Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Capsule Reviews 2013
REVIEW: Blue Jasmine ****
A woman married to a wealthy business executive finds her life unraveling when she discovers his shady dealings and philandering. She sets out to rebuild her life, while staying with her working-class sister, but struggles to adjust. Superb performances by Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins help make this one of Woody Allen's best recent releases.
REVIEW: Captain Phillips ****
Intense, suspense-building story of Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks) and his crew combating a take over of their cargo ship by Somali pirates in 2009. The film provides us with a battle of wits between Phillips and the pirate's captain Muse (played with an occasional flash of humor by Barkhad Abdi), who takes to calling his counterpart "Irish." Done with an almost documentary style, much like his "United 93," director Paul Greengrass again brings the audience along on a realistic yet incredible ride. Tom Hanks hasn't been this good in a very long time, probably not since at least "Road to Perdition" in 2002.
REVIEW: Curse of Chucky **
Chucky returns to take revenge on a family he has held a grudge against for many years. As far as Direct-to-DVD titles go, this is actually pretty decent. Director Don Mancini, the creator of the franchise, opts more for suspense before playing up the gore. Some developments are predictable, and there are a few one-liners thrown in that don't quite work (though one victim predicts fate by saying "see you in the morning... at the cemetery"), but fans of the series will likely be surprised that this isn't bargain-basement quality. You could do worse for your Halloween-season horror viewing than to rent/download/stream/ whatever this installment.
REVIEW: Elysium **
Heavy-handed allegory where a future sees the haves enjoying their own space station away from the have-nots. The effects are good and Damon makes an easy-to-like hero. On the other hand, Foster's villainous Defense Secretary character is sort of a dead-end and the whole thing ends up feeling like countless other sci-fi action movies.
REVIEW: Gravity ****
Involving, well-crafted story of the struggle of space engineers to survive after their work is interrupted by a catastrophic strike from debris. Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) finds herself basically alone in space, with only the reassuring presence of the more experienced astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) to guide her through the harrowing experience of trying to find a way back to Earth's surface. Once everything goes haywire, she must race time or face the real possibility of never getting back. Superb performance from Bullock, with Clooney likable as her guiding voice.
REVIEW: Pacific Rim **½
Humans fight giant bug-like aliens while manning huge machine gear in this exciting, if a bit cliche, action story. Technically impressive, as it should be -- coming from "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Hellboy" director Guillermo Del Toro.
REVIEW: Prisoners ***½
Intense, well-acted thriller stars Hugh Jackman as a man who becomes unhinged when his daughter is abducted and the law (represented here in the form of a detective played by Jake Gyllenhaal) seems slow in its investigation. In his frustration, Jackman takes the law into his own hands under the assumption that a particular suspect is guilty. If the third act, which reveals some answers to what happened, seems a bit too neat it is largely because of the escalating tension built through the rest of the film.
A woman married to a wealthy business executive finds her life unraveling when she discovers his shady dealings and philandering. She sets out to rebuild her life, while staying with her working-class sister, but struggles to adjust. Superb performances by Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins help make this one of Woody Allen's best recent releases.
REVIEW: Captain Phillips ****
Intense, suspense-building story of Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks) and his crew combating a take over of their cargo ship by Somali pirates in 2009. The film provides us with a battle of wits between Phillips and the pirate's captain Muse (played with an occasional flash of humor by Barkhad Abdi), who takes to calling his counterpart "Irish." Done with an almost documentary style, much like his "United 93," director Paul Greengrass again brings the audience along on a realistic yet incredible ride. Tom Hanks hasn't been this good in a very long time, probably not since at least "Road to Perdition" in 2002.
REVIEW: Curse of Chucky **
Chucky returns to take revenge on a family he has held a grudge against for many years. As far as Direct-to-DVD titles go, this is actually pretty decent. Director Don Mancini, the creator of the franchise, opts more for suspense before playing up the gore. Some developments are predictable, and there are a few one-liners thrown in that don't quite work (though one victim predicts fate by saying "see you in the morning... at the cemetery"), but fans of the series will likely be surprised that this isn't bargain-basement quality. You could do worse for your Halloween-season horror viewing than to rent/download/stream/ whatever this installment.
