Little Miss Sunshine - Movie Review
Little Miss Sunshine 2006
One of the famed outcomes of the Sundance Film Festival, is the inevitable hipster clickishness and box office failure of each year’s “Sundance Hits!” Which is a shame for a film festival meant to celebrate the best and brightest of independent films. But perhaps now is the time for us to mention that in general, we find most “Independent Films” to be so achingly dull and shoddingly made that perhaps that outcome is a blessing in disguise. And with that, welcome to “Little Miss Sunshine” – this year’s runaway hit (literally) from Sundance, now coming to a tiny, dingy Art House theatre thirty miles near you!
“Little Miss Sunshine” concerns the Hoover family. A hodgepodge of comedy clichés and nervous disorders who decide to venture forth on a road trip in search of happiness for their littlest one. Mayhem ensues, their ride – a vintage VW van breaks down, children are left behind at roadside pitstops, much yelling and screaming, an on the road catastrophe and the final denouement at their road’s end that somehow manages to bring this scattershot family back together in time for the inevitable closing shot of them driving off into the sunset.
And you know what? It works. To a point. Thanks to the wonderful chemistry and talent of the six main actors. Kudos to them, in ascending order:
Greg Kinnear as the straightlaced father attempting to start his own self empowerment program inspired to build “Winners” out of “Losers”. Despite his Oscar nominated turn in the average “As Good As It Gets” nine years ago, Greg has failed to ignite the screen. This may be in part to his whitebread non charms, but not due to his lack of acting talent. Here he is perfectly cast as a man who faces financial ruin, but is determined to pull through for the sake of his family.
Toni Collette as the befuddled mother who finds herself holding her family together through attempted suicides, deaths, and daydreams. Toni Collette is a another one time Oscar nominee, for an even worse film than Greg’s – who has managed to eek out a career as a misfit or any of a garden variety damaged goods characters. Here she shines as the stalwart mother who supports her non-supportive children in whatever oddball scheme they decide to embark upon. We have always been fans of Ms. Collette, and she does not disappoint.
Paul Dano as the eldest child, Dwayne who idolizes Nietzsche and has sworn a vow of silence until he is old enough to enter the military to attend flight training school. At first, we assumed we were unfamiliar with young master Dano’s work, but it turns out he once went by the name of Paul Franklin Dano and turned in a stunning performance in the electrifyingly disturbing “L.I.E.” way back in 2001. While he manages well enough the tired role of angry teen mute in the first half, it is in the second half that he soars as the angry with a voice teen who decides to pull it together long enough to support his little sister in her time of need.
Steve Carell as Toni’s brother, a suicidal gay man who happens to be the preeminent scholar on all things Proustian. This is both the worst developed character in the piece, and the most surprisingly well played. While Mr. Carell is no stranger to audiences with his regular gig on NBC’s delightfully underrated Americanization of “The Office”, it was his smash hit comedy of last year “The 40 Year Old Virgin” that has moviegoers clamoring for more. (Sidenote: Color us jaded, but we venture to guess it is Mr. Carell’s current box-office appeal that inspired the successful distribution of this “small” independent comedy.) Here, he makes the most of his wounded character, unfortunately at the mercy of a few painfully unfunny homophobic cracks. "Fagrag". Ha ha. Got it. And yes, we saw the payoff to that scene coming a country mile away. But still, Mr. Carell deserves major credit for rising above the material.
Alan Arkin as the foul mouthed grandfather with a penchant for snorting heroin. Despite two Oscar nominations in his long and extremely varied career, Alan Arkin has never reached the same box office clout as Mr. Carell, and that is a shame for all film lovers. An artful comic and master dramatic actor, Alan Arkin can turn tragedy to comedy on a dime and sell it completely. His scenes with the youngest member of the cast are the films highlight.
