Star Trek….Spock-on!

About 20 minutes into JJ Abrams Star Strek, I had a flashback to myself as a young boy sitting in a darkened suburban cinema, frothing at the mouth and barely able to sit still as I watched The Empire Strikes Back. I doubt that feeling of unbridled excitement and awe I felt as I watched Vader reveal his parental lineage to a limbless Luke will ever be matched, but gosh-darn it, Star Trek was evoking a similar sense of excitement in me.

From the first frame, I was sold. Star Trek is a big ball of juicy fun and really sets itself apart from the majority of action blockbusters being released these days. In many respects, this is old fashioned film making; an engaging story, solid action, a villain we love to hate, and of course some great characters to root for.

For me, the Spock/Kirk relationship was the glue that held this baby together. Watching their rocky road to friendship was good fun and held us captivated between the action scenes.

Sure, there was a decent serving of cheese in this intergalactic sandwich, but it was offset by its tastier ingredients and contained enough meat to make it a satisfying meal. Having said that, the film did have a flaw…..one that could have sunk it; Frankly, Kirk is a bit of a dick. His arrogance and demeanor made him seem like a complete tool, and it was only the last quarter of the film that the character redeemed himself enough to become half-likable. Hardly an innocent farm-boy like Skywalker, Kirk is more like that cocky, self righteous jock that used to beat you up behind the toilet block at high school.

But aside from that minor quibble, Star Trek gets the thumbs up and stands tall as one of the best pics of the year.

Drink it in.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine….Hugh’s Laughing Now

The big Wolverine movie comes out at a time when I’ve just recently started to question a few things about Hugh Jackman. I’ve never really had a problem with the guy until now, and have rather enjoyed watching his rise to mega-stardom from small Aussie flicks like “Erskineville Kings”, to massive Hollywood money machines like the X-Men series.  Just lately though, I’ve been noticing a glossy sheen of “Hollywood Superstar” slowly coming over him. Every interview he gives is so effortlessly cool, he’s always so witty and charming, his hair perfectly set in place, and what’s most annoying, he’s always so damn cheerful and likable. Frankly, it gives me the creeps.

This endlessly affable behavior takes me back to an 1980’s to mid 1990’s Tom Cruise. It’s becoming hard to believe now, but if you take your mind back to before Tom jumped on Oprah’s couch and started acting wacky, he was untouchable; loved and adored by fans, treated like a golden boy by the media, and widely considered to be a genuinely nice guy by most. Thing is, he also shared that Hugh Jackman-esque gift of charming his interviewers and oozing that effortless charisma. It wasn’t until 5 or so years ago that the cracks began to appear. Cruise’s nice guy swagger started becoming forced, his charm transparent, and his behavior in public bridged on pure falseness.

Now, I’m not saying Hugh Jackman has become anything like Tom. I just worry that if he keeps up the “Mr Nice Guy” shtick for too long, it will make him seem too “showbiz”, too fake, and even worse: painfully uninteresting. I don’t know about you but I like my actors to have a bit of depth. Give me a surly, photographer-punching Sean Penn any day over a guy who wears nice suits and spits forth witty one-liners on the red carpet with ease.

Of course, having said all this, there is the possibility that Hugh Jackman simply IS an incredibly nice guy and his behavior is honest and forthright….but the cynic in me wonders if anyone can be so perfect, so jovial, so neat, so clean. His promotional rounds for his last few films have been really grating. From his handing out “Tim -Tam” biscuits on Oprah whilst promoting “Australia”, to his recent abseiling and flying fox stunts to promote Wolverine. Hugh just seems to be trying to hard please everyone. To be ultra-likable. I know I’m being a bit of a stick in the mud here, but I just want to see more levels to the guy, beyond the slick “Hollywood good guy” marketing machine he’s turning into.

One thing is pretty clear though, just like Tom Cruise, Hugh Jackman is definitely talented, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine merely confirms this. (yep, I’m going to actually discuss the movie now…finally!)

Let’s cut the crap: This Wolverine movie is pretty much on par with the first X-Men film. It doesn’t reach the dazzling heights of the Bryan Singer directed X2, but it does easily surpass the snoozefest that was X-Men:The Last Stand. This is a big budget, high-action popcorn film, and a damn good one. Anyone who says it doesn’t deliver on its promise of entertaining for a couple of hours needs to step away from their X-Men comics, get some fresh air outside of their mothers basement and stop complaining.

Wolverine has some great action sequences and I felt it had a decent, engaging story throughout. It’s a film that would probably suffer without Hugh leading the way. He’s had three movies to get into the skin of Logan, and he seems comfortable and confident in the role. In addition, he’s backed by a solid supporting cast featuring the likes of Liev Schreiber, an underrated actor whom I hope gets some more meaty roles after this, and Ryan Reynolds, whom I think has made some poor choices in the past, but who is quite a versatile actor if given the chance.

Wolverine is good fun. Let’s just hope Hugh has some deeper, more complex roles ahead of him and doesn’t let the “sexiest man alive” tag turn him into a plonker.

Synecdoche, New York…..Kaufman mind f**k

Readers of this blog would know that I’m not really into laying down plot synopsis’ and boring you with pointless backstory on the films I write about. I’d rather just tell you if they are any good or not. Well, finally that laziness has paid off, because Synecdoche, New York is quite possibly the most difficult film to describe in the history of cinema.

I’m not even going to bother trying to explain it. Oh, I could tell you it’s about a theater director struggling with his home life and the rather “large” new production he is trying to create….but that is a mere drop in the ocean of the multi-layered complexities within the plot of this film.

What I can tell you is that this film is the directorial debut of genius screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. To those who know the man, they will immediately understand…to a point…what to expect, for everyone else, they should refer to such Kaufman penned gems as Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to get an idea of how incredibly original this guy is, and to grasp the potentially intricate nature of a film he both wrote and directed.

To call Synecdoche, New York ambitious is an understatement. Our lead character’s aim of building a life size replica of New York in an abandoned warehouse should give you an idea of what I mean. But the film is bigger than even that, it deals with the meaning of all things….life, love, existence….it’s both moving and meandering. Inspiring and depressing. This is challenging cinema to be sure, but let’s not forget, this is art…and art is not always supposed to be easily digestible.

Let me also say that I think only two actors in the world could have done the role Caden Cotard, the troubled theater director any justice, and they are Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti. Hoffman landed the role, and he is typically brilliant.

I hardly need to mention that Synecdoche, New York will not appeal to everyone. There are those who will tire quickly of it and dismiss it as high-brow nonsense. That’s cool. Each to their own of course. But to me, this is a film worth studying. A film that will mean different things to different people. A film that has flaws, but a film that can never be accused of being unoriginal.

The Day The Earth Stood Still…..A Turd.

Not since Independence Day has a seemingly fool-proof premise for a movie become such an overblown floating turd of a film. Infact, I’m being way too kind here….for there are turds floating in a river somewhere that I would much rather pull up a seat near, grab a box of popcorn and a choc-top and just watch for hours. I can assure you that the gentle swaying of the turds as they slowly drift down a river bed would offer so much more action, suspense and even acting chops than what The Day The Earth Stood Still offered.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is modern film making at its worst. Uninspired, incomprehensible, lazy, soulless and stupendously DULL.

Turd Factor #1: Keanu Reeves playing a virtually emotionless alien figure sounds like a role he may have been born for, but the weight of simply having to speak monotone and stare alot seemed too much of an acting challenge even for him. He stinks.

Turd Factor #2: Jennifer Connelly is a very good actress with some great roles on her resume, but somehow she manages to be completely unmemorable in this. Granted she had nothing to work with, but she brought such emptiness to the role…something great actors rarely do.

Turd Factor #3: Oh my god…is there anything worse than a bad child actor? Seriously, am I the only one who grinds my teeth when I see an annoying kid in a movie? Jaden Smith needs to quit being pushed into the movie biz by Mum and Dad and visit some acting classes straight away. Thing is, this little punk was ok in The Pursuit of Happyness, but what the hell happened since then? I feel for the kids out there who can REALLY act who missed out on this role because Jaden’s Dad demanded his son play the part. Not cool. One of the top ten most annoying child-acting performances in the last ten years.

Turd Factor #4: I don’t think I’ve ever been more underwhelmed by the special effects in a predominantly special effects-driven film. I would have preferred frame-by-frame claymation and a guy in a tinfoil suit than the tedious CGI I had to endure in this.

Turd factor #5: Never…I repeat…NEVER remake a classic film. Some films are untouchable.

Hollywood, you should be ashamed.

Frozen River….Melissa who?

There were a few raised eyebrows out Hollywood way when virtual no-name Melissa Leo was nominated for best actress for a little known film called Frozen River at this year’s Oscars. She was up against some serious competition and most didn’t give her a chance in hell of winning. Firstly, most had not even bothered watching Frozen River, and secondly, shock-horror, this actress is in her forties! Heck, the woman is pushing 50! How can this be?! Surely there was some mistake. An actress only has a shelf life of 30-odd years before she is deemed irrelevant in modern Hollywood and for an actress to find fame after 40 is unheard of.

Well, to hell with that outdated nonsense because as it turns out, Melissa Leo shines. Her performance, and this cracker of a movie deserved their place amongst the Academy’s finest. Hell, I’d go so far as saying that Melissa’s performance was very close to the best of the bunch…possibly only marginally behind Kate Winslet.

Frozen River is a tight little thriller, full of subtle nuance and naturalistic tone. And that is what sets it apart. Achieving a naturalistic performance from an actor has to be one of the toughest challenges in film making. Very few actors can pull it off and very few film makers can induce it. Mike Leigh, Hal Hartley, Ken Loach…these directors are masters at it, but they are in an elite group. Melissa Leo gives one of the most naturalistic performances in years and it puts Frozen River up there with one of the best films in recent memory.

Those expecting a dull, drone Indie borefest are in for a real surprise, as Frozen River is tense, suspenseful and moves at a nice steady pace. Next time you are stumped for choice at your local Blockbuster, or can’t find a decent film on Netflix, dig past some the safe choices and give Frozen River a chance. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Marley & Me….watch a grown man cry.

I gotta be honest, this kind of film aint usually my cup of tea. Despite the fact that it looked dangerously like a whimsical, throwaway romantic comedy, it also had the huge disadvantage of starring one of my least favorite actors, Owen “the nose” Wilson. I have no substantial reason to dislike Owen…I just do. The guy grates me.

Let’s talk about that nose. I’m seriously tempted to write a complete review on Owen Wilson’s nose alone, as it threatened to dominate this film. For some strange reason, that mess of a thing in the middle of his face looked even more distorted and mangled than usual. Just what is going on with that thing? It’s fascinating to watch and I can only wonder how the hell it came to be so mis-shaped. Was it guys like me who find him endlessly irritating just approaching him in the street and bopping him on the snoz once too often? Or was the dude born with that monstrosity?

I’d kinda feel sorry for the guy….if he wasn’t such a twat.

Nevertheless, it pains me to say this….but despite his annoying tendencies as an actor, and that thing that was once a nose protruding from his face like a sick freak-show parlor trick, his performance in this film was pretty ok. There, I said it.

Thankfully, Marley and Me didn’t have to rely too heavily on its Jennifer Aniston/Owen Wilson chemistry. They both do their jobs well, but the star of the show is the dog.

Now is probably the right time to tell you that if you aren’t a dog lover, you might want to skip Marley and Me. While it is more than just a dog lover’s movie, those of us who can’t get enough of man’s best friend will get the most out of it. The relationship between man and his dog is a sacred thing, and if you don’t get it, you won’t get it. Got it? Good.

I challenge any dog lover out there not to be moved my the final reel of Marley and Me. Sure, it’s overly sentimental, and yes it lays on the cheese pretty thick at times, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t reach for the Kleenex and go give my Golden Retriever a big hug as the credits rolled.

Marley and Me sucked me in and held me transfixed for its entirety, not only keeping me completely entertained but quite possibly diminishing my credibility as a serious film connoisseur.

So be it. We all have our guilty pleasures.

Yes Man….Nah, dude.

Jim is funny. Jim is a comedian. Jim tries to be a serious actor. Jim does ok at this. Jim makes a few ill-fated career choices. Jim’s previous film is a psychological thriller without any humor. Jim wonders why nobody saw it. Jim’s fans start giving up on him. Jim needs a reliable vehicle to get him back on top. Jim chooses a film that reads almost exactly like his previous two highest grossing films. Jim thinks he’s on a winner. Jim takes the safe route.  Jim likes high concept films.

Jim gives a typically “Jim” performance. Jim pulls some faces. Jim acts a bit silly. Jim’s movie is predictable and safe. Jim seems to be trying to recapture the Jim from past Jim films. Jim’s fans know he can do better than this.

Jim cashes his cheque.

Knowing…..Science Nic-tion

I’ve kept a keen eye on the directorial career of fellow Aussie Alex Proyas. He’s the kind of guy that keeps teasing us with potential greatness but somehow just falling short. The Crow, Dark City and I,Robot are all films I’d rate as “good” without being “great” (Dark City came closest). I know I’m not the only one who feels Proyas is on the brink of making a truly brilliant science fiction film. Unfortunately, Knowing isn’t it.

First mistake: Nic Cage. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Nic. Who couldn’t love at least one of his many roles? Call me a film snob if you will, but I’m definitely more into the Adaptation/Leaving Las Vegas/Vampire’s Kiss Nic Cage than the Con Air/Wicker Man/Face-Off Nic Cage. I know he’s somehow fooled the world into thinking he is your go-to guy for big event action films these days, but I still see him as a serious and hugely talented actor, and have always been kinda bummed that he keeps choosing these generic action roles.

Nic does nothing wrong in Knowing. Infact, he delivers a steady performance, but I just feel this film could have used someone else. Maybe someone who doesn’t carry Nic’s recent “Action Hero” baggage. Someone still relatively bankable, but a bit less predictable…say, Viggo Mortensen for example. I just think that sort of choice would have really set Knowing apart.

The truth is, Knowing is a completely watchable and entertaining film. Yes, it’s full of moments where your belief will most definitely have to be suspended, and there are one or two curious plot turns, but overall, this beast rises well above so many blockbusters being released lately.

Many are bitching and moaning about the ending. It certainly is a tad…”out there”…so to speak, but I have to say that I welcomed it. I was just glad it didn’t take the easy, safe route. While it did seem to hold some dubious religious underpinnings that I still haven’t quite got my head around, it nevertheless left me more satisfied than your typical “Nic Cage saves the day” ending we all expected.

As for Alex Proyas, I’m going to mark this one down as another near miss. I truly believe if he took a step back from “the system” and the pressures from studios to make his films slick and bankable, with big name stars and all the bells and whistles, he has the talent to come out with something memorable instead of something merely watchable.

I ain’t giving up on him just yet.

Twilight……Lowlight

At the risk of being hunted down and avenged by a horde of screaming teenage girls, I’m going to come right out and say what I thought of Twilight. It stank. It was a sleep-inducing borefest, void of any real depth and as stale as a loaf of 4 month old bread, molding away at the back of your kitchen cupboard.

Too harsh? Maybe. Thing is, I like vampire films and seeing one so lifeless really bums me out. Even more depressing is the fact that Twilight has played in hundreds of cinemas, made over $200 million at the box office and been adored by countless fans, when a REAL vampire film like Let The Right One In, can’t even get a midnight showing at a run-down porn theater in a bad neighborhood.

I don’t know why I care, but I do. I still have this romantic notion that bad, over-marketed films can be shunned by the populace, exposed for the scams they really are by keen-eyed ticket buyers who refuse to be dictated to by a lazy Hollywood machine intent on feeding us safe product year after year. No matter how slick and pretty the films look, or how handsome the main actor is, I still hold this fading optimism that we as humans, will see through these empty shells of films, brush them aside in our search for something with substance, something challenging, something less safe. And while it does happen and we bring a film like Slumdog Millionaire into the mainstream for more people to enjoy, it’s becoming more rare. For every Slumdog, there’s a hundred Twilight’s dulling us into submission. For every Danny Boyle, there’s plenty more Michael Bay’s.

I suppose the most disappointing thing about Twilight, apart from the cliched characters, the bad dialogue and the oh-so-hip smugness it exudes, is the fact that it wastes some good opportunities to be a better film. It sets an interesting mood early on, and Kristen Stewart seems a good fit for the lead role, but it gets tedious quickly, offering us nothing new and petering off into a truly lame third act.

Recommended for girls aged 13 to 16. For the rest of us, it’s back to watching Lost Boys for the umpteenth time.

Let The Right One In….Crazy Swedes

The vampire film has had an unpredictable history. Just when an interesting take on the genre comes along, it is often followed by several more mundane, unimaginative and sometimes downright cheesy offerings. For every Near Dark, Cronos and Lost Boys there are your inevitable duds like Bloodrayne, Queen of the Damned and Van Helsing. While Twilight seems to have teenage girls salivating,  true vampire fans craving a little more “bite” in their films have been left in the cold.

Well, leave it to Sweden to come to our rescue. Ah, The Swedes…they have brought us so much over the years – “The Swiss Army Knife”……”ABBA”… and…um….did I mention The Swiss Army Knife? Actually, come to think of it, the Swedes have brought us bugger all, but they have finally come through with a classic in the form of Let the Right One In.

Here’s a vampire film brimming with icy atmosphere, strong story, striking visuals and pure originality.

A lonely, bullied young boy is befriended by a mysterious new neighbor, who’s strange behavior suggests she is more than she makes out to be. As the story progresses we are dealt some great, chilling cinematic moments that should have those with a vampire lust grinning with delight. Why this film wasn’t nominated in the Foreign language category at the Oscars is anyone’s guess? I suppose Horror has never really faired well at the Academy Awards, but Let the Right One In is more than just a horror film, it’s a coming of age film with a tragic love story element.

Find this movie and devour it, sink your teeth and and suck it dry. This is original film making at its best.