“21” (Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey & Kate Bosworth)
About an hour into this film I thought of whispering to my wife, “Are you as bored with this as I am?” Instead I waited until it gratefully ended & said, “I know one thing for sure – You enjoyed this movie a hell of a lot more than I did.” Just for the record, she did; she kind of liked it.
Where do I begin to tell you how wrong she is – I guess we could compare it to last year’s “Lucky You” & say it isn’t that much better. Suffice it to say – movies about card games suck. What separates this from “Lucky You” is better acting (from Sturgess & Spacey) but “21” is insufferably boring with numerous plot holes & a whole lot of ‘I Don’t Care!’
The premise is interesting, it’s what drew me to see this in the first place; Jim Sturgess plays MIT student/wannabe Doctor Ben Campbell. He has the smarts, but not the dough to be successful at reaching this goal. When teacher Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) offers Ben a shot at joining his team of card counters, a hesitant Ben says no; then, for a reason that is never expressed, turns around & says yes. Ben is taught the rules of the team; Signals from the lesser intelligent members of the team tell the smart guys which table to play; various cue words let the big money player know where the card count currently stands. Looking a little old to be playing a co-ed, Kate Bosworth plays Jill, the sexiest college girl in Massachusetts (according to this film) Looking much too old for young Ben, the inevitable pairing up takes place – again, for no apparent reason, since she rejects his advances earlier on.
What this movie lacks is ‘reason’ – it is established by Rosa from the beginning that card counting is NOT illegal & yet casino security expert Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne in a role I hope he wishes he never undertook) feels it is okay to beat the living snot out of those he catches counting cards. Though I’ve never been there, I’m fairly sure there are more than a couple of casinos in Las Vegas – So why does this group of card counters continually camp out at the one Cole Williams watches like a hawk?
Supposed genius Ben takes to putting his cut of the loot in his dorm at school. I’d say once it gets to six figures, an intelligent person would take that money out of his mattress & put it in a bank. Especially after one member of the team gets booted off for getting drunk & blowing a big score – a member of the team that Ben usurped to take the #1 spot on Rosa’s team. I’d say only an idiot would stash over $300,000 in cash in his dorm room. Gee, I wonder if somebody steals it?
Time & time again I kept coming back to the fact that if what they were doing wasn’t illegal – where’s the suspense? & why is one head of security 'judge, jury & executioner' in Vegas? (At one point Cole tells Ben – if I see you in my casino again, I’ll kill you.”) Easily solved is it not? – stay out of Cole Williams’ casino! Apparently these matheletes can’t figure that one out. So if it isn’t illegal to count cards, but it is illegal to beat someone senseless – how is it Cole Williams holds all the cards in this flick?
Like I said, I’ve never been to Vegas, but I’ve done some gambling in my day & as far as I know, casino security guards are not allowed to beat people up for winning money at the tables... Is this why they say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Because after seeing this supposedly ‘true’ story – I don’t ever want to go there in the first place!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
STOP - LOSS
“STOP-LOSS” (Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Abbie Cornish & Joseph Gordon-Levitt)
Every young American considering joining today’s Army should see this film. I only wish it was released a few years earlier.
“Stop-Loss” is the first Iraq War movie I’ve seen that actually deals with what the soldiers are going through - & the results are shocking. I’m surprised that the current administration has been able to get away with the ‘Stop-Loss’ procedure; but at this point unscrupulous behavior seems to be the norm doesn’t it?
In his best acting role to date, Ryan Phillippe plays Sgt. Brandon King who leads his platoon into an Iraqi ambush where 3 of his men are killed & one is maimed & badly burned. He is decorated upon his return to the states for saving his best friend, Steve (Channing Tatum) during the fracas.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays guitar playing soldier Tommy Burgess who also comes out of the experience ‘damaged’.
On the day Sgt. King believes he’s to be released he is instead told he is being ‘Stop-lossed’ & will be returned to Iraq for another year of duty. His cowboy hat wearing Texas father (Englishman Ciaran Hinds ‘cowboying’ it up with a Southern drawl) believes he needs to do what’s right to serve his country, but Brandon thinks otherwise & goes AWOL in the hope of enlisting the help of a Texas senator who told him at the awards ceremony ‘if you ever need anything, you come see me’.
