"The Rum Diary" is the latest Hunter S. Thompson adaptation, with Johnny Depp once again playing an incarnation of the famous writer / journalist as he did in the excellent cult classic "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." It's just about impossible not to compare the two, and while "The Rum Diary" is fun enough, it ultimately fails to be much of a memorable picture.
Depp plays Paul Kemp, a New York Times journalist who has just taken a job for a small newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1960. The paper is clearly not well-run and the editor, Lotterman (Richard Jenkins), is more worried about doing as little as possible to keep it in circulation than printing any sort of real news. As a clear alcoholic, Kemp fits right into the rum culture in San Juan, particularly with two of his new co-workers, Sala (Michael Rispoli), and Moburg (Giovanni Ribisi), a drug-and-alcohol-addicted Hitler idolizer. While trying to find a real story to complement the horoscopes he's instructed to write, Kemp meets Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart), a clearly crooked but wealthy businessman, and his beautiful girlfriend, Chenault (Amber Heard). As the rum-induced madness ensues, Kemp becomes by what he sees as completely unfettered exploitative capitalism at the expense of the people who live in this paradise.
As I said, it's impossible not to compare this film to "Fear and Loathing." But that's not just because both are Hunter S. Thompson adaptations starring Depp. Both films have a relatively simple story, though "The Rum Diary" lacks the cultural epiphany that Raul Duke finds at the end of "Fear and Loathing." This film also lacks the sheer extreme debauchery that made "Fear and Loathing" so memorable; in fact, compared to the former film, this one is positively tame. "Fear and Loathing" also carries the unmistakeable fingerprints of director Terry Gilliam, one of the most unique minds in filmmaking. There is truly no director working today, and probably ever, who is comparable to Gilliam, so it's totally unfair to accept the same of writer / director Bruce Robinson here. But aside from capturing the sweat and the grime of the setting, there's really nothing to set this film apart. Ultimately, when Kemp and Sala aren't on a booze-induced rampage, very little happens, and Kemp's realizations of how exploitative the economic situation in Puerto Rico is only come gradually. Maybe it's because the issues covered in this film (rampant, unfettered, exploitative capitalism and environmental destruction) are so endlessly debated in today's society that the film's message fails to pack much of a punch, especially when compared with the more abstract "search for the American Dream" in "Fear and Loathing." Conversely, the film's themes do show what a forward thinker Thompson was as the book on which it's based is now more than fifty years old.
The films certainly has its share of hilarious moments, and sometimes briefly reaches the level of sheer lunacy that "Fear and Loathing" maintained for two hours. Depp is absolutely perfect to play this alternate version of Thompson, and while it's no "Finding Neverland" or "Sweeney Todd," it is a reminder of what a talented actor Depp is when he's not playing Jack Sparrow for the fourth time or another bizarre Tim Burton character (the aforementioned Sweeney excepted). Rispoli and Ribisi are both great, but the two of them together don't add up to the manic lunacy that Benicio Del Toro brought to Dr. Gonzo in "Fear and Loathing." Heard is ravishing and can play the young, blonde bombshell about as well as anyone nowadays; unfortunately I've still never seen anything from her that shows any depth to her skills as an actress. Eckhart plays the smooth talker perfectly fine, but when emotion is called for he tends to seep into overacting, and he does that again here.
"The Rum Diary" isn't a bad film by any means, it's just a pretty ordinary film. I guess I expected more after really enjoying "Fear and Loathing" and seeing the trailer for this film; one of the funniest trailers of the year. It didn't quite live up to what I hoped it would, but it's still worth seeing.
"The Rum Diary" is rated R for language, some drug use, and sexuality.
Running time: 120 minutes.
Released domestically on October 28, 2011, by Film District.
2.5 stars out of 4.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Film Review: "In Time"
Writer / director Andrew Niccol's "In Time" had the potential to be something special as a small scale sci-fi thriller with clear parallels to the world we live in today. Unfortunately, the film is saddled with some truly horrendous dialogue and a plot with more holes than a rind of Swiss cheese...it's not a total loss, but overall it comes off as a decidedly B-level sci-fi film.
Through a brief opening narration, we learn that in the late twenty-first century, humans have been genetically engineered so that they no longer age past 25. Furthermore, time has replaced money as the currency of the realm; it's imprinted digitally on everyone's left forearm. The catch, though, is that whenever a person runs out of time, they die. The best sci-fi films establish a clear understanding of the rules of the world they inhabit...for example, Christopher Nolan spent roughly an hour setting up the rules of his world in "Inception." This film simply lays out the scenario without any explanation and then launches into the plot. Because of this, it took me a while to accept this alternate reality as something plausible; for a while it just comes off as too outlandish and goofy. But the film suffers from far bigger problems than a cheesy sci-fi setup.
