Movie Review I'm Not There

I'm Not There (2007) 

Directed by Todd Haynes 

Written by Todd Haynes

Starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Charlotte Gainsbourg

Release Date November 21st, 2007

Published November 20th, 2007

Employing six different actors to portray the life of Bob Dylan, director Todd Haynes paints a strange and fascinating portrait of this enigmatic legend. I'm Not There stars 12 year old Marcus Carl Franklin as Woody Guthrie. Riding the rails to New Jersey to visit the real Guthrie who is on his deathbed.

Franklin represents the young Dylan who did indeed visit an ailing Woody Guthrie in a New Jersey hospital and as "Woody Guthrie" tells a pair of hobos in a boxcar he played music with Bobby Vee and wrote songs with Carl Perkins. Watch the segments with Marcus Carl Franklin and the whole of the story of Dylan's life is glimpsed up until his disillusionment in the wake of the JFK assassination.

That Franklin is an African American is a nod to Dylan's roots. Though born in Minnesota, Dylan's music has distinctly southern roots. His music was born listening black bluesmen on the radio. As he got older the country and folk traditions came to dominate his work but the influence of the blues remained, especially in his complex lyrics layered in subtext, bitter sadness and dark humor.

Teenager Ben Whishaw plays Dylan just before stardom. Being interrogated by reporters, this version of Dylan, calling himself "Arthur Rimbaud" is an esoteric poet both cynical and naive yet demonstrating the complex wordplay that would become his trademark.

Christian Bale plays Dylan the rising star. Under the guise of Jack Rollins, this version of Dylan is shy and unassuming, pulled toward stardom reluctantly as he is swept up in the politics of the time and by the love of a fellow artist Alice Fabian (Julianne Moore), who stands in for Joan Baez.

Bale returns late in the film as another Dylan, the born again christian preaching the gospel from the stage but playing only to small audiences of oldsters and their restless young children.The sight of this Dylan playing and proselytizing to small audiences acknowledges one of the many low points of the man's life and another of his unique musical digressions. Dylan recorded two less than stellar gospel albums in the early 80's. 

I'm Not There fractures it's universe with a character named Robbie Clark (Heath Ledger) who, though not a musician, portrays Dylan the family man. Clark is an actor who plays Jack Rollins in a movie. We then watch as Clark meets and falls in love with an artist named Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg). They have two children.

Clark's being an actor is pretty basic symbolism, Dylan played the role of family man without really living it. Ledger inhabits the self absorbed artist well as well as Dylan's fatherly ambivalence with great ease and the kind of charm that only a star can project. Even as a jerk you can see what draws people to him.

Cate Blanchett plays Jude Quinn as Dylan in his cynical, drugged out mid-sixties era. Arguably at his creative peak, this version of Dylan is also at his most self absorbed and combative and Blanchett captures it perfectly, showing exactly why she received an Oscar nomination for this gender bending role.

Blanchett captures Dylan the defiant, Dylan the uncompromising and Dylan the jerk at the time when he was successful enough to be a jerk and get away with it. It was during this period when Dylan went electric and Haynes captures the moment with brief visual jokes that show off not only his but Dylan's underestimated sense of humor.

Arguably the most unusual and inexplicable version of Dylan to emerge in I'm Not There is that portrayed by Richard Gere. As "William Bonney" this version of Dylan may be just how Dylan sees himself, a loner cowboy who fights for truth and justice but is cynical and weary enough to accept that he can't change the world.

My description seems to put these lives of Dylan in a particular order but the film doesn't proceed in a linear fashion. Rather, Director Haynes drops in on these versions of Dylan as if they were different people in different stories and essentially they are united only by the music of Bob Dylan.

Fans of Dylan will be thrilled by the depth of I'm Not There picking up on inside jokes and insights into his motivations that will remain mysterious to those unfamiliar with the legend and his unique life story. I was not familiar with most of the story but rather than being out in the cold, I was intrigued to find out what I was missing.

