Movie Review The Last Exorcism

The Last Exorcism (2010) 

Directed by Daniel Stamm 

Written by Huck Botko, Andrew Gurland 

Starring Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Caleb Landry Jones 

Release Date August 27th, 2010

Published August 26th, 2010 

“The Last Exorcism” is a phenomenal movie. Horror and suspense are mixed perfectly in this faux documentary throwback to the low budget roots of “The Blair Witch Project.” Directed with supreme skill by Daniel Stamm, “The Last Exorcism” is smart, funny, exciting and terrifying and features a lead performance by Patrick Fabian that is one of the best of the year.

Reverend Cotton Marcus (Fabian) is suffering a crisis of faith. Having been a preacher since the age of 10, even going as far as participating in exorcisms alongside his preacher father from that early age, Cotton now finds himself wondering if God exists. Thus, when Cotton is approached by a documentary crew, led Iris (Iris Bahr), intending to debunk exorcisms Cotton agrees to help out.

Despite having given up believing that exorcism and demonic possession were real afflictions, Cotton continues to perform exorcisms as a therapeutic treatment. His shyster-esque practice is to agree that exorcism is real, create the circumstance of a real possession through trickery, and then heal the afflicted by convincing them they have been released by their non-existent demon.

This time the documentary crew will follow along and see how he creates an exorcism while also debunking the practice. The afflicted in this case is a 16 year old named Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell). Nell's father, Louis (Louis Herthum), has been losing cattle, sheep and other farm animals, all of them gutted, while his daughter wakes up covered in blood and claiming not to know what happened.

Her story is suspicious as are the actions of her older brother Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones) who first warns the preacher and the filmmakers to leave and then proceeds to further, equally disturbing, threats. Is Caleb the real troublemaker? Are Nell's father and his alcoholism the real culprit? Or is there something deeply, psychologically wrong with the seemingly innocent and unassuming Nell.

The answers to each of the questions posed above in “The Last Exorcism” are offered with stunning effectiveness. Director Daniel Stamm and screenwriters Huck Botko and Andrew gurland have crafted a terrifically clever tale of horror that gets to the heart of the best of horror movies, the anticipation and build to horror.

Using the faux documentary, shaky Cam, style popularized by “The Blair Witch Project,” the makers of “The Last Exorcism” crank the horror tension up to 11 by effectively keeping the horror at bay without teasing the audience with cheap thrills. Yes, there are shrieks in the music score and minor misdirection, but more often than not the typical horror movie scenes payoff with unexpected results.

One of the ways “The Last Exorcism” shrewdly defies expectations is in the casting of TV veteran Patrick Fabian as Reverend Cotton Marcus. A handsome, charismatic actor with a carnival barker’s ability for B.S and actor’s ability to compel your attention, Fabian is the best bit of misdirection in the movie, his compelling presence and handsome face draws your attention while the horror movie stuff unfolds around him to great effect. The rest of the small ensemble cast, including Ashley Bell, Caleb Landry Jones, Louis Herthum and Iris Bahr fit perfectly into the story. These performances are captured with care and logic and play perfectly into the suspense and the great con of the best horror movies, creating the belief that these characters are in real danger.

No “Piranha 3D” garbage here, though Eli Roth is surprisingly a producer, “The Last Exorcism” puts the lie to movies like “Piranha” by placing believable, sympathetic characters in the way of great evil and allowing us to fear for and care for them. Never for a moment does Daniel Stamm prefer showing off his ability to scare us or appall us over the interests of his characters. The story is about how these characters react and attempt to counteract evil and because of that we are compelled; we are on the journey with them and not rooting for their bloody end. 

I could go on for pages about how clever, scary, suspenseful and ingenious “The Last Exorcism” is. A great cast, exceptionally well directed and working from a terrific script craft not just the year's best horror film but one of the best movies of the year of any genre. “The Last Exorcism” really is THAT good.

Movie Review The Last Airbender

The Last Airbender (2010) 

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan 

Written by M. Night Shyamalan 

Starring Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub 

Release Date July 1st, 2010 

Published June 30th, 2010 

“The Last Airbender” tells the story of a young boy named Aang (Noah Ringer) who is the reincarnation of the Avatar, the master of all the elements. The elements are Earth, Fire, Water and Air, and The Avatar is the person who brings balance to the world dominated by tribes of those who can master, or rather "Bend," only one of the elements. Unfortunately for all involved, Aang is a petulant deity reincarnated and he runs off for more than a hundred years.