As the film opens, we are introduced to Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), a twenty-seven-year-old (or "twenty-five-plus-two" as he puts it), guy living in the ghetto community of Dayton. Will is never able to earn more than a day's worth of time every day, meaning he wakes up every morning with just one day left to live until he collects his "wages" at the end of the day. He has hopes of moving his mother, Rachel (Olivia Wilde) to one of the better "time zones" (yes, there is forcible segregation between people in this world depending on how much time they have), but they seem to be hopelessly in debt. Through random happenstance, Will meets Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer), a 105-year-old man who has a century worth of time on his clock. Henry has decided that he's had enough with the world and wants to die, and he leaves his time to Will (people can exchange time with one another by clasping each others' wrists). Henry then dies and Will is suspected of his murder, but with a veritable eternity of time on his hands he is able to make his way to New Greenwich, the "wealthiest" time zone, where he has grand plans of taking down those who are hoarding all the time while others suffer from day-to-day; the parallels to today's society are incredibly clear. Will ends up getting involved with Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), the daughter of one of New Greenwich's wealthiest citizens (Vincent Kartheiser of "Mad Men"), and the two end up on the run from timekeepers (the police of this world), lead by Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy), as they attempt to upend the system by robbing banks filled with time and distributing it to the poor in Dayton and elsewhere. Yes, the film basically becomes a sci-fi "Robin Hood" by its final act.
As I said in my opening, the setup here had potential. Unfortunately the rules of this world aren't explained well enough, aren't detailed enough, and ultimately result in numerous plot holes...and not the kind you can write off as "oh, it's just sci-fi, it doesn't have to make sense." These are the type of plot holes that would be plot holes no matter what movie they occurred in. Just one example: Will has never driven a car, and says so. But once he finds himself in New Greenwich with lots of time on his hands, he buys one and instantly becomes a driver with skills rivaling that of Ryan Gosling's character in "Drive." There are plenty of other nonsensical scenarios that after a while just pile up too much to be overlooked. There also, as I mentioned, a fair amount of simply dreadful dialogue. No character escapes it, but Timberlake and Murphy manage to make it sound less bad than everyone else, probably because they're simply the best actors in this film. Timberlake has proven his acting chops in "The Social Network" and "Alpha Dog," and he's adequate here. Murphy always has a huge amount of charisma, and as such he fares the best under the weight of the at times dreadful script. Seyfried has never really impressed me as much as she's really just always played a wide-eyed innocent of one type or another, and she's no different here. Kartheiser is appropriately smarmy as the villian, Philippe Weis, but Alex Pettyfer is truly horrid as the leader of a group of thugs called minutemen.
I did mention that the film isn't a total loss, and it's not. In spite of the cheesy setup, I did find myself rooting for the characters, and even caring what happens to them at the end. The action is well done, and there are some legitimately intense moments. Niccol clearly has a gifted eye as a director, and he's helped immensely by legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins; Craig Armstrong contributes a pulsating, lively score.
Overall, however, "In Time" is just saddled with too many problems to be enjoyable. Niccol's script should have been given a once-over by a more seasoned writer, someone who could iron out all the plot holes and dreadful dialogue. Had that been the case, this could have been a much more impressive film, as the parallels to modern society are clearly there. But ultimately, it's not worth your time.
"In Time" is rated PG-13 for violence, some sexuality and partial nudity, and strong language.
Running time: 109 minutes.
Released domestically on October 28, 2011, by Twentieth Century Fox.
2 stars out of 4.
Through a brief opening narration, we learn that in the late twenty-first century, humans have been genetically engineered so that they no longer age past 25. Furthermore, time has replaced money as the currency of the realm; it's imprinted digitally on everyone's left forearm. The catch, though, is that whenever a person runs out of time, they die. The best sci-fi films establish a clear understanding of the rules of the world they inhabit...for example, Christopher Nolan spent roughly an hour setting up the rules of his world in "Inception." This film simply lays out the scenario without any explanation and then launches into the plot. Because of this, it took me a while to accept this alternate reality as something plausible; for a while it just comes off as too outlandish and goofy. But the film suffers from far bigger problems than a cheesy sci-fi setup.
As the film opens, we are introduced to Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), a twenty-seven-year-old (or "twenty-five-plus-two" as he puts it), guy living in the ghetto community of Dayton. Will is never able to earn more than a day's worth of time every day, meaning he wakes up every morning with just one day left to live until he collects his "wages" at the end of the day. He has hopes of moving his mother, Rachel (Olivia Wilde) to one of the better "time zones" (yes, there is forcible segregation between people in this world depending on how much time they have), but they seem to be hopelessly in debt. Through random happenstance, Will meets Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer), a 105-year-old man who has a century worth of time on his clock. Henry has decided that he's had enough with the world and wants to die, and he leaves his time to Will (people can exchange time with one another by clasping each others' wrists). Henry then dies and Will is suspected of his murder, but with a veritable eternity of time on his hands he is able to make his way to New Greenwich, the "wealthiest" time zone, where he has grand plans of taking down those who are hoarding all the time while others suffer from day-to-day; the parallels to today's society are incredibly clear. Will ends up getting involved with Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), the daughter of one of New Greenwich's wealthiest citizens (Vincent Kartheiser of "Mad Men"), and the two end up on the run from timekeepers (the police of this world), lead by Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy), as they attempt to upend the system by robbing banks filled with time and distributing it to the poor in Dayton and elsewhere. Yes, the film basically becomes a sci-fi "Robin Hood" by its final act.
As I said in my opening, the setup here had potential. Unfortunately the rules of this world aren't explained well enough, aren't detailed enough, and ultimately result in numerous plot holes...and not the kind you can write off as "oh, it's just sci-fi, it doesn't have to make sense." These are the type of plot holes that would be plot holes no matter what movie they occurred in. Just one example: Will has never driven a car, and says so. But once he finds himself in New Greenwich with lots of time on his hands, he buys one and instantly becomes a driver with skills rivaling that of Ryan Gosling's character in "Drive." There are plenty of other nonsensical scenarios that after a while just pile up too much to be overlooked. There also, as I mentioned, a fair amount of simply dreadful dialogue. No character escapes it, but Timberlake and Murphy manage to make it sound less bad than everyone else, probably because they're simply the best actors in this film. Timberlake has proven his acting chops in "The Social Network" and "Alpha Dog," and he's adequate here. Murphy always has a huge amount of charisma, and as such he fares the best under the weight of the at times dreadful script. Seyfried has never really impressed me as much as she's really just always played a wide-eyed innocent of one type or another, and she's no different here. Kartheiser is appropriately smarmy as the villian, Philippe Weis, but Alex Pettyfer is truly horrid as the leader of a group of thugs called minutemen.
I did mention that the film isn't a total loss, and it's not. In spite of the cheesy setup, I did find myself rooting for the characters, and even caring what happens to them at the end. The action is well done, and there are some legitimately intense moments. Niccol clearly has a gifted eye as a director, and he's helped immensely by legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins; Craig Armstrong contributes a pulsating, lively score.
Overall, however, "In Time" is just saddled with too many problems to be enjoyable. Niccol's script should have been given a once-over by a more seasoned writer, someone who could iron out all the plot holes and dreadful dialogue. Had that been the case, this could have been a much more impressive film, as the parallels to modern society are clearly there. But ultimately, it's not worth your time.
"In Time" is rated PG-13 for violence, some sexuality and partial nudity, and strong language.
Running time: 109 minutes.
Released domestically on October 28, 2011, by Twentieth Century Fox.
2 stars out of 4.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Film Review: "Super"
"Super" is the latest superhero deconstruction film, following in the footsteps of "Watchmen" and "Kick-Ass." But it brings nothing new to the table, other than perhaps to show how demented anyone would have to be to put on a costume and try to imitate comic book characters.
The film is the story of Frank D'Arbo (Rainn Wilson), a sad-sack loser whose wife, Sarah (Liv Tyler), has left him for a small-time drug dealer names Jacques (Kevin Bacon). This drives Frank into a deep depression, and we see very quickly that he is a man who has no self-confidence whatsoever, and may even hate himself. Frank eventually decides that in order to get Sarah back, he has to learn to stand up to evil, and he decides to become a superhero named the Crimson Bolt. He has no superpowers obviously, and the best way he can think of to fight crime is to dress up in a costume and beat criminals with a pipe wrench. Along the way he meets a young comic book aficionado named Libby (Ellen Page), who, when she finds out who he is, decides to become his sidekick.
For anyone who has seen "Kick-Ass," this story might sound very similar, and it is. But where that film was a quite clever satire of the superhero / comic book / fanboy obsession, this film is simply a story of two mentally unstable people beating up criminals and becoming increasingly obsessive about it. "Kick-Ass" is also very self-reverential, essentially turning into one of the same stories it's making fun of by the end, but doing it in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion. This film, one the other hand, is just another superhero revenge story, albeit one that's extremely violent.
The one thing this film does bring though is the idea of how crazy someone would have to be to dress up as a superhero and fight crime. It's obvious that Frank has some self-esteem issues, but Libby is absolutely psychotic. She is introduced as a relatively normal girl who just happens to know a lot about comic books, but as she gets deeper and deeper into her alter ego, Boltie, we begin to realize that she is simply a crazed fanatic. Page has a lot of fun with the character as she becomes more and more unhinged, and it's probably good for her that in a movie like this there's really nothing that's too over the top, because she certainly goes all out in terms of Libby's crazed obsession. You can tell that Bacon is also having a lot of fun with his character as well. Wilson is fine as well, though he's playing yet another oddball loser in the vein of Dwight Schrute.
"Super" isn't a bad film, it just brings nothing new to its genre. If you're a fan of superhero deconstruction stories it might be worth giving it a look, but I think ultimately you'll find, as I did, that it's essentially a lower-budget, less fun version of "Kick-Ass," and without the likeable characters, or legitimate dramatic moments, that made that film so great. In all honestly, "Super" really just makes me want to watch "Kick-Ass" again to see a film that covered similar ground, but did it so much better.
