The Tillman Story

You may remember your high school teacher asking you to write a narrative, generally a story relating an event, which may or may not be completely true.  In Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary “The Tillman Story,” Pat Tillman’s family considers the elaborate story the U.S. government created surrounding the death of their loved one to be just such a questionable tale.  Throughout the film, Tillman’s family and friends call the story the government released and the press perpetuated a fiction, at one point saying the eulogy given at Tillman’s San Jose memorial service was “based on a Silver Star narrative”.

The film, nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, begins with a promo clip Tillman recorded for his NFL career.  He states his name and position, and then stares at the camera.  Uncomfortably, and for far too long.  As it turns out, the cameraman told him to do so, and he did.  The effect is unsettling, similar to that of the movie poster.  Pat Tillman is often shown staring at us – the audience – not quite accusingly, but more with pride as we voyeuristically delve into the details of his death, and life.  (Note that the film ends with a similar shot of Tillman’s mother, the camera lingers just a little too long, until the audience, embarrassed at how much of her life we’ve witnessed, turns away first.)

Tillman is presented as having wanted to be treated like any other soldier, and his family repeatedly says they want to be allowed to grieve in private, but the government and press did not allow them this simple honor.  Yet, to be fair, neither do the filmmakers.  Tillman was no ordinary soldier, his death no ordinary death.  Pat Tillman was a football star, first for Arizona State University and then for the Arizona Cardinals, who gave up a multi-million dollar pro football contract to join the military.  From the day he enlisted, (which was not, as the press has led us to believe, the day after 9/11) military officials sent out memos that Tillman was a soldier to keep an eye on.

Tillman’s death was first reported as a heroic incident where he sacrificed himself to save his fellow soldiers, one of whom was his younger brother Kevin.  Eventually, the family and the world learned that Tillman was actually a victim of friendly fire.  The documentary traces the Tillman family’s struggle to get to the actual truth, and locate someone in the military who will take responsibility for the cover-up, and for using their son and his death as a publicity tool.

Bar-Lev interviews other soldiers as well, most of whom were told to stay quiet by the military, including somewhat sinister comments like “your career’s on the line, don’t tell…what happened”.  Also interviewed are neighbors and a blogger named Stan Goff, who helped Tillman’s mother sort through the 3,000 pages of documents the military gave her, in hopes the overwhelming task would quiet her.  Goff, comparing Tillman’s story to that of Jennifer Lynch, whose own incident was quickly disproven, says “If you want to get the public to co-sign (military action) you have to give them something they’re willing to co-sign.”  According to the director, the rescue of Lynch was delayed so a combat camera crew could record the events, and Tillman was among the soldiers setting up the perimeter for that attempt.  Goff also believes both soldiers fell victim to “the perception management aspect of the war”.

Bar-Lev displays military documents from the Tillman investigation, including comments from soldiers involved regarding why they unknowingly fired on their own men (summarized by “I was excited,” and “I wanted to stay in the firefight”).  One soldier even says that when 9/11 occurred they were “pumped because we knew we were gonna go to war”.  In their defense, the director reminds us that these are not, in many cases, mature adults, but teenagers.  Goff, a Vietnam veteran, recalls how young soldiers are always focused on “giving a practical demonstration of their masculinity…it’s like a locker room atmosphere”.

“The Tillman Story” effectively shows that a cover-up of the friendly fire incident went all the way to the highest positions in our government, and when investigated by Congress, cabinet members and multi-star generals denied ever having seen memos reporting Tillman’s death, if they admitted receiving them at all.  Even a convenient retiree couldn’t provide the military the scapegoat it appeared to desperately need to reach any sort of conclusion regarding the matter.

In the end, Tillman’s mother says it’s “immoral” for the government to have turned a young man with honorable intentions into a propaganda tool.  The precipice Bar-Lev walks (rather steadily) is for the audience not to realize that he has done exactly that.  Propaganda is propaganda, no matter whose side you’re on.  “The Tillman Story” is a film that deserves to be seen for this very reason: to understand the techniques both governments and documentary filmmakers use to manipulate emotions and perceptions.

Machete

“I sell tacos to the workers of the world.  It fills their bellies with something other than hate.”