Fetching Abbie Cornish plays Steve’s girl, Michelle. She doesn’t like the violent change she sees in Steve & offers to help drive life-long friend Brandon to Washington D.C.
The film then focuses on their adventures trekking from Texas to (eventually) Buffalo.
Sgt. King considers it his duty to stop & see the families of the men who were killed under his command & pay a visit to Rico, the soldier who lost an arm, a leg & his sight during the ambush. Rico’s outlook on life is surprising & you can see that Brandon finds it hard to believe that Rico seems to be the only soldier to come out of the War ‘unscarred’ mentally.
Brandon is left with 3 choices; leave the country for good & never see his family again; turn himself in & do jail time for his crime of refusing to be ‘recycled’ back into a devastating, senseless war; or be a good little soldier boy & do another year in hell for GW. His final decision may surprise you – whichever one he makes, a sad ending is guarenteed.
My only complaint with this movie is the MTV style camera work & the rap & screaming ‘soundtrack’ that caused me to stick my fingers in my ears more than once.
But as a story it is excellent & poignant – Like I said, thinking about joining the Army?
Parents of kids of enlisting age? Go see this movie because this kind of thing is really happening, folks – ‘Stop-Loss’ wasn’t ‘invented’ by Hollywood – guys who have already served their time are being sent back because there aren’t enough volunteers to fight the war that shouldn’t be.
Every young American considering joining today’s Army should see this film. I only wish it was released a few years earlier.
“Stop-Loss” is the first Iraq War movie I’ve seen that actually deals with what the soldiers are going through - & the results are shocking. I’m surprised that the current administration has been able to get away with the ‘Stop-Loss’ procedure; but at this point unscrupulous behavior seems to be the norm doesn’t it?
In his best acting role to date, Ryan Phillippe plays Sgt. Brandon King who leads his platoon into an Iraqi ambush where 3 of his men are killed & one is maimed & badly burned. He is decorated upon his return to the states for saving his best friend, Steve (Channing Tatum) during the fracas.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays guitar playing soldier Tommy Burgess who also comes out of the experience ‘damaged’.
On the day Sgt. King believes he’s to be released he is instead told he is being ‘Stop-lossed’ & will be returned to Iraq for another year of duty. His cowboy hat wearing Texas father (Englishman Ciaran Hinds ‘cowboying’ it up with a Southern drawl) believes he needs to do what’s right to serve his country, but Brandon thinks otherwise & goes AWOL in the hope of enlisting the help of a Texas senator who told him at the awards ceremony ‘if you ever need anything, you come see me’.
Fetching Abbie Cornish plays Steve’s girl, Michelle. She doesn’t like the violent change she sees in Steve & offers to help drive life-long friend Brandon to Washington D.C.
The film then focuses on their adventures trekking from Texas to (eventually) Buffalo.
Sgt. King considers it his duty to stop & see the families of the men who were killed under his command & pay a visit to Rico, the soldier who lost an arm, a leg & his sight during the ambush. Rico’s outlook on life is surprising & you can see that Brandon finds it hard to believe that Rico seems to be the only soldier to come out of the War ‘unscarred’ mentally.
Brandon is left with 3 choices; leave the country for good & never see his family again; turn himself in & do jail time for his crime of refusing to be ‘recycled’ back into a devastating, senseless war; or be a good little soldier boy & do another year in hell for GW. His final decision may surprise you – whichever one he makes, a sad ending is guarenteed.
My only complaint with this movie is the MTV style camera work & the rap & screaming ‘soundtrack’ that caused me to stick my fingers in my ears more than once.
But as a story it is excellent & poignant – Like I said, thinking about joining the Army?
Parents of kids of enlisting age? Go see this movie because this kind of thing is really happening, folks – ‘Stop-Loss’ wasn’t ‘invented’ by Hollywood – guys who have already served their time are being sent back because there aren’t enough volunteers to fight the war that shouldn’t be.