"Super" is rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, sexual content, and drug use.
Running time: 96 minutes.
Released domestically on April 1, 2011, by IFC Films.
2 stars out of 4.
The film is the story of Frank D'Arbo (Rainn Wilson), a sad-sack loser whose wife, Sarah (Liv Tyler), has left him for a small-time drug dealer names Jacques (Kevin Bacon). This drives Frank into a deep depression, and we see very quickly that he is a man who has no self-confidence whatsoever, and may even hate himself. Frank eventually decides that in order to get Sarah back, he has to learn to stand up to evil, and he decides to become a superhero named the Crimson Bolt. He has no superpowers obviously, and the best way he can think of to fight crime is to dress up in a costume and beat criminals with a pipe wrench. Along the way he meets a young comic book aficionado named Libby (Ellen Page), who, when she finds out who he is, decides to become his sidekick.
For anyone who has seen "Kick-Ass," this story might sound very similar, and it is. But where that film was a quite clever satire of the superhero / comic book / fanboy obsession, this film is simply a story of two mentally unstable people beating up criminals and becoming increasingly obsessive about it. "Kick-Ass" is also very self-reverential, essentially turning into one of the same stories it's making fun of by the end, but doing it in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion. This film, one the other hand, is just another superhero revenge story, albeit one that's extremely violent.
The one thing this film does bring though is the idea of how crazy someone would have to be to dress up as a superhero and fight crime. It's obvious that Frank has some self-esteem issues, but Libby is absolutely psychotic. She is introduced as a relatively normal girl who just happens to know a lot about comic books, but as she gets deeper and deeper into her alter ego, Boltie, we begin to realize that she is simply a crazed fanatic. Page has a lot of fun with the character as she becomes more and more unhinged, and it's probably good for her that in a movie like this there's really nothing that's too over the top, because she certainly goes all out in terms of Libby's crazed obsession. You can tell that Bacon is also having a lot of fun with his character as well. Wilson is fine as well, though he's playing yet another oddball loser in the vein of Dwight Schrute.
"Super" isn't a bad film, it just brings nothing new to its genre. If you're a fan of superhero deconstruction stories it might be worth giving it a look, but I think ultimately you'll find, as I did, that it's essentially a lower-budget, less fun version of "Kick-Ass," and without the likeable characters, or legitimate dramatic moments, that made that film so great. In all honestly, "Super" really just makes me want to watch "Kick-Ass" again to see a film that covered similar ground, but did it so much better.
"Super" is rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, sexual content, and drug use.
Running time: 96 minutes.
Released domestically on April 1, 2011, by IFC Films.
2 stars out of 4.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Film Review: "HappyThankYouMorePlease"
"HappyThankYouMorePlease" is a textbook example of an indie comedy. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, it took the film over a year to find a limited release in a few cities before being unceremoniously dumped out on home media. That's a shame, because it's a very well-done film headed up by writer-director-star Josh Radnor, star of the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."
The film tells three stories of various interconnected twentysomethings living in New York City. Sam (Radnor) is a struggling author who sees a boy left on the subway and takes him in. Sam eventually finds out that the boy's name is Rasheen (he's played by Michael Algieri) and that he's been bouncing around foster homes for all of his life. Sam decides to take Rasheen in, ignoring the potentially serious legal complications. But he's not above using Rasheen to help him get the attention of a pretty waitress named Mississippi (Kate Mara). Another story follows Sam's friend Mary Catherine (Zoe Kazan), a young woman who works in a library and has to decide whether to follow her boyfriend Charlie (Pablo Schreiber) to Los Angeles. The third story follows another friend of Sam's, Annie (Malin Ackerman). Annie suffers from a neurological disorder that causes her to be bald, and as a result has serious commitment and self-image issues.
On the surface, "HappyThankYouMorePlease" doesn't seem to have any deep meanings or messages; it's simply a story about the lives and struggles of these six people. But as the film progresses and you get to know these characters better, you realize that Radnor really has an ultimately uplifting message about persevering through struggles, being willing to take risks, and really just being able to let yourself be happy. All the performances are fine, though with Sam at the center of the story, Radnor stands out the most. His script is great, with quite well-developed characters, and a few laugh-out-loud one-liners. This is a small comedy, so there's certainly nothing fancy in terms of filmmaking, but Radnor definitely has a cinematic eye, with a couple of very impressive shots. He's also great at creating chemistry between some of the characters; the scenes between Sam and Mississippi practically ooze with sexual tension. As with many indie comedies, there's a great, catchy soundtrack.
"HappyThankYouMorePlease" is a film that will probably appeal to a pretty specific audience. I think I'm squarely in that audience, as someone in my twenties who can identify with many of the struggles these characters face. But ultimately, for anyone who loves quality cinema, this is a film worth checking out.
