Documentary Review: Earth

Earth (2007) 

Directed by Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield 

Written by Documentary 

Starring Planet Earth 

Release Date April 22nd, 2009 

Published April 22nd, 2009 

We are definitely spoiled when it comes to the modern nature documentary. With what the BBC and the Discovery Channel did with the documentary Planet Earth and what Imax filmmakers have contributed in just the last decade, the allegedly new documentary Earth from Disney looks a little like a modern Mutual Of Omaha production. Then again, the whole thing is basically lifts and leftovers from Planet Earth, what does it matter.

Disney's Earth arrives on Earth Day 2009 and feels like a cynical capitalization on the burgeoning holiday. More and more schools and businesses have come to embrace Earth Day and that makes a venture like Earth potentially viable in the marketplace, if not such an artistic endeavour.

That is not a shot at the filmmakers, directors Allistair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, did some astonishing work. It's a shot at Disney for recycling the work of the BBC and the Discovery Channel and pretending it's something new. The fact is, some of the footage cut together for Earth was actually used in Discovery's 12 hour doc that transfixed documentary lovers in 2008.

When not recycling, Earth fills out 90 minutes with the stuff that didn't make Planet Earth. This amounts to some comic relief, monkeys and penguins, and some striking shots of Great White Sharks and baby ducks learning to fly for the first time. Don't get me wrong, even the stuff cut from Planet Earth is pretty impressive looking, it just feels icky that Disney refused to come up with something of their own instead of feasting on scraps.

At the very least, the Mouse House could have released Earth in Disney Digital projection, if not using their dazzling 3D. But no, the release is on average, everyday film stock and thus even loses a generation of quality from the awesome HD presentation of Planet Earth.

For school field trips and those desperate for a way to celebrate Earth Day indoors, Earth may be worth the ticket price but if you have seen the Discovery documentary Planet Earth or can get over to the IMAX for any one of their current offerings, you can skip Earth.

Movie Review: 'Bella'

Bella (2007) 

Directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde

Written by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde

Starring Eduardo Verastegui, Tammy Blanchard 

Release Date October 26th, 2007

Published October 26th, 2007

The right wing politicos have been salivating over Bella. This tiny drama about a woman considering an abortion and the conversation she has about her decision with a troubled co-worker has been passed around by the church crowd and is being pushed as the rare, outspoken pro-life movie to come out of Hollywood.

Whether that was the intention of writer-director Alejandro Monteverde is debatable. Watching Bella and comparing it with the hype surrounding it; you get an odd picture of just what this movie is. Away from the hype, Bella is a thoughtful conversation about life between two interesting and engaging people. With the hype you can divine a message if you want one but the film is far from strident about it's political edge.

Eduardo Verastegui stars in Bella as Jose, a former soccer star whose life was changed in one fateful moment. Today he works for his brother Manny (Manny Perez) as a chef at a popular restaurant. Well, he did work there, but today he lost his job. Jose walked out on Manny after the boss fired Nina (Tammy Blanchard) for once again showing up late.

Nina had a good reason however, she just found out she was pregnant. Sensing the injustice of her firing and her obvious need for comfort, Jose walked off the job to tend to her. This begins a long conversation that takes them across New York City and to the outskirts of Manhattan for dinner with Jose's family, minus Manny who is dealing with his brother's absence.

Nina has made up her mind, she is getting an abortion. Losing her job was the clincher. She already felt that she was in no position to raise a child. Now, facing the idea of having to apply for jobs while waiting to give birth is just something she cannot imagine. For his part, Jose is supportive but questioning. Though he doesn't reveal any specific belief about the morality of abortion, he wants to know if Nina is certain of her decision and fully aware of the consequences and dangers.

There is a distinct lack of stridency in director Alejandro Monteverde's approach to abortion. The film is no polemic though if one chooses to, they could divine that the filmmakers are indeed pro-life. That belief is not openly expressed because I'm not sure that is what the film is really about. Rather, Bella is about these two characters and their specific situation.

The decisions made by Jose and Nina are their decisions and not ones that feel mandated by an agenda. In that account I didn't mind Bella so much. I like these two characters,I found both to be gentle, thoughtful and sweet. Their conversation is thoughtful and revealing without a hint of agenda or talking points. If the film meanders a bit, it's only because there isn't much more to it than a single conversation.

The thing about Bella and it's pro life message is that it is not all that unique. The message is certainly not nearly as unique in a Hollywood movie as the right wing agenda types would have you believe. Think about the last time you saw abortion portrayed in a mainstream movie. The one instance that jumps to mind is Fast Times At Ridgemont High a comedy that was somewhat breezy about the issue and likely one of the reasons the right wing see's pro-choice conspiracy inside every film canister.

Think really hard though about Hollywood's true attitude toward abortion. Three of this years most talked about films Knocked Up, Waitress and Juno flirted with idea of abortion but were immediately dismissive. Granted each film needed those babies for plot purposes but check the attitudes. The characters in Knocked Up can't even bring themselves to say the word abortion, inserting the nonsense phrase ‘smashmortion’ as a dodge.

Keri Russell's Waitress barely takes a moment to ponder the idea before she dismisses the idea. Even the idea of selling the baby on the black market was discussed as a more appealing idea. I've not seen but trailers for Juno and I know that abortion is not part of that films teen pregnancy scenario. Juno centers around a knocked up teen who decides to give up her baby to a couple she finds in the newspaper.

So where, I ask, is the left wing, pro-choice agenda? I do not argue that Hollywood is not inherently liberal. The industry has churned out a number of anti-war films this year that attest to a left wing perspective. That perspective however, is nowhere to be found when it comes to abortion.

Again, I feel it necessary to point out that Bella is not really as much of an agenda film as the right wing would have you believe. Rather, Bella is a thoughtful discussion of life, and the choices available, between two kind, intelligent and engaging characters. It's unfortunate that outside agendas have become attached to this film. The idea that Bella is an anti-abortion movie has become attached unfairly. Bella isn’t anti-abortion, it’s pro-friendship and conversation and the choices made by individuals that aren’t driven by the politics of the day. 

Movie Review: Tian Tang Kou

Blood Brothers (2007) 

Directed by Alexi Tan

Written by Alexi Tan

Starring Daniel Wu, Tony Yang, Ye Liu 

Release Date August 23rd, 2007 

Published November 15th, 2007 

John Woo will return to directing for the first time in nearly four years later this year. For now, Woo seems to be reveling in his elder statesman of Asian filmmaking status. His influence is all over the new Alexi Tan action flick Three Brothers. The story of three guys from a small village who move to 1930's Shanghai and find themselves in the world of crime features some very John Woo-esque visuals, though without Woo's taste for hyperkinetic editing.

Fung (Daniel Wu) Hu (Tony Yang) and Kang (Ye Liu) have grown up together in a tiny fishing village just far enough removed from the big city of Shanghai that they are able to dream of what the city is like without the intrusion of harsh realities. Hu and Kang are brothers who accepted Fung as their brother at a very young age.

Kang is clearly the leader of this little crew and when he decides to go to Shanghai, with dreams of becoming a waiter in a fancy restaurant, it is with little disagreement that Hu and Fung follow him. Once in Shanghai Hu and Fung take jobs as rickshaw drivers while Kang manages his dream and becomes a waiter at the paradise club.

The club is a mob front for Boss Hong (Honglei Sung). With his top enforcer Mark (Chen Chang), Boss Hong runs Shanghai's elicit weapons biz. Behind the boss's back, Mark is making time with Lulu (Qi Shiu), the woman Boss Hong has turned into Shanghai's top cabaret performer. She wants to run away with Mark but is more practical than Mark who thinks he can kill the boss and get away clean.

These five people intersect in ways that will divide and combine in the most unexpected ways. Director Alexi Tang starts off slow, spending more time dazzling the eyes with striking visuals and unique music cues, lot's of classical music, very western influenced, before plunging deep into these characters and the tragic ways in which their lives cross.

The visual style of Three Brothers will be what garners the most attention for the film. Director Alexi Tang is a former production still photographer who takes his eye for static scenery and applies it beautifully to moving pictures. The crisp, clean visuals of Three Brothers gives a clear eyed view of all of the moral, ethical and other such issues faced by these compelling characters.

It is fair to say that the fate of some characters are easily predicted. If you don't already know the fate of Boss Hong you've likely not seen many movies. Also, Hu being the little brother has a fate that becomes clear very early on. His character development has a number of clues and tips that lead the way quite obviously to his fate but he nevertheless remains compelling. 

Chen Chang is the actor who stands out in a terrific cast. Playing a mob hitman gives him a badass air from the beginning but his development as a tragic, tortured hero is arguably the most compelling arc of the whole film. Chang is stunning in the films final shoot out with the lines "That is a killer?" and "This is my fate"  delivered with a flat, unironic monotone that gives the words an extra, unexpected punch.

