Category Archives: Film

‘Sleep Tight’ Put Me to Sleep

The new movie from Jaume Balagueró, the director of REC and REC 2, was a bit of a disappointment. Sleep Tight moves incredibly slowly, building the suspense in an admittedly effective way, but the pacing of the film in general kept it from really grabbing my attention. Any momentum that is gradually gathered throughout the film fizzles out after the sort of pseudo-climax 2/3 of the way in, and it goes back to a slow, drawn-out resolution that only grips you again in the final moments.

130202-sleeptightThe first 10-15 minutes are especially yawn-worthy, simply depicting the mundane tasks of apartment building manager César’s (Louis Tosar) life and routine. Some may say that this is an artistic choice, made in order to get the viewer into the mindset of our anti-protagonist, but for me the fact that it was so boring led to the exact opposite effect: I had almost no investment in César because he seemed so gorram boring. Really, the entire first half of the film almost put me to sleep.

The worst thing about this kind of approach to exposition used in Sleep Tight is the fact that it violates the contract with the audience. All screenwriters should be aware that the first ten minutes (or pages) of a movie are the most important–this is where you grab your viewer’s attention and give them the information they need to make the decision to invest the next 90 or so minutes of their life on this film. By the end of those ten minutes, then, the viewer should know the genre, who they are rooting for (the protagonist), the main conflict, and what the main character’s motivations are. Now, some element of mystery can still be maintained, but without these key elements, your audience is likely to get bored, preventing them from getting invested in the characters and the story.

And therein lies Sleep Tight‘s primary failing: César’s motivation is not only difficult to decipher in those first scenes, but even when it is explicitly stated by the end of the film, it convoluted and unrelatable. As I have discussed before, if you’re making your protagonist a “bad guy,” his motivation is the most essential part of his character, as the audience needs to be able to relate to it and even share in justifying his actions because of it.

Check out this review of Sleep Tight that discusses both its successes and its failings. What did you think of this new movie from Balagueró?

‘Sleep Tight’s Slow-Moving Suspense is a Snooze
Liz Medendorp @ PopMatters

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From the director of REC comes a slow burning suspenseful story of mental illness and clandestine abuse that leaves you with a skeevy feeling.

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Eagerly Awaiting Gatsby

I read The Great Gatsby in high school English class, and honestly I unfortunately don’t remember a whole lot of it. I remember that it was intriguing, but I was probably too caught up with silly highschooler things to pay too much attention to it, something that I sorely regret now that I’ve seen the trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming adaptation of it, starring the incomparable Leonardo DiCaprio.


I’m so glad I had the chance to experience this trailer in a movie theater, where the raw emotion rumbles the seats. After the first time I saw it I realized that I had been holding my breath for the entire second half of it. Honestly, I feel like the trailer is a movie in itself. It deserves a gorram award. The pain in Richard Patrick’s voice in Filter‘s gritty cover version of the Turtles’ upbeat song “Happy Together” is visceral. The menacing way it builds from almost a whisper into a full on scream, paired with the growing intensity of the images flashing on the screen, is both unnerving and stimulating.

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It actually reminds me a lot of El Tango de Roxanne, my absolute favorite scene in Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge (click the image at the right to watch it). When this film first came out, I was smitten. The richness and extravagance of the images as well as the brutal reality of sickness, prostitution, and the separation of lovers come together to produce a classic tragedy. It was the first movie to ever really make me cry. So imagine my delight upon seeing that same visual luxury and raw emotion in just the two and a half minutes of the trailer for The Great Gatsby. I seriously can’t wait to see what Luhrmann does with this classic novel.

But what is most exciting about the upcoming film is the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby himself. Not only will it be interesting to see DiCaprio working with Luhrmann again now that he’s grown up, 17 years after Romeo + Juliet, but also especially in the wake of his stunningly heinous performance in Django Unchained, I can’t wait to more from him as another man of leisure with dark secrets. It’s truly astonishing how much DiCaprio has grown over the years, from a teen heartthrob to one of the most respected and talented actors in the business. This is also why it is so sad to hear of his upcoming “long, long break” from acting. Although with Django, Gatsby, and The Wolf of Wall Street all being released within a year of each other, I suppose this leading man really does deserve some time off, even if I selfishly want to see more of him.

What do you think of the trailer for The Great Gatsby? What about DiCaprio’s decision to take time off? Let me know in the comments!

Leonardo DiCaprio: I’m Taking a “Long, Long Break” From Movies
Josh Grossberg @ E!

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Leonardo DiCaprio is eyeing a much-needed breather from the big screen.

The A-list actor announced to a German media outlet that he’s taking a significant sabbatical from acting to live life a little bit and focus on his environmental activism.

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Star Wars VII to Get a Little J.J. Abrams (Lens) Flair

I’m sure by now you’ve all heard that J.J. Abrams has officially signed on to direct the upcoming Star Wars 7. For me, it has taken several days for this news to sink in, and I have mixed emotions about it. But I finally feel that I have something coherent to say.

130127-abramsFirstly: how the frak does this man get so lucky? Not only has he had a more than respectable run in television, most notably with Lost, then he was handed the blessed conch of Star Trek, and now he’s continuing the gorram Star Wars franchise?? If you ask me, this man made some supernatural deal with the lens flair devil–success and the coolest opportunities in exchange for his soul and no less than fourscore lens flairs in every film.

That being said–oozing with unabashed jealousy, might I add–I have been largely impressed with Abrams’ work thus far. Despite the fact that many hardcore Trek fans expressed disappointment and even outrage at the Star Trek reboot, I personally, very much enjoyed it.

To some extent then, I do have hope for Star Wars: Episode VII, especially because after the complete rubbish Lucas tried to pass off as an adequate prequel trilogy, there’s really nowhere to go but up. In particular, as noted on Axolotl Ceviche, at least Abrams has some handle on how to actually direct, while Lucas, despite his aptitude for pre-CG technical innovation, has been a miserable failure as a director of real people instead of puppets.

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But really, at the core, I think the success or failure of Episode 7 will hinge on the writing. Although Abrams has done his fair share of this, there’s no word as to how much involvement he will have with the actual writing of the script, with rumors that Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine, and *gag* Brave) will be heading up the writing department.

The fundamental importance of a good script is exactly what makes me wish that Joss Whedon had been given the job. I may be a bit partial, as, just like the pulchritudinous Jason Segel to my right, Joss Whedon is my master now, but if his massive success with The Avengers has taught us anything, it’s that he knows his shit. I would feel much more comfortable with Star Wars in his hands than any one else’s. Sure he’s been super busy and probably needs a break and taking on the Star Wars franchise would definitely be a super stressful enterprise, but I don’t care. I’m selfish and I want more Jossy goodness.

While Arndt seems mostly competent and Abrams has a decent track record thus far, I’ll remain cautiously skeptical so as not to get my hopes too far up only to be disappointed by Star Wars 7. What are your feelings on the big announcement?

J.J. Abrams Set to Direct Next ‘Star Wars’ Film (Exclusive)
Lucas Shaw @ The Wrap

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Disney on Friday night confirmed TheWrap’s earlier report that J.J. Abrams will direct “Star Wars: Episode VII,” the latest film in the iconic franchise and the first since Disney bought Lucasfilm last October.

“J.J. is the perfect director to helm this,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. “Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the ‘Star Wars’ experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture.”

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