The summer Blockbuster is where Hollywood makes its money and it is almost always a gamble. For every Pirates of the Caribbean, we have a movie like Stealth that cost a ton and bombed at the box office. What I have here is a list of my ten favorite big budget summer blockbusters. For the purposes of this list, I have taken only big special effects type movies, so animated movies or summer comedies have been figured in. Also, this list starts at 1993, when I was really getting into movies and they consist of movies I saw on the big screen, the way these movies are meant to be seen. I did have some input from Robbie Blake, and my parents. Erik sucked and never got back to me so he does not get a say.
Here it is:
10. Armageddon- Sure, this is pure campy drivel in terms of over the top-ness, but what really is not to love here? The movie is big, loud and unapologetic. Bruce Willis is at his usual stoic best and the ensemble features all kinds of weird misfit casting. No one blows things up quite like Michael Bay and no one has utilized slow motion to such over the top craziness. The iconic slow motion line walking is laughable sure, but can you really beat it? People always claim to hate this movie, but secretly they watch it all of the time and they cry at the end. It is about time people just admit it. Oh and about the plot "Regarding the film's premise, Ben Affleck asked director Michael Bay, "Wouldn't it be easier for NASA to train astronauts how to drill rather than training drillers to be astronauts?" Bay told Affleck to shut up." So there!
9. The Mummy- This is your prototypical summer blockbuster. The movie does not take itself seriously, captures some dazzling special effects, has a funny sidekick and even manages laughs for our hero and heroine. In ancient Egypt a forbidden love affair happened, a bad guy got mummified, and the woman was killed. Now, that mummy has been reawakened with one thing in mind, getting his lover back from the dead. In order to do this he needs a human to act as a conduit, enter the sexy sexy Rachel Weitz. Also, throw in Brendan Frazer in a perfect mix of heroism and pure hilarious cowardice and you have yourself a whopper of a movie. It is everything you want form escapism cinema, and while it may be ridiculous, you believe it for the 2hrs it runs on the screen.
8. Spiderman- So what, I am an unabashed Spiderman fan, deal with it. This is pure adrenaline mixed with just enough heart to rise above your standard fare. Toby makes a joyful Spiderman and the first scenes he uses his powers are both hilarious and exhilarating. Kirsten lends a sense of girl next door charm to M.J, but this movie belongs to two people- Sam Raimi( the director) and Willem Defoe. Raimi has always had a manic energy as a director and now he gets to work with a budget suited for his brand of film. He still adds elements of that fun campy style, but he also captures Spiderman's breathtaking abilities and Defoe is perhaps the best on-screen superhero villain, yet. Yes, I know people always go to Nicholson's joker, but he pales in comparison of Defoe's crazy genius take on Green Goblin. The fights are exciting, the heart real and the story timeless.
7.X2- As much as I enjoyed the first X-men movie this one took everything that was right with it and added to it. Yes, there are a lot of characters and not enough time to properly use them, but in the case of Nightcrawler, when the opening sequence is that fantastic, who cares? The make up in this thing is spectacular, and watching Mystique morph in and out of various characters is mesmerizing. Hugh Jackman gives his Wolverine even more rage and unbridled energy which manifests itself best in a whopper of a fight sequence with a female with powers just like his, when neither one can die, that just makes the fight that much more brutal. The plot is more interesting than the first one and Singer, the director, has a better grasp on what to do in terms of action scenes. We also add some great new characters, my favorite being Pyro and watching him blow cop cars to bits is quite a ride!
6. War of the Worlds- Yes it is in to hate on Tom Cruise. Yes, dude is crazy but this movie is pure brilliance from beginning to end. Spielberg, working with evil aliens for the first time gives us a giant movie that feels like a small movie. Yes, the explosions exist and the tripod things are spectacular, but this movie is about a family. It i snot a movie cutting back and forth between 6 or 7 people, it is about 3 people and then it is about 2 people. Some will complain about the very end and that is fine, but the rest of this movie is just one giant thrill ride. We don't know why one van works when no other car does, but that one van makes for some of the more interesting scenes as a group of people try and get in it. Also, the most gripping sequence is perhaps one of the most quiet sequence in film and what makes it thrilling is the acting of Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins and the great Dakota Fanning, mixed with the crazy cool effect of Spielberg's imagination.
5. Independence Day- Will Smith breaks out as a massive action star, Jeff Goldbloom adds an odd comic touch to the movie, Bill Pullman will make everyman feel Patriotic, oh and the White House gets blown to bits. What is not to love here? The Aliens are awesome looking, their ships even cooler looking. Watching them take out giant landmarks is crazy fun and as Harry Connick Jr. and Smith weave their way around the smaller alien ships, we get a sense of that first Star Wars movie and how people felt watching it for the first time. Randy Quaid adds an interesting touch as comical tragic father, trying to pay back the Aliens for a tortured past and in his final seconds, it is hard to not fall victim to manufactured tears. Lastly, Pullman gives one hell of an inspirational speech tat made me wish I could jump into a fighter jet and blow up some aliens.
4.Jurassic Park- I don't care who you are, Dinosaurs are bad ass. Imagine a movie where they have live dinosaurs in modern times. Now imagine that movie where the Dinosaurs get loose and start eating people, how cool is that?? Spielberg's dinosaurs still look great, even 14 years later and the chases are just as thrilling now as they were at first. Watching a jeep just out of reach from the jaws of a giant mean looking T-Rex will always be cool and watching Raptors quietly figure out how to open doors and sniff out the two children remains a moment I will always love. Throw in some great lines from Jeff Goldbloom a hilarious one-liner from Sam Jackson (Hold on to your butts) and you have pure movie joy.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl- Let us try and remember the first part of this trilogy, you know the good one. Let us remember before the second movie sucked the life out of it, back when Johnny Depp's off the wall performance was fresh and invigorating and not Charlie Chaplin like and borderline retarded. Do you have it? Good because no matter how bad this series gets they cannot take the first movie away from us. The laughs, the sword fights, the incredibly cool skeleton effects and the oh so sexy sneer of Keira Knightley. Geoffery Rush is brilliant in the role of a villain, and his monologue bursts with a creepy sympathy and then leads to a great visual of a bunch of skeletons rowing a giant ship. There was nothing wrong with this movie, until it made a ton of money and they ruined it by making a horrid sequel.
2. Men In Black- I may have a bias here being such a Will Smith fan, but this movie is a perfect summer movie. Granted it is nothing more than a summer movie, but in that popcorn genre it achieves perfection. From the opening sequence where Danny Elfman's score buzzes with quirkiness, to the end where Smith gets a new partner, it is always just a bit off beat and funny. The aliens are always different looking, the script pops with great jokes and the story keeps you interested. Tommy Lee Jones has never used his dead pan personality to this level of perfection and Vincent D'Onofrio is so good as the Alien, it is hard to see him do anything else. The quotes are endless and the action manages to keep up with the wit and bubbling chemistry between our two leading men. Yes, the sequel was unfortunate, but when the original is this good you can forgive that kind of mistake. Oh and those guns are sick!
