Review – Page 207 – We Are Movie Geeks

A WALK IN THE WOODS – The Review

With Labor Day less than a week away, it’s not too late to explore the “great outdoors”, at least at your local multiplex. This past Winter, Reese Witherspoon earned an Oscar nomination in the true life tale of a woman, Cheryl Strayed, who recently hiked the long, arduous Pacific Crest Trail all by herself in the drama WILD. Her journey seemed to be a way of exorcising her own personal demons. This new true life nature hike isn’t quite so somber, but it’s equally daunting. Around the time that Reese was hitting the road (cinema-wise), Robert Redford was also going solo, but on an aquatic voyage (which turned into a fight for survival) in ALL IS LOST. Now he’s on land and on foot at the East Coast near equivalent, the Appalachian Trail. But the Sundance Kid is more than twice Reese’s age. Does he stand a chance there? Well, he’s not alone, though. Joining him is his former co-star from THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, Nick Nolte. And he’s just a few years younger. Can these two screen veterans enjoy and endure this trip as they embark on A WALK IN THE WOODS?

Travel book author Bill Bryson (Redford) seems to be in a bit of a rut. After spending several years in England, he’s returned to the states and settled in New Hampshire with his Brit-born wife Catherine (Emma Thompson). He’s enjoying his golden years with her along their children and grandchildren, but something’s missing. After an awkward TV interview (the host couldn’t be more pompous), he returns home just in time to get the call about another friend’s passing. When he and the missus return home from the funeral, Bill decides to take a stroll. He’s surprised to discover that a nearby wooded area leads to an offshoot of the Appalachian Trail. That’s it! He’s written several books about international destinations, but he’s never really explored his home turf! Before he settles into his rockin’ chair, he’ll walk the road from Georgia to Maine. This idea doesn’t go over well with Catherine and soon she’s printing up internet horror stories of nature (animal attacks, accidents, etc.). Well at least Bill agrees to get a partner. After several fruitless hours dialing numbers from his old address book, Bill is almost ready to throw in the towel. Then out of the blue he gets a call from Stephen Katz, who heard about his quest through the grapevine. They haven’t kept in touch for thirty years (Katz still owes Bill some money), but they make plans to hike the trail together. When Katz (Nolte) arrives at the local airport, Bill is taken aback by his limping, disheveled appearance. But Katz insists that he’s in fine shape, and soon the two are flying down to the trail’s Georgia starting point. Is there any way that these two AARP members can finish the many months long trek all the way to Maine?

Redford doesn’t seem to be slowing down in what would be most actors’ twilight years (he’s got a another true story Oscar-bait flick out in a couple of months), and here he proves to be just as warm and engaging as ever as the traveling, often befuddled everyman. There’s a confused sadness in his eyes during the film’s early scenes which is wiped clean when the plan for adventure takes hold. Oddly, this “fog” is replaced by an almost child-like sense of curiosity and wonder, so much so, that there’s a “boy-ish” quality to the near eighty year-old. Plus Redford is a more that capable “straight man” to the irascible Nolte who plays Katz with a twinkle in his often bloodshot eyes. Though his traveling partner wants to make his mile quota, Katz wants to take things at his own leisurely pace. Nolte’s sandpaper-tinged voice has evolved almost into a deep croak, much like the great character player James Gammon, with each sentence barely escaping through his thick, bramble beard. He’s one silver lion that’s full of mischief, not malice. Thompson is quite lovable as the voice of reason and sanity who knows that she won’t change her hubby’s mind, no matter how many wild tales of terror she downloads. Her love for her mate wins out over her frustrations, particularly as she “puts on the Brits’ stiff upper-lip” as he heads out. Some great supporting actors pop up in several terrific sequences. The fabulous Nick Offerman inspires a few chuckles as the all-knowing expert pushing the most expensive gear to Bill at the local sporting goods store. Kristen Schaal is also quite funny as the pesky, abrasive fellow hiker on the trail that temporarily joins up with the fellas (she’s a bit too close to her character on TV’s “The Last Man on Earth”, though). And Oscar-winner Mary Steenburgen pops up as the single lady owner/operator of a motel near the trail who brightens up at the sight of Bill. With this and her recent role in LAST VEGAS Ms. S seems to have found her niche playing mature temptresses (hmm, much like her part in the aforementioned TV sitcom).

