Flick Rater

Lady Vengeance

2009-12-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

I am a fan of Korean Director Chan-wook Park. His cinematic style appeals to me. The comic book flavor of his films adds an interesting visual dimension to unique scripts. The third of his Vengeance trilogy is Sympathy For Lady Vengeance. I previously reviewed Oldboy which was an exceptional film and the second in the trilogy. Although taken out of order, the films are projects that stand on their own merit. Sympathy For Lady Vengeance appealed to me on many levels, but not quite as much as Oldboy.

Sympathy For Lady Vengeance begins with Geum-ja Lee (Yeong-ae Lee) being released from prison after serving a thirteen and a half year sentence for suffocating a five-year-old boy that she had kidnapped. As the film moves forward from this point, Lee interacts with several different people that she met while she was incarcerated. As we are introduced to each new character on the forward journey, we are whisked back in time to learn the back story of each character (complete with criminal charges and dates of incarceration). It seems that all may not be as it seems, and Lee appears to be out for revenge. Lee appears to have carefully orchestrated everything, even during her time in prison. As her plan comes together it is becomes clear what her plans are. And those plans are not for the faint of heart.

Chan-wook Park collaborated on Sympathy For Lady Vengeance (Chinjeolhan geumjassi, in Korean) with writer Seo-Gyeong Jeong (who also co-wrote Thirst which I recently reviewed). The story bounces back and forth with the quick comic book like vignettes of new characters as the story develops. With the sub-titles, the pace got dizzying at times. The quick flashbacks keep the pace moving quickly (good) which, with the sub-titles, can be hard to keep up with (bad). I enjoyed the way Park and Jeong constructed the characters and moved the plot along, even with the quick pace. The main character was well developed with semi-flat characters around her…which was another comic book correlation. In totality, the writing was fresh and interesting.

Lee had a difficult job to sell her role as a heartless killer with a good heart. Does she have a heart or not? In fact, that leads to other questions that this script made me ask. Is vengeance redemptive? In Christianity, the two concepts would seem to be at odds. Yet these two concepts seem to find themselves together in this film. Maybe the redemption is a product of the catharsis found in the vengeance. Whatever the case, this film caused me to think, which set it apart. Part of selling that aspect of the film came from a spotless performance from Lee. She was able to embody a multi-layered character with opposing forces at war within her, and bring those forces together seamlessly. Lee was phenomenal. The rest of the cast had limited exposure, but provided a strong foundation for Lee to do her thing.

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A Secret

2009-12-23T11:06:00.000-08:00

When we first meet Francois (as a seven year old...Valentin Vigourt) he accompanies his mother to the beach from a seemingly comfortable Paris existence. His ideal world has glossed over the fragments of his memories from the anti-semitism of the German occupation, tethering together pieces of reality to his imagination. He has a pretend brother who possesses the athleticism that he lacks, his parents are the epitome of fitness and perfection. The young Francois has no idea that his fantasy world is rooted in a forgotten reality.

We next meet Francois as an adult (Mathieu Almaric). His childhood was detailed in full color. In adulthood, the film is done in black and white. I guess the concept allows for transition back and forth between the time periods without explanation or confusion. Francois has been summoned by his mother, Tania (Cecile de France) because his father Maxime (Patrick Bruel) has wandered off after the family dog is hit by a car. As Francois returns to find his father, he recounts his story.

Most of the story unfolds as Francois turns fifteen (Quentin Dubois). Francois' neighbor is a long-time family friend, Louise (Julie Depardieu). She has treated Francois with Vitamin D shots since he was little. As Francois begins remembering events, Louise assists him on his journey of self-discovery. During this revelation, Francois learns that many of the bits and pieces of his fantasy world are shards of whispers and memories that have a foundation in events that occurred during the war. Events that cast a pall on his Utopian view of his family. It allows Francois to draw contrasts and come to grips with his own life and to find closure for himself and others close to him.

Without spoiling any plot concepts, A Secret examines the balancing act between what a family will do to survive against compromising their beliefs. It is an interesting examination of family dynamics, perceived balance and reality. In the end, maybe there never really is any balance...only acceptance of what is. Or maybe there is only survival. A Secret challenges viewers with an imperfect set of circumstances and an ending that doesn't not tie everything together neatly, leaving the sense that there are not always happy endings.

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Children of Heaven

2009-12-23T11:05:00.000-08:00

Children of Heaven (Bacheha-Ye aseman) was released in 1997. The Iranian film received critical acclaim, getting an Oscar nomination as well as winning several lesser known awards. The 89 minute film was released in the United States in 1999. So, it has only taken me ten years to get around to this one. In cases like this, it is truly better late than never.

Children of Heaven is a tender down-on-your-luck story written and directed by Majid Majidi. Ali (Mir Farrokh Hashemian) is a saucer-eyed nine-year-old that shoulders far more responsibility than a boy his age should have to carry. His father (Amir Naji) struggles to provide for the family. They are behind on their rent and have run up a tab at the local grocer that has reached a breaking point. Ali’s mother (Fereshte Sarabandi) has recently given birth and has some lingering health issues. Ali also has a younger sister, Zahra (Bahare Seddiqi).

Ali is tasked with picking up bread, potatoes and a pair of Zahra’s shoes that are being repaired at the cobbler. When Ali realizes that Zahra’s shoes are missing, he panics. Ali is afraid to tell his father because he thinks he will be beaten (although his father is a fundamentally good man). Zahra is upset and needs shoes to wear to school. Because they attend school at different times of day, they agree to share Ali’s shoes. This arrangement leads to several close encounters and subsequent problems for both children. When Ali sees the chance to win a pair of shoes in a contest, he manages to get himself entered in an effort to replace his sister’s shoes.

Children of Heaven touches audiences on many levels. The examination of poverty measured against the strong morality provides interesting depth to the characters and subject matter. Although impoverished, Ali’s father will not take anything that does not belong to him, not even a cube of sugar. The family even reaches out to their neighbors, bringing them stew when they are barely getting by themselves. The work ethics and sense of individual responsibility, even that responsibility assumed by a child that does not belong to him (or her), struck a chord with me. Yet there did not seem to be a strand of Karma running through this film, which I thought there might be. It seemed, instead, that the plot centered on familial relationships and personal bonds. The plot was interesting, but does not go the direction one might think it is heading…yet still leads to the same place. It was a fun, somewhat short film that I easily connected with.

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No Man's Land

2009-12-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

My interest in No Man's Land stemmed largely from the fact that I recently visited Bosnia only to return home intrigued by the dynamics of the recent conflict there. I worked with Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks while I was visiting...and still felt undercurrents of resentment. I heard numerous first-hand accounts regarding the war as well as opinions regarding the United Nations. The opinions were as diverse as the people. I found Bosnia to be a friendly welcoming country, but the scars of war are still visible. This film explored some of those issues from an interesting context.

During the conflict, the Serbs held the high ground. They shelled Sarajevo from the hilltops while snipers had denizens of that city running for cover. Yet the Serbs met resistance at the very "gates" of the city that was unexpected. No Man's Land takes place in the hills, where the Serbs and Bosniaks are squared off against each other across a pastoral landscape. A disused booby-trapped trench lies between the two front-lines. Replacement troops from the city head out to relieve the troops already positioned on the lines. They move under the cover of darkness to avoid detection from the Serbian lines.

As the morning sun sheds light across the hillside, the replacement troops wake up to realize they are past the line of demarcation in the middle of the DMZ. As they realize their mistake, the Serbs detect their movement and open fire. One survivor (Ciki, played by Branko Djuric) finds his way to cover in the abandoned trench. Following the firefight, a rookie bookish Serbian soldier (Nino, played by Rene Bitorajac) is escorted into the DMZ to booby trap the bodies. In the process, Nino and Ciki become engaged in a standoff inside the trench. As both sides realize that they have a fighter stuck in the DMZ, the United Nations is called in to mediate. The media catches wind of the incident and further complicates the situation. The situation leads to a comedy of errors and tragic decisions that might be more accurate than anyone would want to admit.

No Man's Land creates an interesting standoff that allows an opportunity to explore the individual perspectives on the war, the broader issues underlying the war and the politically paralyzed response of the United Nations. The concept was brilliant in the ability to bring together two opposing soldiers in a very intimate setting to gain individual perspective. The film does not make judgments in this arena. However, the writing is less kind to the United Nations leadership which is exposed as bureaucratic and impersonal. The failures of the UN exacerbate the problem which adds some drama to the plot. The concept is well written with excellent dialogue.

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The International

2009-12-23T11:02:00.000-08:00

Imagine that an international banking institution (not unlike the International Monetary Fund) that lends money to nations, conceives of an idea that would allow them to control conflicts in developing countries. A bank so sinister that they select the would-be winners before the conflict is even started, in hopes of finding friends in the new government as well as dictating world conflicts and manage debts. After all, when the loser owes you money, how are you going to collect?

Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) works in Lyon, France at InterPol's Headquarters. His job is to coordinate international police intelligence. Nothing more, nothing less. This much I can appreciate. However, Salinger was with a Police Agency prior to his re-assignment to InterPol. From the sound of things, this was a place that Salinger was tucked away to keep him from causing trouble. Yet is seems that this new assignment has put Salinger dead on the trail of an international conspiracy with the IBBC (an international bank) squarely in the middle. Salinger has no authority to conduct investigations, yet he finds himself violating international treaties and protocol's to carry out his personal agenda against the bank. The process takes viewers inside the illegal investigation complete with chase scenes and incredible shoot-outs.

The concept at work in The International is beyond improbable. The idea is simply impossible. The idea of international intrigue with the banking system at the core of political assassinations and insurgencies is certainly a dramatic and intriguing idea. In fact, I would not entirely discount the ability of a major international bank to attempt to affect government policies. Hiring assassins? Probably not. Picking sides in a conflict? Not a good idea...playing the middle would seem more profitable. An InterPol agent engaging in illegal investigations and involved in shooting incidents in foreign countries? He would be recalled immediately (if not prosecuted in the host country...depending on his Diplomatic status). The script in The International contains some great twists, but requires a healthy "willful suspension of disbelief."

Although writer Eric Singer stretched the boundaries of believability with his script, but it was not all bad. The concept itself was excellent. I'm not buying the InterPol angle, but I liked the way the pieces of the investigation were put together. Although simplistic, it was interesting to see the elements of the investigation come together and move more quickly than one might think. As the layers are peeled back, the direction still remains a bit veiled, leaving the ending to unravel in the final ten minutes of the film. The characters were also decent, although more shallow than I prefer. The dialogue was rich. It appeared to me that the dialogue avoided excessive police language that gets overused in television and film, concentrating instead on the subject matter at hand. In other words, the dialogue didn't try too hard to seem legit.

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Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

2009-12-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed is like many documentaries. Ben Stein acts as the host, taking viewers along on interviews. The interviews center around the discussion of Intelligent Design, with viewpoints explored from both sides of the argument. Stein exposes the complete intolerance in science for any point of view that challenges or threatens the Theory of Evolution. Because this film is a documentary, I will examine the content more closely than the style.

One of the points that Stein brings to light is that advocates of Intelligent Design are not Creationists. I did not know that. The media connects the two so firmly at the hip, that independent thought on the subject is never pursued. Not until I heard it directly from the strongest supporters of the ID theory did I realize that there is a disconnect between what is reported in the media and what Intelligent Design actually believes.

Ben Stein squares off with establishment science, highlighting several cases were scientists have been censured, denied tenure or simply asked to resign over the mere discussion of Intelligent Design as a theory that should be explored. A news reporter was also relieved for her examination of the subject. It seems that those in the field of science who are staunch Darwinists see Intelligent Design as an attempt to get God and Creationism into the classroom. For that reason, no discussion is allowed. Any proponent of Intelligent Design becomes anathema to the scientific field. It is equivalent to scientific excommunication.

After presenting the opposing arguments regarding Intelligent Design, Stein explores the role of Darwinism in Hitler's Final Solution. It is a big step to take, but certainly highlights the danger in espousing a viewpoint without considering the consequences or alternatives. Also in line with Darwin's theory, the United States involuntarily sterilized 50,000 human beings in a social experiment called Eugenics. Stein points out the flaws in Darwinism, yet cannot seem to move the ball forward against establishment science, who cling to their beliefs with religious fervor.

Yes, I referred to the scientific fervor over Darwinism as Religious. The "theory" does, after all, require faith. Isn't that the cornerstone of religion. I heard several top scientists try to explain the origins of life...the lofty claim that Darwin tried to make. So how did (at the very least) 250 chemical compounds arrange themselves in exactly the correct sequence to become life? To make me believe that this was an accident is impossible. That would be like saying you dumped 250 car parts into a tank and shook it up...causing all the parts to line up and make a car. It just does not make sense. So...how DO these top scientists explain it?

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For anyone interested in learning more about Intelligent Design and the Theory of Evolution from the other perspective, resources are available through a PBS Special at:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/beta/evolution/intelligent-design-trial.html

A website in opposition to this film has been set up at www.expelledexposed.com for additional information regarding this film, ID and TOE.

Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance

2009-12-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance was the first in the Vengeance trilogy from Korean Director Chan-wook Park. I saw this film last, which would make it a prequel of sorts. However, each film stands on its own merit with its own set of characters. The Korean name for this film is Boksuneun naui geot.

Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance tells the story of Ryu (Ha-Kyun Shin) a "deaf and dumb" factory worker. Ryu is very close with his sister (Ji-eun Lim) who is in dire need of a kidney transplant. Ryu wants to donate one of his kidneys to his sister but has the wrong blood type. In the process of trying to find a kidney for his sister, Ryu manages to lose one of his kidneys and his life savings. When an opportunity arises for the transplant, Ryu becomes desperate for money and develops a scheme with his girlfriend Cha-yeong Mi (Du-na Bae) to kidnap a little girl in order to use the ransom money for the transplant.

Things go horribly wrong for Ryu, who seems to be a good-hearted person at his core. He has lost his job, a kidney and his severance pay. His sister is dying and in need of a kidney, which is available for the right price. His kidnapping attempt fails miserably. While Ryu seeks his revenge, the little girls father, Park-dong Jin (Kang-ho Song...who was exceptional in the recent Thirst release from Chan-wook Park) has his own agenda for revenge. In the end, it seems that the main course is violence and everyone at the table gets a healthy serving (with a dose of cold noodles to wash it down).

The plot is intricate and well designed, which is what has attracted me to Chan-wook Park's work. Park was assisted in writing this film by Jae-sun Lee, Jong-yong Lee and Mu-yeong Lee. Park likes to introduce plenty of characters that are atypical. His characters are often disturbed in some way, which adds interest. Sometimes these characters take bit parts but assist in tying together loose ends. In this case, the main character conducts a kidnapping, but manages to win the audience over with his general likability. The converging plot lines and quick sequencing can be confusing at times, especially with the translation (which misses some of the written queues) can be difficult to follow at times. The film finds creative ways to kill people, completing the task contextually, brutally and with a high degree of originality.

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First Snow

2009-12-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

I like a good thriller. I have a general set of guidelines that apply to the movies I watch, with some weighted more heavily for certain genres. For thrillers, I expect a degree of uncertainty and maybe a decent plot twist or two. First Snow fell short on that mark. I had the ending figured out within the first fifteen or twenty minutes.

First Snow is otherwise well constructed. The characters are engaging with decent personality traits. The dialogue was well written. The plot concept was strong enough to be worthy of a movie. Although there were some minor sub-plots that attempted misdirection and twists, they were not meaty enough for my taste. A major plot twist near the end would have satisfied me and eleveated this movie a bit higher for me.

First Snow starts out with a man (Jimmy Starks, played by Guy Pearce) seeming to recount recent events. He is pulled over on the side of the highway with blood on his face. It is snowing. The film then flashes back to a dusty roadside stop where Starks has stopped to have his car repaired. After a brief visit to the bar, Starks ventures outside to several vendors who have makeshift shops to sell a variety of tourist-type trinkets. Starks by-passes the Jack-a-lopes to the last trailer, where Vacaro (J.K. Simmons) does psychic readings. Vacaro gives Starks a reading that ends up consuming Starks to the point of paranoia. The events that play out following the reading lead Starks down an inevitable road, where misunderstandings only further the hole he seems to be digging for himself.

I enjoyed Guy Pearce, who has impressed me recently with his outstanding work in The Hurt Locker. Pearce has the grittiness that made his character believable. Slightly scared but with a great poker face. We didn't get to see much of Starks' girlfriend Dierdre (Piper Perabo), but Perabo was solid when we did get to see her (although we could have seen more...she had on clothing during her sex scene). Starks has volatile relationship with his former business partner Andy (Rick Gonzalez). The scenes between these two had an interesting intensity. Two strong characters squared off. They were both convincing...and equally believable when they like each other. William Fichtner plays one of Pearce's friends and business associates (and confidante). Fichtner seems just weird enough to be lovable. The cast was well chosen to fill the interesting roles created for this film.

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Man, Woman And The Wall

2009-12-23T10:50:00.000-08:00

Man, Woman and the Wall is a hard film to categorize. There were times, when watching this film, that it seemed I could be watching porn. There were only a few scenes like that...but sex was an over-riding theme throughout the film. Yet Man, Woman and the Wall remained surprisingly interesting, weird and quirky.

Ryo (Keita Ono) works for a publisher. His editor has been good to him, allowing him to afford a new apartment that has a built in bathtub (things must be tough in Japan). After moving to his new digs, Ryo realizes that the walls are paper thin, allowing him to hear through to his female neighbor, Satsuki (Aoi Sola). Ryo develops a strange fetish, hooking up listening devices to allow him to listen to her every movement. His infatuation (perversion) is so intense that he has developed his own imagination of what the bedroom looks like. He has even invented his own Satsuki (Sho Nishino) since he does not know what the real one looks like at first.

Ryo's voyeurism appears to become more aggressive and he begins stalking Satsuki. He has developed an intricate map of her schedule to assist him in determining her mode of transportation and work locations. After an exhaustive search, he finds Satsuki and engages her in conversation which eventually leads to controlled meetings and manipulated interactions. It is a strange relationship, but not as strange as the one Satsuki is engaged in with her current boyfriend Yuta (Hiroto Kato). Yuta seems to have his own penchant for voyeurism. Yuta also seems to be more than just a little off kilter. The strange combination of relationships twist and turn a while before settling on an unlikely but intriguing ending.

Director Masashi Yamamoto adapted Man, Woman and the Wall to a screenplay from an original story written by Fumihiro Yamada. Although incredibly sensual at times, the story has strong plot lines and interesting characters. The ending is unexpected but a bit strange and abrupt. The characters have some interactions that seem to me to be improbable, but I enjoyed the direction the movie took anyway.

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Malena

2009-12-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

I thought I had my fill of coming-of-age films during the 1980s. But it seems those films were all cookie cutter Hollywood formula movies. In 2000, a fresh, sensual coming-of-age film came out of Italy that made the ones I remember seem incredibly tame. The sexual side of "coming-of-age" is more thoroughly examined in this recollection of the woman that brought out the man in all the adolescent boys of a small coastal town in Italy. Malena!

Malena was written by Luciano Vincenzoni who appears to narrate his own coming-of-age during World War II in Italy. He is much older, as evidenced by his own admission that he does not recall many of the loves he had over the years, but will never forget the day he met Malena. It was his twelfth birthday and Il Duce had just pronounced war against Britain. He got a new (used) bicycle for his birthday, but even a bigger surprise when he found out what an erection is. The character is Renato Amaroso (Giuseppe Sulfaro). He is introduced to Malena (the incredibly sensual Monica Bellucci) by his young friends. Renato has a streak of independence and breaks free from his gawking friends, secretly tracking Malena's every move. Renato is aggravated by the incessant gossip in the town regarding Malena, who is outcast simply for her unparallelled beauty. Tragedy claims Malena as a victim, but a happy ending might still be in her future if Renato finally mans up.

Vincenzon's story was beautifully adapted to screenplay form by Director Giuseppe Tornatore. Tornatore infused the story with rich dialogue that could have slipped into seedy tawdry exchanges, but instead elevates the film to artistic excellence. The dialogue was humorous and unique. The angst that our young hero experiences is palpable in the brutally honest writing and original viewpoints. Renato's father (Luciano Federico) provides some excellent comic relief as a caring but strict man with a surprising soft spot. The torrid nature of some encounters in this film is handled delicately and artistically, which sets this film apart. The plot is part tragic, part happy ending. An excellent film with the important elements for good drama.

Renato ages a few years during the course of this film. Beginning as a twelve year old boy, haircuts and attire help define his age. As he matures, the aging is accomplished simply with changing taste in clothing and even the way Renato carries himself. Sulfaro does an excellent job of creating the illusion of aging, although he is very mature for a twelve-year-old to start with. Sulfaro brings a strange level of timidity to a role that is, at times, aggressive. It is a nice balance that allows the boy to seem boyish, yet struggling with his emerging manhood. Sulfaro was exceptional in balancing the opposing traits of his character. The struggle seems genuine. A veteran performance. Bellucci does not have much in the way of dialogue. She doesn't need to. Her beauty is the central issue, and she provides that silently. When it comes time for Bellucci to create the strongest drama of the film, she does it with apparent ease. Her performance was shocking and brilliant. The film is carried by these two excellent performers, but special mention should be given to Federico who provided some great scenes. The cast was impeccable.

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Empire Of The Sun

2009-12-23T10:44:00.000-08:00

I sometimes find myself blowing the dust off of older movies and giving them another go. I normally don't watch a movie more than once unless enough time has passed that I have forgotten much of the film. Such is the case with Steven Spielberg's 1987 hit Empire of the Sun. I vaguely recalled some of the scenes as the film progressed, but it was almost like watching the film for the first time (I hope that isn't a sign of senility setting in).

The film opens with a choir singing in a very European looking church in Shanghai, China. A somewhat distracted but talented young soprano delivers his solo with amazing precision before drifting away again to some other distraction. We soon learn that the young man is named Jamie Graham (Christian Bale). His father, John Graham (Rupert Frazer) is wealthy and connected in China. However, a different wind is blowing in from the east...a Divine Wind. The Japanese have 50,000 troops in China and Shanghai appears to be squarely in their sights.

With a surprise attack launched on the city, the Grahams attempt to make it to the waterfront to board a boat to safety. In the crush of people running frantically from Japanese tanks and foot soldiers, Jamie becomes separated from his mother (Emily Richard). Jamie wanders aimlessly as the passage of time becomes visually evident. Jamie seems to be a smartass kid, but incredibly intelligent. Combine those qualities with a strange street savvy, and you have a character that easily wins the affinity of those around him while finding ways to make the system work for him. He is aided in his street schooling by a Fagan-like character named Basie (John Malkovich). Basie's lackey Joey "pants" Pantiolano) appears to feel threatened by the gifted young boy, but keeps his feelings to himself. The dynamics between the group vary from protection and friendship to alienation and using. But it seems it is Jamie (who has been renamed "Jim" by his new tutor) that brings a ray of light to the interment camp where they eventually find themselves.

While watching this film again, I was able to see it in a broader light based on Spielberg's other work in the interim. The film has an E.T. like quality with a child star and mild glossing over of the harsh realities of life in an internment camp. The death part was portrayed as a stark reality, but the survival aspects were portrayed with some whimsy. It worked for this type of film, which was somewhere between E.T. and Schindler's List, but closer to the E.T. end of the spectrum. Tom Stoppard adapted this story to a screenplay from the novel written by J.G. Ballard. The plot combines strong characters with an intense background and unusual combinations of respect and honor. Young Jim is not only a gifted intellect, but his love of aviation and sense of honor give him an eerie connection to his Japanese captors, putting him in a delicate position to create balance in the camp. The story allows for some betrayal, harsh treatment and even sensuality, but does not dwell on the depressing aspects as much as the survival point of view...which is what makes this film different and special. It is not supposed to be Schindler's List and succeeds on its own merit. An enjoyable, touching story complete with a happy ending.

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Saint Ralph

2009-12-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

Is this film based on a true story? Of course not. But you can't help but ask yourself that question as you watch this film. The incredible against-all-odds determination and grit of the young Canadian named Ralph (Adam Butcher) seem to defy logic. The stuff that true stories seem to be made of. Instead, Saint Ralph is the product of Director Michael McGowan's imagination.

Ralph Walker is a troubled ninth-grader who attends a private Catholic school. His mother (Shauna McDonald) lies hospitalized and believes her son is staying with friends. Ralph has convinced the school that he resides with his grandparents (who are both deceased). Ralph has a lot of issues...he seems to have his own set of rules. He smokes, swears and likes to diddle himself. He also finds himself the target of school bullies. Yet the troubled teen seems to have an incredible capacity for moving forward in spite of setbacks.

Ralph's mother falls into a coma after he explains to her that a flaw in the design of the public pool was the cause of his embarrassing emission into that body of water. The subsequent harassment seems to roll off of the young man, who is absorbed with his mother's illness. Upon hearing about miracles, he becomes obsessed by the idea that he can give his mother a miracle by performing one on his own. His objective is to run and win the Boston Marathon. In the process, he manages to stoke the anger of the head priest, burn down his house, alienate his friends and enlist the aid of a former Olympian. The improbable events are portrayed in a surprisingly believable format.

McGowan weaves the story around the five months between Ralph's epiphany and the Marathon. The "chapters" are tied to festivals of various Saints. I am not sure if McGowan tailored the film to the corresponding Saints or if he was able to find Saints for each month that related to a specific theme for that chapter. Either way, there are different concepts at work during each stage of the film and those ideas are loosely tied to the cause of the Saint representing that chapter. It was an interesting side note that added an element of interest to the story.

The plot is fairly straight forward. It is your typical run-of-the-mill beating the odds story of human will and overcoming challenges. What makes Saint Ralph special is the stuff in between. We have a pretty good idea where the film is headed, but it is the journey that the audience can enjoy. The setbacks often seem insurmountable, but are presented in a credible way. The characters are extremely well developed and engaging. The human qualities in the characters provides the film with necessary believability. That is what makes one ask "is this a true story?" The characters are the core of the story. The dialogue was also great. The exchanges were not always predictable. Ultimately, the story tugs at your heart strings and manipulates your emotions. It is tastefully done, and if you are not connected to the action you probably have no soul.

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The Road

2009-12-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

Which road is the one less traveled in a post apocalyptic world? In a dark world where cannibalism has become commonplace, carrying the torch of humanity to light a darkened world is the road less traveled. In a cold greyness that stretches to eternity, where no one can be trusted and everyone competes for scant resources, what level of civility can exist? Two roads diverged in a wood, and The Road takes us down the one less traveled.

A man (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) trek across the United States from an undetermined location with a destination of the Southern coast of the United States. Battling hunger, polluted water and bands of hungry cannibals, the duo encounter many close calls in their efforts to survive. The father teaches his ten-year-old essential elements for him to survive. Yet the boy still seems to have a glimmer of humanity that his dad appears to be losing. Although dark and brooding, the story ebbs and flows with a series of tense scenes that are as heart-pumping as they are disturbing. Alternately, we get brief glimpses of humanity and self-sacrifice that keeps the story grounded.

The Road - Trailer
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The Road was adapted by Joe Penhall from a novel written by Cormac McCarthy. I have not read the novel, but am certain that it is as gripping and maybe even more disturbing than the screen version. The story provides tension through the ten-year-old son, who seems to be in constant danger and sometimes even compromises himself. The film has superb dialogue, but tells much of the story without words. The situations, scenery and simple expressions tell much of the story. Flashbacks pick up some of the history of the boy, who appears to have been born after the "event." His mother (Charlize Theron) disappears shortly before the journey begins. Her abrupt departure is not fully explained but seems to be alluded to. The complex issues of survival and humanity are balanced through strong character traits and some flaws as well. The plot seems nothing more than having a direction and "going that way." But the obstacles are where the story gets told. An excellent journey that doesn't really end.

Mortensen's character seems well educated, caring and tough. He also seems to have lost his trust in humanity and sees his son as the only hope for the future. Mortensen has that rugged exterior with a kind intelligence in his eyes that balances the opposing forces within his character. It is not a hard sell...the performance simply seems to flow out of him. Smit-McPhee seems to feed off Mortensen's performance, bringing an innocence to his role that makes the concept of a child wanting to commit suicide seem normal. The young actor seemed at ease in his role. Theron had a smaller part, but her struggles are the catalyst that begins this journey and she commits herself fully to that role. In an even smaller role, Robert Duvall makes an appearance as a man traveling the same road. The encounter seems to be an examination of the depths that humanity can sink to and the civility that can still manage to survive. Duvall was spectacular. With just a few minutes of screen time he left an impression. The cast helped keep my white knuckles clutched to my seat.

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Counterfeiters

2009-12-23T10:38:00.000-08:00

A concentration camp survivor named Adolf Burger wrote a memoir about a secret Nazi initiative called Operation Bernhard in which they planned to destabilize the economy of the United Kingdom by flooding world markets with counterfeit British Pounds. Burger would know. He was a typographer who assisted in the operation. Director Stefan Ruzowitsky worked with Burger to adapt his novel to film, resulting in The Counterfeiters.

The Counterfeiters creates a fictional character named Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch (Karl Marcovics) who is busted by Berlin Police for trying to counterfeit the U.S. Dollar. Sally ends up doing time, but quickly realizes jail has become more brutal...but the basic rules still apply. It seems Sally may be no stranger to prison life. Sally quickly figures out a scheme to survive, by endearing himself to his captors by drawing murals, portraits and propaganda drawings. Sally is abruptly transferred to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp where he is greeted by the head of the counterfeit operation, Friedrich Herzog (Devid Striesow), the very detective that arrested him in Berlin.

The prisoners who are involved in Operation Bernhard are treated better than others in the camps. The brutality that goes on just beyond the thin walls is not lost on the prisoners, who must balance the concept of survival against the harsh realities that their operation might be funding the Nazi war effort and could prolong the war and increase the suffering. Burger (August Diehl) sabotages the work, prolonging production of the Dollar as long as possible. His actions risk the lives of the men he works with as they all struggle to strike a balance between survival and morality.

This fictionalized accounting of Operation Bernhard was created in close cooperation with Adolf Burger. Although fictional, it maintains a strong connection to the events that inspired it. Because of the quandry that the prisoners find themselves in, the story is able to bring out the best and worst in people, allowing for an excellent character study. It also shows the strange characteristics that can emerge, even in a setting as seemingly faceless as a concentration camp. In other camp-based movies, it seems that the other characters (other than the lead) become a faceless mass. In The Counterfeiters we learn about many of the characters and their own traits and flaws. One former banker detests Sally's arrival, looking down on him as a common criminal. His indignant reaction in the midst of a concentration camp is laughable. It shows the capacity of humans to close out the reality of the world around them and focus on the microcosm of their daily routine. The characters were well developed and were provided with credible dialogue that propels the film to the upper tier of my favorite World War II films.

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Adventureland

2009-12-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

I have been vacillating on whether or not to recommend Adventureland. The film really doesn't cover any new ground and does not have a lot of great comic. In fact, the comedy tends to be juvenile. On the other hand, I laughed at some of the sophomoric humor and toughed it out to the end of the film. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good...it was dead in the middle in that area that leaves you wondering whether to go thumbs up or thumbs down. So I am going to go thumbs sideways with two and half stars and the slightest recommendation possible.

James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) thinks he has his whole future planned out, beginning with a Summer 1987 trip around Europe before settling in as a Journalism Major at Columbia University come Fall. He has trouble wrapping his mind around the idea that his father has taken a major pay cut, short-changing his travel plans as well as the feasibility of attending Columbia. His impressive resume of lawn mowing (with references) and his score of 770 seem to limit his employment options, leaving him with only one alternative. Adventureland.

Adventureland is a cheesy amusement park with rigged games and carnival style rides. The mom and pop park is run by an odd character named Bobby (Bill Hader) who runs the park his own way...which doesn't always mean the customer is right. Brennan's buddy (king of the sack whack) Frigo (Matt Bush) works at the park running rides. He also develops a new friendship with Joel (Martin Starr) who seems to have some of the economic limitations and intellect but has lost the vision. A love interest (Em, played by Kristen Stewart) blossoms, but with complications. Adventureland provides Brennan the opportunity to find himself, if he knows where to look.

Adventureland is formulaic, but doesn't seem to know exactly which formula to use. The excessive use of pot might point to a "smoke" movie. Then there is the whole "coming-of-age" thing...but most of these kids seem to have already passed "that age." Love story? Nah. Romantic comedy? Not quite. Comedy? It wasn't quite funny enough. It almost seems like they wanted to capture that mysterious quality in Napoleon Dynamite and capitalize on it...but it wasn't that, either. It worked out okay, but not great for me.

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Birthday Girl

2009-12-23T10:31:00.000-08:00

What kind of guy mail-orders women from Russia? Could it be the same kind of guy that would fall hopelessly in love with a woman even though they could not effectively communicate? Would it be the kind of guy who has Sucker written across his forehead? The kind of guy that is easily targeted by scammers? If the answer is "yes," then the guys name is John (Ben Chaplin) and he works a dead-end job at the bank and goes through life following the same routine without really experiencing life.

John is surprised when he orders a companion from the internet and she shows up at the airport unable to understand English. What to do? John frantically calls the agency to explain that a mistake has been made, but ends up getting the run-around. The Russian claims that her name is Nadia (Nicole Kidman) but we later learn that she uses an alias. When her play cousin Yuri (Mathieu Kassovitz) shows up unannounced with his friend Alexei (Vincent Cassel), John's orderly world takes a drastic turn for the worse.

Birthday Girl takes an interesting journey full of plot twists and turns, some of which are predictable, others keep things interesting. John isn't dumb, but it seems his choices sometimes defy logic. His character is fairly well constructed, but his actions seem extreme within the circumstances created by the plot. The credibility factor requires quite of a bit of leeway. The sub-plots and minor twists were enough for me to enjoy the film in spite of lethargic dialogue and unlikely actions. The story could have been better but was decent enough.

Nicole Kidman is Nicole Kidman. This film is worth watching just to see her show some skin. But her acting abilities are on full display as she puts on a Russian accent that was convincing enough for my untrained ear. She speaks her lines in Russian, which was interesting to hear. She convinced me that she was Russian. The success of the story depends on a weird chemistry between Chaplin and Kidman that worked for me. Kassovitz is almost likable as one antogonist, while Cassel was legitimately scary. This film was not average because of the acting. That part was pretty good.

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The Amateurs

2009-12-08T04:26:00.000-08:00

Andy Sargentee (Jeff Bridges) dreams big, but executes small. He spends his days in a tiny bar of his everybody-knows-each-others-business small town. Andy used to be married, but now his wife lives with an ultra-successful and wealthy (but decent) man. His teenage son has everything a teenage boy could want, to include a basketball court in his bedroom. But not much of a relationship with his father.

Andy has a tendency to come up with big ideas which he seems to drag everyone else in town in on. As he begins cogitating in the bar over a tall cold one, the townspeople begin to get nervous. They have seen this look before and it has usually cost them money. When Andy happens upon his epiphany, that is exactly what happens. Andy gets everyone to ante up two thousand dollars so they can create a pornographic film. One that involves almost everyone in town (in some sort of fashion). What we end up with is a tongue-in-cheek examination of the process, where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Will this finally be the one time that Andy can pull it all together, even as the wheels fall off the wagon? You'll have to watch to find out.

The concept behind The Amateurs (which was originally released in the United Kingdom as The Moguls) is that the end product you are watching are the rough cuts created during the making of the film. So the movie itself is about the making of the film, rather than the film itself. Not an entirely unique concept, but certainly entertaining. The plot does not have the depth of a drama or quite the humor of a comedy, but falls somewhere in between. The characters display some unique traits and have enough depth to keep the film interesting in spite of the thin plot.

The interesting characters are created by an ensemble cast that play some fun roles. Ted Danson as the closet homosexual (and he is fabulous...in more ways than one). Joey "Pants" Pantoliano works at a photo mart kiosk...and talks Sargentee into allowing him to be a "writer slash director." Middle-aged and living with his mom creates some interesting dinner conversation during discussions about the film. Tim Blake Nelson as a plumber who is in love with one of the film stars...and ends up destroying her footage. Willliam Fichtner as a lovable loser whose great revelation is that a girl who works in a mattress store must love sex (and he ends up being right). You couldn't ask for a more veteran cast. Although the script was quirky and mediocre, you could tell they were having a good time doing this one. That created some good chemistry that showed on film. A different cast could not have carried this film...it added to the humor.

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Across The Universe

2009-12-08T04:22:00.000-08:00

The cover art on Across The Universe was terrible. Even after reading the synopsis of the film, I wasn't so sure about this one. It is definitely one of those films that borrows a little bit from various places and strings the elements together to create something new. I have seen that concept done poorly too many times to count. However, I am happy to say that Across The Universe did an excellent job, throwing in extremely subtle references alongside those that are easy to spot.

The plot isn't so much what this film is about. It is more about enjoying the ride. With elements of Hair, The Wall and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band combined with Beatles references and trivia mixed together with a 1960s time line, Across The Universe examines the journey of a young man from Liverpool on the road of self discovery. He travels to America where he makes a new best friend and falls in love. His happiness and heartache transpire against the backdrop of the 1960s, where major historical events coincide with his journey, throwing him together with an odd mix of characters representative of the era. At its heart, this film is about the music. Cover songs of the Beatles are recreated to tell the story. At times, that creates some obviously contrived scenes. But its okay...that is part of the concept. It is a mish-mash of psychedelic experiences with animated sequences of strange brew.

Because Across The Universe is about the music, it is important to look at the quality of the covers. The cast was carefully selected to create a diverse look at the 60s. The young man from Liverpool (Jude, played by Jim Sturgess) did an excellent job of acting and had some strong covers. But in terms of tonal quality, I really preferred the two male supporting actors, Max (Joe Anderson) and Jo-Jo (Martin Luther McCoy). Max is an ivy-league dropout that gets drafted. His vocals were strong and grainy, which I enjoyed. Jo-Jo had some great guitar rifts and strong vocals with a tinge of Jimi Hendrix thrown in. The female lead (Lucy) is played by Evan Rachel Wood. Her vocals were eerily haunting. Her soprano voice brought a nice element to songs like If I Fell In Love With You. Other strong vocals were done by Sadie (Dana Fuchs) and Prudence (T.V. Carpio). Other vocals were snuck in during cameo's by stars like Bono (I Am The Walrus). You never know who is going to break into song, which added to the fun...it might be a bum or pimp (Joe Cocker) doing a song which they have already covered. Exceptional vocals made this film work for me.

My own 1960s timeline was a bit off. I thought that the Detroit Riots (I grew up in the city, you would think I knew) happened in 1968. They happened in 1967. I thought Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated before the Detroit Riots and figured that the film had the time line wrong. I was wrong. Reverend King was assassinated in April 1968 after the Detroit riots. Both events were properly sequenced in the film and provided direction or inspiration to various characters. The Kent State Massacre was also portrayed, which did not happen until May 1970. The one time line event that was out of sequence (that I picked up on) was Kent State. The Beatles references were injected throughout the film. One big nod that was given to the band was the impromptu concert performed on top of Apple Records. This occurred before Kent State, but afterwards in the film. That was the only anachronism I found in the sequence of events.

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Thirst

2009-12-08T04:18:00.000-08:00

Chan-wook Park is synonymous with tense Asian suspense films. The Korean director caught my attention with his Mr. Vengeance trilogy. Park is back, sinking his teeth into the vampire genre with Thirst, which was released in 2009 under the Korean name Bakjwi. Vampire films (read that Twilight) have gotten soft and have lost their edge. Park is back with a film that tests new boundaries with a film that is certain to make your stomach hurt.

Thirst opens with dialogue between a priest, Sang-Hyeon (Kang-ho Song) who feels called to assist a study being conducted by a controversial Order to stop a debilitating illness called EV. During the tests, Hyeon is given a blood transfusion. Unknown to Hyeon, the blood has been taken from a vampire. Hyeon is the only subject among fifty who is healed from the EV, creating a throng of believers that seek him out hoping that he can heal them (or their loved ones).

Hyeon does everything in his power to fight the beast lurking inside him, but requires blood to maintain his health. Without the blood, lesions begin forming on Hyeon, evidence of the other monster (EV) lurking in his blood. Hyeon seeks a peaceful alternative to hunting for his blood, feeding instead on a hospitalized friend who is in a coma. But Hyeon experiences more than just a blood lust, which causes him to be manipulated into engaging in activities he would otherwise resist. Hyeon's sins follow him and eventually consume him, forcing Hyeon to make an impossible decision.

Vampire films have been done many ways. Thirst is an intelligently written look at the genre. Many taboos are explored in this film, along with enough gore to put this film very close to the slasher genre. Thirst is definitely not for the weak-hearted. The special effects are often stomach wrenching. Hyeon is a fundamentally good person. A priest who sought out the disease EV because he felt God had called him to help people. This dictates Hyeon's decision making matrix, which more than once leads him to kill those he loves. The plot creates circumstances that challenge traditional mores. Excellent dialogue (the sub-titles were pretty good...with only a couple of odd translations) combined with an intriguing plot were indicative of a well thought out plot. Park co-wrote the script along with Seo-gyeong Jeong.

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The Last Word

2009-12-08T04:13:00.000-08:00

The concept of The Last Word intrigued me immediately. Evan (Wes Bentley) is a writer. Evan is introverted and struggles to relate with people. Most of his feelings are summarized in quotes taken from famous (and some obscure) writers. Evan makes his living as a free-lance writer. He advertises his services on a website called "The Last Word." Evan writes suicide notes that are eloquent and capture the essence of the suicidal client. A strange profession to say the least.

Evan's life becomes more complicated when he is spotted taking notes at the funeral of a client. The sister of the deceased, Charlotte (Winona Ryder) spots Evan and approaches him to find out what his relationship was to her brother. Evan lies, and tells Charlotte that they knew each other in college. Charlotte pursues Evan, who is reluctant to engage in any sort of activities with her. In the meantime, Evan takes on a new client, Abel (Ray Romano) who becomes sort of a sounding board for Evan. Evan's new found love and strange friendship with a client lead him to begin questioning his choices. The lies eventually begin building while the walls around Evans secluded small world begin crumbling around him.

If anything stands out in The Last Word, it would be the writing. The acting was solid, but the dialogue was unique and structured. The plot was different and unpredictable. The characters were well developed and quirky enough to capture ones attention. In essence, The Last Word epitomizes the best qualities of Indie films. There are stretches in the film that are paced on the slow side, but overall, the writing is exceptional. Geoffrey Haley did an excellent job wearing hats as both writer and director.

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I Am David

2009-11-28T07:07:00.001-08:00

NetFlix let me down this time. The database suggested that I Am David would register better than four stars for me. I liked the concept and felt like there were definitely some good concepts explored. However, the film had the quality (especially dialogue) of an “Afternoon Special.” The poorly written dialogue was tepidly adapted by Paul Feig from a novel written by Anne Holm. Reading the synopsis of the book, it appears that Feig added an interesting twist to the plot, but changed some elements of the story. This is one where the book might be far superior to the cinematic version.

David (Ben Tibber) is a fictitious boy who, at twelve years of age, has very few memories of anything other than his life in a post-WWII concentration camp. Ben want to escape the camp and enlists the aid of Johannes (James Caviezel). Johannes has become fond of the boy, offering him advice to help him survive. After a brief exchange in the camp, we are guided through twenty minutes of action, overlapped by instructions that have been given to David prior to his escape. The instructions are step-by-step directions to assist David in finding his way to Denmark. Several borders and unexpected challenges await the young escapee on his journey. David meets a variety of people who each share something with David, helping him to understand life outside the confines of a concentration camp.

I Am David is a tender poignant tale that has two very good plot twists to enhance the value of the story. The excellent concept is compromised by dialogue which seems like it is drawn directly from a first –grade reader. The dialogue borders on insulting in simplicity. The film has a run-time of ninety minutes, the first twenty being narrated. That leaves precious little time to develop the characters that David meets on his journey. It seems as if David bounces from one experience to the next with little opportunity to fully engage the other characters. This made the dialogue even more tedious and superficial. The characters really did not matter to me. There was an excellent plot twist at the end that could have paid out in spades if it had been played right. As it was, I merely yawned at the ending. It was squandered on characters that just did not matter to me.

The acting wasn’t necessarily bad in I Am David. However, because of the weak character development and generic dialogue, the characters lacked life. It must be difficult for an actor to try and engage an audience with a character whose interactions are sparse or perfunctory. We go through the motions along with the actors and never have a chance to feel anything. In a nutshell, this film lacks soul, and no Oscar-winning performance can change that. Having said that, Tibber was decent as the confused but brave escapee. Joan Plowright was a bright-spot as a kind-hearted artist who befriends David near the end of the film. She was engaging in spite of her limited role. Caviezel seemed genuine enough, but again, his relationship with David was weakly examined. The rest of the cast was forgettable. None of them were bad, just made invisible by dialogue and interaction that lacked heart.

Princess Aurora (Orora Gongju)

2009-11-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

Princess Aurora was released in 2005 under the Korean title Orora Gongju. The film follows a skilled Korean detective who is studying to be a minister, a mysterious woman who goes on a killing spree and a bevy of other baddies who happen to cross paths with the sadistic killer. The killings don't appear to be random, so why common thread ties the victims together? That is the question that keeps viewers watching until the end.

I am familiar with the work of Korean Director Park (who had an excellent film titled Old Boy), but do not recall having previously seen anything by Director Eun-jin Bang. I enjoy Korean films, in spite of the sub-titles, which sometimes take away from the visually appealing aspects of Korean film. Because of my affinity for this particular genre, I hoped that Bang would produce a film I would enjoy. He did. Not quite up to the same standard as Old Boy, which had a stronger visual element and graphic novel type storyline. Princess Aurora is more your standard psychological thriller, where you try and get inside the head of killer to figure out what is going on. In that endeavor, this film succeeds in telling an interesting and somewhat unique story.

We pick up the action in Princess Aurorawith a brutal gore-dripping homicide in the ladies room at a department store. An inexperienced detective is mentored along in the investigation by a sage investigator named Detective Oh Sung-ho (Seoung-kun Mun). The department store murder is the first in a series, which are linked together by stickers left at the scene of the crimes of a cartoon character named Princess Aurora. We know the killer. She is Jung Sun-jung (Jeong-hwa Eom). We follow her around as she marks her next targets, and watch as she employs unique methods for delivering their last breath. What we don't know are her motives or her relationships to other characters in the film. These revelations are pieced out to viewers as the film progresses. Although the pacing could be picked up at times and the plot seems a little jerky, the story was interesting and somewhat unique.

Because this is a Korean film, I am not familiar with the cast. That can good, because I can go in without any preconceived ideas or stereotypes regarding the actors. I thought that the female lead was convincing as this films killer. She had an odd combination of ruthless killer and charming introvert. I thought she pulled it off well. Her interactions with the other characters were convincing and fun to watch. Our male lead also does a good job of balancing his role and the chemistry he has with the other characters. The cast was excellent.

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2012

2009-11-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately for me, the “End Is Near” did not happen for a painful 158 minutes. 2012 ties together ancient calendars and cosmic events with an end-of-the-world apocalyptic cataclysmic string of events that seem to be timed perfectly to coincide with the near death escape of the major characters. If that fails to be conveniently improbable enough for you, the major characters seem to be so intertwined that their paths crossing could not even be attributable to karma (which seems to be suggested near the end). The explosions and big special effects failed to win me over. This disaster movie was exactly that…a disaster.

2012 introduces us to a bevy of flat characters who are all agenda-driven. They seem to have a limited purpose in the film, which becomes evident quickly (talk about predictability). The flat characters are augmented with cheesy dialogue that I would be embarrassed to claim. Attempts at subtlety were exchanged for beat-you-over-the-head clichés that bombed. Lines like “it’s not the end of the world…” or similar “foreshadowing” language were so blatantly out-there that I felt like this film was written with a first-grade audience in mind. Or were they intentionally trying to insult the intelligence of movie-going patrons? The plot had an interesting direction that could have been explored further rather than relying on gimmicks and imagery to carry the film. Instead of thoughtful writing, we get big explosions, too many close calls and an eternity of celluloid before the film finally ends. And the ending really wasn’t that bad (other than the trite dialogue). An opportunity squandered by Director and writer Roland Emmerich and writer Harald Kloser.

The film opens with a couple of young scientists discovering changes in the Earth’s core caused by sun-flares. The American (Adrian Helmsley, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) works for the government as a geologist. During his visit with Indian scientist Dr. Tsurutani,(played by Jimi Mistry), Helmsley realizes the importance of the discovery and reports immediately back to Washington DC. The matters are brought to the attention of President Wilson (Danny Glover) who immediately initiates a program with other world leaders to preserve our species and as much world knowledge, art and animal species as possible. In the meantime, we meet Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), a failed writer who stumbles on the unfolding events while taking his estranged kids back-packing at Yellowstone Park. Curtis bumps into Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson) during that trip, and given the rough outline of pending events.

Hold on tight…because things are gonna’ get confusing... Curtis is separated from his wife Kate (Amanda Peet) who is currently shacked up with Gordon (Thomas McCarthy) who also happens to be a private pilot. Gordon is also a plastic surgeon, who has done work on Tamara (Beatrice Rosen). Tamara is arm candy for a wealthy Russian named Yuri Karpov (Zlatko Buric). None of them not directly related to each other has ever met the others. And oh, did I mention that Curtis happens to drive a limousine for Yuri when he isn’t writing his loser books?

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Twilight Saga: New Moon

2009-11-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

I thought that the original Twilight film was interesting. A new spin on the classic with some fresh faces and decent plot lines. Twilight was based on a book series by Stephenie Meyer. The film prompted me to go out and purchase the next book in the series, New Moon. I liked the book far less than the first film, attributed mostly to the tedious task of tracking Bella's every thought. Because of the brilliant imagery and interesting spin in Twilight, I thought I might give the film New Moon a chance. I mean, without constant voice-overs to track Bella's thoughts, how could they possibly incorporate that much mental baggage into the film?

Boy was I dissappointed! New Moon, the film, failed me on every level. In fact, my teenager daughter, who was impressed with the buff Taylor Lautner as Jake Black, admitted that the film barely exceeded three stars. I'm not that generous. In fact, Lautner did expose his impressive abs, but he also exposed his lack of acting chops. Lautner's lines were delivered with the passion of an elementary school play. Aside from his physcial attributes, Lautner was nothing short of horrible. But I digress...

New Moon picks up where Twilight left off. For a brief period of time, all seems normal. But an unfortunate incident at the Cullen's house, combined with the fact that Mr. Cullen has been in Seattle too long, and hasn't aged, leads the Cullen's to depart Seattle (oh, woe...where will they find such dismal atmosphere to protect their diamond glistening skin?) Poor Bella (Kristen Stewart) slips into a deep depression at the departure of her true love. Not to mention her obsession with aging. Bella exorcises her demons by finding any adrenaline opportunity that avails itself. Reckless and naive. Meanwhile, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) believes Bella has killed herself and seeks his own demise.

In a nutshell, this book in the series is supposed to conceptually track the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet. If you are not smart enough to figure that out, Meyer beats you over the head with the concept with references to the classic. However, Romeo and Juliet succeeds because it is a tragedy. They die. New Moon is only a tragedy in that I not only read the book, but wasted my money on the film version as well.

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Passengers

2009-11-28T06:53:00.001-08:00

Passengers is one of the first films that I have watched on my Samsung BDP3600 Wi-Fi Blu-Ray Disc Player using my Netflix instant queue to stream the video live on my television. I added this film to the instant queue from the Netflix website, after reading the synopsis, which appealed to me. The concept seemed intriguing, although an effort at misdirection. It took me about half the film to figure out that I was watching something I have seen before (in other films).

Warning: The following paragraph will analyze the material in this film that has been done before. It will not expose the plot of the film, but will provide enough information to act as a spoiler...

Passengers borrows concepts that were better applied in the films The Others and The Sixth Sense. Obviously, The Sixth Sense set the standard for this type of film and will never be adequately replicated. However, The Others took this genre in a different direction with a phenomenal performance by Nicole Kidman, that elevated that film to a close second. With two excellent movies already available with similar themes, this one trails as a distant third. Passable, but not nearly as good.

Spoiler Alert concluded. You may resume reading here, if you skipped the previous paragraph...

Generally, psychological thrillers necessarily seem subdued with a slower pacing than other films. That is okay if the film is using the lag time for the viewer to cogitate on the information being provided. Also, some films in this genre use the slower pacing to provide visual cues to the audience regarding the plot. Tidbits that can be collected on subsequent viewings. At times, those sluggish plots squander opportunities and simply flail while they try and figure out a direction. That is how I felt about Passengers. I enjoyed the film, but the lag time seemed wasted.

Passengers also seemed to try and go too many different directions. Although everything was tied up in a neat bow at the end, the beginning was awkward enough to create confusion. I know that this misdirection was intentional, but the extent that it was taken seemed excessive. Almost as if Rodrigo Garcia (Director) and Ronnie Christensen (Writer) conspired to create filler to extend the length of the film to its current 93 minute run time...short by most movie standards (although those horrible spoof movies all seem to run 88 minutes). The slack times in this film did not appear to add anything to the movie.

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Vicky Cristina Barcelona

2009-11-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a Woody Allen joint. I am not a big fan of Woody Allen and found the movie to be a bit irritating from the very beginning. When a narrator provided a "first-grade-reader" level of introduction to the characters, I told my wife that I sincerely hoped that the narration was only part of the introduction. It was not. The story-teller interjects throughout the film with distracting simplistic explanations that seem a failed attempt at humor.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona tells the story of two friends (Vicky and Cristina...played by Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson, respectively), who spend a Summer vacation in Spain. Vicky is grounded and stable, while Cristina is impulsive. The two end up crossing paths with a blunt artist (Javier Bardem) who talks them into spending a weekend with him. The artist has a mentally deranged ex-wife (Maria Elena AKA Penolope Cruz) who enters the picture later in the film. The four experience a variety of relationships during the course of the film, with very little in the way of closure. The film seemed more like an excuse to show off the phenomenal products of talented Spanish artists and the Spanish landscape than anything else. For that reason, I can give the film a star.

The acting was also very good...so I will throw in another star for good measure. Bardem was fairly good in this film, but was up-staged by Penolope Cruz, who was allowed to let her fiery side out. Cruz was actually funny in a tortured sort of way. Hall and Johannson had decent roles and good chemistry with Bardem. As a whole, the acting made up for the boring plot and forced dialogue. (The dialogue was anything but cliche...but it seemed to try to hard to be original...to the point that I had no idea what people were talking about at times). Penolope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress for her role in this film, and it was well deserved. Her performance upstaged the leads and even upstaged the script!

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The Station Agent

2009-11-17T18:51:00.001-08:00

I recently signed up for NetFlix, which allows you to rate movies in order to allow the database to suggest films you might like. The hundreds of movie reviews I have posted on Epinions made the task quick and simple, allowing me to enter enough data to give the database a strong background to draw from. One movie (The Station Agent) drifted to the surface with a NetFlix suggested rating of 4.7 based on my viewing and rating habits. Close, but not an exact science. I would go with a solid 4 stars. I am glad NetFlix found this film for me, because I do not recall having seen this film when it was released in 2003.

The Station Agent has that quirky independent quality which I have enjoyed immensely from films like Lars and the Real Girl. The film briefly examines the relationship between and dwarf (Finbar McBride, played by Peter Dinklage) and an elderly man (Henry Styles, played by Paul Benjamin) who share their passion for trains. The two run a train hobby shop and sponsor “train chasing” film nights, where they live vicariously through members of their club who document their train travels on film. A quick turn events lands the dwarf in an abandoned train depot, where he takes up residence. Finbar (Fin) is a bit reclusive and finds it difficult to adjust to small town life.

The parking lot of the disused train station hosts a local hot dog vendor (Joe Oramas, played by Bobby Cannavalle) who boasts about his café con leche. Joe is a talkative extrovert who forces his way into Fin’s personal space. Fin’s obvious reluctance to engage with Joe seems lost on Joe. In a pesky sort of way, Joe eventually seems to grow on Fin and the two spend some time together. The two are joined by a tortured artist (Olivia Harris, played by Patricia Clarkson) who’s grief over her lost son appears to be temporarily eased by the duo, before returning with intensity. The film follows the interaction between these strong likeable characters while exploring different issues.

The Station Agent seems to end a bit trivially for a film that holds great promise. Yet, I found myself reflecting on the characters and their interactions after the film in spite of the timid ending. With a drama that balances levity with some darker issues, you almost expect a dramatically intense conclusion, which never came. The rather mundane completion of this film left some questions unanswered, but did not leave me feeling unfulfilled. The characters reached me with their realism. The characters all had flaws which surfaced at different times during the film. Combined with the interesting dialogue and great chemistry, the characters provide the audience with a sense that we are witnessing real people.

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The Boys Are Back

2009-11-17T18:48:00.001-08:00

Just say “yes.” A simple slogan for child rearing that spells disaster. Sports writer Simon Carr wrote a novel based on the situation he was left in, raising a young boy, following the loss of his wife to cancer. Carr struggled with his relationship, realizing that it had become too easy to say no. “If a child asks to play together in the river, we automatically respond ‘no, I have to go buy milk.’” Carr’s fictional counterpart, Joe Warr (Clive Owen) takes the concept to dangerous levels, speeding along the beach with his younger son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty) sitting on the hood in front of the windscreen or allowing his to jump from a ledge in the bathroom into the tub. This reckless parenting style becomes further complicated when Warr’s teenage son Harry (George Mackay) asks to come live in Australia with him.

With the arrival of Warr’s son from his first marriage, the home dynamic becomes a bit more complicated. Although there appears to be some favoritism towards the younger son (from the second marriage) and the eight year age difference, the two boys grow very close. The house is filthy, the boys have very little structure and Warr does not ask much from the boys. What should be easy living bounces from obnoxious silly fun to a very dangerous scenario. Warr realizes that his lifestyle requires adjustments and struggles to do damage control to win back his oldest son.

The Boys Are Back is a touching drama based on the true story of Simon Carr. The film is based on Carr’s novel, with the screenplay adapted by Allan Cubitt. It is hard to tell how much of the story is fiction and what percentage is fantasy. It would be interesting to know where the line is drawn. The film is a touching examination of the family dynamic combined with superb drama and offbeat humor. Although not laugh-out-loud funny, the comedy elements were sweet and subtle. The dialogue was rich with the English and Australian vocabulary requiring a bit of attention at times. The characters were well developed with great interaction and surprising believability. The plot was predictable with a simple ending that was as fulfilling as it was expected. Overall, the writing provided a fresh examination of family dynamics with interesting characters, excellent drama and some well-placed levity.

I am a fan of Clive Owen. His performance in The Boys Are Back was consistent with the excellence that I have grown to expect from him. Because the plot requires Owen's character to be likeable (but with major issues) it required a special actor to make the role work. Owen was that actor. I was impressed with his grittiness and tenderness equally. The balance made the character connect. It made the audience want Warr to succeed and get his family back together. Owen deserves a look when the awards come around. Laura Fraser appears in a limited capacity as Warr’s second wife, Laura. She provided a nice balance in some of the scenes where Warr was unsure which direction to go. Although limited, her appearances were solid. The film also requires strong performances and good chemistry from MacKay and McAnulty, which both delivered. The characters were adequately brought to life by an exceptional cast.

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Ed Wood

2009-11-17T18:48:00.000-08:00

I selected Ed Wood because NetFlix said I should. I did not know anything about this film and did not remember reading about it previously. However, the preview indicated that this was a Tim Burton film starring Johnny Depp, Sarah Jessica Parker and Bill Murray...all talented at their craft. That, combined with the fact that NetFlix accurately predicted I would like The Station Agent, were enough to convince me to add this to the queue.

Ed Wood tells the true story about the man (Edward Davis Wood, Jr.) who was voted as the Worst Director Of All Time at the 1980 Turkey Awards. Ed Wood fashioned himself as a quasi-Orson Wells. He endeavored to write, direct, produce and star in his own films. I am embarrassed to admit that Wood started his Hollywood career after his service in my beloved Marine Corps. That topic is briefly discussed in Ed Wood, but not accurately portrayed (he tells a film-make that he was a paratrooper). It seems that Wood accomplished a great deal simply because he wouldn't take "no" as an answer...even at times when he should have.

I decided to fact-check the film a bit after watching it. From what I could find on the internet, it appears that Burton did an excellent job keeping the facts very close to reality. I can let that part about the Marines slide...I don't want to claim this loser into that fraternity we call The Corps. But he was indeed one of our own. Wood kicked around Hollywood from 1947 to 1953 before he got his first big break. The film only briefly examines that period, before settling into the meat of the film with Wood's feature titled Glen or Glenda. This exploitation film was followed by Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 From Outer Space. There were other projects in the interim that the film paid passing homage to, but these were the three primary films covered in Ed Wood. The film examined some interesting side-notes, like the funding for Plan 9...the initial investment coming from the Baptist Church, hoping to raise money for future projects. Reports indicate that the cast members were baptised prior to filming...another topic covered in Burton's version (the screenplay was written by Scott Alexander, based on a novel from Rudolph Grey).

The characters in Ed Wood are the type that I like to see. They are a complex and eclectic mix of the fringe-side of society. Strong characters can carry a properly constructed film. The plot was based on Wood's true life, which leaves limited room for interpretation. Because Wood was such an intense, interesting and eccentric person, the writers have plenty of material to work with. The dialogue avoided any tendency to be average or cliche. The dialogue was often sharp and crisp, enhancing the story. The worst part of the writing was the sluggish pacing which threatened to lose me more than once. The film seemed forced at times and adrift at others. The story ends around the apex of Wood's career, to allow viewers a sense of reward for identifying with the strange lead character, with the disappointing true-life endings coming in short written capsules before the final credits role. A decent strategy to give the audience the most without compromising the story.

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Where The Wild Things Are

2009-11-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

I was uncertain whether I would like the screen adaptation to Where The Wild Things Are. It seemed like a stretch to make a feature-length film from a picture book that could easily be read in just two or three minutes. It is difficult for me to segregate the book from the film in order to evaluate it, so I won't. The two are inter-twined, with my interest in the film stemming from my love of Maurice Sendak's original. When I wrote my review for the book nearly ten years ago, my enthusiasm was evident.

Maurice Sendak was acknowledged in the closing credits, but I was unable to tell what role he had (if any) in producing the film. Spike Jonze directed Where The Wild Things Are as well as co-writing the screenplay with Dave Eggers. The writing in this film really needed to be precise to win me over. I was curious what direction the film would take to create enough filler to draw the movie out to the advertised length of 101 minutes. Jonze did an adequate job of adding content and dialogue without drastically altering the original.

My biggest complaint with the screenplay would be the alteration of the actual story. The filler was fine with me. The back-story leading up to Max's banishment was also tolerable. In the book, Max is sent to his room, which slowly evolves into his fantasy world, only to awaken to the smell of dinner at his bedside following his fantastic journey. The film handles this transition very differently and misses an opportunity at some interesting CGI. I won't discuss the changes and risk spoiling the film, but I thought it was an attempt at adding some dramatic elements at the expense of tracking the original story. A decision left to the Director, but one that I found a bit irritating.

For the uninitiated, Max (Max Records) is a troubled boy with an abundance of energy. In today's world, he would be diagnosed with ADHD and doped up with Ritalin. In this story, Max expresses himself through unacceptable antics while dressed in a white wolf costume. Max pushes his mother (Catherine Keener) too far with his behavior and ends up sent to bed without dinner (maybe). While in exile from dinner, Max journeys by boat to a far away land where he encounters a tribe of monsters with humongous owlish eyes and dagger teeth.

In fear of being eaten, Max uses his guile to convince the monsters that he is a king that has conquered other worlds. Max threatens the creatures with his incredible mind-power than destroy with a thought. The creatures take a liking to Max and make him their King. Max introduces the clan to a variety of games like dirt-wad war. He also encourages them to build a fortress for their kingdom where they can all be safe and sleep in a big pile. But things don't stay Utopian for the young King and the dynamic amongst the monsters changes. Max must decide if he is better off staying with his new found friends or returning to his own home.

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Wind That Shakes The Barley

2009-11-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

Wind That Shakes The Barley examines Ireland in the early 1920s, when Republicans banded together to throw off the oppressive occupation of Great Britain. The film reminded me initially of the Revolutionary War, when the United States used non-traditional fighting techniques in our war for independence from England. But the film ends up reminding me more of our Civil War, pitting brother against brother, as Irishmen are forced to choose sides following a treaty to halt hostilities.

Wind That Shakes The Barley was another movie selected for me by NetFlix. It seems that I have a tendency towards Independent and Foreign Films (along with war movies). I guess that seems pretty accurate in retrospect. Wind That Shakes The Barley picks up the action with British troops terrorizing a small farm, killing a young man for refusing to speak his name in English. A young Doctor, Damien (Cillian Murphy) has deep reservations about confronting the British troops through guerrilla tactics due to the vast superiority of the occupying forces. His views apparently change and he joins a band of Irishmen who train to carry out attacks on the British forces.

The Irish opposition find ways to strike at the British, but only appear to invoke the wrath of the heirarchy, soon finding themselves awaiting the executioner. However, a sympathetic guard aids their escape allowing the attacks to escalate. Damien's brother Teddy (Padraic Delaney) is among the leaders of the small band and helps to orchestrate the attacks. The men manage to deal severe enough blows to the British that a peace treaty is pursued. Following the treaty, Irishmen find themselves divided over whether the treaty goes far enough to give them true freedom. Teddy and Damien find themselves on opposite sides of the argument, eventually leading to an inevitable confrontation.

This film examines the tumultuous experiences of the Irish during this period, paying special attention to the relationship between Damien and Teddy. The film takes a thoughtful approach to the issues, showing a variety of conflicts amongst the Irishmen, more than the broader conflict between the two nations. These dynamics are explored in a credible manner with interesting dialogue used to delineate viewpoints. The story takes a few interesting twists, without being entirely unpredictable. The characters were interesting and well developed. Writer Paul Laverty did an excellent job of creating an interesting period piece.

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Sunshine Cleaning

2009-11-17T12:20:00.001-08:00

I saw the previews for Sunshine Cleaning at the local independent theater that I like to visit. I intended to catch this one at the theater…it looked dark and quirky…two elements I seem to like enjoy in movies. I ended up renting this film and watching last night. The film was dark, funny and definitely quirky. It was also realistic, examining relationships through good times and bad.

Sunshine Cleaning examines the life of a former cheerleader (Rose Lorkowski, played by Amy Adams) who must have appeared to have everything…as head cheerleader and main squeeze to the Captain of the football team, Mac (Steve Zahn). Rose didn’t end up with what she expected out of life. She spends her days cleaning houses and her nights sleeping with Mac (now a Police investigator) who married Heather (Amy Redford) instead of Rose. Rose gets little gratification and appears ready for some changes. Mac suggests Rose get into Bio-Hazard cleaning in order to cash in on a lucrative opportunity.

When Rose’s son Oscar (Jason Spevack) gets called to the principal’s office (yet again), Rose realizes she needs to find a better job so she can afford a private school for the gifted but bored boy. Using Mac’s contacts, Rose starts up her own cleaning business with the help of her slacker sister, Norah (Emily Blunt). The two underbid experienced contractors in order to build their business. It is a gruesome affair, cleaning up after suicides and accidents. Yet it seems morbidly rewarding in different ways for the duo. Together, they begin building a business while Rose tries to get her personal affairs on track, as well. Yet Rose seems to be possessed by what her former classmates think about her and gets her priorities just backwards enough to jeopardize everything she has worked for. Does Sunshine Cleaning end up rewarding viewers for hanging in during the good times and bad? It’s an independent film, so you have to watch to find out if the ending zigs or zags.

Sunshine Cleaning, written by Megan Holley had a beautifully presented script with characters that matter. The characters carry this story about hardship and heartache. By making the characters imperfect, Holley makes them real. The struggles of a family broken by suicide and never fully recovered runs as an undercurrent, while pulling back the veil on the damaged emotions and flawed relationships of the family and their interaction with other people. The realistic and well constructed personalities and relationships layered over a rewarding, imaginative and dark story-line make for a tale that held my interest. I found the dialogue to be fresh enough and the interaction of the characters to be vividly credible. Although predictable at times, the plot moved at a good pace and rewarded me for my time.

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Kalifornia

2009-11-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Inspired by his girlfriend's photography, journalist Brian Kessler (David Duchovney) realizes that a combination of photography from the locales of infamous serial killers along with his own perspectives on the crimes could form the foundation of a best seller. Kessler has spent his advance money and needs some financial assistance to bring his dream to reality. He needs someone to split expenses on a criss-cross-country trip to California, stopping at the infamous crime locations along the way. What Kessler does not expect is that he might be closer to getting into the mind of a serial killer than he really ever wanted to be.

Tim Metcalf wrote the screenplay for Kalifornia, which is based on an original story he wrote along with Stephen Levy. The story provides something very different and gripping. I thoroughly enjoy thrillers, and this one provides all the elements to a good thriller. It moves at a good pace, it reveals just enough to keep you wondering when the hammer is going to drop, it has characters that can be unpredictable, the premise offers opportunities for good action and the dialogue adds to the suspense. If anything, the story moves over-the-top at times, slipping into extreme stereotypes or incorporating elements that stretch believability to a breaking point. But the interesting characters, although a bit flat and stereotyped somehow seem to engage the audience. The plot has some predictabiilty, but provides enough twists and turns to keep things interesting.

I appreciate David Duchovney in his Showtime series, Californication. Duchovney convincingly plays a man-ho in that series. Seeing Duchovney sixteen years younger was a shock. He was a bit gangly and green in this film. Not that I didn't like him or his character...but he was not nearly as believable as the backwoods trailer-trash bubba, Early Grayce. Grayce was brought to life by a much younger Brad Pitt, who completely unleashed this character in the film. The character has some cartoonish traits, but Pitt appears to become lost inside this character. Pitt was exceptional. Juliette Lewis also has a character given over to cliche...but she did an excellent job of selling a part that might otherwise have lacked any credibility. Lewis plays Grayce's childish girlfriend, who refuses to believe he is bad because he protects (as well as beats her). Michelle Forbes rounds out the primary cast as Carrie Laughlin, the misunderstood photographer whose photographs are too graphic for "main-stream consumption." Another one-dimensional role that Laughlin makes work with her hot jet-black bob-style hairdo. The cast members had great chemistry, adding to the suspense.

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Life Is Beautiful

2009-11-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

Life Is Beautiful was released in 1997 (as La Vita e Bella), but I could just as easily have been convinced that this film was released in 1967. The film has a throwback quality that gave it the same flavor as some of the great films created in the 1960s. The sets, cinematography and even the dialogue had a simple innocent quality that enhanced the experience for me. Roberto Benigni, who also stars in this film, did a phenomenal job as director, giving this film the essence of a Golden Era in Hollywood film.

Life Is Beautiful provides everything a movie-goer could possibly want. The script takes us through the full range of emotions. Benigni introduces us to a sharp young man, Guido Orefice (Benigni) whose mental acuity seems uncanny. Orefice is great with solving riddles, but even better at using his impeccable timing to woo the girl of his dreams, Dora (Nicoletta Braschi). Although Orefice earns a meager but honest living working as a waiter, he relies on his eternal optimism and humor to win Dora from a wealthy suitor (Braschi is Benigni's wife in real life, too!) The two gallop off on a green horse and we are swept forward several years as young Joshua Orefice (Giorgio Cantarini) comes running from the greenhouse. Joshua is willful and every bit as sharp as his father.

The film takes a sour turn as we realize that much has changed since Joshua was born. Nasty signs that declare "Jews and Dogs not allowed to enter" and graffiti mark the walls of the Orefice's town of Arezzo. Sandbags are visible everywhere. The darkening tone escalates, as we see Guido, Joshua and Uncle Eliseo (Giustino Durano) are carted away in a military truck. They arrive at a concentration camp, where Guido uses his quick wits to convince young Joshua that the prison camp is an elaborate game, a surprise for his birthday. Guido's unflappable determination to protect Joshua's innocence even amongst the death and decay of a concentration camp provides for some interesting opportunities to explore the full range of feelings. Hope, despair, humor, love, sadness, loss...this film visits the depths of your soul.

The writing in Life Is Beautiful is nothing short of genius. Benigni co-wrote the story with Vincenzo Cerami. The very idea that you could make a film about fascism, prejudice and life in a concentration camp and find room for humor speaks to the originality and creativity that Benigni and Cerami bring to this script. The plot meanders along with no clear direction, but dark foreshadowing that indicates the coming tribulations. The film is a love story, exploring the uncanny love between Guido and Dora, and the parental love for Joshua. The dialogue has a crisp talkative pace at times, where the sub-titles moved at speed-reader pace. But it was excellent. It did not appear that the humor lost anything in translation. The exceptional exchanges between the characters showed an immense intelligence was applied to this script. Life Is Beautiful had writing that was a breath of fresh air.

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The Soloist

2009-11-17T12:12:00.000-08:00

When I saw the previews for The Soloist, I waited eagerly for the release. Then, just when the film hit the theaters, Jamie Foxx had to spout off at the mouth and say some pretty stupid stuff about Miley Cyrus. His comments about a sixteen-year-old making a sex tape and doing heroin and crack jaded me enough to wait for this film on DVD. Thanks Jamie...you saved me some money. The film was not worth full price at the theater.

The Soloist appeals to me because it is a true story that sheds light on mental illness, homelessness (and subtly, the connection between the two). The story begins with a chance encounter between a Los Angeles Times Reporter, Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.) and a homeless musician, Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx). Lopez finds Ayers playing a violin with two strings at the base of a statue of Beethoven. In a disjointed conversation, Ayers runs through a litany of music and location related ramblings before Lopez asks about three names written on a nearby tree. Ayers advises Lopez that those were his friends at Julliard. Seeing the potential for a story, Lopez begins running down Ayers' history. What began as a chance encounter leads to an examination of responsibility and friendship.

The story itself could be a powerful, poignant, moving story about an unlikely relationship that grows into true friendship. There were some decent lines, especially Lopez, near the end of the film, reflecting on what he had taken away from his friendship. The film uses flashbacks to pick up some of Ayers' history, which works to an extent. However, the transition between scenes if often jerky with awkward timing. Maybe it was an attempt to convey mental illness to the audience. If that was the source, it didn't work for me. I found many of the scenes to be ill-conceived. There were some opportunities to force emotion from the audience that seemed to be squandered away. I wanted to be moved but found that the material was too sterile. With subject matter as deep and intense as this I expected much more. I place much of the blame for that at the feet of Director Joe Wright, who has an unimpressive resume.

The weak directing was offset by stellar performances. Jamie Foxx was exceptional as Ayers. His willingness to give himself over to the part was evident. The rambling disjointed thought processes that manifest themselves as a mumbling jumble of words were not unlike encounters I have had with mentally ill people in the past. Foxx convinced me. He was definitely the bright spot in this film. Robert Downey Jr. was also brilliant, with a role that was not as much of a stretch. However, His delivery helped sell the story. The two had good chemistry and were believable. Catherine Keener had a smaller role as Mary Weston, Lopez' significant other. She had a decent drunk scene, but did not have a very significant role in the film. The actors provided this film with the heart that was lacking in the script and directing.

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A Serious Man

2009-11-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

I don’t know how many goyim attended the Coen brothers latest release, A Serious Man, but there were plenty of movie-goers laughing at stuff that this goy didn’t find funny. Maybe it’s a Jewish thing (if you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand). I gave the Coen’s last two movies (Burn After Reading and No Country For Old Men) Five Stars each. A Serious Man reminded me more of The Ladykillers, which I was less enamored by.

A Serious Man begins with a short scene that introduces us to a family curse. The credits follow, before introducing us to Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a 1960s professor whose luck seems to be a product of the introductory scene. This luck appears to apply to his jobless, homeless brother Arthur (Richard Kind) and most likely passed to his son Danny (Aaron Wolff). The family dysfunction becomes the heart of glib ruminations into every aspect of Gopnik’s life. Attempts to prevent Gopnik’s tenure at his school, a scary neighbor who ignores the property line between their houses and children who view him only as the source of filched money or adjusted television reception. But the worst of it is Larry’s wife, Judith (Sari Lennick) who has decided that she wants a “get” (a traditional Jewish divorce) so that she can marry Larry’s friend, Sy Abelman (Fred Melamed).

A Serious Man lacks a concrete plot, concentrating more on the characters and their interactions while leaving the ending open to interpretation. The concept of this film appeared to be a family curse that we witnessed being manifested on a later generation. The troubles are sometimes trivial, like the property line issue, but the Coen’s seek every opportunity to exploit the effete main character. The subdued comic elements were woven throughout the script seizing every opportunity to elicit laughter. Some of the humor seemed awkward. The audience erupted following the death of a character, puzzling me. I understood the essence of the scene, but didn’t find it amusing. I laughed several times, but much of the humor was shallow and cliché. The characters were quirky and interesting. I enjoyed many exchanges between them.

I am not familiar with Michael Stuhlbarg, but found his performance to be engaging. I liked the way he schlepped along in the film while appearing earnest in his struggles. I wanted his luck to change. I cared less for Kind’s performance, but it was more the role he played. His character irritated me, making it difficult for me to enjoy his performance. Melamed was captivating, bringing a quirky comedic presence to his character that was subtle and enjoyable. Aaron Wolff was also enjoyable as the son. His facial expressions were often more compelling than the script. The cast was not very familiar to me, but did a fine job.

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Junebug

2009-11-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

I do not remember seeing advertisements for Junebug, and I am not sure I would have watched it when it was released in 2005 based on the synopsis of this film. However, putting my faith in the sage advice of Netflex, I decided to add this film to my queue. I have been happy finding treasures on NetFlix that I had previously overlooked. Junebug presents an interesting story that, in many ways, reminded me of my own life. The characters were scary-close to my own experiences. I guess that is why Junebug connected with me…it felt close to home.

Junebug introduces us to Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz), a Chicago art dealer and her husband George Johnsten (Alessandro Nivola). We see a rapidly brief romance before catching up with the couple six months later as newly-weds. George is in North Carolina checking out a local artist (David Wark, played by Frank Hoyt Taylor) from Pinnacle, NC, who appears to have some serious psychological issues. But George likes the art enough to advise Madeleine to come down and check out the art for herself. Madeleine likes Warks “Antietam,” relating that she recognizes the corn fields and likes the dog heads and scrotums. The art has a very vulgar quality, but obviously qualities that Madeleine thinks will sell.

Madeleine and George have only been together for six months. Madeleine has not yet met George’s family. Pinnacle is merely a half hour from George’s hometown, so the two decide the time has arrived to meet the family. The family dynamics mirror the dynamics of most normal, slightly dysfunctional (and likely average) families in America. Some qualities were exaggerated for effect, but the emotional aspects of individual relationships between family members make the film interesting and relevant. Madeleine is showered with adulation from George’s sister-in-law, Ashley (Amy Adams). Ashley has a bubbly ubiquitous energy that seems both childish and adorable. Ashley is excited by Madeleine’s arrival. The same cannot be said for George’s mother Peg (Celia Weston) who Madeleine mistakenly calls “Pat” during their first encounter. Peg may be a protective mother who won’t find any woman satisfactory for her son…or she may just be a strong personality who rules her roost. Speaking of roosts, Scott Wilson plays Peg’s hen-pecked husband Eugene. Eugene is a quiet, quirky fellow who appears to avoid conflict. George’s brother Johnny is a brooding and explosive under-achiever who seems troubled at George’s arrival. He is also reluctant to accept Ashley’s pregnancy.

Junebug follows the family through the mundane motions of breakfast, painting fingernails, a baby shower, church dinner and more. While plotting a seemingly routine course for the visit, we observe Madeleine and George both learning things about each other that they didn’t know. In a sense, it is an opportunity for them to grow as husband and wife. We also begin to learn details about the other characters, some of which play into the climax of the film. Subtle cues are provided that foreshadow the ending without giving away too much. Even with a suspicion of where the plot was heading, it was enjoyable to pick up the nuance without having the message spelled out in block letters like much of the mindless drivel out there. The dialogue (especially Ashley’s) is exceptional. The family interaction, as well as thematic material, is expertly woven into the dialogue for viewers to consume. Although sluggish at times, the story was well thought out with an obvious avoidance of cliché.

There were many hidden undercurrents worked into this script. I am not sure I caught them all, and may have to make this one of those rare films that I watch a second time. There were some themes that seemed more obvious than others, and I haven’t fully analyzed how all of it applies to the story. But one element that I found intriguing was the juxtaposition of the relationship between the two brothers and their spouses. They both appear to be with the right spouse. Yet George and Ashley seem to connect with each other in a spiritual way, while Johnny and Madeleine appear to experience some sexual energy. The exchanges between the four create some depth.

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I Am David

2009-11-17T11:08:00.001-08:00

Angels & Demons

2009-09-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

I thought The Da Vinci Code was moderately palatable. Nothing spectacular. Which is why I was surprised to see a sequel. The film made lots of money but just was not that good. Why someone chose to make a sequel is beyond my understanding. Angels & Demons was a waste of time. Of course, I watched it during an international flight...so I had nothing better to do.

Angels & Demonsis bad on many levels. Tom Hanks returns as Robert Langdon, who has been summoned to the Vatican to help solve the kidnapping of several Cardinals following the untimely death of the Pope. In a contrived and completely unbelievable turn of events, Langdon finds himself at the middle of a conspiracy within the Church. Langdon has a somewhat apostate view of church affairs so an intended irony exists in his effort to save the Institution while attempting to save the lives of thousands of residents and visitors to the Holy See (and surrounding area). The plot manages to squeeze and stretch reality with an impossible time line that often seems laughable. While solving Da Vinci Code-like riddles, Langdon manages to unravel the location where each Cardinal will be assassinated while trying to get ahead of the killer and solve the broader mystery. Langdon does not realize that he is a pawn who has been brought in to further the conspiracy.

This is where the plot really loses me. The plot relies heavily on Langdons ability to solve the mystery within an incredibly tight time line. There is also a scene where Langdon could easily have lost his life, in which case the broader plot could not have evolved properly and the entire elaborate set-up would have been for naught. There were other inconsistencies in the plot that just seemed to incredible...like managing to get a helicopter on stand-by in the courtyard of the Vatican within minutes. Even a carefully orchestrated plot would fail to execute a time line so quickly and precisely...depending on such minute details as another individuals ability to string together riddles and solve them...just one minute one way or the other changes the outcome. Not likely.

The characters in Angels & Demons are woefully bad. The characters are flat and predictable. The stereotypes would probably create outrage in communities other than the Christian (Catholic) Church. I was shocked at how blatantly religious considerations were disregarded with complete impunity. I am not Catholic and was not offended by the film personally. But I could easily see how someone could find the material offensive. Not simply because of the conspiracy and behind the scenes politics demonstrated in the film, but by the treatment of several of the characters, who are one-dimensional caricatures. It seemed like some liberty may have also been taken with historical facts.

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Intacto

2009-09-12T02:39:00.000-07:00

While searching for an interesting title to watch, I came across Intacto. The premise immediately captured my attention. Unfortunately, the concept was not executed as well as it could have been. Intacto exercises a premise where all people possess a certain amount of luck…most people very little. Those people are sort of pawns, whose photographs can be exploited to increase the power of those who possess them. Others possess a great deal of luck and can draw more luck from those around them. Whether they steal the luck of fellow passengers on a plummeting aircraft or inadvertently consume the luck of close family members in a fleeting moment of crisis. Either way, their ability to take the luck of persons less lucky makes the idea of luck more a commodity to be bartered away or taken with a touch rather than being a possession of the fickle wind of fate.

The idea of presenting luck in this manner is unique to me. I don’t recall having seen a storyline quite like this one. The plot was hard to follow at times, with subtlety being used to convey sometimes ambiguous ideas, which made things hard to follow. The pacing was seldom sluggish, but did bog down at times. The characters were well developed and interesting. The background on several characters was developed slowly, with biographies evolving during the course of the film. The rich and diverse characters, each with a gift that might be a curse, were believable within the context of the film. An undercurrent of love was threaded throughout the film leading to a theme that questioned which was stronger, luck or love. The ending was thoughtful, avoiding the easy path and allowing some interpretation.

I am unfamiliar with the work of Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and did not recognize the majority of the cast. The film sets seemed prop-ish at times, but was at its best when highlighting the rich architecture and gorgeous Spanish scenery. The film keeps viewers guessing a great deal, which was part of the films appeal. However, the sketchy nature of some of the exchanges was almost too cryptic. The themes were evident, but this is a film that needs to be watched over again to catch the minutia. Fresnadillo also co-wrote the film with Andres M. Koppel. The cast consisted of Leonaro Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, Monica Lopez, Antonio Dechent, Max von Sydow (a face I recognized), Guillermo Toledo, Alber Ponte, Andrea San Vincente, Marisa Lull, Luis Mesonero, Jaime Losada and Susana Lazaro. The interaction of these players was convincing, even when I felt utterly confused, picking up the action piece by piece, where I could. Although sub-titled through a good portion of the film, the acting was convincing.

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Lions For Lambs

2009-09-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Lions For Lambs presents an overlapping drama that follows three story lines. The film attempts to challenge the conduct of the "War on Terror" through by tracking dialogue between a reporter and rising Senator, a Professor and a promising student, and two students who previously studied under the professor, who are involved in escalating operations in Afghanistan. The intertwining stories attempt to take an anti-war stance in a rather sophomoric plot that seems more preachy than touching. This film would have been more effective using a subtle message than to stand on a soapbox the way that this film manages to do. I watched it for entertainment...if I want a sermon, I can go to church for free.

There are several problems with the plot. The most glaring issue is the ending, which was both anti-climactic as well as boring. It seemed the writers used an unimaginative ending that was intended to be thought provoking in one aspect, and cliche in another. The ending left me wondering why I wasted 88 minutes on an unintelligent, unoriginal propaganda piece. The dialogue was okay at times, and utterly boring at others. The acting was shockingly bad. The major actors were upstaged by their unknown counterparts in this film. The segments that focused on the professor (Robert Redford) and his prize student (Andrew Garfield) felt more like an after school special than anything. However, Garfield was surprisingly likable and sharp in his role. The storyline between the Senator (Tom Cruise) and reporter (Meryl Streep) was a yawner...I've seen soap operas with more meat to them. Streep delivered on the emotional aspects surrounding her own inner turmoil, but the script left her with very little else to work with. The best segments surrounded the action in Afghanistan between friends (Michael Pena and Derek Luke). Although the special effects were laughable, the interaction between these two young actors was excellent. They were the bright spot in an otherwise forgettable film.

Lions For Lambs attempts to bring home the human side of the war through the soldiers fighting in Afghanistan. But Director Robert Redford and writer Matthew Michael Carnahan spent too much energy focused on the message and missed the opportunity to develop the action in Afghanistan. The two characters seemed genuine, with a back story that provided some depth to the characters, as well. The briefing room scene felt authentic and started to draw me in at the beginning of the film. But once the pair get on a helicopter, the opportunity seemed squandered. The action sequences were incredibly fake as was one characters decision to jump out of a helicopter in the middle of the mountains. No way. No how. The fact that he lands feet from his friend (and they both live) is even harder to swallow. The scenery for the rest of the action in Afghanistan seems like a bad Hollywood set. The low lighting was incapable of adding any realism to the scene. The ending of that segment was even harder to accept. Things just don't happen that way. The fact that Redford included induction notices for the two...when the draft hasn't been around for decades was another not-so-subtle attempt to engage in hyperbole.

The storyline involving Redford was preachy and a bit condescending. Although Redford's character (Professor Malley) claims to encourage free thinking and stimulate discussion (which was a major theme in this film...one that it failed to observe)...his comments about the two soldiers in Afghanistan are a bit disturbing. Malley passes judgment on the two, summarizing their decision as a mistake...a wrong path chosen...and he accepts some of the "blame" for their decision. What is wrong with wanting to serve your country or make a decision to join the military. Many people would not consider that decision a "mistake," they would consider it patriotic or heroic. The judgmental language with no attempt at balance undermined the entire train of thought. The quality of the writing and video in this segment felt like an after school special. I disliked almost everything about that entire section of the movie.

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District 9

2009-08-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

"Prawns" have a strange affinity for cat food and rubber. An odd diet for an alien species that resemble their seafood moniker both in appearance as well as reputation (as bottom feeders). Their spaceship first appeared in the skies above Johannesburg, South Africa two decades ago. After months of waiting, contact was finally made. The aliens were in a sad state of malnutrition and severely disoriented. After relocating the colony to a ghetto located beneath the ship, their numbers quickly multiplied to nearly two million. Their idea of fun is our idea of havoc. They quickly wore out their welcome.

So what do you do with a colony of aliens that seem to be worker drones who are easily duped into anything? Other than their ability to create weapons, which are biologically engineered (meaning they can only be fired by fingers that contain alien DNA...they really have no purpose than breeding, scavenging and causing problems. Of course you have the Nigerians who exploit their ingenuity for weapons they cannot use...and the government, who conducts endless experiments...but life is pretty drab. That is, until a relocation effort gets under way, spoiling the plans of the one mastermind hidden among the race.

Throw in a do-gooder (Wikus Van De Merwe, played by Sharlto Copley) who works for the government and is tasked with creating the legal mechanism for the relocation. Through a series of mishaps, Van De Merwe ends ups up needing the assistance of the conniving prawn mastermind. The two team up to take on both the government and the Nigerian posse who all have an intense interest in our lowly G-Man, Wikus. The action-packed sequences the two engage in end in an anti-climatic final act that left me scratching my head.

It is hard for me to complain about the writing in a film when it includes concepts that haven't played out a hundred times elsewhere. Although this film borrows from others before it, the look was fresh and felt original. But there were huge problems with the plot, the most glaring being the fact that I felt cheated. The abrupt ending seemed to point toward a sequel and failed to tie up loose ends. But, if you accept the film as the beginning of a trilogy, then the sudden ending might not be so bad. But there were other problems. You have weapons that are useless to anyone but an alien. The warlord collecting the alien weaponry seems to be a bit consumed by the creatures which could explain his exploitation of the aliens for weapons that are junk to him. But that plot line often felt contrived and stretched to its limits. The idea that the prawns were capable of creating such intricate weaponry, as well as the immense intellect of the main alien character seemed contradictory to me. I had a hard time accepting the major elements of the plot.

The dialogue was interesting, largely because of the excellent locale chosen for the backdrop. The rich dialects were showcased at times, in a documentary type narrative that sometimes included sub-titles for the odd inflection and cadence of the actors (as well as the alien clicking...which reminded me of the dialect featured in The Gods Must Be Crazy). Although the dialogue was rich, the characters were rather flat and predictable. Wikus was quirky and interesting, but beyond his part, the rest were boring.

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Inglourious Basterds

2009-08-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

Inglourious Basterds appealed to me from the very first trailer I viewed. The limited scenes of Brad Pitt cast as a gritty countrified team leader of a band of Jewish Americans chosen to hunt and kill gnat-zees piqued my interest immediately. Often, trailers are a tease, often giving viewers the best two minutes in the movie, but falling far short of the hype. I am happy to report that Inglourious Basterds manages to maintain the sharp dialogue and exceptional acting visible in the trailers for the entire 153 minute duration of the film. It really did not fell like a two and a half hour movie.

Inglourious Basterds takes certain liberties with the real history of World War II to bring us the story of a misfit part-Apache Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). Al-do is tasked with training a team to drop behind enemy lines in France, where they ruthlessly kill and maim German soldiers. Their reputation as vicious killers quickly spreads amongst the German soldiers. When a twist of fate has Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth) holding his film premiere at a French Theater, several plot lines head toward a collision course. The theater owner, Shoshonna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent) had escaped four years earlier from the brutal "Jew Hunter" Hans Landa (Christopher Waltz). Colonel Landa ends up running security for the premiere. The star of the premiere, Frederick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl) is smitten with the beautiful Shoshonna, whose attempts to rebuff him are futile. A famous German actress, Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), who works as a double-agent, has agreed to get the Basterds into the premiere so they can kill the Nazis...while Shoshonna has developed her own plan. The elements are carefully constructed culminating in a climax with an interesting but enjoyable twist at the end. So, Tarantino took liberties with history to devlier an action-packed and incredibly fun (and violent) film...it was worth it.

One thing I enjoy about Quentin Tarantino films is the dialogue. It is easy to get hung up on expressions or langauge that are comfortable. Tarantino doesn't find comfort zones, he challenges them. That gives Tarantino an open palate upon which to create his characters and dialogue. The characters are unique and intersting (although maybe a bit one-dimensional). But the dialogue is rich with intersting expressions and exceptional one-liners. The film had elements of graphic novel and spaghetti western thrown in to create a very unique look and feel that had Tarantino written all over it. Even the plot managed to catch me looking the other way. I guessed the ending about one minute before it happened.

Growing up, my favorite actor was Clint Eastwood (I was happy to see his Gran Torino earlier this year...likely his last film). I have never adjusted my icon for another Hollywood hero. I finally find myself seriously considering replacing Eastwood with Brad Pitt. I know the girls like Pitt simply because he's Brad Pitt. I have been a fan of Pitt's work, but his latest films have shown an incredible adaptability and range. In Inglourious Basterds, Pitt has outdone himself. I would never have read the script for this film and thought...that sounds like an excellent role for Brad Pitt. I would have looked for an older, grittier actor like the guys from the Dirty Dozen. Someone cast in the mold of Charles Bronson. Brad Pitt hit this one out of the park. He was unbelievably credible as the tough-as-nails ruthlessly violent Lieutenant. Bravo, Brad.

After slathering on that kind of praise for Pitt's performance, would it be fair for me to claim that Pitt was, at times, upstaged by the exceptionally deviant performance of Waltz as Colonel Landa? Where Pitt showed broad appeal, Landa brought scheming trickery layered with a heavy dose of self-preservation. The vile back-stabbing brand of preservation. Waltz was uncanny at times, combining cunning and violence to create a character that was the eseence of dishonor. Waltz was equally superb in this film. I was surprised to Mike Meyers in the film, in a cameo as British OSS or Military Intelligence. I thought Meyers might bring some comedy to the role, but his part was rather small and uneventful...no knock on his performance. Sgt Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger) gets his own "back story" in this film. Schweiger was a credibly ruthless Nazi killer. The cast was superb top to bottom.

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The Last Mistress

2009-08-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Steamy sex scenes are always a good sell...at least towards those audiences who appreciate a little bit of tastefully revealed skin. Okay, maybe not even tasteful...tawdry sex scenes in a credible setting make you feel better about the voyeuristic nature of watching the deed on film. Even if you know that the scene is simulated...it can be, well...titillating. By setting The Last Mistress in the 19th Century, I guess it makes the sex scenes art. And I guess that makes me a connoisseur.

The sex scenes were really the highlight for me in this otherwise drab film. The concept held promise but was poorly executed. A young stud, Ryno de Marigny (Fu'ad Ait Aattou), carries on an affair for nearly a decade before marrying a rich heiress (Hermangarde, played by Roxane Mesquida), to whom he professes his true love. The relationships between the trio are explored ad naseum through first-hand experiences and rumor-mongering and manipulation of other aristocrats too familiar with the trio.

The plot was okay...sort of a star-crossed love story with some tragedy thrown in. The use of flashbacks kept the pacing of the story moving when it was prone to become sluggish, but the overall story lacked relevance. There was nothing in the characters that captivated me or caused me connect with the film. The story was rather average, the characters bland and predictable and the attention to detail a bit flawed. I will give the film a nod for dialogue that was often interesting or at least unique. I did not find the overall theme of the film to have credibility. The major theme of the movie seemed contradictory to me. I have not read the book (Une Vieille Maîtresse written in 1851 by Jules-Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly) upon which this film was based. I think that this may definitely be one of those situations where the novel was better than the film.

The acting was tolerable, but not exceptional. I thought Aattou was okay in the lead role or Ryno, but not stellar. I really did not care for Asia Argento as Vellini, the mistress. Mesquida was nearly invisible as Hermangarde, really only around to pout here and there. It was almost as if her part were an afterthought at times. Ryno spends far more time in dialogue with her grandmother. The supporting cast were solid, but the bulk of the film concentrated on the ebb and flow relationship between Aattou and Argento. I did not feel that their chemistry was convincing.

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I'm Through With White Girls

2009-08-19T13:33:00.001-07:00

I'm Through With White Girls, on the surface, seems to be a story filled with characters with racial identities that break stereotypes or fail to find a pigeon hole in any particular niche. Although this film is as much comedy as it is drama, the underlying story seems to be about finding your own identity and not changing yourself to fit somebody else's definition. The racial identity crises in this film provide the platform for interesting antics and fun word play.

Courtney Lilly has done some writing for television sitcoms, with I'm Through With White Girls standing as the only screenplay contribution. Lilly must have had fun preparing this script, which contains an interesting and eclectic array of characters with endless quirks. Although the dialogue is serious when it needs to be, Lilly maximizes the characters and situations to have fun with the dialogue. The exchanges were funny but still believable within the context that Lilly creates. Director Jennifer Sharp did an excellent job of bringing together Lilly's script with an excellent cast of characters to deliver a polished enjoyable film.

I'm Through With White Girls tells the story of a black bachelor, Jay Brooks (Anthony Montgomery), who has tastes that stereo-typically run white. Jay likes super heroes, indie rock and white girls. His string of bad luck with white girls (who he never really seems to be able to break up with...instead he sort of avoids them) leads to a mission known as "Operation Brown Sugar." Jay is convinced that he needs to meet a black woman in order to end his unlucky streak. An awkward beginning with an aspiring writer, Catherine Williamson (Lia Johnson) leads to the development of a promising relationship.

Jay seems unsure how to progress in his relationship with Catherine, who has her own race-defying quirks. Catherine is afraid of public speaking, due in large part to her valley girl accent. Jay acts supportive, but over analyzes his relationships, choosing not to read Catherine's book, in spite of his outward support for her. Jay's underlying problem stems from what seems to be a fear of commitment. As things take a serious turn it becomes too much for him and he tries to bail on the relationship before having a change of heart. However, Catherine discovers some things that Jay has been hiding and the cover up leads the two to part ways. Can Jay undo the damage? You'll just have to rent the movie to find out.

Lia Johnson was phenomenal. Her acting was credible, bringing broad dimensions to her unique character. Johnson completely sold her part. Montgomery had a "Raj" from "What's Happenin'" thing going on. It was a little distracting at first, because I kept expecting "Rerun" to show up and steal the scene. After getting past the "Raj" thing, I had to applaud Montgomery for his role as well. It has to be difficult to balance racial identity quirks with reality to deliver a character that does not become too cartoonish. Both actors sold their parts, creating balanced, deep individuals that had unique but credible traits. The two also had excellent chemistry. Jay's fried in the movie (Matt) was played by Ryan Alosio. His character also experienced some racial issues, but came across to me as a bit contrived. He was very "Vanilla Ice" in this film. Maybe it was intentional, but it seemed cheesy to me. The rest of the cast contained some well known actors and actresses (it took me a minute to place Johnny Brown, who played Bookman on "Good Times.") The supporting cast was superb.

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Music Within (2007)

2009-08-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why Articulus Entertainment settled on Music Within to be the title of this moving story revolving around the work of one man to change the way people perceive disabled Americans. Although the soundtrack for Music Within was exceptional, that was the only music correlation I found. The expression bottled up inside Richard Pimentel (Ron Livingston) was a desire to change people's perceptions. This emerged first as a book, then as speaking engagements, primarily geared towards government agencies. It was Pimentel's goal to make the U.S. Government the largest employer of disabled veterans. A goal that is still evidenced today in the bonus points received by veterans and veterans with disabilities.

Pimentel struggled for many reasons. He returned from Viet Nam with acute hearing loss. He learned to read lips from a distance, but often had trouble hearing conversations close up. Oddly enough, he meets Art (Michael Sheen), a man with cerebral palsy who is struggling to drink a can of soda. Pimentel assists Art in opening the can and placing a straw in it. When Art attempts to communicate with Pimentel, his contorted lips are impossible for Pimentel to read. Then a strange thing happens. Pimentel is actually able to hear Art. This makes for some interesting three-way conversations where the two have to interpret for each other (and take some shots at each other at the same time). This match made in heaven begins the start of a lifetime friendship. Pimentel has immense respect for Art's intelligence, seeing past his disability to the man.

Pimentel experiences great success while failing in his personal relationships on many levels. He tricks an insurance company into hiring him without revealing that he is deaf. He refuses to wear hearing aids (for years). He reluctantly leaves his job in insurance to assist disabled veterans with job placement. Pimentel's reputation for finding jobs for the disabled spreads. He is eventually asked to develop training that will assist employers in hiring the disabled. This task leads Pimentel to write a book. Pimentel comes to the realization that disabled people make others "feel," it makes them comfront their own comfort levels. It is this sensibility that Pimentel decides to take on. Pimentel drives forward on his anger while his personal life dissolves around him. The dichotomy of his personal and professional lives creates some intense drama.

Writers Bret McKinney, Mark Andrew Olsen and Kelly Kennemer expertly weave together the true story of Richard Pimentel. The story was gripping and interesting, with characters that were colorful and fun with a shocking dose of realism. The dialogue was rich and unique. The interpersonal relationships were explored on different levels with believable language and strong dramatic elements. An excellent story delivered in convincing fashion.

The acting in Music Within was on par with the writing. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Ron Livingston and Michael Sheen. Although the story revolved around Livingston's character, Sheen's complete immersion into his character was exceptional. There were a couple of times that it seemed that Sheen drifted a little, but that had to be a really difficult character to portray one take after another. Rebbecca DeMornay was also excellent as Pimentel's mother, providing insight into his personal demons.

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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

2009-08-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

When my son told me he wanted to see GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra, I attempted to influence his movie decision away from this film. We looked at the other movies that were currently showing and decided on Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs. I figured I had safely dodged a big budget, huge special effects Hollywood template movie. Ah, but the last laugh was on me. Upon arriving at the theater, I was advised that Ice Age was no longer playing and that the information on the website was erroneously displayed. As compensation, I was offered a choice of two movies at a discount. The first was G-Force, which I have already seen, and GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Okay…half price…I can live with that.

GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra lived up to the expectations that I had for it. Not a spectacular film…lots of special effects, contrived plot…yet surprisingly entertaining. I did not set the bar high for this movie, so it easily achieved what I expected. Based on the Hasbro G.I. Joe action figure (no, I did not play with dolls as a youngster), GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra tells the story of an International team of Special Forces soldiers, known as “Joes.” Based on my recollection, G.I. Joe was a guy, not a unit…and he was an American. I guess worldwide appeal might have been considered in approaching the theme from a United Nations kind of perspective. Probably not a bad idea…the 100 Million dollar opening weekend box office was due, in large part, to international box office (which accounted for nearly half the box office).

GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra takes place in the “near future,” where the descendant of a 17th Century Scottish arms dealer has cornered the market on international arms. Selling to both sides, James McCullen (Christopher Eccleston), has managed to secure seventy percent of the world market in arms (and defensive products). True to his history, McCullen decides to control the world with the development of nano-technology in the form of small robots that eat metal at lightning quick speed. Although it would make more sense for McCullen to simply tell the world that he is taking over (or else), McCullen engages in a more sinister game of cat-and-mouse to covertly take over. The former would be more plausible, the latter allows for more plot twists and a plot that can fill two hours. So, McCullen must steal back his own weapons in order to use them against the world in order to supplant the existing order. We are never really privileged to learn what replacement he has in mind…unless it entails a whistling master-of-disguise…which would beg another question. If that was the end-game…it did not require all the flash and bang…a simple switch would have sufficed (and eliminated a lot of shooting and action sequences)…oh yeah…that’s the idea…lot’s of big Hollywood action.

Okay, GI Joe is an action-figure. I get it. Lots of action tied to a convoluted and contrived plot that maximizes the use of pyrotechnics, CGI and maybe an opportunity to show a bit of cleavage here and there. The characters in GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra are less than one-dimensional. Although back-stories are incorporated throughout the film, the effort to add dimension to the characters falls woefully short. The characters are so flat, that the flashback sequences are predictable. The plot attempts to twist and turn, but you can see the twists coming from a mile away. The dialogue does not fare much better. The interaction between characters (especially the romantic interludes) is laughable. If you assume that the purpose of the plot were to maximize the opportunity to create dazzling effects at the expense of meaningful dialogue or character development, then this plot hit the mark. The writing was not impressive, but the special effects were fantastic.

The budget for GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra is sickening. The 100 Million dollar box doesn’t begin to cover the cost of producing this film, which was in the neighborhood of 170 million dollars. For that kind of money, maybe they could have bought a better script. They did not waste that money on big name talent. The cast was solid, but the money may have been heavily invested in the special effects, which seemed to be the underlying purpose of this film. There were chase scenes in GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra that were unlike anything I have seen before. There were exceptional action sequences that were simply mind-numbingly fun to watch. Okay…if you light firecrackers for fun, then you get it. It can be simple and still be fun. That is exactly what this film achieves. Some excellent CGI animation layered with interesting battle choreography, a dash of martial arts and plenty of fireworks.

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The Hurt Locker

2009-08-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

The war movies I grew up on were mostly Viet Nam films along with a few World War II movies. The Iraq War seems to have spawned an entire new venue for war movies, covering everything from the PTSD experienced by returning soldiers, to politically charged documentaries. The Hurt Locker is more like the war films I enjoyed when I was younger like Platoon or Hamburger Hill. The Hurt Locker does not inject politics into the story, relying instead on heart-pumping suspense and exceptional special effects to give viewers a taste of war.

I don't want to sound sexist in saying that I was surprised to see that The Hurt Locker was directed by a woman (Kathryn Bigelow). But the fact is, I was surprised by that factor. It is not that I feel a woman is incapable of creating a war movie masterpiece, but more the testosterone-laden elements of this film seemed so incredibly fraternal. Bigelow's attention to detail throughout the film lent a superb precision to the war-time backdrop that it felt convincingly masculine. That is a testament to outstanding Direction. I tip my hat to Bigelow for creating an incredible feel in this film.

A great deal of the plausibility in The Hurt Locker can also be attributed to writer Mark Boal. Boal created a set of flawed semi-complex characters that overcome their own demons when called into action, and exorcise those demons at other times. The characters are soundly developed. The dialogue has a slight military tinge without going overboard. Bits of native language is thrown in to add further plausibility to the script. The interaction of the characters includes a range of emotions that are expertly explored without turning sappy. The plot explores the thoughts and fears of a demolish team at war, while connecting the main characters tightly with the audience. All of the characters mattered. An important element for a film of this nature. The writing was spectacular and valid.

The Hurt Locker introduces us to a bomb tech (Sgt Thompson, played by Guy Pearce) whose fears are expressed in his strange desire for a cheeseburger...as he prepares to remotely detonate an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Sgt Thompson is soon replaced by a new bomb tech with a sharper edge (Sgt James, played by Jeremy Renner). Sgt James inherits a broken EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Team comprised of Sgt Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Eldridge (Brian Geraghty). The trio have just over a month before they rotate back stateside. A lot of IED's lay in the pathway between the EOD Team and their Freedom Bird.

In the process of feeling each other out, Sanborn and Eldridge learn that their new team leader, Sgt Thompson, has a reckless abandon at times that is unsettling. Thompson takes a brash approach to his mission, which is the most dangerous of the three. Thompson is the guy that actually dismantles live bombs. His expertise is apparent, in spite of his seeming disregard for his own safety. The three experience a variety of situations that test their courage, emotional fortitude and value system. The tough breaks they brave together explains much about their personal values, strengths and weaknesses. Yet even their weaknesses fail to seem negative. It only exposes their humanity...bringing a very fleshy feel to the genre.

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Naked Fear

2009-07-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Reading the description listed for the film Naked Fear reminded me of a book I read years ago called The Most Dangerous Game about a wealthy hunter that has taken to hunting humans on his island home. Having enjoyed that short story, I felt that this movie might be interesting enough to hold my attention for two hours. Although Naked Fear does not have big budget backing, I found the film to worthwhile.

Naked Fear introduces us to a cast of characters in the small town of Santa Paula , New Mexico . The disparity between the number of women in relationship to the number of men make women a commodity in New Mexico . Women are brought in to staff a local strip club with the assistance of a seedy character who basically forces them into the sex industry. The hunting culture in Santa Paula allows for some misdirection (and even the plausibility of a cover-up) regarding the disappearance of several young women from the community. The women are kidnapped and taken to a remote are of New Mexico where they are stripped naked and given a fifteen minute head start by their captor. If they can outsmart the hunter, they earn their freedom. They never seem to succeed.

Although the plot seemed to be lifted from The Most Dangerous Game, the use of strippers added a visually appealing twist to the concept. The characters were not very well developed, but the writer (Christine Vasquez) does a good job at creating a bit of mystery regarding the prime suspect in the disappearances. The dialogue was decent at times and downright stupid at others. The individual who brings new dancers to town would like to be a menacing character…but neither the acting nor the writing for this particular character sold me. He was flat and hard to believe. Another issue with the writing was that you have a resourceful and particularly tenacious girl who is duped into stripping rather than finding a legitimate way to repay the cost of relocating from Texas to New Mexico . It couldn’t have been more than a couple of hundred dollars that she owed the “head hunter.” That entire train of thought was lost on me. However, there were some exchanges that were interesting. The background of a young officer is brought up through conversations which, although far from intellectual, seemed like a natural way to convey some motivations, while contributing to the suspense. Although the writing had ample areas for improvement, it wasn’t completely bad.

The acting was mixed. I felt like the lead character, Diana, was expertly portrayed by Danielle De Luca. Although there were elements of the character that were a bit inconsistent, De Luca did an expert job of using her character to connect with the audience. Joe Montegna played an interesting character that keeps the audience guessing. Is he a straight as an arrow Sheriff or is hiding a dark secret? Maybe he is covering something up. Montegna creates a character in Naked Fear that has some complexity and engages the audience. I found that his character was relevant and an important aspect of the story. Much of it a tribute to Montegna's ability to deliver a multi-layered performance. Arron Shiver was a bit less convincing as the newly hired Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Terry. Shiver was okay, but not exceptional. Another interesting character was Colin Mandel (J.D. Garfield), a cafe owner and avid hunter. Garfield had a role with some challenging elements, which he overcomes smoothly. The performances of Garfield, De Luca and Montegna made Naked Fear worth watching. The rest of the cast were one-dimensional and forgettable.

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One-Eyed Monster

2009-07-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Adam and Jordan Fields were probably smoking something pretty potent when they conceived the idea of a killer cock. I’m not talking about fighting chickens either. And what better bratwurst could they possibly possess than the over-exposed lumber of Ron Jeremy. But how do you create a killer kickstand? How about having the love muscle become taken over by an alien life form, discarding the rest of the body that does not propagate in order to run as efficiently as possible.

An unlikely absurd scenario to say the least. But intriguing none-the-less. I had to laugh at the very premise of this film, and was intrigued enough to actually watch it. So how do you rate an obviously B-Film? Do you rate using the same standard as a big budget production, or do you take into consideration that the entire process is meant to be part comedic, part suspense and low budget. I split the difference.

The aging Ron Jeremy agrees to make a late-in-life film, featuring his nine and a half inch piston. Things seem innocent enough…a group of young aspiring porn stars are driven to a remote cabin along with Ron Jeremy. An aging actress, Veronica Hart, has come along as an advisor on the film, but manages to weasel her way in for a last hoorah. While working up his stamina outside the cabin, Jeremy appears to be struck by a flash of light. A short while later, while filming a scene with Veronica, Jeremy appears to become possessed before falling back on the floor and dying. But not before his knob manages to go mobile. The fugitive flesh then stalks the remaining porn stars, eliminating them one by one in a form of humor that is at times campy, gross or simply laughable. In any event, the drama is far from high drama. But the premise was certainly original.

I could discuss plot, dialogue and character development at great length. But it is much easier to simply say that it was one step above porn film. I move it one step up, because there actually is a plot, and the entire film is not centered around people getting naked and hooking up. In fact, the nudity was extremely minor for a movie about creating a pornographic film. To my recollection, there was only one scene involving naked breasts and a couple of simulated sex scenes with no nudity. One involved a young man and a machine…not very convincing, but humorous. The characters were pretty flat, the dialogue was weak and the plot was mostly predictable. But it was often fun to watch, regardless.

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G-Force

2009-07-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

Okay...I'm a sucker, too. I'm one of those movie-goers who contributed to the phenomenal weekend at the box office for G-Force. But I demand a recount. Just because my three tickets counted as three votes, I want to recast them for Harry Potter. If I had it to do over again...like many of those who went to see this stinker...I would have spent the money on the young magician. And to think I paid the extra two dollars per ticket to see this crap in 3-D!

My issue with G-Force has nothing to do with the cute factor. The film gets five stars for cute. But I expect at least one original or unexpected line in a movie. I do not want to sit through an hour and a half of Disney rehash watching a formulaic plot unravel in unoriginal and predictable blandness. That was the major fallacy of this film...what promised to be Disney magic didn't even fizzle. This forgettable film had nothing new to offer. Even the fart jokes were lame.

I am going to give G-Force credit for the animation and a couple of the actors. The animation was certainly cute, seamless and (ahem) believable. The integration of the characters was done exceptionally well. I like Steve Buscemi in just about anything he does...especially the annoying roles he tends to gravitate to. His bit part in this film was the closest thing to original this film had...but it was a minor diversion with only a slight contribution to the overall plot. I've liked Nicholas Cage in a few films...and have had to admit he has grown on me a bit. He was utterly repulsive in this film. Even though it was voice acting...it sounded hammy and contrived.

G-Force tries to survive on great animation while shortcutting on plot. With the number of writers (Cormac and Marianne Wibberly, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio and Tim Firth developed the screenplay from Hoyt Yeatman's story) you might think that there would be some fresh ideas sprouting from somewhere. A spark of inspiration or a plot twist that no one would expect. Instead, the plot unravels like a first grade reader. In a nutshell, specially trained animals are looking to earn their rank among the elite government investigators by solving a major crime. They face setbacks but use their teamwork to solve the caper before their funding is cut. And there is a twist...although predictable...I will leave that for the viewer to figure out...just in case a first grader might be reading this.

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Awake

2009-07-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

When you look at the numbers, the seemingly innocuous number of 0.01 percent of the population who wake up during surgery seems much more startling when one considers 21 million people per year undergo surgery...which is equal to 21,000 incidents per year. The concept of waking up during surgery and aware to pain, but paralyzed from the other drugs in the anesthesia cocktail creates a startling premise upon which to build a suspense film. What an excellent, disturbing concept.

Awake takes the concept of waking during surgery and weaves a story of intrigue and greed around the idea in a manner that makes for a refreshing if not simplistic storyline. Ample foreshadowing provides the viewer with some cues as to what is coming without completely divulging the participants or manner in which the elements would tie together. A degree of supernatural out-of-body type experience allows for the plot to be revealed and gives the writer (Joby Harold, who also Directs) a method for tying together other loose ends. Although the dialogue wasn't necessarily exceptional, the plot lines and character development helped overcome the mediocre dialogue.

Without giving away any important plot details, Awaketells the story of a young prodigy, Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) with heart problems, whose life is saved by a struggling Doctor (Jack Harper, played by Terrence Howard) who has a history of malpractice suits. Clay and Dr. Harper form a close bond, which troubles Clay's mother, Lilith (Lena Olin) who can afford the best for her son. And the best seems all that Lilith is willing to accept, creating conflict between the two. The introduction of a love interest, Sam (Jessica Alba) creates further strain on Clay's relationship with his mother.

The acting in Awake failed to meet the same standard as the plot. Although Howard and Olin were decent, I did not care much for Christensen or Alba. They didn't seem to have good chemistry. I had trouble buying into their relationship. Some of the scenes between Olin and Christensen seemed to be a bit off as well. I'm not sure what the source was, but I had trouble believing the relationships.

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Revolutionary Road

2009-07-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Kate Winslet was refreshing in The Reader. Her performance in The Reader made the novel film exceptional. Kate is a solid actress. Leonardo DiCaprio is slowly growing on me. The most recent film I have seen with DiCaprio in it was The Blood Diamond, which he brought great life to. The two have decent chemistry as evidenced by Titanic. However, this film was a poor choice for them to reunite in.

Revolutionary Road takes place in Connecticut in the years following World War II. A young man and woman fall in love after the war. A picture of the soldier standing in front of the Eiffel Tower inspires the half-baked idea to sell their house and move to Paris with their two children. The idea and the marriage fall apart with the announcement of an unexpected, unplanned pregnancy. The pregnancy affects both of the main characters in different ways creating a division that seems impossible to breach. Irrational decisions lead to loss.

The worst thing about Revolutionary Road was the pacing. Independent films are after slow and require patience for the rewarding storyline. Revolutionary Road tested that patience for a full two hours, while never really delivering anything of substance. Yes, it was a depressing film with controversial subject matter and a few great comic diversions, but for the most part, the script was tired and boring. Revolutionary Road managed to lose my attention several times when it got bogged down with the sluggish pacing.

In contrast to the terrible pace of this film, Revolutionary Road had phenomenal acting all the way around. DiCaprio is slowly starting to win me over...I used to strongly dislike him as an actor. I can sum up his skill with a closing scene, where DiCaprio displays emotion the emits both loss and lack of direction. When his character is called by one of his children, he manages to maintain that displaced look while acknowledging the child with a distant smile that seemed genuinely forced through the fog of depression. That single scene demonstrated the gift that DiCaprio has for immersing himself in character. There were some excellent arguments between DiCaprio's character, Frank Wheeler and his wife April (Kate Winslet). These exchanges deomonstrated great skill from both players.

With headliners like Winslet and DiCaprio, it might be easy to overlook the supporting cast, but not in this film. If nothing else, Revolutionary Road, was exceptionally well cast. Kathy Bates is getting better with age. She delivered a quirky performance as the Wheeler's real estate agent (Helen Givings) that was outstanding. Her son, John Givings, visits from the insane asylum and injects the only true life into this film. John Givings (Michael Shannon) provided insight into some of the psychological issues in play, while creating exceptionally tense, interesting and comic situations that redeemed the writers just a bit. Shannon played an enjoyable nutcase in the film Bug, in a role that was not unlike the John Givings role in terms of intense insanity with an eerie quality of coherence. The supporting cast were a definite bright spot in this film.

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

I liked Transformers the first time around. I was eagerly awaiting the sequel, which I was certain to like. With Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg collaborating, this had to be a hit. I can't say I hated this film, but I can say that the talk of a Transformers 3 may be jumping the gun just a bit. Maybe they should have made sure that Revenge of the Fallen was done right before thinking ahead. I'm not against cashing in...but at least make it worth the money.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen feels like a cheap sequel. That is exactly what it is. Mind numbing special effects can not make up for a plot that seems contrived and ill planned. There were some dashes of Hollywood formula...like the hot girlfriend catching you in a compromising position with another hottie...only you didn't actually do anything wrong...the timing was just off. This ploy was predictable and poorly executed. It was either filler to add a few minutes to the film or was intended to be a sub-plot that never had time to develop. Whether it was a rushed formulaic idea or filler, it didn't fit. There were other visible shortcuts in the plot as well.

Continuity was another issue I had with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. For a film with exceptional CGI detail, this film overlooked traditionally important real-life details. If you are going to put the female lead in white pants and then have her fighting machines and rolling in the dirt, the pants should remain greasy or dirt stained. The switching back and forth from clean pants to dirty was distracting and ridiculous. Come on. The pants are white. How hard is it to figure out that people are going to notice inconsistencies in the wardrobe. Details like this were missed throughout the film.

The special effects in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen were often phenomenal if not hard to follow. I found the detail to be dizzying at times. The machines were hard to decipher at times, especially during periods of intense action. It seemed like a mechanical blur that could have been done well if I had had time to see. The sound effects were well coordinated with the stunts but were overused. That one deep sub-woofer sound that they kept using to show how good the special effects were didn't work for me. Having said that, the transformation of the machines "on the fly" was amazing to watch." The animated characters were well thought out and intricately detailed. The artistry that went into creating this film was exceptional.

Shia LeBeouf seems to have become a Hollywood staple. He has established himself in several decent films, to include some good action films in recent years. It's not that he is an exceptional actor, but LeBeouf was believable enough as the male lead, Sam Witwicky. I also enjoyed the comic relief provided by his parents, Ron (Kevin Dunn) and Judy (Julie White). They provided the only adult humor that was palatable. There was plenty of crude humor throughout this film. Megan Fox was sizzling hot as Mikaela Banes, Sam's love interest and crime-fighting partner. The two have decent chemistry together and it showed on film. The two are an attractive if not unlikely couple on screen. The acting was okay.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallenattempts to use mindless gutter humor in the place of strong writing. Cheap sexual humor takes the place of witty dialogue, at the cost of making this film worth talking about. A smather of potty humor here or there is okay with me, but to stake the entire comic portion of your film on weak humor with predictable innuendo was a dumb move. It got old quick and demonstrated the shortcuts the writers (Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) were willing to take to get this thing out to the theater. Aside from the tiresome dialogue, visual gags like using wrecking balls on a character to simulate testicles failed to make me snicker. If the film hadn't been so raunchy throughout, I might have laughed at that one...but it was weak comedy inserted throughout the film that really never showed any intelligence. What a disappointment.

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Live Free or Die

2009-06-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately for Live Free or Die, the attempts at quirky humor were more tedious than fun. The concept was actually interesting and tightly woven, but the actual pacing of the film killed the redeeming qualities. I was mesmerised enough to stick with the film, certain that it would turn the corner. It never did. I hoped that it would pick up and deliver some profundity or capture my imagination some other way. But I was left lacking throughout until the ending left me feeling unfulfilled.

When I disparage the pacing in Live Free or Die, I accept the premise that good independent film can be quirky, slow-paced and still good. One of my favorite independent films, Lars and the Real Girl, is similarly paced and exceptionally quirky. But Lars' character touched me. The writing was subtle enough that the slow pacing didn't feel bogged down because I was gripped by the events and connected to the characters. I felt fulfilled with Lars. I felt as if the character was real and found myself touched by the outpouring of community support at a pretend funeral...a funeral that felt like the loss of a real person. In short, the characters mattered to me. I felt no such connection with the weakly developed and not so likable characters in Live Free or Die.

It wasn't the acting that killed the characters, either. I think Michael Rapaport is an excellent actor and always enjoy seeing him in films. He brings an edginess to his characters that I enjoy watching. He played a Police Officer in Live Free or Die, and was believable in the role. His character even delivered an excellent plot twist. But the convoluted story felt contrived and the characters never really connected, which seemed to be more a product of the writing than the acting. Gregg0 Kavet and Andy Robin are probably considered genius for their comedic writing on Seinfeld. The humor was not very evident in this film.

Aaron Stanford was excellently cast as a wannabe criminal named John Rudgate. Stanford was convincing as a two-bit hustler trying to convince people that he should be respected. Rudgate is more of a victim than a predator...his defensiveness has created a situation where he is forced to project toughness to cover his frailty. Those attributes were apparent in Stanford's performance. However, the character was mildly interesting but not engaging. I wanted to connect with Rudgate, but found his actions to be unbelievable and insipid. I guess Stanford was good with little to make his character relevant other than his performance. It didn't work for me. This film hinges on Stanford's character and I don't really think it was his fault that the character ended up being dull.

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Land of the Lost

2009-06-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

I want my 93 minutes back. I am ashamed to admit that I paid to see Land of the Lost at the theater. Waxing nostalgic, I figured that this film might take me back to the campy days of my youth, when this television series was so bad it was good. Addictingly unique and interesting. Will Farrell and Danny McBride were supposed to be the icing on the cake. Wrong.

It seemed as if there were elements of the original television series that they attempted to incorporate into the movie to connect this film to her roots. It didn't work. It would have been better to make this film stand alone than to try and meet halfway. The camping trip and rapids that led our original family to the strange land was replaced with a show-tune laden science experiment that transported three adults into the past. I sort of missed the whole kid angle.

Forget what you remember about the original. The sleestaks are about the only thing that seemed to remain the same. Dr. Rick Marshall (Will Farrell) is an embarrassingly outspoken proponent of a theory on time warps. He hawks his book on Matt Lauer only to be laughed out of the scientific community. A young and attractive aspiring scientist, Holly Cantrell (Ariel Friel) seeks out Dr. Marshall and convinces him to resume his research. The two end up testing a prototype device that send them into the past. Along the way, they pick up an unlikely passenger in Will Stanton (Danny McBride), a strange guy that is part fireworks, part novelty item salesman. Did I mention that Stanton also runs a broken down cave amusement...what a great place to transport through time.

When the three arrive in the past, they bumble their way through a variety of obstacles while meeting some throwbacks to the original program. The film seemed to try and incorporate elements in a forced manner that made it feel more like a discussion of the series than a plot. The rather thin plot lies in recovering the device that transported them into the past to avoid it falling into the wrong hands. A minor (and predictable) plot twist evolves before the trio has an opportunity to escape through a temporarily available portal back to the present day.

If this film were campy, I might like it. If it were funny, I might like it. If it had decent dialogue or an interesting story line I might like it. This film had none of the above. It was the lowest common denominator, which is basically cheap humor and hackneyed dialogue. There were a few good lines, but the situational humor was transparent and weak. The few pieces of this film that tied it to the past were poorly done. I was bored, disinterested and disappointed in this film.

I like Will Farrell. I find him to be uncommonly funny at times. It surprises me that Farrell agreed to this gig, because it left very little room for him to work his magic. Although Farrell managed to amuse a couple of times, I found most of the cheap humor turned me off. I think Danny McBride has been brilliant in past movies, as well. His offbeat dry humor strikes a chord with me. McBride played his normal role in this film, and for the most part I liked it. I had a bit of trouble enjoying the situational aspects of the film, but McBride still cracks me up. I like his brand of humor. Friel was a pretty face. Her role was unconvincing and she didn't do anything to sell me on it. I can't really blame her, but she did not bring anything of value to an otherwise weak script.

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Up (2009)

2009-06-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Pixar has done it again. Disney constantly raises the bar when it comes to state-of-the-art animation. The latest addition to the Pixar portfolio is UP. I figured I would arrive to the early 3-D screening of this animated film, expecting to get a decent seat. I arrived fifteen minutes early to provide a bit of additional cushion. When I arrived, the theater was packed with the exception of the front two rows…so I spent the entire film literally looking, well…UP!

In true Pixar tradition, UP begins with a cartoon short. The short for UP was a dialogue free examination of the relationship between a stork and a storm cloud. In keeping with the babies delivered by a stork idea, we learn where the babies come from. The storks are all assigned a cloud. Each cloud creates babies with a special mixture of precipitation and magical lightning. While most clouds are creating puppy dogs and kitty cats, one particular dark cloud has a propensity for making alligators, porcupines and sharks. The haggard stork assigned to this particular cloud seems to be at the end of his rope. The estranged relationship is reconciled in an interesting fashion. The story is sweet and original with an old-fashioned feel. It was a great warm-up for a movie that also had a throwback feel.

Up relates the story of a young boy named Carl Frederickson (Ed Asner and Jeremy Leary), who idolizes adventurer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), a renowned world traveler. Carl discovers a young gal, Ellie (Elie Docter) who shares his passion. The two experience a lifetime together in the length of a musical interlude. Without the use of dialogue, the animators demonstrate the shared dream of visiting Paradise Falls in South America , represented by a money jar and paintings. The money jar is constantly raided as life’s emergencies continually siphon off the fund. The tempo of the music turns melancholy as we observe Ellie grow old and sickly. The film takes a sad turn as we watch Carl sitting in front of the funeral home mourning.

We learned a lot about our main characters in the short interlude at the beginning of the film, but the real story was one of healing, self-discovery and companionship that begins after Ellie’s passing. Carl finally makes good on a promise and decides to head to Paradise Falls . He unwittingly invites along a guest, Russell (Jordan Nagai). Russell is a scout trying to earn a “help the elderly” badge. His quest puts him on a collision course with the driven mourning Carl. The two experience an amazing adventure as they both realize that they need each other. The story is a warm and original adventure with plenty of touching elements that move the audience.

UP was written by Bob Peterson based on an idea created by co-Director Pete Docter and writer Thomas MCarthy. The story had an excellent pace, interesting characters, rich dialogue and touched on a variety of emotions. The film had a fun plot with great attention to details. The multi-tiered story had simple elements like talking dogs (who are quickly distracted by squirrels) to appeal to younger viewer layered over more mature themes that will tug at the heart-strings of adult viewers. The writing was excellent on every level. Peterson was also co-Director with Pete Docter.

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American Crime

2009-05-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

American Crime tells a troubling tale of abuse ripped directly from the headlines. The disturbing thing about this film is that it is not an isolated incident. It seems like stories of this nature have become too commonplace. What makes American Crimeeven more shocking lies in the fact that these events transpired in the 1960s. A time that many people hearken back to as a simpler time. We forget that events like this are not limited to the present day.

American Crimepresents a stylized version of the events surrounding the abuse-induced death of Sylvia Likens (Ellen Page). Likens is left in the charge of Gertrude Baniszewski (Catherine Keener), a troubled mother who struggles raising her own children alongside Sylvia and her sisters Jennifer (Hayley McFarland) and Betty (Romy Rosemont) and their brother Lester (Nick Searcy). Gertrude seems to struggle with mental illness, using Sylvia as a "whipping boy" for any conceived fault of her own daughters Paula (Ari Graynor), Stephanie (Scout Taylor-Compton), Marie (Carlie Westerman) and Shirley (Hannah Leigh Dworkin). Gertrude also had a son Johnny (Tristan Jarred).

Sylvia's abuse begins gradually but quickly evolves into nothing short of torture. The most distressful aspect of the abuse was how open it became along with the number of people involved. Sylvia is locked in the basement for an undetermined amount of time. Gertrude indicates that the punishment is open-ended. While Sylvia remains locked in the basement, the other children and eventually neighborhood children are invited in and allowed to participate in ritual abuse. The level of degradation and torture reach stomach wrenching proportions and include extinguishing cigarettes on skin, branding and hosing down. The abuse is recounted in a trial where the children recount their observations and, astonishingly, their participation in the abuse.

Courtroom dramas have a tendency to be slow paced. Although the story is compelling yet sickening, the story trudges along at times at a snails pace. The film was boring at times. I'm not sure if there would have been an adequate fix to speed the pace up or make the story more interesting. By creating a framework to recreate the scenes by using the courtroom testimony, the film managed to create a degree of interest, but the sluggishness still made viewing tedious at times.

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Terminator Salvation

2009-05-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

I believe my opinion regarding Terminator Salvation will find me in the minority. My overall impression with this film was that it was forgettable. It was average, tepid, mediocre, palatable, etc. A host of adjectives could be used to describe this film. I guess I was expecting an epic film considering several years have past since the last film, which I also found to be rather average. With most films, by the time you reach the fourth installment the idea has already played out. With Terminator I think there were elements of greatness in the film that were offset by weak dialogue and an average plot. This film had the opportunity to succeed…but merely gets a passing grade.

Terminator Salvation introduces us to Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) at the beginning of the film. The year is 2003 and Wright is on death row. He has agreed to donate his body to science. We catch up with Wright in 2018, when he discovers his own re-birth in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. Wright is quickly befriended by a young Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin). The two battle the machines as the L.A. Resistance, while gathering hope from the voice of John Connor (Christian Bale) on short-wave radio.

The paths of our main characters are bound to cross at some point. Without giving away major plot details, the lives of the main characters are all integral to the future of the world, the survival of man and history. The major characters are thrust into a variety of situations where their allegiances are called into question. The big question, though, is whether history will reset with a new ending or whether the resistance can outsmart a machine that has become self-aware. Will Skynet win? Come on, really, what do you think?

I will admit, there were some excellent seat-gripping action sequences in Terminator Salvation that were big, graphically appealing and profoundly executed. The seamless integration of the CGI was a major plus for this movie. If the plot made an iota of sense to me, I would have easily ranked this film as a must see. The machines are complex with Transformer-like capabilities that were amazing to watch. The scale of the props and the interaction of the actors with the CGI were spectacular. If there was a redeeming quality to this film, it was in the phenomenal special effects.

With a big budget to waste on big special effects, you might think you would get dialogue better than “there is no estimating the power of the human heart” or some drivel along that line. We even get an “I’ll be back” sans Arnold. Dialogue may not be the primary focus of a film of this genre, but it should at least be believable. I found the dialogue to be complete crap at times. I was disgusted at some of the simplistic dialogue that seemed to be penned by amateurs. The plot did not fare much better than the dialogue. There was a major plot twist, but I had it figured out long before it was revealed. The story was transparent. I like to be surprised once in a while. There were avenues that could have been employed to create greater long-term suspense to equal the gripping action sequences, which were definitely suspenseful.

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Star Trek (2009)

2009-05-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed Star Trek. The updated version introduced us to new actors as well as linking the film to the past. The action segments provided seat-gripping fun with seamless CGI providing additional intensity. The performances were exceptional...keeping surprising continuity with the original actors. My only issue with this film was the storyline. It wasn't bad, but I found it lacking at times. Either way, this was still an epic film in the Star Trek tradition.

If you aren't familiar with Captain James T. Kirk, then you probably live in a cultural vacuum. Regardless of your feelings about the Star Trek genre, the groundbreaking television series has had a lasting effect on our culture. But what do we know of Kirk's early life. And is what we know the way things really are, or will be. Or can the course of history be altered by the appearance of a galaxy altering presence from the future? This concept becomes the premise upon which the latest Star Trek film draws inspiration.

In the first reality, Captain Kirk's father (George Kirk, played by Chris Hemsworth) lived to attend Kirk's graduation from the Star Fleet Academy. Reality altering events present a new reality in which Captain George Kirk holds the title of Captain for just twelve minutes. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) grows up fatherless in Iowa, living his life with reckless abandon. A chance encounter with Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) lands Kirk in the Starfleet Academy where he becomes close friends with Dr. Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban), more familiarly known as "Bones."

Kirk is introduced to Spock (Zachary Quinto) under less than the best of circumstances. The two don't like each other and engage in an early conflict based on academic dishonesty. The two are thrust together under the command of Captain Pike and are forced to settle differences. However, the conflict creates an undercurrent of competitiveness and differing opinions that appears unable to be gapped. In the process, the galaxy appears under threat of attack and the two must find resolution in order to save Earth and ultimately the galaxy (or would that be universe?)

In the process of developing the story, we are introduced to many of the regulars in the Star Trekgenre, to include Scotty (Simon Pegg), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho) and Chekov (Anton Yelchin). These are the young guns of the Starfleet Academy and they quickly rise to their respective positions. The casting was exceptional, with special emphasis placed on creating believability. The characters were certainly credible in the roles they were cast in. Even with the young Spock typecast in my mind as the vicious Sylar from Heroes, his performance as Spock was re-defining. He could not have been cast better.

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Eye See You (D-Tox)

2009-05-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

What was Sylvester Stallone thinking? A quick look at this script should have scared him off. Eye See You was also released as D-Tox internationally. Whatever they call this film, it seemed like a complete waste of Fifty-Five Million dollars. Looking at the cast and looking at the quality of the film, it is obvious to me that the majority of that money went to pay the actors. It certainly did not show up in the special effects. I’m still perplexed that Director Jim Gillespie and Producers Karen Kehela, Ric Kidney and Kevin King were able to talk any of these actors into participating in this film.

Eye See You was adapted to screenplay format by Ron L. Brinkerhoff. The screenplay is based on a book written by Howard Swindle. I have not read the original book, but wonder how many indecent liberties were taken with this one. What surprised me was that this screenplay was bad on so many levels. The dialogue was especially bad. The character development was non-existent and the entire film lacked credibility. When I look at Brinkerhoff’s later work The Guardian, I have to wonder what went wrong here. The Guardian was an excellent movie. Eye See You had very little to offer.

Eye See You tells the story of FBI Agent Jake Malloy (Sylvester Stallone). Malloy has been tracking a serial killer that targets police. When the killer strikes close to home, Malloy spirals out of control with binge drinking and a suicide attempt. I would think the FBI has the resources to assist an agent experiencing this type of trauma. Instead, he is referred to a treatment center by his cop friend, Detective Hendricks (Charles Dutton). The treatment plan involves sending Agent Malloy to a remote bunker converted to be a rehab clinic. Several other shell-shocked officers are attending group therapy sessions set up by a former cop known as “Doc” (Kris Kristofferson). But all is not as it seems to be as cop suicides set everyone on edge.

There were plenty of problems with this plot. But the biggest problem was that it simply lacked believability. A fundamental foundation was never established to help viewers buy into the premise. The lack of character development could not be countered through the casting, which included some well known names. The dialogue was horrendous, hackneyed and simply inconceivable at times. The interaction between the characters seemed to be forced, as did the attempts to create a twist. The treatment center becomes the house of old-time “whodunits,” where any number of eccentric guests keep the audience guessing who the killer is. That genre didn’t work with this script. It was obvious that certain characters were created to keep viewers guessing the identity of the killer. The problem is, I really didn’t care. I wasn’t buying into the plot to begin with.

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine

2009-05-03T08:25:00.001-07:00

There is something about mutton-chops on a mutant character that indicates something extra special. X-Men Origins: Woleverine gives us not one, but two mutton-chopped mutants to enjoy. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is joined by his furry faced brother, Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber in the latest installment in the X-Men film series.

X-Men Origins: Woleverine takes us back to the 1800s, where Wolverine first discovers his mutant gift in a tragic misunderstanding. Immediately following his discovery that he is mutant, Wolverine and Sabretooth take off into the woods. At this point we are hurdled forward through time, as we witness the two brothers fighting in every major engagement of the modern era. As the two hone their skills on the battlefield, we notice a difference emerging between the two. Wolverine has a moral compass that seems to guide his actions, while Sabretooth enjoys killing a bit too much.

After working on a special government project, Wolverine eventually parts ways with his brother, opting for the quiet life of a lumberjack in the Canadian mountains. The rugged lifestyle seems to be paradise until Wolverine's world is turned upside down in a series of carefully orchestrated events. In the process of watching these events unfold, we gain insight into Wolverine's background. This insight explains a great deal about what makes our indestructible morally pure renegade mutant tick.

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The plot in X-Men Origins: Woleverine contains carefully constructed plot turns that keep you guessing. Writers David Benioff and Skip Woods formulated an interesting back story for Wolverine that both explain his personality traits while remaining true to the character. That is not to say that the film mirrors the comic book...I'm not certain that it does...but the writing seems to remain true to the characteristics created by the comic book. There did not seem to be any inconsistencies in the writing. The dialogue was a bit less impressive. There were times when the script was too predictable. Everyone loves a good one-liner...but there were a couple in this film that were way too obvious. I don't like it when I say the next line before the actor more than once in a film. I did it three or four times in X-Men Origins: Woleverine. That's a bit much. An entertaining and interesting plot were dumbed down just a bit by the short-cuts taken with the dialogue.

The special effects in X-Men Origins: Woleverine were in keeping with the standard I've come to expect from the series. Anyone who has ever ridden a motorcycle will appreciate the impossibility of some of the action scenes involving Wolverine's bike. There is no way he could have kept that bike up in some of the scenes, one of which has Wolverine bouncing sideways down a hill without dropping the beast of a bike. Yet the special effects were convincing to me. I bought off on the effect in spite of the impossibility. The seamless special effects made it believable. That was a small effect. There were great big ones, too. Everything from monster explosions to gravity defying fight scenes contained the visual continuity to make them credible. The film provides opportunities to showcase several special abilities and even gives us a fun scene involving a fat-man suit. The special effects were exceptional.

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Puccini For Beginners

2009-04-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

One does not need to be a fan of opera to understand that opera is a high art form with theatrically dramatic elements. Puccini For Beginners shares nothing with opera other than a minor thread that ties a couple of the characters together. The film lacks the passion that I associate with opera. In fact, I did not find anything within this film that could possibly impel a diva to burst forth with an aria. Puccini For Beginners was a mediocre film that tried hard to be relevant, but fell flat in the process.

Allegara (Elizabeth Reaser) is a lesbian. She is defined by that aspect of her being. She is not an opera lover that likes women, she is not a New Yorker who attends opera and sleeps with women. She is not an author who enjoys the company of women. She is a lesbian. That is the central theme of Allegra’s character. Allegra sees the world (to include Opera) through a woman empowered worldview. This is demonstrated through discussions about opera with her friends where Allegra uses fancy words like “misogynist,” to describe composers. Allegra’s discussions seem plebian and weak with very little substance to support her tepid assertions. But it helped paint the picture regarding who Allegra is.

Puccini For Beginners expects viewers to swallow the idea that Allegra, whose primary identity is her sexuality, would become intimately involved with Philip (Justin Kirk) who she becomes enamored with when she learns that he has read her book. A couple of chance encounters lead to a passionate session of lovemaking. But all is not well in paradise…small idiosyncrasies (like Philip’s propensity to ask “what are you having” before ordering a meal) seem to start adding up. Allegra appears to be lacking something, which has been a common theme in her relationships. Probably because Allegra is afraid of commitment…something she views as a straight trait. When Allegra meets Grace (Gretchen Mol) she begins a second simultaneous relationship. She is not aware that Grace and Philip have been dating for six years and are going through emotional growing pains (probably the result of Philips own aversion to commitment). This unusual love triangle provides a few opportunities for some comic interaction. However, those opportunities appeared to be squandered.

The entire premise of this story required a great deal of commitment from the audience. We had to accept that a love triangle could develop accidentally between a group of people that know each other, without realizing that they are dating each other. If you suspend belief and allow the comic value of the situation to set in, it’s not a ridiculously bad concept. Yet the execution of this concept seems to fall short. The ending ties things up neatly but not realistically. The situations that evolve were awkward and incredible. I was not buying several of the scenes. They just didn’t seem to me to be situations that would evolve the way the film has them evolve. Everything from the dialogue to the character development to the character interaction seemed contrived to me. It was a complete mess on several levels.

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Capote

2009-04-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

Effete is actually the word that describes Philip Seymour Hoffman's Capote. He is short, seemingly soft-spoken and speaks with hushed nasally lisp. There was a parallel between the character and the visual aspects of this film, which were bland and unappealing. If not for the exceptional acting, I would not consider recommending this film.

Capote recollects events that led to the non-fiction book In Cold Blood, written by Truman Capote and published in 1966. The book recounts events that transpired on November 15, 1959. The shocking murder of a wealthy farmer (Herb Clutter), his wife and two children made national news. The film follows Truman Capote in his research leading to the publication of his book. The film concentrates more on the story of Capote than the crime being covered, which is where the story really lies.

Lies. That was an interesting word to end the last paragraph with. Lies seem to be Capote's currency. His ability to brag about the title of his book to his cronies while remaining emotionless when telling one of the murderers (Perry Smith, played by Clifton Collins, Jr.) that he has not yet thought of a name demonstrate the lengths Capote was willing to go in order to get his story. The truth did not dwell in Capote (at least not in the film). It was secondary to his goal of writing the book he intended to write. Flashes of that cold calculated driven part of Capote's personality were evident during an exchange with Perry, where Capote reveals the true nature of their relationship.

The film Capote captures much of the essence of Truman Capote through the tremendous acting of Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of my favorite actors. The time frame of this film covers six years, which allowed plenty of opportunity to explore other aspects of Capote's existence, which were only briefly touched on. It seemed like a closer examination of Capote's other activities might have produced some interest. As the film stands, there were great stretches of the film where the pacing seemed slow, tedious and bland.

In contrast to the slow stretches, great insights into Capote's background were revealed in conversations he had with people whom he appeared to be manipulating. It was interesting to see Capote reveal intimate parts of his own history in order to win people over. Many times, the thoughts offered by Capote were evident as an attempt to curry favor or demonstrate his own empathy. It was an effort to find common ground upon which to build a relationship which he did not intend to pursue. These telling snippets were the best example of the writing Dan Futterman had to offer. Futterman's screenplay was based upon Capote's biography, written by Gerald Clarke.

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State of Play

2009-04-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

Yes! A film that keeps you guessing from start to finish with exceptional dialogue and superb acting...what more could you ask for? State of Play displayed Hollywood excellence on every level. One of the best thriller films I have seen in quite a while.

Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) is a reported for a major Washington newspaper. McAffrey has a somewhat unholy alliance with Pennsylvania Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck). When Collines needs press coverage, Cal (his college roommate), can be counted on to drum up support at the paper. When Collins finds himself in the middle of a major investigation into a defense contractor, some of his indiscretions become public. McAffrey finds himself covering a breaking story on an old friend...finding middle ground between personal loyalty and professional integrity.

The plot is not as straightforward as two friends who find themselves in a politically sticky situation based no their respective careers. There are several sub-plots to explore which intentionally create hazy areas in the underlying investigation. As McAffrey peels back the layers, he is drawn deeper and deeper into an epic saga of betrayal and greed. The twists and turns continually managed to keep me off balance in spite of some evident foreshadowing.

State of Play was adapted from a television series written by Paul Abbott. The closing credits indicated the series to be a BBC series, so I am uncertain if the series took place in Washington or in London. The show was adapted to the big screen by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray. These three writers are tremendous talents that have combined to bring us numerous political thrillers as well as other genres. Starting with an all-star team of writers was exactly the right move for this film. An awesome group that displayed their talents throughout this film.

State of Play demonstrates the exceptional skill of these writers through intricate character development, which provides each of the major characters a varied set of personal traits that make them all likable, but flawed in a way that cannot be overlooked. The character flaws allowed viewers to be suspicious of everyone, while still feeling connected to the characters. A delicate balancing act seemingly handled with ease. The dialogue was also rich. Providing cues without always giving all of the details. The dialogue further enhanced the suspense by trickling information to the audience or allowing viewers to form their own opinions about the characters. The plot was carefully constructed to string viewers along through plot twists and careening curves. The writing could not have been better.

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Mutant Chronicles

2009-04-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ron Perlman was excellent in the Hellboy films. He has that edginess that can bring a graphic novel character to life. Mutant Chronicles has roots in a role-playing game from 1993. The film reflected those roots through a graphic novel format which was interesting to watch. If only the storyline could have matched the interesting characters and imagery, I may have found more enjoyment in this film.

Mutant Chronicles tells a convoluted story set in a seemingly post-apocalyptic world. We are dropped into a battle that has the Great War trenches and a distinct throw-back feel. The weapons are obviously anachronistic, demonstrating far greater fire power than what would have been available at the time. In the midst of battle, the two engaging forces are interrupted by a group of mutants who wield sword arms that puncture faces and disembowel with incredible speed and ease. These creatures create havoc beyond the mayhem of war. These mutants pose a very different threat.

Citizens are evacuated as leaders contemplate their next move. It seems that a machine that has been locked away for 10,000 years has begun creating mutants. These mutants used to be human. The machine replaces the right arm with a jagged edged weapon and implants an artificial eye. These mutants are fast and experience cell regeneration that makes them difficult to kill. Massive tissue damage from automatic weapons fire or sword fighting can kill them….but their speed and rapid recovery make it a difficult task.

The objective of the humans in Mutant Chronicles is to battle against all odds to deliver a device that is suspected to be some sort of bomb to the heart of the machine. By accomplishing this difficult task, a small team of humans may be able to stop the onslaught of mutant killers that have taken over.

The plot is very simple in this film, which is why I feel like this review has major spoilers instead of my normal minor spoiler alert. We are introduced to several characters who use their grit and skill at killing to battle mutants that made short work of regular soldiers. The concept was intriguing but the story failed on several levels for me. Mutant Chronicles couldn’t seem to hold my interest. The graphic effects eventually got old. It seemed like the same effects done over and over again. The plot lacked intricacy which made the film rather boring in spite of some interesting special effects. The characters were flat even though they had the potential to be very interesting. The characters were diverse but never really fully explored. The plot was predictable and weak. One minor plot twist at the end was not enough to make this film gripping. I can’t say that this film did anything to make me a fan of writer Philip Eisner.

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Sicko

2009-04-20T06:48:00.001-07:00

Sicko touts itself as a documentary. Documentaries are one of my less favorite genres for film, but I do enjoy them when they present an interesting topic without preachiness. A documentary is defined as a) relating to or consisting of or derived from documents; b) a film or TV program presenting the facts about a person or event; and, c)emphasizing or expressing things as perceived without distortion of personal feelings, insertion of fictional matter, or interpretation; "objective art"

Sicko won controversial film-maker Michael Moore several Oscars. The film documents the American Health Care industry as compared with Health Care in other countries. The film follows Michael Moore to France, where he discusses French Health Care with Americans living in France, a French "House Call" Doctor and a wealthy French Family. The film also exploits ill workers who responded to the 9/11 attacks and have had health problems allegedly stemming from their response. I say allegedly because I am not certain how one can prove that teeth grinding results from post-traumatic stress disorder related to ground zero. Moore calls the treatment given to Al Qaeda terrorists at Guantanamo Bay "Universal Health Care" and stages a stunt to try and get treatment there for the 9/11 responders. He then takes them to Cuba where they are given treatment on the cheap.

The film was interesting and addressed some important issues. However, it lost credibility with me because of the non-documentary approach the Michael Moore seems unable to avoid. Moore is controversial. That is who Michael Moore is. But suggesting that Guantanamo Bay prisoners are recieving Universal Health Care is ridiculous. If they were not getting care, the outrage would be deafening. In fact, depending on ones definition regarding the status of the detainees, their care is mandated by the Geneva Convention. There were many other flaws in the approach to this documentary. Statistics are bandied about, health care assessments are cited and interviews seem selective...all to draw a pre-determined (and not necessarily logical) conclusion.

I'm not going to discuss fact-checking per se. Instead, I would like to examine where facts come from...because facts do not always present accurate analysis. For instance, Moore discusses the infant mortality rate in the United States. Infant Mortality Rates are self-reported...with different cirteria from nation to nation.

U.S. News & World Report claims in a 2006 article: "First, it's shaky ground to compare U.S. infant mortality with reports from other countries. The United States counts all births as live if they show any sign of life, regardless of prematurity or size. This includes what many other countries report as stillbirths. In Austria and Germany, fetal weight must be at least 500 grams (1 pound) to count as a live birth; in other parts of Europe, such as Switzerland, the fetus must be at least 30 centimeters (12 inches) long. In Belgium and France, births at less than 26 weeks of pregnancy are registered as lifeless. And some countries don't reliably register babies who die within the first 24 hours of birth. Thus, the United States is sure to report higher infant mortality rates. For this very reason, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which collects the European numbers, warns of head-to-head comparisons by country."

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Confessions of a Superhero

2009-04-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

Is Sandy Dennis Superman's Mother? Was Batman A Wiseguy? Is The Hulk A Panhandler? These questions are among the concepts explored in Confessions of a Superhero. The Superheroes in question here are not the ones from the "Hall of Justice." These are the men and women who make their living along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, posing with tourists for tips.

Confessions of a Superhero gives a voice to several of the characters that are found near Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Having recently visited Hollywood, it was interesting to see a documentary chronicling the lives and struggles of the people behind the characters that crowded the sidewalk's near my hotel, seeking tips from tourists in exchange for a photograph. My recollection of the characters was that most of them did not look anything like the character they were portraying with a few exceptions.

The characters selected for this documentary were a fairly good sampling of the characters I recall seeing. Superman was a fairly close look-alike, although physically unimposing. Wonderwoman might have been better "cast" as Xena Warrior Princess. The Hulk deoes not look like any character and does well to hide inside a suit. Batman looks more like George Clooney (and act more like George Loony) than Adam West, Christian Bale, Val Kilmer or Michael Keaton. The brief cameo by Marilyn Monroe reminded me of what Marilyn might have looked like as an aging screen star. The examination of these characters was done in true documentary style...no judgments...simply an examination of the subject matter.

Superman has a name. It is not Kal-El. It is not Clark Kent. Superman's true name is Christopher Dennis...or is it? Christopher Dennis is the gentleman of Hollywood Boulevard. He holds himself to a high standard, abstaining from smoking or aggressive behavior when interacting with the public. HIS public. Chris has a gentle way that makes him endearing. Chris appears to be obsessed with everything Superman, rattling off statistics and trivia with little effort. His apartment appears to be a shrine to the man of steel, covered floor to ceiling in Superman memorabilia. Chris's claims to being the son of Sandy Dennis are rebuffed by her family in a somewhat subtle way. In spite of that single issue, Chris seems a passionate and likable guy. His best line described his constant appearance in magazines and television..

"I have found the fame, but not the fortune."

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Hostel 2

2009-04-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

I have a tendency to avoid sequels. This especially holds true when the sequel is based on a film I have already seen and did not like. It was out of character for me to watch Hostel: Part II. I was actually surprised that the second film was better than the first. Although not a film I would go out of my way to see, Hostel: Part II was decent enough to earn a moderate recommendation.

The Hostel films tell of a secret society of wealthy people who travel to Slovakia to engage in sadistic killings. These sick individuals enter into a contract with a group that identifies itself with a mandatory bloodhound tattoo. The contract appears to require three things. First, the members are required to pay for the opportunity to exercise their demented desires. Second, they are required to accept the bloodhound tattoo. Third, they must kill their victim.

The victims are lured to a Hostel in Slovakia , where their pictures are put out to bid. They eventually disappear, their final destination an abandoned warehouse type building which is heavily guarded. The interior has been outfitted with high tech security systems that include cameras, remotely operated elevators and doors, and man-trap doors to control movement. The individual rooms inside this warehouse are outfitted with a wide variety of tools and equipment designed to extract torturous pleasure from the unsuspecting travelers.

In Hostel: Part II the group of travelers are all female art students who decide to take a railroad trip. Their original destination is changed when a nude model (Axelle, played by Vera Jordanova) from the art school convinces them that they should visit the spas in Slovakia . The girls end up at the same hostel from the first film. However, this film introduces the audience to the killers as well as the victims. Interaction between the two groups prior to their arrival in the torture rooms adds another dimension to the story. I thought that there were going to be some parallels between this film and Taken, but was relieved that this film took its own direction.

In indicating that Hostel: Part II was better than the first, this was the point that made the difference. By creating a back story for the killers, the audience becomes tentatively connected to both groups. The character development was ferreted out better in the sequel, which made the film more interesting. The characters were still a bit flat, but the back-story on the killers added some dimension to the overall tale. The plot line in Hostel: Part II was different from the original even though the setting was the same. The ending was flagged far enough in advance that it didn’t really come as a plot twist. The storyline was simple. Eli Roth did a decent job with this script.

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Milwaukee, Minnesota

2009-04-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

The name Milwaukee, Minnesota intrigued me. Does this town actually exist or does this name have some deeper meaning. The film takes place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The name and description were a good enough hook to get me to watch. I do not remember seeing this film when it was in theaters. As a rental, this film offers decent feel-good entertainment for an hour and a half.

Albert Burroughs (Troy Garity) talks to fish. They reveal to him their secrets, making Albert Burroughs the “idiot savant” of ice fishing. Burroughs has won thousands of dollars participating in ice fishing tournaments in Wisconsin. He could probably earn more, but his overprotective mother Edna (Debra Monk) won’t let him travel anywhere. Edna wants Albert to depend only on her. Edna detests the fact that Albert’s boss, Sean McNally (Bruce Dern), allows Albert to deal with customers in his print shop. The conniving Edna tells McNally that Albert won't be back while advising Albert that he has been fired.

The death of Albert’s mother coincides with the arrival of several outsiders to their small community. These newcomers provide some misdirection regarding Edna’s death, while allowing Albert to explore his independence and demonstrate his extraordinary cunning. Although Albert is functionally limited due to an unstated mental deficiency, his ability to outsmart the people around him endears him to the audience.

Milwaukee, Minnesota takes a slow deliberate approach to reveal small plot details in this well constructed feel-good drama. The pacing in this film creeps along as interesting and eccentric characters take the audience along on a journey of discovery. The film is part coming-of-age for a mentally deficient adult and part whodunit. The details emerge one nugget at a time in a well choreographed script. Richard Murphy provides rich details in this story that help the characters connect with the audience.

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Good Luck Chuck

2009-04-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Movies often feel like they are targeted with a specific audience in mind. Watching Good Luck Chuck, I couldn't help but think that this movie was meant for the Animal House crowd. Not the people that enjoyed watching the film Animal House...but the students that lived there. Although Good Luck Chuck had the makings of a good romantic comedy, the overwhelming sex and nudity seemed a meager attempt to make up for an otherwise tepid script.

A game of spin-the-bottle ends horribly when Charlie (Connor Price) rebuffs an agressive goth girl (Sasha Pieterse). The girl places a curse on Charlie which follows him into adulthood. The adult Charlie (Dane Cook) works as a Dentist. His dental practice grows exponentially when word spreads among single women that a date with Charlie will be followed by true love. The next man a woman dates after Charlie will be their true love. It would be a dream come true for Charlie's bonehead friend Stu (Dan Fogler), a perverted plastic surgeon.

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Charlie decides to take advantage of his situation, exploring the willingness of women to believe in the curse by engaging in numerous tawdry short-lived trysts. However, Charlie isn't satisfied by the constant sex. He wants his own relationship, white-picket fence and all. Charlie meets an accident-prone penguin lady named Cam (Jessica Alba) who is afraid to enter into a relationship. Cam seems Charlie's best bet for a meaningful relationship. In order to get Cam, Charlie must figure out how to break the spell. Charlie stoops to some stomach-wrenching levels for love.

Good Luck Chuck appears to confuse sex for romance and gross for comedy. And therein lies my biggest problem with this film. The premise was okay. But developing the concept in the framework of a romantic comedy seemed to be forced. If you think sex with a grapefruit is funny, you will like this film. If you find sex with a morbidly obese woman covered in boils to be humorous, then rent the video. I found some of the attempts at comedy to be disgusting.

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Stardust

2009-04-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

Stardust was released in 2007. The cast included perennial heavy hitters Peter O’Toole, Robert DeNiro and Michelle Pfeiffer. It surprises me that I do not remember the release of this movie less than two years ago. Stardust must have been released to very little fanfare with trailers that failed to engage my imagination. I am glad that I found this movie that I missed during its initial release. It is an excellent film.

Stardust is a fantasy film that takes place primarily in a town in England known as Wall and the neighboring fantasy land called Stormhold. Stormhold appears similar in many ways to the neighboring Wall. But the similarities are superficial. Stormhold is a place where magic plays a prominent role. The treacherous but quirky king ascended his throne by killing all of his brothers. As he lay dying, his own sons find themselves ready to kill for his throne. They are not aware that they have a challenger for their throne from a challenger whose fate lies between the two worlds. It is the story of a young man who comes of age in his quest for love, finding it in the unlikeliest of places.

For lack of a better description, Stardust is a sappy love story with magically fantastic sub-plots. The decision to place the story halfway in the world we all know and halfway in a fantasy world presented an interesting concept. Doing so allowed the writer, Neil Gaiman, to exploit the full range of magic and fantasy while maintaining a story line rooted in reality. This allowed for exploration of some interesting sub-plots that enhanced the story-telling aspect of the film.

The plot was fairly straight-forward but not entirely predictable. The characters were richly crafted with eccentricities and traits that made them both interesting and endearing. The dialogue was credible and fresh. The sub-plots were woven skillfully into the story to provide entertaining and comical scenes that worked towards the development of the broader plot lines. The screenplay was adapted from Gaiman’s novel by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn. The writers did an exceptional job of capturing the elements of fantasy and using them to captivate viewers of all ages.

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12 Rounds

2009-04-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, I enjoy a good, mindless action flick. By mindless, I mean that I like the big explosions and constant action that don't require a lot of thought. But when an action film presents itself as calculated and cerebral I hold it to a different standard. The premise in 12 Rounds pits a police officer against the smartest guy on Earth. The action was great, the dialogue tolerable but major plot holes created a gap in credibility.

12 Rounds takes place in New Orleans, where inept FBI Agents allow a slippery international terrorist and arms dealer (Miles Jackson, played by Aidan Gillen) slip through their fingers. An alert police officer, Danny Fisher (John Cena), recognizes a female associate of Jackson's at a stop light. A traffic stop turned bad results in a chase that ends up taking the life of Jackson's girlfriend. One year later, Jackson escapes from prison and creates an elaborate scheme to exact revenge on Officer Fisher. To get his girlfriend back, Officer Fisher must survive twelve rounds of impossible challenges set up by Jackson.

The "game" begins when Fisher's girlfriend leaves for work. A few minutes after her departure, Fisher's phone rings. Jackson is on the other end of the line. Fisher exits the house, where two explosions begin the battle of wills. The movie becomes non-stop action from that point forward. The explosions were big, the car chases exciting and the tension often blood pumping. However, some of the chess moves set up by Jackson required specific reactions by Fisher for the entire plot to succeed. Even one deviation may have derailed the sub-plots. And there lies my greatest issue with this film.

While the FBI is tracking Jackson through the streets of New Orleans, early in the film, we observe Jackson passing a table where two men are playing chess. With a casual glance in passing, Jackson returns to the table and explains how the other guy will win in three moves and then provides instruction for the players next move. I don't know that even Bobby Fischer (is it a coincidence that Cena's character is named Fisher?) could have pulled that one off. Jackson is cold and calculating and plans every detail to the nth degree. So why leave anything to chance?

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The TV Set

2009-04-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

How are television programs created? That is the question writer and director Jake Kasdan answers in his quirky film, The TV Set. Kasdan has written some decent comedies. The TV Set is pretty average in almost every aspect. But the film does provide some actual insight into the process of creating new television programs.

The TV Set begins with a silly set of graphics with captions that explain the process of and statistics associated with pilot television programs. After watching the close to boring presentation, we are introduced to a character, Zach Harper (Fran Kranz). Zach seems like a likeable kid who has made the final cut to play the male lead in a television pilot called The Wexler Chronicles. As we follow Zach through the process, we eventually meet the creative mind behind the television pilot, Mike Klein (David Duchovny). Klein seems to be torn between navigating his pilot through the gauntlet to prime time and maintaining his creative integrity. The process appears to be a minefield of obstacles.

The biggest obstacle is Lenny (Sigourney Weaver). Lenny has the power to pull the plug on Klein's project. Lenny also had lots of ideas...often in direct conflict to the creative process that Klein does not want to relinquish. But money talks. Klein's young actors also present challenges as they appear to change during the filming process. The female lead, Laurel Simon (Lindsay Sloane), somehow manages to stay grounded while Zach appears to spin out of control. Balancing the chemistry of the players with the whims of the cameramen, director and everyone else even remotely involved in the process provides an interesting foundation for the plot.

The writing wasn't bad, but I didn't consider The TV Set to be tremendously interesting. The concept was different and provided some good comical moments. However, the plot was often easy to predict and at times tedious. For a comedy, the film seemed a bit on the dry side. The characters were interesting and fairly well developed for a comedy. The dialogue was equally intersting. But the framework provided for these otherwise decent traits was lacking. The plot was thin and predictable.

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Them 2006 (Ils)

2009-04-02T11:56:00.001-07:00

Them was released in 2006 under the French title Ils. Them is a French Film with English sub-titles that takes place in Romania. The film claims to be based on actual events and intends to be a Suspense Thriller. After fact-checking the film, it appears that the only correlation to the true story may be conceptual. Almost every facet of the story was changed from the events upon which it claims to be based.

Them takes place in Bucharest, Romania. A young teacher named Clementine (Olivia Bonamy) and her significant other Lucas (Michael Cohen) become targeted within their own home by unseen intruders. The film delivers an element of supernatural forces which further distances the film both from believability as well as the actual events. After spending the night battling invisible forces, the couple finds that they have fallen victim to young intruders. The battle shifts from the house to the woods to underground passageways.

Them can not be easily dissected. I found myself strangely attracted to the stylistic aspects of the film, while dumbfounded by the lack of credibility and simplicity of the plot. The dialogue did not add much to the mix. Lucas tells Clementine to “stay right there” several times to the point where it got old. The film was actually better when it lacked dialogue. The suspense scenes were a nod to classic Hollywood, complete with hanging plastic barriers, gauntlet like hallways and creaky floors. While the writing left much to be desired, the cinematography (Axel Cosnefroy) was enjoyable.

I was mostly puzzled by the decision to add supernatural elements to the film. There were several scenes where electrical interference, and/or radio and television transmissions seem a bit over the top. The extent to which they used these ploys made the film appear to suggest an other-worldly element that never materialized. The entire premise was distracting and never added anything to the level of suspense. It would have been fine to simply use the old-fashioned suspense-building elements that worked effectively in conjunction with the foundation of the story without trying to give the impression of something bigger.

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The Reader

2009-03-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Reader is still playing in theaters near me. It will be released on DVD in April 2009, so I was tempted to wait and buy the DVD. It was an excellent movie, so the DVD may still end up in my collection. I was a bit surprised that the theater was mostly full for a matinee showing. It appears that this movie continues to maintain its appeal.

Going into this film, I had heard and read a lot about it. I knew some of the basic premises of the film without exposure to the details. I was also aware that Kate Winslet won the award for Best Actress in this film. Although I agree that Winslet was exceptional, I did not feel that her performance is what made this film great. All of the elements of this film come together in a complimentary nature to make the individual pieces seem greater than they really are. The depth of the dialogue and characters were especially central facets of this film.

So was The Reader a love story? It certainly was. It explored a unique life altering relationship between a teenage boy (Michael Berg, played by David Kross) and an older woman (Hanna Schmitz, played by Kate Winslet) nearly twenty years his senior. But this relationship is far from a tryst. The relationship shows signs of strain...yet there are admissions by both parties that they are in love. Although steamy and sensual, the relationship seems at the same time delicate and emotional. Prior to engaging in sexual relationships, the young lover reads to his elder. It is an act that evokes deep emotions at times.

The Reader also explores morality. The obvious moral issue in play might be the concept that a fifteen year old boy is having a relationship with a woman old enough to be his mother. The mild seduction seems to require little prodding by either lover. The relationship seems destined to evolve from the very beginning. With the introduction of Hanna's storied past, Michael is forced to confront the depth of her previous actions. To include revelations that Michael was not the first person Hanna had asked to read to her. The depth of the issues that surface create a conundrum that Michael must face, this includes knowledge that could seriously affect the outcome of Hanna's pending trial.

Michael is in law school at the time he finds himself faced with Hanna's history. She had disappeared suddenly years before, and now he had the opportunity to help her. In discussing these issues with his classmates and professor, several key issues that address the broader story become apparent. The professor talks about the gap between morality and law. Another student needles Michael and addresses the issue of selective prosecution. This convergence of legal and moral issues further complicates Michael's perception of the events he is confronted with.

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Novocaine

2009-03-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Novocaine is a dark comedy starring Steve Martin that centers on a murder plot. I saw this film years ago, but didn't remember if I liked it or not. I viewed it again recently, and came away mildly satisfied. This film was tedious at times and hilarious at others. If you are a fan of Martin's brand of comedy, you will probably enjoy this film.

Novocaine begins in the office of Doctor Frank Sangster (Steve Martin), a Dentist with a bustling office. Sangster's Dental Assistant Jean (Laura Dern) is also his fiance. The two have a seemingly passionate relationship until a strange girl (Susan, played by Helena Bonham Carter) shows up in his chair complaining of a painful tooth. The attraction causes Sangster to call his relationships into question while prompting him to make several bad decisions.

Doctor Sangster's peccadilloes begin to add up until he seems trapped in his own lies. However, you get the feeling that Sangster is being set up. His brother Harlan (Elias Koteas) blows into town to create some diversion. The fact that Harlan is a drug addict and at one time had his eyes set on Jean don't seem to cause Sangster enough pause to deny his brother. The introduction of Susan's brother Duane (Scott Caan) further complicates matters...especially when Duane shows up dead in Sangster's home, covered in Sangster's teeth marks. The show takes a couple of bizarre turns before the happily ever after ending.

Some elements of Novocaine were predictable, but the overall plot remained veiled for a good portion of the film. Several times during the film, small clues were dropped that began to make sense in retrospect, leading up to the ending. I found the pacing to be fairly good for most of the film, but there were times where Sangster's bad choices got under my skin. Of course, that was part of the plot. The dialogue was excellent. The exchanges between characters seemed believable within the context of a comedy film. The sub-plots were designed to keep you guessing...they worked effectively to that end. The story was not exceptional, but it was entertaining enough for a tempered recommendation.

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King of the Ants

2009-03-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

The description blurb for King of the Ants described the film as film about a young hitman groomed by a local mobster. The description was enough to grab my interest. I was expecting a Gotti-type mobster film with an up-and-comer making his bones. Wrong. This film takes place in California with a group of wannabe mobsters that don’t have the stomach to do their own dirty work.

King of the Ants was written (both novel and screenplay) by Charlie Higson. Higson also co-produced this film. I am not familiar with Higson’s work, but it appears that he has done several other films as actor, producer and writer. King of the Ants being the last film that Higson wrote and produced in 2003. This film was not exceptional in any way. It wasn’t particularly bad, but it was forgettable.

Sean Crawley (Chris McKenna) ekes by doing odd jobs. His obvious lack of painting skills draws the attention of an electrician who stops by for a quick wiring repair. The electrician, “Duke” Wayne (George Wendt) tells Sean that he may be able to help him find some extra work. Sean takes Duke up on the offer and ends up tailing an accountant from city hall. The job escalates into a hit…which doesn’t take much arm-twisting. After the job is done, Sean realizes he is not going to get paid. Sean ends up in a cat-and-mouse game with the mobsters while he tries to gain the upper hand.

I had trouble with several aspects of this film. The acting was average at best. The mob (Ray Matthews) was played by Daniel Baldwin. Baldwin didn’t convince me of his ruthless nature. In fact, I found him to be laughable in the role. The casting as a whole just wasn’t very good. Chris McKenna was okay. His love interest is the wife of the man he kills, Susan Gatley (Kari Wuhrer). Wuhrer looked like she was still in one of her soap opera roles. The mob henchmen were juvenile. Much of the acting looked like shtick from a drama class. The acting left a lot to be desired.

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Know1ng

2009-03-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

Spoiler Alert: This review reveals more details than my normal reviews.

Watching the trailers for Knowing, it seemed to me that the film might be something like Signs. That was a decent assessment, but Knowing took a very different route to get where it was going. I enjoy a good thriller as much as I enjoy science fiction. Both can be done exceptionally well but generally are not. Knowing presents a combination of these two styles in a well constructed film that delves into some deep waters at times. The film seems to begin as a thriller that evolves into science fiction. The evolution of the film could have been a bit smoother, but there were enough redeeming qualities in this film to have made it worth seeing on the big screen.

Knowing sets events into motion in 1959, when a time capsule is buried at the dedication of a new elementary school in Lexington, Massachusetts. Each child is instructed to draw a picture of what they think the future will look like when the capsule is opened fifty years later…in 2009. Fast forward to2009, we are introduced to an MIT professor who has lost his faith. John Koestler (Nicholas Cage) believes that events do not have meaning. Koestler lost his wife in a mass fire that claimed dozens of lives. Since that time, Koestler has subscribed to a belief in randomness. When the time capsule is opened, Koestler’s son Caleb (Chandler Canterbury) receives an envelope that has a page covered in number rather than a picture. Although Koestler’s methodology is never discussed, he begins researching the page of numbers, only to discover that every major mass disaster in the past fifty years is outlined within the numbers. Three prophetic dates have not yet happened, but are looming near. Koestler feels that the dates are somehow connected to his son and sets out to discover if he can save him.

From a believability perspective, I had a bit of trouble accepting the premise of plotting every major disaster for the past fifty years. If you were to plot every one worldwide for fifty years, I think it would exceed the number portrayed in the film. Furthermore, the movie never examined how Koestler put the numbers together. Lets suppose he started with 911 as suggested…we could use a six digit date system to keep things consistent…091101. Following that number would be a four digit number for the deaths resulting from that incident. Then we have skipped numbers before the next event. Even if Koestler googled known events, he would certainly have missed some…yet he amazingly plotted every event to include the three getting ready to happen. How he managed that one is beyond me. What baffled me further, for this MIT professor, was the fact that lat/long never crossed his mind for the missing numbers. That was the first thing I thought of. There is one small problem. To get an accurate reading, you need to plot down to the “seconds.” The eight digit number divided in half, gives you only the degrees and minutes, which would not provide an accurate enough reading to put you on an exact street corner in lower Manhattan. Aside from that fact, North America uses negative numbers for longitude and there were no negative numbers. Okay, you can suggest that the negative numbers were implied…the accuracy would still be suspect.

Aside from the science fiction aspect of this film, there were some deep religious aspects that were worked into the film. For some, the biblical aspects might be interesting, while others might find them heretical. In the greater scheme of things, the movie would fail to be prophetic in the sense that Revelations provides specific events that must transpire. There were several religious corollaries that I found within this film. Before discussing them, I should probably give the expected spoiler warning. You are hereby warned. First and foremost is the fact that only God (for believers) knows our heart (or can speak to it). In this film, there are creatures that can be interpreted as aliens or angels, it really depends on your theology. These creatures are referred to as whisperers because they whisper thoughts directly into the minds of children. Science fiction buffs refer to it as telepathy. Believers refer to it as omnipotence. These creatures shed their human bodies near the end of the film (God was said to walk with Adam in the Garden of Eden…in human form). The creatures have an appearance similar to humans but with an energy quality. Aside from the ability to fly, these creatures trail energy in a manner that resembles wings. If you were to create the biblical interpretation of angels using a “life on other planets” translation, this is probably what you would come up with. Other biblical representations include the ark and collection of species as well as the introduction of a “Garden of Eden” at the end of the film. It seemed to me that this film may have been an intelligent attempt to reconcile biblical beliefs with a higher life form that is not God. In other words, our ancestors were visited and guided by these same aliens, and biblical stories now make more sense through the new interpretation. Although I could have easily found this film to be heretical, I did not sense it was intended that way. The biblical parallels were intended…the number and extent of comparisons made it visible that there was a concerted effort to reconcile some accounts from the Good Book. I took the comparisons more from a literary perspective than religious.

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Paris, Je T'aime

2009-03-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

In English, Love is a word that encompasses a wide range of topics. The Greeks had several words for love. Agape indicated affection, while Eros pointed toward a more intimate and passionate love. Philia (where the name Philadelphia derives from) suggests virtuous love or friendship. Storge describes the type of natural love that family members have for one another. Thelema means desire or will of the flesh. These descriptive words indicate the importance of the many definitions for the single word we use today. Love. Amore. Paris, Je T'aime employs the many facets of love to tell several short stories centered in the City of Love...Paris.

I generally prefer tightly woven plots with distinct direction. Paris, Je T'aime departs from the orderly structured storyline that I generally prefer. Using the concept of love, this film loosely ties together several vignettes into an non-cohesive but enjoyable film. Rather than being a single story, Paris, Je T'aime tells several unrelated stories which are weakly tied together at the end. Some of the stories are neatly packaged well produced snippets while others left me feeling a bit uncertain. Using the idea of demonstrating many different aspects of love, this film managed to succeed artistically in spite of the lack of cohesion between story lines. Taken at its face, this a set of short stories with a common theme and nothing more.

When you consider that Paris, Je T'aime contains several independent stories rather than a single plot, it becomes more difficult to judge the film as a whole. While some of the vignettes were satisfying, others were rather lame and could probably have been left out. The style of the directing also changes from segment to segment because Paris, Je T'aime was produced by 22 different Directors. Normally, too many cooks spoil the broth. However, this film was not a collaboration, but rather a set of individual tales. With each storyline being produced by a different Director, the flavor of the stories changed a little, but the concept worked.

Paris, Je T'aime takes place in several different neighborhoods around Paris (and of course, one in the Metro for good measure). The stories cover a variety of cultures with sub-titling for several languages, not just French. While some of the stories are humorous, others attempt to be poignant within a very tight time frame. The sketches cover a variety of circumstances which also brings an element of interest to the film. A guessing game of sorts. What type of love does this segment explore? Love that has been lost, love that has been found, searching for love, finding love in a place, or simply loving the place you are in. The variety of styles, topics, cultures and love concepts provides a rich examination of the human experience. That really boils down the essence of this film.

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Watchmen

2009-03-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

A blue penis is still a penis. I could have done without the flaccid member flopping around the big screen for two and a half hours. One thing is certain about this graphic novel-based film…it is not the type of superhero movie you want to bring the kids to. I say that with utmost sincerity. I tend to be a bit liberal in what I allow my children to watch, but this particular film does not make the cut. I lead with this warning because I am one of those parents who enjoys brining his son to this type of film. I’m glad I did not bring him to this one.

Watchmen does not follow the traditional superhero mold. The characters have distinctly human sensibilities. The lines are clear in most comic books, with superheroes possessing abnormal moral direction and villains who are clearly guided by nihilistic tendencies. This stereotype is challenged in Watchmen, where the heroes seem to lack the sensibilities of their predecessors, with an almost anarchist view of morality. The edginess of these characters could not be better demonstrated than in a flashback scene where The Comedian attempts to rape Sally Jupiter. The Comedian has serious abject traits that surface throughout the film.

Watchmen takes a different tack on history. The series that this film was based upon was created in the mid-1980s. The graphic novel intended to take aim directly at the cold war being waged between Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev. Of course, this book was conceived at a time when the Berlin Wall was still standing and the Cold War was not perceived to be experiencing death throes. Yet a few short years later, Reagan’s policies helped bring down the wall. This book did not intend to treat Reagan nicely. It was intended to create a parallel…with the superheroes representing the government (who watches the watchmen?) Reagan was a popular President, so an alternate history was created with a multi-term Nixon (who won the Viet Nam war by employing the services of the Watchmen) filling the role as the government heavy. I found the idea to be cowardly (because it intended to divert backlash due to Reagan’s popularity). However, the alternate reality did create an interesting setting for extraordinary characters to exist.

Watchmen has a back story that needs to be presented in order for the characters to make sense. This is accomplished in a variety of ways. Much of the history of the Watchmen is covered during the opening credits, which tracks various eras dating back to the 1940s. I thought that the use of MTV and President Nixon was an anachronism until the story revealed the alternate history in which Nixon gets elected several times. The story takes place in 1985 at a time when the United States and the USSR attempt to resolve internecine issues. The United States has a major advantage, with Dr. Manhattan providing the equivalent of Strategic Defense Initiative. Dr. Manhattan was a nuclear scientist who was caught in an experiment which reduced him to atomic level. Dr. Manhattan reconstructed himself with strange abilities. Dr. Manhattan became the center of the United States defensive posture due to his ability to provide a nuclear shield for the United States (although it is revealed that he would probably not be able to stop the entire Soviet arsenal). Historical elements are picked up throughout the film through the use of flashbacks or memories triggered through a variety of methods.

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Coraline

2009-03-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

A Henry Selick film wouldn’t be complete without eerily crafted creatures created from inanimate objects that project an independent sense of spookiness. When Coraline opens, we are greeted by mechanical hands fashioned from sewing needles. The needles are structured much like the bones in a skeletal set of hands. These needle hands exist in a parallel world where they create a doll that looks very much like our title character, Coraline. I viewed Coraline at a theater that used the 3-D format.

Coraline feels that she is invisible. Her parents have moved into an old house that has been divided into three apartments. Her mom and dad are creating a gardening catalog, which consumes a great deal of time. Her parents never seem to have spare time to spend with Coraline. Coraline meets a strange boy named Wyborn (why born) who brings her a mysterious doll that he found in his grandmother’s (Coraline’s landlady) trunk. Wyborn explains to Coraline that his grandmother does not allow him in the apartments because she lost her sister in the house many years ago.

The neighbors in the apartment house include unique and interesting characters. Two elderly ladies who once performed theater together live in the basement apartment. The second floor resident trains performing mice. They are an odd set of neighbors sure to create fun and interesting diversion. The old house has many secrets, which Coraline sets out to explore. Among them is a papered over door which opens with a button-key. What appears to be a bricked over doorway holds a secret that draws Coraline in. It is a portal to the other-world where Selick-magic prevails.

Henry Selick Directed this film from a screenplay he adapted from a book written by Neil Gaiman. At its core, Coraline is a story about the grass being greener on the other side of the fence. It is a dark film with eccentric characters. Yet compared to Selick’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, I found Coraline to lack the dark undercurrents that permeated the former. Although there were dark elements to Coraline, the storyline empowered the young central character. The plot lines were interesting although simple. I found the overall plot to be predictable, but this film stands on its ability to tell the story in a unique fashion. It succeeded.

Dakota Fanning provides the voice of young Coraline, who also seems exasperated by people who call her Caroline. An easy enough mistake. Fanning does a good job of creating that exasperation without hamming it up. Although the performance is voice-over for animation, I though Fanning was excellent. Her ability to create tension was excellent, but it was the subtle traits of her character that Fanning deftly created for Coraline. The other voice actors included Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman and Robert Bailey, Jr. None of these actors stood out above the rest, other than Ian McShane who provided life to Mr. Bobinski. Bobinski is the upstairs neighbor with a thick Eastern European accent. McShane made me snicker on a few occasions with his heavy accent and use of language. McShane and Fanning delivered notable performances.

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The Dead Girl

2009-02-23T10:19:00.000-08:00

The Dead Girl struck me as odd from the very first frame. The imagery used in this film immediately stood out from the onset. I noticed the subtle soundtrack which helped create the somber mood the images were leading up to. A lonely woman in a vineyard filled with strangely twisted trees, a crow flying overhead, a coldness. In an area of a vineyard where only stumps stand where once life flourished...our lady notices something in the grass. The something being a dead girl. The dead girl. An absence of words allows the images to tell the story. It is a concept that lingers throughout the film.

The woman’s name is Arden (Toni Collette). Her sorrow follows her into the house, where we find that Arden cares for her recalcitrant mother (Piper Laurie). The mother is angry Arden has reported the body, bringing Police into her yard. The overbearing mother sheds some light on the source of Arden ’s brooding. We follow Arden ’s character for a short while, experiencing her darkness (with some help from Giovani Ribisi) before moving on to the family of a missing girl. They are a family dysfunctional from their loss and inability to heal. The daughter Leah (Rose Byrne) examines the body found by Arden , noticing a birthmark that leads her to believe it is her missing sister. The opportunity to have release from the bondage of a “missing” sister brings Leah out of her shell, before she learns that the girl is not her sister. Her shadows close back in on her as we depart.

Carl (Nick Searcy) is a serial killer. He lives with his bitter wife Ruth (Mary Beth Hurt), a woman weary of Carl’s constant wanderings. It seems Ruth lives to fix Carl’s dinner, wash his clothes and run his storage unit business while he is off “galavanting around.” Ruth mistakenly finds Carl’s trophies, memoires of the girls he has killed, in one of the storage units. Ruth struggles with her decision at her discovery, acting in a seemingly illogical manner…but not necessarily unbelievable. Ruth walks off into the darkness as we meet the mother of the dead girl, Melora (Marcia Gay Harden). After speaking with Detectives, Melora sets off to find the place where her daughter lived. We meet the dead girl’s girlfriend Rosetta (Kerry Washington) in a seedy motel where prostitutes ply their trade. Rosetta helps Melora understand why her daughter left, and ends up introducing Melora to a granddaughter she never knew she had. Although dramatic elements exist in this segment of the story, it ends with more promise than the others…

…moving back through time, we are introduced to the dead girl. She had a name. Krista (Brittany Murphy). Krista wants to bring her daughter a gift for her third birthday. Krista is a vibrant likable character with an outer joy that covers her tough interior. She has an intensity that seems to flare from her. Her intensity is both good and sometimes bad. She has a John named Tarlow (Josh Brolin) that seems to be sweet on her. But there are limits in any relationship. Tarlow reneges on a promise to take Krista to see her daughter for her birthday. Krista ends up on a broken down motorcycle looking for a ride. She seems so full of life during her conversation with Carl. And then the credits roll.

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The Uninvited

2009-02-22T09:52:00.001-08:00

The Uninvited takes place at the gorgeous seaside residence of a Maine writer. I was thinking Stephen King as soon as I saw the setting. Yet, The Uninvited does not have it's origins in any of King's many books. The Maine location was simply the locale selected for this remake of the 2003 Korean film Janghwa, Hangryeon. The stunning location sets an excellent backdrop for a psychological thriller.

Anna (Emily Browning) returns to her ocean side home after a ten month sting in a mental hospital. Anna has been working through the loss of her mother (Maya Massar) who died in a fire. Anna's wrists still show the scars revealing her downward spiral following her mother's death. Anna's father Steven (David Strathairn) picks her up from the hospital. On the trip home, Steven presents Anna with his latest book, dedicated to Anna and her sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel). We also find that Rachael (Elizabeth Banks) has moved into the house while Anna has been away.

Rachael was the nurse who cared for Anna's mother who was very ill before she dies in a fire in the boathouse. Rachael and Stephen have gotten very close, and we learn that they intend to get married. A concept that Anna obviously doesn't embrace. Anna was dreaming heavily during the time she was in the hospital, but the events that transpired the night her mother was killed seem to escape her memory. Upon her return to the house, strange things begin to happen. Anna begins seeing things that can't be there. It is a downward spiral that seems destined to be a problem.

The Uninvited sort of grows on you. The film begins strong and then gets a bit choppy. The boisterous soundtrack near the beginning of the film is more of a distraction than it's intended purpose to build suspense. The music seemed to make the scenes feel contrived. The interactions between the characters are sometimes predictable, but the overall plot had a major twist that I was not expecting. The thought had crossed my mind, but the diversionary tactics written into the script did a good job of steering my attention in the wrong direction. When the twist happened, I realized I had been fooled. In retrospect, there were obvious signs...which I won't reveal since the plot twist was the best part of the story.

Following the plot twist, we are given scenes that have been recreated in order to solidify the twist. These scenes were a bit condescending. I got it. When the plot twist happened, I recognized it for what it was worth. The ensuing scenes were a bit insulting, as if the writers wanted to make sure you understood the twist. The plot twist wasn't the end of the film, either. There was one last detail to clear up, which made sense when it was addressed. It was sort of an amusing journey that ended where it began. Although it took a circuitous route, I enjoyed the trip. The writers (Craig Rosenbeg, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard) did an excellent job of holding the storyline together without compromising the twist. Directors Charles and Thomas Guard managed the script well, keeping the interactions between the characters believable, while creating a gap that should have been noticeable, but never crossed any lines. That required careful choreography...which was done exceptionally well to maintain the illusion. Although the film felt hackneyed and predictable at times, the overall story was not.

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A Mighty Heart

2009-02-18T13:04:00.001-08:00

I have a confession to make. I don't know what possessed me to do it...but I watched the Daniel Pearl video on an Arabic website immediately following his murder. It was singularlyTHE most disturbing thing I have ever witnessed. If I had it to do over again, I would undo watching that video. Although it stoked the fire inside of me, bringing home the brutality of the terrorists who mean our country harm, it contained imagery that will be forever seared on my brain. As a young Marine, we were shown all of the Faces of Death episodes to numb us to this sort of thing...Faces of Death doesn't come close to that video.

In that frame of mind, I brought myself to watch A Mighty Heartwith a heavy heart at the inhumane destruction of Daniel Pearl's life. When I hear people talk about Abu Graib or Guantanamo Bay with words like inhumane, I want to force those people to watch the Pearl video. A senseless killing that brings new meaning to malice. I watched A Mighty Heart with interest...watching events unfold that are not far removed from current events.

For the uninitiated, Daniel Pearl (Dan Futterman) was a reporterworking in Pakistan. He was seeking an interview with a terrorist leader known as Sheikh Gilani (played by Ikram Bhatti). Another terrorist organization, looking to kidnap an American, set up an alleged meeting between Pearl and Sheikh Gilani. The Sheikh was a lure who had no prior knowledge of the plot. Pearl is lured away from a meet spot with promises of an interview, ending up at the mercy of this terrorist group. When his wife Mariane (Angelina Jolie) realizes that Pearl is missing, she begins a frantic search for her husband.

A Might Heartexamines the Daniel Pearl abduction and murder through the eyes of his wife. The ensuing search for Pearl becomes quagmired in the normal bureaucracy, but this film does a good job of avoiding excess in this area. There are some conversations between the FBI and the Pakistani head of Criminal Intelligence where some turf protecting tension seems to surface. There is also a meeting between Mariane Pearl and a Pakistani Official who blames agent from India on the abduction, with the intent of making Pakistan look bad. These small details help set the framework for the difficulties in pursuing this type of investigation in a foreign country handling a sensitive international incident. No foreign leader likes to be embarrassed on the world stage. These issues were delicately covered by the writer, John Orloff (based on Mariane Pearl's book). The story avoids any temptation to get bogged down in details.

What A Mighty Heart delivers in lieu of cliched government bureaucracy is a tightly woven story of intrigue. The investigation into the disappearance of Pearl takes up a major portion of the film. The head of Criminal Intelligence employs every asset at his disposal to track down the last individuals Pearl was in contact with as the story unravels. IP Addresses, phone calls and informants are all employed in the search, as well as investigative techniques you would not find in the United States. Tough but effective. Unfortunately, the story was already written so I knew the ending was not good. But that did not stop Director Michael Winterbottom from inserting some excellent heart pounding action sequences into this film.

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I've Loved You So Long

2009-02-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is the subtle things in a movie that strike me. Simple things like the hardness Kristen Scott Thomas brings to her character, Juliette Fontaine, early in I've Loved You So Long. Some might call it a coldness, either way, it is a combination of her eerie silence combined with excellent make-up. As her experiences change, she softens. Her hair is more vibrant, her make up brings out her features and her overall appearance shed years of trouble.

Other times, it is the broader themes that leave an impression upon me. Strong characters that interact with plausibility generally make a good film. I've Loved You So Long provides characters that generate interest. Things are not always what they seem in this film, either. Without using dramatic plot twists, the film slowly provides details about the different characters, connecting with the audience along the way. The darkness that sometimes dwells in people may not always be visible...a concept that this film explores. The resulting effect of the writing is a script that reaches into the heart of the audience, often squeezing emotion with it's grip. Philip Claudel created an excellent story which he brought to life as both writer and director.

I've Loved You So Long combines the subtle with an excellent broader theme. It is a delicate balancing act, but this film manages to pay close attention to detail, weaving in a healthy dose of subtle imagery and supporting concepts. Meanwhile, the major theme of the story never gets lost in the details. The minutiae provides depth to the story but remains a supporting factor. I have seen plenty of films that get so wrapped up in delivering the existential that I get lost in the flurry of details, missing major plot concepts. I applaud I've Loved You So Long for managing these two issues exceptionally well. I was captivated.

I've Loved You So Long begins with two sisters reuniting after a lengthy separation. As the story progresses, we learn that Juliette has been in prison for fifteen years for committing an unthinkable crime. Her sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein) has invited Juliette to stay with her while she get stabilized. An unusual situation compounded by the fact that Elsa was young when Juliette went to prison, and was not allowed to visit. Lea's one visit in fifteen years was recent...to invite Juliette to stay with her.

The relationship between these two characters develops slowly, with childhood memories cloudy. It is almost like Lea has forgotten Juliette. Lea's husband, Luc (Serge Hazanavicius) seems uneasy about the situation, but makes adjustments over time. Juliette finds potential love interest in Lea's co-worker Michel (Laurent Grevill) as well as the Police Captain who she must check in with bi-weekly, Captain Faure (Frederic Pierrot). Juliette is exposed to Lea's circle of friends who are curious regarding the sudden appearance of a sister they did not know existed. The tension of trying to keep her past a secret creates another level of anxiety for both sisters. As the relationships evolve, we learn that those who appear dark may really contain light, while those with light contain a simmering darkness. A juxtaposition of sorts. The story is touching and powerful.

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Push

2009-02-08T06:39:00.000-08:00

When I saw the trailers for Push, I saw some similarities to my favorite televisions series Heroes. Being a fan of superhero films like X-Men, I figured that this was going to be a fun ride. Although some of aspects of this film presented new ideas, it was basically a rehashed formula movie that missed it's potential. It reminded me more of Jumper than any of the other films I mentioned. Well, maybe it wasn't quite as bad as Jumper.

Following World War II, several Nations began expanding on experimentation done by the Nazi's to develop people with pyschic abilities into military weapons. The National programs are designated as "Divisions." An aggressive program by Division in the United States involves an experimental drug that will enhance the abilities of these psychics. The only problem being that the drug has killed every one of the test subjects.

The drug succeeds in working on a test subject named Kira Hudson (Camilla Belle). Through a carefully orchestrated psychic plan, Kira manages to escape the Division test facility ending up in Hong Kong with her memories erased. She is being pursued by the architect of the enhancement tests, Henry Carver (Djimon Hounsou). In Hong Kong, Kira meets another two second generation psychics whose parents were both renowned for their abilities. A young seer (known in Division terminology as a "watcher") called Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning) and her former boyfriend Nick Gant (Chris Evans) whose ability is called "Pushing." Pushers can move matter through telepathy as well as an odd ability to create force fields. Together, they must combat a Chinese crime syndicate made up of psychics as well as evading Division. A suitcase containing the enhancement drug was stolen by Kira during her escape. This suitcase becomes the focal point of the plot. Everyone wants that case.

There were a few plot holes in this film that bothered me a bit. First and foremost, why would Division only have a single syringe of this powerful drug that kills every test subject? If you suspend belief and assume that they just don't want the drug to fall into someone else's hands then the goal would be to destroy it rather than recover it. Something that was in their ability to do but wasn't done. If the drug did fall into enemy hands it would likely kill the test subject anyway. Another thing that bothered me was Carver's detailed knowledge of the side effects caused by the drug. If there had never been a test subject to survive administration of the drug, then how would one know what side effects it causes? There was also an excessive amount of gun play for a movie about psychic abilities. After guns fail, the psychic stuff kicks in. Why not just come out the gate with the psychic stuff? I know why...it would require some careful consideration of the various powers (rock, paper, scissors if you will). They would have to orchestrate carefully considered battle scenes employing a variety of powers and the interactions of various psychic abilities. This is undertaken from time to time, but not to the degree you would imagine from a movie about psychic abilities. Anyone who watches Heroes knows that the majority of the script deals with the interaction of various powers. That is because they put a great deal of thought into the script. Push seemed to take the easy way out. This film was intellectually lazy.

Push was written by David Bourla. I am not familiar with Bourla's screenplays. What I gathered from this film was that Bourla has a creative mind, but either rushed this project or simply didn't spend enough time developing the fight scenes. It might have been a good idea to employ another writer on the script to present ideas to play off of. The overall theme was formulaic, but several of the elements of the film were good. The psychic abilities were examined a bit. No all seers are created equal. Do you see the future or do you see someones intentions? These are ideas that I thought made the characters more interesting. The characters were very diverse with varying motives, backgrounds and abilities. I thought that this provided the foundation for an exceptional film. The dialogue wasn't all that bad, either. Some of it was predictable, but it was fresh enough to make it interesting. As a whole, the writing lacked. Especially when dealing with the interaction of various abilities.

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Max Payne

2009-02-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

I should have known better. I like Mark Wahlberg and I like comic book-like films. But the trailers for Max Payne seemed to lack something. Following my instincts would have been a good idea on this one. I found Max Payne to be a poorly thought out exercise in futility. The plot was predictable, the concept was weak and the action sequences often made no sense. In a nutshell, this film was a major disappointment. The pain was all mine.

Max Payne was not without some redeeming qualities. There were some decent special effects, some big action scenes and some interesting camera angles with the comic book flash effect being used at times. However, good qualities in a fatally flawed film don't amount to much in the greater scheme of things. It was a wasted effort.

Detective Max Payne (Wahlberg) lost his wife in an unsolved homicide three years ago. As a Police Officer, he could have been there to save her had he gotten home ten minutes earlier. Instead, he has been left alone to hunt down the one killer that got away. The wing tattoos on the two bad guys he killed are his only clue to solving the murder of his wife and child. He has been reassigned to the cold case desk because of his obsession with the case. Most of the officers in his circle do not like or trust him.

Payne spends his time off-duty hunting down people he believes are associated with his wife's murder. He is chasing the wrong shadows. The evil lurks closer than he realizes. Payne's wife was not murdered in a botched robbery gone bad as the official report suggests...it is a massive government cover-up of a military program gone wrong. Payne expends his energy in a scorched earth campaign to uncover the truth. His efforts eventually lead him to the source of his pain.

There are major plots holes in Max Payne. The entire concept seems flawed from the start. We are to believe that a manufactured drug has created bad guys with an uncanny ability to survive. Yet the supernatural forces at work are weakly explained away through Norse mythology. Maybe understanding the video game might help the plot make sense, but the movie fails to tie together the two concepts in any credible manner. The plot attempts to give us twists, but you can see them coming well in advance. There were no surprises in this film...just big action. Action can only go so far to cover for bad writing. Sam Lake created the video game concept, which might make sense from a gamer standpoint. The adapted screenplay was written by Beau Thorne, apparently to capitalize on the popularity of the game. The characters were predictable and flat, the dialogue hackneyed and the themes confusing. I am surprised that anyone cut loose 35 million dollars to create this nonsense. But then again...this is what the movie-going public wants...or probably a specific target audience...likely teenagers...the film did well at the box office.

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Taken

2009-01-31T11:11:00.000-08:00

Taken does not venture into unchartered territory. The premise has been done in Hollywood more than once. You have a typical highly trained father whose child is abducted by bad characters. The film Ransom came to mind in terms of similar films. Takenelevates this concept to a whole new level. CIA operatives, international espionage and a high stakes multi-national slave trade market increase the stakes in this interesting film.

Takenbegins with a retired CIA agent (Bryan Mills, played by Liam Neeson), who has moved to California to be closer to his daughter. The backstory of Neeson's strained relationship with his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) and ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) is captured through Mills' recollections of past birthdays. Mills wants to reconnect with his daughter, but the amount of time the CIA kept him away from his family makes him more of a signatory than a father. Reluctantly, Neeson agrees to sign a release to allow Kim (who is seventeen) to travel to Europe with her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy). The only condition is that Kim bring along a cell phone and check in regularly with her father.

Upon arriving in France, Amanda and Kim are met at the taxi stand by Peter (Nicolaus Giraud) who is actually a scout for an Albanian sex slave ring operating in Paris. Peter shares a cab to the girl's address in Paris, providing the information to the Albanians. The sex slave traders shortly arrive at the location and kidnap the girls. Kim manages to get a quick call out to Mills, who quickly kicks into CIA mode. Mills uses his extensive contacts to begin tracking down the abductors, leaving a trail of carnage and destruction in his wake. It is a race against time as Mills attempts to react within the 96 hour window his CIA contacts advise he has to respond.

Takenrequires suspension of all belief. If you go into this film expecting anything remotely resembling reality you will be disappointed. This is a big Hollywood film replete with massive explosions and unlimited firepower. Given the exaggerated nature of the film, the writing is more a product of inter-personal relationships, dialogue and character development. The character development was a mixed bag, with Mills' character exhibiting the most depth. I was surprised at some of the actions taken by Mills during the film, but those actions did not contradict the personality traits assigned to this character. Lenore was a bit flat and predictable. As with most films of this nature, the bad guys were also one-dimensional. The relationships between the characters were plausible, creating the right set of circumstances to make the plot concept work. The dialogue was hackneyed at times, but enjoyable nonetheless. As a whole, the writing was mixed. Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen took an interesting concept and developed a workable script that was entertaining if nothing else.

Selecting Liam Neeson for the starring role was a good choice. Neeson brings an intensity to his performance that makes him credible as an enraged father with the deadly skills needed to create complete and utter chaos throughout Paris. Neeson's performance was brilliant. He was fun to watch. Lenore was a flat character, the depth that was visible in this character was a product of the acting skills of Famke Janssen. Her performance made a mediocre character better. The cast was made up of many smaller parts, with Neeson carrying the major role. These smaller parts had little opportunity to shine (or fail as the case may be). One noteworthy actor in a minor role was Olivier Rabourdin as Jean Claude Pitrel of French Intelligence. As a whole, the acting was excellent.

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Away From Her

2009-01-29T08:01:00.000-08:00

In the late 1970s, my grandmother (who raised me) started showing signs of “senility.” They were simple signs…but dangerous ones. Things like forgetting she put a tea kettle on the stove. The official diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease didn’t come until about 1980. There wasn’t much known about the disease at the time, even though knowledge of the symptoms dates back to the early 1900s. Treatment for the disease did not exist. There was no internet to research. In short, it was a dark journey into the unknown. Alzheimer’s is initially devastating. It is a slow degenerative disease that creates strong emotional responses. Yet it is a numbing process. By the time my grandmother died in 1988, it was a release. Death was a welcome end for a dignified woman who had long left the shell of a body that I visited in the Nursing Home.

When I found Away From Her and realized it dealt with the relationship between two people who were very much in love, I was intrigued at the way the movie would deal with these issues. The funny thing about Alzheimer’s is the lucidity that creeps in from time to time. Names become secondary to general concepts and memories that are thoroughly clouded. My multi-lingual grandmother sometimes slipped into another language, completely losing any chance she had of communicating an idea to me. In Away From Her, this cruel game of juxtaposition between lucidity and confusion can wreak havoc on relationships. It is a gut-wrenching ordeal during the initial stages when your loved one still grasps the concept of people that are important to them.

Away From Her was directed (and adapted to screenplay) by Sarah Polley, based on the book The Bear Came Over The Mountain written by Alice Munro. The story follows the relationship of Grant (Gordon Pinsent) and Fiona Anderson (Julie Christie). Their lives become intertwined with another couple experiencing the same conditions, Aubrey (Michael Murphy) and his wife Marian (Olympia Dukakis). Grant and Fiona have shared their best lives. Grant feels guilt for some indiscretions when he was a young college professor. It seems that Grant perceives that his wife Fiona is using her Alzheimer’s to get back at him for his earlier transgressions. The struggle to come to grips with the fact that Fiona will slowly lose her mind, eventually slipping completely away from him, make Grant angry and confused. Grant and Fiona agree that Fiona should enter an assisted care facility while Fiona is still sane enough to participate in the decision. However, Grant must allow Fiona to adjust for thirty days before he is allowed to visit.

When Grant finally comes to see Fiona at the facility he learns that she has made a new friend in Aubrey. Aubrey has become dependant on Fiona’s attention, acting childish whenever she shifts her focus toward Grant. Aubrey appears torn between her commitment to Aubrey, which appears to be a job she has given herself to help maintain her focus and give her direction. Yet Grant perceives this as being supplanted. Aubrey is eventually removed from the facility by his wife causing a severe downturn in Fiona’s condition. Grant finds himself in a situation where his love for Fiona outweighs his sense of displacement. Grant determines that the best course of action is to convince Marian to return Aubrey to the facility. Marian wants something in return. What we end up with is a complex relationship based on needs.

Away From Her does not have a complicated plot. It can be hard to follow at times, until you realize that the film is shifting from the past to the present at irregular intervals. Once I grasped the basic idea, the film became much easier to understand. The story is touching, deep and emotional. For those who have experienced the pain of Alzheimer’s, the emotional impact of this film can be cathartic. The dialogue between the characters has teeth. The conversations are deep and often contain meaning beyond the conversation at hand. The characters experience the pain and joy that all of us experience, making them tangible. It is hard not to care about the outcome in spite of the inevitability of the subject matter. The story is woven together skillfully into an interesting examination of love and loss. It is a powerful thought-provoking story.

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