The Conversation

Oh, Gene Hackman, you always look the exact same. Even in 1974, you still have the same, reliable look. And you know what? I like that. I like the consistency. The Conversation, a film by Francis Ford Coppola, is a quiet little thing, including lead star Hackman. There isn't a lot of talking, but there is a lot of listening. And watching. That is what works best for The Conversation. As a surveillance based thriller, tension is built by letting the audience guess at everything, questioning the truth of things just as Hackman's Harry Caul does. The film focuses on Caul and a single recording of a conversation between a man and a woman. The implications of this conversation, mostly on whether or not someone will be hurt, or killed, because of it, sends Caul into a spiral of paranoia. Luckily, The Conversation was made during the better of the Coppola years, or I could see this not working. That, or maybe I was expecting something a lot different than what I got. Either way, the film works for the most part, if not for feeling a little slow in places. But the ending was great and left room for interpretation. In a remake, which wouldn't be unheard of, could benefit from an upgrade in technology, but I fear a use of stupid-conspiracy would hurt the film. The subtle nature of this mystery is what makes the film work, and anymore would have made the whole experience a bit cheesy.

Genre - Thriller (3.5)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (4)
Production (3)
Directing (4)

State Of Play

Before State of Play was released (a title which my father, of the Bruce Campbell/My Name Is Bruce-fiasco fame, disliked), I was more than a little disinterested. It's no secret that I don't care much for Russell Crowe. His acting isn't that impressive, and I usually groan whenever I see a trailer for a movie he is staring in, even if the film itself looks good. That said, his presence isn't a deal breaker, and so I went to see State of Play with an open mind. The results were these: better than expected. Overall, I felt the conspiracy the film revolves around was handled well, never getting too ridiculous, which is a good thing in a movie like this. Stupid conspiracies that spiral out of control have ruined more than a few potentially good movies. I'm glad this didn't. The acting by the supporting cast (i.e. not Russell Crowe, though he did fine) was above average. It's always nice to see Rachel McAdams and Helen Mirren. Even ol' Ben Affleck did a decent job. But even with some good talent, the story has to work, and in this case it did. I think the ending was a little too neatly wrapped, but it wasn't unforgivable. State of Play, in the end, had enough to say about the current state of journalism and the problems with privatizing military, so props are due for that. And, to my surprise, this was based on a television series over in the UK. I never would have thought if I hadn't noticed the information in the credits.

Genre - Thriller (2.75)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (3)
Production (3)
Directing (2)

Beowulf

We start this review with the briefest of rants. I don't really care all that much for this whole animation thing. Either make a live-action film, or make an animation film. Don't blend the two, at least not like this. Sure, you can play with a mix, like A Scanner Darkly and Waking Life, but that is a bit different from Beowulf. Or, maybe, blend it, but make it a second priority and focus on making a good movie first. Bah.

Okay, so Beowulf. Again, I'll try not to compare the film to the epic poem upon which it's based, but for those interested, Robert Zemeckis' adaptation mostly brutalizes the great heroic story. But even if Beowulf weren't based on a story almost everybody knows, it would still suffer from a storytelling standpoint. There is almost no character development, except for the most basic and cliche of changes the title character undergoes. The script tries too hard to fit major plot points of the poem into the film, while adding little tweaks here and there (and everywhere). Beowulf is almost insulting with the creative licence it took, because it destroys everything that made the poem interesting. What we are treated to is a story of quite possibly the very worst hero of all time. Nothing about the character Beowulf is heroic, as all he cares about is himself and saving his image, one he effectively ruined by being a moron. So what about this movie is good? The acting is okay, from a group of fairly good actors, and then we have the Angelina Jolie nudity to help, as well. I wonder if Zemeckis will ever go back to the style of film making that made him famous in the first place, and if he'll give up this silly animation kick he's been on. One can only hope, right? Oh, shit, I almost forgot. Grendel, the monster for which Beowulf owes his fame, is one of the worst movie monsters I've seen in awhile. Not nearly as cool or bad ass as the book, or any other adaptation, has made him. A true, true shame.

