jimchudnow-1 Reviews

Dhoom 3 (2013)

''Dhoom'' means BANG, & the movie has a LOT of those to recommend it!

[8/10 · 21 December 2013]

This film was shot mainly in Chicago in the second half of 2012). It continues the series' touchstones of "ACTION" crime drama with the addition of "Bollywood" musical numbers...

... The movie (which is nearly 3 hours long) starts with showing a background of "dispute" scenes shot in India with Uday Chopra & Abhishek Bachchan). It then moves to numerous CHICAGO locations. The film is mostly in English, with subtitles for certain Hindi segments...

... It's beautifully PHOTOGRAPHED, + excellently EDITED & ACTED (especially by Aamir Khan)... I was impressed by numerous great STUNTS - SPECIAL EFFECTS action scenes. (That's why I said it has a LOT of "bangs" inherent in it!)...

... Plus, I enjoyed the catchy & fine MUSICAL numbers and sets...

... I found it to be a lot of FUN overall, with a bunch of unexpected "twists" in the story-line... I'd thus rate it at 8.5 out of 10 stars...

Sucker Punch (2011)

A MISH-MOSH, By Gosh!

[6/10 · 25 March 2011]

When I saw the trailers for this film, it seemed very "STRANGE" & likely to be very "confusing" & "silly"... After seeing the whole movie, I must say I was RIGHT in my instincts...

... I will try to give you the "plot"-- but, be warned, it will not make much "sense"-- which ALSO is pretty "accurate": ... Baby Doll (EMILY BROWNING) lives in a creepy house-- with an even creepier Stepfather (GERARD PLUNKETT). He's a predator, attacks her & her sister after their mother dies, &, when she "resists" him, he puts her in a MENTAL asylum for women...

... That place is run by an evil self-centered young shark named Blue Jones (OSCAR ISAAC), who wants to sink his "teeth" (& other areas) into Emily (& possibly other inmates there)...

... He brings Emily to the "Theater" area (named because it IS a stage-filled theater), which is run by an Eastern European woman named Dr. Vera Gorski (CARLA GUGINO). She believes she can "rehabilitate" the women (tho, to "what" is debatable) by the use of "DANCE" moves-- tho almost no one truly "dances" there...

... One of the primary members of the non-dancing "company" is Sweet Pea (ABBIE CORNISH), who dotes on her younger sister named Rocket (JENA MALONE) there... They both try to help Emily avoid a LOBOTOMY planned for her by Oscar, & they do that in part by encouraging her to join their "DANCING" group...

... Lots of people (including Oscar) are "mesmerized" by Emily's "dancing"-- which involves merely TALKING about dancing & just "standing" there as she enters what the film company conveniently calls an "ALTERNATE REALITY", supposedly as a means of "coping" with the tribulations of the place...

... In that (ahem) "reality", she starts "transporting" to various WARTIME scenes, always "led" by a "Wise Man" (SCOTT GLENN)...

... First, as shown by the double-and-triple winged fighter aeroplanes, she's in WORLD WAR I with Abbie, Jena, & other of the inmate girls such as Blondie (VANESSA HUDGENS) and Amber (JAMIE CHUNG)...

... In appropriately "washed-out" colors and black & white, the women are transformed into great FIGHTERS, trying to destroy the wicked steam-powered "zombies" of the German KAISER... They attack his troops, aeroplanes and dirigibles, sometimes "flying" thru the air as they "MOW-DOWN" their adversaries...

... Does this sound like a "COMIC BOOK" type story? Well, it's SUPPOSED to!-- it's a "graphic novel" type of movie, directed (& partly written) by ZACK SNYDER, the maker of "DAWN OF THE DEAD" (from 2004), "300" (from 2006), "WATCHMEN" (2009), and "LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA'HOOLE" (2010)!...

... In "between" the various "wars", the girls meet various other dastardly types, such as The Cook of the asylum (MALCOLM SCOTT), the Mayor (ALAN C. PETERSON), etc. There are planes representing WORLD WAR II, then some other war (possibly Vietnam, as characterized by the helicopters) & various "fantastical" CREATURES the girl inmates have to challenge and conquer...

... In the midst of all these clearly CONFOUNDING confrontations (including facing fire-breathing DRAGONS), Emily & the other girls have to go on a "QUEST" to try to find & recover 5 special "objects" which (per Scott) will supposedly help them ESCAPE the asylum...

... At one point, we meet a kindly "Doctor" (JON HAMM), who doesn't like the idea of lobotomizing Emily. WHY is he there in the story?-- Well, either because he's a "BIG NAME" TV star, or they wanted to have one "positive" male figure (or for "BOTH" and possibly other insignificant reasons!)...

... Is one of the girls a "double-agent" secretly working on behalf of the ASYLUM masters, & if so, who IS it?... Will any of the girls be killed in the plans to try to escape?... Will any of the "SINFUL" characters get their "just desserts" (or at least "entrees")?!...

... At the end of my advance screening, one person in the audience loudly yelled a hearty "BOO!" at what he'd just seen (which caused a bunch of laughs & some cries of "agreement") with his opinion...

... Is the film ridiculous?-- ABSOLUTELY-- but, it's clearly MEANT to be!... It's "cartoonish", makes little sense, & (as I said at the beginning), it's a "MISH-MOSH" of ideas that are seemingly meant to LOOK "impressive" (& that's about "all" it achieves)....

... The film is undeniably "CREATIVE", with some quite striking SPECIAL EFFECTS (cgi & otherwise), done by a number of different special effects groups... I'm trying to "resist" saying you're a "SUCKER" if you let the the theater "PUNCH" your ticket to see this...

... But, because I LIKE attempts at being imaginative, I am going to "generously" rate the film at 6.0 out of 10 stars. I can't give it more because, while the acting is OK & it's "creative" in parts, it's got some dreadful dialogue & writing, & it is NOT what I'd call "inspired" in what to me is any particularly "worthwhile" way...

[... One thing as a serious aside: most people left the theater when the CREDITS were just starting to play. Sit THRU the credits-- because only there will you see real DANCING, & the 5 minutes or so of musical numbers are done in a finely STYLISH way that's really the BEST part of the film, in my opinion!...]

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Is it the Car or the LAWYER who's really the "HOT ROD"?!...

[8/10 · 15 March 2011]

In 1955, a hit song came out about a "Hot Rod Lincoln". It referred to a car "souped-up" for racing purposes. In this movie, the car (rather than the lawyer) IS a Lincoln-- but it's the STORY & not the auto that's "enhanced" in performance… … The lawyer is Mick Haller (MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY), & he operates out of a Lincoln Town Car rather than an office. Usually, he's driven by a street-wise black guy named Earl (LAURENCE MASON)… … Matt seems to specialize in representing "LOW-life" criminals, &, while the car is black, his favorite color is green-- as in getting his MONEY up-front before he does any work for the accused… … As he's about to go into court to represent someone, a bail-bondsman contact, Val Valenzuela (JOHN LEGUIZAMO), clues him in to a possible high-paying new client. That guy is Louis Roulet (RYAN PHILIPPE), who's been accused of beating and an attempted rape of a woman… … Ryan is the son of a very rich real estate agent named Mary Windsor (FRANCES FISHER), & he is very adamant in protesting his innocence. In talking to him, Matt brings along his old friend Frank Levin (WILLIAM H. MACY), his longtime investigator… … Initially, Ryan appears to BE innocent, since many of the Police Dept's "facts" (such as a knife recovered) appeared to exonerate him in the case. Further, the more Matt delves into the facts, the more he discovers "disconcerting" things-- like how the woman charging Ryan has a history of involvement in prostitution, & there's the possibility she was trying for a large cash payout from his family… … As the story evolves, we learn that Matt's father had also been a lawyer, but that Matt is an "operator": Matt has a bunch of "SLIPPERY" ways about him, in that he sets-up things like false incidents to cause Ryan's family lawyer to pay him MORE MONEY, & does other "shady" things in how he operates… … Matt is good at working (taking advantage of) his "ins" around the area. One of those is Prosecuter Maggie McPherson (MARISA TOMEI). It turns out, he'd had a DAUGHTER with her in the past, & he's actively involved in helping co-parent the child (who lives with Marisa). He regularly goes to her (& others he knows) to try to get some "private" / advance information about cases… … Bit-by-bit, we learn that Matt had a history of seeking "EASY" ways of handling litigation-- such as trying for "plea bargains" & the like to get thru them. For example, rather than looking for facts to prove the innocence of client Jesus Martinez (MICHAEL PENA), he mainly sought out a reduced term that sent Michael to San Quentin prison… … But, the more Matt & William investigate Ryan's case, the worse Ryan looks. Despite Ryan's initial protestations, he might have been involved in one or more PREVIOUS attacks. And, since Ryan is "protected" by "attorney-client privilege" (which keeps facts & communication between them "private"), that "limits" what Matt can do & how he does it… … Matt is involved in other cases as he's handling Ryan's matter, & we learn some important particulars from how he manages those. There are some elements that seem to "impact" on RYAN'S case… The Police (in the form of Detective Lankford, played by BRYAN CRANSTON) start to question Matt regarding a matter involving William, &, more & more, we start to feel that Matt is possibly being "PLAYED" by Ryan in his case… … Things start to "twist & turn" like crazy, with all kinds of "uncomfortable" essentials starting to THREATEN Matt & people he cares for… Things that seemed to be "clear" start becoming "murky" at best, & past MURDER cases start to impact everything that's going on with Ryan & Matt… … Was Ryan telling the truth that he'd been unfairly charged in his case?... When Matt finds out some "DISCONCERTING" facts, will be still be able (or willing) to properly REPRESENT Ryan?... Will possible charges against actions by Matt impact what he's able to do?...

… Can Matt live with "himself" if he's trying to defend someone he feels is really GUILTY of charges?... Will Matt's family be at risk from his efforts to defend certain people charged with crimes?... Can Matt find a way to do what's "RIGHT" in a world of "wrongs"?!...

… Matt has had a history of playing "surfer" type characters & making POOR movies. This film is NOT the Matt you're "used" to: he keeps his shirts ON, & provides a really effective dramatic presence-- by far the BEST character & performance he's ever had… … The other actors are also very SUCCESSFUL & believable in their roles. There are loads of satisfying "TWISTS" in the story, where Matt has to "shift gears" in what he's doing & find a "NEW" way to achieve what he wants to accomplish under the "guidelines" of the legal "system"… … I quite liked the "nitty gritty" way the crime thriller was concocted & played-out-- to the point that I hoped there'd be some "SEQUELS" considered for Matt's character… … Thus, tho it may be hard to "comprehend", this McConaughey film is being given an enthusiastic 8.25 out of 10 stars…

(o_

/\ = = = … ( <> ^ <> ) ...

Limitless (I) (2011)

Should you SACK a SLACKER, or Factor a BACKER?!...