And finally the greatest and smallest of them all, Abigail Breslin as the seven year old daughter, Olive who dreams of winning the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. For it is this call to fame that forces the Hoover family to jump into their van and drive pell-mell towards the state pageant finals in a mad dash. What Abigail Breslin does with the role is astonishing. By turns, stage struck tyke to the lovingly understanding and beguiling daughter who learns the most difficult lessons in life through her journey, she never once falters. What a great little performer, this Abby!! Sci-fi lovers may remember her debut turn as the youngest alien evader in M. Night Shymalan’s successful “Signs”.
Here as the driving force behind her family’s bonding, she is never too cloying or preternaturally aware as the majority of child actors tend to be. She hits every note spot on. From the wide eyed innocence of one who believes in the sincerity of Beauty Pageants . . . poor thing, she’ll learn . . . to the carefree trusting of a child who not only loves her family, but whole heartedly believes in their protection.
These six actors, are not only uniformly fine in their performances – they accomplish the near impossible. They bring life and vitality to six fairly clichéd characters and some rather clunky and purloined road trip hijinks. For the road trip flick has been a mainstay of moviemaking since Henry Ford unleashed his Model T on an unsuspecting world. Certainly the scenario of a family of kooks has been around, even long before the stage to screen triumph of the Oscar winning “You Can’t Take It With You” delighted 1930s audiences with a smorgasbord of lovable losers.
And lovable is indeed the final verdict on the Hoover family. Despite the many shamelessly lifted moments of slapstick and ribaldry along the way, this film succeeds based on the merits of its finely chosen cast. We would like to credit the debut direction of husband and wife team, Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, but their glory seems to stop at the casting level. The don’t necessarily bring anything new or noteworthy to the plot or humor, they merely stand back and let their cast shine. We were glad we spent time with the Hoover clan, and think you will too. In a summer of idiocy and unfunny comedies, you could hardly ask for better. (Well, you could - but what would be the point?)
But of course we would be letting down our legions of fans if we didn’t touch upon the negative. The finale to this madhop mayhem almost sinks the film. We won’t reveal any finer points about the denouement – suffice to say that it is hardly credible, even in a pseudo slapstick comedy for the main characters to be completely oblivious to the nature of their cosmetic Mecca. The not so subtle commentary on inner versus outer beauty is cartoonish at best and slightly cringe inducing at its worst. We can still recommend “Little Miss Sunshine” as a pleasant diversion, but had hoped that the script were up to the promise of its insanely delightful players. They deserve better than a finale lifted from outtakes of "So You Think You Can Dance". Bless you all!Directed by Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton
Written by Michael Arndt
Starring
Abigail Breslin as Olive
Greg Kinnnear as Richard
Toni Collette as Sheryl
Paul Dano as Dwayne
Alan Arkin as Grandpa
Steve Carell as Frank
Bryan Cranston as Stan Grossman
Justin Shilton as Josh
Gordon Thomson as Larry Sugarman
Cinematography by Tim Suhrstedt
Film Editing by Pamela Martin
Original Music by Mychael Danna & Devotchka
Production Design by Kalina Ivanov
Art Direction by Alan E. Muraoka
Set Decoration by Melissa M. Levander
Costume Design by Nancy Steiner
posted by The Bloody Red Carpet at 5:25 PM
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Michael Mann has proven his mettle as a fine director. Among his films, we have particular affection for the lush romanticism of “
Now, while that embodiment of late twentieth century flash and pop drivel became famous for exploding the boundaries of a weekly cop show, and driving sales for white linen suits – we never really understood what the hullabaloo was about. And you certainly won’t if you go see this complete waste of time. Which is a shame considering the talent involved. Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, two fine examples of muscular leading men, Gong Li – our beloved empress of Asian cinema and a supporting cast that includes such favorites as 
What little plot there is concerns two detectives and their team of stereotypically stiff and humorless compatriots working in Miami as an elite undercover cadre. One of their main informants interrupts some sort of high end call girl bust, (Imagine, 
What happens next is nothing more than a tired rehash of every cop chase thriller, Latino drug czar villain replete with a mysterious Lotus-petal Asian femme fatale cohort, shoot-the-fuck-out-of-everything-in-sight action flick to come down the pike since “
For a director noted for his skill with the camerawork, “Miami Vice” emerges as muddied and cheap looking as the aforementioned Miami whores after a marathon fist fucking in the Everglades.
