Going The Distance

I felt very strange watching Going The Distance. I felt like Garret’s roommate Dan who has the room on the other side of a very thin wall. I was allowed to listen to this relationship but I wasn’t allowed to participate. This film made me feel like a voyeur.
 
Going The Distance is the story of Garret and Erin, Justin Long (Drag Me To Hell) and Drew Barrymore (Whip It). They meet at a bar when neither of them is looking for a relationship. Garret just got dumped and Erin only has six weeks left on a summer internship. They start the evening with animosity but soon find that they have a lot in common. They begin dating but at the end of six weeks neither of them wants to let go. So they begin a long distance romance full of inconvenience, disappointment and frustration.
 
I believe that the reason that this movie made me fell so uncomfortable is that Justin and Drew are dating in real life. Their date scenes had an improvised feel and I felt like a paparazzi hiding in the bushes. Also, a lot of the comedy came from discomfort and crudeness. Instead of laughing at the awkward moments, I squirmed, especially with Christina Applegate. When she walked in on her sister having sex on the dinning room table, her disgust was so convincing it was like she walked in on the actors having sex instead of the characters. I was right there with her.
 
Before attending this film I heard a lot of good things about this script from other sources, but the movie did not work for me. Others may be fine with this style of comedy, but I’ll pass. I don’t like crudeness as a comedy choice. In order to work, that type of behavior must be grounded and come from the character. Maybe Drew Barrymore does cuss, smoke pot, and hold her own belching with the boys, but it didn’t seem natural on her. I really didn’t enjoy this film at all.

Rating: Rent It Not worth the frequent flyer miles

Flipped

I’m going to create a new genre. I am going to label it, the “Personal Film”. A Personal Film is a low budget movie, usually nostalgic, that tells a story from a child’s perspective. It is often narrated by an adult, looking back at a pivotal time in their childhood, recounting a life changing moment or a time that formed their character. An example of this type of film is Liberty Heights, an early film of Adrien Brody and Ben Foster, or That Night starring C. Thomas Howell and Juliette Lewis. Another good one is The Sand Lot.
 
These Personal Films are often called coming of age dramas, but the reason that I think that Personal Film describes them better is that the success of the movie depends on the director’s ability to get you to connect personally with the material. If the story is told in such a way that you can identify with the activity, way of life, or emotion of the characters, then you are hooked. And when these films are done well, they are very memorable.
 
The best example of a Personal Film is Rob Reiner’s, Stand By Me. This small film struck a chord, and even though most of us have never experienced seeing a dead body or peeling leeches off of our private parts, we could identify with the friendships. It was those inane conversations, like who would win in a fight, or why some cartoon characters don’t wear pants that we all connected with. We’ve all experienced these unguarded exchanges in clubhouses, tree forts or hanging around the campfire. It is how we learn to reason and form our own opinions away from the influence of our parents. In these conversations we can argue or rebuff without fear of adult intervention or moralizing. It is for this reason why Stand By Me is a very personal film.
 
In Flipped, Rob Reiner tries once again to create a Personal Film, but this one is not nearly as successful as Stand By Me. Flipped tells the story of Juli and Bryce who meet when they are in second grade. Juli played by Madeline Carroll takes one look at Bryce as he is moving in across the street and her heart flips as she falls in love with his beautiful eyes. Byrce on the other hand, played by Callam McAuliffe is very annoyed by her constant attention. He becomes a joke at school and cannot escape her adoration. The situation however flips when they reach high school. Juli’s feelings cool towards Bryce when he lets her down at a critical moment. Whereas Bryce learns how to appreciate Juli and admire her virtues when Bryce learns to see Juli through his grandfather’s eyes.
 
The flipped theme is also carried out in the mode of story telling. Each event is told twice, once from Juli’s perspective, and then through Bryce’s. It shows how two people can be at the same place at the same time and see things completely different. It is an interesting approach, but it also slowed the story telling down. It also causes you to choose sides. Which character do you identify with more?
 
Another thing that affected my connection with the movie was the parents. Madeline Carroll and Callam McAuliffe came off so natural and their characters were nicely developed, whereas the adults oftentimes came off as stereotypical or cartoonish. Anthony Edwards (ER) was very unlikable. I couldn’t relate to him at all. And Rebecca De Mornay (Risky Business) was almost unrecognizable as a 60’s housewife. Aidan Quinn (Jonah Hex) had some nice moments as a sensitive and understanding father, but when you compare him to Anthony Edwards it was like they are in two different films. Penelope Anne Miller (Men of a Certain Age) looked like she just walked out of an episode of The Waltons. She completely reminded me of Mary Beth McDonough. I was even doing the math in my head to see if the actress could have been her.
 
Overall, I enjoyed Flipped. It is a sweet story with some nice life lessons. John Mahoney (Fraiser) as the grandfather becomes the catalyst in both children’s lives and teaches them to see the world differently by noticing things about them that everyone else was too busy to see. If anything this film shows us that there is a least two sides to every story and that when we make judgements it is because we are only seeing one side. As a Personal Film I think that Flipped missed its mark. The focus should have been on the children and their lives. When it ventured off to the parents and their issues, the story lost momentum, although the parents were being misjudged too. Flipped has a good message, I just wished that it was stronger story telling device. The lessons are worth learning.

Rating: Rent It A story about seeing things from both sides

Machete

For the past 25 years, journeyman actor Danny Trejo (Predators) has been paying his dues playing convicts, criminals, bikers and miscellaneous bad-asses. Now in Machete he finally gets top billing. What started as a fake movie trailer in the film Grindhouse has blossomed into a full fledged feature playing homage to Mexican Exploitation films and spoofing hot-button topics like immigration and border laws.

Trejo plays a Mexican Federale who is betrayed by corrupt cops and the reigning drug lord Steven Seagal (Under Siege). Unbeknownst to them, he survives their assignation attempt and has resurfaced in the United States as an undocumented day laborer. Not one to blend in with the crowd he is spotted by Jessica Alba (Fantastic Four) an immigration cop and by Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) who runs an underground assistance league for illegal aliens.

When Trejo is picked up for work by a man in a business suit, Jeff Fahey (Grindhouse) he is coerced and threatened into shooting a Texas state senator. Machete plans on missing his shot but once again he is betrayed. The senator is clipped intentionally by a second shooter to boost his campaign ratings and prove that Mexicans are a threat to American life. Machete is set up as the fall guy and with his face all over the media, his enemies in Mexico now know that he is alive. Machete is out gunned and out numbered but to quote his biggest opponent, he is hard to kill. Machete must defend himself and heads will roll, literally!

Machete is bloody and full of naked women but the graphic aspects are done respectfully as a homage to a very specific genre. Believe it or not, I did not find these scenes gratuitous. They belonged in the film like sailors and swearing and cops and hookers. They were needed for authenticity. It wouldn’t be a Grindhouse film without them.

What I loved about this film was the tiny visual details. For example if the camera lingered too long on a sharp object, you knew that pretty soon it would become a weapon. Also there are many little touches of humor. For instance when the Mexicans are called to arms they grab whatever is near by. Scanning the mob you will find weed whackers, pruning shears, a plunger and even a guy pushing an ice cream cart. Machete plays on all the stereo types and no one is immune. These little sight gags are like a rim shot at the end of a joke. They are funny, but they bring the point home.

There are many worthwhile cameos in this film. Lindsay Lohan plays a troubled drugged-out daddy’s girl (big stretch) and Cheech Marin plays a not so holy priest. Don Johnson portrays an over-zealous border vigilante and Robert De Niro really works it as a bigoted politician. With Machete, the parody cuts both ways. No one is safe from a little satire.

I really enjoyed this film and I liked what Robert Rodriguez was trying to do. I probably wouldn’t be comfortable in a true Grindhouse film, but as a vehicle for making a statement, it was much appreciated. Most of all I liked this film because it gave Danny Trejo a chance to shine. As a young man in prison he turned his life around and now dedicates his time in helping others. It’s nice to see him in the spotlight for a change. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. But don’t let that get around. Danny has to keep his bad-ass imagine.

Rating: Must See Danny Trejo is Machete

Mesrine: Public Enemy # 1

Mesrine: Public Enemy # 1 is a much tighter and more intense film than part one. Mesrine is now a hardened criminal due to the torture and rough treatment he received while interned in a maximum security prison. After his escape he manages to return to France and continue his number one occupation, robbing banks. He feels completely justified robbing banks because that is where the money is and they are bigger crooks than he is.

Mesrine continues with his flirtation with the press. When he is eventually captured, he beguiles his jury and entertains the media by demonstrating how corrupt the judicial system is. While serving a twenty year sentence he is appalled when someone else steals his front page status. He responds by writing a book chronicling his adventures and admitting to forty murders.

While in prison he meets another convict who has escaped prison three times. Mesrine respects anyone who can match his record so together they plan their fourth escape. After succeeding, Mesrine is Public Enemy #1 again, but this time he has illusions of grandeur. He nows sees himself as a kind of revolutionary. His partner Francois, Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) robs banks for the money. But Mesrine wants to bring the justice system down. While outside, the two of them become masters of disguise and experts at eluding the police. Mesrine even poses as a doctor to visit his dying father and later the two of them impersonate police officers and actually inspect the local police station. As they are questioning the officer in charge as to their number of staff and readiness, their wanted posters are just over the police officer’s shoulder. Their boldness is really astonishing.

Like Mesrine: Killer Instinct we get to see Mesrine as a personal man. We see him as a son, a father, a friend and a lover. He takes pride in his reputation and he considers himself a man of honor. After Francois parts with him over differences in ideology, a reporter accuses Mesrine of being disloyal and abandoning his partner. Mesrine’s reaction is to confront the reporter and to beat him within an inch of his life.

We know all along that Mesrine’s life is going to end up in a bloody ambush, but we are captivated while we watch the ever entwining pieces fall into place. The book that Mesrine wrote about himself has been studied by the very police who hunt him. One detective, Le Commissaire Broussard (Oliver Gourmet) has already captured him once. He is determined to do it again and he is using Mesrine’s own words against him.

Like part one, Vincent Cassel puts in a fine performance as Jacques Mesrine. It is almost like he has a duel personality. When he is at rest or with a loved one his face is light and his sense of humor is sharp. He is truly a charismatic man. But when he is cornered, he becomes dark, menacing, animalistic and dangerous. His hubris is his public image and he even goes as far as to grant a magazine reporter a full interview including photos. No wonder he became a fascination with the public. Anyone that bold and arrogant gets a begrudging respect. He entertained the people during a dark economic and political time. Like other anti-heroes before him, he had charm and panache. All said and done, he is a criminal to remember.

Rating: First Run The fascinating demise of a notorious criminal

Mesrine: Killer Instinct

Every once in awhile a foreign language film will blow me away. Reading subtitles can divide your focus, so when this is accomplished, I’m especially impressed. But when I saw Mesrine: Killer Instinct, not only was I appreciative of the film, I witnessed one of the best performances that I’ve seen so far this year. It is the performance that I had hoped to see when Johnny Depp played John Dillinger. I was disappointed with that film, but with Vincent Cassel (Oceans Twelve) as legendary mobster, Jacques Mesrine, I was completely captivated. It won him a Cesar Award in France. I only hope to see him at our Academy Awards this year.

Mesrine is a famous French criminal from the 70’s who continued his crime spree in Quebec, Canada. He was flashy, charismatic and a bit of a media darling. With his female accomplice they were called a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. His spectacular capture was followed by a even more spectacular prison escape. And this is where the first film ends. Part Two will continue the saga ending with Mesrine’s violent death. The film begins with this ambush and then takes us back in time to fill in the details of his notorious rise. I was very interested in getting to know how a man’s life can end up in such bloody place.

Vincent Cassel remembers Mesrine’s death. It happened when he was just a little boy. What makes this movie so fascinating is the line that Vincent Cassel walks. On one hand Mesrine is sensitive, loving, a caring father and a charming ladies man, but on the other hand he is racist, has problems with authority, beats his wife and is a cold-blooded killer. Vincent Cassel walks this tightrope and shows us all sides of Mesrine’s personality. Yet, even after that, you still like the guy, even when his actions shock and repulse you.

I was unfamiliar with Mesrine going into this film, but like Che Guevara or Scarface in America, he is a popular anti-hero in Europe. If he was as familiar to me as Jesse James, or John Dillinger, I may know how the story ends. But since I did not grow up with his legend, I guess I’ll have to see the other part of this film. The movie is not much different than many of the gangster stories that we’ve seen in the cinema or on TV, but makes this film special is the performances. Gerard Depardieu (Cyrano de Bergerac) is also in this movie as a mob boss who initiates Mesrine into his life of crime. The other supporting parts are also nicely rendered. I especially like the peek at Mesrine’s parents. We often wonder how killers are made. Are they born that way or does society create them? Mesrine is a fascinating, if bloody subject.

Rating: First Run A bloody good performance by Cassel

Soul Kitchen

Imagine being a small child and you are sitting in a kitchen watching someone making a fabulous dessert. There is a sense of anticipation and fun as you observe the ingredients being measured out. You are enthralled as the eggs are being cracked and the flour is being sifted. You’re not sure what the final result is going to be, but it has to be sweet based on all its parts. For now you are enjoying the process. If all goes right, you’ll have a tasty treat in the end. That’s how I felt watching Soul Kitchen.
 
Soul Kitchen is not a great movie, but it is a lot of fun. Adam Bousdoukos plays a Greek-German dreamer who has bought an industrial building and doing all the work him self, has converted it into a restaurant. His menu is uninspired, mainly fried fish and hamburgers, but his working-class clientele keep coming back for more. He’s barely getting by, but he is making it work. It is his love life that needs resurrecting.
 
Zinos is distressed because his girlfriend is leaving soon for China. She wants him to follow her, but he can’t find anyone he trusts to run his restaurant. During a family farewell dinner thrown by her rich parents at an exclusive eatery, the chef quits when a guest insists that his gazpacho be served warm. Zinos follows the surly chef outside to praise his fine cooking. On a lark, he hires him and his entire life is turned upside down. This crazy knife throwing chef (Birol Unel) is temperamental, but a genius. Soon the Soul Kitchen is the hottest place in town and now Zinos really can’t leave. He desperately wants to be with his girlfriend but his restaurant keeps getting in the way.
 
Like a screwball comedy, everything happens at once, Zinos injures his back, his ex-con brother shows up, an old school friend is trying to steal his property and a gangster is trying to force him out. Add to that a high maintenance chef, a surly waitress, a rock band employee in need of a place to practice, and a determined tax collector and Zinos has more than he can handle. The script is all over the place, but it is fun, if a little too messy. And I enjoyed the process even if the final result was not as sweet as I hoped. At least we don’t have to clean up the kitchen.

Rating: Rent It A pleasant way to spend an evening, bring snacks

The Switch

When I went to view The Switch I was expecting a light romantic comedy, but instead I got a heartfelt performance by Jason Bateman (Couples Retreat) and I didn’t mind the exchange at all. This film does have its moments, but it is not the kind of comedy that will have you rolling on the floor. The Switch is emotionally grounded and most of the humor comes from the characters themselves.
 
Jason Bateman plays Wally, who is Kassie’s Jennifer Aniston (The Bounty Hunter) best friend. He’s in love with her but has been relegated to “friend territory”. According to Kassie, he is neurotic and a hypochondriac, but he always has her back. He is the most reliable thing in her life and she loves him for it. But Wally is a bit of a sad sack and has yet to tell her how he really feels. He’s just happy to be a part of her life and is content to live in her shadow.
 
One evening over dinner Kassie announces that she is going to have a baby. Wally is surprised and even more so when she explains that she is not pregnant yet. She has decided to take matters into her own hands and find a donor. Wally is hurt when she asks for his help but doesn’t consider him as a father. When he tells her how he feels Kassie says that it would be too weird. He is her best friend after all. What she wants is a stranger, but someone she could meet and look in the eye. Kassie is tried of waiting for fate. She wants a baby now.
 
After a fight with Wally, Kassie goes on to find a donor on her own. Patrick Wilson (Watchman) is handsome, educated, athletic and a professor of womens studies. This sends Wally on a jealous binder, but Kassie is forgiving and invites him to her insemination party anyway. When he inadvertently finds himself in a room with Roland’s biological contribution, Wally accidentally spills it down the sink. In a drunken panic, he replaces it with his own sperm and then blacks out. It isn’t until years later that he remembers what he has done. It is only after he meets six-year-old Sebastian (Thomas Robinson) that he starts to put things together. Kassie moved after the birth of her son and has just now returned to the city. Sebastian looks just like Wally and is as much of a hypochondriac as his father. As these similarities become more apparent, it jogs his memory and Wally remembers what he has done. He confesses to his friend (Jeff Goldblum) who recalls a drunken 4:00 AM visit that same night years ago. His intoxicated mumbling now makes total sense. Wally really is Sebastions’s father.

The rest of the movie is about revealing the truth and how people will take it. But the heart of the film is the relationship between Wally and his son. Sebastian is a weird kid, but Wally understands him. They form a bond and this is what makes the lie even more dangerous. If Kassie takes Sebastian and leaves, or marries another man, Wally will lose the most precious thing in his life, his son and the mother who bore him. But if Wally tells her the truth, he may lose her anyway. His dilemma is what to do.

This is more Jason Bateman’s film than Jennifer Aniston’s. Although she is good, Bateman really shines. The scenes between him and Thomas Robinson are precious and you look forward to seeing them together. I also liked Jeff Goldblum. He was this quirky voice of reason trying to talk Wally down. His reactions are as funny as the situations themselves. He was a really nice addition to the film.

Rating: Second Run A warm-hearted comedy about one bad decision