42

The life of Jackie Robinson gets the treatment you’d expect in Warner Brothers’ perfectly serviceable biography. The chronicle is a suitable document of the first African American to play Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Director Brian Helgeland (Payback, A Knight’s Tale) beatific depiction of Jackie Robinson is befitting of how Disney handles their sports pictures. It’s reverent, didactic and compelling. However given the magnitude of Robinson’s breakthrough, I was expecting a bit more grit. Perhaps in the hands of a more contentious director, the action would have seemed more controversial. There’s a brief moment of that in one particular scene involving actor Alan Tudyk as Ben Chapman, the manager of the Phillies who vociferously opposed Robbins’s presence in MLB on the basis of his race. The scenes in which he taunts Robinson with racial epithets was even more disturbing than the many uses of the N-word in the movie Django Unchained. Perhaps that’s because this is a true story but also because of Robinson’s pacifist approach to the abuse that was forced on him. It’s is one of the few instances where you genuinely get a feel for the weight of his struggle.

42 is a polished biography. It’s got beautiful music, bright cinematography and is populated by some nice performances. Chadwick Boseman notably underplays Jackie Robinson in a way that doesn’t feel like he’s grasping for the Academy Award. He’s quite effective. As is Nicole Beharie who plays “the wife” but with an effervescence that made me want to see more of her in future films. Harrison Ford reminds us that he doesn’t always just phone it in. As Branch Rickey, the General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers that signs Robinson to the team, he is truly engaging. 42 hits all the dramatic notes you’d except in a memoir such as this. It’s not particularly deep or insightful, but it is inspiring. Robinson becomes more a symbol through which other people unleash their racial hatred against. I would’ve appreciated a little more detail in the script about the man himself. More vignettes involving his personality as well as his athletic accomplishments in the world of baseball would‘ve been welcome. The lesson appears to be talent and money speak louder than hate. 42 is an admirable addition to baseball pictures that dutifully dramatize the subject in a way that is both pleasant and entertaining.

The B.A.N.G Show: “The Croods” Movie Review

Mark Hobin, Shemoviegeek and Arcturus convene on the MGCTv show for a movie review this week. We discuss this year’s #1 animated film THE CROODS. It’s a big hit, but was the crew won over by the family fun? Listen to find out!

The Croods - Podcast Review

Evil Dead

It’s kind of surprising to see a horror film like Evil Dead in 2013. After Wes Craven re-wrote the rules with the self knowing Scream back in 1996 and then The Cabin in the Woods more recently deconstructed the genre further, I thought the attitudes on display here were a thing of the past. Evil Dead is a giant step backward to the naïveté of the 1980s. Here we’re presented another group of kids playing about in the woods. They behave like idiots, existing so they can be dismembered, killed, and gutted in the most gruesome methods possible. It’s gross yes, but it’s certainly not scary. Ok so this is a “remake” of Sam Raimi’s highly regarded cult film that inadvertently became a camp classic. The cartoon violence was over the top and had, let’s face it, special effects that were so bad you had to laugh. C’mon! The blood looked like grape jelly. But this is a remake in name only. Other than the basic underlying story, this is much different. Its “improvement” is that the torture actually looks real. Evil Dead has technically superior gut churning violence but it’s utterly lacking in spirit, charm, humor or scares.

The plot is simple. A group of 5 friends meet up in an old abandoned cabin in the woods. Mayhem ensues. Why are these cabins always built in some remote area with only one road in and no human contact for miles? Apparently this is where Mia and David’s mother battled with insanity. And they want to spend more time there? The friends are helping Mia kick her drug addiction. In order to detox and get clean they must keep her there regardless of how much she wants to leave. That’s an inspired rule and the script’s lone bit of intelligence. Despite the fact that the kids are a bunch of morons, I will clarify that their acting is fine. These young adults act appropriately scared.  That’s all we require in a product like this. Its unfortunate they serve an inferior story.

