Behind the Candelabra (2013)

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Scott Bakula

Overall Rating: 71.3

The mythos of Behind the Candelabra in Hollywood had built up so much steam leading up to the release of Steven Soderbergh's biopic of the late Liberace, that the entire film almost felt like an exhale that lasted 2 hours long.  There had been talk about the film ever since the first peek of Michael Douglas as the famed pianist surfaced, followed by movie studios balking at the idea of this "gay" of a movie to be released, to its ultimate landing on HBO.  While the film tells a personal story of this larger-than-life personality, this may be the one time I found myself wishing Soderbergh had not muted the volume of his vision.

Candelabra follows the story of Scott Thorson (who also wrote the novel the film was based on, played by Matt Damon), a young gay man who was introduced to Liberace and started a romantic partnership.  The early parts of the film almost have a Boogie Nights feel to them.  A young, modest man gets a taste of the glamorous lifestyle thanks to his attractiveness, and soon finds his entire world flipped upside down.  Being told from the perspective of Thorson, you almost get an insider's look through a gay man's lens at the time.  The running joke early on is how all of these older, blue-haired women never realize that this man with poofed up hair, fur coats, an effeminate voice, and love of all things glitzy is actually gay.

As Thorson and Liberace grow more domesticated in their partnership, challenges begin to emerge.  Thorson develops a drug addiction after undergoing plastic surgery to look more like his older lover (because of course), Liberace continues to try to keep his public life a secret despite wanting to visit sex shops, and the two have constant trust issues always assuming a younger stud is on his way in.

Douglas and Damon both share a strong chemistry on screen, but don't necessarily make you believe they are the characters they are attempting to portray.  The supporting cast, however, give plenty of amazing performances to help hide this fact.  Dan Aykroyd plays Liberace's manager with a fierce temper.  Bakula fills the role of the in-between that first introduces Thorson and Liberace.  Ultimately, the scene stealer of the film is Rob Lowe as Thorson and Liberace's plastic surgeon.  Carrying an alien-like face that's been worked on a few dozen times too many, Lowe provides the much needed, unintentional humor for the film.

Considering the subject matter of this flamboyant musician, now known as a punch line for over the top imagery, the visual tone of the film almost felt dumbed down a bit.  The glitz and glamor of Las Vegas and the sequins of Liberace are present, but fell short of expectations.  We get to see the famous fox-fur coat that has it's own driver, we briefly see the golden bathtubs in Liberace's mansion, but we never get to feel like we're in this extravagant world.

Soderbergh succeeds in telling an interesting tale about a cast of interesting characters.  It's unlikely you'll watch the film and not learn something new about the late musician, but again, I can't help but feel like for a film about Liberace, there should have been more.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 6
Dialogue: 8
Acting: 9
Direction: 8
Audio/Visual: 5

Battleship (2012)

Directed by: Peter Berg

Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgaard

Overall Rating: 48.6

There's a few words that come to mind after viewing Battleship, but one stands out: terrifying.  It's terrifying to know that there were as many people involved in the production of this film as there were, not one of whom able to recognize just how horrible it was.  When a script that involved a naval battleship power-sliding across the ocean using nothing but its anchor, nobody thought to say "Hey, that's completely retarded".  When casting agents said "You know who would make a bad-ass naval officer?  Rihanna", nobody thought to second guess that.  And when a movie executive was given the cast, script, director, and even premise of the film, they not only green-lit the project, but gave it 220 million dollars to make.  Again, terrifying.

Let's start with the story: a down on his luck 26 year old (Kitsch) living in Hawaii gets in trouble one too many times, so his Navy career-minded brother (Skarsgaard) tells him to join up so he can keep an eye on the miscreant and hopefully turn his life around.  Cut to just a few short years later, and not only does our hero have a new haircut (which means he's reformed now!!), but he's worked his way up to a Lieutenant title, despite still always being late and not responsible at all.

Well wouldn't you know it, on the day a multinational war-games exercise is about to take place, our hero gets in trouble for the last time and is set to be kicked out of the Navy.  Darn the luck!  But since he's already on one of the boats, we'll let him stay for now (because why not let an officer in charge of enough munitions to destroy a small country stay in charge of said weapons even after you've told him he's about to get fired?).  As the exercises commence, a swarm of alien machines crash into the ocean set on destroying the earth and blah blah blah.  The hero rises to the challenge, earth is saved, we've heard this song a hundred times before.

What makes Battleship stand out as a truly remarkable piece of crap, is just how hard it tries to be the ultimate popcorn movie.  Hunky leading man?  Check.  Respected actor (Neeson) we can put in the credits without giving more than 10 minutes of screen time?  Check.  Pop star?  Check.  Ridiculously out of place, big breasted supermodel?  Check.  'Splosions? Check.

The whole movie essentially plays out like a terribly done propaganda movie for the US Navy (which it likely was).  Swooping shots of carriers, grizzled seamen from the era of diesel destroyers, spiffy white uniforms all get they're time to shine bright on screen.

You also get the feeling that whoever was in charge of the soundtrack was given at least $5 million of that $220 million budget.  Admittedly, there are some great rock songs that play throughout the movie.  The suckiness comes from the fact that they use one of these songs for EVERY scene change.  It feels like in a 5 minute span of the film, there could be 4 scenes, and 4 different rock anthems playing in between each. 

Then there's the acting.  Oh lordy, the acting.  There's really not a bright spot in the entire film, except maybe the CGI actors in charge of the aliens.  They got off the best, because nobody was able to identify who they are and that they were associated with this steamer.  As mentioned, the film was likely a propaganda piece for the US Navy, and unfortunately that meant the producers sought after real-life military heroes to play roles, including Col. Gregory Gadson.  Gadson is an above-the-knee amputee and real life hero and motivational speaker.  But an actor, the good Colonel is not.  Despite this, he still gets line after cliched line to regurgitate and it just makes the entire process unpleasant.  All of his scenes are with Brooklyn Decker, and she comes across looking like Meryl Streep next to him. 

The lone bright spot comes from the special effects.  The audio team does a stellar job of conveying the boom of a shell being fired from a battleship, as well as with the alien technology.  The visuals do nothing to add to the story or overall tone of the film, but also aren't cringe-worthy either.

In short, there's very little to recommend with Battleship.  In a lot of cases with big budget popcorn flicks, I can see the draw for certain types of film-goers.  But even fans of films like Transformers or anything starring Jason Statham would undoubtedly finish a viewing of this film with a horrific taste in their mouth, and that's saying something.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 4
Dialogue: 3
Acting: 2
Direction: 3
Audio/Visual: 6

Phil Spector (2013)

Directed by: David Mamet
Starring: Al Pacino, Helen Mirren, Jeffrey Tambor

Overall Rating: 57.7

The only thing that really differentiates Phil Spector as a TV movie made for HBO and the stereotypical "made for TV movies" shown on Lifetime in the 90's seems to be the star power associated with it.  Despite the likes of Al Pacino and Helen Mirren starring, and David Mamet directing, the tone and delivery of the film just falls flat.

The film follows the trial of legendary music producer Phil Spector (Pacino) as the defense struggles to find ways to defend their client in the midst of a constant media blitz insinuating guilt.  As is constantly pointed out, it doesn't matter if the evidence points to innocence, but rather how the jury feels about the defendant.  It's this struggle that Mamet focuses on: How do you sway public opinion for someone who appears guilty in a court of law, when all anyone talks about is that person's guilt?

Very wisely, the film begins with a disclaimer stating that the film is inspired by facts, but is not based on a true story.  As the real life version of Spector was found guilty and sentenced to 19 years in jail, the film takes great efforts to introduce "evidence" that hints at Spector's innocence, but was never introduced due to legal errors.  So the film is basically saying, "the real life jury never got to see this evidence, but if they had they'd have found Spector innocent".

After winning 2 Emmys for his work with HBO (2010's You Don't Know Jack and 2003's Angels in America), you can understand why Pacino would be willing to participate in a project like this, and for the most part he performs adequately.  Pacino plays the titular eccentric music producer with care, hitting the ferocious spots when intensity is needed, and understating his performance when not.

Unfortunately, that's the extent of the positives.  Helen Mirren plays the sympathetic Linda Kenney Baden who steps in to help Spector's defense team, but comes across as average at best.  For a film about one of the most famous trials of the 21st century so far, we also are only privy to the defense.  We are never even introduced to the prosecution or get a hint that Spector might actually be guilty.  It's this one-sidedness that takes away any drama from the film.

Phil Spector really tries to make Spector a charity case and gain sympathy for the misunderstood genius, but ultimately fails at that task, and at creating an entertaining movie.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 5
Dialogue: 6
Acting: 6
Direction: 4
Audio/Visual: 5

The World According to Dick Cheney (2013)

Directed by: RJ Cutler
Starring: Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Lynn Cheney

Overall Rating: 82.4

Being one of the most reclusive public figures to ever hold office, let alone the second highest office in the land, many were surprised to hear about a documentary coming out about former Vice President Dick Cheney.  Whether scrubbing his house from Google Maps, having a "man-sized" safe to store his documents, or his overall mentality of thinking that the legislative branch held no true power, Dick Cheney has always held an aura of sinister about him.  What we find out with The World According to Dick Cheney is that most of that was by design.

Before we even get to the opening credits of RJ Cutler's documentary produced for Showtime, we get a simple Q&A session with Cheney, consisting of softballs like "What is your favorite virtue?" and "What do you appreciate most of your friends?", each getting answered quickly and honestly.  Then the filmmaker asks "What do you consider your main faults?"  What follows next so amazingly demonstrates the disconnect that occurred between the Executive Office and the rest of the world, as Cheney struggles for a gut-wrenching amount of time to come up with an answer.  His face anguishing trying to comprehend how anything about him could possibly be considered a fault.  Finally, he simply responds, "I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my faults would be my answer".

Cutler takes a lot of his inspiration from Errol Morris' The Fog of War, which used controversial former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara as it's subject.  From his humble beginnings, to his rise to prosperity in the Nixon administration, to ultimately controlling the free world through proxy, each step is a calculated move by Cheney.

