Drive

Here I am, only two days out from Christmas.  What that means in terms of my life is that I am more than a little stressed, because of top of the season to be merry, my wife and I are also moving.  That equals a lot of fun and entertainment as boxes and packing tape are strewn around the apartment with care.  Today was going to be my day to review Bad Santa, but numerous trips to the dump and other such adventures left little room for watching the movie.  Instead, I will take a look at the 2011 movie Drive, which was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and stars Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.

There are a number of different ways this film could be described.  Some may call it a drama, others may call it action, others may say that it has thriller elements.  It really is a film that is very hard to put into a box because it has a very unique personality to it.  It is a heavily stylized film, that calls upon the feel and sounds of the eighties, especially during the first act of the movie when we are getting introduced to the main characters.  There are many segments of the film with very little talking, as the mood and tone is communicated through the shots, the music, and the faces and postures of the actors.

Gosling plays The Driver, a stunt driver for movies and a mechanic who also moonlights as a very capable, competent, and precise getaway driver.  We never find out his name, or anything about his past, which is intentionally left out of the story.  His employer, played by Bryan Cranston, who is a very mild father figure to Gosling does not even know about his past.  Gosling's character is very quiet, very calm, and never shows a lot of emotions.  This is not because Gosling does a poor job acting out the character, but because there is something off with the very essence of The Driver, a veneer of placid looks and expressions that cover up frothing emotions. 

While Gosling is of few words, he is not one of few actions.  What makes this film interesting is the extreme nature of Gosling's deeds as they are being carried out by an almost mono-tone soul.  We never get the sense that he is void of all emotions and is a sociopath, but that he is withdrawn from society and lets very little of his personality ever show through.

If described as an action movie (which the foundation of the film could easily be compared to), it is possibly one of the slowest moving out there.  Do not take that to mean that it is boring, however.  The entire feel of the movie seems to mirror the personality of The Driver, making it paced calmly and purposefully with a lot of underlying emotion.  When the action does take place, it is very much to the point, and eerily introduced at times with a graphic nature that bursts the bubble of the of the good natured film we may have thought we had on our hands.  Just as people in the movie became surprised at the manner in which The Driver acted, the audience shares the same emotion with the film which is the nice guy next door that has a secret violent streak to him.

A lot of people may have a hard time with this film because of the odd tempo it has, especially when contrasted by the graphic action elements.  The two do not seem to marry well together in theory, but as I mentioned, the movie is a mirror of the character of The Driver.  Perhaps you have met someone before who was shy and quiet, kept to themselves but scared you to your core when they were instigated.  This film is that person, and it melds the calm and the storm together in a very dramatic story with a unique style and feel like no other.

Rating - 3.5 out of 4 stars

The Purge

Today's movie was supposed to be a review of the Oscar hopeful Philomena, starring Judi Dench.  Unfortunately, icy roads kept me from traveling to the theatre to see it today, and a power outage kept me from watching something else of quality from home.  Because of all this, I reach back into the vault and pull out a review for the movie The Purge which came out in June of this year.

If you have seen the trailer for The Purge, you have a good idea of the concept behind the latest film from Blumhouse Productions.  If you are not aware of Blumhouse Productions (the producers of Paranormal Activity and Insidious), there are two key pieces of relevant information about them.  First, they are masters at making low budget, high grossing movies.  Second, they are masters at repackaging the same concept and tricking audiences into spending their money.

I will not spend time going into the depths of their formula and talking about all the similarities that flow between their movies, as The Purge is at least moderately successful in being different from their other films.  The concept behind the movie is the most gripping aspect, as it tells the story of America in the near future.  It is a country with minimal crime, almost no unemployment, and it is all thanks to one night a year when crime is legal for 12 hours and people can purge the evil they have inside of them.

Normally in a Blumhouse movie, the protagonists are rich Caucasian suburban yuppies who live in a large house and are not very relatable to the average movie goer.  This movie is fresh in the fact that it is actually important to the story that the protagonist family, the Sandins, are affluent people.  As the time of the purge approaches, they are completely relaxed as there is no reason for them to fear.  Not only is their house fortified, but the father James (Ethan Hawke) sells advanced security systems, so you know the Sandins have spared no expense.  When it is time, they calmly hunker down to wait the night out.

It is not too long into the night when the son Charlie (Max Burkholder) views the security monitors and sees a man on the street who is being hunted by people who intend to kill him.  Charlie then decides to deactivate the security system, opens the door, and ushers this unknown man inside to offer him sanctuary.  It is then that the villains arrive to claim the life of the person who the Sandins have inside their house.  It is now decision time for the Sandins… deliver this stranger to the people outside who will kill him, or protect the man and have baddies on the lawn break in and kill everyone in the house.

