J. Edgar

OPENING: 11/09/2011

STUDIO: Warner Bros.

ACCOMPLICES: Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
The most powerful man in the world. The most boring biopic in history.

Opening Statement
As a lifelong political junkie, dramatized biopics — from the ridiculous (JFK) to the sublime (Frost/Nixon) — play right into my wheelhouse. Talented filmmakers feast on the bones of these high profile figures and deconstruct their careers for enlightenment and entertainment. So how do you go about tactfully criticizing Clint Eastwood? The man is a bona fide Hollywood legend who has crafted some incredible films. Sadly, J. Edgar isn’t one of them.

Facts of the Case
A diligent young government agent, John Edgar Hoover, rises through the ranks of corruption and political turmoil to become the most powerful man in U.S. Government. Consumed by ambition and high ideals, his innovation and tenacity revolutionized crime fighting while opening the door to civil rights violations we continue to struggle with today. Hoover is the poster child for what can happen when unparalleled authority and a warped sense of right and wrong go unchecked. This is his story… or at least one version of it.

The Evidence
Dustin Lance Black’s screenplay uses the dictation of Hoover’s memoir in 1972 as the backbone for the film, allowing us to float in an out of key events in the man’s career. At times poignant and other times annoying, Eastwood attempts to leverage its non-linear style to build a slow boil which culminates in Hoover’s death. I say “attempts” because it’s difficult to invest yourself in the life of man who is both unlikable and unsympathetic. In fact, the only real emotion we feel is pity, for people like his longtime secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger) and lifelong partner Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer, The Social Network) who are sucked into Edgar’s raging whirlpool of ambition and never able to escape. It’s hard to imagine how this man engendered such loyalty when he treated everyone but his mother (Judi Dench, Quantum of Solace) with arrogant disdain.

The performances here seem to be the tipping point. DiCaprio has become a highly intense actor on the order of DeNiro, Pacino, and Sean Penn. But to craft a living breathing character, one has to go beyond the surface intensity and discover a light to balance the dark. And that’s where this performance and the film itself falters. Eastwood has made a career of finding humor in even the darkest of circumstances and there’s very little humor here, which makes everything seem so self-important. There are far too many moments that scream “Look at me, I’m acting!” which is the last thing you want an audience to think.

Subtle devious manipulations of Dame Judi Dench as Edgar’s mother and the simple detached reactions of Naomi Watts as Ms. Gandy are in stark contrast to DiCaprio and Hammer who force their interactions in all but the most quiet of moments. One scene in particular — which both men admit had very little rehearsal and very few takes — finds Tolson and Hoover’s relationship reach its boiling point. What should be a moment of profound realization is undermined by over-the-top bad acting choices. Armie was shooting for Liz Taylor in Who’s Afraid of Virigina Woolf? and wound up with Susan Lucci in All My Children. The same can be said for DiCaprio in Edgar’s inability to deal with his mother’s passing. The scene nods to Hoover’s rumored crossdressing, but screams of Norman Bates in Psycho.

For as much time as these two characters spend together on screen, you’d think our investment in their relationship would be significant. And yet once these characters reach their twilight years, you can’t help but feel we’re watching a college theatre production of Waiting for Godot with twenty-somethings in heavy elderly makeup “acting” like senior citizens.

Shot in only 39 days, J. Edgar is a period piece of the highest technical order, one which perhaps overwhelms its narrative. The hair, makeup, costuming, sets, and lighting are meticulous for the near 50 year span in which the story operates. And yet the post-production team seems to have taken it all a bit too far with a past history color correction scheme that leaches life from the frame, leaving us a whitewashed history that flies in the face of a tale that attempts to lay bare the history of a man who no one really knew beyond what he wanted them to. To make matters worse, Eastwood’s mastery of music and passion for quiet understated Jazz sabotages the film. The sleepy piano driven underscore only amplifies lifeless visuals to drag everything down.

Closing Statement
Like many of the industry people I viewed the film with, I have no doubt there will be some who will fall all over themselves praising the film. I just can’t share that enthusiasm. In fact, my disappointment with the experience seems to grow with time and distance. Save for Judi Dench, Naomi Watts, and an impressive production team, there’s just not much to relish about J. Edgar. Those expecting a late season Oscar juggernaut will be sorely disappointed.

The Verdict
Guilty of criminal ambivalence.

7/10

Fright Night 3D

OPENING: 08/19/2011

STUDIO: Dreamworks Studios

RUN TIME: 106 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
You can’t run from evil when it lives next door

Opening Statement
Fright Night 3D is one of those horror remakes that probably didn’t need to happen. Regardless, it’s fun, creepy motion picture entertainment boasting a strong performance from Colin Farrell and some fairly nifty special FX. The 3D ain’t bad either.

Facts of the Case
Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) lives with his mother (Toni Collette) in a quiet suburban town just outside Las Vegas. Seemingly on the verge of escaping his geaked-out past playing superheroes with the school nerd (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and preparing to dive head first into his red hot girlfriend’s (Imogen Poots) pants, Charlie’s life takes an unexpected detour when Jerry (Farrell) moves in next door and turns out to be, of all things, a vampire.

Charlie must enlist the aid of crazy magician Peter Vincent (David Tennant) in order to ensure his friends survive the blood sucker’s wrath.

The Evidence
Fright Night 3D taught me many things. One, that Hollywood will never grow tired producing vampire flicks, regardless of box office. Two, actor Anton Yelchin must know somebody fairly high up, hence Hollywood’s insistence on throwing him into every high caliber, potential blockbuster series, despite his obvious lack of cinematic presence. And three, Colin Farrell should’ve been on the A-list many years ago.

