Movie Review Barbie

Barbie (2023)

Directed by Greta Gerwig 

Written by Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig 

Starring Margot Robbie, Helen Mirren, Ryan Gosling, Rhea Perlman, Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, America Ferrara 

Release Date July 21st, 2023 

Published July 23rd 2023 

Barbie is some of the most fun that I have had at the movies in 2023. The comedy is rich and thorny and the attitude is all sparkles and pink. It's lively, energetic and innovatively presented by one of our best working storytellers today, Greta Gerwig. I was highly skeptical and a bit perturbed that one of the best directors working today had turned their attention to directing a movie about Barbie. I should not have been. I should have just trusted that Greta Gerwig knew exactly what she was doing. The product of this highly commercial move into blockbuster product placement is a wildly funny meta-comedy about existence, purpose, and the desire to understand oneself. 

If any actress was going to be the right choice to deconstruct and uphold the legend of Barbie, it was Margot Robbie. She's ideal Barbie, an uber-talented, multi-hyphenate, who happens to look like a Barbie doll come to life. She's also among our most talented and versatile actors today so, of course, her take on Barbie is way more complex than anything you are anticipating. And it's that very complexity that brings the biggest laughs as invasive thoughts begin to consume Robbie's 'Stereotypical Barbie,' the version of Barbie you imagine when you think of Barbie Dolls. 

Of course, there have been dozens of different Barbies over the years. Barbies of different ethnicities, body types, and professions as vast and wide as Astronaut, Supreme Court Justice, and President Barbie. Each Barbie is played by a murderer's row of the best supporting players working today including Issa Rae, Hari Neff, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey and Sharon Rooney. All of the Barbie's of this unique movie universe live in Barbieland, a magical place adjacent to the real world where Mattel, headed up by Will Ferrell, keeps pumping out market tested new versions of Barbie, as well as several Ken's. 

Oh, yeah, almost forgot about Ken. Ken is played by Ryan Gosling in a scene-stealing performance. He's stereotypical Ken and thus fated to love Barbie. But what happens if she doesn't love him? Meanwhile, several dozen other Ken's follow the lead of either stereotypical Ken or his nemesis, Ken 2 (Simu Liu). Both appear to be vying for Barbie's attention, much to Ken's dismay. Oh, and Alan (Michael Cera), is kicking around somewhere in the background. Alan is a long-discontinued pal of Ken and Barbie, a real Barbie character variation. The jokes about Alan are all hits throughout Barbie, even as Michael Cera portrays him quite sympathetically. 

Click here for my full length review at Geeks.Media 

Movie Review: Drive

Drive (2011) 

Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn

Written by Nicholas Winding Refn 

Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks

Release Date September 16th, 2011

Published September 15th, 2011

Ryan Gosling is arguably the best actor working today. His performances in the last year in a diverse slate from the romantic comedy "Crazy, Stupid, Love" to the thriller "All Good Things" to the romantic tragedy "Blue Valentine," have demonstrated Gosling's chameleon-like ability to melt into any role and give life to a variety of fascinating characters.

Gosling's latest performance is arguably his best. "Drive" Stars Ryan Gosling as The Driver. We never learn his name, nor do his unique clients. The Driver spends his days as a Hollywood stunt driver and his nights as a wheelman for high paying criminals. The Driver gives the criminals a five minute window to commit their crime. Within that window he will drive them anywhere and keep them from the cops.

The Driver lives a quiet and very private life making certain not to form relationships or attachments that could imperil his objectivity. Naturally, we know that will change and he does, slowly but surely when he meets Irene (Carey Mulligan). Irene is his neighbor and has a small child that The Driver strikes an immediate friendship with.

The budding romance is cut short with the revelation that Irene's husband/baby daddy Standard (Oscar Isaac) is getting out of prison and coming home. Here, director Nicholas Winding Refn twists our expectations by playing the predictable showdown between The Driver and Standard quietly and thoughtfully.

