Monday, August 20, 2007

Fall Film Preview

The fall is typically the season in which the studios begin their ritualistic dumping of Oscar contenders and with each week, the multiplexes are flooded with potential nominees. Over the next couple of weeks, leading up to the first big fall releases on September 7th (I generally consider the end of August to finish the summer movie going months), I'll be posting trailers for some of the more anticipated films of the fall and will continue to do so as the Oscars get closer. Ideally, The Outsider will be attempting to create not only a place to collect reviews but also trailers of upcoming films in an effort to get people to check out some of the films worth seeing. We'll start tonight with a trio of anticipated films, 3:10 to Yuma, The Darjeeling Limited and Eastern Promises, enjoy:

3:10 to Yuma
Director:
James Mangold
Writers:
Halsted Welles
Michael Brandt
Derek Haas
Starring:
Russell Crowe
Christian Bale
Peter Fonda




The Darjeeling Limited
Director:
Wes Anderson
Writers:
Wes Anderson
Roman Coppola
Jason Schwartzman
Starring:
Owen Wilson
Adrian Brody
Jason Schwartzman
Anjelica Huston
Natalie Portman





Eastern Promises
Director:
David Cronenberg
Writers:
Steven Knight
Starring:
Viggo Mortensen
Naomi Watts
Vincent Cassel

Superbad: Review

Judd Apatow has had the Midas Touch now for almost a decade. Anything the man touches, turns to gold, either critical or box office and Superbad, his latest film (as a producer) is no different. Based on a script by Apatow regulars Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg, Superbad is a gut bustingly raunchy comedic adventure that will undoubtedly quickly become the Animal House of this generation. Much like how Bluto Blutarsky, Otter and Pinto entered the popular lexicon following the release of that John Landis classic, so will (or already has, depending on who you ask) McLovin, characters of such likable ill repute that the mere mention of their names will bring a smile to the faces of most who hear it.

For those who couldn't get into The 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up, Superbad is not for you, the grossest, crudest of the bunch. Where Knocked Up possessed its fair share of language and embarrassing moments, it never comes close to Superbad which seems to outdo just about anything Apatow has penned in its first 10 minutes. That dramatic change can be attributed to Rogan and Goldberg, whose sense of comedic is still being honed. There are a much larger number of jokes in Superbad that don't work when compared to Knocked Up but thanks to their fast and furious nature, there is enough being thrown on screen that more often than not, the audience was left gasping for breath.

Much of the film's success comes from it's three primary leads, Michael Cera, Jonah Hill and newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse, all of whom give their body and souls to the script, delivering even the crudest, most far-fetched lines with a dose of naivety and heart. Cera, best known for his stellar work in TV's Arrested Development, is perfectly suited for his character, his comedic timing honed to a fine science. While Hill breathlessly spews profanity at rapid-fire speeds, Cera works his lines in with a subtlety and grace that he undoubtedly learned from his cast mates on AD. Mintz-Plasse, the now infamous McLovin is wonderful in his role, a riotous mix of overconfidence and clumsiness. It is only Hill's character, who is constantly cursing, that ever wears on the audience and even his inspired foulness is redeemed by a genuine good nature. Despite his rough exterior, he is like every other 18-year-old guy, insecure and worried about his future.

Superbad is not the most innovative or original film: it tells the story of three guys who try to score girls and booze on the night before their last high school summer vacation starts. Seth (Hill) and Evan (Cera) are long time best friends who are now faced with the fact that they will be going to different colleges and for the first time, they will be separated. Fogell (Mintz-Plasse), who quickly becomes known as his pseudonym McLovin, is the third wheel here, a fellow student who will be attending Dartmouth with Evan. The hijinks that follow track the trio through the course of one day and night, with each situation being more ridiculous than the last.

Superbad's charms don't come from its originality but its heart; without that, it is no more than a Van Wilder clone. Instead, one can tell that Apatow's skills have rubbed off favorably on Rogan, who has crafted a screenplay that is heartfelt and sincere. Mr. Rogan gracefully enters the realm of late teen males, who have discovered swearing, alcohol and sex, and runs with it, making the film as raunchy as anything else on screen. However, under the harsh and uninviting exterior is a gentle core, a couple of guys who are unsure of themselves and just trying to get girls to like them. While they may try to act tough, it quickly becomes clear that they don't know how to talk to girls, stumbling over their words whenever a pretty member of the opposite sex walks by. While Rogan doesn't have quite the same ear for normal, male dialogue that Apatow does, he is certainly on his way and the sky's the limit for a guy who could quickly become one of the major stars of American comedy.

Superbad never hits the same high notes that Knocked Up does, but to be honest, almost no contemporary American comedy has. With his pregnancy comedy, Apatow created the first truly worthwhile mainstream comedy for this generation, a film that doesn't preach or moralize but merely presents the issues at hand in a humane and original way. Superbad never aspires to those heights, it merely wants to be a genuine teen comedy that allows its audience a couple hours of laughter. It achieves its goal with style and panache, leaving its audience exhausted from the on screen hilarity. In other words, it aims low and hits high: it is, without a doubt, a gross out comedy but one with a huge helping of feeling. For that, it will likely takes its place in the pantheon of great comedies, sitting alongside Animal House, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It isn't quite Knocked Up, but like I said, few are.

