REVIEW: Nacho Libre

23 10 2009

PREFACE: I mentioned back in Random Factoid #42 that I had gone through a stint of reviewing movies when I was 13. After rummaging through my old home computer, I managed to find some of these reviews. In a special five day mini-series, I will reveal these reviews in their unadulterated form. I leave it up to you to comment, see how my style has changed (or maybe hasn’t). The fourth and penultimate review is of “Nacho Libre,” the second film from the creators of cult hit turned mainstream “Napoleon Dynamite.”

Napoleon Dynamite became a comic success because of how incredibly pathetic it was.  After watching it, you were left to think, “What was that?”  Nacho Libre was advertised to be just that, but this movie actually had a plot.  I’m not so sure that is such a good thing.  Napoleon Dynamite was an anti-climatic string of strange and pitiful events, and Nacho Libre was awkward nonetheless.  I expected it to be Napoleon Dynamite Goes Mexico, and I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Jon Heder put his soul into Napoleon because no one knew who he was, so he had nothing to lose by performing the hell out of him.  Jack Black, on the other hand, feels afraid to dive into character.  He plays the friar Ignacio (nicknamed Nacho) at a Mexican monastery who cooks for the orphans.  However, he has two ungodly interests…wrestling and a new nun at the monastery (played by Ana de la Reguera).  He has no money to buy fresh food with, so he is often left to brew awkward concoctions with chips that a local restaurant owner leaves for him.  While picking up these chips, he gets attacked by a limber homeless guy who steals the chips.  Nacho later recruits this drifter to be his wrestling partner.  Together, they become “Lucha Libre” fighters.  2stars

(NOTE: I get the feeling that this review was unfinished due to its brevity.  I don’t feel right trying to finish it, given the desired effect of posting these reviews.)


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REVIEW: Click

22 10 2009

PREFACE: I mentioned back in Random Factoid #42 that I had gone through a stint of reviewing movies when I was 13. After rummaging through my old home computer, I managed to find some of these reviews. In a special five day mini-series, I will reveal these reviews in their unadulterated form. I leave it up to you to comment, see how my style has changed (or maybe hasn’t). The third part in the series concerns Adam Sandler’s “Click.”

All great comedians have a style of humor.  Adam Sandler’s involves having every character curse at one time or another (kids included), overly long gags, and half-hearted attempts at having a heart.  Although Click still fits the Adam Sandler stereotype, you walk out of the theater feeling something…a first for the marvelous comedian.  Sandler plays architect Michael Newman who is torn between being with his family and working hard to give his family everything. Kate Beckinsale plays his wife, who looks gorgeous but does not show enough emotion to be convincing.  One day, he is fed up with his frustrating and seemingly mediocre life.  To make matters worse, he can’t find the remote for the TV.  He goes to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to look for a universal remote, where Morty (hint: there’s something in the name) gives him the top of the line.  Soon, Michael figures out how to control his universe using the remote.  He can turn down the volume on his dog, mute his sister-in-law, and do picture in picture.  Life is all good for Michael.  He can finally give his scumbucket boss (marvelously played by David Hasselhoff) a piece of his fist.  However, the remote has a mind of its own.  It begins to program itself by things that Michael has been doing a lot.  While he fast-forwards, Michael is on auto-pilot where he is there but doesn’t talk.  As he fast-forwards to his next promotion, he discovers a year has passed by and that his marriage is on the rocks.  The remote fast-forwards ten years to which he is CEO of the company.  His wife ran off with the swimming instructor who sports a Speedo at all times, he is incredibly obese from bad eating habits, and things are out of control.  Click is hysterical, but isn’t afraid to be melancholy to get across the message.  This is the best Adam Sandler movie yet, and without a doubt the only one with a relevant theme.  There is incredibly mindless humor at times, but it made the audience think…something new for this genre.  3halfstars


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REVIEW: Superman Returns

21 10 2009

PREFACE: I mentioned back in Random Factoid #42 that I had gone through a stint of reviewing movies when I was 13. After rummaging through my old home computer, I managed to find some of these reviews. In a special five day mini-series, I will reveal these reviews in their unadulterated form. I leave it up to you to comment, see how my style has changed (or maybe hasn’t). The second movie reviewed in the series is “Superman Returns.”

