Sunday, August 26, 2007

Great Expectations (1998)

You want a martini?

Director: Alfonso Caurón
Format: DVD
DVD Features: movie trailers
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Cooper, Anne Bancroft
Trailer

I took this movie home on loan from the same friend who watched The Count of Monte Cristo with me. Originally, Great Expectations was a novel by Charles Dickens. It has been adapted many times for the big screen and the small one. This 1998 edition is the most recent of all of the movie versions. I have seen the cover of the movie countless times, but never considered renting it, as it’s not my typical cup of tea. Also, having not read the Dickens story, I can’t be sure how close the movie mirrors his original plot. However, I do like to step outside of my general sphere of film watching from time to time and experience something different, especially upon a recommendation.

Young Finn Bell (Jeremy James Kissner) is a boy of 10, living in Florida with his older sister and Uncle Joe (Chris Cooper). Aside from helping Joe out with odd jobs around town, Finn spends much of his time with a sketchbook and a pencil. One day, a rich eccentric woman hires Finn as company for her young niece Estella (Raquel Beaudene). Every weekend, he visits their mansion to dance with Estella and otherwise entertain the old woman. But, even though the crazy dame warns Finn that Estella will eventually break his heart, he falls madly in love with her as the years pass.

One day, Estella disappears without much of a goodbye. Finn, now in his twenties (Ethan Hawke) is devastated. Determined to forget her, he throws himself into work on a fishing boat and leaves his drawing behind. Quite unexpectedly, an attorney shows up at his door and tells him that an anonymous benefactor wishes to send him to New York to show his work in his own studio debut. Bell flies off to The Big City, where he runs into the beautiful Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow) again. She serves as his muse and sparks a series of artwork for the show. However, she is on her way to becoming another man’s bride.

Paltrow does a magnificent job of portraying a wealthy young woman who’s been raised most particularly to break a man’s heart. She is constantly teasing Finn and allowing him just a taste of what he’s been longing for his whole life before pulling away. I have only enjoyed the actress in one other film (The Royal Tannenbaums) and she surprised me in Great Expectations. Hawke makes the transition nicely from being the naïve small-town fool, to being a mature and perpetually heartsick artist. Both of the children playing the characters as their younger selves did a superb job as well. The mad old woman in the film, Ms. Nora Dinsmoor, is played by Anne Bancroft. Granted, she is a little strange, the actress didn’t quite reach the edges of insanity and wickedness that it seemed the role called for. Her repentance at the end was hardly convincing either. Chris Cooper slid into the role of Uncle Joe with ease and fit the bill completely. Then, of course, we have Mr. Robert DeNiro, who plays an escape convict that Finn helps on more than one occasion. This actor almost never disappoints and didn’t let me down with this movie either. There’s a reason the man is a legend.

The cinematography in Great Expectations is beautiful. From the wide-open ocean landscapes to the rainy streets of Manhattan, Emmanuel Lubezki graces each scene with cool shades of blues and greens. Practically every shot is worthy of a postcard or a picture book. Francesco Clemente is the true artist behind all of Finn’s doodles and gallery work. While it’s not conventional portraiture, it has a genuine appeal and humanity about it. The song “Siren”, performed by Tori Amos floats along in the backdrop from time to time and lent a lot to the atmosphere of the picture.

I normally don’t enjoy this type of film, but I was pleasantly surprised to find both the plot and the acting quite satisfactory. There was a great sort of sorrow and eroticism in the relationship between the main characters that I enjoyed. In fact, I actually found myself a bit choked up during Hawke and DeNiro’s final scene. It’s a movie that I might not have given a chance had it not been talked up by my friend, so many thanks to him. But, ladies be warned that it might be a bit of a struggle to get your S/O to agree to.

Overall Rating: 3 ½
Hottie Rating: 3 (for the nude Gwyneth scene)

Alternate Viewing: The Illusionist
Official Site
IMDB Site
The Austin Chronicle review

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Saturday, August 25, 2007

Constantine (2005)

Badass Demon-fighting threesome

Director: Francis Lawrence
Format: Theater / DVD
DVD Features: trailers, added scenes, alternate ending, DVD-ROM
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, Gavin Rossdale, Shia LaBeouf,

Let it be known from here on out, that I am an Atheist. I don’t believe in God or Heaven or Hell. No, I don’t believe in Satan either, because I imagine that he was invented by the same mythic text as the rest. But, for some reason, I am still fascinated by the personification of the Devil in pop culture. I love grand cathedrals and all of the affectations surrounding faith. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I love horror films, which are often fraught with Catholic symbolism. Many of the best horror films involve priests (The Exorcist, for one), churches or the Apocalypse. So, the trailer for Constantine practically grabbed ahold of me a dragged to the theater.

Although Constantine was based on a comic book (Hellblazer), the main character is more of an anti-hero. John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) drinks a lot, smokes even more and is particularly cynical about most everything. Albeit, not without reason. See, the man has literally been to Hell and back after a botched suicide attempt. He’s been graced, or cursed, with the power to see angels, demons, and what he calls “half-breeds” and he’s become a crusader of sorts. With the aid of his friends Hennessy (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and Beeman (Max Baker) and aprentice Chas Kramer (Shia LaBeouf) travel around the city performing exorcisms and combating evil spirits.