[9/10 · 11 March 2011]

This movie is based on the Alan Glynn novel "THE DARK FIELDS" … Eddie Morra (BRADLEY COOPER) is a writer. Well, that's what he's "told" people. He'd LIKE to be writing-- especially since he's been given an "advance" to do so. But, he keeps having a writer's "BLOCK", & sits around accomplishing NOTHING really… … Yes, he's one of those famous people you read about (from those who do write) called a "SLACKER". His apartment and personal appearance also express how his mind is feeling, in that they too are sadly disorganized & unkempt. His girlfriend Lindy (ABBIE CORNISH) is "fed-up" with it all, & CALLS OFF their relationship… … By chance, Bradley meets Vernon (JOHNNY WHITWORTH), the brother of Melissa (ANNA FRIEL)-- an ex-wife he'd had. Johnny was looking strangely well-to-do, & Bradley thinks it's because of the old illegal "black market" activities he'd engaged in….

… But Johnny said no, it was all thanks to "NZT"-- a supposedly soon-to-be-"approved" PILL he'd gotten an "advance" connection with. He glowingly describes how it can help "focus" a person's MIND so a person could use ALL his brain-power instead of the usual 20%, & he gives Brad one of the pills (to try to show him his abilities could be "LIMITLESS")… … Brad doubts Johnny's claims, but thanks him for the pill… Later, he decides to try NZT-- & finds it allows him to get OVER his Writer's Block. He's stunned at what he was able to accomplish, & visits Johnny to try to get MORE of the pills… … Johnny's friendly-- but, when Brad returns after doing some errands on his behalf, he finds someone has MURDERED him… Brad (using his extra brain power) is able to find Johnny's "stash" of pills, & goes back HOME… Soon, he gets some ideas for making money from INVESTMENTS, & starts doing very well at that… … Hoping he can extend his "streak" at success, he goes to a Russian mobster named Gennady (ANDREW HOWARD) to get a short-term, high-interest LOAN -- which needs to be paid back promptly or Brad will be deeply "SORRY"!...

… Brad is able to learn things (languages & facts) at amazing speed with exceptional understanding, and quickly makes lots more money. In time, he gets to meet big-shot financeer Carl Van Loon (ROBERT De NIRO), feeling he could be his "backer" & provide the "key" to a quantum LEAP in Brad's being financially and socially successful and powerful… … But, everything soon starts to expand and "SPIN" out-of-control: Andrew tries to force Brad to provide HIM with more & more of the pills, & keeps his "GOONS" close-by to provide the "or-else!" factor to his demands… Robert is very favorably IMPRESSED by Brad's abilities-- but is also very "demanding" in what HE expects… … In the midst of all of this, Brad starts having a bunch of adverse "SIDE-EFFECTS" from his use of NZT, & finds he's in-effect put himself on a "treadmill" that he can't really CONTROL very well… He confides a bit in Abbie & others, but that doesn't seem to truly "SOLVE" the problems… … Will Brad be able to properly MANAGE his use of NZT, or find ways to "improve" it to make it safer and / or more useful and "available"?... Will Brad be able to control ANDREW and his thuggish requirements?... Will he find a way to keep Robert at "arm's length" so he can move "forward" & yet not be under his "THUMB"?...

… I was really considerably IMPRESSED with what they were able to accomplish with this film: the acting seems "simple", but all the major characters are able to surprise & PLEASE you with what they turn out… … There are lots of TWISTS & TURNS in the story: some of them, I could see "coming" (such as about a proposed merger regarding Robert's company); but others were quite UNexpected in a quite satisfying way. The very END was especially "fulfilling" to me… … Thus, since the "deals with the DEVIL(S)" provides such an enjoyable psychological "thriller", I'm rating it as 9.0 out of 10 stars

Lord of the Dance in 3D (2011)

"TAP" In To this FUN Experience!

[8/10 · 11 March 2011]

March 17th is St. Patrick's Day. Appropriately enough, an IRISH-themed film will be opening up starting then, for what is claimed will be a limited 1-week period…

… The movie is a 3-D version of MICHAEL FLATLEY'S "LORD OF THE DANCE" musical that he first offered to the public at Dublin's O2 theater in 1996. As he explains at the beginning of the film, he's taken the show around the world since then, & he and his company were looking forward to coming back HOME to that theater for a new offering of the program…

… Overall, the show is designed to symbolically tell a story in Irish folklore about "good vs. evil". To no great surprise, Michael represents the side of "Good". Opposing him is a group of black-clad "warriors". That "Evil" group is led by the Dark Lord (TOM CUNNINGHAM), who's been with the show since 1997 when he started touring with the show at 18…

… There are around 37 or so dancers, males & females. The females often do BALLET-type moves on their toes. They also periodically switch into the TAP / clog numbers that the MEN specialize in (often with the typical hands-at-their-sides style-- tho some of the men do shift their arms at times, particularly when they're doing "boxing"-type moves)…

… The stage utilizes some very effective video PROJECTIONS to add to the "mood" of what is happening in the conflicts between good (usually dressed with some light-colored outfits, often with pastels for the women) & evil (in dark colors)…

… One of the most enjoyable elements are numbers featuring two very wonderful female FIDDLERS: GIADA COSTENARO is from Italy and has played the violin since she was 6. She studied Irish music, & joined the Flatley group in 2007…

… The other fiddler (who joins Giada in occasionally dancing around as they play) is VALERIE GLEESON, an Irish lass who's studied the instrument since she was four. After touring with other groups around the world, she joined the Flatley company in 2010...

… She & Giada play some numbers by themselves, others with the DANCERS, & with Michael Flatley as he (a master flautist) plays a huge thick long FLUTE during an elaborate number…

… Along with the afore-mentioned main male dancers, there are two featured female dancers: The blonde-haired lady, as "Saoirse", is BERNADETTE FLYNN. Born in Ireland (as you might "guess" from the name!), she's been dancing since she was four, & has won World Championships in Irish dancing. She's been with the Flatley group since she was 16, teaches dance, & has appeared on the Academy Awards…

… The dark-haired female lead, "Morrighan", is played by CIARA SEXTON. She also started studying at a very young age, taking dancing classes starting at age three. A World & All Ireland champion, she joined Flatley's show in 2007, and took over this lead role the following year...

… There's an exceptional level of ENERGY exhibited by the incredible dancers in this show. The amazing thing is, you seldom "see" them LOOKING tired or even breathing very heavily! As my friend Adrienne K. commented after seeing the movie, she took tap-dancing for like 8 years & she knows what a huge amount of WORK it takes to accomplish what they do!...

… Flatley has been doing his various shows for a number of years, & is in exceptional shape. He's the holder of various Guinness World Records, having been timed at more than 35 taps per second!...

… The show utilizes a flute-playing sort of "Sprite – Jester" lady who serves to carry the story "through" its various elements: she's dressed in colorful rhinestones with a headdress similar to a "feathery" type of "Jester" hat, and dances as she "leads" the diverse "sides" thru the "journey"…

… At one point, the "warriors" of the Dark Lord help him "take" the "Lord Of The Dance" belt away from Flatley-- but then Michael works hard & "wins" the Belt BACK from the evildoers… There's fine MUSIC to go along with the marvelous dancing, & it's a wonderfully enjoyable show…

… I have one complaint with what I saw, which has reduced my overall rating to 8.5 out of 10 stars: the show is basically very well-photographed, & the 3-D effect often ADDS to the pleasure because it allows added "depth" to the movements…

… But, while the "wide angle" scenes are fine, in a number of cases, in close-up shots of individuals, you are UNABLE to see the vitally-important FOOTWORK… [ As posted with PHOTOS at: voice-of-film.blogspot.com/ ]

… I don't know if it's a problem with the projection in the large theater or with the way it was originally filmed, but, while you can see the colorful "lights" at the TOP of such scenes, you on a number of occasions cannot see the FEET of the featured dancers, which is careless at best & something that needs to be "FIXED" as much as possible for a show highlighting dancing…

… But, that problem covers only a SMALL part of the film's running time (of around 1 hr 35 minutes), so it's not significant on an overall basis… … Flatley's motto is, "nothing is impossible... follow your dreams"; he's obviously DONE that in his life's work, & it's clearly evident in this finely ENJOYABLE musical experience

Win Win (2011)

VICTORIES Don't always come EASILY

[9/10 · 4 March 2011]

Nowadays, even LAWYERS have been affected by the downturn in the economy. Mike Flaherty (PAUL GIAMATTI) is one of those. He lives in a small town, and this period has gotten increasingly tough for him. His office is in a bad state of disrepair.

He very much doesn't want his WIFE Jackie (AMY RYAN) to know the extent of his problems and stresses (such as declining health) … About the only current work he has is representing a client named Leo Poplar (BURT YOUNG) who's starting to suffer from dementia.

The subject comes up of who to arrange as the "GUARDIAN" for Burt & his estate (since Paul's been unable to reach Burt's daughter from whom he's been estranged for 20 or so years). As being Burt's Guardian would provide a monthly income, Paul proposes HIMSELF for that position. But, Paul wants to keep the "source" of the money SECRET from AMY.

One day, when Paul visit's Burt's house, there's a boy sitting in front of it. When Paul asks the kid who he is & why he's there, he's told his name is Kyle Timmons (ALEX SHAFFER) & he's Burt's GRANDSON!

Paul takes Alex to visit Burt, who says he doesn't HAVE any grandson. Alex reveals that he's 16 years old & the son of his daughter back in Ohio who Burt hasn't seen in decades & who's in a hospital, which is why he's come to stay with Burt.

Burt is quite friendly to not-very-talkative Alex, & says he'd prefer being IN his own house where Alex came to stay, but he's not allowed to be there. Without revealing everything to wife Amy, Paul proposes that Alex stay with THEM for a week or so while he tries to reach Burt's daughter.

Paul has trouble TRACKING DOWN Alex's mom Cindy (MELANIE LYNSKEY), & is distressed to learn she's in a DRUG-rehab program with an indefinite "recovery" date.

Amy's not "thrilled" at the idea of caring for someone they barely know. But, since Alex has shown himself to be polite and thoughtful (including in the way he plays with their little girls), she ACCEPTS his continued presence there for the time being.

In some ways, Alex might seem a bit "strange"-- but he's mainly just a "QUIET" teenager, who keeps things to "himself" unless he gets in the "mood" to talk about some certain subjects (such as his own past life).

He's also clearly CONSIDERATE (such as regularly visiting Burt in the Home) & also helpful, wanting to assist Amy in getting groceries-- & even asks to get a favorite cereal that Burt particularly likes.

At one point, Alex asks if he can "watch" as Paul "volunteers" as a coach of the town's high school WRESTLING team, the "Pioneers". The team has a long "history"-- for consistently LOSING their matches, although Paul & his assistant coach Vigman (JEFFREY TAMBOR) do the best they can with the 12 or so kids on the team.

To Alex's asking if he might participate in some of the work-outs, Paul feels that'd be OK-- especially since Alex says yes, he's DONE "some" wrestling in the past. When he works out, Paul sees Alex is VERY GOOD at the sport.

