I'm not going to lie, I really hyped myself up for this movie. When I heard that Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Mark Strong are all going to be in the same movie, and that movie is going to be a 1960's spy drama, I became insanely excited. My heart sank a little when I learned it was going to only be a limited release in theaters and come nowhere close to here, but the DVD release came around and I soon found myself sitting on my couch and eagerly pressing play on my Xbox to begin the movie. What happened next was something I was completely unprepared for: mediocrity.
Don't get me wrong: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is not a bad movie. It has some really fantastic performances by all of the aforementioned actors, some of which really compelled me to respect them more as actors. The movie's protagonist is George Smiley (Oldman), a retired spy who is called out of retirement to find a mole that has infiltrated the head of MI6. His investigation takes him through a recollection of events by other spies and uncovers a plot that weaves intricately through the East and West. Oldman was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, but I honestly don't think he gave the best performance in the film. The real talent in this movie lies with Tom Hardy and Mark Strong, two of the spies whose stories comprise the backbone of Smiley's investigation. Hardy, who is known by many as Eames from Inception and his upcoming role as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, plays a young spy who is in way over his head. Considering that the majority of roles I've seen him in are fairly confident characters, it's pretty cool to see that he can play characters that are shaken and haunted just as well as he can pull off cool and confident. Strong, whose famous roles are typically no-nonsense, villainous characters (Sherlock Holmes, Kick-Ass), takes a unique turn in this film as a repatriated spy whose endearing, fatherly bond with an outcast in his elementary French class sets a stark contrast with his former life as a deep-cover agent in Hungary, and he does a really great job. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy's greatest strength is that everyone in the cast gives an excellent performance, but Hardy and Strong were by far the most powerful and effective.
If acting is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy's strong suit, then its weakest link is in its pacing. Despite what the past 20-30 years have conditioned you to believe, a "spy drama" does not equal an "action movie," but that's not what my complaint is. Rather, I really enjoyed that fact. The problem is that the story that is told moves at a snail's pace. Some of it can be explained away as character development, but much of the detail shown in the movie slows it down more than it helps with immersion into the world of the film. It sounds like a relatively minor complaint compared to the fantastic ensemble of actors, but the pacing is really bad enough to keep it from being a great movie.
As an actor, I really loved Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The performances by everyone in the cast were absolutely astounding, and it's very rare that you will find another movie with the same caliber of talent. As a movie-watcher, however, that sense of amazement was tempered by a frustratingly boring pace that kept the great acting and bay and sucked all of the suspense out of an otherwise suspenseful tale of international espionage. I give Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 7 and a half haunting flashbacks to the Eastern Bloc out of 10.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
50/50
One of the things I like the least about the Academy Awards is that they can sometimes overlook some really great movies. Certainly there are some movies, such as Midnight in Paris or Hugo, that deserve all of the recognition they got. Other movies, like Moneyball or especially Bridesmaids, don't deserve nearly as much attention as they were given, if any at all. I will go ahead and say that it is one of the Academy's greatest injustices that Bridesmaids was nominated in two categories (Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Melissa McCarthy) while 50/50 was nominated for absolutely nothing. They overlooked one of the best movies of the last year, and I'm kind of disgusted with them for it.
50/50 is the fifth movie by director Jonathan Levine and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anna Kendrick. Gordon-Levitt is Adam Lerner, a radio journalist who develops a rare form of spinal cancer, of which he has a 50% chance of survival, at the young age of 27. As he learns how to cope with his condition, we're brought into his life as well as the lives of his girlfriend (Howard), therapist (Kendrick), and best friend Kyle (Rogen). Gordon-Levitt and Rogen are both absolutely amazing. Gordon-Levitt has cultivated quite a reputation for himself over the past few years as one of Hollywood's most promising young talents, and I expected that he would give the good performance that he did. The actor that really blew me away with this one was actually Seth Rogen. While his character is not really a stretch for him, he brings a certain level of humanity to this character that is often is missing from his other roles, and I feel that if Jonah Hill, who was incredibly unimpressive in Moneyball, could have been even considered for Best Supporting Actor, then they really messed up by not giving Rogen the credit he deserves for what is easily the best performance of his career to date.
