Movie Review Safe Haven

Safe Haven (2013)

Directed by Lasse Hallstrom 

Written by Dana Stevens

Starring Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, Cobie Smulders, David Lyons

Release Date February 14th, 2013 

Published February 15th, 2013

I love "Safe Haven." I truly, love this Nicholas Sparks adapted romance starring Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel. I just don't love it for the reasons that the filmmakers intended. "Safe Haven," directed by Oscar nominee Lasse Hallstom, has an ending that is so balls out goofy it turns an otherwise banal romantic thriller into one of the most gloriously cheeseball movies of all time.

A woman on the run

"Safe Haven" stars former "Dancing with the Stars" pro Julianne Hough as Katie, a woman on the run from a dangerous past. Flashbacks inform us that Katie may have murdered her abusive husband. We find Katie as she is boarding a bus that will eventually whisk her away to the idyllic paradise of Southport, North Carolina.

Southport is a town so small that no one bothers to do background checks or require a proof of ID before giving someone a job and renting them a home; what luck for a woman who may or may not be wanted for murder. Back in Katie's, not her real name mind you, home town in Boston a very determined and sweaty detective (David Lyons) is pulling out all the stops to track her down.

Of course there is a love story

Naturally, while Katie is trying to keep a low profile she will fall in love; this is a Nicholas Sparks adaptation after all. The love interest is Alex (Josh Duhamel), a widower with two adorable tots and an irresistible southern manner. He's smitten immediately but Katie needs a pushy neighbor named Jo (Cobie Smulders, "How I Met Your Mother") before she gives up her seclusion for romance.

For most of "Safe Haven" we are treated to boilerplate Nicholas Sparks romantic drama as Katie and Alex fall in love and Katie's past looms as the final act obstacle to their happily ever after. Then the final minutes of "Safe Haven" arrive and like a phoenix from the ashes of mediocrity "Safe Haven" arises to become an all time cornball classic; a true epic of cheesy badness.

No spoilers, I promise

I will not spoil the ending in this review because I want you to see it for yourself. I realize that this flies in the face of being a professional critic; recommending a bad movie, but I can't help myself; I love how bad this movie ends and I want to share it with you. The ending of "Safe Haven," for those who haven't read Sparks' novel, is joyous nonsense; a twist even M. Night Shyamalan would find contrived.

So wonderfully dumb is this ending that it took me nearly biting through my bottom lip to keep from bursting out in girlish giggles. Until the final 10 minutes, give or take a minute, I was ready to forget about "Safe Haven." Once the final credits began to roll however, I wanted to stand up and applaud and thank Lasse Hallstrom for the gift he's given to bad movie lovers everywhere.

"Safe Haven" is the first, and likely the only, must see bad movie of 2013.

Movie Review Bullet to the Head

Bullet to the Head (2013) 

Directed by Walter Hill

Written by Alessandro Camon

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Sarah Shahi, Jason Momoa 

Release Date February 13th, 2013

Published April 1st, 2013 

If you need a good example of Hollywood misogyny look no further than to any reference to plastic surgery. Women in Hollywood are subjected to endless derision for their decision to prolong their youth through science while men like Billy Crystal and Sylvester Stallone are somehow immune. Both Crystal and Stallone make Melanie Griffith and Cher look shy and retiring by comparison and yet they are rarely the subjects of public mockery and certainly not to the extent of their female counterparts.

I bring up this topic because Mr. Stallone has returned to the big screen in the forgettable action movie "Bullet to the Head." The film finds Stallone almost unrecognizable from his days as Rocky and Rambo. Our former blue collar action hero has had more work done and ingested more chemicals to combat aging than any aging diva and yet he's allowed to keep his dignity.

Jimmy Bobo

"Bullet to the Head" casts Stallone as Jimmy Bobo, a low-level thug who specializes in killing with no questions asked. Jimmy will have more than a few questions of his own to ask however, after his partner is murdered following what seemed like a routine job knocking off a coked up ex-cop. Jimmy himself was targeted for death by the same man who killed his partner, played by Jason Momoa, but managed to survive. That, dear friend, is the setting for a revenge thriller.

Joining Jimmy as his new odd couple sidekick is Washington D.C detective, Taylor Kwan (Sung Kang). The cop Jimmy killed is Kwan's ex-partner but for reasons the film is intentionally vague about, he's not interested in getting Jimmy but rather the people who hired Jimmy. Together Jimmy and Detective Kwan begin cutting a bloody swath through the New Orleans underworld on their way back to Momoa's big bad, a thug who has no interest in money, only in killing.

The Flower of Promise?

That last paragraph intimates some promise in this story. It's a kind of twist that you have a central villain who isn't a mustache twirling schemer but rather a character that seems like a murderous lackey and turns out to be the most formidable character in the film. That promise sadly never flowers because Momoa is too much of a blank slate. The character lacks panache and beyond his odd choice of weapon, an ax, he lacks any real characterization and has zero depth.

Director Walter Hill, a veteran of both memorable ("The Warriors") and forgettable action movies, does manage to make "Bullet to the Head" presentable, even a tad watchable. Unfortunately, he's saddled with Stallone and his vain attempt to maintain his shred of star power. Stallone's vanity dominates "Bullet to the Head" and condemns the film to desperation. A scene set in a New Orleans bathhouse is merely an opportunity for the vainglorious star to remove his shirt and pretend he's Taylor Lautner. Meanwhile we in the audience can only marvel at the wonders of science both legal and questionable.

What movie did I see?

I will give Stallone credit for not demanding a nubile love interest to further his desperate quest for youth. Young Sarah Shahi, the only female character in the film, is instead Stallone's daughter in the film, conceived assumedly when Jimmy was in his mid-forties hooker loving phase. Given the amount of substances that Stallone is on to maintain his physique, it's fair to guess that he's beyond Viagra and thus the need for a love interest. As for Ms. Shahi, she's little more than a pretty face and serves the purpose of a damsel in distress before being given as a prize to Kang's sidekick detective.

I don't hate "Bullet to the Head;" that would require more effort than the film is worth. Rather, I find it impossible to maintain much of a memory of the film. I remember enough to give you a cursory description of the plot and I have made great effort to remember the actors involved but beyond that, the film is so forgettable that the title will be lost to me in the mere seconds after I finish this review. Nothing of.. of… "Bullet to the Head" (sorry began to forget it already) has earned space in my mind, a place where Derek Jeter's rookie year batting average and the names of WWE Divas still reside.

The Aging Star

The only thing remotely memorable about "Bullet to the Head" is Sly Stallone's vanity. Where once he was Rocky, among the least vain characters in film history, he is now a caricature. Stallone is the Frankenstein's monster of modern science; a sad testament of an image obsessed culture. Stallone is now more machine than man; more dangerous science experiment than human being.

While the movie will never be remembered, still photographs from "Bullet to the Head" will likely be exhibits in Stallone's autopsy. When science finally does fail to convert Stallone into a jet fuel based life-form doctors will examine stills from this film to see where the science experiment went wrong; to see where the surgically implanted seams began to fail. It's sick and it's quite a twisted thought, but it is the only thing I will take away from "Bullet to the Head."

Movie Review Promised Land

Promised Land (2012) 

Directed by Gus Van Sant

Written by Gus Van Sant 

Starring Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Frances McDormand, Rosemarie Dewitt, Hal Holbrook 

Release Date December 28th, 2012 

"Promised Land" has an earnest charm that sadly isn't enough to repair its airless, smug storytelling. Written by stars Matt Damon and John Krasinski, "Promised Land" is an achingly liberal tract about the environmental dangers posed by gas companies and while there is a nobility of ideas, there is a distinct lacking in execution.

Born in a Small Town

Damon stars as Steve Butler, a rising star at a gas company called Global. Steve is from Eldridge, Iowa and was deeply influenced by the loss of a Caterpillar plant in Davenport that, for a time, devastated the local economy of his hometown and surrounding towns. That loss drives Steve today to buy up struggling family farms in hopes of enriching people who remind him of his former neighbors.

That much of what Steve is selling are lies does wear on him but he hopes that the potential for big checks for himself, and the small town folks he's buying up, will make up for his bad karma. Steve's partner Sue (Francis McDormand) is driven more by her paycheck than her backstory.

Together they travel to a small farming community in Pennsylvania where they hope to sell the locals on selling their land to the gas company. Steve and Sue find trouble however, in a local teacher (Hal Holbrook) and an out of town environmentalist (John Krasinski), eager to stir up anti-natural gas sentiment.

