Review: The Way Way Back

It’s been an interesting year at the theater and not necessarily in a good way.  To say that the slate has been pretty lean would be an understatement.  There have been some big blockbusters that I’ve really enjoyed (Man of Steel, Star Trek Into Darkness) and a few pleasant surprises (The Conjuring, Warm Bodies), but I had yet to find something that I thought would receive awards season recognition.  That is, until I saw The Way Way Back, a small in budget and scale, but large in scope coming-of-age story that masterfully tells a coming-of-age story set against a jumbled mass of complex relationships.

The plot of the movie focuses on Duncan (Liam James), an awkward teen who is forced to take a summer trip with his single mother (Toni Collette) and her douche bag boyfriend (Steve Carell).  Thrust into a beach community that more closely resembles a camp for 40-somethings engaging in social debauchery, Duncan befriends Owen (Sam Rockwell) - a local who works at a nearby water park, and with his help ventures outside his comfort zone to learn more about himself and about those in his life.

Any discussion of this film must begin and end with Sam Rockwell.  He is that good in this movie.  In a lot of ways, his performance is set up by the dour oppressive atmosphere established by James’ timid and awkward Duncan and Steve Carell’s spot on portrayal of a man who can best be described as miserable and selfish.  The strength of those two performances allows Rockwell to absolutely deliver as the sarcastic but affable manager of the Water Wizz.  Every moment that he is onscreen feels like a breath of fresh air and the snappy delivery with which he speaks his comedic lines picks up the pace of the film immediately.  The contrast between his character and Carell’s is one of the key elements that makes this movie really pop.

Still, the success of this movie ultimately rests on the shoulders of one of the youngest cast members - Liam James.  I have no idea what kind of actor James is, as I’ve never seen him in anything else, but he marvelously captures the intense timidity and suffocating awkwardness of Duncan.  His character is a most sympathetic figure that puts himself in cringe-inducing moments and it’s this quality that draws you in emotionally and makes the payoff feel so cathartic. 

Toni Collette plays off of this character well as Duncan’s mother Pam.  Collette plays a good-natured but damaged single mother – a role that she is quite familiar with and quite adept at playing.  She’s both maddening and endearing, adding a significant layer to this coming-of-age narrative.  The other woman in Duncan’s life, AnnaSophia Robb (as love interest Susana) also shows well in this film, because her character acts as a great contrast to James’ as one who is dynamic, outgoing, and expressive.

As for the rest of the cast, the work is truly top solid from top to bottom.  The crew at the Water Wizz led by Maya Rudolph and Nat Faxon represent the heart of the film and their scenes represent some of the most joyous in the film.  The group of adults that revolve around Carell’s Trent – including Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, and Allison Janney – while not as impressive as Rudolph and Faxon, do a nice job of portraying manic, morally decayed, forty-somethings lost in a sea of their respective mid-life crises.  And in doing so, they close the loop on the recurring theme of contrasts that permeates this film.

With the way this film is treated and the quality of the finished product, it comes as no surprise that writer and director are one in the same.  Nat Faxon and Jim Rash collectively wear both hats and it’s immediately evident that the creative team is invested in this intensely personal narrative that addresses universal themes.  Any film that gets you to care about its characters tends to be a good one.  While any film that gets you to not only care but also to relate to the characters almost always is a great one.  The Way Way Back is definitely closer to the latter bucket.

In a sea of movies loaded with big explosions, wild gunplay, and fisticuffs, The Way Way Back is that rare summer movie that feels intimate, authentic, and personal.  The nature of the film suggests that it does not need to be seen on the big screen, but it is a very good movie that deserves to be seen in a big-feel setting.  Good for a date night or just hanging with friend, I would highly recommend this movie to one and all; even those whose taste skew towards pure action.  There is a little something for everyone in this movie and will leave you feeling like you got your money’s worth.  Without a doubt, The Way Way Back is one of my favorite movies of the year.

Standout Performance:  Sam Rockwell - by a landslide.