REVIEW: Elysium **
Heavy-handed allegory where a future sees the haves enjoying their own space station away from the have-nots. The effects are good and Damon makes an easy-to-like hero. On the other hand, Foster's villainous Defense Secretary character is sort of a dead-end and the whole thing ends up feeling like countless other sci-fi action movies.
REVIEW: Gravity ****
Involving, well-crafted story of the struggle of space engineers to survive after their work is interrupted by a catastrophic strike from debris. Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) finds herself basically alone in space, with only the reassuring presence of the more experienced astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) to guide her through the harrowing experience of trying to find a way back to Earth's surface. Once everything goes haywire, she must race time or face the real possibility of never getting back. Superb performance from Bullock, with Clooney likable as her guiding voice.
REVIEW: Pacific Rim **½
Humans fight giant bug-like aliens while manning huge machine gear in this exciting, if a bit cliche, action story. Technically impressive, as it should be -- coming from "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Hellboy" director Guillermo Del Toro.
REVIEW: Prisoners ***½
Intense, well-acted thriller stars Hugh Jackman as a man who becomes unhinged when his daughter is abducted and the law (represented here in the form of a detective played by Jake Gyllenhaal) seems slow in its investigation. In his frustration, Jackman takes the law into his own hands under the assumption that a particular suspect is guilty. If the third act, which reveals some answers to what happened, seems a bit too neat it is largely because of the escalating tension built through the rest of the film.
2013 Reviews Part One
REVIEW: All is Lost ***Worthwhile, if a bit too solitary, tale of survival at sea. Robert Redford gives a sturdy (and nearly-wordless) performance in a physically demanding role. Some of the visuals are striking, such as when we see schools of fish under the life raft Redford uses. Nevertheless, there is an element of emotion missing until late in the film, when the situation has finally led to a realization of doomed fate closing in. Still, it is an interesting time spent with one man fighting against the odds in an uncontrollable environment.
REVIEW: Frozen ****After a fairly disappointing year for animation, compared to recent times, we have a real winner in "Frozen." Taken from Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale "The Snow Queen," it is centered on a pair of sisters torn apart when the elder sister Elsa (Idina Menzel) accidentally hurts the younger Anna (Kristen Bell) using her ice-manipulating magic ability while the two play.
Their parents are told by a wise wilderness troll that Elsa's powers must be kept under control, which leads to her nearly total isolation from everyone else for fear that her power would be destructive. Increasingly lonely and frustrated by these circumstances, made worse by the death of their parents, Anna sees an opportunity to try to make up for lost time when Elsa's coronation ceremony occurs.
Unfortunately, an argument over a young man's proposal sets off a chain of events, leading to Elsa fleeing to the mountains and leaving the kingdom under an icy eternal winter. Not one to give up Anna follows, determined to make things right. Along the way, she encounters a man named Kristof (Jonathan Groff), his sidekick reindeer Sven and a lovably goofy snowman called Olaf (Josh Gad). This delightful animated musical was directed by Chris Buck (1999's "Tarzan" and 2007's "Surf's Up") and Jennifer Lee (2012's "Wreck-It-Ralph"), with music by Christophe Beck and songs by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Don't miss it!
REVIEW: Still Mine ***½
Craig Morrison and his wife, Irene, have been married for 61 years.
They live a comfortable life together, but Irene is increasingly ill
from the onset of Alzheimer's Disease. After a series of events, Craig
decides to build a new house on their 12-acre property that can
accommodate his wife's needs. But there is a problem.
The local building authorities inform Morrison that he needs a permit to build on his own property. His initial reaction is incredulous, but he plays along and pays the $400 anyway. He continues to build. Before long, the regulators come back to tell him he is violating their code standards. He must submit blueprints for his plans. Again, he plays along, but doesn't stop creating his new home. There isn't time, the reasoning goes. His wife isn't getting better.
