Black Hawk Down

As cities across the globe are besieged by extraterrestrials bent on eradicating us, we follow a Camp Pendleton-based squad of Marines, led by a green Lieutenant (Ramon Rodriguez) and Eckhart’s veteran Staff Sergeant, as they battle the indistinct-looking beings while evacuating civilians (including Bridget Moynahan and Michael Peña) from Santa Monica before the city is bombed to dust.

The film is comprised mostly of ground battles amidst rubble-strewn streets and freeways that look and sound fairly realistic, even if the soldiers are fighting aliens or trying to take out alien ships. Director Jonathan Liebesman effectively uses the popular shaky-cam technique to convey the life-threatening anxiety of it all, and the soldiers behave with enjoyably exaggerated military-movie bravado, risking their lives or selflessly sacrificing themselves on a moment’s notice.

Liebesman, whose resume includes horror films like Darkness Falls and the Texas Chainsaw prequel, proves very adept with the action stuff, blowing up vehicles and buildings and showing us spectacular shots of a devastated L.A. But he also makes the various firefights appropriately intense, and certain moments of destruction, like a helicopter exploding, sudden and shocking.

And he does this from beginning to end, from when the alien ships begin to rain down like meteorites and take out Navy destroyers, to the fantastic finale in which the surviving soldiers work feverishly to destroy a massive alien command ship. The effects are top-notch, too, and were created by a company run by the Brothers Strause, who coincidentally made their own alien-invasion movie in Skyline.

What helps make this film superior to that one is that we’re given characters to root for instead of irritants we’d rather see die. This doesn’t mean they’re particularly well-developed. There’s the scared newbie, the newly minted, yet unsure, squad leader, and the solider who resents the veteran (a story element that annoyed me). All one-dimensional, but certainly tolerable.

Michelle Rodriguez has made a career out of playing badass cops and soldiers and such, so her presence here as a tech officer is not surprising, but it is definitely welcome, as she’s one of the few actresses nowadays who looks both comfortable and convincing kicking butt or shooting a gun. One of her first lines has her joking, “I didn’t get this far on my good looks.”

The real surprise here is Eckhart. He takes his stock veteran-who-wants-to-retire role and gives it some decent depth. Sure, the writers give his character a little color by having him drive a classic Mustang. But it’s Eckhart who convinces us the guy is both a tough and intelligent soldier and a compassionate man who doesn’t mind telling a boy it’s okay to cry. His performance is the closest thing we get to nuance in this super-sized serving of somewhat silly sci-fi. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Action/Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date: 6/14/11

Wilson and Sudeikis play a couple of over-40 pals who are so unhappy with their sex lives that their wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) grant them the title pass, basically a week off from marriage during which the guys are free to have sex with other women.

To appease the teen boys and college guys, the brothers throw in plenty of the kind of gross-out moments they’re known for–male and female nudity, a woman spraying diarrhea on a shower wall, Sudeikis getting caught by cops doing something he shouldn’t in a minivan–plus plenty of explicit talk about sex and such.

But they balance out the outrageous stuff with surprisingly meaningful writing and by having situations play out a little differently than you might expect. This goes mainly for the relationships that develop between Wilson and a hot Australian girl (Nicky Whelan) and Fischer and an older man (Bruce Thomas), as well as Applegate’s flirtation with a college-age baseball player (Tyler Hoechlin).

As well the brothers make sure all the characters are interesting, even the supporting ones, like Whelan’s coffeehouse co-worker (Derek Waters), Wilson and Fischer’s twenty-something babysitter (Alexandra Daddario), and the forty-something woman (Kristin Carey) who seduces Sudeikis. Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) plays what is easily the funniest character, a fifty-something playa who gives the guys advice on how to pick up women.

The main cast is what makes the movie really work, though. Wilson is unexpectedly affecting as the practical pal with middle-age worries, and his speech about the spot on his chest where his wife and kids have all fallen asleep is the film’s emotional highlight. Sudeikis deftly delivers laughs with his perpetual potty mouth and desperate attempts to get lucky, while Applegate is adequate and Fischer simply shines, especially during the nicely-handled scenes in which she’s charmed by said older guy.

If you just want laughs, there are plenty of them, including Wilson imagining the consequences of buying said babysitter some beer; a pompous guy boasting about his Prius, which is parked next to a Hummer; Wilson and Sudeikis being oblivious to the security cameras as they walk around said guy’s new house; the use of the “Law & Order” chime as each hall-pass day starts; Sudeikis wearing a strange mask to help him sleep; the guys going to Chili’s to find women; and pal Stephen Merchant’s hilarious envisioning of what would happen if he had a hall pass. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Comedy/Romance

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 6/14/11

Michael Bay

Based on the first book in a potential six-book series, it centers on an alien teen (Alex Pettyfer) who, along with eight others, was sent to Earth as a child to escape a hostile invading race. When said race discovers where the kids are and starts eliminating them, the boy and his warrior-guardian (Timothy Olyphant) move from town to town in an effort to evade them. As if that’s not bad enough, Pettyfer starts developing inherited alien abilities, including telekinesis and super strength.

Caruso, who’s fast become one of my favorite directors of thrillers, once again displays a refreshing knack for shooting and editing action clearly. This makes for genuinely thrilling set pieces, from the various third-act battles between good and bad aliens inside a high school, to the fantastic football-field finale, a special-effects spectacle full of alien gunfire, giant alien creatures and a rather spectacular explosion. Especially cool is the way Pettyfer runs while deflecting volleys of said gunfire.

As well the script, written by Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, does a decent job playing with our expectations as to who, or what, is good or bad. The Pettyfer-hunting aliens (led by Lost alum Kevin Durand) are obviously bad, what with their freakish heights and nasty sharp teeth. But we’re not so sure about the blonde hottie (Teresa Palmer) on the motorcycle, nor the shape-shifting creature who latches on to Pettyfer in the form of a Beagle.

And yet the film is more than just a load of eye candy. It has some actual emotional heft. The characters and relationships all feel believable, at least for a movie about teen aliens. Pettyfer’s romance with a cute-girl photographer (Glee’s Dianna Agron) is especially well-handled, and also allows us to see, via a scene with the girl’s family at dinner, his character’s longing for a normal life.

Pettyfer is mainly called upon to be photogenic, be it while brooding, smiling, fighting, crying or waterskiing. Better is Olyphant, who brings a nice mix of sternness and compassion to his protector part. Best, I think, is Callan McAuliffe (Flipped) as a bullied teen Pettyfer befriends. He does a beautiful job conveying his character’s loneliness and frustration. In perhaps the film’s best scene, he pleads with Pettyfer to confirm his suspicions about Pettyfer’s true nature.

My only quibble is the emo tunes on the soundtrack, an inevitable thing considering the demographic to whom the film is meant to appeal (though I did appreciate hearing Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” over the scene of Palmer strutting away from an exploding building). On a related note, I very much liked the score by Trevor Rabin. It enhances the action, brings the tears and, much like Caruso’s straightforward direction, never gets in the way. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date 5/24/11

The fart jokes were not funny at all and really did not make any sense either. I was just glad that I did not see any testicle kicking or more than a few fart jokes. And the parts when a frog tells Juliet that her butt looks fat or that she looks hot made me feel sick that children think that that is funny. The ironic twist to the original ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was not so great, as they had Juliet be a super athletic super ninja. I thought they were garden gnomes, but people who want a sporty princess in a movie are in luck.

Once the Terrafirminator lawn mower (Hulk Hogan) is bought by Gnomeo’s small companion, Benny (Matt Lucas), is where the good part comes in. Of course the ending is not too great for kids my age and maybe a little bit older. Maybe too happy or maybe too fun or whatever it might be. But, I would suggest this to young kids and maybe young parents too. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Animation/Adventure/Comedy

Rated G

DVD Release Date: 5/24/11

I say half-hearted because Portman’s character never quite succeeds in winning our sympathies. This despite the fact that much of the film is spent discussing the tragic death of hers and her husband’s newborn daughter shortly after bringing her home from the hospital. Though she does make an earnest go at connecting with her older stepson, a predictably precocious and neurotic kid played by Charlie Tahan (who could build a career out of playing Steve Zahn as a kid), she doesn’t quite seem to like him. Not that her “competition” is much more likable. Her husband’s shrill ex-wife (Lisa Kudrow) does just about everything she can to sabotage Portman.

Though it labels itself a drama/comedy, The Other Woman really isn’t nearly as funny as it ought to be. It takes its world of wealthy New Yorkers, crippled by their own self-entitlement, way too seriously. Portman remains a skilled actress in my eyes, but the singular focus on her character, even to the point of awkwardly leaving other characters out of frame, hamstrings the film. All I can say is, if you’re in the market for a movie that is about 80% comprised of bitter recriminations hurled back and forth by desperately unphilosophical rich people, this is the picture for you. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Drama

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 5/17/11

Statham assumes Bronson’s role of a professional assassin who makes his killings look like accidents. After his employers assign him to take out his friend and mentor (Donald Sutherland, excellent in a brief part), Statham himself takes on Sutherland’s son (Ben Foster) as a protege.

The film starts out as something closer to The Day of the Jackal than a typical wham-bam Statham flick, with little to no dialogue or actual action as Statham stealthily strangles a Colombian drug lord, then returns home to New Orleans where he listens to classical music, employs a prostitute and visits with Sutherland. Normally I’d complain about such a bloodless beginning, but I actually appreciated the restraint.

