wolftab-1's Reviews

District 9 (2009)

8/10

29 August 2009

Warning: Spoilers

For most of the year there have been trailers and promos for a unique looking film called District 9 that is produced by Peter Jackson. A buzz was rightfully generated as the trailers show a colony of shrimp looking aliens that happen to appear over Johannesburg, South Africa and end up in a slum designated as District 9 and the problems that ensue because of the visitors. But would the film deliver? Boy, does it ever. Forget Transformers, Harry Potter, (I wouldn't go near GI Joe). District 9 is the original sci- fi hit of the summer. It's the best film next to Hurt Locker, Julie and Julia for an otherwise average selection of summer movies. Feels like the summer of 2008 was a long time ago.

District 9 takes place 20 years after the aliens (which are derogatorily called Prawns) appear. They do not live in harmony with humans as a nice montage of the past 20 years shows us. It's actually a great metaphor for the immigration problem and more directly for South Africa itself...Apartheid. But, a government agency called MNU (Multi-National United), has decided to uproot the aliens and put them in a more confined area, more akin to a concentration camp. Leading the efforts for evicting the aliens is a dorky kind of bureaucrat named Wikus van der Merwe. While going from shack to shack Wikus gets exposed to a strange alien chemical substance that is concocted by the alien protagonist Christopher Johnson. Here the film turns into a Kafkaesque adventure where Wikus with the help of his only two "Prawn" friends, Christopher and his son are in a race against time to put things right...for both species.

District 9 comes to us from unknown Director, Neil Blomkamp, who also hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. He certainly has a great love for sci-fi films as all through District 9, you can spot homages to such films as Aliens, RoboCop, Star Wars, Independence Day, etc. He keeps the action steadily flowing in the all too prevalent documentary style of shooting, which is a lot kinder to the senses than Cloverfield. A pleasant surprise was the acting of also unknown actor Sharlto Copley, as Wikus. He truthfully brings out the imaginary circumstances that he is under without forcing or doing much indicating. He displays a nice range of varying emotions throughout the film as his character has a very interesting arc. For the most part, the rest of the acting is well done. The film is not without it's flaws and one certainly has to suspend much disbelief but despite the films' flaws, the story remains solid and the end result is science fiction fun that I highly recommend.

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The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

5/10

Time Stops for this Traveler

23 August 2009

Warning: Spoilers

I was looking forward to the film version of Audrey Niffenegger's best selling novel, The Time Traveler's Wife. As is the case with most screen adaptations, this one did not translate well to the screen. In a nutshell, the story is a romantic drama about a Chicago librarian with a gene that causes him to involuntarily time travel, and the complications it creates for his marriage.

Eric Bana plays Henry DeTamble, just your ordinary-average research librarian who happens to time travel at will beyond his control. Rachel McAdams is his beloved Clare Abshire who first meets Henry when she is 6 in a meadow behind her house. This sets in motion a love story that last until tragedy befalls them. The book is full of twists and turns and lots of interaction between Henry and his past and future selves. The film forgoes a lot of that and tries to cram in the simple story line which to me strips the film of its heart and soul and leaves us feeling apathetic to Henry's plight and Claire's anguish at Henry's involuntary exits. I was also disheartened by the change in the ending, which in the book made the story all the more tragic but the film glosses over and tries to make it a happier ending.

The acting for the most part is OK. Eric Bana did a decent job as Henry, but it would've been nice to see how he really felt about his circumstance of traveling through time. It didn't seem very truthful more often than not. His behavior was not very clear except for certain emotional moments surrounding events with his his mom and his future. Otherwise, he was fairly stoic. The character of Henry in the novel is hot headed and unstable most of the time when he is traveling and I was glad they did show this behavior at least once. Rachel McAdams I felt had better moments and her behavior and actions were clear. Although, she seemed to take the incredible circumstances of her beau's time traveling as a pretty natural occurrence until they marry and are living together and the more he time travels, the more she feels isolated, than she seems to care more about her being left alone than Henry's safety. The film missed many of the emotional and dramatic subplots that would've given the film more heart. But, they did cover Claire's multiple miscarriages storyline well.

The film was directed by Robert Schwentke and written by Bruce Joel Rubin. The film feels rushed and unfinished and unfortunately leads to a mediocre film of a very good and original story.

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The Hurt Locker (2008)

8/10

A Worthy Depiction of Being on the Front Lines in Iraq

9 August 2009

Warning: Spoilers

There have been more then several films concerning the Iraq War and most of them are forgettable. But Kathryn Bigelow has given us a worthwhile film about an elite bomb squad in Baghdad in 2004. After their team leader is killed trying to defuse a roadside bomb, the men of Bravo Company must learn to deal with their new charming, but reckless team leader Sergeant James, who instantly becomes an irritation to Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Eldridge as he shows his new team a different kind of urban combat.

Miss Bigelow takes us into the lives of these men who risk their lives every day in a hostile environment where you don't know who you can trust and all you have is each other, regardless of your differences. This is not your typical all testosterone driven war film that glorifies war, nor is it a heavy anti war message film. Although, there is a scene where there clearly is alpha male competition going on which looked truthful and had the right amount of comedy that wasn't over the top. The film simply is an effective depiction of life on the front lines, forming a tenuous camaraderie, trying to connect with your humanity and what happens when your rotation is over to some of these brave soldiers.

There is very good acting in the film and some interesting choices for cameos. Guy Pearce has a small but important scene as the first team leader, Sergeant Thompson and his scene makes a point of showing the difference in his leadership style and bomb disposal method as opposed to James. David Morse has a brief but charismatic stint as a Colonel Reed, who's confrontation with James leaves you guessing. Ralph Fiennes even shows up as a no nonsense military contractor in the field. But the 3 main actors, Anthony Mackie as Sanborn, Jeremy Renner as James and Brian Geraghty as Eldridge form a distinct trio. Renner is an atypical squad leader with a subtle intensity. His bit of business about the souvenirs he picks up along the way gives his character clarity. Mackie plays Sanborn as a tough, by the book sergeant who has a lot going on under the surface and his frustration and even his envy is quite clear. His underlying question of does he have what it takes is a driving force in his characterization and his heartfelt speech about the state of things is well done. Geraghty as Eldridge is not as strong as his compadres but his characterization as the emotionally fragile, unsure of himself specialist is decent enough and it works with the story.

With the Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow's realistic depiction of the lives of Iraqi soldiers is poignant and harrowing. She keeps the action flowing, even during the "down" time periods. I wish she would've shown a little more of the guys after their deployment ends, except for just a brief albeit telling scene with James. But, that didn't take away from the effectiveness of her spot on direction. I predict she will be recognized come Awards season.

