4/5 stars
This film is reverent of the original A-Team while doing new things. I'm pretty sure the director saw Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on UFC and thought, "I need to do an A-Team remake so he can play B.A."
There's some questionable similarities between this film and "The Losers": the final actions scenes at the Port of Los Angeles and the vilifying of the CIA. Each are definitely doing different, fun things, but the bag of tricks for action movies isn't too deep.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
The Graduate (1967)
4.9/5 stars
Important themes in The Graduate (1967) include freedom, the generation gap, isolation, and ambition. All these tie into the two most prevalent meanings in the film: self-knowledge and temptation. Ben is hemmed in by his parents’ and society’s expectations, but has the awareness to realize how unsatisfying the middleclass suburban life would be despite the ease in which he could settle into it.
Society is represented by a fish tank. The viewer continually sees Ben surrounded by or through the fish tank in his room. The symbolism is particularly explicit at his twenty-first birthday when he is wearing scuba diving equipment (provided by his father), and cajoled into the pool, and then pushed under the water by his parents. Ben goes under and stays in the pool because it was expected, just like he tempted to fall into the life laid out by his parents because it is the path of least resistance. It is made obvious though that Ben would ultimately be unhappy in that life. Roger Ebert says that The Graduate “is funny… because it has a point of view…it’s against something.” The film is against being a follower; it is about discovering and being true to one’s self.
Ben says that he wants to do something “different,” and having a secret affair with an older married woman at first seems like rebellion. However, Mrs. Robinson is trapped in the fish tank with no way out. Ben and Elaine can still see the glass walls and the possibilities beyond them, but for Mrs. Robinson it is too late. Mrs. Robinson’s role as antagonist ties in with the 60s and 70s ideology that was heavily influenced by the enormous generation gap between the Baby Boomers and their parents. Rosenbaum points out that “‘don’t trust anyone over 30’ is the only 60s counterculture motto honored in The Graduate, though the picture has only two under-30 characters of any importance, neither of them particularly well defined.” The reason Rosenbaum states that Ben and Elaine are not well defined is because both struggle with words.
The over-30 people around Ben are constantly interrupting him, and outsmarting and manipulating him with words. Mrs. Robinson simply says that she is not trying to seduce Ben and that makes it reality for Ben, even though he knows better and she is asking him to help her undress. Joan Didion said in her essay “Slouching Towards Bethlehem” that the discomfort with words was typical of Ben’s generation. “They do not believe in words…their only proficient vocabulary is in society’s platitudes…the ability to think for one’s self depends upon one’s mastery of the language” (123). Ben is most affected when Elaine cries, and kisses her to show the sincerity of his apology. Elaine accepts and understands Ben, and that is when Ben falls in love with her. Elaine screams to show her frustration and anger rather than talking, and Ben is unable to convince his landlord with arguments that he is trustworthy. Ben is so accustomed to apologizing and taking direction that he has no way to express himself in words, he can only act to show his determination to marry Elaine.
Important themes in The Graduate (1967) include freedom, the generation gap, isolation, and ambition. All these tie into the two most prevalent meanings in the film: self-knowledge and temptation. Ben is hemmed in by his parents’ and society’s expectations, but has the awareness to realize how unsatisfying the middleclass suburban life would be despite the ease in which he could settle into it.
Society is represented by a fish tank. The viewer continually sees Ben surrounded by or through the fish tank in his room. The symbolism is particularly explicit at his twenty-first birthday when he is wearing scuba diving equipment (provided by his father), and cajoled into the pool, and then pushed under the water by his parents. Ben goes under and stays in the pool because it was expected, just like he tempted to fall into the life laid out by his parents because it is the path of least resistance. It is made obvious though that Ben would ultimately be unhappy in that life. Roger Ebert says that The Graduate “is funny… because it has a point of view…it’s against something.” The film is against being a follower; it is about discovering and being true to one’s self.
Ben says that he wants to do something “different,” and having a secret affair with an older married woman at first seems like rebellion. However, Mrs. Robinson is trapped in the fish tank with no way out. Ben and Elaine can still see the glass walls and the possibilities beyond them, but for Mrs. Robinson it is too late. Mrs. Robinson’s role as antagonist ties in with the 60s and 70s ideology that was heavily influenced by the enormous generation gap between the Baby Boomers and their parents. Rosenbaum points out that “‘don’t trust anyone over 30’ is the only 60s counterculture motto honored in The Graduate, though the picture has only two under-30 characters of any importance, neither of them particularly well defined.” The reason Rosenbaum states that Ben and Elaine are not well defined is because both struggle with words.
The over-30 people around Ben are constantly interrupting him, and outsmarting and manipulating him with words. Mrs. Robinson simply says that she is not trying to seduce Ben and that makes it reality for Ben, even though he knows better and she is asking him to help her undress. Joan Didion said in her essay “Slouching Towards Bethlehem” that the discomfort with words was typical of Ben’s generation. “They do not believe in words…their only proficient vocabulary is in society’s platitudes…the ability to think for one’s self depends upon one’s mastery of the language” (123). Ben is most affected when Elaine cries, and kisses her to show the sincerity of his apology. Elaine accepts and understands Ben, and that is when Ben falls in love with her. Elaine screams to show her frustration and anger rather than talking, and Ben is unable to convince his landlord with arguments that he is trustworthy. Ben is so accustomed to apologizing and taking direction that he has no way to express himself in words, he can only act to show his determination to marry Elaine.
