Mental illness has always been an intriguing subject in film. We have seen schizophrenia in A Beautiful Mind, obsessive-compulsive disorder in The Aviator, delusional disorders in Black Swan and clinical depression in Melancholia. Although they are serious afflictions that greatly affect the characters we watch, they provide a rather interesting viewing experience for the audience because we get to analyze these characters and how these illnesses influence the ways in how they act in their surroundings.
In director David O. Russell's comedy-drama, Silver Linings Playbook, based on the novel by Matthew Quick, the film takes a detailed and honest look into the lives and interactions with its two main characters as they try to help each other as they go through major life changes while having mental illness affect them.
Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) has just been released from a mental health facility after a violent episode of his bipolar disorder landed him in an eight-month period of treatment. Upon his release, he moves back in with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), and plans on getting his life back together, including winning back his wife. After his first few days back, Pat's friend introduces him to his sister-in-law, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who has suffered some episodes of depression after the death of her husband. Pat and Tiffany eventually connect over their problems. Soon after, Tiffany offers to assist Pat with trying to reconnect with his wife, and then asks him to participate in a dance contest with her in return. Through their time together, they hope to improve their lives with each other's help.
After watching Bradley Cooper in films such as The Hangover movies, Wedding Crashers and Hit and Run, it's a remarkable sight to see him become engaged in more dramatic material. We become acquainted with his character at the very beginning as he makes a promise to himself that he will become a better person. It is with this that we get an idea of his commitment to changing his life. The character is an intelligent individual, which is seen as he dedicates some of his time at home to reading books that appear on the reading list for the class of his English-teacher wife. Actually, the first time we see an example of his mood swings is when he's reading. He is passionately reading A Farewell to Arms, only to chuck it out of his bedroom window when he's unsatisfied with the ending. Cooper does a noteworthy job with expressing the struggle of Pat's bipolar disorder as he makes his shifts between his good moods and bad moods. Pat says that he doesn't have a filter on what he says, but a lot of what comes out of his mouth is both funny and insightful. Whatever he says, we want to listen.
Jennifer Lawrence gives another powerhouse performance that shows she is one of the most versatile actresses working today. Tiffany may be a standoffish character, but Lawrence plays her in such a way that encourages the viewer to peek into her mind to see why she is who she is. Much like Pat, Tiffany doesn't hold anything back when expressing his opinions. In one particular scene, she throws a furious temper in a diner, sending the contents of the table crashing to the floor. In the films I've seen with Lawrence, I've never seen her in such a fit of anger, and it displayed the outstanding range of emotion and talent she can bring to her roles. She exhibits anger, sadness, humor, happiness and everything in between with the confidence and ability of any veteran actor or actress.
Robert De Niro delivers his best work in years as Pat's gambling, OCD father. As a caring parent, he wants to do what's best for his son, but can't seem to stop seeing him as a good-luck charm for Philadelphia Eagles games. De Niro brings compassion to a character that can be hard to get through to, due to him persistently pulling his son into feeding his gambling addiction. However, there is more to this relationship than is seen at first, and underneath De Niro's pushy approach to his son, there is a softness and understanding that he gives to his family. With De Niro usually playing tough-guy characters, having him take on this type of role is a performance to remember.
The film uses some clever ways to express Pat's bipolar disorder outside of the actual illness, such as being torn between spending time with his family and Tiffany, as well as having both her and his ex-wife on his mind. Pat's character is all about shifting from one thing to another, just like his mood swings. With Tiffany's depression, there is an interesting use of color motifs, particularly with black, such as her black clothing, dance shoes and iPod.
The screenplay by O. Russell focuses greatly on the effects that mental illnesses can have on a family. It's not overly dramatic with its depiction of the characters' troubles, but rather adds some humor to the plot, all with O. Russell's superb direction. The characters are written in a way that they don't sit around and bemoan their conditions, but instead take the initiative to make their lives better. This allows for the humor to be effective when it comes as they help each other; particularly when Chris Tucker's character decides to help Pat and Tiffany for a bit with the dance competition. However, even though the story doesn't exceed with drama, that doesn't mean the script makes light of the situation. Despite the comedic elements, the story doesn't divert from the reality of the circumstances. Given the script's strong points, the only problem I found with the screenplay is that the ending is predictable in its romance.
Silver Linings Playbook is a creative and sensitive look at mental illnesses and the families of the individuals afflicted with those illnesses. The actors and actresses in the film don't portray their roles as caricatures of people with these disorders, but as real people dealing with what they have. As football comes into the plot, it factors into the overall theme that no matter the tackles that get you down, there's always an opportunity to get back up and improve.
Final grade: A-
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
A Master of Suspense, a Man Obsessed with Murder
At one point in the new biopic, Hitchcock, the prolific director (played by Anthony Hopkins) states, "All of us harbor dark recesses of violence and horror. I'm just a man hiding in the corner with a camera, watching." This quote sums up what many of the director's films never failed to capture; not just the unknown violence that people can hold, but also a self-reflexive view for the audience's desire to look. Hitchcock could be considered a pioneer in voyeuristic cinema, especially with his films Psycho and Rear Window.
In Sacha Gervasi's biographical drama, the story details the arduous work that went into the production of Hitchcock's famous film, Psycho. While it's an interesting look into the making of one of the most iconic films in the horror genre, it does spend quite a bit of time dealing with Hitchcock's personal life, which is almost the film's undoing.
Alfred Hitchcock is fresh off the success of North by Northwest. But, he now needs some inspiration for his next project. He begins to read Robert Bloch's latest novel, Psycho. After doing so, he is dead set on making it into a film. While facing some difficulties in production, Hitchcock also comes across some problems in his marriage to Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), who is feeling as if she's being pushed off to the sidelines because of her husband's fame.
Anthony Hopkins brings to realization one of the most famous men who sat behind the camera. Just as the great Hitchcock would address the audience in the trailers to his films, Hopkins addresses the audience in the beginning and the end of the film, carrying an air of mystery and menace in his personality, an air that also permeates Hitchcock's films. He carries the attitude of a voyeur, similar to that of Norman Bates, especially in one scene where he looks through the blinds of his Paramount Studios office and watches a woman as she walks past his window at a distance. He holds a blank expression on his face, making it look like he's not feeling anything, but the viewer knows he is. We see his stark determination as a director when he doesn't get what he wants as he films Psycho's shower scene. He unleashes a bit of fury as he brandishes the knife and encourages his leading lady to give him the blood-curdling screams he wants. Hopkins brings some unsettling and darkly funny quirks to the Hitchcock character, such as surprising people with his presence when they don't notice him at first. We can't be sure if the real Hitchcock was like that, but it wouldn't be surprising if he was.
Helen Mirren gives an expectedly wonderful performance as Hitchcock's resilient wife, Alma. Her character exhibits loyalty and support to her husband, and yet, she has an understandable need to be seen as someone other than a dutiful wife who accompanies Hitchcock to his premieres. She is a wife who feels the need to compete with the blonde leading ladies of Hitchcock's films, exemplified when, during Alfred's first meeting with Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson), Alma goes to the bathroom to apply some lipstick. She has a quiet frustration, one so that you could tell she's upset, but she doesn't become overly mad, all the more evident that she still supports her husband. Despite her troubles, we see some sparks of her wanting to express her creativity as she helps her friend, Whitfield Cook (Danny Huston), write a screenplay, as well as when she assists her husband with editing Psycho.
Scarlett Johansson has the classy personality of Leigh. Her character carries an admirable dedication to her role as the ill-fated Psycho heroine, Marion Crane, and has the womanly gentleness that can be seen in both Leigh and the fictional character of Crane. James D'Arcy comes very close to the mannerisms of Anthony Perkins' Norman Bates, nervously sitting and fidgeting as he has his first meeting with Hitchcock.
The screenplay by John J. McLaughlin, based on Stephen Rebello's book, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, goes between Hitchcock's work on the set of the film and his troubles at home. While it is important to see the influences that his personal life had on the making of Psycho, it sometimes takes away from the intrigue of the movie-making aspect; the film particularly tends to drag in the scenes involving the interactions between Alma and Whitfield. The film sometimes diverges for lengthy periods of time to the tension between Hitchcock and Alma. During this, I wanted to get back to the set of Psycho and see the crafting of the film. By the time we reach the last 10-15 minutes of Hitchcock, and we get back to the studio during the making of the film, it feels rather rushed, and the production details I was hoping to see were left out. If the movie was a half hour longer, the story might have been able to devote as much time to the actual production of Psycho as it did with Hitchcock and Alma's personal lives.
The film also weaves in a few scenes involving Ed Gein (Michael Wincott), an American murderer who influenced the character of Norman Bates. While those bits are interesting, they don't fit in with the rest of the movie, and it feels as though they could be used to make a separate movie about him.
Although Hitchcock isn't quite the exciting and informative biopic that one would hope that deals with one of the greatest filmmakers of all time making his masterfully suspenseful film, the performances pick up the slack where the narrative lags. It doesn't provide as much insight into the making of Psycho as it should, but the production scenes it does have will satisfy any film buff. Hitchcock pulls back the shower curtain on a bit of film history.
Final grade: B
In Sacha Gervasi's biographical drama, the story details the arduous work that went into the production of Hitchcock's famous film, Psycho. While it's an interesting look into the making of one of the most iconic films in the horror genre, it does spend quite a bit of time dealing with Hitchcock's personal life, which is almost the film's undoing.
Alfred Hitchcock is fresh off the success of North by Northwest. But, he now needs some inspiration for his next project. He begins to read Robert Bloch's latest novel, Psycho. After doing so, he is dead set on making it into a film. While facing some difficulties in production, Hitchcock also comes across some problems in his marriage to Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), who is feeling as if she's being pushed off to the sidelines because of her husband's fame.
Anthony Hopkins brings to realization one of the most famous men who sat behind the camera. Just as the great Hitchcock would address the audience in the trailers to his films, Hopkins addresses the audience in the beginning and the end of the film, carrying an air of mystery and menace in his personality, an air that also permeates Hitchcock's films. He carries the attitude of a voyeur, similar to that of Norman Bates, especially in one scene where he looks through the blinds of his Paramount Studios office and watches a woman as she walks past his window at a distance. He holds a blank expression on his face, making it look like he's not feeling anything, but the viewer knows he is. We see his stark determination as a director when he doesn't get what he wants as he films Psycho's shower scene. He unleashes a bit of fury as he brandishes the knife and encourages his leading lady to give him the blood-curdling screams he wants. Hopkins brings some unsettling and darkly funny quirks to the Hitchcock character, such as surprising people with his presence when they don't notice him at first. We can't be sure if the real Hitchcock was like that, but it wouldn't be surprising if he was.
Helen Mirren gives an expectedly wonderful performance as Hitchcock's resilient wife, Alma. Her character exhibits loyalty and support to her husband, and yet, she has an understandable need to be seen as someone other than a dutiful wife who accompanies Hitchcock to his premieres. She is a wife who feels the need to compete with the blonde leading ladies of Hitchcock's films, exemplified when, during Alfred's first meeting with Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson), Alma goes to the bathroom to apply some lipstick. She has a quiet frustration, one so that you could tell she's upset, but she doesn't become overly mad, all the more evident that she still supports her husband. Despite her troubles, we see some sparks of her wanting to express her creativity as she helps her friend, Whitfield Cook (Danny Huston), write a screenplay, as well as when she assists her husband with editing Psycho.
Scarlett Johansson has the classy personality of Leigh. Her character carries an admirable dedication to her role as the ill-fated Psycho heroine, Marion Crane, and has the womanly gentleness that can be seen in both Leigh and the fictional character of Crane. James D'Arcy comes very close to the mannerisms of Anthony Perkins' Norman Bates, nervously sitting and fidgeting as he has his first meeting with Hitchcock.
The screenplay by John J. McLaughlin, based on Stephen Rebello's book, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, goes between Hitchcock's work on the set of the film and his troubles at home. While it is important to see the influences that his personal life had on the making of Psycho, it sometimes takes away from the intrigue of the movie-making aspect; the film particularly tends to drag in the scenes involving the interactions between Alma and Whitfield. The film sometimes diverges for lengthy periods of time to the tension between Hitchcock and Alma. During this, I wanted to get back to the set of Psycho and see the crafting of the film. By the time we reach the last 10-15 minutes of Hitchcock, and we get back to the studio during the making of the film, it feels rather rushed, and the production details I was hoping to see were left out. If the movie was a half hour longer, the story might have been able to devote as much time to the actual production of Psycho as it did with Hitchcock and Alma's personal lives.
The film also weaves in a few scenes involving Ed Gein (Michael Wincott), an American murderer who influenced the character of Norman Bates. While those bits are interesting, they don't fit in with the rest of the movie, and it feels as though they could be used to make a separate movie about him.
Although Hitchcock isn't quite the exciting and informative biopic that one would hope that deals with one of the greatest filmmakers of all time making his masterfully suspenseful film, the performances pick up the slack where the narrative lags. It doesn't provide as much insight into the making of Psycho as it should, but the production scenes it does have will satisfy any film buff. Hitchcock pulls back the shower curtain on a bit of film history.
Final grade: B
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Age is Just a Number
50 years of secret missions. 50 years of martinis (shaken, not stirred). 50 years of Bond girls. And, of course, 50 years of Bond, James Bond. Author Ian Fleming's iconic MI6 agent has appeared on movie screens 23 times since his debut in Dr. No in 1962, and audiences still haven't grown tired of him. Since then, six actors have played the classic character, the first five being Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. Then in 2006, Bond took a grittier turn when Daniel Craig took over the character for the first time in Casino Royale. This was a darker reintroduction to the character that made the world of James Bond a lot more dangerous. Two years later, Quantum of Solace failed to match the energy of the previous film, despite Craig's performance.
Now, the next chapter in the James Bond series, Skyfall, brings back the thrilling force that made Casino Royale unexpectedly powerful. Directed by Sam Mendes, the film completely diverges from the story line created by the last two movies, but the intensity of the atmosphere and the amount that's at stake is as present as ever in this new story line. This isn't just Bond's most important mission yet, but also his most personal, and there is a lot more than his life on the line.
While on a mission to retrieve a stolen computer hard drive with details of undercover agents, James Bond is accidentally shot by his partner, Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), and presumed dead. Meanwhile, the MI6 headquarters suffers a terrorist attack that may be linked to the stolen hard drive. After Bond returns, the head of MI6, M (Judi Dench), reluctantly puts him back in the field to find out who is responsible for the surprise attack and who is targeting the agents. Bond's search will lead him to Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), a man who has past connections to MI6 and an appetite for revenge against M for reasons of his own.
Daniel Craig gives what could be his most vulnerable performance so far in his time with the James Bond character. Throughout the film, he is reminded about how he isn't as fit to do the job of an MI6 agent as he used to. In some ways, he's not the agent he was in the last two films; he suffers gunshot wounds and mental anguish from his childhood, which heightens his exposure to suffering. And yet, he can still run, jump, climb, and shoot his way through henchmen, constantly defying expectations of his job capability. But, Bond's on-the-job energy isn't his only interesting characteristic; he has a secretive past that seems to be a mental torture for him. He's still the ladies man we know him as, expressing his sense of wit and whispering intimately to his new love interest. However, his relationships with his Bond girls take a backseat to his boss-subordinate relationship with M, and it is with this that we see a different side of Bond. Craig's Bond is more than a rough 'n' tough secret agent; he's an action hero with surprising emotional depth.
Judi Dench's M isn't just behind the scenes this time as Bond's boss. She is subjected to the possibility of needing to retire, while also being one of the villain's main targets (for reasons I won't disclose here). She is every bit as vulnerable as Bond. Despite her age and the danger she faces, M faces these problems with as much power and courage as any of her younger agents. She takes control of situations with an unbreakable authority. Dench's commandeering of a role is mirrored by M's ability to lead her agency. Her connection with Bond becomes more significant in this installment, as M is seen as a surrogate parent for Bond, which becomes evident in the film's second half when they visit a place from Bond's childhood past.
Javier Bardem submerges into the villainous nature of Raoul Silva as deeply as he did five years ago in No Country for Old Men. However, his character this time around isn't a completely cold, emotionless and sadistic killing machine. In this film, he tends to have a sense of fun when he's in the middle of his committing his evil deeds. Without question, his best scene is his first, where he enters and speaks a monologue to Bond that reveals everything we need to know about his character, an individual with nothing but revenge on his mind. Silva is one of the more intriguing of Bond's adversaries because Silva isn't just one of his typical villains; he's an anti-Bond. This is emphasized by the strong contrast in their suit colors; Bond's is black, and Silva's is white, a night-and-day difference. He has a troubled past with the MI6 agency, and he is everything that Bond is not.
As is tradition with every Bond film, Skyfall opens with a highly rousing action sequence. It's a chase between Bond and a mercenary named Patrice as our hero tries to obtain the aforementioned hard drive. This scene has everything: a car chase at the start to a motorcycle chase on top of the roofs of buildings to thrilling hand-to-hand combat on top of a moving train.
If that scene can draw you in, then the credits sequence is the selling point. Adele sings the film's main theme, "Skyfall," and it tantalizes the audience with questions, such as "What is Skyfall?" and "What's the significance of it?" Her achingly beautiful singing will immerse you into the tune, and will have you wondering at the mystery behind Skyfall and wanting to discover more about it.
The screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan is appropriately linked to the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, in that characters often talk about changes being made to the agency, such as whether or not MI6 agents are still effective, the possibility of M being replaced by someone younger, Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) and more. The notion of "out with the old, in with the new" is highlighted by the presence of MI6 quartermaster Q (Ben Whishaw). The scene of the introduction between him and Bond is a witty exchange of ideas of youth vs. experience and ways-things-used-to-be-done vs. ways-things-are-done-today: "Age is no guarantee of efficiency," says Q. "And youth is no guarantee of innovation," replies Bond. "Well, I'll hazard I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pajamas before my first cup of Earl Grey than you can do in a year in the field," retorts Q. Bond learns to get used to these new gadgets, while the writers put in pieces of nostalgia from some of the older Bond films.
Director Sam Mendes doesn't make the usual James Bond film; this one isn't all about the action and high-tech gizmos. With Skyfall, he puts in the deep human relationships that he's so talented at capturing, as seen in his films American Beauty and Revolutionary Road. The scenes with the main characters interacting can carry as much weight and tension as the action scenes. That's not to say that the action scenes aren't impressive. This being Mendes' first Bond film, he stages the action very well. The climactic showdown between Bond and Silva doesn't just have an abundance of thrills, but emotional resonance as well.
Skyfall makes the four-year wait for it worth our time, and cleans out whatever bad taste you still have from Quantum of Solace. If future James Bond films can be like Skyfall, then I will accept the changes that Bond learns to accept, and will eagerly anticipate his further worldly missions.
Final grade: A
Judi Dench's M isn't just behind the scenes this time as Bond's boss. She is subjected to the possibility of needing to retire, while also being one of the villain's main targets (for reasons I won't disclose here). She is every bit as vulnerable as Bond. Despite her age and the danger she faces, M faces these problems with as much power and courage as any of her younger agents. She takes control of situations with an unbreakable authority. Dench's commandeering of a role is mirrored by M's ability to lead her agency. Her connection with Bond becomes more significant in this installment, as M is seen as a surrogate parent for Bond, which becomes evident in the film's second half when they visit a place from Bond's childhood past.
Javier Bardem submerges into the villainous nature of Raoul Silva as deeply as he did five years ago in No Country for Old Men. However, his character this time around isn't a completely cold, emotionless and sadistic killing machine. In this film, he tends to have a sense of fun when he's in the middle of his committing his evil deeds. Without question, his best scene is his first, where he enters and speaks a monologue to Bond that reveals everything we need to know about his character, an individual with nothing but revenge on his mind. Silva is one of the more intriguing of Bond's adversaries because Silva isn't just one of his typical villains; he's an anti-Bond. This is emphasized by the strong contrast in their suit colors; Bond's is black, and Silva's is white, a night-and-day difference. He has a troubled past with the MI6 agency, and he is everything that Bond is not.
As is tradition with every Bond film, Skyfall opens with a highly rousing action sequence. It's a chase between Bond and a mercenary named Patrice as our hero tries to obtain the aforementioned hard drive. This scene has everything: a car chase at the start to a motorcycle chase on top of the roofs of buildings to thrilling hand-to-hand combat on top of a moving train.
If that scene can draw you in, then the credits sequence is the selling point. Adele sings the film's main theme, "Skyfall," and it tantalizes the audience with questions, such as "What is Skyfall?" and "What's the significance of it?" Her achingly beautiful singing will immerse you into the tune, and will have you wondering at the mystery behind Skyfall and wanting to discover more about it.
The screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan is appropriately linked to the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, in that characters often talk about changes being made to the agency, such as whether or not MI6 agents are still effective, the possibility of M being replaced by someone younger, Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) and more. The notion of "out with the old, in with the new" is highlighted by the presence of MI6 quartermaster Q (Ben Whishaw). The scene of the introduction between him and Bond is a witty exchange of ideas of youth vs. experience and ways-things-used-to-be-done vs. ways-things-are-done-today: "Age is no guarantee of efficiency," says Q. "And youth is no guarantee of innovation," replies Bond. "Well, I'll hazard I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pajamas before my first cup of Earl Grey than you can do in a year in the field," retorts Q. Bond learns to get used to these new gadgets, while the writers put in pieces of nostalgia from some of the older Bond films.
Director Sam Mendes doesn't make the usual James Bond film; this one isn't all about the action and high-tech gizmos. With Skyfall, he puts in the deep human relationships that he's so talented at capturing, as seen in his films American Beauty and Revolutionary Road. The scenes with the main characters interacting can carry as much weight and tension as the action scenes. That's not to say that the action scenes aren't impressive. This being Mendes' first Bond film, he stages the action very well. The climactic showdown between Bond and Silva doesn't just have an abundance of thrills, but emotional resonance as well.
Skyfall makes the four-year wait for it worth our time, and cleans out whatever bad taste you still have from Quantum of Solace. If future James Bond films can be like Skyfall, then I will accept the changes that Bond learns to accept, and will eagerly anticipate his further worldly missions.
Final grade: A
Sunday, November 18, 2012
It's Paranormal, But Where's the Activity?
Ever since the first Paranormal Activity film was released in 2009, Paramount has followed up with a sequel every October to coincide with Halloween. After seeing each film in years past, I would think to myself, "There isn't any way that the film-makers can come out with another one. This is already good enough as it is." For the first two sequels, I was gladly proven wrong, and each sequel succeeded in topping the one that came before it. But then, the fourth movie happened.
Paranormal Activity 4 has set the franchise back in its quality of scares, and it looks like the disadvantages of needing to rush a movie for it to meet the usual October deadline has officially caught up to it. The two directors from the third film, Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, return to bring us the fourth installment. The only scary, and unexpected, thing about this movie is how Schulman and Joost could go from making the most frightening installment in the PA mythology to making the least frightening installment. It could be one of the most significant downgrades in between films of a series in the last few years.
The film takes place in November 2011, five years after the events of PA2, while the other movies take place in reverse chronological order. This direct sequel focuses on a Nevada family with a daughter, Alex (Kathryn Newton), her younger brother, Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp), and their parents, played by Alexondra Lee and Stephen Dunham. One night as Alex is Skyping with her boyfriend, Ben (Matt Shively), she notices an ambulance outside of the house across the street from them, which belongs to Katie (Katie Featherston). Although the family has never met her, or her son Robbie (Brady Allen), they believe them to be mother and son. We, however, know him to be her nephew Hunter, who was abducted by Katie at the end of the second film. As Robbie is taken in by the family as his "mom" is at the hospital, the family begins to experience some spooky (or not spooky, if you're the audience) happenings in their house, which may have to do with their new guest and a demonic spirit he might have brought with him.
The acting, at least for me, was never the main thing to critique in these films. It's not that the acting is bad; the films all have the typical family-in-a-haunted-house performances that we have come to expect. It's neither terrible nor great, just acceptable for the occasions. Robbie plays the common creepy child character that has been seen in countless other horror films; but, again, it's what these kinds of movies call for, and the PA films aren't any exception. As usual, there are the parents who refuse to believe that what's going on is real, until it's too late.
But sometimes, there are a few performances that are slightly better. The relationship between Kathryn Newton and Matt Shively is a bright spot, engaging in some playful flirting and joking here and there in the film's several dull areas. The older Katie figures more prominently in this installment; as compared to the previous two films where she only appeared in one or two scenes each. Katie still has that certain chill factor because even when she's acting normal, we know the evil she has done when possessed and the evil she still desires to do. However, the passable acting can only take the film so far.
One of the worst things about this installment is that it has devolved into mostly cheap jump scares. Yes, the other PA films had some of these as well, but not nearly as many and were mostly in the start of the films just to get the audience's blood pumping (remember the closet scene from the beginning of the third film?). Now, the scares are mostly people and the family's cat popping up in front of the camera, as well as the use of jump cuts to create scares, where we'll have a character in one spot and then, through a jump in the edit, appear in a different spot. With this, you can see that the film-makers have become lazy with their frights.
As with each new entry in this series, more ways are introduced to film the events. This time, the audience sees everything through laptop cameras, smart-phone video recorders, and even the Xbox Kinect. Although the writers deserve some credit for coming up with new ways to present the footage, the laptops don't add anything different because they just sit around in different areas of the house recording from various points-of-view; they mostly copy what the security cameras did in the second film. The way how the Xbox Kinect is used is that there's a laptop placed in the living room, and when all of the lights are turned off, the viewer can see the infra-red tracking dots that cover the area. The first couple of times we see the dots, it's spooky to try and find where there is any sign of movement within the dots; however, it soon becomes a little boring and ineffective in creating scares. Ultimately, these new methods of filming aren't as interesting as those used in the other installments. I don't think anything can be as nerve-wrecking as the camcorder mounted on the oscillating fan in the previous film.
Zack Estrin and Christopher B. Landon were the screenwriters, and seeing how the latter wrote the vastly superior third PA, one would think that the same amount of terror would seep into the fourth movie. Sadly, that's not the case. Unlike the other three films that benefited from slowly growing tension that led to frightening conclusions, this film doesn't build much towards anything; which is ironic because the film's tagline reads, "All the activity has led to this..." What little excitement this movie has is just thrown into the final act, and by that point, I was just too annoyed to get scared because of how long it took for something interesting to happen. They even employ a few winks to some horror classics, such as The Changeling, The Shining, A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Exorcist, films that this movie doesn't deserve to reference.
What's near unforgivable with this movie is its ridiculous plot twist that comes about two thirds in. It's one big cop-out because I was waiting for the reasoning behind the twist to be explained, only to have my hopes shattered. To have us wait for anything good to happen for most of the movie and then not even bother to address the logistics to the twist is nothing but a slap in the face. Now, we're going to have to wait for a fifth movie (it has already been greenlit for October 2013) for this plot twist to be explained, if the writers even decide to continue this story line.
The PA franchise is beginning to run the same cycle as the Saw franchise. That is, it will come out with a movie every October, having the first few films be good and then a decline in quality will commence as the franchise gets farther in, due to the need to rush out the latest installment in order to make the viewers content no matter how good or bad it is. Directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost should have done a better job with Paranormal Activity 4; not only because of how well they handled the third movie, but also because we wanted an acceptable horror film that rewarded our wait to see what happened after Katie kidnapped Hunter. Whether these two decide to take another swing at the franchise with the fifth entry or not, the next film will need a director who can recreate the scares that had audiences returning to the theaters for the previous installments. Otherwise, if the fifth film can't bring the PA films back on track, hopefully one of the doors mysteriously opening on its own is the demon walking out and quitting.
Final grade: D+
Paranormal Activity 4 has set the franchise back in its quality of scares, and it looks like the disadvantages of needing to rush a movie for it to meet the usual October deadline has officially caught up to it. The two directors from the third film, Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, return to bring us the fourth installment. The only scary, and unexpected, thing about this movie is how Schulman and Joost could go from making the most frightening installment in the PA mythology to making the least frightening installment. It could be one of the most significant downgrades in between films of a series in the last few years.
The film takes place in November 2011, five years after the events of PA2, while the other movies take place in reverse chronological order. This direct sequel focuses on a Nevada family with a daughter, Alex (Kathryn Newton), her younger brother, Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp), and their parents, played by Alexondra Lee and Stephen Dunham. One night as Alex is Skyping with her boyfriend, Ben (Matt Shively), she notices an ambulance outside of the house across the street from them, which belongs to Katie (Katie Featherston). Although the family has never met her, or her son Robbie (Brady Allen), they believe them to be mother and son. We, however, know him to be her nephew Hunter, who was abducted by Katie at the end of the second film. As Robbie is taken in by the family as his "mom" is at the hospital, the family begins to experience some spooky (or not spooky, if you're the audience) happenings in their house, which may have to do with their new guest and a demonic spirit he might have brought with him.
The acting, at least for me, was never the main thing to critique in these films. It's not that the acting is bad; the films all have the typical family-in-a-haunted-house performances that we have come to expect. It's neither terrible nor great, just acceptable for the occasions. Robbie plays the common creepy child character that has been seen in countless other horror films; but, again, it's what these kinds of movies call for, and the PA films aren't any exception. As usual, there are the parents who refuse to believe that what's going on is real, until it's too late.
But sometimes, there are a few performances that are slightly better. The relationship between Kathryn Newton and Matt Shively is a bright spot, engaging in some playful flirting and joking here and there in the film's several dull areas. The older Katie figures more prominently in this installment; as compared to the previous two films where she only appeared in one or two scenes each. Katie still has that certain chill factor because even when she's acting normal, we know the evil she has done when possessed and the evil she still desires to do. However, the passable acting can only take the film so far.
One of the worst things about this installment is that it has devolved into mostly cheap jump scares. Yes, the other PA films had some of these as well, but not nearly as many and were mostly in the start of the films just to get the audience's blood pumping (remember the closet scene from the beginning of the third film?). Now, the scares are mostly people and the family's cat popping up in front of the camera, as well as the use of jump cuts to create scares, where we'll have a character in one spot and then, through a jump in the edit, appear in a different spot. With this, you can see that the film-makers have become lazy with their frights.
As with each new entry in this series, more ways are introduced to film the events. This time, the audience sees everything through laptop cameras, smart-phone video recorders, and even the Xbox Kinect. Although the writers deserve some credit for coming up with new ways to present the footage, the laptops don't add anything different because they just sit around in different areas of the house recording from various points-of-view; they mostly copy what the security cameras did in the second film. The way how the Xbox Kinect is used is that there's a laptop placed in the living room, and when all of the lights are turned off, the viewer can see the infra-red tracking dots that cover the area. The first couple of times we see the dots, it's spooky to try and find where there is any sign of movement within the dots; however, it soon becomes a little boring and ineffective in creating scares. Ultimately, these new methods of filming aren't as interesting as those used in the other installments. I don't think anything can be as nerve-wrecking as the camcorder mounted on the oscillating fan in the previous film.
Zack Estrin and Christopher B. Landon were the screenwriters, and seeing how the latter wrote the vastly superior third PA, one would think that the same amount of terror would seep into the fourth movie. Sadly, that's not the case. Unlike the other three films that benefited from slowly growing tension that led to frightening conclusions, this film doesn't build much towards anything; which is ironic because the film's tagline reads, "All the activity has led to this..." What little excitement this movie has is just thrown into the final act, and by that point, I was just too annoyed to get scared because of how long it took for something interesting to happen. They even employ a few winks to some horror classics, such as The Changeling, The Shining, A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Exorcist, films that this movie doesn't deserve to reference.
What's near unforgivable with this movie is its ridiculous plot twist that comes about two thirds in. It's one big cop-out because I was waiting for the reasoning behind the twist to be explained, only to have my hopes shattered. To have us wait for anything good to happen for most of the movie and then not even bother to address the logistics to the twist is nothing but a slap in the face. Now, we're going to have to wait for a fifth movie (it has already been greenlit for October 2013) for this plot twist to be explained, if the writers even decide to continue this story line.
The PA franchise is beginning to run the same cycle as the Saw franchise. That is, it will come out with a movie every October, having the first few films be good and then a decline in quality will commence as the franchise gets farther in, due to the need to rush out the latest installment in order to make the viewers content no matter how good or bad it is. Directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost should have done a better job with Paranormal Activity 4; not only because of how well they handled the third movie, but also because we wanted an acceptable horror film that rewarded our wait to see what happened after Katie kidnapped Hunter. Whether these two decide to take another swing at the franchise with the fifth entry or not, the next film will need a director who can recreate the scares that had audiences returning to the theaters for the previous installments. Otherwise, if the fifth film can't bring the PA films back on track, hopefully one of the doors mysteriously opening on its own is the demon walking out and quitting.
Final grade: D+
Saturday, November 10, 2012
A Hero and His Demons
Flight, directed by Robert Zemeckis, begins in a hotel room lit by the early morning sun. The alarm clock rings at 7:14 AM, and awakens a groggy pilot (Denzel Washington) from a late night of under-the-covers fun with his flight attendant Katerina (Nadine Velazquez). Bottles of beer stand near the bedside lamp. The pilot takes a swig of beer, and then snorts a line of cocaine to lessen the effects of the alcohol. This is airline captain William "Whip" Whitaker, and he's preparing to his next flight.
After having his previous three films consist of motion-capture animation, Zemeckis reverts back to live-action storytelling for the first time since he directed Cast Away back in 2000. In his truly character-driven film, he dives into the depths of Whitaker's inner turmoil caused by alcoholism, and places him under the strictest of microscopes. Whitaker's long road to sobriety is mined with constant alcoholic temptation, and the audience walks this road with him as the desire to reach the root of his problem grows to an absolute need and want for him to get better.
In a routine day, Whitaker arrives at the airport for his flight. After taking off and hitting some turbulence during a storm, the flight starts to go smoothly, and Captain Whitaker sneaks two small bottles of liquor into his orange juice. Awhile later, the plane begins to dive out of the sky. By nothing short of a miracle, Whitaker manages to land the plane in a field, and is labeled a national hero. However, when investigations begin on what caused the crash, it is found in Whitaker's medical tests that he had alcohol in his system at the time of the accident. It is then questioned if the cause of the crash was purely a technical malfunction, or if his inebriation played a part in it as well. In the meantime Whitaker tries to dodge the media as he begins his efforts to rid himself of alcohol dependency.
Denzel Washington's character is a dark and troubled version of real-life hero Chesley Sullenberger, and his performance is mesmerizing. That adjective fits the occasion because whenever there are any alcoholic beverages in the same shot with Whitaker, the audience watches him with unwavering eyes to see if he will succumb to his addiction or resist the biting urge to drink. The audience sees the sense of detachment he feels from being separated from his family as Whitaker watches home videos of him with his father and son. But, his refusal to stop drinking is keeping him back from what used to be a good life. When he resorts to the booze, the viewer becomes infuriated with Denzel's character because his actions severely damage his familial and romantic relations, and threatens the safety of others; but, that's how the viewer can tell that he cares about Whitaker. The viewer wants him to get better as Denzel's character expresses the pain of being trapped by his addiction.
Kelly Reilly gives a breakout performance as an ex-junkie named Nicole. In the beginning she has needs to get her fix. But, she still retains some degree of dignity as to what she will not do for drugs, refusing to give in to the crude demands of her supplier. And, behind her damaged appearance is someone who strives to make a better living for herself. Reilly gives her character a stunning transformation from a drug addict to a responsible woman who begins to get her life back on track with the help of Whitaker. And she, in turn, tries to help him the best she can. The magic of her performance is that she is first seen as someone whom the viewer would least suspect would assist in a person kicking a drug habit, and yet, she becomes that individual who is Whitaker's only true friend in the film.
Don Cheadle and Bruce Greenwood appear as the crafty lawyer assigned to Whitaker and a representative in the airline's pilots union, respectively. It's never quite clear if the two have Whitaker's best interests in mind, or are just looking out for the future of the airline company. They put on gentlemanly personas, but the viewer must study them to find out what it is they really want from this situation. John Goodman makes a humorous appearance as Whitaker's oddball, drug-dealing friend Harling.
The sequence of the emergency landing is a harrowing case of a disaster that's closely averted. During the whole scene, the viewer feels as though he is in a flight simulator, bumping along with the turbulence and diving towards the ground. Everything is sensed from the panic of the passengers to the tension of the pilots. The way it is shot by cinematographer Don Burgess gives the audience views from inside and outside of the plane, and the shot of the plane gliding upside-down is unforgettable.
The screenplay by John Gatins doesn't bring in the actual hearing until the final 20 minutes of the movie. Until then the film is rather a magnificently detailed analysis of Denzel's character, exploring the reasons as to why he struggles with alcohol abuse. The screenplay first presents the film with two story lines with different central characters, one with Whitaker and the other focusing on Nicole. But, they are thematically similar. They both suffer from addictions and need help. Their relationship is carefully developed as Whitaker takes in Nicole after she gets evicted from her apartment, and as Nicole tries to help Whitaker recover from his alcoholism. As soon as the movie reaches the climactic hearing and a surprising revelation takes place, it's a time for the audience to make one last plea for Whitaker to do what's right.
Before Flight, Zemeckis had a 12-year-hiatus from live-action filmmaking after he directed Cast Away, which was carried by Tom Hanks' performance. With Zemeckis' latest movie, it's clear that he still has the ability to handle a movie that is purely character driven. The director makes Whitaker's character into someone the audience can feel strongly for, and doesn't turn Whitaker into the cliched booze hound that is normally seen in film; he is a respected pilot and supposed hero who has hit a rough patch with his alcohol abuse. As seen in Zemeckis' filmography, he does have much experience with visual effects in his movies, and gives audiences a special effects treat with the emergency-landing sequence.
That sequence, however, means something more, and represents the entire movie. It is not just one of the film's most memorable scenes, but it also has a symbolic use. It represents Whitaker's life making its own emergency landing so he can save himself and improve the quality of his life.
With the combined efforts of the performances, screenplay and direction, Flight earns its wings.
Final grade: A
After having his previous three films consist of motion-capture animation, Zemeckis reverts back to live-action storytelling for the first time since he directed Cast Away back in 2000. In his truly character-driven film, he dives into the depths of Whitaker's inner turmoil caused by alcoholism, and places him under the strictest of microscopes. Whitaker's long road to sobriety is mined with constant alcoholic temptation, and the audience walks this road with him as the desire to reach the root of his problem grows to an absolute need and want for him to get better.
In a routine day, Whitaker arrives at the airport for his flight. After taking off and hitting some turbulence during a storm, the flight starts to go smoothly, and Captain Whitaker sneaks two small bottles of liquor into his orange juice. Awhile later, the plane begins to dive out of the sky. By nothing short of a miracle, Whitaker manages to land the plane in a field, and is labeled a national hero. However, when investigations begin on what caused the crash, it is found in Whitaker's medical tests that he had alcohol in his system at the time of the accident. It is then questioned if the cause of the crash was purely a technical malfunction, or if his inebriation played a part in it as well. In the meantime Whitaker tries to dodge the media as he begins his efforts to rid himself of alcohol dependency.
Denzel Washington's character is a dark and troubled version of real-life hero Chesley Sullenberger, and his performance is mesmerizing. That adjective fits the occasion because whenever there are any alcoholic beverages in the same shot with Whitaker, the audience watches him with unwavering eyes to see if he will succumb to his addiction or resist the biting urge to drink. The audience sees the sense of detachment he feels from being separated from his family as Whitaker watches home videos of him with his father and son. But, his refusal to stop drinking is keeping him back from what used to be a good life. When he resorts to the booze, the viewer becomes infuriated with Denzel's character because his actions severely damage his familial and romantic relations, and threatens the safety of others; but, that's how the viewer can tell that he cares about Whitaker. The viewer wants him to get better as Denzel's character expresses the pain of being trapped by his addiction.
Kelly Reilly gives a breakout performance as an ex-junkie named Nicole. In the beginning she has needs to get her fix. But, she still retains some degree of dignity as to what she will not do for drugs, refusing to give in to the crude demands of her supplier. And, behind her damaged appearance is someone who strives to make a better living for herself. Reilly gives her character a stunning transformation from a drug addict to a responsible woman who begins to get her life back on track with the help of Whitaker. And she, in turn, tries to help him the best she can. The magic of her performance is that she is first seen as someone whom the viewer would least suspect would assist in a person kicking a drug habit, and yet, she becomes that individual who is Whitaker's only true friend in the film.
Don Cheadle and Bruce Greenwood appear as the crafty lawyer assigned to Whitaker and a representative in the airline's pilots union, respectively. It's never quite clear if the two have Whitaker's best interests in mind, or are just looking out for the future of the airline company. They put on gentlemanly personas, but the viewer must study them to find out what it is they really want from this situation. John Goodman makes a humorous appearance as Whitaker's oddball, drug-dealing friend Harling.
The sequence of the emergency landing is a harrowing case of a disaster that's closely averted. During the whole scene, the viewer feels as though he is in a flight simulator, bumping along with the turbulence and diving towards the ground. Everything is sensed from the panic of the passengers to the tension of the pilots. The way it is shot by cinematographer Don Burgess gives the audience views from inside and outside of the plane, and the shot of the plane gliding upside-down is unforgettable.
The screenplay by John Gatins doesn't bring in the actual hearing until the final 20 minutes of the movie. Until then the film is rather a magnificently detailed analysis of Denzel's character, exploring the reasons as to why he struggles with alcohol abuse. The screenplay first presents the film with two story lines with different central characters, one with Whitaker and the other focusing on Nicole. But, they are thematically similar. They both suffer from addictions and need help. Their relationship is carefully developed as Whitaker takes in Nicole after she gets evicted from her apartment, and as Nicole tries to help Whitaker recover from his alcoholism. As soon as the movie reaches the climactic hearing and a surprising revelation takes place, it's a time for the audience to make one last plea for Whitaker to do what's right.
Before Flight, Zemeckis had a 12-year-hiatus from live-action filmmaking after he directed Cast Away, which was carried by Tom Hanks' performance. With Zemeckis' latest movie, it's clear that he still has the ability to handle a movie that is purely character driven. The director makes Whitaker's character into someone the audience can feel strongly for, and doesn't turn Whitaker into the cliched booze hound that is normally seen in film; he is a respected pilot and supposed hero who has hit a rough patch with his alcohol abuse. As seen in Zemeckis' filmography, he does have much experience with visual effects in his movies, and gives audiences a special effects treat with the emergency-landing sequence.
That sequence, however, means something more, and represents the entire movie. It is not just one of the film's most memorable scenes, but it also has a symbolic use. It represents Whitaker's life making its own emergency landing so he can save himself and improve the quality of his life.
With the combined efforts of the performances, screenplay and direction, Flight earns its wings.
Final grade: A
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Hired Killers Who Always Have Time, and Blood, on Their Hands
Time travel is a concept that, when used in any type of storytelling, persuades the audience to pay close attention in order to piece together the concept's logic like a jigsaw puzzle. Whenever the premise is used in film, books or television, the plots that time travel is involved in tend to differ, so the rules of time travel in each story will differ as well. With films like Back to the Future, 12 Monkeys, The Time Traveler's Wife (also a novel) and last summer's Men in Black 3, the viewer can see how filmmakers often find various ways to use time travel in their narratives.
Writer and director Rian Johnson brings his own contribution to time travel in his futuristic drama, Looper. By doing so, he exemplifies that there are still new ways to use time travel in film. In his story, Johnson's mark on the subject involves hired killers. With his vision of a gloomy future, intriguing rules for loopers, and the increasing tension between the main character's present self and future self, the film explores the great lengths and sacrifices that one will go through to make sure he will live the life he wants.
In 2044, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) works as a "looper," which is a hired assassin. Time travel has been invented in 2074, but is deemed illegal. Crime bosses use it in secret to send those that they want killed back to 2044 to be killed by the loopers, who then secretly dispose of the bodies. When Joe's future self (Bruce Willis) arrives to him as his next assignment, the older Joe knocks out his younger self and flees. Joe soon has to figure out what it is that his future self has set out to accomplish in the present day.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt displays his character as one who never truly feels optimistic about his life, hardly ever cracking a smile during the film. His attitude reflects the bleakness of the society around him. With how good he is at his job and how familiar he is of his urban surroundings, Joe comes off as one of those hard-nosed cops who is tough, but quietly so. While occasionally trying to escape the harsh realities that come with being a hired killer, he takes an eye-dropping club drug regularly and frequents the popular night scene when he's off the clock. As he narrates parts of the story, the viewer can detect a hint of melancholy in his voice. But, within the gloom of his character is a bit of dreamer; he's learning French with the determination to move to Paris someday. It gives the viewer some hope for his character. These two sides of him come together in the first scene as he studies French as the camera pans around him as he waits for, and then kills, his latest assignment.
Bruce Willis still has an abundance of action-star energy. His toughness of character and placement in a time-travel situation recall his role in Terry Gilliam's sci-fi time-bender 12 Monkeys. As with the latter role, there is more to Willis' character than sheer brute force. There are several flashbacks offered about his character, and through them, the audience learns of his tragic loss in the future and his desperate mission to reverse the outcome. It's fortunate for this film that depth of character carries over from Joe's present self to his future self, seeing as they are, basically, the same person.
There is a feeling in the duration of the movie that these killers are only good at what they do, and nothing else. This is seen in the interaction between the loopers' boss, Abe (Jeff Daniels) and one of his loopers, Kid Blue (Noah Segan). The scenes with them together display a sort of father-son relationship as Kid Blue constantly wants to impress his boss as a looper because his job is all he has, even though it is clear that Joe has the better skills and is favored more by Abe. Although the present Joe and future Joe aren't father and son, the vibe of different generations is there in their relationship. They both have conflicting views on Willis' character making a drastic change to the present that will fix his future for the better; and, not to give anything away, but this part of the story carries some interesting echoes of Terminator 2.
One clever aspect of the past, present and future mixing together is the way how the set designs are constructed. While the city holds a futuristic and dystopian look, other places in the film, such as the diner that Joe frequents and the farmhouse where he meets an ally in Sara (Emily Blunt), look more old-fashioned. The differences in the appearance of each of these set pieces play with the concept of time with how the past, present and future meet in the film.
The screenplay by the director takes a look at free will and the choices that its characters make that will either change the future for better or worse, as well as how the elements from the three concepts of time interact with each other. His use of voiceover narration by Joe doesn't last for the whole movie. It's simply just used in the first couple of scenes a few times so Joe can describe to the viewer the fascinating rules of loopers and the deterioration of society. The one problem is that the plot twist becomes predictable about a half hour before the ending.
Rian Johnson has made an effective, original and stylish sci-fi thriller. He takes the idea of time travel and creates a new and exciting use out of it. And, in the middle of the action, he's able to extract emotional performances from his leads. This being Johnson's first mainstream film, he shows that he doesn't have to submit to making a big-budget action picture to win over audiences once he steps into mainstream. He can engage us with his story, characters and strange visuals.
Time travel is a crime in Looper, but it as sure as ever offers a good time at the movies.
Final grade: A-
Writer and director Rian Johnson brings his own contribution to time travel in his futuristic drama, Looper. By doing so, he exemplifies that there are still new ways to use time travel in film. In his story, Johnson's mark on the subject involves hired killers. With his vision of a gloomy future, intriguing rules for loopers, and the increasing tension between the main character's present self and future self, the film explores the great lengths and sacrifices that one will go through to make sure he will live the life he wants.
In 2044, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) works as a "looper," which is a hired assassin. Time travel has been invented in 2074, but is deemed illegal. Crime bosses use it in secret to send those that they want killed back to 2044 to be killed by the loopers, who then secretly dispose of the bodies. When Joe's future self (Bruce Willis) arrives to him as his next assignment, the older Joe knocks out his younger self and flees. Joe soon has to figure out what it is that his future self has set out to accomplish in the present day.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt displays his character as one who never truly feels optimistic about his life, hardly ever cracking a smile during the film. His attitude reflects the bleakness of the society around him. With how good he is at his job and how familiar he is of his urban surroundings, Joe comes off as one of those hard-nosed cops who is tough, but quietly so. While occasionally trying to escape the harsh realities that come with being a hired killer, he takes an eye-dropping club drug regularly and frequents the popular night scene when he's off the clock. As he narrates parts of the story, the viewer can detect a hint of melancholy in his voice. But, within the gloom of his character is a bit of dreamer; he's learning French with the determination to move to Paris someday. It gives the viewer some hope for his character. These two sides of him come together in the first scene as he studies French as the camera pans around him as he waits for, and then kills, his latest assignment.
Bruce Willis still has an abundance of action-star energy. His toughness of character and placement in a time-travel situation recall his role in Terry Gilliam's sci-fi time-bender 12 Monkeys. As with the latter role, there is more to Willis' character than sheer brute force. There are several flashbacks offered about his character, and through them, the audience learns of his tragic loss in the future and his desperate mission to reverse the outcome. It's fortunate for this film that depth of character carries over from Joe's present self to his future self, seeing as they are, basically, the same person.
There is a feeling in the duration of the movie that these killers are only good at what they do, and nothing else. This is seen in the interaction between the loopers' boss, Abe (Jeff Daniels) and one of his loopers, Kid Blue (Noah Segan). The scenes with them together display a sort of father-son relationship as Kid Blue constantly wants to impress his boss as a looper because his job is all he has, even though it is clear that Joe has the better skills and is favored more by Abe. Although the present Joe and future Joe aren't father and son, the vibe of different generations is there in their relationship. They both have conflicting views on Willis' character making a drastic change to the present that will fix his future for the better; and, not to give anything away, but this part of the story carries some interesting echoes of Terminator 2.
One clever aspect of the past, present and future mixing together is the way how the set designs are constructed. While the city holds a futuristic and dystopian look, other places in the film, such as the diner that Joe frequents and the farmhouse where he meets an ally in Sara (Emily Blunt), look more old-fashioned. The differences in the appearance of each of these set pieces play with the concept of time with how the past, present and future meet in the film.
The screenplay by the director takes a look at free will and the choices that its characters make that will either change the future for better or worse, as well as how the elements from the three concepts of time interact with each other. His use of voiceover narration by Joe doesn't last for the whole movie. It's simply just used in the first couple of scenes a few times so Joe can describe to the viewer the fascinating rules of loopers and the deterioration of society. The one problem is that the plot twist becomes predictable about a half hour before the ending.
Rian Johnson has made an effective, original and stylish sci-fi thriller. He takes the idea of time travel and creates a new and exciting use out of it. And, in the middle of the action, he's able to extract emotional performances from his leads. This being Johnson's first mainstream film, he shows that he doesn't have to submit to making a big-budget action picture to win over audiences once he steps into mainstream. He can engage us with his story, characters and strange visuals.
Time travel is a crime in Looper, but it as sure as ever offers a good time at the movies.
Final grade: A-
Monday, October 22, 2012
Getting Separated, But Still Inseparable
Romantic couples in film tend to go one of three ways: they either form; form, break up, then get back together; or form, break up, and never repair the bond. Trials and tribulations are common in all amorous relationships, but they all arrive at a variation of outcomes, whether they are in a comedy or a drama.
In one case, however, the rules of being together become a little more complicated, and even broken, as we look at the love lives of Celeste Martin and Jesse Abrams. In director Lee Toland Krieger's unconventional dramedy, Celeste and Jesse Forever, he navigates the pleasures and awkwardness of a couple that is on the verge of divorce, but still unable to separate. It's a romance that looks at a love that turns from that of a boyfriend and girlfriend to that of two really good friends.
Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) are best friends who love spending every minute together, even though they are on the verge of getting a divorce. Celeste has a successful job running her own media company, and Jesse is an unemployed artist who isn't rushing to find a job. They have their differences on their outlooks for the future, but are still very close. As the two begin to date other people and take on new responsibilities, moving on from their past relationship might be harder and more emotional than they anticipated.
Jones and Samberg each turn in the type of screen performance that is always miraculous to watch: a comedic actor and actress who effortlessly sink into a dramatic role, against the type that is their norm. While they make a charming pair of friends, their emotional relationship is hindered by both of their destructive faults. Celeste has a habit of being judgmental, criticizing current pop culture trends in her television show and new book, and disapproving her boyfriend's slacker lifestyle. Jesse is a stay-at-home boyfriend without much ambition. Both actors are able to tone down their humorous sides, which makes their plight all the more realistic as they both try to adjust to their lives in the middle of the divorce process. What's pleasant about their characters is, at times, they make each other laugh as a way to express themselves as casual friends, despite the current circumstances.
Ari Graynor is very funny as Celeste's brutally-honest friend Beth. She says what's on her mind no matter what, and reflects the audience's view on Celeste and Jesse's relationship in a memorable dinner scene where she expresses her utter confusion as to why they are acting like everything is normal in their lives.
While the screenplay by Jones and Will McCormack does rely on the typicality of the successful-girlfriend-lazy-boyfriend formula, the story is elevated by the honest performances of Jones and Samberg acting like an actual couple. It's not a story about two people trying to get back together, but is, rather, about two people trying to stay together as friends while attempting to sever their romantic ties. Because it's a film about a couple trying to get by without each other, it's difficult to tell whether or not they will stay together, and that, thankfully, takes away a lot of the predictability of the story's conclusion.
A love story about a separation could have posed as a challenge to create, but director Lee Toland Krieger succeeds in making this film tender and genuine without making it sappy. Celeste and Jesse Forever is an original view of how two people can still have the potential to love each other, even after ending a relationship. Whoever thought breaking up could be this romantic?
Final grade: A-
In one case, however, the rules of being together become a little more complicated, and even broken, as we look at the love lives of Celeste Martin and Jesse Abrams. In director Lee Toland Krieger's unconventional dramedy, Celeste and Jesse Forever, he navigates the pleasures and awkwardness of a couple that is on the verge of divorce, but still unable to separate. It's a romance that looks at a love that turns from that of a boyfriend and girlfriend to that of two really good friends.
Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) are best friends who love spending every minute together, even though they are on the verge of getting a divorce. Celeste has a successful job running her own media company, and Jesse is an unemployed artist who isn't rushing to find a job. They have their differences on their outlooks for the future, but are still very close. As the two begin to date other people and take on new responsibilities, moving on from their past relationship might be harder and more emotional than they anticipated.
Jones and Samberg each turn in the type of screen performance that is always miraculous to watch: a comedic actor and actress who effortlessly sink into a dramatic role, against the type that is their norm. While they make a charming pair of friends, their emotional relationship is hindered by both of their destructive faults. Celeste has a habit of being judgmental, criticizing current pop culture trends in her television show and new book, and disapproving her boyfriend's slacker lifestyle. Jesse is a stay-at-home boyfriend without much ambition. Both actors are able to tone down their humorous sides, which makes their plight all the more realistic as they both try to adjust to their lives in the middle of the divorce process. What's pleasant about their characters is, at times, they make each other laugh as a way to express themselves as casual friends, despite the current circumstances.
Ari Graynor is very funny as Celeste's brutally-honest friend Beth. She says what's on her mind no matter what, and reflects the audience's view on Celeste and Jesse's relationship in a memorable dinner scene where she expresses her utter confusion as to why they are acting like everything is normal in their lives.
While the screenplay by Jones and Will McCormack does rely on the typicality of the successful-girlfriend-lazy-boyfriend formula, the story is elevated by the honest performances of Jones and Samberg acting like an actual couple. It's not a story about two people trying to get back together, but is, rather, about two people trying to stay together as friends while attempting to sever their romantic ties. Because it's a film about a couple trying to get by without each other, it's difficult to tell whether or not they will stay together, and that, thankfully, takes away a lot of the predictability of the story's conclusion.
A love story about a separation could have posed as a challenge to create, but director Lee Toland Krieger succeeds in making this film tender and genuine without making it sappy. Celeste and Jesse Forever is an original view of how two people can still have the potential to love each other, even after ending a relationship. Whoever thought breaking up could be this romantic?
Final grade: A-
Hollywood Gets Political, But in a Very Different Way
Part of the great power of movies is the medium's ability to bring to life some of the biggest moments in world history. These stories enthrall the viewer as they sit and watch the events unfurl through an intense secondhand experience. If the viewer is watching a film about an event that they were not alive to see, the film will present itself as a rich opportunity to learn something new.
Ben Affleck makes a meteoric return as a director for his tension-drenched thriller, Argo. As he tells the true story of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, he builds upon relentless suspense as the danger for the main characters becomes more life-threatening. With this only being his third feature as a director, he hasn't just given audiences one of the best movies of the year, but has already become one of the most gifted filmmakers of today.
During the 1979 Iranian Revolution, a group of revolutionaries breaks into the U.S. embassy in Tehran in retaliation for the support the country gives to their recently deposed Shah. While many of the staff is taken as hostages, six are able to escape and find refuge in the home of Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). Back in the U.S., CIA specialist Tony Mendez (Affleck) is brought in to review the plans to save the six hostages, but sees that they are flawed. After he watches Battle of the Planet of the Apes on TV, he hatches an idea: go into Tehran and pose with the hostages as a Canadian film crew that is scouting the area for exotic locations for a fake sci-fi movie called Argo. After the CIA agrees to it, Tony will need all the resources and support he can get from his job and from Hollywood in order to get the hostages home alive.
Affleck not only proves that he's a supremely competent filmmaker, but also continues to show that he can provide some quality acting as well. When The Town was released in 2010, which Affleck directed, he presented to audiences that he can be as good of an actor as he can a director, and with his role in Argo, he delivers his best performance to date.
His character has a pinpoint focus of what he must do to accomplish his mission. Even though he has some personal issues with being away from his family because he and his spouse are taking a break, there isn't one spot in the film where Affleck's character wallows in a woe-is-me mentality. He concentrates on his mission with a towering willpower to go and follow through with his task. Despite his determination to do what he can for the hostages, Tony doesn't make overblown speeches about what is the right thing to do in the hostage situation. It's an understated performance, with Tony acting composed in each scene, trying to figure out how to go about each step in the rescue.
Argo's supporting cast is one of the most memorable this year. John Goodman portrays famed Hollywood make-up artist John Chambers, who also crafted disguises at one point for the CIA. Alan Arkin plays a big-shot film producer named Lester Siegel, who has the know-how and connections for show business. They both have some of the film's funniest quotes, such as Lester's "You're worried about the Ayatollah? Try the WGA," and John's "You could teach a rhesus monkey to be a director in a day." The two speak their humorous lines with great timing. As the tension is boiling over, either of these two characters are there to utter a funny line, even if it just calms the audience down for a little bit, but the humor doesn't become too much that it undermines the serious tone. Bryan Cranston is fierce as Mendez's supervisor, Jack O'Donnell. He takes charge of every scene he's in and dominates them with his get-the-job-done persona.
Although the actors used for the six hostages have appeared in other projects, they are still relatively unknown to most audiences, but the film benefits from that aspect. This makes their scenes look and feel more realistic with how they portray their characters. Otherwise, it would have been distracting to have familiar actors fill those roles. This makes them look more like ordinary people who are trying to get back home. When they interact with one another, the audience also learns some details about how their lives were before they ended up in this crisis. So, the viewers are able to care about them.
One of the most interesting aspects of the film is how it begins and ends by showing storyboards. I won't give away how they are used in the end, but in the beginning, the storyboards are used to illustrate the history of Iran and the reasons behind the revolution. It's a smart use for them because this is a movie about a fake movie that was, basically, the vessel that got the hostages and Mendez through Iran to safety. Also, storyboards factor greatly into one of the most significant scenes of the film's climax.
One thing that's always impressive about film is how archival footage can be found and used to strengthen the storytelling. News footage is employed extensively throughout Argo. By having the footage embedded in the film, the audience is able to feel closer to the events. When viewing this footage, it provides the sense of watching the news from a television at home, but the audience is also watching the actual planning and events of the rescue as they unfold, something they couldn't have done when all of this happened when it did.
The screenplay by Chris Terrio, based on Mendez's book Master of Disguise and Joshuah Bearman's Wired magazine article The Great Escape, includes wonderfully developed characters throughout, and are all the more impressive because they are real. His story is shrouded in tension, which is one of the film's best qualities. But, the moments of humor he writes between Affleck, Goodman and Arkin break that tension, albeit for a little while, in the amusing scenes of them trying to get the rescue plan together.
George Clooney and Grant Heslov are producers for the film, and both worked on other films that have dealt heavily with politics such as 2005's Good Night, and Good Luck and last year's The Ides of March. Their experience with political films is clearly seen in Argo, the subject matter being a perfect fit for these two and Affleck and their political and filmmaking savvy.
Ben Affleck is a master of creating suspenseful scenarios in his films such as Gone Baby Gone and The Town. For Argo, he achieves a remarkable feat: being able to instill near-unbearable anxiety into the story, even though the viewer already knows the outcome. There are two particular scenes that come to mind: one is where his character must drive the group of hostages in a van through a group of protesters, and the other involves the group traversing through a bazaar as they pretend to be scouting for filming locations. Both scenes emit a potent sense of claustrophobia. The van scene mostly has the camera inside the vehicle as the hostages are looking out the windows while trying not to look terrified as the protesters surround them. The scene in the bazaar has the audience even more anxious as it watches the hostages and Mendez weaving through the densely populated streets, and what happens in this scene really gets the heart racing.
With just a three-movie history as a director, Affleck has made a superb impression on cinema. He has stayed consistent with his excellence in storytelling, and is reliable in bringing audiences films that achieve on placing viewers as close to edge as possible as they wait for the many high-tension situations to unfold. This film is his greatest success in filmmaking so far, and he gets better each time. Put him in the director's chair, and Affleck will give us something worth raving about. In this case, it's the utterly stimulating Argo.
Final grade: A
Ben Affleck makes a meteoric return as a director for his tension-drenched thriller, Argo. As he tells the true story of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, he builds upon relentless suspense as the danger for the main characters becomes more life-threatening. With this only being his third feature as a director, he hasn't just given audiences one of the best movies of the year, but has already become one of the most gifted filmmakers of today.
During the 1979 Iranian Revolution, a group of revolutionaries breaks into the U.S. embassy in Tehran in retaliation for the support the country gives to their recently deposed Shah. While many of the staff is taken as hostages, six are able to escape and find refuge in the home of Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). Back in the U.S., CIA specialist Tony Mendez (Affleck) is brought in to review the plans to save the six hostages, but sees that they are flawed. After he watches Battle of the Planet of the Apes on TV, he hatches an idea: go into Tehran and pose with the hostages as a Canadian film crew that is scouting the area for exotic locations for a fake sci-fi movie called Argo. After the CIA agrees to it, Tony will need all the resources and support he can get from his job and from Hollywood in order to get the hostages home alive.
Affleck not only proves that he's a supremely competent filmmaker, but also continues to show that he can provide some quality acting as well. When The Town was released in 2010, which Affleck directed, he presented to audiences that he can be as good of an actor as he can a director, and with his role in Argo, he delivers his best performance to date.
His character has a pinpoint focus of what he must do to accomplish his mission. Even though he has some personal issues with being away from his family because he and his spouse are taking a break, there isn't one spot in the film where Affleck's character wallows in a woe-is-me mentality. He concentrates on his mission with a towering willpower to go and follow through with his task. Despite his determination to do what he can for the hostages, Tony doesn't make overblown speeches about what is the right thing to do in the hostage situation. It's an understated performance, with Tony acting composed in each scene, trying to figure out how to go about each step in the rescue.
Argo's supporting cast is one of the most memorable this year. John Goodman portrays famed Hollywood make-up artist John Chambers, who also crafted disguises at one point for the CIA. Alan Arkin plays a big-shot film producer named Lester Siegel, who has the know-how and connections for show business. They both have some of the film's funniest quotes, such as Lester's "You're worried about the Ayatollah? Try the WGA," and John's "You could teach a rhesus monkey to be a director in a day." The two speak their humorous lines with great timing. As the tension is boiling over, either of these two characters are there to utter a funny line, even if it just calms the audience down for a little bit, but the humor doesn't become too much that it undermines the serious tone. Bryan Cranston is fierce as Mendez's supervisor, Jack O'Donnell. He takes charge of every scene he's in and dominates them with his get-the-job-done persona.
Although the actors used for the six hostages have appeared in other projects, they are still relatively unknown to most audiences, but the film benefits from that aspect. This makes their scenes look and feel more realistic with how they portray their characters. Otherwise, it would have been distracting to have familiar actors fill those roles. This makes them look more like ordinary people who are trying to get back home. When they interact with one another, the audience also learns some details about how their lives were before they ended up in this crisis. So, the viewers are able to care about them.
One of the most interesting aspects of the film is how it begins and ends by showing storyboards. I won't give away how they are used in the end, but in the beginning, the storyboards are used to illustrate the history of Iran and the reasons behind the revolution. It's a smart use for them because this is a movie about a fake movie that was, basically, the vessel that got the hostages and Mendez through Iran to safety. Also, storyboards factor greatly into one of the most significant scenes of the film's climax.
One thing that's always impressive about film is how archival footage can be found and used to strengthen the storytelling. News footage is employed extensively throughout Argo. By having the footage embedded in the film, the audience is able to feel closer to the events. When viewing this footage, it provides the sense of watching the news from a television at home, but the audience is also watching the actual planning and events of the rescue as they unfold, something they couldn't have done when all of this happened when it did.
The screenplay by Chris Terrio, based on Mendez's book Master of Disguise and Joshuah Bearman's Wired magazine article The Great Escape, includes wonderfully developed characters throughout, and are all the more impressive because they are real. His story is shrouded in tension, which is one of the film's best qualities. But, the moments of humor he writes between Affleck, Goodman and Arkin break that tension, albeit for a little while, in the amusing scenes of them trying to get the rescue plan together.
George Clooney and Grant Heslov are producers for the film, and both worked on other films that have dealt heavily with politics such as 2005's Good Night, and Good Luck and last year's The Ides of March. Their experience with political films is clearly seen in Argo, the subject matter being a perfect fit for these two and Affleck and their political and filmmaking savvy.
Ben Affleck is a master of creating suspenseful scenarios in his films such as Gone Baby Gone and The Town. For Argo, he achieves a remarkable feat: being able to instill near-unbearable anxiety into the story, even though the viewer already knows the outcome. There are two particular scenes that come to mind: one is where his character must drive the group of hostages in a van through a group of protesters, and the other involves the group traversing through a bazaar as they pretend to be scouting for filming locations. Both scenes emit a potent sense of claustrophobia. The van scene mostly has the camera inside the vehicle as the hostages are looking out the windows while trying not to look terrified as the protesters surround them. The scene in the bazaar has the audience even more anxious as it watches the hostages and Mendez weaving through the densely populated streets, and what happens in this scene really gets the heart racing.
With just a three-movie history as a director, Affleck has made a superb impression on cinema. He has stayed consistent with his excellence in storytelling, and is reliable in bringing audiences films that achieve on placing viewers as close to edge as possible as they wait for the many high-tension situations to unfold. This film is his greatest success in filmmaking so far, and he gets better each time. Put him in the director's chair, and Affleck will give us something worth raving about. In this case, it's the utterly stimulating Argo.
Final grade: A
Monday, September 24, 2012
To Protect and to Serve
They patrol our towns. They watch our streets. They bring criminals to justice. They are police officers, everyday heroes who put their lives on the line so they can protect ours. But, they are equally as determined to protect their comrades as well. To paraphrase Officer Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) from his narration in the opening scene, if you mess with one cop, you mess with all of them, and if you take down one, there are thousands more.
The unity of cops, particularly that of two best friends in the police force, are at the gritty center of David Ayer's cop drama, End of Watch. Presented through handheld camera shots and surveillance footage, the film takes the viewer on as close as a ride-along as they are likely to get. With the trips through South Central Los Angeles and its ruthless crooks and violence-ridden streets, the film provides the feeling of what it's like to be behind the gun and the wheel of a squad car.
Officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) are dedicated members of the LAPD, and have a friendship that's so strong that they refer to themselves as brothers. But, what they have seen so far on the job can't prepare them for what they will discover: a heinous crime involving cartels focused on human and drug trafficking. As the stakes become higher and the events around the crime more gruesome, Taylor and Zavala will do whatever they can to protect their families, their fellow officers and each other.
The work between Gyllenhaal and Pena embodies the film's overall theme of protecting those close to you. The ability for them to easily work together is essential because whenever their characters are riding together, they are always immersed in either cop talk or trash talk aimed at the other. It's evident that they are such good friends that they can have fun insulting each other without being offended. Their deep and funny conversations about family paint them as not just cops, but as husbands and fathers, and depict their off-duty commitments as just as important as their on-duty commitments. Their verbal exchanges are grounded in the trust and friendship they have for each other.
The acting from the whole cast comes off as very naturalistic with its intimate technique of filming. Just like the two main characters, those acting as either officers or criminals have a real-world quality to them because their dialogue in their screen time appears to be improvised, and the documentary filming style enforces that. They all deliver their lines with the aggressiveness and harshness that comes with years of patrolling and living on the streets of South Central L.A.
The use of video camera footage, by cinematographer Roman Vasyanov, adds an intimacy to the narrative that other law enforcement films don't normally have. With the footage from the squad car camera, video cameras belonging to both Taylor and the gang members, clip-on cameras placed on Taylor's and Zavala's uniforms and surveillance footage from the U.S.-Mexico border, we are thrown in the middle of the bullets, brawls and illegal activity. It's unnerving, dynamic and very convincing.
Having written other LAPD dramas such as Training Day, S.W.A.T., Dark Blue and directed Street Kings, David Ayer's is a fit for this material.
The film finds a balance between scenes involving Taylor and Zavala with their families and without. While the film does share some scenes with the cops' families, it's just the right amount because we mainly learn about their families through stories that Taylor and Zavala share with each other. And, by the two main characters doing so, there is the impression that they can talk to each other about anything that's going on in their lives, and this strengthens their bond. As the film switches back and forth from the cops to the thugs, more is learned about the crime situation from both sides.
What's also different about End of Watch from other cop films is that because it's mainly about how the two main characters handle their law enforcement, the film doesn't focus a lot on the criminals, which is fine. We learn just enough about the side of the criminals to get by so we know what's going on, and we can then stick with the increasingly dangerous journey of the officers.
As a director, Ayer's knows how to use his knowledge of Los Angeles to his advantage, having almost all of his films unfold in that city. He has a familiarity with the streets and the ways how the inhabitants act. Given the film's genuine look at L.A.'s crime settings and the city's protectors, Ayer's has everyone in the cast act very similar to how you would expect them to act. Forget about watching any episode of Cops. This film is the real deal.
Final grade: A-
The unity of cops, particularly that of two best friends in the police force, are at the gritty center of David Ayer's cop drama, End of Watch. Presented through handheld camera shots and surveillance footage, the film takes the viewer on as close as a ride-along as they are likely to get. With the trips through South Central Los Angeles and its ruthless crooks and violence-ridden streets, the film provides the feeling of what it's like to be behind the gun and the wheel of a squad car.
Officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) are dedicated members of the LAPD, and have a friendship that's so strong that they refer to themselves as brothers. But, what they have seen so far on the job can't prepare them for what they will discover: a heinous crime involving cartels focused on human and drug trafficking. As the stakes become higher and the events around the crime more gruesome, Taylor and Zavala will do whatever they can to protect their families, their fellow officers and each other.
The work between Gyllenhaal and Pena embodies the film's overall theme of protecting those close to you. The ability for them to easily work together is essential because whenever their characters are riding together, they are always immersed in either cop talk or trash talk aimed at the other. It's evident that they are such good friends that they can have fun insulting each other without being offended. Their deep and funny conversations about family paint them as not just cops, but as husbands and fathers, and depict their off-duty commitments as just as important as their on-duty commitments. Their verbal exchanges are grounded in the trust and friendship they have for each other.
The acting from the whole cast comes off as very naturalistic with its intimate technique of filming. Just like the two main characters, those acting as either officers or criminals have a real-world quality to them because their dialogue in their screen time appears to be improvised, and the documentary filming style enforces that. They all deliver their lines with the aggressiveness and harshness that comes with years of patrolling and living on the streets of South Central L.A.
The use of video camera footage, by cinematographer Roman Vasyanov, adds an intimacy to the narrative that other law enforcement films don't normally have. With the footage from the squad car camera, video cameras belonging to both Taylor and the gang members, clip-on cameras placed on Taylor's and Zavala's uniforms and surveillance footage from the U.S.-Mexico border, we are thrown in the middle of the bullets, brawls and illegal activity. It's unnerving, dynamic and very convincing.
Having written other LAPD dramas such as Training Day, S.W.A.T., Dark Blue and directed Street Kings, David Ayer's is a fit for this material.
The film finds a balance between scenes involving Taylor and Zavala with their families and without. While the film does share some scenes with the cops' families, it's just the right amount because we mainly learn about their families through stories that Taylor and Zavala share with each other. And, by the two main characters doing so, there is the impression that they can talk to each other about anything that's going on in their lives, and this strengthens their bond. As the film switches back and forth from the cops to the thugs, more is learned about the crime situation from both sides.
What's also different about End of Watch from other cop films is that because it's mainly about how the two main characters handle their law enforcement, the film doesn't focus a lot on the criminals, which is fine. We learn just enough about the side of the criminals to get by so we know what's going on, and we can then stick with the increasingly dangerous journey of the officers.
As a director, Ayer's knows how to use his knowledge of Los Angeles to his advantage, having almost all of his films unfold in that city. He has a familiarity with the streets and the ways how the inhabitants act. Given the film's genuine look at L.A.'s crime settings and the city's protectors, Ayer's has everyone in the cast act very similar to how you would expect them to act. Forget about watching any episode of Cops. This film is the real deal.
Final grade: A-
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Courage is This Girl's Life Raft
Magical realism continues to be one of the most absorbing genres of film today. The unusual blend of real-world elements with imaginative visions bring a sense of how the world is seen in actuality and how we see the world when we project our mind's eye onto our surroundings. It's one of the most beautiful and artistic methods to present a cinematic story.
In director Benh Zeitlin's mystical tale of survival, Beasts of the Southern Wild, he spins a miraculous parable about a young girl trying to withstand forces both natural and familial. In a film about a child's need to muster uncommon bravery for her age and to grow up in the midst of life-threatening circumstances, we follow her on a perilous journey of startling distinction.
Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) is a young girl who lives with her father Wink (Dwight Henry) in a small, fictitious island community known as "the Bathtub." Despite being nearly closed-off from the rest of society, the people thrive on their sense of togetherness and lively celebrations. When the island is ravaged by storm floods, Hushpuppy must face the tasks at hand, which include obtaining medicine for her ill father and finding her mother, who has been missing for most of her life.
Quvenzhane Wallis' performance is that rare occurrence where a child actor exhibits as much artistic talent as an older and more experienced actors. Her acting looks very natural and unforced because she's a child and immerses herself in this young character . To watch her in this film is to witness the unfurling of a future in show business with tremendous opportunity for her. As Hushpuppy, Willis brings to radiance the abundant and healthy curiosity that she has for the world around her. She has a vivid imagination that reveals both bravery and vulnerability. She courageously stands up to a pack of long-extinct aurochs, a scene that's beautifully reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are; and yet, she is saddened by the disappearance of her mother, which we see in a scene where she imagines her mother's voice in her head, pretending to have a conversation with her.
Her character holds desires to find her mother and heal her father that are so strong that she isn't bound by fear, but does whatever she can to fulfill these tasks. She may just be one of the bravest characters in cinema this year.
Dwight Henry's role as a survivalist father gives the viewer frustration because of his stubborn nature, but that's how you know it's an excellent performance. He doesn't want to leave the Bathtub, even with the storm approaching. He feels like he can withstand it. There is a brief mention of Hushpupy's mother being caught in a storm, so this could be Wink's way of trying to prove his strength against the earth's natural forces that caused the disappearance of his wife. Despite his recklessness, he is still an adequate father, teaching his daughter how to take care of herself when he isn't around anymore.
The screenplay by the director and Lucy Alibar, based on the latter's play Juicy and Delicious, magnificently blends scenes of fantastical elements and views of devastation. There is a scene towards the beginning of the film where the inhabitants of the Bathtub celebrate for the sake of celebrating, with Hushpuppy running through the party with sparklers in hand, a feeling of unity among the people, only to have their lives uprooted from the storm.
There is also an interesting use of certain sound effects in the film. Occasionally, we'll hear the beating of a specimen's heart when Hushpuppy either observes or places her ear close enough to it. It's a testament to the life that's teeming around her.
With the low budget of the film, director Zeitlin gives it a look of simplicity, which is appropriate for the story's setting. It's not an obnoxious location, but a sort-of shantytown with its own weird beauty. His characters are heartbreakingly real and his situations even more so. He delicately guides Hushpuppy into the harsh responsibilities she must carry if she wants to take care of those who she loves. He tames his beasts into subjects of wonder.
Final grade: A
In director Benh Zeitlin's mystical tale of survival, Beasts of the Southern Wild, he spins a miraculous parable about a young girl trying to withstand forces both natural and familial. In a film about a child's need to muster uncommon bravery for her age and to grow up in the midst of life-threatening circumstances, we follow her on a perilous journey of startling distinction.
Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) is a young girl who lives with her father Wink (Dwight Henry) in a small, fictitious island community known as "the Bathtub." Despite being nearly closed-off from the rest of society, the people thrive on their sense of togetherness and lively celebrations. When the island is ravaged by storm floods, Hushpuppy must face the tasks at hand, which include obtaining medicine for her ill father and finding her mother, who has been missing for most of her life.
Quvenzhane Wallis' performance is that rare occurrence where a child actor exhibits as much artistic talent as an older and more experienced actors. Her acting looks very natural and unforced because she's a child and immerses herself in this young character . To watch her in this film is to witness the unfurling of a future in show business with tremendous opportunity for her. As Hushpuppy, Willis brings to radiance the abundant and healthy curiosity that she has for the world around her. She has a vivid imagination that reveals both bravery and vulnerability. She courageously stands up to a pack of long-extinct aurochs, a scene that's beautifully reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are; and yet, she is saddened by the disappearance of her mother, which we see in a scene where she imagines her mother's voice in her head, pretending to have a conversation with her.
Her character holds desires to find her mother and heal her father that are so strong that she isn't bound by fear, but does whatever she can to fulfill these tasks. She may just be one of the bravest characters in cinema this year.
Dwight Henry's role as a survivalist father gives the viewer frustration because of his stubborn nature, but that's how you know it's an excellent performance. He doesn't want to leave the Bathtub, even with the storm approaching. He feels like he can withstand it. There is a brief mention of Hushpupy's mother being caught in a storm, so this could be Wink's way of trying to prove his strength against the earth's natural forces that caused the disappearance of his wife. Despite his recklessness, he is still an adequate father, teaching his daughter how to take care of herself when he isn't around anymore.
The screenplay by the director and Lucy Alibar, based on the latter's play Juicy and Delicious, magnificently blends scenes of fantastical elements and views of devastation. There is a scene towards the beginning of the film where the inhabitants of the Bathtub celebrate for the sake of celebrating, with Hushpuppy running through the party with sparklers in hand, a feeling of unity among the people, only to have their lives uprooted from the storm.
There is also an interesting use of certain sound effects in the film. Occasionally, we'll hear the beating of a specimen's heart when Hushpuppy either observes or places her ear close enough to it. It's a testament to the life that's teeming around her.
With the low budget of the film, director Zeitlin gives it a look of simplicity, which is appropriate for the story's setting. It's not an obnoxious location, but a sort-of shantytown with its own weird beauty. His characters are heartbreakingly real and his situations even more so. He delicately guides Hushpuppy into the harsh responsibilities she must carry if she wants to take care of those who she loves. He tames his beasts into subjects of wonder.
Final grade: A
Monday, August 27, 2012
On the Run While On the Road
In the opening of Hit and Run, the new road movie from Dax Shepard and David Palmer, we see a scene that we wouldn't normally expect an action comedy to begin with: a sunlit, romantic bedroom setting with Charlie (Shepard) and his girlfriend, Annie (Kristen Bell). He's calming her down from stress, uttering sweetly cliched lines like, "If you want, I'll spend every moment with you for the rest of my life." They live on a quiet, ranch-like property, and are perfectly content being together.
If you walked in without knowing anything about the film, you would think it's another movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel.
With this, directors Shepard and Palmer set a romantic tone that will, unexpectedly, be focused on for the first two-thirds of the movie. While not necessarily a bad thing, it does, however, overshadow the comedic danger that sets out to catch them.
Annie and Charlie have been together for a few years. She is a college professor who teaches Non-Violent Conflict Resolution, and is offered a chance at a new position at a college in Los Angeles. Charlie is in the Witness Protection Program for testifying against his friends after being the getaway driver for their bank-robbing. On the couple's way to L.A. in Charlie's Lincoln hot rod, certain events occur that will eventually lead to their encounter with Charlie's ex thug friends.
Kristen Bell is one of those actresses who, despite being in several bad movies, can bring out her acting ability when she has decent material to work with. With her work on her hit TV show Veronica Mars and in films, like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and this summer's Safety Not Guaranteed, Bell can bring much likability and girl-next-door charm to her best roles. When she has a good script, she shows that she's not just another young actress. Bell is believable as a college professor because she doesn't act like a generic blonde beauty. Her character exhibits sensitivity and insight to current social issues, and maintains her views on the importance of non-violence.
Dax Shepard is surprisingly restrained from doing a scumbag type of character as he does in some of his other comedies. He's a supportive and caring boyfriend who is willing to risk everything for Annie's success. The opening scene shows that we will be seeing a different kind of character in the film apart from what Shepard usually plays.
There is a variety of witty supporting players on this insane and dangerous road trip. Bradley Cooper takes a villainous turn as Alex Dimitri, the dreadlock-styled leader of the gang of criminals. Kristin Chenoweth makes a funny appearance as Annie's Xanax-popping colleague, and Tom Arnold appears as Charlie's gun-toting and incompetent Witness Protection officer.
The screenplay by Shepard tries to juggle the romance of Annie and Charlie's relationship and the action sequences of them being chased by Alex Dimitri's group. But, the two parties don't meet until an hour into the movie. While we're waiting for them to finally collide, the movie focuses on the two lovers trying to keep a stable relationship during these highly unusual circumstances. So, the film tends to drag in spots leading up to their encounter with the criminals. The jokes in between aren't particularly funny, and either go on longer than they should or are just for shock value.
While the chemistry between Bell and Shepard make for a nice hood ornament for this vehicle, Hit and Run is like a car that you would just want to rent.
Final grade: C+
If you walked in without knowing anything about the film, you would think it's another movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel.
With this, directors Shepard and Palmer set a romantic tone that will, unexpectedly, be focused on for the first two-thirds of the movie. While not necessarily a bad thing, it does, however, overshadow the comedic danger that sets out to catch them.
Annie and Charlie have been together for a few years. She is a college professor who teaches Non-Violent Conflict Resolution, and is offered a chance at a new position at a college in Los Angeles. Charlie is in the Witness Protection Program for testifying against his friends after being the getaway driver for their bank-robbing. On the couple's way to L.A. in Charlie's Lincoln hot rod, certain events occur that will eventually lead to their encounter with Charlie's ex thug friends.
Kristen Bell is one of those actresses who, despite being in several bad movies, can bring out her acting ability when she has decent material to work with. With her work on her hit TV show Veronica Mars and in films, like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and this summer's Safety Not Guaranteed, Bell can bring much likability and girl-next-door charm to her best roles. When she has a good script, she shows that she's not just another young actress. Bell is believable as a college professor because she doesn't act like a generic blonde beauty. Her character exhibits sensitivity and insight to current social issues, and maintains her views on the importance of non-violence.
Dax Shepard is surprisingly restrained from doing a scumbag type of character as he does in some of his other comedies. He's a supportive and caring boyfriend who is willing to risk everything for Annie's success. The opening scene shows that we will be seeing a different kind of character in the film apart from what Shepard usually plays.
There is a variety of witty supporting players on this insane and dangerous road trip. Bradley Cooper takes a villainous turn as Alex Dimitri, the dreadlock-styled leader of the gang of criminals. Kristin Chenoweth makes a funny appearance as Annie's Xanax-popping colleague, and Tom Arnold appears as Charlie's gun-toting and incompetent Witness Protection officer.
The screenplay by Shepard tries to juggle the romance of Annie and Charlie's relationship and the action sequences of them being chased by Alex Dimitri's group. But, the two parties don't meet until an hour into the movie. While we're waiting for them to finally collide, the movie focuses on the two lovers trying to keep a stable relationship during these highly unusual circumstances. So, the film tends to drag in spots leading up to their encounter with the criminals. The jokes in between aren't particularly funny, and either go on longer than they should or are just for shock value.
While the chemistry between Bell and Shepard make for a nice hood ornament for this vehicle, Hit and Run is like a car that you would just want to rent.
Final grade: C+
Friday, August 24, 2012
An Author's Spark of an Idea
Ruby Sparks opens with the title character (Zoe Kazan) back-lit by the sun in a dream sequence and walking towards the camera. In voice-over narration, she tells young author Calvin (Paul Dano) that she has been waiting for him. And Calvin, you could say, has been waiting for her to, for his next bright idea.
Cut to him waking up, walking through his house with its plain white walls to his writing room, which is also surrounding by white walls. He has just had a dream, but doesn't know what to do with it. His mind, like his walls, is a blank slate, waiting for a burst of inspiration.
In Jonathan Dayton's and Valerie Faris' romantic comedy, Ruby Sparks, they explore the interaction between an author and his ideas. In this film, however, those interactions take on a stronger and more intimate meaning because the author's idea is a living, breathing person.
Calvin is a talented author who wrote a bestselling novel when he was only 19, but has been unable to write anything as good ever since, and is now hindered by a bad case of writer's block. His therapist (Elliott Gould) gives him a writing assignment: to write about someone who likes Calvin's unfriendly dog, Scotty. He dreams of a girl, who he names Ruby Sparks, and writes several pages about her. One morning, Calvin awakens to find her making breakfast in his kitchen. The two then begin an unconventional relationship, with Calvin being able to control Ruby with whatever he types on a page.
Zoe Kazan is glowing as Calvin's lively, beautiful muse. What's so intriguing about her character is that she's the personification of imagination; she's not just simply the author's idea that came to life. Her personality is volatile because Calvin has the ability to control her with whatever he writes, just like how we control our own imaginations. She's almost, sadly, his captive. When her emotions hit, they hit hard, and you feel horrible for her because you know these aren't her real emotions, but what she is written to feel.
Paul Dano is a strong representation of a struggling writer. Once a bestselling author, he is now someone digging through his brain for a new idea. He doesn't possess much luck with women, takes his dog for walks to avoid expected unsuccessful attempts to create words and spends time on his therapist's couch asking for advice. We also learn his deeper flaws through a very telling encounter with his ex-girlfriend.
In one particular scene, Calvin's sexual frustration peeks through. In anger of seeing Ruby almost get with another man at a party, he reveals the power he has over her by typing furiously into his typewriter, writing for her to speak French, snap her fingers and continuously shout "You're a genius!" like an obsessed fan, and girlfriend, who he wishes he can have again. This is to the point where he reaches a level of subtle sexual gratification from it.
With the supporting characters, Chris Messina is terrific as Calvin's helpful brother. As wonderful as it is to see the always-shining presence of Annette Bening and the funny Antonio Banderas as Calvin's hippie mother and stepfather, they are, unfortunately, only given one scene. You feel as if more should have been written for them, especially because of how experienced they are.
The screenplay by Zoe Kazan will draw some comparisons with the 2006 comedy Stranger than Fiction with the way they involve the relationship between an author and his designs. Despite some similarities, they are, however, different in each of their own approach. Whereas Stranger rarely has the author and subject meet, Ruby Sparks is all about the intimate interactions between the two. The film's ideas are fascinating, if only the ending wasn't a tad cliched.
Dayton and Faris provide a dramatic tone in the mix with the comedy, as they did for their directorial debut, Little Miss Sunshine. They manage to imbue some intelligent relationship drama into their comical situations, just like what they did with familial drama in LMS. The boyfriend-girlfriend dynamic of Calvin and Ruby is a smart backdrop to the writing process that homes the dynamic of an author and his idea. Just like Calvin having the status of a bestseller, Ruby Sparks deserves one as such.
Final grade: B+
Cut to him waking up, walking through his house with its plain white walls to his writing room, which is also surrounding by white walls. He has just had a dream, but doesn't know what to do with it. His mind, like his walls, is a blank slate, waiting for a burst of inspiration.
In Jonathan Dayton's and Valerie Faris' romantic comedy, Ruby Sparks, they explore the interaction between an author and his ideas. In this film, however, those interactions take on a stronger and more intimate meaning because the author's idea is a living, breathing person.
Calvin is a talented author who wrote a bestselling novel when he was only 19, but has been unable to write anything as good ever since, and is now hindered by a bad case of writer's block. His therapist (Elliott Gould) gives him a writing assignment: to write about someone who likes Calvin's unfriendly dog, Scotty. He dreams of a girl, who he names Ruby Sparks, and writes several pages about her. One morning, Calvin awakens to find her making breakfast in his kitchen. The two then begin an unconventional relationship, with Calvin being able to control Ruby with whatever he types on a page.
Zoe Kazan is glowing as Calvin's lively, beautiful muse. What's so intriguing about her character is that she's the personification of imagination; she's not just simply the author's idea that came to life. Her personality is volatile because Calvin has the ability to control her with whatever he writes, just like how we control our own imaginations. She's almost, sadly, his captive. When her emotions hit, they hit hard, and you feel horrible for her because you know these aren't her real emotions, but what she is written to feel.
Paul Dano is a strong representation of a struggling writer. Once a bestselling author, he is now someone digging through his brain for a new idea. He doesn't possess much luck with women, takes his dog for walks to avoid expected unsuccessful attempts to create words and spends time on his therapist's couch asking for advice. We also learn his deeper flaws through a very telling encounter with his ex-girlfriend.
In one particular scene, Calvin's sexual frustration peeks through. In anger of seeing Ruby almost get with another man at a party, he reveals the power he has over her by typing furiously into his typewriter, writing for her to speak French, snap her fingers and continuously shout "You're a genius!" like an obsessed fan, and girlfriend, who he wishes he can have again. This is to the point where he reaches a level of subtle sexual gratification from it.
With the supporting characters, Chris Messina is terrific as Calvin's helpful brother. As wonderful as it is to see the always-shining presence of Annette Bening and the funny Antonio Banderas as Calvin's hippie mother and stepfather, they are, unfortunately, only given one scene. You feel as if more should have been written for them, especially because of how experienced they are.
The screenplay by Zoe Kazan will draw some comparisons with the 2006 comedy Stranger than Fiction with the way they involve the relationship between an author and his designs. Despite some similarities, they are, however, different in each of their own approach. Whereas Stranger rarely has the author and subject meet, Ruby Sparks is all about the intimate interactions between the two. The film's ideas are fascinating, if only the ending wasn't a tad cliched.
Dayton and Faris provide a dramatic tone in the mix with the comedy, as they did for their directorial debut, Little Miss Sunshine. They manage to imbue some intelligent relationship drama into their comical situations, just like what they did with familial drama in LMS. The boyfriend-girlfriend dynamic of Calvin and Ruby is a smart backdrop to the writing process that homes the dynamic of an author and his idea. Just like Calvin having the status of a bestseller, Ruby Sparks deserves one as such.
Final grade: B+
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Fall Movie Preview 2012
Another summer is behind us, and it has left moviegoers floored by the adventures of Marvel Comics' team of superhero titans in The Avengers, and Christopher Nolan had the Caped Crusader swoop in for the epic conclusion to his colossal Batman trilogy. Ridley Scott revived the Alien mythology, and the third Men in Black wasn't nearly as bad as expected.
There was also some shining indie fare. We had the time-traveling comedy Safety Not Guaranteed, a look at preteen romance in Moonrise Kingdom, and a brave girl trying to survive the aftermath of a storm in Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Now, this fall seems to be all set with a plentiful selection of blockbuster and Oscar-worthy films. James Bond returns to the spy scene, the Twilight saga reaches its anticipated conclusion, Daniel Day-Lewis embodies Honest Abe and Quentin Tarantino brings us his latest flirt with bloody and violent originality.
All of that, and more, await in the final third of the year.
The Master (Sept. 14) The trailers for Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film haven't told audiences much. All we can really decipher is that the story follows an alcoholic drifter named Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) who, while still trying to mentally recover from fighting in WWII, falls in with a 1950s spiritual movement that's similar to Scientology. Also starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Laura Dern.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Sept. 21) Based on the 1999 acclaimed novel by Stephen Chbosky, who also directs this adaptation, the film involves timid high school freshman Charlie (Logan Lerman) who learns to break out of his shell with the help of two outgoing older students, Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller).
Trouble with the Curve (Sept. 21) Clint Eastwood takes on his first acting role since Gran Torino four years ago, and his first in 12 years with another director. In this case it's Robert Lorenz, in a film about a veteran Atlanta Braves baseball scout Gus Lobel (Eastwood) who accepts the help of his daughter Nicky (Amy Adams) on his next recruiting trip. Also starring Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard and John Goodman.
Looper (Sept. 28) Rian Johnson directs this sci-fi mind-bender about Mob assassins called "loopers" who kill targets from the future who are sent back to the present by a corporate headquarters in 2077 Shanghai. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a looper who is forced to kill his self from 30 years in the future (Bruce Willis). After his older self escapes, Joe must hunt him down, with his employers hunting him. Also starring Emily Blunt and Paul Dano.
Frankenweenie (Oct. 5) Tim Burton directs this stop-motion cartoon about a young boy named Victor who uses mad science to bring his deceased dog, Sparky, back to life. Starring the voice talents of Charlie Tahan, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder.
Taken 2 (Oct. 5) The sequel to the 2009 box office hit brings back Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, a CIA agent who, while on vacation in Istanbul, is kidnapped alongside his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) by a group of thugs who want to avenge the deaths of their members killed in the previous film. Now, Mills' daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) must set out to help them escape.
Argo (Oct. 12) In Ben Affleck's latest turn as a director, he tells the true story of a group of Americans that escapes the 444-day hostage crisis in Tehran back in 1979, who then return by posing as a Canadian film crew in an attempt to rescue the other hostages. Starring Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, John Goodman and Bryan Cranston.
Paranormal Activity 4 (Oct. 19) Unlike the last two films, this latest installment is a direct sequel, taking place five years after the events of the first two films. This time, we have a possessed Katie (Katie Featherston) and her five-year-old nephew, Hunter (Brady Allen), moving into a house of their own. Soon, Alice (Kathryn Newton) and her mother begin to experience some creepy happenings.
Cloud Atlas (Oct. 26) Andy and Lana Wachowski and Tim Tykwer direct this adaptation of David Mitchell's 2004 novel. The story follows six interconnected tales that create a unified narrative that explores the consequences of bravery and betrayal across several continents and time periods. Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant and Jim Broadbent.
Skyfall (Nov. 9) Sam Mendes directs the 23rd installment in the adventures of 007 Agent James Bond. Not much has been disclosed about the plot, but it does concern Bond's latest adversary, Silva (Javier Bardem), whose plan involves taking down the MI6 agency and its chief, M (Judi Dench). Also starring Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe.
Lincoln (Nov. 16) In Steven Spielberg's latest film, he chronicles the last four months of the sixteenth president's life and the strategies he employed to help the Union win their victory in the Civil War. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, David Strathairn, Sally Field and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (Nov. 16) Director Bill Condon brings the popular vampire saga to a close. After Bella (Kristen Stewart) gives birth to a vampire-human hybrid and becomes a vampire herself, she and her husband, Edward (Robert Pattinson), will do everything they can to protect their daughter, Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy), from the ruling vampires of the Volturi coven, who see her as a threat to their whole kind. Also starring Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene and Michael Sheen.
Life of Pi (Nov. 21) Based on the bestselling 2001 novel by Yann Martel, Ang Lee directs this adaptation about a young Indian boy named Pi (Suraj Sharma) who is stranded at sea and sharing a lifeboat with a hungry Bengal tiger. Also starring Irrfan Khan, Gerard Depardieu and Tobey Maguire.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Dec. 14) In a recent change, director Peter Jackson has turned his latest project from a two-part film into a trilogy, based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien. He begins the Lord of the Rings prequel with Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who joins Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a troop of 13 dwarves on a journey to reclaim a dragon's treasure. Also starring Cate Blanchett, Richard Armitage and Andy Serkis.
Les Miserables (Dec. 14) In the film version of the hit Broadway musical, based on the nineteenth-century novel by Victor Hugo, Tom Hooper directs the story about Frenchman Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who is imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread. After he violates his parole, he must run from police Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe). After two decades of running, Valjean finds himself in the midst of Paris' 1832 June Rebellion. Also starring Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter.
Zero Dark Thirty (Dec. 19) Kathryn Bigelow directs this film about the decade-long hunt for 9/11 instigator Osama bin Laden, and follows the Navy SEAL team that took him down. Starring Joel Edgarton, Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong and Kyle Chandler.
This is 40 (Dec. 21) Judd Apatow brings us a spin-off to his smash 2007 comedy, Knocked Up. This time, he focuses on the characters played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, who are having difficulties coming to terms with the fact that they are both about to turn 40, and in the same week. Also starring Maude and Iris Apatow, Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, Melissa McCarthy, Megan Fox and Jason Segel.
Django Unchained (Dec. 25) In Quentin Tarantino's latest violent excursion, he tells the story of Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a bounty hunter in the Deep South who saves a slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) from his masters. The two then strike a deal: Schultz wants Django to help him hunt down a gang of killers, known as the Brittle Brothers, and Schultz will assist Django in freeing his wife (Kerry Washington) from merciless plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).
This fall movie season looks to be one of the best yet, with many of the most-anticipated adventures arriving in November and December, which will offer some fun for Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, take good advantage of those days-off during the holidays to catch as many of these films as you can. Invest in a daily planner if you have to; it will surely come in handy for such a time.
With everything that's being released, go for some blockbusters and indie films. Both hold their merits, and will surely spark passionate discussions after the credits begin to roll.
There was also some shining indie fare. We had the time-traveling comedy Safety Not Guaranteed, a look at preteen romance in Moonrise Kingdom, and a brave girl trying to survive the aftermath of a storm in Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Now, this fall seems to be all set with a plentiful selection of blockbuster and Oscar-worthy films. James Bond returns to the spy scene, the Twilight saga reaches its anticipated conclusion, Daniel Day-Lewis embodies Honest Abe and Quentin Tarantino brings us his latest flirt with bloody and violent originality.
All of that, and more, await in the final third of the year.
The Master (Sept. 14) The trailers for Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film haven't told audiences much. All we can really decipher is that the story follows an alcoholic drifter named Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) who, while still trying to mentally recover from fighting in WWII, falls in with a 1950s spiritual movement that's similar to Scientology. Also starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Laura Dern.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Sept. 21) Based on the 1999 acclaimed novel by Stephen Chbosky, who also directs this adaptation, the film involves timid high school freshman Charlie (Logan Lerman) who learns to break out of his shell with the help of two outgoing older students, Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller).
Trouble with the Curve (Sept. 21) Clint Eastwood takes on his first acting role since Gran Torino four years ago, and his first in 12 years with another director. In this case it's Robert Lorenz, in a film about a veteran Atlanta Braves baseball scout Gus Lobel (Eastwood) who accepts the help of his daughter Nicky (Amy Adams) on his next recruiting trip. Also starring Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard and John Goodman.
Looper (Sept. 28) Rian Johnson directs this sci-fi mind-bender about Mob assassins called "loopers" who kill targets from the future who are sent back to the present by a corporate headquarters in 2077 Shanghai. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a looper who is forced to kill his self from 30 years in the future (Bruce Willis). After his older self escapes, Joe must hunt him down, with his employers hunting him. Also starring Emily Blunt and Paul Dano.
Frankenweenie (Oct. 5) Tim Burton directs this stop-motion cartoon about a young boy named Victor who uses mad science to bring his deceased dog, Sparky, back to life. Starring the voice talents of Charlie Tahan, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder.
Taken 2 (Oct. 5) The sequel to the 2009 box office hit brings back Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, a CIA agent who, while on vacation in Istanbul, is kidnapped alongside his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) by a group of thugs who want to avenge the deaths of their members killed in the previous film. Now, Mills' daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) must set out to help them escape.
Argo (Oct. 12) In Ben Affleck's latest turn as a director, he tells the true story of a group of Americans that escapes the 444-day hostage crisis in Tehran back in 1979, who then return by posing as a Canadian film crew in an attempt to rescue the other hostages. Starring Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, John Goodman and Bryan Cranston.
Paranormal Activity 4 (Oct. 19) Unlike the last two films, this latest installment is a direct sequel, taking place five years after the events of the first two films. This time, we have a possessed Katie (Katie Featherston) and her five-year-old nephew, Hunter (Brady Allen), moving into a house of their own. Soon, Alice (Kathryn Newton) and her mother begin to experience some creepy happenings.
Cloud Atlas (Oct. 26) Andy and Lana Wachowski and Tim Tykwer direct this adaptation of David Mitchell's 2004 novel. The story follows six interconnected tales that create a unified narrative that explores the consequences of bravery and betrayal across several continents and time periods. Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant and Jim Broadbent.
Skyfall (Nov. 9) Sam Mendes directs the 23rd installment in the adventures of 007 Agent James Bond. Not much has been disclosed about the plot, but it does concern Bond's latest adversary, Silva (Javier Bardem), whose plan involves taking down the MI6 agency and its chief, M (Judi Dench). Also starring Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe.
Lincoln (Nov. 16) In Steven Spielberg's latest film, he chronicles the last four months of the sixteenth president's life and the strategies he employed to help the Union win their victory in the Civil War. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, David Strathairn, Sally Field and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (Nov. 16) Director Bill Condon brings the popular vampire saga to a close. After Bella (Kristen Stewart) gives birth to a vampire-human hybrid and becomes a vampire herself, she and her husband, Edward (Robert Pattinson), will do everything they can to protect their daughter, Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy), from the ruling vampires of the Volturi coven, who see her as a threat to their whole kind. Also starring Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene and Michael Sheen.
Life of Pi (Nov. 21) Based on the bestselling 2001 novel by Yann Martel, Ang Lee directs this adaptation about a young Indian boy named Pi (Suraj Sharma) who is stranded at sea and sharing a lifeboat with a hungry Bengal tiger. Also starring Irrfan Khan, Gerard Depardieu and Tobey Maguire.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Dec. 14) In a recent change, director Peter Jackson has turned his latest project from a two-part film into a trilogy, based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien. He begins the Lord of the Rings prequel with Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who joins Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a troop of 13 dwarves on a journey to reclaim a dragon's treasure. Also starring Cate Blanchett, Richard Armitage and Andy Serkis.
Les Miserables (Dec. 14) In the film version of the hit Broadway musical, based on the nineteenth-century novel by Victor Hugo, Tom Hooper directs the story about Frenchman Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who is imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread. After he violates his parole, he must run from police Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe). After two decades of running, Valjean finds himself in the midst of Paris' 1832 June Rebellion. Also starring Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter.
Zero Dark Thirty (Dec. 19) Kathryn Bigelow directs this film about the decade-long hunt for 9/11 instigator Osama bin Laden, and follows the Navy SEAL team that took him down. Starring Joel Edgarton, Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong and Kyle Chandler.
This is 40 (Dec. 21) Judd Apatow brings us a spin-off to his smash 2007 comedy, Knocked Up. This time, he focuses on the characters played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, who are having difficulties coming to terms with the fact that they are both about to turn 40, and in the same week. Also starring Maude and Iris Apatow, Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, Melissa McCarthy, Megan Fox and Jason Segel.
Django Unchained (Dec. 25) In Quentin Tarantino's latest violent excursion, he tells the story of Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a bounty hunter in the Deep South who saves a slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) from his masters. The two then strike a deal: Schultz wants Django to help him hunt down a gang of killers, known as the Brittle Brothers, and Schultz will assist Django in freeing his wife (Kerry Washington) from merciless plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).
This fall movie season looks to be one of the best yet, with many of the most-anticipated adventures arriving in November and December, which will offer some fun for Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, take good advantage of those days-off during the holidays to catch as many of these films as you can. Invest in a daily planner if you have to; it will surely come in handy for such a time.
With everything that's being released, go for some blockbusters and indie films. Both hold their merits, and will surely spark passionate discussions after the credits begin to roll.
Monday, July 30, 2012
A Neighborhood That Doesn't Have Much to Watch For
A comedy starring four talented funnymen protecting their town by hunting aliens like suburban Men in Black sounds like it could be an interesting clash between an intergalactic army and a small middle-class American group of friends. But, if any aliens where going to probe this film for any brainy laughs, they would come out disappointed, and would probably have another reason for enslaving Earth.
In Akiva Schaffer's The Watch, he attempts a second feature film after directing many of the digital shorts on Saturday Night Live. Because of his list of previous work, it would be expected to anticipate jokes that have a mix of cleverness, shock and some low-brow humor. Instead, the film takes the easy way out with lazy jokes the whole way through that aren't good enough for the film's cast to work with.
Evan Trautwig (Ben Stiller) is known around the town of Glenview, Ohio for the various clubs he's in charge of throughout the community. He has a loving wife (Rosemarie DeWitt) and is the manager at a local Costco store. After a security guard is mysteriously murdered one night, Evan institutes a Neighborhood Watch group. At the first meeting, the only new members are the fun-loving Bob (Vince Vaughn), the switchblade-wielding Franklin (Jonah Hill) and the British divorcee Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade). As they gather clues about the murder, they begin to realize that the cause of the strange events might be linked to something not of their world.
Despite the thin material of the film, Stiller, Vaughn, Hill and Ayoade bring the only wit of the movie with their interaction of different personalities. With Stiller's nice-guy qualities, Hill's wild-card unpredictability, Vaughn's comical over-protectiveness of his teenage daughter and Ayoade's comical foreign tendencies, their quartet is what wrings out whatever few chuckles the story has. The presence of the four leads is mostly what the film has going for it.
The screenplay, by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Jared Stern, has a rather disheartening feel that the combined work of three writers only added up to gross-out jokes; they just go for the easy laughs. At one point, you begin to wonder if the leads told the director that they deserve more than sex-related jokes, because they do. Even the aliens' weakness is a gag of that low caliber, and the writers' plans for the alien invasion is, unfortunately, pretty unimaginative.
There are a couple of subplots involving the personal lives of some of the Neighborhood Watch members; and, at some points, the film spends more time on these parts of the story than they should. One of the plot lines goes into how Stiller's character can't get his wife pregnant. Not only does this lead to more annoying sex jokes, but it doesn't even feel like it belongs in the movie.
Seeing as how director Schaffer has considerable experience working with comedic actors on SNL, he's able to work with great talents and extract highly memorable laughs out of the material that's given to him. But, even though he has some successful actors to work with for The Watch, even Schaffer can't salvage much from this neighborhood.
Final grade: C
Despite the thin material of the film, Stiller, Vaughn, Hill and Ayoade bring the only wit of the movie with their interaction of different personalities. With Stiller's nice-guy qualities, Hill's wild-card unpredictability, Vaughn's comical over-protectiveness of his teenage daughter and Ayoade's comical foreign tendencies, their quartet is what wrings out whatever few chuckles the story has. The presence of the four leads is mostly what the film has going for it.
The screenplay, by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Jared Stern, has a rather disheartening feel that the combined work of three writers only added up to gross-out jokes; they just go for the easy laughs. At one point, you begin to wonder if the leads told the director that they deserve more than sex-related jokes, because they do. Even the aliens' weakness is a gag of that low caliber, and the writers' plans for the alien invasion is, unfortunately, pretty unimaginative.
There are a couple of subplots involving the personal lives of some of the Neighborhood Watch members; and, at some points, the film spends more time on these parts of the story than they should. One of the plot lines goes into how Stiller's character can't get his wife pregnant. Not only does this lead to more annoying sex jokes, but it doesn't even feel like it belongs in the movie.
Seeing as how director Schaffer has considerable experience working with comedic actors on SNL, he's able to work with great talents and extract highly memorable laughs out of the material that's given to him. But, even though he has some successful actors to work with for The Watch, even Schaffer can't salvage much from this neighborhood.
Final grade: C
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Batman Tries to Save a City That's Beyond Saving
With the usual overflow of big-budget summer movies, it's easy for any one of them to get lost in the shuffle. But, there is oftentimes a filmmaker with ambition who will deliver a movie with big ideas in scope and story who doesn't shy away from wanting to make the viewers think in between action sequences. Christopher Nolan has risen to this occasion many times before, with his two previous Batman films and the sci-fi mind-bender Inception.
Nolan has now returned to conclude his poetic, grim and gritty trilogy of the Caped Crusader with The Dark Knight Rises. Never has a director created such superhero films that are this bleak, yet hopeful, in the troubled world that they depict. Four years after we watched Batman ride off into the night on his batpod in the final shot of the previous installment, The Dark Knight, the savior of Gotham City has swooped in to save its citizens in the most emotional chapter of Nolan's cinematic odyssey.
Eight years have passed since Batman was accused of killing Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent. He hasn't been seen since because Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has concealed himself in his manor and has become a recluse. After he has an encounter with the mysterious and seductive Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), it eventually leads to a series of events that will pit Batman against the terrorist leader Bane (Tom Hardy). In order to foil Bane's plans to bring destruction to Gotham City, Batman must embrace his destiny as a protector and come out of hiding, despite the public's anger towards him.
Christian Bale exhibits a fragility in both his characters of Bruce Wayne and Batman, giving a sense of hopelessness as we wonder if he has enough strength as he used to in order to defeat Bane. We first see Bruce walking with the help of a cane because of damage to his legs, and in one scene, Batman is subjected to a horrifying beat-down from his nemesis. What's most commendable about his character is that even though he seems to be losing his physical ability and the people of Gotham have labeled him as a murderer, he still feels it is his duty to save the city. The weakness in his legs further emphasizes that he is unlike most superheroes; although he has plenty of gadgets, he doesn't have any special powers. He is still vulnerable to pain. He is merely an ordinary man in a costume doing extraordinary deeds.
Before this film was released, it was safe to say that the Joker was the peak of villainy in the trilogy. Although Bane isn't as terrifying of an enemy has Heath Ledger's madman, he is still an adversary worthy of a battle of physicality against the Batman. With his menacing face mask and tall, hulking figure, he is a formidable opponent with his strength that is put side-by-side with Batman's strength, which has decreased during is leave of absence. He wants nothing more than to promise hope, and then yank it away. Although his motivations for dastardliness aren't as frightening as those of the Joker, towards the end, there is a secret layer to his character that is revealed that makes him surprisingly sympathetic.
Anne Hathaway is perhaps the most enigmatic character of the story. During the first half, we're not certain which side she is playing for, seeing as she tends to make both sides either like her or hate her. She carries a greater sense of danger in her version of the character than Michelle Pheiffer did in Batman Returns. The way she sneaks around Wayne Manor and the city hints that she has some ulterior motives other than to simply steal valuables. She has more on her mind than just petty theft, and is rather an empowering character.
Gary Oldman's role as Commissioner James Gordon has an interesting inner conflict as he struggles to decide whether or not to reveal to Gotham that it was Harvey Dent who almost killed Gordon's family. But, his heroism that his character exemplified in The Dark Knight isn't as prominent in this film, which is a shame, considering his high ranking in the police force.
The most poignant performance comes from the legendary Michael Caine as Bruce's noble and loyal butler Alfred. As Bruce's long-time guardian, we get to see more of the emotional toll that comes with keeping secrets from Bruce and trying to protect him. He's like a parent who doesn't want to see his child get into danger, but must stay on the sidelines and give sagely advice as Mr. Wayne sets out to accomplish what he believes in.
With each Batman movie, Nolan manages to impress us with new gadgets and vehicles for the hero's use, given to him by his trusty electronics aficionado, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Not only do we get the return of the batpod and batmobile, but we see Batman get airborne with his jet-like mode of transportation called The Bat. With the cinematography by Wally Pfister, a frequent collaborator with Nolan, the grand shots of Batman driving through the streets and flying between the buildings of Gotham City create an epic scale of a hero on a mission.
Nolan smartly rejects the use of 3D for his movies, not requiring the extra dimension to assist in telling a story this size. Instead, he uses IMAX cameras to film some of the most important scenes; appropriate enough, since he has a talent for staging detailed action sequences. From the bone-crunching fight between Batman and Bane to the clashing armies of Gotham's cops and criminals, Nolan likes to go big, and not just for spectacle.
The screenplay by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan delves deep into its superhero character on a level unlike other comic-book characters turned into film. In some cases, the scenes of exposition and revelations can prove more memorable than their action scenes. It's a rather intoxicating feel to listen to these characters and hear what their views are for their city and its crumbling morals, as well as their own feelings and regrets. The one problem is that a couple of characters either aren't around for as long as you would hope, or don't have as interesting story arcs as in the previous installments.
As a director, Christopher Nolan has a tendency to peer into the consciousnesses of his characters to help explain the choices they make. The people in his movies are well worth analyzing in between the trips on the batpod and batmobile. His gloomy examination of a city on the brink of destruction, troubled heroes and disturbing villains is a brave divergent from the more fluffy affair of other superhero films. The Dark Knight Rises brings Nolan's grand trilogy to a stirring conclusion. As soon as the screen goes black, you feel two things: the first is the distress that the journey is over, and the second is the feeling of fortune that you have witnessed an achievement in the superhero genre that might not be replicated for decades. Bravo, Christopher Nolan, bravo.
Final grade: A-
Nolan has now returned to conclude his poetic, grim and gritty trilogy of the Caped Crusader with The Dark Knight Rises. Never has a director created such superhero films that are this bleak, yet hopeful, in the troubled world that they depict. Four years after we watched Batman ride off into the night on his batpod in the final shot of the previous installment, The Dark Knight, the savior of Gotham City has swooped in to save its citizens in the most emotional chapter of Nolan's cinematic odyssey.
Eight years have passed since Batman was accused of killing Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent. He hasn't been seen since because Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has concealed himself in his manor and has become a recluse. After he has an encounter with the mysterious and seductive Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), it eventually leads to a series of events that will pit Batman against the terrorist leader Bane (Tom Hardy). In order to foil Bane's plans to bring destruction to Gotham City, Batman must embrace his destiny as a protector and come out of hiding, despite the public's anger towards him.
Christian Bale exhibits a fragility in both his characters of Bruce Wayne and Batman, giving a sense of hopelessness as we wonder if he has enough strength as he used to in order to defeat Bane. We first see Bruce walking with the help of a cane because of damage to his legs, and in one scene, Batman is subjected to a horrifying beat-down from his nemesis. What's most commendable about his character is that even though he seems to be losing his physical ability and the people of Gotham have labeled him as a murderer, he still feels it is his duty to save the city. The weakness in his legs further emphasizes that he is unlike most superheroes; although he has plenty of gadgets, he doesn't have any special powers. He is still vulnerable to pain. He is merely an ordinary man in a costume doing extraordinary deeds.
Before this film was released, it was safe to say that the Joker was the peak of villainy in the trilogy. Although Bane isn't as terrifying of an enemy has Heath Ledger's madman, he is still an adversary worthy of a battle of physicality against the Batman. With his menacing face mask and tall, hulking figure, he is a formidable opponent with his strength that is put side-by-side with Batman's strength, which has decreased during is leave of absence. He wants nothing more than to promise hope, and then yank it away. Although his motivations for dastardliness aren't as frightening as those of the Joker, towards the end, there is a secret layer to his character that is revealed that makes him surprisingly sympathetic.
Anne Hathaway is perhaps the most enigmatic character of the story. During the first half, we're not certain which side she is playing for, seeing as she tends to make both sides either like her or hate her. She carries a greater sense of danger in her version of the character than Michelle Pheiffer did in Batman Returns. The way she sneaks around Wayne Manor and the city hints that she has some ulterior motives other than to simply steal valuables. She has more on her mind than just petty theft, and is rather an empowering character.
Gary Oldman's role as Commissioner James Gordon has an interesting inner conflict as he struggles to decide whether or not to reveal to Gotham that it was Harvey Dent who almost killed Gordon's family. But, his heroism that his character exemplified in The Dark Knight isn't as prominent in this film, which is a shame, considering his high ranking in the police force.
The most poignant performance comes from the legendary Michael Caine as Bruce's noble and loyal butler Alfred. As Bruce's long-time guardian, we get to see more of the emotional toll that comes with keeping secrets from Bruce and trying to protect him. He's like a parent who doesn't want to see his child get into danger, but must stay on the sidelines and give sagely advice as Mr. Wayne sets out to accomplish what he believes in.
With each Batman movie, Nolan manages to impress us with new gadgets and vehicles for the hero's use, given to him by his trusty electronics aficionado, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Not only do we get the return of the batpod and batmobile, but we see Batman get airborne with his jet-like mode of transportation called The Bat. With the cinematography by Wally Pfister, a frequent collaborator with Nolan, the grand shots of Batman driving through the streets and flying between the buildings of Gotham City create an epic scale of a hero on a mission.
Nolan smartly rejects the use of 3D for his movies, not requiring the extra dimension to assist in telling a story this size. Instead, he uses IMAX cameras to film some of the most important scenes; appropriate enough, since he has a talent for staging detailed action sequences. From the bone-crunching fight between Batman and Bane to the clashing armies of Gotham's cops and criminals, Nolan likes to go big, and not just for spectacle.
The screenplay by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan delves deep into its superhero character on a level unlike other comic-book characters turned into film. In some cases, the scenes of exposition and revelations can prove more memorable than their action scenes. It's a rather intoxicating feel to listen to these characters and hear what their views are for their city and its crumbling morals, as well as their own feelings and regrets. The one problem is that a couple of characters either aren't around for as long as you would hope, or don't have as interesting story arcs as in the previous installments.
As a director, Christopher Nolan has a tendency to peer into the consciousnesses of his characters to help explain the choices they make. The people in his movies are well worth analyzing in between the trips on the batpod and batmobile. His gloomy examination of a city on the brink of destruction, troubled heroes and disturbing villains is a brave divergent from the more fluffy affair of other superhero films. The Dark Knight Rises brings Nolan's grand trilogy to a stirring conclusion. As soon as the screen goes black, you feel two things: the first is the distress that the journey is over, and the second is the feeling of fortune that you have witnessed an achievement in the superhero genre that might not be replicated for decades. Bravo, Christopher Nolan, bravo.
Final grade: A-
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Spider-Man Revisited
It doesn't seem like it's been 10 years since the human-arachnid superhero swung his way through the Big Apple. But, it has. Since then, it led to two sequels, with Spider-Man 2 becoming one of the best comic-book films of all time, and Spider-Man 3 ruining what could have been a rare great trilogy (Three villains? An emo Peter Parker?). After that mess of a third installment, the series called for some fine tuning.
Depending on how you look at it, you may think it is or isn't too soon to start over with Spider-Man's story. No matter what, comparisons will be made. In director Marc Webb's retelling, The Amazing Spider-Man, he follows the same basic outline of the hero's origins. But, thankfully, there are a few significant differences that prevent this from being a lazy copy of the original.
After his parents leave him for undisclosed reasons, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) now lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May (Martin Sheen and Sally Field). His life at school isn't the best; he doesn't have many friends and is picked on almost every day. His secret crush Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is the only student who truly acknowledges him. After he finds his father's mysterious briefcase in his basement, the contents lead him to Oscorp, where he meets the one-armed Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) who may have answers concerning his parents' deaths. After Peter gets bitten by a genetically-altered spider, he begins to exhibit enhanced physical abilities that turn him into the titular superhero. Meanwhile, Dr. Connors is developing a serum that has the potential to regenerate limbs based on Lizard DNA. After he tests it on himself, he soon becomes Spider-Man's enemy: The Lizard.
Inevitably, the main comparison between this film and the 2002 original concerns the performances of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. The two actors have considerably different takes on the character. While Maguire's version was the traditionally geeky Peter Parker of the comics, Garfield's is still a loner and brainy, but more of a skater dude. Although the nerdy version of the original Peter is more faithful, Garfield makes it his own with a more edgy take. In his first scene as Spider-Man, Garfield plays him as annoyingly cocky that's meant for laughs, but is rather unfunny. At this point, I was wishing for Maguire to come back because he had a more serious approach. Later on, however, he drops his show-off sensibilities and embraces the less humorous side of his alter ego, making him more adult.
Emma Stone is a more fleshed-out Gwen Stacy than Bryce Dallas Howard was in Spider-Man 3. Her role as Gwen is stronger than Howard's; Stone's is more intelligent, being the head intern at Oscorp, whereas Howard's always looked to Peter for help with her schoolwork. Stone's Gwen Stacey actually helps Peter with his troubles, while Howard's Gwen Stacey did nothing more than hit on Peter and need saving. Judging by this film, the romance between Stone and Garfield has the potential to reach the level of Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in future installments, but I still don't think anything can top the upside-down kiss from the 2002 film.
Rhys Ifans is the second best villain in the Spider-Man franchise, behind Alfred Molina as Doc Ock. He is a composed and puzzling scientist who knows more about Peter than he's letting on. His villainous alter ego, The Lizard, doesn't appear until the later half of the film, so this allows us to see who Dr. Connors is as a person before he becomes a monster.
Sally Field and Martin Sheen are respectable replacements as Peter's aunt and uncle, who were wonderfully played by Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films. They provide their wisdom, just like the previous pair, and they treat Peter like he's their own child with the endless love and care they give him. Field shows admirable motherly concern when she sees Peter coming home with injuries from crime-fighting, and Sheen has a very funny scene with Garfield and Stone concerning Peter's love for Gwen.
The screenplay by James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves devote enough time for this film to let the audience get used to the reboot's version of these characters before the big action starts. The sufficient time that Peter spends with Gwen, Aunt May, Uncle Ben and Dr. Connors throughout the film help develop his relationships with his friends, family and enemies. The second half has the action scenes that present the new Spider-Man in combat during his latest battle against a powerful enemy.
It was a relief to see director Marc Webb avoid creating a complete copy of the original film. He brings an air of mystery to the story with the addition of the question of what happened to Peter's parents. The main problem is that he has an inconsistent tone throughout the first half of the film, usually jumping from serious to comical and back again. The comical bits include some dialogue that is meant to be funny, but isn't, as well as a scene where Peter tries to show up a school bully that's meant for comedic purposes, but falls flat with its execution and bad music. He does, however, bring back the feel of the other Spider-Man films with the hero's fights against The Lizard, especially in the final showdown atop the Oscorp tower.
There is a suspenseful scene during the credits that suggests we will find out more about Peter's mom and dad in the sequel. Although it still feels a little too soon for a new Spider-Man franchise, the cast and crew have shown that they don't have any intention of ripping off what has already been done, but instead want to do their own thing. The Amazing Spider-Man is a reboot with surprising promise.
Final grade: B
Depending on how you look at it, you may think it is or isn't too soon to start over with Spider-Man's story. No matter what, comparisons will be made. In director Marc Webb's retelling, The Amazing Spider-Man, he follows the same basic outline of the hero's origins. But, thankfully, there are a few significant differences that prevent this from being a lazy copy of the original.
After his parents leave him for undisclosed reasons, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) now lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May (Martin Sheen and Sally Field). His life at school isn't the best; he doesn't have many friends and is picked on almost every day. His secret crush Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is the only student who truly acknowledges him. After he finds his father's mysterious briefcase in his basement, the contents lead him to Oscorp, where he meets the one-armed Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) who may have answers concerning his parents' deaths. After Peter gets bitten by a genetically-altered spider, he begins to exhibit enhanced physical abilities that turn him into the titular superhero. Meanwhile, Dr. Connors is developing a serum that has the potential to regenerate limbs based on Lizard DNA. After he tests it on himself, he soon becomes Spider-Man's enemy: The Lizard.
Inevitably, the main comparison between this film and the 2002 original concerns the performances of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. The two actors have considerably different takes on the character. While Maguire's version was the traditionally geeky Peter Parker of the comics, Garfield's is still a loner and brainy, but more of a skater dude. Although the nerdy version of the original Peter is more faithful, Garfield makes it his own with a more edgy take. In his first scene as Spider-Man, Garfield plays him as annoyingly cocky that's meant for laughs, but is rather unfunny. At this point, I was wishing for Maguire to come back because he had a more serious approach. Later on, however, he drops his show-off sensibilities and embraces the less humorous side of his alter ego, making him more adult.
Emma Stone is a more fleshed-out Gwen Stacy than Bryce Dallas Howard was in Spider-Man 3. Her role as Gwen is stronger than Howard's; Stone's is more intelligent, being the head intern at Oscorp, whereas Howard's always looked to Peter for help with her schoolwork. Stone's Gwen Stacey actually helps Peter with his troubles, while Howard's Gwen Stacey did nothing more than hit on Peter and need saving. Judging by this film, the romance between Stone and Garfield has the potential to reach the level of Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in future installments, but I still don't think anything can top the upside-down kiss from the 2002 film.
Rhys Ifans is the second best villain in the Spider-Man franchise, behind Alfred Molina as Doc Ock. He is a composed and puzzling scientist who knows more about Peter than he's letting on. His villainous alter ego, The Lizard, doesn't appear until the later half of the film, so this allows us to see who Dr. Connors is as a person before he becomes a monster.
Sally Field and Martin Sheen are respectable replacements as Peter's aunt and uncle, who were wonderfully played by Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films. They provide their wisdom, just like the previous pair, and they treat Peter like he's their own child with the endless love and care they give him. Field shows admirable motherly concern when she sees Peter coming home with injuries from crime-fighting, and Sheen has a very funny scene with Garfield and Stone concerning Peter's love for Gwen.
The screenplay by James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves devote enough time for this film to let the audience get used to the reboot's version of these characters before the big action starts. The sufficient time that Peter spends with Gwen, Aunt May, Uncle Ben and Dr. Connors throughout the film help develop his relationships with his friends, family and enemies. The second half has the action scenes that present the new Spider-Man in combat during his latest battle against a powerful enemy.
It was a relief to see director Marc Webb avoid creating a complete copy of the original film. He brings an air of mystery to the story with the addition of the question of what happened to Peter's parents. The main problem is that he has an inconsistent tone throughout the first half of the film, usually jumping from serious to comical and back again. The comical bits include some dialogue that is meant to be funny, but isn't, as well as a scene where Peter tries to show up a school bully that's meant for comedic purposes, but falls flat with its execution and bad music. He does, however, bring back the feel of the other Spider-Man films with the hero's fights against The Lizard, especially in the final showdown atop the Oscorp tower.
There is a suspenseful scene during the credits that suggests we will find out more about Peter's mom and dad in the sequel. Although it still feels a little too soon for a new Spider-Man franchise, the cast and crew have shown that they don't have any intention of ripping off what has already been done, but instead want to do their own thing. The Amazing Spider-Man is a reboot with surprising promise.
Final grade: B
Sunday, July 8, 2012
A Toy Story for Adults Only
We all remember when we first watched Woody and Buzz Lightyear come alive when their owner, Andy, wasn't around. They, and the rest of the toys, would engage in adventures outside of their usual playtime.
Now, there is Ted, the foul-mouthed, marijuana-smoking party animal who happens to be a stuffed bear, and he is very much alive.
When playing with our toys, as children, we would lend our own voices to our action figures and dolls, and proceed to set up dialogues between them. In the case of Ted, he isn't afraid to speak for himself, no matter how casually offensive.
In Seth MacFarlane's directorial film debut, Ted, the creator of Family Guy brings the childhood dream of having one's favorite toy come to life, but in a considerably more mature light. With a teddy bear that relishes in inappropriate behavior, the film is a perfect cinematic vehicle for MacFarlane. But, just like several few episodes of his hit television show, Ted has its bursts of brilliance, and it's periods of unevenness.
John Bennett is a lonely boy in his suburb. He doesn't have any siblings, and none of the neighborhood children want to be his friend. One Christmas morning, he receives a teddy bear, and instantly becomes attached to him. Then one night, John wishes that his bear could talk, and the next morning, the bear does exactly that. Soon, Ted becomes a national phenomenon. Years later, John (Mark Wahlberg) lives with Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane), works at a dead-end job and is trying to maintain his relationship with his successful girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis). She recommends to John that he ask Ted to move out, in order for her and John to move on with their lives. Because of Ted's and John's 27-year-long time together, separating might be harder than both of them think.
Mark Wahlberg's performance shows that he is totally game for whatever comedy he is asked to do. He reminded me of a grown-up version of Andy from Toy Story if he realized his toys came alive and bummed around with them with some beers and a bong. His excellent ability to interact with the CGI bear reflects on the connection that the two characters have. The time the two share together calls to mind MacFarlane's character of baby Stewie from Family Guy always talking to his own stuffed bear. This relationship goes back to John's state of stunted growth, in the mental sense, and Wahlberg is able to bring out the sense of a boy trapped in a man's body. His Boston accent and tough-guy build make, along with his dependency on a stuffed bear's company, an ironic pairing.
Ted is a delightfully twisted entity of a children's toy instigating partying and full-on debauchery; he's not afraid to go too far. He is an example of a childhood wish gone both right and wrong; right, because John's wish came true, and wrong because he's one of the factors in John being unable to take his life seriously as a grown-up. MacFarlane uses the same voice as he does for Peter Griffin, but you're willing to forgive it because the voice fits Ted's character since, just like Peter, his lovable obnoxiousness doesn't have any boundaries.
Although Mila Kunis' character is written to have her as the serious, goal-oriented girlfriend, she doesn't get the opportunity to participate in the film's more wildly witty scenes. We know she can do comedy without the slightest difficulty. But, when you're in a film about a raunchy teddy bear and his man-child owner, you would want to get in on all of the fun that everyone else is having.
MacFarlene's, Alec Sulkin's and Wellesley Wild's screenplay is divided into a fearlessly funny first half and an underwhelming second half. The first half contains many of the film's standout moments, including Ted engaging in highly inappropriate behavior at his job, an out-of-control party in Ted's new apartment, complete with Sam J. Jones of Flash Gordon, and a furniture-wrecking fight between Ted and John in a hotel room. The second half falters because it focuses on an underdeveloped and rushed subplot of a creepy father (Giovanni Ribisi) trying to steal Ted for his son. The film could have done without it, and instead, make the whole story about John trying to come to terms with being an adult and balancing his relationships with Ted and Lori. However, MacFarlane should be commended for restraining himself from using too many cutaway gags that have become more excessive with each passing season of Family Guy.
As a director, MacFarlane has his characters say hilariously unexpected things and brings in his signature love of the '80s by using pop culture references, such as nods to Top Gun, Airplane! and Flash Gordon. With this being his first directing job for a feature film, it's an admirable effort with another storytelling medium. He just has to work on some pacing issues that this film had, like introducing certain subplots, and then not revisiting them until much later. Also, working with more people who he hasn't worked with before can help him expand (Mila Kunis, Patrick Warburton and Alex Borstein all appear in the movie, and already work with MacFarlane on Family Guy, as do score composer Walter Murphy, and screenwriters Sulkin and Wild).
Although Ted as a whole isn't as hysterical as the premise justifies, seeing it just for the first half is entirely worth it. Watching a stuffed animal fall into R-rated shenanigans is a novelty in the comedy genre, and I wouldn't mind having MacFarlane pull Ted out of the toy box again.
Final grade: B
Now, there is Ted, the foul-mouthed, marijuana-smoking party animal who happens to be a stuffed bear, and he is very much alive.
When playing with our toys, as children, we would lend our own voices to our action figures and dolls, and proceed to set up dialogues between them. In the case of Ted, he isn't afraid to speak for himself, no matter how casually offensive.
In Seth MacFarlane's directorial film debut, Ted, the creator of Family Guy brings the childhood dream of having one's favorite toy come to life, but in a considerably more mature light. With a teddy bear that relishes in inappropriate behavior, the film is a perfect cinematic vehicle for MacFarlane. But, just like several few episodes of his hit television show, Ted has its bursts of brilliance, and it's periods of unevenness.
John Bennett is a lonely boy in his suburb. He doesn't have any siblings, and none of the neighborhood children want to be his friend. One Christmas morning, he receives a teddy bear, and instantly becomes attached to him. Then one night, John wishes that his bear could talk, and the next morning, the bear does exactly that. Soon, Ted becomes a national phenomenon. Years later, John (Mark Wahlberg) lives with Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane), works at a dead-end job and is trying to maintain his relationship with his successful girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis). She recommends to John that he ask Ted to move out, in order for her and John to move on with their lives. Because of Ted's and John's 27-year-long time together, separating might be harder than both of them think.
Mark Wahlberg's performance shows that he is totally game for whatever comedy he is asked to do. He reminded me of a grown-up version of Andy from Toy Story if he realized his toys came alive and bummed around with them with some beers and a bong. His excellent ability to interact with the CGI bear reflects on the connection that the two characters have. The time the two share together calls to mind MacFarlane's character of baby Stewie from Family Guy always talking to his own stuffed bear. This relationship goes back to John's state of stunted growth, in the mental sense, and Wahlberg is able to bring out the sense of a boy trapped in a man's body. His Boston accent and tough-guy build make, along with his dependency on a stuffed bear's company, an ironic pairing.
Ted is a delightfully twisted entity of a children's toy instigating partying and full-on debauchery; he's not afraid to go too far. He is an example of a childhood wish gone both right and wrong; right, because John's wish came true, and wrong because he's one of the factors in John being unable to take his life seriously as a grown-up. MacFarlane uses the same voice as he does for Peter Griffin, but you're willing to forgive it because the voice fits Ted's character since, just like Peter, his lovable obnoxiousness doesn't have any boundaries.
Although Mila Kunis' character is written to have her as the serious, goal-oriented girlfriend, she doesn't get the opportunity to participate in the film's more wildly witty scenes. We know she can do comedy without the slightest difficulty. But, when you're in a film about a raunchy teddy bear and his man-child owner, you would want to get in on all of the fun that everyone else is having.
MacFarlene's, Alec Sulkin's and Wellesley Wild's screenplay is divided into a fearlessly funny first half and an underwhelming second half. The first half contains many of the film's standout moments, including Ted engaging in highly inappropriate behavior at his job, an out-of-control party in Ted's new apartment, complete with Sam J. Jones of Flash Gordon, and a furniture-wrecking fight between Ted and John in a hotel room. The second half falters because it focuses on an underdeveloped and rushed subplot of a creepy father (Giovanni Ribisi) trying to steal Ted for his son. The film could have done without it, and instead, make the whole story about John trying to come to terms with being an adult and balancing his relationships with Ted and Lori. However, MacFarlane should be commended for restraining himself from using too many cutaway gags that have become more excessive with each passing season of Family Guy.
As a director, MacFarlane has his characters say hilariously unexpected things and brings in his signature love of the '80s by using pop culture references, such as nods to Top Gun, Airplane! and Flash Gordon. With this being his first directing job for a feature film, it's an admirable effort with another storytelling medium. He just has to work on some pacing issues that this film had, like introducing certain subplots, and then not revisiting them until much later. Also, working with more people who he hasn't worked with before can help him expand (Mila Kunis, Patrick Warburton and Alex Borstein all appear in the movie, and already work with MacFarlane on Family Guy, as do score composer Walter Murphy, and screenwriters Sulkin and Wild).
Although Ted as a whole isn't as hysterical as the premise justifies, seeing it just for the first half is entirely worth it. Watching a stuffed animal fall into R-rated shenanigans is a novelty in the comedy genre, and I wouldn't mind having MacFarlane pull Ted out of the toy box again.
Final grade: B
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)