308 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(09/14/06 4:00am)
When "Ong-Bak" was released last year, it signaled a new era of martial arts by introducing Muay Thai force of nature Tony Jaa. With Jackie Chan now in his 50s and Jet Li done with kung-fu epics, Jaa has taken up the torch -- but with a mess like "The Protector," he may very well fall flat on his face. \nWhere "Ong-Bak" was about one man's quest to recover a stolen Buddha head, "Protector" is the same quest but for an elephant. Jaa plays Kham, the son of a village elder, raised to cherish the precious pachyderms as a symbol of ancient Thai culture. When two elephants are stolen by thugs from Australia, Kham journeys to the land down under to save the noble beasts while demolishing the crime syndicate responsible for his troubles. \nThanks to the reliable Weinstein Bros, not only did "The Protector" get a U.S. release, it also had nearly 40 minutes chopped out of it, making the plot seem nearly incomprehensible. Of course Quentin Tarantino also slaps his name on it to guarantee geeks will come out of the woodwork to see the flick -- except when QT fought for "Hero" to remain uncut, clearly this time he could care less what the studio scissors chop apart. The film also features terrible English dubbing and a new soundtrack by a seemingly unrecognizable RZA (of Wu-Tang fame). \nThe fight sequences, much like "Ong-Bak," are over-the-top and brutal. Jaa squares off against a gang of thugs who belong at the X-Games, breaks the arms/shoulders of some 30 guys in one fight, takes on a Capoeira expert and gets pummeled by behemoth Nathan Jones who'll soon be seen in Jet Li's final fighting epic, "Fearless." \nFor director Prachya Pinkaew, who also helmed "Ong-Bak," this time around his style is both impressive and disappointing. There is an incredible fight sequence that follows Jaa up a spiraling staircase which is done in a single take -- a clear sign of heavy planning and execution. Then you get scenes completely muddied by Vaseline on the camera lens and quite possibly the worst CG-created sequence I've ever seen in a film involving ancient elephant battles in Thailand; its god awful, no other way to put it. \nAfter being disappointed, a friend told me he'd be sending me the Thai version of "Protector" (known as "Tom Yum Goong") so I could see the real deal. 40 minutes missing is unforgivable and only makes "The Protector" suffer; I'm quite positive a U.S. DVD release won't even contain the Thai cut. My advice to those seeking to satisfy their martial arts fix is to do the following: see "Ong-Bak" if you haven't, rent the amazing "District B13" and in a few weeks go see "Fearless"
(09/14/06 2:55am)
When "Ong-Bak" was released last year, it signaled a new era of martial arts by introducing Muay Thai force of nature Tony Jaa. With Jackie Chan now in his 50s and Jet Li done with kung-fu epics, Jaa has taken up the torch -- but with a mess like "The Protector," he may very well fall flat on his face. \nWhere "Ong-Bak" was about one man's quest to recover a stolen Buddha head, "Protector" is the same quest but for an elephant. Jaa plays Kham, the son of a village elder, raised to cherish the precious pachyderms as a symbol of ancient Thai culture. When two elephants are stolen by thugs from Australia, Kham journeys to the land down under to save the noble beasts while demolishing the crime syndicate responsible for his troubles. \nThanks to the reliable Weinstein Bros, not only did "The Protector" get a U.S. release, it also had nearly 40 minutes chopped out of it, making the plot seem nearly incomprehensible. Of course Quentin Tarantino also slaps his name on it to guarantee geeks will come out of the woodwork to see the flick -- except when QT fought for "Hero" to remain uncut, clearly this time he could care less what the studio scissors chop apart. The film also features terrible English dubbing and a new soundtrack by a seemingly unrecognizable RZA (of Wu-Tang fame). \nThe fight sequences, much like "Ong-Bak," are over-the-top and brutal. Jaa squares off against a gang of thugs who belong at the X-Games, breaks the arms/shoulders of some 30 guys in one fight, takes on a Capoeira expert and gets pummeled by behemoth Nathan Jones who'll soon be seen in Jet Li's final fighting epic, "Fearless." \nFor director Prachya Pinkaew, who also helmed "Ong-Bak," this time around his style is both impressive and disappointing. There is an incredible fight sequence that follows Jaa up a spiraling staircase which is done in a single take -- a clear sign of heavy planning and execution. Then you get scenes completely muddied by Vaseline on the camera lens and quite possibly the worst CG-created sequence I've ever seen in a film involving ancient elephant battles in Thailand; its god awful, no other way to put it. \nAfter being disappointed, a friend told me he'd be sending me the Thai version of "Protector" (known as "Tom Yum Goong") so I could see the real deal. 40 minutes missing is unforgivable and only makes "The Protector" suffer; I'm quite positive a U.S. DVD release won't even contain the Thai cut. My advice to those seeking to satisfy their martial arts fix is to do the following: see "Ong-Bak" if you haven't, rent the amazing "District B13" and in a few weeks go see "Fearless"
(09/07/06 4:00am)
The movie "The Illusionist" is one of those rare cinematic delights the film world rarely churns out anymore: a period piece that relies not on fancy sets and costumes but on solid performances carried by a story surely written in finest calligraphy. \nEdward Norton plays Eisenheim the illusionist, a man capable of taking off his gloves, turning them into black ravens before planting a single seed into a soil-filled pot and bringing forth a fully grown bush of oranges. While some might find his dark arts to be blasphemous, the crowds and crowns of Vienna are enthralled by it, especially Sophie (Jessica Biel), the fiancée of Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). \nServing as our guide through this dark fairy tale is Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) whose job is to poke into Eisenheim's private life and discover how his tricks actually work. At the same time, he divulges to the audience a story about how Sophie's encounter with Eisenheim on the stage clearly isn't the first time they've met. \nEverything about "The Illusionist" shines like a well-polished antique. The story is mysterious yet wildly romantic, the acting top-notch, the musical and frame compositions are articulately detailed. Norton seems to be playing himself here and even as the film's central interest, Giamatti, Sewell and surprisingly even Biel outweigh him when it comes down to acting chops here. Giamatti has done it again, begging the question: how many great performances must he give before he is honored with his own Oscar statue? \nBehind the podium is composer Philip Glass, well known for his swirling compositions and ascending passages. At numerous times he becomes the driving force as the characters remain silent, wrapped in the magic of his scaling structure. Behind the camera is Dick Pope, whose cinematography carries a sense of antiquity, thanks to a flickering frame and the occasional opening/closing of the iris on a scene. I was surprised to find that Pope has worked on practically all of Brit director Mike Leigh's theatrical output and where films such as "Naked" and "Vera Drake" relied on blacks and cold grays, "The Illusionist" is full of golden tones and amber hues. \nAt the heart of it all, I feel one will enjoy "The Illusionist" more if they have some sense of film appreciation. It conjures up a sort of romantic storytelling that often remains buried thanks to all the cookie-cutter crock passing for love stories nowadays. One could even say that in today's world the film itself is merely an illusion.