Paul's best friend, Terry Delfino (BOBBY CANNAVALE), needs something to keep him "busy", since he's very upset over his recent divorce. When he watches Alex practice, he also is amazed at how talented he is-- & "looks him up" on the INTERNET, learning that Alex had once been an award-winning athlete back in Ohio.

Bobby becomes "GUNG-HO" in having Alex join the TEAM (after Paul works to get him enrolled in the high school)… Alex has an unusually good WORK-ethic, taking it upon himself to do things to help his Training.

Rather than make fun of any of the other under-achieving team members, Alex quietly works to encourage & help THEM in the sport. He becomes a good friend to their least-talented team member, Stemler (DAVID W. THOMPSON) -- a tall, uncoordinated kid who he sincerely likes as a person, partly because of their mutual interest in playing VIDEO games…

Thanks to Alex's presence, all the team members start to IMPROVE in their wrestling, to the point that they get along GREAT with each other & start doing really WELL in their meets. Paul & Amy grow increasingly FOND of Alex, & enjoy having him around (even if he never does initiate much in the way of verbal communications most of the time).

Alex & the wrestlers continue to gain an increasing amount of NOTORIETY in the town, especially as the team has a chance of going "ALL THE WAY" championship-wise in the area. Into that unusually "comfortable" mix, a walking "WRENCH" arrives-- in the form of the unexpected appearance of Alex's mom MELANIE (whom Alex has long been on the "OUTS" with). And, we soon learn that she's gotten in contact with a woman lawyer named Shelley (MARGO MARTINDALE).

Will Melanie's arrival turn out to HELP Alex in his wrestling, or hurt him?... Is Melanie in town to try to "GET" something from Burt or Paul?... Will Amy find out about Paul's "SECRETS" from her?... How will things "END-UP" for all the major characters?

This is an UNUSUAL movie-- both in the way Paul has a basically "CONTENTED" family life, & how you have a satisfying sports-related film WITHOUT the usual "PAT" type endings to the various plot lines.

The acting is both "controlled" & CREDIBLE, by the old & "new" actors, the story is a fine one (showing how people can move forward even without moral "perfection" inherent), & it ended with my hoping there'd be a "CONTINUATION" of the story. Thus, I'm rating this enjoyable entertainment at 8.5 out of 10 stars.

Beastly (2011)

His FACE Is, but the Movie ISN'T

[7/10 · 28 February 2011]

Rob (PETER KRAUSE) is a well-known & rich TV broadcaster. He's gotten where he is on his good looks, & his mantra is that you need to be GREAT-LOOKING & surround yourself with similar people… … His son, Kyle (ALEX PETTYFER), has FOLLOWED in his dad's mis-steps in that regard, & (likewise) acts like an arrogant ass… Alex is very "open" in his attitude, & declares his belief that people need to be particularly ATTRACTIVE physically during his campaign to be a Class President at a fancy private high school in the New York area… … While much of the school is "awed" with his conceits (including his attitude that people "suck" if they're not beautiful), he does not really impress a pretty girl Lindy (VANESSA HUDGENS) who is running for a lower office & who he's never bothered to really talk to in her 3 years at the school… … Further, his condescensions and thoughtless treatment deeply antagonizes a Goth-like girl named Kendra (MARY-KATE OLSEN). When he goes out of his way to be hurtful to her, she puts a CURSE on him: … To teach him a lesson, Alex loses his head hair & he becomes downright "BEASTLY" -- with ugly red gouges in his face + upraised spider-like VEINS & "vine" designs there & elsewhere on his body… And, above his left eye, there's an apropos tattoo etching of the word "SUCK"… … Yes, it's a "take-off" on the "BEAUTY & THE BEAST" story, & Alex gets very depressed & angry when his "six-pack" becomes a "broken case"… His dad takes him to doctors, but when he learns they can't do anything to help his condition, he puts Alex in an out-of-the-way location & basically SHUNS him… … Alex is given just the help of a Caribbean housekeeper named Zola (LISA GAY HAMILTON) who Alex has been unkind to as long as he's known her, + a tutor named Will (NEIL PATRICK HARRIS). Neil is blind & takes no "guff" from Alex, since he's unwilling to indulge someone who's already clearly badly SPOILED & uncaring about the people & world around him… … Alex had been told by Mary-Kate that the only way she'd remove the curse from him is if he found someone who'd sincerely say she LOVES & kisses him within 1 year… There are precious few "candidates" for that role, but Alex hesitantly goes after Vanessa… … She has grown up with a druggie father (-- sort of the "modern" touch to the old story! --), & Alex gets her father to let him care for Vanessa since the dad is clearly incapable of doing that properly… … Alex is timid about even letting Vanessa SEE him at first. But, eventually, he follow's Neil's straightforward advise, "listens" to her, & eventually starts becoming more THOUGHTFUL towards her (& others). Eventually, following the other "contemporary" touch of being "Green", he even tries building her a GREENHOUSE with pretty flowers… … Will Alex start to truly change INSIDE as a person?... Will Vanessa be able to NOT see Alex as "Beastly"?... Will Alex's Dad ever reconcile with him?... Will Alex be able to find someone who'll truly LOVE him & be able to break the SPELL he's under?...

… Although the writing is often fairly weak, it's nevertheless a cute little story. NEIL has the best "lines" in the film-- clever, funny & well-delivered… The other major actors do well with the sort of "partially-deveveloped" characters they're given to play… (Alex is better & has more to "do" in his "I AM NUMBER 4" role…) … Accordingly, since it's enjoyable in a "light" way, I'm rating it as 7 out of 10 stars

Cedar Rapids (2011)

Will attending a Convention lead to "CONVENTIONAL" Results?!... [ See OTHER REVIEWS at: http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/ ]

[7/10 · 9 February 2011]

Insurance agents are generally NOT particularly looked-upon with great "favor" by very many people (& for good reason). This movie attempts to put the lives of some such agents in a different, quasi-"QUIRKY" perspective… … Tim Lippe (ED HELMS from "THE OFFICE" on TV) is an easy-going 34-year-old agent living & working in Brown Valley, WI. He's not especially "cutting-edge" when it comes to life experiences, but, he LOVES his simple existence there, in part because he's shacking-up & "pre-engaged" with his ex-7th-grade teacher, Macy (or Millie) Vanderhei (SIGOURNEY WEAVER)… … His agency is proud to have won "Silver Diamond" awards from an insurance group promoting "Christian" ideals. But, things become very disturbed when the head of the agency is shown to have behaved in a "shocking" manner… Because of that situation, innocent Ed is sent to represent the agency at the NEW convention the group is holding in Cedar Rapids, IA… … Ed is impressed with the "modern" & "fancy" trappings he encounters at the hotel where the Convention is to be held. He meets "friendly" girl Bree (ALIA SHAWKAT) outside the hotel, & doesn't realize what her "profession" is in the world of "greeting" strangers… She affectionately calls him "Butterscotch" (for reasons that will become obvious)… … He rooms with a Black American agent named Ronald Wilkes (ISIAH WHITLOCK, JR. – from "THE WIRE" on TV), who's outgoing & a "veteran" in attending such Conventions. To his shock & upset, Ed is also given another roomie named Dean Ziegler (JOHN C. REILLY)-- who his agency owner has "warned" him is a "POACHER" of clients who should be "avoided" at all costs… … John is an outgoing, unrefined, coarse loudmouth, who constantly delights in spouting RAUNCHY comments. Isiah is a little bothered by John, but he's warmly greeted by another veteran Conventioneer, Joan Ostrowski-Fox (ANNE HECHE), a worldly, outgoing married woman who seems to "know" everyone & who ENJOYS John's crudeness… … Ed is almost "overwhelmed" when meeting the President of the group holding the Convention, Orin Helgesson (KIRKWOOD SMITH from TV's "THAT 70's SHOW")… Not unexpectedly, "straight-arrow" sherry-swilling Ed is often "taken ABACK" at the antics of John & some of the others-- but, little-by-little, he keeps being "drawn-in" to more & more "shocking" activities… … WHO is really "behind" the reported "Petition" to RESCIND the "Silver Diamond" awards so important to Ed's agency?... Will Ed "give-in" to the "SEDUCTIVE" tendencies of Anne?... Will John prove to be the UNTRUSTWORTHY person Ed was warned he is?...

… Will Ed "LOOSEN-UP" per the efforts of Alia & John & others?-- and, if so, will that lead to any risky "CONSEQUENCES"?... Will Ed succeed at his attempt to win ANOTHER "Silver Diamond", & what methods would he use to try to ACHIEVE that?... What will "COME" of naïve Ed's being led into more "worldly" exploits at the Convention?...

… The cast does a FINE job at their roles, & that helps lead to a lot of FUNNY situations and enjoyment "beyond" the usual "scope" of such a "light" comedy… We don't often meet people of a lot of the "extremes" shown by the characters-- but, they're "BELIEVABLE" in the context set up… … So, since the plot "WORKS" & it's frivolous FUN, I'm giving it 7.25 out of 10 stars

The Green Hornet (2011)

While enjoyable, it's action FLUFF overall...

[7/10 · 13 January 2011]

Review of film: "THE GREEN HORNET" In Detroit, there was a radio station with the call letters WXYZ. In 1935, it was controlled by a man named George Trendle, who worked to develop a program called "THE LONE RANGER". When that show proved very popular, Trendle worked to create a similar program which he decided should demonstrate "… that a political system could be riddled with corruption and that one man could successfully combat this white-collar lawlessness."… … That new show was broadcast on radio in 1936 & was called "THE GREEN HORNET"… The main character (Britt Reid) owned & ran a major metropolitan newspaper. Over time, due to political "correctness" (and / or fears), his assistant / valet Kato was described as Japanese, then Filipino, and then (in 2 movie serials in 1940-41) as Korean… … Starting in the early '40's, the character also started appearing in comic books… In 1966-67, the story was used in an ABC TV series starring Van Williams (as Britt) & Bruce Lee (as Kato). The program can periodically still be seen in re-runs on MY-TV in Chicago… A Hong Kong "GREEN HORNET" film appeared in 1994, and a French short based on the character was released in 2006… … Since the 1990's, work was done to try to put together an American movie with the character, but numerous problems developed & the project went thru numerous studios and potential actors… Finally, comedian – writer – actor Seth Rogen came on board to shepherd the movie to completion, & it's scheduled for national release as of 01-14-11… … I've seen an advanced screening of this new 3-D film. As the movie starts, Britt's father James (TOM WILKINSON) is bullying his son Britt, who responds with fear and anger at the treatment… Twenty years later, James suddenly dies & the now-"grown" Britt (SETH ROGEN) is left in charge of the newspaper he ran… … The city where the paper is headquartered is filled with "apropos" lawlessness and corruption, as characterized by an outwardly "unimpressive" but vicious megalomaniacal criminal named ("oddly" enough, simply) "Chudnofsky" (played by CHRISTOPHE WALTZ). He eagerly removes anyone (whether competitors, victims or associates) who don't promptly do his bidding… … The man who runs the day-to-day operations of the newspaper is Axford (EDWARD JAMES OLMOS). He wants to report on the problems of the city, but he keeps being hamstrung by Seth-- who has delusions of grandeur and hoped-for self-importance, but who is inherently lazy, disinterested, klutzy & still very CHILDISH in many ways… … At one point, Seth chanced to meet his father's valet & chauffeur named Kato (JAY CHOU). He's initially impressed by him because he'd constructed a machine to make a great cup of COFFEE. When he learns that Kato is a mechanical genius and martial-arts expert, Seth gets the idea that they should work together to fight CRIME, with Jay charged with designing & building the "Black Beauty" car with loads of fancy crime-fighting gadgets… … True to the still-unbelievable idea that tiny masks covering just their EYES will somehow "fool" people into being unable to determine who they really are, Seth and Jay roam around Los Angeles fighting lawlessness, while they act as if they themselves might BE criminals (which causes both the police & Christoph's accomplices to chase them)… … Into the mix comes a comparatively bright (but "limited") secretary for Seth named Lenore Case (CAMERON DIAZ), who is attractive to both him & Jay (which itself causes problems between the guys). We also meet various henchmen of Christoph-- Popeye (JAMIE HARRIS), Chili (CHAD COLEMAN) & Tupper (EDWARD FURLONG, who'd appeared in the original "Terminator 2 – Judgment Day" film)… … Will we find out what (or who) really KILLED Seth's dad (Tom)?... Will the police or Christophe succeed in CAPTURING Seth or Jay?... Who will start gaining real CONTROL of the city?... What part will the city D.A. named Scanlon (DAVID HARBOUR) play in the overall plot?...