Silence. It is something you don’t get much in the summer, whether or not you are at the movies. This summer, Hollywood has produced mostly big, loud films that just ruin our eardrums. Silence gives the audience some time to think or to marvel about what is on the screen, while sometimes talking will just get overwhelming. Bryan Singer uses silence perfectly in the triumphant return of a disgraced series. It took plenty of changes in the cast and the director, but the wait was worth it. Brandon Routh dazzles as he tries to fill the enormous shoes left by the late Christopher Reeve, and the same goes for Kevin Spacey as he does a wonderful job as Lex Luthor. Everything is done to perfection. Before a big event, there is always some sort of silence for you to get the feel and to really get pulled in. The best example of this Superman returns to Earth after trying to find the distant remains of his home planet. His alter ego, Clark Kent goes back to work for The Daily Planet to find out that his perennial fave Lois Lane (stunningly beautiful Kate Bosworth) not only has a child with her boyfriend but has won the Pulitzer Prize for her article “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman.” Lex Luthor is once again looking for a way to kill Superman. He collects some crystals from the Fortress of Solitude and combines it with Superman’s fatal weakness to try to destroy him once and for all. Along the way, the film is packed with emotion and intriguing plot twists. The best thing about Superman Returns is how it pays homage to its past by inserting clips of Marlon Brando from the original series. This is what a summer blockbuster should be, with action, emotion, and a perfect balance of silence. This movie is breathtaking and a work of magic in a summer littered with movies that Superman couldn’t save. 4stars


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REVIEW: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

20 10 2009

PREFACE: I mentioned back in Random Factoid #42 that I had gone through a stint of reviewing movies when I was 13.  After rummaging through my old home computer, I managed to find some of these reviews.  In a special five day mini-series, I will reveal these reviews in their unadulterated form.  I leave it up to you to comment, see how my style has changed (or maybe hasn’t).  The first movie reviewed in the series is “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.”

Something that the new installment of the extremely popular Pirates of the Caribbean series has in common with its predecessor is that it is a thrill ride.  However, they are much different. The Curse of the Black Pearl was smooth and fun, while Dead Man’s Chest is bumpy and leaves you with a headache.  Johnny Depp’s once-energetic character Jack Sparrow is starting to get on my nerves with his stale humor and over exaggerated body movements.  An intriguing and creative story is followed by a corny and horribly planned sequel.  The movie jumps right in to the action by showing Elizabeth Swann’s (Keira Knightley) ruined wedding to Will Turner (Orlando Bloom).  A lord not from the first movie comes out of the blue with a warrant for their arrest, which states that they should die for helping Jack Sparrow avoid his death.  How someone not around at the time of these acts can arrest them for it, not to mention how overdue this was, is just another flaw in the horrendous script.  Meanwhile, Jack Sparrow is being hunted down by Davy Jones (Bill Nighy, who unfortunately is hidden behind a computer animated face of tentacles) and wants his soul.  Jack needs souls to offer up souls to save his own, so he gives away Will Turner’s, who is after a compass of Jack’s in exchange for him and Elizabeth’s freedom.  The rest of the film is a random blur of CG effects as everyone searches and escapes.  Will searches for an escape from Davy Jones’ ship, Elizabeth searches for Jack who can help her to find Will, and Jack selfishly looks for the Dead Man’s Chest which will save his soul.  They all must escape the Kraken, which will drag them down to Davy Jones’ locker.  However, for all the pain of the first 140 minutes, the last five gain it partial redemption and might convince you to return for the third installment.  All I have to say is if it took three years to come out with a sequel this horrific, I am scared to see what At World’s End will be like after only one.  2stars


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F.I.L.M. of the Week (October 16, 2009)

16 10 2009

The “F.I.L.M.” (First-Class, Independent Little-Known Movie) of this week does not precisely fit its billing.  It is not independent (in fact, it’s a studio movie), but unfortunately it is little-known.  Released just last September, “Ghost Town” is one of 2008’s hidden jewels.  It is a witty and wry comedy with a simple yet fantastical premise.  While undergoing a surgical procedure, Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais) dies for seven minutes.  He walks out of the operation with a strange side effect – he can see and communicate with the souls of the dead.  While our natural inclination as skeptical moviegoers is to assume that we know the plot just by hearing the premise, “Ghost Town” defies the clichés.  The result is a sentimental movie that tickles the funny bone but warms the heart (and potentially rupturing the tear ducts).

