CineBux

13 Assassins

2012-01-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

In mid-19th century Japan, the Shogun/Samurai era was coming to a close. Most samurai were not well trained soldiers, but men who spent their time gambling and drinking as they "protected" their lords. When one particular noble begins to assert his dominance and authority by killing and massacring the common people indiscriminately, some response is needed. A group of samurai gather in secret response to the Shogun's command to carryout an assassination of the insolent noble. This is a violent and bloody combat story that is centered around the samurai culture of service 'til death. While there is an overarching message that even the servants should think for themselves, this ends up being a minor part of the film. Or more realistically, the film is an elaborate and gory saga which shows how ridiculous war and death can be. It is unfortunate that it takes 300 deaths to make a point about life. And I suppose that this lesson is as hard to learn in 19th century Japan as it is today.
3 stars (out of 5)

Captain America: The First Avenger

2012-01-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

Like all the others in the Avenger series, this is a well made and entertaining film. We don't sacrifice story for spectacle. Steve Rogers is a scrawny Brooklyn kid who keeps getting denied the opportunity to serve during WWII. When he is chosen to be a guinea pig for a "super soldier" program, the successful treatment does turn him into a super soldier. But since he has been an underdog his whole life, he maintains the attitude and humility of an underdog and his "moral compass points the right way". Add in a Darth Maul like villain to push the story fully back into the comic book realm and we have a summer blockbuster. Or at least a piece of the continuing saga of the Avengers. I know that you can't really critique the reality of films like this, but why do we have to see an infantry assault on a fortified bunker only to see love interest Agent Carter taking part in the assault in her leather flight jacket and army issue wool skirt. How is that necessary in the comic world or the action world? Maybe it becomes part of the mythology of Agent Carter, I don't know...
3 stars (out of 5)

The Book of Eli

2012-01-14T23:14:00.001-08:00

First, Denzel Washington never looked better than he does here in a 5-day beard as a rugged traveler. This film provides a vision for the future that is about as happy as I am Legend. Post-apocalyptic and dystopian without apology. Denzel is a traveler in a world 30 years after a supposed nuclear war that destroyed all civilization on earth. He travels with a book that is apparently important. Gary Oldman plays a local warlord looking for such book. Surprisingly, that is the entire plot, and yet it is enough to carry the entire film. The film is slow and purposeful and feels appropriately paced. There are not really surprises, but appropriate twists and subtleties that provide interest and depth. I know that film enjoyment often is related to expectation and my expectation of this was very low. Perhaps that colors my perception, but I still give it
4 stars (out of 5)

Astropia

2012-01-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

I don't know how I got into the foreign fantasy realm... Here we have a socialite that runs out of money and needs a job. When she finds a job in a local comic store, she begins to make friends with the "geeks" and play their role playing games. The look and feel of this movie is of a 1970's B-list, exploitation film. But it is basically geared toward 13 year old, Icelandic fantasy geeks. Not sure what it says about me that I watched the whole thing, but for the right audience, probably not a bad film.
2 stars (out of 5)

Black Lightning

2012-01-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

This is really a fun sci-fi, coming of age, regular guy super hero film... in Russian. A kid is given a car by his father and it turns out that the car can fly. It is not magical, but technological and the plot gives us resonable (reasonable in the world where flying cars are reasonable) explanations for how this might work. With the same sort of fun feel as The Last Airbender and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, the kid with the car causes a massive dip in crime and delivers flowers in his free time, working toward a climax of saving Moscow from certain destruction. Glad I happened upon this.
3 stars (out of 5)

Best of 2011

2011-12-31T12:49:00.000-08:00

Best films I saw in 2011 (not necessarily of films made in 2011). A quick glance through the year and these are the best of what I saw (not necessarily in order). Check them out.

Senna
Buck
50/50
Moneyball
Midnight in Paris
Source Code

2nd Tier
Higher Ground
RED
Beginners

The Big Fail
Unstoppable

See you next year.

Tron: Legacy

2011-12-31T12:42:00.001-08:00

A good looking film. A weak story. Not much opportunity to act. Jeff Bridges is stuck in the grid which is essentially the digital landscape of a video game (and has been for 20 years). His son is a chip off the old block and gets into the grid (a bit accidentally) and is brought into a plot to allow the programs to escape the grid and join the real world. There are a couple of good video game scenes with the light cycles and disc fights, but the bulk of this film is either back story from the original Tron, or angst about the creation and evolution of the grid. Not really very entertaining.
2 stars (out of 5)

I Love You Philip Morris

2011-12-31T12:34:00.000-08:00

True is almost always interesting if it is made into a film. And Jim Carrey is almost always entertaining. But True and Jim Carrey don't guarantee a great film. I Love You Philip Morris is the story of a great con man who, having met his true love in prison, goes to great extremes to insure that they are always together. These extremes are so extreme that they are unbelievable, but I guess the Unbelievable True makes for the most interesting story. Breaking out of prison (several times), million dollar embezzlement, and impersonations is great fodder for a film and reminds me of Catch Me If You Can which is, sans love story, the same story. But I still found my self distracted and thinking "move it along" throughout the film. Somehow, there is just not enough here to be a good film, in spite of the massively fascinating story.
2 stars (out of 5)

Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt

2011-12-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent documentary about the creative force behind and excellent band: The Magnetic Fields. Merritt is a prolific songwriter, perhaps most famous in the popular music scene (if famous can be used for this band at all) for his album 69 Love Songs (which or course contains 69 tracks). Merritt has a deadpan sense of humor and presence on stage and this film gives a great view into both his creative process as well as the culture of the band that has been together for more than 20 years. If you are a Magnetic Fields fan, this is well worth seeing. If you have no idea whether you are a fan, then watch this and then become one.
4 stars (out of 5)

We Bought a Zoo

2011-12-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

Charming. A feel good film about family and animals and love and life. Matt Damon lost his wife and is raising his two kids on his own. He needs a change in his life and so he buys an old zoo. The film follows Damon and his family as they infuse new life into the zoo and come to terms with the passing of life. Not a novel production by any means, but still enjoyable. Worth seeing when you need a movie that wraps you up and holds you.
3 stars (out of 5)

The Descendents

2011-12-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

No one runs like a frantic George Clooney. I think it is the scene in the trailer, but George running in his beach shoes down the middle of the road with his arms flailing says "middle aged dad needs help" like nothing else I have seen. Clooney plays a guy with a wife in a coma and two kids who need a father. Through in a bunch of additional stressors (he also happens to be a member of a family that are descendents of Hawaiian royalty, and who own a huge plot of land on Kauai for which he negotiating a politically charged sale... for example) and see how George reacts. While on the face it seems farcical, the film is well done and made me laugh and think about what is important in life. An excellent job of not taking itself too seriously, but also being a serious film.
4 stars (out of 5)

Still Walking

2011-12-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

Can you believe I only saw one film last month. Were has all the time gone? Still Walking is a Japanese film looking at the generational divide in a family that has seen trauma. The setting is the annual anniversary of the death of the son. Both the brother (and his girlfriend and her son) and sister (and her family) come back to mom and dads house to commemorate an accident where the youngest son died while rescuing a drowning boy at the beach. But the story is really about the relationship between the living son and the father. Neither feels understood by the other. But now, some conversation is able to happen in a circumspect way by having the father talk to the girlfriends son. Confusing? Sorry... but really a pretty interesting look at family dynamics that translates well in to any culture.
4 stars (out of 5)

The Robber

2011-11-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

From the first scene you know this is going to be a slow introspective film. Rettenberg is running laps in a prison yard. It only takes about a half of a lap and the telltale prison bell that signifies that exercise time is over to figure this out. But we watch several laps. Rettenberg is clearly the center of this story and we are going to take the time to get to know him. It turns out that he is quite an accomplished marathon runner and that he can not keep himself from robbing banks. As the story follows his reentry to society, the filmmaker is patient and lets the personality and deep internal struggle of Rettenberg simmer at the surface. I found this to be an excellent view into obsession and anguish.

4 stars (out of 5)

The Adjustment Bureau

2011-10-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

Is there free will? This is an interesting take on the question. If you don't follow "the plan" then there is a whole team of adjusters giving you a bump, or a nudge, or spilling coffee on you to make you look the other way so you don't see that one thing that will change your life path. Reminiscent of Sliding Doors where one innocent decision will drastically affect your life, here we get to watch as those decisions are "helped along". Unfortunately, our protagonist (Matt Damon) doesn't take to the nudging, even when he is confronted with the truth of how things work. Can you fight destiny? Well, Damon fights and I won't spoil the film by telling you if he his successful. But I will say that after all is said and done, this film raises quite a few great discussion points about the nature of God and how God might/might not interact in this world.
3 stars (out of 5)

Red

2011-10-16T15:16:00.001-07:00

This is the movie that I was hoping The Expendables would be. Bruce Willis stars as an ex-CIA black-operative designated RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous) who is trying to transition into "regular life". He is pulled back into the business with a civilian woman he just met for the first time and resorts to getting help from his fellow RED colleagues (Mirren, Malkovich, and Freeman). This film is witty, fully tongue-in-cheek, and bordering on slapstick. But fortunately, it never crosses the line into slapstick and is just a fun adventure-thriller built on quirky characters. Quite fun.
4 stars (out of 5)

The Ides of March

2011-10-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

I am not literate enough to recognize that this was a Julius Caesar reference which would have foreshadowed the entire story until after I saw the film. Even so, I feel like I knew the story as it developed. No surprises. Is that a commentary on the current political scene, or the current film? Clooney plays a presidential candidate running in his primary. We get the behind the scenes look with Gosling and Hoffman as friendly and then not-so-friendly members of his campaign leadership. Of course there is scandal and intrigue. Casting is excellent and this film is worth watching just to see Clooney, Hoffman, Gosling and the always good Giamatti do their snarling and flirting in a political war. But in the end I was largly unsatisfied, feeling flat and uninspired on the way out the door.
3 stars (out of 5)

