Shutter Island (2010)

When Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese collaborate you have certain expectations. For example, you expect the movie to be good. Maybe you expect it to be a little violent. You might even expect it to not treat the audience like idiots.

Well... Shutter Island at least lives up to the second one. And it has an interesting plot. Or at least it makes you think it has an interesting plot.

Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a US Marshal in 1954 on the case of a missing patient from a hospital for the criminally insane on the allegedly unescapable Shutter Island. With his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), Teddy comes across several roadblocks from the staff to the investigation and begins to suspect that something akin to the sinister activities he witnessed in death camps during World War II is taking place on the island. Things are further compounded by a hurricane, more escaped patients, and Teddy's dead wife.

Unfortunately Teddy and Chuck tell us way too many things explicitly. At some points it wouldn't be surprising if they turned to the camera and relayed the lines. And with the storm and the fireplaces and the men sitting in high-back chairs, you almost expect Teddy to announce it was Col. Mustard who absconded with the missing patient in the library with the candelabra.

There's a fair amount of suspense but it gets tiring after awhile and the story really starts to drag. Eventually, it's just annoying and tempting to fast forward to the end.

The actors do a fair enough job with what they've been given. Patricia Clarkson probably gives the strongest performance, but then again she was just making the most of the 5 minutes she's in the movie. DiCaprio and Ruffalo seem like an odd pairing. I never think of them as being in the same genre of films, but they work well together here.

In the end, only parts of it were the thriller I expected and instead of finding the ending itself clever, I felt betrayed. Looking back I see where all the seeds are sown, I just didn't care any more when it came time to harvest.

Rating: 2/5

Recommended for: People who like to be reminded that sometimes great film people put out a not-so-great movie

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

There should be some sort of rule that movies with foregone conclusions aren't allowed to run past the two hour mark. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford drags for over two and a half.

When just from your title and setup your audience already knows the who (Robert Ford), the what (kills Jesse James), the when (somewhere towards the end of the movie because that'd be more dramatic), and the how (probably with a gun considering the time period and the fact that these guys were train robbers) - all you have left is the why, and even that is partially answered (because he's a coward). The challenge is to fill in the details and the rest of that "why" in a gripping manner for the rest of the film. And that's where this film fails. It's no small undertaking but anyone would be hard pressed to sustain tension with this story for two and a half hours.

It's too bad because it is such a striking film visually. Grain shines in the sunlight and sways in the wind. The sky is full of appropriately threatening and tumultuous-looking clouds. The train lights fall on Brad Pitt's Jesse James creating a perfect silhouette before a moment of action. The men disappear through the steam like ghosts. The cast is an array of familiar and vaguely-familiar faces (Brad Pitt, Mary Louise Parker, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Jeremy Renner, Paul Schneider). They all do a fine enough job but everything is too subdued for anyone to shine through like the aforementioned grain.

Rating: 2/5

Recommended for: lulling yourself to sleep

The Frisco Kid (1979)

I admit it. I decided to watch The Frisco Kid because it's a western with Harrison Ford. You don't come across that too often (you know, besides his two episodes of Gunsmoke). And I had to know how combing these two elements turned out.

And the result, as you might have guessed, is strange. But it's not just from the aforementioned combo. After all, the tagline is "The greatest cowboy ever to ride into the Wild West. From Poland." The movie also stars Gene Wilder as Avram, a Polish rabbi sent to make his way across the United States (mainly the Old West) so he can lead a synagogue in San Francisco. As Avram makes his way, he crosses paths with Ford's bandit Tommy - except nothing happens the first time. Tommy holds up a train Avram is riding but Avram is in the bathroom and misses the hold-up completely.

Later Tommy comes across Avram trying to stab fish with a huge wooden pole in a stream. He helps the rabbi out by shooting the fish. Then they bond a little and Tommy decides to help Avram navigate the rest of the way. Apparently Tommy has a heart of gold but just considers robbing people his job. They have a few mini-adventures along the way and then eventually their journey is over. And that's pretty much it.

The trailer for The Frisco Kid, builds on Wilder's roles in Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. While slightly endearing this is not the comedy it's built up to be. In fact, it's not a Mel Brooks movie nor is it close to that brand of funny at all. And it certainly doesn't take itself seriously enough to be a drama. It just sort of floats in and out of a few comedic styles and ambles to the end.

I kept thinking "This came out between Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back."

