SAFE HOUSE

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Ryan Reynolds attempts to turn over Denzel Washington to the federal authorities in the action, spy thriller SAFE HOUSE.

Reynolds is Matt Weston a CIA operative who runs a safe house, an area where fugitives or fellow agents are held, a secure and safe haven for those the CIA deem dangerous and valuable. Matt’s latest inhabitant is Tobin Frost, played by Washington, a former agent gone rogue, one who is suspected of dealing nuclear secrets to nations for big bucks.

Frost isn’t your average safe house occupant, and during an infiltration of the house by a band of terrorists, Frost flees the confines. With all other CIA operatives killed during the attack, Matt is the only one able to track down Frost and deliver him to the CIA.

Spy thrillers have enjoyed a bit of a resurgence. Whether it’s the adrenaline-infused action of the latest MISSION IMPOSSIBLE or the more cerebral nature of TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, the genre has experienced a rebirth of sorts.

SAFE HOUSE attempts to mix both brains and brawn, and despite some well executed action sequences and two strong lead performances it doesn’t add up to much.

The film is more or less a cat and mouse game, with Washington as a lethal mouse and Reynolds as the timid cat. Washington is fine, bringing the same dangerous and intense aura that he brought to his roles in TRAINING DAY, MAN ON FIRE and AMERICAN GANGSTER, but Reynolds is what makes SAFE HOUSE nearly work. Typically playing arrogant and pompous roles, Reynolds ditches this act as Matt, a somewhat naïve, strong-willed and anxious CIA op who’s typical day ranges from tedious to boring. It’s through Matt’s eyes, and Reynolds performance, that SAFE HOUSE has an air of originality, even if the plot feels recycled and repackaged.

Mixed motives and outlandish action sequences are laced throughout the picture, and are hit and miss, much like SAFE HOUSE itself. In a genre that is coming of age once again, SAFE HOUSE doesn’t quite make the grade.

Grade: C+

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Photos courtesy of CBS Films

Daniel Radcliffe investigates some property in rural England that features an unwelcomed guest in the horror picture THE WOMAN IN BLACK.

Radcliffe is Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer who leaves his only son with a hired hand while he travels to the outskirts of Britain to view a prized property. He is initially warned of the house’s history by an elderly, and mentally unfit woman, but the aspiring attorney dismisses the allegations considering the source.

Most horror films are quick to instill fear and terror in its viewer. Outside of a haunting introduction, THE WOMAN IN BLACK isn’t one of these films, as it requires an unusual amount of patience, so much so, that one’s interest is challenged by first examining the history of the house and its inhabitants.

It’s a shame because once THE WOMAN IN BLACK kicks into second gear, some truly frightening and spooky moments exist. Director James Watkins is comfortable building suspense and goose bumps through dark confines, subtle scares and rocking chairs that mysteriously rock on their own. Unfortunately the three big haunted house scenes fail to overcome the film’s sluggish first half, one plagued with too much background, and its conclusion which tries to put a sentimental spin on a twisted finish.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK is the first major role for Radcliffe since his graduation from Hogwart’s, and he’s fine, but the role demands little more than what he provided in the Potter series. Again Radcliffe plays an ambitious, yet apprehensive young man who stumbles across some unearthly occurrences. To say Arthur and Harry’s experiences are within the same realm is not a stretch.

The same can be said of the film itself, an adaptation which doesn’t bring anything new to the table. It subtly spooks, but only after laying an unnecessary amount of groundwork.

Grade: C

ALBERT NOBBS

Photos courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Glen Close plays a woman, playing a man in the 19th century drama ALBERT NOBBS.

Close is Albert Nobbs, a woman who has disguised herself as a man following a devastating childhood, and a horrific personal event. In addition to these setbacks, she feels the need to continue her charade because if she is detected, her livelihood as a waiter will be destroyed.

While working at the hotel where she has been employed for years, her secret is detected by one of the hotel’s contractors.

Who is Albert Nobbs? After watching a nearly two hour film about her, I still don’t know.

This is no fault of Close who embodies Albert, revealing as much about her wounded condition as she can. I bought every moment of Close as Albert, and more importantly, bought the fact that others would be convinced of her gender.

What I’m still unsure of is the extent of the psychological and emotional damage to Albert. She seems willing to continue the charade due to her current mental and psychological make-up, willing to sacrifice her life and love, and presumably others, for a business dream. Is Albert crazy? Is she being practical considering the circumstances? Many more questions exist than answers, and this certainly isn’t the intent of Close and two other screenwriters.

In a genre typically fixated on breaking the chains of societal status for love, ALBERT NOBBS seems resigned to the fact. Not only has Albert relegated herself to second-class citizen, but she more or less is comfortable in it. A glimmer of hope exists, one which is lit towards the latter third of the picture. But as fast as the hope flickers, it dims equally as quick, but not out of circumstance, but rather choice.

ALBERT NOBBS is as thematically confused as its lead character. I can’t recommend this intriguing, yet confounding costume drama.

