Some Gristle to Whet your Whistle

Grizzly Man Subject: Timothy Treadwell, Grizzly Bears Director: Werner Herzog Rating: !! Where you Can Find It: Westgate Art Cinema

“I found that beyond a wildlife film, in Timothy Treadwell’s material lay dormant a story of astonishing beauty and depth. I discovered a film of human ecstasies and darkest inner turmoil.” – From Werner Herzog’s narration in GRIZZLY MAN

From 1990-2003, Timothy Treadwell spent his life with grizzly bears, both physically and spiritually. As an activist, Treadwell founded Grizzly People, an organization concerning itself with the welfare of the brooding animals. Following the bears through the Canadian outback each summer, Treadwell believed that he had learned to think like a bear, to communicate like a bear, and truly wished to become a bear. In the last five of years of his life, Werner Herzog gifted him a video camera, so that he could properly document his findings. After Treadwell’s death in 2003, Herzog reconstructed the tapes of those summers, crafting a wonderful character study of the troubled man. Treadwell had hoped that the footage would be used to show the problems that grizzly bears face--namely human encroachment, starvation, and poaching. Instead, Herzog shows us the inner workings of a conflicted man sitting outside the circle of human civilization. The quote above, taken from the website for the film Grizzly Man, sums up perfectly almost every character that Werner Herzog has chosen to focus on in his prolific career as a filmmaker. And perhaps it is his fascination with these fringe elements that gives us our greatest insight into the artist himself. After all, who is Werner Herzog? Born in 1942, Werner Herzog grew up in a remote village outside Munich, Germany. It is widely known that he grew up without day-to-day technology. He made his first phone call at the age of 17 and his first film at the age of 19 (Herakles). Since then he has made around 50 films, and has directed more than a dozen operas. He is a writer of prose and a philosopher of the highest order. He is also widely recognized as one of the greatest film directors of all time. Beyond that, we know that he is an eccentric who likes to work with difficult themes, difficult settings, difficult actors. Klaus Kinski is the most famous of these examples. Together, Herzog and Kinski made films for 15 years. They met as children, co-habitators of the same Munich apartment building. Though they only lived together for a few months, Kinski astounded Herzog because, as he put it, “…in the first 48 hours that I stayed there, he laid waste to the bathroom that everybody used by smashing everything up systematically into smithereens” (The Onion, June 11, 2003). This was Kinski’s style. And as Herzog’s latest release shows us, it was similar to the style of Timothy Treadwell. The self-destruction and anger that accompanies tortured souls has been caricatured countless times in literature and film. To see it in documentary form--as it is presented in Grizzly Man--gives one the most powerful and accurate representation of the life and mind of a true eccentric. Treadwell is that representation, from the first frame to last. Through his commentary on the bears and his constant mugging for the camera, Timothy fancies himself the savior of the grizzlies, speaking often of his ‘love’ for them. But Herzog forces the audience to question if Treadwell’s motives are truly altruistic. As the protagonist rants soliloquies to the camera about the “f----ing f---s who f---ing f--- the f---ing people who try to save these f---s” (paraphrasing), we begin to see more clearly the mental state of our unbalanced friend. Treadwell’s strange life and even stranger personality is certainly worthy of the 100 minutes of film devoted to him. Together, the montage of gorgeous Alaska scenery and cinema bearité makes for an easy sit, as far as documentaries are concerned. And though Herzog interjects an opinion or two about nature’s cruelty, he functions well in his role as story teller. Unlike Michael Moore, who guides the moral approach to the film from his own perspective, Herzog allows the audience to decide for itself if Timothy’s work is indeed good or bad. Herzog seems to weigh in by letting Timothy’s on-screen insanity shine for itself. As is true with grizzlies, though, what you think will not influence the outcome of Treadwell’s decision. Like a bear locked in the heat of battle, Timothy Treadwell lived and died a Grizzly Man.

Henceforth begin the spoilers (only read if you have seen the movie or don’t mind spoiling it for yourself).