Three Brothers develops slowly and will have many audiences squirming through the first 30 minutes or so. However, once the brothers are in Shanghai and into the world of crime, the transition becomes a concentric circle of ever evolving tragedy mixed with stylish violence and compelling imagery.

Stepping from the shadows of producer John Woo, director Alexi Tang delivers an western influenced gangster epic that pays homage to Woo but is without a doubt it's own movie.

Movie Review 2 Days in Paris

2 Days in Paris (2007) 

Directed by Julie Delpy 

Written by Julie Delpy 

Starring Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg, Daniel Bruhl 

Release Date May 17th, 2007 

Published May 17th, 2007 

Julie Delpy, so enchanting opposite Ethan Hawke in Richard Linklater's indelible double feature Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, brings that Linklater influence to her directorial debut 2 Days In Paris. No Sunrise/Sunset clone is this. 2 Days In Paris is similar in theme and content to her influences, but the characters she has created for herself and Adam Goldberg are wholly her own. Smart, funny, sexy and very French 2 Days In Paris unfolds the realistic twists and turns of a couple under the strain of a two year, where is this thing headed, relationship and a cross Europe vacation that concludes with a visit to Paris and a meet the parents situation unlike anything you've ever experienced, I would hope.

Marion (Julie Delpy) and Jack (Adam Goldberg) have been together two years and though they seem happy where they are, a couple can't be together two years without talk of the future looming overhead. They have spent the past two weeks all over Italy on what was supposed to be a romantic vacation. It has been romantic, occasionally, but Jack has been sick and Marion has been looking ahead to her visit home to Paris. They are laying over two days in Marion's old apartment, she keeps it though they live together in New York.

While there Jack will meet Marion's parents, Anna (Marie Pillet) and Jeannot (Albert Delpy, Julie's real father). Meeting the parents is always awkward but when you literally don't speak the language it can be interminable. Then there are Marion's friends, mostly men, some of them ex's. Naturally Jack is a little insecure and these being French men things get a little more uncomfortable, talk of sex is more open and every conversation is rich with flirtation and entirely in French. That language, so romantic sounding that even the most innocuous compliment sounds like poetry.

All of the strain of a foreign vacation, Marion's parents, Marion's past and Jack's insecurities finally comes to a head and we get scenes of exceptionally smart and wrenching dialogue between two people who communicate a depth and history to their relationship without having to explain it. The tiny jokes, the offhand insults, the little things that make a life between two people are the things that director Julie Delpy captures so beautifully. When we arrive at the more difficult conversations, the tough moments, we are not taking sides, rather we are invested in both characters and this relationship as if we had something at stake in them being together. That is exceptional work.

Adam Goldberg is an actor that can be difficult to take. His characters are all the same, neurotic, New Yorkers, constantly angst ridden and on the edge of an angry explosion. In 2 Days in Paris, as familiar as this character is, there is a little more nuance to it. Goldberg is more in control of his tics and mannerisms here than I've seen him before. He's a little more emotional and in touch with his feelings and though he still has that sarcastic armor that is his calling card, it's part of a richer character. As put off by his act as I'm sure some of you are, you will find it fits this character well.

As for the actress Julie Delpy, she is typically magnificent. I'm sure Ms. Delpy has made some bad movies but when she in her element, romance, France, she is ethereal. This character is more complicated and screwed up than the romantic heroine of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset so she must find different ways of getting us to root for her and somehow, even after some major meltdowns and questionable decisions we root for her and wish for her. It's a terrific performance made all the more impressive because she was directing herself.

Talky, provocative, smart and very funny, 2 Days In Paris is one of the movies I wish I would have seen before I listed my best movies of the year. It is that good. The influence of Richard Linklater has done well for Julie Delpy but 2 Days In Paris is her baby and it is quite beautiful. It is soon to be on DVD and you must check it out.

Movie Review Juno

Juno (2007) 

Directed by Jason Reitman

Written by Diablo Cody

Starring Elliott Page, Jason Bateman, J.K Simmons, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera

Release Date December 5th, 2007

Published December 4th 2007

We've seen movies with smart ass motormouths and quick to quip teens. What separates Juno from characters of our recent, acerbic past is a performance by Ellen Page that simply rings truer than other similar performances. Page's Juno plays like a real teenage who happens to be savvier than most of the people she meets.  

Juno (Elliot Page) is just 16 but she has that typically movie worldliness that seems so rare in real life. Quick with a quip, Juno's wit belies a vulnerability that comes out when forced to confront her real feelings for her good friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). Juno and Paulie had danced around their feelings for each other in typical teenage gamesmanship until one night when each took things further than expected.

The sex was the kind that teenagers often experience, fumbling yet transformative on an emotional level. There is no real sex scene in Juno but visual and verbal allusions tell us all we need to know about the encounter. More important to the movie is the result of the brief encounter, Juno is pregnant.

Now she must tell her parents, Dad Mac (J.K Simmons) and stepmother Bren (Allison Janney) are both relieved and disappointed. The relief is that Juno hasn't been arrested or expelled from school, their initial suspicions when Juno when Juno sat them down for a talk. Their disappointment, typically parental, are concerns about her future and that of the unexpected grandchild.

After a brief flirtation with the big A, Juno is put off by a lone protester who tells her her baby already has fingernails, leads Juno to a more unique solution. The local Nickel Saver flyer has real advertisements for couples seeking babies. There Juno finds Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) a well to do yuppie suburban couple who seem like the perfect fit.

Looks are deceiving however as Juno bonds with Mark, a frustrated musician turned jingle writer, who longs for the days when it was just him and his band and his music. Meanwhile baby fevered Vanessa puts off all around her with her baby preparations and constant nervousness over whether Juno will actually give up the child.

Writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman wring some real surprises out of these characters whose lives unfold in a most unique and engaging manner. Holding it all together is Page's Juno whose vulnerability behind the quick witted bravado is the heart of the picture.

Page more than deserves the Oscar nomination she was recently rewarded with. The layers she brings to what could have been an overly familiar, too smart for her own good, teenage adult are quite surprising. The acerbic teen in movies more often than not sounds like a mini-adult with the writers of Seinfeld whispering in their ears. Juno too is quick with the quip but somehow Elliott Page makes it feel real.

She is aided greatly by a skilled supporting cast; that seem just the type of people who could bring about a personality like Juno. J.K Simmons as Juno's dad may not be hip and his wit is not as cutting as his daughters but his befuddled skepticism and earnest curiosity give a definite idea of where Juno came from. Especially when it's combined with the no nonsense toughness and good heartedness of Juno's stepmom played brilliantly by Allison Janney.

And then there is the exceptional Michael Cera who captures the awkwardness of youth like few actors we've ever seen. His Paulie is quirky and weird and clumsy but true hearted and in love with Juno whether she is willing to see it or not. The relationship is a near perfect depiction of teenage love, unlike anything we've seen before.

Juno and Paulie are not Dawson's Creek characters who say all the right things all the time or seem understanding beyond their years. This is how real teenagers express their love with metaphoric hair pulling and subtext filled bickering because they can't express or understand their true feelings. The love is clumsy and faltering and so very true.

It is at once astonishing and not all that surprising that all involved are so very young. For director Jason Reitman Juno is only a second feature. This is writer Diablo Cody's screen debut and for star Elliot Page, they are  almost a veteran appearing in their third feature outing following the well reviewed indie Hard Candy and the big budget actioner X-Men: The Last Stand.

It is their youth that invigorates Juno and gives the film its truth. They know these characters and this situation because they are so very close to them in terms of experience and age. Youthful exuberance is what enlivens the whole of Juno and makes it such a pleasure to behold.

I would be remiss if I did not also praise the soundtrack of Juno, so sadly overlooked by Oscar. The music of Juno is integral to the drama without ever overshadowing it. Nor does the music act as Greek chorus, Reitman and music supervisor Peter Afterman make near perfect use of both classic pop/alternative and newer music from bands like Belle and Sebastian and The Moldy Peaches.

The Peaches song "Anyone Else But You" provides one of the years great music moments, a coda to the film perfect in it's subtlety.

Movie Review: Epic Movie

Epic Movie (2007) 

Directed by Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer 

Written by Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer 

Starring Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, Jennifer Coolidge, Jayma Mayes, Crispin Glover 

Release Date January 26th, 2007

Published January 27th, 2007

One movie parody after the next gets worse and worse. Further and further the movies spawned by the success of Scary Movie go from humorous parody to a patchwork of drunken movie karaoke where actors stumble about plots from some of our favorite movies of the decade; missing the beats and never finding the rhythm.

Date Movie was thought to be the nadir of this genre. Sadly, two of the producers of Scary Movie managed to lower the depths and make a movie parody even worse. Epic Movie is an example of how you can dig to the bottom of the barrel and still go lower, if you just lift up the barrel and keep digging, straight to the sewer.

