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Man on a Ledge (2012) review

2012-01-26T15:33:00.000-06:00

Image property of Summit Entertainment

There are times when you can tell quite a bit of thought went into naming a movie i.e. Inception, Super 8, and 50/50. They're titles that perfectly describe the film you're about to see, but have a bit more meaning after seeing them. While other movies jump straight to the point with their titles, which certainly isn't always a bad thing; look at Drive, Moon, and The Crow. All three movies are better known for the acclaim they've received (from both fans and critics) rather than the amount of money they made at the box office. The title of a movie can go a long way, but in certain circumstances it can sum up an entire movie in a handful of words. Man on a Ledge is a prime example of delivering exactly what you're expecting.

Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) is an ex-con who is trying to convince the world that he's an innocent man, but that's a bit difficult when you break out of prison after serving two years on a thirty year sentence. Instead of talking to a lawyer or taking the advice of his former police comrades, Nick steps out onto the ledge of a building. He wants the world to believe he is innocent or else he's going to paint the asphalt with his insides. Little do they know that Nick's suicide attraction is nothing more than a distraction. Across the street, Nick's brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and his girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez) are breaking in to steal the $40 million dollar diamond Nick was convicted of stealing. But time is running out and Nick can only stall for so long as Joey and Angie run into some unexpected surprises that weren't a part of the plan.

Man on a Ledge just becomes more and more awkward as it drags on. It's as if the movie can't decide what type of story it wants to tell. We follow Nick around for a bit in the present day seeing how the first part of the day panned out before he stepped out onto that ledge, but then we jump back three years to understand why he went to prison. The nonlinear sense of storytelling is fine, but it feels a bit out of place when it's used so early on in a film without ever really returning to that format again. Then the pacing becomes a huge issue. Man on a Ledge is very go-go-go the entire movie and it never really gives you enough time to properly process everything or let you really care about these characters. You're aware of the situation, the heist going on next door, the apparent corruption in the police force, and the fact that time is running out right from the start, but it just doesn't really matter. There's no character development as everybody feels so paper thin. Even Sam Worthington can't keep his American accent going the entire movie as his Australian accent seems much more apparent in the second half. It just comes off as a complete mess.

The other problem this crime thriller has is the fact you never really know who to pull for. You've got three people trying to pull off a heist claiming it's to prove one of them is innocent of a crime they went to prison for while an unsolved investigation concerning the police force comes up during Nick's suicide attempt to let them know that somebody on the force has been working for David Englander (played by Ed Harris and who was the main reason Nick went to prison) the entire time. Without much depth to the characters, you never really want to see either side succeed. Through all of Nick's pleading with negotiator Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks), the wire he's wearing in his ear becomes blatantly obvious. So her shock and surprise to its reveal later on seems more sarcastic than anything. To make matters worse, things stay this way nearly the entire time until the closing moments where every question you have is answered in the last five minutes. Man on a Ledge has some of the worst pacing to ever make it to the screen.

The only real redeemable factor of the movie is Ed Harris, but it's more of his character being so bad and cheesy that he's good. The scene where his character is introduced where he's given a watch by a colleague is hilarious for all of the wrong reasons.

Man on a Ledge is a combination of many movies you've seen before and it feels that way. It's a mishmash of ideas taken from movies like Die Hard, 16 Blocks, and Hostage. Oh wait; maybe it just borrows ideas from Bruce Willis movies. With its ridiculous pacing and even more incongruous ending, Man on a Ledge will invoke you with the urge to use some of that nonlinear storytelling to go back to the beginning of the movie and push Nick off that building yourself to help prevent you from seeing such buffoonery.

The Grey (2012) review

2012-01-26T11:54:00.000-06:00

Image property of Open Road Films

There were a lot of things that felt like they were kept secret on purpose before sitting down and viewing The Grey for the first time. The trailer hints at the movie being nothing more than a survival thriller starring Liam Neeson as he struggles to survive not only the unrelenting cold elements, but also the ferocious wolves that inhabit his surroundings. The Grey is written and directed by Joe Carnahan, the man who brought us Smokin' Aces and The A-Team. The movie is also produced by Tony and Ridley Scott, which you think the marketing campaign would jump all over but doesn't even mention. Not only that, but there is quite a bit more to the movie than the trailer and TV spots let on.

As the movie begins, Ottway (Liam Neeson) narrates a letter he's writing to his wife. This segment just made me realize what my life is lacking most right now and that's a Liam Neeson voiceover for every thought that crosses my mind. Think about that. It'd be the most amazing thing ever. The trailer reveals a few major things: that Ottway is stranded in the middle of nowhere in the blistering cold thanks to a plane crash and that wolves stand in the way of him actually surviving this ordeal. The plane crash itself is one of the best executed in recent memory. The way it's filmed and edited is downright ruthless. It's as if you're on the plane as it goes down. The Grey doesn't just place you in this blizzard-ridden hell infested with wolves, it kicks your teeth down your throat, laughs in your face, and throws you into it with everything it has.

The movie gives new meaning to some of the simplest things. Seeing your breath in cold weather takes on an entirely new definition and the way The Grey deals with death just feels incredibly powerful. Ottway questions faith right from the start and takes matters into his own hands throughout the movie. The events that transpire take a toll on even the most religious plane crash survivors. Death is more of a relief than something worth distancing yourself from. Ottway describes it as being a warm sensation and thinking about the thing you love most in life before completely giving yourself into it. Many of the campfire conversations are entirely more impactful than they have any right to be. The conversation about faith in general hits you like a potato sack full of cinder blocks.

The Grey manages to shout its message even when there's nothing being said on-screen. One of the images that stuck with me long after the movie ended was the shot of blood flowing into the paw print of a wolf in the snow. There's a scene by the river that strictly relies on sound and the way you succumb to it is nothing more than brilliant. There's another shot at the end of the film where (and I'm trying to avoid spoilers the best I can) Ottway is arranging some objects in the snow. The way Liam Neeson's fat, sausage-like fingers delicately wrap themselves around these objects and the way his hands tremble as he does this illustrates not only what this man has been through, but also that he's at the end of his rope. Plus the movie will make you want to look over your shoulder the next time you consider relieving yourself out in nature somewhere.

That level of greatness The Grey eventually achieves isn't around at all times. Some lame dialogue does squeak through and characters manage to do really stupid things at times (John Diaz, played by Frank Grillo, especially), but that seems to help the movie more than anything. People, real people, occasionally do stupid things especially when they’re scared. So this kind of made the characters feel more genuine and made it very clear that certain characters were caving under pressure.

There was a movie that came out back in 2000 that was called Vertical Limit. It was one of my most trying times at the movie theater. I fought vehemently to leave about halfway through because I hated it so much, but I was with people at the time who wanted to stay until the end. It was probably one of the worst experiences I've ever had to pay for. The Grey is basically everything I wanted that movie to be. The cast is fantastic, their actions are mostly believable, and there's this meaning to everything that really speaks to you.
The Grey is a grainy thriller that knocks the wind out of you on more than one occasion. In fact, it's rare that the movie actually allows you to catch your breath. Everything is such a raw, vicious, and brutal test of faith. It's fantastically violent and Liam Neeson is superb. If The Grey is anything to fall back on, then 2012 is going to be one hell of a year for movies.

Red Tails (2012) review

2012-01-20T10:44:00.001-06:00

Image property of Lucasfilm

Over twenty five years after the fact and Maverick has become a drunk who makes hasty decisions under the influence, Goose has become a bit more reckless and still puts women before anything else, and Iceman's role has been reduced significantly as his smug arrogance is only felt in a handful of lines. What's that you say? Red Tails isn't the urban retelling of Top Gun? Well, you could have fooled me. It's not that it makes much difference though. No matter how you look at it, Red Tails doesn't really have much of anything to offer.

At the peak of World War II, African American pilots are considered the lowest of the low. They're considered to be incapable of performing their tasks to their country to the fullest and are given leftover missions that don't even qualify as scraping the bottom of the barrel. The Tuskegee training program is no different as the entire squadron is mostly reduced to shooting down trucks, trains, and perhaps a cow every now and then. That is until Colonel A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) succeeds in letting the higher ups give his men a chance and they take full advantage of the opportunity.

Red Tails feels really cheesy as soon as that quote is shown in the opening scene. The movie has a $58 million budget, but it certainly doesn't feel that way considering the opening credits. The amalgamation of planes ripping through the sky and tearing each other to pieces feels like a distraction or a cover up for the rest of your senses. Try to pay attention to the credits, how plain they are, and how cheap they look. That along with the score that feels like it was ripped straight out of a stereotypical action film from the 90s doesn't really seem like the type of tone they were going for here. The acting isn't much better as stiffness and monotony seem to be what they were aiming for. The Tuskegee airmen do begin to get a bit more comfortable in their roles as the movie progresses. David Oyelowo takes Lightning the furthest as far as Easy's (Nate Parker) squad goes, but they certainly seem their best in the face of tragedy. Terrence Howard has a few great moments, as well. Specifically his "highest expectations" scene he shares with Joe "Lightning" Little. But it isn't enough to save a second-rate film.

The script is very dry. I don't mean dry humor I mean about as pleasant as trying to listen to somebody with a mouthful of saltine crackers. It feels so stale and again contributes to that 90s atmosphere I mentioned earlier. Keep an ear out for the Americans and how third grade they sound. The dialogue along with the monotonous tone spread out amongst every actor in the film makes everyone come off as a robot. "These cows are armed," is a line that's actually used in the movie. There are a few lines that are almost decent. Winky's (Leslie Odom Jr) line where he says, "Every time I close that canopy I feel like I'm closing the lid to my own coffin," is surprisingly good. It gives the momentary belief that things may turn around, but they never do. Smokey's (Ne-Yo) "colored" conversation at the bar is the most amusing thing Red Tails has to offer, as well. There are many lame attempts at humor that just make you groan. Black Jesus is perhaps the worst joke of all, considering how things turn out for Deke (Marcus T. Paulk).

I was expecting Red Tails to at least offer a fair amount of eye candy, but the special effects weren't really all that impressive at all. There's a train explosion early on in the film that's been shown in nearly every trailer and TV spot. It's pretty much on the same scale as the train crash in Super 8, but it isn't nearly as spectacular. That's kind of weird considering Super 8 was $8 million dollars cheaper than Red Tails when it comes to its budget. What ruined it for me was that sloppy zoom-in effect that's relied on as a crutch the entire movie. The Tuskegee airmen will be in the midst of a heated air battle with the Germans. The camera would pan up to try and capture the action, but it would zoom-in (or out on a few occasions) nearly every time to try and show you who should be keeping track of. It just came off as sloppy camera work to me, as if they didn't have the proper camera placement for the scene and tried to adjust it accordingly. There are several things that don't really add up in the movie either. One of the main ones for me was that at one point, Easy tells everyone that there's no time to celebrate a completed mission and to return to base because they're low on fuel. But can you guess what they do in the very next scene? They showboat and celebrate. Not listening to your superiors and still getting praised for it is an overbearing theme in the movie, as well.