RUN FAT BOY RUN
“RUN FAT BOY RUN” (Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton & Hank Azaria)
If you enjoyed “Hot Fuzz” & “Shaun Of The Dead”, don’t be fooled by the appearance of Simon Pegg in “Run Fat Boy Run” – this is NOT a Simon Pegg film – it’s directed by David Schwimmer (of “Friends”) & even though Simon apparently stepped in & re-wrote parts of the script, it is a ‘romantic comedy’ in every sense – a ‘watered down’ version of a typical Simon Pegg film.
The opening scene is poorly done – Dennis (Pegg) is shown leaving his pregnant girlfriend Libby (Thandie Newton) at the alter... doesn’t exactly make him the kind of guy you want to win the girl back, does it?
The film then jumps forward 5 or 6 years where Dennis is allowed by Libby to be a part0time father to their son. When Dennis meets Libby’s smug American boyfriend, Whit (Hank Azaria - whose entire film career has been playing smugly obnoxious boyfriends) he suddenly decides he made a mistake by ditching Libby & to show her he’s changed he’s going to run in the upcoming marathon for charity event coming up.
Thanks to Whit being extremely unlikable, you find yourself rooting for the dopey Dennis & when he utters the clichéd line, “I decided it was better to ruin your day than to ruin your life” as an excuse for running out on their wedding day, you almost buy into it because you just don’t want her to end up with Whit, the ugly American.
It is an enjoyable enough ‘romantic comedy’ & I offer Pegg as the chief reason for that. & yes, I dare you not to find yourself cheering on the ‘out of shape’ marathon man as he strives to win back the woman he wronged.
If you enjoyed “Hot Fuzz” & “Shaun Of The Dead”, don’t be fooled by the appearance of Simon Pegg in “Run Fat Boy Run” – this is NOT a Simon Pegg film – it’s directed by David Schwimmer (of “Friends”) & even though Simon apparently stepped in & re-wrote parts of the script, it is a ‘romantic comedy’ in every sense – a ‘watered down’ version of a typical Simon Pegg film.
The opening scene is poorly done – Dennis (Pegg) is shown leaving his pregnant girlfriend Libby (Thandie Newton) at the alter... doesn’t exactly make him the kind of guy you want to win the girl back, does it?
The film then jumps forward 5 or 6 years where Dennis is allowed by Libby to be a part0time father to their son. When Dennis meets Libby’s smug American boyfriend, Whit (Hank Azaria - whose entire film career has been playing smugly obnoxious boyfriends) he suddenly decides he made a mistake by ditching Libby & to show her he’s changed he’s going to run in the upcoming marathon for charity event coming up.
Thanks to Whit being extremely unlikable, you find yourself rooting for the dopey Dennis & when he utters the clichéd line, “I decided it was better to ruin your day than to ruin your life” as an excuse for running out on their wedding day, you almost buy into it because you just don’t want her to end up with Whit, the ugly American.
It is an enjoyable enough ‘romantic comedy’ & I offer Pegg as the chief reason for that. & yes, I dare you not to find yourself cheering on the ‘out of shape’ marathon man as he strives to win back the woman he wronged.
DRILLBIT TAYLOR
“DRILLBIT TAYLOR” (Owen Wilson)
OK, it’s official; The Seth Rogen recycling of 3 dorky kids striving to become ‘cool’ has run its course – it’s over Seth. STOP NOW. I’m encouraging you, the movie viewer to help with this campaign by not going to see this turkey in the theatre or renting it when it comes out on DVD – trust me; you’ve seen this film before & with much funnier dialogue. ‘Drillbit Taylor’ plays like an idea that has not only run out of gas, but has stooped to using squeegies to clean windshields for beer money.
Owen Wilson brings nothing new to the table as the homeless title character that becomes a body guard-slash-mentor to 3 dweeby teens.
The kids are the same 3 you’ve seen before’ the skinny shy kid who has a crush on a girl who is out of his league – the chubby Seth Rogen look-alike who seems in a perpetual state of ‘hyper’ - & the uber-geek little squirt that no one would want to hang out with but proves his meddle in the end.
There are no laughs – a sprinkling of chuckles are about it – as most scenes are of un-humorous sight gags involving someone being punched. “We need to find out what it’s like to be hit in a fight so let’s beat each other up!”
