Twofer Thursday: Comedy Gets Serious

Twofer Thursday:

Offering up a new release and a complimentary older movie for the upcoming weekend. I have pretty good taste, so you should just follow my advice.

It's Kind of a Funny Story (R)

Starring: Kier Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts

Directors: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

The theme this week is getting out of your comfort zone. Normally, Galifianakis is known for his comedy roles, but here he plays a much more deeper and darker character than normal. A teenager (Kier Gilchrist) is, like most teenagers, depressed and hating his life. He constantly thinks about suicide and so decides to check himself into a psychiatric ward. There, he befriends Bobby, a depressed young father who voluntarily checks himself into the ward a lot. There's a special bond that develops between the two and it's very stirring and genuine. But along with all the touchy-feely stuff, there's a lot of good comedy. The other patients offer up a diverse group of characters that you end up loving to spend time with. It's a fairly easy going movie, despite all the heavy themes being thrown out. I was simply amazed at how easy it was for Galifianakis to play such a different and complex character. The rest of the cast is just as good - Kier Gilchrist, in his lead role debut, is really good at playing the awkward teenager and Emma Roberts is just mysterious enough to want to know more about her. All in all, a wonderful movie that probably will make you feel good about yourself and who can't love that about a movie?

Stranger Than Fiction (PG-13)

Starring: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman

Director: Marc Forster

Another huge leap for a comedian, Stranger Than Fiction really shows off Will Ferrell's acting chops. Here he plays an IRS auditor, Harold Crick, who suddenly finds his life being narrated by Emma Thompson. After several attempts to ignore said voice, he decides to confront it. It's a wonderful movie and Harold Crick is an amazing character - he's a diligent, statistical person. Everything in his life is sterile and removed from any emotion. But it all comes shattering down on him when the voice appears. He starts to get involved with a auditee that he's investigating and the movie carries forward full steam ahead. Although more of a drama than anything, there is a lot of laughs to be had and they don't necessarily come from Ferrell. Plus, the soundtrack is one of the best this past decade - Spoon headlines and it injects the movie with some energy. There's a great scene where we see Harold crack and reveal more of his true self - when he starts to play Wreckless Eric's "Whole Wide World" on the guitar. It's such a great revelation and breakthrough not only for Harold, but also for Ferrell. It's a great movie and it makes you want to see this side of Ferrell more in movies.

Notable Tuesday Releases

Life as We Know It (PG-13)

Starring: Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel

Director: Greg Berlanti

We didn't get this movie in on time so I didn't get a chance to watch this movie. But you can pretty much guess from the trailers if you're going to like it or not. It's pretty much a cookie cutter romantic comedy - so it boils down to the comedy and actors. I personally loathe Katherine Heigl - not so much as an actress, but as a person. She's come off in interviews as a holier-than-thou jagweed. But Josh Duhamel, he's a solid actor (plus he's easy on the eyes, am I right, ladies?). So they pretty much cancel each other out. Which means it's probably just okay.

Paranormal Activity 2 (R)

Starring: Kate Featherston, Micah Sloat

Director: Tod Williams

Another movie that we didn't get in on time, Paranormal Activity 2 seems pretty much more of the same. I'm not one for these kinds of movies, but if you've seen the first one, you'll probably enjoy this one just as much. Although unlike most horror sequels, this movie is actually a prequel! Surprise! But you know this franchise isn't going away until they've milked every penny out of it. So expect Paranormal Activity 10:  Supernaturally Scary coming to theaters in 2018!

It's Kind of a Funny Story (PG-13)

Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis

Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Now this was a funny and sincerely heartfelt movie. Zach Galifianak plays a much more somber character and is absolutely brilliant as a depressed young father. Kier Gilchrist plays the troubled teen who thinks his life is spiraling downwards and checks himself into an adult psychiatric ward. There's great chemistry between him and Zach and there's lots of great moments in the movie - especially when they get the whole ward together to play Queen's "Under Pressure" for the hospital. I highly recommend this one!

Rating: Rent It!

You Again (PG)

Starring: Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis

Director: Andy Fickman

If you like a sterile, Disney PG comedy that teaches you morals that you already know, than You Again is for you! I'm sure some will find it cute, but the jokes fall flat (there's a lot of dumb, physical comedy) and even the great Betty White can't save this dreadful comedy. Kristen Bell plays a gal who had a horrible experience in high school and wants to forget about it. But her brother is marrying the girl who made her life a personal hell. And hilarity ensues (well, not really). I wish they would have taken this movie to a darker edge - like Election. But it's Disney, so we're stuck with this lame comedy.

