Post by klep on Dec 9, 2019 7:58:06 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 12/9: Speed Racer
IT'S LADIES' WEEK!
I didn't believe Speed Racer could be a good movie when I first heard about it. I wasn't plugged into cinema at the time; I would see a handful of high profile releases a year - once, maybe twice a month. But I remembered Speed Racer cartoons. Fairly or not, I remembered them being cheap and hokey, and why would I be interested in watching a movie based on them? There was so little there there. I was certainly unaware that the film was being made by the Wachowski sisters.
Fortunately I eventually learned the foolishness of my disregard, and was persuaded to give the film a shot. I was greeted with a work of pure love and joy; a film that exulted in the magic of cinema. The opening sequence defines the movie. It's Speed's (Emile Hirsch) latest race, and we join him in the locker room, his foot tapping on the ground in anticipation. We hear engines roar.
We're then propelled along with Speed as he races along the track. Reflections in his visor help us see what he's seeing. The track passes by at a furious pace as color commentators' heads pan across the view - the sense of speed is exhilarating. And through it we're given briefs breaks to give us scenes filling in the background of Speed's life and those in the Racer family orbit. These flashbacks manage to never take us out of the race, but serve rather to inform it. They tell us who Speed is and why he's motivated to win this race. We learn of his racing family and the brother he idolized. It's no surprise when his brother's 'ghost' appears on the track - Speed is measuring himself against his brother, but is not ready to erase the one positive mark left to his brother's name.
It's one of the most thrilling opening sequences I've ever seen, and that's just the beginning. Speed Racer has race after race, including a chase sequence that's not strictly part of a race. It's a film that's constantly in motion, and when it's still it keeps your attention with vivid, solid blocks of color and fun camera work. The film is shot entirely in greenscreen, which let the Wachowskis layer their shots in a way that makes them look like a sort of live-action anime. It's fresh and exciting, giving the film a delightful playfulness.
But despite (or perhaps because of) the cartoony look, it's a film that oozes sincerity and heart. The Racer family is a tight-knit group with a father played by John Goodman and a mother played by Susan Sarandon - essentially ideal parents. They all love each other dearly and while they have their conflicts, they always know their true strength is in that familial bond they share.
Set in a world where car racing is the only sport that matters, the core conflict of Speed Racer is between the Racer family's independent racecar business and the corporate overlords that corrupt the racing scene, led by E.P. Royalton (Roger Allam). Upon Speed rejecting Royalton's attempt to recruit him, Royalton goes on a screed about how the top races are all fixed to manipulate stock prices and the only thing that matters is money. Speed is a fool, he says, and Speed starts to wonder if he's right.
But Speed's family is so pure of heart that - together with the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) - they band together and refuse to let Royalton get away with it this time. And sure enough, despite Royalton's best efforts Speed is the one to cross the finish line at the Grand Prix after exposing Royalton's perfidy.
Speed Racer is a film where the good guys win and the bad guys get their comeuppance. That's not to say it's naive or innocent. The Wachowskis recognize there's evil and corrupting influences in the world, and that these things must be fought. But they also believe there will always be people to fight them, and that in the end it's those people who will win. It's a film that's earnest and pure of heart, and believes in the goodness of people. It's impossible to come out of Speed Racer feeling anything but better about life, and optimistic for the future.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 12/16: Dick Tracy
PULP ADVENTURE WEEK!
For Pulp Adventure Week we're going into the world of pulp detective comics, with Warren Beatty's passion project adaptation of the famed Chester Gould comic strip. Awash with colorful characters, hard boiled dialog, and of course that fabulous 2-way wrist radio, the world of Dick Tracy is an exemplar of pulp fiction. Join us next week for our discussion of Dick Tracy, available for rent in the usual places.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 12/10: Marriage Story
The current edition of the podcast concludes with Noah Baumbach's new Marriage Story, about a couple with a young child at the end of their marriage. Come join us Wednesday for our discussion of this film, available on Netflix.