Grade: C

THE GREY

Photos courtesy of Open Road Films (2011)

Liam Neeson battles wolves and arctic conditions in the action film, THE GREY.

Neeson is Ottway, a sniper who protects oil drillers while they operate in desolate areas. His most recent job has him with the usual band of misfits, malcontents, ex-cons and jerks, as they head overseas for a job. In the midst of their travels, their plane hits a vicious storm that crashes the plane, killing most on board.

The few survivors are marooned in the wilderness in subzero temperatures with a den of wolves that are hungry for their next meal.

　

It isn’t often that action-adventure films offer substance, let alone suspense and intensity, but THE GREY offers all three in one lean, mean feature.

Although the plot is simplistic, a group of men stranded in the wilderness with only their wits to battle the conditions and a pack of wild of dogs, the lengths at which these characters are examined is impressive for the genre. Each individual is presented as an archetype of sorts, the grizzled leader, the loud-mouth, the thug, etc., etc. Yet writer-director Joe Carnahan employs dreamlike visuals to reveal the innermost thoughts and emotions of these rugged men, and creates well-rounded characters who we can understand, if not excuse. This may be an afterthought to most viewers, as the action and brilliantly executed moments of peril deliver the necessary excitement and drive.

Neeson is as good as advertised. The veteran actor has carved out a niche for himself, as the cinema savior for the cold winter months, a rugged cutthroat, a tormented man who deep down has a righteous soul. Neeson brings a wisdom to each of his roles, and yet he’s still young enough, and buff enough, to seem plausible as an action star.

The other stars are the wolves and the arctic landscape. With a winter release date, the arctic conditions seem even more bitter, and Carnahan’s use of the wolves brings back memories of JAWS.

THE GREY is a complete action-adventure, one where the character development and atmosphere are equally as impressive as the stunts and special effects.

Grade: B+

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Pictures courtesy of Disney Pictures

The tale as old as time has returned to the big screen, this time in 3D with the re-release of Disney’s animated romance, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

The story is the same as it was 21 years ago. Belle, a beautiful villager from a small town, sacrifices her freedom for her father’s, and remains a prisoner of a beast that inhabits a mysterious and magical castle. The beast was formerly a prince, but after denying a poor beggar woman a warm place to stay based on her appearance, had a spell cast upon him by a princess who was masquerading as the beggar.

The prince will remain a beast forever unless he can fall in love, and have that person return the favor, before the last petal of a magical rose falls.

I don’t know if BEAUTY AND THE BEAST demanded a big-screen re-release, but with the recent 3D technology, Disney found an excuse to capitalize on one of its most popular princess tales, and I for one, am glad they did.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST retains all of the magic it did over two decades ago, thanks to its timeless story, beautifully hand-drawn animation and vibrant color scheme.

Fans of the romance will remember the songs well, three of which were nominated for Oscars, including the Oscar winning song, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and these catchy riffs retain their memorability.

All of this would make for a fine feature, but what sets BEAUTY AND THE BEAST apart from other outstanding animated features is the craftsmanship in the telling of its story. Typically a multitude of screenwriters and multiple directors could make for a creative mess, but the 13 credited writers, and directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, mesh their imaginative ideas into a cartoon classic. The film begins perfectly, with a hauntingly memorable score set behind an old-fashioned re-telling of the prince's predicament. Flash-forward to present time where Belle belts out a wonderfully catchy tune across the village, instantly establishing her character and the film's top-notched animation. The story flows well, develops warm and engaging characters, and builds a romance worthy of its melodramatic finish.

The hook to get you in the theater is seeing BEAUTY AND THE BEAST in 3D. I don't feel the technology is best utilized, but as previously stated, feel seeing the film on the big screen is well worth the trip. This classic hasn't lost that loving feeling.

Grade: A

CONTRABAND

Photos courtesy of Universal

Mark Wahlberg is thrust back into the world of smuggling in order to save a family member in the thriller CONTRABAND.

Wahlberg is Chris Farraday, a former smuggler who is now on the straight and narrow, a small business owner, a husband and a father of two. It isn’t until his wife’s younger brother Andy botches a cocaine deal that Chris is called back into service.

In order to recoup the losses for smuggling kingpin Tim Briggs, played by Giovanni Ribisi, and more importantly, spare Andy’s life, Chris feels forced to set up one last job involving counterfeit currency. The operation is fairly elaborate, a cross seas one, so Chris gathers up many of his old cohorts for the job.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to throw together a major smuggling operation in a matter of minutes, CONTRABAND is the film for you. This highly energized, highly ludicrous and thoroughly passable, not plausible thriller is a fairly entertaining distraction as long as you check your suspension of disbelief at the door.

CONTRABAND moves at steady pace, introducing characters, motives, obstacles and issues in an orderly fashion, while strategically withholding some information for a few late surprises. This works well in spots, and must, considering that much of what is being presented seems ridiculous. Chris’s crew, and the opposition for that matter, are young, dumb and by watching their actions, very inexperienced. Although I enjoy watching intelligent, seasoned criminals work in the movies, there’s something refreshing about viewing more authentic, if less creative corruption operate.