Rating: Not Worth Paying For!

Twofer Thursday: Buried & Moon

Twofer Thursday:
Offering up a new release and a complimentary older movie for the upcoming weekend. I have pretty good taste, so you should just follow my advice.

Buried (R) 
Starring: Ryan Reynolds

Director: Rodrigo Cortés

Here's two movies that rely solely on the performance of one actor. Buried is not going to blow your mind with plot twists and surprises, but the film succeeds in creating a palpable thrill even though it takes place entirely in a coffin buried underground. Ryan Reynolds, convincingly the sexiest man alive, is a terrific actor who does not get the credit he deserves, talent-wise. I would not be surprised if he lands an Oscar nomination in the next few years (it just takes the right role). But audiences love him and here he's crafted quite a powerful performance. It's amazing what the movie can do with just one guy, a cell phone, a pen and the occasional snake. The movie creates a very good sense of claustrophobia - we're left in the dark physically and mentally - there isn't a whole lot of exposition and we're left to guess what's really happening outside the coffin. The movie does have a few surprises (the company phone call where he subsequently gets fired is both shockingly funny and sad all at once) and the ending will either enrage you or leave your mouth agape. It's a thoroughly engrossing movie from start to finish.

Moon (R)

Starring: Sam Rockwell

Director: Duncan Jones

I've reviewed this movie earlier for Project 182 and I still consider it one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. It's not only a great story and Sam Rockwell gives a great performance, but the tiny details and mood of the movie are what's best about this ode to 2001 and  many other great science fiction movies. The robot voiced by Kevin Spacey is classic and all of the shots outside the space station are beautiful and eerie. This movie will have you guessing what's real and what's not - and that can mostly be attributed to Rockwell. It's destined to be a classic in the genre and I cannot wait to see what Duncan Jones has in store next.
 

Notable Tuesday Releases

Conviction (R) - Drama - 107 minutes
Starring: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo
Director: Tony Goldwyn

"A working mother puts herself through law school in an effort to represent her brother, who has been wrongfully convicted of murder and has exhausted his chances to appeal his conviction through public defenders"

For the record, I really dislike Hilary Swank. I really can't put my finger on it, but I've never really liked anything she's done. But I love Sam Rockwell - he's a consistently good actor and has surprising range. So Conviction was a big question mark, but despite it's A-list cast, this movie really could have been on the Lifetime network. It's a good story and one that deserves to be told, no doubt, but I just don't think the movie convinced me enough that it was worth paying for. It's well acted, but  the story was slow and poorly paced. Plus, the movie is all about Hilary Swank - we never really see the hardship endured by her brother in prison, nor do we get a greater sense of why the two are so close. There are certain flashbacks as to how they bonded, but they never are convincing enough to show why she's so obsessed with taking care of her brother and why she neglects everything and everyone in her life to pursue her law degree. It seems, though, at the end of the movie that everything is nicely tied up for her life, but it's hard to imagine that all of her close relationships haven't suffered in the past twenty years - and the film never really delves too deeply into that. But if you like inspiring movies and don't mind a very shallow look at the determined spirit, this movie is for you.

Rating: Not Worth Paying For!

Let Me In (R) - Horror - 116 minutes
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Grace Moretz, Richard Jenkins
Director: Matt Reeves


"A bullied young boy befriends a young female vampire who lives in secrecy with her guardian"

A not-so-surprising American remake that is surprisingly better than the original in some respects. Based on a Swedish novel, Let Me In is a very haunting and quiet film. The mood and the young actors are what's best about this movie. There's never any rock and roll moments like you would normally find in vampire movies. It's more of a slow boil - and the true horror is not necessarily the person with the fangs. In fact, this is one of the most smart and beautiful vampire movies to grace screens in a while. The film focuses on the young boy, who is brilliantly portrayed by Kodi Smit-McPhee and his troubles with bullies at school. These are not the normal bullies - they're out for blood quite literally. But when he befriends a quiet, graceful little girl (once again, Chloe Grace Moretz, from Kick-Ass, shines here), he starts to stand up for himself - and the terror he finds within her is nicely contrasted to the terror he sees within his bullies. There isn't a whole lot of exposition (something Maggie commented on - it's a very important aspect of movies to her), but if you are willing to go along with the movie - it's a fantastic journey. And for those that loved the original Swedish movie, it's every bit as good, if not better in some respects. Although it didn't do gangbusters at the box office, it will probably work itself out to be a cult classic in a few years.

