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'I Love You Phillip Morris' (R) (2 stars)
Written and Directed By Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Starring: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann
I have to give "I Love You Phillip Morris" props for not holding back on the gay jokes when the backlash could be anger. The movie has a good running joke based on prison and oral sex and some other jokes that made me smile. Only the movie suffers from being too cute, light and quirky to the point that it becomes corny. Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor are very good and Jim Carrey's energy helps the role out. This movie was written by the same writers of the Christmas classic "Bad Santa". I like their willingness to just go nuts with the risky humor but here they fail to shock. The movie is based on a true story of Steven Russell who one day finds out he is gay. He realizes this while married with two kids. He leaves them all and moves but also finds out he is a natural con man. He runs many cons and one day he gets caught with identity theft and other crimes. In prison he falls in love with Phillip Morris who is in prison for a misdemeanor. The movie then goes off in all directions and never has a real drive or purpose. It is all jokes and no character development especially when the very funny and great Leslie Mann seems wasted. The love story is kind of bold and sweet and the actors do their best. I really think Jim Carey is excellent here but when you have a very talented writing crew who wrote a vulgar comedy classic you expect more (no pun intended) balls.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
'The Tourist'
'The Tourist' (PG-13) (2 stars)
Writers: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie and Julian Fellowes
Based on movie "Anthony Zimmer
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Steven Berkoff, Timothy Dalton, Rufus Sewell
Some movies that team up huge, international movie stars we love for the first time can unfairly have huge expectations thrust upon them. I found "The Tourist" with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie dull and too light but maybe I am expecting too much. I don't need a great movie but I do expect a movie that lives up to it's star's personalities and energies. "The Tourist" is so light and airy I thought it was going to blow away. Johnny Depp plays Frank, a normal man taking a train ride to mend a broken heart. There he meets Elise who we have seen before being tracked by we think government agents. Elise is played by Angelina Jolie and I must say she looks breathtaking here matching the beautiful photography. She recruits Frank on a little mission as she is being tracked by a government agent played by Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind). They are all after money stolen by a mobster played by Steven Berkoff (Beverly Hills Cop). The plot is pretty simple and there will be some twists later on but the twists are even lazy. I found Depp and Jolie dependably good as they always are even though the role for Depp doesn't live up to his larger than life screen presence. He plays a pretty straight laced guy and Depp comes off sometimes like he doesn't want to be in this movie.
Now maybe I am being too hard and this movie is supposed to be light and pleasant but for a romantic movie and chase thriller why was I thinking of other things. Like thinking how beautiful France, Italy and Jolie look. I was pretty bored throughout and we are talking about Jolie and Depp here! The writers and directors have also written and directed some of the best movies in the last decades. Julian Fellowes wrote "Gosford Park" and Christopher McQuarrie wrote "The Usual Suspects". Both of them together should have written something with more meat on it here. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck directed one of the beat foreign films in decades with "The Lives of Others". I know this is supposed to be a light, romantic comedy but I think it fails on even a small level. By the end I didn't care what happened and when I saw a slow motion bullets hitting people scene I moaned. Really? That kind of "Matrix" type shooting scene by great talented writers and film makers?
I also thought about the type of movie that is ten times better then this for romantic, chase adventures. In 1984 there was a cool and super fun movie called "Romancing the Stone" that I thought about while watching this. That is an exciting movie that show cased Michael Douglass and Kathleen Turner and created huge sparks and excitement. That is the type of fun movie Jolie and Depp should be making. That might be unfair to compare this movie with a classic but I had no choice, I was bored.
Writers: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie and Julian Fellowes
Based on movie "Anthony Zimmer
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Steven Berkoff, Timothy Dalton, Rufus Sewell
Some movies that team up huge, international movie stars we love for the first time can unfairly have huge expectations thrust upon them. I found "The Tourist" with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie dull and too light but maybe I am expecting too much. I don't need a great movie but I do expect a movie that lives up to it's star's personalities and energies. "The Tourist" is so light and airy I thought it was going to blow away. Johnny Depp plays Frank, a normal man taking a train ride to mend a broken heart. There he meets Elise who we have seen before being tracked by we think government agents. Elise is played by Angelina Jolie and I must say she looks breathtaking here matching the beautiful photography. She recruits Frank on a little mission as she is being tracked by a government agent played by Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind). They are all after money stolen by a mobster played by Steven Berkoff (Beverly Hills Cop). The plot is pretty simple and there will be some twists later on but the twists are even lazy. I found Depp and Jolie dependably good as they always are even though the role for Depp doesn't live up to his larger than life screen presence. He plays a pretty straight laced guy and Depp comes off sometimes like he doesn't want to be in this movie.