1. Spiderman 2- Is this really any sort of shock? While Men In Black is summer perfection, Spiderman 2 is not only the perfection of summer, it is the perfection of any season of any year. Where the first one gave us a great villain and the beginnings of a great superhero, the sequel gives us a great internal conflict with Peter, as well as great villain. Alfred Molina, in a piece of odd casting turns in a tragic performance as Doc Ock, and what Raimi does with his tentacles is brilliant and scary. The fight scene as Spidey and Ock climb a building, shows us an overpowering villain and allows us to see Spiderman is not Superman. The acting rises above what people expect from a comic book movie and the story is just as good as any movie and watching Harry's slow transformation to the dark side is fun to watch. The train fight sequence is also one of my all time favorite fight scenes in movie history.
So there you have it. This summer we will have- Spierman 3, Pirates 3, Fantastic four 2, Harry Potter 5, Transformers and a few other big summer blockbusters. It should be one killer Movie season!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Fracture
Often times a plot twist can make or a break a film. Some many times directors forgo so much in hopes that the big plot twist will save a movie. M. Night Shyamalan is probably the biggest victim to this curse. It worked for The 6th sense and Unbreakable( even if the plot twist here was obvious 10 minutes in), it worked to some degree in Signs and bombed miserably in The Village. Now, the village was a terrible movie, but what hurt the movie was that I picked the plot twists up about 10 minutes in and since the rest of the movie was horrible, there was nothing worth watching. In contrast, I picked up the big conclusion plot twist in this movie within the first 15 minutes, yet it didn't much matter because the movie was still incredibly engrossing. Anthony Hopkins in superb arrogant and creepy mode, stars as a man who shoots his wife. It is clear to us that he did it, he admits it, gives a confession and will be sentenced to life in prison, right? Not so fast!
What unfolds is a movie about what really happened and how can you prove it when none of the supposed evidence pans out. That is the plight of Ryan Gosling, the young district attorney charged with closing this case. The problem for him is that he already has a new job lined up at a giant law firm, so with one foot out of the door, he believes this case to be a slam dunk. The title of this film comes from a story Hopkins tells about how everyone has a breaking point and Gosling's breaking point is that he is a winner. After losing a tough day in court, Gosling tries to figure this case out and the movie goes from there. Now, if you are paying attention the resolution should come as no shock, but if you are paying attention none of that should matter because you are watching Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. Hopkins is one of the better actors living and Gosling is really becoming one of the better actors to emerge onto the scene since Ed Norton burst onto the scene. What Gosling does in each film is give his character a trait. He makes them all real by giving them something they always go back to, like we all do. In Half Nelson, his character always wiped his face with his tie and here he is constantly running his hands on his face when he is upset. It seems small, but it makes his characters real and if we buy into the characters in the film we can buy into the film
The director doesn't exactly bring anything new to the table concerning this type of film and yes, Hopkins has played this part before, and probably played it better, but the exchanges between he and Gosling pop with brilliant intensity. Both of these actors appear to be loving the exchange and it shows in the overall energy of the film. Another person who adds some great stuff is David Stratharn. He plays Goslings boss and while the part could easily be a thankless throwaway part, Stratharn finds a way to make it meaningful, passionate and understated. Some times watching great acting rise above a choppy script, a conventional story and a twist that is obvious early on, is all it takes to enjoy a movie. This was certainly the case here and it only makes me want to see Gosling work more.
What unfolds is a movie about what really happened and how can you prove it when none of the supposed evidence pans out. That is the plight of Ryan Gosling, the young district attorney charged with closing this case. The problem for him is that he already has a new job lined up at a giant law firm, so with one foot out of the door, he believes this case to be a slam dunk. The title of this film comes from a story Hopkins tells about how everyone has a breaking point and Gosling's breaking point is that he is a winner. After losing a tough day in court, Gosling tries to figure this case out and the movie goes from there. Now, if you are paying attention the resolution should come as no shock, but if you are paying attention none of that should matter because you are watching Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. Hopkins is one of the better actors living and Gosling is really becoming one of the better actors to emerge onto the scene since Ed Norton burst onto the scene. What Gosling does in each film is give his character a trait. He makes them all real by giving them something they always go back to, like we all do. In Half Nelson, his character always wiped his face with his tie and here he is constantly running his hands on his face when he is upset. It seems small, but it makes his characters real and if we buy into the characters in the film we can buy into the film
The director doesn't exactly bring anything new to the table concerning this type of film and yes, Hopkins has played this part before, and probably played it better, but the exchanges between he and Gosling pop with brilliant intensity. Both of these actors appear to be loving the exchange and it shows in the overall energy of the film. Another person who adds some great stuff is David Stratharn. He plays Goslings boss and while the part could easily be a thankless throwaway part, Stratharn finds a way to make it meaningful, passionate and understated. Some times watching great acting rise above a choppy script, a conventional story and a twist that is obvious early on, is all it takes to enjoy a movie. This was certainly the case here and it only makes me want to see Gosling work more.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Vacancy
Usually horror movies featuring people getting lost on some side street star teenagers, well 20 year old actors playing teenagers. This makes sense because teenagers are stupid enough to think of driving off the freeway as a short cut. However, in this movie we get a married couple in their 30's falling victim to this classic horror movie premise. I thought it would annoy me that a couple this old would be a part of this premise, yet the script does a pretty good job of giving a plausible reason for why this couple strayed from the interstate. Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale star as the ill-fated couple in this very intimate, often thrilling movie. Having just left the anniversary party for Beckinsale's parents, this couple is on the way home. In the opening scene we find out 2 things- The interstate had a nasty accident on it and this is not a happy couple. In fact, this a couple on the verge of divorce but since no one knows they went to the party together, to keep up the illusion. This internal conflict manages to play very well in the beginning of this movie and it manages to give us characters worth caring about, in a horror movie!
Swerving to avoid a raccoon, Wilson damages his car and they are forced to stay in a hold int he wall motel. The motel is perfect. I mean it looks so awful, I thought I could smell it. this is also the only real set for the movie, and with only 6 character, this sometimes feels like a stage play. As soon as they enter their room, the scares begin. Loud telephone rings, and crazy banging on doors, begin our scare fest. Soon, they are replaced by the screams of unsuspecting victims, as Wilson puts a tape in the V.C.R, thinking it is a movie. Quickly he realizes what is going on and we are off to the races. I have just summed the first 15 minutes of this very quickly paced film and the next hour and 10 minutes are spent running, crawling, yelling, sweating and avoiding death. In coming in at under 90 minutes, this movie avoids wearing out its welcome and often leaves the audience just waiting for the next thing to happen.
The hits keep on coming too. The killers wear creepy masks, but are ultimately human unlike so many of the slasher flick villains. They aren't afraid to run and the camera always seems to catch them at just the right time. That right time is always 3 seconds later than you expect. It may not seem like much, but when the music crescendo's you expect killers in the window and when it doesn't happen until a second quick crescendo, it can come across as a much more scary flick. It helps that Beckinsale and Wilson manage to be good actors in a horror movie, not an easy thing to do. Wilson underplays his fear, while putting on a courageous front and Beckinsale is in full meltdown mode and watching those two modes clash really turns this into a very exciting rush of a movie. No, it is not at all an original idea but in borrowing from many scary movies, they manage to string together a greatest hits of scary movies and there is nothing wrong with that.
