Crash Landing
It wouldn't be fair to write about Derek Magyar's Flying Lessons, which opened the Santa Barbara Film Festival last night. I watched the first few minutes, but I had to leave to buy some cough syrup and spray. For some reason a slight cough caused by a throat tickle blew up into something worse yesterday. It was awful. So I got the damn cough syrup, came back, watched the film for another 20 or 25 minutes. And then I gave up.
I don't have to watch a film for a half hour or 15 minutes, even, to know it's not working. I can tell within two or three minutes. I knew Flying Lessons was in trouble within seconds. It's one of those "who am I really?," "I've made some mistakes," "maybe I should wake up?" meditative dramas that makes you want to get a stiff drink -- make that several drinks. Except I don't like stiff drinks any more. A glass or two of wine is my limit.
But I needed to escape so I did, and I went across the street to a first-class Argentinian restaurant. Beautifully designed place, old Spanish flavor, etc.. And there, sitting at a small table with a friend, was Derek Magyar. And there I was my my press badge, so I didn't say hello. Magyar is a youngish actor. Flying Lessons is his first stab at directing. The screenwriter is Thomas Kuehl. I know how difficult it can be to make a film even half-succeed, and I don't want to be harsh or cruel.
So I kept my distance from Magyar and ordered my Pinot Grigio. I sat down at a table and struck up a conversation with a Swedish blonde who was wearing a long fur coat. And then a local friend, Rochelle Rose, dropped by and joined us.
I saw In Contention's Kris Tapley sitting in the last row of the Arlington Theatre about a half-hour into Flying Lessons, and noticed about 20 minutes later that he'd disappeared. And The Winner Is columnist Scott Feinberg didn't like it much either.
Flying Lessons is about Sophie (Maggie Grace), a pissed-off 20something blonde whose life in Los Angeles hasn't been working out due to a lack of talent and focus and drive, and an overabundance of boyfriend drama. She comes back to her hometown in the Santa Ynez Valley and proceeds to anesthetize each and every person she comes into contact with. She despises her alcoholic mom (Christine Lahti) and vaguely wants to get going again with a former boyfriend (Jonathan Ticker) and is looking for some kind of rooted something or other.
Flying Lessons felt flat, lacking in tension, under-energized, "acted." Movies like this make want to jump off a 20-story office building. The highest building in Santa Barbara is seven or eight stories. With my luck I'd only break a leg or go into a coma.
For me, being with Maggie Grace's character was awful. Grace is pretty, of course, and radiates the same haughty snot attitude (i.e., "I'm so bored by the idea of talking to you that I can barely summon the lung power to make the words come out") that Megan Fox has built her worthless career upon. I can't stand young women who can't be bothered to look you in the eye and tell you the truth, whatever that may be. All I know is that I wanted to see Grace slapped, injured, kidnapped, attacked by a mountain lion, hit by a car, arrested for shoplifting...anything along those lines.
And I don't want to see Tucker ever again, in anything. I'm sorry but that's my reaction. If I run into him at a cafe I'll get the food or coffee to go. If I see him at a Los Angeles DMV I'll make another appointment.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 5, 2010 at 7:43 AM
comment #1
Chase Kahn
says ...
Maggie Grace is a truly terrible actress, I mentioned this the other day, but her performance in "Taken" is one of the worst things I've ever had to endure.
Posted by Chase Kahn
at February 5, 2010 8:52 AM
comment #2
CitizenKanedforChewingGum
says ...
What % of films do you reckon you don't see all of in the theater?
For a self-proclaimed "movie catholic," there sure seems to be a lot of ducking-out and avoiding going on.
Just sayin'.
Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum
at February 5, 2010 8:53 AM
comment #3
George Prager
says ...
The trailer for this makes it look awful, like a Christian film without the Christianity.
Meanwhile, another out-of-touch old white racist just doesn't get PRECIOUS:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/opinion/05reed.html
No...wait...
Posted by George Prager
at February 5, 2010 8:57 AM
comment #4
The InSneider
says ...
What happened to, if Roger Durling picks your movie for the Santa Barbara festival, it must mean it's pretty good...?
Posted by The InSneider
at February 5, 2010 8:57 AM
comment #5
Noah Cross
says ...
Writers on 'Lost' were wise to kill Maggie Grace in the first season.
Posted by Noah Cross
at February 5, 2010 9:15 AM
comment #6
Ray DeRousse
says ...
Hell, you can tell this film doesn't work from the first few seconds of this trailer. It looks beautifully photographed, but I can't stand this whiny "poor little me" crap that bleeds into many indie films.
Sounds like you had a much better time at the restaurant avoiding eye contact with Magyar.
Posted by Ray DeRousse
at February 5, 2010 9:22 AM
comment #7
alan
says ...
Noah Cross: They actually killed her in the second season, but I don't think anyone would have argued against it happening in the first. Very glad that she declined to come back for this final season as well.
