Something tells me that Gabriele Muccino’s “Seven Pounds” is primed to be one of the more divisive films of 2008. Some audiences will see it as a refined parable about sacrifice and what it means to be alive, while others will dismiss it as nothing more than an emotionally scheming tearjerker that tacks on the cheese with reckless abandon. I can’t say who’s correct, because I myself found Will Smith’s latest to contain elements of each camp’s critique and don’t think it would be fair to rail on someone for over-analyzing a movie that’s really not all that complicated to begin with.
Sure, it’s syrupy, awkward, histrionic, and borderline impractical, but I reveled in every maple-loving minute of it. Smith turns in some of the most exquisite acting of his career as suicidal IRS agent Ben Thomas and proves yet again why he might be the only actor in Hollywood capable of (pardon the pun) willing a film to box office success. He displays the ideal amount of restraint in a role that could’ve been too off-putting for its own good, so the first twenty minutes were all I needed to buy into the unexplained melancholy with which he carries himself. No film of this nature would be complete without the ravishing presence of a female lead and when Rosario Dawson comes into the picture, things instantly become engaging on a level I surely didn’t see coming.
Her chemistry with Smith rivals that of any on-screen couple this year and she’s infinitely irresistible as a woman in need of a heart transplant as well as a degree of unabated normalcy she hasn’t experienced in quite some time. Since no one appears to be discussing awards potential, her performance will most likely remain criminally underappreciated as the season goes on, which to me, is a crying shame for an actress who never gives anything but her best regardless of a film’s overall quality. I bought into their relationship every step of the way even though I had to keep reminding myself that predictability isn’t always a negative pothole for a story to fall into. Astute viewers should be able to figure out where this one is headed from the get-go, but the journey is what counts in the end, so I say go and enjoy an endearing tale that’s exactly what people are looking for during the holiday season.
- *** out of 4
The central issue I had with Bryan Singer’s semi-thriller “Valkryie” is that every time I started to get caught up in the peril of high treason, I was instantly reminded that I was watching Tom Cruise lead a film about the attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler in which nearly everyone speaks English. I’m sorry, but I find it difficult to believe that Das Fuhrer himself would’ve spoken anything but German during a closed-door strategy session and feel the purpose of the project would’ve been better served through a subtitled format. Everything about it seemed rather ordinary for a WWII film, so if you go in expecting wall-to-wall combat, you’ll leave feeling unfulfilled in many respects.
As Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, Cruise is as tolerable as he needs to be and, at times, brings some of that intrepid star power fans know and love to a character that simply doesn’t translate well to the big screen. All Scientological ramblings aside, I was rooting for Cruise to prove people wrong and cement his ability to peddle quality material through his own production company. He’s terrific in “Jerry Maguire” and astonishing in “Born on the Fourth of July,” but has allowed the calamity of his personal life to overtake his reputation as an outstanding master of the craft. While not his best work, the slow-mounting tension of Christopher McQuarrie’s script should be enough to hold an audience’s attention for throughout its brisk running time.
Tom Wilkinson steals the film as Gen. Friedrich Fromm and Terence Stamp is very good as Ludwig Beck, but it ultimately feels like a bunch of regal Englishmen offering their own occasionally riveting interpretation of how the plotting came about. With the exception of a bomb going off and the eventual executions, the action is held to a minimum in favor of secret meetings and family interactions that don’t really pack the expressive punch necessary to pick up the slack. I don’t know about you, but I expected a lot better.
- ** 1/2 out of 4
In a world where American Idol shamelessly dilutes what’s left of the American music industry and Jerry Springer delivers “white trash” hi-jinx to the masses, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which a network wouldn’t pay top dollar for something that just oozes with tabloid sensitivity. Yet in 1977, British talk-show host David Frost approached every major news outlet in the country looking to expose the origins of the Watergate scandal and was essentially hung out to dry with little or no explanation. The forte of Ron Howard’s masterful “Frost/Nixon” is that it takes you deep inside one man’s struggle for credibility and how he literally banked his entire livelihood on the notion that former president Richard M. Nixon would give people the apology they always knew they deserved.
Michael Sheen and Frank Langella dive into their characters without hesitation and immerse themselves in a high energy battle of wits that neither of them can afford to lose. Langella owns every inch of this film as "Tricky Dick" and presents him as a bitter, conniving dignitary who eventually fell victim to his own narcissistic desire to control everything in sight. He’s what Sade would call a “smooth operator” due to his ability to weave in and out of questioning and the way he plays Frost like a pinball machine during the early stages is truly a thrill to watch. Expect a great deal of acclaim to be sent Langella’s way over the next few months for this stellar embodiment of a fallen American original.
Sheen, on the other hand, injects Frost with the slightest hint of haughtiness and cheery exultation at first, but when the pressure is on, he’s more than capable of turning on the jets and matching Langella note for note. We’re rooting for him all the way and the final day of the interview makes for some of the most on-the-edge-of-your-seat filmmaking I’ve seen all year.
Under the first-class direction of Howard, they’re able to recreate a stunning piece of television history in triumphant fashion and almost portray the ex-president in a sympathetic light people will have to see to believe. As far as the order of events is concerned, does it really matter? Every part of this film feels authentic and if you can get your audience to fully believe in what they’re seeing, I’d say you’ve already far surpassed many films on the market today.
- **** out 4
"Milk" - Sean Penn has become the chameleonic actor of our time and turns in another phenomenal performance as San Francisco politician Harvey Milk. It's not the best of the year, but it should take on a deeper meaning in the wake of California's Proposition 8.
- *** 1/2 out of 4
"Quantum of Solace" - Bourne. Jason Bourne. Oh, I'm sorry. For a minute there I thought that Mark Forster's ponderous revenge project was actually the fourth installment of Robert Ludlum's amnesiac spy thriller. I kind of wish it was, because that way the darkness and complete lack of affection for anything would've been right at home.
- ** out of 4
"Zack and Miri Make a Porno" - Hysterical, raunchy, over-the-top, and still sweet to the core. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks are perfectly cast as two goof-offs who resort to porn to pay the bills and in today's financially strapped times, it might not be that off-base.
- *** out of 4
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Changeling and Gran Torino
Clint Eastwood’s overlong period piece “Changeling” is anchored by a resolutely eloquent performance from Angelina Jolie that just reeks of Academy appeal to the point that expectations have become a little too hot to handle. She pours her heart and soul into the role of Christine Collins, a telephone operator whose son goes missing in 1928 Los Angeles, but what does she get in return? The film has so many staggering scenarios taking place at once yet refuses to commit to any of them long enough to make a real statement. Is the child found really her son and, if so, where was he all that time? Also, if he’s not her son, who is the boy that was returned to her and why did the ham-fisted pen pushers at the LAPD think that she wouldn’t recognize her own flesh and blood?
Sure, these questions are answered to some degree, but something still didn’t sit well with me by the time film came to a close. Without spoiling too much, I’ll simply point out that this apparently true story takes a wicked left turn after the first hour and becomes something much more grim and sepulchral than previously expected. In reality, we’re given three interesting films all piled into one ambitiously dense project that is terrific at times, but rather pedestrian at others. The first involves a grieving mother forced to endure hellish treatment just to get her son home safely, the second is a murky courtroom exposé on widespread corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department, and the third is a subdued tale of how far some people are willing to fall in the name of justice. Individually, they may take on deeper sensibilities, but together they get bogged down by too many questionable alterations in tone.
On the bright side, Jolie and John Malkovich as a fiery pastor are stellar throughout and Eastwood’s ability to turn J. Michael Straczynski’s intriguing script into a compelling amalgam of utter chaos in 1930’s L.A. is reason enough to withstand the sections that fall short of greatness.
- *** out of 4
If “Gran Torino” is indeed Clint Eastwood’s swan song to the acting community, I’d say that he certainly went out with the kind of rugged explosiveness we’ve come to expect from the Hollywood legend. As bigoted Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski, he creates a gruff, weathered old iconoclast who guzzles beer on his porch and doesn’t take kindly to those who think he’s too old to engage in any form of manual labor. He’s the product of a do-it-yourself generation raised on consumption and optimism yet his experiences in combat have left him deeply embittered about the tenuous deterioration of the society around him. Think Harry Callahan on Medicare, because when health concerns arise, the thrill of the fight is simply too lucid to waste time in a doctor’s office waiting for test results.
Believe it or not, his only outlet for discussion appears to be an over-zealous priest interested in counseling him following the death of his wife, which of course Walt wants no part of. It’s not until a Hmong family moves in next door that we see him display any emotion other than fanatical profanity, so the chance for redemption actually seems like a welcomed addition to the Kowalski exterior. When the son of the family becomes involved in gang activity, Walt decides to take him under his wing and, in a sense, make him more of a son than his real son ever was. Their relationship is hostile at first, but as the gang’s pressure intensifies, the mutual respect they have for one another transcends whatever racial prejudice Walt still maintains after all these years.
Now, it wouldn’t be a Clint Eastwood movie without a little high-wire intensity to boot and after the gang attacks the boy’s sister, the revenge theme takes on a whole new dimension. Walt unleashes the arsenal through a series of bloody confrontations that leave him in a difficult situation regarding how everything is going to play out in the end. Never has the phrase “Get Off My Lawn” been played to such menacing effect and in the hands Walt it becomes a statement of virile intimidation designed to let people know he mean’s business.
Since Eastwood also directed, the plot trajectory is anything but upbeat, so don’t expect a fairy tale where everyone sits around reminiscing about the good ol’ days. This is a serious examination of a guy trying to get one last chance at a good deed that will finally put him at peace with his torrid past. My only complaint would be that the supporting cast wasn’t quite up to the challenge, but to watch Eastwood do what he does for possibly the final time is all any diehard cinephile can ask for.
- *** ½ out of 4
Sure, these questions are answered to some degree, but something still didn’t sit well with me by the time film came to a close. Without spoiling too much, I’ll simply point out that this apparently true story takes a wicked left turn after the first hour and becomes something much more grim and sepulchral than previously expected. In reality, we’re given three interesting films all piled into one ambitiously dense project that is terrific at times, but rather pedestrian at others. The first involves a grieving mother forced to endure hellish treatment just to get her son home safely, the second is a murky courtroom exposé on widespread corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department, and the third is a subdued tale of how far some people are willing to fall in the name of justice. Individually, they may take on deeper sensibilities, but together they get bogged down by too many questionable alterations in tone.
On the bright side, Jolie and John Malkovich as a fiery pastor are stellar throughout and Eastwood’s ability to turn J. Michael Straczynski’s intriguing script into a compelling amalgam of utter chaos in 1930’s L.A. is reason enough to withstand the sections that fall short of greatness.
- *** out of 4
If “Gran Torino” is indeed Clint Eastwood’s swan song to the acting community, I’d say that he certainly went out with the kind of rugged explosiveness we’ve come to expect from the Hollywood legend. As bigoted Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski, he creates a gruff, weathered old iconoclast who guzzles beer on his porch and doesn’t take kindly to those who think he’s too old to engage in any form of manual labor. He’s the product of a do-it-yourself generation raised on consumption and optimism yet his experiences in combat have left him deeply embittered about the tenuous deterioration of the society around him. Think Harry Callahan on Medicare, because when health concerns arise, the thrill of the fight is simply too lucid to waste time in a doctor’s office waiting for test results.
Believe it or not, his only outlet for discussion appears to be an over-zealous priest interested in counseling him following the death of his wife, which of course Walt wants no part of. It’s not until a Hmong family moves in next door that we see him display any emotion other than fanatical profanity, so the chance for redemption actually seems like a welcomed addition to the Kowalski exterior. When the son of the family becomes involved in gang activity, Walt decides to take him under his wing and, in a sense, make him more of a son than his real son ever was. Their relationship is hostile at first, but as the gang’s pressure intensifies, the mutual respect they have for one another transcends whatever racial prejudice Walt still maintains after all these years.
Now, it wouldn’t be a Clint Eastwood movie without a little high-wire intensity to boot and after the gang attacks the boy’s sister, the revenge theme takes on a whole new dimension. Walt unleashes the arsenal through a series of bloody confrontations that leave him in a difficult situation regarding how everything is going to play out in the end. Never has the phrase “Get Off My Lawn” been played to such menacing effect and in the hands Walt it becomes a statement of virile intimidation designed to let people know he mean’s business.
Since Eastwood also directed, the plot trajectory is anything but upbeat, so don’t expect a fairy tale where everyone sits around reminiscing about the good ol’ days. This is a serious examination of a guy trying to get one last chance at a good deed that will finally put him at peace with his torrid past. My only complaint would be that the supporting cast wasn’t quite up to the challenge, but to watch Eastwood do what he does for possibly the final time is all any diehard cinephile can ask for.
- *** ½ out of 4
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Pride and Glory and Rachel Getting Married
Gavin O’Connor tries hard to infuse his latest effort “Pride and Glory” with the kind of ethically challenged street beat usually expected from stark police procedurals, but for the life of me, I just couldn’t get excited about anything he brings to the table. Coming on the heels of last year’s vastly superior “We Own the Night,” this film features an almost identical plot minus any authentic suspense or reason to spend two-plus hours on a soulless piece of wannabe commercial nihilism. The talents of Edward Norton, Jon Voight, and Noah Emmerich are much too intricate to be wasted in such appalling fashion, so don’t be fooled if the trailer makes it out to be a hard-boiled cop drama featuring the stars of “Fight Club” and “Midnight Cowboy.”
If you still find yourself maintaining the slightest morsel of curiosity, might I provide you with a tip on how to avoid what the Gin Blossoms refer to as a “new miserable experience.” Think about the most insufferable professorial diatribe you’ve ever had to endure and how you found yourself locked into a staring contest with the minute hand only to find that there’s still thirty minutes left before freedom can be achieved. Yes, I think that pretty much covers it.
- ** out of 4
Picture the most excruciatingly overcooked wedding you’ve ever attended and multiply it by a thousand, because only then will you have any semblance of the demonstrative hodgepodge that is “Rachel Getting Married.” In his finest film since 1991’s Academy Award juggernaut “The Silence of the Lambs,” director Jonathan Demme pulls a Spinal Tap by turning the subversive animosity up to eleven and letting his cast create a blowout so extravagant that I couldn’t help but wonder if he was testing the audience’s tolerance for awkward familial strife.
Seriously, there were moments where I wasn’t sure whether to laugh, cry, squirm, or simply be thankful that I never had to experience an event quite like this one. Then again, everything I just described is what makes it one of the best films of the year, which in 2008, is a phrase I haven’t been able to use nearly as often as I like.
Anne Hathaway gives a performance so mannered and in tune with the misery of real-life addiction that it’s clear she’s more than just a pretty face reserved for the monotony of rom-com clockwork. As Kym, she’s bare, vulnerable, uncompromising, and always capable of ruining an evening with one spasmodic slip of the tongue. The tragedy of her personal life dictates how she’s treated by the rest of the family, so allowing her a weekend pass from rehab to attend the wedding of a sister who despises her every move carries with it the possibility of relationships being severed beyond repair. What really makes this film tick is Hathaway and Rosemarie DeWitt constantly one-upping each other in terms of infantile eruptions aimed at getting the spotlight put back on them, so be prepared for a searing sibling rivalry that Dr. Phil can only dream about exacerbating on national television.
Sure, Rachel does end up getting married and Kym certainly commits her share of indiscretions along the way, but unlike most films, the invitation for the happy ending was lost in the mail. Instead, the characters are at a crossroads, left to trudge through the emotional wreckage wondering whether or not the good times will ever be heard from again. That’s how life goes. You choose a path, encounter adversity, and, if religious, pray that better days are coming to make the struggle seem like a necessary hurdle on the road to success and personal fulfillment. For Kym, the fact that her family has all but disowned her means that those hurdles appear that much higher and more glaringly out of reach.
- **** out of 4
Monday, October 27, 2008
W., Quarantine, and Burn After Reading
“W.” is the antithesis of what an Oliver Stone film usually feels like. Instead of relying on fiery, in-your-face exchanges that often lead to shocking story development, he presents an evenhanded, fairly by-the-book biopic of a simple man who’s clearly in over his head as the leader of the free world. The George W. Bush we’re introduced to is a reckless booze hound who bounces from job to job until one day finding Jesus and deciding to enter the realm of political persuasion, so it should go without saying that the narrative structure here is anything but linear. In all honesty, it feels more like a greatest hits collection thrown together in haste than a carefully plotted character study in the league of “Born on the Fourth of July” or “Nixon,” but I still found every minute to be fascinating enough to warrant a recommendation.
After a stellar 2007, Josh Brolin takes another step toward the A-list in the title role and creates a character that the audience almost feels sorry for at times due to his constant anxiety and inability to do anything his father approves of. His uncanny embodiment of the present day Bush is spot-on in every facet and the backdoor scenes involving Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and Donald Rumsfeld are almost too topical to laugh at. The more decisions that Bush is faced with, the more passive and complacent he becomes, so his overconfident knights of the round table act as an invaluable safety net when it comes to getting the country out of tough situations. I don’t know about you, but I find a president with that kind of secrecy and indecision to be completely ill-equipped to have their finger on the button.
