Firstly, the good points. The cinematography of Roger Deakins, and the soundtrack of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, were stunning. The performance of Casey Affleck as Robert Ford, and Sam Rockwell as his elder brother, Charley Ford, were simply brilliant. And finally, snatches of dialogue, such as when Robert Ford, with quiet joy, proceeds to enumerate the many ways in which his life overlaps with Jesse James, are deftly and powerfully delivered.

Now, the bad points:

• The film is too long. Long pauses, artsy depictions of floating clouds, and a meandering plot line serve to extend this film to 160 minutes. As a result, the story loses focus. A more disciplined approach to editing by director Andrew Dominik would surely have added clarity to this sprawling and at times monotonous account.
• Brad Pitt is good as Jesse James. Unfortunately, he’s even better as Brad Pitt. Too many times i saw the actor and not the character.
• The film is deliberately, and occasionally self-consciously artsy. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I’m a big fan of dreamy shots of swaying fields of barley, sprawling vacant vistas, and swatches of eloquent dialogue, and yet the eloquence often overflowed into the dialogue and the character interactions in entirely unnatural ways.
• Many characters are introduced and not deeply developed. The mumbling dialog doesn’t help to dispel the confusion. I spent a good part of the film relying on periodic narrative overlays to make sense of the plot. In fact, the narration, as beautifully as it was written and delivered, only served to reinforce how poorly the action failed to coherently present the story.
• I didn’t understand the motivations driving Robert Ford. He first appears to be deeply affected by idolatrous worship for James, but as the film progresses, his attitude changes, culminating in the assassination. I had the feeling we were to view this change in character as a consequence of his desire for “great things”, or perhaps as the culmination of a disillusioned fantasy with James. I wasn’t convinced by either scenario, and saw the change of Robert Ford as entirely capricious.
• Although not a slight against the film, i was angered by the hagiography of James, and following his death, the tribulation of Ford as the assassin. I did not consider Ford as a coward. I did not see him killing James for money or fame. Nor were his actions driven by cowardice, infatuation, or psychosis. It was simply survival. Kill or be killed. He knew that James would kill him, and so he acted first, and in doing so, he demonstrated foresight and bravery.
• The last 30 minutes of the film are the most interesting. Following the assassination of James, we are granted an opportunity to witness the fascinating psychological impact of the events, not only on Ford, but also on the broader community. Unfortunately, this analysis feels rushed, and is delivered at a speed completely inconsistent with the languid style of the earlier stages of the film; an issue that could have been avoided with tighter editing.

In summary, an interesting and visually arresting film that suffers under the weight of poor editorial control.

The film’s trailer:

The journey of remembrance begins when Folman is contacted by a friend who served along side him in the army 20 years earlier. In the meeting it becomes apparent that Folman recalls almost nothing of his past experience in Lebanon. That night, following a vivid dream in which he and several other Israeli soldiers bath in the sea by the city of Beirut, Folman decides to seek out people that may be able to help him remember and makes sense of his past. The film, in essence, is a vivid and imaginative exploration of the journey that follows.

For those of you not familiar with the Lebanon war of 1982, here is a quick summary: For many years, the northern cities of Israel were bombed by missiles launched by Palestinian rebels in Lebanon. Israel subsequently invaded southern Lebanon with the intention of establishing a 40km wide safety zone that would take the missiles out of range of Israeli territory. Unfortunately, Israel’s Minister of Defence, Ariel Sharon, had more ambitious plans, and without the knowledge of the President, ordered the Israeli army onto Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. His plan was to remove the threat imposed by the Palestinian government by appointing his friend and ally, the Phalangist Christian, Bashir Gemayel, President of Lebanon. When Gemayel was unexpectedly killed, Israeli troops entered Beirut, and surrounded the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. Phalangist soldiers, grieved at the loss of their revered leader Gemayel, entered the camps, and over a period of 3 days, mascaraed in excess of 3,000 men, women and children. The horrific killing was halted only after news of the massacre spread; Sharon was found guilty of not having ordered an end to the massacre when first notified. He was dismissed from government, but returned to political life several years later, and ultimately became President.

Waltz with Bashir is an entirely gripping work or art. It is perhaps counter intuitive, but the simple comic-book animation, diverse soundtrack, and stark color palette, rich in golden and dirty-blue hues, combine to bring an incredibly human dimension to this horrific story. This is not a documentary brimming with talking heads and cold hard facts; it is a deeply personal journey exploring the subjectivity and fallibility of memory, the utter wastefulness of war, and the delicacy of the human heart.

