A plethora of old reviews
Good evening! I'm watching a lot of TV on DVD these days (particularly episodes of Agatha Christie's Poirot), so I'm actually not adding movies to my to-be-reviewed list as rapidly as usual. This circumstance, of course, means that the more I post on here, the closer I get to catching up with myself. To that end, I'm going to do a longer old-review post tonight--more than twice as many reviews as usual, though several of them are fairly short. Hope you enjoy it! It's Saturday, January 24th, and tonight's old reviews are:
How to Rob a Bank
4 stars
Sharp, stylish, witty, this move keeps the audience guessing, not to mention laughing. The premise of this flick--various people getting locked in a bank vault during a robbery, some of them on purpose--was just off-the-wall enough to be believable, and the questions of who can be trusted and who is playing whom didn't let up until the very end. The interjections of social commentary both serious and ridiculous added some fun spice to the thrills.
I was gratified to see Gavin Rossdale acting again since Constantine, though his character was a bit prone to expletives. Nick Stahl was very LaBouef-esque in his knowing nothing but still taking control of the situation, and Erika Christensen was both gorgeous and amusing.
I'm sure the unbelievability card can be played frequently with this movie, but honestly I didn't care. I had fun watching it.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
2.5 stars
Nothing against Maria Bello, as she is both gorgeous and talented, but this film franchise lost a great deal when it lost Rachel Weisz. Weisz' sweet/tart chemistry with Brendan Fraser was one of the joys of the first two Mummy movies, and Bello just didn't have the same spark with him, nor was she as able to stand alone without him. On the other hand, I was really glad to see Michelle Yeoh bring her uber-dignified badassery to this movie...not that she made up for Rachel, but she is fun to watch.
Unfortunately, the lack of cracking Weisz (pun intended) was not the only lack this sequel had. While the addition of yetis and Chinese legends were cool, and tie rivalry between Rick and his son was somewhat amusing, there's really only so much you can do with raising the angry dead with tons of CG. Changing the setting helped, but not enough for much of it to feel new. And using many of the same gags, including Jonathan's greediness and the use of some kind of flying machine, made the film seem even less original than it might have otherwise. Maybe I'm being too harsh. I didn't hate this movie. But it did leave me feeling slightly blah.
Road to Perdition
4 stars
While this movie is slightly predictable, its performances are so powerful and its scenery and soundtrack so beautiful that one finds oneself moved and excited by it even if one has already figured out how the plot will unfurl. Paul Newman, I'm convinced, will never leave the top of his game. Jude Law played his character (as opposed to playing himself playing a character) better than I've ever seen him. Seeing Daniel Craig pre-Bond was interesting, Stanley Tucci is always watchable, and Tom Hanks was Tom Hanks, but Tyler Hoechlin, playing the hitman's son, stole the entire movie. From everyone.
This movie, like Eastern Promises and American Beauty, does not always move quickly. But if the audience is prepared to stretch out its attention span to compensate for the languorous beauty and character of Road to Perdition, they will not be disappointed.
The Air I Breathe
4.5 stars
I am really surprised that this movie did not get the exposure and acclaim that Crash got. The two films had equally strong acting, similarly difficult issues to address, were equally hard to watch but equally worth it. The Air I Breathe is the diametric opposite of movies like Saw and 13: Game of Death, because even though TAIB had some very depressing and hard-to-watch moments, it is not all about glorifying those moments. Instead, it highlight the resilience and triumph of the human spirit when it must go through them.
The Air I Breathe is also a movie about connection. Though some of its four main characters interact directly with each other, many of their connections come through being on different sides of a situation, or moving through the same place for different reasons--the connections are very oblique, very Dickensian, and absolutely fascinating.
Also like Crash, this movie has a very strong cast. Kevin Bacon and Forest Whitaker are two of the most talented and versatile actors in Hollywood, especially considering how carefully they seem to choose their film projects these days. I was also blown away by Brendan Fraser and Sarah Michelle Gellar--while these two have done well for themselves with fantastic and comedic fluff, in films like this one (and for Fraser, Journey to the End of the Night) they are showing some serious dramatic depth. Same goes for Emile Hirsch, whose admittedly obnoxious beginning paves the way for a great turnaround. And Andy Garcia is Andy Garcia, not too much more I can say about that.
The one thing that might make this movie an also-ran to Crash is believability; the ability of Brendan Fraser's character to glimpse the future, for example, introduced an element of fantasy that reminded audiences that all this couldn't quite happen in the real world, plus some coincidences were a bit farfetched. But on the whole TAIB moved and touched me in much the same ways Crash did, and I'd call it an outstanding film in its own right.
