Rental Queue: Weeks Two, Three and Four

On top of the movie reviews I also write for the commentary section of the paper. Here I just write little blurbs about movies I've seen. They tie into the movies that released that week in theaters, to new releases on DVD, as well as the movie I chose to review. There are also recommendations tied to trailers I saw, or inspired by channel surfing, or whatever I rented from Blockbuster that week. So... pretty much any movies I want. Hah. These are my Rental Queues so far.


For Appaloosa: (Week Two)

The Jack Bull:

After viewing Appaloosa this week I could not stop thinking about this great flick. Set in a similar venue, the old west, with a sinister land lord to deal with, The Jack Bull is a more serious exploration of character and justice than this week’s reviewed movie. It features a very powerful performance from John Cusack, and a plot that is simply captivating.

Being Julia:

Not a western. Actually, I recommend this movie simply because I think Jeremy Irons is remarkable in this strange, distinctly individual character. Sure, it’s difficult for me to believe Annette Benning playing a ‘great actress’, but that doesn’t detract from how good a movie this ends up being. If you’re an actor, know anything about the craft, or just appreciate a good character piece, this film should do it for you.

Pollock:

Another film directed by Ed Harris. It’s difficult to compare the two, considering how starkly different the content is. This is one I can’t say much about, beyond this: if you want to see more of Ed Harris’s directing style, as well as his ability as an actor, then this is the place to look.

Iron Man:

No. This has nothing to do with Appaloosa, or any of the actors in it. But it is a relatively new release this month, and one of the best super hero movies I’ve ever seen. Robert Downey Jr. is ridiculously awesome here, and it’s a nice way to gear up for his next movie release, The Soloist, in theatres November 21. Not that I’m counting the days down, or anything.

The Contender:

Sometimes I spontaneously rent a movie because the cover looks cool, or there’s an actor that I recognize in it doing something interesting on the back of the box. This was one of those rentals. It stars Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen and Gary Oldman, all of whom deliver remarkable performances. Oldman, particularly, steals the show. Though, the last monologue from Jeff Bridges is simply exhilarating. It seems fitting nowadays, considering all the ruckus Sarah Palin is raising as a prospective Vice President.

For Max Payne: (Week Three)

Super Mario Bros.

With the release of Max Payne, my attention was returned once again to video games that have been turned into movies. With rip-roaring successes like Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Doom and so many others to pick from (is she being sarcastic?) I think the best recommendation I can make is the original: Super Mario Brothers. Sure, Goombas are giants with itty bitty heads with an affinity for elevator music, but, really, what else do you need?

The Italian Job

This is a role I think Mark Wahlberg is more adept at playing. He’s charming, amusing, intelligent and has his serious moments. Not slighting him for his more recent, dramatic roles, but it’s beginning to fool like he gets work because he’s really good at looking confused and/or intense. Not to mention the fact that the rest of this cast is absolutely brilliant, and the movie is entertaining from start to finish.

Hairspray

It was a toss up for me to decide on what James Marsden film to recommend in honor of the opening of Sex Drive. I love the X-Men movies, as well as Superman Returns and, of course, Enchanted. But if I had to recommend something based on sheer display of talent, it has to be Hairspray. He plays Corny Collins, the host of a popular television show, and shows off not only his charming personality, immaculate hair, and ability to act, but an amazing voice.

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark

The release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this week forces my hand as far as this recommendation goes. I cannot honestly allow myself to recommend the fourth installment directly, but if you’re picking it up anyway you might as well take another look at Raiders. The start of the Indiana Jones movie franchise, this film is one of the strongest installments, and my personal favorite. Reintroduce yourself to Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. and strap in for non-stop action, comedy and the rugged handsomeness that is Harrison Ford.

Wag the Dog

I’m mostly using the opening of W. downtown as an excuse for this one. Wag the Dog is one of my favorite films, hands down. It features powerful, comedic, engaging performances from Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro, with numerous supporting characters of worth and note. Its story is always applicable, and seems to echo the president we’re so close to saying goodbye to. Plus, it’s funny and very well written. It will leave you questioning, or at the very thinking about, the way the government, and elections, works.