Director Ken Kwapis (THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS) gamely tries to resist the urge to turn the film into a sitcom (he’s directed plenty) and, despite the “cutesy” trailers, this isn’t really “Nearly as Grumpy, but Better Looking Old Men”. There are a few clunky comic detours that land with a thud (Katz thinks a plus-sized lady is attractive! Haw! Haw! Oh, and she’s got a big, big beau! Hee! Hee!), but the guys make a pretty good team and their “bonding” sequences never feel forced, as do several bits of slapstick. And then there’s the jaw-droppingly gorgeous, glorious scenery (this will look great on the next wave of hi-res home screens). The R rating is mostly for Katz’s many “F-bombs”, so there’s nothing here to really upset the older folks. In other words, this is a film you can take mom or granny to, and not be bored out of your skull. Hey, it would be fun just to watch Bob and Nick grab coffee. It’s not ground-breaking, cutting edge cinema, it’s relaxing, much like taking A WALK IN THE WOODS, but without the bears and bunions.

3 Out of 5

ZIPPER – The Review

By Dana Jung

Sam Ellis (Patrick Wilson) is a high-powered lawyer with the U.S. Attorney’s office who is on a fast track to a higher political office. He has a loving wife (Lena Headey) and young son, the admiration of his colleagues, and the interest of a Washington power-broker (Richard Dreyfuss). In fact, Sam has everything going his way in life. But something is not quite right with Sam. There is a disconnect going on in the seemingly comfortable relationship with his wife, and Sam is turning to other sexual outlets to relieve the tension of his stressful job and super-powered future.

When a routine interview with a witness on a case turns out to be with a high-end escort, things begin to change for Sam. No longer satisfied with masturbating to internet porn, Sam makes contact with an escort service and starts having regular sexual encounters, with a new woman every time. But secrets this big are hard to keep, and we become witnesses ourselves to the tension of Sam’s predicament. Will his wife find out? What will the truth do to his political aspirations? Will the FBI investigate the escort agency and will the agency then implicate him?

A story like this really rests on the strength of its performances, and ZIPPER comes up aces in that department, as director Mora Stephens has culled fine performances from an excellent cast. Wilson, probably best known as the father in the INSIDIOUS films, plays Sam as a southern charmer; handsome and self-assured, Sam draws us in to sympathize with him even as we are repulsed by his behavior.

This dramatic tension works extremely well, as Sam’s sexual obsession affects his daily life more and more. Headey (TVs GAME OF THRONES), as always, lets her understated intelligence shine through in a low-key performance that makes her betrayal all the more affecting when the inevitable final outburst of emotion arrives. Dreyfuss is not wasted in the pivotal role of the snake-charmer, and John Cho and Ray Winstone also lend solid support. The escorts are also portrayed by some fine young actresses, including a particularly sexy Alexandra Breckenridge, and Penelope Mitchell as a younger escort with her own sad story. Mitchell is especially good in a wonderful scene that takes place in Sam’s parked car, which represents just how low this man has fallen.

The sex scenes—and there are many—are intimately shot and have a somewhat distorted quality, giving the impression of an almost drug-induced state that Sam is experiencing. At times during the sex, Sam has the look of someone on a bender who has suddenly realized where he was and what he was doing, and wondered why. Or perhaps it’s only the guilt of a generally good man doing something bad.

The main themes of ZIPPER concern the correlation between sex and politics, such as the addictive nature of both, the constant juxtaposition of doing things in secret that others want to know about, the use of sex as a political weapon. It seems to conclude that the very obsessive nature of certain sexual behavior is the very thing that makes a good politician. The film even darkly suggests that any sexual act can be used to achieve the means to an end, to help protect a political career.

Dramas mixing sex and politics are nothing new, ranging from the well-done (see THE GOOD WIFE on TV) to the tawdry (BULWORTH, anyone?). ZIPPER joins this genre as a very well-acted and thought-provoking study of a descent into sexual addiction.

RATING: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

ZIPPER is in Theaters and On Demand August 28, 2015

MISTRESS AMERICA – The Review

With MISTRESS AMERICA, Noah Baumbach returns to embrace two of his recent muses: Greta Gerwig and New York City. This is his second indie darling of 2015 following WHILE WE’RE YOUNG from earlier this year. And while both films address ideas of ambition and ambivalence amongst the 20-30 something crowd, MISTRESS AMERICA may have more to say because it’s not saying it as loud or dramatically as the former film.

In a charming and vibrant turn, newcomer Lola Kirke plays college freshmen Tracy. She struggles for attention but doesn’t want friends nearly as much as she wants to be accepted into the school’s prestigious literary society. You know that they are a big deal because “they all carry around leather briefcases.” Her mother is about to get married and encourages Tracy to meet her soon to be step-sister Brooke (Greta Gerwig). Brooke is everywhere all at once. She has a million plates spinning at once and is constantly looking for more. Tracy is enamored with Brooke and becomes even more so as she hears about the new restaurant Brooke hopes to open in New York City with the help of her long-distant boyfriend. As you can expect, his investment comes to a screeching halt when the two of them break-up. Now Brooke is desperate for money and looks for help from an old friend with her plan. The only downside is that her old friend is now married to a woman who Brooke believes stole her million dollar t-shirt idea and her two cats many years ago. Through all of this, Tracy continues to gain inspiration from Brooke and sees her life as the subject for her short story.

