THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 Review

Going into a film so steeped in historical events, facts, and undoubtedly some speculation it’s difficult to not want to feel both completely educated and entertained on and by the subject come the conclusion of the film. With the second directorial effort from A Few Good Men and The Social Network scribe Aaron Sorkin being based on the violent clash between police and antiwar protestors at the 1968 Democratic National Convention it’s even more difficult-given the similar cultural landscape we presently find ourselves in-to not want to first and foremost pay attention to the precision of Sorkin’s pen so as to not be swayed one way or another by the dramatization of it all. That said, it’s also difficult to not want to abandon the real-life aspects altogether and instead simply escape to enjoy the piece for its expertly crafted dialogue exchanges and period-accurate set decorations with hopes that what is depicted on screen respects the institution of integrity enough that we trust what the film is telling us and what it’s trying to convince us of are both genuine and honest. That the film takes the position it does will be an easier pill to swallow for a viewer who stands firmly on one side than the other which raises questions about how those on the wrong side of history now can’t see themselves in those on the wrong side of history then, but while this idea might be an aside of Sorkin’s it would seem his primary objective is to illustrate the strong foundations of our institutions, but also the myriad of ways in which they can be taken advantage of and the vitality of intent if one cannot find a complete, impartial view of the bigger picture; in essence, Sorkin seeks to create something as close to primary material as possible and in large part-especially for the first hour-you want to believe he has. If The Trial of the Chicago 7 hopes to make you feel any certain way though, it’s that type of “hurrah” mentality that no matter how evil the bad guys are the good and the just will eventually overcome it. Unfortunately, this take couldn’t feel more in contrast with today’s world despite the similarities in the challenges our protagonists are up against and the current assault our democracy is facing. Despite the stride towards a more triumphant rather than the more accurately sobering tone in the third act though, Sorkin has pieced together an airtight screenplay with an overwhelmingly impressive cast that executes the material in a substantial fashion giving the project the feel of something genuinely valuable.

SNOWDEN Review

For the second year in a row now we have a fictionalized account of real-life events that were already well-documented in award-winning documentaries starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt doing weird accents. And, much like The Walk, the biggest obstacle Snowden was going to need to overcome was that of the one for its own relevancy. Not only did most of the American public see the splattering of media coverage when the Snowden story broke in the summer of 2013, but many also watched Laura Poitras' Oscar-winning documentary, Citizenfour, that was released in 2014 and chronicled how Poitras along with Guardian reporters Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill traveled to Hong Kong to meet with Edward Snowden and discuss how to break the news of the information the whistleblower was willing to leak. That rather riveting documentary was more than enough to give us a portrait of who this man was and why he did what he did without going into overly dramatized flashbacks or even divulging all of his professional history with the CIA and the military. Solely through how he presented himself in the current circumstances he was facing at the time of Citizenfour viewers glimpsed what type of man Edward Joseph Snowden is and what he might have done were he presented with the dilemma of going along with a CIA field operatives dirty plan or standing up to that more seasoned field agent and doing what he felt was right no matter if it meant him resigning from the agency or not. While we could have likely guessed what path Snowden would have taken given the virtues and sentiments he doles out in his Citizenfour interviews for some reason director Oliver Stone has found it necessary to go back and fill in those gaps just in case you didn't get it. While the idea of a feature film around Snowden isn't inherently a bad one what Stone has chosen to do with the material in telling a straightforward account on the life and times of Snowden in the twelve years leading up to the incident that would make him the, "World's Most Wanted Man" make the idea seem downright unnecessary. Given this is exactly the type of territory Stone has always enjoyed covering, especially when he has a particular point of view on the subject and wants nothing more than to convince you he's right, I expected Snowden to offer a compelling and thoughtful argument and examination for and of the actions Snowden took and why they should be celebrated rather than slammed, but while Stone's position is evident there is nothing here to compel an indifferent viewer one way or the other.

Full Trailer for Oliver Stone's SNOWDEN

It seems as if we've been talking about Oliver Stone's Edward Snowden film for two years now, but today we finally have the first full trailer after a teaser that debuted last June. I wasn't sure what to expect from the film given it seemed a rushed project to capitalize on current events. It didn't help my optimism that the fascinating documentary, Citizenfour, had already come out and with the involvement of the real Snowden had already shed as insightful a light on the situation as possible. Seeing actors go through similar motions would seemingly only feel like watching people play dress up. This is certainly a concern still given the vocal choices star Joseph Gordon-Levitt has seemed to adopt for his portrayal of Snowden, but this trailer also displays the advantages of having a dramatic narrative around a popular public figure. This aspect comes into play mostly in the early parts of the trailer as we are given highlights of what led Snowden to work for the NSA in the first place. His desire to serve his country and honor its legacy is an admirable quality no matter where one falls in line politically and will undoubtedly set the character up as a likable and endearing individual who audiences will find it hard to turn on once the events he's well-known for begin to happen. The story of Edward Snowden is certainly ripe for an adaptation by a filmmaker who has made his name on interpreting history and historical figures, but only time will tell if this is the Stone that brought us JFK and Born on the Fourth of July or the one who brought us Savages. Snowden also stars Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson, Rhys Ifans, Nicolas Cage, and opens on September 16th, 2016.