****

Bridge to Terabithia: Review

Given the considerable amount of acclaim that has surrounded Bridge to Terabithia, both the children's book and feature film, it was with mild anticipation that I sat down to watch Gabor Csupo's adaptation. I guess thats why its so disappointing to say that I was lukewarm at best on the film and rather than finding a children's classic, the film was painfully mediocre at times, never living up to what it could have been. It treads the line between being a fantasy and coming of age story, and while this is not to say that the two are mutually exclusive, when it comes down to the film's finale, it is its inability to fully meld the two genres that is its ultimate downfall: the fantastical elements are never given full enough attention and the coming of age story is marred by hokey schoolyard bullying and musical numbers.

Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is something of a social outcast, a young boy from a working class family that has never fit in with a group of friends at school. It isn't until he is beat in a footrace by the new girl, Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb), and subsequently "followed home" until he finds a friend. After all, you see, the new girl lives down the street from him and despite his initial hesitancy, the two form a bond over an imaginary world that they create by swinging over a river into a forest. That imaginary world, Terabithia, allows them a place to escape from their everyday ills: chores, bullies and siblings. The duo's relationship is never anything but contentious, that is until the film's concluding act, in which it is made out to be the best thing in the world. Up until then, Jesse views Leslie with a mix of love and hate, deriding her fantastical creations as wonderful one minute and ridiculous the next.

The audience has the same issue with those creations as they are given minimal screen time and never fully feel like a real part of the story but more of a simple diversion, much like they are with the kids. This approach would be fine if the real world narrative had been stronger. However, it is more of a string of clichés and stereotypes than anything else. When one walks away from the film, the only moral of the story seems to be that being nice to people, your friends, your siblings, your parents is the cool thing to do and valuing friendships is one of the most important aspects of living a happy life. I don't disagree with these assertions but they have been made time and time again.

Unlike some of the more recent Pixar movies, which deal with deeper but still meaningful themes for children and are the current pinnacle of family entertainment, Bridge to Terabithia is a one trick pony, ending in the ultimate of clichés. Many have made out the ending to be a deeply saddening affair and while it is moving, never does it reach the heights (or lows) of some of the film's predecessors. It feels manipulative and forced, a twist that happens so quickly and is so painfully obvious, the artificial emotional effect never really hit me. Instead, Bridge's climax is essentially My Girl 3 and what might have been effective 15 years ago is now no more than a re-hash, regardless of when the source material was published (1977).

The cast here is adequate but never spectacular. The children's performances are hit and miss, as one might expect, with Hutcherson and Robb as definite standouts from the group. The bully of the school, Janice Avery (Lauren Clinton), makes her character into more of a joke than actual threat. Watching the film with three guys in their early 20's elicited more laughs as Janice's antics than feelings of sympathy. None of us could figure out why more kids didn't stand up to her, despite her ludicrous demands. She struck us more as the type of girl who would have been mocked, rather than doing the mocking. Robert Patrick leads the cast of adults, who handle the material well, making the real world half of the film much better than the Terabithia side.

Ultimately, Bridge to Terabithia was a disappointment, a film that doesn't come close to living up to the considerable hype. For children, it may be a meaningful and sad film that will resonate with them. For me, it seemed like just another film dealing with themes that have been dealt with before and in better ways. While I would not venture as far as to say that the film is bad (it really isn't), it just seems more mediocre than anything else. Given the hefty weight behind the source material, one could have hoped for so much more. Rather, what we have is a schizophrenic film that never makes up its mind as to what it wants to be.

**

This is England: Review


Usually films dealing explicitly with themes of coming of age are tired, clichéd experiences that endlessly re-hash the conventions of the genre over and over. This is why This is England, the newest feature by Shane Meadows is as refreshing as it is, a moving exploration of the effects hatred and racism can have on a young boy. Featuring spectacular performances throughout, this is the feature where Meadows fully graduates into the upper echelon of modern British filmmakers. His steady direction and highly intelligent script is the base of a devastatingly effective drama that works on every level it intends.

The film tells the story of Shaun, played by Thomas Turgoose, a small boy growing up in small town England in the mid 1980’s. His father has been killed in the Falklands War and while his mother (played by Jo Hartley) is a capable, loving woman, Shaun is a lonely outsider at school, frequently being picked on by his classmates. However, as he’s walking home one day, he meets Woody (Joseph Gilgun) and his band of friends, all skinheads, who take Shaun under his wing. After a few days of acceptance and harmless fun, Woody introduces our protagonist to Combo, who has been recently paroled. However, where Woody and friends are a relatively harmless, accepting group, Combo is a firm believer in the National Front, an ultra right wing political group, and his talks drive a wedge in the group.

Led by Turgoose is his debut performance, the cast shines from top to bottom, giving Meadows’ characters a lived in realism. Never once do they seem like caricatures of people; every performer imbues their already richly drawn characters with humanity and grace. Even the more dislikeable characters, such as Stephen Graham’s Combo are oddly vulnerable at times despite his violent, hateful exterior. The actual story is not a tremendously complicated narrative, but the characters are so thoroughly thought out that they jump off the screen and as a result, the basic storyline is greatly aided. Turgoose is tremendous and deserves to be recognized for his spectacular performance. Shaun is one of the more memorable child characters in recent times; without him, the film would suffer.