Noah Baumbach’s penchant for embracing melodrama and sentimentality has never felt more at home than in this 1980’s tinged film. His films have consistently bordered on being too precious and often tread similar water – though reusing the same city and actress doesn’t help matters – but MISTRESS AMERICA seems like a director embracing a different tone than his previous films. Sure, it feels in many ways connected to 2013’s FRANCES HA with a dash of WHILE WE’RE YOUNG, but it also feels like Baumbach’s lightest film yet. And that’s not a negative thing. There’s a breezy manner to how the story floats along and much of this has to do with the John Hughes-esque vibe he imparts on the story.

The 1980’s inspired music, the opening title treatment, and certain visual touches (walking down the sidewalk and laughing during a music montage) give the film a self-aware but nostalgic feel in search of being a “simpler” film. Even though it fits thematically with the fact that Tracy is writing about Brooke, lending the film an occasional voiceover adds to the 80’s charm. Baumbach’s snappy dialogue and Gerwig’s “mumble-core” style both come out more or less in qual parts. It isn’t until the last half of the film where I felt Gerwig’s influence too much. What could have been a madcap extended scene turned into much, much more than that. Containing the last half of the film in one location is a daring risk that doesn’t quite payoff.

Brooke’s plan for her new restaurant is an obvious extension of her overarching character; a messy arrangement of ideas and chairs that are always shifting without a clear plan or specific goal. It’s all about the feeling it gives off. She’s all emotion and energy, which is why Tracy is instantly intrigued by her. Her kinetic spirit plays perfectly against Tracy’s more green and passive personality. Her kinetic character becomes food for fodder for Tracey and the audience. Brooke is that over the top character you would expect to see in a screwball stage play that you laugh at because she is so ridiculous – even though she’s completely unaware of the audience enjoying themselves at her expense. She’s similar to Alicia Silverstone’s character in CLUELESS but not as vapid. She speaks heartfelt thoughts without an inkling of what she’s actually saying. In bringing her to life, Gerwig walks a fine line between being detestable and endearing.

Considering that Noah Baumbach has released two films now in the same year, it would seem that he is following in the footsteps of his filmic muse’s character in MISTRESS AMERICA– running himself manic without really accomplishing anything at all. Thankfully that’s not the case. Noah Baumbach continues to find ways to excite the viewer and make them laugh, while examining the hysterical crisis that we call life.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

MISTRESS AMERICA opens Friday, August 28 in St. Louis at the Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema and the Tivoli Theatre.

WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS – The Review

WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS presents a world populated by sex-and-cash-and-booze-crazed twenty-somethings who live to hear electronic music and dance the night away. Zach Effron stars as Cole, an aspiring “laptop DJ” in the San Fernando Valley. Cole has a soulless day job working for a sleazy predatory loan outfit headed by John Bernthal. Along with his three pals – aspiring actor/drug dealer Ollie (Shiloh Fernandez), loudmouth Mason (Jonny Weston), and thoughtful Squirrel (Alex Shaffer) – Cole spends his evenings promoting parties, spinning music, and ingesting drugs. A friendship develops between Cole and bigshot DJ James Reed (Wes Bentley), a fallen former ‘superstar’ of laptop DJ-ing, who takes him under his wing. Things get complicated when Cole falls for James’ bored younger girlfriend/assistant Sophie (Emily Rataikowski). Along the way, there are more drugs, tragedies, and romances that sizzle and fizzle.

On the surface, WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS has an authentic feel. The early club scenes are vibrant and electric, with flashing lights and throbbing beats and fine bikinied bottoms. You get the idea director/writer Max Joseph knows the world he is exploring, and he knows what can make it so attractive. Other sequences, including Cole’s PCP-induced hallucinations at an art gallery, are nicely shaped, but after about 30 minutes of sexy people writhing to music and masculine bro-bonding with Cole and his Entourage-inspired homies, WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS completely runs out of steam. Its 96 minutes seem longer – the excess is especially felt in a couple of tiresome music/drug/romance montages that do nothing to advance the story. The club scenes, initially exciting, are ultimately wearying, and the movie meanders about much of the time. Even visually, the sight of Cole shrugging his shoulders to the beats isn’t terribly compelling.

