The Brothers Bloom

I’ve been conned. And according to the Brothers Bloom, a good con is when everyone involved gets what they want. But based on this criterion, this movie was not a successful con. I left the theatre wanting.

There were some things that I did find satisfying in this film. Anytime I can spend several hours lost in Adrien Brody’s eyes, is a good thing. I even liked the quirky characters, especially Bang Bang played by Rinko Kikuchi. But what bothered me is that I was never sure of the character’s motivation. In the film Bloom keeps asking his brother, “Is this the con, is this the con, or is this real?” Even Bloom wasn’t sure and brother Stephen wasn’t telling. Stephen did all the planning and he enjoyed stringing people along. Bloom didn’t like this and I didn’t like it either.

When the movie ended, my friend and I looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and said in unison, “That was interesting.” We walked out bothered and bewildered but mostly confused. There were too many questions and not enough answers. I didn’t care for Mark Ruffalo’s character and I didn’t buy him as Adrien Brody’s brother. I liked the girl played by Rachel Weisz, but there was another character named Diamond Dog that both brothers hated with a passion and we never learn why. There were just too many holes in the plot for my liking. I like my endings a little more tidy.

Rating: Rent It A soulful Adrien Brody and a quirky Rachel Weisz are worth a rental

Departures

Come Academy Award time, Best Foreign Language Film is one of the hardest categories to predict. For one, many of the nominees have yet to be released in the United States, and two, the language barrier makes it difficult to predict how an English speaking audience will react to the film. When I made my predictions for 2008, I thought that The Class was a very strong contender, as was Waltz With Bashir. But when the trophy was handed out, it went to Japan’s Departures.

After seeing this film some four months after the Oscars, I have to agree with their choice. Departures is a wonderful film. It is the story of a young man who practiced his entire life to be a good enough musician to play the cello in a professional orchestra. After achieving his goal and spending a fortune on a exquisite new cello, it is announced that the orchestra is bankrupt and is being dissolved. With no other profession, skills, or talents, he returns to his boyhood home with his wife and claims the empty home left to him by his mother.

Once back in the country, Daigo’s wife sets up housekeeping, while he searches for a new job. After answering a newspaper ad, he mistakenly accepts a job in departures, thinking he’ll be a travel agent. But the ad should have read, working with the departed, since the job is performing coffining ceremonies, preparing the dead to be placed in coffins. At first he is repulsed and appalled, but after seeing the ceremony performed and the comfort given to all those involved, he realizes that his mentor is performing a tremendous and honorable service to both the dead and the living.

Departures is a beautiful, sensitive, film that examines our attitudes towards death. The care and sensitivity that these professionals give is seldom met with the respect they deserve. Once you’ve seen this film you will have a new found appreciation for those who serve us in our darkest time of need. This beautiful film should be seen by all, its rare dignity is totally uplifting and you will feel comforted that these professionals do exsist.

Rating: Must See This film sees death like a beautiful dance with music

Land Of The Lost

If you have a short attention span, you’ll love Land Of The Lost. This movie wastes no time jumping into the action, with silliness and hilarity close behind. Based on a 70’s children’s show, this version is so strange you can’t help asking yourself, “What were they smoking?” But then it was kind of like that in the seventies too.

Will Ferrell plays a scientist who is laughed out of the profession when his preposterous theories are ridiculed on National Television. He is reduced to teaching children in a science museum, when a young attractive student searches him out because she admires his work and believes in his theories. After a little coaxing, he recreates his trans-flux amplifier and is whisked away to give it a field trial. The result is a trip back in time where objects are ripped out of their element and thrown into a time-traveling junk yard. This is the point where you must leave all logic behind and just enjoy the ride.

Anna Friel is spunky as the admiring young scientist who convinces Dr. Marshall to resume his work. Danny McBride is hysterical as the unwitting cave guide who gets caught up in their adventure when the invention actually works. Jorma Taccone plays Cha-Kha the monkey boy who becomes their escort through this strange and bizarre land. Add in dinosaurs, lizard men, giant bugs, battling aliens and you’ve got one crazy movie. But don’t even bother trying to make sense out of it, check your brain at the door and just have fun. Like a series of skits strung together with a loose plot, this film is pure fun and you’ll leave the theater shaking your head, chuckling, and feeling much lighter then when you went in. And that in itself is worth the price of admission.

Rating: First Run Check your brain at the door and have fun

The Hangover

Movies can be very educational. Today I learned to never buy drugs from a liquor store dealer, never give a hotel your credit card, tigers like to chew upholstery, and if you are going to get stupid in Vegas, you better make sure that your friends are fearlessly loyal, or you’re in big trouble.

The Hangover is the epitome of a Guy Movie. It is crude, vulgar, gross and actually very funny. Three best friends, and a brother, converge on Las Vegas to spend one last wild night before Doug gets married. In the morning, three of them wake up with a wicked hangover, and Doug is missing. Like a perverse detective story, Phil, Stu and Alan, must try to piece together their drunken debacle based on the evidence in their trashed hotel room. They must find Doug and get him back to California before his wedding the next day.

I found a lot of the humor in this film to be offensive, but I found the friendships to be endearing and irresistible. Guys can be much more forgiving than women. Their friendship is severely tested, but no matter how difficult, they never lose sight of their goal, to make it home in time for the wedding.

I feel sorry for Justin Bartha who played Doug, because he was missing for a good part of the film. But I can just picture him sitting behind the camera and laughing his ass off while Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis have to suffer through all kinds of indignities. Then he still had the fun of partying with them in Vegas after. Maybe, he had the best part of all.

The Hangover is not for everyone. If you are easily offended, stay away. But if you can get past some raunchy and off-color humor, then you will enjoy this film. The premiss is very clever and the actors are great. And by tomorrow, all the guys will be quoting it.

Rating: First Run A raunchy comic romp.

Management

Sometimes when I see a movie I become so perplexed that I want to call up the writer or director and say, “What were you thinking?” Management is one of those films. It is a not bad film. I actually found it engaging. But, I didn’t understand what the film was trying to say. I have a few guesses, but I’m unsure if I guessed correctly. Either way, it’s unclear.

I understood the Steve Zahn character for the most part. His motivation was straightforward and direct. But, Jennifer Aniston’s character was an enigma to me. She did so many things that a woman would not do. For one, let a strange man into her hotel room. Two, let him into her home when he shows up at her job on the other side of the country. This is creepy stalker territory and most women these days are smarter than that. When I find a female character that doesn’t make sense to me I usually check to see who the writer is. In this case the writer and the director are the same, and he is male. That explains a lot.

I found the Steve Zahn’s portrayal of Mike to be very endearing. You really wanted him to succeed. He is tender, romantic, a bit of a lost soul, still trying to figure things out. The Sue Claussen character however, made so many strange decisions that I was never quite sure where she was coming from. And when she decides to marry Woody Harrelson’s character, you really questioned her sanity. I just didn’t get her.

In order to enjoy this film, I think you have to be a fan of the actors. I for one love Fred Ward and felt he was under-used. My friend is a big Steve Zahn fan and we both enjoyed his performance. As a romantic comedy, or a drama, I’m still not sure what it was supposed to be; I believe this film missed its mark. It was just too strange. I do however believe there is enough good here to warrant your time, so I am giving it a mild recommendation.

Rating: Rent It Steve Zahn is adorable

Up

Adventure is out there, and in Up you’ll find it. This delight, heartfelt, movie just happens to be animated. Another tremendous achievement from Pixar Studios, Up tells the tale of two adventurous children who find each other and spend a lifetime together planning for their big escape, a trip to South America following the escapades of their favorite explorer Charles Muntz.

As man and wife, Carl and Ellie scrimp and save for their big adventure. But, in the meantime, life keeps getting in the way. Time and time again, their special vacation fund is sacrificed to provide for more practical things like home repairs and doctor bills. When Ellie eventually dies, Carl is determined to fulfill his youthful promise and sets out to fly their beloved home to Paradise Falls via balloons.

This film is romantic, funny, endearing and poignant. The voice acting by Ed Asner and Jordan Nagai is pitch perfect and renders two completely captivating characters. Even the dogs in this film have well-rounded personas. I’ll never look at a squirrel the same way again.

Up is a great film for the entire family and would even make a great date film. The romantic gesture is so grand that it would melt any woman’s heart. Buy her a balloon afterwards and you’ll be off to a great start, wink, wink!

Rating: Must See An Uplifting Adventure!

Drag Me To Hell

I feel duped. I had no intention of going to see Drag Me To Hell, and I ended up going anyway, so now I feel like a sucker. There were two circumstances that got me to see this film. For one, it was free, and two, the movie got really good reviews. Based on these two factors alone, I felt that it was necessary to put my preconceived notions aside and give this movie a chance. So, I went. Now, I’m mad at myself.

I did not enjoy this movie. I should have stuck to my guns and stayed away. The reason I did not enjoy this movie is that it had no “redeeming” value, and I mean that literally. Alison Lohman plays Christine Brown, a loan officer who is up for a promotion at her bank. The choice is between her and a newly hired man. She has the skill, the experience, and the seniority, but her sweet nature is viewed as a weakness. Her male counterpart is seen as aggressive and able to make the tough decisions, so in an effort to look like a more viable candidate, Christine goes against her nature, and turns down an old lady for an extension on her home loan. The old lady has already had two extensions, so her decision is a reasonable one. But, what Christine doesn’t know, is that the old woman is a Gypsy. So when Christine turns her down, the old woman puts a curse on her and in three days she will be dragged to hell.

Christine Brown is a sweet, wholesome, kind, young girl who has made a bad decision, and try as she might, there seems to be no way to redeem herself. She apologizes, amends her decision, and she even visits the old lady’s home, but due to one fateful decision, she is doomed to burn in hell forever. As I said, no redeeming value!

In order to stop the curse, Christine opens herself up to the world of the occult and gives herself over to the spirit world. As I was sitting there watching this, I was so mad at myself for doing the same thing. Why put myself in this position? Why open yourself up to darkness? There are so many movies out there that are entertaining without having to be dragged through hell. Luckily for me, I have a choice. I also have a chance to redeem myself. Next time I won’t be so stupid.

Rating: Don’t Bother No “redeeming” value