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Whatever Works (2009)

5/10

Whatever Works...Not This Time

6 July 2009

Warning: Spoilers

With the premise of a New York misanthropic genius who fails at his suicide attempt, only to have a second chance at love with a sweet, naive runaway Southern girl who winds up on his doorstep. Throw in Woody Allen and Larry David (cast as the misanthrope) how can the movie miss right? Well, this one does. Woody Allen's comedic return with Whatever Works ultimately doesn't. As wonderful as Larry David is at being Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, he simply cannot be Larry David as Woody Allen. The story is interesting enough with Mr. David as Boris Yellnikoff, a self proclaimed genius who was alleged to have almost been nominated for a Nobel Prize in Physics who after experiencing an existential crisis, tries killing himself. When that fails, Boris leaves his marriage of a beautiful, intellectually equal woman to a life of isolationist misanthropy spewing out his negative views of the world and the people who dwell in it. When not doing that, he verbally abuses his adolescent chess students while living under a Chinese restaurant. His life is turned upside down by a sweet young runaway from Mississippi, Melody St Anne Celestine (Evan Rachel Wood). Her innocence beguiles him and in typical Woody Allen fashion, takes the young, impressionable girl under his wing and molds her in his image. They form on unlikely relationship and then her world is turned upside down when her parents, Marietta and John (Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley Jr.) track her down and throw her life into chaos.

Larry David who functions quite correctly in the part, doesn't seem to have a lot of feelings about his character. He was listening a responding well enough. Yet, I could feel his wanting to be more like himself than being shoehorned into a Woody Allen character and it shows. Especially, in a pivotal scene with Miss Wood, he just didn't seem to have a feeling at all. As a misanthrope, perhaps he isn't meant too, but he is a human being afterall. His comedic timing was also a little off in parts. But, no one in the film seems connected to one another. Patricia Clarkson, a wonderful actress seems out of place as the staunchly conservative rich Southern wife looking for a new start in the unfamiliar big city of New York (it is great to see NYC being the centerpiece of a Woody film after his last several European locales). Evan Rachel Wood is not as charming as she tried to be. Again, I felt she too functioned correctly as her character but she had little connection with Mr. David or Miss Clarkson. I felt she was going though the motions. She did seem to connect the best with a young, handsome suitor Randy James (Henry Cavill). Ed Begley Jr. does well enough as John and finds his own true life path in a predictable outcome for his character. Usually in a Woody Allen film, I can sympathize with Woody or his female co-star but not this time around. Michael McKean rounds out the cast in a wasted role as one of Boris' friends.

As a huge fan of Woody Allen's, I was disappointed this film is not better than it could be. The film with its overly pessimistic attitude seems out of place in today's more optimistic and hopeful environment. The writing is terrific as usual and there are a few laughs generated here and there, but the pacing is disjointed at times and things seem to work out a little too perfectly for everyone in the end, which after all the pessimism was a welcome relief. Although, I agree with Woody's moral of Whatever Works, sadly the same cannot be said for the film.

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Two Lovers (2008)

8/10

Exceptional Romantic Drama without the Schmaltz

6 July 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Joaquin Phoenix' last film before his "retirement" from acting is a wonderful unconventional romantic drama. Phoenix plays Leonard Kraditor, a suicidal man who hasn't gotten over his broken wedding engagement. He is introduced to the daughter of the man who is going to buy his father's dry cleaning business. Sandra Cohen, (Vinessa Shaw) is beautiful, charming, down to earth, not very exciting. At the same time, Leonard by happenstance meets Michelle Rausch (Gwyneth Paltrow), she is alluring, exciting and has a swirl of drama going on around her at all times. Leonard is ton between these two women but his heart is set on one, but will that be the best choice for him.

Top notch acting by the whole cast which is rounded out by Elias Koteas and Isabella Rosselini. Mr. Phoenix has a great connection with all his costars, especially Gwyneth. The film is ripe with emotional depth and complexity and is well suited for Mr. Phoenix talents. He is truthful, honest and really conveys emotion without lapsing into melodrama. Too bad this film wasn't well received due to Mr. Phoenix bad press and tales of his mental instability, whether true or a hoax. I do hope he gets back to acting soon and hangs up the hip hop microphone, as he is a natural talent that keeps getting better with every film.

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Public Enemies (2009)

5/10

Disappointing Bipic, but don't blame Johnny Depp

25 June 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Michael Mann's much anticipated biopic about notorious bank robber John Dillinger (played expertly by Johnny Depp) comes up short. The story of John Dillinger and how he became a notorious bank robber who liked living the good life while eluding the newly formed FBI all the while laughing at them as they kept coming up short in trying to catch him. And when they did catch him, no prison could hold him. This sounds like it would make a pretty interesting story, unfortunately, Michael Mann didn't see it that way. Public Enemies is in a wordslow. The pacing is deliberate and more importantly for a character driven drama, I didn't find much clarity in what made John Dillinger, John Dillinger. The film doesn't have any back story to Dillinger, as it takes place in 1933 after a daring prison break. We are shown that Dillinger is a man of few words, has a cool confidence, thinks big and when he wants something, he will aggressively pursue it, whether it be knocking off banks or going after women. But, one woman in particular catches his fancy, Billie Frechette, (Marion Cotillard) a hat check girl he becomes smitten with at a club. On the flip side, are the "good guys" of the FBI. J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) is tired of all these glorified gangsters, forms a task force to get them, led by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale). Dillinger is listed as Public Enemy #1 and Hoover tells Purvis to do whatever it takes to bring in the popular bank robber.

The film has a strong cast but many of them prove to be uninteresting, there are of course exceptions Johnny Depp does a very fine job as Dillinger. He played the character with strong convictions, bravura and was a likable crook. Mr. Depp seemed to know what made Dillinger tick, but aside from a few brief clues, it was not clear to me. Unfortunately, without that clarity, his character wasn't permitted to have an arc, so I was left feeling ambivalent about him and what he stood for. His acting was unforced, honest and truthful. He is fun to watch. Marion Cotillard (who was fantastic as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose) does an admirable job as Dillinger's moll and she had a good connection with him and their relationship looked genuine. Billy Crudup does a very nice job as Hoover. He certainly had his mannerisms and speech patterns down. It is a shame we didn't see more of him. Which leads me to Christian Bale. He seemed at a loss as to how best to bring his character to life. Judging by a fact we discover at the end, it would seem that Purvis was a conflicted man but Mr. Bale seemed to just play him with one note throughoutstoic. Not really sure how he felt about Dillinger, except for a few glimmers of dialogue. His brief scene with Depp was bereft of tension. Depp clearly had more going on. Mr. Bale seemed tired to me and who could blame him, filming this amidst The Dark Knight and Terminator: Salvation. He did seem to realize this was Johnny Depp's film and to his credit he doesn't try to outshine him. Lili Taylor makes a brief appearance and it was not a memorable one, for such a fine actress.

Michael Mann puts forth an earnest effort but alas this is not one of his best work; either with screenplay or direction. The film lacks suspense, drama and more often than not feels like it is going through the motions. He does a lot of research that brings a rarely seen realism to that era, especially when we see early wiretapping. The film really falls apart in the last 1/3 and the climax fizzles. Despite several good scenes scattered throughout, the film falls flat.

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

7/10

A Little More Than Meets the Eye

25 June 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Those pesky transforming bots are back in Michael Bay's sequel to the successful Transformers. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. This time, the Decepticons are on a mission to kidnap Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBouf) when after a freak accident, Sam discovers the truth about the origins of the Transformers as they plot to find a sacred energy source and use it to destroy Earth;s primary source of energy. It is up to Optimus Prime and the Autobots to once again save the day with a little help from their human friends.

Michael Bay is roundly criticized for the all action fluff he makes and a lot of it is deserved (Pearl Harbor anyone). But, with the Transformers series he has made heavy action laden films that are pretty decent. Teen and pre-teen boys will absolutely go crazy over this sequel. It is loaded with amazing effects and loads of action sequences. Not to mention Megan Fox, who is all sex kitten but at least she knows that is what she is there for. This is not fine art we're dealing with when the producers are Hasbro, so there is a lot of suspension of disbelief with this film. There are an awful lot of plot holes that Mr. Bay seems to be content with letting go. Like, how did Shia get medical attention in the middle of the desert for his broken arm. And, if the whole world is threatened, why is it just the US who takes on the Decepticons? If you can get past these 2 of many examples of plot holes and take the film for the popcorn friendly action flick it is meant to be you will be entertained. Clocking in at 144 minutes, I was surprised at how entertaining it was, with minimal boring moments.

Shia LaBouf is slowly transforming (no pun intended) into a solid actor. He plays the part of Sam truthfully and really lets us believe he is experiencing these extraordinary things that happen to him, with honest responses. It is refreshing to see a young actor not go through the motions in a CGI effects laden film. John Turturro is good as usual. He reprises his role as Agent Simmons and has some genuinely funny moments. However, there is also a major plot hole around him as well. Also, reprising their roles are Sam's parent's. Kevin Dunn who plays Sam's dad does a good job connecting with Shia and in one specific moment, you really believe he is afraid for his son. The same cannot be said for Julie White as Sam's mom, except for a cute sequence on Sam's college campus. Ramon Rodriquez stars as Sam's college roommate Leo, who is a conspiracy nut and a fraidy cat and he plays that up pretty well and he does provide some needed comic relief. All the soldiers do a decent job of being truthful in their circumstance as well. Reprising their voice overs for the main Transformers are Hugo Weaving as evil Megatron and Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime. Both sound good as ever.

The love scenes between Megan and Shia are the only thing that feels strained at times and thankfully there attempt at love scenes are kept to a minimum. Mr. Bay knows what the audience wants and rarely disappoints delivering the goods. There also seemed to be an homage to Gremlins which was silly and the relationship between Megatron and The Fallen oddly resembled the Sith in the Star Wars series. 2 new twin Autobots were introduced which have been getting criticized for being racially tinged as they jive talk and always get into scraps and one confesses to not being able to read. I think they were harmless. At times they fell flat but other times they were funny. All in all Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is action packed decent fun.

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Gran Torino (2008)

7/10

Dirty Harry Tells Kids to Get Off His Lawn

11 June 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Clint Eastwood's last performance as an actor (so he says) could've been worse. Gran Torino is not on par with his other recent masterpieces like Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby or Changeling but it has heart. Clint as Walt Kowalski looks and acts like Dirty Harry in his golden days yelling at kids to get off his lawn, but with much more of a mean, bigoted streak. But, slowly he changes his ways thanks to a Hmong family that has moved in next door, being terrorized by a gang of Hmong thugs. He especially takes to Thao, their teenage son, whom he catches trying to steal his prized Gran Torino. Clint's character arcs in a positive way and although he maintains his racial epithets, we find they are terms of endearment. He uses them on everyone he knows. Clint's acting is sharp throughout the film, this isn't exactly a new character for him, only more seasoned and willingness to be open. A good metaphor for society in general. Not sure if the Hmong actors are new but they are rough around the edges. The best of the bunch is Sue (Ahney Her). Aside from predictable moments, it is a good film.

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Cold Souls (2009)

A Surrealistic Sci-Fi Gem

11 June 2009

Warning: Spoilers

My first and sadly only chance to see a film at SIFF turned out to be a terrific choice. Cold Souls, featuring Paul Giamatti, Emily Watson and David Strathairn is wonderful. A surrealistic sci-fi meditation on the soul; it's effect and meaning we give it in our lives. Sounds heavy and at times it is, but beautifully interwoven with comedy and thoughtfulness throughout. Set sometime in the future, Paul Giamatti plays himself. He is an emotionally drained actor who is struggling with the lead role in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. The part is causing him extreme anxiety. He discovers a place that will extract your soul and put it in cold storage until the time you are ready to put it back again. By extracting his soul, Paul believes this will free him up more to play the part without it placing such a heavy emotional burden on himself. However, things do not turn out as planned and we are left with seeing Paul struggle with the meaning of his soul and the fear that he must face within himself. In turn, we in the audience also cannot help but look inward. The film also includes an interesting subplot set in Russia with Russians doing their own version of soul extraction but with deeper consequences. Paul's soul is taken by a soul trafficker mule back to Russia to be inserted into a no-talent soap opera actress. This leaves Paul with no alternative but to go to Russia and track down his soul.

This great film helmed by first time writer/director Sophie Barthes is filled with lush metaphors, some beautiful camera work and a beautiful ode to one of the world's greatest playwrights...Chekhov. There have been comparison's to Being John Malkovich, but don't let Miss Barthes hear that. This is her original work, based on a dream she had. She originally meant this to feature Woody Allen but she needed someone younger with more energy. She couldn't have picked a better choice in Paul Giamatti. This is a Tour de Force acting by Mr. Giamatti. He pulls off several different characterizations of soulless people that are just magnificent. There is one particular instance when being without his soul he is acting as if he has forgotten how to act, it is hilarious. If you want to see great acting, check out this performance. Everything Mr. Giamatti does is clear. You understand his circumstance and how he feels about it. I loved his relationship with Emily Watson who plays his wife Claire. Miss Watson is another stellar actress but sadly, she is underused in this film. David Strathairn plays Dr. Flinstein who is charge of the company that does soul extraction. I liked his portrayal. It was honest and unforced. He worked well off his partners by simply listening and responding in a meaningful way. Actually, there isn't really a bad performance from anyone in the film. Even the Russians are pretty good. Which leads me to the soul trafficking mule, Nina (Dina Korzun). I felt she was a great metaphor for a Chekhovian character. She embodied psychological angst with stillness and subtlety. Although, it is not a great performance but it is still compelling. The ending is exquisitely ambiguous. It will mean something different to each person who sees it.

This original work should receive award recognition come next awards season. I will be shocked if Mr. Giamatti is not graced with many Best Actor nods. It will be out in a limited engagement starting in August. Watch for it. This is a gem and by far the best movie I have seen so far this year.

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Land of the Lost (2009)

7/10

You Will Happily Wander Thru This Land

7 June 2009

Warning: Spoilers

For those of you over 30 and remember a little Saturday morning kids show in the 70's by Sid and Marty Krofft called Land of the Lost about the Marshall family who fall through a rift in time into an alternate prehistoric universe where they encounter dinosaurs, primates and lizard beings called Sleestacks was campy good fun. The effects were cheesy but as a kid, who care. Now, 25 years after its debut, the Kroffts have produced Land of the Lost (LotL) to the big screen starring Will Ferrell as Dr. Rick Marshall. It is a blast. After seeing clips and endless promotion of the film, I admit it looked dumb, but I was pleasantly surprised. You can say this is more of a reboot than a remake, as Rick Marshall goes into LotL with Will and Holly, but Holly is a scientist and Will is a trailer trash owner of a pathetic cave ride and souvenirs tailored for the mind of pre pubescent boys.

The film opens with a hilarious interview of Dr. Marshall on the Today show with Matt Lauer (Matt Lauer can surprisingly act) where Dr. Marshall is a quantum paleontologist. The interview is a disaster and Dr. Marshall becomes a laughing stock in the scientific community. But, a sexy scientist from Cambridge, Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel) pays him a visit and gives him the strength to complete his invention that could make them travel sideways in time. They set out to prove Marshall's time travel theory correct, where they encounter Will Stanton (Danny McBride) and they get sucked into a space-time vortex, where they save the life of a primate name Chaka (Jorma Taccone) and the adventure to try to find their way home begins. Here they try to survive a grumpy Tyrannosaurus Rex, blood sucking bugs, hallucinogenic coconuts, pterodactyls and a plot by the lizard creature Sleestacks to take over the world.

Now, done the wrong way, this movie could've descended into a giant painful cheeseball fest, but Brad Siberling's direction keeps the film flowing, funny and entertaining. Don't get me wrong, this is not a film to be taken seriously, but in the silliness that it is intended. There are some truly laugh out loud moments in here. Sure, there is predictability and corny lines (mainly from McBride, who I felt overall was the weakest of the actors) but the film works and I am surprised by how much it is getting trashed. Taccone was a treat as Chaka, Friel is solid enough as Holly but this is clearly Ferrell's vehicle and he does not disappoint. I am not the biggest fan of Ferrell (especially his sports related films) but he is hilarious and perfectly cast as Marshall. There is no denying his strength as a comedic actor. Land of the Lost is much better than its given credit for. If you like the TV show, you will really enjoy this version and even if you never saw the show before, you will have fun.

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Defiance (I) (2008)

7/10

A Good Film About a Lesser Known Story

4 June 2009

Defiance is a good adaptation of a little known story of Jewish brothers hiding out in the Belorussian forests fighting Nazi's and their collaborators. All the whole, they save the lives of escaping Jews. Starring Daniel Craig (taking a break in between Bond films), Liev Schreiber (so good to see him in something more substantial than Wolverine where he clearly looked like he hated that experience) and Jamie Bell as the fighting Bielski brothers.

It's not a great film, as it is fairly predictable at spots and Daniel Craig generally playing one emotion for the majority of the film. It is effective and it is nice to see a film about the Jews in World War 2 who are not just lambs for slaughter for a change. I did enjoy seeing the struggles of the fugitive Jews to retain their humanity while hiding out in the forests. Edward Zwick does well in his direction. I give Defiance 3 out of 5 stars.

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Drag Me to Hell (2009)

2/10

Getting Dragged to Hell is an Awful Experience

1 June 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Drag Me to Hell written and directed by Sam Raimi is to put it bluntly...Awful. I have to say that when I heard Sam Raimi was taking a break from Spider Man to go back to directing his first true horror film since Army of Darkness, I was looking forward to it. Then when I saw the trailers and now the film, I feel like telling Sam to stick, with Spider Man for now because he's lost his horror movie directing edge.

A tale of bad things happen to good people is taken to the extreme when a sweet, innocent loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) fails to give an extension on a mortgage to a decrepit gypsy woman Sylvia Ganush (Lorna Raver), Mrs Ganush decides to put a hex on sweet little Christine whereby a demon will come to...you know, the title gives it away, unless she can find a way to reverse the curse. She sets out doing this with the help from her ever so accommodating boyfriend Clay Dalton (Justin Long) and a psychic medium Rham Jas (Dileep Rao).

The film is boring, full of horror clichés that are not scary and the laughs are not that funny. There is one scene featuring embalming fluid that was pretty funny, I'll give it that. The key ingredient missing in this film was Bruce Campbell not having a cameo, which would've provided needed comic relief. The acting is sorely lacking. Alison Lohman just doesn't live truthfully under any of the given and imaginary circumstances that befall her. She certainly didn't have a feeling about what was happening to her. Don't get me started on Justin Long. He simply looks clueless and I am just not sure why he is so popular. He looks like he is sleep walking through the film. I will say that Dileep Rao brings some sort of depth to his character as the medium and there are times when I felt something from him. Lorna Raver does a good job as the hexing gypsy woman but unfortunately neither she nor Dileep can save the film.

As for Sam Raimi, I was expecting more from the horror maven. This is a boring and sloppy film. I felt cheated. He essentially rigs up a lot of the same cheap gimmicks from the Evil Dead series into this mind numbing story. It was disappointing because it feels like Sam just needed something to do while waiting to make Spider Man 4. If you are a fan of mainstream horror that lacks any depth or thrills than this is the film for you. Otherwise, save your money.

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Terminator Salvation (2009)

7/10

Lots of Plot Holes But Great Effects

25 May 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Another summer blockbuster is upon us with McG's Terminator Salvation. A prequel set in the future to the Terminator series. To those familiar with the Terminator story, the film takes place in 2018, years after the military computer system called Skynet has become self aware. Having deemed humans a threat and in what humans call Judgement Day, Skynet launches a nuclear assault wiping out most of mankind. The rest are hunted by machines called Terminators. However, there is hope for mankind in the form of the legendary resistance fighter, John Connor(Christian Bale). The film centers around the resistance to the machines. Connor is tasked with finding a teenage Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin, who is our hero from the first Terminator who, as you recall, traveled back in time to save John's mother Sarah Connor) who, like Connor is targeted for execution. Into the mix is a mysterious "man" called Marcus, who in 2003 was executed but donated his body to Cyberdyne Systems (and for those Terminator fanboys and girls, we know who Cyberdyne is) and resurfaces after 15 years. But is he friend or foe? It is a race against time for the resistance against the dreaded machines.

Now, I'm a huge fan of the Terminator series, except for the terrible TV show. I had always been curious about what a film would be like that explored the time of John Connor taking on the machines in the future. However, I was skeptical when I heard McG would be the one to show us this future. But, he does a pretty decent job. The action is really good and the effects are fantastic. The first half of the film is exciting and keeps your interest. Unfortunately, it cannot sustain itself as holes in the plot become apparent and there is suspension of disbelief that is just too unbelievable to the point of laughable. There are some clever references to the previous Terminator films and a very special surprise in store. You will recognize the catch phrases, although one made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger is force fed into the dialogue that it is just too contrived.