I hate to pick on poor, poor Michael Cera again, but his situation helps when approaching discussion of Danny Trejo.  As audience members, we usually know the score with most actors.  Some immerse themselves so deeply you can begin to see them as a different entity; Daniel Day-Lewis in “Gangs of New York” and “There Will Be Blood”, and Al Pacino in “Glengarry Glen Ross” stand out in my mind as actors who suddenly don’t seem like themselves (and without the benefit of complete masks of make-up).  Some actors don’t make much effort to hide: an accent or hairstyle might be the extent of how they obscure themselves in the character’s name, but they are very clearly “Harvey Keitel as an FBI agent” or “Harrison Ford as The President”.  The elder DeNiro is very much this kind of actor, but given the extent of his earlier efforts, one can almost give him a pass despite hoping that each new film might bring back that adventurous artist once more.

Then again, there are actors whose very physical presence fulfills their performance requirements.  Cera, on one end of the spectrum, is one of these.  Danny Trejo is another.

Trejo has made a career out of the grim-faced, imposing hulk who has threatened his way across 25 years of cinema.  The long hair, tattoos, skin as raw and worn as the earth itself.  Yet the actor has a very winning presence on screen, and audiences love when he makes an appearance.

He also seems to be good friends with Austin-based guerilla filmmaker Robert Rodriquez, co-starring in most of his films to great effect (Trejo’s one nice-guy performance?  “Spy Kids”, where he plays…Uncle Machete?).  So when Rodriguez’s contribution to the “Grindhouse” experience included a fake trailer for a funny, bloody, action-packed thriller called “Machete”, it became a huge hit with fans.

Now we have the feature version of “Machete”, and it is safe to say that Rodriguez, Trejo & company have created what should be known as the official last film of summer.  It has all the action, humor and bloodletting that a summer release is expected to supply, and should have been released back in June during what has become known as one of the least consistent summers of recent years.

“Machete” hits all the highpoints of that earlier fake trailer (save for the dispatching of a certain henchman with a buzz saw), and makes a grave tale out of its immigration-policy-wrapped-in-drug-trade-meets-grindhouse-crime-thriller plot.  More to the point: Rodriguez has charged his cast with taking the silliness of the story and treating it terribly seriously.  There is an over-archness to many of the characters that hasn’t been seen on screen since the exploitation of the Seventies.  Yet the filmmakers decided to utilize the faux-scratchy film and poorly-lit and -framed grindhouse effects in the opening scene and credit sequence only.  Past that, the film looks fairly normal.

Machete (Trejo) is a Mexican Federale out to nab drug kingpin Torrez (a sublimely stiff Steven Seagal).  Hiding out stateside years after a bust gone bad with deeply personal losses, Machete comes across Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), a taco-truck revolutionary who leads a network of citizens and illegal immigrants who want to safeguard migrant workers from unsavory politicians like Senator John McLaughlin (a Texas-twangin’ DeNiro, huffing and puffing borderline hate speech) and vigilantes such as Lt. Stillman (“introducing” a flat-out terrific Don Johnson).   Machete is approached by businessman Booth (Jeff Fahey), who thinks the lawman is an illegal, and offers him a job: assassinate the Senator at a rally the next day, and prevent his efforts to lock down the country behind an electrified fence.  But Booth is tied to powers that will create a lot of trouble for Machete, Luz and the network, and from the sidelines, a young, idealistic ICE agent (Jessica Alba) thinks she can set things in motion to prevent that from happening.

The film has a consistency of tone and pace (rare for exploitation films), which works to its advantage.  It never feels jokey or winks at the camera; it just keeps punching the right buttons every step of the way.  Gory dismemberments; straight-faced, perfectly-timed comedy; dialogue as soapy as it is seriously delivered; perfect action poses: check, check, check.  “Machete” provides an all-around good time, for the sexy, sassy, explosive fun that the season demands.

What surprises there are can be found in the casting.  Fahey has a lot to do in the film, and he chews up scenery and delivers terse ultimatums with the best of them.  But Johnson, almost forgotten though not out of the game, treats his murderous, hate-filled character as if he were aiming for an Oscar.  It’s one of those performances where, again, you almost wouldn’t realize it was that Don Johnson if you hadn’t already been told.

