*Warning* This is scary, scary stuff.
Whiteout
Whiteout
Starring Kate Beckinsale and Tom Skerritt
Directed by Dominic Sena (Swordfish)
Rated R for violence, grisly images, brief strong language and some nudity
Appropriate for ages 15+
Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka, Whiteout follows U.S. Marshall Stetko (Beckinsale), haunted by her own demons, as she tracks a killer in Antarctica just before the sun is about to set for six months.
The first few minutes of the film start out with a Russian plane that crashed fifty years ago. All the audience knows from the opening is that the plane was military and they were carrying something very valuable that will play into the story somehow. Not a bad opening.
Then Beckinsale walks in to her modern day Antarctic lodging, takes off all of her clothes in a very sexy manner, and gets in the shower. After that, it’s very hard to take the film seriously. OK – it’s impossible. The basic premise itself is pretty good and I can see why Warner wanted to put a lot of money behind it, but the script is just laughable. At first I thought they were trying to do a film noir thing with the dialogue, but then I realized that it was just bad writing made worse by horrendous line delivery.
Then there’s the action scenes. Most of the big scary scenes are done outside where the wind and snow are blowing so hard that they can kill you if you aren’t attached to a rope. The problem is that everyone is moving so slow that it’s hard to get excited or scared. Again, just laughable.
From start to finish, this film turns out to be nothing more than a failed experiment with lousy execution from the production team. D
New on DVD
New on DVD
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence and some partial nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine in this Marvel spin-off that attempts to tell the tale of how Wolverine came to be Wolverine. When his brother (Liev Schrieber), who becomes Sabretooth, kills his true love, Wolverine sets off on a quest for revenge. This wasn’t quite the box office hit it was predicted to be, so I suspect a lot of folks are waiting for the dvd to see if it was wise to wait. I would say yes it was. This is definitely a renter, and should see quite a strong life on the video shelves. It’s not that the acting is bad. The characters are all quite likable and full of charisma. And while many could blame the writing and directing, this is one of those situations where I would probably blame Hugh Jackman for getting too heavily involved in the production, and the studios for allowing it. First off, the director, Gavin Hood, was all wrong for the project. His brilliant Oscar winning film Tsotsi proved that he could do drama with the best of them, but big budget action? No way. The writers also were either too unfamiliar with the genre or too close to Jackman. This has worked in past films, but failed miserably here. Overall, this movie provides a mediocre superhero film that neither moves nor excites the audience. C
Crash: Season 1
Unrated but contains adult content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
With the success of HBO and Showtime original programming, Starz has gotten into the ring with this original series spin-off of the Oscar winning movie by Paul Haggis. Dennis Hopper and D.B. Sweeney headline this group of talented actors in this ensemble show about loosely intersecting dramas that take place around the city of Los Angeles. I was pleasantly surprised how well written and directed the show is. After all, I have a distaste for TV shows stolen from the big screen. But this program is really only related by name only, and it works for the same reason that the film did: the world is full of tension and discord. Crash has just found a nice way of bottling it up and helping you to appreciate that your life doesn’t have that much drama. Hopefully. B+
Easy Virtue
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief partial nudity, and smoking throughout
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Director Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) brings to life this screen version of the Noel Coward play about what happens when a young British man (Ben Barnes) brings home his new modern American bride (Jessica Biel) to meet his family (Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth) in the early 20th century. The movie itself is very funny and the performances are great as you can well imagine with this cast. Here’s the rub – I felt like the stuffy British family with this whimsical American under Elliott’s more-than-modern directing. Films like this should have a classic look, unless they are going full out Baz Luhrmann. This film sometimes keeps a classic look, just like Biel has at times, but then lots of modern nuances pop off the screen. I found this unsettling, and rather annoying. The difference here is that the audience, unlike the family, is not stuck with the movie. They can choose whether or not they want camera tricks and rock music. I’d rather not. I’d like to see this film played straight without the showing off just for the sake of it. C
Hero
Rated PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality
Available on Blu-ray
If you were watching the Olympics this summer and were wondering what movies the director and composer of the opening ceremony had made – well – this is the best of them. Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou and with music composed by Tan Dun, stars Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi and Donnie Yen. Using an innovative method of storytelling, the pic follows a nameless warrior (Li) as he embarks on a mission of revenge against the tyrants that massacred his people. This Oscar-nominated movie (Best Foreign Language Film, 2002) has some of the best cinematography, usage of colors, musical scores, and battle sequences that I have ever seen. I consider it a must-own for blu-ray. I do wish there were a few more special features. While there is a nice documentary on action sequences with Jet Li and Quentin Tarantino, I think a commentary or music only track would have been great for this special edition. Miramax is also releasing several other martial arts flicks on blu-ray this week, including Iron Monkey, which I highly suggest you check out. A+
The Wonderfully Generous United Health Care
Extract
Extract
Starring Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, and Ben Affleck
Directed by Mike Judge (Office Space)
Rated R for language, sexual references, and some drug use
Appropriate for ages 17+
Extract plant owner Joel (Bateman) has a severe crush on his new con-artist employee Cindy (Kunis), but won’t act on it because he is married. After his best friend (Affleck) gives him Special K instead of Valium, he makes the decision to hire a gigolo to seduce his wife (Wiig) so that he won’t feel guilty when he cheats on her. As you can imagine, things go downhill from there.