Small Town Showdown

That's the set up for a small town showdown but where the film goes from there is far too silly and smug to support the kind of drama that the stars and director Gus Van Sant want to create. We know from the beginning, as Steve is dunking his head in a bathroom sink, that a crisis of conscience is imminent. We also know the crisis of conscience is coming because Damon is a well-known liberal activist playing a character working for an evil gas company.

Whether you're inclined to agree with Damon and Krasinski or not doesn't really matter. You can be a hardcore, left wing, liberal Democrat and still find "Promised Land" mind numbingly predictable; at least in the case of Damon's Steve. If you can predict where Krasinski's character is headed, you're better at this than I am and you will also still be dumbfounded by it.

Charming Stars

All of that said, and putting my issues with the film aside, it's impossible for this group of stars, which also includes Rosemarie Dewitt as Damon's love interest/savior, not to have a little charm. Krasinski pours on the smug as the righteous environmentalist but he does deliver a charmingly bad Bruce Springsteen karaoke performance. Damon is a little more troublesome as he has the burden of predictability around his neck.

Thankfully, Damon is well teamed with Dewitt and their scenes together crackle with the chemistry of a more interesting movie. McDermott is her usual fascinating, funny self as the more pragmatic and resigned character than Damon. And then, of course, there is Holbrook who lends the film his integrity for a couple of pretty good scenes.

Is "Promised Land" a bad movie? No, but it is far from a good movie. The film telegraphs its intentions and never raises enough interest to get around its predictability. There is a good deal of skill and charm in the acting and direction of "Promised Land" but it is in service of a failing, predictable, tract of a story.

Movie Review Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playlist (2012) 

Directed by David O. Russell

Written by David O. Russell

Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jackie Weaver, Chris Tucker

Release Date November 16th, 2012 

Published November 15th, 2012 

Manic people can change the temperature of any room they are in with their mood. Not literally of course, but anyone who's been in a room with a manic personality has experienced the unbelievable warmth and good humor that moments later becomes an icy cold stare based on something only the manic personality is aware of.

The dramatic comedy "Silver Linings Playbook," written and directed by David O. Russell is the rare film to capture this unique change in temperature. Bradley Cooper's Patrick is a manic personality whose mood swings seem to control the very atmosphere of any room he inhabits.

White Knuckle Determination

Pat was once just a chubby Philadelphia schoolteacher with a struggling marriage and a mental illness he kept in check through white-knuckle determination. That determination was not enough to keep Pat from nearly murdering the man whom he caught having sex with his wife in his own home when he came home from work early one day.

Cut to eight months later and Pat is being released from a mental institution. Pat's mother Dolores has, against doctor's orders, decided to take legal responsibility for him and bring him home. Unfortunately for Dolores, Pat has no interest in following the rules of his release, including taking his meds and seeing a shrink. Instead, Pat intends to get in shape and win back his wife; regardless of the restraining order she has against him.

Manic, Filter-less, Motormouth

Pat's plan is altered greatly by the introduction of Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a manic personality in her own right, though not nearly as volatile as Pat. Tiffany's manic nature comes from the sudden death of her husband. Months of having people step lightly around her and her problems, Tiffany finds Pat's manic, filter-less motor-mouth refreshing.

Tiffany then sets her heart on winning Pat over. Here is where writer-director David O. Russell really begins to get comfortable with this story. The first 30 to 35 minutes of the film he establishes Pat's nature via his relationship with his parents, Dolores, the cheerleader and his father Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro), who's own anxieties are a clear influence on Pat's nature.

A Lively, Strange Romance

Once Pat and Tiffany become the center of the story "Silver Linings Playbook" becomes a lively, strange romance with the off-beat rhythm of Russell's under-appreciated "I Heart Huckabees" and the rom-com warmth of his oddball romance "Flirting with Disaster." One can also see the commercial influence of Russell's greatest hit, the Academy Award nominated "The Fighter," in the late moments of "Silver Linings Playbook" and the combination is thrilling to watch.

"Silver Linings Playbook" is the perfect David O. Russell movie. The characters are a reflection of his interests, flawed, struggling human beings striving to be better while often standing in their own way. Pat strives toward what he calls a 'Silver Lining' and it is a credit to Russell that this aphorism is never really explained and only means something to Pat.

Appealing and Entertaining

Bradley Cooper's performance in "Silver Linings Playbook" can easily be overlooked. Much of Pat's manic personality is expressed through Russell's camerawork and the brilliant classic rock score that feels as if it is emerging from Pat's fevered mind. That said, it's Cooper who has to convince you fully of Pat's volatile qualities as wells as his relatable, lovable qualities and he does that in a most appealing and entertaining way.

Cooper is aided greatly by a generous performance by Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence. We find a strange sort of balance in Pat when he's with Tiffany and while we recognize it immediately, it's exciting to watch Pat slowly realize it throughout the rest of the movie. These two damaged souls are perfect together and unlike so many romantic comedy pairings, that perfection isn't forced into being but allowed time to breath and build.

The Return of Robert DeNiro

Add Robert DeNiro's finest work in years and you have quite a remarkable movie. Over the last decade, I had come to believe that DeNiro was coasting on his own legend. Watching some of DeNiro's recent work you see an actor not fully engaged, an old man too tired to do the work needed to transcend the way he did as a younger, fresher and more committed performer.

Something in the direction of David O. Russell lit a fire under DeNiro in "Silver Linings Playbook" and for the first time since maybe "Goodfellas" that twinkle in DeNiro's eye is more than just the memory of his past greatness. The passion and energy that DeNiro brings to Pat Sr. matches the volatility and sadness of Cooper's manic character and the father son dynamic they create is both awkward and illuminating.

Director and Character Unite

It's easy to suggest that "Silver Linings Playbook" comes from a very personal place for David O. Russell. Outside of his writing and directing Russell is known for his volatility with actors and critics. It's easy to speculate that Russell finds something of himself in the character of Pat and it gives him an insight into the character that others may not have. It would be foolish to diagnose Russell manic or bi-polar from afar but the evidence presented in "Silver Linings Playbook" indicates an insight others don't have.

Were Russell to share a degree of Pat's illness it would only serve to deepen the film's final act. As Pat finds something akin to peace, maturity and perspective, so has Russell seemed to gain something similar over the arc of his career. "Spanking the Monkey," "Flirting with Disaster,"Three Kings" and "I Heart Huckabees" were made by an uncompromising artist committed to a very specific vision and willing to physically defend that vision. Then, after reaching his most volatile with 'Huckabees,' a new perspective and maturity took hold and led to "The Fighter," his greatest success.

"Silver Linings Playbook" has the best of both of David O. Russell's worlds. The vision that made Russell an artist and the maturity that made him successful. The parallel journey of director and character in "Silver Linings Playbook" is remarkable to watch and part of what makes this one of the best movies of 2012.

Movie Review Deadfall

Deadfall (2012) 

Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky 

Written by Zach Dean 

Starring Eric Bana, Charlie Hunnam, Sissy Spacek, Kris Kristofferson, Kate Mara, Olivia Wilde 

Release Date December 7th, 2012 

Published December 14th, 2012

Some movies just don't get the support they deserve. The thriller "Deadfall" is a good example. This smart, effective thriller starring Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde and Charlie Hunnam was forced to forgo much of a theatrical release in favor of an On-Demand cable release and has been judged by many as a failure because it's not playing on over a thousand screens nationwide.

That most movies that go this release route aren't very good serves to taint "Deadfall" and that's truly a shame. The fact is, "Deadfall" is better than dozens of so-called thrillers that made it to thousands of screens only to disappoint mass audiences in the same way "Deadfall" is thrilling and surprising the lucky few who've given it a chance.

Knocked Off Balance

"Deadfall" knocks viewers off balance from the opening moment. Three thieves, including Bana and Wilde as brother and sister, Addison and Liza, are headed for the Canadian border when their getaway car strikes a deer and the careens off of a snowy, Michigan back road. The getaway driver is killed and moments later, a bloodied Addison murders a responding State Trooper.

This jarring opening sets an unusual but nonetheless compelling tone for "Deadfall." As Addison and Liza divide their money and part ways with plans to reconnect in Canada another part of this story begins. Jay (Charlie Hunnam) has just been released from prison. We aren't made aware of his crime but it involves his past as boxer and a fraud in the ring. Jay quickly finds trouble again at his former gym and is soon on the run.

