THE HOLDOVERS Review

As someone born in the late eighties and raised as a pure product of the nineties, I didn’t expect a seventies throwback piece to hit me as hard as Alexander Payne’s latest. What’s interesting is, as a millennial and someone who relates more to the first two decades above and who hasn’t seen enough “New American Cinema” born of the seventies to really recognize the qualifiers, it’s hard to know whether or not The Holdovers is in fact a movie akin to those made in the seventies or if it is simply a homage to what we now think of when we say “a seventies movie”. Payne, who is now sixty-two, has made films in the vein of seventies movies before - movies that center on multi-faceted characters with relatively small and always personal problems - but he’s never seemingly made a movie so overtly mimicking so much of what he clearly draws inspiration from. 

I say all of this as something of a qualifier in and of itself for, while I understand The Holdovers might be more provoking of the look and feel than invoking of the actual spirit of seventies cinema, as someone of my age and viewing history it left me feeling as if it had done both. Furthermore, I understand why those who might have a deeper pool of knowledge and sense of connection to movies of the seventies and their unshaven realism might find The Holdovers more of a copy of what once was rather than the authentic journey I experienced while watching the film, but the fact of the matter is: I found this far more enjoyable than expected given my aforementioned disposition, but more than that - I found this deeply affecting and honest. While it might be aping certain seventies visual cues very intently, it also manages a perfect balance of melancholy and comedy that elicits heavy truths while equally highlighting the gleefully effervescent moments of life (and how they weave our days and time together).

MORGAN Review

It's beginning to feel like a trend. This thing where the first hour or so of a film is really promising before deciding to devolve into a predictable and ultimately disappointing piece of genre filmmaking. Directed by Luke Scott (son of Ridley Scott) Morgan is familiar and yet for at least the first forty minutes or so is a nicely paced and well-executed look at a premise we've seen many times before, especially in the last few years with the likes of Ex Machina, Lucy, and even this past summer's Stranger Things to a degree. Each of those pieces of entertainment analyze cautionary situations of man attempting to play God and in Morgan we find another group of scientists hoping to craft a certain genetic code in order to build a specific type of life form that will fit their specific needs. There are numerous amounts of ideological and ethical questions that can spring from such situations and thus what made the aforementioned Ex Machina so engaging last year, but while Morgan seems intent on following a similar pattern if not setting its titular experiment in a different set of circumstances it quickly dissolves into little more than a ridiculous action romp that would rather spill blood than explore ideas. It is always easier to revert to a formula rather than continue on a prompt into territory where ideas might become revealing or genuinely insightful. Naturally, this requires more thought and investment on the part of the writer and though Morgan is the product of a singular screenwriter in Seth W. Owen it feels, especially in the hurried second half, as if the film was put together by a committee who found the first half to be too boring and trying for modern audiences and thus forced Owen and Scott to infuse their contemplations on artificial intelligence and the difference in demonstrating and actually feeling real emotions with a high body count. This isn't even necessarily an issue were the film to still give due diligence to the larger ideas it clearly has on its mind, but at a slight ninety minutes it feels as if Morgan is forced to choose between being a thinking person's film and a strict action movie and by splitting those categorizations right down the middle it isn't enough of either to excel as one or the other.

First Trailer for Ridley Scott-Produced MORGAN

When your dad is the director of Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, and The Martian it probably isn't hard to get a movie made and thus is likely the reason we now have a trailer for what is Luke Scott's, son of Ridley Scott, first feature film. Luke has so far made one episode of a television as well as a short, but he did work on the second unit for his father's sprawling biblical epic, Exodus. From a script by Seth W. Owen, who has an equally impressive list of credits (which isn't much if you're not keen to the sarcasm), the younger Scott has made his feature film debut with a movie that follows Kate Mara as a corporate risk-management consultant who has to decide whether or not to terminate an artificial being's life that was made in a laboratory. While this central conflict is certainly interesting the trailer can't help but to inspire thoughts of the recent onslaught of A.I. inspired material we've received. With the likes of Ex Machina and Lucy turning out to be rather fantastic or at least interesting there is certainly room for Morgan to further explore this territory in fascinating ways. The story also has shades of Mary Shelley's most classic of monster stories in Frankenstein as the titular character is created in a lab with her creators subsequently coming to question whether or not they've made the right choices. While the film looks consistent in style and tone what makes it stand out more than anything is its rather exceptional cast. Hot off her turn in the terrifically reviewed The Witch Anya Taylor-Joy takes the title role and seems to be channeling Saoirse Ronan via Hanna while she gains support from the likes of not only Mara, but Rose Leslie, Boyd Holbrook, Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Giamatti. While I may be somewhat pessimistic given the film comes from a case of nepotism Morgan looks to be a solid enough September film that I'm curious to see if it might rise above the archetypes of its genre. Hit the jump to check out the full trailer.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON Review