Posted by alan
at February 5, 2010 9:25 AM
comment #8
Bill Bomp Whomper
says ...
You're probably the worst film critic working.
Are we supposed to be impressed by this flippant disregard for movies that don't grab you the second you sit down? Get a script for Ritalin or something.
Posted by Bill Bomp Whomper
at February 5, 2010 9:31 AM
comment #9
reverent and free
says ...
I'll see it just for Holbrook.
Posted by reverent and free
at February 5, 2010 9:37 AM
comment #10
Glenn Kenny
says ...
The cough syrup's a nice touch. Very Lester Bangs.
Posted by Glenn Kenny
at February 5, 2010 9:49 AM
comment #11
reverent and free
says ...
But yes, George, the trailer is awful. Especially the titles "To come to terms with her past. To find the truth that sets her free." zzzz. Every time anyone speaks, it breaks the mood the piano is attempting to establish. They would've done better keeping it nonverbal.
Posted by reverent and free
at February 5, 2010 9:55 AM
comment #12
MJB
says ...
Although I admire Magyar's ambition, this film looks like it takes itself way too seriously. If you want to make a film about New Age spirituality, subtlety is key. This looks all sorts of melodramatic, manipulative and corny.
Posted by MJB
at February 5, 2010 10:03 AM
comment #13
Eloi Manning
says ...
I'd go through Grace like a gentle breeze.
I didn't think she was that bad on Lost. She played the spoiled little rich girl fairly adequately. I just don't think she has any range. The worst actor on Lost was Michelle Rodriguez by a country mile. So bad they killed her off in the same season they introduced her.
Posted by Eloi Manning
at February 5, 2010 10:17 AM
comment #14
Mcflyboy
says ...
Wow, that looks god-awful. Was that a zoom-out? Close ups on a generic field?
At Sundance years ago, I sat next to Wells at a press screening for Party Monster. He shifted and leaned and sighed, then got up and left 5 minutes in. This innate sense of knowing a film is in trouble is not a purely internal thing.
Posted by Mcflyboy
at February 5, 2010 10:24 AM
comment #15
kamichojin
says ...
The Party Monster documentary or the McCauley Culkin/Seth Green feature? Either way, Wells showed bad judgement.
Posted by kamichojin
at February 5, 2010 10:42 AM
comment #16
BurmaShave
says ...
I understand, when the purple drank calls you can't resist.
Posted by BurmaShave
at February 5, 2010 12:04 PM
comment #17
frankbooth
says ...
"The highest building in Santa Barbara is seven or eight stories. With my luck I'd only break a leg or go into a coma.
All I know is that I wanted to see Grace slapped, injured, kidnapped, attacked by a mountain lion, hit by a car, arrested for shoplifting...
If I see him at a Los Angeles DMV I'll make another appointment."
Classic Wells. Keep drinking the cough syrup if it brings out writing like this.
Posted by frankbooth
at February 5, 2010 8:42 PM
comment #18
Gordon27
says ...
"For a self-proclaimed "movie catholic," there sure seems to be a lot of ducking-out and avoiding going on."
Being fair, though, it's generally at a film festival that he does this, and that's the kind of thing where, if you're not liking it, you should leave, because (a) you'll have seen too many movies anyway, and (b) there might be something else playing that you've never heard of that's worthwhile.
Posted by Gordon27
at February 5, 2010 9:36 PM
comment #19
jmevans
says ...
Jonathan Tucker sucks. Totally agree Jeff.
Posted by jmevans
at February 7, 2010 8:15 AM
comment #20
fcity2010
says ...
there were lots of very nice things being said about this film at the after-party - i also know that of the 2300 people who attended the standing room only event, roughly 8 walked out - i know because i worked the festival - it makes me wonder if the ones meant to be reviewing the film, and really paying attention, are the only ones that can't be bothered - it smells of failed "something or other," as you so eloquently put it in your "pay attention to me" review - it smells more of "if i could only be 28 and making my feature debut as the opening night film of the sbiff." but you can't. so you stare at the director across the street, and don't even have the journalistic sense to ask him a question - the answer to which may have made a ridiculous review of a film you didn't see worth reading - those that can't do, usually teach. thank god, you stick to this hateful blog where you can't do any harm. the film isn't perfect, but there is fresh storytelling in the structure of the film that you wouldn't have noticed had you stayed long enough to notice. sometimes "poor me" characters learn that they must face some serious things so as to not be "poor me" anymore. nobody likes "poor me." but to suggest that these people don't exist, and can't change, which in this film they do, is to suggest that all films should start out with happy, likable, issueless characters with nowhere to go. it's just another in a long line of short-sighted commentaries you make to push people's buttons. you're a blogger. to take a cue from KNOCKED UP. a blogger. you're a blogger. you're a blogger. BLOGGER. drink your wine and stare at the director. spineless. and really kind of creepy. nothing new here.
Posted by fcity2010
at February 9, 2010 12:32 PM