'Charlie Countryman': A Review

Also known as The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman, this semi-psychological romdramedy follows Charlie (Shia LaBeouf) through the streets of Bucharest as he chases Gabi (Evan Rachel Wood) around for the majority of the film. This may seem romantic at first, but this would be a bit creepy if it were real life.

Charlie, a twenty-something from Chicago, flies to Bucharest after his recently deceased mother (Melissa Leo) appears to him and suggests he fly there. What's the significance of the capital of Romania? I'm still unsure, but he goes anyway. He meets Victor, Gabi's father, on the flight and promises to deliver a hat to her on his behalf. In cliche fashion, he falls in love with beautiful and mysterious Gabi instantly.

Of course a girl like Gabi has to come with baggage, which appears in the form of her unstable and quite older ex Nigel (Mads Mikkelsen). Of course he's involved with organized crime and has violent outbursts because why date an older guy if he isn't a criminal that makes hundreds of thousands of dollars? Of course Charlie has to get himself involved in a complex situation that he doesn't fully understand because he has to be the American hero.

There is a short while where Charlie isn't looking for Gabi, and that's when he meets his roommates Carl (Rupert Grint) and Luke (James Buckley) at a hostel, takes acid with the guys, and goes to a club with them. Of course they get into trouble at the club and find themselves on the bad side of Darko (Til Schweiger), a friend of Nigel. Of course.

Charlie wants to be a savior and essentially has a death wish. While this sort of behavior is welcome in many circumstances, he causes more problems for the girl he loves as a result. Let's explore a few of many flaws of this film without giving away too much:

• The main issue here is the script. It is clear the actors are working with what they were given, and I question if revisions were made at all. It had the potential at the base, but failed to have stronger dialogue and plot points. In fact, the film became predictable after the first twenty minutes, and there were far too many instances of cliche dialogue.
• The film tries too hard to be more than it is. It's a pretty film, that's for sure. The lighting and tone is excellent throughout, but even that can't save it. Charlie has hallucinations a few times in the film, so there are hints at this trying to be part psychological adventure when really you just question if Charlie has some sort of mental illness (not trying to stigmatize mental illness, fyi). He has one drug-induced trip with hallucinations, but you're curious as to why the others occur. Trauma perhaps? 
• Besides the flat psychological parts, this film also dabbles in comedy in the midst of much dark drama. I'm not talking about moments of comic relief, which is expected in a drama. We're talking about scenes that are supposed to be funny in a way that changes the tone of the film, and you momentarily forget that this is mostly a dark drama and not like Transformers.
• Plot issue: Charlie has never been to Bucharest before. He doesn't speak Romanian. But he ends up driving a car roughly 30 minutes after exiting the airport and initially riding with a cab driver he barely understands. We see him pull out a map for a short while (and where did that come from?) as he is driving. Realistically, you don't drive in a foreign country if you have no idea where you're going and haven't planned ahead. 
• Possible plot and character issue: Charlie can't take "no" for an answer because he loves Gabi, no matter how many times she tells him to go away because he doesn't need to get involved with her dark past. This is where we question Charlie's common sense and whether or not he has an illness of sorts. Is he far enough removed from reality that he can't see how he's putting both of them in unnecessary danger? He even puts Carl and Luke in danger, and he barely knows them either! He tries to blackmail Nigel after being threatened and assaulted by the guy on more than one occasion, and you can predict how that turns out. We get it, Gabi needs to be protected (though she never says she can't take care of herself or wants his help...), but her life would be less complicated without you.

Overall, the film is shot well, and all of the actors do their best with the characters they're given (unfortunately not much for Grint and Buckley). The soundtrack is legit, including M83 and The xx. Charlie Countryman was set up for indie greatness but falls so flat it's frustrating. What's the point of having so many talented actors if you're barely going to utilize them? This is the LaBeouf, Woods, and Mikkelsen show; the rest of the cast don't do enough to get the "supporting" label in all honesty. Apparently this film was Black Listed some time ago, and I think it should've stayed that way.

Also, I'm over the story line of "love at first sight that's initially one-way but becomes mutual if the person forces him- or herself into the other's life at any moment possible." Can we please stop romanticizing stalkerish behavior?

