It Must Be True If Everyone Is Saying It.

Everyone Says I Love You

While my wife is a big fan of theatre musicals, I have always been more drawn to musicals on the big screen. Sure I have seen a few theatrical productions that I have really enjoyed (e.g. Avenue Q, Evil Dead: The Musical, Jersey Boys, Miss Saigon), but none of them seem to have a lasting impression on me the way films do. When Andrew invited me to take part in his blog-a-thon on musicals, the first film that immediately popped into my mind was Moulin Rouge. Mainly because that was the last musical to truly dazzle me. Sure I enjoyed films like Chicago, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, etc. but none of them really spoke to me the way Baz Luhrmann’s genre bending film did. Still, if am pressed to pick my all-time favourite musical, Moulin Rouge would come second behind Woody Allen’s Everyone Says I Love You.

Compared to many modern day musical, Everyone Says I Love may seem like a bland choice by some. It often gets overshadowed by some of the flashier, and star studded, productions of late. Yet is the simplicity, and overall joy it induces, which makes Allen’s film standout. In preparation for this musical related post I watched the film Nine, the musical not the animated movie, for the very first time last week. I had been meaning to see it for some time now but never got around to it. I figured the blog-a-thon was a good reason as any to finally watch the much hyped film. Despite the movie’s stellar casting, I was amazed by how much I detested Nine.

The problem I had with Nine is that the film is so concerned with given each star their moment in the sun, that the story takes a backseat to the musical numbers. In Everyone Says I Love You, the story is always at the forefront and the musical moments merely compliment the tale, not the other way around. Even when juggling a large cast, which include the likes of Edward Norten, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Tim Roth, Natalie Portman, Goldie Hawn, Billy Crudup, Lukas Haas, Natasha Lyonne, and Alan Alda, Woody Allen always ensures that you get a true understanding of how everyone is important to the overall story. At no point does the flow of the picture come to a grinding halt just so Julia or Goldie can have their moment.

Another thing I really like about this film is that Allen finds a nice compromise between the 1930’s musicals, which inspired the film, and his own self-deprecating style. Allen will have a lavish number like “My Baby Just Cares For Me” with full backup dancers and yet the lead singer, in this case Edward Norton, still sings and dances like the “average Joe” would in that situation. This is not to say Norton has a bad voice, but his tone is not as polished as you would expect from this type of musicals. Woody Allen also contains a lot of his musical numbers in the same locations the songs start in. There are no quick cuts, no costume/location changes, no characters singing on stages, etc. Allen tries to bring as much realism as possible to confines of the 1930’s musical genre.

Lastly, and most importantly, Everyone Says I Love You is that perfect romantic pick me up that we all need from time to time. The themes of looking for love, being in love, and being in relationships with the wrong people, are common in almost every single Woody Allen film. Yet there is a more optimistic, and whimsical, feel in this particular film than is more prominent than his other works. Everyone from the upper east side elite to the two-bit gangster is struck by cupid’s arrow. You swoon when Alan Alda serenades Goldie Hawn on her birthday, yet you also are hoping that Hawn and Allen rekindle that spark they once had when they were together at another point in the film. Some may complain that Everyone Says I Love You wraps up a little too neat, but frankly I would not have it any other way.

Enemies Make Feud Public

Public Enemies

The story of Robin Hood has always been appealing on tale. The idea of someone taking from the wealthy and giving to the poor does have a nice ring to it, especially in this current economy. Yet is it way he swoops in and steals the money? Or is Robin Hood himself that makes the tale interesting? These questions crossed my mind while watching Michael Mann's Public Enemies.

Set during the fourth year of the Great Depression, crime is on the rise and notorious bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) is making a mockery of the law. Fed up with Dillinger's antics, the Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup), assigns agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to lead a task force to bring John Dillinger to justice once and for all. Purvis soon realizes that capturing Dillinger will be much harder than both he and Hoover had ever expected it to be. Dillinger shows no signs of slowing down nor does he have any weaknesses. Of course this may all change after he meets the Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard).

Though he kept everything he stole Dillinger was still viewed as the Robin Hood of his time. Dillinger became a symbol for those suffering through the Great Depression . Yet the Depression merely serves as a backdrop for the film as Mann is more interested in the various ways Dillinger robbed banks and broke of jail. While these moments were very entertaining to watch, by time the film ended, I could not help but wonder how much did I actually learn about any of the parties involved? Clearly John Dillinger was a charismatic criminal who had the intelligence needed to get away with what he did. Yet after the jail break scene, and the scene were the cops pass him in the car, you have to question whether Dillinger truly was a genius? Or were the cops just really dumb?

Since Mann opts not to delve too deep into his characters we only get glimpses of what makes the characters tick. This is most evident when you look at Bale's Melvin Purvis, who really gets short changed in this picture. Purvis is clearly way over his head when he is promoted but we rarely see how the pursuit affects him emotionally. This ultimately diminishes the impact of what happens to him at the end of the film. Also, Mann does not provide Bale room to truly showcase his range. Purvis is a rather one-note character throughout the entire film. Despite Purvis' many errors and his inner turmoil, Mann portrays him mainly as the hard stoic agent. Bale would have been much more interesting in the film had he been able to show more of the cracks within Purvis' wall.

Aside the limitations set on Bale , the majority of the cast does a decent job of breathing life into their characters. Depp and Cotillard are the standouts in the picture as there scenes together offer a nice break from the standard cops and robber stuff. Despite the lack of depth, Mann does create a film that is, if nothing else, fairly entertaining. All the trademark Mann element's are there: the handheld video shots, the elaborate shootout sequences etc. Although Public Enemies is not as spectacular as I hoped it would be, it was entertaining enough for a mild recommendation.