Movie Review: Annie (2014 Version)

Annie (2014)

Two and half Stars out of Five

PG

Annie: Quvenzhané Wallis

Will Stacks: Jamie Foxx

Grace: Rose Byrne

Guy: Bobby Cannavale

Miss Hannigan: Cameron Diaz

Director: Will Gluck

Writer: Will Gluck and Aline Brosh McKenna

Music: Greg Kurstin

Cinematography: Michael Grady

Annie (2014) was an ardent effort, but ultimately failed to deliver.  The decision by writer director Will Gluck to re-set the 1982 version (itself set in a quasi-1940’s milieu) in modern day New York City was an interesting choice with respect to the whole concept of updating a period piecemovie to contemporary scenes. Concurrent with the time change there were additionally a number of character re-writes; most notably the conversion of Daddy Warbucks into cell phone magnate/mayoral candidate Will Stacks. This latter change is I think symptomatic of the problems with which the movie is laden: updates that seem not only pointless, but in many cases distracting.

The movie begins with Annie (Quvenzhané Wallis) in a school room where she quickly displays her boundless joy and propensity to burst into song. The first song was in some ways an inspired foray into improvised percussion as the various students clap and stomp their way through the song. Wallis is an outstanding young actress with a fair voice; but this first song like so many in this movie failed to resonate with me. Clearly a great deal of thought and practice went into the careful performance of the song, and yet it just isn’t a pleasing performance. This is a pattern that repeats time and again throughout the movie. Another good example is the soon to follow introduction to Annie’s foster home with her fellow wards under the care of Miss Hanigan (Cameron Diaz). The other young actresses all have fine voices, but as they work their way through “Hard Knock Life”, I just kept sitting there unhappy with the new version of the song. To be sure, it is easy for one to become wholly engaged with a particular version of a song, so much so that any subsequent version sounds false, but I am not completely convinced this is the case in this movie. The choreography and scene setting continually seemed thematically disconnected from the songs being sung.

There are two great exceptions to this point view: “Who Am I” and “I Don’t Need Anything But You”. Both songs feature Jamie Foxx. He is the prime reason to see this movie – should you choose to see it. He has a strong pleasant voice and superb acting ability. “Who Am I” was sung by Foxx, Diaz and Wallis in an intriguing series of scenes that segued from one singer to the next. This attempt to display each singer’s emotional state and to provide a contrast between the three was again not really successful. Again and again, I can see and appreciate director Gluck’s attempt to try something new in terms of telling the story of Annie, but it just doesn’t work in this movie version.

If you want to see Annie, rent the 1982 version with Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks and Ailene Quinn as Annie. Their performances and the direction by John Huston will far more adequately tell her story and do so in the setting (i.e. 1940’s New York) where the story does not seem like an anachronism. Finney’s performance and Quinn’s singing are not that much better than Foxx and Wallis, but the nature of the story telling is just simply superior. Annie’s story is one that ought not be updated to contemporary times; it needs to be left in the odd little version of 1920-40’s America originally envisioned by the comics writer, Harold Gray.

Les Miserables

Les Misérables

2012
Musical/Drama
4.5 stars out of 5

I love musicals. I have since I was a child and first saw Oklahoma! From it through at least one Elvis quasi-musical (State Fair with Ann Margaret) to Moulin Rouge,  I wonder if I have seen one that I hated (Grease comes to mind; sorry). Les Misérables occupies for me a rare position - easily one of the best pictures I have seen in the past five years.

The story of Jean Valjean as expressed in Les Misérables is based originally on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo and also on the musical theatre productions that go back to 1980 Paris. The salvation of Jean Valjean, his pursuit by the tortured Inspector Javert and the stories of Fantine and Cossette provide more than sufficient story material just on the surface level. You could also follow the movie for its depiction of how desperate the plight of the poor were in early 19^th century France, and the indifference of almost everyone as an allegory to modern America, and you would not be displeased.

However, there is an even deeper layer to the story, and it is best revealed in the first act. There one is nearly overcome with emotion as you watch the love and devotion of the local Monsignor when he forgives Valjean’s thievery, and thus starts the wheels of redemption that eventually saves Valjean from himself, not to mention from Javert and society at large. This scene is followed very shortly by what I consider the highlight of the entire movie: the step by step degradation of Fantine culminating with her incredible song of dreams lost. The other notable part of the story involve the moral ascent of Valjean after he re-covers his soul; especially when this is contrasted to the moral descent of Javert as he clings to the law and his tight walk along a moral precipice.

The story arc, theme and technical artistry aside (watch the camera angles of the boat being dragged into the not so dry dry-docks or consider that all the singing was recorded live), the acting and singing are for the most part just superb. Both Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean and Anne Hathaway as Fantine sing and act at the highest levels. Meanwhile Isabelle Allen as young Cossette and Samantha Barks as the adult Éponine sing superbly. And even though I usually cringe when I see another love triangle, in this movie I get to see Éponine, the adult Cossette and Marius (played by Amanda Seyfried and  Eddie Redmayne, respectively) sing their way through it, and it makes it more than watchable, it makes it a work of art.

To be sure there were things I would have wished done differently: chief amongst them, I would have re-written the movie to remove the discordant comic elements and inadequate singing of Sacha Baron Cohen as Thénardier. I did like having Helena Bonham Carter in the role of Madam Thénardier in order to provide the dark counterpoint to young Cossette’s beautifully sung “Castle on a Cloud”. And though criticized by many, I also like using Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert. Yes, you can discuss his vocal limitations. However, his solo atop the rooftops of Paris as he sings and walks the knife edge between life and his own doomed redemption,  and then once again this time above the Seine, Crowe proves his worth for the role. His dramatic abilities and fair to good singing makes for a more than competent Javert.

From the amazing opening to the lyrically described triangle to the tragic but redemptive ending, I loved this movie, and strongly recommend it to anyone even mildly interested in musicals.