Movie Reviews

George Washington

Aaron Weiss — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:41:32 +0000

Accidental Heroism

Another hidden gem recently discovered, thanks to random discussions on a few film podcasts that I listen to. George Washington offers a telling story from deep in the trenches, about love, about death.

The title character (Donald Holden) must tread lightly, as his skull did not fusion in infantile development like his peers. George's ailment prevents him from getting his head wet, and must even wear a helmet when he plans on playing with friends. Some rough-housing leads to an accidental death of a friend, in a well-timed, well-edited scene sparks a close group of friends to hide the body.

Now fearing punishment, the group recedes, or so they try. George has unexpectedly become an unlikely hero in the town, after jumping into a pool to save a friend. George's heroism put his own mortality on the surface of the water. The group who witnessed the death earlier have begun to mourn their friend in such poetic ways, while townees share their theories on the disappearance.

Mother

Aaron Weiss — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:58:22 +0000

The unconventional and unconditional love of a mother.

Mother is one of many films that have trumped Hollywood in providing original stories to audiences. With a dark, ethereal aura that sprinkles dark comedy gracefully over the film's crime drama plot, this film is a gem that should be promoted alongside the bulk of South Korea's best cinematic exports.

Mother begins with Mother (and will be referred to as Mother) (Kim Hye-ja) dancing in a field, as if there is not a minute kilogram of weight on her shoulders. The next scene we see the same Mother chopping spices, finding her song, Do-joon (Won Bin) being almost run over, and runs to his rescue, yet he is fine, unharmed, slightly embarrassed by her coddling.

Do-joon is a shy, easily manipulated, and somewhat handicapped young twenty-something who has become the prime suspect in the death of a young high school girl. He is tricked into signing a confession and at most, may find himself serving time in a hospital for mentally-ill. Do-joon's Mother refuses to believe that her child could ever perform such an at and chooses to find the killer herself.

Tetro

Aaron Weiss — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:41:09 +0000

The Master Has Returned

Despite being one of the most prolific and most awarded filmmakers in American film history, Francis Ford Coppola has only produced two films in the first decade of the new millennium. Few filmmakers have the ability to fully fund their own works, and Coppola's self-financed Tetro is the type of film that would never be made inside the modern studio system, or at least not with such artistic control.

Bennie Tetrocini (Alden Ehrenreich) has decided to seek out his lost older brother, Tetro (Vincent Gallo), who has left the family years earlier, promising to reunite with Bennie. Tetro is a playwright who has set aside his masterwork and fled to a new life in Argentina with his girlfriend Miranda (Carmen Maura). Bennie's unexpected visit begins to re-open many of Tetro's past wounds as family secrets and betrayals reveal themselves.

The Runaways

Aaron Weiss — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:06:48 +0000

The importance of The Runaways is lost in this film.

The Runaways begins with Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) dreaming of being a Bowie-like clone and Joan Jett bluntly (Kristen Stewart) approaches record producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) to help assist her in forming an all-female rock group. As Currie joins the band to complete the formation and with a little help from Fowley, the group is finely polished into a marketable gimmick.

After paying their dues locally, the band begins to tour, and later find themselves touring Japan. As with all rags-to-riches rock 'n roll stories, drug addiction, jealousy, and business create enough tension to tear the band apart.

There was obviously something very important about The Runaways, particularly during the time in which they arose to fame, yet this film captures none of that. The only link between the band and their importance as cultural figures was within the dialogue of Fowley—who is the only one who understands how to push the gimmick to glory. Director and scriptwriter Floria Sigismondi took the typical rock 'n roll story and instead of showing the true cultural changes that the band had induced into popular music.

Dinner For Schmucks

Aaron Weiss — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 01:35:22 +0000

A Full Serving of Classic Screwball

Best Screwball in Years

When you enter a screening with low excitement for a film, you gain a bias objective view that is just as detrimental than if you entered with the highest expectations. When that low expectation is turned around entirely, and the film you are watching features an amusing and decent story, it reminds you that the element of surprise is still a powerful beast.

