Only God Forgives [2013]

Originally was super excited to see this film after I saw the trailer, but that was another classic case where the trailer was far superior than the film. 

The film's overall vibe is so similar to DRIVE that it's scary. I loved DRIVE, but this was a whole different animal. OGF was so focused on being cutesy with the scene setups, and slow camera sweeps, and quarter-speed character interactions that it became laughable. It was like they were trying to recreate the overall tone of DRIVE. Even from looking at the poster you think it would be possibly its sequel.

The gratuitous violence in the film feels unnecessary and pushed upon the audience for mere shook value alone. Whereas in DRIVE it was tied into Ryan's character's arc progression and was saved for the right, perfect moments to add to the overall story. Here it seemed used as a desperate attempt to get the audience' attention.

It's a beautiful film to look at, but there was just no substance there for me. I didn't care about the characters. I didn't care about the need for Ryan to extract revenge for his mother and brother whom were killed by the antagonist. It just felt like a big, sloppy, violent mess and couldn't wait for it to end. Now with DRIVE, I wanted more and still revisit that film from time to time.

Rating: 2.5/10

RT: 40%

The Lifeguard [2013]

Thoroughly enjoyed this film. Saw a trailer for it long ago and a few weeks back NetFlix came through huge for me. Story: Girl leaves big city and heads back home to try and reinvigorate her life and hold on to her youth. 

The film struck a cord with me in the same way Fight Club and Garden State did. Coming of age films that protrude freedom as a way of life where you are not tied down to one particular ideology of list of must-dos. There is definitely that sense of freedom throughout this film. 

The film did have problems, but nothing so ridiculous to focus on. The ending was not what I expected, but I enjoy the 'less-than-happy-ending-ending' so I was pleased and also saddened at the same time. The relationship between Kristian and the boy was believable and they did a good job of coaxing the viewers to be on "their side" with the whole thing. 

One criticism I'll note was the lack of character arc for Kristian's character. I wish we could've seen more of her journey on both sides of the top point of her arc. It almost felt a little too rushed on either side, spending far too much time during the 2nd phase where she was partying and being carefree. I would've had more buy-in if we had spent more time with her before coming home and after the fallout. It would've helped the audience to be more engaged and I feel that was lacking.

Rating: 8.75/10
RT:  13%

Hunger Games - Catching Fire [2013]

Was semi "dragged" to see this last night, so I figured while my impressions were still fresh I'd get something down. First off all, I find it ironic how a movie about the brainwashing of masses has become so popular in exactly that. I was thinking of more ways to tie this thought together but it made my brain hurt.

I did enjoy this one more than the original and thought it was a superior film. The story progression was predictable and took only about 25% of the film to get back to Catness and Square Jaw back into the game arena. I never read the books and it still was apparent what was going to happen. 

The camera movement felt more fluid and controlled this time around. I remember out of HG1 that the shaky camera during the action bouts was just horrible and it was obviously used to cover up the lack of violent detail being that it was a PG13 and all. 

The characters felt distant and removed, like usual. I definitely will attribute this to Jennifer Lawrence's horrible acting. I've noticed that she has two modes. Either straight faced and empty or crying in hysterics. It's pretty easy to see why they made her character in the film someone who was distant and introverted. It's almost like she didn't even need to actually act at all...

EDIT: J-Law is legitimately a boring person in real life. Ha.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv2xfgOL2Uk

Philip Semore Hoffman makes an appearance as the new "game master" or whatever and wasted completely wasted, but you could tell he was given little to work with. Donald Sutherland is definitely my favorite. I don't know if it's just the beard or the fact that he can actually act. Hmmm... Acting.

The film left of in typical fashion on a bit of a cliffhanger, but was a natural bookend that way they ensure to draw out the series as long as possible to bring in the cheddar. 

Another positive note is that 140 minutes went pretty quickly I thought. There was only a scene or two where you realized that you had been sitting in one spot for over two hours. And I guess that's a positive. 

