BY EMIL TIEDEMANN
It seems that we've become immune to movies that venture off the beaten path, films that don't fit squarely into an applicable genre. They must follow a cookie-cutter script and directorial manifesto in order to even be considered a "must see," such as with most of the "Americanized" movies that we watch year-round. This rings true with one film currently in theatres, The Spirit, which dares to reconfigure the norm, with offbeat humour, unorthodox cinematography, and subtly alluring characters that don't need to win Oscars in order to captivate us into hoping for a sequel.
Set in what seems an ambiguous time period (characters play with Blackberry-type gadgets, yet drive around in old-school cars and use vocabulary that was probably common in the '30s or '40s), in a New York-styled metropolis known as Central City, Frank Miller's The Spirit is shot in the same vein as another recent comic book adaptation, Sin City, though this one uses a lighter tone to convey its plot. Not surprisingly, Sin City was Miller's directorial debut, in a joint endeavour with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.
Little-known Gabriel Macht does come off generic at times as a former by-the-book cop who mysteriously parishes only to resurrect as the film's heroic namesake, but graces us with an unusual charisma at others, and co-star Samuel L. Jackson lends his one-of-a-kind screen presence as The Spirit's nemesis The Octopus. And let's not forget about the ladies that keep The Spirit on its toes. Latino vixen Eva Mendes dominates every scene she's in, and Scarlett Johansson braves the cold with a stiff, yet enjoyable, role as Jackson's evil sidekick. Even Stana Katic, who plays an underestimated rookie cop, brings subtle charm to her short time onscreen, as do the countless simple-minded clones portrayed by TV vet Louis Lombardi.
I'm sure that Miller--who also adapted the screenplay--never set out to capture awards or garner excessive critical praise when he agreed to bring The Spirit to the big screen, but rather to maintain a trend of off-colour comic book-based features that offer an alternative to the Spider-Man's and Batman's of the Hollywood machine (both of which are superb franchises). And in the case of The Spirit, I'm glad he is.
4/5 stars
3 comments:
I would really like to see what you thought of Benjimin Button since you gave this 4 stars.
I gave The Spirit four stars because it's unlike 99% of the movies out there...it brings something very different to the table, and kept me interested the whole time. I wanted more, and I hope there will be more, but for now, I get to wait for Sin City 2, which is coming soon!! By the way, where is your review for Benjamin Button?!
Do you purposely disagree with all my reviews Trav? Why do you hate me so much? Is it because of my good looks?
Post a Comment