Gosling betrays The Driver's true feelings for Irene with his eyes but his actions are a different matter. In a departure from his code of non-involvement, The Driver comes to Standard's aid and attempts to get him out from under a debt to criminals who had protected him in prison. This departure by The Driver will prove costly and the rest of plot unfolds from there with an unexpectedly violent flourish. Drive is stunning in its violence, evoking the calculating yet gory viscera of David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence" and "Eastern Promises."

The influences exhibited in "Drive" don't end with Cronenberg. The look and sound of "Drive" evokes the work of writer-director Paul Schrader on "American Gigolo." The neon font of the film titles, the synth soundtrack and the over the shoulder camera position in the driving scenes all evoke Gigolo. Why "American Gigolo?" You'd have to ask director Refn about that; on the surface the two films share little more than the Refn's choice of homage.

Though the influences are obvious "Drive" is far from derivative. The ideas in the film are its own and they are executed with gripping efficiency. Ryan Gosling's acting choices carry weight and intrigue and you can't help but be fascinated by what he will do next. Gosling holds you in thrall as The Driver drifts  further and further into danger.

Gosling is equaled in very different ways by the work of Albert Brooks and Carey Mulligan. You've never thought of Albert Brooks as menacing but you will believe him menacing wielding a knife with fierce efficiency. Carey Mulligan meanwhile, matches the intensity and dangerous charisma of Gosling and Brooks with fragility, beauty and empathy.

"Drive" is a remarkable film, artful, intelligent and gripping. The cast is extraordinary and the direction by Nicholas Winding Refn is superb.

Movie Review Lars and the Real Girl

Lars and the Real Girl (2007) 

Directed by Craig Gillespie

Written by Nancy Oliver

Starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Scheider, Kelli Garner, Patricia Clarkson

Release Date October 12th, 2007 

Published November 8th, 2007

“They’re not real so they last forever, isn’t that neat?” 

I want to start this essay by stating how much I adore the movie Lars and the Real Girl. This article is going to be hyper-critical of the movie and I don’t want anyone thinking that I feel the movie is bad or poorly made. Rather, I think it is a memorable, entertaining and moving work made by people of great empathy and care. On a specific level, regarding the character of Lars, it is a wonderfully told story. That said, I do have some issues with the movie that I feel are valid. 

Lars and the Real Girl centers on Lars, a lonely man who struggles with deep insecurities. When Lars’ sister-in-law, Karin, becomes pregnant, Lars becomes even more withdrawn and unusual than before. His idea to cope with his latest bout of insecurity is to purchase a sex doll, but not for sex. In Lars’ mind, Bianca, the doll, is a real woman who has come to stay while on a missionary trip. Lars gives Bianca a full backstory and a life of her own and even has her stay at his brother Gus's house rather than with him in order to maintain propriety as he sees it. 

As is revealed through dialogue, when Lars was born, his mother died while giving birth. This has bred into Lars a fear of pregnancy as expressed in his awkward and fearful interactions with Karin. Furthermore, Lars’ father was withdrawn and depressed as Lars grew up and he eventually took his own life. This created a sense in Lars of the impermanence of life and deeply set his fears and insecurities regarding losing people he cares about. 

Are you sensing a pattern? Lars and the Real Girl appears to have an origin story for every one of Lars’ insecurities. When Lars acts out and buys Bianca and then settles into the delusion that Bianca is a real person with a real life and a voice that he can hear and converse with, the movie has an answer as to why and sets about showing off a solution to Lars’ many problems. That solution involves everyone in Lars’ life and the town in which he lives, going along with his delusion that Bianca is real 

And it works, eventually, Lars begins to enact Bianca’s death, a death that is symbolic and cathartic, a necessary step toward his recovery and re-emergence into a more normal life. It’s not simple, per se, the movie doesn’t take shortcuts. Rather, my issue is how neat it all is. I’m not a professional psychologist but even I know that what Lars is going through is a dissociative state that he can and likely will overcome with a symbolic gesture and a little help. 