This group clicks thanks to Wahlberg’s leadership. He shows an ability to carry a film with CONTRABAND, despite all of the silly plot developments he and his crew must jump through. Through Wahlberg's screen presence and his straightforward approach, director Baltasar Komakur and a collection of screenwriters were almost able to smuggle a half-baked film under my nose.

CONTRABAND isn’t damaged goods, but could’ve used a little re-packaging.

Grade: C

SUPER 8

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures
A group of kids stumble across a horrific train accident that leads to more madness in writer-director J.J. Abrams SUPER 8.

Joe, a middle school age boy from a small Ohio town, has just got out of school for the summer, but is having a hard time moving on from the loss of his mother following a tragic incident at the town's factory four months prior.

Joe and his buddies, Cary, Preston, Charles and Martin, like to shoot zombie movies on Charles’s Super 8 camera, and have found the perfect spot for their latest scene, the train depot. Charles, the director, enlists Alice, a girl from their school, as the film’s only actress, giving the film a love story angle, and the boys a ride to the train depot.

While filming at the depot, a man in a pick-up truck purposely collides with the train, setting off a set of massive explosions, flying objects and releasing something dangerous from one of the boxcars. Joe and his friends decide they will keep their knowledge of the accident a secret, but it's not before long the secret becomes a menace to society.


As Charles elects to add a love story to his zombie picture, demanding that his film provide something more than a typical genre piece, so does Abrams with SUPER 8.

In the midst of a summer filled with special effects and action driven blockbusters, SUPER 8 delivers more than just standard thrills. The film is a nostalgic slice of entertainment, set in 1979, it’s a Speilbergesque picture with heart, imagination, laughs and a sense of wonder rarely scene in movies today. The Spielberg comparisons are expected, and well deserved, as Spielberg is the film’s producer, and Abrams invokes many of the legendary director’s attributes into the film: teenagers, a mysterious back story, a middle-class family and issues that the main characters are wrestling with that can be embraced and valued by a mass audience.

The key to the film are the children‘s characters, and the child actors that play them. There’s not only a strong sense of community between the kids, but they also have distinct personalities, and an authentic way about them. Joe, Cary, Preston, Charles, Martin and Alice don’t look like the models of the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL series, or flash the intellect of a Hogwart pupil, but they look, talk, act, laugh and frustrate each other like everyday teens.

The cast of unknowns is led by Joel Courtney as Joe. Joe is a mild-mannered boy, shy at times, but not around his friends. Courtney provides a likable and sympathetic youngster, one who is earnest and often timid, but strong and courageous when the situation demands it. His counterparts are also up to their tasks. Elle Fanning as Alice proves to be equally talented as her elder sister, bringing an emotional intensity rarely found at such a young age, and Riley Griffiths as Charles adds a lot of humor with two of SUPER 8’s most memorable lines.

The kids may be the key to SUPER 8, but Abrams knack for balancing spectacle and special moments is equally impressive. Abrams, the creator of LOST, was largely criticized for the unexplained or disappointing answers to the mystical questions formulated in television’s most ambitious series. Some may say the same of SUPER 8, but those critics are missing the point. Abrams entertaining adventures are not crafted to provide conclusions or explanations to unearthly or magical events. Instead Abrams provides solutions to earthly matters, adventures and struggles that mankind constantly battles, matters of the heart and mind that are often overcome through one’s perseverance or a little help from their friends.

SUPER 8 packages an intimate story of loss and redemption around an exhibition of mayhem, creating a blockbuster of classic proportions.

Grade: A

HANNA

Photos courtesy of Focus Features

A teenage girl must elude a group of assassins and a corrupt government agent in order to reunite with her father in the action-thriller, HANNA.

Hanna, played by Saorise Ronan, is not your average teen. She has been raised in a secluded forest by her father Erik, played be Eric Bana, and has been taught to survive on her wit, strength and cunningness. She is regularly trained to shoot, kill and defend herself against anything and everything that comes her way. Erik and Hanna live off their surroundings, with no modern conveniences, including electricity, running water or means of transportation. They eat what they kill, and kill at will.

During the conclusion of Hanna’s presumably decade-long training, Erik empowers Hanna to leave the confines of the forest when she believes she can survive on her own. Once she is, she’ll press a button to a device that will alert Marissa, a CIA agent, of their whereabouts, sparking a multi-country chase from the authorities.

HANNA dances to the beat of a different drummer, a pulsating techno one at that. This revenge thriller, an odd, but welcomed mix of action, violence, innocence, menace and even a touch of dry humor is a breath of fresh air compared to standard action fare. It feels unique and special in its own way, even if, as critics nationwide have pointed out, it borrows heavily from the tale of Little Red Riding Hood.

HANNA is a cross-country adventure leading our heroine across landscapes from Morocco to Finland to England to Germany. This trek is a strange, but enlightening one, revealing Hanna’s extra-sensory and fighting skills, while still underlining her inhibitions and reluctance towards human contact and everyday amenities.

The changing backdrop is not only aesthetically interesting, but it also presents new challenges for Hanna. Her escapes from lethal trackers pale in comparison to her stay at a Moroccan man’s house filled with foreign objects including a television, a coffee pot and a ceiling fan.

Although this intense thriller, a change of pace for ATONEMENT and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE director Joe Wright, delivers a solid punch, it also provides lighter and reflective moments. Wright cuts to the core of Hanna with a couple of intimate scenes, one where she nearly experiences her first kiss, and another one where she does. Wright’s delicate handling of these scenes illustrates that the director’s latest work isn’t too far of a departure thematically from his previous two.

The performances are uniformly good, but particularly from Ronan, Cate Blanchett as Marissa and Tom Hollander as Isaacs, an eccentric and ruthless assassin. Ronan, as she did in ATONEMENT and THE LOVELY BONES, again displays two-sides of a coin, one as a focused and determined young lady, and the other, an innocent and fractured child. Other actresses, be it young or old, seem to force these attributes upon us, Ronan reveals them effortlessly. She displays a maturity beyond her years.

HANNA is an exhilarating revenge thriller, an unpredictable one at that, and
one that I highly recommend.

Grade: B+

HOP

The Easter Bunny’s son has different plans than following in his father’s footsteps in the children’s film, HOP.

EB, voiced by Russell Brand, grew up on Easter Island learning how eggs and candy were made and prepared for delivery on Easter morning. Despite his egg education, EB realizes during his latter years, that being a drummer is what he aspires to be.

After his father expresses his disappointment, EB transports himself to Hollywood, where he hopes to make it big as a musician. Upon his arrival, the hare runs into Fred, a 30-something slacker played by James Marsden, who’s out of work and uninspired. After nearly running over EB in the suburbs, the guilt-ridden Fred allows EB to stay with him for the night.


Outside of the animated, made-for-TV HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL, made 40 years ago, I can’t recall a movie centered around the Easter Bunny. HOP attempts to do for the Easter Bunny what countless have done for Jolly Ole Saint Nick, crafting a big-budget tale in honor of Easter’s celebrity.

HOP does create quite a spectacle when it comes to the Easter Bunny’s factory on Easter Island. In many ways, HOP’s vision of the factory is one-part North Pole and one-part Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory, mixing every imaginable candy and contraption together into a visual delight.

The special effects, helping to create EB, his father and a band of rogue chicks, is top-notch, allowing the characters to look real, and yet unique and cartoon-like in their own way.

This is all great for the set-up and look of the picture, but the plot and human characters get in the way of a potentially fun film. Although the film is centered around EB, there’s nearly an equal amount of time spent on Fred. Marsden is adequate in a lackluster role, providing a broad figure who is accessible to kids, but nonetheless dull. Much of Fred and EB’s time is spent in the suburbs, where EB gets into a little mischief, but nothing compared to the trouble he could have caused on the lots of Hollywood’s biggest studios.

HOP isn’t a bad film, just one that plays it too conservative, and misses out on a lot of potential laughs and fun. This bunny just isn’t that funny.

Grade: C

PAUL

Photos courtesy of Universal Studios
Two British fan boys find their science-fiction tour of the States to be all to real in the extraterrestrial comedy, PAUL.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are Graeme and Clive, two avid comic book and science fiction fans that stumble upon Paul, an alien on the run from federal authorities. Paul, voiced by Seth Rogan, isn’t your average alien, a wise-cracking, pot smoking individual who’s only care is to avoid the feds.

The mismatched threesome are also joined on their adventure by Ruth, a Bible-thumping Westerner who finds her beliefs challenged by Paul. 　


PAUL not only stars Pegg and Frost, the talented tandem that has starred in such rollicking comedies as SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ, but the two also serve as the film’s co-writers. This is what makes PAUL all the more disappointing.

These funny men have taken the easy way out to laughs, relying on standard clichés and other films to provide inspiration for their own material. Pegg and Frost continue their stooge and comic duo well, but the rest of the film seems to cater to the standard.

Paul, is not only voiced by Seth Rogan, but is Seth Rogan. Wise-cracking, pot-smoking and just generally screwing around make up Paul’s personality. Much like other Rogan characters, they’re funny for awhile, but generally run out of steam. Only so many male genital jokes can garner laughs before ceasing to be funny.

The same can be said of Kristen Wiig’s Ruth, a former Bible-thumper gone wild, who finds freedom from religion to be an exhilarating ride with profanity-laced tirades. Once is pretty funny, twice not bad, but by the seventh expletive outburst the act becomes tiresome.

PAUL owes a lot to 80’s alien movies, from ET to CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, and it gives the master of these films his proper due. PAUL uses these references as a tribute, but more often than not, it feels like a lack of creativity.

PAUL's earthly creative constraints ground a concept that could have been out of this world.

Grade: C

LIMITLESS

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures
Bradley Cooper discovers he’s just a pill away from fortune and fame in the science-fiction thriller, LIMITLESS.

Cooper is Eddie Morra, an aspiring novelist with a serious case of writer’s block. His writer’s block isn’t just affecting his career, but also his financial situation and love life. His slacker lifestyle and mentality has just cost him his girlfriend Lindy, and his publisher is beginning to lose patience.

