Review: This is the End

I think we’ve all had a moment where we look at our friends sitting around the apartment drinking beers and talking smack about anything and everything and come to the brilliant realization that making a movie about our regular interactions would be pure cinematic gold.  Because of course every single thing we say is incredibly witty and every punch line completely hilarious.  Yet somehow, despite this obvious wealth of entertainment value, this never comes to fruition.  The reasons for this are threefold:

1.  Most of us are not nearly as funny or witty as we think.

2.  No one cares what kind of idiocy most strangers would spew during a drunken stupor or otherwise.

3.  Unlike writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, we don’t have a bunch of famous comedic actor friends to attach to the film in order to convince a studio like Columbia Pictures to distribute said movie.

Luckily for the writing tandem that brought you Superbad, Pineapple Express, and The Green Hornet (2011), they do have such friends.  The result then is one hundred and seven minutes of footage showing a group of mostly funny actors hanging out under the guise of making a movie.  The plot of said movie finds Seth Rogen and Jay Barauhel (as themselves) attending a party at James Franco’s house along with Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, and a number of other celebrities that one would associate with this group.  When the end of the world seemingly strikes the Hollywood hills, the group must fight to survive the end of days while managing to keep their respective friendships intact. 

So when you take a bunch of actors who are adept at adlibbing and throw them in a confined space to film scenes that are loaded with comedic banter, most times the script gets thrown out the window.  And it’s evident that this is precisely what is going on in this film.  Portraying the worst caricatures of their respective public personas, it’s clear these actors are riffing on each other in very natural ways with no topic off limits.  The chemistry that they share really makes this the best aspect of the movie.  The jokes are cutting, incisive, and outlandish but then again, so is the premise (armageddon) and thus it all comes together in what can best be described as a frenetic hot mess.

Ironically, the very vehicle that allows for the over-the-top hilarity (specifically the end of the world as a backdrop) is ultimately what drags this movie to a screeching halt in the third act.  The first two thirds of the movie focus on establishing friendships and on comedic hijinks (the high point of the film), while the last third is dedicated to bringing some closure to all the fire and brimstone, and unfortunately that’s the least interesting aspect of the film.  The further you move away from the reckless banter, the more you become aware of how flimsy the whole narrative is.  That’s not to say that there aren’t some strong moments in the final act, but that by then, the movie’s sheen has definitely faded.

As for the work of the principle cast, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride particularly stand out for their comedic timing, prowess with physical comedy, and overall screen presence.  If I had to take a guess, I would say that this trio provides the lion’s share of laughs attributed to the principle actors.  James Franco and Seth Rogen hold their own in this film though their work is a step down in the laughter department.  Seemingly not as adept at adlibbing as their peers, Franco and Rogen seem to rely more on the written script and thus many of their lines lack the natural spontaneity that the others project.  As for Jay Baruchel, he is the straight man of the group and thus responsible for setting up the jokes rather than delivering punch lines.  He plays the same character from She’s Out of My League and in this way he is perfectly adequate.

As for the celebrity cameos, the best of the bunch come from Michael Cera (hilarious), Emma Watson (because she’s Emma Watson), and one actor who surprisingly shows up in the third act (click here if you want to know), but there is no shortage of familiar faces (including Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Rihanna, Aziz Ansari, et al) parading across screen during the first act to add a bit of punch to the chicanery unfolding onscreen.

In its totality, the movie is really funny.  If you are an avid fan of the movie industry you will especially appreciate some of the verbal barbs tossed around in this film.  However, This is the End is not for everyone.  As I mentioned, the plot is soft and the jokes are incredibly crude so if either of these elements are absolute deterrents to you enjoying a movie, you may want to rent it on DVD or take a pass altogether.  But in all honesty, they don’t really make films like this and probably won’t ever again (unless it grosses $250M).  So that plus some genuinely hilarious moments make This is the End worth a look this weekend…just not before you check out Man of Steel (review coming on Friday).