One of the things I love the most about this movie is how quickly it moves without rushing through anything. Clocking in at only 100 minutes, it takes us from the introduction of the characters, through the stages of dealing with cancer and psychological effects it has on not just Adam, but on his friends and family as well. This is often done through subtle scenes where much of the emotion is implied, but it's done in a way that makes it way more effective than a drawn-out, possibly tedious scene, while also making it feel much more realistic. The most powerful moments of the entire movie are largely the most subtle ones, and that is one of this film's greatest strengths.
50/50 is a stark and unforgiving film, but at the same time sweet and cheerful. It's soul-crushing and uplifting all at the same time. Much like the duality of its name implies, 50/50 is a roller coaster of emotions through good times and bad times. But unlike so many other movies that aim for that effect and fail miserably, it maneuvers through the triumphs and pitfalls with a deftness that is very rarely found. I give it 9 oddly sweet bro-out moments out of 10.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Bridesmaids
Up to this point, I've never really written a negative review. A few people have complained about it, actually. I've found redeeming qualities in every movie I've watched so far, and even when I gave The Tree of Life a low score, I still spent a fair amount of time highlighting what was good about the movie. Well, the streak is finally broken. After much hype, I sat down and watched Bridesmaids, and man, what a mistake that was.
Bridesmaids' biggest problem is that it's a day late and a dollar short. A raunchy comedy revolving around a maid of honor's misadventures, it's essentially the female version of The Hangover. Kristen Wiig plays Annie, a failed entrepreneur-turned-jewelry store worker that has been asked to be the maid of honor at her best friend's wedding. Standing in the way of her duties is a series of increasingly-outlandish pitfalls surrounded by an equally-outlandish cast of characters, from snobby rich-girl Helen (Rose Byrne), to vulgar sister-of-the-groom Megan (Melissa McCarthy). Shenanigans ensue, the age-old cliches surrounding marriage are lampooned, and I couldn't have been more bored. The jokes were predictable, the characters were all two-dimensional, and the storyline was nothing special at all.
I really feel like I'm missing something. This movie was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Melissa McCarthy, who admittedly was the funniest part of this movie. I get that there aren't that many raunchy comedies featuring a strong female cast, and I'm glad that they were able to make a successful one, but it doesn't excuse the fact that the movie simply wasn't very good. It's terribly cliche and boring, and I expect so much better out of the cast that was assembled. They could have made a great movie, but they just didn't. I give this movie 3 ruined bridesmaids activities out of 10.
I really feel like I'm missing something. This movie was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Melissa McCarthy, who admittedly was the funniest part of this movie. I get that there aren't that many raunchy comedies featuring a strong female cast, and I'm glad that they were able to make a successful one, but it doesn't excuse the fact that the movie simply wasn't very good. It's terribly cliche and boring, and I expect so much better out of the cast that was assembled. They could have made a great movie, but they just didn't. I give this movie 3 ruined bridesmaids activities out of 10.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
21 Jump Street
Movie remakes are typically a tedious and formulaic affair. Studios get the rights to an old TV show, turn it into a comedy/action/action-comedy movie, throw a couple of famous actors into the mix, and voila! Instant money. While they're almost always successful, remakes are typically lacking in sustainable quality. They may be entertaining and make you wax nostalgic for the original. Or they could be flat-out horrible. But the universal thread that binds them together is that they're also typically forgotten a few months after their DVD release. Movie remakes of classic TV shows are flashes in the pan of the movie industry. The best we can hope for is that the ones we watch are at least entertaining.
Fortunately, 21 Jump Street is captivating enough to be classified as a good remake. One of the better ones, in my opinion. Actually a continuation of the television show, 21 Jump Street follows Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill), two cops who are assigned to the recently-reopened Jump Street program and tasked with bringing down a synthetic drug ring. Tatum and Hill, while surprisingly good at playing off each other, are character archetypes for action-comedy buddy cop movies. Tatum plays a dumb, handsome jock while Hill is the smart and nerdy outcast who falls for a girl way out of his league. On the other hand, one of the things that I appreciated about this movie the most, and what makes the movie fresh, is how the writers flip the high school caste system on its head. I won't go too far into it, but it's a novel approach that makes it stand out among other high school comedies.