The sub-plot of Drillbit’s homeless buddies robbing the house of one of the boys under his protective wing is actually kind of sad & pathetic. I know the idea is to provide a scenario so Drillbit can have his stereotypical ‘change of heart’ but it just simply doesn’t work The only true humorous moment does involve his homeless buddies as they take Drillbit’s scam of showing up at school with coffee cups in their hands & drawing a paycheck as a substitute teacher. But the rest of ‘Drillbit Taylor’ is been there/done that.
OK, it’s official; The Seth Rogen recycling of 3 dorky kids striving to become ‘cool’ has run its course – it’s over Seth. STOP NOW. I’m encouraging you, the movie viewer to help with this campaign by not going to see this turkey in the theatre or renting it when it comes out on DVD – trust me; you’ve seen this film before & with much funnier dialogue. ‘Drillbit Taylor’ plays like an idea that has not only run out of gas, but has stooped to using squeegies to clean windshields for beer money.
Owen Wilson brings nothing new to the table as the homeless title character that becomes a body guard-slash-mentor to 3 dweeby teens.
The kids are the same 3 you’ve seen before’ the skinny shy kid who has a crush on a girl who is out of his league – the chubby Seth Rogen look-alike who seems in a perpetual state of ‘hyper’ - & the uber-geek little squirt that no one would want to hang out with but proves his meddle in the end.
There are no laughs – a sprinkling of chuckles are about it – as most scenes are of un-humorous sight gags involving someone being punched. “We need to find out what it’s like to be hit in a fight so let’s beat each other up!”
The sub-plot of Drillbit’s homeless buddies robbing the house of one of the boys under his protective wing is actually kind of sad & pathetic. I know the idea is to provide a scenario so Drillbit can have his stereotypical ‘change of heart’ but it just simply doesn’t work The only true humorous moment does involve his homeless buddies as they take Drillbit’s scam of showing up at school with coffee cups in their hands & drawing a paycheck as a substitute teacher. But the rest of ‘Drillbit Taylor’ is been there/done that.
The BANK JOB
“The BANK JOB” (Jason Statham & Saffron Burrows)
Is not the kind of film you’d expect to see Jason Statham in – there are NO CAR CHASE SCENES! It is a throw-back to the 70’s, fitting the era in which this ‘based on’ true story takes place in London.
The plot focuses on the Royal Family attempting to avoid a national scandal by paying off a blackmailer who has come across nude photos of the princess having sex.
Saffron Burrows plays Martine, a woman who is enlisted to help Scotland Yard retrieve the photos after being caught trying to smuggle drugs. She approaches Terry (Statham) an old boyfriend/small time crook with a foolproof plan to break into the bank vault where the police have learned the photos are being kept. Terry & his crew know nothing of the actual reason they’re breaking into the vault but he becomes suspicious with Martine’s sometimes odd behavior.
Like I said, this is a throw-back film – it actually has a story & sticks to the plot without any extraneous explosions or special effects to enhance the visual aspect for no apparent reason. They use pick-axes to shovel under the vault & walkie-talkies to communicate with their outside look-out. So no, this is not a spectacular ‘man, you’ve got to see this!’ flick – it is a believable & interesting bank heist filled with intriguing characters.
I can pretty much guarantee you won’t feel as though you’ve wasted 2 hours of your life after watching ‘The Bank Job’... unless, of course, you want to see mindless car chases & senseless explosions...
Is not the kind of film you’d expect to see Jason Statham in – there are NO CAR CHASE SCENES! It is a throw-back to the 70’s, fitting the era in which this ‘based on’ true story takes place in London.
The plot focuses on the Royal Family attempting to avoid a national scandal by paying off a blackmailer who has come across nude photos of the princess having sex.
Saffron Burrows plays Martine, a woman who is enlisted to help Scotland Yard retrieve the photos after being caught trying to smuggle drugs. She approaches Terry (Statham) an old boyfriend/small time crook with a foolproof plan to break into the bank vault where the police have learned the photos are being kept. Terry & his crew know nothing of the actual reason they’re breaking into the vault but he becomes suspicious with Martine’s sometimes odd behavior.
