The initial notion of an updated "remake" of the 1980's ultraviolent, ultra campy "Robocop" comes off as sacrilege to those of us who hold it in high regard. Having pretty much emptied the closet on horror/slasher remakes from the 70's, early 80's movie studios have their cash grabbing hands set on seminal classics from the 80's/early 90's that hold a special place in film nerds hearts and still hold up incredibly well on DVD/Blu Ray. The original "Robocop" was released in 1987 and directed by Paul Verhoeven who has also seen another of his signature films from this era, "Total Recall" receive the remake treatment recently. The original was at the forefront of the late 80's surge in violence in film and with a straight to the point title like "Robocop" you knew exactly what you were getting, which was a low budget, campy, over the top multi-genre film that spawned a franchise of its own and countless rip offs. The 2014 comes with a lot of pre release buzz, most notably about the change in Robocop's signature silver suit and the change from the hard R rating the original carried to the more monetarily friendly PG-13 rating and 100 million dollar budget featuring state of the art special effects. It was with great caution that I entered the theater to see the new "Robocop", was this going to be yet another Hollywood cash grab that taints everything that I loved about the original or could this be a new vision for a new century?
The essential storyline from the original is still in tact, Detroit police officer Alex Murphy played by Joel Kinnaman from TV's "The Killing" is critically injured while on duty and is transformed by mega corporation OmniCorp into the first human/robot police officer known of course as "Robocop". The story takes place in the year 2028, its a period where machine justice or more commonly known as drone warfare are taking over. With the American public's support waning its decided that this hybrid is the best way to get the support needed to pass legislation to take this new action to full force and make the public less "robophobic". The premise is topical and relevant in today's world with drone warfare still in its infancy stages but the prologue setting up Robocop actually taking action does drag a little.
If the original "Robocop" did not exist this version would be a perfectly above average movie and the advancement in special effects actually does hold it above the original in that regard. Kinnaman's scenes as a human are perfectly fine and once he is actually "Robocop" he does make his own mark in the shoes owned by the original "Robocop" Peter Weller. The PG-13 rating does contradict the originals take on violence by making this an essentially bloodless movie but features countless amounts of guns and weaponry and acts of violence, its a contradiction that is frustrating in that it shows the truth of crime without the harsh realities of the consequence. The story of "Robocop" trying to keep what is left of his human side while still being an effective police officer and family man works for the most part and there are odes to the original in the opening musical score and flashes of the beloved original "Robocop" suit.
The best thing about the new version is the cast which features a surprising array of actors who are having a great deal of fun with the material. Michael Keaton plays the head of OmniCorp and his role shows that he is on the cusp of taking the Alec Baldwin route of switching from one time leading man to great character actor. Gary Oldman plays the scientist who is the Dr. Frankenstein to Robocop and while it isn't apparent if he is actually aware that he is acting a Robocop movie he still is Gary Oldman and delivers a convincing performance. Samuel L. Jackson (not Laurence Fishburne) appears in an extended cameo as a TV show host in the vein of Bill O'Reilly or Rachel Maddow, he does what Samuel L. Jackson does best: yell and use (bleeped) profanity. The special effects are an update and do enhance the overall story and the filmmakers do the correct thing in keeping the CGI fight scenes down to a couple training scenes in the beginning but even those make it seem like you are watching a video game as opposed to a movie. The relationship between Robocop and his wife and young son is an interesting storyline that is kind of thrown to the background when I would of liked to have seen more and then kind of comes back in the end to really no avail.
My overall opinion coming out of the new "Robocop" is indifference. There is nothing necessarily wrong with the new version and if you aren't familiar with the originals I applaud you to go see it, its a fun ride with topical undertones. As was the case with "The Lego Movie" it is known that you can take a known, beloved commodity and make a good, original movie from it. The Robocop's of cinema past should though be held in a higher regard then just having a "we can make it better" mentality. While overall indifferent if they should make a "Robocop 2" I will purchase a ticket, if with maybe a little less apprehension-just a little.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
The Lego Movie
We are barely into the new movie season and "The Lego Movie" has come out of nowhere to become one of the most imaginative, witty, surreal and utterly enjoyable movie experience I've had in some time. It's rare for a movie to completely surprise me but "The Lego Movie" does this without even stopping to catch its breath. It's both great for the kids with its bright colors and fantastic animation as well as adults with its witty, irreverent, semi politically/socially charged storyline and inside jokes throughout.
The basic story that "Lego" tells is of the main character Emmet Brickowski's unflappable desire to be exactly the same as everyone else in his metropolitan Lego world that he lives in. This Lego world is ruled by "President Business" voiced by Will Ferrel and he has laid out instructions that all the inhabitants live their lives by. Everything from how to exercise in the morning and what TV shows to watch is covered in this manual, think of it like "1984" for tykes. Emmet happens to stubble upon a missing "piece" of Lego lore that proclaims him "the special" and the savior that can overthrow President Business and return the Lego world to prosperity and most importantly individuality. The themes about individuality is really what should resonate with the kids in the audience, the adults will recognize the comparisons to today's world of the NSA and other hot topic political issues that comes off so crisp and funny that it wont matter what side of the aisle you personally sit on. In his quest to truly become "the special" Emmet befriends other master builders such as Wyldstyle, voiced by Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect), a 1960's spaceman named Benny voice by Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), a Lego prophet voiced by the voices of all voices Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption), a unicorn/kitten mix aptly named Unikitty voiced by Alison Brie (Mad Men) and the stealer of the show Batman in all his dark grizzled glory voiced by Will Arnett (Arrested Development). Other recognizable characters such as Superman, Abraham Lincoln and William Shakespeare also appear in Lego mini figure form.
