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The Mechanic (2011)
Guy Flick
The Mechanic is of Chuck Norris proportions! Its has a ton of bloody violence and intense action sequences, many of which are unbelievable. With that said, Jason Statham is the English version of Chuck, minus the legendary pop culture status. Statham has been in many action flicks over the last few years many of which stink. For example, The Transporter trilogy and Crank plus its unfortunate sequel. Now if you like stupid, unintelligent situations, plot sequencing, and character invincibility these are the films for you. To me, a great action movie makes you want to be that hero. Most action movies these days don't possess that. The Mechanic isn't much different, although it is a decent movie. It is also a remake of the Charles Bronson classic by the same name released in 1972. I haven't seen the original so I have no comparison to make.
The premise of the movie is action simple. Arthur Bishop (Statham) is a contract killer. He is employed by an unnamed organization led by Dean (Tony Goldwyn) and Bishops only friend and mentor Harry (Donald Sutherland). Naturally since Arthur is a killer he lacks the skills to make real human connections. So he has no real friends besides Harry and his favorite prostitute. One fine day in assassin land, Arthur receives the unfortunate task of killing a close associate. And soon there after Harry's estranged son Steve (Ben Foster) becomes Arthur's sidekick and assassin in training. Shenanigan's ensue!
Strengths: The Mechanic is a pretty good action movie. It is better than most Statham films and more realistic than most movies he is in. The addition of Ben Foster to the cast is a plus as he is one of Hollywood's finer young actors. Think Ryan Gosling without the Oscar nomination. The movie is short and straight to the point. So where it lacks it makes up for with not wasting a lot of your time.
Weaknesses: The primary weak spot for me was character likability. I did not connect with anyone in the movie. I won't say who lives or dies, but all the characters in one way or another deserve death for their disregard for human life. As the film goer you basically feel like an outsider watching a train wreck in a snow globe. While that is good sometimes, it would be nice to know that at least one character was not a total sociopathic jerk. That's not the case with The Mechanic. Another main weak area is believability. Yes, I know that I described it above as more believable than most recent action movies, especially from Statham, but it still exaggerates a great deal. I will leave it at that.
Recommendations: This is basically a guy movie. Its bloody. Its violent. It has some nudity and the language is appropriate for a typical action film. It is not a kids movie, so parents attempt some common sense and leave the kids with a sitter. Its not even a good date movie. I did like it, but it is really only meant for a guys night out.
For more movie reviews: www.ilfilmati.blogspot.com
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Well acted flick
There is no doubt about it, Hollywood loves gay. And so does the Academy who awards Hollywood's finest at its annual Oscar event. With that said, there is nothing wrong with that and to prove this fact further The Kids are Alright has earned multiple Oscar nominations. Rightfully so, it is a great movie. I say this as an ordained minister at a Christian church which for most readers will more than likely be deemed unusual. This is fine by me. I have a soft heart for the homosexual community and believe that they should be treated as equals by the church in general.
It hasn't been an easy road confronting theology and ideology to come to a better understanding of a homosexual world I couldn't possibly understand as a straight man. Movies have been as essential platform in challenging my thoughts and beliefs on the subject. I first began by watching Brokeback Mountain. It took me several weeks to finish as it is strange for a heterosexual male to witness two men passionately loving one another. I must say that the movie was spectacular and even made me cry. I also have to say that the movie Milk was amazing and was deserving of all the attention that it attracted. In conclusion, I have continued my journey as a straight man attempting to confront his ideology on homosexuality by viewing The Kids are Alright.
The movie is about Nic (Annette Benning) and Jules (Juliann Moore) who are a married lesbian couple. Nic is a physician and Jules has had and up and down working career. Jules has spent most of their long-term relationship in the professional shadow of Nic and has had a short list of failed upstart businesses. In the film, she is working on a landscaping business. Their children are Joni (Mia Wasikowska), an eighteen year old about to begin college, and Laser (Josh Hutcherson), a typical 15 year-old boy. As a family they have typical problems. Josh's best friend is of questionable character and Joni is a blossoming women that has appropriate conflict with her parents, mainly with Nic, who as a physician has some problems with control. Jules, as alluded to above, has issues with inadequacy.
As the plot emerges, it is discovered that Laser wants to know who his and Joni's father donor was. Since Joni is 18 and the only one who would be interested in knowing and considering Nic has made it a family rule for them not to know, Laser convinces her to find out the answer. Soon enough they find out that their donor fathers name is Paul (Mark Ruffalo) and they set-up a meeting with him to learn more of who he is. Jules somewhat approves of the children's desire and Nic of course adamantly disagrees. Shenanigans ensue!
Strengths: The acting in the film is exemplary. The pacing keeps you interested. The plot is candid and is revealing as far as the dynamics of homosexual families are concerned. Annette Benning and Mark Ruffalo both earned Oscar nominations for their performances and are justly rewarded; however, I felt that Juliann Moore deserved a nomination more so than Benning.
Weaknesses: The only weakness I can find is sensitive subject matter, which really isn't a weakness. It is really knowing that some folks won't want to see a movie about a lesbian couple and their family.
Recommendation: This film is not for everyone. It is definitely a rated R movie. It's not really appropriate for anyone under 16 years of age. The language is bad at times. Their is male and female nudity, plus several scenes of extreme sexual nature. The subject matter won't be for everyone. If you have a problem with homosexuality then this film is not for you. Don't even bother. It should go without saying that if you are homosexual then by all means watch this movie, especially if your interested in having a family of your own someday. This movie would also be good for someone like myself who is interested in challenging their own thought and ideas about sexuality and families. I know I can't be the only "hetero" who is. Overall its a great film worth viewing, even though I think other films of the same material are better.
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The Tourist (2010)
Not bad, but not that good either
Let me begin this review on a good note, I don't like Angelina Jolie. She is pretty and talented I must say, but she doesn't quite reach the standard that the media shoves down all of our throats and certainly not her own. She has way too many cameras forcefully and yes willingly shoved up her skinny backside to be considered a true humanitarian in this world. I don't care how many children from third world countries she adopts or if she's married to Brad Pitt. I am not her biggest fan. So it almost goes without saying that I really wasn't that interested in viewing The Tourist. If I wasn't such a Johnny Depp fan I wouldn't have taken my wife to see it.
So let me attempt to put my biases aside for a moment to give a synopsis of the film..
The Tourist is somewhat of a caper movie. Jolie plays Elise, an elegant and mysterious character that is being watched by international authorities while they seek to apprehend her former lover and thief extraordinaire, Alexander Peirce. From the beginning of the film, Peirce via mail carrier sends Elise notes advising her on what steps she can take for them to be reunited. The first step requires her to find a tourist who can serve as a reliable dupe for Pierce as the investigators don't know what he looks like. The dupe will either be arrested on suspicion of being Peirce. Oh by the way, the international police aren't the only ones looking for him. The thug nasty mobsters he stole from want their money and his head. Shenanigans deluxe ensue!
Strengths: Johnny Depp of course! His character is charming, funny, and unsuspecting. The perfect dupe. The movie has some good action scenes and is entertaining most of the time. It also has a surprise ending that really saves the movie from being a "dud" overall. It would also make a great date movie.
Weaknesses: Now it is time to bring my biases back. Angelina Jolie is the biggest problem in this movie. She is stiff and smug the entire film. She spends most of the movie swaying her hips with every step, showing viewers how much she likes herself. She probably should have concentrated on acting the way she is capable of. Her character is unlikable and she has no chemistry with Depp on screen. Another problem with the film, as alluded to above, is the pacing. It is really slow to get the ball rolling. The trailers for the movie would have you believe that there is non-stop action. In reality, the plot develops very slowly and half the film is over before you see much action. The police are incredibly stupid too. They spend the entire time running in circles while the criminals they are chasing make them look like idiots.
Recommendation: This film is hardly a must-see. If you are a big Johnny Depp it is. If you are a big fan of Angelina Jolie you probably don't care that she sucks big time in this movie. The language isn't bad by Hollywood standards. There is no nudity. The action is of the non- bloody variety. It is pretty safe for most viewers with the exception of small children and they would probably be more interested in watching something more fun like Despicable Me (currently available to rent) or Megamind (soon to be available to rent). And as mentioned above guys, a good opportunity to take the wife or girlfriend to.
True Grit (2010)
Loved it!
I grew up watching John Wayne movies. The man is movie icon. His body of work is legendary. Since Hollywood is seriously lacking in creativity these days it came as no surprise to finally see a remake of one of "The Duke's" films. I must admit that when I first heard that someone was remaking True Grit, I was appalled! And his only Oscar winnings performance to boot!? Blasphemy! Those arrogant Cohen Brothers! Who do they think they are? During the next few months the idea really started to sink in. I began to really consider the audacity of the dynamic brotherly directing duo and I became a believer. I considered the Brothers own legendary body of work. Eight Academy Awards between them, including two for Best Picture (Fargo, No Country For Old Men) and various other accolades. They even inspired me to read the book! After a bloody inner battle I realized that if anyone could pull this adaption of the Charles Portis classic and meet the Duke standard, they could.
Now for the actual review.....
True Grit is a story about a young girl named Maddie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) whose father is unjustly murdered by one of his employees, a simple minded criminal by the name of Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Maddie sets out to the town her father was killed to settle his business affairs, to send his body home for funeral, and to see that Chaney is brought to justice. After discovering that justice will not be sift as she sees fit, Maddie hires U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to hunt Chaney down. As they prepare for the hunt, they encounter an arrogant Texas Ranger by name of Lebeouf (Matt Damon) who is also on the scout for Chaney under a different name for the murder of a Texas senator. Together the three go after Chaney, who is now banded with Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper) and his gang of miscreants.
First and foremost the casting was brilliant. I was convinced that no one could play Rooster Cogburn like the Duke did, not even Jeff Bridges. And I was right. However, this isn't the Rooster Cogburn of John Wayne lore. This Rooster is a much dirtier and dingier portrayal. There is no doubt about the man's courage and toughness, but there is some question about his character. Is he a good man? Or is he bad? By the end of the movie, Bridges has played the character so well that there will no be doubts to what the answer is. Matt Damon as LeBoeuf is monumentally better than Glen "The Rhinestone Cowboy" Campbell. He captured the arrogance and later the humility of LeBeouf very well. And newcomer Hailee Steinfeld is the most impressive by nailing the sassy and confrontational Maddie Ross. Made even more impressive by the fact that she has very little acting experience and easily garners the most screen time. Finally, the Cohen Brothers are masters at both writing original screen plays and adapted screen plays. While True Grit won't win an Oscar for Best Movie, it is deserving of multiple nominations and will more than likely be treated duly, although the Golden Globes managed to thumb its nose at the movie in most categories.
Halloween II (2009)
No better or worse than the first...
Look, since people these days can't even figure out the simplest of plots, let me take the to time point some things out about H2. First item to explain is the white horse. This is a bit lame and a weak metaphor at best I admit. Micheal Myers, as obviously established over this over used and abused super serial killer series, is the harbinger of death. What color horse does death ride? A pale one -albeit not exactly white. That is what makes it a weak metaphor. Second, why does Micheal see his mother and himself at the time from a serious break in sanity? He's f'ing crazy people! Jeez is it that absurd to believe Micheal Myers sees people that aren't there? Besides it beats the explanation of Myers' driving force that Halloween 4 try's to establish out of the blue in the series -druids. I admit the acting isn't great and none of the characters are likable. By the end of the movie I literally was cheering Micheal on to please put these poor people stuck in a hilly billy late seventies, mid-nineties time warp out of there ever-loving misery. To sum it up, this movie is what it is, a horrifying expose on brutality which is something our country obviously drools over. I mean a man in South Carolina humped the same horse twice! Is it so outlandish that a crazy serial killer in a movie would eat a dog raw?
Flicka (2006)
Read the Book instead
This movie, while it was a good story, was horribly acted. At best, it can be described as over and under acted, which is quite an accomplishment. It's obvious that Tim McGraw as limited acting ability and Maria Bello's performance it quite disappointing. It must be stated that the script was as equally terrible as the acting that accompanied it.The best part of the movie is its visible stimulation. The movie location, Wyoming, is stunning and it must be said that the film's makers certainly choose the right locale. But that is as far as the goodness goes. I hear that"Flicka" is based on a book. My advice, skip the movie and read the book. It has to be better than this pile of crap on film.