Wanderlust MOVIE REVIEW

Wanderlust is the latest film from director David Wain, known for his cult-favorite comedies like Wet Hot American Summer and the TV show Stella.  The movie follows a New York couple, played by Paul Rudd and Jennifer Anniston, who buys their first apartment.  Unfortunately both of them lose their jobs right after they buy it and are forced to resell - but there's no interest in the market for a studio apartment (or as the realtor is insistent on calling it a 'micro-loft').  While they are making the trip to crash at his brother's house due to their recent homelessness, they find the closest motel through their GPS and shack up at a hippie commune.  Once living at his brother's house becomes unbearable, Rudd and Anniston decide to give the tree-huggers another go, and the rest of the film boils down to a series of hippie-related gags.

I really wish more of the jokes landed in this film because the few that work really work.  Paul Rudd's mirror scene is totally hilarious and the strong cast of familiar comic faces help to make this thinly plotted film enjoyable.  In a comedy like this I don't even really care that much about plot, as long as something resembling one is there to move the jokes forward; Wanderlust does have that at least.  The problem is that the good jokes are too few and far between - they really needed an Airplane! style, rapid fire joke assembly line.  I appreciate Aniston's recent foray into R-Rated comedies (she was also funny in Horrible Bosses) and there are some scattered moments of inspired material, but I doubt this film will live a life beyond playing in the background on Comedy Central for the next 10 years.

Rating: C

Predicting the 84th Academy Awards (EVERY CATEGORY) [UPDATED]

The biggest movie awards show is about to celebrate its 84th year on February 26; it's sure to be a night of celebrity ass-kissing and Hollywood back-deals, but it's still fun to speculate (for me anyway) and to get to  "root" for a particular favorite film or films.  For kicks, I'll post my predictions EVEN if I haven't seen any of the nominees, and maybe I'll go into who I want to win - but this is strictly business.  These are my bets, not my tastes or opinions of who or what should win (really, most of the movies/people I want to win aren't even nominated).

* = Haven't seen it...yet

[UPDATE: The actual winners will be highlighted under the nominations]


BEST PICTURE

The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

I Predict:  The Artist

Let's get this out of the way: 2011 was a pretty lackluster year for movies.  Sure in terms of technology and boundary-breaking techniques (sometimes literally with the addition of a third dimension) it was a notable year, but there just weren't many "powerhouse" releases like we've seen the past few years. Anyway, enough with that rant, based on what pretty much everyone is thinking, The Artist is going to take it home this year.  Especially considering the majority of the Academy is packed with old white guys that probably remember being there during the silent age, the current-era ode to 1920's American silent comedies has been the clear frontrunner for Best Picture.  If anything else wins it'll be a shocking evening.

BEST DIRECTOR

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

I Predict:  Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

As it typically goes the Academy hands this award to the Best Picture winner, so I'm going to say it'll be a very Artist evening.  This is a strong list of directors, but really what chance do Allen or Malick have?  There's a 99% probability that neither of them will even be in attendance so I was surprised to see them nominated at all.    Scorsese and Payne are solid runners up, but again, I'm imagining this will go hand-in-hand with Best Picture.

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners*
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

I Predict: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

This is a tough category.  Unlike the past few years, there no "that's the one" performance on the list (like in 2010 with Christoph Waltz).  I feel guilty even guessing seeing as I haven't seen 2 of the 5 films, but I think Christopher Plummer may take home the prize.  He's been in the biz a long time and has yet to get himself on Oscar, so I think he might win.  I loved Jonah Hill in Moneyball but there's no way in hell he will win.

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Mellisa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Knobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

I Predict:  Octavia Spencer, The Help

This seems like kind of an obvious one to me (but as always there's no telling what could happen).  Why Viola Davis isn't in this category but instead is nominated as a lead actress confuses me, and it's a shame because I think she would have beaten out her co-star.  I'm very happy that Mellisa McCarthy is nominated (even though she, like Jonah Hill, has no chance of winning), especially because comedic roles like that tend to get lost in the awards season shuffle.  

