James Bond is easily one of the top 5 most recognizable movie characters in the history of the medium, people who have never seen a James Bond movie know who James Bond is. 23 Bond films have been in theaters since the 1960's it's considered the most monetarily successful film franchise in history. After Pierce Brosnan ran his course as Bond through the 90's and early 2000's, as well as the new success of the Jason Bourne franchise James Bond was deemed too out of touch and was in need of a reboot.
Insert Daniel Craig, a mostly unknown character actor Craig beat out frontrunners such as Hugh Jackman and Clive Owen for the role that would forever define whoever puts the tuxedo on. Craig's first film as Bond would be "Casino Royale" one of the only original Ian Fleming novels that had not been properly adapted (Woody Allen and Peter Sellers did make a spoof of Royale at one point). This plan worked as "Casino Royale" quickly became the most successful Bond film in recent history and many placed Craig right up there with Sean Connery as the best Bond ever-after one film. Next up was "Quantum of Solace" which was set up as a direct sequel to "Royale" something again that really hadn't been done before in the franchise. "Quantum" was not as well received critically or commercially as "Royale" but still made a ton of money and in my opinion is a very underrated film. Four years have passed since the release of "Quantum" which brings us to "Skyfall".
Some new blood was added for this go around, most notably, Academy Award winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) was called upon to helm the film and Academy Award winning actor Javier Bardem was cast as the mysterious villain Silva. Its unfortunate that with all the talent and production value surrounding itself that "Skyfall" is a mediocre Bond film at best.
"Skyfall" opens with the traditional big action scene that is customary with all Bond films, and it really is a good one. This set piece ends with Bond being shot from atop of a train and seemingly left for dead, cue a tremendous opening credits montage with the theme song performed by Adele. At this point all hopes are high for not just a great Bond film but possibly one of the best films of the year. Unfortunately after a somewhat confusing plot set up (not rare for the franchise) "Skyfall" depends on too much of a backstory that is overlong and to be honest boring. Having Mendes who with films such as "American Beauty" and "Revolutionary Road" is a disappointing mistake as some of the action scenes and Bond mainstays get away from him here
A few things are required in Bond films: exotic locations, cool gadgets, beautiful women and a great over the top Bond villain, working as a reboot "Skyfall" throws almost all of these out the window. Bardem is perfectly game as the villain Silva, an ex MI6 agent who only has revenge on the mind. Silva can best be described as an A-sexual albino with a deep mommy complex, the scene in which we are introduced to him (which comes far too late in the picture) is creepy and effective but almost as soon as he appears he disappears and doesn't return until towards the end of the movie. Bardem is like a Spanish version of Christopher Walken, he plays creepy very well, almost to camp levels. We are made to think that Silva is the Hannibal Lecter of the Bond universe, another scene actually has him in a glass prison cell almost identical to the one seen in "Silence of the Lambs" but again Silva is creepy and not terrifying like he is set up to be.
We also find out that Bond is an orphan, the climactic scene actually takes place at his families estate which is left in the care of Kincade played by a grizzly Albert Finney. The thought of finding out about Bond's upbringing and what happened to his parents is interesting in theory but again the execution is not pulled off and Bond basically comes off as Batman without the cool costume.
"Skyfall" is like the prologue to the next movie, new characters are set up and old ones are killed off. The last half of the movie I kept thinking why is this necessary when they just rebooted the franchise two films ago and Craig is signed on for at least 2 more adventures. My take on the mediocrity of this film is in the minority as "Skyfall" in just 3 weeks has already become the highest grossing film in the storied franchise. Even with all the flaws (I'm not even bringing up the scene with the Komodo dragon) "Skyfall" is effective in that it does make me curious to see where this leads the franchise. But maybe I'm just a Bond guy living in a Bourne world...
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
"Argo" see this movie!