After her sister’s death, Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) seeks out Constantine in the hope of finding answers to what she doesn’t believe was a suicide. At first, John throws the badge carrying Angela out of his apartment. But, when he realizes that she’s being hunted by the supernatural, he rushes to help her. The two of them pick up a series of clues and soon figure out that the proverbial shit is about to hit the fan, in terms of the fate of the world.

The visuals in Constantine are amazing. Hell is a smoldering, disintegrating version of the living world, populated by sincerely grotesque monstrosities. It’s so beautifully constructed that it’s hard to keep from sweating, watching the heat waves engulf entire landscapes. In the human plain, costuming is impeccable and Gabriel’s wings are worthy of an angel. His outfit near the end of the film is terrifically inventive, and just try to top Satan in his white suit. The sets are grim and gritty, full of texture. Constantine’s apartment and Beeman’s hideout are both curiously fascinating haunts.

For years and years, I have avoided films that star Keanu Reeves. I have never considered him a good actor. When The Matrix came out, I started to give the actor more of a chance. Once, I read an article about Reeves, which made the point that he’s a good actor because he’s such an empty slate. Regardless, Keanu makes a wonderful Constantine. The only other actor I would have considered for the job might be John Cusack, but he’s a little too meek to measure up. Rachel Weisz is fast becoming one of my favorite actresses. However, she’s not particularly convincing as a police officer. Granted, the plot doesn’t focus much on her career, but there’s an edge she seems to be lacking. Chas, Hennessy, and Beeman are all terrific characters, richly designed and well played. Tilda Swinton is divine as the angel Gabriel, but her demon counterpart, Balthazar (Gavin Rossdale) was disappointing. One of the best characters is Midnite, played by Djimon Hounsou. If there were to be another movie with this set of characters, I would love to learn more about him.

I don’t have anything bad to say about Constantine. It’s exciting, visually appealing, well acted, and has a great storyline. My only wish is for more of the characters and their individual stories. Some movies have the ability to astound in the theater, but can’t hold up to repeat viewing at home. Although I eventually purchased the DVD release of Constantine, I have watched it over and over again without growing tired or disinterested. This one’s a sure bet.

Overall Rating: 5
Hottie Rating: 5 (for Reeves and LaBeouf, and for Weisz's wet shirt scene)

Alternate Viewing: Night Watch
Official Site
IMDB Site
Salon.com review

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Thursday, August 23, 2007

The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

Yes Grasshopper, you must follow my example

Director: Kevin Reynolds
Format: DVD
DVD Features: deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes
Starring: James Caviezel, Guy Pearce, Richard Harris, Dagmara Dominczyk
Trailer

I like getting movie recommendations from friends. I rarely watch movies with friends, so it’s really nice to have that experience as well. What’s triply nice is when I get to sit and watch with a friend and they don’t insist on talking through the whole thing or trying to make out with me. Granted, there are certain movies that just beg to be made out to, like Crash with David Spader, for instance. And if I’ve seen the movie a bazillion times, like The Princess Bride, it’s okay to talk through it. But, when I see movies, I generally want everyone to shut the hell up and let me watch. The Count of Monte Cristo was a film I got to see with a friend, a quiet one.

Edmond Dantes (James Caviezel) is a young man who’s making his way in the world. He’s got a beautiful fiancé and has just gotten a promotion. Fernand (Guy Pearce) is a friend of Edmond’s, noble born and exceedingly jealous. Edmond is happy-go-lucky until he is shipped off to prison on the island of Chateau d’lf , framed for treason. He’s held captive there for 13 years (which reminded me of a Korean movie called Oldboy). Fortunately for him, Edmond meets up with another captive, Abbe Faria (Richard Harris), who trains him in the arts of combat, teaches him to read, and enlists his aid in digging a tunnel out of captivity. And eventually, after so many long years, Dantes finds a way out of Chateau d’lf and into a large fortune. Bent on revenge, Edmond Dantes takes on his new persona, The Count of Monte Cristo, and quickly infiltrates the social circles in which Fernand travels. Not even Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk), Edmond’s former love is safe from the vengeful wrath of The Count.

It took me a moment to realize where I’d seen Guy Pearce before. I recognized the face, but just couldn’t remember a plot or character to connect him to. That’s when my friend reminded me – Momento. Momento was a terrific film and so, I was expecting a similarly stellar performance from Pearce in this movie. Sadly, it didn’t get what I was hoping for. In fact, most of the cast did a mediocre rendition of the characters in this classic tale. I certainly wasn’t impressed by Pearce, Caviezel, Faria or anyone else.

Although it wasn’t a horribly trashy film, The Count of Monte Cristo was dulled beneath a thick glaze of Hollywood treatment. There wasn’t anything particularly edgy or revolutionary in this take of the story. The segment of the film in which Dantes meets Faria and builds himself up to the task of seeking revenge would be familiar to any fan of classic kung-fu films. I was reminded of countless subtitled features wherein the lead character suffers great losses, meets an old master, undergoes training and comes out better and stronger than before. There is a fairly entertaining fight at the end, when The Count takes on his enemies and there is hardly a moment when it doesn’t seem that Dantes’ revenge isn’t deserved. I just imagine that the same story could have been much more exciting considering all of the elements present which could have been developed richly had someone else been directing it and/or another cast acting in it. The basic story was full of potential, but (and no offense to my friend) it was lacking anything special.

