Tag: Review

THE MASTER (2012) – The Review

THE MASTER has been generating a steady buzz in cinemas circles for the past few months for several reasons. For one thing, it’s writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s sixth film, his first in nearly five years ( 2007’s THERE WILL BE BLOOD ). It’s also Joaquin Phoenix’s first fiction film in four years ( 2008’s TWO LOVERS before his ” performance art ” documentary I’M STILL HERE ).  The hard-core movie tech fans are interested because Anderson shot the film in 70 mm, the format of cinema spectacles like 1959’s BEN HUR. But the biggest question floating about the flick is whether it’s about the controversial founder of Scientology. This after Anderson directed the world’s most famous Scientologist, Tom Cruise, in MAGNOLIA ( earning Cruise a supporting actor Oscar nomination in his best screen performance ). Well, the film is now out. Audiences will be able to see if THE MASTER is a scathing expose. That will be the subject of much discussion ( and litigation, perhaps ). Hopefully this will not overshadow Anderson’s compelling script and directing skill along with the superb work from all the actors involved. These thespians along with the film maker will be recognized in the year-end film lists and award season.

Although the film’s title is THE MASTER, it really focuses on the journey of WWII vet Freddie Quell ( Phoenix ). An erratic, troubled alcoholic, Quell spends his last days as a sailor in the psychiatric ward. The Navy doctors and counselors do their best, but are ill equipped to help this damaged man ( this was before treatments for PTS, post traumatic stress, were created ). Quell is released from the service and fails to hold down a job ( family photographer, migrant worker ). Coming off a bender, he is drawn to a yacht hosting a party for some rich ” swells”. He sneaks aboard and eventually meets the ship’s captain, Lancaster Dodd ( Philip Seymour Hoffman ). Dodd is impressed with Quell’s mixology talents ( he can make ” hootch ” out of anything ) and permits the drifter to stay. On the boat are Dodd’s family and believers in the spiritual movement he presented in his book ” The Cause” ( the followers address him as ” master ” ). Over the next few years ( into the early 1950’s ) Quell travels with the Dodd family as strong-arm enforcer ( got to squelch those skeptics ) and experimental subject for treatments outlined in ” the Cause ” as they spread the master’s teachings.

This fairly simple story is brought to vivid life by an extremely gifted cast. We should start with the master himself. Hoffman’s been in all of Anderson’s films except for THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Here he deftly handles the many facets of Dodd : huckster, salesman, philosopher, intellectual, mischievous child, and flawed man. For the believers and wealthy sponsors, he’s the calm truth-seeker ( until he’s challenged when Dodd unleashes his rage ). And then there’s that taste for the grape. He’s able to keep his appetites ( and growing ego) in check for the most part. Somehow Quell melts his heart. When his family stages an intervention to get Dodd to cast Quell out, the master will not budge. Freddie’s more than a project, he’s Dodd’s ideal son. The real male heir, Val, doesn’t have a passion for ” The Cause “. He seems to be there for the ride and , hopefully, the big pay-off. There’s a few moments when Dodd’s affection alarms the group ( particularly an impromptu wrestling match on the lawn of a rich sponsor ). Most alarmed may be Dodd’s pitbull of a wife Peggy, played with steely determination by Amy Adams. The pregnant Peggy believes that Quell takes away from Lancaster’s focus. Peggy often seems more fervent on  spreading Cause beliefs than her hubby. She also is much more protective. At a party where Lancaster is debated by a skeptic you can almost see 3D daggers projecting from her wide eyes at the questioner. Later she lays it all out, ” No defending! Attack! Attack! “. This is surprisingly strong work from Adams, whose talents have been squandered in too many frothy ” rom-coms “. I expect both performances will be rewarded with supporting actor nominations.

But as I stated earlier, this is Freddie Quell’s story and it may be the role of Phoenix’s impressive screen career. Quell is a loose cannon, a live wire in that 40’s jargon. He’s also a wounded man-boy who tries to dull his pain with gallons of booze and casual sex. His twisted psyche manifests itself physically in his tightened facial features and stilted, stiff body language. Often his rage explodes in messy, violent acts ( many in defense of his master ). Phoenix somehow makes this furious, frustrated stunted child sympathetic. We really hope that his new family can fix him, or at least calm him down. He’s heartbreaking, riveting, and unforgettable. Certainly Freddie can take a place next to Daniel Plainview and Dirk Diggler in Anderson’s list of flawed heroes. If the Academy can find five more compelling actors this year, I will be very pleasantly surprised.