George Lucas fought for 23 years to get this made, but after viewing it you'll more than likely be convinced that the man has grown senile over the years and that retirement from Hollywood is the best thing for him. The turnout for the screening was insane and you can bet that Red Tails will more than likely make a killing at the box office, but there's no way in hell it passes as a good or even decent piece of cinema. Amateur cinematography, a boring script, terrible acting, and the fate of certain characters being extremely predictable (you can guess Lightning's fate around the time things start getting serious with Sophia), Red Tails is the equivalent of a stand-up act that gets booed off the stage. It is just awful. I was left wishing the entire movie was just Cuba Gooding Jr lifting a pipe to his lips, pulling it away, and pretending to smoke the entire film. If it was just those clips strung together with no dialogue and that dubstep track from the TV spot in the background, I could have at least gotten a good laugh out of it.

The Flowers of War (2012) review

2012-01-19T15:48:00.000-06:00

Image property of Wrekin Hill

I'm really weird when it comes to war films. I have a fascination with both horror and extremely violent films in general, but tend to mostly not care for films that revolve around war. It's not that they're bad or unwatchable, but none of them have ever really made me think they're worth owning or watching again. Chinese and Japanese war epics seem to be a bit different as I adore films like The Last Samurai, Mongol, and The Warlords. The Flowers of War is in a similar vein as those three films yet is also incredibly different in comparison.

Yimou Zhang is a director that's pretty much made a name for himself as a director with his incredible use of color. Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Curse of the Golden Flower are all lush, vibrant, and just visually brilliant. The Flowers of War is almost completely devoid of color. The battlefield is littered with shades of brown and gray until someone is shot and blood sprays into the air or trickles to the ground. The only real use of color comes in the form of the round stained glass window and the elaborate dresses the prostitutes wear. This adds for some incredible and dynamic shots seeing warfare on their doorstep through a multicolored filter and broken glass. Two prostitutes eventually escape with the intent of returning, but there's this amazing one-take sequence of their attempt of coming back to the church and their colorful dresses play a big part. That scene along with a few others was slightly reminiscent of Children of Men.

The evolution of John Miller (Christian Bale) is something wonderful. When he first arrives to the church, he's money hungry, a drunk, and a womanizer. But being around the students at the church and the group of prostitutes brings out the best in him. That sounds awkward, but it makes sense after seeing the film. There are a few wandering shots that show Bale standing or sitting alone in the church. They're fairly brief, but those images stick with you. The Chinese soldier that drops off Pu Sheng and returns one of the student’s shoes is one to keep an eye on, as well. Without spoiling too much, his strategy is nothing short of amazing.

As you can probably imagine, The Flowers of War does touch upon some extremely vicious and barbaric acts that are difficult to watch. It is based on the Rape of Nanking after all. The sequences of violence are necessary, but aren't for those of you with weak stomachs. Children are stabbed and shot while prostitutes are raped and brutally murdered. Then there's all the bloodshed from the war going on. It's pretty intense, but the message the film offers makes it all worth it.

The Flowers of War is almost a war masterpiece, but there are several things that stand in the way of making it just that. The main one being that nearly every female character in the film will irritate the holy hell out of you for the entire two hour and twenty minute duration. Every prostitute but Mo (Ni Ni) has a voice that's the equivalent of scraping fingernails against a chalkboard, but there's a group of them so multiply that by twelve. Not only that, but they make stupid decisions. Risking your life for a cat or strings for your instrument seems kind of fruitless at this point, wouldn't you say? Then there's the group of students at the church that do nothing but cry, be spiteful towards the prostitutes, and hold grudges. Were they imperative to the story? Of course, but their stupid actions will only help you cheer for their deaths at the same time. There are also two musical numbers that feel out of place. Both are great concepts on paper, but they feel clumsy in their execution. And to be honest, I'm just glad the phrase, "No Mo," wasn't uttered at all in the film.

Despite featuring some of the most annoying and idiotic female characters of recent memory, The Flowers of War is an emotional journey with a heartfelt message. As John comes clean about a lie he told Mo earlier on in the film, Mo replies, "Sometimes the truth is the last thing we need to hear." That quote fits so perfectly with the tone of the film. Christian Bale delivers a spectacular performance as watching the evolution of John Miller through the duration of the film is nearly as great as the maneuver they pull off. Often brutal yet frequently beautiful, The Flowers of War is one of the few war films that is not only thoroughly enjoyable but is capable of maturing into one of the most selfless acts imaginable.

Haywire (2012) review

2012-01-19T13:45:00.000-06:00

Image property of Relativity Media

Steven Soderbergh's outbreak thriller Contagion was one of the biggest sleeper hits of last year. The film made a respectable amount at the box office and was critically praised, but if you're like me then you may have written off seeing it in theaters since most films in the same vein weren't so great, but Contagion broke the mold you may have thought it fit into and some of the credit can be attributed to the rather phenomenal ensemble cast. I'm behind with much of Soderbergh's work, but the general consensus is that he's always able to put together one hell of a cast for nearly every one of his feature films. His latest effort Haywire is no exception.

I don't follow MMA, so I had no idea who Gina Carano was going into Haywire. After it ended though, I certainly wanted to see more of her especially with how beautiful she is. Carano handles herself extremely well on-screen and is a fairly solid actress. The fact that she's able to kick ass and at least appear to have acting range is a serious plus. Despite the incredible cast, you're left wishing that the majority of them were around longer than they actually are. I'm looking at you, Michael Fassbender. Channing Tatum seemed a little less annoying than he usually is in his on-screen efforts while Ewan McGregor stepped outside of his comfort zone a bit and played for the opposing team for once. There was a lot of potential for Michael Douglas' Coblenz character, but he's used so sparingly as he's only in three scenes or so. Antonio Banderas appears on-screen about as often as Douglas, but plays a bigger role in the storyline as far as who's pulling the strings on who betrayed whom as far as Mallory's (Carano) mission goes. The only person who's somewhat forgettable is Bill Paxton. There's an amazing scene that takes place at his house, but he doesn't really contribute and is just kind of there.

One of the interesting things about Haywire is that nearly every scene that takes place inside of a building has this yellow filter to it. The hum of fluorescent lighting makes a scene that is otherwise just talking a bit more memorable. It's more than likely a Soderbergh trademark as I seem to recall the same technique being used in Contagion, as well. As Mallory tells her story to Scott (Michael Angarano), we're shown what transpired in Barcelona which is what sparked the events to come. The set up process is fairly meticulous and feels somewhat similar to the preparations a team would have to make to pull off a successful heist. There's this well executed montage in Barcelona with no dialogue and a killer soundtrack that is incredibly memorable. The soundtrack is really fantastic anyway as it has this bluesy jazz kind of feel to it that is really exceptional. When the action gets heavy though, the music disappears and you're left with the loud clamoring of two or more individuals beating the snot out of each other. Those sound effects along with seeing opponents’ skulls bounce off counter corners and being thrown through windows are perhaps the greatest moments the film has to offer.

Haywire establishes this feeling that Mallory is being followed at all times, which is a must because she basically is. The way the camera shows how she's being tailed and those over the shoulder shots to show how she slipped behind a wall just in time to escape their line of vision is pretty extraordinary. The film takes us all over the world as we see the likes of Barcelona, San Diego, New York, Dublin, London, and New Mexico. One of the issues though is that despite a slight change in setting, every place feels exactly the same because a similar sequence of events occurs in every city. I overheard some people saying there were quite a few holes in the film, but I felt like the screenplay was incredibly solid. The spoken dialogue did a really superb job of reeling the viewer in while mostly feeling very natural. With that said though, it would have been nice to have a bit more action to compliment all of the talking.

Haywire is an energetic powerhouse of an action thriller with a fantastic ensemble cast, a story that throws you right in the middle of the action, and an absorbing script. The sensational soundtrack compliments the film in the best of ways. Just keep in mind that while Haywire is pretty good, it's nowhere near as good or as epic as the beard Antonio Banderas shows off in the film. That Peter Griffin beard of his is certainly something grandiose to be proud of.

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (2012) review

2012-01-19T11:00:00.000-06:00

Image property of Eleven Arts

I have been following Fullmetal Alchemist since 2002. In college, I used to read scans of the manga translated into English by fans before it was picked up for U.S. distribution. I became addicted to the original series and blazed through its 51 episodes in less than a week (I went through "Brotherhood", a 64 episode series, in five days). The first movie Conquerer of Shamballa didn't exactly sit well with me in the long run though. It wasn't because the film was bad or of poor quality (in fact it was very much the opposite), but seeing the adventures of Edward and Alphonse Elric finally come to a close and live in a world without alchemy was extremely bittersweet. "Brotherhood" seemed to correct every misstep the original series had though while also offering better animation and was much closer to the manga it originated from. "Brotherhood" is more emotional than the original series and the conclusion just feels so right. I consider "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood" to be one of the best anime titles of all time. So imagine the excitement when news of a new movie being in development finally reached this fan's ears. Maybe it's just because I've been on a Fullmetal Alchemist kick lately anyway, but The Sacred Star of Milos is everything I wanted it to be and then some.

The Sacred Star of Milos is a stand-alone animated feature much like Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door and Trigun: Badlands Rumble. This means that as long as you have a basic understanding of the characters and the alchemy they use then you'll understand everything in the film and more than likely enjoy it thoroughly. Bones returns as the animation studio for the film (credits include the original "Fullmetal Alchemist" series, "Wolf's Rain", and "Cowboy Bebop" among many others), which is fantastic for us. The animation is so crisp, smooth, and seems so naturally fluid while everything is overflowing with color and appears to be an incredible series of paintings brought to life. The action sequences are illustrated so vividly and are so detailed. The alchemy battles along with its dynamic use of perspective never really let up. If the movie isn't impressing you with its animation or its eyecatching action, it reels you in with its story. Interesting and complex without crossing over into convoluted territory, The Sacred Star of Milos is a perfect addition to the Fullmetal Alchemist universe.

Stand-alone anime films based on well-known anime series always seem to include the coolest and unrelenting villians. The Sacred Star of Milos introduces Ashleigh Crichton and his sister Julia. The town Milos is located at the bottom of a valley directly in the middle of a rising rebellion. Julia feels like she owes an obligation to the people of Milos and looks to help restore the glory the town once had. Little does she know that her quest has her being drawn to the Philosopher's Stone. Ashleigh breaks out of prison six months before his parole and uses a mysterious alchemy that even the Elric brothers don't recognize. His motives are unclear right from the start. Then there's the wolf chimeras (along with their incredible transformations) and the mysterious masked man. All of these characters play intricate roles in the storyline.

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos introduces some fantastic new characters wrapped up in an elaborate and intelligent storyline while delivering the exceptional animation you've come to expect from both series. Having such a sensational film be released in this timeframe of the year almost seems blasphemous.