But you don't have to have even minor knowledge of psychology to see that Director Craig Gillespie and writer Nancy Oliver leaning over shoulder through the movie and asking you if you understood the deeper meaning of their movie. The constant back stories every one of Lars' quirky personality traits, the source of his trauma, the grief and drama that like caused him to delusionally disassociate from the world is revealed and underlined in often heavyhanded dialogue, just to make sure that the dum-dums in the audience understood the origin story for every aspect of Lars' life. 

I'm certainly critical of this aspect of Lars and the Real Girl, I do believe the movie is overbearing in how the script occasionally looks down upon the audience. But, I do not hate this movie. In fact, I have a deep affection for Lars and the Real Girl, an affection deeply tied to Ryan Gosling's remarkable and unique performance as Lars. Gosling is incredible at portraying a traumatized and infantilized young man slowly beginning to recover but unlikely to ever be fully recovered. He's gone through too much and been stunted for so long that he will likely struggle the rest of his life. 

That fact is at the heart of Lars and the Real Girl which, though it appears to have a happy ending, it is just melancholy enough to leave you feeling a wealth of empathy for Lars, hoping he can move forward but clear in the knowledge of how deeply damaged and often low functioning he is. It's remarkable that a movie and an actor can communicate that kind of depth, even as Lars and the Real Girl tends to lean far too heavily into exposition. 

Movie Review: Fracture

Fracture (2007) 

Directed by Gregory Hoblit

Written by Daniel Pyne, Glenn Gers

Starring Ryan Gosling, Anthony Hopkins, David Straithairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz, Cliff Curtis, Billy Burke, Fiona Shaw 

Release Date April 20th, 2007

Published 19th, 2007

There is plenty of Oscar related gravitas to go around on the new thriller Fracture. Star Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for Silence of the Lambs. His young co-star Ryan Gosling is fresh off of his first nomination for Half Nelson and David Straithairn isn't long from his Best actor nomination for Good Night and Good Luck. With all of that Oscar gold shining  it could be easy to miss how shallow and unworthy a movie like Fracture is.

This movie of the week, sub-Law & Order-CSI, thriller wastes a group of great actors on a plot full of minor cracks and imperfections or fractures if you will.

Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) has one foot out the door. Having just landed a big paycheck; corporate law gig; Willy is leaving behind the district attorney's office and his 100% conviction rate. He just has one case left on the docket and it looks like a slam dunk. A wealthy older man, Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins), has attempted to murder his much younger wife (Embeth Davidtz). Crawford confessed to shooting her. The police on the scene found the gun in his hand. They were the only people in the house. This guy is guilty.

So how can this guy Ted plead not guilty? And why did he decide to represent himself in court. If Willy weren't already out the door on his way to that new job; he might have asked these important questions and maybe he wouldn't have been ambushed in court and made to look like a fool when it's revealed that the lead cop on the case, detective Rob Nunnally (Billy Burke), the man who took the confession and found the murder weapon, was sleeping with the victim.

Now, a case that should have been a slam dunk; is now a case that could cost Willy his career.

With the Oscar pedigreed cast and a complicated thriller plot, Fracture should work. Unfortunately, director Gregory Hoblit and writers Daniel Pyne Glen Gers can't get out of the way of these remarkable actors. Placing them in an untenable maze of cop and lawyer show garbage, Fracture unfolds like an average CSI or Law & Order episode, only less believable.

Despite a plot that betrays him, Ryan Gosling turns in a surprisingly good performance. Watching him work is like watching a young Newman or Redford as they came into their own as actors. Gosling has the looks and the brains of those legends and most importantly that classic smolder of a leading man. There is a scene in Fracture with Gosling and Rosamund Pike who plays his very brief love interest. They meet for the first time at an opera and sitting down the aisle from one another; Gosling gives Pike a look that has more heat than your average sex scene. It's a look that only a great leading man could give.

Anthony Hopkins can't help but be entertaining but in Fracture he seems a little more tired than we've ever seen him. Sleepwalking through this underwhelming plot' Hopkins falls back on a gleem in his eye and a forced creepy smile to sell this malevolent character. He also has Hannibal Lecter to fall back on and there are plenty of laconic Lecter-isms in Ted Crawford. Hopkins is still watchable but there is a cruise control feel to this performance.