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Demian Bechir, A Better Life*
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

I Predict:  Jean Dujardin, The Artist

This is an incredibly difficult category to predict, as there are quite a few heavy hitters here.  I think Pitt doesn't stand a chance, and I have yet to experience A Better Life, but The Artist relied so heavily on Dujardin's performance and it's through his energy and silent film pinashe that even modern audiences don't get lost or bored with this dialogue-less movie.  But crap, then there's Gary Oldman, who could earn an Oscar similarly to Plummer in a "they've been in the business a long time and they deserve a trophy" fashion.

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Glenn Close, Albert Knobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady*
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

I Predict:  Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

This is another strong category this year, but I think the Academy will fall for The Iron Actress, Meryl Streep.  I personally want Michelle Williams to win, who is slowly becoming one of my favorite actresses working today.  She might have a chance considering the relatable era to the Academy voters (aka old dudes), but Streep is a award-sucking machine, and with Harvey Weinstein Oscar-campaigning extraordinaire behind her I think she'll have to make even more room on her mantlepiece.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

A Cat in Paris*
Chico and Rita*
Kung Fu Panda 2*
Puss in Boots*
Rango

I Predict:  Chico and Rita

This one's a little more difficult since I haven't seen most of the nominees (yet), and A Cat in Paris and Chico and Rita seem to be in a much different, more "indie" zone of animation.  Depending of the mood of the voters I think Rango is the frontrunner of the mainstream titles, but Chico and Rita, the more I hear about it, is supposed to be artistic and very well-made.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Artist, Guillaume Schiffman
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Jeff Cronenweth
Hugo, Robert Richardson
The Tree of Life, Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse, Janusz Kaminski

I Predict:  Hugo, Robert Richardson

Damn, 2011 was a year of amazing cinematography.  All 5 of these flicks deserve an award, this is a damn near impossible category to predict - but I'm still going to place my bet.  Why not Hugo?  It's beautifully shot AND it's the first 3D film from the legendary Martin Scorsese.  The movie blends the old with the new, which is right up the Academy's alley.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Bullhead*, Belgium
Monsieur Lazhar*, Canada
A Separation, Iran
Footnote*, Israel
In Darkness*, Poland

I Predict:  A Separation, Iran

A totally blind speculation but this one seems to be getting the most attention (plus it's nominated for Best Original Screenplay).  A Separation is the only foreign film on this list that I've seen; from what I hear Bullhead is supposed to be a "wild card" pick that likely won't win.

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

The Descendants
Hugo
Ides of March*
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*

I Predict:  Moneyball

Aaron Sorkin is a writing god.  He's practically a character in Moneyball and totally deserves an award for it.

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

The Artist
Bridesmaids
Margin Call*
Midnight in Paris
A Separation

I Predict:  A Separation

Maybe I'm crazy, but why should The Artist win for Best Original Screenplay?  There's no dialogue in the entire thing, and most of the magic came from the actors and the style.  The story was pretty much a carbon-copy of other silent films.  If you ask me, A Separation should and could win because the whole thing works because of its script.  Not knowing a word of Farsi, I still felt the impact of the words the characters spoke through the subtitles.  It might be a stretch to think the Academy would hand this off to a foreign picture, but I'll stick with it.

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

"Man or Muppet," from The Muppets
"Real in Rio," from Rio*

I Predict:  "Man or Muppet," The Muppets

This is like a joke category.  We all know The Muppets will win; it's kind of sad that there are only two songs "good enough" to be nominated.

ART DIRECTION

The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
War Horse

I Predict:  Hugo

Even though the "leading" film this year is The Artist, Hugo is still nominated in the most categories this year.  Clearly the Academy took a liking to the first kid-friendly Scorsese film, and I think it'll be in these smaller categories where it will win.

