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The Messenger


The Messenger

Starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton
Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity
Appropriate for ages 17+

    An American soldier (Foster) returns home from the war in Iraq and is given the task of informing relatives of deceased soldiers of their loss.  Given strict orders by the military and his partner (Harrelson), a tough loner that regrets never taking part in real combat, to coldly tell the next of kin and leave, he longs to connect to the humanity that he left behind in the war. 

    After first watching this film I didn’t quite know how to take it.  The trailer and basic description tell the story of a soldier that falls in love with the widow of a fallen officer, a move that is completely taboo.  I was glad to see the film is not that story.  It’s not that easy.  The relationship between Foster and Morton is interesting, but that is a minor subplot. 

    The real story lies within Foster himself as he tries to heal both physically from a wound he received in battle, and emotionally from the many scars that formed up while fighting.  At first he is resistant to the new job claiming that he has no grief counseling experience.  He is quickly told he is not to counsel.  He is merely to say the words on the script, do not touch the N.O.K.’s, and move on.  After a while, you can just see him wanting to leap out of his skin to help the people being told about their lost sons/daughters/husbands and not being able to because of rules and regulations.  It makes him sick.  And his performance his perfect.  Also played to perfection is Harrelson, whose tough as nails, no vulnerability character can see the empathy in his partner’s eyes, and doesn’t like it one bit. 

    As for a general story, the inner turmoil doesn’t provide for the best plot, which might drive some folks nuts that wish for tighter, more by-the-book storytelling.  The writing and directing are first rate as far as pacing, character-building, and overall energy, but it takes a lot of thought to figure out exactly what the film is about and there still might be some arguing afterward. 

    If you can’t tell, this is a difficult film to watch, but that being said, I want to watch it again.  There is a complexity to the story and characters that I want more insight on and I really believe that the movie might grow on me with a repeat viewing.  A-

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2012

2012

Starring John Cusack, Oliver Platt, and Chiwetal Ejiofor
Directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day)
Rated PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language
Appropriate for ages 13+

    The world is coming to an end and John Cusack attempts to get his family to safety before all of mankind meets their doom. 

    There seems to be one thing that director Roland Emmerich does well and that is destroying the world. Whether it’s Independence Day, Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow, or now this film, he seems to like the image of famous landmarks going down.  And more go down in this film than ever.

    For the first part of the film it’s actually pretty fun.  The action is riveting and the visuals add to the experience.  But then comes a moment of overkill.  Perhaps it’s the third time the plane takes off on a close call.  Or maybe the umpteenth city to go down.  It just seems like the film turns into a parody of all of his other films. 

    And then come the logic flaws.  My favorite was when the scientist’s friend is about to die from a giant tidal wave and he calls him from his cell phone to let him know that he wasn’t picked up when he was supposed to be and is about to die.  Never mind that there wouldn’t be cell phone service any longer in conditions such as those, but why wouldn’t he have called him earlier to say “hey – please pick me and bring me to safety so I don’t get killed by this frikin tidal wave in twenty-four hours.”  These kinds of flaws are all over the place and they are laughable. 

    And then there is the film’s length.  At 158 minutes, your brain is melted along with the Earth’s crust.  It’s just tough to sit through with a straight face for that long.

    The hardest part for me was having to listen to the over-excited fan afterward heartily exclaim “wow – the trailer just doesn’t do the film justice.”  We’ll just have to agree to disagree on that one.  C-

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New on DVD

New on DVD

Gone with the Wind: 70th Anniversary Edition
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
It’s amazing how beautiful a film can look after 70 years when it is as well preserved as this one has been.  And now five years after the last special edition, they have made an even more impressive print.  So should you discard your last set for this new one?  That depends.  If you have blu-ray – absolutely, although I wish they would have released a smaller set, minus the book, that would fit in my collection a little easier.  Also, the two disc DVD set looks nicer, but only includes the same old commentary we’ve listened to before.  So if you are a big fan or a blu-ray collector, it’s probably worth the upgrade, otherwise, save your bucks.  A-

Bruno
Rated R for pervasive crude and strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Sacha Baron Cohen really went all out in regard to pushing the limits of decency and good taste as Bruno, a German fashionista determined to be an American celebrity.  That being said, it is still incredibly funny, and if you watch with the commentary, which I highly recommend, you’ll find out just how brave he really was making this film.  There were a few moments in the film where I was certain his life was in real danger due to his stupidity, and sure enough, I was right.  Also on the disc are the deleted scenes, some of which were not allowed in the film due to being too objectionable.  That was hard to imagine before seeing them.  B+

