The Mist

"I can't accept that. People are basically good; decent. David, we're a civilized society."

--"Sure, as long as the machines are working and you can dial 911. But you take those things away, you throw people in the dark, you scare the crap out of them - no more rules."

I know exactly what you are thinking, "great here is another film that probably wreaks like Stephen King's other elemental horror film "the Fog" does." That would be incorrecto. The film is about a group of townies who are trapped in a supermarket when a mysterious and deadly mist engulfs their town. The film then becomes: How do different people react to fear? Some find comfort in a religious woman, others in a group of military men, still others hope to wait it out, and some ultimately decide to face the mist head-on.

While thoroughly anti-religion, and anti-military. The film takes the viewer's fear of the unknown to great heights. What, pray tell, is in the mist? For the first 3/4 of the movie, you only get glimpses of what the greater evil is. The film also takes the viewer's assumption on what would happen in another horror film and doing the exact opposite. (like the remaining tentacle in the loading dock).

Directed and adapted by Frank Darabont, who also directed The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption (I know you liked those, and they are both also based on King's stories) the film is shot in an independent style way. Lots of handheld shots, lots of rack-focuses, and fairly short shot length times. I believe that the CG could have used a little work in a couple of places, but the budget for this film wasn't all that big.

I know some people will hate the ending, but then again, it isn't something you see everyday.

********

8 out of 10 stars

Willow

"I'd say two or three hundred horses, five or six wagons... and about a thousand fools. "

Whatever, this film is way too long and basically steals its ideas from other fantasy books. Something significant must be taken somewhere (sound familiar?), the one to take it there is the smallest person in the group (catching on?) and a bunch of ...(read more)people dressed in black ride horses and whose sole goal is to hunt that one thing down (We're talking about Willow here, not Lord of the Rings). The whole baby escaping by the hands of an elderly person because of some crazed prophecy is basically ripped straight out of Prince Caspian.

So-So SFX (even for 1988 they could have been better) this film is rated PG, but the scene where the troll melts into a blob and grows and starts eating people is a little outside of what a PG movie should be. Still, for once I didn't hate Val Kilmer, and Warwick Davis was kinda charming...

Directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind), and produced by George Lucas (you can tell by all the Star Warsesque crazy wipes that separate the scenes), the film was intended to have several sequels that followed after the events of Willow, but due to its poor box-office receipts these were only made into books.

The story starts off like Prince Caspian quickly morphs into the story of Moses, and soon thereafter you are looking at the plot of the Lord of the Rings. Along the way Willow meets a master swordsman, Madmartigan (Kilmer), a pair of brownies (small people... played by Kevin Pollack and Rick Overton) and an enchanted animal Raziel (Patricia Hayes). Other randomness ensues such as: an evil queen's daughter falls for Madmartigan, an army is turned to pigs, a fairy god (Galadriel? is that you?) shelters the fellowship....err...gang, and Willow takes a sleigh ride down and off a mountain.

As you can tell I didn't really like this movie, but not because of the performances, but because of the ripoff storyline. You can like this movie all you want, but when it comes to 80's fantasy movies, Labyrinth is wayyyyy better.

*****
5 out of 10 Stars

Double Indemnity

"I killed him for money - and a woman - and I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman. "

An insurance rep (Fred MacMurray) lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme with the wife of an oilman (Barbara Stanwyck) that arouses an insurance investigator's (Edward G. Robinson) suspicions. Directed by Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard, Stalag 17), as with all scheme movies the plan doesn't work as well as it looked on paper, and characters are forced to continue to cover their tracks until the truth can be revealed.

The film is pure noir: mystery, guns, light and dark shadows, femme fatales, and a morally ambiguous lead character. The script took 8 years before it was finally deemed suitable for audiences. Even as it is, the film includes things that would have been considered borderline at the time: The secret romance, a wife killing her husband, the homosexual subtexts.

The film fits together nicely, Keyes' reasoning is believable enough for his belief in that it wasn't an "accident". The way Neff places paper in the alarm and in the phone, to see if anyone walked in or called him while he was out committing the crime is genius. Even the Insurance Agent manager's belief in suicide is plausible, until Keyes gives an even better reasoning for why it isn't plausible.