Things get a little more interesting when Foster enters the picture. He excelled playing psychos in Hostage and the remake of 3:10 to Yuma, and brings a similar kind of off-kilter edginess to his role here as a guy who seems less than sad about his dad’s death. Just watch as he waits to be carjacked, and then beats a carjacker to within an inch of his life.

It’s when Statham starts training Foster that the film turns into a fantastic, full-throttle frenzy of action. After Foster endures a beautifully brutal and bloody brawl with a rival hit man, he and Statham do battle with numerous thugs while weathering withering amounts of gunfire and, at one point, rappelling down a thirty-story building. At another point, Statham throws a bad guy through a bus window and the guy gets smacked dead by an oncoming car.

But that’s nothing compared to what comes later as the pair goes after Statham’s boss (Tony Goldwyn). Things get positively explosive, with a garbage truck and yet another city bus getting involved. The film’s best stunt, in fact, sees a bad guy SUV crashing through the front end of said bus and causing said bus to blow up in spectacular fashion.

None of this is especially deep, of course, despite attempts to make Statham seem tortured about taking out Sutherland. Statham is really too much like Bronson to pull off such emoting. Where Bronson’s face was seemingly made of stone, Statham wears a perpetual scowl. As such, the movie works best when the man is beating up bad guys. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Action/Crime/Thriller

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 5/17/11

Blue Valentine

So that brings us to Blue Valentine. This movie was widely acclaimed as one of the best of 2010. The story is simple. It’s about the breakdown of a marriage. I’m told that it’s a little depressing, but I am never depressed by a well-made, provocative, and artful film. Cindy (Michelle Williams), is bright, pretty, and has dreams of going to medical school. Dean (Ryan Gosling) is a high school dropout whose mother split when he was young, and who now works for a moving company. You’re beginning to get the picture? They’re kind of mismatched, but they meet, have a romantic interlude, she dances and he plays the ukulele, and through pregnancy and destiny, they end up together. We get glimpses of the couple during various phases of their relationship – the film is edited with cross cutting over time periods, and in this way, the viewer understands their back story without the typical chronological order of most narratives. Credit Jim Helton, along with the other editor, Ron Patane, for not only making this style work, but for also enhancing how the story unfolds.

Both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams got multiple award nominations, and Michelle got the Oscar nod. I really think that Ryan’s contribution to this film was equal to that of Michelle. His Dean is a familiar character – he’s playful, loyal, very boyish, and he drinks and smokes too much. A very telling line in the movie comes when Cindy, frustrated with what she perceives as Dean’s lack of ambition, asks him if he doesn’t ever think about having a job where he doesn’t have to drink at 8 am. Dean retorts that the fact that he can drink at 8 am is actually a great “benefit” of his painting job. He is hugely devoted to their daughter, Frankie, and he’s the kind of guy that cries over the loss of a dog, and bonds immediately with the other guys at work. Ryan totally inhabits this character. It’s a pleasure to watch him. He’s an actor with great range, and we have seen that he was as effective in Lars and the Real Girl as he was in Half Nelson. He imbues Dean with a soft vulnerability that is somehow and magically melded seamlessly with his blue-collar sensibility. We’re not given a tremendous amount of detail about how their love devolves. This is really my one gripe with the movie: not quite enough linkage of how the couple went from spark to lights out. I could have used more proof about why Cindy was over Dean, because in spite of his flaws, I romanticized him and was rooting for him. Of course, I didn’t have to live with him. But instead, Michelle delivers an achingly delicate, subtly breathtaking performance, totally complex in its simplicity and not readily definable. Her turn as Wendy in Wendy and Lucy could draw a comparison, but here, in Blue Valentine, she’s even more like a painting that invites interpretation.

Add great music (you’ll know Grizzly Bear after this film) and some great sets – bridges, buses, store entrances, and the best one: the Future Room in a cheapo motel where Dean hopes to reach back to the love and the sex that attracted them at first. And speaking of sex, there are a couple of somewhat graphic scenes—graphic enough to warrant the threat of an NC-17 rating, which was eventually and thankfully overturned in favor of an R rating.

There’s so much more. We see the portrayal of family relationships, a chance encounter between Cindy and her old boyfriend, the smarmy doctor offering Cindy a new “position”, and the initial meeting point of Cindy and Dean—Cindy visiting her grandma in a retirement home while Dean is moving in an elderly gentleman. This is one of the most poignant scenes of the film. I could go on and on, but before a spoiler occurs here, I’ll just say a big “See it”, and think of Derek behind the counter years ago at Video Station. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Drama/Romance

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 5/10/11

I don’t like him. Can you really blame me?

I did, however, end up liking No Strings Attached. The story of “friends with benefits” and how it never actually works, with Natalie Portman as a medical intern, and Ashton Kutcher as a Hollywood production assistant/fledgling writer. After Kutcher ends up at Portman’s house after a debaucherous night, they make their no-love-just-sex arrangement.

It is at this point you stop caring about the main characters for a bit, because you know it’s going to get “complicated.” Kevin Kline as the hard-partying-fomer-tv-star dad was the point where I warmed up a little bit to the movie. Then when you first meet Natalie Portman’s doctor roommates, Mindy Kaling from The Office and Greta Gerwig from Greenberg, they are funny and interesting. After meeting all the secondary characters, you warm back up to the “stars” because they’re friends with these interesting people.

It’s largely predictable, and occasionally rude, but in the end, I didn’t turn it off. If you’re looking for light laughs with no commitment (sorry, had to be done) then check out No Strings Attached.

As a disclaimer, I should let you know I was the only person I know who liked this. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Comedy/Romance

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 5/10/11

The Illusionist

Like Tati’s other stories, this one is not strongly plot-driven. It is, rather, an establishment of setting and mood punctuated by endlessly clever yet understated comic setpieces. Though all of Tati’s films have an undercurrent of nostalgic melancholy, Illusionist serves up a sharper, more intimate sting, presumably due to the more personal nature of the story he wrote, and perhaps why he never could produce it himself.

This is a gorgeous film to look at. Chomet’s style of animation, both here and in Belleville, recalls Disney’s middle-period animated features from the 60’s through the 80’s, which were a riot of pencil-drawn spontaneity and dusky watercolor depths. His character designs blend sharply exaggerated caricature and naturalistic proportions. His use of computer-aided animation is more prominent here, but never heavy-handed or gimmicky. At one point, we even see the real Tati meet his re-animated counterpart.

It’s also plenty funny, but, true to Tati, more full of wise winks and smiles than belly laughs. Chomet and Tati share a love of visual humor–neither director’s films have much essential dialogue–teasing us, for instance, with a shot from behind of a Scotsman on a little motorboat, his kilt blowing in the wind. Or a nice little scene where the penniless magician takes a job at an auto garage and tends to a rich Texan’s ostentatious Cadillac–classic Tati, with Chomet’s satirical barbed twist (the license plate reads “B1G-A55″).

It’s appropriate that a film about a magician should itself be intrinsically and self-evidently magical. But I’m convinced that those who approach The Illusionist familiar not only with Chomet’s work but with Tati’s will find it downright exhilarating, as I did. Therefore I will end this review with an aggressive plug for Tati’s films–particularly 1967’s Playtime. To use my favorite facile tagline for it, it’s like the cinematic equivalent of “Where’s Waldo?” Be sure to watch it on as big a screen as you can–with Criterion’s Blu-Ray disc if possible. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Animation/Comedy/Drama

Rated PG

DVD Release Date: 5/10/11

As in the ‘30s radio serial, and ‘60s TV series featuring Bruce Lee, it centers on newspaper publisher Britt Reid (Rogen) and his confidant, Kato (Jay Chou), who moonlight as masked crime fighters posing as criminals in order to infiltrate the criminal underworld. Here they try to stop a Russian mobster (Christoph Waltz) from uniting Los Angeles’ crime families.

The movie as a whole is meant to be a lark, I guess, but it still would have helped to have a main character to root for. We don’t get that with Rogen, who helped write the thing. He plays the same old slacker man-child he always does, albeit a rich one. So instead of a hero who takes getting shot at seriously, we get a boorish frat boy who thinks it’s cool to go after gun-toting bad guys. He’s what Batman would be if Bruce Wayne were full of himself.

As well Rogen doesn’t act so much as goof his way through his lines, which results in some pretty awful scenes, like when he interviews Cameron Diaz to be his new secretary. Scowling is about the extent of his actual emoting. None of this would matter, of course, had there been someone to pick up his slack. Diaz has little to do besides spraying Rogen with mace, Chou looks the part but lacks Lee’s charisma, and Oscar-winner Waltz tries hard to be funny but somehow falls flat (though he does get the world’s coolest gun).

The numerous action scenes are what make the film watchable. For sure Gondry’s good with massive explosions–the bulldozer getting blown into the air is especially cool–but he also gives the shootouts, car chases and Chou’s martial arts brawls an entertainingly off-kilter energy. Watch how, when Chou jumps over a car’s hood to get at some thugs, the car suddenly looks like it’s being reflected in a slew of mirrors. Or how Chou pops into a bad-guy SUV and takes out the thugs inside.

I almost forgot about Black Beauty, the duo’s sleek supercar that’s one of the sweetest-looking set of superhero wheels around, decked out as it is with green headlights, ejector seats, rocket launchers, side-door machine guns, wheel saws and, for our more enlightened era, a bean bag launcher. During the action-crazy finale, Rogen and Chou are still able to drive around in its front half after it gets cut in half going up in an elevator. That ability alone makes it more of a star than the humans around it.- [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Action/Comedy/Crime

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date: 5/6/11