Overall Rating: 2
Hottie Rating: 0

Alternate Viewing: A Knight’s Tale
?Official Site?
IMDB Site
Crazy 4 Cinema review

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Monday, August 20, 2007

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

Even the bear wants no part of it.

Director: Larry Charles
Format: Theater
Starring: Sasha Baron Cohen, Pamela Anderson, Ken Davitian
Theater

If you’re unfamiliar with Sacha Baron Cohen, he’s probably best known as the writer and star of Da Ali G Show. That show, I believe, is where the character of Borat originated. Cohen plays two other characters on the show, Ali G and Brüno and the basic gist of the program consists of Cohen posing as one his various characters in order to interview certain public figures. The whole prank designs to discredit or otherwise embarrass the person being interviewed. Think of Da Ali G Show as a cross between The Daily Show and Jackass. So, if you take the television show, eliminate two of the three characters and stretch the premise for 84 minutes, you’ve got Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

Borat Sagdiyev is a TV personality assigned by his government to travel to America and report back to Kazakhstan with information with which to better their country. He begins his documentary in his rural hometown, introducing his family. Then, he travels to the US with a camera crew and producer Azamat Bagatov (Ken Davitian) to try and capture some of the culture (and Pamela Anderson). Along the way, he emcees at a rodeo, gets drunk in an RV full of frat boys, attends a fancy dinner party in the South and gains custody of a bear and an ice cream truck. Oh yeah, and who could forget the all-nude wrestling match between Borat and Azamat that rages wildly through a hotel lobby?

The goofy sort of physical and low-brow comedy is not something I usually go for in a film. So, I wasn’t really interested in seeing Borat for a while. I had seen Da Ali G Show a couple of times and thought it was a bit novel and not half bad, but not amusing enough to entertain me for a feature length time span. But, sadly, I became a victim to hype. There was so much hype surrounding this movie when it was released that you couldn’t throw a rock and not hit something with Cohen’s face on it. I did get the point, of course, that the primary purpose for this movie was to illustrate how ignorant and intolerant people in this country often are. As one reviewer put it, “He gives America the rope, but they hang themselves.”

When Borat is interviewing someone and asking seemingly innocent questions, it’s clear that he is attempting to trick them into admitting something that illustrates whatever points Cohen is trying to make. And the victims consistently fall into his trap. It’s not that he’s bad at what he does, quite the contrary. But, it’s not my kind of humor at all. I am already painfully aware of the level of ignorance and bigotry apparent in several aspects American culture. Having the point hammered home is not really funny, but rather depressing and a bit frightening. When the credits rolled at the end of Borat, I was desperately wishing I could have my $5 back. I think I laughed twice during the entire movie; once when Borat introduces his sister and once when he falls out of the frat-boy RV. Neither of which was due to any clever coaxing by our Kazak reporter. Honestly, I’d rather run barefoot through a room full of thumb tacks than see this movie again.

Overall Rating: 1
Hottie Rating: 0

Alternate Viewing: Jackass (at least it has Johnny Knoxville)
Official Site
IMDB Site
Appreciating Great Trash review

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Sunday, August 19, 2007

The Jacket (2005)

This is what you call therapy?!

Director: John Maybury
Format: DVD
DVD Features: added scenes, alternate endings, trailer, featurettes
Starring: Adrien Brody, Kiera Knightly, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kris Kristofferson
Trailer

The Jacket is a film that I’ve owned for a while now. I found it on my neighborhood video store’s discount shelf. I’m always looking for horror films and anything that looks intriguing that I don’t mind paying a cheap price for. Usually, I buy a few films I’ve seen before, and end up with another one or two undiscovered films to round out my “4 for 20” purchase. Surprisingly, I haven’t been burnt often. There are a handful of actors and directors that I collect, in a way. Adrien Brody is one of those actors, but more on him in a minute.

Jack Starks (Adrien Brody) is dead…well, maybe. He barely survived a grievous head wound while serving in Desert Storm. After being released from medical a year later, he’s hitchhiking down a rural road when he comes across a woman and her little girl having car trouble. He’s just managed to fix their truck when the severely inebriated mother chases him away from the child. But, Starks leaves his dog tags with the girl Jackie (Laura Marano). A bit further down the road, a young man in a station wagon offers him a ride. The driver either has trouble with the cops, or is just plain nuts because, when they’re unexpectedly pulled over by the local PD, the man starts firing on the officer. Jack is caught in the crossfire and is unconscious with a dead cop and a recently fired weapon when the authorities find him. Since Jack’s memory is Swiss cheese, and there were no witnesses to the crime, he is sentenced to treatment at a hospital for the criminally insane.

Quite unwillingly, Jack becomes the subject of Dr. Becker’s (Kris Kristofferson) radical experiments. They involve a lot of medication, being strapped into a filthy straight jacket, and then being shoved into a morgue locker. However tortuous the “treatment” might be, it affords Jack an unexpected peek into the future. It’s during his first trip that he meets a young woman (Keira Knightly) who offers him her couch to sleep on for the night. While casually browsing her apartment, Jack happens across a pair of dog tags. When he reads the name engraved on them, he’s shocked to discover that the name is his. Starks spends the rest of his time flashing back and forth between the year 1995 and, when he’s in the jacket, 2007.

