Pajiba

FIR ... oh, fuck it.

Freddie Prinze, Jr., Mena Suvari, and Alec Baldwin? Who cast this film, Helen Keller? "There we were, coming of age in mobbed-up Brookl -- zzzzzzz ...."

And I'm seriously confused that Scott Caan is playing backup to Freddie Prinze. Didn't Caan have a bright future just a few months ago?

"There must be classic exceptions that I'm forgetting, but every recent movie that heavily features one of its characters as a narrator has been a dud."

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang freshened up the narration ploy nicely. It didn't have any stupid-ass lines like, "...I couldn't stop thinking about what Ellen said," though. This sounds like a film I'll never see.

That could be a theme for a list, "Movies with narration that don't suck."

"Movies with narration that don't suck."

a few i can think of right now. (and by think i mean "let's-get-this-over-with-so-i-can go-and-watch-C.R.A.Z.Y.)

The Royal Tenenbaums
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
High Fidelity
Fight Club
The Shawshank Redemption

The Princess Bride was a narrated movie and it was absolutely fucking brilliant. The only recent film I can think of is March of the Penguins, but the characters in that movie couldn't talk, so I guess they deserve a pass.

Does 'Little Children' count, even though the narrator wasn't a character?

(Sign of a shitty movie - there are more comments about a sub-discussion than the movie itself)

Seriously, how does Freddie Prinze Jr. continue to have a career?

American Beauty
The Usual Suspects
Carlito's Way
Layer Cake
A Clockwork Orange

all used narrators who were characters in the story.

Stand By Me comes to mind as an example in the "good" category of narrated movies.

Ah, narration. I actually really love a good narrated movie, but it has to be the kind that actually serves a purpose--narration that adds to the decency of the film, not narration that makes up for the screenwriter/director/actors just not working hard enough to show the audience what's happening.

That's my nonprofessional opinion, which is only worth 1 cent. :D

What about Stranger than Fiction? I watched this wonderfully narrated film last night and raved about it for the ensuing hours. I must admit I woke up feeling a little bit dirty, like I'd watched it with beer goggles on and went a little bit further than I intended, but it's still a lovely example of quality narration.

Casino
Adaptation
Goodfellas
Sunset Boulevard
Trainspotting
Jesus Son

Casino
Adaptation
Goodfellas
Sunset Boulevard
Trainspotting
Jesus Son

"And if Freddie Prinze, Jr., is narrating,...."

PASS

HA!!
"..both have to be made of organic material, and I'm still not convinced this is the case with Freddie Prinze, Jr." Love it!

I was a little more than half way in the review when I realized I'd completely forgotten the film's title, and wouldn't have noticed whether you had yet described the plot or not, such is my resolute dislike for the Jr Prinze (and I didn't think the Sr was all that funny or talented, even at my 'Kevin Arnold'-ish age when 'Chico & The Man' was originally on).

If it's not the name alone that has kept this repugant jerk from continuing to get work, then I'm at a loss to explain the rationalization of the film industry (not that I guess anyone ever could, for all kindsa other reasons), and always proud to say I've never even watched a Scooby Doo trailer [italics if I knew how to use them], let alone the movies. Detested the original cartoon also.

Aahh, Sunday morning and something to bitch about - great way to start the day, so thanks for that AND the heads-up review, John. "Organic material," that's classic..

That's a good point Tmax, never really found Prinze Sr. to be ALL that, and seriously, Chico and the Man, SUCKED.

I think that there's a little "Selena Syndrome" in evidence here, you know, died young so people go overboard romanticizing his "talent" and exaggerating how she/he was gonna BREAK OUT!! if only they hadn't died. Riiiiight, they weren't going to "break out" they would've done a movie or two, then gone on a shitty sitcom that would've opened doors to some "celebrity" something or other to end as the punch line for some equally shiteous comedienne on a VH1 list show.

As for Prinze Jr. I've read he's a nice enough fellow, hell he's nailing SMG, BUT, he's got no business in anything cinema related, much less anything that's trying to be all serious and dramatic. He's the very definition of generic, and he's getting a little too long in the tooth for the teeny boper demo. Hell, all these guys are too old to becoming of age.
They all really should be thinking about their 401k's , now there's a movie, third rate actors thinking about their middle age and retirement.

The plot of this movie sounds very familiar to the movie project Vince and co. went to Brooklyn to film in the first or second season of Entourage. So it's even funnier that Jerry Ferrara is in it. I guess he's doomed to playing these slightly dumb (but funny) Brooklyn-types.

Taxi Driver

Taxi Driver uses narration pretty heavily throughout and it is one of the best movies ever. That's a silly, "rule".

Yo Barbado, thanks for inputting your economical, and much better-expressed, wording that I sadly lack the skills to write concerning that lucky SMG-nailer. A response from you is an honor to me, made my day, quite unexpected, and I rank you right up there with the best 'regulars'- Vermillion, Ranylt, Daphne, Sam T- damn, I forget all my faves when I'm typing a quick response whilst 2 and 1/2 sheets in the wind on a pleasant valley Sunday!

And this post may never be read by anyone after tonight, but I treasure the little spare time I get to relax with a week's worth of fine Pajiba reviews & articles.

