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.