As mentioned earlier, Pincus is unwillingly able to talk to dead people.  One such soul, Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear), takes a special interest in Pincus.  Frank wants to use Pincus to tie up some loose ends from his former life.  His widow, the gorgeous paleontologist Gwen (Tea Leoni), is engaged to a man who doesn’t deserve her.  However, the misanthropic Pincus is hardly an ideal wooer, and it will take all that is in him to unleash something resembling charm.  As he grows to know Gwen, patches of sensitivity are revealed beneath his Scrooge-like coating.  But even more unexpectedly, through the ghost that follow him and bark demands incessantly, Pincus begins to discover what a tremendous impact his life could have on everyone around him.

I love a movie with a message, yet it is nearly impossible to find one that has good values without being overly preachy.  “Ghost Town” strikes just the right cord, pushing its message but not getting in your face with it.  The lessons that Pincus learns are applicable to our everyday lives, and they can be summed up in a quote from Albert Einstein: “Only a life lived for others is worth living.”

I implore you to give “Ghost Town” a view sometime soon.  It plays all the time on HBO, so there’s no reason not to watch; resist the temptation to watch some other mindless movie.  If you want some light entertainment with a soul, this is your movie.


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REVIEW: Paranormal Activity

10 10 2009

Fear is a common emotion, and filmmakers constantly work to goad it out of us.  The horror genre is most likely to instigate the aforementioned sentiment, and directors often resign to employing quick thrills and flashy graphics to force it out of us.  But with four actors, one camera, and $10,000, Oren Peli has shown that fear can be found in even the most ordinary places.  He conceived “Paranormal Activity” out of his own fear, stating,

“I think a lot of people can relate to the question of what happens at night when you’re most vulnerable.  You have no idea what’s going on.  This taps into the most primal fear, if something is lurking in your home and there’s not much you can do about it.”

Peli’s vision of horror is nothing short of brilliant, finding the surreal in the real and the paranormal in the normal.  The result is a truly terrifying experience for audiences.

The story revolves around the haunting of couple “engaged to be engaged” Micah and Katie.  We enter the story in medias res as they are beginning to deal with the suspicious incidents occurring in their home.  A psychic tells them that the culprit is most likely a demon that has followed Katie since childhood and something has occurred to aggravate the spirit.  Although Micah laughs off the opinion, Katie is deeply bothered and scared.  Micah purchases an expensive camera set in hopes of capturing the demon on film, and the entire movie is told from the vantage point of the camera lens.  As the days go by, events seem to point towards the validity of the psychic’s opinion.  But will the camera capture anything other than a distraught and disturbed couple?

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F.I.L.M. of the Week (October 9, 2009)

9 10 2009

“Girl, Interrupted” has the illustrious honor of being featured as this week’s F.I.L.M. (First-Rate, Independent Little-Known Movie).  The movie has gained some notoriety for establishing the star of Angelina Jolie, winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.  The movie made a small sum at the box office, but it has now been relatively forgotten.  I have seen it sitting in a bargain bin at Blockbuster a fair few times.  But I decided to watch it on HBO during the summer, and the movie definitely does not deserve to be buried in a cardboard box with several installments of “Saw.”  It is a well-thought, provocative study of a woman and the society that may have been the push off the cliff of sanity.  Virtually every element of director James Mangold’s movie is fully realized, unfortunately uncommon among movies nowadays.

The film begins with Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder) narrating: “Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the 60’s. Or maybe I was just a girl… interrupted.”

Her epigraph sets the tone for the whole movie as she is coaxed into entering an asylum with borderline personality disorder.  There, she meets compulsive liar Georgina, anorexic and self-destructive Daisy (Brittany Murphy), the loner and occasional transvestite Cynthia, burn victim Polly A.K.A. “Torch,” and the queen bee, possibly sociopathic Lisa (Jolie).  Susanna’s friendships define her stay at the hospital, especially the alluring Lisa.  As they swap pills, defy authority, gossip, abuse, and betray, Susanna is definitely affected.  But the more time she spends in the hospital, does the pendulum swing towards sanity or insanity?

