Reviews: Chronicle and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

When I was doing reviews for the radio station, I was contractually obligated to see 2 new releases per week. I had to see everything that came through our little town. So I had to take the good with the bad. From True Grit to Twilight. Quentin Tarantino to Tyler Perry. Now that I no longer have to do so, I can be choosy with my film watching. See the films that I want to see. Since there were no new films I really wanted to check out (The Lorax will probably be a DVD viewing) this weekend, I caught up on films I hadn’t seen yet.

Chronicle

4 stars

Starring Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell and Michael B. Jordan

The indie, off-brand superhero films have increasingly come into prominence, staking a claim in the genre that is not as dominated by the marquee names. Chronicle, from writer Max Landis (John’s son) and director Josh Trank (not John’s son), is another wonderful entry that follows in the grand tradition of Kick-Ass, Super and Defendor.

What struck me most about Chronicle is that it feels like the movie Spider-Man 3 wanted to be. The moral implications raised by the Andy, Matt and Steve as they explore their new-found superpowers seems more real than in prior films. It perfectly captures the uncertainty of the teenage years and matches it with these unknown powers.

While the three leads only have a handful of credits between them (Jordan being the most prolific with stints on “The Wire,” “Friday Night Lights” and “Parenthood”), and this certainly won’t launch them into stardom, it’ll definitely cement them as “Ones To Watch.”

Lead Dane DeHaan is particularly engaging as the torn Andy Detmer. While dealing with an abusive father, an ailing mother, and bullying at school, he struggles to come to terms with his power. The transformation from quiet, shy introvert, to popular kid, to super villain is brilliantly realized by DeHaan.

Josh Trank makes few stumbles in his feature film directorial debut. The film could have been bogged down with extraneous info and superfluous scenes, but he keeps it tight and straight to the point. Kudos to him.

Definitely worth heading to the cinemas for a viewing.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

4 Stars

Starring Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner and Michael Nyqvist

What I like most about the Mission: Impossible franchise is that it’s successfully hung on for 15 years, and has yet to wear its welcome.

Each film always feels like its own stand-alone that gets by on its own merits. And despite John Woo’s mishandling of the 2nd one, M:I has been able to consistently deliver. The films have been able to stay fresh with a revolving door of talented directors who put their own unique spin on it, and constantly reinventing itself to stay with the trends of the genre.

Cruise shows absolutely no signs of slowing down at the ripe old age of 49. He’s still just as engaging as ever, and proves he can sprint with the best of them. It was a treat to see Simon Pegg return as Benji, formally tech support, now with full field credentials. The addition of both Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner add some new, youthful blood to the film. Tragically, Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist was tragically under utilized as the primary villain. If M:I 2 got one thing right, it was the great back & forth between Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and Dougray Scott’s villainous Sean Ambrose.

Director Brad Bird deserves the most credit for keeping the film engaging all the way through to the end, nice and tight. Quite impressive for his first live action outing. Bird helmed two of Pixar’s finest films (The Incredibles and Ratatouille as well as one of the best animated films ever made, Iron Giant. He brings a different look and feel to the franchise, making it one of the more kinetic and exciting installments.

What producer J.J. Abrams was able to do as director on the third, find the right balance between spy thriller and big action (the first 2 emphasized one or the other), Bird continued. It wasn’t too over the heads of the general audience to confound them, but didn’t dumb it down in favour of action sequences.

It’s a great spy action film, definitely worth checking out.

04/03/2012 1

Live Oscars Blog-o-Thon 2012!

I will post the categories as they are announced. The winner will appear in green. If it matches my pick, that will be all that appears. If I guessed wrong, I’ll post what was my pick in red. I’ve picked The Artist to be the big winner tonight, picking up seven awards; Best Picture, Director, Actor, Original Screenplay, Original Score, Costume Design, Cinematography & Film Editing.

The 84th Annual Academy Awards, Hosted by Billy Crystal

Well… I went 12 for 24 tonight, finishing at 50%, which is worse than last year. I’m getting progressively worse, as I had my best year 2 years ago at 15 of 24. Maybe next year…. Good show!

8:36 – Best Picture – The Artist; FUCK YES! I knew it! I knew it! So glad this one won, it definitely deserved it. Good job! 12 for 24

8:29 – Best Lead Actress – Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn; Winner – Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady; One of their “Make Good” wins… Though, pretty soon they’ll have to do it for Michelle Williams. It’s a vicious cycle 11 for 23

8:18 – Best Lead Actor – Jean Dujardin for The Artist; KNEW IT! It’s too bad he had to upset Gary Oldman who is long, LONG overdue, but Dujardin deserved it. 11 for 22.

8:03 – Time for the In Memorium… I never cry at this. And really? “What A Wonderful World?” How basic is that? Are you gonna switch to “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” too?

7:59 – I’m kinda glad they do all the special awards at a separate ceremony… It keeps the main show tight.

7:53 – Best Director – Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist; I’m really glad he won and not Hugo… this is saving my picks for the night. I may miss out on Best Actress though… 10 for 21

7:45 – Best Animated Short – The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore; I really liked the animation on this one, it’s fascinating… you can catch the full film on YouTube here! 9 for 20

7:42 – Best Documentary Short – Saving Face; I had heard very good things about this one, and it seemed like a no brainer. Good job. 8 for 19

7:39 – Best Live Action Short – Time Freak; Winner – The Shore; I took a stab in the dark on this one. I went with Time Freak because I like time travel. 7 for 18

7:30 – Best Original Screenplay – Woody Allen for Midnight In Paris; Hooray! Now that we’re out of the technical awards, I’m doing well. Suck it Hugo! 7 for 17

7:27 – Best Adapted Screenplay – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash for The Descendants; Happy for all three of them. Especially Jim Rash, he’s got something to head back to the set of Community with! 6 for 16

7:24 – Billy Crystal really knows how to pull out of a flub. Respect, Mr. Crystal.

7:18 – Best Original Song – Bret McKenzie for “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets; I knew it! I’m glad I now get to say Oscar Winner Bret McKenzie! 5 for 15

7:13 – Best Original Score – Ludovic Bource for The Artist; Good! I really loved this score. Brilliant, and it definitely was the best of the year. 6 for 14.

7:09 – This is a fun little bit. Havin’ a bit o’ fun at the stars! Good times. Get on to the next award.

7:01 – Best Supporting Actress – Christopher Plummer for Beginners; I just want to say that I am really happy for Jonah Hill getting the nomination. It was unexpected, but deserving. And I’m glad Plummer finally won. He deserves it, too. 5 for 13

6:56 – Best Visual Effects – Rise of the Planet of the Apes; Winner – Hugo; Goddamnit Hugo! Rise of the Planet of the Apes had really good effects… and you’re ruining my picks. 4 for 12

6:47 – Best Animated Feature – Rango; I’m glad this film won… such gorgeous animation on this one. Amazing. Definitely deserved it. 4 for 11

6:46 – I wonder if Chris Rock will ever get work on an Animated film again?

6:43 – Best Documentary Feature – Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory; Winner – Undefeated; WOW! Another upset. Everything I heard was that Paradise Lost had this locked up… wow. 3 for 10

6:35 – I’ve always wondered what an at the movies interpretive dance would look like… Wait, no I haven’t. Still kinda cool though.

6:34 – YAY! Muppets! But if they’re gonna be in the balcony, why couldn’t they get Statler & Waldorf?

6: 29 – Best Sound Mixing – The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo; Winner – Hugo; Hugo’s been the spoiler so far tonight. I only had it for like 1 award. 3 for 9.

6:26 – Best Sound Editing – Drive; Winner – Hugo; And now Drive is shut out… which is too bad, that movie got no love. The biggest snub of the night. 3 for 8.

6:25 – Best Film Editing – The Artist; Winner – The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo; WOW! Did not expect that! Good job! 3 for 7

6:23 – Bradley Cooper needs to lose the mustache.

6:22 – Such a hilarious and great Christopher Guest cut scene… just so funny. Good to see those guys together.

6:13 – Best Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer for The Help; I haven’t seen this film, I’m sure I will eventually, but it seems like such an easy film to say is good, so I just had no desire to. Good for Octavia. 3 for 6

6:07 – Best Foreign Language Film – Bullhead (Belgium); Winner – A Separation (Iran). I knew I should have changed my pick… I don’t know why I stuck with Bullhead. 2 for 5

6:01 – I like this “My First Movie” montage. It’s a really fun insight into these actors, actresses and Hilary Swanks.

5:58 – Best Make-Up – Albert Nobbs; Winner – The Iron Lady. Don’t know why I was rooting against The Iron Lady… I just felt the Albert Nobbs make-up was so fantastic. 2 for 4

5:56 – Best Costume Design – The Artist; I was really pulling for this one tonight. 2 for 3

5:53 – Really? The only pre-1970 film in that montage was Midnight Cowboy. Way to be, Oscars… Way to be.

5:45 – Best Art Direction – Hugo; First correct prediction tonight… Hooray! 1 for 2 so far.

5:44 – Best Cinematography – The Artist; winner – Hugo; I was really pulling for The Artist. So far off to a bad start.

5:41 – I’m pretty sure the first Oscars ceremony I ever watched was hosted by Billy Crystal… he’s got a special place in my heart when it comes to the big show

5:39 – I never thought I’d see Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill hanging out, and nominated for performances in the same film… Good on ya, Jonah.

5:35 – Throwing Tin Tin a nod in the opening sequence is literally the least they could do, since they couldn’t nominate it for some stupid gorram reason!

5:33 – What the hell?! Why is Justin Bieber tainting the Oscars? Come on… you’re better than this, Billy…

5:30 – And here we go… with Morgan Freeman kicking things off! Can’t wait to see the opening number!

5:23 – I’m a big fan of Brian Grazer, so I’m excited to see how his show gets pulled off. Sure it’s gonna be great. Significantly better than anything Brett Ratner could have done.

5:18 – Normally no one ever says “I watch the Oscars for the commercials.” But that Muppets, Google+ commercial set to Under Pressure was awesome!

5:15 – Who is this British chick doing interviews? She’s fucking terrible.

5:12 – George Clooney’s looking sharp. Looking better than yesterday when I watched him die in Return to Horror High. Stacey looks like the Oscar statue.

5:03 – Bradly Cooper doesn’t do a terrible Christopher Walken. Can’t wait for Wet Hot American Summer 2.

5:00 – Aaaaaaand we’re off! I don’t really get into the Red Carpet, because I don’t really care who’s wearing whom. Sometimes the interviews are fun, though. So we’ve got the blog going… settle in for a fun night!

26/02/2012 3

2012 Oscar Predictions

Hooray! It’s Oscar week! I’m excited as always, and there’s big things on the horizon for Brodie Mann Films, so stay tuned for all that. But since we’re a week away, it’s time to make my picks. Last year I went 13 for 24, for a 54% success rate, and my personal best came in 2010 when I went 15 for 24, for a 63% success rate. Can I beat my best? Or even last year’s score? We’ll see, here are my picks.

Best Picture

The Artist

Best Director

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Jean Dujardin for The Artist

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Christopher Plummer for Beginners

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Octavia Spencer for The Help

Best Original Screenplay

Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris

Best Adapted Screenplay

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash for The Descendants

Best Animated Feature

Rango

Best Foreign Language Film

Bullhead

Best Documentary Feature

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Best Original Score

Ludovic Bource for The Artist

Best Original Song

Bret McKenzie for “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets

Best Cinematography-

Guillaume Schiffman for The Artist

Best Film Editing-

Anne-Sophie Bion & Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist

Best Art Direction-

Dante Ferretti & Francesca Lo Schiavo for Hugo

Best Costume Design-

Mark Bridges for The Artist

Best Make-Up –

Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson & Matthew W. Mungle for Albert Nobbs

Best Sound Editing-

Lon Bender & Victor Ray Ennis for Drive

Best Sound Mixing

David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce & Bo Persson for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Best Visual Effects-

Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White & Daniel Barrett for Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Best Documentary: Short Subject-

Saving Face

Best Short Film: Animated-

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Best Short Film: Live Action-

Time Freak

19/02/2012 0

Real Steel and Moneyball

Real Steel

3.5 stars

Starring Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo and Kevin Durand

I don’t particularly care for the actual sport, but I am a sucker for boxing movies. Love them. So much drama. And I love robots. So I was kind of excited for Real Steel. And the movie delivered exactly what I expected.

A down on his luck ex-boxer turned robot-boxing promoter reunites with the son he left 10 years prior for one last shot at redemption. Both in the ring, and with his kid.

I’m just going to come right out and say it… unless there’s a brilliant sub-plot, or if the boxing angle is the sub-plot, a boxing movie is going to be pretty standard. The Fighter was amazing, not just because it was a well crafted piece of cinema, but the core of the film wasn’t the boxing, it was the relationships Mickey had with his brother, his mother and his girlfriend.

Real Steel was Rocky with robots. It follows a very similar narrative trajectory, and even ends the exact same way. Boxing was the main thing, and the negligent father sub-plot was almost an afterthought. But as a sucker for boxing films, I fell for it. It hit me in all the right ways.

Much of that credit should go to Hugh Jackman (X-Men, The Prestige). Jackman continuously shows promise. He never fully realizes his potential as an actor, but he’s always right on the cusp. He’s able to show a bit more of what he can do in Real Steel, accessing some emotional points previously unseen. I’m waiting for him to pop as an actor, instead of as a star.

I was most impressed with director Shawn Levy’s (Night at the Museum, Date Night) transition from comedy to sci-fi. The film is put in the not too distant future (only 2020), so we, as the audience, can still recognize aspects of contemporary life, but acknowledge the future of tech and information. He really made it an accessible future.

It’s a fun, popcorn movie, but really doesn’t have much else going for it. Do see it for some light fair, but don’t look at it too hard

Moneyball

4.5 stars

Starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Chris Pratt

I always moan a bit when I hear of another “True Story, Inspirational Sports Film.” It’s not that they’re bad… they’re just all the same, and the filmmakers ratchet up the drama to make a compelling narrative. But I was more than satisfied with how Moneyball turned out.

Unable to compete financially with the likes of the New York Yankees, Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) decides to approach team building from a different angle: pure statistics. With the help of young economist Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), Beane pulls talent no one else wants, much to the dismay of Team Manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who refuses to play by this new plan.

What makes this film work is the script from Steve Zaillian (American Gangster) and Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network). Zaillian reigns in Sorkin’s trademark cadence (see The West Wing and Sports Night) to create a slower paced, dialogue driven sports film. It’s all about the interactions between the characters. It’s a baseball film that contains little playing of the actual sport. But the audience is still engaged in the action and involved in the characters.

Much like Shawn Levy and Real Steel, Oscar Nominated director Bennett Miller (in 2006 for Capote) makes an interesting genre jump, but manages to leave his impression on it. He paces it exactly right so as not to completely lose the feel of a sports movie, but keep it as a solid drama.

The only detriment to the film was the acting. Not that it’s bad, it’s quite good, from everyone, including Hill (Superbad, Get Him To the Greek) who makes a genre shift of his own. He’s much more restrained than he’s exhibited in his previous work, and I like the way dramedy looks on him. But with such a great script and capable director, I was just expecting more from Pitt (Inglourious Basterds) and Hoffman (The Ides of March), who are usually dependable. They were good, I guess I was expecting great.

Great sports film that bucks the clichés and becomes one of my all time favourite baseball films. Definitely go see this one, I highly recommend it.

23/10/2011 0

50/50, The Ides of March, Drive

50/50

5 Stars

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick and Anjelica Huston

I was warily intrigued when I first heard the concept of a comedy about a guy dealing with cancer. Especially one starring Seth Rogen. But I was pleasantly surprised, and delighted, with the final product that was 50/50.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, 500 Days of Summer) stars as Adam, a 27-year-old writer for NPR who receives the lift altering news that he has a rare form of cancer. He moves through his life with the help of friends and family and comes to terms with the state of his life.

The main obstacle this film had to overcome was the contrived nature of a cancer story line. It immediately tugs on your emotional strings. Or if it’s written by Nicolas Sparks, it punches you in the face. But writer Will Reiser, making his feature debut, handled the subject matter with an earnestness that tends to be glossed over in most cancer tales. Reiser based the script on his own experiences following a cancer diagnoses and getting through it with the help of his friend, co-star Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, Funny People). There’s a feeling of realism to the dialogue that helps you empathise with what Adam’s going through, and I’m sure many men of my generation would act and react in a similar fashion.

Gordon-Levitt handles the subject matter with a delicacy so as not to disrespect it. But you can feel the humour and despair he exudes as Adam. Rogen does something bizarre. In the same role, he plays the familiar man-child archetype he’s perfected over the course of his career, but at the same time brings an air of poignancy.

I highly recommend this film. It’s funny in all the right places, but knows exactly when to be serious, and never feels trite. A must watch for the year.

The Ides of March

4 stars

Starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Evan Rachel Wood, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Marisa Tomei

I went into The Ides of March expecting one film, but got a completely different one, marked by stellar performances from an amazing cast.

Ryan Gosling (The Notebook, Blue Valentine) stars as Stephan Meyers, a young, idealistic campaign manager for a Governor running for President (George Clooney, who also wrote and directed), who gets caught up in the dirty political machine that threatens his views and career.

I was anticipating a tight political thriller in the vein of All The President’s Men or State of Play. And I was completely let down. It’s not that it isn’t a political thriller, but it’s a lackluster one. It lacks any sort of punch to really keep the audience on the edge of their seat. But we do a thoroughly engaging character study on what the political machine can do to a person, and feels like an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes of a presidential campaign.

Throughout the course of the film, Gosling’s Meyers goes through a transformation from idealistic young political hotshot, to jaded, cynical, willing to the play the game staffer. It’s that transformation that makes the film, and Gosling’s performance sells it.

It’s interesting how well the cast mirrors the theme. You’ve got the heavyweight veterans supporting the young rookie (relatively, to the rest of the cast). Clooney delivers a so-so performance as the candidate, but it’s Hoffman (The Big Lebowski, Capote) and Giamatti (Sideways, Cinderella Man) who really shine as competing campaign managers who show Meyers how it’s really done. Evan Rachel Wood (Across The Universe, Thirteen) is enchanting as a young intern who serves as the cornerstone for a potential scandal.

It’s not genre defining, but definitely one of the best political films in the past few years, despite laying the actual politics on a little thick.

Drive

5 stars

Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks and Ron Pearlman

The Transporter is a sometimes pleasing, but mostly over the top action franchise. But what if The Coen Brothers directed an installment? That’s the feeling I got off of Drive, and it was a damn good feeling.

An enigmatic stunt driver moonlights as a getaway driver, living by specific set of rules. But when a deal goes south while trying to help a friend, he finds himself on the run from the West Coast mob.

This is the odd movie that has the feel of a 70s/80s B-Movie, but doesn’t fully drop into over-the-top ridiulousness to make it cheesy. It’s actually a great edge-of-the seat action thriller, that touches on the right amount of gore, and has the perfect blend of drama and action. And a lot of credit must go to Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson). I don’t want to say he was the best for the job, as I’m admittedly unfamiliar with his work (though it’s all in my Netflix queue), but I do get the feeling that under a less capable director, the film would have devolved into Drive Angry.

Gosling steps into “Strong, Silent” or “Daniel Craig” mode for this film, and is never really given a name (at least not to my recollection, correct me if I’m wrong), which only adds to the air of mystery. There’s a calm, understated intensity to his demeanour until he needs to defend himself or the ones he cares for. That’s when he explodes, and it’s fantastic to see him work.

We’re given the supporting cast in small doses, no one really given too much to do, but enough to leave an impression. I was particularly fond of Albert Brooks (Finding Nemo, Broadcast News) as the villain. It seemed to be new territory for him and he slipped into the role magnificently.

This is hands down one of the most surprising films of the year, and definitely one of the best. Following these two performances (this and Ides of March), Gosling is a shoe-in for at least one Oscar nomination.

16/10/2011 0

Con-Air is a Film From An Alternate Universe

Con-Air is, by most accounts, a terrible film. I think it is. General consensus is that it is. But I love it. It so delightfully over the top, ridiculous and cheesy that there’s just this small part of you that enjoys it for what it is: A big dumb action film filled with archetypes and explosions. Over the past few years I’ve been developing a hypothesis that the film wasn’t actually made for our reality. It was initially made for an alternate reality where Con-Air is actually the pinnacle of cinema, and through a rip in the space-time continuum, it landed in our universe, where it goes unappreciated.

Films on TV

On television programs, particularly sitcoms, the characters will watch two different types of movies. They’ll watch movies that exist in our world, usually making mention of it (“Let’s watch Predator!” “We’re catching a midnight showing of Manos: Hands of Fate“) and you’ll rarely, if ever, see or hear actual footage, they’ll just use generic sound-alike effects to give you gist of the idea. The other type is a concoction of the writers, and this one usually involves more planning, as it’s used to further the plot along and only exists within the confines of the show’s universe.

The Predator and Manos references above come from the hilarious sitcom How I Met Your Mother (which will be referred to as HIMYM from here on out). Both films are mentioned as being viewed and enjoyed by characters on the show. But the second scenario is what’s important. Towards the end of season 5 of HIMYM, a film was released (within the show) called “The Wedding Bride” that was a fictional account of the Ted/Stella saga (she left him at the altar). Here’s the trailer:

Everything in that trailer is intentionally over the top, intentionally cheesy, it’s a knowing satire – to us, the viewer, in our reality. The melodrama is cranked to 11, because it exists within another fictional universe. It’s done to separate it from the established melodrama of HIMYM (think the levels of dreams in Inception). To us, it’s ridiculously over the top but within the construct of HIMYM, it’s perfectly legit. You can also see this in the McBain and Troy McClure movies on The Simpsons.

Now… that above trailer is ridiculously cheesy to us in the real world. You’d see that trailer ahead of a movie, and you wouldn’t even bother seeing it. Not even on cable.

Watch this scene from Con-Air:

Is that any less cheesy or ridiculous or over the top than “The Wedding Bride?” I know that many, including myself, have a soft spot for this film, we like it because it’s ridiculously bad. And that’s not a bad thing. But objectively look at it. I ask again, is it any less ridiculous than “The Wedding Bride?”

I think not. I think it’s right up there with “The Wedding Bride,” and that’s what led me to the conclusion that Con-Air wasn’t even supposed to exist in our universe.

I think there is an alternate, sitcom version, of our universe. People always have something funny to say. They pause for laughs. Something dramatic happens and everything fades to commercial. Lessons are learned in 23 minutes, unless it’s a BIG lesson, then it’s a two-parter. But the sitcom versions of us need some entertainment, too. After all, they’re just like us, but funnier. So because the melodrama in their universe is a juiced up version of our own lives, the entertainment in their universe is, as I said about “The Wedding Bride,” cranked to 11.

Con-Air is that universe’s Citizen Kane. The pinnacle of cinematic achievement. That universe ended their version of the Criterion Collection because nothing after 1997 was deemed essential. And somehow, through a rip in the fabric of time, or maybe one of Professor Farnsworth’s universe boxes was left open, a copy of that movie found its way into our universe. Somehow, it landed on Jerry Bruckheimer’s desk. He did a quick search on the 1997 internet, and found nothing about this film, but knew he must release it. Everybody got paid for working on that movie, even though it was in fact their Sitcom Universe versions who did the work. But this was payment for services rendered. This was hush money. “Here’s a check. Tell everyone you worked on this film, and you get to keep this free money.” It was released, and that brings us to today.

The film doesn’t exist, as we know films to exist. It is an alternate universe film. There is no other possible explanation for how laughably bad this big budget Hollywood film is, featuring such noted thespians like Nicolas Cage, Colm Meaney, Steve Buscemi, and Johns Cusack and Malkovich.

15/06/2011 0

Reviews: Super 8 & Judy Moody

Super 8

4 stars

Written & Directed by J.J. Abrams

Starring: Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney and Noah Emmerich

J.J. Abrams brings his keen eye for tension to this loving homage to the Spielberg sci-fi films of the late 70s, early 80s (Spielberg produces), but never forgets his modern sensibilities for spectacle (and lens flares).

It’s 1979 in a small Ohio town, and a group of middle schoolers are working on a low-budget, super 8 zombie film. They inadvertently capture a train crash that was no accident, and has the Air Force scrambling to clean it up. The aftermath tests the limits of the town, it’s overworked deputy sheriff, and soon proves to be a bigger mystery than anyone could have imagined.

It’s equal parts Close Encounters…, E.T. and Jurassic Park, injected with the Lost pilot, the Abrams produced Cloverfield and 2009’s Star Trek. It’s all the best parts of those works that Abrams brings together to tell a beautifully drawn mystery/sci-fi/adventure, with kids at the focal point. If one didn’t know any better, they’d probably think this was a Spielberg film, it is THAT lovingly crafted.

Right down to the beautiful score from Michael Giacchino. The Oscar and Emmy winner does a wonderful job with the film’s music. It is distinctly Giacchino, but you can hear the influence of John Williams in this work.

Chandler is fantastic as Deputy Lamb, put in the unlikely position of trying to save his town from the fall out of the crash, while at the same time trying to rebuild his home life and connect with his son after the tragic death of his wife.

But I can’t forget to mention the kids who carry the film. From the strong debut of Riley Chase as the film-within-the-film’s director, to Elle Fanning who’s carving out her own place in Hollywood, refusing to fall in the shadow of her sister Dakota. But the break out is reluctant hero, Joel Courtney as Deputy’s son Joe Lamb, who steps up to the challenge of the film and knocks it out of the ball park, giving one of the best young performances in recent memory.

It’s a more than capable, loving homage to the films of yester-year. Definitely worth a viewing in theatres. Added bonus: NOT 3D.

Judy Moody & The Not Bummer Summer

0 (zero) stars

Directed by John Schultz

Written by Kathy Waugh & Megan McDonald (who also wrote the source books)

Starring: Jordana Beatty, Heather Graham and Jaleel White

I could sit here and just thoroughly trash this movie, writing the scathing review that it does deserve. But it’s a kids movie that most who read this won’t even see, and I’ll never even think of again, so why waste the time and energy. It’s a sufficiently terrible movie, that in all the wrong ways mashes up Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Ramona & Beezus, both films I actually quite enjoyed, to be a bargain bin, store brand rip-off. The Go-Bots of imaginative and precocious kid protagonists. I wouldn’t dare show this film to my potential children, as I would like them to have a healthy respect for cinema. Just avoid this one, and, if you have kids, don’t even bother showing it to them. It’s not worth their time to watch it, just like it’s not worth mine to write a full review on it.

13/06/2011 0

Reviews: Scream 4 & Rio

Scream 4

4 stars

Directed by Wes Craven

Starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Emma Roberts

The Scream franchise is an inherently difficult franchise to review. Beyond being horror films, they’re finely crafted satire with only the subtlest of winks to let you know they’re in on the joke. As a franchise, it knowingly exploits the rules and clichés of the genre, yet gleefully lives within those rules. Which is why the original is a classic, and this new installment lives up to the legacy.

It’s been 15 years since the original Woodsboro murders (Scream), and Sidney Prescott (Campbell) has become a self-help guru on a book tour that brings her back to Woodsboro. This also brings back Ghostface, now tormenting her teenage cousin, Jill (Roberts). Sidney teams up with Sheriff Dewey and his wife Gale (Arquette and Cox) to find the killer.

What became key in making this 4th installment work, 11 years after the 3rd, is the return of the principal players. Director Craven, writer Kevin Williamson and the 3 surviving cast members (not that Jamie Kennedy is dead, but Randy is). They understood the true spirit of the franchise, and brought that into it, while guiding it through a whole new set of characters to be put through the ringer.

I had heard of the false starts to this film, and as the movie started, I got a little worried that they would detract from the film, and devolve it into standard horror schlock. But Craven, Williamson and the various cameo cast members deftly maneuver the trope minefield to bring us up-to-date on not only what’s happened in the past 10 years in the characters lives, but also the state of horror. But again, while they highlight the problems with horror, they execute everything with surgical precision, and lives up to the originals spirit, and is a near-perfect horror film.

The faults of the film are few, and actually add to the film. The characters tend to be annoying archetypes (as they are throughout the genre), but the biggest issue unfortunately can’t be overlooked. It’s the ending. Fret not, no spoilers will be contained on this page. But I felt they took it a step further than they really needed to. Not that it hindered or ruined the film. It just felt extraneous.

Otherwise, kudos. One of the first thoroughly enjoyable films of the year.

And if I were to rank the Scream films, it would go 1, 4, 2, 3.

Rio

3 stars

Directed by Carlos Saldanha

Featuring the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx and George Lopez.

I like what studios are doing with animated flicks, they’re making them fun and adventurous to keep adults entertained right along with the kids. But other aspects of the film are suffering for it.

The last known male blue macaw ends up in Minnesota after being smuggled from Brazil. Now fully domesticated, a bird specialist looks to return him to Rio de Janeiro so he can mate with the last known female blue macaw.

First of all, it’s a fun movie. One of the best things as a reviewer is to hear the response to the film of the target audience. There was a kid behind me who kept exclaiming that they loved this movie and they were having a lot of fun. So there is that. But from a more… matured perspective, it’s more mindless fun.

Pixar is still the gold standard for animation, in my estimation. They create a perfect fusion of great plot, great story, great characters and mind-blowing animation. The other production houses seem content with having great animation, interesting enough characters and just a mindlessly fun flick. And that’s where Fox steps in with Rio.

I’m with them, it’s a fun adventure, but I don’t feel challenged by it. I’m not walking away from the movie with a feeling like anything was accomplished. Fox is also good at casting big names to pad the pedigree of the film. The weakest link in the film is Jesse Eisenberg as Blu. He needs to stick to real life acting, voice acting is not his specialty. Everyone else is passable, particularly the seasoned comedians, but there’s a lack of heart to their performances.

In the end, it’s a fun movie, the kids are going to love it, but it’s not a truly engaging film.

17/04/2011 0

Reviews: Rango, Adjustment Bureau, Beastly, Take Me Home Tonight

The Adjustment Bureau

4 stars

Directed by George Nolfi

Starring Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie and John Slattery

It would be easy to dismiss this film as a knock off Inception, trying to capitalize on that film’s success. Except The Adjustment Bureau was originally set for release last September, with trailers appearing as early as May. So that’s an off assumption to make, and if you skipped it based on that line of thinking, you missed out.

A politician meets and falls in love with a ballerina, but there are forces working to keep them apart. The two must fight their destiny in order to stay together.

Writer George Nolfi (Ocean’s 12, The Bourne Ultimatum) makes his directorial debut with this ambitious project, which he did also pen. He was really able to bring the focus of this grand scale premise right down to one facet of the lives of the two characters, and it made for a compelling thriller. He’s able to do that in a way that only a writer/director can, with their intimate knowledge of the story they’re bringing to life.

And to his credit, he assembles a very interesting (to say the least) cast to do just that. Put any one of the primary cast member’s name in the billing, and I’m there. And they pull it all off exquisitely. Damon as the young, struggling politician, who’s trying to come to terms with the weight of what he now knows about the world. Blunt as the ballerina who tries to make sense of a situation she can’t begin to fathom. Slattery as the cocky businessman type who thinks he knows what’s best, almost a super-natural Roger Sterling.

Overall, the film does serve as a decent contemplation of fate vs free will, and certainly addresses certain religious implications in the debate. It’s fascinating that it explores the area. However, the problem is that the film never really resolves the debate. At least not in any way that is satisfying. The conclusion it reaches is that you can have both. I almost would have preferred it taking the Inception way out, with any hint of ambiguity. It needed a wobbling totem to close out the film.

Take Me Home Tonight

2.5 stars

Directed by Michael Dowse

Starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler and Theresa Palmer

What could have been a good 80s version of Dazed & Confused, loses its message by making fun of the era, rather than embracing it.

An aimless college grad heads to a party in hopes of rekindling a romance with his high school crush.

The script is based on a story by Topher Grace, written by his That 70s Show producers Jackie & Jeff Filgo. They do their best to keep an overall arc going, but they spin out of control by trying to do too much. They never quite get a good focus on the core story of Matt & Tori (Grace & Palmer) and never really find a use for Barry (Fogler).

The movie has it’s heart in the right place. And despite being set in the 80s, it still has a relevant theme of figuring out what you want to do post college. It never quite makes that case that the film should have been set in the 80s, other than to sort of poke fun at the era. It feels like more of a pop culture overview than being steeped in the decade.

Enjoyable, if you can look over the “I Love The 80s-ness” of it, and you could probably wait for the DVD.

Beastly

.5 star

Directed by Daniel Barnes

Starring Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens and Mary Kate Olsen

Oh god, it’s now time for the CW and Disney “stars of tomorrow” to start stepping into the limelight. I hope they can start doing better than this take on the classic fairy tale.

A snobby and privileged NYC high schooler is cursed by a teenage witch, and in order to reverse the curse of ugly, he must find someone to love him within a year.

Neil Patrick Harris is really the one true good thing about this film. He plays his role as the blind tutor as a combination of Annie Sullivan and his own Barney Stinson. He adds levity, and is a beacon of hope in this otherwise dreadful flick, and is solely responsible for its half a star.

As for what the hell went wrong? Where do I start? I don’t know whether to blame the poor writing or the poor editing, but the film is excruciatingly difficult to follow. A conversation, a thought, is started and never finished. I know the story, the Disney animated version of the story is one of my favourite films, but I didn’t know where they were going with it because it was so sloppily told.

Alex Pettyfer, I’ll grant you that he’s handsome, but he has all the charm and talent of a plank of wood. I’d rather see a Hayden Christensen movie. Hudgens is the same. I guess she’s just lost if she’s not singing about how the Wildcats have to win the big championship game.

Avoid this film, at all costs.

Rango

4.5 stars

Directed by Gore Verbinski

Starring Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy & Isla Fisher

Finally, an animated film that isn’t in 3D. And it’s one of the most beautifully drawn films I’ve ever seen.

A wayward chameleon stumbles into the Wild West town of Dirt during a drought, and soon becomes a hero to them all.

If I had to call the Best Animated Feature race right now, 2 months into the year, without seeing any other films, it would be for Rango. The animation is simply amazing, there’s a great attention to detail. The good folks at Industrial Light and Magic have made some amazing leaps in the field of animation.

But on top of the visually stunning animation, Gore Verbinski and screenwriter John Logan concoct a truly funny story. And the thing of it is that it totally works for both kids and adults. Not in the Shrek, movie for kids with pop culture references to keep the adults from getting uber-bored kinda way. But it’s simple enough that the kids are going to enjoy it and it’ll be memorable for them, but also sharp enough that the adults will appreciate its true complexity & sharpness.

And a lot of the credit does go to the great voice cast assembled, led by the ever versatile Depp. They all create unique and interesting characters that really breathe life into the film.

If you do only see one animated film this year, it should probably be Rango. It’s worth it. And did I mention the best part? It’s NOT 3D!

06/03/2011 0

Oscars Live Blog-o-thon 2011!

Join me all night as I live blog the Oscars. Tune in for winners, losers, speeches and tributes. See how I did in my picks. Last year I went 15 for 24, a 63% success rate, and I’m hoping I do better than that. I’ve picked The Social Network for five awards; Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score & Film Editing. Fingers crossed that this’ll be a big year for me.

James Franco & Anne Hathaway host the 83rd Annual Academy Awards Presentation Ceremony

11:41 – Another Oscars in the books. It was OK… I can tell it’ll be a few years before they break away from going with “Standard Oscar Fair.” The Social Network was robbed in best Picture and Director. Oh well. I went 13 for 24, culminating in a 54% success rate. Not as good as my 63% from last year. I’ll try better next year.

11:37 – Best Picture – The Social Network; winner – The King’s Speech; I liked The King’s Speech, don’t get me wrong, but The Social Network was a much better film. Social Network got robbed 13 for 24. 54%

11:31 – Great entrance music for Spielberg. Should have been accompanied by a T-Rex.

11:25 – Best Actor – Colin Firth for The King’s Speech; That was a gimme. I knew they would go for him. I wanted Jesse Eisenberg to win (and still think he should have) but knew he wouldn’t. I went for the safe bet. 13 for 23.

11:20 – And this is the last we’ll see of Sandra Bullock at the Oscars. Ever.

11:16 – Best Actress – Natalie Portman in Black Swan; WOOOO! Called it. Then again, who didn’t? Great job Natalie. 12 for 22

11:12 – That clip just exhibited why Julianne Moore should’ve been nominated instead of Annette Benning.

11:11 – I wonder who’s more stoned, James Franco or Jeff Bridges?

11:03 – Best Director – David Fincher for The Social Network; winner – Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech; WHOA! WHOA! Upset of the night! Wow…. Fincher got robbed. I now can’t beat last year’s picks. 11 for 21

10:55 – Touching and classy ‘In Memoriam” tribute. We lost a lot of great ones over the past year. But was Celine Dion being there completely necessary?

10:49 – Best Original Song – “I See a Light” from Tangled; winner – “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3; Seriously?! I now need to pick the rest accurately just to match last year. 11 for 20.

10:35 – Best Film Editing – The Social Network; They deserved it. Such a brilliantly put together film. 11 for 19

10:33 – Best Visual Effects – Inception; Note how Inception was the only one that didn’t have a computer graphic for it’s clip. Way to be! 10 for 18.

10:21 – Best Documentary Feature – Exit Through The Gift Shop; winner – Inside Job; I now have to get the rest of my picks right to beat last year. 9 for 17.

10:15 – Best Live Action Short Film – The Crush; winner – God of Love; this could totally throw my whole picks off, now I’m just hoping to break even with last year. 9 for 16.

10:13 – Best Documentary Short Subject – The Warriors of Quigang; winner – Strangers No More. Next year, I’m taking Jake Gyllenhaal’s advice. 9 for 15.

10:07 – My boy Zach Levi, steppin’ up! Great job! That kid’s going places. Also: Watch Chuck, good show.

9:58 – Best Costume Design – The King’s Speech; winner – Alice In Wonderland; I really don’t know where to begin in choosing this category, so I call it a wash. 9 for 14.

9:56 – Best Make-Up – The Wolfman; Chose it cause I love Rick Baker’s work. Good call Academy! 9 for 13.

9:49 – Best Sound Editing – Inception; Always bet on the event films for technical flicks. It got looked over in other categories, but it was THE undeniable technical achievement of the year. 8 for 12

9:47 – Best Sound Mixing – Inception; Sweet, picking Inception for the technical awards is paying off. 7 for 11.

9:43 – Best Original Score – Trent Reznor & Atticuss Ross for The Social Network; YES! I was so hoping to be able to say Academy Award Winner Trent Reznor 6 for 10!

9:34 – That’s OK Christian Bale, I’m sure everyone forgets their wife’s name on international television. That’s a totally normal thing to do.

9:31 – Best Supporting Actor – Christian Bale in The Fighter; Alright, that’s better. And bout damn time he got an Oscar. What was the hold up?! 5 for 9

9:27 – Best Foreign Languange Film – Biutiful from Mexico; winner – In A Better World from Denmark; Damn it. I went with the only film I had heard of. 4 for 8.

9:24 – I’m liking Anne Hathaway (I usually do) hosting. And now here’s James Franco in a dress. Good times

9:18 – Best Original Screenplay– David Seidler for The King’s Speech; Alright! Swept the writing categories! 4 for 7.

9:14- Best Adapted Screenplay– Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network; Outstanding choice, he definitely deserved it. He’s one of my favourite writers. 3 for 6

9:06 – Best Animated Feature – How To Train Your Dragon; winner – Toy Story 3; Both were great films, but I bet on the wrong horse. 2 for 5

9:03 – Best Animated Short – Day & Night; winner – The Lost Thing; 2 for 4

8:59– Melissa Leo seems like such a sweet, classy lady. Too bad about the 7 second delay. So glad she won.

8:56- Best Supporting Actress – Melissa Leo in The Fighter; 2 for 3 GO ME!

8:52 – Kirk Douglass making an entrance. That man has more talent and class than the entire room, combined.

8:48 – Best Cinematography – Inception; 1 for 2.

8:45 – Best Art Direction – Inception; Winner – Alice in Wonderland I’m now 0 for 1.

8:43 – Tom Hanks presenting 2 awards, Best Cinematography & Best Art Direction, 2 awards he hasn’t won… what a loser.

8:37 – Loved the opening sequence. Can’t go wrong with Morgan Freeman narration and Tron references. AND A BACK TO THE FUTURE SEQUENCE! Officially the best opening sequence ever!

8:27– Time to start the show! How will they top last year’s show opener with Neil Patrick Harris? The first award they handed out was Best Supporting Actor. I wonder what will be the first this year? Supporting Actor again? Will we see Christian Bale up there? Let’s watch!

7:14 – Red carpet entrances. I don’t particularly care. Full on live blogging to start at 8:30pm.

27/02/2011 0