Z At the Movies

WINTER’S BONE / ****

2010-10-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Release Date: June 11, 2010
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: R

Having to grow up too early is a fate that no child should have to endure. For 17-year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence), a childhood is something she never really had the luxury of experiencing. With a physical absentee father and a mental absentee mother, Ree is the primary caregiver to her younger brother and sister living in the Ozark Mountains. The young ones seem relatively happy, and the Dollys don’t have much but they do have their house.

Then one day there’s a knock at the door. The local sheriff informs Ree that her father Jessup, a known crystal meth cooker and dealer, has skipped bail. He had put up the house, which was owned in his name, as collateral, and if he doesn’t show up in a week’s time Ree and her family will lose the house. This is something that the resolute and never wavering Ree finds unacceptable. She vows to find the father she doesn’t know to protect the rest of her family that she does know.

To find her father, Ree needs the help of his brother, her uncle who calls himself Teardrop (the intense and brooding John Hawkes). Believing his brother to be dead, Teardrop initially refuses to help Ree. He has no idea how determined and strong-willed she is.

Ree is afraid of nothing and no one in the pursuit of her father. The crystal meth crowd in the Ozark Mountain region isn’t the friendliest bunch, but Ree does what she has to do no matter how unsavory the characters she comes across may be.

Lawrence’s performance is a revelation. It anchors a film steeped in sadness and anger. Lawrence plays Ree with a steely reserve – there are no movie character speeches or emotional outbursts in Lawrence’s repertoire. With the right kind of campaign, Lawrence could reap some awards attention. It reminds me a bit of Melissa Leo a few years ago with “Frozen River.”

Director Debra Granik, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Anne Rosellini from a novel by Daniel Woodrell captures the look and feeling of isolation and desperation. Shot in muted greys and faded blues by cinematographer Michael McDonough, “Winter’s Bone” seems like a world drained of all color and vibrancy, and it sucks you in with powerful performances and fantastic old fashioned storytelling. This is one of the best films of the year.

Theater: Capri Theater, Montgomery, Alabama
Time: 730 pm
Date: August 18, 2010

Z At the Movies - Episode #1

2010-10-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hey check out my new video reviews!

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/user/MrJakeziegler#p/a/u/2/-hgARP1aLc4

Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/user/MrJakeziegler#p/a/u/1/u-2qFaTvKAw

Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/user/MrJakeziegler#p/a/u/0/HDfQ9tRC8hE

THE SECRET OF KELLS / ***½

2010-10-05T00:00:00.001-07:00

Distributor: GKIDS
Release Date: March 5, 2010
Genre: Animation
Running Time: 75 minutes
MPAA Rating: Unrated

When the Oscar nominations were announced last year, the biggest shock came in the Best Animated Film Category. Expected nominees “Coraline,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “The Princess and the Frog,” and “Up” all had their names called, as did “The Secret of Kells.”

Wait, the Secret of What? The French / Belgian / Irish movie wasn’t even released in the United States until March 5 (making almost $40,000 on one screen, and it never made it to more than 37), two days before the Oscar ceremony. So this proves that the animation branch actually watches their screeners and sees all of the eligible films, and their nomination made it possible for theaters like Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater, where I saw it, to play this terrific little film.

The film takes place in the ninth century, where Viking leader Abbot Cellach (the inimitable Brendan Gleeson) is trying to build a wall around his village to keep everyone safe from attacks. Cellach is in charge of his nephew Brendan (Evan McGuire), who is forbidden to enter the forest around the village.

Meanwhile, Brother Aidan shows up in town to work on the Book of Kells, a mystical creation that opens Brendan’s eyes and mind. Brother Aidan needs help with the book, and asks Brendan to get him a special kind of ink in the very forest that Cellach forbids Brendan from going into. Of course Brendan goes, and he gets in over his head. Luckily for him, a fairy named Aisling shows up to help him navigate his way around the creatures in the forest.

The story follows a fairly obvious arc and few surprises are to be found, but “Kells” is nothing short of stunning to look at. In the era of CGI, hand drawn animated films are becoming rarer and rarer. It was no match for “Up” at the Oscars, but this is one of those films where the nomination was the award.

Theater: The Ruth Sokolof Theater, Omaha, NE
Time: 415 pm
Date: May 19, 2010

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND: LONDON CALLING – LIVE IN HYDE PARK / ****

2010-10-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Columbia Records
Release Date: June 22, 2010 (DVD)
Genre: Concert
Running Time: Approx. 180 minutes
MPAA Rating: Unrated

Set List

1. London Calling
2. Badlands
3. Night
4. She’s the One
5. Outlaw Pete
6. Out in the Street
7. Working on a Dream
8. Seeds
9. Johnny 99
10. Youngstown
11. Good Lovin’
12. Bobby Jean
13. Trapped
14. No Surrender
15. Waiting on a Sunny Day
16. Promised Land
17. Racing in the Street
18. Radio Nowhere
19. Lonesome Day
20. The Rising
21. Born to Run
22. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
23. Hard Times (Come Again No More)
24. Jungleland
25. American Land
26. Glory Days
27. Dancing in the Dark
28. Credits (Raise Your Hand)
 BONUS – The River, Glastonbury 2009
 BONUS – Wrecking Ball, Giants Stadium 2009

I’ve been a fan of Bruce Springsteen for as long as I can remember liking music. When I was young I had “Born in the U.S.A.” on tape and I still remember listening to the first three tracks on side one, and then flipping the tape over because when “Darlington County” ends on side one, “Glory Days” begins on side two. I believe I just dated myself.

Three times I’ve seen Springsteen in concert and of course I can’t pick a favorite (though the Vote for Change Tour at Cobo Hall in Detroit in 2004 would probably be it if I were forced to choose). Springsteen is known for marathon concerts in the three hour neighborhood and possessing way more energy than any other 60-year-old on the planet. The Boss and his band from E Street look as if they’re having the time of their life every single time, as if this is where they all belong.

Springsteen leads the band of merry men and women on guitar and lead vocals of course. Joining him is Roy Bittan on the keyboards; Clarence Clemons on saxophone, percussion, and vocals; Nils Lofgren on guitar and vocals; Garry Tallent on bass guitar; Stevie Van Zandt on guitar and vocals; and the mighty Max Weinberg on drums. Joining them are Soozie Tyrell on violin and vocals; Charlie Giordano on accordion, piano, organ, and vocals; and Curtis King Jr. & Cindy Mizelle on vocals and percussion. Oh, and Brian Fallon of the Gaslight Anthem sings with Boss on “No Surrender.”

That’s an 11-piece band, and they’re able to achieve a sonic perfection with each other. I heard once that the band didn’t even know what they were playing but knew which song it was going to be based on how Springsteen counted off.

“London Calling” is a barnburner of a setlist, starting off with a rousing version of The Clash hit that gave the DVD its name and rolling through a number of other classics new and old. Springsteen is generally really great at mixing his old and new material in his concerts and this one is no different.

This concert is currently available on DVD, but I was also able to see it the local art theater here in Montgomery, albeit a truncated version with songs 8-21 and 23 (I think that’s right) cut out. In whatever form you can see it in, fans of Bruce Springsteen will no doubt be pleased with this DVD.

Theater: Capri Theater, Montgomery, Alabama
Time: 730 pm
Date: September 26, 2010

THE SOCIAL NETWORK / ****

2010-10-03T23:25:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Sony
Release Date: October 1, 2010
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13

How many times a day do you check your Facebook account – five? 10? 20? Have you ever stopped to thank Mark Zuckerberg for creating the most popular and highly addictive social network site of all time? Did he steal the idea? Possibly. Did he stab his best friend in the back on his way to becoming the world’s youngest billionaire? Probably. But the bottom line is at the end of the day, Mark Zuckerberg created the greatest invention of my lifetime and that alone makes him a worthy subject for a biopic written by Golden Globe nominee Aaron Sorkin (“A Few Good Men”; “The American President”; and “Charlie Wilson’s War”) and directed by Oscar nominee David Fincher (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”).