As far as similar movies go, “Girl, Interrupted” is not a classic in the vein of “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.”  But there is definitely some great stuff at work in this film.  Mangold manages to find humanity and happiness in a place as dark and dreary as an asylum.  The movie, while tough to digest at times, provides some very tender and touching moments as well.  I found my heart completely captured by a scene outside of the solitary confinement room where Lisa and Susanna sing Petula Clark’s “Downtown” to one of their friends to raise her spirits.  But the movie is more than just moments; the whole work gets the brain racing.  Don’t be surprised if the definition of insanity becomes a little hazier for you or if you start to wonder if the “millennial” decade has taken a toll on you.


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REVIEW: The Informant!

8 10 2009

You’ve seen plenty of movies about corporate scandals, a few about whistleblowers, and maybe some about informants. But you have never seen one like “The Informant!” The pervasive quirks of director Steven Soderbergh’s latest outing spread all the way to its exclamation point-laden title. Even if it doesn’t make you bust a gut, something in the movie is bound to make you grin from ear to ear, be it Matt Damon’s zany performance or Marvin Hamlisch’s retro score teeming with horns and whistles. Much to my surprise, the movie succeeds not because of Damon’s adept acting skills but rather because of Soderbergh’s expert handling of the eccentric script. His willingness to delve into the depths of the mind of Mark Whitacre (Damon) is nothing short of sensational.

“The Informant!” dares to explore Whitacre, a high-ranking executive at Archer Daniels Midland.  While the company is under close scrutiny by the FBI, Whitacre tips off them to a completely unexpected goldmine – ADM is part of one of the biggest price fixing scheme in history.  He reveals this not out of some sense of moral rectitude but rather due to the coerciveness of his concerned wife.  The FBI instantly puts Whitacre to use, placing him undercover in the heat of the fire.  Under conditions that agents are trained for years to cope with, the FBI’s most improbable informant manages to collect hundreds of hours of evidence relating to the criminal activity.  While on the surface everything looked perfect, the stress was inflaming a certain affliction of Whitacre.  Despite his bumbling demeanor, he is a very cunning man who may be not just a great informant but a informed threat the FBI.

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F.I.L.M. of the Week (October 2, 2009)

2 10 2009

“Notes on a Scandal” is this week’s F.I.L.M (First-Class, Independent Little-Known Movie).  The movie opened in 2006, and it barely received a wide release.  It didn’t exactly light the box office on fire, but the right people took notice and nominated it for 4 Oscars, including Best Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett), and Best Actress (Judi Dench).

I watched “Notes on a Scandal” with very little knowledge of the plot, but little did I know that a shockingly provocative movie was awaiting me.  The movie revolves around the themes of passion, jealousy, and greed, but it uses pedophilia, lesbianism, and adultery to highlight them (yet another movie I recommend with discretion).  The script is practically immaculate, but the movie soars to great heights mostly because of its incredible performances.  Dench takes the lead and creates a character that you can really loathe, yet she infuses the crotchety old hag with enough warmth to make you feel the tiniest bit of sympathy.  Blanchett reminds us why she is one of the most respected actresses in Hollywood with an absolutely dynamite performance.

The movie will undoubtedly remind you of “Doubt,” but replace doubt with certainty.  Barbara Covett (Dench) catches her fellow teacher Sheba Hart (Blanchett) involved in a sexual act with one of her teenage students.  Rather than report the relationship, Barbara decides to befriend Sheba and help her.  Sheba reveals all to her colleague, and her deplorable rationale will assuredly lead you to hate her.  But as events continue to unfold, Barbara’s true motives begin to surface, exposing her to be practically The Joker with wrinkled skin.  Unfortunately, Sheba is so distraught that she falls right into Barbara’s web of deceit.  But as the film draws to a conclusion, we are never sure who is the hero or villain, much less who is doing the right thing.

“Notes on a Scandal” is a movie that will remind you of Hollywood’s dearth of thought-provoking films.  Guaranteed to get your mind racing and your heart pumping, it provides an intimate portrait of emotions that we so often try to hide.  At a slim 92 minutes, it is a good rental if you want to watch a movie that you can still be pondering next week.