Carnage (2011) review

2012-01-17T11:37:00.000-06:00

Image property of Sony Pictures Classics

I have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to Roman Polanski films. Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, and The Pianist are all patiently biding their time in my Netflix queue waiting on me to get around to them and watch them for the first time. The Polanski films I have seen had the potential to be great, but kind of let everything they had going for it slip through the cracks as the film went on. I remember being fascinated by The Ninth Gate, but was extremely disappointed once the ending rolled around. There was also quite a bit of praise being thrown around for The Ghost Writer last year and it just didn't affect me the way any of that praise did for other critics. So while Carnage has gotten many accolades as one of the funniest movies of last year, I took it with a grain of salt. People seem to generally love Polanski and that's fine. His films are genuinely a pleasure to look at as the cinematography is always fantastic, but it certainly seems as though he may not be as great as everyone makes him out to be.

Carnage is basically a 74-minute discussion between two couples whose eleven and twelve year old sons got into a fight. Penelope (Jodie Foster) and Michael Longstreet's (John C. Reilly) son Ethan was struck in the face with a stick by Zachary, the son of Nancy (Kate Winslet) and Alan Cowan (Christoph Waltz). The parents get together to try and find a way for Zachary and Ethan to talk things out, but everything eventually falls apart and the two couples are eventually at each other's throats.

This was not the hilarious movie it was made out to be. While the other people in the theater seemed to be howling at everything on screen, it mostly just felt slightly snicker worthy at times. John C. Reilly is pretty funny. His views, the things that come out of his mouth, his character, and his performance are probably the closest thing to hilarious Carnage has to offer. "Is cobbler cake or pie?", the flush mechanisms conversation, "You certainly perked up after...", the hamster story, the doodle nickname being ridiculous, and "YOU'RE BLOWING THIS OUT OF PROPORTION!" are all mostly entertaining thanks to John C. Reilly’s over the top performance. Michael Longstreet is probably the closest you'll come to relating to one of the on-screen characters, as well. The film is mostly a competition between four egomaniacal individuals competing for the spotlight though. Christoph Waltz's "god of carnage" speech is pretty amazing as is the "disfigured his schoolmate" conversation, but you want to slap the hell out of Alan Cowan the minute you realize he cherishes his phone more than anything else in the world. Kate Winslet is mostly nauseous and drunk the entire film and you probably won't walk away from this without thinking of Jodie Foster's bulbous, veiny, pulsating neck. Seriously, that thing will probably haunt your dreams the night after seeing this.

Carnage is very short. It feels like it ends as soon as it begins. It's like Cloverfield length. It also has one of the worst endings ever. How many films can you name that stop with a phone call? Nothing is resolved. Everything just stops. Despite a wonderful cast and a few chuckle worthy moments, Carnage mostly falls flat. It comes off as more of a contest between two married couples that become more interested in pointing out the flaws of their marriage rather than the task at hand. Maybe it's because I work in retail and I witness these kinds of conversations on a daily basis, but it just wasn't very entertaining at all. Carnage stumbles on the thin line between being extremely annoying and being mildly amusing.

Contraband (2012) review

2012-01-13T18:18:00.000-06:00

Image property of Universal Pictures

Don't you hate it when an actor offers you false hope? They throw a few projects at you that are different from the rest of their resume and seem to be taking a bit more of a risk and stepping out of their comfort zone, but then they jump right back into a project that is exactly what you'd expect from them. Mark Wahlberg is such an actor. The Fighter is probably his best work to date and I'd even give him some credit for his characters in both The Lovely Bones and The Happening even though both movies frankly sucked buckets of donkey rectum, but Wahlberg is known for that corrupt cop character who takes matters into his own hands and usually gets exactly what he wants. The Corruptor, The Departed, We Own the Night, Max Payne, and The Other Guys (this was more a parody of himself, but still) are just a few examples of this character. That's the biggest problem Contraband has; it does nothing to separate itself from every movie it reminds you of.

Wahlberg isn't a cop this time around, but he's basically the good guy being pulled back into the filth he distanced himself from. Chris Farraday (Wahlberg) used to be the best smuggler around. With a wife and two kids, he finds himself retired in the present day. But when Chris' brother in law Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) has to dump a package for local crime lord Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi) as customs boards the boat he's on, his life is suddenly in danger and he owes a massive debt that any living person would have a difficult time repaying. Chris has no choice but to do one last job to save Andy even if it means putting the rest of his family at risk.

Giovanni Ribisi and Ben Foster (who plays Chris Farraday's best friend Sebastian Abney) were the two reasons I actually gave this movie a chance. I'm a big fan of both actors, so I was hoping that the both of them would at least deliver some noteworthy performances. One of the other issues Contraband has (there are many) is that everyone in the movie is playing the exact same character. Every male character is competing with everyone else trying to display who has the most testosterone flowing through their system at any given point in time. Nearly every man in the movie yells loudly, tells raunchy jokes while stringing a half a dozen curse words together every time they speak, and/or forcefully displays their dominance by whipping out a gun, beating somebody up, or threatening to do one of the two. The only two who aren't like this are Lukas Haas (who plays Danny Raymer in the movie and is probably known best for briefly appearing in Inception) who seems to be the exact opposite (is mostly a coward, is afraid he'll never see his wife again, always wants to go home, etc) and Ben Foster. Foster is the best part of Contraband, but that isn't saying much since it still doesn't measure up to his performances in 3:10 to Yuma and The Messenger. He displays the most emotion and is the most complex character in the movie. The way his character evolves is almost decent. Kate Beckinsale isn't much help either as she mostly just worries and eventually becomes a liability rather than somebody you actually care about. It's as if everyone has the same back-story, acts exactly the same as everyone else, and they're all so one-dimensional that you just don't care about any of them.

The score to a movie is supposed to compliment it. It enhances the viewing experience the majority of the time by helping add tension or make something more emotional. The same can be said about a soundtrack. It should at least feel like it belongs there. The music in Contraband feels extremely out of place. Clinton Shorter (the man credited for contributing original music to the movie) seems to have just thrown in music he's a fan of rather than what would be appropriate to accompany the movie. What we heard felt like it clashed with whatever was taking place on film, which certainly seems as if somebody wasn't doing their job properly.

Then there's the message Contraband leaves you with that seems to encourage viewers to lie and steal and break the law since you never know how valuable something you steal is going to be. Why bother trying to turn your life around when you can make it big doing what you promised your wife you'd never do again? Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I'm under the impression that if you put together a bad movie you should at least deliver a good message. Have something admirable to offer your audience. Contraband doesn't really have much of anything.

Contraband is just the stalest form of entertainment you'd expect from a crime movie. The characters are so flat and dull, the storyline is something you've seen a dozen times before, its amateur camera work and rough zoom-in technique gets on your last nerve, and the cast is fairly forgettable since everyone seems to be portraying the same person. Contraband is basically this year's Takers and that is certainly no compliment.

Blu-ray review: Boardwalk Empire The Complete First Season (2012)

2012-01-12T12:19:00.000-06:00

Image property of HBO Studios

Hugo seemed like such a departure for director Martin Scorsese; a man who usually delivers very adult and captivating crime films that usually revolve around gangsters and are nothing less than extraordinary. A family film featuring none of a director's known genre trademarks and relies on nothing more than his visionary and artistic style just feels so rare these days. Not many directors are willing to take that sort of risk, especially at this point in their career. That's where "Boardwalk Empire" comes in. "Boardwalk Empire" feels exactly like what you'd expect and love from Scorsese and was more than likely the happy middle ground while he was working on Hugo. Even though Hugo didn't make its way into theaters until 2011 and "Boardwalk Empire" debuted on HBO in 2010, Scorsese probably had some overlapping duties on both projects somewhere in there. But enough about Hugo, "Boardwalk Empire" is very much its own beast and it wastes little time ripping into your core right from the start.

"Boardwalk Empire" uses every inch of its HBO television format; every curse word under the sun is used frequently with a very particular fondness for the F-word in general, women seem to be itching at the chance to take their clothes off (and more than likely are since a good portion of the first season takes place in a brothel in Chicago) as both full frontal nudity for both sexes is included along with fairly explicit sex scenes, and then there's the exceptional amount of violence in the show you've become familiar with when stories are told about gangsters. Guys getting whacked, headshots, beat downs, choke-outs, hangings, and robberies that go south only begin to skim the top of what to expect from the show. None of this should be considered a bad thing either as all of these ingredients along with the storyline, the cast, and the exceptional set pieces only help contribute to the powerhouse the show has become.

Take Shelter was one of the films that made it on to many "top 10 best films" of last year and it's fascinating that two thirds of its main cast are supporting characters on this show. Shea Whigham plays Eli Thompson, the brother of Steve Buscemi's Nucky Thompson. Despite being brothers, the underlying tension between the two is what you'll take away most from their relationship as Eli seems to not only envy his brother's treasurer position but feels like he could do what his brother does even better. Michael Shannon is Agent Nelson Van Alden; a strict prohibition agent that puts his job before anything else. Van Alden is a very religious man, but the way he honors The Lord becomes very peculiar as his personal demons come to light as the season progresses. Steve Buscemi is excellent as Nucky Thompson, but Michael Pitt really comes into his own as Jimmy Darmody. The way Jimmy evolves, his past with the war, and the struggle to keep his family together causes Jimmy to be the most standout character of the entire cast. Stephen Graham, Michael Stuhlbarg, Kelly Macdonald, and Vincent Piazza aren't to be overlooked either. The ensemble cast is just really spectacular all around.

What makes "Boardwalk Empire" work as well as it does is the way it seems to capture the atmosphere of 1920. The set pieces are extraordinary, especially on the boardwalk. The classic cars and the custom made suits for the men and the extravagant dresses for the women all seem to be pulled straight from that particular time period and placed on this boardwalk of a rebuilt Atlantic City from over ninety years ago. Then there's the way that nearly everyone smoked back then and that is more than relevant here. If somebody isn't drinking, then they're more than likely smoking and there's rarely a scene without one of the two occurring. The music may be the coup de grace though that really seals the essence of the early 20's. They really did an exceptional job making you feel like you've traveled back to this time period.

"Boardwalk Empire" seems to have all of the appropriate seeds planted to achieve greatness. You get a front row seat to see how gangsters and politicians do business, you have a fascinating storyline with a rogue's gallery full of interesting characters all featuring their own quirks and traits to allow you to fall in love with or come to hate each and every one of them, and the show really makes you feel like you're walking on the boardwalk of Atlantic City in 1920. It is on the cusp of really fantastic things. With that said, I don't think season one really gets to those things just yet. There are teases that feature some really incredible scenes (Jimmy's boardwalk beat down of the photographer is a favorite of mine), but the first season feels like just that; an introduction. Hopefully the seasons to come can capitalize on this and "Boardwalk Empire" can evolve into one of the greatest shows to ever be produced.

