POSSESSOR Review

It's crazy how our bodies are just vessels, right? In looking at myself in the mirror the other day I felt, for a moment, as if I didn't recognize myself and the belief that what people saw is all they associated me with if they didn't know me further kind of took me off my feet. We attempt to craft our outward appearance as much as possible to give others the best, most accurate first impression of who we are and what we represent as an individual, but there is so much more going on beneath the surface-beneath the skin-that it's difficult to sometimes grasp that others will take not from what you believe you have to offer, but what they assume you are or are not capable of. This isn't a new idea of course, everyone over the age of six knows one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I'm talking more about distilling down the difference between the identity and the character. The identity being who we truly believe ourselves to be on a level so personal you feel only you yourself know who you truly are whereas the character is that of the one you've constructed based on the context of your life. Whether it be little indicators in your physical appearance that make you lean toward dressing a certain way, the interests of your friends that you don't mind taking a liking to that influence your verbiage, or the beliefs of your parents that convey their expectations and naturally impact how you shape your own perception-there are a thousand different reasons as to why one might have constructed the outward character they've become. As we grow and as appearances and inhabited character traits become more and more a part of who we are we begin to discover what we actually like and don't like and more importantly-who we want and don't want to be. It would be easy to say all of these previous words have accomplished is to break down the psyche of what it's like to brave the terrain of the brain during one's adolescent years, but as much as that may be applicable what was actually the catalyst for these considerations are the ideas at the center of writer/director Brandon Cronenberg's second feature film, Possessor. From the outside, Possessor would appear to be a film made purely in the vein of Cronenberg's father, David's "body horror" genre and while the movie certainly has some gnarly violence woven into its fabric its clear Cronenberg, also like his father, is more interested in intertwining the psychological with the physical and in this movie specifically-the idea of how everyday life has become more like a movie than the movies have grown to reflect everyday life themselves. 

PIXELS Review

This is not your yearly dose of Dennis Dugan's Adam Sandler if that's what you're thinking. No, as big as Pixels looks in its marketing it actually is on the big screen. There seems to have been no expense too big, which includes flawless special effects, big action set pieces, legitimate craftsmanship and, unfortunately for Sandler, the hiring of quality actors to play opposite him that only stand to make him look all the more lazy. While this isn't your typical Dugan/Sandler fest in the vein of Grown Ups or Jack and Jill it is still Sandler phoning it in, doing what he's done every summer since about 2002 when Mr. Deeds more or less set him on a patterned course. There have naturally been deviations both in his comedy and into more serious territory since then, but the comedian always returns to his safe zone and delivers exactly what he believes his teen and contemporary audiences want from him. There is too much going on in Pixels for this to count purely as another Sandler bomb though and fortunately Pixels won't be judged on the immediate reactions of modern critics looking to dismiss the movie because of a single component before even walking into the theater. It is sometimes shocking, the vitriol which is spewed in Sandler's general direction, but I admit the majority of it is well-founded. With Pixels though, it will be the children of today who truly define what role this film will play as part of our pop culture society. In case you are unfamiliar with the name Chris Columbus (and no, not the Italian explorer) he is the guy that brought to life some of my generations favorite childhood films whether they be both Home Alone 1 and 2, Mrs. Doubtfire or even the first two Harry Potter films. Columbus has a knack for tapping into what makes kids enlist their truest sense of wonderment and he seems to have modernized that technique here while still remaining true to the decade that gave him his start. I'm not saying Pixels is as good as anything else in Columbus's filmography, but I am saying kids will love this movie and likely champion it through their teenage years and into their twenties as a haze of nostalgia will keep their love of it intact.

