Movie Review: Wild Nights with Emily (2018)

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A freewheeling, revisionist look at the life of Emily Dickinson, Wild Nights with Emily boldly contradicts the popular narrative of the author as a virginal, reclusive spinster by using her poems and private correspondence to instead focus on the as yet untold story of the poet's romantic relationship with her girlhood friend turned sister-in-law Susan.

With the leads brought wondrously to life by Molly Shannon in the titular role and Susan Ziegler as Dickinson's near-lifelong muse and lover, although playwright turned filmmaker Madeleine Olnek's ambitious third feature struggles to find a consistent tone and rhythm throughout, when Wild Nights trusts in the richness of its biographical storyline, it never fails to weave a fascinating spell.

Initially purporting to be a comedy, the film opts for satirical humor as a counterpoint to its sudden change in point-of-view. Moving freely back-and-forth in time, Wild Nights contrasts Dickinson's actual day-to-day life as a prolific lesbian artist struggling against the small-minded (mostly male) literary gatekeepers of the era with the revised, "sanitized," and sensationalized version of her life put forth by Mabel Loomis Todd (played by Amy Seimetz) twenty years later.

The woman who would posthumously edit and publish Dickinson's work and create the Bronte-esque spinster persona the world would come to know, Todd — whom we discover was the mistress of Emily's brother and Susan's husband — serves as a kind of unreliable narrator throughout the film as well as its overall villain.

Frequently contrasting Todd's false narrative with Dickinson's actions to make a comedic point, Olnek inadvertently undercuts her own vital research. Shortchanging the film's emotional impact for the sake of the script's jokes — save for a few memorable exceptions — when an unfunny exchange goes on for too long or a sightgag doesn't land, the film's wavering, half-serious tone threatens to make us care less about Dickinson's otherwise engrossing life story than Wild's filmic approach.

Winning us over with its romantic arc which culminates in a heartbreaking split-screen image, from its flashbacks to Emily's younger years discovering romantic love through Shakespeare's words to her struggle to see the object of her affection marry her brother Austin (Kevin Seal), contrary to its earliest intentions as a broad comedy, Nights is vastly more successful as a drama infused with situational humor overall.

At times reminiscent of a college thesis project (and indeed, a packet filled with eye-opening articles and supporting material to back up Olnek's claims was made available to press), though bursting with knowledge and passion for the subject, Wild Nights serves up an academically intriguing if ultimately uneven chronicle of Emily Dickinson's life.

While nowhere near as sumptuous or polished as the recent big screen Dickinson biopic A Quiet Passion from Terence Davies and starring Cynthia Nixon (regardless of how much it might adhere to Todd's legend), I applaud Olnek's decision to take a fresh, mothball free approach to the genre and especially her pursuit of Dickinson's true identity.

Obviously, a person's sexuality is no one's business but their own. However, given how many of Dickinson's nearly two thousand poems were dedicated to or inspired by Susan, it's vital to read them with that perspective in mind, and doubly so to ascertain just how much damage can be done when someone decides to "erase" a person's past in order to better fit their own prejudicial beliefs as well as their preferred vision for the future.

Needless to say, even if the message is better than the movie, more than one hundred years later, we must thank Olnek (and company) for refusing to be content to let the woman who wrote "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" be anybody except her wild, complex, and wholly original self.

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Blu-ray Review: Igor (2008)

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After his master Dr. Glickenstein (John Cleese) is tragically killed in the name of misguided experimentation, his hunchbacked dwarfish assistant Igor (John Cusack) crafts his very own version of Frankenstein in an attempt to win his community of Malaria's "Evil Science Fair."

However, instead of unleashing a dangerous monster, he creates Eva, a charismatic, sensitive, and sweet female giant (Molly Shannon) who-- after an unsuccessful trip to become "brainwashed" via subliminal videos (think A Clockwork Orange)-- finds herself wanting to become an actress after the channel is accidentally changed to host James Lipton's Inside Actors Studio.

Yet, instead of giggling at Lipton's sophisticated cadence, his frequent tendency to go a bit overboard in his praise or relishing in the audience favorite "what is your favorite curse word?" section of his survey that closes every episode, Molly Shannon's Eva decides she needs to create sense memories, work on her instrument, and get new head-shots.

Initially upset that his plan to create diabolical havoc has gone awry since the goal of Malaria as argued by Jay Leno's King Malbert is to take advantage of the failing climate and economic hardship to become Donald Trump like wealthy off of horrific products they can unleash on others-- instead Igor decides to try and control his new she-creature by pretending that the Evil Science Fair is merely one big show for which she needs to prepare.

