jdpif208 Reviews

Madcap Mabel (2010)

Madcap Mabel is Marvelously Magnificent

[10/10 · 7 December 2010]

While attending the Clearwater Film Festival in Florida I saw sun, beautiful woman on the beach and Madcap Mabel and I'm happy to say ALL three pleased me. Let me first say that I am a huge fan of silent cinema and classic comedy so am very familiar with the people and era portrayed in this film. To my knowledge, it is the first ever movie about the underrated talents of the original Queen of Comedy…Mabel Normand…so the fact that someone finally attempted to tell her story at all is worth the price of admission.

The clever plot, (which I'm copying from the film's program) shows the life and career of silent screen star Mabel Normand (Penelope Lagos) through the eyes of Reporter Charlie Craig (Rudy Cecera, who is also the film's writer/producer), whose scandalous stories of Mabel's private life helped contribute to her career's downfall. Thanks to his articles, Mabel…once considered the "Queen of Comedy" who made history by being Hollywood's first female Producer, Director and Stunt Woman…is now considered Hollywood's First Party Girl. Her health soon takes a similar downward spiral and as she nears death, Charlie finally gets a conscious and embarks on a quest to report all the positive aspects of her life. Through the stories of her friends and associates, including Mack Sennett (Ron Nummi), Edna Purviance (Katie Maguire) and Julia Benson (Elizabeth C. Taylor), Charlie's journey not only enlightens him as to Mabel's accomplishments, but gives him hope that he'll vindicate her to the public and earn her forgiveness before it's too late.

The hardest part of any film, especially a period piece is re-creating the era and as this one is the roaring twenties, the stakes were high (just ask the producers of "Boardwalk Empire"). Thankfully Madcap Mabel delivers as its costumes, props, vintage cars and even such minor detail as jewelry and cigarettes helped bring across a decade and location far from 2010 Florida (and I may add on a budget probably 1/10th that of the craft service table on the aforementioned HBO drama).

The screenplay has the right balance of facts and fiction to help bring across a story that could have actually happened. Despite being short, Normand's life was very full and complex including larger than life characters and several Hollywood scandals that even by today's standards would make Lindsey Lohan and Charlie Sheen's lives seem tame. However Cecera's script is quite respectfully and through the use of flashbacks and foreshadowing we see three hours of entertainment in just over thirty minutes. Special credit should be given to director Dena Schumacher for creating a unique style without falling into the clichés used in similar genres and eras. One wonders if she was influenced and inspired by the subject of the film who helped open doors to all female directors.

On par with the film's production design and script is its casting. For starters, credit should be given to all the actors for not only looking their parts, but learning and delivering the slang dialogue from the time without it sounding fake or forced. What's particularly interesting about the performances is despite the fact that most of them are based on actual people, which limits the possibilities of any thespian, the players really make them their own. Cecera's reporter seems like a reporter, complete with determination and somewhat slimy behavior which of course helps his repentance seem genuine. Nummi's Sennett is fueled with the right amount of show business ego and remorse and Brian Linden's performance as the ill fated William Desmond Taylor combines an equal blend of British aristocracy and mystery. Finally, the role of Mabel Normand, which considering all its twists, turns and emotions is portrayed beautifully by Penelope Lagos.

Bottom line, this short film made on a small budget is a pleasant surprise and of course a keeper. Its only flaw is that it's not long enough but I understand from the press given at the festival that the producer is looking to turn it into a feature. If that ever happens…I'll be first in line.

Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan

[5/10 · 6 December 2010]

BLACK SWAN After walking the red carpet to the New York Ziegfeld's 1131 seat theater I settled into my chair to watch Darron Aronofsky's newest opus, Black Swan. Having enjoyed his last outing, The Wrestler, I had high hopes and although I can't speak for the other 1130 people, mine were not fulfilled. Increasing my disappointment is the fact that Aronofsky is a competent director who had a good story, performed by good actors and set in a great city. Unfortunately, he was handed gold and delivered lead. The film's plot was touted as a modern day All About Eve, substituting ballet dancers for actors with Natalie Portman in the Bette Davis role and Mila Kunis as a conniving Anne Baxter type. When Portman's character "Nina" is given the lead role in a production of "Swan Lake" by her womanizing producer, played by a creepy Vincent Cassel, she immediately becomes insecure about her own talent and feels the competition of Kunis' "Lily" biting at her heels or should I say flats. Making matters worse is her domineering stage mother "Erica" played by an underused Barbara Hershey and the previous Swan Queen "Beth" played by an also underused Winona Ryder (in fact, Ryder's scenes consist of standing silently in a sea of extras, verbally assaulting Portman with language that would make Tony Soprano blush, lying unconscious in a hospital bed and self-mutilation). Aronofsky's style is evident early on, with hand held camera shots which although give a voyeuristic point of view, may also be a distraction, especially in moments meant for plot points and clarity. Speaking of plot, some seeds are planted and never explored while others are planted and watered with predictability. The result…fertilizer. Case in point, when Portman enters her mother's bedroom which is covered with dozens of drawings of faces with large mouths, when she becomes unhinged and enters a second time what do you think she sees or should I say…hears. What Aronofsky believes will save this hodge-podge of related situations (connected by a thin shoe lace) is the much hyped and gratuitous sex scene between his two female leads. Although interesting, especially to men who like movies about ballet dancers, it goes uncomfortably too far, as does a scene where Portman pleasures herself with her sleeping mother in the room. It is obviously meant as artistic expression but comes off more as immature perversion. One wonders if this was done because the director wanted to…or just felt he could. Lost in the shuffle is the actual "dance" which is the reason we're supposed to care about these characters. There is some interest in the hard work that goes on behind a ballet production but like the sex scenes, Aronofsky takes it too far focusing on sexual harassment, deformed feet and bulimic behavior when any one of these would have been enough to underline the point. For what it's worth, the core of the story, if one can still see it amongst the sex, drugs and gore, is relatable and Portman's performance is good and credit should be given for the training and discipline she endured to prepare for the role. Unfortunately, what could have been a movie about an artist dealing with competition and inner demons turns into a cheesy horror flick with over the top symbolism. If it does indeed garner Oscar nominations, one should be given to the special effects team which was obviously borrowed from the last Twilight film. To sum up…Black Swan wasn't the worst film I saw all year but as the credits rolled instead of hearing Tchaikovsky's score, I heard Bette Davis turning in her grave.