Review: Les Misérables (spoilers)

(written first week of January) After waiting on a friend to get into town for exactly a week, I finally managed to view Les Misérables, one of the most anticipated films of 2012.  Of course, expectations ran high.  I had never seen the stage musical, but always wanted to, being familiar with a couple of the songs.  I can be very easily emotionally manipulated at the cinema, and I prefer to support the musical genre, as it touches on themes and feelings in quite profound ways that many belittle.  So, I had my biases going in.  Musicals never get a fair shake and always operate from a deficit in good-will from the general populace.  In the last week, I have absorbed various opinions both disparaging and praising the motion picture.  Those who adored the film, often coupled their remarks with minor criticisms.  Those who derided the movie musical were fair enough to throw it kudos in select areas (singling out the acting, acknowledging the source material, etc).  Yet, despite those who landed in the middle, for many (at least from what I have read from bloggers and their commenters on the internet) all that really mattered was their overall opinion, which boiled down to them either loving or hating the movie.  It's pretty safe to say that I fall into the former.  While this film was far from being perfect, I absolutely adored the final result.

The story is quartered, for all intents and purposes.  We meet convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) as the effects of the French Revolution have been lost and monarchy has taken over the people yet again.  When a cleric takes pity on him for his desperation, he becomes a changed man.  Years later, he alters his identity to become a successful factory owner.  He narrowly escapes the clutches of an inspecter bent on punishing him for his crimes, while taking in an orphan Cosette (played by Isabelle Allen and then Amanda Seyfried as she ages) under his wings.  Flash forward again to another uprising on the death of Jean Maximilean Lamarque, the only French government official sympathetic to the poor at that time.  Revolutionaries setting up barricades in the streets of Paris provide the backdrop for a love triangle that develops between Marius (Eddie Redmayne), who is loved by Éponine (Samantha Barks), but himself is in love with Cosette.  

Les Misérables covers a variety of themes in epic, yet intimate fashion from true to unrequited love, redemption, classicism, selflessness, nature verses nurture, rule of law, oppression, pride, judgment, loyalty, forgiveness.  The ambitious tale is filled with show-stopping songs.  If you read pundits who single out Fantine's (Anne Hathaway) "I Dreamed a Dream" and insist the movie dies after her arc finishes and the movie lay lifeless for the next ninety minutes or so, I only suggest they're doing their audience a disservice.  "Dream" is the most popular song of the musical in the mainstream, thanks partly to Susan Boyle's rendition from a few years ago (not to forget the actresses who helped bring it to fame on stage).  But, the fact of the matter is that there are plenty more heart-wrenching and driving pieces that achieve greater highs and often reoccur during the story.  The song I was most familiar with, "Master of the House," is a comical bit that is played rather broadly by innkeepers Monsieur and Madame Thénardier (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, the latter of which appears to have stumbled off the set of Sweeney Todd, for better or worse).  But, there were many showstoppers: "Look Down," "One Day More," "Do You Hear the People Sing?," "On My Own," "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," among others.  

The musical requires a suspension of disbelief greater than just about any genre out there.  With people singing who aren't standing on stage, as well as truncated character development, if you're not willing to look passed these contrivances, then you can't allow yourself to open up to the emotion.  Many have joked that comic-book adaptations are considered more believable than musicals, even though they have what are essentially cartoon characters flying around in tights.  Yet, because someone like, for example, Christopher Nolan bases his Batman universe "in reality," it's given so much more of "a pass."  The truth of the matter is that people don't break into song on the street, so when it's attempted on celluloid it's held up for mockery, first, before being considered for anything else.  Frankly, the handful of moments where there is actual spoken dialogue I found distracting.  

It's hard not to discuss cinema politics, without acknowledging that some, but not all, of the bile spewed towards this movie relates directly to director Hooper.  Had he not won for The King's Speech (a much inferior film, putting it lightly) two years ago, there wouldn't be half the animosity that exists towards this movie.  But, it's easy to ignore his bold choice to have the musical filmed with live singing (which provides an undeniable gravitas) and poke holes in his questionable camera choices and staging.  Other detractors are more succinct and genuine.  The singing isn't always perfect.  Russell Crowe, most noticeably, has a nasal voice and lacks breath support.  If you don't like him at his first note, then you will have to suffer through his performance.  Being a Hollywood film, the producers could have done much worse.  Cohen and Carter aren't the best for the roles, but they still service the film.  For those who like to malign Hathaway for her indicating acting ticks, they are most definitely there, but, when she sings, she soars.  Everyone else was solid, including Hugh Jackman, who infuses his Valjean with an admirable commitment and empathy.  Two actors whose performances are given understated press are Aaron Tveit (Marius' compatriot Enjolras) and Daniel Huttlestone (who plays street urchin Gavroche).  

Oscar Prospects

(written in early January pre-Oscar nomination announcement)  If Universal Pictures had Harvey Weinstein in their corner, than Lincoln would have to kiss Oscar goodbye.  I, as well as many others, have been calling Hathaway for the win since she shaved her head on camera after weeks of eating oatmeal squares.  My prediction is that she'll be joined in the winner's circle by the Sound Mixers.  While the Best Song category is always inexplicably a crapshoot, it seems like almost a given that "Suddenly" will be nominated and win, if it's not eclipsed by "Skyfall." Further nominations seem certain: Best Actor (Best Actor); Makeup; Costume Design; Art Direction, Best Picture.  We're looking at a minimum of eight.  Cinematography has a little competition, but Danny Cohen, who was nominated for The King's Speech, stands a good shot, as his work, depending on who you ask either enhanced or diluted the source material.  I found the camera angles distracting, at times, although not altogether unpleasant.  And there were moments that were quite beautiful.  I would also say editors Chris Dickens (who won for Slumdog Millionaire) and Melanie Oliver are also formidable candidates.  For directing, Tom Hooper tried something never done on film before by having his actors sing live for the purposes of the final product.  And, he did so in quite a moving way. There have been lesser directors (including Hooper himself) who have made it into this category, even going on to winning.  Whether or not he gets nominated will gauge exactly how much the AMPAS fell in love with this film.  Cinematography, Editing, and Sound Editing nods will also speak well of its prospects at a multitude of statues on Oscar night.  However, if it manages to snag an Adapted Screenplay position, I'd almost be willing to say Lincoln tell Best Picture goodbye.  The fat lady has sung, though, if we see Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne, or Samantha Barks pop up with a nod of their own, which is highly unlikely.  

The truth is, despite all its warts, I'm still pulling for Les Mis.  What I fear is that the love is already waning.  It led Django Unchained at the box-office, but has relented its edge since.  The fans came pouring out the first week and now it's up to mainstream to keep the momentum going.  And, let's face it: when was the last time the queens got a Best Picture?  Yeah, I rest my case.  

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Review: Haneke Strikes Again with Amour (spoilers)

Amour concerns an elderly French couple in the Winter of their relationship starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva.  The opening shot is delicate, memorable, and haunting, as we stare into an audience looking right back at us, we see ourselves or the undeniable inevitability of what awaits.  The sweet-natured faces of the actors are simply devastating, just knowing the filmmaker behind the camera is never in the business to make the viewer feel good about him or herself.  Director Michael Haneke employs his trademark long takes and limited camera movement to convey the heart-wrenching tailspin both of the characters endure as the wife falls victim to the permanently debilitating effects of a stroke, becoming a vestige of her former self.  The two-hour-plus film is set entirely within the interiors of the couple's apartment, where they privately face their own personal Hell.  Trintignant and Riva offer stripped-down and truthful performances, including a climax that reduced this viewer to uncontrollable sobbing.  While the film tests the audiences patience, as Haneke's films always do, his painful style has never been more appropriate and necessary.  The film offers no easy answers, only, in this case, what was/is/can be/will be/etc.  What Haneke presents are very real people facing a very real issue, and the battle of wills which ensue in dealing with the pain and indignity of one losing their independence and sense of self in the process.  Honest, unflinching, Amour is not for the weak at heart or those who can't endure the long haul.  But, the generic title, Amour, couldn't be more descriptive or eloquent.  It is not a film I could right now say I would ever watch again, but it's a film that pulls no punches and offers us a reflection of reality and is shockingly profound.  Isabelle Huppert is also in the cast and reunites with Haneke as the daughter of the couple.