COSTUME DESIGN

Anonymous*
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre*
W.E.*

I Predict:  Jane Eyre

Every nominee in this category is a period piece - so what now?  I'll give it to Jane Eyre, it just seems like it's the type of thing aristocratic costume-people would faun over.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Hell and Back Again*
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front 1/2* (I never finished it on Netflix)
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory*
Pina*
Undefeated*

I Predict:  Pina

Don't know anything about most of these movies, so I'm going to go with the one I've heard of the most!  Clearly you're reading the words of a true authority figure on this.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

The Barber of Birmingham*
God is the Bigger Elvis*
Incident in New Baghdad*
Saving Face*
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom*

I Predict:  Incident in New Baghdad

I literally know nothing nor have heard one thing about any of these, but clearly the one about Baghdad is going to win.

FILM EDITING

The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 
Hugo
Moneyball

I Predict:  The Artist

I really am not an expert when it comes to these highly technical aspects of film, but The Artist really did have some pretty clever uses of editing (especially towards the end of the film).

MAKEUP

Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady*

I Predict: Albert Nobbs

I don't agree with this at all, but I do think Albert Nobbs will win.  Glen Close never looked more like a woman than when she was dressing up as a man in this film.

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
The Artist, Ludovic Bource
Hugo, Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*, Alberto Iglesias
War Horse, John Williams

I Predict:  The Artist, Ludovic Bource

The score is the only thing we hear the whole damn movie; it's hard to look past something like that.  I did find myself surprisingly enjoying Tintin's soundtrack, but I'm disappointed that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was not nominated.  Damn Academy.


SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

Dimache/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

I Predict:  La Luna

I actually have seen all of these shorts, and none of them were particularly spectacular.  La Luna was Pixar's entry and accordingly it was cute and clever as always.  A close contender might be The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, but despite high quality animation, I thought it was not at all good.  Wild Life is the most "artsy" (with each frame being an actual painting) and probably would win if this were a different awards show.

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

I Predict:  Raju

I've also seen all of these shorts as well; the live action shorts were so much better than the animated ones.  I personally enjoyed Time Freak the best, but it seemed too light and more likely to live a life on College Humor than to be awarded an Oscar.

SOUND EDITING

Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon*
War Horse 

I Predict:  Transformers: Dark of the Moon

I'm not going to pretend like I know the difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, but I do know that those big robots sound cool.  I'm probably stupid for not going with Hugo for the two sound categories...

SOUND MIXING

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon*
War Horse

I Predict:  Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Just look at that guy in the picture.  Looks like he knows what he's doing, look at his beard.

VISUAL EFFECTS

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel*
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon*

I Predict:  Rise of the Planet of the Apes

This movie really paves a step forward for legitimizing motion-capture technology.  Andy Serkis's performance is captured perfectly onto a big CGI monkey and transforms this cheese-territory b-movie into a grade-A summer blockbuster.

Well that's it.  Feel free to comment or whatever about who/what you think will win, and we can see how ridiculously off I was in every category!


[UPDATE: Yeah, ok.  I got 11 out of 24 right...I'm sorry - but I did at least get all the major categories right.  If I'm still blogging by this time next year, I promise I'll do better.]

Triple Review: Little People, Ghosts, and Nic Cage

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance:

I was very excited to see this movie.  Sure the first Ghost Rider sucked, and sure Nic Cage has recently been a harbinger for trash, but with the guys behind the Crank movies as the directors and with a script from David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, Dark Knight), I was expecting a totally awesome current-era Grindhouse adrenaline rush.  Although there are a few sequences in this film that do deliver on its promise of fiery demonic action, most of the acting is completely awful and the story is such a nonsensical waste of time that it ruins the fun.

Nic Cage may not be the most respected actor working today, but there's a certain subculture that has learned to harness his over-the-topness for their own entertainment.  I've recently jumped on this bandwagon, and it's only in Cage's few moments of "Cageiness" that work - everyone else either is bad at acting or has one of the worst roles of their career.  I don't even know if I can describe the story; I know it had something to do with Cage having to find a kid who has the potential to become a demon or something, so he has to stop him from being killed off by this bad guy (played by Ciaran Hinds).  I don't know, you shouldn't care about the plot anyway.

