a favorite literary character, which in years to come, may give this film some stronger footing than its box office rival.

Sherlock Holmes opens in theaters on Christmas Day.

DVD Review: My Blueberry Nights - Singer Norah Jones Debuts in Wong Kar Wai 's first English Language Film

by Tony Dayoub



Wong Kar Wai's films live in the space between romantic daydreaming and obsessive longing. His films dwell in the ether that hangs over nostalgia for an ex-lover, where one idealizes all of that person's qualities and flaws fade away. Music that may have played in the background of a long ago encounter is never forgotten. It twists itself around melancholy images, tapping repetitively against memory until it is the memory that fades while the music and the feelings it evokes remain.


My Blueberry Nights, like most of his films, is a love triangle between a man, a woman, and their idealized romantic memories of an ex-lover. Wong's first English language film, it springs from the same domain as his other beloved films, Chungking Express (1994), and In the Mood for Love (2000), even though some of the charm may be lost in the translation.

Conceived as a vehicle for singer Norah Jones, after Wong had enjoyed a meeting with her, it is a reworking of one of his short films. Jones plays Lizzie, a woman who strikes up a friendship with Jeremy (Jude Law), owner of a cafe in New York, after she is dumped by a boyfriend. Every night she orders a blueberry pie from Jeremy, not because she likes blueberries, but because customers generally avoid the pie, and she pities the fact that it is thrown out every night. As their conversations deepen, Jeremy starts falling for her. But Lizzie goes on a cross-country trip, meeting other characters in various stages of loneliness, and writing letters to Jeremy along the way.

The colorful characters she meets are played by David Strathairn, Rachel Weisz, Frankie Faison, and Natalie Portman. In each she sees a reflection of what her loneliness could potentially lead her to be like. And each actor rises to the challenge of creating their roles with little to go on, as Wong frequently shoots with only an outline to guide him.

Some of the flaws? Well, Wong's propensity for shooting without a script works against him here, as English is not his first language. He relied on mystery novelist Lawrence Block to help with dialogue. But since much of his films are usually improvised on set, he is not up to the task of catching cliche dialogue, of which there is much of here. Wong also falls prey to the trap that many foreign-born directors do when filming in America for the first time. Fascinated by the diverse landscape, they usually have their characters visit iconic looking locales in their stories. This movie is all neon signs reflected on car windows, elevated trains, dingy diners, and other such cliches, as the story follows Lizzie from New York to Memphis to Vegas.

One of the charms of his Hong Kong films is how he occasionally references American pop culture in subtle, nuanced ways. In Chungking, his protagonist obsesses about the object of her ardor while addictively listening to The Mamas and the Papas' "California Dreamin'" repeatedly throughout the film. In Mood, it's Nat King Cole he fiddles with. Avoiding his overplayed American catalog, he instead places three of his Spanish language songs in the film, "Aquellos Ojos Verdes", "Te Quiero Dijiste", and "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás". Invoking that romantic singer, while choosing his less predictable Spanish songs, sets the proper ambiance while preserving the mystery for both his native and international English speaking fans. Here the references fall a little flat, as the iconography of America looks a little less bold outside the setting of Hong Kong.

But these flaws are easily overlooked and don't deter from one's enjoyment of the film. Contrary to rumors, Jones acquits herself decently in her first film performance, mostly because the role was created for her. She has little stretching to do, playing a wide-eyed innocent who nonetheless feels like someone who has lived, which is the persona one gathers from her recordings. Her sweet looks belie the smoky voice she performs with (one of her songs is used in the film), which is probably why Wong was fascinated by her in the first place. Her next role may prove to be more of a challenge.

The cinematography by Darius Khondji is lush and candy-colored. Every shot is impeccably staged and composed for maximum beauty. It befits the dreamy romanticism of Wong, and actually gives the beautiful In the Mood for Love a run for its money.

My Blueberry Nights is an interesting venture into American cinema by one of Hong Kong's premiere directors, with his sensibility staying intact throughout. Definitely recommended if you're a fan of any of the artists involved in its production.

This entry first appeared on Blogcritics on 7/1/2008.

Stills provided courtesy of Genius Products and The Weinstein Company.