Be Back Soon...

Sorry about my inactivity recently. I've been keeping up with getting out to see movies, just not with writing the reviews.

I've recently been cast as Valmont in a production of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" and have an insane number of lines to memorize for the part. I've felt compelled to dedicate most of my free time to that.

Once I have my memorization well in hand, I'll get back to writing my reviews, probably putting several shorter ones together at first to get back on track.

I'll be back as soon as I can!

-Erik

Review: A Walk Among The Tombstones

176. A Walk Among The Tombstones
Although his role here is not substantially different from his other recent performances, Liam Neeson proves ones again that he has the grounded authority and gravitas needed to elevate just about any film. "A Walk Among The Tombstones" is hardly a masterpiece. It lies somewhere between average and good, with Neeson keeping it from falling into the former category.

Neeson plays a private detective, formerly a police officer, and with the type of tragic backstory that seems to go hand in hand with cinematic law enforcement. He is hired to track down the criminals who kidnapped and collected ransom for the wife of a drug trafficker (Dan Stevens, about as far from his "Downton Abbey" role as he could get), but killed her anyway. The story from this point on is fairly straightforward. It's almost more of an atmospheric piece as Neeson slogs through a world whose horrors no longer seem able to surprise him. This isn't the most interesting character he's ever played, but there's enough for him to work with, and Neeson is always worth watching as an actor. His sometimes wry, sometimes aggressive (and sometimes both) sense of humor does provide a few laughs.

I was particularly impressed by two things this movie got right that many films get wrong. The first is that it allows Neeson's character to be an alcoholic without suffering a relapse during the film. Most times a film makes reference to a character's alcoholism early on, you know this will come into play later when they'll throw years of sobriety out the window at whatever point it would most heighten the drama to do so. Neeson doesn't do that. His character's alcoholism and attendance at AA meetings is an important layer of his character, not a cheap plot device (the next film I'll be reviewing fell into the usual trap, and is what made me take notice of how well this film had handled it). The second thing "A Walk Among the Tombstones" got right, against all odds, is that it managed to include a kid sidekick who wasn't incredibly annoying. Instead, he had a believable relationship with Neeson, and helped add even more layers (as well as some likeability) to the main character. Usually kids who follow around the lead character, insistent on helping out, are meant to be "charmingly precocious" but end up being the worst, most irritating part of the film. It's done right so rarely that this film's success is a true accomplishment.

The film doesn't have the most interesting storyline you'll ever see, a side effect of trying to maintain a tone of grounded realism instead of opting for shocking plot twists and revelations. But if you're going to see a movie that focuses more on a character in a drab world than it does on surprises, you could do a lot worse than have that character be played by Liam Neeson. The man has the ability to command the camera's attention no matter what he's doing. That no longer needs to be proven, but he keeps proving it just the same.

B

Review: The Pirates

175. The Pirates
The third South Korean period film I'd seen in just over two weeks, "The Pirates" was a lot like the typical action-adventure release, trying to mix a little drama with heavy doses of comedy and a lot of action, some of it reveling in its over the top nature. It mostly succeeds, providing an entertaining time in spite of a slightly bloated length, and managing to fit a few memorable moments into its fun but mostly forgettable story.

I'm not going to try too hard to explain the film's plot, as it's actually quite complex, with a large cast of characters whose allegiances to one another shift with some regularity. To sum it up: when a royal seal (a stamp, not the pet of a king) is lost at sea, swallowed by a whale, several groups set out to hunt the whale and retrieve the seal. Of greatest prominence are a group of pirates (duh) and a group of bandits.

There are some decent action sequences thrown into the film. The most interesting is a chase sequence that really called to mind typical American action-adventure fare. It embraced its own silly nature. A path of destruction and explosions were left in the wake of the chase. One character caught up to the others by sliding along in a water chute as it fell apart just behind her. It was a fun scene. Another scene, featuring the bandits trying to steal a ship from the docks (while setting fire to the other ships to avoid pursuit) was also a standout. The remaining action bits, mostly consisting of naval combat, were well done, but paled in comparison to the action in both "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" and "Kundo: Age of the Rampant".

Some of the film's best moments came courtesy of the character Chul-Bong (Yu Hae-Jin). He's the comic relief character, starting out as part of the pirate crew, but soon leaving and joining up with the bandits. He's a buffoon, always making a mess of the situation, whether it's an attempted raid on a convoy, or just his own misguided efforts to talk himself up. He gets to show off a bit of smarts, however, once the bandits decide to go out to sea. Some of the funniest scenes are of him trying to explain to the other bandits how big a whale really is when they set out in little more than a rowboat. His words of knowledge go unheard over the din of the others' excitement when they spot a shark and are certain it's the whale they seek. When they finally do see a whale, poor Chul-Bong is attacked for not trying hard enough to warn them about its size.

Overall, "The Pirates" has little new to offer. Without the comedic moments, it probably would have fallen flat, but they managed to keep things entertaining. It's a fun movie, probably made a little better to me than it deserves to be because of the foreign flavor.

B-

Review: The Drop

174. The Drop
While it doesn't ever come close to the operatic heights of crime classics like "The Godfather" (not that it tries to), "The Drop" is a solid film, elevated by good performances, that lacks the indefinable spark needed to be "great".

