Crank: High Voltage

I have pretty eclectic tastes when it comes to movies. I will see almost anything. One genre I refuse to go to though, is what they call Torture Porn. These are movies like Saw, where the entire movie is built around torturing people and killing them. I avoid those movies. After seeing Crank: High Voltage, I have a new genre to put on my No List. If the term hasn’t been coined already, I here by dub it, Action Porn. Action Porn is any action film that is so full of gratuitous sex, profanity, violence, and vulgarity, that it is no longer a standard action film.

Putting my moral sensibilities aside for a moment, I do have to give this film some credit for its style and humor. I found the sped up, cartoon style action, quite creative and interesting. But, content wise, so much of this film was repulsive and sick.

I once had an acting teacher, who was listed by the casting services, as ugly. Before computers, casting offices used to put head shots in file cabinets by type. I couldn’t help but imagine the casting call on this film. Every tattooed, pierced, and stereotypical gang banger in the whole county must have showed up. No offense to the actors, but this film was like watching a parade of freaks.

I like Jason Statham as an actor, but I won’t be going to see Crank 3. Even though I thought this film was done well, as far as craft is concerned, I can not in good conscience recommend it, due to content alone. Remember the phrase, “Garbage in, garbage out?” This film is too distasteful, spend your money on something a little more edifying.

Rating: Don’t Bother Don’t wallow in this trash

The Song Of Sparrows

I’ve seen very few Iranian films, yet I was intrigued by this one. The Song Of Sparrows tells the story of a poor Iranian father, played by Mohammed Amir Naji, who is desperately trying to raise money so that he may replace his daughter’s broken hearing aid. After losing his job at an Ostrich farm, he takes his motorcycle into the city of Teheran to try to get the hearing aid fixed. His daughter is a good scholar and she needs it to do well in school. While waiting at a stop light, a business man jumps on the back of his bike and orders him to take him down the street. Upon reaching the destination, the man gives him money, while the father sits there on his motorcycle in shock. He soon catches on that there is a booming business in the city for motorcycle taxis. Not knowing what to charge he tells his fares to give what they wish, but after a few days he quickly learns the ropes.

The father is so busy hustling for money in the city and bringing back trash to enhance his home, that he begins to lose touch with his family's real needs. When an accident forces him to slow down, he begins to realize that everyone in his family has dreams too and that each one contributes in their own way.

I really liked this film because it took me into a world and culture I know very little of. It was interesting to me to see how this Middle Eastern country is growing so quickly, that many of its citizens are being left behind. Thankfully, the father in this film, learns what really is important, family.

Iranian with English subtitles

Rating: Second Run  A beautiful, culturally relevant film

Is Anybody There?

A young boy, growing up in an old age home, has become obsessed with death. Living so close to those who are dying, he is intrigued with ghosts, the paranormal, and proving that there is life after death. He keeps a journal, and puts a tape recorder under the bed of anyone who looks like they might be leaving this world real soon. His parents are so busy struggling, trying to keep their business afloat that they have little time to notice his antics. He hates sharing his home with the elderly, especially when it means losing his own room, but since he must, it’s the perfect place to conduct his research.

Enter Michael Caine, as Clarence the magician. He is sent to Edward’s parent’s home by Social Services to replace the most recently departed, who’s death Edward has caught on tape. Edward, played by Bill Milner, was hoping to get his room back, but his parents need the additional rent, so Clarence now has the room. When Edward discovers that Clarence was once a magician, he ties to enlist him in his paranormal research and a bond between the two eventually forms.

The real magic in this film is the performance of Michael Caine. He brings his history with him so when we see the old, broken-down showman near the end of his life, we can still look into his eyes and see the great entertainer he once was. His melancholy, his grief, and his fits of rage are beautifully balanced with a touch of whimsy. This truly is a remarkable performance.

Rating: Second Run    Too morbid for most, I found the story intriguing 

Obsessed

I had just gotten home from a trip, unpacked all my stuff, put it away, did the laundry, and was in the mood for a nice popcorn flick, something simple to unwind to. Obsessed fit the bill perfectly. Obsessed is a thriller like the kind we used to get back in the Eighties, when Fatal Attraction and Jagged Edge were all the rage. Obsessed was actually a pleasant surprise. It is well-written, well-acted, and delivers exactly what it promises, thrills, and Beyonce kicking butt.

