Friday, November 21, 2008

Blast From the Past: Love Actually

It's that time of year again. Christmas is just around the corner. So, I've already begun to bust out my favorite holiday movies that I watch every year. It's just like my horror movie cycles that happen every Halloween, but without the blood and gore. That being said, of course, there are an equal amount of made-for-TV Christmas movies that have become a Holiday staple in my household. Love Actually is one that my friends got me started on a couple of years ago, and it has become one of my favorite films to watch any time of year. In essence, it really isn't a "Christmas" movie, but several love stories that occur at Christmas time. In my opiniong, it has certainly upstaged and overpowered the other films by its writer (Notting Hill, Bridget Jones' Diary, etc.). 

It's Christmas in 2003, and love is all around. Through its series of love stories that are all somehow connected, writer and director Richard Curtis creates a truly special film that will be around for ages. There are too many characters and plots to discuss here, but they add up to make the film all the more enjoyable and interesting. As the DVD case says, this is "The Ultimate Romantic Comedy." That does not mean that it is a sappy mess. It is hilarious throughout, and will entertain anyone who watches it. Personally, my favorite character is Billy Mack, played to hilarious perfection by Bill Nighy). Nighy plays an aged rock star who is trying to recapture his once-popular image in a world of hip boy bands. 

The phenomenal ensemble cast that populates this spectacular film includes a legendary cast: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightly, Laura Linney, Rowan Atkinson, and Billy Bob Thorton (who plays a very humorous spoof of President George W. Bush). The cast work extremely well together and develop a highly complex plot which utilizes their individual talents and skills as actors. Another highly effective tactic used by the filmmakers is the interesting soundtrack. The tracks range from Christmas songs to classics from Motown. 

Whether you like romantic comedies or not, Love Actually is definitely a must-see as it provides a hilarious look at relationships. The great cast and script make for a film which will be remembered for a long time. This heart-felt story deserves its place among the Christmas classics that have preceded it.

My Grade: A
Release Date: November 14, 2003
Rating: R for sexuality, nudity and language.
Running Time: 135 min.
Director: Richard Curtis

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Blast From the Past: The Triplets of Belleville


I've passed by this interesting looking film at the video store several times in the past few years, picked it up, and put it back down. I am very glad that I finally did watch it. It is unlike any animated film I have ever seen before. Leave all of your Disney expectation at the door, as it breaks away from nearly all Disney narrative devices to present a truly unique and visionary story. 

The film starts out with a flashback of the Triplets' popular vaudeville act. After this, the story switches to that of a young boy and his mother as she buys him his first bike. The young boy then turns into the professional cyclist who is kidnapped by two incredibly square-shouldered mafia henchmen. The story then really gets going as the mother follows her son across the sea to the metropolis of Belleville, where her son is being used by the mafia in a dangerous gambling race. With the help of her faithful dog, and the Triplets of Belleville, the mother is able to sneak into the Mafia underground to attempt to rescue her son. 

This film, with its incredibly innovative and unique animation and its glorious soundtrack, is very entertaining and often very humorous. This, however, is not a cartoon for children, as it contains scenes of nudity and violence. But for the adult viewer, you would be hard pressed to find a more entertaining animated film. Definitely recommended.

My Grade: A-

Release Date: June 11, 2003
Rating: PG-13 for images involving sensuality, violence and crude humor
Running Time: 80 min.
Director: Sylvain Chomet

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Zack and Miri Make a Porno


Like the red band trailer above displays, this film is full of sexual humor and foul language from beginning to end. But, I have not laughed this hard at the movies in a long time. The newest work from Kevin Smith, best known for Clerks, Chasing Amy, and Dogma, has had the public's eye on it since the title was released. Controversy has surrounded this film, and it was even banned in some towns. What can you expect from an R-rated sex comedy with the word porn in the title? Unlike some of Hollywood's recent comedies, Zack and Miri has a heart beneath its obscene surface. 