Tom Hardy is onscreen for almost the entire film (it does cut away to other characters a few times, unlike his one man performance in "Locke" earlier this year), and carries it well, establishing a sympathetic character in an unsympathetic world. As the film goes on, it becomes less clear whether his simpleminded bartender, Bob, is truly as simpleminded as he appears, or if it's merely an affectation. My money is on a little bit of both. I think he's content to live an uncomplicated, plain life, but is also far more capable than he's given credit for when the equilibrium of that life is threatened. A character near the end states almost the same thing, and I agreed with the assessment. It's a good performance that anchors the film and gives the audience a character to invest in.

The film has garnered a good deal of attention for being James Gandolfini's last performance. He is also good in a supporting role as "Cousin" Marv, the former owner and still manager of the bar that bears his name. He is still resentful after being forced to give up ownership by the Chechen mob almost ten years earlier. The character is a nice contrast to Bob. He's willing to do bad things to get what he wants, while Bob is also willing to do bad things, but usually only to protect what he already has.

I haven't said much about the plot so far, and I won't. While it does progress at a nice pace, I got the sense that Bob's reactions to what was happening was always meant to be more important than the events themselves. Character study pieces like this can easily fall flat. The character has to be interesting enough to be worth following, and it also helps if there is a decent plot, even if it's not the main focus. Fortunately, this film meets both of these criteria.

I'm not going to go back to my opening paragraph and change my comment saying that the film falls short of being "great". It may well just miss out, but I'll admit to being more conflicted than when I started the review. Thinking and writing about certain aspects of the film have given me a greater appreciation for it. I'll leave everything as it is, but it's quite possible that the B+ I'm giving the film now could become an A- after a second viewing.

B+

September 19 Weekly Preview

This will be another big week at the movies, with six new releases. That won't leave any time for foreign films this week, especially as I'm starting rehearsals for a new show on Monday.

A Walk Among the Tombstones- I actually caught a Thursday night screening of this, so I can't "predict" my reaction. The review should be along in a few days.

The Maze Runner- Yet another Young Adult novel adapted for the big screen with franchise aspirations. I've heard some iffy things about it, so my expectations aren't that high.

This Is Where I Leave You- It looked okay in previews, but I have yet to see any enthusiastic reviews. I might still like it though, as I go against the critical consensus with some regularity.

Tusk- I only saw the trailer for this recently. It seems like a gross-out horror movie, but has been getting some good notices. And it stars Esteban Vihaio, so that's a plus.

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them- This is a unique circumstance. Next month, two more movies will come out in this "series" with the subtitles "Him" and "Her". They will tell the story of a dissolving marriage from each point of view. This film (apparently put together at the studio's insistence) features parts of both films edited together. An interesting cinematic experiment, and one I hope pans out. I also hope the other two films are released in local theatres so I can see them as well.

My Old Lady- A European comedy. I've only seen the trailer once, and it didn't make a huge impression, but it could be a pleasant enough film.

Review: No Good Deed

173. No Good Deed
While the actual payoff moments are generic facsimiles from previous home invasion thrillers, "No Good Deed" is overall a solid effort, thanks in large part to the amount of time the filmmakers were willing to spend in the setup phase, gradually increasing the tension.

Idris Elba turns in a strong performance (probably better than the film deserves) as Colin Evans, a man imprisoned for manslaughter (but also suspected of several murders) who escapes from a prison transport early in the film. When his vehicle crashes, he finds his way to a nearby home. A woman and her two children are the only ones home as her husband is away on a trip. The film's trailers would have you believe that Colin quickly breaks into the house, immediately revealing himself as dangerous. Instead, they do something more clever and interesting. After claiming to be waiting for a tow truck, the woman invites him into the home, and a lengthy chunk of the film is devoted to seemingly benign conversation between the two (and, eventually, a friend who has come over for a "girls' night"). All the tension comes from the audience's knowledge of the danger Colin poses and the other characters' lack of that knowledge. Elba comes across as very charming in these scenes, injecting just the right amount of subtle menace into his performance to make it work. We know that events are about to spiral out of control, but the extended wait for that to happen was fun. It's like watching a game of cat and mouse that the mouse doesn't even know is being played.

Unfortunately, once the tension does finally break, the film has nothing new to offer. Most of your standard home invasion tropes are quickly put on display. They're done well, but it's still old hat. If you've seen one scene where the hero hits the bad guy over the head, then runs away to hide, allowing the villain to get back up and pursue without showing any ill effects from the concussion they should have received, you've seen them all. You know it's going to eventually end with a final physical confrontation where, after surviving a multitude of fatal wounds, the villain will finally die after being shot, stabbed, thrown out a window, or maybe all three. Again, these moments weren't done poorly, but the film did feel as if it was on autopilot compared to the more intricately crafted first half. There was one clever plot twist near the end that helped make things interesting again, but the physical action was unable to work up anything fresh to match it.

While the moments that were supposed to be the most exciting fell short, the time taken to draw out tension during the setup, along with Elba's performance help this film to stand out in its genre, if only just a little.

B

Review: Love is Strange

172. Love is Strange
While my last review, for "Dolphin Tale 2" was about my dislike for a film that I went into expecting to dislike, I walked into "Love is Strange" with the opposite expectation. It had a good cast lined up and a premise that seemed well suited to the "dramedy" genre. In the end, however, my reaction to the two films was largely the same. Despite some good performances, "Love is Strange" doesn't have much of anything to offer.