As for the acting, a lot has been made of Christian Bale's meltdown on the set that became viral several months ago and I for one have been very critical of Mr. Bale for doing that. But, he does a good job as John Connor. He did not play him with any Hollywood swagger, but a believable soldier who is in a very tough spot, he is reminiscent of the way Michael Biehn portrayed Reese in the first Terminator. All business. But, Bale does it with more finesse and frankly is a better actor. He was living out his imaginary circumstance with truthfulness and is effective. Anton Yelchin, (certainly has a good agent, getting the job as Reese and also portraying Chekov in Star Trek) does an adequate job as Reese but is fairly forgettable. Sam Worthington as Marcus is a worthy partner for Bale and they seemed to play off each other fairly well. Rounding out the cast are veterans, Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Ironside who also do a good job in their respective limited roles.

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Valkyrie (2008)

7/10

A Good Film but Not Great, Thanks to Tom Cruise

21 May 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Valkyrie, available this week on DVD and Blu-Ray is based on actual events concerning a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the height of WWII by his own officers. Bryan Singer's film is a fast paced suspenseful thriller that feels like a plot from Mission Impossible. The star studded film keeps the action going and even intriguing even for those that know the history of the failed assassination attempt. However, it's not enough to try to kill Hitler but you also have to plan to take over the government and here is where some of the finer scenes of the film take place in the frenetic chase between the conspirators and the loyal Nazi party members eager to stamp out the traitors. The film does a good job of being clear as to why these particular men wanted to overthrow the Nazi regime and restore Germany's tattered reputation in the world.

The main problem for me is the lack of German accents or language in the film. We are basically seeing the whole internal battle of German soldiers/politicians and their Nazi counterparts all played by mostly British and American actors, led by Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Now, a lot of negative feedback has been given about Mr. Cruise's performance and I cannot disagree with a lot of it. He appeared to be a boy surrounded by men and was certainly not the strongest actor of any scene he was in when compared with Kenneth Branaugh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson and Terence Stamp. OK, he was better than Eddie Izzard, but not by much. He seemed to just be reciting his lines with no connection or feeling behind them and when feeling did come out, it felt forced and rarely could I feel him having clarity about the person he was portraying, who happens to be a German hero. All these fine veteran actors were living out their circumstances meaningfully. I was not impressed by the few lines of German spoken by Mr. Cruise at the opening of the film but then we hear good old English the rest of the way. I mean why bother? There wasn't even any German accents, with the exception of two; David Bamber as Hitler and Thomas Kretschmann as Major Otto van Remer.

Aside, from that, this is a good film that is worth seeing. The writing was crisp and engaging, while Bryan Singer's direction was sure and confident. It's a pity that Tom Cruise could not catapult this film to be great, but then again, that is a rare occurrence.

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Star Trek (2009)

7/10

A Solid Prequel

9 May 2009

The eagerly anticipated reboot of the the Star Trek series finally has arrived with (technically the 11th film in the series) the self titled Star Trek by the popular new action/drama wunderkind JJ Abrams at the helm. In full disclosure I need to point out that I have been a huge Star Trek fan (mainly Next Generation) for a long time. When I heard they wanted to give a much needed jump start to the franchise by making a prequel, I was skeptical. I mean, c'mon, do we really need to see a movie of Kirk and Spock Go to Starfleet. But, for all intent and purpose, JJ Abrams has done a pretty good job of making a younger, slicker and action packed Star Trek that introduces us to the beloved characters that have been satirized and joked about for decades.

The film straddles the two worlds of hardcore Trekkies and non Trekkies alike by exploring the origins of the two main characters...James Tiberius Kirk and a half human/half Vulcan named Spock. Unbeknown to them, they share a common bond of family tragedy in their lives. We meet them both as precocious children in their own right. The rebellious Kirk and the ever logical Spock. But, what I liked is they give Spock more freedom of expression than what we would see in the original series and the subsequent first 6 films. Mercifully, we are quickly taken through their days of Star Fleet and how they came to join the Academy. Their paths of getting there were similar in its guise and it is here that we also are introduced to Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy who quickly befriends Kirk. All this while, the evil Captain Nero of the enemy Romulans is wrecking havoc on the galaxy and it is up to our young and inexperienced heroes traveling in the newly christened Enterprise to save the day, which you know they will...it's Star Trek.

Before I get into what is good about the film let me say what I didn't like about it. Aside from the usual predictability and necessary suspension of disbelief. I was not at all interested in the evil Romulan threat, it wasn't interesting enough. And of course, in Star Trek world, when in doubt throw in a time travel plot line. I also felt JJ rushed through the introductions of the characters and giving some of them like McCoy cute dialogue that is representative of how we have come to know these characters in the past. The climax was also quick and clean, without any real suspense. I'll get into the acting soon enough. What I liked about the film was the special effects were fantastic, seeing Leonard Nimoy again as Spock. He certainly still remembers the characterization very well. Trekkies will love bringing in Captain Pike but he seemed to be an afterthought once we are settled on to the Enterprise As for the acting. First of all, before I get slammed with angry messages, let me just say that Star Trek is not a story that demands stellar acting. However, as an actor, good work is demanded of you at all times to make the story truthful. Chris Pine who portrays the iconic James T Kirk grows on you. He embody's the characteristics we know about Kirk, a horny, rebel who plays by his own rules. But, except for one occasion he made Kirk his own with no trace of William Shatner and I applaud him for that. Zachary Quinto (Sylar from Heroes) brought emotional depth underneath all that logic and I thought he was the best of them all. The great Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead himself) was pretty funny as Scotty and I welcomed his comic relief. As for Karl Urban as McCoy. He was highly irritating. He essentially mimicked DeForest Kelley's work as McCoy and although you hear imitation is the finest form of flattery, it's not in this case. Create your own character. Same goes for Anton Yelchin as Chekov, he just mimicked. Walter Koenig. Some found it cute. I didn't. John Cho did a decent job as Sulu, we certainly see a new side of him. Zoe Saldana as Uhura also decided to create her own character and even though she is essentially filler, she made the most of her scenes. There is an interesting twist to her love life from the original series that's for sure. Finally, Eric Bana as Captain Nero was boring and completely devoid of interest for me. He was indicating badly to the point of annoyance. Great Star Trek villains like Ricardo Montelban as Khan, Christopher Plummer as General Chang and Alice Krige as the Borg Queen all made me feel something about who they are and the reasons why they did what they did. I hope JJ takes note of that in the next one.

Overall, Star Trek is entertaining with all it's faults (there are gaps in the writing). I would rate it the 4th best in the film series. It's not a great film but it exceeded my expectations. As far as prequels go, this was one of the better ones I've seen. Yes, it's is even better than Star Wars Episode 1. However, I would recommend in the sequel that JJ take his time and not rush through sequences and make the villains have more depth. I give Star Trek 3 stars and is out now in a theater near you.

