The Film Geek’s Weekend Round-Up: 12/4/09 (UPDATED!!!)
Hello everyone and welcome to the weekend! Only one more month before 2009 is over. We have six films releasing this weekend. I am going to review BROTHERS, ARMORED, TRANSYLMANIA, EVERYBODY’S FINE, UP IN THE AIR and OH MY GOD. Let’s get started…
I know it’s useless to complain, but I’m getting real sick of remakes. Not that they’re all bad, in fact some are very good (THE DEPARTED). I guess it’s just the very idea of a remake that upsets me. I think older films and foreign films are very important to film history and shouldn’t be overlooked or forgotten. Now, when Hollywood remakes something, it discourages audiences to not watch older films, or movies with subtitles. It gives people an excuse not to seek out the originals. This enrages me.
When I first saw the trailer for BROTHERS, I wasn’t aware it was a remake until about halfway through. Then I said “Wait a minute, I’ve seen this before!” It’s a remake of a Danish film that was released here in 2005. It’s a great movie! But I was not really looking forward to this because I just hate the reasoning behind remakes. But, I do like director Jim Sheridan (IN AMERICA, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER), so I was willing to give it a chance.
The story is pretty much exactly the same as the original. Sam (Tobey Maguire) is a Captain in the military with a lovely wife, Grace (Natalie Portman), and two charming daughters. Sam’s brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) has just been released from prison for armed robbery. No one really likes him, but they put up with him just the same, especially Sam, who seems to accept Tommy for who he is. Sam goes over to the middle east for combat and ends up becoming a prisoner of war. But since the military assumes the worst, they tell Grace that her husband has died. This brings the family closer and even Tommy changes his no-good ways as he develops a special bond with Grace and the kids. Meanwhile, after a few grueling months as a prisoner, Sam is rescued and returns home. I don’t want to give too much else away, so I’ll just say that there’s a certain amount of tension since Tommy doesn’t know how to deal with his post traumatic stress. And it doesn’t help that he has suspicions that Tommy and Grace are having an affair.
I really didn’t want to like this movie cause that will just encourage Hollywood to remake more great movies, but in all honesty, this was pretty darn good. It’s a different approach than the Danish film. That one had an intense naturalistic style, with it’s extreme close-ups and hand-held photography. Sheridan’s style is alot slicker, with graceful shots perfectly framed. And it worked almost as well.
The acting is really what excelled for me. Tobey Maguire gets the more showy performance. At times I thought he overdid his “intense look” when he was a POW, but he has a powerful breakdown moment that was very impressive. That scene alone could snag him an Oscar nomination. But I think I preferred Gyllenhaal’s subtler performance. He’s quiet, but you can tell just by looking at his face that there’s alot going on inside. Portman does much of the same stuff she did in the third STAR WARS prequel, which was crying alot. She does do a fine job though. Sam Shepard was a little too much at times as the overly disapproving father. He was no more than a cliché at times. Mare Winningham did a solid job as his wife. And hot off of AN EDUCATION, Carey Mulligan dominates the screen in her only scene as the wife of a dead soldier. What really elevated the film for me was the performances of the two daughters, played by Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare. Both are phenomenal, especially Madison. They felt like real kids. Their interaction with their parents felt like a real family. These scenes are very authentic and are ultimately what drives the movie.
The screenplay is extremely faithful to the original as it kept every single important plot point. I thought the first half got a little too “Hollywood Cliched” at times, and was a little forced. I also thought some of the humor involving Tommy’s friends that were helping build the kitched felt a tad out of place. But the second half makes up for it. I do think Tommy and Grace’s relationship could have been expanded upon, as well as Tommy’s and Sam’s. We don’t really know just how close they are or ever were. We have a vague idea, but a little more would have been nice. One thing that was better than the original was a dinner scene towards the end that is so full of tension that it’s almost unbearable to watch. Bailee Madison is very good in this scene.
But since I’ve seen the original, I knew what was going to happen, so it never really struck an emotional chord with me. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a film, then watch the remake. It’s very surreal. It’s not the same movie, but it was. It’s very hard to explain, but it kind of left me indifferent. But judging it on it’s own, it’s a good solid movie.