The film features John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as a gay couple, together many years, who finally get married. This results in Molina's character losing his job at a Catholic school, meaning that they can no longer afford to stay in their apartment. Until they can find a new place to stay, they're forced to live separately, Molina with some friends, and Lithgow with his nephew's family. While this is a decent setup for a film, it comes with one major drawback. It shows you two leading actors who have good chemistry together, then proceeds to separate them for most of the movie. Watching Molina grow tired of the endless parties their friends throw, or Lithgow gradually become more of a burden to his nephew's family isn't nearly as interesting as the times the two of them have scenes together. In fact, their moments together serve to highlight how lacking most of the other scenes are.

There didn't seem to be much of a point to the film. Instead of having a plot that advanced progressively, the film seemed content to wallow in depression. There was occasional humor to be found, but it often took a backseat to dramatic subplots that felt pointless. Lots of time was devoted to a storyline about Lithgow's great-nephew and a friend that may or may not be a bad influence on him. Why it was such a big part of the film, I have no idea. The filmmakers didn't seem overly concerned with trying to make a grand political statement, except for one scene where Molina reads via voiceover a letter he's written about the injustice he's suffered. It's a very out of place moment. I have no problem with a film trying to make political points, but if it's going to try, it should commit to it, not randomly throw in a single speech.

I also thought the ending ran on a good ten minutes past the point it should have ended. Clearly it was an attempt at some degree of profundity that, for me, fell flat. While Lithgow and Molina are good actors and deliver good performances, I've never found a good performance capable of making a bad film good. I get the sense that the filmmakers did make the film they wanted to make here. In my mind, it just wasn't a good one.

D

Review: Dolphin Tale 2

171. Dolphin Tale 2
Morgan Freeman's role in "Dolphin Tale 2" is a little, but only a little, more than an extended cameo. I was relieved to see that he must not have wasted too much time making the film. This relief was one of the only things I liked about the movie.

The film is inoffensive enough, and younger kids are bound to enjoy it, but when there have been other, better films that they're bound to enjoy so much more, I have to wonder: what's the point? For most adults (including me), the film is too sickly sweet in a way that relentlessly permeates the whole thing. Rather than limiting itself to telling a story and hoping that the story will inspire emotion in its audience, the film spends the entire runtime telling the audience exactly how they should feel. Practically half the movie was made up of reaction shots that were blatant in their attempts to manipulate the viewers' emotions. If something happened that we were supposed to find cute, you can bet that there will be at least five shots of various characters also finding that thing cute, as if we couldn't figure it out on our own. The same goes for any other emotion the audience is meant to feel. I picked up on this crutch when I saw the film's trailer, and hoped that the actual film would be more subtle, but that was not to be.

Another mistake was making the film's central character a kid who can't act. My complaints from the last paragraph would still be there, but could have been mitigated if I had been able to get invested in the story the film was trying to tell. Nothing can make that harder than putting a kid who can't act in the central role. The role isn't even that demanding. There's not much range required. But, much like the film, the kid's emotions are so forced that I could never forget that I was watching someone trying to act. Not for a second did I believe I was watching an actual character.

Sometimes movies surprise me. I love nothing more than the times I'm expecting to dislike a movie, but it ends up becoming a new favorite. Other times, the films I don't expect much from end up being even worse than I'd feared. This was one of those times.

D

Review: The Identical

170. The Identical
I ended up enjoying this more than I expected, but it is still barely above the level of a television film. Some nice, toe-tapping musical numbers keep things fun, though the plot itself is nothing to write home about.

In the beginning of the film, two identical twins are separated shortly after birth, as their parents are only capable of raising one. The other is adopted by a minister. He grows up resistant to his adoptive father's wishes for him to also enter the ministry, instead developing an interest in music. He is especially interested in the career of a new music superstar who, unbeknownst to him, is his long-lost brother. Their paths nearly cross a few times throughout the years, and the effectiveness of these moments in the film is mixed. In one sense, they work. The actors do their best to sell the subtext of the scenes. Often, however, the moments are very contrived and coincidental. Even when they're pulled off well, it's hard to silence the voice in the back of your head pointing out the unlikelihood of it all. It's all a matter of setup. Some of their near meetings are set up well, and they're the ones that come across the best. The others, however, feel like lazy writing, what you'd expect from a melodramatic television movie.

None of the film's songs are particularly memorable, but most of them do have a nice beat and are entertaining enough in the moment. They elevate the film slightly from what the plot deserves. The contrived writing can go down a little easier when it's accompanied by a tune that's fun to listen to.

The film is inoffensive and pleasant enough to watch, but there's no single factor strong enough to merit a recommendation. It's a good example of a time-waster: good for killing an hour or two, but you're unlikely to remember much about it a week later.

C+

Review: Kundo: Age of the Rampant

169. Kundo: Age of the Rampant
A South-Korean take on the Spaghetti Western genre, "Kudo: Age of the Rampant" often wears its Quentin Tarantino influence on its sleeve, even going so far as to frequently play a musical selection taken from "Django Unchained". While an imitation can't reach the heights of the real deal, the film still manages to be a highly entertaining, years-spanning revenge film that features several complex characters.