Prince of Persia (2010)
4/5 stars
Even though this is another movie based on a video game and they’re coming out with another video game based on the movie, there’s nothing gamey about this film. Mike Newell (director) successfully creates a context for the character development and plot twists, despite the time travel element.
Jake Gyllenhaal was an interesting choice for the lead, Dastan. He brings just the right amount depth to the character. The major theme in the story is nobility. The king, Sharaman, says that though Dastan had no noble blood, he had a noble spirit. Between Robin Hood (2010) and Prince of Persia (2010), even Avatar (2009), Hollywood seems to be trying to remind us that it’s not about where you were born, but the standards you hold yourself to.
Even though this is another movie based on a video game and they’re coming out with another video game based on the movie, there’s nothing gamey about this film. Mike Newell (director) successfully creates a context for the character development and plot twists, despite the time travel element.
Jake Gyllenhaal was an interesting choice for the lead, Dastan. He brings just the right amount depth to the character. The major theme in the story is nobility. The king, Sharaman, says that though Dastan had no noble blood, he had a noble spirit. Between Robin Hood (2010) and Prince of Persia (2010), even Avatar (2009), Hollywood seems to be trying to remind us that it’s not about where you were born, but the standards you hold yourself to.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)
4.5/5 stars
If you’re in a good mood, this movie will kill it. The story is about two brothers who find themselves on opposite sides of the evolving war between the Catholic Irish and their English Protestant rulers, kind of like the old stories about brothers who ended up on opposite sides during the American Civil War, except this one includes finger nails being pulled out with pliers.
When I traveled to Ireland in 1999, the question about whether you were Catholic or Protestant was simple: “Are you black or are you white?” I’m thankful now we were able to say were Irish American, and that made us somehow exempt from the violence portrayed in this movie that continues today. Many people I talk to, including myself, weren’t even born when John F. Kennedy was elected president. It seems bizarre that the hate between Catholics and Protestants spilled over into America clear through the 1960s, especially when such bigotry is seen as so backwards now. As Americans, we’re used to hearing about racism and homophobia, not whites hating whites.
Cillian Murphy’s acting makes this movie worth watching. The development of his character and character’s brother into two violently opposed directions is heartbreaking. An incredible film with an emotional intensity that is not let down by a typical Hollywood ending. The methods of the IRA reflect its roots: utterly brutal.
If you’re in a good mood, this movie will kill it. The story is about two brothers who find themselves on opposite sides of the evolving war between the Catholic Irish and their English Protestant rulers, kind of like the old stories about brothers who ended up on opposite sides during the American Civil War, except this one includes finger nails being pulled out with pliers.
When I traveled to Ireland in 1999, the question about whether you were Catholic or Protestant was simple: “Are you black or are you white?” I’m thankful now we were able to say were Irish American, and that made us somehow exempt from the violence portrayed in this movie that continues today. Many people I talk to, including myself, weren’t even born when John F. Kennedy was elected president. It seems bizarre that the hate between Catholics and Protestants spilled over into America clear through the 1960s, especially when such bigotry is seen as so backwards now. As Americans, we’re used to hearing about racism and homophobia, not whites hating whites.
Cillian Murphy’s acting makes this movie worth watching. The development of his character and character’s brother into two violently opposed directions is heartbreaking. An incredible film with an emotional intensity that is not let down by a typical Hollywood ending. The methods of the IRA reflect its roots: utterly brutal.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
2/5 stars
Mr. Scrap (Morgan Freeman) opens the brutal and bloody Million Dollar Baby (2004) by describing the connection between a trainer and his fighter, how everything in boxing is backwards, and the strength and heart it takes to savagely beat another human being senseless. This movie is a plethora of contradictions, the major one being the statement that Hilary Swanks’s character is a fighter boxing aside – Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) tells her mama on an unpleasant and, the audience senses, typical visit, “I’m a fighter, mama”– a statement tragically unsupported by her actions and attitude toward the end of the movie.
The main characters, Frankie (Clint Eastwood) and his lady boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank), who he was at first unwilling to train because she’s a girl and too old at 31to break into the sport, are on a journey towards fulfilling Maggie’s dream of becoming a professional boxer. Maggie is from the epitome of a white trash family. She grew up in southwestern Missouri in the tiny town of Theodosia, where her 312 pound mother still resides along with her sister who cheats on her welfare by pretending one of her babies is still alive, where her daddy died, and where her brother will return once he gets out of prison.
Frankie owns a boxing gym and trains fighters. He has a questioning, if not angry, relationship with God. He goes to Mass everyday and receives every letter he sends to his estranged daughter back in his mailbox labeled “return to sender.” Maggie walks into Frankie’s gym just after his latest protégée has left him for a manager who will get him a title fight, and though he at first refuses, he begrudgingly starts training her with the gentle prodding of Mr. Scrap, who recognizes a little bit of himself in Maggie.
Predictably, Maggie turns into Cinderella, the underdog who knocks out fighters in the first round and makes it all the way to a championship fight with Billie the Blue Bear (Lucia Rijker), a former prostitute and the East German champion. Blue Bear is a reputed dirty fighter in the ring, and in the pitch of the fight, with a single cheap shot, takes away Maggie’s dreams and ability to box. The rest of the movie is a deteriorating of Maggie’s and Frankie’s lives.
It is in this last third of the film that everything that is built up in the beginning is completely torn down. Mr. Scrap says that “boxing is fighting beyond endurance” and in boxing “instead of running from the pain, like a sane person would do, you step into it.” Maggie thinks that because she can no longer pursue her passion, life is no longer worth living, even though she is still alive and in control of herself. She draws a parallel between her situation and her daddy’s dog. Axel, a German shepherd, loses the use of his hind legs and even though Maggie’s daddy is so sick he can hardly stand, he takes the dog out into the woods, the two of them singing and howling, then presumably shoots him, and comes home alone. Even though Frankie tries to convince her to go back to school and tries to find another path for her, she refuses and puts a burden on him that destroys what emotional sanity he had left.
Besides having the two halves not quite coming together, the film is filled with every worn out stereotype a sports movie could offer, from the underdog who’s a natural talent, to the compassionate, quiet friend who seems to have deeper insight into the lives of others than anyone in real life. Freeman’s Mr. Scrap is a transplanted Red from in The Shawshank Redemption, but when one has played God and the president of the United States, one already has all the credibility one needs. Working with seemingly worn out genres – the Western his most notable, and the other recent film Mystic River that takes on the murder mystery – is no great feat for Eastwood. Million Dollar Baby, like the others, is filled with great acting, cinematography, and directing. If only this film didn’t have the plot holes, then maybe it could live up to the hype of it being Eastwood’s masterpiece.
Eastwood successfully builds up the notion in the audience’s mind that Maggie has truly lost everything and that Frankie is being selfish by not doing what she asks of him. There is a fall out with the family, not a great loss, and Frankie, her father figure, is the only thing she has left. Frankie, an apparent Catholic, though an unhappy one, does not let his spiritual life or the advice of his priest get in the way of his definition of compassion. The resolution is disappointing in its betrayal of the heroine’s much talked about strength, though the decision is understandable.
Mr. Scrap draws the parallel that people who watch car accidents wanting to see bodies are the same people who claim to love boxing. It must be the same with boxing movies, especially the female version. It shouldn’t be pleasant to watch people destroy each other. Million Dollar Baby is hopeless in its message and its characters’ actions. Mr. Scrap says, “Everything in boxing is backwards”; yeah, so is everything in this movie.
Mr. Scrap (Morgan Freeman) opens the brutal and bloody Million Dollar Baby (2004) by describing the connection between a trainer and his fighter, how everything in boxing is backwards, and the strength and heart it takes to savagely beat another human being senseless. This movie is a plethora of contradictions, the major one being the statement that Hilary Swanks’s character is a fighter boxing aside – Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) tells her mama on an unpleasant and, the audience senses, typical visit, “I’m a fighter, mama”– a statement tragically unsupported by her actions and attitude toward the end of the movie.
The main characters, Frankie (Clint Eastwood) and his lady boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank), who he was at first unwilling to train because she’s a girl and too old at 31to break into the sport, are on a journey towards fulfilling Maggie’s dream of becoming a professional boxer. Maggie is from the epitome of a white trash family. She grew up in southwestern Missouri in the tiny town of Theodosia, where her 312 pound mother still resides along with her sister who cheats on her welfare by pretending one of her babies is still alive, where her daddy died, and where her brother will return once he gets out of prison.
Frankie owns a boxing gym and trains fighters. He has a questioning, if not angry, relationship with God. He goes to Mass everyday and receives every letter he sends to his estranged daughter back in his mailbox labeled “return to sender.” Maggie walks into Frankie’s gym just after his latest protégée has left him for a manager who will get him a title fight, and though he at first refuses, he begrudgingly starts training her with the gentle prodding of Mr. Scrap, who recognizes a little bit of himself in Maggie.
Predictably, Maggie turns into Cinderella, the underdog who knocks out fighters in the first round and makes it all the way to a championship fight with Billie the Blue Bear (Lucia Rijker), a former prostitute and the East German champion. Blue Bear is a reputed dirty fighter in the ring, and in the pitch of the fight, with a single cheap shot, takes away Maggie’s dreams and ability to box. The rest of the movie is a deteriorating of Maggie’s and Frankie’s lives.
It is in this last third of the film that everything that is built up in the beginning is completely torn down. Mr. Scrap says that “boxing is fighting beyond endurance” and in boxing “instead of running from the pain, like a sane person would do, you step into it.” Maggie thinks that because she can no longer pursue her passion, life is no longer worth living, even though she is still alive and in control of herself. She draws a parallel between her situation and her daddy’s dog. Axel, a German shepherd, loses the use of his hind legs and even though Maggie’s daddy is so sick he can hardly stand, he takes the dog out into the woods, the two of them singing and howling, then presumably shoots him, and comes home alone. Even though Frankie tries to convince her to go back to school and tries to find another path for her, she refuses and puts a burden on him that destroys what emotional sanity he had left.
