Category: Movie Reviews

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State of Play

State of Play

Starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Helen Mirren
Directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland)
Rated PG-13 for some violence, language including sexual references, and brief drug content
Appropriate for ages 15+

    Upon the death of his mistress, congressman Stephen Collins (Affleck) is scrutinized in Washington for his affair.  When Washington Globe reporter and Collins best friend Cal McAaffrey (Crowe) discovers a connection between the dead girl and one a defense contract Collins is overseeing, he must decide to either ignore his integrity and protect his friend or get to the truth of the matter and tell the world. 

    I really liked most of this film.  For about the first 3/4 of the movie, I was really into it.  I found it to be exciting, relevant, and thought-provoking.  Covering issues such as corrupt politicians, defense and private security contracts, journalistic integrity as well as the shrinking newspaper industry and growing blog universe all provide for much talked about interest items.  Crowe and Affleck both turn in solid performances here and create believable characters.  The rest of the case is pretty decent also, although I felt that Mirren’s character was over-the-top.  In addition, the directing is fast-paced and the story is well-told.   

    But then comes the final act.  Please don’t get me wrong.  I like twisty endings.  Fight Club, The Sixth Sense, and Tell No One had wonderfully twisted endings that caught me off guard.  The difference between these other films and State of Play, though, is that I was not caught off guard here.  Instead I was merely annoyed and a little confused.  It’s all in the screenwriting, and this script couldn’t quite pull it off.  B+

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Observe and Report

Observe and Report

Starring Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, and Ray Liotta
Directed by Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way)
Rated R for pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, sexual content, and violence
Appropriate for ages 18+

    Seth Rogen is Ronnie Barnhardt a delusional mall cop that thinks he is the baddest security officer to ever hold a night stick.  When a flasher in the mall parking lot sets his sights on Ronnie’s dream girl (Faris), he turns into a sick vigilante that will do anything to find and kill the sexual predator.

    If you couldn’t tell from the above description, Ronnie isn’t a wannabe Paul Blart.  This is a dark, offensive, and sometimes disturbing comedy that pulls no punches.  I have to admit that I found much of the film to be very funny, but some of the shock value moments were a bit too much.  The violence and drugs are not done for comedy sake here, but rather to take the audience down a twisted spiral that it might not fully appreciate.  You could almost describe this film as a heavy drama with lots of jokes, rather than a dark comedy.

    What I found really interesting here is that there is only one decent character in the film.  Everyone else is a despicable human being.  That being said, the cast did a great job telling the story by playing off of each others disgusting caricatures.  As for writer/director Jody Hill, he is really making a splash in Hollywood with his anti-hero comedies like this, Foot Fist Way, and HBO’s East Bound and Down.  There is obviously an audience for this brand of humor, but I’m not sure how long it will last.  B+

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12

12

Directed by Nikita Mikhalkov (Burnt by the Sun)
Rated PG-13 for violent images, disturbing content, thematic material, brief sexual and drug references, and smoking
Russian language with English subtitles

    12 is at its heart a remake of 12 Angry Men told in modern-day Russia.  Twelve jurors must decide the fate of a young Chechen teenager accused of killing his stepfather.  What appears at first to be an open and shut case turns to hours of discussion as one juror convinces the rest that perhaps they should discuss the case in full detail before they pass such a quick judgment.

    When I had heard that a remake of 12 Angry Men was one of the five Oscar-nominated films for best foreign film, I thought that the voters had lost their minds, especially considering the wonderful films that were left out.  But then I saw the film and I can see what the Academy was excited about.  The story is essentially the same, and that’s fine since it makes for a brilliant drama.  The changes in case and culture however are fascinating.  Learning of the similarities and differences in our countries told from the jury room makes for a compelling movie experience that feels fresh even though the story is familiar. 

    While the directing gets a little overly artistic at times, the acting by the twelve men is remarkable.  You get to each one in a very intimate way that makes you care about not only the case, but the impact it might have on them.  And the use of the story of the young prisoner creates an empathy that the original story lacked.  I found this movie to be not only entertaining, but though-provoking as well.  That’s a hard combo to get at the movies.  A-

 

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Monsters vs. Aliens

Monsters vs. Aliens

Starring the voice talent of Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, and Rainn Wilson
Rated PG for sci-fi action, crude humor and mild language
Appropriate for all ages

    When the Earth falls under the threat of an alien attack, the American military turns its secret weapon, a group of monsters that have been hidden away since the 1950s, to save it.

    This is one of those films that has a fun title, and the premise couldn’t have been hard to put together.  Since everyone loves monster movies and alien flicks, then all DreamWorks Animation would have to do is throw in some 3-D, a funny trailer, and a Super Bowl ad, and it should be a home run.  Reviews from folks like me won’t even matter.  But I’ll give my opinion anyways.

    With the exception of the first two Shrek films and Kung Fu Panda (and possibly Madagascar 2), DreamWorks Animation keeps churning out pretty movies with poor story-telling and writing.  Sure there are some good jokes here, and the voice talent is stellar, but the words coming out of their mouths and the combination of all of the ridiculous elements make for a very forgettable experience that will do nothing more than serve as a 90-minute babysitter. 

    Don’t get me wrong, complete believability is not important in a film like this, but some things are just too silly.  Like a house-sized meteor crashing into a woman and her only having a slightly tarnished dress.  Or that same dress actually stretching to fit her when she increases her size by a hundred times.  OK – I realize it’s a kids film, but they could’ve created a better device for this, like maybe her wearing the church or a tree for covering her bits and pieces.  After all, if I gained just 20 lbs I could use my pants button as a weapon.  Or maybe when the blob Bob declares that the Jello mold gave him a fake phone number.  Couldn’t they have come up with a better joke than that?  DreamWorks needs to spend the time with a more rigorous and thorough story-telling process that fixes this and many other stupid issues throughout.  C-


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I Love You, Man

I Love You, Man

Starring Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, and Rashida Jones
Directed by John Hamburg (Along Came Polly)
Rated R for pervasive language, including crude and sexual references
Appropriate for ages 17+

    Peter Klaven (Rudd) has always been a girlfriend kind of guy and has never had any close friends.  When he discovers that his fiance has an issue with this, he goes on a mission to find a best friend in order to make his future wife happy.  In his journey to find the proper bromance, he meets Sydney Fife (Segel), a fun-loving trouble-maker that gives him a new perspective on life.

    The first thing that strikes me about this film is how brilliant the premise is.  It’s so simple that I find it surprising that it has never been done before.  The movie follows the traditional romantic comedy formula in a perfectly heterosexual manner.  From his man-dates to his bromantic awakening, you enjoy watching Peter each step of the way. 

    Rudd and Segel both give stand-out performances here that show why they are both so hot in the comedy world right now.  What I especially loved about Rudd’s performance was how imperfect he made his character.  His nervous tongue-twisting seemed too natural.  Most films of this sort are so witty that while they are still enjoyable, they seem a little unbelievable.  Rudd, on the other hand, is lovably aloof and the performance shows how awkward his character really is when taken out of his element. 

    Overall, the comedy here is very well written and performed and most of the jokes hit like they are supposed to.  The story comes with no surprises, which almost feels refreshing since most film makers would have thrown more conflict in just for the sake of having more conflict.  I, for one, am glad they kept things so basic.  A-

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Gomorrah


Gomorrah

Rated R
Appropriate for ages 17+
Italian with English Subtitles

For centuries, organized crime has run rampant throughout Italy.  This film focuses on five contemporary stories about the Camorra, the Neapolitan mafia, and its connections with every level of life in Italy and the rest of the world.  From high fashion to toxic waste dumping, this organization has its fingers in every pie available to them.

Author/screenwriter Roberto Saviano has been put on permanent police protection from the Camorra for his book and film.  In this regard, I have no doubt of the film’s authenticity.  There are moments when the movie feels more like a docudrama rather than a piece of fiction.  This most definitely doesn’t feel like an Italian tourism promotion.

Normally I would not care too much for a movie with so many stories that are not interconnected, but I found most of the pic to be very intriguing and always enlightening.  What similar films like Babel and Amores Perros bring to the table are characters that the audience can associate with.  Conversely, Gomorrah only provides possible empathy with a master dress maker being heavily controlled by the mob and an assistant to a politician that is responsible for illegal toxic dumping.  The other stories are engrossing, but don’t be prepared to feel anything. 

Overall, the story is well-written and performed, although I think that the cultural differences might warrant some research before-hand or after in order to fully comprehend.  There were many aspects of the film that I really wanted to understand, but couldn’t get a grasp around, such as Don Ciro’s tale and the story of the young kid.  Most Italians probably get it right away, but that is only because they live it.  I found myself interested enough that I might actually have to buy the book in order to gain a more thorough knowledge of the subject.  Meanwhile, I must encourage those of you who enjoy either foreign movies or gangster films to head out to the Angelika and check this one out.  A-

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Watchmen

Watchmen

Starring Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, and Jackie Earle Haley
Directed by Zack Snyder (300)
Rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language
Appropriate for ages 18+

Based on the award-winning graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen follows a group of super heroes that are no longer wanted around by the citizens they are there to save.  With the world on the brink of nuclear war, the heroes must decide whether to try to help, or just let the planet burn. 

As expected, this is a visually stunning film filled that looks very much like the source material.  300 director Zack Snyder does a terrific job with the look and pace of the film.  The actors all took their roles seriously and did a great job bringing their characters to vivid life.  Stealing the show was Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach.  He turned in an inspired an inspired performance that actually brought the audience to cheers on more than one occasion. 

If you haven’t read the novel, you won’t miss the original ending, but I have, and I did.  I couldn’t wait to see the giant monster killing off New York City, and was sorely disappointed when it didn’t happen.  I can understand many of the changes made in the script, and what went in works logically, but that’s a massive difference that shifted the tone of the movie. 

I was also disappointed in the overall soundtrack of the film.  I thought it to be too playful and out of place.  It sounded more like the music from Forest Gump then what should be in an intense superhero movie such as this.  A more modern soundtrack could have elevated this film greatly.

I also want to put in an extra warning for parents.  This is a film meant for adults, not young children or even teens.  Not only is it incredibly violent, but very sexually graphic as well.  B


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Wendy and Lucy

Wendy and Lucy

Starring Michelle Williams and William Patton
Directed by Kelly Reichhardt (Old Joy)
Rated R for language
Appropriate for ages 17+

    Young Wendy (Williams) is traveling with her dog Lucy from Muncie, Indiana to Alaska for a job, when her car breaks down in a small Oregon town.  With little money to her name, she ties her dog to the front of grocery store bike rack and attempts to shoplift some dog food to feed her.  After she is released from jail, she returns to the grocery store to find her dog is missing.  This leads her to a desperate attempt to find her dog without the use of money or resources.

    There is no doubt that Michelle Williams is a great actress.  Her portrayal of Wendy makes you want to break down the fourth wall and help her so bad that it hurts.  You want to reach out through the screen and hand her money, advice, or anything else that might be of assistance.  For this reason alone, her performance is commendable.

    Other than the great performance though, I did not like this film.  Wendy is so helpless and hopeless, and the tone is so dark that I could not help but get a little depressed.  The script could have used some tension breakers here and there rather than the constant downward spiral. 

    To make matters worse, the supporting cast was pretty weak, especially when compared to the film’s star.  I understand that there was probably very little budget for actors, but at many times this looked like a student film where the actors were paid in free pizza.  Even though this is a truly independent film, they could have done better.  C+

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Coraline

Coraline 3D

Starring the voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, and Ian McShane
Directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas)
Rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor
Appropriate for ages 10+

Young Coraline has just moved to a new town and due to her parents busy work schedules, her only fun is to explore the old home and nearby surroundings.  One night she finds a crawl space in her home that leads her to an alternate universe where everything is opposite: her mom and dad don’t work, but rather dote on her, and instead of a drab home with weird neighbors, she discovers a magical world unlike anything she has ever seen.  Unfortunately, this world comes with a cost, and if she wants to stay there, she must completely give up her old reality for something she doesn’t quite trust. 

Using the same animation style of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline takes this animation art style to a new level.  The film is breathtakingly beautiful and is made even more incredible by the 3D technology employed.  The images would have popped off the screen without the glasses, but with the glasses, the audience is in for a big treat. 

As for the story, its success lies more in its weirdness than its compelling narrative.  From start to finish, this is one strange little film that keeps you on your toes.  While I wasn’t moved by the tale, I did get excited by its creativity.  Overall, this weirdness makes the film a very interesting and enjoyable movie experience. 

I will say that it might be too scary for some small children and many parents will be uncomfortable with the overall theme.  A-   

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He’s Just Not That Into You

He’s Just Not That Into You

Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Justin Long, Jennifer Aniston, and Ben Affleck
Directed by Ken Kwapis (License to Wed)
Rated PG-13 for sexual content and brief strong language

He’s Just Not That Into You tells several interconnecting stories of young men and women trying to figure out the opposite sex in the crazy world of dating and marriage.  The main story of the film follows Gigi (Goodwin) as she tries to decipher the signals of all of her wrong-turn dates.  Out of desperation, she turns to Alex (Long) who helps her to read the obvious clues of her suiters. 

In case you haven’t figured it out – this is a chick flick.  But it’s one that is bearable for most men.  The stories all seem familiar in one way or another and for every two estrogen-filled minutes, there seem to be 1 testosterone-filled scene to match.  That’s a good ratio for this genre if you ask me.

The writing here attempts to hit a Richard Curtis (Love Actually) plain, but falls just short.  Still with a cast like this, who are obviously having fun filming, the movie seems to work just fine.  It grows a little tired towards the end, but not annoyingly so. 

The biggest fault of the movie is how equally neurotic all of the women are.  For the most part, they all seem confused and sometimes needlessly dumb.  At least the men come off as distinctly different in their goals and personalities. 

So guys – with Valentine’s Day coming up, I can think of a lot worse ways to spend two hours at the movies.  Not only will your girls love that you took them to see it, but you might just enjoy it as well.  B