If anything, give the film a chance for aesthetic purposes only. It's currently streaming on Netflix.

'Upstream Color': A Review

A few months ago, I heard the light buzz around Shane Carruth's latest film Upstream Color. Carruth wrote, directed, and starred in this film- the same exact route he took in creating his 2004 debut Primer. In my eyes, Upstream Color has the same confusion and mesmerism of Primer but with an obviously larger budget. I say confusion because if you saw Primer, at least 80% of the film's dialogues and jargon went right over your head since it is so science-heavy, and Carruth doesn't even try to reduce its language for the common moviegoer. While Upstream is a lot easier to follow as its subject is not time travel, it is still confusing upon the first viewing. 

I thought I understood what was happening during the first thirty minutes or so- a parasite, unrelated people with synchronized movements- but then I found myself puzzled as the film went on. Pigs, albums full of songs created with objects and not instruments, Walden, repetition- more elements that enter the film and seemingly have no clear connection with anything, but their purpose slowly becomes perceptible. By the end, things finally tie together, and you understand how everyone and everything is connected, but you tell yourself that you need to watch it again to fully understand well enough to explain the film to a friend (yes, I realize that I changed narrative view in this sentence). Overall, I enjoyed this film a lot, and I'm ready for Carruth to write/produce/star in another film that pushes my interest in science fiction by having enough dramatic elements to hold me over.

Visually beautiful and contextually perplexing, Upstream Color is a must-see for the independent film lover. If you're a fan of Primer, you better watch this film- that is an open threat- but I must warn you that this film is very much different from its predecessor, so it may disappoint some. If you like the thrill of Christopher Nolan's Memento, but you also desire to be challenged a bit more, then this is a film for you. 

The film is available to purchase in various formats here. The website also lists other retailers you can purchase the film from, including Amazon, iTunes, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart. 

You can also stream the film online on Netflix.

'Unmade Beds': A Review

I recently watched Unmade Beds, a 2009 film directed by Alexis Dos Santos, on Netflix (since they recommended it to me). Overall, I enjoyed the film, but the purpose of this post is to dive a little deeper into the specs of the film, especially after having read a few reviews of it.

A common point in some reviews was calling the film "hipster" in some fashion, which I'm not surprised by at all. I'm just not a big fan of using that term to describe films, music, or people in general. Relating to this, some critics said that it had no real plot and the whole "day in the life of a 20-something" story was not too interesting. So here's my take:

Plot: The main plot- the interconnection of two strangers' lives- is not a new one; we've definitely seen this before. Our main characters, Axl and Vera, are both in their twenties. Axl has recently arrived in London via Madrid in search of his father whom he has not seen since birth. Vera is in search of love, attempting to get over her last break up. Originally, I thought the characters would converge in the beginning of the film and grow some sort of relationship together, but that is not the case. They both live under the same roof (a type of art-house haven for nomads and jobless youth) yet only cross paths "knowingly" once. They do not have an actual conversation until the last 15-20 minutes of the film at a party at their house, but they are both highly intoxicated and cannot clearly remember the previous night the following morning. The film ends, in my opinion, predictably on Vera's end but not so much for Axl.

The film features the "typical" life of a twenty-something- party all night, sleep all day, go to work at a bookstore or small concert venue, have a few hours to go on an adventure, and repeat. It is true that many parts of the film are a bit cliche- Vera works at a bookstore, meets a very handsome and charming man at a bar, she looks "serious" most of the time or maybe slightly lost/disinterested; Axl randomly wakes up at the house after partying, finds his dad but does not initially approach him, can't remember a thing after he drinks. If we just looked at their lives as outsiders, minus the deeper interactions they have with others, I think this film would fall very flat because it's the same story line we've seen time and time again.

Outside of the story, I found the movie to be shot nicely, which even the critics agree with. So even if you get bored with the characters, at least the film is aesthetically pleasing.

Would I recommend this film? Yes and no. Yes, if you're a huge film nerd and are looking for something to critique and want to see a film different from your major motion pictures showing in most theaters. No, if you're just a casual movie watcher who isn't necessarily a huge film buff. Also, if you're not really into dramas, this isn't the film for you. Overall, it's not the most memorable film in the world, but it's not shabby, and it has a few great lines.