3 Mini-Reviews and 2 full reviews (D9 and the Basterds)

After sitting with District 9 for too long, and subsequently writing a lot about it, I realized I wouldn't have room for all the reviews I needed to get done. Especially with Inglorious Basterds thrown in the mix (I could write pages on Tarantino. I have, before) So 3 mini-reviews, and the 2 full reviews.

The Time Travelers Wife: 2 stars - competent love story, well acted by the leads (Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana). But falls apart with the application of time travel. Creates too many unresolved paradoxes (paradoxi?).

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard: 2.5 stars - Oh, sure, it's got it's funny moments, beyond what's in the trailer. But it takes a shotgun approach to the humour. Hope something, anything, will stick. Ed Helms shines.

Post Grad: 3 stars - Full of charm. Very topical. Carol Burnett was great, Michael Keaton steals every scene he's in. Alexis Bledel needs to shake "Gilmore Girls".

District 9

5 Stars

What do you get when you cross a compelling character study, race relation politics, and visitors from another world? The perfect sci-fi film. Neill Blomkamp's District 9.

30 years after an alien ship mysteriously appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa, the E.T.s have been quarantined to District 9, a slum area. MNU official Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) has been charged with informing the Prawns (slang term for the aliens) of their forced relocation to District 10, only to unfortunately come in contact with a bio-weapon in the process. So as to not give away any spoilers on the film, I'll just say that this sets off an chain of events that leads to Wikus aiding a Prawn in his attempt to get back to his home world.

I've long lamented that a problem with mainstream science fiction is that it's too much on the comedy/action, not enough on the science or deeper, more probing issues that it could be. And don't get me wrong, I love those kind, too. But the think piece sci-fi's are much more compelling. And unfortunately they're few and far between. This is one of those few times.

While several (good) films do tend to view alien visitors through rose coloured lenses, District 9 takes a much bleaker, more pragmatic view of the visitors. We, humans, round up the aliens, put them in slums, and treat them like second, nay, third class citizens. And it very rightly raises the question of, given today's society and global political spectrum... is that not what we would do? And it's disheartening to think that the answer could very well be yes.

History is littered with this sort of thing. Americans and the blacks. Americans and the Indians. Pretty much WASPs and non-WASPs in America. Apartheid in South Africa. Serbian ethnic cleansing. And of course the Holocaust, the extreme side. Turning this dark side of our history on it's head, and forcing us to look at how we act, which is out of fear, and how we would treat these visitors. And it's scathingly brilliant.

All due credit must go to star Sharlto Copley. The star of the film could have been the script, could have been the effects, could have been the action sequences. But Copley, who astonishingly is starring in his first full length feature, carries the film on his shoulders, and pulls you into his character and you get a connection the likes of which are rarely seen these days. Especially in sci-fi. His transformation from goofy bureaucrat with magnified character flaws to reluctant and sympathetic hero. He plays Wikus straight, the whole way through. There's no wink and nod that this is a sci-fi flick. And to his credit, you forget that there are aliens, due to his commitment to the story and to the character.

And of course, writer/director Neill Blomkamp. His unflinching and uncompromising daring in his desire to make his movie, and leave his stamp on the world. He disregarded the norm and and made this wonderful think piece that taps into the audience's desire to be challenged with something new and fresh, as well as their comfortable familiarity with the conventions of sci-fi/action. He fuses the two together, and walks away with the film of the year.

If you see one film in theatres this year, make it District 9, you won't be disappointed. I will be if it doesn't garner the recognition it so rightly deserves come award season.

Inglourious Basterds

4.5 Stars

It's slick. It's engrossing. It's comical. It's got gratuitous action. It's got engaging dialogue. You're drawn to characters you shouldn't like. And above all else, it's over the top. Yes, Quentin Tarantino has a new film out. And yes, it's every bit as good as one could hope for (though I am a QT fanboy, so there is that).

Tarantino takes his unique vision and style all the way back to World War II, where the Basterds, a small military unit comprised of American Jews led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) are embedded in Nazi occupied France, and they do what they do best: Kill Nazis. They get a shot at the big dog himself, Adolf Hitler, when he decides to attend a movie premiere (several high ranking Nazi officials will also be in attendance). Little known fact to all involved, the theatre where the premiere is being held is owned and operated by a French Jew who saw her family slaughtered at the hands of a cold-hearted SS Colonel.

They say history is written by the winners. I'd rather it be written by Tarantino. His revisionist history is way more entertaining and satisfying than what actually happened. No other group of people represent the embodiment of evil more so than the Nazi's. And pop culture pot shots at them are a guilty pleasure of most, whether they're willing to admit it or not. And seeing them get their sweet, bloody, gory, gratuitous comeuppance satisfies the deep, internal, hidden bloodlust we all have.

The Basterds are so cavalier, so nonchalant that what they do, you can't help but laugh, and get a sick glee out of watching them do what they do. Raine comments that they enjoy watching Donny (Eli Roth) beat Nazi's, and there is a pleasure, a satisfaction in watching Lt. Donowitz go to town on a Nazi with a baseball bat.