The strength of this film is undoubtedly in the casting, because Richard Dreyfuss (especially), James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks, Toby Jones, and Jeffrey Wright are all indispensable in bringing Stone’s vision to life and due their best to keep the action afloat long enough for the viewer to get something out of it. While it appears that Stone went out of his way to highlight Bush’s “daddy issues,” some of the confrontation was just too hard to believe since I can’t really see Bush Sr. asking his son if he wants an ass whooping. Then again, the order of events doesn’t really matter, because most Americans already have a firm impression of the man and nothing this movie drums up is going to change that.
- *** out of 4
For those hoping that “Quarantine” would be an unpredictably petrifying blend of “Cloverfield” and “28 Days Later,” I regret to inform you that it doesn’t even come close to that type of efficient storytelling. The trepidation is minimal, the characters are hollow, and the first fifteen minutes could’ve been trimmed without detracting from the film’s overall value. Since horror films tend to live and die by how eerie the mood is, this one kicks the bucket rather quickly as the picture is too muffled and frenetic to experience anything greater than a transitory chill when one of the infected inhabitants finally comes into focus.
I will give kudos to Jennifer Carpenter for giving the most chaotically overstated performance in a horror film since Ronee Blakley in Wes Craven’s classic “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” but otherwise nothing that original happens to justify any further discussion.
- ** out of 4
I’m still trying to figure out why the Coen Brothers’ latest oddball concoction “Burn After Reading” is so inexplicably hilarious, but I don’t think words can fully describe just how eccentric this film is. I hesitate even calling it a film due to the lack of any legitimate purpose and would still like to know how premier talent such as Clooney, Pitt, McDormand, Swinton, and Malkovich even signed on to this cinematic folly. It’s basically an intelligent, high-concept spy jaunt without, you know, the intelligent, high-concept maneuvering usually present in films of this genre. These people are ignorant dolts who are so wrapped up in their own little world that they don’t even realize the triviality of the pseudo-espionage they’re supposedly engaged in.
Let’s get this straight: Malkovich’s character is married to Swinton, who in turn is having an affair with Clooney, who in turn is having an affair with McDormand? Sounds great doesn’t it? Personally, I could care less about the frivolity of the plot, because the actors are so spectacular at indulging in the insanity. Brad Pitt steals the show as moronic personal trainer Chad Feldheimer and injects the film with just the right amount of playful absurdity to save it from being a total disaster. While it’s certainly an acquired taste, I urge you to broaden your scope and revel in the notion of the Hollywood elite taking ninety minutes to act up a storm of epically stupid proportion.
- *** out of 4
After a stellar 2007, Josh Brolin takes another step toward the A-list in the title role and creates a character that the audience almost feels sorry for at times due to his constant anxiety and inability to do anything his father approves of. His uncanny embodiment of the present day Bush is spot-on in every facet and the backdoor scenes involving Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and Donald Rumsfeld are almost too topical to laugh at. The more decisions that Bush is faced with, the more passive and complacent he becomes, so his overconfident knights of the round table act as an invaluable safety net when it comes to getting the country out of tough situations. I don’t know about you, but I find a president with that kind of secrecy and indecision to be completely ill-equipped to have their finger on the button.
The strength of this film is undoubtedly in the casting, because Richard Dreyfuss (especially), James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks, Toby Jones, and Jeffrey Wright are all indispensable in bringing Stone’s vision to life and due their best to keep the action afloat long enough for the viewer to get something out of it. While it appears that Stone went out of his way to highlight Bush’s “daddy issues,” some of the confrontation was just too hard to believe since I can’t really see Bush Sr. asking his son if he wants an ass whooping. Then again, the order of events doesn’t really matter, because most Americans already have a firm impression of the man and nothing this movie drums up is going to change that.
- *** out of 4
For those hoping that “Quarantine” would be an unpredictably petrifying blend of “Cloverfield” and “28 Days Later,” I regret to inform you that it doesn’t even come close to that type of efficient storytelling. The trepidation is minimal, the characters are hollow, and the first fifteen minutes could’ve been trimmed without detracting from the film’s overall value. Since horror films tend to live and die by how eerie the mood is, this one kicks the bucket rather quickly as the picture is too muffled and frenetic to experience anything greater than a transitory chill when one of the infected inhabitants finally comes into focus.
I will give kudos to Jennifer Carpenter for giving the most chaotically overstated performance in a horror film since Ronee Blakley in Wes Craven’s classic “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” but otherwise nothing that original happens to justify any further discussion.
- ** out of 4
I’m still trying to figure out why the Coen Brothers’ latest oddball concoction “Burn After Reading” is so inexplicably hilarious, but I don’t think words can fully describe just how eccentric this film is. I hesitate even calling it a film due to the lack of any legitimate purpose and would still like to know how premier talent such as Clooney, Pitt, McDormand, Swinton, and Malkovich even signed on to this cinematic folly. It’s basically an intelligent, high-concept spy jaunt without, you know, the intelligent, high-concept maneuvering usually present in films of this genre. These people are ignorant dolts who are so wrapped up in their own little world that they don’t even realize the triviality of the pseudo-espionage they’re supposedly engaged in.
Let’s get this straight: Malkovich’s character is married to Swinton, who in turn is having an affair with Clooney, who in turn is having an affair with McDormand? Sounds great doesn’t it? Personally, I could care less about the frivolity of the plot, because the actors are so spectacular at indulging in the insanity. Brad Pitt steals the show as moronic personal trainer Chad Feldheimer and injects the film with just the right amount of playful absurdity to save it from being a total disaster. While it’s certainly an acquired taste, I urge you to broaden your scope and revel in the notion of the Hollywood elite taking ninety minutes to act up a storm of epically stupid proportion.
- *** out of 4
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
No End in Sight, Jesus Camp, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Lakeview Terrace
“No End in Sight” is without a doubt the finest and most intellectually stimulating portrait of the Iraq War yet to be painted by the American media. It’s a two-hour barrage of hard line, no-frills journalism designed to let the public in on just how badly the government botched their attempt to bring democracy to a land that wasn’t quite ready for such an abundant responsibility. Say what you will about WMDs or Saddam Hussein’s indefensible reign of terror, but had any other organization orchestrated that kind of feeble, half-assed plan of attack, they would’ve been collecting unemployment faster than it takes to fire an AK-47.
Whether it’s passively sitting back and allowing the looting to continue or deciding to disband the Iraqi army, the majority of top-level decision making comes off as poor beyond belief as director Charles Ferguson allows various insiders to offer their own take on why the entire undertaking can be seen as a colossal misfire.
Of course, the fact that L. Paul Bremer and Paul Wolfowitz conveniently declined to partake in the film means that these issues are still unresolved and will probably remain so until somebody decides to step up and accept accountability for the last five years of havoc. I think this film should be required viewing for every American citizen regardless of partisan affiliation, because only then will people be able to decide for themselves what it is we’re really fighting for.
- **** out of 4
Forget Michael Myers. If I want to see what true indescribable horror is made of, I’ll look no further than Becky Fischer and the Kids on Fire Bible Camp. Seriously, the 2006 documentary “Jesus Camp” just might be the scariest film I’ve ever seen due to its eternally troublesome portrayal of young children training to be soldiers in God’s army. I hate to say it, but the more I watched, the more I started to think that the line between what the Evangelicals are doing and what the Islamic Fundamentalists are up to isn’t all that opaque. The only difference is that instead of giving children weapons, they’re arming them with an enormously warped worldview and indoctrinating them to believe that being saved is the only authentic way to live a meaningful existence.
I had an issue with that immediately, because for a religion that’s supposed to be founded upon tolerance, they appear to fall victim to another distressing case of “Do as I say, not as I do.” I’m sorry, but when a 13-year-old says that he was saved at five (he realized that he wanted more out of life) and admits to feeling yucky around people who don’t share his belief system, something is clearly wrong with the way these kids are being raised. The only thing worse than listening to that ludicrous drivel is witnessing them in such a heightened state of submission that they’re literally on the floor crying and convulsing, which once again illustrates how these children are little more than pawns in the Evangelical mission to gain control over the US political system.
Sure, it can be argued that the audience is only given a fraction of what really happens at this camp, but the absence of a narrator leaves the viewer with nothing to judge except the frightening philosophy being touted on screen. If the members are unhappy with their portrayal, they have no one to blame but themselves, because the results are at once honest, moving, and daunting in a way that few other documentaries are. In case you’re still deciding whether or not to see this film, might I finish with a quote from disgraced preacher Ted Haggard as to the strength of the movement: “If the evangelicals vote, they determine the election.” Scared yet?
- **** out of 4
In one of my favorite episodes of “The Wonder Years,” Kevin and his friends set out on an all-night journey in search of a secret concert being put on by The Rolling Stones and end up piling on more disappointment than a father forcing his kid to leave a sporting event before the outcome has been decided. I mention this, because the plot of “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” is essentially the same story except that the teens are depressed Emo hipsters and the band is Where’s Fluffy. That said, I enjoyed seeing the touching relationship at the center unfold and found much of the humor to be more unpretentiously flowing than the snaky comments being dished out in last year’s overrated sensation “Juno.”
Michael Cera (again) and Kat Dennings make an endearing pair of unlikely soul mates, but the passion is almost too bland for comfort due to their passive approach to everything that comes their way. I believed they wanted to be together and would’ve appreciated a little more enthusiasm from their end to keep me interested. Luckily, the pulse of the movie manifests itself in the form of Ari Graynor, who has more spontaneous personality than Cera and Dennings combined and makes the whole evening worth the price of admission.
Although she’s drunk through most of the film, she uses her condition to ingenious comedic effect and is given the best dialogue present in Lorene Scafaria’s script. Seeing as how the last time I saw her was as an emotionally hardened Karla Homolka type on SVU, the change of pace is a pleasant surprise indeed.
As for the rest of the film, the music wasn’t to my taste and I’m still trying to figure out how recent high school graduates can cavort around the clubs of NYC without ever being asked for identification. Then again, the creative license here requires that lack of supervision to advance the proceedings, so I guess I have to swallow my logic and admit that it’s actually a pretty entertaining night out on the town.
- *** out of 4
For those of you out there who recall 2006’s fluffy, Oprah-endorsed dramedy “Something New,” I’d like to inform you right now that Neil LaBute’s scathing new project “Lakeview Terrace” resembles nothing of the sort. It’s a nail-biting, sensationalized potboiler of a movie that constantly urges you to question your own attitudes about race and the possibility of the tension ever being fully relieved. What begins as a sunny, Wisteria Lane-esque tale of newlywed optimism quickly turns into a minaciously psychopathic mind game designed to make the audience feel as ill at ease as possible. As the Monty Python faithful would say, “And now for something completely different!”
Just when I thought Samuel L. Jackson had embarked on a painful descent into dubious B-movie obscurity (“SoaP,” “Home of the Brave,” and “Jumper“ come to mind), he comes out with a performance chock full of so much spite and venomous vivacity that I almost have to think he made 2005’s “The Man” simply for the paycheck. The way he embodies the fickle malevolence of LAPD officer Abel Turner is enough to make anyone squirm, so if you’re at all offended by even the slightest racial affront, this probably isn’t how you want to spend your hard-earned free time. Think of it as a gloomy hybrid of “Neighbors” and “Arlington Road” without all the madcap antics thrown in to keep things somewhat lighthearted.
Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington also give strong performances as the terrorized couple trying to start their life together, but this is Jackson’s movie from beginning to end. His various interactions with Wilson make for stellar suspense and some of LaBute’s dialogue is almost daring you not to laugh hysterically at the absurdity of it all. Many critics will say that the ending was over-the-top and predictable, but how else was a story like this going to play out? Had the ending been any different, I would’ve complained that LaBute was inconsistent with everything he had orchestrated before hand, so in that sense, the film more than holds up its end of the bargain.
- *** ½ out of 4
Whether it’s passively sitting back and allowing the looting to continue or deciding to disband the Iraqi army, the majority of top-level decision making comes off as poor beyond belief as director Charles Ferguson allows various insiders to offer their own take on why the entire undertaking can be seen as a colossal misfire.
Of course, the fact that L. Paul Bremer and Paul Wolfowitz conveniently declined to partake in the film means that these issues are still unresolved and will probably remain so until somebody decides to step up and accept accountability for the last five years of havoc. I think this film should be required viewing for every American citizen regardless of partisan affiliation, because only then will people be able to decide for themselves what it is we’re really fighting for.
- **** out of 4
Forget Michael Myers. If I want to see what true indescribable horror is made of, I’ll look no further than Becky Fischer and the Kids on Fire Bible Camp. Seriously, the 2006 documentary “Jesus Camp” just might be the scariest film I’ve ever seen due to its eternally troublesome portrayal of young children training to be soldiers in God’s army. I hate to say it, but the more I watched, the more I started to think that the line between what the Evangelicals are doing and what the Islamic Fundamentalists are up to isn’t all that opaque. The only difference is that instead of giving children weapons, they’re arming them with an enormously warped worldview and indoctrinating them to believe that being saved is the only authentic way to live a meaningful existence.
I had an issue with that immediately, because for a religion that’s supposed to be founded upon tolerance, they appear to fall victim to another distressing case of “Do as I say, not as I do.” I’m sorry, but when a 13-year-old says that he was saved at five (he realized that he wanted more out of life) and admits to feeling yucky around people who don’t share his belief system, something is clearly wrong with the way these kids are being raised. The only thing worse than listening to that ludicrous drivel is witnessing them in such a heightened state of submission that they’re literally on the floor crying and convulsing, which once again illustrates how these children are little more than pawns in the Evangelical mission to gain control over the US political system.
Sure, it can be argued that the audience is only given a fraction of what really happens at this camp, but the absence of a narrator leaves the viewer with nothing to judge except the frightening philosophy being touted on screen. If the members are unhappy with their portrayal, they have no one to blame but themselves, because the results are at once honest, moving, and daunting in a way that few other documentaries are. In case you’re still deciding whether or not to see this film, might I finish with a quote from disgraced preacher Ted Haggard as to the strength of the movement: “If the evangelicals vote, they determine the election.” Scared yet?
- **** out of 4
In one of my favorite episodes of “The Wonder Years,” Kevin and his friends set out on an all-night journey in search of a secret concert being put on by The Rolling Stones and end up piling on more disappointment than a father forcing his kid to leave a sporting event before the outcome has been decided. I mention this, because the plot of “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” is essentially the same story except that the teens are depressed Emo hipsters and the band is Where’s Fluffy. That said, I enjoyed seeing the touching relationship at the center unfold and found much of the humor to be more unpretentiously flowing than the snaky comments being dished out in last year’s overrated sensation “Juno.”
Michael Cera (again) and Kat Dennings make an endearing pair of unlikely soul mates, but the passion is almost too bland for comfort due to their passive approach to everything that comes their way. I believed they wanted to be together and would’ve appreciated a little more enthusiasm from their end to keep me interested. Luckily, the pulse of the movie manifests itself in the form of Ari Graynor, who has more spontaneous personality than Cera and Dennings combined and makes the whole evening worth the price of admission.
Although she’s drunk through most of the film, she uses her condition to ingenious comedic effect and is given the best dialogue present in Lorene Scafaria’s script. Seeing as how the last time I saw her was as an emotionally hardened Karla Homolka type on SVU, the change of pace is a pleasant surprise indeed.
As for the rest of the film, the music wasn’t to my taste and I’m still trying to figure out how recent high school graduates can cavort around the clubs of NYC without ever being asked for identification. Then again, the creative license here requires that lack of supervision to advance the proceedings, so I guess I have to swallow my logic and admit that it’s actually a pretty entertaining night out on the town.
- *** out of 4
For those of you out there who recall 2006’s fluffy, Oprah-endorsed dramedy “Something New,” I’d like to inform you right now that Neil LaBute’s scathing new project “Lakeview Terrace” resembles nothing of the sort. It’s a nail-biting, sensationalized potboiler of a movie that constantly urges you to question your own attitudes about race and the possibility of the tension ever being fully relieved. What begins as a sunny, Wisteria Lane-esque tale of newlywed optimism quickly turns into a minaciously psychopathic mind game designed to make the audience feel as ill at ease as possible. As the Monty Python faithful would say, “And now for something completely different!”
Just when I thought Samuel L. Jackson had embarked on a painful descent into dubious B-movie obscurity (“SoaP,” “Home of the Brave,” and “Jumper“ come to mind), he comes out with a performance chock full of so much spite and venomous vivacity that I almost have to think he made 2005’s “The Man” simply for the paycheck. The way he embodies the fickle malevolence of LAPD officer Abel Turner is enough to make anyone squirm, so if you’re at all offended by even the slightest racial affront, this probably isn’t how you want to spend your hard-earned free time. Think of it as a gloomy hybrid of “Neighbors” and “Arlington Road” without all the madcap antics thrown in to keep things somewhat lighthearted.
Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington also give strong performances as the terrorized couple trying to start their life together, but this is Jackson’s movie from beginning to end. His various interactions with Wilson make for stellar suspense and some of LaBute’s dialogue is almost daring you not to laugh hysterically at the absurdity of it all. Many critics will say that the ending was over-the-top and predictable, but how else was a story like this going to play out? Had the ending been any different, I would’ve complained that LaBute was inconsistent with everything he had orchestrated before hand, so in that sense, the film more than holds up its end of the bargain.
- *** ½ out of 4
Friday, October 3, 2008
Heroes...?
For those still hanging on, "Heroes" has made its yearly return to network television clearly going out on a limb to recapture the attention of everyone from Buffalo to Wasilla (How could I resist?). The premiere was billed as a 2-hour extravaganza of epic proportion, but proved to be nothing more than a cry of shameless desperation from a once-ambitious show that has, in my opinion, been traveling down the artistic toilet since the finale of season one.
Sure, they've shown flashes of genius since, but nothing to really excite me enough to think that last year was only a minor gaffe.
I understand that it's difficult to maneuver around a strike-shortened chapter and even forgive them for spending a preposterous amount of time following Hiro around the monotonous landscape of Medieval Japan. What I can't get past is the fact that every week I'm forced to maintain the slightest morsel of optimism (mostly unwarranted) for a show that used to command my interest with very little effort.
The reason for this is simple: Too many characters and not enough time to justify their presence.
Here's the way I see it -
Hiro and Ando - What once served as comic relief has now become painful stupidity. Their desire to save the world is being undone by one bonehead decision after another and I find their naivete extremely hard to buy into considering what they've gone through in previous episodes.
Parkman - I could go on forever about how his storyline is contributing the show's sluggish death march, but is it really worth it? He used to be one of the characters you could count on and has now been relegated to a 2008 version of "Lawrence of Arabia" (Wandering around the desert?).
HRG and Sylar - Their pairing is unlikely to say the least, but I'm hoping they at least provide something to reward me for my patience with Kring's creative stalemate. The Petrelli Family - TBD
Maya and Mohinder - For those who read my blog last year, you'll undoubtedly know how I deemed Maya and Alejandro to be completely redundant to the plot and I still support that claim.
As for our favorite dim-witted geneticist, I think he needs to go ASAP. For someone so knowledgeable about science, he seems to be pretty inept at approaching a problem with any sense or objectivity and injecting himself with the serum further solidfied my assertion that he's no Jeff Goldblum (See David Cronenberg's 'The Fly").
Are there other characters to discuss?
Sure, but I just don't see the point of exhausting so much hate for a show that doesn't seem to get the message.
Sure, they've shown flashes of genius since, but nothing to really excite me enough to think that last year was only a minor gaffe.
I understand that it's difficult to maneuver around a strike-shortened chapter and even forgive them for spending a preposterous amount of time following Hiro around the monotonous landscape of Medieval Japan. What I can't get past is the fact that every week I'm forced to maintain the slightest morsel of optimism (mostly unwarranted) for a show that used to command my interest with very little effort.
The reason for this is simple: Too many characters and not enough time to justify their presence.
Here's the way I see it -
Hiro and Ando - What once served as comic relief has now become painful stupidity. Their desire to save the world is being undone by one bonehead decision after another and I find their naivete extremely hard to buy into considering what they've gone through in previous episodes.
Parkman - I could go on forever about how his storyline is contributing the show's sluggish death march, but is it really worth it? He used to be one of the characters you could count on and has now been relegated to a 2008 version of "Lawrence of Arabia" (Wandering around the desert?).
HRG and Sylar - Their pairing is unlikely to say the least, but I'm hoping they at least provide something to reward me for my patience with Kring's creative stalemate. The Petrelli Family - TBD
Maya and Mohinder - For those who read my blog last year, you'll undoubtedly know how I deemed Maya and Alejandro to be completely redundant to the plot and I still support that claim.
As for our favorite dim-witted geneticist, I think he needs to go ASAP. For someone so knowledgeable about science, he seems to be pretty inept at approaching a problem with any sense or objectivity and injecting himself with the serum further solidfied my assertion that he's no Jeff Goldblum (See David Cronenberg's 'The Fly").
Are there other characters to discuss?
Sure, but I just don't see the point of exhausting so much hate for a show that doesn't seem to get the message.
2008 MLB Playoffs
AL - Red Sox - Is Beckett healthy? Can Daisuke keep the walks down? Will Lowell be a factor?They’re all valid questions, but history indicates that they'll gut it out and be just fine. Besides, Pedroia and Ellsbury are more than capable of taking over if necessary.
Angels - Every year the expectations are high and every year they respond with a lackluster early exit, so I’m not exactly giddy this time around. On paper, Teixeira, Hunter, and Vlad the Impaler should be unstoppable, but something tells me that the old adage about good pitching always stifling good hitting will ultimately ring true once again.
Sox in 4 (As much as it pains me to admit)
Rays - Are they for real or have they simply performed beyond their means? Whatever the reason, they won the tightest division in baseball despite injuries to Crawford and Longoria, so consider me sold on their ability to win when it counts. They owned Boston down the stretch and have two legitimate number ones in Shields and Kazmir, which gives them a significant advantage in a short series.
White Sox - Sure, it would be great to see Griffey Jr. finally get his ring and Ozzie win a second, but I just don’t see it happening. Their lineup doesn’t scare anyone outside of Quentin (who’s currently not playing) or Dye and the rotation isn’t nearly at the same level as the 2005 championship squad.
Rays in 4
NL - Dodgers - The additions of Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez certainly signify a team hell-bent on winning it all, but can anyone outside of Manny produce in the clutch? If they win, it will be due to a stellar combination of Lowe, Billingsley, and Saito holding it all together.
Cubs - Clearly, they were the best team during the regular season and that rotation is, in my opinion, the most well-rounded of any postseason team, but is 2008 really the year that the supposed curse comes to an end? Sadly, I think the woes will continue, because Ramirez and Lee need help if they’re seriously going to challenge anyone. I can already hear people shouting “What about Soriano?” As a diehard Yankee fan, I’ve sat through one too many 4 or 5 k efforts to know that he can’t be trusted when the game is on the line.
Dodgers in 4
Phillies - Howard, Utley, Burrell, Rollins, Hamels, Myers, Lidge, and Manuel. Any team with this much firepower has no excuse for not bringing the pennant home, so for their sake, they’d better come through.
Brewers - Sabathia has been a one-man wrecking crew since the deadline, but how much is enough? How many starts on short rest can be endured before things head South? My main concern is whether or not the bullpen has anything left after stumbling into October, but if Gagne can somehow be relevant again, they may have a fighting chance.
Phillies in 4
Angels - Every year the expectations are high and every year they respond with a lackluster early exit, so I’m not exactly giddy this time around. On paper, Teixeira, Hunter, and Vlad the Impaler should be unstoppable, but something tells me that the old adage about good pitching always stifling good hitting will ultimately ring true once again.
Sox in 4 (As much as it pains me to admit)
Rays - Are they for real or have they simply performed beyond their means? Whatever the reason, they won the tightest division in baseball despite injuries to Crawford and Longoria, so consider me sold on their ability to win when it counts. They owned Boston down the stretch and have two legitimate number ones in Shields and Kazmir, which gives them a significant advantage in a short series.
White Sox - Sure, it would be great to see Griffey Jr. finally get his ring and Ozzie win a second, but I just don’t see it happening. Their lineup doesn’t scare anyone outside of Quentin (who’s currently not playing) or Dye and the rotation isn’t nearly at the same level as the 2005 championship squad.
Rays in 4
NL - Dodgers - The additions of Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez certainly signify a team hell-bent on winning it all, but can anyone outside of Manny produce in the clutch? If they win, it will be due to a stellar combination of Lowe, Billingsley, and Saito holding it all together.
Cubs - Clearly, they were the best team during the regular season and that rotation is, in my opinion, the most well-rounded of any postseason team, but is 2008 really the year that the supposed curse comes to an end? Sadly, I think the woes will continue, because Ramirez and Lee need help if they’re seriously going to challenge anyone. I can already hear people shouting “What about Soriano?” As a diehard Yankee fan, I’ve sat through one too many 4 or 5 k efforts to know that he can’t be trusted when the game is on the line.
Dodgers in 4
Phillies - Howard, Utley, Burrell, Rollins, Hamels, Myers, Lidge, and Manuel. Any team with this much firepower has no excuse for not bringing the pennant home, so for their sake, they’d better come through.
Brewers - Sabathia has been a one-man wrecking crew since the deadline, but how much is enough? How many starts on short rest can be endured before things head South? My main concern is whether or not the bullpen has anything left after stumbling into October, but if Gagne can somehow be relevant again, they may have a fighting chance.
Phillies in 4
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
"Mirrors," "Tropic Thunder," "Red," "In Bruges," and "Righteous Kill"
It took a lot for me to push aside my electric disdain for films such as “High Tension” and “The Hills Have Eyes” (2006), but I walked into Alexandre Aja’s latest crackpot endeavor “Mirrors” with a sense of optimism not usually reserved for the horror genre. I thought that the presence of the “Master of Psychotic Tension” himself Kiefer Sutherland would at least bring a degree of reputable star power that had been missing from Aja’s previous incoherent schlock and, I have to say, the results aren’t half bad.
Sure, the running time could’ve been abridged and the blood flowed as freely as the Nile, but the creepy narrative actually amounts to much more than just a gratuitous assault on the eyes. Sutherland’s tortured detective exhibits poignant emotional profundity during his familial interaction and as he descends into irrepressible madness, we actually start to believe that mirrors can play a role in altering someone’s perceived state of reality.
Since it’s essentially a one-man show, the film tends to drag a bit when Sutherland isn’t on screen and even when he is, the possibilities for evolution are limited until the Shyamalan-esque twist of fate comes along to make you question everything you’ve just spent one-hundred minutes watching. It might not have the most ground-breaking title in the universe, but compared to some of 2008’s other suspense offerings, I’d say it falls somewhere in the middle. And for Aja, that’s a momentous upgrade.
- ** ½ out of 4
Ben Stiller’s long-awaited satirical smorgasbord of war cinema “Tropic Thunder” is everything I hoped it would be. The acting is exceptional, the action is hyperbolized, and the music contains just enough Vietnam homage to be taken seriously as an enlightened addition to the genre. Did I mention it’s also one of the funniest studio comedies of the decade and blatantly pushes the envelope more than any Will Ferrell comedy could ever dream of? Well, under the brilliant control of Stiller, Black, and Downey Jr. it strikes the right note every time and provides a perfect night out at the movies.
- *** ½ out of 4
I might be in the minority on this one, but I think that Brian Cox’s stoically intimidating performance in “Red” is one of the finest thespian undertakings of 2008 thus far. His face is weathered, his voice is gravelly, and the only thing he loves more than his dog is the tantalizing possibility of dispensing justice to a spoiled, spineless troublemaker who thought he was above the law. When his dog is mercilessly eliminated as part of a robbery, he goes out of his way to maintain a sense of Christ-like objectivity, but the shallow pomposity of the assailants eventually leads him to settle things in true Bronson-esque fashion.
Now, if you’re thinking that the story is just another brute retribution saga, I’m afraid you’re sorely mistaken. The deeply rooted themes of honor and restitution resonate heavily throughout Cox’s solo campaign for justice and are much more plausible than the slick invincibility made famous during the later half of Steven Seagal’s career. He doesn’t have a magical bag of tricks to extract from, so he approaches the conflict just like any over-zealous, pro-gun good ol’ boy would. The only difference is that for Cox’s character, emptying the clip wouldn’t be the first option.
- **** out of 4
Martin McDonagh’s “In Bruges” plays like a beautifully operatic Shakespearean tragedy in which the laughs come early and often, but are later supplanted by a sinister climax that forces the “protagonists” to come face to face with their ill-favored life decisions. I put the word “protagonists” in quotes, because when you consider the fact that the main characters are cold, calculating assassins, somehow the concept of heroism doesn’t exactly seem appropriate. That’s not to say that they don’t have feelings. I just think they’re not the type of crowd that assigns a high value to sensitivity training and would throw someone out a window if only for the hedonistic purpose of watching them fall to their death.
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson capture the bruising camaraderie of pub life in a wickedly comical manner as two hit men sent to Belgium on vacation and both deliver career-best work in the process. Their initial reactions to being exiled to what Farrell’s character refers to as a “shithole” are priceless and provide much of the boredom-fueled hi-jinx that occurs in the film’s blistering first half. Even with their spectacular performances, the real star of the show becomes the glorious city of Bruges. It possesses a captivating “old country” feel that we don’t usually see in mainstream pictures and the more we see of it, the more we realize that it’s far from being considered the doldrums of Europe.
- **** out of 4
Am I the only one who had a feeling that “Righteous Kill” would be less than impressive? I sure hope not, but I can see how swarms of moviegoers can be duped into believing that De Niro and Pacino would be able to recapture the same high wire explosiveness they so effortlessly toyed with in Michael Mann’s masterpiece “Heat.” I mean, they waited thirteen years before deciding to pair up again, so the prolonged anticipation must’ve been worth it right?
If I said yes, I’d be lying and if I said no, that wouldn’t be entirely accurate either. Actually, I’m still trying to fathom how they agreed that a third-rate buddy cop flick with a plot better suited for Saturday afternoon television would be the best way the work off each other. Couldn’t they have chosen something that wasn’t practically begging the audience to solve it within the first ten minutes? I suppose they thought the performances would be enough to overcome the idiotic denouement and, to a degree, they do just that.
De Niro is strong as usual and Pacino looks to be having a wonderful time cranking out one dirty joke after another, but we all know they’re slumming it. Personally, I find it distressing to think that Travis Bickle and Frank Serpico are so far in the past, because I often wonder if they’ll be able to turn in something truly amazing ever again.
For people inclined to use “Heat” as a litmus test, might I say that Jon Avnet is nowhere near the director than Mann is and if he ever played poker, he’d lose pretty quick, because he opts to put all of his cards on the table before the betting has even begun. If you’re still trying to piece together the poker analogy, I’ll make it easier by saying that you shouldn’t expect anything close to what happened in 1995.
- ** out of 4
Sure, the running time could’ve been abridged and the blood flowed as freely as the Nile, but the creepy narrative actually amounts to much more than just a gratuitous assault on the eyes. Sutherland’s tortured detective exhibits poignant emotional profundity during his familial interaction and as he descends into irrepressible madness, we actually start to believe that mirrors can play a role in altering someone’s perceived state of reality.
Since it’s essentially a one-man show, the film tends to drag a bit when Sutherland isn’t on screen and even when he is, the possibilities for evolution are limited until the Shyamalan-esque twist of fate comes along to make you question everything you’ve just spent one-hundred minutes watching. It might not have the most ground-breaking title in the universe, but compared to some of 2008’s other suspense offerings, I’d say it falls somewhere in the middle. And for Aja, that’s a momentous upgrade.
- ** ½ out of 4
Ben Stiller’s long-awaited satirical smorgasbord of war cinema “Tropic Thunder” is everything I hoped it would be. The acting is exceptional, the action is hyperbolized, and the music contains just enough Vietnam homage to be taken seriously as an enlightened addition to the genre. Did I mention it’s also one of the funniest studio comedies of the decade and blatantly pushes the envelope more than any Will Ferrell comedy could ever dream of? Well, under the brilliant control of Stiller, Black, and Downey Jr. it strikes the right note every time and provides a perfect night out at the movies.
- *** ½ out of 4
I might be in the minority on this one, but I think that Brian Cox’s stoically intimidating performance in “Red” is one of the finest thespian undertakings of 2008 thus far. His face is weathered, his voice is gravelly, and the only thing he loves more than his dog is the tantalizing possibility of dispensing justice to a spoiled, spineless troublemaker who thought he was above the law. When his dog is mercilessly eliminated as part of a robbery, he goes out of his way to maintain a sense of Christ-like objectivity, but the shallow pomposity of the assailants eventually leads him to settle things in true Bronson-esque fashion.
Now, if you’re thinking that the story is just another brute retribution saga, I’m afraid you’re sorely mistaken. The deeply rooted themes of honor and restitution resonate heavily throughout Cox’s solo campaign for justice and are much more plausible than the slick invincibility made famous during the later half of Steven Seagal’s career. He doesn’t have a magical bag of tricks to extract from, so he approaches the conflict just like any over-zealous, pro-gun good ol’ boy would. The only difference is that for Cox’s character, emptying the clip wouldn’t be the first option.
- **** out of 4
Martin McDonagh’s “In Bruges” plays like a beautifully operatic Shakespearean tragedy in which the laughs come early and often, but are later supplanted by a sinister climax that forces the “protagonists” to come face to face with their ill-favored life decisions. I put the word “protagonists” in quotes, because when you consider the fact that the main characters are cold, calculating assassins, somehow the concept of heroism doesn’t exactly seem appropriate. That’s not to say that they don’t have feelings. I just think they’re not the type of crowd that assigns a high value to sensitivity training and would throw someone out a window if only for the hedonistic purpose of watching them fall to their death.