Enter Eddie’s ex-brother-in-law Vernon, who Eddie bumps into by chance. Vernon, a former drug dealer, now a self-proclaimed representative for a pharmaceutical company, tells Eddie that he has a pill that may solve his problems. Vernon explains that the pill he possesses, will allow Eddie to use 100% of his brain. After taking the pill, Eddie finds out that Vernon wasn’t kidding, and may have found the secret to success. 　

LIMITLESS is everything but that, a film which works at times, but never fully captures the promise that lies beneath its surface.

The screenplay, penned by Leslie Dixon, and based on the novel by Alan Glynn, capitalizes on the premise with a blistering dose of memory overload, allowing Eddie to recollect about past events, and using these memories as puzzle pieces to uncover his maximum potential in any given situation. This technique is thrilling, sometimes funny and often entertaining, but once these fleeting moments have passed, one longs for something more.

LIMITLESS restricts itself by becoming a one-trick pony, a good one, but one which could have provide something substantial. It scratches the surface of exploring a couple of interesting routes: our dependency on prescription or non-prescribed medication, and even better, how we define ourselves by success, or what makes us, us. Dixon’s screenplay hints at these aspects, but is more concerned on delivering a standard thriller.

Cooper does a nice job in a role that demands two Eddies: the scatter-brained, aloof slacker, and the well-adjusted, confident financial genius. His performance is crucial, as Eddie’s transformation is the bedrock for selling us on this unique, yet outlandish plot.

Director Neil Burger keeps the kinetic energy jumping throughout the majority of the picture, distracting one from the emptiness of this tale. LIMITLESS is a fairly thrilling science fiction fable that doesn’t live up to its title.

Grade: C+

RANGO

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures
A chameleon with an identity crisis discovers who he is in the middle of the desert in the animated film, RANGO.

Rango, voiced by Johnny Depp, is the chameleon, a nameless household pet who is inadvertently lost during transit on the open highway. Along the side of the road, the chameleon is given some profound advice by an animal that was nearly roadkill. The advice leads the chameleon into the desert town of Dirt, where the water is scarce, the townsfolk fearful and the threat of death always in the air.

The chameleon creates an alter ego, calling himself Rango and building a name for himself as a rough, rugged and ruthless gunslinger. This all bodes well for Rango, until someone calls his bluff.

Twisting the old west into a comedic playfield, RANGO owes as much or more credit to Chuck Jones as it does John Ford.

Rango, the character, is one-third Bugs Bunny, one-third Kermit the Frog and one-third Johnny Depp. This equation amounts to 100% hilarity, as writer-director Gore Verbinski, and writers John Logan and James Ward Byrkit have crafted one of the more memorable cinematic figures in recent memory. Rango has the physical make-up and mannerisms of Kermie, the wisecracking charm of Bugs and the quick wit and voice of Depp.

Although Rango is the central character, the Western screenplay is also smothered with several other funny and lively figures from Rango’s love interest Beans, a shy, but wise girl named Priscilla, Rattlesnake Jake, Bad Bill, Waffles and the Mayor, voiced by Ned Beatty.

The humor is matched by a terrific looking setting and action scenes which not only exhilarate, but place one in the midst of all the excitement. Various angles and looks at Rango’s near-death experience with an eagle, a draw between Rango and Bad Bill, and a vintage shoot-out are original without being pretentious.

Although the character of Rango and visual style are memorable, the underlying plot is also a nice change-of-pace. I’ve failed to mention, but RANGO is more for older children and adults. In addition to the violent action and tone, the story also skews older. The chameleon’s identity crisis and subsequent finding of himself is certain to appeal to teens and adults.

RANGO is one-of-a-kind, in humor, aesthetics and character. I hope this isn't the last we've heard from this crafty chameleon.

Grade: B+

CEDAR RAPIDS

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight
A mild-mannered insurance agent takes a trip to an annual insurance conference in search of the top prize in the comedy, CEDAR RAPIDS.

Ed Helms, of THE HANGOVER fame, is Tim Lippe an insurance agent with Brown Valley Insurance, who after the untimely death of a fellow agent is tagged to represent Brown Valley at the convention, and more importantly vie for the coveted Two Diamonds Award, an award granted to the insurance company that best exhibits professionalism and moral and ethical standards.

Tim’s boss, Bill, has provided him with agents to avoid and one’s to attach himself to. Tim meets up with Ronald, from the nice list, and also Dean, from the naughty list at the conference.

CEDAR RAPIDS views itself as a coming-of-age comedy, but not as a young adult coming into his or her own, but rather a naïve, ignorant Midwesterner learning the ropes of life.

Tim is a likable guy. Sure he enjoys the occasional rendezvous with his former grade-school teacher, played Sigourney Weaver, at his home, but Tim sees his occupation, and people in general, as honorable. This is frowned upon by director Miquel Arteta and writer Phil Johnston, who lead Tim on an insurance convention escapade filled with extra-marital affairs, prostitutes and cocaine. The heavy-handed nature by Arteta and Johnston undermines some effective moments the two craft in between the nonsense.

