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In Home Viewings: "Apollo 18"

2012-02-10T01:16:00.000-06:00

In 1972, the crew of Apollo 17 made the last manned moonlanding. Shortly after their return to earth, NASA cancelled the flights ofApollo 18, 19, and 20, respectively, and instead turned focus towards thecreation of the space shuttle. At least, that’s what the government wants youto think. (Cue the ominous “conspiracy” music.)The found footage within Apollo 18 would have you believe thatthe Apollo 17 mission was just the tip of the iceberg. With John (Ryan Robbins)orbiting above the moon, Nate (Lloyd Owen) and Ben (Warren Christie) descend uponthe surface for a secret mission, carrying a payload provided by the Departmentof Defense. Their two day mission takes a strange turn, however, when they finda Soviet landing craft and the body of a cosmonaut not far from their ownlanding spot. Soon weird things begin to happen and before long the twoastronauts find themselves under attack from a mysterious presence that alwaysseems to evade eyesight. When Nate is injured and begins to show signs ofinfection, it is left to Ben to try to get the pair back to their orbitingshuttle before it’s too late.

The found footage genre, which has become far tooprominent in recent years, presents a challenge for me. As a concept, I thinkit’s rather intriguing. There are things that you can do with a found footagenarrative that you can’t do with the standard storytelling and when done right,it can create an atmosphere that feels more realistic than it would beotherwise. I think it’s that presencethat brings me back to found footage flicks. The problem is it’s almost neverdone right. In the same way that 3D has been bastardized by bad filmmakers withbad films that use the technology for evil rather than good, found footage ismostly used as a crutch for lazy, uninspired storytelling. It is used,essentially, as a gimmick more often than not rather than a tool for crafting aquality film.

Apollo 18 isthe personification of that last paragraph. As a concept, it is thoroughlyintriguing to me. It asks the question, “Why haven’t we been back to the moon?”and pretty soon I found myself wondering the same thing. I’m anything but aconspiracy theorist but still, the base of the film worked for me. I also thinkthe decision to have almost the entire film take place with only two characterswas a brave choice even if it didn’t come together seamlessly. But beyond theconcept, Apollo 18 falls flat on itsface, a perfect illustration of what bothers me most about this genre. DirectorGonzalo Lopez-Gallego attempts to build suspense, even terror, throughout buthe never manages to pull it off. Very little happens throughout the film’sruntime and what does happen is completely swallowed up by the boredom that theslow pace inspires. And instead of trying to do anything unique or fresh,instead Apollo 18 represents a checklist of generic gags and gimmicks that plague the average found footage film.

On top of all this, Apollo18 isn’t frightening in the least. I tire of film critics attackingsuspense films and thrillers for not effectively scaring them out of theirseats. But a film billed as a sci-fi horror flick needs to pack at least a bitof a punch and this film is decidedly punchless. Weak dialogue and plot holes canbe overlooked (see: The Blair WitchProject) if your film is bringing legitimate scares but every time Apollo 18 tries to ramp up the scare factor,I found myself yawning and wondering how much more I had to sit through. It islazy, half-hearted filmmaking that could have done much more with the conceptit had to work with.

Trailer Time: "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World"

2012-02-10T00:42:00.003-06:00

The first trailer for Seeking a Friend for the End of the World debuted today and I must say it has piqued my interest. The concept is somewhat different (let's just hope they stay away from Another Earth territory) and I am an unabashed fan of Steve Carell. Plus, I'm always willing to get behind a smart-looking romantic comedy in hopes that it'll be a worthwhile date movie instead of the painful drivel that has taken over the genre. So on June 22nd, I'm in. How about you?

In Home Viewings: "Midnight in Paris"

2012-02-09T01:25:00.002-06:00

Gil (Owen Wilson) and his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) aren’t a particularly good match. Gil is a successful screenwriter who would prefer to be a struggling novelist while Inez is an upper-class snob who prefers Beverly Hills’ brand of culture to that of the Old World. During their vacation to Paris, Gil and Inez spend their days touring with Paul (Michael Sheen) and Carol (Nina Arianda), Inez’s insufferable friends, and their nights dining with Inez’s parents. As Gil becomes more infatuated with Paris and less happy with Inez, he begins to take midnight walks around the city to clear his head. On one of these walks he is beckoned by the occupants of an antique car to join their party, an invitation which he graciously accepts. When he arrives at the party, however, he realizes that he has journeyed back in time to the Roaring ‘20s and comes in contact with celebrities of the past such as F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) and Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll). Each night he journeys back to the past and upon his return to the present each morning, he finds his transition more and more difficult and leading to the inevitable confrontation between Inez and himself.

I’ve never been a big fan of Woody Allen or his films. It’s not that I don’t think he makes quality films; it’s that I’ve never really enjoyed his particular sense of humor. Maybe more to the point, I’m 28 years old which means very, VERY, few of the films Allen has made in my lifetime have mattered whatsoever and those that do matter haven’t resonated with me. In fact, Midnight in Paris is probably the first Allen movie made in my lifetime that actually made an impression on me. I’m not quite so willing to jump on the bandwagon so aggressively as to add this film to my personal top ten list, but it’s a tremendous improvement on most of Woody’s recent works.

There are three types of characters in the standard Woody Allen romance:

1. The Woody character - Woody inserts himself in basically every one of his films whether he plays the protagonist himself or farms the role out to another actor;

2. The Muse - There’s always someone or something that inspires, confuses, or otherwise entices the Woody character;

3. Everyone else - Everyone other character in a Woody Allen film is generally some form of jerk who doesn’t understand the Woody character.

Midnight in Paris is no stranger to this formula. One of the reasons this film works so well is the brilliant performance of Owen Wilson. Gil is, of course, Woody’s representation of himself within this film and Wilson plays perhaps the best Woody Allen yet (besides the man himself). Wilson exemplifies the neurosis and idiosyncrasies needed for the Allen character with flair and he delivers the requisite banter exquisitely. The Muse, in this case, is not a person but rather the collective that makes up Paris in the ‘20s. Gil falls head over heels for the glamour and the nightlife, the writers and the musicians, the dancing and the garb. He is inspired by a generation that he feels is significantly better than the one in which he was born. Everyone else is, well, everyone in Gil’s real life. Inez, her parents, and her friends are all, quite simply, horrible, boring, and obnoxious people. This is always the part of the Woody Allen Equation that bothers me, as I’d prefer it if at least one character outside of Woody and the Muse could act like a real human. In this case, however, I think Allen does a great job of playing down the stupidity of “everyone else” while focusing more on the glory of the muse and the life Gil so desperately desires. I found myself rooting for him in a way I can’t always manage in a Woody Allen film. It is a stunningly shot, richly structured film that presents a thrilling, beautiful portrait of Paris in what is undoubtedly Allen’s best film in 25 years.

Trailer Time: "The Bourne Legacy" and "The Amazing Spider-man"

2012-02-08T12:46:00.000-06:00

I expected to do a Trailer Time post after the Super Bowl this weekend but honestly, I wasn't all that impressed with the slim pickins the big game offered. This week, however, we've been treated to two big releases.

The first is an early look at The Bourne Legacy which opens in August. Have to say, I'm really excited about this one. I love the original Bourne trilogy and while I'm bummed that Matt Damon isn't around for a new batch, I think Jeremy Renner is essentially a perfect replacement. This teaser doesn't show us a whole lot but it does give the impression that it will fit in well with the first series.

The second newbie is a full trailer for The Amazing Spider-man. We were treated to a teaser spot last year which mostly highlighted the new suit. This trailer takes us much deeper into the plot and gives us our first look at the villain, The Lizard. I'm still not convinced this movie needs to exist, but it does look good.

Review: "The Grey"

2012-02-07T00:55:00.000-06:00

There’s never been any question that Liam Neeson is not aman to be trifled with. Whether he was freeing Jews in Schindler’s List, avenging the defilement of his wife in Rob Roy, or giving the only worthwhile performance in Phantom Menace, Neeson has always been acharismatic and thoroughly believable leading man with an edge. 2009’s Taken took that to a whole new level,though, and simultaneously changed the culture (and relative importance) of theridiculous action film and Neeson’s overall impression. When the trailer for The Grey started making the rounds, myfriends and I had a grand time comparing it to Taken and joking about how nature didn’t stand a chance against aLiam Neeson throat chop. (In fact, I should probably just put together atimeline of the text messages we exchanged and let that stand as my review.) Ivery much enjoy the ridiculous notion that Neeson is engaging in some sort ofgladiator-like event in which Hollywood sends their most blood-thirstychampions to battle him and he unceremoniously dispatches them: Serbians (Taken)? No problem. German spies (Unknown)? No problem. A tank fallinglike an anvil from the sky (The A-Team)?No problem. Finally, in a last ditch effort to save face, Hollywood called uponCGI wolves with a taste for human flesh. How could Neeson possibly stave offsuch an onslaught?

John Ottway (Neeson) is at the end of his rapidly frayingrope. Left alone by his wife and with very few marketable skills, he winds upin the Alaskan wilderness, hired to shoot wolves that threaten the safety ofthe roughneck employees working on a pipeline. He has nothing to live for andis on the verge of suicide. But on his way home to Anchorage, his plane crashesand he finds himself as one of seven survivors in the middle of a winterwasteland. Ottway springs into action, gathering up the survivors andformulating a plan to hike out to safety. But before his plans can come tofruition, the small group is beset upon by a pack of hungry and blood thirstywolves who furiously pick off the survivors one by one. With the wolves at hisheels, the blistering cold in his face, and no definite sense of where he is,Ottway finds his desire for death put to the test.

The success of Takenhas created a two-sided phenomenon in my mind. On the one hand, at nearly60 years old, Neeson’s career has hit a new stride that very few actors areable to achieve wherein millions of younger viewers will see whatever movie heis in, at least in large part, because he is in it. That’s where I’m at,anyway. I know if I’m going into a Neeson film, I’m going to have a darn goodtime and I’m going to be impressed with what a boss the man is. On the otherhand, however, it’s difficult to go into a Neeson action movie and not expect Taken Part 2. In my mind, Unknown was Taken: Germany, The A-Teamwas Taken with Friends, and Battleship will be Taken: Alien Invasion (all of this leading up to, of course, Taken 2 which comes out later thisyear). That feeling makes it difficult to transition to a different concept ifa given film aspires to be something other than an unofficial Taken sequel.

And that’s where I’m at with The Grey.

When you’re expecting Liam Neeson to be himself (a grade-Aboss) and just kickpunch the crap out of every wolf who happens to cross hispath, it comes as quite a shock when it turns out that the wolves are actuallyfar more up to the task of killing Neeson than any group of Serbians ever were.There is a lot more at play than meets the eye with The Grey and that serves as both a pleasant surprise and a bit of aletdown. I was not prepared for the deep, philosophical undercurrent that runsthrough every aspect of this film. As I adjusted, I found that for the firsttwo-thirds at least, the two sides of the film (the awesome, butt-kicking sideand the deeper, serious side) complemented each other quite well. And for awhile director Joe Carnahan had his cake and ate it, too: his in-depthexploration into the darker elements of the human soul went hand-in-hand withNeeson’s general awesomeness, including his utterance of one of the fivegreatest tough-guy quotes I can ever remember (seriously, this movie is worthseeing just to hear him threaten one of his fellow survivors with one of themost blunt, harsh, and menacing statements I’ve ever heard).

But I confess the conclusion of The Grey has me perplexed. Withoutspoiling anything for anyone, it’s fair to say that there essentially isn’t aconclusion. It closes on a note that is about as ambiguous as you’ll everexperience, perhaps one step short of the masterful/infuriating (depending onyour opinion) close to No Country For OldMen. Just when you think the film is going to ramp up into a fresh round ofthroat chops and jump kicks, the screen goes black and the closing creditsroll. And if I’m being totally honest, I still don’t know how I feel aboutthis. I admire Carnahan’s willingness to take a risk and there’s no questioningthe quality of the filmmaking involved here. But it takes a special film toproperly execute the non-ending-ending and I’m not sure that The Grey qualifies. The conclusion flipsthe course of the film on its head and makes you reconsider its overall focusand while that could be considered a stroke of genius, it didn’t completelywork for me. All said, The Grey is acomplex, worthwhile film but not one that I’m ready to anoint as a “great”action flick. I guess I’ll have to hold onto that title until Taken 2 rolls around.

The Week That Was and The Week That Will Be

2012-02-06T01:43:00.000-06:00

I'm finally getting around to working on some changes around here in terms of layout. The big move is the Twitter feed to the right. I haven't had time to do Movie News Today lately and I'm thinking it won't be feasible in the future. So have a look at the news links I favorite as they appear in that bar and I'm hoping I'll be able to do a brief summary at the end of each week. We'll give that a go and see how it works! I'll also be posting more reviews on a regular basis in the future, something I've gotten away from recently. Thanks for sticking around!

I did a guest post for my friend, the Focused Filmographer, that went live (in two parts) over the weekend. Please check them out here and here.

It's early (WAYYYY early) but Harrison Ford has been approached concerning the possibility of his joining the cast of Ridley Scott's hypothetical Blade Runner sequel. I don't even know how to feel about any of this to be quite honest.

Jane Levy has taken the place of Lily Collins in the remake of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead. Levy is the star of ABC's new hit Suburgatory which I highly enjoy. It would be too easy to say she's an Emma Stone starter kit but that's exactly what she is so I'm going to say it: Levy is an Emma Stone starter kit.

NPR has a fun article on the Movie Titles That Might Have Been. Check it out!

Cinema Blend picks their 10 favorite commercials from this year's Super Bowl. Gotta say, worst collection of Super Bowl ads in recent memory.

Weekend BoxOffice Returns

Solid, solid weekend overall. Chronicle performed surprisingly well with both audiences andcritics and you’d have to say that TheWoman in Black falls into that category as well. My guess is word of mouthon Chronicle helps it grab a solidsecond week while most of the people who plan on seeing Woman did so this weekend. We’ll see! Big Miracle was a big loser, however, and its $40 million budgetdoesn’t look so great right now.

1. Chronicle - $22M

2. The Woman in Black - $21M

3. The Grey - $9.5M ($34.75M)

4. Big Miracle - $8.5M

5. Underworld: Awakening - $5.6M($54.35M)

6. One for the Money - $5.25M ($19.66M)

7. Red Tails - $5M ($41.32M)

8. The Descendants - $4.6M ($65.52M)

9. Man on a Ledge - $4.5M ($14.7M)

10. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- $3.92M ($26.79M)

New to DVD

What I’ll BeRenting This Week

Project Nim (2011) - Bob Angelini, Nim Chimpsky

This documentary focuses on a New York couple in the1970s that took in a young chimpanzee and raised him as a human child. I’malways up for a good documentary and this one has been on my radar for a while.Also, what ever happened to monkey-related research? I don’t mean genetictesting like we see in Rise of the Planetof the Apes; I mean good old fashioned monkeys learning to read, monkeysgoing to space, etc. It seems like that was a bigger part of my childhood thanit is my adulthood.

What No OneShould Ever be Forced to See EVER

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011)- Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart,Taylor Lautner

In a perfect world, these books and films wouldn’t exist.But since they do, would it be too much to ask for the studio behind thesefilms to actually attempt to make them good? Even devoted fans of this seriescame away admitting that this one is a heap of rubbish and if that wasn’tenough, the trailer was one of the worst of 2011. Blerg.

What I’ll BeBuying This Week

A Fish Called Wanda (1988) - Jamie LeeCurtis, John Cleese, Kevin Kline

There are not just a whole lot of ‘80s comedies that holdup 20+ years later. Wanda is one ofthem. I saw this for the first time very recently and I laughed…a lot. In fact,it was one of the better “first viewings” I had last year. High quality comedy.

Also New

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas (2011)- Kal Penn, John Cho, Neil Patrick Harris

Anonymous (2011) - Rhys Ifans, VanessaRedgrave, David Thewlis

Fireflies in the Garden (2008) - RyanReynolds, Willem Dafoe, Julia Roberts

Downton Abbey: Season 2 (2011) - HughBonneville, Laura Carmichael

New to Blu

Lady and the Tramp (1955) - BarbaraLuddy, Larry Roberts

It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) - SpencerTracy, Milton Berle, Ethel Merman

Dangerous Liaisons (1988) - Glenn Close,John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer

A Star is Born (1976) - KrisKristofferson, Barbara Streisand

Love Story (1970) - Ali McGraw, Ryan O’Neal

Dream Girls (2006) - Beyonce, JamieFoxx, Eddie Murphy

The Cat in the Hat (2003) - Mike Myers,Spencer Breslin, Dakota Fanning

Coming to aTheater Near You

I haven’t been doing the Weekend Movie Guide the last fewweeks, an oversight for which I apologize. I will try to get back into over thenext few weeks. Until then, I guess we’ll have to be content with using thisspace for such endeavors. My RT score predictions were fairly solid last week,though Big Miracle came outunexpectedly fresh and Chronicle didMUCH better than I would have expected. This week brings us a wide variety ofnew films that could end up bringing in a solid overall total.

Safe House - Denzel Washington, RyanReynolds, Vera Farmiga

With each viewing of this film’s trailer, I become alittle more convinced of its merits. Two months ago I thought it could be adecent-enough winter action film. A month ago I was starting to think it couldpossibly end up being “good.” Now I’m at least half-convinced that this isgoing to be awesome. This world needs Denzel shooting guns and acting thevillain, not chasing runaway trains. Perhaps more important, Reynolds needs ahit and I expect being around Denzel will bring out the best in him. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 73%

The Vow - Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum,Sam Neill

My favorite part of the marketing campaign for Vow is the ardent way in which thestudio wants to make sure that you know that this movie is just like The Notebook. McAdams is “from The Notebook”, Tatum is “from Dear John”, and it’s based on a book byNicholas Sparks, “author of The Notebook.”As the world’s biggest Rachel McAdams fan who isn’t actually affiliated withher, I would really, really prefer if she wasn’t in this. I expect it won’t bethe worst romance in the history of film, I just think it will be tired andlimited, like all of these films are. It would be just peachy if McAdams couldsomehow swap places with Reese Witherspoon in This Means War. RottenTomatoes prediction: 45%

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - The Rock,Josh Hutcherson, Michael Caine

It’s safe to say that I follow film pretty closely, asthis space will attest. So when I say that it took me some time to figure outthat this was a sequel to Journey to theCenter of the Earth, understand that it comes from someone who (ostensibly)knows his stuff. This is a confusing film because of: A.) The Rock randomlyreplacing Brendan Fraser and B.) The Fact that Journey even warranted a sequel. I had honestly forgotten that itwas a film until recently. Can’t imagine this will be well received. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 30%

We’ll also be treated to a wider expansion for Rampart(Woody Harrelson), the limited opening of Perfect Sense (EwanMcGregor, Eva Green), and the 3D release of Star Wars Episode I: The PhantomMenace (Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor), previously known as “The Most FrustratingMovie I’ve Ever Seen” until ExtremelyLoud and Incredibly Close stole the title last week.

Guest Post - Ranking the Best Picture Winners

2012-02-03T11:29:00.003-06:00

My pal Terrence over at The Focused Filmographer is on vacation this week and asked me to do a guest post for his blog. I chose to rank the last 20 Best Picture Winners. The first part of the column went live today and the second part comes tomorrow.

Please jump over and check out Part 1 and Part 2 and be sure to leave your own comments.

Review: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

2012-02-01T02:09:00.000-06:00

I know that I’m quite prone to hyperbole. When describinga movie I’ve used the terms “best”, “worst”, and “favorite” more than any manshould. I’ve tried to curb that desire over the last couple of years and I nowthink long and hard before I jump off the hyperbolic ledge. So when I say that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close isthe most frustrating movie I have EVER seen, please know that I do so after aserious amount of consideration.

Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) is a troubled boy, strickenwith a set of social disorders (never defined in the film but readily apparent)that only get worse when he experiences “the worst day ever.” His father,Thomas (Tom Hanks), was in the World Trade Center on 9/11 and died in thebuilding’s collapse. The loss leaves Oskar struggling to make sense of his lifewhile his mother, Linda (Sandra Bullock), drifts further and further away intodepression. A year after the tragedy, while snooping around in his father’spossessions, Oskar discovers a mysterious key labeled, “Black.” Feeling thathis connection to his father is slipping away, Oskar postulates that the keymust be a part of one of the numerous adventures his father sent him on. Withthe help of a mysterious mute (Max Von Sydow) who rents a room from hisgrandmother, Oskar begins a cross-city search for the owner of the key who hebelieves will be able to tell him something about his father.

The story contained within EL&IC is truly spectacular. It is equal parts beauty andheartbreak, a haunting and yet triumphant narrative that should draw a natural connectionfrom its audience. Obviously the 9/11 overtones make up a portion of theemotion within the film but the real value is found in Oskar’s struggle to remainin touch with his father and as a byproduct the distance from his mother. Makeno mistake, at times this story is gut-wrenchingly painful and difficult toendure but at the core of the sorrow there remains hope, a combination thatelicited quite a response from me. When describing the narrative to a friend Igot choked up and nearly broke down, an action that isn’t typical for me (I’m amovie crier, sure, but I’m usually done with it after the movie is over). Irealized how deeply the story had affected me after the fact, so to speak, andthat’s what makes this such a frustrating movie: while the narrative isfantastic, virtually everything else about this movie is a bloody mess.

Okay, to be fair, the acting of the supporting playersisn’t a mess. Hanks is charming as always in his limited screen time and as thefilm goes on, Bullock’s character displays more depth than originally expected.Von Sydow, too, makes every second of his wordless appearance count, a performanceworthy of his Oscar nomination. All of them, however, are overshadowed by Oskarand I don’t mean that in a good way. Oskar is, quite simply, a beating for themajority of the film. The fault does not belong with Horn, a young actor whodoes an excellent job with what he was given to work with. The problem is that directorStephen Daldry makes Oskar excruciatingly annoying in order to illustrate hisvarious ticks and issues. At times you want to ignore all the stuff this kid hasbeen through and just tell him to shut up. Actually, it’s not “at times”; it’salmost all the time. Oskar grated on my nerves and Daldry’s insistence onplaying up his idiosyncrasies essentially strips this film of its rightfulimpact. Add in a HORRIBLE, painful voiceover that never seems to stop, adistracting and obnoxious score, and a few truly bizarre production choices (aman falling from the WTC building in disturbing detail, for example) and whatyou’ve got is a sloppy, haphazard mess of a film that undercuts the power ofthe narrative.

Numerous times over the last few years I’ve saidthat a given film contains 20 minutes of a good film that can’t quite escapethe trappings of mediocrity (or something to that effect). EL&IC is different: it is 20 minutes of a GREAT film, an ICONICfilm, that is maddeningly handicapped by incessant and infuriatingly poorchoices from Daldry and his writing team. It is a frustrating and infuriatingcinematic experience that perfectly illustrates the term, “what could havebeen.”

In Home Viewings: "Killer Elite"

2012-01-31T00:07:00.000-06:00

After his last job goes badly, Danny (Jason Statham), a world renowned hitman, leaves the game and moves into isolation in Australia. His mentor, Hunter (Robert De Niro), keeps taking jobs and before long he gets himself into trouble with a Middle Eastern sheik. In order to win Hunter's freedom, Danny must take on that inevitable "one last job", a contract that will require him to kill three former SAS agents who were connected to the deaths of the sheik's sons during a military operation. Danny assembles a team and sets out to fulfill the contract, an easy any task for a man of his skills. He draws the attention, however, of Spike (Clive Owen), another former SAS agent and a member of a secret society known as The Feathermen, who takes it upon himself to prevent the hits from taking place and to bring Danny in for interrogation.

I didn't expect much from Killer Elite, a sentiment I attempt to take in with me whenever watching a Jason Statham movie. I assumed the plot would be thin and the dialogue would be to the level of a third grader and I was willing to accept that as long as the movie delivered quality action sequences and a general good time. In essence, I did my part by bringing a low standard and a good attitude to the table. Unfortunately, Killer Elite failed to carry its share of the load. This movie is so bad that I almost didn't write a review because I'd already wasted two hours of my life by watching it and didn't want to give up another hour or so to writing about it. I'm sad that I didn't see it earlier so that I could include it in my "Worst Movies of the Year" list because it DEFINITELY should own a place in the bottom five. Simply put, there is absolutely nothing to like about this film. Nothing.

Killer Elite manages to squeeze every action movie cliche you can think of into its plot. You've got the "one last job" element at play. You've got the mentor-mentee-bad-guy relationship thing happening. You've got the villain who's really not a bad guy and he shows it by shooting people in the knees (crippling them for life) instead of killing them. And the list goes on. It's embarrassing how unoriginal and completely uninspired Killer Elite really is. With a cast as talented as this one is, the least director Gary McKendry and writer Matt Sherring could do would be to create a plot and an atmosphere in which the actors could thrive. Clearly no one in the cast cared about making this movie. I've sadly come to expect that from De Niro in these settings (that's one of the most depressing statements I've ever made in this space) but even Statham seems completely disinterested, like a man who knows he's working on a doomed project. This is a guy who goes all out in Crank, a wretched film that only made it to theaters because Statham rocks it so hard; how bad does the on-set vibe have to be for that guy to not care?

None of this would make Killer Elite a "Worst Movie of the Year" candidate (probably) without the following issues:

1.) The plot is so overly complex that it's next to impossible to follow from a logical standpoint. By that I don't mean that it's "smart" or "over my head." I mean that it's a jumbled, convoluted mess that was structured poorly in the first place and probably edited poorly in re-writes. This is a bad, extremely thin plot that doesn't make a bloody bit of sense and in order to cover those holes, the writer(s) adds in a whole bunch of junk to make it look more complex than it really is. There are approximately 100,000 worthless plot twists and turns in this movie and I'm probably under valuing that number.