Naomie Harris, who is quite the up and comer lately and who single handedly stole whatever good there was to take from the horrid “
Nobody else in this craptrap deserves mention, due to their overacting, underacting or complete non-usage. The only person who deserves to be brought up again is the director himself, Michael Mann. Michael. What happened? We know you are capable of staging some brilliant set pieces. The on the edge of your seat shoot out at the disco in “Collateral” was a tour de force. We know you can deliver on the grimy, underbelly of the drug world too. But what on earth possessed you to film this piece of shit with nothing but handheld digital cameras in obscure lighting that induces eyestrain and nausea?
For the life of us, we will never understand some director’s love affair with the hand held camera. For some scenes, and even for some entire flicks – it can be used well. But unless you suffer from 
Do yourselves a favor, don’t go see “Miami Vice”. On second thought, make sure you prevent anybody you know from seeing “Miami Vice”. Actually, take the time to stop by the nearest theatre showing “Miami Vice” to personally bitch slap the people in line to go see “Miami Vice”. This movie is an embarrassment to all the actors, technicians, creators, stagehands, food service delivery people and animals wandering by the set who might have been involved. What a nightmare. The only good we took away from our wasted two hours was a yen for a Mojito and some blow. At least our night wasn't completely wasted. Bless you all!
Again with the delayed foreign flicks!!! (Damn distributors.) Especially since the latest victim is a lovely little thriller helmed by the maestro himself, 
“La Demoiselle d’honneur” is a very effective examination into a twisted psyche set amidst a seemingly quiet suburban landscape. And speaking of landscapes, we fell for this well crafted gem’s charms from the opening tracking shot beginning with a washed out color palette whizzing by a spare rural setting, gathering steam and rapidly transforming into an industrial landscape and finally the quiet suburban milieu of the film. Or rather, not so quiet. The opening scene reveals the grief of a family waiting to hear word on their missing daughter. As the camera pulls back, we see this newscast of familial grief being watched by the Tardieu family in the quiet of their home.
The Tardieu family consists of a hardworking mother who runs a small hair salon out of her house and her three grown children. The eldest is Philippe, a salesman for indoor furnishings who helps support his mother and younger sisters. The sisters are Sophie, a bride to be and the rebellious Patricia who enjoys piercings and pilfering loose change. At Sophie’s wedding, we encounter the cousin of the groom, one Stéphanie who prefers to be called “Senta”. As the bridal party is posing for the requisite photos, her smoldering glance lands upon Philippe. And we do mean “smoldering”.
Thus begins a dark tale of a twisted young psyche intent on finding love, capturing it, possessing it and ultimately consuming it. For Senta is no common slutty bridesmaid looking for a quick slap and tickle under the wedding canopy. She is a man eating 
As Senta, relative newcomer Laura Smet (Smet?) sinks her claws into the unsuspecting Philippe and never lets go. We were equally seduced. She is a wonder. A little research revealed the origin of her unfortunate last name – Smet is of course the original last name to the famed French rock idol, 
As the victim of her deadly charms, the incredibly sexy 
Here he does more than play the foil to a sexy vamp. The film relies heavily on his ability to project calm amidst the storm. When we first encounter him, he seems to be the epitome of reliability. Hard working, dutiful son, concerned brother. But by the end of the film, we need to believe in his complete and total fidelity to a woman whose sole concern in life seems to be her own warped sense of drama. Magimel is wonderful in his ability to ground his character amidst some decidedly grandiose moments.