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson capture the bruising camaraderie of pub life in a wickedly comical manner as two hit men sent to Belgium on vacation and both deliver career-best work in the process. Their initial reactions to being exiled to what Farrell’s character refers to as a “shithole” are priceless and provide much of the boredom-fueled hi-jinx that occurs in the film’s blistering first half. Even with their spectacular performances, the real star of the show becomes the glorious city of Bruges. It possesses a captivating “old country” feel that we don’t usually see in mainstream pictures and the more we see of it, the more we realize that it’s far from being considered the doldrums of Europe.
- **** out of 4
Am I the only one who had a feeling that “Righteous Kill” would be less than impressive? I sure hope not, but I can see how swarms of moviegoers can be duped into believing that De Niro and Pacino would be able to recapture the same high wire explosiveness they so effortlessly toyed with in Michael Mann’s masterpiece “Heat.” I mean, they waited thirteen years before deciding to pair up again, so the prolonged anticipation must’ve been worth it right?
If I said yes, I’d be lying and if I said no, that wouldn’t be entirely accurate either. Actually, I’m still trying to fathom how they agreed that a third-rate buddy cop flick with a plot better suited for Saturday afternoon television would be the best way the work off each other. Couldn’t they have chosen something that wasn’t practically begging the audience to solve it within the first ten minutes? I suppose they thought the performances would be enough to overcome the idiotic denouement and, to a degree, they do just that.
De Niro is strong as usual and Pacino looks to be having a wonderful time cranking out one dirty joke after another, but we all know they’re slumming it. Personally, I find it distressing to think that Travis Bickle and Frank Serpico are so far in the past, because I often wonder if they’ll be able to turn in something truly amazing ever again.
For people inclined to use “Heat” as a litmus test, might I say that Jon Avnet is nowhere near the director than Mann is and if he ever played poker, he’d lose pretty quick, because he opts to put all of his cards on the table before the betting has even begun. If you’re still trying to piece together the poker analogy, I’ll make it easier by saying that you shouldn’t expect anything close to what happened in 1995.
- ** out of 4
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Step Brothers
I think it’s safe to say that I’m an ardent fan of just about everything Will Ferrell has been a part of over the last ten years or so (“A Night at the Roxbury” and “Semi-Pro” not included), but his latest potty-mouthed solecism “Step Brothers” didn’t quite rattle my rib cage the same way a modern cult classic like “Anchorman” always does.
It’s a coarse, cacophonous basket case of a movie that revels in the kind of mean-spirited impudence I would expect from a comedy troupe that is yet to be acquainted with a Judd Apatow production. In Apatow’s work, the characters can say or do things that leave the audience in a state of hilarious disgust, but more often than not they prove to be all bark and no bite.
Here, that couldn’t be further from the truth. These people hate each other with all their heart and soul and are willing to shatter familial relationships if it leads to dominance over their fellow wayward couch potatoes. I didn’t think tossing your own father down a flight of stairs constituted humor, but apparently writer/director Adam McKay finds that sort of warped giddiness to be a critical part of any comedic offering.
In fact, much of what goes on in this film falls into that warped category, because the entire execution feels like something they threw together at the last minute and includes a bunch of gross-out moments that must’ve sounded funny in the planning stages.
Ferrell plays Brennan Huff, a 40-year-old slacker who still lives at home with his mother (Mary Steenburgen) and has no aspirations outside of eating junk food or practicing karate in his garage. When he discovers that his mother is getting married and that he’ll have to share a room with another adult loafer played by John C. Reilly, his life couldn’t be more disrupted. He forges a volatile relationship with his new step brother Dale and most of his energy is spent trying to conjure up different ways to torture him.
Here is where I lost touch with the film, because it wants us to believe that these two oafs actually become best friends just as their parents’ romantic bond is rapidly unraveling. Things get quite raunchy and idiotic in the final act, so don’t get too excited about the idea of Ferrell and Reilly in the same project.
Sure, they have some humorous gags along the way, but Brennan’s biological brother played by Adam Scott is actually the funniest person on screen. The scene in which he leads his family through a demented “Sweet Child O’ Mine” sing-along definitely takes the top prize in my book.
Fans of Ferrell will certainly find some amusement in his antics, but I see it as just another wasted opportunity that could’ve been something special had they not opted for schoolyard sight gags. If you like your comedy without all the tedious adolescent jabber, may I suggest “Tropic Thunder” for a much more satirically enlightening experience.
- ** out of 4
It’s a coarse, cacophonous basket case of a movie that revels in the kind of mean-spirited impudence I would expect from a comedy troupe that is yet to be acquainted with a Judd Apatow production. In Apatow’s work, the characters can say or do things that leave the audience in a state of hilarious disgust, but more often than not they prove to be all bark and no bite.
Here, that couldn’t be further from the truth. These people hate each other with all their heart and soul and are willing to shatter familial relationships if it leads to dominance over their fellow wayward couch potatoes. I didn’t think tossing your own father down a flight of stairs constituted humor, but apparently writer/director Adam McKay finds that sort of warped giddiness to be a critical part of any comedic offering.
In fact, much of what goes on in this film falls into that warped category, because the entire execution feels like something they threw together at the last minute and includes a bunch of gross-out moments that must’ve sounded funny in the planning stages.
Ferrell plays Brennan Huff, a 40-year-old slacker who still lives at home with his mother (Mary Steenburgen) and has no aspirations outside of eating junk food or practicing karate in his garage. When he discovers that his mother is getting married and that he’ll have to share a room with another adult loafer played by John C. Reilly, his life couldn’t be more disrupted. He forges a volatile relationship with his new step brother Dale and most of his energy is spent trying to conjure up different ways to torture him.
Here is where I lost touch with the film, because it wants us to believe that these two oafs actually become best friends just as their parents’ romantic bond is rapidly unraveling. Things get quite raunchy and idiotic in the final act, so don’t get too excited about the idea of Ferrell and Reilly in the same project.
Sure, they have some humorous gags along the way, but Brennan’s biological brother played by Adam Scott is actually the funniest person on screen. The scene in which he leads his family through a demented “Sweet Child O’ Mine” sing-along definitely takes the top prize in my book.
Fans of Ferrell will certainly find some amusement in his antics, but I see it as just another wasted opportunity that could’ve been something special had they not opted for schoolyard sight gags. If you like your comedy without all the tedious adolescent jabber, may I suggest “Tropic Thunder” for a much more satirically enlightening experience.
- ** out of 4
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Hosed
Not only did He Kexin get a gold medal, she also got a visit from the tooth fairy. 16? Are you kidding me?
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
For diehard disciples of Chris Carter’s awesomely multifarious chiller “The X-Files,” the latest big-screen adaptation might not be the supernatural recharge they were hoping for. “The X-Files: I Want to Believe” contains almost no mystical commotion outside of a pedophile priest who claims he can see missing people and even he doesn’t offer much in the way of legitimate paranormal aptitude. Instead, Carter strings together a series of spiritual challenges designed to compel Mulder and Scully into a state of full-on personal introspection, while still hot on the trail of an illegal organ harvesting cartel (Now there‘s the horror we’ve come to love!).
As a mild fan of the show’s later seasons, I found the subtle narrative groove here to be a welcomed upgrade over the cloudy meanderings that often dulled the show’s creative edge near the end. Some people may disagree with making the two sullen FBI agents a couple, but I think it only makes sense considering how much the sexual tension has percolated over the years. The fact is that they bring out the best in one another and their love has only grown stronger since the last time they worked a case together.
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson have these roles so embedded in their system that the chemistry is just as sharp and breezy as it was back in 1993, which, to me, is reason enough to spend your time indulging in this never-ending search for the truth.
Like I said before, the plot couldn’t be further from extraterrestrial territory and Amanda Peet and Xzibit have been brought in as co-stars, so don’t go expecting a spectacular Summer thrill ride. However, the surprising gravity of comedian Billy Connolly as Father Joe is intriguing at every twist and sets the stage for some of the more creepy moments.
If the intensity level doesn’t quite do it for you, may I suggest picking up the first three seasons (Brilliant, to say the least) of the show to witness what pure cinematic fright is made of. Or check them both out and then decide for yourself whether the truth really is out there.
Side Note: Watch for the scene where the picture of George W. Bush is accompanied by the eerie theme music (Nice touch).
- *** out of 4
As a mild fan of the show’s later seasons, I found the subtle narrative groove here to be a welcomed upgrade over the cloudy meanderings that often dulled the show’s creative edge near the end. Some people may disagree with making the two sullen FBI agents a couple, but I think it only makes sense considering how much the sexual tension has percolated over the years. The fact is that they bring out the best in one another and their love has only grown stronger since the last time they worked a case together.
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson have these roles so embedded in their system that the chemistry is just as sharp and breezy as it was back in 1993, which, to me, is reason enough to spend your time indulging in this never-ending search for the truth.
Like I said before, the plot couldn’t be further from extraterrestrial territory and Amanda Peet and Xzibit have been brought in as co-stars, so don’t go expecting a spectacular Summer thrill ride. However, the surprising gravity of comedian Billy Connolly as Father Joe is intriguing at every twist and sets the stage for some of the more creepy moments.
If the intensity level doesn’t quite do it for you, may I suggest picking up the first three seasons (Brilliant, to say the least) of the show to witness what pure cinematic fright is made of. Or check them both out and then decide for yourself whether the truth really is out there.
Side Note: Watch for the scene where the picture of George W. Bush is accompanied by the eerie theme music (Nice touch).
- *** out of 4
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Two Doors Are Better Than None
If I hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have believed it. It was loud, long, and filled to the brim with the kind of wistfully intoxicated belligerents that make you afraid to leave the house. No, I’m not talking about the 1968 Monterey Pop Festival, although that certainly falls under that distinction. Actually, I’m referring to the Molson Canal Concert Series where, last Friday night, the sultans of psychedelia Robbie Krieger and Ray Manzarek rolled into Lockport for a scintillating two hours of unadulterated musical heaven.
Spearheaded by ex-Fuel warbler Brett Scallions, the Riders On The Storm took the stage around 9:00 p.m. and proceeded to tear into one Doors classic after another. Everything from the twangy groove of “Love Me Two Times” to the oddly anthemic potency of “Peacefrog” made an appearance and as someone who wasn’t fortunate enough to experience the band in its entirety, I was deeply moved by the intimate relationship they seemed to develop with the diehard audience members.
The dull moments were few and far between, because the tautness of the band superseded any of the inevitable comparisons being drawn between Scallions and Jim Morrison. We all know Morrison is a legend, but I thought Scallions did a more than honorable job of injecting his own passion into the material and disagree with people who feel otherwise.
Personally, I think the absence of the Lizard King enabled me to further marvel at the virtuosic prowess of Manzarek and Krieger. It always seemed to me that their contributions were somewhat overlooked due to Jim’s god-like persona, but this time they got their due. Krieger’s soloing is as dazzling and melodic as anybody out there and the instantly identifiable ring of Manzarek’s keyboard is what separated The Doors from the rest of the pack. Together, they’re a living, breathing testament to the “We’re Not Gonna Take It” philosophy of the late 1960’s and still bring the thunder every night regardless of how their age has advanced.
This show is easily among the top five I’ve ever seen and I’ll always remember the night I witnessed these Rock ‘n’ Roll icons up close and personal. However, I feel compelled to address the complete lack of consideration on the part of many concertgoers who believe the Ulrich City Courtyard to be their own personal Bally. I mean, how many drunken buffoons can you fit in one area before agoraphobia sets in?
There were times when all I could think about was how fast the kid in front of me would drop if I gave him a karate chop to back of the neck. I wouldn’t do it of course, but you get the point. I love outdoor concerts as much as anyone, but sometimes I feel that the majority of morons in attendance are there strictly for the party and could give a rat’s behind about what’s happening on stage. If you want a kegger, stay home.
Well, it’s just a thought. I don’t expect the atmosphere to change anytime soon, so if you plan on heading out for a show, make sure the brass knuckles aren’t far behind. I kid, I kid.
Other Set Highlights: “Touch Me,” “L.A. Woman,” “Light My Fire,” “Five to One,” “When the Music’s Over,” “Break on Through,” and, of course, “Riders on the Storm.”
Spearheaded by ex-Fuel warbler Brett Scallions, the Riders On The Storm took the stage around 9:00 p.m. and proceeded to tear into one Doors classic after another. Everything from the twangy groove of “Love Me Two Times” to the oddly anthemic potency of “Peacefrog” made an appearance and as someone who wasn’t fortunate enough to experience the band in its entirety, I was deeply moved by the intimate relationship they seemed to develop with the diehard audience members.
The dull moments were few and far between, because the tautness of the band superseded any of the inevitable comparisons being drawn between Scallions and Jim Morrison. We all know Morrison is a legend, but I thought Scallions did a more than honorable job of injecting his own passion into the material and disagree with people who feel otherwise.
Personally, I think the absence of the Lizard King enabled me to further marvel at the virtuosic prowess of Manzarek and Krieger. It always seemed to me that their contributions were somewhat overlooked due to Jim’s god-like persona, but this time they got their due. Krieger’s soloing is as dazzling and melodic as anybody out there and the instantly identifiable ring of Manzarek’s keyboard is what separated The Doors from the rest of the pack. Together, they’re a living, breathing testament to the “We’re Not Gonna Take It” philosophy of the late 1960’s and still bring the thunder every night regardless of how their age has advanced.
This show is easily among the top five I’ve ever seen and I’ll always remember the night I witnessed these Rock ‘n’ Roll icons up close and personal. However, I feel compelled to address the complete lack of consideration on the part of many concertgoers who believe the Ulrich City Courtyard to be their own personal Bally. I mean, how many drunken buffoons can you fit in one area before agoraphobia sets in?
There were times when all I could think about was how fast the kid in front of me would drop if I gave him a karate chop to back of the neck. I wouldn’t do it of course, but you get the point. I love outdoor concerts as much as anyone, but sometimes I feel that the majority of morons in attendance are there strictly for the party and could give a rat’s behind about what’s happening on stage. If you want a kegger, stay home.
Well, it’s just a thought. I don’t expect the atmosphere to change anytime soon, so if you plan on heading out for a show, make sure the brass knuckles aren’t far behind. I kid, I kid.
Other Set Highlights: “Touch Me,” “L.A. Woman,” “Light My Fire,” “Five to One,” “When the Music’s Over,” “Break on Through,” and, of course, “Riders on the Storm.”
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Wall-E
In Pixar’s latest animated venture “Wall-E,” Earth has become a cavernous wasteland in which filth and other miscellaneous trash dominate the overall landscape to the point of total uninhabitation. As our hero rummages through the remnants of this once flourishing civilization, you’ll undoubtedly recognize some of his findings along the way. A Twinkie, an Atari, a Rubik's Cube, and an I-Pod all make appearances and are irrefutably portrayed as somehow contributing to the gradual downfall of society ( Message: Consumerism Kills).
The people that do survive are morbidly obese and have little or no contact with fellow humans outside of talking video screens. They exist solely aboard a starliner called the Axiom just waiting for the day when they can return home to a planet free from litter and airborne pathogens.
If you’re polishing your whale-skin hubcaps thinking that Disney has finally gone off the deep end, this film, in all likelihood, isn’t for you. But if you find yourself arousing even a smidgen of concern for the current state of global ecology, I urge you to spend ninety-eight minutes with a spry trash compactor to get a sobering glimpse of what might become of this world if we don’t change our ways.
Director Andrew Stanton has manufactured a magnificent piece of science fiction complete with enough wit and sophistication to keep both parents and children engaged at all times. It’s not often that a film can go almost thirty minutes without dialogue and still hold your attention, but the visuals here are so exquisitely drawn that the colorful narrative assumes an even greater connotation when being carried out in dead silence. In fact, the screening I attended went without sound for a ten minute period and I still sat altogether engrossed by the aura of earnest wonderment the visionaries at Pixar cooked up.
For those still wondering, Wall-E stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth Class and his mission is to stack garbage into skyscraper-esque arrangements to ensure simple disposal. He has an amiable, vibrant persona all his own and enjoys watching “Hello, Dolly” whenever the need for a little cornball diversion arises. No matter how desolate life on Earth appears, he does whatever he can to brighten the mood and when EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) arrives, it’s love at first sight.
At first, she rejects his affable advances, but later realizes that their friendship is something that she’ll refuse to let wither away. The rest of their time is spent trying to find one of the last surviving plants to alert the humans that their triumphant return to Earth is imminent, so nothing that unusual really happens. Listen closely and you’ll hear the spirited voice of Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Jeff Garlin as the Captain, but otherwise, it’s straightforward family entertainment down the stretch.
