Film Review - Super 8

Super 8
Director: J.J. Abrams; Writer: J.J. Abrams
Paramount Pictures

This review will likely be on the short side, since it's been quite a while since I actually saw Super 8, but I feel like I owe the movie at least a little bit of my time since it was one of my favorite films of the summer. Every review of Super 8 is required to mention the debt it owes to Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the oeuvre of Steven Spielberg, and with good reason - the movie looks and feels like a throwback to that era in a number of interesting ways. That being said, Super 8 is also unmistakably a J.J. Abrams flick, and the melding of the two styles works quite nicely, delivering a not-quite-transcendent but very compelling experience.

Random Topics: So I Went to the Movies...

I went to go see Super 8 earlier this week (look for a review of that soon), and I thought I'd write a little bit about my favorite part of going to the movies: the previews. Alright, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but I really do love watching trailers at the theater.



Above is a trailer for Real Steel, which is apparently about boxing, but with robots. The sheer fucking stupidity evident in this trailer absolutely astounds me. I mean, am I crazy, or does this not seem like the dumbest fucking movie ever? I like Hugh Jackman as an actor, and director Shawn Levy also helmed Big Fat Liar (with Frankie Muniz, Amanda Bynes, and Paul Giamatti - and is exactly as awesome as that sounds), but how in the hell did anybody think this was a good idea. From the trailer, it's got some real promising signs of awfulness: cliche feel-good underdog drama, extremely annoying and terrible child actor (named fucking Dakota Goyo, for fuck's sake), a plot based around robots punching each other. Ugh.



On the other hand, the above trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 got me so unbelievably excited for the final film. Until, that is, the very end of the trailer, where it invites me to "complete the journey in 3D" - the trailer that I saw at the theater then proceeded to assure me that the journey could also be completed in 2D in "select theaters." Fuck that. I don't for the life of me understand how people could think that the prospect of seeing a blurrier, gimmicky version of a film would be an exciting idea - one worthy of touting. I read that as a giant 'fuck you' at the end of a trailer that, as I said before, made me really want to see the movie. I'll acknowledge that I'm ranting and nitpicking here, but it's my blog, so I'll feel free to make an ass of myself as much as I want, thank you very much.

Film Review - The Hangover Part II

The Hangover Part II
Director: Todd Phillips; Writers: Todd Phillips, Craig Mazin, Scot Armstrong
Warner Bros. Pictures

Man, it's been a while since I actually saw this movie in theaters, and my memory of it isn't all that great. If I had any journalistic ethics or anything like that, I probably wouldn't try to review the movie now. I think, however, that the reason I can't remember a lot of the gags from The Hangover Part II has less to do with the amount of time that's passed since my viewing it and more to do with the overall mediocrity of Todd Phillips' sequel, so fuck it - here we go.

Arbitrary Exercises - Best Movies of All Time. Ever. Period.

I'm starting a new feature on this little old blog o' mine, called Arbitrary Exercises! It's a pretty simple concept: From time to time, I'll come up with some form of list on a random topic, and share it with you lovely readers. You'll realize how completely arbitrary and pointless the lists are and hopefully point this out to me, and then I'll retreat, discouraged and defeated, back to my sad and meaningless existence. And probably call you a rude name. Sound like fun? Alright, well here we go!

Today's Arbitrary Exercise is trying to decide what the twenty best movies of all time are. My boyfriend asked me the other day if I had some sort of list of my favorite movies, because I am definitely the type of person that would have such a list typed out on my computer, in case you couldn't tell by me having this incredibly cool blog - but, surprisingly I did not have such a list! So, technically, this is really just a list of my favorite movies and not a definitive statement of the greatest films in history - considering I haven't seen every film ever made and also am not in possession of the kind of godlike authority necessary for that. I have, however, tried to make sure that these films all had some high level of quality to them and were not just movies that I like. Final disclaimer: this list contains no Godfather in any form - I've seen the first one, thought it was a little meh. And I'm not the only one.

Film Review -- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1
Director: David Yates; Writer: Steve Kloves
Warner Bros. Pictures

Every Harry Potter movie has seemed a bit of a doomed proposition from the get-go; the films have to deal with issues of managing fan expectations and lessening disappointment to a far greater extent than most adaptations, simply because the fans of the series are so passionate and numerous. The novels seem to be so much a part of the modern collective consciousness (or, at least, that of the audience that sees the films) in a way that even the Lord of the Rings or the Chronicles of Narnia can't compare to. Ironically, the franchise's intense popularity has prevented the movies from excelling - the filmmakers can't possibly hope to deliver the same depth and experience that the books provide, which leads to inevitably unfavorable comparisons.

Of course, I might be completely talking out of my ass, and maybe the real reason that the Harry Potter movies have been largely disappointing to me is that they just weren't all that good. Oftentimes it feels like the films emphasize style over substance, that they're more concerned with advancing plot than character, and that they fumble some of the most compelling aspects of the books. I feel obligated to defend the third and fourth films as being pretty good, and the fifth and six were alright, but I certainly wouldn't call any of them great. And while I still wouldn't call Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 "great," it is my favorite Harry Potter movie yet.

Film Review -- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Director: Edgar Wright; Writers: Edgar Wright, Michael Bacall
Universal Pictures

I should probably start off this review by saying that I have not read the Bryan Lee O'Malley comic books upon which Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is based. I've heard mixed things from those who have, with some readers saying they enjoyed the film more than the comics, and others frustrated at the casting and tone of the film. I, however, can only provide the impressions of someone who went into the theatre with no pre-existent expectations or fears - and I walked out at the end largely content.

Like the comics, the movie follows the 22 year old Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), who plays bass in a struggling band and whose life seems to be void of real emotion and responsibility. Some critics (particularly those that have read the comics) have expressed displeasure (with maybe a splash of vitriol) at the casting of Cera in the title role, but I had no real problems with his performance or how he occupied the role. While Cera was merely fine for me, however, Mary Elizabeth Winstead was fantastic in the role of Pilgrim's new love interest, Ramona Flowers. Winstead plays the role with just the right blend of aloofness and pathos, making it completely understandable why her character provokes such passion from others. And that brings us to the plot of the movie: Cera becomes infatuated with Winstead, but in order to be with her must defeat her seven evil exes. Director Edgar Wright brings the perfect tone to match the rather ludicrous plot, filling the movie with self-referential humor, absurdity, and some insane Mortal Kombat-esque fight sequences. The fight sequences are fun at first, but begin to drag a little as the movie progresses - which mirrors Cera's attitude as he begins to realize that entering in to a real relationship isn't quite as fun as he imagined. The movie snatches some hilarious performances out of superhero actors Chris Evans and Brandon Routh as members of the League of Evil Exes, and Cera's friends and family are given equally funny moments to shine (Allison Pill, Anna Kendrick, Ellen Wong, and Kieran Culkin all deliver a good amount of laughs throughout). The movie does occasionally seem like it's not entirely sure where it wants to go, and the absurd and detached tone hampers it from reliably providing genuine emotion and character growth, but it seems clear to me that this was not designed to be a "deep" film. Unlike another film with Michael Cera, Juno, Edgar Wright revels in the pop culture-referencing gleeful randomness of the movie and doesn't really attempt to give it a serious, emotional core.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World delivered about two hours worth of pure entertainment - the script was witty and light, and Wright utilizes a directorial style and tone that makes it hard to not want to cheer as you watch, as corny as that may seem. While some may find it's lack of emotional realism off-putting, I think the movie was made much like the video games it references - intended to entertain. It's undeniably unique in terms of it's fantastical story-telling, but it's not the "cultural milestone" that some are trying to make it out to be. For me, it's simply a fun and escapist diversion that's near impossible not to enjoy.

Grade: B+

Film Review -- Inception

Inception
Director: Christopher Nolan; Writer: Christopher Nolan
Warner Bros. Pictures

Hey, so this was supposed to be up a while ago, while the movie was still number one at the box office and everyone was talking about it. But, unfortunately, I suffer from a serious and debilitating disease known as chronic laziness, which hampered my writing abilities. Apologies to my audience of one, and on to the review!

Inception is one of those movies that people who write about film have a lot of reasons to love. In part because it arrived in the middle of a summer season that has seen some fairly lousy blockbusters, and in part because it's unabashedly ambitious in an industry that increasingly puts out safe and boring films and assumes its audience is both retarded and gullible (see: Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore). Putting aside it's ambition for now, however, I found watching Inception to be the most entertaining two hours I've encountered at the movies this year.

Christopher Nolan here has crafted a remarkably tight, fast-paced action/heist film wrapped in a coating of intricate fantasy. I don't think the movie is particularly "deep" or "meaningful," but its plot is superbly constructed and the film expects its audience to be sharp. Whereas The Matrix, for example, required its audience to comprehend the simultaneous existence of two realities, Inception's storyline takes the audience on a trip through five of them. The basic premise that certain individuals can infiltrate the dreams of others and all of the rules that govern this process are dispensed with quickly and without time for extensive discussions of how this is all possible - one of many smart moves by Nolan, as the movie moves so quickly that the audience is simply forced to accept the rules at face value. Again, The Matrix this is not - Inception moves at a blazing pace, without any long pauses for exposition. To prevent this from becoming completely overwhelming, the film introduces Ellen Page as an audience surrogate, a newcomer to this whole world of dreaming. Page joins a fantastic cast, headed by Leonardo Dicaprio, as their characters attempt to plant an idea into the head of the heir to a giant corporation. Saying any more about the plot risks going into spoiler territory, but the story unfolds exactly like your typical heist movie, if your typical heist movie also included amazing action set pieces with fights in zero gravity and snowmobile combat. Dicaprio is solid in the lead role, but Marion Cotillard shines as his (SPOILER REDACTED). Overall, though, the acting is simply top-notch - Nolan integrates his regulars Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, and (briefly) Michael Caine well with younger stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page.

I've had the opportunity by now to read a good share of the critical responses to this film, and I think I'm probably somewhere in the middle of all the hype and backlash. I don't think that Nolan is insufferably pretentious and a giant hack, but I also don't believe that Inception is one of the greatest films of the modern era. I think Nolan has a powerful command of the basic concepts of story-telling (something surprisingly rare in Hollywood), an ability to write serviceable dialogue that moves the plot forward (ditto), and a very healthy amount of ambition (aaaaand ditto). This movie is not brilliant - as I said, a lot of the dialogue is merely serviceable (though it's occasionally sharp), and some of the exposition is a bit transparent - but it's extremely well-made and entertaining. I was on the proverbial edge of my seat for the entire duration, and the entire theatre was dead silent from the moment the movie started to the final scene (whereupon everyone uttered a collective groan due to the SPOILER REDACTED). Ultimately, I think the biggest reason I enjoyed this movie is that it didn't treat me like I was a child or a moron - it assumed I could follow a complicated plot that required a large degree of suspension of disbelief and complete focus (and Nolan has made sure that any functioning member of society should be able to follow it with relative ease). I think the reason I enjoyed Inception is because it's how every movie should be made.

Grade: A

Film Review -- A Single Man

A Single Man
Director: Tom Ford, Writers: Tom Ford, David Scearce
The Weinstein Company

And now we come to our first film review here at The Casualty Report. Film is kind of like the neglected bastard child of the review categories here, simply because I don't see all that many movies in theatres, because let's be honest, that's so passe now, am I right? Anyway, my point is that most of the movies I'll be reviewing (but not all) will probably not be new releases, and you may very well be confused and scared because I can just pick anything and review it. Well, sucks for you.

A Single Man came out (haha, it's funny cause it's about gays!) back in 2009, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel that was helmed by fashion designer Tom Ford, trying on his director pants for the first time (haha, it's funny cause he's a designer!). As far as debuts go, this is pretty spectacular. Ford does a great job creating an atmosphere of both time (it's set in 1962) and mood, bringing out the pain and sorrow in even the most mundane of interactions. Colin Firth stars as the bearer of this pain, playing a British professor attempting to get over the loss of his lover (Matthew Goode), and not really succeeding - the movie opens with subtle indications of Firth preparing to take his own life. Before he can go through with it, however, Firth encounters one of his students, a wide-eyed young man (Nicholas Hoult) who takes an interest in him. Julianne Moore is also there as Firth's old friend, a lush that she plays very well, but who's reason for being in the movie isn't perfectly clear. The dynamic between Firth and Hoult is somewhat interesting, but it's the tiny glimmers we see (through flashbacks) of the relationship between Firth and Goode that Ford really nails. Through very brief sequences, the audience gets a real sense of their connection, and consequently Firth's grief becomes much more apparent and understandable.

This is by no mean's a great film, but it's incredibly well done. The same production team that works on AMC's Mad Men does a fantastic job replicating the look and feel of the early 60s, and Ford's direction supplies the emotional malaise and personal touches. Ultimately, though, it is Firth's performance that provides the best sense of the spirit of the movie, and it's very easy to see why he garnered an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for the role. The artistic qualities of A Single Man will hook you in, but it's Firth who delivers the line and sinker.

Grade: B+