Some casting seems a bit more fun, and some more creepily obvious.  Cheech Marin (another Rodriguez regular) plays Machete’s brother Padre, who handles a shotgun with the same ease he hears confession.   But as Booth’s drugged-up, half-naked, celebrity-seeking daughter, Lindsey Lohan has the least to do of anyone, and what she does is queasily close to real life (short of throwing on a habit and shooting bad guys, of course).

Despite its grindhouse pedigree, “Machete” does offer a few original sights, like a man leaping out of a window, using an enemy’s entrails as a jump-cord.  Let it suffice that the film has a hard-R rating, and with good reason.  But that doesn’t detract from the level of enjoyment it brings.  “Machete” ends the summer on a rare high-note, and sets the bar for grimy, good exploitation fun.

Going the Distance

“Going the Distance” is an adult-minded romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, who just happen to be a former couple off screen, which could account for their great rapport in the film.  Garrett (Long), suffering from a break up earlier that day, meets Erin (Barrymore) in a bar by distracting her from beating her high score on an arcade game.  Erin has six weeks left in New York City as a summer intern for a local newspaper, but despite this the two hit it off, date and ultimately fall in love.  A journalism major at Stanford, Erin must soon head across the country to her hometown of San Francisco, and reality hits the couple hard.  Who expects to fall in love in such a short period of time?  So they try to make a very long distance relationship work.

Not unlike other long-distance-relationship stories, “Going the Distance” shows us the trials and tribulations the couple goes through while trying to keep their love alive across thousands of miles: distractions, temptations and time zone differences.  Both Erin and Garrett look for jobs in each other’s cities so they can be closer to each other, to no avail.  However, Erin’s willingness to sacrifice lifestyle and career quickly becomes obvious, while Garrett doesn’t bend as easily.  A junior executive at a record label, Garrett doesn’t even like his job, but expects Erin to give up a once-in-a-lifetime journalism opportunity in San Francisco to live with him in NYC.  Erin has tried this before, and doesn’t want to leave her life behind for a guy who doesn’t seem willing to reciprocate.

Erin and Garrett are fun-loving characters, but seem rather dull and mundane in comparison to some of the more interesting supporting cast.  Standouts include Erin’s protective, paranoid sister, Corrine (Christina Applegate), who also suffers as a germaphobe.  Corrine’s husband, Phil (Jim Gaffigan), tends to show up at the wrong place and time.  Humor is also supplied by Garrett’s friends, Dan (Charlie Day) and Box (Jason Sudeikis), who like to set the tone for Erin and Garrett’s hookups by DJing through the bedroom walls.

The film’s style shifts, at times feeling like a hand-held documentary, leaving the camera movements shaky and the picture fuzzy.  It is unclear if the few scenes in which this occurs are intentional, and it distracts from the enjoyment of the story.

“Going the Distance” really falls short in how its humor has been targeted: based on the film’s trailers, audiences will probably expect a date-night version of fun, light romantic comedy.  Think again.  The humor is highly sexually-charged, to the point of being over-the-top and annoying at times.  The filmmakers could have reached a much broader audience by toning down some of the more crass, immature high school-level jokes.  “Going the Distance” promises sturdy, adult, romantic comedy, but starts to come across as silly and crude as a lost “American Pie” sequel.

Mesrine: A Film in Two Parts: Part Two

“Have you read my book?”

“Mesrine: Public Enemy # 1″ opens on the aftermath of the 1979 attack that began the first film. We quickly rush back to 1973, with the criminal being questioned by cops about his latest excursion.  Again, the sly humor of Richet’s film slips out, as Mesrine admits to robbery and attempted murder, but won’t accept charges of check forgery (“I won’t confess to stuff I didn’t do.  That’s only logical.”).  Due to a legal loophole, Mesrine must be tried in a specific court and has planned ahead.  Of all of his daring escapes and break-ins, none is quite as audacious as when he takes a judge hostage in the middle of sentencing.