Those who haven’t seen the original will probably be affected by this one alot more. But by all means, don’t let this be a substitute for the 2005 film. I prefer that one, but as far as remakes go, I would say this is a success.
ARMORED is the third film from director Nimrod Antal. His first film KONTROLL was an effective atmospheric thriller that took place in the Hungarian subway system. His second film, VACANCY, wasn’t quite as good, though it did show off his skills as a craftsman. Still working within the confines of the Hollywood system, he delivers ARMORED, a slick looking heist thriller.
Columbus Short stars as Ty, a war veteran whose parents have passed on, leaving him to take care of his troublemaker little brother Jimmy. Ty works as a guard for an armored truck company along with his Godfather Mike (Matt Dillon), who was very close with his father. Ty discovers that he’s about to lose his house, and that the county is threatening to put Jimmy in a foster home. Mike knows about this and comes up with a plan to rob their own truck, which will have about 42 million dollars on board during the particular day he has in mind. At first, Ty disagrees but finally gives in since he has no other choice. He doesn’t want to lose his brother or the house. Mike recruits 4 other guards played by Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Skeet Ulrich and Amaury Nolasco. Of course, it wouldn’t be a heist movie if things didn’t go disastrously wrong. A cop (Milo Ventimiglia) shows up on the scene and all hell breaks lose. Ty quickly decides that he doesn’t want any part of this, but now it’s too late to turn back. This pits him against his colleagues in a cat and mouse game.
The plot is about as generic as you can get. Every character is pretty cliched and thin. The script is very mechanical. But I can see why Antal would be attracted to this. The story is pretty much a blank slate for a filmmaker to show off his style. The director does a fine job creating unique set pieces. The way he sets up his shots were pretty impressive. In the second half of the film, there were a few scenes that feature long stedicam shots that were elaborate enough to “wow” me. But just like VACANCY, I just didn’t really connect with anyone in the movie.
The actors do a fine job I guess, but the characters aren’t really there. Short is all right as Hackett, but besides looking “oh, so serious” all the time, he doesn’t have a whole lot to do. He’s a pretty ordinary hero. Matt Dillon is having a good time as the bad guy, but after awhile I realized that his role wasn’t all that interesting. Not his fault though. Laurence Fishburne was probably my favorite as the trigger happy guard. Skeet Ulrich was hoping that this was CHILL FACTOR 2, but nope, he isn’t in this all too much. He wasn’t bad though. I love Jean Reno in THE PROFESSIONAL so it pained me to see him wasted in this. He’s decent, but his character is so underwritten that he might as well have not even been in this. Milo Ventimiglia does solid work as a good hearted cop. And it’s always nice to see Fred Ward in a movie. He plays the head of the company where Ty and the gang work and delivers every line with corny gusto. Please Hollywood, put him in more movies.
Like I said before, the direction is really good. I could definitely tell what Robert Rodriguez sees in him (he hired him to direct PREDATORS based on viewing this film). He’s got a wonderful eye, but I just want to see him with a script that has more going for it. The screenwriting isn’t bad, it’s just so pedestrian. It’s very stale. If the direction wasn’t so fresh, I would definitely give this a lower rating, but Nimrod’s artistic flare make this watchable.
One thing I should mention though is that if you’ve seen the trailers and TV spots, then you’ve seen too much. They give too much away in the advertisements. So if you are interested in seeing this, avoid any previews. People that just want to escape and have a good time won’t be disappointed. It’s not wall to wall action, but more of a cat and mouse thriller. The last 20 minutes have the most tension and were pretty entertaining. I thought it dragged a little right before the climax and the music got real irritating for me, but Nimrod always shoots the film interesting enough from keeping it completely boring.
I just can’t help but think what the filmmaker will be able to do when he gets a sharper script. Not bad though. I’m not sure why the Studio didn’t screen this for critics. It’s kind of halfway decent. But I can’t quite justify a trip to the theater for it. Maybe worth a rental.
