Homefront

Cast of Characters:

Phil Broker - Jason Statham

Morgan "Gator" Bodine - James Franco

Sheryl Gott - Winona Ryder

Cassie Klum - Kate Bosworth

Susan Hatch - Rachelle Lefevre

Cyrus Hanks - Frank Grillo

Sheriff Keith Rodriguez - Clancy Brown

Maddy Broker - Izabela Vidovic

Director - Gary Fleder

Screenplay - Sylvester Stallone

Based on the novel Homefront by Chuck Logan

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, drug content and brief sexuality

      Jason Statham is back to kicking everyone's ass with Kate Bosworth, Frank Grillo and Academy Award nominees Winona Ryder and James Franco in Homefront. Think Taken meets Breaking Bad meets Lizard Lick Towing meets Duck Dynasty.

      Phil Broker (Jason Statham) is a widowed, ex-undercover DEA Agent who has now moved down south with his daughter Maddy (Izabela Vidovic). It's a small, quaint town, almost too quaint. That means we're gonna get that one law enforcement official (Clancy Brown) that seems to be the only one on duty throughout the entire film, the one attractive local (Rachelle Lefevre) Statham takes a liking too (much to his daughter's pleasure), and of course, the number of yokels that don't take too kindly to Statham being all up in their neck of the woods.

      Following a school playground skirmish between Maddy and one of the kid bullies, Broker finds himself in deep when the kid's mother, Cassie Klum (Kate Bosworth), asks her meth making brother Morgan "Gator" Bodine (James Franco) and his white-trash girlfriend Sheryl Gott (Winona Ryder) to scare Statham and his little girl off. As Seinfeld would say, "Well... good luck with aaaaall that."

      So much for this week of film batting 1.000 for me. There's really not much to expect here. It comes off as a film you would've seen back in the 80's and 90's. Knowing that Sly Stallone himself wrote the script, that makes sense. I can't knock Sly too hard. The man did write Rocky... but he also wrote Staying Alive, Rhinestone, Cobra, Over the Top, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, and Driven. The problem here is that he takes the material too seriously. Yeah, I know, you can't make light of child abduction, but as the storyline progresses, it just gets more and more ridiculous. Gary Fleder hasn't had the illustrious career all directors dream of having (he did direct Don't Say a Word which I enjoyed), but he does his best at putting together a well-made action film with some effective editing. Although there was an unnecessary sex scene between Franco and Ryder that literally looked like it was photoshop, copy and pasted into the film.  Like I said, it's a predictable, you get what you pay for film. The only surprise here are a few of the casting choices. When I first saw the trailer in theaters, they concealed the bad guy's face until Bosworth walks up to ask him for a favor. That's when they revealed him - wait for it... wait for it! Oh, hey, look, it's a meth-head James Franco as not Gator Bodine, but "Gaaaturrrr Bodiiiine!" and his shit eating grin (the theater broke out into snickers when they finally showed him during the trailer). Franco's a fantastic actor and considering he's more known for his "artsy-fartsy" persona, you can understand why he'd wanna take a break, stretch outside his comfort zone and sink his teeth into a greasy, white-trash part like this. The problem is he's not really all that intimidating and you're trying to pair him (and Ryder too) up against Jason Statham, who next to Chuck Norris, is the last guy I'd ever wanna criticize and believe me, I'm doing my best to tread lightly here. Seriously, a Statham vs. Franco and Ryder fight would last probably three seconds and that's if Mr. Statham was being generous. It's just not a believable conflict and even with half a functioning brain you'd still know full well that Statham could roundhouse kick Franco and Ryder into the next century like it's a snap of the finger. It was great to see Ryder back onscreen again though. Remember when she was big back in the late 80's to 90's? Yeah, I blame Saks. Who is believable and works terrifically here is Kate Bosworth as Franco's skin-and-bones, crack smoking sister. She's actually fantastic and I've never really been much a fan of hers (She still has a long, long, long way to go before I forgive her for her awful take on Lois Lane in the stinker Superman Returns), but it's a believable performance that makes me wonder if the filmmakers really had her smoking crack. Hey, method acting works. Just ask Daniel Day-Lewis.

      There's not much to say here. It's not like I was expecting Oscar gold and was absolutely let down. Statham is a great actor and has done some great films before, but it's all relative to my past beef with McConaughey. With him you had a great actor wasting his talent on dopey chick flicks, and with Statham, after you watch films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and The Bank Job, you're also left wondering why he resorts to doing harmless, yet still dopey films like these. While he certainly has a lot of charisma and works really well with newcomer Izabela Vidovic, it's still just another textbook character out of the Statham playbook that we've seen him do time and time again. It's not a horrible film, so I won't be scratching my head in confusion if you rent it. Just go into it expecting exactly what it is and you'll be fine. I give Homefront a C (★★½).

REVIEWS COMING LATER NEXT WEEK...

The Last Days on Mars

Out of the Furnace  

The Book Thief

Cast of Characters:

Hans Hubermann - Geoffrey Rush

Rosa Hubermann - Emily Watson

Liesel Meminger - Sophie Nelisse

Max Vandenburg - Ben Schnetzer

Director - Brian Percival

Screenplay - Michael Petroni

Based on the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Rated PG-13 for some violence and intense depiction of thematic material

      Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush, Academy Award nominee Emily Watson and newcomer Sophie Nelisse star in Brian Percival's film adaptation, The Book Thief.

      Following the death of her younger brother, Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse) is sent by her mother to live with a foster family, Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa Hubermann (Emily Watson), in WWII Germany. Rosa comes off as the strict headmaster of the household, while Hans takes an immediate and affectionate liking to Liesel. Having brought with her a book of her brother's that was left by his graveside, she becomes intrigued by reading, despite not being able to read, and begins to collect books that she finds.

      With Nazi Germany rearing its ugly head in the background, Liesel makes a new friend with Max Vandenburg (Ben Schnetzer), a runaway Jewish boy who the Hubermann's are hiding and protecting in their basement.

      When I first saw the preview for this, I wasn't turned off by it in any way, but I was somewhat a bit "Really?" with the way the marketed it, having the voice-over narration play out like some cheesy made-for-TV Hallmark film. Having now seen The Book Thief, thankfully previews aren't the judge with the final say on how a film will turn out. This is one of the year's best films. It's never easy combining fable-like, heartwarming moments with a horrific backdrop, particularly one as tragic as the Holocaust. Thanks to director Brian Percival and screenwriter Michael Petroni, though, the two have crafted together a moving and respectful tale that balances the lighthearted moments perfectly with the darker tones of the film while never once taking the subject of Nazi Germany lightly either. Aside from a few moments, we don't get too deep into the tragedy of the Holocaust, but this isn't Schindler's List. This is a story of a family brought together through extremely tragic circumstances, yet they are still able to find joy in the smaller moments that life provides them. Some may find the tone to be off-putting, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We already know of the atrocities caused by Hitler. Spielberg perfectly captured it in the aforementioned Schindler's List. How often do we get a film that - yes, is set amidst the backdrop of one of history's greatest sins - but is about the everyday good German folk that despite the hardships they faced, still tried to rise above it all? French-Canadian actress Sophie Nelisse has done a few things back up in Canada, but for me she's a newcomer and it's quite a wonderful entrance for her. She is absolutely magnificent as the young, vulnerable yet still fiercely strong Liesel. When a certain Hitler Youth student taunts her to read and calls her a "dummkopf" (German for stupid), she has no problem putting him in his place with a good bitch slap. As she becomes more and more attached to her adoptive family and Max, she fights to keep them, having already lost her mother and brother. I look forward to seeing more from this girl. Both Geoffrey Rush (who rarely - that is, if ever - fails) and Emily Watson are terrific as the two adoptive parents that take Liesel in and do what they can to shelter her what is taken place in the country and what is yet to come. Watson's Rosa, in particular, is the type of woman you'd never wanna cross, but like any well written character, there are moments where the humanity within her comes out.

      While the events of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust aren't in full display, we still are reminded every now and then throughout the film of the evil Hitler brought upon his country. Yet, this is not a movie about heartbreak and tragedy. Yes, we do get those moments, but overall this is an uplifting film of courage and hope, featuring a final ten minutes that moved even a cynic like me. With strong direction and writing, performances that could move a solid stone wall to tears, and some perfectly fit story narration by "death" that captures the fable-like mood of this film, this is certainly one of the year's best movies, and although it faces some very strong competition, it could be a dark horse contender in the Best Picture field. I give The Book Thief an A+ (★★★★).

Dallas Buyers Club

Cast of Characters:
Ron Woodroof - Matthew McConaughey
Dr. Eve Saks - Jennifer Garner
Rayon - Jared Leto

Director - Jean-Marc Vallee
Screenplay - Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack
Rated R for pervasive language, some strong sexual content, nudity and drug use


      The McConaughsance continues and its Oscar buzz is heating up. Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto costar with Matthew McConaughey in the true life story of Ron Woodroof, Dallas Buyers Club.

 

      Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) is a drug addicted, rodeo cowboy sleaze who, after his rather loose ways, is diagnosed HIV positive and is told he has only 30 days left to live. While he does take the FDA approved AZT drug, this only helps bring him closer to the brink of death. To survive, Woodroof begins to smuggle FDA unapproved anti-viral medications.

      Soon after, other AIDS patients begin to seek out his medications. With the help of his doctor, Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner) and fellow patient Rayon (Jared Leto), Ron creates the Dallas Buyers Club. As expected, the club keeps growing in numbers, which alert the FDA and other pharmaceutical companies who are determined to put an end to Woodroof's operation.

      It's always a challenge for any screenwriter - hell, any writer - to present us an unlikeable character that, as the movie progresses, we find ourselves caring for and by the end of the movie has won our hearts over. Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack have written an excellent screenplay that's so good, it's easy to look over a few of the cliche secondary characters that pop up every now and then. I mean, the movie's not about them anyway. Together with director Jean-Marc Vallee, the three plunge the viewers back to a time when AIDS was scaring the shit out of everyone. All the little stylistic touches Vallee provides us with paints a nightmarish picture for Ron Woodroof as he finds himself in the most desperate of desperate situations and dives head first into desperate measures to handle them. Ron makes it easy to not like him. He's a coke snorting, booze drinking, sex crazed, womanizing ass and that we find ourselves slowly but surely sympathizing not just with his situation, but with the man himself shows just how powerful the writing and directing here is. Performing alongside McConaughey are two stellar supporting performances from Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto (who like McConaughey, also lost a considerable amount of weight for his role). Leto's film career hasn't always been consistent, but he has delivered gem performances before in Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream and also in the very underrated Chapter 27 (another film where he drastically altered his appearance by gaining weight to play Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's killer). Here he gives a performance that's bound to garner him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Jennifer Garner has never been my cup of tea for actresses, but is absolutely wonderful here as the doctor with a conscience. Yes, of course, the obligatory doctor with a conscience, but by God, she sure sells it. Overall though, all of that is secondary to one man - Matthew McConaughey. This is his movie and it rests solely on a career best performance from him that not only has a shot at earning a Best Actor nomination, but also could very well win (Chiwetel Ejiofor might have something to say about that, though). Having reportedly shed fifty pounds to play the real life Ron Woodroof, McConaughey disappears into the role. This is not the charming, smirking, "Ooh, another opportunity for me to whip my shirt off" McConaughey we knew of ten years ago. This is a sad, emotional, desperate performance of a man that at the beginning brags, "Nothing can kill off Ron Woodroof!", but when we look past the facade, we see a man told he only has 30 days left to live, then ostracized by his friends, with no one else to turn to other than his doctor and a fellow AIDS patient. It's a complex performance that never once panders for our pity, but we find ourselves feeling for him as the story progresses.

      Following Mud earlier this year and with Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street just around the corner, 2013 is the year of McConaughey. Ten - well not even ten years back, just five years back, if you asked me if I'd be taking McConaughey seriously as an actor I would've told you at the beginning of his career, yes, but now, not so much. I've been proven wrong. I've always known McConaughey had the talent to be a great actor and we saw that early on in films such as Amistad and Contact. After years and years of seeing him waste it in chick flick hell, we finally get a superb performance from him that reminds us of what he has always been capable of. If Mud somehow didn't do it for you, this film certainly will. I give Dallas Buyers Club an A (★★★★).

Frozen

Cast of Characters:
Anna - voiced by Kristen Bell
Elsa - voiced by Idina Menzel
Kristoff - voiced by Jonathan Groff
Olaf - voiced by Josh Gad

Hans - voiced by Santino Fontana
Duke of Weselton - voiced by Alan Tudyk

Pabbie the Troll King - voiced by Ciaran Hinds

Director - Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee
Screenplay - Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee & Shane Morris
Based on the fairy tale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen
Rated PG for some action and mild rude humor


      Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad lend their voices to Disney's return to magical singing princesses in Frozen, from the creators of Wreck-It Ralph. Get ready, readers. I just may break out into song at any moment in the review.

      In the kingdom of Arendelle, there are two princesses, Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) and Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel), who's next in line to be queen. Although Elsa has the power to create snow and ice, she has supressed these powers following an incident with his sister when they were children. Following an moment that goes out of hand at her coronation, Elsa goes into hiding, but those suppressed feelings trigger her powers into freezing the entire kingdom.

      With the devious Duke of Weselton (voiced by Alan Tudyk) plotting to turn everyone against Elsa, it'll be up to Anna, with the help of mountain man Kristoff (voiced by Jonathan Groff), his trusty reindeer sidekick Sven and Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad), an oddball snowman who longs to experience summer, to find her sister and set things right within the kingdom.

      Disney should get on its knees and kiss Pixar's butt 'cause since the mid-90's, their own animated features were all a craptastic bore. Sure, Disney hit it big and deservedly so with Wreck-It Ralph last year (which, as much I really enjoyed Pixar's Brave, deserved Best Animated Feature at the Oscars), but when we're talking about the pure Disney animated films of the past (big doe-eyed, vocally gifted princesses, wildlife with an exceptional skill at household chores, African feline creatures that apparently can't wait to be king, etc.) Disney hasn't made a film worth your viewing pleasure since The Lion King. Frozen, based on a Hans Christian Andersen fable, is a much needed return to form for Mickey and Co. Not only that, this is hands down, the best animated film of 2013. Granted, aside from Pixar's prequel Monsters University, the competition this year has been fairly thin for animated films. The animation here is exquisite, the songs are catchy and range from moving ("Do You Want to Build a Snowman?") to hilarious ("In Summer"). Like any great animated film, casting is important, even when it's just for voice-over work. Both Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel are terrific as the two sisters who share a strained relationship, despite that they wish it was otherwise, due to Elsa's gift (or curse?). Jonathan Groff is solid as the mountain man Kristoff, who has that typical Disney handsome male protagonist look but is a bit of a goof as well. The scene stealer here in this movie, though, is without a doubt Josh Gad as the snowman Olaf. Disney has had a rich tradition of many comic relief sidekicks in previous films such as Rowan Atkinson's Zazu, Samuel E. Wright's Sebastian, Cliff Edwards's Jiminy Cricket and of course, Robin Williams's Genie. Gad continues that tradition with a character that provides humor both kids and adults will get a kick out of. The writing is smart, the characters are well written and the humor contains both slapstick for the kids and some cleverness too for the adults. Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (who also co-wrote the script) have created a visually gorgeous fairytale world that combines elements of both tragedy, humor and heart. The heart of this story is two sisters that love each other, yet unfortunate circumstances concerning one and who she really is drive them apart. Yeah, it's a familiar storyline, but it's executed effectively here, and a few twists near the end add some spice into this traditional fairytale mix.

      Sure, you have to wonder why Elsa just doesn't explain to her sister her ordeal before things really go haywire and there were a few moments in the third act where it felt a bit rushed, but that doesn't take away anything from this film being the best animated musical Disney has released in years. It's a top contender for Best Animated Feature at next year's Oscars and I guarantee you at least one of the songs will be nominated as well. With the holiday weekend arriving in just a couple days, this is a wonderfully made animated film for the whole family to enjoy. It's hard to believe this film was in development as far back as Walt Disney himself trying to work The Snow Queen into a film. I'd like to think he'd be satisfied with the end result. I give Frozen an A (★★★★).

Delivery Man

Cast of Characters:

David Wozniak - Vince Vaughn

Brett - Chris Pratt

Emma - Cobie Smulders

Director - Ken Scott

Screenplay - Ken Scott

Based on the original screenplay Starbuck by Ken Scott & Martin Petit

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual content, some drug material, brief violence and language

      Vince Vaughn stars in the American remake of the French-Canadian original film Starbuck, Delivery Man... This man anonymously sired 533 children. Can you "job security", Maury Povich?

      David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn) is your typical middle-aged loser. He's an inept delivery driver for his father's meat company, constantly getting parking tickets. His girlfriend Emma (Cobie Smulders) is pregnant with their children, yet she wants to go through it solo 'cause she feels David's uncommitted and irresponsible and he's also a hundred grand in debt to loan sharks.

      David's life grows more complicated when he's told by a fertility clinic's attorney (who somehow just helps himself inside when David's not home) that years ago he anonymously donated sperm enough times to sire 533 children. I'm surprised David isn't wearing sunglasses, sporting a walking stick, with a seeing eye dog next to him. Despite the fact that David did sign confidentiality agreements with the clinic, 142 of the kids are suing to have his identity revealed to them. Needing help, David seeks the counsel of his friend Brett (Chris Pratt), a lawyer who takes on his case. He hands David an envelope containing the identity files of his children and warns him, "DO NOT OPEN IT!!" Yes, but like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we all know what happens when you tell someone "DO NOT ____".

      It's a fairly gutsy move by Disney to open this the same weekend another small film based on a certain book series is guaranteed to rake in at least 100 million, especially considering the marketing campaign for this film was - eh, whatever. Then again, Mickey probably feels since the rest of his movies this year brought in at least a billion worldwide, he was gonna wipe his ass with the money used for this film anyway. There's really not much surprise here. You know what you're gonna get. It's the same old song and dance of a loser that is handed one hell of an extraordinary circumstance that makes him realize the true meaning of life. If this film was made 60-70 years ago, Jimmy Stewart would be playing him. Actually, he did. It's called It's a Wonderful Life, a sentimental film, of course, that never beat you upside the head with its sugary sweetness like this film does. Oh, yes, believe me, this film has enough sap to kick your ass out of the theater and even this galaxy. That's not the problem though. The problem is Ken Scott (who co-wrote and directed the original) has his tone all over the map. This film doesn't know whether it wants to be funny, sentimental or serious. You look at the poster and you expect a dopey comedy. I mean, look at it. Vince Vaughn standing there all "Aww, shucks!" with his hands in his pocket, shrugging his shoulders and surrounded by a ton of his kids. It screams, "Oh, boy! What zany, crazy, wacky antics did Vaughn do this time?!" Then, once the movie gets a rolling and he's meeting (or stalking) his first daughter, we're hit with a dark turn when she nearly ODs on drugs (a rather dark subject that is just left open-ended like it didn't happen to begin with). We also get a few yank the hell out of your heartstrings 'til they're torn to pieces moments when David also visits one of his kids who's living in a home for the disabled. I haven't even gotten to the questions this film left me with. 1) 142 kids seeking his identity. We never meet a single one of their mothers. They have to have one, obviously and a good one at that. When even the drug addict is someone that I would date in a heartbeat, you know they had to have had a strong support system growing up. Where exactly is she? 2) Why would the fertility clinic use David's sperm 533 times? Is he the only one donating? Yeah, I get it. We get the "It was a mixup." excuse... Yeah, sure. 3) A lot of the people seem to be awfully supportive of David as he's meeting his children. One nurse states that he did an great job today, when in reality she probably would've asked him where the hell has he been all this time?

      It's a flawed film. It's a very flawed film, but it's harmless and hardly the worst film I've seen this year. It tries to be something a la Frank Capra with its heartwarming message, but comes up short in doing so. While I do appreciate Vaughn turning in a much more restrained performance than we're used to seeing from him and Chris Pratt (great in Moneyball and Zero Dark Thirty) has the chops for comedy, this film just comes off as too uneven for me to recommend. I give Delivery Man a C- (★★).

REVIEWS COMING LATER NEXT WEEK...

Frozen
Dallas Buyers Club

The Book Thief

Homefront

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Cast of Characters:

Katniss Everdeen - Jennifer Lawrence

Peeta Mellark - Josh Hutcherson

Gale Hawthorne - Liam Hemsworth

Haymitch Abernathy - Woody Harrelson

Effie Trinket - Elizabeth Banks

Cinna - Lenny Kravitz

Plutarch Heavensbee - Philip Seymour Hoffman

Beetee - Jeffrey Wright

Caesar Flickerman - Stanley Tucci

President Coriolanus Snow - Donald Sutherland

Director - Francis Lawrence

Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy & Michael Arndt

Based on the novel Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation and language

      Academy Award winners Jennifer Lawrence and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright - deep breath... Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Amanda Plummer and Academy Award nominees Woody Harrelson and Stanley Tucci star in the second film of the Hunger Games series, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire... What a horrible cast.

      Following the events that took place in the first film, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) have returned home to District 12 after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games. On the day that they are both to start a victory tour through the country, Katniss is visited by President Snow (Donald Sutherland), who tells her that her defiance by breaking Capitol rules so that both she and Peeta could live may inspire an uprising, if a rebellion hasn't been started already.

      Since this year's events marks the 75th anniversary, Panem holds what is known as the Quarter Quell, a Hunger Games event every 25 years where the contestants are chosen through the pool of surviving victors. With new gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) at the helm, Katniss and Peeta find themselves thrust back into another fight to the death match, this time with the stakes raised even higher.

      For me, 2012's The Hunger Games was an exception amongst other film adaptations in that I didn't find myself interested in the books until after seeing the film (in some cases, that can be more rewarding in that the books tend to offer more detail and character development than the films). Most of the cast from the first film once again returns for the sequel. One major difference is director Francis Lawrence, who has stepped in for Gary Ross, who directed the first film. Despite directing I Am Legend, a film I enjoyed, Lawrence has made more misses than hits having also made the crap-fest that was Constantine, Water for Elephants, which was just meh and a horrible present day updating of the life of the Bible's King David called Kings. Although a bit unsure of what he'd bring to the table with his stab at the popular novel series, Lawrence's direction here is competent and smoothly paced, effectively blending the stirring action and impressive visuals with the quieter, sobering themes of the story. Even at close to two and a half hours, Lawrence, with the help of a strong script from Simon Beaufoy and Academy Award winner Michael Arndt (credited here as Michael DeBruyn like he was with Oblivion), keeps the viewer engaged from start to finish. Jennifer Lawrence, who if no one wants to marry her I myself will gladly and without hesitation volunteer as tribute, is one of the best young actresses out there today, having just recently picked up a Best Actress Oscar for last year's Silver Linings Playbook. She's once again wonderful as Katniss, who's both heroic yet vulnerable. She doesn't exactly wanna be the heroine. Can you blame her after what she's just gone through? Yet, for the sake of her loved ones, she finds she has little choice. Even though Lawrence is the heart and soul of this film, it doesn't hurt to have the A-list supporting cast she has backing her up. We're graced with the returning veteran acting talents of Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci and Woody Harrelson (all three perfectly cast in their respective roles) as well as two new and great additions in Jeffrey Wright and the never disappointing Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's always great to see performers of their caliber take part in films like these, and not just take part in, but take the roles as seriously as they do. Some of the other supporting characters aren't as well developed (Jenna Malone as Johanna Mason, Amanda Plummer as Wiress) as others (Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair), but compared to the film as a whole, it's a forgivable gripe. I should also mention Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, who was just as annoying in the first film as she was in the first book (I just started reading the second), yet here she's likeable for a change, even sharing some moments of humanity with Katniss and Peeta.

      We don't get as much character introduction like we did with the first film 'cause obviously this is the second in the series. One other nitpick is that most of the fighting takes place at night, making it slightly difficult to tell who's who. I first thought it was just the lighting of the screen I was viewing it in, but then after reading other people's thoughts on the film, they seemed to share my sentiment. Just a technical nitpick, though, that doesn't take away anything from this being a worthy sequel to the highly entertaining first film of the series while also setting us up for Mockingjay (which will be split into two films) just nicely. Plus, this film helps get rid of that shitty aftertaste The Starving Games left me. I give The Hunger Games: Catching Fire an A- (★★★½).

Charlie Countryman

Cast of Characters:

Charlie Countryman - Shia LaBeouf

Gabi Ibanescu - Evan Rachel Wood

Nigel - Mads Mikkelsen

Darko - Til Schweiger

Karl - Rupert Grint

Ashley - Aubrey Plaza

Luc - James Buckley

Bill - Vincent D'Onofrio

Kate Countryman - Melissa Leo

Director - Fredrik Bond

Screenplay - Matt Drake

Rated R for some brutal violence, language throughout, sexuality/nudity and drug use

      Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood and Academy Award winner Melissa Leo star in the indie romantic flick Charlie Countryman.

      When we first meet Charlie Countryman (Shia LaBeouf), he's dangling upside-down by some rope above a river. How exactly did he get to that point?

      Immediately following the death of his mother Kate (Melissa Leo), Charlie is visited by a vision of his mother, who tells him to travel to Bucharest. Why Bucharest? Who really knows? 1) 'Cause I guess the film goes nowhere if he doesn't somehow get to Bucharest, and 2) If not Bucharest, we can't get jokes like, "Are you sure she didn't mean Budapest?", which is mentioned time after time again in the film.

      Upon arriving in Bucharest, Charlie meets Gabi Ibanescu (Evan Rachel Wood), the daughter of the man he sat next to on the plane who died mid-flight. Charlie and Gabi strike up a friendship that could potentially lead to something more, that is, if not for the fact that she is married to Nigel (Mads Mikkelsen), a violent and unstable crime boss.

      This is the type of film that promises to be something unique and special when you first see the trailer... Then you see the film. While not a train wreck like other reviews have been stating, this isn't great by any means either. This is your typical style over substance kind of film. I'm not against "artsy" films. Exhibit A: Terrence Malick. It's visually pleasant at times, but I still felt the film's style, courtesy of Fredrik Bond's overly-ambitious direction, came off as unnecessary at times, like it's desperately trying to come off "indie". I get it. Crank up the nightclub music and throw the scene in slow-motion and we're somehow supposed to "feel" the moment all the more. On top of that, Matt Drake's screenplay suffers from a few pointless characters. Melissa Leo is a wonderful actress, but the subplot involving her ghost guiding Charlie to Romania did nothing for me. That's no mark against her, that's all on Drake. The same could be said for Charlie's dopey friends played by James Buckley and a post-Hogwarts Rupert Grint. There's absolutely no point to have them in this film other than for its comic relief moments. The only thing I gained from Grint's wannabe porn star character is that he's trying way too hard to break away from Potter's shadow. Keep trying, Rupert and don't try too hard next time. By the way, Hermione's got you beat. We also get Aubrey Plaza in a "blink and you'll miss her" cameo appearance as Charlie's ex-girlfriend and Til Schweiger is pretty much wasted in a throwaway villain role. Yet, in spite of all that, the film somewhat still maintained my interested, solely in part to three great performances from LaBeouf, Wood and Mikkelsen. Both Wood, in her hundredth film that requires her to be caked under six pounds of eye shadow and LaBeouf, once again looking like he hasn't bathed in a year, have a natural chemistry together. In fact, those two are the reason I wished the flash and style was toned down. All the flash gets in their way and hinders the relationship between them. On a side note, as natural as Wood's Romanian accent sounds, a part of me wondered why didn't they just go for one of the many Romanian/Eastern European actresses out there? I know I'm nitpicking, and once again, Wood does a fine job, but, hey, I'm just trying to save the filmmakers from having to pay for a dialect coach. Mads Mikkelsen doesn't really have to say anything to get you to believe he's a crazy son of a bitch. All he has to do is just stand there and he sells it. He's been doing that since I first noticed him in Casino Royale. The big surprise, for me, is LaBeouf. I've stated before on here that I've never been much a fan of his. He just hasn't done enough to thoroughly convince me he's a go-to lead guy. He certainly did a fine job in Lawless, but he was easily overshadowed by the rest of the very talented cast. He also was solid earlier this year in Robert Redford's The Company You Keep, despite the fact that I had a hard time buying that his character was smart enough to connect the dots with that entire radical 60's organization. Here, he's solid once again. For some reason, in spite of those three films, I'm not completely convinced yet... but he's heading in the right direction and this is the first time he actually got me to feel for the character he is playing (Were you expecting it to be Transformers 2 and 3?). If he keeps it up, he may have me sold for good.

      Charlie Countryman does suffer from too much style for its own good. The movie clearly would've benefited from dialing it down so not to distract the audience from the LaBeouf-Wood relationship. Trimming away some of the superfluous characters wouldn't have hurt either. Still, I was on the fence, but I can justify a moderate recommendation for this, 'cause of the three main performances. It's one of those come and go quickly type of films and is on Video on Demand now. I give Charlie Countryman a C (★★½).