The second half of the Mesrine story is a trickier one; the lead character isn’t just learning the ropes of crime and excelling, he’s now almost drunk from his success.  After writing his memoir, Mesrine frequently speaks with reporters and interviewers as if he is a bad-boy rock star, or revolutionary pop-icon.  But the cycle of his crimes and prison stays continues to ebb and flow, the rhythm broken most notably with Mesrine’s introduction to Francois Besse (a shifty-eyed Mathieu Amalric) where he carries out an intricately planned escape from a high-security prison, and then goes on the lam with Besse, at one point hijacking a family from their country home to cross a police checkpoint.  It is a harrowing sequence: we know Besse is a bit of a hothead, and the tense moments with the father of the family leave you wondering what will happen next.  Then there is Mesrine’s anarchic, revolutionary compatriot Charly Bauer (Gerald Lanvin), who, like many of his associates, is turned off by Mesrine’s constant bellowing about tearing down the system of judges and government rule, when it’s only just been about robbery, murder and celebrity.  Eventually Mesrine turns everyone away except for Sylvie Jeanjacquot (the lovely Ludivine Sagnier), his final love and partner.

That is not to say the film doesn’t have its winning moments.  Again, the Besse section is compelling for the thrill of its sheer uncertainty.  Mesrine also has what could amount to the two films’ most touching and telling scene, when he goes in disguise to see his ailing father in a hospital (“The banks were closed.  I figured I would visit.”).  It is here Mesrine takes the opportunity to tell his father that he wasn’t a very good son or father, and both men seem able to accept each other as they are, without judgment.  But quieter moments are short-lived, and soon we are back to work.

In truth, the Mesrine story makes a good comparison to two American classics: “Killer Instinct” is very close to “Goodfellas” in that it shows the growth of the criminal and the dangers that are exposed when he steps outside the boundaries of his “industry” and becomes more reckless.  On the other hand, “Public Enemy # 1″ feels more like “Scarface”: ego and desire for attention have driven the capable man into slippery territory, where ultimately the opposition gets the upper hand.

But perhaps the best comparison is to Steven Soderbergh’s recent (and similarly split) “Che”.  Both stories have first halves that are tightly controlled, richly designed, and acute in their ability to focus on the individual wrapping his arms around a cause (good or bad).  Yet they both suffer during their respective second halves from the sense they are unfocused and cluttered, and as films are not as attractive on the screen.  Perhaps the trouble is more with filmmakers’ choices of which parts of their real-life subjects’ lives to cover, and which to set aside.  Richet’s “Mesrine” is astonishingly good as a beginning, but as en ending is merely adequate.

SMALLVILLE:

THE COMPLETE NINTH SEASON

Collectible Multi-Disc Set on DVD and Blu-ray™

Includes Never-Before-Seen

Featurettes and Unaired Scenes From the Ninth Season

Flying into Homes Everywhere from Warner Home Video on September 7

Hearts grow fonder and dangers grow stronger as Smallville returns with new characters, adventure and conflict. The longest-running “Superman” TV series continues with the release of Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season on DVD and Blu-ray™ on September 7, 2010. In this multi-disc collection from Warner Home Video, Metropolis’s clock tower tolls our characters’ darkest hour as Clark Kent finally makes his first attempts to embrace his calling as a hero.   Bonus features include cast and creator commentaries, unaired scenes and two never-been-seen featurettes: “Kneel Before Zod” and “Justice for All.”

In Season Nine – starring Tom Welling, Allison Mack, Erica Durance, Cassidy Freeman, Callum Blue and Justin Hartley – fans see what a great planet Earth is. So great that other survivors of Planet Krypton wouldn’t mind making it home and taking control. But fellow Kryptonian Clark Kent rises to the occasion and sends a warning for Zod and his followers who cross the line, especially if they seek to enlist Lois Lane in their schemes.  Plus, unexpected characters from DC Comics lore add exciting new layers to the adventures of the man who will become Superman. Among them: the shape-shifting Wonder Twins, magical Zatanna and in an action-packed Double Episode, Justice Society of America’s Doctor Fate, Hawkman and Stargirl.

Smallville was developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, and is based on DC Comics characters. The executive producers for Season Nine are Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson, James Marshall, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series is from Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros. Television. The 10^th and final season of Smallville premieres this fall, airing Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW Network.

To pre-order click here.

SPECIAL FEATURES

•         “Kneel Before Zod” Featurette – An in-depth look at this dynamic criminal from Krypton, his origins in DC’s silver age, and his various appearances in more recent film, animation, and live-action television.

•         “Justice for All” Featurette – In this script-to-screen featurette, we’ll meet with Smallville creative team as they bring the Justice Society of America, one of the comic world’s most iconic teams of superheroes, to television for the first time.