Now maybe I am being too hard and this movie is supposed to be light and pleasant but for a romantic movie and chase thriller why was I thinking of other things. Like thinking how beautiful France, Italy and Jolie look. I was pretty bored throughout and we are talking about Jolie and Depp here! The writers and directors have also written and directed some of the best movies in the last decades. Julian Fellowes wrote "Gosford Park" and Christopher McQuarrie wrote "The Usual Suspects". Both of them together should have written something with more meat on it here. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck directed one of the beat foreign films in decades with "The Lives of Others". I know this is supposed to be a light, romantic comedy but I think it fails on even a small level. By the end I didn't care what happened and when I saw a slow motion bullets hitting people scene I moaned. Really? That kind of "Matrix" type shooting scene by great talented writers and film makers?
I also thought about the type of movie that is ten times better then this for romantic, chase adventures. In 1984 there was a cool and super fun movie called "Romancing the Stone" that I thought about while watching this. That is an exciting movie that show cased Michael Douglass and Kathleen Turner and created huge sparks and excitement. That is the type of fun movie Jolie and Depp should be making. That might be unfair to compare this movie with a classic but I had no choice, I was bored.
Monday, December 6, 2010
'Black Swan'
'Black Swan' (R) (4 stars)
Writers: Mark Heyman, Andrew Heinz and John T. McLaughlin
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder, Sebastian Shaw, Mark Magolis, Benjamin Millepied
Sometimes everything in a movie comes together to make a flawless masterpiece where all the pieces fit. When the acting, directing, writing and cinematography all are top notch and gel together to make an extremely satisfying whole. I even appreciate it when a movie that could have gone all wrong turns out to surprise us with it's mastery and control. "Black Swan" is one of the most entertaining and effective psychological thrillers I have seen and the most exciting thriller since Woody Allen's "Match Point". My favorite psychological thriller is Roman Polanski's "Repulsion" and this is equal to that masterpiece in every way. The director of "Black Swan" is Darren Aronofsky who besides one disastrous mistake with his one movie "The Fountain" has built quite a resume. He directed my pick for best movie of 2008 "The Wrestler" and here he has made easily one of the best movies of 2010.
"Black Swan" tells the story of Nina Sayers who is a ballerina who gets a starring role in "Swan Lake". She has a demanding stage mother played by Barbara Hershey and a rival ballerina waiting to take her part. She is also under the direction of a very arrogant and hard pushing ballet director played by Vincent Cassell. The movie delves into the hard work, the punishment of the body and the psychological strain performing a ballet does to a young woman. This is actually the same type of story that Aronofsky explored in "The Wrestler". Both are performers who beat up their body, go through mental strain and kill themselves to entertain. Nina Sayers is played by the brilliant actress Natalie Portman who is one of my favorite actresses. This is the performance of her career and she gives a spellbinding and powerful performance. Not only shedding 20 pounds for the role but learning the craft of ballet by training hard to make it look real. She convinces us that she is really a ballerina and she also reveals the mental strain without going over the top. It is one of the best performances by an actress I have seen on screen.
Her rival is played by the beautiful and talented Mila Kunis who is becoming a great actress. From her great comedy work in "That 70's Show", her many dramatic roles and now this she is becoming an actress to watch out for. She is very good here, sexy, intriguing and she also convinces us that she is a real ballerina. Barbara Hershey plays the mom who might be pushing her daughter too hard, also causing her mental strain. This is one of the meanest, coldest and creepiest mothers on screen since Piper Laurie in "Carrie". There is also great work by Vincent Cassell and Winona Ryder as a washed up ballerina in her 30's! The movie always has a moment, especially near the explosive end, where it could have gone off the rails into sheer goofiness but this never does. The movie creates a believable world of ballet that is flawless and creates wonderful suspense and terror. Darren Aronofsky does not have one wasted shot and the end is perfect to me when it could have ended on a false note. The psychological games on display here by the writers and Aronofsky are not manipulative and never seem forced or out of place. Aronosfsky is not trying to pull one over on you and there is no phony twist ending.