Nobody in The Jacket looks pretty. Jack is emaciated and hollow-eyed. The older version of Jackie is a binge drinking chain smoker who wears dark makeup and doesn’t seem to care about much, let alone her hair and clothing. All of the doctors at the hospital seem like they were pulled straight from the set of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. That is, except for one Dr. Lorenson (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who doesn’t look like she’s gotten a wink of sleep in years. Combined with grainy camera shots, oddly disturbing score (by Brian Eno) and a bleak, snowy landscape, The Jacket has an atmosphere of misery, which is a perfect backdrop for the storyline.

I mentioned Adrien Brody earlier. Aside from having that genuine East Coast attitude and killer good looks, the man is an amazing actor. In 2003, he became the youngest actor ever to win the Best Actor Academy Award for his role in The Pianist. He’s also got a history of taking on unconventional roles, a quality that I have always admired in great actors. So, I was gratified with his appearance in The Jacket. He truly seems tortured and yet, has everyone else’s best interests in mind. Keira Knightly is terrific as the older Jackie. She does such a magnificent job as a tragic, self destructive beauty that I wish she’d play such characters more often. Don’t forget solid performances by Krisofferson and Leigh that really round out the cast.

One problem that I’ve got with this movie is the rapid pace at which Jackie and Starks develop a romantic relationship. It almost seems as if part of the movie was cut out. One moment, she’s kicking him out of her apartment for “snooping” through her things and the next, she’s driving him around the countryside, helping him figure things out. Granted, Jack doesn’t have much time to play with in the movie, but they seem to “hook up” awful darned fast. I guess it’s that Brodie charm.

Overall Rating: 4
Hottie Rating: 5 (Knightly and Brody are both smokin')

Alternate Viewing: Summer of Sam
Official Site
IMDB Site
Planet Sick-Boy review

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Saturday, August 18, 2007

Hard Candy (2005)

little red riding hood?

Director: David Slade
Format: DVD
DVD Features: trailer, commentary, deleted scenes, DVD-ROM, featurettes
Starring: Ellen Page, Patrick Wilson, Sandra Oh
Trailer

My father recently asked me how I choose the movies I get in the mail. "Usually," I told him, "I look for recommendations based on the movies I’ve already rented." Sometimes, too, I will see a movie trailer that grabs my attention and I’ll put that movie on my list. In the case of Hard Candy, I happened to be walking past the television while my dad was watching Ebert and Whatshisname. They gave Hard Candy a great review. It wasn’t really the opinion of another movie critic that made my decision – I’ve said that I don’t read movie reviews much – but it was the subject matter of the movie and how they described it that peaked my interest. And to be honest, their review was a little misleading. But, I didn’t know that before my weakness for Indie films drew me in.

Hayley Stark (Ellen Page) is a 14 year old girl and she’s been chatting for several weeks with 32 year old photographer Jeff (Patrick Wilson) online. After several flirtatious advances, the two of them deicide to meet at a local café. Hayley is clearly very bright for a girl of her age and Jeff is more attractive than she expected. Despite her honor roll integrity, she’s still a bit shy and naïve. After a bit of conversation, Jeff convinces her to come back to his house to listen to some music. When they arrive, Hayley browses the photographer’s portfolio pictures displayed on the walls. She notices that they’re all photos of underage girls in provocative positions. Jeff offers her a glass of water and she responds by saying that she was taught not to drink anything she hasn’t mixed herself. She finds some vodka in his freezer and mixes them both screwdrivers.

Briefly afterwards, Jeff wakes up to find that he’s been tied to a chair. Both he and the audience begin to realize that Hayley is not the innocent child she pretended to be. It seems that she’s been planning their rendezvous for a while now, right down to the activities of his neighbors. While he watches helplessly, Hayley tears his house apart, looking for evidence of pedophilia. After an exhaustive search, she locates a hidden safe and figures out the combination. It seems that what she discovers inside confirms her suspicions and affirms her course of action. Jeff blacks out again and this time, when he comes to, he’s been tied down to a steel operating table, his pants removed and a bag of ice resting on his crotch. And now, Hayley tells him, she’s going to castrate him as punishment for his misdeeds.

The most astonishing part of Hard Candy, however, is not the castration scene. It’s Ellen Page’s phenomenal performance. However young the actress might be, she plays the role of Hayley to absolute perfection. She has command of even the most subtle facial expressions and nuance of character. I was completely amazed by this young actress and I hope to see her in many films to come. Patrick Wilson does a stand-up job as Jeff. For the majority of the movie, it’s really hard to tell if he’s actually guilty of pedophilia or innocently mistaken. It’s difficult not to feel sorry for the guy as he’s strapped down, begging for his manhood. Fans of Grey’s Anatomy will recognize Sandra Oh in her brief appearance as Jeff’s neighbor.

On the one hand, it’s great to see Hayley as an avenging angel for all of the molested children out there. On the other, it’s sometimes difficult to tell if she’s just plain psycho or not. On the one hand, if Jeff really is a sick child molesting bastard, he is well deserving of what he gets. On the other, is this poor guy just taking the rap for a crime in Hayley’s past? Hard Candy is beautifully filmed, superbly acted, and entertaining through every moment. I think it’s one of the best movies that I’ve seen all year.