This film is a mix of computer generated animation such as what you see in Pixar movies and stop motion effects as what is seen in movies like "Coraline" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas". The execution is so slick and concise that Lego's look like actual Legos which is much more impressive than how it reads. multiple scenes feature massive set designs including metropolitan cities, large scale car chases with explosions and scenes underwater and in the cloud. All used with Legos. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have a great eye for animation having used it for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" as well as incorporated it in their live action venture "21 Jump Street". Their visual eye is definitely one to watch as "The Lego Movie" hovers on game changing territory.
The standard "kids movie" has taken a different form as of late. Gone are the days of studios releasing fodder just so mom and dad can get the kids out of the house for a bit. It's still early in the year but I'd be hard pressed to predict that any actual adult comedy released this year will make me laugh as loud and consistently over "The Lego Movie"-especially in the first 40 minutes. Fan's of the actual Lego toys themselves will also have moments to cheer for during the movie as well as fanboys and girls of a certain movie franchise that takes place in a galaxy far far away...
The best way to sum up "The Lego Movie" is that "Everything is Awesome", the adult in me enjoyed it as much as the 10 year old in me would, if not more. Its hard pressed to find a movie that the whole family can go see, mark "The Lego Movie" as the exception to the rule.
The basic story that "Lego" tells is of the main character Emmet Brickowski's unflappable desire to be exactly the same as everyone else in his metropolitan Lego world that he lives in. This Lego world is ruled by "President Business" voiced by Will Ferrel and he has laid out instructions that all the inhabitants live their lives by. Everything from how to exercise in the morning and what TV shows to watch is covered in this manual, think of it like "1984" for tykes. Emmet happens to stubble upon a missing "piece" of Lego lore that proclaims him "the special" and the savior that can overthrow President Business and return the Lego world to prosperity and most importantly individuality. The themes about individuality is really what should resonate with the kids in the audience, the adults will recognize the comparisons to today's world of the NSA and other hot topic political issues that comes off so crisp and funny that it wont matter what side of the aisle you personally sit on. In his quest to truly become "the special" Emmet befriends other master builders such as Wyldstyle, voiced by Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect), a 1960's spaceman named Benny voice by Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), a Lego prophet voiced by the voices of all voices Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption), a unicorn/kitten mix aptly named Unikitty voiced by Alison Brie (Mad Men) and the stealer of the show Batman in all his dark grizzled glory voiced by Will Arnett (Arrested Development). Other recognizable characters such as Superman, Abraham Lincoln and William Shakespeare also appear in Lego mini figure form.
This film is a mix of computer generated animation such as what you see in Pixar movies and stop motion effects as what is seen in movies like "Coraline" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas". The execution is so slick and concise that Lego's look like actual Legos which is much more impressive than how it reads. multiple scenes feature massive set designs including metropolitan cities, large scale car chases with explosions and scenes underwater and in the cloud. All used with Legos. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have a great eye for animation having used it for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" as well as incorporated it in their live action venture "21 Jump Street". Their visual eye is definitely one to watch as "The Lego Movie" hovers on game changing territory.
The standard "kids movie" has taken a different form as of late. Gone are the days of studios releasing fodder just so mom and dad can get the kids out of the house for a bit. It's still early in the year but I'd be hard pressed to predict that any actual adult comedy released this year will make me laugh as loud and consistently over "The Lego Movie"-especially in the first 40 minutes. Fan's of the actual Lego toys themselves will also have moments to cheer for during the movie as well as fanboys and girls of a certain movie franchise that takes place in a galaxy far far away...
The best way to sum up "The Lego Movie" is that "Everything is Awesome", the adult in me enjoyed it as much as the 10 year old in me would, if not more. Its hard pressed to find a movie that the whole family can go see, mark "The Lego Movie" as the exception to the rule.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Lone Survivor
"Lone Survivor" hits you in the head from almost the beginning in the true, harrowing story of a team of Navy SEALS sent on a mission to locate and kill a high ranking member of the Taliban which goes every which way but right. The movie gets to this set up very quickly and what results is two hours of heart wrenching action and emotion that puts you in the middle of what these true heroes are plighted with on a regular basis.
The movie is based on the memoir by SEAL member Marcus Luttrell, the "Lone Survivor" of this mission played here by Mark Wahlberg. Though Luttrell would be best described as the main character the movie is an ensemble piece with notable co-stars such as Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Taylor Kitsch and Eric Bana. There is not a lot of character development here other than some brief dialogues about home, girlfriends and wives, this is the movies major flaw but it does make up for it in part with the harrowing action and raw emotion that comes from this true story. This appears to be director Peter Berg's main intention as he succeeds in showing the heroism at close range and you come out of the theater understanding the importance that these individuals take on while we the common public live our lives. Wahlberg has always been a dependable actor but due to his popularity in throw away action movies and comedies doesn't get nearly enough opportunities to show his dramatic range. While not a showy performance his role in "Lone Survivor" ranks up there along with his supporting role in "The Departed" and his breakout role in "Boogie Nights".
There is no political agenda in "Lone Survivor", which normally I would say is a good thing but since there is so little character development it at times feels like you are watching just one long battle scene. It is not till close to the end of the movie when Luttrell is rescued by an Afghani villager that the real emotion starts to set in. Director Berg made an impressive movie a few years back "Friday Night Lights" but since has kind of settled into Michael Bay territory with movies such as "Hancock" and "Battleship" that are much more style than substance. I realize that to stay true to fact you can't have long periods of dialogue during the intense battle scenes but I feel its almost necessary to keep the attention of the moviegoer. Berg does deserve credit as this movie is the most accessible to the public as it is about a period in American history that for multiple reasons a lot of us would like to forget. From a technical aspect the battle scenes are nothing short of exhilarating, Berg uses the recently popular "shaky cam" effect to put you on the side of the mountain where the battle takes place but doesn't overuse it to where nausea could take place. The smaller moments, though few they are take precedent over the gunfire and incoherent yelling and the relationship that starts between Luttrell and his Afghani rescuer really add to the overall effect the movie puts on you and is unbelievable, if it weren't true.
I came away from "Lone Survivor" with a much greater appreciation and understanding to what thousands of men and women do for me and our country every day. Just the knowing that this is a unbelievable, true story adds to the emotion that is felt throughout, especially during the end credits when pictures of the real men are shown. The violence is real and no holds barred but isn't excessive or glamorized in any way, shape or form-its necessary. I think true stories such as this do need a platform as no matter what your own opinions are you cannot do anything but admire and respect those that do make the ultimate sacrifice for us.
The movie is based on the memoir by SEAL member Marcus Luttrell, the "Lone Survivor" of this mission played here by Mark Wahlberg. Though Luttrell would be best described as the main character the movie is an ensemble piece with notable co-stars such as Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Taylor Kitsch and Eric Bana. There is not a lot of character development here other than some brief dialogues about home, girlfriends and wives, this is the movies major flaw but it does make up for it in part with the harrowing action and raw emotion that comes from this true story. This appears to be director Peter Berg's main intention as he succeeds in showing the heroism at close range and you come out of the theater understanding the importance that these individuals take on while we the common public live our lives. Wahlberg has always been a dependable actor but due to his popularity in throw away action movies and comedies doesn't get nearly enough opportunities to show his dramatic range. While not a showy performance his role in "Lone Survivor" ranks up there along with his supporting role in "The Departed" and his breakout role in "Boogie Nights".
There is no political agenda in "Lone Survivor", which normally I would say is a good thing but since there is so little character development it at times feels like you are watching just one long battle scene. It is not till close to the end of the movie when Luttrell is rescued by an Afghani villager that the real emotion starts to set in. Director Berg made an impressive movie a few years back "Friday Night Lights" but since has kind of settled into Michael Bay territory with movies such as "Hancock" and "Battleship" that are much more style than substance. I realize that to stay true to fact you can't have long periods of dialogue during the intense battle scenes but I feel its almost necessary to keep the attention of the moviegoer. Berg does deserve credit as this movie is the most accessible to the public as it is about a period in American history that for multiple reasons a lot of us would like to forget. From a technical aspect the battle scenes are nothing short of exhilarating, Berg uses the recently popular "shaky cam" effect to put you on the side of the mountain where the battle takes place but doesn't overuse it to where nausea could take place. The smaller moments, though few they are take precedent over the gunfire and incoherent yelling and the relationship that starts between Luttrell and his Afghani rescuer really add to the overall effect the movie puts on you and is unbelievable, if it weren't true.
I came away from "Lone Survivor" with a much greater appreciation and understanding to what thousands of men and women do for me and our country every day. Just the knowing that this is a unbelievable, true story adds to the emotion that is felt throughout, especially during the end credits when pictures of the real men are shown. The violence is real and no holds barred but isn't excessive or glamorized in any way, shape or form-its necessary. I think true stories such as this do need a platform as no matter what your own opinions are you cannot do anything but admire and respect those that do make the ultimate sacrifice for us.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
The Wolf of Wall Street
"The Wolf of Wall Street" could easily be the most polarizing movie to come out of mainstream Hollywood in quite some time. The movie is the newest collaboration between heralded, legendary director Martin Scorsese and his new, frequent muse Leonardo DiCaprio. Much has been made of the excessive, graphic nature of the movie including sex, drug use and the apparent new record of number of uses of "The F word" at 506 times during its 3 hour running time. The movie does boast all of these things and at times all 3 are going on at the same time. It sometimes goes off into random places and comes back without any explanation as to where it went, its probably about 20 minutes too long because of this but in all it is a chaotic cluster-f*** masterpiece and is my choice for the best film of the year.
The film is based on real life former Wall Street stockbroker Jordan Belfort's memoir of the same name. The film has hints of other movies from this same arena such as "Wall Street" and "Boiler Room" along with Scorsese classics such as "Goodfellas" and "After Hours". This is the 5th collaboration between Scorsese and star DiCaprio and with maybe the exception of the Howard Hughes biopic "The Aviator" is their best collaboration as "Wolf of Wall Street" swims gloriously on DiCaprio's shoulders as his performance is a cross between Gordon Gekko from "Wall Street" and Travis Bickle from "Taxi Driver". The characters in "WOWS" are not redeemable in any way but you can't help but seemingly root for Belfort in his odyssey to simply make as much money as possible and live to the fullest excess of life. Jonah Hill is the closest thing to the second lead in the picture which is full of small but effective supporting roles including director/actor/"meathead" Rob Reiner as Belfort's father, the absolutely gorgeous newcomer Margo Robbie as Belfort's 2nd wife Naomi and Matthew McConaughey in a can't miss semi cameo as Belfort's first boss on Wall Street Mark Hanna. His scene with DiCaprio in which he explains the in's and out's of Wall Street is alone worth the price of admission.
Scorsese, going into his 4th decade of making movies looks to be as fresh as ever. All the normal Scorseseism's are here and it still comes off as if it were directed by a hot young upstart. The soundtrack is also a big plus here even without the inclusion of the Scorsese house band "The Rolling Stones". A lot has been made of the glamorizing the films appears to have towards sex, drugs and the faceless victims of the never-ending fraud/manipulation that goes on throughout. The movie is definitely not for the faint of heart but you should know that going in. From all accounts this is how these people acted during the early 90's and if you have any sense you realize the downfall that is coming to each of them and realistically does not glamorize them. The drug use is furious and throughout the picture but one scene in particular involving Quaaludes at a country club is one of the more powerful "drugs are bad" messages I've seen on film, again all the excessiveness and glamour is followed with consequence. Actress Robbie might be criticized as being just a stunning face on screen, which for the most part she is but towards the end she emulates other strong female performances in Scorsese films including Sharon Stone in Casino and Lorraine Bracco in "Goodfellas".
Much like last years "Argo" and "Zero Dark Thirty", "The Wolf of Wall Street" and another potential Oscar contender "American Hustle" are great companion pieces to each other. Both being period pieces of the not too distant past and showcases greed/corruption all while pursuing the American dream. DiCaprio's performance is the major standout between the two, "American Hustle" as a whole is the best acted film of the year, DiCaprio hands down gives the best individual performance of the year and is in thanks in part to Scorsese continuing to show why he is the best, most consistent director of the last 40 years. I'd say that there is no middle ground when it comes to "Wolf of Wall Street", you will either think it should be collecting Razzie's instead of Oscars or is the masterpiece that I say it is.
The film is based on real life former Wall Street stockbroker Jordan Belfort's memoir of the same name. The film has hints of other movies from this same arena such as "Wall Street" and "Boiler Room" along with Scorsese classics such as "Goodfellas" and "After Hours". This is the 5th collaboration between Scorsese and star DiCaprio and with maybe the exception of the Howard Hughes biopic "The Aviator" is their best collaboration as "Wolf of Wall Street" swims gloriously on DiCaprio's shoulders as his performance is a cross between Gordon Gekko from "Wall Street" and Travis Bickle from "Taxi Driver". The characters in "WOWS" are not redeemable in any way but you can't help but seemingly root for Belfort in his odyssey to simply make as much money as possible and live to the fullest excess of life. Jonah Hill is the closest thing to the second lead in the picture which is full of small but effective supporting roles including director/actor/"meathead" Rob Reiner as Belfort's father, the absolutely gorgeous newcomer Margo Robbie as Belfort's 2nd wife Naomi and Matthew McConaughey in a can't miss semi cameo as Belfort's first boss on Wall Street Mark Hanna. His scene with DiCaprio in which he explains the in's and out's of Wall Street is alone worth the price of admission.
Scorsese, going into his 4th decade of making movies looks to be as fresh as ever. All the normal Scorseseism's are here and it still comes off as if it were directed by a hot young upstart. The soundtrack is also a big plus here even without the inclusion of the Scorsese house band "The Rolling Stones". A lot has been made of the glamorizing the films appears to have towards sex, drugs and the faceless victims of the never-ending fraud/manipulation that goes on throughout. The movie is definitely not for the faint of heart but you should know that going in. From all accounts this is how these people acted during the early 90's and if you have any sense you realize the downfall that is coming to each of them and realistically does not glamorize them. The drug use is furious and throughout the picture but one scene in particular involving Quaaludes at a country club is one of the more powerful "drugs are bad" messages I've seen on film, again all the excessiveness and glamour is followed with consequence. Actress Robbie might be criticized as being just a stunning face on screen, which for the most part she is but towards the end she emulates other strong female performances in Scorsese films including Sharon Stone in Casino and Lorraine Bracco in "Goodfellas".
Much like last years "Argo" and "Zero Dark Thirty", "The Wolf of Wall Street" and another potential Oscar contender "American Hustle" are great companion pieces to each other. Both being period pieces of the not too distant past and showcases greed/corruption all while pursuing the American dream. DiCaprio's performance is the major standout between the two, "American Hustle" as a whole is the best acted film of the year, DiCaprio hands down gives the best individual performance of the year and is in thanks in part to Scorsese continuing to show why he is the best, most consistent director of the last 40 years. I'd say that there is no middle ground when it comes to "Wolf of Wall Street", you will either think it should be collecting Razzie's instead of Oscars or is the masterpiece that I say it is.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
American Hustle
"American Hustle" reeks of the 1970's. Everything from the costumes to the hairstyles to the soundtrack which ranges from Tom Jones to Wings. Director David O. Russell continues his hot streak and brings together a dream team cast that combines to make one of the most misleading, yet immensely entertaining films of the year.
"American Hustle" is the basis of a true story wrapped around in fiction (think Titanic). Set around the real life "Abscam" scandal of the 1970's. Christian Bale and Amy Adams are the two con artists who've mastered this scheme involving counterfeit art dealings as well as using bribery to bring in New Jersey powerbrokers (mafia) and corrupt politicians. When a hot wired FBI agent played gloriously by Bradley Cooper infiltrates the scam the con goes to a whole new level and can be brought down by their own bullshit as well as Bale's unhinged wife played by current Hollywood darling Jennifer Lawrence. "American Hustle" draws comparisons to past films but is most notably an offspring of Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas".
With arguably the best movie trailer of the year "American Hustle" opens with countless awards buzz as well as high "must see" status from both film aficionados and Joe the Plumber and his wife. The biggest misconception coming in the pre release buzz is that this is a comedy, while there are definitely dark funny moments "American Hustle" is better appreciated as a crime drama. Following "The Fighter" and my pick for best film of 2012 "Silver Linings Playbook", director David O. Russell goes in a somewhat different direction then he did in his previous two films. There is a great comfort here between the director and his 4 leading actors, this comes as no surprise as both Adams and Bale were nominated for Oscars for their turns in "The Fighter" (Bale won) and Cooper and Lawrence both nominated for "Silver Linings" (Lawrence won). Because of some slow character development scenes early on I can't say that "American Hustle" is the best film of the year, however it is definitely in the top 10 and the cast's performances make it easily far and away the best performance based film and each of the four and good bets for Oscar nominations in the lead and supporting actor fields.
Cooper especially runs circles around his fellow actors here, echoing whispers of classic 70's Pacino as FBI agent Richie Dimaso. Going deeper and deeper into the con, as well as getting involved with Adam's character further unhinges Cooper's character and we get some great scenes, especially between Cooper and his boss played in a great small role by comedian Louis CK. Bale, trades the batsuit for extra pounds and the comb over to end all comb overs as lead con man Irving Rosenfeld disappears into his role which is not half as flashy as Cooper's but you actually forget that its Christian Bale you are watching.
Amy Adams as former stripper turned "British" financial advisor Sydney Prosser turns in yet another stellar supporting performance, this time with the help of 70's glam, her wardrobe becomes apart of her performance and one would be hard pressed to find another such performance this year. Jennifer Lawrence, looking like a young Ellen Barkin is absolutely in her own category here asIrving's bored housewife Roslyn. Her role here is pretty minor even in supporting actor terms yet every time she is on screen the movie becomes that much more interesting. Highlights include her take on the risks involving "Science ovens" and a performance of "Live and Let Die" while wearing dishwashing gloves. Lost under these 4 powerhouse performances is the 5th lead, a good-hearted yet corrupt New Jersey mayor played by Jeremy Renner. Renner, a good actor does a good job here but even with a poof hair do that would make Snooki jealous gets lost in the shuffle other than a great confrontation scene between him and Bale's character.
As stated earlier the biggest flaw with "American Hustle" are the character development scenes early in the film. While character development and introductions are necessary as the actors do such a good job with their roles the lengthy development is not needed. Once all that is finished this is where the movie really gets going. The film has narration by multiple characters which is again a tribute to "Goodfellas" though I would have liked to have had more of that, especially during the main con scene as it is so elaborate its almost dizzying.
"American Hustle" is going to divide viewers. The marketing campaign has been both the films best friend and worst enemy. What cannot be denied is the exclamatory performances that anchor the film as well as the entire vibe that the movie gives out. Director Russell has become such a director that his films have become event status features and will continue to incite great debates between moviegoers.
"American Hustle" is the basis of a true story wrapped around in fiction (think Titanic). Set around the real life "Abscam" scandal of the 1970's. Christian Bale and Amy Adams are the two con artists who've mastered this scheme involving counterfeit art dealings as well as using bribery to bring in New Jersey powerbrokers (mafia) and corrupt politicians. When a hot wired FBI agent played gloriously by Bradley Cooper infiltrates the scam the con goes to a whole new level and can be brought down by their own bullshit as well as Bale's unhinged wife played by current Hollywood darling Jennifer Lawrence. "American Hustle" draws comparisons to past films but is most notably an offspring of Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas".
With arguably the best movie trailer of the year "American Hustle" opens with countless awards buzz as well as high "must see" status from both film aficionados and Joe the Plumber and his wife. The biggest misconception coming in the pre release buzz is that this is a comedy, while there are definitely dark funny moments "American Hustle" is better appreciated as a crime drama. Following "The Fighter" and my pick for best film of 2012 "Silver Linings Playbook", director David O. Russell goes in a somewhat different direction then he did in his previous two films. There is a great comfort here between the director and his 4 leading actors, this comes as no surprise as both Adams and Bale were nominated for Oscars for their turns in "The Fighter" (Bale won) and Cooper and Lawrence both nominated for "Silver Linings" (Lawrence won). Because of some slow character development scenes early on I can't say that "American Hustle" is the best film of the year, however it is definitely in the top 10 and the cast's performances make it easily far and away the best performance based film and each of the four and good bets for Oscar nominations in the lead and supporting actor fields.
Cooper especially runs circles around his fellow actors here, echoing whispers of classic 70's Pacino as FBI agent Richie Dimaso. Going deeper and deeper into the con, as well as getting involved with Adam's character further unhinges Cooper's character and we get some great scenes, especially between Cooper and his boss played in a great small role by comedian Louis CK. Bale, trades the batsuit for extra pounds and the comb over to end all comb overs as lead con man Irving Rosenfeld disappears into his role which is not half as flashy as Cooper's but you actually forget that its Christian Bale you are watching.
Amy Adams as former stripper turned "British" financial advisor Sydney Prosser turns in yet another stellar supporting performance, this time with the help of 70's glam, her wardrobe becomes apart of her performance and one would be hard pressed to find another such performance this year. Jennifer Lawrence, looking like a young Ellen Barkin is absolutely in her own category here asIrving's bored housewife Roslyn. Her role here is pretty minor even in supporting actor terms yet every time she is on screen the movie becomes that much more interesting. Highlights include her take on the risks involving "Science ovens" and a performance of "Live and Let Die" while wearing dishwashing gloves. Lost under these 4 powerhouse performances is the 5th lead, a good-hearted yet corrupt New Jersey mayor played by Jeremy Renner. Renner, a good actor does a good job here but even with a poof hair do that would make Snooki jealous gets lost in the shuffle other than a great confrontation scene between him and Bale's character.
As stated earlier the biggest flaw with "American Hustle" are the character development scenes early in the film. While character development and introductions are necessary as the actors do such a good job with their roles the lengthy development is not needed. Once all that is finished this is where the movie really gets going. The film has narration by multiple characters which is again a tribute to "Goodfellas" though I would have liked to have had more of that, especially during the main con scene as it is so elaborate its almost dizzying.
"American Hustle" is going to divide viewers. The marketing campaign has been both the films best friend and worst enemy. What cannot be denied is the exclamatory performances that anchor the film as well as the entire vibe that the movie gives out. Director Russell has become such a director that his films have become event status features and will continue to incite great debates between moviegoers.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Anchorman: The Legend Continues
The sequel to "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" has been eagerly anticipated by myself as well as San Diegites all over the world. Sequels to popular comedies for the most part are immensely underwhelming, I'm looking at you "Hangover Part II". The first "Anchorman" was a modest hit upon initial release but grew a massive pop culture following by those who waited til DVD or had to watch it a 2nd time to actually get it (me). In what seems like a never-ending promotional blitz since 2012 when the sequel was announced we finally have another adventure with Ron Burgundy and the Channel 4 News team. The question is, how does it hold up to the original? The answer to that is that while "Anchorman 2" is not the near perfect comedy that "Anchorman" is, it is still very very funny with a lot of great quotable lines that will make fellow fans happy and satisfied.
Ron Burgundy is one of the best characters created in the 2000's. It's everything from his mustache to his overall outlook on life. Created from the mind of star Will Ferrell and director/co-writer Adam Mckay Burgundy is the poster boy for mid 70's political incorrectness and male chauvinism. McKay and Ferrell have been writing partners since their days on SNL and their comfort level with each other shows on screen in "Anchorman" along with other collaborations such as "Step Brothers" and "Talladega Nights", they are not afraid to go outside the comfort zone sometimes taking chances on bits that are just too out there and don't stick but more times than not are hilarious. The first "Anchorman" focused mainly on sexism in the 70's with a local San Diego news station as the background. "Anchorman 2" shifts the setting to New York City in 1980 with Burgundy and his news team taking a job at one of the first 24 hour news stations in the world.
Gone in this sequel are a lot of the political and social undertones from the first instead giving us a lot more of the goofiness of Burgundy and other cast of characters who all return for the second go around. The rest of the channel 4 news team consists of Paul Rudd as "man on the street" Brian Fontana, sportscaster Champ Kind played by David Koechner and fan favorite weatherman Brick Tamland played by Steve Carell. Paul Rudd is again the MVP of the news team in terms of getting the most laughs for me. Carell, now arguable as big of a star as Ferrell thanks to his role in "The Office" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin" now seems kind of out of place in the role of Brick but while he is not as memorable as he was in the first he still gets a few good laughs.
The one problem that "Anchorman 2" has is that there are almost too many jokes to go around, this is a complicated problem. There are moments in the film that I laughed out loud more so than I have in a theater in a long time but there are also moments that just fall flat. Brick showing up to his own funeral and a scene in Ron's Winnebago come to mind. Scenes such as this could have easily been removed to make the scenes that do work (which there are a lot of) stick with the moviegoer. A lot of the funniest scenes come by so quickly and in succession of each other its almost hard to keep up. Christina Applegate also returns in very funny form as Veronica Corningstone and her scenes with Ron and their son are some of the best in the movie. Instead of introducing another female love interest for Ron played by the beautiful Meagan Good I would of liked to have seen more of Veronica in the mix.
While there is light commentary on how we receive the news now and even a bit on race in America Anchorman plays mainly and best as a spoof in the vein of "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun". Everyone involved is completely on board for the ridiculousness and not in it just for a cash grab, looking at you "Meet the Fockers".... The appeal of the characters shows in the plethora of cameos, everyone from cinema icons to rappers to even an Oscar winner. There are a lot of great quotable lines that I think will remain in the pop culture pantheon along with "I love lamp" and others from the original.
The finale of "Anchorman 2" is a major hark back to the original. It is both one of the best scenes in the movie along with being one of the most absurd scenes I think I've seen. Without any spoilers I'll just say that a werewolf, minotaur and the ghost of Stonewall Jackson among many others are involved. "Anchorman 2" will certainly not bring any new converts to Burgundy's gang but if you are a fan of the original get your jazz flutes out and spray on a little Sex Panther and enjoy!
Ron Burgundy is one of the best characters created in the 2000's. It's everything from his mustache to his overall outlook on life. Created from the mind of star Will Ferrell and director/co-writer Adam Mckay Burgundy is the poster boy for mid 70's political incorrectness and male chauvinism. McKay and Ferrell have been writing partners since their days on SNL and their comfort level with each other shows on screen in "Anchorman" along with other collaborations such as "Step Brothers" and "Talladega Nights", they are not afraid to go outside the comfort zone sometimes taking chances on bits that are just too out there and don't stick but more times than not are hilarious. The first "Anchorman" focused mainly on sexism in the 70's with a local San Diego news station as the background. "Anchorman 2" shifts the setting to New York City in 1980 with Burgundy and his news team taking a job at one of the first 24 hour news stations in the world.
Gone in this sequel are a lot of the political and social undertones from the first instead giving us a lot more of the goofiness of Burgundy and other cast of characters who all return for the second go around. The rest of the channel 4 news team consists of Paul Rudd as "man on the street" Brian Fontana, sportscaster Champ Kind played by David Koechner and fan favorite weatherman Brick Tamland played by Steve Carell. Paul Rudd is again the MVP of the news team in terms of getting the most laughs for me. Carell, now arguable as big of a star as Ferrell thanks to his role in "The Office" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin" now seems kind of out of place in the role of Brick but while he is not as memorable as he was in the first he still gets a few good laughs.
The one problem that "Anchorman 2" has is that there are almost too many jokes to go around, this is a complicated problem. There are moments in the film that I laughed out loud more so than I have in a theater in a long time but there are also moments that just fall flat. Brick showing up to his own funeral and a scene in Ron's Winnebago come to mind. Scenes such as this could have easily been removed to make the scenes that do work (which there are a lot of) stick with the moviegoer. A lot of the funniest scenes come by so quickly and in succession of each other its almost hard to keep up. Christina Applegate also returns in very funny form as Veronica Corningstone and her scenes with Ron and their son are some of the best in the movie. Instead of introducing another female love interest for Ron played by the beautiful Meagan Good I would of liked to have seen more of Veronica in the mix.
While there is light commentary on how we receive the news now and even a bit on race in America Anchorman plays mainly and best as a spoof in the vein of "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun". Everyone involved is completely on board for the ridiculousness and not in it just for a cash grab, looking at you "Meet the Fockers".... The appeal of the characters shows in the plethora of cameos, everyone from cinema icons to rappers to even an Oscar winner. There are a lot of great quotable lines that I think will remain in the pop culture pantheon along with "I love lamp" and others from the original.
The finale of "Anchorman 2" is a major hark back to the original. It is both one of the best scenes in the movie along with being one of the most absurd scenes I think I've seen. Without any spoilers I'll just say that a werewolf, minotaur and the ghost of Stonewall Jackson among many others are involved. "Anchorman 2" will certainly not bring any new converts to Burgundy's gang but if you are a fan of the original get your jazz flutes out and spray on a little Sex Panther and enjoy!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Nebraska
"Nebraska" the newest movie from heralded director Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election) in all its black and white glory is both a triumph as a film as well as a showcase for heralded yet underappreciated actor Bruce Dern. For the type of movie that "Nebraska" is I cant find a more appropriate word to describe it other than it is perfect.
"Nebraska" centers around Dern's character Woody Grant who has received a letter in the mail declaring him the winner of 1 million dollars. Woody takes it upon himself to walk from his home in Billings Montana to Lincoln Nebraska to collect his supposed winnings until his ne'er do-well son played impressively by SNL/MacGruber alum Will Forte to take this opportunity to bond with his estranged father on this road trip . Along the way they stop off in Woody's former hometown where word of his "millions" soons spreads fast and Woody becomes a living legend in the town no matter how obvious it is that Woody is in fact not going to be a millionaire.
Director Payne is one of America's most consistent directors of the last 15 years, all of his films share a dark comic undertone that is not lost at all on "Nebraska". Payne's most popular film has to be considered "Sideways" and "Nebraska" is actually a good companion piece to it, even though its almost completely opposite. "Sideways" took place in wine country on California's central coast, its beautiful scenery was showcased. "Nebraska" in contrast is shot in black and white and shows the dull, flat landedness that is America's Midwest, its dull and boring and that's the way it should be. What's similar between the two films is the depiction of the characters as being actually believable, flaws and all. Woody's pursuit of the money is not so much a thing of greed, he wants a new truck because he has never had a new truck before, he wants a new air compressor because his previous one was stolen by a "friend" 30 years ago. The Odyssey that takes place shows Woody's son David that underneath the alcoholic, distant father he grew up with was a man who couldn't say no to anyone and never went for his dreams. I do promise this is a comedy.
Actor Bruce Dern has worked with everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to Quentin Tarentino. He is a name you might not know but a face you would definitely recognize. His role here is probably the safest bet there is for an Oscar nomination if not a win, its both funny and heartbreaking. If you come from or at least know a dysfunctional family then you will find humor in this movie and the supporting cast does nothing but enhance this experience. The before mentioned Will Forte is a great surprise here and the scenes between him and Dern are some of the best between two actors in recent memory. Relative unknown June Squibb is a scene stealer as Woody's long suffering wife and another great character actor Stacy Keach shows up as a former business partner of Woody's who is looking to settled an old debt. everyone involved from Dern to the actresses playing waitresses are pitch perfect here.
On paper a movie about an old man's odyssey for a cash prize that is shot in black and white and not starring Clint Eastwood is obviously not an easy sell nor probably appealing to the average moviegoer. I can say that if you appreciate dark humor and great acting you will appreciate "Nebraska", whether or not you can exactly relate to it.
"Nebraska" centers around Dern's character Woody Grant who has received a letter in the mail declaring him the winner of 1 million dollars. Woody takes it upon himself to walk from his home in Billings Montana to Lincoln Nebraska to collect his supposed winnings until his ne'er do-well son played impressively by SNL/MacGruber alum Will Forte to take this opportunity to bond with his estranged father on this road trip . Along the way they stop off in Woody's former hometown where word of his "millions" soons spreads fast and Woody becomes a living legend in the town no matter how obvious it is that Woody is in fact not going to be a millionaire.
Director Payne is one of America's most consistent directors of the last 15 years, all of his films share a dark comic undertone that is not lost at all on "Nebraska". Payne's most popular film has to be considered "Sideways" and "Nebraska" is actually a good companion piece to it, even though its almost completely opposite. "Sideways" took place in wine country on California's central coast, its beautiful scenery was showcased. "Nebraska" in contrast is shot in black and white and shows the dull, flat landedness that is America's Midwest, its dull and boring and that's the way it should be. What's similar between the two films is the depiction of the characters as being actually believable, flaws and all. Woody's pursuit of the money is not so much a thing of greed, he wants a new truck because he has never had a new truck before, he wants a new air compressor because his previous one was stolen by a "friend" 30 years ago. The Odyssey that takes place shows Woody's son David that underneath the alcoholic, distant father he grew up with was a man who couldn't say no to anyone and never went for his dreams. I do promise this is a comedy.
Actor Bruce Dern has worked with everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to Quentin Tarentino. He is a name you might not know but a face you would definitely recognize. His role here is probably the safest bet there is for an Oscar nomination if not a win, its both funny and heartbreaking. If you come from or at least know a dysfunctional family then you will find humor in this movie and the supporting cast does nothing but enhance this experience. The before mentioned Will Forte is a great surprise here and the scenes between him and Dern are some of the best between two actors in recent memory. Relative unknown June Squibb is a scene stealer as Woody's long suffering wife and another great character actor Stacy Keach shows up as a former business partner of Woody's who is looking to settled an old debt. everyone involved from Dern to the actresses playing waitresses are pitch perfect here.
On paper a movie about an old man's odyssey for a cash prize that is shot in black and white and not starring Clint Eastwood is obviously not an easy sell nor probably appealing to the average moviegoer. I can say that if you appreciate dark humor and great acting you will appreciate "Nebraska", whether or not you can exactly relate to it.
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