As the movie plays out, it does so in typical Blumhouse horror style, in that you can very easily predict when all the scares will be, and what the next scene will bring.  The characters are fairly one dimensional, but are not as mind numbingly bland and stupid as they are in Blumhouse movies past, such as Dark Skies or Paranormal Activity.  As the night of the purge moves on, the members of the family are left to make decisions about morality, and as they do, it is the overall concept of the movie that can leave one feeling a bit uneasy. 

One major failing of Blumhouse Productions that is quite present in The Purge is lame baddies.  The villains in this movie are meant to be portrayed in a creepy, massively psychotic way, but it ends up seeming comical and unrealistic that someone would actually act the way they do.  But, that is not what they worry about, as they want the baddies to act in ways that unnerve you, not in ways that would actually make sense to the situation.  A large portion of the teenage girls in the theatre could not stop laughing at the ‘tense’ scenes with the baddies, so one might deduce that the attempt failed.

In all, it was the concept, mediocre characters, decent acting, a few unpredictable key scenes and gripping ‘reality footage’ of events of the purge that made this movie salvageable.  If you are a fan of all things horror, you will not find anything worthy of spending your money on here.  However, if you are intrigued by the concept, the trailers look decent to you, and you have not seen a lot of horrors, then this movie may be worth a cheap night movie ticket.  As for me, I wish I waited until it was on Netflix.

Rating – 2 out of 4 stars

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

The legend does continue in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, but does it need to?  I suppose that is the major question that I have regarding many sequels, especially comedy follow-ups which usually turn out to be a simple repackaging the same jokes but in slightly altered formats.  Myself, I landed on the fence with Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy which seemed to be a decent success in theatres and won the hearts of many audience members.  I found that the movie was a collection of a number of jokes that failed for me, but that had some moments of brilliance where I could not stop laughing.

That is really about how I will sum up the sequel, which I felt did to a bit better in its failed to succeeded joke ratio than the original.  The movie is littered with moment after moment that is supposed to be funny, and the majority of those never quite hit home with me and merely reminded me of what I would laugh at when I was in grade four.  The film is without much of a plot (that should not be a big surprise to any), and just is a mode to usher in the next batch of ‘comedic’ moments.

While admitting the complete lack of traction that so many of the jokes wound up with, it was the ones that hit their mark that established and maintained the tone of fun in the film.  Perhaps maybe only thirty percent of the jokes made me laugh, a percentage that would easily make me think that the film was dreadful.  However, it was the thirty percent that I found so much delightful that it somehow managed to outweigh what the majority of the film was.  One thing that I am great full to the talent behind Anchorman 2 is the fact that it does not resort to toilet humour and mean humour.  There may be a little bit here and there, but for the most part it is a very honest, sincere, and purposefully naïve film.

It stars Will Ferrell who plays the role of Ron Burgandy, a true man of the news who has hair to cause the gods to stumble with envy and a mustache that could have built Rome in a day.  Returning to their roles as the rest of the news crew is Steve Carrell as the weather dullard Brick Tamland, Paul Rudd as the sexually styling reporter Brian Fantana, and David Koechner as the politically incorrect sports reporter Champ Kind.  For fans of the original movie, there may be very little disappointment found in what lies in wait for these characters who are questing to reclaim their former news casting glory.

But, on the flip side, for people who were not fans of the original, or are fence sitters like myself, this film probably will not win you over completely to the franchise.  It was a funnier film than the first one, but it still has so much that misses the mark for me.  I suppose there is a plot and story to the movie, but none of that really matters.  This film is all about the delivery of the zingers, and the inconsistency in which it accomplishes that task is what keeps it from being a great comedy.

Rating – 2.5 out of 4 stars

American Hustle

After missing a post last night because of falling asleep too early (due to an anxiety attack and the drowsying effects of anti-anxiety medication), I am back in full force to talk about American Hustle, a movie that opened in theatres today.  I will be very straight forward and blunt in the fact that this is a movie that I have been anticipating for the last ten months.  Ever since I saw it listed on IMDB, and knowing nothing other than the title and who was involved, it has been my most anticipated film to see of the entire year.  Originally, it was to open in wide release on Christmas day which, while being the ultimate Christmas present, would have been hard to explain to my family why I needed to step out for a few hours.

As with anything that has a lot of personal excitement and anticipation, it is extremely hard for the event to live up to the expectations that the mind can create.  Over the past few months, while continuing to count down the days and stare at the calendar, I have been attempting to clear my head for this movie so that I was able to view it purely for what it is, otherwise it would most likely not live up to what I expected it to be.  The very opening scene of the movie, Christian Bale with a pot belly, skillfully and meticulously crafting his comb over to hide his bald head established a deep and rich feel to the tale that was about to unfold.  It was becoming everything I had hoped for… and then it changed.