IT'S LADIES' WEEK!
I didn't believe Speed Racer could be a good movie when I first heard about it. I wasn't plugged into cinema at the time; I would see a handful of high profile releases a year - once, maybe twice a month. But I remembered Speed Racer cartoons. Fairly or not, I remembered them being cheap and hokey, and why would I be interested in watching a movie based on them? There was so little there there. I was certainly unaware that the film was being made by the Wachowski sisters.
Fortunately I eventually learned the foolishness of my disregard, and was persuaded to give the film a shot. I was greeted with a work of pure love and joy; a film that exulted in the magic of cinema. The opening sequence defines the movie. It's Speed's (Emile Hirsch) latest race, and we join him in the locker room, his foot tapping on the ground in anticipation. We hear engines roar.
We're then propelled along with Speed as he races along the track. Reflections in his visor help us see what he's seeing. The track passes by at a furious pace as color commentators' heads pan across the view - the sense of speed is exhilarating. And through it we're given briefs breaks to give us scenes filling in the background of Speed's life and those in the Racer family orbit. These flashbacks manage to never take us out of the race, but serve rather to inform it. They tell us who Speed is and why he's motivated to win this race. We learn of his racing family and the brother he idolized. It's no surprise when his brother's 'ghost' appears on the track - Speed is measuring himself against his brother, but is not ready to erase the one positive mark left to his brother's name.
It's one of the most thrilling opening sequences I've ever seen, and that's just the beginning. Speed Racer has race after race, including a chase sequence that's not strictly part of a race. It's a film that's constantly in motion, and when it's still it keeps your attention with vivid, solid blocks of color and fun camera work. The film is shot entirely in greenscreen, which let the Wachowskis layer their shots in a way that makes them look like a sort of live-action anime. It's fresh and exciting, giving the film a delightful playfulness.
But despite (or perhaps because of) the cartoony look, it's a film that oozes sincerity and heart. The Racer family is a tight-knit group with a father played by John Goodman and a mother played by Susan Sarandon - essentially ideal parents. They all love each other dearly and while they have their conflicts, they always know their true strength is in that familial bond they share.
Set in a world where car racing is the only sport that matters, the core conflict of Speed Racer is between the Racer family's independent racecar business and the corporate overlords that corrupt the racing scene, led by E.P. Royalton (Roger Allam). Upon Speed rejecting Royalton's attempt to recruit him, Royalton goes on a screed about how the top races are all fixed to manipulate stock prices and the only thing that matters is money. Speed is a fool, he says, and Speed starts to wonder if he's right.
But Speed's family is so pure of heart that - together with the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) - they band together and refuse to let Royalton get away with it this time. And sure enough, despite Royalton's best efforts Speed is the one to cross the finish line at the Grand Prix after exposing Royalton's perfidy.
Speed Racer is a film where the good guys win and the bad guys get their comeuppance. That's not to say it's naive or innocent. The Wachowskis recognize there's evil and corrupting influences in the world, and that these things must be fought. But they also believe there will always be people to fight them, and that in the end it's those people who will win. It's a film that's earnest and pure of heart, and believes in the goodness of people. It's impossible to come out of Speed Racer feeling anything but better about life, and optimistic for the future.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 12/16: Dick Tracy
PULP ADVENTURE WEEK!
For Pulp Adventure Week we're going into the world of pulp detective comics, with Warren Beatty's passion project adaptation of the famed Chester Gould comic strip. Awash with colorful characters, hard boiled dialog, and of course that fabulous 2-way wrist radio, the world of Dick Tracy is an exemplar of pulp fiction. Join us next week for our discussion of Dick Tracy, available for rent in the usual places.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 12/10: Marriage Story
The current edition of the podcast concludes with Noah Baumbach's new Marriage Story, about a couple with a young child at the end of their marriage. Come join us Wednesday for our discussion of this film, available on Netflix.