Triple Review: Cross-dressing, Superpowers, and Liam Neeson

Hey people, I know these aren't the best reviews, but I'm just kind of throwing my thoughts out there on the past few flicks I've seen.

Albert Nobbs:

Glenn Close pretending to be a woman pretending to be a man: the movie.  Set in 19th century Ireland, the film follows the staff of a motel in which you're sure to recognize some of the actors, including Brendan Gleeson, Mia Wasikowska,  and of course Close as the withdrawn "little man" Albert.  Despite all of the great performances from everyone involved (especially Close), it still feels lacking.  The film rests so heavily on this idea of Close fooling people into thinking she is a man, but it is terribly clear that she is a she.  I guess you could say it was a more naive time, but had I not known Glenn Close was supposed to be pretending to be a man before going into the film, I would've been so confused.  In fact, Janet McTeer (in an Oscar-nominated supporting role) is *spoilers* also pretending to be a man.  Supposedly a "twist," I had no clue that that was even a twist - I assumed she was a woman all along.  Because of this, I really could not get into the movie.  Just imagine if Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire spoke in a deeper voice or if the makeup was slightly "off."  Unlike Tootsie I just didn't believe the gender-bending.  You'd think it'd be a cinch to make Glenn Close into a man, come on people.

Rating: C-

Chronicle:

I will admit I'm a true sucker for these "caught on camera" movies, but I believe Chronicle is a solid film even without the "gimmick" of a mocu-mentary (I put gimmick in quotes because the caught-on-camera style actually serves a purpose in this story).  Chronicle was directed by a 27 year old newcomer Josh Trank and was written by Max Landis, who is the son of director John Landis (Animal House, An American Werewolf in London).  The film basically follows these three kids as they discover they have the power to move things with their mind (known as telekinesis).  What results is a very unique superhero/villain story that defies a lot of the conventions of the genre.  Although the CGI can be iffy at times and the end of the film strays into "cheesy" territory, I loved this film.  The characters were fleshed out as opposed to most flicks set in high school, and the way the characters interacted seemed very true to life.  The film plays with all sorts of themes and it's completely natural and interesting how the kids learn to use their powers.  They slowly figure out how to control themselves and the progression of their strength is paced just right.  I don't want to give much away, but Chronicle comes highly recommended despite its few flaws!

Rating: B+

The Grey:

How can a gritty, bloody tale of Liam Neeson fighting off ravenous wolves not be awesome?  The answer can be found in The Grey - a mostly dull, predictable, and generally unpleasant effort from Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces, The A-Team).  The story is about a misfit crew of oil drillers whose plane crashes in the middle of Alaska.  The survivors must fend for themselves and try their hardest not to get eaten by the many pissed off wolves around them.  While I did enjoy the horror movie aspects coming from the wolves, everything else I felt as though I'd seen before.  Liam Neeson's character flashes back to some woman over and over, there's one guy in the group who thinks he's tough, and there are the obligatory "survival philosophy" campfire sessions.  There weren't enough original moments - it just used all the typical tropes of the survival genre.  I did like the intensity of the plane crash (nothing beats Lost though), and I liked that there was a distinct, gritty, "Rated R" feel to the picture, but I was personally disappointed.  Taken with wolves this was not.

Rating: C-