Foxcatcher - 4 smiles

“Foxcatcher” is a dark drama based on a true story. And while it involves sports, the focus is on the warped side of human nature, specifically the murder committed by the wealthy John E. du Pont in the late 90s. The murder takes place during the last moments of the film because director Bennett Miller is more interested in analyzing the relationships and exploring the motives. The screenplay by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman suggest that the roots of the tragedy can be traced back to the fractious relationship between uber-wealthy du Pont (Steve Carell) and his mother, Jean (Vanessa Redgrave). Everything du Pont does is influenced by his desire for his mother’s respect (which he doesn’t get) and his pathological need to overshadow her achievements.  The screenplay compresses events that transpired over a ten-year period into a much shorter time. It beings in the run-up to the 1987 world wrestling championships where brothers (both former Olympic gold medalists from 1984) Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave (Mark Ruffalo) plan to compete. Du Point asks Mark to visit him at his Pennsylvania estate with a proposal: if Mark will relocate to train at his facility, he will pay him $25,000 a year. Du Pont wants to be associated with a champion, to bask in reflected glory. The repressed homosexual attraction remains largely in the subtext. Mark agrees, but Dave remains behind, unwilling to uproot his family. Du Pont is disappointed, but he makes due with what he has. Mark and du Pont forge an odd friendship, but events take a dark turn when Mark loses focus and doesn’t win. Dave is then enticed to move to Pennsylvania.

Du point is an odd character. He isn’t good in social situations and has trouble with interpersonal relationships. He views wrestlers in much the same way his mother perceives her horses: a way to get status and add to her trophy collection. And Carell, under makeup that occasionally renders him unrecognizable, effectively conveys du Pont’s peculiar personality, making his eccentricities chilling and disquieting. Channing Tatum is equally good, easily giving the best dramatic performance of his career. He makes Mark Schultz a guy who can quite reconcile the fact that winning a gold medal didn’t solve all his problems. As du Pont grows weirder e grows more resentful. Tatum captures his simmering anger with skill. Mark Ruffalo has a comparatively smaller role, yet he is also stellar as the more congenial and easy-going Dave, providing a stark contrast to the more awkward du Pont. “Foxcatcher,” filled with layered performances and emotional storytelling, is a must-see. 11/2014

Birdman - 1 smile

I know I’m supposed to like “Birdman,” starring Michael Keaton. All the critics liked it; it got a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. And most viewers gave it an 87%. However, I found the story pointless, the characters irritating and the constant pounding of the drum soundtrack grating. And director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu hits you over the head (several times) with his theme of theater is art vs. mainstream movies are dreck. Riggan (Keaton) has a conversation with his volatile co-lead, Mike (Edward Norton) about ‘popularity is the slutty cousin of prestige’ and has encounter with a critic (Lindsay Duncan) who loathes Riggan for daring to think he’s good enough for the live stage. Inarritu leaves no room for interpretation, putting repetitious ideas into the mouths of gifted actors and then drops them into a kooky story. And his idea of humor is curious. Mike, a self-professed cad, is impotent except he gets a visible hard-on on stage. Funny, huh? And Naomi Watts and Andrea Riseborough, who play actresses in Riggan’s play, share a lesbian kiss that comes from left field and then has no follow through. Giggles, anyone? These supposedly funny moments detract more than add any depth to the narrative. I really should see “Birdman” again, but I don’t think I can take a second viewing. 11/2014

Whiplash - 4 smiles

“Whiplash” is about obsession and compulsion. It’s about what happens when too much importance is placed on greatness and when the goal of achieving it overshadows everything else. It twists the mentor/student relationship in ugly ways and focuses on the test of wills that develop between characters brilliantly portrayed by Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. And although Simmons plays the more showy and complex character, a master manipulator, Teller’s ambitious but naïve drummer is no less powerfully portrayed. The story is not new: a student is challenged to achieve his full potential by a teacher. But this is no feel-good, audience-pleasing experience. “Whiplash” is more complex and at times hard to watch. Simmons’ Terence Fletcher’s goal of inspiring his students to reach their potential is achieved through bullying and sadism. He offers scorn instead of praise. He is a cruel taskmaster whose end-justifies-the-means mantra makes him the terrifying instructor everyone fears. His latest protégé at the exclusive music school where he works is talented jazz drummer Andrew Neiman (Teller), whose personal drive for greatness feeds the unhealthy relationship that develops between the two.

Beyond the war between teacher and student, this movie is also a celebration of traditional jazz. When Andrew grabs his sticks and the band launches into a standard, like Hank Levy’s Whiplash, it’s hard not to tap your toes. (Teller was a drummer as a kid and does all the character’s playing so director Damien Chazelle doesn’t have to hide his hands.) At times you wonder whether Andrew does need aggressive pushing to excel. Andrew’s father (Paul Reiser) is a mild presence, a man who watches black-and-white movies and sprinkles Raisinets on his popcorn. He loves Andrew unconditionally so he’s not the one to compel Andrew to reach beyond himself. It takes a monster to do that and Simmons is just about perfect. Anyone who sees “Whiplash” will remember Simmons’ name come Oscar nomination time. The end will spark debate over whether Chazelle is vindicating Fletcher’s methods, suggesting that only a harsh taskmaster can push Andrew to the next level. Maybe. Chazelle is certainly leaving that open to interpretation. 11/2014

John Wick - 4 smiles

Action flicks are my favorite and “John Wick” is that rare action thriller that’s actually satisfyingly good. The growing trend for PG-13 action and the emergence of computer-generated imaging has rendered old-school violence obsolete. Then along comes unlikely candidate Keanu Reeves to ignite the flame once again. For those who crave no-holds barred action, this is one of the year’s best. There isn’t much of a plot other than our hero is out to avenge wrongs done to him. So he goes through an increasingly difficult series of bad guys until he comes face-to-face with the Big Boss. John Wick is an ex-mob assassin who is brought of out retirement when his car is stolen and his dog is killed (I hated this part) by the punk Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), Iosef is the son of Wick’s former boss, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist). The path to father and son forces Wick to run a gauntlet comprised of old friends, associates and enemies played by Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki, John Leguizamo and Ian McShane.