It’s a shame the filmmakers didn’t take a harder look at this material as it seems like there may be a decent film trapped in here somewhere. The script offers cliché after cliché (“You used to be great…but now you’re a sell-out!” Cole yells at James). The movie’s most interesting character is the older DJ, well-played by Wes Bently (or at least he has the fewest false moments). If the film had been told from his point of view, it would have been a lot more interesting. It doesn’t help that Cole is essentially a cipher, and Effron lacks the chops to make him more than that. We’re watching a man devote himself to music and figure out what his life is going to be about, but Effron doesn’t act so much as he twinkles and wiggles and stares intently at his laptop. The star has turned in decent performances in other films but here he makes it hard to get too worked up about Cole’s dreams. The film raises interesting questions about chasing that dream and living the life of an artist, but really, how much art is involved in spinning records (or today’s digital equivalent)? Is this a skill that can make one rich and famous? Do tens of thousands of people really crowd around a stage watching someone pound on their laptop? WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS made me feel old.

Emily Rataikowski brings a heavenly presence to WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS as Sophie. Her job is to look good, something she excels at, but Sophie’s actions are dictated by the artificial demands of the plot and by the two men at the center of it so she’s little more than a pawn. Perhaps with some script polishing and better-developed characters, WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS could have been worthwhile, but what’s on the screen is tedious and uninspired. Despite an unconvincing coda involving one of Bernthal’s swindled victims, the more you think about what really happens in WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS the more you realize how empty and fabricated it really is. Not recommended.

1 of 5 Stars

NO ESCAPE (2015) – The Review

“Those far away places with the strange-sounding names”, that’s how the old tune goes, I believe. Well, that song’s title as been the theme for many a motion picture, mainly comedies. It’s a great way to exploit the old “fish out of water” fodder for laughs. There’s the foreign on our own turf, with the perplexed visitors in THE TERMINAL and CROCODILE DUNDEE. And, on the flip side we’ve seen the new batch of Grisswolds trying to adapt to unfamiliar parts of their homeland just a few weeks ago in the new VACATION reboot, while the classic clan were the standard “ugly Americans” abroad nearly thirty years ago in EUROPEAN VACATION. And earlier this year a trio of comic misfits led by Vince Vaughn invaded Germany in UNFINISHED BUSINESS. This new film puts a very serious twist on this premise, one that plants the film firmly in thriller territory. This family’s not taking in the sights, like Clark’s crew, they’re re-locating, from Southwest USA to Southeastern Asia (about that “strange-sounding name”-it’s never revealed in this drama, for a reason that becomes very clear as the body count rises), and when their new home become more than a bit hostile, they fear that there’s NO ESCAPE.

As the film begins in that un-mentioned locale “somewhere” in Asia, the fuse is lit on a political powder keg. As the plot starts to boil, the dial is turned back to simmer, actually 17 hours prior, where we meet the Dwyer family in the last leg of their flight to that unstable land. Texan Jack Dwer (Owen Wilson) is a an engineer working for the Cardiff company and is being moved overseas to work on their water distribution facilities in this new market. Jack’s bringing his wife Anne (Lake Bell) and two daughters: (startin’-to-be-rebellious) pre-teen Lucy (Sterling Jerins) and excited grade-schooler ‘Beeze’ (Claire Geare). When her beloved plush pal is lost, they encounter another passenger, British “frequent flyer” Hammond (Pierce Brosnan), a fellow who later tells Jack of his love of this country’s carnal diversions. But is there more to this gregarious guy? They share a cab with Hammond (his favorite driver really loves US culture) to the plush hotel where Jack’s company is housing them (hey, there’s a welcome banner with Jack’s face in the lobby!). But things are more than a touch wonky in their suite. The wi-fi is out along with all the TV channels. The next morning, when he can’t get a newspaper from the hotel lobby, Jack strolls a few blocks over, to the local marketplace. There he stumbles into chaos as the police clash with violent protesters. As Jack races back to the hotel, he sees the police line fail, and watches members of the heavily armed militia detain and execute an Englishman. As the mob gives chase, Jack races back to his family, in hope they can survive the exotic wonderland that has suddenly turned into a deadly hellscape.

Wilson ably breaks free of his iconic mellow slacker persona to be completely believable as a nurturing young father who’s in way over his head. Hey, he’s not a soldier-he invented a valve for goodness sake. Dwyer is certainly not close to another character on the run that Wilson played way back in 2002’s BEHIND ENEMY LINES. He shows us the surprise in his eyes as Jack suddenly taps into unknown courage as his family is in peril. But, there’s also the doubt, the near-panic, when his brain almost shuts down due to the enormity of his situation. Luckily Bell as his wife and true partner can jostle him out of any frightened stupor. Bell is also best known for her comedic work (please follow up your excellent directing/writing debut, IN A WORLD, pretty please!), but she also has those hidden reserves of bravery and knows just when to unshackle her inner “mama bear”. Anne has to put on an optimistic face for the kids, but even before things go south, Bell shows us that the Dwyer matriarch is uneasy with the cards they’ve been dealt (she even brought along her own rice cooker…to Asia!). Brosnan, in his early scenes, comes across as an odd mix of his roles from THE NOVEMBER MAN and THE MATADOR (particularly with Wilson at the hotel bar), with very little of Bond. He’s very funny early in the story, but delivers on the drama as he reveals his true self to Jack, in addition to some of the reasons behind the unrest. Jerins and Geare are gifted actresses who really make the Dwyer girls feel like real kids reacting to the horrific surroundings. They’re never cloying adorable, but we’re still aligned with them even as they frustrate their folks.