What the creators of Fracture fail to realize is that modern audiences in the age of Court TV, CSI and Law & Order audiences are more savvy and knowledgeable about the law and law enforcement than ever before. So, when Willy misses an obvious bit of legal maneuvering, the cops seem to ignore pertinent information, or the killer makes an obvious forensic mistake, we notice and it takes us out of the movie.

I spent more time in Fracture pulling apart its legal logic, or lack of knowledge, than I did watching these two wonderful actors work together. It's a shame, because the few minutes I did watch the actors, they were very good.

Two great actors, one not so great movie, Fracture fails to take advantage of a seriously good pedigree. Instead we get a sub-cop show thriller that relies on ill logic and poor decision making by characters who should no better.  The creators of Fracture underestimate the intelligence of their audience and think they can play fast and loose with the rules of law enforcement. However, in the day and age of Court TV and Forensic Files, we know more than they give us credit for and the ill-logic of Fracture shows through.

Movie Review Half Nelson

Half Nelson (2006) 

Directed by Ryan Fleck 

Written by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck 

Starring Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie 

Release Date September 22nd, 2006 

Published October 23rd, 2006 

I knew when I first saw Ryan Gosling in the indie flick The Believer that he was destined to be an Oscar nominee. His fiery performance as a young jewish skinhead showed the charisma of a young Paul Newman with the range of a Dustin Hoffman. He maintained these skills even in mainstream puff pieces like Murder By Numbers, opposite Sandra Bullock, and the weepy romance The Notebook.

Those two films showed his star potential while indies like The Slaughter Rule and The United States Of Leland showed his acting chops. Now his career has reached the pinnacle that I, not so long ago, saw. Gosling is deservedly an Oscar nominee for his role as a modestly functional addict and teacher in Half Nelson.

Danny Dunne is one of those cool teachers. He's young enough to remember the trials of being a teenager and just old enough to be taken seriously when he gives out his history lessons. That he is also a cocaine addict is a sign; not of his cool, but rather of his astonishing ability to connect with the world while blasted out of his mind.

Dunne's biggest problem is that he simply hasn't hit bottom yet. As a 'functional' addict he is still in a mental state that allows him to believe he is in control of his addiction. Then, one night after coaching a girls basketball game, Dunne is caught by one of his students smoking crack in the girls locker room. Her name is Drey (Shareeka Epps) and her kind response to finding her teacher in this state is a function of her respect for him as a teacher and her own background which is surrounded by drugs, addicts and dealers.

Directed by Ryan Fleck, who also co-wrote the script with Anna Boden, Half Nelson delivers a story with obvious metaphors that yet manages to be deep and thoughtful. Ryan Gosling's Danny is a corrupted soul. Shareeka Epps as his student represents innocence and the potential to be corrupted. When Anthony Mackie shows up as Drey's drug dealing 'uncle' he represents the potential corruptor. Danny finds his salvation in preventing Drey from being corrupted.

It's rather simple really. That is where the incredible performances of Gosling, Epps and Mackie make the difference. The varying speeds and intensities of their individual performances are so precise they make you forget about the obvious metaphors until after the movie, when you've had a moment to reflect. While watching the film you can't help but be in the moment with these wonderful actors.

Ryan Gosling's intense, yet controlled performance is the perfect measure of a functioning addict. In denial about his problems because he is able to perform everyday tasks, Gosling's Danny will reflect the lives of many addicts who manage to make it to work everyday and interact with family and friends without, at least in their mind, letting anyone know about their addiction.

Shareeka Epps expertly captures the naivete of the preternaturally grown up child. Her experiences are those of an adult who has seen far too much but her perspective is still childish and precocious. This is not an easy balance to strike but Epps really nails it. It is a real shame she did not join Ryan Gosling in being nominated for an academy award because she was very deserving.

Ryan Gosling has truly arrived. But, Half Nelson is no revelation, at least not to me. I knew this kid was going to be great one day and that day has simply arrived. A riveting, emotional, turbulent performance that is never overstated, Gosling in Half Nelson paints a human portrait of addiction that illustrates all that is wrong with our drug culture.

