The Greatest (DVD)

What a hidden gem of a movie! Totally unexpected and with so much heart and emotion, The Greatest (which had a limited theatrical run back in April) is most definitely one of the best movies of the year! Right out of the gate, the cast is fantastic for such a small movie. Susan Sarandon, Pierce Brosnan, Aaron Johnson, Carey Mulligan, Johnny Simmons (!!), Michael Shannon (!!!), and Zoe Kravitz appear in the indie film.
Sarandon and Brosnan star as a couple dealing with the death of their eldest son, Bennett, (Johnson) in a car crash. They had marital problems before the death and their grief, and the different ways they choose to deal with it, is only pushing them further and further apart. In fact, Sarandon becomes closer to the man responsible for the crash (Shannon) who just so happens to be in a comma. Meanwhile, Brosnan becomes close to Rose (Mulligan), who shows up at their door one day, pregnant with their dead sons baby after only one night together. Then there is their youngest son Ryan (Simmons) who is dealing with the grief his own way, doing drugs and falling for a girl in his grief meetings (Kravitz).
It sounds like a typical melodramatic film but it isn't at all. The script by Shana Feste, who also directed, is so clever and interesting, jumping around to different moments, that the movie never fails to be interesting. In fact, most of the relationship between Rose and Bennett plays out entirely in flashbacks. (The title comes from a particularly intimate well-done moment in the film when Bennett says his one night with Rose was the greatest).
The performances are all top-notch and, really, what else would you expect from such an amazing cast? Sarandon is phenomenal as the mother in mourning, unable to let her son go and unable to accept Rose into their lives. Brosnan, whose character chooses to deal with the loss in entirely different way, is impressive as well. Mulligan continutes to show promise. She's not just a once and done actress who made a great movie (An Education) and will wither away and disappear. She's hear to stay and she's formidable, with her porcelain looks and mixture of vulnerability and toughness (she might have made a better Lisbeth Salander than Rooney Mara but I'll save that rant for another time). Then there's Johnny Simmons, who I adore beyond words. Mostly, my love for him has to do with the fact that he is super adorable. But he is truly impressive in this film. He's one part comic relief, one part ticking time bomb. There is a scene in one of his grief counseling meetings where he is devastating to watch.
It's a depressing movie to watch, for sure, but it is most definitely worth it.
Grade: A-

The Town

A few years ago, Ben Affleck directed a film called Gone Baby Gone. I remember see it and being very impressed with his directing skills. I may have even said something along the lines of, "He should quit acting and just direct." Listen - I'm the kinda gal that admits when she is wrong and, boy, was I wrong. Not about Affleck's directing. He's got skills. The Town is just as good, if not better, than Gone Baby Gone. I was wrong about his acting skills which, back then, I thought were non-existant. I was wrong. His performance in The Town (and that was one of the drawbacks for me before I saw the film. I not-so-secretly wished he had cast his brother Casey in the lead instead) is the best of his career and is extremely impressive.
The Town was filmed on location in Boston, more specifically Charlestown, which is the bank robbery capitol of the United States (according to the movie). Affleck plays Doug, the leader of a rag-tag team of townies who rob banks and armored cars. He and his pal Jem (the excellent, as always, Jeremy Renner) grew up together and now they even rob banks together. Doug used to be involved with Jem's sister Krista (Gossip Girl's Blake Lively who is very impressive playing the complete opposite of Serena van der Woodsen). In the intense opening segment, Doug, Jem and their two friends rob a bank in Cambridge. They decide to take bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall) as a hostage and let her free after taking her for a little joy ride. Eventually, they discover she lives just blocks away so Doug decides to befriend her and make sure she doesn't know anything. Needless to say, they fall in love which only complicates things even more. Add in Jon Hamm as an FBI agent hot on their trail, Titus Welliver (!!!) as his partner, Pete Postlethwaite as a Charlestown florist/gangster and Chris Cooper as Doug's imprisoned dad and you've got a hell of a cast.
The performances are all top notch. As a director, Affleck has a way with actors and that's no surprise since he's spent the last decade or so as an actor. Renner probably gets top honors although it's really hard to say. His Jem is a hot-headed bad ass who pulls out a gun with the ease it takes the rest of us to breathe. Cooper makes a lasting impression with just one scene and Postlethwaite is truly intimidating despite his wiry frame. Lively plays against type as a white trash mother to a daughter named Shyne and she does it super well. But it's Affleck and his truly layered, complicated character who is most impressive. I honestly didn't believe he had the skills to create and portray a character with such emotional depth. His chemistry with Hall is sweet and honest. The script (co-written by Affleck) is so tight and exciting and well done and the directing is truly top notch. This is the second movie in a row for Affleck as a director that has been gritty, realistic, honest, exciting and excellent.
For me, 2010 has been a truly awful year for movies but The Town is one of the best.
Grade: B+

