The Hurt Locker

Leaving a theater in stunned silence can either mean a film left you wanting, or left you satisfied. The Hurt Locker, a film both about the Iraq war and about bomb squad technicians, should leave you immensely satisfied. It is a war film largely devoid of commentary on war and is a story about a tortured man, without focusing on the specific aspects his tortured, crazy life. And these are components that build an interesting film. The Hurt Locker, directed masterfully by Near Dark and Point Break director Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal, is without a doubt one of the best films of 2009. From beginning to end, there are reasons to laugh, cry, and shrink into your seat. Watching these men, and one in particular, disarm amazingly dangerous bombs in the middle of a war zone is something to behold. Tension can be ratcheted up even when nothing happens, the inherent danger of the situation allows for it. There is no guarantee on who makes it out, especially in a film where big name actors can die as quickly and easily as a real soldier. Jeremy Renner, steals the show, despite it kind of being his show, simply by acting as passionately as his character feels about disarming explosive devices. He, along with Bigelow, are likely in contention for an Academy Award, which the film itself is likely to be recognized for, and I think all are deserving. Such a naked, honest examination of humanity and war, and especially one that doesn't overdo itself, is worthy of high praise at the very least. I am not the first to sing its praises, and likely not the last. For me, I wanted the film to draw to a close at certain points near the end, and thought the actual ending would leave a sour taste in my mouth, only to have an ending so pitch perfect to the tone of the film that it actually made me smile (albeit in a rather twisted way). Certainly worth time and money.

Genre - Drama/Action (4)

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

Angel (Season 1)

Spin-off shows are fascinating creatures, existing only due to the inventive minds behind another show dreaming up the character(s) first, allowing them life in their own show. Angel is one such show, following the titular character who was first featured on the Joss Whedon show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Whedon is responsible for Angel too, creating the show when Angel no longer was needed as a love interest for Buffy. While the two shows deal with supernatural forces, Angel is more grounded in a private eye/procedural structure. Angel is hired for cases and solves them, all with the help of his friends. Like Buffy, Angel is nothing without the supporting cast. Cordelia, a Buffy alum, and Doyle are just as important as Angel himself. And when Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, who also comes from Buffy, arrives part way through the first season, he too becomes integral. The first season is much lighter than what eventually follows, much like Buffy, which found darker story lines in its third season, when Angel was just beginning. But most of the writing staff had connections to both shows, so that only makes sense. There is much to love about Angel, especially in the different directions both the show itself and its characters (the transformation of Cordelia and Wesley being key). Another Whedon hit.

Genre - Supernatural (3.25)

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

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

This may very well be the first no-nonsense Harry Potter film of the series yet. Viewers are immediately launched into the world of our title character, and done so with no background or catching up. Perhaps the filmmakers realized, and rightly so, that by the sixth entry of a seven entry series, audiences should know characters and locations without silly exposition to explain everything to newcomers. And I'm glad for that. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an exceptional film, and perhaps the best of the series. The Prisoner of Azkaban was reigning title holder, at least in this reviewers eyes, until now. While I applaud Alfonso Cuaron for taking us into a darker, more grown-up world of Harry Potter, I think what David Yates and Steve Kloves, the director and writer respectively, have done here is more striking. All the fat of the novel - and yes, each of the Harry Potter novels had fat that would be an unnecessary burden for a film adaptation - is entirely cut from the movie, leaving only a rich and beautifully told story that essentially acts as a bridge between the beginning entries and the final chapter. But that isn't a bad thing, not in the least. We still get characterization, smart writing, funny one-liners, and excellent directing. Some characters, especially fan favorites, are pushed to the back, given only the briefest amount of screen time, appearing only to serve as a reminder of who will play a part in the final films. As long as you can embrace the Part 1 of 2 (or 3 to be technical) nature of the film, there is little doubt you'll enjoy Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Genre - Fantasy (3.75)

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

Moon

I'm going to try and make it through this review using the least amount of space puns as possible, so wish me luck. Moon is a quiet little science fiction indie that you likely haven't heard of, even less likely to have seen, but is one you should seek out. Even for you non-sci-fi'ers, Moon features an amazing performance by Sam Rockwell, who mostly owns all the screen time, that is when the Kevin Spacey voiced robotic assistant GERTY isn't around. But even on the science fiction itself, there isn't much to alienate viewers unfamiliar to the genre, as the story is more grounded in human issues than space ones. Most will talk about the twist that takes place in the middle of the film, but there is more to the film than that. Moral issues of right and wrong are the focus, and that is what director - and son of David Bowie - Duncan Jones wants you to pay attention to. Moon has touches of other classic sci-fi films layered within, but it also subverts cliches by tweaking what you may think will happen. That is perhaps the best part of Moon outside Rockwell's stellar acting. As with any thoughtful science fiction movie, Moon demands to be digested, to ponder the implications of the events that take place inside the film. Warning: there are very few actions scenes, and many scenes of Rockwell going about his day, figuring out the mystery he has uncovered, so you Transformers/explosion oriented sci-fi watchers be wary. Other than that, you've got nothing to worry about.