The Expendables

2011-10-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

This is a classic summer action film with not much plot, not much acting and lots of explosions. The plot goes something like: A bunch of ex-military mercenaries hire out their services, they get a job that is against their morals, they still do the job but in a way that causes more explosions and makes them look like they care. In this case, the hook for the film is that in stars many of the big action names of the past decade (Stallone, Statham, Rourke, etc.). With Stallone as the lead, it becomes obvious how old he is. There are a couple scenes of him running where it is clear that he can barely run. I probably would have given this a higher rating had I actually seen it in the summer where it belongs, but now, it gets
2 stars (out of 5)

Weekend

2011-10-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

Billed as the gay version of Linklater's Before Sunrise, we are introduced to Russell and Glen as a couple of young gay men who hook up randomly at a bar one night. Over the course of the weekend, the one night stand turns into a bit more as conversations and meetings continue to happen. The two men get to know each other and actually become interested in each other, finding out where they agree and disagree on a variety of topics. Be warned that the film is not rated, so we are shown significant episodes of both sex and drug use. The sex is important to the film, showing how the men navigate a relationship in which physicality and emotion are both important and both a bit scary. The drug use is frankly, disappointing. It seems to suggest that being high is necessary to reach the level of vulnerability required for true relationship. After seeing the film, I was wondering what the result would be if the film was played with a man-woman relationship, with the woman playing either the Russell or the Glen role. Effectively 3 different films would result and the hetero versions would both utilize built in stereotypes to poor effect. Instead, I think the film as produced avoids the stereotypes of relationship to allow the relationships to actually develop on screen.
4 stars (out of 5)

50/50

2011-09-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are a couple of actors that I will see anywhere. Rogen is not playing a new character (he plays the same goofy guy in all films), but he plays it so well that he is a joy to watch. These two actors play Kyle and Adam, best friends and co-workers at the Seattle NPR station. Adam is tidy, on time, not much fun and is diagnosed with cancer. Kyle is all party and working as hard as he can to get laid. How these two traverse the messed-up world of cancer treatment and all the difficulties that get thrown in their path is well played. We see some of the over-the-top antics of Kyle and yet don't feel like they are out of place. The friends and interactions all along the way seem plausible and real, giving insight into the struggle of Adam's fight and of those who surround him. Any real portrayal of cancer can't be a comedy, but this is a very well done mixture of light and heavy, leaving us with a sense of hope and faith in our friends.
4 stars (out of 5)

Queen to Play

2011-09-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

Helene is a wife and mother in this French drama who works as a cleaning lady for a local hotel as well as for individuals. When she sees a couple of hotel guests enjoying a game of chess, she finds their enjoyment of the game reveals a romance that is missing in her life. When she discovers that another of her clients (Kevin Kline) also plays, she convinces him to teach her the game. Helene plays with a determination and belief that quality play in and of itself a romantic endeavor. Well played and while not a speedy film, probably like chess the pacing is part of the enjoyment of the experience.
4 stars (out of 5)

Cyrus

2011-09-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

John C. Riley plays a guy struggling with his divorce, even though it was seven years ago. He meets Marisa Tomei and they hit off fabuously. The problem is that Tomei has an adult son Cyrus (Jonah Hill) who has never really left the nest. Probably this is a worst case scenario of attachment parenting. Cyrus attached, and neither mother nor son is able to detach. Riley plays the struggling divorcee in a low key Albert Brooks-like performance. Overall, this was a fine film that showed the struggles of 2nd relationships, the complexities of families and the perseverance needed to insure that relationships have a chance. It does all this without falling too far into the day-time TV or Hallmark special genre.
3 stars (out of 5)

Moneyball

2011-09-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

Brad Pitt plays the Billy Beane role and Jonah Hill plays Paul DePodesta in this retelling of the behind the scenes events of the Oakland Athletics in the 2001-2002 season. The A's had just lost in game 5 of the ALDS to the Yankee's and their payroll comparison (35 million to 115 million) made it obvious that they were supposed to lose. When A's GM Beane asked the owner for a few more dollars to help retain or replace Giambi and Damon, the answer was an emphatic NO. Enter DePodesta (aka Peter Brand in the film), a Yale educated economics geek and a true believer in Bill James statistical analysis. Beane and Brand work with James statistics to find undervalued players in the league and put together a team on the cheap that can compete with the rich boys... hence the name Moneyball. This is an excellent film that, while being about baseball, is really about politics, economics, competition and desire. Much like Invictus is about rugby, we learn lots about the sport and about the people in the system. A great film.
5 stars (out of 5)

Blitz

2011-09-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

I liked Jason Statham in The Transporter films and looking forward to Drive this week with Ryan Gosling pushed me to watch this film. You always know what you are going to get with Statham and you are not disappointed here. Hard edged, not quite following the rules and gets the job done. Perhaps the problem with a film like this is that while it is enjoyable for what it is, afterwards I immediately thought "I could probably done something better with my time these last couple of hours". So if you have time to kill...
2 stars (out of 5)

Wild Target

2011-09-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Europe's premier assassin for hire gets an assignment that cannot be completed. Of course this gets him into all kinds of trouble from all kinds of directions, including his own family. Along the way, as his life gets complicated even more by a woman, he begins to question his future, his profession and his ability to have a normal life. This film is not great, but as a slapstick action assassin film, it is passable. I enjoyed most of it, but the fact that I watched it over two days probably suggests how engaging it was. A nice little turn by Ron Weasley as the bumbling apprentice...
3 stars (out of 5)

The Last Airbender

2011-09-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

Having not read these books, I am only marginally familar with this storyline. The people of the four regions of the world each have a particular strength and attachment with the fundamental elements of water, air, earth and fire. The leaders of these people are able to command their particular element and are refered to as Benders. One person is able to command all four elements, is refered to as the Avatar and is tasked with maintaining peace among the four peoples. In the past century, the Avatar has been missing and the Fire nation has become the dominant force in the world. In fact, their dominance has led to genocide of the Air nation, and domination of the Earth nation. Into this picture, a boy is awakened who is an Air Bender (the last of course), and presumably the Avatar. With help from his friends, he begins to challenge the domination of the Fire nation. This is a fun film, clearly targeted at the same young age group to which the books were marketed. Well done effects and a nice little story. I really liked the fact that the art of element bending required meditative and precise, dance-like motions. It became a communication with nature rather than a domination, even for the Fire benders. Small touches like this often make the difference between good and cheesy. Here we have good.
3 stars (out of 5)

Unstoppable

2011-09-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

Stop. Please. I liked Speed because of the action, the fact that the process was unknown, and the quirky relationship that developed between Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. In Unstoppable, we have the potential for action and drama and have a strong leading man to hold it all together. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. Denzel has a nice smile, but doesn't really hold anything together. The entire story is too plain and doesn't draw you in. A train (full of toxic chemicals by the way) is set on full throttle and hurtling toward Stanton PA without anyone on board. The crazy attempts to stop it don't work, even though they aren't that crazy and are really poorly executed. For example, an attempt to drop a conductor on the engine via helicopter doesn't work because the helicopter must lower a man down via 100 foot cable at high speed. But throughout the film, news helicopters are continuously swarming within 10 feet of the engine without difficulty. Are the news pilots just that much better? It is this example of manufactured drama that is so manufactured that there is no drama which kills any possibility that this will be a good film. In the end, the train gets stopped in the nick of time by Denzel. Sorry if I ruined it for you.

1 star (out of 5)

Higher Ground

2011-09-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Vera Farmiga is fabulous. This film follows Karina (Vera) through her life relationship with religion and God. Through her journey, she encounters phases of contentment, distress, doubt, certainty, confusion and everything in between. The nice thing about this exploration is that as director, Farmiga doesn't exploit the stereotypes of religion that would turn this into a farcical comedy or a roast. Instead we see her real struggle with faith and life as she works to see how the two integrate and inform each other. Interesting, fun, and makes you think. Very well done.

4 stars (out of 5)

Clerks

2011-08-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

I suppose that a seminal or groundbreaking movie should hold up to time. Clerks was one of the first slacker films and unfortunately, the slacker film is so much a part of filmdom these days that there was nothing really interesting about watching Clerks now. After seeing the first 2/3, I got bored, feeling like I had seen this all before. The plot puts a couple of minimum wage grocery/video store clerks on center stage and tries to amplify the drama of their life by amplifying every minutiae. Well done, but not watchable 15 years later.
2 stars (out of 5)

Planet of the Apes

2011-08-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Mark Wahlberg was great in The Departed and good in The Fighter. He was awful in The Happening and is pretty bad here. I think he is just not good enough, or given good enough material, to carry a film. Here he had Helena Bonham Carter to help out, but in her ape suit, she was not given anything to work with. Every time I looked at her, I thought Bernstein Bears. Wahlberg was too wooden and is not really a dynamic person nor does he play a dynamic character. Acting aside, I know that this was a remake of the original Charlton Hesston film, but it was not exciting, dramatic, suspenseful, {insert own adjective here}. My main reason for watching was to see how it fit in with the newest Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and I am not sure that I see an easy connection there. So while the current film is good, this one is bad. Maybe I need to see the original to round out the trilogy.
2 stars (out of 5)

Senna

2011-08-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

A fabulous documentary of Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian Formula 1 driver in the late 80's and early 90's. With Senna as the prime character, the film features the rivalry between Senna and fellow driver Alain Prost who win 7 world championships between them in those years, the development of Formula 1 racing into a popular sport, and the politics and behind the scenes manipulations of the sport executives. All this while giving a great look into the personality of one of Brazil's most famous athletes. What makes this a great film is the quality and quantity of footage from ESPN's library that is pulled together to tell the story. I am not interested in the least in car racing and found this to a simply fabulous story.
5 stars (out of 5)

