Theater Hopper
About Links Store Contact Thorum

Archive for November 7th, 2005

2 items.
Nov07

THE WAY A MAN THINKS

November 7th, 2005 | by Tom
  • Comics
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars6 Stars7 Stars8 Stars9 Stars10 Stars
(6 votes, average: 9.17 out of 10)
THE WAY A MAN THINKS

Have you seen Claire Danes’ ass? Seriously, it’s fantastic.

It’s kind of difficult to do a joke like this and not come off as crass or objectifying women. So to any ladies upset by today’s comic, please know that it’s all in good fun. I think you’re all aware that there are just certain things – no matter the value of what surrounds it – that guys are just gonna focus on. It’s sad. We try to be good, but we can’t help ourselves.

It’s true that you get to see a bit of Danes’ goods in this movie. To me it came as a total shock. I wasn’t expecting it at all. Mostly because Danes’ doesn’t strike me as the kind of actress that might weild her sexuality in that way. She seems more sensitive. The scene isn’t exploitive at all. It’s brief and very tasteful. While exciting for the less sophisticated parts of my brain, my real higher-level opinion of Shopgirl is much closer to the thoughts expressed in the first panel than the fourth. Steve Martin has adapted his novella with a screenplay that takes the richest ideas and lets them breathe on the silver screen.

Being a big fan of the book, it was certainly through that prism by which I judged it. Did it feel true to the characters? We the actor’s interpretations accurate to what I had envisioned in my head?

Let’s put it this way: You know when you read a book and they make a movie of it, the movie never lives up to your imagination? Alternatively, when you see a movie based on a book that you haven’t read and then you go back and read it, the book doesn’t seem as vivid to what you saw on screen? Shopgirl is probably one of the few movies I’ve been to where I’ve read the source material first and preferred the filmed version. I don’t know what it is about it that I find so winning except that I just think it does a better job of capturing Martin’s overall idea of disconnect in a modern society and our larger search for finding someone to help us feel complete.

I don’t know who was in charge of the set and light direction in this movie, but hopefully they win an Oscar for their work. It’s subtle – almost subliminal – but the way they cast L.A. as a character from the gleaming channels of commerce to it’s dingy apartments makes you feel like the city these characters inhabit is alive. There is great use of light to reflect the mood and isolation these people feel over the course of the movie.

Performance-wise, I think all three leads hit the mark. As I mentioned before, Danes effortlessly exudes the quality of a very intelligent and sensitive person quietly dissatisfied with her surroundings. Martin’s character as the dry, sophisticated Ray Porter was tailor-made for him and it shows. You wonder how much of Martin’s own personality he wove into Ray. Jason Schwartzman totally walks away with the picture as it’s focal point for comedy relief as Jermey. Sweet-natured if maybe a little unorganized, he so perfectly symbolized the frantic wandering that are your twenties. I’m so glad Jimmy Fallon walked away from the role. No doubt his performance would have been too winking, coy and knowing. Not an honest expression of that fuzzy logic that motivates the male imperative at that age. All the dumb moves you’re making that you think are right. Trying your best, but not having the social where-with-all to communicate properly.

I can’t recommend Shopgirl highly enough. I’m already talking about going back to see it again. The movie has a very comfortable feeling that I enjoyed and is probably one of my top 10 this year.

Things have been pretty grim in movie theaters this year. Shopgirl gave me an injection of hope right when I needed it.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to enjoy a mohito!

└ Tags: chauvinism, Claire Danes, review, Shopgirl, Steve Martin
[ No Comments ]

MORE LINKS

November 7th, 2005 | by Tom
Posted In: Blog

I know last Friday I totally bombarded you guys with links. But there was one in particular that I forgot which was important to me.

Last week, Michael Lalonde’s Orneryboy celebrated its 200th strip. I’m a big fan of Mike’s work. I think Orneryboy has been one of the most consistently entertaining and most richly designed comics on the web. I also think Mike has one of the sharpest looking sites in web comics.

Swing by the site and give Mike your best. He’s worked hard and he’s earned it.

Additionally, I’m still pimping my recently minted MySpace account. I have now become addicted to adding people to my friends list. It’s like Pokemon! Gotta catch them all!

└ Tags: celebration, links, MySpace, Orneryboy
[ No Comments ]

Related Posts ¬

    Mar 12, 2004ADVERTISERS, LINKS AND WHATNOT
    Oct 21, 2002HAT TRICK
    May 10, 2004GOOD NEWS IN WEB COMIC LAND
    Sep 2, 2003SITE BUSINESS

Archives

    Tweets by @tombrazelton
    • The Comic
    • The Author
    • The Cast
    • Supporting
      Theater Hopper
    • Press
    • Ranked Comics
    • Year Three Backers
    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Tag Cloud

    Adam Sandler advertising announcement auction Ben Affleck buzzComix Charlie Christmas costume death dream dress up DVD fire first appearance Guest Strip Halloween help Hollywood Iron Man Iron Man 2 Jimmy Joe and Monkey Joe Dunn Nothing Nice to Say Oscar Oscars Pixar podcast punch review Robert Downey Jr. Shia LaBeouf Spider-Man store theater The Triple Feature Top Web Comics trailer Truman Victor vote voting Wizard World Chicago Zach Miller
    HOME | ABOUT | LINKS | STORE | CONTACT | TOP RATED
    THEATER HOPPER by Tom Brazelton - The internet's longest running movie-themed webcomic. Updating every Monday, Wednesday and Friday since 2002. All content © Tom Brazelton, Theater Hopper Inc. 2002 - 2009 unless otherwise noted. Please seek author's permission before reproduction. // Privacy Policy

    Integrated by Frumph |Powered by WordPress with ComicPress |Subscribe: RSS