As previously mentioned, Tim has been warned about Dean, played by John C. Reilly, yet as we get to know the obnoxious, blow-hard Dean, the more we like him. O’Reilly is outrageously funny as Dean, giving CEDAR RAPIDS some much needed life and laughs, while also serving as an eye-opening figure for Tim.

Ann Heche also turns in a good performance as Joan, another middle class insurance agent, and mom, that views the annual get-together as a getaway from reality, and Isiah Whitlock is solid in the thankless role of straight man, Ronald.

Tim is the least interesting of the bunch, but this is no fault of Helms. Tim more or less serves as the middle-class, middle America punching bag for Arteta and Johnston to have their way with.

CEDAR RAPIDS pulls no punches, but also doesn’t land as many as it should.

Grade: C

I AM NUMBER FOUR

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
A rare breed of alien is on the run from his predators in the film I AM NUMBER FOUR.

Number Four is an alien on the run from the Mongadorians, another group of aliens who seek to destroy his kind. In an attempt to avoid extinction, Number Four has come to planet earth, along with his guardian, and has assumed the identity of John Smith, a teenager. The duo skips from town to town, hoping to avoid being detected, and their most recent stop is in a small Ohio town called Paradise.

Henri, John’s guardian played by Timothy Olyphant, wants John to lay low and stay within the confines of a rural house. John feels it would be better to blend in by attending the local high school. John wins this argument, enrolls at the local high school, and experiences many of the same events that a typical teenager would.

Films like I AM NUMBER FOUR bring out the 13-year old boy in me. Although the film is centered around an alien, the alien is always in the skin of John, and Number Four operates as such. He falls for a girl at school, is picked on by the jocks and defends the self-proclaimed science nerd from these same bullies. There’s also a Mongadorian beast that can be heard, but not seen.

I AM NUMBER FOUR has many elements of popular 80’s films that I grew up on. Although the film is centered around an alien, it’s real focus is on various teenagers and how they are trying to find their way in the world.

The theme is well incorporated, but never hits home, due in large part to the stoic performance by Alex Pettyfer as Number Four. Pettyfer is stuck between a rock and hard place, forced to play an alien unaccustomed to earthly pleasures, while still showing a sense of humanity in the skin of a young man. His dry performance doesn’t elicit any sympathy, despite director D-J Caruso’s manipulative tactic of not showing Number Four as anything else but human.

Pettyfer’s female counterparts are the ones which get to have the most fun. Teresa Palmer as Number Six arrives late in the game, but still leaves a lasting impression, while Dianna Argon, of Glee fame, gives a well-rounded performance that may lead to even stronger roles.

I AM NUMBER FOUR was a bit of a nostalgic trip back to alien and teen films from the 80’s for me, but I couldn’t completely check my 37-year old critical thinking mind at the door.

Grade: C+

DRIVE ANGRY 3D

Photos courtesy of Summit Entertainment

Nicholas Cage returns from the fiery depths to avenge his daughter’s murder and save his granddaughter from the same fate in the action pulp flick, DRIVE ANGRY 3D.

Cage is Milton, a man who has broken out of hell, returned to earth and is on a one-man mission to save his granddaughter from a satanic cult that believes she is the ultimate sacrifice.

The one thing Milton is missing is a car. Enter Piper, played by Amber Heard, who has just quit her job as a waitress and her wedding engagement, after finding her fiance sleeping with another woman. As part of the break-up with her cheating man, Piper takes her exes hot rod, since she's been making the payments on it anyways.

Although Milton has the drive and the ride, he must not only confront the ultra-violent cult that has his granddaughter, but he also faces a major hurdle in the form of The Accountant, played by William Fichtner, a man who’s keeping earthly tabs for Lucifer.

DRIVE ANGRY 3D had all the looks of a graphic, violent, insane and utterly fun and funny pulp film. Unfortunately the latter wasn’t true. There’s not much fun too be had, as writer-director Patrick Lussier and star Nicholas Cage seem content on merely achieving the status quo for this type of B-movie.

It has all the graphic elements you’d expect with an R-rated film titled DRIVE ANGRY 3D, sex, violence, language and nudity, but in spite of these sometimes controversial aspects, they fall drastically flat.

The film’s main problem is Cage. In a role that demands the abrasive and angry energy he’s brought to characters in films from HONEYMOON IN VEGAS to THE ROCK and MATCHSTICK MEN, in DRIVE ANGRY 3D he seems to be going through the motions. His deadpan nature might have played right in the stone-cold THE MECHANIC, but with all of the insanity going on around him in this manic and high-speed schlock fest, Milton should be tossing around a few zingers and eye rolls.

Heard, who looks the role of the standard sexpot and delivers the attitude, seems to be holding back a bit. She kicks butt and takes names, but doesn’t go full throttle in a role that demands it.

Fichtner, on the other hand, is right on the mark. The Accountant seems to relish every odd encounter, twisted character and devilish move he makes. Where Milton and Piper seem stuck in neutral, The Accountant is in overdrive, hamming up every minute he’s around.