Dinner For Schmucks has all the elements that many modern comedies have, elements which failed miserably, however this 2010 comedy is able to hold it all together, even throughout the end.

Tim Conrad (Paul Rudd) is invited to a "dinner for winners" where he must bring an eccentric guest; the most talented odd-ball guest receives a trophy and the 'winner' is allowed to bask in executive glory. The day after Tim's wedding proposal is rejected by his girlfriend, he accidentally hits IRS employee Barry Speck (Steve Carell) with his car. Tim finds Barry unharmed, and realizes that Barry has the quirk and odd-ball talent Tim needs for the dinner.

Display Settings

These settings deal with how additional content will display in specific landing pages, categories, and catalogs.

The Ghost Writer

Aaron Weiss — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:27:42 +0000

Polanski Returns with this Suspenseful Political Thriller

Ain't 'fraid of no ghost.

It rare for a major motion picture to be released while the director remains in custody; this custody may have added to the political strife that is featured in The Ghost Writer. This Roman Polanski 2010 political thriller is a first for the troubled director, yet features many of the traditional Polanski signatures that have made him a major figure in cinema for six decades.

An unnamed protagonist (will be referred to as Ghost) (Ewan McGregor) is hired to pick up where the previous ghost writer left of on former British Prime Minister Adam Lang's (Pierce Brosnan) memoirs. The previous ghost writer was found dead and washed ashore. Ghost is invited to a secure home where he continues to work on the memoirs with the Minster's assistant, (Kim Cattrall) and his wife (Olivia Williams).

News of rumors about Langs's illegal activities regarding suspected terrorists creates a stir among peace protesters and prevents Lang from returning to the UK. Ghost begins to find clues left by the previous ghost writer that point towards many of the secret allegations that have surrounded Lang.

Cyrus

Aaron Weiss — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:56:31 +0000

Old Premise with Unworthy Praise

Not worthy of the hype

Currently billed as the indie hit of the summer, Cyrus features an accurately casted ensemble featuring some of the most loved indie-actors and comedic actors currently working. Yet, Cyrus does not live up to much of the hype and acclaim that has been whispered throughout the industry.

Cyrus begins as a charming film with John (John C. Reilly) still hung-up on his ex-wife, whom they still share a caring friendship. John meets Molly (Marisa Tomei) at an engagement party for his ex-wife and her future husband. The two instantly have a connection and for two days begin a charming affair, buy Molly never spends the night entirely.

One night, John decides to follow Molly back to her place, where he meets Cyrus (Jonah Hill). Cyrus and Molly have a relatively peculiar mother-son relationship. Cyrus at 22 still has night terrors and is very much coddled by Molly. This coddling provokes Cyrus to battle John for alpha-male supremacy alongside Molly.

The Lavender Hill Mob

Aaron Weiss — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:32:46 +0000

Classic British Comedy Heist

Charmingly Comedic

The heist gone wrong story is timeless. Even more timeless is The Lavender Hill Mob. A British comedy directed by Charles Crichton (A Fish Called Wanda), the The Lavender Hill Mob has a slow, early plot points that take on appreciated value as the films moves along, particularly with the ending.

Mr. Holland (Alec Guinness) has been directing gold bullion deliveries for over 20 years and has become a fixture at his London bank. His neurotic work habits develop a keen eye on the details of how the gold in formed into bars and to safely deliver gold ingots each day.

Mr. Holland meets Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway) who owns a foundry. When Mr. Holland realizes that the steps involved in making Pendlebury's Eiffel Tower souvenirs is exactly the same as to make gold ingots the two concoct a plan to steal and smuggle the gold in a hilarious and charming heist that almost goes right.

The Village

Aaron Weiss — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:32:48 +0000

A Terrible Allegory for Terrorism and Homeland Security

Since I saw Signs I lost interest in M. Night Shyamalan. The recent critical bashing of The Last Airbender and my recent bashing on The Happening shows that M. Night is very much out of favor with audiences and the more intelligent studio executives. After my screening of The Happening I swore that I would never view a M. Night film again. A brief discussion with a friend urged me to see The Village, saying that it is a misunderstood film.

No, it is well understood that M. Night's typical excellent premise with sordid execution continues. The Village begins in 1897 at the funeral of a child. Unknown creatures are held at bay in the surrounding forest while the village enjoys their safe harbor. Dead animal skins are littered around the village prompting worries. Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix) and Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard) begin a love affair and their expectations of marriage is known throughout the village. When Noah (Adrien Brody), a man with developmental problems stabs Lucius, Ivy enters the forest to look for towns outside the village for medicine and other supplies.

Inception

Aaron Weiss — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:46:07 +0000

High-Brow, High Replay Value

A new staple of American film history.

Every few years there comes a science fiction film that mends a variety of cinematic staple elements and pushes the boundaries of what cinema can present to the viewer. Inception is just that. The financial and critical success of The Dark Knight gave Nolan enough momentum to acquire a near-carte-blanche production budget for Inception, an idea that he had been pushing for years. By converging science fiction and heists elements into a cerebral, multi-layered story arc, Christopher Nolan has continued his streak of high-quality films that attracts a mainstream audience.

Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an expert at extraction, the finding of secrets and information inside someones dream. So much that he must prove to a potential client his unique talent in an extraction audition in the opening scenes. Cobb and his team featuring Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are able to impress Saito (Ken Watanabe), the man whose dreams they had just occupied. Saito hires Cobb and his team to not extract information. But this time to induce inception, the act of planting an idea into ones deep subconscious, enough to provoke them to think of the idea and claim as their own.

Display Settings

These settings deal with how additional content will display in specific landing pages, categories, and catalogs.

Every few years there comes an science fiction film that mends a variety of cinematic staple elements and pushes the boundaries of what cinema can present to the viewer. Inception is just that. The financial and critical success of The Dark Knight gave Nolan enough momentum to acquire a near-cart-blanche production budget for Inception, and idea that he had been pushing for years. By converging science fiction and heists elements into high-cerebral, multi-layered story arcs, Christopher Nolan has continued his streak of high-quality films.

Pandorum

Aaron Weiss — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:42:54 +0000

Foster Saves Humanity and This Film

Watchable, but forgettable.

Can great acting keep a film from being an ultimate failure? With a inspiration-less plot, Pandorum is a sci-fi thriller that is able to overcome predictable plot twists to be an effective science fiction film.

Earth's resources are at dangerously low levels as overpopulation fuels world-wide war. After a space probe discovers a planet called Tanis containing a sustainable atmosphere, a sleeper ship Elysium embarks on a 123-year voyage to the planet. Corporal Bower (Ben Foster) awakes from a lengthy hibernation module to find himself alone and with heavy memory loss. Within one hour Lieutenant Payton (Dennis Quaid) also awakes with much of the same memory loss.

Unable to contact the bridge, Bower crawls through the air ducts to reach other areas of the ship. Payton stays in contact with Bower through radio and brings up a discussion of psychological condition called Pandorum. This condition can surface during extended space-flight and hyper-sleep, much like the sleep that Bower and Payton awoke from. Bower encounters dead bodies and fast-moving mutated humanoid creatures. After befriending two rogue survivors, Bower continues to reach the ship's reactor to get the ship to a stable, working condition.

Display Settings

These settings deal with how additional content will display in specific landing pages, categories, and catalogs.

Earth's resources are at dangerously low levels as overpopulation fuels world-wide war. After a space probe discovers a planet called Tanis contains a sustainable atmosphere, a sleeper ship, Elysium embarks on a 123-year voyage to the planet. Corporal Bower (Ben Foster) awakes from a lengthy hibernation module to find himself alone and with heavy memory loss. Within one hour Lieutenant Payton (Dennis Quaid) also awakes with much of the same memory loss.

The Parallax View

Aaron Weiss — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:13:00 +0000

A Relevant Conspiracy Thriller

Forgotten Conspiracy Thriller from 1974.

Since seeing Adam Cosco's The Most Basic Form of Mind Control is Repetition video I have been interested in seeing several of the films featured in that short video. The Parallax View was one of them and this forgotten gem is a hell of a conspiracy thriller. Suspense fans and general cinemaphiles will enjoy the conscious choice of cinematography and windy, twisting plot.

Lee Carter (Paula Prentiss) one of many witnesses to the assassination of a candidate. The assassin is chased to the top of the Seattle Space Needle and falls to his death. A second assassin escape unnoticed. A special committee unveils the results of their investigation that the assassin acted alone. Carter explains to newspaper reporter Joe Frady (Warren Beatty) that six witnesses of that assassination have died and she was next. Joe dismisses her.

Display Settings

These settings deal with how additional content will display in specific landing pages, categories, and catalogs.

Prog Rock Britannia: An Observation in Three Movements

Aaron Weiss — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:55:39 +0000

Prentious Documentary about a Pretentious Sub-Genre

I've been a progressive rock and metal fan for well over a decade now, and describing progressive rock to others has always been difficult. The recent Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage documentary discusses one band's rise to stardom by pushing their musical talents and remaining true to their sound and principles. Yet BBC4's television program Prog Rock Britannia: An Observation in Three Movements discusses the rise of the progressive rock sub-genre by primarily examining the movements just prior to mainstream success in the mid-1970s.

Tracing the roots back to just after the psychedelia phase of rock n' roll, this documentary recounts the Canterbury scene in which free-Jazz and English-folk would form the foundations for the successful progressive rock bands. The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band and The Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed helped define the need for experimentation with music as well as how it was presented in the album cover. After Sgt. Pepper and Freak Out, the gate-fold cover became the essential way to distribute this new sub-genre of music (it also made for a great way to start to roll a joint, apparently).

The Lovely Bones

Aaron Weiss — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:35:31 +0000

It is the Most Lovely When it Ends

So close. So really close to being good.

The break out novel The Lovely Bones was bound to get a film adaptation much like all best-sellers. Featuring an ensemble cast and production team, The Lovely Bones had all the right elements to re-create Alice Sebold's novel. Yet this film does not reach the hype of the book or the production that surrounded its release.

Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is a 14-year old girl who develops a crush on Ray, who at her locker, slips a note into her notebook to meet her at a gazebo. While walking home from school, Susie runs into her neighbor, George Harvey (Stanley Tucci) persuades her to visit an underground bunker in the middle of a corn field. Susie, uncomfortable in the bunker, attempts to leave. She narrowly escapes to run home to see her father Jack Salmon (Mark Wahlberg) looking for her, but he does not see or hear her, she realizes she did not escape the bunker and had been killed.

Display Settings

These settings deal with how additional content will display in specific landing pages, categories, and catalogs.

(500) Days of Summer

Aaron Weiss — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:48:34 +0000

This Generation's Coming Of Age Romantic Comedy

A Romantic Comedy-Drama for Hipsters

Every generation there is a romantic comedy-drama that leaves an unmistakable impression on 20-somethings. The Graduate, Annie Hall and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are among the highlights of this coming-of-age romantic comedy form and (500) Days of Summer earns that same accolade. Told in a non-linear structure, this film examines the minute moments of how love can form and deconstruct, and the fallout the dumped often experience for sometime after.

Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an architect who works as a greeting card writer in Los Angeles. On Summer Finn's (Zooey Deschanel) first day, Tom immediately falls for her. A brief meeting in the elevator some days later, Summer recognizes a song The Smiths playing on Tom's headphones, which increases Tom's interest in her. Tom and Summer grow closer together, yet Summer directly states that she is not interested in true love or a boyfriend. Regardless, the relationship has Tom in an uplifting mood, becoming a star player at the greeting card company.

Display Settings

These settings deal with how additional content will display in specific landing pages, categories, and catalogs.

Every generation there is a romantic comedy-drama that leaves an unmistakable impression on 20-somethings. The Graduate, Annie Hall and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are among the highlights of this romantic comedy form and (500) Days of Summer earns that same accolade. Told in a non-linear structure, this film examines the minute moments of how love can form and deconstruct, and the fallout the dumped often experience for sometime after.