Review – Page 211 – We Are Movie Geeks

AIR – The Review

Humanity has almost disappeared. A biologic weapon has gone viral and wiped out almost all human life on the planet. Somehow a handful of intelligent, educated people are kept in suspended animation, far underground. Tended to by a couple of engineers who are also in suspended animation, at 6 month intervals the two engineers are awakened, make sure the sleeping people are kept alive, and then go back to sleep. During their time awake they have only one hour and 40 minutes of time to check all the systems, tend to the sleepers, take care of their own needs, and then go back to sleep.

But something goes wrong, doesn’t it always in science fiction? Especially post apocalypse science fiction, of which AIR is just about the most grim and depressing vision of a post collapse landscape I can imagine.

The two engineers are Norman Reedus as Bauer and Djimon Hounsou as Cartwright. Both are excellent, both men are exhausted, physically and mentally a wreck from being awakened and put back into hyper sleep so many times. Would this idea actually work? The concept is that they will tend to the sleepers and make sure they awaken after the biologic plague has dispersed after so many years. The equipment they use is distressingly low tech, all the computers are DOS, mounted with panels of push buttons, manual switches and rusty looking metal, which make up the hardware.

Think of the hyper sleep of ALIEN and other science fiction movies. Director Christian Cantamessa’s AIR bears more than a passing resemblance to MOON, an excellent one character (almost) science fiction drama with Sam Rockwell. Here we have two characters, in a very cramped space, one of whom, Cartwright, is so on edge he sees his girlfriend, Sandrine Holt, who we assume is dead, speaking to him during waking periods. Think of the ghost characters of SOLARIS (both versions.)

AIR is a complete inversion of post apocalypse movies like MAD MAX, almost devoid of action, Air is character driven. Instead of a gleaming, high tech future we have a grimy, claustrophobic pressure cooker, with two men just going through the motions until the future members of the human race can be reawakened and set about the task of rebuilding civilization. And, as they must, systems fail, people betray each other, madness over takes the narrative.

This is not a feel good, happy time movie folks, this is indeed pretty grim and cynical stuff. Co-written by Chris Pasetto and Christian Cantamessa, AIR ends on an optimistic note, but we really get what a sacrifice it was for these men to tend to the sleepers, and put their own life on hold. We get one brief glimpse of the outside world and it is not a pretty sight, no indeed.

Djimon Hounsou is nothing short of astonishing, bringing to life a character that might have confounded lesser actors.

And Norman Reedus? Apparently Reedus is now the go to guy for this post apocalypse kind of project, after his many seasons on Walking Dead. Has he ever been clean, shaven, with a haircut and clean clothes? In any movie?

And quite frankly it is a pleasure to see Sandrine Holt again, I have not seen her since Rapa Nui, she who made such an impression in Black Robe.

I give AIR 4 out of 5 stars, it is very well made, with characters and dialog that ring true, but as already stated, this is not super happy fun, by no means. Be ready with a comedy chaser for afterwards.

AIR is in theaters, On Demand and Digital HD August 14.

Order here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/air/id1014874786?mt=6&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

The film is rated PG-13.

TANGERINE – The Review

Review by Stephen Jones

If nothing else, TANGERINE achieves something I’ve been hoping to see for years; the film stars two transgendered characters, but the story isn’t ABOUT them being transgendered. Their gender identity isn’t their entire being, it doesn’t consume their entire lives, and isn’t the central inciting factor for the story told about them. That alone makes Sin-Dee and Alexandra two of the most realistic, fleshed out trans characters I’ve seen in a movie.

The movie as a whole could’ve done with a lot more of them. Both the characters and their actresses (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, respectively) give their scenes a lot of energy and vibrancy, and it sort of dies off whenever they’re not on screen. Like whenever the cab driver’s story is the focus. I’m going to forget about the cab driver for a bit, but he takes up around half the film’s run time and contributes next to nothing to the other story. Without the cab driver, Sin-Dee and Alexandra’s stories could have been a little more fleshed out, given a little room to breathe and stretch, and this could have been a great movie.

It’s a prime example of something looking low budget but not cheap. This movie was shot on three iPhones. You can tell. It looks very low budget. But it doesn’t look cheap the way a “Jack and Jill” or a Syfy channel movie looks cheap. It’s a tough distinction to make in writing, but you could point to this movie and it’s really clear. Writer/director Sean Baker uses it stylistically, giving everything a really immediate energy. Although there are times it verges on Mumblecore, which some people like, but I generally don’t.