Along with his two eccentric sidekicks (and inventions gone awry) including Steve Buscemi's endlessly suicidal rabbit character Scamper who keeps trying to fight his curse of "immortality" and Sean Hayes' clueless robot who labels himself a "brain" although the label on his head reads "Brian," Igor tries to blend the musical Annie into Eva's preparations for her frightening debut.

When the competitive scheming Dr. Schadenfreude (Eddie Izzard) and his shape-shifting, seductive girlfriend (Jennifer Coolidge) start to sabotage Igor's work by stealing ideas as they do every year to ensure Schadenfreude's victory, soon the blossoming relationship between Igor and Eva is jeopardized as he begins questioning their strategies as evil-doers to instead become joyful and kind citizens.

MGM and Fox pulled out all the stops in their creative animation for the visually compelling film and all the more so in Blu-ray with a plethora of concept art galleries, storyboards that comprise a veritable delight for animation fans in this high definition transfer with mesmerizing picture and sound.

And while it begins on a high note as the film is given a hilarious set-up which appeals much more to adults than children (due to the thinly disguised references to the most recent president's administration, politics, jokes about actresses, etc.) and writer Chris McKenna receives bonus points for originality in the overall concept, ultimately the influences cinematically and structurally towards the end of Igor seem overwhelmingly inspired by Shrek, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and several other superior films.

Soon evolving into a misfire as the highly complicated plot changes gears uneasily as it begins as a political satire before moving into a Hollywood satire before ultimately becoming a "beauty is on the inside" and "can't we all just get along" Shrek styled fairy-tale at the end. Nonetheless it has its moments and I adored the adorably drawn characters (especially Buscemi's crazy death wish happy rabbit).

Additionally, it's a great toe-tapper due to the abundance of wonderfully engaging Louis Prima tracks on the soundtrack (which-- because they're the least obvious musical accompaniment for this children's science fiction monster movie makes them feel that much fresher). Still, overall, it's a rambling mess that tries to squeeze in too many plot-lines and agendas into an overly crowded eighty-six minute running time.

The sparks of brilliance were evident from the start and had the filmmakers just stuck with that original plot-line by making a kids film into a commentary on "evil doers" and our political climate, it may have been-- if not in the same league-- than at least closer in quality to 2008's other film featuring a character whose name is pronounced the same as Shannon's Eva-- namely, Wall-E'a love for the sleek robot Eve whom he calls "Ev-a."

And although that's another film that took a major likability detour about one hour in-- at least the catalyst was more than just an accidental viewing of Inside the Actor's Studio since James Lipton seems about as capable of brain-washing as comedian Jay Leno is as being a king. I mean, seriously-- everyone knows that's David Letterman's job... just kidding.

The Wedding Weekend

Alternate Title: Shut Up and Sing

Director: Bruce Leddy

Even though I’m consistently inspired by the sheer poetry penned by my favorite movie critics (you guys know who you are!), recently I’ve become dismayed by a disappointing trend as-- those chosen geniuses aside-- a shockingly large amount of film criticism has become increasingly repetitive. This was especially apparent with last week’s most frequently obvious tagline of “What Happens in Vegas should have stayed in Vegas,” and will no doubt occur again when enough reviewers take in writer/director Bruce Leddy’s unbelievably clichéd male bonding film The Wedding Weekend. To explain: a simple film criticism scavenger hunt for similar phrases in other reviews will probably reach the double digits in less than twenty minutes when one considers not only Leddy’s film’s original title (see above) but also the fact that his inauthentic main characters routinely greet each other not with the “Wuzzzzuup” of beer commercials but with the phrase “Shut Up.” You can imagine the variations favored by reviewers across the country all still reeling from a lackluster film venting their frustration via their keyboards, looking for the best way to work in the phrase "Shut Up"-- cherishing the fact that instead of being given a time-out for saying it in school, they’re earning a guaranteed laugh. And indeed, it’s hard when a joke is that obvious, repetitive, fitting and readily available to will oneself to dig deeper; in fact I found myself leaving the theatre with the lyrics of the infectious hit “Shut Up & Let Me Go” by The Ting Tings (aka the song from the latest iPod commercial which you can download below) playing in my head and wishing I’d listened to that on repeat for ninety minutes instead of taking in the flick. While we can’t always force inspiration, especially when critiquing an ode to mediocrity, I thought I’d fight the urge to shout “Shut Up” and-- taking a cue from the man who inspired me to write about film, Roger Ebert—segue into the review with an anecdote.

