By Rick Jackson
When I first saw the original Tron on July 9, 1982, I was very impressed. Nothing like it came before and as I have ruminated about it since, I did not realize it was a breakthrough in animation, and originally conceived in 1979 by director Steve Lisberger in a TV special, Animalympics. I learned this from the special features on the 20th anniversary edition of the DVD. You were also told how computer technology was in its infancy when the whole idea of Tron was being developed. As a result of Tron, there was Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. which are now animation classics.
The costumes in Tron were reminiscent of Star Wars (1977) which Tron: Legacy also steals from, but in Episode III when Luke Skywalker learns the truth about Darth Vader. In Legacy, it is Sam who enters the same computer world to help his father get back to the real world.
In Tron, Lisberger photographed white characters on a black background to get the desired effect of the futuristic look inside the computer where Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) was trapped. The whole new world of computer games was so life-like it all appeared real and the human characters made it a chilling reminder of what the future might be like given the fact that the technology when constantly improved upon could very well end up in reality like Tron which, of course, remains in the realm of possibility rather than actuality. For Flynn it was a world in which he could not escape.
In Legacy, the Tron universe continues to be a threat for both Kevin and Sam Flynn. The obstacles in the original were far more challenging and exciting compared to the sequel. Still, the brilliant script by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz is mindful of the world they have created and are very careful to keep the mystery behind everything one of the film's best kept secrets. They are also adamantly opposed to revealing them until the right moment which makes the sequel worth the same incredible ride as the original.
Garrett Edlund is well cast as Sam, whose curiosity to find out what happened to his father creates for us the ultmate game where life is still dependent on humanity in order to survive even in this dark future where a visual, artificial existence appears to remain inexplicable as you watch the sequel reveal its depths of ability to probe the human condition with its unifying and powerful threads complete with sites, light cycles, frisbees and spaces where the unknown peaks your interest continually. The cast of characters are ready for the ultimate showdown in which the trons have found a way to escape into the real world and control it. It is up to Sam and Kevin to stop it all from happening.
Edlund almost resembles Kevin at a younger age, and his cohort the exotic Quorra (Olivia Wilde) is perfect as a figure whose life inside the computer world invigorates you enough to see how she figures in the scheme of things so you can sort out her purpose for being there.
The director is content to make you wait to see where it is all going and his inspiration to keep the story fresh and intriguing, even at the simplistic level of understanding that forces you to keep you glued to the screen.
In another reference to Star Wars Episode III, the villains raise an army to defend their position of survival. Yet the comparison ends there because the ensemble cast makes it all child-like to make the end result an awesome experience.
Released in 3D, most of the film is in 2D since it was originally intended to be like the original. The few times it is in 3D are exhilirating to see and your interest peaks higher with the prospect of more to come.
Bridges also reprises Clu, his adversary, and this time he gets to do more which adds to the plot quite nicely. As the much older Kevin, Bridges gives him an edge which contributes to your idle curiosity and fun.
Bruce Boxleitner is back as Alan, and Michael Sheen plays Castor and Zuse.
The soundtrack by Daft Punk also conveys the imaginary world inside the computer with their electronic score which enhances your overall appreciation of the film in both 2D and 3D.
Tron:Legacy is equally entertaining as it is absorbing. It is also quite different from any other film you will see right now, and other futuristic science fiction films, notably, 2001:A Space Odyssey (1968) and THX 1138 (1971).
Tron:Legacy is rated PG, with the warning: violence.
December 19, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
10 BEST FILMS OF 2010
By Rick Jackson
This was the year of the film director. It was great to see the different types of films from long established filmmakers celebrate their craft amid the return of 3D at the box office. Although hollywood continued to churn out remakes and sequels, there was still enough movies to satisfy both critics and moviegoers. There was Tim Burton (Alice In Wonderland), Woody Allen (You Will Meet A Dark Tall Stranger), Roman Polanski (The Ghost Writer), Clint Eastwood (Hereafter), Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island) and the Coen Brothers (True Grit) along with the likes of Christopher Nolan with his mind bending Inception.
Here is my 33rd annual list of the best movies of the year:
1. THE MILLENNIUM TRILOGY (Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest).
2. WINTER'S BONE
3. MAO'S LAST DANCER
4. NEVER LET ME GO
5. INCEPTION
6. SHUTTER ISLAND
7. THE GHOST WRITER
8. THE FIGHTER
9. TRUE GRIT
10. SECRETARIAT
December 25, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
This was the year of the film director. It was great to see the different types of films from long established filmmakers celebrate their craft amid the return of 3D at the box office. Although hollywood continued to churn out remakes and sequels, there was still enough movies to satisfy both critics and moviegoers. There was Tim Burton (Alice In Wonderland), Woody Allen (You Will Meet A Dark Tall Stranger), Roman Polanski (The Ghost Writer), Clint Eastwood (Hereafter), Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island) and the Coen Brothers (True Grit) along with the likes of Christopher Nolan with his mind bending Inception.
Here is my 33rd annual list of the best movies of the year:
1. THE MILLENNIUM TRILOGY (Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest).
2. WINTER'S BONE
3. MAO'S LAST DANCER
4. NEVER LET ME GO
5. INCEPTION
6. SHUTTER ISLAND
7. THE GHOST WRITER
8. THE FIGHTER
9. TRUE GRIT
10. SECRETARIAT
December 25, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
TRUE GRIT (PARAMOUNT, 2010)****
By Rick Jackson
Moviegoers waiting to see the next great western will not be disappointed with Joel and Ethan Coen's remake of True Grit. Based on the novel by Charles Portis, it is a more faithful adaptation and Jeff Bridges brings to Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn the presence he represents in the book. Rather than copy John Wayne in his Oscar-winning role, Bridges adds an air of authority, wit and courage that is respected by the average citizen and feared by the outlaw.
Set in the 1870s, the off screen narration by fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) captures the innocence of a young girl who requires Cogburn's expertise to find Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who has killed her father. As it is told in the book, she convinces him to do the job. Unlike Kim Darby, she is not nearly as persuasive but her resolve rises to the occasion just the same.
This is her story told a half century later and it draws your sympathy as if you are hearing it for the first time.
Roger Deakens' splendid cinematography is an aching reminder of why we still need to see the western. The harsh wilderness of New Mexico that substitutes for Arkansas contributes to the overall feel and sense of wonder of a time when the beauty of the landscape disguised the true nature of the threatening badlands all around them, from the savage indians to the mean outlaws who were never far away.
When you see Cogburn, Ross and LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), the local Texas Ranger, riding together it harkens back to the old sagebrush westerns of yesteryear starring Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and Hopalong Cassidy.
The rest of the supporting cast makes everything this western remake should be and for anyone wondering about the new faces of the genre, they are evident. Brolin is perfectly cast as the despicable Chaney, while Barry Pepper is just as ornery as Lucky Ned Pepper, despite reservations that you might wish Robert Duvall reprised the role.
Carter Burwell's excellent music score is kept in the background so you can enjoy more of the acting and story which are the two main reasons for seeing this version of True Grit.
Moviegoers familiar with director Henry Hathaway's 1969 original will recognize certain scenes which is to be expected. It did not follow the book completely and turned Cogburn into a mythic legend, while the Coens respect more the book and tell the whole story as it was written byPortis. To say more would ruin it for you should you decide to see it.
I have always been impressed by Bridges and this time is no exception. He makes this True Grit worth seeing, and the Coens deserve much praise for keeping the genre alive.
Moviegoers waiting to see the next great western will not be disappointed with Joel and Ethan Coen's remake of True Grit. Based on the novel by Charles Portis, it is a more faithful adaptation and Jeff Bridges brings to Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn the presence he represents in the book. Rather than copy John Wayne in his Oscar-winning role, Bridges adds an air of authority, wit and courage that is respected by the average citizen and feared by the outlaw.
Set in the 1870s, the off screen narration by fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) captures the innocence of a young girl who requires Cogburn's expertise to find Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who has killed her father. As it is told in the book, she convinces him to do the job. Unlike Kim Darby, she is not nearly as persuasive but her resolve rises to the occasion just the same.
This is her story told a half century later and it draws your sympathy as if you are hearing it for the first time.
Roger Deakens' splendid cinematography is an aching reminder of why we still need to see the western. The harsh wilderness of New Mexico that substitutes for Arkansas contributes to the overall feel and sense of wonder of a time when the beauty of the landscape disguised the true nature of the threatening badlands all around them, from the savage indians to the mean outlaws who were never far away.
When you see Cogburn, Ross and LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), the local Texas Ranger, riding together it harkens back to the old sagebrush westerns of yesteryear starring Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and Hopalong Cassidy.
The rest of the supporting cast makes everything this western remake should be and for anyone wondering about the new faces of the genre, they are evident. Brolin is perfectly cast as the despicable Chaney, while Barry Pepper is just as ornery as Lucky Ned Pepper, despite reservations that you might wish Robert Duvall reprised the role.
Carter Burwell's excellent music score is kept in the background so you can enjoy more of the acting and story which are the two main reasons for seeing this version of True Grit.
Moviegoers familiar with director Henry Hathaway's 1969 original will recognize certain scenes which is to be expected. It did not follow the book completely and turned Cogburn into a mythic legend, while the Coens respect more the book and tell the whole story as it was written byPortis. To say more would ruin it for you should you decide to see it.
I have always been impressed by Bridges and this time is no exception. He makes this True Grit worth seeing, and the Coens deserve much praise for keeping the genre alive.
It is rated 14A, with the warning: violence.
December 22, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
THE FIGHTER (ALLIANCE, 2010)****
By Rick Jackson
Directed by David O. Russell, The Fighter is one of the best films of the year. Unlike recent boxing films like Million Dollar Baby and Cinderella Man, it tells another side of the story of how a boxer tried hard to stay in the game and, at the same time, dealt with divided loyalties among his family.
Mark Wahlberg gives a powerfully low key and understated performance as real-life Micky Ward on whose life the movie is based. As you watch him in the ring he is committed to winning first, but, for him, it is, more importantly, an honourable sport. Like the real Ward, he uses a left hook which made him famous.
As you watch Wahlberg, he is clearly not made out to make him a hero like Rocky Balboa or Jake LaMotta, but an ordinary man who gew up in the poor neighbourhood of Lowell, Massachusetts who realized his ability to finally overcome local bullies with a winning blow inspired him to become a fighter. It is his determination to make himself a better person that drives his ambition to succeed. This is also one of Wahlberg's best screen roles.
In their screenplay, Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson stick to as many real events in Ward's life, including thosewith his half-brother Dicky Edlund (Christian Bale) who guided Micky's career because he trusted him implicitly. When you see Micky with his girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams) you begin to see how close they are because she understands him. She conveys the tough talking barmaid who convinces Micky to go to Vegas to fight.
Bale is terrific as Dicky, who lost a lot of fights when he was a boxer. After he gets hooked on crack his personality changes from a tough kid to a brawny and goofy guy with a crazy haircut and a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He has hopes of returning to the ring to re-experience the feel of being a winner, but lives it through Micky Ward. Their relationship is strong and their loyalty to each other is tested like any two good friends who have respected each other for a long time.
Melissa Leo is well cast as Micky's overbearing mother Alice who is merciless when it comes to her son's welfare. She wants him to succeed and through life's lessons and experience, Micky learns more about life in and out of the ring.
Both Alice and Charlene are positive influences forMicky and as the two strongest women in his life they do make him a stronger individual which, in turn, teaches him to focus more on his career as a boxer.
The cries of head, body, head add to the film's impact as being more memorable on the surface. Ward's controversial fight with Sugar Ray Leonard in 1978 frames the story's focus which picks up later in 1993 when Ward is winning welterweight championships while Dicky is dealing with more personal issues such as alcohol and drugs.
Bale gives the story a sense of urgency from his knowledge of fighting, especially how to motivate his protoge to box well enough to be a winner.
You soon learn that Ward's seven sisters are a disapproving lot who feel threatened by Charlene and in a desperate move, Micky realizes he can only win if he leaves them behind and continues to work hard.
Russell's well paced direction allows Bale to shine in an unforgettable role. He can be infuriating one minute, and hilarious the next. With his winning smile, there is a lot to cheer for, including his try at singing acapella, the Bee Gees' I Started A Joke with Leo's Alice.
It is clear throughout the film that it is more concerned about showing the life of a boxer and from this standpoint it triumphs as a film filled with integrity. Russell concentrates on this so well, you walk away from The Fighter in the belief that the underdog can make a difference with the right ambition, training and luck.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: violence, substance abuse and coarse language.
December 19, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
Directed by David O. Russell, The Fighter is one of the best films of the year. Unlike recent boxing films like Million Dollar Baby and Cinderella Man, it tells another side of the story of how a boxer tried hard to stay in the game and, at the same time, dealt with divided loyalties among his family.
Mark Wahlberg gives a powerfully low key and understated performance as real-life Micky Ward on whose life the movie is based. As you watch him in the ring he is committed to winning first, but, for him, it is, more importantly, an honourable sport. Like the real Ward, he uses a left hook which made him famous.
As you watch Wahlberg, he is clearly not made out to make him a hero like Rocky Balboa or Jake LaMotta, but an ordinary man who gew up in the poor neighbourhood of Lowell, Massachusetts who realized his ability to finally overcome local bullies with a winning blow inspired him to become a fighter. It is his determination to make himself a better person that drives his ambition to succeed. This is also one of Wahlberg's best screen roles.
In their screenplay, Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson stick to as many real events in Ward's life, including thosewith his half-brother Dicky Edlund (Christian Bale) who guided Micky's career because he trusted him implicitly. When you see Micky with his girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams) you begin to see how close they are because she understands him. She conveys the tough talking barmaid who convinces Micky to go to Vegas to fight.
Bale is terrific as Dicky, who lost a lot of fights when he was a boxer. After he gets hooked on crack his personality changes from a tough kid to a brawny and goofy guy with a crazy haircut and a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He has hopes of returning to the ring to re-experience the feel of being a winner, but lives it through Micky Ward. Their relationship is strong and their loyalty to each other is tested like any two good friends who have respected each other for a long time.
Melissa Leo is well cast as Micky's overbearing mother Alice who is merciless when it comes to her son's welfare. She wants him to succeed and through life's lessons and experience, Micky learns more about life in and out of the ring.
Both Alice and Charlene are positive influences forMicky and as the two strongest women in his life they do make him a stronger individual which, in turn, teaches him to focus more on his career as a boxer.
The cries of head, body, head add to the film's impact as being more memorable on the surface. Ward's controversial fight with Sugar Ray Leonard in 1978 frames the story's focus which picks up later in 1993 when Ward is winning welterweight championships while Dicky is dealing with more personal issues such as alcohol and drugs.
Bale gives the story a sense of urgency from his knowledge of fighting, especially how to motivate his protoge to box well enough to be a winner.
You soon learn that Ward's seven sisters are a disapproving lot who feel threatened by Charlene and in a desperate move, Micky realizes he can only win if he leaves them behind and continues to work hard.
Russell's well paced direction allows Bale to shine in an unforgettable role. He can be infuriating one minute, and hilarious the next. With his winning smile, there is a lot to cheer for, including his try at singing acapella, the Bee Gees' I Started A Joke with Leo's Alice.
It is clear throughout the film that it is more concerned about showing the life of a boxer and from this standpoint it triumphs as a film filled with integrity. Russell concentrates on this so well, you walk away from The Fighter in the belief that the underdog can make a difference with the right ambition, training and luck.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: violence, substance abuse and coarse language.
December 19, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
FAIR GAME (E-ONE, 2010)***
By Rick Jackson
Fair Game is a decent political thriller starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. Based on the books, The Politics of Truth by Joseph Wilson (Penn) and Fair Game by Valerie Plame Wilson (Watts), the screenplay by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth focuses on news reports about the African nation of Niger which had sold uranium to Iraq and the former's subsequent visit there to find evidence. As the former Ambassador to Iraq he made it clear that it was impossible for this to happen in an article he wrote in The New York Times. When someone in the Bush administration later leaked information to Chicago Sun Times' columnist Robert Novak that Joseph's wife, Valerie, was a CIA agent, it set off a series of events that the film, Fair Game capitalizes on in recreating what happened to them and other key players including Vice President Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby who was sentenced and convicted as a scapegoat. It was later commuted by Cheney.
As the film opens, Naomi Watts plays Valerie with an unerring sense of authority and is so convincing, you are kept on the edge of your seat. Within the political sphere, the screenwriters make history come alive as if it were all happening again. The immediacy of it all is underscored by the date in the bottom right hand corner as a reminder that this is a true story.
The Wilsons, as it becomes clear, were pawns in an elaborate scheme of events where, as husband and wife, their marriage was at risk of failing. Both Watts and Penn portray their roles with a sense of danger and concern, and it harks back to the kind of real fiction that the cinema focused on a lot in the 1970s with Three Days of the Condor and All President's Men.
The role politics played when Bush was President of the United States is clearly defined as the media reported it and we are still trying to understand just what transpired during those eight years. When you think of the Wilsons, you are reminded of this.
Penn plays Wilson as an individual whose personal outrage is justified, especially when his character becomes part of a smear campaign implied by Bush insiders. The actor's instincts are dead on as his gentle personality is put to the test in murky waters which were bound to proverbially rise up and hurt him and his wife.
In supporting roles, Sam Shepard plays Sam Plame, Valerie's father, whose wisdom imparts some truth behind the scenes, and Bruce McGill is Jim Pavitt, a mover and shaker in Washington whose appearance adds welcome intrigue.
Right from the beginning, the sharp dialogue maintains the incisive and dramatic pace. Fair Game defines the limits of power that are conveyed in a thought provoking manner within its political dimensions of truth and justice. At the same time, it allows room for the main cast to express it all well.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: mature theme and language may offend.
December 5, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
Fair Game is a decent political thriller starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. Based on the books, The Politics of Truth by Joseph Wilson (Penn) and Fair Game by Valerie Plame Wilson (Watts), the screenplay by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth focuses on news reports about the African nation of Niger which had sold uranium to Iraq and the former's subsequent visit there to find evidence. As the former Ambassador to Iraq he made it clear that it was impossible for this to happen in an article he wrote in The New York Times. When someone in the Bush administration later leaked information to Chicago Sun Times' columnist Robert Novak that Joseph's wife, Valerie, was a CIA agent, it set off a series of events that the film, Fair Game capitalizes on in recreating what happened to them and other key players including Vice President Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby who was sentenced and convicted as a scapegoat. It was later commuted by Cheney.
As the film opens, Naomi Watts plays Valerie with an unerring sense of authority and is so convincing, you are kept on the edge of your seat. Within the political sphere, the screenwriters make history come alive as if it were all happening again. The immediacy of it all is underscored by the date in the bottom right hand corner as a reminder that this is a true story.
The Wilsons, as it becomes clear, were pawns in an elaborate scheme of events where, as husband and wife, their marriage was at risk of failing. Both Watts and Penn portray their roles with a sense of danger and concern, and it harks back to the kind of real fiction that the cinema focused on a lot in the 1970s with Three Days of the Condor and All President's Men.
The role politics played when Bush was President of the United States is clearly defined as the media reported it and we are still trying to understand just what transpired during those eight years. When you think of the Wilsons, you are reminded of this.
Penn plays Wilson as an individual whose personal outrage is justified, especially when his character becomes part of a smear campaign implied by Bush insiders. The actor's instincts are dead on as his gentle personality is put to the test in murky waters which were bound to proverbially rise up and hurt him and his wife.
In supporting roles, Sam Shepard plays Sam Plame, Valerie's father, whose wisdom imparts some truth behind the scenes, and Bruce McGill is Jim Pavitt, a mover and shaker in Washington whose appearance adds welcome intrigue.
Right from the beginning, the sharp dialogue maintains the incisive and dramatic pace. Fair Game defines the limits of power that are conveyed in a thought provoking manner within its political dimensions of truth and justice. At the same time, it allows room for the main cast to express it all well.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: mature theme and language may offend.
December 5, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
THE TOURIST (COLUMBIA, 2010)****
By Rick Jackson
Filmed entirely on location in Venice, Italy, The Tourist is an elegant melodrama told in the same stylish way as such films as Charade (1963) and Arabesque (1966) with a nod to Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch A Thief (1955). Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmark (The Lives of Others) captures the entire mood and atmosphere that makes up for any flaws in the familiar plot about a Wisconsin math teacher being pursued by a beautiful woman who you know from the start is not who she pretends to be.
Based on the 2005 film, Anthony Zimmer written and directed by Jerome Salle, the screenplay by Donnersmark, Christopher McQuarrie and Julian Fellowes concentrates on what happens when an innocent Math teacher named Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp) meets Elise (Angelina Jolie), a beautiful woman on a train. When he is mistaken for an English swindler who bilked Reginald Shaw, a well known mobster, for millions, there is a big chase to see who can catch Tupelo. Not only is he pursued by Shaw's henchmen but police inspector John Acheson (Paul Bettany) and Chief Inspector Jones (Timothy Dalton) from Scotland Yard. You also learn that the person they are looking for is famous for changing his disguise and this opens the possibility that it could be anyone. This forces you to keep watching as the various locales put Frank and Tupelo on a series of adventures which will not be foreign or new to most moviegoers, but it does work on a superficial level more than most critics are willing to admit.
Depp and Jolie make it all fun to watch by injecting their roles with a challenging air of suspense and action. From the first time they meet, their subtle sexual desires of both sexes contribute to the mystery and intrigue that unfolds non-stop.
As you listen and watch you begin to know more about the man who is beginning, including his name, Alexander Pearce, who happens to be the film's MacGuffin, the man who is meant to throw everyone off the trail including you.
What develops further almost rivals scenes from the first three Bond movies starring Sean Connery and from this standpoint there breathes an undercurrent of excitement where Depp and Jolie surprise you because rhey add an escape of fascination mixed with a nice comic wit.
The Venice locations enhance the story much like the French Riviera did in To Catch A Thief.
Depp's versatility as an actor continues to convince you just how good he is as an actor by assimilating his character's basic appeal and making him the perfect ordinary man quite similar to Cary Grant and Gregory Peck. When Depp has to walk barefoot over rooftops it adds immeasurably to the random behaviour you don't expect. Besides, it works in the overall appearance of Tupelo as the average American who isn't concerned about such details as putting on footwear.
As Elise, Jolie brings welcome glamour and a shining example of her beauty as an actress who you k ow can meet the demands of playing Elise as a lady in distress. She helps build up the suspense to the point where you can't wait to see where she and Frank are going to end up. You are hooked consistently and for this reason, the entire film is a harmless, breathtaking adventure.
Despite the penchant for the screenwriters intention to use the old theme of mistaken identity which Hitchcock mastered, The Tourist overcomes its familiarity by immersing you in its innocent grasp much like Frank and Elise from beginning to end. It is an outstanding diversion among the other star laden Hollywood films this holiday season.
It is rated PG, with the warning: language may offend.
December 12, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
Filmed entirely on location in Venice, Italy, The Tourist is an elegant melodrama told in the same stylish way as such films as Charade (1963) and Arabesque (1966) with a nod to Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch A Thief (1955). Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmark (The Lives of Others) captures the entire mood and atmosphere that makes up for any flaws in the familiar plot about a Wisconsin math teacher being pursued by a beautiful woman who you know from the start is not who she pretends to be.
Based on the 2005 film, Anthony Zimmer written and directed by Jerome Salle, the screenplay by Donnersmark, Christopher McQuarrie and Julian Fellowes concentrates on what happens when an innocent Math teacher named Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp) meets Elise (Angelina Jolie), a beautiful woman on a train. When he is mistaken for an English swindler who bilked Reginald Shaw, a well known mobster, for millions, there is a big chase to see who can catch Tupelo. Not only is he pursued by Shaw's henchmen but police inspector John Acheson (Paul Bettany) and Chief Inspector Jones (Timothy Dalton) from Scotland Yard. You also learn that the person they are looking for is famous for changing his disguise and this opens the possibility that it could be anyone. This forces you to keep watching as the various locales put Frank and Tupelo on a series of adventures which will not be foreign or new to most moviegoers, but it does work on a superficial level more than most critics are willing to admit.
Depp and Jolie make it all fun to watch by injecting their roles with a challenging air of suspense and action. From the first time they meet, their subtle sexual desires of both sexes contribute to the mystery and intrigue that unfolds non-stop.
As you listen and watch you begin to know more about the man who is beginning, including his name, Alexander Pearce, who happens to be the film's MacGuffin, the man who is meant to throw everyone off the trail including you.
What develops further almost rivals scenes from the first three Bond movies starring Sean Connery and from this standpoint there breathes an undercurrent of excitement where Depp and Jolie surprise you because rhey add an escape of fascination mixed with a nice comic wit.
The Venice locations enhance the story much like the French Riviera did in To Catch A Thief.
Depp's versatility as an actor continues to convince you just how good he is as an actor by assimilating his character's basic appeal and making him the perfect ordinary man quite similar to Cary Grant and Gregory Peck. When Depp has to walk barefoot over rooftops it adds immeasurably to the random behaviour you don't expect. Besides, it works in the overall appearance of Tupelo as the average American who isn't concerned about such details as putting on footwear.
As Elise, Jolie brings welcome glamour and a shining example of her beauty as an actress who you k ow can meet the demands of playing Elise as a lady in distress. She helps build up the suspense to the point where you can't wait to see where she and Frank are going to end up. You are hooked consistently and for this reason, the entire film is a harmless, breathtaking adventure.
Despite the penchant for the screenwriters intention to use the old theme of mistaken identity which Hitchcock mastered, The Tourist overcomes its familiarity by immersing you in its innocent grasp much like Frank and Elise from beginning to end. It is an outstanding diversion among the other star laden Hollywood films this holiday season.
It is rated PG, with the warning: language may offend.
December 12, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
HOWL (MONGREL MEDIA, 2010)***
By Rick Jackson
James Franco is unforgettable as Allen Ginsberg in Howl, a dramatization of Ginsberg's trial in which the court was left to decide if his poem, Howl, was obscene. Set in 1957 a year after it was published, David Strathairn plays prosecutor Ralph Mc Intosh whose questions reveal more about the man as a poet and the voice of a time in American history when he was joined by Jack Kerouac, Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Neal Cassady. They all defined literature for consumption of the masses with all its mind-altering homosexuality and other sensitive subjects which carried an irrepressible spirit and rebelliousness further exemplified by their contempt for war and the CIA.
The boundless enthusiasm by Ginsberg is shown in Franco's near perfect performance as the poet whose work was openly criticized by those who didn't like him because they didn't or wouldn't understand him.
As you watch Franco's readings and interview you learn a lot of who Ginsberg was as a person misunderstood in a time when freedom of the press and freedom of speech were being tested for their own merits. He didn't want Howl published because he didn't want his father to find out he was a homosexual. His sexual orientation is presented honestly, especially in the scenes with Peter Orlovsky (Aaron Tveit) with whom he had a romance.
Strathairn's persistence in demanding answers to his questions proves how determined the law was in making Ginsberg a criminal in the eyes of all who respected and admired him because of his views of society, sex and politics. Like rock and roll in the 1950s, they were objectionable
for the simple reason the postwar generation after World War II liked and appreciated more than their parents' generation.
Franco is so convincing, it's as if he is actually him each time you see him speak. His intonation and manner of speaking are as frank as his real counterpart and it is from this that McIntosh draws fire and hopes to stop him legally.
Jon Hamm's role as Jake Ehrlich, the defense attorney, lends enough credence to persuade you that the prosecution had no real case because they, too, didn't want to understand Ginsberg in the first place.
The appearance of people familiar with the poet's work, like Professor David Kirk (Jeff Daniels) fails to change the court's opinion that Ginsberg's work was literature. You can't help conclude how ludicrous these proceedings really are.
Written and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the use of animation serves to underscore the meaning of Ginsberg's words and through them, you can actually identify with them for it all contributes to the authenticity of Franco's portrayal. When he tells you his work is more about his feelings toward something and how he articulated himself to become the famous figure he has since become.
The smoke filled coffeehouse and other locations appeal to your own certainty in assessing Ginsberg more as a human being who spoke equivocally and remained true to himself.
Howl affirms his positive legacy and Franco's acting sustains the burning images of him.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: coarse language, sexual content and substance abuse.
December 4, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
James Franco is unforgettable as Allen Ginsberg in Howl, a dramatization of Ginsberg's trial in which the court was left to decide if his poem, Howl, was obscene. Set in 1957 a year after it was published, David Strathairn plays prosecutor Ralph Mc Intosh whose questions reveal more about the man as a poet and the voice of a time in American history when he was joined by Jack Kerouac, Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Neal Cassady. They all defined literature for consumption of the masses with all its mind-altering homosexuality and other sensitive subjects which carried an irrepressible spirit and rebelliousness further exemplified by their contempt for war and the CIA.
The boundless enthusiasm by Ginsberg is shown in Franco's near perfect performance as the poet whose work was openly criticized by those who didn't like him because they didn't or wouldn't understand him.
As you watch Franco's readings and interview you learn a lot of who Ginsberg was as a person misunderstood in a time when freedom of the press and freedom of speech were being tested for their own merits. He didn't want Howl published because he didn't want his father to find out he was a homosexual. His sexual orientation is presented honestly, especially in the scenes with Peter Orlovsky (Aaron Tveit) with whom he had a romance.
Strathairn's persistence in demanding answers to his questions proves how determined the law was in making Ginsberg a criminal in the eyes of all who respected and admired him because of his views of society, sex and politics. Like rock and roll in the 1950s, they were objectionable
for the simple reason the postwar generation after World War II liked and appreciated more than their parents' generation.
Franco is so convincing, it's as if he is actually him each time you see him speak. His intonation and manner of speaking are as frank as his real counterpart and it is from this that McIntosh draws fire and hopes to stop him legally.
Jon Hamm's role as Jake Ehrlich, the defense attorney, lends enough credence to persuade you that the prosecution had no real case because they, too, didn't want to understand Ginsberg in the first place.
The appearance of people familiar with the poet's work, like Professor David Kirk (Jeff Daniels) fails to change the court's opinion that Ginsberg's work was literature. You can't help conclude how ludicrous these proceedings really are.
Written and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the use of animation serves to underscore the meaning of Ginsberg's words and through them, you can actually identify with them for it all contributes to the authenticity of Franco's portrayal. When he tells you his work is more about his feelings toward something and how he articulated himself to become the famous figure he has since become.
The smoke filled coffeehouse and other locations appeal to your own certainty in assessing Ginsberg more as a human being who spoke equivocally and remained true to himself.
Howl affirms his positive legacy and Franco's acting sustains the burning images of him.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: coarse language, sexual content and substance abuse.
December 4, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS (20TH CENTURY FOX, 2010)**
By Rick Jackson
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, Love And Other Drugs is an ill conceived drama that just doesn't work. The former plays Jamie Randall, a pharmaceutical salesman who isn't any good at his job because he thinks of himself more as a handsome hunk and spends a lot of time trying to entice every female with his charm and personality.
In their screenplay, Charles Randolph, Edward Zwick (who also directs) and Marshall Hershovitz capitalize too much on Gyllenhaal's looks and not enough on the story, a thinly disguised screen treatment of Jamie Reidy's book, Hard Sell: The Evolution of A Viagra Salesman. It starts off well enough with Randall successfully persuading Dr. Stan Knight (Hank Azaria) to make him his intern and from there the plot takes one predictable turn after another.
When he invites Randall to watch him check the breasts of a female patient named Maggie Murdock (Hathaway), you are expected to see the two of them go out and become an item. Their dialogue together, admittedly, is innocent but had it not been so contrived, it might have made a difference in whether the entire film would be good or bad. For one thing, they try to be both serious and funny without much thought and it short circuits the end result of being a good movie worth recommending.
Gylenhaal's boyish charm quickly grows tedious as does Hathaway's looks of disinterest. The mention of parkinson's disease is not to be mocked and it ruins the credibility of the story. When you learn Maggie is in the early stages of the disease, the plot veers off in a direction that is not in keeping with the initial romance. The screenwriters can't decide whether the film should be another Love Story (1970) or Sleepless In Seattle (1993). The real victims are you, the moviegoers, who are left amused for a while but confused at the inept attempts to draw you closer to something worthwhile to see between two people who profess their love for each other but never goes beyond the mere superficiality of boy meets girl and gets girl.
Azaria looks out of place as a doctor who looks as if he is about to sing at any given moment, while the other co-stars notably, the late Jill Clayburgh and George Segal as Maggie's parents serve no useful purpose except to give you hope they can redeem the film. Unfortunately, the script doesn't give them enough time to do this and Love And Other Drugs stays flat consistently right to the end.
Oliver Platt injects some purpose and meaning as Jamie's supervisor, Bruce Winston, but he is given short shrift, again, because of the weak script. You don't see him stretch beyond what you saw in the film's trailer for the last four months.
Had the screenwriters tried to make the story more controversial and more entertaining with the calibre of its cast, there could have been a more rewarding film about the drug trade on more than one level.
Love And Other Drugs remains, ultimately, a major disappointment.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: sexual content and coarse language.
December 4, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, Love And Other Drugs is an ill conceived drama that just doesn't work. The former plays Jamie Randall, a pharmaceutical salesman who isn't any good at his job because he thinks of himself more as a handsome hunk and spends a lot of time trying to entice every female with his charm and personality.
In their screenplay, Charles Randolph, Edward Zwick (who also directs) and Marshall Hershovitz capitalize too much on Gyllenhaal's looks and not enough on the story, a thinly disguised screen treatment of Jamie Reidy's book, Hard Sell: The Evolution of A Viagra Salesman. It starts off well enough with Randall successfully persuading Dr. Stan Knight (Hank Azaria) to make him his intern and from there the plot takes one predictable turn after another.
When he invites Randall to watch him check the breasts of a female patient named Maggie Murdock (Hathaway), you are expected to see the two of them go out and become an item. Their dialogue together, admittedly, is innocent but had it not been so contrived, it might have made a difference in whether the entire film would be good or bad. For one thing, they try to be both serious and funny without much thought and it short circuits the end result of being a good movie worth recommending.
Gylenhaal's boyish charm quickly grows tedious as does Hathaway's looks of disinterest. The mention of parkinson's disease is not to be mocked and it ruins the credibility of the story. When you learn Maggie is in the early stages of the disease, the plot veers off in a direction that is not in keeping with the initial romance. The screenwriters can't decide whether the film should be another Love Story (1970) or Sleepless In Seattle (1993). The real victims are you, the moviegoers, who are left amused for a while but confused at the inept attempts to draw you closer to something worthwhile to see between two people who profess their love for each other but never goes beyond the mere superficiality of boy meets girl and gets girl.
Azaria looks out of place as a doctor who looks as if he is about to sing at any given moment, while the other co-stars notably, the late Jill Clayburgh and George Segal as Maggie's parents serve no useful purpose except to give you hope they can redeem the film. Unfortunately, the script doesn't give them enough time to do this and Love And Other Drugs stays flat consistently right to the end.
Oliver Platt injects some purpose and meaning as Jamie's supervisor, Bruce Winston, but he is given short shrift, again, because of the weak script. You don't see him stretch beyond what you saw in the film's trailer for the last four months.
Had the screenwriters tried to make the story more controversial and more entertaining with the calibre of its cast, there could have been a more rewarding film about the drug trade on more than one level.
Love And Other Drugs remains, ultimately, a major disappointment.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: sexual content and coarse language.
December 4, 2010
Copyright Rick Jackson 2010
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