Jesse Eisenberg stars as Zuckerberg in a performance that’s sure to earn him his first Oscar nomination. I along with many others first noticed Eisenberg as an actor to watch in 2005’s “The Squid and the Whale,” and this is the performance that years from now people will look back on as the moment Eisenberg arrived as an actor.

The film opens with Harvard student Zuckerberg and his Boston University girlfriend Erica Albright (Rooney Mara) at a bar, engaging in intellectually exhausting conversation. One could unknowingly walk in on this scene and immediately know that Aaron Sorkin wrote the screenplay (based on the book “The Accidental Billionaires” by Ben Mezrich).

Erica grows weary of Zuckerberg’s arrogance (borne from his intelligence) and curtly ends their relationship. Zuckerberg storms back to his dorm to drink more beer, and starts blogging. With a desire to forget about his now-ex, he comes up with a project for himself. He hacks into the Harvard house student directories, steals all the females’ pictures, and creates a site called FaceMash.com, in which people see two pictures side by side and vote on which one is hotter. The site attracts so much traffic that the Harvard network completely shuts down. He’s given academic probation and becomes a social pariah, even more so than before.

Face Mash gives Zuckerberg an idea. Around the same time, a group of social elites – identical twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer and Josh Pence with Armie Hammer’s face digitally imposed onto his body) and Divya Narendra (Max Minghella, the late Anthony’s son) have a similar idea. They approach Zuckerberg about working on their project – a dating site, but exclusive to Harvard students. Zuckerberg quickly agrees, although future communication with Zuckerberg becomes quite difficult. Then out of nowhere, The Facebook, a Mark Zuckerberg production, pops up online. The “Winklevi” and Narandra are agog. He stole their idea.

At least that’s their story, as told through depositions that took place several years after the debut of The Facebook (the “The” would later be dropped). This is only one of the two lawsuits Zuckerberg is wading his way through. The other is from his former best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), who supplied the initial money for the project and was named CFO, only to later be pushed out and left in the cold by the nefarious Sean Parker (deftly played by Justin Timberlake), the founder of Napster.

At least, that’s his story. One of the fascinating aspects of “Social Network” is that it shows many points of view but rarely lets us inside the mind of its hero/anti-hero/villain/whatever works for you, Mark Zuckerberg. Is it because Zuckerberg himself is often not mentally invested in the things going on around him, preferring to live in the Facebook world he created, where lines of code are more important than maintaining a relationship with your best friend and CFO?

Fincher expertly weaves the story back and forth through time, using the depositions to set up flashbacks that tell the story of Facebook’s creation. The reason the movie works as well as it does is that Fincher (along with cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth and composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) creates suspense from the events that happen when a creation becomes wildly successful and friendship is involved. It may be about the invention of Facebook, but it could have been about the creation of anything, which is the sign of a great movie.

One scene in particular that stuck out to me was late in the film when Zuckerberg runs into Erica at a restaurant. Erica is out with a group of friends, people Zuckerberg doesn’t know. He wants to talk to her alone for a minute. She insists that whatever he has to say he can say in front of them. This scene is a like a microcosm of the way Facebook works. Anything you say to someone can be seen by people you don’t know if they’re friends with the person you do know.

Jesse Eisenberg owns this movie with a magnetic performance that is sure to command some awards attention. He plays Zuckerberg as too smart for his own good, although on several instances he is shown to be not as cruel as his rough exterior may suggest. As young lawyer Marylin Delpy (Rashida Jones) tells him: “you’re not an asshole, you just try so hard to be one.” Eisenberg pulls of the complex feat of taking a character with innumerable reasons to dislike him and somehow making him sympathetic at best and wholly compelling at worst. Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake are nearly as impressive as the physical representations of Zuckerberg’s id and ego.

Facebook has become such an important part of our pop culture and the way we communicate with each other that a film was inevitable. For the film to come along this early in Facebook’s history and be this sharp, this perceptive about its place in our society is nothing short of remarkable. This is a work of pure genius. “The Social Network” is one of the best films of the year.

Theater: RMP Festival Plaza 16, Montgomery, Alabama
Time: 200 am (private screening)
Date: October 1, 2010

COCO CHANEL AND IGOR STRAVINSKY / ***

2010-09-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Sony Classics
Release Date: June 11, 2010
Genre: Foreign
Running Time: 115 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated

I’ve known that Coco Chanel was a famous fashion designer for quite some time, but never knew enough about fashion to really know why. Now thanks to last year’s “Coco Before Chanel” (directed by Anne Fontaine and starring Audrey Tautou) and this year’s “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky” (directed by Jan Kounen and starring Anna Mouglalis) I know a little bit more about this pioneering woman.

Based on the 2002 novel Coco & Igor by Chris Greenhalgh, “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky” obviously focuses on the relationship of the two title characters. The film opens with a performance of Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” which was quite reviled at the time, although Chanel seemed to possess great admiration for it. Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) becomes depressed and is forced into exile by the Russian Revolution. Since she appreciates his music, Chanel thinks it only logical that he and his family move into her spacious home.

I reveal nothing by telling you straight up that Chanel and Stravinsky waste little time engaging in an affair. As most affairs tend to do, the affair becomes quite obvious rather quickly. The film doesn’t let the performances go over the top, and that is what makes the characters interesting. When Stravinsky’s wife Katarina (Elena Morozova) confronts Chanel about the affair, they speak in matter of fact tones and don’t succumb to histrionics.

This is the first film I’ve seen Mouglalis in, and she carries it with a businesslike sturdiness. Chanel is a very introverted woman, and Mouglalis captures that emotional stoicism with admirable grace. Mikkelsen is more outwardly emotional and conflicted, which gives their affair the necessary conflict to get it where it will ultimately end up.

“Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky” is an excellent companion piece to “Coco Before Chanel,” and both films created an interesting experience in learning about someone I knew very little about before.

Theater: Capri Theater, Montgomery, Alabama
Time: 730 pm
Date: August 23, 2010

THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES / ****

2010-09-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Sony Classics
Release Date: April 16, 2010
Genre: Crime Drama
Running Time: 127 minutes
MPAA Rating: R

I’ve often wondered what I would do if I end up single and retired. If you’re retired criminal investigator Benjamín Esposito (Ricardo Darín), you go back and revisit a brutal rape and murder from 25 years ago and write a book about it.

The story takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, an area I know little about but my friend Jeff Richardson has been there. Anyway, the crime was “solved” back when it happened, but Esposito was never happy with the resolution. The dead woman’s husband, banker Ricardo Morales (Pablo Rago) has so much love for his deceased wife Liliana Coloto (Carla Quevedo), that it breaks Esposito’s heart. It haunts him.

In his quest to find the truth, Esposito is joined by his alcoholic colleague Pablo Sandoval, played by Guillermo Francella, a noted Argentine comic who effectively uses his comedic skills to enhance an enormously dramatic film. Of course there’s also a woman involved, Esposito’s boss Irene Menéndez-Hastings (Soledad Villamil). It is obvious in the interactions between them that both have things to say to each other but won’t say them out loud. The performances rely not only on the words they say but the words they don’t say, the secrets they keep behind their eyes.

Directed by Juan José Campanella (who has directed episodes of “30 Rock,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “House”), “Secret” deftly weaves back and forth between 1974 and 2009 for a tale that is tacitly engaging and thoroughly fascinating. It explores themes of love, loss, revenge, justice, closure – and it does it in ways you wouldn’t expect. It effectively builds suspense without calling attention to itself. The subtlety is the beauty of it.

“Secret” surprisingly won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film last year over the more well known “The White Ribbon” and “A Prophet (Un prophète),” and while I was initially skeptical I can see what drew voters to it (I still would have voted for “Prophet” though). This is a film that wriggles its way under your skin and stays there for weeks afterward.

Theater: Capri Theater, Montgomery, Alabama
Time: 730 pm
Date: June 30, 2010

GET LOW / ***½

2010-08-29T21:53:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Sony Classics
Release Date: July 30, 2010
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13

In the last several years, the great Oscar winner Robert Duvall has mostly been showing up in supporting roles in critically acclaimed films like “Crazy Heart,” “The Road,” and “Thank You for Smoking.” You’d have to go all the way back to 2003’s “Assassination Tango” for the last time Duvall was the focal point of a movie.