For followers of Smith's work, Zack and Miri makes a welcome addition to the foul-mouthed but big hearted films that have preceded it. That's not to say that it is a better film than his previous, but it is equal in the laugh arena. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks star in the title roles of Zack and Miri, while the supporting characters are filled with hilarious cast members that almost surpass the main pair comedically. Craig Robinson (Darryl from The Office), Jason Mewes (Jay from Jay and Silent Bob), Jeff Anderson (Randal from Clerks), Justin Long (Accepted, Waiting...), and a ton of others are absolutely hilarious in their small roles. 

So, what is this movie about, you might ask? Well, the title practically sums it all up. Zack and Miri have a ton of bills to pay, and no money to do it with, so they set out to make a porno. With the help of their friends, and a small cast, the pair start out to film Star Whores, a "re-imagining" of Star Wars. Disaster soon strikes, however, as their set, along with all of the costumes and equipment. 

With all of their hard work wasted, the group decide to film their movie in the coffeehouse where Zack works. This plot twist may quite possibly even be funnier than the Star Wars-themed porno plot. As the filming progresses, the scene where Zack and Miri are supposed to have sex nears. Will the pair be able to set aside over twenty years of friendship in order to have sex on camera for money? 

This film is absolutely hilarious! That being said, however, the title obviously suggests that it contains highly offensive material that will make even the most raunchiest individual blush. So, if you find yourself to be on the more conservative side, avoid this film at all costs, as it will just upset you and may even cause you to riot. For those viewers that are uninhibited in their moviegoing, or just love a good raunchy laugh, then this one is for you. 

My Grade: B+

Release Date: October 31, 2008
Rating: R for strong crude sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity, and pervasive language
Running Time: 101 min.
Director: Kevin Smith

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Saw V

Over the past five years, Halloween has become synonymous with the release of the newest Saw film. The incredibly violent films started out as an incredibly suspenseful, well-written, and authentically terrifying experience that was not to be missed. The first Saw introduced us to Jigsaw, and showed us his warped sense of morality and how he taught his "lessons." Since that excellent film, and the exceptional sequel that followed, the series, since its third release, has continued to dwindle and spiral downwards towards the pointless and utterly disgusting.

Saw V, although not all together horrible, was obviously released just to cash in on the series' target audience that have shelled out the cash to see their favorite "non-killer" traumatize his victims in vicious traps. After the end of the third film, it was difficult to imagine how the series could possibly continue, but through the use of flashback and the introduction of a new accomplice, Jigsaw's work was able to continue for another two movies. In this film, the last living detective that was assigned to the original Jigsaw Case, Agent Strahm, is captured and put into one of the traps. Through great luck and ingenuity Strahm is able to escape from the trap, to tell that, although Jigsaw is dead, someone is continuing his work. He also believes that it is an inside job. The audience is fully aware of the newcomer's identity at the end of the fourth film, so there really is no mystery surrounding the detective's search. 

Also, the traps in this film are rather lackluster, and are not as clever as those from the past. Personally, my standards were set higher with the hair trap from the fourth film. These traps seem rather basic. You may recall the slogan from the trailer or poster, "You won't believe how it ends." That may have been true for films one and two, but this ending, although a tad unexpected, was nothing out of the ordinary, especially for a series that is well known for its plot twists. For fans of the series, this will obviously be a must-see. For everyone else, just re-watch Saw 1 and 2. 

My Grade: C-

Release Date: October 24, 2008
Rating: R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, language and brief nudity.
Running Time: 92 min.
Director: David Hackl

Monday, November 17, 2008

Role Models


It seems like a few times a month, there are new comedies that are released to capitalize on the success of prior films. These films re-use all of the jokes in a way that takes all of the original flair and humor out of them. These films, like College and Disaster Movie, should be avoided at all costs, and should never have been made in the first place. Upon seeing the trailer for Role Models what seems like over a year ago, I felt that this film would be fresh and entertaining. It was all of that and more. It is often the case that the trailer will show all of the funny parts of a film, leaving the audience with nothing new to enjoy when actually watching the movie, but Role Models is filled to the brim with jokes, albeit sometimes overtly sexual in nature, that will leave you crying because you're laughing so hard.

The two main characters Danny and Wheeler, played by Paul Rudd (who co-wrote the screenplay) and Seann William Scott respectively,  make their livings selling energy drinks to students in a say no to drugs (but drink obscene amounts of caffeine) campaign. The hijinks begin when the pair end up crashing their Minotaur energy drink truck into a school statue of a horse. The charges pile up one after another and, when combined, are enough to send them to jail. Luckily, Danny's girlfriend (played by Zack and Miri Make a Porno's Elizabeth Banks) is a lawyer, and she's able to get them just a month of community service. The task that lies ahead of them is not simply cleaning garbage off the side of the road, but being a "big brother"-like mentor to a young boy. Gayle Sweeney (played to hilarious perfection by Jane Lynch), the head of the program, assigns Danny and Wheeler two of the more difficult boys that she has. Augie Farks (played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse aka McLovin) is assigned to Danny while Ronnie Shields (the hilarious, but extremely foul-mouthed Bobb'e J. Thompson) is assigned to Wheeler.

Over the course of the film, Wheeler develops a fatherly/brotherly relationship with Ronnie by teaching him about sex and how to talk to women. Danny on the other hand embraces his geek side and joins Augie on the Dungeons and Dragons-esque battlefield. 

The film, which seems to be just one sexual joke and reference after another, is much more in that the two discover parts of themselves that they never knew existed, and develop friendships with the boys. This film, with its inclusion of highly emotional yet incredibly funny dialogue and plot, delivered all of the laughs while bringing home the message.

My Grade: B

Release Date: November 7, 2008
Rating: R for crude and sexual content, strong language and nudity.
Running Time: 99 min.
Director: David Wain

Quantum of Solace


I have always enjoyed James Bond movies, whether they are the Sean Connery films or those featuring Pierce Brosnan. The character of 007 has always been an interesting one, and the franchise has yet to get old. After viewing 2002's Die Another Day, however, I was beginning to feel that it might the end of our favorite secret agent. Luckily, the filmmakers took a break for a little while, and released 2006's Casino Royale. This breath of fresh air was all the series needed. Daniel Craig created a character that was so much more realistic and 3-dimensional, with great complexities and flaws, that he placed himself equal to or even above Sean Connery as the famous character. At the conclusion of that amazing film, I was incredibly eager to see where MGM would take the character next. And the recent release of Quantum of Solace did not disappoint. It may not be quite as amazing as its predecessor, but Quantum stands up to any Bond film of the past.

Beginning just a few hours after Royale ended, the first scene is one of the most intense car chases I have seen in a long time. Daniel Craig returns as the heartbroken 007, a man who was betrayed by the love of his life in the previous film and is seeking revenge on the people responsible. Dame Judi Dench is also back as M. Dench is given some of the best dialogue in the entire film, and, as always, is a treat to watch as she scolds 007 for his recklessly violent behavior. That being said, this is perhaps the most violent of all the Bond films, with incredible action sequences that make the Bourne series look like nothing.  The remarkable lack of gadgets sets the film in a more realistic world of global espionage. 

The audience at the midnight showing that I attended all were cheering their favorite spy on as he attempted to thwart the plans of the films antagonist, Dominic Greene, an environmentalist who wants to seize control of much of the water supply in South America. As Bond travels around the world to stop Greene, he is trailed by the CIA, and is joined by the equally vengeful Camille, who has her own score to settle. 

Coming in at at just 1 hour and 50 minutes, Quantum is one of the shortest Bond films ever. That's not to say that every scene doesn't pack a punch. This action-packed thriller is a great conclusion to the questions left unanswered at the end of Royale, but also poses it's own. The one drawback to this film is it's song. The song, Another Way to Die, performed by Alicia Keyes and David White, is weak and inappropriate for a spectacle like this film. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this film. For anyone seeking a good time at the movies this time of year, Quantum of Solace is a must-see.

My Grade: A-

Release Date: November 14, 2008
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content.
Running Time: 1 hr. 50 min.
Director: Marc Forster