Standout Performance:  Danny McBride.  He proves once again that he is incredibly underrated.

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Review: This is 40

This is 40 is a perplexing film.  Not so much the premise or the plot, but perhaps the execution.  I say perhaps because I am not entirely sure.  Here’s the thing, there are some very good scenes in this movie, and a strong number of laugh out loud moments expertly executed by talented actors with great comedic timing, and yet as I walked out of the theater, I didn’t feel like I watched a great movie.  In fact, in a lot of ways, Judd Apatow’s latest film barely feels like a movie at all.    But I digress.

This is 40 is a spin off of Apatow’s 2007 hit Knocked Up, following up on the lives of Paul Rudd’s Pete and Leslie Mann’s Debbie as they stand on the cusp of their forties.  The movie is an authentic albeit somewhat sensationalized look at some of the issues that can befall married couples as their respective families mature.  Daddy issues, communication, managing children’s access to technology, finances, the film runs the gamut of challenges facing spouses, parents, and professionals.

So here’s the thing, there are some incredibly funny scenes as well as others that are insightful, witty, and fun.  Apatow has written a script that captures the essence of what it feels like to transition into middle age.  The problem then with the movie is the connective tissue between these moments.  There is some semblance of an overall arc to the film revolving around Rudd and Mann, but there’s not enough there to really drive the movie and make it feel like something more than a collection of vignettes.  This makes you wonder what the point of the narrative really is and thus makes the proverbial whole feel less than the sum of the individual parts.

In this film you are treated to the garden variety Paul Rudd performance.  He plays an affable, funny every man and does it well, but there is nothing fresh or exceptional about this turn.  Ditto for Leslie Mann who effortlessly slips into the role of the somewhat difficult but mildly endearing wife as she has so many times in the past.  There is nothing groundbreaking about her work, but that’s not what the role calls for.  As for the rest of the cast, Maude and Iris Apatow do a nice job rounding out the family though at times Apatow seems to indulge his real-life children with scenes that run far too long or seem oddly out of place.  Robert Smigel, Melissa McCarthy, and Chris O’Dowd do an impressive job in supporting roles adding some valuable comedic elements to the movie, while John Lithgow, Albert Brooks, and Megan Fox (surprisingly) are decent contributors.

If you are over the age of thirty or if you have kids, there may be enough wit and humor in this movie to make it worth watching in the cinema.  However, if you thought Project X was a great movie, then you probably want to look elsewhere for entertainment (and reassess what you should consider entertaining).  Again, with so many superlatives and few complaints to go around it feels strange that I can’t give this movie a stronger endorsement, but at the end of the day a narrative needs to take you from point A to some other destination and This is 40 never really goes anywhere at all.  My best advice is to make it a rental with moderate expectations and you will find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Standout Performance: Jason Siegel as Jason.  Siegel is hilarious, reprising his role from Knocked Up and his scenes with Chris O’Dowd are some of the best in the movie.

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Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Coming of age stories come in all shapes and sizes.  The great ones feel unique and give you the sense that you are privy to an incredibly personal story.  Despite the singular details that set each of these stories apart, there is broad appeal and universality to these types of narratives because they are easily relatable.  The need for self-discovery, rites of passage, and relationship angst are just a few of the many experiences each of us encounter on our way to adulthood.  While The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about this type of journey it is also something very different – a very dark something different.

Set in 1991, Logan Lerman plays Charlie a painfully shy young man trying to navigate his way through life as a newly minted high school freshman.  Saddled with some intense emotional baggage, he struggles to find nary a friend nor a niche until he befriends Patrick and Sam (played by Eza Miller and Emma Watson respectively) – two seniors who march to the beat of different drummers.  The relationships Charlie develops with his newfound friends becomes increasingly challenging as the three teen protagonists struggle with different sets of difficulties.