Where it really takes a turn for the positive, though, is the climax. Everything converges, the cab driver’s story actually gets interesting, and it starts to feel like Andrew Bujalski by way of early Pedro Almodovar. Or maybe a screwball comedy by Robert Altman. More and more characters enter the fray, everybody talking over everybody else, three or four different arguments all at once… the whole thing has a really madcap energy. It’s almost worth going to see the movie just for how fun this scene is.

This is one of those “just like real life” movies. It starts in medias res and lacks any real resolution. Just a 12 or so hour period with these characters. Like you’re following them around recording the crazy stuff they say and do on your phone. That sort of vibe can be really polarizing, but I was a little more receptive to this than others along the same lines. Even if I’m not a part of it, there’s definitely an audience for this movie, and that audience will probably love it.

3 of 5 Stars

TANGERINE opens in St. Louis August 7th exclusively at Landmark’s The Tivoli Theater

CALL ME LUCKY – The Review

“Barry Crimmins is pissed.” That one, simple line does sum up the film rather well, but it doesn’t truly do justice to the new documentary from Bobcat Goldthwait. CALL ME LUCKY is the story behind the story of Barry Crimmins, a comedian’s comedian that heavily influenced the Boston comedy scene in the 80s and beyond, but may not be widely known today by the general public. This film is your chance to change that unfortunate hole in your intellectual experience.

Thinking back to the glory days of 1980s comedy, we’ll recall Bobcat Goldthwait as the wild, manic and seemingly uncontrollable comedian who spoke strangely, had crazy hair and appeared in the POLICE ACADEMY movies huffing aerosol. This is not your 1980s Bobcat, having kicked his penchant for drugs and alcohol years ago, Goldthwait is now one of the most intriguing fringe filmmakers, push boundaries and testing limits with a very smart, funny and diverse repertoire of films. Goldthwait’s style of filmmaking is like walking into one cave after another, each time gently poking the sleeping bear inside just enough to see what half-dazed reaction slips from its hibernation-addled lips.

CALL ME LUCKY is, in part, a fascinating film because it explores an artist whose life encompasses what Goldthwait is doing with his films. Barry Crimmins sees the world as it is, honestly and with the disgust it deserves, but does so in a thoughtful, engaging way that says “this is what’s wrong and it makes me sick, but I understand and I want you to be aware.” Brimmins is highly intelligent and hilarious, so his ability to make us laugh while making us think is nothing short of genius and I would dare venture to say he succeeded where Lenny Bruce may have ultimately failed in comparison.

Goldthwait has so meticulously constructed this documentary that, as a viewer, it does not become apparent until well past the halfway mark that in reality, CALL ME LUCKY is as much a mystery as it is a non-fiction film. The drama comes in the form of a secret buried deep in Crimmins’ past and Goldthwait is marvelous at slowly revealing this secret in a way that parallel’s Crimmins’ own revelation of the truth. We learn a great deal about Crimmins, his comedy and his political activism through that comedy and outside of the stage. We get to know Barry Crimmins as we was in the 80s and who he is now, how he’s changed and how he is very much the same.

CALL ME LUCKY is a character study of one man who stands for many. He may not say things in the nicest ways, but what he says has power and purpose. Goldthwait interviews a number of comedians of varying styles and of varying perspectives on the world, some of which are in alignment with Crimmins’ and others are quite opposed, but the one common denominator is that Crimmins’ respects them all and they intern respect him. That is a rare trait that deserves the spotlight shown in this film. Interviews portrayed in this film include Steven Wright, Patton Oswalt, Margaret Cho, and many others comedians, but one of the most compelling interviews is the one which Goldthwait slowly coaxed with care from Crimmins’ sister as he attempts to poke the sleeping bear of this story. This slowly burning, uneasy advance towards the truth gives the film an edge of mystery and an emotional uncertainty that adds to the film’s appeal. Perhaps this may be seen as a touch too tabloid in how it unfolds, but its done with respect and the results are raw, honest emotion captured on film and heightens the viewer’s connection with the story.