Just to give some perspective on where this particular review is coming from, I was born in 1987. By this time the likes of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella were already beginning to make waves in their home town of Compton, CA. In just a little over a years time these five individuals, collectively known as N.W.A, would release their seminal record that shares it's title with the groups new biopic, Straight Outta Compton. Naturally, I wouldn't come to be familiar with either N.W.A or what impact they had on popular culture until much later despite my dad schooling me and my siblings on his favorite old school hip hop records in the early nineties. As I turned into a teenager at the turn of the millennium if I had any connection to Ice Cube it was more for his movie career than anything else while Dr. Dre was having his resurgence (at least from where I was sitting) with 2001 and the discovery that was Eminem. It wasn't until I matured a little further that it became more vital for me to understand a wider range of musical knowledge that would help me comprehend what informed the music I was currently enjoying. Attending a middle school and junior high at the time that contained as many black students as it did white kids like myself, there was an interesting mix of cultures to be observed. One could never hope to comprehend the full extent of other peoples lives due to the circumstances into which they were born at that age, but listening to the same type of music didn't hurt in attempting to at least glean a surface-level understanding of where others were coming from. As myself and my brothers would come to have an increased level of interest in music (especially the funk of the seventies that our mom would listen to) the world became a clearer place where it was easier to figure out where you might fit into the grand scheme of things. Going through what had come before my birth date one inevitably come across N.W.A and through their lyrics alone is able to gather not only where they were coming from at the time of their emergence, but what influence they've had since. And so, I come at Straight Outta Compton as an individual who wasn't able to experience the initial impact of this group, but who finally is able to bear witness to it through the magic of the movies.

LOVE & MERCY Review

It may have been pre-ordained that I was going to somewhat adore Love & Mercy given my track record with music biopics, but it should be stated up front that this is not a Beach Boys film, but more a pure character study of the man considered the brainchild of that iconic band. The Beach Boys were never a group I paid especially close attention to given the height of their fame was in the mid-sixties when my parents were barely learning to walk, but their music is not necessarily so much timeless as it is lasting and somehow always integrates itself into your conscious at some point in your childhood. After all, you only need to hear their songs once and with the melodies being as catchy as they are you'll be repeating them days later even if you didn't realize you were listening to them. The summer and sun phase of The Beach Boys is what they're best known for, but if Love & Mercy has anything to say about this it's that these songs were hardly the best examples of what type of symphonies were taking place in Brian Wilson's head at the time. In the truest sense of the words this is a character study that takes a character at two vastly different points in his life and finds the correlation in how they are connected by the same being. Like the subject at the center of it, there is something inherently soulful about the film. It never plays into the trappings of a musical biopic because, if nothing else, Wilson's quest was to try and figure out how to participate in the music business without having to deal with all the extra responsibility that comes along with it outside of simply creating the music. Wilson wanted nothing to do with the aspects of the business that were simply existent to fuel ones ego or for instant gratification. Instead, Wilson simply made music in order to get it out of his mind and onto the vinyl so that he might have a record of his creations. More than this even, the music was an expression of his feelings and most of the time, was the only way he was able to accurately express them at all. It is in this realm of thinking that writer Oren Moverman (I'm Not There) and director Bill Pohland zero in on Wilson's state of mind and how it influenced this style of a generation and where that mind went once everyone else stopped paying attention.

SAN ANDREAS Review

Given the texture of the special effects and the scope of the aerial shots one would not be wrong in thinking Roland Emmerich was at the helm of this latest, big disaster flick. Emmerich, who has directed the likes of Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow and 2012, has somewhat monopolized the genre as of late, but San Andreas isn't the unrelated sequel to Day After Tomorrow where Emmerich follows another group of people as they deal with another cataclysmic event. Instead, San Andreas is more the love child of something Emmerich would make and the pure, star-driven action adventures of the 80's and early 90's. While you might say those could easily be one in the same Emmerich's films are typically more of an ensemble whereas San Andreas is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's film through and through. So, if not Emmerich, then who? Well, that honor would go to Brad Peyton who has previously only directed two features, one of which was Journey 2 with Johnson who likely vouched for him here. Being compared to the likes of Emmerich certainly isn't a jab though and if Peyton was going to take notes from anyone when making a disaster flick on this scale he would be the obvious choice. To bring this little precursor of a thought full circle and segue into my overall impression of the film though would be to say that Emmerich would no doubt be proud. Now, what Peyton, his actors and his screenwriter (which, oddly enough, is power producer Carlton Cuse of Lost and Bates Motel fame) have done best with San Andreas is to have fun with the kind of movie it is. Naturally, you get what you expect from a movie like this and little more, but the movie is knowing without being completely self-aware as it seems to intentionally lay on the one-liners the audience already knows are coming and has a fair amount of fun with them. The fact I could hear the people behind me mouthing certain lines before they were even spoke speaks to how ingrained in our subconscious these types of films and their beats are. For San Andreas to be able to include and overcome the cliches and archetypes of the genre to deliver a genuinely fun thrill ride is not necessarily something to celebrate, but it's certainly nothing worth complaining about either.

First Trailer for LOVE & MERCY

I'm a sucker for music biopics and it looks like I might be a little spoiled this summer. Besides the N.W.A. film, Straight Outta Compton, closing out the summer movie season on August 15th we will also have director Bill Pohlad's film about The Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson. The film premiered to great reviews last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival and I have been anxious to hear and see more about the film and today we have our first teaser. You would have to have been living under a rock your entire life to not know or at least recognize one of The Beach Boys songs. They are beyond distinct and the reason behind their multiple hits and unique sound is Brian Wilson. Wilson is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and influential creative forces in popular music by critics and musicians alike for the creation of The Beach Boys 1966 album "Pet Sounds", but what many may not know is that the musician suffered from multiple nervous breakdowns and deteriorating mental health all-around throughout the 70's and 80's. This state of being led to Wilson's contributions to The Beach Boys diminishing with his erratic behavior ultimately leading to tensions within the band. In Pohlad's film, Wilson is played in two different time periods by Paul Dano and John Cusack that helps chronicle the rise of Wilson's unorthodox approach to song composition and arrangement to his older, more turbulent times within his own mind. Love & Mercy also stars Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti, Jake Abel, Kenny Wormald, Tyson Ritter and opens on June 5th.

Red-Band Trailer for STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

I'm a sucker for movies about music. They combine two things that are individually attractive enough that I fill my life with as much of them as possible so when they come together it is nearly always something akin to a euphoric feeling. I count Walk the Line among one of my favorite films of all time, I think Notorious was largely unappreciated because of its January release date, I still listen to the Inside Llewyn Davis soundtrack on a regular basis, I put Get On Up in my top ten last year and Whiplash at number two if that adds anything to my argument. Needless to say, I've been excited for what director F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job) might bring to the table with his N.W.A. biopic and if this first, red-band trailer is any indication things look extremely promising. Featuring an introduction from Ice Cube and Dr. Dre this nearly four-minute first glimpse gives us an idea of how far the two hip-hop superstars have come since first starting out and how long our society has left to go. I'm sure it's weird for them to see these iconic moments of their lives recreated as they didn't seem them as much as "moments" when they were living them as they were simply trying to make it, but damn if you can't feel the electricity in this trailer. All of that said, I don't personally have an emotional connection to the group or any of its music, but am of course familiar with it and with the story of the group so while it's not a story I've been dying to see brought to the big screen it is the type of story I love to watch and am optimistic for what is to come. Starring O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre and Jason Mitchell as Easy-E along with Aldis Hodge, Neil Brown Jr., Marlon Yates Jr, Paul Giamatti, Keith Stanfield, Orlando Brown, Corey Reynolds, Keith Powers and R. Marcus Taylor Straight Outta Compton opens on August 15th.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Review

Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy set a high standard for comic book films. Not only did they have ambitions to be the best of their kind, but the best kind of film period. They looked to transcend the genre and that is more than well and good because I am a huge fan of Nolan and what he did for Batman, but in many ways that can only be the right approach for so many comic book heroes. Not every super hero benefits from being dark, brooding and grounded in reality. This idea of grounding everything from these fantastical, imaginary worlds into the reality that surrounds us will not always be possible and that is what director Marc Webb seems to have tapped into with his re-booted Spider-Man series that looks to fully embrace the world of the comics. Unlike many I was a big fan of the 2012 re-boot starring Andrew Garfield as the masked webslinger for despite the fact it lacked credible or sometimes even remotely intelligent dialogue (an issue that continues here) as well as relying too heavily on special effects in its clumsy action sequences (an issue both improved upon while still heavily leaning on the computer generated crutch) it was a Spider-Man film, that for the first time felt like it captured the spirit of the comics. I'll be the first to admit I am not a big comic book reader, but Spider-Man is an exception and was always a personal favorite of mine growing up. Not only for the little bit of comic reading that I dabbled in, but like Batman and the X-Men it was for the 90's animated series that pulled me into these worlds in the first place. What I enjoyed about 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man was that it seemed to fully immerse itself in the world of its relatable protagonist and was unafraid to try and bring to the screen the more ridiculous of Spider-Man's villains which included a giant lizard in a lab coat. Seeing these actual worlds jump off the pages and onto the screen is what comic book fans have presumably wanted for years yet now that Nolan's Batman films have re-defined what a credible super hero movie is it is easy to look at those that don't adhere to the same rules as something of a lesser accomplishment. It is by the fact fans should come to the realization that this may be the closest in regards to all aspects of the way a movie can be made that a motion picture has captured the essence of what makes a comic so entertaining and endearing through its world building, its dramatic beats, its character development and most of all, its silliness. In short, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 really bowled me over.