The Blu-ray set is pretty loaded with special features. Each disc features an Enhanced Viewing Mode for all twelve episodes. This mode goes behind the scenes while discussing the production, history locations, the music, and cast interviews among many other things. The main issue I had was that every time I tried to watch the Enhanced Viewing Mode on any episode my Blu-ray player would reboot. I made sure it was up to date, but it still had this problem. I also had this problem whenever I went to "Episodes" on any of the main menu on the discs. I had to "Play All" and skip through the episodes I'd already seen if I only watched one episode at a time and returned to it later. So I'm not entirely sure if that's because there was a problem with the set or my player, but considering the player is only a few months old I'm thinking it's the former.

Other special features include a Character Dossier which features profiles of every character and full length bios, six audio commentaries with Terence Winter, Steve Buscemi, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Shannon, and more, Speakeasy Tour which is a twenty four minute tour of some of the famed Prohibition speakeasies in Chicago and New York with cast from the show, Atlantic City: The Original Sin City is a nearly thirty minute documentary on the history of Atlantic City during the 1920s, a nineteen minute Making Boardwalk Empire featurette is mostly just an intro to the characters but also goes into detail about the show's conception and how Martin Scorsese became involved, and my personal favorite Creating the Boardwalk. It's only five minutes long, but it gives you a look at how the boardwalk was built on the show. A real set was built outside as CG was used to add extra stories and the ocean. It's just really incredible to see just how much of this show is computer generated.

The Blu-ray set of The Complete First Season of Boardwalk Empire is unrated, presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio in DTS Surround Sound, features all twelve episodes, and is approximately 733 minutes long. It (along with the DVD version of the set) is now available in most retail outlets and online stores.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) review

2012-01-06T17:25:00.000-06:00

Image property of Focus Features

There was much to be excited about when it came to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It may have been a remake, but it also featured the likes of Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, and Mark Strong in a spy movie. Odds are that you're a fan of one of those actors and who doesn't love a film about spies? Gary Oldman and Tom Hardy are what initially attracted me to the project and Mark Strong was just a pleasant surprise, so the anticipation was very high. Unfortunately, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is basically a waste of two hours.

A press screening for this was held nearly three weeks before the film’s limited release date. Everyone who attended was handed what was referred to as a "cheat sheet," which not only helped describe the film but also went into detail about "The Circus" along with definitions of code names and terms that were used throughout the film. This is being mentioned because unless you've read the book, have seen the original 1979 film, or receive this "cheat sheet" and go over it in great detail then you will more than likely be lost throughout most of the film. Five years ago, Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly released a film called Southland Tales. The unusual thing about it was that the movie was actually episodes 4-6 while a prequel graphic novel contained episodes 1-3. It's an interesting approach that deserves credit for trying something different, but the bottom line is that most people won't and don't read up on a film before it's released.

With that said, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy isn't completely incomprehensible. You still know what's going on, but you just don't care. It's a very slow moving film that relies on dialogue more than anything to tell the story. Its nonlinear sense of storytelling isn't a smooth transition and is a bit difficult to keep track of at times. Didn't this character die earlier? Wasn't he working for somebody else like five minutes ago? Wait wait wait...WHAT? Who the HELL is that guy? These are the types of questions you'll probably be asking yourself. The majority of the characters seem very similar to one another and even share similar hairstyles. So everyone basically comes off as old, bitter people working for the government that are paranoid about a mole and probably should have retired ten years ago, which is kind of odd since the film revolves around retired agents attempting to be pulled back into the service.

Gary Oldman puts in a fascinating performance as George Smiley, but it fails in comparison to most of the other film characters he's known for. Smiley doesn't even speak for a good while (Oldman is probably shown on screen for at least a good ten to fifteen minutes before he actually says anything) and the fact that Oldman went through such precise detail just to pick out the appropriate pair of glasses for the character is admirable. He has one magnificent scene in the film, which occurs in his office with Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) as he tells the story of how Karla never returned his engraved lighter. It's easily the best scene in the film. Tom Hardy is also fairly fantastic in his role as he shows quite a bit of emotion in the film and Mark Strong offers the type of solid performance you'd expect from the English actor.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy does have a few redeeming qualities that mostly lie within the performances of Gary Oldman and Tom Hardy. Its decorative setting and use of unique perspective automatically makes the film appealing to the eye. The film is really bland the majority of the time though and is extremely uneventful. Even when something violent does occur, it fades into obscurity rather quickly and is covered up by the gargantuan amounts of jargon that's constantly regurgitated amongst everyone on-screen. So despite a few semi-decent performances and an experience that's at least visually intriguing, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a thriller that never really gets thrilling. Your constant uphill battle to stay awake until the film ends is far more exhilarating.

Albert Nobbs (2011) review

2011-12-30T16:47:00.000-06:00

Image property of Roadside Attractions

Albert Nobbs is the type of film I knew nothing about going in. I hadn't seen trailers or any sort of promotional materials beforehand, but everything can be summed up in one simple sentence: Glenn Close is portraying a man. That's pretty much the entire film in a nutshell. In the early 1900s, Albert Nobbs (Close) disguises herself as a man to be a butler in Dublin at a rather extravagant hotel. She has been hoarding her money like a squirrel gathering nuts for the winter and she has some rather elaborate plans for her money; plans that would be a bit more difficult for a woman to pull off. Nobbs is completely content with her facade until she crosses paths with a painter named Hubert Page (Janet McTeer) and eventually craves more of a normal life because of their encounter. Nobbs is in love with Helen (Mia Wasikowska) some of the hotel help, but Helen is in love with Joe (Aaron Johnson) who dreams of taking Helen back to America. Nobbs must choose to either go all in and go for her dreams or continue living a half-hearted existence.

Glenn Close is obviously the heart and soul of the film. The message the film delivers becomes its main objective, but Close helps hand-deliver that message straight to each and every individual in the audience. Her performance is brilliant. Nobbs is a completely reserved individual who's almost completely devoid of emotion; not because she's incapable of feeling but because it's been a part of her charade for so long that it's kind of become habitual and it's almost as if she's forgotten how to feel. Nobbs spends the majority of the film talking to herself and thinking out loud. She is absolutely driven by this dream of hers. Janet McTeer comes along to kind of add a glimmer of hope to Nobbs and her quest; not to mention more than a little mutual understanding. I hadn't seen Mia Wasikowska in anything other than Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, but this was such a departure from that role. Helen is very outspoken, coldhearted, and completely blinded by love. Aaron Johnson took a rather obscure detour from Kick-Ass, as well. Joe wants nothing more than to get to America that when other obstacles present themselves he basically flips out in frustration. He seems more than willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, but also isn't afraid to beat any man or woman that gets in his way either.

With the majority of the story focusing on women in drag trying to find a wife, it's kind of a chore to try and mention anything else positive about the film in comparison because where do you go from there? Most of the film is very charming. Just about anything with Page and Nobbs gives you something to smile about, but the film's awkwardness becomes kind of charming as well. Nobbs eventually comes back around to her natural roots for one scene in the film and while it should be something to celebrate it's obviously very weird and unusual for the characters. It's kind of funny, but Glenn Close has a striking resemblance to Robin Williams in this film. It becomes almost uncanny by the time the film reaches its peak.

As one final note, the set pieces are absolutely fantastic. The atmosphere of the late 19th century is captured to perfection. The film also has some of the most effective use of snow in recent memory. Any scene featuring snow is something you should take note of.

Albert Nobbs is kind of incredible on one hand. The entire cast is filled with nothing but stellar performances, the set pieces are extraordinary, and the story is at the very least rather interesting. Trying to delve further into the film is a bit difficult though. I can guarantee I never would've seen this film if I hadn't been invited to a screening and while I don't regret attending I feel like a film like this isn't the reason why I go to the theater. Maybe it's because it's about women trying to be independent in the late 19th century, but it just isn't my type of movie. It's easy to admire the film's several strong points such as Glenn Close's amazing portrayal of Albert Nobbs and the solid script, but at the end of the day it just doesn't speak to me the way that it should. That doesn't necessarily mean that either side is to blame just that all films can't cater to everyone's tastes all the time; no matter how good or bad they may be.

Hugo (2011) review

2011-12-25T12:01:00.000-06:00

Image property of Paramount Pictures

Martin Scorsese is a well respected director known for R-rated films usually revolving around crime or gangsters in some capacity. Saying the F-word nearly 300 times in one movie, stabbing someone with a pen, flushing a stash down the toilet, getting whacked, getting blown up, and getting your mind blown to such extremities in the last twenty minutes of a feature that you win an Oscar for it even though somebody already made that movie before; these are the things that come to mind when you think of Scorsese. Scorsese hadn't really worked with children much over his career or at least not to this extent. So that was interesting to keep in mind when Hugo started making the rounds. A family friendly Martin Scorsese film seems so surreal, but is more than a worthy addition to an already overflowing resume full of fantastic cinema.

It takes a while for Hugo to really get going, but it's certainly beautiful in the meantime. The film is a visual spectacle while each frame is an absolute joy to look at. You're taken through the intricate insides of various clocks at a train station; seeing their gears move as the use of steam adds just the right amount of mystery. It's not so much the fact that Hugo is slow because it isn't. There's this veil of mystery that isn't lifted until Hugo (Asa Butterfield) finally caves and tells his story. The various clocks and train station setting keeps you occupied and the long introduction with no dialogue is extremely noteworthy. It's just for nearly half the film, you have all these elements (clocks, the train station, a notebook, an automaton, and Hugo's father) without much of a connection. But it does all come together in extraordinary fashion.

The cast is really superb. Asa Butterfield is so passionate and emotional. Those blue eyes of his tell the story better than words ever could. Chloe Grace Moretz is so optimistic and eager for a chance at an adventure. You can't help but adore the Isabelle character. Sacha Baron Cohen seems to step way out of his element here. The Station Inspector seems like a complete 180 from Bruno or Borat, but his sense of humor is still in his performance. He just happens to have a bit more depth in comparison. Ben Kingsley's Georges Méliès goes through such a transformation in the film though that he's able to display such a wide range of emotion. He plays the broken old man impeccably.

There are times when movies affect you in a way that let you know they are special. For me, it's like I'm suddenly overcome by a wide range of emotions that make me want to laugh, cry, scream at the top of my lungs, and the overwhelming sensation of never wanting that moment or the movie to end. I'm not ashamed to say I felt that a few times during Hugo. James Cameron called Hugo a masterpiece and it's really difficult to argue with that. There isn't a weak point in the cast, the visuals are outstanding, and you find yourself connecting to the story. You're sucked into this world right from the start. Hugo is one of the most beautiful and charming films of the year.