THE NIGHT BEFORE Review

Sitting down for a Seth Rogen comedy now means one of two things in that 1) we're either going to get a stoner comedy extravaganza with over the top comedic bits or 2) we'll still get those things, but they will be balanced out by some type of life lesson that typically holds real dramatic weight. Which Seth Rogen movie we end up getting usually depends on who he's collaborating with and lucky for us, with The Night Before, Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have reunited with their 50/50 director Jonathan Levine. 50/50 was one of my favorite films from 2011, but I haven't felt the need to re-visit it as often as I'd initially imagined. While The Night Before isn't as impactful simply by virtue of not dealing with as serious a subject as cancer it is a film I could see myself returning to more often than not, especially during the holiday season, due to the fact it's solid, raunchy fun. While the gist of the film is just that, to be a dirty, filthy, drug-fueled and foul language-filled R-rated Christmas comedy, there is clearly something more at play here and we can sense that from the opening sequence in which Tracy Morgan narrates as if reading a classic Christmas storybook. The film is framed and presented as something of a spoof on the traditional Christmas movie where everything is softly lit as if every viewer is cuddled up next to a fireplace watching and finding solace in the thought that things will never change and traditions will hold up for decades upon decades, but that is the exact theme in which The Night Before hopes to tackle. One has to wonder how long Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg (who is credited as a screenwriter here along with Levine and two other writers) were going to continue to harp on the themes of boys becoming men and growing up even if it's something you don't necessarily want to accept. They have more or less been harping on these ideas for ten years now as here Rogen is playing the opposite of his Knocked Up character and the movie overall is something of a Superbad eight years down the road. The catch is, it works, and it puts a kind of kibosh on the theme as each character either comes to realize these truths or is able to get over the hump of revealing them to the ones they care about most.

THE WALK Review

Man on Wire is the Academy Award winning documentary from 2008 that preceded this dramatization of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit's walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. What made the documentary such a critical success and one of the more all-around entertaining documentaries ever made was largely due to two factors-1) Petit himself and 2) the heist-like nature required to pull the stunt off.  Petit is a character who needs no exaggeration. To watch him describe his mentality and desires in the documentary was to paint so vivid a picture that re-enactments were never needed. There was also a surplus of photos and footage from around Petit and his accomplices planning and executing this rather risky gamble to fulfill one man's crazy dream that filled in the gaps when Petit wasn't acting out his recollections. So, the question is why would anyone want and more importantly why does anyone need another version of a story that has already been told in a magnificent (and no doubt more honest) way? The documentary was filled with drama and tension so why dramatize it further only to restrict it to a narrative structure that would likely end up making the distressing story rather passionless. There seems to be no definitive answer as to why this new interpretation was necessary within director Robert Zemeckis' film, but strangely it seems to make perfect sense given the man behind this particular vision. Zemeckis has always been a filmmaker who likes to push the envelope when it comes to technology and trying things other filmmakers wouldn't dare attempt (see Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cast Away, The Polar Express). In Petit's story the director has found an inherently dramatic, fun and literally breathtaking tale that perfectly accommodates the type of innovative filmmaking methods he likes to march out and test on his audiences. And so, while The Walk may not be a movie we all needed, that certainly doesn't make it one worth ignoring. In fact, it's rather invigorating once it gets going.

Red Band Trailer for THE NIGHT BEFORE

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is putting in work in some high caliber projects this fall by portraying real-life figures Edward Snowden and Philippe Petit in movies for Robert Zemeckis and Oliver Stone. Seth Rogen is also portraying a real-life figure as Steve Wozniak for director Danny Boyle while Anthony Mackie will play a supporting role alongside Sandy Bullock in director David Gordon Green's Our Brand is Crisis that just received an Awards-friendly release date yesterday. Needless to say, these three young actors from varying backgrounds have a lot going on later this year, but that hasn't stopped them from getting together to make a comedy about getting together and continuing a tradition. In The Night Before (formerly titled X-Mas) Ethan (Gordon-Levitt), Isaac (Rogen) and Chris (Mackie) come together for one last debauchery-filled Christmas Eve reunion before officially becoming too old for the tradition. Chris is apparently some sort of sports star which makes it difficult for the three to carry out their tradition without some sort of interruption and Isaac is getting ready to become a father which will mean holidays equal family only from this point on. There is the glaring omission of any reasoning behind Ethan's need to move on, but I'm sure that is where co-writer/director Jonathan Levine (50/50, Warm Bodies) will find his opportunity to include the more dramatic and emotional side of things. Taken on its own though, this red-band trailer delivers some serious laughs and looks to be a nice deviation from the family-friendly material that will crowd the cineplexes during the "most winderful time of the year." The Night Before also stars Mindy Kailing, Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Kanye West, Lorraine Toussaint, Heléne Yorke, Michael Shannon and opens on November 25th.

Full Trailer for THE WALK Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Upon seeing the initial teaser trailer for Robert Zemeckis’ latest endeavor late last year I wasn't too excited for what it was promoting. The story of Philippe Petit had already been documented in the critically acclaimed documentary Man On Wire and it seemed unlikely that Zemeckis’ film would be able to match that acclaim or even what made the documentary so fascinating and that's not even taking into consideration that a dramatized version of these events hardly seems necessary. Still, the narrative film is coming and it has Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the lead so it will inevitably be discussed, but what I can't tell is if this movie wants to be more of an Oscar-contender or if it simply wants to be an exhilirating thrill ride that really capitalizes on the IMAX and 3D aspects of its production. The marketing is certainly driving this angle home, but this second, full trailer for the film also highlights the heist-type aspects of the film given Petit and his crew were not allowed to go to the top of the twin towers, string a wire between them and attempt to tightrope walk between them. The trailer is much better than what I would have initially expected from the film and the fact this trailer came with the announcement that this will be the opening night film at the New York Film Festival this year only makes me all the more curious. I wish we didn't live in a culture where we had to think of films simply as Oscar-type films and those for pure entertainment, but we typically do. Maybe The Walk can break that frame of mind. The film also stars Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Ben Schwartz, Clément Sibony, César Domboy and opens in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D on October 2nd.

SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR Review

In the spring of 2005 my newly minted eighteen year-old self highly anticipated director Robert Rodriguez's adaptation of the Frank Miller comic Sin City. Keep in mind this was a world before Christopher Nolan's genre re-defining Batman Begins or Zack Snyder's influential visual stylings of 300 and so to see something so inherently original in its take on both aesthetic and story was exciting even if I wasn't familiar with the source material. Add on to that the fact Rodriguez enlisted the creator of the comic book as his co-director and gathered up an expansive cast that included Bruce Willis, Benecio Del Toro, Clive Owen, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Brittany Murphy, Michael Madsen, Powers Boothe and the first interesting role Mickey Rourke had taken in some time (essentially the one that made him cool again) and you had something people were generally intrigued by. Almost a decade later though and the anticipation for any such follow-up to the film has long since faded and thus the original would have likely survived best if left alone rather than trying to return to the days of former glory with a sequel that doesn't really expand the world of the titular environment as much as it gives us the same things we were treated to the first time around, only this time with less of a punch to the gut. Less punch because we've seen them before, less surprise because we know the characters better, more of the same because we realize the characters weren't as developed as our first impression led us to believe. In short, the sequel more or less points out the flaws of the world in which it exists rather than enhancing or expanding the universe the original set-up and when a sequel does this it only makes its existence feel all the more forced than necessary. There are of course a few redeemable aspects here, the stark visuals still elicit a certain mood and look stunning on the big screen and the addition of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his storyline is engaging and deserved more screen time, but these aren't enough to spice up what is overall rather boring and a flat narrative. There will always be a certain nostalgia for the original Sin City given it's place in time and my stage of life when it was released, but if there was any hope A Dame to Kill For might do the same, re-create those feelings, or even spark interest in eighteen year-olds today those hopes were dashed when Rourke's narration began and the style was more cloak and pattern than function to deepen story or theme.

First Trailer for SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR

Way back in 2005 I went to see Sin City for my eighteenth birthday and became so caught up in the visual style of the world Robert Rodriguez created as he brought the Frank Miller comics to life that I don't rightly remember much of what the story concerned itself with. I remember simply being impressed and overwhelmed by it all that the fact it was broken down into several different narratives with an insane amount of characters and a balancing act hard to get a grasp on the first time around didn't bother me much. It was one of those films that seemed to demand a sequel upon its release and it became easier and easier to forget the initial film with each passing year (instead we got Miller's horrible solo effort The Spirit in 2008). I will admit to not re-visiting Sin City much over the past nine years, but would be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit excited to finally see Rodriguez and Miller continue their tales of Basin City. This time around, Joseph Gordon-Levitt heads up the impressive roster of new and returning cast members that will weave together two of Miller's stories. With 300: Rise of an Empire out tomorrow it is only fitting we now get our first look at the other Frank Miller adaptation this year. While 300 has become the more definitive staple of Miller's visual style it was always clear Sin City was the more ambitious in terms of both style and substance and if the first trailer is any indication (according to the early reviews for Rise of an Empire) it seems the follow-up to Sin City will also be the more substantial in terms of narrative even if the visual effects look like they have a long way to come before that release date. Let's just hope this doesn't skew towards cheap knock-off more than authentic replicate as Rodriguez's Machete Kills did last year. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For stars Josh Brolin (taking over for Clive Owen) Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Jaime King, Eva Green, Dennis Haysbert, Christopher Meloni, Jeremy Piven, Ray Liotta, Juno Temple, Stacy Keach, Julia Garner and opens on August 22nd.

DON JON Review

Joseph Gordon-Levitt would like you to believe his directorial debut is a comedy, a commentary on the unrealistic expectations media-consuming millennials have come to expect because of what they see on the internet and in the movies. That these narcissistic brats who constantly text and stare at screens rather than go outside or spend quality one on one time with each other talking face to face have become so self-involved that they are numb to the effect another person might have on them; that, in many ways, we are incapable of experiencing real and true emotion. That is what the advertisements for Don Jon would have you believe, that Gordon-Levitt makes his writing and directing debut behind the smug script that caters specifically to his age set and cashes in on the unknown truth of what romance has become. There is good and bad to the fact that none of this is actually true. Don Jon is as much a romantic comedy with the R-rated twist of porn thrown into the mix as Flight was a mystery thriller about how a pilot saved almost everyone on board after the plane somehow malfunctioned. What makes Don Jon so engaging is the pure energy and palpable excitement that has been put into the project by its writer, director and star. This is clearly a project he's worked tirelessly on and to have the opportunity to manage and control a creative venture is something the multi-talented Gordon-Levitt isn't going to let slip away without leaving an impression. It is what kind of impression he leaves though that makes his film something of a question mark to figure out as you walk out of the theater. Sure, it tries to have its cake and eat it too, but it goes about it in such a charming way and has enough of a solid script and great casting to forgive the formulaic pitfalls it comes around to in the last fifteen or so minutes of the film. I like Gordon-Levitt, I think he has made smart choice after smart choice and continues to show why he deserves the recognition he's been receiving since breaking the child star curse four years ago with (500) Days of Summer. In many ways, that film and Don Jon are kindred spirits in that both characters played by Gordon-Levitt have very specific expectations of what love is supposed to be and as a director Gordon-Levitt clearly has expectations for what his film wants and needs to be as well, but while it feels like he almost gets there he's still missing that something extra.

First Trailer for Joseph Gordon-Levitt's DON JON

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was pretty much everywhere in 2012 as he made appearances in four films (The Dark Knight Rises, Premium Rush, Looper, and Lincoln) and still found time to write, direct and star in his own film, originally titled Don Jon's Addiction, that has been making its rounds on the festival circuit for a few months now. I was hoping to catch a screening of it as it was the closing night film at my local film festival this past weekend, but was unable to make it and likely would not have been able to get into the screening anyway. Anyway, I'm anxious to see what the talented actor has up his sleeve in terms of writing and making a feature film and if the trailer is any indication it at least looks like he had a good time making a movie and that experience seems to have been captured on screen. The tone and pacing of the film seem very apparent here and the film seems ripe with comic opportunity as it mainly concerns itself with distilling the ideals put on the masses by mainstream entertainment that every relationship should be like those we see in romantic comedies. This is of course a difficult goal to achieve when you factor in a porn. This is the addiction referred to in the films original title, but is also the main point of conflict when Gordon-Levitt's title character finds someone he might have a real shot of an authentic relationship with in Scarlett Johansson. Reviews from the festival circuit have been overwhelmingly positive and I'm anxious to see what all the fuss is about. The film also stars Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Jeremy Luke, Rob Brown, and Brie Larson. Don Jon opens on October 18th. Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

LINCOLN Review

When coming from a generation where director Steven Spielberg has already been placed upon a pedestal as an iconic director it is hard to look at anything the guy does with anything less than high expectations. While other times it will naturally feel as if the man is skating by on his reputation rather than his abilities that could have easily come to a halt once reaching such a status. I have always wondered about this, wondered if Spielberg had what it takes to continue walking his line between serious films and blockbuster money-makers while maintaining his credibility with the critics and keeping the general public intrigued no matter what type of project he chose to take on next. In the time since I began seriously loving films (say, the last ten years) the director has created two genuinely great films and a slew of others that are very good. One thing was ultimately clear, these movies were made by a filmmaker who knew what he wanted and no matter the genre or the size has the power to make you feel something, an inherent reaction to what is happening on screen. While I have always been a fan of Spielberg and of course have wrestled with what some of his films might have become were they made by a less established name, none of this came into consideration when reflecting upon Lincoln many hours after the credits rolled. A film that has been in the works for over fifteen years, it is simply rewarding to see this work finally come to fruition. An intense and stirring look behind closed doors that doesn't cover Lincoln from birth to death but instead focuses on a small window in his life that very well defines why the man still commands an iconic status today.

LOOPER Review

It is an understatement to say I was excited for Looper. As a fan of the science fiction genre it is always nice to see what seems to be a smart, legitimate sci-fi flick get good treatment from the studio system. It is clear these aren't always appealing to a mass audience but when they are made right, and with visionary directors at the charge of them they can easily be the most captivating of journeys on film. While my preference goes toward things that venture further into the cosmos, Looper is a piece of time travel bonanza that is escalated by so many different elements that are so much better than you expect them to be that the entire film rises from its own genre trappings and becomes something entirely fresh. Fresh is one of the hardest words to come by when we think of the future these days. Our ideas of what it should be, what it will look like, what it should contain have all been shaped by movies that have come before. As we now live in a future that was imagined by moviemakers twenty years ago, it only makes the task of developing an authentic, non-CG created world set even further in the future all the more challenging. Writer and director Rian Johnson has risen to that challenge, realizing that  the world develops but not with the major overhaul that most future-set films would like to imply. The world in 2044 is still very much one we recognize and can see the place we live in now transitioning to. It is all in the little details that add credibility to the films filthy landscape. Moving past that, Johnson also gives his characters quick, intelligent dialogue to ring off at one another while not getting overly wrapped up in the semantics of the consequences that will naturally come along when we begin tampering with things that should never have been touched with such hands in the first place.

Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a hired gun who kills
men sent back from the future.

While the set up of the film may sound a bit standard: time travel exists. A guy meets himself from the future. No big deal right? Seen it before, probably know where it's going. That is what makes Looper great. Though we've seen these tricks before, and in much worse fashion, Johnson has fleshed out a film where the set up incorporates time travel but doesn't allow it to drive the narrative. As an audience we are introduced to Joe in 2044 (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) a young, hired gun whose job it is as a "looper" to instantly kill anyone the mob decides to send back in time to him. You see, time travel does not yet exist in 2044 either, but it does in the future. It was immediately outlawed and is only available for use on the black market. The mobs use it to dispose of guys they need taken care of and sending a man back in time to die immediately erases him from the future leaving no body for evidence. As young Joe, Gordon-Levitt wears a mug that allows us to believe he could age into Bruce Willis. He also incorporates a nice gravel into his youthful voice that hints at the extent the actor likely went in order to help us genuinely see the evolution of a man. Naturally, things are destined to fall apart. One can only expect this to happen when mere men attempt to take on the power of Gods. When a new mob boss in the future decides to start "closing loops" i.e. sending the older version of the looper back in time to kill himself; things get messy and future Joe (Willis) no longer likes the deal he made as a young man. The loopers receive a hefty reward for closing their loop and are relieved of their duties, but are burdened by what they know is coming. Even with the trailer you may think you know exactly where the film is heading but there are several different layers to the film that as it unfolds reveals to its audience that this is more epic moral tale than a futuristic effects fest.

Joe is taken off guard when his older self (Bruce Willis)
is the one he has to kill.

Director Johnson's first feature was the well-reviewed and often underrated Brick while his second, The Brothers Bloom, was certainly underrated and I enjoyed it much more than everyone else around me seemed to. What always stood out about the two though was the fact of how different they were and as he adds Looper to his canon it is clear the diversity informs the intelligence of his scripts and their defiance to be confined to what would otherwise feel like a standard romp through script writing 101. While the design of the film is appealing and captures a perfect overall tone to the film the soundtrack feels a bit off if not flat out cheesy at some points. Other times, it's great and when a smooth jazz number slides perfectly against the tough images we're seeing on screen a sense of cool oozes off the actors. It is in more typical, action-oriented scenes that the orchestral music doesn't give a good build-up or feels as if a single loop (no pun intended) was thrown in out of nowhere to emphasize the moment. The action scenes themselves can also at times feel a bit clunky in their direction. These are minor complaints though as from the opening shot, even the opening title, we are hooked by what is unfolding on screen because the movie has style and smarts. Not to mention, the performances are great from everyone involved. Not only does Gordon-Levitt cement his status as a force to be reckoned he proves he can pretty much do anything. He makes Joe a man we don't necessarily like, but who we still understand and come to sympathize with. Willis will likely go overlooked in the smaller, less flashier role here but he does some great subdued work here. After phoning in performances in The Expendables 2 and the horrible Cold Light of Day Willis fully realizes what began as a great year with his moving turn in Moonrise Kingdom. In Looper, he plays the older, wiser version of a man who we think we already know and when it turns out we don't, the ride becomes even more exhilarating.

Sara (Emily Blunt) has a secret on her secluded farm
she is intent on keeping.

In an aspect that has been largely ignored in the marketing campaign Emily Blunt also shows up here to provide some of her best work of the year and there has been a lot of it. Though I have yet to see Your Sister's Sister others like Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Five Year Engagement were good enough if not slightly underwhelming. Here, though Blunt pulls off a flawless American accent and stands as a pillar for what the state of society is in this time period. She is beaten down, desperate, and has likely thought about giving up and giving in multiple times yet she keeps on going looking towards a beacon of hope that might make tomorrow better than today. She is an inspiring character and for as central as the story is to Joe, Blunt's Sara feels like the heart of the film. There are also smaller appearances from the likes of Paul Dano and Jeff Daniels who add a flair to the rollicking first act of the film. In the end though, what the greatness of Looper comes down to is the originality and the unusual path the script takes. It is a witty film that though it has a very serious meaning and a hard-edged exterior never seems to take itself too seriously. It is a refreshing entry in the sci-fi realm that along with Source Code and Sound of My Voice have added real credibility and new ideas to a genre that had become quite lacking. This all lends itself to a film that when you walk out of it will leave you more than satisfied. The problem it leaves you with is that in its few shortcomings it leaves you wanting more and even though you immediately want to go back and watch it again to dig deeper into the details you secretly just want it to keep going, to keep giving. But, as the main theme of the film explains so well, sometimes we have to sacrifice our own wants and needs for the greater good. Too much of a good thing is anything but, and Looper delivers just the right amount to hold us over until Johnson creates his next film.

 

LOOPER Review

It is an understatement to say I was excited for Looper. As a fan of the science fiction genre it is always nice to see what seems to be a smart, legitimate sci-fi flick get good treatment from the studio system. It is clear these aren't always appealing to a mass audience but when they are made right, and with visionary directors at the charge of them they can easily be the most captivating of journeys on film. While my preference goes toward things that venture further into the cosmos, Looper is a piece of time travel bonanza that is escalated by so many different elements that are so much better than you expect them to be that the entire film rises from its own genre trappings and becomes something entirely fresh. Fresh is one of the hardest words to come by when we think of the future these days. Our ideas of what it should be, what it will look like, what it should contain have all been shaped by movies that have come before. As we now live in a future that was imagined by moviemakers twenty years ago, it only makes the task of developing an authentic, non-CG created world set even further in the future all the more challenging. Writer and director Rian Johnson has risen to that challenge, realizing that  the world develops but not with the major overhaul that most future-set films would like to imply. The world in 2044 is still very much one we recognize and can see the place we live in now transitioning to. It is all in the little details that add credibility to the films filthy landscape. Moving past that, Johnson also gives his characters quick, intelligent dialogue to ring off at one another while not getting overly wrapped up in the semantics of the consequences that will naturally come along when we begin tampering with things that should never have been touched with such hands in the first place.

PREMIUM RUSH Review

Who would have thought long sequences of people riding bikes could be so entertaining? I realize it's the oldest trick in the book to open with a question to draw a reader in but that was the question I kept repeating to myself every time Premium Rush continued to surprise me. The film had become a sort of throwaway piece of entertainment as there was no real push in its advertising campaign to give it any real chance of reaching a broad audience to embrace it, but I don't know why. This is a thrilling little piece filmmaking that doesn't take itself too seriously and whips by as fast as its characters do in the streets of New York. Many movies will claim that the setting is another character in itself and seldom does that ring as true as it does here. Everything about the film is influenced by its setting and for those of us that have never been to New York ourselves it is a fascinating, ground look at the pace of the city and the atmosphere it breathes. The films running time is a mere 90-minutes and the adrenaline never stops pumping that entire time. The plot unfolds with a non linear fashion that keeps us guessing even if we might see where the film is heading a scene or two ahead of it actually getting there. It doesn't go down the normal, easy route of dealing with any kind of drug or generic road that makes us care less about the story and care more about the action but instead sets itself up for the challenge of having its characters being as invested in their quest as we should be in the film. It may not serve as any metaphor for something bigger going on in the world right now, it isn't addressing any political issues outright and in general seems to have no agenda other than to entertain. Sometimes that is all you need. And with a cast led by two greats such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon you really can't go wrong no matter what kind of movie you're making.

Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Vanessa (Dania
Ramirez) hide from the cops in their race against the clock.

While I expected nothing flashy from the film other than the way in which the chase sequences were filmed, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Premium Rush was not simply going to tell its story and insert a few cool  sequences in between. In short, I was delighted that the film was actually going to be a thinking persons film. It starts out blasting those opening chords of The Who's "Baba O'Riley" and immediately jumps into this slow motion shot of Gordon-Levitt flying through the air and landing on the pavement in a state of confusion surrounded by concerned pedestrians and then a girl, close to tears drops in frame and is trying to keep Gordon Levitt's Wilee from slipping into unconsciousness but of course, he does. The film operates within a slim time frame. Starting initially at 7:30 and working its way back to 5:00 and then 3:30 to tell the complete story that includes all of the facets the story includes. There is some narration from Wilee in the beginning that educates us on the ins and outs of bicycle messaging and the complications that ensue in a city of speeding cars, cabbies (all of which include the nuisance of open doors at one time or another), and all those pedestrians walking the streets. The film quickly exemplifies these obstacles by showing Wilee's pre-meditated visions of how certain routes could end, most of which do with him hitting the pavement. He is in an on the rocks relationship with fellow messenger Vanessa (Danis Ramirez) while another of his fellow cyclists Manny (Wole Parks) insists on constantly trying to show him up in competing for Vanessa's affections and his status as the best messenger in the city.

As a bicycle messenger Wilee has to face many obstacles
in his day-to-day jobs.

It is when Wilee picks up an envelope from Vanessa's roomate Nima (Jamie Chung) that things start to deviate from the everyday routine. Wilee doesn't know what he's delivering, he just has a destination and a time to have it there by. That is all he needs to know and that is all he cares to know. Nima makes it clear the contents of the envelope are of the utmost importance and NYPD officer Bobby Monday seems to know why. From the moment Wilee is set to deliver the envelope Monday is on his case, chasing after him for reasons unknown. As Monday, director David Koepp (mainly known for his writing but has also directed the small charmers Ghost Town and Secret Window) has somehow managed to gather Michael Shannon to star in this slickly made if easily not seemingly forgettable film. Shannon, who is usually known for smaller projects or supporting roles turns up the intimidation here for what might be a little glimpse of how the actor will portray his villainous turn in Man of Steel next year. Not to get off topic, Shannon portrays the impulsive and angry detective with a flair for the dramatic and an overriding sense of entitlement that ultimately keeps the chase going and the complications piling. While Shannon hams it up with glee it is apparent he knows the kind of movie this is, but what separates he and Gordon-Levitt is that despite the younger leads understanding of what kind of film this is he still completely commits to making the guy the most genuine interpretation of the character he can. If there is one thing to be said for Gordon-Levitt and his sudden rise to the top of everyone's favorite list it is how versatile he is. Whether it be big budget actioners like Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, small indie fare such as (500) Days of Summer and 50/50, or even his underrated turn in Hesher and the upcoming sci-fi flick Looper, I don't know that the guy can make a bad film.

Wilee is under the pursued by detective Barry Monday
(Michael Shannon) because of a package he is
in possession of.

It was with both an element of surprise and appreciation that I took in Premium Rush with as much energy as it offered up. The added weight of the exposition lends the film a credibility it would have likely not had otherwise. It is a formula film that exceeds its own constructs. It speeds along at such a quick pace you don't have time to question its logic or look deeper into the lives these messengers lead. In short, it is more than I expected it to be. I went in expecting a forgettable, formulaic action movie and that would be the end of it. Coming out it is indeed all of those things, but what I didn't expect was to enjoy the journey of it as much as I did. I would watch it again, probably several time just because it is that entertaining and that fun. There may be an easier way to say that Koepp and his crew knew what they were making and didn't intend to leave any kind of mark or make any kind of statement with the film, but in the end it does turn out to be more of an experience than a distraction which lends to it being more than it may have ever intended to be. There is a certain weight to it that wouldn't come if we tried to put on the breaks as our protagonist always advises against. We simply take it in and accept it for what it is while marveling at the break-neck action sequences that see our heroes weave through the streets of New York all while communicating a story (props to the actors for delivering most of their dialogue while on the go). The film has an essence that takes you in whether it be the thickness of the plot, the characters, or just that hot summer day in New York City where we get a glimpse into the underground world of these bike messengers. You may not take much away from Premium Rush except for a desire to ride a bike more often, but no one can argue that it does in fact, deliver.

PREMIUM RUSH Review

Who would have thought long sequences of people riding bikes could be so entertaining? I realize it's the oldest trick in the book to open with a question to draw a reader in but that was the question I kept repeating to myself every time Premium Rush continued to surprise me. The film had become a sort of throwaway piece of entertainment as there was no real push in its advertising campaign to give it any real chance of reaching a broad audience to embrace it, but I don't know why. This is a thrilling little piece filmmaking that doesn't take itself too seriously and whips by as fast as its characters do in the streets of New York. Many movies will claim that the setting is another character in itself and seldom does that ring as true as it does here. Everything about the film is influenced by its setting and for those of us that have never been to New York ourselves it is a fascinating, ground look at the pace of the city and the atmosphere it breathes. The films running time is a mere 90-minutes and the adrenaline never stops pumping that entire time. The plot unfolds with a non linear fashion that keeps us guessing even if we might see where the film is heading a scene or two ahead of it actually getting there. It doesn't go down the normal, easy route of dealing with any kind of drug or generic road that makes us care less about the story and care more about the action but instead sets itself up for the challenge of having its characters being as invested in their quest as we should be in the film. It may not serve as any metaphor for something bigger going on in the world right now, it isn't addressing any political issues outright and in general seems to have no agenda other than to entertain. Sometimes that is all you need. And with a cast led by two greats such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon you really can't go wrong no matter what kind of movie you're making.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Review

Much like its predecessor, The Dark Knight Rises is not just a movie but an experience that deserves to be viewed for the impact it will leave on you. I will do my best to keep my personal love for the series contained and not to the point I find no faults with it, certainly there are a few and I can notice that and take those into consideration when evaluating the film. Still, when discussing a movie of this magnitude I also feel that it cannot seriously be taken as a commonplace review, a piece of entertainment that can be so easily dismissed. Even if it did not meet the expectations of what one might have wanted from the film, it can not be denied that it will still be of a higher quality, more of a thoughtful, ambitious, and exquisitely made movie than you have seen or will see the rest of the year. I was completely happy with it. The Dark Knight was a piece of work that will likely stand the test of time and be considered more of a landmark film than this third entry if not for anything other than the performance and character Heath Ledger created. There appears no such disoriented character in the third and final movie but that second film earned this final chapter the opportunity to be even darker and more of an orchestrated chaos tale that reaches a scale no longer seen in cinema today. This is, in many ways, a throwback to those grandiose films of the past that brought to life the unthinkable through practical thought. It is an inspired movie that does justice to the two films prior and brings the story of a man halted in his development and driven to extreme lengths for the cause of justice to a beautiful and satisfying close.

Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and his butler Alfred (Michael Caine) slowly allow the real world back in.