"Black Swan" is highly entertaining and I couldn't look away from the screen. Of course it has two extremely beautiful women at the center of it. It has a very erotic and hot lesbian sex scene that is tasteful. It is a scene that adds to the plot and the psychology of the story instead of just being there to get us off. It has all that stuff but to me the joy I get from this movie is the ability of Aronosfsky to pull me in and let the mood of the movie wash all over me. I also can't wait to see this movie again for all the great individual shots and the perfect acting. Natalie Portman gives a performance that begs to be seen over and over again. I know a movie has totally got to me when my heart beats faster, my palms begin to sweat and I can't look away. All these things happened while watching "Black Swan" and it doesn't happen often to me. This is a powerful, spellbinding and extremely suspenseful movie that works it's magic on us. It has great acting, a believable and compelling story and flawless directing. Natalie Portman is a revelation in a career that is already full of revelations. Darren Aronosfsky is now a member of a new group made up by me after seeing this movie. He joins Quentin Tarantino and David Fincher as the three best young directors working today, call them the Snavely Auteur Masters.
Writers: Mark Heyman, Andrew Heinz and John T. McLaughlin
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder, Sebastian Shaw, Mark Magolis, Benjamin Millepied
Sometimes everything in a movie comes together to make a flawless masterpiece where all the pieces fit. When the acting, directing, writing and cinematography all are top notch and gel together to make an extremely satisfying whole. I even appreciate it when a movie that could have gone all wrong turns out to surprise us with it's mastery and control. "Black Swan" is one of the most entertaining and effective psychological thrillers I have seen and the most exciting thriller since Woody Allen's "Match Point". My favorite psychological thriller is Roman Polanski's "Repulsion" and this is equal to that masterpiece in every way. The director of "Black Swan" is Darren Aronofsky who besides one disastrous mistake with his one movie "The Fountain" has built quite a resume. He directed my pick for best movie of 2008 "The Wrestler" and here he has made easily one of the best movies of 2010.
"Black Swan" tells the story of Nina Sayers who is a ballerina who gets a starring role in "Swan Lake". She has a demanding stage mother played by Barbara Hershey and a rival ballerina waiting to take her part. She is also under the direction of a very arrogant and hard pushing ballet director played by Vincent Cassell. The movie delves into the hard work, the punishment of the body and the psychological strain performing a ballet does to a young woman. This is actually the same type of story that Aronofsky explored in "The Wrestler". Both are performers who beat up their body, go through mental strain and kill themselves to entertain. Nina Sayers is played by the brilliant actress Natalie Portman who is one of my favorite actresses. This is the performance of her career and she gives a spellbinding and powerful performance. Not only shedding 20 pounds for the role but learning the craft of ballet by training hard to make it look real. She convinces us that she is really a ballerina and she also reveals the mental strain without going over the top. It is one of the best performances by an actress I have seen on screen.
Her rival is played by the beautiful and talented Mila Kunis who is becoming a great actress. From her great comedy work in "That 70's Show", her many dramatic roles and now this she is becoming an actress to watch out for. She is very good here, sexy, intriguing and she also convinces us that she is a real ballerina. Barbara Hershey plays the mom who might be pushing her daughter too hard, also causing her mental strain. This is one of the meanest, coldest and creepiest mothers on screen since Piper Laurie in "Carrie". There is also great work by Vincent Cassell and Winona Ryder as a washed up ballerina in her 30's! The movie always has a moment, especially near the explosive end, where it could have gone off the rails into sheer goofiness but this never does. The movie creates a believable world of ballet that is flawless and creates wonderful suspense and terror. Darren Aronofsky does not have one wasted shot and the end is perfect to me when it could have ended on a false note. The psychological games on display here by the writers and Aronofsky are not manipulative and never seem forced or out of place. Aronosfsky is not trying to pull one over on you and there is no phony twist ending.
"Black Swan" is highly entertaining and I couldn't look away from the screen. Of course it has two extremely beautiful women at the center of it. It has a very erotic and hot lesbian sex scene that is tasteful. It is a scene that adds to the plot and the psychology of the story instead of just being there to get us off. It has all that stuff but to me the joy I get from this movie is the ability of Aronosfsky to pull me in and let the mood of the movie wash all over me. I also can't wait to see this movie again for all the great individual shots and the perfect acting. Natalie Portman gives a performance that begs to be seen over and over again. I know a movie has totally got to me when my heart beats faster, my palms begin to sweat and I can't look away. All these things happened while watching "Black Swan" and it doesn't happen often to me. This is a powerful, spellbinding and extremely suspenseful movie that works it's magic on us. It has great acting, a believable and compelling story and flawless directing. Natalie Portman is a revelation in a career that is already full of revelations. Darren Aronosfsky is now a member of a new group made up by me after seeing this movie. He joins Quentin Tarantino and David Fincher as the three best young directors working today, call them the Snavely Auteur Masters.