Eventually, Craig is brought into court for these violations. He has already pleaded with these people, showing them he has experience building, and even having the new place inspected. All to no avail. So now it is up to a court to send him to jail or allow him to keep the new home he has built.
James Cromwell, best known for his Oscar-nominated role as the kindly farmer in "Babe" (1995), gives an affecting performance as the aging husband trying to make sense of an awful situation. Genevieve Bujold also is lovely as his increasingly suffering wife. They both play their roles realistically, and without succumbing to the trap of sentimentalizing their circumstances.
The film, directed and written by Michael McGowan, reminds us that life doesn't necessarily get easier in old age, and that a true bond can remain strong through even the toughest trials. It is worth seeking out at your local cinema.
The local building authorities inform Morrison that he needs a permit to build on his own property. His initial reaction is incredulous, but he plays along and pays the $400 anyway. He continues to build. Before long, the regulators come back to tell him he is violating their code standards. He must submit blueprints for his plans. Again, he plays along, but doesn't stop creating his new home. There isn't time, the reasoning goes. His wife isn't getting better.
Eventually, Craig is brought into court for these violations. He has already pleaded with these people, showing them he has experience building, and even having the new place inspected. All to no avail. So now it is up to a court to send him to jail or allow him to keep the new home he has built.
James Cromwell, best known for his Oscar-nominated role as the kindly farmer in "Babe" (1995), gives an affecting performance as the aging husband trying to make sense of an awful situation. Genevieve Bujold also is lovely as his increasingly suffering wife. They both play their roles realistically, and without succumbing to the trap of sentimentalizing their circumstances.
The film, directed and written by Michael McGowan, reminds us that life doesn't necessarily get easier in old age, and that a true bond can remain strong through even the toughest trials. It is worth seeking out at your local cinema.
REVIEW: Wadjda ****Lovely film about one girl's gentle defiance of her country's traditional placement of women in society. Wadjda (Waad Mohammed) is a young school girl who longs for the seemingly simple joy of racing a bike with her male friend Abdullah (Abdullrahman Algohani).
Her mother (Reem Abdullah), knowing how society will frown on Wadjda for riding a bike, refuses to buy it. So the independent-spirted 11-year-old girl decides to raise the money herself through means that make her school's headmistress suspicious. Then she discovers a Qur'an recital competition and determines to win the prize money to pay for the bike. Meanwhile, Mother is distracted by the looming possibility that her husband will take on a second wife and does not realize the situation.
"Wadjda" tells its story gently, and brings forth the political issues in a straightforward manner that allows us to focus on the innocent quest for a moment of childhood joy forbidden by a society with many contradictions.
Included in those contradictions is the fact that a society that doesn't allow women to drive and bans movies has produced a female director, Haifaa Al Mansour, whose film is the first from Saudi Arabia ever submitted for consideration for the Academy Award Foreign Language category. [UPDATE: 'Wadjda' did not make it to the final ballot for the Oscars, whose nominations were announced January 16, 2014]
Saturday, August 10, 2013
REVIEW: The Conjuring (2013)
REVIEW: The Conjuring ****"The Exorcist" meets "The Amityville Horror" in this film, based on real-life paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by the excellent Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson). We go into this movie thinking we've seen it all already. A family moves into a new home and begin to experience supernatural occurrences.
So the matriarch of the family Carolyn Perron (an affecting Lili Taylor) pleads with the famous investigators for help to save her family. What follows are a series of horrific events that include ghostly behavior and demonic possession. All the while, the film keeps us grounded in reality. The 'ghost-hunters' frequently tell the people who ask for their help that "there's usually a rational explanation" for these kinds of events, like a leaking pipe might lead someone to believe there's supernatural activity.
This kind of realistic approach makes the second half of the film, where most of the action takes place, more terrifying. Director James Wan also wisely chooses to eschew needless or excessive gore to tell the story. Acting in this film is above par for this genre, and particularly Farmiga and Taylor should be considered for year-end awards. If you like ghost stories, but have grown used to most films in this genre being stale and unconvincing, I'd recommend checking out "The Conjuring."