Like I said, this is a throw-back film – it actually has a story & sticks to the plot without any extraneous explosions or special effects to enhance the visual aspect for no apparent reason. They use pick-axes to shovel under the vault & walkie-talkies to communicate with their outside look-out. So no, this is not a spectacular ‘man, you’ve got to see this!’ flick – it is a believable & interesting bank heist filled with intriguing characters.
I can pretty much guarantee you won’t feel as though you’ve wasted 2 hours of your life after watching ‘The Bank Job’... unless, of course, you want to see mindless car chases & senseless explosions...
MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY
“MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY” (Frances McDormand & Amy Adams)
Chances Are if you liked Amy Adams in “Enchanted, you will like her in this . . . just not as much. And Chances Are that if you’ve longed for the days when songs like ‘Chances Are’ were dominating the pop charts, you’ll also enjoy the soundtrack & style of ‘Miss Pettigrew’; In other words, if you’re elderly, this is the flick for you.
With the odd addition of a rather graphic shot of one of the male co-stars rear end, this is very much like the type of films they made in the 40’s. Not so surprising since it is based on a book that was written in 1939.
It is normally the kind of movie I would avoid, but the two female leads lured me in. & although MacDormand & Adams do not disappoint, they can’t make this dreadful script enjoyable to follow.
‘Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day’ is literally a 24 hour span in the life of a woman who goes from the poorhouse to the penthouse in a single day. Aided by the exceptionally ditzy Alysia Defossie (Adams) McDormand’s down on her luck Miss Pettigrew assumes the position of Ms. Defossie’s personal secretary by showing up at the right place at right time.
Alysia, though a pleasure to watch as she flits around in a nearly see-thru robe, is almost too stupid to be taken seriously as a viable character. If you buy into her brain-dead-starlett-in-waiting persona, then you’ll probably enjoy this... I didn’t.
Alysia basically needs help juggling the 3 men in her life – the rich guy who expects her to be there at his beck & call (since he pays the rent on her luxurious ‘loft’) – the young foppish producer who could cast her in a role that would make her a star - & the ex-con piano player who turns out to be the only ‘decent’ man of the trio.
Alysia, in fact doesn’t deserve him, since at the time she was supposed to be picking him up after his release from prison, she was having sex with the well-hung ‘producer’.
Ciaran Hinds plays a lingerie designer who dumps his fiancé; dates a new girl; comes on to a woman he’s just met; goes back to the fiancé & then dumps her yet again – All in a 24 hour span... If Miss Pettigrew lived for a week that would still be a little too much to believe, but the fact that it takes place in a single day ruins any of the likable qualities this film has.
Nice performances – terrible script.
Chances Are if you liked Amy Adams in “Enchanted, you will like her in this . . . just not as much. And Chances Are that if you’ve longed for the days when songs like ‘Chances Are’ were dominating the pop charts, you’ll also enjoy the soundtrack & style of ‘Miss Pettigrew’; In other words, if you’re elderly, this is the flick for you.
With the odd addition of a rather graphic shot of one of the male co-stars rear end, this is very much like the type of films they made in the 40’s. Not so surprising since it is based on a book that was written in 1939.
It is normally the kind of movie I would avoid, but the two female leads lured me in. & although MacDormand & Adams do not disappoint, they can’t make this dreadful script enjoyable to follow.
‘Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day’ is literally a 24 hour span in the life of a woman who goes from the poorhouse to the penthouse in a single day. Aided by the exceptionally ditzy Alysia Defossie (Adams) McDormand’s down on her luck Miss Pettigrew assumes the position of Ms. Defossie’s personal secretary by showing up at the right place at right time.
Alysia, though a pleasure to watch as she flits around in a nearly see-thru robe, is almost too stupid to be taken seriously as a viable character. If you buy into her brain-dead-starlett-in-waiting persona, then you’ll probably enjoy this... I didn’t.
Alysia basically needs help juggling the 3 men in her life – the rich guy who expects her to be there at his beck & call (since he pays the rent on her luxurious ‘loft’) – the young foppish producer who could cast her in a role that would make her a star - & the ex-con piano player who turns out to be the only ‘decent’ man of the trio.
Alysia, in fact doesn’t deserve him, since at the time she was supposed to be picking him up after his release from prison, she was having sex with the well-hung ‘producer’.