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REVIEW: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

30 09 2009

Hollywood seems to have made it a habit to take successful children’s stories and completely reinvent them, usually in a way that alienates those who loved the original story.  “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is the paragon of the above description.  The movie’s source material was probably my favorite book as an emerging reader.  I loved the phenomenon of raining food, and it really inspired me to turn on my imagination.  Best of all, the authors allowed you to accept this without ramming some explanation for their creation down your throat.  The filmmakers, however, did not feel the same way.  Apparently, it was necessary to completely change the plot in order to make it scientific.  Taking nothing but the idea of raining food, they created a completely new movie, leaving me with a predisposed hatred before I even donned the 3-D Wayfarer glasses.

The movie replaces Grandpa Henry telling a story to his grandchildren about mashed potato snow and soup rain with Flint Lockwood, an eccentric inventor whose innovations never quite live up to his dreams.  But one idea finally works: turning water into food.  When hamburgers and filet mignon start flying from the sky, Flint is the town hero.  But as Johnny from “The Outsiders” reminds us, nothing gold can stay.  Eventually, Flint loses control of the machine, wreaking havoc on his poor town.  Kids movies often love to sell a message or a moral, and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” could have served a double whammy with greed and overeating.  However, it decides to give a relatively soft sell and focuses on more strange foods falling on the sky than thematic development.

There is rightfully a hierarchy of computer animation with Pixar at the apex, DreamWorks slightly below, and all others still lagging behind in technology at the bottom.  “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” doesn’t have many exciting visuals even in 3D.  What shocks me even more is how unrealistic the characters look.  Unless Pixar is hoarding the technology, I don’t really see any excuse to not make them look real.

Overall, the movie could have been a lot worse.  The first half was pretty dreadful as it trudges through the stale plot devices that characterize these types of movies.  I don’t think there is anything wrong in the slightest with telling kids to reach for their dreams or to do what makes them happy, but they hear it in every stinking movie catered to their interests.  Wouldn’t it be nice if one of them respected them enough to quit telling them what they already know?  The second half, much to my surprise, succeeds despite its shortcomings.  It was strangely fun to watch the characters use a flying car and trudge through all sorts, and I was actually able to drop my pre-existing grudge and just enjoy some mindless fun.  I have to give it a low grade because I am still enraged at the filmmakers decision to throw my beloved story down the drain, but I raised it a smidgeon because the smaller members of the audience were howling.  C / 2stars


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REVIEW: Adventureland

27 09 2009

“Adventureland” is a big slice of ’80s nostalgia pie served on a plate with no other embellishments.  I bother to make this mouthwatering comparison because for someone like me who didn’t live in the era, the movie doesn’t quite hit home.  Kudos to writer/director Greg Mottola for mastering the feel of the decade’s teen movies, but I felt like he packed it with ’80s inside jokes.  To set the record straight, I don’t mind watching movies where all the jokes don’t register with me.  I understand that only stoners can fully appreciate “Pineapple Express” and only musicians can feel likewise about “This Is Spinal Tap.”  Yet the aforementioned movies hold out a welcoming hand and draw you into a world which perhaps you are not entirely cognizant.  “Adventureland,” on the other hand, scorns those who did not live in its time, making me feel like an unwelcome outsider.

The plot revolves around James (Jesse Eisenberg), a recent college graduate forced to take a summer job at the Adventureland amusement park due to some unexplained financial troubles.  The cast of characters he has to deal with are a stark contrast from those he encountered at Oberlin, from the penny-pinching park owners (Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, “SNL”) to the high-pitched squealer with a compulsion of punching between the legs.  Life is pretty miserable for James until the beautiful Em (Kristen Stewart) saves him from being stabbed by a fed up customer.  They slowly discover a deep affection for each other.  But ultimately, they find out that they don’t really know what they want.  Em has an affair with the married Adventureland janitor Connell (Ryan Reynolds); James goes out with chatterbox Lisa P. during a brief break in his relationship with Em.  Their relationship is marked by vacillation, which would be refreshingly realistic if it didn’t get caught in a mire of clichés.