The doc does an astounding job of telling the former Vice President's story from his own perspective.  While there are guest commentators on both sides of the aisle giving their own thoughts and views, the film mostly focuses on Cheney's thought process throughout his life.  There's no need to add a lot of commentary to Cheney's words, as the sincerity he exhumes gives the viewers everything they need to know.  If you're a Bush/Cheney supporter, you will likely walk away with a better understanding of the man.  If you looked at that 8 year period in American history as a series of disasters, you get a behind the scenes look of the thought process behind each decision.

It's Cheney's complete lack of empathy or understanding other people's views that struck this reviewer the most.  At multiple times throughout the film, Cheney tries to proactively defend his decisions by stating that his job wasn't to be popular, but to get things done.  Even the tag line of the film pulls a quote from Cheney: "If you want to be loved, go be a movie star."  I don't believe anyone ever expects that administration to apologize, but the complete void of empathy regarding 9/11, the Iraq war, torture, or the economic collapse is truly astounding to see.

The film is educational, which as a documentary is all you can ask.  Getting a glimpse into the personal life of this reclusive man was an experience, and for that, the film accomplishes what it set out to do.  It's not a documentary to change the way you feel, but rather to enlighten the viewers to a period of history that will not soon be forgotten.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 8
Dialogue: n/a
Acting: n/a
Direction: 8
Audio/Visual: 7

Killing Them Softly (2012)

Directed by: Andrew Dominik

Starring: Brad Pitt, Scoot McNairy, Richard Jenkins

Overall Rating: 77.2

"This guy wants to tell me we're living in a community? Don't make me laugh. I'm living in America, and in America you're on your own. America's not a country. It's just a business. Now fuckin' pay me."

I'm sure it's not normal to quote the last lines of a film as the first lines of a review, but I feel it's these lines that so eloquently describe Killing Them Softly.  Being a film that was so critically praised, but scorned by movie-goers, I knew there was going to be a "love it or hate it" mentality associated, but all in all, the film achieves what it sent out to do: It tells a story within a story.

The film takes us into the underground of the 21st century of the mobster-mentality.  A mentality so strongly rooted in its past, but still always looking for innovation and advancement.  When a card game is robbed, the top of the mob food chain has to take action to prevent future crimes from happening, so they send in an enforcer to clean up.  This enforcer named Jackie Cogan, played with unassuming strength by Brad Pitt, harkens the audience back to a day of the Godfather or Goodfellas.  He's a no-nonsense guy who is going to do what he's told, but if he doesn't like what is being told to him, he's also going to make sure you know it.

The brilliance of the movie is the ongoing parallel between the mob and the financial collapse of 2008.  When the card game is robbed, the criminal economy crashes.  Nobody is sure of the security of any other games.  In order to get the money flowing again, the criminal world must be "bailed out", by Cogan and the bosses wiping the slate clean.  Innocent?  It doesn't matter.  If you're implicated, you're guilty.  And if you're guilty, you're going to have to pay so that others can prosper.

Cogan embodies the average American.  When discussing orders with his go-between (Jenkins) and hearing that the decision makers can't make decisions and the whole process of the "mob" has become like a corporation, he broods frustration.  He's willing to do the dirty work to make things right, but is prevented by people above his pay grade.

Scoot McNairy (Argo) shines and gets the majority of screen time.  Frankie is good for a number of laughs, but is also the morality of both sides.  He understands what his role in everything is, but is unwilling to accept it.  Whether working with his dirty partner to knock off the card game, or working with Cogan to save his own ass, McNairy shows both the arrogance of a schlub who was able to rob something that shouldn't have been able to have been robbed, as well as the cowering fear associated with said robbery.

It's easy to see why so many critics gave the film high praise, while the consensus among the audience was negative (a 48% by viewers on Rotten Tomatoes).  While the story may not explode off the screen, the subtlety that director Andrew Dominik displays makes the overall visuals of the film very pleasant.  Whether it's a slow motion car crash or execution, or a camera placed on a car door being opened and closed, we get a slew of unique shots that showcase the talent of the director.  Yes the pacing is slow, but coming from the man who made a Western about Jesse James with all of 3 minutes of action, you should have tempered your expectations going in.

It's not The Sopranos or Goodfellas, but Killing Them Softly does take the audience into the junked up world of the new age of the mob.  It's not glitz and glamor like Scorsese told us, but a dirty, drag-em-out game that very few get to win.  And we come full circle back to the capitalism parallel...

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 6
Dialogue: 7
Acting: 7
Direction: 9
Audio/Visual: 9

Week in Review (Mar 16 - 22)

New Ratings Added to Database:

The World According to Dick Cheney (2013) - 82.4

New Reviews Added:

Week in Review (Mar 2 - Mar 8)

New Ratings Added to Database:

Easy Rider (1969) - 78.2

New Reviews Added:

Easy Rider (1969)

Easy Rider (1969)

Directed by: Dennis Hopper
Starring: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson

Overall Rating: 78.2

"Easy Rider" takes the drug fueled anti-culture of the late 60's/early 70's and transcribes it into a visual road trip across the scenic countryside. With the reputation of a "drug movie", it's worth remembering that "Easy Rider" also stands up as a quality film, filled with great actors.

The film follows two men named Wyatt (Fonda) and Billy (Hopper) who sell a stash of drugs to travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans to go to Mardi Gras, experiencing America across the way.  During their travels, the two encounter a wide range of people looking to live their own lives.  There's the rancher struggling to grow crops to provide for his family, the outcast village of hippies looking to create their own community by living off the land, and plenty of bigoted rednecks un-accepting of the long-haired, free spirited duo.

The two men are played very differently by the two esteemed actors.  Fonda chooses to play Wyatt as the thoughtful, enlightened type, where as Hopper plays Billy as the hyper, wild-child hippie.  Each manages to have their own moments on screen.

The most recognized performance, however, comes from Jack Nicholson playing George, an alcoholic lawyer who decides to accompany Wyatt and Billy on their trip to Mardis Gras.  Nicholson earned his first Oscar nomination for his role, and it was well deserved.  As a seemingly well-off lawyer in a small town, George more than likely feels like he's a rebel with his alcoholism, until he runs into the main characters in jail.  Sensing a chance for freedom outside his small town, George tags along trying to get more experiences, but also provides context on life for Wyatt and friendship for Billy.

As so many art-house films of this era, "Easy Rider" focuses a lot on the audio and visual aspect of the film.  A large portion of the film is spent following the men on their motorcycles across the country, giving plenty of great scenic views.  As director, Hopper also manages to include plenty of classic songs to accompany the riding shots.

While it's definitely not a casual movie to turn on when you're looking for some excitement, the overall message and tones of "Easy Rider" should definitely be experienced at least once.  Even if you're against the hippie, counterculture lifestyle, there are still excellent images to be had and great performances to be watched.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 7
Dialogue: 8
Acting: 9
Direction: 7
Audio/Visual: 7

Week in Review (Feb 23 - Mar 1)

New Ratings Added to Database:

Side Effects (2013) - 86.3

New Reviews Added:

Side Effects (2013)

Side Effects (2013)

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum

Overall Rating: 90.0

As Steven Soderbergh begins his retirement, he leaves his fans and the movie world with one final mainstream film with an indie vibe with "Side Effects", and he leaves on a very good note.

Soderbergh has always been known as an actor's director, giving challenging dramatic roles that showcase dialogue and emotion over Hollywood fluff, and "Side Effects" shows us the Soderbergh that won him an Academy Award back in 2000 for "Traffic".  It's sad to think that this will be the final feature film that Soderbergh makes, but it's also just as hard to believe he's truly done for good.

"Side Effects" shows the dark side of prescription drugs and focuses on the "prescribe rather than treat" mentality of a growing depressed population.  Feeling blue?  Pop a Zoloft.  Need to concentrate?  Try Adderall or a beta-blocker.  It's a billion dollar industry that requires the doctors that we trust to work for the pharmaceutical companies to get rich off of our pain.

After her husband returns home from a 4-year jail stint for insider trading, Emily Taylor (Mara) finds herself growing more and more depressed as they try to put the pieces back together.  She knows she must put on a strong face for him, but inside can't help but feel trapped in a dark cloud.  After an intentional car accident, Emily finds herself under the care of Dr. Jonathan Banks (Law) who tries different anti-depressants to block out the sadness.  When she tries a new drug, Ablixa, she suddenly feels on top of the world.  The couple's sex drive is back, she's not sad anymore, and everything seems to be going well except for the fact that she sleepwalks.

After a tragic accident, the film shifts quite suddenly halfway through.  While the first half of the film is a dramatic take on finding happiness, the second half quickly becomes quite the suspenseful thriller with twists and turns along the way.  Despite a run time of 106 minutes, the film keeps you engaged throughout, making it seem like a much longer epic.

One of the primary ways we're kept engaged is through the brilliant performances of Rooney Mara and Jude Law.  Mara (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) stays with her bread-and-butter performance range of the dark, yet fragile woman who can change an entire scene with a simple stare.  She commands the emotion of this broken down housewife with perfection.  She constantly makes you feel empathy towards her struggle, yet fight to try to understand what she's going through.

Law on the other hand, plays multiple iterations of his same Dr. Banks.  Without giving too much away, Law manages to take on the role of the caring doctor, paranoid conspiracy theorist, and conniving genius all in an hour and a half long movie, and play each part superbly.

Teaming up once again with screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (Contagion), Soderbergh and Burns continue to tell deep, complex stories without having to explain too much.  While the world of pharmaceuticals and prescription drugs to a non-user can seem complicated on the surface, Burns' words and Soderbergh's direction gently dip the audiences toes into the steaming waters below.

"Side Effects" is a dark, cautious tale wrapped up in a suspenseful thriller.  It's a shame to see Soderbergh step away from the lens, but with as many quality films he's put out over the past 15+ years, he's earned some quiet time.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 9
Dialogue: 8
Acting: 10
Direction: 9
Audio/Visual: 7

Week in Review (Feb 16 - Feb 22)

New Ratings Added to Database:

Seven Psychopaths (2012) - 89.9

New Reviews Added:

Casino (1995)
Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Casino (1995)

Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone

Overall Rating: 97.1

"Casino" stands out as a quintessential Martin Scorsese gangster movie.  It epitomizes everything that is great about Scorsese: crisp writing, over-the-top personalities, and an Italian charm mixed in with ultra-violence. 

The story follows gangsters Sam "Ace" Rothstein (De Niro) and Nicky Santoro (Pesci) as they move to Vegas to try to take over the town.  Rothstein using his skills as a bookie and oddsmaker gravitates towards legitimately taking over the Tangiers casino, while Santoro prefers the old-style beat-downs and thuggish takeovers to assert power. 

After meeting and falling for the Vegas strip hustler Ginger (Stone), Rothstein and Santoro begin growing apart.  As the decades switch from the 70's to the 80's, even more complications ruin what was once a powerful crime empire.

The beauty of "Casino" is the narrative storytelling.  The audience is shown a storyline, but given two different narratives through the voice-overs of De Niro and Pesci, each telling their own sides to the story.  Scorsese manages to take Nicolas Pileggi's (Goodfellas) great screenplay and turn it into a moving novel, never focusing on one character too long without giving a taste of another.

Across the board, Scorse always manages to get the most out of his actors. While Sharon Stone got the most awards buzz, including an Oscar nomination, it's Pesci's fireball Santoro that steals the show.  His brutal tactics make you fear him, but ultimately respect him.  De Niro may not give his best performance when you look at his entire resume, but considering "Casino" came out the same year he was wrapping up "Heat", he still managed to have one hell of a year.

While Casino may seem like a sequel to "Goodfellas" with many of the similar actors and overall tone, each film manages to highlight it's protagonists in different lights.  While Goodfellas focused on the 50's and 60's "good ol' days" of the Italian mafia and the family of it all, "Casino" helps transition the decades of decadence in the 70's and 80's, the greed that went behind each, and every man's fight for their own survival.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 10
Dialogue: 10
Acting: 9
Direction: 9
Audio/Visual: 9

Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Directed by: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken

Overall Rating: 89.9

In his second feature film, director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges), reaffirms himself as a dialogue driven, dry humor style of filmmaker.  The one factor that McDonagh seems to be struggling with is his marketing team.  With "In Bruges", the film was tag-lined as a hilarious romp, which it in no way was.  For "Psychopaths", the main trailers were focused on the story of a group of bumbling idiot dog-nappers, which it is not.

Instead, "Psychopaths" takes the tongue-in-cheek approach to film-making, where we as the audience are watching the leading character writing the story in front of our eyes.  Similar to films like "Adaptation", the leading character Marty (Farrell) is a Hollywood screenwriter with an idea for a new movie called "Seven Psychopaths".  As he struggles to find his creative voice, his friend Billy (Rockwell) attempts to help him along, pitching ideas for different psychopaths for his movie.  Over the course of the film, we learn that the ideas for the psychopaths end up being real characters (in the movie at least) and directly influence the writing of the screenplay we're watching on screen.

While yes, the story kicks off with Billy inadvertantly kidnapping a crime boss's (Harrelson) dog, the story that follows after is anything but predictable.  Each character is introduced in a very one dimensional way, but as the film progresses, each character just gets layers and layers added to them until each has their own unique voice and personality.

"Seven Psychopaths" is one of those films that makes you wish you were an actor, as you can just tell how much fun everyone had making the film.  With a smart dialogue, each actor gets their chance to just let loose and enjoy the scenes they are in, rather than spewing out forced words.  The charismatic Rockwell and Walken each bring their signature styles to their performances, and Farrell even surprises with a bit of "everyman" portrayal of his screenwriter.

The supporting cast all steal their scenes, whether through Gaborey Sidibe as the dog-walker who loses boss's dog, Harry Dean Stanton as the ghost-like Quaker, or the flat out amazing performance by Tom Waits as a classifieds-answering, self-proclaimed psycho, each dominate the screen during their time on it.

"Psychopaths" is an unconventional comedy, but still a comedy.  With McDonagh's smart Brit wit and the great comedic performances by the likes of Rockwell, Walken, and Harrelson, the film takes you through a myriad of environments and timelines, but entertains you every step of the way.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor:9
Dialogue: 10
Acting: 9
Direction: 9
Audio/Visual: 8

Week in Review (Feb 9 - Feb 15)

New Ratings Added to Database:

Scream 4 (2011) - 64.8

New Reviews Added:

Scream 4 (2011)
Zodiac (2007)

Zodiac (2007)

Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo

Overall Rating: 98.0

Based on the true story of the Zodiac Killer during the 70's, "Zodiac" is David Fincher's homage to not only one of the greatest serial killers in U.S. history, but the lives of those tasked with tracking the notorious killer and the effects felt even by those who weren't victims.

The beginning of "Zodiac" feels like any other suspense thriller about a serial killer: dark road, unseen figure, murdered teenagers, etc.  However, as the audience soon realizes, "Zodiac" isn't necessarily about the Zodiac Killer, but rather the people whose lives were forever tormented by the killings in an indirect way.  The newspaper reporter who unknowingly finds himself as a target, the police detectives who see years go by without any new leads, and the cartoonist who has a penchant for cracking codes and puzzles all obsess in their own destructive ways about finding this mysterious killer.  

Based on the book by Robert Graysmith (the aforementioned cartoonist who ultimately cracked Zodiac's code), the majority of the film follows Graysmith's character (Gyllenhaal) on his quest to uncover the killers identity, if only for himself.  Along the way, Graysmith creates bonds with Paul Avery (Downey), the popular San Francisco Chronicle reporter following the case and Dave Toschi, the lead detective on the case throughout the years. 

It's these relationships that carry the suspense of the film.  Sure, when the audience is occasionally shown the killer and his victims there is plenty of suspense, but those scenes primarily lay the foundation as to why the other characters feel the need to catch this man.

Taking place in 1970's San Francisco, director Fincher manages to stay ultra-realistic in his setting.  This being Fincher's first "period piece", everything seems appropriate in its setting.  While it is the 70's, and especially San Francisco, Fincher avoids the use of hippies, flower power, and tie-dye, and instead sticks with his trademark darkness.  There are plenty of visuals to take you back to the time, including the clothing the detectives wear, the automobiles, and even a time-lapse of the Transamerica Pyramid building in downtown S.F.

David Shire's soundtrack also completely encompasses the suspense of the subject matter, and allows the audio to pour out of the screen.  Right off the bat, Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" sets the immediate tone for the film.  Plenty of under-appreciated songs of the 70's make their way into the film, each providing an ample tone for the scene they represent.

"Zodiac" takes the role of the murder-mystery and completely encapsulates the audience into asking questions.  Every time you as a viewer think they've found the missing piece to the puzzle, you realize the piece in question was to a completely different puzzle all together.  "Zodiac" keeps you guessing until the very end, and even though the film takes a few liberties based on Graysmith's theories involving the murderer's identity, knowing the actual killer was never identified only makes the suspense of the film stand out so much more.  It's a gripping drama that makes you feel for the characters, but also engulfs you in the mystery of the identity of the killer.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 10
Dialogue: 9
Acting: 9
Direction: 10
Audio/Visual: 10

Scream 4 (2011)

Directed by: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox

Overall Rating: 64.8

After an 11 year layoff, Wes Craven returns to the universe of the Ghostface killer with "Scream 4".  While staying true to the 90's slasher flicks made famous by the franchise, "Scream 4" manages to throw some a few curveballs to seeming cliched horror scenes to not only parody itself, but also to keep the audience guessing.

The 4th installment picks up with the famous survivor of the first three films, Sidney Prescott (Campbell), returning to Woodsboro for the anniversary of the first murders and to promote her new book.  To absolutely nobody's surprise, as soon as Sidney arrives in town, people start dying.  This time, the latest incarnation of Ghostface seems to want to torture Sidney by killing everyone around her, rather than go directly after the heroine. 

Included in those being targeted is Sidney's cousin, Jill (Emma Roberts) and the newest class of all-good-looking, no-minorities-in-sight class of Woodsboro High.  Back once more are "Scream" staples Sheriff Dewey (Arquette) and wife/reporter/writer Gale (Cox) to try to use the pattern of the first killings to hunt the newest killer.  Only this time around, the stereotypical murder patterns that the Scream franchise became famous for mocking are all backfiring on the investigators, as Ghostface always seems to be one step ahead.

While "4" does manage to turn the founding principals of the first 3 installments on their heads, it still ends up a bit cheesy overall.  One of the big problems is the fact that the body count seems to be much higher this time around than in previous films.  The original was truly revolutionary because it wasn't "how is this person going to die", but "will this person die?"  In "4", the focus seems to be more on the killings than the characters, and that causes the overall tone of the movie to shift from the slasher movie roots to the cheap jumpy thrills.  While the overall theme of the film is focused on upgrading the slasher genre into the new millennium, we still get the same cliched kills and each victim can be seen coming well in advance.

While it's somewhat of a nice change of pace from the super-serious horror films of today, I can't help but feel that the brightly lit colors of Woodsboro could have changed their tones ever so slightly.  While it's been over a decade since we last saw Sidney Prescott run from knife-wielding maniacs, "Scream 4" still feels like it was made in the late 90's.  In some ways, it's a nice retro feel, but in others, it just feels played out and unnecessary.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 6
Dialogue: 5
Acting: 4
Direction: 6
Audio/Visual: 6

Week in Review (Jan 26 - Feb 1)

New Ratings Added to Database:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (2011) - 76.7
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 (2010) - 66.3

New Reviews Added:

Gattaca (1997)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 (2010)

Gattaca (1997)

Directed by: Andrew Niccol

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law

Overall Rating: 96.1

"Gattaca" manages to create a world so vivid and unbelievably realistic, that you forget that the film came out in 1997.  Director Andrew Niccol has made a name for himself by making smart, inventive futuristic sci-fi movies (director of "S1m0ne" and "In Time", writer of "The Truman Show"), and he was given space to stretch his creative legs after his debut work of "Gattaca" simply wowed audiences.

"Gattaca" tells the tale of a future where genetic modification and DNA examination of a young child's DNA can lay out their future for them.  Even after just being born, parents can see any early defects that might occur later in life, or modify their child's genetics to ensure they are placed in a higher class of society.  The theme of "class" is something that plays throughout not just "Gattaca", but all of Niccol's work.

Vincent (Hawke) had the misfortune to be born without the use of technology, causing him to have a lifelong heart condition that could have otherwise been prevented.  Vincent's ultimate goal was to be an astronaut, but given his less-than-perfect DNA, knows it's a dream that will never occur without breaking a few rules.

Cue the genetically perfect Jerome (Law).  Jerome was a physical specimen, but was depressed and after unsuccessfully attempting suicide, found himself permanently residing in a wheelchair.  After a chance meeting, Jerome and Vincent concoct a plan to give both men purpose in their life by transforming Vincent into Jerome.  Vincent would appear to be genetically "valid" enough to be accepted into the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, while Jerome's perfect genetics would be put to good use.

The film does a great job of depicting just how far someone is willing to go to achieve their dreams.  By no fault of his own, Vincent was dealt a bad hand at birth, but refused to believe he was invalid and incapable of achieving greatness.  One of the most memorable moments comes towards the climax of the movie, where during a swimming competition in the ocean, Vincent tells his competitor who is scared of not being able to make it back to shore alive, "You want to know how I did it? This is how I did it. I never saved anything for the swim back."  It's this heart over physicality mentality that makes Vincent seem and feel invincible, and keeps his coworkers at Gattaca all the none wiser that "Jerome" is actually an invalid.

Visually, Niccol creates this futuristic world that is both inventive, but grounded in reality.  The cars all make stereotypical futuristic sounds, but resemble their modern counterparts.  Throughout his lifespan of directing, Niccol tends to favor the color green (even more so in 2011's "In Time"), and "Gattaca" helps lay that foundation with a hint of green shading in the majority of key scenes.

"Gattaca" manages to take the sci-fi genre, and add a deep layer of emotion and drama within.  As most great sci-fi storytellers tend to do, Niccol uses the futuristic elements of his film as foundations, but leave his characters to tell the story.  The story isn't about the future or sci-fi wonder, it's about the fight of a young man wanting to achieve his dreams.  For this reason, Gattaca stands out as an essential must-watch.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 10
Dialogue: 10
Acting: 8
Direction: 10
Audio/Visual: 9

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

Overall Rating: 63.3

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1" begins the final chapter in the Harry Potter universe.  Being the final chances for Warner Bros. to get some extra Harry Potter revenue, the decision to split the final film into two parts comes across as unnecessary and forced.  The entire "Part 1" just feels like a filler-lead-in to the ultimate climax, but never delivers anything of major substance.

"Part 1"'s real plot involves the kids of Hogwarts dealing with the *SPOILER* death of the school headmaster, Dumbledore.  As the evil Voldemort continues his quest to find and kill Harry Potter, Harry and the gang attempt to remain hidden, while also tracking down and destroying the "Horcruxes" to weaken Voldemort.

The pace of the film is unabashedly slow.  Without being able to trust anyone, we're left primary 3 characters (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) traveling on their own, plotting their next move.  The only real action occurs when Voldemort's minions finally do corner the kids, only to have them slip away by the skin of their teeth over and over again.  The worst offense of just poor film-making occurs towards the end of the film when the kids are captured by a group of Snatchers and taken to Beatrix (Helena Bonham Carter) and the Malfoys.  Not being sure if the disfigured face is actually Harry, the last 30 minutes of the film is essentially the bad guys trying to figure out if it really is him.  Don't worry about the fact that this "unknown person" was travelling with the only 2 friends Harry has, or the fact that these baddies have shown no remorse for killing innocent people before but are now suddenly needing to be sure it's Harry before handing over to Voldemort.

The one area where the movie does shine is where the Potter series struggled early on: the visuals.  While early on, all of the visual effects seemed childish and out of place (mostly because they were forcing child actors to work with CGI/greenscreen effects), the later films in the series including "Part 1" have really refined how and when they rely on the CGI.  Everything feels much more realistic and blended in with the story, not forcing "cool" images just to have them in the film.

Not personally being a big Harry Potter fan, I can understand the attraction of the film for the die-hards out there waiting to see how their beloved Harry's story plays out.  But as someone watching the film as a standalone piece (although watching all Potter films in chronological order), "Part 1" just doesn't deliver.  Had they combined Parts 1 and 2 into one 3 hour film, it could have been an amazing experience, but the decision to split "The Deathly Hallows" into 2 parts hurts the integrity of Part 1 more-so.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 5
Dialogue: 6
Acting: 6
Direction: 8
Audio/Visual: 7

Week in Review (Jan 19 - 25)

New Ratings Added to Database

Zero Dark Thirty (2012) - 94.6
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) - 75.8
Real Steel (2011) - 69.3
Taken 2 (2012) - 58.4
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) - 56.3

New Reviews Added

Donnie Darko (2001)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Heat (1995) 
Taken 2 (2012)
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Directed by: Richard Kelly

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell

Overall Rating: 98.6

When sitting down to first watch "Donnie Darko", one should be prepared to be both incredibly confused and mystified.  Richard Kelly's debut full-length feature film is an intense sci-fi take on a troubled life of a high-schooler in the 80's.

As a troubled kid, Donnie Darko (Gyllenhaal) just doesn't seem to fit in.  In the height of 80's excess, Donnie refuses to buy in and leads his own life, despite it being considered "dark" by friends and family.  Things only get worse once Donnie meets a rabbit-figure who tells him that the world is going to end in 28 days.  To make matters even more complex, as the rabbit leads Donnie out of his house to warn him of the coming doom, a jet engine crashes through the Darko house and lands right on Donnie's bed.

Confused yet?  Well then hold tight, because the next 2 hours continue to showcase the relationship of Donnie and his imaginary rabbit friend "Frank", Donnie's continued slide into the darkness as the end of the world continues to approach, and the glimmer of light in his life in the form of a new girlfriend (Malone).

What makes Donnie Darko stand out so much (currently #176 on IMDB's top 250) is the unknown.  Who is this rabbit named Frank?  How is the world going to end?  Is time travel possible?  All these questions continue to pop up in the mind of both Donnie and the audience during his journey.

Despite it being set in the 80's, Kelly does a great job of keeping his world grounded.  Where most movies created after 1995 portray the 80's as nothing but neon colors and big hair, Kelly draws from his own experiences in that it wasn't that much different than how society is functioning today.

While visually the film avoids 80's cliches, the soundtrack does not disappoint in its 80's glory.  With hits like "Head Over Heels", "Notorious", "Love Will Tear Us Apart", and "The Killing Moon", Kelly pulls from some of the classic songs of the era and intertwines them with his story magnificently.  "Darko" also contains a personal favorite in terms of songs used in film in the unbelievably moving rendition of  "Mad World" performed by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews.  This dark, somber take on the Tears For Fear hit never fails to gives goosebumps, regardless of how many times I hear it.

Doing a simple Google search for the phrase "Donnie Darko explained" will return a few hundred thousand stories and reviews, all different in their own respect.  I've personally always been one to not delve in to the "what does it all mean!?" mentality, but instead sit back and enjoy the ride of Donnie's life.  Sure, I have my own opinions on what the film means to me, but each person needs to come to their own conclusions.  With so very few films that are capable of making people think in such a way, it's no wonder how "Donnie Darko" became such a cult favorite seemingly overnight.  It's highly recommended, but be prepared for some head scratching.  In a good way.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 10
Dialogue: 9
Acting: 9
Direction: 10
Audio/Visual: 10

Heat (1995)

Directed by: Michael Mann

Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer

Overall Rating: 99.1

"Heat" manages to completely break the mold in terms of what it means to be a crime-drama.  While "The Godfather" may be the pinnacle of the crime saga, "Heat" manages to take the intensity of a crime syndicate into the modern era.  Despite coming out in 1995, it still holds up as one of the premiere films of all-time.

Set in Los Angeles, the story follows professional criminal Neil McCauley (De Niro) leads a team of men (Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, Dennis Haysbert) through the high-intensity world of bank robbery.  On the opposite side of the law, a police lieutenant (Pacino) commits everything to tracking down the robbers and stopping them before they can strike again.

The beauty of "Heat" is the behind the scenes aspect of it.  It's not just a crime caper, but a look into the lives and mentalities of these men on opposite ends of the spectrum.  While McCauley is the best at what he does, he still has an end game in finishing that one final score and retiring with his love interest (Amy Brenneman).  For Pacino's Lt. Hanna, he struggles with the life of constantly chasing these bad people and not bringing that life home to his wife (Diane Venora) and step-daughter (a young Natalie Portman).

"Heat" also showcases director Michael Mann's signature style.  With a hint of shaky-cam tactics, and close up shots, Mann throws you right into the action.  His masterful use of the LA skyline as a backdrop worked so well, he found himself incorporating in to future films such as "Collateral".

The audio of "Heat" is some of the best sound design in any action film.  The realistic gun fire echoing off the skyscrapers through the streets of downtown LA are haunting (for those with access to the DVD, I strongly encourage watching the making of vignette).

The immediate draw of "Heat" is the action and bank robbery scenes.  What keeps you coming back for multiple viewings however, is the dialogue and character building amongst the amazing ensemble cast.  Even actors who have less than 10 minutes of screen time like Danny Trejo and Henry Rollins each leave their mark.  It was, and remains a paramount example of crafting a high-octane crime film, while keeping the drama at the heart of the experience.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 10
Dialogue: 10
Acting: 9
Direction: 10
Audio/Visual: 10