Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Director: Paul McGuigan
Format: DVD
Disk Features: Commentary, deleted scenes, trailers, making of
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Lucy Liu
Trailer

”Sometimes there’s more to life than just livin’.” ~ Mr. Goodkat

A good intrigue movie is hard to come by lately. In the days of Humphrey Bogart and French Film Noir, it seems that mystery was in its heyday. So, I really love to see something come out with a solid sense of style, snappy dialogue and a truly engrossing plot in the modern age of cinema. Few filmmakers nowadays seem to be able to roll those three criterion into one successful film, but every now and then, something special comes along.

Have you ever heard of a Kansas City Shuffle? Lucky Number Slevin begins with an explanation of just what one is. It all starts with a horse race, and a hot tip that makes it’s way around, only to land with one man’s family destroyed. Several years later, the mysterious Mr. Goodkat (Willis) returns to New York and one Slevin Kelevra (Hartnett) gets mistaken for someone he’s not. It seems that Nick Fisher is in trouble with the mob. Slevin, who’s staying at his friend Nick’s house, is abducted by both The Boss (Freeman) and The Rabbi (Kingsley), mistaking him for Fisher. Slevin discovers that he’s got to come up with several thousand dollars, in addition to killing a man, to get out from under the rival mob bosses thumbs. Meanwhile, he runs into Nick’s neighbor, Lindsey (Liu), who’s love of Columbo and a good mystery draws her into the plot.

The sets in Lucky Number Slevin are almost enough to make the movie worth watching by themselves. The incredibly cool wallpapers in Fisher’s apartment building are sheer eye candy. The Boss’s lair is beautifully constructed, right down to the dramatic staircase. The wardrobe, although not quite as elaborate, is aesthetic bliss as well.

After seeing Josh Hartnett in this movie, I needed an entire roll of paper towels to wipe the drool off of my chin. Going back through his filmography, I realized that I’d already seen a good portion of it. Not only is Hartnett easy on the eyes, he makes Lucky Number Slevin stand out as an example of his acting talent. Bruce Willis is great, because of his smooth delivery and wry smile. Freeman and Kingsley play wonderfully off of each other as the bitter rivals they are. Kingsley’s portrayal of a Rabbi is a tad bit over the top though. Liu is adorable in this movie. Her character is wonderfully sweet and adventurous.

The combination of great dialogue, lovely scenery and truly engrossing mystery make Lucky Number Slevin one of my top picks for the year. The twist is unpredictable and each of the characters is expertly played. After I rented this from Netflix, I had to make it part of my collection. I’ve watched it so many times since, I find it hard to believe that the film is only a year old. But, the replay value has proven to be worth the cost of the DVD. It’s also a film that I think both guys and girls can appreciate, without there being so much action as to be a “guy movie” and so much romance as to be a “chick flick”. If you’re a fan of Tarantino movies, it may be a great substitute to pop in the player when you’re sick of watching Kill Bill.

Overall Rating: 5
Hottie Rating: 5 (for Josh Hartnett spending half the movie in nothing but a towel – Meeeow!!)

Alternate Viewing: Brick
Official Site
IMDB Site
The Vocabulariast review

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Land of the Dead (2005)

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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Lord of War (2005)

Director: Andrew Niccol
Format: DVD
DVD Features: making of, documentary, deleted scenes, commentaries
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Ethan Hawke, Bridget Moynahan
Trailer

This is the third movie in a row that I’ve seen starring Nicolas Cage. The two movies that I have to compare Lord of War to are Wild At Heart and The Weather Man. Wild At Heart was shot in 1990, 15 years before The Weather Man and Lord of War were released. So, do I prefer the young Cage or the more modern, more cynical Cage? I don’t know that I’m quite ready to end my Cage-fest just yet, although it seems to have been postponed, according to the random fate dealt to me via my Netflix queue. I long to re-experience the classic Raising Arizona and the fuzzy recollection of 8MM. Looking at his filmography, it’s astonishing how prolific Cage is as an actor, sometimes doing 4 movies in a year. It looks like I’ll have plenty of ammunition for my next Cage-O-Rama.

In Lord of War, Nicolas Cage plays Ukrainian immigrant Yuri Orlov (although that’s just the first in a string of aliases). Dissatisfied with his lower class surroundings, he discovers that his calling in life is illegal arms dealing. He asks his brother Vitaly (Jared Leto) to partner with him and the two begin supplying weapons to the neighborhood gangsters. Before too long, he’s dealing weapons to top ranking military officials and bringing in a hefty profit. Orlov finally attracts the attention of model Ava Fontaine (Bridget Moynahan) and the two of them have a son. He’s also attracts the attention of ATF agent Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke) who is intent on making sure Yuri won’t enjoy a comfortable life.