In all seriousness, this is a four-star movie, but due to Pixar’s thinly veiled environmental statement, I refuse to cave in. I loved everything about this film except for the fact that innocent children’s fare is now being used to further someone’s inequitable political agenda. I mean, I’m all for getting today’s youth to think green, but is the cinema the best place to initiate?
- *** ½ out of 4
The people that do survive are morbidly obese and have little or no contact with fellow humans outside of talking video screens. They exist solely aboard a starliner called the Axiom just waiting for the day when they can return home to a planet free from litter and airborne pathogens.
If you’re polishing your whale-skin hubcaps thinking that Disney has finally gone off the deep end, this film, in all likelihood, isn’t for you. But if you find yourself arousing even a smidgen of concern for the current state of global ecology, I urge you to spend ninety-eight minutes with a spry trash compactor to get a sobering glimpse of what might become of this world if we don’t change our ways.
Director Andrew Stanton has manufactured a magnificent piece of science fiction complete with enough wit and sophistication to keep both parents and children engaged at all times. It’s not often that a film can go almost thirty minutes without dialogue and still hold your attention, but the visuals here are so exquisitely drawn that the colorful narrative assumes an even greater connotation when being carried out in dead silence. In fact, the screening I attended went without sound for a ten minute period and I still sat altogether engrossed by the aura of earnest wonderment the visionaries at Pixar cooked up.
For those still wondering, Wall-E stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth Class and his mission is to stack garbage into skyscraper-esque arrangements to ensure simple disposal. He has an amiable, vibrant persona all his own and enjoys watching “Hello, Dolly” whenever the need for a little cornball diversion arises. No matter how desolate life on Earth appears, he does whatever he can to brighten the mood and when EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) arrives, it’s love at first sight.
At first, she rejects his affable advances, but later realizes that their friendship is something that she’ll refuse to let wither away. The rest of their time is spent trying to find one of the last surviving plants to alert the humans that their triumphant return to Earth is imminent, so nothing that unusual really happens. Listen closely and you’ll hear the spirited voice of Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Jeff Garlin as the Captain, but otherwise, it’s straightforward family entertainment down the stretch.
In all seriousness, this is a four-star movie, but due to Pixar’s thinly veiled environmental statement, I refuse to cave in. I loved everything about this film except for the fact that innocent children’s fare is now being used to further someone’s inequitable political agenda. I mean, I’m all for getting today’s youth to think green, but is the cinema the best place to initiate?
- *** ½ out of 4
Friday, August 1, 2008
Rewind: Top 10 of 2004
1. “Sideways” - Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor took a quirky, high-spirited novel from Rex Pickett and turned it into one of the most enjoyably low-key cinematic gems of the decade. With its disheveled everyman duo of Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, this one took us on a life-altering journey through the stunning ins and outs of California wine country and extracted some hysterical moments along the way. Seldom does a film capture the uncompromised essence of a book so impeccably.
“Million Dollar Baby” - I originally settled on “Sideways” as my sole number one, but Clint Eastwood’s heartbreaking meditation on love and loss is too powerful to ignore. The performances of Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman speak for themselves and every frame just feels like an unnerving setup for something beyond the normal tragedy that boxing films often carry. Sure, the fight scenes are aplenty, but much like real life, these wounds cut a lot deeper than you realize.
2. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” - Every time Charlie Kaufman pens a script, it’s guaranteed to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before and director Michel Gondry certainly did his part to deliver on that promise. His melancholy portrait of two endearing eccentrics trying to literally erase their relationship from memory is beautifully woven together to create something totally void of all rom-com cliché. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are pitch perfect as the struggling couple, because they leave the glamour at home and delve into the painful aspects of romance with bona fide apprehension.
3. “The Passion of the Christ” - I know, I know. It’s lengthy, vindictive, blood-spattered, and borderline anti-Semitic (Not in my opinion), but I found every frame to be nothing short of inspiring. I challenge you to find a more fearlessly outstanding performance than that of Jim Caviezel and his surprising control of the Aramaic language. Only an ambitious filmmaker such as Mel Gibson would willingly weather the storm to bring something of this scale to the screen, so the $370 million box office return surely alleviated the critical beating he endured following its release.
4. “Kill Bill Vol. 2” - Part two of Quentin Tarantino’s delectably idiosyncratic ode to Kung Fu classics is pure poetry in motion. It turns the entire revenge genre on its head in a way that only Tarantino can and provides the perfect platform for Uma Thurman to deliver a career-best performance. She plays The Bride with such profound ferocity that we’re rooting for her regardless of how wicked or thick-skinned she becomes and, believe me, she definitely gets her revenge. Is it as good as “Pulp Fiction?” No, but what is?
5. “The Aviator” - Since Martin Scorsese is my favorite director, it’s difficult to be completely objective when it comes to his work, but this film really is something special. The lavish radiance of old time Hollywood is channeled in remarkable fashion and Leonardo DiCaprio captures the neurotic madness of aviation visionary Howard Hughes as if they were long lost brothers. Whether or not his real-life battle with OCD aided his work I can’t say, but the role is brilliant nonetheless and possibly his best yet.
6. “Kinsey” - When the tagline for your film is “Let’s Talk About Sex,” it’s hard for me to envision a massive audience coming out to support your cause. Americans are and always have been greatly terrified of discussing anything deemed taboo and I don’t think that will ever change. The fact that Dr. Alfred Kinsey dared to break the mold and challenge people makes for a fascinating two-hour exploration of the human psyche and Liam Neeson is perfect every step of the way.
7. “Ray” - Nothing Jamie Foxx has done since has even come close to the magic he conjured up as Ray Charles, but with “The Soloist” due out later this year, he may have another shot at greatness. My only gripe with him is that he almost tried to make himself bigger than the legend he was portraying and, to me, that’s just wrong.
8. “Collateral” - No one shoots at night quite like Michael Mann. For him, the darkness almost becomes a character in itself just waiting to swallow up the unsuspecting cast members and force them to question their own sanity. Never was that more clear than in this dazzling action vehicle in which a reticent cab driver goes on the ride of his life with a extreme, silver-haired hitman leading the way. As the late, great Joel Siegel said, “It’s Tom Cruise Unplugged.”
9. “The Machinist” - This austere tale of an insomniac machinist is a Kafka-esque nightmare in which Christian Bale sheds weight faster than Jared Fogle. Director Brad Anderson keeps you guessing at every turn and, if you haven’t seen it, you’ll be astonished by just how far Bale goes for the sake of entertainment.
10. “The Dreamers” - Spicy Bond girl Eva Green, Michael Pitt, and Louis Garrel star as a group of avid cinephiles who go into seclusion during the 1968 student rebellions in France. The amount of wild sex in this film earned a devastating NC-17 rating, but the narrative here is about so much more than just what’s on the surface, so I urge you to check it out.
“Million Dollar Baby” - I originally settled on “Sideways” as my sole number one, but Clint Eastwood’s heartbreaking meditation on love and loss is too powerful to ignore. The performances of Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman speak for themselves and every frame just feels like an unnerving setup for something beyond the normal tragedy that boxing films often carry. Sure, the fight scenes are aplenty, but much like real life, these wounds cut a lot deeper than you realize.
2. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” - Every time Charlie Kaufman pens a script, it’s guaranteed to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before and director Michel Gondry certainly did his part to deliver on that promise. His melancholy portrait of two endearing eccentrics trying to literally erase their relationship from memory is beautifully woven together to create something totally void of all rom-com cliché. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are pitch perfect as the struggling couple, because they leave the glamour at home and delve into the painful aspects of romance with bona fide apprehension.
3. “The Passion of the Christ” - I know, I know. It’s lengthy, vindictive, blood-spattered, and borderline anti-Semitic (Not in my opinion), but I found every frame to be nothing short of inspiring. I challenge you to find a more fearlessly outstanding performance than that of Jim Caviezel and his surprising control of the Aramaic language. Only an ambitious filmmaker such as Mel Gibson would willingly weather the storm to bring something of this scale to the screen, so the $370 million box office return surely alleviated the critical beating he endured following its release.
4. “Kill Bill Vol. 2” - Part two of Quentin Tarantino’s delectably idiosyncratic ode to Kung Fu classics is pure poetry in motion. It turns the entire revenge genre on its head in a way that only Tarantino can and provides the perfect platform for Uma Thurman to deliver a career-best performance. She plays The Bride with such profound ferocity that we’re rooting for her regardless of how wicked or thick-skinned she becomes and, believe me, she definitely gets her revenge. Is it as good as “Pulp Fiction?” No, but what is?
5. “The Aviator” - Since Martin Scorsese is my favorite director, it’s difficult to be completely objective when it comes to his work, but this film really is something special. The lavish radiance of old time Hollywood is channeled in remarkable fashion and Leonardo DiCaprio captures the neurotic madness of aviation visionary Howard Hughes as if they were long lost brothers. Whether or not his real-life battle with OCD aided his work I can’t say, but the role is brilliant nonetheless and possibly his best yet.
6. “Kinsey” - When the tagline for your film is “Let’s Talk About Sex,” it’s hard for me to envision a massive audience coming out to support your cause. Americans are and always have been greatly terrified of discussing anything deemed taboo and I don’t think that will ever change. The fact that Dr. Alfred Kinsey dared to break the mold and challenge people makes for a fascinating two-hour exploration of the human psyche and Liam Neeson is perfect every step of the way.
7. “Ray” - Nothing Jamie Foxx has done since has even come close to the magic he conjured up as Ray Charles, but with “The Soloist” due out later this year, he may have another shot at greatness. My only gripe with him is that he almost tried to make himself bigger than the legend he was portraying and, to me, that’s just wrong.
8. “Collateral” - No one shoots at night quite like Michael Mann. For him, the darkness almost becomes a character in itself just waiting to swallow up the unsuspecting cast members and force them to question their own sanity. Never was that more clear than in this dazzling action vehicle in which a reticent cab driver goes on the ride of his life with a extreme, silver-haired hitman leading the way. As the late, great Joel Siegel said, “It’s Tom Cruise Unplugged.”
9. “The Machinist” - This austere tale of an insomniac machinist is a Kafka-esque nightmare in which Christian Bale sheds weight faster than Jared Fogle. Director Brad Anderson keeps you guessing at every turn and, if you haven’t seen it, you’ll be astonished by just how far Bale goes for the sake of entertainment.
10. “The Dreamers” - Spicy Bond girl Eva Green, Michael Pitt, and Louis Garrel star as a group of avid cinephiles who go into seclusion during the 1968 student rebellions in France. The amount of wild sex in this film earned a devastating NC-17 rating, but the narrative here is about so much more than just what’s on the surface, so I urge you to check it out.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Redbelt
David Mamet’s “Redbelt” takes you inside the crooked underworld of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) in such an intellectual way that it’s easy to forget that what you’re actually experiencing is just another flashy tale of high-profile miscreants dabbling in organized depravity. No matter how much elegant brawling goes down, the faint inkling of a better, more concentrated film trying to find itself hovers over every inch of this somewhat unrealized screenplay. The only thing that keeps this propitious material from falling completely flat on its face is the fluent, Oscar-caliber performance of Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mike Terry, the ever-wise Jiu-jitsu specialist who finds himself caught in a hazardous web of brutality and fraudulence.
His soulful embodiment of the fighter’s inner spirit is at least two cuts above your typical run-of-the-mill action hero, because he always seems to be operating at a level of resolute integrity that instantly grants him a leg up on anyone he interacts with. Whether he’s lecturing his students or mingling with mobsters, the Code of Honor dictates his every move and propels him to take the moral high ground whenever confronted with a potentially harmful (to the other person, that is) situation.
Think of it as “Chicken Soup For the Jiu-jitsu Warrior’s Soul” due to the plethora of Miyagi-esque anecdotes he offers up during the most trying moments and then prepare yourself for a finale so crazily exaggerated that you can’t help but want to explore it on a more cerebral level afterwards.
Mamet’s spicy dialogue is simply some of the finest erudite insolence you’ll ever encounter and is worth the price of admission on its own. Not even the family-friendly Tim Allen could resist the opportunity to indulge in the callous vulgarity present here, so you know that has to count for something. His convincing portrayal of a cocky, oafish actor looking for trouble almost earns him a pardon for the cinematic crimes of “The Shaggy Dog” and “Zoom” (Almost).
While not perfect, the quiet passion behind this picture is enough to recommend it for those who don’t require ninety-minutes of pure hellish combat to make them feel invigorated. Strong supporting work from Joe Mantegna and Emily Mortimer coupled with searing cinematography from last year’s Oscar-winner Robert Elswit put it somewhere toward the upper half of the Summer movie mound, so if you can find it, check it out before the hype hastily drifts away.
- *** out of 4
His soulful embodiment of the fighter’s inner spirit is at least two cuts above your typical run-of-the-mill action hero, because he always seems to be operating at a level of resolute integrity that instantly grants him a leg up on anyone he interacts with. Whether he’s lecturing his students or mingling with mobsters, the Code of Honor dictates his every move and propels him to take the moral high ground whenever confronted with a potentially harmful (to the other person, that is) situation.
Think of it as “Chicken Soup For the Jiu-jitsu Warrior’s Soul” due to the plethora of Miyagi-esque anecdotes he offers up during the most trying moments and then prepare yourself for a finale so crazily exaggerated that you can’t help but want to explore it on a more cerebral level afterwards.
Mamet’s spicy dialogue is simply some of the finest erudite insolence you’ll ever encounter and is worth the price of admission on its own. Not even the family-friendly Tim Allen could resist the opportunity to indulge in the callous vulgarity present here, so you know that has to count for something. His convincing portrayal of a cocky, oafish actor looking for trouble almost earns him a pardon for the cinematic crimes of “The Shaggy Dog” and “Zoom” (Almost).
While not perfect, the quiet passion behind this picture is enough to recommend it for those who don’t require ninety-minutes of pure hellish combat to make them feel invigorated. Strong supporting work from Joe Mantegna and Emily Mortimer coupled with searing cinematography from last year’s Oscar-winner Robert Elswit put it somewhere toward the upper half of the Summer movie mound, so if you can find it, check it out before the hype hastily drifts away.
- *** out of 4
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Dark Knight
As I waited in line to finally experience Christopher Nolan’s brooding, highly stylized pop masterpiece “The Dark Knight,” I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Meryl Streep. Think about it. Her exuberant big-screen adaptation of “Mamma Mia” had the morose misfortune of being released on the same day as one of the most deeply anticipated cinematic events of the decade. If only ABBA had the same furious cult clientele as the Caped Crusader! I then had a lucid recollection of Streep’s fourteen Academy Award nominations and decided that she could use a good old-fashioned reality check. After all, this is Batman we’re talking about.
Boy, is it ever. Nolan’s towering follow-up to 2005’s breath of fresh air “Batman Begins” opens with a bloody bang as the Joker and his troupe of traveling misfits force their way into a bank vault hoping to escape with a substantial piece of Gotham’s economic pie. They’re equipped with enough firepower to ward off even the slightest act of common man heroism and aren’t hesitant to eliminate innocent people in the process.
Since this scene is staged in a very raw, Lumet-esque fashion, we’re immediately taken inside the action and given a furious glimpse of what undiluted evil is capable of. I can definitely see how the menacing disposition of the film can evoke comparisons to sweeping crime dramas such as “Heat” and “The Departed,” because it transcends the superhero genre to the point that everything else feels like child’s play in comparison. This picture single-handedly raises the bar for the rest of the film community and it starts with the astounding epitome of violence turned in by the late Heath Ledger.
Unlike Nicholson in ‘89, Ledger takes the Joker to a place that few people thought he was capable of and steals the film right out from under the heels of the Dark Knight himself.
From the hideous grin to the smeared makeup that looks as if someone got a little too carried away in the kitchen, he’s a walking, talking enigma of carefree sadism that rarely meets a person he can’t make smile. His chilling back-story is told strictly from his own mouth and proves to be much more unnerving than any tiresome flashback. Watching him reminisce about his parents adds an even greater psychotic dimension to a character that wasn’t exactly short on intrigue.
As the Yin to Bruce Wayne’s Yang, he fiercely seizes control of Gotham City’s conspiratorial underworld and vows to give the citizens the type of erratic madman they deserve. While the mob is motivated by financial gain, the Joker is out to show that no matter how noble or idealistic society wants to be, anarchy will always reign supreme.
The plot meanders a bit during the first half as Bruce Wayne travels to Hong Kong to clear up a shoddy business deal, but not enough to detract from the task at hand. He’s dealing with the loss of his beloved Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) to new DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and struggling to adjust to Batman’s declining popularity among the public. Regardless of how many criminals are bagged, the presence of a hero like Batman doesn’t generate the positive publicity it deserves and Wayne begins to question whether or not he should continue.
Christian Bale’s presence this time around is elevated to just the right level as he exudes the lively arrogance of a billionaire and the ominous intensity of a night-owl vigilante with equal superiority. Although it seems like his screen time is limited, he never fails to keep us believing in his desire to rid the world of scum and depravity. His working relationship with Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) ensures that as long as they need him, he’ll be eager to come through on their demands.