Thirst
Rated R for graphic bloody violence, disturbing images, strong sexual content, nudity and language
Available on DVD
This Korean vampire film from Oldboy writer/director Chan-wook Park tells the tale of a selfless priest that receives vampire blood during an infusion and is sentenced forever to a new diet.  This is a very violent, very sexual twisted little film, and it’s one of my favorite so far this year.  It has a dark sense of humor with a perverse creativity.  In a quiet home you don’t get the benefit of an inappropriately laughing audience, but it’s still enjoyable just the same.  A

Farscape: The Complete Series
Available on DVD
When an astronaut is hurled across the universe, he finds himself in the middle of an intergalactic conflict.  Dealing with strange alien creatures and dangerous mercenaries, he survived four seasons in this cult-classic Jim Henson Productions TV show which is finally getting an all-in-one box set in time for the holiday.  Sci-fi geeks everywhere will be celebrating.  B

Rome: The Complete Series
Unrated but contains graphic violence, language, sexual content and nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While it only lasted a mere two seasons on HBO, this highly regarded epic sword and sandals series is my absolute favorite television show.  Through the two season, the stories of Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony, Cleopatra, and Octavian are all told from the point of view of two Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson).  With brilliant writing, acting, and tremendous production, Rome is an event that we were lucky to have seen and one that we may never see the likes of again.  This new set doesn’t add too much on the DVD side, but the blu-ray has lots more to offer, not to mention an even more beautiful way to look at the ugliness that was Rome.  A+

Fight Club: You Are Not Special Edition
Rated R for disturbing and graphic depiction of violent anti-social behavior, sexuality and language
Available on Blu-ray
This groundbreaking film starring Brad Pitt and Ed Norton is now ten years old and just as anti-social as ever.  Director David Fincher had a very fun time putting this blu-ray together, which should make it a very popular addition to many libraries.  You don’t watch a film like this for it’s stunning look, although the high def does add to the enjoyment, but the vast amount of special features, including a recent night out with Mel Gibson and some shocking deleted scenes, make this a great set to check out.  A

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The Men Who Stare at Goats



The Men Who Stare at Goats

Starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey
Directed by Grant Heslov
Rated R for language, some drug content and brief nudity
Appropriate for ages 17+

    Ewan McGregor is a reporter from Ann Arbor who discovers a secret branch of the military that deals with expanding their paranormal abilities.  When he meets an operative (Clooney) in Kuwait that belongs to this branch, he follows him to Iraq where they get in and out of trouble and have to rely on powers of the mind to get to safety.  

    I’ve had several days to think about this film and I’m still not sure what this one is.  There are some good laughs throughout, but I wouldn’t call it a comedy exactly.  Then again, it doesn’t really work as a political commentary either.  It’s not a thriller.  Not an adventure.  Not a drama.  And it’s not so good that it rises above traditional genre.  What I’m getting at is that the film doesn’t work because it has no place to belong.  And the attempt at being clever, such as the casting of the father of all Jedis (McGregor) in a film that discusses Jedis throughout, gets old really quick.

    I’ll admit that the film opened with some good promise.  I liked the idea of a branch of the military dealing with these things and tying this to real-life leaders and situations is a fun concept.  But it felt like either the ideas quit flowing, or the story wasn’t very good to begin with. 

    Even though the film didn’t work well, the acting, especially by Clooney and Bridges, is as good as you’d expect.  They both did a terrific job building their characters and both were a pleasure to watch.  Also, Kevin Spacey plays a very good villain and the more smug he gets, the more enjoyable his performance. C

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New on DVD



New on DVD

Up
Rated PG for some peril and action
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Pixar’s epic adventure of an elderly man that attaches thousands of helium balloons in order that he might realize his lifelong dream of traveling to South America, makes its home video debut in grand fashion this week.  Truly one of the most spectacular films to be released this year, Up is an emotionally impactful picture that plays as well with multiple viewings as it does on the first.  What’s more, it is a film that pretty much everyone will love, children, parents, grandparents, doesn’t matter.  This film hits a chord with its entire audience which is one of the reason why it is one of the top grossing films of all time at almost $300 million domestic box office.  I highly recommend getting the 2 DVD or blu-ray special editions due to the great special features found on them, including several documentaries showing the intense attention to detail and a wonderful look at man’s best friend.  Also out this week is a new blu-ray release of Monsters, Inc (still my personal favorite Pixar flick), and a new Cars collectors set including two die-cast collector cars. A+