As you may know, I recently interviewed David and Scott Hillenbrand, the directors of TRANSYLMANIA. Now, I saw the trailer and thought the movie looked dreadful. But after talking with the filmmakers (who were very cool I might add), I started to become hopeful. Stating that they were influenced by Mel Brooks made me think it could be good. I really didn’t want to be one of those critics that interviewed the filmmakers and then hated their movie. I have such respect for anyone that makes movies that I wish that I could like every film I see. So I was really nervous walking into this.
A bunch of college kids go to a Romanian college (which was explained in such a brief way that I don’t really remember why) to study. Among them are Rusty, whose online girlfriend’s dad is the dean of the Romanian school. There’s nerdy Newmar, who has a superficially hot cheerleader girlfriend named Lynne. Pete and Wang are two generic stoners who are dating twins Lia and Danni. There’s some others in the mix as well, but none really worth mentioning. Once they get to Romania, things get weird. Rusty’s girlfriend turns out to be a hunchback, one of their professors is a vampire slayer named Sloan, and a vampire named Radu (who looks just like Rusty) rises from the grave to rule the earth, all because of some magical music box.
I know that this movie was supposed to be spoofing vampire and horror films, in an AMERICAN PIE-like way. I’m sure the Hillenbrand’s had the best intentions, but it just doesn’t work. The first and main reason why is that not one of the characters is likable or funny. Rusty is just some hornball slob, Newmar is a pathetic nerd, Lynne seems like a slut, and Pete and Wang are just an unfunny rip-off of Harold and Kumar. Sticking dildos full of drugs up their asses to smuggle overseas isn’t funny. Nor is the running gag of them using American blue jeans as currency. Also not funny: horses farting, getting a dick stuck in a laptop, and constant pot humor. I’m sorry, but simply lighting up a joint does not equal a joke. There’s also some gory grossout gags, like a geyser of blood shooting up out of a leg or tits falling off a corpse, but they just fall flat. I’m not saying these things could never be funny, but they’re not executed properly to be funny here.
I’m sure the film was fun to make as the actors seem to be having fun. Oren Skoog gets to play two roles, and is actually not that bad when he’s the king vampire. But he seems to be impersonating Matthew Lillard when he’s Rusty, and that’s NOT a good thing! It was nice to see David Steinberg as the Midget Dean (he was Megosh in WILLOW), but he’s not really funny at all in this.
Towards the end, I could see some of the influences that the Hillenbrand’s discussed in my interview, like THE COURT JESTER (the whole mistaken identity thing), and every once in a while I could see a small sliver of inspiration from time to time (like a puking scene that had me chuckle once), but for the most part, it’s very painful to watch. When it’s not funny, which is pretty much all the time, it’s embarrassing.
The movie also runs 96 minutes, which seemed forever. This kind of film should never be longer than 80 minutes. There were many missed opportunities here. All the jokes are about college kids (who look like they’re in their 30’s) trying to get laid or high. That would be fine I guess if the film were funny but it’s not. There were so many times that I found myself ways to make the film funnier. Like I thought having Rusty repulsed by his hunchback girlfriend was too typical. Wouldn’t it be funnier if he wasn’t repulsed by it, and just went buck wild on her? His character would have been funnier if he just didn’t care, instead he just ended up being another douchebag that wanted a plastic woman.
This is easily one of the worst films of the year. I feel really bad for the filmmakers, cause I liked them. It’s times like these that I hate being a critic. I can’t really recommend this to anyone. However, I am looking forward to their next project, THE BLACK ARROW, which will be a straight up action-adventure. But TRANSYLMANIA sucks! No amount of gore, nudity, and raunchy humor can disguise that.
EVERYBODY’S FINE is a remake of an 1990 Italian film of the same name. It stars Robert De Niro as Frank, who recently retired from a job where he made the covering that goes over telephone wires. His wife also just passed away. He doesn’t really have a too excitingly life. He does garden work and goes the local grocery store. The only thing he’s really looking forward to is having his four children (all grown up now) over for Thanksgiving. They all cancel on him, leaving Frank disappointed. Since his kids live in different parts of the country, he decides to surprise each one with a visit. During this road trip, he discovers that his kids haven’t really been telling him the truth about what they do. They have been sugar coating their lives for him so he wouldn’t worry. Not only does he learn about his kids, he finds out about himself too.