… The movie actually turned out BETTER than expected in certain respects: the ACTION scenes are well-done, &some of the numerous "gadgets" are quite "COOL"… … But, one of the problems is the CHACTERIZATION: Rogen (in my opinion) went way "off-track" in trying to combine comedy & violence in his "OBSERVE & REPORT" movie. While his work here isn't as egregious, it's nevertheless periodically OFF-PUTTING to see the "hero" (Britt) so often acting a FOOL, & somehow (with no training) suddenly turning into a badass "fighter" alongside Jay… … The OTHER main characters (Jay, Christoph, & Cameron) do a basically GOOD job with their roles. But, the "comic-relief" of Seth's character (as written) just doesn't seem to "FIT": he's just mildly "amusing" (generating chuckles rather than big laughs), & (while "restrained" for Seth), it came across to me as too frequently "CHEESY" & unbelievable (as a man still playing "games" like a little kid) to really "work" effectively with the "ACTION" crime genre inherent in the plot… … I ENJOYED the movie overall-- but it's action "FLUFF" as constructed. Thus, my rating is 7.5 out of 10 stars

Little Fockers (2010)

Some in-laws can act like OUT-laws! -- But the sequel "WORKS"...

[8/10 · 22 December 2010]

This is is the 3rd in the series about a family (the Fockers) with "ECCENTRIC" in-laws...

… BEN STILLER plays Greg (Gaylord) Focker, head of a nursing department at a Chicago hospital. His wife Pam (TERI POLO) is a loving and supportive companion who enjoys raising their twin "Little" Focker kids – smart & tall Samantha (DAISY TAHAN) who's angry at Ben & not speaking to him, & her short, klutzy lizard-loving brother Henry (COLIN BAIOCCHI)… … Ben's rich-but-nutty friend Kevin Rawley (OWEN Wilson) calls him from Europe via a computer connection, happily announcing that he's met someone & intends to get married -- news which pleases his ex-lover Teri… … Plans are under way for a 5th-Birthday party for the kids-- but Ben is upset that his hired contractor Randy Weir (HARVEY KEITEL) has been doing a poor job getting his newly-bought place ready for the event… … At work, Ben meets a pretty drug company rep Andi Garcia (JESSICA ALBA) who wants him to tout her new sex-assisting product at an upcoming industry conference, but he's undecided about the idea of doing it to improve his financial situation… … Speaking of sex, Ben's mother Roz (BARBRA STREISAND) is happily running a sex-ADVICE show on TV (which tends to continue embarrassing Ben to a degree). His equally-embarrassing sexually-open father Bernie (DUSTIN Hoffman) is busy following his own "muses" over in Europe… … As you may remember, Teri's parents are the virtually-polar-OPPOSITES of Ben's folks, with her ex-CIA-type investigator dad Jack Byrnes (ROBERT De NIRO) usually "UPTIGHT" about something, & his wife Dina (BLYTHE DANNER) keeps working to try to "calm" him down… … What's got Robert especially upset are the actions of another son-in-law, Dr. Bob (THOMAS McCARTHY) who's worked to leave his OTHER daughter. That & other stresses start to cause Robert to have some HEART problems (which he naturally tries to "SELF-medicate")… … All that has made Robert especially eager to find someone he can "trust" to eventually take-over "MANAGING" his extended family. He is thus especially "dwelling" on BEN as a possibility for that "position", which he grows to call a "GOD-Focker"… He starts his usual tactic of secretly "INVESTIGATING" Ben when he & Blythe come to town for the upcoming Birthday party… … It should come as no "shock" to you that Robert's "research" eventually learns of the existence of JESSICA in Ben's life… If that weren't "confounding" enough, OWEN comes to town, & -- since his new love "dumped" him --, he's now re-absorbed with the idea of TERI as a perfect "companion" for him (witness a new tattoo he's gotten, etc.)… … Will anything be really "GOING-ON" between Ben & Jessica?... Will Owen's "assistance" help or actually HURT Ben & Teri's attempts to get their kids into a ritzy private school run by Owen's ex-lover Prudence (LAURA DERN)?...

… Will Robert's intensity & obsessions cause more PROBLEMS in the Focker world?... Will the arrival of Barbra & Dustin for the party cause even more "COMPLICATIONS" for the family dynamics?...

… There's a lot of quite FUNNY scenes in the film. Yes, there's a bunch of "exaggerations", but Ben plays his role "straight" (rather than just for "laughs") & thus is a fine "FOIL" for Robert & the situations that arise with him & Jessica & the kids… It would've been nice to have even more interactions with Barbra & Dustin, whose roles are somewhat small… … The cast all seem to be having a GOOD TIME with their roles, thus coming across as "enthusiastic" & believable with the often-swirling nuttiness… For a sequel, it's surprisingly EFFECTIVE-- & the ending might well presage a hoped-for ADDITIONAL continuation of the story (with an intensified "harping" / nagging / interference by the inlaws)… … It's not a "great" comedy-- but it's FUN, & thus I'm rating it 8 out of 10 stars

How Do You Know (2010)

A bunch of MAJOR stars in a sadly MINOR script

[6/10 · 18 December 2010]

Writer – Director JAMES BURROWS has a great history of fine work in situation comedies such as "CHEERS", "TAXI", "FRASIER" & "WILL & GRACE". This movie is his latest work. Sadly, it's nowhere near up to the quality of the TV shows mentioned…

… Before I saw an advance screening of this film, I heard at least 2 people talk about the film. The talk didn't concern the work in the movie-- but rather the fact that the salaries for the director & major cast members alone accounted for like $ 50 million (= 1/2 or so) of the cost of making it, a frightening & to-me ridiculous amount in these times for a movie like this…

… Lisa Jorgenson (REESE WITHERSPOON) is a 27-year-old baseball player who works hard to try to get chosen as a member for the USA's national female baseball team. A teammate friend of hers feels it'd be good for her to know non-athlete men, & recommends that a businessman named George (PAUL RUDD) call her for a date. He seems wacky & makes a bad impression on her…

… In her "everyday" life, Reese has been dating a supposed pitching phenom for the Washington Nationals team named Matty (OWEN Wilson). Owen is a "SERIAL" dater, loving anonymous sex & a grade "F" FLAKE, who keeps talking about his supposed "growth" as shown by his new "attitudes" & way of "thinking" in life…

… Reese supposedly is a "POSITIVE" thinker type, surrounding herself with Post-It notes with "constructive" thoughts all around her (even in the bathroom). But, she doesn't ACT optimistic at all, especially when she hears some discouraging news. Why she "puts-up" with the meandering thoughts of Owen is a mystery, but she keeps going "BACK" to him…

… Paul is a "HANDS-OFF" type of businessman-- not knowing what's "going-on" around him, & not much caring. His father Charles (JACK NICHOLSON) runs the company he works for, & is not very "supportive" when Paul learns he's being threatened with problems by U.S. Government investigators. The only one really sympathetic to him is his unmarried pregnant assistant Annie (KATHRYN HAHN)…

… As things grow worse in life for Paul, he keeps contacting Reese, who eventually starts to spend a bit of time with him since she's "on-&-off" with Owen in that period. When Owen sees them together, he gets jealous, & things keep going "back-&-forth" in awkward relationships between the 3 of them…

… Paul becomes clearly "TAKEN" with Reese as a possible partner in life, & his relationship grows increasingly complicated with his dad Jack (who's usually "blustering" & posturing for his own well-being)…

… Will Reese "wake-up" to whether there's a feasible "future" with Owen?... Will Paul be able to ESCAPE problems with the government?... Will Paul get closer to Jack?... WHO will Reese choose to be with by the end of the movie?...

… As a friend commented to me after we saw the advance screening, it was maddening the way the main characters were ALL so "WISHY-WASHY", not clear what on earth they really WANTED in life…

… And that's a major PROBLEM with this film: it's NOT particularly a "comedy" (which it's being "sold" as): there's a bunch of underlying SERIOUS "observations" in the midst of the indecisive & vascilating actions of almost ALL the main characters…

… The dialogue & characters are amazingly "WEAK" & UN-clever, with a strange LACK of real funniness (for someone with Burrows' background)… The only really amusing & "effective" character is pregnant assistant Kathryn…

… Owen is unbelievable as a "pitcher", massively self-centered, & more ODD & FOOLISH than funny in demeanor & attitude, & it's almost "insulting" to think that supposedly "with-it" Reese would keep PUTTING- UP with him… Virtually ANYONE could have played the role that Jack has, since it's so ineffectually written…

… But, to me, the problem is the SCRIPT-- the main actors (all of whom I quite LIKE overall from their past work) do what they "can" with the role they've been given… Did the STUDIO (financial backers) tend to issue "demands" in how the film was made?...

… Whatever the "cause" for the final product, while it's not a "bad" film (in that it's got some decent "sensitive" elements), it's sadly FAR from anything really "good", & thus I'm rating it at only 6.5 stars out of 10

True Grit (2010)

For the enjoyment it brings, go SEE the "Rooster" crow at daylite (or even nitetime)!

