STILL ALICE Review

Honest to a fault, Still Alice feels as heartbreaking as you might expect any traumatic event in your own personal life to affect you. The story is basic, the people are familiar and the storytelling is uncomplicated. In some fashion you might peg the film as something of a Lifetime story in pedigreed actors clothing, but it is only because Alzheimer's has become such a hackneyed topic at this point. This is unfortunate as the disease is of course a very serious one as well as being close to soul-crushing for those who bear witness to their loved ones slowly drifting away from the person they once were. Thankfully, I've never had to deal with the disease in any form with any family members, but as it's been used in films before it is easy to see why storytellers not only position it to gain large amounts of sympathy for their characters, but depend on it to pull in the entire emotional investment of their film. When used correctly though, stories concerning Alzheimer's can not only be affecting and moving, but like Still Alice, they can be eye-opening. There are moments within the film that naturally ring familiar and tread the line of being somewhat overly-sentimental and manipulative but this is only due to the timing and use of lyrical songs as well as the inclusion of a big speech to clarify the emotional peak of our protagonist. These moments are few and far between the more personal, small highlights of what it's like to exist outside these moments though. This introspective look is what sets the film apart from something you might see on late night cable along with, of course, the lead performance of Julianne Moore that has all but guaranteed her an Academy Award this year. Still Alice is not a film that screams innovation and isn't even anything to necessarily write home about, but it does take you in completely as you give yourself over to its briskly paced hour and forty minute run time. Concerning itself with the basics of life and the unforgiving nature of the disease at the heart of its story Still Alice provides a no frills look at both deterioration and inadequacy in the human spirit that cannot be controlled and is all the more poignant for it.

HOMEFRONT Review

It is always with a certain set of expectation that we approach the latest from Jason Statham. Usually, his name alone gives us a good indication as to what we're in for, but with his new film, Homefront, he breaks free of the slickly dressed, high-stakes city life many of his characters fit squarely into and decides to settle down into something akin to the quiet country life in small town Louisiana. Make no mistake, he still carries the badass history of a DEA agent that would frequently go undercover (we get a peak at this lifestyle in the opening scene of the film), but he is attempting to escape this world and thus is how we come to know his character, Phil Broker, which allows a different facade to the trope that Statham has inadvertently created for himself. This coupled with the fact he's not acting alone this time adds a level of intrigue and substance not seen in many of his recent, non-Expendable ventures. Not only do we have the chrome-domed action star heading things up, but a strong supporting cast including a hilariously ferocious James Franco, an impressive Kate Bosworth and Winona Ryder being utilized in just the right amount (with Omar Benson Miller thrown in for a dash of comedic relief) give more than enough reason for us to sit up and pay attention where we might normally feel we've seen this scenario one too many times before. It may simply be that the standard set of expectations were surpassed that allowed Homefront to leave a better impression, but there is that something special about this fun, throwback of an action flick that encapsulates pure, B-movie thrills with such expertise that it connects and delivers exactly what it promises while packing a little something extra in its punch.

First Trailer for HOMEFRONT

While he is not necessarily pushing the envelope at least Jason Statham continues to recognize what he does best and at the very least is always reliable. I stated in my review of Parker earlier this year that though the chrome-domed action stars choices may seem random and throw away the guy knows what he is doing and who he is working with. That seems more evident than ever with his latest as he was likely roped into it due to the fact his pal Sylvester Stallone adapted the screenplay from a Chuck Logan novel. Even as Statham and Stallone are now shooting the third entry in their Expendable series and Statham will be joining another of the biggest action franchises on the planet next year, they made time to make this piece of Americana flick that will debut around an American holiday that will have families together and people in the mood to sit back and enjoy a nice piece of action fluff that includes several recognizable faces. These guys know their game and they play it well while giving us a story of a dad and his daughter who move to a quiet town that seems to have a dirty secret. The twist on Statham's character this time around is that he is a DEA agent and this supposed quiet little town has a drug problem headed up by a guy known as Gator (James Franco). When Statham's daughter picks a fight with a kid who has a drugged out mommy in the form of Kate Bosworth she apparently sets off a firestorm that pits Gator against her father who is only more enraged to find out Phil Broker (Statham) is undercover. Sounds rather run of the mill and I can appreciate that, but I have no doubt this will be a passable time at the theater with director Gary Fleder (Runaway Jury, Kiss the Girls) at the helm and plenty of support behind and in front of the camera that seem to really believe in the project. Homefront also stars Winona Ryder, Rachelle Lafevre, Clancy Brown, Omar Benson Miller, Frank Grillo and opens on November 27th. Hit the jump to check out the first trailer now.