Anderson’s 70 mm decision pays off handsomely in several memorable sequences. A montage of people posing for Freddie at a department store photography salon is incredibly striking, capturing the artificial formality of those old heirlooms. The opening scenes of Freddie and his sailor pals cavorting on a Pacific beach seems to sparkle as do the shots of the churning ocean behind their ship. It also helps the more intimate moments as when Lancaster ” processes ” Freddie ( processing is an intensive interview with certain questions rapidly repeated ). And it heightens the claustrophobia when Freddie must perform a ‘blind’ exercise for hours on end. Special kudos to the all the artists that recreated the post-war years, from the wardrobe, hairstyles, and sets. Everything looks spot on.  Anderson keeps this sprawling story under control making it seem much shorter than its 137 minutes. He only falters during a confusing final act. It’s not really clear what is real or imagined in those last few minutes. I don’t want to harp on that since everything up til then is so well done. So, is it about the S. movement? Well, from what I’ve researched , there are many, many striking similarities. There’s no space aliens and volcanos that TV’s ” South Park” so hilariously skewered several years ago ( those ideas didn’t arrive till well into the 60’s ), but many other concepts are represented in the film. Hopefully moviegoers won’t be going in for a ” blow the lid off” expose’. What they can look forward to is an exceptionally well made drama  with compelling characters brought to memorable life by a group of exceptional actors directed by one of the most gifted film makers working today.

4.5 Out of 5 Stars

DREDD 3D – Fantastic Fest Review

Set in the not-so-distant future America, an irradiated desert wasteland, DREDD 3D paints a dark, grungy picture of society to come. Based upon the comic book series, this second film adaptation takes the British comic strip source material more to heart, without taking itself too seriously. The Judges in this future, based from the Hall of Justice, are also the jury and executioner… a type of one-stop-shop of the criminal justice system. Less focused on celebrity as Sylvester Stallone’s JUDGE DREDD (1995), DREDD 3D (2012) may feature a relatively simple story, but showcases the extraordinarily bleak, post-industrial mess of a landscape and the overall character of its characters’ world.

Directed by Pete Travis (VANTAGE POINT), DREDD 3D stars Karl Urban (STAR TREK, PATHFINDER) as the infamous, no excuses Judge to be most feared by criminals. Keeping in line with the previous statement about the film not focusing on celebrity, Urban never once removes his helmet in DREDD 3D. This, in turn, requires an actor to enhance their physical presence as well as their vocal range in convincingly selling a character. Urban pulls this off, capturing the same trademark grimace that defined Stallone’s performance in the role, but expanded on his facial articulation to give the character slightly more depth. Fortunately for Urban, that depth is shallow in a character like Dredd and in a movie such as this, heavily preoccupied with every violent, bloody bit of action.

The assumption in DREDD 3D is that the last bastion of humanity — a very loose term in this context — resides within a single mega city that stretches from Boston to Washington, D.C. Surrounding this mega city is a massive wall, separating mankind from the inhospitable Hell of their own creation outside. Those less fortunate to be born and live in the border regions near the wall, find themselves exposed to higher levels of radiation. This brings rise to the mutants, an element of the story not unlike that in TOTAL RECALL, but far less emphasized. In this case, epitomized solely by Judge Anderson, a rookie forced under Dredd’s wing for assessment. Played by Olivia Thirlby (THE DARKEST HOUR), Anderson is given special consideration due to her status as a mutant with a certain special ability that proves extremely valuable.

DREDD 3D wastes little time diving into the filthy reality of the universe it inhabits. Spawned from the rapid onset popularity of a new drug known as Slo-Mo, a rise in significant crimes brings Judges Dredd and Anderson to the notorious Peach Tree mega block, one of several mega structures housing tens of thousands that tower endlessly over the dilapidated remains of the old city. The call is relatively routine, a multiple homicide with three bodies. However, not long after Dredd and Anderson arrive on the scene, things begin to spiral out of control.

The face and personality behind the recent mayhem is MaMa, a curiously fresh and original criminal boss played to a marvelously twisted and sexy outcome by Lena Headey (Queen Gorgo from 300). Physically scarred and as equally deranged and she is emotionally damaged, Headey provides the all-too-rare femme fatale foe that the ultra-masculine Dredd needs to provide the type of pleasingly digestible balance we get from DREDD 3D. With an entire mega block at her command and disposal, MaMa proves to be a force to be reckoned with and not short on the criminal mastermind smarts one expects.

Flipping the coin, and complimentary to her foe, Thirlby provides a certain feminine fragility, a certain innocence to Judge Anderson that further balances this three-way oh hormonal stereotypes. Thirlby captures the frightened girl emotions, but also builds a deeper, more rigid face of a strong woman holding back that resides dangerously just beneath her cute exterior. Both in the cases of Dredd and Anderson, the stereotypes are merely superficial, with the bulk of their depth left implied, residing between the scripted lines, while MaMa wears her abrasive style of restrained madness on her sleeve.

DREDD 3D is a dark, gritty film with a steam punk edge. I found visual and tonal elements of the film in line not with BLADE RUNNER, from the design of the sets to the choices in lighting and how the film plays out. I also found the violence to be favorably excessive and graphic, not unlike in PUNISHER: WAR ZONE. The violence and gore is there for a purpose, and to that purpose it serves to enhance the film as a justifiable mean to its end. The original music from Paul Leonard-Morgan keeps the pace steady and energizing, which is a damn good thing as the majority of the 95-minute running time takes place within this one mega block tower.