Ciaran Hinds plays a lingerie designer who dumps his fiancé; dates a new girl; comes on to a woman he’s just met; goes back to the fiancé & then dumps her yet again – All in a 24 hour span... If Miss Pettigrew lived for a week that would still be a little too much to believe, but the fact that it takes place in a single day ruins any of the likable qualities this film has.
Nice performances – terrible script.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
CHARLIE BARTLETT
“CHARLIE BARTLETT” (Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey, Jr. & Hope Davis)
Early on in this flick you realize you’re watching “Ferris Bueller – Lite”, which isn’t a bad thing by any means; but then it turns into “Ferris Bueller – Heavy”. You’re left to decide if that was a smart move or not, but I liked the fact that it veered away from being a ‘lesser’ copycat & becoming more original.
The other easy comparison to make is between the titled ‘stars’ of the 2 films; Matthew Broderick played his ‘rascally’ teen with a mischievous gleam in his eye – Anton Yelchin plays Charlie Bartlett as an intelligent spoiled brat who knows ‘mommy’ will buy him out of trouble.
The film opens with Mrs. Bartlett (Hope Davis) discovering her little angel has been making fake ID’s for his private school mates. Having been kicked out of every private school in the county, Charlie is forced into public school where he is ridiculed for wearing a suit & tie & dunked head first into a toilet for carrying an attaché case.
Since Charlie’s family has an ‘on call’ psychiatrist, Charlie begins to make friends the old fashioned way – by dispensing a plethora of prescription meds upon his screwed up classmates (After making a business deal with the bully who ‘dunked’ him)
Another “Ferris’ rip-off comes in the form of the high school principal – Here played by the usually wonderful Robert Downey, Jr. – Except Charlie winds up making a play for the principal’s daughter. At first I had a hard time buying Downey as a ‘straight laced’ high school principal, but it is soon revealed that this guy is more than slightly off his rocker, thus making Downey a good fit.
I found the relationship between Charlie & his mother to be somewhat disturbing – I half expected to see a scene where the pair would be found in bed together. Some of the ‘extra’ characters stories work – some of them fail, but whereas Ferris Bueller never came close to sending out any ‘messages’, Charlie Bartlett does.
Overall I liked this teen comedy – warts & all – because it didn’t follow the ‘formula’ of other teen comedies & just stay silly throughout.
Early on in this flick you realize you’re watching “Ferris Bueller – Lite”, which isn’t a bad thing by any means; but then it turns into “Ferris Bueller – Heavy”. You’re left to decide if that was a smart move or not, but I liked the fact that it veered away from being a ‘lesser’ copycat & becoming more original.
The other easy comparison to make is between the titled ‘stars’ of the 2 films; Matthew Broderick played his ‘rascally’ teen with a mischievous gleam in his eye – Anton Yelchin plays Charlie Bartlett as an intelligent spoiled brat who knows ‘mommy’ will buy him out of trouble.
The film opens with Mrs. Bartlett (Hope Davis) discovering her little angel has been making fake ID’s for his private school mates. Having been kicked out of every private school in the county, Charlie is forced into public school where he is ridiculed for wearing a suit & tie & dunked head first into a toilet for carrying an attaché case.
Since Charlie’s family has an ‘on call’ psychiatrist, Charlie begins to make friends the old fashioned way – by dispensing a plethora of prescription meds upon his screwed up classmates (After making a business deal with the bully who ‘dunked’ him)
Another “Ferris’ rip-off comes in the form of the high school principal – Here played by the usually wonderful Robert Downey, Jr. – Except Charlie winds up making a play for the principal’s daughter. At first I had a hard time buying Downey as a ‘straight laced’ high school principal, but it is soon revealed that this guy is more than slightly off his rocker, thus making Downey a good fit.
I found the relationship between Charlie & his mother to be somewhat disturbing – I half expected to see a scene where the pair would be found in bed together. Some of the ‘extra’ characters stories work – some of them fail, but whereas Ferris Bueller never came close to sending out any ‘messages’, Charlie Bartlett does.
Overall I liked this teen comedy – warts & all – because it didn’t follow the ‘formula’ of other teen comedies & just stay silly throughout.
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