DRIVE ANGRY 3D does properly use 3D for this type of film, utilizing more conventional pop-out tactics with the action and violence, in contrast to the depth-of-field technique that many modern films employ.

Although the 3D technology and Fichtner pop, everything else fizzles. I’d leave DRIVE ANGRY 3D in the garage.

Grade: C-

My Not-so-bold 2011 Oscar Predictions

Here are my not-so-bold predictions for tonight's Academy Awards. My predictions are based on precursors, industry insider selections and a few on personal taste. The only race that seems to be like a real horse race is the one for supporting actress between Melissa Leo (THE FIGHTER) and Haillee Steinfeld (TRUE GRIT). I was a believer in Leo, but after her self-promotion for the award, and further thinking about Steinfeld's impact on TRUE GRIT, I'll be pulling for the youngster during tonight's ceremonies.

If you're curious to see who I picked, particularly if you're in the pool I'm in (I'm looking in your direction Big D), you'll need to double-click on the picture of my picks below.

Good luck to Anne Hathaway and James Franco tonight. The early buzz has been bad for the show, so expectations are low. I think Franco may have a trick or two up his sleeve. Let's hope so.

GNOMEO AND JULIET

Photos courtesy of Miramax Films
A William Shakespeare classic romance gets the animated treatment with GNOMEO AND JULIET.

This Capulet/Montague struggle is set in modern times, with feuding next-door neighbors serving as the leaders of their factions. The factions are garden gnomes, the red ones as Capulets and the blue ones as the Montagues. In the midst of the gnomes backyard brawl, a blue gnome named Gnomeo and a red one named Juliet meet on neutral ground and fall in love.

With several different versions of Romeo and Juliet being displayed on the big screen, it was bound to be animated.

As many liberties as Baz Luhrmann took with his 1996 Leonardo DiCaprio/Claire Danes, MTV-stylized version of Romeo and Juliet, the wild director has nothing on GNOMEO AND JULIET. To call GNOMEO AND JULIET an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is not really a just statement. To call it an excuse to capitalize on the classic’s timeless popularity is more accurate. GNOMEO AND JULIET is a thinly-veiled version of Romeo and Juliet, one which realizes as much on pop culture as it does the literary masterpiece.

References and source material aside, this kiddie romancer does have a few things going for it. A sub-plot involving a pink flamingo provides more substance then the central conceit, and an on-line add for lawn mowers, voiced by Hulk Hogan, delivers some much needed laughs. I also liked the inherent danger in being a garden gnome, and the clank or clink at which most of their encounters begin and end.

GNOMEO AND JULIET is loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, so much so, that it dodges the tragedy completely, and yet fails to capture much comedy in a genre that almost always demands it.

Grade: C

ANOTHER YEAR

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Writer-director Mike Leigh once again examines middle-class British angst, this time with the drama ANOTHER YEAR.

Leigh drops us into the world of Tom and Gerri, an upper-middle class couple that are happily married and dutifully employed. Tom is a geologist, while Gerri works as a guidance counselor in the public sector. Gerri works with Mary, an administrative assistant, who outwardly seems to be bright and bubbly, but upon further review isn’t so happy with her lot in life.

From time to time, Gerri invites Mary over to her home for dinner or drinks. This is where Mary finds herself the most comfortable, and also open to revealing her fears and inhibitions.

Mike Leigh films have never been heavy on plot, but ANOTHER YEAR really is nothing more and nothing less than a carefully observed character examination.

Tom and Jerri, played by Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen, serve as this drama’s foundation. Both provide wonderful, understated performances as well-adjusted professionals, parents and friends. They serve as our eyes and ears for understanding the issues that surround Mary, Tom’s friend Ken and his brother Ronnie.

In contrast, Mary is the film’s lightening rod. When Mary rolls into the dinner party, the summer cookout or just to pop in, she changes the atmosphere upon arrival. Mary is a difficult character, but is handled terrifically by actress Lesley Manville. Mary’s loose lips, nervous ticks and flirtation with Tom and Gerri’s son Joe pushes the limits when it comes to bearing an often annoying character. Yet through Manville’s eyes, and her weekend disposition, we can sense that these nuances are just the cusp of a deeper problem.

Leigh tells ANOTHER YEAR in exactly a year’s time, breaking down the film into four segments: spring, summer, fall and winter. By utilizing the seasons, Leigh alters the tone with each segment, and the emotional make-up of Mary. This choice also allows a smooth transition from segment to segment and some foreshadowing into our characters plights.

ANOTHER YEAR might not have as many grand things to say as past Leigh works, but it’s yet another brilliant dissection of everyday Brits.

Grade: B

TOP 10 OF 2010 (#10 - #6)

10) GREENBERG
Ben Stiller shows he’s more than just a funny guy in the comedy-drama GREENBERG. Stiller sacrifices his lovable nature and slips into the skin of Roger Greenberg, a complete jerk. Although Stiller’s humor still shines through, the talented actor delivers several layers to a flawed and tormented individual. Greta Gerwig is also terrific as Greenberg’s love interest, creating an apprehensive, masochistic and yet likable presence as Florence.


