Hello, readers, with tomorrow being May 1st, we'll be seeing the summer blockbuster season kick into gear with Iron Man 3, of which my review will be up Friday. First though, we have my video pick of the week. This week's pick is a fantastic sci-fi flick that came out a little over ten years ago in 2001 featuring an actor who - at the time - was one of the biggest child stars in film.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence takes place in the late 21st century where due to an increase in flooded coastlines, a drastic reduction in the human population has occurred. A new class of robots known as Mechas - humanoid machines capable of mimicking human thoughts and emotions - coexist now with the humans. At Cybertronics in New Jersey, a new Mecha prototype has been created in the form of a child in order to display a "love" for its owners. One of Cybertronics employees - who's son is currently in suspended animation until there's a cure for his rare disease - brings home a test prototype named David (Haley Joel Osment) for his wife, Monica (Frances O'Connor). At first, she is turned off by David, but over time she warms up to him and finally activates its imprinting protocol, an irreversible imprinting which in effect causes David to project a love for her. After a cure is found for Monica's son, Martin, he is brought home. Her real son has a problem with David and a sibling rivalry ensues. This creates a tension which leads to Monica getting rid of David. Instead of taking him to Cybertronics - where they'd have no other choice but to destroy him - she drops him off in the woods and warns him to stay away from humans at all cost. Knowing Monica didn't really want to get rid of him but was forced to, David is determined to find the one he calls "The Blue Fairy" - a character he remembers from the story of Pinocchio Monica used to read to him. He feels if he can reach the Blue Fairy, she'll have the power to turn him into a real boy which in turn will allow him to be rejoined with his "mother" Monica. With the help of another Mecha, Gigolo Joe (Jude Law), David ventures out to find the Blue Fairy.
Director Steven Spielberg has filmed some of the most iconic science fiction films of all-time such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Minority Report. This film here certainly sits in good company with the many great Spielberg flicks. What I love about Spielberg's sci-fi films is that there's always something deep and meaningful you find within the story. That's not to say I don't enjoy action driven sci-fi films that are exciting and well made such as the Alien films, Independence Day, and of course, boththe Star Trek and Star Wars films (to be fair, Star Wars - particularly The Empire Strikes Back has its share of deep moments too). At the center of the story you have the simple yet beautiful tale of essentially a computer, programmed to think and act like a child, wanting to be loved by Monica, its owner or "mother figure" you could say. David's told by other Mechas that he's just a machine and that Monica will never truly love him, but only love him for what he provides much like the humans they service only love them for what they provide. No matter how many times he's reminded of this, David is determined to get what he wants. Osment gives a terrific performance that's perfectly restrained, and watching him here - along with The Sixth Sense prior to this film - I can't help but now think what the hell happened? Jude Law gives one of his best performances as the oddly likeable Gigolo Joe, and there are three equally strong supporting performances from Frances O'Connor, the great William Hurt as David's creator, and Brendan Gleeson as the leader of the "Flesh Fairs" - a carnival where Mechas are destroyed. Before Spielberg took on this film, the late legendary director Stanley Kubrick was trying to get this film developed. Unfortunately, it didn't get the green light until close to Kubrick's death who by then had passed it on to Spielberg. That being said, you can definitely see Kubrick's unique influence throughout the film. As mind-blowing as the visuals are (as most Spielberg films tend to be), this is a story first kind of science-fiction film culminating in an ending (that I won't reveal) that's both emotionally moving and bittersweet at the same time. A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a definite must see and one of Spielberg's finest films.
Screenplay - Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio & Darius Marder
Rated R for language throughout, some violence, teen drug and alcohol use and a sexual reference
Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling reunites with Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance, starring with fellow Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper in The Place Beyond the Pines; a film I've been looking forward to see all year. Were my expectations met and should you see it as well?
The Place Beyond the Pines focuses on three individual stories, all connected. Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) is motorcycle stuntman working in a traveling act for state fairs. At one particular fair he runs into his ex-girlfriend Romina (Eva Mendes). Through reuniting with her, he finds out he has a son with her. He wants to be their for the child, but Romina feels since Luke's financially unstable he's unfit to be there for his son. Luke then finds some help through Robin Van Der Zee (Ben Mendelsohn), an auto repair shop owner, who offers him some part-time employment. Seeing that Luke's still unhappy with the minimum wage pay he's making, Robin turns Luke onto a former vice he once partook in - bank robbing. Robin tells Luke that if follows his own guidelines (e.g., have them lay the money out on the count, so you know it's not coming equipped with an ink bomb), and not do them too frequently, it is possible to get away with it. Plus, with his skills as a bike stuntman, Robin feels Luke could make an expert getaway.
After robbing a local bank, Luke's life runs into Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), a young police officer. After an gun shot incident that had him temporarily hospitalized, Avery instantly becomes a local hero in the eyes of the townsfolk and his fellow officers. His hero image is in jeopardy of fading away amongst some in the police force though when he attempts to expose some corruption in the force led by Officer Deluca (Ray Liotta).
The third and final story plot revolves around both Avery and Luke's sons, fifteen years later. Both of their children are troubled teens, a fact that proves to be a thorn in Avery's side as he's now trying to run for state Attorney General. Luke's son has no recollection of his father's past and hardly knows anything about who he is other than the few things his mother may have said to him.
Like I said at the beginning, I was looking forward to seeing this film the moment I first saw the trailer for it a couple months ago. Normally, you run the risk of being disappointed going into a film with high expectations, but that's not the case here as The Place Beyond the Pines is one of the best films of the year. Ryan Gosling has proven himself to be one of the most gifted young actors of the past ten or so years, and he once again delivers a powerful performance. Bradley Cooper spent most his career starring in comedies and chick flicks, but proved he could give a solid performance in the entertaining Limitless and then followed that with his well deserved Oscar nominated performance in Silver Linings Playbook. Cooper gives another great performance that shows he's now capable of being a strong leading man capable of wowing the audience. Eva Mendes gives one of her best performances, and there's also some equally strong supporting work from Ben Mendelsohn, Rose Byrne, and Ray Liotta in a small, yet terrifically slimy role as a corrupt cop. The cinematography is exquisite. The musical score is beautiful. The direction is spot on, and the writing is ambitious yet moving both when it's uplifting as well as heartbreaking. The third act involving the children of both Luke and Avery is not quite as intriguing as their own stories. That being said, it still provides a compelling and well acted conclusion to this emotional tale of complete strangers who manage to affect each other's destinies as well as the direction of their children's lives by the choices they make through chance encounters.
As much as I love being able to rip into a bad film on here, I love it even more when there's a movie great enough for me to say go out and see this now. Co-writer/director Derek Cianfrance hasn't had quite the extensive career as say Scorsese, Stone, Spielberg, the Cohens, Nolan or Tarantino, but this is only his third feature film. He keeps churning out works like this movie, we may be adding his name someday to that list of great directors. I give The Place Beyond the Pines an A (★★★★).
Jack Harper - Tom Cruise
Malcolm Beech - Morgan Freeman
Julia Rusakova - Olga Kurylenko
Victoria Olsen - Andrea Riseborough
Sykes - Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Sally - Melissa Leo
Director - Joseph Kosinski
Screenplay - Karl Gajdusek & Michael Arndt
Based on the graphic novel “Oblivion” by Joseph Kosinski
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, brief strong language and some sexuality/nudity
During his career that has spanned now over thirty years, Tom Cruise has been called upon to rescue either his beloved and (or) the entire world enough times to lose count. Now in 2013, "Cruise saves humanity" has reached film number infinity in the sci-fi flick Oblivion.
The year is 2077. Tech 49 Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) is one of the last drone repairmen on Earth. Earth has been ravaged sixty years ago by an invading race of aliens known as Scavs. Jack, along with his girlfriend, Victoria "Vika" Olsen (Andrea Riseborough), work as a team to oversee and protect an operation that drains the Earth's water supply and send it to their space station Tet - humanity's escape vessel from the planet. It is from Tet that they receive orders from their mission control commander, Sally (Melissa Leo). When their mission is completed, they will leave Earth to join the rest of the human race colony on Titan, one of Jupiter's moons.
As you'd expect, a monkey wrench of complications is thrown into the gears when Jack finds a crash-landed space ship five survivors. He's able to save one from the crash, Julia Rusakova (Olga Kurylenko), who experiences some Deja vu when she sees Jack. Jack also comes into contact with Malcolm Beech (Morgan Freeman), the leader of a human resistance that may or may not have some answers Jack will want to hear if he wants to save both himself, Vika, and Julia.
This movie borrows from almost every science-fiction movie since 2001: A Space Odyssey. That being said, to quote film critic Richard Roeper, "This is the sci-fi film equivalent of watching a pretty damn good cover band." Yeah, it's not exactly original, but just like you wouldn't fault a band if it can nail someone else's song note for note, you can't quite fault this film if it can manage to take borrowed ideas and execute them well. The sound, special effects, and cinematography are all at Oscar worthy levels. Watch this film, and you're in for some first rate visuals that are as good as they get. The performances are top notch as well. Tom Cruise - after the bland Jack Reacher - gives another solid and dependable leading man performance. The lovely Olga Kurylenko and Andrea Riseborough are both terrific as the women in Jack Harper's life, and Oscar winners Morgan Freeman and Melissa Leo show once again why they're Oscar winners. Leo, in particular, redeems herself from the God awful performance she gave in Olympus Has Fallen (coincidentally, also with Freeman) earlier this spring. There are a few twists that you can see coming, but at the same time, for every predictable twist, there's one that's downright clever.
While not perfect, director Joseph Kosinski (who previously directed Tron: Legacy) knows how to put together a sci-flick that can be just as effective in the quieter, intimate moments as it is during the thrilling, action packed moments. I did get a chance to see this in the IMAX format and if you get a chance to see it in that format at your nearby theater (nothing else for IMAX is opening this week, so it should still be available) I strongly recommend it. The film alone is well worth the price of admission. The excellent sound and visuals on top of that is worth the extra 5-8 bucks more for IMAX. If this is that start of the summer blockbuster season, this is pretty good way to start it up. I give Oblivion a B+ (★★★½).
Hey, readers, time for this week's video pick. My pick today happens to be one of my all-time favorite comedies. It's also one of the most underrated comedies starring one of the greatest comic actors ever.
In What About Bob?, Bob Wiley (Bill Murray) suffers from multiple phobias that render him a recluse in his New York apartment. When meeting downtown psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss) for an appointment, Bob feels good about the possibility of Dr. Marvin helping him with his fears. Following the appointment, Dr. Marvin informs Bob that he'll be on vacation for Labor Day, but gives him a copy of his own book "Baby Steps" to read while he's away. While Dr. Marvin's away on vacation, Bob - unable to cope with the absence - goes to great lengths to find out where he is. This frustrates Dr. Mavin, but understanding Bob's condition, lets it slide at first. That is until Bob suddenly shows up at his vacation home.
Bill Murray has had quite few iconic performances such as Dr. Peter Venkman, Carl Spackler, Private John Winger, and Phil Connors. Bob Wiley is, without a doubt, Murray's most underrated performance. Murray's always played likeable characters, but they were typically sarcastic ladies men too. Here Wiley's likeable, but also so good-natured, and Murray hits a grand slam. After seeing the film at the premiere, Steven Spielberg - who's films have garnered twelve Academy Award acting nominations altogether - was so impressed by Murray's performance he spent $250,000 on a campaign for Murray to not only be nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award, but to also win it (I've always felt an Oscar worthy performance is an Oscar worthy performance regardless of film genre as well). Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss is equally perfect as the straight man psychiatrist that is always annoyed by Bob's persistent but well meaning behavior. Both Murray and Dreyfuss play off each other so well and hit just the right notes together. It comedy chemistry at its finest. The way Bob seems to unwittingly get under Dr. Marvin's skin is pure comic genius. At the beginning of the film, Bob's the one with the irrational fears meeting the calm and brilliant Dr. Marvin. As the story progresses though, you begin to see a gradual criss-cross change of character between the two as Bob becomes more at ease and Dr. Marvin begins to behave irrationally (His rant on Bob following a TV interview for his book is classic). This is a non-stop laughs comedy with two pitch perfect comic performances by Murray and Dreyfuss. One of director Frank Oz's finest efforts, What About Bob? will have you laughing yourself to tears by the end.
Cast of Characters:
Jody Sanders - Ashley Tisdale
Dan Sanders - Simon Rex
Kendra Brooks - Erica Ash
Natalie - Katrina Bowden
Martin - Terry Crews
Barbara Sanders - Heather Locklear
Pierre - J.P. Manoux
Mac Miller - Himself
Christian Grey - Jerry O’Connell
Heather Darcy - Molly Shannon
Snoop Dogg - Himself
Dom Kolb’s wife - Kate Walsh
Blaine Fulda - Katt Williams
Director - Malcolm D. Lee
Screenplay - David Zucker & Pat Proft
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language, some drug material, partial nudity, comic violence and gore
In 2000, Scary Movie was released followed by three sequels in 2001, 2003, and 2006 respectively. Like Airplane!, Top Secret!, and The Naked Gun series, the Scary Movie films are spoofs lampooning many well known horror films. Now in 2013, we have the fifth entry in the Scary Movie franchise.
Scary Movie V opens with Charlie Sheen being killed after recording a sex-tape with Lindsay Lohan. His three children are found in a cabin in the woods by Snoop Dogg and Mac Miller, and are soon adopted by Charlie's brother, Dan Sanders (Simon Rex) and his wife Jody (Ashley Tisdale). Things don't seem right though as the two oldest children (the other's an infant) keep calling out to an imaginary figure named Mama. Dan and Jody try everything from video recording any activity in the house to bringing in a psychic, Blaine Fulda (Katt Williams) to try and explain what is happening. Jody then brings in a dream extractor that figures out the source of these hauntings lie in an evil book of the dead.
What the fuck did I just watch? I don't even know where to begin. I'll just start at the beginning with Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan playing themselves in two performances that have them winking at the camera so hard you'd swear they're both experiencing a stroke. We get it. They're bad, drug addled, sex addicted, stupid, stupid people. It wasn't even that funny to begin with. Then we have Snoop Dogg and Mac Miller spoofing The Cabin in the Woods. There really was no joke there. It was just the two of them referencing the film by repeating the phrase "The Cabin in the Woods" over and over again - I counted seven times within the span of thirty seconds. Plus, The Cabin in the Woods - an entertainingly funny film I strongly recommend seeing - was a parody itself, so how exactly do you parody a parody? Well, other than saying the title over and over... The Cabin in the Woods. Get it, readers? Get it? I’m not sure why Mama was the main focus of satirizing when it was just released no more than three months ago (although that’s not quite as recent as them spoofing Evil Dead which was just released a week prior to this film). Plus, as good of a horror film as Mama was, what’s to spoof there that hasn’t already been done in Scary Movie 3 with The Ring parody (e.g., creepy kid, ugly ghost creature, etc.)? I could also go on about the Inception, Black Swan, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes parodies that really have no connection to the film at all other than, “Hey, look, everybody! We’re spoofing other popular movies. Get it? While we’re at it, let’s throw in 'Fifty Shades of Grey', Madea, The Real Housewives, and Honey Boo Boo, so people see we’re hip with pop culture!" Speaking of Honey Boo Boo, two of my friends brought that scene (spoofing Sinister) up and I mentioned that it was them poking fun at that piggish Reality TV star. Their response was, “Who’s Honey Boo Boo?” There you go. No connection to the story. Nothing clever. It’s just a pop culture reference (that are - as I just mentioned - not even guaranteed to make sense to the viewer), and when in doubt just have a character punch someone in the face. Poor Ashley Tisdale. Throughout the entire movie she looks so bored out of her mind I don't even think the paycheck she got could excite her. Then again, she probably saw her former High School Musical co-star Vanessa Hudgens in Spring Breakers and thought to herself, "How the hell did she get to be in one of the best films so far this year, and I'm stuck doing this?" Hmm... It was probably depression more than boredom now that I think about it.
What's most disappointing about this film is that it was written by the great spoof filmmaker David Zucker who made some of the greatest spoof comedies of all-time including Airplane!, Top Secret!, The Naked Gun films, and even Scary Movie 3 which was funny as were the first two directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans. The humor was outlandish, but there was a subtle layer of cleverness to them that made it great. With Airplane! for example, everyone to this day remembers Ted Striker's "drinking problem" gag and my favorite, Barbara Billingsley (aka Mrs. June Cleaver) speaking Jive to the two black passengers. Jokes like that were just to name a few that were creative, hilarious, and in no need of an explanation. You didn't need the actors explaining the joke in a way too obvious manner (like Snoop Dogg saying, "We gotta get to that cabin in the woods... wink, wink). The problem with spoofs now - and you started to see this with Scary Movie 4 - is that it's all about how many pop-culture or film references you can cram into one movie (there were eleven film spoofs with this movie) regardless of whether it makes sense to the story or not. There's no doubt Zucker can make a great movie that has you laughing 'til you cry, but like any great filmmaker, when they put together a pile of shit that stinks as bad as this one, you hold them accountable. The writing here is weak, lazy, unfunny, stupid, stupid, stupid and to put just how unfunny this film is into perspective, well, I laughed more during Schindler's List. I hate to say it, but if the spoof genre isn't dead, it's most certainly on life support and this film is holding the plug and on the verge of yanking it out of the outlet. I hope David Zucker can bounce back and make a movie that gets me to laugh as much as many of his past films have. He has what it takes, but with Scary Movie V, there's no excuse he can give me to explain how shitty this film is. There won't be a worse film this year. That's a bold statement to make in April, but that first seed spot for worst of the year just got locked up. Take heart, other shitty films yet to be released in 2013. You're not the worst. "I've come back from worse than this!", says Charlie Sheen in that clip I just played... He better hope so. I give Scary Movie V an F (0 stars).
Cast of Characters:
Amy - Elizabeth Banks
Supergirl - Kristen Bell
Emily - Halle Berry
Wonder Woman - Leslie Bibb
Arlene - Kate Bosworth
Leprechaun #1/Leprechaun #2 - Gerard Butler
Anson - Josh Duhamel
Julie - Anna Faris
Boss - Richard Gere
Coach Jackson - Terrence Howard
Davis - Hugh Jackman
Pete - Johnny Knoxville
Robin - Justin Long
Mikey - Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Amanda - Chloe Grace Moretz
Robert - Liev Schreiber
Brian - Seann William Scott
Veronica - Emma Stone
Batman - Jason Sudeikis
Lois Lane - Uma Thurman
Samantha - Naomi Watts
Beth - Kate Winslet
Director - Steven Brill, Peter Farrelly, Will Graham, Steve Carr, Griffin Dunne, James Duffy, Jonathan van Tulleken, Elizabeth Banks, Patrik Forsberg, Brett Ratner, Rusty Cundieff & James Gunn
Screenplay - Will Carlough, Tobias Carlson, Jacob Fleisher, Patrik Forsberg, Will Graham, James Gunn, Claes Kjellstrom, Jack Kukoda, Bill O’Malley, Matthew Portenoy, Greg Pritikin, Rocky Russo, Olle Sarri, Elizabeth Shapiro, Jeremy Sosenko, Jonathan van Tulleken, & Jonas Wittenmark
Rated R for strong pervasive crude and sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity, language and some violence
In what took nearly ten years to develop, Movie 43, a dark sketch comedy featuring an all-star cast, was finally released in the winter of 2013. The long stretch of time for development and production was mostly due to no studio wanting to give the script a green light - until Relativity Media picked it up - as well as working around the multiple directors and stars’ schedules. Having now been released, is it worth your time?
Like 1977's The Kentucky Fried Movie, this isn’t a straightforward, linear story like most typical films, but a series of individual sketches (each with its own director and cast). They’re all connected though by an a main plot involving three teenagers attempting to download “the most banned movie in the world”, Movie 43, which may or may not bring about the downfall of civilization.
The ten sketches - as well as “commercial advertisements” in between - are meant to be offensive and politically incorrect. The Catch features Beth (Kate Winslet) going on a blind date with Davis (Hugh Jackman), a man with an extremely peculiar physical abnormality that answers her question as to why he’s still single. Homeschooled features Robert (Liev Schreiber) and Samantha (Naomi Watts) who perform an unorthodox way of homeschooling their son. Happy Birthday stars Brian (Seann William Scott) who gets a birthday gift of a kidnapped, extremely foul mouthed leprechaun (Gerard Butler) from his best friend Pete (Johnny Knoxville). Victory’s Glory stars Terrence Howard as a coach in a satire of the “black school athletes overcome insert white dominated sport here” dramas we’ve seen one too many of. Those are just to name a few of the sketches.
I love dark, edgy, politically incorrect humor. To me, nothing’s off-limits. In fact, one of the directors, Peter Farrelly, is best known for delivering some of the funniest, most politically incorrect comedies of the 90's (Dumb & Dumber, Kingpin, There’s Something About Mary, etc.). Movie 43, though, is more a mediocre offering than a non-stop laughs hit. The biggest problem with the film is the main plot connecting the sketches. It was completely unnecessary, and terribly dumbed down and pointless. The Kentucky Fried Movie was a series of unconnected sketches and it worked. You already have your plots. They’re the individual sketches. There’s absolutely no need for a central plot here, especially one as stupid as this one. Don’t get me wrong. Out of the ten sketches, five got me to laugh out loud. Victory’s Glory, in particular, was hilarious with the nervous, all black basketball team questioning their coach who keeps reminding them, “You’re black!” “So, coach, you’re saying if we just all give 110% out there...” “Shit, give 110%. Give 50%. Give 3%. It don't matter. You're black!”. Both Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts are great - in a bit you’d never expect to see Watts in - as parents that, despite homeschooling their teenage son, still go to great lengths to give their son that “high school experience” whether its scribbling “KEVIN IS A FAG!” on the fridge or going through that awkward first kiss (yeah, do the math on that one). Justin Long’s in a clever bit as Robin attending a speed-dating session who keeps on getting harassed by Batman (Jason Sudeikis), and Gerard Butler’s almost unrecognizable, scrunched down to the size of a tiny leprechaun in a funny sketch of his own with an interesting twist at the end. All things considered, I still said five out of ten, meaning for every skit that got me to laugh out loud, there was one that fell flat. I’m all for politically incorrect humor that’s as offensive as you can get. That being said, politically incorrect humor for the sake of just having it isn’t offensive to me, it’s just lazy writing.
I love raunchy, nothing's off-limits type comedies if they’re well written, and it’s always great to see A-list performers such as Richard Gere, Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, and Kate Winslet (who happens to be my favorite actress), who are normally known for dramatic work, star in a vehicle that allows them to let loose and not be so serious. Unfortunately, while I didn’t hate this film as much as others seem to have, it’s just not as good as I'd like it to be. I’m still gonna be that lone voice in the wilderness and give it a mild recommendation. Obviously, having opened earlier in the year, this is a late review, so chances are it’ll be available to rent soon. If you go for the rental, throw in The Kentucky Fried Movie and also Mars Attacks! - another all-star driven comedy - in with it as well. You know, I’d love maybe someday to see another raunchy, offensive, all-star cast driven comedy, be it a series of sketches or just one storyline, that’s well written and is able to knock it out of the park. Peter Farrelly’s done it before with his brother. There’s no reason it can’t happen again. I give Movie 43 a C+ (★★½).
Cast of Characters:
Jim Grant/Nick Sloan - Robert Redford
Ben Shepard - Shia LaBeouf
Mimi Lurie - Julie Christie
Mac Mcleod - Sam Elliott
Henry Osborne - Brendan Gleeson
Agent Cornelius - Terrence Howard
Jed Lewis - Richard Jenkins
Agent Diana - Anna Kendrick
Rebecca Osborne - Brit Marling
Ray Fuller - Stanley Tucci
Donal Fitzgerald - Nick Nolte
Daniel Sloan - Chris Cooper
Sharon Solarz - Susan Sarandon
Director - Robert Redford
Screenplay - Lem Dobbs
Based on the novel “The Company You Keep” by Neil Gordon
Rated R for language
Academy Award winners Robert Redford, Julie Christie, Chris Cooper, Susan Sarandon, as well as Academy Award nominees Terrence Howard, Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendrick, Stanley Tucci, and Nick Nolte star in the Robert Redford directed political thriller, The Company You Keep. Holy hell! What a cast.
Nick Sloan (Robert Redford) is a former radical Weather Underground activist now living in Albany, New York, working as a defense attorney under the identity of Jim Grant. Upon hearing of the arrest of former friend and fellow Weather Underground activist Sharon Solarz (Susan Sarandon) for the murder of a bank security guard, Nick begins to worry that he may be in trouble.
Seeing a story that can't be missed, an ambitious, young reporter named Ben Shepard (Shia LaBeouf) begins to question those possibly involved in that Weather Underground bank robbery that led to the death of an innocent man, Sharon and Nick included. Ben's boss, Ray Fuller (Stanley Tucci), is at first uninterested, but when Ben starts to show some signs of a national front page story in the making, Fuller asks for a follow up.
Nick, a single father with an eleven year old daughter, now fearing he may be the next one arrested, sets out to clear his name. Wanting to protect his daughter, he sends her over to his brother, Daniel Sloan (Chris Cooper). He then meets up with other former Weather Underground activists such as Donal Fitzgerald (Nick Nolte) and Jed Lewis (Richard Jenkins) asking for the whereabouts of the one activist that holds the key to his cleared name, Mimi Lurie (Julie Christie). Unlike Nick, who insists he's innocent and was not at the robbery, Mimi was there and has been on the lam for the past thirty years. Having changed priorities with a young daughter, Nick wants nothing more than to move on from his troubled past for the sake of his girl. If he can get Mimi to confess her part in the crime, he will be cleared of all wrongdoing.
Robert Redford is not only one of the greatest actors of the past fifty years, he's also proven himself to be a very effective director in films such as Ordinary People (Of which he won a Best Director Oscar), A River Runs Through It, and Quiz Show. Obviously, it seems a little far fetched that Shia LaBeouf's journalist manages to be a step ahead of the FBI in putting the pieces of the puzzle together, and the revelations near the end seem a bit too "connect the dots". That being said, this is still a quiet, yet slightly engaging political thriller with an extremely talented cast. Despite the top heavy cast, no one's really a scene stealer here, although Julie Christie is particularly good as the frustratingly narcissistic activist, still "fighting the power" after all the other Weather Underground members have moved on. I've never been much of a fan of LaBeouf's before. As much as I loved Lawless, I felt he was a bit overshadowed by the remaining cast. Here, I gotta give him credit, he holds his own against the Oscar winning acting veterans. Redford clearly knows how to direct with a competent style and although there are moments that seem underwhelming, this film still has its share of inspired moments.
This film's far from perfect. It certainly doesn't rank up there with the great Redford directed films of the past. I'm not saying rush out and see this right away, but this is still worth your time. The premise is intriguing and the performances from a terrific cast are uniformly top-notch. I give The Company You Keep a B (★★★).
Raged PG-13 for thematic elements including language
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first black baseball player to join Major League Baseball, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Throughout his career, Jackie won the 1947 MLB Rookie of the Year, 1949 NL MVP, 1949 Batting Title, was a 2x NL Steals Champion (1947, 1949) and a 6x MLB All-Star (1949-1954). He appeared in six World Series Contests against the New York Yankees (one of the most historic MLB rivalries of all time), and won the World Series in 1955 near the end of his career along with other Dodger legends such as Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, and - at the time - rookie pitcher Sandy Koufax. Now in 2013, Jackie is finally getting the bigscreen bio-pic treatment with 42.
Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), having previously served his country in World War II, is a shortstop for a Negro League ball club. At the time, Major League Baseball was exclusively white until Brooklyn Dodgers team executive Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) gives Robinson offer to play with his team's affiliate, the Montreal Royals. If Robinson can prove himself as a player there, he'll have a spot waiting for him in the Dodgers' lineup. Rickey's idea of bringing in a black ballplayer is met with some hesitation from others in his organization that fear a backlash from the league. Rickey states though that there are many black baseball fans in Brooklyn. Baseball doesn't know black or white. It only knows the color great - the color of money. So things seem to be looking up for Jackie. He not only is given the opportunity of a lifetime from Rickey, he also marries his girlfriend, Rachel Isum (Nicole Beharie). Rickey warns Jackie, though, that he faces insurmountable odds entering an all-white sports league. He'll face jeers from the crowds, taunts and curses from fans, players, coaches, maybe even his teammates, and rejection from the naysayers. It's up to himself to be the better man. "I'm not looking for a man with the guts to fight back. I'm looking for a man who has the guts not to fight back.", quotes Rickey. Branch wants Jackie only to prove two things to those opposed: That he's a fine gentleman and a great baseball player.
Well, like Branch predicted, the moment Jackie steps out onto Ebbets Field, the curses, booing, racial taunts, you name it, come flying. Hell, even beforehand, some of Robinson's own teammates threaten to boycott with a petition sent to Rickey. Despite all those against him, Robinson's not alone. Along with his executive and wife, his first team manager Leo Durocher (Christopher Meloni) and teammate shortstop Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black) stand by his side, pointing out the color of his skin shouldn't matter if he can help the team obtain the ultimate prize - a World Series Championship.
I'm a big sports fan, and while not my favorite sport (basketball), I still love the game of baseball. I love the history behind it, the stories of the many great baseball legends, and the Sabermetrics of the game. One historical inaccuracy aside (Leo Durocher was not suspended by the MLB for an adulterous affair. It was for gambling), this is still a well made sports bio-pic of the great Jackie Robinson. Chadwick Boseman, who up until this movie I had not heard of, gives a terrific performance as the hall of fame legend. A slightly unrecognizable Harrison Ford goes all in with the cigar chomping and furry eyebrows as the Hall of Fame Dodgers' executive Branch Rickey. It's a performance that almost borders on over the top at times, but Ford knows when to go all in and when to hold back at the right moments. It's roles like these that prove Ford's capable of more than just donning a Fedora hat and steering the Millennium Falcon. The lovely Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, Lucas Black, and Andre Holland all turn in some solid supporting work, and John C. McGinley does a great job in a small role as Dodgers' broadcaster Red Barber. The one criticism I had with this film is we don't see as much as we could into the pressure and adversity that Robinson had to face. Aside from one very effective meltdown scene involving Robinson leaving the dugout to smash his baseball bat in frustration after enduring some racist chants from Phillies' Manager Ben Chapman, we don't really get much more than that. I find it hard to believe that all the adversity Robinson faced in just the first week of his first season alone boiled down to just one bat breaking incident. We do get one scene involving Branch Rickey showing shortstop Pee Wee Reese the death threat letters given to Robinson, but we never see Robinson's reaction to receiving them. Why not? It's an effective scene, mind you, as it's Branch's way of showing an anxious Reese that what he's going through is hardly anything compared to what Jackie's dealing with. An even better scene, though, would've been Robinson and his wife reacting to them.
In spite of my criticism I'm still giving this a solid recommendation because along with the strong performance work, writer/director Brian Helgeland manages to make an effective and moving sports drama that avoids heading into sentimentally syrupy territory. Could this have been better? Of course, but is it still worth seeing? Absolutely. While not quite the gut punch of an impact we could've gotten in terms of what Robinson truly went through, there are still some moments that will genuinely leave an impression on you. It's amazing that in spite of all that Robinson went through, he didn't see himself as a "hero" or "Black Savior" for baseball. He saw himself as just another ball player - black, yellow, white, or striped like a Zebra - that wanted to win. His athleticism and skill as a hitter (He certainly wasn't a Home Run blaster like a Ruth or Aaron or Mays) and base stealer as well as an exceptional fielder made him a great ball player. His ability to "turn the other cheek" in spite of his adversity made him a great man. It's not quite at the level of say Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, The Natural, and The Pride of the Yankees; however, this baseball bio-pic is still definitely worth your time. I give 42 a B+ (★★★½).
Time for this week's video pick which arrives a day later than normal. Tuesday was one of those "throw your laptop at the wall" kind of days. Anyway, today's pick is a terrifically written comedy that when released kinda flew under the radar. That being said, it features an extremely talented cast a script rife with hilarious dialogue.
In You Kill Me, Frank Falenczyk (Ben Kingsley) is a hitman for a Polish mob family in Buffalo, New York. He’s also a raging alcoholic. After botching an important hit that could potentially put the family in danger, the head of the family, Roman Krzeminski (Philip Baker Hall) sends him to San Francisco to clean himself up and attend an Alcoholics Anonymous group. Once in San Francisco, he finds a place and gets a job as a mortician’s assistant at a local funeral home. While keeping to himself mostly at AA, he does manage to strike a friendship with a sponsor, Tom (Luke Wilson). While at work, he winds up falling for Laurel Pearson (Tea Leoni), a client he meets at the funeral home. Meanwhile, back home in Buffalo, the rivalry between Frank’s Polish mob family and the Irish mob led by Edward O’Leary (Dennis Farina) continues to heat up.
I absolutely love this comedy. The dialogue and the comic timing and of each of the performers are spot on. Ben Kingsley has always been one of the most versatile actors of the past 20-30 years and here he once again proves he can take on most any role. The scene where he finally speaks at an AA meeting and admits he's not only an alcoholic, but a hitman too, and then somehow gets his group to nod their heads back in understanding will have you laughing non-stop. Tea Leoni gives a great performance as Kingsley's love interest and the chemistry between the two produces a relationship the viewer can care about. Luke Wilson, Philip Baker Hall, Dennis Farina, and Bill Pullman also turn in strong comic supporting roles here. Although a movie about mob families and mobsters, this isn't just another routine mob shoot-em-up type film. The film's focus is on Frank and his problems and it rightfully sticks to that focus. Obviously, there are certain showdowns between the Polish and Irish mobs, but they arrive on screen at just the right moments and they never overstay their welcome. If you're in the mood for a dark comedy with great characters and smart, fresh, witty dialogue, this movie is definitely for you.
Since 1973, writer/director Terrence Malick has made just six feature films. That being said, those six films are some of the most beautifully shot and moving films ever made (His 1998 film The Thin Red Line deserved Best Picture over Shakespeare in Love at the 1999 Academy Awards... Yes, even over Saving Private Ryan too). Now in 2013, forty years since 1973's Badlands, Malick delivers his sixth feature film, To the Wonder.
The story focuses on the interweaving lives of four individuals. Neil (Ben Affleck) and Marina (Olga Kurylenko) are a couple that fall madly in love with each other in France. Marina, a single mother of a 10 year old daughter, moves with Neil to Oklahoma where he works as an environmental inspector. Pressure from work builds up between the two slowly. Eventually it pulls Neil and Marina apart where he winds up reconnecting with Jane (Rachel McAdams), an old flame of his. Marina moves back to France with her daughter after her visa expires.
Father Quintana (Javier Bardem) is a priest out of Europe on vocation in Oklahoma. Despite still handling the concerns and needs of those within his Parish (Neil and Marina being two of them) as well as visiting prisoners, the homeless and ill, Quintana is experiencing his own crisis of faith. Naturally, as a priest, he lives by himself, alone and often questioning the God he serves as if He too was a former lover.
The plot here is relatively minimal and to be honest, there's a number of scenes that go with very few if any lines of dialogue to where you think this possibly could've worked as a silent film. Either way, I loved this film. To start things off, once again Malick, along with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, prove why they are Oscar nominated talents. This is Oscar level direction and cinematography, and there wasn't a single shot within this film that wasn't a beauty to behold. All four performances are first rate. Affleck and Kurylenko are able to portray a couple - once madly in love - in a slowly deteriorating relationship while hardly having to say a word. Their body language in certain scenes at times is able to speak more to you than any written word of dialogue spoken by them. Rachel McAdams, who has recently been stuck in chick flick hell with such films like The Time Traveler's Wife and The Vow, gives one of her best performances. Javier Bardem, though, is the real standout here amongst the four. It's a truly moving performance of a man finding it difficult to lead his congregation when he's struggling with his own faith, seeking for help in a hushed narration that speaks incredible volume. Despite the well known cast, these are not "acting powerhouse" type performances. The moments that move you most are the quietest. Whether it's a husband's silent, angry stare in response to his wife's confession or a priest forcing a smile for a church member to mask his hidden sadness, it's their body language that delivers the most emotion in the role. Like the other Terrence Malick pictures, this is not an easily interpreted film. Chances are, with a second viewing, I may find another meaning to this small and intimate story. That's the greatness of Malick though. He assumes his viewers are intelligent enough to figure it out for themselves without a strict, "by the books" motive and plot. Don't get me wrong. Like any story, there is conflict here. Trust me. There's plenty of it. We witness a husband and wife struggling to co-exist. We witness a priest, living in lonlieness, questioning his God; both struggles stemming from a weakness in faith. Why have the filmmaker explain everything to you in detail though? Sometimes, a great joy in film can be discovering something on your own.
As with his past films, there's no doubt that To the Wonder will divide viewers into the "Love it/Hate it" camp (Not for anything controversial, but for Malick's style). The pacing is slow. The motives aren't always clear, and the most trying times in the movie are the softest moments, but hey, such is life. Life trials aren't always loud and explosive. We've all been there. Sometimes we bury that anger, or sadness, or bitterness inside us to where on the outside it may appear tranquil; deep down, though, it sits inside our souls and festers. I found myself intrigued and moved by this quiet tale of crises of faith, be it in God or in your lover. I give To the Wonder an A (★★★★).
Cast of Characters:
Mia - Jane Levy
David - Shiloh Fernandez
Eric - Lou Taylor Pucci
Olivia - Jessica Lucas
Natalie - Elizabeth Blackmore
Director - Fede Alvarez
Screenplay - Fede Alvarez & Rodo Sayagues
Based on the script "The Evil Dead" by Sam Raimi
Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, some sexual content and language
In 1981, a relatively unknown writer/director named Sam Raimi filmed, for just under half a million dollars, The Evil Dead. The film received mostly positive reviews and eventually the film became a cult-classic within the horror film genre. As of today, that relative unknown Raimi has become one of Hollywood's biggest directors, directing two more entries in the Evil Dead series as well as Darkman, The Quick and the Dead, A Simple Plan, For the Love of the Game, Spider-Man and its two sequels, and this year's Oz the Great and Powerful. Now in 2013, Raimi, original producer Robert G. Tapert and lead actor Bruce Campbell produce a new reboot of the classic horror film, Evil Dead.
The film opens with a group of friends led by David (Shiloh Fernandez) along with his girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore) and two friends Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) and Olivia (Jessica Lucas), a registered nurse. The four are staying at a cabin in the woods owned by David's family to help David's little sister Mia (Jane Levy) kick her drug habit of smack. Quite honestly, Mia could be the most sober one in the group and you'd still think she's got some screws loose in her head. She's as moody as they come and she likes to sketch. If you know anything about creepy people in horror films, they always like to sketch things with their heads hung low. She's also been complaining about some horrid smell of death since she got there that apparently no one else can smell.
Within no time, the family dog of David and Mia's finds a trap door located in the center of the living room. Opening it up, they discover that smell Mia may have been talking about is a clutter of dead animals hung on hooks in the basement. It is then Eric who discovers a mysterious book that says "LEAVE THIS BOOK ALONE!" So naturally, they do so, and the film ends, and Mia kicks her habit, and everyone's happy. The end... Hey, of course not. Eric - like an idiot - opens the book and hey, while we're at it, let's recite the chants they don't want us to recite too. What's the worse that could happen? Say the nearest exit out of there is conveniently flooded during a rainstorm. Say Mia becomes possessed by the nastiest bitch out of hell. Say Mia walks out of her room with a shotgun in hand and tells the other four, "You're all gonna die tonight!", while the others stare back awkwardly, stay put and go, "Hey, Mia, why don't you put the gun down." No big deal, right? Go on, Eric. Recite away. These people either have spines of steel or are really that stupid. It'd
probably take the Gates of Hell opening up right in front of them to
get them all out of that damn house.
I don't expect characters in any horror film to be Mensa members, but I don't expect to be as stupid as the ones in Evil Dead are. David is either suffering from an extreme case of denial, naivety, or is just retarded. After seeing all the horror he has witnessed at the hands of his little sister, he still says to Eric, "Well, maybe she's just sick and needs to see a doctor." Olivia is a registered nurse, but I'd never trust my worst enemy's life in her hands, let alone mine considering I'd be surprised if she could register for a Hotmail account. Natalie is just the token bimbo of the group that commits the big cliche we've seen time and time again where she hears Mia - still possessed, of course - crying for help, so she goes down into the basement to see what's wrong. As for Eric, for God's sake, the book said "LEAVE THIS BOOK ALONE!" There's absolutely nothing cryptic or in need of interpretation about it. Leave the damn book alone! All this film has to offer is nothing but gore and more gore. Granted, the makeup and prosthetic effects by Jane O'Kane and Roger Murray respectively as well as the production design by Robert Gillies are first rate. There's no doubt, as I've said before on here, that crew members such as the editors, the makeup artists, and the production designers are the unsung heroes of each film that is made. However, this film is so unoriginal and the characters are so dumb that it doesn't matter how good the makeup and production design is. It's just a waste of their talents. Directors like Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino and even Mel Gibson have been able to wield gore and violence within their story like an art form. Gore just to see how much you can make the viewer cringe, on the other hand, is neither clever or interesting.
I'm a big fan of well made horror movies; films that can scare me witless or leave me with that unnerved, gut wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach. The Exorcist is not only my favorite scary movie, but also one of my favorite movies in general. There's also The Ring, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, The Others, The Orphanage, and this year's Mama was entertainingly frightful. More fittingly, I'm a huge fan of the original Evil Dead. While I didn't like the second or third entries in the series as they were a little too campy for me, the first Evil Dead contained just the right blend of creepy scares, frightening chills, and dark humor. That's what made it great. That's what made it a top 10 horror film for me. Save a few funny one-liners here in the remake, all the wicked humor that made the original so good is stripped away and we're left with a gory mess that takes itself way too seriously. So, readers, avoid this film at all costs and rent the original 1981 classic The Evil Dead instead. I give Evil Dead a D- (½★).
Hello, readers. To to those that have noticed, I've added a new feature to the blog page. With the email notifier, it should from now on notify you when I put up a new post. It's located in the top right corner of the page, so feel free to subscribe whenever you're able to. Having said that, let's move on to Tuesday's video pick of the week. This week's pick is phenomenal foreign language film out of Mexico and the first feature length film of critically acclaimed director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. It's also the first film of Inarritu's "Death Trilogy", the next two films being 21 Grams and Babel.
Amores Perros focuses on three distinct stories all connected by one car accident. The first story deals with Octavio (Gael Garcia Bernal) and his sister-in-law Susana (Vanessa Bauche). Susana is in an emotionally and sometimes physically abusive relationship with Octavio's brother Ramiro. Octavio's in love with Susana and wants to give her the life he feels she deserves. To do that, he winds up making some quick cash by diving into the underworld of dog fighting. The second story deals with an affair involving Daniel (Alvaro Guerrero) and Valeria (Goya Toledo). Valeria is a famous supermodel, obsessed with her pet dog Richie, and Daniel is a magazine publisher with a family of his own. Valeria's life is turned upside down when she ends up in a car crash that may have ended her career in modeling. The third and final story deals with "El Chivo" (Emilio Echevarria). Once a former private school teacher, "El Chivo" wound up serving twenty years in prison for his involvement in some guerrilla movements. Now he's seen as a vagrant, pushing a junk cart through the city accompanied by his pack of dogs.
This is a perfect example of an A+ film. The way this story unfolds throughout its two and a half hour running time and the way the lives of three unsuspecting individuals intertwine together is nothing short of brilliant writing and directing. You know you have a great film when a movie well over two hours is able to captivate you for each and every minute of its length. While the rough translation of the title means "Love's a bitch", director Inarritu has been quoted saying there's more to the title than just its rough translation. There are a variety of angles you could look at with this story. The fact that love is such a powerful emotion, capable of both making us stronger or breaking our spirit. The fact that love is capable of making us do crazy things at times in the heat of the moment, similar to a dog in heat. There's also the dog angle. Dogs are a very key component to each of the three main characters within the story, dealing with themes of loyalty (as dogs aka "Man's best friend" are) and disloyalty (seducing your brother's wife, marital infidelity, etc.). There are a number of different angles you could take away from this movie. That's what makes this story so strong and keeps your eyes glued to the screen from the opening to closing credits.With writing as strong as this, direction that is perfectly spot on, and extremely sublime performances - including an Oscar worthy supporting performance from Emilio Echevarria that will terrify one moment, then move you to tears by the end - this is a must see. Rent it, put it in your Netflix queue, it's even worth buying to own. By far one of the best films 2000 had to offer, Amores Perros is a film you will never forget.
Cast of Characters:
Mike Banning - Gerard Butler
President Benjamin Asher - Aaron Eckhart
Speaker of the House Allan Trumbull - Morgan Freeman
Lynne Jacobs - Angela Bassett
General Edward Clegg - Robert Forster
Agent Roma - Cole Hauser
Connor Asher - Finley Jacobson
Margaret Asher - Ashley Judd
Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan - Melissa Leo
Dave Forbes - Dylan McDermott
Leah Banning - Radha Mitchell
Kang Yeonsak - Rick Yune
Director - Antoine Fuqua
Screenplay - Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt
Rated R for strong violence and language throughout
Since Training Day, back in 2001, director Antoine Fuqua has helmed some riveting action films over the past ten years. Lately, with films like Shooter and Brooklyn’s Finest, Fuqua has been on the start of what seems to be a slump. Now in 2013, his next project, Olympus Has Fallen, featuring an all-star cast that includes Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Academy Award winners Morgan Freeman and Melissa Leo, as well as well as Academy Award nominees Angela Bassett and Robert Forster, is released. Can Fuqua rekindle the thrills and intensity he brought with Training Day, Tears of the Sun, and King Arthur, or will the slump continue?
Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is a former secret service agent, now working a Treasury Department desk job after a tragic accident occurred over a year ago. On the day President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) holds a meeting between him and the South Korean Prime Minister, the White House is taken over by a Korean guerrilla assault by both land and air. Both the president along with his vice president and Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan (Melissa Leo) are held hostage. Leading the assault is Kang Yeonsak (Rick Yune), a former North Korean terrorist. His plan is to get three disclosed access codes that will unlock the Cerberus - a system that would detonate all of America's nuclear weapons within their silos.
Since Banning's desk job is within eyesight of the White House, he notices the attack and takes action, heading to the White House. Meanwhile both Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett), the head of the Secret Service and Army Chief of Staff General Edward Clegg (Robert Forster) notify Speaker of the House Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) that since both the president and vice president are unable to perform their duties in this time of crisis, by way of constitutional authority, he is now the acting president. Once Banning infiltrates the White House and gets contact with Speaker Trumbull, it is up to them both to try and bring down Kang and his band of terrorists.
Although a fairly simplified plot (to the film's credit), I was looking forward to seeing this movie. It features an extraordinarily talented all-star cast, and a director that knows how to put together a film that can be thrilling and pulse pounding intense. While there are some great kill moments and some terrifically directed action sequences, the film is burdened by a weak script. It's not the story I have a problem with, it's the hokey dialogue. While some of the "one-liner" moments are meant to be funny, for every intentional laugh there's an unintentional one that comes with it. There are a few standout performances. Both Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart are solid as the two main leads. Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott, and Robert Forster deliver some fine supporting performances, and when isn't Morgan Freeman a strong presence onscreen? Rick Yune, while not as devilishly charming or charismatic as Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber (I use the Die Hard reference since this film has already been portrayed as Die Hard in the White House), still manages to make a credible villain. It's Melissa Leo though that is awful. Don't get me wrong. I've loved Melissa Leo since I first saw her in Frozen River, and she earned every bit of the supporting actress Oscar she won for her role in The Fighter. That being said, her performance here is just a waste of a great actress on a one note character that just seems to moan and whine and grimace her way through what little lines that she has.
It's always a shame when I can't end up giving a film I really wanna like a strong recommendation. Look at the cast and who's directing. There's absolutely no excuse this film couldn't have been an extremely entertaining "must see" action film. A re-write or two could've possibly fixed that. I can maybe justify saying rent it when it's available to if you're ever in the mood for a poor man's Die Hard that happens to contain some decent action and a few good performances. Some other stronger films featuring Gerard Bulter to throw in with that rental would be 300, RocknRolla, or Machine Gun Preacher. I'm hoping someday we'll get another Antoine Fuqua film where I can say "Definitely go and see this!" I know he has it in him to make that happen. As for this film, the most I can give is maybe a mild recommendation. I give Olympus Has Fallen a C+ (★★½).
REVIEWS COMING LATER THIS WEEK...
Benjamin's Stash: Video Pick of the Week Evil Dead To the Wonder
Obviously, unless you've been living under a rock for the past five to ten years, you know the Twilight series has become a huge hit both in film and book. While many teen to young adult girls ate that melodramatic crap up, I found it to be just that... melodramatic crap. Twilight author Stephenie Myer has written another novel The Host which has now, in 2013, been turned into a feature length film.
In the future, the human race has been assimilated by a rather peaceful group of extra-terrestrials known as "souls". They look like what a caterpillar might appear to you as if strung out on LSD. One night, Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) - a non-assimilated human - is being "hunted" down (for lack of a more benevolent term) by The Seeker (Diane Kruger). Melanie is taken into custody and infused with a "soul". Now assimilated, the new Melanie names herself Wanderer. The Seeker gives her one job: to use her memories to track down any remaining humans.
One problem though - Melanie's own soul seems to not wanna go down without a fight and struggles with Wanderer from within her mind. With Wanderer now hesitant to divulge any possible information on people Melanie might have known in the past, The Seeker decides to put the "soul" in a new more cooperative body. Upon finding out what will happen, Wanderer listens to Melanie and breaks out, heading for the desert.
While in the desert, Wanderer is discovered by Jeb Stryder (William Hurt), Melanie's uncle. Jeb hasn't been assimilated and has even created a self-sustaining colony from within the desert rock formations. He soon realizes that Melanie has been taken over by a "soul", but takes pity on her regardless. The others in his camp, including Melanie's Aunt Maggie (Frances Fisher) and her former boyfriend Jared Howe (Max Irons), are anything but sympathetic. The one exception, other than Jeb, is her younger brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury). Much to most everyone's disapproval, Jeb takes Wanderer in and gives her a place to stay. One of the other members, Ian O'Shea (Jake Abel), takes a liking to her because what's a Stephenie Myer story without a complicated love triangle? Not all is right with the world just yet, though, as The Seeker is still on the lookout for Wanderer.
Okay, for those that have read my reviews, I've given my thoughts on Twilight before, so there's no need for me to beat that dead horse some more here. Plus, this is The Host, not Twilight. What good is me reviewing movies if I'm just gonna be biased toward one film all 'cause of another? I haven't read the Stephenie Myer novel version of The Host, so I'm strictly gonna review this as its own movie. For starters, I will say this is an interesting premise. The idea of non-violent extra-terrestrials inhabiting humans, yet somehow the humans still feel like a prisoner inside is intriguing. Writer/director Andrew Niccol is no stranger to films about fabricated worlds. The Truman Show and Gattaca, both previous efforts of his, dealt with that issue. Here he does a solid job once again creating two worlds: the self-sustaining colony of the survivors and the Utopian-like world of the "souls". There's very little CGI or heavy action sequences (most often associated with science-fiction films), but that's not the problem. In fact, I found it kinda unique and refreshing to see a filmmaker's take on a sci-fi flick without the aid of special effects that normally go hand and hand with it. The problem though is that there's very little if any dramatic tension at all. Granted, at times there are some genuinely, thrilling moments, but then more often than not, you start to wonder if the film has any pulse. Most of the performance are solid. Saoirse Ronan is fine in the lead role, though there are times when the Melanie counter-voice in her head borders on unintentionally funny. Diane Kruger is well cast as the main antagonist on the hunt for Wanderer, and William Hurt is a delight here. Hurt has always been a great character actor for years, and in this film he's once again great, putting a more restrained approach on the cliche "leader of the survivors" character that typically is the more irrational, gung-ho one of the bunch. The love triangle obviously doesn't add much to the film, although it's nowhere near as morose or full of pain and longing like Team Edward and Team Jacob.
I can appreciate the idea of a sci-fi film wanting to be different from the rest. Without special effects, or explosions, or in your face action sequences, I was intrigued by the idea of it being more story driven. I just wish there was a little bit more tension involved. Drama. Anything. It's not a bad film by any means, but I can't quite give it a strong recommendation. The direction and performances though are enough to merit me saying it's worth a mild recommendation when it comes out on disc and what the hell, I'll say it again... Still a better love story than Twilight. I give The Host a C+ (★★½).
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of combat violence and martial arts action throughout, and for brief sensuality and language
We all know of G.I. Joe whether it be the action figures, video games or the hit 80s cartoon series with its Public Safety catchphrase, "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!". In 2009, Paramount Pictures released a live-action, feature length film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which essentially was a gigantic CGI mess of a film with. Now in 2013, Paramount has released its sequel, G.I. Joe:Retaliation. Can it redeem the series?
Sent by the President of the United States (Jonathan Pryce) on a mission to disarm Pakistan, the G.I. Joes, led by Duke (Channing Tatum) and Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), along with Flint (D.J. Cotrona) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), are soon taken down by a military strike. What they thought was their mission ended up being a framing setup on them by Zartan, who has kidnapped the president and used Nanomite technology to visually impersonate him.
Meanwhile, Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) and Firefly (Ray Stevenson) travel to Germany to break free Cobra Commander from the penitentiary. While executing the planned escape, Storm Shadow is injured and retreats to the Himalayas where he meets Snake Eyes (Ray Park), who's on a mission of his own to capture Storm Shadow for the murder of his leader's uncle.
Back home in the United States, Zartan has replaced the G.I. Joes with Cobra as the country's main protective force. It's up to the remaining Joes, along with the aid of General Joseph Colton (Bruce Willis) - for whom the Joes were named after - to stop Zartan and bring back order to the world.
What the hell is going on? That's basically how I can sum up my reaction to this film in a few words or less. The story is convoluted and there's way too many characters and subplots for just one film. The direction is heavy handed and chaotic, and the performances are as bland as you could get. Maybe that's 'cause they all realize how absurd of a film this really is. I was hoping Channing Tatum wouldn't give another surprisingly solid supporting performance like he did earlier this year in Side Effects. He didn't disappoint. He rose to the occasion and proved he is capable of delivering a character that's as flat and one note as they come. Dwayne Johnson also gave a strong performance in Snitch earlier in the year. It wasn't Oscar worthy by any means, but it showed he had potential to go further with more performance driven movies. Here he's probably wondering just how many more films involving him walking away from an explosion in slow motion he's gonna have to do before he can finally be taken seriously. I really blame the studios for that. Johnson showed in Snitch that he's capable of a good performance that can lead to possibly greater performances in other films. Apparently the studio heads just wanna see him blow things up... and then walk away in slow motion. As for Bruce Willis, by the time he showed up in the film, I didn't really give a damn. You know what? I have a feeling as big as his paycheck was, Bruce didn't either.
Yes, there are a few cleverly choreographed fight scenes, and the great character actor Jonathan Pryce has a some darkly funny villainous moments at times, but if you think just that can redeem a movie as a whole, you're dead wrong. There was a simplicity to the cartoon series that made it such a fun hit for kids. There's no simplicity to these films at all. How can you expect a kid - hell, anyone - to enjoy a film when it has no idea what's going on? Oh, yeah, that's right. Throw a bunch of gunfire, explosions, and BOOM, CRASH, POW, basically a light show on crack, and you'll have them hooked. I give G.I. Joe: Retaliation a D (★).
Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, some graphic nudity, drugs and drinking
In 2009, writers Jon Lucas & Scott Moore scored a box office hit with The Hangover, an adult comedy in the vein of such previous works such as Road Trip and Old School. Now in 2013, the writers are also branching out into directing with their own film, 21 & Over.
Jeff Chang (Justin Chon) has been best friends with Miller (Miles Teller) and Casey (Skylar Astin) since high school. Miller and Casey, already 21, are planning to take Chang out for his 21st birthday. Chang's father is dead-set against this considering he has a medical school interview set up for Chang the next day. You know what the means? It means Chang's gonna go out anyway with Miller and Casey. He's also gonna insist that he's only gonna have one drink, and that's it... and then he ends up shit faced plastered by the end of the night.
Does it end there? No, it does not, 'cause Miller and Casey - despite being best friends with Chang since high school - have somehow forgotten where Chang lives. I give you two nominees for "Friend of the Year". They attempt to get in touch with another friend of Chang's, Nicole (Sarah Wright), 'cause she might know where he lives, and - wow, seriously, are you reading this, readers? Can you see the ridiculousness within the plot? 'Cause it's bright and shiny and sticks out like a Vegas neon sign.
What an extremely annoying film. This film is so "by the books" cliche it ain't even funny. How many times have we seen the plot involving the annoying, foul mouthed party animal, the good guy that tends to be the voice of reason within the group, and the one with the hard ass father pushing him into a lucrative career that he feels isn't himself and then somehow manages to grow a pair of balls by the end of the film to tell his dad he needs to pursue what makes him "happy"? This film doesn't even attempt to be original or even funny at that. You know the party animal is gonna reform by the end. You know the good guy gets the girl, and you know the pansy's gonna man up to his dad. The Hangover wasn't a masterpiece by any means, but it at least made you laugh, partly due to the casting and the comic chemistry between the three leads (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis). By the time this movie's about ten minutes in, you already know the three leads are gonna get drunk the night before the big interview, crazy shenanigans happen in between, and lo and behold, they magically make it back in time to get ready for the interview. Plus, the film takes an incredibly awkward turn for a moment when it suddenly has that "serious moment". As ridiculous as the film is up until that point, there's absolutely no way you can buy its so called sincerity when it tries to be serious.
Just for kicks, I looked up how much the budget for this film was - thirteen million... Yes, that's thirteen million dollars. The only thing more shocking than the stunning revelation that a film studio would throw that much money at this gigantic, festering turd is that I think there were two moments that may have gotten a small laugh out of me. That may have been a facial spasm tick though. I can't be too sure either way. What I can be sure of is that this film may be reappearing on a certain top 10 list next year. I give 21 & Over a D- (½★).
On a more somber note, today I found out about the passing of film critic Roger Ebert. It seems odd that just yesterday I was reading a post he wrote about taking a break, but still continuing to write reviews once his health improved. I remember watching Ebert & Roeper when I was in high school, and it was really that show, along with archived videos of Siskel & Ebert that got me into critiquing movies. It may seem a little unflattering to post a dedication to the greatest film critic of all time within a trashy film review; however, if you've ever watched his show or read his reviews, you know how much fun he had ripping into a really bad film (On early editions of Siskel & Ebert, they used to have a skunk show up on set for their segment called "Stinker of the Week"). I know of no better way to honor Ebert. My prayers go out to his family. RIP, Roger Ebert. I greatly enjoyed your insight into film even if I may have disagreed with you at times. You will be missed.
Okay, readers, we've finally reached the finale of this five part series. Coming up with 50 of the greatest film villains wasn't an easy task as there were at least 20 other possible candidates I could've put on this list. Having said that, let's finish up the series with the 10 greatest villains to ever appear on the silver screen.
10) Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street) - Robert Englund
1984 - John Carpenter's Halloween may be the greatest of the "slasher film" genre, but there's doubt that Robert Englund's perfect turn as creepy child murderer Freddy Krueger in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (just the first one, mind you) is the greatest of the genre's villains. Having once murdered up to 20 children and then released on a technicality, Freddy was burned alive by the town's parents. Years later, Freddy is getting his revenge from beyond the dead by haunting and killing the teens within their dreams. Englund is truly terrifying, but also displays just the right amount of dark, twisted humor to blend in with the terror. It's one of the most memorable and long lasting images in horror villain history. For the record, the remake was garbage.
9) SS-Lieutenant Amon Goeth (Schindler's List) - Ralph Fiennes
1993 - With all due respect to both Tommy Lee Jones and the film The Fugitive - a great film, by the way - Jones's performance there wasn't even the best of his to be nominated for an Oscar, much less the best of his career period. The man who should've won Best Supporting Actorin 1994 was by far Ralph Fiennes for his sadistic turn as the Nazi Lieutenant Amon Goeth.To see just how psychotic Amon Goeth really is, look no further than the scene where he wakes up and nonchalantly shoots Jews entering the camp like it's a daily breakfast routine. No remorse. No hesitation. It's like a walk in the park for him.
8) Reverend Harry Powell (The Night of the Hunter) - Robert Mitchum
1955 - Walt Disney has five villains on this list. Director Steven Spielberg has three. Directors Quentin Tarantino, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Jonathan Demme, James Cameron, Alfred Hitchcock, and Stanley Kubrick each have two. Robert Mitchum, though, is the only individual actor to appear, not just in this list, but in the top 20 twice. As the Reverend Harry Powell, he's an itinerant preacher... and serial killer with the words "LOVE" tattooed on the right hand knuckles, and "HATE" tattooed on the left. He spreads the Gospel along the Ohio River. Gains the trust of wealthy widows. Marries them... and then kills them for their money. It's a truly haunting performance by the late, great Mitchum, and quite possibly the best performance of his career.
7) Pazuzu(The Exorcist) - voiced by Mercedes McCambridge
1973 - One of the most controversial films of its time, we never see the demon Pazuzu per se, but we certainly see the horror it unleashes on one family. Once it possesses Regan McNeill (Linda Blair) we see the slow, gradual physical affliction it places on the once innocent girl, making her do and say things we'd never expect from a young girl. The way Pazuzu disguises its voice as Father Karras's recently passed mother during the climatic exorcism saying "Demi, why you do this to me, Demi?" shows just how pure evil it really is. Like Nosferatu, this isn't a "scary" film by today's standards, but I challenge anyone to find a movie that's just as unsettling as this film. It's the loss of innocence forced upon Regan that makes Pazuzu such a truly terrifying villain.
6) Michael Corleone (The Godfather Part II) - Al Pacino
1974 - In my opinion, Michael Corleone represents the ultimate film personification of a heart that's easily corrupted. It's far too ironic that in Part I Michael, unlike his brothers "Sonny" and "Fredo", wanted nothing to do with the family business. Once a decorated Marine who fought in World War II, Corleone - come Part II - is now as cold and unforgiving as they come. To those that haven't seen The Godfather series, I'll avoid spoiling the exact reasons why Corleone is so cold and unforgiving, 'cause this series is a must see above all others. I'll just say the character of Michael Corleone is one of the best, if not the best, depictions of a once honorable man - a war hero even - now downfallen into a life of crime and murder.
5) Dr. Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs) - Anthony Hopkins
1991 - Anthony Hopkins won the Academy Award for his portrayal of the infamously iconic cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Assisting FBI Agent-in-training Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) in catching a serial killer known as "Buffalo Bill", Lecter - although technically a villain - manages to form a strange
relationship with Starling. He gives her clues
and information on the serial killer she's after in exchange for
details about her unhappy childhood.Hannibal is eloquent, intelligent, and extremely gruesome. Watch his escape from captivity to see what I mean.
4) Miss Almira Gulch/The Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz) - Margaret Hamilton
1939 - In one of the greatest films of all time, The Wicked Witch of the West was the stuff of nightmares for children watching this classic. The voice. The cackling laugh. The look. Her theme song. The fact that this cold-hearted bitch not only wanted Dorothy, but her little dog too. Everything about the wicked witch is perfectly chilling, and Margaret Hamilton gives a performance that's just as entertaining as it is frightening leading up to the thrilling "I'm melting! Oh, what a world! What a world!" scene. Yeah, that's a spoiler, but for God's sake. This is The Wizard of Oz! The only excuse I'm allowing from you for not seeing this film by now... is that you're Amish.
3) Darth Vader (Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope) - David Prowse/voiced by James Earl Jones
1977 - While not the number one villain here, you could argue Darth Vader has the most iconic appearance out of any of the 50 villains mentioned here. While Star Wars is certainly not a scary film by any means, Darth Vader still managed to leave a frightening impact with his deep, menacing voice (superbly performed by James Earl Jones) and mechanical breathing. It's hard for me to explain too much of the original trilogy without giving away the "big reveal" from Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (the best of the series, in my opinion), but the clip I just played for you here is all you need to see how unrelenting, uncompromising, and intimidating of a presence he was within the Galactic Empire.
2) Norman Bates (Psycho) - Anthony Perkins
1960 - Norman Bates is the epitome of creepiness. The scene (part of which I just played) where he has dinner with Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) - much to the displeasure of Bates's mother - is one of the many reasons why I am shocked Alfred Hitchcock has never won a Best Director Oscar. It's such a quiet conversation between Bates and Crane. There's hardly a word shouted, yet that's what makes it so disturbing. He appears like a normal, clean cut man, but deep down you know there's something off about him. It's a truly brilliant performance by Academy Award nominee Anthony Perkins, and the quiet tension, that you could practically cut with a knife, created between him and Leigh in that dinner scene is as nail biting intense as they come.
And now for the number one villain ever. We've finally reached it after five weeks. And the winner is...
1) HAL 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey) - voiced by Douglas Rain
1968 - Some of you may be wondering, "What?! Over Darth Vader?! Over Norman Bates?! Hannibal Lecter?!" Well, hear me out. Hal 9000 isn't flashy or charismatic like a number of the villains mentioned in all of the five segments. Hell, he's not even human... or even personified for that matter. At least T-101 and T-1000 from The Terminator series were in the form of a human. That's what makes HAL such a terrifying villain and the greatest of them all. Its simply a computer with a voice, and a soft-spoken, monotone one at that too. When it first premiered in the late 60s, computers were still a new idea, so the thought of seeing one in a film turn sentient probably scared moviegoers shitless. When astronauts Dave Bowman and Frank Poole debate disconnecting HAL, and attempt to conceal their conversation, they're unaware HAL can lip read. HAL then attempts to kill both the astronauts in order to continue its programmed operations. The idea of what most people would view as an inanimate object such as a computer becoming self-aware in the vast emptiness of space where your life is at the mercy of both HAL and the ship is what makes it such a frightening villain. It's not thrilling. It's not gruesome. It's not psychotic. It's not even human. It's simply a machine.
There you have it. The top 50 movie villains of all-time. It's been a great five weeks coming up with these 50, and maybe sometime later in the year, I'll have another top 50 list for you all. Feel free to comment on who you think should be the number one greatest villain ever. It's okay to disagree with my pick. I'd love to read what your pick would be.