Echoing many of his sentiments is Harvey Dent, the newly elected District Attorney whose gung-ho attitude on crime has him on every mobster’s short list of people to dispose of. Eckhart is perfect at conveying political sincerity and the heartfelt speech he delivers to the press is one of the most compelling moments this film has to offer. His all-around affability is what makes the seething transformation to Two-Face that much harder to stomach, because he was one of the few men in power willing to take a stand.
Now, if your last visualization of Two-Face is Tommy Lee Jones’s clownish depiction, prepare yourself for something a lot creepier than normal and think twice about bringing the young ones. The CGI employed here is spectacularly scary and a significant upgrade over the previous incarnation.
Due to the surplus of outstanding performances, I’ll simply present a couple points I found noteworthy. First, Maggie Gyllenhaal is a welcomed replacement for Katie Holmes, but still seems too bland at moments when she should be more emotionally invested. Secondly, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman are in stellar form and, by now, turn in top-notch performances like clockwork. They take the material seriously and appear to be having a great time contributing to something of this caliber.
All of this adds up to “The Dark Knight” being one of the best films of the year and quite possibly the most superb comic book movie ever made. Whether it’s Ledger’s tour-de-force or Bale’s slick wizardry, the cards are on the table at every instant and Nolan continually has the winning hand.
The final showdown between Batman and the Joker is high-octane Summer entertainment at its best and caps off a mesmerizing one-hundred and fifty-two minutes of fanboy bliss. The Joker personifies every fear of unexplained wickedness humans experience and if the night is indeed darkest just before the dawn, I’m afraid it’s going to be a long night.
- **** out of 4
Boy, is it ever. Nolan’s towering follow-up to 2005’s breath of fresh air “Batman Begins” opens with a bloody bang as the Joker and his troupe of traveling misfits force their way into a bank vault hoping to escape with a substantial piece of Gotham’s economic pie. They’re equipped with enough firepower to ward off even the slightest act of common man heroism and aren’t hesitant to eliminate innocent people in the process.
Since this scene is staged in a very raw, Lumet-esque fashion, we’re immediately taken inside the action and given a furious glimpse of what undiluted evil is capable of. I can definitely see how the menacing disposition of the film can evoke comparisons to sweeping crime dramas such as “Heat” and “The Departed,” because it transcends the superhero genre to the point that everything else feels like child’s play in comparison. This picture single-handedly raises the bar for the rest of the film community and it starts with the astounding epitome of violence turned in by the late Heath Ledger.
Unlike Nicholson in ‘89, Ledger takes the Joker to a place that few people thought he was capable of and steals the film right out from under the heels of the Dark Knight himself.
From the hideous grin to the smeared makeup that looks as if someone got a little too carried away in the kitchen, he’s a walking, talking enigma of carefree sadism that rarely meets a person he can’t make smile. His chilling back-story is told strictly from his own mouth and proves to be much more unnerving than any tiresome flashback. Watching him reminisce about his parents adds an even greater psychotic dimension to a character that wasn’t exactly short on intrigue.
As the Yin to Bruce Wayne’s Yang, he fiercely seizes control of Gotham City’s conspiratorial underworld and vows to give the citizens the type of erratic madman they deserve. While the mob is motivated by financial gain, the Joker is out to show that no matter how noble or idealistic society wants to be, anarchy will always reign supreme.
The plot meanders a bit during the first half as Bruce Wayne travels to Hong Kong to clear up a shoddy business deal, but not enough to detract from the task at hand. He’s dealing with the loss of his beloved Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) to new DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and struggling to adjust to Batman’s declining popularity among the public. Regardless of how many criminals are bagged, the presence of a hero like Batman doesn’t generate the positive publicity it deserves and Wayne begins to question whether or not he should continue.
Christian Bale’s presence this time around is elevated to just the right level as he exudes the lively arrogance of a billionaire and the ominous intensity of a night-owl vigilante with equal superiority. Although it seems like his screen time is limited, he never fails to keep us believing in his desire to rid the world of scum and depravity. His working relationship with Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) ensures that as long as they need him, he’ll be eager to come through on their demands.
Echoing many of his sentiments is Harvey Dent, the newly elected District Attorney whose gung-ho attitude on crime has him on every mobster’s short list of people to dispose of. Eckhart is perfect at conveying political sincerity and the heartfelt speech he delivers to the press is one of the most compelling moments this film has to offer. His all-around affability is what makes the seething transformation to Two-Face that much harder to stomach, because he was one of the few men in power willing to take a stand.
Now, if your last visualization of Two-Face is Tommy Lee Jones’s clownish depiction, prepare yourself for something a lot creepier than normal and think twice about bringing the young ones. The CGI employed here is spectacularly scary and a significant upgrade over the previous incarnation.
Due to the surplus of outstanding performances, I’ll simply present a couple points I found noteworthy. First, Maggie Gyllenhaal is a welcomed replacement for Katie Holmes, but still seems too bland at moments when she should be more emotionally invested. Secondly, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman are in stellar form and, by now, turn in top-notch performances like clockwork. They take the material seriously and appear to be having a great time contributing to something of this caliber.
All of this adds up to “The Dark Knight” being one of the best films of the year and quite possibly the most superb comic book movie ever made. Whether it’s Ledger’s tour-de-force or Bale’s slick wizardry, the cards are on the table at every instant and Nolan continually has the winning hand.
The final showdown between Batman and the Joker is high-octane Summer entertainment at its best and caps off a mesmerizing one-hundred and fifty-two minutes of fanboy bliss. The Joker personifies every fear of unexplained wickedness humans experience and if the night is indeed darkest just before the dawn, I’m afraid it’s going to be a long night.
- **** out of 4
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Rewind: Top 10 of 2005
1. “Munich” - In 1993, Spielberg served up a furious one-two punch of “Jurassic Park” and “Schindler’s List” that essentially blew everyone else out of the water. In 2005, he returned to the same powerhouse formula by releasing “War of the Worlds” and “Munich,” which enlightened my movie going experience in ways that few other filmmakers are capable of. His emotionally salient take on the cataclysmic events surrounding the 1972 Olympic games once again showed why he is the most fearless and versatile director in all of Hollywood.
Spearheaded by the finest performance of Eric Bana’s career, every second of this film throbs with implacable tension and I don’t think the final box office numbers come close to reflecting how deeply textured the material turns out to be. I’ve seen it three times now and happen to think it holds up quite nicely against the other top films of the decade, even if Oscar didn’t feel the same.
2. “A History of Violence” - For those of you who are familiar with my writing, you already know how much I admire the artistic, blood-spattered approach to picture making that David Cronenberg employs. He’s simply the best at taking the most vile and disgusting characters and somehow turning them into morally flawed human beings with whom the audience can sympathize.
Here, Viggo Mortensen plays Tom Stall, the owner of a small-town diner who carries a disturbing secret that comes dangerously close to tearing apart the only life his family has ever known. Virtuoso supporting work from Maria Bello and William Hurt takes the madness to a new level and sets the stage for a breathtaking final segment.
3. “Grizzly Man” - It’s sad, strange, and true. Werner Herzog’s beautifully painted portrait of neurotic oddball Timothy Treadwell takes the viewer inside the psyche of a man who had no limits on how far he was willing to go in the name of passion. The absence of any real judgment leaves you free to formulate your own opinion of his chilling demise, so regardless of how you feel, you’ll never forget him.
4. “Syriana” - Stephen Gaghan’s dense, intellectual exposé on the real winners and losers of the oil competition doesn’t really care if you understand all of the dialogue, because the fact that you’re listening is enough. It’s about as politically charged as a mainstream movie can get and is likely to have many viewers bored or disinterested long before the conclusion, but I found it fascinating in every sense of the word. Since oil prices appear to be the talk of the town at the moment, may I suggest revisiting this film for a more incisive look at what exactly we’re up against.
5. “The 40-Year Old Virgin” - Well, this is where it all started. This is where the hilariously uncouth brand of Judd Apatow comedy was born and, judging by last year’s tandem of “Knocked Up” and “Superbad,” he doesn’t appear to going away anytime soon. Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Romany Malco, and Catherine Keener put the pedal to the floor throughout every laugh-out-loud moment of this film and help mold it into one of the funniest comedies of all time.
6. “Good Night, and Good Luck” - George Clooney’s political acumen is firing on all cylinders during this penetrating exploration of media duplicity yet it never feels as if we’re actually watching a movie. It’s as if someone left the door to the newsroom open and we’re given a first-hand glimpse of how backdoor politics are conducted. You’ll be astounded by the amount of lies, deception, and betrayal that go into orchestrating a popular newscast and the delivery of this film is as down-to-earth as any I’ve ever seen.
7. “Capote” - Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman captures every inch of idiosyncratic behavior possessed by the legendary author and went beyond mere impersonation every step of the way.
8. “The Aristocrats” - An acquired taste, but without a doubt one of the great exercises in over-the-top absurdity ever brought to the screen. Comedians Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette catch over a hundred of their closest friends telling their own version of the dirtiest joke ever and it quickly becomes a raucous celebration of the first amendment.
9. “Cinderella Man” - Russell Crowe and Paul Giamatti (Should have won an Oscar) make a terrific on-screen team and Howard’s fight direction is inspired to say the least. Had Crowe not lost his temper with a cell phone earlier that year, he would’ve been giver further consideration.
10. “Crash” - Paul Haggis’s interlocking drama surrounding Los Angeles race relations has many stellar performances, but three years later it doesn’t pack the same punch as it once did. Although the Best Picture award is official, I don’t think the academy made the right decision.
Spearheaded by the finest performance of Eric Bana’s career, every second of this film throbs with implacable tension and I don’t think the final box office numbers come close to reflecting how deeply textured the material turns out to be. I’ve seen it three times now and happen to think it holds up quite nicely against the other top films of the decade, even if Oscar didn’t feel the same.
2. “A History of Violence” - For those of you who are familiar with my writing, you already know how much I admire the artistic, blood-spattered approach to picture making that David Cronenberg employs. He’s simply the best at taking the most vile and disgusting characters and somehow turning them into morally flawed human beings with whom the audience can sympathize.
Here, Viggo Mortensen plays Tom Stall, the owner of a small-town diner who carries a disturbing secret that comes dangerously close to tearing apart the only life his family has ever known. Virtuoso supporting work from Maria Bello and William Hurt takes the madness to a new level and sets the stage for a breathtaking final segment.
3. “Grizzly Man” - It’s sad, strange, and true. Werner Herzog’s beautifully painted portrait of neurotic oddball Timothy Treadwell takes the viewer inside the psyche of a man who had no limits on how far he was willing to go in the name of passion. The absence of any real judgment leaves you free to formulate your own opinion of his chilling demise, so regardless of how you feel, you’ll never forget him.
4. “Syriana” - Stephen Gaghan’s dense, intellectual exposé on the real winners and losers of the oil competition doesn’t really care if you understand all of the dialogue, because the fact that you’re listening is enough. It’s about as politically charged as a mainstream movie can get and is likely to have many viewers bored or disinterested long before the conclusion, but I found it fascinating in every sense of the word. Since oil prices appear to be the talk of the town at the moment, may I suggest revisiting this film for a more incisive look at what exactly we’re up against.
5. “The 40-Year Old Virgin” - Well, this is where it all started. This is where the hilariously uncouth brand of Judd Apatow comedy was born and, judging by last year’s tandem of “Knocked Up” and “Superbad,” he doesn’t appear to going away anytime soon. Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Romany Malco, and Catherine Keener put the pedal to the floor throughout every laugh-out-loud moment of this film and help mold it into one of the funniest comedies of all time.
6. “Good Night, and Good Luck” - George Clooney’s political acumen is firing on all cylinders during this penetrating exploration of media duplicity yet it never feels as if we’re actually watching a movie. It’s as if someone left the door to the newsroom open and we’re given a first-hand glimpse of how backdoor politics are conducted. You’ll be astounded by the amount of lies, deception, and betrayal that go into orchestrating a popular newscast and the delivery of this film is as down-to-earth as any I’ve ever seen.
7. “Capote” - Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman captures every inch of idiosyncratic behavior possessed by the legendary author and went beyond mere impersonation every step of the way.
8. “The Aristocrats” - An acquired taste, but without a doubt one of the great exercises in over-the-top absurdity ever brought to the screen. Comedians Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette catch over a hundred of their closest friends telling their own version of the dirtiest joke ever and it quickly becomes a raucous celebration of the first amendment.
9. “Cinderella Man” - Russell Crowe and Paul Giamatti (Should have won an Oscar) make a terrific on-screen team and Howard’s fight direction is inspired to say the least. Had Crowe not lost his temper with a cell phone earlier that year, he would’ve been giver further consideration.
10. “Crash” - Paul Haggis’s interlocking drama surrounding Los Angeles race relations has many stellar performances, but three years later it doesn’t pack the same punch as it once did. Although the Best Picture award is official, I don’t think the academy made the right decision.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Hancock
In many ways, Will Smith’s new film “Hancock” is the 2008 equivalent of Michael Bay’s inherently energetic scrap heap “Transformers.” It’s cluttered, clamorous, and complete with enough big budget brouhaha to find itself right at home amidst the mid-Summer mash-up we call July. It didn’t have to be this way. The studio wasn’t forced to abandon every ounce of hard-nosed badassery (Okay, so it’s not a word. Sue me.) in favor of a schmaltzy, Disney-esque narrative about reluctantly fulfilling your destiny, but sadly, that’s what becomes of this one following the halfway point. Not even Smith’s audacious, wisecracking charisma is able to salvage this sheer catastrophe of a screenplay and, when that happens, you know something is clearly out of whack.
Director Peter Berg (“The Kingdom”) has a unique premise that he’s not quite sure how to handle, so the frenzied plot progression ends up souring any feeling of delight generated by the mesmeric opening sequence. When a grizzled and whiskey-ridden Hancock is woken up by a young boy alerting him to a crime in progress, the film sets a very comedic tone and allows Smith to deliver some classic one-liners that almost make you forget that you’re watching a PG-13 superhero flick. His face is rough, his attitude is ornery, and public relations are visibly absent from his to-do list. He’s the perfect anti-hero, the kind of grumpy old boozer who would bring scotch to Sunday mass, because wine just doesn’t cut it.
Yes, Hancock is what many people would call an “a-hole,” but he doesn’t care as long they don’t say it to his face. No matter how many citizens he saves, his perception will never improve unless he opts for a complete personality makeover courtesy of Ray Embrey, played by Jason Bateman. Embrey’s plan is to send Hancock to jail and give Los Angeles a taste of life without the troubled superman around to save the day.
The energy Bateman brings to this role is more than the film deserves, because the script isn’t even close to living up to expectations. Then again, all three main characters are too skilled to fall victim to a putrid plot twist, so they do their best to weather the storm until the credits roll.
Hancock’s stint behind bars provides a few laughs, but mostly serves as a facilitator for future destruction of property. Since he has no real nemesis, Berg tries to highlight the internal struggle that consumes Hancock throughout much of the film, but even that loses steam in a hurry. His new and improved persona isn’t as interesting as the creators think it is and the scenes involving Charlize Theron are often too weird for words.
I love Charlize as much as the next guy, but was her involvement in the big picture necessary? My guess is that the writers wanted as many bombastic confrontations as they could fit and didn’t care how much talent they wasted in the process.
If Dickens wrote “A Tale of Two Cities,” then this is a tale of two films. One is a hilarious look at an alcoholic loner who is anything but your friendly neighborhood superhero and the other is an overblown clunker that never offers a hint of something we haven’t seen a hundred times before. As for which one prevails, I think I’ll let you decide.
- ** ½ out of 4
Director Peter Berg (“The Kingdom”) has a unique premise that he’s not quite sure how to handle, so the frenzied plot progression ends up souring any feeling of delight generated by the mesmeric opening sequence. When a grizzled and whiskey-ridden Hancock is woken up by a young boy alerting him to a crime in progress, the film sets a very comedic tone and allows Smith to deliver some classic one-liners that almost make you forget that you’re watching a PG-13 superhero flick. His face is rough, his attitude is ornery, and public relations are visibly absent from his to-do list. He’s the perfect anti-hero, the kind of grumpy old boozer who would bring scotch to Sunday mass, because wine just doesn’t cut it.
Yes, Hancock is what many people would call an “a-hole,” but he doesn’t care as long they don’t say it to his face. No matter how many citizens he saves, his perception will never improve unless he opts for a complete personality makeover courtesy of Ray Embrey, played by Jason Bateman. Embrey’s plan is to send Hancock to jail and give Los Angeles a taste of life without the troubled superman around to save the day.
The energy Bateman brings to this role is more than the film deserves, because the script isn’t even close to living up to expectations. Then again, all three main characters are too skilled to fall victim to a putrid plot twist, so they do their best to weather the storm until the credits roll.
Hancock’s stint behind bars provides a few laughs, but mostly serves as a facilitator for future destruction of property. Since he has no real nemesis, Berg tries to highlight the internal struggle that consumes Hancock throughout much of the film, but even that loses steam in a hurry. His new and improved persona isn’t as interesting as the creators think it is and the scenes involving Charlize Theron are often too weird for words.