There's another very good reason for you to go see 21 Jump Street, and it's only two words: Channing Tatum. Normally, this would be a deterrent for me, but I could not stop laughing every time he was on screen. Part of the humor does come from the fact that he's breaking from his typical cheesy romance-novel heartthrob role, but part of it is also because he's genuinely a funny guy. I gained a little more respect for him. The rest of the cast plays their tried-and-true characters: Jonah Hill plays Jonah Hill, Rob Riggle plays Rob Riggle, Elle Kemper plays Elle Kemper, and so on and so forth. It's an R-rated action comedy. It wasn't meant to be a challenge.
At the end of the day, 21 Jump Street is funny, raunchy, and entertaining. If you're looking for an R-rated comedy to pass the time, there are a lot of worse options than this. But it is still a TV movie remake. I enjoyed it, but I know that I'll have a hard time remembering it a year from now. I give it 7 misread Miranda rights out of 10.
Fortunately, 21 Jump Street is captivating enough to be classified as a good remake. One of the better ones, in my opinion. Actually a continuation of the television show, 21 Jump Street follows Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill), two cops who are assigned to the recently-reopened Jump Street program and tasked with bringing down a synthetic drug ring. Tatum and Hill, while surprisingly good at playing off each other, are character archetypes for action-comedy buddy cop movies. Tatum plays a dumb, handsome jock while Hill is the smart and nerdy outcast who falls for a girl way out of his league. On the other hand, one of the things that I appreciated about this movie the most, and what makes the movie fresh, is how the writers flip the high school caste system on its head. I won't go too far into it, but it's a novel approach that makes it stand out among other high school comedies.
There's another very good reason for you to go see 21 Jump Street, and it's only two words: Channing Tatum. Normally, this would be a deterrent for me, but I could not stop laughing every time he was on screen. Part of the humor does come from the fact that he's breaking from his typical cheesy romance-novel heartthrob role, but part of it is also because he's genuinely a funny guy. I gained a little more respect for him. The rest of the cast plays their tried-and-true characters: Jonah Hill plays Jonah Hill, Rob Riggle plays Rob Riggle, Elle Kemper plays Elle Kemper, and so on and so forth. It's an R-rated action comedy. It wasn't meant to be a challenge.
At the end of the day, 21 Jump Street is funny, raunchy, and entertaining. If you're looking for an R-rated comedy to pass the time, there are a lot of worse options than this. But it is still a TV movie remake. I enjoyed it, but I know that I'll have a hard time remembering it a year from now. I give it 7 misread Miranda rights out of 10.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
The Artist
The words "movie-going experience" are heard at least once during the opening trailers to any given movie. It's a phrase that's been overused to such a point that it means nothing to audiences. The Artist is one of those few films where the word "experience" is actually the appropriate term to use.
The Artist is a silent film, and it was, needless to say, the only silent movie playing when I walked into the theater this afternoon. This was very cool because, being 22 years old and living in central Louisiana, I don't really get many opportunities to see a silent film on the big screen. I was pleasantly surprised with how the experience played out. Story-wise, The Artist's plot is very reminiscent of Singin' in the Rain: a tale of the transition from silent film to "talkies" and its subsequent upset in the balance of old Hollywood power. The story follows George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), an immensely popular silent film actor who is upstaged by the new generation of actors and struggles to cope with his life outside of the limelight. It's a classic story of a successful man's fall from grace and subsequent redemption. What makes it stand out from the countless others like it is entirely in the style.
From an acting perspective, this movie is unlike anything else you'll be seeing in theaters. Being a silent movie, the story has to be conveyed entirely through the movement and facial expression of the actors. And they all deliver. Dujardin is on point in showing Valentin's triumphs and pitfalls, and his supporting cast does an excellent job at sustaining the world in which he operates. Stylistically, the movie is all about evoking nostalgia. From the old practice of showing extended credits at the start of the film to the glamorous over-exaggeration of every emotion, The Artist is definitely an homage to the silent film era and the glamour of old Hollywood.