That made it such a treat to watch him in “Get Low,” from Oscar winner Aaron Schneider (“Two Soldiers,” 2004, Best Short Film, Live Action), making his feature-film directorial debut. Duvall plays Felix Bush, a legendary hermit loosely based on a real person in Roane County, Tennessee in 1938. Felix has been in near solitary confinement on his 300 acres for almost 40 years, and no one quite knows why, though they love to make up stories about him, as people are want to do with the unknown.

The audience is more privileged though, as we are treated to an opening shot that sees a man running away from a burning house. Obviously this scene will play into the climax, and as the film progresses it becomes clear exactly how it’s going to play out.

In order to get there, Felix plans a funeral party, at which he himself will attend, and everyone in all four neighboring counties is invited to. Felix says he wants everyone to come and tell stories about him, but what he really wants is to tell the story of himself.

The screenplay by Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell (from a story by Provenzano and Scott Seeke) offers few surprises, but is filled with a warmth and affection for its characters that carries it through. It must have been written specifically for those involved. Duvall is of course perfect, and Oscar nominee Bill Murray gives one of his most subtly brilliant performances as Frank Quinn, director of the funeral home in charge of Felix’s party. Oscar winner Sissy Spacek is effective as Mattie Darrow, a woman who knows Felix better than any of the other townspeople. Lucas Black (“Sling Blade”) holds his own with the aforementioned heavyweights as Buddy, Quinn’s assistant.

The true scene stealer is veteran character actor Bill Cobbs as the Rev. Charlie Jackson. He has a history with Felix and has a very important role in his funeral party.

“Get Low” is a very solid and enjoyable film from out of nowhere (playing in limited release, so see it if you can), and the true pleasure comes from watching Duvall and Murray make it look so easy.

Theater: RMP Festival Plaza 16 – Montgomery, Alabama
Time: 710 pm
Date: August 29, 2010

PIRANHA 3D / ****

2010-08-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Director Alexandre Aja’s “Piranha 3D” is the kind of movie that defies the star rating system. I’ve assigned it a rating out of habit and a critic’s compulsive need to rank everything, but “Piranha 3D” is a true love it or hate it, pass or fail kind of movie. Chances are, if you’re excited about the prospects of lots of boobs and blood in a 3D horror comedy called “Piranha 3D,” you’ll have a good time, and if you’re not excited by those prospects why would you go in the first place?

Of course the piranhas appear at the worst possible time: Spring Break. Officer Julie Forester (Elisasbeth Shue) and Deputy Fallon (Ving Rhames) have enough troubles on their mind with 20,000 extra teenagers in town when some kind of Underwaterologists lead by Novak (Adam Scott) show up in town to explore an underwater cave that broke open after a recent earthquake.

Unfortunately, a group of prehistoric piranhas that have been trapped for millions of years are now unleashed in the lake. It’s a good thing the town has a loony old scientist named Mr. Goodman (Christopher Lloyd, who knows a thing or two about playing a loony old scientist) to explain the origins of these aggressive creatures.

Meanwhile, Forester is relying on her son Jake (Steven R. McQueen) to watch the Laura (Brookylnn Proulx) and Zane (Sage Ryan) while she patrols the lake, a task he is charged with every year, and thus he does not get to participate in spring break activities. When he is approached by “filmmaker” Derrick Jones (a hilariously over-the-top Jerry O’Connell) to be their local guide during the film shoot, it is too good of an opportunity to pass up – particularly due to the presence of Danni (Kelly Brook) and Crystal (Riley Steele). Derrick also convinces Jake’s crush Kelly (Jessica Szohr) to come along.

This is a relatively quick setup to a classically blood soaked campy horror movie that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to be anything more. This is the most fun I’ve had at the movies all summer.

Theater: RMP Festival Plaza 16, Montgomery, Alabama
Time: 1201 am
Date: August 19, 2010 (quality check)

Z At The Sixth Annual Traverse City Film Festival

2010-08-03T23:47:00.001-07:00

Last year, I won a random drawing and received a free pass for the entire Sixth Annual Traverse City Film Festival. Deciding to take full advantage of my good fortune (and on a bit of a dare from Dan Hoag), I decided to see the maximum number of screenings one person could do: 31. That would be two on Tuesday, six a day from Wednesday-Saturday, and just five on Sunday. Do you think I have enough intestinal fortitude to do it? Read on, and note that I rank films on the four-star scale.

Day One – Tuesday, July 27, 2010

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT (2010) / *** ½ (USA, R, 106 min., 7 pm State Theater)
NOWHERE BOY (2009) / ***½ (UK, R, 98 min., 10 pm State Theater)

Day Two – Wednesday, July 28, 2010

APART TOGETHER [TUAN YUAN] (2009) / ***½ (China, NR, 93 min., 9:30 am Milliken Auditorium)
BUDRUS (2009) / **** (Israel/Palestine/USA, NR, 82 min., Noon State Theater)
THE TILLMAN STORY (2009) / **** (USA, NR, 94 min., 3 pm City Opera House)
- With short film PRAYERS FOR PEACE (USA, NR, 8 min.)
THE CONCERT [LE CONCERT] (2009) / *** (France, NR, 119 min., 6 pm State Theater)
THE TROTSKY (2009) / ***½ (Canada, NR, 114 min., 9 pm Lars Hockstad)
SHORTS FOR MIDNIGHT (2009-2010) / NA (Canada and USA, NR, 77 minutes, Midnight State Theater)

Day Three – Thursday, July 29, 2010

KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS [KIRIKOU ET LA SORCIERE] (1998) / ***½ (France/Belgium/Luxembourg, NR, 74 min., 9:30 am State Theater)
WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” (2009) / **** (USA, NR, 102 min., Noon Lars Hockstad)
RESTREPO (2009) / ***½ (USA, R, 94 min., 3 pm Old Town Playhouse)
CANE TOADS: THE CONQUEST (2009) / *** (USA/Australia, PG, 90 min., 6 pm Lars Hockstad)
LEGACY (2010) / * (Nigeria/UK, NR, 95 min., 9 pm City Opera House)
CLASH [BAY RONG] (2009) / *** (Vietnam, NR, 100 min., Midnight State Theater)

Day Four – Friday, July 30, 2010

GASLAND (2009) / **** (USA, NR, 107 min., 9:30 am Lars Hockstad)
AMERICAN RADICAL: THE TRIALS OF NORMAN FINKELSTEIN (2009) / **** (USA/Canada, PG, 84 min., Noon, State Theater)
HORN OF PLENTY [EL CUERNO DE LA ABUNDANCIA] (2008) / ***½ (Cuba/Spain, NR, 107 min., 3 pm Milliken Auditorium)
A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (1964) / **** (UK, G, 87 min., 6 pm Old Town Playhouse)
CZECH PEACE [CESKY MIR] (2010) / *½ (Czech Republic, NR, 100 min., 9 pm State Theater)
TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL (2009) / **** (Canada, NR, 86 min., Midnight State Theater)

Day Five – Saturday, July 31, 2010

PLEASE GIVE (2009) / ***½ (USA, R, 90 min., 9:30 am Lars Hockstad)
DREAMING IN BLUE [FUERA DE LIGA] (2008) / ***½ (Cuba, NR, 65 min., Noon Old Town Playhouse)
CHERRY (2009) / *** (USA, NR, 100 min., 3 pm Lars Hockstad)
MIKE’S SURPRISE – THIS DIVIDED STATE (2005) / **** (USA, NR, 88 min., 6 pm State Theater)
HEARTBREAKER [L’ARNACOEUR] (2009) / **** (France, NR, 104 min., 9 pm Lars Hockstad)
RUSH: BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE (2010) / *** (Canada, NR, 107 min., Midnight State Theater)

Day Six – Sunday, August 1, 2010

VIVA CUBA (2005) / **** (Cuba/France, NR, 80 min., 9:30 am Old Town Playhouse)
THE LAST COMMAND (1928) / **** (USA, NR, 88 min., Noon State Theater)
CLEANFLIX (2009) / **** (USA, NR, 93 min., 3 pm Old Town Playhouse)
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (2009) / ***½ (Sweden/Denmark/Germany, R, 129 min., 6 pm State Theater)
SOLITARY MAN (2009) / ** (USA, R, 90 min., 9 pm City Opera House)

Statistics

- Number of Films I Saw: 30 (31 screenings counting SHORTS FOR MIDNIGHT)
- Number of Short Films I Saw: Nine (One from Canada and eight from USA)
- Number of Countries I Saw Movies From: 18 (14 from USA, four from France and Canada, 3 from the UK and Cuba, and one apiece from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Australia, China, Nigeria, Israel, Palestine, Czech Republic, Spain, Vietnam, Belgium, Luxembourg)
- Number of Years I saw Movies From: Seven (One from 1928; one from 1964; one from 1998; two from 2005; two from 2008; 19 from 2009; and four from 2010; plus five short films from 2009 and four short films from 2010)
- Venue Stats: State Theater – 14; City Opera House – Three; Old Town Playhouse – Five; Lars Hockstad Auditorium – Seven; Milliken Auditorium – two.