Tarantino pulls no less than three amazing performances from his actors. First off, Brad Pitt. I've been touting the merits of Pitt for years. He really is quite good. And this exemplifies not only his ability to take on a character, but his comedic timing. While he doesn't have the chameleon-like talents of some of his contemporaries, he does get into his character, and doesn't let himself take over the character. He is a man who understands the craft. And he gives one of his career defining performances.

Melanie Laurent, virtually unknown to American audiences (myself included, I won't be one of those snobs who pretends to be 100% versed in foreign cinema and holds nothing but feigned disdain for American works) gives a heartfelt yet brutal performance as the vengeance seeking Shosanna Dreyfus, a young French-Jewish girl hiding in plain sight who orchestrates a mass killing of the high ranking Nazi's and the societal elite at her theatre. She takes the character template laid down by Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, a woman with laser-like focus on revenge, amplifies it, and pulls you into her own personal struggle.

But the most intriguing character, and the truly most brilliant performance of the year, hands down belongs to German actor Christoph Waltz as SS Col. Hans Landa. Waltz never plays him as over the top evil. Instead, he's cold, calculating, and there's a hint of sarcasm to him. To the character, not the portrayal. Waltz made the right choice in playing it straight. In a film filled with outlandish characters, someone has to be the straight man. And why can't it be a Nazi. You don't like him. You're not sympathetic to him. But you are oddly drawn to him. There hasn't been such an effective villain on film since that other famous Hans. Gruber, of course, from Die Hard. Waltz took the time to understand this character, and gave the performance of the year (up there with the previously mentioned Sharlto Copley in District 9).

No one writes dialogue like Tarantino. It's almost lyrical. You're fully engaged in every scene he writes. Every sentence. Every word. He's not there to waste anyone's time. In WWII revenge flick, you'll go 20-30 minutes in between scenes of action, and that's not really a problem. I sat enraptured by it.

That said, this leads to the one gripe that I had with this film, and it is similar to my frustration with Tarantino's previous cinematic effort, Death Proof. If you remember, in cinemas, Death Proof was one half of the Grindhouse double feature, alongside his figurative brother Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror. DP showed second, and it really killed the flow. You had all this action with PT, then BAM 30 minutes of dialogue. It messed with the pacing. But I looked over it, knowing that they were two separate films, and I could watch them in whatever order I wanted at home on DVD. But with Inglourious Basterds, he's suffering from pacing problems. He'll hit you with a burst of fun action, then slam the brakes for dialogue. Rise up to the action, and hit the brakes again. It was frustrating. Tarantino, you didn't used to have these problems. Maybe you're slipping in your old age. Who knows?

But this is definitely one of the top films of the year. Thank you August for reaffirming my faith in '09 cinema, after a pretty dismal year, thus far.

The Ugly Truth/Funny People/G.I. Joe/Julie & Julia

4 Full reviews and 2 brief ones

G-Force - 2 stars - When harmless is a bad thing. Kids may find this enjoyable, and if you find yourself being forced to see it, go the extra mile and see it in 3D.

The Collector - 4 stars - Great horror film that works on two levels. The shock and disgust of violence and gore, and the psychological fear of a cold, calculating unknown, unexplained villain. Reaffirms my faith in modern American horror.

The Ugly Truth

2.5 Stars

What do you get when you combine the cliches of a run of the mill romantic comedy and the bawdy humour of a boy's night out? It's still predictable, it's still mediocre, but you get a few more unexpected laughs than normal.

Katherine Heigl stars as Abby, a romantically challenged TV show producer, forced to hire Gerard Butler's Mike, a self-proclaimed relationship expert due to declining ratings, and the two instantly clash. But when Abby falls for her new neighbour, she seeks Mike's advice for dating the guy, no matter how outlandish they become.

Fun, safe plot, huh? Well, it follows the usual trajectory, most recently seen in The Proposal just one short month ago. You can pretty much tell where it's going to go from watching the trailer. So if you're looking for a safe bet, a sure thing, this is the film to check out.

Heigl is making it really hard for audiences to like her. Off screen she decries the characters offered to women, yet routinely plays to the stereotype on screen. Butler really is the saving grace. Beneath his rugged good looks and action star physique lies a sharp wit and impeccable comedic timing. Think Scottish Brad Pitt.

But despite the funny jokes that will have you roaring with laughter and squirming at the over raunchiness for what you would expect to be a tame romantic comedy, the blending of the two may leave a weird after taste in your mouth. It works to a point, but you're not really sure what kind of movie you just watched. I must refer you to Kevin Smith, the master of meshing frank dialogue with a relationship centric plot.

This one's worth a rent, not a theatrical visit.


Funny People

4.5 Stars

Sure Judd Apatow has his name on just about everything these days. And sure, Seth Rogan is everywhere and it's been easy to take shots at him for being overexposed. And sure, Adam Sandler has seen better days. But that all changes with Funny People.

Sandler plays George Simmons, a fictional version of himself, an actor/comedian who learns he has a rare form of lukemia, and decides to take Ira Wright (Seth Rogan) under his wing, and the two together re-evaluate George's life.