The talented veteran has retreated to starring in many little-seen films, namely the terrific In Bruges and London Boulevard, after flopping in early attempts to attain leading man status – see American Outlaws, Hart’s War, The Recruit, and Daredevil. Fright Night 3D gives him the freedom to play loosey goosey in a throwaway roll (reminiscent of his early bit in Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report), mainly because there’s not much else to the production. It’s as if the producers knew a remake of Tom Holland’s nifty 1985 cult classic was a bad idea, but realized Farrell was in it for more than just the paycheck and decided to let him run away with the show.

Good move.

Farrell instills life into an otherwise stilted film. His performance, comprised of slight twitches and snakely motions that even Voldemort would envy, carries Fright Night 3D above the annals of average cinema into a chasm above decent and below “actually quite good.” I was reminded of Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight, and Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates film (remember, when he was actually cool?). It’s one of those performances that can turn an average film into a good one, or a good film into a great one. Without him, Fright Night 3D would line Target discount shelves for years to come. With him, the damned thing might just find redemption…time will tell.

Of course, that doesn’t excuse the remaining film. What is it about modern horror films that keeps them from being scary? Is it the CGI FX, which pale in comparison to those grotesque, imaginative schlocky ’80s make-up FX? Or the need to lean heavily on pop culture to connect with audiences (Twilight is mentioned several times)? Or is it the glossy look caked over the production, making everything too neat, too perfect? Tellingly, I didn’t mind some of the CGI in this film, and felt Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl) did a fairly good job with the gore. It’s still not utterly grotesque, but at least a few people in my audience expelled grossed out reactions to the proceedings. (Some of his scare tactics were quite effective as well.)

However, what bugs me about modern cinema is the digital look all films seem to carry. Remember the old days when films like Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre had dust particles splashed across its images? Remember the murky, unprofessional lighting in the original Friday the 13th? Hell, even Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films, while inherently low budget (and cheesy), still scared the crap out of you with its muddy, over-the-top happenings.

Maybe the problem is that all films these days receive a budget north of $100 million. With that kind of money, directors don’t have to be creative (unless you’re James Cameron, and must make imaginative cuts in order to ensure your film comes within its $300 million price tag); they simply point and click. Thus each shot is carefully laid out; everything looks and feels artificial because the creativity that carried on behind the scenes lacked emotional investment. Imagine if Gillespie was told to remake Fright Night 3D on a $10 million budget. Don’t you think a better film would emerge? One filled to the brim with creativity?

That’s why films like Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project work so well: they require imagination. Everything looks and feels low budget and so the audience is never sure how far the director can go. The scares stem from utter surprise at a director’s ability to achieve the impossible in a film that costs less than a pack of chewing gum. When a production carries an enormous price tag and throws buckets of CGI blood in your face, shock and awe go out the window. By then, it’s not a matter of what the producers can’t do, but what they won’t do.

Perhaps I’m just fickle. In truth, I enjoyed Fright Night 3D for its offbeat humor, and Poots’ dooey eyed charm. Yelchin bores me. And I’ve grown tired of Mintz-Plasse’s foul mouthed MacLovin charade. At least David Tennant injects some much needed energy into the film’s latter half, even if he comes across as a bit too eager for laughs.

In truth, remakes never are necessary unless you can add something to counter the original (see True Grit). Fright Night circa 1985 never was a perennial classic, per se, but it was one hell of a freaky movie; one that gave me nightmares as a kid. Fright Night 3D won’t give you nightmares, but Farrell’s performance will give you chills.

Closing Statement
With Colin Farrell in fine form, Fright Night 3D becomes watchable horror fluff, even if it never truly frightens.

The Verdict
7/10

The Help

OPENING: 08/10/2011

STUDIO: Dreamworks Films

RUN TIME: 103 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Change begins with a whisper

Opening Statement
In 2009, the book The Help was released and spent more then 100 weeks on bestseller lists. It chronicled the fictional stories of Aibileen Clark, a poor African American lady who worked for rich, white families in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. The book was written by Kathryn Stockett, a Caucasian lady who was inspired by an African American maid who worked for her family when she was a child. This, of course, drew lots of controversy. (What would she know about the experiences she’s writing about? Would this book and movie have gotten the same backing if a black person wrote it?) All of which goes to show that questions of racial equality are still alive and well today, and though we have an African American in the White House we still have not only a lot of callous people…but also a lot of exposed nerves.

Facts of the Case
The Help tells the story of three women who build unlikely friendships around a secret writing project which, if found out, would put them all in great danger. The unfortunately named Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (played by Emma Stone in Shirley Temple curls) wants a career writing. When she lands a job writing a cleaning tips column for the local paper she seeks help from Aibileen (played by Viola Davis in a performance I hope will get her an Oscar nomination) her best friend’s maid. Along with Aibileen’s best friend Minny (Octavia Spencer) they begin to tell Skeeter their stories about what it’s like being a maid in Jackson Mississippi.

The Evidence
As this is a Dreamworks film (and therefore, a Disney film) it has all the spit and polish sheen you would expect, full of morals and morsels of quaint truths lying around for the picking. That’s not to say that it isn’t good, because I think it is. That’s to say that they played it very safe with the material they were given. This isn’t The Color Purple. Heck, this isn’t even Driving Miss Daisy. An incident of spousal abuse is played out off screen and racial fuelled violence is heard over the radio. This is a piece of art finely tuned so that it would not offend anyone.