"HappyThankYouMorePlease" is rated R for language.
Running time: 100 minutes.
Released domestically on March 4, 2011, by Anchor Bay Films.
3 stars out of 4.
The film tells three stories of various interconnected twentysomethings living in New York City. Sam (Radnor) is a struggling author who sees a boy left on the subway and takes him in. Sam eventually finds out that the boy's name is Rasheen (he's played by Michael Algieri) and that he's been bouncing around foster homes for all of his life. Sam decides to take Rasheen in, ignoring the potentially serious legal complications. But he's not above using Rasheen to help him get the attention of a pretty waitress named Mississippi (Kate Mara). Another story follows Sam's friend Mary Catherine (Zoe Kazan), a young woman who works in a library and has to decide whether to follow her boyfriend Charlie (Pablo Schreiber) to Los Angeles. The third story follows another friend of Sam's, Annie (Malin Ackerman). Annie suffers from a neurological disorder that causes her to be bald, and as a result has serious commitment and self-image issues.
On the surface, "HappyThankYouMorePlease" doesn't seem to have any deep meanings or messages; it's simply a story about the lives and struggles of these six people. But as the film progresses and you get to know these characters better, you realize that Radnor really has an ultimately uplifting message about persevering through struggles, being willing to take risks, and really just being able to let yourself be happy. All the performances are fine, though with Sam at the center of the story, Radnor stands out the most. His script is great, with quite well-developed characters, and a few laugh-out-loud one-liners. This is a small comedy, so there's certainly nothing fancy in terms of filmmaking, but Radnor definitely has a cinematic eye, with a couple of very impressive shots. He's also great at creating chemistry between some of the characters; the scenes between Sam and Mississippi practically ooze with sexual tension. As with many indie comedies, there's a great, catchy soundtrack.
"HappyThankYouMorePlease" is a film that will probably appeal to a pretty specific audience. I think I'm squarely in that audience, as someone in my twenties who can identify with many of the struggles these characters face. But ultimately, for anyone who loves quality cinema, this is a film worth checking out.
"HappyThankYouMorePlease" is rated R for language.
Running time: 100 minutes.
Released domestically on March 4, 2011, by Anchor Bay Films.
3 stars out of 4.
Film Review: "The Ides of March"
Based on the play "Farragut North" by Beau Willamon, "The Ides of March" is the story of the final days of a Democratic presidential primary. It's a film that is incredibly cynical regarding the political process in America, specifically the campaign process. The entire story is an exercise in dirty politics, without a single moral or upstanding character to be found. It's also an intense and expertly crafted film with a solid directorial outing by George Clooney (who also stars) and a slew of outstanding performances.
The film opens in the final days of the Ohio Democratic presidential primary. George Clooney stars as Governor Mike Morris, an idealistic candidate who has held a commanding lead in the race thus far, but now finds himself in a tight battle in Ohio, and the sense that "as Ohio goes, so goes the nation." Ryan Gosling is Stephen Myers, Morris's assistant campaign manager. He's a veteran of many campaigns, despite being only 30, and in Morris he has finally found a candidate he truly believes in. He and campaign manager Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) are working hard at helping Morris seal the deal in Ohio when Stephen is contacted by Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), the campaign manager for Morris's opponent. Duffy just wants to meet with Stephen and talk, a seemingly innocent enough action that ends up having horrible repercussions for Stephen, Paul, Morris, and many others.
I said in my opening that there are a slew of outstanding performances in this film, and truth be told, there really isn't a bad performance to be found. It starts the top with Gosling. Despite having Clooney in the film, this is Gosling's show, and he owns it. Stephen in the one who is transformed the most by the fallout from his seemingly innocent meeting, and Gosling captures the entire range of his character perfectly. The role of an idealistic politician is one that Clooney was born to play, and he pulls it off smoothly. There's nothing especially standout about his performance, but that's probably because he's played so many smooth talking characters for so long that it just seems effortless. Hoffman and Giamatti are two of the best scenery-chewing actors working today, but they're both so good that they almost always manage to play very intense characters, yet never take them too over the top. That's the case again here, though neither of them has a whole lot of screen time. They only share one scene together, and never speak to each other, but it's obvious from that one scene alone how much Paul and Tom despise each other. The film's other noteworthy performance comes from Evan Rachel Wood as Molly, a teenage intern who has been working on the campaign for just a few months. I think that when she's at her best, Wood is one of the most talented actors of her generation. Her performances in "The Wrestler" and particularly "Thirteen" were revelatory, and while she's not as intense here, she perfectly captures the confident-but-naive girl who quickly gets way in over her head in the dirty political game that plays out over the course of the film.