The 3D portion of DREDD is commendable, not especially extraordinary, but does serve to enhance certain scenes of action. However, I found the use of the beautifully stylized slow-motion in combination with the 3D to have been leaned upon ever-so-slightly too much. Those viewers who prefer the more visually assaulting, graphically gory violence that tends to invoke subtle laughter of disbelief combines with the flinching reaction similar to watching testicles being abused on America’s Funniest Home Videos… DREDD 3D delivers as much of this as the general audience will permit and just enough to satisfy the more discerning connoisseurs.

On a general note, DREDD 3D is a superior film adaptation to its 1995 predecessor on many levels. For the men out there looking for the beauty and the beast in genre film — that being babes and guns — DREDD 3D presents Olivia Thirlby in a very positive, albeit modest light and as I hope to have clearly conveyed already, lots of guns and violence. For the ladies, well… I entice you to join your man or venture out on your own to see DREDD 3D for two words… bristle (in the form of facial stubble) and brawn — Karl Urban offers you both.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

DREDD 3D opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, September 21st, 2012.

THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY ( 2012 ) – The Review

Here’s another little flick that’s sneaking into mutiplexes in the void between the end of the Summer blockbusters and the start of the prestige Winter award seekers with very little fanfare. How little? Well, co-star Bruce Willis paid a visit to David Letterman on August 29 and never mentioned it. He was plugging the still upcoming LOOPER. But there is a bit of interest in THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY because of the film’s lead. Not because of anything he’s doing for this flick, but because of his next role. Henry Cavill will be streaking through the skies as Superman in Zack Snyder’s THE MAN OF STEEL next June. Yup, the guy playing Willis’s son will also play the last son of Krypton. It’s tough to say how he’ll look in tights ( or molded latex actually ), but he looks to be a competent action hero/ leading man. It’s a shame that DAY is a long way from competent itself.

The investment firm headed by Will ( Cavill ) is in free fall, but he’s got to jet over to Spain and join his family for his father Martin’s ( Willis ) birthday aboard his sailboat. Once they’re out on the water Will and Martin butt heads, and Will swims out to shore for supplies ( and to get away from ole’ Captain Grumpy ). When he returns, the boat is deserted. Dad, Mom,brother Josh and his gal Dara are nowhere to be found. When Will contacts the local authorities, he’s soon on the run from the law and rival agents and assassins as he tries to reunite with his missing family.

So that’s about it. Basically it’s run, run, chase, capture, escape, run, run chase. Oh, and the usually wonderful Sigourney Weaver is stuck in this repetitive mess as an old friend of the family. This film strives so hard to be a gritty, exotic action thriller like the Bourne films, but fails, or as the kids online say, “epic fail”. Without the name stars it would be an unremarkable time filler on basic cable TV. The big final car chase is set on the streets of Madrid…at night. Yeah.  We’re basically seeing headlights zip past other lights. And it goes on..and on.. Finally one character actually says ” I’m gettin’ tired of this “. I barely suppressed a loud ” Amen! “. I’m guessing Willis and Weaver just liked the idea of a paid Spanish vacation. Neither seem to have much enthusiasm for this lackluster script ( Willis never changes his squinty scowl ). Cavill’s seems a pretty good action hero, though he has to endure a whole lot of abuse in this flick ( tied-up and interrogated again? ).  Being invulnerable will be a nice change. Hopefully he’ll be a memorable Kal-el and this flick will be buried in the discount DVD  bins or late night TV while everyone involved goes on to much, much better films.

.5 Out of 5 Stars

BRANDED ( 2012 ) – The Review

BRANDED slithered ( like the flick’s CGI beasties ) last Friday with very, very little fanfare. Kind of appropriate since it’s a film about the evil of marketing…and advertising…and consumerism…the list trudges on and on. And it wants to be a satire / mind-blowing thriller, perhaps like the original ROBOCOP. I doubt if that classic’s director, Paul Verhoeven, could have done anything with this garbled mess of a script. Well, believe it or not, BRANDED had two directors! The best thing I can say about this new flick is that it’s something that Edward D. Wood, Jr. might have had a hand in making if he were still around. That may not be a fair comparison since Wood’s Grade-Z flicks are still pretty entertaining, while BRANDED is a real cinematic endurance test.

The bulk of the film is set in the new Russia. But first we start with a flashback to the 1980’s and the evil ole’ USSR. Young lad Misha is waiting in one of those long, winding lines we always heard about ( usually for one roll of bathroom tissue ), when he’s struck by lightning! Cut to a Polynesian island retreat where the legendary old Marketing Guru ( Max Von Sydow ) meets the heads of the world’s fast food chains. Seems the eateries are floundering and they need the master’s help. Jump to present day Russia where adult Misha ( Ed Stoppard ) is an award-winning advertising wiz working alongside American Bob Gibbons ( Jeffrey Tambor ), who just might be an intelligence agent. Misha catches the eye of Bob’s ambitious niece, Abby ( Leelee Sobieski ). They join forces ( in business and the bedroom ) to produce a big makeover reality TV show. When things go horribly wrong, the Guru swoops in with his master plan while Misha and Abby are separated when he’s thrown in the slammer. Years later she tracks him down. After doing his time, Misha  now tends to a herd of cattle far, far from the urban sprawl. After a ritual involving a red cow ( ?! ), he returns to the big city. Seems that now Misha can see things other folks can’t. The desires for products create weird monsters that threaten civilization. Can Misha stop these consumer critters before they destroy all mankind?