War Horse (2011) review

2011-12-23T16:24:00.000-06:00

Image property of DreamWorks Pictures

I was one of the people not anticipating War Horse before actually seeing it. I joked before the movie started that if it wasn't a mash up of "Mister Ed" and Saving Private Ryan, then I'd be extremely disappointed. But I was also unfamiliar with the original novel and play, so who was I to judge? The only logical thing was to give it a shot anyway. If you want to be taken seriously as a critic, then you have to try and see as much as you can even if you don't think you're going to enjoy whatever you've just sat down to see. The final result is something visually beautiful that is completely blinded by an overdose of melodrama.

Ages and ages ago when the show was still relevant to people other than white trash and rednecks, there was this episode of "Jerry Springer" where a man came on the show wanting to marry his horse. The horse was on stage with him and the man even kissed it at one point. Not like a peck on the cheek. Heavens no, this was like a full blown sloppy tongue everywhere type of kiss. This was all that came to mind seeing how Albert and his horse Joey were so close in the film. To make matters worse, the very first shot of the film shows Joey being born but before you realize a mother horse is giving birth it kind of looks like two guys giving a horse a red rocket, which immediately brought Cartman training the pony in the Scott Tenorman Must Die episode of "South Park". So a minute and a half into the movie and I'm practically laughing like crazy for all the wrong reasons.

This horse Joey is the star of the film though. We follow him as he is too wild to tame until a boy named Albert (Jeremy Irvine) steps in, bonds with him, and they accomplish the impossible together. That relationship drives the rest of the film. Joey is eventually trained and begins plowing fields before being sold to a soldier to try and save Albert's family's farm. We then follow Joey's adventures in World War I as he goes owner to owner, serves each side of the war, and is even owned by a young girl and her grandfather at one point. But Albert is convinced him and Joey will be reunited again and will stop at nothing to make that happen.

Do you ever see an actor or actress in a film for the first time and remember that actor or actress as that particular role for the rest of their career? That issue came up a lot in this film. Albert's parents included the guy who went crazy in Session 9 (Peter Mullan) and the woman who groped a tiger in Red Dragon (Emily Watson, bonus points if you also remember her as the woman who was burned alive in Equilibrium). Their landlord was Remus Lupin from Harry Potter (David Thewlis) and the soldier who bought Joey was Loki in Thor (Tom Hiddleston) whose major was the guy assisting Gary Oldman's glasses in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Benedict Cumberbatch). The list is endless. The weird thing though is that none of the performances really outshine any of the others. They're all fairly solid, but none of them really compare to Joey who seems to take on human characteristics at times and is able to say so much with something as little as a look over his shoulder.

War Horse is very much a Steven Spielberg film. It wants and practically begs you to realize this throughout its duration. So much so that it's crammed down your throat on countless occasions. The film looks exceptional. There's beautiful scenery, everything is so rich and green, and the cinematography is pretty breathtaking. Everything else kind of falls by the waste side though. The events depicted in War Horse have to be so dramatic and when it's not it's so corny that it makes you want to barf. The wire cutters scene illustrates this point to perfection. World War I could have ended with something as simple as a conversation over a horse and wire cutters. Who knew? Oh, and apparently every German has a pair of wire cutters on them at all times. That's sure to come in handy, hm? It certainly does seem like you're watching a horse run around aimlessly the majority of the film, as well. "Maybe the horse will explode," I said. "Step on a landmine or something." Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

War Horse does feature a strong cast, an incredible horse, and fantastic cinematography. It unfortunately also shuffles with feeling too long, dripping with melodrama at all times, wrestling with corny dialogue, and being easy to predict from very early on. War Horse is basically a big budget Lifetime movie revolving around a boy and his horse. If you're trying to decide which of the two Steven Spielberg films you should see this year, The Adventures of Tintin is definitely the adventure you should choose to take.

The Adventures of Tintin (2011) review

2011-12-21T09:53:00.001-06:00

Image property of Paramount Pictures

The Adventures of Tintin was a film I wasn't sure what to think of. Another motion capture CG animated film? Haven't we gotten enough of those from Robert Zemeckis? Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull really soured my opinion of an already faulty foundation known as Steven Spielberg's more recently directed films. However there was an upside: both the outstanding Edgar Wright and writer/director of Attack the Block Joe Cornish contributed to the writing of the film. The cast was also incredible and the film had a reputation amongst critics who had already seen it as being this nonstop action adventure. Tintin sounded like money going into it; BIG money. The final product turns out to be rather good, but isn't quite as spectacular as the hype lets on.

You're pretty much thrown into this mystery right from the start. This isn't an origin story. It's a continuation of a character most people either are already familiar with and/or immensely love. Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) buys a model ship at an outdoor market known as The Unicorn, but things become strange very quickly. Two men try to obtain the ship from him right after he purchases it: the first one warning him to get rid of it as soon as he can and the other, a man named Ivanovich Sakharine (voiced by Daniel Craig) offering him any price he'd like. Politely declining, Tintin takes the ship home and eventually discovers that something is hidden inside the ship. As a journalist always hungry for a story, Tintin embarks on an incredible adventure accompanied by his dog Snowy and a sea captain named Captain Haddock (voiced by Andy Serkis).

The opening credits are amazing. It's traditional 2D animation, so it stands out from the rest of the film. There's this mini mystery solved during the duration of the opening credits. The pace is perfect and it's easily one of the best film openings of the year. You'll probably also notice the incredible score by John Williams right out the gate. It captures the atmosphere of crime and noir films perfectly and makes full use of a wide range of orchestral instruments. It’s just an extraordinary score all around.

Peter Jackson once described the film's look as "photorealistic; the fibers of their clothing, the pores of their skin and each individual hair. They look exactly like real people – but real Herge people!" This is a really exceptional quote to fall back on when trying to describe how the film looks. Textures, hair, and the way character's mouths move are all very realistic. Despite sharing motion capture qualities with recent Robert Zemeckis films such as A Christmas Carol, Beowulf, and The Polar Express, Tintin looks better. It could be due to the characters looking more like the actual characters and not the actors who portray them, but Tintin pays ridiculous attention to detail which is probably just as much a blessing as it is a curse.

There are two action scenes in the film that are worth the price of admission alone; Captain Haddock's pirate flashback and the motorcycle chase scene. The pirate ship battle makes it seem like the Pirates of the Caribbean films failed miserably at anything remotely resembling action. Tintin has this fantastic use of perspective in that it's dynamic, but it doesn't get too experimental or crazy. It's like you're always in the right place at the right time. You can clearly make out what's going on at all times, which is something Michael Bay isn't able to claim the majority of the time. The motorcycle chase is my favorite of the two since it's nonstop. The pirate scene cuts back and forth between what Haddock is remembering and what's transpiring in the real world. The motorcycle chase is just in your face the entire time, lasts around six minutes, and puts you on the edge of your seat.

Tintin does have its shortcomings though. It does feature two of the year's best action scenes, but it also drags quite a bit in the middle. You get a little bored at times watching Tintin and Haddock be stranded out at sea, stumble through the desert, and Haddock's incessant rambling of never having enough booze. It results in the film feeling longer than it is. There was also a big deal about seeing this on screen. "It MUST be seen in 3D," is what we were told. As you can imagine, the 3D isn't really mandatory for enjoying the film. Aside from one scene, I don't recall a huge use of it anyway. A lot of the action was also extremely unrealistic, as well. I know, it's Hollywood, it's Steven Spielberg, you're supposed to already have this suspension of disbelief anyway. If I get to the point where I notice that this couldn't happen in reality though, then I feel like the movie hasn't effectively done its job; not completely anyway. That feeling was almost overbearing at times with Tintin.

The Adventures of Tintin does seem to fall a bit short of the painting critics have painted for it, but is still well worth the price of admission. This year has also been an amazing year for movies featuring dogs: The Artist had Jack, Beginners had Arthur, and Tintin has Snowy. Snowy is easily the most entertaining of the three, but he's also the most animated and the most fictional. Tintin may be a bit slow at times, but visually it's freaking spectacular and the score is an easy contender for one of the best of the year. As far as animated films go, it's films like The Adventures of Tintin that movie lovers live for.

Young Adult (2011) review

2011-12-16T12:05:00.000-06:00

Image property of Paramount Pictures

Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody have been kind of hit or miss for me or at least that's what I like to think. I didn't enjoy Juno nearly as much as everyone else seemed to while Jennifer's Body, while not great, may have been better received on my end than what most give it credit for mostly because I have such a soft spot for horror. On the other hand though, Up in the Air was fairly fantastic all around. With that said, the main thing attracting me to Young Adult was the fact that Patton Oswalt had a rather big supporting role. Despite the fact that Charlize Theron has done so many things since and has won an Oscar, films like The Astronaut's Wife and The Devil's Advocate only come to mind whenever she's featured in anything which isn't flattering at all. So there was kind of this sense of dread going into Young Adult, but was it justified? The short answer is no, but it doesn't completely blow you away either.

There was an Entertainment Weekly article a few weeks ago where Theron said she aimed to not only be a mean-spirited individual, but also easily relatable as well. That's the trickiest part with a character like this. Anyone can be cold or act black hearted, but doing that while also displaying qualities that make you feel sorry for them and/or feel like something you went through in your life is something special. Imagining anyone else in this role is practically impossible, as well. The entire premise seems to be built around Theron. She seems to be playing herself or at least a slightly exaggerated version of how she is in real life. That more than likely contributes to the movie working as well as it does.

One of the other great things about the movie is that it's mostly unexpected. Young adult fiction writer Mavis Gary (Theron) currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota but decides to return to her small hometown of Mercury after receiving an email from her high school boyfriend Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) welcoming his first child into the world. Mavis somehow thinks that her and Buddy are meant to be together and despite Buddy being happily married and having a daughter that he loves dearly, Mavis thinks they can work past that to make things right between them. The outcome of the events is probably pretty predictable, but the relationships in between unfold in a way that you probably don't see coming. I'm mostly referring to Mavis and Matt Freehauf's (Patton Oswalt) friendship as it goes in a direction that feels far too human for such a superficial individual like Mavis. Oswalt also seems to be playing an exaggerated version of himself as well as he makes full use of his geekiness. The Pixies shirt was also a nice touch. But Young Adult is mostly entertaining due to the way it feels genuine despite revolving around somebody who is as harsh and selfish as Mavis Gray is.