A Thriller, A Love Story, A Psychological Examination

These two stories converge when Jay happens upon a near catatonic Liza in the middle of the frozen highway. After rescuing her the two find sanctuary at a hotel bar. A few drinks and minor confessions later they are forgetting their troubles by shedding their clothes in the hotel. For Liza, this is part of a plan to get Jay to take her to his parents home, near the Michigan-Canadian border, a place he mentioned in passing.

After Liza calls Addison and tells him where they should meet up, her plans begin to change. Forced to spend another day at the hotel because of the winter conditions, Liza finds her connection to Jay getting deeper. The damage these two share leads to passion and what could very well be love, even as the two have only just met. It's a testament to the chemistry of Wilde and Hunnam that we barely question this connection.

Near Perfect Logic

The story of "Deadfall" unfolds to include Jay's perfectly cast parents, Sissy Spacek and Kris Kristofferson, and a young rural cop played by Kate Mara who's dealing with familial issues of her own in the form of her over-bearing cop father played by Treat Williams. That all of these characters will arrive at the same place at the same time at the end of the film is a given. How all arrive there and what happens is what makes "Deadfall" such an effective thriller.

There is a near perfect logic to the way the ending of "Deadfall" plays out. Writer Dean and director Ruzowitzky combine the psychological examination of Addison with the brief love story of Jay and Liza, the parental angst of Mara and Williams and Jay's struggles with his parents and his life into a simple, straightforward thriller plot that somehow never feels crowed over-complicated. There should not be a way for "Deadfall" to work so efficiently with so much weight heaped upon each character but it does.

Don't Judge a Movie By Its Release Strategy

So why, if "Deadfall" is as good as I am telling you it is, have you not heard about this film? Some of it has to do with Bana, a movie star who just hasn't become a Movie Star. When Bana was cast in "Deadfall" there was hope that his star-power along with a terrific supporting cast could propel the film. Unfortunately, Bana has simply never caught on with audiences and it was more efficient, from a business standpoint, to forgo theatrical release in favor of a direct to cable route.

While playing in several small theaters "Deadfall" was made available on Video on Demand services and on Amazon.com's streaming service. Do yourself a favor and don't judge the film for its lack of a wide theatrical release. "Deadfall" is more than worth a look On Demand or download.

Movie Review Hyde Park on the Hudson

Hyde Park on the Hudson (2012) 

Directed by Roger Mitchell 

Written by Richard Nelson

Starring Bill Murray, Laura Linney 

Release Date August 31st, 2012 

Published November 10th, 2012 

"Hyde Park on Hudson" is a strange movie. On the surface, it appears to be a prim and proper period piece centered on an American President. In reality, it is a trim and tawdry, Jerry Springer-esque expose on the secret affair between a President and his cousin. Jerry Springer-esque is a slight overstatement though this version of FDR and his sordid private life would make a fitting guest for a trashy talk show.

There is no arguing with the notion that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt cheated on his wife Eleanor with many different women. There is also no denying that a good movie can be made about one or all of these affairs. The problem is "Hyde Park on Hudson" picks the absolute worst instance of this adultery to focus on. It's about the time that FDR got a handjob from his cousin and pursued sleeping with her. UGHHH!!!! 

Uncomfortable and Icky

Laura Linney is the ostensible star of "Hyde Park on Hudson" as President FDR's fifth cousin Daisy (If you think her being a fifth cousin is an excuse, re-evaluate your life and don't spend time with your extended family, eww). When the President, played by Bill Murray, is at his home away from home, known as Hyde Park on Hudson, he finds distraction and comfort in the company of Daisy with whom he can, for a moment, forget the problems of the free world and simply be Franklin.

That sounds lovely until 'that scene' happens. Our illusions about the stately, period picture decorum of "Hyde Park on Hudson" are shattered early on in Daisy and FDR's first outing together. Having driven out to the middle of a field and dismissed the secret service, FDR slowly encourages Daisy into a... sexual encounter. She... gives the President a handy. I already mentioned that but it calls for repeating, the President encouraged his cousin into giving him a handjob and someone thought that should be in a movie starring Bill Murrary and Laura Linney. 

What a Waste

The film never recovers from this scene. even as the screenwriting attempts to make excuses about the distance between Daisy and FDR on the family tree. Every scene after Daisy and FDR's indelicate encounter in the field is a forced attempt at classing things up. The film's supposed focus is the first ever visit of the British Royal Family to the home of an American President but we're never allowed the opportunity to invest in that plot because there is no recovering from the President getting tossed off by a member of his family. 

As I said earlier, there is a good movie to be made about the messy private life of an American President but this is not it. "Hyde Park on Hudson" is a shabby, tawdry, and still somehow, often quite dull picture that wastes the talents of two of my favorite performers, Bill Murray and Laura Linney. It says something terrible about "Hyde Park on Hudson" that two so talented actors as Murray and Linney cannot improve the movie enough to make it palatable.

Movie Review Killing Them Softly

Killing Them Softly (2012) 

Directed by Andrew Dominik 

Written by Andrew Dominik 

Starring Brad Pitt, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta 

Release Date November 30th, 2012 

Published November 29th, 2012 

There is a good movie somewhere in the bones of "Killing them Softly." Sadly, what finally arrives on the big screen is only mildly interesting. This Brad Pitt starring mob drama about a hitman assigned to exact revenge on minor thieves who've stolen mob money has moments that are transcendent but also feel as if they belong in a different and more interesting movie.

'Indecisive and bureaucratic'

"Killing them Softly" stars Pitt as mob hit-man Jackie. Hired by the mob in New Orleans when their regular killer, Sam Shepard in a cameo, falls ill, Jackie is a philosophical killer eager to discuss plans for murder but growing weary of a mob that has become shockingly indecisive and bureaucratic.

Writer-director Andrew Domenik spends a great deal of effort to draw parallels between the mob and the modern American government, an ineffectual, gridlocked bureaucracy incapable of taking decisive action even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Every decision is work-shopped in committee and related via functionaries' Ala Richard Jenkins' mob lawyer.

Obama, McCain and Tony Soprano

The parallels between the mob and the government are thickly brewed and ladled on quite heavy as every scene seems to be scored by scenes from the 2008 economic crisis; the film is set in 2008 amid the Obama-McCain election. That said, the parallels are darkly amusing as are Pitt's exasperated expository conversations with Jenkins.

Also good are the talk heavy scenes between Pitt and a fellow mob hitman played by 'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini. There is a fascinating "My Dinner with Andre" style movie to be made with these two killers talking about the strange twists and turns of their lives and at times "Killing them Softly" almost becomes that movie.

Not enough star-power

The weakest moments of "Killing them Softly" and the reason why the film fails to become great, are the far too many moments when Pitt is off-screen. Scoot McNary and Ben Mandelsohn play the small-time crooks that Pitt takes aim at and we spend a shocking amount of time with these characters who never earn our interest and leave viewers wondering where Brad Pitt is.

"Killing them Softly" is a fascinating failure. Pitt, Jenkins and Gandolfini are very good but when they aren't onscreen, the film becomes far less compelling.

Movie Review Rust and Bone

Rust and Bone (2012) 

Directed by Jacques Audiard 

Written by Jacques Audiard 

Starring Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts

Release Date May 17th, 2012 

Published November 10th, 2012 

I was reading another critic's take on the foreign film entry "Rust and Bone" and was struck by the phrase 'misery porn.' I believe this same phrase has been attached to another Awards contender this season, the indie flick "Beasts of the Southern Wild." In both cases the phrase is an exaggeration, though as with most over-statement it carries an element of truth.

Both "Beasts of the Southern Wild" and "Rust and Bone" ladle on the dire circumstances of their protagonists with the thickness of heavy syrup. But, to call the portrayal of poverty in either film 'fetishistic' is to miss the point of both films. "Rust and Bone" for sure is not so much a portrait of poverty as it is a careful study of a romance between people defined by dire circumstance.

'Misery Porn'

Alain (Matthias Schoenaerts) is a lost soul only more alienated by the arrival in his life of a five year old son, Sam (Armand Verdure), thrust upon him by an absentee mother. Alain is on the run from something, though we aren't sure what. He's shifty and nervous at first glance and in the course of "Rust and Bone" we don't so much warm up to him as we come to accept who he is in the way the other characters in the film choose to.

Stephanie (Marion Cotillard) is more appealing though nearly as troubled. Our first glimpse of Stephanie comes as she picks a fight in a bar where Alain is a bouncer. She's bloodied and not terribly coherent, accepting Alain's offer of a ride home only as a taunt to a lover waiting back at her apartment.