(09/07/06 4:00am)
When season two of "Nip/Tuck" came to a close, the mysterious murderer "The Carver" had just paralyzed Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) and taken a fine slash to his handsome features. Commence season three. Who could the Carver be? Who has the sick and twisted mentality to run around Miami slashing open the faces of all the beautiful people while leaving a simple note stating, "Beauty is a curse upon the world?" \nSeason three dances around this question for 15 episodes but thankfully isn't dominated by it. Instead, Dr. Troy and his partner Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) take on some of their most extreme surgeries, those ranging from a 650-pound woman fused with her sofa to a gorilla named Kiki (referencing real-life ape phenomenon Koko) just to name a few. And while the clientele offers some exciting new cases, new faces show up as well, including Dr. Quentin Costa (Bruno Campos), the newest addition to the McNamara/Troy surgical team; Kit McGraw (Rhona Mitra), the detective assigned to the Carver case; and Nicole Morretti (Anne Heche), a woman in the witness protection program who Dr. McNamara falls for after altering her face. \nSeason two was a bit of a mess. At times the plot was all over the place, elements were sleazier than normal and I was beginning to care less for some of the major players. Thanks to season three, all of those problems were resolved, although I wish there were a few more episodes to tie up some open-ended plot devices. Perhaps the greatest award that comes with watching this season is the full transformation of Dr. Troy, who aims to end his playboy lifestyle if his porn star girlfriend Kimber (Kelly Carlson) will just marry him already. \nFans of "Nip/Tuck" know when they buy the DVDs they shouldn't expect much in the extras department. The usual "Cutting Room Floor" deleted scenes are available and as fatty as the cellulite that women want sucked out of their thighs. While deleted scenes sometimes make for interesting observation with movies, when it comes to TV it is quite obvious why they were cut. \nTwo tiny featurettes cover the psychology of the Carver and the excessive style that runs rampant in "N/T." While the show can sometimes become a bit too soapy, all it need rely on is the sheer style and modernism of its set pieces. That and, of course, its oh-so-provocative subject matter. \nWith season four starting up this past Tuesday and creator Ryan Murphy getting his big-screen writing/directing debut with "Running with Scissors" this fall, I'm sure all fans can applaud the success this series continues to maintain.
(09/07/06 2:36am)
When season two of "Nip/Tuck" came to a close, the mysterious murderer "The Carver" had just paralyzed Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) and taken a fine slash to his handsome features. Commence season three. Who could the Carver be? Who has the sick and twisted mentality to run around Miami slashing open the faces of all the beautiful people while leaving a simple note stating, "Beauty is a curse upon the world?" \nSeason three dances around this question for 15 episodes but thankfully isn't dominated by it. Instead, Dr. Troy and his partner Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) take on some of their most extreme surgeries, those ranging from a 650-pound woman fused with her sofa to a gorilla named Kiki (referencing real-life ape phenomenon Koko) just to name a few. And while the clientele offers some exciting new cases, new faces show up as well, including Dr. Quentin Costa (Bruno Campos), the newest addition to the McNamara/Troy surgical team; Kit McGraw (Rhona Mitra), the detective assigned to the Carver case; and Nicole Morretti (Anne Heche), a woman in the witness protection program who Dr. McNamara falls for after altering her face. \nSeason two was a bit of a mess. At times the plot was all over the place, elements were sleazier than normal and I was beginning to care less for some of the major players. Thanks to season three, all of those problems were resolved, although I wish there were a few more episodes to tie up some open-ended plot devices. Perhaps the greatest award that comes with watching this season is the full transformation of Dr. Troy, who aims to end his playboy lifestyle if his porn star girlfriend Kimber (Kelly Carlson) will just marry him already. \nFans of "Nip/Tuck" know when they buy the DVDs they shouldn't expect much in the extras department. The usual "Cutting Room Floor" deleted scenes are available and as fatty as the cellulite that women want sucked out of their thighs. While deleted scenes sometimes make for interesting observation with movies, when it comes to TV it is quite obvious why they were cut. \nTwo tiny featurettes cover the psychology of the Carver and the excessive style that runs rampant in "N/T." While the show can sometimes become a bit too soapy, all it need rely on is the sheer style and modernism of its set pieces. That and, of course, its oh-so-provocative subject matter. \nWith season four starting up this past Tuesday and creator Ryan Murphy getting his big-screen writing/directing debut with "Running with Scissors" this fall, I'm sure all fans can applaud the success this series continues to maintain.