This easily could have been a Lifetime movie of the week if done too schmaltzy. But when you have a legend like Robert De Niro as the lead, you tend to be in safe hands. The material is handled very delicately. The film has a natural, slow and steady pace. Things unfold in due time. This could have been loaded with old age jokes, and wacky supporting characters to clash with Frank’s old fashioned ways, but it’s not. It’s mostly told very realistically. It really strikes some emotional chords too.
The reason this movie works as well as it does is a rock solid performance by De Niro, who is a true professional. It’s a graceful, subtle, and heartfelt performance. But his character is still hard nosed, but he really does want to know the truth about his kids. He really makes the effort to get to know them, even when they push him away with lies. It’s not the kind of show offy role that would get an Oscar nomination like Jack Nicholson in ABOUT SCHMIDT, and that’s too bad. Because he is really good here. After seeing De Niro play every type of character type known to man, it was a pleasure just watching him simply play a normal person. Someone you would meet on the street. It was refreshing. The supporting cast is also good. As the kids, Sam Rockwell is great as Robert, Kate Beckinsale is good as Amy, and even Drew Barrymore does a decent job as Rosie. They all have secrets and Frank is determined to break down their barriers.
Kirk Jones is proving to be a good director. His first two films, WAKING NED DEVINE and NANNY MCPHEE are terrific little movies. This one is about the same. His style is very simple but also effective. The script has maybe one too many contrived moments, like when Frank is robbed and loses his medication. And the conclusion is a little cliched, but for the most part, Jones keeps it low key enough for it to feel real. There are several great little moments that show Frank trying to connect with strangers that felt so real that it seemed that I had those conversations with people before.
If you’ve seen some of the TV Spots, then you have been misinformed on how the movie actually is. It makes it look like a straight up comedy and that’s far from the truth. It’s a quiet and compelling drama with a few light moments. Since the pacing is slow it may try the patience of some viewers, but those that like movies that take their time will be rewarded with a nice little movie that most people can relate to. A small, enjoyable pleasure.
Jason Reitman has made two previous films. His first was a great debut, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. His second was even more acclaimed, JUNO. Now, I actually felt that it was overrated. I thought Ellen Page was great, but Diablo Cody’s screenplay was too clever for it’s own good. But Reitman’s direction was just fine. Now with his third feature, he’s now back in the writer’s chair as well.
UP IN THE AIR stars George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a middle aged man who spends most of every year traveling. You see, he’s hired by businesses around the country to fire employees. He does the company’s dirty work and does so with cold indifference. He has no time for commitment. As far as relationships, he believes in one night stands and that’s it. While on the road, he meets a woman named Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) who also travels alot. They have a fling, but there is also something there. So they decide to continue having flings in different parts of the country while they travel. Things get a little complicated when Ryan finds out that he may not have to travel anymore, since his company came up with a way to fire people using web cams. This frustrates Ryan since he loves being on the road so much. His boss (Jason Bateman) decides to let him take a young new executive Natalie (Anna Kendrick) on the road with him so she can see how the job is done. At first they don’t get along, but they soon form a friendship that both can learn from. Also, Ryan’s feelings for Alex are unexpectedly growing stronger, which also complicates things.
The trailers make the movie look kind of generic I think. And that’s too bad, because I thought this movie was pretty special. The movie opens with a smart montage showing how organized Ryan is as he packs for his routine trip. It’s edited perfectly and really sets up the character. We also get a quick montage of Ryan firing employees with a wide variety of reactions, some are funny and some are sad.
The first meeting between Ryan and Alex was great. Immediately, sparks are seen. There is a definite chemistry between them as they compare elite member cards with each other over drinks. The way their relationship develops is very genuine. The character of Natalie is also well used. Ryan becomes a sort of mentor to her. She is engaged and ready to settle down, but Ryan shows her that she has more options than just following a cute guy around. They have a touching relationship, but in a strictly platonic way.