Or something like that. It’s all so pompous and ludicrous. The monsters seen in the poster art and a few TV spots are bulbous, floating amoebas and snails with elements of several artist styles, a bit of Dr. Seuss, Ralph Steadman, and the Chiodo Brothers ( one prominent floatie has a big red nose and a white face like those alien killer clowns ). And they don’t do much besides bounce into each other and burst apart or form bigger, uglier mutant parade-type balloons. An attack from green dragons doesn’t liven things up any. And you’ve got to slog through an hour of heavy-handed satire of burger chains and reality TV before you see them! What did these actors get from this script? My affection for Tambor was truly tested, but his lifetime pass thanks to TV’s ” The Larry Sanders Show ” and ” Arrested Development ” remains intact. Von Sydow has a couple of scenes, but he’s basically doing an extended cameo as he wears different track suits while he lectures in front of some tacky green screen effects. Sobieski is a wild-eyed sexpot ( nearly bursting out of her wardrobe ) for the first half and has strained scenes with a badly dubbed child actor in the second half. For most of his screen time, Stoppard alternates between bored and hysterical. A scene on the dance floor with Sobieski looming over Stoppard overwhelmed the dialogue ( something about how Lenin was a good marketer ).  hmmm, maybe that was a good thing. All the while the film makers are hammering their themes. Yeah, we know fast food’s not good for us! And we shouldn’t trust ads! Mad magazine’s been saying that for nearly 60 years. BRANDED is a colossal, pretentious train wreck of a film that will test any bad movie aficionado. I should just be grateful I didn’t have to pony up a few extra bucks to see the evil marketing monsters in the miracle of 3D! Now if this had been a remake of the classic Chuck Conners TV western, well…

.5 Out of 5 Stars

SLEEPWALK WITH ME – The Review

Here’s a phrase we don’t get to hear much these days : this film is based on a radio program. Back in Hollywood’s Golden Age, radio was as much a source for feature films as television, novels, comic books, and video games are today. True, last year’s THE GREEN HORNET and next year’s THE LONE RANGER started as 1930’s radio shows, but most folks are familiar with their TV incarnations. And you could say that the autobiographical PRIVATE PARTS had its basis in radio as does the Howard Stern best seller. Well, SLEEPWALK WITH ME began as a popular true story told by stand-up comic Mike Birbiglia on NPR’s ” This American Life” hosted by Ira Glass ( who co-wrote the screenplay ). So we could say that it’s a movie about stand-up following films ( in comic jargon they’d be the warm-ups ) going back to LENNY, PUNCHLINE, MAN IN THE MOON, and the recent FUNNY PEOPLE. TV struck gold with Jerry Seinfeld playing a thinly disguised version of his comic self, followed by Bernie Mac and the current FX channel hit, ” Louie ” starring Louis CK. Can Birbiglia go from that brick wall ( and single spotlight ) and kill ( jargon again ) on the big screen?  Here’s the hook : unlike many of those above mentioned performers, he’s got a problem many of us have had to deal with ( although not to this life-threatening extreme ).

Birbiglia plays aspiring stand-up comic Matt Pandamiglio ( pretty close, eh? nobody introducing him at the clubs pronounces it correctly ). He’s living with his gorgeous girlfriend of 8 ( ! ) years Abby ( Lauren Ambrose ), who teaches full-time at a local college. Everything seems to be going great until Matt’s sister Janet gets engaged. Then the pressure really starts from his parents ( James Rebhorn and Carol Kane ). Abby insists that she’s in no hurry to tie the knot, but late one night Matt discovers that the Tivo is filled with episodes of a bridal reality show. He’s got to get serious about comedy and stop tending bar ( and cleaning the toilets ) at a local comedy club. He’s meets a third-string talent agent ( a step or two down from BROADWAY DANNY ROSE ) and ends up taking all the low-paying, out-of-the-way gigs because he’s got a car. The long hours driving, inattentive audiences, and marriage pressures exacerbate Matt’s old sleep problem. As the title state’s he’s a sleepwalker. But not the kind that just circles the bed before hopping back under the covers. No, he reacts to his dreams, verbally shouting and acting out violently. And increasingly endangering himself. Can Matt eliminate the pressures and tension before a trip to slumberland turns deadly?