Crazy, Stupid, Love

2011-08-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

An all-star cast, decent story line and zero incoming expectations make for a good movie. Probably the later being the most important. Steve Carell has just been booted out by his long time wife and meets up with Ryan Gosling, ladies-man extraordinaire, in a bar. An apprenticeship of sorts develops between the two as Gosling teaches Carell how to get back in the game. Add in a couple of strange pre-teen kids and there is no lack of character here. All this comes together in the first half of film to fulfill the stupid love part of the title. To be honest, it is a bit long and a bit slow developing to this point. However, by time we get to the crazy part in the last act, it becomes pretty clear that the long setup was pretty much all needed. Overall, this is a fun film with some obvious holes that are easily overlooked in the enjoyment.
4 stars (out of 5)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2011-08-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

A very well done prequel even though I haven't seen the original (and yes, it goes on my list now). I say this because there were a couple elements that seemed pretty clearly written in to develop characters that needed to show up in future films. These kinds of story elements always seem a bit awkward or forced, but didn't "interfere" with the overall flow of the film. Instead, the probably just added 10 minutes or so that didn't need to be there. The story is in someways a retelling of the development of HIV transmission from apes to humans, except in this case the virus is human created. But it is still toxic to humans and happens to provide exceptional intelligence to the apes. Probably the best part of the entire film is the fact that no real animals were used in the filming. Instead, the apes were actors who had CGI ape bodies put on them after the fact, making the entire think much more enjoyable.
3 stars (out of 5)

This Film is Not Yet Rated

2011-08-14T17:42:00.001-07:00

It was about time I saw this film after all my recent concern about screwy ratings in films I have seen recently (Fast Five earlier this summer for example). This documentary tries to find out who the ratings board members are (they are kept under lock and key). What I liked about the film is that it was primarily a discussion with filmmakers about how they make films and what decisions they make when trying to get particular ratings. The "investigation" to uncover the raters was a nice diversion to hold the whole thing together. Overall, it seems that most people in the film agree with me (which strokes my ego of course). That is, the ratings will let almost any violence through with a low rating, while sexuality is always a strict rating, regardless of the context. In describing violence, it appears that you can kill any number of people as long as you don't show blood and still get a PG-13 rating. However, if death is shown with blood, then the R appears. One filmmaker interviewed suggested that the reality should be exactly the opposite. It is not until you are older that you are mature enough to distinguish that killing without seeing blood is false and unrealistic. Younger kids should be required to see the full trauma of death if they are going to experience it at all. I am not sure that I would encourage 13-year olds to see the full trauma of death, but do understand the argument that showing death matter-of-factly does not do anything to promote care for life that we should be teaching youth. Overall, I suppose we must resign ourselves to the fact that the ratings are a guide set up by a seemingly conservative group of people with a specific moral code that is clearly not similar to mine. To blame them for holding their moral code does not work. The filmmaker here simply argues that the moral code is not wrong, but the secrecy and inability to admit that the moral code governs the ratings is.
4 stars (out of 5)

Lebanon

2011-08-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

While this is not a great film in terms of film-making (it is a bit rough and cheesy at times), it is an excellent concept film. Four Israeli soldiers are a tank group and are assigned to support an incursion into Lebanon during the Lebanese war. The entire film is shot inside the tank, with the only external information coming through the tank gun sight and communications system. The film is advertised as a "claustrophobic look at war". However, I did not find it claustrophobic at all. I found the intensity of human behavior and emotion during stress illuminating, particularly since three of the four tank team were not professional soldiers, but draft recruits filling out their civic Israeli duty. I found that it provided more of a commentary on war in general than on the Israeli-Lebanese war. Coupled with the recent Waltz with Bashir, these films are not interested in taking positions of right or wrong on specific military actions, but make their point imminently clear about the devilish nature of war.
4 stars (out of 5)

Despicable Me

2011-07-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

A moderately entertaining film that derives most of its entertainment from watching the kids around you giggle uncontrollably. The storyline goes as follows: Evil villain is trying to keep up with the times and plans an amazing heist. He gets caught up with three cute little orphans and adopts them to help out with his plan. He demonstrates his humanity. End of storyline. The comic relief comes from the myriad of assistants that the evil villain employs in his workshop. They are fun and cute. And I suppose that I can't give it too poor of a rating since there are a few lines that stick with you and you find yourself using over the course of the week following.
3 stars (out of 5)

Harry Potter 7: Deathly Hollows 2 (3D)

2011-07-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

The end is here... finally. Don't get me wrong, this is an astounding fantasy series and in total, is not matched in this decade. As a review of this film, it falls nicely in line with the others. It doesn't present the whole story, but enough of the story that if you have read the books, you remember the rest of it and your mind fills in the gaps. I can imagine that if you have not read the books, this is an moderately entertaining film. This is clearly the darkest of the films and not intended for kids by any means. And this is probably my biggest complaint with the film. Yes, it is dark and it has to be ... it has "Deathly Hollows" in the title after all. But it is also not fun. No fart flavored jelly beans, no wacky hi-jinks, no quidditch. Just angst and duty and battle to the death. Extravagant? Yes. Spectacle? Possibly. Fun? Sorry, but no.
3 stars (out of 5)

Buck

2011-07-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

This is the best film I have seen all year. Buck Brannaman is a horse trainer whose primary job is to run weekly clinics around the country on horse training. He is the person behind the 1998 film The Horse Whisperer. He is much better than the film. Buck is astounding with horses, and his approach is indicated by his language... he works with "horse starting", not "horse breaking". The film captures the amazing understanding and love that Buck has for horses. It also give a bit of insight into the person of Buck and his family history. The entire story is a tribute to an outstanding human being. See it.
5 stars (out of 5)

Beginners

2011-07-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

An engaging, comic and dark tale of grief and depression, leading to self discovery and historical awareness. Wow, you say, all this in one film? In a series of flashbacks that seriously challenged the linear time requirements of the elderly couple in front of me in the theater (but was fine for everyone else), we are told the story of Oliver (Ewan McGregor) and his father Hal (Christopher Plummer) after Hal's death 6 months ago. Hal was a gay man that stayed faithfully married to Oliver's mother until her death four years prior. Then he embraced and explored his homosexuality until his death. Oliver is grieving his father, his mother, the life they lived and the truths about this life that were not actually what he thought. The flashbacks are excellently done as they reveal conversations between Hal and Oliver that reveal how enlightened Hal was. These flashbacks are then seemingly integrated into Oliver's belief system in the present as he begins to interact with a new girlfriend. So this may sound confusing, but in actuallity it is interesting and charming. We don't get stereotypes, or cliche answers for life's difficulties. Instead we get struggle, and the willingness to struggle, and the realization that it is continuous.
4 stars (out of 5)

Exit through the Gift Shop

2011-07-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Billed as a documentary about Banksy (an anonymous street artist), the film comes out early in an interview with said Banksy. He says something to the effect of "This was going to be a film about me, but the filmmaker is much more interesting, so it is really a film about him". And it is true. There is only so much interest a shadowy, voice altered anonymous character can generate no matter how much graphic talent he has or how "real" he is (or isn't). But Thierry is a French guy who for many years filmed everything in his life. He is odd and a bit self absorbed. He gets involved with street aritists and again films everything, resulting is some excellent footage of the act and the process of creating street art. In the end, Thierry fancies himself an artist and creates "art". The most interesting part of this film is the reaction to Thierry's art. Both by the buyers (he became very wealthy) and by other artists (he cheated?). It raises the question of what actually determines the value of art. There seem to be unwritten/unknown rules about what the necessary process and credentials are to be considered an artist, and you only know you have broken these rules when you break them.
3 stars (out of 5)

Summer Hours

2011-07-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

Helene is artist Paul Berthier's niece and is the matriarch of her family and his estate. She lives in the family house which is basically frozen in time since the death of Berthier. When Helene passes away, her three children come together to figure out how to manage the estate. What I find interesting is how universal the simultaneous sibling connection and disconnection can be. The two brothers and a sister have completely different personalities, life goals, connections to the estate and interpretations of the past. And at the same time, they have an intuitive understanding of each other and a care for each other that runs deep. There is pain and laughter, and I suppose the relative proportion of each depends on each particular family. Here the two are balanced nicely, which makes for an enjoyable view into their lives.
4 stars (out of 5)

Freedom Writers

2011-06-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hillary Swank plays Erin Gruwell, a real life teacher in Long Beach a couple years after the LA Riots of 1992. She is young and idealistic about making a difference in kids lives. She is shocked and overwhelmed by the depth of the problems that these kids face and the antagonism she experiences from kids, parents, her family and fellow educators. But Gruwell is a Lone Ranger type who will not accept failure and she ends up actually making that difference in kids life, at huge personal cost (and personal gain). At one point, a discussion takes place to determine if Gruwell's methods are valid and should be allowed to continue. The argument against is that the method (massive time and personal energy input) is neither sustainable nor scalable. And this is true. Swank is observed with her 20 or so students throughout the film. Where are the 130 other students she teaches? The film highlights a tragic shortfall in our education system. One teacher can teach for 4 years and follow some freshman through their senior year and then be done (burnt). What does a sustainable and scalable education system look like that can challenge and support students from any background? Not what we have, of that we are sure.
4 stars (out of 5)

CA$H

2011-06-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

Sam and Leslie happen on some money. Actually, it happens on them, falling out of the sky and landing on Sam's car. They spend, of course. Then the money's rightful owner (his brother stole it fair and square) shows up to reclaim the money. This is where the film gets weird and probably why it tanked at the box office. The film walks a fine line between good, clean, predictable heist fun and psychotic, slasher, horror. My guess is that neither audience was satisfied. The entire second half of the film, I was on edge wondering if this would degenerate into something unwatchable, since it was clearly not going to be the simply clever heist film. This putting me on edge and wondering when/if it would cross the line was done well. I kept thinking about Misery and, while not nearly that level of quality, it had the same DNA. Unfortunately the total package (acting, writing, depth of character, etc.) did not allow this to be a great movie. But I appreciated the balancing act it attempted and pulled off with some success.
3 stars (out of 5)