Young Adult is very dark and downright bleak at times, but that's one of its most distinguishing traits. You'll more than likely find something to relate to in Mavis Gray whether it was you who was the popular kid in school, are just as depressed as she is, think you may be an alcoholic, or you're a writer, Mavis isn't really in the right frame of mind and maybe that's the most relatable part of her character. Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt share a kind of twisted chemistry that involves some fairly witty dialogue at times, but is mostly them dragging the other one through the mud with their words, which strangely only illustrates how miserable and similar their two characters are. Young Adult is a very fascinating dark comedy that is laugh out loud funny at times due to its cruelness, but shines thanks to its authenticity.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) review

2011-12-16T10:43:00.000-06:00

Image property of Paramount Pictures

The fourth paragraph of this review contains some minor spoilers

Mentioning Tom Cruise or the Mission: Impossible movies during a movie conversation with me would be very similar to picking up dirt or sand and throwing it in my face during a fight; even though it's smart and will result in you getting the upper hand it's still dirty and nobody really likes it. Mission: Impossible II is the only part of the franchise I've seen and despite being directed by John Woo is just all kinds of awful. I tend to not like most of Tom Cruise's work though outside of The Last Samurai and Collateral. Ghost Protocol at least had a few redeeming factors; Simon Pegg is usually pretty awesome and Jeremy Renner has been solid in his last few efforts. Not many people can claim they aren't huge fans of the animated films Brad Bird has directed over the years, so they'd have to be interested in seeing his first live-action film. The final result is a very loud movie that only manages to be lukewarm at best.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol starts off really strong. The skyscraper sequences and extravagant action scenes look really amazing on an IMAX screen and the movie is practically all action the first half; you barely have time to breathe. The opening is also probably one of the best executed of the year, as well. Something as simple as the combination of a very long fuse being used in a unique way, that familiar theme music, and an elaborate title sequence somehow make all the difference in the world. The storyline is fairly intricate in its details, but everything seems to add up in an impressive way and the gadgets Ethan and his team use are spectacular. Those moments when they use this amazing technology pretty much make the movie. But somewhere around the time Jeremy Renner's character gets introduced is where things go downhill.

In an Entertainment Weekly article a few weeks back, they went into pretty good length about Mission: Impossible 4. A fairly big deal was placed on Renner's character. "There's more to his character than he first lets on," is what the main point was. But once Agent Brandt (Renner) goes into detail about his past, it's fairly underwhelming and everything remotely connecting him to Ethan Hunt's team is completely contradicted in the ending. So the Agent Brandt character mostly just feels like filler and a waste of time. While the movie does go to great lengths to inject as much action and excitement as humanly possible into its 133 minute running time, there's this part in the middle that's fairly slow in comparison. There's a segment with a suitcase that goes on far longer than it should, Brandt tells his story, Ethan briefly goes solo, and a Russian agent named Sidirov (Vladimir Mashkov) begins tailing Ethan. Then there are the few attempts at humor that just aren't very funny at all and one-liners that are kind of obnoxious.

One of the things that bothered me the most about Mission: Impossible II was the amount of unrealistic stunts that were pulled off and the way action seemed to defy logic. The problem is that same issue is still there two movies later. After seeing Ghost Protocol, I was almost convinced that Tom Cruise couldn't die. Maybe after seventeen years, Cruise decided to show the world he really is Lestat de Lioncourt. In the span of this film, Ethan Hunt is hit by a car, is inside of a car as it is riddled with ongoing gunfire before flipping over and landing in a lake, dives out of a car, barely dodges a car that flips into the air and lands beside him, and survives a 100-meter vertical drop among other things. Most of these don't even faze him other than being out of breath as he tends to just get back up and chase after his suspect again. I know "Impossible" is in the title, but does it have to be the guideline in every action sequence, as well? Lastly, the "blue/glue red/dead" scene is filmed superbly. If you're afraid of heights, I could see this scene possibly getting to you especially in IMAX. But it just seemed like an excuse for Tom Cruise to play Spider-Man. "Oh, nobody's even going to consider me for a superhero film? Well let's just develop some new technology in the next Mission: Impossible to make me feel better!"

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol showed quite a bit of potential early on, drops the ball somewhere in the middle, tries to regain the momentum it lost during its second act, but is never really able to. There is a ridiculous amount of action at the beginning and ending of the film with a rather large segment sandwiched in between that drags quite a bit. The attempts at humor were mostly very groan-worthy. The formula is basically action, action, action, explosions, long boring streak, stupid jokes, lots more action, and a very expected ending. The gadgets and storyline are a lot cleverer than you may anticipate, but then slowly unravel into pretty much what you expect a Tom Cruise movie to be like. While it is very disappointing on one hand, it at least deserves some credit for breaking the mold of cliché action movies. It's as if Brad Bird started writing a letter to Michael Bay that started off like, "You see, Mike? THIS is how you make an action movie both intelligent and fun for audiences," but then realized halfway through that he was basically following in Bay's footsteps, crumpled the letter up, threw it away, and breathed an exasperated sigh before saying to himself, "Oh, nevermind."

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) review

2011-12-13T11:50:00.000-06:00

Image property of Columbia Pictures

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has a rather large fan following and for good reason. The 2009 Swedish film is incredibly solid and well-acted with just the right amount of wrong. The two sequels that followed had their own uphill battles (switching directors, lower budget, etc) and weren't necessarily bad, but just failed to capture that raw emotional tenacity the original film offered. When news of a remake began making the usual rounds, there was a fairly large uproar amongst the internet community (isn't there always?), especially when it was announced Noomi Rapace wouldn't be returning as Lisbeth Salander. Most American remakes aren't directed by David Fincher though and while it isn't vastly different in comparison to its Swedish counterpart, Fincher has at least improved upon what was already a fantastic piece of cinema.

The opening of the film was a bit unexpected. "The Immigrant Song" cover by Trent Reznor and Karen O plays over these really fluid visuals that are a bit hard to describe. Imagine the T-1000 from Terminator 2 made of motor oil or tar instead of metal and you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. It was just very different from other film credits from the rest of the year while also being very sleek, very stylish, and very David Fincher.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is extremely dialogue driven, so be prepared for a lot of talking. It feels very similar to Zodiac in that sense yet more captivating. Even though I had seen the original film and knew most of the major plot points, I still found myself getting sucked into the story. Even if you hate this version of the film and your loyalty remains firmly with the Swedish film, you can probably at least agree that Fincher's version is visually the better of the two. The cinematography is just brilliant. You've gotten teases in the trailers, but the coldest winter in 20 years for Sweden looks so bloody fantastic on screen; the amazing scenery, those long drives through the snow, feeling like you're on the back of Lisbeth's motorcycle as she roars through a tunnel, and the inner shot of a plastic bag among many other things. The film is just a joy to look at from beginning to end.

The score is also just as brilliant as the one for The Social Network, if not slightly better. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross seem to explore territory they didn't get to explore on The Social Network score. This one seems to feature more out of tune instruments, which is an interesting touch. The score hints at rising tension throughout the film always making you feel like there's always something else to the story lurking around the corner waiting for the right moment to strike. It's haunting, unnerving, and just spectacular overall.

Noomi Rapace was an exceptional Lisbeth Salander and with that said so is Rooney Mara. Just the amount of devotion she put into the role with the piercings being genuine, bleaching her eyebrows, cutting her hair, learning how to ride a motorcycle, using a very convincing Swedish accent, coming off as being just as messed up as her appearance lets on, and being completely nude is an incredible accomplishment. It's not out of the question to believe that a role this physical could get her nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards. The entire cast just seems like they fit their roles a bit better than they did in the Swedish film. This is one of the only performances of Daniel Craig's I can actually say I enjoyed while Stellan Skarsgård is just wonderfully demented. Then there's Yorick van Wageningen that's just downright despicable as Nils Bjurman. It doesn't seem like it's something as simple as "oh, you're showing favoritism towards a remake because it's in English now." That isn't the case at all. Fincher’s attention to detail to the source material is practically Kubrick-like. It shows in every frame of the film.

Fincher's version also seems to feature a lot more of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander being together. They have more sex and they're featured together more on-screen in comparison to the Swedish version. It was a nice addition that made the slightly altered ending a lot more impactful. The whistling doors in Martin's house were also amazing. I can't recall if that was in the Swedish version or not, but it brought a smile to my face with how something so small meant so much.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is obviously not going to be for everybody. It relies on extremely long discussions to drive most of the two and a half hour duration of the film. In between though, it becomes difficult to watch mostly with how Nils Bjurman handles giving Lisbeth more money and her response. Lisbeth's response will more than likely have you tiptoeing out of the theater as delicately as possible since you'll still be feeling it. With a phenomenal cast, incredibly rich cinematography, a brilliant score, and Rooney Mara's best performance to date, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not only an improvement over the original but easily one of the best films of the year.

The Sitter (2011) review

2011-12-08T14:02:00.000-06:00

Image property of 20th Century Fox

So let's get this straight: The Sitter is about to be released featuring the round and portly Jonah Hill we've become familiar with over the years, but he's lost a considerable amount of weight and almost looks like a completely different person these days? That won't be confusing to some people at all. Truth be told, I liked Jonah Hill there for awhile. I laughed really hard at Superbad, Grandma's Boy was a lot better than it first let on, and Get Him to the Greek was pretty solid as well. Not to mention How to Train Your Dragon being spectacular. The problem is outside of films like Moneyball, Hill basically has Vince Vaughn syndrome and plays the exact same character in everything. It could come down to character acting, but it gets to the point where you see somebody do the same shtick a dozen times and you just want to see if they're capable of anything else. Director David Gordon Green is on the same boat. I keep hearing how solid his first directorial efforts are and Pineapple Express is one of the best R-rated comedies in recent years, but everything since has just been so disappointing. The Sitter won't be the film to shatter what you've come to expect from Jonah Hill and David Gordon Green either.

You pretty much already know the basic story of the film: a guy who hates kids has to babysit three of them and everything you could possibly imagine to go wrong does in the worst ways imaginable. Blithe (Landry Bender) is a little girl who's obsessed with becoming a celebrity and just wants to go to clubs, dress up, wear make-up, drink and eat whatever famous people consume, and sing along to songs a girl her age probably shouldn't. Rodrigo (Kevin Hernandez) is the adopted kid of the family and likes to destroy things for no reason while having a particular fascination with cherry bombs. Then there's Slater (Max Records) who is convinced he can't function without the medication in his fanny pack since he thinks he's beyond repair.

The Sitter becomes very predictable. The three kids constantly clash with their babysitter throughout the film until they eventually warm up to each other and go from there. Jonah Hill spits out a few semi-entertaining one-liners amongst all the mayhem. There are several weird bonding scenes between the kids and Noah though. Noah has a heart to heart talk with both Blithe and Slater, but Slater is the one to step in and try to set Rodrigo straight. The scenes come off as a little awkward because they feel kind of forced. There's a drug dealer named Karl (Sam Rockwell) chasing them and Noah is trying to get to a party to try and get lucky with his sort-of girlfriend Marisa (Ari Graynor). Would you take a time-out to make a kid feel better if you owed a drug dealer ten grand by midnight with your life on the line?

The entire adventure becomes incredibly cliché and is basically an R-rated version of most of the babysitting movies you've seen previously. Despicable Me, Mr. Nanny, Bebe's Kids, and The Pacifier are probably a few that come to mind. This is another movie whose unrealistic qualities snowballed as it progressed. It continued to get more and more ludicrous as it went on. About halfway into the movie, most of the theater was in hysterics but the entire press row was just not laughing at all. Realizing this made me laugh harder than any material in the movie.