They're both missing something

Why when Stephanie loses both her legs in an accident involving a killer whale, she's an Orca trainer when she's not picking bar fights, she chooses to call Alain is a mystery the film has no interest in clearing up. It's possible with his deep emotional wounds Stephanie see's an equivalent to her physical wounds but director Jaques Audiard is too smart to underline the connection.

To say that Alain and Stephanie begin a tentative romance is a misnomer. For Stephanie there is romance, for Alain there is just sport. Alain takes Stephanie to bed on a whim, figuring he's doing his disfigured friend a favor by showing her that her parts still function. Okay, the early sex scenes do somewhat underline Alain's missing emotional parts as what Stephanie is drawn to but not so much that it doesn't feel authentic.

Learning to love your damage

That's the thrust of "Rust and Bone," two damaged people learning to love the damage in each other. The rest of the film is filled out with the twin lures of sex and violence. The sex scenes in "Rust and Bone" are as powerful and compelling as any sex scene in 2012 and Audiard is equally unsparing in the film's violence; Alain takes to underground mixed martial arts fights as a way of making money and filling a need for self-punishment that he is incapable of explaining in words.

The further you get from "Rust and Bone" the more it resonates with you; Cotillard's beauty and despair mixes with Schoenaerts soulful brutality to create the most compelling and dark romance of the year. Both performances are award worthy as is the films elegant cinematography by Stephane Fontaine. I also loved director Audiard's use of American pop songs in unexpectedly poignant ways. Katy Perry's "Firework" is played to gloriously dramatic effect in one of the film's many powerful scenes.

"Rust and Bone" is not a movie I will likely ever watch again; it is at times quite bleak. That said, I can't help but admire the film even if I never see it again.

Movie Review Vamps

Vamps (2012) 

Directed by Amy Heckerling 

Written by Amy Heckerling 

Starring Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Stevens, Richard Lewis, Wallace Shawn, Justin Kirk

Release Date November 2nd, 2012 

Published November 5th, 2012 

I could watch Krysten Ritter in just about anything. As the star of ABC's under-appreciated sitcom "Don't Trust the 'B' in Apartment 23" Ritter's acerbic wit sets the series apart from other shows that wish they could be as edgy and funny. Ritter has a fearlessness that never feels like an act. It's the same fearlessness Ritter brings to her role in the modest but pleasant living dead comedy "Vamps."

Don't Trust the Vamp

Goody (Alicia Silverstone) and Stacy (Ritter) seem like any other nightlife loving New Yorkers. The only difference is that they've loved the nightlife for a great deal longer than the kids they party with. Goody and Stacy are vampires; Goody for more than 100 years and Stacy since the 90's. The same 'Stem' Vampire played with devilish wit by Sigourney Weaver turned both.

"Vamps" turns on an unexpected and inconvenient romance. Stacy falls in love with Joey (Dan Stevens), a slightly tragic circumstance because Joey happens to be Joey Van Helsing, heir to the vampire hunting legend currently held by his father, played by the brilliant Wallace Shawn. In the course of events, it is revealed that Stacy could return to human form, thus offering her the chance to be with Joey, if her stem vampire is killed.

Alicia Silverstone and Richard Lewis?

Circumstances are much more complicated for Goody. You see, if the stem vampire were killed the girls would return to their real ages. For Stacy that means her early 40's. Goody however is over 100 years old and thus will herself die. There is also a complex romance for Goody who stumbles on a former lover played by Richard Lewis with a sad tale of his own.

Don't worry fans of director Amy Heckerling, the proceedings of "Vamps" are not nearly as bleak, or dramatic as my last paragraph makes them seem. "Vamps" maintains a lighthearted tone throughout and while I won't say the film is wall to wall laughs, it is as consistently amusing as you would expect from the director of "Clueless."

Hopping the Vampire Bandwagon

Many critics have accused Heckerling of jumping the Vampire bandwagon, citing the popularity of the 'Twilight' franchise as the inspiration for "Vamps." There is an element of truth to that but "Vamps" has enough juice in it's own story to stand well apart from the glum, goofy characters of Stephanie Meyers' money train.

Heckerling may be forcefully attempting to capture the zeitgeist but she also invests in this story, in both the laughs and the difficult choices her characters have to make and the unlikely dramatic circumstances they find themselves in. Also, let's credit Heckerling with her faithfulness to classic vampire lore, unlike the shiny ones of 'Twilight,' these "Vamps" avoid sunlight.

"Vamps doesn't approach the wit or charm of Heckerling's twin teen comedy masterworks, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" or "Clueless," but it has an ease and good humor that many modern comedies can't muster. Add to that a terrifically game cast, especially the radiant Ms. Ritter, and you have a movie more than worth a stop at the Redbox.

Movie Review Arbitrage

Arbitrage (2012) 

Directed by Nicholas Jarecki 

Written by Nicholas Jarecki 

Starring Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Laetitia Costa, Nate Parker 

Release Date September 14th, 2012 

Published December 15th, 2012

Director's enjoy taking Richard Gere and put the screws to him. Gere's handsome visage, his easy charm makes him the perfect target for the pent up jealousies of lesser men. "American Gigolo," "Unfaithful," even something as tacky as "An Officer and a Gentleman," each turn on Gere's great looks and charm being tested by whatever a writer and director could throw at him.

Taking Gere, giving him power and money, then turning the heat up on him, and watching him squirm is part of the fun of casting Richard Gere in "Arbitrage," a thriller that teases a Bernie Madoff-esque story of corporate intrigue that turns on a "Bonfire of the Vanities," style murder plot.

In "Arbitrage" Mr. Gere stars as Richard Miller, a corporate titan who risked everything on a big bet and lost. We know that, he knows that but lucky for him, no one else knows just how bad the loss really was. Miller is about to sell a company that in reality has no assets and won't have any until it's sold.

It's a huge gamble, one big enough to spin a very compelling story of corporate intrigue. However "Arbitrage, it turns out, has other ideas in mind. Despite indicating a happy marriage and life as a happy, 60 plus year old grandfather, Miller has a secret life with a secret girlfriend (Laetitia Casta), as billionaire gamblers are wont to have.

When that girlfriend is killed in a car accident caused by his driving while sleepy, Miller initiates a cover up. The cover up, involving the son of a late friend, well-played by Nate Parker, at first seems like a distraction but quickly evolves into the focus of the film as a determined, class warrior cop (Tim Roth) makes a point of trying to nail the billionaire.

So you see, the Madoff stuff, the corporate intrigue is actually the distraction; it is the way of upping the ante and turning up the heat. We come to watch Gere squirm and writer-director Nicholas Jarecki delivers in fine fashion. Gere hasn't squirmed so entertainingly since the greatly underappreciated 2007 con-man movie "The Hoax."

"Arbitrage" is right up Gere's alley; he's handsome and successful on the surface and deviously rotting on the inside. He's the candy coating over the rotten fruit of a corporate titan. Watching him get the screws put to him is highly entertaining and waiting to see if he can wiggle his way out of it all is just as delicious.

Do you root for him to get away with it? That is very much in the eye of the beholder. One of the great things about "Arbitrage" is that it never begs sympathy nor does it try to tempt your sympathy; the film offers you the opportunity to wallow in the ugly behavior of Gere's corporate titan or judge him guilty and hope for him to be properly shamed.

The ending of "Arbitrage" somehow manages to satisfy all sides. There is a near perfect ambiguity to the ending that allows everyone to feel whatever they like about the character and the story. I won't say more in order to avoid spoilers, the film is after all something of a thriller and requires a bit of mystery to be fully enjoyed.

The bottom line is that "Arbitrage" is a highly entertaining Richard Gere movie. We get to see Gere twist and sweat and generally gutted and whether you root for the punishment or root for him to escape, you will be incredibly entertained throughout. Gere is the perfect actor onto which we can project our jealousies or our hopes.

His face brings with it privilege and based on your feelings toward the privileged you can enjoy watching him sweat or secretly root for him to skate. Few actors have ever possessed such unique qualities, the ability to suffer and deserve it and to suffer and have us root for it to end.

Movie Review Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance

Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance (2012) 

Directed by Neveldine and Taylor 

Written by Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman, David S. Goyer 

Starring Nicolas Cage, Ciaran Hinds, Johnny Whitworth, Idris Elba, Christopher Lambert

Release Date February 17th, 2012

Published February 17th, 2012 

Johnny Blaze (Nicholas Cage) is back in "Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance 3D." Almost abandoning any relation to the 2009 blockbuster "Ghost Rider," "Ghost Rider Spirit Vengeance" re-launches the comic book hero by rehashing his deal gone wrong with devil, the nature of his curse and his quest regain his soul. All of this info is delivered in an entertaining opening cartoon sequence that launches us right into Johnny's latest adventure.