Now before everyone gets up in arms about the idea of likable skinhead characters, one has to realize that initially, the skinhead culture was not based on the same ideals that tend to characterize it today. For most Americans, skinhead is somewhat of an interchangeable term with Neo-Nazism. However, at their start, skinheads were an offshoot of the Mods and as a result, tended to be based around music culture. It really wasn’t until the National Front appropriated the culture that it became what many people associate it with now.

This is England is vibrantly alive, featuring a spectacular soundtrack and cinematography. Both the audio and visual aspects of the film allow it to jump off the screen. In fact, some of the film’s best scenes are really extended musical sequences, brilliantly shot and executed. These sequences are funny, sad but most of all involving. They welcome the viewer farther into the story and the characters lives, painting a better picture of what life was like for these people. Unlike so many other musical sequences today, which feel tired and bloated, Meadows utilizes these sequence’s screen time to maximum effect.

If Dead Man’s Shoes, the predecessor to This is England in Meadows’ filmography, was a startling show of talent, This is England is a magnificent realization of all those talents, a film where everything comes together at the right time. This is a film that defiantly British but can speak to people of all countries. It is a brutal indictment of hatred and racism and the detrimental effects those can have, not only on those who possess them but for those who surround those people as well. This is England is a film that deserves, nay, demands to be seen. It is an important and vital work, a feather that will stand for a long time as one of, hopefully, many in the cap of Shane Meadows.


*****

Thursday, August 16, 2007

The Lookout: Review

The Lookout, written and directed by Scott Frank (writer of Out of Sight and Get Shorty), was heralded upon its release as one of the first pleasant surprises of the year, a small thriller that featured in-depth characters and some legitimate suspense. It was with this hype, along with the long held belief by many Hollywood insiders that the script has been one of the best not-produced works floating around, that I viewed the film and unfortunately, it doesn't quite live up to expectations. This is not to say that it isn't worth a viewing, far from it, but rather than an innovative neo-noir, the type of which we were promised, it is really no more than a small time heist film filled out with some more in-depth characterization. Had it not been for the lead performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is surely one of the finest young talents in film today, The Lookout could have been a crushing disappointment. It is due to Mr. Gordon-Levitt that the film has some weight and might stick with some viewers past the conclusion of the final credit.

Gordon-Levitt, who also anchored 2006's instant indie classic Brick, has wonderfully moved from his now signature role on NBC's 3rd Rock From The Sun to more independent and adult oriented fare. His seeming penchant for small thrillers helped to make Brick into one of the best noirs this side of Chinatown and greatly aids The Lookout, allowing Frank's script to come to life on screen. Gordon-Levitt plays Chris Pratt, an struggling janitor at a Kansas Bank, who on his high school prom night, was involved in a horrific accident that left 2 of his classmates and friends dead on the scene. Pratt sustains a severe head injury and as a result, struggles with his memory, depression and self-forgiveness, something he has never allowed to himself to achieve. One night in a bar, Pratt meets Gary Spargo, (played by Matthew Goode) who claims he graduated a few years before Pratt and through a series of events, Pratt finds himself waist deep in a bank robbery.

The narrative may feel simple enough, and it is, but that’s because the film uses it as a jumping off point to examine the effects of a life-changing event, such as Pratt's accident, might have on someone in their early 20's. As a character study, The Lookout is an interesting and at times, well constructed view into Pratt's life. He lives with a blind friend, played by Jeff Daniels, and it quickly becomes clear that it is Pratt who relies on his roommate, despite the more obvious handicap. Pratt is frequently unable to construct a normal day and Gordon-Levitt really nails the frustration and aggravation that results from his inability to live a normal life. For someone who was a star hockey player in high school, Pratt has been reduced to one of the outliers in a society, a young man who had his life ripped from him due to an unfortunate event. While not a full on outcast, it is apparent that Chris is no longer a member of mainstream, everyday society due to his injury.

As a whole, the cast here is wonderful, the best part of the film, and is able to carry the weight of the subject matter at hand with ease. Daniels and Gordon-Levitt take their parts and run with them, imbuing their characters with a definite humanity. Isla Fisher, as Pratt love interest, is good here as well but as I've mentioned before, Gordon-Levitt is the star here. Label me surprised that he has been able to break away from what could have been a career-defining role to make films that are unique and relevant. Unlike many other child stars, who seem to spend more time in the tabloids than on-screen, Gordon-Levitt has matured with grace and class, honing his considerable talents to a point where his career is extremely promising. If he continues to make good decisions on projects, look for him to become a massive indie star.

Frank, who also penned Minority Report, seems to work better with source material. His skills seem better fit enriching others characters for the screen instead of creating his own. As a director, he is a talented stylist, using a realistic feel here that positively works with the characters. The snow-covered plains of Kansas immediately bring to mind the Coen's Fargo and while The Lookout has nothing on that masterpiece, there are definite similarities in its style and setting. One gets a feeling that Frank has seen that film a couple of times and used it partially as a template here to guide his story. His shooting of the climatic bank robbery is assured although there is a jarring shift where the film switches into an almost Mann like use of a digital camera, making the final shootout look more like Collateral or Miami Vice. While this necessarily isn't a bad thing, given the rest of the look of the film, it was immediately noticeable and worked to remove me from the suspense of the situation.