At first, the film seems to be about a group of bandits fighting the unjust rich and ruling class on behalf of the less fortunate. They're basically a more violent version of Robin Hood. They don't just steal from the rich--they often kill them, too. After an introductory sequence, however, the group retreats to the film's periphery for a while, as we move onto Act II (the film is divided into five acts). Now we're introduced to Dolmuchi, a butcher (helpful onscreen text informs American audiences that it South Korean society at this time, a butcher was regarded as little better than a slave). Dolmuchi makes a deal with Jo Yoon, illegitimate son of a wealthy noble. When Dolmuchi fails to follow through on his end of the deal, his mother and sister are killed, and he is left for dead, but rescued by the bandits, who he joins. For the next several years, he goes along with their attempt to fight the rich, but never forgets about his own need for vengeance against Jo Yoon.

There are many tangents the film allows itself to go on. While they may at times be too indulgent and contribute to a runtime that's a little too high, they mostly work. A whole sequence is devoted to Jo Yoon's childhood, showing the struggles he endured as an illegitimate child, especially once a legitimate son was born. While he is clearly the villain and does despicable things, the audience does feel some degree of sympathy and understanding for him. In some places it can almost be difficult not to root for the guy--he gets ambushed at one point, but manages to fight off dozens of attackers on his own. In the end, he is only defeated because of an act of kindness. In the same way, Dolmuchi is a great character. He has a big arc, changing both internally and in his appearance as he goes from despised butcher to respected member in the bandits' hierarchy.

The film is peppered with great martial arts sequences that, while often extreme, are also grounded. There's no excessive, physics defying wire work to be found here. That these sequences are often accompanied by Spaghetti Western style guitar music sets them apart even further.

The story takes several twists in the last hour, and I am loathe to say much more so as not to give anything away. The film deserves to be experienced. It's a sweeping revenge epic with some memorable characters that mixes several different styles together to create one that is all its own.

A-

Review: Mary Kom

168. Mary Kom
Now this is how you do a biopic. I'm sure it helps that the subject, Indian boxer Mary Kom, is only 31 years old now (and the film ends when she's around 25 or so), giving the filmmakers much less ground to cover. Regardless, it is very concentrated in its presentation, delivering a story that would have been captivating even if it was entirely fictional.

The film benefits immeasurably from the decision not to tell the story of Mary Kom's life, but a story of her life. There is one, very brief scene of her as a young girl, but the film doesn't waste any time with the extended childhood flashbacks that a lot of biopics include (you know the kind I mean--where they try to draw some Freudian link between a childhood event and the present). It maintains a clear focus on Mary's desire to learn to box, her successful rise in the sport, and her struggle to return to the sport after marrying and having children. No matter how successful she becomes, the film always manages to come up with a new situation or complication to make her the underdog once again. By not allowing its lead character to become complacent, the film saves itself from the same fate. It is always moving forward.

Many biopics go overboard trying to answer the cerebral question of "who" their subject really is. "Mary Kom" explores the title character's psyche, but does so in an organic way, demonstrating her personality through her actions. Her strong will is personified when she goes against her father who forbids her to box, and again later when she defies her coach who believes she is destroying her career by becoming a wife and mother. Her efforts to prove him wrong, the focus of the film's second half, provide a fun role reversal as, contrary to your typical film, her husband becomes the one taking care of the children and providing her with encouragement while she focuses on personal goals. I've read some places claiming that the film is sexist and attempting to emasculate Mary by focusing so much on her motherhood, but I strongly disagree. Watching her struggle and succeed to balance both the maternal and professional aspects of her life makes her a well rounded and, in my opinion, stronger character.

You can't write about a boxing film without including something about the quality of the fights and training sequences. The film succeeds on both counts. The boxing matches are well staged and exciting, even when you usually know what's probably going to happen. The final fight crosses a little too far into melodrama territory, as it's intercut with scenes of one of Mary's sons near death, being operated on. The moment when his vitals pick up again, followed by her sudden ability to turn the tide in the match (a psychic link perhaps?) was worthy of an eye roll or two. The final training sequence preceding the fight is top-notch as well. It's in an outdoors, wilderness setting, and would fit in well in any "Rocky" movie.

I'm sure the film made some deviations from the true story on which it is based, but I don't really care. All that matters is that it works as a movie. Very little feels out of place, so any moments, characters, or incidents invented to enhance the drama seem to have done the job seamlessly. I've enjoyed many of the foreign films I've seen this year, but it's rare for one to almost make me forget I'm watching a foreign film.

A-

Review: Cantinflas

167. Cantinflas
This was another biopic that falls into most of the usual traps. It's more concerned with hitting all the big moments of its subject's life, and rarely lets us truly get inside their head. "Cantinflas" further highlights this problem by featuring a separate storyline that is actually more interesting than what the bulk of the film has to offer.

Most of the film concerns itself with the career rise of Mario Moreno (professionally billed as Cantinflas) as he goes from working in tent shows, to becoming a comedian who plays to large theatrical houses, to becoming the biggest star in the Mexican film industry. Intercut with this is a storyline where producer Michael Todd, preparing to make the film "Around the World in 80 Days" seeks to put together an all star cast filled with cameos from international celebrities. His list includes Cantinflas, which is how the storylines eventually intersect.