SAVING MR. BANKS Review

There is just that something that comes with movies about making movies and how the behind the scenes dynamics somehow connect more and serve as dramatic material in their own right that gives, at least certain audience members, a rush of fascination especially when paired with a film or some other piece of pop culture that has become a mainstay over time. There is no doubt that the 1964 Mary Poppins film has become a soft spot for generations of children that have fallen in love with the songs and the characters that are now iconic, but what many people even fail to realize is that Mary Poppins herself was not the creation of the Disney studios and it's figurehead Walt Disney, but instead of a small English woman by the name of P. L. Travers who took the nanny very seriously as she was more than a fictional character to her creator but the heart and soul of her childhood that would shape the woman she became and the code she would live by. This is made apparent in Saving Mr. Banks until the terribly particular author comes in contact with Mr. Disney and is able to find common ground with a man who'd made his fortune from portraying himself and pumping out products that conveyed the happiest man the world could offer. There is a complex relationship at the heart of this film that gives us not only a look at the shaping of one of Walt Disney's productions in the latter half of his career, but it also chronicles the creative process in a way that you realize the depths to which some people hold onto moments past in their life and how it inspires what is the centerpiece of their existence to the point they find it hard to let go, to let it become something new and how that can both be a weight lifted and a new burden all at once. I began the film, excited to see what was in store for the audience as, obviously, I love movies and so I love movies that detail the industry and how other movies are made, but as we are introduced to Miss. Travers and her constant scrutiny I was at first repulsed by the way in which she not only treated the people involved in the production, but everyone around her to which she is then somehow able to become a more respectable figure whose complexities don't excuse her attitude, but endear her more to the audience which is credit fully due to the performance of Emma Thompson.

First Trailer for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

I have to say, I'm pretty excited for the second installment of director Marc Webb's Spider-Man franchise. Though the first film gets somewhat of a bad rap (I know the plot of turning everyone into lizards wasn't exactly real and gritty), but I think or maybe I hope that much of the reason that film flew more under the radar than most successful series-launchers is that it came out in a crowded year. Having to compete in a summer season already defined by The Avengers and the final chapter in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy couldn't have been easy, yet The Amazing Spider-Man still managed $750 million worldwide. With a relatively quiet 2014 (the only other major super hero film slated for summer as of now is X-Men: Days of Future Past while Guardians of the Galaxy takes a later August slot) it could be the time to shine for Andrew Garfield's new Spidey. While I was hoping the trailer didn't give too much away it certainly hints at where this series is going. There have been reports that Sony has this franchise planned all the way through a fourth film and that includes building to The Sinister Six. The idea of going the opposite route in which Marvel Studios has gone and instead creating the legendary team of super villains rather than heroes is rather genius and definitely a way to make up for the fact we still can't see Spider-Man join The Avengers on screen. Spidey has always been the Marvel hero with the most notable roster of bad guys so this makes sense in terms of building excitement as well. The trailer, while emphasizing a plethora of villains, doesn't give them much screen time but more teases them than anything else. The bulk of the two and half minute clip is dedicated to Peter Parker coming to terms with his reality and his new relationship with Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan). I sincerely hope the marketing for this film doesn't give too much away over the next four months as it seems Sony/Columbia have something that could make for a potentially fantastic theater-going experience here. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 also stars Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Felicity Jones, Chris Cooper, Sally Field and kicks off the summer on May 2, 2014.

12 YEARS A SLAVE Review

As Brad Pitt's character Bass states after hearing Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) recount the story of how he was wrongly kidnapped and sold into slavery, this is an amazing story, but in no good way. There has been much made of director Steve McQueen's third feature that adapts the autobiography of Solomon Northup and takes an unflinching look at how slavery and ownership dominated the south and was inflicted upon the unfortunate souls born into that time period. Northup's tale is one of emotional and physical devastation and the success of the film hinges on being able to convey both of those impressions with equal weight. If there is an ideal director to take on this stark subject matter it would be the fresh pair of eyes and mind that is McQueen who, after his previous two films (Hunger and Shame) has focused on the downsides of humanity enough to understand where he needed to go to reach the emotional depths that the subject of slavery needs to take on. It is a subject that deserves this unflinching look illustrating how slaves were treated, how they were perceived, and how some plantation owners saw them and treated them as employees while others saw them as little more than property they could with what they please. 12 Years A Slave doesn't dive into the politics of what started slavery, why these white owners saw these people as they did, or how our main characters might put a stop to the tragedy, but instead we are forced to accept the facts that define our history and that is the true story of Solomon. Neither Solomon nor any of the slaves he comes to meet along the way knew why there were some slavers like William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) and others like Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), why it all began or how it was going to come to an end, but they simply had to accept the idea that this was their life and that they were meant to deal with it and that harsh reality is what McQueen forces his audience to accept as well with the only glimmer of hope being implied by the title. This is a film both so involving and at the same time so draining that you feel exhausted after having experienced it. It is a damn tough film to watch, but a necessary lesson in perspective that ultimately makes you appreciate what you've seen if not for the unflinching history lesson, but for the craft in which it is conveyed.

PARKLAND Home Video Review

There has always been an intense amount of interest around the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and with good reason. It was a horrific event in which the President was murdered in front of countless people with any number of possible suspects, there was a race to get Kennedy to the hospital, the immediate man hunt for the suspected shooter and countless other avenues were followed that fateful November day. What writer and director Peter Landesman has attempted to do, in his directorial debut no less, is condense these events into a feature that runs a mere hour and a half long (including notes at the end and the credit sequence). There is not nearly enough time here to develop the several intriguing stories the film documents, much less get to know the the actual emotions felt by the people placed under these extraordinary situations. Parkland would be a film that justifies a run time of at least three hours, but it seems Landesman is keen on hitting the high points of these events and highlighting little more than small moments of that day in brief, almost news clip-like segments that intertwine to piece together November 22, 1963 and the subsequent days following as both the President and his suspected killer were laid to rest. I am a sucker for historically-based films and have read plenty on the JFK assassination, the investigations around this event and the countless conspiracy theories that continue to plague it nearly fifty years after it occurred. I also know better than to get my history lessons from the movies and so I approached this film with a sense of both optimism and caution as it seemed both ambitious while at the same time a balancing act of moments pulled straight out of the history books with little more intention that bringing to life how this death affected unsuspecting, regular citizens while adding nothing more to the story and having no particular point of view it was going to approach the subject matter with. Unfortunately, while the actual events of that day remain engaging as ever Parkland is only able to take us so far because it only gives its content so much attention before moving on and taking the audience, no matter if we have lingering questions or deeper interests, with it. I can admire the film for what it is trying to do and the dots its trying to connect, but ultimately this is more a failed experiment than anything else with an execution that doesn't come close to what it promised.

First Trailer for PARKLAND

My favorite segment in Lee Daniels' The Butler was that of seeing our titular character interact with President John F. Kennedy. James Marsden does a terrific job of portraying the young man elected to lead our country under some of the most polarizing moments in this country's history, but his death is an event in itself that has shaped many citizens memories and has left a mark on our history books that is still widely discussed and the circumstances of that day still widely speculated upon. The feature film debut of director Peter Landesman, Parkland, seeks to recount the events from the perspective of some of the more unsuspecting civilians involved that day. Getting its title from the Parkland Hospital in Dallas where Kennedy and both Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby all died the trailer nicely sets up the tone and period piece aspect. The comparisons will certainly come up and be made to Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK and though I was somewhat tepid to the idea of getting another film based around the death of Kennedy I must admit the trailer pulled me in and made me want to see the film. Taking on the events that occurred that fateful day and opening up the landscape to explore avenues such as the doctor who had to attend to the President with little warning or the man who captured the assassination on his camera who would become a more integral part of the investigation than he ever imagined seems an interesting route to take. Backing this choice up is the casting of actors more than capable of making the everyday person someone we could learn to follow and become invested in. Zac Efron and Paul Giamatti seem as if they should receive special mention as they look to be doing the heavy lifting here while a stellar supporting cast that includes Billy Bob Thornton, Marcia Gay Harden, Jacki Weaver, Jackie Earle Haley, Ron Livingston and Colin Hanks as well as being produced by Tom Hanks doesn't hurt the films credentials. I wasn't aware of Parkland before seeing the trailer, but it is certainly on my radar now and I'm eager to hear of the reception it receives when it premieres at the Venice Film Festival and hopefully hits theaters before the end of the year. Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

TURBO Review

Turbo is a completely complacent piece of entertainment. There isn't anything particularly intriguing about the film and there is absolutely nothing that might offend or cause someone not to enjoy it. In fact, the viewing experience I had was one of initially low expectations that were met with a sense of pure ease and joy that radiated off the screen and into the creative juices the film had flowing allowing for it all to be very colorful, very fun, but most importantly, entertaining. It held the children's attention, it never slowed for too long and it didn't take any detours in getting where it wanted to go. There is a very basic, straightforward plot, a message that is easy to understand and characters that are completely endearing while being both supporters and detractors to our titular heroes dreams. It is tough to come up with much to say about a film so middle of the road that you find neither anything spectacular to love about it or insulting enough to hate. I guess there could be some magic in that, in the fact that parents can take their kids to the movies and have a fun enough time themselves while not having to worry about whether or not the kids will actually stay in their seats and remain entertained, but as far as quality of the overall film goes, whether it has anything profound to say or not, or whether it will stand as a classic of the genre it fits so comfortably into, that is where the film fails to meet any real standards. Still, the fact of the matter is the makers of Turbo likely weren't shooting for any such standards, but instead had the humble aspirations of making a fun, entertaining ride with a positive message that informed kids no matter how small they are that their big dreams were worth going after and could indeed be accomplished. I applauded Monsters University earlier this summer for taking the road less traveled in preaching life lessons to its young audiences, but while Turbo chooses to go the road most traveled in pretty much every aspect it likely won't stand a chance of rising above other animated films in a summer so saturated with minions and monsters. I liked Turbo well enough and I'm sure plenty of kiddos will see it and feel the same way, but I doubt any of them will take much away from it.

First Trailer for 12 YEARS A SLAVE

The first trailer for director Steve McQueen's follow-up to Shame has been released. Based on Solomon Northup’s autobiography of the same name, 12 Years a Slave tells the story of Northup as played by Chiwetel Ejiofor who was a free slave in 1853 before he was tricked into slavery for over a decade. The film looks to chronicle that time Northup spent as a slave under owner Edwin Epps who is played by a ferociously menacing Michael Fassbender. The trailer gives off a clear style and tone with hints of great performances from both of the aforementioned lead actors, but it also highlights many of the supporting characters and the impressive people that fill those roles. Beyond the bigger names that include the likes of Brad Pitt and Alfre Woodard we are also given bits of Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The trailer chooses not to mention Quvenzhane Wallis who it seems will have a very small role in the film while it does highlight Lupita Nyong'o who doesn't have any feature references before this point, but looks to have a prominent role in acclimating Northup with his new environment and the ways in which he must operate under his new owners laws. Naturally, that Northup can't bring himself to do this will cause the main conflict of the story, but with McQueen's directorial touch and the performances this roster of great actors will no doubt bring with the material there is no surprise a good amount of Oscar talk already surrounds this picture. I have seen Shame, but have yet to look at the director and Fassbender's first collaboration, Hunger, but will hopefully get around to it before checking this film out when it hits theaters on December 27th. There was at first concern about comparisons to Django given the subject matter, but this trailer presents such a different take on the time period and a seemingly far more complex story that I don't feel the two films coming out so close to one another will present an issue. 12 Years a Slave also stars Sarah Paulson, Scoot McNairy, Garrett Dillahunt, Dwight Henry, and Michael K. Williams. Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

New Trailers for DESPICABLE ME 2 & TURBO

With The Croods opening this weekend two new trailers for two of the biggest family films of the summer have been released. While Ryan Reynolds provides voice work in both this weekends Dreamworks release and plays the titular character in Turbo, kiddies will likely be more excited to know that there will first be a sequel to Despicable Me that looks as promising as I could have hoped. We've seen a few short spots for the highly anticipated sequel to the surprise 2010 hit, but nothing really that has given us a glimpse of what will be going on story-wise. This full length trailer reunites us with Gru (Steve Carell) and finds him being recruited by Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) for the Anti-Villian league that pits him against an unseen baddie voiced by Al Pacino. The trailer looks great and the original voice cast has returned to provide what seems like a solid bet and yes, there are plenty of minions. They naturally get some of the biggest laughs here and I'm anxious to see how their own separate feature will pan out and work in conjunction with this world. Despicable Me 2 opens in 3D on July 3rd. As for Turbo, the premise feels a little worn with the trailer not seeming to bring anything new to it. Needless to say, the one note joke of a snail wanting to go fast seems to be all the development team had going for it, but I'll be optimistic as I loved last years Madagascar 3 and The Croods is so far receiving great reviews. Plus it has a stellar voice cast that includes Paul Giamatti, Michael Pena, Luis Guzmán, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Michelle Rodriguez, Maya Rudolph, Ben Schwartz, Kurtwood Smith, Snoop Dogg, and Samuel L. Jackson. Turbo opens in 3D on July 19th.  

COSMOPOLIS Review

There is likely not enough pages in the world that could ever wrap themselves around the multiple ideas and theories that are tossed out in David Cronenberg's latest Cosmopolis. The film is based on a 2003 novel by Don DeLillo that wasn't all that well received itself but clearly sparked some kind of intrigue in the director as he's developed the story into an hour and forty-five minute feature film full of thoughts but lacking a main idea. Like its main character played by the surprisingly commanding Robert Pattinson the film believes itself to be smarter than everyone else. This plan of keeping the basic plot so simple that the overall story can seemingly go anywhere seems to backfire on the director and everyone involved as the film generally doesn't consist of much at all and it feels like it. There are those slickly made films every now and then that are so simple they are fascinating in their execution but Cosmopolis can't slip under the radar no matter how many big words it tries to throw at its audience. As I walked out of the theater I was still puzzled as to what I'd just experienced and couldn't really comprehend if any of it really meant anything to me, if any of it left an impression on me. Sure, there were certain pieces of dialogue, theories even that I found interesting and would liked to have seen explored further, but when it all comes down to that final (and only) tension filled scene we realize that nothing has built to this point. Not even the self discovery of Pattinson's asset manager Eric Packer can rescue the film from its dialogue and metaphoric heavy messages. There is something to the film that is strangely engaging, I'll give it that, but not enough to warrant the idea of translating these words to the screen.

Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) and his security guard
Torval (Kevin Durand) wait for the limo.

In essence the film can be summed up in one sentence. Packer, a 28 year-old asset manager in the not too distant future rides in his stretch limo across New York City for a haircut. That is the basis for what inspires several interactions throughout his trip that include discussions about his business, his status and the state of that power he holds over the Wall Street arena. The film is so precisely directed that we cannot help but to marvel at the genuine care that seems to have been taken to manufacture such a world, but unfortunately that is the only thing about this world that feels the least bit genuine. Pattinson, despite his bread and butter franchise is at least trying to break the mold and avoid falling into the trappings of mainstream studio films. Bucking the system by doing obscure and limit-pushing material such as this, but his character for all the danger and excess he likes to indulge in speaks in a monotone voice and conveys little emotion for us to understand his goals much less him as a human being. We watch and discover more and more about the character but become less enthralled with him. He is a kind of golden boy in the finance industry and is betting his company's future against the value of the yen as he fights the traffic of a pop stars funeral, a presidential visit, and an ongoing riot that seems strangely similar to an exaggerated Occupy Wall Street movement. In the process of getting to the barber he speaks with young, smart associates who always seem one step ahead of the average human being in their conversation guessing what their boss is thinking of them, how he is judging them. Packer will exit the vehicle occasionally mainly to eat with his new bride who seems to exist in a world completely opposite his own.

Benno Levin (Paul Giamatti) faces off against Packer
in the final act of Cosmopolis.

Whether it be that our lead character is talking to his mistress/art dealer (Juliette Binoche), his chief of theory as played by the always captivating Samantha Morton or another of his female associates where an intense conversation takes place as Packer gets his rectum examined. As all of these strange goings-on occur though, as we see the slew of people come in and out of the limo we begin to naturally catch on to the idea this is not simply about money for our complicated character but is more about constructing the image, the philosophy of a man who truly is more than the same person we all are at the base level. Packer is trying to be more than a man, he is attempting to represent a certain set of ideas that don't really have representation but are instead hidden from the world because of their shameful truths. He seeks out sexual satisfaction with different partners despite the disconnected marriage he shares with equally wealthy Elise (Sarah Gadon). He is looking to destroy the past to build a new future not only for himself but for this lost generation that have grown up believing their is an American dream they can someday achieve. It is fine enough ideas, and the dialogue is sharply written as it is seemingly translated directly from DeLillo's book but as it is the movie tells more than it shows and in that I can't fully understand the justification for why one would want to watch this film rather than simply read the book. The ideas would likely stick better with the reader than the viewer. Even with the almost Kubrickian style that Cronenberg implies to capture the visuals and direct, emotionless delivery of the dialogue we cannot become fully invested in Pattison's odyssey.

Eric Packer's new wife Elise (Sarah Gadon) is just as
wealthy if not as adventurous as her new husband.

What does stick from the countless conversations held in Cosmopolis is this idea of how we or our world has come to be how it is in its most current form. That idea that Packer is always challenging himself to overcome and to ultimately figure out. How should he know what to do with his future, how does he become the human being he so badly wants to be without knowing if he can rely on what fuels any persons knowledge: their experiences. That theory becomes as close to the main idea of the film as we get. That is fine except for the fact that the film itself is cold and for all the deep and intelligent conversations that are being had it feels empty. In the final act of the film Packer meets a disgruntled past employee (Paul Giamatti) where the limits of who Packer is and what he wants out of this life are put to the test. It is both the most entertaining and intriguing part of the film which could be for many reasons but what it ultimately proves is that a film doesn't have to be so self-serious and restrained to the point it can undoubtedly be considered art but can be as thought provoking as it is interesting and fun to watch. The tension is built perfectly as Pattinson and Giamatti dance around the films best conversations and topics. They are the ones that stick with the audience and not just because they are the last ones we hear in the film. I have never really responded to Cronenberg's work the way some do and I find it hard to see what has garnered him such a fine reputation as a filmmaker. There is an abstraction here that I simply don't understand in terms of filmmaking but I do consider myself more intelligent than to simply buy into rich, powerful, good looking people spouting philosophy at me and for those reasons expecting me to believe every word of it without question. If that is what Cronenberg is doing than there are plenty of logical questions that need to be addressed in his film. Did the guy really need a haircut in the first place? Let's start there.

    
    

COSMOPOLIS Review

There is likely not enough pages in the world that could ever wrap themselves around the multiple ideas and theories that are tossed out in David Cronenberg's latest Cosmopolis. The film is based on a 2003 novel by Don DeLillo that wasn't all that well received itself but clearly sparked some kind of intrigue in the director as he's developed the story into an hour and forty-five minute feature film full of thoughts but lacking a main idea. Like its main character played by the surprisingly commanding Robert Pattinson the film believes itself to be smarter than everyone else. This plan of keeping the basic plot so simple that the overall story can seemingly go anywhere seems to backfire on the director and everyone involved as the film generally doesn't consist of much at all and it feels like it. There are those slickly made films every now and then that are so simple they are fascinating in their execution but Cosmopolis can't slip under the radar no matter how many big words it tries to throw at its audience. As I walked out of the theater I was still puzzled as to what I'd just experienced and couldn't really comprehend if any of it really meant anything to me, if any of it left an impression on me. Sure, there were certain pieces of dialogue, theories even that I found interesting and would liked to have seen explored further, but when it all comes down to that final (and only) tension filled scene we realize that nothing has built to this point. Not even the self discovery of Pattinson's asset manager Eric Packer can rescue the film from its dialogue and metaphoric heavy messages. There is something to the film that is strangely engaging, I'll give it that, but not enough to warrant the idea of translating these words to the screen.

ROCK OF AGES Review

Going into Rock of Ages my main concern was how the makers were going to take a format such as the musical and successfully mix it with a culture that seemed completely opposite what is considered a higher class art form. The funny thing about these two things though is that 80's rock can match the glitz and glam of Broadway musicals step for step. It may represent a stronger form of rebellion while the musicals of the stage are filled with more finesse but these two very distinct brands of entertainment compliment each other well enough for this experiment in the strange to be called a success. I had not previously heard of the hit stage show before reading that Hairspray director Adam Shankman would be at the helm of turning it into a feature. I went into 2007's Hairspray expecting to hate it. It looked campy and cheesy despite featuring a star-studded cast. I came out having loved every minute of it though and so when the first trailers for Rock of Ages came out and it looked like Shankman had done the same for the 80's as he'd done to the 60's I was excited to say the least. While Rock of Ages doesn't carry that same wonderfully bright and bouncy feel of Hairspray, it is just as unabashed and unapologetic about what it is. The main issue with the film is that it builds itself around two less capable stars whose relationship we don't really end up caring about. I would have rather seen Stacee Jaxx: The Movie than to have taken side steps for Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta's characters. Stacee Jaxx is where it's at and if you see the movie for any reason, see it for Mr. Cruise. Even now, as I write this review I have my Pandora station set to 80's rock.