I’ve probably made the film sound like a ” disease of the week ” TV movie, but it’s really, really funny. It takes a bit to adjust to his rhythm, but Birbiglia’s wry, laid-back humor works well as the film’s narrator. Still,  his early struggling scenes are painful. You can almost smell the flop sweat as the camera puts you alone on stage before an uninterested and often antagonistic audience. Oh , and inattentive too, thanks to that nemesis of live performers ( and film fans ), the cell phone. Lenny Bruce never had to deal with that! While Birbiglia tells a great joke, he’s not a strong screen actor ( Seinfeld had the same problem for the first few seasons of his show ). He ‘s overshadowed by most of the pros, who are truly at the top of their game. It’s always a pleasure to see Ambrose ( perhaps best known for TV’s ” Six Feet Under ” ) on screen. Her Abby is so outgoing and delightful that you wonder why she’s stuck with a fella’ who seems to be spinning his wheels. C’mon Matt!  Kane is an adorable sprite as Matt’s wacky Mom ( loves ordering cakes over the internet ), while Rebhorn is a terrific counterbalance as the overbearing, always agitated father. Most of the time he’s obnoxious, but often I actually agreed with him ( ” Marry that girl! ” ” Get a career plan! ” ” See a doctor for that sleepwalking! ” ). The film is peppered with small roles played by many vets from the comedy world. Kristen Schaal and Wyatt Cenac from  ” The Daily Show ” are there along with WANDERLUST director David Wain. Stand-up guru Marc Maron plays a thinly disguised version of himself as headliner Marc Mulheren who inspires Matt to be more truthful performing. Birbiglia does a fine job of directing along with Seth Barrish. SLEEPWALK WITH ME captures the ups and down of telling jokes on the road and offers an honest, non “rom-com” look at the difficulties in a relationship. I’m grateful that those nocturnal escapades didn’t silence this unique comic voice. May you never lose that sleeping bag, Mike!

4.5 Out of 5 Stars

SLEEPWALK WITH ME plays exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre

4.5 Out of 5 Stars

ARBITRAGE – The Review

The shelf life of a Hollywood leading men can sometimes be quite short. When the A-list scripts or name directors cease to call ( or return calls ) many leading men have turned to television (especially now with the quirky shows on basic cable and premium channels ). Some actors will turn to smaller supporting or character roles: the gruff father or grumpy grandpa’ parts. And then there’s Richard Gere. He emerged as a major heart-throb in the late 70’s with splashy performances in BLOOD BROTHERS and LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR. Of course, posters of him in AMERICAN GIGOLO adorned many a bedroom wall in the early 80’s. Even then he balanced these main stream flicks with quirkier fare like DAYS OF HEAVEN. Through the next decades he cemented his box office status with romantic roles in box office smashes such as AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN and PRETTY WOMAN. But Gere seems more eager now than ever to take a chance, whether learning tap for CHICAGO or playing a real life fraud, Clifford Irving, in HOAX. Now he’s parlaying his still considerable charms ( making that silver mane look good! ) as a character loosely based on recent, shady Wall Street-types in the dramatic thriller ARBITRAGE. And this time out, Gere just may finally take that gold statuette home.

In ARBITRAGE Gere plays Robert Miller, one of the so-called ” masters of the universe “. You can imagine him downing a scotch with Gordon Gekko at a swank private club. But, not as the film opens. Miller’s private jet touches down after a fruitless business meeting. He’s immediately transported via limo to the plush NYC digs he shares with his gorgeous socialite wife of many years, Ellen ( Susan Sarandon ). Ellen’s put together a birthday party for him with his son ( and wife, and grandkids ) and business partner daughter Brooke ( Brit Marling ) in attendance. Rushing out early ( ” Gotta’ stop by the office” ), Robert dashes to meet his mistress, up-and-coming artist Julie ( Laetita Casta ). She’s frustrated that he spends so little time with her, while he insists he’ll be at her big gallery opening tomorrow night. When he really goes into the office the next morning, things are not as rosy as the media believes. Miller has borrowed millions from a colleague so that his hedge fund company will look more attractive for a potential buyer. Robert’s itching to cash in and retire, while Brooke knows nothing of the loan. That night, after the gallery reception, Robert whisks Julie away for a relaxing country weekend upstate. Tragedy strikes. Robert calls on Jimmy Grant ( Nate Parker ), the son of his deceased driver, to help him out. Police detective Michael Bryer ( Tim Roth ) investigates the incident and becomes aware of Grant’s involvement. Will Grant expose Robert before he can sell his firm and hide his secrets from his family?

ARBITRAGE is almost two films. One is the police investigation led by Roth’s character. His dogged detective is almost the Columbo of the occupy movement. He wants  Robert Miller, that slick one-percenter,  in the slammer, pronto. Parker brings a lot of intensity to this young man caught between two worlds. Will he crack? Roth does a serviceable street accent, but this plot seems too similar to stories on any of the ” Law and Order ” TV spin-offs. What’s really interesting is the story of financial deception. It’s a bit flashier here than in last year’s MARGIN CALL and the WALL STREET flicks. The Millers must constantly put on a show for the public, so that no one will know that he and his company are barely treading water. The macho posturing of buyer and selling is on full display along with veiled threats and passive/aggressive behaviors. Every phone call or text may be a another deadly attack. Can the accountants keep quiet will the feds are sniffing about?  These fellas may look civilized, but they’re really sharks, waiting for that first hint of blood.