For me, I'm Not There inspired curiosity and wonder. I wanted to know what I was missing and reading about Dylan only deepened the experience of I'm Not There, even after having seen it. This is a glorious piece of work, inspiring, eclectic and endlessly fascinating.

Though it does drag near the end of its slightly overlong 2 hour 6 minute runtime and the Gere character can seem trying and puzzling, overall the good of I'm Not There far outweighs the bad. The flaws even add a bit of charm to the film as if included as commentary on Dylan's many flaws.

I truly cannot say enough good things about I'm Not There.

Movie Review Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) 

Directed by Steven Spielberg 

Written by David Koepp 

Starring Harrison Ford, Shia Labeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt

Release Date May 22nd, 2008 

Published May 20th, 2008

In full disclosure mode, I write this review while wearing an Indiana Jones t-shirt. The fact is, as long as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hit the screen I was going to love it. As an Indy nerd who spent last Thursday watching all three original Indy adventures back to back to back plus a two hour documentary feature, I have waited very impatiently for a new Indiana Jones for 19 years.

As we rejoin the adventure of archaeologist and treasure hunter Henry "Indiana '' Jones Jr it is 1952 and Indy has been kidnapped by Russian infiltrators. They want Indy to help them locate an artifact being held by the US government at Area 51. The artifact is related to a top-secret excavation that Dr. Jones took part in briefly at Roswell New Mexico.

Naturally, Indiana Jones isn't one for treason and after a chase, a gun battle, and another chase, he nearly gets the artifact back. He will need to keep trying to get it because red scare paranoia has the FBI calling him a traitor. Forced out of his teaching gig by the FBI, Indy heads for New York only to be sidetracked by a kid named Mutt (Shia Labeouf).

Mutt has a letter from an old friend of Indy's who claims to have found the lost city of gold and includes a map. With Mutt in tow, Indy heads for South America with the Russians hot on his heels as well. If you guessed that the City of Gold is also related to that Roswell gig, kudos for your observational prowess.

Indiana Jones isn't overly complicated in its plotting but it's not stupid either. The script from George Lucas with some spit polish by three other writers, proceeds with a similar logic to the first three Indy films balancing outlandish supernatural phenomena with old school adventure movie thrills.

Steven Speilberg's direction is relaxed and assured like an old friend retelling a story we've heard before but with just as much energy, vigor and life as ever before. Working with Oscar winner Janusz Kaminski there is a little extra polish to the old school look of Indy but not so much as to distract from the old time feel.

Harrison Ford is restored to his world-weary charming self as Indiana Jones. His persona seeming ever more strained and stressed in his most recent action movie roles, Ford is chilled out and laid back as Indy and he has not lost a bit of the light touch humor and hard ass tough guy persona that has made Indiana Jones an icon.

I was going to love this movie just for existing; so imagine how geeked I am that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is so awesome. Great story, great direction, great acting, welcome back Karen Allen, welcome Cate Blanchett and Shia Labeouf and Ray Winstone, everything about Kingdom of the Crystal Skull works.

I love this movie.

Movie Review Ponyo

Ponyo (2008) 

Directed by Hiyao Miyazaki 

Written by Hiyao Miyazaki 

Starring Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas

Release Date July 19th, 2008 

Published July 20th, 2008 

I am running low on adjectives to describe Hiyao Miyazaki. The creator of some of the finest animation I have ever seen has given us so many delights over the years that I am almost at a loss to describe them. His Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are rivaled only by the works of Pixar in terms of the finest works of animated film art created in the last decade. Now, Miyazaki is back with yet another lyrical, moving animated masterpiece. Ponyo is a children's movie with more imagination and wonder than any ten non-Pixar animated movies released in the last decade.

Ponyo is the story of a little girl who begins her life as a fish. Ponyo is the offspring of a strange scientist (Voice of Liam Neeson) who somehow keeps the ocean in balance with humanity, though he is tiring of the task. Ponyo's mother meanwhile, is the Gran Mamare (Voice of Cate Blanchett, as ethereal as ever) who I believe is mother nature herself but you can watch and decide for yourself on that point. Regardless, the story follow's Ponyo's longing to discover the world beyond the water.