In all of his attempts to help the grizzlies, Treadwell shows us one form of activism that has become all too prevalent in recent years: egoism. Rather than focusing his efforts on actually helping the animals (by perhaps raising funds to support better surveillance of the bears), he seems more at home standing next to them with a camera. And when, in one incident, the bears are agitated by private tour-guides, Timothy finds his rightful place hiding in the bushes and videotaping the event. After several takes in the wild thickets of Alaska wherein Timothy repeats that he is indeed alone among the bears, Herzog shares with us the truth of Timothy Treadwell. He has been living together with his girlfriend Aime. Additionally, he receives help from his friends in the form of rations. And then there is the case of his multiple takes. Treadwell seems compelled to repeat his message, over and over, until he gets it perfect. After his death, Herzog must have had countless hours of irritation with Tim’s self-congratulating speeches. But, then, Herzog also had the power to stop Treadwell from being martyred by a ridiculous bear-activism group. And it is Herzog who takes the limelight away, using his power as filmmaker to keep buried the sounds of Timothy’s death. On location, with camera in tow, Timothy and Amie were savagely killed and eaten by a large animal (I won’t say what kind of animal, but careful readers should be able to deduce from the clues given above). It is Herzog’s choice not to let us hear the grizzly (hah!) incident. Instead, we must assume from the reactions of a coroner, as well as Herzog himself, that what occurred was truly horrific. On imdb message boards, there has been discussion regarding hearing the tapes. The general consensus is that hearing the tapes would show how truly stupid Treadwell’s actions were. I do not agree that we need to hear the screams of two people being eaten to come to the conclusion that what they were doing was dumb. One only needs to hear the comments of the Aleut at the Grizzly Bear Museum on Kodiak Island. Having lived side-by-side with the bears for centuries, the Aleuts have a very sensible philosophy towards the furry ones. Stay away from them, and keep them away from you. Because Timothy did not follow this simple rule, the Aleuts consider his actions to be disrespectful. While it might be difficult to interpret what the bears think of his time among them, it is certain that he was acting without proper skills or training.

And then he died, not surprisingly, at the hands of a bear.

Discussion Question: Should Werner have included the tape of their death? Why or why not?

King Kong Palm!

Iron Monkey Starring: Nobody whose name you can pronounce or remember Director: Woo-ping Yuen Rating: !! Where you Can Find It: Madison Public Library, Bongo, 4-Star Video Heaven I don’t have enough experience with Kung-Fu to tell you what kind of martial arts is used in this film, what significance the characters have in Chinese folklore, or even how to pronounce their names. All I know is this: Iron Monkey made me laugh. Not a “There’s Something about Mary” kind of laugh--those laughs that are sometimes uncomfortable (both because you laughed so hard, and because the scenes were so vile that you had a hard time stomaching it). The kind of laughs that Iron Monkey provokes start as a seedling idea, and spread from the brain to pull at the corners of the mouth. At some point, the laughs are no longer recognized as individual, but rather a collection of pure enjoyment as you wait for the next trap, the next slap, the next vase in the face. Let’s begin with the director (since he is the one part of the movie that most of us have experience with). By now, Woo-Ping Yuen is legendary, and you might even have one of his movies in your collection. He began his career as an actor in the 1960’s, and moved on to director and fight choreography. He has become most famous for the latter. In the last 10 years, Yuen made a name for himself in America by choreographing the fight sequences in The Matrix trilogy, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and most recently Kill Bill (Vol. 1&2). If you liked any of those fights, with high flying effects and lots of quick reflexes, you’ll be sure to enjoy this one. What about the plot? It’s really quite straight forward. A doctor (Rongguang Yu) doubles as a Robin Hood known as Iron Monkey, taking money from corrupt Chinese leaders and re-distributing it to the peasants. He catches the attentions of high ranking Governor Cheng, who wishes to catch and kill the good doctor. When young Wong Fei-Hung is captured by the governor, his father (Donnie Yen) must track down Iron Monkey in order to have the boy released. It is up to Iron Monkey, his assistant Miss Orchid, and the boy’s father to save the child from certain doom. In the process they must teach the governor a very valuable lesson about abusing power. And then there is the fighting. Because the filmmaker is a martial arts choreographer, the fights are phenomenal. There are some pretty impressive scenes involving staffs, swords, umbrellas, benches, and very sharp tacks. One of the more exciting scenes occurs when a pile of papers is blown from a table and Iron Monkey and Miss Orchid must retrieve the papers from midair. The dance that follows is a truly beautiful piece of camera-work. Though there has been discussion that the story was changed for the American release of the film (presented by Quentin Tarantino), it really doesn’t make much of a difference. People in the know will talk about the historical significance of the characters, the edits made by Miramax in the American release, and the improper translation from Cantonese to English. But really, who cares? Since most people in these parts probably couldn’t tell the difference between Mandarin, Cantonese, Shiatsu, Hibachi, Mitsubishi, or Moo Shoo Pork, I’m not going to pretend like it matters that some dialogue has been cut or mistranslated. If you’ve never seen the original edit, then you won’t even notice these differences. The movie rings in at around 90 minutes, and assumedly most of the edits were made to hit that valuable cut-off time. Make no mistake; the fights are where this film shines. But Iron Monkey is as much about family values, government corruption, and the indomitable human spirit (*sigh…a tear) as it is about a swift kicks to the midsection and beautiful camera work. I would go so far as to say it is a family film, aimed at anyone who wants to recapture the enjoyment that can be found in the great fantasy films of America (Star Wars, LOTR, Dunston Checks In). At the very least, you can sit back and laugh at the crazy dialogue and surprised looks on the character’s faces as they get hit with random objects.