One talent writer/director Mike Judge has is inventing original characters, environments, and situations and making you feel like they are the mundane. This film has a lot going for it in regards to bored people doing irrational and despicable things and making the audience feel very judgmental. I don’t think you can help but cast judgment on every little action and misstep, just because that’s how it’s laid out. Even with this though, the laughs are really big throughout and while dark at every turn, the comedy makes the dark seem not so bad.
As far as performances go, Bateman makes for a great leading man, although I’m not sure if he’ll ever open a film with big numbers. Kunis plays the criminal cutie well, although I have a feeling that many of her scenes were cut to keep the film down to a short running time. Conversely, some of the factory workers are annoyingly bad actors here, such as Beth Grant, who I just wanted to choke, but maybe that was the point.
What I am really surprised about is how amateurish some of the directing is here. I would have thought with all of the experience Judge has had over the years, that the film would have a more polished feel to it, but some of it, such as the lawyer scene with Gene Simmons, looks like a college film. Maybe Simmons is just that bad of an actor, but if that were the case, I think he could have found a different iconic figures to play an attorney.
Overall, Extract is a very funny, but inconsistent film that will leave you kind of hollow inside. It is also not nearly as memorable or as important as his previous two films: Office Space and Idiocracy. C+
New on DVD
New on DVD
The Office: Season Five
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This season of The Office saw a lot happen including Michael (Steve Carell) fall in and out of love and then leave the company to start his own. Then of course you also have the blossoming of the romance between Jim and Pam (John Krasinksi and Jenna Fischer). And of course Dwight (Rainn Wilson) spices things up as he competes with Andy (Ed Helms) for the woman in the office he loves. What didn’t change however was the extreme level of inappropriate behavior from almost everyone, and the laughs are still as fresh as ever. I would have never conceived that the American version of The Office could go this long and still be innovative, but yet it still remains a blast to watch and is still incredibly relevant to the white collar work experience. The deleted scenes and gag reel are a must watch as are the strung together webisodes. At the time I’m writing this article the feature is not yet live, but as soon as the release date hits, BD-Live will allow you to take your blu-ray and share your audio mix of favorite one-liners from the season with your buddies. I think I might have to take that feature for a spin. A-
Parks and Recreation
Available on DVD
Nipping on the hills of The Office is this similar comedy from NBC that premiered during the past season. Amy Poehler stars as the aloof Pawnee, Indiana Parks and Recreation employee jonesing for a legacy when she happens upon a giant pit that a local citizen would like something done about. Armed with all ambition and no brains, she storms forward to turn the giant pit into a park. There is no doubt that the show has some good laughs and a talented cast, but the one thing it lacks is a relevant subject. Don’t get me wrong here – the subject of people getting involved with their government should be relevant, but in this case it is just not. Still, the laughs do save the day, and also saved the season seeing as the show was picked up again for the fall. B-
MASH
Rated R for sexual content
Available on Blu-ray
Robert Altman’s infamous 1970 Korean War comedy is making its Blu-ray debut in fine fashion with this new deluxe edition. The humor still stands up almost 40 years later and coming out so close to the death of the director’s death lends a gravity to it that only intensifies when hearing his voice during the commentary. The disc is loaded with special features and of course the movie itself looks and sounds better than ever. A-
Thirst
Thirst
Starring Kang-ho Song and Ok-vin Kim
Directed by Chan-wook Park (Oldboy)
Rated R for graphic bloody violence, disturbing images, strong sexual content, nudity and language
Appropriate for ages 17+
Korean and English with English subtitles
When a selfless priest allows his body to be subject medical experiments to fight a deadly disease, he is given a transfusion from the blood of a vampire. While the blood saves his life, he must feed on more blood in order to keep the disease at bay.
Writer/Director Chan-wook Park has always created innovative ways of scaring and/or at least creeping out his audiences, and this new jump into the vampire genre fits into his portfolio well. He takes the parts of the legend he likes, and leaves the rest. Here the vampire can still be killed by the sun, can only drink blood, and can be turned by being exposed to the blood of another vampire. The biggest differences are ones that have never been argued with before (that I know of): you don’t grow fangs and you aren’t exactly impervious to death.
This new take on the genre, and this particular story, are so well thought out and incredibly written that you just know it will be remade into a big Hollywood blockbuster just as two of his other films, Old Boy (being directed by Steven Spielberg), and Lady Vengeance (starring Charlize Theron) will get the big budget treatment soon.
But just like his other films, this looks like a pretty decent budgeted film, sans the big stars. The effects are gruesome and over-the-top, yet beautiful at the same time. The overall production is top notch.
The actors are exceptional here as well. You might remember Kang-ho Song in the Korean monster film The Host, but he really shows off his chops here as a vampire whose morality keeps him from wanting to do things that his new body wants to partake in. After all, the vampire legend has always been one of not only blood, but of lust, and that is one area a priest cannot sit idly by.
One surprising attribute of this film is the amount of playfulness and hilarity it possesses. There are so many funny moments in this film that one might think the audience were watching a comedy if they were standing outside the theater listening in. Maybe it’s because there’s such a deep emotional connection, that the audible laughter comes both at intended moments and at uncomfortable moments as well.
Overall, I found this take on the vampire flick to be an original and entertaining picture that would make for a better date night than any other movie showing right now. A
New on DVD
New on DVD
State of Play
Rated PG-13 for some violence, language including sexual references, and brief drug content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams are two journalists trying to get to the bottom of a case involving the dead mistress of a congressman (played by Ben Affleck). Diving into the world of corrupt politicians, journalistic integrity, and defense contracts makes for a compelling enough story, and with this cast of talented actors and filmmakers, it is no doubt that you’ll get a real nail biter here. What stinks is the lousy twist-ending that doesn’t really come as a surprise, but rather just serves as a confounding annoyance. I wish they could have played this tale more on the level. B
Earth
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This feature-length version of the Discovery Channel’s Planet Earth, produced by Disney, shows all of the best moments of the landmark television documentary, all narrated by none other than James Earl Jones. Masterfully edited into a finely-crafted story line of life on earth and sea, this doc is one of the most spectacular films on nature you’ll ever see. While I highly recommend getting Planet Earth also, I have to admit that this new release is superior in one regard: it actually has a documentary on how some of the amazing footage was obtained. Watching them film the polar bears, the lions attacking the elephants, the sharks eating seals, and the cheetah chasing the gazelle, will give you new appreciation for the work that went into creating this huge endeavor. The blu-ray also has a changing menu that will update new content monthly, constantly letting you know what is going on in the world of nature. A
Heroes: Season 3
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Realizing that Season 2 was derailing fast, the writers decided to introduce new villains and too many plot lines to Season 3 in order to completely get the train off the tracks. At first I just couldn’t understand why the characters were changing, and then after a while I just didn’t care. Then after the second part of the season, titled Fugitives, it just got worse. The show still has a following, but it’s really hard to keep watching a show that seems to be daring you to do so. I will give the credit on a massive amount of extra content for the blu-ray. I just wish there was someone involved with a super-ability for creating a better show. C-
Sin Nombre
Rated R for violence, language, and some sexual content
Spanish with English subtitles
Available on DVD
This directing and cinematography award winner from the 2009 Sundance Film Festival follows the lives of two Latino young people as they make their way to America. Willy (Edgar Flores) is a Mexican gang member on the run after a turn of events puts his life in danger. Sayra (Paulina Gaitan) is a Honduran teenager whose only dream is that she can make it to be with her family in New Jersey. As Willy and Sayra come closer to their goal, they also come closer to the danger it presents itself with. From start to finish, this is just a mesmerizing film. For most of us in America, we can never imagine what the rest of the world would do to be where we are, and this film brings that all in and puts it into place. It represents the immigrant struggle in a way that I’ve never seen put on film before, and it does the one thing that you most want a film to do: it touches your heart. A
Life After People
Available on Blu-ray
So what happens to the Earth after we are gone? This History Channel special takes a look at the various stages of life on Earth, days, years, decades, and centuries after mankind has left the planet. Unless humans just disappear suddenly and completely, I’d have to disagree with the first part of the show, but the theories about what the world would look like are truly fascinating. B
Inglourious Basterds
Inglourious Basterds
Starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, and Eli Roth
Directed by Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill)
Rated R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality
Appropriate for ages 17+
Quentin Tarantino’s revisionist history fantasia follows a group of Jewish soldiers that are sent into German-occupied France during World War II with one mission: kill as many Nazis as possible. Led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Pitt), they set off through France leaving a blood-soaked trail of Nazi corpses in their wake.
Many words can be used to describe Tarantino’s work. Creative. Original. Funny. Ultra-violent. Warped. Engaging. Inglourious Basterds is each one of these and more.