Hot Tub Time Machine (DVD)

I had heard from quite a few seemingly reliable sources that Hot Tub Time Machine was enjoyable and very funny. One person even told me it was the best movie they had seen this year (so far). I couldn't disagree more.
The plot? Three former besties reunite after one of them seemingly tries to kill himself to go on a weekend getaway to a resort they frequented twenty years earlier. John Cusack plays Adam, a financially secure guy whose girlfriend just left him. His nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) lives in his basement where he avoids social contact and plays video games all day long. I'll say this straight up front- Duke is the only funny thing about this movie. Craig Robinson plays Nick, a former musician who gave it all up for his wife and now works at a pet store called "Sup Dawg?" Then there is Lou (a.k.a. The Violator) played by Rob Corddry) who is an all around mess up and may or may not have tried to kill himself. So off they go to Kodiak Valley, the once hot spot ski resort that is now a dump in a dying town. Still, the four of them (Jacob tags along, thankfully, to infuse some sort of life into this mess) manage to get their drink on and after they pass out in a hot time, they wake up in 1986.
There are a lot of really bad 80s jokes (involving leg warmers, Alf, cassette tapes and the color of Michael Jackson's skin). The guys are desperate to get out of the 80s when a mysterious handyman (Chevy Chase) tells them they can't change a thing about what really happened during this weekend in the 80s. Needless to say, craziness ensues, blah, blah, blah.
The movie is watchable, at best. At worst? It's completely unfunny and that's a bad thing for a comedy. Some of the "humor" is so gross that it made me hate the movie more than I probably originally would have. I don't think people projectile vomiting is funny and I think anyone besides a five year old or a frat boy would agree with me. I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with all the ridiculousness and giant plot holes if the movie was actually funny or good. Lord knows I can overlook plot holes for a good movie (see: Inception). The movie pays homage to some classic 80s movies including Back to the Future (obviously), Sixteen Candles, Red Dawn and even The Terminator but all of those movies are far better than this mess.
While I love John Cusack to death, I am quite curious why he would get involved in this movie. Did he want to relive some of his 80s glory? That's possible. But with this mess and last year's 2012, his choices are becoming as frantic, unpredictable and ridiculous as those of James Franco. [When Cusack turns up on Days of Our Lives, we should worry.] Craig Robinson has stole so many scenes in so many movies and TV shows that it's a same to see him wasted away here. Corddry couldn't be any less funny if he actively tried to not be funny. Even the great cast of supporting actors who I usually LOVE (Lizzy Caplan, Crispin Glover, Sebastian Stan) couldn't save this movie. It's Clark Duke, then, that stands out as the only bright spot in this rather abysmal "comedy."
Grade: D

Catching up!

I know I have been neglecting this blog but no more! Here are some mini reviews to catch up on all the movies I've seen but didn't review. As of now, I will update regularly with reviews and more (think top ten lists, actor profiles, useless fun trivia, etc.). But first, mini reviews (from best to worst):

The Ghost Writer - First off, this film is completely and utterly predictable. I knew who the killer was almost instantly. Still, it's a well done, damn good thriller. Directed by the notorious Roman Polanski and starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnon and Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer is a political thriller with a whole lot of conspiracy theory thrown in. When the ghost writer of an ex-prime minister mysteriously ends up dead due to an "accident", McGregor reluctantly takes over his job and starts to unravel a whole lot of secrets. He also finds out that the death wasn't so much an accident as it was murder. The closer he gets to finding out the truth, the more someone wants to murder him as well. However predictable the story is, the acting and directing are so damn good that it hardly matters. Plus, that ending is perfect. (B)