Rating: 2/5
Recommended for: People who wonder what it'd be like if Han Solo was a softer individual from 1850

Vertigo (1958)

Vertigo stars James "Jimmy" Stewart as recently retired, acrophobic police detective John "Scottie" Ferguson. Scottie's been hired as private investigator by an old college friend to follow his wife Madeline (Kim Novak). Despite Madeline's apparent ritualistic behaviors and suicidal tendencies, Scottie finds himself falling for her.

I'm more a fan of Hitchcock's mental thrillers than his more blatant harming people right in front of your face. I'll take Notorious over The Birds any day. So since I knew Vertigo would include an on-screen death, I felt I was getting a little adventurous with this movie choice. And in a way, I was.

This movie is sort of amazing. With the time period in which the movie was filmed I expected some hokeyness - perhaps along the lines of Dial M for Murder which came out four years earlier. While a little hokeyness persisted in Vertigo, it's not enough to make a lasting impression. Instead it's surprisingly deep story. Jimmy Stewart is more known for uttering lines that include the phrase "hot dog!" but here he gradually transforms into a man compelled by one dark notion.

My only gripe is one that transcends this movie into a general Hitchcock gripe. It's the use of glasses to make a girl "unattractive" so the audience can dismiss her as being anything but a character who will be used by our protagonist. In Vertigo it's Barbara Bel Geddes as Scottie's friend (and former girlfriend), Midge. Her big, red frames (and prior Hitchcock knowledge) telegraph right from the beginning that despite her being the most likable character and the biggest help for Scottie, we can't even hope anyone will take stock in her. You could spin it and say the glasses are a sign that only she sees what's happening to Scottie, but with Judy's existence that seems less likely the case. It's too bad because she's a fantastic character and Bel Geddes give a fantastic performance.

I don't want to give too much more away. It's definitely more fun to view it not quite knowing where it's going. But I was impressed - with the story, symbolism, and acting. I guess I haven't seen enough of the films that came out in 1958 to understand why Stewart didn't at least get an Oscar nomination (although he did win the Zulueta Prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival).

Rating: 4/5

Recommended for: seeing an exquisite Hitchcock balancing act

The Young Victoria (2009)

The Young Victoria is such a pretty movie to view. And sure enough, it won Best Achievement in Costume Design at the 2010 Oscars and was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Makeup as well. The sets could swallow you whole with their grandeur - no doubt helped by the fact that many of them were real homes and castles.

The film also focuses on a intriguing subject - the British monarchy - in particular Queen Victoria, whose reign began in 1837 and didn't end until 1901. This particular film chose to focus on the events leading up to her coronation and those first few years as Queen.

Victoria (Emily Blunt) is aware that she's next in line for the throne. Her mother (Miranda Richardson) is too, possibly even more so, as she's done everything possible to keep Victoria in a bubble - not just for her protection but in an attempt to mold Victoria into the leader she and the scheming Sir John Conroy would prefer her to be. Victoria is too aware and too smart to be an ideal piece of clay.

Blunt convincingly portrays the complexity of a young woman who refuses to be pushed around and enthusiastically wants what's best for her people while holding the knowledge that she has absolutely no practical experience at her job. She acknowledges duty but chooses to marry Albert (Rupert Friend), a man she loves. Their relationship makes for an endearing core to the story.

The choice to focus on that time is refreshing - since Queen Victoria movies don't usually focus on how she got there. And yet, this choice also makes the film a little awkward. I felt like things were just revving up when the movie ends. Showing the coronation at the beginning also steals some of the thunder. But still, it's an interesting watch with captivating performances by Blunt and Friend. And for the most part, it's even historically accurate.

Rating: 4/5

Recommended for: quiet, rainy afternoon viewing

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

If you've seen a Wes Anderson film, you know his movies are infused with quirkiness. Fantastic Mr. Fox is no exception.

And if you're a big Wes Anderson fan, you'll also be delighted with the homages to his other films. From a tussle and caper planing worthy of Bottle Rocket, to a precocious, multi-talented cousin out of Rushmore, to a compartmental overview of the Fox tree like in The Life Aquatic to the farmer character introduction and segment labeling out of The Royal Tenenbaums, they're all pieces that work in this movie too.

I don't remember ever reading Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox, so my review is based on the movie on its own. And it definitely stands on its own.

Depicted in stop-motion animation is Mr. Fox, who is voiced by George Clooney. He likes to steal squabs, but one time when him and his wife (Meryl Streep) are in trouble during a theft, she tells him she's pregnant and makes him promise that if they get out of this alive, he'll find a less dangerous career. 12 fox years later, Mr. Fox is now a newspaper columnist and the father of the mopey Ash (Jason Schwartzman). Mr. Fox is getting restless though. He moves the family into a tree across the way from the farms of Boggis, Bunce, and Bean and the temptation to return to his old lifestyle becomes too much. Soon he's planning raids of the farms with opossum building superintendent, Kylie (Wallace Wolodarsky), and his visiting nephew, Kristofferson (Eric Chase Anderson - the illustrator of all of the maps, covers, and other packaging of the Criterion Collection editions of his brother Wes' films).

Incredible suspension of disbelief is required to watch this - beyond that of accepting talking animals. Plenty of things that don't quite make sense take place, but if you don't bother questioning it all, it's a fun ride. There's plenty of dry humor but it's also whimsical, amusing, and features some great performances by the voice actors.

Meryl Streep is calm, grounded, a bit more timid than we're used to hearing her. Willem Defoe proves he can be creepy as anyone, especially a rat. Mario Batali even makes an appearance as a rabbit who is also a chef... because of course we need accuracy in our rabbit chef portrayal. Wes Anderson seems to have even pushed George Clooney into the Wes Anderson Line Delivery Method. Anderson had the cast go out to a real farm and record their lines as they were acting out their scenes. So many times animated movies are missing that chemistry that appears when actors are actually performing in the same space. But this technique really helped bring the performances into cohesive ensemble work.

I think this movie even has a broader appeal than his others. Some people might assume with Wes Anderson at the helm, the movie's meant for adults but I think kids can enjoy it too. It carries a message that it's ok to be different. And by the end, no matter what your age, you'll probably find yourself wanting a bandit hat.

Rating: 4/5
Recommended for: Anyone in the mood for fun and bandit hats

An Education (2009)

If you've read some of my other recent reviews, you'll have noticed I've been disenchanted with the lack of freshness in some recent films. Well... consider me refreshed. An Education is a sweetly charming viewing experience with a quiet solidity that keeps it from flying away.

It's a coming-of-age movie and yet it's not corny or silly. It helps that the main character, Jenny, is already fairly mature and intelligent for her 16 years - there's just some things about life that school hasn't taught her. It's the 1960s in the London suburbs and Jenny is waiting in the rain for the bus after orchestra practice when a man about twice her age, David, offers to give her a ride home. Nowadays one might think stranger danger. Jenny does too for a moment, but his sincerity and offer to protect the cello and let her walk along side the car eventually convince her to get in.

They bump into each other some more and she ends up dating him. Her parents are even ok with it. David has a convincing story for everything. He tells them he just wants to expose her to culture. Before she met David, Jenny wanting nothing more than to read English at Oxford. But now the life David presents seems so much more interesting and the Oxford priority fades.

Carey Mulligan plays Jenny. Several critics have likened her to Audrey Hepburn - although I think a lot of that comes from the time period of An Education and Mulligan's vague resemblance. While Hepburn often played the wide-eyed girl experiencing things for the first time, Mulligan is much more coy. We can see her excitement and her sadness but it all plays out on a less extreme spectrum than Hepburn's usually did. Mulligan has this heft to her performance as she balances maturity and self-awareness with surprise and naivete. Jenny knows so much but there's still so much she doesn't know and Mulligan pulls this off so well it's no wonder she's won several awards for the role.

Meanwhile Peter Sarsgaard plays David, pulling off a decent English accent in the process. He clearly knows his own intentions for Jenny but he hides behind a haze of mystery, sweetness, and reasoning for Jenny, her family and the audience. He skates just along the edge of the creepy line and then back into the territory of maybe-he-just-wants-the-best-for-her.

At one point, David gets permission to take Jenny to Paris - a place she always wanted to go. And it's refreshing to see people go to Paris without driving through the entire city for a montage. Director Lone Scherfig and her team capture a carefree, romantic Paris, only popping in a few landmarks without letting them pull the focus. The color of Jenny's time with David stands opposite the appearance of her dreary school life but the contrast is smooth and subtle enough that it doesn't hit you over the head. And the costumes are beautiful and tailored without it becoming a costume drama.

The whole movie is a beautiful balancing act around a compelling story.

Rating: 5/5
Recommended for: Showing Audrey Hepburn how it's done today.

All Through the Night (1941)

Not too long ago I decided I wanted to watch every film Humphrey Bogart made. His characters tend to be similar to each other but, unlike Clooney characters, Bogart's never seem to materialize out of nowhere. Each has a backstory, each has some heavy weight they're carrying.
They're all well-rounded in that way and yet they're all a bit different. I've seen nine so far, but after seeing, All Through the Night I might just be happy with what I've already seen and move on.

All Through the Night came out right after The Maltese Falcon, Bogart's big break as a leading player. But in All Through the Night, Bogart plays a gangster, a role he pretty much always played in B movies before The Maltese Falcon. So all that character depth I previously mentioned? Not so much. In fact, at least three other guys in the movie are playing almost the exact same part as Bogart. And everyone except the Nazis and the women are talking in wise-guy voices that all sound exactly the same. Turn away from the screen and there's a good chance you won't know who is talking.

And yeah, there's that Nazi thing. What starts out as some gambling gangsters trying to figure out who killed their favorite cheesecake baker spins into the discovery of an evil Nazi plot for chaos and destruction. I almost can't even believe it as I type it. It all pops out of nowhere amongst fight scenes that are borderline slapstick.

It's all so ridiculous that the only redeemable part that comes to mind is Peter Lorre, who is as creepy as ever as Pepi, the watchdog/hitman.

Rating: 1/5
Recommended for: People who cannot get enough of the 40s movie gangster accent

Whip It (2009)

Whip It is Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. And I guess I was expecting something amazing. She's been in the movie business most of her life and instead of propelling originality, it seems to be a lot of the classic shots and telling techniques we've seen so many times before. Now what she gave us wasn't bad - it just wasn't what I was expecting.

The story, set in small-town Texas, is about a teenager named Bliss (Ellen Page) whose mother heavy-hands her into local beauty pageant after pageant. Bliss is less than thrilled but goes through the motions until she discovers roller derby. Becoming part of the underdog team The Hurl Scouts becomes her secret passion. She sneaks off to practices and games. Her best friend is in on it. She finds some understanding in her situation with her mother from her father. And she's really good at her sport.

And voila... we have a roller derby version of Bend it Like Beckham.

It's a charming enough movie. It's a well-acted enough movie. The ensemble cast is great. It's about roller derby - a sport that is definitely not over-saturated in the way of movie depictions. And it's predictable in many aspects but not overly-predictable as a whole. In the end though, it just didn't seem distinct enough for me.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: Those of you who haven't seen Bend it Like Beckham (especially if you're unfamiliar with British culture).

Up in the Air (2009)

George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham - or he's playing George Clooney. It's really hard to tell. But more about that later. Anyway, Ryan Bingham's job is to fly around the country firing people for companies that don't want to fire their own employees. Ryan enjoys the perks of his job - namely frequent flyer miles. What he doesn't enjoy is the threat brought by newcomer Natalie Keener's (also relative newcomer Anna Kendrick) ideas for change.

The layoff element of the plot is very topical, painfully so for some people. It was an interesting choice to use actual recently laid off people in the firing scenes. It was nice of the production to give these people a job for a day and it gave a real voice to the feelings of the situation. But after they say their piece, they get put by the film in the out-of-sight-out-of-mind files. And the amount of screen time they had to give so that these people could really say something made the movie drift into the borderlands of documentary. That just doesn't mesh so well with the sarcastic comedic drama stylings of writer/director Jason Reitman.

George Clooney does seem like he'd be a good Reitman fit - except instead he comes off as if he'd play his part the same way no matter who the director was. George Clooney's Ryan Bingham is also his Danny Ocean from Ocean's 11 involved in more legal but still questionable ventures, his slightly less goofy Jimmy Connelly from Leatherheads as well as a slightly toned down Harry Pfarrer from Burn After Reading. It's all charm, leadership, and conviction. He plays it well, but it's also not that far off from his public persona. So how many times can you watch it? For some the number is much lower than others.

Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick on the other hand pull their weight with the freshness that Clooney lacks. Farmiga is smooth as Alex Goran, an also-seasoned traveler who meets up with Bingham whenever they're in the same town. And Kendrick is eager without becoming a caricature. Although I don't recall thinking Oscar! Oscar! while watching them, I was impressed with their work and didn't mind them being nominated.

But even with the great female leads and the topicality, Up in the Air isn't very grounded. It's lacking the gravity to seem substantial enough to really care while watching it. People firing your loved ones and living fancy lives aren't so easy to connect with. It misses on the emotions that could really strike home for the masses.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: People who haven't been laid off and will watch George Clooney in anything.

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has been directly adapted in no less than 24 movies and television shows. It's inspired premises and episodes of 13 additional TV shows and 22 more films. Tim Burton's 2010 Alice in Wonderland is listed as one of those 22 inspired pieces.

I read somewhere that Burton didn't consider his Alice a sequel to the original story. Maybe he meant the term "sequel" didn't explain it enough. Perhaps he meant it's a sequel of sorts that take elements of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and mixes it all together into a story where most of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland took place before this one, but they're calling it by the name they use for most movies that directly adapt the first story only.

Yes, that must be it.

Alice is now 18 and finds herself at a surprise engagement party for the surprise proposal she's about to get in front of a crowd of around 100 people. Taken aback, she runs off to think about her situation and ends up falling down a hole that, you guessed it, leads to Wonderland. She's been there before but doesn't remember it and so she goes through the whole "Eat me." "Drink me." bit before we get to the newer stuff.

The Queen of Hearts (Helena Bonham Carter), who is really an amalgamation of The Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen from the original stories, has taken over Wonderland, turning it into a grisly place where everyone lives in constant fear of death and/or harm to their loved ones. The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) is there to guide Alice because she can save them all from this miserable existence, but only if she's the "right Alice".

And while Depp adds depth to a character that doesn't seem to have much, it should be noted that if he played any other character, that character would have been Alice's guide and he'd have been able to squeeze some sort of depth out of that character too.

The screenplay was written by Linda Woolverton, who has been marked by the media as a "girl-power specialist" due to her work on Disney's Beauty and the Beast. In an interview with The New York Times, Woolverton mentioned that she “did a lot of research on Victorian mores, on how young girls were supposed to behave, and then did exactly the opposite.” That's all fine and dandy even if it's becoming pretty commonplace - the heroine who doesn't follow all of society's rules and finds happiness.

The problem with it in this movie is that Alice is supposed to become a strong, brave, independent woman in order to save the "good guys" in Wonderland, but she's already that person from the beginning. There's not much room for her character to grow and since that's the whole point of her journey... her journey seems almost pointless. Before she gets to Wonderland we already see her eschewing proper clothing, plainly stating her beliefs, questioning others, refusing to conform, doing whatever she thinks is best in the moment, etc. I guess you could say her time in Wonderland reminded her of who she is so she could make a choice in real life that she wouldn't regret. Except that I don't get "reminder" out of this story. It's clearly supposed to be "journey".

So between that and this story being done so many times, this whole movie came off as unnecessary. And that's too bad because the acting was all done well enough, and the visuals are intriguing (even though I thoroughly dislike the concept of shooting in 2D and converting it to 3D in post).

Burton usually brings an interesting spin on things. I hope to see more of his Edward Scissorhands/Corpse Bride/Big Fish side and less of this Planet of the Apes/Alice in Wonderland. If his next project isn't something we've seen 58 other variations on, we're already stepping in the right direction.

Rating: 2/5
Recommended for:People who enjoy talking animals.

The Hurt Locker (2009)

Within the first ten minutes of The Hurt Locker you know you're watching a wonderfully crafted film. You may think from the poster and the critics' quotes that pepper the advertisements that it's going to be an ultra-violent, non-stop adventure. But it's not. The nerve-wrecking, explosive episodes are delicately balanced with moments of quiet and reflection. It's so well thought out. And with fantastic cinematography, there is so much to see.

With her trusty team of handheld cameras and a psuedo-documentary style director Kathryn Bigelow provides a realistic (although I have no idea at how accurate) look at three men's approaches to modern war. She doesn't give us action heroes. She gives us regular men who specialize in certain activities just doing their job. Each time this Explosive Ordnance Disposal team goes out to do that there's an element that makes it different from the last even though it's essentially the same job. And each time has it's own tension, despite the monotony that also exists in their task being never-ending. The main actors (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty) flow along with this balance. Their lines are brief but they show you everything they're thinking and feeling.

The whole film is definitely show more than tell. Bigelow presents a story and in doing so raises questions and lets you take what you want from the film. The most poignant question seems to be how do men and women live in those tense conditions eventually come back to their regular lives back home? How do they reconcile those two lives?

If this doesn't at least get the Oscars for cinematography and directing, I'll be disappointed.

Rating: 5/5
Recommended for: its real feel and suspense appeal