For Quarantine: (Week Four)

Shaun of the Dead

So I don’t usually go to see scary movies. I am just not a fan of being terrified as I walk home alone, in the dark. But I have to admit, I love zombies. And I love comedy. Shaun of the Dead, then, is the perfect combination of both. It is one of the best zombie movies I’ve seen, simply because it’s entertaining, funny, and scary all at once. The set up and the execution of the zombie outbreak is one of the best I’ve seen. Absolutely hilarious, while still managing to be chilling.

28 Days Later

Not so hilarious. Not at all, in fact. The infected of this movie are similar to those found in Quarantine, and thus it earned a spot on my recommendation list. The sequel, too, is worth a look. Not at the same time, though, unless you’re really interested in being as freaked out as humanly possible. One of the many blood curdling things about the monster this chimpanzee-borne infection is how face and terrible the infected become. If someone was running at me like that, I would definitely be concerned.

High School Musical

What can be more terrifying than high school kids singing and dancing in a musical? Actually, a lot of things. Shamefully, I like this series of bouncy, innocent films. The first is still my favorite, and with the release of the third in theaters, I think it only fair to recommend that this movie be viewed. Only by the brave and daring, of course. Or fans of musical theatre, I suppose.

The Incredible Hulk

Ed Norton released a movie this week. It got a little lost under High School Musical and the fifth iteration of the Saw franchise, but it’s in there. In honor of that brave film, fighting for views against impossible odds, I think it fair to bolster the sales of his newest film to DVD. That, and it’s another addition to the high quality super hero movies we’ve been seeing as of late. Not as good as Iron Man, despite what the commercials try to tell you, The Incredible Hulk is still a worthy piece of work and a good buy, or rental. And if you wait long enough, there’s a little Tony Stark to be enjoyed.

Jurassic Park

This recommendation comes from channel surfing, once again. This is one of my personal all time favorite movies. The kind that I will stop and watch, no matter what else is on and how many times I’ve seen it. Dinosaurs, Jeff Goldblum, and the story from one of the coolest books ever written all adds up to a great time in my opinion. Plus, I still consider it one of the most graphically impressive movies of its time. Just watch out for Velociraptors. They know how to open doors, and they don’t know pity or fear.

Movie Review: Week Four

Quarantine Review: B

Getting into the Halloween swing a little bit early, I decided to check out a scary movie this week. It is not a new release, as I’m wont to review, but the opening of High School Musical 3 this weekend made my regular viewing schedule a hellish rush of teenagers that I just did not have the time or patience to deal with. So I opted out of wading through the giddy boppers and instead went with a movie that literally only had myself and the friend I went with as its audience that night.

Quarantine has a relatively straight forward plot. A newsreporter and her camera man are covering a fire station through the night shift for their show. A seemingly simple medical call brings them their first emergency run of the night, the intrepid pair shadowing two firemen as they make their way to an old, small apartment complex. Police are already on the scene as the four rush inside the building and are told by its inhabitance that there was terrible screaming coming from one of the apartments upstairs. From there they learn that there is something awful running amuck which makes those infected extremely aggressive. Things go from bad to worse after a policeman and a fireman are attacked, and the building is quarantined by plastic window coverings, metal door braces and armored men with big guns.

Jennifer Carpenter plays the oddly precocious young reporter who spends most of her time in front of the camera. I imagine she might strike some people as annoying, particularly during the first few scenes as the news team struggles to find something interesting to cover during the relatively quiet night at the station. Yet I found her to be endearing and honest: just a natural reflection of a woman who has fun with her job, but might not be as good at it as she wants to be. She is calm and quiet, even when she’s screaming, and her progression into panic as the night marches on and the events get worse is just horrifying to watch. I think because I identified with her so readily really plays in to why the movie struck me as very, very scary.

That, and the zombies.

Okay, so a minor spoiler is to remind you that they’re not actually zombies, because they’re not technically dead as they attack the uninfected few. But they certainly act, move, and bite into human flesh as masterfully as any zombie I’ve seen, so I’m willing to over look the technicalities. There is a scene where the firemen, having just arrived at the building, move into the apartment where they were told some awful screams were coming from. There’s a woman standing at the end of the hall, and you can hear her breathing. It’s raspy and piercing: something close to growling. This is a moment where, if there had been more than just the two of us present, the entire audience would be yelling ‘don’t go in there’.

