Monthly Archives: October 2012

This is what happens when you watch too many movies and you don’t have time to write out your thoughts about them. Even when I’m taking some self-imposed breaks from blogging, I’m still watching the hell out of my rentals. My Netflix subscription is still paying up dividends. So instead of writing individual posts for these mostly good titles (some actually excellent), I’ll just knock out my two cents buffet style, all you can eat!

In other words, these are quicker Quick Takes.

Project Nim (2011)
Enlightening, absorbing documentary about an chimp’s upbringing in a human household in the 70′s. The purpose of this controversial experiment was to prove that a chimpanzee can communicate like a human if raised and nurtured as if it were a human child. The results are both unsettling and highly revealing. B+

Friends with Kids (2012)
A pretty decent comedy-drama that boasts a large cast of talented actors in roles suitably tailored to their strengths. Writer/Director Jennifer Westfeldt has a strong ear for dialogue that resonates. B-

American Reunion (2012)
A sequel that I anticipated but walked away feeling ambivalent about it. For one, it was great to see everyone. I’m a fan of the first two American Pie films (Wedding was meh), but was a bit disappointed that they didn’t bring back the funny. Still, nostalgia counts for something. But is it enough? C+

Wanderlust (2012)
I just love Paul Rudd. Every time I look at this guy, I laugh. He’s naturally funny to me. Wanderlust succeeds mostly because of him and his terrific supporting cast, including Joe Lo Truglio, Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston (as pleasant as I’ve seen her in years). Director David Wain has serious editing issues, as usual, but the laughs are there. B

Haywire (2012)
A wonderful surprise. Haywire is a spare, exciting thriller that flies completely under the radar. It’s like a hulking summer blockbuster that doesn’t feel the need to draw attention to itself. Gina Carrano (a terrific discovery) kicks Michael Fassbender’s ass, screws Channing Tatum, pummels Ewan McGregor and walks away virtually unscathed. Soderbergh’s most enjoyable film in years. A-

Paper Man (2010)
I sought this out for one reason and one reason only: Jeff Daniels. After his blistering performance in The Newsroom this summer, I wanted more of him. I just want Jeff Daniels all the time! But… not in movies like this one. Slow, too offbeat for its own good, and not weighty enough to be taken seriously, Paper Man is a misfire despite the presence of Daniels, Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone. A waste. D+

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012)
McGregor again (I can watch this guy every week, ya know?), this time as a contractor (of sorts) who arranges to transport salmon from his country to the desert at the behest of a rich sheik. Emily Blunt is the consultant who helps make it happen and, of course, romance ensues. I love the tone of the film, the display of faith and how these people attempt to fulfill their dreams against the odds. The romance part? Meh. Didn’t feel quite right. But it’s an unusually charming little film. B-

The Hunger Games (2012)
I had no desire to see this one for a long time. I gave it a shot during an overlong commute and just dug the hell out of it. A film told with surprising depth and skill (by Gary Ross, a filmmaker I’ve admired for years). Jennifer Lawrence raised eyebrows with her Oscar-nominated performance in Winter’s Bone, which was a decent film, but her talent is on a much broader display in this action-packed, visceral thriller. After the trashy cinematic treatment of the Twilight films, young adult readers should be very pleased with this adaptation. B+

The Grey (2012)
Another thriller that had me firmly in its grip. Liam Neeson’s amazing transformation from character actor to action star continues with stunning results. The Grey is simple, straight-forward and does not pretend to be more than what you see. I had a blast watching these characters get picked off, one by one in typical horror film fashion, until we reached the startling conclusion where I found myself completely frozen in terror. It still sits with me to this day. A-

Bernie (2012)
One of the best films of the year, and that comes as a huge surprise for me. I had no desire to see this film when it was released. The truth is, I knew nothing about the film and Jack Black never really impressed me. I blindly gave it a shot and not a minute was wasted in this sublimely entertaining character piece from the ever-versatile Richard Linklater. It helps when you have no clue who Bernie Tiede is. I was drawn into this delightfully absurd true story of a man who charms the hell out of everyone in Carthage, TX. But one guy, as played with gusto by Matthew McConaughey, does not like him one bit. It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen from Jack Black; his performance alone makes Bernie something really special. A

Arbitrage (2012)
Man, Richard Gere is aging so well. He’s fantastic in this slow-burn thriller about a morally bankrupt magnate whose world comes crumbling down. Can he keep it together? You wonder as you watch Gere snake his way out of shady business dealings, an affair, an accidental death, and a falling empire in which he built. The supporting cast (including Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Nate Parker and Brit Marling — all outstanding) gives the film a lot more layers than you’d expect. Wonderfully done. B+

I Don’t Know How She Does It (2011)
My wife – a fan of these types of rom coms – had this on the TV while we were folding laundry one night. I had no desire to see it. Ever. But she had the remote and she was in control. So what happened? Well, we finished folding the clothes and yet we continued to watch the film. I was inexplicably drawn to it. I kept saying to myself — you are not supposed to like this, dammit!! And screw it all to hell, I did like it. It was earnest, charming and good-natured. Its blandness actually worked for it, not against. I don’t know how it did it, but this one kinda worked for me. B-

Get the Gringo (2012)
Oh, Mel. You are still a charming, crazy-eyed presence in films these days. You still have that movie star charisma. But your taste in projects lately (The Beaver notwithstanding – I actually dug that flick) has left me cold. Get the Gringo is absurd, nonsensical (it takes place in a prison… that doubles as a shopping mall) and is just oddly flat. It was noisy and people got beat up real good, but ya know, sometimes that’s just not good enough. C

A Separation (2011)
A grueling, emotional drama in which a couple’s marital separation evolves into a complex web of misunderstandings, guilt and controlled anger. This superb Iranian drama gives us a peek into the lives of deeply religious people who only want to do what’s right. Heartbreaking stuff. A

The Raid: Redemption (2012)
The plotless Indonesian thriller has major, major cajones. It’s one of the most propulsively violent films I have ever seen. I don’t enjoy violence for the sake of violence, but director Gareth Evans brings us a unique vision that makes his violence appear balletic in nature. He is the next generation’s John Woo. This dazzling display is certainly hollow inside, but man, it’s a thing of beauty. B+

I love this guy. Always have. Even when he was playing Tommy Solomon in the kitschy sitcom Third Rock From the Sun, I thought the kid had tremendous talent. I’ve followed him through his whole movie career, blown away by his daring choices (Mysterious Skin, Brick) and charmed by his affable presence (as noted on SNL, in 500 Days of Summer). I just showcased 10 Things I Hate About You this week, my favorite teen comedy that happens to feature Gordon-Levitt at his most endearing.

Needless to say, Gordon-Levitt is hitting the big time these days. By a simple twist of fate, I had the pleasure of seeing three of his latest works in the span of a very short time. Sure, one of them sucked hairy monkey balls, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt still remains a force to be reckoned with.

**LOTS OF SPOILERS BELOW!**

Premium Rush (2012)
Written by David Koepp and John Kamps | Directed by David Koepp

In Premium Rush, Gordon-Levitt plays a New York City bike messenger who gets caught up in a bit of a kerfuffle. A valuable ticket needs to be messengered from uptown to downtown and there’s a shady cop (Michael Shannon) looking to retrieve it in order to settle his own gambling addiction. The plot is hackneyed and really corny (it involves the illegal transportation of an Asian kid across the sea) and the ticket only serves as a MacGuffin. It’s a plot device orchestrated for the mere purpose of filming a bunch of athletic people on a bike in Manhattan. It’s a good thing Koepp films these sequences with a sense of urgency and a great amount of humor. The film runs at a brisk 100 minutes and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Shannon has his fun moments as the crooked cop with a crazy temper, but it’s really Gordon-Levitt’s show. He makes a convincing action star.

Hesher (2011)
Written by Spencer Susser and David Michod | Directed by Spencer Susser

Joseph Gordon-Levitt also makes an interesting asshole, as personified in Hesher, an ugly drama about a broken family who gets a surprise when a homeless drifter crashes their house and wakes them up from their mournful stupor. This setup alone makes it so impossible to care about what happens in this film. I just cannot buy this sort of thing ever happening anywhere. Ever! He plays an obnoxious half-naked stoner with nuggets of wisdom (“You lost your wife. You lost your mom. I lost my nut.”) and this family just lets him hang around. I know they’ve suffered a terrible loss but neither of them were lobotomized and should still be able to avoid making ridiculously careless decisions.

Then there’s Natalie Portman popping up as a nerdy, simple young woman who connects with both the dopey kid as well the aggressively arrogant Hesher. Her character was introduced as a sort of major player in the beginning of the film but then became nothing more than just a plot device to drive the kid apart from Hesher during the third act, which the writers then knew they had to figure out a way for Hesher to make a grand exit so the family can be “whole” again.

I admire Gordon-Levitt’s complete metamorphosis here; he plays against type very well and shows tremendous range as an actor. It’s just a shame that the character is so poorly written (as is the rest of the film).

Looper (2012)
Written and Directed by Rian Johnson

Now, when Joseph Gordon-Levitt gets involved with a great writer/director in a high concept thriller (see also: Inception), not surprisingly he fits right in. He’s fantastic and barely recognizable as young Joe, a selfish loner who gets paid a lot of money to kill people from the future. When his future self, old Joe (Bruce Willis), arrives to young Joe’s present to do some major course correction, young Joe is conflicted. Should he stop his future self from wreaking havoc with his life or trust his own future instincts?

Time travel is one of my favorite components in a story, whether it drives films (Back to the Future), TV shows (Lost) or novels (The Time Traveler’s Wife). I’ve always thrived on picking apart the complexities of such a fantastical concept. Looper is right up my alley. Rian Johnson has crafted a fresh, exciting tale that’s not just about time travel. It’s really a film about choices and how people change over time. There’s very little of actual traveling through time. Looper is a smart thriller where the bad guy gets killed off-screen; it’s not bound by the conventions of your average storytelling. Joe, in both incarnations, is a good person and a bad one. Young Joe tries to protect Emily Blunt’s kid; the older Joe – driven by a rageful vengeance – tries to kill him. It’s all heady, thoughtful stuff.

Back to Gordon-Levitt. The makeup is a distraction at first. But after several minutes, it was no longer an issue. I bought his character; Joseph Gordon-Levitt became Young Joe. I was completely sold on the fact that he and Bruce Willis were one and the same. Remember when Eric Stoltz donned that horrible face in Mask back in 1985? It’s the same visceral reaction: when it was over, I had to remind myself that I was watching Eric Stoltz. For Looper, Gordon-Levitt delivered a really beautiful, subtle performance here, another reminder that he’s one of his generation’s best actors.

Premium Rush: B-
Hesher: D
Looper: A-

Chronicle (2012)

Written by Max Landis
Directed by Josh Trank

The superhero genre has grown exponentially in the past decade. We’ve seen countless comic book adaptations and their sequels, all with various degrees of success and failure. It’s easy to fall into superhero fatigue, especially at the end of every summer.

But this one bucked the trend a little bit. Chronicle is a clever, fun parable about a group of kids who discover something ominous underground and walk away with powers beyond their wildest dreams. It’s what they do with these powers that makes Chronicle a stand out. Kids being kids, they pull pranks, show off and use their newfound skills for self-gain. But how far is too far? The film insightfully explores this dark territory, giving our characters surprising emotional depth and clarity. The film took risks and I admired the hell out of Landis’s terrific script and Trank’s sensitive handling of it.

The cast is mostly unknown, except for Michael B. Jordan (as Steve) who is popular in my home having starred in TV’s Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. There’s no weak link here, as each actor is given the ability to shine.

Chronicle is fresh and fun, the perfect antidote to shake off some of that superhero fatigue.

A-