Genre -Sci-Fi (3.25)

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

John From Cincinnati (Season 1)

Watching John from Cincinnati made me think about a world where Lost ended its run long before questions could be answered. Chilling, for sure, but more importantly, it would be unfair. That's how I felt with John from Cincinnati. Questions were being asked, but the show never really got a chance to answer them. But where Lost began more conventionally, only later delving into intense mythology, and thus allowing additional seasons, John from Cincinnati jumps right into it, leaving viewers confused. Apparently, most were not willing to wait for the story to unravel, and abandoned ship before anything truly powerful could be developed. But the episodes that do make up the first, and only, season are quite good. The show follows the famous, surfing Yost family - a group as great at surfing as they are at being completely dysfunctional. Everyone has problems, even the peripheral characters who enter into their lives, leaving a stranger named John, likely not from Cincinnati as he states (read: mimics), who has some mysterious powers and seems to be able to read the future, yet cannot string together a coherent sentence unless he repeats others. Suffice it to say, John is an interesting character, and the way he interacts with the Yost's is compelling enough to lead you through the first season even though you know there is nothing to follow. Which, as it happens, is what I advise you to do. Now. Go forth and discover the mind-bending world of John from Cincinnati. Okay, that's it.

Genre - Drama (3.5)

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

Public Enemies

Walking into the theater to see Public Enemies had me feeling a number of emotions. I had high expectations: Michael Mann, Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, some excellent trailers. Then came the underwhelming reviews, discounting the film as entertaining, but not thoughtful enough when examining the man John Dillinger. I think I came down somewhere in the middle. Dillinger's story wasn't something I knew an awful lot about, so the intrigue surrounding his bank robberies, public reception, and inevitable death was fun to learn about. The only real issue I had was the running time (nearing 2 and a half hours), causing only a couple of moments drag time. But the action was tense and exciting, graphic enough to make you realize real people died, not the actors, but the people those actors played. Mann, who likes his films shot in a certain style, didn't overdo it here. Kind of like a mix between his movies Heat and Collateral, both awesome, but stylistically different in ways, at least from a surface level. Depp and Bale both played their parts well, which isn't that shocking, so maybe I should only consider their acting when they do a poor job. By the end of the film, I learned a little bit about famous bank robber John Dillinger, watched some fun heist scenes and bloody shootouts, so I left the theater a happy man. A little more insight into Dillinger would have been welcome, but some of the mystery behind him keeps things interesting as well.

Genre - Drama/Action (3)

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

Doubt

Doubt is an important and necessary part of life. While it can be frustrating, doubt may mean more when seeking the truth than certainty and faith when evidence is lacking. That is what I drew from Doubt, the film by John Patrick Shanley, based on his play. Set in the mid-sixties, Doubt concerns itself with a priest who may have had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a young boy and the nun who is dead set on taking him down. Unfortunately, there is nary a scrap of proof to back either case, so the two battle each other from a faith standpoint, hoping they have the right side of the story. This battle would hardly be convincing if not for the star power behind the central characters. Philip Seymour Hoffman, as if he needed any praise at all, does a fantastic job playing the questioned priest, making you want to believe in him, but leaving you uncertain. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams are two nuns who take very opposing standpoints on the issue, and the hard-nosed Streep character and adorable, innocent Adams character are just two more forces that muddy the waters of the alleged incident. Shanley directed the film from a script adapted from his play, and for the most part he pulls it off. The script is sound enough, and the movie doesn't often feel like a play being filmed, yet moments have staged aspects. But in the end, the mystery that surrounds doubt is integral to the point. Sometimes you don't know, thus, Doubt.

Genre - Drama (3.25)

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

Away We Go

Away We Go is something to be appreciated. It is a comedy (an indie comedy no less) that remembers it is a comedy the entire way through. There is no half-way, three-quarter's-way amnesia where the indie drama takes over and the whole time you were laughing seemed like another film. No, Away We Go stays steadily funny the whole way through, adding enough deep emotion to make the whole experience worthwhile, which is a combination few movies fully comprehend. Credit is mostly due to the stars: John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. The two defy their television character roles and avoid indie stereotypes, which finds them comfortable in their characters. The reason they pull this off so well? Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, the two who penned the screenplay. Without them, this would have been another typical indie com/dram that all of us have seen before. Luckily, we get something fresh out of Away We Go, and the perfectly timed soundtrack doesn't hurt at all. Sam Mendes, the big name director of the film, is the weakest link (though by no means bad at all, just in comparison), utilizing one too many obvious "indie shots" over the course of the film. When he isn't trying to pay homage to greater films, Mendes does a credible job. I guess I just needed something to pick on, as I found myself enjoying Away We Go far more than I thought I would. It's one of those things, having to complain about something because it might make the whole review more credible. But despite what I said above, I really enjoyed Mendes' work, and I don't have any real problem with "indie" anythings (in fact, I usually love them), it just can be overdone sometimes. But enough justifying, go see the movie.

Genre - Comedy (3.25)

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