Clooney's direction is solid; it's no surprise that he is able to bring out such great performances as he is an actor himself. He really knows how to showcase the performances here too, using lots of facial closeups which in a film with so many twists and turns really allows us to see each character's reaction as events play out and the stakes keep getting raised. Gosling and Wood are served particularly well by this, as they are both actors who can say so much with their eyes alone. The script by Clooney, Willamon, and Grant Heslov is great, never diving too deep into political, inside-the-Beltway dialogue. Alexandre Desplat contributes a pulsating, intense score that may well earn him another Oscar nomination (though I'd prefer to see him recognized for his work on "Harry Potter").
To sum up, "The Ides of March" is simply a great film. It's incredibly cynical, and for those already disturbed by the current political process in America, this definitely won't improve your opinions. Walking out of the film at first, I almost felt that it was just too depressing, but as I've been able to step back and think on it I now see what is simply an expertly crafted film that is well worth seeing.
"The Ides of March" is rated R for pervasive language.
Running time: 101 minutes.
Released domestically on October 7, 2011, by Columbia Pictures.
3.5 stars out of 4.
The film opens in the final days of the Ohio Democratic presidential primary. George Clooney stars as Governor Mike Morris, an idealistic candidate who has held a commanding lead in the race thus far, but now finds himself in a tight battle in Ohio, and the sense that "as Ohio goes, so goes the nation." Ryan Gosling is Stephen Myers, Morris's assistant campaign manager. He's a veteran of many campaigns, despite being only 30, and in Morris he has finally found a candidate he truly believes in. He and campaign manager Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) are working hard at helping Morris seal the deal in Ohio when Stephen is contacted by Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), the campaign manager for Morris's opponent. Duffy just wants to meet with Stephen and talk, a seemingly innocent enough action that ends up having horrible repercussions for Stephen, Paul, Morris, and many others.
I said in my opening that there are a slew of outstanding performances in this film, and truth be told, there really isn't a bad performance to be found. It starts the top with Gosling. Despite having Clooney in the film, this is Gosling's show, and he owns it. Stephen in the one who is transformed the most by the fallout from his seemingly innocent meeting, and Gosling captures the entire range of his character perfectly. The role of an idealistic politician is one that Clooney was born to play, and he pulls it off smoothly. There's nothing especially standout about his performance, but that's probably because he's played so many smooth talking characters for so long that it just seems effortless. Hoffman and Giamatti are two of the best scenery-chewing actors working today, but they're both so good that they almost always manage to play very intense characters, yet never take them too over the top. That's the case again here, though neither of them has a whole lot of screen time. They only share one scene together, and never speak to each other, but it's obvious from that one scene alone how much Paul and Tom despise each other. The film's other noteworthy performance comes from Evan Rachel Wood as Molly, a teenage intern who has been working on the campaign for just a few months. I think that when she's at her best, Wood is one of the most talented actors of her generation. Her performances in "The Wrestler" and particularly "Thirteen" were revelatory, and while she's not as intense here, she perfectly captures the confident-but-naive girl who quickly gets way in over her head in the dirty political game that plays out over the course of the film.
Clooney's direction is solid; it's no surprise that he is able to bring out such great performances as he is an actor himself. He really knows how to showcase the performances here too, using lots of facial closeups which in a film with so many twists and turns really allows us to see each character's reaction as events play out and the stakes keep getting raised. Gosling and Wood are served particularly well by this, as they are both actors who can say so much with their eyes alone. The script by Clooney, Willamon, and Grant Heslov is great, never diving too deep into political, inside-the-Beltway dialogue. Alexandre Desplat contributes a pulsating, intense score that may well earn him another Oscar nomination (though I'd prefer to see him recognized for his work on "Harry Potter").
To sum up, "The Ides of March" is simply a great film. It's incredibly cynical, and for those already disturbed by the current political process in America, this definitely won't improve your opinions. Walking out of the film at first, I almost felt that it was just too depressing, but as I've been able to step back and think on it I now see what is simply an expertly crafted film that is well worth seeing.
"The Ides of March" is rated R for pervasive language.
Running time: 101 minutes.
Released domestically on October 7, 2011, by Columbia Pictures.
3.5 stars out of 4.
Film Review: "The Debt"
"The Debt" is a serviceable dramatic thriller, a film that doesn't break any new ground in the genre but is nonetheless an entertaining enough two-and-a-half hours. The film opens in 1997 as a book is being published that tells the story of a group of three Mossad agents who were tasked with capturing Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christiansen), better known as the "Surgeon of Birkenau," and bringing him to trial for the horrible atrocities he committed during the Holocaust. It's clear early on that the now retired agents, Rachel (Helen Mirren), Stephan (Tom Wilkinson), and David (Ciaran Hinds) know that the book doesn't tell the whole truth about their mission, and the film then jumps back in time, showing us what actually happened thirty years before.
