Author Archives: Keith Garlington

5 Phenomenal Things About the New Star Wars Trailer

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Frequent readers of this little old site know that I am a diehard Star Wars fanboy. From my time as a kid seeing them during their original theatrical releases to the opportunities of sharing them with my own children, Star Wars has maintained a prominent spot in my life. So now we have new films on the way, a proposition that both excites me and concerns me. Either way there’s no way I’m going to miss them when they hit the big screen. 

There’s no way anyone could have missed the release of the new trailer last week and today I’m looking at five things about it that has me jazzed beyond words. Now obviously this is completely subjective, but I saw plenty that really has me anxious for December. Some may see things different, but there is no denying that these five “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” trailer highlights are nothing short of phenomenal.

#5 – The New Stormtroopers

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It has taken me several viewings to grow attached to the slight differences in the new stormtrooper helmets, but I can now say they look awesome. While nothing will ever replace the classics, these look really cool. But what is even more exciting is the story behind them. Who created them? Who amassed such a army? A new Empire is obviously brewing and it looks like the stormtroopers will be front and center again. I’m happy about that!

#4 – John Williams – ‘Nuff Said

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When composer John Williams created the original Star Wars music I doubt he realized the impact his score would have on moviegoers. It has become some of the most exhilarating and recognizable movie music of all time. We immediately we get some of that John Williams magic in the new trailer and it carries on through the entirety. From the quiet familiar opening tune to the big and bold finale, Williams energizes the trailer and gets fans like me giddy with excitement.

#3 – Crashed Star Destroyer

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Perhaps one of the coolest Star Wars images of all time (and yes, I know that is a bold statement). In the trailer’s opening sequence we get what looks like a speeder racing across the landscape of what is probably Tatooine. As the shot continues we see a huge Star Destroyer that has crashed onto the planet’s surface. We are led to believe that it has been there a while – a relic from a past war. The shot is incredible. The haze which gives the illusion of distance. The sand covering a portion of it. A tremendous way to start the trailer.

#2 – The Rise of a New Sith

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I guess the big question is “Who is this guy”? Or who is to say it’s a guy? Whoever this masked, cloaked figure is the force is clearly strong with them and they appear to be in a position of power. And you can’t deny that they look extremely cool. In past films we have learned that there is always a Sith Master and a Sith Apprentice. Considering that, we have to ask…is this the master or the apprentice? Whichever, this is a character that is going to stir things up.

#1 – Han and Chewie

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What a perfect way to end the trailer. The screen goes black and we hear that familiar Han Solo voice…”Chewie…”. Then we see them side by side as Han says “We’re home” and Chewie lets out a small but smile-inducing roar. Han has always been my favorite and seeing Harrison Ford back in that role was a thrill. Story wise I’m wondering where “home” is? And Chewbacca has his crossbow while Han has his blaster. Did they retake the Millenium Falcon from someone? Was it the Falcon that they considered “home”? I can’t wait to find out.

So there you have five phenomenal things about the new Star Wars trailer. I’m not sure if I will be able to wait until Christmas! So what are you thoughts on the trailer on the upcoming movie?

REVIEW: “Words and Pictures”

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Whenever you see a movie starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche you should automatically have a certain bit of excitement and expectation. These are two top level performers who have some of the most natural acting sensibilities. The two come together in the 2014 romantic drama “Words and Pictures”. The film is directed by 74-year old Australian Fred Schepisi. I wasn’t familiar with Schepisi’s work so while looking through his filmography the one film that stood out was the 1987 Steve Martin romantic comedy “Roxanne”.

The film is set in Maine. Jack Marcus (Owen) is a language and writing teacher at a prominent college prep school. He has been a successful writer and poet and has been successful as an educator. But it doesn’t take long to see that he has his own demons. First there is his strained relationship with his son. Then there is his self-destructive alcoholism that begins to bleed over into his job performance. He soon finds his teaching gig in jeopardy pending a school administration review.

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Binoche plays Dina Delsanto. She arrives at the school to serve as the new art teacher. She is an accomplished artist who has seen her career take a difficult turn due to her painful and worsening rheumatoid arthritis. Her frustrations with her conditions sometimes cause friction with her new students, but she genuinely seeks to increase their knowledge and love for art.

As you can probably guess the two teachers meet and Dina’s first impression of the smug Jack isn’t a great one. Dina wants nothing to do with him. Jack views his playful agitations as his own weird sign of affection. The two strong personalities clash over practically everything from their art forms to the prospects of a possible relationship. Owen and Binoche have a good chemistry and as you watch them you begin to hope that the walls between them will soften. These are two fabulous lead performances.

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Writer Gerald Di Pego tosses in a few unique dramatic elements which keeps the film interesting. His script is also smart enough to let his two wonderful leads act. But at the same time the story does end up following a fairly familiar blueprint. It sets itself up to be truly different but in the second half you’ll notice several things that feel all too familiar. Even the ending seems too neat and polished. It never kills the movie, but it would have been interesting to see some of the more unique directions this story could have gone.

Still there is enough here to like and I enjoyed “Words and Pictures”. Its main draw is Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche – two performers I never grow tired of watching. They make this film automatically worth your time. And even though the story isn’t that ambitious or new, the film has its moments that really work. It can be romantic, funny, and genuinely heartfelt. It also gives us characters we can actually care about. Those pluses outweigh the snags which keep it from being even better.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Transcendence”

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On paper “Transcendence” sounded like a sure thing. It had an intriguing science fiction premise. It had a fabulous cast featuring Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman, and Cillian Murphy. It was the directorial debut from one of my favorite cinematographers Wally Pfister. But as with anything you can have some great pieces but that does automatically equal a great whole. That’s certainly the case with “Transcendence”.

Without question “Transcendence” is a film with loads of ambition and some good things to say. It gets off to a good start and lays an interesting foundation. Dr. Will Caster (Depp) is a renowned scientist working on the creation of a sentient artificial intelligence. His devoted wife Evelyn (Hall) is a strong supporter and organizes the funding for his research. His best friend Max (Bettany) is a fellow scientist and an important contributor to Will’s work.

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After speaking at a science and technology convention Will is shot by an anti-technology extremist. The act is part of a series of attacks by a terrorist group known as R.I.F.T. That stands for “Revolutionary Independence From Technology” and if you need something else to make you laugh, one of their weapons of choice is a poisonous birthday cake. Oh, and the bullet used on Will is radioactive. It poisons his blood and with no cure available he is given a month to live.

Desperate to hang onto her husband, Evelyn uploads Will’s consciousness to a super computer. He soon dies but is revived within the computer. Hunted down by R.I.F.T. and their dogged leader Bree (Kate Mara), Evelyn uploads Will to the internet giving him freedom and access to all the web’s information. As with any A.I. (or so we’re told) they survive by getting more information. With Evelyn’s help Will grows more powerful and soon crowds the line between helping the world and overtaking it.

This collision between mankind and technology does provide for some good conversation. There is also a compelling unconventional love story buried within this material. Unfortunately to get much of either you have to navigate through a litany of cavernous plot holes and inconceivable stretches of our imagination. As the movie moves forward we are constantly asked to overlook numerous gaps in logic and in the story itself. The film ends up smothering all of the interesting elements with one narrative blunder after another.

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It also doesn’t help that some of the film’s plot machinations are so incredibly preposterous and implausible. This is frustrating because once again it overshadows the intriguing concepts that do have a lot of promise. We just can’t buy into it all and at times it looks like the cast doesn’t either. I wouldn’t say that they are phoning in their performances. There are moments where they are trying to salvage something from the ramshackle script, especially Hall and Bettany. But no one feels thoroughly engaged or convinced in the material.

Again, “Transcendence” looked good on paper but not in execution. It has so much going for it but it lacks one vital component – a competent script. There is a good story to be found here and I got just enough to be annoyed by the mishandling of it. It did engage me at first and I really liked what the film was going for with its ending. It’s the rocky road in between that makes this a tough movie to recommend. And that’s a shame because this should have and could have been better.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

5 Phenomenal Movies from 1989

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Oh what a great year. At the risk of dating myself 1989 held quite a bit of significance for me. It was the year I graduated from high school. It was also a year rich with fun and entertaining movies. For a while now I’ve been looking back at the movies of the 1980s and we have finally reached 1989. As with the years before it, 1989 had a wacky mix of genres many of which featured that crazy 80s personality. Here are just five of the best of them. Obviously with so many films within a year’s time I wouldn’t call this the definitive list. But there is no denying that these five films from 1989 are absolutely phenomenal.

#5 – “When Harry Met Sally”

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Good romantic comedies are hard to come by these days, but that wasn’t always the case. 1989 gave us a great one in “When Harry Met Sally”. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan shine during a time when both of their careers were skyrocketing. Rob Renier’s direction is fantastic but this is really Nora Ephron’s baby. She received an Oscar nomination for her smart and witty screenplay which is the true lifeblood of the film. It is filled with such energy and charm while also being strikingly authentic. And it still holds up after all these years.

#4 – “My Left Foot”

MY LEFT FOOT

Daniel Day-Lewis’ first movie appearance happened way back in 1971. But in 1989 he would rise to the top of his craft with his emotionally-charged performance in the Irish Drama “My Left Foot”. It is a stirring performance in a film that isn’t the most comfortable to watch. On the flipside of that, “My Left Foot” is a movie that pulls you in with its unquestionable passion and sincerity. It is impossible to stop watching once it begins and a lot of that comes back to Day-Lewis. He would win the first of his three Best Actor Oscars and you never doubt whether he is deserving.

#3 – “Field of Dreams”

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For many years I called “Field of Dreams” the quintessential baseball movie. Without a doubt, it’s a film that gets to the core of why many of us love the game of baseball. But as I’ve grown older and watched the film more, I’ve come to realize that it isn’t the baseball aspect that makes it so good. It’s the family aspect that gives the movie its strong emotional punch. Kevin Costner is fabulous as a husband and father struggling to keep his family farm in Iowa. The movie has so much heart and a great supporting cast including Burt Lancaster in his final role.

#2 – “Batman”

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I still remember the summer of 1989 and the release of Tim Burton’s “Batman”. I remember seeing it in the theater with a packed house of excited moviegoers. It was all we talked about for weeks following its release. Nothing has changed over the years. I still love that movie. Michael Keaton surprised a lot of people (including myself) playing billionaire Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego, the Dark Knight himself. But Jack Nicholson stole the show playing the Joker. He gives us two incredible personas – a goofy, mischievous clown and a maniacal violent psychopath. It is so much fun and it landed during a time where superhero movies weren’t commonplace.

#1 – “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”

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Growing up in the 1980s was really great and the movies offered a lot to enjoy. One of the great pleasures for me was the Indiana Jones series and 1989 gave us the last of his movies (Look, I know the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” came out a few years ago but who counts it?). I often think the “The Last Crusade” is terribly underappreciated. It is an Indiana Jones film through and through, but it also features a wonderful father/son family dynamic between Harrison Ford and the great Sean Connery. The film is loaded with the signature great action and humor of the other films, but it has the most heart of any of them. Don’t cut this great installment short.

So that wraps up my Phenomenal 5 look at the 1980s. What did you think of this list? Is there a 1989 movie you think I missed? I would love to hear your thoughts. Hit the comments section below and let me know what you think. Now, on to the 90s?

REVIEW: “Furious 7”

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The evolution of the “Fast and Furious” franchise has been an intriguing thing to watch. It went from being a goofy street racing franchise that I easily dismissed to a huge scaled, amped up action series that I have enjoyed. It’s a franchise that banks on its silliness and absurdity but succeeds because it never takes itself too serious and it knows what it now wants to be. I can appreciate that. Part of the charm of what it has become revolves around how cinematically insane they can make things.

2011’s “Fast Five” was the turning point for me. The drastic change in formula was welcomed and that film still has some of the best action sequences of the last ten or so years. It was followed by the less satisfying but still entertaining “Fast and Furious 6”. Now we reach the seventh film because naturally there has to be another film, right? Unfortunately the path to bringing “Furious 7” to the big screen has been a tragic and complicated one. On November 30, 2013, halfway through filming “Furious 7”, Paul Walker was killed in a car accident while on Thanksgiving break. Understandably this threw the film’s likelihood in doubt. After the film was confirmed to be still on, script rewrites and cast changes caused a number of delays.

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But now it has hit theaters and the question becomes can it sustain the crazy, fuel-injected fun that has won me over to the franchise? In a nutshell, yes. “Furious 7” hits every note that you would expect from this reinvented series. The characters are formulaic and cliche. The dialogue is sometimes silly and hokey. The action blows believability to smithereens. But (and this may sound nuts to some readers) those things are part of the weird charm that these films have. James Wan takes the directing reins from longtime helmer Justin Lin and he doesn’t make the mistake of tinkering too much with the formula. This is definitely ‘more of the same’ but for fans that’s a good thing.

The film begins by reintroducing us to the crew and giving us a quick rundown of where they are and what they have been up to. Dom (Vin Diesel) is working hard to help Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) with her amnesia. Brian (Walker) is struggling to put aside his love for ‘the ride’ for the white-picket fence, mini-van family life. It also addresses the killer mid-credits scene from the last film. As it turns out Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), the older brother of the last film’s antagonist, is hot under the collar and seeking revenge on Dom, Brian, and their crew. After Shaw’s attacks get personal and deadly, Dom and company set out to get him.

The hunt for Shaw also pulls in Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) who quickly feels the full force of Shaw’s resolve. Other familiar faces like Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Chris Bridges) show up and fill their established roles. Their automotive adventure takes them all over the world – The United States, London, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, and a host of other places. Say what you want about the series, but their recent use of locales is one of its real treats. It’s not simply that it has a global feel. The locations are beautifully shot and injected into the storyline.

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The story itself is pretty simple and the structure is basically set around moving things from point A to point B. It’s nothing innovative or new when it comes to the storytelling. When it is focused on its main revenge-versus-revenge thread it hits on all cylinders. But there are some moving parts that don’t quite work as well. Kurt Russell shows up has a US shadow agent apparently with limitless government resources. He’s after the ultimate hacking tool called God’s Eye. A well-funded terrorist (Djimon Hounsou) is also after it for obvious nefarious purposes. The entire side plot isn’t particularly well presented or compelling. They do serve to fill-in necessary potential plot holes and to set the table for some of the better action sequences, but that’s about all they have to offer. There are also couple of weird, almost obligatory, diversions meant to reflect back to street racing roots of the franchise. Personally I wish they would get past that.

The performances are about what you would expect. They range from steady and serviceable to pretty shaky. This installment does try to inject more emotional weight than the previous films and that’s when the performances struggled the most. But ultimately they get the job done and with the exception of Ronda Rousey (who to be fair is just there for a glorified cameo) none are distractingly bad. And I have to say that despite the flimsiness of his character, it was a load of fun to watch Kurt Russell having a blast with what he was asked to do.

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But let’s be honest and true, nobody goes to a “Fast and Furious” movie for the performances. It’s all about the cars and the action. We get a lot of both. You almost get the feeling that each movie wants to top the other one in terms of the craziness of the action sequences.  This one definitely takes things to a higher level and most of the sequences are pure adrenaline-fueled excitement. Even when they pull something totally absurd out of their hat, it works within these reality-defying scenarios. That being said, the big action finale was the weakest. It certainly has its moments but it’s too long and overthought. Ultimately I was ready for it to end.

The movie ends with the fitting tribute to Paul Walker and his character, something I was expecting. It’s done really well and that could be said for most of the movie. It’s not perfect and there are stumbles that keep it from being an action movie classic. But these movies have embraced this new direction and this installment stays loyal to that. If you didn’t like the last two films I would be shocked to hear that you like this one. It definitely does the same things. But if you are a fan of their new model, and you enjoy just sitting back and going with its wildness, I have no doubts that you will find some of that same entertainment in “Furious 7”.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Listen Up Philip”

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It’s a good thing that you aren’t required to like or root for a main character in order to enjoy a movie. If that were the case the film “Listen Up Philip” wouldn’t have a fan in the world. This is the third movie from 30-year old independent filmmaker Alex Ross Perry and it can be a challenge. It is relentlessly unpleasant and it may feature the most detestable lead character you’ll see this year. Yet at the same time the dialogue is razor sharp, it is at times darkly funny, and it features a wickedly good lead performance from Jason Schwartzman.

The opening scene reveals to us the type of man we will be spending our time with. Philip (Schwartzman) sits in a restaurant impatiently waiting for his ex-girlfriend. She is 20 minutes late and he has already rehearsed how he’s going to belittle and confront her, not just for being late, but for never supporting him during their time together in ways he finds satisfactory. Philip is a writer who has just completed his second novel. His taste of success has fed his insatiable narcissism and he can’t wait to rub it in his ex’s face.

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Philip’s haughty self-absorption isn’t just reserved for his ex-girlfriend. We see it with a stranger at a bar, with his publisher, and we mostly see it with his current girlfriend Ashley who is played wonderfully by Elizabeth Moss. Ashley is one of our few refuges. She is a likable character who loves Philip and seems to have found a way to navigate his crazy range of emotions. But relationships can only sustain so much when a toxic character like Philip is factored in.

Now throw in an accomplished but aged writer Ike Zimmerman (Jonathan Pryce). He is Philip’s literary idol and a man desperate for new inspiration. Having appreciated Philip’s first two books, Ike contacts him with an invitation to stay at his country cottage and write. Philip jumps at the chance, leaving Ashley behind and fully expecting her to wait for him. We quickly learn that Ike isn’t the blueprint Philip follows in writing only. Ike’s also shares the same miserable self-centered lifestyle. The question becomes will Philip learn from Ike’s pathetic example or emulate it?

“Listen Up Philip” can be seen as many things. For one it’s a gut punch to many of the creative elites. It shows the striking differences between the happiness they bring through their creativity and the self-inflicted misery many of them live in. The film shows the fantasy world many elites live in built upon self-importance and the idea of being better than anyone else. These acidic personalities also bleed over into relationships. We see it with Philip and Ashley and later when he meets a French professor played by Joséphine de La Baume. For Ike it’s evident by his strained relationship with his daughter Melanie (Krysten Ritter).

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As I mentioned, the real challenge is in staying with these characters. I can easily see some people struggling with the film as they wait and search for at least an ounce of humanity in Philip. It seems as if Perry anticipates this problem. At one point in the film Philip vanishes for nearly 20 minutes and we follow Ashley and her struggles with Philip being gone. I’m still struggling with how I feel about the narrative shift. I like the Ashley character and there are some good moments in our time with her, but I’m not sure the divergence fully works. On the opposite end, by the films final act I did find myself worn down. I had grown tired of Philip despite the compelling nature of the character.

A part of me is thankful that people like Philip and Ike do crave some degree of solitude. This film pulls no punches in conveying these corrosive personalities, but it does so with a nice smattering of humor and with some very committed performances especially from Schwartzman who is perfectly cast. But in the end I felt exhausted and I was ready to close the book on these people. Was that the film’s desired effect? I’m not certain.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS