Review: "Barton Fink" is Something ... Else (Happy B'day, John Turturro)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 72 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Barton Fink (1991)
Running time:  116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)
MPAA – R for language and some scenes of violence
DIRECTOR:  Joel Coen
WRITERS:  Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
PRODUCER:  Ethan Coen
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Roger Deakins (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Roderick Jaynes (The Coen Brothers)
COMPOSER:  Carter Burwell
Academy Award nominee

COMEDY/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring:  John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, John Mahoney, Tony Shalhoub, Jon Polito, and Steve Buscemi

The subject of this movie review is Barton Fink, a 1991 period drama co-written and directed by Joel Coen and co-written and produced by Ethan Coen, although both brothers likely shared in producing and directing the film.  Barton Fink focuses on a renowned New York playwright who is enticed to Hollywood to write film scripts for a film studio only to discover hellish truths about his new job and home.

In 1991, The Coen Brothers, co-writer/director Joel and co-writer/producer Ethan, took the Cannes Film Festival by storm with their film Barton Fink, winning the Golden Palm as Best Picture and the award for Best Direction (an award that Joel has since won twice more).  John Turturro also won the Best Actor award for his role as the title character.  As much as I like the Coens' work, this is by far my least favorite film of theirs.

In 1941, intellectual New York playwright Barton Fink (John Turturro) moves to California to write a B-movie script for a major studio.  His new boss, Jack Lipnick (Michael Lerner) wants that Barton Fink touch for a new Wallace Beery wrestling movie.  Fink takes up residence in the Hotel Earle, a rundown establishment with a sheen of faux-grandeur.  He eventually meets his neighbor, the blustery, strange, and mysterious Charlie Meadows (John Goodman), who claims to be a traveling insurance salesman.  Although he meets many interesting characters, Fink is busy fighting writer’s block, and his new home becomes a hell for him as his deadline to deliver a script looms.

The first warning to a viewer before he sees Barton Fink is that the film is surrealistic, a situation in which the story contains lots of symbolism.  This is not standard, linear filmmaking, so the viewer has to closely watch the film for visual hints and listen to the soundtrack for audio clues to understand the story in lieu of having literal, obvious story details.  Don’t read this sentence as it may spoil the surprise of unraveling this film’s mysteries:  Hotel Earle is hell, the hell in which Barton suffers writer’s block, and Charlie Meadows is not only a killer, but he may well be “the devil.”  If you try to take this film literally, you will find it atrocious and boring.  Creative people, especially writers, will certainly understand, through Barton, the intense frustration that writer’s block can cause a scribe.

Still, for all its pretensions to art and its portrayal of the intellectual’s strong need to produce “something good,” Barton Fink is a misstep.  I will give a hearty nod to the Coens' ambitious intentions.  The acting is very good.  It’s less technical and more show.  It’s flamboyant and colorful and immediately describes the characters to the audience, none of this serious method stuff, just old-fashioned, grand pretending that fills the screen.  I really liked the film’s element of suspense and mystery.  The hotel is automatically creepy, but it’s nothing compared to the unusual landscape of the relationship between the characters.  One thing that certainly kept my interest was trying to figure out what these people had going on amongst themselves.  I could understand when two people were connected, but the joy was figuring out why they had a relationship.

Overall, the film is slow and occasionally plodding, especially in between moments of drama and intrigue, but the brothers have a way of waking you up just when you think that their film is loosing steam.  I recommend this to fans of the Coens’ films and to people who like that different kind of film that is called “art,” the ones that are about something other than just entertaining you.

No sirree, Bob.  The Coens might entertain you, but never at the cost of giving you cheap candy, not when they can use their talents to make a complicated confection, even if the end result doesn’t quite taste right.

5 of 10
B-

NOTES:
1992 Academy Awards, USA:  3 nominations: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Michael Lerner), “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (Dennis Gassner and Nancy Haigh), and “Best Costume Design” (Richard Hornung)

1992 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (John Goodman)

1991 Cannes Film Festival:  3 wins: “Best Actor” (John Turturro), “Best Director” (Joel Coen), and “Palme d'Or” (Joel Coen-won unanimously)

Updated:  Friday, February 28, 2014

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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"12 Years a Slave" Captures Southeastern Film Critics Awards

The Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) is a professional organization of more than 40 film journalists working in the print, radio and online media, representing the Southeastern section of the United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.  Since 1992, SEFCA seeks to “promote the art of film criticism, the ethics of journalism and the camaraderie of peers among professionals working in the print, radio and online media in the Southeast.”

2013 SEFCA Winners:

Top 10
1. "12 Years a Slave"
2. "Gravity"
3. "American Hustle"
4. "Her"
5. "Inside Llewyn Davis"
6. "Nebraska"
7. "Dallas Buyers Club"
8. "Philomena"
9. "Captain Phillips"
10. "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club")

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine" (Runner-up: Judi Dench, "Philomena")

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club" (Runner-up: Michael Fassbender, "12

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle")

Best Director: Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: Alfonso Cuaròn, "Gravity")

Best Ensemble: "American Hustle" (Runner-up: "12 Years a Slave")

Best Adapted Screenplay: "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: "Philomena")

Best Original Screenplay: "American Hustle" (Runner-up: "Her")

Best Documentary: "The Act of Killing" (Runners-up: "Blackfish," "Muscle Shoals")

Best Foreign Language Film: "The Hunt" (Runner-up: "Blue is the Warmest Color")

Best Animated Film: "Frozen" (Runner-up: "The Wind Rises")

Best Cinematography: "Gravity" (Runner-up: "12 Years a Slave")

Gene Wyatt Award: Jeff Nichols, "Mud" (Runner-up: Greg "Freddy" Cammalier, "Muscle Shoals")

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"12 Years a Slave" Dominates St. Louis Film Critics Awards

The St. Louis Film Critics is an association of professional film critics operating in metropolitan St. Louis and adjoining areas of Missouri and Illinois.  Founded in late 2004, the group’s goals (according to the website) are to serve the interests of local film critics, and to promote an appreciation for cinema both as an art form and for its societal, cultural and historical context and impact.

The eligibility requirements for a SLFC Award, according to the group’s website:  a film must have been shown in the greater St. Louis area in a theater or at a film festival or series, or made available to SLFC members by screening or screener during the past year. Films opening in limited run elsewhere for Oscar qualification but which will open in the St. Louis area early in the next year are eligible.

2013 SLFC Awards:

Best Film: "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: "American Hustle")

Best Director: Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: Alfonso Cuarón, "Gravity")

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club")

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"
(Runner-up: Meryl Streep, "August: Osage County")

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club"
(Runner-up: Will Forte, "Nebraska")

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: June Squibb, "Nebraska")

Best Adapted Screenplay: "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: "Philomena")

Best Original Screenplay: "Her"
(Runner-up: "American Hustle")

Best Art Direction: "The Great Gatsby"
(Runner-up: "Her")

Best Cinematography: "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: "Gravity")

Best Musical Score: "Her"
(Runners-up: "Gravity," "Nebraska")

Best Soundtrack: "Inside Llewyn Davis"
(Runner-up: "Frozen")

Best Animated Film: "Frozen"
(Runner-up: "The Wind Rises")

Best Non-English Language Film: "Blue is the Warmest Color"
(Runner-up: "Wadjda")

Best Documentary: "Blackfish"
(Runners-up: "The Act of Killing," "Stories We Tell")

Best Art House or Festival Film: "Short Term 12"
(Runners-up: "Blue is the Warmest Color," "Frances Ha")

Best Comedy: (tie) "Enough Said" and "The World's End"

Best Scene (favorite movie scene or sequence): "12 Years a Slave" — The hanging scene
(Runner-up: "Gravity" — The opening tracking shot)

www.stlfilmcritics.org

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Oklahoma Film Critics Love "Her" as Best of 2013

The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) is the statewide group of professional film critics.  OFCC members are Oklahoma-based movie critics who write for print, broadcast and online outlets that publish or post reviews of current film releases.

The OFCC announced its 8th annual awards list in early January of 2014.

The OFCC 2013 Film Awards:

Best Film: "Her"

Top 10 Films:
“Her”
“American Hustle”
“12 Years a Slave
“Gravity”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Captain Philips”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
“All Is Lost”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Prisoners”

Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”

Best Animated Film: “Frozen”

Best Body of Work: Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club,” “Mud,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”)

Best Documentary: “The Act of Killing”

Best First Feature: “Fruitvale Station," Ryan Coogler

Best Foreign Language Film: “The Hunt”

Best Guilty Pleasure: “Iron Man 3”

Not-So-Obviously Worst Movie: “August: Osage County”

Obviously Worst Movie: “Grown Ups 2”

Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze, "Her"

Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley, "12 Years a Slave”

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”

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Houston Film Critics Name "12 Years a Slave" Their Best Picture of 2013

The Houston Film Critics Society was founded in 2007.  It is a not-for-profit organization of print, broadcast and Internet film critics based in the Greater Metropolitan Houston area.

2013 Houston Film Critics Society winners (in bold) nominees:

Best Picture:
"All is Lost"
"American Hustle"
"Before Midnight"
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Fruitvale Station"
"Gravity"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Nebraska"
"Saving Mr. Banks"
"12 Years a Slave" WINNER

Best Director:
Joel and Ethan Coen, "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Alfonso Cuarón, "Gravity" WINNER
Paul Greengrass, "Captain Phillips"
Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"
Alexander Payne, "Nebraska"

Best Actor:
Christian Bale, "American Hustle"
Bruce Dern, "Nebraska"
Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave" WINNER
Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club"
Mads Mikkelsen, "The Hunt"
Robert Redford, "All is Lost"

Best Actress:
Sandra Bullock, "Gravity" WINNER
Judi Dench, "Philomena"
Brie Larson, "Short Term 12"
Meryl Streep, "August: Osage County"
Emma Thompson, "Saving Mr. Banks"

Best Supporting Actor:
Barkhad Abdi, "Captain Phillips"
Michael Fassbender, "12 Years A Slave"
James Gandolfini, "Enough Said"
Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club" WINNER
Matthew McConaughey, "Mud"

Best Supporting Actress:
Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle"
Lupita Nyong’o, "12 Years A Slave" WINNER
Octavia Spencer, "Fruitvale Station"
June Squibb, "Nebraska"
Oprah Winfrey, "Lee Daniels’ The Butler"

Best Screenplay:
"American Hustle"
"Before Midnight"
"Her"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"12 Years A Slave" WINNER

Best Animated Film:
"The Croods"
"Despicable Me 2"
"Frozen" WINNER
"Monsters University"
"The Wind Rises"

Best Cinematography:
"All Is Lost
"Gravity" WINNER
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Prisoners"
"12 Years A Slave"

Best Documentary:
"The Act of Killing"
"Blackfish"
"Inequality for All"
"Stories We Tell"
"20 Feet from Stardom" WINNER

Best Foreign Language Film:
"Blue is the Warmest Color"
"The Grandmaster"
"The Hunt" WINNER
"Wadjda"
"The Wind Rises"

Best Original Score:
"Gravity" WINNER
"Her"
"Man of Steel"
"Saving Mr. Banks"
"12 Years a Slave"

Best Original Song:
"I See Fire” from "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Let It Go” from "Frozen"
"The Moon Song” from "Her"
"Please Mr. Kennedy" from Inside Llewyn Davis" (Written by Ed Rush, George Cromarty, T Bone Burnett, Justin Timberlake, Joel & Ethan Coen; sung by Justin Timberlake, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver) WINNER
"Young and Beautiful" from "The Great Gatsby"

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Classic RANMA ½ Anime Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES PRE-ORDERS FOR THE CLASSIC RANMA ½ ANIME SERIES ON RESTORED BLU-RAY FOR THE FIRST TIME AND DVD

Legendary Martial Arts-Action-Adventure-Comedy Debuts In High Definition In New 3-Disc Sets That Feature The First Season Of The Celebrated Series And An Array Of Special Bonus Features

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, delights multiple generations of anime fans as it announces pre-orders for the upcoming March 25th release of RANMA ½, the celebrated martial arts action-adventure based on the smash hit manga (graphic novel) series created by Rumiko Takahashi (2-in-1 omnibus manga editions featuring the original right-to-left reading format also debut the same month).

VIZ Media will release the first of seven seasons of RANMA ½ sets as a special Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set and also as a Standard Edition DVD Set. Pre-orders will be available soon through most major video/DVD/Blu-ray retailers as well as from leading anime retailers including Amazon, RightStuf, and Robert's Anime Corner Store.

The RANMA ½ Blu-ray Box Set carries an MSRP of $54.97 (U.S. / CAN) and offers hours of fun in the special 3-disc set that features 23 episodes of the acclaimed series, presented in full 1080p High Definition resolution taken straight from the original Japanese Blu-ray masters giving fans the uncropped, original 4:3 aspect ratio.  For the first time, all episodes are presented in the original Japanese episode order. Dialogue options are available for original Japanese with English subtitles or with dubbed English audio tracks, and a secondary subtitle track for signs and songs will also be included. The set comes packaged in a premium chipboard box with gold foil stamping with art that is beautifully illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi and also includes a 64-page booklet with a full color episode guide along with a manga re-master sampler.

An extensive selection of bonus features for the Blu-ray Box Set makes it a must-own for North American fans. In addition to trailers and upcoming episode previews, the Blu-ray set includes footage of the packed-capacity RANMA ½ panel from the 2013 New York Comic Con, a highlight reel of the 2013 New York Comic Con VIZ Media events, and an exclusive “We Love Ranma” Part 1 - Manga Re-Mastering interview with the VIZ Media Editor Hope Donovan that details some of the processes of the latest manga release.

The RANMA ½ Standard Edition DVD Set is also scheduled for release on March 25th and will be available soon for pre-order. Carrying an MSRP of $44.82 U.S. / CAN, the Standard Set features 23 episodes on 3 discs along with bonus features that include trailers, and a 2013 New York Comic Con highlight reel. English and Japanese audio options will be available, as well as the songs-and-signs subtitle track.

From the legendary oeuvre of master creator Rumiko Takahashi, the mixed-up, madcap, martial arts romantic comedy RANMA 1/2 returns! After taking a surprise dip in a cursed spring while on a training journey in China, martial artist Ranma Saotome and his father, Genma, aren’t quite themselves anymore. Now Ranma turns into a girl whenever he’s splashed with cold water, and Genma turns into a panda! Their new forms cause nothing but confusion at the Tendo dojo, where Soun Tendo is waiting to introduce one of his three daughters to Ranma—as his fiancée! Turns out Genma and Soun arranged the match long ago, but the girl, Akane, and the boy, Ranma, aren’t exactly crazy about the idea, or each other! Or are they? Watch the gender switching, jealous rages, and martial arts battles unfold all over again!

“This is the series that introduced many fans to manga and anime, and we’re extremely excited to mark the return of RANMA ½ to North America in its High Definition debut,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Animation Marketing Manager. “Catch all of the action and hilarious gender- and species-bending hijinks in the first set of this groundbreaking comedy that also comes jam-packed with an array of special bonus features. We’re pleased to invite fans to take advantage of this special pre-order to secure their Blu-ray or DVD copy of this acclaimed series. These gorgeous sets are truly great to collect and treasure!”

The spotlight on Rumiko Takahashi's career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan's prestigious New Comic Artist Contest for Those Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series, Urusei Yatsura, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular in their own right. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another. Maison Ikkoku ran from 1980 to 1987, Ranma 1/2 from 1987 to 1996, and Inuyasha from 1996 to 2008. Other notable works include Mermaid Saga, Rumic Theater, One-Pound Gospel, and RIN-NE.

Takahashi won the Shogakukan Manga Award twice in her career, once for Urusei Yatsura in 1981 and the second time for Inuyasha in 2002. A majority of the Takahashi canon has been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. Takahashi's manga, as well as the other formats her work has been adapted into, have continued to delight generations of fans around the world. Distinguished by her wonderfully endearing characters, Takahashi's work adeptly incorporates a wide variety of elements such as comedy, romance, fantasy, and martial arts. While her series are difficult to pin down into one simple genre, the signature style she has created has come to be known as the "Rumic World." Rumiko Takahashi is an artist who truly represents the very best from the world of manga.

For more information on Rumiko Takahashi titles by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

"12 Years a Slave," "Blue Jasmine" Lead Costume Designer Guild Awards

by Amos Semien

The winners of the 16th Costume Designers Guild Awards were announced Saturday, February 22, 2014.  The winners of the seven competitive awards were revealed at the awards gala held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and hosted by actor Joshua Malina, known for his roles in “The West Wing” and “Scandal.”

The Guild handed out competitive awards for costume design excellence in seven categories for in film, television and commercial work.  Four honorary awards also were presented at the Awards Gala.

This year, the Guild honored five-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams with the LACOSTE Spotlight Award, which was presented to her by Jeremy Renner, her co-star in the film American Hustle.

The Distinguished Collaborator Award was presented to acclaimed writer, producer and director, Judd Apatow by Bill Hader and Jonah Hill in recognition of his support of Costume Design and creative partnerships with Costume Designers.

Actors Debra Winger and Ciarán Hinds presented Emmy Award-winning Costume Designer April Ferry with this year’s Honorary Career Achievement Award for her outstanding work in film and television.

2014 / 16th Costume Designers Guild Award Winners (for the year 2013) – Complete List:

EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM
Blue Jasmine – Suzy Benzinger

EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM
12 Years a Slave – Patricia Norris

EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Trish Summerville

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES
"House of Cards" – Tom Broecker

OUTSTANDING PERIOD/FANTASY TELEVISION SERIES
"Downton Abbey" – Caroline McCall

OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TV MOVIE OR MINI SERIES
Behind the Candelabra – Ellen Mirojnick

EXCELLENCE IN COMMERCIAL COSTUME DESIGN
Call of Duty: Ghosts Masked Warriors – Nancy Steiner

http://costumedesignersguild.com/

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