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Every once in a while a film is released that, while not a cinematic classic, knows exactly the type of movie it’s trying to be and because of that understanding, excels at being the best. I call this the “Torque Phenomenon,” and it’s exactly what the Wachowskis accomplish with their quasi-live-action update of Speed Racer.

On first glance, the film is all about the visuals. Filmmaker Werner Herzog once said that we are surrounded by worn-out images, and that we must create new ones. Make no mistake, Speed Racer has those new images in spades, presenting a vibrant visual flair that’s never before graced a movie screen. Even though you might not be able to process what you’re seeing, it’s still always riveting, goofy excitement.

But that’s not all - the movie backs up its style with surprisingly well-done substance. While the plot is by-the-numbers, the Wachowskis know you’ve seen this all before and zip by what could have easily dragged the film down to instead focus on building character. Speed Racer’s message of family works so well because filled with characters worth caring about without ever feeling too dumbed down, a true rarity in this type of film these days.

Speed Racer probably wouldn’t survive well with nitpicking, but it never tries to be There Will Be Blood . . . it’s simply the best live-action kid’s film since Danny Boyle’s Millions, and that’s more than enough.

Speed Racer - Trailer

Opening this week in the Twin Cities, finally, is Wong Kar Wai’s English-language debut, My Blueberry Nights. What we have here is the most frustrating film of the year, a movie so flawed in so many areas that I hadn’t planned on writing something up for it as a Favorite New Film. And yet, I’ve just been unable to get it out of my head.

The biggest downfall of the film is the dialogue, which isn’t too surprising. The best parts of Wai’s past films have been the intricate, detailed language and observations, and with little command of this new language he’s working in, he’s had to resort to more obvious and glossed-over speeches and characterization.

Apart from the stellar New York cafe scenes between Norah Jones and Jude Law, the film lacks the necessary depth to its emotional core. While Jones’ adventures in Memphis with the always-amazing David Straithairn fit right into the feel of the film, Natalie Portman’s father-hating gambler storyline seems completely out-of-place.

Those aforementioned Law/Jones scenes, however, are classic Wong Kar Wai, with the couple talking throughout the night about the meaning of forgotten keys and blueberry pies. Straithairn’s storyline also never stops being engrossing, despite it speeding by a bit too fast (probably due to the 20 minutes cut from its original Cannes debut).

The highest reason for recommendation, with this being a Wong Kar Wai film, is that it’s more beautiful than anything you’ll likely to see for the rest of the year. While the absence of cinematographer Christopher Doyle is sadly noticeable, the film still utilizes strange camera angles, slow-mo, and neon lights to their fullest extent. Wai’s vision of America is uniquely his own, rich with melancholy and nostalgia, and a lot of the style feels like Fallen Angels‘ whimsical segments more than anything else.

My Blueberry Nights is certainly Wai’s fluff film, introducing audiences slowly to his unmistakable style, and that in itself makes it one of the weakest in his filmography. But the film is unforgettable regardless, and is one of the better American romances in recent memory.

My Blueberry Nights - Trailer

Two films of note opened this weekend in Minneapolis, the first being Tom McCarthy’s follow-up to the wonderful Station Agent called The Visitor. By all accounts, this movie shouldn’t be half as good as it ends up being. The trailer plays up almost-wacky audience-friendly fare, and the deportation plot screams soapbox politics. But McCarthy being the confident director that he is, he manages to avoid all of the obvious pitfalls and makes one of the most nuanced films of the year. All of the performances are incredibly natural, especially Richard Jenkins in his subtle, award-worthy performance as bored, aimless Walter Vale.

A lot of exposition is left for the audience to decipher, usually with the scene cutting before what would be expected from a narrative film, or with the scene missing entirely. McCarthy doesn’t take his audience for idiots, and proves it also by avoiding (for the most part) heavy-handed preaching in regards to the post-9/11 treatment of immigrants.

The depiction of New York, however, it what sold the film for me. Rarely has the city been portrayed so dynamic and true, in both the beautiful urban settings and the intricate blending of multiculturalism which makes it so special. While the film certainly won’t be remembered first for this reason, dare I say it rivals the best of Woody Allen and Spike Lee in being a love letter to the city.

The Visitor - Trailer

Interview with Tom McCarthy and Richard Jenkins

Planet B-Boy, Benson Lee’s documentary on b-boying’s place in (literally) the world of hip-hop, is quite remarkable for exceeding the bounds in which the documentary genre has pigeonholed itself into in recent years. Ever since the success of 2002’s Spellbound, an increasingly high number of docs have followed the formula of a particular subculture phenomenon that leads to a particular battle - which Planet B-Boy follows by the numbers. However, whereas most other films keep characters and events at surface-level that reduce the material to mere quirks, Planet B-Boy brings focus and humanity to everyone involved.

