The Science of Lauralogy

I haven’t written about film in what seems like forever, but really is only a bit, so tonight I’ll do just that. Well the B.A. film festival ended, although I cut out two days earlier to head up to Iguazu/San Vicente, with me seeing a grand total of 16 movies of greatly varying quality, meaning from pure pieces of shit to okay attempts (pretty much everything that fell in between the extremes) at being good and seriously enjoyable film. The only film that seems noteworthy that I didn’t discuss before was Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not real fan of Mr. Van Sant. I think he’s enjoyable on some levels, his movies occasionally reach points of beauty, but for the most part he directs over-the-top try-way-too-hard to push the envelope indie films. Paranoid Park sort of follows this pattern. The critics love love love it. The audiences seem to enjoy it. Everyone’s real excited, basically. I, however, saw it because: it fit into my schedule, I could buy the tickets in advance, and well, quite frankly, I miss Portland.

And so we have me, waiting in a line that stetches three blocks in a smoke-filled Buenos Aires waiting to see this. Before it starts (late, of course), they announce something along the lines that the subtitles were broken, but there were no problems. Whatever. I sat at the top, undisturbed by uncomfortable seats, too tall people, and/or constricted spaces for my long legs. Ready to go.

A side note, the movie’s based off a teen novel by Blake Nelson that my oldest brother is a big fan of, it is also technically some bastardization of Crime and Punishment, but I think that’s definitely a stretch.

For whatever reason (I guess the novel?) the movie isn’t structured in a linear mode, but this technique didn’t really seem to add anything to the movie outside of the obligatory Gus Van Sant excess. It also is shot in a way to suggest absolutely no budget or foresight. With one very important exception. I won’t ruin it, BUT it involves a man getting cut in half by a train and then through a god sent use of technology, manages to crawl around the scene for a few seconds before he dies.

Why? Why? Why? Admittedly, I loved this scene. It came out of nowhere and absolutely no one else in the theatre thought it was hilarious (judging by the fact that I was the only one that laughed), but what place did this clearly very expensive scene have in the otherwise lo-fi Paranoid Park? And that’s why I don’t care for Gus Van Sant.

But it did make me miss Portland.

On a related note, tonight I watched Charlie Bartlett, a teen comedy that I’d seen previews for before leaving the US. That’s an example of how to make a teen movie. Funny, moving, sad, just a little self-aware. Unfortunately, while watching it, I came to the realization (as always) that I’m getting old. I can no longer think the young actors are cuties (although Anton Yelchin just barely makes the age requirement, but he’s just cute like a little puppy is cute). Tragic, I know. Although, I’ll take this moment to say that I think he is a very talented actor. If he chose some better projects (how bout dropping the new Terminator movie?). Finally, as always, it served as just another reason for me to absolutely in love with Robert Downey, Jr. Seriously. I am.