Rating: 7/10
RT: 89%

Assault on Wall Street [2013]

In fear of going completely mad I've decided to use this as an outlet to attempt some writing no matter how minimalistic or substancial. I'm doing this for me... I need to keep telling myself that.

I had the displeasure of watching this thing right after Thanksgiving. I don't want to waste too much time on it but it was laughable. Everything about this movie was embarrassing; from the acting, to the supporting cast, to the horrible hit-you-over-the-head-obvious shot progression prior to the third act, to the story. Yes, the story itself was a joke. So standard and lackluster. 

The ending was horribly reminiscent of the Fight Club scene where Jack minipulates his boss into "letting him work from home". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhtrmebhqfw 

The only redeeming part of this film was the joke about how grenades are fun. It happened about halfway through and was delivered by a guy that literally had 30 seconds of screen time.

Don't see this film.

Rating: 2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 25%

TOP FILMS SEEN IN 2011

Figured I would start to use this outlet again. Even if I'm the only one that ever uses it. And I kind of wanted to capture why I liked these 10 films so much. 2011 was kind of a drag in regards to quality films. I managed to squeeze out like 5 films during December that actually made my top list so I guess if it wasn't for December the year would be a total wash... In no particular order:

We Need To Talk About Kevin [2011]
Watched this lil' beauty off of an award press screening site and I enjoyed the whole experience. Just from watching the trailer you get the vibe of the film. I love the pacing and arrangement of this film. The first act feels like a dream where you remember elements but not how they fit into the overall picture. It's surreal, confusing, and downright violating. So good. Cate Blanchett is a gem, like usual. Popping off the screen as the star should. The son who's name I don't know is excellent as well. Even the young version of him is a haunting vision. As a soon-to-be-father this film scares the jewjews out of you. It reminds me of the chaos element that no matter how much we try to correct it our efforts are worthless and at the end of the day we're left helpless and destroyed.

Drive [2011]
Everyday I restrain myself from watching this again online. The DVD release is the week of my birthday and yes, I'm going to treat myself to watching it the second time in blu-ray's beautifulness. The parallels between this film and Taxi Driver [1976??] are staggering, which is probably way I love it so. Ryan Gosling is perfectly restrained and Leon-the-professional crazy when he needs to be. I loved the pacing and soundtrack of this film the most. The College's tune "A Real Hero" is a haunting tune that carries the pace of the film and story perfectly. I'm not a huge 80's fan, but it definitely adds to the film (title sequence in particular is 80's inspired). My favorite scene is when Ryan, the girl, and her son are out by the creek. Amazing. It's a visual spectacle and there are also payoffs for those that NEED that action/violence for resolution. It was just an added bonus for me, but I could've done without them and fine too.

Hesher [2010]
Joseph Gordon-Lovitt (sp?) is by far one of my favorite actors of 2011. With Hesher and 50/50 easily climbing into my top 10. I love how versatile he is. Hesher is just a fun ride. It follows a character I feel a lot of guys can relate to. The character is answered perfectly by this question: what would you do with your life if you just stopped caring and wanted to enjoy each day? Maybe that's not exactly the right question but I'm not going to squabble over it. The secondary characters add a lot too. The young boy, Rainn Wilson and that girl, whose name I always forget...

50/50 {2011]
Anything with Seth Rogan in it I automatically stereotype and place in the "watch one day, but don't care about" tray in my mind. But alas, my preconceived notions have been shattered. Sure Seth Rogan is the comic relief in this film but I feel like he also adds so much to the drama and sincerity of the film when it really kicks into gear. This film manages to take an extremely difficult subject and give it a light-hearted spin. Sure, there are moments of utter seriousness and that's why I like it so much. Ying and yang baby.