2.) More egregious in my book, pretty much every character in this film makes idiotic decision after idiotic decision and these decisions are the only way that the plot can keep moving. This is perhaps my least favorite movie trick ever; it's the main reason I hate horror movies. If your plot depends on your characters making decisions that no human with the IQ of a three-toed sloth would make, then it's a bad plot and you should stop making your movie. In Killer Elite, every character operates under the three-toed sloth line. Keep in mind, these are all highly trained, intelligent covert agents who have only lived as long as they have because they were, presumably, good at making decisions and keeping themselves alive. But that doesn't stop them from running off into the path of a large truck or not searching a known enemy for weapons. I'm pretty sure even my wife knows that if your adversary is strangling your colleague and they're close enough to touch noses, you probably shouldn't shoot said adversary in the back of the head with a high-caliber pistol because, gosh wouldn't you know it, the bullet is likely to go through and kill your friend, too. Unfortunately for one of the characters in this movie, another highly-trained, super-awesome special agent did not know this scientific fact.

Basically what I'm saying, dear reader(s), is that you absolutely should not see Killer Elite. I know it looks like it could be fun, I know it looks like the perfect, "It's Midnight and I've Already Watched Sportscenter and this Just Came on HBO" movie. But trust me, it isn't. Save yourself and stay away.

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be

2012-01-30T01:16:00.000-06:00

John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) will direct The Partner based on a John Grisham novel. Hancock is responsible for one of my favorite films, The Alamo, which no one else in the world cares for. And while the majority of films based on Grisham novels haven't been so great, The Partner is an excellent read with a little more to it than the author's typical product. I'm excited.

With The Grey opening this weekend, Cinema Blend gives us six great man vs. animal movie moments. Well done!

Details are slipping out about two (loosely?) Biblically-based films: Darren Arnofsky's Noah and Steven Spielberg's Gods and Kings (about Moses). Intrigued.

I discovered a new blog this week called In the Frame Film Reviews. Really like this guy's work especially his 100 Movies to See Before You Die post. Check it out.

And finally, here's absolute official word from Dean Lorey's website: the new season of Arrested Development is a go. I. Cannot. Wait.

Weekend BoxOffice Results

Much to my chagrin, I didn’t make it to the theater thisweekend. I definitely wanted to as the idea of Liam Neeson destroying naturehad me quite excited. Alas, I was toobusy with, you know, real life. Anyway, glad to see audiences embrace The Grey this weekend though theupcoming weekend will be the real test for this movie: with all the (possiblyunexpected) positive reviews, The Greycould be looking at a long theatrical run, much like Taken enjoyed a few years ago. And here’s hoping One for the Money fades away as quicklyas Katherine Heigl’s star appeal.

1. The Grey -$20M

2. Underworld:Awakening - $12.5M ($45.12M)

3. One for theMoney - $11.75M

4. Red Tails -$10.4M ($33.78M)

5. Man on Ledge- $8.3M

6. Extremely Loudand Incredibly Close - $7.14M ($21.1M)

7. The Descendants- $6.55M ($58.84M)

8. Contraband -$6.5M ($56.4M)

9. Beauty and theBeast 3D - $5.35M ($41.14M)

10. Haywire -$4M ($15.27M)

New to DVD

What I’ve Seenand You Should, Too

Drive (2011) - Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan,Albert Brooks

New in Town (2012) - John Mulaney

This is my last chance to extoll the greatness of thisfilm since the Academy, in all their infinite wisdom, decided to leave it outof Oscar consideration altogether. So allow me one last time to tell you thatthis is the best movie of 2011 and a film that is about one step away from “masterpiece”status. It’s not for everyone but if you can handle the hyper-violence, this isa must-see. New in Town is a stand-upcomedy set by John Mulaney that debuted on Comedy Central this weekend. Mulaneyis the head writer for Saturday NightLive and he’s one of the funniest dudes in the business. Check it out.

What I Know IShouldn’t Watch But I’m Probably Going to Anyway

In Time (2011) - Justin Timberlake, AmandaSeyfried, Cillian Murphy

My colleague Matt Kraus pegged this as the worst film of 2011. I’ve seen other similar reviews and it currently has a 37% rating onRotten Tomatoes. I know all of this and I expect to agree with theaforementioned assessments. But I also know myself and I know that I can’tresist a high-concept sci-fi flick like this one. So expect a scathing reviewin the near future.

Also New

The Thing (2011) - Mary Elizabeth Winstead,Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen

Texas Killing Fields (2011) - SamWorthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chloe Grace Moretz

The Big Year (2011) - Owen Wilson, Steve Martin,Jack Black

Dream House (2011) - Daniel Craig, RachelWeisz, Naomi Watts

New to Blu

To Kill a Mockingbird 50^th Anniversary Edition (1962) -Gregory Peck, John Megna, Frank Overton (One of my favorite books everand a cinematic classic.)

Shakespeare in Love (1998) - Joseph Fiennes,Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush (One of my least favorite movies andpossibly the worst movie to ever win Best Picture. I’m not bitter or anything.)

Cold Mountain (2003) - Jude Law, NicoleKidman, Renee Zellweger

The English Patient (1996) - Ralph Fiennes, JulietteBinoche, Kristin Scott Thomas

Adaptation (2002) - Nicolas Cage, MerylStreep, Chris Cooper

The Piano (1993) - Holly Hunter, Sam Neill,Harvey Keitel

Malcolm X (1992) - Denzel Washington, AngelaBassett

Frida (2002) - Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina,Geoffrey Rush

The Scout (1994) - Brendan Fraser, AlbertBrooks, Dianne Wiest

Monkeybone (2001) - Brendan Fraser, BridgetFonda

A Soldier’s Story (1984) - Howard E.Rollins, Adolph Caesar, Denzel Washington

Grand Canyon (1991) - Steve Martin, DannyGlover, Kevin Kline

Nothing in Common (1986) - Tom Hanks, JackieGleason

Coming to aTheater Near You

Well, I was way off on my RT score predictions last week.Who knew The Grey would do so well(79% fresh) and both Man on Ledge (23%rotten) and One for the Money (3%)would tank so hard? I mean, I knew OFTMwould be atrocious but 3%?! Wow. Hoping I can redeem myself this week.

Chronicle - Michael B. Jordan, Alex Russell,Dane DeHaan

I’ve been cautiously optimistic about this found footagemovie about three teenagers who are imbued with special powers afterdiscovering an alien object. I’ve seen no reviews as of yet but the Twitterbuzz has been far better than expected. Here’s hopin’! Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 70%

The Woman in Black - Daniel Radcliffe, JanetMcTeer, Ciaran Hinds

My dislike of horror movies is well established at thispoint. But this one looks intriguing. I think it’s a smart play for Radcliffeto jump into something different from HarryPotter but not entirely uncomfortable. Could be worth a look at some point.Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 67%

The Innkeepers - Sara Paxton, Pat Healy,Kelly McGillis

Speaking of horror movies… This one has gotten reallygood reviews to this point but looks less interesting to me personally. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 70%

Big Miracle - John Krasinski, DrewBarrymore, Tim Blake Nelson

The obvious comparison for Big Miracle is Dolphin Talewhich was well-received and scored an 83% fresh rating. But will Big Miracle be of the same quality anddo critics (and moviegoers alike) have enough room for such a similar movie sosoon? My guess is no to the first question, yes to the second. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 52%

In Home Viewings - "Pearl Jam 20"

2012-01-26T00:04:00.001-06:00

When the grunge rock movement began in Seattle in theearly ‘90s, filmmaker Cameron Crowe was living in the area and spent a gooddeal of time covering the music scene. At the forefront of the movement, whichspread like wildfire across the globe, there were two bands: Nirvana and PearlJam. Yes, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and a number of other bands madesignificant marks but it was the aforementioned duo that made grunge theall-encompassing phenomenon that it was. If you’ve ever seen a Crowe film, youknow he has a connection with Pearl Jam; I’m pretty sure at least one PJ songcan be found in each of his films, including We Bought a Zoo, an addition that made no sense but was nonethelessawesome. Pearl Jam 20 serves as Crowe’sode to his favorite band as he traces their origins back to the pre-EddieVedder days and follows them up through their most recent album, interspersing concertfootage with intimate interviews and some home videos to create a portrait ofwhat could be America’s last great rock band.

Much like Crowe himself, I am borderline obsessed withthe grunge era. I think Nirvana saved music and you can’t convince meotherwise. Pearl Jam is probably my favorite band going right now and so forme, PJ20 was an outstanding way tospend two hours. This isn’t exactly the in-depth, investigative sort ofdocumentary that many critics were hoping for. Rather, it’s almost a loveletter to the band and the music of the era from a fan to the fans. Andpersonally, I’m okay with that. It was thrilling to catch a glimpse of theinner workings of the band and the history of how they came together. I’ve readsome of this information before but it’s different to actually watch the bandtalk about themselves and about their music. The grunge era is such a fascinating,exciting subject and Crowe’s ability to weave together the various elements heuses to tell Pearl Jam’s story is incredible.

The early days of the band are of particular interest asCrowe examines the way in which the members of the group came together and the workthat led to their breakout album, Ten.Through the various interviews and video clips, you are able to get a real feelfor the brotherhood not just among the members of Pearl Jam but also among allmembers of the Seattle music scene, regardless of band affiliation. In oneclip, Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) stated that his musician friends from NewYork couldn’t believe how supportive each band was of the next; New York bandsviewed themselves as competitors while the grunge acts saw themselves as partsof a whole. In many ways, that feeling of togetherness is representative of amovement that was embraced by millions of (young) people from different walksof life who felt disenfranchised by society in general, let alone the crap thatdominated the airwaves at the time.

One of the more intriguing parts of the film is the wayin which it displays the changes in the both the personalities of the bandmembers and the music they put together. As PJ20progresses, you witness the evolution of both band and individual. Front manEddie Vedder is almost out of control in early footage, both on and off stage.There’s a sense of frustration, almost rage, that pours through in every song.Later concert footage and interviews show a much more controlled and mature manwho has traded anger for political and social angst but one who still knows howto put on an incredible show and make fantastic music. It was engrossing for meto watch the changes take place over the course of 20 years and brought a newappreciation for some of the band’s music that I haven’t always been asimpressed with.

If nothing else (and perhaps above all else), PJ20 offers up an enthralling anthologyof Pearl Jam on stage. The concert footage is exquisitely cut and distributedthroughout the runtime so that it never becomes a true concert film but alsonever allows the viewer to forget that these guys represent a powerhouse on thestage. The mix of early footage with more recent shots (including an IMPECCABLEperformance of Release from a fewyears ago) provides a powerful sampling of the truly special body of work PearlJam has put together over the years. I would have loved for Crowe to delvedeeper into the middle years of the band in which there was an apparent, ifunspoken, conflict between the band members or give more insight into theorigins of some of Pearl Jam’s more popular songs. But as it stands, PJ20 provides a beautiful and heartfeltlook at one of the world’s most prolific rock bands.

Oscar Nomination Reactions

2012-01-25T13:01:00.002-06:00

I collaborated withnews editor Jobe Close for an Oscar Reaction piece over at IEF. I expect itwill be published sometime today or tomorrow. But in the meantime I'll posthere in case you'd care to browse through my thoughts on the major awards.Overall, I thought the Academy did a decent job. There are some EGREGIOUSommissions and a ridiculous nomination or two but with the exception ofignoring 50/50, Drive, and (to a lesser extent) Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Ithought they did a decent job of navigating a difficult sea of potentialnominees.

Three reactions to the other categories:

1.) The ommission of TheAdventures of Tintin from the Best Animated Film category is as big ofa snub as you will find on this year's lists. That film made a number of top 10lists and was far and away the best animated film of the year in my book.

2.) Only two entries were nominated in the Best Songcategory. What's the point of having two nominees, Academy? Mary J. Blidgeprobably deserved a nod for her work on TheHelp but if nothing else, just fill up the category with other songsfrom The Muppets sothat it at least looks like a legitimate category.
3.) I'm more than a little surprised that Mission: Impossible - GhostProtocol didn't pick up anynominations in the technical categories. I thought it featured an exquisitesound mix and some outstanding special effects. Somehow the Academy found roomfor Transformers: Dark of theMoon, which received three nominations (if you're keeping track at homethat's three for Transformers,none for Drive, and aslightly suicidal blogger), but not for MI4.

Best Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanavicus, The Artist
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
JC Chandor, Margin Call
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Asgnar Farhadi, A Separation

More often than not, the Best Screenplay categories are used to throw a bone (as it were) to filmmakers whose films have been largely overlooked despite their merits. Still, I’m glad to see Bridesmaids get a nod here; a truly hilarious film that deserves some recognition.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, Nat Faxon, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian, Moneyball
Peter Straughan and Bridget O'Connor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Two entries stand out in this category for me, one in a good way and one…not so much. I’m thrilled that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy got an unexpected nod. One of my favorite films of the year, I think Straughan and O’Connor did a magnificent job of fleshing out a complicated and dense subject matter here and set up the outstanding cast for success. On the other hand, I’m not a fan of The Ides of March. The acting was great, sure, but the story is dull and reused. Why honor a film by nominating its worst element?

Best Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn

I’m shocked (along with most followers of Award Season) that Albert Brooks wasn’t nominated for his against-cast dark performance in Drive. I’d long ago lost hope in Ryan Gosling getting a nod for leading that film but thought for sure Brooks would get a, “sorry we didn’t care about your awesome movie” nomination. This is the one real snub that this year has to offer in my opinion. At the same time, Max Von Sydow was probably the last man in and despite the fact that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is mostly a hot mess (more on this later), MVS is excellent. This is usually the toughest category to whittle down and I’m guessing this year was no exception. (Then again, Drive was completely shut out by the Academy so maybe they didn’t care at all. Boo to them, in that case.) Last, the Academy is catching a lot of flack for the nomination of Hill. To my colleagues who have complained: back off on this one. I've never been a Jonah Hill fan and I'd love to see Brooks in this category but Hill was outstanding in Moneyball and absolutely deserves his nod. I wouldn't have nominated the film for Best Picture but it contains some great acting and Hill leads the way.

Best Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

In many ways, it really doesn’t matter who else is nominated behind Spencer. She’s as close to a lock for a win as you can find this year. That said, I’m thrilled to see McCarthy pick up a nod and disappointed that Shaliene Woodley missed the cut. Yes, it’s early in her very young career but many a talented actor has crumbled under the pressure of going toe-to-toe with George Clooney while Woodley came through with shining colors.

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

I spent the majority of 2011 telling anyone who would listen that this would be the year that Gary Oldman could FINALLY add “Academy Award Nominee” to his resume. But by the time I went to bed on Monday night, I had resigned myself to his being left out once again. When I heard that he had been nominated, I probably celebrated more than the man himself did. Sure, it would have been nice if Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ryan Gosling had received attention for their brilliant work in 50/50 and Drive, respectively. But I’m more than content to ignore these slights if it means the Great Chameleon gets his due. Now if he could just win…

Best Actress
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Viola Davis, The Help
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

This was a six woman race and I assume Close just beat out Tilda Swinton from We Need to Talk About Kevin. All I really have to say about this category is the following: if Viola Davis doesn’t take home the hardware, I will kill a drifter. Let that serve as a warning, Academy.

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

For me, 2011 was a weak year for director; plenty of great films but not too many that set a high standard for work behind the camera. That said, that is quite the collection of Hollywood power players! Scorsese, Allen, Malick, etc…that’s a serious group right there. I’d have loved to see Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), or Jonathan Levine (50/50) score a nod but of course I knew none of those would happen. Great to see Malick recognized, though. No matter what you think of Tree of Life, you have to appreciate the boldness of the man’s vision.

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

This category brought the only real shocks of the day. Most experts anticipated six or possibly sevennominations and I don’t know anyone who expected nine. What this means is thatthere is no clear cut favorite to take home the award next month. Beyond theinitial five nods, any film that receives a nomination has to have garnered atleast five percent of the first place votes in the category. With nine nods onthe board, that means at least 20% of the total first place votes belong to thebottom four contenders, making this a much tighter race than anyone might haveexpected. More shocking in my book, however, is the inclusion of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, a film that has been bashedby most critics and which features the lowest Rotten Tomatoes rating of anyfilm EVER nominated for Best Picture. I wanted to love EL&IC but I found it to be a poorly executed messof a film. I can think of at least 20 films which deserve a nomination morethan EL&IC, a list that includes Warrior, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Muppets, and Thor. I'm serious.

Review: "Roadie"

2012-01-24T00:37:00.000-06:00

After 20 years of lugging gear and setting up equipment for the Blue Oyster Cult, Jimmy (Ron Eldard) is unceremoniously fired and abandoned by the band members he considered to be friends. With no identity outside of his status as a roadie and no life plans, Jimmy ends up heading back home for the first time in a decade. After crashing in his old bedroom, Jimmy comes into contact with Randy (Bobby Cannavale), his high-school nemesis who happens to be married to Nikki (Jill Hennessey), an old flame he never really got over. With nothing to show for his time away from home, Jimmy begins making up stories and eventually draws Randy's ire, creating an uncomfortable situation that further messes with Jimmy's already fragile mental state.

Roadie is like a conflict between two mountain goats (I know that "bighorn sheep" would be a more scientifically correct title but "mountain goat" just sounds better): one goat represents the acting in this film, chiefly that of Eldard, and the other represents the storyline and general exposition of said storyline. The Acting Goat is an outstanding specimen. Eldard is one of my very favorite character actors, a guy who always draws my attention no matter how big or small his role in a given movie may be. (This makes him a member of the "Barry Pepper All-Stars", a list of actors I really need to write a piece about one of these days.) This is a rare leading role for Eldard and he shines brilliantly. Jimmy is easy to root for despite not really showing many qualities that usually make one likeable and that is due to Eldard's ability to convey a measure of truthfulness, or perhaps relevance, to his character. The lack of purpose and the search for meaning in his life work make Jimmy an appealing protagonist in this sort of slow-paced, character-driven drama. There is also an edge of genuine desperation to Jimmy and through this trait Eldard gives real weight to a character which otherwise might have been pointless. The supporting players around Eldard are all solid as well, though none quite measure up to the work of the leading man.

The Story Goat, however, is an equally impressive beast but one that works for evil instead of good. Simply put, the events of Roadie are about as bland as you can get. It isn't what I would call "boring" necessarily and yet nothing much happens. Jimmy comes into town, Jimmy pals around with some old friends, and then Jimmy threatens to leave town once more. That's about it. The settings that Roadie inhabits are uninteresting and the dialogue within is unimpressive. As a result, the story undermines Eldard's work and leaves him virtually trapped in a dull and somewhat meaningless world that serves as a stark contrast to the appealing lead character. In the end, neither the Acting Goat nor the Story Goat really win; instead, the two tire out and settle in for a nice nap, a genuine shame considering all that this film had going for it.

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be

2012-01-23T00:43:00.002-06:00

This was a SLOOOOOOWWWW weekend for movie news, my friends...

Check out Cinema Blend's link to "Star Wars Uncut", a fan-made project that compiles 15-second clips together to re-enact the whole of A New Hope. Won't say I've watched it all but what I did watch was really, really cool. I'd embed it here but I'm afraid of SOPA.

The annual Sundance Film Festival is in full swing right now. For coverage of the films shown at Sundance, check out the constant updates from /Film.

The Artist picked up yet another Best Picture award, this one from the Producer's Guild. *Sigh

Check out these alternative universe movie posters which are pretty sweet. Steve McQueen as The Terminator sounds awesome.

NPR discusses the modern movie trailer.

Weekend BoxOffice Results

I’m not surprised that the newest installment from the Underworld franchise leads the pack thisweek. I am surprised, however, that Haywirehad such a poor showing. I wasn’t very excited about it (looks like a renter tome) but the reviews were good and it had the look of a movie lots of peoplewould be into, especially given the cinematic landscape in January. (If nothingelse the burgeoning MMA crowd should have been behind that movie, right?)Regardless, it wasn’t a bad weekend for Hollywood considering the total haul.My money went to the ridiculously frustrating Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (review to come) but I imagineI’ll catch a few more of these films at one point or another.

1. Underworld:Awakening - $25.4M

2. Red Tails -$19.1M

3. Contraband -$12.2M ($46.1M)

4. Extremely Loudand Incredibly Close - $10.54M ($11.23M)

5. Haywire -$9M

6. Beauty and theBeast - $8.55M ($33.36M)

7. Joyful Noise- $6.07M ($21.9M)

8. Mission:Impossible - Ghost Protocol - $5.5M ($197.34M)

9. Sherlock Holmes:A Game of Shadows - $4.8M ($178.61M)

10. The Girl withthe Dragon Tattoo - $3.75M ($94.77M)

OscarNomination Predictions

We’re going to cover the Academy Awards extensively bothhere and at I Eat Films as the ceremony gets closer. With the nominations dueto be announced tomorrow, I thought it might be prudent to offer up mypredictions for the chosen films and performances now and save all opinions(good and bad) for later next month. My predictions (in no particular order)for the major awards are as follows:

Best Actor

George Clooney, TheDescendants

Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Jean Dujardin, TheArtist

Michael Fassbender, Shame

Leonardo DiCaprio, J.Edgar

Best Actress

Meryl Streep, TheIron Lady

Viola Davis, TheHelp

Michelle Williams, MyWeek with Marilyn

Rooney Mara, TheGirl with the Dragon Tattoo

Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best SupportingActor

Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Albert Brooks, Drive

Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Kenneth Branagh, MyWeek with Marilyn

Nick Nolte, Warrior

(NOTE: As Oscar Guru Mark Harris noted in his Grantland column, this is the category that is most likely to deliver some sort of major shock.Someone like Max Von Sydow (ExtremelyLoud and Incredibly Close), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter), Brad Pitt (Treeof Life), or even Andy Serkis (Riseof the Planet of the Apes) will end up in the nominated five and it will bewell deserved.)

Best SupportingActress

Octavia Spencer, TheHelp

Shailene Woodley, TheDescendants

Berenice Bejo, TheArtist

Jessica Chastain, TheHelp

Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

Best Director

Alexander Payne, TheDescendants

Michel Hazanavicius, TheArtist

Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Woody Allen, Midnightin Paris

Terrence Malick, Treeof Life

Best Picture

The Artist

The Descendants

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

The Help

Moneyball

Tree of Life

War Horse

(NOTE: We don’t know how many films will be nominated forBest Picture. There’s a complicated formula in place now which determines howmany films (if any) will be nominated past the first five. I’m guessing eightbut the truth is, the list could definitely end at five and there’s virtuallyno chance ten movies make the final cut.)

DVD Roundup

What I’ll BeRenting This Week

Real Steel (2011) - Hugh Jackman, EvangelineLilly, Dakota Goyo

Notice I didn’t write, “What I’ll Be Renting This WeekBecause I Think It Will Be Good.” I can’t tell you why, exactly, I intend towatch this in the relatively near future, I just know I’mkind-of-sort-of-a-little-bit excited about a true throw-away action movie todistract from me from work, weather, and the fact that Dirk Nowitzki is hurtright now. Bring on Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots on Steroids!

What I’ve Seenand You Should See, Too

50/50 (2011) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, SethRogen, Anna Kendrick

The third best movie I saw in 2011 and one that isdestined to find a spot on my “Favorite Movies of All-Time” list. In my reviewI implored my readers to, “just see this movie.” I continue my plea here. Thisfilm contains some of the best authentic-but-comedic acting I’ve seen in quitesome time. Absolutely in love with this film.

Also New

Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) - ChloeCsengery, Jessica Tyler Brown, Christopher Nicholas Smith (Please stopseeing these movies, people. Please.)

The Whitleblower (2011) - Rachel Weisz,Monica Bellucci, Vanessa Redgrave

The Lie (2011) - Joshua Leonard, Jess Weixler

New to Blu

Stripes (1981) - Bill Murray, John Candy,Harold Ramis

Annie Hall (1977) - Woody Allen, DianeKeaton

Manhattan (1979) - Woody Allen, Diane Keaton

Notorious (1949) - Cary Grant, IngridBergman

Rebecca (1940) - Laurence Olivier, JoanFontaine

Spellbound (1945) - Ingrid Bergman, GregoryPeck

Stir Crazy (1980) - Gene Wilder, RichardPryor

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) - GeneWilder, Richard Pryor

The Toy (1982) - Richard Pryor, JackieGleason

The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1986) -Dudley Moore

Coming to aTheater Near You

Last week’s Rotten Tomatoes predictions were spot on for Underworld (26% prediction, 27% actual)a bit off for Haywire (72% to 83%),and well off for Redtails (52% to33%) though I’m betting George Lucas wishes I had been right. I’m doing prettywell this year if I do say so myself.

The Grey - Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney,Frank Grillo

I have so much to say about The Grey but it all basically boils down to this: Liam Neeson isawesome and everyone likes to see him beat the spit out of humans so why wouldn’tthey want to see him beat the spit out of wolves? Regardless of what the criticsend up saying, this is very likely to be an absolute blast. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 51%

Man on Ledge - Sam Worthington, ElizabethBanks, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris

I feel bad for Ledge.It looks to be a perfectly reasonable off-season action movie with a decentcast and solid plot hook. But it’s going to be completely overshadowed by allthe other off-season action movies that dominate the first two months of theyear. If it had released this time last year, I’m probably there on openingweekend if for no other reason than I’m addicted to movies and there wasnothing else worth even looking at. Same goes for September of last year. Butthis year? Between Contraband, Haywire, and maybe especially The Grey, there’s no room for it. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 45%

One for the Money - Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara,John Leguizamo

I would rather eat glass than watch this movie. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 28%

Also look for wider expansions for WeNeed to Talk About Kevin (Tilda Swinton) and Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close),both of which will hope to bank off of the hypothetical Oscar nominations fortheir respective leading ladies.

Top 10 Anticipated Movies of 2012 (Part I)

2012-01-19T01:26:00.001-06:00

Two quick primers on the list you're about to read/flip through absentmindedly:

1.) Last year I started breaking this list into two parts: January through June and July through December. That allows me to highlight ten more films, of course, but it also gives me more time to have a feel for what in the world I can expect from the year's later releases.

2.) This is FAR from a science. I pride myself on my ability to pick out bad movies and avoid them but my foresight has limits. I'm lucky if I've even seen a teaser trailer for anything scheduled for release later than mid-February, let alone the titles you'll see below that debut in the summer. This is a crapshoot. I looked back at last year's Part I and was embarrassed to see a couple of truly awful films made the list. But hey, that's how things go sometimes and I'm more than willing to stick my neck out one more time.

