Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

The tenth film I've chosen to spotlight is 2009's FANTASTIC MR. FOX directed by indie sensation Wes Anderson. This film is one of the best animated films I've ever seen because I like to keep things positive around here.

I've always had a soft spot for Wes Anderson as a filmmaker and screenwriter. His aesthetic is one I've found appealing and fresh no matter how many times I view his films. For some reason, his strong aesthetics only improve with this film. The monochromatic color palette and homegrown feel significantly add charm to the film.

The film features some of the strongest voice acting committed to an animated feature. George Clooney gives Mr. Fox a debonair charm, Meryl Streep plays his wife in a deliciously deadpan way, and Jason Schwartzman's performance as Ash is hilarious and hurt, a young fox whose pride is constantly under siege.

Anderson is already a tremendously creative filmmaker, but this film's zany details are beyond what he usually does. The hilarity of this film is found in the tiniest of ongoing gags, some visual and others not. The film never looks down on its audience and leaves for them a treasure of laughs hidden on every wall and every two or three fox-minutes.

This game looks complicated.

For a children's film, Fantastic Mr. Fox is tremendously mature and deals with adult issues. It has a serene beauty and at times a tragic air. Mr. and Mrs. Fox have a complex relationship and one that is very human. They never forget what they are at heart when things get rough: wild animals. Despite their best intentions to be civilized, their very nature is to be wild.

They are not as wild as some. The wolf is a symbol of both fear and respect. They shudder at his mention, but are quick to revere him. The wolf has not evolved to the point of these "civilized animals," but they view him as compatriot.

Things eventually work out for the best and who knows if they'll stay that way. The film ends on a soaring high note. It's quirky and undeniably sophisticated, but it's got a big beating heart. I enthusiastically recommend this film.

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

The ninth film to be featured on my blog is 2008's HAPPY-GO-LUCKY directed by Mike Leigh. The film stars Sally Hawkins and Eddie Marsan.

Sally Hawkins stars as Poppy, a joyful primary school teacher. The film follows her everyday journey to inspire happiness in others. Her performance is a luminescent one. Some find her grating and I think that's part of the character. She's so earnest and she means well, but she is essentially blind to the fact that perhaps happiness isn't so easy to share or cultivate.

Still she ushers in joy for many children. The film explores the fundamental need to have fun in life even when things are slipping into the shadows. She creates an atmosphere of absolute elation for her students. The film is quite a similar atmosphere. Leigh has crafted a carefree, fun-filled world that does represent our world, but through the eyes of an optimistic woman.

The central relationship of the film is between Poppy and her driving instructor Scott, played to perfection by Eddie Marsan. Scott is in most ways Poppy's complete opposite and yet the film follows their time together with a certain fondness. It isn't poking fun at Scott, but trying to understand his perspective in relation to Poppy's idealistic world.

The humor in Leigh's film is on point and doesn't disappoint. Where Vera Drake was tremendously dark, Happy-Go-Lucky basks in light, spontaneous humor. Leigh's strength relies on the improvised feel of his films and when done correctly, it feels completely real.

Sally Hawkins is a revelation akin to Amy Adams' performance in Junebug. Hawkins' Poppy observes the world almost as if through children's eyes. Laughing and joking with the idea of living in a world of adults, Poppy is a vibrant personality. Someone who held on to her childhood optimism with great conviction.

However, Poppy is an adult and she is responsible despite her joking tendencies. She tries to foster an environment separate from the world of violence and video games in her classroom and in spite of her effort, she can't shut everything bad out.

This film would best be summed up in a single word: Charming. It helps that Sally Hawkins creates one of the more charming characters ever committed to celluloid. She is a woman you root for and one you cheer for when she gets what she wants. The dialogue is whimsical to the point where it makes me smile too much.

That said, the final scene between Poppy and Scott is a brilliantly sharp change in tone. Poppy's world is overpowered by Scott's rage and hate-filled universe. She is forced to confront the ugliness in the world, but also to confront her accountability for her carefree antics. It's an intense scene, brilliantly performed and shot. I whole-heartedly recommend this film to anyone who has an interest in enjoying themselves.

Smiley Face (2007)

The eighth film I've chosen to feature on this blog is 2007's SMILEY FACE directed by one of my favorite modern directors Gregg Araki. It would best be described as a series of misadventures of a day in the life of a stoner.

The shining stoner star of this picture is the immensely talented Anna Faris. She rarely stumbles (except when immersed in character) in her portrayal of Jane. Her dedication is clear from the start and it's hard not to believe that she ate a batch of pot cupcakes. Anna's performance brings many laughs and you root for her to make it through this day in one piece.

Did I mention this movie is super trippy? Well, it is. The animated credits sort of remind me of the opening for Freeway.

After foolishly eating her roommate's cupcakes, she devises a seemingly simple plan to fix the problem. She'll cook even better cupcakes. Jane's view of the world is ultra-idealistic. She thinks she can do anything while she's high and if this brief shot of her fantasy is any indication, she's delusional.

Of course, being a failure, Jane doesn't finish the better cupcakes and barely makes it to her audition. Jane currently is an actress, but she explains that she majored in economics. Like most things in her life, however, economics didn't really work out. It's easy to assume that drugs led her down this path, but Jane just seems not to care much about anything except pot. She has a chronic apathy that is perhaps more deadly than a drug habit.

Jane meanders through her day haphazardly and the film never really falters for me. Dylan Haggerty's screenplay is funny, clever, and very true to the mind of a pothead. I particularly love her inner monologue about the analogy between cheese and President Garfield.
One other area of the film that deserves special recognition is definitely the sound design. It's perhaps the most effective thing in the film. The heightened sense of sound is alarmingly palpable throughout and it is used in highly creative ways.

"Have you ever....I mean, do you even....well, do you?! You tell your people that!"

Faris is really a marvel in this film. Sometimes you think she's going to take it a step too far and become a total ham. She never does and she always keeps Jane earnest in spite of Jane's flaws. Jane is never meant for love or great success. She is an isolated soul with bright fantastical ideas of what her life could be. She's too unmotivated to ever make this fantasy even close to a reality though.

CARROT TOP! Seriously though. This film has maybe one of the more impressive rosters of cameos. I mean, you have your Carrot Top, that's a given. Then Araki throws in Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, John Krakinski, and Adam Brody to name a few. It's too much fun.

The film's closing is an odd one, but ultimately a realistic outcome for the wayward pothead who makes trouble everywhere she goes. As always, Araki gives the eyes plenty of pretty things and cool colors to look at, but he creates a fun-spirited and lively film at the same time. I whole heartedly recommend Smiley Face. It's a lot of fun and it's Anna Faris at her best.