It is by far his most innovative piece to date, and that is saying a lot. Without giving anything away, he takes many of the most famous Nazi figures and gives them alternative directions in true fantasy fashion. It’s a “what if” of the highest order, that gives the audience not only a sense of revenge fulfillment, but a satisfaction that you rarely get from a movie nowadays.
As for performances, Pitt is really on his game here as Raine with yet another wonderful weird character to bolster his resume. He has proven time and time again that he can add unique flavor to a character better than anyone in Hollywood. He may not be the best dramatic actor in town, but with his performances in films like Twelve Monkeys, Fight Club, Snatch, and Burn After Reading, I’d put him up as the best comedic/quirky actor of our generation.
Another standout performance is that of Christoph Waltz, who plays Col. Hans Landa, better known as “The Jew Hunter.” I’m sure that the part is one of the best written villains in recent memory, but it was also masterfully acted by this relatively unknown thespian. Having won the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival will most likely give him a strong edge going into this year’s Oscar race.
So was there anything wrong with the film? I think there are always a few of Tarantino’s idiosyncrasies that bug me, although I must admit that many of them grow on me over time. First off, his music choices are just a little too much for me at first. Also, he likes to take his time in some of the scenes. For example, when the “Jewish Bear,” played by Eli Roth, makes his first appearance with his bat, it feels like minutes of listening to the bat hitting a tunnel before he appears. The tension grows, but the tension would have been there with half the time cut out also. Such a long wait just adds either comedy or annoyance. Again, these types of things become enduring on film revisits.
I feel I must warn that there is an extreme amount of gory violence here, so if you are squeamish you might want to check out a nicer film. As for me, this is the most fun I’ve had at the movies all year, and if you don’t mind a little Nazi killin’, you might just come out thinking the same. A
New on DVD
New on DVD
Adventureland
Rated R for language, drug use and sexual references
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This semi-autobiographical tale from writer/director Greg Mottola (Superbad) tells the story of a young man (Jesse Eisenberg) who is forced to work in a 1980’s amusement park for the summer when his parents can’t afford to send him to Europe with his best friend. While there, he falls for one of the other employees (Twilight’s Kristen Stewart), who in turn is love with a married man (Ryan Reynolds). The film works as both a touching coming-of-age comedy and as a nostalgic look back at a time that many people might like to forget about. If you are looking for Superbad-funny, you won’t get it, but it has its moments, and turns out to be a quite likable ride. B+
Rudo y Cursi
Rated R pervasive language, sexual content, and brief drug use
In Spanish with English subtitles
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna reteam in this comedy about two brothers that leave their family in rural Mexico and join opposing professional soccer clubs. To say the film is silly and over-the-top is an understatement. I think had the movie been taken a little more serious it could have worked as a family drama, sports film, and still kept a comedic flair, but as is, the movie just kind of falls flat. While the two actors gave it their all and obviously had terrific chemistry, the story didn’t serve them well. C
Sunshine Cleaning
Rated R for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Amy Adams and Emily Blunt are two desperate sisters that create a crime scene cleanup business to make some cash. Going where very few are willing to go, they take on some disgusting yet fulfilling work that also manages to pull up some buried memories. The studio tried to sell this is a dramedy, or black comedy, but there is very little funny to be found here, aside from a creepy cleanup or two. So even though Alan Arkin is in it, don’t expect get big laughs. The drama does work though and the performances are solid. I’m not too sure on the decisions of the characters, or the director for that matter, but the movie is enjoyable, and moreover – it is interesting. Check out the special feature “A Fresh Look at a Dirty Business” which takes a look at what it’s really like to be in the crime scene cleanup biz. B-
Duplicity
Rated PG-13 for language and some sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Clive Owen and Julia Roberts are two ex-spies that team up to try to clean house on two opposing American companies run by Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti. Something about this film just never feels right. Writer/director Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) fails to excite the audience at any point, but rather just confuses to submission. OK. So everyone’s dirty. We get the point. I don’t see any justification for dragging it on for over two excruciating hours. The banter between Owens and Roberts just sits there and bores. If you really want to see the two of them go at it, check out the Mike Nichols flick Closer, which will make you actually believe that the two of them are scorned lovers. This chemistry pales in comparison. The only thing I really enjoyed in this film is the amazing opening credit sequence featuring a highly stylized fight between Giamatti and Wilkinson. D+
Fighting
Rated PG-13 for intense fight sequences, some sexuality and brief strong language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When New York City street hustler Terrence Howard sees the fighting skills of Channing Tatum, he takes him on as an agent and enters him into dangerous, underground, high-stakes fights. The premise might not be the best, but the film isn’t all that bad as it delivers some pretty good fight sequences and a decent life-on-the-streets vibe. Tatum and Howard both play off each other well, although much of the film seems too convenient and contrived. A more organic feel would have helped the film tremendously. C