As I previously mentioned the first act would likely leave any fan of Batman or Nolan's films a bit worried about where all of this might be going and if he will be able to continue to pull of what is in many aspects a fantastical tale with many outlandish characters in a way that feels just as real and gritty as his previous entries in the Batman story. The opening sequence is very much like that of The Dark Knight, an introduction to our main villain in the film that exercises his capacity for destruction while illustrating their depth of thought. The clear distinction between that of the Joker and Bane is Bane's physicality. From day one it has been a question of how Batman might fare against a real physical threat, something he had never truly been asked to encounter before. In Bane's introduction we know nothing of what is to come but we can tell what he is planning will be something on a massive scale. The simple exchange between he and a henchmen where he tells the man he must sacrifice himself and there is no resistance to his word demonstrates the kind of power he has. That it is not simply an intimidation factor, but a superiority of intelligence that will lead him to be a formidable challenge for the Batman, especially considering Bruce Wayne has been retired for eight years and has become a recluse. What Nolan has always been praised for and has pulled off so flawlessly is his ability to mesh his story and spectacle. While this was pulled off in near perfect execution with The Dark Knight Nolan escalates the scale for his Batman swan song while twisting a tale to match that holds more surprises than any other chapter while still digging just as deep into the psyche of our protagonist.

The entire point in telling this story, the main theme throughout has been to create the character of Batman as a symbol rather than a man. To make the citizens of Gotham believe their savior could be any one of them. Bruce Wayne the man, has turned to these tools of "theatrics and deception" as a means to present his symbolic alter ego as a catalyst for change in a city his deceased parents cared so much for. As he discovered who he was, what he wanted and needed to be in Batman Begins this idea was only pushed and questioned further in The Dark Knight. With the antics of the Joker bringing up the dilemma of whether the way Bruce had chosen to go about achieving his hopes was actually inspiring change or inspiring an army who wanted to fight for what the Batman stood for. Bruce only ever wanted to bring Gotham back to the days of prospering economics and peaceful existence, but instead has seemed to inspire as much bad as good, possibly caused more trouble than he has been able to rid. There is more to the quest of Batman than going out and fighting bad guys one by one though, and that is what the symbol is present for. That is what made the ending of The Dark Knight so profound, so utterly unexpected, and leaving it open for what would no doubt be an even more engaging and complex third act.

Where The Joker wanted to watch the world burn, Bane (Tom Hardy) is here to pull the trigger on the grenade. 

And with that, Rises opens to what feels like a cold and barren time of peace. The twist here is that all of this, the low crime rates and prospering citizens, is all based on the lie that Batman killed the idealistic and righteous Harvey Dent rather than letting them know the truth in that even their "White Knight" was corruptable at the hands of the Joker. This has clearly weighed heavily on Commissioner Gordon (a wonderfully honed in Gary Oldman) as it does on Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne who is now more regarded as a Howard Hughes-type than the playboy billionaire we watched him pull off so well in the first two films. When Bruce is forced back into the world at the hands of two women, it is with an instant feeling of dread that he knows the lie can only be covered up for so long, before the roof's blown off and the truth is exposed. That is where the mercenary Bane steps in. As the bombastic terrorist, actor Tom Hardy has little more to work with than his eyes yet he uses them to his advantage as they speak mountains more than his muzzled mouth and muffled speech could ever manage. Bane comes to Gotham looking to finish what was started long ago. This leads to a somewhat similar trapping that Batman Begins fell into, having a weaponized tool from Wayne Enterprises stolen and used to his advantage but we buy it and Nolan learned from his misstep as the focus here is more on the characters motivations rather than following the structure of what a superhero film might be expected to fulfill. Tying in Wayne Enterprises also means the introduction to a new board member who catches the eye of a Bruce Wayne trying to re-introduce himself to a society he once stood at the top of. Miranda Tate, as played by one of three Inception alum Marion Cotillard, is sly and sexy, but is also the one relationship of the film that feels underdeveloped for proving to be such a critical point.

In what is a more minor, side character than I expected her to be (and also my biggest worry going into the film) is Anne Hathaway who ends up pulling off Selina Kyle with a sultry flair that does justice to her cat burglar profession while also possessing a fantastic sense of sarcasm that takes full advantage of those that underestimate her strength due to her sex. The character stays true to Nolan's world by being more of a femme fatale type con-woman rather than a campy thief who wears a costume to be provocative. Hathaway is never referenced to as Catwoman and I liked that choice of not labeling the characters with names as if they were media sensations. For the same reasons I love little choices like throwing "the" in front of Batman, it simply gives the whole world a better sense of credibility; not to mention reinforcing that allusion to the bat being more a symbol than a character itself. It is likely a wise choice that Nolan and his screenwriting collaborator/brother decided to keep Kyle to a minimum as her presence is certainly welcomed and her storyline integrated nicely into the multi-layered plot, but her character gets to no real exposition or backstory. There is far too much else going on here to give everyone their due, but the cuts are wisely made. We see what we need to see and though I feared if anything was going to shake the foundation Nolan had built for his bat trilogy that it might be Catwoman, I was proven wrong not only by Hathaway's performance but by the naturalistic sense with how she came to be a part of and continued to fit into the world of both Batman and Bruce Wayne.

Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) is a sneaky cat burglar.

What idea the character of Selina Kyle does push forward in the film is that of the economic crisis that has always loomed over Gotham yet the fact remained there was an elitist group of wealthy that included our heroes alter-ego, Mr. Wayne. It has always been a fact of the story that Wayne was a billionaire and that this fact is what separated him from the others that could not make the statement he chose to make. In being born into such wealth he was not only blessed with money, but with what he came to see as a responsibility. Sure, this allows him the luxury of all the cool gadgets Lucius Fox (the always reliable Morgan Freeman) supplies him with, but in this large and deep movie Nolan also touches on this unavoidable fact in reference to the world around him. He is making a statement about the current status of our society and those who have too much, or all they want and those who struggle every day to get by. It makes a case for having a real message without alluding to the easy target of politics. I honestly don't think Nolan intends to mirror the political landscape of America at the moment with these themes and characters. Those parallels can naturally be drawn when such care is taken to provide a story about a society and how it functions when rooted in as stable a reality as Nolan has. What The Dark Knight Rises does is to show the economic downfall of its most prized possession: Bruce Wayne himself. He is bankrupted after years of neglecting his company and some slight tinkering from the new guy in town. And from here the bottom just continues to fall out from under him. Bruce Wayne, not Batman, is knocked down so many times in this film he is pushed to a point that is in one instance total desperation and determination. He is literally and emotionally forced to crawl out of a very dark place, that same place he fell into as a boy, and we are with him every step of that emotional journey. This not only solidified my belief in this movie as a success, but as a relevant and important piece of filmmaking that shows the basic elements of good vs. evil are much more complex when there is a history to them and the person fighting for good has just as much pain as those fighting for evil. It is even more powerful when we realize the strength it took in a person to fall into that former category.  

Speaking of those falling into the category of good, while Bane Terrorizes, Miranda Tate takes over Wayne Enterprises, and Selina Kyle slinks around with an agenda of her own that gets her caught up in the eye of the storm we also have Gordon who is put out of commission by the masked terrorist and a new character mysteriously titled with a generic name that sees something much more going on than the lie that has saved Gotham for the past eight years. In a role that almost takes over the duty of Batman for the first half of the film John Blake, a young and idealistic cop played in an environment of pure cynicism with vigor and heart by Joseph Gordon-Levitt quickly ascends to become the right hand man of the Commissioner. Through the course of The Dark Knight Rises Blake comes to be our view of the world. Our set of eyes as Alfred (played again, but with stronger emotionality than ever by Michael Caine) is limited to a shorter amount of screen time. Blake knows the truth of the conspiracy as we do, he understands that Batman is the hero, even moreso for what he has taken the fall for. In this idea that Batman and Gordon had to keep the truth of what really happened a secret from society in order for it to bring about change is where Nolan inclinates his biggest social commentary. That the idea that the truth is too much, too painful or damaging for people to handle is to say that we as a race, as a society of human beings are unable to deal with the harsh truth sometimes. That is a scary thought and as a movie goer it isn't exactly where you would like to see things go. This idea is turns out to be a positive attribute for the film though in that it never takes you down a road you feel you've traveled before. In all its layers of story with massive amounts of action we never know what is around the corner and with stakes that high, it matches the level of tension we felt as an audience while watching the Joker blow up a hospital or fail to corrupt the truly incorruptible.

Batman returns after an eight year absence to Gotham City.

With all of that said, this does feel like the true completion of the greatest trilogy ever put to film. Chris Nolan has taken movies about superheroes to a place no one has ever been before and will likely ever venture to again. Everything about the film is gorgeous, from the pounding and perfectly placed Hans Zimmer score (I especially liked how the music dropped out during the first showdown between Batman and Bane) to the cinematography by consistent Nolan collaborator Wally Pfister. Having over an hour of this two hour and forty-five minute film shot in actual IMAX makes this a must see in the format and hopefully a signal for Hollywood to change its trend of chasing the 3D and switch to this much more rewarding way of watching movies. It takes us back to a storytelling that creates a world we as an audience can get caught up in, lost even, not only because of its bigness but because the image is as important as the storytelling. The scale completely influences the story. It raises the stakes on a situation that was already extremely heightened. This story of great depth features an amazing ensemble, all of which are at the top of their game, only enhancing the quality of the viewing experience.  

Chris Nolan set the bar ridiculously high for himself with The Dark Knight, but this final film in his trilogy is every bit as visionary and as epic a piece of filmmaking. It should also be noted I think that each film is very much its own. With a mood to itself and an idea that takes each new movie that one step further into why this story is so captivating in the first place. Where Batman Begins was in many ways a story of romantic ideals, The Dark Knight was a sleek piece of chaos and The Dark Knight Rises is a bleak and painful account of how that chaos has left the world it affected. The verdict of a movie should always come down to the feeling it leaves you with though and with this film I left the theater after the credits and I was happy. It had a power over me, it left an impact with serious weight that captures a specific moment in time. I have no issue with acknowledging my moments of nervousness through the first few scenes in the film. Whether it be that my expectations were so high I began to worry too early this would not be what I wanted or maybe after repeat viewings I will actually find there is an incoherent tone to the first act remains to be seen, but I can look past a few small complaints because what this film builds to is one of the most satisfying experiences I have ever had with any kind of film.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Review

Much like its predecessor, The Dark Knight Rises is not just a movie but an experience that deserves to be viewed for the impact it will leave on you. I will do my best to keep my personal love for the series contained and not to the point I find no faults with it, certainly there are a few and I can notice that and take those into consideration when evaluating the film. Still, when discussing a movie of this magnitude I also feel that it cannot seriously be taken as a commonplace review, a piece of entertainment that can be so easily dismissed. Even if it did not meet the expectations of what one might have wanted from the film, it can not be denied that it will still be of a higher quality, more of a thoughtful, ambitious, and exquisitely made movie than you have seen or will see the rest of the year. I was completely happy with it. The Dark Knight was a piece of work that will likely stand the test of time and be considered more of a landmark film than this third entry if not for anything other than the performance and character Heath Ledger created. There appears no such disoriented character in the third and final movie but that second film earned this final chapter the opportunity to be even darker and more of an orchestrated chaos tale that reaches a scale no longer seen in cinema today. This is, in many ways, a throwback to those grandiose films of the past that brought to life the unthinkable through practical thought. It is an inspired movie that does justice to the two films prior and brings the story of a man halted in his development and driven to extreme lengths for the cause of justice to a beautiful and satisfying close.