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Review: Seven Psychopaths

If you’ve seen In Bruges from writer/director Martin McDonagh it’s plainly evident that he fancies himself a disciple from the Guy Ritchie school of movie making.  He utilizes the same tone, voice, and style that Ritchie wielded in movies like RocknRolla, Snatch, and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.  McDonagh’s latest movie, Seven Psychopaths, likewise follows in this tradition of overly violent movies that feature huge ensemble casts, intertwining plot lines, and a dearth of intelligence obscured by outlandishly skewed sensibilities. 

The plot of the film focuses on a writer (Colin Farrell), who is currently struggling to pen a screenplay about seven psychopaths.  When his friend Billy steals the dog of a particularly violent crime boss and initiates a quest on his behalf to find inspiration by reaching out to other psychopaths, the plot takes on a series of violent twists and turns leading up to a bloody climax.

To enjoy this film, you have to check your common sense at the door and embrace the chicanery that ensures.  And even then it can be a tough sell.  Characters move and act in certain ways with the singular purpose of delivering blood and guts, but it’s far too easy for viewers to see through the paper-thin plot mechanisms that merely serve as window dressings along the way to catchy punch lines and bloody visuals.  At its base, a film has to have a story that moves from point A to point B.  Seven Psychopaths lacks this basic component.  It’s more a collection of violence thrown together with the end goal of Farrell’s Marty writing his script.  And that begs the question as to where the payoff is in that.

Still, as you look up and down the cast one cannot help but feel hope.  Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, and Woody Harrelson are three accomplished actors who are always a threat to steal every scene they are in.  Unfortunately, the script and direction never put them in a position to do so.  Likewise Abbie Cornish and Olga Kurylenko – two competent actress that are also very easy on the eyes – are terribly underutilized and make no impact on this film whatsoever. 

As for Colin Farrell, he is not his typically terrible self.  Normally after watching one of Farrell’s films, I am left with some choice words to describe what I have seen.  However, after watching Seven Psychopaths, I have come to the simple realization that he is perfectly incapable of playing a likable character.  Whether it’s the personal baggage or his craft limitations, the man cannot pull it off – even if you cast him as a war veteran who saves a thousand babies from a burning building, writes a haiku to the his high school sweetheart, and subsequently fends off the world from an alien invasion.  People would still come away from that movie disliking him, and it is this quality that cripples the narrative as his character must be the moral center drowning in a sea of immorality.

Am I saying that there is no entertainment value?  Absolutely not.  It is just difficult to enjoy a movie that is not metaphorically comfortable in its own skin.  The writing, directing, and acting comes off as overly earnest in its desire to be off beat, quirky, and edgy.  In a lot of ways, this movie is not unlike that weird cousin who invites himself over for the holidays.  He/she provides a few moments of ridiculousness that produces a round or two of chuckles during dinner, but ultimately at the end of the night you are left regretting ever letting them through the front door.  There’s just not enough in this film to fully warrant watching this movie, though under very specific circumstances, value can be found.  Leave it at the bottom of your Netflix queue or catch it on HBO and you probably won’t hate yourself when you finally get around to watching it.

Standout Performance: Woody Harrelson.  While it’s not his best performance he definitely commits to the role and goes for it.

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Review: The Sitter

Who didn’t love Elisabeth Shue back in the eighties when she was the quintessential girl-next-door playing opposite Ralph Macchio in the true Karate Kid movie or subbing for Claudia Wells as Jennifer in the 2^nd and 3^rd installments of the Back to the Future Trilogy.  She didn’t quite reach Meg Ryan’s status as America’s Sweetheart, but I think for a lot of people, her performance in Adventures in Babysitting did a lot to nudge her into the conversation.

It really was only a matter of time before someone would attempt a remake (and make no mistake about it – The Sitter is a replica of Elisabeth Shue’s cult classic), but if ever there was a complete 180 in casting it would have to be Jonah Hill stepping into this lead role.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like Jonah Hill – he of Moneyball, 21 Jump Street, and Superbad fame, but this is one of those projects he should have passed on.

Hill plays Noah Green, a college dropout with little sense and even less direction, who is entrusted with looking after three troubled kids for an evening.  Add women, guns, and eccentric drug dealers to the mix and you have the setup for a symphony of errors.  The problem is that director David Gordon Green and writers Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka aren’t really up to the task of putting together a sound comedic production.

Hill is adequate but only because we are familiar with his shtick as a sarcastic degenerate slacker.  It’s a role he eases into like an old pair of sweatpants.  But jokes are poorly set up and punch lines extremely flat.  One of the key mechanisms to this movie is to establish a camaraderie between Hill and Landry Bender, Kevin Hernandez, and Max Records (the 3 kids he is charged with watching).  Unfortunately, there is little development in their relationship and that completely robs the plot of any sense of catharsis in the third act.

As for the rest of the cast, Ari Graynor is adequate as an incredibly self-centered and narcissistic woman who emotionally abuses Hill’s character; Sam Rockwell delivers his typically strong performance as the heavy who terrorizes Hill’s night; and Kylie Bunbury as a potential paramour for Hill is likable amidst a cast of misfit pieces.  Despite some inspired efforts, unfortunately the final product is less than the sum of the individual parts.  The blame for this has to fall on the source material.

I would avoid this one all together.  Even on free TV.  There are any number of Jonah Hill movies out there that are better to watch and to be honest, The Sitter is not even worth the postage fee Netflix pays to ship a DVD to you.  Going forward, let’s hope that Hill makes better comedic choices and that he also avoids pulling a Jim Carrey or an Adam Sandler on us by embarking on a run of movies that reflect a desire to pursue a career as a dramatic actor.  We could definitely use another installment of 21 Jump Street in the near future. 

Standout Performance:  Sam Rockwell.  He always brings something to each performance that makes it unique.   His performance as Karl is a memorable one.

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Review: Cowboys and Aliens

Cowboys and Aliens – the name alone seemed to promise a rollercoaster ride of a movie with two distinct film genres colliding on one screen. And with Jon Favreau directing Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde, this film promised a raucous redefining of both genres. I could not help but imagine an amalgamation of “The Quick and the Dead” and “Independence Day,” each time I walked through Times Square and glanced at the gigantic billboard featuring Daniel Craig along with the following statement: “From the Director of Iron Man.”

What the billboard should have read was, “From the director of Iron Man 2,” because despite the presence of Han Solo and the best James Bond-to-date, the film never takes off. Steve Spielberg may have received producing credits for this project but it feels like he directed it – and not in a good way. For most of the film, Favreau seems intent on slow playing the audience – a dramatic shift from a director who usually keeps plots moving at a brisk pace (i.e. “Elf” and “Iron Man”). For a movie such as “Jaws” or “Signs” in which there is a big reveal, deliberate pacing works. This is not that kind of movie.

Where the film ultimately falters though is in the character department. Favreau and screenwriters Orci, Kurtzman, et al ask us to like a group of characters that are not likable and the few characters that connect with the viewer (i.e. Beach’s Nat Colorado), are not significant enough to make one emotionally invested in the plot. By the time the leads make their dramatic turn towards redemption, I would venture a guess that anyone still watching this film has probably begun to turn their attention towards the exit sign.

I think the writers missed the boat on this film, because they crafted a script that takes itself entirely too serious. Sure, it has the gravitas and grit associated with the western genre, but sorely lacking is the bombastic flash that headlines sci-fi movies. The cantankerous quality that permeates this film is exasperated by the fact that Favreau has at his disposal two actors in Harrison Ford and Sam Rockwell who have mastered the art of infusing sharp wit into long action sequences, and he fails to utilize their talents. As a result, the film we are left with is one that is lacking as a western, as sci-fi adventure, and as a summer tentpole flick.

I am late in reviewing this film, as both the critics and the public have spoken ($89M domestic gross against a $163M budget), but I thought I would chime in because it is easy to get drawn into a vehicle that features so many accomplished performers. I really cannot recommend viewing this film in the cinema or home and suggest you steer clear in lieu of pretty much anything else.

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