Sadly, "Spirit of Vengeance" is far too goofy and campy to sustain the momentum from the opening credits. Once Johnny is informed of his latest mission, by the oh-so helpful Moreau (Idris Elba, slumming in this sub-B-movie), Johnny is set on a quest to get his soul back by saving the life of a child who happens to be the target for Satan's (Ciaran Hinds) next form on earth.

Standing in Ghost Rider/Johnny's way is a thug named Carrigan (Johnny Whitworth) who is oddly un-phased while facing down a flame-headed, un-killable demon. Karrigan's complete lack of surprise continues even after he gets his own disturbing super-natural powers from the lord of evil. I like Johnny Whitworth, I have since his charming turn in "Empire Records" but he's really terrible as the Devil's top henchman in "Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance."

Nicholas Cage is unquestionably the most bizarre actor on the planet. Sure, Johnny Depp has his ticks and quirks but even Depp at his most unusual cannot match the crazy vibe emanating from Cage. In "Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance" Cage truly lets his freak flag fly by chewing and spitting dialogue that would make Christopher Walken blush. There are actors in Roger Corman movies who may find scenes in "Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance" beneath their talent.

The biggest problem that "Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance" has however is a lack of a sense of humor. The film is deathly serious about the goofball nuttiness it delivers and seems to expect audiences to eat what it's dishing out without question. This leads to uproarious confusion as bizarre, laugh out loud scenes arrive that the filmmakers did not intend to be laugh out loud funny.

Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor suffered from a similar lack of self-awareness in their "Crank" movies starring Jason Statham. Both of the "Crank" movies were wildly funny without ever intending to be. It's not that the directors want to deliver Oscar caliber drama but rather that they intend on their movies being gripping, thrilling, action movies and not the bizarre unintentional comedies that they are.

There is entertainment value in the strange disconnection from reality that all involved in "Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance" suffer from but you have to have a slightly mean sense of humor to find it. Laughing at the undoubtedly hard-working folks behind "Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance" is like laughing at someone who trips over their own feet; it's not intended to be funny and you shouldn't laugh but you can't help it.

As Nicholas Cage started 2011 with one of the worst movies of that year, "Season of the Witch," Cage begins 2012 with a movie just as likely to be not so fondly remembered at the end of 2012.

Movie Review Booksmart

Booksmart (2019) 

Directed by Olivia Wilde 

Written by Susanna Vogel, Katie Silberman, Sarah Haskins 

Starring Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte

Release Date March 24th, 2019

Published March 24th, 2019

Booksmart stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, a long way from her role on Tim Allen’s Last Man Standing, as Molly and Amy, High School best friends who believe they have the whole school thing locked down. Molly and Amy have done little but focus on getting into the best colleges and owning the student government in order to make sure their college resumes were strong. The pair's plan appears to have worked as both are off to amazing schools. 

I say the plan appears to have worked but appearances can be deceiving. On the final day of the school year, Molly overhears some classmates making fun of her high achieving ways but when she tries to show them up by talking about getting into Yale, she finds that her fellow classmates have also gotten into good schools. This includes a girl Molly had dismissed as a tramp, Triple A (Molly Gordon), the name gets explained, trust me, who has also gotten into Yale. 

As Molly begins to confront other students about their school plans in the fall she finds that even her nemesis/crush, the jock football goof, Nick (Mason Gooding, Cuba Gooding’s son, FYI), has landed a scholarship to Georgetown in the fall. All of the time and effort that Molly and Amy put into getting into a good school wasn’t in vain, per se, but the realization is that they could have both achieved and still found time to enjoy themselves and party. 

Thus, with one night remaining before graduation, and Nick the jock throwing a raging party at his aunt’s house, Molly convinces Amy that they deserve one night of classic High School debauchery with drugs, drinking and bad choices. But first, they will need to find out where the party is actually taking place and find some way of getting there. This leads to a series of bizarre encounters on the way to the party. 

My absolute, unquestionable, favorite part of Booksmart is Billie Lourde, Carrie Fisher’s remarkably brilliant daughter. Lourd plays Gigi, a debauched rich girl who pals around with Jared (Skyler Gisondo), a sweet, misguided rich kid with a crush on Molly. Gigi pops up at random moments throughout Booksmart and gets a big laugh every single time. Lourd is boiling with charisma and charm and comic timing and I wanted more of her even as I recognize that any more of Gigi would ruin the magic of the character. 

A close second in the race for best supporting player in Booksmart is former Daily Show correspondent and co-host of the podcast ‘2 Dope Queens,’ Jessica Williams. Williams plays Ms. Fine, Molly and Amy’s favorite teacher. Such big fans of each other, the girls actually get their teacher’s phone number in class so they can stay in touch. Williams will re-enter the story later at the party and has a funny running gag about a student with a crush on her. Williams is brilliantly funny, never going for the easiest laugh and finding ways to twist a good joke. 

The whole of Booksmart falls under the direction of actress turned first time feature film director Olivia Wilde and what a remarkable job she has done. Taking a screenplay with four credited writers, Susanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskin, and Katie Silberman, who has the ‘written by’ credit on IMDB, and shapes it with strong direction into a movie with memorable characters and big laughs. For a first time director, Wilde directs Booksmart with the confidence and competence of a veteran director. 

This is a wonderfully strong outing for someone with only a few short films on her directorial resume. Olivia Wilde has come out of the gates with a movie that demonstrates a director with a strong authorial voice. Wilde appears generous with her cast, giving them the time to find the jokes while shaping the scenes to the overall narrative. The film is notably raunchy, as the trailer indicates, but Booksmart also has a strong emotional component that plays into the ending I won’t spoil. It’s a lovely coda and one you should see and enjoy. 

I can’t believe I have gone this far without talking about the young stars of Booksmart, but here we are. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever are, no surprise if you’ve read this far, wonderful in Booksmart. Feldstein consistently subverts expectations and gets laughs and pathos in equal measure. Dever, playing an out of the closet teenager in authentic and achingly real fashion, has an emotional arc that is also exceptionally funny because she is naturally talented and draws the laughs out of the real. The chemistry between Feldstein and Dever is off the charts and you can’t help but adore their dynamic. 

Booksmart is one of my favorite movies of 2019. Wildly funny, smart and emotional, it’s an exceptionally strong debut feature for director Olivia Wilde. I can only imagine incredible things for Wilde’s directorial future. The raunchy humor and comparisons to Superbad may be what gets audiences in the door, but they will remember Booksmart for a terrific cast and Olivia Wilde’s smart, funny directorial choices. 

Movie Review Big Miracle

Big Miracle (2012) 

Directed by Ken Kwapis 

Written by Jack Amiel, Michael Begler

Starring Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Dermot Mulroney, Tim Blake Nelson, Vinessa Shaw, Ted Danson

Release Date February 3rd, 2012 

Published February 4th, 2012

Movies released in the first two months of any year tend to stink. It's not a rule and this fact is certainly not based on an intention to release bad movies; it's a function of Hollywood studios seeking a time of light movie-going during which to off-load a troubled project that does not hold the potential to battle the box office behemoths of the Spring, Summer and Winter seasons.

This fact makes a movie like "Big Miracle" all the more welcome. This delightful story, based on real life events, is thoughtful, sweet, harrowing and, in the end, uplifting; a very rare combination at this oft-neglected time of the movie-going year.

Based on a true story

Drew Barrymore stars in "Big Miracle" as Rachel Kramer a Greenpeace activist who, when we meet her, is living in Alaska and battling a big oil company, headed by J.W McGraw (Ted Danson), over drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Preserve. When Rachel hears the story of a trio of whales trapped off the coast of an Alaskan whaling village she begins an extraordinary campaign to free the trapped creatures that becomes an international cause.

The reporter who uncovers the whale story happens to be Rachel's ex-boyfriend Adam (John Krasinski). Yes, this fact is a plot convenience but get over it; Barrymore and Krasinski have good banter and romantic chemistry and that brings another layer of joy to "Big Miracle." Also adding to the joy of this terrific, heartfelt little movie is young Ahmaogak Sweeney who plays Nathan, a native of the village; grandson of a local whaling captain, and our narrator.

