Giant
January 26th, 2008
The promising first half of George Stevens’ Texan epic sets up a tiresome three-and-a-half-hour descent into mediocrity. Displaced northern bride Liz Taylor slowly fades from the center of the story, nouveau riche James Dean is woefully misused, children come and go, and Rock Hudson’s stubborn cattle rancher is granted an improbable redemption. Giant keeps pulling its punches, and in the end, it’s home sweet home and upstart Jett Rink lies under a table where he belongs. After 201 minutes, we have arrived in the cornball fifties, cheated out of any kind of pay-off, and that’s the real tragedy.
No doubt There Will Be Blood owes more to Giant than just the Marfa location; in fact, Anderson’s film feels like Giant’s evil twin, made up of all the scenes the other movie suppressed: the real drama, the truth of the matter. You know, the good scenes. After the jump, screenshots from both movies that seem to talk to one another, in the spirit of Kevin Lee’s influence spotting. Don’t click if you haven’t seen the movie yet: There Will Be Spoilers. For more Blood talk, I Drink Your Milkshake.com is the place.
Giant. George Stevens, 1958. ***
The Wendell Baker Story
May 10th, 2007
Proving once again the infinite mutability of the coming-of-age tale, The Wendell Baker Story, written by Luke and co-directed by Luke and Andrew Wilson, grafts a number of borderline absurd conceits onto a ramshackle story about a small-time con-man trying to make his way in the world. In the dappled sunlight of Austin, Texas, Wendell Baker (Luke Wilson) sells fake IDs to immigrants and fails to appreciate his gorgeous girlfriend Doreen (Eva Mendes)–until he gets busted and shipped off to Huntsville Prison, where he comes across a copy of Conrad Hilton’s autobiography and decides to go into the hotel business.
But the “hotel” Wendell is sent to by his parole board is a retirement home under the command of a sadistic head nurse played by brother Owen. The inmates include Kris Kristofferson, Harry Dean Stanton, and Seymour Cassel as horny old men hiding a secret or two. With their help, Wendell has to thwart evil schemes and win back Doreen. Their adventures are thoroughly ridiculous and enjoyable, but like Doreen, we can see right through Wendell’s goofy charm. The Wendell Baker Story is silly but lovable, occasionally very funny, and no dumber than most movies at the multiplex. It’d be fascinating to see what the Wilsons might come up with if they really tried. Opens May 18.
The Wendell Baker Story. Andrew Wilson and Luke Wilson, 2005. ***
- The Wendell Baker Story at Rotten Tomatoes
- The trailer:
