Whatever Works (2009)

Whatever Works features a character who keeps turning away from the people in his world and directly addressing the audience. It's something you just don't find all that often in films today—and probably for good reason. The breaking of the 4th wall provides grand opportunity for awkward corniness. Not to mention it messes with the whole suspension of disbelief thing.

But the main character of this feature, Boris Yellnikoff (Yes, he does yell.), is so disenchanted with the people around him that, even though he tries to talk to the others, he really has no one else to turn to besides the audience. Plus, I guess it wouldn't be a Woody Allen comedy/commentary without something off-kilter like that. Larry David, who is well known for playing disgruntled and bitter, easily yammers on in the role of Boris.

He's a former physicist who almost won the Nobel Prize. One day he finds former southern beauty pageant contestant Melodie sleeping outside his door. He agrees to let her stay while she tries to get on her feet in New York and meanwhile pushes his views on relationships, religion, and existence in general into her incredibly impressionable brain. Evan Rachel Wood takes a refreshing change for her usual rebel roles to play Melodie although oftentimes her performance runs along the borderline of just plain silly. Eventually, Melodie's parents come looking for her and that's when Patricia Clarkson glides in, takes charge of the film, and completely steals it right through the end.

It's definitely not Allen's best, but it's amusing enough if you forget about that suspension of disbelief thing and just listen.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: Anyone wondering what Woody Allen's been thinking about lately.

There Will Be Blood (2008)

There will be blood. There will also be lots of anger issues.

The story revolves around Daniel Plainview, a highly-driven and incredibly ruthless oilman, in the late 19th century American west. When he hears of oil-rich land in California, he takes his son, H.W., and sets up operation there - telling the locals exactly what they want to hear while practically stealing their land out from under them. Daniel Day-Lewis is completely entrenched in the role of Plainview, living in a world of his own despite the community around him.

The only difficult human hurdle to his takeover is Eli Sunday, a local preacher. Played with gusto equal to Day-Lewis' by Paul Dano, Sunday is after the same thing Planview is—wealth. Both are clever and both have quite the capacity for cruelty.

Overall it's about materialism and how incredibly horrible people can be to each other. You'll either be completely captivated by it or find it incredibly drawn out. Besides the meanness of it all, what makes it so hard to digest is the length. It drags you through the oil and blood for two hours and thirty-eight minutes. Still, in between the intense acting, there's plenty at which to look. Director Paul Thomas Anderson admirably undertook this project of epic proportions; now if only someone had put a heavier hand in the editing department.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: People who want to see a gritty Oscar-winning performance

Fanboys (2009)

First let me say that I enjoy Star Wars a lot. Then I must say that Fanboys is ridiculous - and not in a good way.

The movie centers around 4 friends from high school who, now in their early twenties, are eagerly awaiting the next installment of the Star Wars franchise, Episode 1: The Phantom Menance... or at least 3 of them are and they have to remind the other one that he's a Star Wars fan too (because apparently you can only have a career or be a Star Wars fan).

They develop a plan to drive across the US, break into Skywalker Ranch, and see the movie before it's released because one of them has cancer (although you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at him) and they're afraid he won't live long enough to see it in theaters. The movie then devolves into a low-brow road trip movie. How else would we have opportunity to run into Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, and Kevin Smith? It also allows for a random, totally unnecessary fight with Trekkies.

When the quartet lands in jail, their friend Zoe (Kristen Bell) comes to bail them out. She manages to bail the movie part way out as well by presenting a likeable, non-comedy-stereotype character. With her kicking their butts into gear, they finally make it to Skywalker Ranch where they see a lot of cool things (for Star Wars fans) before the contrived, outrageous, slap-you-in-the-face reference situations ensue.

In the end this film was a interesting idea that ultimately failed in execution. Unfortunately I'm unsure how much of this had to do with it coming out 2 years after it was supposed to and the fights that ensued over different cuts of the film. There are several funny moments and several that are just supposed to be. There's enough references to fill a Star Wars fan's half month quota, but probably not enough entertainment for a non fan to even consider watching. And to top it all off, the audience has the misfortune of knowing what these kids are after didn't live up to expectations either.

Rating: 2/5
Recommended for: People looking to fill their Star Wars reference quota

Extended Review: Apparently there are not enough actors in the world or even actors who also like Star Wars. This must be why Seth Rogen played three parts in the movie.