Martyrs [2008]
Ugh... this film. I need to revisit it because I remember wondering at about the 50 minute mark when something was going to happen and I think my attention was not where it should've have been. Definitely one of the downfalls of watching films at work on a 12 inch screen. This film rocked my world. The final act leaves you questioning your own life, which is a good thing. The sadist in me loves the whole dependency relational aspect of involved in prisoner/captive. I'm reminded of the Biblical story of the rich man who is in hell who longs for one drop of water to relieve the torment he's in. If you think about it, that's a beautiful thing in a twisted way, and I feel that relates to this film. The third act that is. There's a sick salvation in the end of suffering this film offers. Tread lightly if you dare enter.

Machete [2010]
Danny Trejo, danny trejo, danny trejo... Need I say more? This film is a grindhouse/exploitation/blackplotation/etc 's wet dream. I enjoyed it a ton. Not as much as I thought I would, but it's still on this list. I kick myself for not seeing it in a theater with the crowd going crazy. That would've made the experience much more memorable I believe.

Night and Fog [1955]
A documentary that captures the aftermath of the holocaust camps several years after the war concludes. Next to The Cove and Man On Wire it's one of the most visually haunting documentaries I have ever seen. It's surreal to see exactly where it all happened. Probably not as devastating as Earthlings, but I'm not ready for that doc yet. Just the trailer does the job for now.

Limitless [2011]
Again, another film in which the first act is by far superior from the rest of the film. It's smart and witty and shot well etc etc. The first act is really all you need from this film. the following acts are sloppy in my opinion and have a downward momentum build, but I still enjoyed the ride. Repeat viewing wasn't as good as the initial.

The Machinist [2004]
Probably my favorite piece of work by Christian Bale since American Psycho. And yes, Batman Begins is BETTER than The Dark Knight. This film is a bad dream. One that takes place in a desolated part of town, late at night, that never ends. It reminds me of Fight Club in some aspects, but I found myself mesmerized by it and I can't say I'm excited to revisit it, but I need to. I just have to be in the proper depressed state of mind I guess.

The Town [2010]
Finally saw this after about a year after it's release and I enjoyed it. It honestly was a bubble film for me for this list. I enjoyed the tight writing and well-injected action/drama. I feel like they were trying a little bit too hard though to recapture some of the long gone Heat inspired magic. The Bostonian vibe was fine, even though Ben Affleck's accent made me want to smash my face in with a hockey stick. I do remember enjoying the comradery element to this film.

Heartbreak Ridge

I grew up like most boys drooling over the Dirty Harry films. Clint Eastwood is the ultimate tough guy and man's man. I cannot believe that I have never come across this film before. Starring and directed by Clint comes this 1980s wartime film. I really had a good time with this film and couldn't stop watching it when it started moving along. The film was just a good time the whole way through. Clint's raspy and don't-give-a---- attitude permeates through every scene and with every other character he comes in contact with. He welcomes confrontation.

The only minus I found for this film was the length. It could have been an easy 90-120 minute film, but it was almost to the 2.5 hour mark. It did start to become grueling when they actually begin real battle. It seemed like they were pinned down in that little house/fort for forever! It definitely impacted the positive experience I had been having up until that point.

I need to look into more old school Eastwood films because he knows how to tell a story and act the piss out of it.

Rating: 9/10
RT: 85%

Lost In Translation

I've been chasing this films for literally almost a decade now ever since we watched the second act in one of my film classes at UofM. I did enjoy the film, however, I didn't love it. I completely believed the impromptu relationship between Bill Murray's and Scarlett Johnasson's character and thought it was very well crafted, but the film overall didn't make me sizzle. It was an interesting love fish-out-of-water love story set against the beautiful and unmistakable backdrop of Japan.

Sophia Coppola is a director that I do respect and I appreciate the similar mellow vibe she brings to her works, but I'd rather watch THE VIRGIN SUICIDES over this any day. And I think that it's lack of desire to repeat view has a lot to do with why this film was kind of blah for me. It was shot beautifully and written well, but it wasn't what I wanted, it was exactly what I expected, but not what I wanted.