(09/07/06 1:56am)
The movie "The Illusionist" is one of those rare cinematic delights the film world rarely churns out anymore: a period piece that relies not on fancy sets and costumes but on solid performances carried by a story surely written in finest calligraphy. \nEdward Norton plays Eisenheim the illusionist, a man capable of taking off his gloves, turning them into black ravens before planting a single seed into a soil-filled pot and bringing forth a fully grown bush of oranges. While some might find his dark arts to be blasphemous, the crowds and crowns of Vienna are enthralled by it, especially Sophie (Jessica Biel), the fiancée of Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). \nServing as our guide through this dark fairy tale is Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) whose job is to poke into Eisenheim's private life and discover how his tricks actually work. At the same time, he divulges to the audience a story about how Sophie's encounter with Eisenheim on the stage clearly isn't the first time they've met. \nEverything about "The Illusionist" shines like a well-polished antique. The story is mysterious yet wildly romantic, the acting top-notch, the musical and frame compositions are articulately detailed. Norton seems to be playing himself here and even as the film's central interest, Giamatti, Sewell and surprisingly even Biel outweigh him when it comes down to acting chops here. Giamatti has done it again, begging the question: how many great performances must he give before he is honored with his own Oscar statue? \nBehind the podium is composer Philip Glass, well known for his swirling compositions and ascending passages. At numerous times he becomes the driving force as the characters remain silent, wrapped in the magic of his scaling structure. Behind the camera is Dick Pope, whose cinematography carries a sense of antiquity, thanks to a flickering frame and the occasional opening/closing of the iris on a scene. I was surprised to find that Pope has worked on practically all of Brit director Mike Leigh's theatrical output and where films such as "Naked" and "Vera Drake" relied on blacks and cold grays, "The Illusionist" is full of golden tones and amber hues. \nAt the heart of it all, I feel one will enjoy "The Illusionist" more if they have some sense of film appreciation. It conjures up a sort of romantic storytelling that often remains buried thanks to all the cookie-cutter crock passing for love stories nowadays. One could even say that in today's world the film itself is merely an illusion.
(08/31/06 4:00am)
After watching the likes of "Club Dread" and now "Beerfest," I'm beginning to wonder if the guys in Broken Lizard were nothing more than a one-trick pony thanks to "Super Troopers."\nAfter the death of their grandfather, the Wolfhouse brothers Jan and Todd (Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske respectively) head to glorious Munich to scatter his ashes in his homeland in the midst of the almighty Oktoberfest. Plenty of beer is consumed and a riot breaks out forcing the brothers into the German streets before one of their grandfather's old buddies whisks them off to the appropriately titled "Beerfest" -- the Olympics of beer-drinking competitions. The Germans smash all competition then smash the Wolfhouses' pride by saying their grandfather was nothing more than a thieving bastard while grandma was just a village whore. \nBack in America, Jan and Todd decide they need to train for Beerfest so that next year they can go and reclaim their family's honor. Without a proper team of five members, they have no choice but to recruit their old college pals: Landfill (Kevin Heffernan), Fink (Steve Lemme) and Barry (Jay Chandrasekhar, who also directs the film). What follows is beer consumption of epic proportions and, well, not much else. \n"Beerfest" relies on its title to do most of the talking and fulfill expectations. You get to watch a bunch of guys who still wish they were at frat parties drink beer in every fashion imaginable: quarters, pong, keg-stands, right down to slashing open a can with their car keys and going for the gold. Other than that, watching the film is about as rewarding as throwing back a 12-pack of Natty Ice and actually expecting to get drunk off it.\nIn the arena of summer comedies, "Beerfest" cannot compare to the absurd hilarity of "Talladega Nights," the tongue-in-cheek amusement of "Clerks II" or even the fantastic "Little Miss Sunshine." It relies too much on the "hur-hur" stupidity of watching people get wasted and vomiting everywhere all the while running far too long, making 110 minutes feel like three hours. \nWhile "Beerfest" is in no way a horrible film and does have some golden Broken Lizard moments (see beer-goggled Barry as an example), by the end it feels too frothy and unfulfilling. It's that first drink of the night before hitting all the bars that you won't even remember in a matter of hours.
(08/31/06 2:42am)
After watching the likes of "Club Dread" and now "Beerfest," I'm beginning to wonder if the guys in Broken Lizard were nothing more than a one-trick pony thanks to "Super Troopers."\nAfter the death of their grandfather, the Wolfhouse brothers Jan and Todd (Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske respectively) head to glorious Munich to scatter his ashes in his homeland in the midst of the almighty Oktoberfest. Plenty of beer is consumed and a riot breaks out forcing the brothers into the German streets before one of their grandfather's old buddies whisks them off to the appropriately titled "Beerfest" -- the Olympics of beer-drinking competitions. The Germans smash all competition then smash the Wolfhouses' pride by saying their grandfather was nothing more than a thieving bastard while grandma was just a village whore. \nBack in America, Jan and Todd decide they need to train for Beerfest so that next year they can go and reclaim their family's honor. Without a proper team of five members, they have no choice but to recruit their old college pals: Landfill (Kevin Heffernan), Fink (Steve Lemme) and Barry (Jay Chandrasekhar, who also directs the film). What follows is beer consumption of epic proportions and, well, not much else. \n"Beerfest" relies on its title to do most of the talking and fulfill expectations. You get to watch a bunch of guys who still wish they were at frat parties drink beer in every fashion imaginable: quarters, pong, keg-stands, right down to slashing open a can with their car keys and going for the gold. Other than that, watching the film is about as rewarding as throwing back a 12-pack of Natty Ice and actually expecting to get drunk off it.\nIn the arena of summer comedies, "Beerfest" cannot compare to the absurd hilarity of "Talladega Nights," the tongue-in-cheek amusement of "Clerks II" or even the fantastic "Little Miss Sunshine." It relies too much on the "hur-hur" stupidity of watching people get wasted and vomiting everywhere all the while running far too long, making 110 minutes feel like three hours. \nWhile "Beerfest" is in no way a horrible film and does have some golden Broken Lizard moments (see beer-goggled Barry as an example), by the end it feels too frothy and unfulfilling. It's that first drink of the night before hitting all the bars that you won't even remember in a matter of hours.
(08/24/06 4:26am)
Film noir has always been the genre most precious to me, so when I was informed of a certain "Brick" generating an appreciation that spread like wildfire at last year's Sundance Film Festival, I needed to get the lowdown. \nI'm not sure how writer/director Rian Johnson came up with the idea to take all the elements that make noir so great and place them in a high school setting, but the only word I can reply with is brilliant. The dark alleys of the city are transformed into dimly lit, locker-filled hallways. Heavies become jocks and the ever beautiful yet deadly femme fatale isn't a woman smoking a cigarette in some nightclub -- she is the head of the theatre and drama department. \nWhat kind of yarn is "Brick" spinning? Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays deadpan Brendan, a high schooler who's just found his ex-girlfriend Emily ("Lost" doll Emilie de Ravin) dead in a drain pipe. Who could do such a thing? All he knows is before her death, she called him on a pay phone, throwing out words that would leave even Sam Spade in a clueless rut. With these few keywords such as "pin" and "tug," one expertly weaved story unfolds as a perilous journey takes place through an underworld composed of questionable keggers and parking lot scuffles. \nGordon-Levitt has come a long way from his oddball antics on the likes of "3rd Rock from the Sun" by stepping up into excellent roles in the likes of 2004's "Mysterious Skin" and obviously "Brick." One would swear Johnson sat down his entire cast and made them watch true classics like "Kiss Me Deadly" and "The Big Sleep" to make everyone understand just what type of character they must embody. \nIn the case of something like "Brick," it's quite hard for the extras to live up to the movie. Johnson, as well as producers and cast members, provide a rather loaded commentary. Because of all these folks appearing on the same track, at times it feels a bit too congested and no one is really getting a chance to have the mic long enough. \nTwenty minutes of deleted and extended scenes, while interesting for some, clearly show why they were left on the cutting room floor. Considering "Brick" is already 110 minutes long, there is far too much information to take in and one viewing certainly isn't enough. Of some interest though is a short piece with Johnson on why he chose certain actors for their parts. \nNot only is "Brick" a work of sheer genius and fine genre revisionism, it is easily one of the best films of the year.
(08/24/06 4:00am)
Stop whatever you're doing this second - even if it means not finishing this review -- and just go see "Little Miss Sunshine." This has been my advice to anyone who's asked me about it. Stirring up one of the fiercest bidding wars in Sundance Film Festival history, "Sunshine" sold for a cool $10.5 million earlier this year to Fox Searchlight. It was worth every penny. \nThe story is rather simple. Young Olive (Abigail Breslin) loves beauty pageants and it just so happens that the winner of a regional competition lost her crown, allowing the once second-place Olive a shot at the top prize at the Little Miss Sunshine competition. The problem is her family lives in Albuquerque, N.M. and the competition is all the way out in Redondo Beach, Calif. \nOlive's family is about as dysfunctional as it gets. Her father (Greg Kinnear) is a failed motivational speaker; mom (Toni Collette) is overworked to the bone; her brother (Paul Dano) has taken a vow of silence thanks to Nietzsche; her grandfather (Alan Arkin) is addicted to heroin; last but not least her uncle (Steve Carell) just tried to commit suicide only days ago. \nYou're asking: How can any of this be humorous? There isn't a single moment during "Sunshine" that I wasn't smiling or laughing hysterically. The cast that has been assembled is so pitch-perfect that all they do is feed off one another. Breslin is simply a treasure to watch, as it seems everyone's emotional levels are teetering while her little heart pushes her to keep things in check. Arkin is bitter as ever while Carell's searing sarcasm knows no bounds. All Dano needs to do is shake his head and the results are instantly hilarious. For parents practically on the edge of divorce, Kinnear and Collette have such chemistry together that along with the rest of this family, everything just feels right. \nHusband and wife directing duo Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, having mainly worked on music videos for the likes of the Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Weezer, make their feature film directorial debut with "Sunshine." It only goes to show that music video-turned-film directors are becoming a greater force thanks to trailblazers such as Spike Jonze ("Adaptation") and Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"). \nIf there is any film you see in theaters this year, make sure "Little Miss Sunshine" is one of them. It's an experience you wouldn't want to miss.
(08/24/06 4:00am)
Spike Lee directing a heist thriller? It's hard to imagine the same man who made "Do the Right Thing" and "Malcolm X" tackling such a genre. Rest easy; within the first 10 minutes my skepticism had subsided entirely. \nMeet Dalton Russell (played by the ever cool Clive Owen, "Sin City"), a man who never repeats himself and speaks as if every word out of his mouth has been memorized and planned for more than a year. He swears he is about to conduct the perfect bank heist and by the end of his to-the-point introduction, you'd dare not even doubt him for a second. \nWith the bank held-up and every hostage suited up in outfits and masks to make everyone look like the robbers, the frenzy stirs Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) into action and it is clear from the start if anyone is going to play Russell's game, Frazier is the man to do it. \nThis game is far from easy, considering every few hours another hostage is tossed out the door dressed like the assailants. Are they really hostages or is Russell tossing out members of his own gang? To make matters worse, bank owner Arthur Case (an underused Christopher Plummer, "The New World") has hired one Madeline White (an enigmatic Jodie Foster) to stir things up a bit while protecting something much greater than his financial interests. \nPenned by first-timer Russell Gerwitz, "Inside Man" bounces between the present situation and post-heist round-up: a series of interrogations with every person inside the bank in an attempt to sift through the honest and the dishonest, the ill-fated customer and aptly prepared criminal. \nPerhaps the element that drew Lee to take this project under his wing was the fact that "Inside Man" takes place in post-9/11 New York and the subtle racism mixed with modern paranoia is ever-present, especially when one Middle Eastern hostage is released, his turban ripped from his head and all the cops can shockingly mutter is essentially "Oh no: He's one of those Arabs." \nOne of the other massive draws was for Lee to work with Denzel again as pointed out on the supplement merely titled "Number 4." Having collaborated on "Malcolm X," "Mo' Better Blues" and "He Got Game," "Man" marks the fourth time they've worked together. Their chemistry, love and respect for one another is clear as day but unfortunately the segment is a brief 10 minutes. Following the same time constraints is a making-of doc on the film that hardly scratches any sort of surface. \nAside from the five deleted scenes -- which, for once, felt like they deserved to stay in the film -- the usually silent Lee lends his voice to a commentary track. He talks about it all -- the film, politics and the like. Even he is somewhat surprised to find himself working on such a movie but it appears mega producer Brian Grazer and Lee hit it off so well that they just had to make this movie. \nThere is a moment when Frazier exclaims to Russell that if he'd seen "Dog Day Afternoon" he would know these things don't work out. I'm sure he watched that and every other heist film he could get his hands on. What better way to learn than from others' mistakes?