Oscar Chances
While discussing the film's odds with the AMPAS just seems tedious and inconsiderate, it's something that I consider for most every film I examine.  I don't hold very high hopes that the Academy will respond to this movie, but I remain extremely curious how things will play out.  On the surface, it has Foreign Language film in the bag.  It's Austria's entry, which is interesting, because it was filmed in Paris and the little language used is French.  But, it's a coproduction between France, Germany, and Austria.  This year, France has the formidable The Intouchables (which only made a blip stateside compared to the worldwide box-office sensation it was during 2012--and that's putting it mildly), so, by some technicality or other (I'm ignorant about these things), it got in.  And, frankly, I'm glad, because I find the one country/one film concept for the Foreign Language category to be obscenely restricting.  But, it's nice to see someone circumvent the rules for a worthy cause.  (Haneke's films are not a stranger to the strange rules of this category, and the fact that Amour got in appears to be a real coup, compared to previous years.)

Unlike The Intouchables, Amour is competitive in other categories, most so in Original Screenplay, where it just may nab a nomination, and would be the first time a Haneke film was able to land somewhere outside of the Foreign Language category.  Less competitive, but still a possibility are the Best Actress category, and, to a lesser extent, Best Actor, Director, and, then, Picture.  This is arguably one of Haneke's more accessible films.  It's modern and many people, especially an assortment of Academy members, can relate to the plight of the characters.  The director's style is as opposite of emotionally manipulative you can imagine, however.  Very little music, except within the context of the film (Riva plays a retired piano teacher, with a student who went on to great acclaim) and the film never tells the viewer how to feel, which is as un-AMPAS as you can get.  The reviews have been glowing, and the Sony Pictures Classic is sure to make a pretty penny at the box-office (hopefully, though it's still too early to tell for sure) and perhaps become Haneke's highest-grossing film ever in the U.S.  SPC's other major 2012 releases include: To Rome With Love; The Raid: Redemption; Celeste and Jesse Forever; and Searching for Sugar Man.  While Sugar Man clearly has an excellent shot at Best Documentary, as far as narrative fiction, the studio's hopes rely squarely on Amour.

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Zero Marks Against Bigelow's Thirty (spoilers)

I caught Zero Dark Thirty the other night, only to have the movie interrupted by a fire alarm that went off at the Arclight Hollywood.  It couldn't have been more surreal, as it was right as the Black Hawks were swooping into action to kick off the half-hour finale.  Many of the moviegoers thought the flashing lights and accompanying sound was part of the film.  After corralling everyone outside of the sixteen-plex, we waited in the L.A.-cold for twenty minutes or so for the popcorn machine fire to be extinguished.  Matters slowly progressed until a promoter for a Les Mis screening randomly screamed at the top of his lungs for all press to line up by the far-left doors, while everyone who paid for a ticket laughed with their hands shoved deep into their pockets.  Eventually, we were all let back in only to discover that some of the films would not resume, and we'd be compensated for our troubles.  It's the Arclight, so you know they're going to take care of you no matter what.  I was kind of glad I was going to have to see it again, because I actually missed fifteen or so minutes due to a nap that hit me less than an hour in.  Furthermore, I quite liked it, considering I was so unnecessarily skeptical of the movie and set such a low bar.  I had written this off for its subject matter being too fresh of a topic, among other reasons, including watching and prejudging a clip floating around on the internet.  Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal pretty much blew my assumptions out of the water.  And, they did so expertly.  Additionally, military procedurals such as this are disorienting for me in general, it's always convenient to rewatch these with a sense of familiarity.  Truth be told, though, little of import ever sticks on my brain, so that might all be a wash.

Zero is long, but efficient.  Scenes clip along, and while much may go over your head (like me), the movie gives you enough to follow along and feel like you're with the story.  Things happen, you're not always sure why, but you never really get lost.  There are a few short-term spoilers that may catch you off guard, but you should feel secure in knowing that you're not going to ruin your experience by exhaustive review perusing before you watch it.  The torture scenes are difficult to view, but like everything else that occurs in the film, are necessary to describe the journey the main character Maya is on.  For a procedural, the acting is top notch.  While there are some solid Emmy-winning TV stars like James Gandolfini and Kyle Chandler, the standouts in the supporting group were Jason Clarke, Reda Kateb, Jennifer Ehle (who left an impression in Contagion and The Ides of March, and seems more Meryl Streep than Mammie Gummer), and just about every last one of the men who played the rockstar Navy SEALS.

At the center of it all is Jessica Chastain as Maya, who holds the whole enterprise together.  Chastain's performance is focused and subtle.  There is only one scene where she loses her shit (the clip with Kyle Chandler that is available on the internet) and it's justified.  There aren't any bells and whistles to her role, nor does there need to be.  Her tenacity becomes more apparent as the film progresses and places her firmly in the driver's seat.  Some of her lines are real zingers too.  When she has to assert her dominance to stake her rightful claim, having already been warned of dirty politics, she spells it out so she doesn't have to repeat herself, "I'm the motherfucker who found this place, sir," she tells one of the direct links to the President.  The line got the biggest laugh both times I saw it.  And, it's not because Maya is a female that it's humorous either, but because she's right and earned the credit. The film never makes a big deal about Maya's gender, though there are some sly necessary references to what it's undoubtedly like for a woman to be in her position during a changing-of-the-guard in the social fabric of the intelligence agency.  A quick, offhand "Was I right?" is all we need to know that she's initially sexually objectified.  It dies there, because Maya means business.  A remotely catty short exchange develops between the film's only two significant female characters, but it dies there, because Maya means business.  She's intelligent and not ashamed to employ her talents, as that is why she was hired.  It's an establishing moment of the respect she accrues as she begins to dedicate herself to the mission.

Much has been made about the torture element.  And the conversation is a healthy one that needs to be occurring.  All I can offer is my take: in the 2000s, I, like many, were disgusted and ashamed by some of the American scandals which surfaced from the wars in the Middle East, and I was knee-jerk against torture.  But, "my guy" wasn't president.  It was easy to have these opinions, because I didn't hold the man or administration in charge in very high regard.  Towards the end of the Bush years, my thoughts laxed.  I never wanted the US to be in the wars, but we were; I had no idea what were the best decisions anymore.  That never changed once President Obama took office.  But, I suspect that my views on torture also neutralized.  As unconnected and superficial as it may sound, it may have all to do with who is in the Oval Office.  Don't ask me why.  I keep asking myself and it's not something that can be put to the test anytime soon.  Some experts, including Senator John McCain say that nothing valuable can be derived from torture.  And, it's hard to ascertain any one viewpoint from the film, unless, maybe, you sit down and pick apart every line of dialogue, action, and consequence.  So much happens throughout the film, there are so many characters and agendas, it's difficult for a person like myself to keep track.