The movies’ greatest strength is its relentless momentum. It offers occasional breaks, including amusing scenes that take place in a hotel where guests aren’t allowed to ‘talk shop.’ (Breaking that rule, it turns out, can have serious consequences.) For the most part, however, “John Wick” knows what it is and is unapologetic about it. This is a kick-butt action film, directed by former stuntmen/coordinators David Leitch and Chad Stahelski. They show that they understand how to frame a fight and never resort to the kind of quick cuts that result in narrative confusion. Reeves, who has never displayed much range, is at his strongest when he can remain stoic. He has enough back story to make him sympathetic, but ultimately he’s a force of nature. 10/2014

St. Vincent - 4 smiles

I recently read a review where the critic complained that because Bill Murray could play the grumpy old man with a soft heart in his sleep, he couldn’t give “St. Vincent” a very high score. Never mind that Murray is very good or that he has a stellar supporting cast. Never mind Theodore Melfi’s script calls for Murray to pull off the jokes and plumb dramatic depths that he isn’t often called upon to explore. Never mind that the relationship between Vincent and young Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), which is the heart of the movie, is presented in all its complexity. If you can ignore all of these elements, then you might not give “St. Vincent” a very high score either. But I couldn’t.

A misanthrope of the highest order, Vincent lives alone with his cat Felix. The arrival of a single mother, Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her elementary-age son, Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), in the house next door represents an unwelcome intrusion into his island of isolation. Aside from regular visits from prostitute Daka (Naomi Watts), Vincent doesn’t permit anyone to violate the sanctity of his house or life until Oliver shows up after school one day and asks for a place to hang out until his mother gets home from work. Vincent, in desperate need of money, sees this as an opportunity to make some quick babysitting cash. When Maggie picks up Oliver in the evening, he offers his services on a daily basis. However, babysitting Oliver doesn’t mean helping him with homework. It involves visits to bars, strip clubs, racetracks and the nursing home where Vincent’s Alzheimer’s-afflicted wife is living out her last days. “St. Vincent” doesn’t really need much beyond the performances of Murray and Lieberher to keep you engaged. 10/2014

The Equalizer - 3 smiles

If you’re familiar the 1980s television show called The Equalizer, starring Edward Woodward as the cultured British Robert McCall, you might be disappointed with director Anton Fuqua’s version. The only elements similar are the title, the main character’s name and the bare-bones premise. For the most part, “The Equalizer” is a character study about a man haunted by his past, seeking redemption. We never learn the specifics about what led Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) to resign from the CIA but we know it led to his faking his own death and deciding to live an anonymous life as an employee at a Home Depot-like business. The villains represent a different level of threat as McCall works his way up the chain of power of a Russian mob cell operating on America’s East Coast. The first is a pimp Slavi (David Meunier), a frothing-at-the-mouth psychopath. The second is Teddy (Marton Csokas), a cold-blooded fixer whose job is to clean up messes. The big boss, Vladimir Pushkin (Vladimir Kulich), stays in the shadows, pulling the strings of his minions. Most of the movie is about McCall’s confrontations with Teddy, but the resolution to Pushkin’s involvement is revolved too easily and quickly.

McCall is pulled out of his quiet life when Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz), an underage prostitute he gradually gets to know because they hang out at the same coffee shop, is brutally beaten by Slavi for hitting an abusive client. When McCall’s offer of $9800 to buy Teri’s freedom is rejected, the ex CIA agent takes decisive measures to give Teri back her life. However, it turns out that Slavi isn’t just a pimp and drug dealer. Because he’s a key cog in Pushkin’s multi-million dollar operation, Pushkin dispatches Teddy to Boston where, with the help of corrupt cops, he hunts McCall while, in turn, McCall hunts him. Washington shows that he can bring a thoughtful moodiness to a hard-edged character. And he clearly understands that while McCall is a hero, he operates in a gray zone. Although the end is rushed, “The Equalizer” is likely to please anyone willing to accept a new interpretation of the basic storyline. And, who knows, there’s a possible sequel in the offing.  10/6/14

The Trip to Italy - 1 frown

“The Trip to Italy,” the sequel to The Trip starring British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, who play fictionalized version of themselves, is a boring waste of time. The main problem is Brydon, who was mildly irritating in The Trip, but now, he is uncontrollable. In addition to an impersonation of Michael Caine (which in the first movie was tolerable), he carts out poor imitations of Al Pacino, Christian Bale, Richard Burton and Hugh Grant. Half the time he has to tell us who he’s imitating for fear we won’t get it. And when he and Coogan start on their ‘schtick’ together, for sure it’s only entertaining to them.

The food looks appetizing and the Italian vistas are beautiful, but all these guys do is talk, talk, talk. It all feels wasted on them. And in spite of the numerous quotations from Byron and visits to the places Byron visited, the movie grows more tedious as the minutes pass. Why watch these people? What’s the point? And that’s the problem with “The Trip to Italy.” There is no point. 9/15/14

November Man - 3 smiles

Pierce Brosnan still has it. In his latest actioner, “November Man,” Brosnan plays a retired spy who’s pulled back into the game for one last caper. It’s unfortunate that his script, written by Michael Finch & Karl Gajdusek and based on There Are No Spies by Bill Granger, uses every spy cliché imaginable and mixes them with shoot-outs, fight scenes and chases. But Brosnan is good, giving us a version of what his Bond might have looked like after retirement. Here Brosnan is Peter Devereaux and his employer is the CIA. The movie opens with a prologue set in 2008. Veteran spy Devereaux is in charge of teaching his hotheaded pupil, David Mason (Luke Bracey), the tricks of the trade. During a mission, Mason makes a mistake and, because he disobeys a direct order, a child is killed. Disillusioned and unable to shake the image of the dead boy, Devereaux opts for retirement. Meanwhile, Mason becomes a top agent, effectively filling Devereaux’s vacated position. The main body of the story jumps forward by five years. Devereaux is called back into action by his old handler, Hanley (Bill Smitrovich), to protect a Russian informant who has valuable intel about soon-to-be-Russian president Arkady Federov (Lazar Ristovski). Things don’t go well for Devereaux, probably because there’s a conspiracy afoot with a mole in the CIA (as there always is) and the informant (who coincidentally is the mother of Devereaux’s child) is killed. Devereaux is blamed and the CIA puts out a hit on him, sending (of course) his former student. Devereaux begins sifting through Federov’s past and finds Alice Fournier (Olga Kurylenko), a social worker who once helped the underage sex slave Federov was linked to. As Devereaux gets closer to unraveling the conspiracy, Mason is hot on his trail.

Director Roger Donaldson (who previously worked with Brosnan in Dante’s Peak) does well with the action scenes although you have to suspend disbelief when you see the older Brosnan fighting the younger Bracey. The plot has a few holes and the characters are not well developed (but you really can’t expect that much characterization in an action movie). Brosnan is a compelling figure and he is surrounded by a group of capable character actors, making “November Man” an enjoyable afternoon matinee. 8/29/14

When the Game Stands Tall - 2 1/2 smiles

“When the Game Stands Tall” tells an interesting story about the impact of a loss on a team, its players and the community. And although it’s based on a true event, the movie is too cliché-riddled and predictable to be a top sports movie. The critical defeat, which occurs early in the proceedings, serves as little more than a plot point and its ramifications are handled in a perfunctory manner laced with a lot of ‘losing builds character’ homilies. In the late summer of 2004, the De La Salle Spartans, the varsity football team of a Concord, California high school, held the longest winning streak in organized football: 151 games over 12 undefeated seasons. On September 4, De La Salle had the streak snapped after falling to the underdog Bellvue Wolverines. Director Thomas Carter includes enough background to bring the uninitiated up to speed: during the summer following the Spartans’ march to their 12^th state title, a star player is shot to death, Coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel) suffers a heart attack and most of the team’s top talent departs for college glory. After their loss, Ladouceur must refocus his players so their legacy becomes greater than that of ‘the boys who broke the streak.’

The film’s most entertaining and exciting sections of the film are two football match-ups – a pivotal game against powerhouse long Beach Poly and a state championship contest. Unfortunately, when the action moves off the field, the narrative gets overly sentimental with clichéd dialogue, stock situations and trite characters. Plus Carter is so manipulative that you’re sure to need a tissue. Jim Caviezel, currently one of the stars in Person of Interest on CBS, rarely emotes, delivering his lines in mostly a monotone. You would think that a coach would have a little more energy. Laura Dern has the thankless role of the supporting wife and Michael Chiklis, as Ladoucer’s assistant coach Teddy Edison, steals just about every scene he’s in. “When the Game Stands Tall” is too intent on influencing our emotions that it loses sight of some potentially powerful issues about hero worship and how the pressure to succeed can be damaging. Nonetheless, it’s a feel-good movie that you might want to see before it leaves the theaters. 8/24/14

Magic in the Moonlight - 2 smiles

The cinematography is radiant and the vintage cars and costumes are elegant and that’s the positive for Woody Allen’s latest, “Magic in the Moonlight.” Otherwise, this movie has a miscast Colin Firth and a fluffy script that takes a strange turn in the third act.  This mostly mirthless comedy, with a sparkless romance, begins in a Berlin cabaret, where master illusionist Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth) is doing his act, costumed as the Chinese sleight-of-hand maestro Wei Ling Soo. He saws an assistant in half and makes an elephant disappear. The year is 1928. Backstage, after Stanley has doffed his costume, an old friend and colleague (Simon McBurney) begs him to take an assignment. A dazzling American is offering psychic forecasts in the south of France. Her mystic mumbo jumbo has seduced the wealthy Catledge clan and she needs to be exposed for the fraud she surely is. After all, Stanley is ‘the greatest debunker of fake spiritualists in the world.’ He must visit the Catledges, observe the pretty Sophie Baker (Emma Stone) and expose her trickery. Of course, Stanley himself will be seduced. All Sophie has to do is scrunch her nose, flap her hands and strike a pose.

Stanley and Sophie debate whether it’s better to believe in something that can’t be proven scientifically – even if it’s a scam – than to believe in absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, these musing don’t really fit within the context of a romantic comedy. And Stone seems to have chemistry with everyone, but Firth. Add the 28-year difference between their ages and their ultimate romance just doesn’t work. At another time, the Stanley role would have been played by Allen himself (and he, too, would be miscast). Another misstep in the script, written by Allen, is converting Stanley to a believer and thereby negating his delightfully acerbic quality that characterizes his and Sophie’s early interactions. Firth’s performance is perfect when he’s playing Stanley as an arrogant ass, but less believable when his character is more humble and human. There are a few laughs in “Magic in the Moonlight,” but on the whole, it’s more of an ordeal than an enjoyable afternoon at the movies. 8/1/14

A Most Wanted Man - 3 smiles

Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the star of “A Most Wanted Man,” a movie adaptation of John le Carré’s novel, but the title doesn’t refer to him. Hoffman is Gunther Bachmann, a German spymaster, who, after a fatal screw-up in Beirut, has been demoted to his nation’s Hamburg station. There’s plenty of suspense, but as in most Le Carré stories, the action is more internal than external. As directed by Anton Corgijn, the story unfolds slowly. A bearded young Chechen, Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin), is a suspected Islamic militant, and Bachmann needs to track who he meets, where he goes. The al-Qaeda plotters behind 9/11 worked, undetected, in Hamburg more than a decade prior to the attack and Bachmann is determined to see that no new terrorist cell operates on his watch. Bachmann’s team follows Karpov, who eventually leads them to a Turkish woman and her son and to a lawyer, Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams), who works for a human rights group whose mission is to find safe haven for refugees. Another character Bachmann is watching is Abdullah (Homayoun Ershadi), a Muslim who professes peace and tolerance, but may be funneling some of his charity funds to terrorist groups. It is Abdullah that American ‘consultant’ Martha Sullivan (Robin Wright) is more interested in.

Unfortunately, the movie feels like a superficial update of le Carré’s cold war stories. Russians are replaced by modern-day terrorists, but the story offers no insight into a new enemy. The cat-and-mouse games, while entertaining, feel familiar. And while the supporting cast is stellar, this is Hoffman’s movie, his last major role, and he dominates as, ironically, a man who has lost his dominance. Speaking in delicate, German-tinged English and throwing his weight around, Hoffman is a pleasure to watch. “A Most Wanted Man” tells a complex story that attentive audiences might want to see a second time; the more casual viewers will likely leave the theater in mild befuddlement. 8/3/14

The Hundred-Foot Journey - 3 smiles

“The Hundred-Foot Journey,” directed by Lasse Hallstrom and based on a novel by Richard C. Morais, is a family-friendly movie, focusing more on characters and emotions than on plot. Only toward the end, when the scene shifts to Paris does the movie stumble a bit. Om Puri plays the patriarch of the Kadam family, who have left India and come to France to open a restaurant. He is accompanied by his three adult children: Mukthar (Dillon Mitra), Mahira (Farzana Dua Elahe) and would-be chef Hassan (Manish Dayal), who has great talent in the kitchen. Papa decides that the best place to start this new life is in an abandoned building near the outskirts of a town in the south of France, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val. To him, it seems to be a great place to open ‘Maison Mumbai,’ but there’s a problem: across the street is a highly respected restaurant of Le Saule Pleureur. The proprietress of this classical French establishment, Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), is not keen on competition. Not dissuaded, Papa presses on. Meanwhile, Hassan forms a quasi-romantic friendship with Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), one of Madame Mallory’s sous chefs. Soon, the two rival establishments are engages in an all-out culinary war.

Although you expect it to happen, part of the pleasure of this movie is watching Mirren’s snooty Madame Mallory thaw and grow into a warm person with a fondness for Hassan. And Manish Dayal, the handsome American-born actor who plays the gifted and curious Hassan, is a charmer.  Montages of exquisite dishes being prepared exquisitely – pigeon with truffles, tandoori chicken – will warm a foodie’s heart. Hallstrom touches on the ugly strain of racism in certain sectors of French society, but not enough to turn feel-good into feel-bad. With “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” everything goes down rather well although I can’t help but wish for a little more. 8/10/14

Alive Inside - 4 smiles

“Alive Inside” is a documentary about activist Dan Cohen’s attempts to get nursing homes to use music as part of their care regimen for those afflicted with dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. And it’s not just music in general but music that elicits memories of childhood, family, and friends. The movie opens with a clip of a 94-year old Henry who goes from catatonic to effusive, speaking not just sentences but entire paragraphs when he hears a Cab Calloway song. As one doctor explains, ‘Music is the back door to the mind. Henry has reacquired his identity for a while.’