The X-Files: I Want To Believe
3 stars
As someone who never really watched the TV show of the X-Files, nor watched the first movie they made of it, I actually felt somewhat liberated to enjoy this film as a crime thriller with a touch of sci-fi rather than the next episode in an ongoing alien franchise. And from that perspective, I found it fairly clever and exciting, though nothing to write home about. I appreciated the focus on the characters and interaction of Mulder and Scully (as opposed to a preponderance of alien activity drowning it out), as well as the presence of the stem-cell research argument in the issues raised by the film, which added some modern topicality. And any movie with Billy Connolly in it can't suck TOO much.
The Low Life
2 stars
I'm not sure what it is that make people admire and relate to movies about failure. Well, wait, I take that back. People like to watch other people fail because doing so let them indulge either their sadistic schadenfreude ("these people fail in the ways I don't") or their masochistic melancholy ("these people fail in the same ways I do"). What I really don't get is the appeal of watching movies where the failure is unmitigated by success or redemption of any kind, where the attempt of art to mirror life mistakenly becomes a portrayal of only the negative side of that life.
The main characters of The Low Life are a collection of slackers, misfits, and also-rans who, upon finding that life (or Los Angeles) was not going to hand them their dreams on a silver platter, decide to settle for passionless, boring and unambitious existences. Would-be-writer John (Rory Cochrane) is emotionless and withdrawn, his friends complain incessantly like whining children, and his potential love interest can't or won't remove herself from an unending cycle of rich but creepy potential husbands whom she could never really love. Nearly everyone in the movie is self-absorbed to the point of near-blindness. And the one character who manages to stay unselfish and positive in the face of his own failures--John's roommate Andrew (Sean Astin)--is not only socially maladjusted to the point of annoying everyone, but is eventually killed in a random car wreck and mourned by all of three people: his parents and John.
There have been other movies that explore the hopeless grind of an unfulfilling life or the frustration of dreams that just won't come true, and been successful and popular in doing so. But most of those movies were either supposed to be funny (Office Space), redemptive (American Beauty), or both (Swingers). The Low Life had the benefit of a strong cast (Astin and Kyra Sedgewick are two bright spots), but its characters' blase negativity, bitter boredom, spoiled whining and unsatisfying routines end up making the audience almost as bored as they are.
Wet Hot American Summer
3 stars
This movie is insane, ridiculous, unbelievable, and funny beyond words. I literally spent almost the entire film repeatedly going "Did they really just say/do that?" and then laughing my head off because yes, they really just did. Watch this one with a group of friends or at a party, and be prepared: this one's so bad it's awesome.
Street Kings
3.5 stars
Intense, edgy, violent, paranoid...Street Kings follows in the footsteps of Training Day, Mission: Impossible, L.A. Confidential and their ilk in presenting a gripping action film where the biggest question is "who can be trusted?" And it follows those footsteps very well.
Probably Street Kings' best asset is its cast. I know it's an unpopular view, but the more I watch Keanu since The Matrix, the more I like him, and he handles the lead of this movie strongly. Forest Whitaker likewise turns in an A-list performance. Jay Mohr, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Naomi Harris and Cedric the Entertainer round everything out, adding some character depth and strength. Not a great movie, perhaps, but definitely a good one.
Death Sentence
3 stars
What will one man do when he believes that everything is lost? What price is revenge worth? Is the love of one's family worth more than justice? When you take on "the beast" in man, must you of necessity become the beast yourself? And just how much physical and emotional abuse can one person take and still stay sane? In answering questions like these, Death Sentence hits hard. Very, very hard. Some movies pull at your heartstrings--this one will rip your heart right out of your chest. Kevin Bacon proves yet again his power and versatility as an actor--I don't even know how he could pull off a performance that heart-rending without being scarred for life, but he did. Aisha Tyler and John Goodman perform strongly in supporting roles.
I honestly don't think it is possible to enjoy a movie this harsh. But I was able to sit through it, and I appreciated it for its visceral action and primal power.
Sleuth (2007)
2.5 stars
An interesting take on the original 1972 two-man thriller, especially since Michael Caine stars in both--he was the younger man in 1972 and is the older one in 2007. And Caine is one of those actors who is worth watching read the phone book. Jude Law is also plenty talented, or at least talented enough to play opposite Caine without looking like a COMPLETE idiot.
But in addition to being overshadowed by the original movie, which I think would beat it ten times out of ten, this version of Sleuth focuses too heavily on technology and latent homoeroticism and not heavily enough on character development. I honestly wondered why either man was so driven to do what he did. Also, in both of the climactic moments when one of the two men was supposed to be scared to death, the buildup to that fear was not intense or logical enough for the fear itself to be completely realistic. And while the dialogue is intriguing for the first fifteen minutes, after that it really starts to wear on the audience.
I realize that those who have not seen the original 1972 Sleuth, with Caine and Sir Laurence Olivier, might enjoy this movie more than those who have, since they have no expectations to be dashed...but given the option, even those people should opt to see the original version--in addition to this one, if not instead.
Alright, that's good progress for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.
FBS
How to Rob a Bank
4 stars
Sharp, stylish, witty, this move keeps the audience guessing, not to mention laughing. The premise of this flick--various people getting locked in a bank vault during a robbery, some of them on purpose--was just off-the-wall enough to be believable, and the questions of who can be trusted and who is playing whom didn't let up until the very end. The interjections of social commentary both serious and ridiculous added some fun spice to the thrills.
I was gratified to see Gavin Rossdale acting again since Constantine, though his character was a bit prone to expletives. Nick Stahl was very LaBouef-esque in his knowing nothing but still taking control of the situation, and Erika Christensen was both gorgeous and amusing.
I'm sure the unbelievability card can be played frequently with this movie, but honestly I didn't care. I had fun watching it.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
2.5 stars
Nothing against Maria Bello, as she is both gorgeous and talented, but this film franchise lost a great deal when it lost Rachel Weisz. Weisz' sweet/tart chemistry with Brendan Fraser was one of the joys of the first two Mummy movies, and Bello just didn't have the same spark with him, nor was she as able to stand alone without him. On the other hand, I was really glad to see Michelle Yeoh bring her uber-dignified badassery to this movie...not that she made up for Rachel, but she is fun to watch.
Unfortunately, the lack of cracking Weisz (pun intended) was not the only lack this sequel had. While the addition of yetis and Chinese legends were cool, and tie rivalry between Rick and his son was somewhat amusing, there's really only so much you can do with raising the angry dead with tons of CG. Changing the setting helped, but not enough for much of it to feel new. And using many of the same gags, including Jonathan's greediness and the use of some kind of flying machine, made the film seem even less original than it might have otherwise. Maybe I'm being too harsh. I didn't hate this movie. But it did leave me feeling slightly blah.
Road to Perdition
4 stars
While this movie is slightly predictable, its performances are so powerful and its scenery and soundtrack so beautiful that one finds oneself moved and excited by it even if one has already figured out how the plot will unfurl. Paul Newman, I'm convinced, will never leave the top of his game. Jude Law played his character (as opposed to playing himself playing a character) better than I've ever seen him. Seeing Daniel Craig pre-Bond was interesting, Stanley Tucci is always watchable, and Tom Hanks was Tom Hanks, but Tyler Hoechlin, playing the hitman's son, stole the entire movie. From everyone.
This movie, like Eastern Promises and American Beauty, does not always move quickly. But if the audience is prepared to stretch out its attention span to compensate for the languorous beauty and character of Road to Perdition, they will not be disappointed.
The Air I Breathe
4.5 stars
I am really surprised that this movie did not get the exposure and acclaim that Crash got. The two films had equally strong acting, similarly difficult issues to address, were equally hard to watch but equally worth it. The Air I Breathe is the diametric opposite of movies like Saw and 13: Game of Death, because even though TAIB had some very depressing and hard-to-watch moments, it is not all about glorifying those moments. Instead, it highlight the resilience and triumph of the human spirit when it must go through them.
The Air I Breathe is also a movie about connection. Though some of its four main characters interact directly with each other, many of their connections come through being on different sides of a situation, or moving through the same place for different reasons--the connections are very oblique, very Dickensian, and absolutely fascinating.
Also like Crash, this movie has a very strong cast. Kevin Bacon and Forest Whitaker are two of the most talented and versatile actors in Hollywood, especially considering how carefully they seem to choose their film projects these days. I was also blown away by Brendan Fraser and Sarah Michelle Gellar--while these two have done well for themselves with fantastic and comedic fluff, in films like this one (and for Fraser, Journey to the End of the Night) they are showing some serious dramatic depth. Same goes for Emile Hirsch, whose admittedly obnoxious beginning paves the way for a great turnaround. And Andy Garcia is Andy Garcia, not too much more I can say about that.
The one thing that might make this movie an also-ran to Crash is believability; the ability of Brendan Fraser's character to glimpse the future, for example, introduced an element of fantasy that reminded audiences that all this couldn't quite happen in the real world, plus some coincidences were a bit farfetched. But on the whole TAIB moved and touched me in much the same ways Crash did, and I'd call it an outstanding film in its own right.
The X-Files: I Want To Believe
3 stars
As someone who never really watched the TV show of the X-Files, nor watched the first movie they made of it, I actually felt somewhat liberated to enjoy this film as a crime thriller with a touch of sci-fi rather than the next episode in an ongoing alien franchise. And from that perspective, I found it fairly clever and exciting, though nothing to write home about. I appreciated the focus on the characters and interaction of Mulder and Scully (as opposed to a preponderance of alien activity drowning it out), as well as the presence of the stem-cell research argument in the issues raised by the film, which added some modern topicality. And any movie with Billy Connolly in it can't suck TOO much.
The Low Life
2 stars
I'm not sure what it is that make people admire and relate to movies about failure. Well, wait, I take that back. People like to watch other people fail because doing so let them indulge either their sadistic schadenfreude ("these people fail in the ways I don't") or their masochistic melancholy ("these people fail in the same ways I do"). What I really don't get is the appeal of watching movies where the failure is unmitigated by success or redemption of any kind, where the attempt of art to mirror life mistakenly becomes a portrayal of only the negative side of that life.
The main characters of The Low Life are a collection of slackers, misfits, and also-rans who, upon finding that life (or Los Angeles) was not going to hand them their dreams on a silver platter, decide to settle for passionless, boring and unambitious existences. Would-be-writer John (Rory Cochrane) is emotionless and withdrawn, his friends complain incessantly like whining children, and his potential love interest can't or won't remove herself from an unending cycle of rich but creepy potential husbands whom she could never really love. Nearly everyone in the movie is self-absorbed to the point of near-blindness. And the one character who manages to stay unselfish and positive in the face of his own failures--John's roommate Andrew (Sean Astin)--is not only socially maladjusted to the point of annoying everyone, but is eventually killed in a random car wreck and mourned by all of three people: his parents and John.
There have been other movies that explore the hopeless grind of an unfulfilling life or the frustration of dreams that just won't come true, and been successful and popular in doing so. But most of those movies were either supposed to be funny (Office Space), redemptive (American Beauty), or both (Swingers). The Low Life had the benefit of a strong cast (Astin and Kyra Sedgewick are two bright spots), but its characters' blase negativity, bitter boredom, spoiled whining and unsatisfying routines end up making the audience almost as bored as they are.
Wet Hot American Summer
3 stars
This movie is insane, ridiculous, unbelievable, and funny beyond words. I literally spent almost the entire film repeatedly going "Did they really just say/do that?" and then laughing my head off because yes, they really just did. Watch this one with a group of friends or at a party, and be prepared: this one's so bad it's awesome.
Street Kings
3.5 stars
Intense, edgy, violent, paranoid...Street Kings follows in the footsteps of Training Day, Mission: Impossible, L.A. Confidential and their ilk in presenting a gripping action film where the biggest question is "who can be trusted?" And it follows those footsteps very well.
Probably Street Kings' best asset is its cast. I know it's an unpopular view, but the more I watch Keanu since The Matrix, the more I like him, and he handles the lead of this movie strongly. Forest Whitaker likewise turns in an A-list performance. Jay Mohr, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Naomi Harris and Cedric the Entertainer round everything out, adding some character depth and strength. Not a great movie, perhaps, but definitely a good one.
Death Sentence
3 stars
What will one man do when he believes that everything is lost? What price is revenge worth? Is the love of one's family worth more than justice? When you take on "the beast" in man, must you of necessity become the beast yourself? And just how much physical and emotional abuse can one person take and still stay sane? In answering questions like these, Death Sentence hits hard. Very, very hard. Some movies pull at your heartstrings--this one will rip your heart right out of your chest. Kevin Bacon proves yet again his power and versatility as an actor--I don't even know how he could pull off a performance that heart-rending without being scarred for life, but he did. Aisha Tyler and John Goodman perform strongly in supporting roles.
I honestly don't think it is possible to enjoy a movie this harsh. But I was able to sit through it, and I appreciated it for its visceral action and primal power.
Sleuth (2007)
2.5 stars
An interesting take on the original 1972 two-man thriller, especially since Michael Caine stars in both--he was the younger man in 1972 and is the older one in 2007. And Caine is one of those actors who is worth watching read the phone book. Jude Law is also plenty talented, or at least talented enough to play opposite Caine without looking like a COMPLETE idiot.
But in addition to being overshadowed by the original movie, which I think would beat it ten times out of ten, this version of Sleuth focuses too heavily on technology and latent homoeroticism and not heavily enough on character development. I honestly wondered why either man was so driven to do what he did. Also, in both of the climactic moments when one of the two men was supposed to be scared to death, the buildup to that fear was not intense or logical enough for the fear itself to be completely realistic. And while the dialogue is intriguing for the first fifteen minutes, after that it really starts to wear on the audience.
I realize that those who have not seen the original 1972 Sleuth, with Caine and Sir Laurence Olivier, might enjoy this movie more than those who have, since they have no expectations to be dashed...but given the option, even those people should opt to see the original version--in addition to this one, if not instead.
Alright, that's good progress for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.
FBS