Ultimately, what Goldthwait has done is provided a much deserved and much needed portrait of a personality at endanger of being forgotten. Crimmins’ now resides in a remote section of woods away from society, but as is apparent in the film, still keeps up with domestic and global politics and events and is as willing to express his thoughts as ever, just not on stage as a comedian garnering laughter in the process. CALL ME LUCKY may very well be one of the most important documentaries you will see in 2015 and is certainly one of the best this year, so do yourself a favor and seek it out.

CALL ME LUCKY opens in theaters on August 7th, 2015.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

FANTASTIC FOUR – The Review

A young cast of up-and-coming talent tries their best to save the world, while also attempting to save this struggling film property. Spoiler alert: they only save one of the two. Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell are all talented actors who often breathe life into roles. And yet they even seem bored in 20^th Century Fox’s third attempt at depicting “Marvel’s first family.”

The most recent adaptation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s superhero team wants to be a lot of things. Distancing itself from the last filmic failure, this new FANTASTIC FOUR is part character drama, part sci-fi exploration, part coming-of-age story, and part superhero origin film, all painted in a dark and muddy pallet and featuring some of the worst CGI you will see in a theater this year. It has some good ideas bubbling under the surface, but there’s a major clash in tone between some of these ideas. It tries to be a dark and serious film with the super-powered characters being treated more like monsters than heroes, and yet it also includes goofy comic-book style dialogue that feels hokey in a film made in this style. A lame Saturday morning cartoon score is obnoxiously bombastic and glaringly out of place, and only adds to the odd combo of conflicting ideas. I appreciate that this newest comic-book adaptation tries to set itself apart by telling a new version of the story and structuring itself around character development instead of action scenes. But, in the end, a film just doesn’t work when the script is at complete odds with the direction of the film.

We’re first introduced to the characters of Reed Richards and Ben Grimm as little boys. Richards is building a device in his parent’s garage that can transfer particles to an unknown location. Flash forward 7 years and Richards (Miles Teller) and Grimm (Jamie Bell) have now made an updated version for their school’s science fair. Even though the teachers dismiss this invention, a doctor who works for an acclaimed institute and his adoptive daughter Sue Storm (Kate Mara) happen to be walking through the fair – because these types of coincidences happen all the time – and offer Richards the opportunity to build a larger device in their facility. Of course we then meet Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan) and Victor Doom (Toby Kebbell) during the building process because this is the Fantastic Four after all. But in this version of the group gaining their powers, the device Richards builds transports them to another dimension; to a planet that is covered in rock formations and neon green goo. Note to self: if you ever get transported to another dimension, don’t touch the neon green goo.

It’s in this middle half after they all get transformed where the film started to pique my interest. An overly drawn out opening feels exactly that, and the final act retreats into the standard heroics we have seen before. The only scenes that really come together take place in the second act. There’s a little bit of a David Cronenberg body horror element once the team arrives back to Earth from the other dimension. We see them disfigured and scared. A genuine sense of fear as to what they are now and what they are capable of is effectively shown. Seeing Reed Richards elongated in an unnatural state and strapped down to a medical table is quite an alarming image. The same can be said when we see Johnny Storm burnt and unconscious, still smoldering from being ignited in flames. These images are frightening and provide a unique alternative look to how super powers are typically shown.

It is moments like this where you can see what Josh Trank was trying to do with the film. Much like his previous film CHRONICLE, he seems to want to show the superheroes as more like outsiders or monsters. It’s a novel idea and it’s closer in tone to what Bryan Singer has done with the X-Men series. But I suspect that too many cooks in the kitchen ruined the original concept. I imagine Trank had an idea, but the result of two other writers and studio heads kept pulling the film into a more sellable product. The dialogue and characterizations go one direction while the visuals and concept go another. It’s like seeing Reed Richards stretched out so thin trying to grasp at polar opposite ideas. Since Josh Trank is no superhero, this task is too much for him to handle.

Considering FANTASTIC FOUR tries to be soooo different and to be soooo many things, it’s sort of shocking how dull it winds up feeling. None of the characterizations, ideas, and themes ever stick. So much is lazily setup, but then never developed enough to make the audience truly care. As these super-team films repeatedly teach us, you can’t save the world unless everyone works together as a team. With FANTASTIC FOUR, there is nothing that works in unison to save it from imminent doom.