The film begins with a brief overview of the rise and fall of b-boying - started as part of the hip-hop movement and almost killed by 80s pop culture (deeming it ‘breakdancing’) - before delving into its diverse modern culture, with unique styles forming all over the world. The main focus becomes four teams vying for the top spot in the annual Battle of the Year: America, Japan, France, and South Korea. Through the awe-inspiring talent of these teams, b-boying is showcased as an ever-evolving and legitimate dance form of self-expression.

Planet B-Boy goes the extra mile when it manages to introduce every member of the teams, delving into their particular strengths, personalities, and lives in general. You come to care about these people and their dreams, and root for them every step of the way as they battle it out to be number one. And what a battle it is . . . Japan’s Ichigeki in particular puts on a show that”ll most likely be the most awe-inspiring cinema I’ll see all year.

While brisk and easy-to-digest (it’s no Standard Operating Procedure, to be sure), Planet B-Boy’s non-stop energy and endearing characters makes this rise far above the realm of superficial filmmaking.

Planet B-Boy is currently playing in Minneapolis at the Lagoon Cinema. Check HERE to see where else it’s playing.

Planet B-Boy - Trailer

If there’s anywhere to pinpoint as a major new force in world cinema, it’s Romania. Within the last three years, a ‘New Wave’ of sorts has hit the country, mastering natural performances and extremely long camera takes that have resulted most notably in The Death of Mr. Lazarescu and 12:08 East of Bucharest, some of the very best films in their respective years.

Another stunning achievement to add to the list, now, is 4 Months, 3 Weeks, & 2 Days, winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2007 Cannes.

Here in the Twin Cities the film is currently playing at Landmark’s Edina Cinema.

Cinematical Review

4 Months, 3 Weeks, & 2 Days - Trailer

In Hearts of Darkness, Francis Ford Coppola predicted the advent of digital video, stating that one day, some little girl will pick up her dad’s camera and make art. Little did he know that the widening accessibility of filmmaking would lead to the severe lack of one key element; passion. Take a look on YouTube, at all of the indie trailers attempting to be just like their big studio counterparts, just so they might get accepted into SXSW. There’s a distinct refreshing feeling when watching someone’s old homemade films to just about everything that’s made these days.

Michel Gondry was part of the last generation that grew up with Super 8 and VHS recorders, and he understands what emotions are brought up with gathering friends and family together for the love of cinema and what makes VHS special. Many films have been lost forever outside of this old medium found only in thrift stores, and while services like Netflix exist for the convenience of not having to travel to the local indie video store to find bootleg copies of your favorite unheard-of films, there’s a certain sadness over the loss of this tradition.

The one-of-a-kind excitement of coming together and making films for the sake of making films, or hunting down forgotten movies in an outdated format, is channeled by Gondry into every frame of his fourth feature, Be Kind Rewind, where a tiny community in rundown New Jersey is unified with the power of cinema by Jack Black and Mos Def, who have to remake films erased from Danny Glover’s failing video store. It’s Gondry’s most accessible, audience-friendly output and suffers a bit from lack of focus, but in the end, it’s pure cinematic joy - a film made with passion about making films with passion.

Be Kind Rewind - Trailer

The ongoing trend of using new video technology to play to the same rules that traditional film has followed for decades is quite disheartening. This relatively new medium has an altogether different style which could make for an art-form in and of itself, but it’s been few and far between when filmmakers actually take advantage of this. While the low-budget mumblecore movement has started a tiny trend (which has yet to hold its ground), David Lynch’s Inland Empire and Michael Mann’s Collateral and Miami Vice have been the only high profile films to embrace the video look. And then comes Cloverfield.

While The Blair Witch Project was the first major motion picture to come up with the idea to use the intimacy and realism of consumer video to give a new spin on tired, familiar genres, its basic horror idea was nowhere near the epic scale of Cloverfield, which delves into just what might be happening to all those poor folks running for their lives on the streets during a Godzilla raid. That basic concept alone is worth viewing for, as the level of panic, confusion, and destruction in this type of atmosphere is nothing that cinema’s shown us before. The shaky camerawork, sometimes auto-focused and not even caring if what on-screen is framed right, lends a great service to the telling of this disaster the handful of characters find themselves trapped in.

Not to discuss the plot - though I can’t see how anything could really be spoiled, as it’s a very short, simple film at heart - but the small downside of the film is the inclusion of a very familiar romance tale which propels the characters through the city, something that comes off as fake and unnecessary when surrounded by such a new perspective of another genre. The giant monster tale being spun is just too interesting to be away from for as long as it sometimes is . . . especially with how jaw-droppingly awesome the creature really is. But this is a small quibble, as it rarely effects the overall experience.

With Brian DePalma’s YouTube war film Redacted released last year and George Romero’s new zombie flick Diary of the Dead coming our way next month, it looks like the high-concept-with-new-perspective trend is finally on its way, and I’m betting that Cloverfield will most likely rest near the top of it for quite some time.

Cloverfield Trailer: