Yearly Archives: 2014

REVIEW: “Short Term 12”

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“Short Term 12” opens up with a great scene featuring a supervisor from a group home for troubled teens telling a story involving a past patient to a new employee. We are dropped into this conversation as an observer and we get a brief introduction to the main characters. But without a moment’s notice the scene changes dramatically. A young boy bursts through the door and takes off towards the front gate. He’s screaming, waving his hands, and clearing he is deeply upset. The workers subdue him and the emotionally complex setting of “Short Term 12” is realized.

The movie is written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton who was inspired by his real-life experiences of working in a group home for teens. He first made this into a 2009 short film, but later developed it into a feature length picture. This was only Cretton’s second feature length movie which makes his accomplishment all the more impressive. You see, “Short Term 12” is a really good movie and much of its strength and potency can by traced back to Cretton’s pen and his raw use of the camera which perfectly captures the tone and intensity of his setting.

Short Term 12Brie Larson and Keith Stanfield

Brie Larson is unquestionably superb as the lead character Grace. She is a supervisor at the teen group home (called Short Term 12). She works alongside her boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher, Jr.) to both mentor and council a group of teens with an assortment of problems. Along the way we are introduced to them and watch as Grace interacts with them on both procedural and personal levels. Larson’s performance blew me away and there is such a natural quality to what she’s doing as an actress and within the character she is portraying. We also get some interesting scenes between Grace and Mason away from the home. At first these moments seem flimsy but they really payoff later on as the story develops.

Grace never lacks control and she is a compassionate professional when it comes to taking care of these kids. But she is especially invested in a new resident, a troubled young girl named Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever). This is where we see a different side and an interesting turn in Grace. There is a stunning and vivid dichotomy within her. She is a strong and determined woman, but she is also scarred and emotionally fragile. This adds an entirely new layer to the character and the film that I really responded to.

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At no point does “Short Term 12” feel fabricated or overly melodramatic. There is a stinging realism that permeates the entire picture. It constantly draws out raw emotion from its characters and the situations and circumstances are believable and often times troubling. There are a couple of characters than dance dangerously close to stereotypes and their stories take some fairly predictable turns. But overall the film sucks you in and exposes you to truths about these teens and the people gifted with the patience and will to help them.

I tip my hat to Destin Daniel Cretton for crafting a movie that doesn’t lose itself in the typical Hollywood contrivances and forced melodrama that we get these days. I also applaud Brie Larson who not only showed she can act, but she gives an incredible performance that is grounded and always feels true. There are waves of emotions that flow throughout the movie and the story keeps you thoroughly invested. “Short Term 12” is another great example of the strength of independent cinema and the impact these films can have on the movie-making landscape.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

5 Phenomenal Movie Sheriffs

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With so much disorderly conduct happening in movies sometimes you need a good sheriff to come in and settle things down. On the other hand, sometimes the sheriffs can be the cause of all of the unrest in the first place. Today’s Phenomenal 5 looks at a wide assortment of movie sheriffs. Whether in westerns or modern day, good movie sheriffs had added a lot to films over the years. Now with so many to consider I wouldn’t call this the definitive list. But there is no doubt in my mind that these five movie sheriffs are nothing short of phenomenal.

#5 – Sheriff Brackett (“Halloween”)

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Sheriff Brackett had a pretty easy gig. Haddonfield was a pretty quite little town in Illinois. With the exception of a horrible murder of a teenaged girl by her 6-year brother fifteen years ago, the town has been quite and peaceful. Boy does that change when Michael Myers (now 21) comes back to town. At first Sheriff Brackett thinks that Michael’s return is a hoax. Afterall it is Halloween. But one murder after another proves the validity of the terror and soon Brackett is in over his head. He scrambles from one crime scene to another trying to understand the gravity of the situation as well as how to control it. He’s a fun ingredient to this horror classic.

#4 – Little Bill Daggett (“Unforgiven”)

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Remember when I said that sometimes the sheriff could be part of the problem? That was definitely the case with Little Bill in Clint Eastwood’s Oscar winning western “Unforgiven”. Little Bill was a former gunfighter so he knows how to sling lead. He has a strict ‘no guns allowed’ policy in his town and if you break that policy you can expect the beatdown of your life. While this may seem like a case of good intentions gone bad, Little Bill later shows that he isn’t the true beacon of law and order that a town really needs. Gene Hackman won an Oscar for his portrayal of Little Bill and you would be hard pressed to find someone who will say he didn’t deserve it.

#3 – Sheriff Bart (“Blazing Saddles”)

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It’s another western but a much different one. The Mel Brooks comedy “Blazing Saddles” would never be made today, but thank goodness we can still look back on it and enjoy all of its great satire and head-on craziness. One of the best parts was Cleavon Little as Sheriff Bart. He was simply a pawn put in as the sheriff of a small town in order to push the buttons of the racist townsfolk. But Sheriff Bart is a lot smarter than some think. In fact, he’s almost always the most intelligent person in the scene. Little plays the role with the perfect measurement of sincerity and sarcasm and he fits perfectly into this great Mel Brooks concoction.

#2 – Sheriff Buford T. Justice (“Smokey and the Bandit”)

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There weren’t a lot of high expectations for “Smokey and the Bandit” when it was first conceived. Then the biggest box office draw at the time (Burt Reynolds) signed on and expectations changed. But I don’t think anyone expected that the supporting character Sheriff Buford T. Justice would drive in and steal the entire movie. The late great Jackie Gleason was given complete creative liberties to invent and add-lib which helped make the character insanely funny. Buford T. Justice was an imbecile, but he was also too arrogant to ever recognize it. That set the table for a number of hilarious encounters as he chases Bandit across a host of Southern states.

#1 – Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (“No Country for Old Men”)

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Tommy Lee Jones has had a number of great movie roles throughout his career. For me this is his best. It is almost like novelist Cormac McCarthy wrote this wonderful character with Jones in mind. The Coen brothers didn’t miss the opportunity to pass up this fine seasoned actor who plays one of my favorite sheriffs. Ed Tom is ready to retire especially in light of the changing landscape of law enforcement and the new waves of violent crime. He constantly ponders the shocking ways of the new violent world while coming face-to-face with it after seeing the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong. In a movie featuring so many fascinating characters, Sheriff Bell may be the most fascinating. That’s why he tops this list.

So what do you think? These are my top movie sheriffs. Who did I leave off? Who would you include? Please take time to share your thoughts below.

Flaunt it or Flush it – Summer Movies 2014

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Could it actually be summer time already??? The spring movie season has come and gone and it could be argued that some of the year’s biggest movies have come and gone. But there are still several interesting and not-so-interesting movies on the summer horizon. So here is how this works: First I’ll talk about the summer releases that I am genuinely interested in and want to spread the word about. These are films I’ll certainly flaunt. I’m also going to pick five releases that are (from my perspective) toilet ready. These I’ll flush. It’s ‘Flaunt It or Flush It’ time again.

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EDGE“Edge of Tomorrow” (June 6, 2014) – I know Tom Cruise has gained many detractors over the years but I have to say I still really like him when he has the right material. “Edge of Tomorrow” looks like it could be really good science fiction material. It involves alien invasions, a futuristic military, and the real kicker – time loops. But perhaps the cake topper is Emily Blunt who is one of my favorite actresses working today. She’s terribly underappreciated and I can’t wait to see what she brings to the film. There are calls to be cautious, but I think this could be a really good time. My fingers are crossed and my hopes are high that this will be a real treat this summer.

ROVER“The Rover” (June 12, 2014) – I’m usually excited anytime I see that Guy Pearce has a new film being released. I was even more excited when I heard his new movie “The Rover” was written and directed by David Michod, the filmmaker who gave us “Animal Kingdom”. “The Rover” is described as a futuristic western set on the outback. The trailer looks rugged and gritty and even Robert Pattinson looks intriguing. This may not be a movie that has found its way onto your radar, but this Australian dystopian crime thriller looks like it could be fantastic and Guy Pearce looks like the perfect lead. I’m onboard.

GUARDIANS“Guardians of the Galaxy” (August 1, 2014) – When I first heard that Marvel Studios was doing a movie based on their lesser known Guardians of the Galaxy characters I really thought they were finally overstepping their bounds. I didn’t see any way that the movie could find an audience. But then I saw the trailer and I noticed the tone that writer and director James Gunn was shooting for. Now I’m completely onboard. This thing looks like a blast. A buffed up Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Benicio del Toro, Glen Close, John C. Reilly, Michael Rooker. A wonderful assortment of fine actors and a superhero story that goes beyond quirky. Yep, I’ll flaunt it!

BOYHOOD“Boyhood” (July 11, 2014) – Richard Linklater has given us some of the best character studies ever put to film. He is a master of capturing relationships, emotions, and settings while soaking them with an undeniable authenticity. “Boyhood” may be his most fascinating and challenging project. It’s a story about a boy and the evolution of his relationship with his two divorced parents. Linklater started the film in 2002 when his young lead actor was 7 years old. For each of the next 12 years he brought his actors back together to film portions of this movie in order to capture the authenticity of growing up from a child into a young adult. It’s incredibly ambitious and it looks like a personal labor of love.

LUCY“Lucy” (August 8, 2014) – In many ways “Lucy” looks like the anti-superhero superhero movie. Scarlett Johansson stars as the title character, a woman forced by a drug mob to do their bidding. But when a particular drug implanted into her system goes haywire, she is endowed with superhuman abilities. The question is how will she use them? This looks like a film loaded with potential. It’s written and directed by Luc Besson which could either be a really good thing (“Leon: The Professional”) or a really bad thing (“Taken 2”). Right now I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt because the early trailer really won me over and Johansson should knock it out of the park.

FLUSH ‘EM

22JUMP“22 Jump Street” (June 13, 2014) – Yes I understand that the first film in this series found a big audience. I have to admit that I don’t understand why. I tried to watch it, but by the midway point it had milked it’s one big joke dry. Now we are in for more of the same brain-dead humor only now the setting is college instead of high school. Wow, what a major turn. Channing Tatum (an actor that I’m still not impressed with) and Jonah Hill (an actor I’m even less impressed with) are back along with the obnoxious Ice Cube. I have no doubt that this movie will make a bunch of money, but for me it’s a flusher all the way and I’m avoiding it at all costs.

TURTLES“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (August 8, 2014) – I have to admit that I thought I was having my leg pulled when I heard they were bringing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles back to the big screen. But then I saw Michael Bay’s name attached and I knew it must be true. To make matters worse, then I saw the first teaser trailer and I knew this would be a flusher. There are so many things that push me away. First off, the CGI turtles look freaky. And then you have Oscar caliber talent like Megan Fox and Johnny Knoxville. I don’t see this thing working in any regard and all of the crappy uninteresting components looks to be enough to snuff out any bit of nostalgia. This is a movie that I could completely do without.

TOOO“Think Like A Man Too” (June 20, 2014) – Tell me if you have heard this before – a group of friends head to the wild and raucous land of Las Vegas to sew some wild oats prior to an upcoming wedding. Totally original material, right? That’s what you get from “Think Like A Man Too”. It’s listed as a romantic comedy but there’s nothing in the trailer that looks either romantic or funny. To make matters even worse, the movie stars the loud and utterly obnoxious Kevin Hart, an actor whose shtick is about as entertaining as a root canal. This movie looks about as dopey and unoriginal as anything else we will see in 2014.

TAMMY“Tammy” (July 2, 2014) – What pops into your mind when you hear that Melissa McCarthy has a new movie? Here’s what I think: It’s Melissa McCarthy playing a goofy and eccentric oddball with a foul mouth and an endless supply of weight gags. Much like so many others in the modern comedy genre, McCarthy has become a one-trick pony and her act does nothing for me. Long gone are her great days from “The Gilmore Girls”. I do think she has some genuine talent but she’s fallen into this lame R-rated comedy rut and “Tammy” just looks like more of the same. No thank you. I’m flushing this one without an ounce of hesitation.

STEP“Step Up: All In” (July 25, 2014) – How on earth is this series still in existence? Has it honestly developed that big of a following? Do people genuinely care enough to warrant movie after movie? Apparently so and it boggles my mind. Yes we are getting yet another “Step Up” movie and there is nothing that makes me think this one will be any better than the others. Look, I understand that it’s all about the dancing and you can’t take the “acting” or even the story seriously, but I need more than these movies provide. I know that somewhere there are people anxiously anticipating this movie. But me, I’ll flush it and pop in a Gene Kelly film instead.

REVIEW: “Upstream Color”

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Mark my words, you will spend the first half of “Upstream Color” wondering what the heck is going on. And if you’re like me, you’ll spend the second half making a series of observations or connections that may or may not exist. But all of that is okay because by the end I realized I had watched something intelligent and strikingly original. There is nothing Hollywood about this picture. It’s independent cinema in its purest form. But don’t let that fool you. This is also one of the most visually entrancing pictures to come out of 2013.

To call this Shane Carruth’s movie would be an epic understatement. Carruth serves as director, writer, editor, cinematographer, co-producer, co-star, and he composed the music. “Upstream Color” is only his second film but his first since 2004. When speaking of Carruth comparisons have been made to Terrence Malick and we see the validity of the comparisons in “Upstream Color”. His penchant for filming nature, his use of sound, the sparse dialogue, and his sweeping poetic camera feel heavily influenced by Malick’s work.

It’s impossible to put “Upstream Color” into a box and giving too much of the plot away would be stripping the film of some of its allure. It’s a very abstract movie with a haunting and hypnotic feel that permeates the entire project. And drawing in your senses is clearly one of Carruth’s main objectives. I’ll just say this, a young woman (Amy Seimetz) is drugged by a mysterious man (known only as The Thief) while at a nightclub. The drug is actually a mind-controlling parasite which The Thief exploits in order to rob her. Later she is drawn to a man (played by Carruth) who may or may not have shared a very similar experience.

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There are several other mysterious elements and bits of imagery that are cleverly used to peel back the film’s meaning. But even after you’ve dissected the movie in your mind, thematic interpretation may still be a bit challenging. But that’s one of the things I appreciated about the movie. It doesn’t lay everything out all nice and neat for the audience. It engages you and challenges your perceptions of what you are seeing. Interestingly enough, that also leads to one of the movie’s only flaws. It does reach a point where it gets a bit bogged down in its artful approach. It’s a point where the connections and revelation seems to slow down and the film turns into a series of well shot but drawn out sequences.

That aside, “Upstream Color” is a treat. Shane Carruth shows an amazing eye for cinema and he creates a movie experience guaranteed to be unlike anything else you’ve seen in a while. And I haven’t even talked about Amy Seimetz. Talk about a wonderful performance. Now be forewarned, this is a movie that may not appeal to the masses and it has flown under many radars. But for me it shows the diversity of high-quality movies we saw in 2013. It’s definitely worth checking out. I loved it.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Godzilla” (2014)

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Last year brought us “Pacific Rim”, an unashamed homage to the old creature features of the 1950s. By all right it should have been terrible but “Pacific Rim” was a decent film. It was far from perfect but it was a fun and entertaining romp. This year we get “Godzilla”, another monster movie that didn’t have me a bit excited at first and that could have been really awful. But it’s actually not. In fact not only is this new incarnation of the well known reptile better than last year’s “Pacific Rim”, it’s one of the better recent blockbusters and it was some of the most fun I’ve had at the theaters this year.

It doesn’t take long to notice several surprising differences in this film from what you might expect. The movie is built upon a very deliberate and methodical story. It certainly has its huge creature-feature action but we are never bombarded with it. The film is also set apart by its spectacular cast. “Godzilla” features a number of great performers that automatically enhance the experience. Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, and David Straithairn make up the film’s great supporting ensemble.

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Cranston plays a nuclear physicist who was present during a 1999 disaster at a nuclear plant in Japan. Fifteen years pass and he is still dealing with the consequences of the disaster while also determined to expose what he believes is a cover up of the true cause behind the event. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays his son, a military man married to Olsen. Watanabe plays a scientist studying hidden findings at the disaster site along with his assistant Hawkins. Obviously towering monsters come into play as the story unfolds and revelations are made. The inevitable global threat takes center stage but not before an intense and very well conceived buildup takes place.

Almost every character is given their moments. At first I was wishing I had seen more of this person or that person, but each serve the plot very well. A couple of performers don’t get a lot of screen time but I’m okay with that mainly because they work really well within the story being told. Better yet, everyone is really good. Taylor-Johnson is probably the weakest of the talented cast but he is certainly adequate for what he is asked to do despite his moments of blandness. Cranston is fabulous and Watanabe is rock-solid as always. Hawkins is always good although she is reserved to an almost background character. Olsen continues to impress and Straithairn is a really nice fit as a Navy Admiral in charge of stopping this massive scaly threat.

But perhaps what I like the most is how the movie doesn’t cater to preconceived notions. As I mentioned, it very slowly develops its story but I found it to be incredibly intriguing and always tense. This may not impress those looking for a constant barrage of big creature effects, but I found it to be a wonderful approach which made those big creature moments all the more satisfying once they come. Director Gareth Edwards constructs his film well which hearkens back to the fun sci-fi monster movies of the 1950s. He uses their formulas of build up, buildup, slight reveal, buildup, big finale. I loved that.

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Now an argument could be made that the “big finale” is a bit too big. There is some merit to that. But even during those moments the story is moving in different directions which kept things interesting. Better yet, we had only seen passing glances of Godzilla up to that point so watching him duke it out in the finale was pretty exciting. It also helps that the movie looks great. There is a touch of the disaster genre here so we get several wide shots of massive destruction. They are always in context and they look fabulous. I also loved the look of Godzilla. Clearly there is CGI used, but yet he maintains an undeniable familiarity with the old classic Godzilla models. I got a real kick out of that. There is also a brilliant use of sound through the picture from big earth-shattering roars to perfect moments of ominous silence.

I think it’s safe to say that “Godzilla” is one of the biggest surprises for me this year. I had such a good time with the film and I was surprised at how well made and well written it is. The cast is committed and there’s no winking at the camera at any point. It literally had me glued to the screen for the entire running time and more than once I was smiling as it reminded me of those old monster movies that I still adore. Maybe there is a bit of nostalgia talking but I’m fine with that. I had a great time with “Godzilla” and I can’t wait to see it again!

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Cinema Snapshot

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CINEMA SNAPSHOT

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“Dazed and Confused” (1993)

Those not familiar with the teen culture of the time may not appreciate the magic of a place like Emporium in Richard Linklater’s teen comedy “Dazed and Confused”. Long gone are the days of small town teen hangouts but at the time cruising and hanging out on a Friday and Saturday night were a key part of a teenagers social experience. Often times a place like Emporium served as the central hub that brought everyone together.

In “Dazed and Confused” Emporium is bustling with life. Loud music fills the building and only the laughter of the young patrons is louder. It’s also where the cooler older kids hang out, something the underclassmen know all too well. Pool tables, fuzzball, and jukeboxes keep the kid’s attention but it’s the social interaction that makes a place like Emporium so special. Linklater perfectly captures this lost period pleasure that many from the 1950s all the way to my generation in the 1980s remember well. Who wouldn’t love to hang out at Emporium?