The movie is directed by David O. Russell (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook) and is about the Abscam operation in the 1970s.  Bale plays Irving Rosenfeld, a con-man who is roped into helping F.B.I. agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) along with his partner in crime, Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams).  Also in this film are Jennifer Lawrence, Louis C.K., and Jeremy Renner, a very deep and talented cast indeed.  Russell, along with Eric Singer, wrote the screenplay for this film.

Now, when I had said that after the initial scenes the movie ‘change,’ I am referring to a tone and pace adjustment that is kicked off as the film goes into flashback mode to establish the characters.  At times it felt a little clunky and forced, and I began to worry that this film which was Hollywood’s early Christmas present to me would in actuality be a lump of coal.    I do not necessarily believe that the mere fact that there were flashbacks were to blame, but more so the entire construction and delivery of about a fifteen to twenty minute section of the film.  I was still entertained, and was still enjoying it, but I was not hooked and there was no magic.

At that, I have said the only negatives that I can find possible to say about this movie.  It is easily my favourite film of the year, and was worth every moment of anticipation that has passed over the past ten months.  The skill of this movie is in the characters, who are multi-dimensional beings, all with strengths and failings, alienting and sympathizing aspects, who bring the story to life.  The more the movie progresses, the more we know the characters, and the more we become invested in every decision, every action, and every risk that they take.

This is really where David O. Russell is one of the best in Hollywood.  It is an amazing fact that his film last year, Silver Linings Playbook, had an actor nominated for every single one of the performance awards.  He seems to be able to create such vivid characters and allow the actors to fully embrace and take over their qualities that actor and character become one in a seamless and glorious marriage.  This is what hooked me to Silver Linings Playbook (my favourite film of 2012, I should add), and the art of this mastery is elevated even further in American Hustle.

As far as the acting goes, it is brilliant right across the board.  If it was not such a competitive Oscar year, it would be easy to assume that once again there would be a representative from this movie in each of the performance categories.  The reality, however, is that probably will not happen due to the depth of options this year, but the quality on display in American Hustle is such that it would not be a huge shock or disservice if that were to happen.  There was not one, at least to the best of my recollection, awkward acting moment where the delivery seemed flawed, forced, or merely just a line read from the script for the cameras. 

At the same time of all of my praise, this is not a typical type of movie.  It is about con artists, F.B.I., and very dangerous unsavoury folk, but it does not rely on the standards typical of that kind of film.  While most would indulge in gun-play, cat and mouse scenes, fights, car chases, and even a possible explosion or two, this film uses any gritty element so sparingly that it hardly seems to exist.  The reason for this is because everything ultimately comes down to the characters and the chaotic whirlpool that their lives become during all the unfolding of the operation, and it is engaging with brilliant moments of hilarity.  The humour is not from jokes forced into the script, but comes from these quirky and messed up people as they try to make their way through the mess around them.

As I mentioned, it is far and away my favourite movie of the year.  I will not say that it is the best movie of the year, but I had an incredible amount of fun viewing this film and was immersed in the craziness to a joyous extent.  While I was watching it, there was a young couple that walked out after having talked a lot and it seemed that this was not their cup of tea, and that’s going to happen.  It is not a hyped up explosive movie, but a tale that relies on getting the audience to become invested in the characters and care about what outcomes await them.  It is near perfect at this, and it executes it with many moving, crazy, and hilarious moments along the way.

Rating – 4 out of 4 stars

Hannah's Pick: Awakenings

It is once again Wednesday, which once again means the movie for today is a pick from my sister in-law, Hannah.  As the majority of my day has been revolving around boxes, boxes, and garbage bags in preparation for an upcoming move, taking a few moments away to watch and review a film was much appreciated.  The movie for today is the 1990 best picture nominated Awakenings, starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.  For the longest while I was absolutely sure that I had seen it, but after the first few minutes I realized that it was all fresh and new to me.

The movie, which is based on a true story, follows Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Williams), a neurologist who seems most content when researching or working with worms than he is with the prospect of working one on one with clients.  We first meet him as he is applying for a job at a hospital for what he believed would be a research position until he discovers it would be dealing with patients who have chronic issues.  He soon starts work in ‘the garden,’ which it is called because essentially all they are able to do for the patients is feed and water them.

For being a personality that exudes non-stop movement and unending energy, Robin Williams presents himself as small, unsure, and removed socially.  His stature is drawn inwards, as his shoulder are slumped down and his arms stick to his body as he almost seems afraid to expand outwards to other people, a character who lacks confidence and lives with hesitation and uncertainty.  We even catch a glimpse of him at home in front of his piano, playing it with a timid rigidity.  It is this element that Williams brings to the character of Dr. Sayer that drives the first half of the movie as he works on ‘waking’ catatonic patients back into the world they have been separated from, as he himself chooses to separate himself from it.