That being said, The Artist is more about the spectacle than anything else. Had the movie not been silent, it would have likely suffered for its cliche story and its campy style. The Artist is a well-crafted novelty, and should be treated as such, but it is not a movie that really brings anything new to the table . It is a unique movie-going experience, and a fun one, but it was really little more than that. I give it 7 over-exaggerated camera mugs out of 10.
From an acting perspective, this movie is unlike anything else you'll be seeing in theaters. Being a silent movie, the story has to be conveyed entirely through the movement and facial expression of the actors. And they all deliver. Dujardin is on point in showing Valentin's triumphs and pitfalls, and his supporting cast does an excellent job at sustaining the world in which he operates. Stylistically, the movie is all about evoking nostalgia. From the old practice of showing extended credits at the start of the film to the glamorous over-exaggeration of every emotion, The Artist is definitely an homage to the silent film era and the glamour of old Hollywood.
That being said, The Artist is more about the spectacle than anything else. Had the movie not been silent, it would have likely suffered for its cliche story and its campy style. The Artist is a well-crafted novelty, and should be treated as such, but it is not a movie that really brings anything new to the table . It is a unique movie-going experience, and a fun one, but it was really little more than that. I give it 7 over-exaggerated camera mugs out of 10.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Hugo
When I first read that Martin Scorcese was directing a family film, I could hardly believe my eyes. The man responsible for Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed was going to make a movie for children? I knew it was going to be interesting. And it is. Hugo is a truly unique cinematic experience for anyone remotely familiar with the family film genre of the 21st century. Unlike its many contemporaries, Hugo isn't a film made to sell merchandise or create a franchise. Instead, it focuses on the things that are truly important in movie-making: acting, cinematography, story, and emotion.
Hugo is the story of Hugo Cabret, a Parisian orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and maintains the station's clocks. His only comfort is a broken automaton, his late father's pet project and Hugo's only remaining bond to his memory. After getting caught trying to rob a toy store owner to get the parts needed to finish the project, Hugo is whisked into a decades-old mystery involving the automaton, the toymaker, and the advent of the film industry. Asa Butterfield plays the titular character, and I was totally blown away by his performance. Expect to see great things from him in the future. His supporting cast is filled out wonderfully, from Ben Kingsley as the mysterious toymaker, to Chloë Grace Moretz as Hugo's friend Isabelle, and Sacha Baron Cohen as the film's antagonist: a comical, yet strangely tragic security guard that crusades against the orphans that inhabit the station. Every character fits right in with the movie's tone: whimsical, with just enough darkness and pain in it to let the audience connect it with the real world.
Visually, this is one of the most stunning movies I've ever seen. Everything, from the early 20th century grandiosity of the train station to the montages detailing the silent film creation process, is shot in such a way that every bit of the visual story perfectly compliments the audio story that the actors and score tell. Everything from the camera angles to the color of the costumes is so meticulously perfect that it's visually moving in a sense unlike anything else I've ever seen. It won its Oscar in cinematography for a very, VERY good reason.
Hugo is, without question, one of the best family movies I've ever seen. It can be a bit slow at times, and its lack of constant hectic stimulation make it an odd fit in the world of SpongeBob Squarepants and those awful Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, but it's definitely a family film that won't put the parents in agony. If anything, they'll probably like it more than the kids will. I give it 9 dramatic camera-zooms through clockwork out of 10.
Hugo is the story of Hugo Cabret, a Parisian orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and maintains the station's clocks. His only comfort is a broken automaton, his late father's pet project and Hugo's only remaining bond to his memory. After getting caught trying to rob a toy store owner to get the parts needed to finish the project, Hugo is whisked into a decades-old mystery involving the automaton, the toymaker, and the advent of the film industry. Asa Butterfield plays the titular character, and I was totally blown away by his performance. Expect to see great things from him in the future. His supporting cast is filled out wonderfully, from Ben Kingsley as the mysterious toymaker, to Chloë Grace Moretz as Hugo's friend Isabelle, and Sacha Baron Cohen as the film's antagonist: a comical, yet strangely tragic security guard that crusades against the orphans that inhabit the station. Every character fits right in with the movie's tone: whimsical, with just enough darkness and pain in it to let the audience connect it with the real world.