In both Lord of War and The Weather Man, the story is narrated by the main character. I didn’t feel it was a necessary feature in either. In fact, it seemed like the screenwriter’s way of cheating. The narration is a bit spotty in both films; a little heavier in the beginning, and fairly infrequent during the rest of the story. However, it seemed to me that a better film would cut out the narration and use other techniques to move the tale along during those lulls in action. The subject matter involved is so much more exciting in Lord of War. Yuri is involved with an insane dictator, a drunken Soviet official and truck loads of ammunition. He’s got to stay on top of the world politics that signal who’s about to go to war and who’s got army surplus to unload. All the while, he keeps his profession a secret from his family. There is some attempt at bringing morality into the picture. Is he just a necessary evil or is he the reason people are killing each other? Lord of War doesn’t attempt to do much more than raise the question though and delves no deeper into the issue. Vitaly Orlov, his brother, is primarily a character in the film to provide juxtaposition for Yuri (oh, AND for eye candy). Even though he is a hopeless drug addict, he has a stronger conscience than his brother. It’s not all about the money with Vitaly. Actually, it’s not all about the money with Yuri either. He does it because he’s good at it.

I really did like Cage in his role as Lord of War. It was a fitting position for his wry humor and cool under pressure personality. It feels good to see him succeed despite his questionable occupation. However, the morality of his acts doesn’t seem to sink in at all. He has conveniently settled on an excuse for himself as only a facilitator of an eventuality. Even when he tries to fly straight at the request of his wife, there’s no fire in his attitude. And that’s a credit to Cage’s acting. I wasn’t terribly fond of his wife, Ava. She wasn’t much of a character in the film until near the ending. All the while, she enjoys the fruits of Yuri’s labor, never questioning how he provides her with luxury. Then, when she discovers the truth of her husbands extended business trips, she suddenly becomes a pillar of morality. Shallow to say the least.

From what I’ve read about the film, many aspects were authentic. Most of the arsenal being traded is the real thing. That supply of Soviet tanks are all actually sitting there, even waiting to be shipped off to a battle. There were actual arms dealers consulted in making the movie. Lord of War was supposedly based on true events and I wouldn’t really doubt it. After all, doesn’t it seem logical that there are men facilitating the sale and purchase of helicopters, rocket launchers and missles from country to country? In cinema, it always seems that what we should be worried about are computer switches for nuclear arms and stolen warheads. At one point in Lord of War, the point is made that nuclear warheads are hardly ever used in war, that it’s the M-16 and the AK47 that do the dirty work.

On the surface, Lord of War was an enjoyable movie. As long as you don’t look to the film for any deep, moral content, it’s good. The acting was about average. There are some nerve-wracking sceens and in general, the audience can root for the bad guy. It was certainly better than the mundane depression of The Weather Man, but not nearly as disturbing as Wild At Heart. To answer the question I posed earlier; the young Nicolas Cage or the current Nicolas Cage? I think I’ll go for the Raizing Arizona version. He’s so much more random and fun.

Overall Rating: 3
Hottie Rating: 5 (love that Leto!)

Alternate Viewing: The Good Shepard
Official Site
IMDB Site
Roger Ebert’s review

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Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Directors: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Farris
Format: DVD
DVD Features: alternate ending, commentary, deleted scenes, music vidso
Starring: Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette
Trailer

When I first saw ads for this movie, I wasn’t very interested. It seemed a little too “heartwarming” for my usual taste. Gradually, I began to hear more and more about it. The thing that really surprised me was that most of the people I talked to who gave it a good review were men. It struck me as odd that a film that seemed to target a very tender audience appealed to such a different demographic. So, I decided to give it a shot. Of course, the fact that it won two Academy Awards didn’t hurt either.

In a surprise decision, seven-year-old Olive has been selected as a contestant in the Little Miss Sunshine competition. Short of time before the beauty pageant’s check-in deadline, her father and mother realize they’ve got to pack up the whole family and deliver Olive to the stage themselves. Her coach Grandfather, suicidal Uncle Frank and silent brother Dwayne join them in the family’s dilapidated, yellow VW bus and head off across state lines. A string of mishaps threatens to bring the whole adventure down on their heads.

What makes Little Miss Sunshine entertaining is not the plot particularly, but rather the dysfunctional cast of characters. Olive herself is charming and fairly even tempered, aside from her obsession with the contest. The actress, Abigail Breslin, was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2006 Academy Awards for Little Miss Sunshine. Alan Arkin, her grandfather and pageant coach in the movie, won Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting role that year. His character has, perhaps, the most disturbing set of vices out of the group. Just prior to their road trip, Grandpa was ejected from a nursing home for snorting heroin and his enthusiasm for pornography actually saves the family at one point in the film. Olive’s Uncle Frank, played by Steve Carell, is a suicidal, homosexual, Proust scholar. It’s strange to see the actor playing this role with such a straight-face, but he manages to be funny anyway; maybe even more so because of it. The girl’s brother Dwayne (Paul Dano) has taken a vow of silence, inspired by his love for Nietzsche and his desire to become an Air Force pilot. He may have been my favorite out of the group.