Roughly the first half of the film deals with the 1967 mission to capture Vogel, while the latter half shows the protagonists trying to come to terms with the truths that they've been hiding all this time. For me, the first half was definitely the more compelling portion of the film. It's a pretty straightforward men on a mission story (or in this case one woman and two men), but director John Madden (best known for "Shakespeare in Love") does a great job of introducing us to the younger characters and building tension as the mission is carried out. The younger versions of the three agents are played by Jessica Chastain (as Rachel), Sam Worthington (as David), and Marton Csokas (as Stephan). All six of the lead performances are excellent, though Hinds doesn't get as much screen time as the others. Chastain stands out in particular though as the younger Rachel, a woman on her first field assignment who, for reasons I won't reveal so as to not spoil the story, ends up being the focus of the entire story. This year has proven to be a major coming out party for Chastain, as she's had roles in no less than four films. I've seen her in three of them, and have yet to see a performance from her that isn't great. The second half of the film is fine as well, but it becomes solely focused on Rachel, and lacks the interplay between the characters that allows the film to breathe more.
Overall I think my opening statement sums this film up pretty well. It's a standard dramatic thriller, one that's well acted and executed and also poses some interesting questions about truth versus cover-ups, and what lengths people will go to to keep their names clean. It's not groundbreaking, but it's a solid enough film.
"The Debt" is rated R for some violence and language.
Running time: 113 minutes.
Released domestically on August 31, 2011, by Focus Features.
2.5 stars out of 4.
Roughly the first half of the film deals with the 1967 mission to capture Vogel, while the latter half shows the protagonists trying to come to terms with the truths that they've been hiding all this time. For me, the first half was definitely the more compelling portion of the film. It's a pretty straightforward men on a mission story (or in this case one woman and two men), but director John Madden (best known for "Shakespeare in Love") does a great job of introducing us to the younger characters and building tension as the mission is carried out. The younger versions of the three agents are played by Jessica Chastain (as Rachel), Sam Worthington (as David), and Marton Csokas (as Stephan). All six of the lead performances are excellent, though Hinds doesn't get as much screen time as the others. Chastain stands out in particular though as the younger Rachel, a woman on her first field assignment who, for reasons I won't reveal so as to not spoil the story, ends up being the focus of the entire story. This year has proven to be a major coming out party for Chastain, as she's had roles in no less than four films. I've seen her in three of them, and have yet to see a performance from her that isn't great. The second half of the film is fine as well, but it becomes solely focused on Rachel, and lacks the interplay between the characters that allows the film to breathe more.
Overall I think my opening statement sums this film up pretty well. It's a standard dramatic thriller, one that's well acted and executed and also poses some interesting questions about truth versus cover-ups, and what lengths people will go to to keep their names clean. It's not groundbreaking, but it's a solid enough film.
"The Debt" is rated R for some violence and language.
Running time: 113 minutes.
Released domestically on August 31, 2011, by Focus Features.
2.5 stars out of 4.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Film Review: "The Help"
"The Help" is the best film I've seen so far this year. It's not a masterpiece by any means, but it succeeds so well by seamlessly mixing drama and comedy and by being a message movie that never feels preachy. In fact, it's a quite entertaining crowd-pleaser (as evidenced by its nearly $160 million in domestic box office dollars so far) that feels much shorter than its two-and-a-half hour running time. It also features no less than five outstanding performances, with a couple of other scene-stealers as well.
Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett, the film opens in 1963 with Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Emma Stone) returning home to Jackson, Mississippi after graduating from the University of Mississippi. Rather than settling down and looking for a husband, as is generally expected of women in that time and place, Skeeter gets a job writing a household cleaning column for the local newspaper, which she hopes is a stepping stone to becoming a professional writer. As she reconnects with her friends and family in Jackson, her eyes begin to be opened to the deplorable way in which African-Americans--particularly women--are treated in the Jim Crow South. What catches her attention the most is the plan of Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) to get a law passed requiring black maids who work in the homes of white women to have separate bathrooms outside the houses. Skeeter begins talking with Aibileen (Viola Davis) a black maid who has suffered much under the harsh conditions for blacks in Jackson. As Aibileen opens Skeeter's eyes to the awful injustices black women in the town are faced with, she becomes interested in collecting the stories of various maids and compiling them into a book...an act which, under one of the Jim Crow Laws in Mississippi, could land her in prison.
"The Help" succeeds so well because of a great script and a host of wonderful performances. The screenplay from Tate Taylor (who also directed) manages to shed light on the awful situation faced by the maids without ever becoming overbearingly preachy or depressing. Horrible things certainly do happen, and more are discussed in Skeeter's conversations with Aibileen, but they never become the focus of the film. Taylor also mixes in plenty of lighter moments as well, which actually give the darker scenes more weight, as the film sometimes changes tone abruptly. The film is beautiful to look at as well, perfectly capturing the feel of the South. All the production work, from to the cinematography to the art direction to the costumes, is simply great. Thomas Newman also contributes a lively score.