Visually, this is one of the most stunning movies I've ever seen. Everything, from the early 20th century grandiosity of the train station to the montages detailing the silent film creation process, is shot in such a way that every bit of the visual story perfectly compliments the audio story that the actors and score tell. Everything from the camera angles to the color of the costumes is so meticulously perfect that it's visually moving in a sense unlike anything else I've ever seen. It won its Oscar in cinematography for a very, VERY good reason.
Hugo is, without question, one of the best family movies I've ever seen. It can be a bit slow at times, and its lack of constant hectic stimulation make it an odd fit in the world of SpongeBob Squarepants and those awful Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, but it's definitely a family film that won't put the parents in agony. If anything, they'll probably like it more than the kids will. I give it 9 dramatic camera-zooms through clockwork out of 10.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Drive
I love it when a movie is far better than it initially looks. It's a rare treat, but there's that occasional movie that comes in and exceeds all of your expectations. The trailers for Drive make it look like little more than car-oriented action flick, but the first fifteen minutes of the movie lets you know that this isn't the movie experience you thought it was going to be. It's going to be much better.
Drive is the first US film by Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, and stars Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, and Christina Hendricks. Gosling plays the titular Driver, a nameless stuntman and mechanic who moonlights as a getaway driver. I know, the character sounds like an action movie archetype, but Gosling's performance will blow away any preconceived notions you might have. I don't want to ruin anything for the audience, but I will say that the Driver is one of the most unique film characters to have come out in quite some time. Backing Gosling is a solid cast, from Bryan Cranston's role as a sleazy auto-shop owner to Albert Brooks' unique take as a Jewish mob boss and Carey Mulligan as the struggling mother next door whose family is ravaged by underworld politics.
The other pleasant surprise that Drive offered was how well the story is pieced together. For a movie called Drive, there's a surprisingly small amount of time that anyone spends in a car. The movie finds an excellent balance of giving the testosterone-driven action movie masses what they want in the form of super-violent fight scenes and bloody Mafia dirty dealings while still fleshing out the characters in subtle ways that speak louder than you would initially think. And it does it all in less than two hours.
I was honestly blown away by this movie. It's one of my favorite movies of 2011. I caution the faint of heart against this movie for some graphic violence, but if you're looking for an action movie with real talent behind it, I can't recommend any movie more highly. I give it 9 and a half scorpion jackets out of 10.
Drive is the first US film by Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, and stars Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, and Christina Hendricks. Gosling plays the titular Driver, a nameless stuntman and mechanic who moonlights as a getaway driver. I know, the character sounds like an action movie archetype, but Gosling's performance will blow away any preconceived notions you might have. I don't want to ruin anything for the audience, but I will say that the Driver is one of the most unique film characters to have come out in quite some time. Backing Gosling is a solid cast, from Bryan Cranston's role as a sleazy auto-shop owner to Albert Brooks' unique take as a Jewish mob boss and Carey Mulligan as the struggling mother next door whose family is ravaged by underworld politics.
The other pleasant surprise that Drive offered was how well the story is pieced together. For a movie called Drive, there's a surprisingly small amount of time that anyone spends in a car. The movie finds an excellent balance of giving the testosterone-driven action movie masses what they want in the form of super-violent fight scenes and bloody Mafia dirty dealings while still fleshing out the characters in subtle ways that speak louder than you would initially think. And it does it all in less than two hours.
I was honestly blown away by this movie. It's one of my favorite movies of 2011. I caution the faint of heart against this movie for some graphic violence, but if you're looking for an action movie with real talent behind it, I can't recommend any movie more highly. I give it 9 and a half scorpion jackets out of 10.
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