Besides having the two halves not quite coming together, the film is filled with every worn out stereotype a sports movie could offer, from the underdog who’s a natural talent, to the compassionate, quiet friend who seems to have deeper insight into the lives of others than anyone in real life. Freeman’s Mr. Scrap is a transplanted Red from in The Shawshank Redemption, but when one has played God and the president of the United States, one already has all the credibility one needs. Working with seemingly worn out genres – the Western his most notable, and the other recent film Mystic River that takes on the murder mystery – is no great feat for Eastwood. Million Dollar Baby, like the others, is filled with great acting, cinematography, and directing. If only this film didn’t have the plot holes, then maybe it could live up to the hype of it being Eastwood’s masterpiece.
Eastwood successfully builds up the notion in the audience’s mind that Maggie has truly lost everything and that Frankie is being selfish by not doing what she asks of him. There is a fall out with the family, not a great loss, and Frankie, her father figure, is the only thing she has left. Frankie, an apparent Catholic, though an unhappy one, does not let his spiritual life or the advice of his priest get in the way of his definition of compassion. The resolution is disappointing in its betrayal of the heroine’s much talked about strength, though the decision is understandable.
Mr. Scrap draws the parallel that people who watch car accidents wanting to see bodies are the same people who claim to love boxing. It must be the same with boxing movies, especially the female version. It shouldn’t be pleasant to watch people destroy each other. Million Dollar Baby is hopeless in its message and its characters’ actions. Mr. Scrap says, “Everything in boxing is backwards”; yeah, so is everything in this movie.
Secret Window (2004)
4.5/5 stars
This is what all horror movies should be: psychologically thrilling without torture porn. Johnny Depp is amazing, as usual, and he definitely has some Jack Sparrow channeling going on. The interplay between characters is tense, but Mort’s (Depp) dialogue with his soon-to-be ex-wife and her boyfriend adds comic relief.
David Koepp (director) uses sound intelligently in this film. It’s how he builds the creepiness without overusing the dramatic base that so many horror movies use to show you it’s a scary part; if you turned the sound off, the camera angles and characters’ expression would still communicate the creepiness.
A must see for writers and not just because it’s based on a Stephen King short story.
This is what all horror movies should be: psychologically thrilling without torture porn. Johnny Depp is amazing, as usual, and he definitely has some Jack Sparrow channeling going on. The interplay between characters is tense, but Mort’s (Depp) dialogue with his soon-to-be ex-wife and her boyfriend adds comic relief.
David Koepp (director) uses sound intelligently in this film. It’s how he builds the creepiness without overusing the dramatic base that so many horror movies use to show you it’s a scary part; if you turned the sound off, the camera angles and characters’ expression would still communicate the creepiness.
A must see for writers and not just because it’s based on a Stephen King short story.
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
3/5 stars
I’m not sure what just happened. This story seems like something Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, and director Terry Gilliam cooked up while baked, wrote down and, the next morning, put verbatim into a movie script. The cast, especially those playing the many faces of the Hanged Man, is incredible. The combination of Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp and Jude Law in one film is what attracted me to the movie. It’s unfortunate that Colin Farrell got the most screen time.
At first, this story seems like Across the Universe (2007) without the pretense of a discernable narrative and twice the drugs. The film teases at an underlying intelligence, perhaps literary references to Dr. Faustus or a clever combination of the Bible and Eastern philosophy. Dr. Parnassus seems to be a man selling the story of Jesus (though that’s not directly stated) with love and the imagination at the center of the universe, but he has a problem: gambling. He can’t resist when the Devil proposes a bet. This escalates into a race for who can gather five souls first; however, what those souls are being converted to is lost between the gondolas and a large Russian mother.
I’m not sure what just happened. This story seems like something Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, and director Terry Gilliam cooked up while baked, wrote down and, the next morning, put verbatim into a movie script. The cast, especially those playing the many faces of the Hanged Man, is incredible. The combination of Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp and Jude Law in one film is what attracted me to the movie. It’s unfortunate that Colin Farrell got the most screen time.
At first, this story seems like Across the Universe (2007) without the pretense of a discernable narrative and twice the drugs. The film teases at an underlying intelligence, perhaps literary references to Dr. Faustus or a clever combination of the Bible and Eastern philosophy. Dr. Parnassus seems to be a man selling the story of Jesus (though that’s not directly stated) with love and the imagination at the center of the universe, but he has a problem: gambling. He can’t resist when the Devil proposes a bet. This escalates into a race for who can gather five souls first; however, what those souls are being converted to is lost between the gondolas and a large Russian mother.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Robin Hood (2010)
4/5 stars
The previews didn’t do a good job of showing where this movie fits into the Robin Hood story. This is a prequel to the Robin Hood legend, and I hope they carry through with a sequel with the same cast and director that shows some of the more well-known legends so that I don’t imagine Robin Hood and Marion as cartoon foxes (Robin Hood – 1973).
Prequels seem to be the new approach to these older legends and stories, there’s Robin Hood (2010), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and King Arthur (2004), with The Hobbit due out in 2012. Interestingly, the first three films turn the female leads into sword- or arrow- wielding warriors, or at least attempts to shed the delicate flower of femininity routine. King Arthur completely broke from the legends and turned Guinevere into a green forest warrior, something completely breaking from what little is known about society back then. Robin Hood does a much more convincing job of portraying English country nobility. Marion might well have been a step above a farm girl, out on her husband’s land tending horses and planting seeds.
The costumes and dialogue alone make this film fun to watch. The acting is, as expected, amazing; after all it’s Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchette, great duo. All the characters are well cast, but Kevin Durand as Little Jon and Mark Addy as Friar Tuck steal the show.
The previews didn’t do a good job of showing where this movie fits into the Robin Hood story. This is a prequel to the Robin Hood legend, and I hope they carry through with a sequel with the same cast and director that shows some of the more well-known legends so that I don’t imagine Robin Hood and Marion as cartoon foxes (Robin Hood – 1973).
Prequels seem to be the new approach to these older legends and stories, there’s Robin Hood (2010), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and King Arthur (2004), with The Hobbit due out in 2012. Interestingly, the first three films turn the female leads into sword- or arrow- wielding warriors, or at least attempts to shed the delicate flower of femininity routine. King Arthur completely broke from the legends and turned Guinevere into a green forest warrior, something completely breaking from what little is known about society back then. Robin Hood does a much more convincing job of portraying English country nobility. Marion might well have been a step above a farm girl, out on her husband’s land tending horses and planting seeds.
The costumes and dialogue alone make this film fun to watch. The acting is, as expected, amazing; after all it’s Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchette, great duo. All the characters are well cast, but Kevin Durand as Little Jon and Mark Addy as Friar Tuck steal the show.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
3.5/5 stars
Despite the harassment the zombie movie genre gets, this film pays attention to detail and has memorable cinematography. If you’ve seen it, you’ll never forget the scene when the little girl opens the nurse and her boyfriend’s bedroom door. The acting is good and the characters consistent. The film isn’t so much scary as disturbing. If you agree to follow the rules in the new walking dead cannibal world (one being the characters don’t have any prior knowledge of zombies) there’s heartbreak, sympathy and hope.
Despite the harassment the zombie movie genre gets, this film pays attention to detail and has memorable cinematography. If you’ve seen it, you’ll never forget the scene when the little girl opens the nurse and her boyfriend’s bedroom door. The acting is good and the characters consistent. The film isn’t so much scary as disturbing. If you agree to follow the rules in the new walking dead cannibal world (one being the characters don’t have any prior knowledge of zombies) there’s heartbreak, sympathy and hope.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Couples Retreat (2009)
3.5/5 stars
This is a surprisingly adult film-—not like X rated, but in the sense that the relationships, the struggles and conversations feel genuine. The characters all well developed, albeit all seem a bit shallow. The situations are hilarious and believable. The writing is consistent and, unlike other comedies, all the themes are carried through to the end.
WARNING: SPOILER
The ending is too Hollywood. The couple you expect to break up, after all she’s 20 and he’s in his late 30s, is the only one that does. The couples with real problems make it through, at least for a little while. The final happy moments feel like the rosy glow after the honeymoon, but none of the couples have actually dealt with their problems.
In some cases, communication through fighting, a romantic weekend and make-up sex in the pool shed might revitalize a relationship, but in my limited experience (mostly in observation and having a parent who was a divorce lawyer) marrying a friend doesn’t always lead to true companionship. The relationship might be functional and comfortable, but it’s ultimately unfulfilling. The couple that admits they’re simply best friends suddenly has sex again. It’s nice to think that type of relationship is possible.
This is a surprisingly adult film-—not like X rated, but in the sense that the relationships, the struggles and conversations feel genuine. The characters all well developed, albeit all seem a bit shallow. The situations are hilarious and believable. The writing is consistent and, unlike other comedies, all the themes are carried through to the end.
WARNING: SPOILER
The ending is too Hollywood. The couple you expect to break up, after all she’s 20 and he’s in his late 30s, is the only one that does. The couples with real problems make it through, at least for a little while. The final happy moments feel like the rosy glow after the honeymoon, but none of the couples have actually dealt with their problems.
In some cases, communication through fighting, a romantic weekend and make-up sex in the pool shed might revitalize a relationship, but in my limited experience (mostly in observation and having a parent who was a divorce lawyer) marrying a friend doesn’t always lead to true companionship. The relationship might be functional and comfortable, but it’s ultimately unfulfilling. The couple that admits they’re simply best friends suddenly has sex again. It’s nice to think that type of relationship is possible.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Iron Man 2 (2010)
3.5/5 stars
Robert Downey Jr. plays Iron Man so well it’s hard to tell if (in the conversations, not the robotic parts) he knows a camera is there. I’ve noticed with superheroes (and Harry Potter) that they go through an emo period: Spider Man in Spider Man 3 (2007) and the Fantastic Four in Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). However this doesn’t apply to Batman or the Hulk since they’re constantly brooding.
Stark’s self-involvement clouds any kind of onscreen chemistry between him and Gwyneth Paltrow; characters kept referencing Pepper Pots and Stark’s semi-relationship, but I didn’t notice any sexual charge in their interaction, the kiss seems, well, scripted. While this isn’t completely distracting--there’s obviously tension between the two as friends and colleagues if not romantically--it does rob the film of significant emotional tension.
If Terrence Howard had to be replaced, Don Cheadle was the man to hire. Along with him, the addition of Scarlet Johansson (possibly playing Black Widow, though it’s not said in the film if she is this costumeless super heroine) and Samuel L. Jackson bring a new level of intrigue, and build on the storyline that will eventually bring the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor together in The Avengers (2012).
Robert Downey Jr. plays Iron Man so well it’s hard to tell if (in the conversations, not the robotic parts) he knows a camera is there. I’ve noticed with superheroes (and Harry Potter) that they go through an emo period: Spider Man in Spider Man 3 (2007) and the Fantastic Four in Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). However this doesn’t apply to Batman or the Hulk since they’re constantly brooding.
Stark’s self-involvement clouds any kind of onscreen chemistry between him and Gwyneth Paltrow; characters kept referencing Pepper Pots and Stark’s semi-relationship, but I didn’t notice any sexual charge in their interaction, the kiss seems, well, scripted. While this isn’t completely distracting--there’s obviously tension between the two as friends and colleagues if not romantically--it does rob the film of significant emotional tension.
If Terrence Howard had to be replaced, Don Cheadle was the man to hire. Along with him, the addition of Scarlet Johansson (possibly playing Black Widow, though it’s not said in the film if she is this costumeless super heroine) and Samuel L. Jackson bring a new level of intrigue, and build on the storyline that will eventually bring the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor together in The Avengers (2012).
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Pontypool (2008)
3/5 stars
Unique enough to not be your typical zombie movie, but enough corpses walking around to fit the genre. Having the whole story based in a radio station with most of the information and people-eating going on out of sight adds a creepiness that plain gore simply can’t achieve. The acting is tremendous and the characters well rounded, carrying you through the entire hour and a half.
WARNING: SPOILER
The premise for this movie seems like something the writer came up with while high: What if words had the power of disease? The concept is interesting, certain English words as the conduit for a virus and once those words are understood the listeners become raging cannibals. It’s a nice twist in the genre, but conceptually isn’t followed through to the end of the film. The last moments in particular are too ambiguous to give real closure.
Unique enough to not be your typical zombie movie, but enough corpses walking around to fit the genre. Having the whole story based in a radio station with most of the information and people-eating going on out of sight adds a creepiness that plain gore simply can’t achieve. The acting is tremendous and the characters well rounded, carrying you through the entire hour and a half.
WARNING: SPOILER
The premise for this movie seems like something the writer came up with while high: What if words had the power of disease? The concept is interesting, certain English words as the conduit for a virus and once those words are understood the listeners become raging cannibals. It’s a nice twist in the genre, but conceptually isn’t followed through to the end of the film. The last moments in particular are too ambiguous to give real closure.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009)
No stars
So unfortunately, a studio executive got his sexually confused eighteen-year-old nephew to write the screenplay for The Boondock Saints II. The nephew saw the original Boondock Saints when he was twelve and then tried to imitate it from memory while throwing in penis jokes every three minutes. I think he was allowed to pick the soundtrack, too.
The dialogue is painful, riddled with clichés and bad accents. Norman Reedus (Murphey MacManus) and Sean Patrick Flanery (Connor MacManus) try hard, but it’s obvious they know the writing sucks. The dream sequences, flashbacks, the William Dafoe replacement (Julie Benz) and Clifton Collins Jr. (Romeo) were delegated the worst of the dialogue. Many of the plot points simply make no sense (like the conversation between the MacManus brothers and the dead Funny Man) and the rest is predictable.
The Romeo character is a caricature of Mexican-Americans. At least in The Boondock Saints the stereotyping of Irishmen and Italians was done in a way that the Irish and Italians could laugh at.
The worst part is they left it open for a third installment.
At least another cat didn’t die.
So unfortunately, a studio executive got his sexually confused eighteen-year-old nephew to write the screenplay for The Boondock Saints II. The nephew saw the original Boondock Saints when he was twelve and then tried to imitate it from memory while throwing in penis jokes every three minutes. I think he was allowed to pick the soundtrack, too.
The dialogue is painful, riddled with clichés and bad accents. Norman Reedus (Murphey MacManus) and Sean Patrick Flanery (Connor MacManus) try hard, but it’s obvious they know the writing sucks. The dream sequences, flashbacks, the William Dafoe replacement (Julie Benz) and Clifton Collins Jr. (Romeo) were delegated the worst of the dialogue. Many of the plot points simply make no sense (like the conversation between the MacManus brothers and the dead Funny Man) and the rest is predictable.
The Romeo character is a caricature of Mexican-Americans. At least in The Boondock Saints the stereotyping of Irishmen and Italians was done in a way that the Irish and Italians could laugh at.
The worst part is they left it open for a third installment.
At least another cat didn’t die.
The Losers (2010)
4.5/5 stars
Watching the previews, The Losers looked like it was a dress rehearsal for The A-Team remake. Surprisingly, this movie stands up well. The dialogue is funny, snappy and nicely offsets the action scenes, which are also awesome (“Your mom is a pirate”).
The unexpected plot twists build to an uncertain but inevitable ending. Each character is well developed and unique. While it’s not really explained how Max is connected to the CIA or why he’s trying to start a war using “green” nuclear bombs, it’s easy to suspend belief for the sake of watching Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) throw a helicopter at a private jet full of money.
There’s an obvious sequel in the future, but for once I’m not that worried about it.
Watching the previews, The Losers looked like it was a dress rehearsal for The A-Team remake. Surprisingly, this movie stands up well. The dialogue is funny, snappy and nicely offsets the action scenes, which are also awesome (“Your mom is a pirate”).
The unexpected plot twists build to an uncertain but inevitable ending. Each character is well developed and unique. While it’s not really explained how Max is connected to the CIA or why he’s trying to start a war using “green” nuclear bombs, it’s easy to suspend belief for the sake of watching Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) throw a helicopter at a private jet full of money.
There’s an obvious sequel in the future, but for once I’m not that worried about it.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Precious (2009)
No stars
Precious takes every stereotype of the ghetto, wraps it up in an ill-fitting soundtrack, and ties it up with awful dialogue. This is a cheap Tony Morrison imitation that comes off as shallow and racist. Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) is a good actress, but she could be the female Morgan Freeman and she still wouldn’t be able to pull off this story.
Precious takes every stereotype of the ghetto, wraps it up in an ill-fitting soundtrack, and ties it up with awful dialogue. This is a cheap Tony Morrison imitation that comes off as shallow and racist. Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) is a good actress, but she could be the female Morgan Freeman and she still wouldn’t be able to pull off this story.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Boondock Saints (1999)
4.5/5
As a fellow Mic, let me say all Irishmen are cracked. That might be true of the Italians, too. The dialogue makes this film great (yes, more than throwing the toilet at the angry Russian). And no one should miss William Dafoe in drag.
This is another film that explores the Robin Hood role to its logical conclusion, hilariously. Vigilantism fuels an adrenaline rush until you’re on the receiving end of the bullet. The Macmanus brothers are the original real-life superheroes.
Did the cat have to die?
As a fellow Mic, let me say all Irishmen are cracked. That might be true of the Italians, too. The dialogue makes this film great (yes, more than throwing the toilet at the angry Russian). And no one should miss William Dafoe in drag.
This is another film that explores the Robin Hood role to its logical conclusion, hilariously. Vigilantism fuels an adrenaline rush until you’re on the receiving end of the bullet. The Macmanus brothers are the original real-life superheroes.
Did the cat have to die?
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Kick-Ass (2010)
4/5 stars
Matthew Vaughn and Quentin Tarantino need to have coffee. While not quite Pulp Fiction (1994) status effed up, Kick-Ass is definitely on the same levels of violence and intelligence. Vaughn takes the idea of the average person becoming a super hero to its logical conclusion: anyone rich enough, trained to be dangerous, and with the inclination is most likely emotionally disturbed. While there is a definite bad guy (after all, the he does beat up an 11-year-old girl, granted to was beating him up first), the line between villain and vigilante disappears.
The brutality—truly on the Kill Bill level—is unsettling because it is so unexpected. We rarely associate earnest naïveté with knifings and hit-and-runs, but that’s what the goofy and lovable Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson) faces after exiting his high school outfitted with metal detectors and security guards. His wetsuit and good intentions lead him to numerous ass-kickings (every single one bloody and involving a cheap shot to the crotch). They also get him involved with two superheroes, Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), who would be serial killers in any other context.
Of course the ending leaves the possibility for a sequel, but the bazooka will catch you off guard every time.
Matthew Vaughn and Quentin Tarantino need to have coffee. While not quite Pulp Fiction (1994) status effed up, Kick-Ass is definitely on the same levels of violence and intelligence. Vaughn takes the idea of the average person becoming a super hero to its logical conclusion: anyone rich enough, trained to be dangerous, and with the inclination is most likely emotionally disturbed. While there is a definite bad guy (after all, the he does beat up an 11-year-old girl, granted to was beating him up first), the line between villain and vigilante disappears.
The brutality—truly on the Kill Bill level—is unsettling because it is so unexpected. We rarely associate earnest naïveté with knifings and hit-and-runs, but that’s what the goofy and lovable Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson) faces after exiting his high school outfitted with metal detectors and security guards. His wetsuit and good intentions lead him to numerous ass-kickings (every single one bloody and involving a cheap shot to the crotch). They also get him involved with two superheroes, Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), who would be serial killers in any other context.
Of course the ending leaves the possibility for a sequel, but the bazooka will catch you off guard every time.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Onion (2008)
No stars.
A shallow satire with clumsy jokes and predictable criticisms. The dialogue relies on puns and goes for all the cheap shots with no original, or clever, insights. While the film is trying to emphasize the ridiculous nature of consumerism, it’s far less entertaining than the actual Onion news site. This film relies on overdone, sarcastic dialogue aware of its own ludicrousness, and as a result comes off snarky and hypercritical. South Park, the Simpsons and Adult Swim all use this kind of humor in a way that’s actually funny and original.
A shallow satire with clumsy jokes and predictable criticisms. The dialogue relies on puns and goes for all the cheap shots with no original, or clever, insights. While the film is trying to emphasize the ridiculous nature of consumerism, it’s far less entertaining than the actual Onion news site. This film relies on overdone, sarcastic dialogue aware of its own ludicrousness, and as a result comes off snarky and hypercritical. South Park, the Simpsons and Adult Swim all use this kind of humor in a way that’s actually funny and original.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Brideshead Revisited (2008)
4/5 stars
You're only going to enjoy this movie if you're a fan of dry English films in which superb acting makes up for lack of explosions and general excitement. It's a brilliantly strange film that is perfectly cast. Slightly predictable in the beginning when it comes to the development of the relationships, but the acting more than makes up for it. This is Matthew Goode's (Watchmen)first headlining film, and he's definitely earned it. Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee)is one of the best British actresses alive today.
Viewers be warned, this film is hypercritical of the Roman Catholic Church. It explores the types of families (not necessarily Church officials) that cause so-called Catholic guilt to persevere into an evermore secular world. There's an odd tenderness toward the Italians. In one scene, the Italian mistress says she is not a Catholic like the English: "We do what the heart tells us then we go to Confession." It's an oddly tender moment that gives room for a certain type of dogma.
You're only going to enjoy this movie if you're a fan of dry English films in which superb acting makes up for lack of explosions and general excitement. It's a brilliantly strange film that is perfectly cast. Slightly predictable in the beginning when it comes to the development of the relationships, but the acting more than makes up for it. This is Matthew Goode's (Watchmen)first headlining film, and he's definitely earned it. Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee)is one of the best British actresses alive today.
Viewers be warned, this film is hypercritical of the Roman Catholic Church. It explores the types of families (not necessarily Church officials) that cause so-called Catholic guilt to persevere into an evermore secular world. There's an odd tenderness toward the Italians. In one scene, the Italian mistress says she is not a Catholic like the English: "We do what the heart tells us then we go to Confession." It's an oddly tender moment that gives room for a certain type of dogma.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Jackie Brown (1997)
4.5/5 stars
The lesser-known triplet in Tarantino’s trio of all-time classics. While Jackie Brown isn’t quite as gory or even violent, the plot is still twisted enough to be impossible to entirely grasp the first time through, just like the two sister films Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994). It takes some time to get used to how odd everyone looks, between Samuel L. Jackson’s braided goatee, Pam Grier’s mysterious charm and Michael Keaton’s very tight white shirts, the film is a character study alone.
The opening sequence bears an odd resemblance to the opening credits of The Graduate (1967) with the profile shot of the main character in an airport. Both films have strong visual motifs and striking shots. Though there is definitely more violence in Jackie Brown (it’s Tarantino after all), both lead characters are near death, for Jackie Brown physical death and for Ben emotional death.
Jackie Brown is Tarantino’s most publically palatable creation, other than the episode of ER he directed back in 1995.
The lesser-known triplet in Tarantino’s trio of all-time classics. While Jackie Brown isn’t quite as gory or even violent, the plot is still twisted enough to be impossible to entirely grasp the first time through, just like the two sister films Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994). It takes some time to get used to how odd everyone looks, between Samuel L. Jackson’s braided goatee, Pam Grier’s mysterious charm and Michael Keaton’s very tight white shirts, the film is a character study alone.
The opening sequence bears an odd resemblance to the opening credits of The Graduate (1967) with the profile shot of the main character in an airport. Both films have strong visual motifs and striking shots. Though there is definitely more violence in Jackie Brown (it’s Tarantino after all), both lead characters are near death, for Jackie Brown physical death and for Ben emotional death.
Jackie Brown is Tarantino’s most publically palatable creation, other than the episode of ER he directed back in 1995.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Clash of the Titans (2010)
3/5 stars
This is an action movie for the prepubescent (and men), full of monsters, swords and pretty girls. The monsters and costumes echo those in The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003), but that's where the parallel's end-- except that Hades does resemble the Balrog when he's flying around in his smoky flame bubble. It's impressive that Louis Leterrier (director) was able to make an action movie that's entertaining the entire two hours without any gore or sex, but The Lord of the Rings still beats it.
Anyone with even a slight attachment to mythology should probably not spend money to see this Greek myth burrito; the film is all the famous Greek myths wrapped into one. Other than the names, the movie completely breaks away from the old stories, most grossly with the use of the kraken, a monster from Scandinavian mythology, not Greek. I'm not sure if it's completely narcissistic, but I've never seen a film leave an opening for a sequel to Greek mythology.
This is an action movie for the prepubescent (and men), full of monsters, swords and pretty girls. The monsters and costumes echo those in The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003), but that's where the parallel's end-- except that Hades does resemble the Balrog when he's flying around in his smoky flame bubble. It's impressive that Louis Leterrier (director) was able to make an action movie that's entertaining the entire two hours without any gore or sex, but The Lord of the Rings still beats it.
Anyone with even a slight attachment to mythology should probably not spend money to see this Greek myth burrito; the film is all the famous Greek myths wrapped into one. Other than the names, the movie completely breaks away from the old stories, most grossly with the use of the kraken, a monster from Scandinavian mythology, not Greek. I'm not sure if it's completely narcissistic, but I've never seen a film leave an opening for a sequel to Greek mythology.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)