Just a rhetorical question: is it a recurring theme of 2009 comedies to have hilarious supporting characters that get no screen time?  Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman in “Funny People,” as well as David Koechner in “Extract,” provided the best (in Koechner’s case, the only) laughs of their respective movies but were seen criminally little.  The same goes for Hader and Wiig in “Adventureland,” who light up the screen with their zany characters during the limited time that we see them.  Unfortunately, Mottola nails these characters and not any of the more prominent ones.  James feels like a slightly less pathetic Michael Cera.  Em is somewhat more realized, and Stewart does her best to flash her acting chops in the role.  She gets the fact that Em is an enigmatic girl, yet Stewart’s transparent portrayal doesn’t do this side justice.  The absolute worst is Ryan Reynolds’ Connell, a subplot so poorly written it hurts to watch.  Ryan Reynolds seems to be having a dreadful time, constantly asking himself, “Why did I do this movie?”  Mottola’s “Adventureland” is a styling love story of the ’80s, but his infatuation blinds him from creating anything that transcends the confines of his favorite decade and still holds meaning for those who didn’t live it.  C- / 1halfstars


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F.I.L.M. of the Week (September 25, 2009)

25 09 2009

I literally mean what I am about to say: drop what you are doing, get in a car, drive to Blockbuster, and go get “City of God,” the “F.I.L.M. (First-Rate, Independent Little-Known Movie) of the Week.”  With just his first film, director Fernando Meirelles creates a breathtaking world of crime and greed with the narrative poise of an old pro (I’m talking the level of Scorsese and Mike Nichols).  Set in a slum outside of Rio de Janeiro, the movie chronicles the history of drugs, gangs, and murder in the city through the eyes of Rocket, a boy with a knack for photography.  It is this gift which provides the opportunity to escape the vicious cycle of violence and retaliation which has claimed the lives of many of his friends.  For those who like comparisons, think “GoodFellas” crossed with the gritty world of poverty in “Slumdog Millionaire.”

After seeing the movie, I was compelled to find out more about Meirelles and what led him to make such a bold film.  I discovered Meirelles received a movie camera while living in Brazil at a young age, and it became a hobby.  It then made obvious sense to me why he was drawn to this project because he was clearly drawn to the character of Rocket and the parallels between how art saved them.  The painstaking lengths to which Mierelles goes to make sure that his vision hits you like a sucker punch the chest is incredible, yet it is even more incredible how hard he lands that punch.  I was in tears as the city’s crime lord forces a new recruit to slowly kill an innocent child.  The bleak, unsparing city that Mierelles is able to put on the screen before you is tough to watch.  But at the same time, he is able to bring such a vibrant and eclectic stylistic angle to the environment that I think “City of God” is a movie that I will want to watch over and over again.

So seriously, what are you still doing reading this post?  Get up NOW and get “City of God.”  (Although I do issue a disclaimer, this is once again not a movie for those who cannot handle brutally realistic violence and the gloomy world that Meirelles creates.  I would liken the violence to the level and power of “Schindler’s List” … at times, it really is that hard to watch.  And as for the gloomy world, he often cuts to shots of emaciated dogs that are literally just skin and bones scrounging for food.  That’s just a sample of what lies in store for you.)


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REVIEW: Adam

18 09 2009

It really is a treat when movies like “Adam” come along.  It is a movie that tugs, rather yanks, on your heartstrings and never lets go.  It is, to quote my friend, “overflowing with cuteness.”  This is due mainly in part to the poignant and touching performance from Hugh Dancy as the titular character who is stricken with Asperger’s syndrome.  With every line, the emotional connection he forges with the audience deepens until it gets to a point where he just slaps a big smile on your face that won’t soon go away.

After the death of his father, Adam (Dancy) is thrust into self-sufficiency and loneliness, left with some frozen macaroni-and-cheese and astronomy charts for solace.  But when an attractive woman moves into an apartment upstairs, things begin to change for him.  Beth (Rose Byrne) gradually falls head over heels for Adam’s charm and begins to introduce him to a world that to him seems farther away than the most distant planets and stars – the one that lies just outside of his door.  With the best of intentions, she thrusts him into situations that require him to read people’s emotions, a skill which is severely inhibited by Asperger’s.  Beth loves Adam, but she misguidedly equates this sentiment to caring for a small child, taking a similar approach to him as she does to the young students she teaches.  And as Adam begins to develop a more acute sense of emotions through the relationship, this tactic can only lead to trouble.

Playing someone afflicted with a condition like Adam is like walking a very thin tightrope, and Dancy walks across with poise and finesse.  Never for a second did I doubt the sincerity of the performance.  Byrne is also absorbing as Beth, but at some points, she came off as a little too whiny and it got a little bit under my skin.  But the star of the movie is undeniably Dancy, if I haven’t made myself blatantly clear already.

