Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Director: Marc Forster
Format: Blu-Ray
Disk Features: ??? (please submit)
Starring: Will Farrell, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Late in the 1990’s there was a movie called The Truman Show. The movie was based on a number of ideas from different books. One book was Time Out of Joint by Philip K. Dick. Laugh all you want at the name, but the man is a fantastic author. Regardless, the basic premise breaks down like this: main character is living in an artificially constructed world, oblivious of the outside. One day, the cracks in the walls begin to appear and the illusion falls apart. Well, Stranger Than Fiction has a touch of the same idea.

Harold Crick (Farrell) is a middle aged auditor for the IRS. He leads a very calculated lifestyle, brushing the same amount of strokes each morning and walking the same speed to the bus stop at precisely the same time. Aside from being very mathematical, Crick is also very lonely. As you might imagine, IRS auditors aren’t very popular. One day, however, a wrench is thrown into the clockwork of his life, in the form of a mysterious voice, narrating his every action. It becomes particularly disturbing to Crick when he hears it predict his eminent demise.

After becoming dissatisfied with professional psychiatrists, he decides to seek the aid of a literature professor. Professor Jules Hilbert (Hoffmann) analyzes his predicament and tries to help him determine what type of story he might be in. Meanwhile, Harold falls in love with Ana Pascal (Gyllenhaal), the owner of the local bakery whom he’s auditing. It seems that learning he’s going to die has given him a new outlook on life. At the same time, author Karen Eiffel (Thompson) is in the depths of an alcoholic despair, attempting to find a way to kill off the main character in her new book, little realizing that her Harold Crick is a living man.

There were two computer aided effects in Stranger Than Fiction that I was quite fond of. During Crick’s introduction, lines and graphs and diagrams appear over the scene to enhance the description of the calculations in his life. I thought that they were a clever touch, without being terribly intrusive. The other effect was Crick’s wristwatch, which is a character unto itself and figures strongly into the plot. The little clockwork has an adorable personality, but isn’t annoying or overdone.

Although Will Farrell has been very prolific as of late, starring in movies like Anchorman and Talladega Nights, his brand of humor has never appealed to me. His characters are usually well meaning morons. In Stranger Than Fiction, that aspect of his character isn’t as pronounced and I found it more bearable that way. With the semi-seriousness of the plot and the balance of the other great actors, it wasn’t hard to enjoy Farrell at all. Emma Thompson is stellar, as usual. I love her morbidly fascinated alcoholic author role and also enjoyed Queen Latifah as her assistant, Penny Escher. Hoffman didn’t disappoint either, although this type of role for him is getting a little tiresome.

Not nearly as depressing as I was led to believe (I’m looking at you Seanchez), Stranger Than Fiction was a solidly enjoyable film. It’s humor is much more subtle than movies like Old School and yet it isn’t so dramatic as to sink your mood. Think quiet evening at home with a bowl of popcorn.

Overall Rating: 3 ½
Hottie Rating: 3 (for Maggie Gyllenhaal – hello Secretary!)

Alternate Viewing: Punch Drunk Love
Official Site
IMDB Site
James Berardinelli review

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Gummi Popcorn

As you may have noticed, Neko Goes to the Movies has changed its name to Gummi Popcorn. This is in preparation for a major make-over set to occur later this month (I hope). My final class for my web design certification is today! (*sweating*) So, barring a few minor obstacles, I should be able to get this puppy up and running in its new format. There is also the possiblility of a domain change, but that is uncertain at this point. In the event that that does happen, redirect info will be posted here. I hope everyone enjoys the new look! Keep your fingers crossed for me! ^_^

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

Director: Chris Columbus
Format: DVD
DVD Features: theatrical trailer, additional footage, Hogwarts tour, explore Diagon Alley, catch a snitch, DVD-ROM extras
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Robbie Coltrane, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris
Trailer

Anyone who is just beginning to get into the Harry Potter series will need to start with this movie, or its literary equivalent. The Sorcerer’s Stone is the very first installment of Harry’s adventures and was very much anticipated by fans of J.K. Rowling’s novel. By now, there is hardly anyone who isn’t familiar on some level with the name Harry Potter. However, I resisted the pull of this franchise for years and I imagine there may be others who haven’t yet delved into the story of this child wizard.

Young Harry Potter (Radcliffe) is at the age of 11 when this tale begins. He was orphaned as an infant and left on the doorstep of Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, his aunt and uncle. Rather than treating the boy with the tenderness and love a family should share, the Dursleys dote on their fat, spoiled son Dudley (Harry Melling) and force Harry to live under the stairs. One day, a letter is delivered via owl for Harry and although the Dursleys try their best to keep him from opening it, it finally reaches the boy. Much to his amazement, Potter finds that he’s been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not only that, but he’s told that both of his parents were powerful magicians who died defending him from a notorious evil wizard. Amazed to discover that magic is real in the first place, Harry is greatly delighted to find that there is an entire magic society, carefully hidden from Muggles, or non-magic people.

Our young hero boards the steam train headed for Hogwarts and meets two fellow students. Hermione Granger (Watson), a studious know-it-all and Ron Weasley (Grint), a red-headed boy in hand-me-down robes, will be Harry’s two closest friends. Their first year at school brings several surprises, a few rivalries, and an adventure that sparked a phenomenon.

The magical world of Harry Potter is loaded with wonderful special effects. Pictures that move and speak, chocolate frogs that really hop, floating candles, transforming cats, and flying broomsticks are just some of the enchantments that The Sorcerer’s Stone has to offer. But all of the CGI in the world means nothing without a decent plot or cast.

That’s why it’s so important to appreciate the skillful actors in this film. Most of the main characters are played by young actors, who were relatively unknown before the Potter series began. Naturally, they lack some of the subtleties that the more seasoned cast has mastered and it is nice to have the two ends of the spectrum to balance out the performances. Professor Serverus Snape (Alan Rickman) and Professor Minerva McGonagall (Maggie Smith) are two of the best played roles in the film. Rickman fits into the black robe of the snide, sinister (but not quite evil), professor like a snail fits its shell. McGonagall is prim and proper and sometimes severe, but nonetheless a friend to Potter. As far as the younger members of the cast are concerned, all three are impressive on the scale of child acting. I enjoyed Watson and Grint a bit more than I did Radcliffe. However, Radcliffe has become the face of Harry Potter and I’m not sure that I would readily accept a cast change for his position.

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone should win an award for “Most Accurate Adaptation From a Novel”, because it is nearly possible to read along with the movie. I read the novel after I saw the film and I was actually a bit disappointed. I had been seeking something further from the book than I found in the movie, but it wasn’t there. Nevertheless, the series is addicting, despite its target age demographic. While this first film is not as entertaining as some of the later movies, it provides the necessary background to them all. So, if you’re looking to explore this world of wizards and witches, be prepared for a Potter jones until you get your hands on The Chamber of Secrets.

Overall Rating: 4
Hottie Rating: 1 (for Sean Biggerstaff and his adorable Scottish accent)

Alternate Viewing: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Official Site
IMDB Site
Flipside Movie Emporium review

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Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Director: Adam McKay
Format: Blu-Ray
Special Features: interviews, gag reel, deleted and extended scenes, mock commercials, mock public service announcements, bonus race footage, etc.
Starring: Will Farrell, John C. Reilly, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, Sacha Baron Cohen

I’m picky when it comes to comedy. I always describe myself as a “Marx Brothers” as opposed to a “Three Stooges”. So, when the latest comic trailer whizzes across the screen, I rarely take notice. However, I’ve heard so much about Talladega Nights that I figured it was about time to take the plunge and see what all the hype was about.

Born in the backseat of a speeding muscle car, Ricky Bobby (Farrell) has always had an addiction to acceleration. One day, while working with a Nascar pit crew, Ricky gets his big break. After the team’s apathetic driver stops in the middle of a race to get a bite to eat, Ricky is chosen to take the wheel and pulls off an amazing finish. From that point on, his career skyrockets. Soon, he finds himself with a gold-digging wife, two kids, a mansion and an inflated ego. But, the team’s manager has it in for Ricky and hires a new driver from France to compete. Jean Girard (Cohen) is not only French, but sharply dressed, suave and gay. After Bobby’s first loss to the newcomer, his life quickly races downhill. But nothing can keep Ricky Bobby down for long because, “If you’re not first, you’re last.”

The cinematography in Talladega Nights is not the first thing about the movie that most people would examine. However, there are some terrific shots in the film. One in particular that caught my attention was a smooth shot following a speeding racecar, moving in through the rear window, through the car and out through the windshield to face the front of the vehicle. Computer aided or otherwise, it was cleverly executed.

Will Ferrell has never been one of my favorite actors, however prolific he has been lately. I am starting to appreciate that he’s a better actor than I first believed though. Ricky Bobby was a definite improvement over Anchorman. There are a few subtleties in his acting style that are the key to his success as a comedic talent and if you’re not paying attention, they’re easy to miss. The character’s sidekick, Cal Naughton, Jr. (Reilly) is a great foil for Ferrell. No matter how dumb Ricky Bobby seems, Naughton is always one step behind him. At one point, two become rivals and one scene in which Naughton casually phones Bobby, after stealing his wife, home and career from him, is greatly amusing. While I may have disliked his movie Borat, Sasha Cohen is much more amusing as the French racer, bent on fighting Ricky Bobby to the finish. His accent is completely over the top. Watching him sip espresso and read fine literature behind the wheel gave me a few giggles. But, the funniest scene by far involved Ricky’s father and a cougar had me in stitches. The two Bobby children, Walker (Houston Tumlin) and Texas Ranger (Grayson Russell) are fantastic and Molly Shannon as Mr. Dennit’s alcoholic wife just killed me.

Talladega Nights is clearly a parody of the stereotypical redneck Nascar fan, but doesn’t go so far overboard as to alienate the very people it pokes fun at. While not cramp-in-the-sides hilarious, this movie had a few good laughs and a decent amount of excitement. There is only one point at which the movie lags, but for the most part, the plot moves along at a steady pace. All of the actors do a fine job. I recommend The Ballad of Ricky Bobby as an accompaniment to a pizza, I case of brew and good company.

Overall Rating: 2 ½ stars.
Hottie Rating: 0

Alternate viewing: Swingers
Official site
IMDB site
Salon.com review

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