Bonus

The festival also showed these movies I had already seen –
- TWISTER (1996) / *** (USA, PG-13, 113 min.)
- FINDING NEMO (2003) / **** (USA, G, 100 min.)
- HELP! (1965) (UK, G, 90 min.)
- RAISING ARIZONA (1987) / ***½ (USA, PG-13, 94 min.)
- INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989) / ***½ (USA, PG-13, 110 min.)
- MARY POPPINS (1964) / **** (USA, G, 139 min.)
- ME AND ORSON WELLES (2008) / ***½ (UK/USA, PG-13, 114 min.)
- THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES [EL SECRETO DE SUS OJOS] / **** (Argentina/Spain, R, 129 min.)
- THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS (2009) / ***½ (USA, NR, 94 min.)
- THE SECRET OF KELLS (2009) / ***½ (France/Belgium/Ireland, NR, 76 min.)

Overall Film Thoughts

As you can tell, the ones marked with “****” are the ones I liked the most. There were only a few duds, notably “Czech Peace,” “Legacy” (thanks a lot Hoag), and “Solitary Man.” By far the most rewarding part of the festival was getting to see four Cuban filmmakers there in person. I’m not sure how they did it, but they broke the embargo, and the level of appreciation the Cuban filmmakers showed to the audience was one of the most emotional things I’ve seen at the Festival. Director Ian Padron video recorded the audience because he said his friends wouldn’t believe that 300 Americans were giving him a standing ovation. Actress Mirtha Ibarra, director Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti, and the Vice President of their film board were also present. Many other directors from numerous were there as well to present their films. The world-renowned Alloy Orchestra accompanied the screening of “The Last Command,” and they were phenomenal.

My Awards

Best Film, Fiction: TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL; Runner-up: HEARTBREAKER
Best Film, Nonfiction: WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN”; Runner-up: AMERICAN RADICAL
Most Promising New Filmmaker: Josh Fox, “GASLAND”; Runner-up Eli Craig, “TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL”
Festival MVP: All four Cuban filmmakers

Epilogue

Without a doubt this is one of my greatest achievements, one likely not to be duplicated in the near future if ever. That is until some young punk wants to come along and make a name for himself at my expense. This was one of the best six-day stretches of my life, and I want to thank my mom and dad, my sister Tara, my brother Adam, Matt Cooper, Dan Hoag, Marianne Swierenga, Phil Morey, Dara, Michael, Jessica, Lauren Conrad, Greg Reisig, Terri Reisig, and Abbi Gee for making this quite easily the most memorable Traverse City Film Festival of all the times.

THE GHOST WRITER / ****

2010-08-03T21:52:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Summit Entertainment
Release Date: February 19, 2010
Genre: Thriller
Running Time: 128 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13

No matter what he did, which he definitely did it and it was definitely wrong, Roman Polanski is one of the most uniquely gifted filmmakers in the business. His more noted works include some of the most memorable films of all time, like “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Chinatown,” and “The Pianist,” for which he won an Oscar in 2002. A lot of scumbags are capable of creating great work, is all I’m saying.

This year he can add another film to his list of classics with “The Ghost Writer.” Pierce Brosnan stars as former British Prime Minster Adam Lang, a character with more than a passing similarity to real former PM Tony Blair. At the end of his career, Lang is in the process of having his memoirs written. His first ghost writer turns up dead under some fishy circumstances, which creates a golden opportunity for an unknown writer (Ewan McGregor), never named but simply credited as “The Ghost.”

It doesn’t take long for things to get weird around the Lang household. The Ghost immediately gets pulled from both sides, by Lang’s wife Ruth (Olivia Williams), and Lang’s aide Amelia Bly (Kim Cattrall). Their motivations are shrouded in mystery, and Polanski doesn’t rush any of the film’s revelations. Lang himself always seems cool and collected, but with something simmering just beneath the surface.

The performances are terrific across the board. McGregor is never named and looking back on it, not only do we not know his name, but we don’t really know anything about him at all. McGregor spends quite a bit of time by himself in the movie and carries it with a quiet charisma. Williams and Cattrall are terrific rivals in a passive aggressive manner. And I believe that if marketed and promoted correctly, Brosnan could score his first Oscar nomination, his performance is that good.

“The Ghost Writer” is a classic thriller reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s best work. Watching the film unfold is one of the great pleasures of the year in cinema thus far. Separating the man from the artist, Roman Polanski is one hell of a director.

Theater: The Ruth Sokolof Theater, Omaha, NE
Time: 700 pm
Date: March 31, 2010

THE ART OF THE STEAL / ***½

2010-08-03T19:32:00.001-07:00

Distributor: IFC
Release Date: February 26, 2010
Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 101 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated

If no one sees art and recognizes its greatness, can it truly be considered as great? If the Mona Lisa wasn’t available for mass consumption, would it still be recognized as one of the finest paintings ever created? Should art be produced for everyone to see, or only for those who will truly appreciate it?

This argument is at the heart of director Don Argott’s “The Art of the Steal,” a fascinating documentary that plays out like a mystery heist thriller, except that this grand theft actually happened. The film follows the life of the Barnes Collection, one of the greatest collections of art anyone ever assembled, having been valued at upwards of $25 billion.

Dr. Albert C. Barnes collected numerous paintings by masters like van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, and more. Rather than sell them to a museum or display them publically, Barnes decided to set up shop in Merion, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. He wanted the collection to be seen by art students as a way to educate them, and by those who would truly appreciate it. This angered the bigwigs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, who saw that there was profit to be had and they wanted a piece of the pie.

“Steal” is a taut documentary and a marked improvement over Argott’s solid first outing, 2005’s “Rock School.” Argott does a fantastic job selling the importance and impressiveness of the Barnes Foundation; for someone like me who knew nothing about it other than knowing the name meant something I must say it was educational.

The movie really gets horrifying after Barnes passes away in 1951. Even with what he thought was an iron clad will, the vultures circled and wanted to get their hands on some of that Barnes Money. Through various machinations dripping with questionable at best ethics, the Barnes Will was dismantled piece by piece until his beloved collection was being publically displayed for profit, something he stated over and over again that never wanted.

This film works as both a thriller and a tragedy, and manages to show human beings at their greedy worst.

Theater: The Ruth Sokolof Theater, Omaha, NE
Time: 130 pm
Date: May 22, 2010

THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS / ***½

2010-07-22T00:36:00.001-07:00

Distributor: First Run
Release Date: January 29, 2010
Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 94 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated

In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg released “The Pentagon Papers,” which revealed top level secrets detailing the United States’ government planning processes for the Vietnam War in great detail. He and a dedicated team spent hours making copies of damning documents and leaked them to primarily the New York Times. President Richard Nixon called him the Most Dangerous Man in America – so it’s not just a clever title.

Directors Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith have crafted a compelling tale out of information that shouldn’t surprise anyone over the age of 18. The atrocities and corruption surrounding the Vietnam War have been explored in other (admittedly better) documentaries like “Hearts and Minds,” “The War at Home,” or “The Fog of War.” Daniel Ellsberg had a huge part in the fallout and public disenchantment with the war, and he certainly has deserved a film to tell his story. Honestly I’m a little surprised that Ellsberg hasn’t gotten his own “All the President’s Men” treatment. Maybe Sean Penn could play him.

But I digress. “Pentagon Papers” works as a documentary because it will refresh the memories of those who lived through it, but it’s also detailed enough for the uninitiated. Ellsberg himself is the narrator of the story (much like Robert McNamara in “Fog”), and that gives the film a personal touch, as the stories are coming straight from the man who lived through them. The only drawback to this is that the film lacks a strong interviewer like Errol Morris to really probe into the subject matter. Although admittedly not being as good of a documentarian as Errol Morris is nothing at all to be ashamed about.

“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” is a solid documentary that has the ability to enlighten and make us think. For example, does starting a war in another country for reasons that were unclear under a President of somewhat dubious moral character ring any bells?

I definitely came out of this movie with a newfound respect for Daniel Ellsberg and what he did. He decided to do the right thing no matter what the consequences would be. I also gained a measure of respect for the New York Times and all of the other publications that went against the Government’s wishes and published the papers, as they should. In today’s era of 24-hour news filled with sound bytes and political commentators, it’s heartening to realize there was a time when freedom of the press meant something. As a journalist, this film made me proud. As an American Citizen, this film made me even prouder.

Theater: Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater, Omaha, NE
Time: 300 pm
Date: April 23, 2010

INCEPTION / ****

2010-07-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Warner Bros.
Release Date: July 16, 2010
Genre: Sci-Fi Action
Running Time: 148 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13

Is there any doubt that Christopher Nolan is the most ingenious and exciting director working today? After his timeline-bending breakthrough “Memento,” the engrossing “Insomnia,” the atmospheric “The Prestige,” and his reinvention of the Batman franchise with “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” Nolan has a resume that any director would envy.

Now Nolan presents “Inception,” the highly anticipated follow-up to the third highest grossing film of all-time. The plot has been shrouded in secrecy, and with good reason. To try and explain the plot will result in the necessity to go into great detail, and without seeing the movie these details would be hard to comprehend. Even having seen the movie the details are hard to comprehend. Nolan has found a way to combine breathtaking action sequences and visual effects with a complex, arresting story.

I will do my best to explain what I can, without giving away too much. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Cobb, a man who specializes in a very unique kind of theft. He’s what’s known as an Extractor, someone who invades a person’s subconscious via their dreams and steals their ideas. If this sounds a little confusing, well, it is. But one of the great joys in Nolan’s screenplay is that it takes the time to explain every detail about how the process works.

There’s a deeper level of Extracting that’s called Inception, which involves going into someone’s subconscious and planting an idea there so well that the person will wake up convinced it was their idea. They have to go three levels deep to get there – a dream within a dream within a dream. Many claim this is impossible, but Cobb knows he can do it. How does he know? That I won’t reveal.

A rich businessman named Saito (Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe) wants Cobb to perform Inception on his chief business rival Robert Fischer, Jr. (Cillian Murphy). Saito promises that if Cobb can successfully complete this task, he will make it possible for him to “go home.” Details of “home” for Cobb reveal themselves slowly throughout the film, so once again, I won’t reveal them here.

From here Cobb assembles a team to work with. There’s right-hand man Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt); the Architect Ariadne (Oscar nominee Ellen Page); master of deception Eames (Tom Hardy); the Chemist Yusuf (Dileep Rao), and Saito himself, who insists on joining him.

What makes “Inception” profoundly engaging is how the screenplay piles layers on top of layers, mimicking the dream layers that the characters are going through. Since Cobb is the one most involved with the target’s dream, his own subconscious, tortured by the loss of his wife Mal (Oscar winner Marion Cotillard), often collides with the target’s dreams. Cobb hides his pain from everyone except Ariadne, who gains unprecedented access to his psyche.

The film delves deeply into the possibilities of the human mind, which are literally endless. The way dreams are visualized and timelines are explored are absolutely brain melting in the best possible way. The performances are absolutely perfect across the board; Cotillard handles the most emotionally complex part with astonishing confidence and grace. DiCaprio and Page make a terrific team, while Watanabe, Hardy, Gordon-Levitt, Rao, Murphy, Tom Berenger and Michael Caine are perfectly cast.

However, I think Christopher Nolan is the true star of this movie. It’s absolutely time that he starts to enter the conversation as one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time. “Inception” defies all expectations, and should nab several Oscar nominations. This is one of the best films of the year.

Theater: Rave Motion Pictures Festival Plaza 16, Montgomery, AL
Time: 1201 am
Date: July 15, 2010 (quality check)

Theater: Carmike Horizon Cinema 10, Traverse City, MI
Time: 1010 pm
Date: July 22, 2010

CHLOE / ***½

2010-07-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Sony Classics
Release Date: March 26, 2010
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 96 minutes
MPAA Rating: R

If Amanda Seyfried wants to keep making weepy chick flicks like the Avatar-killing “Dear John” and the upcoming “Letters to Juliet,” that’s actually fine by me. As long as for every two of those she squeezes in a film like “Chloe” that lets her show off her unique charisma, she can make as many crappy chick flicks as it takes to pay her bills.

“Chloe” is actually a remake of a French film called “Nathalie…” that I happen to have seen while I was working at an awesome independent video store on a college campus that pretty much stocked every movie ever. Director Atom Egoyan (Oscar nominee for “The Sweet Hereafter”) is at the helm of this remake, which disproves the notion that every English speaking remake of foreign films is inferior to the original.

Seyfried stars in the title role, a beautiful young escort who gets an interesting business proposition. Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson play Catherine and David Stewart (no relation to the Eurythmics member or the former Oakland A’s Cy Young winner), one of those wealthy couples that appear to be perfect on the surface. When Catherine plans David a surprise birthday party and he somehow “misses his plane,” suspicions she must have had for years come bubbling to the surface.

Catherine wants to confirm her suspicions, and hires Chloe to interact with her husband and report back to her. Naturally, introducing a third party to an assumed monogamous sexual relationship is going to complicate matters, and that’s exactly what happens. Chloe also involves Catherine and David’s son Michael (Max Theriot of “Nancy Drew”), and things spiral out of control.

Egoyan does a superb job building the tension and revealing the story slowly. Moore and Neeson are old pros who not surprisingly can handle emotionally complex material like this. It’s Seyfried (and to a lesser extent, Theriot) that really surprises with the depth of her performance. Hopefully she’ll get the chance to show wider audiences that she’s capable of more than looking longingly at Channing Tatum. Those of us that saw “Chloe” already know.

Theater: AMC Oakview 24, Omaha, NE
Time: 1155 am
Date: April 8, 2010

The Top 10 Movies of 2010 - So Far...

2010-07-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

Now that we’re just over six months into the year, I thought I would take a look at the best movies of the year up to this point. How many will survive all the way to the end of the year? Check back in about six months and find out! Please?

10. “Shutter Island”

Some complained that it was too predictable, and while I agree that pretty much everyone and their mother could figure out the twists long before they happened, it was refreshing to see a movie just go with what they built up to rather than throwing out something that doesn’t make sense just for the sake of a surprise. “Shutter Island” is just a sturdy thriller, really well directed (Martin Scorsese, of course), and acted (Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, and all the rest).

9. “Splice”

This one was a little polarizing amongst the group I watched it with, but I thought it was an engaging sci-fi thriller. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley add weight to characters that could have become hammy in the hands of lesser actors. This one isn’t for everyone but I thought it was really cool.

8. “How to Train Your Dragon”

Aside from “Avatar” this is some of the most impressive 3D I’ve ever seen. The story is pretty standard but the voice actors do a great job of bringing the characters to life and the action sequences are really well done. It’s also beautifully animated, and a movie that deserves a sequel (and is getting one).

7. “The Karate Kid”

Anyone who expected this movie to either be this good or make this much money is probably a liar. Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith make a terrific duo and are able to generate unexpected emotion throughout the film. This remake is almost beat-for-beat the same movie as the 1984 original (though not quite as good obviously), and director Harald Zwart is still able to make it thoroughly engaging and entertaining. A sequel is on the way for this one too, and once again I say bring it on.

6. “City Island”

If there was any justice in the world, Andy Garcia would get an Oscar push for his brilliant performance here as prison guard and wannabe actor Vince Rizzo. This is one of those “wacky family” movies that seemingly has been done to death, but Garcia, as well as Dominik Garcia-Lorido (his real daughter), Alan Arkin, Juliana Margulies, Ezra Miller, and Emily Mortimer make the characters likable and believable.

5. “The Secret in Their Eyes”

This movie came in from out of nowhere to win Best Foreign Film at last year’s Oscars, over the more well known “The White Ribbon” or “A Prophet.” While I preferred both of those movies, “Secret” is a profoundly absorbing story with extremely well drawn characters that are perfectly acted. This is quite the gem from Argentina.

4. “The Ghost Writer”

In separating Roman Polanski the man from Roman Polanski the director, the fact is that “The Ghost Writer” is the work of a master. Ewan McGregor is terrific as the title character, but Pierce Brosnan gives a career best performance as a former British Prime Minister seemingly not so loosely based on Tony Blair. Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, James Belushi, Timothy Hutton, and Tom Wilkinson also do great work.

3. “The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo”

If anyone tries to tell you that nothing good ever came from Sweden, you can offer this film as a retort. Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist) play an unconventional duo trying to solve a decades old mystery. Director Niels Aarden Oplev keeps the 152 minute movie moving at a terrific pace, and his use of still photography is the most intriguing since “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” There are two more films in this series yet to come, and an American remake (directed by David Fincher) is on the way in 2012.

2. “Toy Story 3”

Pixar rarely steers us wrong, and this is yet another stunning achievement in their unparalleled run of greatness. Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang prove that they’re more than just toys; they’re amongst the most memorable characters in cinema history. Combined with “Toy Story” (1995) and “Toy Story 2” (1999), this is one of the greatest trilogies of all-time.

1. “A Prophet”

This film left my heart racing and my jaw hanging open for hours afterward. It’s one of the most viscerally entertaining and mind-blowingly perfect movies I’ve ever seen. It follows the prison life of a young inmate named Malik El Djebena, played with amazing depth and breadth by newcomer Tahar Rahim. This is a film that takes its time at 150 minutes but uses every single second to maximum effect. This is an unbelievably great film and I encourage everyone to see it.

I also really liked –

- “The Art of the Steal”
- “Exit Through The Gift Shop”
- “Get Him To The Greek”
- “The Joneses”
- “The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellsberg And The Pentagon Papers”
- “The Runaways”
- “The Secret of Kells”

And by far the worst movie I’ve seen this year is “Clash of the Titans.” Granted I haven’t seen many bad movies this year (by design) so I’m sure there are worse, but that’s just the worst one I’ve happened to see.

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE / ***

2010-06-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: MGM
Release Date: March 26, 2010
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: R

Does anyone else find it funny that MGM can’t get their stuff together on “Bond 23” or “The Hobbitt,” but they managed to release a film called “Hot Tub Time Machine?”

It may sound ridiculous, and with good reason. “Hot Tub Time Machine” is ridiculous from start to finish, and with a title like that how could it not be? The plot, such as it is, sees four guys looking to relive some good times from their youth somehow turn a hot tub into a time machine.

The tub takes them back to 1986 and a pivotal weekend at a ski resort for friends Adam (John Cusack), Nick (Craig Robinson), and Lou (Rob Corddry). Also, Adam brings along his nephew Jacob (Clark Duke). When others look at Adam, Nick, and Lou, they see the 1986 version of them, while they all look normal to each other. Jacob, who didn’t exist in 1986, just looks the same as he did in 2010. If you’re looking for logic in a movie about a hot tub time machine, I got nothing for you.

This is the setup for a silly, ridiculous comedy that feels something like “Ski School 2K10.” Profanity, nudity, and other debauchery flow freely through the film, and all the actors appear to be having a good time. Cusack of course is the straight man, leaving the juicier comedic bits to Robinson, Corddry, and Duke. Corddry in particular stands out with his obliviousness; it’s a performance not unlike Zach Galifianakis in last summer’s hit “The Hangover.” Also Chevy Chase and Crispin Glover (love the casting of both of them) are quite funny in bit parts.

Ultimately “Hot Tub Time Machine” is a good comedy, but I thought it was going to be a little funnier. The sentimental aspects near the end of the film were just laid on a little too thick for a movie called “Hot Tub Time Machine.”

Theater: Rave Motion Pictures Westroads 14, Omaha, NE
Time: 245 pm
Date: April 4, 2010

FISH TANK / **

2010-06-25T00:20:00.001-07:00

Distributor: IFC
Release Date: January 15, 2010
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 123 minutes
MPAA Rating: Unrated

I must have missed something about “Fish Tank.” Reviews were outstanding, including an endorsement from one of my favorites, the Grand Rapids Press’s John Serba. It won a slew of awards from British organizations, critics groups, and film festivals. I’m still trying to figure out why.

Katie Jarvis stars as Mia, a 15-year-old-girl who seems to hate everyone and everything in her life. Her conversations routinely involve screaming than actual speaking. She has no respect for the existence of other people, rules, or the prospect of happiness.

Yet she is presented by director Andrea Arnold (who won an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in 2005 for “Wasp”) as a misunderstood, tortured soul who just needs to come-of-age. Early in the film Mia sees a horse tied up. She tries to free the horse. It’s about as obnoxiously blatant of a metaphor as could be, and it shows up to hit the audience over the head several more times throughout the film.

Mia occupies her time by dancing, picking fights with other girls, drinking alcohol, and trying to seduce her mother Joanne’s (Kierston Wareing) boyfriend Connor (Michael Fassbender, who played Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds”).

I was just not sure how I was supposed to feel about Mia, or what I was supposed to glean from her story. She is so profoundly unpleasant to be around that I didn’t really care what happened to her. And for a Coming of Age story, I didn’t really see that her character had any sort of growth.

With a score of 81 (“Universal Acclaim”) on Meta Critic and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 89%, I am clearly in the minority here, but I just didn’t see the point of it all. Jarvis, Wareing, and Fassbender do give excellent performances, but there never seemed to be any sort of end for them to arrive at.

Theater: The Ruth Sokolof Theater, Omaha, NE
Time: 715 pm
Date: April 6, 2010

KNIGHT & DAY / ***

2010-06-24T23:32:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Fox
Release Date: June 23, 2010
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 130 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13

“Knight & Day” has a lot going against it. For one, I’ve been seeing the trailer since December (I believe “Avatar” was the first film it was attached to). Secondably, stars Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are hardly my favorite actors, and they’ve both lost a great deal of the star luster they used to have. Finally, Fox mysteriously changed its release date to Wednesday, June 23 instead of the originally planned (and more sensible) Friday, June 25.

In a final interesting turn, the latest trailers I’ve seen on TV have touted it as “Tom Cruise at his ‘Jerry Maguire’ best” and “the best made for adults movie of the summer.” Did a focus group reveal that the only people who care about Tom Cruise nowadays are the people who are old enough to remember when he was relevant?

But I digress. I went into “Knight & Day” with a negative attitude, and to my surprise I actually enjoyed the movie. It’s certainly ridiculous on a grand scale, but Cruise, Diaz, and director James Mangold embrace the film’s inherent stupidity and run with it to supremely entertaining results.

Cruise plays Roy Miller, a super secret super spy who “runs into” June Havens (Diaz) in an airport. He tries to keep her off his flight, but she manages to weasel her way on board. While she’s in the bathroom Miller kills all the other passengers (who were assuredly bad guys) and the pilots. They crash land the plane, and somehow Miller manages to get June back home.

The next day June is approached by a man named Fitzgerald (the underused Peter Sarsgaard). They want Roy Miller. What does Roy Miller have that they want? Don’t worry – the screenplay by Patrick O’Neill (his first screenplay) will tell you what you need to know and when you need to know it, but I will say that it’s been years since I’ve seen a MacGuffin used to effectively.

The rest of the film is a nearly constant chase sequence peppered with witty, unrealistic banter. Mangold (“3:10 to Yuma,” “Walk the Line,” “Cop Land”) gets the most out of his stars, and also wisely surrounds them with a talented supporting cast like Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, Marc Blucas, and Celia Weston.

With modest goals and a keen awareness of its own sense of ridiculous fun, “Knight & Day” managed to exceed my expectations and become a pleasant summer surprise.

Theater: Rave Motion Pictures Festival Plaza 16, Montgomery, AL
Time: 200 pm
Date: June 24, 2010

TOY STORY 3 / ****

2010-06-24T00:35:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Buena Vista
Release Date: June 18, 2010
Genre: Animation
Running Time: 103 minutes
MPAA Rating: G

The summer 2010 movie season was somewhat of a disappointment throughout the month of month of May and early June. After a strong beginning with “Iron Man 2,” other releases like “Robin Hood,” “Shrek Forever After,” “Sex and the City 2,” “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” and “The A-Team” did well but still underperformed. Or take a look at “MacGruber” and “Jonah Hex,” which set new standards of ineptitude in terms of reaching an audience. (Really the only pleasant surprise, both critically and commercially has been “The Karate Kid).

Then, like the proverbial flower that grew out of the pot of dirt that is the summer 2010 movie season, “Toy Story 3” has arrived in theaters to reinforce the fact that Pixar is the greatest movie studio of all time. In the three summers previous to this one, Pixar released “Ratatouille,” “WALL-E,” and “Up.” I challenge any other studio to equal that kind of streak. Sadly, next year “Cars 2” seems poised to break the streak just like the original “Cars” did in 2006.

I believe “Toy Story 3” has been successful thus far because it presents a story that is compelling and worth telling. Over a decade after we left Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang, they are coming to terms with the fact that Andy (John Morris) is 17 now, well past the age of playing with toys. Woody holds out hope that Andy will take care of them no matter what, while the others are less optimistic, thinking that they will likely be thrown away. This is where Pixar shows their brilliance – anyone could come up with a movie about anthropomorphized toys, but only Pixar would make the toys existentially cognizant of their purpose.

Andy means to pack Woody is his going to college box, and everyone else is going to go to the attic. However, his mom (Laurie Metcalf) mistakes the bag for trash, and sets them out on the curb. Woody tries to explain the mistake, but the rest of the toys aren’t buying it. They think Andy wanted to get rid of them, so they sneak their way into the Donation Box on its way to Sunnyside Day Care.

Woody of course goes back to Andy, but the rest of the toys decide to stay. They are greeted by a strawberry scented hugging bear named Lotso (Ned Beatty), who promises that this will be the best thing that ever happened to them. Of course it doesn’t take long for Lotso to reveal his true colors, a sadistic tyrant who projects his anger at being left behind on everyone else.

In addition to Lotso, “Toy Story 3” introduces several other memorable new characters. In addition to the returning Jessie (Joan Cusack), Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris), Rex (Wallace Shawn), and Hamm (John Ratzenberger), this story introduces audiences to Mr. Pricklepants (a hilarious turn by Timothy Dalton), Dolly (Bonnie Hunt), Trixie (Kristen Schaal), and Barbie’s destined-to-be boyfriend Ken (played with scene-stealing hilarity by Michael Keaton).

Director Lee Unkrich (who co-directed “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.,” and “Finding Nemo”) navigates the characters through a “Great Escape” style jailbreak, and deftly handles several intense action sequences that could be a little scary for the very young. The scenes are so well crafted that I was totally buying the notion that the ending to the film would not be a happy one, and then I was completely moved to tears by the beautiful coda.

“Toy Story 3” has already shot up the number seven on the Internet Movie Data Base Top 250 list, and is nearly assured to become the second straight Pixar film to be nominated for Best Picture as well as become the fourth straight Pixar film to win the Best Animated Film Oscar.

In addition to likely reaping loads of individual accolades, “Toy Story 3” completes what has to be considered one of the greatest trilogies in cinema history. These movies will never be outgrown.

Theater: Rave Motion Pictures Westroads 14, Omaha, NE
Time: Approximately 130 am
Date: June 17, 2010 (quality check)

Theater: AMC Star Council Bluffs 17, Council Bluffs, IA
Time: 1:45 PM (IMAX)
Date: June 19, 2010

THE KARATE KID (2010) / ***½

2010-06-11T01:37:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Sony / Columbia
Release Date: June 11, 2010
Genre: Action Drama
Running Time: 126 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG

The original “Karate Kid,” with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, is one of my favorite moves of all time. I watched it often as a child and when I rediscovered it as an adult I realized that it isn’t one of those childhood movies that aren’t as good as you remembered them – it’s better.

That being said, at first I wasn’t all that excited about a remake. No, I’m not one of those schmucks that think any time something is remade it “ruins the original,” as if the fundamental properties of the original film have been somehow changed. It’s just that every other movie these days (or more) is a remake, reimagining, sequel, prequel, reboot, or something that required minimal thought to put together. But then I saw the trailer for “Karate Kid,” and even Dan Hoag admits that it’s a good looking trailer.

Writers Christopher Murphey (screenplay) and Robert Mark Kamen (story) are extremely faithful to the original film, but also put their own spin on it. Instead of moving from New Jersey to California, Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) and his mother Sherry (Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson) move from Detroit to China. This gives the film a cultural dynamic that helps the film stand on its own two feet.

Dre is immediately targeted by Cheng (Zhenwei Wang), a vicious kung fu student who is taught by the even more vicious Master Li (Rongguang Yu). At first Dre is willing to fight, but after a pretty severe beating he starts avoiding Cheng, as most 12-year-olds would do in the face of a bully.

Of course Cheng won’t go away, and another confrontation is imminent. On the verge of being disfigured, Dre is rescued by Mr. Han, the maintenance man at his building. Mr. Han reluctantly agrees to teach Dre Kung Fu.

The setup is as basic as could be, but it was a great story in 1984 and it’s a great story now. Smith and Chan have an infectious chemistry together; the same can be said for Smith and Wenwen Han, who plays is love interest Meiying. It’s quite shocking that the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett would have charisma and a dynamic presence at the age of 12 (but not really).

In addition to being an engrossing, well acted story, the location gives the film another color to paint with. Cinematographer Roger Pratt (Oscar nominee for “The End of the Affair,” also shot “Troy,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) has some truly beautiful locations to work with, like the Forbidden City and a sacred mountain that contains one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

Nothing in director Harald Zwart’s (director of such clunkers as “The Pink Panther 2,” “Agent Cody Banks” and “One Night at McCool’s”) “Karate Kid” is surprising; what is surprising is how well it all works. It’s a film that’s really about something. I came out of the film with more respect and admiration for the art of Kung Fu.

This is also a movie about kids. It understands kids and it respects kids. I screened this film twice, and kids sat still and didn’t make a lot of noise during this two-plus hour film. Many “kids” or “family” films aspire to the lowest common denominator (“Old Dogs” I’m looking at you), but “The Karate Kid” has the temerity to treat its audience with respect.

And yes, the movie really should be called “Kung Fu Kid,” but I’m okay with it.

Theater: AMC Oakview 24, Omaha, NE
Time: 730 pm
Date: May 27, 2010 (promo)

Theater: Marcus Theaters Village Pointe 16, Omaha, NE
Time: 730 pm
Date: June 3, 2010 (promo)

SHUTTER ISLAND / ***½

2010-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Paramount
Release Date: February 19, 2010
Genre: Period Drama
Running Time: 138 minutes
MPAA Rating: R

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Martin Scorsese made an unfathomably good string of films – “Mean Streets” in 1973, “Taxi Driver” in 1976, “New York, New York” in 1977, “Raging Bull” in 1980, and “The King of Comedy” in 1982. These films cemented De Niro as one of the most talented actors of his generation, and helped earn him a spot on the all-time great list as well.

In the early ‘00s, Scorsese found another muse: Leonardo DiCaprio. While “Titanic” made DiCaprio a world-wide star, it did damage his “street cred” in certain circles. With “Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” and “The Departed,” DiCaprio regained that “street cred” and established himself as one of the premier actors working today; with three Oscar nominations already under his belt, a win can’t be too far behind.

The latest Scorsese / DiCaprio collaboration is the suspense thriller “Shutter Island,” based on the novel by Dennis Lehane. The film takes place in 1954 on an island used as a prison for the criminally insane. U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) show up to investigate the disappearance of one of the inmates. Despite heavy security and no obvious escape routes, the woman is nowhere to be found. “It’s as if she evaporated right through the walls,” Dr. Cawley (Oscar winner Ben Kingsley) says.

After receiving resistance from the workers on the island, Daniels and Aule try to leave, but find that a storm is keeping them on the island. After the rainstorm other things start keeping them on the island. Strange things start happening. Daniels may or may not be losing his mind.

Some complained that the twists and turns in “Shutter Island” were predictable, and I’m actually not going to argue that. However I am going to argue that it does not detract from the film, which is extremely well made and doesn’t resort to cheap tactics to build its suspense.

DiCaprio is terrific in the lead role, and he gets a lot of help from his supporting cast. Ruffalo, Kingsley, Oscar nominee Max von Sydow, Oscar nominee Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson, Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley, Ted Levine, John Carroll Lynch, and Elias Koteas are all extremely memorable with very little screen time.

This is the first horror type movie that Scorsese has directed, and he shows that his artistry knows no bounds. He truly is one of the greatest directors of all-time.

Theater: RDM Westroads 14, Omaha, NE
Time: 135 pm
Date: March 31, 2010

SPLICE / ***½

2010-06-05T21:05:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Warner Bros.
Release Date: June 4, 2010
Genre: Sci-Fi Horror
Running Time: 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: R

First off, I’d like to kill the strange rumors that this film is in any way some version of “Species.” The creature on the poster isn’t even an alien, and the plot lines are not even a little bit similar.

That being said, “Splice” is a surprisingly excellent psychological drama / thriller. Director Vincenzo Natali and his stars, Oscar winner Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley bring emotional depth to characters with a touch of camp, which is a very difficult balance to strike.

Brody and Polley play Clive and Elsa, two brash scientists (also a couple) experimenting with gene splicing, which combines DNA from several organisms in order to create an entirely new one. The very idea of humans manipulating DNA brings up scores of moral and ethical questions, and the screenplay by Natali, Antoinette Terry Bryant, and Doug Taylor doesn’t shy away from any of them.

Like most young couples without children, the subject seems to come up often between Elsa and Clive. Meanwhile, Elsa decides to run her own experiment, and quickly becomes attached to the creature, who she names Dren. Clive is wary of Dren, but Elsa convinces him that they can learn so much from Dren that they need to keep her alive, and thus, need to keep her a secret.

Elsa develops a nurturing, mothering relationship with Dren (played as an “adult” by Delphine Chanéac). Clive tries to keep his distance at first, but as Dren becomes more human-like she becomes harder to ignore. The film takes a few bizarre turns that I’ve heard described by others as “over the top” or something to that effect, but the logic (within the universe of the movie, of course), is there, and the performances make them work.

“Splice” is a pleasant summer surprise, a movie much smarter than the advertising would lead you to believe. Take a chance on this one.

Theater: RDM Westroads 14, Omaha, Nebraska
Time: 145 am (quality check)
Date: June 1, 2010

GET HIM TO THE GREEK / ***½

2010-06-04T00:12:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Universal
Release Date: June 4, 2010
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: R

Two years ago, Nick Stoller’s “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” proved that Jason Segal had the talent and charisma to headline a romantic comedy. It showed that Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis are as funny and talented as they are beautiful. It also unleashed the scene-stealing comic whirlwind known as Aldous Snow, the lead singer for a group called Infant Sorrow. As played by Russell Brand, Snow is a cliché of a glam rock icon – he wears makeup and gaudy clothing, sleeps with every woman he sees, and is a complete jerk to his biggest fans. This one performance turned Brand into a star in America, and rightfully so.

That one performance also spawned a sort-of sequel, “Get Him to the Greek,” in which Snow steps out of the supporting character spotlight and takes on a lead role. Whereas he was restrained slightly by his seven years of sobriety in “Forgetting,” it is made immediately clear from the beginning of “Greek” that Snow has fallen hard off the wagon.

His most recent album tanked, and the true love of his life, Jackie Q (Rose Byrne), no longer wants to be with him. The only person who seems to want anything to do with him is a Capital Records intern and lifelong Infant Sorrow fan Aaron Green (Jonah Hill, not reprising his role from “Marshall”). Green suggests to his boss Sergio Roma (the shockingly hilarious Sean “P. Diddy” Combs) that they run a 10-year anniversary concert for Sorrow’s seminal performance at the Greek Theater. There’s just one problem – transporting Snow from London to Los Angeles in a scant 72 hours.

What follows is a healthy blend of cross continental sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll, with plenty of bromance and romance in between. Hill and Brand are a terrific comic team, and their chemistry together carries the film through most of its shaky moments.

“Get Him to the Greek” is not as consistently funny or instantly endearing as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” but it has its own quirky charms. Combs steals every scene he’s in, Colm Meaney is pitch perfect as Snow’s father Jonathan, and Lars Ulrich has a memorable cameo.

Ultimately I think Aldous Snow works better as a supporting character, but “Get Him to the Greek” was a worthwhile experiment.

Theater: RDM Westroads 14, Omaha, Nebraska
Time: 115 am (quality check)
Date: June 3, 2010

MACGRUBER / ***

2010-05-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Universal
Release Date: May 21, 2010
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 88 minutes
MPAA Rating: R

The history of Saturday Night Live skits turned into movies is sketchy, to say the least. This is the eleventh film to originate from the long-running TV show, and really only three of them have been good – “The Blues Brothers” (1980), “Wayne’s World” (1992), and “Wayne’s World 2” (1993). Incidentally these are also the first three films. Since then it’s been a string of clunker after clunker: “Coneheads” (1993), “It’s Pat” (1994), “Stuart Saves His Family” (1995), “A Night at the Roxbury” (1998), “Blues Brothers 2000” (1998), “Superstar” (1999), and “The Ladies Man” (2000). Ouch.

I admit that I haven’t regularly watched Saturday Night Live, or really watched it at all, for about a decade. The last time I remember actually sitting down to watch an episode was the first time The Rock hosted. So I was not at all familiar with the “MacGruber” sketches, but the trailer, along with the presence of a half dozen WWE superstars was enough to get me interested.

“MacGruber” is a spoof film that knows what a spoof film is. Unlike recent spoofs like the “[Blank] Movie” series that just badly reshoots scenes from popular films with no rhyme or reason, “MacGruber” takes on an entire genre – the ‘80s action film.

Will Forte stars as the title character, an American hero and supposed bomb diffusing expert. He has been supposed dead for the last 10 years by everyone, including his arch nemesis Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer). MacGruber failed to get revenge on Von Cunth for murdering his wife Casey (Maya Rudolph) on their wedding day.

He gets an opportunity from Col. James Faith (Powers Boothe) and Lt. Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe). They tell him that a nuclear warhead has been hijacked, and Von Cunth is believed to be behind it. MacGruber is convinced to come out of retirement and put together a team (WWE Superstars Big Show, MVP, The Great Khali, Kane, Chris Jericho, and Mark Henry). Unfortunately he accidentally blows that team up, so it’s just him, Piper, and the lovely Vickie St. Elmo (Kristin Wiig).

Parts of “MacGruber” are very funny, while some other parts miss the mark. But what makes the film at least moderately successful is that the writers not only know the genre they’re spoofing, but they also love it. I’m sure the casting of Val Kilmer (who starred in the 1984 classic spoof films as “Top Secret!”) was no accident.

Forte is hit-and-miss as the character might not be quite funny enough to sustain a whole movie. Thankfully Wiig is her usual hilarious self, and Phillippe makes a great straight man. While it is no means a classic, “MacGruber” delivers enough laughs to be a pleasant little surprise.

Theater: RDM Westroads 14, Omaha, NE
Time: 1110 pm
Date: May 29, 2010