Overall rating: 2 out of 5

FANTASTIC FOUR is now playing in theaters everywhere

RICKI AND THE FLASH – The Review

It’s familiar fodder for a comedy/drama. Y’know the story of a parent leaving the family unit in order to follow a dream. Then years later, having to return for an uncomfortable, often strained reunion that usually concludes with a big, new extended-family group hug. After a failed attempt (but sometimes successful) at acquiring fame and fortune the prodigal poppa realizes that everything he really desired was right in his back yard. We recently saw this occur in DANNY COLLINS. But this new flick does a switcheroo with that formula. This time mom flew the coop in pursuit of her passions and dreams. Meryl Streep reteams with Jonathan Demme (they remade THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE a few years ago) to tell Oscar-winning scribe Diablo Cody’s tale of, not speedster superheroes, family and rock n’ roll. Grab a brew and settle in for a solid set from RICKI AND THE FLASH.

Life’s just a-chuggin’ along for Ricki (Streep). Sure, her daytime gig ringing up over-priced groceries is a drag, but she lives for the evening hours when she takes to the stage of the Tarzana, CA watering-hole “The Salt Well” to belt out some rock anthems with her back-up band, “The Flash”. Plus, she’s got a nice “band mate with benefits” thing going on with the hunky lead guitarist Greg (Rick Springfield). Then, out of the blue, she gets the phone call. It’s from her ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline) back in Indianapolis. Ricki, then called Linda, left him and their three kids nearly thirty years ago in order to follow her musical muse. Pete’s remarried, but second wife Maureen is caring for her ailing, faraway father, so he makes a desperate plea to Ricki. Their only daughter Julie (Mamie Gummer) is having a break-down after her hubby left her. Pete can’t get through to her, so perhaps Mom can put her back on track. Ricki hops on an East-bound flight and soon arrives at Pete’s swanky estate. After a tense reunion with Julie (lotsa’ issues between them), the ice starts to melt, just in time for another awkward get-together with Ricki’s two sons. Josh (Sebastian Stan) is engaged to the prim Emily (Hailey Gates). They make an attempt at polite small talk, but son Adam (Nick Westrate) is seething with anger. Later Ricki, Pete, and Julie bond over some medicinal herbs, but the calm is disturbed by the surprise return of the no-nonsense Maureen (Audra McDonald). The former and current spouses clash and soon Ricki’s back in CA, but things just don’t seem right (especially between her and Greg) until a mysterious package arrives in the mail. Could its contents finally inspire Linda..er..Ricki to get her non-stage act together?

Streep proves yet again to be a true force of cinematic nature, her character more than deserves top title billing. Yes, we’ve been treated to those powerfully melodic pipes before (just a few months ago actually, via INTO THE WOODS), but here she tackles all manner of modern styles, from heavy metal anthems to pop ballads, even an original acoustic number. She’s never just playing “dress-up” in her Lita Ford-style “video-vixen” fashions, Streep exudes a sultry, unforced allure. Can she still tear out our hearts? Oh yes indeed, especially as she realizes the hurt her impulsive nature instilled in her siblings. But she can win us back with her naughty cackle as she cracks wise at a beauty parlor. Plus she’s got a wonderful rapport with both of her leading men. Thirty three years after their initial pairing (in SOPHIE’S CHOICE), she and Kline have a terrific chemistry. The uptight, button-down Pete is no mere straight-man to the outrageous Ricki. Kline gives each line a distinct, wry tone, never having to mug in order to sell the joke. Springfield still makes the ladies swoon, but he reveals a real vulnerable side as a guy who wants to be more than a last-minute, late night “hook-up” (as in TRAINWRECK, the lady is leery of commitment). Oh, and the former teen heart-throb can really work that “ax’! And, of course, there are considerable sparks between Streep and her real-life daughter Gummer, whose Julie is a walking, screeching open wound who absolutely will not cut “Liiindaa” any slack, not matter how far she’s traveled to “comfort” her. Gummer’s got a keen acerbic line delivery that cuts like a cleaver. The two brothers, played by Stan (the Winter Soldier!) and Westrate make a lasting impression despite their brief screen time, as does the nervous, twitchy Gates. Though she’s absent for the film’s first half, McDonald bursts out like a charging rhino and makes an impressive verbal sparring partner for Streep (neither’s completely in the wrong or right). Laughs and tunes are provided by those other members of The Flash: Rick Rosas, Joe Vitale, and Bernie Worrell, all first class musicians. And then there’s the hysterical Ben Platt as the Salt Well’s remarkably enthusiastic bartender and Ricki’s number one “fan-atic”.