One Man + Five Women = Broken Flowers

Broken Flowers Starring: Bill Murray, Jeffery Wright, Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, Tilda Swinton Director: Jim Jarmusch Rating: !!! Where you can find it: Westgate Art Cinema Right at this one...no time to lose. Bill Murray. Jim Jarmusch. In that order. And why Bill Murray first? Because he's earned it. He wasn't even originally slated to be on SNL, but he hung on and got on....and we loved him. Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Ed Wood, Kingpin. Am I missing anything? Oh yeah, a resurrection as Wes Anderson's middle-aged depressive in Rushmore and Life Aquatic. Enter, Sophia Coppola. Enter, Jim Jarmusch. And that's why Bill Murray first. Because before the discovery of his talent, he was still Bill Murray. And after the discovery, he was still Bill Murray. Ask the fans of the St. Paul Saints, as well as the other minor league ball clubs he co-owns. Bill Murray is the true soul of the slacker nation; perhaps that being the reason his award shelf remains shockingly bare. No Oscar....yet. Enter, Jim Jarmusch (Night on Earth, Stranger than Paradise), with the signature effort, Broken Flowers. In his latest picture, Jarmusch pulls out all the usual stops that make him a favorite in the independent film scene: Multiculturalism, homages to classic filmmakers and animators, sprawling road shots with true cruisin’ music--this time from Ethiopian Jazzman Mulatu Astatke--and of course, coffee and cigarettes. Above all, Jarmusch presents us with a cast of characters having what looks to be an unbelievable amount of fun, even when the subject mellows to the slices of an orange carrot. The story revolves around Don Johnston (Murray), an aptly-named present-day Don Juan in the process of being dumped by his latest love (played by the Julie Delpy). Though his world should be falling in around him, Murray has developed the existential nobody character to perfection. Straight-faced following the bad news, Johnston receives an even more shocking discovery in the form of a pink letter announcing his fatherhood. With the help of his amateur gumshoe neighbor Winston (Jeffery Wright), and the omniscient internet, Murray begins on a quest of revisiting his past loves, a la High Fidelity. But unlike Nick Hornby's protagonist Rob Gordon, Johnston is thrust unwillingly and without any apparent personal hopes toward the bitter-sweet reunions. Yes, along the way he meets a wonderfully free-spirited Sharon Stone (and her sweet little lola ;), a tragically warped Francis Conroy, an entirely non-Jessica Rabbit in Jessica Lange, and the self-contained firebomb Tilda Swinton (who recently took a splendid turn as Gabriel in the Keaneau Reeves action-flick Contantine). Only through the contrasts in the women of his life are we able to see the true Johnston. We can, at the film’s end, see him for the decent and kindhearted, lonely and afraid lover of women that he must be. And this is the genius of Bill Murray. To play a character so totally dependent on his supporting cast to define him is a bold move for an actor. It means he must be confident enough in both the supporting cast, and in his own career, that he need not trump any other on-screen performance. The subtlety of Johnston’s role in this film is answered perfectly (yes, perfectly) by Murray. Oh yeah, and it won the Cannes Grand Prix. The only characteristically “Jarmusch” element that is conspicuously absent is the use of foreign languages--though with the inclusion of Winston and his adorable wife, sons and daughters, internationalism as a vehicle (for music and coffee) is still present. If you’re a fan of Bill Murray’s work in the past 10 years, and of Jim Jarmusch’s work in the last 20 years, you’re in for a great 2 hours. If not, then at least buy an Astatke album and sit back with a few friends and a game of Barbarossa…you won’t regret it.