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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

7/10

A Wonderful Fable That Doesn't Excite Enough

8 May 2009

Warning: Spoilers

This week, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has come out on DVD and Blu Ray. David Fincher's tale of a man who ages backwards and the adventures and lessons that he learns along the way. Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and adapted by Eric Roth (who also wrote Forrest Gump which I'll get to later). Benjamin's story is told through his diary to Daisy (Cate Blanchett), an elderly woman on the verge of death by her daughter Caroline (Julia Ormond). This film looks like a labor of love by Fincher and Brad Pitt who stars as the backwards aging Benjamin. We share Benjamin's life from his birth as an old man, all the way back to his infancy. What we experience is an unconventional love story that is held together by Cate Blanchett's superb work and Brad Pitt's lack thereof. There are other great performances as well by Taraji Henson, Tilda Swinton and briefly, Elias Koteas. But they are not enough to make this a great film.

There are a lot of metaphors incorporated through the film and they all seem to be centered on the affect that time has on all of our lives. I found the prevailing themes of redemption and live life to its fullest as the primary message which could be construed as corny but I found comforting. The ever present refrain of "You never know what's comin for ya." is spoken throughout the film and is a warning to us all. Hurricane Katrina is also a very visceral metaphor in the film and it seems to embody that mantra. Essentially, nothing lasts, but it's choice as a metaphor for this film is...well...curious

A lot of great special effects were used to depict Benjamin from birth until about half way into the film when the real Brad finally shows up. All throughout, Benjamin's voice is narrating to us, sharing his adventures and his simple wisdom for us all. It is because of this that the film has a Forrest Gump like quality and especially Brad's accent and voice inflection is very similar to Tom Hanks who played Gump (I've seen Forest Gump and you Mr. Button are no Forest Gump). Whether it was a conscious or unconscious choice is irrelevant, I personally thought it sounded forced and as we like to say in the acting world, indicated. That is not to say that his acting is bad overall but he seemed to focus too much on his accent and not enough on his the spine of his character. But, to his credit, there are times when he does a decent job of finding the emotional reality of the character, except for a few scenes which his lack of emotion is glaring. The scenes with Julia Ormond staying with Blanchett as she is dying didn't do much for me. I enjoyed Blanchett's elderly characterization but I found Ormond to not have clarity about her character which left me feeling nothing about her relationship and how she really felt about her dying mother. The Cinematography by Claudio Miranda is outstanding. I just love the way the shots were framed and the wonderful use of color. One of my favorite shots is in an elevator with Tilda Swinton...sumptuous.

The film deservedly received 3 Oscars for Art Direction, Visual Effects and of course, Makeup. I agree that it should not have won Best Picture but the film's message of seizing life was beautiful and especially as I am entering a turning point in my life, just passing 40, the point is quite powerful for me. I commend David Fincher, (who is a great director) for creating a modern fable and trying to bring magic back into movies. I just wish there was more magical moments to enjoy. But, I was still entertained overall and I give Benjamin 3 out of 5 stars.

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Wendy and Lucy (2008)

7/10

Simple but Poignant

7 May 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Wendy and Lucy breaks down to a simple theme of; woman loses dog. However, if that is all there is to it, it would be a bust, but Wendy and Lucy offers some poignant moments as well. We find out it's not just the dog who is lost. Michelle Williams is Wendy, a woman who is looking to start a brand new life in Alaska, driving across country from Indiana with her beloved dog Lucy. The film opens with Wendy and Lucy playing together in a park where Lucy run off and finds some friendly transients who tell her how wonderful things are in Alaska. We then see Lucy who has a little money sleeping in her car when she is rudely awakened by a security guard and she has to leave the parking lot. Unfortunately, her car won't start. Here is where everything starts falling apart for Lucy. In a stupid act, Wendy, commits shoplifting in a supermarket and an overzealous grocery clerk catches her and calls the police and has her arrested, leaving poor Lucy tied up outside. (It isn't clear why the police would not make arrangements for the dog as well). After, being released with a fine, Wendy goes back to the supermarket to get Lucy and finds she is gone. Now she is really in trouble. Then comes Wendy's attempts to find Lucy and her difficulties intensify. Not to mention, she still has to get her car fixed, which she thinks is just a simple problem. Luckily, Wendy gets help from a samaritan, in the guise of the security guard, (played sweetly by Wally Dalton). After, a harrowing experience in a park, Wendy finds out that Lucy has been found, but that her car is pretty much dead. So, she has to make a choice, will she choose to get Lucy and keep going somehow to Alaska or go back home without her. The time of her decision is a touching scene.

Wendy and Lucy is a simple film that has heart. The spine of the film is loss. Michelle Williams gives an overall good performance but her acting is inconsistent. There are times when I just didn't feel she was desperate to find her dog, even though she was playing the given circumstance of her character. I had to ask myself a few times, how does she feel about that? Other times, she did well and performed with the given emotion that is required. Veteran, Will Patton has a small role as the distracted owner of the auto mechanic shop and he too did a decent job. His character was not too difficult and therefore not much was expected of him I felt. I feel like it was a wasted role overall. Kelly Reichardt wrote and directed and did a good job. The plot points were clear and the theme of loss is quite apparent. I give Wendy and Lucy 3 stars and is currently out on DVD.

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

6/10

Fairly Predictable But Entertaining

3 May 2009

Warning: Spoilers

The summer blockbuster movie season is upon us. After months (seemingly years) of endless promotion Wolverine...X Men: Origins, has finally slashed its way onto the big screen. Let me first start out by saying that I have not read any of the Wolverine comics, never was the biggest fan of X Men. But Wolverine is a pretty cool character and so I wanted to see where he came from. We find out where he came from all right, but it is not very clear as to how someone who is born in the 1840's is alive and kicking today. We understand that Wolverine has regenerative powers (only from previous X men films and if you hasn't seen those, you would be lost) but regenerative powers does not longevity make, or so I thought. He has all this longevity and can never die as well, except for cutting his head off. (If you just read that and think he's a vampire, I sympathize but you would be mistaken). I understand, it's a comic book movie and therefore you need more than the usual suspension of disbelief. However, that is a pretty important plot point to clue the audience in I would say. We learn all of this in a good montage in the opening credits where our hero Logan aka Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman (as if you didn't know by now) who's power is having his bones jut out of his hands like knives and his half brother Victor who also has the same longevity and regenerative powers but has claws and acts like a big cat and who's name is Sabretooth ( although they never say it, again you have to have watched the first X Men film for that) played by Liev Schreiber are seen fighting in the American Civil War, World Wars 1 and 2, Korea and Vietnam. The funny thing is, they are Canadian. Setting aside, nationality and historical semantics for a while, we also learn that Victor is a pretty sick cat (pun intended) and that Logan has to constantly remind him to chill. But, as fate would have it, Victor goes too far in Vietnam, which causes both him and Logan to be executed by a firing squad. Surprise, they don't die and are sent to a stockade instead. Enter, Colonel William Stryker (Danny Huston) who recognizes their powers and entices them to join his secret team of mutants to go on missions.

From here, the film becomes fairly predictable. We meet the team of mutants, including Wade, who is the most sarcastic of the bunch (played by Ryan Reynolds, who can't seem to play anything else and note to Ryan it is not cute, it's annoying as hell). They go on a certain mission in Africa which rubs Logan entirely the wrong way and he quits the team. Although, hasn't he learned from other action films, that you just can't quit a military operation without consequences. So, Logan becomes a lumberjack in British Columbia, meets and falls in love with a school teacher when his past comes calling. Obviously he turns it down, but when tragedy strikes, Logan is hell bent on revenge. Victor is back to his old killing tricks and it's up to Logan to take him down. But, Logan needs an edge in killing his older brother, so Stryker convinces Logan to let him experiment on him by injecting an indestructible metal (Adamantium) onto Logan's skeletal structure. Hence, the metallic claws are born. Here, Stryker wants to erase Logan's memories to make him an obedient soldier. Logan overhears this while underwater and decides he wants no part of it. He escapes and the adventure truly begins.

From here, the film descends into predictable Hollywood formulaic action plot twists about Logan being double crossed and going after both Victor and Stryker and meeting other mutants along the way, including a fan favorite...Gambit who for some reason was not in the previous 3 X Men films. They did a good job with the ending, which helps explain why Logan, in the other X Men films, doesn't seem to remember who or what he is. There is a pretty comical sequence with The Blob (Kevin Durand).

Wolverine is a typical action film, so I will not be overly critical of the acting but I give Hugh Jackman a lot of credit. This is his 4th time brandishing Wolverine's claws and he didn't phone it in and still gave a lot of life to his character. Liev Schreiber did a good job as the villainous Victor and Danny Huston was also pretty good as Stryker. They all seemed to understand their characters and lived out their imaginary circumstances fairly well. The writing for the most part was better than the previous X Men films but for some reason the folks who write X Men films, have a terrible time with catchy one liners (see Halle Berry in the first X Men for probably the worst one liner ever). Aside from that, Gavin Hood did a good job with the directing. If you are a big action buff, you will not be disappointed. For me, the Dark Knight is still the new gold standard for comic book films and Wolverine is not in its league and it's not supposed to be and that's alright. Wolverine is a good popcorn film.

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Nothing But the Truth (I) (2008)

7/10

A Layered Defense of 1st Amendment Rights

1 May 2009

Warning: Spoilers

This is a good film, where it could've been great. A film that is very loosely based, or perhaps inspired by the events of real life NY Times journalist Judith Miller who was willing to go to jail in order to not reveal her source about the outing of CIA Agent Valerie Plame. None of those events are in this film but it has to do with a Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) who winds up going to jail for not revealing her source about the blown cover of a CIA agent Erica Van Doren (Vera Farmiga).

The story becomes a testament to what steps people will go to defend or protect 1st Amendment rights or to put that aside to be in service to your country. The latter is what the Special Prosecutor Patton Dubois (Matt Dillon) is called upon to do. While the former is defending Rachel in the guise of top defense attorney, Alan Burnside (Alan Alda).

I enjoyed Vera Farmiga's portrayal, she was emotionally full without being over the top. Alan Alda, was Alan Alda but there was more humanity from him in this role than I'd seen in a while which was refreshing. Matt Dillon was adequate in his role but his southern/country accent was wavering and not very convincing, neither were his convictions which could've been very powerful but I felt were not fully lived out. David Schwimmer plays Rachels husband and I have seen him try to do dramatic roles, but he still can't seem to shake his Ross mannerisms. He did a fair job. Noah Wyle and Angela Bassett round out the cast as members of Rachel's newspaper. I too felt that Noah was struggling with finding the right tone for his character and I was very happy to see Angela again. I didn't think this was one of her better characterizations.

Rod Lurie directed and the pacing was fine but I din;t feel this was a home run. A good job was made of seeing what Rachel had to endure to protect her 1st Amendment rights but it felt more heady and was lacking in emotional depth for the most part, save for a scene or two.

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Frost/Nixon (2008)

7/10

Ron Howard's Metaphoric Attempt at Putting Bush in the Hot Seat

24 April 2009

Warning: Spoilers

A fine rendition of the play of the same name. Michael Sheen and Frank Langella reprise their roles from the play as David Frost and Richard Nixon in a story about one of the most famous political interviews in the history of television where a struggling English talk show host, David Frost scores an interview with then former President Nixon and gets him to admit wrongdoing in the Watergate scandal. At times it has the typical clichéd feeling of the underdog-going-up-against-the-champion type story but it was entertaining. However, I felt like Mr. Howard was using Nixon as a metaphor for President Bush and wanting to put Bush in the hot seat for all of his wrongdoings as President, with himself as Frost. The portrayal of Nixon was fairly pathetic, but then again, there is no version that of him that is flattering, especially Anthony Hopkins version in Oliver Stone's "Nixon." What was interesting is how much of a money grubber Nixon is shown to be, ie; always wanting more money for doing the interviews. Not to mention being delusional, as in not recalling a drunken phone call to Frost a few nights before their final interview.

Parts of the film are a little slow and oftentimes too grandiose for a story of this kind. But the climax is a huge payoff and Langella does an incredible job of portraying the desolation, the anguish and loneliness of Nixon. However, I liked his nonverbal emotions to his vocal inflections better. Sheen does a admirable job as the partying playboy Frost. You can see how he feels about his difficult circumstance and how everything he had was literally on the line with the success of this interview. The supporting cast led by Kevin Bacon, who goes back to his cold loyalist part he played similar to A Few Good Men as Nixon's chief of staff Jack Brennan. It works for Kevin and he is good at it. Oliver Platt also plays his typical sardonic, caustic witted type character as Bob Zelnick. Sam Rockwell plays the whiny, revenge filled James Weston who wants nothing more than to make Nixon pay. Rebecca Hall plays Caroline Cushing, in a not much to do part except smile, look pretty and be strong for her man, role. However, she conveys good compassion when called on. At the helm, Ron Howard, who's direction seems a bit rushed and distracted at times, especially when he is showing who David Frost is. I didn't have a strong feeling for Frost one way or another but it was a good attempt.

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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

7/10

Not as Good as All the Hype...But Good Nonetheless

4 April 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Slumdog is a good film overall, but I did not understand the massive hype surrounding it. It is not one of my favorite films from 2008. However, in terms of all the Oscar nominees it was the Best Picture of that group. The film centers around Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) who is accused of cheating while being a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He is sent to police headquarters where he is subsequently tortured into revealing who helped him and why (apparently in India, you are treated like a terrorist for cheating on game shows). This leads to Jamal regaling his captors with stories from his past that coincide with each question that he answered correctly. As a child, Jamal befriends a beautiful girl Latika (Frieda Pinto) and he falls in love. However, his brother Salim, who doesn't hesitate to betray Jamal at every turn keeps ruining his chances with Latika and makes her vanish from his life. But Jamal vows to find her and save her. One of the main reasons he becomes a contestant on the show, so he hopes she will be watching. The film culminates with Jamal being released from police custody to go and try to answer the final question for 20 million rupees, where in an attempt to phone a friend, gets the surprise of his life.

There are some aspects of the film that are clichéd and confusing to me. My favorite parts of the film were the sequences of the main characters as children and the horrific things they have to endure to get by on the streets of Mumbai. Danny Boyle is an exceptional director and once again he does a good job with the source material. The acting was decent as most of the child actors I believe have never been actors before, so they did a pretty good job. It is worth seeing but again, I don't think it was earth shattering.

