BY RICK JACKSON
Of Gods And Men is a powerful film about the politics of war argued by the point of view of fighting as a cause for humanity as seen through the eyes of Trappist monks in Muslim Algeria in 1996, two of whom are kidnapped and assassinated.
The film opens with the following quotation from Psalm 82: 6-7: "I have said, Ye Are Gods; and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes." The undertone of constant danger for the monks is a physical one and it is through the guidance of God that they share in the hope of His (God's) concern for mankind that will save them.
Directed by Xavier Beauvois, the focus of the film is twofold: the peaceful situation between Christians and Muslims until it is destroyed by a series of events that show the decay of the French government and the expansion of terrorism that led to the deaths of two of the monks. The Armed Islamic Group of Algeria claimed full respoonsibility and years later, the French secret service said it was possible that the killings were carried out by the Algerian army during a rescue attempt.
The screenplay by Beauvois and Etienne Comar was inspired by the writings of two Tibhirine nonks: Christian de Cherge and Christophe Lebreton.
Shot primarily at an abandoned monastery in Morocco, the first half-hour shows the daily routines of the monks from tending crops, selling honey, treating the sick and elderly, singing chants and praying. It is a quiet community where the monks are soon discussing their safety after terrorists kill Croatian migrant workers. The Algerian government urges the monks to leave and with it is the army's offer for protection. However, Christian (Lambert Wilson) is determined to stay because he is there to administer to the sick and hungry.
Another monk, Brother Luc (Michael Lonsdale) is an old, gentle soul who is giving advice to a village girl about love when you are introduced to him.
Later, on Christmas Eve, he turns away Rabbia, the terrorist leader, in a bold and convincing way that captures your attention.
It is clear from watching the monks discuss leaving the monastery that there is a deep respect for them for their duty to mankind and their devotion to each other as monks. Their love of God supersedes everything and in a key scene they try to forget their ongoing concern to stay alive in the service of God. During a pivotal scene, music from Swan Lake effectively shows their positive attitude toward life itself as a major building block against the fearful terrorists who may arrive again at anytime. As the monks toast silently with a drink of wine to symbolize their personal defiance against them.
The screenwriters chose wisely to not bog the story down in political questions and this serves the film better as a more urgent indictment of war as repressive.
Caroline Champetier's stripped down cinematography maintains the shaded colours to underscore the impemding danger the monks are forced to deal with. In contrast inside the monastery, the outside environs of the Atlas landscapes remind you of the big beautiful world the monks are determined to save for mankind and for themselves.
Julie Maille's careful editing allows you to experience the old world of peaceful tranquility of the monks before the military trucks appear as a threat to break it.
Of the cast, Wilson and Lonsdale give excellent performances as innocent pawns in a political struggle of wills that occupies them daily until the end of the story. They unexpectedly draw your sympathy without being overly sentimental.
Beauvois maintains a steady, slow pace which increases your understanding of the impending threat that doesn't come until the second half.
In other roles, Olivier Rabourdin plays Christophe and Philippe Laudenbach is Celestin.
Of Gods And Men ends with an anonymous letter from one of the monks who is killed in a sad note, an example of man's ability to overcome defeat at the end by his religioud beliefs that remained strong during his lifetime. During the end credits, it resonates ever more strongly as an anti-war message with little fanfare, the narration keeps it all in perspective as part of the overall film's distinctive stamp. It is moving without making you cry and equally persuasive in its portrayal as an important and authentic piece of cinema.
It is rated 14A, with the warning: graphic violence.
April 30, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
JANE EYRE (ALLIANCE, 2011)****
BY RICK JACKSON
Gothic romance has always been a crowd pleaser, and Jane Eyre is a prime example. Charlotte Bronte's novel has been adapted many times for the movies and television. I have always liked the 1944 film version starring Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles. The latest and most anticipated adaptation is from director Joji Fukunaga who has retained the elegance of the period in a timeless love story between an ordinary girl and the wealthy socialite, Rochester. From the first frame you are introduced to the overall appeal of Bronte's characters and their weaknesses as human beings. Bronte's world is not perfect and the titular role of Jane Eyre is portrayed by Mia Wasikowska (Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland) as the proper commoner whose innocence and vulnerability captures the essence of Jane Eyre's timidity and eventual openness that inspires you to believe in reading the classic novel all over again. This Jane Eyre is an absorbing and unforgettable rendering of a literary classic.
Unlike the definitive version from 1944 which was in black and white, the atmosphere is not as technically perfect in that you don't see the richness of the characters as well developed. However, this does not meanyou can't appreciate the muted colours in the new version where the use of colour complements, and sometimes underscores, the emotions and feelings of the main characters.
Wasikowska brings Eyre to life as a young woman. Her intimidation of Rochester at first generates your keen interest until she overcomes it in the second half and has grown up to be a mature young lady unafraid to speak up to him.
Michael Fassbender imbues Rochester with a dichotomy of ambivalence and charm that only contributes to the significant tone of the entire film. Rochester can be seen as a hero to Jane, and it helps you in understanding the undercurrent of Dickensian humanity that had existed in Bronte's time.
The supporting cast features Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfax, the housekeeper of the manor whose presence is enigmatic and foreboding in a way no dialogue could.
The scenes with Wasikowska and Fassbender convey the inherent sexual attraction that Bronte couldn'r resist adding in to her story. At the same time the lack of sexual content allows you to reach a deeper understanding of the importance of romance in all its significance in timing when the two of them interact and what should happen. The director maintains respect for them and this increases your enjoyment.
Dario Marianelli's music score stays quietly in the background without ruining the tender moments with a lot of crescendos. It adds to the overall atmosphere and emotional range of Jane Eyre as she grows up.
Cinematographer Adriano Goldman brings a certain tenderness underneath many of the tense emotional scenes by using a soft lens so as to keep in tune with the moral standards of Bronte's time.
Editor Melanie Oliver and the director work together to make this Jane Eyre an unforgettable story about love.
It is rated PG, with the warning: mature theme.
April 29, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Gothic romance has always been a crowd pleaser, and Jane Eyre is a prime example. Charlotte Bronte's novel has been adapted many times for the movies and television. I have always liked the 1944 film version starring Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles. The latest and most anticipated adaptation is from director Joji Fukunaga who has retained the elegance of the period in a timeless love story between an ordinary girl and the wealthy socialite, Rochester. From the first frame you are introduced to the overall appeal of Bronte's characters and their weaknesses as human beings. Bronte's world is not perfect and the titular role of Jane Eyre is portrayed by Mia Wasikowska (Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland) as the proper commoner whose innocence and vulnerability captures the essence of Jane Eyre's timidity and eventual openness that inspires you to believe in reading the classic novel all over again. This Jane Eyre is an absorbing and unforgettable rendering of a literary classic.
Unlike the definitive version from 1944 which was in black and white, the atmosphere is not as technically perfect in that you don't see the richness of the characters as well developed. However, this does not meanyou can't appreciate the muted colours in the new version where the use of colour complements, and sometimes underscores, the emotions and feelings of the main characters.
Wasikowska brings Eyre to life as a young woman. Her intimidation of Rochester at first generates your keen interest until she overcomes it in the second half and has grown up to be a mature young lady unafraid to speak up to him.
Michael Fassbender imbues Rochester with a dichotomy of ambivalence and charm that only contributes to the significant tone of the entire film. Rochester can be seen as a hero to Jane, and it helps you in understanding the undercurrent of Dickensian humanity that had existed in Bronte's time.
The supporting cast features Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfax, the housekeeper of the manor whose presence is enigmatic and foreboding in a way no dialogue could.
The scenes with Wasikowska and Fassbender convey the inherent sexual attraction that Bronte couldn'r resist adding in to her story. At the same time the lack of sexual content allows you to reach a deeper understanding of the importance of romance in all its significance in timing when the two of them interact and what should happen. The director maintains respect for them and this increases your enjoyment.
Dario Marianelli's music score stays quietly in the background without ruining the tender moments with a lot of crescendos. It adds to the overall atmosphere and emotional range of Jane Eyre as she grows up.
Cinematographer Adriano Goldman brings a certain tenderness underneath many of the tense emotional scenes by using a soft lens so as to keep in tune with the moral standards of Bronte's time.
Editor Melanie Oliver and the director work together to make this Jane Eyre an unforgettable story about love.
It is rated PG, with the warning: mature theme.
April 29, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
YOUR HIGHNESS (UNIVERSAL, 2011)*
BY RICK JACKSON
Your Highness is one of the year's worst movies. I usually say this at the end, but this time is an exception. The foul language and sexual content makes it impossible to enjoy as a medieval romp and it's too bad young moviegoers can't see it. It might be a good thing in the end.
From it's decent opening that promises a medieval tale filled with promise and derring do, it all quickly fades away into an oblivious mess of mediocrity, stupidity and debauchery that is certain to disgust adults and entertain a certain group toohat likes the kind of crude humour and bad performances because it appeals to their imagination without provocation. Roger Ebert has compared this film to Mel Brooks but even this is giving credibility to something very bad. To think of it in a positive light might be dangerous, but it is funny to the point that it may become a camp classic.
Written by Danny McBride and Ben Best, it isn't far into it when you begin to go be disgusted rather than entertained by the moronic undercurrent of the farcical plot where Zooey Deschanel is the intended bride to be for James Franco who sings in costume as bad as Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagon.
The funny costumes and dry dialogue hardly matter unless you want to keep watching out of interest to while away a lazy afternoon. The vastness of the epic quality of Your Highness is reduced by the petulant and annoying cast who never measure up to the period or inject anything as good as the last classic swashbuckler you really liked.
After a promising opening you are led into an unmemorable path of hopelessness after a cyclops is beheaded and an emasculated minotaur meets a grisley end.
The supporting cast has never been so stupid and witless and as much you believe the entire film might redeem itself it never comes with any real satisfaction until "the end" comes.
McBride who gives himself a meaty role as Thadeus is so redundant you are waiting to see if there will be something worth waiting for.
It eventually comes in the presence of Natalie Portman as Isabel. Her appearance is predictable but it helps stop you from laughing too hard in all the wrong places. She can't keep a straight face in some scenes and she gives a decent performance in a sea of mindlessness.
Franco does his best to cover up his shortcomings and he never should try to sing again.
Craig Alpert's cinematography is bright and vivid as it should be, but the plot detracts from any appreciation and taste. The proliferation of shocking images of sexuality and the verbose innuendo ruin your fun and you can't wait for it all to end quickly which doesn't come soon enough.
Editor Tim Orr doesn't waste time in getting to what ultimately conveys a series of pathetic roles played by actors who deserve better.
It is rated 18A, with the warnings: violence, sexual content and coarse language.
April 25, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Your Highness is one of the year's worst movies. I usually say this at the end, but this time is an exception. The foul language and sexual content makes it impossible to enjoy as a medieval romp and it's too bad young moviegoers can't see it. It might be a good thing in the end.
From it's decent opening that promises a medieval tale filled with promise and derring do, it all quickly fades away into an oblivious mess of mediocrity, stupidity and debauchery that is certain to disgust adults and entertain a certain group toohat likes the kind of crude humour and bad performances because it appeals to their imagination without provocation. Roger Ebert has compared this film to Mel Brooks but even this is giving credibility to something very bad. To think of it in a positive light might be dangerous, but it is funny to the point that it may become a camp classic.
Written by Danny McBride and Ben Best, it isn't far into it when you begin to go be disgusted rather than entertained by the moronic undercurrent of the farcical plot where Zooey Deschanel is the intended bride to be for James Franco who sings in costume as bad as Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagon.
The funny costumes and dry dialogue hardly matter unless you want to keep watching out of interest to while away a lazy afternoon. The vastness of the epic quality of Your Highness is reduced by the petulant and annoying cast who never measure up to the period or inject anything as good as the last classic swashbuckler you really liked.
After a promising opening you are led into an unmemorable path of hopelessness after a cyclops is beheaded and an emasculated minotaur meets a grisley end.
The supporting cast has never been so stupid and witless and as much you believe the entire film might redeem itself it never comes with any real satisfaction until "the end" comes.
McBride who gives himself a meaty role as Thadeus is so redundant you are waiting to see if there will be something worth waiting for.
It eventually comes in the presence of Natalie Portman as Isabel. Her appearance is predictable but it helps stop you from laughing too hard in all the wrong places. She can't keep a straight face in some scenes and she gives a decent performance in a sea of mindlessness.
Franco does his best to cover up his shortcomings and he never should try to sing again.
Craig Alpert's cinematography is bright and vivid as it should be, but the plot detracts from any appreciation and taste. The proliferation of shocking images of sexuality and the verbose innuendo ruin your fun and you can't wait for it all to end quickly which doesn't come soon enough.
Editor Tim Orr doesn't waste time in getting to what ultimately conveys a series of pathetic roles played by actors who deserve better.
It is rated 18A, with the warnings: violence, sexual content and coarse language.
April 25, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
CERTIFIED COPY (MONGREL MEDIA, 2011)****
BY RICK JACKSON
Written and directed by Abbas Kiarostami, Certified Copy is a powerful film about the realities of love and life between two people, Elle and James, in a Tuscan village. Juliette Binoche and William Shimell play both characters with a dichotomy of feeling. Just as you are caught up in their normalcy as two friends, there is a certain distance that separates them from their true feelings for each other. There is, at the same time, a level of mystery and romance that Kiarostami introduces as if this were a modern Shakespearean comedy where you are left to sort out what is going on.
There are two separate realties: the first is the dramatic overall story of Elle and James who appear to be married and are having their first marital spat, while the second is an overriding eventuality where they truthfully are and one which they are not ready to accept. You keep asking yourself if this is all a game of pretend but it clearly isn't for these two are experiencing something interesting and if you follow the dialogue closely, you will be wonderfully surprised by the literate intentions of both lead characters in what is not a film within a film but a quiet and powerful atatement of how two people generally feel truthfully without hurting the other half of the relationship. The director brilliantly choreographs their moves like he is balancing a circus act without wires. In the process, you benefit by the dialogue's impact without prejudice because you are supposed to go along with its innocent trappings.
Shimmell plays James as a fop who wants to lead Elle in a direction that forces her to react in a way she never has before. Unbeknownst to her, she falls into his web of distraction by making up her own invention of conjuring up a moment of supreme bliss by getting James to look to the right and left as if love was a joyous puzzle of sorts that needed to be solved respectfully.
Binoche is consistently strong as the victim of a romance and marriage that may be astray in one sense from fiction, but closer to reality in that this experience becomes the ultimate test of fidelity. You the moviegoer are watching all of it unfold as if you were seeing it through a rearview mirror where fiction and reality are not always clearly defined.
The central idea of the film's title says it all in regards to the actuality two people put themselves through until they both realize the real reason they are together. Elle and James do not reflect the ideal couple throughout the film because they cannot accept the total responsibility of falling in love and the consequences of it after they are married. Time has erased their memories of togetherness, and all that is left is an empty shell compared to what they once shared. so. When you first see them they are demonstrating too little too late as if love only meant something important once upon a time long ago.
What makes Certified Copy is the acting because it keeps you focused on the developing story. You are innocently whisked away into a lapse of emotion and reality by the sheer weight of their accentuated performances while they engage in idle banter to soothe their wounded souls which have been exposed to a certain reality each partner does not want to conform right away.
Most of the movie appears to be long shot with few closeups to underscore the inherent scope of their relationship from the first time you meet them. Their history as lovers is inescapably lost to us, but not to them. As you catch up to their forced situation of unpleasant reality mixed in with their fictional counterparts without courtesy of flashbacks, the end result is a metaphorical study of two people who were destined to be together because of the love they each profess without too much dialogue. It is this that maintains the equilibrium of the balancing act between Elle and James and you may or may not be left impressed or willing to accept the outcome.
In a sense, Certified Copy is almost Bergmanesque because it comes across more European in tone as if were another Scenes From A Marriage told via a prequel that necver existed until now. It feels rather circumspect but in the end it speaks volumes between two former partners: one who wants to respect the other with privacy, while the other desires to rekindle a part of their romance that has been missing for far too long.
It is rated PG, with the warning: mature theme.
April 23, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Written and directed by Abbas Kiarostami, Certified Copy is a powerful film about the realities of love and life between two people, Elle and James, in a Tuscan village. Juliette Binoche and William Shimell play both characters with a dichotomy of feeling. Just as you are caught up in their normalcy as two friends, there is a certain distance that separates them from their true feelings for each other. There is, at the same time, a level of mystery and romance that Kiarostami introduces as if this were a modern Shakespearean comedy where you are left to sort out what is going on.
There are two separate realties: the first is the dramatic overall story of Elle and James who appear to be married and are having their first marital spat, while the second is an overriding eventuality where they truthfully are and one which they are not ready to accept. You keep asking yourself if this is all a game of pretend but it clearly isn't for these two are experiencing something interesting and if you follow the dialogue closely, you will be wonderfully surprised by the literate intentions of both lead characters in what is not a film within a film but a quiet and powerful atatement of how two people generally feel truthfully without hurting the other half of the relationship. The director brilliantly choreographs their moves like he is balancing a circus act without wires. In the process, you benefit by the dialogue's impact without prejudice because you are supposed to go along with its innocent trappings.
Shimmell plays James as a fop who wants to lead Elle in a direction that forces her to react in a way she never has before. Unbeknownst to her, she falls into his web of distraction by making up her own invention of conjuring up a moment of supreme bliss by getting James to look to the right and left as if love was a joyous puzzle of sorts that needed to be solved respectfully.
Binoche is consistently strong as the victim of a romance and marriage that may be astray in one sense from fiction, but closer to reality in that this experience becomes the ultimate test of fidelity. You the moviegoer are watching all of it unfold as if you were seeing it through a rearview mirror where fiction and reality are not always clearly defined.
The central idea of the film's title says it all in regards to the actuality two people put themselves through until they both realize the real reason they are together. Elle and James do not reflect the ideal couple throughout the film because they cannot accept the total responsibility of falling in love and the consequences of it after they are married. Time has erased their memories of togetherness, and all that is left is an empty shell compared to what they once shared. so. When you first see them they are demonstrating too little too late as if love only meant something important once upon a time long ago.
What makes Certified Copy is the acting because it keeps you focused on the developing story. You are innocently whisked away into a lapse of emotion and reality by the sheer weight of their accentuated performances while they engage in idle banter to soothe their wounded souls which have been exposed to a certain reality each partner does not want to conform right away.
Most of the movie appears to be long shot with few closeups to underscore the inherent scope of their relationship from the first time you meet them. Their history as lovers is inescapably lost to us, but not to them. As you catch up to their forced situation of unpleasant reality mixed in with their fictional counterparts without courtesy of flashbacks, the end result is a metaphorical study of two people who were destined to be together because of the love they each profess without too much dialogue. It is this that maintains the equilibrium of the balancing act between Elle and James and you may or may not be left impressed or willing to accept the outcome.
In a sense, Certified Copy is almost Bergmanesque because it comes across more European in tone as if were another Scenes From A Marriage told via a prequel that necver existed until now. It feels rather circumspect but in the end it speaks volumes between two former partners: one who wants to respect the other with privacy, while the other desires to rekindle a part of their romance that has been missing for far too long.
It is rated PG, with the warning: mature theme.
April 23, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
RIO (20th CENTURY FOX, 2011)**
BY RICK JACKSON
Rio in 3D is a complete waste of time. Not only are there no decent 3D effects, there isn't a good story to enthrall kids and their parents who are lininup up to see it.
The animation crew on the Ice Age movies is responsible for the short preceding Rio and it is far more exciting.
True, the use of colour benefits the entire film but it is not groundbreaking.
Based on a story by Carlos Saldanha, the screenplay by Don Rhymer is so elementary you are kept waiting for the inevitable sequence where the film will take off like the main character Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) in the second half.
Like any animated film, you are introduced to Blu the only male of his species. An ornithologist in Rio de Janeiro needs Blu to woo the only female of the species in a predictable turn of events where you know what is going to happen next. ans it is this boring consistency that leaves the film behind as a memorable movie for the entire family.
Anne Hathaway talks and sings as Jewel, the only female of the species left and she is dorced to woo Blu who has been taken to the wilds of Brazil. what's even worse is the fact that Blu can't fly.
When Blu and Jewel have to dress up for the annual carnival, therer is a modicum of enjoyment thanks to the Latin soundtrack that makes the thin plot sing however briefly.
John Powell's weak music score fails to uplift the even the barest of plot threads left and you have to be entertained by more Latino dnumbers that never get your mojo working.
The other voices include Wanda Sykes as Chloe the goose who is funny and should have had a bigger role; Jane Lynch as Alice, as the other goose; Jamie Foxx as Nico, and director Saldanha as the voice of the second waiter.
Rio in 3D is not nearly as good as Coraline two years ago. Despite living up to all the promotional hype for opening weekend, there is always hope the next animated 3Der will trip the light fantastic.
It is rated G.
April 17, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Rio in 3D is a complete waste of time. Not only are there no decent 3D effects, there isn't a good story to enthrall kids and their parents who are lininup up to see it.
The animation crew on the Ice Age movies is responsible for the short preceding Rio and it is far more exciting.
True, the use of colour benefits the entire film but it is not groundbreaking.
Based on a story by Carlos Saldanha, the screenplay by Don Rhymer is so elementary you are kept waiting for the inevitable sequence where the film will take off like the main character Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) in the second half.
Like any animated film, you are introduced to Blu the only male of his species. An ornithologist in Rio de Janeiro needs Blu to woo the only female of the species in a predictable turn of events where you know what is going to happen next. ans it is this boring consistency that leaves the film behind as a memorable movie for the entire family.
Anne Hathaway talks and sings as Jewel, the only female of the species left and she is dorced to woo Blu who has been taken to the wilds of Brazil. what's even worse is the fact that Blu can't fly.
When Blu and Jewel have to dress up for the annual carnival, therer is a modicum of enjoyment thanks to the Latin soundtrack that makes the thin plot sing however briefly.
John Powell's weak music score fails to uplift the even the barest of plot threads left and you have to be entertained by more Latino dnumbers that never get your mojo working.
The other voices include Wanda Sykes as Chloe the goose who is funny and should have had a bigger role; Jane Lynch as Alice, as the other goose; Jamie Foxx as Nico, and director Saldanha as the voice of the second waiter.
Rio in 3D is not nearly as good as Coraline two years ago. Despite living up to all the promotional hype for opening weekend, there is always hope the next animated 3Der will trip the light fantastic.
It is rated G.
April 17, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
LINCOLN LAWYER (E-ONE, 2011)***
BY RICK JACKSON
Smartly directed by Brad Furman, The Lincoln Lawyer stars Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller,a wise acre lawyer whose courtroom etiquette reminded me of Paul Newman in The Verdict (1982). As you watch him work from the backseat of a lincoln, his sharp clothes match the dialogue written for him by John Romano. At first you wonder if Haller is right for the job because he doesn't give a good impression until almost 20 minutes into the film. Here's a lawyer who has built a reputation as the last resort for a criminal who knows he'a innocent. What is surprising are the twists and turns in a simple case centered on Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a rich kid from Beverly Hills who has been arrested for beating up a woman. What proves to be even more exciting is the ensuing trial where Haller must deal with facts that remain hidden from plain view until his gut instinct tells him different.
Details are important in any case and as McConaughey's strong acting attests, there are some well timed scenes where he gets to show his mettle in and outside the courtroom. What is a highlight is the repartee inside the judge's chambers when evidence clearly comes up that was purposely not brought up. It's all part of the smart game being played outside the parameters of the law in a bid for the prosecution to win the case.
Furman'a steady direction keeps you absorbed by the minute and if you think you have it figured out, think again. It's not so clear cut.
Much of what happens is close to the book by Michael Connelly. Seeing it dramatized on the big screen, you are ensconced in a clever case not as smouldering as Body Heat (1981) or truthful as L.A. Confidential (1997). However there is a similarity between Newman and McConaughey in the way rhey each convey the troubled lawyer beset by the unnecessary theatrics that find them working overtime to find a loophole in a maze of familiarity and arbitrary goings on.
William H. Macy (Fargo) gives a wonderful performance in a strong supporting role as private investigator Frank. Sporting long hair you have to look closely to catch his unrivalled determination to impress Haller and, as a result, the actor creates a distinct character qho may be remembered at next year's Oscars.
The rest of the cast features Marisa Tomei as Maggie, Haller's ex-wife, John Leguizamo as bondsman Val, Josh Lucas as the opposing attorney, and Laurence Mason as Haller's chauffeur.
The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the year's few surprises. You can actually sit back and enjoy something worthwhile for a change.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: sexual violence and language may offend.
April 17, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Smartly directed by Brad Furman, The Lincoln Lawyer stars Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller,a wise acre lawyer whose courtroom etiquette reminded me of Paul Newman in The Verdict (1982). As you watch him work from the backseat of a lincoln, his sharp clothes match the dialogue written for him by John Romano. At first you wonder if Haller is right for the job because he doesn't give a good impression until almost 20 minutes into the film. Here's a lawyer who has built a reputation as the last resort for a criminal who knows he'a innocent. What is surprising are the twists and turns in a simple case centered on Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a rich kid from Beverly Hills who has been arrested for beating up a woman. What proves to be even more exciting is the ensuing trial where Haller must deal with facts that remain hidden from plain view until his gut instinct tells him different.
Details are important in any case and as McConaughey's strong acting attests, there are some well timed scenes where he gets to show his mettle in and outside the courtroom. What is a highlight is the repartee inside the judge's chambers when evidence clearly comes up that was purposely not brought up. It's all part of the smart game being played outside the parameters of the law in a bid for the prosecution to win the case.
Furman'a steady direction keeps you absorbed by the minute and if you think you have it figured out, think again. It's not so clear cut.
Much of what happens is close to the book by Michael Connelly. Seeing it dramatized on the big screen, you are ensconced in a clever case not as smouldering as Body Heat (1981) or truthful as L.A. Confidential (1997). However there is a similarity between Newman and McConaughey in the way rhey each convey the troubled lawyer beset by the unnecessary theatrics that find them working overtime to find a loophole in a maze of familiarity and arbitrary goings on.
William H. Macy (Fargo) gives a wonderful performance in a strong supporting role as private investigator Frank. Sporting long hair you have to look closely to catch his unrivalled determination to impress Haller and, as a result, the actor creates a distinct character qho may be remembered at next year's Oscars.
The rest of the cast features Marisa Tomei as Maggie, Haller's ex-wife, John Leguizamo as bondsman Val, Josh Lucas as the opposing attorney, and Laurence Mason as Haller's chauffeur.
The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the year's few surprises. You can actually sit back and enjoy something worthwhile for a change.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: sexual violence and language may offend.
April 17, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
THE WAY BACK (ALLIANCE, 2010)***
BY RICK JACKSON
The Way Back is a compelling World War II drama about an escape by ptisoners from a Siberian prison gulag who travelled 4,000 miles in a grueling journey that ended in Free India. Australian director Peter Weir maintains a steady pace in recreating the events based on a true story inspired by conversations ghost written by Ronald Downing with Slavomir Rawicz upon whose book, The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek To Freedom was used.
The screebplay by Weir and Keith Clarke concentrates on the six men who implement sn escape plan that begins in Mongolia and takes them on to Lake Baikal where they meet Irena (Saoirse Ronan) whose story about her escape turns out to be false. Their journey then takes them to the Himalayas where a Sherpa guides them to a Buddhist monastery and, in turn, monks tell them they must wait until spring to cross into Free India.
Weir is no stranger when it comes to true stories. Picnic At Hanging Rock in 1975 was his first and it established him as a director with an eye for detail visualized by the help of his cinematographers who helped show the reality of what each stories he wanted to bring to the big screen. Like The Way Back, Weir minor epics remain part of Weir's determination to make each film different and challenging for him and us.
The acting distinguishes the film as an example of human endurance during World War II and despite the familiarity of other movies on the same subject it, Weir's latest never stops from being interesting and absorbing at the same time.
Harris is well cast as Smith, spomeone who has engendered trust and loyalty. Hid previous experience in the field gives you a better idea of how the men were able to overcome their difficulties and hardships along the way.
Filmed on location in Bulgaria, Morocco and India, Russell Boyd's cinematography defines the different types of terrain the journey presents that underscores the main theme of the film.
Editor Lee Smith deftly maintains the quiet and understated pace as you watch the men interact and deal with the elements, while Burkhard Dallwitz's music score stays in the background so as not to interfere in the emotional and trying moments of the journey. Not until the end do you hear it distinctly speak out to remind you of how long the journey took and the emotional involvement that each man went through during each leg of the 4,000 miles.
Weir doesn't use any sentiment to sugar coat his latest effort, and this contributes to the overall powerful outcome that doesn't brand the ones who made it to freedom as heroes but simply as men who were desperate and determined enough to overcome all obstacles in their quest for a better life.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: language may offend and disturbing content.
April 15, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
The Way Back is a compelling World War II drama about an escape by ptisoners from a Siberian prison gulag who travelled 4,000 miles in a grueling journey that ended in Free India. Australian director Peter Weir maintains a steady pace in recreating the events based on a true story inspired by conversations ghost written by Ronald Downing with Slavomir Rawicz upon whose book, The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek To Freedom was used.
The screebplay by Weir and Keith Clarke concentrates on the six men who implement sn escape plan that begins in Mongolia and takes them on to Lake Baikal where they meet Irena (Saoirse Ronan) whose story about her escape turns out to be false. Their journey then takes them to the Himalayas where a Sherpa guides them to a Buddhist monastery and, in turn, monks tell them they must wait until spring to cross into Free India.
Weir is no stranger when it comes to true stories. Picnic At Hanging Rock in 1975 was his first and it established him as a director with an eye for detail visualized by the help of his cinematographers who helped show the reality of what each stories he wanted to bring to the big screen. Like The Way Back, Weir minor epics remain part of Weir's determination to make each film different and challenging for him and us.
The acting distinguishes the film as an example of human endurance during World War II and despite the familiarity of other movies on the same subject it, Weir's latest never stops from being interesting and absorbing at the same time.
Harris is well cast as Smith, spomeone who has engendered trust and loyalty. Hid previous experience in the field gives you a better idea of how the men were able to overcome their difficulties and hardships along the way.
Filmed on location in Bulgaria, Morocco and India, Russell Boyd's cinematography defines the different types of terrain the journey presents that underscores the main theme of the film.
Editor Lee Smith deftly maintains the quiet and understated pace as you watch the men interact and deal with the elements, while Burkhard Dallwitz's music score stays in the background so as not to interfere in the emotional and trying moments of the journey. Not until the end do you hear it distinctly speak out to remind you of how long the journey took and the emotional involvement that each man went through during each leg of the 4,000 miles.
Weir doesn't use any sentiment to sugar coat his latest effort, and this contributes to the overall powerful outcome that doesn't brand the ones who made it to freedom as heroes but simply as men who were desperate and determined enough to overcome all obstacles in their quest for a better life.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: language may offend and disturbing content.
April 15, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
HANNAH (ALLIANCE, 2011)****
BY RICK JACKSON
Hannah is a stylish American thriller that immediately grabs your attention from the first frame. The cold arctic environs of Finland symbolize the harshness of the film's plot reminiscent of La Femme Nikita with its female star, Saoirse Ronan trained to kill before the opeming credits, and who you see killing an animal as if it were part of her daily ritual to stay on top of her game by being alert and under control of her situation, which is not clearly defined right away. Her prime motivation is carefully and inescapably planned like a roulete wheel about to go off kilter which it does, as her story is revealed through the images of cold exteriors and rude emotions by a cast of unfriendly characters you don't ever want to meet.
Ronan's strong acting breathes life in this pseudo Cold War drama disguised as a fairy tale with the title character alone ready to shoot her prey with a bow and arrow. After she says a line you will hear again later. After her prey lies dead, someone comes up behind her to tell her she's dead. The first few min utes conveys an atmosphere of reality and survival in a game you don't fully understand yet, but a certain amount of patience is required to allow the details of where Hannah sits and positions herself in an unseemly world governed by fate and the truth that collide like two trains about to crash into each other at any moment.
Based on story by Seth Lochhead, the screenplay by Lochhead and David Farr asks you to believe that this is a fairytale since it starts in the woods. But it is clearly more European in nature because it opens like The American last year, which I noted in my review that it owed itself to Michaelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger. Hannah is more French and Germanic in tone with some English sub-titles. The rest of it is a well executed and conventional thriller in which the predictable is not as it seems, and the combination of thriller and foreign film is its main drawing card as a film of substance.
Ronan injects Hannah with enough courage and determination to force you to keep your eyes on her. You soon learn that she was being groomed to be a special agent trained for one specific purpose which I won't reveal here. Her advanced skills and training speak volumes that are a complete surprise for she doesn't understand completely the real motive behind her birth and the way she was raised. Deep down inside she knows she is not like any ordinary adult until her father, Erik (Eric Bana) explains it to her.
Cate Blanchett almost steals the film with her role as Marissa, an intelligence agent obsessed with capturing and killing both Erik and Hanna. Her calm demeanor is marked by a dichotomy of feeling and sympathy that also warrants your undivided attention. She plays her part with an underlying sense of evil underneath an equal sense of trepidation and ferocity that becomes clear in the second half.
Bana is well cast as the innocent father who wants her daughter to know the whole truth of how she came into the world and it gives the plot a disturbing edge you need to be paying close attention. The moral discipline of Hanna and her relationship with her father and Marissa are not meant to be straightforward, and you may be thinking why Hanna and Marissa have the same bone structure. The screenwriters invite you to think about Eric and Marissa in a previous encounter. Watch their facial expressions whenever Hannah is mentioned or thought about.
The conclusion to Hannah brings back the kind that Hitchcock loved to do when he wanted his main characters to squirm a little under normal circumstances. Director Joe Wright(Atonement, Pride And Prejudice) succeeds in presenting a simple tale that pervades on the big screen as an example of a good drama cloaked in hidden intrigue and mystery. It is all welcome to see for a change.
It is rated PG, with the warning: violence.
April 10, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Hannah is a stylish American thriller that immediately grabs your attention from the first frame. The cold arctic environs of Finland symbolize the harshness of the film's plot reminiscent of La Femme Nikita with its female star, Saoirse Ronan trained to kill before the opeming credits, and who you see killing an animal as if it were part of her daily ritual to stay on top of her game by being alert and under control of her situation, which is not clearly defined right away. Her prime motivation is carefully and inescapably planned like a roulete wheel about to go off kilter which it does, as her story is revealed through the images of cold exteriors and rude emotions by a cast of unfriendly characters you don't ever want to meet.
Ronan's strong acting breathes life in this pseudo Cold War drama disguised as a fairy tale with the title character alone ready to shoot her prey with a bow and arrow. After she says a line you will hear again later. After her prey lies dead, someone comes up behind her to tell her she's dead. The first few min utes conveys an atmosphere of reality and survival in a game you don't fully understand yet, but a certain amount of patience is required to allow the details of where Hannah sits and positions herself in an unseemly world governed by fate and the truth that collide like two trains about to crash into each other at any moment.
Based on story by Seth Lochhead, the screenplay by Lochhead and David Farr asks you to believe that this is a fairytale since it starts in the woods. But it is clearly more European in nature because it opens like The American last year, which I noted in my review that it owed itself to Michaelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger. Hannah is more French and Germanic in tone with some English sub-titles. The rest of it is a well executed and conventional thriller in which the predictable is not as it seems, and the combination of thriller and foreign film is its main drawing card as a film of substance.
Ronan injects Hannah with enough courage and determination to force you to keep your eyes on her. You soon learn that she was being groomed to be a special agent trained for one specific purpose which I won't reveal here. Her advanced skills and training speak volumes that are a complete surprise for she doesn't understand completely the real motive behind her birth and the way she was raised. Deep down inside she knows she is not like any ordinary adult until her father, Erik (Eric Bana) explains it to her.
Cate Blanchett almost steals the film with her role as Marissa, an intelligence agent obsessed with capturing and killing both Erik and Hanna. Her calm demeanor is marked by a dichotomy of feeling and sympathy that also warrants your undivided attention. She plays her part with an underlying sense of evil underneath an equal sense of trepidation and ferocity that becomes clear in the second half.
Bana is well cast as the innocent father who wants her daughter to know the whole truth of how she came into the world and it gives the plot a disturbing edge you need to be paying close attention. The moral discipline of Hanna and her relationship with her father and Marissa are not meant to be straightforward, and you may be thinking why Hanna and Marissa have the same bone structure. The screenwriters invite you to think about Eric and Marissa in a previous encounter. Watch their facial expressions whenever Hannah is mentioned or thought about.
The conclusion to Hannah brings back the kind that Hitchcock loved to do when he wanted his main characters to squirm a little under normal circumstances. Director Joe Wright(Atonement, Pride And Prejudice) succeeds in presenting a simple tale that pervades on the big screen as an example of a good drama cloaked in hidden intrigue and mystery. It is all welcome to see for a change.
It is rated PG, with the warning: violence.
April 10, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
RED RIDING HOOD (WARNER BROTHERS, 2011)*
BY RICK JACKSON
The fascination with Red Riding Hood as a fairy tale goes back to the 17th century when it was originally known as Little Red Riding Hood aka Little Red Cap which told about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. As time passed changes were made to it and there are, of course, versions of the story under such titles as Peter And The Wolf (Russia), Brothers Grimm tale, The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids.
The earliest origins in relation to Grimm's tale dates back to the 14th century but it is the 17th cen tury one that is more famousand from it there have been seveeral film adaptations going back to the silent era in 1913 under the title, When Lillian Was Little Red Riding Hood.
The classic rendering focuses on little red riding hood who arrives at her grandmother;s house, only to find a wolf. You know the rest of the story from childhood.
Written by David Johnson, the new Red Riding Hood has little to do with the original and, therefore, is not as scary as it vould have been. Catherine Hardwicke directs each scene with little or no interest in creating something memorable, just something new to ponder in the technological age when bedtime stories aren't as prevalent as they have been in the past. Red Riding Hood has become a ghastly werewolf story set in a village where Valerie is watched from afar by a dangerous wolf who you dom't see but feel courtdesy of the special effects department which hardly increase the terror of each defining short-lived moment.
Amanda Seyfried plays Valerie with the same innocence as Red Riding Hood but it is not her fault that her part has been poorly developed to the point where her dialogue also becomes anachronistic and boring. Granted her beauty and intelligence manage to overcome this in the second half, the entire film getsbogged down in assimilating this old story by updating it which was not necessary.
In 1985 Angela Lansbury starred in Far superior version called Company of Wolves. It was more terrifying with its simple plot that was also, albeit familiar but original in its final product.
In 2007 there was the French film, Brotherhood of the Wolf which was even superior to the 2011 version because it was genuinely frightening and foreboding from start to finish.
Hardwicke, best known for starting the Twilight saga which impressed this film critic, depends too much on your knowledge of red riding hood so she can manipulate and xhange the details to suit her discretion.
The opening scene in a dense forest reminded me of M. Night Shymalan's The Village which didn't do any justice, either.
An unrecognizable Gary Oldman plays Father Solomon, with Julie Christie being wasted as the grandmother. Lansbury was better.
In other roles, Virginia Madsen is Suzette, Shiloh Fernandez is Peter, and Max Irons is Henry, a rival for Valerie's affections to Peter who automatically is suspect as the werewolf terifying the village.
What was surprising was the degree Hardwicke takes to keep you from guessing the true identity of the werewolf and it comes at the right time so as to avoid a long drawn out finale.
The cape Valerie wears is so red,it deliberately makes her a victim which doesn't help the story as anything but lacking in credibility. It would have been great a neat twist of fate or introduction to something far more thought provoking than what is presented here.
Red Riding Hood even fails to impress with an appropriate music score or atmosphere to keep you watching long emough to stop you from leaving your seat to get more popcorn or a drink.
Red Riding Hood is a dismal failure.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: not recommended for children, sexual content and violence.
March 18, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
The fascination with Red Riding Hood as a fairy tale goes back to the 17th century when it was originally known as Little Red Riding Hood aka Little Red Cap which told about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. As time passed changes were made to it and there are, of course, versions of the story under such titles as Peter And The Wolf (Russia), Brothers Grimm tale, The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids.
The earliest origins in relation to Grimm's tale dates back to the 14th century but it is the 17th cen tury one that is more famousand from it there have been seveeral film adaptations going back to the silent era in 1913 under the title, When Lillian Was Little Red Riding Hood.
The classic rendering focuses on little red riding hood who arrives at her grandmother;s house, only to find a wolf. You know the rest of the story from childhood.
Written by David Johnson, the new Red Riding Hood has little to do with the original and, therefore, is not as scary as it vould have been. Catherine Hardwicke directs each scene with little or no interest in creating something memorable, just something new to ponder in the technological age when bedtime stories aren't as prevalent as they have been in the past. Red Riding Hood has become a ghastly werewolf story set in a village where Valerie is watched from afar by a dangerous wolf who you dom't see but feel courtdesy of the special effects department which hardly increase the terror of each defining short-lived moment.
Amanda Seyfried plays Valerie with the same innocence as Red Riding Hood but it is not her fault that her part has been poorly developed to the point where her dialogue also becomes anachronistic and boring. Granted her beauty and intelligence manage to overcome this in the second half, the entire film getsbogged down in assimilating this old story by updating it which was not necessary.
In 1985 Angela Lansbury starred in Far superior version called Company of Wolves. It was more terrifying with its simple plot that was also, albeit familiar but original in its final product.
In 2007 there was the French film, Brotherhood of the Wolf which was even superior to the 2011 version because it was genuinely frightening and foreboding from start to finish.
Hardwicke, best known for starting the Twilight saga which impressed this film critic, depends too much on your knowledge of red riding hood so she can manipulate and xhange the details to suit her discretion.
The opening scene in a dense forest reminded me of M. Night Shymalan's The Village which didn't do any justice, either.
An unrecognizable Gary Oldman plays Father Solomon, with Julie Christie being wasted as the grandmother. Lansbury was better.
In other roles, Virginia Madsen is Suzette, Shiloh Fernandez is Peter, and Max Irons is Henry, a rival for Valerie's affections to Peter who automatically is suspect as the werewolf terifying the village.
What was surprising was the degree Hardwicke takes to keep you from guessing the true identity of the werewolf and it comes at the right time so as to avoid a long drawn out finale.
The cape Valerie wears is so red,it deliberately makes her a victim which doesn't help the story as anything but lacking in credibility. It would have been great a neat twist of fate or introduction to something far more thought provoking than what is presented here.
Red Riding Hood even fails to impress with an appropriate music score or atmosphere to keep you watching long emough to stop you from leaving your seat to get more popcorn or a drink.
Red Riding Hood is a dismal failure.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: not recommended for children, sexual content and violence.
March 18, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
HOP (UNIVERSAL, 2011)***
BY RICK JACKSON
One of the most enjoyable films for me so far this year is Hop. Imagine the Easter Bunny(E.B.) deciding to retire so he can become a rock star. The magic of seeing him come alive and talk didn't bore the young set who sat all around me, some of them dressed up with rabbit ears. Animated characters and live animation combine to magically make you smile at the simplistic level and both adults and kids will relate to the ambitions of E.B. Screenwriters Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul (Despicable Me) invite you to speculate the origins of the Easter Bunny by first creating the first human bunny. His name is Fred O'Hare, an unemployed worker whose family tries to get him out of the house to find work insted of sit around all day. While you watch his family interact, the story gets bogged down in unnecessary and wasted dialogue. Had there been more focus on the title character voiced by Russell Brand without the juvenile leanings, Hop might have been a classic.Still, I liked what I saw which included the Easter factory and the giant bunny mobile that carried the Easter Bunny's father on Easter eve who you see early in the film. When he wants his son to continue the annual tradition, there is rivalry inside the factory with the number two "man" a chick named Carlos (Hank Azaria), the plot does get to be predictable but it's appropriate for a children's flick so you can excuse it.
Russell Brand injects E.B. with the right amount of frivolity and you can actually enjoy him long enough to forget this is aimed strictly for an younger audience. When he plays the drums you can believe the bunny can play and you will definitely be impressed. His other movements are indicative of a cartoon character and anyone who loves any of it will embrace the overall child-like quality that immediately wins you over.
The human cast features James Marsden as Fred whose juvenile mentality works with his role as the so-called big kid who needs to be appreciated for who he is. The actor injects the requisite tone and agility so you believe in his aspirations that follow the easter bunny's because they are very much alike.
Elizabeth Perkins and Gary Cole play Fred's parents, and Kaley Cuoco is Fred's sister Sam. They contribute to the subtle message of the film to find a job and carve out your own niche without relying on your parents' apron strings.
David Hasselhof plays himself as a judge for a talent show when the Easter Bunny wants to try his hand as a drummer. It is all exciting to watch and the results will put a smile on your face if you haven't been convinced by the entire movie experience.
Two major highlights are the bunny version of The Strangeloves' 1965 hit, I Want Candy, and the ensuing chase by the pink berets to bring the Easter Bunny back home. It kept the younger set enthralled until the end of the film.
It is rated G, with the warning of cartoon animation action.
April 10, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
One of the most enjoyable films for me so far this year is Hop. Imagine the Easter Bunny(E.B.) deciding to retire so he can become a rock star. The magic of seeing him come alive and talk didn't bore the young set who sat all around me, some of them dressed up with rabbit ears. Animated characters and live animation combine to magically make you smile at the simplistic level and both adults and kids will relate to the ambitions of E.B. Screenwriters Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul (Despicable Me) invite you to speculate the origins of the Easter Bunny by first creating the first human bunny. His name is Fred O'Hare, an unemployed worker whose family tries to get him out of the house to find work insted of sit around all day. While you watch his family interact, the story gets bogged down in unnecessary and wasted dialogue. Had there been more focus on the title character voiced by Russell Brand without the juvenile leanings, Hop might have been a classic.Still, I liked what I saw which included the Easter factory and the giant bunny mobile that carried the Easter Bunny's father on Easter eve who you see early in the film. When he wants his son to continue the annual tradition, there is rivalry inside the factory with the number two "man" a chick named Carlos (Hank Azaria), the plot does get to be predictable but it's appropriate for a children's flick so you can excuse it.
Russell Brand injects E.B. with the right amount of frivolity and you can actually enjoy him long enough to forget this is aimed strictly for an younger audience. When he plays the drums you can believe the bunny can play and you will definitely be impressed. His other movements are indicative of a cartoon character and anyone who loves any of it will embrace the overall child-like quality that immediately wins you over.
The human cast features James Marsden as Fred whose juvenile mentality works with his role as the so-called big kid who needs to be appreciated for who he is. The actor injects the requisite tone and agility so you believe in his aspirations that follow the easter bunny's because they are very much alike.
Elizabeth Perkins and Gary Cole play Fred's parents, and Kaley Cuoco is Fred's sister Sam. They contribute to the subtle message of the film to find a job and carve out your own niche without relying on your parents' apron strings.
David Hasselhof plays himself as a judge for a talent show when the Easter Bunny wants to try his hand as a drummer. It is all exciting to watch and the results will put a smile on your face if you haven't been convinced by the entire movie experience.
Two major highlights are the bunny version of The Strangeloves' 1965 hit, I Want Candy, and the ensuing chase by the pink berets to bring the Easter Bunny back home. It kept the younger set enthralled until the end of the film.
It is rated G, with the warning of cartoon animation action.
April 10, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
THE ILLUSIONIST (MONGREL MEDIA, 2010)*
BY RICK JACKSON
The Illusionist is a poorly conceived swan song for the brilliant and funny Jacques Tati, who wrote the original screenplay before he died in 1982. Never does it try to capture the comedy he was best known for, despite the fact that the drawing of the title character looks a bit like Tati.His trademark comedic elements that distinguished his work in M. Hulot's Holiday (1953)are lost in Tne Illusionist because what you see is not as funny. Sylvain Chomet has failed to consider Tati's genius and made his latest directorial effort an extension of Triplets of Belleville which is far superior all around. The animation in The Illusionist lacks the definitions of depth in colour and tone and throughout it there is a tendency to make it look like it was a silent film in sepia tone. The beginning of The Illusionist is cleverly done as a tribute to the medium in its silent days when Chomet uses black and white as if you were going back in time. However, it's lack of consistency in maintaining the vintage look is given short shrift and you are left with a shallow example of Tati's comedic genius.
The omission of sub-titles and title cards fails to introduce the characters who, in animation, are not well rounded and you are, instead, left with a story that begins right away as if you already know how it all began.
The voices are almost so low you can't hear them. Their English is understandable but there just isn't enough. Chomet is content to let the animators do all the work without any thought of contributing to a special Tati project that could have been hailed as an international classic of its kind.
Jean-Claude Donda who supplies the voice of the illusionist is amusing enough at the beginning and he gives you a hint of the Tati magic but it comes in fits and starta.
The other voices, especially Eilidh Rankin's for Alice is so squeaky she is almost inaudible.
The fifties rock sound pre-eminent in 1959 in England is an attempt to lure nostalgia buffs but it is not anything great. It would have been better to make it come more as a parody in keeping with Tati's opinion of the changes in music but it is more Chomet's elementary reasons for infusing entertainment where the film obviously doesn't add up to Tati's vision.
The Britoons rendition of Molly Jean is not too bad but many moviegoers not old enough may miss the point of the whole film as a nostalgic trip down memory lane because Tati is not a household name anymore. The small fry who loved Rango will not care to see The Illuaionist. It would be nice to be proven wrong.
The Illusionist undermines the originality of Tati's own views of life and society that made his body of work, including Mon Oncle, Traffic and Playtime, so much fun. Chomet's latest is a derivative and inferior piece of work.
It is rated PG.
April 8, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
The Illusionist is a poorly conceived swan song for the brilliant and funny Jacques Tati, who wrote the original screenplay before he died in 1982. Never does it try to capture the comedy he was best known for, despite the fact that the drawing of the title character looks a bit like Tati.His trademark comedic elements that distinguished his work in M. Hulot's Holiday (1953)are lost in Tne Illusionist because what you see is not as funny. Sylvain Chomet has failed to consider Tati's genius and made his latest directorial effort an extension of Triplets of Belleville which is far superior all around. The animation in The Illusionist lacks the definitions of depth in colour and tone and throughout it there is a tendency to make it look like it was a silent film in sepia tone. The beginning of The Illusionist is cleverly done as a tribute to the medium in its silent days when Chomet uses black and white as if you were going back in time. However, it's lack of consistency in maintaining the vintage look is given short shrift and you are left with a shallow example of Tati's comedic genius.
The omission of sub-titles and title cards fails to introduce the characters who, in animation, are not well rounded and you are, instead, left with a story that begins right away as if you already know how it all began.
The voices are almost so low you can't hear them. Their English is understandable but there just isn't enough. Chomet is content to let the animators do all the work without any thought of contributing to a special Tati project that could have been hailed as an international classic of its kind.
Jean-Claude Donda who supplies the voice of the illusionist is amusing enough at the beginning and he gives you a hint of the Tati magic but it comes in fits and starta.
The other voices, especially Eilidh Rankin's for Alice is so squeaky she is almost inaudible.
The fifties rock sound pre-eminent in 1959 in England is an attempt to lure nostalgia buffs but it is not anything great. It would have been better to make it come more as a parody in keeping with Tati's opinion of the changes in music but it is more Chomet's elementary reasons for infusing entertainment where the film obviously doesn't add up to Tati's vision.
The Britoons rendition of Molly Jean is not too bad but many moviegoers not old enough may miss the point of the whole film as a nostalgic trip down memory lane because Tati is not a household name anymore. The small fry who loved Rango will not care to see The Illuaionist. It would be nice to be proven wrong.
The Illusionist undermines the originality of Tati's own views of life and society that made his body of work, including Mon Oncle, Traffic and Playtime, so much fun. Chomet's latest is a derivative and inferior piece of work.
It is rated PG.
April 8, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
SOURCE CODE (E-ONE, 2011)**
By Rick Jackson
Source Code is a generic and uninspiring thriller about a man named Coulter Stevens who is thrust into a pseudo Hitchcockian world (North By Northwest) with a science fiction bent that is more reminiscent of Groundhog Day, except Jake Gyllenhaal is no Bill Murray. Yes, I know Source Code is not a comedy but it feels like one without the punch lines. The utter seriousness of the characters who are seen in a little room with Stevens held against his will as a guinea pig isn't nearly as exciting as it should be. The strange twists in this story of an ex-soldier from Afghanistan played by Gyllenhaal works to a certain point until the repetitive quirks in Ben Ripley's screenplay become tiresome and noticeably boring.
Michelle Monaghan's role as Christina doesn't help as, she, too, becomes an unwilling victim like the rest of us watching as if there isn't a logical point to be made within the sphere of science fiction, let alone enough suspense to make you want to care enough to keep watching. You are as confused as Stevens by the entire episode that smacks more like a bad episode of Twilight Xone as far as originality is concerned. There are hints of Avatar without the purple makeup as the lead character returns to the point where he must find out who planted a bomb that explodes without any clue to him or us. Dramatic irony is absent and this doesn't quite add up to anything.
The rest of the cast is locked in a time warp of inactivity and lack of emotion you are more frustrated by the ensuing turn of events and this increasingly leads to an inordinate sense of boredom.
Director Duncan Jones (Moon) maintains a decent pace which is surprising and as you digest the sci-fi elements of this common tale you are left at the proverbial star gate without a key. The eight minute window that Stevens must adhere to never gets scary or terrifying and Gylenhaal's facial expressions do not help him in acting any different than how we feel as we atch him.
By film'a end the entire film has been a total preposterous exercise where your patience has run out and you hope Jones hasn't left open a chance for a sequel in case Source Code becomes a runaway hit. Time will tell.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: violence and language may offend.
April 1, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Source Code is a generic and uninspiring thriller about a man named Coulter Stevens who is thrust into a pseudo Hitchcockian world (North By Northwest) with a science fiction bent that is more reminiscent of Groundhog Day, except Jake Gyllenhaal is no Bill Murray. Yes, I know Source Code is not a comedy but it feels like one without the punch lines. The utter seriousness of the characters who are seen in a little room with Stevens held against his will as a guinea pig isn't nearly as exciting as it should be. The strange twists in this story of an ex-soldier from Afghanistan played by Gyllenhaal works to a certain point until the repetitive quirks in Ben Ripley's screenplay become tiresome and noticeably boring.
Michelle Monaghan's role as Christina doesn't help as, she, too, becomes an unwilling victim like the rest of us watching as if there isn't a logical point to be made within the sphere of science fiction, let alone enough suspense to make you want to care enough to keep watching. You are as confused as Stevens by the entire episode that smacks more like a bad episode of Twilight Xone as far as originality is concerned. There are hints of Avatar without the purple makeup as the lead character returns to the point where he must find out who planted a bomb that explodes without any clue to him or us. Dramatic irony is absent and this doesn't quite add up to anything.
The rest of the cast is locked in a time warp of inactivity and lack of emotion you are more frustrated by the ensuing turn of events and this increasingly leads to an inordinate sense of boredom.
Director Duncan Jones (Moon) maintains a decent pace which is surprising and as you digest the sci-fi elements of this common tale you are left at the proverbial star gate without a key. The eight minute window that Stevens must adhere to never gets scary or terrifying and Gylenhaal's facial expressions do not help him in acting any different than how we feel as we atch him.
By film'a end the entire film has been a total preposterous exercise where your patience has run out and you hope Jones hasn't left open a chance for a sequel in case Source Code becomes a runaway hit. Time will tell.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: violence and language may offend.
April 1, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
RANGO (PARAMOUNT, 2011)****
By Rick Jackson
For an animated film that pays tribute to the old dusters of the past, Rango celebrates not only them but the colou and excitement of animation as an art form. Granted there is nothing here to break new ground, it still reminds myself and other older moviegoers of just how much fun going to the movies can be when the film is something as good as Rango. Director Gore Verbinski loves the genre of the western and movies in general and this contributes to your enjoyment. This includes using a line about asking for milk which Bob Hope said in The Paleface (1948) when the the title character voiced by Johnny Depp asks for water which is in short supply. His reply from behind the bar is that we only have cactus juice. Depp injects Rango as your timid hero with a good heart and enough courage to make his exploits fun for all ages. What increases your level of fun are the supporting cast of animal characters: the disabled mayor of the town named Dirt (Ned Beatty) is reminiscent of Lionel Barrymore, Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy)moves around like a true villain and whose action fills the requirements of the story well. Doc/Merrimack (Stephen Root) and Bad Bill (Ray Winstone) also keep you on the edge of your seat as you become more enthralled by the animation and the director's wonderful sense of humour in bringing to the screen the kind of film previous generations of moviegoers saw on a weeky basis as a main staple of moviegoing.
The screenplay by John Logan features scenes that could have used 3D to good effect and I'm glad he didn't because everything works without it. The team of animators use enough bright colours to accentuate each character's personality perfectly and this adds to the fun.
The introduction of Rango reminded me of Cat Ballou where Nat King Cole and Stubvby Kaye told you in song about the title character. Before you meet Rango he is a legendary figure of reknown more famous for what he is about to do and as the unlikely hero that he will become should your patience not run out. For me I loved the way Verbinski thought the film out because it only made it all that more enjoyable.
The dialogue is also indicative of the western's tough talk when the local villain reveals himself. His scenes prior to this are a nostalgic reminder to High Noon and other westerns where you are led to believe the hero'a timidity will be his downfall. This, of course, was capitalized comically by Don Knotts in The Shakiest Gun In The West.
The songs elevate the animation by infusing even more fun and you can't help wait to see what is going to happen next. Clint Eastwood gives a voice cameo near the end which is fitting because the entire film is like a spaghetti western.
Depp's heroics are dead on and he gives Rango all the characteristics of a strong, silent type who is about to surprise you and this is where your patience is rewarded.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: not recommended for young childrren and violence.
March 20, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
For an animated film that pays tribute to the old dusters of the past, Rango celebrates not only them but the colou and excitement of animation as an art form. Granted there is nothing here to break new ground, it still reminds myself and other older moviegoers of just how much fun going to the movies can be when the film is something as good as Rango. Director Gore Verbinski loves the genre of the western and movies in general and this contributes to your enjoyment. This includes using a line about asking for milk which Bob Hope said in The Paleface (1948) when the the title character voiced by Johnny Depp asks for water which is in short supply. His reply from behind the bar is that we only have cactus juice. Depp injects Rango as your timid hero with a good heart and enough courage to make his exploits fun for all ages. What increases your level of fun are the supporting cast of animal characters: the disabled mayor of the town named Dirt (Ned Beatty) is reminiscent of Lionel Barrymore, Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy)moves around like a true villain and whose action fills the requirements of the story well. Doc/Merrimack (Stephen Root) and Bad Bill (Ray Winstone) also keep you on the edge of your seat as you become more enthralled by the animation and the director's wonderful sense of humour in bringing to the screen the kind of film previous generations of moviegoers saw on a weeky basis as a main staple of moviegoing.
The screenplay by John Logan features scenes that could have used 3D to good effect and I'm glad he didn't because everything works without it. The team of animators use enough bright colours to accentuate each character's personality perfectly and this adds to the fun.
The introduction of Rango reminded me of Cat Ballou where Nat King Cole and Stubvby Kaye told you in song about the title character. Before you meet Rango he is a legendary figure of reknown more famous for what he is about to do and as the unlikely hero that he will become should your patience not run out. For me I loved the way Verbinski thought the film out because it only made it all that more enjoyable.
The dialogue is also indicative of the western's tough talk when the local villain reveals himself. His scenes prior to this are a nostalgic reminder to High Noon and other westerns where you are led to believe the hero'a timidity will be his downfall. This, of course, was capitalized comically by Don Knotts in The Shakiest Gun In The West.
The songs elevate the animation by infusing even more fun and you can't help wait to see what is going to happen next. Clint Eastwood gives a voice cameo near the end which is fitting because the entire film is like a spaghetti western.
Depp's heroics are dead on and he gives Rango all the characteristics of a strong, silent type who is about to surprise you and this is where your patience is rewarded.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: not recommended for young childrren and violence.
March 20, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
LIMITLESS (ALLIANCE, 2011)**
By Rick Jackson
Limitless shows no boundaries in being a dismal action film with so little plot development that you are constantly shaking your head at the predictable and repetitive plot. Bradley Cooper walks through his role as Eddie Morrie who you know from the very start is a victim of something very strange. You just have to watch him and, if you're lucky, you might be entertained. It's up to you dear moviegoer whether you want to leave after the first half=hour or stay to see if it turns out the way you think.
Based on a novel by Alan Glynn, the screenplay by Leslie Dixon offers another chance at seeing a science fiction story as told by Morra and seen through his eyes as a victim of circumstance which is nothing new when you think of Alfred Hitchcock and the many movies where the innocent protagonist was in a constant state of being threatened by the villain. In this pseudo shocker thinly reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick as a think piece where the hero is literally thrown in a complex situation he can't easily get out of because the director wants him to also be uncomfortable enough to feel the same way Hitchcock's main heroes find themselves caught in a web of mystery and intrigue which is innocent enough but for us, it provides an absorbing and exhilarating thriller which demands our patience even if it is overly predictable.
Cooper tries hard to maintain a straight face in the scheme of things to come and Dixon never quite rises to the point where you are surprised.Just as Morra is introduced to pills that contain something different from your ordinary pill, the plot fails to go beyond the norm because there isn't any consistency to keep you caring what happens to him.
When you learn there is a vicious loan shark responsible for Morra's predicament, it ruins everything because rhe chance to experience something exciting is dashed.
Not even the appearance of Robert De Niro as Carl Van Loon, an influential business executive cum kingpin saves the film from being totally mediocre despite the twists and turns that follow him and the rest of the story.
The special effects invented by director Neil Burger do not make up for the lack of presenting something wonderful to keep you on the edge of your seat. I found myself asking the same question as to how this is all going to end. Without divulging too much, I hoped there wouldn't be an open-ended conclusion that could be solved in a sequel. I'll let you figure this out if you decide to see Limitless.
When it finally ended, I was relieved but ss far as being entertained, I wasn't. I had an empty feeling of loss because it was all a waste of time.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: sexual content, substance abuse and graphic violence.
March 18, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Limitless shows no boundaries in being a dismal action film with so little plot development that you are constantly shaking your head at the predictable and repetitive plot. Bradley Cooper walks through his role as Eddie Morrie who you know from the very start is a victim of something very strange. You just have to watch him and, if you're lucky, you might be entertained. It's up to you dear moviegoer whether you want to leave after the first half=hour or stay to see if it turns out the way you think.
Based on a novel by Alan Glynn, the screenplay by Leslie Dixon offers another chance at seeing a science fiction story as told by Morra and seen through his eyes as a victim of circumstance which is nothing new when you think of Alfred Hitchcock and the many movies where the innocent protagonist was in a constant state of being threatened by the villain. In this pseudo shocker thinly reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick as a think piece where the hero is literally thrown in a complex situation he can't easily get out of because the director wants him to also be uncomfortable enough to feel the same way Hitchcock's main heroes find themselves caught in a web of mystery and intrigue which is innocent enough but for us, it provides an absorbing and exhilarating thriller which demands our patience even if it is overly predictable.
Cooper tries hard to maintain a straight face in the scheme of things to come and Dixon never quite rises to the point where you are surprised.Just as Morra is introduced to pills that contain something different from your ordinary pill, the plot fails to go beyond the norm because there isn't any consistency to keep you caring what happens to him.
When you learn there is a vicious loan shark responsible for Morra's predicament, it ruins everything because rhe chance to experience something exciting is dashed.
Not even the appearance of Robert De Niro as Carl Van Loon, an influential business executive cum kingpin saves the film from being totally mediocre despite the twists and turns that follow him and the rest of the story.
The special effects invented by director Neil Burger do not make up for the lack of presenting something wonderful to keep you on the edge of your seat. I found myself asking the same question as to how this is all going to end. Without divulging too much, I hoped there wouldn't be an open-ended conclusion that could be solved in a sequel. I'll let you figure this out if you decide to see Limitless.
When it finally ended, I was relieved but ss far as being entertained, I wasn't. I had an empty feeling of loss because it was all a waste of time.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: sexual content, substance abuse and graphic violence.
March 18, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
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