This film passes the Bechdel Test (look it up)–not something I can type often so I take the chance when I can. Though most of the women in this film are portrayed as gossipy, bitter, shallow minded hens; it makes it that much easier to delineate the goodies from the baddies. The performances are the reason to see this film, especially Viola Davis whose courageous acting–filmed in unflattering ways if it is in favor of the character–anchors this movie and really punches up the film’s most heartfelt moments. Her eyes can convey all the sadness in the world. Emma Stone’s Skeeter is the typical girl ahead of her time; the types put into these kinds of movies so that we can laugh at the backwards thinking of people at that time and pat ourselves on the back because we’ve come so far. What? She doesn’t want to be married? She doesn’t care about having children? Instead she wants a career and finds people of a different race to actually be people and not chattel? Scandal!

Jessica Chastain (most recently seen in Malick’s Tree of Life) is a revelation in this role as Celia Foote, the girl who lives in the outskirts of town and is shunned by all the socialites. She had quite a bit of heavy lifting to do, her character had to take some on-a-dime turns and Jessica more then succeeded. Side Note: Did the casting directors purposefully go after all the redheads (Stone, Howard, Chastain) in Hollywood? If so, Julianne Moore and Amy Adams are still waiting for their auditions.

Closing Statement
There are a couple of storytelling missteps. The film begins in the middle of the story with Aibileen already telling Skeeter her stories though the first act is Skeeter trying to convince Aibileen to tell her stories, which kinda takes the suspenseful wind out of your sails. Then there’s a subplot of Skeeter’s boyfriend which felt a little tacked on and ended very abruptly. That said, what the story did very well is convey the equality of all people. There were, as there are today, people on both sides of the racial divide who are mean and rude and spiteful. Just as there were, and still are today, people whose feelings are hurt because a mean, rude and/or spiteful person, regardless of race, age, creed or conviction, did not understand that hate affects everyone equally.

The Verdict

8/10

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

OPENING: 08/05/2011

STUDIO: Twentieth Century Fox

RUN TIME: 105 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Evolution Ends. Revolution Begins.

Opening Statement
Franklin J. Schaeffner’s Planet of the Apes (1968) remains a slightly flawed yet immensely enjoyable science fiction classic, but the franchise doesn’t exactly have a sterling reputation. The sequels to the original film are all hit-and-miss to some degree, and the less said about Tim Burton’s wretched 2001 reboot, the better. As such, it was hard to work up much enthusiasm for yet another attempt at bringing the property back to life, but Rupert Wyatt’s awkwardly-titled Rise of the Planet of the Apes proves to be one of summer 2011′s surprise successes.

Facts of the Case
Scientist named Will Rodman (James Franco, Your Highness), is currently developing a drug he believes may have the capability to cure Alzheimers (not coincidentally, a disease his father — played by John Lithgow — is suffering from). Will has been conducting trials on a female ape with immense success, but when the ape turns violent, she and the other test subjects are put down. Fueled by his guilt and humanity, Will manages to rescue the female’s newborn child and take it home with him.

As the young ape (named “Caesar” by Will’s Shakespeare-loving father) begins to grow, Will witnesses a remarkable series of developments. It seems the drug administered to Caesar’s mother had an effect on the child, who is now demonstrating a level of intelligence unheard of in his species. Within a few years, Caesar can understand English, is fluent in sign language, and capable of performing a wide variety of tasks which had previously been exclusive to human beings. However, after an unfortunate incident gets Caesar locked up, things take a dark and troubling turn.

The Evidence
The story we’re being told in Rise of the Planet of the Apes will feel very familiar to fans of the franchise, as Wyatt’s film is essentially a remake of Lee J. Thompson’s gritty Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. While that film ultimately fumbled its interesting ideas, turning itself into a messy unsatisfying actioner, this franchise reboot grows stronger as it propels us along, managing the not-inconsiderable feat of leaving its audience salivating for more. In other words, what we’ve been given is easily the best Planet of the Apes since… well, Planet of the Apes.

Though the trailers promoted the film as a James Franco vehicle, it quickly becomes apparent the perpetually-busy actor is merely here to set up the tale of Caesar the ape. Portrayed masterfully by motion-capture king Andy Serkis (Peter Jackson’s King Kong), Caesar is arguably one of the most effective cinematic arguments for CGI to date. When you see how masterfully the filmmakers have fused the emotion of Serkis’ performance with the persuasive physical detail of the animation, odds are you’ll agree this is one of the rare instances in which the modern computer-generated imagery proves vastly more enchanting than practical effects (after witnessing this film, the idea of going back to men in monkey suits is unthinkable).

Caesar is unquestionably the star of the film, and he manages to act circles around his human counterparts. Not that the humans are bad, mind you (in fact, Franco, Brian Cox, and John Lithgow are all rather good), but Serkis and the animators manage to achieve a level of subtle expressiveness which is wondrous to behold. Over the course of the film, Serkis depicts Caesar at stages of life from giddy child to moody teenager to embittered revolutionary, never missing a beat at any turn. In sequences which are mostly dialogue-free, we witness an origin story that deeply moves us even as it goes precisely where we expect it to.

The main plot points are predictable, but Rise of the Planet of the Apes keeps us involved by allowing these events to unfold in a natural, intelligently-written manner. It’s not exactly a movie for Mensa members, but it’s an atypically smart summer blockbuster which only slips into cheap fan service on a few brief occasions (the recycling of Charlton Heston’s famous “damn dirty apes” line is regrettably groan-worthy). However, it still manages to deliver on a more primal front, as the action sequence in the third act feels like a genuinely thrilling extension of the story rather than some obligatory noise which forces the characters to take a back seat (the increasingly robust score by Patrick Doyle certainly adds some punch too).

Closing Statement
Like all the films in this franchise, Rise of the Planet of the Apes has its problems. The romance between Franco and Freida Pinto feels like a forced subplot, the obnoxious character played by Tom Felton (aka Draco Malfoy) gets too much screen time, and Lithgow’s character is treated as nothing more than a plot device. Even so, this film marks the second time a Planet of the Apes movie has left me satisfied, and the first time one has left me hungry to see what comes next. Alongside Captain America: The First Avenger, Rise of the Planet of the Apes has brought a much-needed jolt to a generally lackluster summer movie season.

The Verdict
9/10

The Smurfs

OPENING: 07/29/2011

STUDIO: Columbia Pictures

RUN TIME: 86 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Where the Smurf are we?

Opening Statement
Long ago, a group of small blue humanoids called Smurfs invaded televisions every Saturday morning. They constantly sang a cheery song whose main lyrics were “la la la-la la la” and had adventures. Children were hooked immediately. Fast forward thirty years and those children are in the midst of re-discovering their childhoods. Sadly, it turns out some things are best left in the past.

Facts of the Case
On the eve of the Blue Moon festival, Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters, It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World) has a vision full of images too horrible to bear: a magic wand, iron cages, lots of yelling and running. Disaster is on the horizon, and it appears to be centered around Clumsy Smurf (Anton Yelchin, Hearts in Atlantis). And, indeed, Clumsy does instigate the troubles by stumbling too close to the haunt of Gargamel and leading the evil wizard straight to the Smurfs’ hidden village. In the ensuing flight to freedom, Clumsy makes a wrong turn and Papa leads a small task force to rescue him before it’s too late. But it is too late, and the lot are sucked through a vortex and into Central Park, followed closely by Gargamel, despite the fact that 94 of the 100 Smurfs did not go through the vortex and are loose in the wild.

In New York the Smurfs run across ad executive Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris, Beastly), who finds them to be a nuisance when they interrupt his work. The Smurfs just want to get home, which entails studying the stars (from the middle of New York City) and making a potion based on a Smurfs comic book. While they’re doing all this, they slowly creep into Patrick’s heart. He jams with them in an excruciating extended Guitar Hero scene complete with the Smurfs rapping along to Aerosmith’s “Walk…” I mean, “Smurf This Way.” Eventually, of course, he becomes a better man because of them, only partially because they inadvertently save his job, and he plays a small part in getting them home.

As for Gargamel, back in the cartoon days he wanted the Smurfs for one of two reasons: sometimes he wanted to eat them, other times he thought they were the key alchemic ingredient to make gold. This time, however, he wants to reduce them to their concentrated essence, which will give him the power to do…well, just about anything.

The Evidence
The Smurfs is aimed at the adults who grew up watching the cartoon, even more than their children. Thus, the film is loaded with self-referential quotes and gags. You’ve seen many of them in the trailers: they sing the Smurf song and Patrick says, “Don’t you find that just a little bit annoying?” Patrick also makes a fuss about them using the word “Smurf” for just about everything and questions the system of naming themselves after their primary characteristic. There are also plenty of pop culture references. The Smurfs “blend in” by hugging an advertisement for the Blue Man Group. They master the art of skateboarding. Smurfette is voiced by pop star Katy Perry, so naturally she says, “I kissed a Smurf…and I liked it!”

The problem isn’t the gags, per se, it’s that the gags become the movie. The thin plot is simply a frame to connect the dozens of little references and in-jokes. It makes for a very unsatisfying product.

The Smurfs featured in their first vehicle in three decades are mostly the obvious ones. Papa Smurf, Smurfette, and Brainy (Fred Armisen, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore) are all…well, no-brainers. Grouchy Smurf (George Lopez, Rio)is a bit of a mystery, and he’s not as contrarian as he used to be. Apparently he’s mellowed in the last thirty years. Clumsy is along just because he’s the catalyst for the disaster. That leaves the last of the crew, Gutsy (Alan Cumming, Burlesque). Never heard of him? That’s because he was created for this film. Why didn’t they just use Hefty Smurf, who would have filled the “fearless adventurer” role back in the day? The only reason I can think of is that someone decided that characters who speak in a Scottish brogue are very popular with the kids these days. You can probably thank Shrek.

The voice acting is respectable; I never felt that the Smurfs weren’t really doing the talking. Most of the humans are less convincing. Neil Patrick Harris channels Matthew Perry throughout most of the film, and every time he tries to hug a Smurf, it looks unnatural. Jayma Mays brings her perky Glee presence to the role of Grace and does a credible job of selling an enthusiastic, optimistic wife. Hank Azaria (Hop) has the most fun as Gargamel. He looks very much like the cartoon version, thanks to a small dose of nose prosthetics, and he cheerfully hams up every scene he’s in. His interactions with Azrael (Mr. Krinkle) are the best parts of the show. Speaking of Azrael, as long as the camera keeps its distance, the illusion of a semi-talking cat works pretty well. When they do a close-up to try to personify his expression or his actions, however, he just looks fake and creepy.

Unfortunately, director Raja Gosnell likes fast pans, which is very disorienting in a 3D film, at least if you’re sitting near the front. It took my eyes about a half-second to readjust after each one. Other than that, the 3D does a slightly better than average job. The Smurfs themselves don’t ever seem to pop out but some environments have decent effects. On the other hand, there were spans of time where taking the 3D glasses off made for a clearer picture. Don’t bother paying the extra for 3D if you can help it. The sound is likewise unimpressive. The voices come through clearly but there is little ambient noise. I never felt immersed in the world the film presented.

Like Papa Smurf, I have a vision: several months from now, around, say, Christmas shopping time, The Smurfs will become available for your home viewing pleasure, and the film’s marketing department will not miss out on the color-coordinating potential of Smurfs and Blu-ray discs. You heard it here first.

Closing Statement
The kids in the audience seemed entertained throughout, so at least the minor half of the target audience got its money’s worth. The Smurfs is simple and straightforward, and children should have no trouble figuring out the basics, even if the ad-executive subplot doesn’t have any meaning for them.

The Verdict
5/10

Attack the Block

OPENING: 07/29/2011

STUDIO: Studio Canal

RUN TIME: 88 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Inner city vs. outer space

Opening Statement
The South London housing estates, or “blocks,” have always been a great place to stage a film, especially to a Yankee like me. When I think of London, I think of some place nice and clean and free of crime where you can walk down the alley after having a few pints at the local pub and not feel the least bit afraid of being accosted. However, films like last year’s Harry Brown have shown a new side to London; a seedy underbelly of corruption and crime that lies on the outskirts of that fantastical version of London I’ve dreamed up for myself. From what I’ve seen, South London is truly a scary place to not only live but especially to grow up, where the teens seem to have lost all hope and as such turn to the things people do when they lose hope: drugs, crime, violence, sex and more wanton, senseless brutal violence. Into this scenario we drop an alien invasion and there we have the set up for Attack the Block.

Facts of the Case
Attack the Block starts off with Jodie Whittaker as Sam, a young nurse who lives in the blocks of South London. On her way home from work she is attacked by a gang of masked youth. They threaten, bully, and rob her. She luckily escapes relatively unharmed but clearly shaken by the experience. The same youths that attacked her, soon after she runs away, spot a meteorite hit the earth not far away from where they are, so they investigate and find and kill an alien. Soon thereafter, many more meteorites start landing, releasing a slew of aliens bent on killing people in the block.

The Evidence
After seeing this intro I started wondering, “They aren’t going to try and make me sympathize with this group of roughians I just saw picking on and stealing from a defenseless woman, are they? Those archetypes are meant for despising not for cheering on.” And yet that is exactly what they went on to do. Let me back up here and tell you all the things that are great about this film, because there are a few, before I dive into that main problem I have.

The use of actual things–puppets, actors, shadows–to represent the aliens instead of relying on CG is so utterly refreshing. Although sometimes it isn’t pulled off completely and you can clearly tell it is a puppet chasing after the kids, the effect of having something real there for the cinematographer to shoot, the actors to play off of, and the audience to feel, comes though and I appreciate it. Speaking of actors, all the boys in the gang did an outstanding job but I want to especially point out John Boyega’s Moses, who leads them out of alien oppression (a clever nod on the writer’s part). John played his part excellently, and though the character didn’t change much from beginning of story to the end, for his debut, the guy did a brilliant job.

Which brings me back to my problem: the writers trying to pull my heartstrings with characters who are unrepentant about their wicked ways. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a good anti-hero just as much as the next guy, but with a good anti-hero you are either let us in to see why they have to be bad or they must have so much charisma they just win you over. Unfortunately, Boyega plays Moses like a stoic stone of cold efficiency who knows what he does is wrong but doesn’t care–it may be what he does to get by but he also enjoys the power it gives him. Some may call this film a classic redemption story, however, as I’ve stated before, I didn’t notice much, if any, change in Moses’ character by the end of the film. I could easily see Moses, after the credits roll, continuing to terrorize innocent women in the streets of South London. What the events in the film taught him were not that he needs to repair his ways but what to do in case of an alien attack. I find this set up to mostly resemble a horror film where the group of unlikable miscreants is set up at the beginning of the film before the killer comes in.

Closing Statement
What Attack the Block is on the road to becoming is a cult classic. I don’t know if the general public will embrace it, possibly for the same reasons as I have not embraced it. However, there will definitely be a group of people who will absolutely love this film – they will attend the midnight screenings, tell their friends and lend out the DVD they will eventually get to anyone who will watch–even when no one owns DVD players any more.

The Verdict

7/10

Captain America: The First Avenger

OPENING: 07/22/2011

STUDIO: Paramount Pictures

RUN TIME: 125 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Avenge

Opening Statement
This summer’s quartet of comic book superhero blockbusters comes to a close with Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Fortunately, this final stepping stone on the way to Marvel’s The Avengers proves to be 2011′s most satisfying superhero flick.

Facts of the Case
Steve Rogers (Chris Evans, Fantastic Four) is a scrappy, 90-pound kid from Brooklyn. The year is 1942, and Steve wants nothing more than to serve his country by joining the military and going overseas. He’s been turned down time and time again; he’s too small and too sickly to serve. Still, the persistence eventually pays off: Steve is finally accepted and is shipped off to basic training. Shortly after his arrival, a military scientist (Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones) persuades Steve to become his first test subject in a very important experiment. Steve is injected with a remarkable serum which instantly transforms him from the Army’s least intimidating soldier into a bulky, powerful hulk of a man.

Alas, Steve’s new powers aren’t going to be put to use on the battlefield. Our would-be war hero is sent on an important but nonetheless humiliating publicity tour; selling war bonds by dressing up in a ridiculous red, white & blue costume and dancing onstage with a group of chorus girls. However, when Steve learns that his old pal Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan, Black Swan) is missing in action overseas, he determines to stage a rescue mission. With the aid of arms manufacturer Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper, Young Victoria) and the no-nonsense Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell, The Duchess), “Captain America” begins a dangerous mission which will eventually bring him face-to-face with the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving, The Matrix).

The Evidence
After the depressingly generic Green Lantern, I was feeling a little burnt out on superhero movies. It was a little difficult to work up much enthusiasm for Captain America; did I really want to sit through another by-the-numbers origin story created for the specific purpose of teasing a sequel? Thankfully, Captain America is precisely the refreshing change-of-pace the genre needs at this moment in time. This is a movie which is both charmingly earnest and genuinely surprising; two factors which have been missing from too many films about men in spandex.

Director Joe Johnston warmed up for this film some twenty years earlier with his under-appreciated The Rocketeer. Captain America: The First Avenger also offers shades of such entertainingly retro outings as The Phantom and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, but it’s less aggressively self-aware than those films. It pays homage to old-fashioned war movies and equally old-fashioned comic books in a manner which is entertaining but never too distracting; the world Johnston has created is absorbing and the story works on its own terms.

Johnston is clearly having a ball with this particular cinematic playground, as this is a film which just oozes affection for the era in which it is set. Johnston doesn’t so much recapture a moment in time as recapture the pop culture vibes of that era; creating a movie which seems to have been assembled from a collection of newsreels, comic books and war movies of the early 1940s. His art deco design boasts numerous visual delights, and his staging of the aforementioned publicity tour is a fascinating piece of cinema: it’s an unexpected departure from the norm for this sort of film, it’s marvelously staged, it’s delightfully satirical and unexpectedly affecting all at once. The battle scenes later in the film have a kind of four-color “gee whiz!” quality about them while still managing to maintain some measure of weight. The balancing act Johnston pulls off in this area is most impressive.

Lead actor Chris Evans is perhaps saddled with the most difficult task of all the Marvel Studios superheroes, as he’s required to play a character who is good-hearted, earnest and compassionate. Those are great human qualities, but they can also be the foundation of a dull character in the hands of an incapable actor. Fortunately, Evans manages to hit just the right note and maintain a strong screen presence. There’s something about him which suggests Gary Cooper’s turn in Sgt. York; a kind of shy, thoughtful tenderness beneath the war hero exterior. He’s equally convincing as the runt from Brooklyn and as the muscle-bound man of action, and the CGI work done on both versions of the character is impressive enough that we don’t spend much time thinking about it.

The supporting cast is also solid, with Tommy Lee Jones standing out in a very Tommy Lees Jones-ish role as a gruff, world-weary Colonel. Jones is given a handful of good lines which he nails with his understated delivery. Hayley Atwell makes the most of a ever-so-slightly underwritten role, bringing a great deal of personality to this film’s obligatory love interest (as a result, we end up caring about her considerably more than we did about Natalie Portman in Thor or Blake Lively in Green Lantern). We also get three esteemed actors having a blast with gloriously hammy German accents. In order of success: Hugo Weaving (whose intonations often seem to transform into a Werner Herzog impression), Stanley Tucci (as wonderfully understated as ever) and Toby Jones (whose impressive facial expressions compensate for his exceedingly wobbly accent).

I’m obliged to report that not everything is wonderful. The Red Skull’s plan will undoubtedly prove a little confusing to those unfamiliar with the comics (that sort of shorthand is best left to throwaway in-jokes, not major plot points), and the character’s actual actions are never really as interesting as Weaving’s hypnotic performance. Dominic Cooper is a little underwhelming as a young Howard Stark; failing to deliver the pitch-perfect charisma John Slattery offered in Iron Man 2. Additionally, the movie finishes on a wrong note, as one character delivers a line which strives to be simultaneously funny and touching but which actually proves merely awkward.

Obviously, the ultimate purpose of Captain America: The First Avenger is to build up to Joss Whedon’s The Avengers. I have conflicted feelings about this, as Captain America handles this material very smoothly yet still seems as if it would be better off without it. Had Johnston been directing a stand-alone film without the need to segue into a larger blockbuster, he could have delivered something even more moving and impressive. You’ll know what I mean when you see the film.

Closing Statement
Still, given the constraints that it’s working under, Captain America: The First Avenger is very nearly as good as it possibly could have been. It’s arguably the most successful Marvel Studios film to date (only Iron Man could compete), and one of the strongest efforts of Johnston’s career.

The Verdict
8/10

Horrible Bosses

OPENING: 07/08/2011

STUDIO: Warner Bros.

RUN TIME: 100 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Ever wish your boss were dead?

Opening Statement
Up until now, Seth Gordon has been best-known for his fascinating documentary The King of Kong. Now he makes his transition into traditional, mainstream filmmaking with the raunchy comedy Horrible Bosses, which proves to be one of the summer’s most entertaining comic outings in spite of its numerous flaws.

Facts of the Case
Our story concerns three male friends who are each working for employers they can’t stand. Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman, Arrested Development) slaves tirelessly under the cruel, smug, self-serving taskmaster Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey, The Big Kahuna). Kurt Buckman (Jason Sudeikis, Hall Pass) works for the repugnant, coke-snorting sleazeball Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell, In Bruges). Dale Arbus (Charlie Day, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) is employed by the attractive, sexually aggressive Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston, The Switch). Nick and Kurt fail to sympathize with Dale’s odd plight, but then Dale is a rather conservative individual who wants nothing more than to be faithful to his fiancee (Lindsay Sloane, She’s Out of My League).

After one particularly frustrating day capped by a few hours of heavy drinking, the three pals are struck with inspiration: what if they just murdered their bosses? It would solve all of their problems and make their lives considerably better. Alas, actually carrying out this devious plot proves to be far more challenging than they initially anticipated.

The Evidence
In some ways, Horrible Bosses feels like the sort of film I really shouldn’t like. It requires some of its characters to act like complete idiots in order for the film to continue, the screenwriters have no conceivable idea of how to write a credible female character, the movie frequently leans on easy shock value for laughs and the movie is rooted in the kind of frat-boy comic sensibility which won The Hangover entirely too much praise.

And yet, Horrible Bosses made me laugh quite a bit, and not just due to the cheap (but nonetheless enjoyable) pleasure of seeing actors like Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell engage in all manner of depraved villainy. There are moments of loopy inspiration littered throughout the film; delightfully off-kilter grace notes which somehow play beautifully off of the film’s broad, obvious moments. It takes a reel or two to pick up steam, but after a while the film has generated such goodwill and comic momentum that you’re even willing to chuckle at a wheezy scene in which Bateman and Sudeikis contemplate the possibility of being sexually violated in prison.

Part of what makes the film work so well is the playful chemistry between the three leads. Their distinctive screen personas play wonderfully off of each other, as Bateman’s neurotic despair, Sudeikis’s misguided bravado and Day’s dimwitted innocence create a delicious comedic cocktail. Day in particular is wonderful; bringing a reckless energy to a series of increasingly outlandish scenes (his cocaine-fueled freakout is a thing of wonder). Bateman delivers laughs of a considerably subtler variety; turning in those patented despondent facial expressions to increasingly amusing effect. The guys are all technically straight men to their crazed employers, but they manage to ensure that no one has an easy time stealing scenes from them.

Speaking of the bosses, the movie stars playing them seem to be having a grand time in their smaller-than-usual roles. Kevin Spacey probably has the most screen time, and has fun indulging that nasty Swimming with Sharks snarkiness that he can do in his sleep. Colin Farrell is equally effective with only a handful of scenes, sporting a terrifying combover, endless flop sweat and a despairing spite for his employees. Aniston is handed a preposterous character; Julia feels less like a woman than like a cartoon written by clueless men. Even so, she manages to sell the role simply with the entertaining gusto of her performance. It’s a vastly more successful attempt at re-branding for the actress than her “dark & gritty” turn a few years ago in Derailed. However, the prize for best supporting turn goes to Jamie Foxx, who turns in several of the film’s most entertaining moments and aces some of the film’s best lines. There are two jokes about Foxx’s name–the first has been spoiled in many reviews, and it’s funny, but the second is gut-bustingly hilarious. That’s the film’s splendid saving grace: the ability to generate a chuckle and then quickly transform it into a full-blown laugh. There’s also a welcome bite to much of the comedy, as this film more or less tosses aside the warm & gooey center which lies at the core of so many R-rated comedies in the Apatow era.

Closing Statement
As I indicated earlier, I could spend a good deal of time complaining about the multiple flaws Horrible Bosses has, but I really don’t want to. Warts and all, this film made me laugh as much as any other I’ve seen this year, and I left the theatre with a silly grin on my face. Easily offended viewers might want to steer clear (there were several walkouts midway through my screening), but otherwise this flick delivers a solid evening of entertainment.

The Verdict
8/10

Another Earth

OPENING: 07/20/2010

STUDIO: Fox Searchlight

RUN TIME:100 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Can the presence of another Earth be the thing that brings hope to two lost souls?

Opening Statement
Independent films rarely take on science-fiction. Reason is because sci-fi films usually require lots of money for sets and effects. On the other hand, having angsty conversations about your family is relatively cheap. When the genre is tackled, I have often enjoyed the results mostly because they tend to be deconstructions or re-imaginings of the sci-fi tropes and the films I’ve seen before. That is exactly what Another Earth is. The duo who wrote the film are the director and the main star, Mike Cahill and Brit Marling. In this film, they show us an amalgamation of two significantly individual films that, at times, are smashed together to good effect.

Facts of the Case
Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) is a bright young woman accepted into MIT’s astrophysics program. She aspires to explore the cosmos. A brilliant composer, John Burroughs (William Mapother – Ethan from Lost), has just reached the pinnacle of his profession and is about to have a second child. On the eve of the amazing discovery of another world with the same bodies of water, continents, people, history, and in all ways a perfect duplicate of our own planet, tragedy strikes and the lives of these strangers become irrevocably intertwined.

The Evidence
When the identical planet, called Earth 2, first appears in the night sky it is a small blue speck. Four years later, Earth 2 appears on the horizon as a bigger sphere than the moon, which would not only mean that in the next few months the two planets would collide but also that there would be so much havoc being wreaked upon our earth–tidal waves, shifting poles–that we would be cursing Earth 2 rather then trying to contact it. So you can kind of see that physics is definitely played with fast and loose. This movie is as sci-fi as Back to the Future; in other words, it’s just a plot point. All fiction and no science. That said, it is a new way to do the overly trodden alternate dimension/alternate timeline story and for that I give it a few brownie points.

The second part of the story is something akin to Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King or Alejandro Inarritu’s 21 Grams where guilt leads a character to reach out to someone they feel they owe something to. Both of those comparisons are weak though, and the way the shame and sorrow storyline is woven into the Earth 2 storyline–“I wonder if my life is as jacked up on Earth 2 as it is here.”–took it all in a new direction and explored new ideas which I enjoyed. The two main actors, Brit and William, were fearless and flawless in bringing the depression their characters were feeling to the forefront and not holding anything back. The only thing they never sold me on was the romance that was supposed to have been blossoming between them. It never felt like they should be lovers; it felt like they should have remained good friends in their strange, psychotic and entirely messed up relationship.

Director Cahill is someone I expect to see great things from. He intros this film in a way that reminded me of the way Aronofsky introed his own debut, Pi–loud and abrasive and draws you right into the story, no questions asked. Cahill is minimalistic in his dialogue, often letting the visuals speak for themselves for long stretches of the film. Sometimes this makes his characters feel like observers in a world that is no longer their own, sometimes it makes them distant to the audience. It’s good that he has such confidence in his composition and cinematographer, whose itchy zoom-lens trigger finger needs to be controlled, but it will be interesting to see if he continues the understated style he’s pursuing here. I also want to praise Fall on Your Sword, the band responsible for this film’s score. It was brilliant and perfectly sweet and nasty and gritty.

Closing Statement
All this said, I spent most of the film thinking, “Where in the blue blazes have I seen this story before?” not only because it felt like a retread as I’ve stated but also because it felt familiar, like an old friend you haven’t seen for years. They look familiar, but they’ve changed and you can’t quite place where you know them from. When the light bulb finally comes on, all the memories flood back and you can sit down with them and see the path they’ve taken that has brought them to you again.

The Verdict

8/10

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop

OPENING: 06/24/2011

STUDIO: Magnolia Pictures

RUN TIME: 89 min

ACCOMPLICES: Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
He’s either a genius or the biggest dick in the world.

Opening Statement
Some people learn to be good performers while others are surely born to be in front of an audience. Late night talk show host Conan O’Brien not only falls into the latter category, but when it comes to being an entertainer he is a force of nature. Keeping him from the spotlight may be impossible. Between the end of his run on The Tonight Show and the start of his new talk show on TBS, O’Brien toured the U.S. and Canada with his comedy and music stage show. The documentary Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop observes the comedian exercising his creativity and working out his anger on the road.

Facts of the Case
When the dust settled in one of showbiz’s longest program reshufflings, Conan O’Brien was dismissed by NBC after hosting the network’s iconic The Tonight Show just short of eight months. O’Brien’s long-expected and highly publicized takeover of the premier late night talk show desk was cut short by the studio’s nervousness over disappointing ratings and former host Jay Leno’s own underperforming ratings on his new primetime talk show. As a condition of his $45 million severance package, O’Brien was barred from starting a new show on television for six months. Determined to be in front of an audience again, and to work out his anger over being fired by NBC, O’Brien launched the “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour.” Playing 32 cities in two months, the touring live show featured many of the comedic elements which O’Brien’s fans expected plus a healthy dose of rocking and soulful music featuring the host on guitar.

The Evidence
Conan O’Brien’s live stage show brought him closer to his fans in theaters all across North America. Rodman Flender’s documentary Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop takes viewers behind the curtain to reveal another side of the comedian. The fast and entertaining film is fascinated with the relentless performer and does not look away even when the portrait is not so flattering. Even when it wears on his own health and the patience of those around him, Conan O’Brien can’t help himself. Also remarkable is the vast support O’Brien receives from his staff that allows him to be the kind of entertainer he is.

The film provides a look behind the scenes at the creation and execution of the road show. From development meetings to auditions for his back up singers and a dress rehearsal in front of former staff of the TV show, it’s clear that O’Brien is giving his all to this show. He’s constantly testing jokes and working on material that can be used in his act. At a creative meeting with his producer and writers, it’s clear that everyone must keep up with O’Brien. If it’s not clear when O’Brien is or isn’t in character, perhaps it’s more accurate to observe that he’s always on.

You will recognize some of the regular show staffers from their peripheral presence on O’Brien’s television show. Another essential person in O’Brien’s entourage is his personal assistant who endures his teasing threats of being fired after messing up a lunch order. It almost seems cruel when he continues to joke about it long after the humor is stale but then you realize she must put up with a lot of this from her boss. Viewers of his talk show will know the host can milk a joke for laughs well past its reasonable lifespan. The appearance of “mean Conan,” as some staffers call him, isn’t too far off from the persona of manic, impish, juvenile, educated geek that he presents in front of the cameras and on stage. The main difference, perhaps, is that his self-deprecating humor is turned outward instead.

If O’Brien demands a lot from his show staff, he demands the most from himself. Already committed to a grueling road schedule, the star also gets booked for special receptions before and after the shows. Agreeing to be the emcee at a music festival, he and his writers then must craft new material for the local audience. Even on a day off, he’s compelled to be performing whether that means doing a “secret show” at Jack White’s recording studio or playing for his Harvard class reunion’s talent night. He complains that too much is expected of him. Yet it’s telling when an exhausted O’Brien chooses to exit the theatre by the door with the biggest crowd gathered outside.

Some viewers will be surprised to witness O’Brien indulge in some politically incorrect humor when he’s off stage, but a comedian’s work is often to test the boundaries of acceptability. In one encounter, O’Brien chastises a young fan for using an anti-Semitic slur. Yet, behind the scenes, he’s making his own off-color jokes. When Jack McBrayer from 30 Rock pays a visit back stage, he’s subjected to a lengthy barrage of hillbilly jokes. If Jack wasn’t such a good sport about playing along, it could have been an awkward moment. In a nutshell, the expectation is that everyone around O’Brien must be on at all times. It’s necessary to keep up with this unstoppable entertainer and it’s also what pushes him to work even harder.

Closing Statement
If you’re not already a fan of Conan O’Brien’s brand of humor, this documentary won’t win you over. I admit that I’m on Team Coco and Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop is a fascinating look at the comedian’s process. The documentary shows enough of the stage show so that fans who missed it will get a good feel for what it was like. It also reveals that Conan isn’t a one-man show. He exists with the support of many talented and caring people and it’s the ferocious fan adulation that he thrives on most.

The Verdict
7/10