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Seven Pounds (2008)

4/10

Emotionally Manipulative Farce

4 April 2009

Warning: Spoilers

Seven Pounds is a disappointment. It tries too hard to be emotionally poignant and it just feels manipulative. The film is centered around Ben Thomas (Will Smith) who seemingly has it all. A great career, a beautiful wife, and a lovely beach house. However, tragedy strikes in the form of a horrific car accident that he caused (a good lesson in not to text and drive) that takes the life of 7 people, including his wife and leaves him a shell of his former self. So, he seeks to atone for his sins and doesn't feel he deserves to live. He goes to quite the extremes to make amends by becoming a samaritan to only deserving people who truly need his help. The climax is ludicrous. I totally didn't believe that even Mr. Smith (who is becoming an exceptional actor) even believed the plausibility of his character. He looked like he was trying too hard. It takes a while to get going and it is incoherent at times. I am glad I didn't waste $10 on this film. I did think Rosario Dawson who plays does a decent job as a woman with congenital heart disease who desperately tries to connect with her samaritan. But even her story line felt contrived and the love interest forced. Gabriele Muccino is responsible for this mess, which is a shame because he did such a wonderful job with Will in Pursuit of Happiness. However, this time, he created a farce that wants to be much more than it truly is.

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The Visitor (I) (2007)

8/10

Djembe lessons and Illegal Immigration are the thought provoking backdrop

24 March 2009

Warning: Spoilers

I enjoyed The Visitor, the latest from Tom McCarthy and the team that brought us The Station Agent. It stars Richard Jenkins as Walter Vale. A disillusioned man, sleepwalking through life and quite lonely. He meets an illegal couple, Tarak and Zainab played very well by newcomers Haaz Sleiman and Denia Gurira. When Tarek is arrested and threatened with deportation, Walter steps in to help.

Richard Jenkins is such a good actor and he really plays Walter with an evocative isolation that is palpable. His unlikely relationship with Tarek is charming, it becomes more so as Tarek teaches him how to play the Djembe. However, I really enjoyed seeing Walter with Tarek's mother Mouna the talented Hiam Abbass (of Paradise Now) who has the strength and understated presence of the Syrian mother hoping for her son's release. The bond they form is quite endearing as two lost souls coming together in this common cause. Overall, the acting is quite natural and unforced. Everyone is playing things simply and honestly which one should expect from good acting. It is also a thought provoking piece about the state of our current immigration laws since 9/11. It can get a little preachy at times, but I would expect that with such a hot button issue. I do not question the issue surrounding some of the laws, but the circumstances that happen can be quite scary for the victims. I think this is the message that Mr. McCarthy is trying to convey. http://tbreviewer.blogspot.com/

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Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009)

9/10

We Are All Children of Hera!

23 March 2009

Warning: Spoilers

OK, I'm a little tardy in posting my thoughts on the finale of BSG, but here goes. I thought it was very well done. I don't have enough space to encapsulate the entire run of the series but I really liked it. I was wondering how the set up of a suicide mission to rescue Hera from the Cylon Colony would work out but the first hour is a dynamo of action and typical BSG type drama that I was riveted. Hera is rescued, Boomer does the right thing but Athena blows her away anyway. I guess that is justice. There is also justice finally for Callie as Galen discovers that Tory killed her and returns the favor. It is interesting that the time of peace is ushered in by murders. I LOVED seeing the new Cylons in hand to hand combat with the classic Cylons. That was great. The second hour is more about the characters and how each of them meet their fates. To sum up,. I thought it was cool that they discovered "our" Earth and not the nuclear holocaust devastated one at the end of season 3. Hera does prove to have been very pivotal as it turns out she is our ancestor, we are all children of Hera, because the fleet lands in Africa 150,000 years ago and scientists discover the remains of Hera(supposedly). So, we are half human and half "toaster" afterall. So to sum up. Roslin does die and Adama buries here near where he will build the cabin they both had talked about. That was touching. But it was sad that Adama leaves Lee behind. Speaking of Lee. He not only loses his father but Starbuck as well. After Starbuck plugged in the Jump coordinates, which was "Watchtower" all along, she senses she accomplished what she was meant to do and she vanishes. Very messianic like. Lots of people were irate about that, but I liked it. It keeps in with the spiritual aspects of the story from the start. Gaius and Caprica 6 start a new life and his last line about him being a farmer was pretty emotional, I liked how we acted that. He really had a feeling about that. It was sad seeing Galen head off on his own. Tigh and Ellen also ended up happily ever after, presumably.

I also liked how they incorporated all the flashbacks of each of the main characters lives on Caprica, prior to the war in the final 3 episodes where it showed the characters essentially staying true to their forms about how each of them tackled adversity and offered hints at where fate would ultimately take them. Overall, well done. This has been a great series. I only started watching it a couple of months ago, so I have been really late to the dance but am I ever glad I came at all. I think this will change sci-fi series going forward in a very substantial way. So say we all! http://tbreviewer.blogspot.com

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Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

8/10

You Will Not Soon Forget Poppy

22 March 2009

Warning: Spoilers

After watching Happy Go Lucky, I can't help but say to myself that Mike Leigh has done it again. Mike Leigh time after time gives us films that leave indelible impressions in one form or another. Happy Go Lucky is a character piece about a seemingly devil may care, absent minded gal named Poppy, who never stops talking, is always smiling and joking around and you are feeling like this women just has no clue. She's adorable but that's all. That's the genius of Mike Leigh. The film takes a while to ramp up, but we are all coming along for the ride with Poppy and we can't help falling in live with her. The character reminds me of a female Ricky Gervais in overdrive. She is played by Sally Hawkins, who won the Golden Globe for her stunning performance. I really enjoyed watching her work. However, what we don't realize is that as we see Poppy's journey, we also see how compassionate, wise, joyous and balanced she really is. She is a Laughing Buddha. One of the center pieces in the film is her relationship with her driver's education instructor, Scott. Played creepily well by Eddie Marsan. Their scenes together as he teaches her to drive are both weird and funny. He is ultra serious, opinionated, a total curmudgeon with a paranoid streak and he just makes Poppy want to help him, like she does with everyone she encounters. She wants to make everyone happy. There is a poignant scene with a homeless man that is lyrical to watch and epitomizes the depth of Poppy. All of the acting in the film is well done and relaxed. Everyone feels real and the chemistry is definitely palpable. Especially between Poppy and her longtime roommate, Zoe played by Alexis Zegerman who also looks out for Poppy and she is endearing. Happy Go Lucky is a film that sneaks up on you. Not much happens through the first half of the film as we are slowly being introduced to this ball of nice named Poppy. I was excited to learn that the scenes between Poppy and Scott were largely improvised and it shows, in a very good way. Happy Go Lucky may not be Mike Leigh's best film, but the character of Poppy is certainly going to be his most beloved. Give it a try and you will not soon forget her. I give Happy Go Lucky 3 out of 5 stars and is out now on Blu Ray and DVD.

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