Losing himself in a block of ice, Aang is rescued as our story begins by a Waterbender named Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her warrior brother Sokka (Jackson Rathbone). Together the trio journey's across the world leading a rebellion against the evil Firebenders who, in the Avatar's absence, began a hostile takeover of the world, taking harsh control over the Water and Earth Tribes and wiping out the Airbenders, Aang's original tribe before he found that he controlled all elements. 

The Firebenders are led by Fire Lord Ozai and his evil minion, Commander Zhao (Aasif Mondvi). Also on the side of the Firebenders are Ozai's son, Prince Zuko (Dev Patel) and his faithful uncle General Iroh (Shaun Taub) who have been cast out of the Firebender Kingdom after Zuko defied his father's leadership and lost a head to head fight with his even more evil sister, Princess Yue. If, however, Zuko can capture the Avatar he can reclaim his rightful place at his father's side.

If this sounds at all intriguing then you have likely enjoyed the cartoon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” which had a healthy run on Nickelodeon and in worldwide television syndication. If you haven't seen the series you are more than likely scratching your head over all of the portentous goofiness that this plot entails. Things grow only goofier under the direction of M. Night Shyamalan whose fall from golden boy status in just the last 6 years is one of the more remarkable failures in film history. Shyamalan was once considered alongside Steven Speilberg and George Lucas for his seemingly unfailing talent for wowing audiences.

Then Mr. Shyamalan made “The Village” and the drying of the fount of Shyamalan's genius for twisting, knotting plots began. “Lady in the Water” and “The Happening” followed and seemed to come from a different director altogether as not only was Shyamalan's talent for twisty narrative gone, so was his skill with a camera and even the basic smarts for telling a coherent story. The Happening was a true nadir, an utterly bonkers environmental fable about trees causing people to kill themselves. 

”The Last Airbender” is, at the very least, somewhat more coherent and intelligible than “Lady in the Water” and “The Happening.” Then again, that's not saying much. What The Last Airbender shares with those blisteringly awful films is a taste for inexplicably absurd visual flourish and wildly bizarre inversions of tone and logic. Sure, you can divine a plot in “The Last Airbender” but it is quite a committed fight.

Now, if you are a fan of the cartoon you begin with an advantage that lifts the burden the rest of the audience must carry throughout. In fact, if you are a fan you may actually find a way to enjoy the goofball nuttiness of Shyamalan's insane kiddie landscapes. It helps to have a taste and tolerance for this level of cockamamy mumbo jumbo. The Last Airbender is far up its own you know what in terms of being an obtuse bit of fan service, impenetrable to those not already part of the fandon. 

Without the prior introduction and slavish devotion to this characters and this property, one can only observe “The Last Airbender” with jaws agape and mind slightly melted. “The Last Airbender” is so violently ludicrous in storytelling, dialogue, effects and just about every other aspect of filmmaking that one almost appreciates the opportunity to experience it as it is unlikely you will see something this brazenly insular ever again on a movie screen.

M. Night Shyamalan is the single most daring bad director in the business. When M Night  Shyamalan fails he does so with epic intentions. No filmmaker has the courage to fail as spectacularly as Mr. Shyamalan has in his most recent films. “The Village” was a minor failure, a seeming blip after his wildly successful run of “Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable” and “Signs.” ”Lady in the Water” however was such a bold and ballsy disaster that one cannot help but appreciate the nutzo spirit that went into creating it. 

“The Happening” ranks up there next to “Plan 9 From Outer Space” and Tommy Wiseau's “The Room,” in my estimation, for the sheer outlandish unintended awfulness. Few films have committed such professional effort to such a misguided endeavor as “The Happening.” Now comes “The Last Airbender” a far more benign failure; one with the possibility of entertaining more than a few people. Those people however, are a fan cult devoted to the material in ways only Twi-Hards and Star Wars fans can truly appreciate. “The Last Airbender” fan cult is vast and devoted and without seeing an inch of film many of them have been defending the film from people such as myself who find the movie “The Last Airbender” an impenetrable and ungodly mess of a feature film.