Director and co-writer (along with Drew Dowdle) John Erick Dowdle (AS ABOVE, SO BELOW) has fashioned an exhausting nail-biter of a thriller. At times it feels as if one of those old matinée movie serials were smooshed into this 100 minute or so flick. Yeah all twelve or fifteen chapters. The Dwyers make one last-second getaway after another, with barely enough time for them (and the audience) to breathe (how will they get outta’ this one…whew! Oh, oh look out!!). There may be one too many “cavalry to the rescue” scenes and an overuse of slow motion, plus the tension “go to” of having tykes in deadly danger, but the suspense is expertly built and maintained. And we get a bit of current affairs commentary, perhaps to humanize the locals who often seem not far-removed from a zombie horde borrowed from a cable TV hit series. So, the mobs may have a legit beef with foreigners, but often they really relish the sadistic attacks, as much as any horror flick baddie. So, if you can handle the near constant threat of danger, then NO ESCAPE may be the last-gasp-of-Summer terror trip for you. Just make sure your legs don’t buckle as you get up from your theatre seat. It’s a workout and a half!

4 Out of 5

SINISTER 2 – The Review

SINISTER 2 shows us just how creepy twins can be [take it from me, I am one]… but does it live up to its predecessor?

Sinister 2 follows a family as they struggle with evil. Courtney Collins (Shannyn Sossamon) moves her twin sons Dylan and Zach (real-life brothers Robert and Dartanian Sloan) to an empty farmhouse while running from the abuse of their father Clint. What she doesn’t expect, is that there are forces much worse in her new home.

Although Bughuul is in SINISTER 2 a bit more, it doesn’t make it scarier than the first film. In my opinion, I found the videos where children were acting out the murders of their families were far more disturbing. Director Ciarán Foy (Citadel) goes out of his way to explain the myth of Bughuul by going into more detail, which just ends up killing a bit of his mystery. I really did enjoy the creepy aesthetic that Foy brought to the film, however, and that it follows the children and their view points more than of the adults. James Ransone returns to do some investigating on his own in this chapter, but he seems to really only be there to move the plot along.

The Sloan brothers worked really well together, and although not identical twins (they actually have a triplet) they looked and acted enough alike to get the point across. Shannyn Sossamon’s character could have been a bit more revealing. They could have built her role up to show more layers, since she is playing an abused wife trying to protect her sons.

Parts of this film are certainly scary. The vintage 8mm films certainly had an eerie quality to them. There were definitely nods to THE SHINING and CHILDREN OF THE CORN, but something was still missing.

SINISTER 2 is enjoyable enough, as long as you don’t over think it. Can you handle that?

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 stars

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AMERICAN ULTRA – The Review

So we’re finally in the last stretch of Summer, the slow march to reach the (hopefully) cooler temps just past Labor Day. And along with those Fall breezes will come the more, somber award-worthy films. But there’s still time for a bit of mayhem to squeeze into those final August days. And mayhem seems to be the main purpose of this new release hitting the multiplex. Its main character is on a mission (not for a microchip or some, such macguffin, but to survive along with his gal) and many assassins are mowed down along with even more property damage (they blow up good). But unlike Ethan Hunt or Mad Max, he’s not aware of his “particular set of skills” at the movie’s beginning. Like Clark Kent, is he meek and “mild-mannered”? Well, more like meek and “mellow”, thanks to some tasty herbs. And he’s played by an actor mostly known for his cerebral characters, rather than as muscled men of action. But, be ready for “Really Rough R-rated” violence, “ultra-violence”, you could say, in the appropriately titled AMERICAN ULTRA.

Mike Holland (Jesse Eisenberg) and Phoebe Larson (Kristen Stewart) are laid back twenty-somethings living in a sleepy Ohio town. He spends his days doodling the comic strip adventures of “Apollo Ape” while manning the register at the “Cash and Carry” convenience store, while she is the receptionist/secretary for a bail bondsman. They spends their evenings enjoying each other along with lots and lots of weed. But Mike wants more and plans to marry his “Feebs” in Hawaii until a last-minute panic attack sends them back to their ramshackle home. Meanwhile at CIA headquarters Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) is tipped off by an anonymous source that her pet project will be terminated. This is confirmed after she confronts fellow agency supervisor Adrian Yates (Topher Grace). Victoria, aided by her “go-to-guy” Petey (Tony Hale), dashes away to stop the “scrub” operation. Back at work, Mike’s night shift is interrupted by the sight of two fellas tinkering with his “beater” car. When he confronts them, they pull out some heavy-firepower artillery. And then something…snaps within Mike. Thus begins a long,desperate night that finds Mike and Phoebe facing insurmountable odds in a fight for their lives.

The usually reserved Eisenberg makes a convincing, if reluctant, deadly whirling dervish. He seems much more comfortable as the love-struck, anxiety-ridden stoner, but then that may be more in line with previous screen roles. After the switch in his brain has been flipped, Mike is in a constant state of confused agitation, not knowing what reflexes will suddenly kick-in. Eisenberg plays it more sweet than snarky especially in scenes opposite his ADVENTURELAND love interest Stewart. As Phoebe, she’s equal parts caregiver (very understanding of Mike’s odd ticks and anxieties), partner (not bad at taking on the baddies), and lover (this has to be the ultimate relationship test). Stewart and Eisenberg really connect with an easy chemistry which allows her to be a bit more natural on-screen than with many previous film partners. And it’s great that she’s not reduced to another “damsel-in-distress” and is allowed to get truly down and dirty with the fellas, at times looking like an extra from THE EVIL DEAD flicks. Speaking of ladies getting to play in the action “sandbox”, hurrah for the casting of Britton, who gets to break away from her usual big screen matriarch roles. She still gets to be concerned and caring, but it’s tempered here with a whip-smart, no-backing-down persona. That ‘spunk” serves her well in the scenes opposite the screaming, spitting Grace whose venomous tirades would cut most folks to ribbons. We can’t wait for this slick-suited weasel to get her “just deserts”. Walton Goggins shows up as the most deranged and sadistic of all the “hench-persons”, the gleeful “Laugher”, while Hale scores many laughs as Britton’s frantic, frightened “pencil-pushing” partner back at HQ. But the film’s loudest guffaws come from John Leguizamo as Mike’s motor-mouthed, street-slang slinging dealer/pal “Rose”. He just destroys every scene with his scatter-shot, energetic delivery. He’s quite the MVP of this flick.

The script by Max Landis (CHRONICLE) throws elements of THE MATRIX, KICK-ASS, SUPER, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, and the Jason Bourne flicks into a blender, and mixes up a cocktail that’s often sweet, but usually tart to the point of sour. The Mike/Phoebe romance is nearly drowned in a sea of gore and gunplay. As in the recent thriller THE EQUALIZER, Mike is adept at using everyday objects as weapons which lead, of course, to a big, bloody showdown in, of course, a big box store (“Clean-up in hardware aisle 7”). After the “found-footage” party hi-jinks of PROJECT X, director Nima Nourizadeh shows that he can keep the hits, and destruction, coming, but the film, after a promising first act, just seems to lurch from one blood-splattered set-piece to the next with the character development lost among the rapidly growing body count. The audience is finally numbed as we wait until things finally quiet down. Hey the ghouls in ZOMBIELAND got off easy compared to the creeps that Eisenberg dispatches here. There may be a way to make stoner/sleeper agents entertaining, but AMERICAN ULTRA bogarts the bloody bullet-filled blunt and ends up being a nasty bad trip, man.

2.5 Out of 5

DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL – The Review

“I had sex today! Holy s**t!” is the opening line of DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL, a fresh take on the teen rite of passage from director Marielle Heller, adapting an illustrated novel by Phoebe Gloeckner. 15-year old Minnie (Bel Powley), clad in her ‘Mickey Rat’ T-shirt, makes the shocking declaration in voice-over as she heads home to the apartment where she resides with her divorced mother Charlotte (Kristen Wiig) and younger sister Gretel (Abby Wait) in hippy-infested San Francisco. The year is 1976 and Minnie’s ‘diary’ is actually a cassette tape recorder into which she confesses daily details about her affair with mom’s slacker boyfriend Monroe (Alexander Skarsgard). Just how Minnie happened to have her first sexual experience with the much older man is shown in flashback. Mom had suggested Monroe take Minnie to the neighborhood bar one night instead of her. What could go wrong? As Minnie and Monroe continue their affair behind Mom’s back, the young girl experiences her first feelings of love, lust, bewilderment, and other emotions she shouldn’t be having about a man old enough to be her father. Minnie wants to be a comic book artist, and is fascinated with the works of illustrators Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky, to whom she writes fan letters. When not engaging in increasingly slutty behavior (often along with her best friend Kimmy played by Madeleine Waters), Minnie daydreams of stomping through San Francisco, towering over the city like a giant R. Crumb drawing come to life.

DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL occasionally presents animation superimposed on the action. This starts out with innocent teen stuff – flowers and hearts and teddy bears, but as the film progresses and Minnie becomes increasingly preoccupied with sex (“Does anyone think about f**king as much as I do?”), the illustrations take on the more erotic and perverse characteristics of the underground comic books she treasures (penises popping out of pants – that sort of stuff). Often the use of animation to echo an emotional state is the type of precious touch that makes me roll my eyes and at first these moments do seem gimmicky. Ultimately though, the device is well-integrated, enhancing the story with a funky mix of wonder and fury that reflect Minnie’s unique personality and it totally works.

The adults in Minnie’s world are mostly self-absorbed and useless. Wiig is well-cast in a surprisingly small role as Minnie’s partying mother who’s never quite wasted enough to be blind to the clues around her concerning Monroe and her daughter. You just know the scene where Minnie walks in on mom listening to her recorded diary is coming, but that doesn’t make it any less devastating when it finally happens. Skarsgard is strong in a tricky role. Monroe is a coke-snorting, vodka-swigging statutory rapist, but the movie’s too smart to simply treat him like the skeevy perv that he is. Minnie loves Monroe (or at least thinks she does) so he needs to be somewhat likable, horny but conflicted, a feat the actor pulls off with charm and charisma. Christopher Meloni also shines as Minnie’s pompous academic dad, but it’s the scarily talented British actress Bel Powley whose heartbreaking, star-making performance drives the film. With her wide eyes, round face, and Betty Page bangs, 23-year-old Powley is an actress perfectly suited to this role – a chameleon who seems like a child in one shot and an adult in the next. Seeking love in all the wrong places, Minnie’s dialog and journal entries are observant and funny without crossing the line into the ‘adult over-writing’ that often plagues a grown screenwriter’s version of a teen’s words.

DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL an outstanding rebuke to all this summer’s recycled, effects-heavy disappointments but, despite its title, it’s not a fun movie for teens like THE DUFF or FAULT IN OUR STARS. The sex scenes are graphic and frequent, the dialog raw and uncomfortable, and for parents of teen girls, the film, though one of the year’s best, may be more than a little scary.

5 of 5 Stars

DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL opens in St. Louis August 21st exclusively at Landmark’s The Tivoli Theater

HITMAN: AGENT 47 – The Review

Review by Dana Jung

Back in 2007 (a long time ago in movie dog years), HITMAN was a modestly successful adaptation of yet another video game. Starring Timothy Olyphant (later headlining the acclaimed TV series JUSTIFIED) as the mysterious Agent 47 and future Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, the original HITMAN was an exciting if mindless little action movie that for the most part stayed true to the spirit of the game. Now we have the sequel/reboot HITMAN: AGENT 47 with another look at the assassination game.

Rupert Friend (YOUNG VICTORIA, TVs HOMELAND) takes on the role of Agent 47, an emotionless killing machine that we learn in the pre-credits sequence has been bio-engineered to be the perfect soldier as part of the Agent Program. At some point, certain factions in the Agent Program broke away from the pre-destined life that the corporations and governments had in store for them. Now Agent 47 is fighting a different battle—one to hopefully keep the Agent Program technology forever secret, so that no other agency can use it to build super armies to wage global war.

Along with these higher stakes at play, the story also follows the investigations of Katia (Hanna Ware) to find a mystery man who may or may not have answers about her past. Soon an attempt is made to kidnap Katia, and a stranger named John Smith (Zachary Quinto of TVs HEROES, STAR TREK) shows up to protect her. It’s no secret that the two plotlines of Agent 47 and Katia will intersect, but they do so in a somewhat surprising way.

Friend essays the role with even more aloof coolness that Olyphant did in the original. The filmmakers have also wisely focused, as in the first film, on Agent 47’s relationship with a woman who mistrusts and even despises him. Friend’s chemistry with Ware is quite good and much of the movie’s sense of humor is the result of their interplay and verbal exchanges. Quinto is good, as always, and the fight scenes with Agent 47 are excellent. Ciaran Hinds is also very good in a brief but pivotal role, and Jurgen Prochnow (has it really been 35 years since DAS BOOT?) shows up in what amounts to a cameo. The action sequences are well-done (especially a helicopter scene) and at times take on the visual aspects of actually playing a video game. It’s also refreshing to see themes that include female empowerment and intellectual prowess in what is, in effect, a male-dominated genre based on a male-centric video game.

But if you’re looking for a thoughtful or profound examination of these themes, you best look elsewhere. However, if you want to check your brain at the door for a few hours (just like a video game!) and enjoy some full-tilt fights, gun battles, and action scenes in an engaging summer popcorn flick, you could do worse than HITMAN: AGENT 47.

3 of 5 Stars

THE END OF THE TOUR – The Review

Film makers wishing to explore the life of celebrated individuals can often be thwarted by the lack of material, particularly when said individual is a most private person who did not make themselves easily accessible. And often those closest, be they family or long-time friends “circle the wagons” around this potential cinematic subject. This may have been a big problem for the people behind this new film, a look at the all-too brief life of celebrated, but very private, writer David Foster Wallace. Fortunately access was granted via David Lipsky and his best seller “Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself”. But as you’ll see, this film is not the standard movie bio, not a “rags to riches”, birth to stardom tale. It’s the story of the friendship between the two Daves, struck up in just a few short days, specifically at THE END OF THE TOUR.

Oddly, the film really does start with an ending as Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) gets a call informing him of a true tragic end. We then flash back several years, to the mid 1990’s, as Lipsky reads from his novel to a meager NYC book store audience. Going back to the apartment he shared with girlfriend Sarah (Anna Chlumsky), Lipsky decides to apply for a writing/reporting job at Rolling Stone Magazine. Some time later, she tells him about the incredible new book she’s voraciously devouring, the highly lauded “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace. Lipsky has an idea and the next morning he pitches his editor (Ron Livingston) an idea for an article/interview with the rising literary star. After he gets the go-ahead, Lipsky flies to Bloomington, IL, and soon his rental car is in the snowy driveway of the modest ranch house where he’s greeted by the soft-spoken, slighty apprehensive Wallace (Jason Segel). He’s on the final home break before the last leg of his book tour. After observing Wallace teaching his writing course at nearby Illinois State University, the men bond over smokes, pop music queens, and junk food before catching an early flight to Minneapolis. They’re escorted by Wallace’s publishing company rep Patty (Joan Cusak) and embark on series of local bookshop appearances. In their downtime, the Daves meets up with two ladies, Wallace’s former college romance Becky (Mickey Sumner) and his first book editor/fan Julie (Mamie Gummer). For the rest of the trip, the men discuss family, life, and their shared love of cheesy big-budget action flicks, as Lipsky’s boss pressures him to get the scoop over stories circulating about Wallace’s past, particularly a rumored bout with substance abuse.

The film’s greatest strength may be the astonishing dramatic performance by Segal as the lauded author at the center of the story. Segel has well established himself in the world of comedy as the affable “regular Joes” of JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME or I LOVE YOU MAN (and his long-running role in the TV hit “How I Met Your Mother”), even starring and writing such diverse comedies as FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL and THE MUPPETS. Here, as Wallace, he reaches into, until now, unseen dramatic depths. Though physically intimidating (he towers over his co-stars), he projects a real vulnerability through his haunted eyes. He gets joy from simple pleasures, playing with his dogs or scooping up cola at a convenience store, but there’s an air of gloom as he ponders the effects of fame via his works. This makes him particularly cautious in his initial meetings with Lipsky, setting up barriers (“don’t talk to my parents…please”), while trying to keep a few passions and thoughts private. Look for Segel’s name popping up later this year during award season, in response to his wonderful work. Eisenberg proves equally to the task as his verbal “sparring partner”. There’s the intelligence that Mr. E has shown in other films like THE SQUID AND THE WHALE and THE SOCIAL NETWORK, but with a complexity of emotions, new to film goers. His Lipsky has an admiration for Wallace’s genius, perhaps with more than a twinge of envy since his own novels never came close to getting the same rapturous responses (doesn’t help that his gal is a super-fan). He’s affected deeply by his short time with his subject, perhaps learning much more about his own foibles. Later, we see how he’s torn by the pressures to “dig up some dirt”. Lipsky doesn’t want to destroy this new relationship. As great as these two actors are, I don’t wish to discount the smaller roles (often just a handful of lines) by this great cast, especially Sumner as an unexpected literary temptress. And kudos to the producers for casting Segel’s “Freaks and Geeks” co-star Becky Ann Baker as a bookstore manager, a great reminder of the TV role that started Segel on the road to this new triumph.

Director James Ponsoldt builds expertly on his recent work on SMASHED and THE SPECTACULAR NOW with this quiet, intimate study of two writers exploring their craft. No flashy camera techniques distract from the tale, although there’s a great visual gag as Lipsky looks up from his floor mattress at Wallace’s home, and beholds the looming tower of books that seem ready to collapse. Ponsoldt is there, first and foremost, to serve the actors as they interpret the compelling screenplay adaptation of Lipsky’s book by Donald Marguiles. The film is a warm nostalgic remembrance, despite the “frozen tundra” of central Illinois, that’s colored with regret and peppered with wonderful bursts of humor (Wallace won’t own a TV, but when he’s on the road…). THE END OF THE TOUR is an actors’ showcase and a quiet delight for film lovers.

4.5 Out of 5

THE END OF THE TOUR opens everywhere and screens exclusively in St. Louis at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas and the Tivoli Theatre

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RATING: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

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OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 stars

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