Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “The Hunt”

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HUNT POSTER

I’m a huge fan of Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen. Known as one of those familiar faces, Mikkelsen is an immensely talented actor who has shown a tremendous range. He’s tackled everything from period action pictures to emotional dramas; mythological fantasy to being a James Bond villain. He’s an undeniable presence in whatever he is in and his success, particularly in his native Denmark, is well deserved.

All of that should help explain my excitement for his film “The Hunt”. Original released overseas in 2012, “The Hunt” received a great response with most of the praise going to Mikkelsen’s performance. In fact, Mikkelsen would go on to win the Best Actor award at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. With all of that in mind and with my expectations through the roof, naturally I was expecting something special and that’s exactly what writer-director Thomas Vinterberg gives us.

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“The Hunt” is that rare film that aims to engage us emotionally while at the same time challenging those very emotions. It spurs self-inspection and analysis by casting spotlights on some ugly but very real elements of society. It causes us to question how we would feel or respond amid certain difficult situations. And it’s all woven within the fabric of a riveting narrative that is some of the best storytelling I’ve seen in a while. It’s a story that’s uncomfortable and may cause us to squirm, but sometimes that’s exactly what we need to do.

Mikkelsen plays Lucas, a divorced kindergarten teacher living in a close-knit Danish town. When Lucas angers a 5-year old student (who also happens to be the daughter of Lucas’ best friend) the young girl goes to the kindergarten supervisor and accuses Lucas of sexual misconduct. Of course the supervisor must act but she does so under the presumption of absolute guilt. Her constant mishandling of the situation sparks an inferno of canards and assumption which sweeps through the town fueling a vitriolic reaction from the community. There’s no hunt for truth. Lucas becomes the hunted and there is no fact or clue that will pull him out of some people’s crosshairs.

“The Hunt” creates a striking antithesis. On the surface we see a lovely tight-knit community during the holiday season. Festive family get-togethers and Christmas parties create an aura of small town charm. But underneath lies a conflict rooted in reality that sees otherwise decent people doing and saying horrible things. It would be easy to say we hate these people, but as heinous as their actions are, would we have acted or thought differently when faced with such an emotionally charged situation? That’s a question the movie tackles head-on.

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The utterly brilliant screenplay is both smart and provocative yet even it needed a capable lead actor to make it truly effective. Mads Mikkelsen more than fulfills that need. It’s a very restrained performance but also one of the most powerful in recent memory. The layers of persecution brought by the town’s rush to judgement takes more and more of a toll on Lucas and Mikkelsen draws out every detail with absolute precision. It’s a master class in dramatic acting and easily one of the best performances of the year. There is some good supporting work as well but Mikkelsen is the true star of the picture.

“The Hunt” can be difficult to watch. It’s confrontational and unflinching. Yet its thought-provoking questions are soaked in realism and relevance. But this is also a film made with expert craftsmanship. The script is intelligent and penetrating. The pacing is perfect. The camerawork is vivid and fluid. Then there is the lead performance from Mikkelsen – a true highlight of the movie year. It took me a while to finally see “The Hunt” but it was well worth the wait. It’s not a film that will leave you with the warm and fuzzies, but it does cut to the heart and it is expert filmmaking through and through.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Know Your Movies – Three Hints, One Guess

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MOVIES

It can’t only be reviews, Phenomenal 5 lists, and commentaries, right? Know Your Movies is all about having fun. Here’s how it works: I’ll share a single shot from a movie. It can be extremely serious or completely absurd. After that I’ll provide you with three hints. The rest is up to you. Hop in the comments section and share your guess as well as any thoughts or memories you have on the movie, actor/actress, or the scene. It should be a blast.

Today’s image is from a film that has become a true classic. So here’s the shot. Three hints will follow.

HARRY BAILEY

Hint 1: Released in 1946

Hint 2: Was considered a flop when first released

Hint 3: The film originated from a greeting card

Now head to the comments and share your guess. Pretty obvious, right? I would also love to hear your thoughts on the film, the scene, or anything else related to it. The correct answer will be announced first on my Twitter feed (@KeithandMovies for those who want to follow). Now feel free to guess and discuss this movie classic.

5 Phenomenally Funny Christmas Movie Characters

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movie_theatre - Phenom 5

Christmas movies come in all shapes and varieties. From Christian-themed films to the Hallmark Channel mush, the holiday has invited literally hundreds of movies. As you look at the vast library of Christmas films you can’t help but find a ton of really funny characters. That’s who we are looking at today. Undoubtedly many would come to mind at just the mention of funny Christmas movie characters. So with that in mind, I wouldn’t call this the definitive list. But there’s no denying that these a five funny Christmas movie characters are nothing short of phenomenal.

#5 – Myron Larabee (“Jingle All the Way”)

JINGLE

“Jingle All the Way” may not be considered a Christmas classic but it is one my family watches almost every year. Schwarzenegger plays the bad father who forgets to grab his son a Turbo-Man action figure for Christmas. He tears out on Christmas Eve to try to pick up what is the hottest toy of the holiday season. That’s when he runs into Myron played by Sinbad. I’ve never even a huge Sinbad fan but he’s really funny here. He plays on the deranged postal worker angle and becomes Arnie’s chief friend/rival in obtaining the elusive Turbo-Man. Myron has several laugh-out-loud lines and he’s a huge reason the movie is such fun (at least until the very end).

#4 – Harry and Marv (“Home Alone”)

HOME ALONE

Talk about stepping into a new role. Who would have ever thought Joe Pesci would be a highlight of a modern Christmas classic. Such is the case with “Home Alone”. In the film he teams up with Daniel Stern to form a suburban burglar team known as “The Wet Bandits”. Pesci and Stern are hilarious. The two numbskulls meet their match when they try and rob the home of 8-year old Kevin McCallister who has been accidentally left at home by his family. Harry and Marv fall prey to an assortment of Kevin’s booby traps which seem pulled right out of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons. They’re goofy and over-the-top, but they’re also a load of fun.

#3 – Papa Elf (“Elf”)

BOB NEWHART

Ok, this certainly isn’t a character in the same comedic vein as the others on this list, but he is an enormous reason I did the list to begin with. I’m talking about Papa Elf from the Christmas comedy “Elf”. Will Ferrell as Buddy would be the obvious selection here but I have to give some love to Bob Newhart. His casting was brilliant. There are several reasons he is so funny to me. First, we get Bob Newhart in tights and an elf outfit. Priceless! I can’t look at him without laughing. But then there is his serious, deadpan delivery which works to perfection. Newhart is just a funny guy and the way he handles this role cracks me up every time. He has to make my list.

#2 – Cousin Eddie (“Christmas Vacation”)

EDDIE

Surely you know Cousin Eddie would make this list, right? “Christmas Vacation” is a funny movie but the laughs go off the charts when Eddie and his family crash the Griswold family Christmas. Talk about stealing the show. Randy Quaid’s real-life misadventures proves that he has this type of character figured out. From Eddie’s wardrobes, to his antics, to his nutty lines, the movie is filled with one hysterical Eddie moment after another. As good as “Christmas Vacation” is, it’s safe to say it wouldn’t be the same without cousin Eddie. They just don’t get much funnier than him.

#1 – The Old Man (“A Christmas Story”)

CHRISTMAS STORY

As funny as all of the aforementioned characters are, there are none that make me laugh more than The Old Man (aka Ralphie’s father) in Bob Clark’s Christmas classic “A Christmas Story”. The late Darren McGavin Is nothing short of brilliant in his portrayal of this working-class father raising his family in Indiana. He has so many wonderful moments. His furnace and Oldsmobile battles, his bargaining with the Christmas tree man, his fights with the neighbors hound dogs, his major award. I could go on and on. He’s not only the funniest Christmas character but he’s one of my favorite characters period. And it’s all because of some very good writing and a fabulous performance from Darren McGavin. He’s my clear #1.

So what do you think of my list? I’d love to hear your favorite funny Christmas movie characters. Please take time to share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Golden Globes – Hits & Misses

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“12 Years a Slave’ and “American Hustle” lead the pack of this year’s Golden Globes nominees. Both movies, which seem primed for awards season, each received seven nominations each. As for the rest, while there were some predictable selections there were no egregious offenses (will anyone every forget “The Tourist’ nomination in 2010?). But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something to talk about. So here are a few thoughts and observations.

  • Let me get this out of the way first – the snubbing of “Mud” was the biggest frustration. On the other hand it shouldn’t surprise me. “Take Shelter“, another film from Jeff Nichols, was snubbed in 2011 as was Michael Shannon for his amazing performance. Film critic Roger Moore pointed out to me that “Mud” probably wasn’t edgy enough for them. What a shame. It’s an almost criminal ommision.
  • Staying with the snubs, where on earth is Mads Mikkelsen? I know the awards type have this weird concept of confining the foreign films to their one category (a small handful of exceptions excluded), but this is a pretty glaring ommision. Mikkelsen was amazing in “The Hunt” and not nominating him is most definitely a shameful snub.
  • I loved seeing Greta Gerwig get a nod for her work in “Frances Ha“. Let’s be serious, she has absolutely no chance of winning but the nomination is deserved. Gerwig may only play these eccentric, slightly neurotic characters but she does it REALLY well.
  • I knew it wouldn’t happen but Geoffrey Rush should have been nominated for his supporting work in “The Book Thief“. I could say the same for Emily Watson and young Sophie Nélisse. But Rush was just phenomenal and he was such a strong point in this underappreciated film.
  • Voter favorite David O. Russell once again finds his film nominated in multiple categories. So far he’s only managed to bring home the big awards for his actors and actresses. Some have said the challenge for him is breaking through and winning Best Director and Best Picture. For me his biggest challenge is making a movie without a boatload of f-bombs.
  • Is there anyone on planet earth who didn’t believe “Blue is the Warmest Color” would be nominated? Let me be fair, I haven’t seen it and I’ll probably never see it. But as sure as the sun shines during the day, it was going to be nominated. The Hollywood Foreign Press and the Academy actively search out films like this.
  • It’s odd that Julie Delpy gets nominated for “Before Midnight” and Ethan Hawke gets snubbed. On the other hand, it’s odd that the weakest film in the trilogy (I’m know, I’m one of the few who think that) is the first to finally get recognized by the awards folks.
  • The black community is well represented by some fantastic and deserving nominations. While I did have a few issues with “12 Years a Slave” there was nothing wrong with Chiwetel Ejiofor’s work. Absolutely brilliant. And Lupita Nyong’o was just as good giving a truly heartfelt performance. And it was wonderful to see Barkhad Abdi get recognized for his work in “Captain Phillips“. I’m also a huge fan of Idris Elba but I haven’t seen “Mandela”.
  • Tom Hanks gets nominated for “Saving Mr. Banks” but not “Captain Phillips“? That’s surprising. He was wonderful in “Captain Phillips” and I can’t imagine him being any better in “Saving Mr. Banks”. We shall see.
  • Congrats to Oscar Isaac. Here is an actor that is much better than the notice he has received. Some of his choices have been questionable but his talent isn’t. I’m glad to see the Coen brothers gave him an opportunity and the awards folks gave him recognition.

So much more could be said but I’ll end it there. It case you missed it, here are the film nominees. I would love to here your thoughts on my thoughts or the nominees in general. Let the awards season begin!!!

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
“12 Years a Slave”
“Captain Phillips”
“Gravity”
“Philomena”
“Rush”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”
Judi Dench, “Philomena”
Emma Thompson, “Saving Mr. Banks”
Kate Winslet, “Labor Day”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Idris Elba, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Tom Hanks, “Saving Mr. Banks”
Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”
Robert Redford, “All Is Lost”

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
“American Hustle”
“Her”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Nebraska”
“The Wolf Of Wall Street”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Amy Adams, “American Hustle”
Julie Delpy, “Before Midnight”
Greta Gerwig, “Frances Ha”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Enough Said”
Meryl Streep, “August: Osage County”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Christian Bale, “American Hustle”
Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Oscar Isaac, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Her”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“The Croods”
“Despicable Me 2″
“Frozen”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Blue is the Warmest Color”
“The Great Beauty”
“The Hunt”
“The Past”
“The Wind Rises”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Sally Hawkins, “Blue Jasmine”
Jennifer Lawrence “American Hustle”
Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Julia Roberts, “August: Osage County”
June Squibb, “Nebraska”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips”

Daniel Brühl, “Rush”
Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle”
Michael Fassbender, “12 Years a Slave”
Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”
Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips”
Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
Alexander Payne, “Nebraska”
David O. Russell, “American Hustle”

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
Spike Jonze, “Her”
Bob Nelson, “Nebraska”
Jeff Pope, Steve Coogan, “Philomena”
John Ridley, “12 Years A Slave”
Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell, “American Hustle”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
Alex Ebert, “All Is Lost”
Alex Heffes, “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom”
Steven Price, “Gravity”
John Williams, “The Book Thief”
Hans Zimmer, “12 Years A Slave”

THE END

REVIEW: “The Book Thief”

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BOOK THIEF POSTER

Add this to the ever growing list of movies based on popular books that I’ve never read. “The Book Thief” was a popular novel released in 2006 by Australian author Markus Zusak. At least that’s what I’m told. I obviously had not read it or even heard of it until the new film adaptation hit theaters. I have to say the trailer instantly grabbed me. I’m naturally drawn to movies about World War 2, the Holocaust, or the people affected by them. So even with the film’s small amount of press and lukewarm reviews I was still anxious to see it.

Let’s not beat around the bush. I loved “The Book Thief”. Even further, I’m really surprised at some of the criticisms that have been thrown its way. Some I simply don’t agree with while others feel terribly unjust. It’s true that the movie doesn’t delve deep into the horrors of its setting. And it’s also true that it has its share of melodrama. But I never felt this film needed to be more graphic or detailed and melodrama in itself isn’t a bad thing. For me “The Book Thief” was a sweet, tender, and moving story. Yes those adjectives tend to be overused, but for me they fit this movie perfectly.

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Oddly enough Death is the narrator. ‘He’ sets up the story by introducing us to a young girl named Liesel (Sophie Nélisse). She and her younger brother are being taken by their mother to meet their new foster parents. But when her brother dies in route, Liesel is left alone in this new and difficult environment. Her new parents, the cold, strict Rosa (Emily Watson) and the gentle, compassionate Hans (Geoffrey Rush), live in a small German town during a tumultuous time. Naziism is gaining strength and World War 2 is nearing.

Director Brian Percival takes us along as Liesel tries to adapt to and survive in her new world. There are a few people she meets who helps her along the way. Her new next-door neighbor, a young boy named Rudy (Nico Liersch), is instantly attracted to her and the two become great friends. She also encounters a Jewish man named Max Vandenburg (Ben Schnetzer), who Hans and Rosa put into hiding. But perhaps her greatest source of comfort is found in her newly discovered love for books. Through books she grows closer to her new father, she learns the ways of the new world, and she learns a way to express herself that she had never known before. Throughout the film many things in Liesel’s life changes. Her love for books isn’t one of them.

“The Book Thief” moves slow and deliberate but I never had a problem with it. I found myself glued to the story and the characters particularly young Liesel. Canadian actress Sophie Nélisse is asked to carry much of the load and she is certainly up to the task. The 13-year old gives a mesmerizing performance. She captures the childlike innocence and playfulness while never falling under the weight of the heavier emotional scenes. It was also amazing to see the way she handled a German accent. She really blew me away. Then there is the brilliance of Emily Watson and Geoffrey Rush. Both are perfectly cast and hit every note just right. In fact Rush deserves some serious Oscar consideration for this performance.

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But this is also a beautiful movie made so by Florian Ballhaus’ fine cinematography, some wonderful costume and set designs, and a lovely score by John Williams. There are several camera shots or visual moments that are still etched in my mind. The film is striking as it visualizes several uncomfortable events including a nighttime book burning, a home-by-home search for Jews, and people scrambling for bomb shelters as air raid sirens eerily scream in the background. And it’s made even more effective by the fact that it’s all seen through young Liesel’s eyes.

I love it when a film grabs me and pulls me into its world. That’s exactly what happened with “The Book Thief”. For two hours I was a resident on that small town German street. I cared about the characters, laughed with them, and was pierced by the tragedies they endured. It may be too dry for some people, too tame for others, and perhaps it is just a tad too long. I still had an incredible experience. A stirring story, some beautiful direction, some of the year’s best performances, and a near perfect ending all contribute to this being one of my favorite films of 2013.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “The Call”

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the-call-posterI have to say I wasn’t expecting very much from “The Call”. It looked basic and clichéd and the thought of Halle Berry teaming up with WWE wrestling’s movie production branch just wasn’t that appealing. Well now I have seen it and “The Call” is certainly basic and clichéd. But despite its flaws it is a movie that manages to remain entertaining throughout. There is just enough tension and just enough suspense to keep you invested. Unfortunately the eye-rolling ending almost undoes everything the film does right.

Berry plays a Los Angeles 911 operator. For me this was one of the strongest parts of the film. I may be wrong, but I don’t remember a movie ever looking at this side of the phone. We’ve had plenty of movies where we hear the 911 operator on the other end of the phone. In “The Call” we see the operators in their environment. The movie calls the place “the hive” and Berry plays a veteran operator named Jordan Turner. Berry is surprisingly convincing as she handles a variety of different calls. In fact the entire setting was well conceived and pretty fascinating.

But after a botched 911 call involving a kidnapped young girl ends tragically, the pressure drives Jordan away from the operating chair. She becomes a trainer of new operators but conveniently ends up taking over a call involving a very similar situation. A teen named Casey Welson (Abigail Breslin) is kidnapped from a local mall and she connects with Jordan via a cell phone hidden in her pocket. The rest of the film follows Jordan’s attempt to get information from Casey while the police rush to save her before things end badly.

The call 1

“The Call” yanks several familiar elements from many thrillers we’ve already seen. It certainly doesn’t do anything new. Yet it is competently made and it’s aware that the pacing and intensity is essential to keeping the audience involved. It doesn’t waste a lot of time developing characters or throwing in too much unneeded backstory. Director Brad Anderson seems to know that he needs to keep his audience fixated on the intensity and suspense and if the pacing lulls there isn’t anything under the surface. For the most part Anderson pulls it off. The movie kept my attention all the way through and it deserves credit for that. It doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not and it succeeds as a whole.

But it’s certainly not a perfect film and as it reaches its climax things begin to run off the rails. First, you can’t help but notice some of the corny dialogue particularly when the script tries to add a little personality to the characters. There are also several of those head-scratching moments where the action of the characters simply doesn’t make sense. And then there is the ending. I’ve alluded to it twice already and I certainly don’t want to give away any spoilers, but the film goes in the direction that seems odd and frankly absurd. The big conclusion is so silly and nonsensical. It’s meant to be empowering but it leaves so many obvious holes and glaring question marks. All I could do was shake my head and wonder who came up with that ludicrous idea. It’s that bad.

And that’s disappointing. I say that because “The Call” surprised me. Not because of its depth or originality, but because it managed to entertain while tossing out some fairly good edge-of-your-seat suspense. Even with its flaws I was having a good time, at least until the end. Perhaps the filmmakers have something else in mind but I can’t help but think you could end a movie like this in a better way. Regardless, I will give it credit for being better than I expected. In fact, I guess I would say I was entertained.

VERDICT – 3 STARS