It’s a real shame that the film itself leaves this incredible ensemble adrift. The direction by the usually compelling Demme is quite pedestrian, often resembling a basic cable movie or mini-series (or home design “porn” with his loving, long pans throughout Pete’s plush Indiana digs). Plus he spends far too much time with the band on stage. The Flash performs complete tunes, when just a snippet will do. The inserts of their meager, but very appreciative “long in the tooth” groupies quickly became tiresome (oh, another silver-gray ponytail?). The meandering screenplay by Cody (I swear that’s her enthusiastically “gettin’ down” to a U2 classic at the “Well”) doesn’t help the film’s languid pacing. The first third is pretty entertaining (loved the jabs at the trendy “foods” store), but the “story train” completely left the rails soon after during a contrived confrontation inside an eatery that rings completely false. The movie seems to be spinning its wheels after Ricki’s return, perhaps in order to set up a trite “feel good” finale. I mean the old “fuddy duddies” at a big family function are horrified at hearing rock and/or roll AKA “The Devil’s Music”! Hey, they’re in their fifties and sixties…and just what did they listen to, while in their teens? I mean they’re reacting like party extras in an old Alan Freed flick! Pu-leeze! Hey, at least there’s not an “old lovers rekindling the passion” moment. Hard core Streep fans will probably have a toe-tappin’ good time, but really, RICKI AND THE FLASH is barely a flash-in-the-pan. Tip your servers and gooood night, Tarzana!!

3 Out of 5

THE GIFT – The Review

THE GIFT is a sharp, nasty little thriller that takes a familiar stalker situation and transcends expectations. It tells a story which, in other hands, could have simply been another bunny-boiler, but Joel Edgerton, who directed it and costars, delivers some surprises, most of all by never pushing the material over the top. Ignore the misleading trailer, which makes it look cheap and predictable. THE GIFT delivers much more than you may expect.

Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall star as Simon and Robyn, a childless couple recently moved from Chicago to Los Angeles for Simon’s new high-paying gig at a digital security firm. While shopping for furniture, they bump into an awkward High School acquaintance of Simon named Gordo (Edgerton). Simon at first fails to even recognize the friendly man, but soon recalls that he was known in the day, for reasons to be revealed, as ‘Gordo the Weirdo’. Gordo seems harmless enough and the next day the couple discovers a bottle of expensive wine on their front steps, a house warming present from Mr. Weirdo. Though concerned he found their address, Robyn convinces Simon they should ask Gordo for dinner to say thanks. Simon hesitantly agrees and so begins a dangerous cat and mouse game between the overly congenial stranger and the couple who have more than a few secrets of their own.

What makes THE GIFT a cut above the rest is a psychological complexity that makes it fresh and realistic. As the plot develops, the characters become more complicated and the audience’s sympathies shift. As a director, Edgerton is not above a couple of cheap jump scares, but he does an outstanding job tightening the noose, creating a toxic tension between Simon and Gordo as social pleasantries melt away to reveal contempt and shame and long-held grudges. The question of who exactly deserves comeuppance is milked to satisfaction by the screenplay, which serves up all types of public and private humiliations for the three leads. The movie is a thriller with all the usual trappings of a thriller, but the performances go for realism, the settings are slice-of-life, and even psycho Gordo seems somewhere within the realm of possibility.

Jason Bateman has the largest role and gives a strong performance, but you’re never rooting for him. Bateman has been an outstanding comedic straight man for a decade now, and has only tackled a couple of serious dramatic roles. These bring out a naturally unlikeable quality in the actor, which serves his character well here as his darker shades are exposed. Usually a reliably intelligent presence, Rebecca Hall is miscast – she’s all-victim-all-the-time here, especially in an uncomfortable late plot development that would make Bill Cosby proud. Edgerton shines as creepy Gordo, who’s off-screen for much of the film’s mid-section, giving Bateman and Hall room to develop. Pasty Gordo, with his coarse red goatee and artless wardrobe, is an oddball creep to be sure, but Edgerton wisely avoids descent into sinister caricature that would have made this story less believable. Best of all, THE GIFT builds to a satisfying and clever climax instead of simply ending with a protracted, violent confrontation. Well-crafted, intelligent, and chilling, THE GIFT is highly recommended.