'Tangled'
'Tangled' (PG) (3 stars)
Writer: Dan Fogelman
Directors: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
Starring the Voices of: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, Jeffrey Tambor, MC Gainey, Brad Garrett, Richard Kiel
"Tangled" is in the long tradition of Disney's Princess series dating back to "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty". My favorites are "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast". I like how the modern Princess movies make out their heroines to be strong and independent. They are fine without a man but in the end they will turn an arrogant fellow into someone they can fall in love with. Or they as is the case with "Beauty and the Beast" they will turn a beast into a life partner. "Tangled" is based on the Rapunzel legend and I always found her story to be one of the more boring ones. There is only so much you can do with the story but "Tangled" does a very good job of expanding it. There are some nice songs, good voice work and some very funny parts. Mandy Moore does a nice job as Rapunzel who runs into a criminal on the run in Flynn Ryder who is nicely voiced by Zachary Levi (TV's Chuck). Flynn breaks into Rapunzel's tower that is ruled with an iron fist by the evil mother Gothel who kidnapped Rapunzel. That voice work is done by Broadway actress Donna Murphy and she has an awesome singing voice and is perfect as the Mother Gothel.
"Tangled" also has some funny and cool supporting characters and the animation is pure, very colorful and the movie does not need to be seen in 3D. I am a little sick and tired of movies that are transferred into 3D just to get more money. The movie actually should be seen in 3D for all the color. I find 3D movie transfers to be dark and blurry. The movie is beautiful to look at and it is very entertaining. I just think that the old fashioned Princess movie should be retired. We are in the year 2010 and I think that the age of seeing female characters waiting for their Prince is a little outdated. I would like to see a Disney animated movie about a young woman who finds a man but won't marry him till he finds a job and acknowledges that she is special, unique and independent. Of course she would be surrounded by singing birds and a wisecracking sidekick.
Writer: Dan Fogelman
Directors: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
Starring the Voices of: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, Jeffrey Tambor, MC Gainey, Brad Garrett, Richard Kiel
"Tangled" is in the long tradition of Disney's Princess series dating back to "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty". My favorites are "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast". I like how the modern Princess movies make out their heroines to be strong and independent. They are fine without a man but in the end they will turn an arrogant fellow into someone they can fall in love with. Or they as is the case with "Beauty and the Beast" they will turn a beast into a life partner. "Tangled" is based on the Rapunzel legend and I always found her story to be one of the more boring ones. There is only so much you can do with the story but "Tangled" does a very good job of expanding it. There are some nice songs, good voice work and some very funny parts. Mandy Moore does a nice job as Rapunzel who runs into a criminal on the run in Flynn Ryder who is nicely voiced by Zachary Levi (TV's Chuck). Flynn breaks into Rapunzel's tower that is ruled with an iron fist by the evil mother Gothel who kidnapped Rapunzel. That voice work is done by Broadway actress Donna Murphy and she has an awesome singing voice and is perfect as the Mother Gothel.
"Tangled" also has some funny and cool supporting characters and the animation is pure, very colorful and the movie does not need to be seen in 3D. I am a little sick and tired of movies that are transferred into 3D just to get more money. The movie actually should be seen in 3D for all the color. I find 3D movie transfers to be dark and blurry. The movie is beautiful to look at and it is very entertaining. I just think that the old fashioned Princess movie should be retired. We are in the year 2010 and I think that the age of seeing female characters waiting for their Prince is a little outdated. I would like to see a Disney animated movie about a young woman who finds a man but won't marry him till he finds a job and acknowledges that she is special, unique and independent. Of course she would be surrounded by singing birds and a wisecracking sidekick.
'Burlesque'
'Burlesque' (PG-13) (1 star)
Writer and Director: Steve Antin
Starring: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Cam Gigandet, Alan Cumming, Julianne Hough, Kristen Bell, Peter Gallagher, Stanley Tucci, Eric Dane, Dianna Argon, Glynn Turman
The "Musical" is one of my favorite types of movie genres and when done right it can get me in a happy mood. Whenever I feel down seeing something like "Grease" or "Fiddler on the Roof" can lift my spirits. When a musical becomes a drag, seems dull and lifeless and makes me want to bolt, I start to get frustrated. When you are watching a musical do you really want to feel like going and shooting yourself? I felt that way all throughout "Burlesque", one of the most joyless and cliche filled musicals I have ever seen. I have seen some really bad musicals in my life including "Xanadu" and "Can't Stop the Music" but at least they had somewhat of a personality. "Burlesque" doesn't have a personality and is actually worse then those two turkeys. "Burlesque" is that old Hollywood standard plot of the small town girl with talent who comes to the big, old, scary city and tries to get discovered. The small town girl is played by pop singer Christina Aguilera who isn't bad but also won't have casting directors lining up in a hurry to sign her. She walks into a burlesque club run by a legend played by the legendary Cher. The girl gets pushed aside and starts to wait tables but watch out when she belts a tune and everyone stops in their tracks.