She gets the chance when she sneaks out and takes a ride on a jellyfish all the way to the surface of the ocean. There, she happens on the shore where Sosuke is playing. It's love at first sight. Sosuke scoops Ponyo up in a bucket and thinking she is just a goldfish, Sosuke excitedly hopes that he can make her a pet. However, when she heals a cut on his finger, he realizes there is something really magical about his new friend. Soon, Ponyo is talking and professing her love for her new friend Sosuke.

Unfortunately, Ponyo's move to the surface has consequences. As she moves to become more human, the ocean becomes unbalanced as Ponyo's father searches for her in hopes of keeping her a little fish forever. If Sosuke can prove he truly loves Ponyo she may be able to become human but he will have to find a way to show it before the seas rise and destroy and destroy the world. Sosuke will also have to navigate around Ponyo's father and try to convince him of true love. 

There is a distinct and prominent environmentalist streak running through Ponyo but it takes a back seat to the wondrous imagery of the great Hayao Miyazaki. Watch for the scene where Ponyo returns to the surface for the first time as a little girl and runs atop the roiling waves, the visual is an absolute delight. The glee with which Ponyo waves her arms and smiles with every part of lovely face is so awesome, a complete delight to behold. 

Ponyo is filled with childlike wonder and makes exceptional use of the child voice talents of young Noah Cyrus as Ponyo and Frankie Jonas as Sosuke. Cyrus of the famous older sister Miley, and Frankie, youngest of the famous Jonas family, capture in their young voices the unpracticed delight only a child can deliver. The young voices are crucial to Ponyo as these young characters must deliver wonder and excitement as only a child can. 

One can no longer be surprised by the brilliance of Miyazaki. And yet, I was somehow still blown away by Ponyo. Minus the occasional fright images that are as much a Miyazaki trademark as his childlike wonder, the director delivers a work of pure, joyous imagination. Ponyo is Miyazaki's take on the Hans Christian Anderson tale, The Little Mermaid and when you begin to recognize the story it adds even more gleeful exhilaration. 

The metaphor at play in Ponyo of a father wanting his child to remain a child forever is wonderfully poignant, especially under the care of Miyazaki. The great master animator has a love for the stories of children growing both emotionally and physically, aging toward new and wonderful experiences while maintaining the naïve innocence of childhood. I mentioned some horror imagery and it is there but it has meaning and purpose. As much as childhood and growing up is filled with wonder, it's also fraught with fears and anxieties that will either be overcome or become part of the future of each child. None of what I just wrote is in the text of Ponyo but the implication is powerful and it's what makes him such a master storyteller, layers upon layers of meaning that Miyazaki seemingly invites you to find in his work. 

Ponyo is one of the best movies of the year.

Movie Review Robin Hood (2010)

Robin Hood (2010) 

Directed by Sir Ridley Scott 

Written by Brian Helgeland 

Starring Russell Crowe, Danny Huston, Scott Grimes, Cate Blanchett, Oscar Isaac, Mark Addy 

Release Date May 14th, 2010 

Published May 13th, 2010 

Russell Crowe is a superstar and despite his personality defects, prickly interviews and phone throwing incidents, Crowe's films have always showcased his natural charisma. As was said of classic male movie stars of the past 'Men want to be him, Women want to be with him.' That has been the essence of Russell Crowe.

Lately however, Crowe has chafed against this persona and his ache to pursue a different reputation led to a terrific performance as a roguish and paunchy reporter in “State of Play” and now a buffed up action hero “Robin Hood.” While the movie “Robin Hood” rewrites the English legend, Crowe rewrites his own history essaying Robin as a stoic, charmless action hero that could as easily been played by Vin Diesel.

As King Richard (Danny Huston) wages war in France following a trip to Palestine and Israel in the Crusades, Robin Longstride is one of the King's Archers for hire. No longer entirely loyal to the crown following a horrific massacre of Muslims, Robin Longstride is soon to leave and return to England.

