Rental Rewind: 2001

It was the year 2001, when Time Magazine named Rudolph Giuliani the Man of the Year for his post 9/11 presence in New York City.  Beyonce was still fronting Destiny’s Child and Janet Jackson’s All for You dominated the summer music charts.  It was a very difficult year in sports as the Baltimore Ravens won the most uneventful Super Bowl in recent memory and the Los Angeles Lakers and Duke Blue Devils ruled the basketball landscape.  Still, the year was not a complete loss as there were some really good movies that debuted in cinemas.   Here’s a look at ten movies (not necessarily the ten best) from 2001 that you may want to go back and take a look at:

10. LEGALLY BLONDE

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair

9. THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez

8. SERENDIPITY

Starring: John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Bridget Moynihan, Jeremy Piven, Molly Shannon

7. ZOOLANDER

Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Christine Johnson

6. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom

5. LIFE AS A HOUSE

Starring: Kevin Kline, Hayden Christensen, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jena Malone

4. TRAINING DAY

Starring: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Eva Mendes

3. OCEAN’S ELEVEN

Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle

2. VANILLA SKY

Starring: Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Jason Lee

1. BLACK HAWK DOWN

Starring: Eric Bana, Josh Hartnett, Jeremy Piven, Tom Sizemore, Ewan McGregor

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Review: The Heat

The formula works.  The mismatched partners / buddy comedy routine is as tried and true as any cinematic paradigm.  You could dedicate a whole blog with hundreds of posts to waxing poetic about the countless films that have successfully worked this theme.  And while this brand of narrative has occasionally featured women, this sphere has for the most part been dominated by male protagonists.  In a lot of ways, Bridesmaids has come to represent a bit of game changer for these types of buddy films as it not only proved that female driven buddy romps could win big at the box office, but also that you could do it with a bit of raunchy flair.  The Heat starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy definitely falls into this bucket of filmmaking, but whether the creative team pulls it off well is highly debatable.

The plot of the movie thrusts an arrogant know-it-all of an FBI agent in Sandra Bullock into a rocky partnership with a hate-it-all police detective (Melissa McCarthy) to track down a mysterious crime lord who is taking over the streets of Boston.  As the two work the case, they find that their contrasting styles complement one another both personally and professionally and help them to realize their respective faults and shortcomings.

If you are thinking that maybe you’ve seen Sandra Bullock play this kind of character before (Miss Congeniality 2), then you are right.  And if the trailer has you thinking that Melissa McCarthy has played this exact role in pretty much every movie she’s ever been in, then you would definitely not be wrong. Therein lies one of the main issues plaguing this film; director Paul Feig has put together a film featuring two actors who are essentially reprising characters they’ve done before in a kind of narrative that has been done to death.  Simply put, nothing feels new about this movie. 

If that were the only issue with the movie, then it would still be fairly entertaining, but unfortunately the editing ensures that film simply will not come together as it should. On far too many occasions, scenes run far too long only to  accommodate some self-indulgent rambling ad lib, rather than focus on storytelling and pacing.  Sure, there are some dead-on huge laugh-out-loud moments in this movie, but the space between these gags are far too long and feel extremely flat.  That little attention is paid to the details of the film's nonsensical plots twists normally would feel incredibly damaging,, but ultimately is relegated to an afterthought because of the dull uneven nature of ninety-percent of the movie.

Like most out there, I thought Bridesmaids was entertaining and a good chunk of that is attributed to Melissa McCarthy.  However, her more recent work left me convinced that her five minutes had expired.  I have to admit though that in The Heat, she proves that perhaps the expiration date on her brand of humor has not yet come to pass.  Sure, the editing does her no favors as she is guilty of some flat jokes, but she offsets those misses by delivering the bulk of the laugh out loud moments.   That she can also turn a scene from obscene to heart-felt on the turn of the dime is purely a bonus.  McCarthy for so many reasons is the only redeeming element in this movie.

As for her partner in crime fighting, Sandra Bullock, she is bland and uninteresting in this film from star to finish.  There is never a moment where I feel like Bullock wants to be in this any scene or that she cares about the finished product.  Cruise control, mailing it in, laying down, paycheck project – whatever cliché, analogy, or idiom you can think of to project utter apathy absolutely applies to her performance.  This is always inexcusable but especially egregious when you get top billing.