There are an estimated 5 million Americans currently suffering from dementia with 10 million serving as their caregivers, with both numbers going up. It’s partially about the way music gets wired into our brains that makes it so effective. And the spontaneity of music triggers in the listeners’ emotions tied to memories. Yet regardless of the many examples we see in the film, barriers, largely economic, remain. It’s a lot easier to prescribe thousands of dollars worth of medication than buy a $40 iPod. Nonetheless, there are indications that exposure to music helps individuals delay institutionalization and remain with their families, even if the evidence is anecdotal. And on the positive side, Wisconsin has 100 nursing homes using the personalized music system. They are doing an 18-month study with 1500 residents with dementia and have approved funding for phase two and 150 additional nursing homes. Director Michael Rossato-Bennett’s “Alive Inside” makes a strong argument for music’s therapeutic value on slowly deteriorating minds and this is a movie everyone should see.  7/28/14

Lucy - 3 smiles

“Lucy,” starring Scarlett Johansson, is not  a kick-ass superhero movie, contrary to the previews. The action scenes depicted in the ads are in the movie, but the context differs. And, although Lucy develops superpowers, the most interesting thing about them is how they expand and where the journey ultimately takes her. And, since she’s terminally ill, her mission isn’t killing bad guys but finding a way to pass on the massive amounts of knowledge she has acquired. Although the movie eventually transforms into something odd, it begins in a traditional Luc Besson fashion. Lucy (Johansson) is in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is tricked by her boyfriend into delivering a locked briefcase to a gangster, Mr. Jang (Min-sik Choi), who is not sympathetic to Lucy’s predicament. After forcing her to open the briefcase, which contains a new kind of experimental drug, Mr. Jang takes Lucy prisoner, inserts a bag of the drug into her stomach, and forces her to work as his mule. However, rough treatment at the hands of one of Mr. Jang’s thugs causes the bag to break and the drug leaks into Lucy’s system. There are two consequences: her brain capacity begins to increase and she becomes terminally ill. She seeks out brain expert Prof. Norman (Morgan Freeman), who spends much of the movie in teacher mode (an attempt to understand what’s happening). Meanwhile, Mr. Jang and his men track Lucy with the goal of killing her before she becomes too powerful.

Once Lucy starts to evolve, there’s no sense that she’s in danger. Besson doesn’t take the time to make Mr. Jang very menacing because he seems more interested in Lucy’s journey. He provides no answers although the ending seems to hint at a sequel. “Lucy” is not your typical Luc Besson action-shoot-em-up. Sure, there’s plenty of action, but that’s not the focus. And although the ending is frustrating in many ways, that’s more the fault of the marketers. Think of “Lucy” as being a quirky sci-fi thriller and you’ll be more satisfied with it. 7/30/14

Get on Up - 1 1/2 smiles

See “Get on Up” for Chadwick Boseman’s magnificent performance as James Brown, not for the story, which is scattershot at best. It opens in 1988 and bounces around to 1968 and then 1939. Biopics can be boring if they’re told in strict chronological order. However, director Tate Taylor seems to have thrown pieces down the stairs and then put them together as they landed. The movie hits the same old beats – the rough childhood, the fast rise, the price of fame (just out of order). The script from writers Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth doesn’t reveal much about Brown, a complicated figure whose drug abuse, spouse abuse and legal troubles were considerable. And Taylor barely touches on issues of race and hardly ever shows us Brown’s creative process. To top it off, the film is rated PG-13 … about James Brown?

What “Get on Up” does have going for it is a rousing performance from Boseman, who last year brought Jackie Robinson to life in 42. Boseman is taller and thinner than Brown, but he slips into the role so effectively that he becomes Brown. “Get on Up” has no rhythm and very little soul. 8/1/2014

Guardians of the Galaxy - 4 smiles

“Guardians of the Galaxy,” much like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and more recently, Galaxy Quest, is an irreverent mix of mismatched characters, heavy-handed baddies, huge battle sequences and sharp one-liners. All this movie wants to do is have fun and invites you to come along for the ride. The narrative centers on Peter Quill (aka Star Lord), played by Chris Pratt, who is handsome enough to pull off the hero thing with the comic chops to handle the humor. When Quill was a little boy on Earth, a spaceship beamed him aboard just after his mother dies.  He has with him his Sony Walkman, which provides the wonderfully out-of-time soundtrack for the movie. Twenty years later, Quill is a space scavenger. When he comes upon the magical silver orb (one that, naturally, everyone wants), he suddenly finds himself the center of a lot of attention, which comes from two scoundrels, the tree-like Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and his partner Rocket, a machine-gun toting hyper-intelligent raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper). They are soon joined by the green-skinned Gamora (Zoe Saldana), a trained assassin send by the evil Ronan (Lee Pace), to steal the orb. When this group ends up in jail, they meet the hulking Drax (Dave Bautista), who has sworn to kill Ronan, but opts instead to kill Gamora until she explains that she was set to betray Ronan. At which point the gang begins to meld into the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Groot and Rocket Raccoon are the instant attractions, doing a type of Mutt and Jeff routine that manages to be both comical and sincere at the same time. And the CGI makes them fit easily into the story. Everyone talks to a raccoon and a tree-like humanoid, right? Pratt is the surprise, however. He plays a rather chubby character in Parks and Recreation, but with the loss of 40 pounds, he slips easily into an action hero reminiscent of Han Solo or Indiana Jones. One of the reasons this franchise feels so fresh is that the Marvel Comics on which the story is based is not well known and director and co-writer James Gunn strikes a skillful balance between dark humor and action. There’s plenty of heart in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and after seeing it, you’ll want to get in line and see it again. Well, I did. 8/3/2014

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - 3 1/2 smiles

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is a solid sci-fi flick as well as the best of the Planet of the Apes movies. This installment moves events closer to a merge point with the 1968 Charlton Heston original. As with the other Apes movies, the story is allegorical, but there’s no heavy-handed preachiness. The movie makes its point about the destructiveness of racial hatred as an integral part of the narrative. Plus the personalities for both people and apes are developed well. The story begins with an unspecified period after the conclusion of its predecessor, Rise of the Planet of the apes. Humankind, ravaged by a virus and the lawlessness that arose in its wake, has lost its position of prominence atop the global food chain. The collapse of civilization has resulted in a fragmented, primitive society with a band in San Francisco under the leadership of two survivors, Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) and Malcolm (Jason Clarke) struggling to regain some of what was lost. Their immediate goal is to restore the power grid; to do that, however, they must venture into Muir Woods where the apes, still led by Caesar (Andy Serkis), have become increasingly advanced and sophisticated. Caesar has learned speech (a skill soon mastered by others). Men and apes clash and, while the moderate elements in each species struggle to broker and agreement to promote mutual cooperation and forestall a war; the more extreme elements seek only to annihilate their opponents.

To his credit, director Matt Reeves has focused his efforts on story rather than mindless explosions and special effects. That being said, the movie has a lot of visual flair from apes riding horses to the eventual battle between man and ape. Plus Andy Serkis does a remarkable job of making Caesar the most compelling character in the movie. In addition to Caesar, key simian players include Maurice the orangutan; Caesar’s grown son, Blue Eyes; and the embittered Koba. The humans are represented by Malcolm and his compatriots: Ellie (Keri Russell), Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Carver (Kirk Acevedo).  The script gives each human a scene designed to provide depth and breadth to what could have been a one-dimensional character. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” takes its time, especially during the first hour, where the focus is on the ape society, and it ends on a satisfying (if downbeat) note that promises a sequel.  7/11/14

Land Ho - 1 smile

Just saw the previews for “Land Ho,” written and directed by Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz, which make the movie far more interesting than it really is. And it was a crowd-pleaser at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which puzzles me. In a recent question-and-answer period, Katz explained that the idea for the film came from Stephens when she was planning a vacation: Wouldn’t it be fun to take Earl Lynn [Nelson], her second cousin, on the trip.  The result is a road movie about an eccentric, abrasive character that thinks he’s funnier than he really is. In fact, he’s down right obnoxious. And not much happens other than some male bonding. The saving factor is the beautiful Icelandic countryside.

A pair of silver-haired retired ex brothers-in-law go on a less-than-thrilling adventure at the behest of the flashier of the two, a bawdy former doctor. Mitch (Nelson) is a garrulous, Southern-accented, skirt-chasing coot. He rents a Humvee to cruise around Iceland and insists a young cousin and her friend, both PhD candidates who they meet up with on their travels, buy sexy clothes for a fancy dinner. Coarse and overbearing, Mitch is a lecher with a one-tract mind, but also a generous guy, particularly to Colin (Paul Eenhoorn), a wry, slightly melancholy and likable former banker. Temperamental opposites, Colin and Mitch once were married to two sisters. (Colin’s wife died and Mitch’s wife divorced him). Mitch is treating Paul to the trip. The pacing is slow and meandering and the directors often resort to music-accented montages. Some people might want to go on a trip with Earl Lynn, who, according to Katz, is much like his character Mitch. Count me out. 7/7/14

Transformers: Age of Extinction - 1 smile

Pros:

• Great CGI
• Stars Mark Wahlberg (he’s an upgrade from Shia Labeouf)
• It’s all about the robots
• Stanley Tucci is effective as the bad/good guy

Cons:

• Way too long  (2 hrs and 45 minutes)
• Story is crammed full of stuff that doesn’t need to be there (so there’s little plot cohesion)
• Little (if any) character development (but remember, it’s a Michael Bay movie)
• Nicola Peltz is no improvement as the Megan Fox replacement
• The dialogue is pretty cheesy
• The final confrontation is at least an hour long (and very loud)

Full of sound and fury signifying nothing. 6/27/14

Godzilla - 3 smiles

The most recent iteration of “Godzilla” honors not only the look and feel of the Big Green Lizard’s most famous outings but pays homage to his entire history. And that’s what makes this version the best of the remakes. It explicitly refers to the 1954 movie and calls the creature by his name. Godzilla is a force of nature and man is ineffectual against him. And Godzilla benefits from top caliber CGI, looking more real and less like a man in a suit. Although the movie is about Godzilla (and make no mistake, he is the hero), it’s not viewed from his perspective.

The movie takes its time with the reveal (which is too long), keeping Godzilla mostly hidden until about midway through the movie. The early scenes transpire 15 years in the past in Japan, where unexplained tremors are threatening the integrity of a nuclear power plant. The husband and wife team of Joe and Sandra Brody (Bryan Cranston and Juliette Binoche) are tasked with investigating the situation and preventing a disaster. Later, in the present day, Brodys’ now-adult son, Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), finds himself in the same part of the world facing a similar situation. But this time, a huge insect-like creature, mutated by radiation, rises up and wreaks havoc before going in search of its mate. And an unknown creature, attracted by the activity, begins to make its way toward the action. Las Vegas, Hawaii and San Francisco end up as sites of destruction as Godzilla fights the creatures. “Godzilla” delivers everything expected of it, especially if you’re a fan of the original Godzilla movies. 5/16/14

How to Train Your Dragon 2 - 3 1/2 smiles

It’s a good thing that writer/director Dean DeBlois didn’t fall into the sequel trap and make a retread of the original. Instead, he elected to move into darker, more serious territory and expand the scope of the world. And although there are bits that feel extraneous, the production as a whole comes across more like an organic extension of the original tale than something tacked on purely to draw a lucrative box office. The movie opens five years after the events in the first film. The Viking hamlet’s culture has changed by this time with dragons not only being welcomed in the village but becoming beloved pets as well. Stoick (voiced by Gerard Butler) still rules although he is trying to convince his reluctant son, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), to take over the post of chief. Hiccup doesn’t think of himself as a leader of men and would prefer flying around with his dragon, Toothless, practicing aerial maneuvers and mapping new territories. His girlfriend, Astrid (America Ferrera), thinks he underestimates himself. While exploring the world, Hiccup discovers a group of ‘dragon catchers’ who inform him that a warlord named Drago (Djimon Hounsou) is assembling an army of dragons to conquer the world. Against the strict orders of his father, Hiccup decides to search for Drago, convinced that a civilized conversation will convince Drago to desist. Things don’t go as planned, however, and Hiccup is waylaid by the fierce dragon rider Valka (Cate Blanchett), whose identity, once revealed, changes the young man’s priorities.

“How to Train Your Dragon 2 has things to say about loyalty, friendship and family. This is a coming-of-age story for Hiccup, who is forced by circumstances to evolve as a character. And the tone is darker than the original, which was essentially light-hearted fantasy/adventure. This sequel takes some chances with ideas about mortality. The movie is visually interesting and the new ‘Alpha’ dragons look appropriately menacing. The level of violence in “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” which includes war and death, may be too much for the youngest children. It is, nonetheless, great entertainment for families. 6/15/14

Edge of Tomorrow - 3 1/2 smiles

“Edge of Tomorrow” is a version of Groundhog Day, where the central character must relive a specific day and in doing so, becomes a better man, or, in this case, becomes a better warrior and a better man. And because the script is good and the two leads effective, “Edge of Tomorrow” offers a satisfying cinematic experience. The movie uses a faux news montage to set up the story. Earth has been invaded by extra-terrestrials dubbed ‘mimics’ and all of Europe is in enemy hands. After losing battle after battle, the United Defense Forces have finally scored a victory at Verdun. Emboldened by the army’s success, General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson) has decided on an all-out assault led by war hero and media darling, Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt). To ‘sell’ the attack to the populace, Brigham enlists the talents of army publicist Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), who he intends to send to the front lines with a camera crew. Cage, unwilling to put his life on the line, refuses the direct order and ends up being busted in rank on trumped up charges, thrown into an infantry unit and sent into the thick of the fighting. When set upon by a member of a special mimic subspecies, Cage uses an explosive to destroy the creature. In the process, he kills himself … then awakens back at the beginning of his ordeal and has to endure the entire day another time. He dies again, is reborn again and the cycle persists. Each time Cage is able to use his memories of the battle to survive longer, until he eventually contacts Rita and learns that she knows something about his situation.

To keep the audience from getting bored watching the same scene over and over, director Doug Liman borrows some of the tricks from Groundhog Day – showing just enough of a scene to make it clear we’re in another iteration of the loop, then skipping ahead to the point when things start to change. The main thrust of the movie focuses on Cage’s use of his immortality/time-reset ability to locate the aliens’ brain and find a way to win the war. In addition, the relationship between Cage and Rita develops, but more on his part because each time they meet, her interaction with Cage is reset. She doesn’t know him, but he becomes familiar with her to the point where he develops deep feelings. And you see the gradual development of Cage from callow, self-serving wimp to all-out action hero, illustrating Cruise’s depth as an actor. The one in a different situation is Emily Blunt, whose kick-ass interpretation of Rita recalls Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley and Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor. She is credible as the Hero of Verdun. “Edge of Tomorrow” offers plenty of action that never becomes repetitive. It’s definitely a fun summer popcorn movie. 6/6/14

Maleficent - 3 smiles

Angelina Jolie gives a forceful and nuanced performance as Maleficent, but Sharlto Copley is absolutely miscast as the king. "Maleficent" reveals how events transformed the title character from a happy, optimistic young fairy into one of Disney's most recognizable villains. As a girl, Maleficent (Isobelle Molloy) meets and befriends a young human named Stefan (Michael Higgins). The two share a close friendship that develops into love as the years pass. However, Stefan's ambition seduces him to the dark side. He disappears from Maleficent's life for a while as he strives to ingratiate himself with the current king. When he returns to Maleficent (now played by Copely), his goal is to drug her, cut off her wings and take them back to the king to prove his worthiness to be the new king. Bitter and broken hearted, Maleficent (Jolie) plots her revenge when she hears of the christening of King Stefan's daughter. And we already know the curse she gives to the young Aurora.

"Maleficent" offers two twists to the Sleeping Beauty tale we're familiar with. The first is to make Maleficent's actions explicable. Her deeds aren't the product of inherent evil, but result from Stefan's despicable act. The film also postulates a mother-daughter relationship between Maleficent and Aurora (Elle Fanning). During the period when the princess is living in the forest with three other fairies, Maleficent visits her regularly and they become close, so close, in fact, that Maleficent regrets her curse and tries to reverse it. Angelina Jolie is the driving force in the movie and she dominates every scene she's in. Elle Fanning is delightful as the naive Aurora, but Copely not only doesn't look or sound like a king but he overacts. The scenes where he slowly goes insane are heavy handed and detract from the rest of the story. The visuals are powerful and imaginative and "Maleficent" is enjoyable summer fare. 6/2/14