Rating: Rent It!

Never Let Me Go (R) - Drama - 103 minutes
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Kiera Knightley, Andrew Garfield
Director: Mark Romanek

"As children, Ruth, Kathy and Tommy, spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them."

I don't normally cry when I read books, but damn, this story had me blubbering like a baby at the end. It's a sad, terrific story and I wholly recommend reading the book if you get the chance (TIME magazine considers it the best book of the last decade). And despite its shortcomings as a movie, Never Let Me Go does the story justice, even if it may just be skimming the surface. It seems like the studio wanted to market the kids fate as a mystery, but there's really no spoilers in telling you that they're clones destined to give up their organs for "real" people. The movie follows three close friends as they grow up in a safe environment shut away from the outside world. The movie clearly knows the tone of the book - a very lonely existence for each of the three characters, even if they are constantly surrounded by each other. The movie quickly moves past their childhood into their young adult lives and it never really establishes a sense of friendship between the three main characters. The book spends a lot more time as kids and you get a better sense as to why they are all friends and why certain betrayals happen. But the movie is striking and there's just a sense of hopelessness that abounds in the film that's quite tragic. Plus, if you're a fan of Spider-Man, you get to see Andrew Garfield in all his glory. Where the film does succeed is the acting and not just the main characters, but the surrounding cast as well. The movie will definitely pull at your heartstrings, unless you're a robot who has no sense of human emotion.

Rating: Rent It!

For Your Consideration: Kick Ass

Assessing the year's best films, according to my refined tastes and, as usual, in no particular order (except this one). These are the top 10 movies I would select on my ballot for a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

Kick-Ass (R)
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mark Strong
Director: Matthew Vaughn

Kick-Ass is probably the most underrated movie this year. I think a lot of people passed it off as silly nonsense with a profanity-ridden young girl as the hook. I give this movie a lot more credit than that. This is probably the most fun 2 hours you can have with a movie. Understandably, this movie is not for everyone - there is an extreme amount of violence, sex and of course, language. So if you can't stomach a little girl spilling blood and launching f-bombs, this is most definitely not the right movie for you. But for the rest of us shallow people, Kick-Ass is one of the best superhero movies I've seen. The characters are actually quite believable and real, even though some of the story is a bit fantastic (jet pack gatling guns!). But the best part of the movie is summed up in the title - it kicks ass! I could watch this movie over and over - the action is great, there's laugh-out-loud moments and it's just fun to watch. The scene where Big Daddy and Kick-Ass get captured and Hit Girl has to save them is one of the most beautiful and strangely haunting scenes I've seen in an action movie. It's a perfect blend of slow-mo, lighting, choreography and music. And the movie sets the stage for an even bigger story for the sequel (which is in the works!), which should be excellent. You can't get a better action movie than this one.


That's my top 10 for 2010! If someone had to twist my arm and get me to rank them, I'd have to put them in this order:


10. True Grit
9. Toy Story 3
8. Easy A
7. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
6. Inception
5. 127 Hours
4. The Town
3. The Social Network
2. Kick-Ass
1. Black Swan

Twofer Thursday: The Social Network and Zombieland

Twofer Thursday:
Offering up a new release and a complimentary older movie for the upcoming weekend. I have pretty good taste, so you should just follow my advice.  

The Social Network (R)
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield
Director: David Fincher
I've already touched upon what I like most about this movie back here. To sum up: it's a great movie and will probably still be considered great long after this year. It's an instant classic and further cements David Fincher as one of Hollywood's elite directors who knows how to make a damn good movie.


Zombieland (R)
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Director:  Ruben Fleischer

This was one of the movies I saw during Project 182. It was amazing back then and still is now. If you consider for a moment that Zombieland is what it would be like if, in an alternate universe, Jesse Eisenberg's Mark Zuckerberg's genius had only been interrupted by the inevitable zombie onslaught. In fact, the movies are more closely related than you think: Columbus (Eisenberg) in the movie goes so far as to say "You want to know the best thing about Z-land? No Facebook status updates. You know, Rob Curtis is gearing up for Friday. Who cares!" This was noticed by Maggie and I only imagined it made her spit out the current beverage she was consuming at that time.I would tell you more parallels between these movies, but you'll just have to watch both this weekend to scout them out! (Or maybe that's all I got and I'm too lazy to think about any other possible connections. Who knows!?! You'll just have to play along!) So, anywho, Zombieland is great than for no other reason than the Bill Murray cameo. It's up there as far as cameos go in movies - right next to Bob Barker in Happy Gilmore and Lance Armstrong in Dodgeball. It's funny how this movie was originally intended as a TV series, but they couldn't sell it. Now The Walking Dead is the new hotness and Zombieland, I believe, is getting a sequel. Cool beans for zombies everywhere!