Yeah, I feel kind of special reading this site - it's not elitism; it's appreciation for excellent/original writing and a refuge to air one's own point of view about the subject matter.

Hell, BS (and I mean that nickname TOTALLY as an expression of the closeness I feel towards you), you're one of the best posters/warriors around, and I'm inspired to write some more to all these great Pajibans from your comments alone.

BTW, Try singing the word 'Pajiba' to the tune of the Frankie Avalon classic "Venus" - you won't be disappointed:

"Pa-jiii-ba, Pa-jiii-baaah - makes my dreams come true, (ooh ooh-ooh ooh) makes my dreams come true" & you get the idea...

Okay, I'm done for the day. It may be sad for many to think that the big 'P' is my one true and consistent joy in my life, but it sure does make up a hefty percentage of it.

'Night already,
Tony

What I want to know is; how the fuck Freddie Jr. is doing a 'coming of age' film? Isn't this guy, like, 30? And already past his prime?

PASS

Oh, and at first glance I totally thought Jerry Ferrara was Sean Astin and was all "NOOOOO! Not Sam Gamgee and Zach Siler in the same movie! Noooo!"

Raising Arizona.

Hey, socalledonlypajibapajamas, there's no need to insult Helen Keller. She was blind and deaf. The casting director for this movie was obviously fucking retarded.

Yeah, I agree with the general concensus on narration from Pajiba readers. I know that in film school, and even in the most simple Movie History or Movie Appreciation 101 classes, you're taught that it's a device used by lazy or mediocre film-makers, but I don't think it's true of ALL of the time it's used. Some of the time, sure, but seriously, a movie isn't bad because it's got narration. In fact, somtimes, it's brilliant and/or beautiful, and destined to become a classic. (See reader entries American Beauty, Stand By Me, Shwshank, Hi-Fidelity, Carlito's Way, and, an absolutely lovely movie ABOUT narration, Stranger Than Fiction).

Sleepers. (re: the narration bit)

But his riveting performance is made up of a few brief scenes, and is more than canceled out by riveting's antonym, Prinze, who more accurately represents what the wooden script deserves.

That line is GOLD!

Big, giant "Meh".

All the points I was going to make Re: narration have already been made so I'll just add a +1 to any appropriately relevant or witty comments and leave it at that.

Gabrielle: your post made me giggle because at least some small part of me is still 14.

the big lebowski.

narrated and awesome.

The Basketball Diaries

From the time when Leo was cool and not trying to make movies about climate change.

"Not in my town. Not in ANY of my Five Towns!"

Blade Runner was narrated by Dekker. Indisputably the best Sci-Fi movie and far better than Ford's franchise projects.

Loved the narrated Blade Runner (rumor has it that Solo did a supposedly "shitty" job on the voice over at the director's request). Nevertheless it came out peaches.
The director's cut is also awesome but, my first experience was the theatrical version so, for me, that's the one that sticks.

...riveting's antonym...

Heh.

The Age of Innocence. Good narration.

Dear filmmakers, I'm convinced of something: If someone is narrating your movie, you don't have a good enough script.

Wordy McWord, John. I haven't seen most of the exceptions mentioned above, but I would guess those were good movies despite the narration, not because of it. If you need someone read the plotline of your material, you shouldn't be making a movie; you should make a book-on-tape.

For a prime example of this, watch R. Kelly's commentary on his DVD of "Trapped in the Closet", in which R. describes what is going on in the live-action videos that dramatize the lyrics of the 12-part song that already explains in detail what is going on.

"Not in my town. Not in ANY of my Five Towns!"

Hee!

slightlyfey: "Not in my town . . . "

Goodonya!

Bianca, I agree. Several movies listed are, of course, classics. But in some cases -- like Raising Arizona and The Princess Bride -- the narration is a very self-conscious conceit, rather than a straight relating of what's going on. And several others fall under your "despite the narration" description. I'm thinking mostly of Shawshank. When I see it now, the narration mostly makes me cringe. And Little Children -- there's a great example; a perfectly good movie that's almost completely ruined by terrible, unnecessary narration.

Bianca and JMW: yes, yes, yes. I think narration is lazy about 98% of the time. The narration should do something that furthers the story such that you can't imagine the movie without the narration. I think "Goodfellas" falls in this category, as well, because the narration enhanced the movie. "A Christmas Story"? Not so much. I'm prejudice, though, because Keillor's voice makes me want to kill myself.

Bianca, my siblings and I were obsessed with Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" for the exact reasons you've named. When I first heard the song I thought to myself "I wonder what 'trapped in the closet' is a metaphor for?" Then I listened to the whole song and realized that the song was, quite literally, about being trapped in a damn closet.

I have not seen the commentary, but clearly must.

Oh, my God - I just noticed that I wrote "I'm prejudice" instead of "I'm prejudiced." I have always found that mistake to be the hallmark of the ill-educated. Please forgive me, Pajibans. I assure you it was unintentional.

Thanks, JMW and Samantha T! Samantha, your first mistake re: "Trapped in the Closet" was thinking that R. Kelly knows what a metaphor is. He's not a master of subtlety in his songs.

Now, come on. Freddie Prinze, Jr. can't be both wooden and inorganic.