The overall style and handful of action scenes are solid enough for a film like this (I particularly liked the frenetic camera-work during the chase sequences), but the story isn't just bad or dumb, it doesn't even make sense.  Seriously, how hard is it to come up with an excuse for Ghost Rider to go around disintegrating bad guys?  Spirit of Vengeance could have been one of the best Marvel movies had it a solid story, but this is just frustratingly bad because unlike the first Ghost Rider, this has those few nuggets of awesomeness (most of which were shown in the trailer) that show this could have been something special.

Rating: C-

The Secret World of Arriety:

Studio Ghibli is the world renowned Japanese animation studio that has brought us films like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro.  I tend to enjoy their more "epic" efforts like Princess Monoke and Ponyo, but I decided to check this one out anyway despite knowing going in that this leaned more towards the kiddish, "Totoro" side of things.  The story, based off of The Borrowers, follows a tiny family that lives within the walls of a house unbeknownst to the owners.

I really enjoyed this film; I liked how everything in the "borrowers" world was in its proper perspective.  For instance, when they pour water or cry the water droplets are larger than what we would perceive them as.  The animation, although less detailed than the mega-budgeted 3D animated tales we normally see in theaters, was still as always beautiful to look at.  If you're into this kind of thing it's worth admission price for the animation alone.  I also liked that the film plays with some really dark, complex themes (including death and loss) despite only being rated G.

The problems I have with this film are the same ones I have with a lot of the other Ghibli films.  At times the characters can be too "cutesy" and sometimes due to the light plot sections of the film drag on a little too long.  I think if you've seen and enjoyed Ghibli's other movies you'll enjoy this one though, even if it's not their best.

Rating: B

The Woman in Black:

The latest in Hammer's "revival" period, also the first Post-Potter film for Daniel Radcliffe, The Woman in Black is complete crap.  Really, the entire thing exists for a few jump scares and almost nothing else.  I liked the costumes, the period details, and the set pieces, but there was no substance.  Nothing.  Check out Paranormal Activity or Insidious if you want a good ghost story, this is garbage!

Rating: D

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-

Triple Review: Iran, Action, and Autism

A Separation:

Recently this family drama from Iran has been sweeping up a ton of awards, having been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2012 Academy Awards (and won the Golden Globe for that category as well), ranked as number one on Roger Ebert's top movies of 2011, and was featured prominently on many top critics' lists.  I have to say, I had fairly high expectations going in; while it wasn't as mind-blowingly spectacular as I would've thought, A Separation is so well made on every level and grabbed my full attention beginning to end despite the fact that it took place in a very different culture, mostly consisted of people talking, and didn't have any big glamourous set pieces or striking visuals.

The film begins with an Iranian couple, Simin and Nader, attempting to file for divorce.  Simin wants to leave the country with their 11 year old daughter so she won't have to live in the country's current turmoil-ious state.  Nader, however, wants to stay in order to take care of his elderly father struggling with Alzheimer's.  They are unable to file the divorce, so Simin moves out with her parents.  To take care of his father, Nader hires a staunchly religious woman named Razieh - and from there things slowly start to spiral out of control.  I don't want to give anything away, but what results is sort of a side-less conflict where there is no real "protagonist" and makes the film seem very realistic and interesting.  Don't be alarmed because of the fact that it takes place in Iran.  Although there are many cultural differences between ourselves, the movie plays with a universal experience we all have: the blame game.

Any fans of ethical or family dramas won't want to miss out on seeing this movie (in fact it kind of reminded me of 2008's Doubt).  The film is so well written and well directed you'll be engrossed in this plot that may not sound intriguing on paper, but is just as tense as Mission Impossible without people dangling from the world's tallest building.

Rating: A-

Haywire:

Steven Soderbergh originally came up with the idea for this action flick watching Gina Carano in a televised MMA fight; keeping this in mind is important with Haywire, a film which showcases some intense, high-quality action, yet has a stale story.  The film basically takes the "Kill Bill" route in which Gina Carano's character, Mallory Kane, plows through a familiar-faced cast of men set out to kill her, including Ewan McGreggor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, and Antonio Banderas.  Also featured are Bill Paxton as Carano's father and Michael Douglas as a government agent also seeking the talents of Ms. Kane.