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
REVIEW: Man of Steel (2013)
REVIEW: Man of Steel (2013) ***
"Man of Steel" is a mixture of the old and the new. Superman was born
on Krypton as Kal-El to Jor-El and Lara, and he's still sent to safety
on Earth when his planet was doomed to destruction. Yet, from the very
first moments, we see that this is not exactly the same story we saw
unfold in the classic 1978 adaptation. Krypton is not an ice planet
melted by the sun, but rather a technologically advanced world undone by
forces within.
There are also changes to Kal-El's childhood. He was born naturally
in a world where whole generations are genetically engineered in pods.
He grows up on Earth as an outsider, a slight alteration from his
original screen persona. In the original Christopher Reeve film, he also
held back his true identity for the sake of his family, but here we are
given more specific experiences that show why it would be harmful if
others know about his abilities. This is best exemplified in a scene
involving a sinking bus filled with children and the reaction to
Kal-El's, now Clark Kent's, efforts to help.
As he becomes a man, Clark Kent leaves a trail of anonymous helpful deeds that arouse the interest of a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist by the name of Lois Lane. By the time she discovers his identity, a new enemy has arrived in the form of Jor-El's Kryptonian nemesis General Zod.
Zod was a militant leader who staged a coup on their native planet, but was captured and sentenced to the Phantom Zone. He has now returned to take over and rebuild Krypton on Earth. Of course, Clark Kent decides he cannot let this happen and fights back on behalf of the people while trying to gain their trust at the same time.
Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" works very well as a summer blockbuster, and presents an acceptable vision of the Superman legend as well. It includes a more futuristic, more action-packed and more robust story than the middling "Superman Returns." The cast is well-chosen, with a particular improvement being Amy Adams as Lois Lane. I never quite bought Kate Bosworth in the role, but Adams brings conviction as a tough reporter looking to get the story of the century. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane bring warmth and wisdom as our hero's adoptive parents Jonathan and Martha Kent. Russell Crowe is properly authoritative as Jor-El. Laurence Fishbourne is the wise-but-no-nonsense editor Perry White. And Michael Shannon brings his trademark intensity to the main villain General Zod. Then of course, there is Henry Cavill, who does a credible job in the title role. He is sturdy and powerful in right moments, while concerned and curious in others.
What the film lacks is more charm and humor. I'm not suggesting that we need Richard Pryor, or an equivalent comedian of today, to provide comic relief. Yet this film is mostly concerned with the action set-pieces, leaving less room for the more human moments to shine through. One of the reasons the first two Christoper Reeve Superman movies have remained so popular is their focus on the characters' interactions.
We do sense the emotional ties in this film, but not as much of the charismatic nature of the Man of Steel. I realize that this is a deliberate choice on the part of the film makers. They wanted to get away from the Richard Donner/Richard Lester aesthetic as much as possible, but a bit more lightheartedness couldn't hurt. We need more moments and lines. Remember Lois' interview with Superman on the balcony in the original? Or Terence Stamp's memorable line "Kneel before Zod!" in the second movie? There are precious few of those moments in "Man of Steel," and yet it is entertaining on its own terms. Because it does enough, and just enough, I will look forward to the sequel.
There are also changes to Kal-El's childhood. He was born naturally
in a world where whole generations are genetically engineered in pods.
He grows up on Earth as an outsider, a slight alteration from his
original screen persona. In the original Christopher Reeve film, he also
held back his true identity for the sake of his family, but here we are
given more specific experiences that show why it would be harmful if
others know about his abilities. This is best exemplified in a scene
involving a sinking bus filled with children and the reaction to
Kal-El's, now Clark Kent's, efforts to help.As he becomes a man, Clark Kent leaves a trail of anonymous helpful deeds that arouse the interest of a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist by the name of Lois Lane. By the time she discovers his identity, a new enemy has arrived in the form of Jor-El's Kryptonian nemesis General Zod.