The film’s trailer:

An interview with director Ari Folman in which he explains his decision to use animation:

Before rushing off to buy yourself a new girlfriend, be aware that these beauties do not come cheaply. Celine will set you back US$6,500 (plus another another US$1,000 to have her shipped to Australia). However, with that said, in the long run a Realdoll is a far cheaper option than a biological partner, and there are other clear advantages: they tend to be reasonably quiet, low maintenance, and they never suffer from headaches or other mood breakers.

In preparation for seeing Lars and the Real Girl i watched a documentary on the Realdoll phenomenon called Guys and Dolls (you can watch it here on Google Video [43 minutes]). It’s a fascinating insight into the mindset of a number of Realdoll owners, who are collectively referred to as iDollators. I though the most interesting aspect of the documentary was the realisation that the dolls meet different needs in different people. For one guy, it was all about sex. He had 8 dolls that he kept around the house, in various states of disrepair, and he’d pull them out, dress them up, and position them as the mood and fantasy took him. For another guy it was all about companionship. He did not mind being alone, but he could not stand loneliness. His doll was his partner. He lived with her and treated her with a devoted love that would make any girl envious (he particularly liked to give her foot massages). When her limbs became a little floppy, and she had to go on an overseas trip to be repaired, he was heartbroken. When she returned, 3 weeks later, he was overcome with joy, as if his soul mate had returned from the brink of death.

It is clear that your average Realdoll owner has their share of “issues”, and so an obvious question follows: Is a Realdoll good for a troubled soul? Or does the doll encourage further delusional behaviour and social isolation?

This is one of the key questions addressed in the film Lars and the Real Girl. And the answer is clear: a person will not persist in a delusion just because you tell them that it isn’t real. There are typically much larger issues at play that need to be addressed before a person is willing to relinquish their silicone partner. In the film, the friends and family of Lars, indeed the entire community, although initially shocked by the appearance of his “girlfriend” Bianca, a half-Danish missionary from Brazil, follow the advice of the town psychologist and play along with his behaviour. The result is a wonderfully moving portrayal of redemptive love.

I was under the impression that the film was part drama and part “ha ha” comedy, but this is not correct. Although there are moments of hilarity, these typically arrive from the general context of the story and are not cheap gags deliberately crafted to make us laugh. The film exposes deep hurt and insecurity in Lars; fear that cannot be healed with snide remarks or a quick fix. What Lars needs is support, love, and time to heal. The characters in the film give him the space and the acceptance required, and rather than coerce an outcome amenable to themselves, they allow him to forge his own path to inner peace.

This is a tremendous film. The acting, from all players, is just superb. A difficult subject presented with great endearment. A must see. 4.5/5 stars.

Anyway, i digress. The reason for this post is to pay homage to the absolutely stunning rendition of Dylan’s classic “Goin’ to Acapulco” performed by Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) and Calexico. The guys actually appear in the film performing the song. It’s a hypnotic moment. The haunting vocals of Jim James will send chills down your spine. It’s the most powerful scene of the film. Click the icon below to take a listen.

Download audio file (GoinToAcapulco.mp3)

The film is exquisitely shot. I was in constant awe of the masterful cinematography. A particularly epic moment centered on the evacuation of Dunkirk in World War II. The scene, shown below, was filmed in a 5 minute unbroken sequence. Absolutely breathtaking.

I highly recommend this film. The acting was right on the money. The story was rock solid. The idea that a short moment of thoughtless conceit could radically alter our life experience, and that of others, was particularly confronting. There were moments of significant grandeur, and moments of delicate personal intimacy, that subtly tugged all the right emotional draw strings without loss of credibility. And if none of that kind of crap appeals to you, i’d suggest you still take a look, if for no other reason than to see Keira Knightley in a rather dashing emerald green satin dress.

In my favourite scene of the film (shown below), the Guy (never named), plays one of his songs to the Girl (also never named). I love the way he explains the music to each part of the song… she quickly picks up the chords and plays along on the piano. The song, called Falling Slowly, was actually jointly written by Glen and Marketa, whom i can say with wispy sentimentality, became a real life couple in the course of making the film. How sweet.

The story is supported by an intelligently written script and a string of powerful singing performances. A deeply emotive yet surprisingly funny tale, beautifully shot and superbly acted, “Once” is an instant classic, and already one of my favourite films.