I'm Not There

I watched this " inspired by the many lives of Bob Dylan " movie last week. The movie is ambitious in the extreme as written and directed by Todd Haynes. It is not a movie that tells a linear story. It does not actually even mention Dylan, what it does instead is create six different characters that reflect different times in Dylan's life.

The cast is strong and the movie is actually very very strong. Again if you are looking for a biography of Bob Dylan this is not it. If you are knowledgeable about some of the history of Bob Dylan and would like to see an artistic viewpoint of some of the noted times in his life you might well enjoy this movie.

In the movie we see Bob as the young boy infatuated with Woody Guthrie, we see an experience with members of the media that seems to mirror his song " The Ballad of A Thin Man." The major roles in the movie are of a character called Jack Rollins and later Pastor Jack both played by Christian Bale. These characters portray Dylan's early sixties acouistic phase as well as his late seventies, early eighties Jesus phase.

The most talked about performance in the film however is easily that of Cate Blanchett as the 1965 Bob Dylan. This is the Dylan that rejected folk singing, questioned how much any one person could change the world and was called a traitor by a great many of his fans. The movie depicts a character named Quinn, played by Blanchett as a snarly, in your face, what did you want from me flair that jumps off the screen. We see depictions of the famous Newport News festival as well as the Judas incident at The Royal Albert Hall.

The movie is more than its vignettes and in fact not all work. The section of the movie that relates to Billy the Kid and stars Richard Gere does not work and seems tired before it even starts. The movie could do much better without it.

In addition to Bale, Gere, and Blanchett the movie also stars Heath Ledger, Bruce Greenwood, and an actress we are hearing more about recently Charlotte Gainsbourg. She is lovely in the role and as a composite character based on perhaps mostly Suzy Rufalo from the early sixties she is effervescent.

The movie is very ambitious. If you do not know some of the Dylan legend it might not make sense. It should not be taken as history but as interpretation. In that vein it succeeds very well.

The Aviator

Watching the Aviator on AMC I was struck by one clear thing. AMC shows too many commericals. Showing this as an AMC premiere, the movie stretched four hours with for the last three hours commercials every seven minutes. What a disqueting way to attempt to watch a movie, especially in contrast to viewing a movie on TMC with no commercials at all.

The movie itself was tremendous. A Martin Scorsece movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes the movie centers on the the glory years of the eccentric aviator and moviemaker - primarily the twenties through 1947. When his parents are both deceased he, at the age of 22, begins filming his debut movie Hell's Angels. Taking three years and millions to make, the movie is a success. John C Reily plays his harried business director who seems to have spent the time span of the movie saying " Howard we cannot do that."

Hughes sets speed records for flying, builds planes, and during World War II earns contracts to build spy planes and of course a very large transport plane, later dubbed The Spruce Goose.

Hughes has a long relationship with Katherine Hepburn. Cate Blanchett plays Hepburn, she won the Oscar for Best Actress and deservedly so. It is impossible to watch this movie and not be captivated by her performance. Anyone familiar with Hepburn, her mannerisms and ways, realizes right away that Blanchett nailed it. She was amazing.

Hughes deals with OCD his whole life and throughout the movie it gets progressivly worse. In today's world OCD is acknowledged and understood. It can be treated and helped. In Hughes day this was not the case. DiCaprio plays this part of the personality well and for the most part Scorsece does not overplay this hand.

The emotional highlight of the movie centers around the Pan Am, TWA flight. Hughes had purchased TWA and made plans to make TWA a competitor to Pan AM run by Juan Trippe. Alec Baldwin plays trip very well. Trippe using his crony Senator Owen Brewster played brilliantly by Alan Alda has a bill written which in the interest of the " people" Pan Am will be given a mononpoly on overseas commercial travel. Brewster bring Hughes before Congress to defend himself against charges of war profiteering.

Coming out of seclusion, having been lured out by Ava Gardner, another former lover Hughes fights back and fights back hard. He calls Brewster out on his being bought and sold by Trippe. The bill fails and eventually TWA becomes a worldwide power. This after having been on the edge of failure.

Hughes was clearly a flawed individual. The latter part of his life he was a recluse, all but crippled by the increasing effects of his OCD. Still for a twenty year period he was a figure of great import. It should not be understated.

A very good movie, filled notably with some incredibly strong acting performances. Alda and Blanchett both notably are Oscar worthy. Dicaprio is strong in his role but sonehow as good as he is these other two outshine him. A good movie. Great acting.