While Cantinflas' storyline takes place over years, Todd's lasts about a week. This makes Todd's story infinitely more involving and relatable. Each time we cut back to Cantinflas, something has changed. Often, he's moved onto the next rung of his career ladder. Eventually his marriage is in trouble, hampered by his occupational obligations. The problem is that we rarely see the progression in any of this. There is no slow onset of marital stress. We just return to his storyline and the focus is suddenly on the state of his marriage. You can almost feel the screenwriter checking off each "life event" he feels obligated to include in the film, using the interludes provided by the Michael Todd sequences as an excuse to jump right to the next event when returning to Cantinflas' storyline. Each time we return to Todd's story, however, he is in the same state we left him in, trying desperately to put together the cast for his movie. This gives his storyline a strong sense of continuity, and its easy to get behind this character as he is consistently attempting to accomplish a clear, singular goal. Are his sequences brilliant? By no means. But they do tell a clear story while calling attention to the fact that the rest of the film does not.

In general, I'm just not a big fan of the biopic genre, as they're very hard to do well. When a film actually manages to pull it off, it can be a fantastic achievement. "Cantinflas", while sometimes entertaining, doesn't pull it off.

C+

September 12 Weekly Preview

There is no way I'm going to make it to all the movies coming out this week. Including several foreign films, there are nine different movies making their debuts in local theatres. While I'm sure to make it to a few of them, the wider release films I'm certain to see are:

The Drop- I've seen the trailer for this several times, but fortunately it doesn't seem to give away tons of information about the plot's direction. It's a crime themed film and, if I had to guess, more of the brooding variety than a full out thriller.

Dolphin Tale 2- I haven't seen the original and my expectations for this are not high. I just really wish Morgan Freeman was stretching himself with more interesting projects instead of picking up the easy paychecks for stuff like this. I say this from a place of love. He has incredible range. He just needs to show it off more.

No Good Deed- Seems to be your typical home invasion thriller. Could go either way.

Love is Strange- About a gay couple played by John Lithgow and Alfred Molina. Not sure if it's a comedy, a drama, or a dramedy. After his turn in the fourth season of "Dexter", I'll watch Lithgow in anything.

Review: The Trip to Italy

166. The Trip to Italy
While I got a few laughs and genuinely enjoyed significant chunks of "The Trip to Italy", I don't feel like I can give it a good rating. Many of the film's troubles stem from the method of its construction. It is edited from a six episode season of a television series, which totaled about 180 minutes. For the film, this was cut down to 108. It's also the sequel to a 2010 film titled simply "The Trip", which was similarly edited from the show's first season. While I can't speak to the quality of that film (I wasn't aware it even existed until after I'd seen this one), this sequel is not well served by the television to film transposition.

The film gets incredibly repetitious very quickly. It follows a road trip through Italy with Steve Coogan (who I'm familiar with) and Rob Brydon (who I'm not) playing fictional versions of themselves as they dine at different restaurants and see the sights. Much of the film was apparently improvised by the two actors as they sit down to eat and riff on popular culture, liberally seasoning the conversation with imitations of the likes of Michael Caine, Roger Moore, and others. Their chemistry is great, and some of these moments are really funny. But then they go to another location and repeat the process. Over and over again. This was almost certainly more palatable when presented as an episodic television show. Getting a half hour weekly dose of improvised comedy in a new, beautiful location each week might have been fun. When presented as a film, however, it becomes a repetitious slog that I was ready to see end by around the halfway point. There were still jokes to be made, and I still sometimes laughed at them, but the film felt incredibly stagnant.

The attempts made to provide the film with a progressive through line were also weak. Coogan had an arc about trying to connect with his son, while Brydon got storylines where he cheated on his wife and auditioned for an American film. These were transparent attempts to inject some "plot" into the film, and they didn't really work. There also didn't seem to be a good reason for why the actors were playing versions of themselves. If you're going to do something like that, it should really add something to the film. In this case, they might as well have been purely fictional characters and the impact would have been the same.

The two lead actors are great talents, but this episodic mish mash can barely even be called a movie, its television roots are so glaringly present. Their comedy chops are the only reason for the "plus" I'm putting on my rating.

D+

Review: Innocence

165. Innocence
"Innocence" mires itself so deeply in a drab and murky atmosphere that it is very difficult to identify where many of its shortcomings come from and who is responsible for them.

I did like that the film made a serious attempt at creating atmosphere. It took the slow-burn approach to horror, which I appreciated. The film is about a girl, Beckett (Sophie Curtis), who moves into New York City with her father and starts attending a new school, all following the accidental death of her mother. Things at the school turn out to be more ominous than they at first appear. For at least the first half of the movie (probably more), the plot advanced at a lackadaisical pace, setting the mood through somber musical cues, a perpetually washed out picture, and the occasional attempt at a "jump" scare.