Joining Robin are his long time friends and fellow Archers Will Scarlett (Scott Grimes) and Alan A'Dayle (Alan Doyle) and his onetime antagonist turned loyal friend Little John (Kevin Durand, in a rare good guy role). The way back to England leads to the discovery of a French ambush on English Knights. King Richard is dead and his crown is to be returned to England along with an ancient sword that belongs to Sir Robert Locksley (Douglas Hodge).

Robin and his merry men will return to England dressed as knights, return the crown and reap a reward, or so they had hoped. Winding up in Nottingham to return the sword, Robin meets Lady Marion (Cate Blanchett), Locksley's wife and Sir William Locksley (Max Von Sydow) who engages Longstride in a deal, Robin will take on the role of his son in order to maintain the lands after his death; he will also become husband to Lady Marion.

Meanwhile, as the craven Prince John becomes King John, the French plot an invasion to take advantage of the Royal chaos. Stoking the fires is King John's best friend Godfrey (Mark Strong) who has joined with the French and is leading the invasion. Needless to say, Robin, his merry men, and the people of Nottingham get caught in the midst of all of this intrigue and many a sword is swung and arrow flown.

Directed by the brilliant Sir Ridley Scott, “Robin Hood” treads very similar ground to his Oscar winning epic “Gladiator” and his massive flop, the crusades epic “Kingdom of Heaven.” Scott has a great deal of love for the ancient world, warrior codes and the brotherhood of war. He evokes the age exceptionally well with detailed landscapes and costumes, well used CGI and some terrific cinematography.

Where “Kingdom of Heaven” failed is in the same way “Robin Hood” comes up short; both films swamp the viewer with the ugliness and depravity of the ancient world and leave little for people to enjoy beyond the carnage. Characters suffer because Scott's attention to period detail apparently means depicting men with courage minus charisma and charm.

While Cate Blanchett is allowed to look radiant even while covered in mud, Russell Crowe plays Robin subdued, withdrawn and modestly tortured. His bravery is evident in battle and you can see why his men are loyal to him but he comes up short in the aspects of personality that make him a compelling movie character.

Mirthless, constipated and withdrawn, the Crowe that was so captivating in “Gladiator” and so charming in “State of Play'' is caked in mud and blood and is basically part of the scenery in “Robin Hood'' until the battle scenes awaken his warrior side. The battle stuff is very good, almost the equal of “Gladiator,” but “Robin Hood '' is over 2 hours and 20 minutes long and the battle scenes are merely a third of that run time.

“Robin Hood '' has moments that are as amusing as any classic action epic but the quiet moments are so quiet that lethargy sets in and the audience begins to withdraw nearly as much as Mr. Crowe does. The battle returns the Russell Crowe we’ve come to enjoy then he recedes and we wonder where is the star, where is the spirited rebel. Is Russell Crowe so desperate to create a new persona that he can no longer find joy in his work

If he can’t enjoy it, how can we enjoy it?

Movie Review: Contraband

Contraband (2012) 

Directed by Baltasar Kormakur 

Written by Aaron Guzikowski

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Giovanni Ribisi, Caleb Landry Jones, J.K Simmons, Ben Foster 

Release Date January 12th, 2012 

Published January 11th, 2012 

Contraband is a mediocre action movie that rises above mediocre because Mark Wahlberg is so darn compelling. I've been a Mark Wahlberg fan for years; despite his having starred in such duds as The Happening, Maxx Payne, and Shooter. Wahlberg simply has that intangible star quality that makes you want to follow him on whatever film journey he's taking. Contraband could not survive with a lesser star.

Chris Farraday (Wahlberg) was once known as the Houdini of the smuggling world. With his sidekick Sebastian (Ben Foster), Farraday could smuggle anything without ever getting caught. Now, Farraday is a civilian, running his own security company, happily married to Kate (Kate Beckinsale) and raising two sons. He’s gone soft, he’s gone legit, and anyone who’s ever seen a movie about a bad guy gone good already knows where Contraband is headed. 