Sweet and Lowdown in Your Coffee Tastes like Tofu

Go ahead, Bookmark me...I dare you! In an effort to create dialogue at the oft ignored water cooler, I have been asked to write a weekly movie recommendation. Though many of you may not know (or even care), I was a dilettante in the movie scene at UW, as well as a radio DJ hosting a film talk show. Because I have seen a movie or two, and because I’m hoping that most of you have 2 hours each week to dedicate to trying something new, management has decided to give me a shot at writing these short reviews. So if you aren’t much of a movie fan, or just think this is irrelevant or unnecessary, you can delete these e-mails as quickly as they come to you each week….just another piece of e-trash. For the rest of you, no matter how adventurous, I hope that this proves to be a fun and entertaining exercise in movie exploration. Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that the movies I will be reviewing may or may not be to your taste. The point of these weekly e-mails is to get you interested in some new movies, not to judge one way or another if the movie of the week is the right one for you. Only you can make that decision. That said, I hope you get into some of these pictures, because they can be a lot of fun, and a great catalyst for dialogue. And of course….If you like the music in the movie, the soundtrack is available, and I hope to hear it playing in someone’s cube or office in the near future. So let’s start. Movie Ratings: !=Not adventurous !!=Slightly Adventurous !!!=Are you sure you want to try this? !!!!=Whoa Nelly! Sweet and Lowdown Starring: Sean Penn, Samantha Morton Director: Woody Allen Rating: !! Where you can find it: Madison Pub. Library, Bongo Video, 4-Star Video Heaven, Other movie rental shops (maybe not blockbuster, though I’m not sure) Although the names Woody Allen and Sean Penn might make you stop reading right here, let’s just start by saying it’s not that kind of movie. Sweet and Lowdown is a modestly directed, well scripted and acted fictional bio-pic focusing on the life of Emmet Ray (Penn), a classical jazz guitarist. The movie takes place in the 1930’s or so, when Ray is said to have been his prime. As he moves from town to town, leaving scores of women and obscene debts in his wake, Ray plays his heart out for the eastern seaboard’s wealthy and elite. When he’s not playing music at the big clubs, Emmet finds his way to darker corners, where he can gamble and pick the night away. In his spare time, Emmet enjoys the odd hobbies of watching trains and shooting rats. Though Ray is most likely the best guitarist in the United States, he is a distant second in the world, behind Django Reinhardt. Somewhere along the way, Emmet meets Hattie, a beautiful mute who falls desperately in love with him. Without a clue in the world, they venture forth unknowingly toward the great gig in the sky. Though you may hate either or both of the stars of this movie, you still may want to give Sweet and Lowdown a chance. Because of the nature of the film, Sean Penn’s political beliefs are held in check, as well as Woody Allen’s almost incessant whining. Allen has almost zero screen time, which keeps him from irritating the viewer. And Emmet Ray is described as “a self-centered, egotistical creep with talent” which makes this role not much of a stretch for Penn. The highlight of the movie, though, is a breakthrough performance by Samantha Morton--who recently played Agatha, the pre-cog in Minority Report. As Hattie, Emmet Ray’s mute love interest, Morton earned herself an Oscar Nomination for playing the heart and soul of a man whose conscience was long destroyed. Though she has been recognized in her native England for playing only the most challenging roles, Samantha Morton has yet to break out in the United States, if that is even her goal. Either way, this is one of her best roles to date, if only for her infectious cuteness. With darling expressions that give us more of an insight into Hattie’s character than most actresses can achieve with lines, Morton is the clear winner here. In summary, Sweet and Lowdown gives us only the best angle of three very talented, often misguided artists. If you’re in for a quiet night at home, snuggling with someone special (or just snuggling a glass of port), this movie is a good bet.