The Accidental Husband
Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and brief strong language
Available on DVD
Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is as happy as can be thinking he is about to get married, until he discovers his wife received advice from a radio talk show host (Uma Thurman), convincing her to leave him.  In order to get revenge, he convinces a friend to hack into the city records, and creat a fake marriage between he and the radio show host, keeping her from getting to her fiance (Colin Firth).  This straight to DVD romantic comedy has its moments, but due to predictability and not being very funny, it’s a tough pill to swallow.  Apparently, the premise was realistic according to a making-of feature on the disc, but it seems so outlandish and frankly a fiance that leaves for the silly reason as the one in the beginning here would warrant good riddance rather than revenge. C

Discovery Atlas: Complete Collection
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In this series, Discovery Channel travels to eleven countries, including France, Japan, Mexico, and India, and shows a unique perspective of each country by looking at its people, colors, and flavors and what makes them special.  This is not your typical travel documentary and what I like most about it is that instead of showing the similarities between their world and ours, it shows what makes their part of the world truly magical.  Information-wise the content is great, but aesthetically, the look is stunning.  If you are a world traveler, this might be one you might want to add to your collection. A

The Echo
Rated R for violence, disturbing images and brief language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
An ex-con moves into his deceased mother’s apartment in New York City where he discovers that there is a ghost haunting the unit, and his life is in danger until he can figure out the spirit wants.  While not a great film, the pic does what a horror film is supposed to do – it scares.  And it’s not the “boo” scare either, but rather a nice, lingering creepiness that helps you forget the bad acting and lack of rational thought from the script. B-

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New on DVD

New on DVD

North by Northwest: 50th Anniversary Edition
Not Rated
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In this Hitchcock classic Carey Grant is Roger O. Thornhill, a mild-mannered advertising executive who is mistaken for an undercover agent named George Kaplan.  This case of mistaken identity sets him off on a dangerous adventure around the country with some of the most memorable set pieces in movie history such as a plane attacking him in a cornfield with nowhere to hide and the grand finale at Mount Rushmore.  If you have seen this film you will probably agree that this is one of the most entertaining films ever made.  If you haven’t seen it then shame – get it!  This new edition is loaded down with special features including a commentary by screenwriter Ernest Lehman, a brand new documentary on Hitchcock and a music only score featuring the composition of Bernard Hermann.  A+

The Maiden Heist
Rated PG-13 for some strong language, nudity and brief fantasy violence
Available on DVD
Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, and William H. Macy are security guards for a museum determined to steal pieces that they can’t live without when they discover that the exhibit is moving to Europe.  This is one of those of the films that you hate not to like.  The three have good enough chemistry, but the script is just not that great and the film lacks the energy needed to keep the pacing up.  I’m not sure why Sony decided to go straight to DVD with this one being that it might have had a small art house crowd, especially amongst older audiences.  C

Rocky: The Undisputed Collection
Available on Blu-ray
This collection of all six Rocky films on blu-ray sounded a little hoakie at first, but after digging in I forgot just how fun the Rocky franchise has been.  The first Rocky was a truly ground-breaking film and the second a great compliment.  But then how can you not love Rocky taking on Mr. T and Dolph Lundgren in 3 and 4 as well?  The films were total formula but the formula works.  Rocky 5 was a stinker, but 6 was tight and to the point.  Containing both brilliance and cheese in the same box set, this is a terrifically entertaining set of fight pics.  A-

Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs
Unrated
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This IMAX documentary film about how mummies were discovered and created is a fascinating and stunningly filmed look at a world very few people will be familiar with.  Using historical recreations to dramatize the ancient Egyptian world and modern science to unravel the mummies’ secrets (no pun intended) the film should provide an interesting educational experience for kids and adults.  What’s most surprising is how much is packed into only 39 minutes of film.  The only negative is they tried too hard to show how the mummies of old were helping medicine of today and the link seemed a little weak.  If anything, it wasn’t interesting enough to put into an IMAX presentation.  B

Say Anything: 20th Anniversary Edition
Rated PG-13
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
It’s hard to believe that twenty years have passed since this classic high school romance hit screens.  John Cusack was just an unambitious teenager who wanted to date the smartest girl in school, played by Ione Skye.  The two had an unbelievable chemistry, which played against a Peter Gabriel soundtrack that most of us around my age can still recite even now.  This new edition holds up great.  The movie looks like a period piece that was made yesterday, except with a starry-eyed Cusack.  The disc is full of special features including an engaging trivia track that plays while you are watching the film and a great interview with director Cameron Crowe.  A

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This Is It

This Is It

Starring Michael Jackson
Directed by Kenny Ortega (High School Musical 3)
Rated PG for some suggestive choreography and scary images
Appropriate for all ages

    I was in grade school when Michael Jackson’s hit album Thriller hit the scene and for years he was it.  We all wanted to be like Mike, and not the basketball player.  We wore the glove, donned gaudy zipper-laden red leather jackets, and butchered the moonwalk.  From that point on he was known as the King of Pop and he earned the title. 