As for the work of the rest of the cast, it’s the typical collective performance you would expect to find in an action/comedy of this ilk.  Michael Rapaport, Jane Curtin, Thomas Wilson, and Michael McDonald are seasoned actors and hit all their marks in unremarkable but satisfactory fashion.  Ditto for Marlon Wayans, who is affable enough in a supporting role, but contributes little-to-none in the comedy department.  Ultimately though, the work of the supporting players is rendered inconsequential by the missteps of both director and star.  Nothing any supporting player could lend to a film could overcome such obstacles.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you love Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, buddy comedies, cop comedies, or movies set in Boston.  Heck, it doesn’t even matter if you are related to anyone in the cast.  There is no reason to see this in the cinema.  It’s not worth the money, the cost of concessions, the gas used to drive to the cinema, et al.  At best, it’s a week night rental.  The movie will make you laugh heartily during the most random of scenes, but the mediocrity of the rest of the film will ensure that those comedic moments will quickly be forgotten.

Standout Performance:  Joey McIntyre.  For all the New Kids on the Block fans out there!

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Rental Rewind: 2000

It was the year 2000, when computers worldwide were supposed to crash, but never did, and George W. Bush was Time Magazine’s Man of the Year.  Santana featuring Rob Thomas rocked the airwaves and JT was still the front man for N’SYNC.  It was a rough year in sports as the New York Yankees won the World Series, the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Championship, and Tiger Woods was still winning majors.  But it wasn’t all bad in the sphere of pop culture as a number of fantastic movies made their way onto the big screen.  Here’s a look at ten movies (not necessarily the ten best) from the year 2000 that you may want to put on your rental queue.

10. HIGH FIDELITY

Starring: John Cusack, Jack Black, Iben Hjejle, Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tim Robbins

9. MEET THE PARENTS

Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro, Teri Polo, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner

8. TRAFFIC

Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Rena Sofer, Albert Finney

7. THE BEACH

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Virginie Ledoyen, Tilda Swinton, Guillaume Canet

6. BRING IT ON

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union

5. PITCH BLACK

Starring: Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Keith David

4. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON

Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi

3. REMEMBER THE TITANS

Starring: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Gosling, Kate Bosworth, Donald Faison.

2. GLADIATOR

Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Richard Harris, Djimon Hounsou

1. ALMOST FAMOUS

Starring: Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Patrick Fugit, Jason Lee, Zooey Deschanel

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Review: 42

As a kid, I was a huge fan of baseball – the type of fan who could recite statistics and imitate batting stances.  When I was in the fourth grade, I found a book in the school library that told the Jackie Robinson story and I immediately fell in love with it.  The book was hardcover bound with colorful albeit simplistic illustrations to accompany the large print.  That the book was written for kids, should give you some idea as to how sterilized a version of Robinson’s trials and tribulations the narrative depicted.  Having watched 42, I can’t help but feel like Warner Bros.’ attempt to bring this story to the big screen is not all that different from that book I read so many years ago.

I think we all know to some degree what the plot of the movie is about.  The story picks up at the juncture of Robinson’s life at around the same time Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) is looking to bring a player from the Negro Leagues into the Brooklyn Dodgers organization to effectively break the color barrier.  The movie focuses on Robinson’s relationship with his wife Rachel, his teammates, reporter Wendell Smith, and Brach Rickey against the backdrop of the 1946 and 1947 baseball seasons.

I am not going to get into some of the creative licenses employed with this film as these type of Hollywood productions should never be considered as factual historical pieces.  Still, the blurring of facts aside, the one issue I can’t ignore about this film is how muted the racial angst seems.  Rarely is that captured outside of the appearance of a handful of outspoken bigots and general boos and jeers from disapproving fans in the stands.  While this may be the result of a choice on the part of writer/director Brian Helgeland to make the film more family friendly, it seems to me a missed opportunity to properly depict a gritty time in the U.S. when cultural norms were being challenged and change was on the horizon.  And because of this, the enormity of Robinson’s 1947 season with the Brooklyn Dodgers feels like something less than what it really was.

Another issue I had with this film was the production value.  Again, some of this is due to specific choices by Helgeland, but the visuals consistently feel second rate, even in those instances when the opportunity to capture a historic stadium like Ebbets Field presents itself.  I consistently felt as though I were watching a film more suited for a basic cable channel than one worthy of a theatrical release.  The best comparison I can make for this film is 61* - the Mantle/Maris film that Billy Crystal directed for HBO, only that film far exceeds 42.