[9/10 · 17 December 2010]

In 1969, longtime movie star JOHN WAYNE won his only Oscar for a film role by playing a drunken "two-handed shooter" in a film called "TRUE GRIT". It was a memorable performance, although many felt the award was mainly given as a "lifetime achievement" honor… (He later performed with legend Kathryn Hepburn in a "reprise" of his role, in 1975's "Rooster Cogburn")…

… The Coen brothers have RE-MADE the basic "TRUE GRIT" film for a "modern" audience, tho it kept the idea of using very "formal" dialogue circa the late 1800's. The awkwardness of the dialogue made the 1969 version pretty "hard-to-take" in many ways-- but this new version manages to give a good "CONVERSATIONAL" tone to it, & that helps it come across as quite FUNNY at times…

… In this new version, Mattie Ross (HAILEE STEINFELD) is a 14-year-old girl whose beloved father has just been killed by an outlaw named Tom Chaney (JOSH BROLIN). She's wise and tough beyond her years, & simply won't accept the way the town of Fort Smith, Arkansas has allowed Josh to get away scott-free…

… Hailee toughly bargains with horse-trader Colonel Stonehill (DAKIN MATTHEWS) to get enough money to personally hire an old eye-patched marshal named Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (JEFF BRIDGES) to find Josh so she can kill him… He's uneager to get involved, but needs the money— mainly to build-up his supply of WHISKEY, which seems to be his main interest in life…

… A Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (MATT DAMON) comes to town, also wanting to catch Josh because he's wanted for killing a State Senator back home. He's keen to capture Josh alive, in order to get a big REWARD that's been posted on him… After initially agreeing to work with Jeff, since they're working at opposite purposes (& Matt doesn't want to allow Hailee to come WITH them as she wants), the lawmen eventually go their separate ways…

… Josh is pursued into what was then the Indian territory (now Oklahoma), where he apparently has joined up with OTHER lawbreakers including a gang run by Lucky Ned Pepper (BARRY PEPPER)… Jeff, Hailee & Matt keep having encounters & "tussles" with various inhabitants of the area, and they're frequently violent in nature (to the point of being deadly & "final")…

… Will Jeff eventually FIND Josh? Will Hailee have her wish of being able to KILL him for what he's done to her family?... Will "Lucky Ned" REMAIN lucky, or will "true grit" by his pursuers rule the day?... Will Hailee escape the perils she HERSELF faces (from wild animals & others)?... What will "postscripts" show happen to various of the main characters after the "basic" CHASE ends?...

… I found this film to be a real PLEASURE: Jeff & Hailee were EXCEPTIONAL in their lead roles, & Matt (in a somewhat "quieter" role) also does a fine job (as do Josh & Barry in much smaller roles). The "stilted" type dialogue actually "WORKED", giving a real "mood" and humor to the "Old West" proceedings…

… Thus, for the finely-crafted enjoyment it brings, I'm rating this film at 9.0 out of 10 stars… Go SEE the "Rooster" crow at daylite (or even nitetime)!

The Nutcracker: The Untold Story (2010)

"THE NUTCRACKER IN 3-D" = Enjoyable, but nothing exceptional

[8/10 · 24 November 2010]

Review of film: "THE NUTCRACKER IN 3-D"

The setting is VIENNA at Christmas-time, the producers are from the U.K. & Hungary, & the director is Russian veteran ANDREI KONCHALOVSKY… The heroine is a nine-year-old named Mary (ELLE FANNING), who has a toy- destroying younger brother named Max (AARON MICHAEL DROZIN)…

… Their father (RICHARD E. GRANT) is somewhat stuffy, & their mother (YULIYA VYSOTSKAYA) tends to be fairly quiet when she isn't performing as "The Snow Fairy"…

… The person the kids most enjoy is their eccentric uncle Albert (NATHAN LANE) who lives as a "free spirit" & regularly brings them gifts they enjoy, such as this year's magical wooden Nutcracker toy plus a doll house with animated mechanical characters Tinker (HUGH SACKS), Gielgud the chimp (voiced by PETER ELLIOTT), drum-player boy Sticks (AFRICA NILE)…

… In time, the Nutcracker -- also known as "N C" -- (voiced by SHIRLEY HENDERSON) comes to life & entrances Elle and Aaron. But, NC warns of the evil intentions of the Rats in the area. Tho some start out as animated figures, certain ones come to life-- the Rat King (heartily played by JOHN TURTURRO), & the Rat Queen (FRANCES DE LA TOUR) who also is the kids' housekeeper Frau Eva…

… While the kids very much enjoy it when their toys are brought to life by NC, they are quite upset when the Rat leaders try to take control. In time, they realize that NC is actually a Prince (CHARLIE ROWE) who's been turned into a wooden toy by an evil spell. The story revolves around trying to defeat the Rats & their army so the Prince can regain control…

… The movie is shot in 3-D (tho it doesn't really "ADD" much to the overall quality), & it alternates some of the familiar classic Tchaikovsky music with eight new tunes written by Sir Tim Rice & sung by various characters (including enthusiastic renditions by Nathan Lane)…

… There were lots of pre-teen kids brought to the advance screening, & they seemed generally pleased with the "magic" areas of the film (tho certain sequences appeared to be somewhat "intense" for very young kids). The music is often "chipper" & tuneful, tho nothing especially "hummable"…

…. Given all that, plus the fact the film has just mid-level "special effects", it all came across as "diverting" but nothing exceptional, & thus I'm rating it 7.75 out of 10 stars

Morning Glory (2010)

The 'Daybreak" may give Rachel & Harrison the 'BREAK' they need

[8/10 · 8 November 2010]

Review of film: "MORNING GLORY" There's no "GOOD MORNING", & there's nothing "TODAY" in the early-morning world of TV producer Becky Fuller (RACHEL McADAMS). Her mother (PATTI D'ARBANVILLE) feels she's wasting her time being so super-involved in her little television world, & urges Rachel to STOP expending efforts for her chosen line of work when she's unceremoniously "downsized" OUT of the little job she'd had… … Permanently "perky" Rachel DOESN'T WANT to give up, & keeps trying to apply for some NEW position in her field. In time, she's reluctantly given a chance by the IBS network's Jerry Barnes (JEFF GOLDBLUM), who's run-thru so many "loser" candidates in the past, he feels he has little to lose by giving her a shot as the producer of their low-rated national "DAYBREAK" morning program headquartered on Channel 9 in New York… … It turns out that the on-air program is composed of a bunch of ineffective personalities: anchor-person Colleen Peck (DIANE KEATON); her sex-obsessed co-host Paul McVee (TY BURRELL); their Al-Roker-"wannabee" weatherman (played by STEVE PARK); a dipsy female who doesn't know proper English; and others… … Producer Fred (JEROME WEINSTEIN) is honest, straightforward & helpful to Rachel, making clear he knows what she's "up" against… In time, she tries to make wholesale improvements in the show to build up their ratings, including FIRING Ty… … Rachel gets the idea of trying to hire highly-respected "old-time" newsman Mike Pomeroy (HARRISON FORD) as a co-anchor. He's a renowned broadcaster who's angry at having been shunted to a "do-nothing" job on the Evening news; but he's condescending & un-eager at the idea of doing the "FLUFF" type news that their morning show is known for… … An IBS Exec Adam Bennett (PATRICK Wilson) attempts to caution Rachel AGAINST trying to utilize Harrison, warning that he's the "3rd worst person in the world" to deal with. But Rachel (whom Patrick is attracted to) is adamant in her efforts to "recruit" (& "FORCE") Harrison into taking the job… … Harrison wants to do nothing but "HARD" news reports, & his consistently arrogant & egotistical attitudes tend to "TURN-OFF" the rest of the people involved with the show, especially Diane (who's very OPEN in her dislike & put-downs of him)… … Desperate to improve their sinking ratings, Rachel urges the on-air cast to consider doing "CRAZY" things on the show. Diane is quite funny in her "down-home" willingness to "go-along" with the program's "program"… … Particularly funny is weatherman Steve, who's really "PUT-upon" in the "stunts" they ask him to do-- but he soon grows really enthusastic & happy to carry out the plans, since it gets him a lot of favorable attention from the public… … Harrison is quite RESISTANT to the "Happy Talk" type format, & his fights with Diane are enjoyable to behold… There are various guests who play THEMSELVES in the film, such as "50 CENT", BOB SCHIEFFER, MORLEY SAFER & others… … Will Harrison "CONFORM" to the new ideas? Will Rachel's efforts be "enough" to keep the threatened show on the AIR?... Will she accept the romantic interests of Patrick?... Will Rachel accept a potentially BETTER job she's offered elsewhere?... Tune-in to find out!...

… The concept of the film is simple-- but it's unusually EFFECTIVE in how well it "WORKS", thanks to very good CASTING & acting efforts by the ensemble. It's considerably FUNNIER than I expected it to be in a number of places, & thus I'd rate it at 7.5 out of 10 stars

Unstoppable (2010)

Some have a need to STOP the Speed in this thrill-ride

[9/10 · 4 November 2010]

Twentieth Century Fox has been putting a good deal of money into running trailers on TV for this Tony Scott movie. They make the film appear exciting-- but the reality is, it's even BETTER than the teasers make it look!...

… The story starts out in a train yard in Pennsylvania. While some of the workers there are diligent, others are at times SLACKERS-- & one of those makes a number of screw-ups that cause a freight train to not have its AIR BRAKES connected & to not even have its ENGINEER on board…

… It turns out that the "fail-safes" end up being more FAILURES than safe, & the train starts barreling down the tracks at an increasingly high speed around the countryside. A female schedule-controller named Connie (ROSARIO DAWSON) tries to find a way to STOP the train-- but she has to deal with oblivious "big-shot" higher-ups like Galvin (KEVIN DUNN) & certain others who are either overly-concerned with the financial "bottom-line" or simply can't properly get the job done…

… In time, the scene shifts to some other rail workers handling another train, in the form of long-time train engineer Frank (DENZEL WASHINGTON) & his new comparatively-young assistant Will (CHRIS PINE) who's having marital troubles that distract his attention… Their train happens to be on the same track as the RUNAWAY train, & those two elements start to interact & shall-we-say "COLLIDE" with each other…

… It's bad enough having a train out of control, but it's at least doubly bad when it happens to have a number of its cars containing TOXIC CHEMICALS. As Rosario points out, it's like having a traveling guided "MISSILE the size of the Chrysler Building"… Clearly, the train needs to be stopped (lest it risk badly injuring the populace near the train tracks)— but HOW?!...

… Those working in the train industry -- including another engineer named Judd Stewart (DAVID WARSHOFSKY) & safety inspector Wemer (KEVIN CORRIGAN) -- keep trying to come up with a SOLUTION to the problems: Can they stop the train by getting someone ONTO it?... Can they somehow CONTROL it?... Can they DERAIL it in a way that there won't be massive damage to the area?... Can other train ENGINES be used to somehow affect its speed?...