A couple of things I found odd... Why did Neff go to Keyes' office and record everything, if his plan was to make a run for it anyways? Anyone else notice a wedding ring on Neff's left hand? Pretty sure he wasn't married....

Also how did Neff light the matches with his bare hands...

********
8 out of 10 stars

Fight Club

"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything. "

A naive vehicle safety inspector (Edward Norton) can't find satisfaction in his life; not in money, not in objects, not in his apartment. He can't find happiness in material objects, but rather in his involvement in support groups... That is until he meets Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), another poser who also finds happiness in the midst of other's pain.

The Narrator's life makes a complete 180 when he meets a soap salesman (Brad Pitt), who explains to him that the world we live in is nothing more than a passage of lies meant to fulfill us by trivial things. When his apartment explodes, The Narrator calls up Tyler and unknowingly starts to wind down the road to losing everything. The two of them start an underground fighting ring known as "Fight Club" in which grown men fight each other for fun to release energy from the dull-drums of everyday life. Progressively, Fight Club evolves from the basements of night clubs into an all-out destruction gang known as "Project Mayhem", much to the horror of the Narrator. "Project Mayhem" moves out of the basements and starts to vandalize the city. When a friend of his is killed in a vandal attempt, The Narrator realizes that "Project Mayhem" has gone too far and needs to stop. The Narrator also learns of Tyler's master plan to blow up credit card companies (and set the debt deficit back to zero). The Narrator goes to the police to try and get them to find and stop Tyler, but to his horror the police are also members of "Project Mayhem". The Narrator attempts to find Tyler himself, but comes to the shocking realization that HE IS TYLER. In an attempt to stop the credit card companies from exploding, The Narrator destroys Tyler (himself? he shoots himself through the side of the cheek and inevitably kills Tyler in the process), and watches in awe as he holds Marla's hand as the buildings come crashing down around him.

Tyler: You don't know which wire to pull.
The Narrator: I know everything you do, so if you know I know.
Tyler: Or maybe, since I knew you'd know I spent all days thinking about the wrong wires.

That is just what the movie is on it's first layer.

The movie really delves into what the modern man is perceived to be. The film tells us that men shouldn't find happiness in objects, beauty, or money, but rather men should find fulfillment is accomplishment and break-away from everything material. Life is something that one builds from scratch, something that can't be attained unless one has hit rock bottom. Men are not meant to be contained in office buildings, but rather to let loose on testosterone, to be free from the world and to not let anyone else tell you otherwise. Men need something to live for, a purpose, something to strive for and be remembered by. The world is full of lies, and the only way anyone can break from this is by losing everything and building yourself back up from scratch.

Of course, whether the film speaks the real truth is debateable. What are men really? What do we live for and try to be remembered by? You could watch this film 20 times, and find something new in the subtext that you could relate to men and society as a whole, each time. A fantastical multi-layered story that speaks volume to society as a whole.

**********
10 out of 10 stars

Gone Baby Gone

"He lied to me. Now I can't think of one reason big enough for him to lie about that's small enough not to matter."

Gone Baby Gone is one of the best acted and scripted movies of 2007. From author Dennis Lehane (Mystic River), comes the story of two private investigators (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) who are hired to find the daughter of a less-than-suspect mother (played by Amy Ryan). A detective (Ed Harris) is sent to help with the investigation by the captain of the police (played by Morgan Freeman). The investigators uncover a web that leads them down a path that challenges them both professionally and morally.

Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James) gives a great performance as Patrick Kenzie. That makes two straight great performances out of the "Better Affleck". Affleck's acting style kinda reminds you of a young Marlon Brandon in "The Godfather", a sort of mumbling that conveys his thoughts as well as his feelings towards the decisions he faces. Not saying that Affleck is anywhere on par with Brando, just a couple of similarities in their acting styles.

Amy Ryan really steals the show as the drug-addict mother (she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress award for her role). Her performance simultaneously conveys a feeling of hatred, but at the same time, she has a charisma about her that makes you kinda like her.

Directed by first-time director Ben Affleck, who may have found his calling after wallowing around for 10 years in so-so acting roles. Though, the directing is not what carries this film.

The film's setting is the Boston version of LA in Training Day. The film doesn't shy away from the grit, poverty, and lifetsyles that families growing up in these neighborhoods feel (Both Affleck's grew up in Boston).