Sabah

2011-06-25T16:02:00.001-07:00

Sabah is a 40ish Muslim woman living with her family in Toronto. As the unmarried sister, she is responsible for taking care of mother while her brother earns the living (and micromanages the finances) and the other sister takes care of her daughter. What unfolds is an immigrants struggle to balance family and family culture while transitioning to the new culture. This is not a new story. But Sabah tells the story well, showing that there is not a simple answer to assimilation and that every individual in the drama is pulled in different directions for different reasons. I like how we are led down the path of finding some characters familiar and sympathetic (while others are not) only to find (like in life) that we do not have the whole story.
4 stars (out of 5)

The Green Lantern

2011-06-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

Ryan Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, the fearless but conflicted test pilot who is apparently the most pure human on earth since the ring selected him. This purity is based on an understanding of humanity that we are not perfect and that our strength comes from understanding, accepting and then overcoming our frailty. If that is not classic comic book, super hero schtick, then I don't know what is. Add in the campy, 1960's, cold war infused, source of all power is "will" and all evil is "fear", and this film really hits its mark. Reynolds, who came into his own as a superhero in X Men Origins: Wolverine plays the cocky yet honest Jordan perfectly. Not a lot of depth, and not a lot required. And true to its comic book roots, it left me looking forward to the next installment.
4 stars (out of 5)

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

2011-06-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

Nicolas Cage plays a centuries old sorcerer, once an apprentice to Merlin, working to save the world from the evil Morgana. Alfred Molina plays the evil centuries old sorcerer, also former apprentice to Merlin, working to free Morgana from her imprisonment and help destroy the world. Of course Cage can't do this alone, so he enlists the help of a young geeky NYU physics student who has enough natural magical talent (unbeknownst to him of course) to be an heir to Merlin and savior of the world. This is just good, clean fun. What I like about this film is that it is really a PG rated magic film. Nothing really scary or creepy. You could actually take your 10 year old to see this, where I would not take a kid to see many of the later Harry Potter films. They are downright scary. By the way, did I ever tell you how much I like Alfred Molina? Check out An Education for another example of his excellent, subtle work.
3 stars (out of 5)

Ken Burns America: Huey Long

2011-06-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

Long was a depression era politician from Louisiana who moved up the political food chain from railroad commissioner to US Senator. Along the way, he used his charisma to dominate the Louisiana political scene. His career was built on getting votes from the poor. It was never clear whether Long was a true progressive working to improve the plight of the less fortunate or a power hungry politician who would use any trick in the book. In reality he was probably both. Ultimately his career aspiration of becoming president was cut short by assassination. Burns does a great job of really showing Louisiana life in the 30's as well as the impact of Long on both his state and the nation.
3 stars (out of 5)

From Paris with Love

2011-06-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

James Reece is the assistant to the US Ambassador to France and is a low level spy, carrying out important tasks such as planting bugs and changing license plates on cars. He aspires to bigger things, but really has no idea what "bigger things" are all about. This all changes when he is assigned to help out Charlie Wax (John Travolta), an over the top, guns blazing, invincible secret agent. The plot takes a circuitous route to the actual reason that Wax is in town which provides a convenient training ground for Reece. There is no subtlety here. Midway through, you can confidently say "The Butler did it" and then watch the rest of the plot play out without thinking or guessing. I would rate this as a standard fare action film that is carried by Travolta's over-the-top bravado.
3 stars (out of 5)

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

2011-06-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

I missed this in theaters last year but remember it getting "good for what it is" reviews. I don't think I could say it any better. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the adopted son of the king of Persia. Taken in because of his pure heart, he is also welcomed by his new brothers. A little bit of political intrigue leads to the occupation of a holy city and discovery of a magic dagger that allows the holder to rewind time. There is action, a love interest, wacky desert hijinks and comic relief (by the always good Alfred Molina), and an acceptable story line. The film isn't just a showcase for CG effects, and in fact, could probably have done away with the "back in time swirling sand" effect without too much of a hit on the overall film. A good summer flick and I enjoyed finally watching it.
3 stars (out of 5)

The Limits of Control

2011-06-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

I have liked Jim Jarmusch films in the past (see Broken Flowers and Lost in Translation). These films are slow and quiet, but meaningful. They tell a story, even if it is one of depression or loneliness. The Limits of Control is also slow and quiet, but too slow and too quiet. A man gets an assignment to do something, and then flies to Spain to do it. He meets people along the way, exchanging match boxes with messages in them. This fact in itself hooked me. I wanted to know what the man's mission was, what were the messages, etc. But after four meetings, four exchanges, and about four lines of dialogue (in total), I couldn't bear it. I tried a bit of fast forward, a bit of web browsing to pass the time, but still the film didn't go anywhere fast enough to get me to a resolution. The filming of Spain was nice, but not spectacular. The choice of architecture was interesting, but not alluring enough to pull me in. If I could offer a spoiler here to tell you how it resolves in order to save you the effort of watching this film I would. Alas, I don't know since I couldn't get through it.

1 star (out of 5)

X-Men: First Class

2011-06-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

Two Kevin Bacon films in one week -- bonus. This X-Men prequel goes back to the 1940's in order to tell the story of how mutants were first "discovered". Bacon plays the evil Nazi scientist who maintains a goal of helping evolution along by eliminating humans. His first discovery is a boy who eventually grows up to be the Magneto we know and love, and of course psychologically devastates the boy to provide a lifetime of hero/nemesis interactions for Marvel Comics. We are also introduced to Professor Xavier in his pre-professor days when he needed to put a thoughtful finger-to-the-temple in order to utilize his mutant power of telepathy (reminded me of Austin Powers every time). This film does a good job of providing the X-Men backstory, tying it in to crisis in actual history (which is always fun), and showing off some cool action/effects with the mutant powers. So a good solid film, but not great or groundbreaking in anyway. Fortunately, I don't think the film was trying to be groundbreaking. Just fun.

3 stars (out of 5)

Footloose

2011-06-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Annika couldn't believe that I had never seen this seminal film, so we watched it one night. Amazingly, it holds up. Kevin Bacon plays the new kid in a sleepy, conservative town dominated by the local pastor (John Lithgow). Based on a past event, the town has outlawed dancing (since it obviously leads to all kinds of actual sins). Unfortunately, Bacon loves dancing and is a bit of a rebel. Controversy, protest, and rebellion ensue. The dancing is pretty good and the 80's music (that was current when the film was made) is actually pretty good 80's music. The film maintains the appropriate amount of cheeky humor and was enjoyable. A fun little flashback...

3 stars (out of 5)

Takers

2011-06-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

I love a good heist film, and this one is pretty good. The story revolves around a group of partners that commit high end thefts (banks, armored cars, etc.) on a grand scale, but only infrequently. When one of their former associates is released from prison and returns to the group with a hot tip on a new job, everyone has to decide whom to trust. In parallel, Matt Dillon plays the grisled cop with a screwed up personal life and only the job to give him meaning. Like a dog with a bone, Dillon is relentless in his pursuit. So while the story is one of heist and detective work, the real value in this film is the development of the personalities and relationships of the players. Each individual has a little bit of background that plays into decision making and affects the trajectory of the entire group. Two things could have made this film great, instead of just good. Pushing the depth of each character and actually allowing the viewer to have someone to root for. I don't mind not always being able to root for the good guy since some time the bad guys are more sympathetic. But there must be someone who can come out a winner in the end that can give a real sense of satisfaction. That piece was missing.
4 stars (out of 5)

Blue Valentine

2011-06-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

This is a story of love and the drudgery of life when love is no longer around. Or perhaps it is the story of how life becomes drudgery when we forget how to love. Cindy and Dean are working class people in the northeast. Cindy has aspirations, Dean doesn't. Dean loves his daughter and loves the lack of responsibility and intensity that his life as a laborer affords him. But without any forward thinking, he and Cindy have sunk into a monotony that is wearing them both out. The story is well told, with alternating clips between the present life and their meeting and courtship in the past. There is really only one lighthearted scene in the entire film, where Dean and Cindy sing and dance on a date. Otherwise, the tone of the film drops its full weight on the viewer, forcing you to feel as trapped as the protagonists. Not really fun to watch, but a really well made not-fun-to-watch film.

3 stars (out of 5)

Battle of Los Angeles

2011-06-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

If ever there was a SciFi B-movie, this was it. I felt like I was watching Saturday afternoon TV in July when the only things on are golf, BMX bike racing and an old alien invasion film. What is surprising is that Battle of Los Angeles was made this year, probably to gain advantage from the theatrical release Battle: Los Angeles. There is not a single thing (acting, writing, special effects, plot line, etc.) that does not say "direct to video". The plot is actually irrelevant enough for you to not really know what is going on for the first 20 minutes or so. I was very close to walking out of this several times, and only the fact that I could be in the kitchen making lunch at the same time while it ran in the background preventing me from bailing out. So, since I did see it through to the end, and since it is an excellent example of B-film making, it gets

2 stars (out of 5)

TiMER

2011-06-03T16:57:00.000-07:00

I read about a book coming out this fall (sorry, don't remember the title) in the Hunger Games genre about a society in which everyone is matched by a computer for their optimum compatibility. In TiMER, we get a variation on that theme, and a well done variation at that. A company has figured out how to read your biochemistry to determine who your perfect true love will be, as well as to identify how much time will pass before you meet that person. Very SciFi and we don't get the details of how this would work (even as I write it, too many "practical" questions come to mind). Regardless, this is a story that centers around how we live our lives and make the decisions about relationships that we do. What would you do if you knew that you would not meet your true love for another 10 years? What would you do if you knew it was tomorrow? How would you live your life if your TiMER was blank, meaning that your true love did not have a TiMER installed. You could have already met them. So we get a serious and lighthearted (it has to be lighthearted lest it travel toward depressing) look at the difficult decisions made around relationship. And like a true modern romantic comedy, it wraps up nicely. I would have preferred a bit more of a SciFi ending, where you are left wondering about the possibilities, which would have been easy to do. But I am sure it would have been largely unsatisfying for most viewers.
4 stars (out of 5)