And Gere’s Robert Miller is the smoothest, deadliest shark of the bunch. This guy’s done a lot of rotten things, but somewhat Gere has us rooting for him. He lets us see the confusion on his face as Robert struggles to keep all the lies from strangling his brain. This is stand-out work from an actor who keeps surprising us. But he also helps his co-stars shine. Marling was quite an indie smash in last year’s ANOTHER EARTH, and here she jumps into the big leagues with a terrific duet with Gere in a powerful father and daughter confrontation on a bench in Central Park. She’s very strong in this role as is Sarandon as her, apparently clueless,  mother. This woman who runs the house staff and arranges charity events proves her own strength as she also confronts Robert late in the film. Being a big fan of TV’s ” The Rockford Files “, I was so pleased to see Stuart Margolin in a quietly scene stealing role as Robert’s long time attorney ( ” I can’t hear this.”, as he exits the limo ). Way to go ” Angel”! ARBITAGE is an involving look at the lies and secrets that are part of the business scandals that make up so many news headlines. And it’s a showcase for Gere. In his fifth decade as a film star, he’s doing some of his best work ever. Turns out that dreamboat poster guy is still quite an actor.

4 Out of 5 Stars

 

THE WORDS – The Review

When film makers are looking at a profession for serious subject matter ( super spies, reckless cops, and costumed crusaders are for the lightweight Summer action blockbusters ), they often turn to the literary. Namely, the lonely, unglamorous writer can make for a somber hero ( of course this might be a bit of navel-gazing since somebody’s got to whip up a script ). Movies from THE LOST WEEKEND through last year’s THE HELP have shown the authors pounding away at the typewriter keys well into the wee hours of the morning ( of course modern-time movies have substituted a laptop computer for the noisy old Underwoods and Coronas ). Instead of battling monsters and beasties these knights of the pen fight with another formidable foe : the blank page AKA writers’ block. This can often have the hero facing a moral quandary of fabrication ( THE HOAX ) or outright thievery ( YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER ). The later is the main theme of the new drama THE WORDS, which takes a cue from THE HOURS and interweaves one book about another book about, etc. Is this cinematic nesting doll worth the time and effort of keeping track of who’s writing what?

In the opening scene we’re introduced to celebrated author Clay Hammond ( Dennis Quaid ) as he reads a passage from his latest best-seller to an enthusiastic audience that includes graduate student Daniella ( Olivia Wilde ). The novel begins with The Old Man  ( Jeremy Irons ) watching celebrated author Rory Jansen ( Bradley Cooper ) and his wife Dora ( Zoe Saldana ) climb into a limo that will whisk them to a fancy literary event. Cut to several years ago as Rory and Dora, fresh out of college, move into their Brooklyn loft. Rory struggles to establish himself as a writer, and has to ask his blue-collar father ( JK Simmons ) for a loan. When Rory and Dora travel to Paris on their honeymoon he buys a beat-up old leather briefcase at a shop. Once they return to the states, Rory takes a job in the mailroom of a publishing house. Filing away his old stories and rejection letters, Rory discovers a weathered, hand-typed manuscript hidden in one of the old briefcase’s compartments. He’s so moved by the story that he begins to re-type it, word for word, on his laptop. Dora stumbles across the file and insists that Rory submit it for publication. Rory slaps together a title page ( with himself as author) and gives it to one of the agents ( Zelijko Ivanek ). Before you know it he’s on the best seller lists. All’s going well for this rising literary star until The Old Man plops down on the park bench next to him. The Old Man tells him of the years spent in Paris at the end of World War II as a Young Man ( Ben Barnes ) and his love affair with a beautiful Frenchwoman, Celia ( Nora Arnezeder ) that inspired his lost novel. Rory’s been found out. What will he do to put things right? And what will happen with Clay and Daniella after the public reading and the after party?

There’s a compelling story of plaugerism buried somewhere in this overly complicated, much-too-heavy drama. The sudden scenes shifts don’t help quicken the pace one bit ( this is a very long 95 minutes ). Most of the confrontations seem to fizzle out, particularly a murky confessional between Quaid and Wilde near the conclusion. The actors strain mightily to make this material work. Cooper seems to be repeating his LIMITLESS role here minus that super pill. His take on the flawed golden boy was essayed much better by Robert Redford decades ago. Saldana has little to do in the loyal, supportive wife part even as she is torn by his deceptions. Quaid makes for a believable veteran writer, but he remains an enigma by the film’s end. Wilde’s always a welcome addition, but her book groupie turned inquisitor never really gels. The short supporting work from Simmons, Ivanek, and John Hannah ( as a writing rival ) do create a few brief sparks. Luckily there’s Mr. Irons, who commands the screen as the true literary master. Every emotion is etched on that ravaged face ( nice makeup work). At first he’s sad and pathetic, but soon becomes a rage-filled lion as he exposes the young fraud. If they rest of the film were up to his level, THE WORDS would be a strong awards season contender. Unfortunately the movie sputters and stumbles when Irons is off stage. A muddled, over-wrought, morality melodrama, THE WORDS never really leaps off the page…or screen.