“Adam” was the first movie I saw after watching “The Graduate,” which has already had a significant impact on how I watch movies.  I need more time to fully absorb what I saw before I can write a full post on it, but the main lesson I took from “The Graduate” is that when the camera is in the hands of a skilled director, every shot and scene has a purpose.  In “Adam,” I noticed the symbolism in a scene that I normally would have dismissed as a filler and why they bothered to make Adam so obsessed with the stars.  But not every movie is like this, and I commend writer/director Max Mayer for making every second of the movie shine with radiant brilliance.

Despite everything else that I have raved about for five paragraphs, none of the aforementioned achievements is what makes “Adam” so special.  It is absolutely sensational how wide of a grin spreads across your face while watching it and how happy it makes you feels upon exiting.  The movie infects you with a giddy euphoria, a sensation which will linger like a welcome houseguest for days.  And for me personally, the movie inspired me to be more caring and patient with people who don’t necessarily have Asperger’s syndrome, but are maybe a little reluctant to come out of their shell.  “Adam” is a miraculous achievement in film, a sentimental and jubilant cinematic love story.  A / 4stars


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F.I.L.M. of the Week (September 18, 2009)

18 09 2009

The “F.I.L.M.” (gentle reminder: the acronym stands for “First-Class Independent Little-Known Movie”) of the Week is “The Lookout.”  Released in 2007, the movie flew under the radar of most moviegoers.  But with the movie’s star, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, now being hailed as the new Heath Ledger, perhaps there is no better time than the present to check out one of his hidden gems.  The movie is a spellbinding crime drama on the surface, but if you dig deeper, you will find that there is much more than meets the eye.  The film finds a quiet strength in Gordon-Levitt’s Chris, affected by short-term memory loss after a car crash that killed his friends, just trying to find a way to contribute to the world.  But his mental incapacitation makes it hard for him to do even the simplest of things, and he writes down his routine in a notebook.

Chris’ position as the night cleaner at a small-town bank attracts the attention of a gang of bank robbers who intend to exploit his shortcomings in order to get the money.  Led by the smooth Gary (Matthew Goode, “Watchmen”), the gang is able to coax Chris into helping, mainly through the strategic use of Luvlee (Isla Fisher, “Wedding Crashers”).  But Chris’ blind roommate, Lewis (Jeff Daniels), provides a foil for the gang.  He has street smarts and can see right through the gang.  And as time goes on, Chris begins to realize what Lewis can so clearly see.  The result is a wild and unpredictable third act, which excites and thrills.

I could speak volumes on Gordon-Levitt’s delicate performance, but I should let the movie speak for itself.  It is a refreshing take on the crime thriller, ranking up with “Inside Man” and possibly even close to “Reservoir Dogs.”  It is a very plot-driven movie, but “The Lookout” takes equally as much of its strength from the powerful performances of Gordon-Levitt and Daniels.  But now, it is time for me to stop writing and let the movie speak for itself.  Go give it a spin; you won’t be disappointed.


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F.I.L.M. of the Week (September 11, 2009)

11 09 2009

The “F.I.L.M. of the Week” is “A History of Violence.”  I watched it this weekend and was absolutely blown away by it.  The movie tells the story of Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen), a small-town diner owner who is thrust into the spotlight after killing two robbers in self-defense.  However, the attention brings several mobsters into the town, confronting Tom about a past he claims never to have lived.  This threatens to rip Tom’s family apart at the seams, leading to some shocking revelations and startling actions.

Although Tom’s story arc is the most prevalent and important, I was extremely taken by the subplot of his son, Jack, and the effect of his father’s actions on his own as he strikes back against his intimidators.  The movie presents an unwaveringly honest portrait of high school, and I admired the commitment to realism.

There is a lot to interpret in “A History of Violence,” and it is one of those great movies that lingers in your mind for days on end.  Director David Cronenberg packs a great punch with only 90 minutes, quite a remarkable feat.  The movie centers around the concept of violence (if you couldn’t deduce as much), and by neither abhorring it nor glorifying it, he leaves it up to the viewer to decide what they think about it.  I do recommend this with a disclaimer though: squeamish should stay away.  The movie features some unsettling scenes of sexuality in addition to the graphic and gory violence.

If you watch this movie because of reading about it here or have seen it already, why not comment?  Even if you don’t agree with me, I still want to hear what you think.


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