Swerving to avoid a raccoon, Wilson damages his car and they are forced to stay in a hold int he wall motel. The motel is perfect. I mean it looks so awful, I thought I could smell it. this is also the only real set for the movie, and with only 6 character, this sometimes feels like a stage play. As soon as they enter their room, the scares begin. Loud telephone rings, and crazy banging on doors, begin our scare fest. Soon, they are replaced by the screams of unsuspecting victims, as Wilson puts a tape in the V.C.R, thinking it is a movie. Quickly he realizes what is going on and we are off to the races. I have just summed the first 15 minutes of this very quickly paced film and the next hour and 10 minutes are spent running, crawling, yelling, sweating and avoiding death. In coming in at under 90 minutes, this movie avoids wearing out its welcome and often leaves the audience just waiting for the next thing to happen.
The hits keep on coming too. The killers wear creepy masks, but are ultimately human unlike so many of the slasher flick villains. They aren't afraid to run and the camera always seems to catch them at just the right time. That right time is always 3 seconds later than you expect. It may not seem like much, but when the music crescendo's you expect killers in the window and when it doesn't happen until a second quick crescendo, it can come across as a much more scary flick. It helps that Beckinsale and Wilson manage to be good actors in a horror movie, not an easy thing to do. Wilson underplays his fear, while putting on a courageous front and Beckinsale is in full meltdown mode and watching those two modes clash really turns this into a very exciting rush of a movie. No, it is not at all an original idea but in borrowing from many scary movies, they manage to string together a greatest hits of scary movies and there is nothing wrong with that.
Notes on a scandal
Cate Blanchett is one of the most talented actresses working. I think she and Kate Winslett are tops as far as female actors go. Judi Dench is the consummate actress. She is always top notch, even if she rarely performs in movies I have any desire to see. Put them together in a movie where they are often holding information back from each other and you have one powerhouse performance film. I mean, wow, watching the two of them go back and forth in the climax of this movie is something great to behold. The climax itself is a bit disappointing, but watching them certainly makes up for it.
Blanchett and Dench star as high school teacher, and with Blanchett being new to the area, Dench quickly befriends her. Dench keeps a diary where she writes down everything important that happens on any given day and a lot of that is heard by us int he form of the classic voice over narration. I was not surprised to see that this was a book first because the language of the narration is stunning. It is incredibly literary in its descriptions of clothes and actions. It seems unnecessary to a film, because we can see the clothes, but it becomes vital for us to hear Dench's words as it helps us get to know her better. And, the better we know her, the more clearly we come to understand that she is not all there. She is a very lonely desperate woman who has no clue how a person is supposed to behave. To be honest though, Blanchett's character is not too much better. Bored at having married an older man, she takes up a steamy affair with a 15 year old student. The kid played by Irish actor, Andrew Simpson gives off a very honest performance of a student nailing his incredibly hot teacher.
The conflict in this story comes from Dench having seen this affair with her own eyes and instead of telling someone in charge she holds it over Blanchett's head. The other conflict is that Blanchett has 2 kids, a pretty 16 yr old girl and a son who has Downs syndrome and with Dench always invading their privacy, the family starts to resent Dench and Blanchett. There is a scene that captures that frustration in a way that not only gets the family annoyed, but it makes the audience annoyed for them. When Dench feels betrayed because Blanchett cannot seem to end her affair, she drops a hint to a fellow teacher and soon the entire sordid affair unravels. Being the Internet age, the story catches the airwaves and we see what like is like for the teacher arrested for such crimes.
I liked that no one is portrayed as a victim in this and I like that the husband (Bill Nighy) gets some serious scenes and doesn't come off like a typical movie significant other. I love watching Blanchett and Dench work off each other and I love the dialogue. I like that we get a sense that Dench is not really a lesbian, just a disillusioned crazy woman, who hasn't broken any actual laws, so she doesn't come across as truly evil. She is just a desperately lonely old woman. There are no good and bad people in this movie. There is right and there is wrong, and the two main characters do an awful lot of both. However, one of the downsides of that is that the conclusion feels a bit like a non conclusion. The climax starts so powerful and then it just kind of dies. In reality it is the only way it could have ended without getting into the absurd, but even still, I guess apart of me wants to watch Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench fight to the death.
Blanchett and Dench star as high school teacher, and with Blanchett being new to the area, Dench quickly befriends her. Dench keeps a diary where she writes down everything important that happens on any given day and a lot of that is heard by us int he form of the classic voice over narration. I was not surprised to see that this was a book first because the language of the narration is stunning. It is incredibly literary in its descriptions of clothes and actions. It seems unnecessary to a film, because we can see the clothes, but it becomes vital for us to hear Dench's words as it helps us get to know her better. And, the better we know her, the more clearly we come to understand that she is not all there. She is a very lonely desperate woman who has no clue how a person is supposed to behave. To be honest though, Blanchett's character is not too much better. Bored at having married an older man, she takes up a steamy affair with a 15 year old student. The kid played by Irish actor, Andrew Simpson gives off a very honest performance of a student nailing his incredibly hot teacher.
The conflict in this story comes from Dench having seen this affair with her own eyes and instead of telling someone in charge she holds it over Blanchett's head. The other conflict is that Blanchett has 2 kids, a pretty 16 yr old girl and a son who has Downs syndrome and with Dench always invading their privacy, the family starts to resent Dench and Blanchett. There is a scene that captures that frustration in a way that not only gets the family annoyed, but it makes the audience annoyed for them. When Dench feels betrayed because Blanchett cannot seem to end her affair, she drops a hint to a fellow teacher and soon the entire sordid affair unravels. Being the Internet age, the story catches the airwaves and we see what like is like for the teacher arrested for such crimes.
I liked that no one is portrayed as a victim in this and I like that the husband (Bill Nighy) gets some serious scenes and doesn't come off like a typical movie significant other. I love watching Blanchett and Dench work off each other and I love the dialogue. I like that we get a sense that Dench is not really a lesbian, just a disillusioned crazy woman, who hasn't broken any actual laws, so she doesn't come across as truly evil. She is just a desperately lonely old woman. There are no good and bad people in this movie. There is right and there is wrong, and the two main characters do an awful lot of both. However, one of the downsides of that is that the conclusion feels a bit like a non conclusion. The climax starts so powerful and then it just kind of dies. In reality it is the only way it could have ended without getting into the absurd, but even still, I guess apart of me wants to watch Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench fight to the death.
The Host
So, how does one make a monster movie without being looked at as joke? Apparently, the answer is to fill your monster movie with enough comedy, to make it work as not just a monster movie. At least that is what Director Joon-ho Bong seems to think. As you may be able to tell from the director's name, this movie is an import. It is not a Japanese import, like I thought though, it is Korean. I am sure some of the Godzilla comparisons are inevitable, but having seen a few of those Godzilla movies in my day, I have to say this is a very far departure from those.
Kang-ho Song stars as a father, who is dumb, slow and clumsy but when his daughter is captured by a wicked mutated creature thing, he swings into action trying to save her. Of course, he enlists his family in his struggles, and the comedy comes from the family. This is your typical family, squabbles and all. Even as their lives are in danger they cannot help but make fun of each other and bicker. See, the Korean Government, along with the U.S.A has spread throughout TV that this creature carries with it a deadly virus, and since Kang-ho got some of the creature's blood on him, he is considered to be very dangerous. Yes, this movie does at times play like a bureaucratic or democratic protest film, which could be seen as a shot at how the media sprays lies and how everyone believes it because it is the only thing being said. Who really knows, in this mostly fun little movie.
If you know me, I am not too terribly keen on subtitled movies. This movie had a great poster, terrific trailer and incredible reviews from critics, so I thought I would check it out. The creature is very cool looking like a cross between the aliens in Alien and the worms in Tremors. He also swings along bridges like a gymnast or like Spiderman. There are no real scares in the movie. It is not the scary kind of monster film. It is the fun, over the top and odd monster film. It mixes a romantic style score with bright fire flashes in its over long climax. It seems to fall under the "less is more" category, but then it shows the creature vomit for at least 45 seconds and as we watch human bones and meat chunks flow out of its oddly constructed mouth, we find ourselves wondering again how to figure this movie out.
The main problem with the movie is that it doesn't seem to care much for its characters and the Government conspiracy subplot gets so over the top it takes away from what should be the heart of the movie. And that heart belongs to 13 year old actress, Ah-Sung Ko. She is the girl who has been captured and it is watching her hide, scrap and survive that makes this movie worth watching. She is a great presence on screen and the character is tough, a real survivor. There are some great laughs, a few thrills and some great CGI, but in the end, the conclusion of the film is its downfall. I have to admit being incredibly let down by the time it was over and it ruined my experience of watching it.
Kang-ho Song stars as a father, who is dumb, slow and clumsy but when his daughter is captured by a wicked mutated creature thing, he swings into action trying to save her. Of course, he enlists his family in his struggles, and the comedy comes from the family. This is your typical family, squabbles and all. Even as their lives are in danger they cannot help but make fun of each other and bicker. See, the Korean Government, along with the U.S.A has spread throughout TV that this creature carries with it a deadly virus, and since Kang-ho got some of the creature's blood on him, he is considered to be very dangerous. Yes, this movie does at times play like a bureaucratic or democratic protest film, which could be seen as a shot at how the media sprays lies and how everyone believes it because it is the only thing being said. Who really knows, in this mostly fun little movie.
If you know me, I am not too terribly keen on subtitled movies. This movie had a great poster, terrific trailer and incredible reviews from critics, so I thought I would check it out. The creature is very cool looking like a cross between the aliens in Alien and the worms in Tremors. He also swings along bridges like a gymnast or like Spiderman. There are no real scares in the movie. It is not the scary kind of monster film. It is the fun, over the top and odd monster film. It mixes a romantic style score with bright fire flashes in its over long climax. It seems to fall under the "less is more" category, but then it shows the creature vomit for at least 45 seconds and as we watch human bones and meat chunks flow out of its oddly constructed mouth, we find ourselves wondering again how to figure this movie out.
The main problem with the movie is that it doesn't seem to care much for its characters and the Government conspiracy subplot gets so over the top it takes away from what should be the heart of the movie. And that heart belongs to 13 year old actress, Ah-Sung Ko. She is the girl who has been captured and it is watching her hide, scrap and survive that makes this movie worth watching. She is a great presence on screen and the character is tough, a real survivor. There are some great laughs, a few thrills and some great CGI, but in the end, the conclusion of the film is its downfall. I have to admit being incredibly let down by the time it was over and it ruined my experience of watching it.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Perfect Stranger
The problem with this movie is not that it is bad, it is just timid. It wants to say all of these things and be all of these things, but it is afraid. It is like that kid in high school who wants to be confident, but when given the chance to talk to the pretty girl, he fumbles over all of his words. Mostly, this movie wants to be one delving into the world of anonymous on-line sex, but the most we get is some on-line flirting because it won't take us in that world. It wants to talk about concealing the truth by stripping Halle Berry's character of a story about a rich senator who is homophobic, while being gay in secret, but that story gets wrapped up so quickly it doesn't get to any meat. We are supposed to believe Giovanni Ribisi, is some sort of sexual deviant, but the movie is afraid to show us that and just alludes to it mostly. Never has a movie with such a racy trailer failed to deliver on anything. Never have rumored sex scenes in a film been so far from the truth, and never before has Halle Berry had less chemistry on screen than she does with Bruce Willis.
Halle Berry has a friend die, she thinks Bruce Willis killed her and since she is a reporter she wants to get all of the acts of the case. Ribisi is her best friend/co-worker and they are going to work together to solve this. Ribisi's character carries an obvious torch for Berry (who can blame him) and what follows is a messy film with an improbable conclusion and the most boring on screen flirting I have seen in many years. Wat we also have are seemingly pointless flashbacks to Berry's childhood, where her father abused her. However, very early you catch on as to why they are being shown and it completely ruins the ending, because if it had ended differently these scenes would have been pointless. Rumors are that they actually shot 4 endings, with a different killer for each one, but if you watch the movie it becomes obvious only one ending even seems possible. So, unless those endings carry completely different movies, they would make so much of the existing movie obsolete. Willis stars as a very wealthy man, with a controlling wife. However, that does not stop him from having sex with temps and interns at the office. We are supposed to believe he is a freak because we are told that. However, nothing he does in the movie really gives us that impression.
The script is generally bad and the directing and editing are both choppy and seem unnecessary. Berry is back to form as a barely average actress who happens to be unbelievably gorgeous and Willis is his usual solid self, with two modes of talking, that lilt like whisper or that loud growl. He comes out of this movie mostly unscathed, but I imagine he did this movie because he got to make out with Berry. Ribisi is really the only thing in this movie that comes close to impressing. He is always looks like he is on the verge of jumping Berry's bones, while managing to be her friend. His performance is about the only acting job in this mess. There is also a whole subplot or two that don't even need to be in this movie and in fact if they had been trimmed, the movie would have come in 30 minutes shorter and been easier to handle.
Halle Berry has a friend die, she thinks Bruce Willis killed her and since she is a reporter she wants to get all of the acts of the case. Ribisi is her best friend/co-worker and they are going to work together to solve this. Ribisi's character carries an obvious torch for Berry (who can blame him) and what follows is a messy film with an improbable conclusion and the most boring on screen flirting I have seen in many years. Wat we also have are seemingly pointless flashbacks to Berry's childhood, where her father abused her. However, very early you catch on as to why they are being shown and it completely ruins the ending, because if it had ended differently these scenes would have been pointless. Rumors are that they actually shot 4 endings, with a different killer for each one, but if you watch the movie it becomes obvious only one ending even seems possible. So, unless those endings carry completely different movies, they would make so much of the existing movie obsolete. Willis stars as a very wealthy man, with a controlling wife. However, that does not stop him from having sex with temps and interns at the office. We are supposed to believe he is a freak because we are told that. However, nothing he does in the movie really gives us that impression.
The script is generally bad and the directing and editing are both choppy and seem unnecessary. Berry is back to form as a barely average actress who happens to be unbelievably gorgeous and Willis is his usual solid self, with two modes of talking, that lilt like whisper or that loud growl. He comes out of this movie mostly unscathed, but I imagine he did this movie because he got to make out with Berry. Ribisi is really the only thing in this movie that comes close to impressing. He is always looks like he is on the verge of jumping Berry's bones, while managing to be her friend. His performance is about the only acting job in this mess. There is also a whole subplot or two that don't even need to be in this movie and in fact if they had been trimmed, the movie would have come in 30 minutes shorter and been easier to handle.
Disturbia
Now is a very good time to be Shia Labeouf. he opened a movie with 23 million dollars after it was projected to make 12 million, he is one of the stars of Transformers and the lead voice in Surf's up, both of those movies are projected to be huge summer movies and over the weekend it was announced he would appear in the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones movies. The biggest thing about those 4 movies is that Steven Spielberg is involved in all of them. Spielberg has picked this kid out of virtual obscurity and has bred him to be the next big thing. About that, I have to say, FINALLY! Having a little sister who grew up as part of this revitalization of Disney TV, I have known about Shia for a few years due to his run on the TV show, Even Stevens and this kid can act. He is funny and charming and was great in a little seen movie called The Battle of Shaker Heights. Now, in Disturbia he gets to prove he can be a star.
Shia stars as a mis-understood teenage boy, who likes to get int rouble by punching teachers and eventually gets under house arrest. While under the arrest, his mother gets rid of his X-box, and his Itunes, so he has to find new ways to entertain himself. Enter, Sarah Roemer, A gorgeous bikini clad new next door neighbor who piques Shia's interest and now he is all about binoculars to watch everyone around him. One night on TV he hears a story of a girl kidnapped by a man in a ford mustang with a dent in the front fender and he sees one of his neighbors drives that exact kind of car. For the rest of the movie Shia tries to prove this guy is a kidnapper and killer, from his window. Yes, it is Rear Window, but so what! This movie moves a mile and minute and never fails to deliver scares or laughs, depending on the scene. A lot of these thrillers aimed at the younger generation attempt to infuse the scares with laughs and more often than not, they fail, but due to Shia's easy going, smart alecy charm, the laughs come often and loud for the first 45 minutes.
The opening sequence is a very jarring moment and really lets us know exactly what kind of movie we are in for as it goes from a seemingly Utopian moment, to pure unadulterated agony. It is a moment that manages to resonate through the entire film. This is a movie for the youtube generation, if I ever saw one. Video cameras play into most of the most intense moments, capitalizing on a Blair Witch mentality, only actually delivering the scares Blair Witch lacked. David Morse (one of those actors who is in everything) shows up as our possible killer and what a performance he gives. He is charmingly creepy and always a formidable force, perfect for the jumps provided by the director. The director, D.J Caruso, comes from the world of television, having directed countless episodes of shows, understands that things have to keep moving in a movie like this. He manages to get thrills in the smallest places and even manages to pull this movie above typical cheap thrill fare. The conclusion is a rush of manic energy through a house that has been hallowed out and seems to have endless basement space, and while that logic seems skewed, it never matters because the hits just keep on coming. if this movie is any indication, not only will 2007 be Shia's year, but many more years to come.
Shia stars as a mis-understood teenage boy, who likes to get int rouble by punching teachers and eventually gets under house arrest. While under the arrest, his mother gets rid of his X-box, and his Itunes, so he has to find new ways to entertain himself. Enter, Sarah Roemer, A gorgeous bikini clad new next door neighbor who piques Shia's interest and now he is all about binoculars to watch everyone around him. One night on TV he hears a story of a girl kidnapped by a man in a ford mustang with a dent in the front fender and he sees one of his neighbors drives that exact kind of car. For the rest of the movie Shia tries to prove this guy is a kidnapper and killer, from his window. Yes, it is Rear Window, but so what! This movie moves a mile and minute and never fails to deliver scares or laughs, depending on the scene. A lot of these thrillers aimed at the younger generation attempt to infuse the scares with laughs and more often than not, they fail, but due to Shia's easy going, smart alecy charm, the laughs come often and loud for the first 45 minutes.
The opening sequence is a very jarring moment and really lets us know exactly what kind of movie we are in for as it goes from a seemingly Utopian moment, to pure unadulterated agony. It is a moment that manages to resonate through the entire film. This is a movie for the youtube generation, if I ever saw one. Video cameras play into most of the most intense moments, capitalizing on a Blair Witch mentality, only actually delivering the scares Blair Witch lacked. David Morse (one of those actors who is in everything) shows up as our possible killer and what a performance he gives. He is charmingly creepy and always a formidable force, perfect for the jumps provided by the director. The director, D.J Caruso, comes from the world of television, having directed countless episodes of shows, understands that things have to keep moving in a movie like this. He manages to get thrills in the smallest places and even manages to pull this movie above typical cheap thrill fare. The conclusion is a rush of manic energy through a house that has been hallowed out and seems to have endless basement space, and while that logic seems skewed, it never matters because the hits just keep on coming. if this movie is any indication, not only will 2007 be Shia's year, but many more years to come.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Planet Terror (Grindhouse's first movie)
I have seen plenty of disgusting movies in my life, but this one probably takes the cake. It was a bad move on my part coming off the stomach flu to see a movie where the zombies bodies are giant boils just waiting to be popped and when they pop they shoot blood everywhere. Also, when the original zombies body parts start falling off, like their testicles it gets very graphic. It is a truly gruesome display of effects, yet because of the genre of film it is all perfectly amazing. If there is one thing Robert Rodriguez does it is that he makes great looking films and this does not disappoint. Freddy Rodriguez and Rose McGowen star as a screwed up couple in the midst of a serious zombie infestation. The movie hits the ground running and does not let up until the very last frame. While you have seen most of the best stuff in the trailer, imagine 90 minutes of that trailer. Yes, McGowen gets a gun for a leg (which is way freaking hot) but this movie is so much more than that.
Around every corner in this movie is something disgusting and funny. From the visuals, to the dialogue , everything is just so outrageous you are either going to love it or hate it. We have a character who cuts the testicles off everyone he kills and keeps them in a jar. Freddy Rodriguez is a member of something unknown to us, but whatever it is it means he can kill anyone in any way he chooses and in his first real action scene he slices and dices his way through a hospital, in a way usually reserved for Wolverine in the X-Men movies. All of this happens through muted colors, scratched film and even a missing reel. The missing reel joke isn't really funny, as much as it is an easy way to avoid the usual nudity shown in "Grindhouse" films.
It would be a mistake to talk about the acting in this thing, or even the writing because they are kind of handcuffed in that aspect by the genre of film they are paying tribute to, so what I can talk about is the feeling i had while watching this thing. Through the whole thing, I could not wait to find out what was going to happen next. I was on the edge of my seat just waiting to see how the next zombie would die or to see what limb would come flying off next. I was hanging on every line of hilarious dialogue and it was not hard to see that Rodriguez was doing this out of love and respect for the films he grew up watching. I don't imagine there is much of an audience for these movies at least not until DVD, but I always felt like I was watching something gruesomely special. Rodriguez even got the synthesized score right. It is wonderful to watch people do things they love just because they want to do it and I have to have a lot of respect for the studios who gave these two incredibly talented artists the money to make this passion film.
Around every corner in this movie is something disgusting and funny. From the visuals, to the dialogue , everything is just so outrageous you are either going to love it or hate it. We have a character who cuts the testicles off everyone he kills and keeps them in a jar. Freddy Rodriguez is a member of something unknown to us, but whatever it is it means he can kill anyone in any way he chooses and in his first real action scene he slices and dices his way through a hospital, in a way usually reserved for Wolverine in the X-Men movies. All of this happens through muted colors, scratched film and even a missing reel. The missing reel joke isn't really funny, as much as it is an easy way to avoid the usual nudity shown in "Grindhouse" films.
It would be a mistake to talk about the acting in this thing, or even the writing because they are kind of handcuffed in that aspect by the genre of film they are paying tribute to, so what I can talk about is the feeling i had while watching this thing. Through the whole thing, I could not wait to find out what was going to happen next. I was on the edge of my seat just waiting to see how the next zombie would die or to see what limb would come flying off next. I was hanging on every line of hilarious dialogue and it was not hard to see that Rodriguez was doing this out of love and respect for the films he grew up watching. I don't imagine there is much of an audience for these movies at least not until DVD, but I always felt like I was watching something gruesomely special. Rodriguez even got the synthesized score right. It is wonderful to watch people do things they love just because they want to do it and I have to have a lot of respect for the studios who gave these two incredibly talented artists the money to make this passion film.
Deathproof (Grindhouse's second film)
Where Robert Rodriguez's film is a study in over the top goodness, Tarentino takes the subtle approach to Grindhouse cinema. In the early 60's Grindhouse films were a little less violent, but featured the crazy stunts and bad ass chicks. Here in Tarentino's film we get all of that plus, a return to the great Tarentino dialogue. Deathproof could actually be split into 2 movies itself- The first half where the bad guy wins and the second half where the girls come out on top. Kurt Russel stars as a serial killer, but instead of a knife or gun, he uses his seriously tricked out car. The car he calls "Deathproof." In the first half he tracks down some serious hotties as we spend about 30 minutes in a bar getting to know the females played by Rose Mcgowen and a bunch of girls I had never heard of before this., These girls drink, get high and dance. It is all pretty standard stuff, but it is the way Tarentino moves the camera and the shots he decides to take and the changes in music that make this completely engrossing. Eventually the killing happens and wow what a shot. Tarentino shows the same action 4 times from four different view points, each more effective than the previous one. It is seriously the best shot I have seen Tarentino film.
Part two of this film finds us with 4 new girls- Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thomas, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and stunt woman Zoe Bell, playing herself in a genius move by Tarentino. Zoe is one of the best stuntwomen in Hollywood (Xena and Kill Bill) and allowing her in this film is both a nice nod to her ability and also playing into Tarentino's Self referencing humor. Unlike the first batch of women, these women are bad ass. Thomas and Bell are stunt women and the other two actresses. We about 30 minutes of dialogue between the four of them, at a diner, and the way the scene plays and the camera moves, it looks a lot like Reservoir dogs. During these 30 minutes we learn that these are tough no nonsense women. Some are going to find it a bit boring, but I find it perfectly engrossing and absolutely necessary if we are going to believe the rest of the film. Eventually, 3 of these 4 girls end up in a seriously amazing 1970 dodge Challenger and since they are stunt women we get them doing a stunt. The stunt is that Zoe Bell gets on the hood of the car, grabbing 2 belts that have been tied to the doors and she rides on the hood for a while.
Enter, Kurt Russel again. In his car we begin a 20 minutes heart pounding gut wrenching climax. First Russel chases the girls, pounding against their car as we watch Bell hanging on for dear life (We know she does her own stunts, making it that much more insane). After a while the girls get the upper hand and Thomas shoots Russel. Russel, in a genius acting choice, shows us what a wimp his character is outside of his car, turns and drives away screaming. In any other film this would make for a good ending, but not for these bad ass chicks. They decide to go get their revenge and in this movie revenge is a dish best served slammed against two cars. We get the second half of the car chase, but this time more intense because Russel is screaming the whole time and Thomas talks like she is in a Pam Grier movie.
Some will complain that after the adrenaline rush of Planet Terror, DeathProof is a a bit of a letdown, but the brilliance of Tarentino's film is that he underplays it. His dialogue cracks, his camera work is exceptional and the story is very interesting. It does seem to stray away from the promise of the "Grindhouse" moniker and I think that is why most of the trailers show Rodriguez's film. However, this is the better movie of the two. Unfortuanately, it comes after the pure shot of testosterone and 4 genius fake trailers, one of which includes a brilliant cameo by a surprising actor.
Part two of this film finds us with 4 new girls- Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thomas, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and stunt woman Zoe Bell, playing herself in a genius move by Tarentino. Zoe is one of the best stuntwomen in Hollywood (Xena and Kill Bill) and allowing her in this film is both a nice nod to her ability and also playing into Tarentino's Self referencing humor. Unlike the first batch of women, these women are bad ass. Thomas and Bell are stunt women and the other two actresses. We about 30 minutes of dialogue between the four of them, at a diner, and the way the scene plays and the camera moves, it looks a lot like Reservoir dogs. During these 30 minutes we learn that these are tough no nonsense women. Some are going to find it a bit boring, but I find it perfectly engrossing and absolutely necessary if we are going to believe the rest of the film. Eventually, 3 of these 4 girls end up in a seriously amazing 1970 dodge Challenger and since they are stunt women we get them doing a stunt. The stunt is that Zoe Bell gets on the hood of the car, grabbing 2 belts that have been tied to the doors and she rides on the hood for a while.
Enter, Kurt Russel again. In his car we begin a 20 minutes heart pounding gut wrenching climax. First Russel chases the girls, pounding against their car as we watch Bell hanging on for dear life (We know she does her own stunts, making it that much more insane). After a while the girls get the upper hand and Thomas shoots Russel. Russel, in a genius acting choice, shows us what a wimp his character is outside of his car, turns and drives away screaming. In any other film this would make for a good ending, but not for these bad ass chicks. They decide to go get their revenge and in this movie revenge is a dish best served slammed against two cars. We get the second half of the car chase, but this time more intense because Russel is screaming the whole time and Thomas talks like she is in a Pam Grier movie.
Some will complain that after the adrenaline rush of Planet Terror, DeathProof is a a bit of a letdown, but the brilliance of Tarentino's film is that he underplays it. His dialogue cracks, his camera work is exceptional and the story is very interesting. It does seem to stray away from the promise of the "Grindhouse" moniker and I think that is why most of the trailers show Rodriguez's film. However, this is the better movie of the two. Unfortuanately, it comes after the pure shot of testosterone and 4 genius fake trailers, one of which includes a brilliant cameo by a surprising actor.
Bobby
I am not going to pretend to know the real history of this movie. All I know about Robert Kennedy I learned when I was 9 years old and that was taught to me by a 50 year old black man who believe Kennedy to be the only white politician to care about black people. This movie also portrays him as such and judging by the clips they show of the man giving speeches, it is hard not to get behind what he believed in. Of course this movie is not really about Kennedy, it is about a hotel full of people on the day of the election. The hotel is the Hotel where Kennedy would be giving his speech, win or lose. The movie stars about 50 people who have all head-lined a movie at some point and is at times incredibly dull, but at other points it is a wonderful and poignant film.
The main distinction between the dull and poignant is the individual story being told. See, this movie is like Crash or Magnolia where about 10 different stories are being told and they barely intersect. We have a story about 2 young men helping to get people out voting, but get sidetracked by dropping acid ( a bad story line), We get glimpses of a storyline about a aging lounge singer ( another bad storyline) but we also get an amazing storyline about the kitchen staff of the hotel. The kitchen staff storyline is where the meat of this film gets the most work. All of the kitchen staff is either Hispanic or Black, and in the late 60's blacks were making headway while the Hispanics were becoming the more loathed race. However, the event of this film happen post Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. These kitchen characters get the most interesting dialogue and it features a wonderful cameo performance by Lawrence Fishburne.
It is hard to say whether or not I enjoyed the movie because too much is going on. It gets difficult to care about all of the things going on when we only get them in 5 minute intervals. Perhaps that is the point. Maybe we are meant just to catch glimpses of the lives being led by all of these characters before another assassination demoralizes America further. Emilio Estavez wrote and directed this obvious passion product and he effectively weaves the camera in and out of storylines, but something just doesn't click. Very few of the rotating actors make an impression and in the end I am not sure what to feel about any of them except 2 or 3. The 15 minute climax is incredibly effective and allowing us to just listen to the words of RFK as they play out brought tears to my eyes. I am not sure if I got tears because of the movie or because I have never heard a politician talk like that in my life, but whatever the reason, this movie romanticizes the life and words of RFK and makes no apologies for it.
The main distinction between the dull and poignant is the individual story being told. See, this movie is like Crash or Magnolia where about 10 different stories are being told and they barely intersect. We have a story about 2 young men helping to get people out voting, but get sidetracked by dropping acid ( a bad story line), We get glimpses of a storyline about a aging lounge singer ( another bad storyline) but we also get an amazing storyline about the kitchen staff of the hotel. The kitchen staff storyline is where the meat of this film gets the most work. All of the kitchen staff is either Hispanic or Black, and in the late 60's blacks were making headway while the Hispanics were becoming the more loathed race. However, the event of this film happen post Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. These kitchen characters get the most interesting dialogue and it features a wonderful cameo performance by Lawrence Fishburne.
It is hard to say whether or not I enjoyed the movie because too much is going on. It gets difficult to care about all of the things going on when we only get them in 5 minute intervals. Perhaps that is the point. Maybe we are meant just to catch glimpses of the lives being led by all of these characters before another assassination demoralizes America further. Emilio Estavez wrote and directed this obvious passion product and he effectively weaves the camera in and out of storylines, but something just doesn't click. Very few of the rotating actors make an impression and in the end I am not sure what to feel about any of them except 2 or 3. The 15 minute climax is incredibly effective and allowing us to just listen to the words of RFK as they play out brought tears to my eyes. I am not sure if I got tears because of the movie or because I have never heard a politician talk like that in my life, but whatever the reason, this movie romanticizes the life and words of RFK and makes no apologies for it.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Spring Awakening (Broadway show review)
In all of the raves being thrown at this show, there is no mention of the acting. None whatsoever. Singing, yes. Music, absolutely. Story, without a doubt. But acting? What acting? Certainly the lead guy and girl haven’t heard a word about acting when not singing. Some would say that is just the trend of musical theater right now. I would say that as well. I am not saying it is a good thing, but the big powerhouse voice is what musicals want because that is what the audience remembers. So, if they haven’t quite figured out the acting thing, it is forgivable, mostly. Honestly, if my leads can’t act in a fun silly show, I probably wouldn’t care at all, but in a show with this many layers, this complicated it would have been nice if the leads could act. That being said, what a phenomenal theatrical experience this show is! I imagine when Rent premiered the people who saw it felt the way I saw when I saw this show. What a change of pace for musical theater. With a rock-pop score, amazing drums, on stage seating, subtle but great choreography and a story anyone who grew up even semi repressed can relate to, this musical soars, depresses, celebrates and evokes the most random laughter and when you leave the theater you just think about how you grew up.
Lea Michele stars as Wendla, a 15 year old girl growing up in 1890 Germany under a strict roof and left to figure out life by herself and through her friends. The impressive thing here is that they all seem to be around the right age; Michele has to be at least 18 I think, due to her on stage nudity, and perhaps the others are 18 as well, but they all look 15 and it is the most effective thing about this show. Their male counterparts, led by Jonathan Groff are also dealing with their issues of being young men dealing with their own sexuality. This is basically a character study and unfortunately the most interesting character is not our lead character but his side kick, the oft tormented, Robert Smith ( the Cure, look them up) inspired hair, pre-emo, emo kid, played brilliantly by John Gallagher, Jr. His tortured walk, voice and character makes him the one character the audience really seems to be drawn to. It doesn’t hurt that he gets the lead on my favorite songs “The Bitch of living” and his big solo numbers “Don’t do sadness” and “Left Behind” are so brilliantly done. All in which he jumps and writhes his body over the stage in this unbelievable angst, making him seem like a character where everyone else appears to be there just to show us an issue.
And oh boy do we get issues. Sex, pregnancy, abuse (physical, sexual and emotional), suicide, pressure of school and living in a repressed time are all brought up in a very stark way. We also get a bit of homosexuality although that whole thing seemed to be almost an after thought. All of these issues are better when discussed in blaring rock tones, backed by an amazing band and featuring amazing drums and guitars. Songs like “All that’s known”, “The Word of your body”, “Left behind” and “The Dark I know well” are all powerful songs with powerful belting voices and rich lyrics that are genuinely moving to watch. Honestly, I am not sure what else could be said about the show. I liked every single song, with the exception of the opening and by the third song I had already forgotten that first song existed. The story does play out in a pretty familiar fashion, but that is ok with me because it was the only place the story could go to get its point across and that point is, parents talk to your kids about the things they will face in life. Don’t pretend sex doesn’t exist because it does and the more open you are about them, the better equipped they shall be to deal with them.
Lea Michele stars as Wendla, a 15 year old girl growing up in 1890 Germany under a strict roof and left to figure out life by herself and through her friends. The impressive thing here is that they all seem to be around the right age; Michele has to be at least 18 I think, due to her on stage nudity, and perhaps the others are 18 as well, but they all look 15 and it is the most effective thing about this show. Their male counterparts, led by Jonathan Groff are also dealing with their issues of being young men dealing with their own sexuality. This is basically a character study and unfortunately the most interesting character is not our lead character but his side kick, the oft tormented, Robert Smith ( the Cure, look them up) inspired hair, pre-emo, emo kid, played brilliantly by John Gallagher, Jr. His tortured walk, voice and character makes him the one character the audience really seems to be drawn to. It doesn’t hurt that he gets the lead on my favorite songs “The Bitch of living” and his big solo numbers “Don’t do sadness” and “Left Behind” are so brilliantly done. All in which he jumps and writhes his body over the stage in this unbelievable angst, making him seem like a character where everyone else appears to be there just to show us an issue.
And oh boy do we get issues. Sex, pregnancy, abuse (physical, sexual and emotional), suicide, pressure of school and living in a repressed time are all brought up in a very stark way. We also get a bit of homosexuality although that whole thing seemed to be almost an after thought. All of these issues are better when discussed in blaring rock tones, backed by an amazing band and featuring amazing drums and guitars. Songs like “All that’s known”, “The Word of your body”, “Left behind” and “The Dark I know well” are all powerful songs with powerful belting voices and rich lyrics that are genuinely moving to watch. Honestly, I am not sure what else could be said about the show. I liked every single song, with the exception of the opening and by the third song I had already forgotten that first song existed. The story does play out in a pretty familiar fashion, but that is ok with me because it was the only place the story could go to get its point across and that point is, parents talk to your kids about the things they will face in life. Don’t pretend sex doesn’t exist because it does and the more open you are about them, the better equipped they shall be to deal with them.
I think I love my wife
If you like Chris Rock, you will probably get a kick out of this movie. If you don’t like Chris Rock, you’d be wise to never see this movie. Luckily for me I am a huge Chris Rock fan and I got huge laughs out of this silly, over the top and ultimately pointless movie. Rock, star, writer and director of this movie uses it to vent about marriage in a slightly misogynistic manner and some of the voice over narration feels as if it comes straight from his stand up and actually some of it does. That is certainly not shocking because he has done it before and I am sure he will do it again, the problem is, as an actor Chris is not terribly commanding, but as a stand up comedian he is among the best.
Rock stars as a man who has a great job, a great family and a beautiful wife (Gina Torres), so naturally he is bored. Rock called it the “Seven year itch” in an interview last week. See, he has been married for 7 years and he and his wife are no longer having sex. Rock is understandably frustrated and everywhere he goes he sees gorgeous women and often imagines hilarious scenes, about what would happen if he were single. Again, it is really only funny if you like Rock. Enter, Kerry Washington. Washington is smoking in this movie, literally and figuratively. She smokes in almost every scene and oozes crazy sexual energy in every pout, wink, spoken word and movement. Rock knew her in the past, had a big crush on her and she has shown up to shake things up. Washington is a free fun girl and Rock finds himself laughing and enjoying life a lot more when she is around. The problem is, he starts putting off his work and his family for spending time with her. He starts lying and getting mad at his wife for no real reason (another hilarious scene). Oh and his best friend is randomly played by Steve Buschemi. Buschemi is kind of the anti Rock here. He is a horrible worker and cheats on his wife all of the time and offers up some pretty heinous advice to his friend. Some of which involves Viagra and a most unfortunate needle. It is probably the low point of the film for me and reverts far away from Rocks strong point, which is his voice for words.
The story comes down to will he or won’t he cheat on his wife and I have to say that I got wrapped up enough in the story that I was unsure whether he actually would or not. It would have been difficult to fault him for it because Washington wears the hell out of that red bra and pantie set in the closing moments and he does seem just too exhausted with his wife to put up with it anymore. However, at the same time we would die for him not to do it because of his kids, and the relationship he has with them. The closing scene is also so over the top silly that it is hard to imagine a studio let him do it, yet it is also off the wall hilarious that it seems difficult not to laugh while you are watching it, and plenty of the people I was watching it with, did laugh, often and very loudly. I can’t say I recommend this movie to anyone, but if you like Chris Rock you will enjoy the voice over narration at the very least or if you want to check out a smoking hot light skinned black girl prancing around in very tight revealing clothing, this might also be worth checking out.
Rock stars as a man who has a great job, a great family and a beautiful wife (Gina Torres), so naturally he is bored. Rock called it the “Seven year itch” in an interview last week. See, he has been married for 7 years and he and his wife are no longer having sex. Rock is understandably frustrated and everywhere he goes he sees gorgeous women and often imagines hilarious scenes, about what would happen if he were single. Again, it is really only funny if you like Rock. Enter, Kerry Washington. Washington is smoking in this movie, literally and figuratively. She smokes in almost every scene and oozes crazy sexual energy in every pout, wink, spoken word and movement. Rock knew her in the past, had a big crush on her and she has shown up to shake things up. Washington is a free fun girl and Rock finds himself laughing and enjoying life a lot more when she is around. The problem is, he starts putting off his work and his family for spending time with her. He starts lying and getting mad at his wife for no real reason (another hilarious scene). Oh and his best friend is randomly played by Steve Buschemi. Buschemi is kind of the anti Rock here. He is a horrible worker and cheats on his wife all of the time and offers up some pretty heinous advice to his friend. Some of which involves Viagra and a most unfortunate needle. It is probably the low point of the film for me and reverts far away from Rocks strong point, which is his voice for words.
The story comes down to will he or won’t he cheat on his wife and I have to say that I got wrapped up enough in the story that I was unsure whether he actually would or not. It would have been difficult to fault him for it because Washington wears the hell out of that red bra and pantie set in the closing moments and he does seem just too exhausted with his wife to put up with it anymore. However, at the same time we would die for him not to do it because of his kids, and the relationship he has with them. The closing scene is also so over the top silly that it is hard to imagine a studio let him do it, yet it is also off the wall hilarious that it seems difficult not to laugh while you are watching it, and plenty of the people I was watching it with, did laugh, often and very loudly. I can’t say I recommend this movie to anyone, but if you like Chris Rock you will enjoy the voice over narration at the very least or if you want to check out a smoking hot light skinned black girl prancing around in very tight revealing clothing, this might also be worth checking out.
The Lookout
It is always nice when a movie is solid. It has solid acting, writing, directing and a solid interesting story, and the lookout is all of those things. It is a solid two handed dunk or a base hit up the middle. It is a nice solid movie. However, it is also kind of boring but it is so “nice.” All of the pieces are there, but something just doesn’t click to raise this above just an enjoyable experience. Don’t think I am really complaining because often time a nice movie on a nice Saturday afternoon is just what the doctor ordered, but I just kept thinking it was going to get over the hump and really wow me in some way.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, fresh from 2 years of great performances (Brick and Mysterious Skin), stars in this movie as a teenager who had everything until a vicious vehicle accident left him in a state of near retardation. He has to write everything down to remember it, he doesn’t having a filtering system when he speaks and is prone to random fits of aggression and carries the accident with him wherever he goes because he was the cause of the accident that killed two of his best friends. Levitt is an incredibly talented young man, don’t let that stint on a bad sitcom about aliens fool you, this kid is the real deal. He internalizes his thoughts and actions in a way that is vastly beyond his years and I imagine soon he will be recognized for not being afraid to take interesting roles. In this role he walks, acts and talks exactly how you would expect, but even if fits of anger you know there is something in his eyes beyond what words can express. Jeff Daniels as his blind roommate is a solid comic relief character and is among his best acting ever, as well. After that we have a few supporting roles, furthering this story.
See the story is this, Levitt now works as a janitor at a bank and a bad guy played by Matthew Goode (I have no idea who he is) wants to rob the bank so he befriends Levitt under the pretense that he just wants to be a friend. Levitt, dying to feel a sense of normalcy and intoxicated by the feminine wiles of Ilsa Fisher (Wedding Crashers) decides to give in to the friendship. Goode plays Spago exactly how you would expect and the story that follows plays pretty much how you would expect and it is done well enough, but in the end, two loose end plot points are left dangling for no apparent reason and one line of voice over narrative to tie up the caper really kind of shows lazy writing which kind of ruins the end of the movie for me.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, fresh from 2 years of great performances (Brick and Mysterious Skin), stars in this movie as a teenager who had everything until a vicious vehicle accident left him in a state of near retardation. He has to write everything down to remember it, he doesn’t having a filtering system when he speaks and is prone to random fits of aggression and carries the accident with him wherever he goes because he was the cause of the accident that killed two of his best friends. Levitt is an incredibly talented young man, don’t let that stint on a bad sitcom about aliens fool you, this kid is the real deal. He internalizes his thoughts and actions in a way that is vastly beyond his years and I imagine soon he will be recognized for not being afraid to take interesting roles. In this role he walks, acts and talks exactly how you would expect, but even if fits of anger you know there is something in his eyes beyond what words can express. Jeff Daniels as his blind roommate is a solid comic relief character and is among his best acting ever, as well. After that we have a few supporting roles, furthering this story.
See the story is this, Levitt now works as a janitor at a bank and a bad guy played by Matthew Goode (I have no idea who he is) wants to rob the bank so he befriends Levitt under the pretense that he just wants to be a friend. Levitt, dying to feel a sense of normalcy and intoxicated by the feminine wiles of Ilsa Fisher (Wedding Crashers) decides to give in to the friendship. Goode plays Spago exactly how you would expect and the story that follows plays pretty much how you would expect and it is done well enough, but in the end, two loose end plot points are left dangling for no apparent reason and one line of voice over narrative to tie up the caper really kind of shows lazy writing which kind of ruins the end of the movie for me.
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