For Your Consideration: Toy Story 3

Assessing the year's best films, according to my refined tastes and, as usual, in no particular order (except this one). These are the top 10 movies I would select on my ballot for a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

Much like True Grit, this is one of the outliers on my top 10.

Toy Story 3 (G)
Voiced by: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
Director: Lee Unkrich


Despite all the disappointments from 2010, there was a solid slate of animated movies that were far superior to a lot of live action movies (How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me, Tangled, Legend of the Guardians). Toy Story 3 is by far the best of them and is most definitely the best in the series. The movie wraps up all the toys' stories quite nicely and there's just a lot of fun with this one. The movie takes on a Great Escape-vibe and it works perfectly to tackle the underlying issues of the whole series - What happens when you're abandoned by those that you love? It's a very scary scenario if it wasn't all cute and about toys. But the movie finds deeper meanings in these adorable characters. I've even read a quite plausible Toy Story 3 Holocaust metaphor. Whether intended or not, it's hard not to argue that Toy Story 3 has a lot of depth to it. And that's what makes this movie fit in the Top 10 - I don't think I've ever felt more attached to any sort of animated characters as I do Woody, Buzz and the whole crew. The ending is gut wrenching and bittersweet. Not only because it's the end of Andy's relationship with his toys, but it's our ending with this franchise. Oh, I'm sure they'll try to make a sequel, but to me, this is the most fitting way to end their stories. Pixar has made it known they will only work on sequels when they deem the story completely necessary, but it seems they've already broken that vow with the Cars sequel. (Lightning McQueen dress up as a car super spy? Really, Pixar?) Sigh. The only bad thing I have to say about Toy Story 3 is the ending that seems to drag on forever! It's a bit over the top and I rolled my eyes a few times when they seemed to have been saved only to land in a much worse predicament. Just end the movie! Despite that tiny flaw, it's a wonderful film and completely deserving of the moniker "#1 Animated Movie of All-Time."

For Your Consideration: True Grit

Assessing the year's best films, according to my refined tastes and, as usual, in no particular order (except this one). These are the top 10 movies I would select on my ballot for a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

I still have yet to see a few movies that I suspect might edge out a movie or two in my fake Oscar ballot (Never Let Me Go, The King's Speech and The Fighter to be exact). When I get to those movies, I'll let you know. True Grit is one of those movies that would probably get the cut.

True Grit (PG-13)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen


After what some considered their most personal work to date, A Serious Man, the Coen brothers come back with what is arguably their biggest and most accessible movie to date. I won't say they've brought the western back from the dead, but they've certainly made the genre more appealing to a younger generation. And while I really did not like the first movie with John Wayne, I knew I was probably going to enjoy this truer adaptation of Charles Portis' novel. And it certainly was worth the wait - this movie is highly entertaining. It was a lot funnier than I expected it to be. Jeff Bridges is pretty good as Rooster Cogburn, but sometimes I felt like he was hamming it up too much for the camera. But of course, the best part of the movie, much like the first, is Mattie Ross. She's more empowering in this version of the film and I feel like she won over Rooster's respect throughout the movie. She's smart and I've heard quite a few people say her performance is more rehearsed, like she's reading lines instead of acting. I would have to disagree - I'd say it's more that her character really does talk that way - she's a very educated girl that probably learned to talk through writing very formally and that's all she knows how to talk. Either way, newcomer Hailee Steinfeld gives a great performance against some truly great actors. Another great part of the movie was the banter back and forth between Rooster and the Texas Ranger played by Damon. He's pretty much an asshole with a badge, but Rooster seems to get the best of him most of the time. As for the film as a whole? It's beautiful and there's a quiet sense of menace throughout - this is not a pretty picture of the west. Things get really creepy and weird when an grizzly old man lumbers on horseback up to Rooster with a whole bear suit hanging all over him. He looks like death himself and I wouldn't have been surprised if he went crazy and tried to kill them with a battle axe or something. But that's what the Coen brothers are great at - creating awkward moments with the macabre and it pays off in this movie well. The movie is well-paced too - I never really found myself checking my phone. The plot is straightforward as it can be, so the movie's more about the characters and their journey together and the Coen brothers do a good job of keeping us entertained, whether it be some funny moments or truly riveting suspense. This is probably the Coens' most accessible movie they've ever made and it's superb. Maybe not an instant classic, but a solid movie and quite wonderful.