Bill Murray was a definite saving grace. He moved about the film with poise and brilliance extracting just enough dry humor and sarcasm here and there to hold it all together.

Rating: 7.5/10
RT: 94%

The Joneses

David Duchovney (sp) is probably hands down one of my favorite actors. He's right up there with Bill Murray, Viggo Mortenson, and Edward Norton. And I feel the one brilliant thing about this film was his character. He actually arced during the film (imagine that). Demi Moore was a joy to watch as well, but David really had an excellent performance. Another plus for the film is the polished look it carried throughout. I felt like you were whisked away for 2 hours to the land where 300k sports cars just appeared out of the air and noone had to do anything but play golf for f/t employment.

The story is simple and one-layered, but you still have fun with it. Don't expect to leave this film with a newfound view on life and it won't leave you asking questions or making life changes. It's basically a stage for David and Demi to shine on. And watching them glimmer and dance about made it an entertaining romp for me.

Rating: 8.5/10
RT: 61%

Going The Distance

I can thank my wife for making me waste almost 2 hours of my life watching this film. Going in I was hopeful - maybe Justin Long and Drew Barrymore would have some actual chemistry and be entertaining to watch. I was wrong. Their relationship seemed so artificial and pushed that it hurt. They tried to incorporate a lot of bathroom (american pie) type humor, but it really fell flat. Even the sidekick friends off-the-wall one-liners were so trite and forced that you couldn't help but wondered who wrote this piece of garbage.

There is probably two or three times where there are actual moments of humor, but those come few and far between. One that comes to mind was when Justin and Drew came home and started getting into it on the dinner table while her brother-in-law was eating a sandwich there. His remarks carried the scene, no thanks to Justin or Drew though.

Rating:3/10
RT: 53%

127 Hours

Been a while, but I need to start some consistent writing again. A few weeks back I wrote like 10 pages of my screenplay. It's now at 90 pages... 30 pages seems so far off!

127 Hours was phenom. I love the simple premise and how it's actually based on true events. It was adapted from a book and those usually make for good films. The best part of the film is James Franco. He is a literal vision. By far the best performance I've seen in a long time.

People have said that the weakest part of this film is the fact that the story follows one guy who's trapped under a rock for multiple days and that it is boring. Within their negative issues with the film is where my positive feedback is. Allowing the film to slow down and really concentrate and focus on the time that James is pinned to the rock allows us to share the experience with him and start to understand what he went through.

Most likely will make my top list for the year. Check it out.

Rating: 9.75/10
RT: 93%

Knowing

If I knew then, what I know now, I would have never watched KNOWING. I don’t know how Nicolas Cage gets involved in these mediocre “save the world” films that have some elements of “I must solve the puzzle”, but he seems to be the best at it. This film is like a NATIONAL TREASURE meets SIGNS meets some other terrible apocalyptic film. Nicolas Cage did give a good performance, but great actors can only do so much with bland writing and a lifeless story. Throughout the film the audience is confused and it’s not the good type of being confused – it’s the kind where the answered question leave you upset and wondering why you spent the last 2 hours watching this film. The ending was probably one of the most redeeming parts of the film. I DID enjoy the final shot of the children in the new-pseudo Garden of Eden. Other than that, there was some good use of the new F150 during the high adrenaline scenes.

Rating: 3/10
RT: 33%

Son In Law

Found this film at Wal-Mart for $5 bucks and it was an instant decision to snatch it up. Haven’t seen it in forever, but there are still lines that we use from it time and again. And it still holds up. The film is the classic fish-out-of-water story and here we see it both ways. First the country girl goes off to college in California and transforms, and then the LA guy heads out to the farm and has his own transformation. Throw in family squabbling, combining, and a botched date-rape stage and you have a pretty interesting flick.