There are some truly great, heart-thundering-in-your-chest scenes littered through out this film, which all adds up to a terrifying conclusion. The acting by most of the main cast is solid and believable, ranging from the typical confusion over the events around them to a very potent, quiet breakdown after one of the civilians has to kill an infected attacker. Their hysteria never seems out of place, and it does not distract from the movie viewers own reactions to the thrills and chills.

Now it would be unfair not to mention that Quarantine is a remake of a Spanish horror movie called [REC]. It is not entirely word for word, as a lot of the plot content from the original was removed for this version. Without going into detail and spoiling both movies, it would just be fair to say that the two should not be compared in a ‘which one is better’ kind of competition. I don’t think the point was to make a better version of it. It’s just story telling, and both are compelling for their own reasons. There are more than enough similarities to justify just viewing one version, and being content in the choice. Giving Quarantine demerits because it’s not exactly the same strikes me as defeating the purpose of remaking something: of wanting to tell the story in a different way. And that’s just what happened here.

I thought the camera was going to be a detriment. We were warned going in that it had the ‘seasick camera’ in it, and I could not help but think back to Cloverfield. Yet this movie managed to keep the camera far more stable, the running scenes limited to stairs and hallways rather than expanses of New York City blocks. Or maybe the professional camera man character was simply better at filming live situations than the every day party goer. In any case, it was not a nauseating experience as far as the camera work itself went. There were, of course, other things to feel sick about, but that was an intended part of the fun.

Of course, there are faults in this movie, as with any other. Some of the plot elements are easily figured out, and a number of explanations fail to be revealed. Particularly at the end, as the news crew explore one final room in the building. They take moments to show you new and interesting things, but the film comes crashing to an end before they are fully revealed. I suppose that makes sense, since the tag line says that the only evidence of these events is what the camera crew caught on tape, and they can hardly be expected to get everything, but still. It seems cruel to show us these things that might really help to understand everything, and then end if before we get there.

Movie Review: Week Two

Every week (or almost) I review movies for the paper. These are the uncut versions of those reviews.

Appaloosa Review: C+

Jeremy Irons swaggering around in a cowboy get up, toting a gun around and being generally, western-ly awesome? I’m there.

Appaloosa is set in the Old West, and focuses on the trials of two gunslingers hired by the town of Appaloosa to clean up its reputation and handle the ruthless, rancher that has been keeping the town under his thumb. Throw into the mix an unconventional stranger in the form of a beautiful, whimsical, woman and you’ve got yourself a story.

Ed Harris stars with Viggo Mortensen as Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, the City Marshall and Deputy who use their guns to uphold their laws. Renee Zellweger underwhelms as the floozy, Allison French, and Jeremy Irons curls his long, elegant fingers around a gun as the outlaw Randall Bragg. Timothy Spall also has a part worth mentioning, playing a fear strangled official of Appaloosa and offering a few small laughs.

The film was directed by Ed Harris, and I think his flair for the subtlety of characterization really came through here. I’m so used to watching him ground himself in his roles, developing and delivering well rounded, independent performances. Directorally (that’s a word now), he seems to focus on his actors. Each player has some truly powerful moments, be it through comedy, gunslinging, villainy or good old fashioned drama. The most enjoyable characters to watch are the leads, Cole and Hitch.

Mortensen near steals the show with his lawman-with-a-heart routine. He is so soft hearted and kind, and yet at the same time he manages to carrying himself as the man you would never want to see angry. It’s easy to accept him as a feared gunman, as well as Cole’s closest friend. Harris supplies some great deliveries, his comment at the end of a shoot out literally cause the house to rock with laughter. Together they’re dynamic and engaging, their chemistry bringing life to what is, ultimately, a fairly slow paced film.

Zellweger, unfortunately, could not seem to provide the same level of honest enthusiasm for her role that was absolutely pouring off of the two leading men. She faltered, her character appearing flat and apparently based on one or two words. I know what she wanted to be. She wanted to be charming, and was as much as cardboard can be, and she wanted to be uninhibited. Instead, her character came off as selfish and transparent. I never doubted for a second what her intentions were, even as the tangled web between Cole, Hitch and Mrs. French had even begun to be woven.

Earlier I mentioned that I really only came to see this movie for Jeremey Irons. While I’m pleasantly surprised to have found other things to enjoy, it really would have just been worth the price of a ticket for him alone. Why? Picture Scar from the Lion King ordering you off of his land, and then shooting you in the face for not doing it. Then picture him taking over a town through wit, charm, money and fear. All while remaining graceful and while sporting an immaculate vocabulary.

As far as the looks and sounds of the film, I can’t really complain. There was a scene in a sand storm that looked a bit odd, but I don’t imagine a sand storm really lends itself to ideal shooting conditions. The film was never too dark for me to see, nor too bright whenever they were outside. Both of these happen a lot in western movies, I’ve notice, in an effort to make it appear more edgy or pointed. The camera did what it needed to do, and never distracted me enough from the story to take any particular note of it.

That’s not to say there weren’t other things that took me out of the world of the film. Some of their lines, the word choices the writer or director made, seemed out of place for the time period. The same can be said for some of the strange casting decisions. Though, once I decided the movie wasn’t taking itself all that seriously, I found myself more willing to forgive these oddities.

At the end of it all, Appaloosa is an entertaining trip through the old west. It’s linear, easy paced, and sometimes falters in the quality of its performers, but the leads and the journeys their characters go on make up for it all. It’s worth a look at a matinee price, at least.

Movie Review: Week One

Every week (or almost) I review movies for the paper. These are the uncut versions of those reviews.

Flash of Genius Review: B-

Summer is over and the new school year begins. With the last remnants of homework-free hours go the flowing stream of blockbuster movies. This ebb of ‘big names’ allows for some lesser known films to steal into the limelight, though the lull in movie goers might be disheartening for most. As far as I’m concerned, the fall is one of the best times to catch good, honest movies. Of course, living here in Ashland, for me, means walking down town to see most of them.

Flash of Genius was, mostly, worth the effort. Which is good, because I don’t like breaking away from my usual lazy habits for nothing.

The movie is set in the 60’s, and focuses on a college professor who’s background in and passion for engineering lead him to designing a new kind of car windshield wiper, one that does not require constant turning on or off, and has an electronic delay between wipes. Branding this the Kearns Blinking Eye, he offers it to Ford only to find himself betrayed and cheated. Desperate to prove that Ford stole his invention, he engages in a years long battle through courts and letters that sends his once quaint life into chaos. Six children, a loving wife, and his own sanity suffer from his near obsessive conviction, yet he never bows to the ever building pressure to back down, willing to risk everything in the pursuit of his own, personal sense justice: recognition.

Greg Kinnear leads the cast as Bob Kearns, the inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper. The character is a bit intense, a bit too focused. There’s a moment in his long endeavor where he loses himself, and it’s difficult for me to believe he ever really came back from it. In any case, Kinnear’s acting is solid. He’s endearing and soft, a bit confused and adorable. He’s not quite as funny as I would have hoped, but not because the writing didn’t provide for some cute, simple moments of humor. Though, I suppose if I was looking for comedy I should have gone seen Ghost Town, another release in theaters featuring Kinnear.

Not that I would. I’ve seen Heart and Souls. What else do I need in a ghost movie?

Lauren Graham of Gilmore fame plays Phyllis Kearns, Bob’s loving and patient wife. Having been a stalwart Gilmore Girls fan, it was refreshing to see Graham acting, while at the same time it was interesting to see the difference so poignantly in the choices made for this character. She did not speak quickly, or even pout as much as good ol’ Lorelai was wont to do. In fact, Graham was beautifully subtle here, the depth of patience and love she portrayed, even in her character’s hardest moments, fascinating to watch. It was a shame she didn’t have more to do and yet I was glad not to have her over exposed.

The plot was a bit rushed yet still managed to feel its length, some moments dragging on for the sake of direction rather than character or story development. Yes, some of the shots were pretty and effective, but mostly it felt like it was trying too hard to be impactful from behind the camera, while the grace of its characters and potency of the real-life message was played down. Sure, you leave the theater feeling inspired, but the classic David and Goliath story is designed just for that. I don’t think this movie, however strong the actors were, accomplished anything new.

Save for telling me a real tale I had not heard before, of course.

In any case, it is an interesting way to spend an afternoon. Anyone looking for fast paced action, dialogue or… anything might do better looking elsewhere. But if you’re interested in character pieces, dramatic documentaries, or windshield wipers, this movie is worth a look. Kinnear and Graham are strong enough to warrant some recognition, and the message of justice against corruption is applicable in many lives, in big and small ways. It’s a motivational film and, ultimately, a good one. It doesn’t have to be great to get the job done.