The real showcase here though is the acting. This is a film in which all the major characters are women; in fact men barely figure in the story at all. And there are so many good performances that half of the ten female acting nominations at the Oscars could easily be filled from this film. Leading the way is Viola Davis as Aibileen with a perfectly balanced emotional performance. Aibileen has always chosen to just quietly perform her duties, no matter what terrible things happen around her, because she simply sees no other alternative. But as she begins to open up to Skeeter about her past and the things that she has seen, Davis truly shines. Stone is wonderful as well; I think she's one of the most likeable actresses out there, and while she has mainly done comedic roles before, she has some dramatic moments here that show evidence of a talent that could well make her a major, major star before too long.
The supporting performances are great as well. Octavia Spencer stands out the most as Minny, the fiery maid who works for Hilly and suffers abuse in her own home. Spencer shifts seamlessly between the funnier moments and the more heartbreaking ones, sometimes in a single scene. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Hilly as something close to incarnate evil in the form of a beautiful southern woman. She is an utterly despicable character, but Howard never takes her too over the top. Jessica Chastain is also terrific as Celia, a rich but ditzy outsider who doesn't share the same disdain for blacks that most everyone else in the town seems to. Sissy Spacek and Allison Janney are also great in smaller roles as Hilly's and Skeeter's mothers, respectively.
Overall, "The Help" is simply a wonderful film. It tells an uplifting, hopeful story about an utterly shameful period in American history. And while we are reminded at the end of the film that blacks in the South will continue to struggle for equality, we are also incredibly encouraged by what just a few people can do when they stand up to injustice.
"The Help" is rated PG-13 for thematic material.
Running time: 146 minutes.
Released domestically on August 10, 2011, by Touchstone Pictures.
3.5 stars out of 4
Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett, the film opens in 1963 with Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Emma Stone) returning home to Jackson, Mississippi after graduating from the University of Mississippi. Rather than settling down and looking for a husband, as is generally expected of women in that time and place, Skeeter gets a job writing a household cleaning column for the local newspaper, which she hopes is a stepping stone to becoming a professional writer. As she reconnects with her friends and family in Jackson, her eyes begin to be opened to the deplorable way in which African-Americans--particularly women--are treated in the Jim Crow South. What catches her attention the most is the plan of Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) to get a law passed requiring black maids who work in the homes of white women to have separate bathrooms outside the houses. Skeeter begins talking with Aibileen (Viola Davis) a black maid who has suffered much under the harsh conditions for blacks in Jackson. As Aibileen opens Skeeter's eyes to the awful injustices black women in the town are faced with, she becomes interested in collecting the stories of various maids and compiling them into a book...an act which, under one of the Jim Crow Laws in Mississippi, could land her in prison.
"The Help" succeeds so well because of a great script and a host of wonderful performances. The screenplay from Tate Taylor (who also directed) manages to shed light on the awful situation faced by the maids without ever becoming overbearingly preachy or depressing. Horrible things certainly do happen, and more are discussed in Skeeter's conversations with Aibileen, but they never become the focus of the film. Taylor also mixes in plenty of lighter moments as well, which actually give the darker scenes more weight, as the film sometimes changes tone abruptly. The film is beautiful to look at as well, perfectly capturing the feel of the South. All the production work, from to the cinematography to the art direction to the costumes, is simply great. Thomas Newman also contributes a lively score.
The real showcase here though is the acting. This is a film in which all the major characters are women; in fact men barely figure in the story at all. And there are so many good performances that half of the ten female acting nominations at the Oscars could easily be filled from this film. Leading the way is Viola Davis as Aibileen with a perfectly balanced emotional performance. Aibileen has always chosen to just quietly perform her duties, no matter what terrible things happen around her, because she simply sees no other alternative. But as she begins to open up to Skeeter about her past and the things that she has seen, Davis truly shines. Stone is wonderful as well; I think she's one of the most likeable actresses out there, and while she has mainly done comedic roles before, she has some dramatic moments here that show evidence of a talent that could well make her a major, major star before too long.
The supporting performances are great as well. Octavia Spencer stands out the most as Minny, the fiery maid who works for Hilly and suffers abuse in her own home. Spencer shifts seamlessly between the funnier moments and the more heartbreaking ones, sometimes in a single scene. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Hilly as something close to incarnate evil in the form of a beautiful southern woman. She is an utterly despicable character, but Howard never takes her too over the top. Jessica Chastain is also terrific as Celia, a rich but ditzy outsider who doesn't share the same disdain for blacks that most everyone else in the town seems to. Sissy Spacek and Allison Janney are also great in smaller roles as Hilly's and Skeeter's mothers, respectively.
Overall, "The Help" is simply a wonderful film. It tells an uplifting, hopeful story about an utterly shameful period in American history. And while we are reminded at the end of the film that blacks in the South will continue to struggle for equality, we are also incredibly encouraged by what just a few people can do when they stand up to injustice.
"The Help" is rated PG-13 for thematic material.
Running time: 146 minutes.
Released domestically on August 10, 2011, by Touchstone Pictures.
3.5 stars out of 4
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