(08/24/06 4:00am)
Film noir has always been the genre most precious to me, so when I was informed of a certain "Brick" generating an appreciation that spread like wildfire at last year's Sundance Film Festival, I needed to get the lowdown. \nI'm not sure how writer/director Rian Johnson came up with the idea to take all the elements that make noir so great and place them in a high school setting, but the only word I can reply with is brilliant. The dark alleys of the city are transformed into dimly lit, locker-filled hallways. Heavies become jocks and the ever beautiful yet deadly femme fatale isn't a woman smoking a cigarette in some nightclub -- she is the head of the theatre and drama department. \nWhat kind of yarn is "Brick" spinning? Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays deadpan Brendan, a high schooler who's just found his ex-girlfriend Emily ("Lost" doll Emilie de Ravin) dead in a drain pipe. Who could do such a thing? All he knows is before her death, she called him on a pay phone, throwing out words that would leave even Sam Spade in a clueless rut. With these few keywords such as "pin" and "tug," one expertly weaved story unfolds as a perilous journey takes place through an underworld composed of questionable keggers and parking lot scuffles. \nGordon-Levitt has come a long way from his oddball antics on the likes of "3rd Rock from the Sun" by stepping up into excellent roles in the likes of 2004's "Mysterious Skin" and obviously "Brick." One would swear Johnson sat down his entire cast and made them watch true classics like "Kiss Me Deadly" and "The Big Sleep" to make everyone understand just what type of character they must embody. \nIn the case of something like "Brick," it's quite hard for the extras to live up to the movie. Johnson, as well as producers and cast members, provide a rather loaded commentary. Because of all these folks appearing on the same track, at times it feels a bit too congested and no one is really getting a chance to have the mic long enough. \nTwenty minutes of deleted and extended scenes, while interesting for some, clearly show why they were left on the cutting room floor. Considering "Brick" is already 110 minutes long, there is far too much information to take in and one viewing certainly isn't enough. Of some interest though is a short piece with Johnson on why he chose certain actors for their parts. \nNot only is "Brick" a work of sheer genius and fine genre revisionism, it is easily one of the best films of the year.
(08/24/06 2:20am)
Spike Lee directing a heist thriller? It's hard to imagine the same man who made "Do the Right Thing" and "Malcolm X" tackling such a genre. Rest easy; within the first 10 minutes my skepticism had subsided entirely. \nMeet Dalton Russell (played by the ever cool Clive Owen, "Sin City"), a man who never repeats himself and speaks as if every word out of his mouth has been memorized and planned for more than a year. He swears he is about to conduct the perfect bank heist and by the end of his to-the-point introduction, you'd dare not even doubt him for a second. \nWith the bank held-up and every hostage suited up in outfits and masks to make everyone look like the robbers, the frenzy stirs Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) into action and it is clear from the start if anyone is going to play Russell's game, Frazier is the man to do it. \nThis game is far from easy, considering every few hours another hostage is tossed out the door dressed like the assailants. Are they really hostages or is Russell tossing out members of his own gang? To make matters worse, bank owner Arthur Case (an underused Christopher Plummer, "The New World") has hired one Madeline White (an enigmatic Jodie Foster) to stir things up a bit while protecting something much greater than his financial interests. \nPenned by first-timer Russell Gerwitz, "Inside Man" bounces between the present situation and post-heist round-up: a series of interrogations with every person inside the bank in an attempt to sift through the honest and the dishonest, the ill-fated customer and aptly prepared criminal. \nPerhaps the element that drew Lee to take this project under his wing was the fact that "Inside Man" takes place in post-9/11 New York and the subtle racism mixed with modern paranoia is ever-present, especially when one Middle Eastern hostage is released, his turban ripped from his head and all the cops can shockingly mutter is essentially "Oh no: He's one of those Arabs." \nOne of the other massive draws was for Lee to work with Denzel again as pointed out on the supplement merely titled "Number 4." Having collaborated on "Malcolm X," "Mo' Better Blues" and "He Got Game," "Man" marks the fourth time they've worked together. Their chemistry, love and respect for one another is clear as day but unfortunately the segment is a brief 10 minutes. Following the same time constraints is a making-of doc on the film that hardly scratches any sort of surface. \nAside from the five deleted scenes -- which, for once, felt like they deserved to stay in the film -- the usually silent Lee lends his voice to a commentary track. He talks about it all -- the film, politics and the like. Even he is somewhat surprised to find himself working on such a movie but it appears mega producer Brian Grazer and Lee hit it off so well that they just had to make this movie. \nThere is a moment when Frazier exclaims to Russell that if he'd seen "Dog Day Afternoon" he would know these things don't work out. I'm sure he watched that and every other heist film he could get his hands on. What better way to learn than from others' mistakes?