•         Cast/Creator Commentaries on episodes Idol and Kandor

•         Unaired Scenes

EPISODES FEATURED

20 1-Hour Episodes & 1 2-hour Episode

1.      Savior

2.      Metallo

3.      Rabid

4.      Echo

5.      Roulette

6.      Crossfire

7.      Kandor

8.      Idol

9.      Pandora

10. Disciple

11. Absolute Justice (2-hour episode)

12. Warrior

13. Persuasion

14. Conspiracy

15. Escape

16. Checkmate

17. Upgrade

18. Charade

19. Sacrifice

20. Hostage

21. Salvation

Season Six Premiere on The CW

The Apocalypse Looms on DVD and Blu-ray™ September 7, 2010

The Winchester brothers will rev up their ‘67 Chevy Impala once again in Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season, debuting on DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def from Warner Home Video on September 7, 2010. This latest installment of the three-time Emmy®-nominated series and winner of the 2010 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show will hit shelves just in time for fans to catch up with Sam (Jared Padelecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) before the paranormal journey continues with the season six premiere on The CW. The six-disc DVD and four-disc Blu-ray releases contain all 22 original season five episodes, plus nearly three hours of bonus features including featurettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel and much more. 

Two brothers and one fallen angel – against all the might of Satan and his army! As the Apocalypse grows closer, threatening to turn Earth into a battlefield soaked with human blood, Sam, Dean and Castiel struggle against daunting odds. New foes arise, including the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Old friends depart, consumed by the fearsome wrath of Hell. Through it all, the Winchesters are targeted by demons and angels alike, who warn that each brother has a special and terrible role to play in the coming devastation. Season five follows Sam and Dean on their most terrifying journey yet, one that may lead them to the only ally strong enough to defeat the Devil: God.

Supernatural stars Jared Padalecki (Friday the 13^th [2009]), Jensen Ackles (My Bloody Valentine 3D) and Misha Collins (24), with recurring guest star Jim Beaver (Deadwood). The series was created by Eric Kripke, who executive produces along with McG, Robert Singer, Phil Sgriccia, Ben Edlund and Sera Gamble. The series is from Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television.

To pre-order click here.

DVD and BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

•         Supernatural: Apocalypse Survival Guides – Bobby’s Exclusive Video Collection

•         Ghostfacers: The Web Series

•         Producer/Writer Commentary on Episode 4, The End

•         Unaired Scene from Episode 9, The Real Ghostbusters

•         Gag Reel

EPISODES FEATURED

1. Sympathy for the Devil
2. Good God, Y’all!
3. Free to Be You and Me
4. The End
5. Fallen Idols
6. I Believe the Children Are Our Future
7. The Curious Case of Dean Winchester
8. Changing Channels
9. The Real Ghostbusters
10. Abandon All Hope
11. Sam, Interrupted
12. Swap Meat
13. The Song Remains the Same
14. My Bloody Valentine
15. Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid
16. Dark Side of the Moon
17. 99 Problems
18. Point of No Return
19. Hammer of the Gods
20. The Devil You Know
21. Two Minutes to Midnight
22. Swan Song

PLEASE GIVE

STARRING TWO-TIME OSCAR® NOMINEE CATHERINE KEENER AND OLIVER PLATT

Coming to Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD on Oct. 19, 2010

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment places human nature under a microscope when Nicole Holofcener’s (Friends with Money, Lovely & Amazing) Please Give debuts on high-definition Blu-ray Disc  Kate (Catherine Keener, Oscar® Nominee for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Capote, 2005 and Oscar® Nominee for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Being John Malkovich, 1999) and Alex (Oliver Platt, Frost/Nixon, The Bronx Is Burning) star as a couple living in New York with their daughter Abby (Sarah Steele, Spanglish, The Lucky Ones) who decide to take over the apartment next door to ease the growing pressure on their marriage, business and family.  When their elderly neighbor Andra (Ann Morgan Guilbert, Grumpier Old Men, Sour Grapes) and her two loyal granddaughters, Rebecca (Rebecca Hall, Vicky Christina Barcelona, The Prestige) and Mary (Amanda Peet, Syriana, The Whole Nine Yards), don’t see eye to eye with Kate and Alex, this quirky comedic tale of human foibles takes an unpredictable turn.  Since its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Please Give continues to captivate audiences with its A-list ensemble cast.