Epic Movie charts an unusual course. Four characters are each initially trapped in their own parody. Edward (Kal Penn) is trapped in a dull facsimile of the orphanage from Nacho Libre, a good movie that really stretches the definition of an 'epic movie'. Peter (Adam Campbell) is locked in the school for mutants from the X-Men movies. Lucy (Jayma Mayes) is escaping a knockoff of The Da Vinci Code and Susan (Faune A. Chambers) is stuck with a parody of Snakes On A Plane.

I say parody only because there is nothing else to call these scenes. Parody, unfortunately, implies that these scenes have a humorous sense about them. They do not. The "parody" of Epic Movie simply calls for the re-enactment of scenes from popular films augmented by bathroom humor, crotch kicking and dull slapstick.

Eventually, these four characters find each other in a Willy Wonka knock-off that leads to a Chronicles of Narnia knock-off and bad copies of Pirates of the Carribean, Borat and the MTV shows Punk'd and Cribs which were timely in, say; 2005. That is one of a myriad of problems with movies like Epic Movie. Our culture moves so quickly that often by the time they are able to finish these cheap reprises, the culture has already moved on to other things. The cribs satire is especially forgetting and tortured.

The comedy of Epic Movie is non-existent, unless you take pleasure in watching likable actors pissing their careers away. Kal Penn, so likable in Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, is Epic Movie's biggest victim. With his role on TV's 24 and what I'm sure he hopes is his breakthrough as a dramatic actor in Mira Nair's upcoming The Namesake coming later this year, Penn looked set for stardom. However, after watching him piss down his leg in Epic Movie, how can I possibly take him seriously.

Fred Willard, Jennifer Coolidge and David Carradine all get caught up in the slime of picking up a paycheck for this awful mess of a movie. These terrific actors don't embarrass themselves to degrees that will matter but they should not highlight this one on their resume. Crispin Glover and Darrell Hammond are lucky that they are buried under pounds of makeup for their roles, leaving them almost unrecognizable. For their sake I will leave their parody identities out of this review.

It's difficult to describe just how bad Epic Movie is. I could easily claim that the film is an early candidate for worst movie of the year but, god help me, I hope I don't remember this movie that long. What is worse is that I know the film will do well enough at the box office that yet another should follow this time next year like some kind of annual curse.

At least by then maybe the stench of Epic Movie will have waned.

Movie Review King of Kong A Fistful of Quarters

King of Kong A Fistful of Quarters 

Directed by Seth Gordon

Written by Documentary 

Starring Billy Mitchell, Steve Wiebe 

Release Date August 17th, 2007

Published November 17th, 2007 

What kid, alive and aware in the 80's doesn't remember Donkey Kong. Arcades all over the country teemed with kids lining up to run Mario over those barrels, up those ladders and finally all the way to his girl on that platform where inevitably Kong would snatch her up again and the game would start again. The next rounds would feature killer springs, tiny fireballs, elevators, pulley systems and more ladders. When the game was made available for the original Nintendo system my friends and I would spend several frustrating hours playing that stupid game, my frustration should tell you how well I ever did at it.

That said, I do recall a friend of mine who made it all the way to the 21st screen, scored over a million points and the game stopped because there was no further to go. According to the documentary The King of Kong A Fistful of Quarters what my buddy did was set a world record. Of course, when we played it rarely seemed like anything more than a diversion, not something you took the time to document or even remember accurately. The stars of this documentary however, consider my words blasphemy. They have spent their lives keeping track of scores on video games, documenting them on videotapes shown to men who call themselves judges or video game referees.

One sad soul spends days at a time watching videotapes of people playing videogames in order to authenticate what he believes is an important world's record. As condescending as I'm sure I sound toward these men, and indeed they are all men, what is stunning about this documentary from director Seth Gordon is how compelling and even fascinating these characters become.

Billy Mitchell has long been the all time Donkey Kong champion. His high score has sat at the top of the rankings for more than a decade. Yes, there are video game championship rankings, documented by an Ottumwa Iowa arcade owner named Walter Day. Mitchell has lived this accomplishment for most of his life. Kong along with his perfect score on Pac Man in the mid-nineties, are the defining moments of his life. The undeservedly arrogant, mullet wearing Mitchell is also a successful businessman in Florida who still plays Donkey Kong, longing to break the million point barrier.

Steve Wiebe, on the other hand, didn't pick up his Donkey Kong obsession until he was laid off from his job as a high school science teacher. Long a man with an obsessive personality, Steve's family has long suspected he may have obsessive compulsive disorder or may even be slightly autistic. Whatever Steve's issue it drives him to do things like play Donkey Kong for days on end in hopes of breaking Billy Mitchell's record score. As Seth Gordon documents in King of Kong Steve does break the record but it's not nearly as simple as one might imagine.

Controversy erupts, was his machine that he plays in his garage, street legal or modified. Was the videotape of his game used to authenticate his score tampered with? If these questions sound inconsequential, director Gordon does an amazing job demonstrating how much they matter to this oddball collection of humans spread literally across the country from Steve in Redmond Washington to Walter in Ottumwa, Iowa to Billy Mitchell in Hollywood Florida. As goofy as it sounds I guarantee you will be riveted by Steve's reaction and what happens next.

Seth Gordon adopts just the right level of skeptical distance and non-judgemental humor. You sense that Gordon is on our side in thinking how goofy this competition is. However, as he indulges these strange personalities, you must admit that a compelling story of rivalry and obsession emerges that for 84 minutes keeps you fascinated and wanting to see what happens next. Mock if you must but I recommend you take a look at King of Kong A Fistful of Quarters and try not to be sucked into the war between Steve and Billy and Donkey Kong.

Funny and fascinating, King Of Kong A Fistful of Quarters is one of the most unique and compelling documentaries I've ever seen. A must see.

Movie Review The Astronaut Farmer

The Astronaut Farmer (2007) 

Directed by Michael Polish

Written by Mark Polish, Michael Polish

Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern, Max Thieriot 

Release Date February  23rd, 2007

Published March 6th, 2007

Mark and Michael Polish are a pair of eccentric auteurs whose vision of the world is often detached and laconic. This quality is unique and gives them a signature style few directors can claim. It also, however, makes them a rather odd choice to write and direct a mainstream, uplifting family feature. Indeed, their latest film, The Astronaut Farmer, is an supposedly upbeat family story about a man who dreams of flying into the cosmos.

Charlie Farmer is a dreamer. He has been dreaming of being an astronaut since he joined the airforce at 17 years old. He progressed through the ranks quickly and was destined for NASA when a family tragedy called him home to his family's ranch in Texas and a life he never intended. Now in his late 40's with a beautiful wife Audie (Virginia Madsen), three terrific kids, Charlie has somehow managed to not give up his dream.

In his barn, Charlie has built a real life rocket. Stainless steel, a model of the classic first NASA space rockets, Charlie's space ship is nearly ready for launch when he comes to the attention of the federal government. The head of the FAA (J.K Simmons) is determined to keep the Texas farmer grounded. Meanwhile, Charlie's lawyer (Tim Blake Nelson), gets the media involved and Charlie becomes a sensation.

Written and directed by Michael and Mark Polish, The Astronaut Farmer has some of the Polish's usual inspired simplicity. The idea of an astronaut farmer has the same kind of quaint charm as the group of misfits from Northfork who cling to their tiny home even as the government plans to flood them out of existence.

The Astronaut Farmer shares with Northfork and the Polish brothers' debut picture Twin Falls Idaho a similar laconic, detached observant quality. The differences however; are stark and somewhat damning. Where Northfork and Twin Falls Idaho are character studies that thrive under the detached, observant style of the Polish brothers. The Astronaut Farmer is much too patently commercial to thrive under this kind of direction.

The Astronaut Farmer is so disconnected from any identifiable reality that there is a sort of loopy charm to it. Unfortunately the film simply seems too tired to mine that charm for more than just the premise and a quirky opening scene of Thornton in full astronaut regalia riding a horse over the plains. From there, the film drifts and bobs and never gains any narrative energy.

The roadblocks to the farmer's success are laid out succinctly (finances, the Federal government) but because of the laid back pace and manner of the filmmaking, these obstacles never grow to provide any narrative tension. Late in the film; when a false crisis is introduced it is so poorly put together it takes several minutes to realize what happened. This was likely a problem because the false crisis is the most energetic moment in the film and the Polish brothers simply didn't know what to do with it.

The Astronaut Farmer longs to be a simple mainstream family movie. It longs to be warm and charming like a lovable puppy. However, under the direction of the undeniably talented Mark and Michael Polish, The Astronaut Farmer is remote and detached. The Polish brother's attempt at taking their quiet, quirky observant style mainstream only serves to compromise both their style and this story.

Movie Review: Why Did I Get Married?