As with any good thriller, a palpable sense of doom lingers in the air. It takes a true maestro like the great Claude Chabrol to carefully tread between the everyday and the macabre. Chabrol has become legendary for his awe inspiring sense of control over the medium. It is precisely this control that allows him to delve into some very twisted characters and almost absurdist moments without once crossing the line into camp or schlock. His clear, cool hand guides this fairly ordinary group of people across the border into a world of terror.
By the time we realize that Senta not only lives in her own daydream existence, but she is so convinced and convincing regarding the lies upon lies she spins, she feels the need to draw all those around her into her delusions. We watch helplessly as Philippe surrenders completely to her wishes and together they begin to live out her nightmare. “La Demoiselle d'honneur” is one of the best films of the year and a tight wire trip through a modern Film Noir landscape. A gem. Bless you all!
(Endnote: If you enjoyed "La Demoiselle d'honneur", and you will, we encourage you to rent his earlier classic "
Lady in the Water 2006
One of the most peculiar film career trajectories in recent years has been that of modern day suspense guru, M. Night Shyamalan. His breakthrough film in 1999, “
His take on U.F.O’s, “Signs” was well regarded by some – us included – and lambasted by others for its routine “alien reveal”. With his next film, Night faced his first real critical trouncing. “
Well, the good news is that the lovely and talented Bryce Dallas Howard returns to work with Night on “
The “Lady” in the water is a nymph of sorts who has crossed over from the “Blue World” into our own to help guide the lost and foundering. She emerges from a suburban apartment complex swimming pool straight into the arms of their resident nebbish superintendent played with vim and vigor by our Paul Giamatti. What follows is his desperate attempt to help return this fair nymph to her watery world unharmed from demons that lurk in the underbrush.
And that’s as simple a plot reduction as we can provide. For in this film, Night has blissfully avoided any “B-I-G” twist endings – but unfortunately has decided to scatter about a million little twists throughout the film that rely too heavily on plot complications, red herrings and a need for an additional volume of 
By the time the Narf has escaped the clutches of the moss covered grass demon dog labeled a Scrunt, who fears the all powerful tree dwelling Tartutics who are on guard to help the Narf regain her freedom via a giant eagle – we were praying they were all actually dead and that the film had been a bad dream. We might have been with Night and his crew, if were not for the total lack of a storytelling thruline. Is this film meant to be a fantasy film? A horror film? A fairy tale for adults? And when did Night completely lose his sense of humor? One of the things we enjoyed most about “Signs” and “The Village” was the gentle humor that ran throughout without becoming slapstick or forced. And believe us with such fine comic talent as Paul Giamatti, 
Paul Giamatti has finally broken through the acting hordes with his back to back brilliant turns in “
A young Asian student comes off much more “
The young muscled lunkhead who only develops one side of his body, to what purpose we have no idea is completely thrown aside until his big moment arrives by which point we could care less. The elderly Jewish couple who apparently live in their own private Boca Raton kvetchfest from the 1960s is straight out of a retired 
What might have been a dazzling display of lurking shadows and mysterious omens turns into second rate digital monsters composed of shrubbery and ridiculously circuitous explanations of the fairy tale come to life with more updates than needed. By the hundredth time we have been updated with the particulars of the story, we simply throw our hands up in despair and pray the damned demon grass dog will devour them all. 
It also doesn’t help that Night likes consider himself an actor, and not only in the brief cameo style of the true master of suspense and horror, Sir Alfred Hitchcock. At least Alfie’s narcissism extended to “
But by the point Night has his “big” dramatic scene to a response of crickets and yawns, we have failed to give a hoot about any character or situation. Be they Narf, Scrunt, janitor, racial stereotype or unfunny comic relief. This “Lady in the Water” is probably not the final chapter in Night’s film career, but it definitely deserves to be labeled his most dreary. And for a filmmaker known for his ingenuity in the retelling of mystery genres, we pray it is his last such venture. The source of all this mess is apparently a story Night created for his own children’s bedtime story. They should demand a new nanny, one with good storytelling abilities. Bless you all!
Written & Directed by M. Night Shyamalan 