2 Out of 5 Stars

SAMSARA ( 2011 ) – The Review

In the Golden Age of Hollywood, one of the bonuses of theatre-going was the little jewels called short subjects. Today we usually just get trailers for upcoming flicks ( my rule: at least two trailers, more than three is pushing it ) . Back then, besides the possibility of a second feature, you’d get the trailers and the shorts. A seven minute cartoon or two, a comedy short subject or mini-musical, and a newsreel focusing on headline-making stories would round out the program along with an occassional travelogue. Travelogues ( nearly always in bright, sparkly color ) whisked film fans to far-off exotic places guided by an informative narrator ( newsman Lowell Thomas did several of these ). Today the major studios have shuttered their shorts department, but TV has taken up the format ( there’s even a Travel Channel ). Still several film makers are making theatrical short subjects ( Oscar still honors them ) and many are expanding their cinema globe-trotting to feature film length. Ron Fricke has been involved in this format for the last few decades, including the seminal art house hit KOYAANISQATSI and the recent BARAKA. His latest film, SAMSARA, opens in limited release at those lucky selected theatres around the country.

For SAMSARA Frike has enlisted fellow film makers from around the world to contribute to a look at planet Earth in this new century. And it’s all shot in crystal-clear, sharp good ole’ 70 millimeter. And boy, do those gorgeous color images pop! Particularly in the opening sequences as we watch exotic Eastern dancers and some artists ( maybe monks? ) making an intricate multi-color design using tiny colored specs. Later we see African natives and their intricate body art along with factory workers toiling away on an unending assembly line ( scenes of chickens and cows squeezed by conveyor belts may have you thinking about vegetarianism ). Time-lapse scenes of towering cities with zooming cars and bustling commuters are included along with swooping shots of desolate mountains and vistas. There’s even a performance scene of an artist working with paint and clay using his own expressive face as the canvas. Unlike the classic travelogues there’s no guiding narrator, instead we get a terrific modern music score that helps set the mood for each new exploration. Some of these images will stick with you long after you’ve left the theatre. If you’ve a desire to explore the globe, but don’t have thousands of flyer miles to redeem, then SAMSARA may be just the cinema travel agent for you. It’s quite a remarkable sight and sound trip.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Out of 5 Stars

CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER – The Review

Now, this is an interesting twist on a film genre. Seeing the poster, you might think that CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER is another frothy, lighthearted ” rom-com”. You’d be mistaken. This could be called an anti ” rom-com”. Well most of these flicks are about the two main characters meeting cute, having conflict, resolving said conflict and living happily ever after, CELESTE is about a couple who’ve been through all that and then fall out of love. It’s the ” ever after”.  The big romance is pretty much covered with a photo montage during the title and opening credits. Ah, but you think ” These two are so adorable, they must work things out”. I won’t say if they do, but I will say that this flick is full of surprises. Kind of like real life, as opposed to movie ” rom-com life.

As I said, by the time the opening credits are done, Celeste ( Rashida Jones ) and Jesse ( Andy Samberg ) are a married couple who have separated. You’d never guess as they tease each other in her car on the way to Dinner with their soon-to-be-married best pals Beth ( Ari Graynor ) and Tucker ( Eric Christian Olsen ). The friendly behavior of C & J freak out B & T. Soon-to-be-exes just shouldn’t behave like that! After their pals storm out of the restaurant, C & R return to her house. Celeste lives in the main house while Jesse lives in the garage/ art studio out back. The guy has little work ethic concerning his art career and can’t seem to get around to signing those divorce papers. But he does start dating which prompts Celeste to make him move out on his own. In the weeks leading up to the big wedding Celeste struggles with her job at a media consulting firm and dipping her toes back into the dating pool while trying to deal with the future ex-husband that’s still her best buddy in the whole-wide world.

I’ve enjoyed the TV work of both actors, so I went into this flick rooting for them. My enthusiasm was severely tested when C & R read aloud ( in exaggerated German accents ) from  a Mexican restaurant menu. Well, maybe even earlier as they simulated a sex act on a tube of lip balm in the car on the way there. But the film got back on track and was tougher than the bouncy trailers would let on. What they don’t tell you that even though two names are in the title, we spend most of the film’s running time with Celeste ( Jones did co-write the script, after all ). Jesse’s really short-changed. When they meet up after quite a bit of screen time apart, he’s changed radically. It’s a shame we don’t get to see more of that progress. Instead we get to see Celeste’s dating disasters ( she’s at fault for most of them ). When she does meet nice guy Paul ( Chris Meesina from RUBY SPARKS ), Celeste is such a flakey pill we question his determination. The gal’s got some issues including some frustration at the fact that Jesse’s life is not falling apart after leaving her. A subplot involving one of her work clients, pop-songstress teen temptress Riley ( Emma Roberts ) doesn’t seem to go anywhere and Elijah Wood is wasted as Celeste’s work boss/ gay supportive pal ( even his character mentions this hackneyed stereotype ). Luckily the two stars have enough chemistry and charm to make this story more engaging than it should be. Samberg’s done a lot of great work over the last few years on TV’s SNL, but his film work’s been spotty. This movie gives us a chance to see his dramatic skills. Jones has been stellar in supporting roles on TV ( ” The Office “, ” Parks and Recreations ” ) and films ( THE SOCIAL NETWORK, THE BIG YEAR ) and here, as a lead, she’s able to make the exasperating Celeste fairly endearing. It’s a long trek to the film’s big wedding finale’, but there are a few solid laughs along the way to make CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER a flawed, but enjoyable ” break-up- com “.

Overall Rating 3 Out of 5 Stars

COMPLIANCE – The Review

Time for another movie ” inspired by true events “, but this one sticks much closer to reality than recent flicks THE VOW and PEOPLE LIKE US. So much so, that it’s really thought-provoking. And ultimately disturbing. COMPLIANCE is based on a real incident that occurred in Kentucky during the 1990’s. A couple of lines of dialogue are taken verbatim from newspaper articles and network TV news magazine shows. This is one of those rare films that…well, if you go with some friends, expect to discuss it afterwards, from drinks, through dinner, perhaps past dessert. COMPLIANCE is not a film that will evaporate from your mind the minute you pass through the theatre doors.

The setting is a fast food place called ChickWich, home of breaded chicken patty sandwiches and chicken tenders, located in suburban Ohio during a wintry Friday. Frazzled manager Sandra ( Ann Dowd ) is doing the best she can on this busy day. She’s almost out of bacon ( OMG! ) and one of her cooks is sick with ” that thing that’s going around “. To further complicates matters, she gets a call from an Officer Daniels ( Pat Healy ). He tells her that a ChickWich customer claims that one of the cashiers, a petite doe-eyed 19 year-old named  Becky ( Dreama Walker ), reached into her purse and grabbed a handful of cash. Sandra brings Becky into the back office and puts her on the phone to Daniels. Becky denies the theft. Daniels tells her that he will come to the restaurant, arrest her, and keep her in jail overnight unless she consents to allow Sandra and her assistant manager Marti ( Ashlie Atkinson ) to search her. And so begins a long, long day of humiliations as the directions of the Daniels are conveyed over that office phone and followed through to aid him in his ” investigation “.

Helping anchor this almost impossible to believe true story are three impeccable actors who should ( and hopefully will ) become better known. I was only familiar with Dreama Walker from the TV sitcom ” Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 “, so I was surprised at her dramatic range in the role of the hapless Becky. At the film’s start, she’s a carefree gal in her late teens, who knows that the future will be much brighter once she’s past this wage slave job. That future seems in jeopardy as the nightmare begins. She’s stunned at first, then outraged at the accusation. But the caller amps up the fear and soon she’s careening from helplessness to hopelessness.  For the audience she becomes everybody’s kid sister. She has to be rescued from that cold, dank room. We don’t see Pat Healy as the caller until well after the interrogation has begun ( beside a brief scene as he buys his phone cards ), but once we see him at the other end of line , Healy becomes one of the great screen villains. We can see the wheels in his head turning as improvises his instructions and peppers the conversation with ” cop jargon ” ( thanks to a several police manuals ). This is the banality of evil as he goes about his daily routines ( taking out the garbage, fixing lunch ) always with the receiver almost attached to his ear. It’s a movie monster we’ve not seen before. A true control freak. Sandra is played expertly by character actress Ann Dowd. Usually regulated to mothers and professionals ( lawyers, doctors, etc. ), Dowd gets a chance to shine as the dithering overseer. She seems to be one of those plate-spinners from the old Ed Sullivan TV shows. She just can’t keep all those dishes moving.When we first meet her she’s berated by another company boss. Later she’s insulted not so subtly by her staff ( maybe she shouldn’t have told them that she and her beau exchange ” sex texts” in an ill-advised attempt to seem ” with it” ). Speaking of him, she struggles to keep her man on the straight and narrow, while believing that he’s going to pop the question any day now ( one last chance at longed for marital bliss ). She may be a more clueless, pitiful female spin on Steve Carell’s Michael Scott of the TV’s ” The Office”. Sandra’s so frazzled that she’s the perfect patsy for Daniels. Confusion turns to confidence as Sandra  convinces herself that she’s being a good citizen ( there may be a bit of resentment going on since Becky represents youthful promise that passed her by decades ago ). She’s an example of the dangers of gullibility, literally naive’ to a fault.

Director Craig Zobel gets everything right about the restaurant world. The customers at the drive-thru and counter have no idea of the drama going on in the back kitchens and offices ( kind of like backstage at a theatre ). You can almost smell the frozen chicken fillets cooking in the bubbling grease baskets. The film begins almost as a fast food take on OFFICE SPACE with a clueless boss, snarky, bored wage slaves, and cranky patrons. But once Daniels calls, Zobel ups the tension very slowly we’re in for a rough ride. It’s almost as if we’re being held hostage in that cold back room along with Becky. Many times I wished I could jump into the screen, grab a character by the shoulders, and try to scream some sense into them. And all the while you just can’t believe this really happened. My only complaint is a somewhat confusing time line. While night has fallen at the ChickWich, the sun shines brightly at Daniels’s home. That’s a minor quibble. COMPLIANCE is a film that may be difficult to watch, but it’ll be bouncing around your head for quite a while…much longer than a meal at your local ChickWich.

Overall Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

COMPLIANCE plays exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre