AVATAR

AVATAR (20th Century Fox)
Written and directed by James Cameron

Sometimes a decade just isn’t long enough to develop a cinematic masterpiece, so what’s another four to five year’s? I mean, given what his last film did at the box office and award shows, I think we all can respect James Cameron and the time needed to create his follow-up to TITANTIC. Hard to believe, but TITANTIC took over the world way back in 1997, roughly three years after Cameron came up with the idea for AVATAR. That’s right; this guy actually had both ideas churning in his ‘think-tank’ at one point in time, a chilling thought for those directors out there hoping to get a shot at something big one day. But, for Cameron, that’s just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of doing both writing and directing major motion pictures. Because if there’s one thing we know about this guy, when he does something it’s big and AVATAR is a prime example of that.

The film begins in the year of 2154 and takes place on a large moon known as Pandora. This moon of Polyphemus is one of three gas giants orbiting Alpha Centauri A, precisely 4.4 light years from Earth. And Pandora was known to hold a mineral known as unobtanium, a very powerful and virtually invisible material, said to be impossible to find. So, for master miner Parker Selfride (Giavanni Ribisi) and his team of scientists’/ mercenaries’, this was a great opportunity to tap into this forbidden world and take advantage of this fabled rock. Unfortunately for them, they were not the only one’s on this lush moon, as Pandora was inhabited by the Na’vi, indigenous humanoids standing nearly 10 feet tall with tails. Worshiping a mother goddess known as Eywa, the Na’vi made no mistake about their intentions and way of life, which was essentially to live in harmony with its natural habitat and/or world. Unable to breathe Pandora’s atmosphere, humans struggled to get close to the Na’vi, resulting in the creation of the Avatar Program.

This program, led by Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), developed human/Na’vi hybrids that were meant to bridge the gap between the two species, so that they could learn from Pandora’s most loved "people." By sharing his/her genetic material with an avatar, they would mentally be linked, thus allowing them to control the avatar while sleeping in a controlled environment or hyperbaric chamber. So when ex-marine, turned paraplegic, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) gets called up to replace his twin brother, who was killed in action, the decision was made. With the same genes, it was an easy fit for the team of scientists, vaulting Jake into this incredible world he never thought was real until he experienced it through his own avatar. There to gather only intelligence, the job was supposed to be cut and dry, but Jake fell in love with this new world and more importantly, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) a female Na’vi more exotic than he could ever imagine. A bit stand-offish at first, Neytiri was led to trust Jake in a series of signs by Eywa and it was here we are introduced to Pandora’s greatest assets of natural and unnatural elements that could only be found in one’s dreams; resulting in an adventure full of love and war that will have you speechless long after the credits roll.

The true star to AVATAR is James Cameron, but the cast he managed to put into motion came through time and time again. It’s not the easiest task to act in front of nothing but a green screen behind you, but these actors do it and nowadays, it’s almost becoming more natural than not. How far we’ve come with technology and yet, we still need the physical presence of the actor(s). Being able to mold an entirely computer-generated body around a single actor’s facial expressions had never been perfected until recently, thus forcing Cameron to delay this project for years. Funny how advanced his idea was and yet, he still had to wait for technology to catch up. But, it’s a good thing, because without CGI, this cast would have never had a chance to succeed. And truthfully, there’s no need to go through the cast, because frankly, with everything else going on in this film, you really don’t care. That’s right, so for all those fans looking for some groundbreaking performance, you’re barking up the wrong ‘Hometree.’ This cast was there for support and although a few of them hit their marks well (i.e. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana), it’s not why AVATAR shined so bright.

There’s no doubt that AVATAR is something we have never seen before and that’s for good reason, given its vast development, which started a long time ago. This was not supposed to be just any film as writer/director James Cameron made sure of that, but even back in the mid to late 90’s, he knew the technology needed for this. That’s what impresses me, so for him to slowly mold this story and film into this format is quite the feat, as almost every detail to this film has Cameron’s fingerprints on it. Even the inspiration and artwork behind some of the Pandora creatures were from Cameron’s own hand, so don’t think for a minute this film was not taken seriously. And this technology I speak of needed to make all this work was something no director had ever used prior to now. So, instead of adding the CGI-driven environment after the actor’s motions had been filmed/captured, Cameron used a new “virtual” camera to film the motion of his actor’s, with the exact computer generated backdrop he wanted for that sequence.

This allowed him to see how everything would look during filming, which proved to be a huge asset at the end of the day. Essentially, he could add, delete and make changes on the fly while shooting the live action right before his eyes. Anything he wanted to do differently during the actual filming, he could do, which is scary for a director as thorough as Cameron. And to me, this only helped him with the overall “feel” of the film, which was as real as it gets. It’s funny to say that about a story based around a fantasy world such as this one, but I felt as if I was in AVATAR, completely submerged within the action and adventure. Now, maybe that was because of the 3D aspect, which I strongly recommend over the 2D version, but either way, Cameron made sure to bring the audience into his film like never before, creating a world that felt like a dream. The uncanny visuals and colors were incredible leaving you almost breathless at times, so who cares if it runs close to three hours long. I would have sat for another three hours if you had let me, which should tell you all you need to know about this film overall.

AVATAR certainly won’t draw everyone in, as no science-fiction film does, but it should. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun watching a film and actually not wanting it to end. That speaks volumes at what director James Cameron has done with a project that very clearly meant a lot to him. Words truly cannot describe the feeling you get after watching this film, so take my word for it and just see it, for you won’t be disappointed.

A

INVICTUS

INVICTUS (Warner Bros)
Directed by Clint Eastwood

One could often wonder how and where ideas for the films we see each year come from; those that are not sequels of course, but even sequels or prequels are reborn in many ways with the new installment. Point is, as long as Hollywood continues to produce films, we will continue to watch them without much thought of where it all came from. But, every now and then one of these so-called ideas' becomes something more and it’s those films that eventually find themselves among the list of nominees each winter during the Oscar push. Really, it’s that simple and yet there are still some that get lost in the mix and eventually find themselves on the outside looking in. Maybe that all will change, though, with the new and improved Best Picture category this year for the Academy Awards, going from five to ten nominees. That certainly should open it up for some of these sleepers I speak of, that in any previous year would not even be on the map, outside a few acting and technical categories. INVICTUS is one of those sleepers; one that won’t scream Best Picture at first, but by films end, just might in a year that hasn’t seen too many great films, at least ones with heart like this.

Based on true events around the 1995 Rugby World Cup, as well as the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation, the story here follows the recent election of Nelson Mandela and how his calculated gamble surrounding rugby would help transform his great country of South Africa. After spending nearly 30 years in prison for activist crimes surrounding race, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) was released and immediately, he began his journey to become the next president. Four years later, he is elected and begins his focus on releasing the racial tension that had strangled his country for so long, by showing how whites’ can work with blacks,’ doing the same job they each had been trained to do separately. This, of course, was done on a very small scale at first, as Mandela used his own security team as proof, but after attending a Springboks match, his country’s own union rugby team, an inspirational idea popped into Mandela’s head.

If he could somehow get the blacks’ and whites’ behind this one sole rugby team leading up to and during the upcoming 1995 World Cup, to be played in their very own backyard, he might just have a new unified country on his hands. So, despite pushback from his own party, Mandela moved forward and invited Springboks captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) to the capital for tea. Not fully divulging his intent, Mandela explained to Francois how important it would be for his team to play well in the upcoming tournament, which by doing so would help open the eyes of his country that had been closed for so long. Having to read in-between the lines, Francois figures Mandela was essentially asking him to win the World Cup for South Africa. This, of course, was no simple feat, as his team was far from being a top contender and one capable of such a tall order. But, as stories like this go, that didn’t stop them for trying and as the Springboks moved closer and closer toward the final, South Africa started to change inside and out, for this was not just a story about an overachieving rugby team; this was story about a country and how one game could change everything.

It’s no secret when Morgan Freeman signs on for something, he means business and with his role here, he stayed true to form with one of his greatest performances to date. Now, clearly Freeman has done a lot and has been around the block once or twice, but with INVICTUS, he took it to another level playing the famed Nelson Mandela. And he played him to a ‘T,’ as you forgot who you were watching, becoming completely enthralled into Mandela’s world, or should I say Freeman’s? Fact is, Freeman made this movie his own and deserves whatever accolades come his way, as he was about as spot on as it gets.

As for Matt Damon, who knows if he truly pulled it off, as I had no idea who his character was walking into the film. Having said that, with no prior knowledge of his character Francois Pienaar, I thought he did well and really, I didn’t think he would. And Damon deserves some credit for taking on roles like these, where he is kind of out of his comfort zone. It keeps him sharp and truthfully, I can’t say there was a whole lot of bad with his performance overall. Early on, it was a little touch and go, but the more you watched him, the more you got to know his character and before you knew it, forgot all about the fact this Boston kid was speaking in a South African draw. Add in Damon’s natural ability and it was a given he would shine in this role, even though he is much smaller than the real life version of Pienaar.

Clint Eastwood doesn’t owe anything to anybody, but I was surprised he did a film like INVICTUS. I don’t know, when I look at this film, I don’t see it as a “Clint” picture and I’m not sure why. I guess it just doesn’t have that feel and honestly, I forgot he even directed it until the credits starting rolling. Talk about being engulfed into the film, but that’s to Clint’s credit and he really made sure he honored the legacy of Nelson Mandela with this film. Whether that was through the South African landscape or culture, he didn’t miss a beat with some incredible shots and angles, bringing this pseudo-biopic to life. A truly nice piece of work for Eastwood, who seems to have done everything now, as an actor, producer and director, but at the tender age of 79, doesn’t seem to be slowing down and certainly has no quit in him. In fact, he might be getting better the older he gets, which is insane to think considering 80 is staring him right in the face, but its true and as long as he keeps directing, I will keep watching as his films seem to grab you in more ways than one. This one certainly did, and despite any predictable clichés or moments of clarity, I think Eastwood found the right balance, all the while introducing the sport of rugby to many of us that probably didn’t know too much going in.

INVICTUS is one of those feel-good stories that the entire family should watch, as it covers a lot in 134 minutes, both in the forum of life and sport, which in many ways is the same when you break it all down. So, although this film takes its time in parts, it’s all worth it in the end, as this heartfelt story will have you on the edge of your seat long after the credits roll.

B+

BROTHERS

BROTHERS (Lionsgate)
Directed by Jim Sheridan

When it comes to war, the book is wide open on how to interpret it all and most of the time, we get it wrong. The reason why is simple; which is very few of us are educated to know exactly what it takes to put your life on the line for your country and the pressure it can ultimately bring for you and your family. And for that, we all should honor those that serve, for without them we wouldn’t have our freedom as we know it. But, this so-called ‘post-war life’ is not talked about enough in my mind, as it almost always changes the dynamics of a 'military' family, both good and bad. Too often we get caught up with the politics of war when we should really be focusing on what’s going on between the trenches. That’s where it's decided in an instant and why any story surrounding a P.O.W. is one to pay attention to, as they tend to be some of our most forgotten soldiers. Keeping a secret may be a relatively shallow thing for most of us, but for a soldier, it’s much more. And it’s with that spirit a film like BROTHERS comes along, proving that it’s not always a given things will go back to normal after a loved one returns from war.

Based on the 2004 film BRODRE by Susan Bier, and inspired by the epic poem by Homer, The Odyssey; the story here follows two brothers, Sam (Tobey Maguire) and Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), and their fight to stay close. Sam would soon be off on his fourth tour in Afghanistan while Tommy was attempting get his life back in order after being released from prison for armed robbery. Sam had a wife, Grace, (Natalie Portman) and two daughters, Isabelle and Maggie (Bailee Madison, Taylor Grace Geare), while Tommy had nothing but the shirt off his back. Hoping to make amends for his tarnished past, Tommy enlists the help of his friends to refurbish Grace and Sam’s kitchen, quickly improving his status with his sister-in-law. But, not too soon into the repairs, came news that Sam’s helicopter went down somewhere in the mountains and he was presumed dead. However, as we find out later, Sam and one of his own men, Private Joe Willis (Patrick Flueger) had instead been captured and taken to a local village for.

Brutally tortured and battered, they are forced to make videotaped confessions of their mission, although Joe is the only one that cracks, placing Sam into an extremely difficult predicament. Forced to either tell the truth of the mission or kill his friend Willis, Sam regrettably chose the latter, vaulting himself into a place he thought he would never be. Meanwhile back home, Tommy and Grace start to grow closer, naturally confiding in one another after losing Sam and for a brief moment began to move past the tragedy at hand. It was then a call came in that Sam was found and was alive. Confused and happy, they awaited for Sam’s return, but not too long after his arrival, they noticed this was not the same Sam that left. Often drifting away into lonely moments of clarity, Sam was lost and clearly traumatized by the events that took place in Afghanistan. Not willing to tell his family what had happened, he turned his shame into anger, accusing Grace and Tommy of having an affair while he was gone. It was then this story took a turn for the worse, resulting in one intense and all too honest conclusion that will have you thinking long after the credits roll.

For those that were skeptical of a duo with Maguire and Gyllenhaal, you weren’t alone. I was right there, unsure of which Gyllenhaal I would get and if Maguire could finally step away from his Spider-Man web for a more serious role. Well, both proved me wrong with two of the best performances I have seen in quite some time. I’m not sure if they garner a nomination, but I wouldn’t be surprised either way as they each commanded their screen time together and seperate. For Maguire, this is huge step out and I think he did well with his role as Sam, by far the most dynamic of the bunch. And Gyllenhaal just moved in and out of scenes swiftly with no issue, quietly turning in quite the performance in a fairly reserved role. And you believed the story at which they worked around too, which was obviously key to the success. But, by no means was it the only key, as Natalie Portman was also able to take care of business each time she was asked to, showing her range as one of the most endearing young actresses in Hollywood. However, maybe no performance could compare to the one turned in by the 10-year-old actress Bailee Madison, who played Isabelle, Sam and Grace's daughter. Each and every time this girl was on screen, she drew you into her world of a girl who just wanted her daddy back from war. The pure emotion that surrounded her character was uncanny and utterly impressive, as she was as real as it came.

Anytime you go from the struggles of war to the struggles at home, all in the same film, the potential for some truly intense drama is likely. It’s because of this, a story like the one in BROTHERS works, for it covers so many true-to-life subjects that many of us don’t want to accept, no matter where they are born. Here, it lies with the war in Afghanistan, where a decorated soldier is hit with the hardest decision he has ever had to make, a choice, that I doubt many could be able to make given the circumstances at which he had to make it. That’s the premise to this story, but it goes deeper than that, as the more you layers you peel back, the more you start to see of a problem that persists with soldiers coming home, which is post-traumatic stress disorder and how that can change things drastically. This is the heart of the story, not some wicked love triangle, turned upside down as the erroneous trailer suggests. Frankly, I’m not sure what the producers wanted with that trailer as it does anything but promote the movie for what it truly is, which is a valiant piece of moviemaking both inside and out. And most of the credit can go to director Jim Sheridan, who made sure to bring in all the raw emotion that surrounds war, yet still allowing the reality to sink in that this mental illness can exist in our soldiers that come home, an underlying message if you will, within a story that didn’t necessarily demand it.

BROTHERS, like many of its predecessors, will go just as it came, quietly. That’s a shame, because no matter what the subject might truly be, if the Middle East is part of the story, it will be swept under the rug without much thought. Maybe this film will be different, but that’s the reality that has set into this post 9/11 country we now live in and why a great story and film like this can go unnoticed more often than not.

B+

2012

2012 (Columbia Pictures)
Directed by Roland Emmerich

It’s funny how the most ridiculous of things can become the norm in Hollywood, but it happens day after day and for a long time now, we have accepted it all with open arms. Just think of those times you see a preview for a movie that looks so incredibly stupid and yet, someway or somehow, you wind up watching it anyway. Next thing you know, we all do this, over and over again, eventually vaulting us into some acceptable notion that these films have a certain standard to follow, when in reality, they don’t. How could they? The stories aren’t even close to being realistic and the things people are able to say and do would never happen, but for some reason, we just can’t get enough of these kind of films. Whether it’s some ‘over the top’ action/adventure or thriller/horror flick, people flock to the theater and the box office numbers prove this, here and abroad. And it’s in this spirit a film like 2012 gets released with the hope it too will become successful, despite all its obvious shortcomings that turn out to be a little larger than predicted once you scratch the surface.

When I say this film is based loosely off the 2012 Mayan phenomenon argued by many conspiracy theorists, I mean loose, as in barely hanging on. It all begins in India 2010 where a local scientist discovers that neutrinos (elementary particles that travel at the speed of light), generated from a gigantic solar flare are acting as heat combustors’, causing the Earth's core temperature to increase faster than normal. He immediately calls his friend, Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who travels to see this extreme data in person. After confirming the seriousness of the threat, he immediately informs White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser of the discovery, advising this was the beginning to the end of the world, thus forcing the U.S. and other countries around the world to plan and come up with a project to sustain life by whatever means possible.

The idea was to build huge arks to house roughly 400,000 carefully chosen people, to help restart life as they once knew it. A novel, yet warped notion that quickly gets compromised when the Earth’s crust begins to break apart earlier than planned, thus forcing all end of the world plans into hyper-mode, which can’t be good for anyone. That is, unless you’re Jackson Curits, a mildly successful writer who stumbles upon conspiracy theorists Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson) in the woods of Yellowstone Park, while on a camping trip with his kids. Charlie informs him of this government ship program in China and the next thing you know, Jackson gathers up the rest of him family and before you knew it, he was on a plane narrowly flying away from LA which was literary falling into the Pacific Ocean. So, while millions were falling victim to tsunami’s and apocalyptic earthquakes, Charlie and co. were making their way toward the Himalayas, in hopes of staying alive when no one else would resulting in a exaggerated conclusion that felt more like a letdown than anything else.

For a film that doesn’t necessarily require a good cast, there sure were a lot of known faces. Leading them all, of course, was John Cusack, who always seems to be crawling out from under a rock to get into a new film. And 2012 almost looks like a move of desperation for the actor, especially when the cast is far from the most important part of the feature; but he made the most of his role in that “Cusack way” we all have become accustomed to. But, in the end, it didn’t really mater a whole lot, given everything else that was going on around him; so whether it was Cusack, Danny Glover, Oliver Platt or anyone else from this overachieving cast, you just never were allowed to care too much about their individual character(s). Maybe that’s the fault of the director or maybe that’s just the way it goes with this type of film, but if it is, Chiwetel Ejiofor never got the memo, because each and every scene he was in, he stole, making his performance the best out of the entire group.

When it comes to films like 2012, you just never know what you’re going to get as far as “cheese.” Come on, you have to admit; when you see any so-called “end of the world” flick, a certain caveat has to be placed on it. If not, who knows what kind of feeling you will get after watching something with as many innuendos and unrealistic features as 2012. For years we have seen these types of stories come and go without too much thought, but given the talent behind this film, a certain expectation has been set, not by fans, by the director himself. Roland Emmerich has been here before, with INDEPENDENCE DAY and THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, and having been fairly successful with both, I for one expected a certain quality with 2012. And although that certain quality and entertaining value was there, you could tell not as much attention was given to this film, like his previous from this pseudo-genre. The running time alone will give you that hint, at a hefty 158 minutes, which is absolutely way too long for this type of film. An easy 50 minutes could have and should have been cut out of this thing from the top and from there, maybe they could have figured out a better way to mold the story together, which was broken and battered from start to finish. Even the special effects, the true “star” of the film, weren’t that spectacular as it got a little old after the first few sequence’s, and when that fails in a story like this, I just can’t see how the film doesn’t.

It’s hard to know exactly what the producers wanted to get out of a film like 2012, but knowing the budget was over $260 million, it’s hard to comprehend why this film shouldn’t have been better. Fact is it will make its money and probably earn a good profit, but will it be enough when it’s all said and done? I just wonder if the clock is starting to run out on these types of stories and if so, will we start to see some more inventive stories with tapered down special effects instead? Questions to ponder, I guess, as you pass right by this film to watch something else.

C-

AMELIA

AMELIA (Fox Searchlight)
Directed by Mira Nair

With the news that the coveted Best Picture category from the Academy Awards has grown from five films to ten, I have wondered how early a film might be considered for the race. In the past, rarely a film released prior to November 1st would even be looked at, much less recognized, but all that gets thrown out the window now, right? One would think so, but until next year when those nominations roll out, we won't know for sure. So, in the mean time, we can speculate and although there hasn’t been a whole lot of 'great' in the past couple months, you just never know, which is why a film like AMELIA has a chance to be nominated. History tells us biopic’s or biographical films tend to be looked at differently and often rewarded come the time when it matters; so despite any negativity hovering over this film, weeks after its release, it does has a legitimate chance to be nominated in a few categories and maybe even Best Picture if there’s not a whole lot else to pick from. That’s just the reality of the situation, as I see it; because frankly I’ve seen a lot better and a lot worse be nominated, placing this film somewhere in the middle of having at least a shot, which is probably all the producers want at the end of the day.

AMELIA, as anticipated, is based loosely off the real-life heroine Amelia Earhart (Hilary Swank), who defied odds and became one of the most respected women in history by becoming the first to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. While setting numerous other flying records, she became an icon to women by also publishing several acclaimed novels and teaching other women to go after their dreams. But, flying was her passion and for a long time, was all that mattered to her. It wasn’t until she met and married George Putnam (Richard Gere), her publicist, that her life started to change as it wasn’t cheap to be a pilot. For Earhart, flying was more than just getting up in the air for a quick spin. She was free when she flew and would do anything to keep that feeling alive. And with the help of George, she did just that writing about her adventures and using her fame to her advantage, being a spokesperson for many products back then and one of the first to do so in a manner that supported her passion. In doing so, however, she was looked at differently and as someone who was given fame without effort, thus forcing her into an internal battle to prove to the entire world she deserved to be where she was. It was then she set the record for flying over the Atlantic and eventually set in motion the plan to fly around the world. So, after a botched takeoff attempt from Hawaii, Swank and her expert navigator, Frank Noonan (Christopher Eccleston) were off on the adventure of a lifetime; one that would proves to be quite successful until the last leg across the transpacific, where a tricky refueling was scheduled at the tiny Howland Island. It was then everything changed, for this great adventure was about to come to a crashing end, as Earhart and Noonan would never arrive at that island, losing radio contact and ultimately vanishing without a trace, leaving a long trail of theories on what really happened that day.

Most biopic’s or some version thereof have no problem garnering up chatter when it comes to acclaim and awards, as history has told us that; but the actor or actress still has to go out and do it, which sometimes isn’t as easy as it might seem. A couple years ago when Jamie Foxx took the country by storm with this portrayal in RAY, no one was better, as the effort put forth by Foxx was easily rewarded. Same could be said for Sean Penn for his part in MILK last year, but this isn’t always the case. Many times these roles go unnoticed and often do not get rewarded, much less nominated for various speculative reasons. Obviously one reason could be it was a lousy portrayal, but often times, a great performance can get overlooked simply due to lack of visibility or a notable surrounding cast. However in AMELIA, there’s plenty of acting credentials to go around, so when Hilary Swank gets snubbed from her role as the famed pilot come January next year, we will know it was because of the lack of visibility. The one thing I do know is Richard Gere did anything but bring her down, adding his own noteworthy performance, one in which that might find its way onto the ballot as sometimes it’s easier for the Academy to reward the supporter, than the lead. But make no mistake about it, both Gere and Swank were good here and although I could find some holes in their performances at times, it didn’t deter from the enjoyment of watching them each on the big screen, as you couldn’t help but be drawn into their characters.

When it comes to films like AMELIA, it’s hard not to place it into the Oscar pool, as it just has that look and feel, but maybe that’s the problem. Too often we will take a film like this and force some unreachable accolades on it, when in reality, it’s just meant to tell a good story, like many other films. AMELIA does that easily, but to me, it did more in showing you don’t always have to create good out of a bad story, meaning the fate of Amelia Earhart was known long before any of us sat down to watch the film, so to go overboard with unwarranted slights of how the story ended would be outright ludicrous. I was glad the writers chose to do what they did with the ending, as there’s no need to get into any theories or notion that something may or may not have happened to the famed aviatrix. And director Mira Nair respected that, proving there is a host of ways to still honor the legend, no matter how they left this world. And to me, that’s what this film was, a tribute to Amelia Earhart and how she revolutionized aviation in her own little way. So while there could have been more background detail into how she came to love to fly so much, I can’t complain too much for a story that was fairly smooth throughout, offering little to no bumps along the way. If anything, it didn’t wow you enough, but maybe it wasn’t supposed to as we already knew how this tragic story ended.

For a film that may or may not have legs come Oscar time, AMELIA sure had a lot of heart, which counts for something when you start to list out the good and bad from 2009. So, while there might not be as much praise for this film as I would have thought initially, it’s still worth watching for the history lesson and cast, which was better than most when it was all said and done.

B+

SAW VI

SAW VI (Lion’s Gate Films)
Directed by Kevin Greutert

Well, here we go again. A year has passed and somehow we have all managed to forget about the last installment to the SAW series, until now; because for the sixth consecutive year, SAW or a version thereof, has been released the Friday before Halloween. That’s right boys’ and girls,’ the famed series that I think we all love to hate, or maybe hate to love, has returned to take aim on the spookiest of holidays. And by now, if you haven’t watched any of these installments, consider yourself lucky, as I often wish I never got roped into this series, which has gone in and out of oblivion the past six years. But for those of us that have seen this series from birth, it’s hard to get excited now, as none compare to the very first one, which took us all by storm. What an idea it was and yet, here we sit at #6, wondering if the ‘thrill’ that held us captive some 90 minutes back in 2004 will ever return to the series.

As expected, the story in this one picks up almost directly where the last one left off, in that convoluted way we have come to expect and love. So again, if you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the first five installments, I wouldn’t start now as it would only bring more pain in attempting to understand the method to the madness by this serial killer dubbed ‘Jigsaw’. Up until this moment in the story, John Kramer, a.k.a. Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) was a somewhat iconic figure and one that was feared by many, especially when you unknowingly became one of his victims. You see, Kramer took pleasure in placing people in the deadliest of situations in hopes of teaching them to respect life for themselves and others; as up until this point, they had not done so, at least in his mind. So, before and even now after his untimely death, he would play this “game” with his victims, giving them an option out, all be it a difficult one both mentally and physically. A legacy which now was being carried out by Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), a local detective who we last saw trapped in a glass chamber full of ice.

One would think that would be it for the bitter detective, but he gets out, as he planned to do all long, so he could continue Jigsaw’s work; which we find out through a series of flashbacks was very well thought out and planned. And this time, that work surrounded a local health insurance executive over a claims dept., where he meticulously created a system that would determine who to cover, based on probabilities’ of health or illness. Well, this system, once upon a time, turned down Kramer and he never forgot, as the next game would be William’s (Peter Outerbridge) and all his subordinates that have helped him carry out his work. William would have to complete four tests in 60 minutes, in order to not only save himself, but as he later finds out, save his own family and anyone else important to him. And in doing so, he would have to determine who lives and who dies while looking them right in the face, an ironic fate for a guy who made his business of determining exactly that, only he never saw their faces. But that was only the beginning, as the further we dug into this story, the more twisted it became ultimately leading to a very likely, yet somehow confusing conclusion when it’s all said and done.

No one really cares about a cast in film like this, right? Fact is the cast won’t be on screen that long, as most wind up tortured to death by films end. The only good thing is that the producers haven’t fallen into the trap of trying to bring in a well-known actor to get more fans to the theater, choosing to go with a host of unknowns instead. Costas Mandylor is a prime example of this, a marginal actor at best and one that frankly doesn’t cut it, even in this film. And the worst part is, he’s the main villain outside Jigsaw, who technically is dead. And that still bothers me to this day, how he was killed off so quickly into this series. Not only was it unnecessary, it made no sense, as it wouldn’t had been that hard to draw his personal story out a bit longer, given how close in time a lot of the events occur anyway. Truth is, you can throw in all the flashbacks and voice-overs with Bell that you want, which they have, but his character is dead, so it’s still hard for me to get on board with any new protégé, no matter the twist that accompanies it.

Anytime a series gets to six, all bets are off as you just never know what you’re going to get. I know I walked in with absolutely no expectations, which is the key to watching anything this insane. Year after year, though, I wonder if this will be the last, but it won’t be, no matter how ridiculous the story will become as the producers just can’t help themselves. They love seeing their movie get released a week before Halloween, so unless they get tired of that, I don’t see this series going away. Why would it, given how easy it can be reborn every year for the all too easy payoff. I said a long time ago this was potentially a great idea, but somewhere along the way it got derailed and has never quite recovered properly. SAW VI actually had the look of being the “one” to turn it all around, as the story seemed to flow a lot better than the previous, given its premise surrounding healthcare, an extremely hot topic in our country right now. And in some ways, it was a direct slap in the face of the healthcare companies that seem to hold too much power. Although twisted, the point was clear, which is why I wish the rest of the story would have followed suit, but the writers and director fell asleep at the editing table, which is ironic given the director, Kevin Greutert, was editor for the first five films. So, while attempting to bridge the gap of the past to present, the ending felt extremely unorganized and unfulfilling, which is sad given the upside of the rest of the film. It‘s almost as if they couldn’t decide how to end it, so instead of taking more time to figure that out, they threw in more flashbacks and innuendos to cover whatever tracks they failed to bring to light. That’s too bad, because for the first time in a long time with this series, we had a story worth noting, which I guess in the end is still something to hang your hat on.

It can’t be good if I find myself repeating things I have said in the past about this series, but maybe that’s just part of the love/hate relationship I have with it. And as much as I try, I just can’t forget how inventive the very first SAW was, with its endless possibilities and intrigue, clearly hoping the subsequent installments would equal that feeling, which instead has made you wish they stopped after one. Because if you go back and somehow manage to forget about the last five and watch the first installment, you will see the true intensity and thrill that made this film an overnight hit. However, given all the crap that has been thrown into this series over time, even that is debatable at this point, but at least SAW VI isn’t the worst one of the bunch, which is an improvement given how atrocious the last one was.

C+

COUPLES RETREAT

COUPLES RETREAT (Universal Pictures)
Directed by Peter Billingsley

You have to be careful when attempting to place a grade on a comedy, simply because there are too many variables involved. Too often people go in with high expectations based on some notion that this will be the next big comedy to take us all by storm, when in reality it could be quite the opposite. And to this day, I have no clue why this is and why we place such high hopes on films that may or may not make us laugh. I guess when it comes down to it; there are some people that prefer to take their chance with comedies, then say the next sleeper ‘indie” or drama, cause they don’t want to have to think about anything. Box office numbers actually back this theory up, as it’s almost a given that whichever new comedy is being released on a given week will become the next number one film in the nation, no matter how good or bad it might be. And maybe that’s OK, given how diverse each us can be when it comes to our sense of humor, but at some point shouldn’t we stop and really look at what we’re about to walk into see? I think so and wish I did just that before watching the new comedy, COUPLES RETREAT.

The premise behind COUPLES RETREAT is one that probably any of us could have written, for it’s not too deep and maybe should have been. It all centers around four couple’s who get-together for a trip to Bora Bora for a much needed “vacay” in which they can focus on themselves. Well, as it turns out, this was not your ordinary resort, as it focused more on fixing whatever issues you may have with your significant other and ultimately leading you in the direction of happiness, if that was indeed your destiny. And for three of the four couples, this was not what they thought they were signing up for, but for Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell), this was what they needed after several failed attempts ant conceiving a child had left them in somewhat different places from another. As for the rest of the group, well; stuck and virtually having no choice but to complete the program, they did the best they could and by a sure fluke, found out their relationships weren’t as perfect as they thought. For Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Ackerman), this meant respecting each other a little more; for Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis), this meant opening up their eyes to see why they fell in love so many years ago and finally for Shane (Faizon Love) and Trudy (Kali Hawk), this meant figuring out they never should have gone on this trip together, after only meeting two weeks prior. In all, they wind up finding more truth than they thought they would, in the most unimaginative ways, ultimately leading to a conclusion that had a chance to payoff, but failed when it counted the most.

There’s no doubt the cast in COUPLES RETREAT is why most people will go to see the film and for that, more time should have been spent to ensure they all worked well together. Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau are one thing, having been the dynamic duo several times over, but even they seemed to be off their game a bit at times. Maybe it wasn’t their fault, but given they helped write this story; some blame may fall on them in the end, especially when there seemed to be little to no chemistry with the rest of the cast. Outside of Vaughn and Ackerman, no other couple seemed real and for a story that solely focuses on couples, that’s not good. Jon Favreau was way over the top, which would have worked, but his on-screen wife Lucy, played by Kristin Davis, had problem’s keeping up making for an uninspiring couple overall. But, at least you cared about them, which wasn’t the case for Faizon Love and Kali Hawk, who played Trudy. At no point, did these two fit into the mix ultimately being a distraction, if anything at all. That being said, the two that pretty much dwarfed everyone else in the series of miscasts was Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell. The one couple the story had to rely on the most wound up having zero chemistry together. I love both, but they just didn’t fit well together, which is a shame given their natural way on the big screen individually.

Tending to turn away from comedies on the big screen, I chose to see this movie for two reasons, Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau. Throw in a Kristen Bell and Jason Bateman, and I’m all over it, but somewhere along the way, the true point to this story got left behind. Maybe it was within the script, which Vaughn and Favreau helped write, as the dialogue wasn’t exactly great and overall the story felt uneven. Or maybe it was miscasting of stars like Kristen Bell and Jason Bateman, but given their resumes, it’s hard to believe that. I mean, anyone knows that with a poor script, it’s hard for even the best of the best to make a story like this worthwhile. Fact is, comedies are tough to make and yet, so many try and fail, leaving us with films like this, which look great on the surface, but in the end fall flat on their face. That’s why I cherish when a good comedy comes along, because it’s not often and when one does, it’s usually one where ample time was spent to ensure everything worked in unison. Sounds almost too simple, but I think producers and directors’ get too caught up with the cast sometimes and forget about the script, which may or may not work for the cast. Now, I think in this case, it was a combination of both, but either way, something should have been cut out, as this story felt more out of whack than it should have. At some point, someone needed to realize it was just a comedy and not to make it too involved, but that didn’t happen leaving you wondering where it all went wrong.

COUPLES RETREAT on the outside looks like a great mix of comedy and real-life situations that could happen, given the right circumstances. And maybe had more time been spent on the script and cast, it would have turned out the way, but it didn’t leaving you just as empty as you were before you sat down to watch it. So, pay no attention to the star-studded cast, as it’s more or a mirage than anything else, as this one will be hard to recommend, even as a DVD a few months from now.

D+

SURROGATES

SURROGATES (Touchstone Pictures)
Directed by Jonathan Mostow

Science-Fiction is one of those genres’s that, if left alone, would probably go away and never be heard from again. Such a thought, I realize, could send million’s off the edge, but I can’t help but think that out of all the sci-fi on TV and the big screen, there’s just not a whole lot to get excited about. Maybe I just don’t get it, but outside the iconic franchises like STAR TREK and STAR WARS, the drop-off to anything remotely decent is quite extreme. I mean, this genre has its own TV channel (SyFy) and yet, we still can’t find something overly impressive on a consistent basis. Sure, there have been a handful of mildly successful TV series like BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA or maybe one of the STARGATE spin-offs, but that’s about it. And I can’t tell you the last five great films I saw from this genre, if I’ve even seen five recently. Truth is, there’s not a whole lot of good with this genre, TV or film, so to this day, I can’t figure out why this genre thrives so much on crap. That doesn’t mean I won’t look forward to the next installment of the reinvented STAR TREK film series by JJ Abrams, because I will, but at some point, wouldn’t you like to see more good and less bad with this genre? I know I would, but that might be asking for too much, as the recently released SURROGATES proves.

Set in the not too distant future of 2017, the world has fallen victim to a new way of life, one that thrives on laziness and the unwillingness to accept the world for what it is. This new way of life was through surrogates, robotic copies of everything the user would like to be, manufactured by a company known as VSI. For many, VSI’s "way of living" was perfect, as it was safe and easy to maintain from the confines of your home. And with people safe almost 100% of the time, and damage sustained by a surrogate is not felt by its user, it truly was a peaceful world free from pain, fear and crime. Or at least it was until a series of homicide’s occurred, the first in years, and one’s that had the entire local police force stumped the further they investigated. Turns out, the victims all were murdered in the “safe” confines of their homes, laying in their virtual reality chairs while operating their surrogates, something that was said to be impossible to achieve. On the case were FBI agents Greer (Bruce Willis) and Peters (Radha Mitchell), who while operating under their own surrogates, found a way to get inside this twisted chain of events, but when Greer’s surrogate falls victim to a, then, unknown VSI weapon and is eventually destroyed, he is forced to solve this case a different way. And that was by going outside of his house, away from the so-called safe haven and surrogate way of living, in his own flesh to hopefully put an end to all this and bring peace back. But, doing so was not easy, as the further he got into reality, the deeper this mystery became, leading to one intense and unpredictable conclusion that will have you thinking one way or another.

For all that’s said about Bruce Willis losing a step, he still can carry a story on his own. Forget the premise or genre of the film, as it doesn’t take away what Willis brings to the table. And here, he goes in and out of reality just fine, with or without the ridiculous blonde wig. And what’s funny is how Willis is able to deter you away from the underlying mess this story was made of, and simply entertain you. That he does well and has done well for a lot of years, dating back to the DIE HARD series. So, before you dismiss this role as just another one that kept him busy, keep in mind about who you are watching and what he has meant to Hollywood over the years, as he at least deserves that, especially in a film where he didn’t have much help. Sure, Ving Rhames was alright playing The Prophet, but overall not a performance worth remembering and one that became not existent rather quickly. And it was great to see Radha Mitchell in a film again, although I can’t imagine where they dug her up from, as she clearly looked lost at times. Maybe it wasn’t her fault, but with a story like this, how hard can it be to standout?

This is one of those films that you walk into with absolutely zero expectations, because you just never know what you’re going to get from a sci-fi flick, based from a comic book series by the same name. I did just that and I’m glad I did, because had I not, I would have probably walked out half way through. Truth is, this film isn’t all that great, but at the same time, it’s not terrible and in certain moments is quite entertaining. I found myself enjoying the sub-plot more, between Willis’ character and his wife, which was sad considering how little it had to do with the overall plot, yet the way it was portrayed gave way to a somewhat unique message. That being said, for a film dubbed with this sort of topic, I wasn’t impressed and I put that on director Jonathan Mostow. The concept was there and I would bet, with a little more thought and touch in parts of the script, Mostow would have been able to do a little more behind the camera, but there were still too many underdone action sequences and odd moments of the film where you wondered how it made it past editing. But, I guess when it comes to this genre, anything passes and maybe that’s how I should look at it. At the same time, why should a pass be given to a film that fell short in many areas, simply because of its genre? Fact is, Willis carried this film though all its lows and highs, and without him, it would have been hard to watch, for nothing else of substance was able to sustain enough value to keep you interested throughout.

Sci-Fi is one of those tricky genres within Hollywood that you either love or hate, but sometime after George Lucas shocked the world with STAR WARS, a black hole developed swallowing up a lot of films, ultimately leaving you wondering if anything great will ever come along again. SURROGATES certainly follows suit and despite the effort turned in by Bruce Willis, is no better than a rental on a lazy Sunday afternoon, long after football season ends.

C

9

9 (Focus Features)
Directed by Shane Acker

Computer animation has come a long way over the years and frankly, many of us forget how it used to be done. Before CGI, animation was a little tougher to manage, relying on drawings being brought to life with motion, frame by frame. That was animation for a long time, and to this day is still used in some way or fashion. Whether that’s through traditional animation, live-action, Anime or stop-motion animation; all these methods helped bring us to computer animation. And CGI is only the beginning, as already, studios are finding better techniques to help bring animation to life even more. The use of 3-D, alongside CGI has become the latest trend and pretty amazing; outside having to use the same old cheesy 3-D glasses that seem to never go away. Nevertheless, animation continues to evolve and just when you think you’ve seen everything, a film like 9 gets released, proving that it even the smallest of stories can become giant, no matter the look or feel.

Originally based from the Academy Award nominated original short film by the same name, 9 follows a group of ‘stitchpunks’, numbered 1 thru 9 as they attempt to preserve the legacy set forth by humans in this now post-apocalyptic world, a mitt heavy attacks by machines set forth to destroy all life, big or small. After waking up in his creator’s lab, 9 (Elijah Wood) wanders out to take a look at the world around him, one of which he had never seen. It was then, he ran into 2 (Martin Landau), a fellow stitchpunk, who was out on a reconnaissance mission. Turns out there are several others just like him, but before 2 could explain further, he is captured by one of the machines dubbed Cat Beast and taken to a towering factory off in the distance. Shortly after, a group consisting of 1 (Christopher Plummer), 5 (John C. Reilly), 6 (Crispin Glover) and 8 (Fred Tatasciore) find him, originally out to find 2. Once 9 explains what happened, 1 immediately rushes the group, back into hiding, out of fear to Cat Beast. Having just arrived to the scene, 9 had no idea how it worked, but saw no reason not to go after 2, so after convincing 5 to go with him, the two set out to rescue 2 from Cat Beast. Not too soon after arriving to the factory where 2 was held up, Cat Beast is decapitated by 7 (Jennifer Connelly), a rogue stitchpunk out to save any of her own, no matter the situation. And as it turns out, 7 winds up becoming the glue to the entire group, as her relationship with the twins, 3 & 4, was one that would become quite useful when all hell started breaking loose once the long-dormant Fabrication Machine is awoken accidently; leading to a wild conclusion that had the look of being genius, until the very last act, which was anything but.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, a good cast in any animated feature film is important, but not crucial. Fact is, CGI is the lead star in any animated story nowadays and although this group make their mark, it’s in short spurts and in-between all the high-tech animation engulfing them. A cast in any animated feature film is as good as its script, and here the script wasn’t that good, leading to a cast that was just OK when it was all said and done. Sure, each had their moment, and certainly when Christopher Plummer is involved, something great is bound to happen somewhere, but outside of a few unique interactions between he and the group, there just isn’t too much to talk about. And I think that’s unfortunate, because sometimes the shallowest of scripts can produce great acting, but that just wasn’t the case here, leaving the likes of Elijah Wood, John C. Reily and Jennifer Connelly to fend for themselves in a film that maybe didn’t deserve them in the first place.

Many will see 9 based on the fact they thought Tim Burton directed it, when in fact he only helped produce it as a favor to young director Shane Acker. That’s as far as Burton got involved and although there is some validity to the fact Burton wouldn’t just put his name on anything, he maybe should have tried to be more involved than what he was with this one. On the surface, 9 looks spectacular and for the most part it was, but I guess Acker just couldn’t figure out a good way to make what was a brilliant 11-minute short into an 80-minute film. I’ll give him credit for trying, and along with co-writer Pamela Pettler, they came up with a story, just not one that was all too worthwhile. That’s a shame too, because I think the true premise of this film was brilliant, had more time put into it. The CGI and special effects were spectacular, especially with the machine beasts, but where they flourished, the smaller stitchpunks seemed to fall behind. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly why, but the small, hand-woven ‘rag doll-looking’ beings, aka stitchpunks, just didn’t look all too fluent to me. I actually think the CGI kind of ruined them, as their movements begged to be one of which you would find in stop-motion animation. And had they been stop-motion, I might have appreciated them and the film more. I know that’s surprising, but I guess in doing this film, Acker had to make a decision on what was more important, the stitchpunks or machine beasts. He chose the machine beasts, which although remarkable, might have been why this film somewhat failed in the end. That or the story was just so poorly written, that nothing would have a chance at saving it, not even the ingenious CGI- driven special effects. Either way, it’s funny how far we have come with this genre, where we actually now care about the story and want it to mean something.

9 is one of the films that has that look of intrigue and one of which that should certainly wow you in more ways than one. And although 9 does wow you, it’s not in the way you would like, as I found myself wishing it had been done in a completely different manner. That’s a shame considering how great this film truly looked on the surface, so although it had its moments, I wouldn’t consider it to be a must see, unless you just happen to be a fan of this sort of darker animation.

C+

GAMER

GAMER (Lionsgate)
Directed by Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor

It’s funny how far video games have come. Back when I was growing up, I played on systems like the original Atari console, Nintendo and then Sega Genesis. And as games got more intelligent, so did the console, and now when you look back at this vintage games and/or console, you almost laugh given how far we have come. And unlike Hollywood where you relish the classics and often look back in history; with gaming, you just move forward, plain and simple. Now, I’m sure there are still some lost souls playing the old 6th generation Playstation 2 or original XBOX, but given the new content and multi-media functionality of the next generation consoles like Playstation 3 and XBOX 360, why live in the past? In the past 8 years, alone, we have seen a jump in this industry, and frankly, I doubt people realize just how big it has become. It’s so big, that films are being based off video games and vice versa. That’s no small feat, and it’s been this way for several years now, begging the question of if it will stop? Fact is, these films don’t offer up a whole lot and most of the time fall flat on their face, but with all the gamers out there, they still pull in enough money at the box office to keep going. And although GAMER is not based off any specific game, it’s a prime example of this notion, one of which that should have and could have been much better, if a little more thought could have been put into it.

The year is 2034 and what used to be a somewhat civilized world, has transformed into a mind-bending culture obsessed with technology where people would rather spend their time controlling someone else, than their own self. And the newest way of doing this is with the multiplayer game, Slayers, where ordinary gamers can pick and control real death row inmates in radical death matches. And during this year, you have a death row inmate dubbed Kable (Gerard Butler), who has been working his way toward freedom, as one you get to 30; you get released back into the world. Not a bad gig if you are as crazy and determined as Kable and thus far, there has been no one to get this far, 27 matches down and only 3 to go. Just living through this kind of punishment has made Kable an overnight sensation, where each match he is in is broadcasted in PPV, for the entire world to see. But, Kable is far from alone, as his personal gamer controlling him, Simon (Logan Lerman), has helped get him this far, and for Simon, this would be his greatest achievement at just 17 years old. So, as the two play and fight for different reasons, a virus hacks into the video mainstreams broadcasting a message to Simon, offering up the option for him to communicate with Kable, while in-game. Of course, such an ability was forbidden, but when someone gets to Kable on the inside, warning him the video game mastermind, Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) was out to kill him, all hell breaks loose, leading to a wild and mind-bending chase for freedom, which in the end wasn’t as simple as it seemed, surprising you in all the wrong ways.

Do we really care who was in this? I mean, typically, a cast is worth noting, even if they are terrible, but when it comes to a film in this genre, I could care less who was playing whom. That being said, Gerard Butler seems to never take a day off, as he can be found in almost anything these days, I swear it was just last month when he was starring in THE UGLY TRUTH, a film nothing like this one. But, he is a talent and one that should maybe do better picking his roles, as this one was dead before it ever started. He made the most of it here, but when the script is so jumbled up, why bother? The action is all that matters in a film like GAMER, so no matter who the lead is, it won’t change how you feel after watching it. That’s a simple fact and why mentioning anyone else in this film would be a waste of time, so I won’t.

With any film like GAMER, there’s really just one thing to judge, and that’s the action and special effects. You almost have to ignore the cast, as it usually doesn’t matter too much and most of time, they are only there to look good and break up the action. Taking all that into account before watching this, I went in with absolutely no expectations, hoping to see some extreme action and CGI-driven effects. For the most part, I got exactly that, as several times I was impressed with the cinematography and camerawork by co-director’s Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. But, there were times where I was scratching my head, not believing they actually had the nerve to put something so ludicrous in their film. The entire side feature of this game called Society within this film did nothing to support the overall premise to this film and frankly, could have been left out completely if you ask me. I guess they needed something else to be the filler, in-between all the action sequences, but it was anything but helpful and overall was a joke to watch. So, where the action may have shined at times, the circus at which the rest of the film played in made you want to walk out, but I guess that’s a gamble you take when sitting down to watch a film like this. Maybe I should commend the producers and directors for making such an unexplainable feature film, one at which I still can’t wrap my head around. Or, maybe I should just forget about the whole thing, like it never happened. Either way, time was spent and possibly wasted on a film that frankly, had a chance to be better if more time was spent on it.

GAMER won’t appeal to many, but for those that are curious to see how far technology could go in the future, no matter how stupid the notion, I encourage you to check this out for it combines the “real” world and the “imaginary” world thru gaming, at which so many tend to get caught up in; hoping to forget what’s really going on outside the confines of their home.

C+

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER (Fox Searchlight)
Directed by Marc Webb

It’s been awhile; in fact it’s been nearly four years since a sleeper from the summer months emerged as one of the years best. And who knows, with the tweaking of the Best Picture category by the Academy, a film like (500) DAYS OF SUMMER could potentially have a shot at something special come time when the awards are handed out. That may be jumping the gun a bit, considering it’s barely September, but it’s not like we haven’t seen this before; a film which gets released during the summer instead of the fall, killing any chance of it being recognized. The reality is, great films get released all throughout the year, it’s just we forget about them, but is that fair? I don’t think so and frankly, it makes no sense considering just how few of these so-called sleepers make some noise at any point during the year. Taking all that into account, we’re talking maybe, what, one to three films released earlier in the year that disserve to be mentioned among the rest of the nominees, released later during the push? I guess my only point is to hope with the now 10 strong nominees for Best Picture, we start to see more films from earlier in the year reach to award season. That being said, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER couldn’t have come at a better time, as even with its late release to this smaller market, the ratio of good to bad currently in theaters was looking quite grim. So to see such a refreshing story is not only welcoming, but encouraging as I can’t help but think this is another great example of how far writers have come in Hollywood.

This coming age story revolves around Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a young, former student of architecture, turned greeting card writer who among other things, is just living out his mundane life. Nothing exciting ever happened for Tom, until his boss’ new administrative assistant, Summer (Zooey Deschanel) walked into a meeting one day. It was then Tom’s entire life turned upside down, both figuratively and literary. Hailed from the deep Midwest, Summer came to LA with virtually no baggage, just wanting to get a fresh start in the City of Angles. She was beautiful, witty and among other things intriguing as the more Tom got to know her the more he liked, eventually feeling a tad bit love-struck toward the new transplant. So much so, he had no clue how to approach those feelings, until they each had one too many at a local karaoke bar after work one night. It was then; they connected and never looked back, even though they probably should have considering all the events that would happen over those next 300 days. You see Tom is somewhat of a hopeless romantic, only not in the traditional way. He clings to the notion of true love and given how the first 100 days of his relationship with Summer was, who could blame him, as they seemed almost too good together at times. Too bad Summer was the exact opposite, wanting anything but love and a labeled relationship; secretly hoping Tom was that one guy that felt the same way. So, as time grew, so did Tom and Summer, only not in the same way, leading to a roller coaster ride full of love and just how mysterious it can be at times.

A friend of mine told me a year ago that Zooey Deschanel needs more to do; basically stating she hasn’t been given that one role she can shine in. Well, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER might finally be that role, as outside her character being a part of the title; it can’t get much bigger than this for the young actress, born into showbiz some 20 years ago. Her father already has an Oscar, for his cinematography work in THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, while her mother was one of the stars from the cult, short-lived TV series TWIN PEAKS, back in the early 90s. Deschanel (ELF, YES MAN), for all intent purposes, just wanted something to do and before now, kind of meandered in and out of a lot of lesser roles in film and TV. But, wherever she landed, no matter the length of time on screen, she made her presence which is why I was glad to see finally see her in a role like this. Sure, it may not be a part of a blockbuster series like TRANSFORMERS, but typically the good actresses aren’t found that way. Instead, they are found in lower budget films like this, ‘indies’ that are under the radar a bit and only get bigger by word of mouth. And Deschanel certainly made the most of this role, as her version of Summer was uncanny and frankly mesmerizing at times, given how easy it seemed to be for her. And the good thing for Deschanel was, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was on the other end, feeding off her every move, making quite the duo on screen. In fact, before this film, I never gave Gordon-Levitt (10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA) much thought, one because his name is too long and two, because he never stood out in any of the roles I had seen him in. I know, shallow reasons, but hey, it’s true and frankly, I had no idea what to expect from this kid. But, he did well and managed to keep balance throughout all the ups and downs of his character Tom. Filling in nicely, where needed, was the likes of Geoffrey Arend, Matthew Gray Gubler, Chloe Moretz and Clark Gregg, four people that you may recognize, but won’t care about when it’s all said and done.

