Heath Ledger

  • I Am Heath Ledger (2017)

    I Am Heath Ledger (2017)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (On Cable TV, April 2021) Another entry in Derik Murray’s “I am” series of biographical documentary features about deceased celebrities, I Am Heath Ledger offers a sometimes-surprising look at the short life and even shorter career of the Australian actor, who earned strong reviews from his opening performance to the last. One of the biggest surprises of the film is the belated realization that for all of the good press and solid hits he played in, Ledger had a Hollywood career of barely nine years, from 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999 to his death at 28 in 2008, even as that year’s The Dark Knight led him to a posthumous Oscar. His filmography has many exceptional roles, and anyone can only imagine what else he could have done had he lived longer. The other, more documentary-specific surprise is the demonstration that Ledger had been an incredibly creative artist and budding filmmaker — I am Heath Ledger showcases numerous short movies and other examples of his always-bubbling exploration of arts. (There’s a short film, possibly shot by himself over a few minutes, that shows terrific craftsmanship in building suspense out of a relatively mundane walk outside.)  Ledger was clearly aiming to become a director — and that, too, only leaves anyone to wonder what else he could have done had he lived longer. As with other “I am” entries, this is a film clearly meant to praise its subject—family members are interviewed, the filmmakers clearly had privileged access to Ledger’s video archives and the film sometimes mentions but really does not dwell on less positive aspects of his life—the drug use, controversies, scattered interests, burn-fast personality and numerous relationships. Most notable is significant ex-partner Michelle Williams’ absence from the footage, even though she reportedly gave her blessing to the project. But while I am Heath Ledger may not give a full picture of its subject, it does remain an uncommonly affectionate recollection of him. Nearly every interviewee seems uncommonly wistful about him, and the result—even with its deficiencies—is an intriguing look to someone gone far too soon.

  • Lords of Dogtown (2005)

    Lords of Dogtown (2005)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (In French, On Cable TV, June 2019) I like movies that are about a specific time and place, and Lord of Dogtown couldn’t be more specific about taking place in California during the mid-seventies. There was an unprecedented drought at the time, and that led to many pools being drained for the summer, which happened just as skateboarding was revolutionized by the introduction of urethane wheels. The script, written by Stacy Peralta (who was close to the events and people described) focuses on a group of friends during that summer as they go skateboarding from one empty pool to another, breaking up and turning professional in their practice of the sport. Lords of Dogtown is not a good-looking movie: in an attempt to emulate the look of contemporary cameras, director Catherine Hardwicke goes for a harsh bleached and grainy look. But her direction is impressive, going handheld in an attempt to stick as closely as possible to the action. The stunt work in the action sequences is in-your-face, with several actors taking spills along the way. The cast itself is worth a look, including a number of people (Heath Ledger, America Ferrara, Sofia Vergara, Emile Hirsch, Rebecca de Mornay) that went on to star in much bigger movies. Baby-faced Michael Angarano is even more baby-faced here. There are also tons—and I mean dozens—of cameos from the movie and the skateboarding world. The French translation is surprisingly well done—The period soundtrack is excellent, and there’s even a good pun in here that wouldn’t work in the original English. While Lords of Dogtown is more impressive as a time-travelling capsule and an action showcase than a traditional dramatic film, that’s fine—not every movie adapted from real events has to be an Oscar-baiting drama.

  • The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

    The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (In theaters, December 2009) A film by Terry Gilliam is usually quite unlike anything else, and so it is that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is, at the very least, unique in its own way.  The title is probably the most normal aspect of a film that allows the writer/director to fully indulge in his obsessions, from skewed images to wide-angles to midgets to stylized animation.  The story may be about choices and imagination, but the result is pure visual spectacle for fans of special effects, imaginative dream worlds and cinematic fantasy.  There are more than a few visual and thematic links to previous Gilliam films from The Fisher King to The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. This being said, there are a few strong performances to admire as well: Much has been made of Heath Ledger’s final role and the way other actors (Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell) are used to complete his scenes set in imaginary worlds, but the result feels both appropriate and seamless.  Also worthwhile are Verne Troyer (given surprisingly level-headed dialogue), Tom Waits (as, appropriately, the Devil), Lily Cole (an unconventional beauty balancing out the rest of the male-dominated cast) and Christopher Plummer as the titular doctor.  Alas, the story is a bit more muddled: As with his latest Brothers Grimm, Gilliam delivers fantasy that seems to make it up as it goes along, never setting out rules or sticking to them: it makes the experience of seeing the film a bit tortuous if viewers are trying to do more than admire the pictures.  But for Gilliam fans, this won’t be much of an issue:  Overall, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a worthwhile effort, perhaps the single best Gilliam (and Gilliamesque) film in more than a decade.