Why Did I Get Married? (2007)

Directed by Tyler Perry

Written by Tyler Perry

Starring Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba, Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Richard T. Jones, Jill Scott

Release Date October 12th, 2007

Published October 13th, 2007

Filmmaker Tyler Perry had a number of interesting ideas sprinkled within his over the top dramas Diary of A Mad Black Woman and Madea's Family Reunion. Those ideas unfortunately, were overshadowed by Perry's bizarre need to dress in drag and play the matronly Madea character. This larger than life character could be entertaining but he/she was also a hurricane that destroyed the reality surrounding her/him.

One moment would be deeply dramatic, the next minute Madea storms through and we are taken out of the moment. Perry smartly leaves Madea behind in Why Did I Get Married and his interesting ideas now have a functioning reality to work within. Smart, funny and with a great big heart, Why Did I Get Married is the most mature and professional work of Tyler Perry's career.

Four couples get together year after year for a joint vacation and therapy session. For one week these couples talk about everything in their relationships and ask the honest and forthright question, why did I get married? That is also the title of the book written by Patricia (Janet Jackson) who is happily married to Gavin (Malik Yoba) and acts as unofficial counselor of the group.

Joining Patricia and Gavin for the weekend are the seemingly stable Terry and Diane, the erratic and bickering Angela (Tasha Smith) and Marcus (Michael Jai White) and the completely failing Sheila (Jill Scott) and Mike (Richard T. Jones) who show up separately though Mike does not come alone. For one week in a Colorado cabin secrets will be revealed, fights will be had and each of the couples will face crises that threaten their stability.

Tyler Perry has one of the most loyal followings in all of film, almost a cult. I never understood before but after Why Did I Get Married, I'm beginning to understand. Perry makes movies that no one else is making. I'm not just talking about films aimed at African American audiences, though that's true. Rather, I'm talking about the stories he tells, the issues he confronts. Few filmmakers have the patience or interest in these subjects.

Why Did I Get Married isn't just about marriage, fidelity, family or faith but it uses these characters, these couples to explore each of these issues with depth and understanding. Some points are simplified but the film rarely devolves to overarching melodrama. Perry's storytelling is calm and assured and never goes out it's way to be dramatic.

Perry's naturalism, the easy rapport he has with his actors, each contribute to the good natured, familiar vibe of Why Did I Get Married. This is a movie of great humor and great heart with characters you quickly come to care about. The material is naturally dramatic and Perry deftly handles the drama by establishing what is at stake in each of these relationships and resolving them in ways that are suitably dramatic but also realistic. 

Tyler Perry made a mistake in his first two films putting himself in drag as the character Madea and distracting from the many interesting and important themes he was tackling. The drag conceit was far too jokey and amateurish and, especially in the otherwise quite serious Diary of Mad Black Woman, made it impossible to take the films seriously despite their deeply meaningful intentions.

Abandoning the Madea character does wonders for Perry's dramatic intentions. Without the drag queen distraction, Perry is free to make strong points about love, marriage, family and faith in easier to swallow bites. Without Madea, Perry seems smarter and higher minded. We can now take seriously what was once seen as foolishness.

Few filmmakers deal with the issues that Perry brings to the fore and he is to be commended for that. More often filmmakers examine these issues sub textually, within genre conceits. Perry takes on marital and family issues head on and has some very interesting things to say.

It seems blasphemous to compare Tyler Perry to Woody Allen or Ingmar Bergman but in dealing so directly and honestly with relationship material, Perry is in their tradition. Less angsty and much more of a softy and a romantic, Perry bravely tackles the kind of issues that most filmmakers deal with indirectly or with snide humor.

Perry has a long way to go in terms of directorial craftsmanship. But, in terms of straight ahead honesty, he's well ahead of the game. 

Movie Review Lust, Caution

Lust, Caution (2007)

Directed by Ang Lee 

Written by Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus

Starring Tony Leung, Tang Wei, Anupam Kher, Joan Chen, Wang Leehom

Release Date September 28th, 2007

Published February 14th, 2008 

It is an odd note of history, lost to most Americans who aren't taught this in school, and still a stinging point of contention in mainland China. The fact that Japan had, prior to World War 2, overrun the Chinese mainland and were essentially running large portions of the country that has since risen to superpower status. It is almost unfathomable to the modern mind that this goliath with a population of over 1 billion people was once dominated by their tiny island neighbor. This makes Ang Lee's exceptional Lust, Caution not only an opulent, sexy spy thriller but also an important history lesson.

In hindsight it makes sense. In the mid to late 30's China was a peaceful nation coming of age. When Japan invaded and brought modern weapons and government, some of the loose confederacies of traders and politicians saw an opportunity for power backed by their modernist neighbor and this partnership brought Japan to China. This was the impetus for a Chinese nationalist revolution that would eventually lead to full fledged communism. This is where Lust, Caution picks up. A group of college educated Chinese theater students decide to perform patriotic plays to inspire their countrymen to rise against Japan and their Chinese conspirators.

At first, the group is merely idealistic but as the reality of the violence committed against their countrymen sets in, the group becomes galvanized and talk of political assassination becomes more than just talk. Setting up in Shanghai, in a wealthy district where top Japanese officials and their Chinese co-conspirators live and prosper, the group poses their best actress, Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei), as the bored wife of a wealthy trader. As Mrs. Mak it will be her job to seduce and destroy Mr. Yee (Tony Leung) , a well protected member of the Japanese collaborationist government. It is Mr. Yee who deals, often violently, with those who oppose Japanese involvement in China.

It doesn't take long for Mrs. Mak to get Mr. Yee's attention and soon the two are lovers. Circumstances force the group to break up and Wong Chia Chi flees. Three years later Kuang (Wang Leehom) finds her and offers her the chance to finish the job. She will reassume the role of Mrs. Mak and once again fall into Mr. Yee's bed. The plan works once again but with their relationship rekindled can Wong/Mrs. Mak separate her feelings for her country and her lust for Mr. Yee.

Lust, Caution is a lush, beautifully crafted period piece with the great hook of a spy thriller. Sexy, intriguing and exciting, it's some of Ang Lee's finest direction. Coming off the languid western visuals of Brokeback Mountain, Lee continues to dazzle with eye popping visual delights that deepen the film experience without distracting from it. What Lee has yet to escape is his penchant for lingering just a little too long on scenes after their natural ending. Lust, Caution, like Brokeback Mountain and the Oscar nominated Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, would have benefitted from a tighter edit. That however, is a minor quibble over a film that is far better than most other films in the market.

The aspect of Lust, Caution that has garnered the most attention are the lengthy, athletic sex scenes that earned the film an R-rating. Indeed the scenes are very sexy and some have speculated as to whether the scenes were simulated or real. If the rumor is that it took more than 100 hours to film the many vigorous scenes of love making, let's hope some simulation took place otherwise poor Tang Wei may never walk right again. The scenes are graphic but not terribly overdone. The scenes are sexy with an edge of aggressive violent S & M that underline the tense secrets of these two complex characters.

Though the sex separates Lust, Caution from true comparisons with classic Hollywood thrillers, there is something very old Hollywood in the ways Lee builds the tension in Lust, Caution. As the film builds to its shocking climax you may be surprised how invested you are after having been kept waiting for most of the film's 2 hour 50 minute run time. Lee pulls off the astonishing trick of holding us in place with pretty pictures and erotic sex and then in the final act he amps up a truly tense spy thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat till the stunner ending.

Lust, Caution was a hit at the Cannes Film Festival and was Lee's second winner in a row at the Venice Film Festival. Now finally on DVD Lust, Caution is a must see for fans of fabulous film making and seductive intrigue. It is entirely in Shanghainese and subtitled which I know turns off a lot of you. Trust me when I tell you that investing the time in reading along with Lust, Caution is worth it.

Movie Review: Feast of Love

Feast of Love (2007) 

Directed by Robert Benton 

Written by Allison Burnett, Charles Baxter

Starring Morgan Freeman, Alexa Davalos, Greg Kinnear, Selma Blair

Release Date September 27th, 2007

Published October 14th, 2007

Frustrating, maddening, endlessly watchable. These are my impressions of the movie Feast of Love from director Robert Benton. Watching this trainwreck of romantic goofiness, supernatural hooey and a whole lot of nudity, is both a pain and a pleasure. Great characters mix with bad characters in a script that is a maddening mix of foibles and quirks.

Professor Harry Stevenson (Morgan Freeman) has that qulaity that draws people to him. They reveal to him things they might not reveal to anyone else. His sage wisdom and reassuring gaze mask a personal pain he doesn't share but that does give him an insightful sadness that aides him in seeing things others may have missed.

That is what happens when he joins his friend Bradley (Greg Kinnear) and Bradley's wife Kathryn (Selma Blair) for a drink. While Bradley yammers away about nothing, Kathryn locks eyes with Jenny (Stana Katic) and it's love at first sight. Harry see's it right away, though he doesn't feel it's his place to explain it to Bradley. Atleast, when Bradley does find out, Harry is there with more sage advice.

Bradley unfortunately, is not someone for whom advice is all that helpful. When he meets Diana (Radha Mitchell), it's clear she's not in his league but he pursues anyway. Diana encourages Bradley's affection but she's also sleeping with David (Billy Burke). Bradley might notice this if he weren't a pathetic puppy dog, desperate to be loved.

Also hovering in Harry's sphere are Oscar (Toby Hemingway) and Chloe (Alexa Davalos). Oscar works in Bradley's coffee shop and when the flakey, beautiful Chloe, pronounced by her as Chlo-ah, wanders in wanting a job, despite a lack of experience or even vague knowlege of coffee, he practically climbs over the counter to tackle Bradley to get her hired. Harry see's it right away, love at first sight strikes again.

Feast of Love was directed by Robert Benton whose best remembered as the director of Kramer Vs Kramer. That cultural touchstone was the last time Benton was relevant. Since then his career has meandered from one forgettable film to the next. That career track is oddly like Feast of Love which meanders from one slightly interesting character to the next uncovering truths here and there but failing  to become relevant.

Obsessed with sex, Benton stuffs the screen with female nudity and simulated coitus. There is certainly nothing wrong with sex on screen. The problem with Feast of Love is Benton's obsession with showing it at the most inopportune or unnecessary moments. There is a lovely scene between Toby Hemingway and Alexa Davalos that features a very erotic sex scene and evolves into this lovely emotional moment and then it's undone by Benton's need to include one last shot of the young couple having sex.

That is part of a maddening pattern that unfolds in Feast of Love. Nice moments undone by Benton's lust for his female cast members. I won't argue that Alexa Davalos, Radha Mitchell, Selma Blair and Stan Katic are great to look at but at some point I want more information than how great they look during sex or just standing around nude.

I don't want to create the impression that Feast of Love is of porno quality. My issue is not with the amount of nudity but the context of the nudity and the distractive quality of it. There are some lovely moments of romance and insight hidden within this odd duck of a movie. Those scene however get lost in the naked flesh and under explored characters of Feast of Love.

The cast of Feast of Love is for the most part terrific; especially Morgan Freeman. Admittedly, the role of the sage, grandfatherly old friend is becoming something of a cliche. Freeman however, is so good you can easily forget how familiar this character is. Freeman is such a reassuring and warm presence that you forgive him and through him forgive the movie, many transgressions.

Freeman does elegant, romantic work with Jane Alexander who plays his wife. The only character who understands his deep inner pain, because she shares it, Alexander is patient but concerned as she watches her husband bide his time observing the lives of others without turning that insightful eye on his own life; slowly passing him by.

Greg Kinnear on the other hand suffers at the hands of a character so wishy washy and walked upon that you can't believe one woman, let alone the three women in the film, would be willing to be with him. First there is Selma Blair's Kathryn who, after several years of marriage, finds she is attracted to women. This is not unprecedented however as it plays in Feast of Love her decision is predicated more on the aesthetically pleasing girl/girl sex scene than on a truthful understanding of character.

Then there is Radha Mitchell's Diana. Clearly out of Charlie's league, she is busily sleeping with a married man and takes to Kinnear's Charlie out of spite for her married paramour played by Billy Burke. So, she's a conniving bitch and Charlie is a dunderheaded fool. Not much fun about this relationship and very poorly explored and played in Feast of Love.

That Mitchell plays this role well is a compliment to her talent. She plays this role in much more interesting and challenging fashion however in Woody Allen's underrated Melinda and Melinda.

There is yet a third woman thrown at Kinnear in Feast of Love but the less said about her, the better.

Feast of Love is not a terrible movie just a misguided one. There is insight, humor and romance in the mix it's just lost in the malaise of an unformed idea. Director Robert Benton has something to say about life, love, loss and other such L words, he just isn't quite sure what he wants to say or how to say it. Benton remains a skilled director but his skills are at a loss to match whatever his ambitions were in Feast of Love.

Movie Review The Brave One

The Brave One (2007) 

Directed by Neil Jordan 

Written by Roderick Taylor, Bruce A. Taylor, Cynthia Mort

Starring Jodie Foster, Naveen Andrews, Terrence Howard

Release Date September 14th, 2007

Published September 13th, 2007

Few actresses alternate strength and vulnerability as well as Jodie Foster. This two time Oscar winner is one of our finest actresses and even in movies as flawed as Flightplan or her latest effort The Brave One, Foster crafts exceptional performances. Both Flightplan and The Brave One stand Ms. Foster in stories that fail to keep up with her lightning intelligence and powerful screen presence.

Erica Bain (Foster) is one of New York City's more unique characters. She can often be seen walking the streets with a microphone hanging just off the ground as she captures the noises of the city. This is for her weekly radio show in which she tells stories about the city. Erica is a free spirited, funky, hippie chick who is also soon to be married.

Erica and her fiance David (Naveen Andrews) are a perfect couple, madly in love. Their lovers' idyll is shattered just days ahead of their wedding. It seemed so mundane, almost romantic. Out walking their dog, Erica and David enter a tunnel in Central Park, it's just past dusk. Inside a group of thugs have captured their dog and begin menacing the couple in a seeming robbery.

The robbery turns into a murder as David is killed. Erica is left in a coma. When she awakens to find that David is gone she begins a spiral into fear and finally retribution as her journey brings her once again, face to face with David's killers. Along the way she meets Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard) who is investigating David's murder as well as a series of vigilante killings that he feels are related.

Directed by the brilliant Neil Jordan, The Brave One is something of a disappointment. Though Jodie Foster delivers a highly compelling performance, Neil Jordan doesn't seem all that invested in telling this story. Too much of The Brave One is forced by coincidence. The plot has little rhythm, Erica stalks the streets and often finds herself at the wrong place at the wrong time with the right tool and a surprisingly steady hand.

These forced incidents offer Jodie Foster many chances to dig deeper into the psyche of this unique and often spellbinding character. This is a terrific performance that is shamefully at the mercy of a plot that spins an ever more ludicrous yarn all the way to an ending that is false, forced, and terribly unsatisfying unless you are of a simple mind.

Watching Jodie Foster trading acting poses with Terence Howard and Naveen Andrews is nearly enough to overcome the many plot issues of The Brave One. Foster strikes a sexy spark with both actors, though only Andrews gets the intimate scenes, brief glimpses of a sex life that implies this was one truly hot couple. Howard's detective Mercer is as fascinated with the mind of Erica Bain, he listens to her radio show, as he is attracted to her offbeat charms.

The relationship between Erica and Mercer plays out in a series of smoky exchanges in bars and coffee shops. He's clearly hitting on her, she's interested as much in him as she is in getting information on the search for the vigilante killer that is gripping the media. Of course we know who the vigilante is, Erica knows who it is, yet thanks to Terence Howard's terrific performance his detective Mercer is never treated as a fool.

However, Mercer's investigation of the vigilante killer is one of many plot strands that cause the ultimate failure of The Brave One. As scripted by director Neil Jordan and writers Bruce and Roderick Taylor, the investigation culminates with a laughable discovery of evidence that leads to an ending that really is the nail in the coffin of what should be a much better movie

Director Neil Jordan is exceptionally talented but if he is uninspired it really comes out on screen. Jordan is clearly disinterested in The Brave One, though not in capturing his leading lady. Jordan and Foster work well together and Foster really delivers. It is what surrounds Foster, the ever increasingly ludicrous twists and turns of luck and the hand of god, i.e. the director, that keep The Brave One from becoming yet another Jodie Foster classic.

Movie Review Shoot'em Up

Shoot'em Up (2007) 

Directed by Michael Davis

Written by Michael Davis 

Starring Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Bellucci 

Release Date September 7th, 2007

Published September 7th, 2007

What do you get when you mix Quentin Tarentino, Robert Rodriguez, the Wachowski brothers, Sam Peckinpah and Bugs Bunny? You get the sly, ultraviolent action flick Shoot'Em Up starring Clive Owen. Directed by Michael Davis, Shoot'Em Up is arguably the most violent movie of all time. It's also one of the biggest laughs of 2007. Part spoof and part hardcore action pic, Shoot'Em Up is the unholy culmination of the culture of violence in cinema.

Oh, and it's just damn entertaining.

When we meet Smith (Clive Owen), the ostensible hero of Shoot'em Up, he's sitting on a bus bench eating a raw carrot. Is he waiting for the bus? Is he a homeless guy? We have no idea. We can tell however, that when a frightened, pregnant woman, obviously in labor, runs by and is chased after by a man with a gun, that Smith is terribly annoyed to have his vegetable chomping idyll disturbed.

Involving himself in the situation, Smith takes out the guy with the gun. Unfortunately, that isn't the only guy with a gun who wants this woman and her baby dead. Indeed, an entire team of assassins, led by Mr. Hertz (Paul Giamatti), wants to make sure that mother and son do not get out alive. They do get mom but not before Mr. Smith helps her give birth, cutting the cord with a 9 millimeter shot.

This further offends Mr. Smith's delicate sensibilities and thus begins a war between hundreds of trained killers and one man with a gun and a baby.