For fans of noir, The Lookout will probably be a pleasant find, an under the radar flick that moves quickly along and utilizes its time well (a pitch perfect 95 minutes) and for that, its worth a rental. While the film didn't floor me as I hoped it would, and it doesn't come close to Brick, I did find myself riveted at moments of the film. However, it never fully came together like I hoped it would and had a few awkward moments (the continued use of the phrase "Whoever has the money, has the power", which is too similar to Scarface's ideological ground zero). It was never enough to ruin the film, just enough to knock it down a few notches. That being said, there is enough promise here between Frank's direction and Gordon-Levitt's performance that one can't help but eagerly await their next projects.

***

Shooter: Review


Let's get it on the table first off: Shooter was hands down, the worst film I've seen this year, a horrid attempt at both action and satire that ends up falling on its face more often than not. Despite an interesting cast and a director who has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, Shooter has almost nothing going for it, largely due to an awful script loaded with terrible dialogue and plot holes. The fact that this film was mildly well received and currently holds a rating of 7.2 on IMDB.com is not only absurd, it should be insulting to any self-respecting film fan with a half a brain.

Antoine Fuqua, the director behind this mess, imbues the film with very little unique style rather working strictly in the clichés of the action genre and coming out with a film that is, well, painfully generic. Even the look of the film, typically the most important part of big budget actioners, feels dull and drab and save for a few admittedly spectacular views of scenery, there is almost nothing that discerns this from the next Model T action flick. Fuqua, who made the enjoyable Training Day, does not strike me as an untalented director when working out of the confines of studio control. Despite its predictability at times, Training Day strayed far enough from the norm to make for an experience that felt like a unique take on the good cop/bad cop scenario. Shooter, however possesses nothing other than cliché after cliché, and by film's end, I was left exhausted and drained at the sheer idiocy of the whole thing.

The cast as a whole is terrible, anchored by laughable performances by Mark Wahlberg and Danny Glover. Wahlberg, who plays a retired Marine scout sniper who is brought out of retirement to help prevent a presidential assassination, seems to be confused as to what film he is in, unable to decide whether he is playing Bob Lee Swagger (his actual name, I'm not joking) or Brock Landers. Wahlberg, who was riding high on his wonderful performance in The Departed is just miserable here, delivering the clunky lines in a way that it can't even be construed as camp. Unfortunately for Mr. Swagger, the real plot is to frame him and for the rest of the film, Wahlberg is on the run from the Feds, trying to figure out why he was set up. Through a convoluted plot twists, it becomes known that it has to do with an African village, the United States' continued meddling in other countries and a prominent American senator. By films end, I was as confused as you are however, I wasn't necessarily confused as to what happened, but why exactly it needed to happen. The film spends so much time on useless, unintelligible pseudo-politicizing that it too often forgets the interesting action.

Glover is a complete mess, which is another disappointment, given his considerable talents and intelligence when choosing films that regardless of genre, have a moments of entertainment. Now, I'm not entirely sure if anything has happened to Mr. Glover (I searched around to no avail) but throughout the film, he speaks with a strange lisp that makes him sound like a gruffer, throatier Mike Tyson. As first, it was a humorous sideshow that distracted me from the story. Then it just became old and tired and to this point, I cannot figure out why Glover would have decided to include that character trait. The rest of cast is up to Wahlberg's and Glover's standards. Kate Mara, who many will recognize as Heath Ledger's oldest daughter in Brokeback Mountain, and Michael Pena, who may be the most unconvincing FBI agent in cinematic history, pull the film down further. It isn't until a brief scene in which Levon Helm, of The Band, provides a much-needed kick of life and humor that the film has any sort of acting leg to stand on.

Jonathan Lemkin's script is one of the worst in recent memory. The dialogue is clunky and idiotic and the plot itself is fairly dull and lacking suspense. By the film's end, I was too busy laughing at the futility on screen to care at all about any of the characters. Lemkin, who seems to have forgotten to do the research part of screenwriting, peppers the story with moments that will have the audience grimacing. For example, did you know that ultra Black Op Military Forces use Google Maps to locate where a phone trace comes from? I sure didn't but if that’s true, it is all the more clear as to how the Federal Government so butchered the WMD situation in Iraq: they were using the satellite views on Google to determine their next course of action. The dialogue is a veritable pick and choose of lines from How to Write an Action Script 101, devoid of life, humor or thematic exploration.

The sheer atrociousness of Shooter struck me as disappointing. I would consider myself a fan of Wahlberg, who I think, having burst onto the scene with his wonderful Boogie Nights performance, has steadily improved and had a wonderful performance in The Departed. That being said, his and everyone else's performances were crippled by a bad script, most had no chance and upon the start of the film, were DOA. The fact that I've gotten this far in the review with barely mentioning the action sequences is never a good sign but those are middling at best, relying on over the top gunplay and explosions instead of actual cinematic skill and intensity. Unlike, say, The Bourne Ultimatum, which brilliantly utilized the cinematic form to tell its story, Shooter never hits it stride. As a result, it is, without a second thought, the worst film I've seen thus far in 2007 and should be considered an avoid, at all costs.