Son In Law Trailer

This is the first film in which a lot of people discovered Pauly Shore. Before this, there weren’t too much mainstream hits attached to his name. Some people really can’t handle him though. And I can see that. He could definitely be an annoying kind of a guy for most. But I really enjoy watching his stupid antics – IN THE ARMY NOW, BIO-DOME, and JURY DUTY – all films that bring a strange smile over my face.

SON IN LAW is a film for certain type of people. If you’re a DUMB AND DUMBER fan and can handle Pauly Shore, check out SIL. It’s an interesting ride.

Rating: 8.5/10

RT: 24%

Sorority Row

With every bone in my body I tried to like this film. It’s like I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER mixed with all the other crappy teeny girl psycho killer movies that have been released in the past several years. We’ve honestly been bombarded with these pieces of trash in the 2000s. There were moments throughout this film where it seemed different. Even from the beginning shots you could tell that it didn’t take itself too seriously, which is good. And Carrie Fischer was even in the film, so it had promise. And there was some legit build up towards some decent kills. But overall it let me down.

Sorority Row Trailer

Honestly everyone knows what happens in this film, and to be honest, I really liked the premise behind how the girl was accidentally killed out in the desert. Then the problems started. There were the stereotypical sudden surprises that transferred the tension filled moments, which I hate. Such a terrible tactic. Then the kills became corny and the cat-n-mouse games weren’t fascinating… It just turned into a train wreck for me pretty quickly. They also seemed to have a lot of kills through the mouth. I wonder if that was purposeful or just laziness. Hmmm…

The ending was stupid and trite. You could’ve seen it coming from a mile away and when it happened you really didn’t care. There were two funny moments in the film though. The first was where the girl was making out with the freshman and he told her she tasted like puke. She said it’s ok, I just put a mint in so you’re fine. Hilarious. But, the best part of the film was how the killer tried to convince his girlfriend to get onboard with the killings. He said something to the effect of: “Now let’s go kill Ellie. You’re always saying we need to do more stuff together.” Classic. That alone earned an extra couples points.

Rating: 4/10

RT: 23%

Ghostbusters 2

Sequels are supposed to be worse than the originals. It’s like an unwritten rule. Is GHOSTBUSTERS 2 better than GHOSTBUSTERS? Is this rule actually broken here?... Well, no. The original is still better, but the sequel is actually a really good film too. An evil spirit lord from the 15th century has descended upon New York City and it is up to the Ghostbusters to save the day again. That’s the basic jist of the story.

Ghostbusters 2 Trailer

I love how this film starts out. We see the once-loved Ghostbusters working kids birthdays to make some extra scratch. All the original cast is back, which is awesome. And sure enough when Sigourney Weaver starts to attract the ghoulies in again the Ghostbusters come back into her life. In this film there is even another rehashed relationship between Bill Murray and Sigourney. And boy do I love Bill Murray in this role. It’s like CADDYSHACK meets GROUNDHOG DAY meets everything I love about Bill’s demeanor in his films.

The story line is sufficient, but the best parts of this film are the comedic elements that each Ghostbuster brings. There are countless lines from this film that you’ll repeat forever. My favorite parts are the underground railroad scene, the Vigo photo shoot, and the nighttime construction scenes where Bill fends off the cops.

Rating: 9.25/10
RT: 53%

Harold And Maude

Here is another film that I’ve been chasing for years. And I guess it was for good reason too, since it is a rather peculiar little film. HAROLD AND MAUDE follows a young boy who doesn’t seem to fit in in the normal world. He spends his time setting up fake suicides and purposely fully trying to make his mother find him in these great situations. His mother also tries to set Harold up on these dates with random girls from the city and Harold’s whole goal is to disturb them and drive them off as fast as possible. Then Harold meets Maude, who is an elderly lady that shares his same kind of off-normal flare for life – a match made in heaven.

Harold And Maude Trailer

The opening shot in this film sets the entire tone. At first you’re so confused and blown away, and then it takes an extreme turn when the mother walks in. So excellently set up. The film is the standard love knows no bounds / boundaries and conquers all. The scene where the pastor is trying to convince Harold that he cannot have relations with that “elderly” lady is really fun to watch. The Cat Stevens musical score throughout is also a very nice touch. It creates this surreal and very whimsical tone for the film. Although all I could do was think about those stupid car commercials that used that song – “if you want to sing out, sing out. If you want to be free, be free…” You know the one.

The ending again was another moment where at least for me the audience was in complete surprise and disbelief. They got me again. I guess that’s the perfect way to end the film… the exact way it began.

Rating: 7.5/10

RT: 84%

Whip It

Oh, coming-of-age stories, how I love thee so. This is exactly what this is. Ellen Page plays a nerdy-ish high school girl who just didn’t fit in. Then one day, she saw 3 roller girls float into a clothing store and it changed her forever. She then tried out and actually was the fastest of the group of newbies. Long story short, she made the team and is thrown into this brand new world of feminine angst and over aggression.

Whip It trailer

The girls coach is definitely a trip. He reminds me of Shawn William Scott in BALLS OUT, which I actually enjoyed. He plays a burned out tennis pro turned high school instructor. The dad is played by Daniel Stern and anything Daniel does is gold. BUSHWHACKED and VERY BAD THINGS being two of my favorites. Haha. Jimmy Fallon plays the center ring announcer and he actually adds a lot to the film. If only his late night show was as funny and interesting as his 2 on screen minutes throughout the film. Zing!

So the film has some genuinely funny moments and it reminded me kind of like an AMERICAN PIE meets BOTTLE ROCKET with a AFTER SUNSET/BEFORE SUNRISE/BENNY AND JOON romantic subplot thrown in – that probably didn’t make much sense now that I think about it, but I’ll leave it in there.

Throughout the film there are some great one liners that I really enjoyed. I tried to capture a few of them: “Let’s celebrate mediocrity! Yeah, that’s fantastic.” “My belly hurts. There’s a storm in there.” “Here’s twenty dollars. You know how little money I have. Please just run the play.” I also really enjoy the scene where Ellen knocks the snobby girl over the railing. I actually re-watched that like three times. The pool scene was fun to watch and creative, and I even liked how they setup the food fight sequence. And they used RADIOHEAD’S – NO SURPRISES?!?! Amazing.\

My wife was right, I really enjoyed this film from start to finish. It stayed fresh throughout and kept my attention through each act. And if you think about it it’s pretty amazing that a film can concentrate on a sport like roller derby for close to an hour and still make it interesting all the way throughout. And I actually learned how the sport works now. Lol

Rating: 9/10
RT: 84%

High Fidelity

I’ve been chasing this movie for a long time. It’s one of those flicks that I’ve had out of the library like 3 times and just never got around to watching it. On a rainy Saturday afternoon I threw it in and kicked back. It follows John Cusack as he lives out his days running a record store, digesting music, and dealing with the remnants of his broken relationships. That’s the basic premise of the film. We basically are posed with the question – is John Cusack able to be saved within his relational walks throughout life? Is there some redemptive quality to all his toil?

High Fidelity Trailer

John Cusack is honestly one of my favorite actors of all time. GROSSE POINTE BLANK, SAY ANTHING, BEING JOHN MALCHOICH (fav), even CON-AIR, 1408, and IDENTITY – he helped save those films too. And he’s in true form in this role. He’s the constant voiced over narrator throughout the film and like I always mention, that is my favorite element within films when it works right. And it definitely worked right here.

Jack Black and the other worker in the record store keep the film moving along as well. The only quam I have is the never ceasing cutbacks to his former relationships. I do like how they incorporated that into the film, but some of the flashbacks are a little lengthy.

Overall, I enjoyed the film, but I didn’t love it. I really like the witty music appreciation banter throughout the film. That alone brought a smile to my face, because I too feel snobbish when talking music with other people. Not because my taste is better, but I think I have a higher standard for the musicianship within it.

Rating: 8.5/10

RT: 92%