Shoot'em Up is the most over the top violent movie in history. Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Seagal on their best day never fired this many bullets or killed this many bad guys. Nor have any of those action legends dispatched bad guys in so many unique, violent and comical ways. The violence, as directed by Michael Davis is a riff on those classic action cliches cemented in the 80's action classics like Rambo or Commando.

Shoot'Em Up at once is a loving homage to hardcore violence and an Airplane-esque send up of any film that ever tried to play this type violence as straight dramatic action. It's a difficult balancing act that is pulled off to near perfection by director Michael Davis. The director is aided greatly by cinematographer Peter Pau who gives every scene a hyper-realized stylishness.

The only problem with Shoot'Em Up comes when it tries to be about something other than being a violence delivery system. The conspiracy theory at the center of the plot is comical but treated with such seriousness and cynicism that it becomes a burden and a drag on the fun of the goofball violence that is the raison d'etre of Shoot'Em Up.

The Bugs Bunny allusions in Shoot'em Up are an endless source of humor. Whether it's Smith's love of carrots, his many endless escapes or his pitch perfect delivery of "What's Up Doc" after dispatching a bad guy. It all works to great comic effect. The carrot is a sensational, unexpected running gag. Keep an eye on the many uses of the carrot, including a visual pun on carrots being good for your eyesight.

That Clive Owen is still not a major star is a shock to me. Owen is both a skilled actor and a charismatic presence and a handsome fella. And yet he can't seem to break through at the box office. His terrific performance in last year's Children Of Men escaped both audience and awards attention. The thriller Derailed was a sleazy mistake while Closer was another mysterious failure.

Only Sin City has been proven a success but not one that Owen claims for himself (ensemble cast, popular director and graphic novel). Shoot'Em Up succeeds fully on Owen's star presence and gruff charisma. Smith is a reluctant hero at first but quickly becomes motivated and extremely violent for reasons that are entirely his own.

Paul Giamatti is a terrific foil as a comic bad guy. Though he elicits some big laughs, Giamatti ably delivers more menace than you might expect from the sensitive sad sack from the Oscar nominated Sideways or the avuncular artist of American Splendor. Giamatti knows his way around a fire arm but it is in directing his endless horde of henchmen where this character comes to life. The humorous bumbling of the bad guys and Giamatti's priceless apoplexy are golden moments in Shoot'em Up.

Violent to a degree that would turn Sam Peckinpah's head, Shoot'em Up is at once an homage to and a send up of classic Schwarzenegger-Stallone-Van Damme action epics. No film has likely fired this many bullets or dropped this many bodies and done so with as much style and wit. That is not to say that I loved Shoot'Em Up. The plot is beyond ludicrous and the various twists and conspiracies become rather irritating.

Nevertheless, the violence is so entertaining and Clive Owen is so much fun, I have to recommend Shoot'Em Up.

Movie Review The Brothers Solomon

The Brothers Solomon (2007) 

Directed by Bob Odenkirk

Written by Will Forte

Starring Will Forte, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, Lee Majors

Release Date September 7th, 2007

Published September September 9th, 2007

Bob Odenkirk is a really funny guy. Anyone who has seen his all too brief HBO sketch show Mr. Show with his good friend David Cross, has seen his talent on display. His first directorial feature, Melvin Goes To Dinner was a terrific movie. A talky, brainy, low budget comedy that displayed Odenkirk's ability to let a joke build without ever forcing a punchline.

Since that mini-success Bob Odenkirk's career has gone in the toilet. His follow up to Melvin Goes To Dinner was a spectacularly misguided prison comedy called Let's Go To Prison. Now comes an equally inept, though funnier -not that that was a big challenge-, The Brothers Solomon. Written by Saturday Night Live cast member Will Forte, the film plays like a comedy of what not to do when making a comedy.

In The Brothers Solomon, Will Arnett, of TV's beloved Arrested Development, and Will Forte, play John and Dean Solomon, brothers who did not grow up like most folk. Following the tragic death of their mother, thei father (Lee Majors) moved the boys to the north pole, they asked to move there and dad abided, where they were homeschooled and went years without contact with other human beings.

The social shortcomings of the boys has contributed to lifelong virginity and them living together; likely for good. When their father falls into a coma a kindly doctor informs them that sometimes people come out of comas if they have something to live for. Remembering that dad always wanted a grandson, the boys begin a quest to make a baby for dad.

Of course, being socially awkward, to put it kindly, the brothers fail the dating scene miserably. So, they turn to the website craigslist.com where they find Janine (Kristen Wiig), a kind woman willing to carry their child.... for 12, 000 dollars and no sex. Then it's off to the fertility clinic and nine months of waiting. Can dad last that long? Will either brother ever get it right with a woman? Will you give the slightest damn?

The first two questions I won't spoil, the last question however is a simple no. As directed by Bob Odenkirk, The Brothers Solomon plays like the bastard child of Knocked Up and Dumb & Dumber, only not funny or even as remotely interesting as those two very different comedies. Where Knocked Up bothered to create characters we cared about enough to laugh with, The Brothers Solomon simply has characters and if you can find a way to care about them you are a better man than I.

Dumb & Dumber is, at the very least, energetic in it's insipid way. The Brothers Solomon is a snoozer from beginning to end. Here is yet another 'comedy', like the recent ping pong movie Balls Of Fury, that believes that certain things just ARE funny because they're there. In Balls of Fury it was the lead character's love of Def Leppard. In The Brothers Solomon it's supposed to be funny that the filmmakers have assigned the song St. Elmo's Fire as the brothers unofficial theme song.

Oh and it's also funny that Lee Majors plays the boy's father. Not that Majors does or says anything remotely humorous. No. Just the fact that he is Lee Majors is apparently supposed to be funny. That's the joke. He used to be The Fall Guy (shrug). If you find that fact funny, then maybe this is the movie for you. I, for one, need something a little more than that.

I must admit that I did laugh once during The Brothers Solomon and my apologies to the filmmakers for spoiling their one funny moment here. When the brothers find out that dad is in the hospital they go flying out of their apartment for a race to the hospital. On the way, they stop to dispute a late video charge at a local video store. The line "Dad would have wanted us to dispute that late charge" cracked me up.

The only other minor pleasure I took away from The Brothers Solomon were cameos from some of my favorite TV performers. Sam Lloyd plays Ted Buckland on TV's best sitcom Scrubs and shows up here as a doctor. Also from Scrubs, one of the show's top bit players, Charles Chun who plays Dr. Wen on Scrubs and here plays Dr. Wang. Seeing Lloyd and Chun allowed me a few moments to lapse into dreams of my favorite Scrubs episodes as I waited out the 90 minute runtime of The Brothers Solomon.

Despite it all; I remain convinced of the talents of Bob Odenkirk. I have seen far too much good work from Odenkirk to write him off yet. A word of caution though Bob, another Let's Go To Prison or The Brothers Solomon and you are off the creative roll call. Get back together with your Melvin Goes to Dinner writing partner Michael Blieden, drop the budget, and make Melvin 2.

And stay away from Will Arnett. He's now starred in both Let's Go To Prison and The Brothers Solomon and had a small role in Hot Rod. Clearly, Mr. Arnett is movie poison.

Movie Review 3:10 to Yuma

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Directed by James Mangold 

Written by Halstedt Welles, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas

Starring Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Ben Foster, Gretchen Mol 

Release Date September 7th, 2007

Published Septembeer 6th, 2007 

Director James Mangold made a splashy directorial debut with the gritty crime drama Copland. Though most remembered for star Sylvester Stallone's weight gain for the lead role, Copland was in fact quite good. His next feature earned him even more acclaim. Girl Interrupted was nominated for multiple Oscars and won one for Angelina Jolie's tremendous supporting turn.

Then Mangold drifted toward the mainstream with a pair of forgettable studio efforts, the dull time travel romance Kate & Leopold and an oddball thriller called Identity. Both were pro level efforts but they lacked heart. Then in 2005 Mangold found himself again and delivered Walk The Line. The biography of Johnny Cash was everything one could ask for in a bio of the legendary man in black.

As great as Walk The Line was however, with 3:10 To Yuma James Mangold has crafted his first masterpiece. This moody, manly western, based on an Elmore Leonard short story, stars Russell Crowe as Ben Wade a badass outlaw whose gang is a group of mad dog killers who will follow him straight to hell if need be.

The plot of 3:10 To Yuma is as stripped down and straight forward as any classic western. One brave man must escort a murderer to the 3:10 train to Yuma prison. There the killer will be hanged for his many crimes. Complicating manners is the bad guys gang of badass killers who will ride through hell or high water to rescue their boss.

It's not the plot that matters, but rather the motivations, the actions and interplay between the exceptional characters. Russell Crowe inhabits the evil Ben Wade with snaky charm and a sharp tongue. Though admittedly a killer and an obvious menace, Crowe's Ben Wade has the kind of charm that few women could resist and few men can compete with.