A colorful and clever supporting cast

There are minor missteps in "Big Miracle" like the casting of Kristen Bell and John Michael Higgins as heartless reporters chasing the whale story for ratings, but for the most part the film is spot on. The majority of the supporting cast is populated by colorful characters like Rob Riggle and James Le Gros as a pair of brothers from Minnesota who's de-icing machine for ice fisherman becomes a key component in keeping the breathing holes open for the whales.

Director Ken Kwapis is a veteran storyteller from TV's "The Office" and the big screen teen adventure "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Kwapis has a real knack for combining heart and humor without seeming cloying or manipulative. In "Big Miracle" he takes a real life story and invests it with relatable warmth and a cast that earns our sympathy from the opening frame.

Smiling, laughing and Cheering

"Big Miracle" may be the big surprise of the early portion of 2012. This sweet family-friendly does have moments that will be hard for young children to watch but by the end the whole family will be smiling, laughing and cheering.

Movie Review Shame

Shame (2011) 

Directed by Steve McQueen

Written by Steve McQueen, Abi Morgan 

Starring Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan

Release Date December 2nd, 2011

Published November 28th, 2011 

In my role as a film critic and member of the Broadcast Film Critics, I am grateful for the opportunity to receive what the industry calls "screeners" of movies that studios want me to consider for our end of the year awards show The Critic's Choice Movie Awards on VH1. It was in this capacity that I was able to see and review the much buzzed about indie movie "Shame," starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan.

"Shame" is the story of an extremely self-involved man and his addiction to porn. Directed by indie darling Steve McQueen and starring rising star Fassbender, "Shame" is a character portrait about a character you're not all that interested in spending time with.

A Severe Addiction to Pornography

Brandon (Fassbender) is a handsome guy who tends to hold people's gazes a little longer than he should. Yes, he's good looking but he has a creepiness in his eyes that has likely contributed to his still being single in his 30s. Well, that and his rather severe addiction to pornography.

So severe is Brandon's addiction to online pornography that one day he arrives at work and his computer is gone, taken after IT found a massive store of porn and viruses in it. Thankfully, Brandon's boss and friend David (James Badge Dale) is convinced that the porn was the work of an intern, not Brandon.

Sister Act

Brandon's less than covert addiction to porn runs into a major obstacle when his sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) shows up in his apartment unexpectedly. Sissy is a failed singer who subsists on occasional gigs singing in bars and restaurants. For the most part she sponges off of the men in her life, especially her brother. With Sissy sleeping on his couch and seemingly living in every corner of his life, Brandon's secret addiction is precariously balanced and his "shame" stands to be exposed at any moment to the last significant person in his life.

"Shame"-Less

Fassbender's performance in "Shame" is admirably brave given how often the actor is called on to be nude onscreen. Credit Fassbender for not having so much "shame" when it came to showing all onscreen. That said, there isn't much about Brandon I wanted to see.

Brandon is a bad guy; he's a jerk to his sister, the one person who honestly cares about him. He's allowed his porn addiction to become so severe that actual intimacy with a real person is physically impossible; though emotion-free, bought and paid for hook-ups with prostitutes still get his engine revved.

A Childlike Vulnerability

I get that Brandon is supposed to be a tragic figure but it is Sissy who, for me, was the more interesting tragedy. Carey Mulligan has a face that earns your sympathy with little effort. Her soft, dewy eyes and puffy cheeks give Mulligan a childlike quality that is addictively sympathetic. It's Mulligan's childlike vulnerability that gives her brief nudity more power than Fassbender's frequent nakedness.

Get Away, Creep!

"Shame" is supposed to pack an emotional wallop but I found most of it emotionally inert. Brandon never becomes sympathetic, merely sad and pathetic. I did pity Brandon but, more than anything, I just wanted to get away from him before his next bit of active creepiness. 

"Shame" opens in limited release on Friday, December 2, and will expand as far as its NC-17 rating will allow as the awards season continues.

Movie Review Risky Business

Risky Business (1983) 

Directed by Paul Brickman 

Written by Paul Brickman

Starring Tom Cruise, Rebecca DeMornay, Joe Pantoliano 

Release Date August 5th, 1983 

Published August 5th, 2013 

There are many reasons why a movie sticks around for decades. A huge star, a catchy premise, even a good soundtrack can keep a film in the minds of pop culture fanatics for years. 1983's "Risky Business" is a strong reflection of what keeps a movie in the pop memory. Granted, the premise of a kid starting a prostitution ring almost by accident isn't as titillating as it was 30 years ago, the film nevertheless was a break out for star Tom Cruise and for aging rocker Bob Seger who's "Old Time Rock N' Roll" became a cultural touchstone as much for Cruise as for Seger.

The Plot

"Risky Business" tells the story of Joel Goodson an average teenager in the summer between High School and college. Joel would like to attend Princeton but first he must pass an interview. Before he can get to the interview however, he must survive a week alone while his parents are out of town. Joel has no intention of partying but at the urging of friends he decides to use his allowance to get a hooker, so as not to enter college as a virgin.

After a misadventure with a large, transgender prostitute Joel is set up with Lana (Rebecca DeMornay), who happens to be on the run from her pimp (Joe Pantoliano). Together Joel and Lana have an adventure that could turn into a series of sitcom antics, Joel loses his dad's expensive Porsche in Lake Michigan, Lana's pimp steals everything in Joel's house just as his parents are returning home and just as Joel is about to sit for his Princeton interview with a patient but flustered admissions officer, Joel's in home brothel is becoming a wild success.

Why it worked

These occurrences would be rendered trite in the hands of less capable filmmakers but writer-director Paul Brickman, who would basically disappear after this one success, demonstrates a breezy control over the lunacy while star Tom Cruise, at his untouchable best, crafts a convincing teenage boy even while submitting to the film's outlandish elements. And then there is DeMornay who gives the film a sexy charge in a role that, on the page was likely a cliché.

It is DeMornay who truly sets the film apart from other so-called 'teen sex comedies.' DeMornay is truly sexy, coltish yet evincing a sexual maturity beyond her years. In what remains one of Hollywood's sexiest moments DeMornay strips on a subway train and gives Cruise the ride of his life. The scene is sexually charged with a strong emotional undercurrent as it's clear that Joel is falling for Lana while she is fighting feelings for him and confusion over whether this train ride is business or personal.

So many similar movies about teenagers and sex fail to grasp the gravity of sex and especially fail at true intimacy. "Risky Business," is both sexy and intimate without sacrificing humor. The film is also groundbreaking in terms of pop sexuality offering one of the first strong examples of 'Cheesecake,' shorthand for the exploitation of men for the pleasure of women. I am, of course, writing of Cruise's half naked dance scene.

Cruise's Star-making moment

Cruise's button down and undies boogie to "Old Time Rock N' Roll" is one of the strongest reasons why "Risky Business" is still vividly remembered today. Millions of people have mimicked Cruise's slide across the living room floor and feet in the air romp on the couch. A check of Youtube finds hundreds of parodies and homages and the Comedy Central series "Tosh.0" even took the time to make famous a pair of girls who attempted to replicate Cruise's glorious moment.

Why does this scene resonate so much? I think part of the reason is Cruise's complete abandon, his caution to the wind commitment to the dance and the lip synching seal the deal. Nearly everyone has, when alone, attempted to sing and dance to their favorite tune and that sense of identification rings deeply with mass audiences. And then there is Cruise's general magnetism; he's handsome and earnest with a hint of mocking. He knows he's making a fool of himself and he doesn't care; at this point in his career Cruise was still in on the joke.

Later, as Cruise rose to become the biggest star in the world, he would begin to lose touch with that grounding knowingness that kept him from seeming arrogant or aloof but in this one moment in "Risky Business" he became the quintessential Hollywood icon both aware and unaware of the effect that he has on audiences. In this moment he was a rising Hollywood sex symbol and not the somewhat off-kilter falling star that 30 years later struggles with the dying of the Hollywood spotlight.

Why 'Risky Business' still resonates

Maybe that's what truly keeps "Risky Business" alive. It is the movie that sheds a light on why Tom Cruise became the biggest star in the world and why he's now incapable of maintaining that level of stardom. He will never be so innocently charming again. He will never be so young and unassuming as he was in the role of Joel Goodson. And today as he clings to the last vestiges of his star-power we cling to this moment when he was all things to all audiences with limitless potential in front of him.

We love our stars but we especially love watching our stars born before our eyes. That can only happen one time and "Risky Business" is that one time for an actor who would come to dominate two of the monoliths of popular culture; movies and tabloids. Cruise will never have another moment like this again but through DVD and cable the moment lives forever.