Belle - 3 1/2 smiles

“Belle” blends romance with a political drama that explores slavery from a different perspective. The 1779 double portrait of Dido Elizabeth Belle and Lady Elizabeth Murray, that appears at the end of “Belle,” and that actresses Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sarah Gadon pose for in the film, is remarkable in that it captures the two young women who moved in the aristocratic circles of 18^th-century England. It is believed to be the only painting of its kind from that era – a black girl and a white girl, both in beautiful satin dresses, posing together, equally positioned in the portrait’s space. Director Amma Asante packs a lot of story and the quick pace of early scenes feel rushed, but once the story involved the grown-up Belle, the pace evens out. Dido Elizabeth Belle is the daughter of British admiral Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode) and an enslaved African woman, Maria Belle, After her mother dies, and before her father is dispatched for duty with the British navy, Dido is placed in the care of her father’s uncle, William Murray (Tom Wilkinson), who also happens to be lord chief justice, tasked with ruling on cases involving England’s slave trade, and his wife (Emily Watson). Gugu Mbatha-Raw is outstanding as Dido, a very confused young woman who exists in a state of limbo. She is too highborn to mingle with commoners and too dark-skinned to eat dinner with her own family. She is raised with her cousin, Elizabeth (Gadon), who was abandoned by her father and the pair grow up like sisters although Dido isn’t afforded certain basic accommodations that Elizabeth is. However, Elizabeth has been disowned, left with no dowry so she must marry a wealthy man. The death of Dido’s father leaves her a rich woman so she doesn’t have to marry if she doesn’t want to. One of the men willing to buck the system to be with Dido is John Davinier (Sam Reid), a passionate aspiring lawyer and devout anti-slavery activist.

The most interesting story line involves Lord Mansfield’s work as he decides the Zong massacre case, in which a ship of slave traders threw 142 slaves overboard, claiming it was necessary because supplies were running low. As if that wasn’t horrifying enough, the owners of the Zong then tried to get insurance money for the financial loss. (The trial was not a murder case but an issue of insurance fraud.) Whether Lord Mansfield will side with the insurance company or the slave traders becomes a point of contention in the family. Although Misan Sagay’s script is occasionally too talky, “Belle” is a beautiful period piece that explores racism, classism and sexism in 18^th-century England. 5/4/14

Chef - 3 1/2 smiles

Producer, writer, director, actor. Jon Favreau does it all in “Chef” and he does it well. Although a bit long, this movie is a nuanced film that’s one of the most heartwarming of the year. Favreau plays Carl Casper, a talented but burned-out chef in a trendy Los Angeles eatery owned by Riva (Dustin Hoffman), who recognizes his chef’s talents and frustrations, but is not interested in a cutting-edge menu, especially when a well-known critic, Ramsey Michel (Oliver Platt), comes to dine. Carl’s clash with the critic, in which he upbraids the speechless Michel for ruining careers for the sake of cleverness and not realizing that words hurt, goes viral. And when the technologically illiterate Carl engages in a public war of words, he becomes a Twitter sensation and is immediately fired. This is a lengthy set-up for what will become a cross-country road trip as Carl decides to refurbish a food truck that he will drive from Miami to Los Angeles with 10-year-old son Percy (a wonderful Emjay Anthony).

Favreau is good as Carl, but he also has a wonderful supporting cast. John Leguizamo is his right-hand man and sous-chef along with Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Vergara (as his ex-wife), Robert Downey Jr. (as Vergara’s ex-husband), Amy Sedaris is a hysterical bit involving Hell’s Kitchen, and Scarlett Johansson as Carl’s potential girlfriend. You need not be a foodie to appreciate the film’s reverence for a good meal. One meticulous scene in particular, of Carl making a grilled cheese sandwich for his son at home, underscores the art of cooking. And everyone in the audience audibly oooohed when he set it in front of Percy. Besides the great culinary scenes are the sweet moments between father and son and there’s palpable chemistry between Favreau and young Anthony. There are no surprises or bumps along the way, but that’s part of what’s so enjoyable about “Chef.” 5/11/14

The Amazing Spider-Man - 2 smiles

For about two-thirds of its overly long running time of 2 hours and 22 minutes, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” doesn’t have any villains, which results in something much akin to a soap opera. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), aka Spider-Man, wrestles with his parents abandoning him as a child, his fear that his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) will be injured if she stays with him and his awkward reunion with a childhood friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), who believes he needs Spider-Man’s blood to cure him from a disease that’s killing him. Meanwhile, one of Oscorp’s loyal electrical engineers, Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), has an accident. After being electrocuted, he falls into a tank of mutant eels and is repeatedly bitten by them. Of course, he doesn’t die, but becomes a super villain called ‘Electro.’ The screenplay explains a lot of things, but it doesn’t explain how Max knows he’s Electro or what Max wants to do with all the city’s electrical power once he gets it. Electro is imposing, all blue and glowing, but he’s just around to provide some spectacular CGI battle sequences with Spider-Man. The real villain is The Green Goblin, but he doesn’t show up until near the end.

The real-life couple of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone display believable on-screen chemistry, but half of the time Garfield’s Spidey is too much of a smart aleck. Dane DeHaan’s transformation is more inevitable than tragic and his Green Goblin comes across as a generic homicidal maniac. However, the last 15 minutes, which seems more real and unexpected, saves the movie from being a by-the-numbers superhero flick. It’s unfortunate that the overall result is an overstuffed production that could have benefited from better writing. 5/2/14