Movie Review Impostor

Impostor (2002) 

Directed by Gary Fleder 

Written by Caroline Case, Ehren Kruger, David Twohy

Starring Gary Sinise, Madeline Stowe, Vincent D'onofrio, Mekhi Phifer, Tony Shalhoub

Release Date January 4th, 2002 

Published January 3rd, 2002 

Four years ago, Dimension films began work on a science fiction film called The Light Years Trilogy. The film was to be 3 short films based on three separate Philip K. Dick stories. The project never fully came together though two of the three short films were produced. One of those was Impostor starring Gary Sinise and Vincent D'onofrio. The suits at Dimension liked the 30-minute version so much they ponied up the dough to turn it into a full-length feature.

They were better off with the half hour version.

Impostor takes place 75 years in the future, with Gary Sinise as scientist Spencer Oldham. Oldham is working on a top-secret weapon in the war against aliens called the Centaurians. Arriving at work after a weekend vacation, Spencer is arrested by the military police headed by Vincent D'onofrio. D'onofrio claims that Oldham is not who he appears, that he is in fact an alien cyborg with a bomb in his chest.\

In a scene reminiscent of the Salem Witch trials, Oldham is to be tied to an operating table while a laser drills into his chest. The theory is to get the bomb out and diffuse it. Essentially, if Spencer is an alien bomb they kill him and if he's not, the test will have proven he wasn't alien. Spencer will be dead but at least he's not an alien. Well of course Spencer escapes, there wouldn't be a move if he didn't, and thus begins a series of dull chase scenes through your typically post-apocalyptic cityscapes.

Sinise is well cast as is D'onofrio but they were likely better served in the original 30 minute version.

There are some interesting scenes in Impostor. For example, the first interrogation scene with D'onofrio questioning Oldham while his friends and coworkers look on has the feeling of a futuristic version of the 1950's communist witch hunts, and as I previously mentioned the Salem Witch trials. The ending does build some palpable suspense with a fun little twist.

But in the end, Impostor is, to paraphrase the band Sum 41, all filler no killer.

Movie Review Half Nelson

Half Nelson (2006) 

Directed by Ryan Fleck 

Written by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck 

Starring Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie 

Release Date September 22nd, 2006 

Published October 23rd, 2006 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Movie Review Murder by Numbers

Murder by Numbers (2002) 

Directed by Barbet Schroeder

Written by Tony Gayton

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

Release Date April 19th, 2002 

Published April 18th, 2002

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

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

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

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

Movie Review: Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine (2010) 

Directed by Derek Cianfrance 

Written by Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, Joey Curtis 

Starring Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling 

Release Date December 29th, 2010 

Published December 30th, 2010 

"She sends me Blue Valentines

Though I try to remain at large

They're insisting that our love

Must have a eulogy"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Movie Review Jurassic World

Jurassic World (2015) 

Directed by Colin Trevorrow 

Written by Rick Jaffe, Amanda Silver, Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow 

Starring Christ Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'onofrio, B.D Wong 

Release Date June 12th, 2015 

Published June 11th, 2015 

“Jurassic World” has been called ‘”sexist,” “anti-feminist” and, in one review, “gendered,” a new-to-me term for calling out a piece of pop culture for not living up to the ideals of modern pseudo-feminism. These accusations are aimed at the portrayal of the character Claire played by Bryce Dallas Howard, a career-oriented, driven administrator of the Jurassic World Theme Park.

Claire’s character arc finds her not enjoying the company of children, preferring the boardroom and not caring much for dinosaurs as anything other than the products that her company exploits for millions of dollars. These traits position Claire as something of a villain. However, they also position her to learn valuable lessons over the course of her character arc — you know, like a movie character.

As film criticism has evolved away from aesthetic arguments toward easier to write, and to read, socio-political commentary, movies are being held to a more and more impossible standard of standing in for every version of American culture and representing every political perspective so as not to offend anyone or let anyone feel left out. This transition threatens to legislate traits out of characters and limit the ways in which a writer can create unique characters that stand out on their own as individuals with inherent flaws.

One of the criticisms of Claire as an anti-feminist symbol is centered on her clothes. Bear in mind: We are seeing one very unusual day in the life of the park. On any other day, Claire would spend her time in board rooms or in her well-appointed office and not in the woods being chased by a dinosaur. Being chased by dinosaurs was, quite fair to say, not on Claire’s schedule EVER.

And yet we have critics calling Claire out for being dressed for meeting clients, which, by the way, was her original plan for the day before a massively, unexpectedly dangerous new dinosaur escaped its seemingly inescapable cage. Claire is being considered anti-feminist because she chose to wear high heels and a cream colored top and skirt ensemble on a day when she, as a character in a story, did not know she would be chased by dinosaurs.

The character of Claire is well established as being somewhat socially awkward. Claire’s comfort comes from achieving her ambition, which is to be rich and successful. Now, I realize that that is not the kindest character trait, but if we require every character in movies to be kind at all times and eschew ambition, then where will our villains come from? More importantly for Claire, where will the life lesson come from? If she begins from a place of fully evolved traits perfectly suited for both the board room and a dinosaur attack, then what is the dramatic arc?

Is it anti-feminist to wear heels and a skirt? Is it anti-feminist to not concern yourself with your clothing choices when a dangerous dinosaur gets loose in your dinosaur theme park? Some have asked why Claire did not go for a wardrobe change amid the chaotic escape of the dangerous and deadly Indominus Rex — maybe some running shoes and khakis. The film answers that question by simply thrusting Claire immediately into the action of first covering up the danger in her pre-evolved state of pure ambition, to then attempting to save lives. She was a little busy for a wardrobe change: There’s a freaking dinosaur on the loose.

Movie Review Fandango

Fandango (1985)

Directed by Kevin Reynolds 

Written by Kevin Reynolds 

Starring Kevin Costner, Sam Robards, Judd Nelson

Release Date January 25th, 1985

Published January 25th, 2015 

This weekend, January 24th to 26th, in 1985 Kevin Costner took his first leading man role in the mostly forgotten road comedy “Fandango.” Co-starring Sam Robards, Chuck Bush and Judd Nelson, “Fandango” follows four friends from the University of Texas on one, final, epic road trip before each heads off to Vietnam or maybe Mexico.

The year is 1971 and the day before Kenneth’s (Sam Robards) wedding, his graduation day from the University of Texas, he finds out he’s been drafted. So has his best friend Gardner (Costner) while their roommate Hicks (Nelson) has already volunteered to go. With their future’s uncertain the friends pile into a generic movie road trip car and head for the border with plans to dig up a relic of their earlier college years.

That’s the set up of “Fandango” but the film is more than just a road movie. Directed by Kevin Reynolds, Costner’s go-to director before their “Waterworld” falling out, “Fandango” is yet another 80’s movie still attempting to process the feelings inspired by the war in Vietnam. Set in 1971, in the midst of the worst of the war, we watch characters who’ve skirted the war effort as privileged college students now facing down the real possibility of death.

For all of the shiny, neon, plastic, phoniness of the 1980’s there were moments of true depth and sadness and much of it had to do with the lingering specter of  Vietnam. In the 80’s Hollywood was finally ready to examine the tragedy of Vietnam and perform the post-mortem examination with some of the great war movies of all time in “Platoon” and “”Full Metal Jacket.” And then there were smaller reckonings like “Fandango” which masked the angsty, life and death fears of Vietnam with a humor that barely concealed terror.

This comic angst is never more present in “Fandango” than in a brief scene set in a cemetery on one of the road trip’s many detours. Having run out of gas in a small town our heroes happen upon a pair of teenage girls who buy them dinner and take them around town. They wind up in a cemetery playing with fireworks which come to resemble the bombs dropping over Vietnam once Kenneth stumbles over a grave marked for an Army Corporal who died just that year in Vietnam.

The scene is a tad heavy-handed but Robards and Costner sell the moment with the fear on their faces while director Reynolds gives the moment time to breath. The fireworks lighting up the graves and the grave faces of Robards and Costner give the scene a strong visual quality even, as I mentioned early, as the scene is more than a little over-wrought with subtext.

For some reason I tried to be put off by “Fandango.” I fought the film’s charm early on because I was expecting a cheesy teen appeal road comedy. By the end of the film I was deeply charmed by the characters and the humor and camaraderie they use to fend off the feeling of impending doom engendered by their future trip to Vietnam. Costner is especially effective near the end of the movie when his memories of a lost love collide with his duty to his best friend and their terrifyingly uncertain future.

The movie ends with an only in the movies style impromptu wedding. Having convinced the residents of a small Texas border-town to help them honor Kenneth’s wish for a last second wedding to ‘The Girl,’ played by Suzy Amis, we watch a truly charming scene of homemade food and craft burst to life in the middle of the dusty town. The scene should not work but it does because everyone involved is so committed to it.

In the end, the combination of a charming cast and serious Vietnam related angst combine to make a surprisingly satisfying dramatic comedy. Is it surprising that “Fandango” isn’t well remembered 30 years later? No, it is by nature a road comedy, a sub-genre that has never been known for having a shelf life. However, I am quite pleasantly surprised to find myself a fan of “Fandango.”

Movie Review Tomboy

Tomboy (1985) 

Directed by Herb Freed 

Written by Herb Freed 

Starring Betsy Russell, Richard Erdman, Jerry DiNome 

Release Date January 25th, 1985 

Published January 26th, 2015 

“Tomboy” is a bizarre little time capsule of an 80’s movie. Ostensibly a typical 80’s T & A flick, “Tomboy” has an unusual feminist streak to it that plays almost as an accident. One of the first movies released in 1985, “Tomboy” illustrates why I chose to watch 30 year old movies: the wonder of the oddball hidden gem.

I came to “Tomboy” with my ironic smirk firmly in place and the film did not disappoint. First, there is a gloriously cheesy, unnecessary flashback/dream sequence that has little to no bearing on the rest of the movie beyond providing a minor inspiration for Tommy’s (Betsy Russell) being a ‘tomboy’.

Then comes a glorious theme song, a song so wonderfully, beautifully and unendingly cheese-ridden that it left me gasping through laughter. The song “Tomboy” sounds as if it were written as a parody by the team that made “Too Many Cooks” and the montage that accompanies seems to go on for a mindbending length of time ala ‘Cooks.’

Now, the way a movie like “Tomboy” is supposed to play, according to Hollywood conventions, is that our heroine Tommy is going to learn a lesson about how to be a girl. She may not give up being a greasy mechanic but she will embrace the pleasures of wearing pink, putting on too much makeup and perfume. Oh, and she will learn these lessons while falling for a “Hunk,” which is an 80’s term not unlike hottie and with a similarly short cultural shelf-life.

“Tomboy” however, rarely plays by the rules of your typical 80’s movie. Much of the credit for that goes to Betsy Russell who, while known for B-movies where she takes her clothes off, here plays a woman who takes her clothes off but not without a purpose. Russell plays Tommy as a surprisingly modern creation who can build a whizbang stock car inspired by her astronaut father and be a beautiful, sexually progressive young.

As played by Russell, Tommy isn’t merely a sex object, she’s an adult woman who owns her sexuality. The sex between Tommy and her love interest Randy Starr (Gerard Christopher) is legitimately sexy and adult. Even in the midst of puerile and unnecessary, even blatantly misogynistic displays of flesh in “Tomboy” Russell proves capable of being legitimately sexy without seeming exploited.

It’s a strange disconnect however because “Tomboy” isn’t a good movie. In many ways, the movie happening around Russell is a rather typically terrible drive in movie. And yet, Russell invests Tommy with a strength of character, a good heart and a strong sense of self. Even as I type this I am trying to find ways to take it back and recognize how campy and unimportant this movie most certainly is, but I cannot deny how compelling Russell really is as Tommy.

It seems very strange to say it but there is a seemingly accidental feminist streak to “Tomboy.” Tommy and even, to a point, her best friend Seville (Kristi Somers), are strangely progressive characters for an 80’s T & A comedy. Both get naked but there is an empowerment to the to display of flesh, they own the screen in these moments rather than being mere eye candy.

And still, the film holds a place of ironic, campy enjoyment. There is no way around how bad “Tomboy” is in terms of directing and dialogue, production design and editing. The movie is a slapdash disaster with zero pretension toward being anything other than a product meant to sell tickets to horny teens. This fact leaves me rather in awe of the subversive strength of Russell’s performance.

“Tomboy” is a fascinating movie of high camp and bizarre quality. Whether intended or not, the film has a progressive quality to its female lead that is unlike any 80’s comedy of its ilk. Did Betsy Russell really sneak a feminist hero into an 80’s teen comedy or have the shifting political and social tides of the past 30 years warped Russell’s performance into something unintended? The fact that a movie like this could inspire that thought is one of the reasons why I love movies.

Time for our re-casting of “Tomboy”

Tommy Boyd: played by Betsy Russell: Re-cast: Demi Lovato

Seville Ritz: played by Kristi Somers: Re-cast: Heather Morris

Randy Starr: played by Gerard Christopher: Re-Cast Skylar Astin