The Other Guys

2011-05-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is actually not a bad satire. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play a couple of "2nd rate" cops. Ferrell is a forensic accountant and likes working at the computer, doing paperwork and investigating from his office. Wahlberg is very concerned with status, and has major skills, but is a bit jumpy. Early in his career, he accidentally shot Derek Jeter, and will never live that down. The two are a mis-matched partnership, and end up falling into a major fraud investigation. Throughout, we poke fun at the "macho cop", played admirably (albeit briefly) by Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson and the implicit expectations we all have of the police. We poke fun at Wall St. and capitalism, and at the priorities that we all set by investing our money where we do. Don't get me wrong, this is not high cinema. It is goofy and relies too much on really wacky characters. Even so, to get semi-serious satire out of this genre was surprisingly enjoyable.
3 stars (out of 5)

Midnight in Paris

2011-05-30T21:24:00.001-07:00

I am not sure if this film made me feel smart or dumb. Owen Wilson plays a writer who is traveling to Paris with his fiance and her parents. Unable to spend any more time with them, he wanders the streets of Paris and is transported to the 1920's, his idea of the golden age. Artists, writers, musicians from the 20's all show up and a name dropping fest begins. I felt pretty good that I had heard of most of the "famous people", and only a couple times did I have to lean over to Annika to say "Who was that? What did they do?". On the other hand, I suppose had I actually known something about Man Ray or Matisse, I would have found the caricatures and conversations much more entertaining. The nice thing was, even though I knew I was not getting every joke, I still enjoyed this film. It was a fun and light-hearted romp through Paris. Nothing spectacular... just a good afternoon diversion.
4 stars (out of 5)

Leaves of Grass

2011-05-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

Edward Norton plays both a snobby philosophy professor and his hick, pot-growing twin brother. A tale of who is smarter, who is right, and who really has his act together in life follows a path that is not altogether interesting or novel. Edward Norton is clearly having fun however, playing two drastically different personalities. I am glad he enjoyed himself. I guess when I come across a film that was released in the last couple of years that I had not previously heard of, the odds are pretty good that I hadn't heard of it for a reason. Pretty lame.
2 stars (out of 5)

The Last Man

2011-05-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Somehow, everybody on earth is dead. Except Alan. And then Alan finds Sarah. Of course, Alan is a nerdy, out of shape anthropologist and Sarah is Jeri Ryan. Then Alan and Sarah find Rafael, another beautiful person. Now let's all triangulate in our insecurities. Unfortunately, there is nothing interesting about this film. It is not even worth picking apart piece by piece to prove my point. Don't see it.
I should probably at some point do a general rant about movie ratings and then I will just have something to refer to. But for now, how does this film (no swearing, no violence, no sex, two male naked butts in route to skinny dipping) get an R-rating while Hotel Rwanda (hundreds of on screen murders, graphic depictions of genocide, violence and very disturbing themes) and Fast Five (scores of onscreen brutal slayings) get PG-13. Anyone? I just took This Film is not yet Rated off my list of films to see but I guess I should put it back on...
2 stars (out of 5)

Hotel Rwanda

2011-05-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

I don't remember any details from watching The Killing Fields. I saw it when I was in middle school with my Dad at the local single screen theater in the 80's. What I do remember is that it was horrific and that I was stunned by the sheer volume of death. Hotel Rwanda left me with that same feeling. Don Cheadle plays the local manager of a fancy hotel that becomes a refuge for Hutu and Tutsi alike during the genocide in the 90's. But the details are not what will stick. The fantastical count of deaths is horrific and the sheer disregard for human life is unimaginable. That people live through such events, that children grow up, that perpetrators continue to be fed by their hatred into a deeper hatred... unimaginable for most of us. In this particular case, the fact that it was unimaginable is exactly what led to no response from the west. I wonder, though, what response would have actually led to change? A military intervention would be another in a long line of military interventions, that would exacerbate tensions and enhance violence and hatred for years to come. How does the cycle of violence on a global scale begin to break? Hopefully films like this expose to "the powerful" the insanity of violence and begins to allow cracks to form in "the system".
4 stars (out of 5)

Win Win

2011-05-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

Billed as a "wrestling movie with a message" I was pretty excited to see this film. It had been getting good reviews from all the right places. And it was a good film. Just not enough wrestling. The story is a classic set up to allow adults and kids to both grow up. Paul Giamatti is a struggling small town lawyer who doubles as the high school wrestling coach for a pretty miserable team. A kid who can actually wrestle drops in his lap (a la Michael Oher in The Blind Side) and two both learn about each other and life and what they need to do to make adult decisions. So a bit contrived and a bit too obvious with the message. I do like Paul Giammati and he does a pretty good job here along side the kid wrestler, cast as a typical teenager who only speaks in one word sentences. Perhaps the target audience won't notice this, but much of the overarching tension here comes from the fact that Giamatti is expected to support the family, while to all appearances, the wife contributes nothing financially. It is perhaps more commentary on my life and relationships that it seems weird to not even see a discussion on this point as a plot device. No consideration of a part time job, or Giamatti playing Mr. Mom for awhile. There are lots of assumptions running around this film family that are a very deep part of the ethos of the film, but are not explicit.
3 stars (out of 5)

Is Anybody there?

2011-05-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

This is a story about Edward, a pre-teen kid in England whose parents have decided to make a living by turning their house into an assisted living facility for the elderly. Edward becomes fascinated with death and ghosts, waiting for a client to pass to observe direct evidence of the later. Things get shaken up a bit when a new client arrives (Michael Caine) who had a career as a magician in his younger days. Caine and Edward hit it off reluctantly and both learn a bit from each other. This is an amusing film and well played. A good combination of comical, sad and real.
4 stars (out of 5)

Thor (IMAX 3D)

2011-05-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

I don't like it... 3D that is. Either the technology is not quite right, or my eyes aren't, or maybe even my brain. I have problems with the peripheral vision, with the shadow images when the lenses from each eye don't completely align, and from the blurry imagery of too much going on in action scenes. I was constantly distracted by the technology from watching the film. I know I ranted on this last year, but I guess I forgot. Don't worry, I won't let it happen again. 3D is officially not a good idea... yet.
As for Thor, this is a moderately good film that stands on its own as a comic book hero flick. The danger in these films is that they are just setup for the next. Here we get a good mix of action in Thor's world (Asgard) and on Earth. As a plot device, Thor is banished to Earth after pissing off his dad by being an arrogant, war-mongering, wanna-be-King of a son. The banishment instills an appropriate amount of humble, peace-loving, care for the innocent, maturity which inevitably leads to the removal of the banishment. While this is all expected, it is also notable that it is done well, with appropriate timing and style. Never do we feel like we are watching a film just go through the motions. A good, but not outstanding, addition to the Avengers lineup.
3 stars (out of 5)

It's Kind of a Funny Story

2011-05-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

A charming story of self discovery and the power of honesty, with both yourself and with others. Craig is a 16 year old kid who thinks he is struggling with depression when he checks himself into a psychiatric hospital to get help. Only after being admitted does he find that it is for a minimum 5-day stay. And that the teen-ward is under construction so he is in 3 North, with all the other crazies. Of course, none of them are seriously crazy, so everybody has fun working on self improvement in music class, art class and playing table tennis. Craig's friendships on the floor lead to a developing maturity in himself as well as impacting those around him. This could have been really cheesy (it was only sort of cheesy) and really dumb (it wasn't). Mostly, I was surprised that it held my attention and I enjoyed the evening with Cool Craig.
4 stars (out of 5)

The Square

2011-05-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

Ray is a construction supervisor looking for a way to change his life by running away with his mistress. This sounds like the beginning of a thousand films, and in many ways, The Square is no different than those thousand. But it is also a quality look at motivation, decision-making and feeling trapped built around the story of a small time heist. On a small scale, we see how one decision leads to an inevitable next decision. Within the context, each decision is logical and essential. In hindsight, I am looking back (as I am sure is Ray) to think about which decision could have been made differently at each step of the way. The plot is sufficiently intricate to keep you thinking and curious, and of course, the story doesn't go the way Ray thought it would...

4 stars (out of 5)

The Audrey Hepburn Story

2011-05-07T17:15:00.001-07:00

Every so often it is worth watching a made-for-TV docudrama. And when the subject is one of my all-time favorite actresses, you can't really go wrong. Hepburn is one of cinema's finest stars and while the acting quality in this film is not great, I did find her life story very interesting. Raised in Brussels and Amsterdam during WWII with a Nazi sympathizer father, Hepburn turned a love of dancing into a love for acting and pursued her dream with unwavering commitment. In the end, her mother's mantra of "You can be whatever you want" ended up to be true...

3-stars (out of 5)

Hanna

2011-05-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hanna is a young girl who is raised by her father in the northern wilderness (somewhere near the arctic circle). The two are completely isolated and dad uses the roughness of nature as a way to train his daughter how to protect herself from anything. When she is finally ready, the two re-enter civilization to try to clean up a messy past. Hanna is not aware of most of the truth (she has been protected), but she is a kick-butt special agent. As we progress through the film, avoiding and then chasing the nemesis, I am not sure what I am left with. Or, I am sure, and it is not much. Reminiscent, at times of last years Kick-Ass, but without the humor and of the old James Bond classics like Goldfinger, but without the camp or class. In the end, we are left with a well trained soldier who is ruthless and has lots of questions about the world. Almost like Jason Bourne, which makes me suspect a sequel next summer. I can't recommend this one, but will probably see the sequel when it comes out since I invested in this back-story.
2 stars (out of 5)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

2011-05-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

By far the best of the three Millennium trilogy films (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire as the first two). This film plays out as a courtroom thriller with political intrigue and international espionage drama. We leave behind most of the misogynistic current of the previous films (although it hangs around as a fundamental motive). The protagonist Lisbeth Salander starts here where she left off... dark, chip-on-her-shoulder, and with a bullet in her head. She is in the hospital recovering while a case is being built against her for attempted murder. Blomkvist, meanwhile, continues to dig up dirt on the conspiracy that got Lisbeth in trouble in the first place, getting help from hacker extraordinaire Lisbeth. He ultimately ends up with a massive expose for his magazine. If none of this makes sense, you have got to see the first two films (or better, read the books). Overall, I loved the books, and was entertained by the films. It is interesting the "The Girl" is clearly the protagonist and the driver of the story, but is really a minor part of most of the films. And just for fun, the first of the American version (staring Daniel Craig) releases at the end of this year, so it will be very interesting to see the trilogy again from a different perspective so close to the original.
4 stars (out of 5)

Fast Five

2011-04-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am a Vin Diesel junkie. All of his films are summer popcorn blockbusters and he knows it. He plays with the right amount of testosterone and self deprecating humor dripping off the screen. Fast Five is a great follower in the Fast & Furious franchise. We have transitioned out of a pure muscle and speed, car movie (of which I still think Tokyo Drift is the best entry) into a pretty good heist film. From the first heist (stealing cars of course) to the last (a well choreographed, old fashioned bank heist... sort of) there is never a dull moment. We steal from bad guy and utilize the team of experts, each with a specialty, to make things fun. My only complaint is the body count. Well over 100 and not really necessary. Violence alone is enough to make the rating wrong (PG-13? Really?). But summer is here. And like I said, I am a Vin Diesel junkie...

4 stars (out of 5)

The Fighter

2011-04-25T16:44:00.001-07:00

I really haven't seen many films that Mark Wahlberg is a good fit for. This is pretty close. I haven't seen many films that Christian Bale is bad in either. This is no exception. Wahlberg plays a "minor league" boxer, trying to stay in the ring and get a shot at a title. His druggie brother (Bale) and manager mom seem to have good intentions without the ability to keep their own ego's in check. The highlight of this film may be the scenes with Wahlberg's gang of half-sisters who, let just say, are not the most intelligent folks on this planet. Any scene they enter is automatically over-the-top and somehow just right at the same time.
3 stars (out of 5)

Certified Copy

2011-04-25T16:21:00.001-07:00

Starting out as an academic, philosophical discussion on the merits of "the original" vs. "a copy" turns into a living exploration of the subject. Certified Copy is a "walking and talking" film with basically two characters throughout (a la Before Sunset or Tape). Juliet Binoche is fabulous as always. The story begins with Binoche meeting up with an author whom she idolizes/respects/despises for an afternoon on the town. By the end of the film, we are left wondering if these two are role playing not knowing each other early, or knowing each other late. It is one of those films that by the end, you drive home thinking about whether you saw the beginning through the right lens. Engaging throughout.
4 stars (out of 5)

Source Code

2011-04-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Excellent. In the tradition of 12 Monkees and Inception, this sci-fi, time-travel, alternate-reality thriller definitely brings its A-game. Jake Gyllenhaal is an Army helicopter pilot who was shot down in Afghanistan. When he comes to, he is disoriented and confused. It takes the first third of the film to clear up his confusion. It turns out that he is not part of a special program that allows him to be sent to an alternate reality to live out the last 8 minutes of another mans life. In this case, the man happens to be a passenger on a commuter train that blows up in a terrorist attack. Gyllenhaal is tasked with discovering the bomb and relaying that information back to his "actual reality" to prevent the bomb. As with any good alternate reality film, we are left sorting out the details of how exactly the time travel works, and how the pieces of continuity fit together. And in this case Source Code does not disappoint with the details. As much as possible, the film is consistent and clear and plausible, which makes it one step better than Inception because in the end it does not get to rely on everything being "a dream".
5 stars (out of 5)

The Man without a Past

2011-03-10T16:40:00.000-08:00

This Finnish film chronicles the story of a guy who gets beat up while traveling in an unfamiliar city. We don't know anything about him, except that he had a welding facemask in his luggage. Unfortunately, the guy doesn't know anything about himself either. He lost his memory in the beating. However, he is a pretty upbeat guy and finds a place to live in a squatters village (in a shipping container) and makes a friend in the local Salvation Army staff office. Without being too concerned about why he doesn't remember anything, or what might be important about his past, he goes on with his life an develops new relationships, friends and interests. Perhaps a good look at how an existentialist would approach memory loss. The film plays out slowly and feels really long, but never do you feel like you want to quit watching. I will leave it to you to determine if that makes it a good film or a poor film.
3 stars (out of 5)

Buddy

2011-02-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

Two words: Stig Inge. Another in the line of Norwegian films about odd friends (see Elling). Here a couple of friends (Kristoffer and Geir) work together hanging billboards around town and use their freedom to perform Jackass like stunts for Kristoffer's video memoir. The two find a place to live as roommates with Stig Inge, who happens to be a bit of a recluse. It is an odd pairing and when Kristoffer's memoirs get picked up by a local TV channel for airing, everything becomes a little bit weird in the relationships. This is not high art, but it is a well developed story of friends that mature and realize why they are friends.
4 stars (out of 5)

Long Way Down

2011-01-20T16:46:00.000-08:00

Ever since seeing The Motorcycle Diaries, I have thought a cross continent trip would be fun. This documentary cements that thought for me. Ewan McGregor and his buddy take a motorcycle trip from Ireland to Capetown and Long Way Down is a 12-hour or so documentary of their trip. Besides convincing me that such a trip would be fabulous, I am also now convinced that I could never do it. This isn't just two guys and two motorcycles. It is two guys, two motorcycles, 6 more guys, another motorcycle, 2 support vehicles, three months on the road and corporate sponsors. So maybe I will keep the dream alive, but just scale it back a bit. As far as this series goes, don't give up at the first episode (which is pretty boring). You could even probably skip the first couple hours as they prepare and travel through England and Europe. The real fun starts in Africa and fortunately, the route does not include a lot of paved roads. We get to see travel where tourists don't usually go. As far as travel shows go, this one is a lot of fun.

4 stars (out of 5)

Happy-Go-Lucky

2011-01-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

Poppy is a generally positive and happy girl. She encounters all kinds of strange things and yet never seems to be nervous or frightened. Her personality just doesn't allow it. She decides to take driving lessons and her instructor is a pretty tight laced fellow. Driving lessons are very serious and not to be take lightly. The fact that Poppy is so cavalier about driving and that Scott is so uptight about teaching driving leads to a natural ongoing tension. This is a decent slice of life film where the tension is not so great as to make it serious. Unfortunately, the fact that it never really gets serious makes it also largely forgettable.
3 stars (out of 5)

The Maltese Falcon

2011-01-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

A definite classic film noir. Bogart plays independent detective Sam Spade who stumbles onto a who-done-it and who-has-it mystery. A golden statue of a falcon believed to be covered in an ugly ceramic covering. This ancient artifact is obviously valuable and Spade gets involved with a woman who has it, or stole it, or knows who did, or who might. Murder and intrigue abound. Bogart is, of course, the smartest one on screen and seems to just be playing with everyone, always one step ahead. I am sure that it is a sign of the times, but I don't really see what is so great about his acting. He is a grizzled old guy with a really over-the-top method of acting. Any emotion that he needs to convey is super explicit on his face, as if the director said "Ok, now we will hold the camera on your face so you can show anger for a couple of seconds". It doesn't seem natural at all. Like I said, I am probably just not in touch with what good acting was back then. But whatever it was, it doesn't really hold up.
2 stars (out of 5)

Another Year

2010-12-31T16:39:00.000-08:00

It seems appropriate to watch a film about the events over the course of a year at the end of year. It inspires a viewer to join in the reminiscence, recalling the good and bad of their own lives. The film also reminds us that our own lives don't really follow the climax and resolution pattern of most Hollywood movies. Instead, we encounter a series of events, a series of relationships, that have various levels of meaning. We enjoy (or tolerate) them, and then look to the next one. In spite of our most glamorous dreams and plans, most of us are just plain. Another Year takes this reality and presents an entertaining view of life. Distinctly British in its sensibilities, we have four acts (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) that follow a professional couple throughout the year. Tom (geology engineer) and Gerri (therapist) are in their mid-sixties, enjoy their jobs and enjoy each other. They spend their free time working a plot together in a community garden. The key to the success of this film is in the portrayal of the relationships. Gerri's co-worker Mary is a frequent guest at the house and displays her loneliness on her sleeve. Tom's college buddy Ken is a caricature of a working class man without any vision for living life. We also meet Joe, Katie, and Ronnie throughout the year. And while there is no climax/resolution story arc in the traditional sense, there are definite turning points in the relationships which provide depth to the characters and a clear sense of time passing. Throughout the film, we see the distinct personality of each character as an individual and equally important, their personality as enhanced/diminished by those close to them. In the end, I found my self smiling and laughing at all the right places. Thoroughly enjoyable.
4 stars (out of 5)

The Dish

2010-12-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

A story set in the midst of the space race and the Apollo 11 lunar landing. However, this story is from the perspective of small town Parkes, Australia. This town was the site of a large, southern hemisphere radio telescope and was part of the communication system for the lunar mission. Part small town farce, part historical fiction, part frontier science, we get a window into part of the mission that is not usually remembered. Plays like a made for TV special with enough good science to make if fun to watch. Perfect for a late night Christmas vacation diversion.
4 stars (out of 5)

Dan in Real Life

2010-12-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

Steve Carell is funny. I think he is too funny for this role. He plays a guy with 3 daughters who lost his wife a few years back and is still struggling to "move on". Carell is too goofy to hold the gravity of this loss ever present. Instead, the film tosses off a glib "oh, and my wife died" set up so that we can get on to the comedic awkward family reunion. Add to this the fact that Carell falls for his brothers new girlfriend (Juliette Binoche) and has to manage hanging out with her for the weekend with his girls and family all looking on. This is written as a conventional romantic comedy and lives up exactly to that bill, nothing more. Pleasant, but avoidable.
3 stars (out of 5)

True Grit

2010-12-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

Jeff Bridges personifies True Grit. I think that is the selling point of this film. We saw great 'grit' by Bridges in Crazy Heart and thought "I could stand to see more of that greatness". Unfortunately, Bridges phoned it in. Or perhaps there wasn't enough there for him to do anything else. He is a drunken, criminal turned marshal in the wild west. He wants to be left alone, but a persuasive 14 year old girl persuades him to hunt down her fathers killer. They set off into the wilderness together and [spoiler alert] get the bad guy [end spoiler]. Matt Damon joins the festivities as a Texas Ranger who also wants to get the bad guy for crimes committed in Texas. Competition between bounty hunters, precocious girl, horses and great views. Nothing surprising or new or even really interesting in this drama. The most memorable part of the film is something that I would rather not remember as a horse is ridden into the ground in an effort to save a life. I know, no animals were harmed... but I don't need the imagery to draw the connection that Bridges is also a broken down old horse who can't make it to the finish line.
2-stars (out of 5)

The Girl in the Cafe

2010-12-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

This film was recommended by my friend Joel. As such, I fully expected to see dinosaurs show up somewhere in the film. Alas, I was disappointed on that count. Putting those expectations aside, I found myself enjoying this film. Lawrence is a single man working in the British PM office helping to set and promote policy centered on the Millenium goals and preparing for a G-8 conference in Reykjavik. He has recently met a girl in a coffee shop and since he is allowed to take a companion on his travel trips, invites her along to the conference. At the conference Lawrence and Gina get to know each other better, with Lawrence for presumably the first time in his life being challenged to really know what he thinks and who he wants to be. A nice little drama exploring relationship, self awareness, love and purpose.
3 stars (out of 5)

My First Mister

2010-12-21T18:08:00.000-08:00

Guest Review by Annika -
My favorite storyline is that of unlikely friendships being forged. The characters in My First Mister are not as comfortably uncomfortable as The Station Agent, as richly colorful as Bagdad Cafe, as deliciously prickly as Mostly Martha, or as triumphant over age as Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont or Monsieur Ibrahim. But in this "forging friendships" genre my tolerance is wide (unlike with cinema in general) and I'd recommend it as a close second if any of the above films are not available. Alienated teenage Jennifer gets fired from her mall retail job "not for stealing but for farting." She wanders over to a stuffy men's clothing store where old sobersides Randall (with a terrible mustache) gives her a job. Quirky life altering friendship ensues. Points also for most creative mannequin display.
3 stars (out of 5)

The King's Speech

2010-12-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

Colin Firth is a king. Playing George VI, King of England during the onset of World War II, Firth delivers another command performance, presenting a character that is struggling internally and presenting that struggle subtley such that we are able to commiserate (see A Single Man for another great example of Firth at work). Here George's older brother abdicates the throne in order to marry his recently divorced beau (which is necessary since the head of the Church of England could not possible marry a divorcee). George takes the throne just as mass public communication becomes an effective tool for politicians and heads of state, a necessary tool to rally the public to war. The problem is that George has a problem with stammering and a deathly fear of speaking in public. Enter Geoffrey Rush, unconventional speech therapist who coaxes and coaches George into coping with public speaking and realizing that perhaps some of his royal elitism is misplaced. A fascinating look at modern royalty.
4 stars (out of 5)

Harry Potter 7: Deathly Hollows 1

2010-11-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

I grew up with dead authors. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis Narnia and Space Trilogy, Asimov's Foundation and Robot series, even Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. I grew up knowing that when I started book 1 of a series, I could read as fast or slow as I wanted, but was still able to finish the series. Somehow this is my default expectation for any series, and if this expectation is not met, no matter the reason, I find myself annoyed at having to wait. I read the first 7 books of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, only to give up after being required to wait 18 months for the release of book 8. I couldn't imaging not finishing the 12 book series for another 10 years. I am similarly annoyed by Paolini's Inheritance series (which also turned a 3 book series into 4), and until recently Terry Brooks' Shannara series.

Why do you care about this in a movie review? HP7DH1 is one of these unfinished series. In the grand tradition of Back to the Future II and III, DH1 is clearly a setup film. A well made and entertaining setup film, but a setup film none-the-less. Voldemort is in charge and things are changing. Everyone is in danger. In fact, 80% of the film is spent showing everyone in danger. Harry and Co. spend their time searching for Horcruxes, but basically, their search is a series of travels into and out of danger because of the recent regime change. They don't actually make much progress. So over the course of two and a half hours we learn that things are dangerous and we learn what the Deathly Hollows are... to be continued...

While I of course understand marketing and capitalism and why films are made ($$$), I personally would have preferred to wait another 12 months and then paid double for a 5 hour feature length film that didn't climax with the credits. Which means that next year, I will probably just need to organize a Potter marathon and set 18 hours of my life aside so I can watch the 8 films in sequence. And I will wait until 2012 when the "final" Wheel of Time novel is released to pick that series up again.
3 stars (out of 5)

Pieces of April

2010-11-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

This probably showed up in my Netflix queue after I watched Please Give, enjoyed Oliver Platt, and proceeded to add anything Platt that I could. Platt plays a supporting role as April's (Katie Holmes) father. April lives in Manhattan with her boyfriend Bobby. They have invited the entire family to their place for thanksgiving. The film is really two different stories: that of April preparing for the family to arrive and that of the family driving from upstate NY into the city for the meal. April (of course) encounters problems with cooking her first ever turkey and gets to meet a bunch of neighbors in the process. The family tiptoes around mom's health, grandma's senility and a pretty open disdain for April. In fact, the common theme through these stories is that both April and the family are processing April's role in the family. The beauty of the film is that the heaviness of family dysfunction is balanced by the comedy of family dysfunction (a la Little Miss Sunshine without the keystone cops routine). Very well done and the fact that the sound track is full of The Magnetic Fields pushes this into the 5-star category.
5 stars (out of 5)

The Painted Veil

2010-11-07T22:34:00.000-08:00

Set in the early 20's, a research doctor (Edward Norton) and his new wife (Naomi Watts) travel to China to help combat the spread of a cholera epidemic. Along the way, the two must sort out a trunk full of baggage ranging from why they got married, to why they are still married and what is it about each other that they like and/or loath. Highlighting the difficulty of relationship and the difficulty with honesty, the film surrounds all of this difficulty with the fabulous natural beauty of China. Throw in a little bit of political intrigue (western immigrants v. warlords), a little bit of faith searching and a bit of pestilence to wrap up an engaging, well acted film.
3 stars (out of 5)

Crossing Delancey

2010-11-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

In this 1988 film, thirty something Isabelle is a single woman running an independent bookstore in Manhattan. She is happy and has a full life, but her Jewish mother doesn't believe it for a minute. When the mother hires a matchmaker, Isabelle is beside herself with annoyance and embarrassment. This is not how relationships are started these days. The mother is conniving and persistent and Sam ('the match') is patient and understanding. There are no surprises where this film is going, and the "niceness" of the characters is unbelievable (as in, not believable). But there are also enough cute interactions (especially between Sam and mom) that made this enjoyable to watch.
3 stars (out of 5)

A Wednesday

2010-10-31T22:31:00.000-07:00

An Indian action-thriller where we follow the police over the course of a day chasing down a potential terrorist. In the morning, a call comes in from a man claiming to have planted several bombs throughout the city. One of these is in the police station, and when that one is found, the threat is real. The demand of the terrorist is the immediate release of 5 men serving time in prison who also have terrorist connections. The police chief and two of his trusted officers work throughout the day to insure the safety of the people of Mumbai. This film fills the typical no-nonsense form of Asian action thrillers. There is no time "wasted" developing character or background. Instead, there is a problem to be solved and we are working to solve it...quickly. The feel of the film is hasty, if not skittish. But in fact, based on the tension that the plot is building, this pacing actually accentuates the experience of watching the film. A bit like Speed or even Crank where the circumstances of the film and the style of direction build the tension. And at the same time, by the end you feel that you know a bit more about the characters than you would in any Hollywood action thriller. Somehow, it all gets in...
3 stars (out of 5)

The Social Network

2010-10-31T22:06:00.001-07:00

This film has been getting good reviews and I just couldn't fathom why. It seemed like it would be in the same vein as the Jobs v. Gates film Pirates of Silicon Valley and all of its made-for-TV glory. And in some ways, it is. We get the story of the invention and development of Facebook and some of the back story on the main players (primarily Mark Zuckerberg). We get the tension between Zuckerberg and his co-founder Eduardo Saverin, his Harvard elitist enemies and basically the world. And we get a story of how a nerd is finally in charge of something cool and are left wondering if he really is seeing a long term view in building this thing, or whether he is just a nerd who can't deal with letting his coolness fade. I was engaged throughout this film and am really having a hard time point a finger to a specific reason. I guess I will attribute it to good acting and an engaging story that wasn't just paparazzi news.