Olive’s parents are quite a pair as well. Her father Richard (Greg Kinnear), aspires to a career as a motivational speaker and lectures ad nauseum about what types of people make “winners”. Ironically, he’s the biggest “loser” out of them all. I really dislike the roles Kinnear is routinely cast in. He plays the loser quite well, but that doesn’t convince me to like the losers he plays. Richard’s wife Sheryl (Toni Collette) is prone to chain smoking just to cope with the rest of the crew and consistently seems at her wits end. The two of them seem to barely be holding their marriage together. Last, but not least, is the VW bus, which is a character in and of itself. Perhaps it’s a metaphor for the rest of the bunch or for the screwed up journey they experience. Regardless, the vehicle has as many problems as each of the family members. It has to be push started before each leg of the trip, the back door falls off its hinges, and it barely runs.

I was surprised by Little Miss Sunshine. Pleasantly so, because it wasn’t a typical, cheesy “family” film. Several of the characters had a level of depth I wasn’t expecting and the grim humor of Uncle Frank’s situation and Grandpa’s situation appealed to me. Although the film had a distinctly “indie” quality to it, it still reeked of Hollywood. I don’t mean to say that all Hollywood movies are terrible, but there’s something generally synthetic about them. The performances, for the most part, were fantastic. Even though most of the subject matter is depressing in nature, Little Miss manages not to be a downer film. The ending, with all of the JonBenet type girls, was a tad bit disturbing. I think it was meant to be. See Little Miss Sunshine if you’re looking for a movie that’s entertaining, slightly down-tempo, funny and unusual.

Overall Rating: 3 ½
Hottie Rating: 0

Alternate viewing: I Heart Huckabees
Official site
IMDB site
Boston.com review

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The L List

Lady In The Water

Land of the Dead

Little Miss Sunshine

Lord of War

Lucky Number Slevin

Lady In the Water (2006)

Director: M. Knight Shyamalan
Venue: theater
Trailer

Let me preface this review by stating, “I am an M. Knight Shamalan fan”. So, you might find that I’m a little bit biased. However, it often seems that a man has no harsh a critic as his greatest fan. One need only peruse the comments left by old-school Star Wars fans in regards to the newest additions to the series as proof of that statement. The trailers for Lady in the Water initially led me to believe that this movie was a horror film. Not so. This lady is a fairy tale. So, don’t purchase your ticket expecting to be scared out of your wits. By all means, do purchase that ticket, but go in willing to be lead along a path of whimsy and puzzlement placed in a time close to our own. It’s about time we learned to imagine again.

The entire movie takes place at an apartment complex. The opening sequence fills the audience in as to the background of the tale. Immediately afterward, we are introduced to the cast of important characters. Pay attention, if you can, because you’ll need these clues to figure out the puzzle. A mysterious lady emerges from the complex’s swimming pool and involves its caretaker in her quest to find a certain writer and then return to her aquatic homeworld. He continues, without question, to aid her in her mission. The tennents are soon drawn in and so is the audience, as we try to pick up the pieces. If Lady in the Water wasn’t based on a book, then I applaud the director’s imagination. If it is, then I applaud his adaptation. Either way, full points for originality.

Plot: 5 stars

There weren’t any characters that I didn’t enjoy, and there aren’t any actors in this movie that I can condemn. Following the habits of Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King, Shamalan likes to appear in each of his films, if only as a cameo. My only criticism of the cast is the director’s portrayal of himself as the noble squire. Although he knows he is ill fated, he chooses to boldly strike forth as a martyr. It just seems a bit conceited to me. For comic relief, one of the tennants of the building happens to be a movie critic and I can’t help but imagine that Shamalan is striking back. Once again, each actor plays their role expertly and isn’t unbelieveable, even for a moment.

Acting: 4 stars

Lady in the Water isn’t a gun-blast extravaganza. Neither is it a kung-fu classic. However, it does have elements of suspense and pulse pounding. What exists in the way of action is played out timely and skillfully. It serves the purpose of pulling the audience into the drama. Anyone expecting an all out battle with the sinister beast will be disappointed.

Action: 3 stars

There is plenty of CGI in Lady. But, it isn’t glorified. The mood is enhanced well by the sets and lighting. Although there is no definate time frame expressed (the writer still uses a typewriter), there is the sense of a modern day relevence. What I’m saying is, it’s easy to imagine oneself as a tennant in this building. The setting is appropriate to draw in the viewer.

Visual: 3 stars

Dialogue is believeable and sometimes whitty, especially during the three-way conversations of the asian tennant, her mother, and the caretaker. Every line is fitting to its character. Even the film critic’s monologue to himself aids the absorbtion of the audience. Early on in the film, it’s curious that each of the character’s should be so ready to believe in our fairy tale. But, the dialogue eventually helps to illustrate the director’s awareness of the audience’s thoughts.

Dialogue: 4 stars

In summation, see it, see it, see it! It’s worth the price of admission for the adventure alone. This is one movie I’d love to see again and will anxiously await purchase on DVD.

Alternate viewing choice: The Village

IMDB site

Official site

Rotten Tomatoes review

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