Going in, I had no idea what I was going to get with this film, but I’ll tell you, I was impressed early on and that feeling only grew the longer I watched. This film will certainly not be seen by a whole lot of people, but with any luck, it will be talked about, not just by me, but by people who can appreciate a well-written and directed story like this. And that’s the biggest praise I can give a film like (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, as it had its moments more times than not. It truly did and I credit not only the screen writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, but I credit director Marc Webb for making sure everything on paper played out perfectly on screen, which it did, plus some. And to think, all Webb did before this was direct music videos. All the little things worked like magic with this film. Things like the split screen of critical decisions, the counting down or up of days seemed to move within the story like it was meant to and even the sudden break into a joyous dance sequence worked. When all that happens, you just might have something special and to me, this film was exactly that. Sure, it could be broken down and chewed up for its rare inadequacies, but I just don’t see much there, which is why I say this film is a hidden gem in 2009. This film told its story in a new way, in a way that allowed the audience to connect even more, and to me, no matter the genre it gets placed into, this film should be praised for that.

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER will exit the theater just how it came in, quietly. And that’s alright, because the true story of a film like this isn’t told now; it’s told in the days after its release when people talk about it, and even for a story like this, I feel this is that type of film. It may not be perfect, but for what it is, I certainly enjoyed it and I challenge anyone to see it, as it will find a way to touch you in some way or another.

A-

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF THE COBRA

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF THE COBRA (Paramount Pictures)
Directed by Stephen Sommers

Just when you thought you had seen it all when it comes to action and overblown special effects, Hasbro and Paramount Pictures decided to unleash their next “toy” onto the big screen, G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF THE COBRA, only weeks after TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN had run its course atop the box office. Talk about riding the coattails, but if it works for you, why not do it? Fact is this time of year has proven to be the perfect time to release such overhyped flicks like this one, so to throw another one on the pile won’t faze too many people. There’s no price on action like this, but maybe there should be, as I just can’t seem to wrap my arms around what the estimated budget of $170 million was used for with this film. I don’t claim to be an expert in budgets when it comes to major motion pictures, but common sense would tell you a high price tag like that should produce a pretty decent result on the big screen. Maybe not one that is the quality of say, a Peter Jackson picture, but still one that is visually stunning, no matter how realistic it may or may not be. That’s the cornerstone of what action flicks have become in Hollywood the past several years. So going in, I guess I expected at least that, but somewhere between the pages of the script and the Paramount sets, something went way wrong, resulting in a film that should have and could have been a whole lot better, given its premise.

For those that don’t know, this film is almost entirely based from various characters from the G.I. JOE franchise. The film was centered around a top-secret unit, containing a host of highly trained military Special Forces from all corners of the world. Led by General Hawk (Dennis Quaid), this unit was given the best of the best when it came to equipment and/or weapons, not to mention some truly state-of-the-art vehicles to ride and fly around in. Armed and ready for just about anything, the group practiced their will on the worlds’ nastiest terrorists, often stopping at nothing to defend the code they all pledged to after joining the unit. So naturally, they were a bit cocky when it came to their craft, so when word leaked of a new underground terrorist group, they didn’t fret, only prepared like they always had. Well, little did they know, this new group, had better ‘intel ‘ and even more advanced weaponry, especially after an all too easy infiltration of the compound to grab four weapons of mass destruction, where the JOE’s were not only unprepared, but stunned to see the toys being used against them. After watching their coveted WMD almost walk out the door by themselves, the JOE’s made a pact to not only get them back before they were put into motion, but to seek revenge on the group responsible, leading to a predictable and unfulfilling conclusion that might have you running, not walking toward the exit.

Typically, a cast from a film like G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF THE COBRA, doesn’t matter too much, because in the end, it is really all about the action and special effects. But, for some reason, unbeknown to yours truly, this one prevailed and did so with no help from the non-stop action surrounding them. Leading the pack both in character and out was Dennis Quaid, who was probably the last person I would have expected in this film, but provided good stability as General Hawk. Right behind him in his first true leading role was Channing Tatum, who played Duke. And although his role could probably be played by any young athletic male walking around LA, Tatum made it his own with the screen time given to him. After Tatum, there were a host of stars like Christopher Eccleston (Destro), Sienna Miller (Ana Lewis / The Baroness) and Rachel Nichols (Scarlett), all contributing in a host of ways, but none more so than Marlon Wayans, playing Ripcord. In typical Wayans’ fashion, almost every moment of humor was at the expense of Marlon’s Ripcord, which added a nice break from the otherwise laughable action taking place. But, possibly the true stars to this film, not given top billing, were Snake Eyes, played by Ray Park, and Storm Shadow, played by Lee Byung-hun. The two could have had their own separate story and in some ways did, but where Snake Eyes shined, Storm Shadow fell a little short, which was a shame considering the build-up and iconic nature of these two figures among G.I. JOE lore.

I think it almost goes without saying that a film like this demands a lot of attention to set design and placement of the cast, among all the action and CGI-driven special effects. And there’s no doubt, director Stephen Sommers had a plan, it just wasn’t the right one. I’m not sure when, but somewhere along the journey, Sommers lost his way, probably in the same manner of when he was director for THE MUMMY RETURNS and VAN HELSING. Nothing felt right from the start and the longer you watched, the more convoluted the shot sequences got, and that’s sad given the broad range of freedom at which Sommers had to have been given when he pitched the idea to Paramount. The action was almost too fast, but not in a good way (if compared to the outstanding special effects of TRANSFORMERS). Here, it seemed as if an amateur was behind the camera, getting that long-awaited shot at an action flick, which on the surface looked to be a whole lot better than what it ultimately became. Because, underneath, it was anything but smooth, with one misplaced action sequence after another, leaving you somewhere between laughter and tears. And what’s sad is the script wasn’t half-bad, which is surprising given the genre, but I guess the less substance to it, the more chances it can succeed, given the right words put into motion. Sure, there were a few times where the dialogue was a little ‘cheesy’, but that was expected and in no way took away from the story, which was trying to stay afloat despite all the efforts of the action and special effects attempting to drag it under.

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF THE COBRA might be one of the first films in a long time that is exactly what you think it might be, only this time a little worse. Fact is, this film had a chance to be better, but instead was anything but, wasting a great opportunity to create something memorable for all those fans like me who use to play with the action figures or watch the cartoon. So take a chance if you want, but know that the value of this film does not lie where it should, although ultimately entertaining you but in all the wrong ways.

C-

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (Warner Bros.)
Directed by David Yates

For everything that has been written during what will undoubtedly be a 10-year reign in Hollywood when it’s all said and done, HARRY POTTER will go down as one of the best. And that’s not because Warner Bros. was smart enough back in 1998 to take this beloved series on, which was only two novels at the time, and put it on the big screen. The reason this series is among the best is because of J.K. Rowling’s vision; without that, this series and everything that goes along with it would cease to exist. And the funny thing is, the books were what started this craze and to this day are still very much loved by fans that can’t help but read them over and over again. 10 years later, several broken records and awards in her pocket, Rowling is more than a household name in the literary world and is regarded as one of the most successful authors of our time. Combine that with the success of the films, which have grossed billions of dollars at the box office and her name might live on forever. But, maybe all that isn’t enough, as the newest installment, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, proves that there’s still room for error when not enough attention is paid to detail.

In Harry Potter’s world, a year has passed since the dramatic events with the Dark Lord, a.k.a Voldemort, which opened his eyes to the darkness that was coming to the doorsteps of his beloved ‘home away from home,’ Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Darkness to the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) and the rest of the so-called Death Eaters, who were beginning to weave their way into the indestructible confines of the famed school. A school protected by Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), but these days Dumbledore had a bit more on his mind, as Harry quickly found out one night when the great wizard showed up outside a local coffee shop he was dining at. Turns out, Dumbledore has this notion that an old colleague of his, Horace Slughorn was withholding critical knowledge that could help fight and possibly defeat the Dark Lord. After convincing him to rejoin Hogwarts as the new professor of potions, Dumbledore then asks Harry to get close to Slughorn, with the hope that he could get the information he needed out of him. Of course, doing so would be no easy task for the young wizard, especially when every roadblock he faced included Draco, who had his own plan to finish Hogwarts and Dumbedore. Finally, after a long and drunk-induced night at Hagrid’s, Harry was able to use his sneaky luck potion to get the crafty old professor to divulge the memories he so desperately was holding from Dumbeldore. Turns out these very memories revealed that the young Riddle (a.k.a. Voldemort) was seeking information on Horcruxes, devices that store a portion of the creator's soul, allowing them to become essentially immortal, unless all the scattered items are destroyed. After realizing he already had a couple of these items, Dumbledore and Harry set-off on a mission to locate more, in hopes of ending this threat, but right when they thought they were close, another threat pursued, throwing this happy ending into a tailspin that will have you shocked and a tad bit let down when it’s all said and done.

By, now if you don’t know who the cast is for this series, you might as well stop reading, because it won’t do you any good. Typically, the only time we get the chance to see young stars grow up in the ‘limelight’ is on a TV sitcom, like THE COSBY SHOW or HOME IMPROVEMENT, but this series has treated us over the past eight years with a group that has matured into something better than expected. Just look at Daniel Radcliffe, who has become Harry Potter inside and out, and to this day still believes he will break away from this series stronger when its all over in a few years. And it’s rare we get to see a young actor progress in the way that Radcliffe has and with this installment, he showed he could even throw around that uncomfortable humor when needed. Combine that with Radcliffe’s unforgiving ease with the role he has made his own and he can’t help but set the bar for everyone else around him to shine.

And like Radcliffe, we also have seen Emma Watson develop into something truly amazing over the years, as her Hermione still surprises me each time she enters a scene. And what’s great about Watson, who just recently confirmed her plan to go to one of our Ivy League college’s here in the U.S., is she continues to get better. So depending on what she does after college and the remaining two films to this series, we might be looking at the next great actress of her generation. Filling in nicely behind Radcliffe and Watson was one again the unflappable Rupert Grint, who’s Ron Weasley is still one of those characters that always seems win you over by films end, despite being a little hard to take at first. And as the third wheel to this group, that’s too shabby. But, overall, each and every member to this cast continues to contribute and make this series go, which is what you want when you’re dealing with a story as thick as this one.

Not having read the infamous books, I have absolutely no idea what should or shouldn’t be included in this series. All I can do is trust the producers and director in compiling all the right pieces to make the story work. And after watching the last piece to this series, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, I couldn’t wait to see what was next. Sure, readers of the books already knew, which is great, but when I went into this film, I had zero expectations. So, when this thing started, I was ready to be taken on a ride, much its predecessor’s done. And sure, after five successful installments, you start to wonder how fresh it can still be; yet still trusting the director will not let you down. In this case, David Yates may not be totally at fault, but somewhere during filming, someone forgot what got this series to this point. And that’s class and detail, none of which was a large part of HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, which felt more like the first piece to this series instead of the sixth. Maybe it was the new PG-rating that forced the writers to somewhat “dumb it down,” but either way it just didn’t feel right early on and had trouble recovering by films end. That’s a shame, because the cast and special effects were great, along with a story that was there to be had, but for some reason Yates and the writers chose to focus more on what I would call “fluff” than the intrigue of what was going on at this point in the storyline. If this film was meant to stand alone, maybe I would have a totally different opinion, but it’s not, so why should I make excuses for it not living up to the rest of the series? For the better part of the first 40-50 minutes, I actually felt like I was in a dream and that this couldn’t possibly be the new HARRY POTTER film. That’s how rough it was and even if the ending saved some face in many ways, I still can’t let David Yates and co. of the hook for releasing something as mediocre as this. I don’t know, maybe it’s because this film serves as the “bridge” before the big ending that will spread over two films, but to me that doesn’t change the fact they missed on this sixth piece to the series, which had the chance to be something great.

It’s hard to compare any series to HARRY POTTER, as it’s truly one-of-a-kind, given the great talent behind it in J.K. Rowling, but from a cinematic view, one might start to worry that it’s been a little too easy up till now. So, after five films to a series, the training wheels are off and with this latest installment, I think the writer’s and director failed to make sure it could ride without help, as this story struggled to get moving early and didn’t pick up enough steam by the time it needed it, resulting in a film that should have been so much better.


C+

PUBLIC ENEMIES

PUBLIC ENEMIES (Universal Pictures)
Written and Directed by Michael Mann

There just doesn’t seem to be enough reality when it comes to action/adventure flicks anymore. I know, such a genre has never teetered on everything looking and feeling completely real, but back in the day it was a bit more raw and rugged. We all remember those flicks where you could really feel the intensity build and build with each twist or turn of the camera. It's all too easy now with the emergence of CGI, too smooth and seamless, and although I appreciate how great this new technology is, sometimes I wish more directors took filmmaking back to its roots. Sure, it’s hard to do, considering all the money producers are putting up for a film these days, clearly with the idea that it needs to wow the audience visually, but there are those rare stories that thrive on old moviemaking techniques. It’s those stories that will wind up surprising you, especially if that so-called director is able to mix a little old with the new, as far as special effects and camerawork go. That’s when you have found a hidden gem and even though it may not be that often, I relish when one of these films comes around, because it tells me there’s still a few directors out there that appreciate the art of moviemaking in its most vulnerable form. Michael Mann is that type of director, and with his film, PUBLIC ENEMIES, proves there is still room for this type of film in todays CGI era.

Adapted from Bryan Burrough’s non-fiction book, Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34; the film's story follows the trials and tribulations of FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) as he attempts to catch and put away famed bank robber’s like Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham), Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum) and John Dillinger (Johnny Depp). Set during the depression era, these so-called ‘public enemies’ became cult heroes of sorts, as each would leave their mark in some special way. After catching and killing Floyd, Purvis is promoted by FBI director J.Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) and told to catch and bring down public enemy #1, Dillinger, once and for all. Of course, doing so was no easy task, as each time Purvis drew near, Dillinger got away, leading to one insane goose chase after another. And at the center of it all, laughing his way in and out of the very banks he was robbing was Dillinger, who was becoming a celebrity overnight. But, it was just all too easy and when Dillinger meets Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), his entire world gets turned upside down. What he thought would only be another piece to his ever-growing entourage, becomes much more, resulting in his guard being lowered, leaving himself wide open to the FBI and their vastly improving tactics. And it is at this point when the story takes a turn into the unknown, leading the viewer down a road filled with good-old-fashioned gun fighting and wonder that will sure to have you fired up when it’s all said and done.

In a film that really doesn’t require a big cast, director Michael Mann sure put one together for the ages. And leading them all was the infallible Johnny Depp, who can pretty much do anything he wants in Hollywood these days. When I first saw he was going to play this role, I actually questioned it, unsure if he could pull off a character as diverse as John Dillinger. To my surprise, he did and truly impressed me every step of the way, as I couldn’t help but be engrossed in every move Depp made on the big screen. Maybe it was the crafty camerawork by Mann, but Depp had this ease at which he operated, thus making you love his character, which ironically was about as conniving a character as one could become. So no matter what great costar stepped into his shadow, Depp prevailed as the major character in and out of virtually every scene.

Costars like Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, who I thought was brilliant in her small role and one that I would have never pictured for her, came through time after time, making her presence pop alongside the screen giants Depp and Bale. And for Christian Bale, who seems to be in every other movie these days, he prevailed yet again, this time pulling off a southern accent of all things, as the head FBI agent Melvin Purvis. Other notables like Billy Crudup, Jason Clarke, Giovanni Ribisi, Leelee Sobieski and Stephen Dorff all hit their marks in short spurts, rounding out this cast, which on the surface didn’t seem to be all that packed, until you started watching the events unfold within the story.

A lot of people may not realize this, but Michael Mann is not your typical Hollywood director. He won’t just rattle off one meaningless film after another, like some directors seem prone to do. Maybe that’s because he is also a writer and producer, but either way, I like waiting for his films to come around every few years. Many have no clue who Mann is, and frankly couldn’t name more than one movie he has directed or produced, but he’s one of my favorite directors for one simple reason, which is he never does too much. You will be hard pressed to watch one of his films and find something that was overdone or not well-thought-out. And if you don’t believe me, go back and watch HEAT, ALI or even THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. I guarantee you won’t walk away thinking something was overdone, and to me, that’s the cornerstone of a great director and why I like Mann so much. Sure, he may not choose that real tough drama all the time like THE INSIDER, which in my opinion should have won more Academy Awards at the time, but no matter the project, Mann seems to always make it all feel so simple. If anything, this might work against him sometimes, but to me, it’s a prime example of why he succeeds with stories like PUBLIC ENEMIES. And after watching this film, I get the feeling he has wanted to make this story for while. It was too easy to feel Mann’s touch in places, often going out of his way with extended gun fights and action sequences, in a manner that was never too much and in-line with the era this story was built around. So even though the running time ran close to two and half hours, it didn’t deter the enjoyment you had watching this great cast move in out of some truly incredible shot sequences by a director that should be more of a household name.

PUBLIC ENEMIES certainly won’t draw like some summer blockbusters might, but it’s not meant to and frankly, that’s a good thing. Too often we expect a story to take us through a series of peaks and valleys with the notion that in the end, we will find some sort of twist or “pay-off.” Sometimes the story is not meant to do a whole lot and so with this film, Mann kept it simple and to the point, which to me worked well with what was going on. So pay no mind to all the naysayers and watch this film, for it will entertain you in a way you won’t expect.

B+