One thing that I did find fascinating is the lack of a sympathetic protagonist. Instead, there were three distinct types of asses that drove the film. Zuckerberg, Sean Parker (of Napster fame) and the Harvard elite. Zuckerberg was an ass to most people, but I don't think he knew that he was. He was simply not engaged with the relational part of any relationship he had and was instead engaged with the intellectual gamesmanship that a relationship provided. This carried over into his business as well and I will call him the Intellectual Ass. Parker was portrayed as a "F--- the Man" ass who was really about being the "The Man 2.0". Everything revolves around "The Man 2.0" and he thinks he is so revolutionary that no one would confuse him with The Man, but it is painfully obvious that he is just a Narcissistic Ass. Finally, there are the Harvard elite asses. I use Harvard here because that was the role played in the film by the Winklevoss brothers (I have no particular gripe with Harvard). Their particular brand of ass-ness is based on inherited wealth and entitlement. They are in fact The Man, even as 20-something undergrads. All of this leads me to wonder if there is in fact a classification of asses. For example, is there an enneagram of asses, where different ass types have specific characteristics? I am sure there are and I am sure that the three named here are pretty common. It was just interesting to see three distinct types (Intellectual, Narcissistic and Elitist Ass) portrayed so clearly and distinctly in a single film.

4 stars (out of 5)

Agora

2010-10-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

The story of Hypatia, the renown philosopher of Alexandria in the 300's A.D. Very fictionalized in that we don't really know what science or study she was able to complete. As such, creative license was given over to allow her to work out the motion of the planets as elliptical orbits some 1200 years before Kepler was able to do so. But the science/philosophy is a back story. Instead, this is a story of the developing political power of the Christians in a pagan world. As the Christians gain more momentum and popular support, they increasingly take control of the bureaucratic structures as well as the intellectual structures of Alexandrian society, leading to the famed burning of the library. Since this is obviously highly fictionalized, I am not sure about the historical basis. What I wonder is how true to fact the cultural portrayals are. In an ancient urban area, how much mob mentality and killing in the streets really happened? How violent and despicable were "the christians" really? I am sure quite (based on the history of the crusades and even 20th century events) but the imagery seemed to fall too neatly into my preconceived notions and for some reason did not ring authentic. Perhaps an authentic portrayal of ancient urban culture would sell even less tickets that Agora did as written. Overall, while I found this interesting and at times painful in its portrayal of the christians, I also found it too slow to develop and rather "made-for-TVish".

2 stars (out of 5)

Hereafter

2010-10-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

Clint Eastwood is pretty much golden. I haven't seen anything that he is involved in go bad so this was a pretty good bet. In Hereafter we get three (of course) seemingly unconnected stories that eventually connect. In the beginning, this played like a tame version of the Final Destination series. Knowing that the Matt Damon character spoke with the dead, the first few scenes stressed me out as I was waiting for someone to die. Fortunately, knowing that there were only three unconnected stories let me relax shortly into the film. After that, we get an interesting view on the meaning of death and how different people deal with death. This is not exactly a film about grief and death, but instead it is an emotionally serious look at how people choose to decide what is important in life. The most enjoyable moment of this film was just an insignificant snippet in the last third. Damon is at a book reading and listening to his favorite audio book reader read from one of his favorite books. I think that as an actor, if you are asked to beam with joy, that might be kind of easy. Here Damon is asked to be on the verge of beaming, but his personality does not allow him to beam. A 20 second clip featuring Damon in a personal and pure state of joy, breaking out in just a twitch of a smile. Maybe not that important, but made the film for me.

4 stars (out of 5)

State of Play

2010-10-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

A political thriller where the politician (Ben Affleck) and his friend the journalist (Russell Crowe) engage in a dance of protected sources, divided loyalties and the presumed search for the truth. Hellen Miren tosses off a solid turn as the benevolent editor giving her ace reporter some leeway and we find once again that the journalist is a better detective than the police could ever be. As far as a plot goes, a petty street thief is shot and killed (two to the chest) by a professional and a Congressman's chief researcher on an investigative committee commits suicide in front of a D.C. metro train. These completely unrelated deaths apparently aren't, and Russell Crowe follows them up to find who is the real killer, and what is the real interest (in terms of power and favor) on the congressional investigative committee his boyhood friend chairs. Well played and well written, but not astonishing. Perhaps because I haven't seen a lot good in awhile...

4 stars (out of 5)

Criminal

2010-10-10T17:32:00.001-07:00

I like a con film where everyone is working to out-con everyone else and you really aren't sure who is in on the scheme and who isn't. John C. Reilly stars here as a small time con-man who finds a new partner (somehow leaving his past partner without notice), is fighting with his sister and avoiding the cops while trying to sell a fake copy of rare currency to a collector. Of course, the rare currency sale is "the big score" and we watch it play out. We know all of this is happening and there are enough ambiguous clues to keep us jumping from one scenario to the next while working to predict the outcome. I always like to follow the money in watching these since somewhere there must be real money for someone to steal and things are no different here. This is not a big film with grand ambitions. Instead, it is a personal story of a guy, his sister (well played by the always good Maggie Gyllenhaal), desperation and the struggle to be realistic about life. Everybody is on target and in the end I was satisfied, looking back to the clues I missed to see how they could have pointed me in a different direction.
4 stars (out of 5)

Lust, Caution

2010-10-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

Ang Lee presents an account of political intrigue and corruption in World War II Shanghai. With the Japanese in control of China, dissidents work to assassinate the Japanese sympathizers who use the occupation as a opportunity to gain power and wealth. I am not sure about his target audience, but Lee seems to be crossing genre's. On one hand, this is an excellent period drama, giving the viewer a vivid picture espionage among the wealthy in the occupied east. We get to see how passion and affection can sneak up on everyone, changing the course of decisions. I would compare this to an eastern version of Remains of the Day. On the other hand, Lee's decision to use sex as the manifestation of that passion will probably make this film inaccessible to many. The sex is not titillating, but a clear display of power. It is disturbing and, while likely realistic considering the circumstances, doesn't fulfill any viewing interest of the "period drama" crowd or the "gratuitous sex" crowd. Perhaps the reason why this film didn't do big box office numbers ... it couldn't find its audience. I wonder why Lee couldn't be more discreet, more suggestive with his passion. It seems that the affair would have been more powerful if hidden in the shadows or a blurry focused, dimly lit shot. Granted, the power differential of the characters would have been also hidden, but I think that the net benefit for the film would be an easier watch and larger audience for a generally quality film.
3 stars (out of 5)

Babel

2010-10-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

There are enough films in this initially-divergent-multiple-plot-line-converging-into-single-story genre that they should have their own genre name. Here the ensemble cast pieces together several stories across both geography and time that eventually weave together into a whole. The theme here seems to be that each story develops around a tragic episode that is pretty much random or unavoidable. We see how people deal with tragedy in different ways and we see how relationships hold different value in each scenario. Unfortunately, the premise of each scenario is sufficiently contrived that I didn't buy in to this being a realistic possible sequence. For these films, in order for the stories to mean something as a whole, there must be a sense that the connection/sequence is possible and not just set up to manufacture tension individually to get a "greater" whole. Beautifully filmed and raising issues that are important to think about and discuss is a good beginning, but does not make a great film.
3 stars (out of 5)

A Home at the End of the World

2010-09-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

Collin Farrell stars in this story which starts with a young kid Bobby experiencing a series of family tragedies. The resulting relationship that Bobby develops with his best friend Jonathan and again with his girlfriend Clare all show how trauma can affect personality in quirky ways. The three friends are all in love and form a family that is not really complete with any two of the three. At the same time, three means that at any one time, there is a relationship between two with one left out. As the family learns how to live and love together, their lives become more rich and full. This was a good film, but in the end largely dissatisfying. There was something missing (dramatic story arc? conflict and resolution?) that left me feeling flat. Perhaps that was the intention, to show that life is pretty regular in even an irregular family. But I don't think so. So we leave disappointed, not that the protagonist life didn't end up happy, but that the protagonist leaves ordinary.
3 stars (out of 5)

After the Wedding

2010-09-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

This Danish film focuses on Jacob, a relief worker in India who has championed a local orphanage. He is soliciting money from corporations back in Denmark and when he has the opportunity to land a big donation that will save the orphanage, he travels "home" to seal the deal. What he discovers is that Jorgen, the wealthy potential benefactor, has an alterior motive in setting up this donation. Jacob is faced with answering for himself many of the questions that his orphan family asks on a regular basis. Along the way, we also ask ourselves about the value of family and the role of relationship in a meaningful life. Very well done.
3 stars (out of 5)

Top 5 L.A. films

2010-09-25T18:25:00.000-07:00

After watching The Kids are All Right, I began to think about my favorite films starring L.A. By starring, I mean that L.A. has to be a significant part of the film and not just a backdrop. And I will restrict my picks to films that are worth seeing (4 or 5 rating, out of 5 stars). Here are my top five right now, in no particular order...

Blade Runner
Speed
Collateral

10 Items or Less
What's Cooking

The first three utilize the physical space of L.A. while the last two expose the cultural space. If you haven't seen either of these later two, I highly recommend them.

Didn't quite make the cut, but deserve some mention...

Father of the Bride
Dogtown and Z-Boys
Crash

I have definitely left out many great L.A. films, but since these are in my long term memory I will trust that they are my Top 5 (for today).

Riverworld

2010-09-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how even a good concept paired with poor production values identifies a film as obviously made-for-TV. It is kind of like when you are scanning through the radio stations and find a "Christian Rock" station. You know what it is after hearing two or three notes. In Riverworld, I really liked the concept. After death, people are transported to a strange world that is... well, lots of rivers. What I like is the investigation of what happens after death and how different people end up in different physical locations of the afterlife, with different ideas of purpose. Based on this treatment, I can see storylines following things like -what factors cause you to end up in one place over another, -what personalities in life lead some to be questioners in the afterlife and others to live like sheep, -how does one get out of the afterlife, etc. Instead, we get a pedestrian (or should I say riparian) conflict between those who want to destroy Riverworld and those that want to protect it. Enter the caretakers (also on both sides of the conflict) as supreme alien species resembling blue man group that know more than they are letting on (but never reveal anything) and the story gets pretty lame, pretty fast. I guess what do you expect for TV, but the premise has promise. Any big time Hollywood or small time independent writers out there want to pick up the treatment and give it a good story? I would watch a better version again...
2 stars (out of 5)