I loved most of the acting in the film, but Carano definitely doesn't seem like an "actor's actor." She kicks ass when it's time to kick ass, but every time she opens her mouth it's just too robotic and awkward.  I suppose you could liken her to a female version of Schwarzenegger or Eastwood (neither of whom have shown a wide range of emotions), but I still think it's a bad sign when Channing Tatum is out-acting you in a movie.  That being said, the action is amazing and is worth admission.  You're not going to get big and flashy "Mission Impossible" level stunt work, but I haven't seen better hand-to-hand combat in a [somewhat] mainstream movie since Kill Bill Vol. 1.  The camera doesn't move very much during these sequences and all music is cut out, leaving each punch, kick and jab feeling more brutal than the last.  This isn't "fun" action, this is "holy shit she's hurting this guy extremely badly" action.

Haywire definitely has that distinct "Soderbergh flair," and it's nice to see a genre movie handled by such an accomplished dude. The script is lacking which makes some of the slower parts of the film kind of a slog, but the action is badassery at its gloriest (not sure if those are words).  What I'm saying is go see it if you'd normally like this kind of thing (plus it has a great soundtrack!).

Rating: B

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close:

Shock and awe!  Nobody on this side of The Twilight Zone ever thought this would be one of the nominees at this year's Academy Awards, yet here we are.  This sentimental story about an autistic child coping with his father's death from 9/11 has been getting some pretty scathing reviews from critics, but that just goes to show the Academy doesn't care about popular opinions!  They do what they want, however way it pleases them (like snubbing Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Elizabeth Olsen, and anything having to do with 50/50).  Extremely Loud follows Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) on his journey throughout New York City to uncover one last "mission" he believes his father (Tom Hanks) sent him on.  While reminiscing about his dad by sniffing his jackets (yup, that was as awkward in the movie as you think), he clumsily breaks a randomly tucked away blue vase.  Inside the vase is a key in a small envelope with only the word 'black' written on it.  The following movie is his search, against all odds, at finding the meaning behind this key to possibly uncover something about his father (by going to each and every person named 'Black' in the city).

The film does have some great isolated moments, especially coming from Sandra Bullock playing Oskar's mom and Max Von Sydow, playing an old man who eventually accompanies him during his quest.  The main problem though is that Oskar, as mean as it may sound, is god damn annoying.  I know he's supposed to have a mental disorder but for such an unsympathetic character to try and get my sympathies is asking too much.  We're supposed to feel "cutesy" and go along with him but personally I found it taxing how he would treat other people.  I was genuinely interested in the film though, and I did in fact want to see how the "key" story resolved.  Perhaps if the Oskar character was re-handled or if the overall tone was rehandled...or maybe it's because of Thomas Horne's inexperience with acting (having only been on Jeopardy! before this)....who the hell knows.  I just know somewhere, somehow all the cogs aren't turning, but there are glimmers of a much better film in there.

Rating: C+

Double Review: War Horse and Dragon Tattoo

These movies came out almost a month ago, so I apologize for the lateness and possible irrelevance of these reviews!

War Horse:

War Horse was one of two Steven Spielberg movies to come out this holiday (the other being the motion-captured Adventures of Tintin).  Set during WWI, the story is separated into different vignettes following a very "special" horse, raised by a teenager who looks like he's in his twenties named Albert (Jeremy Irvine).  Albert trains Joey up from a drunken auction mistake to a magical plow-pulling majestic creature.  I don't want to induce spoilers or anything, but basically Albert and Joey become separated due to the war and this 2 1/2 hour epic shows the horse's journey through the war and eventually, hopefully (but come on, you know the answer already), back into the hands of his human companion.

As good as that may sound this film was really not one of Spielberg's greatest films, even in comparison to Tintin.  First off, the main character is totally uninteresting and bland; in this sense War Horse had the same problem I had with Tintin in that the lead character was sort of a blank slate and it was only the side characters that had any real personality.  Right off the bat we see Albert peering through a fence, falling in love with the horses, but none of the bonding or affection is really earned.  As opposed to How to Train Your Dragon, although that was an animated film, I felt a much stronger connection between Hiccup and his dragon Toothless than this kid and his horse.  One complaint I see in many reviews that I'd have to agree with is the very phony and cheeseball emotionality to the movie.  Unless you're the type of person who walks into a theater prepared with tissues in hand, War Horse has far too many eye-rolling moments.  The way Albert talks to his horse, the John Williams score (which on its own is great, but maybe it's too good of a score for this movie), and the overall "safe," family-friendly tone of the film undermines its story, themes, and WWI itself - which is surprising coming from the guy who gave us Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List, both of which were unflinching portraits of their time.  In War Horse there's no blood or anything like that, in fact inside the actual trenches the characters talk about a girl back home, not seeming even remotely terrified that bombs are going off around them.  There are a handful of weird illogical moments like that throughout the film which I don't understand.

To be fair, this was based off of a children's story, so I guess the whole "fairy tale" approach is somewhat appropriate (having not read the original book I can't make any comments about that), but still something just felt very disingenuous about it.  That's not to say I hated the film; aside from the lead actor I thought the cast was very good.  I also liked the episodic nature of the movie - the different places, people, and scenarios that play out centering around the horse are somewhat entertaining, even though in the end all the pieces don't fit perfectly together.  By far the best aspect of the movie has to be the cinematography by Janusz Kaminski, who has shot most of Spielberg's movies including Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan.  Kaminski gives the film a very classic Hollywood epic feel, and especially towards the end and during some of the battle scenes I couldn't help but think of Gone With the Wind.  Also, the sheer madness it must have taken to train and "direct" the horses must have been incredibly difficult.  There are a few moments where you can tell a CGI horse was used, but for the most part I'm assuming it's real horse action you're getting.  So if you cry easily you may enjoy this overly-sappy flick, but otherwise all you're getting is a well-shot, polished horse turd.

Rating: C

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo:

At this point I'm really starting to get sick of this story.  I read the book a little while back, I saw the Swedish movie in theaters not even a year ago: I'm a little burned out on this thriller which isn't exactly uplifting or the type of thing you want to repeatedly revisit.  However, this film had one of the best movie trailers of last year and I was wondering what the second team up between David Fincher and composers Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross would bring to the table.  The story is basically about a reporter named Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) who is accused of libel against some corrupt businessman Hans-Erik Wennerström (but that's apparently not super important according to this adaptation because it's only briefly mentioned in a segment so fast paced if you're not fully focused you'll have missed it).  Eventually Blomkvist is summoned to a remote part of Sweden in an attempt to solve a 40-year mystery involving a girl, Harriet Vanger, who went missing.  While this is happening we're introduced to Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a mohawk-sporting computer hacker who eventually begins to work on the case alongside Blomkvist.  That's Dragon Tattoo in a nutshell.

As expected, this adaptation of the Stieg Larsson book is definitely the more flashy and fast-paced version of the two.  Right off the bat there is a very Bond-like opening credits sequence that is a little jarring, happening not a millisecond after the first dialogue exchange, but still very cool.  The film is very well-made and the pace is extremely fast, even for a 2 1/2 hour movie.  For some reason I did not think the score for this movie, although it was very atmospheric, added as much to the total experience as The Social Network's; maybe it's just because we're not used to seeing people programming set to hard electronic music.  But speaking of The Social Network, Fincher's Dragon Tattoo also manages to somehow make computer-work interesting.  I don't know what it is, but the way Lisbeth and Blomkvist are captured researching and discovering new things never managed to break my interest, and I liked how the computer technicalities seemed very rooted in reality (for instance Lisbeth uses keyboard shortcuts, etc - it's just those little details that I appreciate).  But by far the best thing about this film is Rooney Mara's performance.  She brought the right amount of "female power" to the role, while also adding a subtle layer of vulnerability.  

That being said, I really couldn't get myself to care about this story anymore.  I knew exactly what was going to happen so I don't know if it's even appropriate that I review it.  Although it strays farther from the book than the Swedish film, this is much more stylish and some of the changes that were made actually make more sense than what's in the novel.  I don't know what to tell you - I don't even know if this is still in theaters so go ahead and check it out on DVD or Blu-ray, or whatever.  Fuck it, do what you want.

Rating : B

Pwaters' Top Ten Films of 2011

2012 is here and it's time to look back at the past...unfortunately if you look at 2011's movies you'll reach a bit of a dry spell.  I picked these ten flicks out and put them in order because that's just what is expected out of a movie review blog, but besides the top few movies, none of the films on my list came to me as "obvious" choices.  Unlike the past few years I didn't have "the one" jump right out at me.  But anyway, here it is, my favorite films of 2011 (and I emphasize my because I'm betting some people will cry about the exclusion of Hugo and Drive, both of which I find fine and dandy, but also to be highly overrated). And keep in mind I'm not perfect and I haven't seen every single movie that came out this year (who knows, maybe Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star could have been a brilliant piece of artistry).  So without further bullshitting, here's #10:

10.  Hanna
(Dir. Joe Wright)

Atonement director Joe Wright reunites with Saoirse Ronan (aka The Lovely Bones' rape victim) for this action thriller framed as a kind of modern fairy tale.  Ronan plays the titular character, who, trained by her father (Eric Bana) in isolation for years in the wilderness of Finland, is now being sought after by the government.  What results is more or less an hour-and-a-half cat and mouse chase filled with some great action and a perfectly electric soundtrack from The Chemical Brothers.  Told from the perspective of this sheltered little girl (granted, a little girl with the killer instincts of an assassin), Wright does a solid job conveying her naivety and how she is experiencing the outside world for the first time.

9.  Contagion
(Dir. Steven Soderbergh)

Any germophobes out there will want to stay far away from this clinically-told doomsday story.  We've seen so many end of the world movies that are either really flashy or are extremely grungy and depressing, but Contagion is not super cinematic in that way: it's an almost textbook depiction of how a deadly global virus would spread and how that would affect us.  Through an ensemble cast and a stylish (or in this case almost anti-stylish) vision from Steven Soderbergh, this is an unsettling portrait of an epidemic that seems all too real.

8.  Source Code
(Dir. Duncan Jones)

Ok, so I've re-watched this film a few times, and after many attempts to logically work through the plot I found that there's no way the film can possibly make sense with the details we are given - that being said it's still a great movie considering I cared enough to go through all that trouble just to figure that out (please debate me if you "found" the formula that makes it work).  Much in the same vein as last year's Inception, Source Code is somewhat of a thinking man's action/sci-fi flick starring Jake Gyllenhaal, aka Heath Ledger's butt buddy from Brokeback Mountain.  Essentially, Donnie Darko wakes up in this metal contraption and being a soldier, must follow orders and repeatedly go back in time in an attempt to stop a train from blowing up.  I found this movie to be very Hitchcock-ian and seemed heavily influenced by The Twilight Zone, having a simple "hook" but with complex results.

7.  Moneyball
(Dir.  Bennett Miller)

I would have never thought that this would be on my list, but Moneyball resonated with me and somehow managed to make baseball nerdy (in a cool way).  Written by Aaron Sorkin, the film definitely has a "Social Network" vibe going on, with plenty of smart dialogue.  Brad Pitt co-stars with Jonah Hill, who surprisingly turns out a performance on par with the Award Winning super-hunk.  This movie is really about how Pitt's character, Billy Bean, changed the game of baseball forever and I, someone who typically finds sports to be uninteresting, was completely fascinated by this story.

6.  The Muppets
(Dir. James Bobin)

This is a film made for Muppets fans everywhere.  Harking back to the glorious moments of the past while creating new Muppets memories for a future generation: I think the difficult balancing act was pulled off by all involved and I hope this paves the way for future Muppet projects.  Don't know what else to say about this film - it's got it all: great music, humor, and Chris Cooper rapping like a jackass.

5.  50/50

(Dir. Jonathan Levine)

Loosely based upon the real life story of 50/50's screenwriter Will Reiser, the film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young twenty-something who is suddenly diagnosed with cancer.  With the help of his best friend and his inexperienced therapist (played by Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick), he has to learn to cope with the shit hand life has dealt him.  This film stands out to me because I've never seen a picture like this told from the perspective of young adults.  The movie is touching, funny, and heartfelt in all the right places and was probably the closest I came to crying at a movie this year.  Based on box office dollar signs this movie did pretty poorly, so for whatever reason you decided not to check it out, do yourself a favor and scout out this flick.

4.  Young Adult
(Dir. Jason Reitman)

Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody's second team-up is my favorite of either of their works so far.  Charlize Theron's character in Young Adult, Mavis Gary, is one of the most fascinating of the year, and Patton Oswalt acts as a mirror image to her in another strong performance I never saw coming.  Mavis is the ghost-writer of a popular young adult series that is nearing its end.  She returns home in an effort to win back her high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson), even though he is married with a baby.  Theron is playing a real sociopath here, and the way the script slowly reveals her "scars" is thoughtful and very true-to-life.  The film may not be the flashiest on my list and might be a tough sell to a mass audience, but in terms of character-driven storytelling, I found this to be a fantastic film.

3.  Rango
(Dir. Gore Verbinski)

Not only is Rango a great animated film, but it's also a solid western, live-action or otherwise.  The story follows a nameless chameleon who incidentally claims the role of sheriff in a dusty, critter-laden western town.  Taking odes from Chinatown and old cowboy flicks a la Leone and Ford, Rango is exciting in all the right ways.  The characters are not the smiling, happy animals found in Dreamworks or Pixar pictures - these are unusual looking, butt-ugly creatures.  The story is typical but with the combination of a unique setting, a fine performance by Johnny Depp (who "acted out" the entirety of the movie on a set, for animators to animate later), cool characters, and an action scene involving bats with gatling guns, this is a kids film you can leave the kids at home to see.

2.  Rise of the Planet of the Apes
(Dir. Rupert Wyatt)

I, along with many others, was excepting this film to be the biggest bomb of the summer.  The Planet of the Apes was not exactly the franchise we all were hoping to be reinvigorated, but surprisingly this prequel/re-invention of the Apes mythos was genuinely one of the best sci-fi/action experiences this summer season had to offer.  Currently Andy Serkis's motion-captured performance of Caesar is garnering whispers of a possible Oscar-nod, and I seriously think he should be recognized; the man makes a good monkey.  The movie limits most of the humans to "side character" status, which places the apes front and center.  Because of this, "Rise" is a very visual film relying on Caesar and the other monkeys' body language to communicate.  Also, the final action set piece on the Golden Gate Bridge might be my favorite action scene of the year (with a close second being the Burj Khalifa scene in Ghost Protocol).

1.  The Skin I Live In

(Dir. Pedro Almodovar)

There were next to no good horror films in 2011, but The Skin I Live In is probably as close as it gets (besides maybe Contagion).  The film can be squeamish at times, but it's told with great style and direction by Pedro Almodovar, and is probably the best work Antonio Banderas has been involved in recently (besides voicing the Nasonex bee of course).  To delve into the plot would be a disservice to the film so I'll spare you the details; it's really best to go in fresh and be shocked and appalled at the twists and turns.  Just know going in that if you can't appreciate fucked up psycho-sexual quasi-horror stories stay away, but otherwise this is a must-see for all film fans.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

I hope you enjoyed reading this top ten at least a little bit -- and please feel free to chime in with your thoughts and opinions!  Is there a movie that I criminally didn't check out this year, or is there a pick of mine that you are completely disgusted with?  I welcome any comments and/or debates to be had!  Have a happy new year - we can all only hope 2012 doesn't suck as hard (I think I'm gonna stick around John Cusack in the latter portion of the year).

And here's a quick list of the films that I repeatedly keep seeing on "top" lists but I was not able to check out (* at my house via Netflix):  Shame, The Guard, Win Win*, Another Earth*, Beginners, A Separation, Melancholia, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, We Need to Talk About Kevin, War Horse, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo...and probably many others.