Drug use is not a crime but rather a sickness. It needs to be treated with compassion not arrests. Half Nelson, and Ryan Gosling's performance teaches this lesson better than anyone in the office of National Drug Control Policy ever could explain why it should be a crime. The treatment of drug addicts in this country is a crime.

That really isn't what this movie is about but that is one the many emotions it evoked in me and one the many reasons Half Nelson is such a terrific film.

Movie Review Murder by Numbers

Murder by Numbers (2002) 

Directed by Barbet Schroeder

Written by Tony Gayton

Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt, Agnes Bruckner, Ben Chaplin, Chris Penn

Release Date April 19th, 2002 

Published April 18th, 2002

Director Barbet Schroeder began his career as one of the leaders of the French new wave in the 1960's. Writing for Cahiers Du Cinema, Schroeder expounded a style-over-substance approach, a free form of filmmaking that was about artistry more than story and character. Since coming to America in the early 70’s, Schroeder's style has become much more generic. It’s been mostly straight thrillers with conventional thriller plots and characters that, while proficient, weren't the genre busting style he had developed early in his career. Murder By Numbers is Schroeder’s latest by-the-numbers thriller that, while proficient, isn't Earth shattering.

Sandra Bullock stars as a hardass detective investigating an unusual murder that seems to have no motive. What Bullock and her partner, played by the personality challenged Ben Chaplin, don't know is the murder was committed as part of a suicide pact between two overpriveleged teens who thought it would be fun to try to commit the perfect murder. The teens, played by Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt, gorge themselves on forensic science books and the study of investigation, careful not to leave any clues. Of course what fun is committing the perfect crime if you can't take credit for it, so the boys begin to tease the detectives by dropping little hints, all the while setting up someone else to take the fall. Gosling's character, while not wanting to go to jail, still would like to be acknowledged for his brilliant scheme while Pitt quarrels with his own guilt.

The plot is strong but the characterizations are a little thin, especially Bullock who delivers a good performance but her character seems somewhat hard to believe in the muddled narrative. She's supposed to be this tough cop who other cops think is one of the guys yet at the same time she is intimidated by Gosling, who is not exactly menacing. The motivation for her being intimidated is explained later but by then it has already disrupted the characterization and rendered her unbelievable.

The standout is Michael Pitt who is on his way to an Oscar nomination with previous performances in Hedwig & the Angry Inch and Bully. He is building quite a resume with Murder By Numbers, an effective foray into the mainstream. The film itself could have benefited from being a little less mainstream, a little darker. As it is, it comes off a little too slick and somewhat shallow. Murder By Numbers is an okay film but it’s best to wait to be seen on DVD.

Movie Review: Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine (2010) 

Directed by Derek Cianfrance 

Written by Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, Joey Curtis 

Starring Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling 

Release Date December 29th, 2010 

Published December 30th, 2010 

"She sends me Blue Valentines

Though I try to remain at large

They're insisting that our love

Must have a eulogy"

The sad lyrics of Tom Waits' 1978 B-side Blue Valentines were one of the inspirations for the movie “Blue Valentine” starring Michele Williams and Ryan Gosling and they are appropriate. The film examines the beginning and, more thoroughly, the ending of a marriage and acts in effect like a eulogy to something once loved that has passed on.

The plot of “Blue Valentine” is fluid and mercurial, shifting back and forth in time from the sweet beginnings of Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy’s (Michelle Williams) relationship to the present where their marriage is ending. The ending is evident to us and to Cindy but not Dean who struggles to recapture the dying essence of their once effervescent love.

Like a freezing man desperately blowing on the embers of a dying flame Dean begs for every last moment of warmth. The last ditch effort comes on an Anniversary jaunt to a cheesy romantic hotel with themed rooms. In this ridiculous setting Dean will attempt to romance Cindy and the cold space between them will grow with Dean’s every effort.

Naturally, there are signposts early on that Dean and Cindy are starting on a troubled path. When Dean and Cindy met she was involved in an abusive relationship with Bobby (Mike Vogel) and when he finds out about Dean he and three friends seek out Dean and deliver a vicious beat down.

Cindy’s father Jerry (John Doman) is another trouble spot; he dislikes Dean from the very beginning. Jerry was also abusive but as he has aged he’s remained a presence in Dean and Cindy’s relationship and is a doting grandfather to their daughter Frankie (Faith Wladyka).

Much has been written about the sex in “Blue Valentine,” sex that nearly earned the film an NC-17 rating. The sex is intense for a reason; much of the basis of Dean and Cindy’s connection is a tremendous physical chemistry, something that all relationships need but not something you can build a sustainable relationship around.

Late in the film Cindy will use that physical chemistry against Dean offering him the sex he wants but holding back emotionally until his frustration can no longer be controlled. It’s a heart rending scene and one that may be good enough to earn Michelle Williams an Oscar nomination.

Not all of “Blue Valentine” is a downer; like any relationship Dean and Cindy’s relationship has good moments. The scene of Dean and Cindy’s first date which features a little dancing, a little singing and a ukulele is one of the sweetest moments in any movie in 2010. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are thrilling in this moment offering the audience all we need to know about why these two people think they love each other in this one exceptional scene.

But, did Dean and Cindy ever really love each other? Dean certainly loved Cindy but she is more mysterious. Cindy’s motivations for loving Dean or wanting to love Dean are less than healthy and Williams is expert at communicating the depth of Cindy’s psychoses and how they influenced her to marry Dean without fully committing emotionally.

“Blue Valentine” is as raw as Tom Waits’ gravel ridden voice and like Waits at his best is capable of deep sadness or biting dark humor. This is the first feature for writer-director Derek Cianfrance and it will be fascinating to watch this newcomer evolve his vision as a filmmaker. “Blue Valentine” is an exceptional start for Cianfrance who looks capable of something even more brilliant in the future.

Movie Review: Crazy Stupid Love

Crazy Stupid Love (2011) 

Directed by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa 

Written by Dan Fogelman 

Starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore 

Release Date July 29th, 2011

Published July 28th, 2011 

Will Steve Carell ever grow up? In The 40 Year old Virgin Carell played a man-child who needed the help of friends to get him laid for the first time. Now, some seven years later, Carell is playing a slightly more grown up man-child who still needs help getting laid, this time after his wife of 25 years, Emily (Julianne Moore), has divorced him.

Enter Jacob played by Ryan Gosling. Jacob looks like he walked out of the pages of GQ carrying the swagger of a pro athlete and the ladies man rap of The Game author Neil Strauss. Jacob takes pity on Carell's Cal after repeatedly listening to Cal whine about his wife cheating on him. Naturally, this leads to a montage of Carell trying on clothes while Gosling hits on the various women assisting in their clothing choices. Soon, Cal has a swagger and for the first time in 25 years he's having sex with a woman who is not his wife, in fact, he's having sex with a number of women.

Jacob meanwhile, finds himself in an entirely new place in life. Hannah (Emma Stone) is the rare woman to reject his advances but after she gets a surprise from her would be fiancée she decides she wants the bar-hopping bad boy. Thinking that it would be just a one night stand, Jacob and Hannah have one of those first nights together that you end up telling your kids about.

Crazy, Stupid, Love was written and directed by the team behind the hit 2010 comedy Easy A, Glen Ficarra and John Requa. The duo has a good ear for the way people speak and an excellent feel for the comic rhythm with which people in movies speak. Carell and Gosling have a terrific comic rapport; quite surprising given Gosling's talent for drama and Carell's comic tendencies.

Also excellent is the chemistry between Gosling and Emma Stone. Ficcarro and Requa did great things with Stone in Easy A and the actress continues to show the promise of a budding superstar in Crazy, Stupid, Love. The Jacob-Hannah love montage would be typical, even perfunctory, were it not for the chemistry of these two terrific performers.