Even little things like Ryan’s interaction with his boss and how he carries around an enlarged photo of his sister and her fiancee around to take pictures of them in the many places he visits. There is also some pretty good humor in this. It’s mostly of the low key kind, but still great. Most of the humor comes from the job firing and Natalie’s character. I loved the balance between drama and comedy. The conclusion may turn people off, but I thought it was perfect. It really effected me.
The performances are great! George Clooney is in top “Cary Grant” form as Ryan. His transformation from a cold womanizer to a man with feelings is very good. Vera Farmiga is perfect as the right partner for Ryan. She’s smart, mature and still very sexy. And is the perfect match for Clooney. They’re great together! And she looks good naked in a very tasteful shot, from behind. Sorry, had to say it. To me Farmiga looks cross between Patricia Clarkson and Claire Forlani. There has also been some Oscar talk about her work here, but for me, the best performance belongs to Anna Kendrick as Natalie. She is one of those young professional, uptight shrews that feels like she has to prove herself all the time. But as she learns more about Ryan and his job, she begins to change. Her transition is terrific. She also has a great scene in which she has a breakdown which was both heartbreaking and hilarious. Very impressive. I hope she doesn’t get overlooked. Jason Bateman is his usual low key self and he’s amusing. I loved when he tells Clooney that he took his first dump in a week. Funny stuff. There’s some other good work from J.K. Simmons, Danny McBride (who manages to actually wear a shirt with sleeves on it), and Sam Elliott. I did think that Zach Galifianakis (who seems to be the new “it” funnyman after THE HANGOVER) stuck out though. He looks and acts the same in every movie. Would it kill you to shave off your beard and play an actual character? Other than that, the acting is top notch.
It seems with every picture, Reitman improves as a filmmaker. His style here is very confident and bold. Every shot is well thought out and the editing is outstanding. The script is great. It’s a wonderful story about a man learning how to connect with people, after so many years of avoiding attachment. It’s a thought provoking movie without being heavy handed or preachy.
This is one of the movies getting acclaim this year that actually deserves it. It opens this weekend exclusively at The Uptown. Definitely see this one!
Lastly is a documentary called OH MY GOD. This is a pretty straight forward Doc that examines many religions. Director Peter Rodger travels around the globe as he interviews many priests, monks, medicine men, actors, singers, and various others about their views on religion and who or what God really is. The movie opens with Hugh Jackman talking about his beliefs, then continues to show many other views.
Religion is a very touchy subject. Me? I’m not really a religious person. I was raised a Lutheran but began to have doubts when I was about 14 or 15. When I discovered that there were many different religions, I began to question things. Which is the correct one? When I asked my youth pastor, he couldn’t come up with an answer for me. So since then I’ve been Agnostic. I found this movie to be very interesting. I liked hearing all sorts of opinions. It’s really cool to see different practices and rituals.
Some of the interviewees have some great insight as well. Hearing David Copperfield tell a story about how a fan wanted him to heal a loved one was great. I also thought that pop star Seal (I’m a big fan by the way) had some important things to say. When asked what God was, he held up a picture of his family and said “Love”. That sounds about right. But the movie isn’t saying that there is no right or wrong opinion. Towards the end, I did think they went a little too far trying to make a point by showing dying kids. That was too manipulative. I also thought some of the music was a little much.
But for the most part, I found it to be a compelling documentary that will make you think. If you’re one of those people that like to debate about important topics, then you’ll want to see this. It’s a great conversation piece. Not perfect, but it’s always interesting. It’s playing at the Lagoon theater.
Here’s a recap:
(I use a 4-star rating system)
BROTHERS [R] – ***
ARMORED [PG -13] – **1/2
EVERYBODY’S FINE [PG -13] – ***
TRANSYLMANIA [R] – *
UP IN THE AIR [R] – ***1/2
OH MY GOD [NR] – ***
4 good movies, but the one you must see is UP IN THE AIR. Stay the hell away from TRANSYLMANIA. And if you’re in the mood for a dumb escapist thriller, you could do worse than ARMORED.
That’s it for now!
Take care!!
Be geeky and watch movies!!!
Tags: awesomeness, brothers, george Clooney, Juno, natalie portman, Reviews, robert de niro, sam rockwell, the uptown, up in the air