9) MARWENCOL

A traumatic experience provides the basis for the melancholy, oddly funny and moving documentary MARWENCOL. Mark Hogancamp was beat into a coma when five men jumped him outside of a bar one night. After therapy doesn’t work, Mark finds solace by creating a post-World War Two town where dolls inhabit his imaginative world. Through the interaction with the characters and situations he creates, Mark provides his own therapeutic experience, revealing a lot about his feelings, inhibitions and desires. MARWENCOL is an emotional wallop.


8) HEREAFTER

HEREAFTER is a moving and contemplative exploration of what lies ahead when our souls move on. Director Clint Eastwood taps into the synchronicity of Peter Morgan’s script and provides a haunting and emotional trek into the psyche of three fractured individuals. A terrific cast headlined by Matt Damon conveys various levels of grief in reflective and humanistic ways.

　
7) THE SOCIAL NETWORK

THE SOCIAL NETWORK examines our current state of societal affairs and an intriguing rise-to-the-top story of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerburg. Director David Fincher works a clever script by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin into an excellent morality tale, and benefits from a familiar, but no less effective performance from Jesse Eisenberg. The bookends to this drama are as wonderful and biting as any film last year.

　　
6) THE GHOST WRITER

As suspenseful as it is thrilling, THE GHOST WRITER is an original, edge-of-your-seat, overseas thriller. Following the death of the original writer, Ewan McGregor is called in as a ghost writer to pen the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, played by Pierce Brosnan. The mystery that ensues is a throwback to yesteryear, building thrills and intensity from a myriad of characters and a plot that weaves its way in and out of hot-button political terrain.　

Photos courtesy of Focus Features, Open Face, Warner Bros. Pictures, Columbia Pictures and Summit Entertainment

TOP 10 OF 2010 (#1 - #5)

5) BLACK SWAN
Darren Aronofsky’s BLACK SWAN is a rare find, a horror film with substance. This psychological horror film benefits from a shockingly good performance from Natalie Portman. Portman stars as Nina, a ballet dancer cast as the leads in BLACK SWAN, as both the white and black swan. Nina’s gradual unravelling from prim and proper princess into a darker more disturbing individual is haunting thanks to Portman’s performance, and Aronofsky’s handling of the material.



4) 127 HOURS

Director Danny Boyle and star James Franco deliver a gut-wrenching, self-discovery drama with 127 HOURS. This true tale of outdoorsman Aarron Smith’s tragic fall and trappings in the cavernous rock formations in Utah is a harrowing, but inspirational awakening of one man’s soul. Boyle’s manic directorial eye is more subdued in 127 HOURS, but the talented director still leaves his mark. Franco delivers a performance that is straightforward and yet nonetheless effective, conveying anguish, despair and redemption with minimal dialogue.

3) MOTHER

The most thrilling movie of 2010 came from overseas with the Hitchcockian Korean film MOTHER. A desperate mother pulls out all the stops to prevent her son from spending a lifetime in prison in director Joon-ho Bong’s latest. THE HOST director has improved upon his already impressive early work, delivering a truly suspenseful mystery wrapped around one woman’s personal conundrum. Hye-ja Kim is mother, the anchor of this odd, funny, slightly disturbing and thrilling tale. Kim’s performance runs the gamut of emotions: anger, sadness, vengeance and elation, all conveyed with deep sincerity. The only thing rarer than Kim’s fine performance, is a genuinely shocking finish. MOTHER delivers both, and is as enriching as it is entertaining.

2) BLUE VALENTINE

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams deliver a lifetime’s worth of emotions in the modern love story, BLUE VALENTINE, my runner-up as the best film of 2010. Gosling and Williams, as Dean and Cindy, along with co-writer and director Derek Cianfrance purely capture the thrill of falling in love and the heartbreak in seeing it end. Cianfrance wisely juxtapositions Derek and Cindy’s initial encounters and romance with their later marital struggles, lending a bittersweet touch to the flashbacks, and tear-jerking moments to the couples’ strained ending. BLUE VALENTINE wonderfully and painfully examines the honeymoon and when it is over.

1) INCEPTION

Writer-director Christopher Nolan’s science-fiction masterpiece is said to have been in the works for ten years, and it was worth every minute of it. This imaginative and explorative trip into the psyche of dreams and one man’s burdensome past is a feast for both the eyes and mind. Nolan enlists Leonardo Dicaprio to navigate us through the structure of one’s subconscious in spite of being oblivious of his own. Dicaprio is surrounded by a talented cast including Ellen Page, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ken Wantanabee, but Nolan is the real star. The director’s visionary work is a complex experience built on philosophical, emotional and thematic pillars. INCEPTION is complicated, but Nolan’s skill in delivering this mind-blowing dramatic thriller is the ease at which his story is told through its narrative and visuals. INCEPTION is the cinematic event of the year, and my top film of 2010.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight, Magnolia Pictures, The Weinstein Company and Warner Bros. Pictures