… The movie is a wonderful THRILL RIDE of various attempts to fix the problems. You can bet that DENZEL & CHRIS will be involved, but it's handled with exceptionally superior expertise: a friend of mine, whose father used to work in rail yards, commented that his dad would have LOVED seeing the film, since it does such a fine job in consistently giving you a feeling of the SPEED & POWER of the trains involved & what can go wrong if they're not handled properly…

… It's a FINE adventure, with well-constructed & highly-delineated characters, first-rate acting, an intriguing action-filled story, & I'd rate it 8.5 out of 10 stars

Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

ATTENDANCE at this Dinner is MANDATORY for Comedy Lovers

[9/10 · 7 July 2010]

"DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS" MPAA Rating: PG-13 MY rating: 9 stars (of a possible 10, based on an advance screening).

In 1998, Francis Veber wrote & directed a French farce called "The Dinner Game (Le diner de cons)". This film is called an "adaptation" of that idea, & I found it exceptionally funny and well-done: ... Tim (played by PAUL RUDD) is an eager-beaver at a "rodent-infested" Financial advisory firm filled with RATS who tend to back-stab anyone that might affect their future income. His boss at the Fender company (BRUCE GREENWOOD) enjoys playing with peoples' lives and putting-down the many "lesser" creatures he finds scurrying around his rich-mens' world.

… To try to win a highly-coveted promotion which he feels will entice his love Julie (STEPHANIE SZOSTACK) to finally accept his marriage proposal, Paul tells Bruce his idea to try to win-over a rich new Swiss client named Müeller (DAVID WALLIAMS)… … Before he agrees that's a good idea, Bruce wants Paul to further "PROVE" himself worthy of an upper-level job by attending a dinner in which he brings a guest that will impress the others as being the biggest IDIOT (schmuck) at the gathering. In other words, he & his cohorts want people they can make FUN of in their superior way, & the guy who brings the biggest "loser" to the dinner will be the biggest "WINNER" of the evening (& thus likely to "move on up" at the company)… … Paul chances to "run across" a very ECCENTRIC IRS employee named Barry (STEVE CARELL) whose hobby is creating fanciful human-like diorama / vignettes utilizing taxidermied MICE posed in charming but strange ways… … His girlfriend Julie wants to "curate" shows for outlandish artist Kieran Vollard (JEMAINE CLEMENT), & she is very much TURNED-OFF by the idea that Paul would stoop so low as to trick someone (namely, Steve) to attend the planned dinner at Bruce's… … Paul finds that, while Steve is sort of "RIGHT" for being his guest at Bruce's party, he's not just off-center but decidedly WACKY in the ways he often goes about things in life. Steve (with no malice intended) chances to facilitate Paul's being STALKED by a violent ex-lover named Darla (LUCY PUNCH), which causes additional upsets in Paul's relationship with Stephanie (especially when Steve chances to get Paul involved with artist Jemaine)… … Various other nutty characters enter the picture, such as Steve's IRS boss, "Mind-control" guru Therman (ZACH GALIFIANAKIS), additional kinky guests brought to Bruce's dinner by other company employees, etc….

… There's an inspired NUTTINESS to it all, both during the main film & in a number of "postscript" comments "updating" you on things as the CREDITS roll. Unlike so many other American comedies nowadays, this one is NOT rife with constant sexual activity or gross-out comments. I found it to be a wonderfully well-played whimsical "commentary" on the "unusual" characters we at times meet upon life's journey… … Rather than being filled with "clever" lines, it's more of a "slice-of-life" character-&-situation-driven hilarity, with exceptional performances by Steve (who has a "sweetness" to his goofiness) & Paul (who does another masterful job playing an understated "straight-man" as he did in "I Love You, Man"), with fine and funny work by those in the supporting cast… … A number of people might find the whole story "silly". But, I found it an often-brilliant piece of ensemble comic work, and I both enjoyed & respected the success in which they "pulled-off" the achievement

The Last Song (2010)

Writing on the "FULL-SHELL"

[7/10 · 29 March 2010]

Nicholas Sparks has written a number of popular books made into movies, including "The Notebook". This is his first book that he himself has ADAPTED for the screen, & it also is an attempt by Miley Cyrus to break away from her "TV-show singer" image… … Miley stars as a 17-year-old called Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller, & she is usually an "ANGRY" character thru much of the movie. That's caused by the divorce of her parents Kim (Kelly Preston) & her composer – pianist father Steve (Greg Kinnear), the fact that her mom is soon to remarry, & especially because her dad didn't "back" her when she was accused of SHOPLIFTING in New York… … As the film starts, Miley & her 12-ish kid brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) are being brought by Kelly to spend the summer at Greg's seashore home on Tybee Island, Georgia. Jonah is very attached to his Dad (& vice versa), whereas Miley acts very cold & "distant"… … Thruout the movie, Greg (who's trying to write a song) keeps trying to get CLOSER to Miley. He's very disappointed in the way she's such a good pianist that she's been accepted into the Julliard School in New York, but she nevertheless doesn't care to GO there (or have any further schooling)… … As time goes on, Miley meets various of the "locals" in town: a love-obsessed girl named Blaze (Carly Chaikin) who wrongly thinks Miley is trying to make a "play" for her miserable punk boyfriend Marcus (Nick Lashaway); a cute blonde-haired guy named Will Blakelee (Liam Hemsworth) who loves to play beach volleyball with his friend Scott (Hallock Beals) who works with him at a car repair place, etc… … Initially, irate vegetarian Miley is put-off at the way Liam tries to get to know her, & all she really seems to care about is trying to protect some endangered loggerhead sea-turtle eggs that she has found near her dad's home… … When she finds out that Liam works part time in nature-protecting activities for the Georgia Aquarium, she realizes they have something in "common" & starts to "WARM-UP" to him -- or, you might say, breaks out of her OWN "shell" a bit… Little-by-little, he starts to become her "first love", despite the jealous actions of his ex-girlfriend Ashley (Melissa Ordway) & his arrogant rich mom Susan (Kate Vernon)… … Miley's kid brother Bobby happily bonds with Greg, learning from him how to work with stained glass to help repair a church Greg thinks he's caused to burn down… But, as time goes on, a CRISIS arises in the household which deeply affects certain family members… … Will a SECRET Liam is keeping affect his relationship with Miley?… Will the family CRISIS impact Miley & her future plans?… Will the turtles HATCH safely and return to the sea?… Will Miley get CLOSER to Greg & return to caring about her piano-playing ability?… Will the "SONG" get properly finished?… … Understand, this is NOT a "musical", & Miley is NOT playing her long-running "Hannah Montana" character. A guy I know felt Miley did a POOR acting job in this-- but, I felt, she played the character as WRITTEN-- an upset, irritated teenager unsure of her relationships & her future, who slowly starts to "open-up" when some love enters her life --, & she did that decently… Plus, Liam & Greg do good jobs, & Bobby is very good as the kid brother… … A number of women in the audience reported that they were near TEARS at times in watching the movie, & thus quite "affected" by it. And, even a pre-teen boy in the audience (who happens to play piano) found it interesting… … I feel it's true that the film in many ways doesn't have a "wide-ranging" story, & is sort of simplistic at times (& somewhat implausible in the way Miley is invited to jump in a main pool at Atlanta's Georgia Aquarium to swim along with Liam near the whale shark & other fishes)… … But, the film was "pleasant" & "WORKS" for the main audience it's likely "aimed" at, namely women (particularly young ones) & those who like love stories on various levels (in family situations and with a first love)… So, I'm judging & rating it accordingly (tho there might be "protesters" marching in front of my seaside cottage as I'm scribbling in the sand)

The Crazies (2010)

Please Don't Drink The Water (-- OR ELSE! )

[6/10 · 25 February 2010]

It's a quiet time in Pierce County, Iowa, as a baseball game is played in the small town of Ogden Marsh (whose population is under 2000 people). All of a sudden, a man enters the outfield carrying a shotgun. Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) recognizes the man as being a onetime drunk, & goes out to ask him in a nice way to lower his gun. The man just stares ahead catatonicly, raises the gun-- & Timothy feels compelled to shoot him (causing great upset to the man's wife & son, which comes into play later in the film)… … Strangely, OTHER people (like a baseball coach) soon start going into similar sort of trances, accompanied by blood flowing from their nose & then followed by horribly VIOLENT acts against others... Timothy & his deputy Russell Clank (Joe Anderson) grow increasingly disturbed by what is happening, & run around trying to confront the strange actions that keep breaking out… … Timothy's wife Judy (Radha Mitchell) is a doctor who herself has seen the frightening changes in a number of people, having just examined some who become mixed up in a fire at a farm involving Bill Farnum (Brett Rickaby)… … Since she's pregnant, Timothy is especially protective of Radha, and becomes increasingly concerned in his inability to discover just what is CAUSING people to behave like uncontrolled maniacs, altho it seems to be connected to something concerning the water the town has been drinking… … Instead of things improving, they go from bad to HORRENDOUS, with the sudden arrival of a mass of MILITARY people who round up the townspeople & work to force them to undergo some unexplained tests… They start to engage in some summary executions, and Timothy, Joe, Radha and Becca Darling (Danielle Panabaker) work to escape from the soldiers & try to get somewhere safe… … Those trying to escape keep running into people who seem to be adversely affected by the mysterious toxin, having to fight from farm to car wash to truck stop with individuals, a group of hunters, and more military people wearing gas-type masks… The confrontations are exceptionally bloody & gory, & certainly not for kids… … Who are the military people, & what are they trying to "accomplish"?… What is the CAUSE of the sudden violence by people?… WHO will get "AWAY" at the end, & how will they accomplish it?… … The film has a fine level of TENSION, & would be a quite fascinating "thriller" if is wasn't so hell-bent on BEING Hell-bent: rather than focus on the environmental disaster impacting the people & the strange over-reaction by the "authorities", it concentrates on being grotesquely GORY, massively MALIGNANT & violently VICIOUS in the actions of most of the people… … Some audiences like that level of blood & guts being senselessly spilled; I'd rather they had the guts to NOT be so extreme, & instead concentrated on a better-developed level of more detailed storytelling… … One friend who saw it commented he was disappointed in the way there was so little real "PLOT" inherent in the film-- but, I don't tend to EXPECT much of that in "slasher" flicks… The ACTING was good by the main characters, & the tense "mood" was effective… But, it could have been so much "MORE" (& simply didn't care to be, seemingly going for a "lower" un-common denominator)

Cop Out (2010)

These Cops are Out for NUTTINESS & Distress

[8/10 · 23 February 2010]

Director Kevin Smith ("Clerks", "Zack & Miri Make A Porno", etc.) decided to "branch out" and for once direct a film he himself did NOT write, namely, this. But he did keep his ability to construct a film played with a bunch of good LAUGHS: … Bruce Willis plays Jimmy Monroe , a veteran cop (--now, there's an "unusual" role for him!…) His partner is Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan), who loves reciting dialogue from famous FILMS when interrogating suspects-- to the amusement of Bruce who finds him horribly "hammy"…

… Bruce's daughter Ava (Michelle Trachtenberg) is about to get married in 6 weeks, & she & her mother Pam (his divorced wife, played by Francie Swift) want a big, expensive wedding costing nearly $ 50,000. Bruce is deeply displeased when the new "step-dad" Roy (Jason Lee) offers to pay for it instead, & vows to find a way to cover the cost on his own…

… Covering it means Bruce has to sell a rare BASEBALL CARD of Andy Pafko (who played for the Chicago Cubs, tho that's not the card in question)… As he tries to do that, a smart-alec crook named Dave (Seann William Scott) chances to ROB him & the store he's at-- which necessitates Bruce & "oblivious" Tracy trying to find him to recover the card… When they do find him, he drives Tracy crazy with his nonsense patter…

… In order to try to catch a gang of violent Mexican criminals in New York, Tracy dons a costume as a Cell Phone as if he's working at a communications store. But, when the store is shot up, he & Bruce get suspended from the force, to the delight of their jealous fellow cops Hunsaker (Kevin Pollak) & his partner Barry Mangold (Adam Brody)...