The problem is that when it does come time for the plot to pick up, the filmmakers remain so committed to maintaining that atmosphere that it holds everything else back. To be fair, the plot isn't anything great to begin with. It's clear where it's going from early on, and there are very few deviations from this path. The film's adherence to keeping up this dark, brooding atmosphere is so great, in fact, that I'm unable to decide if many of its problems are in fact issues in their own right, or misguided attempts to reinforce the mood. The biggest of these problems is Curtis' lead performance. She mumbles her way through the film (though admittedly remaining audible at all times), her eyes often downcast and her shoulders frequently slumped. It reads as an understated "dramatic" performance and actually works well for the first chunk of the movie. When the situation becomes more desperate, however, her energy level does not increase to match. Her line deliveries are still those of a mildly depressed teenager, and her face never truly emotes. I have no idea if this is her fault, or if the director is responsible for directing her to give a somber performance to match the film's tone. This, and some other more technical decisions result in the film feeling as if it is in a period of stagnation even while its plot is advancing towards a conclusion.

That conclusion isn't anything to write home about, either. As with the bulk of the film, it manages to be unexciting even when dealing with imminent human sacrifice. One plot thread is abruptly dropped, leaving an important character's fate uncertain. The film ends very abruptly once the final "battle" is resolved, taking only time enough to leave us with a final twist that's as clichéd as it is predictable.

"Innocence" didn't do the best job at setting up a strong, ominous tone, but I did like that they made the effort. Sadly, the filmmakers must have felt they'd established a stronger atmosphere than they had, and struggled to maintain it all costs. And those costs were heavy.

C-

Review: Raja Natwarlal

164. Raja Natwarlal
"Raja Natwarlal" seemed to me to be an unofficial Indian remake of "The Sting". The basic plot setups in both films are identical. A small-time con artist and his friend pull off a big (for them) score, but turn out to have unwittingly stolen from a very dangerous man. When the friend is killed in retribution, the small-timer seeks out a big-time con artist with a connection to said friend. After some reluctance, that man agrees to train the small-timer, and they form a team to carry out a big con on the dangerous man to avenge their friends' death. While "Raja Natwarlal" isn't nearly as good a film as "The Sting", it still manages to have a lot of fun with the premise.

Anyone looking for realism in a film like this is going to be disappointed. Most of the fun comes from watching the big con while not fully aware of the entire plan. Each new piece sliding into place evokes a gratifying chuckle at the cleverness of it all. There is, of course, a montage near the film's end that details how everything was pulled off, revealing the moments of misdirection. It's easy to poke holes here if you want to. There are several times where, in retrospect, luck plays a huge role--the villain and others needed to behave in just the right way in order for the plan to proceed.
The goal here, however, isn't to be realistic. It's simply to be entertaining. And when a con film like this is made with such energy, entertainment is usually going to be found.

I usually mention the musical sequences when I review an Indian film. In this case I found them to be especially impressive. It's not that the songs or choreography were necessarily better than those in the others. It was how vibrant and energetic the sequences were. The frame was filled with bright, lively hues, and I can only assume that there was some post production work involved in making the sunglasses frequently worn by the main character impossibly, yet gloriously, reflective. These sequences were a visual treat.

While the film clearly lives in the shadow of "The Sting", it is a fun, energetic film with a good cast. Plotwise, it is probably the most "Western" foreign film I've seen this year.

B

Review: The Admiral: Roaring Currents

163. The Admiral: Roaring Currents
I went into this film with a little trepidation, as the last historically based South Korean film I'd seen, "The Fatal Encounter" had briefly put me to sleep. While the first half of "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" drags at times, it is anchored by a very strong leading performance from Choi Min-sik, and serves as the setup for one of the best naval battle sequences I've ever seen.

The film is set in 1597 and Choi plays Korean Admiral Yi Sun-Shin, who had been falsely accused of being a traitor and only recently cleared and reinstated to his position following torture. He finds himself with only 13 ships at his command, facing an invading Japanese fleet of hundreds. The first half of the film establishes the characters (both on the Korean and Japanese sides) and sets up the dire stakes Korea is facing--Yi has been ordered to disband the navy and join up with the army, but knows that this would give the Japanese an easy route to the Korean capital. He is determined to stand and fight, and must deal with those in whose own ranks who disagree and will go so far as to sabotage his chances.

Choi's performance demonstrates his extensive range as an actor. In both "Oldboy" (where he was fantastic in a great movie) and "Lucy" (where he was the rare bright spot in an otherwise disappointing movie), Choi was frequently given license to chew the scenery. Several scenes required him to be shouting, whether out of terror, anger, or desperation. For much of this film, his face droops and his shoulders slump in a way I'd rarely seen before. He speaks softly, and the weight of command that lays on his character's shoulders is palpable from the first second he appears on screen. For a film much more grounded in reality than either "Oldboy" or "Lucy", this subtle acting approach works wonders. It also makes it far more powerful when, after experiencing a major setback, he does break down. It's an earned moment, sharply contrasting with what had come before.

At times the film reminded me of the Old Hollywood Epics, albeit with more violence. The blaring music that accompanied the first appearance of an especially imposing Japanese regiment would have been right at home when the Roman Legions showed up in "Spartacus". There's also a decent amount of time spent establishing some minor characters, each with their own small story to tell. This is where the film lost a little of its steam. Some of these moments felt shoehorned into the story, and their payoffs during the second half were often the most melodramatic, clichéd moments in the film.