*

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

The Simpsons Movie: Review

The Simpsons Movie has been something a long time in the making and with its recent release, it was met with near unanimous praise, most of which seemed to be merely because it was a film dealing with the characters that we've grown to love for the past 19 or so years. Unfortunately, the film doesn't deal with all of its characters (no one really expected it too) and in reality, it doesn't even deal with most of its characters (but runs at a measly 87 minutes) resulting in a film that is, at times, mercilessly funny but doesn't quite cover enough ground to be fully satisfying.

Now I wholeheartedly understand, as most supporters are quick to point out, that almost every character in the show's history is in the movie at one point or another but for the most part, those appearances amount to cameos at best and with the exception of Flanders, none of those characters play a truly vital role to the film's progression. The Simpsons Movie is very much like the show in its focus on the Simpson's nuclear family as the narrative center. However, unlike the other bad boys of animation, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who took their small scale aspirations for South Park and transformed them into the magnificent South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, one of the finest musical comedies in recent memory. The team behind The Simpsons doesn't seem to have the same cinematic aspirations as Stone and Parker and despite the immense film experience the cast and crew possess, the drive, the ambition seems lacking here.

In many ways, the film itself is nothing more than a longer episode of The Simpsons and all in all, there is nothing wrong with that. It tracks the Simpson clan through their usual perils, this time starting with Homer dumping a giant silo of pig waste into the local lake, thus polluting it to a point where the Federal Government lowers a giant glass dome onto our beloved Springfield. Needless to say, an angry mob quickly descends onto the Simpson plot demanding Homer's head and only with the help of Maggie is the family able to live to see another day. They escape to Alaska but are soon drawn back to their hometown to save the day from the evil government agency that trapped them there in the first place.

Despite the possibility of the narrative, the film plays it tight, relying on the tried and true comedic styling of the show and for the most part, the film is very funny. In fact, more often than not, I found myself laughing hysterically, enjoying even the slightest visual gags the film had to offer. However, by the end of The Simpsons Movie, I had trouble finding many specific parts that I could talk about as being funny, certainly less than I had during the best years of the show. With little to no memorable scenes with the secondary characters, the humor was left to the family and too many of the jokes seemed familiar (yet funny) to fully leave a lasting memory. The best way I can describe it is that after a while, if one experiences life's great moments too often, they are still enjoyable, yet ultimately, mean less and less, each time they happen.

Unfortunately, there were too few instances of the sharp, biting humor that once made the show so indispensable and while the physical comedy that Homer and Bart endure is entertaining, without having the counter effects of a separate source of laughs, they blur together. After all, Modern Times without the political satire is a funny but meaningless film. City Lights without the painstakingly integrated pathos is a funny but emotionless film. The Simpsons Movie without the wit of the show's classics is a entertaining yet unfulfilling experience.

I don’t mean to completely bash the film as more often than not, I enjoyed it. It is just imperative to point out that the film leaves little lasting impact compared to the show's best moments. While it is obvious that the heyday of The Simpsons has come and gone, it still is slightly disappointing that these characters feature film debut could not better represent the glory days of the past. Rather, the film is no more than a diversion, a small pleasure for fans of the show but nothing to convert any of the non-believers. I wish it could have been more, I really do but I imagine that most would rather spend their hour and a half by just re-watching 3 or 4 episodes that one holds dear to their heart.

***

The Bourne Ultimatum: Review

The Bourne Ultimatum, for the lack of a better term, is an espionage masterpiece, a fierce piece of filmmaking that, as a feat of storytelling, is never short of staggering. From the gut punch start to the face slap finish, Paul Greengrass has crafted an amazing piece of summer entertainment, a thriller that easily eclipses everything (excerpt for a certain third trimester comedy) on screen so far this year. To borrow a trite and overused phrase, the concluding chapter of the Bourne trilogy is a thinking man's actioner, a fiendishly clever thrill ride that is more or less one extended and exhilarating chase.

Greengrass has quickly shot up the ranks in the minds of the critics and if opening weekend returns say anything at all, this may be the film to solidify him in the minds of the general public. As a director of action, he has few equals (Michael Mann is really the only person who comes to mind that can match him), with each sequence heightening the tension further. However, Greengrass understands the relief and joy that comes with the release of that aforementioned tension and he ably demonstrates that throughout Ultimatum. Every chase ends in a satisfying manner, never leaving the viewer wishing it was still going on or never ruining the first two thirds of a sequence by finishing it weakly.


What most immediately comes to mind is the almost 20 minute sequence taking place in Tangier which begins as a Moped chase, morphs into a rooftop escape and finishes with one of the most memorable hand to hand fights this side of The Matrix. The entirety of it is stunning, a white knuckle, breathless race through the tight streets of Morocco that finishes precisely at the right time. In fact, the film is paced almost perfectly from beginning to end, moving quickly from scene to scene, never staying too long on a single moment. Greengrass never lets up and by the end, the audience is pleasurably invigorated and exhausted, wanting more while also begging for a break.

For those who haven't been following the trilogy, which with this final chapter must start to be considered one of the best of all time, the Ultimatum picks up where The Bourne Supremacy left off, with Jason Bourne (played by Matt Damon) still on the run from his CIA handlers as he desperately attempts to discover his true identity. See, Bourne was a part of a super secret government spy program (are they any other kinds?) that left him with no idea as to who he was, what he was doing, etc. The trilogy tracks his journey to discover his past and by the time the Ultimatum begins, his search is rapidly coming to an end.


