Sarz's Media Virus
By Brandon Sarzynski
Media Critic
bssl77@psu.edu
The Weather Man
The Details: Paramount
Pictures presents a film staring
Nicolas Cage and Michael
Caine, directed by Gore
Verbinski, and written by Steve
Conrad. The film has a running
time of 101 minutes and is
Rated R for strong language and
sexual content.
The Low Down: David Spritz
(Nicolas Cage) is a Chicago
weather man going through a
tough divorce. Everything in his
life seems to fall apart, while he
falls to pieces trying to hold it all
together.
The Dirty: I loved this movie,
and the funny thing is, I usually
hate Nicolas Cage. This is the
most true-to-life writing I have
witnessed in a long time. If you
have ever had everything in your
life seem to go wrong all at once,
and there was nothing you could
do to fix it, but tried anyway,
then this is the movie for you.
The film borders on comedy and
drama, focusing mainly on the
things in life people do not find
funny while they are happening,
but in hindsight make you laugh.
The sheer misery is surrounded
by humor, unseen by the
characters, and I think this is
the best part. How seriously the
characters take their lives is part
of the beauty of it. When you
have a character being funny on
purpose it kills the joke, when
it is more subtle, like it is here,
what you wind up with is laughs
while you watch the film, and
laughs after the film is done.
That is why I can say the writing
on this film is simply brilliant.
Steve Conrad did an amazing
Nicolas Cage stars as a Chicago weatherman with every
thing in his life falling apart in this new real to life film.
job, not to mention what Gore
Verbinski did for the look and
feel, which also surpasses
expectations.
Between Cage and Caine, a
true father-son relationship
exists. I'm tired of seeing perfect
family relationships on film. This
is not one of these. No matter
what Cage's character does
to try to live up to his father's
expectations, he never quite
gets approval. The jokes that
surround this are just pure
genius.
There are only a few minor
faults in this film. The first being,
although Cage pulled off some
really good acting, he still has
no clue how to cry on cue. The
second problem is the product
placement. It seemed as though
every major fast food chain paid
to have their product mentioned
by name during the course of
Photo courtesy of weathermanmovie com
the film. The only upside to
this is that all products were
mentioned in a negative way.
I recommend you run out and
see this film while it is still in
theaters. I am stingy with the
fives, so this is a rarity for me.
I walked into this film without
knowing anything about it, and
walked out feeling lucky to have
been there.
I give it 5 Outbreaks out of 5.
Entertainment
Jarhead:
By Marko Primorac
Staff Reporter
mcpl64@psu.edu
Jarhead
The movie Jarhead, while well
acted and directed, does not
come close to the book.
The simple reason is there is
far too much story and emotion
in the 363-page book for Director
Sam Mendes to include in the
film. Jarhead is a personal
history of the life and experiences
of Anthony `Swoff' Swofford;
Mendes had the dilemma of
providing the story of Swoff,
the man, or Swoff, the Marine.
Mendes chose to concentrate on
Swoff, the Marine.
The movie begins with Swoff in
bootcamp with Drill Instructor Sgt.
Fitch, using colorful language,
"informing" recruits about their
place in the Marine Corps, as
well as in life and on earth in
general.
After the touching scene
where Sgt. Fitch puts Swoff's
head through the chalkboard
when Swoff gives his reason
for joining the Marines ("I got
lost on the way to college, Sir!"),
the film cuts to the flashbacks
included in the book, which
help define Swoff's mental
state (accurately portrayed as
unstable in the film), woridview
and motivation for joining The
Corps; Mendes teases the
viewers with these few quick
cuts (dad and mom conceiving
Swoff, neurotic Mom crying
while baking brownies, Swoff's
institutionalized sister, Swoff
having sex with sweetheart, and
Swoff reading Camus) and all of
the super-important background
information that help us see what
makes Swoff tick as a character.
This is Mendes' flaw: either tell
everything, or stick to the military
The Capital Times, November 28, 2005
From book to film
sections of the book
Mendes then cuts to Swoff trying
to find a way out of the Marines
in Camp Pendleton (playing sick
and chugging laxatives), and his
accidental joining of the elite in
Scout Snipers (through typical
Marine Corps humiliation and
goading, of course).
Viewers watch the physical and
mental conditioning of Scout
Snipers for battle and killing, as
well as the range of absurdities,
humor, and tests that go with
that training. Mendes captures
the boredom, horseplay and
monotony of waiting for battle, the
fears and anxieties of anticipating
battle, and the disappointment
and confusion caused by missing
battle, climaxing with Swoff and
his spotter Troy aiming in on an
Iraqi officer.
Jake Gyllanhaal not only
physically resembles the real
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Anthony `Swoff' Swofford
alongside Jamie Foxx in the movie Jarhead based on for
mer Marine Anthony Swofford's best-selling 2003 book.
"Swoff," but he plays a believable
one. His dark, emotional portrayal
and narration really bring the
film credibility; Jamie Fox and
Peter Sarsgaard both perform
brilliantly.
Anthony Swofford opens his soul
to his readers in his book, and
Mendes gives as much as he can
of it to the audience. Jarhead is
not a rock-em, sock-em war flick.
There really isn't much blood and
guts, and it's not necessary; it is
the story that counts... Mendes
does his best to stick with it.
Watch the movie if you can,
but definitely make sure to read
the book. Jarhead is a tale that
needed to be told, and a movie
that needed to be made. It is real,
and it is raw. You may love it or
hate it, but take it for what it is:
one man's experience, nothing
more, nothing less.
Photo courtesy of imdb.com