Ben Affleck has had an interesting career in Hollywood. After "writing" Good Will Hunting with best pal Matt Damon and winning an Oscar for said screenplay Affleck went the movie star route starring in big blockbusters such as "Armageddon" and "Pearl Harbor" among a slew of forgettable rom-coms, (Gigli, anyone?) With his movie career on life support Affleck directed the small film "Gone Baby Gone" which itself is an adaptation of a Dennis Lehane (Mystic River) novel, the movie got good reviews, but did poorly at the box office, in fact the biggest thing to come out of "Gone Baby Gone" was the surprise Oscar nomination for supporting actress Amy Ryan. Next up for Affleck was the heist/thriller "The Town" for which he starred in as well as directed. "The Town" made many top 10 lists towards the end of the year but due to competition from "The Social Network" and "The Kings Speech" it was again left out of the major Oscar categories sans a best supporting actor nomination for Jeremy Renner. The major difference between GBG and The Town is that while GBG was a box office non factor, The Town opened at #1 and ended its domestic run with over 92 million dollars
With "Argo" Affleck's third film as a director he has reached the top of the mountain, who was once looked upon as a forgettable B movie actor Affleck has substantiated himself as this generations Warren Beatty, or even Clint Eastwood. Affleck makes movies he wants to make, the way he wants to make them.
"Argo" is a true story set between 1979 and 1981 during the Iran hostage crisis and tells the story of the rescue of six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.Affleck plays CIA agent Tony Mendez who is tasked with leading the rescue. With the help of the Canadian Prime Minister the 6 would be hostages are put up to be a Canadian film crew in Iran to scout movie locations for a would be Star Wars rip off known as "Argo". All the bells and whistles are put on for this "hoax", a production company is set up, storyboards are made, the hostages are set up to be cameramen, screenwriter, director, among others. The film is so well made and paced that even though I've just told you that they are eventually rescued I promise that by the end you'll be gripping the armrests of your seat as this pot boiler of a thriller comes to its dramatic conclusion.
The acting again is top notch, Affleck himself is the only true blue "star".in the whole thing, John Goodman, Bryan Cranston and a scene stealing Alan Arkin are the other recognizable names in an othewise nameless cast which effectively makes the movie better for doing so.
This again is Affleck's baby and he deserves all the credit in the world. One scene in particular set during a script reading plays like something Scorsese would make during his hey day, and even uses Van Halen's "Dance the Night Away" to set the tone of Hollywood in the late 70's/early 80's. This film reeks of this time period and is all the better for it, the clothes, the music, the drinking and of course the smoking all make it feel like this was something left on the cutting room floor from 1980. For a story based around such a dark time its surprising how funny "Argo" actually is, as well as it being a true Hollywood movie about "Hollywood". "Argo" itself is defining Hollywood expectations, when it opened in October it actually grossed less than "The Town" but thanks to word of mouth people are finding this movie and its set to cross 100 million dollars domestic any day now with more to come with the expected multiple Oscar nominations coming its way. Its nice that someone like Ben Affleck can repent for the errors of his previous ways and I look forward to what he has to offer in the future
With "Argo" Affleck's third film as a director he has reached the top of the mountain, who was once looked upon as a forgettable B movie actor Affleck has substantiated himself as this generations Warren Beatty, or even Clint Eastwood. Affleck makes movies he wants to make, the way he wants to make them.
"Argo" is a true story set between 1979 and 1981 during the Iran hostage crisis and tells the story of the rescue of six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.Affleck plays CIA agent Tony Mendez who is tasked with leading the rescue. With the help of the Canadian Prime Minister the 6 would be hostages are put up to be a Canadian film crew in Iran to scout movie locations for a would be Star Wars rip off known as "Argo". All the bells and whistles are put on for this "hoax", a production company is set up, storyboards are made, the hostages are set up to be cameramen, screenwriter, director, among others. The film is so well made and paced that even though I've just told you that they are eventually rescued I promise that by the end you'll be gripping the armrests of your seat as this pot boiler of a thriller comes to its dramatic conclusion.