Here's a disclaimer: if you haven't seen the first two, don't start here. Go back and watch The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy, they are well worth your time. That being said, The Bourne Ultimatum is head and shoulders above those first two films, equaling their cumulative thrill in individual sequences. Much like 2006's Miami Vice, which took genre filmmaking to artistic heights not seen since John Ford was reinventing American ideas of the West, The Bourne Ultimatum is as artistic and refined as an actioner gets.

Greengrass' camera work hums along briskly, never stopping and always engaged in a quick, kinetic manner. Many critics have unfairly dubbed his style as "Shaky-Cam" and for those who can't see the genius in his cinematographic style, its their loss. It perfectly fits the controlled chaos that fills the screen, lending each scene an increased energy that enriches every frame. This style, which is quickly becoming Greengrass' staple (he used it convincingly and intelligently in Bloody Sunday, United 93 and The Bourne Supremacy), molds itself to the film like a well-tailored suit to the point where one could logically find it impossible to imagine The Bourne Ultimatum shot in any other way.


The cast here is star studded and up to the task, with each link proving to be as strong as the next with the exception of Damon who, quite simply, transcends action hero trappings as only the largest stars can and makes Bourne into a character we can sincerely care about. As a star, Damon is much like his director here, rarely equaled, if only by a select few. His consistently excellent performances, range of characters and projects has become a staple for him and the young man who captured Hollywood's heart with 1997's Good Will Hunting, has become one of the most creative assured workers in the industry. The rest of the cast, as mentioned previously, are all up to task with the reliable David Strathairn, Paddy Considine, Julia Stiles and Joan Allen all doing excellent work. Albert Finny is even featured in a small role that he makes the most of, keeping the climactic moments of the film tense and engrossing.

The Bourne Ultimatum is a roaring success and should be considered a must see for any one who enjoys a entertaining, intelligent film. If you don't fall in that category, I'm sorry to say that you might be in the wrong place. With Ultimatum, Greengrass continues to solidify his standing as one of the great modern directors, adding this thriller to his other masterpieces Bloody Sunday and United 93. What differentiates Bourne from its competitors is its organic, never overly flashy storytelling. Take, for example, Live Free or Die Hard, which I thoroughly enjoyed, a film that lives and dies (no pun intended) with its spectacularly outrageous stunts and explosions. For the large part, The Bourne Ultimatum largely eschews those trappings, instead relying on good old filmmaking technique to tell its riveting and exciting story allowing it, in the process, to become a bona fide action classic, one that will be watched for generations to come.


*****

Monday, August 6, 2007

The Host: Review

Over the years, the monster movie has devolved into something of a self-parody, a genre that has lost its edge in favor of over the top ridiculousness. It is due to this that The Host is perhaps one of the most interesting and different films of the year, a monster movie that when all is said and done, doesn't feature many of the genre's trademarks. Instead, the film is a closely-knit family drama that happens to feature a giant, mutated monster. For the most part, this South Korean import's blend of humor, drama, horror and political vigor pays off, leaving a fascinating journey in its wake.

The Host
begins with an American scientist dumping waste into a sink, which we soon learns is routed to the Han River in Seoul and it is with that event that the film embarks on a surprisingly vitriolic political assault. The waste quickly births a mutant of huge scale, and it is within the first 15 minutes that the initial attack occurs. It is during that attack that Hyun- seo, a small girl, gets taken by the monster and from there on out, it is up to her family (Father, Grandfather, Aunt and Uncle) to rescue her from the clutches of monster. While this may seem fairly generic for a monster flick, the rest of the film is startling different. While it stays inside most of its genre's conventions, the film never feels conventional per say, focusing much more on the family emotional struggles than it ever does on the threat the monster poses.


Thankfully, the film is carried by a number of good performances, particularly from Hie-Bong Byeon, who plays the family's patriarch Hie-bong and from Ah-sung Ko, who plays Hyun-seo. Byeon superbly toes the line between dramatic and comedic acting, resulting in a performance that feels humane and trusting. Ko is a revelation, ably handling the dramatic weight of the kidnapped child. She is a definite standout and anyone, regardless of one's experience with Korean cinema, will find her performance endlessly moving. The rest of the cast really give themselves to the material and at times, the acting seems to go a bit overboard, but never distractingly so.


One of the film's best performances comes not from a human, but the CGI that brings the antagonistic beast to life. Done by The Orphanage, a special effects house located in San Francisco, the effects are superb and organic, providing the beast with a natural movements and actions. While the name may not ring a bell, The Orphanage's resume might. Over the past 10 years or so, they have quietly carved a niche for themselves in the industry, fighting off stalwarts ILM and WETA to gain some of the best projects, all of which they have handled admirably.
The Host is a wild achievement and deserves all the praise it brings to this lesser known firm. I suspect that in the coming years, they'll become more of a household name.


While there are parts of the film that don't work (there are too many weird shifts in tone and emotion throughout), more often than not, The Host's unique blend of genre and politics work well. By film's end, consider this writer surprised by just how political the film was. Harkening back to the classic satire of Gojira, The Host is a searing indictment of the United States and its foreign policy. To be honest, it was surprising the fervor in which the ideas are presented and it is a fresh alternate view as to what America's actions mean to other parts of the world. Anyone going into the film looking for a brainless monster film should eject the disc before it starts and return it as quickly as possible. This is an intelligent, passionate film with political statements to spare and it deserves your time and thought.

That being said, The Host is not going to be for everyone. At the very least, the film is somewhat of an odd duck, an intelligent, emotional film in the trappings of a big budget adventure film. Unfortunately, the two styles don't always mesh together and at times, the viewer is left confused, not narratively but thematically. The mood shifts too often to be a complete success and while it is anchored by two wonderful performances, it was ultimately slightly disappointing given the hype. Had the film blended its moods and tones with a little more subtlety, I may have been singing a different tune. This is certainly one for fans of monster movies and horror films, if for nothing other than its unique take on the genre. For others, approach it lightly and with an open mind. Otherwise, you might be left as emotionally conflicted as the review you are currently reading.

***

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Sunshine: Review


Sunshine
is Danny Boyle's newest foray into an unknown genre, a metaphysical sci-fi horror thriller that is as frustrating as it is satisfying. Given his shown ability to shape shift throughout his career, I had faith that Boyle's efforts would be successful and for the most part, Sunshine delivers the goods. Unfortunately though, it is plagued by a misplaced third act that dilutes the stirring finale and negatively impacts the film as a whole. Up until that point, however, Boyle crafts a visually stunner, filled with important and interesting questions that will force the viewer to think while dazzling their senses.

Boyle tends to work best with an ensemble cast, getting the best performances from smaller roles. He doesn't stray from that formula here, deciding to focus not on any single character for very long but rather, looking at the overall psyche of the crew. One can certainly understand the stress that they are under as they barrel through the dark expanses of space, towards our dying sun in an attempt reignite its power, saving the planet in the process. The crew is composed of a gathering of different nationalities and genders, with each member having a specific contribution to the greater mission.

Their goal is to guide their ship, the Icarus II, towards the sun and upon their arrival, detonate a massive nuclear device that will hopefully create a chain reaction similar to a smaller Big Bang, thus refueling the warming power of the Sun. While that may seem straightforward enough, the more adept readers will have picked up on the fact that our protagonists are aboard the Icarus II, not I, as their ship's predecessor, which had an identical mission, went missing (with all crew) before it could achieve it's goals. However, as the Icarus II passes the communication cut off point, they locate the distress signal of the Icarus I and, hoping they can salvage the first ships payload, venture towards it in an effort to give themselves two chances at success.

As one can imagine, the mission quickly goes wrong and the ship's crew, led by their captain Kaneda, find themselves in various forms of danger. Without giving much away, they have to conduct ship repairs and fend off a mysterious being that invades their ship after they dock with the Icarus I, all while trying to complete the goals of the mission. If this at all sounds like Event Horizon, rest assured that Sunshine possesses more intelligence in its opening frames than that mistake has its entire running time. Boyle and his screenwriter, Alex Garland, who composed the team behind 2003's masterpiece 28 Days Later..., know how to imbue even the simplest of films with a sense that there is something more than just narrative. Sunshine rather effortlessly tears through its first hour and 20 minutes with one masterful step after another. In fact, the first two acts are as interesting and effective as anything released in 2007. However, for the 20 minutes before the satisfying conclusion, the film loses its way, stumbling towards the finish line, stumbles that will keep it from attaining classic status.

In those 20 minutes, the previously mentioned unknown being (I won't give away anymore) boards the ship and the film sinks into a mediocre slasher territory. The scenes are effective in their intensity and suspense but feel out of place given the first portions of the film. Boyle never gives the audience a full glimpse at the being, relying on blurring the camera to keep the identity secret. The result is something that might have sounded better on paper than it appears on screen. It is one of Boyle's few missteps but ultimately it hurts the overall feeling of the film. Thankfully, the finale races to save the day and provides an emotional climax to the film's wild ride.

It must be noted what a visual miracle Sunshine is as each shot is a stunning blend of color and composition. The visual effects are masterful, lending themselves as a tool to benefit the narrative, not control it. In that sense, the film that most immediately comes to mind is Minority Report, as both film utilize CGI to add texture and flavor to the proceedings but never allow them to overwhelm the main story. The digitally enhanced shots of the sun are staggering in their beauty and realism and reach a peak with a scene in which the crew observes Mercury's orbit of the star. It is a moment that is nothing short of incredible and gave this writer goose bumps as the small planet flew past the giant orange globe. The Icarus is wonderfully realized, each aspect meticulously detailed and defined. As of today, not only the most original and visionary film of the year, but also the best.

The cast performs well here, led by Cillian Murphy and Cliff Curtis. Murphy, who desperately deserves to be a bona fide star, continues to make almost perfect decisions, picking and choosing the finest of projects. In just a few short years, he has performed wonderfully in 28 Days Later..., Batman Begins, Breakfast on Pluto, Red Eye, Cold Mountain, The Wind That Shakes the Barley and now Sunshine, many of which he steals whichever scene he is in. The rest of the cast ably handles the material, giving the overall crew the warmth of humanity and emotion in the cold abyss of space.

Sunshine is not a film for everyone and I suspect, like 2006's Miami Vice, that it will be misunderstood and attacked by many viewers. Fox Searchlight's marketing department has not had the strongest campaign and with it playing in only limited engagements until recently, where it saw a wider, yet still small release, Sunshine may remain an anomaly to many Americans. That would be a shame, as this is a film that demands a big screen viewing, only if to bath in its tremendous visuals. Its epic feel helps as well and by the film's conclusion, I suspect that those who go in with an open mind will leave feeling fulfilled, despite the struggles it encounters in its third act. Writing that off as a minor mistake, the film, as a whole, is another success for Boyle, who continues to show his cinematic prowess. My views has wavered since I saw it recently but the farther removed from the screening I get, the more I find to admire about this ambitious and ultimately, entertaining sci-fi spectacle. If you enjoy a good, intelligent romp, pack yourself up and take in the glorious ray of light that is Sunshine.

****

Smokin' Aces: Review

Given the pedigree of talent behind Smokin' Aces, it can be proclaimed that the film is no more than a crushing disappointment, from the director's chair on down. For Joe Carnahan, who directs this story of a Vegas showman-turned-Mob boss who has a one million dollar contract put out on him, Smokin' Aces is a tremendous let down given the immense promise he displayed with 2002's Narc. Where Smokin' Aces predecessor was a nervy, punch in the gut crime thriller, Carnahan's latest opus is a wildly over the top, emotionally hollow shell of a film that delivers on almost nothing it promises. With the exception of a few memorable performances, the film is a forgettable actioner that greatly falls short of anything Carnahan's most obvious influence, Quentin Tarantino, has ever put on screen.

The story centers on a mob boss, Buddy "Aces" Israel (played ably by Jeremy Piven) who crosses one too many associates and as a result, has the million dollar hit put out on him due to his cooperation with an ongoing Federal Investigation. As a result, there a variety of ruthless men and women who come out of the woodwork, each trying to collect on the massive bounty that lies before them. There are two black female assassins, a trio of neo-Nazi brothers and an Irish disguise artist (amongst others). To add onto that, Ben Affleck leads a group of bounty hunters, trying to collect their bail money along with the Feds, who are desperately trying to protect their key witness in a case that will supposedly blow the top off of the Mafia. Oh, I forgot to mention Israel's collection of bodyguards and hotel security guards (Buddy is being housed in the penthouse of a Lake Tahoe Casino/Hotel). Each of these characters are armed to the teeth and are closing in on Israel at the same time. One can only imagine the chaos that ensues.


The chaos itself isn't what creates Smokin' Aces problems, as if the film took itself less seriously, it may be more successful. However, interspersed throughout the film are radical shifts in tone, changing from surreal, hyper edited action sequences to slow, pseudo dramatic moments that intend to present some humanity to the characters. However, the whole film is so debased that these interludes do nothing but make the audience groan and collapse under the heavy hand of Carnahan. The film's attempts at drama are so obviously misplaced that almost no sympathy can be felt for any of the characters. Even the federal agents, played by Ryan Reynolds and Ray Liotta, who are the supposed heroes of the story, are accompanied by almost no emotional attachment. Carnahan seems more intent on showing the kinetic imagery of the film than developing any characters, which makes the sudden breaks into attempts at drama all the more jarring.

Smokin' Aces
, if nothing else possesses a manic energy that is at times infectious. There are moments of brilliance and as a result, it isn't quite time to give up on Carnahan yet. For example, there is a small scene with the bounty hunters and their financial backer, played wonderfully by the magnificent Jason Bateman. The scene is witty, funny and quickly paced and before you know it, it is all over. However, in it, Bateman steals the film with a few short lines and some nervous glances, and long after all the smoke has cleared following the climatic battle, Bateman's character is the one that stuck most with me, a neurotic, coked-up lawyer who sits in a dimly lit room, just barley clinging to whatever sanity he has left.

Visually, the film is impressive, if one so desires an ultra (and I mean ultra) stylized thriller, filled with outlandish characters and costumes, rapid cutting and oblique camera angles. Actually, the style lends itself nicely to the material at hand, the scripts insanity going hand in hand with the outrageous visuals. Much like Narc's gritty realism, which provided a perfect match to the hard boiled intensity of that film, Smokin' Aces mise-en-scene molds to the story well and provides one of the few bright spots of the film. Given his track record now, one can't help but think that Carnahan's visual scheme will match the material of his adaptation of James Ellroy's White Jazz, scheduled to shoot in 2008, and perhaps that'll be the film to get him back on track narratively. Ellroy's book is a densely plotted, tough as nails 1950's LA noir that bristles with a palpable energy and is eagerly awaited by his legion of fans.

However, the film ultimately betrays itself with the schizophrenic nature of its narrative. At times, it wants to be a full out actioner with outrageous sequences and characters and others, it desperately attempts to elicit compassion for its characters. Both attempts are misplaced. The action is unnecessarily violent and quite frankly, boring. It has been done other places before and better than it is here. The drama is misguided and undercooked, trying to place characters we don't care about into situations that all of a sudden require we care about the characters. I have no doubt that this film will have its admirers, people who think they are watching an innovative action film. As far as I'm concerned, they can have it, I'll be too busy watching QT's Kill Bill saga, just one of those films that I mentioned mere sentences ago.

**