As for the work of the cast, at times I felt as though I were watching the work of a subpar off-off-Broadway cast “playing down” to the level of the direction.  Harrison Ford hams it up as Rickey and plays into every cliché in the bag and Chadwick Boseman lacks the charisma that so many have come to associate with Robinson.  To say that he is not quite ready for prime time would be a spot on assessment as his is perhaps the least dynamic performance of the entire principle cast. 

On a more positive note, Nicole Beharie (Rachel Robinson), Andre Holland (Wendell Smith) and Lucas Black (Pee Wee Reese) represent their characters well, infusing some depth to the weight and gravitas generated by the various plot elements in play.  Their respective performances help redeem the film to a degree and bring back that sense of significance that is compromised by Helgeland’s sterile approach.

When I look at 42 in its totality, I don’t see it as a terrible movie but rather a missed opportunity to truly capture what is a great story.  While one can debate the merits of the writing, directing, and acting, there is no denying that when the final credits broll, you will walk away from the film feeling good.  And for many that is an attractive quality.  For the most part, I am ambivalent about 42 – a damning statement considering that I am a huge fan of baseball and its history, but I think that it makes for a satisfactory rental for those in search of family fare.  For those desiring more truth or more sizzle from a film, you will definitely want to look elsewhere.

Standout Performance:  Nicole Beharie.  She does a nice job of bringing Rachel Robinson’s character to the big screen despite the sub stellar work surrounding her.

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Review: The Lone Ranger

If you took the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, exchanged the ocean for the desert, swapped ships for railroads, and put cowboys and Indians wardrobe on the pirates and British naval men, then what you would be left with is Disney’s The Lone Ranger.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise as The Lone Ranger reunites director Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp, the duo that served as the driving force behind Disney’s original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.  What is a bit a surprise though is how this film sorely lacks fun, the one quality that was the indisputable defining trait of the Pirates franchise; and one of the main reasons for its box office success.

The plot of The Lone Ranger places John Reid (Armie Hammer) in the cross hairs of a battle between his Texas Ranger brother Dan Reid (James Badge Dale) and the outlaw Butch Cavendish.  When Dan Reid and his band of rangers are ambushed and left for dead, John takes up the mantle as the Lone Ranger and forms an uneasy alliance with Tonto (Johnny Depp); his goal to exact revenge upon Cavendish and to prevent war between the native Americans and the armed forces protecting the transcontinental railroad.

As the synopsis suggests, there is a lot going on in this movie and thus no shortage of elements in play to create entertainment value.  And it only takes a few frames to be reminded that Gore Verbinski knows how to frame a good shot.  So how then does this film fail to capture the imagination and breath life into the American icon? 

For starters, it’s just not that fun.  The tongue-in-cheek witty banter that no doubt dotted each page of the script really falls flat when brought to screen.  More often than not, the dialogue between characters plays like a bad set at the local improv and without those laughs to lighten up the narrative, the fun factor of this film erodes exponentially.  This brings the focus of the film solely onto the gravitas and action-oriented elements of the plot, leading directly into the second issue with this film.

No action film can succeed without a strong actor cast in the role of the hero and unfortunately, that responsibility falls upon the all-too-narrow shoulders of Armie Hammer.  Having seen Hammer in The Social Network, J. Edgar, Mirror Mirror, and now The Lone Ranger, I am convinced that he is best suited to play those over-privileged male characters who give off a more metrosexual vibe.  Because of this, he falters as the man behind the mask when the situations grow dire and the physicality escalates.  If Hammer has greater range or another gear as an actor, he does not display it and thus the film suffers greatly.

The third issue with this film is its length, which feels a good thirty some odd minutes too long.  Like Verbinski’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies, The Lone Ranger is loaded with a bevy of key characters – each with their own respective agendas, and about ten too many twists and turns.  Thus, as Verbinski plays these threads out to their ultimate conclusions with unbridled abandon, the central focus of the film gets lost and the general sense of tension and drama associated with the plot gets tossed out the window.  The bloated running time coupled with the lack of weighted gravitas and plucky comic relief makes the film’s pace feel plodding at best.

As for the biggest name in the cast, Johnny Depp, he turns in an uneven performance that is more good than bad.  Eccentric, awkward, and borderline incoherent, Depp’s Tonto is one of the few characters that stands out against the bland background of the unsettled west.  Sure, Depp makes some odd choices (even by his standards) and at times it feels like he is playing an alternate universe version of Jack Sparrow, but clearly he is invested and committed to the roll and that makes his work stand out; especially so since some of his cast mates seemed barley to register a heartbeat in this film.

Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson, Helena Bonham Carter, and Barry Pepper are four such culprits.  Normally, supporting players sleepwalking through their perofrmances might not drastically diminish the entertainment value of a movie, but when two of those actors represent the female love interest and the chief antagonist, then almost nothing can be done to rescucitate the production.  Still, the supporting cast is not a complete miss as James Badge Dale and William Fichter (Butch Cavendish) do a fantastic job disappearing completely into their respective roles and delivering their lines with conviction.  Ultimately though, it’s mostly for naught as too many things go awry in this film to appreciate any kind of silver lining.

On paper, The Lone Ranger looks like a solid summer flick given the composition of the cast and the presence of a proven director in the big chair.  Still, the movie feels like just another action movie – a very expensive one ($225M) that was made just for the sake of getting made.  Little is demanded from films of this ilk – well-framed action, excitement, and a sense of joy, so when a film misses on two of the three tennets, it can only be viewed as a colossal disappointment.  I would definitely not recommend you watch this movie in the cinema as it is worth neither the time nor money.  Your best bet is to put this in the take-it-or-leave-it bucket and let the chips fall where they may.  Should the film ultimately find its way into your hands then give it a look, a nd if it never does, then life will just go on and you’re life will in no way be adversely affected.

Standout Performance:  James Badge Dale.  In limited screen time, Dale manages to display great depth with his character in ways other than straight narration.

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Review: Olympus Has Fallen

I meant to catch Olympus Has Fallen at the local cinema during its theatrical release, but with two assaults on the White House slated for 2013 (the other being White House Down), I decided to take a pass on this one.  Because it featured a C-level star in Gerard Butler and was being released during the first quarter or 2013, I felt like it would probably be the lesser of the two much the same way Deep Impact was a (very) poor man’s Armageddon.  Having finally had the chance to watch the action vehicle, I can tell you that it is not a good movie.  But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is completely un-fun to watch.

The plot of the movie focuses on Butler’s Mike Banning – an expert secret service agent who is forced to make a tough on-the-job decision and is thus removed from his spot on the president’s detail.  Despite his banishment, he manages to get involved when a group of Koreans manage to infiltrate the White House and unleash an all out attack on the most secure building in the United States.  Butler thus spends the rest of the filming trying desperately to save President Asher (Aaron Eckhart) before the terrorist brigade can achieve their ultimate goal.

The director of this film, Antoine Fuqua is fondly remembered for the fantastic job he turned in with Training Day – a very solid movie that helped Denzel Washington earn his first Oscar.  What most people should remember though is that after said film, Fuqua failed to impress with movies like Tears of the Sun, King Arthur, and Shooter – a most lackluster trio of films.  Still, I went into this film hoping that Fuqua could pull a good narrative from what seemed would be a complete mess.  Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Olympus Has Fallen, has some fun sensationalized action sequences that are large in scale but completely defy logic.  Still, that’s not the point.  Realism gets thrown out the window pretty early on.  This film is geared towards those who are jonesing for straight up action.  Guns, rocket launchers, helicopters, nuclear warheads – there’s no shortage of fisticuffs and explosions.  In fact, had the film been comprised of two straight hours of non-stop action, it would have played better. Sadly though, Butler and his fellow combatants have lines to speak and every time one of them opens their mouths, the movie gets worse.  The blame for that goes to writers Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt.

I think we’ve seen enough of Gerard Butler to know that he is not the caliber of actor who can overcome terrible lines.  In fact, he almost basks in them, especially when you put a bulletproof vest on his chest and an assault rifle in his hands.  He’s not terrible in this role – as there are junctures in the film where he is actually decent, but whenever he has to sell something more than grand machismo, it falls apart.  Aaron Eckhart as President Asher fares even worse.  He single handedly turns the Commander-in-Chief into a walking set of clichés with hammed up expressions and tired sentiments that feel like they were ripped off from a Successories poster.

As for the rest of the cast, Morgan Freeman turns in the stock Morgan Freeman performance.  It feels like one of his past performances could have just as easily been copied and pasted in this film and completely saved him a trip to the set.  Radha Mitchell, Dylan McDermott, and Angela Bassett fail to impress in this film though it’s not entirely their respective faults as each were cast as paper-thin characters with no depth whatsoever.  They could have been replaced with unknown actors and the movie would have been no worse off.  Theirs represents a very disappointing waste of talent.

My biggest beef with this film though comes in the form of Rick Yune.  He, of Snow Falling on Cedars, The Fast and the Furious, and Die Another Day fame, has never been able to act and apparently still cannot.  That he still gets cast in anything defies all logic.  It’s painful to watch him speak a line or cast a look; there’s just no acting talent there whatsoever.   And his ability to speak Korean (ditto for those cast as his cohorts) is so jarring to the reality of this film that it strips whatever shred of credibility this film has left.  It’s amazing to me that in this day and age, the producers of a one hundred million dollar project can’t manage to find someone who can provide proper voice over work. 

So as you can see, there are a lot of issues with this movie.  Despite this, I am not willing to completely cast it aside.  Sure, most of Olympus Has Fallen’s action stretches your disbelief, but that’s what works best about it – that it basks in the nonsensical as if it were straight out of the mid 90’s.  For those who like this kind of unabashed action, there’s always a place for another bombastic adventure short on the merits of storytelling, but long on cool visuals and logic defying stunts.  If you are this type of person, then you should definitely rent this film.  It will provide you with two hours of moderate entertainment.  However, if you require dialogue, coherent plot points, and real acting, then you will want to take a pass on this one.  It will fill you with regret at about the twenty-minute mark.  The choice is yours.

Standout Performance:  Ashley Judd.  She gives the movie exactly what it demands from her.

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July 2013 Movie Guide

JULY 5, 2013

DESPICABLE ME 2

Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand

Why You Should See It: Because you loved the first one.
Why You Should Avoid It: Because you’re an adult.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says: Take a pass.

THE LONE RANGER

Starring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Helena Bonham Carter, Barry Pepper

Why You Should See It: Because you love the collaboration between Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski.
Why You Should Avoid It: Depp’s last three movies – Dark Shadows, Rum Diary, and Pirates 4.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says: Rental at best.

THE WAY WAY BACK

Starring: Steve Carell, Amanda Peet, Sam Rockwell, Liam James

Why You Should See It: Because you need a break from the larger than life action films littering the summer cinemascape.
Why You Should Avoid It: Because you only have an appetite for those tent pole action flicks.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says: Yes; could be sleeper hit of the summer.

Other theatrical releases:  Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain

JULY 12, 2013 

GROWN UPS 2

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Salma Hayek

Why You Should See It: Salma Hayek.

Why You Should Avoid It: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, and David Spade.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says:  If you have to ask then you haven’t been paying attention.  This is a no.

PACIFIC RIM

Starring: Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day

Why You Should See It: Director Guillermo del Toro almost always delivers.

Why You Should Avoid It: The TV spots have begun to erode confidence in this film.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says:  Game time decision.

Other theatrical releases: Lovelace

JULY 19, 2013 

THE CONJURING

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston

Why You Should See It: Because director James Wan is a master of suspense.

Why You Should Avoid It: Recent entries in the horror genre have been pretty uninspired.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says:  This has October rental written all over it.

GIRL MOST LIKELY

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Darren Criss, Matt Dillon, Annett Bening

Why You Should See It: You love all things Kristen Wiig.

Why You Should Avoid It: You don’t love all things Kristen Wiig.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says:  Girlfriend rules apply.

RED 2

Starring: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich

Why You Should See It: Because the first one was surprisingly fun.

Why You Should Avoid It: Because the second one has money grab written all over it..

And the Magic 8 Ball Says:  Rental all the way.

RIPD

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Marisa Miller, Mary-Louise Parker, Kevin Bacon

Why You Should See It: Because you’re a fan of the comic.

Why You Should Avoid It: Because Ryan Reynolds hasn’t made a good movie in forever.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says:  Take a pass.

Other theatrical releases: Turbo

JULY 26, 2013 

THE TO DO LIST

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Bill Hader, Scott Porter, Rachel Bilson

Why You Should See It: Because Aubrey Plaza rocks on Parks and Recreation so you can’t get enough of her.

Why You Should Avoid It: Because you don’t like edgy comedic coming-of-age nostalgia flicks.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says:  Too close to call.

THE WOLVERINE

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Famke Janssen, Will Yun Lee, Brian Tee, Svetlana Khodchenkova

Why You Should See It: Because Hugh Jackman is one of the more talented actors in the business today.

Why You Should Avoid It: Because X-Men Origins: Wolverine was painful to watch.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says:  Rental…or not.

Other theatrical releases:  Blue Jasmine, Fruitvale Station

JULY 31, 2013 

THE SMURFS 2

Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, Jayma Mays, Christina Ricci

Why You Should See It: There is no good reason to watch this.

Why You Should Avoid It: Because every ounce of common sense tells you that you should avoid it.

And the Magic 8 Ball Says:  Never.

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