Bigelow and Boal maintain that they took a journalistic approach to the film and purposely did not take a stand one way or another, leaving it up to the viewer.  I'll agree with that to an extent.  However, I don't believe they are being completely forthcoming.  The film isn't predicated in an ambiguous protagonist.  While it's clear that Maya has made sacrifices in her life that have cost her, we, as an audience never question her intent or quest.  She is a woman on a mission, and we're never asked to question our support for her.  She invested nearly a decade of her life into finding one criminal, has gone head to head with top brass, and lost friends along the way.  She is a heroine whom we cheer on, but is also someone who will use whatever is at her disposal to accomplish her task.  She is not beneath torture, as it was part of her culture when she first entered the CIA.  The only reason she doesn't endeavor torture later on in her mission is because a separate outside force removes it from her arsenal.

It's been interesting to listen to liberals squirm around the issue of torture while loving on this movie.  Additionally, it puts it back on the Obama-hating conservatives for what they emphatically believed and wrought, even stopping short of saying: they were right in more ways than one.  You can't just remove yourself and your beliefs from the equation and say, "The film is ambiguous and leaves it up to the audience."  The film is ambiguous: the idea of whether or not torture is a fruitful or fruitless action is a distraction as far as the film is concerned.  The film does however, put it on the viewer.  Usama Bin Laden aside, if you cheered this Maya on, you were cheering on whatever means necessary were required for her to succeed.  Simply put, you have to endorse torture, at least, a little bit.  Otherwise, you're lying to yourself.  How more complex this controversy would be if the movie was exactly what it was, but there was a Republican in the White House.

I wrote most of this post last night, but saw this morning that Sasha over at AD covers the torture aspect yet again, but gets into actual specifics.  She won't say we have blood on our hands.  But, I will: if you wanted Usama Bin Laden dead, you have blood on our hands.  Do Bigelow and Boal?  I'm not sure if it matters.  But, Clarice Starling had a job to do (fictional as it may have been).  Was it really necessary, then, to play the 9/11 calls at the beginning.  Me thinks Bigelow and Boal were more passionate about the story then they're letting on.  They can play possum all they want.  I only fault them for not being more honest about it.  As you may have heard, President Barack Obama figures very little in it, and it's fascinating to watch the film put his involvement into context.  The chain of command that separates him from the Maya character is complicated.  The film gives him his credit and couples the victory in sobering, matter-of-fact terms that doesn't prop him up anymore than is necessary, nor diminish his role.

Maya cries at the very end.  It's a moving moment and partially asks the viewer: Was it all worth it?  In the grander scheme of things, the movie's version of the assassination makes the actual assassination appear to be symbolic and negligible.  Bin Laden was hiding out in a neighborhood under strict anonymity, but the surveillance and security was quite pathetic for the man deemed #1 Most Wanted in the World.  It also seemed to suggest that he lost a great deal of his power.  Yet, despite all of this, perhaps out of hallow bloodlust, I'm glad the man is dead.  Of course, there are millions who believe he had already been dead or isn't and his actual assassination was a farce; to those, this film will only be mythical propaganda.  But, the tears are more indicative of a person who has not rested for ten years to accomplish a mission she held in high regard, to finally be able to take a breath, because she's done.  She's invested all of this time, emotion, intelligence; her hard work has finally paid off.  Relief, is what I got, mostly.

Was the film accurate?  It's Hollywood, so, I can't separate the fact from fiction.  From a narrative standpoint, the movie was well-edited, intense, and thrilling.  Bigelow sustained my attention for over 2 1/2 hours.  She told a story that was partially true and embellished, I'm sure, a great deal, based on data and information however compromised, but my instinct is she shaped whatever access she had to the real story so that it would be appropriate for great storytelling purposes, holding onto what was significant and connecting the dots in the most exciting way she knew possible.

Oscar Prospects
As far as Oscar is concerned, I really hate going along with the pack, but the critics groups and fans have it right: this is one of the best, if not the best, film of 2012.  It's also one of those films that given the right year could win Best Picture (2011, as an example).  Some people say that this year has been a spoil of riches in film.  I'm not one of them.  Last year was much better, and I liked 2010 even more.  But, as far as BP contenders and the Oscar game is concerned, there are three formidable candidates in the ring (I haven't seen Les Misérables yet): Zero, Lincoln, and Argo.  While I found Zero to be superior to Argo and didn't care all that much for Lincoln, all three films are the type of movies that can win Best Picture, given the competition.  Lincoln is the more traditional biopic, which boasts well of its chances.  Zero and Argo are action-thrillers, which don't often make it into the BP field, but, with the right subject matter, can stand right up and be counted.  I have a feeling however, that there will be a vote split between them.  Zero will no doubt be competitive in directing, editing (like Argo), cinematography, art direction, and the dual sound categories.

Original Screenplay is its to lose, and it may also take home Best Actress.  This would be a nod to The Hurt Locker team and "female power," without outright giving the movie Best Picture and Director.  But, it all depends on box-office and campaigns at this point.  Not since 1998 have we had two competitive rising young stars in this category.  Gwyneth Paltrow played a character who runs around and innocently cavorts with a guy; Cate Blanchett plays a woman who gets shit done.  They were both in Best Picture nominees.  Paltrow also had Harvey Weinstein behind her.  Sound familiar?  Otherwise, both actresses' chances have an equal amount of pros and cons.  Jennifer Lawrence delivered an indelible performance and is having an enviable year, but let's not forget that Julia Roberts had a career-changing year with Pretty Woman and Nicole Kidman had one of the best runs of any actor in 2001 when she was nominated for Moulin Rouge!  Both actresses wouldn't win until subsequent nominations came around.  Will the AMPAS also make Lawrence wait?  She hosts SNL next month.  It worked for Paltrow her first time around.  Or will they put her in the overdue que instead of Chastain, once the winner's name is announced?  Or will Naomi Watts have something to say about it and they both end up there?  Chastain has offered a female hero which not only critics are responding to, but early audiences are taking to as well.  She has somewhat of a thankless role, because there is not a lot of wiggle room for "acting." Her character doesn't have much of a life, isn't the most likable, and she is caught up in what is essentially a procedural.  Nuance is key here and she embues her Maya every chance she gets.  The clip I was tempted to make fun of when I first watched it before I saw the film is the one scene where she lets it rip.  It's weird to watch out of context.  But, within the film, the bewilderment dissipates and you understand completely why Maya is about to go off her rocker while Kyle Chandler grits through his teeth.  Saying the stake are high in that scene doesn't even come close to doing it justice.  Would the movie carry the same resonance if it was a generic thriller where Bin Laden and 9/11 weren't part of the equation as much as they were?  Probably not.  Perhaps I would like it less, but it also wrapped people like myself into the film so that they could enjoy the excellence of this thriller.  Finally, I don't consider the "freshness" of the subject matter a detriment as I once did before I saw it.  Films that depict history further back in time (like Argo, Lincoln) have the advantage that time and faded memory brings.  Yet, considering this movie ends less than two years ago, Bigelow crafts her story with Boal's dialogue in a way that this could likely stand the test of time.  Just a hunch.

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The (Almost) Impossible to Review (spoilers)

I just caught The Impossible.  It tells the tale of a European family caught in the 2004 Tsunami that devastated lands (mostly in SE Asia) bordering the Indian Ocean, killing hundreds of thousands of people, injuring countless more, and displacing a greater number of families.  There are some who will cry foul because this film puts a very European-face on a tragedy that most greatly affected people indigenous to the regions physically harmed (namely Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, and additional areas as extensive as South Africa), which is two-fold.  For one, the real life family the film is based on is Spanish. While they're gentrified, upperclass, and European for all intents and purposes, the absence of a Latin element to the makeup of the actors portraying them rubs some the wrong way.  Additionally, there's the aspect of the majority of people affected who were local  residents.  The second major motion-picture to depict the 2004 Tsunami after Hereafter (it was part of a pastiche of other stories), some argue as to why these kind of stories must be told from the perspective of the "privileged" and "white."  Well, it's complicated.