… Bit by bit, Bruce & Tracy (who's doubting the fidelity of his wife) track down Bruce's card to being in the possession of Poh Boy (Guillermo Diaz), the leader of the gang of Mexican criminals who also happens to be a big collector of sports-related memorabilia… In return for the card, Guillermo wants Bruce to find a car he's had stolen from his control…

… Naturally, Sean, Kevin & Adam get "caught-up" in the various machinations of the main characters… Will Bruce FIND the car (& the "secret" item INSIDE of it that Guillermo really wants)?… Will Bruce get his CARD back?… Will Tracy find out if his wife (Rashida Jones) has been FAITHFUL to him?… What will happen to Sean, Kevin & Adam?…

… There were loads of "full" LAUGHS, both to the situations & the nuttiness of Tracy + in appreciation for how well he partnered with Bruce… Yes, a bunch of it is "CHEESY" and / or "SILLY" humor, but it's really effective, enjoyable, & the movie (with a bundle of action to go along with the amusement) is a lot of FUN… A SUCCESSFUL "buddy"-action-comedy

Edge of Darkness (2010)

RIGHTEOUSNESS in the defense of -- WHAT exactly?!

[8/10 · 26 January 2010]

The place is Boston... Problems arise for Homicide Detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) when his only child Emma (Bojana Novakovic) keeps feeling ill, & then is shot on the front porch as they leave his house... While others feel he was the real target, Mel thinks that wasn't the case, & starts investigating the hidden life of his 24-year-old daughter (whose younger persona is played by Gabrielle Popa)...

... As he delves into the matter, he finds she was involved with corporate camouflage, governmental conspiracies and more... He meets mysterious figure Darius Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), who'd been sent to HIDE the evidence of the collusions -- & the more Mel deals with him (over various meetings), the more involved & confused the situation becomes... WHO is Jedburgh really working "for"?!... Is he a help or a hindrance in finding the truth?...

... Mel's superior on the Police force, Bill Whitehorse (Jay O. Sanders), is very solicitous of Mel's difficulties, as are others there... But, Mel feels it best to research things on his OWN... He was proud his daughter got an M.S. from M.I.T... But, she didn't talk much about her new job for a shadowy company called Northmoor -- whose boss Jack Bennett (Danny Huston) doesn't care to DISCUSS precisely what they "do" or what her job was-- although he volunteers that, "All our people are very well INSURED..." ... When Mel tracks down her boyfriend named Burnham (Shawn Roberts), he's deathly afraid of saying much -- tho he tries to help in "other" ways... Other friends (such as Melissa, played by Caterina Scorsone) are also fearful of talking to him, & it's clear from "run-ins" that certain elements (such as Millroy, played by David Aaron Baker) are trying to violently STOP his investigations...

... There are numerous TWISTS & TURNS in the story line, with loads of attempts to "REMOVE" particular people deemed "dangerous" to those in "charge"... Mel is typically dogged in his pursuit of facts... At one point, he comments that, "My daughter was not a 'joiner'."...

... Why does he get a "dangerous" reading by a device in her home?... Why is he told that "National security is the issue."?... Who says that his girl was "flagged as a potential TERRORIST", & why?... Will secretly-made videos play an important part in reaching vital conclusions?... Why is the term "jihadist" used by someone in the "know"?...

... What are the real roles of shadowy governmental operative Moore (Denis O'Hare) and Senator Jim Pine (Damian Young)?... Would most people "ACCEPT" or "BACK" their roles & what happens to them?...

... As a friend commented, the film is "CLASSIC Mel" in a "tough", unyielding role... The periodic surprise "changes" in seeming facts are very WELL-handled, & the film ends with conclusions that are in some ways "SATISFYING" concerning many of the "principals" in the well-acted movie...

Extraordinary Measures (2010)

"Indy" goes "MEDICINAL": Prickly Curmudgeons can be HELPFUL sometimes

[8/10 · 20 January 2010]

There are many "worthy" charities around, making it hard at times to decide what to support -- & how to determine whether ones that seem fine are really being "up-front" in what they claim (rather than being one of the numerous scams that abound in our world today)… … This film is based on the true story of a man named John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) who works at a large pharmaceutical company. He & his loving wife Aileen (Keri Russell) have had three kids: energetic John Jr. (Sam M. Hall); and, due to a twist of fate, 2 younger ones who chanced to have a form of Muscular Dystrophy called Pompe's disease— spunky 8-year-old Megan (Meredith Droeger) who loves tooling around in her electric wheelchair, and even weaker 6-year-old Patrick (Diego Velazquez)… … The two ill kids take what medications are available for their condition, but it clearly isn't "enough" to really help them, & they keep growing sicker as time goes on… Brendan spends loads of time trying to find some possible medical "answer" to their problem, but it's been years of frustrating failures… … At one point, Brendan reads of a possible major improvement by a scientist named Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford). He tries to reach him at his University workplace, but Harrison is a rebel who only likes doing things his OWN way: working loads of after-hours at his labs (as he blasts out rock music in the background), & regularly IGNORING messages Brendan leaves for him… … When his sick kids start to deteriorate even more, Brendan suddenly leaves his job & flies to Nebraska to try to MEET with Harrison (which is very hard to do)… In time, he tracks him down & explains why it's so important to him to try to BACK Harrison in his discovery work (since it seems the most advanced effort being done to try to find some cure for the disease)… Harrison explains how, in Pompe, the sufferers are missing an enzyme, & that allows sugar to build up to a dangerous level, adversely affecting the internal organs… … Although he doesn't personally have the money Harrison said he needs to fund an expanded effort to try to find the "answer" to the affliction, Brendan agrees to RAISE the required money. He & Keri start contacting OTHER people around the country who have kids suffering from the disease -- such as Marcus Temple (Courtney B. Vance) -- , & they eventually come up with a goodly percentage of what's essential as 'seed" money… … Brendan agrees to LEAVE his regular job to try & build their new startup venture… But, most "startups" don't really get PROPERLY started, & that's what happens in this case… Brendan gets Harrison to go with him to try to raise some Venture Capital money from a Dr. Renzler in Chicago… After that, they hire young students to help them in their new company… … Progress is made, but, it's not "enough", & they have to get involved with ANOTHER drug-development (biotech type) company called Zymagen in the Northwest, run by CEO Erich Loring (Patrick Bauchau) & his bottom-line-oriented everyday manager Dr. Kent Webber (Jared Harris)… … Will Harrison's theory prove CORRECT?… Will a drug be developed that provides the PROGRESS the kids need?… Will there be more "TWISTS" on the road to getting them help?… What's going on with "Uncle Bobby"?… … I found the film to be a WARM-hearted, "personal" portrayal of the difficulties in bringing a new medicine to the general public, and how much "individual" people can matter at times… Some in the audience were CHEERING near the end. I found the major actors did a fine, believable job, with Harrison especially adept at his "loner scientist" role

Armored (2009)

"ARMORED" -- STEEL yourself against this BOMB!

[4/10 · 3 December 2009]

The trailer made this film look like a "thriller". But, the only real "thriller" involved WAS the trailer!… Do you want to know how NOT to write an effective script? -- THIS is your film!… Do you want to know how to gather stereotype characters & surround them in Clichés? -- THIS is your film!… Do you want to know how to use OVERWROUGHT role-players & music?-- THIS is your film!… (It certainly isn't "MY" film, thank goodness!…) … Early in the movie, a guy to my right in the audience kept COMPLAINING out-loud about what he was seeing. Normally, that would bother me-- except, he was so totally "RIGHT ON!" in his comment that , "This PLOT line has so many HOLES in it, it isn't even funny!…" In fact, it was so poor, people tended to LAUGH a fair amount about things that were clearly meant to be taken "SERIOUSLY", an ever-present sign of how consistently the filmmakers FAILED in their work… … MATT DILLON plays the lead role of Mike Cochrone, a big-shot truck guard for the Eagle Shield Armored Transport company which picks up money from banks. As written, his character is so extremely solicitous of newly-hired Ty Hackett (COLUMBUS SHORT) & so especially concerned about Ty's financial problems, that it's immediately clear Matt "WANTS" something from him… … There are a bunch of purposely-racially-diverse co-workers at Eagle, who are usually known just by their LAST names: "bad-ass" gun-loving Baines (LAURENCE FISHBURNE), who regularly DRINKS on the job (to no one's particular concern, altho that could readily get them fired or killed); a "conveniently"-Hispanic, seemingly-ex-gang-member with the "appropriate" Latino-sounding last name of Palmer (played by AMAURY NOLASCO)… … Speaking of "names" & exhibiting the "CARE" shown by the filmmakers, there's the man with the "brilliantly"-chosen Irish surname of Quinn-- whom the filmmakers "naturally" chose to have played by JEAN RENO, who clearly has a FRENCH accent! (Couldn't they have simply changed the name of his character?! -- That they didn't shows the inherent SLACKNESS of the whole overall production here)...

… And, "squaring" out the cast, there's "hesitant", non-"joiner" co-worker Dobbs (a bearded SKEET ULRICH), their easygoing boss Duncan Ashcroft (FRED WARD), and Columbus' (Ty's) trouble-causing truant kid brother Jimmy (ANDRE JAMAL KINNEY)… Later on, you meet "attentive" cop Jake Eckehart (MILO VENTIMIGLIA)… … To NO real surprise, Matt works to convince Columbus (Ty) to join the others in plans to HEIST the money on two of their trucks (of course, with the idea of "helping" him out of his well-"telegraphed" financial "difficulties"). If you're expecting some cleverly-planned caper movie, you'll be sorely DISAPPOINTED: there ISN'T any real true "planning" involved or explained (of either the "before-" or "after"-pilfering period) … … Stand-up guy Columbus only agrees to join in on the assurance that "no one" will get (physically) "HURT" by their actions. Knock-me-over-with-a-feather, people DO get hurt by what they do! And Columbus then turns "AGAINST" his co-heisters, who quickly go after HIM for flaking-out on them… … This film has such unforgettable scenes as: "armored" trucks which keep FALLING APART & are fairly easily DISABLED (-- maybe a "cautionary" tale about using the "LOW" bidder?! --); trying to "block" peoples' views by pasting money on windows (tho there are loads of places you could still look THRU the windows!); a guy running NOISILY when he should be attempting to be silent; and so on… … If you saw this movie, you could delight in witnessing a whole series of STUPID actions: a character being threatened by a gun which is aimed away from him for so long, he easily could have pushed the gun-holder over a ledge (which he, typically, doesn't even attempt); a guy running "straight" to escape a truck chasing him from behind, when he could easily go SIDEWAYS between columns to avoid it; a man trying to "save" a cop for no clear immediate "purpose", followed by his later crawling away from the truck, & then foolishly RETURNING to it (rather than using the cop's car to try to get away); etc.

