Archive for December, 2010

The Fighter

Posted by benjamin on December 31, 2010

If you are a fan of Christian Bale, get to your local theater now to see his amazing transformation into Dicky Eklund. A friend stated after the movie that it took him more than 3 minutes into the movie to realize that it was Christian Bale who was talking to the camera. It only takes seconds for the audience to believe they are seeing Dicky Eklund and that type of immersion into a character is always thrilling to see. I would call his portrayal Oscar worthy and simply phenomenal to watch.

The Fighter doesn’t just end the talents with Bale. Everyone else is amazing as well. Granted Mark Wahlberg, as usual, leaves you wanting more from him and his character. Even with the closing credits showing the real Mickey Ward, Wahlberg’s portrayal was more Mark and less Mickey. He matched the mannerisms and “silence” of the man he was portraying, but overall it just felt bland. Amy Adams shined as well as Mickey’s mom, played by Melissa Leo.

Besides the acting, the visual vision of the director played well to the overall movement of the story. David O. Russell and his staff chose to go with a “documentary” style look of the film. This allowed at times for the actors to play directly to the camera. It also helped to solidify the realism of the “based on a true story” tagline.

Overall, The Fighter has it all. Humor. Drama. Action. I thought I would enjoy this movie but I don’t think I went into the movie believing that I would enjoy it as much as I did. If asked, I would state that The Fighter is one of my favorite movies of 2010.

The Verdict:

1 Comment on this post | Published in Biopic, Drama

In the Loop

Posted by robert on December 27, 2010

Too soon? In the Loop (2009) didn’t wait for the cessation of combat operations in Iraq to venture a comedy about the War’s origins, and the official end of the War last August does little to lighten the weight of the film’s subject.  But like Robert Altman’s MASH (1970), a shift in setting creates enough emotional distance for viewers to laugh at the tragically farcical lead-up to America’s latest imperial foray.  For its American audience anyway, In the Loop’s change in vantage point, is two-fold; first, the film primarily follows a British cabinet minister, and second, when the plot reaches American soil, it features the political maneuverings of low-level State Department staffers.  Filtered through the lens of political turf battles and public relations mishaps, over this film’s 106 minute runtime, comedy trumps tragedy.

Tom Hollander plays the equally earnest and incompetent Minister for International Development, Simon Foster, whose bumbling sound bites make him the pawn of both hawks and doves in the US State Department.  Foster’s new press aide, Toby Wright (Chris Addison), does little to keep his boss from running afoul of Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), the Rahm-tongued operative representing No. 10 Downing St., as Foster first calls war “unforeseeable,” only to clarify that the UK may have to “climb the mountain of conflict.”  Foster can’t keep his foot out of his mouth, despite himself, as he tries to repair a constituent’s collapsing retaining wall and sway the UN’s vote on war.

You’ll recognize a few faces in the supporting cast, including James Gandolfini as a dovish General, Zach Woods, The Office’s Gabe, as a State Department sycophant, and Anna Chlumsky, who you may not have seen since My Girl (1991), or My Girl 2 (1994) if you are less fortunate.  All deliver solid performances, but Hollander and Capaldi stand out.

In the Loop scores some easy laughs through fish out of water mishaps, which are laughs nonetheless, but is at its best with snappy (or hilariously sloppy) dialogue (Disclaimer: if you are sensitive to obscenity-laced tirades you should avoid this film). Since we know how this story ends, the drama lies seeing who will retain their careers, pride, and/or their integrity through the political one-upmanship of operatives on either side of the Atlantic.  You can’t see this laugh out loud movie too soon.

The Verdict:

Comments on this post | Published in Comedy

Multi Movie Review

Posted by benjamin on December 24, 2010

With the holidays comes a great time for friends, family, and movies. Well, here’s my gift to all of you with my reviews for several past Netflix viewings that I haven’t shared. These reviews will be as short as the predicted snowfall will be in the southeast of the US.

Enjoy these quick reviews and the holidays.

I really need to stop focusing on the trailers for films as they will always let you down. This movie had promise but then fell apart when the “villain” went from out smarting everyone to making a stupid mistake. I hate that.

The Verdict:

A documentary on an interesting subject that just falls flat. I think of LARPs as just nerds doing nerdy things instead of people doing something interested to them.

The Verdict:

After only one day removed from Toy Story 2′s disappointment, I found Monsters, Inc. to help return my trust in Pixar. Here was a film that was beautifully made that carried a very sweet story and lovable characters. Maybe at this point I should continue with the Pixar “marathon.”