A few years ago, I foolishly gave into well-intentioned peer pressure in consenting to a blind date. After the predictably inauspicious beginning best characterized as “Hugh Grant styled bumbling,” the conversation flowed a bit more freely when we started discussing film (I know, big surprise!). And in switching gears to other topics, delightedly we discovered a few other things in common-- however, instead of driving forward, our burgeoning relationship stalled unbelievably with my date’s admission that his greatest passion in life was a cappella music. Out of equal parts Midwestern politeness and downright curiosity, I tried to feign enthusiasm but no doubt an eyebrow was raised when he shared his experiences performing as part of a larger ensemble in college and the high he felt singing with other men. I’m sure you’re with me in wondering whether or not—ahem-- I was exactly his type but he was a sweet kid so I tried to show interest until a few firework-less dates later, I found a way to insert what I call my “old reliable” (aka the traditional “friends” speech).

Perhaps like carnivals or clowns, republicans or scientologists, renaissance festivals or Star Trek conventions, there’s just something odd about a cappella. And it’s all the stranger in The Wedding Weekend when we’re introduced to the pastime without even a trace of justifiable explanation by writer/director Bruce Leddy who seems so convinced that the entire world shares his love of a cappella that he repeatedly creates more opportunities for his gorgeous sounding but awkward group to perform, even going as far as to find the lead characters land in the slammer alongside an intimidating man who-- wouldn’t you know-- melts like butter in discovering their like-mindedness as they sow their oats in a rousing musical number. It’s this complete absence of irony or an even tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement of the ridiculousness of Leddy’s situations that brings out the cynic in audience members, especially even those, like me, who normally love the sound of human beings singing in harmony.

Reuniting for a wedding fifteen years after they shared the “youthful bliss of ignorance” performing in a collegiate a capella group, it seems not much has changed for the seven member male chorus. While Steven (David Alan Basche) has moved to California to launch a reality television show starring Vanna White and takes prodding to return to the Hamptons to celebrate the nuptials of Greg (yummy Mark Feuerstein) with whom he’d fallen out with over a “stolen” girlfriend, the main five continually delight in every opportunity to sing together on a New York street corner during their lunch hours. Although still preoccupied with sex and how to get it, the men seem eager to get a jumpstart on each of their mid-life crises, alienating the women in their lives, with David (David Harbour) who, after changing the subject from having children with enough baseball analogies to annoy a television commentator, instead fixates on measuring his receipting hairline (oh yeah--good times!). While it’s obvious that Leddy intended most of the laughs to derive from the hammy performance of Reg Rogers, who seems to be doing a cross between a Neil Simon era Jack Lemmon impression and standard musical comedy dinner theatre, playing a cynical recently divorced lawyer going on his five hundredth day of disappointing celibacy, Saturday Night Live alumni Molly Shannon steals every scene she’s in as the unhappy, lust-filled potty mouthed wife of workaholic Ted (Alexander Chaplin). Although relegated to mostly window dressing or being directed to look on in disappointment or with rolled eyes at the men whose ultimate catchphrase is “Shut Up,” the women seem to be the only relatable ones in the film, even when we’re served up a few more clichés such as a Martha Stewart like Hollywood wife and a twenty-three year old Swedish nanny named Elsa (Camilla Thorsson) whom the guys hope may offer Richard a "pity jump."

Inexplicably, The Wedding Weekend earned five film festival accolades including an Audience Award from the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, which makes one wonder just what the other screenings were like. However, for audiences given a larger range of options, there’s no need to pretend you’re on a blind date and feign politeness in the multiplex; Leddy’s overly theatrical staged offering would have been better suited for a musical theatre production where not only the scenery chewing actors would have felt more at home but the a cappella wouldn’t have seemed so out of place. For a thematically similar yet infinitely better male bonding movie, hit your local video store to check out the Film Intuition favorite Beautiful Girls or download the song below from iTunes for the best recent recitation of “Shut Up" not found in countless movie reviews.

"Shut Up & Let Me Go" by The Ting Tings

American Splendor (2003)

Directors: Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini

Husband and wife team Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini created one of the very best films of 2003 with this adaptation of the life of “American Splendor” comic book writer and creator Harvey Pekar. Creative and surprising in its storytelling structure, the film alternates between documentary footage of the real Harvey Pekar along with friends and family and the actual fiction film itself. Brilliant, touching and admirable in its simplicity and humanity-- some of the film’s very best moments probably would’ve been left on the cutting room floor if it would’ve been written and produced with strict adherence to the traditional Hollywood three act structure. The people in the film are real—- they breathe and feel and it’s riveting for the viewer. For example, in one of my favorite scenes, Harvey runs into a former college classmate at a local bakery and the two share stories and literature recommendations before venturing home. This subtle, brief encounter highlights the preciousness of life and the seemingly random human connections we find around each corner. I love the segue right into the introduction of Harvey’s wife-to-be Joyce, wonderfully played by Hope Davis who manages to steal most of her scenes away from the always exceptional Paul Giamatti. Destined to gain in popularity on DVD, I believe American Splendor will become a cult-favorite and fans of Ed Wood should take note.