Sherrie (Julianne Hough) and Drew (Diego Boneta)
have a meet-cute in Tower Records.

The film starts out in the most promising and epically cheesy of ways as Hough's Sherrie (no, they didn't use Steve Perry's "Oh Sherrie" from '84 which really bummed me out) is on her way to the big city of Hollywood. Departing her small town Oklahoma roots she has big dreams and intends on giving them her best shot. The musical numbers waste no time showing up as Hough belts out Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" and is joined by her fellow travelers as the chorus kicks in. It is so gloriously ridiculous the movie seems to be heading nowhere but up. Sherrie arrives on the sunset strip and is quickly mugged, her favorite records stolen, but is rescued from the streets by an employee at the famous Bourbon Room named Drew (Boneta). Drew is of course an aspiring singer as well and it is clear after the five minutes into the film that these two are predestined to be together. Drew sets Sherrie up with a job at the Bourbon Room which is under the management of Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) and his quirky British sidekick played energetically by Russell Brand. The Bourbon is in trouble as it hasn't paid taxes in over a year and is counting on a show by the one and only Stacee Jaxx to bring them out of the black. As an Axl Rose type, Stacee Jaxx has become more famous for his strange behavior and off-stage antics than the music that first made him the rock God figure he now so depressingly bathes in. There is a great if not rather typical side story that concerns the hypocritical mayor of Los Angeles (Bryan Cranston) and his wife Patricia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who plan to clean up the strip which entails doing musical numbers to Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" with the local church ladies. Zeta-Jones goes over-the-top in every aspect of her performance while pulling out her experience in the field to create one of the better choreographed numbers. Paul Giamatti shows up as Stacee's manager Paul Gill and gives a slick and sleazy, if not reliable performance. It is clear he, along with lighter supporting cast members Mary J. Blige and Malin Akerman are just having a blast here.

Constance (Malin Akerman) sparks something in Stacee
Jaxx (Tom Cruise) that he hasn't felt in a while...

While Hough has not yet proved herself in film outside the realm of those that are heavily influenced by music I thought she did rather well in the Footloose remake and expected more from her here. This was a starring role in a big summer musical, it was basically tailored for her and while her performance is certainly passable, even heartfelt in certain moments, it just doesn't fit the tone of the overall film. Worse off is newcomer Boneta who handles his singing duties with ease but embodies them awkwardly and feels stilted when he has to deliver dialogue for more than a few moments. For acting as the core of the film, their romance fizzles quickly. In fact, as soon as we set our eyes toward the mystery that is Stacee Jaxx we have completely forgotten about the young, naive, leads who are taking it all way too seriously. Cruise expands his filmography and his list of versatile characters by not only being featured in a musical but by stealing every scene he steps into. He plays the reclusive rock star with an edge that is not so easily seen past. He plays up the stereotypes of the character while delivering a subtle undercurrent of a jaded human being that has become disenchanted with the life he is living and yearns for something more simple. It takes Constance, a reporter from Rolling Stone, to lift the curtain on what he has become and motivate the rocker to return to form. As played by Akerman, Constance is a lively fan girl who tries her best to contain the excitement she holds for meeting Jaxx. She is a super fan who wants to see the man that made her love music in the first place become what she knows he could be. That is the story Shankman and crew should have focused on if they were decided to cast such wonderful supporting players with weaker leads.

Dennis (Alec Baldwin) and Lonnie (Russell Brand) are
inseparable and love the Rock N' Roll lifestyle.

What is best about the whole project though is that the older, supporting members of the ensemble do realize the campiness with which they are playing. Shankman does well to capture this wink and nod tone to the audience. They aren't taking this all too seriously and neither should we. If anything, the movie is simply an exercise in nostalgia. Screenwriters Chris D'Arienzo and Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder) have re-worked the script to nicely tell a classic boy meets girl story through a collection of songs from the era where men wore just as much make-up as the women they were singing to. I wish the songs used in the film might have dug deeper into the era it was representing rather than relying so heavily on such standards, but I understand it. More kids today will know Joan Jett than they will Foreigner, but at least the oddly fascinating trip had the sense to go out on a blazing, belting , pile of Journey and their countless arena rock anthems. I would have also preferred it had the story been a little more coherent. It wanders a bit in the second act and only finds its footing because again, Stacee Jaxx and his influential past shows up to set things right. I don't mind Mary J. but I don't really know why she is here. I would have liked for the overall feel of the film to be less flashy and more gritty, you know kind of like the musical style it is representing, but then again we likely wouldn't have had Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin singing "I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore" to one another either. It's hard to speak negatively about a film that doesn't mean any harm, especially when it is as fun as this one. Though it has its fair share of faults, Rock of Ages is pure pleasure and there is no reason you shouldn't let your guard down and give into the music.