The Sitter is just bad from all angles. It uses a recycled and overused storyline, isn't funny, is unrealistic, and is basically an embarrassment for all of those involved. How in the world did Sam Rockwell become a part of this and what the hell happened to David Gordon Green? The Sitter is the type of movie that lets you know several talented people are involved in the project and yet they still churn out run of the mill garbage to try and make a buck. This is hands down one of the worst movies of the year.

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2011) review

2011-12-01T11:26:00.002-06:00

Image property of Variance Films

I wasn't even aware there was an original Elite Squad until after I had heard about and had access to Elite Squad: The Enemy Within. The Enemy Within has been receiving rave reviews from pretty much everyone who has seen it. This is the type of movie that sucker punches you in the gut and you never see it coming, but all you can do is smile because that rush is unlike anything else you've ever experienced. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within makes full use of the term, "thriller" before turning it upside down and inside out and doing it all over again in a two hour time period.

Some rather interesting camera work is utilized throughout the film. You take notice of it in the very first scene as the camera catches every crack and break in a pane of glass as a car is riddled with bullets. Slow motion is also used in a refreshing kind of way mostly because slow motion has looked the same way since 2006 when Leonidas kicked the messenger into the pit in 300. While this was probably done in a cheaper way since the budget wasn't nearly as big as it was in a film like 300, the fact that it was done differently is what makes it noteworthy. This feels more raw and less polished. The "size of a tangerine" scene is fairly awesome, as well. The scene is frozen at one point, but you see that scene from two different perspectives.

Taken, Man on Fire, and The Man From Nowhere; these are a few of the films the action scenes in Elite Squad: The Enemy Within may remind you of. Those scenes when everything hits the fan are the main reason to see this film, but everything in between is so tense that you find yourself easily getting absorbed into all of the events that are going on. Corruption is fascinating in a very disturbing kind of way. This is Nascimento's (Wagner Moura) story, so he's pretty much your guide through this journey as he's removed from BOPE (the Special Police Operations Battalion of the Rio de Janeiro Military Police) and struggles to survive in Rio, but the way his story ties in with the stories of Matias (André Ramiro) and Fraga (Irandhir Santos) is rather brilliant as they're both involved with Nascimento in more ways than one. The bloody brutality of the film seems to be lurking around every corner even when things may appear calm.

In The Boondock Saints, Paul Smecker (played by Willem Dafoe) yells, "There was a firefight!" during one the most extravagant shootout of the film. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within almost seems to redefine that term. While there isn't a lot of property damage in the film, people get wasted left and right and blood sprays into the air whenever a gun is drawn. People get the hell beaten out of them before being lit on fire and dead bodies are burned as their teeth are pulled to hide their identities. There's a grittiness to Elite Squad: The Enemy Within that many films have barely scratched the surface of.

Remember when you first saw The Empire Strikes Back where you had this fairly awesome movie on your hands that left you with this rather huge cliffhanger ending? Elite Squad: The Enemy Within is similar in that aspect. Elite Squad is obviously going to be at least a trilogy, but it'll be one of those things that will be less of an issue when you don't have a long wait between films. In the meantime though, it feels a little cheap.

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within is a lot like City of God if it was on steroids; there's more action, more intensity, and bigger payoffs. Its biggest flaw is that it doesn't end and is obviously just building toward the next sequel. With an excellent cast and eye-catching cinematography, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within is a compelling look at the underbelly of society that's a must-see.

My Week with Marilyn (2011) review

2011-11-25T02:05:00.000-06:00

Image property of The Weinstein Company

As of this writing, I have never seen a film featuring Marilyn Monroe and if this film has any sort of credibility to it than that isn't something that's going to be changing any time soon. My Week with Marilyn is the type of film that generally doesn't really seem all that titillating to me, but considering the amount of building Oscar buzz around Michelle Williams’s performance and Williams’s recent appearance promoting the film on "The Today Show" swerved my decision on the matter and at least piqued my interest. While the film was a bit better than expectations predicted it would be, My Week with Marilyn still doesn't seem very memorable and fails to stand out in comparison to some of the other incredible films that have been released this year.

The music will entrance you right from the start. Michelle Williams seems the most comfortable in Monroe's shoes while she's singing and it just shows. The song and dance numbers feel like they're straight out of the 50s, which is surely a high compliment. The set pieces, cars, and costumes all capture that time period incredibly well, too. The way Williams puts her own spin on such a well-known actress is highly respectable. Eddie Redmayne is completely enamored with not only the film business but Marilyn as well as Colin Clark, Kenneth Branagh spits out more than a few hilarious one-liners as Sir Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench is so calm, kind-hearted, and respectable that you can't help but love her as Dame Sybil Thorndike, and Emma Watson (in her first non-Harry Potter role) is kind of a voice of reason for Colin as Lucy. I was one of the people who didn't think The Tree of Life was all it was cracked up to be, but the film certainly looked spectacular. Certain scenes in My Week with Marilyn were reminiscent to The Tree of Life in how they were shot; in beauty and technique.

I've never been a big fan of blondes and this film doesn't really help the matter. Marilyn was absolutely perfect on-screen, but what was left on the cutting room floor and what took part behind the scenes illustrated the fact that she was a very flawed individual. She was a complete airhead, was full of self-doubt, couldn't stay off pills just to accomplish any sort of daily function, and was basically a complete train wreck. Everyone catering to her and worshipping the ground she walked on just seemed like a joke because of it and mostly came off as annoying, whether it was true or not. A woman sitting next to me at the theater mentioned how she didn't really feel like Michelle Williams portrayed Marilyn Monroe properly; she didn't see Monroe on the screen she just saw Williams. Maybe that's why it felt like something was missing from the film like that extra spark that helps flip that switch inside you to let you know you really love something. While the film was funny at times, charming at others, and downright depressing in between, it never really felt like it hit it out of the park. It was more like a good effort with disappointing results.

My Week with Marilyn is an astounding representation of the late 1950s, is shot beautifully, and features a talented cast that delivers some exceptional performances. This is arguably the best performance of Michelle Williams’s career. The drama eventually gets emotionally powerful, but seems very flirtatious when it comes to the storyline. You’re basically teased the entire film concerning Marilyn's true intentions, mental state, and well-being. The conclusion felt like more of a reach around that stopped before you had the chance to climax and didn't feel fully gratifying. Aside from Williams’s performance, the incredibly lush jazz soundtrack took hold of your senses in ways the movie only dreamt of doing.

Blu-ray review: Rushmore (1999)

2011-11-21T13:32:00.000-06:00

Image property of Criterion Collection

Rushmore is a fantastic film for many reasons. As someone who lives in Houston, it's still amazing to think that a big portion of Rushmore was shot here. This little independent gem was more than likely your introduction to both director and Houston native Wes Anderson and actor Jason Schwartzman and what an introduction it would turn out to be. Anderson would go on to continue giving us quirky yet extremely heartwarming films while Schwartzman evolved into a very talented actor and worked with Anderson on several other occasions. Once you hear Bill Murray say, "Yeah, I was in the @#$%," you know you're in for something special. Rushmore is just what every comedy, independent or otherwise, should be.

The love triangle between Max Fischer (Schwartzman), Herman Blume (Murray), and Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams) is one of the things that makes Rushmore so good. Each character brings out the best in the others while their flaws only seem to strengthen the performances of those around them. Max is devoted to so many activities and clubs around Rushmore Academy that he finds himself on the verge of expulsion from failing grades, Ms. Cross is still grieving her husband who only passed a year ago, and Mr. Blume is one of the richest guys around, finds himself in a failing marriage, doesn't know how to act around people, and has a drinking problem. The rivalry that develops between Max and Herman is just extraordinary. Nearly any scene featuring Bill Murray is incredible anyway, especially the hospital scene where he shows up with flowers and rides with Max in the elevator. The restaurant scene where Max is drinking and confesses his love to Ms. Cross is really exceptional, as well. Mostly because all three of the of the main cast have the chance to shine.

There's this sense of quirkiness to a Wes Anderson film that you can't find anywhere else and that's its charm. Anderson also has a knack for picking some pretty memorable soundtracks and knows how to make a scene look better than it should, but his writing is what stands out the most. Flawed people and unusual dialogue and situations; that's a Wes Anderson film at its core. Maybe that's why his movies are so easy to relate to since nobody is perfect and everyone finds themselves slipping up from time to time.

There's just something about Rushmore that speaks to you whether you relate to one of the characters, love Bill Murray, or have a thing for independent film. It's awkward and touching when things get heavy and hilarious and lighthearted when things are more laid back. It's well-written, you actually care about these eccentric characters, and the performances are top notch all around. Rushmore is one of those films you just have to see; you HAVE to. It's the type of film that latches onto you and never lets go while you're more than willing to let it stay as long as it's willing to stick around.

Rushmore isn't loaded with special features, but there is some really great stuff in what is included. The Making of featurette and MTV Movie Awards Shorts are the must see features. The Making of "Rushmore" is the lengthiest (around seventeen minutes) and is mostly just a brief behind the scenes documentary shot by Eric Chase Anderson, Wes Anderson's brother that includes interviews and a rundown of the cast. The EPK (Electronic Press Kit) was shot for something like five months, when most films shoot them in a matter of days. When you consider that bit of information, it's kind of surprising that the footage they shot wasn't used to make a full-length documentary. The MTV Movie Awards Shorts are brief (three segments, each about a minute long, and a thirty second introduction), but are just fantastic. The shorts are theatrical adaptations of films from 1999 including The Truman Show, Armageddon, and Out of Sight. If you liked Max's plays in the film, you'll enjoy these.

Other special features include cast auditions, a film to storyboard comparison, storyboards, an episode of The Charlie Rose Show Featuring Wes Anderson and Bill Murray, the theatrical trailer, an image gallery, and audio commentary by Anderson, co-writer Owen Wilson, and actor Jason Schwartzman (which was recorded in 1999). There's this pretty incredible collectible poster included inside the case and an essay by film critic Dave Kehr included in the liner notes, as well.

Criterion Collection, as you've come to expect by now, has made Rushmore look and sound better than it ever has before. The Blu-ray is a digital transfer of the director's cut, which was supervised by director Wes Anderson with a DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The film is presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio in 5.1 surround sound and is approximately 93 minutes long. The Rushmore Criterion Collection Blu-ray will be released in stores and in most online retail outlets on Tuesday, November 22nd.