Compared to Crowe's Wade, Christian Bale's stalwart good guy Dan Evans is a bit of a wet blanket, initially. Part of the story of 3:10 To Yuma is Bale's Evans earning the respect of Ben Wade and those of us in the audience harboring a secret affection for Wade's charms. This battle between good and evil, shaded with the gray of desperation, fear and greed, is played out with blood, guts and bullets but more than anything, great old school filmmaking.

James Mangold's direction of 3:10 To Yuma is nearly flawless. From his dusty western landscapes to the brilliant interplay between Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, Mangold manages a classic western that never feels stale. Though this is a remake, there is no retread vibe here. 3:10 To Yuma modernizes the western aesthetic without gimmicks like modern scoring or quick cuts but rather with the awesome star turns of Bale and Crowe.

In the supporting cast I especially loved the inclusion of Peter Fonda as an old west lawman. Fonda has not been this good in awhile and his inclusion is yet another nod to the old school western, his dad Henry made a few pretty good westerns back in the day. The supporting performance that nearly steals the film however, belongs to young Ben Foster whose intensity almost exceeds Crowe and Christian Bale, two of our more ferocious leading men period.

As he showed in Alpha Dog and 2005's Hostage, Foster can play live wire with the best of them. In 3:10 To Yuma it's more of a controlled burn than a live wire but it's as fierce as those performances with a touch more maturity. Foster is developing into an excellent go to character actor and may have found a real niche with this performance.

My favorite scene in 3:10 To Yuma is one of the more quiet moments in the whole movie. Dan Evans and a small posse are hiding Ben Wade, preparing for the trip to Yuma, at Dan's farm. Wade joins the family for dinner and when Evans leaves the table to check in with the posse guarding the doors, Wade begins a conversation with Evans' wife played by Gretchen Mol, in her dowdiest school marm frocks. Mrs. Evans is fearful of Wade but its not long before you wonder if she'd be willing to run off with him if given the chance.

Crowe gets much of the attention in this scene but Ms. Mol's subtle changes in expression, her flushing cheeks and darting eyes are near perfect. The scene is perfectly captured by Mangold with tight close ups and framing that seem to draw the two actors into the same frame without them moving an inch. Though I noticed these subtle movements, I was watching for them, most audiences will experience them seamlessly and, I think, be as mesmerized by them as I was.

There are a number of similarly strong scenes in 3:10 To Yuma including much of the third act which takes place in a single hotel room as Evans waits to take Wade to the train even as the place is surrounded by Wade's gang. The original 3:10 To Yuma spent most of its runtime trapped in one hotel room under similar circumstances, these scenes in the new 3:10 To Yuma are as much a nice throwback nod to the older film as they are a necessary piece of plotting.

3:10 To Yuma is a masterpiece of style and substance. While some may fault the films logic of manhood and respect above all else, I dug the old school western values. I especially bought into the idea that Crowe and Bale's characters would hold these ideals above all else and be willing to give their lives for them.

When awards season rolls around in late December and early January expect to see 3:10 To Yuma on a number of lists. Especially keep an eye out for Russell Crowe who delivers a performance here that is arguably the best of his career.

You must see this movie!

Movie Review Halloween (Remake)

Halloween (2007) 

Directed by Rob Zombie 

Written by Rob Zombie

Starring Scout Taylor Compton, Sheri Moon Zombie, Tyler Maine, Danielle Harris, Malcolm McDowell

Release Date August 31st, 2007

Published September 1st, 2007

A question for fans of the Rob Zombie version of John Carpenter's horror classic Halloween (if there are any). What did you enjoy about this movie? This is honest curiosity. I watched Halloween aghast not necessarily because of the ample, overwrought gore. No, rather because Halloween manages to be sloppier and less professional than either of Zombie's previous two bad movies.

More to the point of my curiosity however is the question of what you really did enjoy. The film isn't frightening, it's too ineptly put together to be frightening. It's certainly not humorous, the violence and attitude that Zombie brings to the film is far too self serious for humor. Is it that you find this misogynist,  fantasy titillating? If that's the case boys, get out of mom's basement and get yourself a girlfriend or maybe some counseling.

Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor Compton) has no idea where she came from. The life she has known since being very small is one of loving parents and a beautiful home. She has no idea that she has a brother and that her brother changed her life forever by killing their parents. It turned out for the best for young Laurie, unfortunately her brother Michael did not turn out so well.

Committed to an institution for the criminally insane at the age of 10, Michael at first refused to acknowledge what he did, despite the caring entreaties of Doctor Samuel Loomis (Malcolm McDowell. After 15 years and a couple more murders while incarcerated, Michael refuses to speak to anyone and Dr. Loomis is gone, having turned Michael's murderous life story into a bestseller.

It's Halloween; 15 years to the day Michael murdered all but his little sister. He is to be moved to another, more secure institution, when he decides he's had enough. Killing everyone in his path, Michael escapes and begins the trek home. Only Dr. Loomis is able to determine Michael's whereabouts and even his motivations. Michael is going home to see his little sister.

In John Carpenter's original Halloween no reason is given for why as child Michael Myers killed his older sister. Like more than a few horror fans, Rob Zombie was not satisfied not knowing why Michael became evil. Thus Zombie invents a family and an injurious back story that includes a vile, abusive step father (William Forsythe), a stripper mom (Sherry Moon-Zombie), and a resentful older sister (Hannah Hall).

Michael also has trouble at school where he is constantly made fun of by classmates. 10 year old Daeg Fanch is quite convincingly disturbed for a 10 year old and I credit Rob Zombie for finding the kid and giving him one creepy looking clown mask. That is where my praise of Mr. Zombie will end. The new backstory doesn't explain Myers' supernatural strength and ability to survive multiple bullet wounds and impalings.

What John Carpenter knew and what Rob Zombie ignores, is that not having a full backstory for Michael Myers allowed Carpenter to make him into whatever he wanted, including giving Myers the air of the supernatural. The backstory provides something of a psychological background but Zombie's reaching for realism sinks the film from a logical standpoint. Michael Myers can't survive all of those bullets, impaling's, and falls from great heights if you are aiming for 'realism'.

Of the many failings of Rob Zombie's Halloween is the lack of any kind of suspense. Zombie's approach to Michael Myers' taking of victims has as much suspense as a hammer hitting a nail. Put Myers in a room and whoever else is in the room with him is guaranteed death. That is, except for the lead actress who, at the very least, has to last to the ending. Whether she survives or not, I won't spoil it.

Maybe Zombie was too busy ogling his young female cast to consider that their deaths should have some significance or drama. Zombie's main concern throughout Michael Myers' second act killing spree is making certain that each of the young girls is topless before they are fileted like fish. That these actresses are playing under age characters, high schoolers, seems not to have bothered or put off Zombie in any way.

And yet, there is a classic horror movie clichéd conservatism to Zombie's approach. I have always been fascinated with the moralistic streak that horror films have and Rob Zombie's Halloween is no exception. As in many classic horror films the young victims, male and female, are decimated by the killer after having had pre-marital sex. Michael Myers, like his brethren Freddy and Jason, is the hand of a punishing god, killing for the sins of man.

Zombie lacks the intellect or insight to explore this horror movie moralism and abandons any notion of it after he has sliced and diced his nude teenagers.

Rob Zombie's Halloween pales in comparison to the compact, suspenseful horror of John Carpenter. A master of the genre, Carpenter knew that realism and grossout are not the real tools of the horror trade but rather that suspense and tension are what keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Yes, Carpenter spilled a great deal of blood and he knew how to use death for shock value but his skills far exceed those of Rob Zombie and that is why Carpenter is a legend and Rob Zombie is a low life hack.

Movie Review: Death Sentence

Death Sentence (2007) 

Directed by James Wan

Written by Ian MacKenzie Jeffers

Starring Kevin Bacon, Kelly Preston, Garrett Hedlund, Aisha Tyler, John Goodman

Release Date August 31st, 2007

Published August 30th, 2007

Death Wish is the Citizen Kane of revenge movies. That 1974 film starring taciturn tough guy Charles Bronson is too revenge what Julia Roberts is too romantic comedy. The writer of the book Death Wish, Brian Garfield is said to have liked the movie but subsequent sequels that deviated from his best selling book series had turned him off to Hollywood.

Now, more than 30 years later, one of Garfield's Death Wish follow ups, Death Sentence, has been turned into a Hollywood feature and while the author is said to be satisfied with the final product, audience expectations will be left unfulfilled.

Kevin Bacon stars in Death Sentence as Nick Hume a father of two with a great wife (Kelly Preston) and a great job that has given his family security. That security is shattered in the blink of an eye when, after taking his oldest son Brenden (Stuart Lafferty) to a hockey game, Brenden is gunned down at a gas station as Nick looked on.

The murder was committed by a teenager as a gang initiation ritual. Nick saw the kid who did it but when he is told that prosecutors will seek a plea bargain rather than a trial, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Nick tracks down the kid and reaps his vengeance. Actions have consequences however and when it turns out that the kid is the little brother of a ruthless gang leader named Billy Darley (Garrett Hedlund), Nick finds himself at war to protect what is left of his family.

Directed by James Wan, Death Sentence is a complicated revenge fantasy that becomes more and more outlandish as it goes on. Though grounded by a serious star performance by Kevin Bacon, Death Sentence paints an increasingly loony series of deaths and reprisals into its plot, so many that you may have a hard time keeping track of who's dead and who's alive.

That said, James Wan is a pro director. He was the progenitor of the Saw series with co-writer Leigh Whannell and invented the complicated aethetics and plotting of that terrific series. His follow up directing gig, Dead Silence was a twilight zone influenced mindfuck that worked cheap thrills into a grand guignol plot. With Death Sentence he makes an uncomfortable transition out of the horror genre.

In tact is Wan's talent for tight, quick visuals and snaky storytelling. What is missing however is depth and perspective. Where Saw is an intricate morality play covered in blood and Dead Silence was a twisty Twilight Zone homage, Death Sentence is mostly about its violence with only a passing glance at the merits of revenge.

Death Sentence wants to ask the question 'what would you do if someone killed your child'. Unfortunately, the script from first time writer Ian Jeffers becomes distracted with the battle of wills between Kevin Bacon's everyman and Garrett Hedlund's ruthless villain. The battle is kind of compelling but as the violence becomes more and more over the top; the perspective goes missing and it becomes little more than a series of staged gun battles.

It's a shame because there is a good deal of potential in this movie. One big missed opportunity comes in the character of Bones played by John Goodman. Introduced as a gun dealer, Bones' connection to one of the two main protagonists is a sly inclusion that should have had a more interesting payoff. As it is, the potential for this character is unrealized after just one terrific scene between Goodman and Bacon.

Death Sentence is a movie that should be better than it is. With Kevin Bacon's exceptional lead performance and director James Wan's skilled direction, it should be more satisfying than it is. As it is, Death Sentence is a modest disappointment. Not a bad film, just not a good enough film for me to recommend.

Movie Review: Balls of Fury

Balls of Fury (2007) 

Directed by Robert Ben Garant

Written by Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant

Starring Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez, Maggie Q, Robert Patrick

Release Date August 29th, 2007

Published August 30th, 2007

Who is Dan Fogler? That is the question many who see the movie Balls of Fury will ask. Of course, most won't see Balls of Fury because they don't know who Dan Fogler is. Quite a conundrum. Nevertheless, Fogler is an acclaimed actor. He won a Tony award, Broadway's highest honor, for his work in the musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ''.How one goes from Broadway star to the star of a movie about ping pong is one of those curious quirks of Hollywood. Something linked Fogler to the guys from Reno 911, Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon, and thus they came to cast Fogler in their latest unfunny comedy Balls of Fury.

Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon are two of the creators of the often quite funny cops spoof Reno 911. However, their film work has been utterly atrocious. I've rundown the litany of their sins more than a few times and here they are again. The Pacifier, Taxi, Reno 911 Miami and Herbie Fully Loaded. Blech! Balls of Fury is as inept and misguided as any of those features.

The story begins at the 1988 olympics. 12 year old Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) is America's hope for the gold in Ping Pong. Unfortunately, Randy gets beaten badly and embarrasses himself by knocking himself cold and proclaiming he was going to Disney World. Nearly 20 years later Randy is still playing ping pong, as a performer in a low class Vegas casino lunch room populated by the soon to the grave crowd.

There, Randy is approached by an FBI agent, Rodriguez (George Lopez), who explains that Randy is America's best chance to capture a legendary Chinese mafia figure known as Feng (Christopher Walken). Feng, it seems, is a ping pong aficionado and is holding an underground tournament for the best players in the world. Randy must get back in shape and with the help of ping pong guru (James Hong) and his smoking hot daughter Maggie (Maggie Q), prepare to play ping pong to the death.

Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant come from the world of sketch comedy and improv and you can see the influence of that in Balls of Fury. Sudden death ping pong is a good sketch comedy premise. Unfortunately, when stretched to the length of a feature film it wears thin quickly. You can see throughout Balls of Fury a number of unformed ideas that begin with the potential to be funny but peter out as the actors search for the punchline.

Dan Fogler is not a well known actor unless of course you are a fan of Broadway. The comic actor won a Tony Award for his work in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee". Of course few actors, even one with a Tony on his resume, could make this material work. Fogler's co-stars Maggie Q and George Lopez are only slightly more entertaining than Fogler, each struggling with the bad material and unformed ideas. Then there is poor James Hong. As Fogler's ping pong guru this longtime character actor is repeatedly humiliated in the filmmaker's attempt to find something funny.

The only actor to survive and even grasp this horrible concept is Christopher Walken. The legendary Mr. Walken finds what little funny there is in Balls of Fury by simply doing his own thing. Walken crafts his wacked out bad guy character, commits to every detail and belts it to the back of the room. Walken's seemingly method approach to this bizarre character, an American pretending to be a Chinese gangster, is at times utterly sublime simply for Walken's dedication to playing it straight.

Balls of Fury is a bad movie. Poorly crafted, poorly conceived and stunningly sloppy for a mainstream Hollywood release. Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant have once again failed miserably in attempting to translate their unique brand of sketch and improv comedy to the big screen. And yet, Christoper Walken is so classically Walken-esque, there is almost a reason to subject yourself to this piece of junk. I'm far from willing to recommend Balls of Fury, but fans of Christopher Walken with a lot of time to spare may find something oddly entertaining.

Movie Review: War

War (2007) 

Directed by Cory Yuen 

Written by Lee Anthony Smith, Gregory J. Bradley

Starring Jason Statham, Jet Li, Devon Aoki, Luis Guzman, Saul Rubinek

Release Date August 24th, 2007

Published August 24th, 2007

What a cool idea! Put Jet Li and Jason Statham together in a movie and have them beat the holy hell out of each other. It's the urban action movie equivalent of Freddy Vs Jason, if it's done right. You can't just put them in the same movie and then not deliver on the badass, hand to hand beatdown. Sadly, War does not deliver on this promise. This mindless shoot'em up places Li and Statham on opposite ends of a gang war and then, when it finally comes down to the two of them, as you know it should, War becomes a minor police action.

Jason Statham stars in War as Crawford a San Francisco FBI agent specializing in Asian crime gangs, the Yakuza and the Triads. When his partner and his family is murdered by the top Triad assassin, known only as Rogue (Jet Li), Crawford abandons his own loving wife and small child and goes on a three year, non-stop mission to find and kill Rogue.

After years of Rogue reshaping his face and globetrotting all over the world, he finally returns to San Francisco in unusual fashion. Having been the top assassin for the Triads, he returns to San Francisco and begins killing top Triad lieutenants. Soon he is helping the Yakuza obtain priceless art from the Triads only to then get the Triad guys killed. Essentially, Rogue has gone Rogue and is starting a war to kill off both gangs.

Crawford recognizes what Rogue is up too but cannot get past the death of his partner. Whether Rogue is doing him and the world a favor by eliminating two of the world's top crime organizations, Crawford still intends to kill Rogue. Thus the set up for what should be an epic showdown. Bullets fly, hundreds of extras are gunned down, all leading to the climactic head to head. And then.... And then...

Nothing. Well, not quite nothing. Jet Li and Jason Statham do get to go head to head but the fight, as choreographed and directed by Cory Yuen, it's beyond anti-climactic. Held at the mercy of a rather ludicrous plot twist, the fight is almost reserved, even genteel by Li and Statham standards. It ends at the mercy of the plot twist and the letdown drags down the whole film.

Though Jason Statham and Jet Li have worked together before in 2001's The One. However, they weren't really on the same star plain at that time. Statham was still a rising star and that interesting sci fi action flick ended not with Li vs Statham but Jet vs Jet Li. War finds Jet Li and Jason Statham as equals, Statham having rode The Transporter flicks to action star status, thus anticipation for their face off was high.

The whole movie lives and dies on Statham against Li and when director Cory Yuen blows that, he blows the whole picture. The fight is listless, uninspired and, as edited, almost incomprehensible. Then, of course, it ends too quickly at the mercy of one of the dumber plot twists we've seen in a while. If War were a better movie, the plot twist would have ruined it, as it is the plot twist only makes a bad situation worse.

War is a disappointment on even the modest scale of anticipation that greeted it. Action fans who wanted a knock down, drag out, hand to hand face off between Jet Li and Jason Statham will find little but disappointment in War. Li, as he has confessed in interviews, has clearly lost a step which may have contributed to the lackluster fight, but that does not excuse the failure of this potentially explosive face off.

If Jet Li couldn't go, he shouldn't have made the movie. Marketers should have especially not sold the film as a War between Jet Li and Jason Statham. What a jip.