I firmly believe 2012 will be a great year for film but it is extremely bottom heavy. That is to say, most of its value will be found in the back half of the year while the front half is somewhat lackluster. So please bear that in mind as we delve into my Top 10 Anticipated Movies of 2012 (Part I).

Honorable Mention: Jeff Who Lives at Home - Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer
The only reason this film, about a thirtysomething who still lives in his mother's basement, didn't make the list is that it will receive a limited release (the bane of my moviegoing existence). That means I probably won't end up seeing it until it hits DVD shelves and if I'm not going to see it in theaters, then I don't feel good about giving it a spot here. That's too bad because I think this is going to be stinking funny.

10. Men in Black 3 - Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin
I'm well aware that the trailer for MIB 3 is, shall we say, less than promising. I admit I'm nervous, especially taking into consideration the whole time-travel thing which is usually a bad sign. But here's the thing: I love Will Smith. Always have, always will. I wish the guy would take on more challenging roles from time to time (Django Unchained would have been PERFECT) but I almost always enjoy his movies and often times, I enjoy them quite a bit. Smith hasn't been in a movie in 3 years and as a result I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. I'll take my chances with a haphazard plot. Also, the idea of Josh Brolin playing Tommy Lee Jones sounds uber-appealing.

9. Dr. Suess' The Lorax - Zac Efron, Danny DeVito, Ed Helms
It is always smart to be at least somewhat suspicious of any animated film that isn't related to Pixar and Dr. Suess books haven't translated well the screen overall. But the visuals on The Lorax looks fantastic, this is one of my very favorite Suess books, and the studio busted out a Polyphonic Spree song for the trailer which is ALWAYS a smart move. So consider my interest piqued.

8. Chronicle - Michael B. Jordan, Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell
There will always be a spot for a low-budget sci-fi film on my list. Deal with it. This one, about three friends who are mysteriously given super powers, looks extra appealing even if it will, undoubtedly, touch on teenage angst a little more than I'd like. Looks like we'll be treated to solid special effects and what could be a compelling, if unoriginal, storyline. I'm also on the lookout for a quality performance from Jordan (of Parenthood and Friday Night Lights fame) who has the chops to be a hot name in Hollywood over the next couple of years.

7. M.S. One: Maximum Security - Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, Peter Stormare
If you enjoyed Taken and are excited about Taken 2 (which will open later this year), then you will certainly appreciate MS One which is basically Taken 1.5. It centers on a falsely-convicted criminal who is given his freedom in exchange for rescuing the president's daughter from a prison colony on the moon and it is produced by Luc Besson. I can't tell you, dear readers, that this will be a "good" movie but I can tell you it will be a "ridiculously fun" movie that I will be in attendance for on opening weekend. I honestly can't wait. Also, I think it's high time that the world recognizes how boss Pearce really is and maybe his subbing in for Liam Neeson will make that happen.

6. The Five-Year Engagement - Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, A Whole Lot of Really Funny People
This R-rated comedy (title should be explanatory as far as the plot goes) reunites director Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel who previously collaborrated on both The Muppets and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Stoller's other work, Get Him to the Greek, is one that grows on me every time I run across it on cable. These are just genuinely funny guys. Add in the Bridesmaids feel and the RIDICULOUS supporting cast (Chris Pratt, Mindy Kaling, and Chris Parnell to name a few) and you've got a potential smash hit.

5. Moonrise Kingdom - Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray
One of my simple rules for picking good movies is this: if Wes Anderson directed it, it's good. Like I said, simple. Anderson's unique style is irresistible for me and I don't think the guy has ever made a bad movie. His last venture, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, MIGHT be his best (heresy, I know). Moonrise, about two pre-teens who run away together, sounded appealing enough sight unseen. Then the first trailer hit last week and I'm now completely on board. What a great cast! Really, really excited for this one.

4. Prometheus - Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace
Ridley Scott's "it's not an Alien prequel but yeah, it's an Alien prequel" sci-fi extravaganza will have been garnering serious Internet attention for the better part of two years by the time it actually opens in theaters. With an incredible cast and an established fan base, I think we can bet on Prometheus bringing in a haul at the box office this summer. And that's good because, in all honesty, Scott could really use a hit. Since Gladiator brought him a Best Picture Oscar, he's been at the helm for Hannibal (awful), Black Hawk Down (critical success but not a huge winner at the box office), Matchstick Men (good, not great), Kingdom of Heaven (I love this movie, most people do not), A Good Year (beating), American Gangster (not the success it aspired to be), Body of Lies (bombed), and Robin Hood (one of the most disappointing movies of 2010). "Needs" a hit would be strong terminology but his return to space could provide a major boost.

3. The Avengers - Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
I have conflicting feelings about this one. The nerd in me is absolutely freaking out about seeing this many superheroes together at one time. (Add in the fact that Nerd King Joss Whedon is at the helm and it becomes almost too much to handle.) At the same time, however, I haven't been quite as enamored by the trailers as my fellow nerds have. I don't think there's any way this movie will be bad; I'm just nervous that it isn't going to be the world beater it needs to be in order to justify the unique way Marvel has built its programming toward this release. The task of blending all of these actors together is another hurdle in my mind. This isn't the same as the standard ensemble film. It's one thing to take a back seat to another actor when you're a part of a big cast working for a great director; it's another entirely to do so while also playing a character for which you are famous. Obviously I'm STOKED to see this movie but I've got a bit of anxiety regarding whether or not the idea of this movie is better than the movie itself.

2. The Hunger Games - Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson
Three things about my experience with this franchise:
1.) I love the first book in the Hunger Games series (on which this movie is based);
2.) I think the two that follow are shoddily put together and repetitive;
3.) I have NO IDEA how well the book will translate to the screen. While reading I kept wondering how in the world Gary Ross would be able to maintain the book's harsh reality and keep it PG-13. I'm still not sure if it's possible.
The trailer for The Hunger Games, though, is outstanding. I love the look of the film and I am thoroughly excited to see Lawrence take on a role I believe she will excel in. And lest we forget, American Treasure Woody Harrelson is going to be GREAT in this movie. Expect this movie to make a RIDICULOUS sum of money this Spring.

1. Brave - Kelly Mcdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd
I debated what order this top three should end up in and settled on Brave at number one for two reasons:
1.) Pixar is the best film studio. Ever.
2.) Coming off of Cars 2, the studio's only miss in its 16 year history, I think Pixar is going to bring the thunder even more than usual. That is to say, I expect they've gone even further above and beyond to ensure that Brave is incredible.
This will be Pixar's first film that centers on a female character. I'm genuinely excited to see what they can do with that concept in mind and while the trailer doesn't give away much as to the plot, I think it looks amazing. Plus, can we all agree that it's just cool when a movie is based in Scotland? I mean, who doesn't love it when we have an excuse for Billy Connolly to show up? By the end of June, I imagine no one will even remember that Cars 2 was a thing.

Movie News Today

2012-01-19T01:11:00.000-06:00

According to Chuck Norris, The Expendables 2 will be rated PG-13 due to Norris' request that all the "hardcore language" be erased from the script. Good for Norris, a man of principal. Not necessarily good for anyone over the age of 17 who intends to see this movie as your theater will certainly be JAM PACKED with young teenagers who have no idea who Sylvester Stallone is.

George Lucas did an interview with the New York Times in which he discussed Red Tails and says that he is planning to retire from blockbusters. I love Lucas and I believe I owe him a debt of gratitude for all the joy his (early) films have brought me. But it must be said: is anyone disappointed that he apparently won't be making big movies anymore? No and that's quite sad.

Note to Hollywood: Kristen Wiig does not want to write or star in a Bridesmaids sequel (probably because she saw The Hangover Part II) so please stop trying to make that movie. Let it be.

Joel Edgerton continues his run of success and has sold his first script, One Night Stand, to New Regency. In other scripting news, Cormac McCarthy, author of No Country For Old Men and The Road, has turned in his first screenplay which will focus on a lawyer who embraces a life of crime. Exciting new things for two very talented individuals.

I don't think I linked to this last week so make sure you check out Movie Muse's 2011 Year in Review. An excellent look back.

Make sure you check out the Focused Filmographer's Red Web Awards and cast your vote. Awesome stuff, T!

Review: "Contraband"

2012-01-17T23:52:00.000-06:00

When I posted my Weekend Movie Guide last week, I wrotethat Contraband had three thingsgoing for it: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, and a general look of “fun.” Ifigured the combination of a quality leading action actor, an exceptionallyattractive lead actress, and a heist-related, energetic plot would make Contraband a “decent enough” flick. Inthe end, I guess I can say I was right about Wahlberg. The rest? Not so much.

At one time, Chris Farraday (Wahlberg) was a well-knownsecond generation smuggler who made a hefty living bringing just about anything(except for drugs) into the country through the port of New Orleans. Farraday got out of the game, however, inorder to become a family man and he pulled his best friend and former partner,Sebastian (Ben Foster), out with him. But when Chris’ brother-in-law, Andy(Caleb Landry Jones), gets tangled up with Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), avicious drug dealer, Chris finds himself taking on a major job in order toclear Andy of his debt and keep his family safe. Unfortunately for Chris,things don’t go quite according to plans.

Contraband is aremake of an Icelandic film that actually starred director Baltasar Kormakur.Kormakur has made a name for himself overseas but that potential has yet tomanifest itself on these shores. This film is no exception as there are severalmoments that stand out as respectable action movie sequences which are lost ina sea of bad plot points and slow pacing. Too often Contraband attempts to make itself a “thinking man’s action movie”when it really lacks the narrative or script to be anything more than a throwaway popcorn action romp. I think Contrabandwants to be an unofficial sequel to TheItalian Job when it would be better off as an over-the-top action flick. Thegoal of a film like Taken (theultimate example of how to make a January action movie) is to have a riotousgood time in the form of a movie. No one involved with that movie intended itto be a serious piece of cinematic art and therefore, it was easy to suspendreality and enjoy the ride. That’s what we all want from an early-in-the-yearmovie like this.

But that’s not the case with Contraband. Instead of being able to revel in the ridiculousness ofa middle-aged man single handedly bringing an end to the entire population ofSerbia or a group of misfits attempting to “fly” a tank, the audience is askedto pay attention to a litany of plot points that just don’t make any sense. Attimes this movie actually becomes boring as Farraday and his team try to puthis plan into action, a plan which, by the way, would require everyone else inthe world to be complete morons in order for it to succeed. Ocean’s 11 this is not. For longstretches of runtime, basically nothing happens, stalling and ultimatelykilling any momentum the film tries to create for itself. And when thingsactually do pick up, too many of the twists and turns can be seen from a mileaway, making all the buildup seem even more tedious. In addition, the cuts backand forth between Farraday and his team out on their mission and Briggs stalkingFarraday’s family back home distracts from the overall direction of the film. Iapplaud Kormakur’s attempts to make Beckinsale’s character more important thanthe standard “damsel in distress” that often plagues this sort of movie but itdoesn’t work and these jumps in the narrative just serve to make Contraband overly long.

I wouldn’t say this movie is a complete loss. Wahlberg isa favorite of mine and he does an admirable job of providing entertainment hereeven if he is sleepwalking through his role a bit. And when the action doespick up it is mostly satisfying. I just needed more action, more excitement, andmore fun in order to truly enjoy Contraband.

Review: "The Adventures of Tintin"

2012-01-17T01:33:00.000-06:00

I’d like to believe that everyone agrees in the followingsentiment: the fourth Indiana Jonesfilm is terrible. (Well, everyone except George Lucas.) Even Steven Spielbergseems to understand the train wreck he put on screen in 2008, though he won’tcome out and say that in order to protect Lucas. That movie stands as one ofthe worst experiences of my cinematic life, a slap in the face of Phantom Menace proportions. But afterhaving seen The Adventures of Tintin,I feel a little bit better. And I move that we officially strike Kingdom of the Crystal Skull from therecord and name Tintin the fourth Indy film. Seconded?

Tintin (voice by Jamie Bell) is a young journalist with aknack for breaking major stories. When he comes across a model of a man-o-warship known as The Unicorn, he senses a story and begins digging around into thehistory of the ship and its cargo. Soon he finds himself caught up in the midstof a generations-old battle between two seafaring families, the Haddocks andthe Rackhams. After joining forces with Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis), the lastof his line who keeps an important secret buried beneath years of alcoholism,Tintin and his dog Snowy undertake a globetrotting trek to foil the plans ofSakharine (Daniel Craig), who wants to steal the Haddock birthright.

There aren’t a lot of animated movies that qualify astrue adventure flicks but Tintin isone of them. From the dynamic opening credits until the conclusion, the film runsat full sprint, rarely stopping to take a breath. It is the very definition ofa thrill ride as Tintin and his pals find themselves in one dangerous situationafter another. At times it plays out like a video game, jumping from one level(as it were) to the next but in this case, I think that fits the story well.This is sheer fun and exhilaration and the quick shifts in setting and plotshould make it easy for kiddos to follow along while parents dig into theSpielbergian adventure.

The characters within Tintinare strong if somewhat limited. Tintin himself is kind of a baby-faced JackBauer, a master of all trades from shooting guns to flying planes who alwaysmanages to stay one step ahead of his opponents. Haddock provides outstandingcomedic relief and a touch of brute force to back Tintin’s brains. In fact, Ithink the film takes off when Haddock shows up. His presence provides a secondgear to Tintin and his relativebuffoonery allows for fun and outlandish plot points that keep the ballrolling. All of this begs the question: has any actor ever had a better yearwithout actually appearing in person on camera than Andy Serkis has this year?He’s THE reason why Rise of the Planet ofthe Apes worked and he is easily the best part of this film in my book. IfTintin doesn’t quite measure up to Indy, Haddock is a better Sallah than JohnRhys Davies ever was (heretical statement, I know). And while Sakharine isn’t exactlya pre-war Nazi, his power grows throughout the movie and he becomes a suitablevillain.

The only real complaint I might voice about Tintin is the paper-thin plot. While thevideo game-like feel works overall, there are times when I might have preferredsome exposition. There are a few interconnecting storylines that serve to advancethe narrative and that’s good because there isn’t a whole lot of time devotedto character or plot development. Even still, at times it comes across as ifthe plot was picked out of a list of creative writing prompts, though the waySpielberg dives into said prompt is often deliciously entertaining. Inaddition, Tintin is to motion captureanimation what Avatar was to 3D: itis the exception not the rule, the example of what the technology is capable ofdelivering in the right hands. Robert Zemeckis bankrupted a company trying to masterthe art of motion capture but in my mind, he never came close to achieving whatSpielberg does here. Tintin is anabsolutely gorgeous film that thrives on beautiful landscapes and exquisitedetails. Tintin may be light one plotbut it is heavy on excitement and the visuals serve to deepen the experience,making this one of the more enjoyable films of the year.

Grade: A-

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be

2012-01-16T02:54:00.001-06:00

The Golden Globes were last night. For a full list of the winners, check our our post over at IEF. Only real problem I had with the night (beyond the issues with who was and who was not nominated) was Meryl Streep taking home Best Actress for The Iron Lady over Viola Davis for The Help. Sorry Meryl, I'm sure you were great in a movie pretty much everyone agrees is lackluster, but Davis turned in one of the best performances by a female lead in years, maybe a decade. Absolutely ridiculous that she didn't take home this award.

Marvel is rebooting the Fantastic Four franchise and is considering Josh Trank for director. I'd like to see how Trank's upcoming film Chronicle turns out first but regardless, smart move for Marvel to start over on this series. The first two Fantastic Four movies were just horrible.

AMC has announced their schedule for the spring season which includes a two hour season premiere for Mad Men and a full 16 episode run for The Walking Dead. This will be my first live season of Mad Men as I just caught up on the previous episodes. Looking forward to it.

American Treasure Woody Harrelson spoke with the LA Times about The Hunger Games and discussed his character, Haymitch, who serves as a mentor for the main characters. For me, Haymitch is the most interesting character in the books and I can't wait to see Harrelson in that role.

Darren Lemke, who wrote the scripts for Shrek Forever After and the upcoming Jack the Giant Killer, has been brought on to pen a movie based on the Goosebumps book series. Pretty much everyone in my generation read RL Stine's "horror for kiddos" series growing up so while I'm probably not headed to a theater to see any of these movies, I'm hopeful that they can find a nice stride.

Steven Spielberg did a short interview with Collider and discussed his plans for his upcoming projects including the Tintin sequels, Jurassic Park 4, and Robopocalypse. The guy just never rests.

Weekend Box Office Results
The heavy marketing campaign for Contraband paid off in spades as the Marky Mark project brought in far more than expected, even reaching profitability in its first week of release (on a meager $25 million budget). I would not have expected that though I did chip in to its full take (review to come). Beauty and the Beast underperformed, however, making one wonder what to expect from the year's numerous 3D re-releases. And Mission Impossible continues its impressive run and solidifies itself as the year's best example of of the value of word-of-mouth.

1. Contraband - $24.1M
2. Beauty and the Beast 3D - $18.49M
3. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - $11.5M ($186.74M)
4. Joyful Noise - $11.34M
5. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - $8.41M ($170M)
6. The Devil Inside - $7.9M ($46.24M)
7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - $6.8M ($87.98M)
8. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - $5.8M ($118.78M)
9. War Horse - $5.6M ($65.77M)
10. The Iron Lady - $5.38M ($5.97M)

New to DVD
What I've Seen and You Should, Too
Unguarded (2011) - Chris Herren
This is an extension of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series which is an amazing collection of films. This one centers on Chris Herrern, a top flight high school point guard from New England whose college and NBA career was derailed by drugs and alcohol. Herren has a remarkable story and his complete honesty makes Unguarded a heart-wrenching viewing. Check it out.

What I've Seen and I Guess You Might Want to See, Too
The Ides of March (2011) - Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman
March was a player at the Golden Globes this weekend and has an outside shot at scoring a little Oscar love. And that's fine because it is a good movie. It's just not the spectacular film that it could have been. There's nothing new here and nothing of serious substance. All of the performances are good, Gosling's in particular, but it isn't one of Clooney's best portrayals and even Gosling was better in Drive and Crazy Stupid Love. Worth seeing, not worth fawning over.

Also New
Courageous (2011) - Alex Kendrick, Ken Bevel, Kevin Downes
Abduction (2011) - Taylor Lautner, Alfred Molina, Sigourney Weaver
Dead Poets Society (1989) - Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke (Blu-Ray) (Haven't seen this movie in years and years so I'm interested to watch it again and see how it stands up.)
The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) - Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr., John Lithgow (Blu-Ray)
Good Morning Vietnam (1987) - Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker (Blu-Ray)
Traffic: The Criterion Collection (2000) - Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Benicio Del Toro (Incredible film. Seriously. Incredible.)
Dirty Girl (2011) - Juno Temple, Jeremy Dozier
Project X (1987) - Matthew Broderick, Helen Hunt (Blu-Ray)
Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star (2011) - Nick Swardson, Don Johnson, Christina Ricci
The Color Purple (1985) - Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey (Blu-Ray)
Bad Girls (1994) - Madeline Stowe, Andie McDowell, Drew Barrymore (Blu-Ray)
Drive Me Crazy (1999) - Melissa Joan Hart, Adrian Grenier (Blu-Ray)

Coming to a Theater Near You
I don't want to brag but I'm totally going to. Last week I tagged Contraband at 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and Joyful Noise at 35%. As of this writing, Contraband stands at 45% and Joyful is at 35%. BOOM. That's why you should tell your friends about my work.

Underworld: Awakening - Kate Beckinsale, Michael Ealy, Stephen Rea
The Underworld series is like the big brother to the Resident Evil series: they're both awful but Underworld is slightly less awful (and yet I've seen all of the movies from each of these franchises). Expect some decent stunts and special effects mixed up in a worthless plot. Also, my favorite thing about this movie is this poster, which clearly tells you all you need to know about the flick itself; that being, Kate Beckinsale is in it. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 26%

Haywire - Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender
I have no idea what to expect from this. Steven Soderbergh is a whiz behind the camera but he's also a guy who has been known to bite off a little more than he can chew from time to time. This year he seems hell bent on making non-actors (like MMA star Carano) and bad actors (he's got Channing Tatum in multiple films this year) into stars. Not sure it can work, though he has brought on a great cast. I just have to believe that if Haywire were any good, it wouldn't be getting released in January but early reviews have been good. I just don't know. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 72%

Red Tails - Nate Parker, Terrence Howard, Ne-Yo, Bryan Cranston
I wish I had faith that this would be good. But unfortunately, knowing that it's coming from George Lucas makes me less than optimistic. That statement in turn makes me quite sad. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 52%

In addition to these features, we'll also be treated to three 2011 films that will receive wider releases: the super-disappointing-but-still-intriguing-to-me Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Ralph Fiennes' directorial debut Coriolanus, and Christian Bale's controversial Chinese film The Flowers of War.

Weekend Movie Guide

2012-01-13T01:46:00.001-06:00

Joyful Noise - Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer
A church choir adds a touch of pop to their act in order to make an impact at a national competition. Look, if you see this movie and you enjoy it, more power to you. I get why Glee (and every other imitator) is popular. But man, this looks absolutely dreadful to me. You can bet on painful dialogue and a menial plot that is covered up by energetic musical numbers. Even that I could possibly get over. But add in Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton and I'm 100% out.

Contraband - Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckingsale, Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Foster
A retired smuggler (Wahlberg) jumps back in the game when his brother-in-law gets in trouble with a nasty criminal (Ribisi). Here's what Contraband has going against it: 1.) The release date. Very rarely does a January release turn out well and action movies that find themselves stuck in the mix this early in the year are usually not so great. 2.) The director. Baltasar Kormakur has made several foreign films that most critics like. His English films, however, have been sub-par at best. This is a remake of an Icelandic film that Kormakur starred in and that's not usually a good thing. But here's what it has going for it: 1.) Marky Mark. Whatever you feel toward Wahlberg as an actor (put me in the camp that thinks he's pretty stinking good), he makes movies that are enjoyable. He'll throw out a stinker on you from time to time (Max Payne) but overall, I'll take Wahlberg's body of work over many other action stars. 2.) Kate Beckinsale. I'm not sure what she'll be doing in the movie but her presence can't hurt, right? 3.) It looks fun. Never underestimate the value of, "yes it was stupid but it was fun" in January. Our standards are so low that we as moviegoers will accept just about anything this month (example: The Devil Inside) if it engages our "fun" neurons. So count me in as cautiously optimistic that Contraband will be decent enough. Also, we need more movies about smugglers. Smugglers are cool. Case in point: Han Solo. BOOM.

Beauty and the Beast 3D - Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White
A Disney classic that will serve as an indicator on what to expect from the future of 3D re-releases. The Lion King brought in close to $100 million and stayed atop the charts for a couple of weeks during its release last fall. But is that the exception or the rule? We should know better after Beauty and the Beast debuts. I've never really loved this movie but you can't deny its overall value and impact.

The Divide - Michael Biehn, Lauren German, Milo Ventimiglia
A group of neighbors hole up in their apartment's basement after a nuclear attack. Director Xavier Gens has had only one American release and that is the esteemed 2007 action flick Hitman (heavy sarcasm). So... I will say, I'm sort-of rooting for this in a way because I think the world needs Michael Biehn to be a semi-relevant actor. Love that guy.

ALSO NEW: A pickpocket has his life choices called into question in Loosies (Peter Facinelli, Michael Madsen)...a new friendship is threatened by an affair in Albatross (Felicity Jones, Jessica Brown Findlay, Julia Ormond)...Vincent D'Onofrio brings us yet another horror movie set in the forest with Don't Go in the Woods (Bo Biddie, Eric Bogosian)...and both The Iron Lady (Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent) and We Need to Talk About Kevin (Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly) both expand into wider release.

Review: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

2012-01-11T01:42:00.000-06:00

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a prime example of why you should pay attention to the messages a given movie is trying to send before heading willy-nilly into a theater. This is a film that is based upon a deeply disturbing series of books that spawned a deeply disturbing series of foreign films and which features the tagline, “The feel bad movie of Christmas.” If you read between the lines here, I believe you should be able to make an educated guess as to the kind of movie this really is.

Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a journalist whose career appears to be over. After publishing a scathing expose on a powerful Swedish businessman, Blomkvist is sued for libel and is found guilty, a finding that will cost him his life savings, his reputation, and a short prison sentence. At a loss for what to do next, Blomkvist takes a meeting with Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), an aging but prominent corporate leader. Blomkvist is presented with a proposition that turns out to be more tempting that he could have ever imagined. Vanger promises to give Blomkvist the evidence he needs to clear his name and in exchange, Blomkvist will attempt to solve a mystery that has vexed the old man for 40 years: the murder of Harriet, Vanger’s niece and favorite family member who went missing at the age of 16. With the help of Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a socially stunted but immensely valuable private investigator, Blomkvist soon finds himself embroiled in a vast and complex cover up that threatens to consume every aspect of his life.

To describe Dragon Tattoo as “rough” would require that you change the definition of the word. More like “exceptionally brutal” and “not at all something you’d want to see with your parents.” I feel sorry for anyone who made the mistake of taking a post-Santa trip to the theater with the family without knowing for sure what they were getting themselves into. I was 14 when Titanic debuted and I had a number of friends who had their Christmas Day movie with the family ruined by the unexpected awkwardness of Kate Winslet’s breast popping up on the screen. Dragon Tattoo is approximately one hundred thousand times worse. Even the opening credits are a bit demented (though visually stunning) and that’s just a sample of the brutality that follows. Dragon Tattoo is about as raw as it gets for a mainstream movie and despite the fact that I had read the book and knew what to expect, it still made me squirm more than once.

If you can get past the cringe factor, Dragon Tattoo is a quality but ultimately flawed film. Director David Fincher put together a fantastic cast filled with actors who fit their roles perfectly. Led by Craig’s usual calm and understated demeanor, the performances within this film are strong to quite strong, though none compare to the work of Rooney. I don’t think this is an Oscar-caliber portrayal but it is certainly one that will move her to the top of the list for a number of high profile roles over the next few years. And as always with a Fincher film, the technical aspects of Dragon Tattoo are exquisite. From the score to the shot selection, this is barely a step down from The Social Network, which was nearly perfect from a behind-the-camera standpoint. Fincher uses every element like it belongs to his directorial Swiss army knife, heightening the intensity here, providing subtle detail there. Fincher is the master of creating imperceptible tension within each audience member, building it until you suddenly realize that you’re sitting on the edge of your seat and your heart is pounding. In this regard, Dragon Tattoo provides the perfect subject matter.

But where the film struggles is in the way Fincher tries to tell a convoluted, web-like story. In the book, author Stieg Larsson weaves together several stories that don’t initially seem to connect in the beginning and he does so in excruciating detail. It is a slowburn of a read but one that I found compelling. In order to present every concept within the book, however, Fincher makes the mistake of jamming almost every ounce of story from the source material into the film. The first third of the movie, then, moves at a rapid pace that doesn’t fit the story, the characters, or even the actors. There’s a hint of Aaron Sorkin in the dialogue but it doesn’t contain the expert craftsmanship that usually accompanies a Sorkin script and it doesn’t fit Craig’s brand of subdued acting. Moreover, Fincher tries to pack an excessive amount of information into the first act and none of it connects very well. As a result, we get a number of short, choppy scenes that don’t flow together and make it quite difficult to settle in. I’m a big fan of Fincher overall but I think Dragon Tattoo displays his limitations, or at least his weaknesses. Far from Fincher’s master work, it is nonetheless an intriguing and worthwhile film that you may not want to take in on a full stomach.

Grade: B+

In Home Viewings Review: "Kung Fu Panda 2"

2012-01-10T02:04:00.000-06:00

Kung Fu Panda 2 reunites the audience with Po Ping (Jack Black), the tubby and somewhat lazy panda bear who has been named the fabled Dragon Warrior. He still has much to learn, however, and Po’s teacher Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) spends most of his time trying to make Po understand the concept of inner peace. Things take a bad turn when Shen (Gary Oldman), an evil and power hungry peacock who was banished from the country long ago, returns to his former kingdom in the possession of a diabolical weapon. Po and his team are tasked with ending Shen’s reign of terror before he can take over the whole of China but as their battle unfolds, Po is faced with the realization that this is a much more personal fight than he ever could have imagined.

I didn’t see the first Kung Fu Panda until a couple of years after it was released. Looking back, I’m not sure why I chose to stay away because I really enjoyed it. It isn’t up to the level of Pixar, of course, but then again, that is an unfair standard to hold any film up against, let alone a kid’s movie. KFP is pure, unadulterated fun and contains just enough brains to make the storyline run smoothly. This sequel picks up right where the original left off and the two films work together in almost perfect harmony. KFP2 jumps directly into the action and it doesn’t let off the gas very often, exactly what you need to keep the attention of the kiddos while simultaneously preventing adults from finding issues to nitpick at. It’s one of those films that would become tiresome if it was even ten minutes longer but at 91 minutes, there’s nothing to complain about. This is a very lively film and (I would imagine purposefully) a bit reminiscent of the better elements of a Bruce Lee flick, only if Bruce Lee was funny and a bit overweight.

KFP2 has an outstanding collection of talented voice actors, ranging from Angelina Jolie to Seth Rogen to Jackie Chan and director Jennifer Yuh uses them well. I’ve said this before but one of my pet peeves in an animated film is when a character (or characters) is relegated to second fiddle behind the actor providing the voice. I don’t want a constant reminder that “actor X” is the face behind the drawing. I never had that issue here. In the back of my mind, I knew that the praying mantis is actually Seth Rogen but it wasn’t constantly shoved in my face. And then there’s Gary Oldman, of course, who brings a brilliant, villainous tone to the role of Shen. I’ve often said that if you want to make your film better, just add Gary Oldman and you’re done. Shen is a more intimidating baddie than you could reasonably expect from this movie and an improvement over the villain in the first Kung Fu Panda.

The area in which KFP2 sets itself apart from the average kiddie movie is in the sheer beauty of its animation. This is a gorgeous film that mixes sweeping landscapes with exquisitely detailed characters and powerful action sequences. For my money, the Kung Fu Panda franchise is the most visually compelling of the Dreamworks properties and I almost (almost) think it might have been worth seeing in 3D. All told, this is a highly enjoyable and funny movie that should please viewers of all ages. And in a year that is devoid of a strong Pixar entry, I would make the case that this is the best animated film of the year.

Grade: B+

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be

2012-01-08T21:48:00.000-06:00

Now that all the Holiday craziness is behind us, it's time to get back to normal around here. That means returning to this column, the Weekend Movie Guide, and maybe some Movie News Today here and there when we get the chance. But before we move full throttle into 2012, make sure you get your 2011 fix in by checking out this year's Worst 15 Movies I Didn't See, Top 10 Performances, and Full Movie Rankings.

A few things to look for in the upcoming weeks here at The Soap Box Office:
1.) I'm in the process of revamping the look of the page just a bit. So forgive any moments of sloppiness as I try to figure out what works and what doesn't.
2.) Sometime this week I'll run a list of my 10 Most Anticipated Films of the Year (Part 1). Be on the lookout for that feature.
3.) Since there are almost no new films worth seeing this month, I expect to play some serious catchup on the important 2011 movies I missed out on. Expect a heavy dose of In Home Viewings in the upcoming month.
4.) And lastly, I'm changing my grading system. I've always gone with the letter grade system and I like it the best. But since IEF grades on a 5 reel/star scale, it's become too much nuisance to translate the score. So, beginning with 2012 releases, I'm moving to the 5 star grading system. (Any 2011 films I review will remain on the letter grade system in keeping with the rest of the films from that year.) I know this is a big deal to no one but me but still...

Also, somewhere over the Christmas vacation, The Soap Box Office topped 25,000 hits. The vast majority of those hits came in the year 2011 and I just wanted to thank all of you for making this a worthwhile endeavor. I've had a lot of fun posting here but my fun would be seriously dampened without, you know, some readers. So thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll all keep it up!

George Clooney will direct and star in The Monuments Men about US operatives who tracked down art stolen by the Nazis.

Emma Stone has taken on the comedy Little White Corvette. All Stone did in 2011 was solidify herself into "I Will See Anything You're Involved With" territory. Absolutely love her.

I missed this last week unfortunately. After Benicio Del Toro turned down the role of the villain in next year's Star Trek 2, JJ Abrams turned to the suddenly SUPER popular, Benedict Cumberbatch, who just killed it in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and a BBC production of Sherlock Holmes. Well done, JJ.

My man Terrence (formerly known as the ScarletSp1der) has changed up his website and the new look is dope. Check it out!

And another IEF contributor, Matt, posted his worst films of 2011 over at Cinema Slants. Great picks!

Weekend Box Office Results
I'm back to being disappointed in you, America. Given the HUGE take The Devil Inside Me brought in this week and its miniscule budget ($1 million), we can expect a slew of Paranormal Activity-like sequels in the coming years. Which is definitely what we all need. Boo.

1. The Devil Inside Me - $34.5M
2. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - $20.5M ($170.2M)
3. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - $14.05M ($157.41M)
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - $11.3M ($76.83M)
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - $9.5M ($111.58M)
6. War Horse - $8.6M ($56.82M)
7. We Bought a Zoo - $8.45M ($56.54M)
8. The Adventures of Tintin - $6.6M ($61.88M)
9. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - $5.76M ($10.41M)
10. New Year's Eve - $3.26M ($52.02M)

New to DVD
In celebration of their 100th anniversary this year, Universal has re-released a litany of films on Blu-Ray this week (and will release more throughout the year). This list includes films like American Graffiti, Apollo 13, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. In this space I generally focus on films that are being released on DVD or Blu-Ray for the first time so I won't cover them all but it may be worth your while to browse through all the selections that Amazon has to offer.

What I'll Be Renting This Week
Higher Ground (2010) - Vera Farmiga, Joshua Leonard, John Hawkes
Farmiga's directorial debut centers on a member of a conservative religious group who begins to question her faith. Higher Ground was available in my area for about three days last fall and I was unable to get to it. A pity, because I've heard outstanding things from viewers/critics I respect. Farmiga is always brilliant and I'm extremely interested to see how she works in the director's chair.

What I'll Be Buying This Week
When Harry Met Sally (1989) - Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Bruno Kirby, Carrie Fisher (New to Blu)
My all-time favorite chick flick and it's not even close. Class Billy Crystal, classic Meg Ryan, and classic Rob Reiner. It is the perfect romantic comedy. That's not up for debate. (BTW, my second favorite chick flick, Serendipity, came to Blu-Ray last week.)

What You ABSOLUTELY MUST SEE If You Haven't Seen It Already
Schindler's List (1993) - Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes (New to Blu)
Hands down, the greatest movie I'll probably never watch again. I've never had to work so hard to fight through a great film like I did with Schindler's List. It is ROUGH SLEDDING but totally and completely worth it. This makes the short list of films that every human MUST see before they die.

What I've Seen and I Guess You Might Want to See, Too
Moneyball (2011) - Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Boardwalk Empire: Season 1 (2010) - Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Kelly Macdonald
It's not that I didn't like these endeavors; I did (Boardwalk more than Moneyball). It's that I'm just not completely sure how good they are. I feel that Moneyball is a good film that everyone wants to make into a great film. In five years, I think we look back on this one and wonder why we were all so sold on it. But hey, it's definitely worth seeing and it'll certainly be a player during Award Season. Boardwalk is an enigma for me. It is undoubtedly an exquistely crafted show filled with amazing performances. And yet, I've watched every episode and I'm still not sure if I really and truly like it or not. I don't know what to say beyond that.

Also New
What's Your Number (2011) - Anna Faris, Chris Evans
Killer Elite (2011) - Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro
There Be Dragons (2011) - Charlie Cox, Wes Bentley, Dougray Scott
Never Been Kissed (1999) - Drew Barrymore, David Arquette
Billy Elliot (2000) - Jamie Bell, Julie Walters
Shallow Hal (2001) - Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow
Legally Blonde (2001) - Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson
Just My Luck (2006) - Lindsay Lohan, Chris Pine
John Tucker Must Die (2006) - Jesse Metcalfe, Ashanit, Brittany Snow
Just Married (2003) - Ashton Kutcher, Brittany Murphy

Coming to a Theater Near You
If you'd like to join me in pretending the January Movie Calendar doesn't exist, I support your decision.

Contraband - Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Giovanni Ribisi
Action movies that debut in January are almost always a bad bet. (And this year we get three or four of them!) But I guess we could do worse than Marky Mark and Kate Beckinsale. Contraband isn't going to be good but I'm thinking it won't be a complete waste of life. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 45%

Joyful Noise - Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer
A friend of mine offered me $50 to see this movie and review it. I decline. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 35%

Beyond bad action movies and appalling horror flicks, January also brings with it a number of limited release films that expand into more theaters. Last week we got Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (go see that one, people) and this week brings us the polarizing We Need to Talk About Kevin (starring Tilda Swinton) and The Iron Lady, which has been disappointing. We'll also get a 3D cut of Beauty and the Beast.

Top 10 Movies of 2011 (And Then Some)

2012-01-06T00:02:00.002-06:00

When I look back on 2011, I believe it will go down as one of my favorite years for film. Sure, there were an abnormally high number of really bad movies that I would never force myself to see but we were also treated to a ton of really strong, quality works that I will remember for years to come. I also had greater access in 2011 to independent, smaller budget films; in the past, there's a good chance I wouldn't have been able to see Drive, 50/50, or The Descendants until they came to DVD. I can only hope that this trend continues moving forward. In addition, 2011 represents the end to a significant franchise (Harry Potter), the return of Kermit the Frog (duh), and one of the better superhero movies not related to Christopher Nolan (X-Men: First Class).

Each year, I compile a full list of every film I have seen from said year and rank them from first to worst. A couple of things about this list:

1.) My rankings are a mix of quality of film and enjoyment. I would never argue that The Muppets is a better film than Tree of Life but when you add "fun" and "extreme likability" into the mix, I prefer the former over the latter.
2.) Grades and rankings change. If you click on the links to my reviews, you may find that the grade is different than it is on this list. Sometimes the longer I am away from having seen a film, the more my perception of it changes. And sometimes I see the film again and my opinion changes. That's the way it goes. If you're looking at this list at some point in the future it is probably significantly different than it was at the date of publication.
3.) I have missed out on a couple of "important" films to this point, including Midnight in Paris and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, so there's an outside chance my top 10 will change before it's all said and done. I've seen approximately 78 films this year. Couldn't get to them all. Sue me.

So, without further adieu, I present to you my End of Year Rankings for 2011. Enjoy.

THE TOP TEN
1. Drive - Left as much if not more of an indelible mark upon me as any film this year. I loved it. I love the simplistic script, the synthesized soundtrack, and of course, the magnificent central character, Driver. Gosling freaking kills it in this role and embodies every aspect of his character's deceptively multi-faceted persona. For lack of a better term, Drive is just cool, one or two tiny missteps away from a true masterpiece. A+

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - Everything I could have hoped for in a finale. It brought so many moments to life in just the right ways and serves as a perfect cap to an outstanding series of films. In the future, I'll consider Part I and Part II one big movie (like I do with The Lord of the Rings) and I think that's a darn good movie. But this installment is where the real meat and potatoes comes into play and where the series makes its biggest impact. A+

3. 50/50 - I had the good fortune of seeing 50/50 about six weeks before it opened in theaters. I laughed, I cried, and I came away so impressed that I went back to see it on opening weekend. This is a crowning achievement in filmmaking from top to bottom. When I look back on 2011, I believe 50/50 will be the first film that comes to mind. A+

4. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - I'm pretty sure I mentioned this film more than any other film in 2011 with the possible exception of Harry Potter. I was borderline obsessed with it, so much so that I penned 1,500 words about it when I realized I wouldn't be able to see it until a month after its release. Intelligent, complex, and tense, TTSS gives new meaning to the term "slow burn" and yet it's incredibly engrossing. A

5. The Descendants - When I walked out of my screening for The Descendants, I thought I had just seen the eventual Best Picture winner. I've cooled off of that feeling a bit since then but even still, this is an outstanding film. It is at times difficult to watch as it operates within an often dreary atmosphere and yet director Alexander Payne manages to find humor at just the right times to prevent his movie from becoming depressing. A

6. The Muppets - To call The Muppets a success would be the understatement of the year. It embodies all of the nostalgic goodness of the original Muppet entries while offering a few new angles that make this a decisively refreshing experience. The music is incredible and it is unquestionably the most fun I had in a movie theater this year (and maybe significantly longer). A

7. Hugo - Scorsese's ode to the pioneers of filmmaking. Beautiful, exquisitely directed (duh), and extremely personal. It bums me out that this film brought in so few viewers but if you get a chance to check it out, I encourage you to do so. A

8. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - This is the most surprising film of the year for me. As a fan of the previous Mission: Impossible installments, I expected to enjoy this movie and then forget about it until it popped up on TNT in three years. Instead, I was treated to one of the more intelligent, pulse-pounding action movies in recent memory. So. Much. FUN. A

9. Tree of Life - I debated on where to put Tree of Life on this list. I could have gone as high as second or as low as ten. My opinion on what I think this movie is really about changes on a daily basis but there's absolutely no denying the fact that is a remarkably well-made film. More than any other movie this year, this is one that you simply have to see for yourself before you form an opinion. It is also one of the most beautiful films I have EVER seen. A

10. Super 8 - This was the best movie from the first half of the year in my opinion. It contains a fantastic story, some seriously good special effects, and surprisingly good acting across the board. The combination of Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams plays out more beautifully than I could have imagined and every moment of Super 8 reeks of these two great filmmakers. A

THE BOTTOM FIVE

The Change-Up - I knew going in that this would be a train wreck but even that term isn't quite enough to describe this. Everyone loves a comedy that delivers zero laughs, right?

Green Lantern - BY FAR the worst movie I saw in a theater this year. All the signs were there but the summer blockbuster/superhero nerd inside got the best of me. So there I sat at a midnight screening, being treated to one of the most painful cinematic experiences of my life.

Another Earth - I saw a number of top 10 lists that mentioned this movie. And strangely enough, I kinda get that. If you can get past all of the screw-ups related to the sci-fi portion of the plot, I can see how someone could dig Another Earth. I could not get past that stuff, however. Rubbish.

Scream 4 - Awful. Just awful. All Scream 4 did was remind me of why I don't watch scary movies.

Priest - Here's the thing: of the five movies I just listed, if you forced me at gun point to watch one of them again, I would choose Priest. It is so bad and mixes so many horrible cliches with a host of embarrassing performances that it almost becomes funny. It's one of those bad movies. And I think at this point we have to wonder if Paul Bettany is in some sort of financial trouble.

EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Grade: A
Crazy, Stupid, Love - Undoubtedly a flawed film but as I said in my initial review, the flaws just make this seem all the more realistic. These are real humans at work within CSL and all of them exhibit strengths and weaknesses throughout the movie. In addition, this movie served as a reminder to me that Ryan Gosling is an incredible actor. Easily the best date movie since 500 Days of Summer.

Warrior - Great sports action but more importantly, a compelling human interest story. If you're a Movie Crier, just know that big tears are a' comin' if you rent this one.

Grade: A-

The Help - Tough to keep this one out of the top 10. Great performances all around, including one of the best by a leading lady in several years. Viola Davis should be given the Oscar right now.

X-Men: First Class - I think First Class holds up against the best of the comic book/superhero genre (Nolan's Batman films aside, of course). Really fun, good action, and a superb cast led by Michael Fassbender, who had one of my favorite performances of the year.

Source Code - If you're a filmmaker and you're trying to catch my attention, creating a smart, original piece of sci-fi is probably the easiest way to make that happen. Between Source Code and 2009's Moon, Duncan Jones is rapidly becoming one of my favorite directors.

Attack the Block - One off the cooler blends of sci-fi and horror that I've seen in a while. I'm not sure I understood 25% of the dialogue but that's alright, it was still a blast.

Bridesmaids - My pick for Best Comedy of the Year (in a decidedly unfunny year), this made superstars out of both Kristin Wiig and Melissa McCarthy. Hilarious and so wrong.

Captain America - Not quite up to the caliber of X-Men but still a likable and lively superhero flick. I also really enjoyed the sort-of antiquated patriotism of the main character which, obviously, fit the storyline.

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop - I wouldn't say this was an entirely insightful documentary but as a longtime Conan fan, it was very interesting to get a behind-the-scenes look at his life and career. Great subject matter.

Horrible Bosses - A close runner-up to Bridesmaids for Best Comedy. The Bateman-Sudiekis-Day lineup is quite strong but the supporting work of Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrel really sold this one for me.

The Adventures of Tintin - A much more worthy successor to the Indiana Jones legacy than Shia LaBeouf will ever be. What Tintin lacks in plot it makes up for in pure fun and excitement.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams - If you haven't heard of this one, it's definitely worth looking into. It is shot with what amounts to a handheld camcorder inside a cave in France that contains the oldest known human drawings. Cave is as stripped down as it gets but it is nonetheless fascinating.

Grade: B+

The Adjustment Bureau - 2011 was somewhat of a throw-back year. Between the values of Captain America, the resurgence of the Muppets, and even the early Spielbergian feel to Super 8, we were treated to a heavy dose of an old school mentality. Adjustment Bureau set the tone for that trend early in 2011 with a decisively retro narrative that I really enjoyed. It's not a movie I want to see over and over again, but it is nonetheless a touching romance and a solid piece of sci-fi.

Moneyball - My pick for Most Overrated Film of the Year. Not that it's bad in any way, I just don't think it's worthy of the Best Picture nomination it is almost certain to receive. At the end of the day, it's still a film about a baseball team that didn't win a World Series title and builds a major storyline around whether or not said team will win its 19th consecutive game.

The Guard - A quality dark comedy headlined by one outstanding performance (Brendan Gleeson) that for me, overshadows the merits of the film as a whole.

Fast Five - A film that serves as an illustration of the top quality the 2011 movie calendar brought to the table: fun. That's what the Fast franchise is and Fast Five is the best of the group (by a fair margin). If you plan on checking this one out at some point, let me help you out: if at anytime you begin saying to yourself, "that could NEVER happen", just go ahead and stop watching. This movie isn't for you.

War Horse - Another film I don't think is worthy of a Best Picture nomination. War Horse definitely has its merits and it gets better as it goes but it just doesn't do it for me. Then again, I don't like horses. So...

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Possibly David Fincher's first misstep. Far too much choppiness in the early stages makes for an unbalanced experience.

The Debt - Not a seamless blend between past and present but The Debt developed a compelling story and presented us with two solid performances by Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain. Chastain had an outstanding year with her work in The Help and Tree of Life drawing a lot of attention but for me, this was her best portrayal.

Blackthorn - It's easy to sell me on a film about an aging Butch Cassidy; the Butch and Sundance legend is one of my all-time favorites. But add in Sam Shepard, one of the better actors of his generation, as Butch and you've got yourself a fan. Really good movie that no one will see.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Good follow-up to one of the more enjoyable films of 2009 but not quite up to par in my mind. Always fun to watch Robert Downey Jr. work, though.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - Outside of Tintin, this is the only animated film that was really worth seeing in 2011. I dig the first Kung Fu Panda and adding Gary Oldman's voice to the cast wasn't a half-bad idea. And visually speaking, this is a beautiful film.

Thor - Would have found a place much higher on my list without the superfluous and painfully cliche characters played by Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings. I don't understand the purpose of putting high-profile actresses into these damsel in distress roles if you're not going to give them ANYTHING to work with. I also found the villain, Loki, to be a bit dull. I'm concerned about his presence in The Avengers this summer.

The Ides of March - I struggled with what to write about Ides more than any other film on this list. There are some outstanding performances at work here but the overall story, while fine, is more than a little bland. There's just nothing new here and that leaves it punch less in my book.

Dolphin Tale - A perfectly acceptable family film. Yes it is full of cliches and yes the child actors are occasionally terrible, but there's a worthwhile story to be told here and it's presented in a harmless, somewhat touching way.

The Beaver - The best performance from Mel Gibson in a long, long time. That's not really hard to do, of course, since Gibson has basically been out of the business for the last decade, but it's still a nice reminder of what the guy is capable of when he's not, you know, making anti-Semitic statements and drinking like a member of the Jersey Shore cast.

We Bought a Zoo - Much like Dolphin Tale, there's nothing wrong with Zoo as a family-film. I just wanted more from a Cameron Crowe production. Matt Damon, though, is great and there are a few truly special moments hidden away here and there.

Contagion - Perhaps the most telling thing I can say about this movie is that I saw it only a three months ago and yet I remember almost nothing about it. I was bored through most of it.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Hands down, best special effects I saw this year. Andy Serkis deserves some sort of Oscar for the genuine life he gave to the apes in this movie. Just spectacular in that department. But for me, everything else about Apes is a let-down. It's basically a B-movie with great effects. Worth seeing once for the visuals alone but that was enough for me.

Unknown - I always like Liam Neeson's brand of action. He simultaneously manages to come across as if he doesn't take his roles too seriously and yet he's busting his butt to make your experience enjoyable. Unknown isn't up to par compared to Taken (which I unabashedly love) but it has some fun twists and turns and it's always nice to see Neeson beating the crap out of European tough guys.

The Mechanic - You could probably sell me on this movie belonging higher up the list. If nothing else, this is one of Jason Statham's better films and one that has more value from a storytelling perspective than his typical endeavor.

Cedar Rapids - I don't know why Cedar didn't work for me. There was just something about it that kept me at bay. I found it to be fairly humorous, I just didn't buy into it the way many respected critics did.

Beginners - Like several other films that find themselves in the middle of my list, I think Beginners is overshadowed by a single performance. Christopher Plummer is incredible as an aging widower who comes out of the closet just before he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. This is the only performance that is a lock to receive a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod and it will be totally deserved. But beyond Plummer's work and an adorable dog that Ewan McGregor hangs out with, I didn't find much within this movie to get excited about. And I was wholly annoyed by Melanie Laurent's character.

The Thing - My pick for Best Horror Movie of the Year even if it is by default. John Carpenter's 1982 version is a classic and while this vision doesn't quite compare, it's also far from an embarrassment.

The Lincoln Lawyer - I didn't think it was possible to watch a Matthew McConaughey movie and enjoy it but Lincoln Lawyer worked for me. Possibly even more shocking, McConaughey wasn't the worst actor in the cast! In fact, it wasn't even close. Ryan Phillippe's performance was so wooden and cliche-riddled that he actually made McConaughey look good. Way to go, Ryan!

Arthur - I've never been a big fan of Russell Brand but I didn't think this was nearly as bad as people made it out to be. Sure, all the laughs were cheap but it made me laugh nonetheless and that's all I wanted from it.

Grade: B-

Cars 2 - Without question, the most disappointing film of the year. As a Pixar junkie, I anticipate each picture from that company as much if not more than just about any other film year in and year out. I still won't go so far as to call Cars 2 a bad movie but man, what a flop compared to what we've become accustomed to.

The Green Hornet - I enjoyed this one the first time I saw it. But then it popped up on HBO or Starz or something and I watched it again. Not so enjoyable the second time around.

Gnomeo and Juliet - Yet another example of "acceptable family fare" that doesn't impress otherwise. I did, however, dig the Elton John-heavy soundtrack. Can't go wrong there.

Battle: Los Angeles - I still don't understand the absolute hatred thrown at this movie. No, it isn't great and yes, it's full of alien/action movie cliches. But I found it to be far from the "worst movie" candidate it was made out to be.

Just Go With It - I refuse to see this again because I actually kind-of-sort-of enjoyed it the first time around and judging by the HORRIBLE reviews it has received, I was clearly wrong to not hate it. I don't want to be proven wrong. Perhaps by exceedingly low expectations allowed me to look past the issues. I don't know.

Cowboys and Aliens - What a waste. So much talent both on screen and off of it and yet C&A never finds its stride or gains any momentum. Probably would have been better served if it had stuck with the Western theme and left the aliens out altogether. I would pay to see a Western starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford and directed by Jon Favreau.

Paul - The first 45 minutes of this movie are solid and entertaining. The back half...not so much. I appreciate the concept but the execution is sloppy.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Unfortunately, this movie made a crapload of cash which will undoubtedly lead to more sequels. I'm tired of Jack Sparrow now, however. Pirates came across as a cash grab and delivered almost nothing new.

Blitz - The perfect movie for a late night Netflix viewing. Lots of energy, short runtime, multiple chase scenes.

The Company Men - This is the classic "B-" movie: I can't really think of anything to say about it, good or bad. It just "is."

Grade: C+

Super - There have been so many vigilante movies over the last few years that I think we've reached a point where a filmmaker will have to really reinvent the genre to get me excited about this concept again. I thought Super lacked any sort of flow and I wasn't impressed by the script.

The Hangover Part 2 - Because, as everyone knows, the secret to making a great sequel is to put the exact same cast in the exact same situations and have them do the exact same things. Embarrassing.

Tower Heist - With a decent director at the helm, I think Tower Heist probably turns out alright. Unfortunately, Brett Ratner was in charge and he makes films that are the cinematic equivalent to a midday bowel movement.

Rango - There's a great deal of love out there for Rango and I get that. I was hung up on some of its bigger issues and couldn't get past them and even the good moments weren't enough to make me want to sit through it again.

Rio - Boring. It's just boring. I felt like it would never end. I can't imagine a child enjoying this beyond the pretty colors.

Happythankyoumoreplease - There's some promise within this movie and you can bet that writer/director/star Josh Radnor (of How I Met Your Mother fame) will get another chance to make a film. But there are too many plot holes for my tastes and Radnor's character becomes annoying quickly.

Grade: C

Hanna - Similar to Rango, a number of people have Hanna ranked somewhere in their top ten. As an artistic action film, I guess I get that. But I hated this movie and virtually everything about it. HATED it.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - This is the tale of two movies. The first 90 minutes is what passes for Michael Bay's attempt at creating a "serious" plot. And it stands as one of the worst movies EVER in the history of film. But in the back half, Bay returns to what he knows best: explosions, gun play, and special effects. And that movie is pretty darn good as far as plotless action movies go. I have no idea what to do with that. I would totally watch that second movie again. I would never, ever, ever subject myself to the first 90ish minutes again. In fact, I expect President Obama to pass some sort of law that prevents the military from using those 90 minutes as a tool for torture. Brett Ratner thinks that first movie is a piece of crap.

Our Idiot Brother - Loved Paul Rudd in this movie and thought everything else was rotten. I really did not like any of the characters outside of Rudd's.

Friends with Benefits - I did not laugh. I did not like the characters. I did not care whether or not the characters I did not like would get together. The only good thing about this movie was Woody Harrelson, who killed me in his limited screen time. Otherwise, no thanks.

30 Minutes or Less - When Jesse Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari were on screen together, I enjoyed 30 Minutes. Everything else, though, came across as pointless filler.

Suckerpunch - If you told me Suckerpunch was the worst film of the year, I wouldn't argue with you. It's just a train wreck on almost every level. I think at this point we have to really be concerned about director Zack Snyder's vision for Superman in next year's Man of Steel.

No Strings Attached - This is pretty much the exact same movie as Friends with Benefits. The only difference is that Woody Harrelson is not involved, which is always a poor choice.

Grade: C-

Bad Teacher - There's a lot not to like about this one. But the biggest issue for me is how morally bankrupt and completely reprehensible Cameron Diaz's character is from top to bottom. I could not, on any level, root for her character to succeed.

Larry Crowne - You have to try REALLY hard to make Tom Hanks unappealing. Mission accomplished, Larry Crowne! A truly painful movie.

Limitless - Hate the story, hate the characters, hate that Robert De Niro looks desperate in his role. Hate it.

Grade: D

The Eagle - Of all the bad movies on this list, this is the one that I hope you'll take the time to click the link and read the review for. There are so many miserable things I want to say about The Eagle if only I had the time. Channing Tatum plays a Roman soldier. That's really all you need to know.

I Am Number Four - Between Beastly (which made my Top 15 Worst Movies I Didn't See in 2011 list) and this one, it's safe to say the shine has worn off Alex Pettyfer's star. Number Four had a cool concept but it never gets off the ground, due in large part to Pettyfer's lack of acting ability.

Review: "Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows"

2012-01-05T02:32:00.001-06:00

I would wager that the worst part about making a hit movie is the follow-up. As a writer, director, or actor, you spend months or even years putting together the best film you can (unless you’re Nicolas Cage, in which case you just show up and lackadaisically hope for the best), hoping to create a movie you’re proud of and that finds an audience. Then it happens and you enjoy it for about a week, until you realize that now you have to figure out a way to follow a $300 million hit. In an era in which at least half of the top-grossing films are the year are sequels or reboots, the pressing to return to the lab and pop out a follow-up must be extreme. It is within this pressure cooker-like atmosphere that so many films stumble and succumb to sequelitis, an affliction that takes down many a film before they even get out of the gates. Going in, I wondered if A Game of Shadows could safely navigate around the pitfalls of sequeling (if you’re keeping track at home, that’s two made-up words already) and come out a companion to an original film I liked quite a lot. The result was a mixed bag.

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has seen better days. As his obsession with exposing the diabolical plot of the well-respected Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) threatens to overwhelm him, his former partner, Doctor James Watson (Jude Law), gets married, leaving Holmes feeling quite alone. But when he learns that Moriarty intends to murder Watson, Holmes hastily throws together a plan that sends Watson’s wife, Mary (), into hiding and brings the dynamic duo together for one last case. While unraveling an immense and complex tapestry that takes them all across a Europe that is on the brink of war, Holmes discovers that Moriarty’s schemes go deeper than even he could have ever imagined and he soon finds himself drawn into a game he isn’t entirely sure he can win.

I loved the first Sherlock Holmes and it shocked me to learn that there are a large number of people who do not share my love. I’m not saying these naysayers are wrong; I’m just saying that everyone I know personally is a fan of the film and it took me by surprise to look back at the reviews and see that many critics, both professionals and amateurs, that I trust really don’t care for Sherlock in the least. I found it to be a wildly entertaining film chock full of fun, easy wit, and a unique charm. It doesn’t hurt that RDJ is one of my very favorite actors but I think his interpretation of Holmes is fantastic and fresh. A Game of Shadows jumps right back into this fun, expansive world director Guy Ritchie built in the first film and this fact is both its biggest strength and greatest weakness.

When making a sequel, I think the toughest thing to do is determine what elements of the first film will be incorporated and what will be left alone. You don’t want to create an exact replica of what worked the first time around (see: The Hangover Part II) but you also don’t want to stray too far from what made the first film a success (see: Ocean’s 12). This is where A Game of Shadows stumbles. The cool slow-motion action sequences that worked so well in Sherlock, for example, are used again here, only this time they’re obviously less unique and therefore seem a bit reheated. There’s no questioning the skill behind the camera that goes into creating these scenes; it’s just that we’ve seen it done before now and this time around it seems somewhat lazy. Likewise, the whole “inner monologue played out on the screen” bit comes across as tired this time around and while Ritchie uses it well as the film progresses, the early instances are mediocre. At the same time, the dialogue is not nearly as witty and well-versed as it was in Sherlock Holmes and the plot is less enticing than I would have liked. Ritchie seems to struggle with deciding what to recreate and what to make new.

This doesn’t mean that A Game of Shadows is without merit. The dynamic that exists between RDJ and Law is worth the price of admission in and of itself. They have a genuine chemistry that displays itself time and time again throughout the film. Each outlandish sequence and plot twist is as enjoyable as they were in the first film and Ritchie again shows off an ability to create funny moments in the midst of would-be tense situations. Harris, too, provides a more than competent adversary for Holmes. If you know anything about the Holmes story within Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books, you know that Moriarty was Holmes’ equal intellectually and that equality plays out nicely within A Game of Shadows, though I personally like Holmes more when he’s fighting to disprove the supernatural rather than matching wits with a mere mortal. And as you would expect, the film’s reveal, the final moments in which Holmes brings all of his questionable choices together to illuminate his master plan, is compelling.

All of this makes A Game of Shadows a quality film that is inferior to its predecessor. If you enjoyed the first film as I did, you will most likely enjoy this one as well. Just be prepared for a few sequelitis-related missteps and a somewhat less enthralling narrative.

Grade: B+

Top 10 Performances of 2011

2012-01-03T13:26:00.001-06:00

Every year, I find that the toughest end-of-year post for me to write is this one. Picking the worst movies I didn't see is pretty easy (coming up with something to write about each of them without cursing can be difficult) and my top 10 list usually comes down to figuring out the last movie to make the list. But judging performances is much more difficult. So many great films have more than one excellent performance, more than one actor who strikes a chord with me and deserves special mention. When I sat down to lay out the framework of this list, I wrote down 30 names. 30 names that had to be whittled down to 10. I've made my picks but if the years past are any indication, I'll probably want to come back and change a selection or two in a few months. But for now, please enjoy my 10 Favorite Performances of 2011 and be sure to tell me some of your own.

(NOTE: The key to this list is "favorite" not "best." Those two words will blend together a bit at times but it needs to be stated up front. There are a number of great performances from this year that are undoubtedly better than some of those listed here but these are the ones that I personally loved.)

Honorable Mention #1
The Cast of Crazy, Stupid, Love
I couldn't differentiate between the respective work done by Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone (et al). And I think that's what makes the film work; none of these characters really stand up on their own without the others. Carell yet again brings genuine heart to his role, Gosling displays a different element to his acting repertoire, and Stone is insanely charming. Loved them all.

Honorable Mention #2
Michael Stuhlbarg - Rene Tabard, Hugo
The only reason I left Stuhlberg off the list is because his character only graces the screen for about eight minutes total. Still, in the midst of an outstanding cast, it is Stuhlberg's work that stuck with me. For me, his character, a film preservationist and historian, represents Scorsese on-screen and his love for the cinema bleeds through in each of his limited scenes.

10. Joel Edgerton - Brendan Conlon, Warrior
Most people who saw Warrior would list Edgerton behind Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte as the best part of the movie. Nolte plays the drunk very well and Hardy brings the appropriate anger and detachment to his role, but without Edgerton's quiet desperation, this film becomes just another sports movie. I found his portrayal to be sobering and genuine and I thought he nailed the spirit of the underdog.

9. Anna Kendrick - Katherine, 50/50
Somewhere off in an alternate universe, there's an Anna Kendrick who cashed in her Twilight chips to star in a litany of embarrassingly bad rom-coms and craptastic teenager fare. Thankfully, the Anna Kendrick in this universe made the brilliant choice to exit the Twilight scene and take on movies like Up in the Air and 50/50. She has become one of my favorite actresses and her turn as a therapist in this movie was perfect for the narrative, providing Joseph Gordon-Levitt (more on him in a moment) with an excellent sounding board and a compassionate friend. Their awkward will-they-or-won't-they romance, too, is a real treat.

8. Tom Cruise - Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
I've said it before and I'm sure I'll have to say it again: whatever you have against Cruise personally, you cannot deny that the dude brings it every single time. I'm not sure there's any action flick actor who wants his film to be good the way Cruise does. In Ghost Protocol, he goes all out in every scene and creates a presence for himself that he hasn't had in many years. I loved this movie but I think it comes up a bit short with many other quality actors in Cruise's place. Put simply, this is a boss action performance and I'm glad to have Cruise back at the top of his game.

7. Alan Rickman - Severus Snape, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
This one is sort of a cumulative mention. Over the course of the last 10 years of Harry Potter films, fans of the series were treated to a number of quality performances by some of the best actors in the business. None of them, in my mind, had as difficult a task as Rickman. Snape has to be a bad guy without really becoming a villain and his motives seemingly change so many times throughout the films, you can understand why Rickman was hesitant about accepting the role in the first place. Deathly Hallows 2 is Rickman's moment in the sun, his chance to shine and he comes through wonderfully. The scene in which Snape reveals, as it were, the truths about his relationship with Harry is exactly what I wanted it to be and I don't think it could have been nearly as impactful without 10 years of outstanding work from Rickman.

6. Shailene Woodley - Alexandra King, The Descendants
This is the performance that surprised me the most this year and it wasn't even close. If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that the girl from The Secret Life of the American Teenager, a show so bad that even my wife (who loves ALL high school-related dramas) couldn't watch two episodes, would make this list, I would have named you a liar and had you flogged. And now I would regret that action because you were right, friend who could see the future. Alexandra is foul-mouthed, ill-tempered, and embittered but she also displays genuine love for her father and sister. Putting that mix together and making it work is a tall order but Woodley does all of that and more. And her ability to hang with George Clooney throughout a number of one-on-one scenes is what takes this performance over the top. I can't wait to see what sort of future Woodley has ahead of her.

5. Michael Fassbender - Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, X-Men: First Class
Perhaps this is a bit of an odd pick considering this is, after all, a superhero movie. But as has been proven time and time again, a superhero (or in this case, a group of superheroes) is only as good as the villain he battles. If Fassbender's performance in First Class is any indication, the X-Men better pick up their collective game in future installments of this series. The undercurrent of rage that runs through every action Magneto makes gives new life to a character that had already been done pretty stinking well by Ian McKellen. What I love about Fassbender is that no matter what his role, he forces the audience to pay attention to him. That's a valuable asset in any film but it's an unexpected and especially nice touch in a popcorn, comic book movie.

4. Viola Davis - Aibileen Clark, The Help
There's not a lot for me to say about Davis' work in this movie other than the following: for me, this is the best performance by a lead actress that I've seen in years. This is a strong and powerful portrayal that at times gave me chills. Just a beautiful job by Davis.

3. Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Adam, 50/50
I think future generations will look back at the collective, "Meh" our various award shows gave JGL's performance in 50/50 and wonder what exactly our problem was. I really don't understand it. I found his work to be so real, so genuine that at times I almost forgot I was watching a work of fiction, not a very well-cut documentary. JGL brought humanity to a truly demanding role (a 28 year-old cancer patient) and managed to make the audience both laugh and cry, occasionally at the same time. Throughout the film you can tell that Adam is just barely holding it together and that makes his eventual breakdown all the more powerful. I loved this movie and his performance and the fact that it's getting virtually no love makes me want to break things.

2. Gary Oldman - George Smiley, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
There's a scene in TTSS in which Smiley is sitting in a dark room with his protege, Peter. He's had a couple of drinks and he begins telling Peter about the time he met Karla, the leader of the Soviet Union. And then he turns to this empty chair and begins talking to it as if Karla was in the room. He even offers the invisible man a cigarette. And it's the best scene in a terrific movie. That's how good Gary Oldman is. Here's this aging spy, surrounded by the furnishings of a crappy hotel room filled with smoke, talking to an empty chair and I was absolutely riveted. Can we please get this man an Oscar nomination now?

1. Ryan Gosling - Driver, Drive
Going in, I really didn't think Gosling had what it takes to pull off a good tough guy. He's just too pretty. Well I was wrong. In fact, it's almost impossible to describe how awesome Gosling is in this role. If I had one 2011 movie character to back me up in a fight (super powers aside), it would be Driver. Everything about him is both cool and terrifying. The determined manner in which he takes on a dangerous task, the driving gloves that he only puts on when he means business, and that satin jacket...this guy is a boss and there's no way around it. Gosling is able to convey SO MUCH about his character, his feelings, his intention, while speaking only a few, measured words and that Driver becomes this sort of quiet menace who no one really wants to mess with. It's not like Gosling was some unknown actor before Drive but his performance here served as an eye-opening experience for me, a demonstration as to just what this guy is capable of. It is a masterful performance and one that will stick with me for years to come.

The 15 Worst Movies I Didn't See in 2011

2012-01-01T21:22:00.002-06:00

For the last few years, I have done a post similar to the one you're about to read; it's one of my favorite things to write each year. The concept is based upon a simple principle: I'm good at avoiding bad movies. Someday (read: "never") I'll be paid to write about movies and when that happens, I guess I'll have to accept that this will mean watching a ton of horrible films. But until that time, I'll continue to stay away from the worst-of-the-worst (unless, of course, it involves a superhero, a post-apocalyptic vision of the future, or buddy-comedy shenanigans, all of which I can't resist) and pen this end-of-the-year column. A couple of rules. 1.) I exclude horror movies because I dislike the genre as a whole and it's too easy to pick on Shark Night 3D. 2.) I exclude small films like I Melt with You and Atlas Shrugged because, as bad as those films undoubtedly are, no one cares about them and they're not fun to write about.

Usually this list is ten entries long. 2011, however, was an odd year. We were treated to a number of seriously entertaining films and a large group of quality indie films broke made a significant impact on the industry as a whole. But 2011 also provided an abnormally large number of truly horrible films that you couldn't pay me to see. (Note: if someone would like to pay me to see these movies, you could totally pay me to see these movies.) So I had to cheat a little in order to ensure that none of these films missed out on the attention they so rightly deserve. I present to you The 15 Worst Films I Didn't See in 2011. Enjoy.

Honorable Mention Quick Hits:
Passion Play - Mickey Rourke, Megan Fox, Bill Murray
Megan Fox as a stripper with angel wings attached to her back. That is all I need say, right?

Sanctum - Rhys Wakefield, Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffudd
Because anytime you can make a 3D adventure about euthanasia, you have to do it.

The Dilemma - Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder
The entire film is built around the internal conflict a man feels over whether or not he should tell his best friend that his friend's wife is cheating on him. Yes, you should. BOOM. Dilemma over.

Conan the Barbarian - Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, Rose McGowan
The beginning and end of the Momoa bandwagon.

Your Highness - Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman
Who doesn't want to watch a stoner comedy set in a fictitious Medieval kingdom that simultaneously destroys all the good a Best Actress Oscar did for Portman's career? Wait, no one wants to see that? Gotcha.

15. Johnny English Reborn - Rowan Atkinson, Rosamund Pike, Dominic West
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 38%
Domestic Gross: $8.3m
There are few things worse in this world than a sequel to a movie that comes out half a decade or more after an original film that didn't make any money. (The exception to this rule will be the Serenity sequel should it ever come into existence.) For once, though, you can blame Europe instead of America for the dumbing down of the world because while neither of the Johnny English films have managed to break even domestically, they make bank overseas. In my Weekend Movie Guide which corresponded to the opening of Reborn, I attempted to make a deal with Europe that would prevent any more of these films from ever seeing the light of day over here. I have yet to hear back from them.

14. Drive Angry - Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45%
Domestic Gross: $10.7m
I'd like to give you one of my tips for avoiding bad movies: if you see a trailer for a given movie and, at any point, Nicolas Cage pops his head into the frame, the movie is going to be awful. It's just science. Drive Angry is classic 21st century Cage and I mean that in the worst way possible. This was also a tremendous failure at the box office, drawing in only about half of its $50 million budget worldwide. Ouch. Last but not least, let's have a brief look at the films of Patrick Lussier, director of Drive Angry: Dracula 2000, White Noise 2, My Bloody Valentine, and this. I'm sensing a trend...

13. Abduction - Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins, Sigourney Weaver, Alfred Molina
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 4%
Domestic Gross: $28m
You know who cannot possibly be taken seriously as an action star? Taylor Lautner. Just listen to that kid's voice and try to be intimidated. It's not happening. The concept is decent enough that you can see why quality actors like Molina and Weaver signed on for this project but wow, this thing went south in a hurry. Also worth special mention: Abduction gets credit for having one of the worst trailers of the year as it completely gives away the "plot" within the first 30 seconds. Bravo. The only good thing about this movie is that American audiences didn't go to see it, suggesting that we're probably done with Lautner when The Twilight Saga finally ends.

12. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son - Martin Lawrence, Brandon T. Jackson
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 5%
Domestic Gross: $37.9m
"Man, you know what this world needs? Another Big Momma's House movie. Those were the best!" This is a sentence that no one has ever said. For what it is, the first Big Momma movie wasn't bad. The sequel was atrocious. I have no idea how this movie got the green light especially since no one even knows who Martin Lawrence is anymore. Please enjoy this quote from Kam Williams' (loop21.com) positive review, one of the few the Internet has to offer: "What's funnier than a black dude in drag? How about two black dudes in drag?" Enough said.

11. The Smurfs - Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 23%
Domestic Gross: $142.6m
I don't want to be that guy but I guess I'm going to have to be: the cartoon Smurfs was awful. There, I said it. When the trailer for this movie started circulating I wondered aloud, "Who even liked the Smurfs as a kid?" The answer was just about everyone, shockingly enough. They always annoyed me. I don't think I ever watched Smurfs unless I was visiting my grandparents who only had four TV channels and the other options were morning news programs. Therefore, a 103-minute live action version seems a bit like torture. Unfortunately, it made so much money that we'll be treated to a second round of torture in 2013. As an aside, it hurts my soul that Jim Schembri of The Age said in his review that, "The Smurfs will likely be the best, most enjoyable kid film of 2011." No, sir, it will not.

10. Beastly - Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen, Neil Patrick Harris
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 19%
Domestic Gross: $27.8m
I'm still a little surprised that my wife didn't attempt to drag me to this one. She loves anything involving high school dramas, a subject that makes me want to die. All I really need to know about this movie is that Pettyfer and Hudgens are both miserable actors and that a high school version of Beauty and the Beast is really unnecessary. Apparently NPH gives a solid performance but when you're in two of the fifteen worst movies of the year, should I really care that your performance(s) is good? No.

9. Something Borrowed - Ginnifer Goodwin, John Krasinski, Kate Hudson
IMDB score: 5.6
Domestic Gross: $39m
Here's the best story that popped up while writing this piece: Originally I had Something Borrowed ranked further up the list, somewhere in the 12-15 range. But then I looked it up on Rotten Tomatoes and found that it doesn't exist on the site. I searched for the title and when it wasn't there I went to the pages of each individual star of this movie. Something Borrowed is nowhere to be found. This is a website that lists pretty much every movie that has been made over the last decade (or more) but as far as they're concerned, Something Borrowed never happened. I'm sure this is just some sort of error and it will be corrected by the time of this publishing but for me, that was the icing on the cake and it demanded a bump up the list.

8. Season of the Witch - Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Claire Foy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 10%
Domestic Gross: $24.8m
The chances of a movie being a real stinker rise dramatically when its release date gets moved around. Originally slated for a March, 2010 release, it was then moved to an unspecified late 2010 date, and then dumped unceremoniously into the first week of January, also known as "The Bone Yard", the place where movies go to die. I can picture studio executives watching Season of the Witch and nervously looking around the room at each other, wondering which one of them would be fired. If there's anything we can depend on Cage for these days, it's that he'll do his best to make sure every movie he's in is comically bad.

7. Zookeeper - Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 14%
Domestic Gross: $80.3m
I've never understood the Kevin James fascination. Hitch is a decent enough movie but after that, what is his major contribution to film? Paul Blart? Grown Ups? Am I missing something here? Loads of people go to see his movies but I don't think I've ever enjoyed one of them. The idea of watching a Kevin James in a movie in which he converses with a gorilla about the merits of TGIFridays...I just don't get it.

6. Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil - Hayden Panettiere, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 11%
Domestic Gross: $10.1m
This is the third and final sequel to a film that opened at least five years after the original (Hoodwinked debuted in 2005). So if someone in Hollywood is reading this post, clearly this strategy is a serious risk. More importantly, the animation displayed in this movie's trailer is embarrassingly bad. It's blocky and unclear, as if it was recovered from a vault, locked away in 1965. But what really makes Hoodwinked such an easy pick for this list is the title which contains not one, but two word plays. One would probably have been enough to draw my ire but two...well, two is just asking for it. I openly rooted for this movie's failure and seeing as how its worldwide take was only about half of it's $30 million budget, I think I won.

5. I Don't Know How She Does It - Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 18%
Domestic Gross: $9.6m
You could smell the simmering pot of cliches contained within this one from a mile away. Apparently even the "Girls Night Out" crowd picked up on that aroma considering how poorly IDKHSDI performed at the box office. And if Sarah Jessica Parker can't bring in that crowd, then really, what good is she?

4. New Year's Eve - Ashton Kutcher, Zac Efron, Jessica Biel
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 7%
Domestic Gross: $29.3m
I'd like to take a moment to explain to director Garry Marshall why nobody went to see his movie. Even if it hadn't been a semi-sequel to Valentine's Day, one of the worst reviewed films of 2010, and even if the trailer didn't peg it as the biggest pointless money grab of the year, people might have still gone to see your film, Garry, if not for the awful cast. A list of names involved with this movie: Ashton Kutcher. Zac Efron. Jessica Biel. Lea Michele. Halle Berry. Robert De Niro. Sarah Jessica Parker. Abigail Breslin. Michelle Pfeiffer. Common. Jon Bon Jovi. Katherine Heigl. Hilary Swank. Sofia Vergara. Do you see where I'm going here? Once upon a time some of those names could have brought in an audience. But not in 2011. Heigl and Efron are the closest to current movie stardom but even their values are rapidly diminishing. Add in that abortion of a trailer and you've got the making for a tremendous flop. Please stop making movies, Garry.

3. Jack and Jill - Adam Sandler, Al Pacino, Katie Holmes
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 4%
Domestic Gross: $71m
It makes me sad that Adam Sandler had a hand in no less than three movies on this list (Zookeeper, Jack and Jill, and our number one selection). Once upon a time I loved the guy. Now I wish he would go the Sean Connery route and stop making movies altogether. Jack and Jill received exactly three fresh reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Two of them were of the, "It's not good but I laughed a few times" variety. The other is a rousing endorsement from Mr. Michael A. Smith of Mediamikes.com. Looking in on Smith's reviews, I see he did not like Drive or Tree of Life. So to sum up: Jack and Jill - YES, Drive/Tree of Life - NO. Alright then. The only good thing about this movie is that it was dumbed down enough to get a PG rating and therefore qualify as an actual kid's movie. I don't know why that matters to me but some reason it seems slightly important.

2. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I - Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 26%
Domestic Gross: $268.8m
I've never included one of the Twilight films on my "Worst Of.." lists before, partly because there are usually ten movies that seem worse and partly because it's almost too easy, cliche even, to bash on Twilight. It's low hanging fruit. That changed this year because of the first trailer which is EASILY the worst of the year. The first time I saw it, I literally thought I was seeing a preview for the newest Scary Movie. I'm not joking. It was not until Taylor Lautner appeared on screen that I realized this was an actual movie, not a rip off. The fact that the studio behind Twilight looked at this trailer and thought, "Yes, that's exactly what we want to convey to our potential audience" confirms every negative feeling I've ever had toward this franchise. Add in the birth scene which has been known to cause seizures and you've got yourself a wretched movie.

1. Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star - Nick Swardson, Don Johnson, Christina Ricci
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 0%
Domestic Gross: $2.5m
When I started making this list, Bucky Larson was the first movie that came to mind. In fact, for a while, I contemplated skipping the list altogether and writing a diatribe about how appalling this movie really seems to be. There is so much I'd like to say about this movie but in order to keep this brief, I'm just going to list my three favorite things concerning the Bucky Larson phenomenon.

1.) Despite a HEAVY advertising campaign, it topped out at 1,500 theaters (Jack and Jill went out to 3,400+ theaters) and was down to about seven theaters within a week. With this limited run, it couldn't even recoup its exceptionally meager $10 million budget.

2.) I trashed Bucky Larson so frequently and with such venom that at one point, I was followed by The official Twitter feed of the movie. It's funny enough that I mentioned this heap of crap enough times to garner a follow but here's the kicker: whoever is in charge of the Bucky Larson Twitter feed started sending mean-spirited comments in response to my trashing of the movie! Hilarious.

3.) But most importantly, Bucky Larson revived my faith in the American moviegoer. No one, and I mean NO ONE, went to see this movie. Collectively, America watched the trailer and said, "That has to be the worst movie ever made" and everyone left it to sit alone in its own filth. Well done, America. I've never been prouder.

Review: "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"

2012-01-01T20:16:00.000-06:00

I was hooked on TinkerTailor Soldier Spy from my first viewing of the trailer. Everything aboutit, from the gritty film print to the unmistakable voice of John Hurt down thepulsating background music, was exhilarating. Oh, and then there’s Gary Oldman.No actor draws me in quite like Oldman and Oldman in a rare starring role iseven more appealing. I looked forward to TTSSmore than any other film of 2011 (outside of Harry Potter) and built it up so much in my mind that there was noway it could ever live up to my expectations. Or so I thought.

In the midst of the Cold War, the head of MI6, Control(John Hurt), becomes aware of a mole within his organization. The operation tounearth the spy goes terribly wrong, however, and Control is forced to resignalong with George Smiley (Oldman), a member of “The Circus” (MI6’s inner circle)and Control’s man through and through. A year later, Ricky Tarr (Tom Hardy), afield agent who was previously under Control’s authority, comes out of hidingand brings with him the renewed belief that one of the members of The Circus isindeed a traitor. With nowhere else to turn, Smiley is brought on board toinvestigate the claims and root out the mole. As he delves into the work of TheCircus and a particular operation known as Witchcraft, Smiley finds himselfcaught up in an increasingly complex web of lies and cover-ups that threaten tobring the world to the brink of yet another war.

TTSS is theanti-Bourne, the anti-Bauer, and certainly the anti-Bond. I thoroughly enjoy thosecharacters and their respective franchises but this is an entirely differentsort of spy film. You could almost believe that TTSS is based on a true story. It is a real espionage thriller andone that stands up against the best of the genre. This is the definition of aslow burn with a narrative that moves at a snail’s pace. But that isn’t to saythat it is boring or that it lacks in drama. While there are no fieryexplosions, no nuclear threats, and very few shootings, it is still taut and riveting,the type of film that has you on the edge of your seat without you evenrealizing it. TTSS builds its tensionthrough its masterful storytelling that mixes in timely flashbacks while constantlymoving the narrative forward. This is a layered, deep, and complicated film butdirector Tomas Alfredson and his team of writers never make a misstep or allowthe film to become overly convoluted. This is a thinking man’s spy thriller, afilm for adults, but it isn’t so complex that you can’t follow along, a factthat I truly appreciate. Every scene and every line of dialogue is carefullycrafted and nothing goes to waste, the mark of a great film. In essence, thisis really about as good as it gets from a storytelling standpoint.

For all the good of the story, however, TTSS would fail without a killer cast.Fortunately, Alfredson assembled an impeccable and diverse group of actors whofit their characters beautifully. You know what you’re getting from reliableveterans like Oldman, Hurt, and Firth (I’m not sure when exactly Firth wentfrom a ho-hum likeable guy in romantic comedies to a tour de force inmeaningful films like this but I dig the change) but Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatchprovide a bit of youthful exuberance to balance out the reserved nature of theolder stars. Cumberbatch in particular is a spectacular addition. His character,Peter Guillam, is sort of the audience’s representative, as his sense of wide-eyedbewilderment at the grimy reality of espionage adds yet another element to themix at work within TTSS. Every memberof the cast comes through with flying colors, each delivering a powerfulperformance.

But at the end of the day, this is Oldman’s show and hemakes the absolute most of it. Smiley basically doesn’t speak for the first 20minutes of the film and even after that his words are limited, calculated. Andyet the entire time, Oldman commands attention. He is quietly calm in allsituations and gives the impression that you had better listen closely toeverything he says. So much information is conveyed without words and so muchof the film’s success depends on Smiley’s ability to create a real presence. Even when he doesn’t have theanswer to the riddle set before him, Smiley displays a keen understanding ofthe world he is working within and for me, that sense of, “this guy knows whathe’s doing” only adds to Oldman’s on-screen power. It’s not just that Smileyknows what needs to be done; it’s that he knows what the cost will be to get itdone. This is an incredibly challenging and understated role and one that Ithink a number of very talented actors would struggle with. Instead, Oldman revelsin the difficulty, giving a flawlessperformance. Deliberating over Oldman’s best role is like picking which ofMichael Jordan’s six championships is his best (it’s the third one, by the way)but Oldman’s work in TTSS should beheld up as a work of art, a masterful portrayal that should not be overlookedin February.

Grade:A

Review: "We Bought a Zoo"

2011-12-28T20:54:00.000-06:00

I think making a family-friendly movie that is alsosignificant is one of the harder tasks a filmmaker can undertake. Making a filmthat appeals to a wide range of demographics is difficult enough but when youfactor in the need to entertain both six and sixty year-olds, you’ve got a toughtask ahead of you. This is why Pixar succeeds every year (2011 excluded) whereasDreamworks is hit or miss, why I’ll see TheMuppets a hundred times but will never again take in Bedtime Stories. We Bought aZoo illustrates these difficulties in some spectacular and trulyfrustrating ways.

Our protagonist is Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon), anadventure writer who recently became a widower. His daughter, six year-oldRosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones), has handled the loss well but Benjamin isconstantly at odds with his son, 14 year-old Dylan (Colin Ford). When Dylanfinally gets himself expelled from school, Benjamin decides it’s time for achange and after an exhausting search for a new house, he finally finds theperfect home. The only problem is that the property comes along with a smallzoo, including 47 species of animals and a crew of employees. Despite theobstacles and the advice of his brother (Thomas Haden Church), Benjamin opts tobuy the zoo and takes his children off on an adventure that will bring moredrama than he could ever dream of along with the healing he and his family sobadly need.

I’m a huge fan of writer/director Cameron Crowe and Ireadily look forward to anything and everything that he does. This outing certainlywon’t change that feeling but it isn’t one of his better works. Simply put, We Bought a Zoo wants desperately to beboth family-friendly and cinematically relevant and that mix just doesn’t blendseamlessly. Crowe’s usual brand of fresh, casual, and well-versed dialogue ismuddled with predictable clichés. It often borders on becoming cheesy and it isalmost always cloying, working extra-hard to force a connection that isn’talways there. There are a number of scenes which are just fine in terms ofpost-Christmas feelgoodery but fall flat in terms of really mattering. Thisuneven mix seems to negatively affect some characters and actors more thanothers. Ford and John Michael Higgins (as a zoo inspector) both jump back andforth between good and bad scenes and Elle Fanning, who was so good in thissummer’s Super 8, doesn’t have anyfeel for her character whatsoever. I think she’s supposed to be the teenageversion of the manic pixie dream girl but instead she just comes off as anidiot. Add in a will-they-won’t-they romantic relationship between Benjamin andhis head zookeeper, Kelly (Scarlett Johansson), that would have been better offleft on the cutting room floor and you get a cliché-riddled narrative thatdoesn’t do much to inspire.

When We Bought aZoo excels is when it gets real. Damon gives a subtle, craftsman-like performanceand does an outstanding job of conveying an awful lot about his character inunspoken ways. You genuinely feel for Benjamin and it is the genuine sympathythat Damon elicits that serves as an example of what could have been had thefilm gone in a different direction. Interactions between Benjamin and Dylan andBenjamin and Kelly in the second act are powerful, filled with emotion that iswholly appropriate for the situation. There’s a story arc involving Benjamin’srelationship with an aging tiger that hits home on a number of levels. The flipside of this is that these moments are much more tense and dramatic than thefamily-fun exhibited throughout the rest of the film and if Crowe had continuedto expound upon these plot points, there’s no way We Bought a Zoo would succeed with the kiddos.

It should be noted that none of this film’s issues aredeal breakers. It is funny, entertaining, and totally acceptable family filmthat never allows its flaws to become cringe-worthy or painful. In essence, itis Dolphin Tale and there’s nothingwrong with Dolphin Tale. But withCrowe, Damon, and a potentially impactful subject matter involved, it couldhave been better than it is.

Grade: B

In Home Viewings Review: "30 Minutes or Less"

2011-12-28T01:40:00.001-06:00

Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a pizza delivery guy with exceedingly low ambitions, one of those guys who doesn't really enjoy what he's doing but doesn't have the drive to change it. With his best friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) not speaking to him and his semi-girlfriend moving, things can't get much worse in Nick's mind. That soon changes, however, when he takes a late-night delivery run to a construction site and finds himself confronted by Dwayne (Danny McBride) and Travis (Nick Swardson), two would-be thieves in gorilla masks. In order to obtain the money needed to get a business idea off the ground, Dwayne and Travis strap a home-made bomb to Nick's chest and force him to rob a bank. Frantic, Nick enlists the help of Chet and the pair stumble through a series of obstacles on the way to pulling off a heist and subsequent money exchange.

There were reasons to think that 30 Minutes or Less would be a solid comedy. The reunion of Eisenberg with director Ruben Fleischer was one reason. Their compilation in Zombieland was nothing short of hilarious and that film itself ranks exceptionally high on the re-watchability scale. Then there is the inclusion of Aziz, one of the single funniest humans on the planet. (If you need references on that statement, look no further than his brilliant portrayal on Park and Recreation or his most recent stand-up album which might be one of the best ever). The concept itself has appeal and potential as a perfect way to spend an evening. Where 30 Minutes succeeds is when these three elements come together: the best portions of the concept come alive when it is just Eisenberg and Ansari working together and running through crazy situations. One stretch in particular that sees the pair buy all the necessary equipment for a heist followed by the robbery itself is quite humorous and serves as a taste of what could have been.

But here's why Zombieland works while 30 Minutes falls flat: Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone (not to mention an unnamed cameo in case anyone out there hasn't seen the movie). The supporting characters at play in Zombieland are fantastic, whereas this time around Fleischer surrounds his leads with McBride, Swardson, and Michael Pena, a threesome that is rarely funny in my book. (McBride has his moments but generally speaking, he is at his best when he's the eighth-billed actor. Examples: Tropic Thunder and Up in the Air.) To make matters worse, Fleischer insists on developing a pointless storyline involving Dwayne and Travis that brings absolutely nothing to the movie other than lengthening the runtime. Every moment within 30 Minutes that is spent away from Nick and Chet is at best lackluster and at worst barely watchable. It's quite clear that Fleischer and his team of writers couldn't draw enough out of the main plotline to fill 83 minutes so they turned to the side plots that do nothing but distract from the central figures. As a result, the Dwayne and Travis narrative comes across as nothing more than filler. And let's be honest: if you need filler for an 83 minute movie, your movie isn't very good.

Grade: C

Review: "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"

2011-12-27T02:36:00.000-06:00

NOTE: If you have the opportunity to view Ghost Protocol in an IMAX setting, I encourage you to do so. It is the type of experience that could prove to be a game-changer for the industry.

Say what you will about Tom Cruise (and there’s an awfullot that could be said). For me, his name has always been synonymous with, “entertaining.”For all his shortcomings, including his inability/refusal to incorporateappropriate accents and his wackadoo personal life, he makes whollyentertaining movies. From Top Gun to Knight and Day, he has put together athree decade-long career that is chock full of thrilling excitement. You can’talways say that his films are good but very rarely can you deny the man hisability to enthrall the masses. GhostProtocol, then, serves as a return to form and a pronouncement to the man’sdetractors that Tom Cruise is still a force to be reckoned with.

At the outset, we find Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) lockedaway in a Russian prison. Within minutes (really seconds), however, his old palBenji (Simon Pegg) and newcomer Jane (Paula Patton) have busted him out inorder for Hunt to resume his duties at IMF. He and his team immediately take ona new assignment that unfortunately goes quite bad, resulting in their beingframed for the bombing of the Kremlin. Having been disavowed by the US government,the trio, along with the help of William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), an analystwith a mysterious past, is forced to go on the run, one step ahead of Russianoperatives who would see them brought to justice. In an effort to both cleartheir names and, you know, save the world and all, Hunt and his comrades pursueAlex Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), a nuclear extremist bent on destroyingcivilization as we know it, using a variety of elaborate and frantic methods ina host of exotic locations.

As an action movie junkie, I have a healthy respect fortwo of the previous three Mission:Impossible films. The first M:Iis the prototypical mid-‘90s action flick, smarter than what we were treated toin the ‘80s but not quite intelligent enough to fit our standards in a post-Inception world. M:I2 is a heap of rubbish, plain and simple. From a plotstandpoint, M:I3 is the best of thegroup and it’s a movie I quite like though I believe I am in theminority. Even still, the Mission:Impossible franchise has long been just another set of action movies thatblends together with a host of other acceptable-to-above-average entertainingexhibitions in special effects.

Ghost Protocolis different, however. MUCH different. This is the very rare sequel to a sequelto a sequel that is by far and without question, the best of the group (seealso: Fast Five). No longer can thisseries be relegated to the overcrowded ranks of “fun-but-forgettable” actionflicks. Ghost Protocol is a clevercross between Bourne and Bond with a touch of cool intelligencethat is reminiscent of Ocean’s 11. Thisis a much smarter film than the average action movie, much of which should beattributed to director Brad Bird (Incredibles).“Smart” should not be confused with “complex” or “real”; Ghost Protocol has more than its fair share of plot points thatcould be blasted for inaccuracies and absurd stunts that could never, everhappen. But these potential issues are presented in such an overwhelminglyappealing way that it seems foolish to quibble when it’s so much easier to justget on board. The gadgets and technologies used by the team are better thananything James Bond ever had at his disposal and each item is used splendidly. Inessence, this is a popcorn blockbuster with a Pixar brain, which turns out tobe just as glorious as it sounds.

From the opening shot, Ghost Protocol moves a mile a minute and delivers some of the mostambitious action sequences of the year. The impact of this movie goes deeperthan the outlandish stunts, however. It would be easy to film what willundoubtedly be an awesome scene and leave it at that. But Bird and his crewtake these shots to a whole new level with impeccable technical work. Thecinematography and shot selection are about as good as you can ask for in ablockbuster. Some of the camera work, especially the scenes in Dubai, isabsolutely stunning. Likewise, the sound mix is perfect, adding to the impactof each gun shot, car crash, and punch to the jaw. These elements serve to putthe audience into the heart of the action and give the impression that Birdcared about creating a great film not just a passable popcorn flick.

The supporting cast around Cruise rounds into formnicely, coming together to make up Hunt’s best team yet. Pegg’s brand ofcomedic relief is predictable but nonetheless enjoyable and he displays alittle more grit than he has in the past. Patton is a welcome addition and shebrings real value to her role, the rare female action hero who actually carries herweight. This is what I think Zoe Saldana is supposed to be and I look forwardto seeing more of her in the future. And then, of course, there’s Renner who playsslightly against type and, while he’s certainly not reinventing the wheel, hedisplays enough quiet power behind his character’s lack of confidence to makehis role work very well.

But Ghost Protocolgoes nowhere without a strong lead and Cruise is more than up to the challenge.I have always been a serious fan of the man and I feel like he’s gotten anunfair shake over the last half-decade or so. What I have always appreciated aboutCruise is his earnest desire to make his movies great (whether he succeeds or not). A buddy of mine hit the nail onthe head regarding Cruise when he said that he always tries really hard. Every movie, every scene, every shot,Cruise strives to make it the best he’s ever done. I think he truly cares abouthis films in a way that most movie stars do not. Ghost Protocol is no exception as Cruise goes after every scene likeit’s the one that will bring home an Oscar. For me, it is this commitment tothe moment that sells Ghost Protocol asmore than just a run-of-the-mill action movie and makes it one of the mostdeliciously appealing, wonderfully entertaining, and decidedlymulti-dimensional films of the year.

Grade:A

The Collected Works: Cameron Crowe

2011-12-21T17:50:00.000-06:00

Whenever anyone asks me who my favorite underrated director is (this has happened all of twice), I always respond with the same answer: Cameron Crowe. Underrated might be the wrong word but the point is, if you asked 25 film buffs to make a list of the top ten directors in the industry today, Crowe probably doesn't even come up. And I think that's wrong, especially if you made the list exclusive to writer-directors. He has an incredible ability to create characters that are inherently easy to invest in and therefore, he is able to connect with his audience in whatever setting he chooses to work in. Crowe is also, of course, a soundtrack marvel, the rare filmmaker who not only knows music but also knows how to use music. And that last part is the key. Crowe always gets credit for picking great songs but the reason those songs are so great is because they fit the film, the scene, the moment. He does this better than anyone else. Crowe loves music and he loves film, two things I happen to love myself. (If he ever makes a sports movie and combines my three pastimes, my head will probably explode upon viewing the first trailer.) With We Bought a Zoo opening this weekend (Crowe's first non-documentary since 2004), I thought it prudent to take a brief look back at the director's career and consider the merits (and faults) of each of his films (excluding documentary features).

6. Vanilla Sky (2001) - Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz
I just rewatched this film for the first time in about a decade and I have to say, it's not nearly as bad as I remembered. It isn't good, you understand, but I've been pegging it as "terrible" whereas in reality, it's only "below average." Vanilla Sky has some promising concepts at its core and I actually think Cruise delivers an earnest, quality performance. It is so overly complex, however, that it quickly becomes convoluted and tiresome. I can understand why Crowe took on the project and why he would want to stretch himself. But the film seems unsure of itself and I think that's indicative of Crowe's feelings. In a post-Inception world, there's a place for Vanilla Sky but it simply couldn't work (at least in this configuration) in 2001.

5. Say Anything (1989) - John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney
I saw this movie for the first time only a year or so ago and therefore my opinion of it is probably somewhat lower than those who experienced it as teenagers. I don't think it's one of Crowe's better films but it is one of the better performances by Cusack. His boombox-over-the-head scene is iconic, of course, but it is his disaffected, directionless persona that makes Say Anything work. His "plans for the future" diatribe is one of my favorite scenes from the '80s.

4. Singles (1992) - Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Bridget Fonda, Matt Dillon
Like Say Anything, I was late to the party on Singles. In fact, I just watched it for the first time all the way through a few days ago. The feeling I get from this film is that it is a personal project trying not to be a personal project. Crowe was living in the Seattle area at the time of its filming and wanted to do something about the burgeoning grunge music scene. Personally, I would watch a movie about a fictitious band or group of bands coming together in early '90s Seattle but maybe I'm alone in that. Anyway, the interconnected story lines of several twentysomethings are woven together nicely and the occasional fauxumentary interviews that pop up from time to time are enjoyable. Pulling Eddie Vedder into the mix was a nice touch, too.

3. Jerry Maguire (1996) - Tom Cruise, Renee Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr.
It bothers me that it has become accepted, even expected, to bash on Jerry Maguire. Yes, it has been cheapened over the years by constant replays on TNT and yes, its more iconic lines have been spoofed a thousand times. But that's because it's a good movie. Crappy movies don't get replayed over and over or quoted in lame sitcoms. To me, the backlash against Jerry Maguire is like dissing a quality rock band because their song gets picked up on top 40 radio. It's not their fault that the song gets driven into the ground. I will always argue that if you woke up from a 15-year long coma and had never heard anyone say, "Show me the money", you'd really dig Jerry Maguire. This is one of Cruise's better roles and perhaps the only time Zellweger hasn't made me want to punch a puppy.

2. Elizabethtown (2005) - Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon
The difference between the dislike directed at Jerry Maguire and that aimed at Elizabethtown is that I understand it this time around. Elizabethtown is not for everyone; it moves at a snail's pace and if truth be told, it doesn't cover just a whole lot of ground. But that's what I love about it. Elizabethtown is primarily about self-discovery and sometimes self-discovery isn't a roller coaster of excitement and a whirlwind of activities. It also serves as Crowe's ode to the American road and it delves deep into the father-son relationship, a topic that goes uncovered in most of his other works. I will say that I think Bloom was a poor choice; it's not that he's bad so much as he just doesn't quite fit the character. But Dunst is near-perfect and the soundtrack is SPECTACULAR.

1. Almost Famous (2000) - Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup
Just about anytime someone asks me to recommend a movie they might have missed somewhere along the line, I answer with Almost Famous. It is easily one of my ten favorite films of all-time and one of the few that I will hold up as a masterpiece. Based on Crowe's own experiences as a teenage journalist for Rolling Stone, Almost Famous is an exceptionally well-crafted film filled to the brim with powerhouse performances, exquisite dialogue, and brilliant music. Crowe put together a perfect cast and got the absolute best out of each member, especially Crudup (Russell Hammond is one of my favorite characters ever) and Hudson (go watch Something Borrowed and marvel at how Crowe managed to get that woman an Oscar nomination). Almost Famous isn't underrated, it is criminally underrated. This scene is just one of the many wonderful sequences contained within.

"War Horse" Review

2011-12-21T02:53:00.002-06:00

Generally speaking, I’m a big fan of animals. I enjoy agood dog movie as much as the next guy and I think zoos are just swell. It maycome as a surprise then to learn that I don’t care much for horses. I’ve justnever understood their appeal. As such, horse movies haven’t historically beena favorite genre of mine. I enjoyed TheBlack Stallion as a kid but if I’m being honest, I think I liked that onebecause it had a scene or two involving a cobra and I was really into cobras atthe time. But I’ve never been able to muster up much excitement for Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Hidalgo orany other horse-related movie you might name. I imagined, however, that War Horse would put these feelings tothe test because if any storyteller could make me give a rip about horses, itwould probably be Steven Spielberg. But were my imaginings proven true? Yes andno.

War Horse tellsthe story of World War I through the experiences of a very special horse. We openwith an introduction to Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) and his beloved horse,Joey (worst horse name ever). After Albert’s father, Ted (Peter Mullan),foolishly purchases Joey, Albert trains the horse and teaches him to pull aplow despite not being the sort of work horse the family so desperately needs.The two are inseparable until the day comes that Ted is short on the rent andhas to sell Joey to a British cavalry officer (Tom Hiddleston) who swears totake care of Joey and bring him back when the war is over. But war is an uglyaffair, of course, and soon Joey sets off on a years-long journey that will seehim change hands a half-dozen times and come close to death a hundred morewhile bringing him closer to being reunited with Albert than either man orbeast could ever imagine.

What I enjoyed most about War Horse is exactly what I would have expected to be my leastfavorite part: the horse. Spielberg does a magnificent job of creating andhoning the film’s tone to emphasize the horse properly without allowing thatnarrative to become tiresome. What I mean is, I think it is very easy in ananimal-focused film to focus on said animal so much that it becomes difficultfor the audience to relate. Instead, Spielberg uses the horse to shine a lighton the lives of the people he comes in contact with and in doing so, allows formore opportunities for the audience to get invested (this works to varyingdegrees but more on that in a moment). As Joey moves from place to place, weare introduced to a litany of characters, most of whom are caught in some sadstate of affairs, and all of whom are impacted in one way or another by thehorse. It is a very intriguing and unique concept and one that Spielberg workswell within.

As War Horseprogresses, it gets stronger and hits its stride when Joey comes into thepossession of a sickly French girl (Celine Buckens) and her grandfather (NielsArestrup). Buckens is a real delight and her character plays well to the whimsyof the film’s lighter moments, providing one last breath of fresh air before War Horse truly delves into the darknessthat is war. But while Joey finds himself in more and more dire situations, thefilm itself comes together nicely and it seemed to me that at this point, Spielbergfound a comfortable groove that is missing in the early goings. In the thirdact we are treated to a series of scenes that reek of Spielberg in the verybest sense of the word and display the true heart of the film. One sequence inparticular, in which a British soldier and a German soldier meet on the fieldbetween their foxholes to come to Joey’s aid, is one that, in my mind, belongson the Spielberg highlight reel. Indeed, there is an awful lot to like about War Horse in the final two acts.

What I did not enjoy about this film was that blastedfirst act. Early on, it is unclear whether WarHorse intends to be a family-friendly, holiday movie or a hard-hitting wardrama. In one scene a goose is chasing an unwanted guest through the Narracott’syard and in the next we’re hit hard with the sobering reality of life below thepoverty line. Later, Spielberg blunts the brutality of war in order to secure aPG-13 rating (which I understand) and then follows that up with thenon-explicit but no less depressing execution of two young soldiers. Inaddition, I didn’t care for the shot selection in the first act, a shockingcriticism considering I don’t believe I have ever questioned Spielberg’s workwith the camera before. His persistent close-up of the plow as Joey pulls, forexample, comes across as cheap and distracting and left me scratching my head. Butperhaps the film’s biggest issue in the early stages is the performance ofIrvine. I wouldn’t go so far as to say his portrayal is unwatchable but thatterminology wouldn’t be too far off. Irvine had very little cinematicexperience coming into War Horse andlike the film, he gets better as he goes. But if I’m being completely honest,his work in the first act made me cringe more than once. I thought he wasterrible.

All told, what you have with War Horse is a good film that is being treated as a great filmbecause of its final act. If the audience in my theater is any indication, thisis a film that has the power to invoke real emotion, enough to make you forgetthe lackluster first third. I won’t argue that Spielberg didn’t know how toblend the family-oriented portions of this film with the harsher realities ofwar contained in other parts but I would say that he tried too hard to reachout to everyone rather than focusingin on a target audience. A PG family film would have brought a ton of cash andan R-rated serious look at war through the eyes of the horse would haveundoubtedly garnered serious award consideration. And hey, it’s entirely possiblethat he’ll be able to get both by splitting the difference; that combination justdidn’t quite work for me. It did,however, make me kind-of-sort-of care about a horse and that is somewhat of anachievement in and of itself.

Grade: B+

"The Hobbit" Trailer

2011-12-21T00:34:00.002-06:00

My fellow nerds, the day has finally come. Just under a year from now the first chapter of The Hobbit will hit theaters and today Peter Jackson gives us the film's first trailer. I'm insanely excited about this film. In fact, I've been excited about the mere prospect of this film since I read the book for the first time at around age eight. Knowing that Tolkien's vision will be brought to the screen in less than a year is a thrilling concept. This is little more than a teaser trailer with a ton of quick cuts and scene changes but that song...man, that song is dead on, exactly how I would have imagined it. (My nerdiness is really starting to show now but I don't care.) Have a look for yourself and expect plenty of Hobbit-related coverage over the next year.

In Home Viewings Review: "The Change-Up"

2011-12-18T02:29:00.000-06:00

Dave (Jason Bateman) and Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) live very different lives. Between the demands of his wife (Leslie Mann), his children, and soul-crushing job, Dave doesn't have enough hours in the day. Mitch, on the other hand, spends his time playing video games, smoking pot, and sleeping with a variety of women while waiting for his acting career to take off. On a rare night spent hanging out with one another, the two friends end up peeing in a fountain together (because, you know, that happens) and voicing a mutual desire to have the other's life. Of course, when they wake up, they have switched bodies, granting the hastily-made wish from the night before. But as they each go through a litany of shenanigans, they soon discover that their own lives weren't so bad after all.

I'd like to take a moment and list for you, dear readers, the reasons why I saw The Change-Up.

1.) I was bored (always a good start);
2.) I wanted to watch something that wasn't too serious, too time-consuming, or too intelligent. Usually in these situations I end up renting a bad action movie or a lame comedy;
3.) (And I swear this is the truth.) I've given out a ton of positive reviews lately. When I've seen so many good movies in a row and I start to feel like I'm becoming Peter Travers, I often feel the need to watch something terrible just so I can rail against it and feel better about myself.

That's the recipe for watching a crapfest like The Change-Up (and by the way, if that wasn't your recipe for seeing this movie, if you actually wanted to see it, we need to talk). It was essentially a personal challenge to see if I could make it through the are-you-serious-it's-that-long??? 112 minute runtime and a chance to use all my favorite negative adjectives, like "excruciating" and "painful." Mission accomplished. This movie is, to put it nicely, completely and totally worthless. I laughed only a handful of times and even those moments were semi-awful. The characters are miserable and while director David Dobkin would like you to invest in their transitions, they start off so low and unappealing that I found it impossible to care whether or not they'd get their lives together within the runtime (again, 112 minutes; that's only 9 minutes less than Star Wars). In addition, haven't we all had enough with the body switching plotline? I'd be fine if Hollywood retired this concept forever; it's tired.

My biggest issue with The Change-Up, however, is in its need to tie the whole mess up with a nice and neat, "everyone learned their lesson and became better people" bow. This is a conclusion that simply does not fit the tone of the movie. One of the things that made The Hangover so successful (besides being, you know, actually funny) is that the characters don't suddenly become great people because of the events of their night out. Sure, Stu comes back with a spine and Phil softens up a bit but there's no "moral of the story" ending because that doesn't fit the film. The Change-Up goes the exact opposite route, tacking on a conclusion that goes against the grain of the movie. As a result, the movie seems like a PG-13 movie that was raunchy-ed up to get an R-rating, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. Either go full bore into that realm or stay out of it altogether. Of course, nothing could have made The Change-Up worth seeing but it could have at least been tolerable. As it is, however, this is an abysmal movie that will certainly wind up on more than a few "worst of the year" lists.

Grade: D

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be

2011-12-18T01:38:00.000-06:00

Make sure you read this excellent article on Walt Disney, written by Jon Favreau. Good stuff!

David Fincher says that his potential Dragon Tattoo sequels would shoot back-to-back which makes sense. Very curious to see what sort of reception the first one gets over the next few weeks.

Spike Lee is having some trouble putting a cast together for his Oldboy remake and has now offered roles to Mia Wasikowska and Clive Owen.

Cinema Blend picks the year's 10 best performances from terrible movies. Always a fun type of list to discuss. Although, can we really trust any list that cites Channing Tatum in a good light?

Weekend Box Office Results
Quite a disappointing weekend at the box office. In fact, I saw one report that pegged this as lowest grossing weekend in December since 1999. Ouch! The disappointing take for Sherlock is the biggest surprise, down $22 million from the debut of the first film. I didn't make it out myself but a Sherlock Holmes viewing is in my near future and I can't wait to check out MI4.

1. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - $40.02M
2. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - $23.5M
3. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - $13.6M
4. New Year's Eve - $7.42M ($24.82M)
5. The Sitter - $4.4M ($17.72M)
6. Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I - $4.3M ($266.4M)
7. Young Adult - $3.65M ($4.09M)
8. Hugo - $3.62M ($39.07M)
9. Arthur Christmas - $3.6M ($38.54M)
10. The Muppets - $3.45M ($70.93M)

New to DVD
What I'll Be Renting This Week
Midnight in Paris - Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates
This is the last of the real awards contenders that will hit DVD before the year is up. I stayed away when Midnight had its theatrical run this summer, mainly because I've never been a big fan of Woody Allen. I understand the genius and appreciate it, I'm just not a fan of his style. But the unending wave of positivity has won me over and it seems like a strong candidate for a "bottom of the list" Best Picture nominee.

What I've Seen and You Should, Too
Warrior - Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte
If I had to pick a "Favorite Sports Movie of the Year" it would definitely be Warrior and Moneyball wouldn't really be that close. There are some differing opinions out there regarding this movie (and by people that I usually agree with) but I think Warrior hits on all fronts: it provides outstanding and realistic sports scenes to go along with a set of wholly compelling plot points and brought together by three stellar performances. Nolte and Hardy have gotten all of the attention (Nolte could have an outstide shot at a Best Supporting Actor nod) but for me, it is Edgerton's personal and genuine portrayal that makes the film work. Warrior could find a spot in my top 10. We'll see. (Also worth your time: Blackthorn and Dolphin Tale.)

What I Haven't Seen and Neither Should You
Colombiana - Zoe Saldana, Michael Vartan, Jordi Molla
This was supposed to be Saldana's jump into the realm of leading lady. Instead, it turned out to be a complete disaster that no one (and I really mean no one) could recommend with a straight face. Jump over to Rotten Tomatoes and look this one up. Virtually every fresh review is a "sure, but" review as in, "Sure it's full of plot holes, bad acting, and meaningless explosions but it's a relatively harmless way to spend two hours." I've written my share of "sure, but" reviews and I would never want to watch any of those movies again. Also, it resulted in this magnificent piece from IFC identifying just five of the bigger anachronisms within this film.

Also New
Dolphin Tale - Nathan Gamble, Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr. (Perfectly reasonable family fare)
Blackthorn - Sam Shepard, Eduardo Noriega, Stephen Rea (Butch Cassidy back in action; quality performance by Shephard)
Margin Call - Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Spacey (Slight possibility at a nomination or two)
Catch .44 - Malin Ackerman, Bruce Willis, Forest Whitaker
Glee: The Concert Movie - Who cares
Straw Dogs - James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard
The Tempest (2010) - Helen Mirren, Felicity Jones
A Farewell to Arms (1957) - Rock Hudson, Jennifer Jones, Vittorio De Sica

Coming to a Theater Near You
This week, as always, is a monster. No less than eight mainstream movies and a host of indie films will hit theaters over the next 10 days, making it virtually impossible for a completist like myself to get through everything in time for my end-of-year rankings columns. (Seriously, Hollywood, couldn't you have released even a couple of these movies between Thanksgiving and now? Boooo.) Anyway, what you're getting this week is a mixed bag of fun and exciting "movies you take the family to see after all the presents have run out of newness", smaller films looking to grab a piece of the award pie, and Oscar bait of the highest order. Also, this year you can treat yourself to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, quite possibly the most disturbing movie you'll ever see on Christmas.

War Horse - Jeremy Irvine, Tom Hiddleston, Emily Watson
I saw War Horse last week (review to come soon). I'm not entirely sure what I think about it yet. It's definitely Spielbergian and it's definitely a good movie. Not sure how great it is, though, and I haven't really framed my feelings yet. It's a near lock for a Best Picture nod, however, and will likely pull in more than its fair share of the Christmas Box Office market. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 91% (That is as close to a shot in the dark as I could possibly make. I have no idea how well this film will be received.)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer
I need all of my readers to pay attention here as this is probably one of the most important things I have ever or will ever say in this space: if you haven't read this book, seen the European version, or at least done a cursory Google search into this film's plot, do not, under any circumstance, see this movie. I mean this. I read the book. It's incredible and I imagine this film will be incredible as well. But as a friend of mine said, "There are scenes in that book that horrified me while reading them and I cannot imagine seeing them in a movie and having them forever burned into my memory." I concur. More importantly than ever before: KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING YOURSELF INTO before heading into the theater. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 88%

We Bought a Zoo - Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church
Currently sitting at 58% (and rotten) at the time of this writing, the reviews are wide ranging in tone. The positives are overwhelmingly so and the negatives are pretty harsh. Personally, I'm still optimistic that We Bought a Zoo will at least equal out to Dolphin Tale as a worthwhile family movie. But then again, I'm rooting HARD for anything and everything related to Cameron Crowe (except Vanilla Sky) so... Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 63%

The Adventures of Tintin - Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig
Tintin has already been Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes (currently sitting at 82%) and it seems to be one of those movies that you either love or hate. The motion capture shooting method has met a somewhat unspectacular reception but it's never been in the hands of a craftsman like Spielberg. The real question is will American audiences care about a movie based on a comic they've never heard of?

The Darkest Hour - Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella
Yikes. I mean...this looks pretty horrible. And with serious competition for the "teenager on Christmas break" money, why release this movie now? Why not hold it until the first or second week of January which is clearly when this movie should be released? Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 21%

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock (Limited)
The big question with this movie is, will it turn out as a genuine and stirring tale of father and son or will it play like stuffy and contrived Oscar bait? Stephen Daldry has never NOT been nominated for a Best Director so this movie is in good hands but still, the questions remain. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 96% (Shot in the dark part two.)

Also Available
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, rapidly becoming one of the more appreciated popcorn films of the year, expands from IMAX to wide release...Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy gets a slightly wider release, though not nearly large enough dadgumit...In the Land of Milk and Honey, directed by Angelina Jolie, will find a few theaters...and A Separation, which has made its way into a number of important top 10 lists, also gets released in a few arthouse theaters.

Weekend Movie Guide

2011-12-15T13:12:00.001-06:00

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris
Director: Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels)
Rated: PG-13
The sequel to 2009's smash hit finds Holmes (RDJ) and Watson (Law) pursuing thie most ingenious adversary, Professor Moriarty (Harris), through a series of wild and outlandish plot twists. As I said in my Monday column, it came as a surprise to me to learn that a lot of people did not like the first Sherlock. The early reviews have been less positive than I would have imagined and suddenly we're left to wonder how well this movie will perform with audiences. That said, I really, really enjoyed Sherlock and I expect to enjoy this as well. In my mind, this is basically a comic book movie, a genre that I usually appreciate even if it doesn't generate much critical acclaim.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg
Director: Brad Bird (The Incredibles)
Rated: PG-13
After his team is implicated in a major international incident, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is forced to do what he does best: go rogue. My anticipation for this movie has grown with each and every viewing of the outstanding trailer(s). Even still, I am shocked at the overwhelmingly positive reception it has received. This just isn't the type of film that critics usually get on board with but that's exactly what's happened (so far). I'm probably waiting until next week when MI4 opens in regular theaters (I'm slightly afraid of IMAX screens; I have no reason for this) but I'm hoping the good vibes keep a'comin'.

Side note: Why didn't one of the studios involved with the aforementioned films grab a Thanksgiving slot this year instead of opening against the other? There was a decided lack of action available post-turkey this year and anyway, the audience for Sherlock and MI4 is essentially the same group, right? Dumb.

Carnage - Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly
Director: Roman Polanski (Chinatown, The Pianist)
Rated: R
Based upon a play by screenwriter Yasmina Reza, Carnage centers around two sets of parents who get together to discuss a school-yard fight between their children and end up in a heated confrontation themselves. I can't figure this one out. The trailer would have me believe this is a dark comedy but Roman Polanski isn't exactly known for his comedic chops. The cast is outstanding but none of them are "absolutely must get to the theater" names for me. And it seems like would-be Oscar bait which is always a risky proposition. I have no idea what to expect out of this one. You're on your own.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - Justin Long, Jason Lee, David Cross
Director: Mike Mitchell (Sky High)
Rated: G
While on a cruise, Alvin and his cohorts fall overboard and wash up on a deserted island where they, like, sing or something. You know how some theater in Washington has made texting acceptable within a certain section of their theater? I feel like theaters should offer a similar service to parents who are forced to take their children to see a Chipmunks movie. Maybe they should hand out iPads that play Scorsese movies or Dumb and Dumber or something, anything, to distract from the awfulness that undoubtedly will be running across the scree. Sorry, parents.

Also New
A documentary about the career of legendary B-movie creator Roger Corman, Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel sounds like an entertaining choice on Netflix in a few weeks...Anson Mount (Hell on Wheels) returns from prison to find his home has been turned into a drug lab in Cook County...and Young Adult expands into wider release.

Movie News Today

2011-12-12T11:13:00.000-06:00

Extremely sorry for the lack of reviews the last two weeks. The great thing about saving up vacation for the end of the year is that I can walk away in two short days and not think about work for, like, 19 days or something. The down side to that is preparing to leave requires cramming, like, 19 days or something worth of work into the preceding weeks. All that to say, I'm been swamped. But beginning next week, I will have a rich cornicopia (yeah, I said cornicopia) of reviews, predictions, and lists to provide for you, dear readers. Bear with me.

Rachel McAdams is in talks to join Brian De Palma's thriller Passion. I tell you this because I feel it is my duty to forward any and all Rachel McAdams news that might hit the web.

George Takei has called upon Star Trek and Star Wars fans to unite against Twilight, a sentiment I think we can all get on board with.

Speaking of Star Wars, the 2011 Black List has been published and as always, it's worth a look. If you don't know, the Black List is a collection of the best undeveloped screenplays in Hollywood. Number three on the list is a Chewbacca film. Two questions: 1.) Why is that not number one? 2.) Why hasn't this made it to theaters already?! Come on, George!

And speaking of Lucas, he spoke with EW regarding the development of Indiana Jones 5 and told us...well, pretty much nothing.

Christopher Nolan sat down with Hero Complex (LA Times) and discussed Bane and his Batman films in general. Be sure to read this one. The man is brilliant.

Gary Oldman compiled a five favorite films for Rotten Tomatoes and stuck around to talk Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy for a bit.

The Critics Choice Awards nominations have been announced and aside from the ommission of 50/50 in most of the important categories (yes, I'm going to keep harping on this), it's a solid list.

This has nothing to do with movies but make sure you check out these photos of an abandoned Disneyland knock off in China. Super cool and a little creepy. Thanks to /Film for the notification on this.

Chris Pratt could be up for the lead in Kathryn Bigelow's Osama bin Laden thriller, which would be a decidedly different sort of role than he's used to. Could be interesting.

Paradise Lost, which will star Bradley Cooper as the devil (this joke is too easy so I'm going to let it slide), has been put on hold while some budget concerns are worked out. It isn't shocking that this film has gone over budget until you learn that the budget was around $120 million. Yikes. You can already bet this one will be tough to sell, at least domestically.

Because I'm never going to see The Artist (I just can't muster up any interest, sorry), check out the glowing analysis at Fast Film Reviews. Good stuff.

Flix Chatter gives us six unnecessary big bidget sequels. While I disagree with a couple on the list, I always enjoy the thought that goes into these pots. Check it out!

And make sure you have a look at "My Favorite Ladies of Science Fiction" from the Morning Thunder Buffalo.

Trailers! Trailers! Trailers!

2011-12-11T20:25:00.001-06:00

I've never done a weekly column dedicated to trailers because the truth is, you never know what a week's going to bring in that department. Sometimes there won't be a trailer worth mentioning for a month, then we get a stretch like this in which I simply could not keep up. Please enjoy what will undoubtedly be the most extensive Trailers! Trailers! Trailers! ever.

In order to keep expectations low (really low), we start off with The Three Stooges, courtesy to you by the Farrelley Brothers; you know, the guys that brought you Hall Pass! You know how you know a movie is going to be bad? When a scene involving Snooki is the best shot in the trailer.

Next up is Madagascar 3 featuring a long list of solid voice actors. Before How to Train Your Dragon, I think the first Madagascar is at least in the conversation for Dreamworks' best animated feature and I genuinely like it. The sequel was worthless. Judging from this trailer, the third installment looks like it could be closer in quality to the first one.

This brings us to The Five-Year Engagement, which features Jason Segel and Emily Blunt. This movie comes with a serious comedy pedigree (produced by Judd Apatow, director by Nicholas Stoller of Muppets and Forgetting Sarah Marshall fame). This trailer, though, makes me slightly nervous. I love Emily Blunt but I'm not entirely sure she can flourish in this environment.

Now to the previews you're really here to see. I think we can all agree that Men in Black is a stellar popcorn flick. Smart, fun, exceptionally entertaining. Likewise, we all know for a fact that Men in Black II is one of the worst movies of the decade. It's not up for debate. So what should we expect to get from Men in Black 3? Honestly, I have no idea. As an unabashed Will Smith fan, I've been looking forward to this film for a while now. I'm nervous.

Last but not least, I present to you the first trailer for GI Joe: Retaliation. 2009's GI Joe is an atrocity and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise. Just horrible. I'd like to believe this sequel will be much better in a Fast Five/Expendables kind of way. It certainly won't hurt to have a White Stripes song rocking the background like it does in this trailer.

In Home Viewings Review: "Beginners"

2011-12-11T17:29:00.001-06:00

Growing up, Oliver Fields (Ewan McGregor) always felt there was something off about his parents' relationship. His father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), showed great affection for his family but was very distant and that left his mother (Mary Page Keller) often feeling alone. Stuck in the middle, Oliver internalized the lessons learned at home and as a thirtysomething in 2003, he lives a guarded life filled with broken relationships that he never really invested in. His way of living begins to change however, when Hal informs him that not only is he gay, but that he has been stricken with terminal cancer. Beginners spends its time cutting back and forth between Oliver's final interactions with Hal and the start of his relationship with Anna (Melanie Laurent), a French actress who immediately puts his new outlook to the test.

I confess I was not all that interested in Beginners when it debuted earlier this summer. Despite its positive reception, the subject matter isn't within my general level of interest. But as Award Season draws closer, I often find myself playing catch-up on this sort of film when it becomes clear that it will be a player when nominations start rolling out. What brought me to Beginners is the esteemed performance of the impeccable Christopher Plummer, a role that will almost certainly warrant a Best Supporting Actor nod (and you'd have to say he's the favorite to win at this point). Always a commanding figure in each of his films, this is perhaps the best and certainly the most vulnerable. Plummer plays Hal with a double portion of charm that is only somewhat dampened by an ever-present undercurrent of shame for the distance he kept between himself and his family and the life he feels he wasted. His demeanor is happy-go-lucky and lively but his eyes convey a sense of pain and sorrow and it is this combination that makes his portrayal seem so genuine. This is a landmark performance for Plummer and one for which he deserves any and all attention that comes his way.

The rest of Beginners, however, fails to measure up to Plummer's work. Simply put, I couldn't stand to watch any of the other characters. McGregor's wary loner with childhood scars is adequate but he is routinely overshadowed by Plummer. I'm not sure if the blame for that should fall on McGregor or if he was given little to work with but in their shared scenes, I felt Plummer ran circles around him. Meanwhile, Laurent's take on the manic pixie dream girl (maybe this phenomenon doesn't work in French) annoyed the fire out of me, beginning with the early scenes in which she only communicates by writing out questions and answers on a pad of paper. I guess this is supposed to be charming but it didn't work for me. Then there's Hal's young lover Andy (Goran Visnjic), who may or may not have been retarded but I'm not sure. I truly did not understand this character. Likewise, the non-linear storyline was distracting for me and it kept Beginners from ever getting into a solid groove and even when it was working within its element, it was all a bit too boring for me. As a result, I never could invest in the characters or their interactions and the overall product suffers mightily from these shortcomings.

Grade: B

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be

2011-12-09T18:13:00.001-06:00

Check out this new poster for The Dark Knight Rises which may indeed hint at the film's ending...

Speaking of DKR, Christopher Nolan's prologue for next year's second biggest film (The Hobbit, duh) was screened for filmmakers and select media members. Check Empire's recap. The six minute prologue will be available to the "masses" as a trailer for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, but only in select cities. Or you can just wait until it gets leaked online like, 12 hours later.

In celebration of the ten year anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring, Empire reunited the Hobbits and provides an outstanding interview with the group. We're only one year away from The Hobbit debuting at a theater near you; time to start getting psyched (if you haven't already).

NPR interviewed Gary Oldman to discuss his role in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which I so desperately want to see.

Steven Soderbergh bailed on Man From U.N.C.L.E. a couple of weeks ago and Warner Brothers has tapped Guy Ritchie to replace him. Should be interesting to see what Ritchie with his newly reinvigorated career, thanks to Sherlock Holmes.

Ben Kingsley will join Hugo co-star Asa Butterfield as a principal cast member for Ender's Game. Getting more and more interested in this project...

And in "Why would you do that" news of the weekend, Lionsgate is developing an American Psycho remake. Because, you know, the original is over ten years old so we definitely need a new version.

Weekend Box Office Results
I am so pleased with all of you, weekend moviegoers. Not only did you finally knock Twilight off of its perch atop the box office returns, you did so while also preventing New Year's Eve from taking home a huge sum. In doing so, you've probably saved us all from future versions of the film like Columbus Day, Boxing Day, and of course, Cinco de Mayo. This turned out to be a pretty lackluster week at the box office and maybe a small portion of that is due to Hollywood's insistence on giving worthwhile movies a limited release, a concept which drew my ire this weekend. But regardless, with so many big releases on the horizon, most of these films had better enjoy the short-lived spotlight.

1. New Year's Eve - $13.7M
2. The Sitter - $10M
3. Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 - $7.9M ($259.5M)
4. The Muppets - $7.07M ($65.84M)
5. Arthur Christmas - $6.6M ($33.49M)
6. Hugo - $6.13M ($33.49M)
7. The Descendants - $4.84M ($23.64M)
8. Happy Feet Two - $3.75M ($56.85M)
9. Jack and Jill - $3.2M ($68.64M)
10. Immortals - $2.44M ($79.85M)

New to DVD
For a number of semi-professional (read: "blog owners") critics like myself, this time of the year is a killer as we try to balance the need to stay current with the crap load of significant films hitting theaters and the need to fill out our top 10 lists with the films we missed hitting DVD. I find myself prioritizing the DVD releases each year and planning out what I can and cannot get to before year's end. Kind of turns this whole thing into a little more of a job than I'd like but hey, this is how I choose to spend my free time so...

What I'll Be Renting This Week
Kung Fu Panda 2 - Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman
You know what's kind of an awesome kid's movie? Kung Fu Panda. I didn't see KFP until a year or so ago but I enjoyed it a hundred times more than I had anticipated. Jack Black is seriously hit or miss but he's possibly at his best when shooting for the "kids and their parents" demographic (see: The Muppets). I didn't get a chance to see this one but I expect to rectify that soon.

What I've Seen and You Should Too (I Guess)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - James Franco, Andy Serkis, John Lithgow
Okay, so I didn't really love Apes like a lot of people did. I thought Franco was fine and the origin story was cool, but the supporting actors (I'm talking to you, Tom Felton) were atrocious and the plot played out like something out of a '50s B-movie. But. BUT. The visuals of the film are incredible and more importantly, the work of Andy Serkis, who provided virtually all of the movements for the apes, are exquisite. Apes is worth the cost of a rental based solely on Serkis.

What I Might Pick up at Best Buy When it's on Sale for $7.99
The Rocketeer (1991) - Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton
Sure, it was a huge commercial failure and sure, it failed to spark the a genre (and franchise) the way it was intended to. But man, The Rocketeer is a blast and it's been far too long since I've seen it. Hook me up, Best Buy.

Also New
Fright Night (2011) - Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Toni Collette
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) - Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien
Family Guy: Volume 9 (2010) - Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein

Coming to a Theater Near You
For those of you keeping track at home, I did pretty well with my Rotten Tomatoes score predictions. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was Certified Fresh at 86% (predicted 92%), Young Adult came in at 77% (predicted 88%), The Sitter was almost right on par (23% rotten versus the predicted 22%) and New Year's Eve dropped below even my dismal expectations and finished at 5% rotten (12% predicted). This week will bring us the first major releases of the Christmas season and you can bet on a ton of money being spent.

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows - Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace
Apparently there are people out there (and perhaps a number of them) who dislike the first Sherlock Holmes. This fact caught me off guard because I don't personally know anyone who didn't at least half-way enjoy themselves while watching this movie. I'm not saying Holmes should be held up as one of the greatest movies of all time but honestly, I'm not sure how you could sit through that film and not have a bit of fun. I've been looking forward to this sequel with genuine anticipation and can't wait to see the RDJ-Law dynamic explored further. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 76%.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg
This will be released only on IMAX screens this week with a full release on tap for next weekend. I have the sneaking suspicion that MI4 is going to be strong to quite strong. Now, I'm a fan of two out of the first three installments (MI2 is awful) but this one has much more promise in my mind. I haven't seen a movie on an IMAX screen in years but I'm thinking about changing that this weekend. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 84%.

Carnage - Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz
This is the type of film that causes the most trouble in terms of predicting critical reception. Could be an Oscar contender, could be a total dud. What would scare me most about Carnage is that its runtime is a whopping 79 minutes. So... Rotten Tomatoes Prediction: 80%

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked (2011) - Jason Lee, Justin Long, Amy Poehler
The best thing I can say about the Alvin series is that I wasn't forced to watch the...*gulp*...Squeakquel. I saw the first one and it hurt me inside. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 23%

Just Let Me See Your Movie!

2011-12-09T13:17:00.001-06:00

BeforeI went to bed last night, I headed over to Moviefone to have a look at Friday'smidday schedule. I have a busy weekend ahead of me, you see, and the onlyopportunity I would have to make it to the theater would be the first showingsof the day. To say that I was excited to see Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy wouldbe an understatement. The prospect of Gary Oldman in a rare leading role, andone that promised to provide serious award consideration, has been boundingaround in my mind grapes and I've been looking forward to this film for thebetter part of the year. I based my work schedule around seeing this film, forgoodness sake, and if that seems sad, well...so be it. But to my surprise,Moviefone (and really the entire movie industry) let me down. TTSS wasn'tshowing at any of the theaters I frequent, nor was it available at the arthousetheaters in Dallas. What the what?!, I thought to myself. I Googledthe subject and found a release schedule from Focus Features, the studio behind TTSS,and discovered that the film was only opening on four US screens this weekend,all of which are, of course, in Los Angeles or New York. To make this injusticeeven worse, the release schedule informed me that TTSS wouldnot be available near me until the 23rd and even then, only at a singlearthouse theater 45 miles away. Considering the advertising campaign TTSS hasreceived for the last six months, this move is unbelievably short sited andgoes to prove a deeper issue within the movie industry as a whole.

Let'srewind a few months, back to the September release of Drive.Nothing about Drive suggested that it should receive a widerelease, at least as far as the typical distributor rules go. It's ahyper-violent, artsy-action mix backed by a synth-pop soundtrack, made by aforeign director (Nicolas Winding Refn) who has no mainstream credits to hisname, and starring an actor (Ryan Gosling) who is certainly well-respected buthardly the type of guy who draws the average moviegoer. It also happens to be anear-masterpiece and the best movie of the year in my book (thus far, anyway).And remarkably, Drive was given a nation-wide release thatdidn't require interested viewers to make a trek to an out-of-the-way arthousetheater or wait until it came to DVD (or steal it off the Internet). And guesswhat: people went to see it. Despite it's challenging subject matter, Drive pulledin a hearty $34 million domestically (and another $30 million overseas). Whilethat number may not seem like a huge breakthrough, remember that this film cost$15 million to make and was shown on only 2,900 screens (compare that to 4,375screens for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2). That's awildly successful release. Likewise, 50/50, another indie film thatI absolutely loved and that received a wide-release, pulled in $34 milliondomestically while showing on 2,479 screens and working from a budget of only$8 million. So in summary: both of these movies were independent films, bothreceived a reasonable release, both made a considerable amount of money, andboth were available in a theater three miles from my office, allowing me to seethem in the middle of a slow day.

Nowcompare those numbers to those of Take Shelter. If you haven'theard of Take Shelter, don't worry, it's not your fault. StarringMichael Shannon (one of the kings of obscure, challenging roles), TakeShelter focuses on a family man who has hallucinations about anapocalyptic world event and begins building a shelter to protect his family,though it is unclear whether he wishes to protect them from the coming events orfrom himself. Mark Harris of Entertainment Weekly (more on him in a moment)said of Michael Shannon's performance, "...the more people see this movie,the more votes he gets. It's that simple." That's a powerful statementcoming from a leader in the critical community. The problem is, no one is goingto see this movie. To date, it has earned $1.5 million (against a $5 millionbudget) through its release on a whopping 91 screens. Right now, the mostimportant time for an independent film like this, it is available on 55screens. No one has seen this movie and when it comes time for"educated voters" to make their lists of nominees for Best Actor, youcan bet most of them will not have seen Michael Shannon's portrayal. And maybemore importantly, even if they have been given the opportunity tosee Take Shelter, I haven't and neither have you. So even ifShannon or the film itself gets nominated for an Oscar, why would any averagemoviegoer care to root for it when most have never heard of it, let alone been giventhe chance to see it?

In arecent column for Grantland, Harris listed out the likely candidates for a BestPicture nomination (a list that includes a couple of independent films but is,overall, dominated by bigger features) and asked his readers to Tweet in theirpicks for which other films deserved to be included on the list. Today hereleased the results and unsurprisingly, the list was topped by Drive,a film that, by traditional Hollywood standards, should never have beengiven a wide-release. Moreover, every other film on the list (including 50/50 and TakeShelter) was an independent film.

Ihighlight this because it illustrates two trends. 1.) In spite of whatHollywood big wigs would have us believe, viewers are willing to see smaller films;and 2.) Hollywood is doing a crappy job of giving their viewers what they want.This industry is fixated, even obsessed, with online piracy as well aspreserving the box office and DVD rental/sales returns. To make this happen,the studios have gone to extremes to limit the viability of On Demand andstreaming services while consistently raising ticket prices, effectivelypricing-out a number of would-be customers. (Side note: I recently held aFamily Movie Night event for the participants of my youth sports program. Youwould be SHOCKED at the number of kids/parents who came up to me afterward andinformed me that they'd never been to a movie before because they couldn'tafford it.) At the same time, studios have dictated what the average moviegoercan and cannot see, and have thereby cut out a fairly significant profit marginbased solely on a single assumption: that viewers are too stupid, toounsophisticated, to buy into indie films.

That'sexactly what is playing out with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; Universal/FocusFeatures is telling you and I that because this is a slow-burn of a film thatwill feature far more dense dialogue than it will action sequences, we won'tget it and therefore, won't like it. In doing so, Universal has not only ensuredthat their film will not turn a profit on these shores (a $31 million budgetcan't possibly be recovered with a 40 screen release), they've also relegatedmoviegoers to the host of horrible, stupid selections that await us at thelocal theater. I do not want to see New Year's Eve because I'mnot a moron and I do not want to see The Sitter because I'mnot stoned but these are my choices in terms of new releases since both TTSS and YoungAdult are only being given the "limited release" treatment.Don't get me wrong, I love mainstream, big budget, popcorn films and my recordas a proponent of comic book movies and dumb comedies speaks for itself. ButI am proof that there are in fact moviegoers out there (and recent box officenumbers suggest there are a lot of them) who can thoroughly enjoy both Drive and CaptainAmerica, both 50/50 and Super 8, both Treeof Life and X-Men: First Class. Yet despite the trendssuggesting that viewers are ready and willing to take on smaller films anddespite the fact that I live in the fifth-largest media market in the country(let that sink in for a moment), Hollywood continues to look down upon the averagemoviegoer and deprive middle America of the opportunity to avoid Twilight or Jackand Jill. It is a crappy, elitist, short-sited mentality that is costingHollywood money, films cross-country notoriety, and moviegoers themselves achance to see some outstanding films. Something needs to change and nevershould that be more obvious than this coming Sunday when we see NewYear's Eve top $40 million despite its atrocious reviews. We didn'thave a choice, Hollywood, and the blame falls squarely on you.

Weekend Movie Guide

2011-12-08T14:07:00.001-06:00

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Mark Strong
Set during the Cold War, a superspy (Oldman) is called out of retirement to pinpoint a Soviet mole inside of MI6. Words cannot express my level of anticipation regarding this film and it all boils down to one reason: Gary Oldman. The rest of the cast is incredible, the film is based on a well-respected novel, and it received outstanding reviews overseas. But none of that holds a candle to the potential of Oldman in a starring role that seems tailor made for him. I'm just warning all of you in advance, there's a very good chance that my review (shooting for early next week) will be undeniably biased toward this film as I've been saying all year that this would be the role that would FINALLY get Oldman an Oscar nod and I'm already acting like I love this film. Can't wait.

New Year's Eve - Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele, Jessica Biel, Zac Efron
An ensemble that focuses on the lives of several New Yorkers on, you guessed it, New Year's Eve. This is a semi-sequel to Garry Marshall's 2010 "classic" Valentine's Day which somehow pulled in over $100 million despite being, you know, one of the five worst films of the year. (And I mean that. The fact that I was able to make it through my screening of that movie is a testament to my resolve to never walk out of a movie. Because boy, did I want to. That movie is horrible.) Amazingly, New Year's Eve looks even worse. You know your film sucks when you have cringe-inducing moments in the trailer! Watch the trailer again and think about how awful the dialogue sounds and then remember that all that was needed to advertise this film was three minutes of decent footage and the studio couldn't even find that. And yet, Rotten Tomatoes currently reports that 83% of users want to see this movie. This is why people hate America.

The Sitter - Jonah Hill, Ari Graynor, Sam Rockwell
A college student (Hill) with no long term job prospects is hired on to babysit some neighbor kids and winds up taking them on a wild ride as he tries to hookup with a crush (Graynor). In a year that has been overrun by lackluster R-rated comedies, it's no wonder that no one seems to be paying any attention to the final Fat Jonah Hill movie. Even the studio behind this film has sort-of abandoned it after a fairly heavy marketing campaign earlier this year. I'm less than interested.

Young Adult - Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson (Limited)
The reunion of director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody (Juno) brings forth a DARK comedy about a juvenile 30-something (Theron) who moves back to her small home town and begins pursuing an ex-boyfriend. Theron is very likely to receive a Best Actress nomination for her role and Oswalt is drawing some real attention in a down year for quality Supporting Actor work. In addition, all of Reitman's films are exquisitely put together and the idea of a woman-child character instead of the classic man-child is appealing to me.

W.E. - Abbie Cornish, James D'Arcy (Limited)
Focuses on the romance between King Edward VIII (D'Arcy) and his romance with a divorced American woman (Cornish), which if you remember, was a subplot in last year's The King's Speech. Directed by Madonna, W.E. is receiving a one week theatrical run in order to qualify it for award consideration. Doubtful that this plan works.

We Need to Talk About Kevin - Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller (Limited)
The mother (Swinton) of a boy who went on a Columbine-esque killing spree attempts to deal with her grief and shame. This is another film that will run for only a week in order to qualify for award consideration. Also, is it Tilda Swinton's goal to never be in another movie that I have any interest in seeing?

In Home Viewings Review: "Another Earth"

2011-12-07T13:28:00.001-06:00

Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) is an exceptionallyintelligent 17 year-old with a very bright future ahead of her. On the samenight that she is out celebrating her acceptance into MIT, a new planet isdiscovered that scientists deem identical to earth (cleverly named "Earth2"). While driving home drunk, Rhoda looks up into the sky to get a lookat this new planet and smashes into another car, instantly killing the wife andchild of Yale music professor John Burroughs (William Mapother) who goes into acoma. Four years later, Rhoda is released from prison and finds herself drawnto John who never saw her face or read her name during the trial. Posing as acleaning woman, she works her way into John's life, hoping to find the courageto confess her crime and thereby clear her conscience. Simultaneously, earthand earth 2 are drawing closer to one another (more on this later) and it islearned that the planets are exact copies: anyone who exists on earth alsoexists on earth 2 and theoretically, their events of their lives would be thesame leading up to the moment of mutual discovery. Displeased with thedirection of her life, Rhoda enters and wins a contest to be among the first totravel to the new planet (more on this later as well), an opportunity she sees asa chance to start over. But as her relationship with John deepens, she mustdecide not only whether or not to leave for the new world but also if she canconfess her identity to the man she took everything from.

Somewhere inside Another Earth there exists aworthwhile indie drama that has a bit of promise. Marling, who also wrote thefilm, has genuine appeal and you can see why she's become a hot name aroundHollywood. This is an actress who could really be something in a few years,provided she finds the right projects. There's no reason she couldn't fill someof the roles going to Felicity Jones or pick up the scraps from JenniferLawrence's table. Likewise, I think director Mike Cahill (also co-writer) showssome talent behind the camera and a knack for finding the right shot for thesituation, heightening the drama in the already tense atmosphere of his film.Both of them will go on to bigger and better things...

...which is good because AnotherEarth is a convoluted mess. The problem with this type of indie dramais the hook; in order to set your film apart from a glutted market of similarfilms, only a few of which receive any kind of mass marketing, you have to comeup with something different thatbrings attention. If you're a studio executive and Mike Cahill is pitching thisfilm to you (which I know is not the way it works for these films but go alongwith me), you're saying something to the effect of, "Okay, so you've got amessed up relationship between two opposites who are brought together bytragedy. That's great. But tell me, why am I going to see your movie instead of Like Crazy or Away We Go? Oh, there's asubplot involving a second earth that's (inexplicably) getting closer andcloser to our own planet? Bingo!" The end result is essentially a sci-ficoncept film and as I've said before, concept films, even artsy ones like this,rarely work. Science fiction is tough enough to get right (and that'scoming from a huge sci-fi nerd) and it's even tougher when you've got an inexperiencedhand guiding the ship. Cahill and Marling pay little attention to the detailssurrounding their sci-fi subplot and as a result, these sloppy elements arealmost all I could focus on.

Don't get me wrong; there are a number issues with this film thathave nothing to do with the haphazard hook. Every actor outside of Marling andMapother ranges in talent from, "extra who was given a couple oflines" to "professional actor who should probably start looking foranother profession." None of these supporting players are given muchscreen time (mercifully) but when they are...ouch. All of the characters areextremely shallow, making their transitions seem insignificant. And thestoryline itself is so slow and unclear that I actually had to go online andsearch forums in order to piece together the film's intent.

But none of these issues hold a candle to the sheer idiocy of thesubplot. I pride myself on my ability to not hold movies to the laws ofreality. It's a movie; things are going to happen that could never happen inreal life and honestly, that's the way we all want it more often than not. AllI ask of a film is that it either A.) Stay within the realm of "reasonablyrealistic enough to pretend I don't notice the inaccuracies" or B.) Outsitself in the beginning as a film that should in no way shape or form be takenseriously. But I would maintain it is impossible to sit through Another Earth withoutasking some real questions. For example, in the beginning earth 2 is a tinyblue dot in the far distance but by the end of the film, the planet is a giantcolossus dominating the skyline both day and night. No reason is given for thischange nor does it ever seem to bother the inhabitants of either planet thatthey are headed for, you know, a catastrophic collision. This made me more thana little crazy. Another major issue comes along with the whole, "win aseat on the first trip to earth 2" which is organized by a RichardBranson-like billionaire. So, basically, we're to believe that a new planet israpidly invading our orbit and not only does NASA not make a trip of their own,they're totally cool with renting out their equipment to a rebel businessman.Even a cursory line about this being the "first commercial trip" toearth 2 would have sufficed but apparently this never occurred to anyoneinvolved with the making of the film. These (and many others) are stupid mistakes that onlycome along when a filmmaker doesn't know how to handle a given topic or doesn'tcare enough to try and make the subplot blend with the main theme. And if thepeople behind a film don't care enough to make their film work, then why shouldanyone else care enough to see it?

Grade: D

Movie News Roundup

2011-12-06T23:58:00.001-06:00

John Lasseter has let it be known that one of the upcoming films in the Pixar slate will take place inside the mind of a child with her emotions serving as the characters. Um, am I wrong in thinking that sounds... TOTALLY AWESOME?!?! You really are the best, Pixar.

Friends, I'm not political. In fact, I often say I "nothing" politics. If I had to choose a party, I guess I'd say I lean right. So keep that in mind when I say the following: Please stop, Fox News. Now die.

Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) has found a distributor for his Comic-Con documentary. Definitely something I'm interested.

Aaron Sorkin's upcoming HBO show will be called Newsroom and as previously reported, it will center around the staff of a CNN-type news force. Sorkin and HBO is a perfect match for me, can't wait.

Two more have joined Will Smith and Jaden Smith for M. Night Shyamalan's After Earth leaving one to wonder what sort of witchcraft or deviltry Shyamalan uses to get literally anyone involved in his films.

In almost equally troubling news, it looks like the sequel to Adam Sandler's Grown Ups has found a writer and will proceed into production. The only question is will this be a Razzie nominated Worst Picture in 2013 or 2014?

Patty Jenkins (Monster) will NOT direct Thor 2. This always seemed like an odd pairing to me so maybe this is for the best.

And after previously stating that he intended to stop inflicting Transformers movies upon action film addicts like me, Michael Bay now says he may direct the fourth installment after all. Curse you, Michael.

Check out this tribute to the movies of 2011. Super cool. Wish I had that kind of talent!

In Home Viewings Review - "Cave of Forgotten Dreams"

2011-12-05T22:59:00.001-06:00

In 1994, three speleologists stumbled upon a remarkable find in the south of France. Sealed perfectly by a centuries-old rockslide and hidden entirely was a deep cave (known as the Chauvet Cave) that contained perhaps the greatest collection of prehistoric drawings. The cave was filled with ancient prints of wildlife as well as a large number of animal tracks and bones, some belonging to species that have long since become extinct. Most remarkable of all, everything within the cave was perfectly preserved through the many thousands of years and looks so fresh that upon their discovery, many scholars believed they must be fakes. Given unprecedented access, filmmaker Werner Herzog took his camera and a small film crew into the cave to document the wonder of this place and share it with the world.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams is as visually compelling as a film could possibly be given that it was shot with a simple handheld camera. The world inside the Chauvet Cave is, quite honestly, beyond description. It is incredible, almost surreal, to look at the images Herzog shows us and realize that they date back as far as 35,000 years. These are the oldest known human drawings and yet they look like they could have been sketched yesterday. The magnificent detail these paintings display is mindboggling; many of the beasts (cave bears, ibex, and other animals) are drawn with eight legs instead of four but by sweeping a torch across the wall, the image gives the appearance of movement. And the complexity of the paintings (including some abstract works) is remarkable, providing a glimpse into the time period that previously had been unknown. I found myself wondering, at least in passing, about the lives of these artists, their people, and their culture.

Forgotten Dreams is a simple, straightforward film and that is both its strength and its weakness. Herzog allows the cave to tell its story. There is very little production value within the film; what you see within the cave is basically what you get for the movie. Herzog provides a few interviews with some of the lucky few who have worked inside the Chauvet Cave and assorted experts who provide a look into the lives of those who would have lived in the area around such a cave. But beyond these brief dalliances, what you get for 90 minutes is the cave, the cave, and some more of the cave. For the most part, this focus works well but I admit there were a few moments wherein my attention drifted. (My ADD was bound to kick in at some time.) When this happened, however, Herzog's ability to highlight the beauty and mystery of the cave's interior brought me right back to the action (as it were). And while it was completely Herzog's choice, the use of the small camera and the crew that didn't always have a place to duck out of shot serves to create the illusion that the audience is actually in the cave themselves instead of just watching the world unfold on a screen. All of this makes Forgotten Dreams an awesome example of my favorite type of documentary; that being the sort that sheds a bright light on a fascinating and previously little-known universe that is wholly deserving of more attention.

Grade: A-

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be

2011-12-04T13:38:00.001-06:00

The 6 minute Dark Knight Rises prologue will play in IMAX theaters before next week's Mission Impossible 4 screenings. I'm torn on whether I want to seek this out or try to go into DKR next summer with as little information as possible.

At the beginning of the weekend there was some speculation that Benicio Del Toro would reinvent role of Khan for Star Trek 2. Then JJ Abrams came out and denied those rumors. Personally, I love the casting of Del Toro in the villainous role but I'd want to stay away from such an iconic character.

Starship Troopers is up for a reboot with Ashley Edward Miller (X-Men: First Class, Thor) set to write the script. There's a certain cheese-tastic appeal to the 1997 cult-classic but as a fan of the book it is based upon, I'm excited about a less campy film adaptation. We'll see.

Roger Ebert has announced, officially, that At the Movies will go on hiatus at the end of this month. In all likelihood, this will be the end of the show. I've been waiting for an official "cancellation" announcement to write a column about what a loss this is but this is probably close enough. I'll try to get through it this week. Simply put, At the Movies is the reason I'm writing about film right now. So bummed.

Top 10 Films gives us the top 10 Christmas movies from the '90s. While I don't agree completely (Jack Frost is awful), any list that is topped by Home Alone is a good one in my book.

Weekend Box Office Results
On behalf of America, I'd like to apologize to Jason Segel, Kermit the Frog, and everyone involved with The Muppets. I've been doing my best, guys. I gave your movie a stellar review, I've told everyone I've talked to that they have to check it out for themselves, and I even went to see it again this week. But clearly I have failed in my mission to get the word out seeing as my moviegoing cohorts have AGAIN made Twilight the number one movie of the weekend. Sure, Twilight got a nice boost in the form of the weakest new movie schedule in recent memory but still, couldn't some of you Twihards take a break from salivating over shirtless teenagers to help out Kermit and the gang? I'm so sad right now.

1. Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 - $16.9M ($247.3M)
2. The Muppets - $11.2M ($56.14M)
3. Hugo - $7.63M ($25.19M)
4. Arthur Christmas - $7.35M ($25.29M)
5. Happy Feet Two - $6M ($51.78M)
6. Jack and Jill - $5.5M ($64.31M)
7. The Descendants - $5.2M ($18.1M)
8. Immortals - $4.39M ($75.59M)
9. Tower Heist - $4.1M ($70.8M)
10. Puss in Boots - $3.05M ($139.52M)

New to DVD
The next couple of weeks will be big ones for you DVD nuts out there. Late summer hits (and misses) are the order of the day as you try to bulk up your Christmas lists.

What I've Seen and You Should, Too
The Help (2011) - Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer
Based on the best-seller of the same name, The Help follows the lives of several black housekeepers in 1960's Mississippi who are given the opportunity to tell their stories to an intrepid reporter (Stone). Despite its runtime (20 minutes too long) and some backlash from certain groups within the black community, I found The Help to be a touching and significant film that is full of outstanding performances. Davis and Spencer both will almost certainly receive Oscar nominations and the early money is on Davis to win (totally deserved). Plus, there's more than a handful of humorous moments that keep the pace moving.

What I Saw So You Wouldn't Have To
The Hangover Part II (2011) - Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms
The first Hangover was one of the funniest movies of the decade in my book. The sequel suffers from two major problems: 1.) Most of it is entirely devoid of humor and 2.) The parts which are funny are essentially shot-for-shot remakes of what was funny in the original. This is a classic example of a film that far exceeded expectations (highest grossing R-rated comedy ever) and had a hasty, sloppy sequel commissioned to capitalize on the craze. There are some cheap laughs but there's nothing here that's worth anything more than a late-night HBO viewing.

Also New
The Debt (2011) - Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington (Quality filmmaking and a compelling story. Not great but certainly worth a shot.)
Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011) - Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Angela Lansbury
Cowboys and Aliens (2011) - Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde (I didn't dislike this as much as others did; it's reasonable fun but nothing groundbreaking.)
Big Love: Complete Series (2010) - Bill Paxton, Ginnfer Goodwin, Chloe Sevigny
The Simpsons: Season 14 (2002) - Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Hank Azaria
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) - Martin Balsam, So Yamamura (Blu-Ray)
Mission Impossible Trilogy Blu-Ray Set (1996, 2000, 2006) - Tom Cruise

Coming to a Theater Near You
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy
I've been looking forward to this film all year. For my money, Gary Oldman is the greatest actor of his generation but it's rare (these days) to see him get the opportunity to headline a powerful, mainstream movie like this. TTSS opened overseas some time ago and has received good-to-great reviews consistently. Now that we're finally getting a chance to see it, I know where I will be on Friday afternoon. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 92% (Cheating a little here since it's already got 50+ reviews due to the overseas release.)

Young Adult - Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt (Limited)
Director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) doesn't miss when it comes to attracting award attention and Young Adult should be no exception. Theron is likely to draw a Best Actress nomination and even Oswalt has been bandied about as a possible Best Supporting Actor nominee. My expectation for the movie itself is that it will be less than the sum of its parts, meaning the actual movie will be overshadowed by the performances. Just a guess. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 88%

New Year's Eve - Ashton Kutcher, Zac Efron, Sarah Jessica Parker
A near-lock for a Worst Picture nomination at the Razzies. Just...blerg. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 12%

The Sitter - Jonah Hill, Ari Graynor, Sam Rockwell
The best thing about The Sitter (and I use "best" in the loosest sense of the word) is that we'll get to see currently Skinny Jonah Hill hit the talk show circuit to promote a movie starring Fat Jonah Hill. That should make the interviews better. Otherwise, The Sitter is lucky New Year's Eve will take all of its negative attention because man, this looks awful. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 22%

"John Carter" Trailer

2011-12-02T01:43:00.001-06:00

No Weekend Movie Guide this week because, honestly, I have nothing to say about the weekend's new choices that wasn't already said here. We'll be back next week. Instead, enjoy a new, full trailer for John Carter, set to debut in March. If nothing else you can never go wrong with using a Zeppelin song as your backing music, right?

And now for some Movie News Today...

The Joss Whedon produced Cabin in the Woods has a new poster and...well...I don't know what's happening here.

Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) has officially signed on to play Petra in Ender's Game. As I said earlier this week, I'm super concerned about this project. However, they are assembling quite a cast. Good start...

Alice Eve will play a "major" role in the Star Trek sequel. Big year for Miss Eve!

David Milch, creator of Deadwood, is set to make a new HBO show based on the works of William Faulkner. Faulkner is hit or miss for me but I might hold up Deadwood as the best written show ever so, yeah, I'm in.

Tom Cruise has signed on to star in All You Need is Kill/We Are Mortals, a sci-fi film that Anomalous Material appropriately describes as Starship Troopers mixed with Groundhog Day. Works for me I guess.

Kevin Smith lashed out at the Independent Spirit Awards for failing to nominate his film, Red State, reminding everyone of why no one likes Kevin Smith. Please go away now, Kevin Smith.

The Outlet presents a very cool column concerning three Muppet-related conflicts. Definitely worth a read!