I love Charlize as much as the next guy, but was her involvement in the big picture necessary? My guess is that the writers wanted as many bombastic confrontations as they could fit and didn’t care how much talent they wasted in the process.
If Dickens wrote “A Tale of Two Cities,” then this is a tale of two films. One is a hilarious look at an alcoholic loner who is anything but your friendly neighborhood superhero and the other is an overblown clunker that never offers a hint of something we haven’t seen a hundred times before. As for which one prevails, I think I’ll let you decide.
- ** ½ out of 4
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Rewind: Top 10 of 2006
Well, it’s that time of year again when people of all ages flock to the theatre hoping to catch the latest holiday blockbuster or Oscar frontrunner, while critics throughout the country begin compiling their list of the best films from the last twelve months. For me, 2006 was a vastly improved year at the movies and almost made me forget about all of those horrendously awful remakes that were so gracefully offered to us last year.
Whether it was Martin Scorsese’s riveting return to form in “The Departed" or Eli Roth’s blood-spattered trip through Europe in “Hostel," every film seemed to bring something new and exciting to the table. Even flops such as “Lady in the Water" and “The Hills Have Eyes" were still somewhat watchable despite not having any apparent cinematic value. Yes, it was an interesting year.
One that gave us Clint Eastwood’s magnificent WWII duo “Flags of Our Fathers"/"Letters From Iwo Jima" as well as the Wayans brothers’ dreadful comedy “Little Man." For every great film to be released this year, there were at least three or four bad ones to follow, but I guess that’s pretty much how every year is.
If you want to make the most out of your movie going experience, you may have to go out of your way to see films that you would normally pass right over, because they could leave you pleasantly surprised. After countless deliberations, I’ve managed to come up with a pretty solid list of what I believe to be the best films of 2006 as follows:
1. "The Departed" - Set on the cruel, gritty streets of South Boston, Martin Scorsese's star-studded crime drama completely blew audiences away with its polished direction and ferociously intense action sequences. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon deliver first-rate performances as two rats trying to find one another and Jack Nicholson celebrates being 70 with his aggressive portrayal of an aging mob boss. It's great to see Scorsese returning to form and you'd be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining film this Oscar season.
2. "United 93"/"Pan's Labyrinth" - Many people said it was too soon for a film of this nature, but I think the time couldn't have been more appropriate. Paul Greengrass created a hauntingly realistic account of the events surrounding 9/11 and should really be commended for taking on such a controversial project. I could see complaining if the film wasn't so well executed, but that's just not the case. For those who haven't seen it, I highly recommend checking it out and the final segment is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat.
Guillermo del Toro's masterpiece never gets old and always keeps you utterly entranced by its stunning depiction of how a young girl copes with change during a time of complete chaos. The film pretty much speaks for itself.
3. "Borat" - If you haven't familiarized yourself with the comedic stylings of Sacha Baron Cohen, now would be the time to do so. His film has become the surprise hit of the year and could earn him an Oscar nomination come January. Fictional Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev embarks on an epic journey across the United States to get a real taste of American culture and produces some truly hilarious moments along the way. While it may offend some, those who enjoy Baron Cohen's fearless energy will be treated to one of the funniest films I've ever seen.
4. "Casino Royale" - Yes, this is a James Bond film and yes, it is that good. Martin Campbell's second journey into the world of James Bond completely redefined the struggling franchise and gave Daniel Craig the opportunity to bring the character back to life. Doing away with the gadgets proved to be a key element for success and Craig's rugged disregard for authority made every scene that much more believable.
5. "Blood Diamond"/"The Good Shepherd" - Leonardo DiCaprio's second appearance on this list shows just how great his year actually was. Here, he's sporting a passable Rhodesian accent and playing the role of a South African mercenary trying to get his hands on a rare diamond that has been buried in the African jungle. In the hands of director Edward Zwick, it becomes an action-packed exposè on the diamond industry while boasting superb supporting work from both Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou.
De Niro's first directorial feature since 1993's "A Bronx Tale" is a long, penetrating look into the shadowy past of the CIA that is often too explanatory for its own good. Damon gives the most understated performance of the year as Edward Wilson and should've entered into the Academy Award discussion long before anything was set in stone. My only beef with this flick is that the wonderful Angelina Jolie went sadly underused, but otherwise, it's something special.
6. "Half Nelson" - Ryan Gosling's startling portrayal of a drug addicted school teacher earned him plenty of rave reviews and helped this poignant picture go above and beyond the normal expectations of the genre. Each scene was full of heartfelt emotion and its themes about life are especially relevant in today's society.
7. "Thank You For Smoking" - This sharply funny satire on the cigarette industry allows Aaron Eckhart to shine as tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor and really establish himself as a lead actor. Jason Reitman's directorial debut is one that knows both its material and audience in brilliantly comphrensive detail.
8. "The Descent" - Neil Marshall's chillingly claustrophobic tale of six friends who get lost on a climbing expedition is terror at its finest.
9. "Hard Candy" - Here is where my infatuation with Ellen Page began. This Lions Gate shock fest opens ever so subtly until the moment where the tables are turned in a nightmarish direction and, believe me, you'll be squirming.
10. "Flags of Our Fathers" - Clint Eastwood's first of two WWII films told the reluctantly heroic story of three soldiers who returned home from Iwo Jima and became pawns in the US government's attempt to sell the war to the American public. Ryan Philippe, Adam Beach, and Jesse Bradford all make the most of their time on-screen and bring justice to their real-life counterparts.
Honorable Mention: "Apocalypto," "Notes on a Scandal," "Children of Men," "An Inconvenient Truth," "The Devil Wears Prada," and "The Last King of Scotland."
Whether it was Martin Scorsese’s riveting return to form in “The Departed" or Eli Roth’s blood-spattered trip through Europe in “Hostel," every film seemed to bring something new and exciting to the table. Even flops such as “Lady in the Water" and “The Hills Have Eyes" were still somewhat watchable despite not having any apparent cinematic value. Yes, it was an interesting year.
One that gave us Clint Eastwood’s magnificent WWII duo “Flags of Our Fathers"/"Letters From Iwo Jima" as well as the Wayans brothers’ dreadful comedy “Little Man." For every great film to be released this year, there were at least three or four bad ones to follow, but I guess that’s pretty much how every year is.
If you want to make the most out of your movie going experience, you may have to go out of your way to see films that you would normally pass right over, because they could leave you pleasantly surprised. After countless deliberations, I’ve managed to come up with a pretty solid list of what I believe to be the best films of 2006 as follows:
1. "The Departed" - Set on the cruel, gritty streets of South Boston, Martin Scorsese's star-studded crime drama completely blew audiences away with its polished direction and ferociously intense action sequences. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon deliver first-rate performances as two rats trying to find one another and Jack Nicholson celebrates being 70 with his aggressive portrayal of an aging mob boss. It's great to see Scorsese returning to form and you'd be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining film this Oscar season.
2. "United 93"/"Pan's Labyrinth" - Many people said it was too soon for a film of this nature, but I think the time couldn't have been more appropriate. Paul Greengrass created a hauntingly realistic account of the events surrounding 9/11 and should really be commended for taking on such a controversial project. I could see complaining if the film wasn't so well executed, but that's just not the case. For those who haven't seen it, I highly recommend checking it out and the final segment is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat.
Guillermo del Toro's masterpiece never gets old and always keeps you utterly entranced by its stunning depiction of how a young girl copes with change during a time of complete chaos. The film pretty much speaks for itself.
3. "Borat" - If you haven't familiarized yourself with the comedic stylings of Sacha Baron Cohen, now would be the time to do so. His film has become the surprise hit of the year and could earn him an Oscar nomination come January. Fictional Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev embarks on an epic journey across the United States to get a real taste of American culture and produces some truly hilarious moments along the way. While it may offend some, those who enjoy Baron Cohen's fearless energy will be treated to one of the funniest films I've ever seen.
4. "Casino Royale" - Yes, this is a James Bond film and yes, it is that good. Martin Campbell's second journey into the world of James Bond completely redefined the struggling franchise and gave Daniel Craig the opportunity to bring the character back to life. Doing away with the gadgets proved to be a key element for success and Craig's rugged disregard for authority made every scene that much more believable.
5. "Blood Diamond"/"The Good Shepherd" - Leonardo DiCaprio's second appearance on this list shows just how great his year actually was. Here, he's sporting a passable Rhodesian accent and playing the role of a South African mercenary trying to get his hands on a rare diamond that has been buried in the African jungle. In the hands of director Edward Zwick, it becomes an action-packed exposè on the diamond industry while boasting superb supporting work from both Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou.
De Niro's first directorial feature since 1993's "A Bronx Tale" is a long, penetrating look into the shadowy past of the CIA that is often too explanatory for its own good. Damon gives the most understated performance of the year as Edward Wilson and should've entered into the Academy Award discussion long before anything was set in stone. My only beef with this flick is that the wonderful Angelina Jolie went sadly underused, but otherwise, it's something special.
6. "Half Nelson" - Ryan Gosling's startling portrayal of a drug addicted school teacher earned him plenty of rave reviews and helped this poignant picture go above and beyond the normal expectations of the genre. Each scene was full of heartfelt emotion and its themes about life are especially relevant in today's society.
7. "Thank You For Smoking" - This sharply funny satire on the cigarette industry allows Aaron Eckhart to shine as tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor and really establish himself as a lead actor. Jason Reitman's directorial debut is one that knows both its material and audience in brilliantly comphrensive detail.
8. "The Descent" - Neil Marshall's chillingly claustrophobic tale of six friends who get lost on a climbing expedition is terror at its finest.
9. "Hard Candy" - Here is where my infatuation with Ellen Page began. This Lions Gate shock fest opens ever so subtly until the moment where the tables are turned in a nightmarish direction and, believe me, you'll be squirming.
10. "Flags of Our Fathers" - Clint Eastwood's first of two WWII films told the reluctantly heroic story of three soldiers who returned home from Iwo Jima and became pawns in the US government's attempt to sell the war to the American public. Ryan Philippe, Adam Beach, and Jesse Bradford all make the most of their time on-screen and bring justice to their real-life counterparts.
Honorable Mention: "Apocalypto," "Notes on a Scandal," "Children of Men," "An Inconvenient Truth," "The Devil Wears Prada," and "The Last King of Scotland."
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Wanted
If you think director Timur Bekmambetov’s name sounds cool, just wait until you experience his latest hyper-kinetic feast for the carnage-hungry eyes “Wanted” starring James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie. It’s a recklessly rip-ass Summer action flick that boasts an arsenal of gunfire and absurdity impressive enough to leave Michael Bay scratching his head. You know the old saying “in like a lion, out like a lamb?" Well, this film isn’t anything like that, because it comes in like a lion and out like a tiger just waiting to explode with every ounce of ravenous vivacity available.
McAvoy plays Wesley Gibson, a lowly account manager who is trapped in the monotonous world of cubicles and corporate tools with no feasible way of forging a more fecund daily existence. His wife is having an affair with his best friend, his boss is constantly pestering him about expense reports, and, at one point, his bank account contains a measly fourteen dollars. Needless to say, his life doesn’t appear to be going according to plan, so Jolie’s Fox (Coincidence? I think not) showing up with a vengeance to rescue to him is actually a blessing in disguise. She informs him that his father was killed and that he must begin fulfilling his destiny as one of the world’s most deadly assassins.
At first, he adamantly denies having any superhuman abilities, but when he shoots the wings off of flies, the gloves come off in a hurry. His training basically consists of being beaten to a pulp until he toughens up, so before you plan on taking the kids, be aware that Bekmambetov takes a brutal, no-frills approach to staging violence. Whatever degree of sucker Wesley had in him is quickly disposed of and his membership into The Fraternity is solidified following an extensive recovery.
Since the leader of the group is played by Morgan Freeman, we’re treated to some tongue-in-cheek scenes in which he spews out language seldom heard from the man who once played God. He plays Sloan with all the slick shadiness we’d expect from such a character and still has some of the villainous persona leftover from last year‘s “Gone Baby Gone.” When he lets Wesley in on where the list of targets comes from, the film takes an even more surreal turn toward the stylized dream state that made the graphic novel so popular in the first place.
Their motto is “Kill one, save a thousand,” but they operate with no guarantee that their victims will actually cause destruction. Each assassination is carried out with the utmost skill and, like the last two Bourne films, the camera never stops moving long enough to let you catch your breath. Whether it’s curving bullets or flipping vehicles, this film indulges in every over-the-top shoot ‘em up sequence possible and I was with them every step of the way.
Sure, the script has a few discrepancies regarding it’s final act, but the hot-blooded adrenaline rush it provides is exactly what a June release should strive for. The performances are terrific, the action is electric, and Jolie has never looked better.
In essence, the entire picture is a giant middle finger to anyone who slaves away in a dead-end desk job hoping for a big break that will never come. For those in The Fraternity, their day just wouldn’t be complete without a good shootout or high-speed chase to get them going. As McAvoy would say: What the F@&% have you done lately?
- *** 1/2 out of 4
McAvoy plays Wesley Gibson, a lowly account manager who is trapped in the monotonous world of cubicles and corporate tools with no feasible way of forging a more fecund daily existence. His wife is having an affair with his best friend, his boss is constantly pestering him about expense reports, and, at one point, his bank account contains a measly fourteen dollars. Needless to say, his life doesn’t appear to be going according to plan, so Jolie’s Fox (Coincidence? I think not) showing up with a vengeance to rescue to him is actually a blessing in disguise. She informs him that his father was killed and that he must begin fulfilling his destiny as one of the world’s most deadly assassins.
At first, he adamantly denies having any superhuman abilities, but when he shoots the wings off of flies, the gloves come off in a hurry. His training basically consists of being beaten to a pulp until he toughens up, so before you plan on taking the kids, be aware that Bekmambetov takes a brutal, no-frills approach to staging violence. Whatever degree of sucker Wesley had in him is quickly disposed of and his membership into The Fraternity is solidified following an extensive recovery.
Since the leader of the group is played by Morgan Freeman, we’re treated to some tongue-in-cheek scenes in which he spews out language seldom heard from the man who once played God. He plays Sloan with all the slick shadiness we’d expect from such a character and still has some of the villainous persona leftover from last year‘s “Gone Baby Gone.” When he lets Wesley in on where the list of targets comes from, the film takes an even more surreal turn toward the stylized dream state that made the graphic novel so popular in the first place.
Their motto is “Kill one, save a thousand,” but they operate with no guarantee that their victims will actually cause destruction. Each assassination is carried out with the utmost skill and, like the last two Bourne films, the camera never stops moving long enough to let you catch your breath. Whether it’s curving bullets or flipping vehicles, this film indulges in every over-the-top shoot ‘em up sequence possible and I was with them every step of the way.
Sure, the script has a few discrepancies regarding it’s final act, but the hot-blooded adrenaline rush it provides is exactly what a June release should strive for. The performances are terrific, the action is electric, and Jolie has never looked better.
In essence, the entire picture is a giant middle finger to anyone who slaves away in a dead-end desk job hoping for a big break that will never come. For those in The Fraternity, their day just wouldn’t be complete without a good shootout or high-speed chase to get them going. As McAvoy would say: What the F@&% have you done lately?
- *** 1/2 out of 4
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Finding Amanda
With such a Lifetime-esque title, I can easily see how one could mistake “Finding Amanda” for a trite, melodramatic sap-fest that appeals strictly to the estrogen crowd. But after listening to ten minutes of writer/director Peter Tolan’s profanity-laced venom masquerading as dialogue, it’s easier to see that any sense of sentimentality you may have been expecting has been openly checked at the door. This is a crass, free-spirited black comedy in which public indecency is just as popular as the slot machines inside the casino.
Matthew Broderick stars as Taylor, a smarmy television writer who’s struggling with just about every addiction you can think of yet promises to travel to Vegas and rescue his niece from prostitution. He vows not to gamble one cent while there, but the irresistible air of the track becomes too much to bear and soon enough the bank is prepared to thwart any major transaction he might be planning. When his wife discovers a check missing, she immediately catches on to his scheme and threatens to dissolve their marriage upon his return.
After a series of disappointments, Broderick makes a splendid return to the screen and delivers one of the most starkly funny performances of his career. No matter how despicable Taylor’s behavior becomes, he always seems to emit the ideal amount of humor and charisma to keep the audience on his side. The indelible personality that made Ferris Bueller such an iconic character is still very much in play even if on a more disheveled, self-conscious level.
When he finally spots Amanda (Brittany Snow), she appears to be in better shape than he is regardless of how many restroom rendezvous she’s been a part of. Her hair is bleach blond, her figure is tight, and she’s always perky enough to make you wonder whether her issues are indeed worthy of a stint in rehab. She does have somewhat of an anger-management problem, but Tolan doesn’t toil enough in that area, so I won’t bother discussing it.