Overall Rating: 5
Hottie Rating: 1/2 (situational)

Alternate Viewing: Kids
Official Site
IMDB Site
Roger Ebert review *spoilers*

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Sunday, August 12, 2007

11:14 (2003)

gettin it on in the graveyard

Director: Greg Marcks
Format: DVD
DVD Features: trailer, commentary, deleted scenes, featurette
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Shawn Hatosy, Rachael Lee Cook, Hillary Duff
trailer

If there’s a moral to the story of 11:14, it’s that idiots shouldn’t drive. And if there’s a second lesson to be learned, it’s that if you find a body, don’t try to hide it.

11:14 is about the mishaps of five (or six, or four, depending on which review you read) different people living in Middletown, Rural America. The significance of the time mark indicates the point at which their stories intersect. Each story is presented, and then, time reversed so that another tale can be told, all culminating in the moment when the their connection is clarified.

Our first victim of circumstance is Jack (Henry Thomas). He’s just finished a phone conversation when, out of nowhere, a body lands on his car. Since he’s been drinking, he decides that it might be a good idea to hide the evidence. A passerby stops to ask what the trouble is, and assumes that the driver has hit a deer in the road. But, when the cop who reports to the scene opens up the trunk, a mad chase through the woods ensues.

Flash back to Frank (Patrick Swayze), who’s watching his daughter leave from the window of their home. He decides to take his dog out for a walk through the cemetery. His discovers his daughter’s keys on the ground and then runs headlong into a body, its skull crushed beyond identification. Thinking that it was his daughter who committed the murder in self-defense, he decides to protect her by getting rid of the corpse.

Enter Eddie (Ben Foster), Mark (Colin Hanks) and Tim (Stark Sands). They’re a trio of drunken misfits out for a joyride, setting things on fire and hucking stale donuts at passing cars. When one of them decides that to hang his manhood out of the window instead of making a pit stop, he winds up seriously regretting it.

Then, we have Duffy (Shawn Hatosy), who is Cheri’s boyfriend (and who totally reminds me of my ex) and he’s gotten himself into quite a fix. His girlfriend is pregnant and the only way he sees to get the money for her abortion is to rob the convenience store he works at. Buzzy (Hilary Swank), the girl on night shift, doesn’t want to cooperate. But, when she realizes that she might lose her job for accidentally busting a window, she elects to take a bullet wound to make the robbery look convincing.

Cheri (Rachael Lee Cook) is Frank’s daughter. She’s also Duffy’s girlfriend, with a couple of tricks up her sleeve. Not only does she have Duffy running her errands, she’s got two more boyfriends under her thumb and a plot to make it out of town with some cash. It’s Cheri's story that finally wraps everything up and ties all of the tales together.

Even though she’s not the main focus of this movie, Hillary Duff plays her role fantastically. Her tendency to take on characters which make her look neither sexy nor glamorous really earns her a bit of credit in my eyes. I think that it shows that she’s built her career on solid acting skills rather than a huge rack and a family fortune. Swayze, who usually annoys the hell out of me, fits perfectly into the role of overprotective father. The entire cast of 11:14 impressed the hell out of me. I was totally convinced of each and every character and it was one of the best features of the film. The character around which all three stories ultimately spawn is Cook’s. Even though she’s the town tramp, this little chick’s a bit more clever than I expected.

For an inexperienced director, Marcks does a heck of a job with 11:14. Even though I’ve read a series of glowing reviews of this film, I don’t remember it getting much attention in the press at all. While the storytelling technique in his movie has been used before in movies like Momento, Pulp Fiction and Amores Perros, it doesn’t appear tired and uninspired here. It’s true that 11:14 could have taken a more serious spin, trying to teach lessons about morality and consequence, but it doesn’t take on such a lofty attitude. On the contrary, the entire adventure is treated with a comic touch. Nobody in the film is without blame, but there isn’t anyone to hate all the same. It’s a whole lot of fun and doesn’t try to preach.

Overall Rating: 4
Hottie Rating: 2 (for Cook and her outfit)

Alternate viewing: Run Lola Run
Official site
IMDB site
The Onion AV Club Review

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Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Land of the Dead (2005)

Where do I get that outfit?

Director: George A. Romero
Format: theater / DVD
DVD Features: featurettes, music video, deleted scenes, commentary
Starring: John Leguizamo, Simon Baker, Robert Joy, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento
Trailer

Surprisingly, it’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a horror film or in fact, even watched one. So, it feels good to revisit the genre, especially since it’s one of my favorites. The reason that the venue above is listed as both theater and DVD, is that I originally visited the theater when the movie was released and then saw it more recently again on DVD. For a long time after my love affair with horror began, I continued to steer clear of zombies. I didn’t find them very exciting or frightening at all. But, two movies changed my opinion forever and now I have become a gung-ho zombie enthusiast. Those two movies were 28 Days Later and the original Night of the Living Dead. The latter was, in fact, directed by the famous George A. Romero as well and I know that this recent installment of his Dead series was much anticipated amongst his fans.

During the opening credits of Land of the Dead, snippets of news reports provide background for the current state of affairs. The living dead have taken over the majority of the land. Only one non-dead oasis remains, shielded by rivers, walls and troops. And in the middle of this motley city, full of the poor and destitute remainders of the living, stands a towering complex called Fiddler’s Green wherein the elite and well-to-do dine on fine foods and sip their single-malt scotch. A group of soldiers, headed by Riley (Simon Baker) and including Cholo (John Leguizamo), make forays outside of the city to scavenge food and supplies.

While Cholo is raiding the abandoned liquor stores for a means to profit, Riley and his sidekick Charlie (Robert Joy) notice some disturbing behavior (more so than normal) starting to show in the zombie population. As if droves of flesh-eating monsters aren’t dangerous enough, it seems that the undead are exhibiting signs of intelligence. They’re starting to communicate and organize. One zombie in particular, Big Daddy, seems to be the ringleader, showing the others how to use tools and operate machine guns. Once the mass of creatures realizes that they can cross the river, the refuge of the living is f*cked.

There’s more than one threat to the city, however. Cholo, who thought that doing favors for head honcho Kaufman (Dennis Hopper) would earn him entry into Fiddler’s Green, is very disappointed to discover that his kind isn’t welcome. In retribution, he has stolen the tank-mobile called Dead Reckoning and is threatening to blow up the tower unless he gets paid back with interest. And who does Kaufman send to go after Cholo and his expensive machine? That’s right, it’s Riley. Riley, Charlie, former prostitute Slack (Asia Argento) and an escort of Kaufman’s troops are sent out to intercept Cholo and Dead Reckoning before they blow everything to kingdom come.

It’s tempting to try and debate the ramifications of zombies forming a union. Do these new signs of intelligence indicate that there may be a path to recovery? Should zombies be given basic human rights? How can zombies evolve if they don’t reproduce? It’s times like this that I remind myself of one of my favorite phrases, “suspension of disbelief”. Sometimes it’s important to remember that scrutinizing details like these for realism, when the movie under scrutiny is about walking corpses, is kind of silly. It can be entertaining to ponder such things, but it’s not necessarily a point upon which enjoyment of the film should rest.

One of my favorite elements in any horror movie is gore. And gore seems particularly prevalent when those that each human flesh are involved. Land of the Dead has scene after lovely scene of beheading, blood gushing, and intestine chewing to enjoy. The effects crew did a fantastic job of making it all nauseatingly realistic as well. It’s almost too much to land MPAA approval and I’m mildly surprised that certain parts of this movie made it into the final cut. More shocking a revelation, however, is that Tom Savini, the Godfather of Gore, is not credited for any work on the film’s special effects, although he makes a brief cameo appearance. Two recent celebrities who also appear fleetingly in the background of Land of the Dead are Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. It was admirable of Romero to recognize the two creators of the cult favorite Shawn of the Dead. Look for them as zombies at the photo booth.

Though Land of the Dead is entertaining and dripping with blood, I do have a couple of negatives to point out. One of them is the script. Robert Joy’s character, Charlie, is particularly irritating. That’s not because he’s slow and not because he follows Riley around like a lost puppy, but because he tirelessly repeats the same humorless catch phrases throughout the entire movie. None of the dialogue is particularly inspired and the actors seem to realize it. The best characters come from Hopper and Leguizamo. However, neither actor steps out of his boundaries or gives an unusually stellar performance. Sometimes filmmakers seem to forget that terrible acting is not necessarily a required element of horror, The Shining being a case in point.

While intelligent zombies are a new take for movies of the like, the plot in Land of the Dead is a little unfocused. The undead take a backseat, at times, to the storyline involving Cholo and Kaufman. It’s almost as if they’re just an inconvenient backdrop rather than a serious threat. Until, of course, they storm the city and wreak havoc on the citizens. The movements of Big Daddy and the rest of the undead are in and out of focus in relation to the conflicts elsewhere in the film.

I don’t mean to knock Romero and I don’t presume to tell the master of zombie films his business, even with those few drawbacks I’ve pointed out. The director remains the legendary figure he has been since 1968, his reputation intact. My overall impression of Land of the Dead was that it was a pretty decent horror movie. But, I don’t think it outshines Romero's previous filmography.

Overall Rating: 3 ½
Hottie Rating: 2 (for Argento)

Alternate viewing: 28 Days Later
Official site
IMDB site
Austin Chronicle review

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Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Collateral (2004)

Yeah, I'm taking over for this guy named Travis Bickle.

Director: Michael Mann
Format: DVD
DVD Features: making of, deleted scenes, featurettes, trailers
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise, Mark Ruffalo
Trailer

I’d seen the trailer for Collateral go by on the disks of a few of my other films before. One night, I apparently had enough and buckled under the pressure of Hollywood advertising. So, this week, I found it in my mailbox from Netflix. Since I usually make my selections when I’m a bit inebriated, it’s always an adventure to see what the postman will bring. It’s not the kind of movie I would usually rent. I’m frequently viewing action films, it’s true, but not usually with the cast that Collateral has to offer. So, with some trepidation, I popped this disc into my player.

Jamie Foxx plays Max, a cab driver in L.A. with big plans for the future, plans that he’s been procrastinating on for 12 years. One night, he picks up grey haired, sharp suited Vincent (Tom Cruise), who offers him several hundred dollars to break regulations and chauffer him around for the rest of the night. Max gets his first inkling that it won’t be a quiet evening when Vincent’s latest victim drops out of a window and slams into the cab’s windshield. But, the dead man who finds his way into the trunk of Max’s cab wasn’t just another lowlife. He happens to be the target of an undercover investigation. When Detective Fanning (Mark Ruffalo) discovers that his lead has disappeared in a shower of blood and broken glass, he starts to suspect that there’s something bigger going on. And, when the hospital mortician shows him the collection of recent corpses, Fanning connects the string of murders to an FBI investigation.