Movie Review The Bank Job

The Bank Job (2008) 

Directed by Roger Donaldson

Written by Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais 

Starring Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Mick Jagger 

Release Date February 19th, 2008 

Published June 22nd, 2008 

The words 'based on a true story' are always a little sketchy in Hollywood. Take for instance the new to DVD movie "The Bank Job" starring Jason Statham. This London set crime thriller is based on a real 1970 bank heist where the culprits escaped without punishment and the crime remains unsolved. If you think I gave away too much there, trust me this Bank Job has more surprises than any spoiler I could give you.

London has been rife with conspiracy theories for years as to the how and the why of these criminals and their astonishing escape from justice. The most tantalizing theory goes all the way to Buckingham Palace and a safety deposit box with some very interesting royal blackmail material.

As for the movie itself.

Jason Statham, the intense, bullet-headed star of the Transporter movies, stars in The Bank Job as Terry Leathers. A former thief and thug, Terry has gone legit selling and repairing high end automobiles. Not making much money in his new profession he is quite receptive when an old flame approaches him with a money making opportunity. The old flame is Martine (Saffron Burrows) who, unknown to Terry, has just been busted by MI5 and needs Terry's help to get her out of trouble. He thinks she is offering the opportunity to rob a bank. In reality MI5 wants her to obtain the contents of a particular safe deposit box.

Who that box belongs to and what is inside it are just the kind of sexy details that make for one heck of a guilty pleasure movie. The Bank Job is exactly that. Clever, if not exactly brilliant, The Bank Job is what I like to call a mouse trap movie, quick, precise and deathly effective. Director Roger Donaldson directs The Bank Job with a swift, no frills style that focuses on the action and lets the plot do the talking. The seemingly extraneous are actually integral elements of the plot and no strand is left untied up until the very end.

Jason Statham is the perfect star for this kind of gritty, fast paced action. With his tough guy looks and badass accent, Statham is the kind of guy who looks like trouble follows him everywhere. The former supermodel Saffron Burrows matches Statham's grit with smoldering good looks and the combo is smokin 'hot.

The Bank Job is quick and to the point while telling a clever story with the kind of guilty pleasures and thriller elements that make for classic B-Movie excitement. That it's 'based on a true story' gives it another level of kinky thrill. Who cares how much is true and how much is Hollywood, it's all a whole lot of fun.

Movie Review: Vantage Point

Vantage Point (2008) 

Directed by Pete Travis 

Written by Barry L. Levy 

Starring Dennis Quaid, Sigourney Weaver, Forest Whitaker, Edgar Ramirez, William Hurt

Release Date February 22nd, 2008

Published February 21st, 2008 

Dennis Quaid is one of those fatherly actors who's craggy visage and heroes stare makes you root for him unconsciously. Like Harrison Ford, Quaid's often been called Ford light by this writer, Quaid looks old enough to be a more handsome version of your dad. In that 'my dad could beat up your dad' contest of childrens egos, Dennis Quaid is who you wish were on your side. Thus Quaid is perfect for the kind of earnest, trustworthy, tough guy, good guy roles that he played in The Day After Tomorrow and that he plays in the new actioner Vantage Point.

As secret service agent Thomas Barnes, Quaid embodies the flawed hero of the American character. Noble, loyal, self sacrificing but not above fear or failing. My rhetoric is lofty but I promise, justified. Even in a movie as terrifically bad as Vantage Point Quaid is worthy of such grandiose musings.

Directed by English television veteran Pete Travis, Vantage Point plays out the same terrorist attack on an American President (William Hurt) from 8 different perspectives. First it's the media where Sigourney Weaver, as a producer for the Global News Network, has several cameras and endless angles to cover all the while dealing with a diva reporter (Zoe Saldana) with an agenda beyond just covering a speech by the President on terrorism. The speech, taking place at an ancient villa square in Spain, is soon rocked by the shooting of the President and then several explosions, all caught on camera, all with different pieces of the puzzle.

Next we rewind to get the 'Vantage Point' of secret service agent Thomas Barnes. Returning to active duty, at the behest of his partner Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox), several months after getting shot protecting the President. Suffering from post traumatic stress, there are fair questions as to whether he can handle active duty again. Once the shooting begins and the plot unfolds it quickly falls to Barnes to put the pieces together and tie the whole of this goofball plot together in some kind of believable or modestly plausible fashion.

Next we see events from the miscast perspective of Forrest Whitaker as an American tourist lashed to a handheld videocamera that captures important evidence of the shooter and the subsequent bombing. Whitaker is a fine actor who gives his all but a younger actor, with less integrity and more grit would have fit the role better. We need to believe that this guy would not put down his camera for anything and while Whitaker plays the noble hero seeking justice, the truer perspective is the modern fame seeker who see's dollar signs with his video of the President being shot is more believable and holds more dramatic possibilities. Consider, the venal anti-hero becomes noble hero is far more dramatically satisfying than the heroic guy becomes more heroic. But there I go, reviewing the movie that Vantage Point is not.

We then get the perspectives of the president himself, a Spanish police officer (Edgar Ramirez) wrongly accused in the wake of the shooting and the terrorists themselves whose goofball plot has every Bond villain cliché one can imagine wrapped in one goofball twist after another. Of course, that isn't the biggest problem for Vantage Point. Rather, the films biggest struggle is with structure. The film rewinds over the same terrorist attack 8 times all the while trying to conceal and reveal little tidbits of plot that maybe they plan to reveal later in the film or maybe they don't. By the 4th or 5th rewind you are not likely to care. Worn out by the constant ripping back and forth in the space time continuum of this event a headache is a far more likely result than intrigue or interest.

And yet, even as you are rubbing your eyes and ruing the thought of another flashback, when Dennis Quaid returns to center stage late in the third act you are momentarily drawn back in. Dominating a pretty terrific car chase through the narrow, brick and mortar streets of old town Spain, Quaid ever so briefly distracts from the flashbacks and goofball twists to deliver a rousing action sequence that in any other film could have been a game changer, a scene so cool it makes the movie better. Nothing, unfortunately, not a car chase or even the resurrection of Steve McQueen driving Bullitt directly over one of the terrorists, could save the goofball mess that is Vantage Point.

Movie Review: Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008) 

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee 

Written by Malcolm D. Lee 

Starring Martin Lawrence, Joy Bryant, Michael Clarke Duncan, Cedric the Entertainer, James Earl Jones

Release Date February 8th, 2008

Published February 9th, 2008

Martin Lawrence's dimming star power gets no boost from his latest strained effort, the alleged family comedy Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. In Welcome Home Martin Lawrence plays Dr. RJ Stevens, a Jerry Springer-esque character with a hint of Dr. Phil. His high profile talk show has made him a celebrity but it is his new alliance with fiancée, and Survivor TV show winner, Bianca (Joy Bryant) that has secured his status as a top Hollywood player. However, no matter how much success Dr. Stevens accumulates he remains Roscoe Jenkins when he returns home to his parents house in the deep south.

It is Papa and Mama Jenkins (James Earl Jones and Margeret Avery) 50th Anniversary and though Roscoe hasn't been home in nine years his fiancée see's an opportunity for great TV. They, along with his 9 year old son Jamaal (Damani Roberts) will return home and film the whole event for the Dr. Stevens' show. Returning home of course offers other challenges like the family's many athletic competitions where Roscoe was repeatedly victimized by his cousin Clyde (Cedric The Entertainer). One of the most successful used car salesmen in the south, Clyde relishes the opportunity to once again show up his cousin, even going as far as bringing along Roscoe's childhood crush Lucinda (Nicole Ari Parker) as his date. She maintains that they are just friends.

Then there are Roscoe's immediate family. His brother Otis (Michael Clarke Duncan) a former all American linebacker now a small town sheriff and his sister Betty (Monique) a prison 'counselor' whose personal life is spotted with a number of criminal dalliances. Then there is cousin Reggie (Mike Epps) whose ability to find money without ever having a job is legendary in the family. Reggie brings along his dog who tormented Roscoe throughout his childhood and now turns his eyes towards Bianca's toy pup in one of this films many objectionable subplots.

If from this description you can't figure out the exact trajectory of this plot then you really haven't seen many movies. As predictable as the sunrise, Roscoe rekindles his romance with Lucinda as Bianca becomes more and more a victim of Roscoe's family. The film's perspective is that being rich and successful is bad and being down home and 'real' is all there is to life. Not a bad perspective but a limiting one. Roscoe isn't such a bad guy or even an unreasonable guy. His perspective is shaped by years of what he feels were slights from his father who seemed to give favor to Clyde and Roscoe's older siblings, though he gave his name to Roscoe.