Movie Review The Lake House

The Lake House (2006) 

Directed by Alejandro Agresti 

Written by David Auburn 

Starring Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Christopher Plummer, Dylan Walsh, Shorheh Aghdashloo  

Release Date June 16th, 2006 

Published June 15th, 2006 

I have a favorite kind of moment. It's a moment of intimacy that happens rarely. It is usually confined to the first kiss of a new relationship. It is a moment where you and a new love look into one another's eyes and, within inches of each other, share the same warm breathes of air. That moment just before the kiss is my favorite moment, better often than the kiss itself which can sometimes be disappointing. But that moment before the kiss, never fails. The new romance The Lake House starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock captures that moment beautifully as the two fabulous stars play strangers who share more than one first kiss under some very odd circumstances.

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock star in The Lake House as Alex and Kate two strangers who have each lived in a beautiful glass enclosed house on a lake north of Chicago. They meet when Kate moves out of the house and leaves a note to the next tenant to please forward her mail. Returning to the lake house to escape the stress of her job as an E.R resident Kate finds the house still empty but a letter waiting for her. The letter is from Alex an architect who claims to be the new tenant but also that no one has lived in the house before him.

This odd exchange between Alex and Kate takes on a bizarre bit of science fiction when Alex claims to be writing in 2004 and Kate from 2006. Somehow through the magic lake house mailbox they commune through notes that begin to form a running conversation. Naturally, Alex and Kate fall tragically in love. Tragically because they cannot bring themselves to meet. Kate has some serious commitment issues stemming from a bad relationship with Morgan (Dylan Walsh). Meanwhile Alex is distracted dealing with his brilliant but difficult father (Christopher Plummer).

One of the fun and frustrating things about The Lake House is how often you will be distracted trying to keep track of it's competing timelines. Keeping track of the many things Alex does in the past that effect what happens to he and Kate in the future is a futile effort that left me with more questions than answers. A remake of the Korean film Il Mare, The Lake House fails to explain away the same logical questions that film failed to answer. However where Il Mare is a little unsatisfying in it's unanswered questions, The Lake House colors over similar problems with star power.

Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves have sensational chemistry stemming from their history together from Speed and the maturing of their star personas. Neither has accomplished the kind of star power predicted for them but that has not dimmed their appeal in the right roles. Alex and Kate are near perfect roles for each as Reeves is not forced to concentrate to hard and Bullock just has be her naturally huggable self.

The films best performance comes from Christopher Plummer as Alex's father. As an aging world renowned architect Plummer perfectly captures the curious proclivity of the genius to be as cruel as they are brilliant. The skills most hone into being a loving compassionate human being are, for the brilliant, often channeled directly into their work with little left for trivial matters like other people. Watch as Plummer takes on a vocal tic in the role that is pitch perfect in capturing his halting attempts to find the humanity a normal person is supposed to have.

Director Alejandro Agresti, working in America for the first time after years of work in his native Argentina, brings a lush visual tone to The Lake House that is especially loving of the architecture of the Chicago setting. At times the architecture is so lovingly captured that the film becomes more of a tourism calendar and less of a romantic drama. Of course with a love story as convoluted as Kate and Alex's getting lost in the architecture at least draws your mind away from the mind bending plot issues.

I am willing to look past many of the problems with The Lake House because these two stars are so great together. It's long been a hobby of mine to trash Keanu Reeves for his slacker style and slack-jawed delivery but here and in his previous film Constantine Mr. Wind Through The Mountains (that is the meaning of the name Keanu FYI), has really begun to mature into a likable screen presence if still not much of an actor.

Sandra Bullock has always been cute and sweet and even in dreck like Miss Congeniality 2 she finds moments to show off just how lovable she is. In The Lake House Bullock has the kind of role we want her in, sweet, shy and longing. Not rooting for her is like not rooting for a kitten to open it's eyes for the first time. Bullock is the perfect romantic avatar, you can't help but identify with her, root for her, and cheer when she gets her big romantic moment. 

Let's get back to that kiss I mentioned earlier. While I have been glib in my descriptions of Reeves and Bullock in the past two paragraphs I must admit that they transcend all of that with their first kiss in The Lake House. With Paul McCartney's beautiful love song "This Never Happened Before" playing in the background, Alex and Kate share a slow dance that burns up the screen leading to that moment, that two or three seconds of time where two people make the decision to become one for just a moment. That moment of hot breath shared. This kiss is no disappointment.

The kiss alone is nearly enough to make me recommend The Lake House.

In the end it's star power over brain power for me as I admit, I really enjoyed The Lake House. Forget about figuring out the time line or whether Alex and Kate violated the prime directive by screwing around with time through their magic mailbox, go see The Lake House to see these two glamorous stars fall in the kind of love everyone dreams about. The Lake House is a love story and love has no time for your time travel logic.