Piranha 3D - Seriously, the most fun I have had at a movie theater in as long as I can remember!! Remember when 3D first came out and the previews for My Bloody Valentine 3D started showing and I thought to myself, "A 3D horror movie? That's the third greatest idea of all time (after the snuggie and the microwave, obviously)." Then I saw My Bloody Valentine 3D and it was a bloody awful mess. Well, Piranha 3D does every single thing right! It's so trashy and so over the top and so damn fun! Just try to not have a good time at this movie. I'm not even going to tell you plot. Okay, how about piranha's go crazy during Spring Break at an idyllic lake. That's all you need to know besides the fact that the cast is actually all kinds of impressive: Elisabeth Shue as chief of police, Ving Rhames as her badass deputy, Adam Scott as a scientist, Steven R. McQueen as Shue's impressionable son, Jerry O'Connell as a sleazy porn entrepeneur. Then there are the super fun cameos from Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Lloyd. Plus, the movie was directed by Alexandre Aja who did High Tension and the super great remake of The Hills Have Eyes. I really want to give this a higher grade but I'm afraid all my credibility will be stripped away. (B)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - In a summer of typical, awful movies, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was a ray of sunshine, completely original and completely creative. From Shaun of the Dead / Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright, this adaptation of a highly revered comic book follows Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) and his quest to defeat the seven evil exes of his dream girl, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The supporting cast is perfection: Allison Pill, Johnny Simmmons, Mark Webber, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh. Kieran Culkin as Scott's sarcastic gay roommate Wallace steals every single solitary scene he is in. (Also, I'm a dork and I totally did pick out the Tennessee Thomas cameo!). It all becomes a bit plotting. The fight scenes are all well done and different but there are SIX of them! Then there's that comic book / video game feel the game has which is super original and creative but it does get a little overwhelming at times. I'm not sure I was in love with all aspects of the ending but overall, I would recommend this super fun, super well done movie to anyone. (B)

The Girl Who Played with Fire - The second installment of the Millenium trilogy, this Swedish film follows the best female character in recent history, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) as she is framed for the murder of two journalists. She and Mikael Blomquist, her ex-lover / journalist friend (Michael Nyqvist) become involved in a trafficking story that involves a lot of very high powered men. While not nearly as engaging as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the second installment is still a damn good movie. It does seem a little more rushed than the first, introducing characters on a whim and skipping past seemingly important story lines. Still, Noomi Rapace is a revelation. She is amazing as Lisbeth Salander, perfectly embodying the hacker punk heroine. Rooney Mara is going to have a hell of a lot to live up to. (B)

Winter's Bone - First off, Jennifer Lawrence is amaazing in the lead role. She is a real find. John Hawkes is also damn good in his supporting role as her uncle but then he has been a stellar supporting character actor for years now. The movie is basically about a 17 year old (Lawrence) whose dad has been in and out of jail. Her mom is mentally ill so she must raise her two younger siblings all by herself in some barren wasteland somewhere in the midewest. She finds out her dad has skipped bail and put their house up for collateral so she must find her dad within a week or the house will be taken from them. So, that's what she does. And it's all very plotting and boring. She just goes from one crazy relative to the next trying to find her dad. You're not sure if her relatives want to kill her or hug her and sometimes they do both in a matter of minutes. The performances are the only real saving factor here. (C+)

Machete - Look, I'm not going to tell you that Machete is some amazing, future Oscar winner or anything. It is very typically Robert Rodriguez. If you like his other films, then you will probably like this one. It is a lot of fun but there's nothing new here. He has a knack for writing interesting, far out characters (think Cherry in Planet Terror). Here we've got Machete (Danny Trejo), She (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lindsay Lohan who at one point wears a nun's habit while killing a bunch of bad guys. There's guns and fights and sex and blood. But it's a lot of fun. And, I mean, look, I was just there for Jeff Fahey. Also, dear Hollywood, next summer I would like a Machete vs. Piranha movie. You're welcome. (C)

Eat Pray Love - I have the same exact problem with the movie as I did with the book (although it didn't seem to annoy me quite as much with the book which I actually liked very much) - the main character, Elizabeth Gilbert, who also wrote the book, is a whiny little bitch! Watch as she whines about losing her husband while she's sleeping with a hotter version of him (Billy Crudup / James Franco, respectively). Watch as she whines about how lonely she is as she trapses around Italy, India and Bali. Watch as she talks about all the "poor little rich white girl" problems she has while she's interacting with people who have actual problems!! It seems like it's the Elizabeth Gilbert world with everything revolving around her. We just live in her world. It's all just a bit much. I didn't like Liz when I was reading the book although I did enjoy the travel aspect of the book. Julia Roberts, who has an immense likeability factor, can't even make me like this woman. Plus, this movie went on and on and on and on. It may have been two and a half hours long but it felt like five hours. (D)