4 of 5 Stars

SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE – The Review

The most entertaining animal story since BABE, SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE is this summer’s sleeper for kids and their parents, a terrific and hilarious movie that takes a lot of risks and makes them all pay off. The modelmakers and stop-motion animators at Aardman studios have created a witty, high-spirited adventure literally out of clay with lovingly rendered detail and the same type of visual hijinks that made their Wallace & Gromit shorts such classics.

Shaun the sheep and his farmyard pals at Mossy Bottom Farm have settled into a dull routine. One day, Shaun decides things need to liven up, so he distracts sheepdog Bitzer (clearly from the same litter as Grommit) and traps the farmer in a trailer with the intent of allowing his entire flock to take a day off from their mundane lives. But disaster on a steep hill leads to the farmer being hospitalized with amnesia. It’s soon up to Shaun, his sheep friends, Blitzer, and snaggle-toothed stray pooch Slip, to venture to the big city and find their owner. Through a wacky series of incidents, the farmer uses his intuitive sheep-shearing experience to find accidental fame as ‘Mr. X’, a trendsetting hairdresser while Shaun and his pals are thrown in animal jail by power-crazed Trumper, a fearsome Animal Control Warden.

Did you notice I didn’t identify any of these character’s celebrity voices? That’s because there are none. There is no dialog, a choice that forces its producers to push the story in inventive directions. Also refreshing is the film’s lack of nods to pop culture. Aside from one gutbusting gag involving a feline Hannibal Lecter, SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE could have been made many decades ago. In fact, it often feels like a tribute to the great silent comedies with squealingly funny, exquisitely timed, sight gags. These include bits of business that incorporate sheep disguised in charity shop clothes, a horse costume in which Trumper gets his head gets stuck in its butt, and a running gag involving characters falling asleep while counting sheep.

SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE’s style and tone will be endearingly familiar to those who have seen the level of invention on display in Aardman’s other stop-motion features THE CURSE OF THE WERERABBIT, CHICKEN RUN and PIRATES BAND OF MISFITS, but I think this is their best effort yet. Based on a series of shorts (there’s been over 150 episodes!) everything about SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE, from the vividly detailed models and figurines to the gallery of memorable supporting characters is astonishing and it’s a wonder to know that each frame of this film was handmade, not orchestrated by a computer. Many of the laughs stem from the intrinsically peculiar appeal of claymation — something about a raised eyebrow or other subtle bit of expression just seems funnier at the stop-motion speed of claymation. INSIDE OUT may have some competition for this year’s animation Oscar after all – SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE is highly recommended.

4 1/2 of 5 Stars

A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY – The Review

Few things are as exhilarating to witness as the unbridled passion and joy that builders put into their Lego creations, and the same can be said of watching children play with these toys as well. That’s right. Lego building blocks are a popular toy for the imaginations of both the young and the old. Having been around since the 1950s, this timeless toy has a fascinating history and a seemingly unstoppable appeal for generation after generation. But, how did it all start and what makes it such a juggernaut?

Directors Kief Davidson and Daniel Junge have taken it upon themselves to explore and reveal the very essence of those questions and, as a result, have created what must be the most comprehensive and thorough detailing of one of the greatest toy inventions… ever! A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY is narrated by comedic actor Jason Bateman, whose voice is recognizable, but played as familiar in place of being funny.

This documentary provides the audience with an awe-inspiring level of history, anecdotes and curious knowledge of the second largest toy company in the world, despite the fact that they produce just a single category of toys… Legos. At its core, when you really consider the immensity of that accomplishment, its rather incredible. Knowledge nerds and trivia junkies will find this film irresistible, as will anyone with an honest passion for toys or even popular culture in general, as Legos have definitely entered into that broader realm of our society.

A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY, on the other hand, is not a fully realized perfect experience. The filmmakers did a fantastic job of avoiding the mass marketed, feature-length advertisement trap that would have meant disaster. At no point as a viewer did I feel I was being sold something, not did I feel I was being brainwashed into loving Lego (partially because I already do), but there still exists an unavoidable element of self-promotion that is tolerable, even acceptable. However, in doing so, there is a personalized touch that is lost, or at least minimized.

Despite all the wonderful facts and stories that go into forming the overall Lego story, the film ultimately feels a bit dry. Lacking any personality of its own, or of the filmmakers’ involved, nor any true stylistic uniqueness, A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY often feels bland and unemotional. Don’t get me wrong, the film has some funny moments, especially when the narrator, shown on screen as an animator mini figure, certainly brings out the inner child and the heart-felt chuckle. Even this, however, is borrowed from the LEGO MOVIE.

A great deal of the interesting information available in the film is presented as just that, interesting information not unlike what you may read in an article on the Internet, but in movie form with audio and video. This may appeal to the droves of Lego fans whose interest lies within meticulously constructing Lego sets into the carefully planned out builds pre-determined by the Lego designers. That’s all fine and dandy for those content with following instructions and recreating others’ visions, but what the film lacks is a more freely flowing, artistically minded approach to the many Lego fans who say “screw the instructions” and want nothing more than to allow their creative minds to run free amidst the three-dimensional universe of plastic geometric shapes.

In all fairness, A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY does focus on a few relatively prominent artists. One of which being Alice Finch, a self-taught Lego master builder who has won multiple awards and whose massive recreation of Rivendale from The Lord of the Rings is anything but boring… in fact, its quite jaw dropping. As amazing as her work is to see, this is a short segment and the only creation of hers we see on film. Secondly, the Lego artist Nathan Sawaya is featured a bit more prominently, and for this I am grateful. Sawaya’s work is impressive and inspiring, ranging from large sculptures to small simple Lego men strategically placed in public, sort of like what Shephard Fairey and Banksy do with stencils, Sawaya does on a smaller, less political scale with Lego brinks. He also recreates masterpiece paintings, but with Legos and that is really cool.

There are a couple other names in the Lego art world that are touched upon, but I feel the balance between historical information and artistic interpretation leave the film feeling a little too much like a PBS documentary directed by Ken Burns and not enough like a contemporary, socially relevant film about a corporate powerhouse that has consequently evolved into something much more. I still very much enjoyed A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY, and I certainly recommend the film highly to be seen by children and adults alike, but continue to believe the film had the potential to be even more. Much like the subject matter itself, the film has great imaginative potential but limits itself too much to remaining loyal to the instructions.

A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY opens in theaters on July 31st, 2015.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

6 WAYS TO DIE – The Review

Directed and written by Nadeem Soumah with Vinnie Jones, Michael Rene Walton, Viveca A Fox, Bai Ling

A mysterious Englishman who calls himself “John Doe” (Vinnie Jones) hires a professional hit man. The target? A drug cartel leader named Sonny “Sundown” Garcia (Michael Rene Walton), a rich, powerful and dangerous career criminal who “stole everything I ever loved” according to John Doe.

The movie begins with the hit taking place, in full view of a crowd of dancers at Sonny’s night club. This occurs, even though the hit man states he does not make any hits in front of witnesses. John Doe also insists the hit be done with a particular weapon that Sonny used in the past, the incident the movie keeps flashing back to, which “took everything I ever loved.” This is all about revenge you see.

6 WAYS TO DIE proceeds to tell us the 6 ways to die, in reverse order and announced with title cards. Much like Memento we are given lots of information, but little explanation as to what is occurring. Besides the hit man John Doe hires 5 other people, with very specific skill sets, to perform 5 very different jobs for him. And John Doe is very, very specific as to what he wants done. All the actions lead up to a double twist ending I defy anyone to see coming. All the different jobs John Doe has assigned fall into place at the end and we find that nothing is what it seemed.

Beyond that I cannot tell any more without giving out spoilers, this is one thriller that must be seen from the beginning, and paid attention to. Which may doom its chances of finding an audience. Many movie goers now want movies they do not have to pay any attention to so they can keep texting and web surfing while the movie plays.

I will say that 6 WAYS TO DIE is smart, edgy, complex and surprising. Most of the actors were unfamiliar to me with the exceptions of Vinnie Jones , who starred in Midnight Meat Train, which if you have not seen I highly recommend, (if you can take Clive Barker’s patented mayhem! That is one bloody movie!) He has an impressive resume and made his name in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Bai Ling is a familiar and beautiful face from films like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Edmond. Dominque Swain appeared in Lolita and Road To Nowhere. Their resumes are also quite impressive. We also get what amounts to a cameo from Tom Sizemore.

Point being, this is a true ensemble piece and all the actors are on top of their game and the real surprise is the script and the direction. I had never heard of Nadeem Soumah, he also has an impressive resume, and this is one terrific project. I sincerely hope we see more work from him, he deserves a long and interesting career.

Highly recommended, four stars out of five.

6 WAYS TO DIE opens
In theaters and VOD on Friday, July 31st

THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT – The Review

I first learned about the story of the Stanford Prison Experiment in high school. It was a journalism/newspaper class of all classes – where I had a monthly movie review column, which served as my first foray into film criticism. The idea of a psychology professor taking students and throwing them into a simulated prison system didn’t make much sense to me then. It seemed cruel and unusual, and my naïve, middle-class upbringing didn’t understand the benefit of forcing students to be cruel to other students. Never the less, that experiment conducted by Philip Zimbardo (played here in the film by Billy Crudup) in 1971 has always fascinated me due to its unusual nature.

Now that I’m older, I understand its meaning and its relevance. THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT, the film, deftly recreates these intense moments that followed over the case of several days, showing the excruciating stress and mental exhaustion it enacted on its participants. But while the film is keen on showing the excruciating parts, I’m not sure its entirely successful at relaying the mental affects it had on both the prisoners and the guards.

There’s a calculated and yet matter-of-fact precision to how director Kyle Patrick Alvarez analyzes the situation known as the Stanford Prison Experiment. He presents the “prison” scenes in such a natural light that you forget that this is intended to be a simulated experiment. The power struggle feels too real. This of course is the point. Alvarez wants the viewer to feel as if this is more than an experiment. We are meant to be caught up in the harsh reality that consumes these poor students. But since the majority of the time is spent showing the students as prison guards and prisoners, what you lose is how they feel and react when the “game” stops. What happens when the students who play the guards go home at night? What do they think of when they sleep? How do they feel about their actions? There are one or two quick scenes where the guards are switching shifts and are changing in the locker room, but they don’t amount to much and seem to only graze the surface of the psychological issues that are the underlying issue of the experiment.

The transition from school project to dangerous experiment happens almost instantaneous. Alvarez is quick to show-off the verbal abuse that the prisoners had to go through. Being so meticulous in the uncomfortable events is both good and bad. Some of the scenes are quite effective and have you feeling very uneasy. However some become tiresome given how long they go on for. One scene in particular involving the inmates repeating their prisoner ID numbers over and over again drives home the point to the audience too well. It becomes emotionally draining for the prisoners and the audience.

Ezra Miller has been a rising star in Hollywood ever since he served as a human form of birth control for newly married couples in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. Here, he continues to shine as the aggressive prisoner 8612/Daniel. There’s a natural passion to how he delivers dialogue and his presence is always felt, even if he’s just rolling his eyes at a guard in the background.

Billy Crudup is an actor I always think I like more than I do. Earlier in his career he wowed me in films like ALMOST FAMOUS and BIG FISH, but as of late, he continues to seem to coast on this boyish charm. His soft face accented with a slight smirk is what he rests on to get out of a scene. As the leader of the experiment, you never care what he’s thinking about or how he feels watching what is happening on his security monitors. He’s just there to serve as a cut-away – a break from the unpleasantness.

Though it often feels repetitious, Tim Talbott’s script delivers by focusing on small character interactions to push the story along. For the most part it doesn’t get preachy or try to make a point about what this says about human nature. That is until the very end. A series of exit interviews conducted with the students feels just a little too much and tacked on at the end to hammer home a message for the drive home.

THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT doesn’t build to a rousing climax as much as it slowly simmers, casually turning up the heat under you until you are just the right amount of uncomfortable. Alvarez seems to want to illustrate the events in an almost stylized documentary fashion instead of a sensationalized drama – for that I commend him. The real life experiment in 1971 marks a turning point in our country’s cultural landscape for many reasons. With the US government forcing young men to go overseas to fight in Vietnam, the shooting of unarmed college students by the National Guard on the campus of Kent State in 1970, and innocent protestors being ushered away in handcuffs on a regular basis, this tumultuous period is stained with several instances of unwarranted aggression against “weaker” individuals. Both the experiment and the film illustrate how this is possible to just ordinary men. It’s evident by this experiment that too much power is a bad thing, I just wish that the film had made more of a powerful impression on me.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT opens in St. Louis on July 31

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Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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