Friday, January 30, 2009

New in Town

This movie made me: Indifferent


Wasn’t Fargo a great movie? Don’t you just love Minnesota, where the women have names like Trudy and Blanche, and where the men ice fish and drive pick-ups? Wouldn’t it be awesome if there were another movie like that? That’s what the makers of New in Town hope you’re thinking. But by pulling out every romantic-comedy joke in the book, this wintry flick is blander than casserole without green beans, dontcha know.

A Miami-based corporation is in the midst of restructuring several of its plants, including one in remote New Ulm, Minnesota. When no one volunteers to oversee the process, driven businesswoman Lucy Hill (Renee Zellweger) reluctantly accepts the job. In Minnesota, she finds herself fighting against over-friendly neighbors, skeptical co-workers and the bitter cold. As she begins to restructure the plant, she finds herself at odds (both personally and professionally) with the local union rep, Ted Mitchell (Harry Connick, Jr.) He’s a handsome widower who hates Lucy at first sight… so you all know what that means. And as Lucy spends more time in the snow-covered town, she discovers that the little people mean more to a company than figures and paychecks.

There is a certain romantic allure to snowy forests and small town Christmases, but we can only take so much. The film so drab, dark and sparse it recalls the snowy landscapes of last year’s X-Files movie – not the image you want while watching a romantic comedy. Jokes about the weather, scrapbooking and tapioca aren’t doing any favors either. There are tired, clichéd Midwestern jokes galore – so many that it transcends reality. I don’t know about you, but an entire town gathering around a giant Christmas tree and singing carols is more Whoville than Minnesota.

With her round face and pouty lips, Zellweger adds the same kind of spoiled humor she’s been doing for years. The shtick has lost its brilliance since her early ‘00s heyday. Here, she’s nothing more than a perpetually cold Bridget Jones. The cast has its share of genuinely funny character actors – including Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Frances Conroy and J.K. Simmons – but they don’t have much to do other than roll out the same old “Ya, you betcha” thing we’ve seen for years.

New in Town is Fargo without the wood chipper – and that’s not meant to be an endorsement for family-friendly audiences. Entirely inoffensive but completely riskless, the film is never anything more than “cute.” When a comedy exclusively relies on stereotypes that were used brilliantly years ago, it's clear the filmmakers were about a decade too late.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

This movie made me: Mildly Disoriented


Regardless of its lack of originality (vampires vs. werewolves) or distinct style (a bluer riff on The Matrix), but Underworld and its 2006 sequel Underworld: Evolution managed to entertain in spades. Now it takes an unfortunate step towards bloated epicness with Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, an almost entirely unnecessary prequel.

A long time ago in a land that’s probably somewhere in central Europe, werewolves (or Lycans) were the daytime guardians of the vampires. They were treated as animals, and ruled over by the icy and imposing Viktor (Bill Nighy). The one Lycan who appears to have Viktor’s favor is Lucian (Michael Sheen), born and bred in captivity. Lucian has fallen in love with Viktor’s beloved daughter, the predictably feisty Sonja (Rhona Mitra). A love between the two species is forbidden, and as Lucian sees the injustices his kind suffers, he begins to realize his true calling.

Perhaps the biggest thing the filmmakers got wrong was something they did years ago – they already told the story. Lucian’s rise against the vampires was told (albeit in quick flashbacks and narratives) in the original Underworld. And other than adding some dialogue and a few fights, the film offers nothing new. Any battles between the main characters are totally devoid of suspense, as viewers familiar with the series already know their ultimate fates. Sheen, hot off his critical successes in prestige pics like The Queen and Frost/Nixon, makes for a slightly more dynamic hero than what’s usually seen in horror films. Nighy remains a genuinely frightening vampire, but Mitra seems there only for her resemblance to Kate Beckinsale.

The film’s saving grace could have been its action. But with its endless barrage of breakneck handheld shots and frenetic editing, it just becomes confusing. In some cases, literally nothing can be understood. We must wait until the action dies down to actually determine what happened. This is a dizzying task that teeters on the edge of headache-inducing.

So for fans of the Underworld series, this film is here for you in case you didn’t understand something about the history lesson in the first film. Prequels are a tricky thing. But when your prequel doesn’t say anything that hasn’t been said in the other films… you’ve probably done something wrong.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Valkyrie

This Movie Made Me: Sufficiently Anxious


As the age-old saying goes: actions speak louder than words. That is particularly the case with Valkryie, Bryan Singer’s new thriller depicting the true story of a failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. Perhaps it’s all for the best, since the actors spew out a hodgepodge of accents that hinder the film. And despite genuine thrills, a stiff Tom Cruise performance makes Valkyrie just another run-of-the-mill thriller.

Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) is stationed in Africa during the latter years of WWII. After an attack leaves him wounded and blind in one eye, von Stauffenberg returns to Germany. His animosity towards Hitler lands him in a group of high-ranking officials plotting to overthrow Hitler and start a new government. Von Stauffenberg presents Operation Valkyrie, meant to be used in case of a SS revolt, as the perfect means to assassinate Hitler and end his reign of terror.

Singer’s talent for making unbearably tense sequences is on full display here. Even though the ultimate end of the plot is obvious, the assassination attempt is an expertly crafted nail biter. Intricately detailed and as drawn out as possible, it is impossible not to be spellbound by the time von Stauffenberg has Hitler in his sights. This is filmmaking much more focused than his work in the X-Men series and in Superman Returns.

If only the rest of the film kept up with him. Cruise seems to be unable to emote properly with only one eye. Having the only American accent doesn’t help either. There are accents abound in Valkyrie – mostly British, and most of the actual German accents are reserved for the bad guys. While it may have saved Cruise the embarrassment of ridiculous accents, the eclectic mix takes away more from the film than it adds to it. It is a particular travesty that Carice van Houten (mesmerizing in Paul Verhoeven’s Black Book) has only a few precious minutes of screen time. As von Stauffenberg’s wife, her character seems almost an afterthought as written. But van Houten speaks volumes without saying a word. And in the end, it’s her we remember.

Valkyrie is a solid thriller – an accomplishment enough, given how obvious its ending will be. The detail constructed in the suspenseful sequences is top-notch and not to be missed. Whether or not it returns Tom Cruise to box office glory remains to be seen. But if Valkyrie does, it will be because of film power – not star power.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

The Day the Earth Stood Still

This Movie Made Me: Bored



Keanu Reeves is learning. Not learning how to act, but learning how to use his lack of expressions effectively. His latest inexpressive character is Klaatu, the foreboding alien at the center of The Day the Earth Stood Still. This effects-laden remake is about as exciting as listening to Reeves reading a senate environmental bill.

A mysterious space object lands in Central Park. (Because anybody who’s anybody attacks New York first). But instead of an asteroid, scientists find a large glowing orb. Two beings emerge from it: a surprisingly retro robot/alien hybrid named Gort and an alien life form quickly reborn as Keanu Reeves. When the alien’s intentions become clear, the government tries to strengthen its hold on him and he takes off with a sympathetic scientist (Jennifer Connelly) and her son (Jaden Smith).

Sounds exciting, right? Not really. Aside from a few scenes that can best be described as “creepy,” the film is all talk. The scientists wonder what the alien could want, a government bigwig (in this case, Kathy Bates) feeling threatened, the alien escapes and then… they talk some more! It’s not that the film suffers from too much set-up and too little pay-off. The talking just moves around in circle and, despite all the talk of impending doom, no one ever actually seems worried. And when the apocalypse finally arrives, it can best be described as mind-numbing. Never before has the destruction of mankind been so boring.

And it’s not as if the film suffers from a lack of ambience. Director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) fills the film with appropriately eerie scenes of misty forests and sparse landscapes, all of which tie into the film’s unabashed green sensibilities. If only the script gave the filmmakers some thrills to work with. Reeves’ lack of versatility actually serves him well – let’s face it, no one seems more natural at being flat than him. Connelly, Jon Hamm and Kyle Chandler provide sufficient support, even if they all looks the same. It’s almost as if mankind already suffered an alien attack that obliterated everyone with brightly-colored hair.

Whether or not The Day the Earth Stood Still warranted a remake is beside the point. When the results are this mediocre, there’s no point in arguing for or against. It shows that the director can make pretty pictures, but not much else. And it shows that Keanu Reeves can convincingly play an unemotional alien. But we already knew that.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Australia

This movie made me: Entertained and Affected


If nothing else, Baz Luhrmann’s Australia will make you reminiscent of the films of yesteryear. Old-fashioned epic-ness is everywhere in Australia. The film never reaches these heights, of course, but it’s nice to get swept away by its unabashed romanticism and scope.

The film is a fairy tale that takes place in a faraway land called Oz. Just as WWII breaks out, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) finds herself transported from England to the outback when she inherits her husband’s sprawling ranch. It is not a match made in heaven; Sarah is so stiff and British she carries a riding crop with her most of the time. And the natives aren’t exactly welcoming – ranch hand Fletcher (David Wenham) is working with the major Australian power in cattle herding to force Sarah out of business, and the drover she hires to help her (Hugh Jackman) can’t stand the sight of her. But as they work together to save the ranch and its inhabitants and as the Japanese begin to invade, Sarah and the drover must fight to prove that love can conqueror all.

Like Luhrmann’s other films, Australia starts at a breakneck pace – but without the flashing lights. It’s an odd absence, but it works. The film is definitely epic – the sets, costumes and cinematography are not to be beat. But despite valiant efforts, Luhrmann cannot muster the same devastating resonance that made Moulin Rouge! so effective. The audience knows Sarah and the drover are meant for each other, so it’s almost as if the filmmakers figured there’s no point in creating truly compelling characters.

But thanks to strong performances, the film is deeply emotional. The Drover is an Australian Rhett Butler, and with his rugged adventurous personality and intense emotionality Jackman is more than qualified to fill Clark Gable’s shoes. Kidman moves from side-splittingly funny to desperately earnest with ease. She is never more compelling than in her scenes with newcomer Brandon Walters. As a mixed-blood Aborigine child, Walters gives the film its heart. With his wide, dark eyes and endless enthusiasm, it’s very difficult not to fall in love with him.

There’s an element of magic realism that sets it apart from other epics. Filled with musical references to “Over the Rainbow,” classical and Aboriginal music, the importance of music becomes an active part of the film – bringing this world to something other than reality. There’s no denying its pure entertainment. Australia is an experience unlike any other you’ll see this year.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Let the Right One In

This movie made me: Stunned


Vampire love in cinema is a bit of a hot topic right now… I don’t think I need to say why. But while a certain tween sensation invades movie theaters across the country, another take on the vampire genre is sneaking in. Swedish export Let the Right One In is both a chilling and complex variation of the classic vampire story and a heartbreaking melancholic study of doomed first love.

12-year-old Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) is a shy, bullied kid in a small snowy Swedish town. Unable to stand up to the bullies in school, Oskar takes a knife to trees outside his apartment at night. It is here he meets Eli (Lina Leandersson), who’s just moved into the apartment next door. She tells him she can’t be his friend, but Oskar cannot stay away. As their friendship blossoms bodies begin to pile up around the town – all of them drained of blood. Eli is clearly not what she seems, but she and Oskar continue to watch their friendship grow.

Perhaps the most shocking thing about Let the Right One In is how much of it is grounded in reality. For once, it’s actually plausible that the townspeople never guess there’s a vampire in their midst. Every bit of Eli’s story that stretches into mythic regions feels new. New questions are raised about vampires – their gender, the relationships they have with normal people. Young Leandersson is truly remarkable, showing more depth and subtleties in her film debut than many actors ever manage. She shows an astonishing understanding of Eli’s complexities – the extent of her relationship with Oskar, and whether it is one of benefit or of love.

Director Thomas Alfredson’s stark and unwavering style supports the film’s moments of horror and tenderness without changing anything. Alfredson doesn’t throw any tricks or gimmicks – everything is presented as straightforward and clearly as possible. He has the power to make an audience squirm or break their hearts on the turn of a dime. Each sequence rises to a new level of mastery of suspense and emotionality, culminating in a finale so shocking it’s bound to be left out of the inevitable American remake.

In the end, Let the Right One In is hardly just a vampire film. It’s a coming-of-age story, a story about first love, about the loneliness of a broken childhood and an examination of the positive and negatives of friendship. Emotionally devastating and chilling, Let the Right One In is a film that seeks to reinvent the vampire and actually succeeds in doing so.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Quantum of Solace

This movie made me: Moderately Excited


“Bond is running wild.” These four words, spoken midway through Quantum of Solace, perfectly describe the 22nd Bond adventure. Daniel Craig continues to reinvent Bond in new and thrilling ways, even if the film can’t keep up with him. Filled with frenetic action but not much else, Quantum of Solace is far from the greatest Bond adventure. But fans have suffered through much worse.

The action picks up only minutes after the conclusion of Casino Royale. In his effort to seek revenge against those responsible for the death of his love Vesper, Bond begins to uncover information about Quantum – a group so secret no one knows about it. His leads send him around the world and eventually into the presence of Dominic Greene (Matthieu Amalric), one of those sinister businessmen seeking to control the world. Bond soon crosses paths with Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a brazen beauty with her own revenge mission. It’s all very Licence to Kill, but leaner, meaner and without the Wayne Newton cameo.

Craig’s Bond has never been so determined, vicious and downright frightening – just as he should be. Anyone who still doubts him as Bond is in severe denial. But it suffers from the second-movie syndrome. At the film’s conclusion, there are more questions than answers – Quantum is just a name and a few faces. Instead we watch Bond tracking a Peter Lorre-esque middle man the entire time – the type of figure that would get killed off halfway through a typical Bond picture.

But it’s not that important, since what director Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction) clearly wants us to notice how cool the actions scenes are. And there are plenty of them: Bond gets chased in a car, in a boat, on foot, in a plane, etc. Sometimes, he even does the chasing! The first meeting between hero and villain at an outdoor may is the most artistically ambitious set piece in the series. And the (literally) explosive finale in a desert hotel showcases some of the coolest Bond sets in 40 years.

Instead of concocting a two-hour romance between Bond and Kurylenko’s Camille, the filmmakers pair them as something much more complex and rewarding – two desperate people after the same thing. They are able to relate to each other because of the tragedies they’ve faced – they are the ideal match for each other. When Bond and Camille, dirty and exhausted, walk in silence through the Bolivian desert, they are united in their loneliness.

In the years to come, Quantum of Solace will probably be come to known as the arty James Bond movie. Director Forster adds a lot of little moments into the film – fancy fonts, soundless montages, etc. – that are interesting, but only occasionally succeed. Bond is still on a mission that will presumably be continued in the next film. But as far as 106 minute long set-ups go, this ain’t too bad.