The Weather Man (Nicolas Cage; Michael Caine; Gore Verbinski, director): B+
PLOT OUTLINE: Nicolas Cage (Matchstick Men, Adaptation) stars as Chicago weatherman Dave Spritz, the neurotic and depressed son of renowned author Robert Spritzel, played by the legendary Michael Caine. Spritz is divorced from his wife Noreen (Hope Davis, About Schmidt), and is becoming a stranger to his two children due to his obsession with a potential job in New York with "Hello America with Bryant Gumbel."
STORY (with spoilers): The movie starts with Cage’s character feeling optimistic about hearing from "Hello America" for an audition as their new weatherman, but also feeling pessimistic about his current life situation – an ex that hates him, a daughter in an awkward life stage and receiving little support from parents, and a son with a drug problem. Things only get worse for Dave Spritz, as he slowly realizes that his ex-wife may be in love with another man, his 12-year old daughter smokes cigarettes and is ridiculed at school, and his son is hanging around with a child molester. On top of that, he finds that his one true role model in his life, his father, has a terminal illness and could be dead within a few months.
Upon learning of his father’s condition, Spritz decides to make things right with his family. He begins to spend more time with his daughter, joining her in taking up archery as a hobby. He attends a counseling session with his wife, hoping to mend their marriage, and offers to buy his son a camera to encourage his interest in photography, provided the boy’s drug rehabilitation is successful. Spritz vows to his father that he will make things better, thinking his father would want to see his son’s life a success before his death.
The only problem with Spritz’ plan is that he banks on the job in New York to fuel his second chance with his family, believing that a new job in a new city with a salary double that of his current one will make his family happy. When his plan ultimately fails (though he is offered the New York job), he discovers that just being himself and finding out what he really enjoys doing is the answer to his problems. And following the advice of his father to just “chuck some things once in a while,” Spritz starts a new life in New York and becomes a happier man with a new job and a love for archery.
REVIEW: Overall, the performance isn’t much of a stray from what Nicolas Cage did with the character Charlie Kaufman in Adaptation – it's another dark comedy role that could earn him an Oscar, though it won’t. He did a good job as Dave Spritz, but it just wasn’t enough of a change from past roles (i.e. the neurotic Kaufman in Adaptation or the bumbling H.I. McDonnough in Raising Arizona) to be outstanding. Michael Caine, however, could earn a best supporting actor nod for his portrayal of Robert Spritzel.
Visually, the movie has some clever editing, but I was expecting more from a cinematography standpoint since Gore Verbinski provided us with some interesting images in The Pirates of the Caribbean and The Ring, and even in The Mexican and Mousehunt. Aside from a few high points, I was slightly disappointed by the imagery. Also, there was such a big deal made about how this movie just had to be shot in Chicago for authenticity (as opposed to in Canada), but I never got a real Chicago “feel” from it. I did, however, get a real “indy” feel from it, which was nice, and Hans Zimmer’s score was very well done.
The humor is definitely adult, and had me laughing out loud a few times. But the movie has such a depressing tone that you never really feel good about the character, even at the end. At times I felt a little tired of Cage’s character. While Charlie Kaufman was such an interesting person, I ultimately wanted to punch Dave Spritz. And while I hate to keep comparing the movie to Adaptation, the whole time I watched this film I found myself doing so. Maybe that was why I was mildly disappointed. It’s probably your best non-claymation bet for a laugh at the cinema right now, so I’d recommend it for that, but otherwise, wait and rent The Weather Man.
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North Country (Charlize Theron; Frances McDormand; Niki Caro, director): A
PLOT OUTLINE: Charlize Theron (Monster) plays Josey Aimes in a “names have changed but the story’s the same” account of the first successful sexual harassment suit against big business in the United States. Aimes, whose living situation is filled with sadness and abuse, moves home to the “North Country,” e.g. the Iron Range in Northern Minnesota, where a lot of iron mining takes place. She moves in with her parents and takes a job at the local mine, at which her father is employed and which also has a man-woman ratio of 30 to one.
STORY (with spoilers): Josey Aimes (Theron) is an embarrassment to her family – well, to her father at least – for taking the job at the mine. But he's embarrased not because of the abuse she'll take, but simply because he doesn't think it's a woman's place. From the beginning of this film to the end credits, every man-woman encounter is tinged with chauvinism and sexism, and at times it’s laid on extremely thick. The abuse of the women at Pearson Mine starts verbally, then turns into drawings on walls, profanities etched with feces in bathrooms and sexual pranks. Then it becomes physical, and it effects all the women at the mine, not just Aimes.
After the harassment and abuse goes too far, Aimes decides to take action. She begins speaking up to management and other superiors, but they just “toss shoulders” at her. Even the CEO of the company refuses to acknowledge Josey’s stories. And after she makes accusations toward some of the men at the mine, things only get worse. So bad in fact, that Josey quits her job and hires ex-hockey star turned lawyer Bill White (Woody Harrelson) to defend her.
White takes the case only because he’s taken a liking to Josey, and because if they win, it will be a victory the likes of which has never been recorded in the history of American justice. The trick is getting enough other women miners to risk their jobs and possibly their lives and admit to instances of sexual harassment at the mine so White can file a class action lawsuit.
REVIEW: What I once thought was simply another Oscar vehicle for Theron is much better than anticipated. It’s pretty much what you’d expect after seeing the trailer or seeing a similar film in the past, but it really goes deep into the character of Josey Aimes and makes you cheer for her. She’s been an outcast all her life, ever since giving birth to her son Sammy at age 16. As you see past events unfold in Josey’s life alongside the current events at the mine, you can’t help but want this character to endure it all and win the case. And that’s what’s best about the movie.
In addition, I thought Harrelson did a great job as a supporting actor (I predict he gets nominated for at least a Golden Globe – heck, if Lowell from TV’s "Wings" can, why can’t Woody?). Frances McDormand (Fargo) was her typical awesome self as Josey’s friend Glory, and if it weren’t for Glory’s husband Kyle (Sean Bean, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), you’d think that every man in Minnesota was a pig. It was nice to see Bean in that type of role. I thought he was excellent as well.
Throughout the film is an awesome Bob Dylan-laced score, which I thought was timed perfectly with the recent buzz around Scorcese’s Dylan documentary. Granted, it’s pretty obscure Dylan (aside from Lay Lady Lay), but man, it’s awesome. If the documentary didn’t do it, this movie will make you want to go out and buy a bunch of his music.
“Okay,” you say, “But how did it look?” The answer is: Pretty darn good. Niki Caro (Whale Rider) really knows how to capture emotion, even in a place as dank and dirty as an iron mine. And up until the movie’s climax (which is really the only time that much takes place in the courtroom), the film really looks nothing like the “Hollywood-ized” cookie-cutter picture I figured it’d be.
So while it was about what I expected, it was better than expected. I recommend seeing it in the theater, but you’ve really got to be ready to see a movie of this type. It could make you angry and sometimes uncomfortable, but at the end you’ll be glad you saw it.