Most Anticipated: The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet (PG-13)
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz
Director: Michel Gondry

Seriously, this is just amazing. Not only have I already seen two movies for this year off my anticipated list, but I've seen them before they've even opened and they were free! I feel pretty good about my life right about now. Okay, I'm the asshole soaking up all this awesomeness that is my life when I should be telling you about the movie. Well, let's just say it was awesome, bro! But to begin, I will put this out there - if you are not a fan of Seth Rogen, you probably will not like this movie. He's co-written and produced as well as being the lead man (duh!) in this movie. It has his stench all over it (and I mean that most flatteringly). I really like Seth Rogen - I think people got sick of his slacker image plastered on what seemed like every movie two years ago. BUT! He's playing a different kind of slacker this time around! Plus, he's a bit more toned in this movie and I found that not jarring at all. It's not like he's Kato and jumping around in 3D, kicking ass. So, if you're on the fence about Rogen, I say give it a chance! Secondly, I feel really dumb for seeing the poster and thinking about the Donnie Darko bunny:

Because they really don't look that much alike. At all. And after I said this to Maggie while adding I just don't get what the headlights are all about, she pointed out the headlights formed a HORNET. So apparently I cannot make out pictures like a four-year-old can.

But back to the movie - it was surprisingly awesome! I remember thinking after the first twenty minutes, wow, this movie isn't that funny. And then the funny happened. A lot! I laughed quite a bit - whether it was the banter back and forth between Britt Reid and Kato or Christoph Waltz's gleefully eccentric bad guy - I couldn't help myself from laughing out loud. The movie mixes things up pretty well between the dreadfully serious action movie and the over-the-top cheesy action that first inspired The Green Hornet's roots. There's a great article from The New York Times that follows the 70-year history of the franchise. It's funny how Nicolas Cage almost ruined the movie with his Jamaican accented villain idea. Or Stephen Chow's idea to implant a chip in Britt Reid so Kato could control him with a joystick. Those movies would have been train wrecks. Thank god Seth Rogen got a hold of this movie. It's balls deep in kickassness. Michel Gondry, the eccentric filmmaker who brought the world Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, seemed like an odd choice, but he's been attached to this movie since 1997. And he's a perfect fit, because Kato-vision is pretty awesome and there are some cool sequences including a scene where the film gets cut up into tiny boxes, each showing the spreading of news by the bad guy (I'm not doing it any justice - let's just say it was pretty cool). And the action is just enough, although the ending I can't decide if it was balls-to-the-wall awesome or if it was a bit too much to swallow (Maggie would argue it was too much. And that's what she said). So...yes you should see this movie! Unless you don't like Seth Rogen. But you can skip the 3D - it's not like the movie was worse because of it, it just didn't add anything special. The credits were actually the coolest 3D part. The movie is out this weekend, so make sure it gets some love!

Rating: See It!

For Your Consideration: Easy A

Assessing the year's best films, according to my refined tastes and, as usual, in no particular order (except this one). These are the top 10 movies I would select on my ballot for a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

Easy A (PG-13)
Starring: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley
Director: Will Gluck


Yes, this is easily one of the funniest movies this year (although that's not a stretch - I can probably count on my one hand the number of comedies in 2010 that were actually funny). Not only do you have a great premise, but you have the next actress that personifies charm and wit. Emma Stone is the next it girl and she totally delivers in this movie. She plays Olive, a whip-smart girl who's in over her head in high school. But as she navigates the gossip mill, there's something more profound happening in the movie. I think we're seeing a classic John Hughes-esque teen comedy at play. Instead of the jocks versus the geeks, you have the reasoned, well-mannered versus the extremists. It's not political, just emotional - and Olive is just as guilty as taking things to the extreme as her crazy, religious classmates have done. Okay, enough of the bullshit metaphors and analogy about this movie - it's fun-nee and well written. There's a lot to love about the movie - from Thomas Hayden Church's tragically hip English teacher to those crazy parents (played by the impeccable Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson) who reminded me of my friend's parents (oh man they were so cool, unlike my parents!). It's destined to be a classic - something that will be remembered as a classic high school movie, like Mean Girls or Sixteen Candles. And as much as the movie is about sex (or the illusion of it), there's something sweet about the whole movie. Maybe it has something to do with the writing or the direction. Or maybe it's just that Emma Stone has got that girl next door thing going for her. Either way, it all ends up coming together as one of the best in 2010.