In order for a film of this size ($45M) and kind to secure financing requires recognizable, hopefully bankable faces.  Out of the three leads, two of the roles ask for two adult and one child actor.  Generally, with kids, unless someone in the business is a good fit for the role, the producers don't have a choice and have to rely on a fresh face.  In this case, Tom Holland, who spent nearly two years on the London stage as Billy Elliot supplied his talents.  But, with the adults, there's a limited pool to choose from, once you take in the age range (which isn't that much of a setback) and commercial appeal.  If we were going for authenticity as far as the Spanish origins of the actual Belon family this film is based on, the director would basically have had to cast Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem or Antonio Banderas.  Even with the limitations of these casting possibilities, you still have to consider if these actors are available or even interested, let alone right for the part.

The Hollywood pool, unfortunately, is very Euro-Caucasian.  That is partly the industry's fault, but audiences are also to blame.  Generally, they accept what is given to them, and they're not adventurous enough to seek out stories that are "different" to indicate a change in demand.  The viscous cycle feeds itself.  The more cynical side of me believes, we generally like to watch stories with actors who "look like us," even though "us" is a changing demographic.  But, though I also believe we're maleable, as it stands, audiences are comfortable with "recognizable" faces.  Famous actors more relatable, and therefore more in demand and necessary.  I really didn't mind the ethnic/national adjustments at all.  They family was European when it all came down to it.  If the family had been local and SE Asian, and the characters were still played by Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, THAT would be kind of messed up.

Even if the filmmakers wanted to write a more localized story of this scope, it either would have had to have been an ensemble-piece and/or scaled down considerably (say, the TV-mini-series Tsunami: The Aftermath from six years ago).  Was this particular story told, because the characters were affluent, Westernized, and had more to lose?  Perhaps it was chosen because movie-going audiences could empathize with these characters more and therefore expanded the return-on-investment potential for the film.  Remember, this is a business.  And, let's face it, movies like The Impossible have a tougher hill to climb than Twilight or The Hunger Games.  People want to see themselves.  Whatever the case, director J.A. Bayona had a story he wanted to tell and he told it.

As far as the film itself, it's beset with a bigger set of problems.  I came in with no expectations.  I didn't know the specific story of the Belon family (which, I'm sure was modified for this narrative form), let alone much about the actual tsunami.  Bayona does a marvelous job setting up the film.  You know what is coming, but he introduces some quick exposition that is as smart as it is unnerving.  While you anticipate the crux of the movie, he swiftly packs in a great amount of nuanced detail.  There are some beautiful moments that include a nighttime launch of several paper balloons.  The actual footage of the natural disaster and its aftermath is harrowing and emotional.  Most of the film is told through the eyes of the main character Maria (Watts), who, along with her eldest son Lucas (Holland, who is quite great at times), are separated from her husband Henry (McGregor), and the two younger boys (Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast).  They embark on a journey of survival, uncertainty, and hope.  The mother, a doctor by profession, instills a lesson in her son about selflessness and empathy that is a nice touch.  While the movie's focus is squarely on how this family is affected by the tragedy, Bayona tries to extend the effects beyond their little world.

The film clocks in at a slim (for a subject of its nature) 1:47 and may have feared appearing skimpy by nature, as, towards the end, the plot device becomes rather unlikely repetitive (there is an assortment of separations between members which prolongs the finale and almost becomes an inadvertent comedy of errors).  I was most struck, however, by two separate moments, each lasting about a minute or two.  Intentional or not, the director, whose list of credits include The Orphanage, hits a tone that is very much 1970s/80s slasher horror.  As terrifying as this event was, these scenes conjure up references for me that are effective, but perhaps for all the wrong reasons.  One scene is even tacked on at the end to bring things unnecessarily full-circle.

As far the Oscar prospects go, Watts should have no problem nabbing a nod.  She has secured "the third position" on a lot of pundit's prediction ballots, thanks to being the subject of a lot of good press recently care of some outspoken celebrities.  The Golden Globe/SAG-one-two-punch didn't hurt and The Impossible's box-office shouldn't have a problem outgrossing much of the Best Actress competition including those that are struggling/have struggled (Rust and Bone, Hitchcock, Anna Karenina, The Deep Blue Sea), and those that have yet to post figures (Amour).  I imagine it will match the numbers for Beasts of the Southern Wild, if not surpass them, perhaps even Silver Linings Playbook.  This is an incredibly competitive year with a handful of films (Lincoln, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Misérables, possibly Life of Pi) that may corner the market on a lot of the technical categories, among others, so it will be hard for this movie to stake its own claim.  Exceeding box-office expectations could change all of that, however, giving it a long-shot at supporting actor (McGregor), screenplay, cinematography, and the sound categories.  But, for now, I'll leave it at Best Actress.

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Movie Spoiler LIFE OF PI (2012)

Master of genre-hopping Ang Lee helmed the $120M adaptation of Yann Martel's Life of Pi, a risky venture considering it's a fantasy-drama based on a novel set in the middle of the ocean starring a boy and a CGI tiger.  Deadline reports that the film is over-performing modest studio expectations in the initial forecast for Thanksgiving weekend.  It could quite possibly catch on and develop legs through the holiday season, which is a rarity these days for wide releases (Argo being a recent example).  Considering it's an original movie with adult sensibilities, I would love to see that happen.  I wasn't really sure what to expect going in, not having read the novel and only seen the trailer, but, like Castaway, its plot squeezes a great deal out of barebones details pitting man against nature.  Pi is framed with a narrative device looking back on events through the eyes of the titular character being interviewed by an annoying novelist (annoying only because he resembles an irksome blogger I know).  After sharing scenes from his youth, he dives into the story proper and tells his extraordinary tale.  The computer graphics are awe inspiring, especially the footage of Pi swimming.  And a oceaniac bioluminescent scene involving a whale and several sea creatures is simply fantastic, especially when viewed through 3D glasses, and while its ship sinking scene isn't as involved as Titanic's, it's certainly spectacular.  I'm not a strong advocate of 3D technology, but there are instances such as Pi and Hugo where they actually enhance the cinematic experience.  My only gripes are a polish to the movie in general that I found only slightly off-putting and the borderline cloying framing device.  For the most part, I embraced the movie, even if it ran a tad long.  Lee's effort was overall solid and he has a magical touch not unlike his Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, another otherworldly affair which took audiences where they had never been before.  The film's pantheistic nature may turn off religious hardliners, as well as atheists,  but will likely appeal to the majority who have a belief in a general God with a mild attachment to any one particular worship.  The film makes a strong argument for the purpose of religion as a coping mechanism to endure insurmountable odds that would crush the average person.  Go see this!  And see it in 3D while you can.

Oscar Odds
As far as its Oscar odds, there are some things that just strike me as certain, even if it does end up falling short at the box-office like Hugo: Best Picture, Director (Lee), Adapted Screenplay (David Magee), Cinematography (Claudio Miranda), Visual Effects, having a chance at winning the latter two, maybe even screenplay.  Art Direction and Editing also strike me as being in play for nominations.  I never know about the sound categories, but instinct tells me to throw them in also.  The score didn't strike me as especially memorable, simply because I can't recall it, but what do I know.

Movie Spoiler Summary

Life of Pie opens the credits over footage in an Indian zoo. Flash-forward to the older Pi Patel (Irrfan Khan) in Canada being interviewed in his home by a writer (Rafe Spall).  He prepares them a meal as he takes him through various points in his youth via flashback, which include his uncle Mamaji teaching him (Gautam Belur) to swim.  Through montage, he explains how public ridicule in his youth forced him (Ayush Tandon) to shorten his name from Piscine Molitor (his uncle’s favorite Parisian swimming complex) to Pi culminating in a scene during his math class where he writes out the infinite number corresponding to his nickname taking up several chalkboards to his schoolmate's delight. 

Back to the present, the writer explains how he was brought to Pi through Mamaji.  Pi tells more tales from his youth including the Pondicherry, his father opening the zoo, how his parents got together and had him and his brother.  As a boy, Pi harbored an interest in Gods, which expanded as he grew older and included Hindi graphic novels, conversations with a priest (Andrea Di Stefano), and adopting Islam.  His father chose to be an atheist, while his mother believed in God.  During a dinner conversation, the parents have a disagreement where the father (Adil Hussain) advocates for science and fact, but the mother (Tabu) suggests that those elements can’t tend one’s heart. 

*** More Movie Spoilers ***

In another flashback, Pi visits the Bengal tiger Richard Parker at the zoo with a fist full of raw meat.  His frightened father finds him and teaches the boy a lesson by forcing him to watching the tiger devour a goat.  As a teenager, Pi (Suraj Sharma) falls in love with Amandee (Shravanthi Sainath).  Unfortunately, his father decides they must leave India for Canada.  The family boards Japanese freighter Tsimtsum (which may be a Hebrew term) with all of the animals and their possessions and set sail across the Pacific Ocean.  There’s a short scene in the mess hall with a French server (Gérard Depardieu) who chides the family for being vegetarian, leading to a fight that breaks out.  A young Buddhist later provides the hungry family encouragement.  (This scene establishes a spoiler that will become important later in the film.)

In the ship’s hull, Pi’s father tends to the animals as best as he knows how.  A storm breaks out and sends a curious Pi to the deck.  The violent waves force the ship to take on a massive amount of water.  Pi swims through the hallways to locate his family, but their room is entirely filled up.  The crew begins to employ a safety boat, but a falling zebra sends the craft with Pi and the animal into the water.  Pi manages to save Richard Parker, sending himself into the water where there is an amazing shot from underneath of Pi swimming and looking up towards the capsized ship on the surface.  He makes it back onto the safety boat and hugs a pole protruding from the bow with dear life. 

*** More Movie Spoilers ***

The next day, on calmer seas, he draws water out of the boat with a pale.  A hidden hyena reveals itself, and an orangutan floats by on a net full of bananas.  The hyena stirs up some shit, throws up, and methodically attacks and kills the poor zebra.  Pi falls asleep and drops into the water waking himself up.  He opens supplies, gives the orangutan a vest.  Using the extra vests and oars, he fashions a makeshift raft.  The hyena acts up again.  The orangutan gets one sharp audience-pleasing slap in, before the relentless hyena attacks and kills her.  Pi draws out a small axe on the hyena and out pops Richard Parker and devours the little monster.  He starts to advance on Pi, but backs off when he can’t negotiate the canvass covering the bow. 

Pi climbs onto the raft.  Later, he locates food in the boat.  Pi finds a rat and throws it at Richard Parker to avoid getting attacked.  He gets back on the raft and cries that night.  The next day he sends a mayday message in a can out to sea. He peers into the boat only to be welcomed by tiger grumbling.  Pi prays, observes map, and reads a survival manual.  He employs a Pavlov method by blowing a whistle while rocking the boat and inciting sea sickness in Richard Parker.  He gets back on the boat and tries to assert his dominance by urinating in front of the tiger, only for the tiger to return his own projection.  (One of the giveaways of the movie is that the manual Pi reads provides unbelievable guidance suggestions that one wouldn’t likely find in such reading materials.)  He blows the whistle and puts out a pail of water for the tiger to drink. 

Pi starts fishing and Richard Parker jumps into the water and begins swimming towards him.  Pi manages to turn the tables and gains possession of the boat, and pulls the raft aboard.  He uses the small axe to threaten Richard Parker, hanging onto ropes on the side of the boat.  Later, he drops the ladder and blows the whistle to allow the tiger back on board.  The next day, Pi takes inventory of the food while it’s laid out precariously on the raft.  He catches a huge fish and prays after killing it, throwing it to the hungry Richard Parker. 

That night, there is bioluminescent scene (the best one!) showing off the sea life.  A whale emerges and jumps out of the water predictably knocking the food rations off the raft and into the sea.  “Hunger can change every idea you’ve had about yourself.”  The next day, thousands of fish begin flying through the air across the boat, many of them landing inside as food prospects.  Richard Parker tries to attack Pi, but eventually turns his attention to the fish.  The next day, Pi boards the boat and tames the tiger with a rod, while rewarding him with fish, sending him acquiescing underneath the bow’s canopy. 

*** More Movie Spoilers ***

Time passes, and Pi has fashioned himself a luxury raft (considering the circumstances), which provides him a little shade.  “Without Richard Parker, I would have died by now.”  They’re visited by dolphins.  Pi spots a ship in the horizon and fires flares into the night without success.  There is a montage of Pi and Richard Parker idling the days away.  There’s a fantasy sequence involving the sea life, as well as the zoo animals.  Both Pi and Richard Parker think back on their lives.  Pi journals some more.  A storm sends him falling into the water.  He prays and then watches the lightning during the rough storm, sending Richard Parker cowering.  He covers the vessel, while the tiger and him swish around in water the boat has taken on.  During calmer seas, Pi comforts a frail Richard Parker and touches him for the first time. 

The next day, he wakes to find a floating island.  He pulls himself ashore and begins eating the moss on the ground, as well as a vegetable he digs up.  He explores and realizes that the island is composed almost entirely of meerkats.   Pi swims in a lagoon and Richard Parker casually consumes a docile meerkat, while the others pay no attention.  Pi sets up camp in a tree and wakes that night to find dead bioluminescent fish swimming in the lagoon.  Richard Parker chills in the boat as a long shot reveals the island is in the shape of a human corpse.  Pi picks a juicy piece of fruit which contains a human tooth. He shares with the writer that the island was carnivorous and he couldn’t stay.  He prepares the boat and alerts Richard Parker with the whistle. 

*** More Movie Spoilers ***

They continue on and reach Mexico.  Richard Parker jumps ashore and disappears into the jungle.  Men rescue Pi.  And he expresses regret to the writer that he was never able to properly say goodbye to the tiger.  In flashback, the insurance report demands of Pi why the ship sunk (which is strange, because he was just a young passenger with a wild imagination).  He then tells a different story, where instead of the zebra, hyena, and orangutan, there is the young Asian Buddhist, the French mess hall attendant, and Pi’s mother.  The events are pretty much the same, only with different characters.  It’s clear, at this point, that Pi made up a story to tell others in order to process and move beyond his traumatizing event.  “So it goes with God.”  The writer reads that the insurance report included mention of the Bengal Tiger (which was actually Pi).  Pi introduces him to his family.  The final shot is of Richard Parker walking into the jungle.  Roll 3D credits. 

For I don’t know what reason, here is the final appearance from Sigfried and Roy from three years ago with the tiger that accidentally mauled Roy Horn.  


Movie Spoiler Summary Life of Pi
Movie Spoiler Life of Pi
Movie Spoilers Life of Pi
Spoiler Life of Pi
Spoilers Life of Pi
Life of Pi Movie Spoiler
Life of Pi Movie Spoilers
Life of Pi Movie Spoiler Summary
Life of Pi Movie Spoilers Summary
Life of Pi Spoiler
Life of Pi Spoilers

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Movie Spoiler THE SESSIONS (2012) starring John Hawkes (after comments)

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Movie Spoiler CLOUD ATLAS (2012) starring Tom Hanks - after review

I probably can attribute a good portion of fondness I feel towards Cloud Atlas to its source material, of which I haven't had the pleasure of reading. Filmmakers Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski siblings have taken David Mitchell's novel, and thrown films/series like The Matrix, Amistad, Cocoon, Amadeus, Star Trek/Game of Thrones, Silkwood/Foxy Brown, into a blender and poured them out as one whimsical mixture, edited by Alexander Berner. Atlas is big melting pot of genres (conspiracy thriller, science fiction, romance, call to arms) that put actors in Asian-face, white-face, Mexican-face, etc, with a few made-up languages, while set in various settings (though, most are Anglo-based) and periods in time, including two points in the future, overlapping thanks to correspondence and technology. The movie is cast like a repertory company with an assortment of principal actors taking on roles in most, if not all interweaving stories. No one is truly that weak, though some clearly do not stand out, air-time aside. The strongest link would be Jim Broadbent, with an assist from Hugh Grant and some villainous creations from Hugo Weaving.  It's should also be said that the 1970s segment was authentically costumed.

Ten years ago, many critics went bananas over 21 Grams, Alejandro González Iñárritu's followup to Amores Perros. Iñárritu has carved himself out as a director who relies heavily on slick editing and overlaying ensemble story-lines told at different points in time. (A Robert Altman/Quentin Tarantino influence perhaps?) I had trouble with it, because without a knife, there wasn't anything particularly profound about the actual linear story lines. With Atlas, some may say: well, THAT'S the point. It's that we are linked by varying degrees in astounding ways on infinite time continuum's.  Be it as it may, this type of storytelling is more often than not distracting, just like Baz Luhrman's insane need to leave an image before he even gets to it can be. So goes Atlas sometimes, where we get six different stories boiled down and combined together for the big screen to say something monumental about the human experience and how we are all connected to each other, as well as the past and future.  There's a small, touching twist at the end. The surprise is just enough and welcoming, rather than the epic reaching for some all-encompassing way to tie everything together in some unrealistically faux-remarkable way.  The tales are lightly joined, rather than chained together, which is nice.  This is understandable, as the whole point of the interconnectedness doesn't need to be hammered into our brains anymore than it has.  Don't get me wrong: I want to love on this movie. There is nothing more that I crave than getting lost in the romance of an emotional opus. Cloud Atlas is ambitious and worth relenting to, if only for a few (almost three) hours.  It's easier to just set aside its frustrating imperfections and give in to its pull without succumbing to picking it apart.

Movie Spoiler Summary

***color coded by story for your viewing pleasure***

Cloud Atlas begins with an older version of Zachry (Tom Hanks), from the Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' section of the novel, telling stories by campfire at night.  We'll soon flashback to when he first meets his future wife Meronym, a woman from another planet.  Ev'rythin' proper takes place somewhere in the future, where humanity has regressed to a Game of Thrones-style of living, but they're visited by the last members of a technologically advanced being from another universe who have come to the planet out of desperation.  Each race of characters has their own affected language, that is sometimes hard to follow by word and easier to tap into the emotions.  Hanks mostly drives this story, with Halle Berry who also has substantial, if not unimpressive role, and Hugo Weaving.  

What commences is an introductory montage for several minutes of six interweaving stories taking place at different points in time and geography.

Pre-Credit Introduction Montage
The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing is set in 1849 Pacific Islands, which will detail the story of white man Ewing (Jim Sturgess) who bonds with black slave Autua (David Gyasi) board ship and the former's journey to becoming an abolitionist along with his wife Tilda (Donna Bae in white-face).  There is an excavation going on with Ewing in attendance and Dr. Henry Goose (Hanks) shares his discovery.  Sturgess drives this story with support from Gyasi and Hanks.  Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery is set in San Francisco 1973, which will account reporter Rey's (Berry) investigation into a power plant mystery thanks to a chance meeting with an older version of Rufus Sixsmith (James D'Arcy), a respected nuclear physicist turned whistle blower.  We first see Rey driving while passing through a security gate.  Berry drives this story with support from Broy Nicholas Lee, Keith Napier, and Hugh Grant.  The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish is set in 2012 London and concerns the title author (Jim Broadbent), a cantankerous old man who gets duped by his brother Denholme (Grant) and stages a breakout from a retirement community.  We first meet him at work on the typewriter as he readies to account his "ghastly ordeal," Broadbent narrating.  A filmed version is later seen by characters in another story.  He drives this story, with main support from Grant.  Letters from Zedelghem is set in 1936 and involves a young Cambridge musician Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) who leaves his lover Rufus Sixsmith (D'Arcy) to forge his ambitious plan to join forces with composer Vyvyan Ayrs (Broadbent) in Zedelghem, Belgium, to write the greatest piece of music ever.  Berry plays Ayrs' wife Jocasta in white-face.  When we first meet him it's at the very end of his life when, faced with public humiliation, he climbs into a bathtub, shoves a luger into his mouth, and proceeds to kill himself; Sixsmith reads his letters in retrospect with Whishaw providing the narration.  Whishaw drives this story with support from Broadbent and D'Arcy.  An Orison of Sonmi~451 is set in 2144 in Neo Seoul, a Korean metropolis that rose above Old Seoul, Korea, due to great flooding caused by global warming.  It's about fabricant Sonmi~451 (Bae) who disobeys authority and captures the interest of insurgent Hae-Joo Chang (Sturgess in Asian-face) sparking a revolution that ultimately fails in the short-term.  Their story begins during Sonmi~451's final interview.  Her beliefs are later echoed in Ev-rythin'.  Bae and Sturgess both drive this story.  

Post-Credit Introduction Montage
In Journal, Ewing makes a deal with Reverend Gilles Horrox (Grant), mentioning Haskell Moore (Weaving).  Later, Ewing, Goose, Horrox and his wife (Susan Sarandon) dine, while Kupaka (David) attends their needs, and they discuss slavery.  The next day, Ewing faints when he watches Autua getting savagely whipped.  Goose tends to him in bed.  In Letters, Robert lies with Rufus when there is a knock at the door from the hotel management.  Robert escapes out of a window and travels to Zedelghem to work as an amanuensis for for Ayrs.  The composer isn't too keen on Robert at first ("you must have misheard me; I said a melody, not a malady") until he reveals his talent.  In Mystery, Rey leaves a drunken man she was supposed to interview behind at a party and boards an elevator with Sixsmith, who has stopped the door from closing.  She comments, "It's nice to know the age of chivalry isn't dead."  The power goes out and they get stuck.  Sixsmith responds, "Still glad the age of chivalry isn't dead?"  They exchange stories and he makes note of her comet birthmark near the left side of her clavicle, which he has seen before.  He gets ready to share something very important with her, but then the power comes back on.  In Ordeal, testy Irishman Dermot Hoggins (Hanks) runs into his publisher Cavendish at a party.  Berry is also their as an Indian party guest.  Hoggins produces a negative review of his latest book by Felix Finch (Alistair Petri) and is angry that his latest tome Knuckle Sandwich hasn't caught on yet with the public.  He commands everyone's attendance by banging two platters together, and denounces the critic.  Finch shames him, "A signed copy of an unpulped Knuckle Sandwich?  Can't be many of those left.  Well, just what does that leadless pencil you call an imagination have in mind to end this scene, hmmn?  Hoggins throws him to his death from the top of the building.  Knuckle Sandwich becomes a huge hit thanks to the publicity and Hoggins goes to jail.  Cavendish enjoys the success, but Hoggins' guys quickly break down his door looking for money soon after.  In Orison, Sonmi~451 describes her life as a fabricant and we see scenes from her work and "personal" life, which revolves around the mantra "honor thy consumer."  She recounts a love-making incident between a female fabricant and her boss Seer Rhee (Grant), which is brought to her attention by Yoona-939 (Zhou Xun).  Yoona-939 shows her a scene from The Ghastly Ordeal (Cavendish played by Hanks) on a small electrical device called a keno (?).  What follows is an incident at a restaurant where a consumer defiles Yoona-939.  She strikes back and leaves, but she's stopped and later destroyed.  In Ev'rythin', Zachry's friends are killed out in a forest by a tribe of ruthless men wearing skeletal facial paint.  He hides, as he's visited by an evil green figment of his imagination Old Georgie (Hugo Weaving).  Rumors abound about Zachry.  On the beach with a young girl, he watches a hovercraft glide along the ocean towards him.  He returns home to a destroyed village.  Meronym (Berry) greets him.  Abbess (Sarandon) and others ask him questions.  Old G appears to Zachry to warn him about the visitor, but he spies on Meronym placing a silver instrument against the wounds on her arm.  There's a quick montage of various parts of the six stories and we next see Zachry waking up.  He shares a visit with Abbess.  

From here, the scenes get exceptional shorter, mixing the six stories together in various manners ...

Discovery Montage
Sonmi~451 observes Seer Rhee's body and Hae-Joo Chang finds her.  Adam writes a letter about being quarantined for being ill.  Robert writes about working with Ayrs and finding Adam's journal.  Older Sixsmith reads his letter while he watches his former boss from Schwaneke Lloyd Hooks, operator of a nuclear reactor, on television and places a call to Rey.  Cavendish calls various contacts for money to pay Hoggins.  He visits his brother Denny, whose wife Georgette (Whishaw in drag) also happens to be around.  Cavendish asks him for money as his one last ditch effort.  On the ship, stowaway Autua surprises Adam and gives him a choice: help him escape slavery or kill him.  Meronym communicates with her people about having difficulties finding a valley person to help her locate an old transway marker.  Sixsmith gets off the phone with Rey, and assassin Bill Smoke (Weaving) shows up in his room to snuff him out and take his file.  Rey shows up at his door to no answer.  Sonmi~451 and Chang leave.  Rey convinces an attendant to open Sixsmith's room only to discover his dead body and Robert's letters.  Robert writes Sixsmith about presenting his work "Eternal Reoccurrence  with Ayrs to Tadeusz Kesselring (Weaving).  They dine with Jocasta.  Robert and Ayrs debrief afterwards.  Zachary walks with Meryonym through forest.  He saves her from falling off a bridge.  When warriors approach, they hide.  Cavendish takes a trip where he reminisces about the last time he took the same train, long ago, when he was with the love of his life, Ursula.  Zachry seeks counsel from Abbess.  There's another montage involving multiple parts of the film, while Abbess narrates, "Our lives are not our own.  From womb to tomb, we are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime, and every kindness, we birth our future.  

A Whole New World/Revelation Montage
Chang escorts Sonmi~451 to Neo Seoul.  Adam feeds the worldly Autua, who knows there is a better life for him.  Rey's teenage neighbor Javier Gomez visits her while she reads Robert's letters.  Robert makes love to Jacasta.  Rey visits a record store attended by the owner (Whishaw) and listens to one of Robert's compositions, "Cloud Atlas."  She comments that she has heard it before.  Cavendish reminisces again about Ursula's parents walking in on them leading to Cavendish covering his crotch with the closest object (a cat), causing him to fall out a window and injure himself.  "Official cause of accident listed on the hospital form: pussy."  The present day, Cavendish goes back to the house and sees the older Ursula.  Zachry visits an ailing girl.  We watch Sonmi~451 have her collar removed, revealing a comet birthmark.  Zachry runs to find Meronym for assistance.  Cavendish registers at the Aurora House convalescent home, having been duped by his brother Denny in exchange to pay off Hoggins.  Chang takes Sonmi~451 to a room where he shows her a view of the mostly underwater Old Seoul.  Zachry injects girl with Meronym's silver instrument when no one is looking, and she shows up.  Chang shows Sonmi~451 her accommodations.  We got back to the interview.  Meronym saves the girl.  Sonmi~451 dresses up and watches a version of The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish.  Cavendish wakes up to Nurse Noakes (Weaving) rifling through his personal items.  Rey visits Hooks at Schwaneke headquarters, who introduces her to Joe Napier (Keith David), his security chief.  Cavendish complains about Noakes, but he's shit-out-of-luck.  Sonmi~451 and Chang continue to watch a filmed version of The Ghastly Ordeal.  A groundsperson stops Cavendish from leaving.  Sonmi~451's interview continues as she describes her accommodations set up by Chang.  Zachry takes Meronym on her requested trek.  Chang shows Sonmi~451 a technologically advanced form of communication.  

Leap of Faith Montage
Adam shares Autua's identity with the ship's captain, hoping he can help him.  Sonmi~451 receives a haircut.  Rey notes an office door that once bore the name of Sixsmith.  Cavendish sneaks a call to his brother, who reveals that he knows about his affair with Georgette.  Denny is quite pleased with his revenge.  "I do have my fingers crossed for scenario involving you, Nurse Noakes, and a broom handle.  Cheerio, Timmy."  Noakes finds Cavendish.  The interview continues with scenes from Sonmi~451's new accommodations.  Ayrs wakes Robert up, full of inspiration.  Rey thumbs through files when one Isaac Sachs (Hanks) walks in on her.  Sonmi~451 and Chang are discovered and they must escape by a high-tech foot bridge Chang employs crossing over to another building.  The ship's captain requests Autua display his sailing skills.  Adam learns that the captain plans to kill Autua.  Sonmi~451 and Chang escape gunfire.  The captain takes aim at Autua.  Sonmi~451 and Chang fall from bridge.  Autua proves himself.  Isaac takes Rey to Hooks, but covers for her.  They talk.  Cavendish feels trapped.  Boardman Mephi (Weaving in Asian-face) arrives in Sonmi~451's cell.  She cries after being told Chang has died.  Goose, after the key around his neck that will open a chest filled with gold coins, tends to the ailing Adam.  Isaac and Rey talk and contemplates sharing information with her.  "If I help you, I could lose my job, or worse.  If I don't, a lot of people ... it would be worse than worse."  Zachry and Meronym talk by campfire, while he's haunted by Old Georgie.  Isaac takes a trip on a plane, while he philosophically narrates a montage including Orison.  Rey finds that Isaac has left a report in her trunk.  Assassin Bill Smoke follows Rey.  Isaac's plane blows up, care of Smoke.  Ayrs' listens while Robert plays what he wrote.  Robert makes a pass at Ayrs who laughs at him.  When Robert threatens to leave, Ayrs blackmails him and insinuates he'll ruin his reputation if he does. 

Escape Montage #1
Sonmi~451 is marched down a hall.  Chang, who didn't die, saves her.  Cavendish clandestinely meets with three other residents, including Mr. Meeks (Robert Fyfe) in the basement to plot their escape.  Sonmi~451 and Chang are stopped in a vehicle.  Goose continues to tend to Adam, while plotting to steal the key around his neck.  Cavendish creates a distraction in the dining hall, which sends everyone into commotion.  Robert steals Ayrs' luger.  Zachry and Meronym climb a mountain.  The authorities investigate Chang's vehicle.  Meronym almost falls to her death, and Old Georgie arrives while Zachry tries to save her.  Chang saves the day again Matrix style.  Zachry manages to pull Meronym to safety.  
Chang and Sonmi~451 continue their escape.  Ayrs takes the composition and Robert shoots him.  Goose attempts to steal Adam's key.  Chang and Sonmi~451 make it to a tunnel, where they escape by blowing it up and climbing through hatches in the ground.  Rey's car is driven off a bridge.  She crashes into the water and sinks, but manages to swim to the surface.  

The Decision to Trust Montage
Zachry and Meronym visit the tomb of the dead and revere a feminine statue.  She explains "this place joined here ov'there," connecting their two planets.  Sonmi~451 and Chang walk through a market.  Rey finds Javier, who helps her get into her apartment.  Joe is there.  When they find a special room, Meronym begins communicating with her people.  Sonmi~451 and Chang continue to walk through the market of various fabricants.  Meronym gives Zachry a history lesson.  She shows him Sonmi~451 on a screen, as an example of the truth.  Sonmi~451 repeats the words used earlier (yet in the past) from Abbess.  Joe reveals himself to Rey.  Old Georgie convinces Zachry to pull out a knife with the intent to stab Meronym.  Joe warns Rey that there's a hit on her and even though Smoke killed Isaac, the PLO were blamed.  In a basement, union leader General An-Kor Apis (David) greets Sonmi~451 and Chang.  Joe shares that both him and Smoke are paid by Hughes & Pikes Consulting, an oil lobbying company.  Rey figures out that "Hooks doesn't want the report discovered, because he doesn't want the reactor fixed.  He wants it to fail."  Zachry contemplates killing Meronym, but resists.  Robert hides from the authorities, even though Ayrs didn't die or was even that injured.  Regardless, he wants vengeance.  Joe tells Rey they need to get the report and she needs to trust him.  Apis tries to convince Sonmi~45 to join forces with the union.  Meronym starts doing some cosmic shit and a satellite forms on top of the mountain above them, to help signal her people to her whereabouts.  Sonmi~451 and Chang lie in bed and kiss.  Robert watches the sun.  "I understand now that boundaries between noise and sound are conventions. All boundaries are conventions waiting to be transcended.  One may transcend any convention if only one can first conceive of doing so ... I know that separation is an illusion."  The ship carrying Adam continues on its journey.  Sixsmith shows up at a china shop where Robert drops an object on the ground.  Sonmi~451 and Chang make love.  Meronym sleeps as Zachry tends to the campfire.  Sixsmith and Robert destroy an assortment of valuable items.  He then wakes up on a train.  Autua wakes Adam up.  Robert returns to hotel, where the manager (Hanks) recognizes the fugitive and demands more money.  Rey wonders to Javier, "Why we keep making the same mistakes over and over."  Javier helps her figure out they need to find Sixsmith's niece, Megan.  

Escape Montage #2
Cavendish prepares for the break.  He calls Mr. Hotchkiss (Andrew Havill), one of the resident's children, as their parent is about to change the will.  On the ship, Adam is still ailing.  Cavendish hides in Meek's room and Noakes knocks on Cavendish's door.  The Hotchkiss's arrive and Cavendish locks Noakes in his room, but Noakes has phone access.  Joe calls Hooks and insinuates that Rey is a problem.  Cavendish and the gang gather in the Hotchkiss vehicle, but they don't know how to start it.  Rey walks across Van Ness up hill under Joe's supervision.  Cavendish and the gang finally take off in the car, but must go back for Meeks.  They then break through the front gate.  When Smoke is about to hit her, Joe saves Rey by running into Smoke's car.  A shootout commences while a busted hydrant sends out a cascade of water.  On the ship, Goose tries to convince Autua to leave.  Smoke steals another person's car and shoots them dead, before starting to chase after Rey and Joe.  Cavendish and his clan gather at a local pub.  Nurse Noakes arrives with her posse.  A confrontation ensues driving Meeks to stand up on a table and begin screaming.  Smoke continues to pursue Rey and Joe, who shoots his tires sending him into a crash.  The duo escape into a sweat shop, and run into a scared Mexican attendant (Bae in Mexican-face) where Berry breaks out something really quickly that sounds like Spanish, but sounds pretty fucked up (come to think of it, I'm not sure Bae is speaking Spanish either).  Whatever she says, the lady helps them hide.  Meeks rouses the crowd against Noakes and a fight commences.  Smoke shoots the Mexican attendant's dog and calls her a wetback.  On the ship, Goose breaks out metal cutters.  Smoke finds Rey and Joe, but they're saved by the Mexican attendant, who bludgeons him to death.  She ends her revenge with the line, "And, don't call me a fucking wetback."  On the ship, Goose steals Adam's key and puts the final touches on killing Adam slowly.  Autua disturbs his plan and they fight.  Adam ends up killing him by dropping the chest of gold coins on top of his head.  

Death & Other Conclusions Montage
Chang takes Sonmi~451 to a room.  Zachry runs.  Robert writes.  We witness how fabricants are placed into a chair, where people in red outfits remove their "cola" and put her into permanent retirement.  Zachry arrives at a village.  Many of his loved ones lie dead.  He slices the throat of a sleeping warrior.  Chang explains to Sonmi~451 how fabricants are recycled.  "They feed us to ourselves," understanding him, she cries.  In bed, she decides to join the revolution.  Zachry finds one of the girls is alive.  The warriors show up and chase them.  Meronym's hovercraft heads toward land.  Chang and the revolutionaries take their place for battle at a union-controlled satellite link.  In the interview, Sonmi~451 explains that her endorsement united the union.  We witness the ensuing blowout in flashback.  The warriors gain on Zachry and the girl and he has flashbacks to the assault at the beginning of the film.  Meronym arrives to save them, but she's stabbed.  Zachry saves her for the third time with a bow and arrow.  Autua saves Adam's life, nursing him back from death's door.  He shows him that they've arrived at their destination.  Rey finds Megan Sixsmith (Zhu Zhu) to give her all of her father's letters.  She promises her that she'll avenge her father's death.  We see Robert spying on younger Sixsmith on a tower.  On the hovercraft, Meronym convinces her people to let her be with Zachry.  Robert continues to write his final letter.  The younger Sixsmith arrives at the hotel too late, as Robert commits suicide.  He finds his body in the bath tub.  In the interview, Sonmi~451 confirms Chang died during the final battle.  If the revolution was doomed to fail, she's asked why she went ahead.  "If I had remained invisible, the truth would stay hidden.  I couldn't allow that."  When asked, "And what if no one believes this truth?"  "Someone already does," is her reply.  Adam greets his love Tilda.  He exchanges terse words with her father after burning Reverend Horrox' contract.  Rey and Javier discuss the recent arrests made in the Schwaneke matter.  Cavendish types and the older Ursula (Sarandon) comes to sit on his lap.  Adam informs Haskell that he and Tilda are becoming abolitionists.  Sonmi~451 is put into permanent retirement.  During his confrontation with Adam, Haskell says, "No matter what you do, it will never amount to anything more than a single drop in a limitless ocean."  Adam responds, "What is an ocean, but a multitude of drops."  Older Zachry finishes telling stories to a bunch of children by the campfire.  He sends the kids off to their grandmother, the older Meronym (Berry).  He exchanges words with a young girl, before he and his wife go off to sleep in their deluxe accommodations and the camera shoots up to the night sky.  Roll Credits.

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