(08/24/06 2:12am)
Stop whatever you're doing this second - even if it means not finishing this review -- and just go see "Little Miss Sunshine." This has been my advice to anyone who's asked me about it. Stirring up one of the fiercest bidding wars in Sundance Film Festival history, "Sunshine" sold for a cool $10.5 million earlier this year to Fox Searchlight. It was worth every penny. \nThe story is rather simple. Young Olive (Abigail Breslin) loves beauty pageants and it just so happens that the winner of a regional competition lost her crown, allowing the once second-place Olive a shot at the top prize at the Little Miss Sunshine competition. The problem is her family lives in Albuquerque, N.M. and the competition is all the way out in Redondo Beach, Calif. \nOlive's family is about as dysfunctional as it gets. Her father (Greg Kinnear) is a failed motivational speaker; mom (Toni Collette) is overworked to the bone; her brother (Paul Dano) has taken a vow of silence thanks to Nietzsche; her grandfather (Alan Arkin) is addicted to heroin; last but not least her uncle (Steve Carell) just tried to commit suicide only days ago. \nYou're asking: How can any of this be humorous? There isn't a single moment during "Sunshine" that I wasn't smiling or laughing hysterically. The cast that has been assembled is so pitch-perfect that all they do is feed off one another. Breslin is simply a treasure to watch, as it seems everyone's emotional levels are teetering while her little heart pushes her to keep things in check. Arkin is bitter as ever while Carell's searing sarcasm knows no bounds. All Dano needs to do is shake his head and the results are instantly hilarious. For parents practically on the edge of divorce, Kinnear and Collette have such chemistry together that along with the rest of this family, everything just feels right. \nHusband and wife directing duo Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, having mainly worked on music videos for the likes of the Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Weezer, make their feature film directorial debut with "Sunshine." It only goes to show that music video-turned-film directors are becoming a greater force thanks to trailblazers such as Spike Jonze ("Adaptation") and Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"). \nIf there is any film you see in theaters this year, make sure "Little Miss Sunshine" is one of them. It's an experience you wouldn't want to miss.
(08/03/06 4:00am)
"Miami Vice," created long ago by Michael Mann when pastel shirts were in and it was cool to wear your sunglasses at night, has now received a complete update that makes it seem like the 1980s never even happened. "Vice" is now dark, gritty and lacking any sort of humor -- it isn't your normal police procedural in the least.\nCrockett (Colin Farrell) and Tubbs (Jamie Foxx -- whose performance in Mann's "Collateral" guaranteed they'd work together again) get in over their heads with a South American drug cartel and as they get deeper, the risks become greater. To make matters worse, Crockett is falling in love with his boss's girlfriend, Isabella (Gong Li, "Memoirs of a Geisha"). \nOf course "Vice" looks like a Michael Mann movie. Much like director Michael Bay, Mann has a distinct sense of style and texture to each frame that when you look at everything within it, his auteur mark is evident. It opens with a club shot not far from "Collateral," the outdoor scenes are gorgeous while every night scene is noir to the book. \nUnfortunately, this time around it seems Mann is trying to outdo himself. Having made films such as "Heat," "The Insider," "Collateral" and "The Last of the Mohicans," this is damn near impossible. The screenplay is laughably bad at times as characters spout of lines that no cop would actually mutter. "Vice" also lacks any sort of immediacy in its plot. We are given grand action sequences that make the film a definite must-see, but in between such scenes the film plods along attempting to soak in all the cool around it. Mann spends so much time developing the shaky relationship between Crockett and Isabella that we lose sight not only of a romantic relationship between Tubbs and his girlfriend played by Naomie Harris ("28 Days Later"), it begins to feel like Crockett and Tubbs aren't really partners in the first place.\nAs far as acting goes, almost everyone is in need of a tune-up. Farrell is too busy trying to downplay his bad boy persona yet such would've had a place in "Vice." Foxx on the other hand has come to the point where he thinks he is just too cool for school. Harris tries so hard to cover up her Brit accent that she becomes garbled and sounds like she is from Brooklyn. And Li, who I thought was simply amazing in "Memoirs of a Geisha," is surely in need of more English lessons for her dialogue skills are missing fluidity. \nWhat saves the movie are the action sequences even though there are so few. When they hit you its like a flash bang just went off in the theatre. Want to see what .50 caliber rifles can do to an automobile or snipers to a person's skull? See "Vice" and find out, but just remember the chances of Mann ever besting himself since the shootout in "Heat" -- easily one of the most epic in cinema history -- is not likely to happen. \nIt's hard to really call any Mann movie a bad one because truthfully he is one of the best working directors in Hollywood today. With his previous work he simply has very high expectations from his fans to which "Miami Vice" can't live up to.
(08/03/06 4:00am)
For too long I've only seen Powell and Pressburger's Technicolor epics such as "The Red Shoes" and "The Tales of Hoffmann" and while they are fun to watch, ultimately they come off very dated and awkward in places. I had begun to think all of the Brit directing duo's films were like this, but then "A Canterbury Tale" came my way.\nTaking Chaucer's story and adapting it for the then modern times of England, Powell and Pressburger place three journeyers -- an American soldier, a British officer and village girl -- on a quest from Kent to Canterbury during World War II. When they reach Kent though, the chances of them making it to the fabled destination seems grim as they're hopelessly caught up in a series of village crimes that, while not murders, are far from normal criminal activity. \nGranted "Canterbury" is just as much of a fantasy as their other movies, with this P&P are doing something different. Working in black & white means the directors hadn't the chance to use the wild color schemes they'd become popular for. Instead much of the film uses a noirish atmosphere ripped right out of a Hollywood picture then adapted for a village instead of the city. \nTheir actors are just as important as all three of the "pilgrims" turn in outstanding performances, especially Sheila Sim and Sgt. John Sweet, the latter I was surprised to learn was an actual American soldier during WWII when he tried out for the part and obviously landed it.\nHaving released plenty of P&P films already, this time the Criterion Collection finds a film with a bevy of supplemental materials to choose from. Film historian Ian Christie lends his voice to yet another commentary track as he has long been the source for facts and figures of interest when it comes to the work of P&P. In addition to the film, we're also given excerpts from the American version which Powell was forced to re-edit upon release in the States. \nOn the second disc four documentaries are provided. "A Pilgrim's Return" chronicles Sweet's participation before and after the movie was made while "A Canterbury Trail" returns to the many locations used in the film. The other two docs, both going by the name "Listen to Britain," are pieces from 1942 and 2001 that you must see for yourself. The booklet as usual comes with plenty of essays but most importantly a loving tribute by Sweet himself. \nI'm sure this isn't the last Criterion treatment we've seen a Powell and Pressburger film receive. One can hope that "The 49th Parallel" isn't too far down the road.
(08/02/06 7:33pm)
For too long I've only seen Powell and Pressburger's Technicolor epics such as "The Red Shoes" and "The Tales of Hoffmann" and while they are fun to watch, ultimately they come off very dated and awkward in places. I had begun to think all of the Brit directing duo's films were like this, but then "A Canterbury Tale" came my way.\nTaking Chaucer's story and adapting it for the then modern times of England, Powell and Pressburger place three journeyers -- an American soldier, a British officer and village girl -- on a quest from Kent to Canterbury during World War II. When they reach Kent though, the chances of them making it to the fabled destination seems grim as they're hopelessly caught up in a series of village crimes that, while not murders, are far from normal criminal activity. \nGranted "Canterbury" is just as much of a fantasy as their other movies, with this P&P are doing something different. Working in black & white means the directors hadn't the chance to use the wild color schemes they'd become popular for. Instead much of the film uses a noirish atmosphere ripped right out of a Hollywood picture then adapted for a village instead of the city. \nTheir actors are just as important as all three of the "pilgrims" turn in outstanding performances, especially Sheila Sim and Sgt. John Sweet, the latter I was surprised to learn was an actual American soldier during WWII when he tried out for the part and obviously landed it.\nHaving released plenty of P&P films already, this time the Criterion Collection finds a film with a bevy of supplemental materials to choose from. Film historian Ian Christie lends his voice to yet another commentary track as he has long been the source for facts and figures of interest when it comes to the work of P&P. In addition to the film, we're also given excerpts from the American version which Powell was forced to re-edit upon release in the States. \nOn the second disc four documentaries are provided. "A Pilgrim's Return" chronicles Sweet's participation before and after the movie was made while "A Canterbury Trail" returns to the many locations used in the film. The other two docs, both going by the name "Listen to Britain," are pieces from 1942 and 2001 that you must see for yourself. The booklet as usual comes with plenty of essays but most importantly a loving tribute by Sweet himself. \nI'm sure this isn't the last Criterion treatment we've seen a Powell and Pressburger film receive. One can hope that "The 49th Parallel" isn't too far down the road.
(08/02/06 6:52pm)
"Miami Vice," created long ago by Michael Mann when pastel shirts were in and it was cool to wear your sunglasses at night, has now received a complete update that makes it seem like the 1980s never even happened. "Vice" is now dark, gritty and lacking any sort of humor -- it isn't your normal police procedural in the least.\nCrockett (Colin Farrell) and Tubbs (Jamie Foxx -- whose performance in Mann's "Collateral" guaranteed they'd work together again) get in over their heads with a South American drug cartel and as they get deeper, the risks become greater. To make matters worse, Crockett is falling in love with his boss's girlfriend, Isabella (Gong Li, "Memoirs of a Geisha"). \nOf course "Vice" looks like a Michael Mann movie. Much like director Michael Bay, Mann has a distinct sense of style and texture to each frame that when you look at everything within it, his auteur mark is evident. It opens with a club shot not far from "Collateral," the outdoor scenes are gorgeous while every night scene is noir to the book. \nUnfortunately, this time around it seems Mann is trying to outdo himself. Having made films such as "Heat," "The Insider," "Collateral" and "The Last of the Mohicans," this is damn near impossible. The screenplay is laughably bad at times as characters spout of lines that no cop would actually mutter. "Vice" also lacks any sort of immediacy in its plot. We are given grand action sequences that make the film a definite must-see, but in between such scenes the film plods along attempting to soak in all the cool around it. Mann spends so much time developing the shaky relationship between Crockett and Isabella that we lose sight not only of a romantic relationship between Tubbs and his girlfriend played by Naomie Harris ("28 Days Later"), it begins to feel like Crockett and Tubbs aren't really partners in the first place.\nAs far as acting goes, almost everyone is in need of a tune-up. Farrell is too busy trying to downplay his bad boy persona yet such would've had a place in "Vice." Foxx on the other hand has come to the point where he thinks he is just too cool for school. Harris tries so hard to cover up her Brit accent that she becomes garbled and sounds like she is from Brooklyn. And Li, who I thought was simply amazing in "Memoirs of a Geisha," is surely in need of more English lessons for her dialogue skills are missing fluidity. \nWhat saves the movie are the action sequences even though there are so few. When they hit you its like a flash bang just went off in the theatre. Want to see what .50 caliber rifles can do to an automobile or snipers to a person's skull? See "Vice" and find out, but just remember the chances of Mann ever besting himself since the shootout in "Heat" -- easily one of the most epic in cinema history -- is not likely to happen. \nIt's hard to really call any Mann movie a bad one because truthfully he is one of the best working directors in Hollywood today. With his previous work he simply has very high expectations from his fans to which "Miami Vice" can't live up to.