Yup, Farraday is dragged back into the smuggling underworld when his boneheaded brother in law Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) pulls a drug smuggling job and ends up dumping the drugs in the river when Customs boards his boat. Not surprisingly, Andy's employer, Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), is none too happy and he wants Chris to pay Andy's debt or else. Pulled back into the business, Farraday calls on Sebastian for one more run. 

There are no surprises in this set up; Contraband is not original or unexpected. What works in Contraband is the businesslike, conservative approach of director Baltasar Kormakur who gets down to the business of smuggling with only the most necessary bits of exposition. When Mark Wahlberg and his crew finally get on a ship ready to smuggle the pace is methodical and to the point.

Giovanni Ribisi is not exactly the most intimidating bad guy one could imagine and this does undermine a few scenes where he's supposed to be playing tough. One scene that will test an audience's ability to suspend belief finds the wiry Ribisi pushing around Kate Beckinsale. Anyone who's seen and enjoyed the Underworld movies knows Kate Beckinsale could snap Ribisi like a twig if she wanted.

(Yes, I'm aware that movie magic makes Beckinsale a badass vampire in "Underworld;" I was being cute.)

The key to raising Contraband above other, similar action thrillers is Mark Wahlberg. Since his bold and ballsy Oscar nominated work in The Departed Wahlberg has really come into his own as a movie star and that movie star quality is the one thing working in favor of Contraband. Without Mark Wahlberg, Contraband is an exceptionally average movie. See "Contraband" for Mark Wahlberg or maybe to chuckle at Giovanni Ribisi's tattooed tough guy; both are strong reasons to see "Contraband."

Movie Review The Devil Inside

The Devil Inside (2012) 

Directed by William Brent Bell 

Written by William Brent Bell, Matthew Peterman 

Starring Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth, Suzan Crowley 

Release Date January 6th, 2012 

Published January 6th, 2012 

The Devil Inside is a 78 minute advertisement for a website. There’s a chance I should have said ‘spoiler alert’ before telling you that but frankly this movie does not deserve my discretion. The Devil Inside is a con job. This is a fraud of a movie that leads audiences to the singularly most unsatisfying ending to a movie I’ve seen in my many years as a movie critic.The film ends with a massive car wreck and an invitation to see how it turned out on the film’s website. Spoiler Alert. 

The Devil Inside begins as a rip off of The Last Exorcism, a rare really great found footage horror film from 2010, as we get a fake documentary about exorcism told at first from a skeptical perspective. Quickly however, the skepticism gives way to the cliched bone crunching, head-spinning, potty mouthed demon spectacle that the exorcism genre calls for. There is, after all, no such thing as a polite and well-mannered or thoughtful demon.

Relative unknown actress Fernanda Andrade stars in The Devil Inside as Isabella Rossi, the daughter of a killer. Isabella’s mother, Maria Rossi (Suzan Crowley), murdered three members of her church as they were performing an exorcism… on her. Through some mysterious machinations of the church Maria ends up transferred to a hospital in Rome under the treatment of Vatican doctors.

It’s an interesting idea and for a short time director William Brent Bell even manages to keep you engaged. The cracks however in this deeply flawed film, begin to show through after Isabella and her documentary making pal Michael (Ionut Grama) have traveled to Italy and hooked up with a pair of priests, Ben (Simon Quarterman) and David (Evan Helmuth), who run an illegal side business as exorcists for hire.

Once the exorcists take a shot at saving Isabella’s mother, the movie careens downhill toward its controversial ending. The ending of The Devil Inside left the audience I was with seething with anger and demanding their money back after the screening. There were boos, people throwing trash, and some derisive laughter at the expense of the movie. Not that the filmmakers would care, they’d already received their paychecks for this nonsense. 

There is nothing even the least bit redeeming about The Devil Inside. The film is a flimsy con-job; it’s two thirds of a movie sold for the full price of a ticket. The ending invites audiences to visit a website to find out more about Isabella Rossi. I won’t publicize the website here as it is merely an extension of the filmmakers’ failure to come up with an ending. Even if the ending were satisfying, the gimmick of not having an ending has already soured any goodwill the movie might have had. Plus, it wasn’t very good for the first two acts, the ending was not going to save The Devil Inside from ignominy. 

Instead of an ending we get a novelty; a failing attempt to bridge the gap between the movie screen and the internet.  This was an idea that was destined to fail and fail miserably. Admittedly, I can’t say how many people followed up and went to the website following the movie. But, I have a hard time imagining that many did. The reaction from the crowd that I witnessed the night that The Devil Inside debuted was not excitement about a new way to merge movies and the internet. This was an angry mob seething with resentment and a rueful desire for some form of revenge. 

Movie Review P2

P2 (2007) 

Directed by Franck Khalfoun 

Written by Alexandre Aja, Franck Khalfoun, Gregory Levasseur

Starring Wes Bentley, Rachel Nichols

Release Date November 9th, 2007

Published November 8th, 2007

Alexandre Aja has been undistinguished in two outings as a writer-director, High Tension and The Hills Have Eyes. Still, Aja does show a sense of how to work in this genre and that shows in his work as a producer and co-writer of the new horror thriller P2. Handing the directorial reigns to talented newcomer Franck Khalfoun, Aja's hands off approach works and the best instincts of his work show through.

Angela (Rachel Nichols) never thought staying late at work was a bad thing, even on a holiday. Sure, her whole family was waiting for her but she had numbers to crunch and no boyfriend waiting to go with her. She could afford a few more minutes, or so she thought. On this night, Christmas Eve, staying late was the worst idea possible. The last to leave among her office mates, Angela will have to walk through the creepy parking garage all by herself, save for that one parking attendant with far away stare. 

That parking attendant is named Thomas (Wes Bentley), and unbeknownst to Angela, he has had a secret crush on. Moreover, Thomas has decided that tonight is the night he will reveal his feelings. Did he buy her flowers? Candy? Make her a mixtape? No,Thomas is something of a social misfit. His idea of courtship involves a chloroform soaked rag and some handcuffs. Whether Angela likes it or not she is joining Thomas for a holiday meal.

What director Frank Khalfoun does in P2 is take strong advantage of the one unique thing about this plot, the setting. Parking garages are inherently creepy places, all dark corners and echoes. Khalfoun makes this underground garage into an underground maze of darkness and disturbing noises. Also, the garage setting turns the classic cliche of a cellphone with no signal into a necessary plot point as opposed to a merely convenient one.

The holiday setting, the movie takes place on Christmas Eve, is also a clever trick. It closes the parking garage and gives our main characters plenty of uninterrupted room to run and play hide and seek. The film also makes great use of Elvis' Blue Christmas turning the hacky holiday classic into a creepy, funny running gag.

We haven't seen Wes Bentley much since he exploded on to the scene with his touchingly oddball performance in American Beauty. He failed to take advantage of the buzz following that film and has since picked up his highest profile paycheck as the lame bad guy in Ghost Rider. Strange to say, this is the best performance of Bentley's career since American Beauty. What Bentley gives Thomas is this odd sort of cornpone romantic crossed with a Johnny Depp style antic psychopath.

He's also quite funny. Keep an ear out for one of the best lines of the year when Thomas whines about not wanting to lose his job. Rachel Nichols, heretofore unknown to me, isn't given much to play but give her credit for not making all of the cliched choices of a victim in this situation. Her Angela is smart but she's not McGyver, she doesn't adapt to this situation as if it were second nature. She is no match for Thomas's brand of crazy but she has luck on her side.

The closer of P2 features yet another funny line featuring that one thing a man should never say to a woman. The ending is all too typical, but I never said the film broke the mold. This is just a director and cast that takes on genre conventions and simply performs them slightly more entertainingly than the several thousand genre clones before it. Franck Khalfoun doesn't remake the genre he just makes good use of his genre tools. P2 is just a little smarter. The film has a bit more polish than the dozen or so directors who have worked with the same genre material. P2 is an exceptional thriller/horror genre movie.