The movie looks glossy and all joking aside about Cher's plastic surgery, I loved seeing her back on the screen and she is the only good thing about this. Christina Aguilera isn't really required to act much, she just has to sing and we all know she can sing very well. I didn't care that much about Aguilera till I saw her performance with Mick Jagger in the Rolling Stones documentary "Shine a Light". It is a very sexy and awesome performance and actually steals the movie. The problem in "Burlesque" is that the songs given to her all sound the same and have no personality. Actually I thought all her songs started out like the opening beats of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" song. I don't know why that tune got in my head during Aguilera's numbers but it did. The choreography of all the musical numbers are horrible and seem like Bob Fosse rejects. Steve Antin, who writes and directs this, obviously doesn't know how to write or direct in my opinion. The writing is all bad cliches and the directing is sloppy. The one only good moment is a pretty good song for Cher to sing and she sings it flawlessly. She has the personality, Aguilera doesn't at least not like she usually has. She is not sexy here like she was in "Shine a Light". Also why in the hell does Stanley Tucci have to be the go to guy for the wisecracking, gay sidekick now?
"Burlesque" actually depressed me and and it is so darkly filmed and dull. Musicals like "Cabaret" and my second favorite of all time "All That Jazz" were dark and seedy and had grim subject matter. The difference with "Burlesque" is that I think this is not supposed to be dark. I would think the movie would be inspiring and fun since it is about a girl being discovered as a star singer. Then again I can't think of many young girls who would say that they can't wait to grow up and work in a strip, burlesque club after seeing this. I have no ideal why this was made other than to cash in on "Chicago". The movie can't even be considered to be fun on a campy level because it is too boring to even be so bad it is good. It isn't like "Showgirls" because there is no nudity, cat fights or even any good lines to laugh at. It would have been smarter to shoot a documentary of Cher and Christina Aguilera on a concert tour. "Burlesque" is just a lot of musical numbers surrounded by boredom.
Writer and Director: Steve Antin
Starring: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Cam Gigandet, Alan Cumming, Julianne Hough, Kristen Bell, Peter Gallagher, Stanley Tucci, Eric Dane, Dianna Argon, Glynn Turman
The "Musical" is one of my favorite types of movie genres and when done right it can get me in a happy mood. Whenever I feel down seeing something like "Grease" or "Fiddler on the Roof" can lift my spirits. When a musical becomes a drag, seems dull and lifeless and makes me want to bolt, I start to get frustrated. When you are watching a musical do you really want to feel like going and shooting yourself? I felt that way all throughout "Burlesque", one of the most joyless and cliche filled musicals I have ever seen. I have seen some really bad musicals in my life including "Xanadu" and "Can't Stop the Music" but at least they had somewhat of a personality. "Burlesque" doesn't have a personality and is actually worse then those two turkeys. "Burlesque" is that old Hollywood standard plot of the small town girl with talent who comes to the big, old, scary city and tries to get discovered. The small town girl is played by pop singer Christina Aguilera who isn't bad but also won't have casting directors lining up in a hurry to sign her. She walks into a burlesque club run by a legend played by the legendary Cher. The girl gets pushed aside and starts to wait tables but watch out when she belts a tune and everyone stops in their tracks.
The movie looks glossy and all joking aside about Cher's plastic surgery, I loved seeing her back on the screen and she is the only good thing about this. Christina Aguilera isn't really required to act much, she just has to sing and we all know she can sing very well. I didn't care that much about Aguilera till I saw her performance with Mick Jagger in the Rolling Stones documentary "Shine a Light". It is a very sexy and awesome performance and actually steals the movie. The problem in "Burlesque" is that the songs given to her all sound the same and have no personality. Actually I thought all her songs started out like the opening beats of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" song. I don't know why that tune got in my head during Aguilera's numbers but it did. The choreography of all the musical numbers are horrible and seem like Bob Fosse rejects. Steve Antin, who writes and directs this, obviously doesn't know how to write or direct in my opinion. The writing is all bad cliches and the directing is sloppy. The one only good moment is a pretty good song for Cher to sing and she sings it flawlessly. She has the personality, Aguilera doesn't at least not like she usually has. She is not sexy here like she was in "Shine a Light". Also why in the hell does Stanley Tucci have to be the go to guy for the wisecracking, gay sidekick now?
