A Perfect Getaway

The setup posits the possibility that one of three couples–newlyweds Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich, free-spirit types Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez, and hitchhikers Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) and Marley Shelton–hiking through lush Hawaiian scenery are murdering tourists.

For the most part Twohy, who also made The Arrival and the underrated Below, succeeds in keeping things tense and us guessing as to who the killers might be, even throwing in self-conscious talk about red herrings and such. At one point someone actually says, “It could be anybody.”

The casting is also nicely offbeat, and Zahn, Jovovich and Sanchez all do decent jobs. But Olyphant easily tops them. As a buff Iraqi war vet who’s “really hard to kill” (as we’re told repeatedly), he’s effortlessly self-assured–almost to the point of cockiness–and gets, and gives real color to, the film’s best lines.

Once the culprits are revealed about 70 minutes in, the film turns into a satisfyingly brutal chase flick in which hatchets are employed, hands are impaled, and characters are shot, and where Twohy stages an entertaining mano a mano between two of the ladies. He also makes brief but effective use of panels during an already exciting chase scene.

Not all of the twists make complete sense, to be sure, and the black-and-white flashbacks meant to explain the how and why behind the bad couple’s actions are unnecessarily long and, what’s more, never make the how and why especially clear. At least, not to me. And the ending is a bit of a letdown, thanks to one character’s last-minute about face.

In the end, it’ll basically help you kill some time (no pun intended), though watching the actors strut around in a gorgeous warm-weather locale may make you a little jealous. If anything, this is the perfect movie to watch during the dead of winter. – [DVD]

Drama/Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 12/29/09

Management

Zahn plays the directionless night manager of the Arizona motel owned by his parents (Fred Ward and Margo Martindale) who falls for Aniston’s traveling art saleswoman and stalks her from state to state in an attempt to woo her.

It’s not nearly as creepy as it may sound, despite Zahn asking Aniston if he can touch her butt and pestering her for her cell number, and sustains a nicely low-key pace and attitude. But it also tends to be rom-com predictable, and for me the idea of a schlep like Zahn being able to romance a hottie like Aniston, whom Martindale rightfully pegs as “a long shot” after meeting her, stretches credibility.

Aniston again tries to show us that, darn it, she can be more than a comedienne, but her attempts at being a serious actress seem to consist mainly of staring pensively or looking unhappy. Indie-flick vet Zahn, on the other hand, makes his stuck-in-rut character the perfect combination of funny, pathetic, honest and just a little eccentric.

Kind of like the film’s sense of humor, which at times gets a little too kooky, and includes Woody Harrelson‘s playing of an ex-punk rocker who shoots at Zahn with a BB gun, Zahn sucking whiskey out of a bottle through a straw, and Zahn’s horribly off-key serenading of Aniston outside her window.

I also liked the “let go, move on” philosophy that writer/director Stephen Belber fosters here, an idea that allows for the amusing sight of Zahn as a Buddhist monk and, eventually, for a genuinely touching scene in which an elder monk (Tzi Ma) relates to Zahn why he moved to America from Vietnam despite America’s horrific conflict with his native country.

Ward does a decent job as Zahn’s gruff dad, despite the character feeling underdeveloped, and in her brief screen time Martindale proves to be the film’s gentle heart. Adding a comic boost is James Hiroyuki Liao as the Asian stoner Zahn befriends, a guy who, when the two first meet, messes with Zahn by speaking in Japanese even though he can speak perfect English.

Ultimately, though, the film isn’t especially memorable. It’s simply too slight, even with Aniston’s presence, and ends more conventionally than you might expect it to. But at the very least you can enjoy watching monks play volleyball and hearing Zahn warble “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” – [DVD]

Comedy/Romance

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 9/29/09

Sunshine Cleaning

But back to the plot: Rose needs money, and Mac tells her of an opportunity to make good money cleaning up crime scenes. She and Norah partner in this endeavor and as the film unfolds, there is the discovery of meaning in other people’s losses, and the working through of their own losses. Along the way they meet two finely developed characters. One is a woman who works in a blood donor clinic (Mary Lynn Rajskub), and the other is the owner of a supply store, Winston (subtle and yet exquisitely detailed acting from Clifton Collins Jr.). All the actors make excellent contributions to this movie. Jason Spevack is particularly awesome as Oscar. I loved Amy Adams in Junebug, but her acting was a little over-the-top. Here she nails her role with a rich and nuanced performance. Same for Emily Blount.

So that’s Sunshine Cleaning. You should see it. The humor is at times dark, and the darkness is not always humorous, but I’m definitely adding Sunshine Cleaning to my favorites of 2009. The Special Features include a couple of real-life crime scene cleanup workers giving us the skinny on the profession. – [DVD]

Comedy/Drama

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 8/25/09