Crazy, Stupid, Love is far from perfect; the film goes off the rails a little late in the film after revealing an unnecessary plot twist and a ludicrous plot involving Cal and Emily's babysitter, Jessica (Analeigh Tipton.) That said, young actress Analeigh Tipton is a total sweetheart who has a terrific sub-plot with Cal and Emily's son Robbie played by Jonah Bobo.

The good things about Crazy, Stupid, Love greatly outweigh the bad. Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling are terrific together as are Gosling and Emma Stone. Add in small roles for Kevin Bacon and Marisa Tomei and you have a recipe for a terrific movie that cannot be spoiled by minor imperfections.

Movie Review: The Ides of March

The Ides of March (2011) 

Directed by George Clooney 

Written by George Cloooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon 

Starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright 

Release Date October 7th, 2011 

Published October 6th, 2011 

It's hard to believe that America has ever been more cynical about politics and politicians than we are right now in 2011. The divisions between Democrats and Republicans are at ocean's depth and that division has fed a distrust of government like nothing since the Civil War. Into this angry, cynical fray comes a cynical movie, "The Ides of March," directed by and starring George Clooney, which audiences will either embrace as a cynical sign of the times or reject as a more of the ugly animus that has weighed on us for several cynical years.

Ryan Gosling is the focus of "The Ides of March" playing an up and coming communications specialist named Stephen Meyers. Though only 30 years old, Stephen is a veteran on the campaign trail. Now, he's the second in command on what may be a game changing Presidential campaign. Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) is the candidate the Democrats have been searching for, a Liberal from a prosperous and politically pivotal state, Pennsylvania, with a spotless record and endless charisma. More importantly, Morris's uncompromising convictions are of a kind that inspires even the most jaded politico, like Stephen.

Grasping at a first opportunity to win the right way, in the arena of ideas, Stephen has become a true believer in Governor Morris. Naturally, such blind faith is a dangerous thing. When Stephen discovers the chink in Governor Morris's armor his devastation has shockwaves that reverberate through the whole campaign. Unfortunately, there is an inherent flaw in "The Ides of March" that cannot be escaped. I won't reveal the secret here but it involves a supporting character who preposterously exists in the lives of Stephen and the Governor. The laziness and obviousness of this character's function undermines much of The Ides of March.

Not only does this character function in a way that is hard to believe, the character is also quite dated. Political scandals have evolved and while the occasional old school, 90's style scandal still bubbles up, the bigger more elaborate scandals involving money and abuse of power are more resonant today. That said, "The Ides of March" contains scenes that are transcendent and would make a better movie into one that would be talked about for a very long time. One scene involves Gosling's Stephen and Paul Giamatti, the campaign manager for a rival campaign, which contains the kind of political inside baseball that political junkies won't be able to resist.

Another great scene involves Gosling and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in which Hoffman delivers a glorious speech about loyalty. Hoffman is Gosling's boss and when he finds out that Stephen has met with Giamatti he unleashes a fury that is Oscar quality. The cast of "The Ides of March" is first rate, including strong supporting roles for Marisa Tomei as a cynical journalist and Max Minghella (The Social Network) as an ambitious campaign operative. The main cast is very good as well but they cannot overcome the flaws of the film's 'twist' and a distinct ugliness that is magnified by our real life political climate.

Movies cannot ignore the times in which they exist, especially one that aims to mimic real life. "The Ides of March" is a mirror image of the negativity and vileness of our current politics. George Clooney has every right to make a movie that reflects our current politics but that doesn't make "The Ides of March" enjoyable to watch. Count me among those who are exhausted by politics; exhausted by the cynical game playing. 

I'm tired of being suspicious of all politicians. I'm sick of all the lying and gamesmanship. I want to believe in something again, anything. "The Ides of March" believes only in the ugliness of politics and while that's a perfectly valid perspective, I don't want to watch this or any movie about this ugliness. I'm tired, too tired for any more cynicism than I am already burdened with. "The Ides of March" invites us only to wallow in our cynicism and I am too tired to wallow.

Movie Review: The Notebook

The Notebook (2004) 

Directed by Nick Cassavetes 

Written by Jeremy Leven 

Starring Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands, James Marsden, Joan Allen 

Release Date June 25th, 2004 

Published June 24th, 2004 

There is a terrific line in the movie High Fidelity where John Cusack sums up his short-term romance with Lily Taylor. "You have to be of a certain disposition to believe you’re going to be alone for the rest of your life at 26. We were of that disposition.” I too am of that disposition. At 28 years old I am single, really unattached single for the first time in a very long while. I have had steady relationships since I was 14 year old. Don't worry I'm going somewhere with this.

I get to thinking this way every time I see a romantic movie. What if I had my great love already and lost it? What if great love only exists in the movies? If that is true then The Notebook is a wonderful example of the big love I wish existed in real life. A collection of great actors comes together with a director slowly coming of age to create, not a perfect movie, but a romantic and memorable movie.

The film stars Ryan Gosling as Noah, a poor boy working in a lumber yard who one summer night meets the woman of his dreams. Her name is Allie (Rachel McAdams), the daughter of rich parents who has moved to the small southern town of Seabrook only for the summer. Allie does not share Noah's immediate attraction but eventually his charm breaks through and the two begin a torrid summer love affair.

Parallel to this is the story of an old couple living in a nursing home. James Garner and Gena Rowlands are the old couple. While he is in good shape, she is suffering from severe dementia. He kindly comforts her by reading to her from a notebook the story of Noah and Allie's love affair. You will have to see the film for the rest of their story.

Naturally, with Allie coming from a rich family and having a disapproving mother (Joan Allen), their affair is destined to be short lived. When Allie returns home very late from a date with Noah, her mother forces her to return to their home in Charlotte. She leaves a message for Noah to write to her but sadly, his letters are intercepted by her mother. He goes on to fight in World War II while she heads to college and a few years later is engaged to another man played by James Marsden. Noah and Allie reunite once more but again you will have to see the film to see if there’s is a happy ending.

Or you could read the book by Nicholas Sparks, the famed romance writer whose credits also include the sappy A Walk To Remember and the even sappier Message In A Bottle. Indeed Sparks has a tendency to lay it on pretty thick but The Notebook somehow is not as bogged down as the previous novels. Maybe it's better writers adapting the book to the screen but whatever the case, The Notebook is far better than either of Sparks’ other works.

Maybe it's just the amazing cast. Gena Rowlands and James Garner are fantastic. The heartbreaking chemistry of these two masterful actors should land them both Oscar nominations in the supporting categories. Rowlands especially is magnificent. I don't cry at movies very often, after years of working as a critic, but I was very moved by Ms. Rowlands’ work in this film. It helps that her son Nick Cassevetes' camera absolutely loves her.

Ryan Gosling has been a star on the rise for a few years now and with his performance here he has guaranteed his stardom. Gosling has the presence and chops of a true movie star. Watch the way he commands attention in every scene without having to force it. It's honestly like watching a young Paul Newman or maybe James Dean. Gosling has presence, gravitas, and charisma to go with his remarkable good looks. 

The films only obvious weak point is, unfortunately, Rachel McAdams who sadly can't find her footing for most of the film. It's probably her pairing with Gosling. Though they have okay chemistry, McAdams is clearly intimidated and Gosling is so good that his performance exposes her flaws. She may yet have stardom in her future, she was good in her comedic turn in Mean Girls earlier this year, this however is not her coming out party as a great actress.

The films real revelation may be director Nick Cassavetes who, after a series of almost great films, finally finds himself with The Notebook. The material is a little sappy at times, overly sentimental, even a little precious but Cassavetes is clearly in command and wrenches the film away from too much melodrama. Cassavetes smartly relies on his terrific actors to carry the day and they make this a memorable experience.

The Notebook is a wonderfully romantic film. It's a film that got to my emotions like few films are able to do. I always get a little broody and contemplative after a movie like this and it leads to hours of old photos and pop songs. I believe there is big love out there in real life, you just have to try and find it or let it find you. Even if you lose it, it's still big. No matter what, big love will always be on the big screen, a comforting reminder of a dream you have for yourself.