First Trailer for PIXELS

While Men, Women & Children along with The Cobbler were expected to be something of beginning to an Adam Sandler renaissance they proved non-starters when both received less than flattering reviews at last years Toronto International Film Festival with The Cobbler showing up on Amazon Prime last weekend to almost no ones awareness. So, what exactly does Sandler have to do to rejuvenate his officially fading career. Sure, the Grown Ups films have made solid returns and actually pushed the Sand Man to do his first sequel ever after the likes of That's My Boy and Jack & Jill tanked, but where Sandler has really found success  as of late was with his voice work in Hotel Transylvania. While he has already finished work on the sequel to that 2012 smash he is returning to live-action films aimed at children in director Chris Columbus’ latest film. In what they seem to hope will capitalize on the appeal of Wreck-It Ralph this latest attempt to capitalize on nostalgia revolves around a group of 80's arcade game champions who are called upon to help defend Earth from alien invaders who misinterpreted those classic arcade games as a declaration of war. Regardless of what this film might be jumping on the bandwagon of I can't help but to be both excited and hopeful that this is the one that finally puts Sandler back in somewhat good graces. Pairing Sandler with the likes of Columbus (Home Alone, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) is an inspired choice and the two would seemingly have the right mix of mentalities to pull something like this off perfectly, plus the supporting cast that includes the likes of Peter Dinklage, Michelle Monaghan, Josh Gad, Brian Cox and Kevin James doesn't hurt either. Pixels opens in theaters on July 24, 2015.

JUPITER ASCENDING Review

There is something oddly charming to the outright oddity that Jupiter Ascending is trying so hard to be. It is in this pushing, this trying to separate itself that the Wachowksi siblings, Andy and Lana, perpetuate their inherent "weirdness" while what they are actually trying to do is paint a mind of possibilities in a way that feels illogical when first introduced, but makes greater sense as a greater understanding and deeper contemplation are taken into account. As written by The Wachowski's it would seem likely that Jupiter Ascending once had a greater amount of substance to it than what the final product delivers. As the credits began to roll what I was left with was the incessant nagging of my brain questioning what exactly the directing duo were trying to say with this film. There is always a stream of consciousness to The Wachowski's films hinting at an overarching theme, but it seemed all I was left with here were a few cool ideas, some exceptional visuals and a solid piece of entertainment value, but little to actually ponder. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with making an outright spectacle that delivers large scale thrills in spades with little to no substance, but what makes Jupiter Ascending not that type of movie is that it's clear that wasn't the original intent of its creators. Throughout, there are consistent hints of a much larger, much stronger narrative existing within this well-developed universe The Wachowski's have created, but unfortunately much of it is lost in the barrage of frequent action scenes that take us from point A to point B. It's also true that the plot becomes a little too convoluted and tiresome by the time it reaches the third act yet I was never bored either with what I saw unfolding in front of me or what might be staged next. In this regard, while Jupiter Ascending is certainly strange to the point it will immediately off-put some and may be The Wachowski's most outright weird production to date for others familiar with their work it is also their most commercially accessible given the style over substance mentality it has seemed to take on in its delay. Despite it not living up to what I'd hoped it be, there is still plenty of fun to be had here and more than enough to marvel at.

First Trailer for JUPITER ASCENDING

I'm a huge fan of last year's Cloud Atlas, an adaptation of David Mitchell's novel, by the Wachowski siblings and so to see they are going back to the sci-fi genre again is exciting in itself and that this time they have penned the script as well as taken up directing duties is all the more reason to be excited. As they did with the Matrix trilogy the siblings seem to have created a full universe all their own here and have based a story around Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) who dwells in the doldrums of a dead end job scrubbing toilets. That is, until Channing Tatum shows up as Caine, a genetically engineered super soldier who must track her down and return her to her rightful position as the Queen of the Universe. That seemingly only scratches the surface of everything that is going on here as there is still plenty of philosophical talk and out of this world imagery which is the stand out element of this quick teaser trailer. While I enjoyed the odyssey-like tone and scope of Atlas this project seems to be of a more adventurous theme and I assume many of the detractors of Atlas are hoping it has the same spirit in terms of pacing. The problem they might have in bringing in a wide audience to the film is clearly the "weirdness" of it all in that you have Channing Tatum wearing elf ears and if you've seen the set photos, a number of other odd costumes. Still, I hope it will be easy to get past all of this (likely the reason they cast such popular and notable names in the lead roles) and through to the pure science fiction elements that will provide an interesting adventure and imagery that, in a crowd of special effects bonanzas, will stay with us and prove to be more than just entertainment, but a true cinematic experience. Jupiter Ascending also stars Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, James D’Arcy, Tim Pigott-Smith, Doona Bae and opens in 3D on July 25, 2014.