Aside from those few brief moments, however, the second half of the film is absolutely fantastic. It features a very lengthy (but never dull) naval battle between Admiral Yi's 13 ships, and the Japanese Armada, where Yi is forced to pull out every trick he knows in a desperate gambit to turn the invading fleet back. One of those tricks involves not even using 12 of his ships for a significant chunk of the battle, so for a long while, it's actually a battle between one ship and the entire Japanese force. The tide of the battle shifts back and forth several times. Each time, defeat and death for Yi are imminent, but he tries one more risky, yet clever ploy to buy himself some more time. At one point, his ship is being boarded on three sides, but he still manages to repel the boarders (using a daring tactic I won't reveal here) and prepare to face the next wave of attackers.

Even though many of the ships and effects in the battle are computer generated, the film still remains firmly grounded in reality. That's part of what keeps things so exciting. If it had gone too over the top, it would have been easy to mentally check out and just enjoy the eye candy the battle had to offer. Instead, the film keeps you invested in Admiral Yi's desperate struggle that he has been fighting through for the entire film. Choi's performance kept this struggle interesting in the first half, and once his "fight" becomes literal, the action is given intensity and layers of meaning that a pure "action film" would not have had.

The few moments in the first half where the film dragged, and the even fewer moments of melodrama during the battle can be easily forgiven. The stunning naval battle sequence that serves as the film's raison d'être makes it a standout.

A-

Mini Review: Ghostbusters

162. Ghostbusters
This is going to be really short. I only feel the need to write a lot about the rereleases I see if I either have something new to add to the conversation, or if the theatrical viewing experience made an especially strong impression on me (as was the case with "Spartacus").

I'm not what you would call a "fan" of the "Ghostbusters" franchise in its film, television, or videogame incarnations. I'd seen the original once, several years ago, but that's as far as my exposure goes. This mitigates most of the appeal that comes with seeing the film upon rerelease. There wasn't anything in the way of nostalgia for me to experience. Instead I had a reasonably good time watching a reasonably funny movie whose standout feature was a good performance by Bill Murray.

There are several films I've seen over and over again where half the fun becomes waiting for your favorite lines and quoting them to other fans any time the film comes up in conversation. I know that is something many fans of this film experience, but it was not a factor for me. I enjoyed the film, but wouldn't place it on a pedestal.

B

September 5 Weekly Preview

This is a very minor week for new releases. Only two films are coming out in wide release, along with one smaller release, and a few more foreign films (which I won't mention here because I'm not 100% sure I'll get to them).

The Identical- I'm very skeptical about this one. It seems to be about a boy, separated from his twin at birth, who grows up to look just like a famous musician (unbeknownst to him, the twin). They've gone so overboard with making the characters look like Elvis that I thought it was a biopic for the first several seconds of the trailer. When I realized it wasn't an Elvis biopic, I assumed it was still a biopic, but for a lesser known musician I wasn't familiar with. Nope. Turns out it's completely made up.

The Trip to Italy- I saw the trailer for this once, but don't recall it very clearly. I'm assuming it's at least in part about a person or persons going on a trip to Italy. I'm going out on a limb there, I know. It does star Steve Coogan, who was very good in "Philomena", so I am somewhat intrigued.

Innocence- I don't know? Might be a cross between horror and a girls' young adult book?

Review: As Above, So Below

161. As Above, So Below
Unfortunately, this film did not live up the promise I found in my initial viewing of its trailer. While I find it cool that much of the film was actually shot in "off limits" parts of the Paris Catacombs, the sense of claustrophobia I was hoping to experience was never truly realized.

The movie does get some things right. It establishes its heroine, Scarlett (Perdita Weeks), well, showing her sneaking into Iran to uncover some archaeological evidence. This sets up her obsessive dedication to her work, and helps bypass the eternal problem in horror films--when the audience wonders: "Why is she doing that! She's so stupid!". After going into Iran, just about any extreme risk she could take wouldn't seem out of character. It's also a clever idea to have the character, on the hunt for the Philosopher's Stone, searching for more clues while she tells others around her what she already knows. This creates a more dynamic situation. Instead of droning on, force feeding the audience endless exposition, said exposition is provided while she is actively pursuing goals, making it go down much easier.

Soon Scarlett discovers that the stone is hidden in the Paris Catacombs, and she enters in search of it with her cameraman, a reluctant friend, and several local guides in tow. At this point all of the characters put small cameras on the front of their helmets, allowing the film to jump back and forth between everyone's point of view. This is also the point at which the film must follow through with its promise of "horror". It is here that it mostly fails.

There are a few "jump" scares and some moments of tension, but the film never reached the sense of unease I got seeing its trailer for the first time. It had been the idea of being stuck, unable to move, deep under ground that had struck a primal chord with me. Sadly there are few moments in the actual film when anyone is physically trapped. They're almost always moving forward in one direction or another. I also thought that the decision to make this a "found footage" film severely handicapped it. The few times when a character is actually struggling to get out of a tight space could have been much more effective in the hands of a capable cinematographer and editor. Having everything being shot from the characters' points of view really limited the types of shots the film could have. These various points of view were sometimes edited together so rapidly and nonsensically that it was difficult to tell what was going on. Not in a mysterious way (potentially good for this type of movie), but in a needlessly confusing way. In some cases "found footage" is an effective sub-genre, helping to get us deeper into the characters' world. In this case, they had a great setting (the catacombs) that could have been put to much better effect if the filmmakers had been able to compose each individual shot.

This film did a lot of things well early on, but a lack of truly frightening moments, combined with a less than ideal shooting style, keep it from standing out overall.

C

Rant: The November Man

160. The November Man
A couple weeks ago, my mom and I went to the Kids Clubhouse screening of "Mr. Peabody and Sherman". It's one of the most flat out fun and enjoyable films that I've seen this year, and I was excited to get to see it again, especially for the special one dollar ticket price.

I don't get it. He's not talking about "The November Man".

Ahem. I understood that it was a screening intended for children (which is why I got my mom to come along--I didn't want to seem like a creep). Indeed, it was shown in a large auditorium, and was very crowded. I was willing to put up with some chatter from the younger moviegoers, and even expected it as the cost of attending such a screening. There was a lot of noise before the film started, but once it actually began everyone got quiet. The only noises were laughter and other reactions appropriate to the film.

This is a marked contrast to what I experienced when I went to see "The November Man" last week.

He just mentioned the title! He's about to tie it in somehow!

Uh...excuse me, where was I? Oh, yes. There was a couple sitting behind me that completely ruined my experience with the film.

Oh no, that's not good!

Ahem! For the entire film, this couple did not stop talking. They spoke at a little above a whisper, just loudly enough to make tuning them out impossible and to give their voices the sense of Chinese Water Torture. And they commented on everything. If something particularly violent happened, they told each other how violent it was. And the plot twists! Good lord, I became conditioned to live in deathly fear of each new plot twist, because I just knew that they would feel the need to explain it to each other. Since they both seemed to be doing the explaining simultaneously, it's clear that no explanation was required, but that didn't stop or slow them down. At one point a villain, discussing another character, says something along the lines of "They're the only one who can defeat us now." The film then cut to another scene, in close-up on the character they'd just been discussing. "That's who they were talking about" the woman explained to the man and, sadly, everyone in earshot.

Wow. He's really not happy about this.

Excuse me! I'm trying to write here! It's getting really annoying having to deal with your constant interruptions! I appreciate you reading my blog, but if you feel the need to comment, there's a section down at the bottom of the post where you can do just that. There might be some people who actually want to read what I'm writing, without seeing your commentary throughout the whole thing. Save your comments for the end!

Screw you, man. You're mean. I'm leaving...

Are they gone now? Thank God.

There are sometimes that I wish I wasn't so nice. It would have its advantages to be the kind of person who could have turned around and told that annoying couple to shut up, but I'm just not built that way. I don't know where the sense of entitlement that some "movie talkers" seem to have comes from. Perhaps they feel that since they've spent money to buy tickets (and maybe popcorn and a drink), they have the right to do whatever they want in the theater. But you know what? Everyone else has bought tickets, too. Is their experience less important? The occasional genuine, natural reaction to moments of shock or humor is fine, and is what can make seeing a film with a theatrical audience a real treat. But when you treat a movie theater like it's your living room, we have a problem. And maybe you'll have a problem, too. Next time you might not be sitting behind someone as nice as I am.

Ultimately, I don't feel like I can write a review for this film. I was never able to get into it, but I can't blame that on the film. If I had to guess, it would probably be around the "C" range, with a decent performance from Pierce Brosnan. Some plot twists were better than others, but the promise of the "mentor versus protégé" conceit never truly paid off, as Brosnan always seemed to be too far ahead of the game for it to be competitive.

And by the way, this loudmouth couple...they were sitting in the seats clearly marked as reserved for those accompanying the disabled.

Assholes.

Review: When the Game Stands Tall

159. When the Game Stands Tall
The "Inspirational Sports Drama" is a very crowded genre for one that is so narrowly defined. While "When the Game Stands Tall" has some effective moments, most of them are ultimately unremarkable, feeling almost focus-grouped as they are so similar to moments from other films. The failure to stand out in its own field is what dooms the film to mediocrity.

From a basic filmmaking perspective, the major problem here is that the film is aimless for a good chunk of its opening minutes. Eventually it is about how a high school team, having set the longest winning streak of all time, finally loses, but manages to persevere in spite of this newfound adversity (aww...). It takes way too long for the film to get to that crucial loss. I wasn't timing it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was over half an hour into the film. Instead, a lot of time is spent on establishing the team's winning tradition, then on showcasing a few tragic events before their next season (their coach barely survives a heart attack, and a recently graduated player is killed). I understand that the film is based on a true story, and they may have been trying to accurately depict real events, but for the purposes of a film, they should have gotten to the point much quicker. Why even spend time building up to their victorious, season ending game near the beginning of the film? Why not just start with it? That would have been an easy way to establish whatever they wanted to regarding the team, but in much less time.

Once their big loss finally does come, the sports movie clichés show up in full force. From the dramatic locker room speeches, to unconventional team bonding, to last minute nail biting victories, it's all here, and rarely presented in a way that could be considered new or exciting. Some moments work better than others, usually dependent on the ability of the actors to carry the material. Some of the more experienced actors manage to breathe temporary life into the film. Jim Caviezel and Michael Chiklis acquit themselves well as the teams coaches, but most of the younger actors portraying the players aren't able to do as much with what they're given.

Some of the gameplay scenes are well shot and carry with them some excitement, but it's still not nearly enough to combat the "been there, done that" feeling that permeates the entire film.

C