Genre - Action (1.75)

Screenplay (1)
Acting (2)
Production (2)
Directing (2)

Inside

I haven't seen this much blood spilled on screen since Peter Jackson's Dead Alive. Sure, I enjoy myself a gory movie just as much as the next horror buff, but damn. I guess movies made outside the U.S. really know how to utilize gore (Dead Alive being from New Zealand), and Inside, from France, escalates the blood factor as the ending draws nearer, perhaps even rivaling Peter Jackson's classic. Wait, you can't beat that lawnmower scene. Sorry. Now, I'm aware I'm focusing a lot on blood, but good Christ, there is a ton of it here. The story, which centers around a pregnant woman alone on Christmas Eve and who is subsequently terrorized by a psychotic woman, builds slowly, until the climax arrives, and it does so with a fury. All the best aspects of foreign horror are here; super depressing, twisty, and (shocking) it is actually creepy. Inside is fairly self-contained, with most of it taking place in the pregnant woman's home, more specifically her bathroom. There are all sorts of boundaries pushed with Inside, more so than any American film would dare, and the result is refreshing. The only complaint? While I kind of dug the climax, it unrolled fairly slowly and upped the ridiculous factor a little too high, but overall, it still is fun. I dare any viewer to watch Inside without squirming just a little, especially when the baby stuff comes into play. Good luck.

Genre - Horror (3.5)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (3)
Production (4)
Directing (4)

Shadow Of The Vampire

I like movies like Shadow of the Vampire. Films that blend fiction and reality, twisting a normal story and making it twice as interesting. In Shadow of the Vampire, the tweaking involves the making of the vampire classic Nosferatu, the F.W. Murnau film that circumvented legal rights to Bram Stoker's Dracula. In the film version, we follow Murnau as he makes the film, but hires "Max Schrek" to play the vampire Count Orlok. In reality, Schrek did in fact play the vampire character, but in the film, Schrek is a cover identity for a real vampire Murnau hired to play the part. See, isn't that fun. Willem Dafoe plays Schrek, and he does a fantastic job. He disappears into his role. I also enjoyed how the script started slow and slowly escalated into a horror/comedy blend. While certainly not perfect, and the beginning drags a bit, there is little to complain about. We get some wonderful acting and a peek at what filming Nosferatu might have been life, save for the actual vampire part. The world of film pack then was another beast entirely from the films we know today. And at the time of viewing, I hadn't seen the original Nosferatu, but Shadow of the Vampire has encouraged me to really seek it out. I won't be looking at it in the same light.

Genre - Drama (3.25)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (4)
Production (3)
Directing (3)

My Name Is Bruce

We begin with a story. In late December, I purchased two tickets for a screening of My Name Is Bruce (as a gift to both me and my father), where the man himself would answer questions following the show. So on the night of the screening, my father and I get in the car and make our way to Seattle, only to find that every road leading to the Emerald City was backed up with traffic for miles. For a couple of hours, we sat in the car, barely moving, until we decided to give up, having missed the show. It was a god damn disappointing chain of events, and I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to see Mr. Bruce Campbell live. Oh well, shit happens.

Luckily, Netflix has my back, and I finally got the chance to see My Name Is Bruce, though my home viewing was lacking a certain something. That would be Campbell himself. But I pushed through the pain and slapped the DVD in and let it rip. The end result? Better than I expected. There is enough goofiness, and Bruce Campbell's trademark acting, that even when the film got a little too stupid, it was fun. Like all his B-movies, My Name Is Bruce isn't terribly well written, smart, or made. But again, I emphasize the fun factor. Campbell makes this worth watching, and is probably the reason you'd watch it in the first place. So die-hard fans, give this one a watch. If not, then I doubt you'll enjoy it all that much (too much insider information). Watching My Name Is Bruce did remind me how lucky we are to see him on a regular basis with his television hit Burn Notice.

Genre - Comedy (2.25)

Screenplay (2)
Acting (3)
Production (2)
Directing (2)

Sunshine Cleaning

For a little indie, Sunshine Cleaning sure had me going in with a number of different expectations, none of which matched up to the final result. The trailers promoting the film really pushed the comedic value of the film, yet reviews were saying it was far more serious than one might expect. I, however, found that Sunshine Cleaning turned out to be a mixture of both comedy and drama, and it was a mixture that seemed to work quite well. An easy comparison would be to indie darling Little Miss Sunshine, but, while I enjoy that movie, I don't think the two are all that similar. Sunshine Cleaning, as a story, is one you've seen before, with the twists and turns you'd expect to find. But what sets it apart from the usual bullshit is the subject matter. And no, I don't mean it tackles any heavy issues, but the crime scene cleanup business the Amy Adams and Emily Blunt characters get into is one I haven't seen before. Sure, there are some emotional moments here, but largely the movie has fun with the decomp-cleanup, which is more than I can say most flicks might have done. There is some solid acting unfolding on the screen, and a story you can get behind (despite its familiarity), so I find myself with very little to complain about. Go in expecting to have a good time, and that is likely what you'll have. No need to complicate it.

Genre - Comedy/Drama (3)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (3)
Production (3)
Directing (3)

Crank: High Voltage

In-fucking-sane. That is probably the mellowest of ways to describe Crank: High Voltage, the sequel to the equally amazing flick Crank (duh). We start where the previous film left off, and after Chev Chellios is scraped off the asphalt and has his heart taken out and replaced with an electric one, shit just takes off. What follows is nearly an hour and a half of crazy violence, foul and wonderfully colorful language, and more boobs than even the "best" of a Verhoeven film could offer. Because it doesn't really have to be good, it just has to be jaw-dropping and ridiculous, and Crank: High Voltage achieves this 100%. We start and never stop, and can't help but smile at all the imaginative ways Chellios finds to kill people and recharge his heart. Everyone acts perfectly over-the-top, and there are so many cliches this flick plays with, I'm surprised there weren't many acting weak spots. Directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have managed to make a possible franchise with the least likely of characters after the least likely of original endings, yet it makes perfect sense. None of these movies should exist by any means, but they do and it's hard to imagine the world without them. Crank: High Voltage is more of Crank (like Crank squared, or even cubed) in many ways, but comes up second in my book overall. God knows if they decide to try another of these, but you can be damn sure I'll be in the audience.

Genre - Action (3.25)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (4)
Production (3)
Directing (3)

Observe and Report

Observe and Report, a film written and directed by the man behind The Foot Fist Way and HBO's brilliant Eastbound and Down, is one that will certainly leave audiences divided. And not casually divided, but more in the extreme sense, where some will love it and others hate. I fell in the former category, and feel strong enough in that belief that I can say it is one of the best comedies I've seen this year. Trailers shown for Observe and Report do the film no justice, and barely touch on how dark it is. Plus, there are those out there who must compare to Paul Blart: Mall Cop, which couldn't be any more different from Observe and Report (well, I'm assuming, because I have not seen Blart, but word on the street backs my statement up). In terms of Observe's star, Seth Rogen, well, this isn't remotely like his Apatow stuff. His character, Ronnie Barnhardt, is a delusional, violent, twisted man who struggles separating reality from the world he has created for himself in his mind. In his eyes, he is a hero, but to everyone else, he is just a mall cop with delusions of grandeur. While not perfect, Observe and Report, when viewed with neutral expectations, will not disappoint, at least not fans of director Jody Hill's other material. This is a studio comedy that pushes a lot of boundaries, and may even start some minor controversy, which earns it some credit in my book.

Genre - Comedy (3)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (4)
Production (3)
Directing (2)

The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum is hands down one of the greatest action films of the decade (and certainly among the best of all time), which is something I never thought I'd say prior to seeing it. Now, I saw it awhile ago, and then a couple more times in between, and it keeps getting better. That is about the best compliment you can give a film, and I have no trouble doing it. But lets look back first. The Bourne Identity left me cold, and despite the interesting premise was completely forgettable. Then The Bourne Supremacy, which improved with a new director and style, but it was still weighted down with a little too much bloat. Then something happened. Director Paul Greengrass and screenwriter Tony Gilroy have crafted a lean, mean, killing machine. And I'm not just talking about spy Jason Bourne, hahahaha. I take that horrendous joke back. Though the message is still true. The story in The Bourne Ultimatum is enough to keep you interested, and answer questions, all while moving at breakneck speed. Never does the film slow down, which certainly makes it difficult to juggle an interesting story and incredible action set pieces. One fight in particular, when Bourne fights assassin Desh, audiences are treated to an up close, brutal fight that leaves you breathless by the end. And that is how I felt by the time the credits rolled, and still turn to it when the call for an intense, thrilling action flick is sounded.

Genre - Action (4)

Screenplay (4)
Acting (4)
Production (4)
Directing (4)

Adventureland

Let's get the easy stuff out of the way first. No, Adventureland is not your typical teen, raunch-bloated comedy flick. At the core, Adventureland is a love story, and the quirky characters that make that world complete happen to be funny. At times. But mostly it is just the love story, and the turmoil that comes with such a story. There in lies the heart of the film, and audiences will connect with James and Em. Greg Mottola, the writer and director, might always be the Superbad guy to some, but Adventureland has the emotional center that really allows it to stand apart from the aforementioned Superbad. The real reason the film resonates so strongly, though, is Mottola's wonderful cast. Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Steward both deliver strong performances, and the supporting crew of Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Margarita Levieva all enhance the reality and charm of the Adventureland theme park. Like any good love story, I found myself connecting with the leads, understanding their positions and inability to love one another as they are, without complication. Unfortunately, that leads to the biggest downfall of Adventureland (and other romantic comedy-esque movies), which is the argument that leads to separation and the inevitable reunion at the end. I've never cared for that technique, and I believe there are other ways to show trouble brewing between two people without a relationship-crippling fight to ruin it. Regardless, I found myself in love with the characters, and wanted some more time with them. That is a great sign.