Snow is desperately trying to shed her innocent girl image and, for the most part, her performance isn’t all that bad. She has a strangely honest on-screen connection with Broderick and her intensity level during some of the more critical scenes is commendable.
As the film sails toward its conclusion, the relationship between Taylor and Amanda is strained in more ways than one and the likelihood of anyone going to rehab diminishes by the second.
Their final encounter is endearing and evasive at the same time, but the last shot may frustrate those looking for a fairy tale ending. It’s not great, but it’s surely more enjoyable than “What Happens in Vegas” right?
- *** out of 4
Matthew Broderick stars as Taylor, a smarmy television writer who’s struggling with just about every addiction you can think of yet promises to travel to Vegas and rescue his niece from prostitution. He vows not to gamble one cent while there, but the irresistible air of the track becomes too much to bear and soon enough the bank is prepared to thwart any major transaction he might be planning. When his wife discovers a check missing, she immediately catches on to his scheme and threatens to dissolve their marriage upon his return.
After a series of disappointments, Broderick makes a splendid return to the screen and delivers one of the most starkly funny performances of his career. No matter how despicable Taylor’s behavior becomes, he always seems to emit the ideal amount of humor and charisma to keep the audience on his side. The indelible personality that made Ferris Bueller such an iconic character is still very much in play even if on a more disheveled, self-conscious level.
When he finally spots Amanda (Brittany Snow), she appears to be in better shape than he is regardless of how many restroom rendezvous she’s been a part of. Her hair is bleach blond, her figure is tight, and she’s always perky enough to make you wonder whether her issues are indeed worthy of a stint in rehab. She does have somewhat of an anger-management problem, but Tolan doesn’t toil enough in that area, so I won’t bother discussing it.
Snow is desperately trying to shed her innocent girl image and, for the most part, her performance isn’t all that bad. She has a strangely honest on-screen connection with Broderick and her intensity level during some of the more critical scenes is commendable.
As the film sails toward its conclusion, the relationship between Taylor and Amanda is strained in more ways than one and the likelihood of anyone going to rehab diminishes by the second.
Their final encounter is endearing and evasive at the same time, but the last shot may frustrate those looking for a fairy tale ending. It’s not great, but it’s surely more enjoyable than “What Happens in Vegas” right?
- *** out of 4
Monday, June 23, 2008
Be Kind Rewind and Shutter
“Be Kind Rewind” is a film for anyone who has ever been even the least bit enchanted by the inspirational magic of Hollywood’s finest technical wizardry. No matter how offbeat or fanciful things became, I couldn’t help but feel enamored by the production team’s ingenious approach to recreating some of the industry’s most unforgettable pictures. Whether you’re twenty-five or fifty-five, you’d be hard-pressed to find yourself not admiring the uncorrupted sentiment behind director Michel Gondry’s innovative cinematic daydream and I can only hope that it gains a stronger audience on DVD.
Taking a page out of the Surrealist’s Handbook, Gondry takes an otherwise loopy scenario involving a man whose brain becomes magnetized and transforms it into a sweet, good-natured meta-comedy that had me smiling throughout its entire one-hundred and two minute running time.
Jack Black and Mos Def make a winning on-screen pair of small town eccentrics and provide just the right balance between heart and absurdity to keep the film from experiencing an early downfall. Since they could actually pass for a couple of lumbering video store clerks from Passaic, Gondry doesn’t have to go out of his way to make the viewer believe that what they’re watching is plausible.
Had a showy A-list cast attempted to bring this story to life, I don’t think it would’ve survived much past the developmental stage, because Black and Def’s fervent enthusiasm for the material appears difficult to match.
Like most of Gondry’s finest work, this one didn’t receive the expanded release it deserved. While audiences were off indulging in tedious debris such as “Jumper” and “Semi Pro,” this quiet treasure struggled to crack the top-10 at the weekend box office and is now relegated to the shelf at your local video store. Here’s one tape I hope doesn’t get erased.
- *** out of 4
If anyone can offer a compelling reason as to why we needed a soulless, Americanized version of “Shutter,” I’d love to hear it.
Seriously, can anyone justify the creation of such a dense, mind-numbing excuse for a thriller that has absolutely no exhilaration whatsoever? I’m still waiting.
Rather than make you sweat it out, I’ll just go ahead and say that no such rationalization exists and let you in on just how insipid this film turns out to be.
Joshua Jackson and Rachel Taylor play a newlywed couple who travel to Tokyo and begin seeing the spirit of a dead woman in their photographs. At first, they have no idea who she is, but it’s later revealed that she’s one of his old girlfriends who never quite let go of the relationship. Is she really appearing from beyond the grave to terrorize them? Well, it’s either that or someone has been knocking back a little too much sake for my taste.
Then again, does it really matter? The so-called terrifying resolution to this tale is so utterly inept that it wouldn’t even be cruel if I revealed it right here, so before you let the trailer suck you in, take a deep breath and think carefully about what you’re about to do.
- * out of 4
Taking a page out of the Surrealist’s Handbook, Gondry takes an otherwise loopy scenario involving a man whose brain becomes magnetized and transforms it into a sweet, good-natured meta-comedy that had me smiling throughout its entire one-hundred and two minute running time.
Jack Black and Mos Def make a winning on-screen pair of small town eccentrics and provide just the right balance between heart and absurdity to keep the film from experiencing an early downfall. Since they could actually pass for a couple of lumbering video store clerks from Passaic, Gondry doesn’t have to go out of his way to make the viewer believe that what they’re watching is plausible.
Had a showy A-list cast attempted to bring this story to life, I don’t think it would’ve survived much past the developmental stage, because Black and Def’s fervent enthusiasm for the material appears difficult to match.
Like most of Gondry’s finest work, this one didn’t receive the expanded release it deserved. While audiences were off indulging in tedious debris such as “Jumper” and “Semi Pro,” this quiet treasure struggled to crack the top-10 at the weekend box office and is now relegated to the shelf at your local video store. Here’s one tape I hope doesn’t get erased.
- *** out of 4
If anyone can offer a compelling reason as to why we needed a soulless, Americanized version of “Shutter,” I’d love to hear it.
Seriously, can anyone justify the creation of such a dense, mind-numbing excuse for a thriller that has absolutely no exhilaration whatsoever? I’m still waiting.
Rather than make you sweat it out, I’ll just go ahead and say that no such rationalization exists and let you in on just how insipid this film turns out to be.
Joshua Jackson and Rachel Taylor play a newlywed couple who travel to Tokyo and begin seeing the spirit of a dead woman in their photographs. At first, they have no idea who she is, but it’s later revealed that she’s one of his old girlfriends who never quite let go of the relationship. Is she really appearing from beyond the grave to terrorize them? Well, it’s either that or someone has been knocking back a little too much sake for my taste.
Then again, does it really matter? The so-called terrifying resolution to this tale is so utterly inept that it wouldn’t even be cruel if I revealed it right here, so before you let the trailer suck you in, take a deep breath and think carefully about what you’re about to do.
- * out of 4
The Departed
Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed" is a gritty yet exceptionally riveting film that paints a stunning portrait of what can happen when the Massachusetts State Police Department goes head-to-head with a Boston crime syndicate. It’s being marketed as a remake of 2002’s Hong Kong cop film “Infernal Affairs" , but it’s not so much a remake as it is an Americanized revision of an already intriguing story.
Scorsese and screenwriter William Monahan have simply taken the basic structure of its predecessor and reworked it into a glorified Hollywood action film full of unexpected twists and brilliant performances.
Everything from the rapid, graphic violence to the Rolling Stones' 'Gimme Shelter' made it wildly entertaining and demonstrated Scorsese’s superb ability to lull his audience into submission.
Leonardo DiCaprio seems to be getting even better with each performance and his on-screen presence has grown tremendously. I think the decision to pair him with Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson was a brilliant move, because they seem to feed off of one another to make each scene that much more believable.
Here, DiCaprio plays William Costigan, a rookie cop who is pulled out of the police academy to infiltrate the Boston mob run by Nicholson’s character, Frank Costello.
At the same time, Costello sends his own “rat" into the police department in hopes of gaining even more control over illegal activity. Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is a career criminal, who was taken in by Costello at a young age and given a first-hand look at what life in the mob is all about. Sullivan quickly rises up the police ranks and is soon put in charge of the entire investigation involving Costello’s illegal dealings.
Both DiCaprio and Damon deliver thrilling, first-rate performances, but I would give a slight edge to DiCaprio, because he completely consumes everything that Costigan stands for and is ultimately the more sympathetic of the two characters.
When both organizations find out they may have a “rat", a complex game of cat-and-mouse ensues as both “rats" are trying to find one another before it’s too late. As if the story wasn’t intricate enough, Scorsese includes a storyline in which Costigan and Sullivan are both involved with the same woman, which serves to complicate things even more when she becomes pregnant.
At the head of everything is Irish mob boss Frank Costello, whose appetite for violence matches his appetite for women. Jack Nicholson is known for his dark, off-the-wall characters and what he achieves with Costello has to be one of his best. I think the fact that Nicholson rewrote the character to make him even more rotten, pretty much sums up how great the performance really is. During the opening monologue, we hear Costello say “I don’t wanna be a product of my environment I want my environment to be a product of me" and he is determined to stand by that statement.
At 69, Jack seems to be having a great time indulging in such over-the-top roles and should receive an Oscar nomination in February.
During the last twenty minutes of the film, things become a little hectic and bodies begin to pile up, which all lead up to a rooftop showdown between Costigan and Sullivan to determine their fate.
In Martin Scorsese’s world, there is no such thing as a happy ending and “The Departed" proves to be no different. For every good thing that happens, there are five bad things that follow, which makes the ending seem like the only appropriate outcome to one of the best films of the year.
Scorsese is known for incorporating biblical themes into his films and in the end, death may be the only true way for his characters to atone for their sins.
- **** out of 4
Scorsese and screenwriter William Monahan have simply taken the basic structure of its predecessor and reworked it into a glorified Hollywood action film full of unexpected twists and brilliant performances.
Everything from the rapid, graphic violence to the Rolling Stones' 'Gimme Shelter' made it wildly entertaining and demonstrated Scorsese’s superb ability to lull his audience into submission.
Leonardo DiCaprio seems to be getting even better with each performance and his on-screen presence has grown tremendously. I think the decision to pair him with Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson was a brilliant move, because they seem to feed off of one another to make each scene that much more believable.
Here, DiCaprio plays William Costigan, a rookie cop who is pulled out of the police academy to infiltrate the Boston mob run by Nicholson’s character, Frank Costello.
At the same time, Costello sends his own “rat" into the police department in hopes of gaining even more control over illegal activity. Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is a career criminal, who was taken in by Costello at a young age and given a first-hand look at what life in the mob is all about. Sullivan quickly rises up the police ranks and is soon put in charge of the entire investigation involving Costello’s illegal dealings.
Both DiCaprio and Damon deliver thrilling, first-rate performances, but I would give a slight edge to DiCaprio, because he completely consumes everything that Costigan stands for and is ultimately the more sympathetic of the two characters.
When both organizations find out they may have a “rat", a complex game of cat-and-mouse ensues as both “rats" are trying to find one another before it’s too late. As if the story wasn’t intricate enough, Scorsese includes a storyline in which Costigan and Sullivan are both involved with the same woman, which serves to complicate things even more when she becomes pregnant.
At the head of everything is Irish mob boss Frank Costello, whose appetite for violence matches his appetite for women. Jack Nicholson is known for his dark, off-the-wall characters and what he achieves with Costello has to be one of his best. I think the fact that Nicholson rewrote the character to make him even more rotten, pretty much sums up how great the performance really is. During the opening monologue, we hear Costello say “I don’t wanna be a product of my environment I want my environment to be a product of me" and he is determined to stand by that statement.
At 69, Jack seems to be having a great time indulging in such over-the-top roles and should receive an Oscar nomination in February.
During the last twenty minutes of the film, things become a little hectic and bodies begin to pile up, which all lead up to a rooftop showdown between Costigan and Sullivan to determine their fate.
In Martin Scorsese’s world, there is no such thing as a happy ending and “The Departed" proves to be no different. For every good thing that happens, there are five bad things that follow, which makes the ending seem like the only appropriate outcome to one of the best films of the year.
Scorsese is known for incorporating biblical themes into his films and in the end, death may be the only true way for his characters to atone for their sins.
- **** out of 4
The Devil Wears Prada
On the outside, Director David Frankel’s new film “The Devil Wears Prada" appears to be nothing more than over-hyped fluff being marketed as a deliciously funny tale about the inside world of the fashion industry. While this may sound appealing to some people, I had my doubts about whether or not it could possibly deliver and was a little skeptical about what kind of movie it was going to be. It took only a few minutes before I realized my negativity had been premature and I had a feeling I was in for quite the surprise.
Based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger, it tells the story of Andy Sachs, an ambitious young woman who comes to New York in hopes of becoming a high profile journalist, but ultimately ends up working as an assistant at one of the largest fashion magazines in the world. Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, soon finds that it will be no easy task keeping up with the lavish lifestyle of fashion’s elite, but is determined to succeed. Whether it’s getting coffee or buying clothes, she seems willing to do anything to make a name for herself.
At this point, I found the plot to be rather ordinary in its development and it quickly became fairly predictable storytelling.
It isn’t until we meet Andy’s boss that the film really begins to take off and acquire a much needed boost of comedic energy.
Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, rules over her empire with an iron fist and when it comes to fashion designing, she is almost impossible to please. Since the company lives and dies by her opinion, everyone in her presence better have something important to add or should not even bother coming back.
In a purely dazzling performance, Streep consumes the role of Miranda and delivers her lines with such devilish elegance that she appears to be on her way to yet another Oscar nomination. Hathaway clearly benefits from having Streep on screen and her performance is more convincing because of it.
As Andy becomes more involved in the company, her personal life starts to suffer and she soon has no time for anything other than catering to Miranda’s needs. In a humorous, yet outlandish scene, Miranda demands that Andy obtain two copies of the unpublished Harry Potter novel for her children to read while traveling. To me, it seems a bit unbelievable, but I guess you just have to go with it.
Finally, all of her hard work pays off when she is chosen to accompany Miranda on a trip to Paris and get a real taste of what the fashion world is really all about. She instantly learns how harsh it can be and starts to think that it may not be what she is looking for. It is about this time that the film goes on autopilot and just kind of glides toward the conclusion.
Despite the somewhat predictable ending, strong performances from both Streep and Hathaway make enough noise along the way to add an impressive quality to a film that would otherwise be of little interest to people like myself. Frankel manages to paint an intriguing picture of a relentlessly shallow industry that will stop at nothing to achieve perfection. By having a rare combination of great acting and cleverly written comedy, it is able flourish at a level that most films of this genre rarely ascend to. What I think works best about this film is its ability to appeal to people of all ages and as Miranda Priestly would say “That’s all."
- *** ½ out of 4
Based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger, it tells the story of Andy Sachs, an ambitious young woman who comes to New York in hopes of becoming a high profile journalist, but ultimately ends up working as an assistant at one of the largest fashion magazines in the world. Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, soon finds that it will be no easy task keeping up with the lavish lifestyle of fashion’s elite, but is determined to succeed. Whether it’s getting coffee or buying clothes, she seems willing to do anything to make a name for herself.
At this point, I found the plot to be rather ordinary in its development and it quickly became fairly predictable storytelling.
It isn’t until we meet Andy’s boss that the film really begins to take off and acquire a much needed boost of comedic energy.
Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, rules over her empire with an iron fist and when it comes to fashion designing, she is almost impossible to please. Since the company lives and dies by her opinion, everyone in her presence better have something important to add or should not even bother coming back.
In a purely dazzling performance, Streep consumes the role of Miranda and delivers her lines with such devilish elegance that she appears to be on her way to yet another Oscar nomination. Hathaway clearly benefits from having Streep on screen and her performance is more convincing because of it.
As Andy becomes more involved in the company, her personal life starts to suffer and she soon has no time for anything other than catering to Miranda’s needs. In a humorous, yet outlandish scene, Miranda demands that Andy obtain two copies of the unpublished Harry Potter novel for her children to read while traveling. To me, it seems a bit unbelievable, but I guess you just have to go with it.
Finally, all of her hard work pays off when she is chosen to accompany Miranda on a trip to Paris and get a real taste of what the fashion world is really all about. She instantly learns how harsh it can be and starts to think that it may not be what she is looking for. It is about this time that the film goes on autopilot and just kind of glides toward the conclusion.
Despite the somewhat predictable ending, strong performances from both Streep and Hathaway make enough noise along the way to add an impressive quality to a film that would otherwise be of little interest to people like myself. Frankel manages to paint an intriguing picture of a relentlessly shallow industry that will stop at nothing to achieve perfection. By having a rare combination of great acting and cleverly written comedy, it is able flourish at a level that most films of this genre rarely ascend to. What I think works best about this film is its ability to appeal to people of all ages and as Miranda Priestly would say “That’s all."
- *** ½ out of 4
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