The Descendants (2011) review

2011-11-18T12:19:00.000-06:00

Image property of Fox Searchlight Pictures

I remember about seven years ago when video rental stores were still in their prime and I frequented Hollywood Video instead of Netflix when I picked up Sideways on a whim, brought it home, and thoroughly enjoyed it but never really had the chance to talk to anybody about it. It was long before I started reviewing movies and most of my friends have the typical guy taste in movies: if there isn't a ton of nudity, blood and violence, or explosion of some kind in the first ten minutes then they essentially get bored with it and fall asleep or turn it off without giving it a proper chance. So I kind of felt like I was this closet Sideways fan for years. Up until The Descendants, it was actually the only Alexander Payne directed film I've had the chance to see as well. With that said, I'm also not the biggest George Clooney fan. His pretentiousness in real life seems to have crossed over into many of his performances and my favorite memories from his acting resume are mostly Seth Gecko from From Dusk 'Till Dawn and Sparky and Dr. Gouache from "South Park". There have obviously been better movies of his since then (O Brother, Where Art Thou? Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Up In the Air, and Fantastic Mr. Fox are personal favorites), but none have spoken to me the way Seth Gecko did. There has already been quite a lot of Academy Award talk with The Descendants, but Clooney's roles always seem to be associated with The Oscars so that wasn't too surprising. However The Descendants proved to not only be one of Clooney's best on-screen performances but is also one of the best 2011 has to offer.

Visually speaking, The Descendants is extraordinary. It's filmed in Hawaii after all, so it's kind of difficult to make it look bad. The scenery is almost overly-beautiful even though much of the film is overcast Hawaii's green landscapes and clear ocean water makes nearly every scene visually striking. Even when it's raining you can't help but feel the urge to visit this amazing place or return there if you've been fortunate enough to have gone to Hawaii before. There's also a staircase scene where we're looking down at Clooney while he's climbing stairs that caught my eye while he narrates about his life which mostly revolves around trying to fix a broken marriage. It sounds so simple on paper, but it's one of those scenes where the camera was in the right place at the right time and makes something so brief memorable.

This is easily the most emotional George Clooney has ever been in one of his performances, as well. He's on the brink of a breakdown the entire film and while I would've liked to have seen something a bit more expressive especially after the hype for "his first on-screen breakdown," what we do receive is still really emotional and heartfelt. Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller are also fantastic as Matt King's (Clooney) children. They provide many of the laughs a good portion of the film and show they're also fully capable of displaying what feels like sincere sorrow and emotion. That's one of the best things about The Descendants; it provides plenty of hilarious laugh-out-loud moments but also isn't afraid to show you more tender moments that tug at your heartstrings. Alexandra's (Woodley) friend Sid (Nick Krause) is very entertaining, as well. His scenes in the car and at Elizabeth's (Patricia Hastie) parents’ house are some of the greatest the film has to offer. Matt's friends Mark (Rob Huebel) and Kai Mitchell (Mary Birdsong) are also a highlight. Mark provides some really hilarious one-liners while Kai is obviously a very devoted friend to Matt's wife Elizabeth.

There are little to no faults to be found in the film. The entire cast delivers, the story unravels in a very pleasing fashion, and the film is magnificently shot. There's very little to be unhappy with. Even the Hawaiian music was a high spot. While I'm not the biggest fan of foreign music, this was generally very soothing featuring Hawaiian lyrics accompanied by guitar or ukulele plucking. The one thing that might come off as kind of silly is the Matthew Lillard kitchen scene being fairly reminiscent of the ending to Scream, but that was more humorous than anything.

I'm sure it differentiates a bit from critic to critic, but for me the best movies are not only the ones that feature talented casts, engrossing storytelling, and solid scripts but are also the ones that manage to affect a wide range of your emotions. The Descendants does all of that and then some. Every performance feels genuine and the never-ending downward spiral feeling the story gives you is resolved in a way that not only feels natural but is completely satisfying. This is George Clooney at his absolute best and it's safe to say that Alexander Payne has outdone himself. The Descendants is chaotic, charming, hilarious, and emotional. It's quite possibly the most powerful and emotion-evoking film of the year.

The Artist (2011) review

2011-11-14T22:52:00.002-06:00

Image property of The Weinstein Company

The Artist had quite the reputation going for it before it debuted at the Cinema Arts Festival in Houston, Texas. Early reviews were already very positive and many Houston critics were talking about how much they were anticipating getting the chance to see it. I purposely went in blind and only found out just moments before I entered the theater that it was a silent film and was not only shot in but would be presented in the now practically ancient 1.33:1 aspect ratio. A black and white silent feature film made in modern times; what's not to like about that? Truth be told, nothing can really prepare you for how extraordinary The Artist really is.

George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is the king of silent movies in Hollywood in 1927. Audiences just adore everything George is a part of. Along comes Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) who you just know is going to be a huge star some day. George and Peppy work together on one film as George not only takes her under his wing, but an undeniable spark develops between the two. Over the course of the next few years, silent movies fade into obscurity as talking pictures or "talkies" explode onto the scene. George finds himself struggling for not only work, but a purpose to live as Peppy becomes the next big thing overnight.

The Artist is funny and charming right out the gate. Jean Dujardin really plays to the crowd and appears to love nothing more than catering to the people who come to see his films. George's dog Jack might be the biggest form of comic relief in the film. The way he plays dead and covers his head with his paws are always both presented in a way that is fresh and laugh out loud funny each and every time they're utilized. Once Bérénice Bejo enters the picture, the film begins to evolve into a type of romance. It's odd though because to my recollection George and Peppy never kiss. Peppy seems to steal the spotlight in the same way George does as soon as you see her dance for the first time. The laughs are there, the charms are there, The Artist has a firm grip on your heart and your attention and never really lets go.

The film eventually begins to get a bit darker though as silent movies wither away and talking pictures take their spot. George's downward spiral is really fantastic to watch. It's mostly due to not only Dujardin's superb performance, but also the way many of these scenes are filmed. There's a scene where George is sitting down at a mirror table drinking whiskey. You see nothing but George, his reflection, and the alcohol. He pours the booze on the tabletop as the look of disgust becomes more chiseled on his brow. That scene is so beyond amazing. The brilliant music used in the film also just captures the time period perfectly. There's also this dream that George has right before he's let go from his contract where he can't speak, but everything around him has sound. That sequence is really spectacular, as well.

The Artist can get a little dark at times, but for the most part is extremely lighthearted and feel-good at its core. Never have I wanted a movie to end on a happy note so badly in my life. Through the highs and the lows of George Valentin and the depressing outcome of his career along with the heartwarming sensation you get from nearly everything in between, the entire experience just feels so real; so genuine. The Artist is just pure perfection, a masterpiece, and an instant classic.

Here (2011) review

2011-11-14T20:54:00.001-06:00

Image property of Stand Releasing

What initially attracted me to Here was Ben Foster being involved. I remember watching "Flash Forward" when I was in seventh grade and even though I can't remember much about the series, it must've made a long-lasting impression on me because I've followed Foster's acting career fairly closely ever since. But Here was a bit of a gamble since I wasn't familiar with anyone else in the cast (even though Lubna Azabal was also in Coriolanus, which I saw earlier the same evening) and Braden King was a director I was completely unfamiliar with. In the end, Here isn't exactly a film that demands to be seen but is still able to pique your interest at times if you find yourself watching it.

Will Shepard (Foster) is a cartographer who currently finds himself in Armenia. He drives all over the country for his work and eventually crosses paths with a photographer named Gadarine (Azabal). They feel connected to one another right from the start and eventually start traveling together. A relationship of sorts develops and while the two of them thoroughly enjoy the company of one another life steps in to take them in opposite directions. Both Will and Gadarine find themselves at a crossroads and must decide where to go from Here.

Here is full of some absolutely breathtaking scenery. It was actually shot on location in Armenia and the country is almost overly-beautiful. Everything is so lush and green. It's almost overwhelming. You'll also notice the film's prominent use of long shots. Most of them take place in the middle of nowhere, are roaming shots, and usually slowly rotate in a nearly 360 degree angle. It gives you this sense of what's going on in this world around the actors rather than what's just transpiring during their story.

The most intriguing aspect of Here is that every so often it takes a time out from telling Will and Gabadine's story while a narrator steps in (Peter Coyote) and talks over some rather abstract visuals that include shots of nature and city life. The narrated scenes are written really well and it just took me back to the more abstract animated shorts that Chuck Jones did (Now Hear This, The Dot and the Line) back in the sixties. The Tree of Life almost comes to mind, but Here doesn't have half a dozen storylines competing for your attention and doesn't feel nearly as pretentious as The Tree of Life did. Into the Wild is probably the most obvious comparison, but I was left thinking of a Joseph Gordon-Levitt film not many people saw called Uncertainty. The films aren't even all that similar, but both films take something like a character study and make it more important than the actual storyline.

Here is a pretty unique experience. It's not the typical type of film that acts like it demands your attention, but is a journey you won't regret taking when it's over. Conceptual ideas are interjected amongst a blossoming and intimate love story. Everything the story stands for rides on the last few precious moments of the film, which takes something so simple and gives this incredible meaning to it. Here comes off as more of a traveling journal or moving photo album rather than the typical story driven cinematic fare.

Coriolanus (2011) review

2011-11-14T16:23:00.002-06:00

Image property of The Weinstein Company

Coriolanus was somewhat of a mystery heading into it. As someone who didn't study Shakespeare in school and someone who isn't familiar with the original play, it was difficult to get excited about a film I generally knew nothing about. The thoughts that had crossed my mind were Ralph Fiennes was rarely disappointing, Gerard Butler is talented and can showcase that when he wants to, and the expectations of heavy bloodshed. All of those assumptions turned out to be correct, but Coriolanus is more of a mess rather than a thing of beauty.

You'll notice right away that first person, shaky camera technique that everyone seems to be complaining about not only utilized in the film but fully embraced. It's used the entire film and you can probably already pinpoint its strengths and weaknesses. It does make you feel like you're right there shouting at the top of your lungs and breaking things during the riots and covering your comrades during the war-heavy scenes, but it's difficult to fully distinguish what's transpiring or who hit whom in fist or knife fights. Battle: Los Angeles comes to mind; mostly the scenes of them in the streets since a similar camera technique is used. You can visualize what Fiennes was going for, but it's a curse way more than it is a blessing.

The other thing you need to know is that this is completely set in Shakespearean dialect. It's essentially a Shakespearean play set in modern times. It's interesting on one hand, but you really have to force yourself to concentrate on what's being said the majority of the time and becomes a bit of a pain.

With that said, the film does have its high points. Most of them lie within the bullet-ridden war-heavy scenes and heavy use of violence. It's all very gritty, explosive, and quite bloody. Expect something to talk about whenever a knife is unsheathed or a gun is removed from its holster. There's a headshot early on that practically catches you off-guard and is completely unflinching. Ralph Fiennes is brilliant, as well. He's basically a ticking time bomb from start to finish and he spits his words out as if he hates having to utter them at all. His passion is clearly there though. Gerard Butler is also quite emotionally charged, but is scarcely used; the same can be said about Jessica Chastain. Vanessa Redgrave is featured in a prominent role that's very impassioned and is sure to get her nominated for an Academy Award.

Coriolanus feels like a more adult, slightly improved version of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet. It's unyielding sense of violence is impressive, but its verbose lines of dialogue drags it down. Its frantic cuts are extremely distracting, as well. Despite some strong performances, Coriolanus comes off as unnatural, feels extremely prolonged, and is tediously monotonous.