Haven’t we seen this before? 5 people are terrorized and then behave in ways so stupid, it boggles the mind. Seriously if I felt any modicum of fear it was that I might roll my eyes to death. First the whole gang stumbles upon a secret cellar under the cabin filled with what looks like decaying cat carcasses hanging from the ceiling. They don’t leave. Then Eric, the biggest idiot, finds a book made of skin with barbed wire all around it that says “Do not open” so naturally he proceeds to open it. Then starts reciting spells that should not be spoken. Mia is subsequently attacked by a tree in a scene that is surprisingly tame compared to the original. She gets possessed and then starts killing everyone in sight.  At this point we couldn’t care less about these people.  I mean they practically asked for it.  Projectile vomiting (The Exorcist), a demonic girl curses creatively (The Exorcist again), nail guns, carving knives – the film is a smorgasbord of atrocities served up to an audience jaded by years of blood and guts. They demand the ante be raised and this will satiate their bloodlust. One guy in the theater literally hooted and hollered every time someone was mutilated. Debating the merits of this flick is pointless. Your enjoyment will depend on whether you enjoy watching people cut, disremembered, slashed in the most sadistic ways possible. I love scary movies, but this wasn’t frightening in the least. It’s gleefully gross and nothing more.

The Place Beyond the Pines

It starts with a shot of a guy displaying his impressive skill with a butterfly knife. As the tracking shot continues, it follows him as he walks through a carnival fairground. We discover he’s on his way to a show where he proceeds to mount a motorcycle and ride it into an enclosed spherical cage made of steel. He’s joined by two additional men on bikes and the resulting display is greeted with applause from the small audience. The guy is Luke Glanton and he’s a stuntman. Haphazardly covered in tattoos that almost look like doodles, he is a man of few words. It’s a brilliant start because it establishes so much about this man simply from visual clues. After that deceptively simple opening we are introduced to a former acquaintance, Romina (Eva Mendes) and her boyfriend Kofi (Mahershala Ali). The two are taking care of her infant son. This cluster of individuals is a fascinating subject for a picture. Ah but that’s merely the beginning.

The Place Beyond the Pines is a stunning multi-generational saga that has two other stories in addition to the one that makes up the film’s first third. This dramatic triptych continues on to detail the life of policeman Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) and two teens (Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen). The latter two struggling to keep their head above the tricky waters of high school. All the aforementioned actors pull off incredible performances worthy of mention. Newcomer Cohen is like the re-incarnation of Brad Renfro. He’s surprisingly good given I’ve never even heard of him. Who these various people are and how their lives fit together is something best discovered by experiencing the film. Director Derek Cianfrance‘s script which he co-wrote with Ben Coccio and Darius Marder, does a masterful job at managing multiple parts. Despite an ever-shifting narrative, each person is a fully formed human being with a separate focus. Even a role as seemingly one-dimensional as Cross’ wife Jennifer (Rose Byrne) has a distinct purpose that we can identify with in the one major scene she has. Ray Liotta and Ben Mendelsohn further contribute in key supporting parts that significantly alter the story. It’s only April, but this should rank high amongst the ensemble casts of 2013

The Place Beyond the Pines is an ambitious tale you’ll remember long after the credits have rolled. Cianfrance masterfully presents a carefully balanced epic of guilt, sin and redemption amongst fathers and sons. But he also provides car chases, guns and cop corruption. It’s got it all in a magnificently sweeping chronicle. The script’s handling of good vs. evil isn’t too subtle.  However the morally questionable motives of these people often belie honorable intentions. That’s what gives these characters a depth that makes them compelling. At times it’s a bit overwhelming to process all the themes that are being addressed. If Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine could be called an elaborate composition then The Place Beyond the Pines must be considered a grand opus of breathtaking proportions. If this is a logical progression, I can’t wait to see what the director does for an encore.

Spotlight on Scorsese: Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Fast Film Reviews)

Reblogged from Rorschach Reviews:

Mark Hobin is the man behind Fast Film Reviews and the second contributor to my Spotlight on Scorsese guest review series.  The second blog I ever clicked "Follow" on, Fast Film Reviews remains one of my go-to sources for reviews of new releases and more.  You can follow Mark's blog here or check out our blogger interview here.

Alice Hyatt, a recently widowed mother with a 10 year old son, is on the cusp of starting anew.

Read more… 627 more words

I've been a loyal reader of the nifty film review blog that Andy Swinnerton maintains over at Rorschach Reviews for some time. Recently he decided to spotlight director Martin Scorsese and invited his readers to contribute reviews on his films.

I made the somewhat unpredictable choice of Scorsese's fourth film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Still well regarded, it's rarely included on the shortlist of his greatest films these days. Yet I still consider it one of his finest achievements. I think I make a pretty good case for it. Please check out my review on his site by clicking on the link above.

The Sapphires

Is it possible for a drama that documents the rise of a music group to follow all of the standard tropes, falling victim to clichés of the genre, and still manage to charm the viewer? The answer, in the case of The Sapphires, is an unequivocal YES. Engaging début feature is directed by Australian Wayne Blair. Keith Thompson wrote the screenplay that he adapted from Tony Briggs’ play. The playwright was inspired by his own relatives, the true story of 4 Aboriginal sisters who form a girl group in 1968 Australia. A personable geek of a talent scout played by the always delightful Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids) discovers them performing country-western songs in a competition. He re-fashions them into R&B singers and promotes them as “The Sapphires” to entertain American troops in Vietnam. They’re kind of like The Supremes except they sing cover songs and there’s 4 of them.

Occasionally The Sapphires succumbs to the routineness of the proceedings. The period film infuses music and comedy in an overly familiar way. We’ve seen this blueprint countless times recounting the rising popularity of a vocal group. The four women fall into set archetypes. Julie is the talented lead singer, who was actually a runner-up on Australian Idol in real life. Cynthia, a pretty vocalist with spunk is the comic relief. Kay, their estranged sister, is conflicted – torn between her English and indigenous heritage and Gail is the overprotective mama bear of the siblings. All four are solid portrayals with Deborah Mailman as tough talking Gail being the most fully formed character.

Despite the common trappings, there are definitely elements that make The Sapphires a unique take on a ordinary subject. It touches on the children of Aboriginal descent who were removed from their families by the Australian government from approximately 1909 to 1969. This underscores the girls’ childhood when they were living in a remote mission together. Kay’s extraction from their family and the subsequent trio’s evaluation in a singing competition before a bigoted judge further references this theme. Equal rights informs the underlying politics of their early lives but it’s not really the focus. The script does a nice job of juggling the various forces that threaten the success of the group. It intersperses two love stories with a lot of rousing 60s Motown hits that are beautifully sung. I thoroughly enjoyed their versions of soul classics that included “Land of a Thousand Dances” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” If these characters appear a bit timeworn, the milieu is so uplifting and joyous, I didn’t mind a bit. I cheered these girls on as if this was the first time I had ever seen someone take a chance in pursuit of a dream in showbiz. The Sapphires is a toe tapping, heart singing good time.

Spring Breakers

Four college girls want to spend their spring break vacation in Florida. A bevy of teen beauties, they are played by Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical), Ashley Benson (Pretty Little Liars) and Rachel Korine (the director’s wife). Seemingly the only students left on their college campus, they’re desperate to join the rest of their friends in Florida. They want to have fun but there’s a problem. They have no money. Brit, Candy, and Cotty (minus “good girl” Faith) decide their sole outlet for quick cash is to rob a diner so they can afford their trip. At first the jump from college coed to hardcore criminal seems like a stretch. However Spring Breakers also functions as a character study of wayward youth. At times I was reminded of films like Thirteen or Alpha Dog in its view of teens gone wrong. This seemingly incongruous behavior actually belies latent tendencies that will be brought to the surface in a horrifying display.

Spring Breakers would appear to be a fun in the sun escapade full of carnal hijinks and randy shenanigans among older teens. Director Harmony Korine’s view of these creatures is decidedly nihilistic. What else would you expect from the screenwriter of Kids? His take is unique. What Korine does is take the “Girls Gone Wild” template and thoroughly turn it on its ear. The cinematography is stylish. It’s appears like an MTV video – a candy colored vision of sun soaked beaches, golden tan bodies, techno music and beer. Yet this is as much a biting comment on pleasure seekers in Florida as it is a cautionary warning for the youth of today. Korine lulls the viewer into a false facade of good times. Montages are frequently utilized to create hallucinogenic sequences that act as sort of a narrative shorthand. These are extremely well edited. They are accompanied by random bits of dialogue, creating a building sense of anxiety and dread. Listen to James Franco intoning “Spriinnnnngggg breaaaakkkkkk.…Spriinnnnngggg breaaaakkkkkk.” The mantra becomes the spoken word equivalent of an earworm you cannot forget.

Speaking of unforgettable…James Franco. He gives a supporting performance worthy of an Academy Award. “My name’s Alien. My real name is Al, but truth be told, I am not from this planet y’all.“ The girls first encounter him at a beachside concert where he’s perforating as a rapper for the spring break crowd. Their paths will soon cross again in the future. As the cornrow wearing, teeth grill sporting, drug dealing white rapper with a southern drawl, he completely embodies the individual so perfectly you forget it’s the actor in the role. It is a mesmerizing achievement that is possibly the greatest James Franco has ever committed to celluloid. Yes he got an Oscar nomination for 127 Hours but his work here is even more revelatory. The four girls are quite effective in their parts as well. Viewers familiar with Gomez and Hudgens from their Disney Channel work, might be surprised seeing the starlets in a racy R rated tale. Gomez is the real standout here mainly because she goes through the biggest change. I only wish the other 3 weren’t all blonde (Hudgens dyes her hair) as it’s difficult to differentiate between the other three characters.

Spring Breakers is an intriguing film. What initially starts out as a superficial focus on hedonistic desires evolves (devolves?) into a nightmare come to life. The visual sequences build on repetition to the point where the audience is desensitized to all the wild partying. At first all the attractive young coeds in various states of undress threatens to become a part of what it ultimately condemns. Even when the girls are in a college classroom their minds are focused on less academic pursuits. But just when you acclimate to the debauched surroundings, the director ratchets up the intensity. There are scenes that have such an uneasy feel, they degenerate from a lighthearted good time into horror within seconds. The picture grows dark. It’s that ability to juggle a rapidly shifting narrative that makes Spring Breakers such a fascinating watch. It’s much more than what the trailers promote. It dares to show the consequences and for that reason, Spring Breakers deserves your attention.

The Croods

The Croods are a family of Neanderthal cavemen. One day they are forced to leave the protective confines of their shelter when it’s destroyed.  Following an earthquake,  a falling stone is disrupted cleaving their cave in half. Now exposed out in the open they must contend with a strange unfamiliar world and its many inhabitants including a young nomadic cave boy.

Despite an opportunity to delve into some early primordial history given the ancient setting, the gags and attitudes are decidedly modern. The voice cast have conversations that would not be out of place for a family living in 2013. Father Grug (Nicolas Cage) and daughter Eep (Emma Stone) have district personalities, but the rest of the clan are nonentities. Grug hates his mother-in-law. Never saw that in a comedy. Even Guy, a Homo sapien, is like some teen dream out of a soap opera. Eep, the eldest daughter, is one of those stereotypical teens that butts heads with her overprotective father. She yearns to venture out and see the world. Get with the times, Dad! Or instead, why don’t you just, ya know, evolve! Indeed the tone of the script is that she is correct and that father Grug is reactionary and staid in his views. What the screenplay fails to acknowledge is that it’s those very ideals of his that have kept his family alive all these years while everyone else of their kind has been killed.

I couldn’t help but feel the moral of this comedy was a bit misguided. Surely it is ill-advised to encourage children to disregard their parent’s safety warnings, but that’s precisely this saga’s point of view. Your father is smothering you! Talk to strangers! Play in the street! I’m sure the script meant to inspire an adventurous spirit. Don’t be timid! Try new things! Seize the day! But that’s probably not what a 5 year old will understand. Especially when the father is a complete buffoon – an object of derision as he is consistently shown up by the more progressive and intelligent Guy. Ah but have no fear, parents. As expected, the father predictably redeems himself in the end. The Croods is acceptable. The animation is colorful, although the family is mildly grotesque. They are Neanderthals after all. There are some nice slapstick sequences that are enjoyable. There’s a variety of creatures that are nicely animated including a swarm of carnivorous birds that take only seconds to devour their prey, Guy’s pet sloth Belt is a really cute little creation given to singing “Da-da-daaaaaaaa!“ whenever he wants to stress impending doom. It’s funny every time he says it. Belt got the biggest laughs in the theater. While the jokes amuse, the story is primitive. The Croods is safe fun family entertainment with no surprises. It was pleasant. I guess for some that may be enough.

Stoker

“You know I’ve often wondered why it is we have children, and the conclusion I’ve come to is we want someone to get it right this time. But not me. Personally speaking, I can’t wait to watch life tear you apart.”

So says Nicole Kidman as the unbalanced Evelyn Stoker in the opening minutes in the trailer. But she doesn’t really simply SAY anything in this movie. Her affected display of high camp is full of histrionics. If it’s possible to whisper loudly, Kidman accomplishes that feat numerous times in Stoker playing the role somewhere between overwrought and mannered. She speaks in a halting tone as if Every. Word.  Is.  Its.  Own.  Sentence.  Her ridiculously over the top theatrics emphasize every declaration with an exaggerated stare or arched brow.

She‘s not alone. Kidman mourns her late husband for the duration of a funeral then immediately starts making goo-goo eyes at her brother-in-law who pops up out of thin air to stay with them. One would think in a mystery the antagonist would be ambiguous suggesting a hidden agenda. But Charlie is clearly a creep. His perverted smile is uneasy right from the start. Obsequious and insincere he exudes evil because he is evil. Mia Wasikowska is a talented young actress that usually conveys a depth beyond her 23 years. But there is no subtlety to her performance either. Here her sullen, depressed demeanor depicts a girl named Wednesday Addams…er uh I mean India Stoker. She’s particularly fond of wearing saddle shoes and dressing like someone from the early 20th century. I almost thought the film was set in that era as well, until one unnecessary line unequivocally dates the events in the modern day. Her father has died so that would account for the moodiness but her mental state goes way past that emotion to the extent where she exhibits hatred towards everyone. Do her male classmates tease her because she is mean or is she mean because they tease her? It’s never explained and the script is too shallow to even care.

One thing Stoker has going for it are the visuals. It’s technically dazzling with a true sense of style. But it’s over-stylized. Director Chan-wook Park shoots the hell out of scene to the point where the artifice become the story.  Light and shadows move when India pushes a swinging overhead lamp, a close-up of a blister oozes pus when pierced with a pin, white flowers become red when splattered with blood, a girl with 16 pairs of shoes carefully surround her as she lays on a bed.  At one juncture, Evelyn’s brushed hair morphs into the tall grass in a field where India and her father are hunting in flaskback. Is that last example a nice effect? Yes.  Does it take the place of a coherent story? Not on your life. But the tricks are not merely visual. Chan-wook Park amps up the soundtrack to 11 to heighten the sound of a spider climbing up a girl’s skirt or the cracking shell of a hardboiled egg being rolled across a table.  Scenes are self consciously arty that seem to imply a lot more than what is really going on. That’s kind of how the entire production unfolds at a lugubrious trudge. But peer beyond those luxurious velvet drapes and we’re left with the story equivalent of furniture from IKEA. That is to say it’s cheap and disposable.

Let’s not mince words. This screenplay is a rational thinker’s worst nightmare. Stoker marks the screenwriting debut of Wentworth Miller. Yes, the actor that was once the star of the television series Prison Break. India, Charlie & Evelyn – their motives are superficially justified up to a point, but no one behaves or reacts with any kind of meaning. Mia Wasikowska as India Stoker is a most confounding creature. Multiple people are killed at an alarming pace with minimal to no consequences. India is confronted with these deaths. Yet she inexplicably remains apathetic to the escalating murder rate around her. Personally I would’ve called the police if I discovered a dead body in my freezer, but hey that‘s just me. She meets a sweet boy who is the one lone classmate who shows her some respect. They tenderly make out. She violently bites his lip. Her anti-social behavior is perplexing. Then he incongruously tries to rape her. Huh?!

Many have gone so far as to say this is inspired by Hitchcock, but that is to completely disregard the director’s facility with wit, nuance and decorum. The script is pointless, classless and vulgar. Ok so those last two are the same thing, but I want to really stress that. This is about as similar to Hitchcock as Kim Kardashian is to Audrey Hepburn. If Shadow of a Doubt is the bon vivant that teaches English literature at the University level then Stoker is the drunk and disorderly younger brother (with a slavish devotion to designer labels) that didn’t finish high school. Need another example? Mia Wasikowska’s shower sequence comes to mind. No it’s not like the one in Psycho but it is memorable and not in a good way.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Burt Wonderstone and his partner, Anton Marvelton are headlining magicians at the top of their game. Their Bally’s show in Vegas has become one of the top draws on the strip. Unfortunately, as their fortunes climb, their friendship sours. Further complicating matters is the arrival of a new street performer named Steve Gray (Jim Carrey). As his interpretation of magic grows in popularity, it threatens the future of these two fixtures on the Las Vegas strip.

For anyone who grew up watching Doug Henning (remember him?) and later David Copperfield, this is a valentine to the classic illusionists who achieved their feats of wonder on television specials during the 70s. There is a genuine love for the time-honored magicians of yesteryear. Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi have all the flamboyant charisma of Siegfried & Roy, but in a strictly platonic version. Their early years as children are memorable. They’ve been best friends since they were kids. Anton is a particularly sickly little boy who takes a variety of medication including testosterone because he’s ‘dangerously close to being a girl.’ Outcasts at school, they bond against bullies over their shared mutual passion for magic. Burt and Anton are really likable as kids. In many ways, I wish these scenes went on longer because they’re very amusing.

The narrative alternates between involving and routine. The story drags in the middle, but it’s saved by an impressive supporting performance that invigorates the film. As Steve Carell gets older and his reputation grows, he exhibits progressively temperamental behavior. He makes petty complaints, treats his friend like a servant, and expects the women he chooses from the audience to sleep with him. It’s meant to be a caricature obviously, but the character becomes a bit insufferable. Things change however with the introduction of a street magician played by Jim Carrey. His parody is clearly inspired by talents like David Blaine and Criss Angel. As the stringy haired, t-shirt wearing Steve Gray, he comes across as more of a lunatic than a sane performer. His brand of magic emphasizes masochistic stunts involving pain. They keep getting increasingly ridiculous. I mean he describes himself as a brain-rapist. Carrey is absolutely fearless and it’s his funniest portrayal in years.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is a mixed bag. What originates as a sweet ode to magicians of yore, falls apart in the center before regaining momentum for a surprisingly hilarious finish. There’s such a difference between the razzle dazzle excess of the 70’s with the low key street performers that started in the late 90s. When the script exploits that, it’s quite entertaining. “The Incredible Burt and Anton” act is a cheesy delight.  They open every show with the same musical intro: Steve Miller Band’s ‘Abracadabra’.  Carell sports a wild mane of hair.  They wear spangly costumes. They’re influenced by Rance Holloway, an aging legend played in a nice turn by Alan Arkin. They all embody the old guard.  Contrast that with bizarro torture tricks of street magician Steve Gray. His hard to watch stunts are so disgusting it becomes a biting critique. When he’s on screen, the comedy zings. When it focuses on Steve Carrel’s fall from favor, it gets boring. Still there are some very funny moments in this send-up of modern magic. And those final minutes where we witness the reveal of a major trick, is worth the price of admission alone.