The Verdict:

This is not your father or grandfather’s paper based Sherlock Holmes but RDJ and Jude Law create a great buddy tandem that works in the movie, just not well enough. This movie fell short but maybe with a potential sequel the true Holmes villain will thrust the film and franchise further.

The Verdict:

Alice in Wonderland meets Wizard of Oz. Truly a beautiful movie with sweet characters, great art, and an interesting story. Even those that are normally negative towards anime will find enjoyment within this film.

The Verdict:

Sure, I’m probably the last person in the world to see Toy Story 2, but at least I finally did. Of course, it turned out to be my least favorite Pixar movie. Too many characters, too many jokes that seemed out of place. Overall it was a film that seemed to only return for money. Here’s hoping Toy Story 3 turns me around.

The Verdict:

Comments on this post | Published in Action, Adventure & Epic, Documentary, Family, Mystery & Thriller

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Posted by will on December 23, 2010

Directed by renowned street artist Banksy, Exit Through the Gift Shop is one part documentary, one part farce, and two parts that comprise an intimate glimpse into the worlds of a handful of the most well-known street and graffiti artists.

The fact that Banksy is the director should already hint that the whole premise of the story is concocted, falsified, and simply a ruse. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be entertaining as well as critical.

The plot of the story chronicles a particular time in the life of French expatriate Thierry Guetta; father, eccentric thrift store owner, obsessive personal historian outfitted with his trusty video camera. After a visit abroad to see his cousin, the mosaic street virtuoso Invader (a personal favorite of mine), Thierry becomes moved and consumed with street art. The film plods along as Thierry gains more and more access to the somewhat secretive process, onsite bombings, and culture of some of the most prominent street artists including the likes of Shepard Fairey, Borf, Swoon, Dotmasters, and eventually, the reclusive and secretive Banksy. All the while, Thierry is mining some pretty remarkable and unique footage.

You would imagine that the nature of this film would invoke some type of badass, street urchin, holier-than-though punkish character and would be, to some extent, inaccessible to the most viewers. Street art is not very glamorous, for the most part, and is a very controversial subject in regards to its process, its locations, and really, its legality.

Yet, Exit Through the Gift Shop is almost whimsical. It’s light-hearted, it’s funny, it’s ironic, and it is a very engaging and interesting film. Thierry is such an blasé free spirit that he is almost slap-your-knee comical to watch at times. He is his own Don Quixote and yes, he is on his own personal quests (armed with his video camera).

Not to be lost in the high spirits of this film is what I perceive, a very pointed and prime statement on art and what it is and what it can be. To me, the film asks the age old question, “What is art?”. To narrow it down, “What is art and does it work in regards to merchandising?” (e.g. Jeff Koons, Shepherd Fairey, Andy Warhol, etc.). Of course, the answer is to the viewer’s interpretation but it does force you to look at artists, in this case in particular, the purveyors of spray paint, stencils, and wheat paste, in a very different light.

The Verdict:

Comments on this post | Published in Mockumentary

Cars

Posted by benjamin on December 21, 2010

When I tell people that I had not seen Cars yet, I’m given the look as if I hadn’t watched the birth of my first born. I’ve always loved the Pixar films but Cars previously slipped through my viewing eyes until now.

Cars is a great story of a car that wanted to be the best but didn’t realize that it takes a team sometimes to make everyone excel. Its a sweet story and Pixar nails it with their wit, sincerity, and flashy visuals. With each film from the Emoryville studio, it seems that the animators, actors, and directors become closer to the characters they are placing on the screen for everyone to enjoy.

I really wouldn’t expect anything less from Pixar’s crown champion, John Lasseter. John has provided us with Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and A Bug’s Life and many more. He’s primarily known as the man behind Pixar as he was one man who always believed that great 3D animated films could be produced. He has succeeded before and here with Cars and we can only hope he will succeed again with whatever his next movie will be.

Before Cars, only The Incredibles sat atop my Pixar list but now that spot is shared by the two films. I loved the subtle car puns (VW bugs as…bugs, gas can beer hat, etc.) as well as the multitude of racing cameos. From NASCAR to Formula 1, Cars nails the racing genre with the little kid spin. Only knowing the real life racers enhances your experience during the movie. It reminds me of the same way the models were used in Zoolander. Sure the movie was making fun of the profession but it was also trying to push it into the mainstream even more.

With the sequel on the horizon for next summer, I’m hoping that Cars 2 will be able to live up to the original. Though, it won’t be easy.

The Verdict:

1 Comment on this post | Published in Action, Adventure & Epic, Comedy, Family