Writer (of both novel and screenplay) and director Stephen Chbosky weaves an engaging tale that is funny, maddening, uplifting, and heart breaking in much the same way that those formative years can feel to a teen.  It is also a very dark story that fleshes out the troubling issues that plague Charlie.  In doing so, the story allows the viewer to easily invest in the protagonists and (judging by the reaction of others in the cinema) to experience the emotional roller coaster that is Charlie’s life.

To tell such a story in a meaningful way, the work of the cast has to be strong.  In this regard I have to give credit where credit is due.  When last I saw Logan Lerman, he had just turned in a terribly inept performance as D’artagnan in The Three Musketeers.  In this film, he pulls the acting equivalent of a 180.  His Charlie is shy, awkward, troubled, yet likable.  It is not easy to play someone that seems placid and drab with an entitrely different stream of thoughts flowing beneath the surface, but Lerman pulls it off incredibly well.  Equally as good in this film is Ezra Miller as Patrick – a gay teen engaged in a secret relationship.  To play a person who is both eccentric and  outgoing while secretly nursing inner heartbreak and self-doubt is an equally tricky feat, but Miller pulls it off with flying colors.

Emma Watson, as the third member of this trio, has the difficult task of shedding her cinematic baggage as Hermione Granger, but it only takes a few scenes to recognize that the young actress is up to the task of taking on a role that is something entirely different.  While Watson occasionally stumbles a bit with her American accent, she is soulful and charming and makes it easy to believe that Lerman’s Charlie can be so taken with her.  As for the rest of the cast, Paul Rudd, Dylan McDermott, Nina Dobrev, Johnny Simmons, and Mae Whitman do a very good job in limited screen time in helping to put together the pieces of Charlie’s life.  They each come to represents points of support and/or points of pain for Charlie making the narrative feel three dimensional and that quality sets it apart from the usual run-of-the-mill teen angst driven films.

 It’s not a perfect movie as it runs a bit long and in the third act the pacing falls off a bit, but it is a very good one.  The story is engaging; the acting very good; and the soundtrack featuring both New Order and The Smiths is excellent.  I would definitely recommend this movie, especially so to my fellow Gen-X’ers who can relate to a high school environment far less tolerant of those who are different.  Of all the things I can say about The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the best is that it has a ton of heart – a quality that has been in short supply at the cinema lately.

Standout Performance: Ezra Miller.  His performance is a dynamic one that shows the greatest range of all the principle characters.  

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Review: Wanderlust

I can usually find entertainment in just about any movie (excluding anything starring Sarah Jessica Parker), so it’s a rare occasion that a film agitates me so much that I start to feel downright hostile.  I had survived some real clunkers these past few months  - Apollo 18, Drive Angry, The Darkest Hour, and of course the immortal Jack and Jill – so I was feeling relatively safe with a Judd Apatow produced comedy starring Paul Rudd.  After all, who didn’t love Anchorman, Knocked Up, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall? 

Wanderlust follows the journey of Rudd’s George and Jennifer Aniston’s Linda as they flee financial ruin and the New York City rat race in search of a new life.  Their journey takes them to an isolated commune in Georgia where a band of misfits live practicing veganism, smoking marijuana, playing guitars, and completely annihilating any sense of personal boundaries.  Does any of this sound like fun?

The problem with the movie is that it purports itself a romantic comedy but is completely devoid of both sentiment and humor.  Rule number one to a romcom is that you actually have to root for the protagonists who are usually fighting any number of obstacles to get together.  I spent two thirds of the movie urging Paul Rudd to just bounce.  Rule number two to a romantic comedy is that the cast must feature a likable bunch that adds levity and laughter to the narrative.  Unfortunately no one fits this bill and each time you start to think that perhaps there is someone, said person goes and does something completely crude or asinine to remind you that you’re watching cinematic rubbish.

I have come to realize that my faith in Apatow’s work is unfounded and really based on past laurels.  In the past five years, he has been attached to nine projects – five (Wanderlust, Funny People, Pineapple Express, Drillbit Taylor, Year One) of which I felt were horrible; two (Step Brothers, The Five-Year Engagement) of which I thought were less than stellar; and only two (Bridesmaids, Get Him to the Greek) that I felt were entertaining.  As you can see, this is not exactly a winning track record.  The problem then with Wanderlust is really the continuing trend of mediocrity for Apatow and his productions.

The cast isn’t given much to work with and in return they don’t bring much to the table.  Paul Rudd is on cruise control delivering the same performance he has given a dozen times, but this time sans the earnestness that makes his characters so endearing.  Likewise, Jennifer Aniston delivers her usual performance – the same one that for the last ten years has failed to resonate with cinematic audiences.  Kathryn Hahn almost literally copies and pastes her performance from Our Idiot Brother; Malin Akerman serves only as eye candy; and Justin Theroux’s Seth literally made me want to throw the remote control at the television.

Every good actor eventually makes a poor choice.  Al Pacino had Jack and Jill; Leonardo DiCaprio had J. Edgar; Matt Damon had Hereafter (ditto for director Clint Eastwood).  Wanderlust is Paul Rudd’s faux pas.  I suggest you avoid this movie at all costs and as you go forward in life exercise extreme caution any time a new Judd Apatow movie crosses your path, because you’re more likely to find yourself disappointed than entertained.  Here’s hoping that Apatow and Rudd can right this wrong with the forthcoming This is 40.  I for one am not particularly optimistic.

Standout Performance: Alan Alda brings nothing to the table in this movie, but he doesn’t do anything prolifically wrong so that earns him this distinction. 

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Review: Our Idiot Brother

If you have been following my reviews recently then you may have noticed that the quality of movies that I’ve been subjecting myself to has been trending downward – most likely the result of a dearth of quality options - although bad decision making cannot be completely dismissed. Regardless, this thinning of the marketplace is not unusual as August gives way to September, but occasionally a diamond can be unearthed from the rough. Well, said diamond has been found in the slice of life “dramedy” entitled "Our Idiot Brother."

There is a lot to like about this film from its quirky comedic sense to its well-constructed cast that is anchored by the always-affable Paul Rudd, whose character is an unfailingly genuine and overly simple man-child. His harmless indiscretions cast him as the idiot burdensome brother to his three intelligent but distinctly misguided sisters. Through his various trials and tribulations, Rudd’s character Ned unintentionally flips the script on his sisters and shows them that it is in fact their lives that are in dire need of repair.

It is not an easy thing to be funny, witty, and emotionally genuine but this cast pulls it off with flying colors. Paul Rudd is his usual funny and genuine self - the type of protagonist who is easy to root for. Emily Mortimer, Elizabeth Banks, and Zooey Deschanel are perfectly cast in their respective roles as Rudd's complex sisters struggling with problems ranging from infidelity to career stagnation. The complexity of their lives is in sharp contrast to the simplicity of Rudd’s character and the resulting dynamic is what drives the film.

As for the rest of the cast, Stephen Coogan and Kathryn Hahn deliver their stock performances, which set them up perfectly as the two foils of the film, while T.J. Miller of “She’s Out of My League” fame shows a good comedic sense and compliments Rudd nicely when the two share the screen. My one complaint is the work of Rashida Jones as Cindy. Her character in this film is drab, uninspired, and very much a cliche– a far cry from her performance in “I Love You, Man.”

I would recommend this film for any occasion. Both entertaining and endearing, the film manages to avoid getting bogged down in minutiae. It is refreshing to watch a film where the only agenda is to tell a good story at a brisk pace and that is precisely what we have here. It was the perfect film to watch as the summer movie season draws to a close.

Standout Performance: T.J. Miller is surprisingly funny and holds his own when sharing the screen with seasoned comedic actors.

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