The thing about Judd Apatow is that he has this ability to create characters he really cares about, and subsequently you really care about, and also make them really funny.

Adam Sandler finally finds that balance he's been searching for in recent years between his comedic goofy persona and his serious work. You get a man who is faced with his own mortality, and is still able to crack jokes about it. And that is what still appeals to the everyman in the audience.

The only real gripe I have about this movie is that it is overly long and does drag at points. It feels like two films about the same thing. The first part is about a man dealing with his potential death, the second part is him reconciling with a former love. It could have been two movies had they done a little more with each. But each story was shortened and put into one film, causing it to drag a bit.

It's still one of the best films of the year, and not one to be missed.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

.5 Stars

I said I'd give this film 5 stars if there was a PSA at the end. That was a joke. And there wasn't. Good news is that there's still a 5 star review for it. But as you can see, there's a decimal point and nothing else in front of the 5. And that half a star is being generous.

After a failed mission to protect a highly volatile new warhead, Duke and Ripcord meet up with the covert-ops squad G.I. Joe (Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity) to recover the warhead, and stop a megalomaniacal arms manufacturer from causing chaos in the world.

I guess I should start with a positive thing or two about the film. Brendan Fraser's brief cameo as who I can only assume is Beach-Head (possibly Sgt. Slaughter, but why not cast Sgt. Slaughter?) was a lot of fun, cause he's in, he's out, and it was kinda cool. I enjoyed Sienna Miller's portrayal of the Baroness... to a point, possibly more on that later. Dennis Quaid was great as General Hawk. And then there was... umm....well... there was, wait no.... ok, I got nothing else.

Otherwise, holy crap what a tragedy! What an insult. At least the first Transformers film had respect for the source material. It seems director Stephen Sommers and his team of 6 writers (Sommers being one of them) got a character list and said "We'll do whatever we want." The comedy was ill timed, the characters were all over the place, and it just wasn't G.I. Joe.

Since I am advising that you don't even bother wasting your time with this, I am going to get into some spoilers. If you feel that you must endure this travesty of a film, then skip on down to the Julie & Julia review. What the hell was with The Baroness and Cobra Commander being brother and sister? What was with The Baroness and Duke having a romantic past? They couldn't have possibly done a worse job with the Baroness (again, Miller's portrayal was fine, and the problems I have with the character are purely the fault of the writers). They were setting up the film for potential sequels. But The Baroness is historically such a phenomenal villain, and they destroyed all that. How can she go back to being a villain after her realization that she wasn't under her own control?

The action and special effects weren't pulse pounding. They weren't edge of your seat. They were slouch in your seat out of boredom, laughably bad. I was bored by the climactic chase sequence through the streets of Paris. You know what it reminded me of? Team America: World Police. In fact, this whole film was a psuedo-serious Team America that wasn't in on the joke.

If you liked the show, if you liked the animated film, if you liked the action figures, don't see this film. It will ruin your childhood. Even though Shia LaBeouf isn't in it.

Julie & Julia

3.5 Stars

I recognize Meryl Streep as a great actress. She is. She's phenomenal. I never got all "OMG! BEST ACTRESS EVER! I HEART MERYL STREEP!" But, yeah, I dig her work. And this, Julie & Julia, is some of her best, funniest work, and it doesn't hurt that she has the great Amy Adams as her foil, and the equally great Stanley Tucci supporting her.

Julie & Julia is the tale of two true stories. Julia Child's (Streep) as she masters the art of French cooking and attempts to make it accessable to American cooks, and Julie Powell's (Adams) as she cooks her way through Child's book in a year and blogs about it.

This is two great movies. Combined for one, it's kind of a mess. It tries to correlate the parallels between Powell and Child, and what they discover on their respective journeys, jumping back and forth between the two stories. But it spends too much time on each. Just as you're getting into the story, writer/director Nora Ephron violently pulls you away and thrusts you into the other one. And back and forth like that for two hours. I'm digging each story equally, but I'm also pissed off that I can't fully follow them.

But the ADD like flip flopping aside, it is such a funny script. Streep is hilarious and Adams holds her own against the insurmountable force that is Streep. It never feels like they're reaching for a joke. The comedy comes naturally, from these two women and their experiences and their characters. And it's that humour that holds your attention through the film. And because of that humour, you're with the characters when they do hit the serious points. You're with them the whole way through. It's great.

This is a film that everybody can enjoy. Fellas, skip the G.I. Joe this weekend, take your lady to Julie & Julia, you'll thank me for it later.

John Hughes: 1950-2009

As you may have heard, the world of cinema lost a great man today. A man who guided us through high school. He taught us that we were all the brain, the athlete, the basketcase, the princess and the criminal. He taught us that life moves fast, and that if we don't stop and look around, we could miss it. That we'll have a great vacation if it kills us. That being home alone would actually be kinda cool. For all the great movies. For all the great laughs. For all the great times. John Hughes I salute, you. Shermer, Illinois just got a little less sunny.


I put together a tribute to him, it's going on the air tomorrow. Click here for the tribute. Stay tuned to the end.