I’ve never been particularly fond of Jamie Foxx. I’d had the impression that the actor had quite a high opinion of himself, an opinion that hasn’t been earned. However, his portrayal of Max in this film has changed my views. Max is by no means a big and powerful man. Neither is he a fast action hero or a clever spy. Max is a very nervous, slightly obsessive compulsive, humble fellow who’s frankly just terrified of the whole situation. And Foxx does a very convincing job in the role. On the other side of the coin is costar Cruise. I remember a time when I actually liked the guy – the movies Legend and Top Gun spring to mind. But it seems that no matter what character he’s played since, he’s always Tom Cruise. He’s arrogant, egotistical, and rough with the ladies. The man seems to have his nose so far up in the air these days and I almost never make it a point to see his films. Granted, he was good in Collateral. He was still Tom Cruise though and he’s good at being Tom Cruise. I’m surprised there weren’t any love scenes.

Some of the cinematography is a bit strange. Most of the movie is shot with run of the mill film. Every now and then, though, the movie footage becomes gritty and unpolished like a home video tape. While I’ve often seen this technique used with a positive impact, I didn’t think it was well used in Collateral. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to its placement or particular plot point that it accentuated. Although there aren’t any CGI or amazing stunts in the movie, it’s not necessary.

I was pleasantly surprised by Collateral. The plot was clever and some of the dialogue brings forth some very true points about society. Likewise, the performances were unexpectedly superb. Although the movie is not chock full of gore and explosions, the point comes across without the need for flashy antics. It’s a little more thoughtful than the average action flick, but manages to maintain the fun aspects of the genre. I think it’d be a candidate for a successful girlfriend/boyfriend movie night compromise.

Overall Rating: 4
Hottie Rating: 0 (Cruise is not hot)

Alternate Viewing: The Borne Supremacy (or The Borne Identity)
Official Site
IMDB Site
Entertainmentopia Review

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Spiderman 3 (2007)

Spiderman: Superhero, yoga master.

Director: Sam Raimi
Format: theater
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, James Franco

I’ll admit to having been a comic book geek once upon a time. I’ve still got a small collection, but I don’t spend $100 a week on them anymore. It’s an art form like any other; to be respected and appreciated. The history of movie adaptations from comics is spotty. The first two Batman movies were decent, as was the most recent Batman Begins (2005). A few of the early Superman movies were good and the X-Men movies to date have met with success. Contrast those with the painfully horrible Batman & Robin (1997) and Hulk (2003). The Catwoman movie, starring Halle Berry, is on my list of worst movies of all time. So, I think it takes just the right combination of elements to make a good comic hero movie. The first two films in Sam Raimi’s Spiderman series have been wildly popular and anticipation for the third was widespread. I even got goose bumps during the trailer. But, how long can our friendly neighborhood Spidey keep up the good work on screen?

In the third and latest installment of the Spiderman trifecta, a mysterious life form arrives on the planet in the shape of a black goo. Unbeknownst to Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), the tar-like alien attaches itself to the Spidey suit. When Parker reaches for his costume, he discovers that it has turned from the usual red and black to a sinister black and silver. And when he dons the outfit, he learns that he’s got even more strength and power than before. Meanwhile, misunderstood convict Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) finds himself trapped in a research experiment that jumbles up his molecules with a pile of sand and turns him into The Sandman. Electing, of course, to use his new qualities for criminal gain, he terrorizes the city’s bank vaults. While fighting this new menace, Spiderman discovers that Marko is the man truly responsible for his Uncle Ben’s death.

Remember Harry Osborn (James Franco)? Well, he’s still a little sore at Spiderman for killing his father. So, he decides to take on the guise of The New Goblin and even the score. And, as if these two villains weren’t enough for our hero to battle, there’s another character with a bone to pick. But, this time it’s with Peter. Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) is contending with Parker for a photography job at The Daily Planet and almost convinces Jameson (J.K. Simmons) to replace him. When Parker points out that Brock’s snapshots of Spiderman are fraudulent, Brock loses the position and develops a grudge.

On top of all the new villains to contend with, Peter has internal issues to fight. The new, black Spidey suit not only makes Peter stronger, it also amplifies his darker urges. He lands his relationship with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) on the rocks by planting a kiss on the police captain’s daughter, Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard). But, then he upsets Gwen when he uses her to make MJ jealous. He gets up in Brock’s face in an uncharacteristic show of aggression at the newspaper and demands freshly baked cookies from his neighbor Ursula (Mageine Tovah). Before long, Parker realizes that he’s out of control and manages to detach the alien goo from his suit. When the creature finds a new host in Brock, Brock is transformed into Venom, one of Spiderman’s deadliest foes yet.

Since I seem to be in the mood for confessions, I might as well admit that I’ve been carrying a little torch for Topher Grace since the first episode of That 70’s Show. So, it was great to see him outside of the basement and in a feature film. Add to that the wicked nature and devilish fangs and we have a grin of approval for his performance as Eddie Brock/Venom. Maguire and Dunst are just as fantastic as they were in the first film. In fact, I cannot call to mind any actor in Spiderman 3 who didn’t do a great job. I was impressed by Church’s portrayal of Flint/Sandman. He was able to give the villain a softer side without making it terribly sappy or comical. Even though he’s the killer Spiderman thought he’d already punished, it’s difficult not to be sympathetic towards him. As expected, Raimi’s good friend Bruce Campbell makes it onto the cast and keep your eyes open for comic book legend Stan Lee to make a cameo appearance.

My main criticism of Spiderman 3 is that there are too many new characters squeezed into the plot at once. Like a Cirque du Soleil show, there’s so much going on at the same time, that it’s hard to fully enjoy everything. There’s Flint, Sandman, Gwen, Brock, and the ooze as both Venom and the black suit and they all have separate issues. I did enjoy the brief reuniting of Parker and Osborn, after Harry temporarily loses his memory. But, when he comes back as New Goblin (I thought it was Hob Goblin in the comics? Anyone?), it’s almost a waste of energy.

Although the third movie didn’t have the impact of the first two, it was still great fun to watch. Seeing Parker act out his less honorable intentions made me smile. It reminded me of the scene in one of the old Superman movies, when Superman gets his powers back and goes to return a beat-down to a trucker at a bar. I think that, as average individuals, it’s refreshing to see our heroes express some negativity from time to time. It makes the character seem more human, and thus, easier to identify with. Nobody likes a goody-two-shoes, do they?

Spiderman 3 has just as much web-slinging action as the first two, but maybe just a little too much action all at once. While the concept has been around for a while, the Raimi’s (Sam & Ivan wrote the screenplay) have done a great job in keeping the series from going wrong. So many other trilogies have gone horribly stale by their third go-round and I was relieved to see that Spidey still has most of the old magic.

Overall Rating: 3 ½
Hottie Rating: 4 (Grace is a cutie and no one has looked as good as Maguire in the Spidey suit)

Alternate viewing: Unbreakable
Official site
IMDB site
ReelViews review

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Thursday, August 02, 2007

Domino (2005)

Kiera showing off her new party trick.

Director: Tony Scott
Format: DVD
DVD Features: trailer, commentary, deleted scenes, featurette
Starring: Kiera Knightly, Mickey Rourke, Christoper Walken, Edgar Ramirez
Trailer

One of the taglines for this movie is, “Based on a true story. Sort of.” The real Domino Harvey was the daughter of actor Laurence Harvey and model Paulene Stone. She ran a nightclub in London, was a volunteer firefighter, was arrested on drug-related charges and died while Tony Scott’s film was being made. If you watch Domino clear through to the credits, you will catch a glimpse of the real woman. You might also spy her cameo in the movie Constantine. But if you notice the real Domino Harvey in either of those instances, you might notice something else….She doesn’t look a thing like Keira Knightley.

Domino the movie focuses mainly on Harvey’s career as a bounty hunter. We are introduced to her life story via her interrogation by FBI agent Taryn Miles (Lucy Liu), who is questioning her about her latest caper. Always the rebellious, weapon wielding misfit, Domino never felt suited to her life growing up in her Hollywood high-society surroundings. After college, she briefly took on the runway as a fashion model, but didn’t take to that any more fondly. Then came the day she discovered a course on bounty hunting and signed up to learn a thing or two from Ed Mosbey (Mickey Rourke). After convincing him that “bail recovery” was her true calling, she teamed up with Mosbey and his fellow agent Choco (Edgar Ramirez). Before long, the threesome attract the attention of reality show producer Mark Heiss (Christopher Walken), who wants to follow them into action. When things get messy with the mob, Ed, Domino and Choco feel the heat.

I wouldn’t classify Keira Knightly as a bad actress. However, she’s much more believeable as depressed alcoholic Jackie Price in The Jacket than she is as a gritty, thrill seeking bounty hunter. I was never quite convinced of her character in this movie, the act was just too transparent. Rourke has been playing the grizzled bounty hunter role, or something close to it, for a long time now. So, it wasn’t refreshing or different to see him in Domino. Despite the addition of Walken, Macy Gray, Tom Waits and even Jerry Springer to the cast, the film was terribly boring. Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green, formerly of the television show Beverly Hills 90210, appear as themselves and provide comic example of how whitewashed and stale Hollywood has become. It’s almost amusing, but I think that’s just because I’ve always wanted to see the two of them get beat up.

For a man with a resume that includes Top Gun, True Romance and The Hunger, I expected far more out of Tony Scott. The action is so choppy and the cuts are so random and frequent that it’s hard to tolerate at times. Because that type of technique has become the trend in action films these days, Domino comes off as neither exciting nor innovative, just annoying and trite. The diced up storyline doesn’t work magic either. From reading what little I have about the real Domino Harvey, it seems a shame that the last movie made about her life ended up being so much less entertaining than her actual exploits were.

Basically, I wouldn’t recommend buying Domino. I wouldn’t recommend renting Domino. I wouldn’t even recommend pausing in front of the DVD player if someone else was watching Domino. Unless you’re a die hard Keira Knightley fanatic (and even then it’s barely justifiable)stay well away from this boring film. Even the website sucks.

Overall Rating: 2
Hottie Rating: 3 (for sexual tension between Choco and Domino)

Alternate viewing: True Romance
Official site
IMDB site
Reel.com review

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