The acting again is top notch, Affleck himself is the only true blue "star".in the whole thing, John Goodman, Bryan Cranston and a scene stealing Alan Arkin are the other recognizable names in an othewise nameless cast which effectively makes the movie better for doing so.
This again is Affleck's baby and he deserves all the credit in the world. One scene in particular set during a script reading plays like something Scorsese would make during his hey day, and even uses Van Halen's "Dance the Night Away" to set the tone of Hollywood in the late 70's/early 80's. This film reeks of this time period and is all the better for it, the clothes, the music, the drinking and of course the smoking all make it feel like this was something left on the cutting room floor from 1980. For a story based around such a dark time its surprising how funny "Argo" actually is, as well as it being a true Hollywood movie about "Hollywood". "Argo" itself is defining Hollywood expectations, when it opened in October it actually grossed less than "The Town" but thanks to word of mouth people are finding this movie and its set to cross 100 million dollars domestic any day now with more to come with the expected multiple Oscar nominations coming its way. Its nice that someone like Ben Affleck can repent for the errors of his previous ways and I look forward to what he has to offer in the future
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Silver Linings Playbook scores on all levels.
Silver Linings Playbook the newest movie from director David O. Russell (The Fighter, I Heart Huckabees) and staring Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Wet Hot American Summer) and most impressively Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games, Winter's Bone) comes right in the middle of Hollywood's award season and is quite possibly the best American film to come out this year.
Russell, until recently was mostly known for niche underground movies such as "Huckabees" and "Spanking the Monkey", it was with 2010's "The Fighter" that he finally received all around critical and commercial success, as well as an Oscar nomination for best director. It would be hard to imagine Russell's name not being one of the 5 up for the award come Oscar night this year. Russell guides a movie essentially about crazy people with such ease and style that you feel as you are in the living room or dance studio with the characters. The hand held camera technique, mostly used now in Jason Bourne ripoff films is most effective, there are some intense scenes here and the hand held camera gives it an intimate feel
The story surrounds Cooper's character "Pat" as he is released from a mental institution and into the care of his two parents Jackie Weaver (Animal Kingdom) and Robert De Niro (The King of Comedy) who is so strong here it makes you remember the De Niro of the 70's and 80's and not the one from the last two "Focker" movies. Pat's sole goal is to win back his ex wife who now has a restraining order on him after he walked in on her sleeping with a co-worker. Blinded by either not taking his meds or by sheer unwillingness to accept reality Pat has designed his own "playbook" to win his ex back, this includes reading every book shes assigned to the high school English class she teaches, Pat takes out his frustrations hilariously on an unknowing Ernest Hemingway classic early on in the film. In reconnecting with an old friend Pat is introduced to "Tiffany" played by Jennifer Lawrence, a fellow "crazy" still grieving over her husbands sudden death. In a deal struck by both Pat agrees to help Tiffany in a dance competition if she helps him get a letter to his ex wife. Lawrence who most mainstream audiences know only from her star turning role as Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games" really does a good job playing beyond her young age and striking beauty, she has graduated with honors from the Scarlett Johansson "smokey voice" school and really turned in a performance that should have Kristen Stewart looking for a new agent.
The acting all around is top notch. Bradley Cooper, already a solidified movie star really ups his game here, its very reminiscent of Jack Nicholson's turn in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest" in that he plays a character who is crazy but almost believes himself not to be. Awards recognition is almost inevitable for Cooper in the lead actor category and De Niro in the supporting actor race, I hope Lawrence is not overlooked because of her "Hunger Games" status. It's also nice to see that Chris Tucker (Friday) and Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You) are still alive and well as they are both featured in limited but effective roles.
I don't want to give too much of the movies plot away, honestly the plot itself almost turned me off to the idea of the movie. Its best summed up as a romantic comedy drama for people who don't find "How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days" romantic or even entertaining in the least. This movie got an initial limited release and is now expanding out to most major markets, do yourself a favor: skip "Skyfall" and seek out this gem of a movie
Russell, until recently was mostly known for niche underground movies such as "Huckabees" and "Spanking the Monkey", it was with 2010's "The Fighter" that he finally received all around critical and commercial success, as well as an Oscar nomination for best director. It would be hard to imagine Russell's name not being one of the 5 up for the award come Oscar night this year. Russell guides a movie essentially about crazy people with such ease and style that you feel as you are in the living room or dance studio with the characters. The hand held camera technique, mostly used now in Jason Bourne ripoff films is most effective, there are some intense scenes here and the hand held camera gives it an intimate feel
The story surrounds Cooper's character "Pat" as he is released from a mental institution and into the care of his two parents Jackie Weaver (Animal Kingdom) and Robert De Niro (The King of Comedy) who is so strong here it makes you remember the De Niro of the 70's and 80's and not the one from the last two "Focker" movies. Pat's sole goal is to win back his ex wife who now has a restraining order on him after he walked in on her sleeping with a co-worker. Blinded by either not taking his meds or by sheer unwillingness to accept reality Pat has designed his own "playbook" to win his ex back, this includes reading every book shes assigned to the high school English class she teaches, Pat takes out his frustrations hilariously on an unknowing Ernest Hemingway classic early on in the film. In reconnecting with an old friend Pat is introduced to "Tiffany" played by Jennifer Lawrence, a fellow "crazy" still grieving over her husbands sudden death. In a deal struck by both Pat agrees to help Tiffany in a dance competition if she helps him get a letter to his ex wife. Lawrence who most mainstream audiences know only from her star turning role as Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games" really does a good job playing beyond her young age and striking beauty, she has graduated with honors from the Scarlett Johansson "smokey voice" school and really turned in a performance that should have Kristen Stewart looking for a new agent.
The acting all around is top notch. Bradley Cooper, already a solidified movie star really ups his game here, its very reminiscent of Jack Nicholson's turn in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest" in that he plays a character who is crazy but almost believes himself not to be. Awards recognition is almost inevitable for Cooper in the lead actor category and De Niro in the supporting actor race, I hope Lawrence is not overlooked because of her "Hunger Games" status. It's also nice to see that Chris Tucker (Friday) and Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You) are still alive and well as they are both featured in limited but effective roles.
I don't want to give too much of the movies plot away, honestly the plot itself almost turned me off to the idea of the movie. Its best summed up as a romantic comedy drama for people who don't find "How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days" romantic or even entertaining in the least. This movie got an initial limited release and is now expanding out to most major markets, do yourself a favor: skip "Skyfall" and seek out this gem of a movie
Sunday, November 18, 2012
"Lincoln", no vampires here and thats not even the best thing about it!
Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" an intimate epic if there ever was one opens as most might expect, with a powerful, disturbing yet somewhat short battle scene from the American Civil War, Spielberg can film a battle scene with his eyes closed, one arm tied behind his back and any other cliche' you can think of. His choice of abstaining from a lengthened battle scene or any other battle scenes is a bit of a shock but after completion of viewing you realize its the right move as this two and a half hour almost masterpiece gives viewers a look into one of the most respected, yet mysterious men in American history as well as a glimpse into the differences and shockingly similar way American politics were done then and now.
"Lincoln" is basically set up as a play, very few camera moves by Spielberg and really not that many exterior shots, most of the movie is dialogue between men in rooms lit by candlelight. The basic plot of the movie is the struggle of Abraham Lincoln to get the 13th Amendment which permanently freed the slaves passed the struggle is both between his Republican and Democrat senators and representatives but also between his family and most importantly himself. As expected Daniel Day Lewis immerses himself in the role of honest Abe, this was really never a question of "if" it would only be a question if you could believe him as Lincoln. Though as far as I know there are no actual sound clips of Lincoln everyone in their head has an idea of what he would sound like, in the movie Lincoln for the most part sounds like a man broken down by loss, stress and tragedy, again some of this from the war and some of this in his own life, he ages before us during the movie, his voice only raises when it is most needed, I feel this was a good decision by Lewis as it humanizes a figure beloved in American lore.
My three favorite characters in the film are played by three great actors: John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson and the always reliable James Spader, they play what can best be described as Lobbyists working for Lincoln to get the necessary votes in the House of Representatives to pass the amendments their purpose is valuable as it gives a Cliffs Notes version of the democratic process and what it takes to get issues resolved, something I think today's representatives could learn from. The acting is top notch all around, Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln will probably stir up a debate, Mary Todd in reality is not a very likable person, she was said to be bi polar and very much critical and involved in the goings on in the white house, Field stays true to this perception, its not a likable role at all and I can imagine older viewers will be surprised that they come out of the movie and basically not liking Sally Field in this role. Actors such as Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones and David Straithain fill other vital roles in the movie and again prove that each is worth seeing in almost anything, Straithain especially shines as Lincolns Secretary of State. One miscast is Joseph Gordon Levitt as Robert Todd Lincoln, Abe's oldest son, he's really not given much to do other than one important scene between he and his father regarding signing up to enlist, another issue that haunts Lincoln throughout.
In closing "Lincoln" is probably the smallest film Spielberg has ever done, even in taking on non "blockbuster" films before such as "The Color Purple" "Lincoln" makes you feel like you are in the room during these great moments in history. Daniel Day Lewis is assured of at least a nomination for best actor at the Oscars and this is easily Spielberg's best movie since "Munich" so multiple nominations are not out of the question.
"Lincoln" is basically set up as a play, very few camera moves by Spielberg and really not that many exterior shots, most of the movie is dialogue between men in rooms lit by candlelight. The basic plot of the movie is the struggle of Abraham Lincoln to get the 13th Amendment which permanently freed the slaves passed the struggle is both between his Republican and Democrat senators and representatives but also between his family and most importantly himself. As expected Daniel Day Lewis immerses himself in the role of honest Abe, this was really never a question of "if" it would only be a question if you could believe him as Lincoln. Though as far as I know there are no actual sound clips of Lincoln everyone in their head has an idea of what he would sound like, in the movie Lincoln for the most part sounds like a man broken down by loss, stress and tragedy, again some of this from the war and some of this in his own life, he ages before us during the movie, his voice only raises when it is most needed, I feel this was a good decision by Lewis as it humanizes a figure beloved in American lore.
My three favorite characters in the film are played by three great actors: John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson and the always reliable James Spader, they play what can best be described as Lobbyists working for Lincoln to get the necessary votes in the House of Representatives to pass the amendments their purpose is valuable as it gives a Cliffs Notes version of the democratic process and what it takes to get issues resolved, something I think today's representatives could learn from. The acting is top notch all around, Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln will probably stir up a debate, Mary Todd in reality is not a very likable person, she was said to be bi polar and very much critical and involved in the goings on in the white house, Field stays true to this perception, its not a likable role at all and I can imagine older viewers will be surprised that they come out of the movie and basically not liking Sally Field in this role. Actors such as Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones and David Straithain fill other vital roles in the movie and again prove that each is worth seeing in almost anything, Straithain especially shines as Lincolns Secretary of State. One miscast is Joseph Gordon Levitt as Robert Todd Lincoln, Abe's oldest son, he's really not given much to do other than one important scene between he and his father regarding signing up to enlist, another issue that haunts Lincoln throughout.
In closing "Lincoln" is probably the smallest film Spielberg has ever done, even in taking on non "blockbuster" films before such as "The Color Purple" "Lincoln" makes you feel like you are in the room during these great moments in history. Daniel Day Lewis is assured of at least a nomination for best actor at the Oscars and this is easily Spielberg's best movie since "Munich" so multiple nominations are not out of the question.
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