Naturally, earning daddy's love is a major theme that plays out for Roscoe on two fronts. There is his trying to impress Papa Jenkins and his dealing with his own son, at first advising him on the importance of winning at all cost and eventually trying to let him be a kid. This subplot is part of director Malcom Lee's attempt at depth an attempt he undercuts every other turn of the plot. How seriously can you take any movie that takes such delight in the sex lives of dogs. Indeed, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins has a number of jokes aimed at one giant dog attempting to mount a tiny toy pooch. Why is this funny?

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins has yet another plot piece that has become popular in comedies that aren't all that funny. Mike Epps joins the cast in what has come to be called the Wanda Sykes role. It is Epps' job to enter scenes that are flailing for a joke and make a humorous observation and then exit the scene. Unfortunately, where Sykes' non-sequiter observations Monster In Law and Evan Almighty could fool people into thinking the movie was funny, Epps' more heavy handed approach lacks the same zing and ability to pull the wool over our eyes.

Malcolm Lee is not an untalented director but certainly undisciplined. A better director drops the dog jokes better utilizes Mike Epps talent for the one liner and is bolder than falling back on non-sequiters. If the script isn't strong enough without Mike Epps' character having to try to rescue every scene with one liners then go back to the drawing board, flesh out your characters and find some truth to bring forth from these characters. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins is undercooked and underserves it's audience with warm over homilies about family life in the south and a struggling Martin Lawrence.

Movie Review: Fool's Gold

Fool's Gold (2008)

Directed by Andy Tennant

Written by Daniel Zelman 

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Alexis Dziena

Release Date February 8th, 2008 

Published February 7th, 2008

Pirates, treasure, gangsters, guns. For the guys? Kate Hudson in a tiny bikini. For the ladies? Matthew McConaughey with no shirt on. The comedy Fool's Gold seems to have everything a movie needs to be a major success. So why does it suck out loud? It's probably because the movie doesn't add up to much more than that checklist of things that I, and I am sure some movie marketing department, just listed. 

Fool's Gold stars McConaughey as Finn, a professional treasure hunter. Living in the Bahamas Finn spends his days in the crystal blue waters seeking shipwrecks containing unimaginable wealth all the while dodging creditors, loan sharks and lawyers, all of whom he owes something to. The lawyers were at first just process servers but once he was served they became divorce attorneys. Finn's wife Tess (Kate Hudson) is finished with his dreams of treasure. She wants a normal life back in Chicago where she can attend school and get her degree in history.

Needless to say, being married to Finn has been a barrier to her goals. Now, as the divorce is being completed he still manages to be a barrier. Incurring  more debt and crossing some pretty severe gangsters, Finn costs Tess the chance to return to Chicago by accidentally blowing up the boat they own, the one she was selling for money to go back to school.

Left with no options she takes a gig working for a wealthy industrialist (Donald Sutherland) on his yacht. His name is Nigel Honeycutt and he is looking for adventure as a way of getting the attention of his daughter Gemma (Alexis Dziena). He finds just the thing when Finn arrives at the boat offering the opportunity to find some legendary Spanish gold.

No points for guessing Tess and Finn fight, make love, fight again and then walk off into the sunset happily ever after. That ending was coming the moment Hudson and McConaughey were cast in Fool's Gold. The only chance Fool's Gold has of being entertaining beyond the gorgeous Bahamian landscapes was to find interesting ways to tweak the form.

Director Andy Tennant is a master of formulaic junk, his last film was Hitch with Will Smith. It was Tennant who crystallized the absolute worst sins of the romantic comedy genre with his abysmal Sweet Home Alabama. Fool's Gold is right up his alley in terms of formula junk. Choosing to follow every expected scene, every predictable plot strand, every manufactured pre-packaged joke, Tennant crafts a movie so predictable you could set your watch by it. Interestingly, Tennant is a not a bad directorial craftsman. Say what you will about his inability to escape formula, he knows how to craft and cut a movie.

The landscapes, the scenery, the Bahamian settings of Fool's Gold are utterly gorgeous and were no doubt a welcome respite from the winter when this film was initially released. As it reaches DVD this summer Fool's Gold may actually inspire a few vacation choices. Unfortunately, movies can't skate on visuals alone. When looked at as a movie, Fool's Gold is far too predictable to be entertaining. Tennant and his cast do absolutely nothing to vary the format, to give the material enough of a twist to differentiate it from a dozen similar movies.

In that way, Fool's Gold floats by and disappears leaving no impression whatsoever. Harmless? Yes, but why would you want to pay for this experience on DVD or otherwise. You'd be better off watching Into The Blue on cable, Blue Crush, or Captain Ron. Each of these films while differing in plot and cast offer the same experience of white sand beaches, buff beach bodies and crystal blue waters. It really doesn't matter which one you watch, it's the same forgettable experience.

If you have the money, you might as well just go to Jamaica.

Movie Review: Untraceable

Untraceable (2008)

Directed by Gregory Hoblit

Written by Allison Burnett

Starring Diane Lane, Colin Hanks, Billy Burke, Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Release Date January 25th, 2008

Published January 25th, 2008

In Altman's brilliant The Player you hear his many Hollywood players describe possible projects thusly "It's Terminator crossed with Lassie" or "It's Roots crossed with Rambo" or other such horrors. This is based on real Hollywood parlance and patois. Producers and studio execs actually like using this sort of shorthand as a way of describing a project without having to read a whole script or listen to some creative type prattle on about motivations and subtext and the like. This practice is exactly how we end up with movies like Untraceable. No doubt, in some producers office some exec said something like "It's Hostel crossed with Network and Seven".

Untraceable indeed carries elements of each, not much on the Network portion; though the allusion is there. And, while I know some of you are reading this thinking that combo sounds really interesting you are missing the point. That is all Untraceable is. Some idea of a movie that producers can describe but fail to create. Ideas lifted from other movies and grafted onto the Frankenstein's monster that is Untraceable.

Diane Lane stars as FBI Agent Jennifer Marsh, the bureau's top expert in cyber crimes. With her partner Griffin (Colin Hanks), Jennifer tracks down perverts and identity thieves with a few quick key strokes and a call to the local cops to pick up the bad guy. Her latest case however is something entirely different. At first KillWithMe.com seems like some twisted prank. A kid captures a kitten and allows visitors to the site to dictate the cats fate. The site warns, the more visitors to the site the quicker the cat will die. After several thousand visitors the cat does indeed meet an ugly fate.

Soon the web murderer escalates to humans and Jennifer herself is on the killers list of potential victims.

It's nice to comfort ourselves with the idea that we would never go to a website where our page views are the instrument of murder. But, ask yourself this, have you been to one of those websites where you can bet on when Britney Spears is going to die? That website is out there and it takes a little bit of our collective humanity every time one of our fellow citizens casts another morbid ballot. I can't necessarily say that a website run by serial killer is the same as the macabre sickos who wait for a celebrities death with such fascination. Ask yourself though, if you could watch a celebrity die on a website, would you watch?

Our culture is becoming a pretty sick place and in that sense Untraceable seems to be pretty on point. Unfortunately, the movie cannot live up to the ideas behind it. The film unfolds in typically thriller-ish fashion. The killer, what luck, happens to live in the same town as our heroic FBI team. He kills, he taunts the authorities, he kills again and all that changes is the method of death and the quickness of the mass murder. To separate it only slightly from other mainstream thrillers, director Gregory Hoblit lingers on the torturous murder scenes as if he were paying tribute to Eli Roth and his Hostel movies. Hoblit doesn't seem to get off on the torture the way Roth does but the homage is there.

Hoblit wants to ape the popularity of torture porn without committing to it completely. In some ways that is even scummier than what Roth does. There is much that is scummy about Untraceable. What keeps the film from becoming truly disgusting is star Diane Lane who gives an air of class to the proceedings. Hoblit can't compromise his stars innate strengths and Lane elevates her every scene even as she is saddled with the nerdy void of Colin Hanks and lumpy love interest Billy Burke as the aptly named detective Eric Box, he's as charismatic as cardboard, Box is a perfect name.

Without Diane Lane we are looking at a movie quite similar to Freedomland, one of the all time bad mainstream thrillers. A more apt comparison may be to anything Ashley Judd made where she stars as either victim or cop. Credit Diane Lane, most stars are victims of movies such as Untraceable. She manages to elevate the movie with her star presence. That says something for her talent as Untraceable would have left most other actresses unemployable.