The story is of Dr. Sayer working with certain patients that are all catatonic and share the illness Encephalitis lethargica, a sickness which puts people into a sleep-like state.  While working with them, he discovers clues about the illness and eventually attempts treating it similar to how Parkinson’s Disease was treated.  He first attempts this possible cure on Leonard Lowe (De Niro), who eventually wakes up from the sleep state and starts to try and live his life once again.

The progression of the movie seems clean, tidy, and by the numbers for the most part, and a lot of the main plot points feel like they could be easily predicted as the film moves along.  Some of the elements of the movie feel contrived and there are moments that are obvious attempts to pull on the heart strings.  While in other movies these sorts of maneuvers fall apart, the blatant scenes of emotional impact find their mark through the unwinding of this touching story that is capped off by great acting. 

It is the terrifically nuanced acting by De Niro and Williams that is able to take the moments that would possibly seem ham-fisted and overly sentimental and deliver them the power they are intended to have.  All of the predictability of the story can easily be forgotten as the powerful scenes are magnified by the delivery of the two leads, whose faces bare the emotions with incredible transparency.  This is not to say that only De Niro and Williams were the acting standouts, as most of the cast felt a great fit for their roles

When viewing this film, it is easy to gain a sense of the emotions involved with the people who dealt with this in real life, as well as gaining different perspectives.  While the script is strong with some very poetic moments, it all comes back to the performances of the actors who deliver this story with precision and clarity.  At times it is easy to forget that Robin Williams can have a calm demeanour, and it is also easy to look at some of De Niro’s choices for roles in the past ten years and forget how he got the acclaim that he has.  Awakenings is the perfect movie to view to remember that both actors are legends because they possess an otherworldly talent, and their roles in it are ones that can remain in your heart long after viewing.

Rating - 3.5 out of 4 stars

The Art of Flight

Today marked a time of much running around and preparation for an upcoming move, all of which created a very long day with many a dose of fun anxiety.  The original plan was to watch a very deep and thought provoking moving this evening, but after realizing the effects of ‘lazy brain’ that I was suffering, it seemed a better choice to watch something that was a little easier to ponder.  What I ended up viewing is a documentary called The Art of Flight which follows snowboarder Travis Rice as he travels and experiences many different alpine locales.

What stands out first and foremost in this movie is the beauty that is captured, as the visuals of the mountain and scenery are able to create a true sense of awe in the viewer.  There have been many films I have seen that have a hard time capturing the sense of height and slope, but the cinematography in The Art of Flight gives a very honest feel of the majesty and grandeur of the mountains.  Not only is the physical environment captured well, but the scenes of snowboarding are fast, exciting, and create a sensation of the limits being pushed by the riders.

However, it is not all great and grand.  As amazing as the visuals are, and as exhilarating as the snowboarding is, it begins to get fairly repetitive.  They do attempt to change things up quite often through the film, but there really is only so many times you can see someone go off a jump before you are no longer entranced by the act.  Seeing it over and over again makes it exist in a realm of common place, and thus it is no longer as interesting as it was the first ten times you saw it.  This can be an enormous fault of many sports videos, as they most often are comprised of one amped up montage after another.  I could really go for a Red Bull right now.

Oh, and I should mention that.  You will see Red Bull everywhere you look in this movie because they sponsored it, and they are not subtle about that fact.

What makes a great sports documentary stand out from the others is to allow the audience to gain an understanding of the event, and the drive and desires that course through the bodies of those who are obsessed with it.  Only from time to time does The Art of Flight take a chance to hear the reflections of the participants, and this causes it to miss out on I find makes this sort of film extraordinary.  When I gain a true sense of the passion, and hear the personal impact that snowboarding has on people, that is when it is the most interesting.  It allows the door to be opened to both the beauty of the visuals, but also to an understanding of what is a spiritual affair for some.

 

It also had an opportunity to frame snowboarders in a more mature and contemplative light, which it did pull off at times as we got a few glimpses behind the bravado.  Unfortunately it also reinforced any and all stereotypes of the perpetually adolescent male when we get scenes of bored snowboarders shooting down pine trees with shotguns and shooting at objects that explode.  The reason why this is a shame is because the quality of this film created a chance to reach an audience beyond just the snowboarding community and it was a chance to show the world that there is more to their image than what most people’s minds quickly conjure up.

Beautiful, yes, it really is a beautifully shot film.  Insightful?  At a moment, here or there it is and allows the audience to get an understanding of the passion of the snowboarder.  While it is a whole lot of eye candy, it is not able to stay consistently fresh and misses out on many opportunities to connect with the audience.  I would recommend this film for the visuals and for some of the snowboarding scenes, but it is hard to recommend the whole package.

Rating – 2 out of 4 stars