Spoiler Warning: Highlight to view

I didn't really care for the scene where the masked man bursts into the bar and tries to kill Patrick. The scene felt forced, and really didn't add up to the whole scheme of the plot.

********
8 out of 10 stars

Sunshine

"So if you wake up one morning and it's a particularly beautiful day, you'll know we made it."

Spring of 2007, this film was released in Europe to a moderate to good reception. However studio executives killed this film in the states, because of poor to no advertising. Hollywood was too busy promoting "great" films such as Rush Hour 3, 1408, and The Simpsons Movie to pay any attention to this sci-fi film from Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Trainspotting). The film got a limited release, then wallowed around in the backlot theaters until finally disappearing altogether. So when it got released to dvd here in January, little to nobody had seen it.

The film follows a group of Japanese and American astronauts who are sent on a mission to re-ignite the sun in the near future. As with all Sci-fi movies, something goes wrong and everyone must make a decision to themselves--- Is the mission more important than me? The film blends science-fiction with both drama and horror. The effects are very well done (seeing that Boyle took over 2 years to edit and create the FX).

The cast includes Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later), Rose Byrne (The Dead Girl), Chris Evans (Fantastic Four), Cliff Curtis (Live Free or Die Hard), and Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

The film brings to question some moral questions. Would you be willing to sacrifice yourself to see the team succeed? Would you kill one of your team members if you knew that none of you would make it he stayed alive?


********
8 out of 10 stars

Spoiler Warning: highlight to see

The film takes elements from a variety of other science-fiction films.

1. Alien - the long boring journey through space with nothing much to do and lots of infighting - ominous presence onboard the ship

2. Silent Running - the hydroponics bay and ecological angle

3. Event Horizon - crew going insane (similar shaped space ship)

4. 2001 - voice commanded computer - disobedient computer (similar shaped ship)

5. Titan AE - basically the same idea as this film - but a new earth rather than a reborn sun.

Across the Universe

"Music's the only thing that makes sense anymore, man. Play it loud enough, it keeps the demons at bay. "

This is one of those films that you either love it--- or you hate it. If psychedelic, musicals that have problems making sense to anyone not on drugs, and are purely there for stunning visuals are your cup of tea... Then I gladly welcome you into Mr. Kite's tent.

The story tells of a dock worker named Jude (Jim Sturgess), who travels to America to find his estranged father. What he really finds is love in an American girl named Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), and a friend in her brother Max (Joe Anderson). After dropping out of school, they all move to New York where they shag up with a singer (Dana Fuchs) her guitarist (Martin Luther McCoy) and an outcast (T.V. Carpio) to live the American Dream. When Vietnam hits they are torn apart: Max is drafted into the war, Lucy has a passion for riots, and Jude is left to his arts.

The film also features cameos by Bono ( playing a "hippie" who leads the youngsters on a psychedilc bus trip across the US), Eddie Izzard (playing a carnival performer, or is he just a figmnent of a hallucination?), and by Salma Hayek (as multiple nurse dancing about in a hospital)

The film does what it pleases artistically, lots and lots of colors. Sometimes the scenes float about in a dreamlike setting, while other times going for a more normal look much like a scene out of Big Fish would.

Personally, I wish the story was more coherent. I wish the plot would have delved more into Max's time in Vietnam, or into why Lucy was so passionate about rioting. The plot would start moving forward just to be squashed by a goofy dance number...Then again, nobody went to see this movie for the plot.

I had a guy come into Blockbuster the other day and tell me that he was gonna go home and watch this movie and get high. Ok buddy, we also have The Yellow Submarine over there as well.

Directed by Julie Taymor (Frida, Titus) this film isn't for everyone, but it certainly is a different experience from any other film out there. So trip out/groove back/reminisce back to the days of love, war, and classic Beatles' Songs.

********
8 out of 10 stars

We Own the Night

"It's better to be judged by twelve, then carried by six"

This film had alot of potential, Joaquin, Marky-Mark, even the great Robert Duvall, but however most of this talent goes to waste on a dull script and poor direction. Sorta like an opened can of soda that has been sitting in your fridge too long; you come back to a sip of refreshment and all you get is a flat dose of syrup and sugar.

That's kinda how this film was.