Zod was a militant leader who staged a coup on their native planet, but was captured and sentenced to the Phantom Zone. He has now returned to take over and rebuild Krypton on Earth. Of course, Clark Kent decides he cannot let this happen and fights back on behalf of the people while trying to gain their trust at the same time.
Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" works very well as a summer blockbuster, and presents an acceptable vision of the Superman legend as well. It includes a more futuristic, more action-packed and more robust story than the middling "Superman Returns." The cast is well-chosen, with a particular improvement being Amy Adams as Lois Lane. I never quite bought Kate Bosworth in the role, but Adams brings conviction as a tough reporter looking to get the story of the century. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane bring warmth and wisdom as our hero's adoptive parents Jonathan and Martha Kent. Russell Crowe is properly authoritative as Jor-El. Laurence Fishbourne is the wise-but-no-nonsense editor Perry White. And Michael Shannon brings his trademark intensity to the main villain General Zod. Then of course, there is Henry Cavill, who does a credible job in the title role. He is sturdy and powerful in right moments, while concerned and curious in others.
What the film lacks is more charm and humor. I'm not suggesting that we need Richard Pryor, or an equivalent comedian of today, to provide comic relief. Yet this film is mostly concerned with the action set-pieces, leaving less room for the more human moments to shine through. One of the reasons the first two Christoper Reeve Superman movies have remained so popular is their focus on the characters' interactions.
We do sense the emotional ties in this film, but not as much of the charismatic nature of the Man of Steel. I realize that this is a deliberate choice on the part of the film makers. They wanted to get away from the Richard Donner/Richard Lester aesthetic as much as possible, but a bit more lightheartedness couldn't hurt. We need more moments and lines. Remember Lois' interview with Superman on the balcony in the original? Or Terence Stamp's memorable line "Kneel before Zod!" in the second movie? There are precious few of those moments in "Man of Steel," and yet it is entertaining on its own terms. Because it does enough, and just enough, I will look forward to the sequel.
Friday, June 7, 2013
FLASHBACK REVIEW: Superman Returns (2006)
After years of on again, off again news of Warner Brothers trying to
bring Superman back to the big screen, Brandon Routh was cast in the
title role. Bryan Singer ("Jack the Giant Slayer," "X-Men," "The Usual
Suspects") came in to direct. It's a difficult film to define in terms
of its own entertainment value.
The plot concerns Superman's return (hence the title) after a five year absence to explore the possibility of the existence of Krypton remnants in space. This allows Lex Luthor to gain prominence again, and for Lois Lane to become resentful of his having abandoned her. Meanwhile, Luthor has developed a new plan to combat his arch -enemy and make him powerful. It all involves Kryptonite and real estate.
The plot elements of the film were deemed fairly dark (Superman is quite somber through a good deal of the film) and, to some, dull at the time of release. However, many reviews were actually positive and the film went on to gross nearly $400 million worldwide. Due to a combination of adherence to the film's connections, namely its indulgence of elements prominent in the Christopher Reeve films of the 1980's, some fans and critics felt that the film struggled to find its own reason for being. On the other hand, the visual effects, and individual performances were praised. Routh was seen as an earnest Superman and Spacey received good notices for his darker version of the Lex Luthor character. (Actually, his Luthor would have fit in fairly well with a continuation of the "Smallville" universe, had they hired Tom Welling in the lead role).
Overall, the film failed to win over enough fans, and the studio decided to scrap plans for a direct sequel starring Routh. A new reboot, directed by Zack Snyder ("300," "Watchmen"), starring Henry Cavill and featuring an all-star cast is to be released next week.
The plot concerns Superman's return (hence the title) after a five year absence to explore the possibility of the existence of Krypton remnants in space. This allows Lex Luthor to gain prominence again, and for Lois Lane to become resentful of his having abandoned her. Meanwhile, Luthor has developed a new plan to combat his arch -enemy and make him powerful. It all involves Kryptonite and real estate.