I was especially taken with Idris Elba. I thought he was new to me, but when I looked him up, I discovered that I have seen several of his films. I just didn’t recognize him with an American accent. Idris Elba is British and was seen in RocknRolla, Prom Night, and 28 Days Later. In this film he gets to play the lead, put upon husband Derek, the object of obsession. I love his strength and character in this film. He really sets the tone and makes this story line plausible. His deranged stalker is Lisa, played by television’s Ali Larter of Heroes fame. She is very good in this role, seductive, beautiful, and scary crazy. Then there is Beyonce, who plays Sharon.  This beautiful wife is adjusting to a new baby, a new home, and looking forward to returning to school. But, when she catches her husband in one lie, she loses all faith, until she finally receives a little dose of crazy herself.

I really liked this movie. I liked the restraint that the husband shows, trying to make sense of a insane situation. I also liked the pay-off, a cat-fight worth waiting for. It was fun seeing Beyonce in a non-singing role, and after this film, I never want to piss her off.

Rating: First Run   An excellent popcorn flick

17 Again

Being 17 Again is creepy. This new foray into the Trading Places genre just gave me the willies. When I saw Freaky Friday with Jodie Foster, back in 1976, it was a mother and daughter changing places in order to achieve a new understanding into each other’s lives. When I saw Big with Tom Hanks, in 1988, it was a boy, in a man’s body, viewing the world through a boy’s eyes, with a boy’s innocence. When women came after him, he reacted like a young boy would, awkward and unsure of himself. Even in 13 Going On 30, Jennifer Garner, was a young girl in the body of a woman, not totally aware of the effect she has on men. But in 17 Again, Zac Efron, plays a grown man in a teenage body, where the high school girls are aggressive, and even his own daughter makes a pass at him. Then when he tries to reconnect with his estranged wife, it is too tabloid when the chemistry between them is there, and it is only a little decorum that is keeping them apart.

I was completely uncomfortable throughout this entire film. Even the adults in this movie kept saying, “This is inappropriate.” Despite the creepiness of a father having to fight off the advances of his 17 year old daughter, you can take it one “Ick Factor” further when you add in the fact that Zac Efron is no teenager himself.

I cannot deny the charm of Zac Efron, and he did show some promise in this film. He may just have some acting chops after all. But, it’s time for him to hang up the youthful roles. I know Zac is ready to move on, let’s support him in that decision.

I really love Leslie Mann, and I won’t hold this picture against her. Matthew Perry is also a favorite of mine, but I don’t know what he saw in this script. His part could have been played by any one, perhaps someone who looked more like Zac, since this is his vehicle afterall. I can very easily see why the kids may like this film, but for anyone over 17, stay away. It is just too disturbing.

Rating: Don’t Bother  This film is just for the kiddies.

Tuesdays at Laemmle's; my new favorite day

Tuesday is now my favorite movie going day. I've written earlier about the Laemmle Theatre's discount programs, but now if you combine the New Deal Thursday with the Premiere card, the savings are incredible. With your Premiere Card, the New Deal six dollar admission becomes five dollars, and the one dollar popcorn becomes eighty cents. I don't know how long they can keep this up, but I am a big fan. You'll find me at a Laemmle theatre every Tuesday for as long as it lasts. Woo Hoo!

Paris 36

In 1935, Paris was going through extreme financial and political upheavals. Followers of Leon Trotsky were agitating workers and forming unions, and the Fascist movement was gaining momentum. In the midst of this, everyday people were going hungry and losing jobs, so in 1935 millions of workers across the country united and called a General Strike.

In our story, which takes place in a small neighborhood called the Faubourg, a local Music Hall is shut down after the owner loses it to a loan shark, throwing all the theatre employees out of work. One stagehand, Milou, played by Clovis Cornillac, invests his energies unionizing workers and chasing girls. Another employee, Jacky, the sandwich man, portrayed by Kad Merad, spends his time polishing a one-man show. His dream is to leave his menial duties behind and become a Music Hall star. But, our stage manager, Pigoil, played by Gerard Jugnot, has had his dream taken away. For 30 years he has worked at the Chansonia Theatre, and now he has lost his job, his wife to infidelity, and his son, to lawyers and social workers. He is ruined, has taken to drink, and is full of agonizing despair. But one day, Jacky breaks into the shuttered theatre, and debuts his one-man show to the local citizens. Pigoil wanders in, is stricken with longing and the desire to reclaim his life, and lays siege to the theater. As he screams, “Occupy, occupy!” the legal owner arrives and after some convincing, decides to give Pigoil a chance, use of the theatre in exchange for rent. It is better than losing money to an empty building.

The whole community rallies around Pigoil’s daunting task. Jacky gets his first shot at stardom and even Milou gives up his union duties to help put on the show. During the audition process, the gangster theatre owner sends in a young girl. They immediately assume she is one of his prostitutes, but one look at her reveals her wholesome qualities, and she is also talented, but inexperienced. They set her up as the emcee, and the show goes on.

Paris 36 is a beautiful film to look at, and it even won awards for cinematography and costumes, but I felt that the film was uneven. I loved all the scenes, revolving around the theatre and the theatre community. But I didn’t think that the social and political drama was strong enough. I remember, as a young girl, being blown away by Cabaret, a film that mirrored the impending terror of Fascism against the escape and magic of the theatre. The theatre pieces were a commentary on what was happening outside in the real world, using humor and parody. There is a hint of this in Paris 36, but it is not as effective.

The real treasure of Paris 36 is newcomer Nora Amezeder. She is enchanting as Douce. You could totally buy into the idea of an entire country falling in love with her, as well as a gangster and a union organizer. She is very charming and won two French Awards as a promising new actress.

I really enjoyed Paris 36, but I felt that the darker side of the story missed its mark; therefore I am giving it a mild recommendation. If you enjoy music and romance, go, but if you are looking for a strong, historically accurate look into a turbulent time in French history, you’ll be disappointed.

In French, with English subtitles.

Rating: Bargain Matinee A beautiful looking film.

Sugar

After going to the Dodgers, opening day, and seeing them trounce the Giants; I was primed and in the mood for a good baseball movie. So, I went to see Sugar. Sugar is a nice little drama delving into the world of Minor League baseball and the Major League farm system. What I learned is that if you are a young man living in the Dominican Republic, getting accepted into the Baseball Academy is like winning the Lottery. Once there, you must find a way to stand out, and draw attention, so that the scouts will notice you, and if you are good enough, you’ll be invited to the United States to play Minor League ball.

Getting into the United States is the goal of many young men in the Dominican Republic, because it means wealth and a way to provide for your family back home. If you make it into the Majors, then the possibilities are endless. The dreams and hopes of entire families may rely on the skills of one single, young man. The pressure is relentless.

In addition to the pressure to perform, many young men have to deal with language barriers and major cultural differences. In our story, Sugar is sent to Iowa and is set up on a farm with a well-meaning baseball crazed family. Their job is to host young ball players, keep them well fed and safe, and help them keep their minds upon baseball. But, no matter how considerate and well meaning a family is, miss-understandings will occur. A home is not home when the people you love are not there. Homesickness becomes a real problem. And, when struggling with performance issues, it's really hard to be so far away from your family and friends, especially when in the States, talking it out with someone is a problem.

I really liked Sugar. I found it a little slow, but through the film I gained such knowledge and empathy for what these young men go through. When you are successful, back home you become a hero. But if you wash out, get injured, or don’t make the cut, it’s really hard to go back. If you like sports, or any type of fish out of water story, I think you will enjoy this film. Newcomer, Algenis Perez Soto gives a very touching performance.

Rating: Second Run See this film and you’ll gain a new appreciation for ball players. English and Spanish with subtitles.

The Escapist

Prison Break movies make good entertainment. Every one has the classic elements. There’s the trigger, that little push that sets everything in motion. There’s the planning, the recruiting, the threat assessment, the escape, the chase, and the outcome, whether they get caught or get away. Every Prison Break movie is a variation of this formula, but The Escapist added a twist, they played with the execution of time. You knew that all the elements would eventually be revealed, but you didn’t know when, or in what order. This creative touch really made you pay attention, and added a sense of intensity throughout the film. I found this movie quite entertaining.

The movie opens with the escape. Alarm bells are ringing, convicts are frantically crawling through small holes, and before you know it we are back days earlier, watching an old man in his cell sitting at a desk. We are now being introduced to the trigger. Brian Cox plays Frank Perry, he just receives a letter and the result is that he must get out of prison. Not in six months, not in one week, now. We are not told why, not yet, but we know he’s determined. Then we go back, forward in time, to the escape, and watch him being the last man to crawl through the hole. He’s holding his side and there is blood. Then, we go back to the past, for the next piece of the puzzle, and so on.

Even though the film jumps back and forth in time, it is still possible to follow the story. The reason is because of the formula. We know there’s going to be recruiting, we know that’s there’s going to be a series of threats to the plan, and we know there’s going to be a chase, and that things will go wrong. You just have to pay attention until you recognize what part is being revealed, enjoy it, and then wait for the next piece.

Damian Lewis plays Rizza, the top dog of the prison. He is a threat, but the real threat is Steven Mackintosh who plays Tony, the little weasel who everyone hates, but who is untouchable under Rizza’s protection. Add in the rest of the characters and you have Liam Cunningham as Brodie, the expert. Joseph Fiennes as Lenny, the muscle and lock man. Seu Jorge as Batista, one of Rizza’s men who has been recruited, the prison chemist. And Dominic Cooper, the new inexperienced guy who turns out to be the biggest threat of all.

The film was written with Brian Cox in mind, but everyone gives excellent performances. The movie is tight, and moves forward with precision, in spite of the time traveling. It is intelligent, spare, and gritty. If you like Prison Breaks dramas, you’ll love this film. I highly recommend it.

Rating: First Run Go to the bathroom and get your snacks ahead of time, you don’t want to miss anything in this film

Adventureland

Movie advertising can be very misleading. When you see the previews for Adventureland, you are lead to believe that you are going to see a teen comedy along the lines of Superbad. But, instead you get a sweet coming of age drama with some nicely comedic, character acting. It’s a good film, just not what you’d expect.

The reason I chose to go see this film is that my brother was visiting from out of town and I wanted to find a film that we’d both enjoy. My brother worked at Frontier Village in San Jose, California, just out of High School in the seventies, and I work at Universal Studios, so I thought we’d both be able to connect with the subject matter. But after watching the film, we had to agree that it wasn’t very much like our experience.

Jesse Eisenberg plays James, a young man who has just graduated from college. He was supposed to go backpacking in Europe before starting Grad School, but his father got demoted at work with a pay cut and was unable to help him financially. James must now get a job or lose his chance of continuing in college.

James has never had to work before, other than mowing a neighbor’s yard, so job hunting is a real challenge. Eventually he realizes that the only place that will hire him is Adventureland, a run down, dilapidated, amusement park. Jesse Eisenberg is endearing as James and the rest of the cast is rounded out with some very nice performances. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are very funny, but understated, as the Amusement Park managers. Ryan Reynolds is good as the maintenance man who all the guys envy for his Rock Star cool and way with the ladies. Martin Starr is the pipe smoking, Russian Lit major, who is still trying to refine his pick-up lines. And Kristen Stewart is Em, the mysterious girl who invites James into her world, much to his amazement.

This film is not a raunchy teen sex comedy. It is a gentle, humorous look at the lives of a group of young adults trying to figure things out. The look and feel of the 80’s is genuine and the period music only enhances the picture. If you go to this film, knowing ahead of time that this is not a raucous comedy, I think you will really enjoy it. It wasn’t what we expected, but we both really liked the ride.

Rating: First Run An E Ticket ride

The Mysteries Of Pittsburgh

When a young man graduates from college in England, it is tradition to send them to “The Continent” for a year abroad to study other cultures and expand their horizons. Apparently in America the tradition is to get a minimum wage job, go to a bunch of parties, have meaningless sex, and summon enough courage to stand up to your parents and say, “I don’t want to go into the career I studied four years for, I want to….”, fill in the blank.

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is the story of a young man who has just graduated from college and while participating in a congratulatory steak dinner with his father, he notices that the FBI have them under surveillance. The young man’s father is a gangster, and Art doesn’t want anything to do with that life. He has poured himself into his studies and has done well. But, in the fall, his father has set up a job for him in “the Company”, so, for now, he just wants to get through this dinner, and spend the summer in a mindless job with no responsibilities, while studying for his licensing exams.

What I found the most interesting about this film is how differently my friend and I reacted to it. I liked the film. I liked the way the director used sound during the dream sequences that book-ended the beginning and end of the movie. It was interesting to me that the film started off in a narrative form until the main character Art meets Jane, and then the structure of the film suddenly changes. I appreciated the fact that the characters were familiar, yet very different. I also liked that I was never really sure where the film was going, that it was constantly surprising me.

My friend, on the other hand, didn’t like the film at all. He didn’t care about the characters. He said that they didn’t do anything, and that he was bored and couldn’t wait for the film end. It made me wonder if we had watched the same film. We both loved Nick Noltle, who does a wonderful job playing the gangster father, murderously scary, but showing a father’s love through the chinks in his armor. My friend liked Sienna Miller, the love interest, who he thought was beautiful and intriguing. He liked the juxtaposition of her cultured upbringing and the relationship with her bad-boy boyfriend. I liked Peter Sarsgaard, also the love interest, who I thought was charismatic while playing an atypical thug. He was all about living in the moment and taking love where you could find it. I was also impressed with Jon Foster, an actor I’m not that familiar with. He had the strength and maturity of a man who was raised by a single father in the world of organized crime. Yet, he still had the hurt and sensitivity of a child who grew up without a mother. I don’t think this film would have worked without his delicate performance.

Since the movie got such extreme reactions from two people who usually agree, I think I’m going to have to give this movie a mixed review. I’m going to recommend that you rent it. That way, if you like it, like me, you can enjoy it in solitude and linger over the character study. If you don’t like it, like my friend, you can send it back to Netflix, and watch the next film in your queue. But, at least give it a chance. You’ll really want to see Nick Nolte’s performance, he is very good in this role.

Rating: Rent It Has performances worth seeing

Monsters vs. Aliens

How do you know what the target audience for a movie is? One indicator is the subject matter. Another interesting way to tell is by the previews that precede a movie. When I went to see Monsters vs. Aliens, they ran an ad for the DVD release of Bedtime Stories. They also had a preview for UP, Disney-Pixar’s latest, Imagine That, Eddie Murphy’s up-coming film, and Astro Boy, a re-make of a popular Japanese comic. So, based on this, you would think that Monsters vs. Aliens was a children’s film, but after seeing it, I’m not so sure.

Monsters vs. Aliens is a spoof of the many Horror and Sci-Fi films of the 50’s, 60”s and 70’s. There were references to The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Blob, Attack Of The Fifty Foot Woman, The Fly, and many, many, more. Since anyone under the age of 12 would have never heard of these films, it made we wonder who this movie was written for.

I enjoyed Monster vs. Aliens. As a movie buff I got a lot of the jokes and references. But I couldn’t help wondering how a child would receive it, was there enough in there for them? Parts of the movie were quite scary. Even a child could feel the rejection, loneliness, and despair Susan felt. Or, the terror she displayed when the robot went after her and destroyed parts of San Francisco. I remember how effective the evil Queen in Snow White was when I was a little girl. I don’t know how I would have reacted to an evil alien War Lord with five eyes, especially after he kept cloning himself like a scene out of I Robot, or one of the Star Wars, films.

I went to an evening showing of this film and the audience was mostly adults. The only reason I knew there was a child in the theatre because I heard her laugh after BOB did something funny, but that was a good three-quarters into the film. Up until that point I didn’t know she was there. If I were a parent, I would do a little more research before taking my child to this film. But as an adult, the voice-over work is good, the characters are fun, and I enjoyed the movie references. For me, it would make a great afternoon.

Rating: Bargain Matinee Or, go on a school night to avoid the kids