    But then things got freaky.  Since I graduated from college, I buried all the good MJ memories, and the thoughts of chimps and child molestation were all I could muster up until his recent death.  At the time of his death I didn’t even think it was tragic I was so cold to the thought of him. 

    So needless to say, I wasn’t looking forward to seeing this movie.  I was not going to be one of those folks that jumped on the sadness bandwagon, bought more of his music just so I could have a better-sounding version, and start wailing at his rendition of Smile.  I did not want to like this movie.  But as the Rolling Stones once sang – you can’t always get what you want. 

    I’m not quite certain that this movie was ever meant to be a movie.  It feels more like the special features section of a DVD, but that being said, I firmly believe that is what makes the film work so well.  Were it just a concert video, showing the finished product, you would get to see the Michael Jackson that he and his people wanted you to see – polished and show-ready.  What we get instead here is an intimate look at what he was really like.  And all of the negative thoughts just seemed to float away as I was brought back to why I liked Michael so much in the first place: he was one hell of talent.  The guy worked on a level that was saved for the most brilliant of history’s musicians. 

    Watching him backstage preparing for what were going to be 50 sold-out London shows, you get to see a side of Michael that he probably didn’t want to show many people, and on only a couple of instances during the course of the movie was I reminded of his strange eccentricities. 

    So what really works here is that this isn’t Michael at his best, but rather Michael showing what it took to be the best.  And now I must admit that I do miss him a little bit.  A-

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Amelia

Amelia

Starring Hillary Swank, Richard Gere, and Ewen McGregor
Directed by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding)
Rated PG for some sensuality, language, thematic elements and smoking
Appropriate for ages 10+

    In the 1920’s and 30’s daring female pilot Amelia Earhart (Swank) attempted to break several flying records including a trip across the Atlantic and a journey around the world from which she never returned.  This film attempts to chronicle her life, loves and struggles.

    As expected, this film is beautiful to look at with stunning cinematography by Academy Award nominee Stuart Dryburgh (The Piano).  To add to the sweeping landscapes is the lush score by Academy Award winning composer Gabriel Yared (The English Patient).  From start to finish, there is no doubt that the production of the film is first rate all the way.

    And the acting from Swank is exactly what you would expect.  She looks the part exactly and she was very convincing in the role. If only she had a better script to work from. 

    There was something off about the story that I couldn’t exactly put my finger on.  Many will say that the film is just boring, and I do think that the pacing and directing could have been better, but I think with a better script we would have been a much more satisfied audience.  First off, I never got the importance of Amelia’s trips.  I know why she said she wanted to fly across the ocean or around the world, but I never felt or understood it.  I never got into the heart of the character.  I don’t blame this on Swank, but rather on the writing failing to bring me in touch with the heroine.  So what happens when the audience gets disconnected?  They get bored.  They lose focus.  In a two hour movie this can be devastating. 

    There were other faults throughout, such as a failure to fully explain the love stories and the suddenness of the drinking problem of the navigator, but those little things can’t bring down a film like an audience that can’t cheer for its heroine, even if they know she’s going to die in the end.  C-

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New on DVD

New on DVD

Whatever Works
Rated PG-13 for sexual situations including dialogue, brief nude images and thematic material
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Larry David, pretending to be Woody Allen in this Allen film, is an old curmudgeonly man with a negative disposition and a terrible outlook on life.  One night he meets a young naive girl from the south played by Evan Rachel Wood who convinces him to let her live in his house until she can get up on her feet.  The two are polar opposites but have an almost neutralizing effect upon one another as the relationship goes from unfriendly to friendly to fatherly to possibly something else.  Starting out you could swear that this was going to be nothing but an uncomfortable yet funny comedy about a jerky old man set in his ways, but over the course of the film it lightens up rather quickly and turns a direction that you just don’t see coming.  At the very least it’s unpredictable.  At the most it’s rather funny and at times hilarious.  Larry David doesn’t have to be anyone but himself here and that’s just fine for this character.  While none of the acting is outrageously great, Wood and her mother, played by Patricia Clarkson, are both a hoot.  And for those of you that insist that you can’t put up with more than thirty minutes of Larry David at a time – good news – he disappears in the second act for a very large chunk of the movie.  And with this ensemble you don’t even miss him.  B+

Orphan
Rated R for disturbing content, some sexuality and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When a couple loses their third child during birth, they decide to adopt a young Russian girl to make up for the loss.  Unfortunately for them, the new addition is a saint to their face, but a demon behind their backs and a real danger to their family.  I was hesitant to see this one after star Vera Farmiga’s last creepy child movie Joshua was such a let down.  I have to admit that this one is a much better attempt at the genre though.  While the husband, played by Peter Sarsgaard is annoying in his ignorance, Vera and the little girl, played by Isabelle Furhman put on a nice little show with plenty of scares and chilling scenes.  Please take note of the R on this one though as this is a very violent, dark film with a little child doing things she shouldn’t be doing.  I can easily see folks grabbing it off of the shelves thinking it to be a PG-13 and wondering what they got themselves into.  B

Prisoner: The Complete Series
Available on Blu-ray
This popular British series follows a former top-secret operative who is abducted and thrown into a place known only as “The Village.”  Village residents are given numbers instead of names and each is held captive because of the knowledge they possess.  Now known only as Number Six, he battles to protect himself, discover the identity of Number One, and hopefully escape.  The convoluted plot and innovative style earned this TV show cult status in the 60s and now that it is being released on Blu-ray with a transfer from the original film elements and a newly remixed 5.1 surround track, it stands to attract its audience back and maybe pick up some new fans along the way.  The five-disc set includes way more special features than I had time to dive into, but should make any fan very happy.  Overall, I can see why folks liked this show and I’m actually anxious to see what AMC does with the new miniseries The Prisoner it is premiering in November.  A-

Dogfights: The Complete Series
Available on DVD
The History Channel recreates some of the most famous aerial dogfights from past, present and future in this 10 disc box set.  In Season One, they take a look back at the sky battles that took place in Guadalcanal, Korea, and Vietnam.  In Season Two, they take a look back at the great fights of World War One, where dogfights began, through Desert Storm.  Finally in Dogfights of the Future, they take a look at what our boys in uniform will have in store.  Overall, this is 23 hours of time-killing guilty pleasure that will have you glued to your TV in fascination.  It’s almost weird the addictive power this show has, and how fun it is to watch, even if you are like me and know nothing at all about planes.  A-

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New on DVD

New on DVD

Drag Me to Hell
Rated PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Writer/director Sam Raimi (Spiderman/Evil Dead) brings us this tale about a young girl so desperate to become an assistant manager at her bank that she turns down an old woman who requests some more time to pay back her loan.  The woman does not take the act kindly and puts a curse on the young girl essentially unleashing a demon on her to haunt her and eventually drag her to hell.  It might sound horrifying, and the trailer doesn’t look good at all, but the movie itself is actually both scary and funny at the same time, filled with many over-the-top gory set pieces, terrific acting, and a really great script from Raimi.  And while it sounds like a hard R pic, it’s actually just an edgy PG-13 that most audiences with a twisted sense of humor will get a lot of enjoyment from.  B+

Cheri
Rated R for some sexual content and brief drug use
Available on DVD
Michelle Pfeiffer stars in this tale of an older courtesan that spends years with a young man, teaching him the ways of love, only to lose him when his mother arranges an unwanted marriage for him.  I’m not sure what director Stephen Frears (The Queen) and writer Christopher Hampton (Atonement) were thinking with this one.  The film is beautifully shot, and the acting is good enough, but the subject matter is just plain drull.  Period dramas can be wonderful, for example Hampton’s Atonement was an amazing motion picture, but this is the kind of subject matter that kills the genre.  I’m sure the book is lovely and poignant and the thought of an aging courtesan and the boy who can’t get over her is sad, but if there are only a handful of people willing to shell out the bucks to watch it, then Hollywood declares “period dramas are dead” and in reality it’s just another case of no one wants to see a boring stuffy movie.  I hope Frears and Hampton got it out of their systems and are ready to tackle movies people are willing to pay for again.  C-

Top Chef: New York (Season 5)
Unrated
Available on DVD
There is a huge advantage of watching a reality cooking show on DVD instead of on TV: you get to skip those annoying suspenseful commercial breaks.  Bravo’s hit show makes its DVD debut this week and even though I still can’t cook worth a crock pot, I still love watching all the delicious food being prepared by these intense and nervous wrecks on screen.  The biggest highlight was watching the group prepare Thanksgiving for the Foo Fighters where the winners got the best seats in the house to the concert that night.  Unfortunately the losers had to clean up after the winners.  How cruel.  While it still doesn’t stack up to my favorite cooking reality show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, it still provides for quite a lot of kitchen fun.  B