… It's almost mind-boggling how POORLY plotted, written, paced, acted & directed this film is. (Please understand-- in my opinion, that all "starts" with the WRITING, since the actors -- many apparently frantic to keep "BUSY" with some project – can't "rise" much "above" that…)… … And, as I commented to a friend (who also was amazed by how BADLY done this was)-- Why would this film be "saved" for release in the pre-Christmas period when many scheduled MAJOR film releases will be likely to "BURY" it (rather than try to "save" it for a "dead" period around January of February)? -- Could it be designed mainly as a "TAX-WRITE-OFF" by the company involved?… … Some films are so "bad", they're good (in a "cult" type of way). This is NOT ONE of those-- it's just plain INFERIOR!… So, if you for some unknown reason have an unquenchable desire to see this (belated) TURKEY-- just seek out the TRAILER (for free on the internet) & watch that!

Amelia (2009)

"AMELIA" -- Flights of FRAUD-acy in the "-Hart" of Amelia's "Ear-"

[6/10 · 22 October 2009]

Rating: 6.5 of 10 stars (based on an advance preview) I was quite looking forward to seeing this bio-pic about famed Aviatrix Amelia Earhart. I'm sorry to report that I was considerably DISCONTENTED with what I saw. The film was Executive Produced by HILARY SWANK, who also stars as Amelia. Hilary does fine with the looks & general "demeanor" of the character-- but I wish she would've exerted more "influence" re improving what I found to be an amazingly POOR script that helped cause STILTED dialogue, some "wooden" characterizations, a maddeningly "SLOW" beginning, & frequently unbelievable "transitions" (such as her relationship with publisher George Putnam -- played by RICHARD GERE – who suddenly switches from being her business "manager" to a "romantic" interest & eventual husband. It just didn't "build" logically to me).

In some ways, the film seems sort of designed to be partly a "DEBUNKING" exercise, & at times concentrates on the sort of agreeably-unfaithful / "FREE-LOVE" attitude Earhart supposedly sported: When she marries {in 1931}, she insists on stating that she "would not hold either {partner} to faithfulness." Not long after that, while married to Gere, she gets increasingly "involved" with a character called Gene Vidal (played by EWAN McGREGOR).

Earhart was born in 1897, & the film pretty much "SKIPS" over her early life. The movie claims she became intrigued with flying when she saw a plane soaring over her Kansas home, & soon became a pilot herself-- but DOESN'T really deal with how she first took flying lessons in 1921 or how she {on May 15, 1923} became the 16th woman to get a pilot's license.

As the movie says, Charles Lindbergh became famous for his 1st-ever solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927. The film sort of starts its action by having Gere go up to Hilary with a "deal": He represented Ann Phipps Guest who wanted to sponsor ANOTHER flight across the ocean {on June 17, 1928}, & said she wanted to gain publicity for the stunt by in-effect having a good-looking female as the supposed "LEADER" pilot for the flight-- but Amelia would just be the "FACE" of the venture, which actually would be piloted by a MAN.

This movie shows that Amelia would've preferred actually PILOTING the Fokker plane, but readily agreed to lend her name to the essentially-MISREPRESENTED venture & also agreed to write a BOOK about the experience-- all to gain MONEY in order to continue funding flying activities. All she did on the flight is keep a "LOG" (meaning, she was little more than a PASSENGER on the trip)-- but although she mildly pointed out she didn't actually FLY the plane after it arrived safely in Wales, she & others were given a ticker-tape parade in New York for their joint "accomplishment".

When Gere wants her to sign an ENDORSEMENT deal implying that Lucky Strike cigarettes were "used" by her on the flight, altho she mildly protests that she doesn't even smoke, she readily went ALONG with the deception to gain money for her & Gere. That was also the case on OTHER "endorsements" (such as re luggage) she willingly promoted. In other words, it was "all about the BENJAMINS", with the same type of often-misleading claims & ads we've seen in decades since then! I found it all sort of DISCOURAGING (even if that's how things actually "were" at that time)… As the film rambles on, you see Amelia involved in cross-country RACING flights, & how she (in 1930) founded an organization of female pilots called the "Ninety Nines" {some current members of which were announced as being in the audience at tonite's screening}. It also briefly touches on how she was the first woman to fly an "auto-gyro" (a sort of helicopter-like vehicle) in 1931… At some length, the movie also covers the way she did finally actually act as PILOT on a SOLO flight across the Atlantic, in a small red {Lockheed Vega 5b} plane on May 20, 1932 {which landed in Northern Ireland}.

One of the main recurring themes thruout the film is Amelia's attempt to circumnavigate around the WORLD in a small plane with navigator Fred Noonan. It's handled with numerous "inserted" FLASH-FORWARDS, which tended to make the story-line somewhat confusing to me (particularly in the midst of various other events being mentioned thruout the movie).

The end of the film finally concentrates on the famous flight, starting with the way the initial attempt from Oakland to Honolulu CRASHED on takeoff (on March 17, 1937). Then, after the landing gear & motors were repaired, the flight was begun again in Miami {on June 1, 1937, with undetailed flight segments to South America, & previously-shown areas in Africa}. You see difficulties Earhart & Noonan encountered in Asia, how they flew to Lae in Papua New Guinea, & the problems they encountered with the communication & flying equipment in the South Pacific, culminating in the DISAPPEARANCE of the plane & occupants on July 2, 1937.

It was strange, the way they used numerous "headlines" to help narrate the story-- & usually had them on screen an INSUFFICIENT length of time, resulting in an inability (for me, a pretty quick reader) to fully READ them, due to the "rushed" way they were handled! CARELESS film-making, in my book… Considering the generally exciting nature of Earhart's famous "Pioneering" story, while the acting in the film was acceptable, I nonetheless found the "dry" & periodically-dull & recurrently-"lifeless" way the yarn was often handled, to be OFF-PUTTING. In other words, while the movie is OK (& got some very MILD applause at the end), I felt it could have been done far more EFFECTIVELY than it was.

Fame (2009)

"FAME" – REMEMBER their Names (& Don't be afraid to SUCCEED)!

[8/10 · 25 September 2009]

(Based on an advance screening).

This is a remake of the 1980 film by the same name, about attending the specialized New York Academy of Performing Arts. It uses a large cast to follow the trials & tribulations of students, their interactions with each other, their parents, the staff & the (very) "outside" world around them.

Jenny (KAY PANABAKER) is an initially "mousy" type of actress-singer, with little confidence or understanding in what she does and the motivations of some people around her. She's encouraged (& later romanced) by self-assured & generous-spirited MARCO (ASHER BOOK) who'd sung for years in his father's restaurant (& has a good & pleasant-sounding voice, such as in performing "Someone To Watch Over Me" & "I Just Got To Be Happy"). Denise (NATURI NAUGHTON) is a talented classical pianist, altho she dislikes doing just that & being forced to do so by her pushy father.

Kevin (PAUL McGILL), who has a dance-teacher mother back in Iowa, wants to be a dancer-- tho the instructor isn't very encouraging about his talent. Malik (COLLINS PENNIE) wants to be an actor, but, his teacher (CHARLES S. DUTTON) points out he comes across as overly angry.

Outgoing comedic Neil (PAUL IOCONO) loves doing video work all over the place, & carelessly urges his dad to put up money to produce a movie. Walter (VICTOR TAVERAS) likes to produce & arrange music. Alice (KHERINGTON PAYNE) is an accomplished dancer who eagerly wants a career in that field (rather than concentrating on romance in her life). Joy (ANNA MARIA PEREZ DE TAGLE) is a dedicated student.

Various segments feature some of the older, well-known stars: MEGAN MULALLY (as singing teacher Fran who's urged to perform by some of the kids at one point); KELSEY Grammar (in an understated performance as acting instructor Joel); BEBE NEUWIRTH as teacher Lynn; and, as Principal Simms, you have DEBBIE ALLEN (who played 'Lydia Grant' in the ORIGINAL 1980 version of the film, plus the same role in 131 episodes of the TV show rendition from 1982-1987).

The film has a wonderful ENERGY in many of its musical and dance numbers (such as 'Out Here On My Own' and 'CarnEvil', and the large closing one with drums). Some performances are so impressive in the film (such as ones by Naturi), they got APPLAUSE from people in the movie theater audience. I liked the way they individually 'PRESENTED - INTRODUCED' the main actors separately during the credit section at the end (as movies "used" to do).

But, by sort of hurrying through what they say is a "4-year" period at the school, certain elements of the DRAMA are periodically "RUSHED" and a bit weak compared to the musical & dance elements. As a friend commented, he felt the film showed little real "growth" by the performers thru the period featured, & thus came across as somewhat "cliched". While I feel there's some accuracy in that position (in that the drama sections are a trifle "feeble" by comparison), I felt that the MUSICAL & DANCE elements & overall acting are so strong (& the main "point" of the film), they MAKE UP for that in providing a very EFFECTIVE entertainment vehicle (& a bunch of the young actor / performers are people to "WATCH" & REMEMBER for the future!).

Extract (2009)

"EXTRACT" -- Comedy 'Distilled' into a Pleasant experience

[7/10 · 1 September 2009]

Their ad claims (typically) that this is 'the funniest comedy of the year', which it ISN'T (& that title should go to 'I Love You Man'). What this is, is a diverting, MILD (rather than wild) situational comedy with some very effective understated acting, a number of small laughs, and some refreshing ideas (rather than really clever lines).

Joel (JASON BATEMAN) is the owner of an extract (flavors)-bottling plant, assisted by Brian (J.K. Simmons). The plant has numerous employees who are INEPT (such as 'Step' played by CLIFTON COLLINS JR.), apathetic & sometimes racist. Jason is upset at the emotional indifference of his wife (KRISTEN WIIG), & follows advice of druggie friend Dean (BEN AFFLECK) on how to help make him feel better (with a little giggilo-ing by moronic 'Brad' played by DUSTIN MILLIGAN). Pretty Cindy (MILA KUNIS) is a crook who lies & rips off people to try to get money, & she sets her sights on Jason's company (including via lawyer 'Joe' played by GENE SIMMONS).

It's pleasant to see a comedy like this that's NOT based on gross-out or vicious humor & which instead relies on its characters & situations for amusement. I would've liked to see more clever writing, tho.