The special features include a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Please Give, outtakes and clips of a Q&A with Nicole Holofcener.

Please Give Synopsis:
Married antique dealers Kate and Alex (Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt) plan on gutting the apartment they own next door to remodel and expand their home once Andra, the cranky, elderly widow (Ann Guilbert) who lives there finally dies.  When Kate, conflicted with her own guilt, befriends Andra’s granddaughters (Rebecca Hall and Amanda Peet), the results are anything but predictable in this devastatingly-candid dramedy that examines life and death…and everything in between.

Special Features Include:
* Behind the Scenes of Please Give
* Outtakes
* Nicole Holofcener Q&A Clips
* BD-Live™ (Blu-ray™ only)

Please Give has a run time of 90 minutes and is rated R for language, sex and nudity.

The American

It was clear fifteen minutes into Anton Corbijn’s “The American” that the movie was not going to match its action-based promotion.  Trailers promise action, beautiful women, and George Clooney as an assassin with the apprehensive eyes of a seasoned killer.  Two out of three isn’t bad.  There are beautiful women, and George Clooney does have the eyes of a killer…a lady killer.  But the story’s pacing is the most surprising discrepancy.  TV ads compare Clooney’s Jack to Jason Bourne, but it’s important to realize this tale is not at all like the bone-crunching, fast-edit action of a Jason Bourne film.

“The American” starts off strikingly: after a near-silent introduction to Jack and the first of his lovely lady “friends”, Corbijn throws the audience right into Jack’s life of espionage.  The visuals in this first scene establish the mood for the rest of the movie: cold, bleak images of snow mirror the physical surroundings and emotional states of all involved.   Jack is a professional, so when he senses something out of place, he quickly leaves three bodies in the snow and flees from Sweden to Italy.

The brevity of this first scene only shows us that Jack is not a man to take for granted,  yet he and his work are still a mystery.  Once in Rome he is told to hide out in a small mountain town until his next assignment is ready.  His handler (John Leysen) informs him that the new job involves building a gun instead of killing.  He is contacted by a mysterious woman named Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), who has commissioned the weapon and requires very strict specifications.  Jack spends much of the rest of the movie building it. While the plot slinks along, Jack (now going by “Edward”) beds a prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido) and slowly allows her into his life, though he was been warned to keep his head down, not to talk to any townspeople and “don’t make any new friends”.   But Jack does his own thing, because he’s a lean, mean, killing machine, and if he wants to take a lover or have dinner with the town’s elder priest (Paolo Bonacelli), then that’s exactly what he’s going to do.

Jack spends a majority of the film on his own tinkering with his assignment, and the dialogue is so minimal that it’s surprising when he does speak.  Clooney brings Jack up from a very deep place, and it’s easy to get drawn into his impressively still and quiet performance.  He plays the character entirely through his eyes, every emotion pouring from them as Jack’s situation delicately unfolds.  His vulnerability lies right under the surface of the hardened professional, as he is a fragile man constantly placed on the brink.  Clooney’s attention to detail and reserved acting carries the movie when other elements fail to, such as the interminable pacing and seemingly non-existent story.

“The American” is not intended for action lovers, as it demands the viewer’s full attention and strictest patience.  Once the climax reveals itself, the layers Corbijn has placed consistently throughout the film peel away, and what is left is a surprisingly adept character study.

Successful PR pro Marni (Kristen Bell) heads home for her older brother’s (Jimmy Wolk) wedding and discovers that he’s marrying her high school arch nemesis (Odette Yustman), who’s conveniently forgotten their problematic past. Then the bride’s jet-setting aunt (Sigourney Weaver) bursts in and Marni’s not-so-jet-setting mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes face to face with her own high school rival. The claws come out and old wounds are opened in this crazy comedy that proves that not all rivalries are forever.

Soren, a young barn owl, is kidnapped by owls of St. Aggie’s, ostensibly an orphanage, where owlets are brainwashed into becoming soldiers. He and his new friends escape to the island of Ga’Hoole, to assist its noble, wise owls who fight the army being created by the wicked rulers of St. Aggie’s. The film is based on the first three books in the series.