Pheonix plays Robert, the more rebellious of two brothers, who has decided to forsake his family and get into some illicit business (drugs, clubs, and the mob). His brother Joe (Mark Wahlberg) has decided to follow in his father's (Robert Duvall) footsteps and become part of the NY Police Department. When it is learned that a drug dealer has infiltrated into one of Robert's nightclubs, Joe will let nothing, not even his own brother get in his way.

The most annoyning thing about this movie is far and away Eva Mendes, who still hasn't shown anyone anwhere she can act (see these other Mendes classics now available to torment you: Ghost Rider, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and the Steven Seagal masterpiece: Exit Wounds). She spends most of the movie rolling around on beds, and putting everyone's life in danger because of her stupid non-chalant attitude towards the bad guys. Pheonix and Wahlberg are both good actors, but they aren't given really any range in this movie. Wahlberg tries to puff his shoulders up to make himself bigger, everytime Pheonix enters the room. Pheonix's character on the otherhand tends to make very large life-changing decisions with relative and unrealistic ease.

All the characters have to face choices that will not only determine the rest of their lives, but also their relationships with each other. Each character has to deal with the consequences that his actions may cause. Sometimes those choices can bleed over into the lives of your family...

Spoilerish warning:

The upsurdity of the New York Police Department making a known criminal an honorary officer, and then letting him run into a burning field to shoot at a criminal who they want kept alive is beyond apsurd. Also lettting Amada run around town doing whatever she wanted? Hello? Security? Wake Up!

******
6 out of 10 stars

Eastern Promises

"He is no driver, He's the Undertaker."

Eastern Promises was one of those films that really had nothing spectacular to it, it is just ordinary people under ordinary circumstances, but that is what gives the film its genuineness. Director David Cronenberg (The Fly, A History of Violence), doesn't take to the hotspots of London like most filmmakers shooting there would, but rather opts for the subtle places, the places where characters can fully develop. The grunge, the damp, the underground world of the Russian mob.

The story follows Anna (played by Naomi Watts), who is a nurse that is greeted one night to pregnant mother dying on the operating table. The child survives and the only information that Anna can go by is a book written in Russian, that Anna needs help translating. On the other side of the law is Nikolai (played by Academy Awards nominee - Viggo Mortenson). Who is trying to climb the ladder of the Russian mob. When Anna asks a man to translate it (Semyon, who is in fact also in the Russian mob), he discovers that the information in the book can be incriminating against him, thus he seeks to destroy the book.

Overall the movie doesn't have alot of action in it (okay there is that sauna/bath house fight sequence, and the part where Nikolai goes "Sweeney Todd" on another guy) but mostly the film dwells on the web of back-stabbing between, Nikolai, Semyon, and Semyon's son Kirill. The structure for the story also follows a weird format, there really is no third act. The main character is never faced with a decision, but rather the decision is made for them.

Is this Cronenberg's best film? Most would tell you "no". But in all of his films the viewer is set in a world that has the basis of reality. The way Cronenberg tells his stories is never boring, but in some way you have to ask yourself "What is Cronenberg trying to tells us by this film?"




*******
7 out of 10 stars

Howl's Moving Castle

"Hmmm, you've got quite a nasty spell on you too, huh? Seems everyone in this family's got problems"

This is the beautifully crafted story from the imagination of Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke). This story tells of a young girl named Sophie who is cursed by a jealous witch (voiced by Lauren Bacall) and transformed into an old lady. Sophie must find a cure with the help of Howl (voiced by Christian Bale) and his mystical and elusive Castle, which has the ability to walk and transport around.

With a war being waged in the land, Howl is afraid to get involved and thus spends his time wandering about in his moving castle. When Sophie falls in love with Howl both characters are willing to put everything at risk for the life of the other. This film's true delight is in the supporting cast of misfits that live in the castle. There is the castle's operator, Calcifer, a blob of fire that has witty sense of humor (voiced marvelously by Billy Crystal), who is tied very closely to Howl.
There is the young wizard boy, Markl, who helps to run Howl's potion shop. The speechless Turniphead, whose love for Sophie is evident even without talking. And the driven dog Heen, who actions alone garner a laugh.

The film mixes traditional animation and computer-generated background and runs approximately 2-hours. Fans of other Miyazaki films will love it, as well as anyone who is a fan of Monster's Inc, Finding Nemo, or The Incredibles.


*********
9 out of 10