(07/27/06 4:00am)
As I watched Olivier Assayas' "Clean," I felt there was much research that needed to be done. After their collaboration on the intricate "Irma Vep," Asian sensation Maggie Cheung and director Assayas were happily married before ending it all nearly three years later. He had written her part in "Clean" just for her and it was on set that they signed their divorce papers from one another. Months later Cheung took home the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival. Now doesn't all of that sound a bit ironic?\nUnlike the wealthy amount of Lifetime movies filled with melodramatic acting and moody music, "Clean" examines the life of a woman whose rock star husband dies of a heroin overdose, is sent to jail for possession, only to be released six months later with nothing. No money, no friends to turn to, and worst of all lost custody of her son Jay (played by first-timer James Dennis with natural authenticity). \nIt does not delve into the darkest realms of drug addiction like "Requiem for a Dream," but rather takes an observational stance on a woman who really just wants her life back to normal. The only struggles for her are ridding her body of a dependency disease and regaining the trust of many -- the most important being her dead husband's father Albrecht who is played by former addict Nick Nolte. \nThis is Nolte's movie as much as it is Cheung's. Together their relationship is hesitant yet strong; Nolte clearly wanting Cheung to get back on the right track so she can see her son once again and be the parent that her rock star life never allowed her to become. \nUnfortunately such a movie does not lend itself to much supplemental material. Aside from the theatrical trailer and previews, there are roughly 40 minutes of interviews conducted with Assayas, Cheung, Nolte and the two musical acts featured in the movie: trip-hopper Tricky and rockers Metric. While the first three give a closer look at how all three individuals work and prepare for their roles, the musician interviews are rather worthless -- both acts given only brief screen time yet acting like they had great impact on the story. If it is anyone whose musical talents should be recognized, it is Cheung, who actually sang in her role on top of speaking in English, French and Cantonese.\nWhile Cheung and Assayas may no longer be married, hopefully their days of collaborating are far from over. They've made two great films together and it would be a shame to see them part ways.
(07/27/06 4:00am)
Ashamed as I am to admit this dark secret from my past, for many years I had given up hope on comic books. From around age five I had become fascinated with comic books. Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, you name the superhero and I was either reading it or about to go pick it up. Yet by the time I reached the age of 12, just a mere year before teenager status, I went cold turkey. I was bored to death with comics -- the stories were either foolish or misguided, the heroes fought the same villains over and over, or some of them were even being killed off for good only to be brought back in four different forms, none of which were the real deal. \nMost comic book movies for that time weren't worth a damn either. "The Punisher?" Terrible. "Captain America?" God awful. "The Shadow" and "The Phantom?" Let's not even bother going there. Granted there was "Superman" and Tim Burton's exciting "Batman" offerings, but by the late nineties the Man of Steel was dead in the comics and the big screen while the Dark Knight was given nipples on his batsuit. My hope for comics was officially forsaken. \nIt was only a few years later until what was once claimed to be impossible had actually happened: Spider-Man, my favorite superhero of all-time, had made it to the big screen. Of course I was there opening night if only for the sake of having seen it but by the end I was certain I had died, seen only my comic book life flash before my eyes and then resuscitated by my friends who were eager to grab dinner. It was the reawakening of a once lost childhood love. \nSo why is it that the world needs comic book movies? I'm sure with today's abundant comic book movie output one could say they're box office gold -- I wouldn't deny that -- or perhaps they're just a surefire guarantee for entertainment and again I would agree. Yet for me and surely many others it is the observance of watching so many beloved works we grew up on brought to life from one frame at a time to 24 frames per second. \nSuperheroes have earned their place at the box office. Look at Spider-Man or the X-Men and tell me they aren't successful visualizations. Even those that I didn't find all that entertaining such as "The Hulk" or "Fantastic Four" (for the record I've never been a fan of either during my comic book readership), they still were successful in shutting up the naysayers who all claimed it couldn't be done in a movie. \nThese movies have come to a point where they aren't just meant for kids. Look at 2005 and what did the older crowds get? "Constantine," "Sin City" and "Batman Begins" -- the latter which I personally think surpasses all four of the original movies. \nYet if you think only superheroes have a place on the big screen then you are sorely mistaken. Fresh off his "American Beauty" Oscar success, where did director Sam Mendes turn for his next project? The graphic novel "Road to Perdition." When horror auteur David Cronenberg went searching for his next examination of violence and sexuality what did he discover? "A History of Violence" which was indeed a graphic novel. Or what about Terry Zwigoff, who not once but twice has examined the troubles of post-high school graduation with "Ghost World" and "Art School Confidential." Yeah those were comic books as well -- all of which are great examples at letting people know that there is more to comic books than characters in fancy costumes or spandex.\nThere is no sign of this art-form slowing down at the box office either. Why this past year we've seen Superman finally make his return to the silver screen while the Wachowski brothers brought "V for Vendetta" to life. And then comes all the sequels for 2007 and beyond: "Spider-Man 3," "Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer," "Sin City 2," and of course Batman and Superman will surely be returning in the near future. Hell with the success of the X-Men series, even characters like Wolverine and Magneto are getting their own spin-off projects -- clearly a sign that movies are taking to the same methods of comic books where if a character is popular enough, why not give them their own series?\nOf course after having spent the weekend at the San Diego Comic Con, I could go on and on about the amount of comic book movies headed to the big screen -- "Iron Man," "Frank Miller's 300" and "The Spirit" just to name a few for all you curious folks. The fact of the matter is I'm glad a lot of these films are being made because not only do they make me feel like a kid again, but they gave me reason to get back into comic books which I should've never stopped reading in the first place.