The plot elements of the film were deemed fairly dark (Superman is quite somber through a good deal of the film) and, to some, dull at the time of release. However, many reviews were actually positive and the film went on to gross nearly $400 million worldwide. Due to a combination of adherence to the film's connections, namely its indulgence of elements prominent in the Christopher Reeve films of the 1980's, some fans and critics felt that the film struggled to find its own reason for being. On the other hand, the visual effects, and individual performances were praised. Routh was seen as an earnest Superman and Spacey received good notices for his darker version of the Lex Luthor character. (Actually, his Luthor would have fit in fairly well with a continuation of the "Smallville" universe, had they hired Tom Welling in the lead role).
Overall, the film failed to win over enough fans, and the studio decided to scrap plans for a direct sequel starring Routh. A new reboot, directed by Zack Snyder ("300," "Watchmen"), starring Henry Cavill and featuring an all-star cast is to be released next week.
CLASSIC FILM REVIEW: Supergirl (1984)
CLASSIC FILM REVIEW: Supergirl (1984) **½
"Supergirl" is something of a curiosity. It is neither as bad as its
reputation would have you believe, nor as good as it could have been
under the right circumstances.
Kara is a young woman from Krypton, in a place called the Argo City.
When a special item that holds the power to the city is sent out into
space accidentally, she follows it to Earth to save the city. Once
there, she finds she has powers and begins a dual identity as Supergirl
and Linda Lee. She discovers that she isn't alone in wanting the item
she came for. A witch (an over-the-top Faye Dunaway) decides she can use
it to gain great power. There's also a romantic subplot and some
references to Superman.
By far the best thing about the film is Helen Slater's portrayal of the title character. She has an affecting, likable screen presence and handles the heroics pretty well. Aside from that, some of the scenes involving Faye Dunaway's witch and her sidekick (Brenda Vaccaro) are fun and Jerry Goldsmith provides a suitable music score.
The film was released in 1984, after the disappointing "Superman III" had failed the previous year. Christopher Reeve was actually supposed to have a cameo in this film, but he dropped out before filming. Who knows what impact his appearance would have had on the success of the film? There were also extensive cuts to the film when it was shown in the United States. Apparently many scenes were restored for a Director's Cut DVD a few years ago. As far as superhero movies go, this one is not terrible but the story was a bit goofy and doesn't make good use of its one hold-over from the Reeve series. That would be Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen, who seems to be in the movie just to serve as a link to the more successful "Superman" features. In a way it is too bad that "Supergirl"doesn't quite work, because it's easy to picture Helen Slater reprising the role in a sequel or two with better stories.
Kara is a young woman from Krypton, in a place called the Argo City.
When a special item that holds the power to the city is sent out into
space accidentally, she follows it to Earth to save the city. Once
there, she finds she has powers and begins a dual identity as Supergirl
and Linda Lee. She discovers that she isn't alone in wanting the item
she came for. A witch (an over-the-top Faye Dunaway) decides she can use
it to gain great power. There's also a romantic subplot and some
references to Superman.By far the best thing about the film is Helen Slater's portrayal of the title character. She has an affecting, likable screen presence and handles the heroics pretty well. Aside from that, some of the scenes involving Faye Dunaway's witch and her sidekick (Brenda Vaccaro) are fun and Jerry Goldsmith provides a suitable music score.
The film was released in 1984, after the disappointing "Superman III" had failed the previous year. Christopher Reeve was actually supposed to have a cameo in this film, but he dropped out before filming. Who knows what impact his appearance would have had on the success of the film? There were also extensive cuts to the film when it was shown in the United States. Apparently many scenes were restored for a Director's Cut DVD a few years ago. As far as superhero movies go, this one is not terrible but the story was a bit goofy and doesn't make good use of its one hold-over from the Reeve series. That would be Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen, who seems to be in the movie just to serve as a link to the more successful "Superman" features. In a way it is too bad that "Supergirl"doesn't quite work, because it's easy to picture Helen Slater reprising the role in a sequel or two with better stories.
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