"Burlesque" actually depressed me and and it is so darkly filmed and dull. Musicals like "Cabaret" and my second favorite of all time "All That Jazz" were dark and seedy and had grim subject matter. The difference with "Burlesque" is that I think this is not supposed to be dark. I would think the movie would be inspiring and fun since it is about a girl being discovered as a star singer. Then again I can't think of many young girls who would say that they can't wait to grow up and work in a strip, burlesque club after seeing this. I have no ideal why this was made other than to cash in on "Chicago". The movie can't even be considered to be fun on a campy level because it is too boring to even be so bad it is good. It isn't like "Showgirls" because there is no nudity, cat fights or even any good lines to laugh at. It would have been smarter to shoot a documentary of Cher and Christina Aguilera on a concert tour. "Burlesque" is just a lot of musical numbers surrounded by boredom.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
'Faster'
'Faster' (R) (rental/matinee)
Writers: Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Billy Bob Thornton, Carla Gugino, Mike Epps, Maggie Grace, Tom Berenger, Courtney Gains, Moon Bloodgood
"Faster" is simply a revenge picture tried and true and it is really not that bad. Is it worth paying $11,$12 dollars for? No. There are some different and interesting things going on here and Johnson is cool but I have seen better revenge movies. Lately there have been revenge movies that are failures like Mel Gibson's "Edge of Darkness". "Faster" is a much better movie because it is simple when Darkness was too much into plot and too complicated. I don't need all these twists and complex back stories, I want to see the hero shoot people in the head that deserve it. If you are the same way you might go for this movie and like it. It tells it's story without clutter and simply delivers the goods as in kills. I had a grudging respect for this movie even though I think it could of had more oomph to it.
Dwayne Johnson plays Driver, a man just released from prison who was involved in a bank heist gone wrong. The men who arranged the heist kill Driver's brother and when he comes out he wants to murder all the people involved. There are also two detectives on his trail. One is played by Carla Gugino (one of the sexiest women on this planet but not in this movie) and one played by Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton just makes me smile every time I see him in a movie. Maybe because I keep thinking about "Bad Santa" but I just love seeing the guy act. He plays a drug addicted cop and the casting is genius and Thornton might put this movie over the top. There is also an interesting hit man character played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen who looks like Jake Gyllenhaal's younger brother but hotter. This movie could get Cohen noticed in Hollywood because he looks flawless and he is pretty good here. His character is also paired up with the beautiful Maggie Grace (Lost) who is also good here.
So the acting is better than it should be, the direction and action scenes are pretty good and the movie keeps your attention. I like Dwayne Johnson, formerly The Rock, because he is a damn good action star and has great screen presence equal to a Stallone, Willis or a Schwarzenegger. I could see him doing more action movies and it would be much better for him than those insipid family movies he was headed towards. Those crappy family movies killed Vin Diesel's career and was about to kill Jackie Chan's career until "The Karate Kid". The only reason I am ambivalent is because a major plot twist I figured out ahead of time killed it for me. I also didn't feel like I saw something that made any impact on me. There is a very great revenge movie out there somewhere and this is just pretty good.
P.S. "Faster" reminds me of the "B" movies of past decades especially the 70's and 80's. Along with "The Expendables" it isn't rocket science but the movie somewhat gets the job done. A "B" movie can be a great surprise like "The Hidden" or "Assault on Precinct 13" (76) but there can be bad "B" movies also. On a "B" scale "Faster" is worth a matinee show or a good viewing on cable.
Writers: Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Billy Bob Thornton, Carla Gugino, Mike Epps, Maggie Grace, Tom Berenger, Courtney Gains, Moon Bloodgood
"Faster" is simply a revenge picture tried and true and it is really not that bad. Is it worth paying $11,$12 dollars for? No. There are some different and interesting things going on here and Johnson is cool but I have seen better revenge movies. Lately there have been revenge movies that are failures like Mel Gibson's "Edge of Darkness". "Faster" is a much better movie because it is simple when Darkness was too much into plot and too complicated. I don't need all these twists and complex back stories, I want to see the hero shoot people in the head that deserve it. If you are the same way you might go for this movie and like it. It tells it's story without clutter and simply delivers the goods as in kills. I had a grudging respect for this movie even though I think it could of had more oomph to it.
Dwayne Johnson plays Driver, a man just released from prison who was involved in a bank heist gone wrong. The men who arranged the heist kill Driver's brother and when he comes out he wants to murder all the people involved. There are also two detectives on his trail. One is played by Carla Gugino (one of the sexiest women on this planet but not in this movie) and one played by Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton just makes me smile every time I see him in a movie. Maybe because I keep thinking about "Bad Santa" but I just love seeing the guy act. He plays a drug addicted cop and the casting is genius and Thornton might put this movie over the top. There is also an interesting hit man character played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen who looks like Jake Gyllenhaal's younger brother but hotter. This movie could get Cohen noticed in Hollywood because he looks flawless and he is pretty good here. His character is also paired up with the beautiful Maggie Grace (Lost) who is also good here.
So the acting is better than it should be, the direction and action scenes are pretty good and the movie keeps your attention. I like Dwayne Johnson, formerly The Rock, because he is a damn good action star and has great screen presence equal to a Stallone, Willis or a Schwarzenegger. I could see him doing more action movies and it would be much better for him than those insipid family movies he was headed towards. Those crappy family movies killed Vin Diesel's career and was about to kill Jackie Chan's career until "The Karate Kid". The only reason I am ambivalent is because a major plot twist I figured out ahead of time killed it for me. I also didn't feel like I saw something that made any impact on me. There is a very great revenge movie out there somewhere and this is just pretty good.
P.S. "Faster" reminds me of the "B" movies of past decades especially the 70's and 80's. Along with "The Expendables" it isn't rocket science but the movie somewhat gets the job done. A "B" movie can be a great surprise like "The Hidden" or "Assault on Precinct 13" (76) but there can be bad "B" movies also. On a "B" scale "Faster" is worth a matinee show or a good viewing on cable.
'Love and Other Drugs'
'Love and Other Drugs' (R) (rental/ matinee)
Writers: Edward Zwick, Charles Randolph and Marshall Herskovitz
Based on book "Hard Sell: Evolution of a Viagra Salesman" by Jamie Reidy
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Gabriel Macht, Judy Greer, Jill Clayburgh, Josh Gad, George Segal, Kathryn Winnick
There are two different kinds of tone at battle and a misguided and false ending to deal with in "Love and Other Drugs". It is a shame because I love the writers and director and Anne Hathaway gives a great performance. There is a raunchy and sometimes very funny comedy going on and then a sad, sobering drama also going on. So if you like comedy you might go for this and if you like a sad drama you will go for this. The movie is okay on those two sides but together it doesn't quite gel or work. I also didn't feel the ending fit the way the characters deserve it to and that it comes off as false and Hollywood phony. Jake Gyllenhaal (pretty good here) plays Jamie who is trying to make it as a salesman and starts to work in pharmaceutical sales. He is trying to push a new drug called Zoloft to doctors and in a certain doctor's office he meets Maggie, played by Hathaway. The way he meets her to me comes off as fake and smarmy but after they meet they start a nice relationship. Jamie has an overweight brother who stays with him and that role is the chubby, comic relief character played by Josh Gad. We find out (spoiler alert!) that Maggie is in early stages of Parkinson's. This is where the movie starts to get serious and the love affair also gets treated seriously.
I was sort of into this movie after it settled down and I thought when the real serious disease material came out it was handled truthfully and well. I just think the ending is all wrong for what happens to these two for it seems wrong and not a good fit, you can decide. I was disappointed in this film because it sometimes comes close to real greatness and with these writers and director I expect more. The film is co written and directed by Evanston native Edward Zwick who along with co writer Marshall Herskovitz created the television show "thirtysomething". They also made one of my all time favorite romantic movies in "About Last Night..." which is one of the best movies of the 80's. Zwick also directed another great film of the 80's, "Glory". I had to keep comparing "Love and Other Drugs" to "About Last Night.." because it is familiar with it's comedy (especially the Jim Belushi type role by Gad) and young adults in love story. "About Last Night..." handles the comedy and love story much better and the ending was perfect and Zwick's new movie ends on a false note that doesn't feel right.
I did love Ann Hathaway's performance that reminded me a little of Julia Robert's performance in "Pretty Woman", also a much better romance. I feel this movie could bomb because the illness part of the movie is not advertised. If it does bomb this will not further Hathaway's career but she will bounce back. I liked her down to earth appeal here and compared to Gyllenhaal trying too hard she comes off as more compelling. You kind of see why Jamie would fall instantly in love with this woman. I like how this movie deals with Parkinson's which is a nasty disease. I like when the movie shows us a Parkinson's support group that Maggie goes to. There is a powerful scene where Jamie goes to a meeting and hears a story from a man who is married to a woman with the disease and it is sobering and powerful. The movie is full of great scenes of drama and there is some funny stuff. I just think the movie doesn't succeed in combining the great parts into a satisfying whole. There is one thing that is refreshing in this movie and that is the sex scenes and nudity. I think we are in an age where terrorizing a woman in movies is not harped on but sex with a woman is overly scrutinized. I hate when two people have sex with the covers on or clothed. This comes off as fake and ridiculous because real love making is not like this. I commend Hathaway for doing these nude scenes when most big name actresses are afraid to. "Love and Other Drugs" is half way there to greatness but fails in the end.
P.S. I am giving "Love and Other Drugs" a new kind of rating. Before I gave movies that I was a ambivalent about a (rental) review which means I suggest you wait for it on DVD. I now feel it is unfair for me to suggest that especially if you feel you have to see the movie because say you just love Jake Gyllenhaal! So my new rating is (rental/matinee) so if you really want to see it maybe a discounted matinee price is better for you.
Writers: Edward Zwick, Charles Randolph and Marshall Herskovitz
Based on book "Hard Sell: Evolution of a Viagra Salesman" by Jamie Reidy
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Gabriel Macht, Judy Greer, Jill Clayburgh, Josh Gad, George Segal, Kathryn Winnick
There are two different kinds of tone at battle and a misguided and false ending to deal with in "Love and Other Drugs". It is a shame because I love the writers and director and Anne Hathaway gives a great performance. There is a raunchy and sometimes very funny comedy going on and then a sad, sobering drama also going on. So if you like comedy you might go for this and if you like a sad drama you will go for this. The movie is okay on those two sides but together it doesn't quite gel or work. I also didn't feel the ending fit the way the characters deserve it to and that it comes off as false and Hollywood phony. Jake Gyllenhaal (pretty good here) plays Jamie who is trying to make it as a salesman and starts to work in pharmaceutical sales. He is trying to push a new drug called Zoloft to doctors and in a certain doctor's office he meets Maggie, played by Hathaway. The way he meets her to me comes off as fake and smarmy but after they meet they start a nice relationship. Jamie has an overweight brother who stays with him and that role is the chubby, comic relief character played by Josh Gad. We find out (spoiler alert!) that Maggie is in early stages of Parkinson's. This is where the movie starts to get serious and the love affair also gets treated seriously.
I was sort of into this movie after it settled down and I thought when the real serious disease material came out it was handled truthfully and well. I just think the ending is all wrong for what happens to these two for it seems wrong and not a good fit, you can decide. I was disappointed in this film because it sometimes comes close to real greatness and with these writers and director I expect more. The film is co written and directed by Evanston native Edward Zwick who along with co writer Marshall Herskovitz created the television show "thirtysomething". They also made one of my all time favorite romantic movies in "About Last Night..." which is one of the best movies of the 80's. Zwick also directed another great film of the 80's, "Glory". I had to keep comparing "Love and Other Drugs" to "About Last Night.." because it is familiar with it's comedy (especially the Jim Belushi type role by Gad) and young adults in love story. "About Last Night..." handles the comedy and love story much better and the ending was perfect and Zwick's new movie ends on a false note that doesn't feel right.
I did love Ann Hathaway's performance that reminded me a little of Julia Robert's performance in "Pretty Woman", also a much better romance. I feel this movie could bomb because the illness part of the movie is not advertised. If it does bomb this will not further Hathaway's career but she will bounce back. I liked her down to earth appeal here and compared to Gyllenhaal trying too hard she comes off as more compelling. You kind of see why Jamie would fall instantly in love with this woman. I like how this movie deals with Parkinson's which is a nasty disease. I like when the movie shows us a Parkinson's support group that Maggie goes to. There is a powerful scene where Jamie goes to a meeting and hears a story from a man who is married to a woman with the disease and it is sobering and powerful. The movie is full of great scenes of drama and there is some funny stuff. I just think the movie doesn't succeed in combining the great parts into a satisfying whole. There is one thing that is refreshing in this movie and that is the sex scenes and nudity. I think we are in an age where terrorizing a woman in movies is not harped on but sex with a woman is overly scrutinized. I hate when two people have sex with the covers on or clothed. This comes off as fake and ridiculous because real love making is not like this. I commend Hathaway for doing these nude scenes when most big name actresses are afraid to. "Love and Other Drugs" is half way there to greatness but fails in the end.
P.S. I am giving "Love and Other Drugs" a new kind of rating. Before I gave movies that I was a ambivalent about a (rental) review which means I suggest you wait for it on DVD. I now feel it is unfair for me to suggest that especially if you feel you have to see the movie because say you just love Jake Gyllenhaal! So my new rating is (rental/matinee) so if you really want to see it maybe a discounted matinee price is better for you.
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