Genre - Comedy (3.5)

Screenplay (4)
Acting (4)
Production (2)
Directing (4)

Timecrimes

I'll just come out and say it: I like time travel movies. When done well, a time travel film can hardly be bettered. Maybe that is why I love the television show Lost so much, because it knows how to handle time travel in a way that makes sense (unlike another series, Heroes). Timecrimes is at heart a thriller, and the time travel elements only further extend the intrigue. There are so many layers that keeping it all straight in your head becomes difficult, but creates an interesting puzzle for you to solve. I've seen many comparisons of Timecrimes to Primer, and while there are similarities besides time travel, the two exist as very different films. The reason Timecrimes works is because we get a linear timeline of Hector, who becomes so wrapped up in his efforts to ensure a huge time paradox can be avoided, instead of jumping from perspective to perspective of different characters or different Hector's. Plus, there are about three or four stories within the film, which are uncovered each time Hector "solves" one of his problems. At times though, the writing seems a little amateur, and the reasons for some of Hector's actions are not totally understandable. But by the end, we get a fairly decent, and somewhat depressing ending, that manages to wrap up enough loose ends to make the whole affair worthwhile.

Genre - Thriller (2.75)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (2)
Production (3)
Directing (3)

Tell No One

You have to give credit where credits due. For what happens to transform into a somewhat high-concept mystery, Tell No One manages to stay pretty down to earth. That is something few modern day (specifically American) mystery films fail to do. But the French have a better grasp on the subtle, realistic approach to film making than the U.S. does. Semantics aside, Tell No One is first a beautifully shot film. For a film of the mystery genre, it was nice to see some excellent camera work that didn't revolve around the noir look. Guillaume Canet has directed himself a brilliant film, and his cast deserves as much of the praise. Tell No One may be intelligent and thrilling on paper, but the cast has to bring those feelings to life, and that they do. Francois Cluzet, who plays Alexandre Beck, a doctor caught up in a twisted set of lies about the supposed murder of his wife, is phenomenal. He plays it low key, and sympathetic, which may or may not be related to his uncanny young Dustin Hoffman-look. Tell No One is likely a film that needs multiple viewings for full understanding, at least for me, and that is part of what makes it so good. Instead of getting wrapped up in the mystery, there are plenty of character moments that make Tell No One captivating, so watching it more than once isn't a chore.

Genre - Mystery (3.75)

Screenplay (4)
Acting (4)
Production (3)
Directing (4)

Naked Lunch

Where do you start with a film like Naked Lunch? I am usually able to decipher David Cronenberg's work to some small degree, but I had the most trouble with Naked Lunch than with any of his others. That's not to say Naked Lunch is beyond understanding, it just means it isn't easy. Cronenberg's touch is all over the film, from slimy creatures to sometimes-ambiguous, sometimes-weird sex acts (and sexually related imagery), the staples to subverting the world of mainstream film. The story doesn't really follow William S. Burroughs' novel per se, but does tie in Burroughs' writing of the titular book, by means that, however high he may have been, did not likely occur. Essentially, truths are included, but twists and additions cover them up, and at times you are unlikely to know what is fact and what is fiction (and this is coming from a film that features talking typewriters and drugs made out of bug powder). The film does feel like one long, bad trip, which I can appreciate, though a couple moments of clarity wouldn't have hurt. Naked Lunch is not Cronenberg's best, but you could do far worse in experimental/outside-the-mainstream films.

Genre - Drama (2.5)

Screenplay (2)
Acting (2)
Production (3)
Directing (3)

Happy-Go-Lucky

Mike Leigh has done a fascinating thing. Never before have I been, at times, so uncomfortable with such a lighthearted and humorous film. And that is a good thing. I think that was how I was supposed to feel. Happy-Go-Lucky, or more appropriately the main character Poppy, is out to both entertain and analyze aspects of human nature. Poppy is always happy, but not in an annoying way, or based on some ridiculous illness. She makes the most out of every situation, and never takes anything too seriously. And because of this, I found myself oddly uncomfortable at moments when Poppy would react in a way opposite of what I would expect. And the best examples come from her interactions with Scott, her driving instructor. He is a hard-ass, who has trouble accepting Poppy's personality, while she constantly challenges him about his. The story isn't so important to Happy-Go-Lucky, but the characters and their interactions are. Sally Hawkins does a fantastic job with Poppy, which is a role far more difficult to pull off than one might think. Happy-Go-Lucky is an interesting film, definitely worth seeing once, but one must beware: Scott endlessly shouting Enraha will engrave itself into your mind, making driving an interesting chore. Consider yourself warned.

Genre - Comedy (3)

Screenplay (2)
Acting (4)
Production (2)
Directing (4)