DVD Mini Reviews

During the year, I like to try to watch as many movies released during that year as possible. I won't go pay to see a bad movie in theaters but I have no qualms about watching bad movies via Netflix. This is so I can make my best possible best and worst lists at the end of the year, making sure I see as many options as possible. The movies I've been watching lately from Netflix from this year were sort of on the disappointing side for the most part.

Mud
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Shannon (!!)
Plot: Two young boys set out to find an island where a boat has been washed into a tree. They also happen to find a mysterious man named Mud and they become entangled in his personal life. Drama and danger ensue.
Thoughts: This was the only good movie I've seen via Netflix in the last few weeks. It's a pretty simple story, but the script is so well written and all the performances are out of this world, that it just elevates the material. Tye Sheridan is a great find, a young actor who can completely command attention from more famous co-stars. And McConaughey?!? Man, he is on a role. His career is so hot right now that I am always anticipating new work from him which is something I never, ever thought I would think. But, seriously, how many award worthy performances can he give in a row???
Grade: B+

Dead Man Down
Stars: Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Terrence Howard
Plot: A lonely disfigured woman witnesses the man across the street kill another man in his apartment and decides to blackmail him into murdering the man who disfigured her.
Thoughts: The best part of this movie was when it was over. I think I may have fallen asleep at one point, but it really didn't matter because you can see the "plot twists" coming a mile away. I love Farrell and Rapace and think they did a great job with the material, but this movie ultimately fails to deliver but succeeds at boring you into submission.
Grade: D+

A Good Day to Die Hard
Stars: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney
Plot: John McClane heads to Russia, where his wayward son is in trouble with the law. Or is he?? Turns out his hottie son is working for the CIA and the two sexy bald McClane men team up to fight Russian bad guys. Smashing through ceilings, gun fights and helicopter chases ensue.
Thoughts: Obviously not as good as the original Die Hard. Or Die Hard 2. Or even Live Free or Die Hard from a few years ago. It's basically Die Hard paint by numbers and if you like action and sexy bald men, then it's not a terrible way to spend an hour and a half. This would have gotten a higher grade had Jai Courtney been shirtless for more than ten seconds. (What?? I'm totally a girl sometimes.)
Grade: C

Magic Magic
Stars: Juno Temple, Emily Browning, Michael Cera
Plot: A bunch of college friends go to a secluded farm to drink and hang out. One of their cousin's tags along. She goes cray.
Thoughts: Allow me to justify why I got this movie from the Red Box to begin with: I had a coupon, okay?? It was for a free movie and it expired that particular day. Neither my boyfriend nor I had ever heard of this movie. I have a pretty major girl crush on Juno Temple and he has a thing for Emily Browning. Plus, Michael Cera is awesome, so we decided to go for it. BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER. This is, quite possibly, one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my entire life. I don't even know why we watched the whole thing instead of just turning it off and calling it a day. Still, it's better than Lords of Salem, so that's a plus, I guess.
Grade: F

The Host
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, Diane Kruger, William Hurt
Plot: Aliens begin taking over the bodies of humans, erasing their memories, and living a peaceful existence. One young woman fights back against the force to hold onto her love and protect her brother.
Thoughts: Positives first - William Hurt is awesome in this movie. Also, I'll never complain about a movie featuring not one (Irons) but TWO (Abel) cute boys. But, mostly, this movie is ridiculous. There are no high stakes. There is no drama, really, except for a minute here and a minute there. Plus, this movie features the absolute strangest love triangle I have ever seen.
Grade: D+

Welcome to the Punch
Stars: James McAvoy, Mark Strong, David Morrissey
Plot: It's your basic cops and bad guy movie complete with dirty cops and complicated plot lines that don't entirely make sense until the end.
Thoughts: Like I said, pretty basic. There is nothing bad about this movie, but there isn't really much to say about it that's good either. This movie is basically entirely carried by the charms and charisma of McAvoy, so if you like McAvoy like I do, then you probably won't mind watching a mediocre movie.
Grade: C+


And finally, the movie COMPLIANCE was released last year instead of this year, but I finally got around to watching it and I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's the true story of a man who poses as a police officer and calls fast food restaurants to see how far he can push managers in taking advantage of employees. For example, he tells the manager of Chickwich that one of her employees is a thief which leads to a strip search and so much more. This is an entirely true story and according to Wikipedia, happened at least 70 times around the country. I can't really believe one group of people were stupid enough to fall for this hoax, let alone 70! It's a pretty uncomfortable movie to watch but i also find it highly effective. It's as tense as a movie that takes almost entirely in one small room can be. So, anyway, I'm still not sure what to make of it so if anyone watches it, I'm really interested to hear another take on it.

Moonrise Kingdom (DVD)

Here's the thing I love most about Wes Anderson, and you can probably only say the following about a very small number of directors: when you are watching a Wes Anderson movie, you absolutely know you are watching a Wes Anderson movie from frame one. If you didn't know he directed the movie, you would most certainly realize it as soon as the movie starts.

Moonrise Kingdom is most certainly a Wes Anderson movie. Every single detail proves this, from the clothes to the set decoration to the dialogue - everything. And while it's not my personal favorite of his movies (that award goes to The Royal Tennenbaums, of course), I think it may be his best work to date. It's sweet and it's sad and it's just damn good.

The movie takes place in 1965 on a small East Coast island where a teenage khaki scout named Sam (Jared Gilman) falls in love with a book / binocular loving girl named Suzy (Kara Hayward) and they decide to run away together. With an impending hurricane headed their way, a bunch of people begin searching the island for them, including Suzy's lawyer parents with a troubled marriage (Frances McDormand and Bill Murray), the island cop (Bruce Willis), a hilariously serious Scout Master (Edward Norton) and a character aptly named Social Services (Tilda Swinton). Jason Schwartzman also shows up in the final act to help our young love runaways. What's so great about Moonrise Kingdom in this day and age of movies with complicated plots and confusing story lines is how unabashedly straight forward it is. It's a simple story told simply and that is what makes it so beautiful. There's this great overall sense of adventure and this celebration of young love. The film is so beautiful but it also makes you sad at the end, remembering better days.

The movie may be Wes Anderson's best but it's far from perfect. The adult characters have a certain lack of personality and aren't really fully developed although I like to think that's intentional. As a child, you don't fully understand the problems and concerns going on in adult lives, so perhaps this is a reflection of that feeling. Another small problem I had was the third act. The film meanders at a slow, sweet and enjoyable pace and then at the end, Anderson tries to fit in as much action as possible (in fact, all of the action).

But these two small problems don't take away from the fact that Moonrise Kingdom is a great movie, definitely one of the best of the year and probably Anderson's overall best. Anderson is known for being weird and pretentious but he keeps this movie quirky while managing to curb his more out there notions that maybe turn off mainstream audiences. The performances, especially by the young Gilman and Hayward, and Norton, who all but steals the show, are fabulous. The dialogue is fresh and sweet. Moonrise Kingdom happens to be a perfect inclusion in Anderson's resume.

Grade: B+

Looper

The very first thing I said to my boyfriend as we left the theater after seeing Looper was, "If you didn't like that movie, we are breaking up right now." Luckily, he agreed with me and thought it was the best movie we had seen this year.

Quite a few years ago, I happened upon a little indie movie called Brick. When I was growing up, I wasn't like normal kids and while they watched animated Disney movies, I watched movies like Chinatown and The Maltese Falcon. So Brick, which married film noir with high school, seemed like it was almost tailor made for me. Plus, it starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt, an actor who I loved since his days on 3rd Rock from the Sun. It also co-starred an actor named Noah Segan who I had never seen before but who I gravitated to immediately. Plus, it was written by this first time writer / director named Rian Johnson. I immediately thought "No one writes dialogue better than this guy" (and I still feel that way all these years later). Brick and these three guys quickly became personal favorites. A few years later these three teamed up again for The Brothers Bloom which was just as good with characters so vivid and dialogue so fresh. Needless to say, I was excited for Looper. I had high expectations, for sure. I knew it would be good, but I wasn't completely prepared for how great it would be.

Looper takes place in 2044 in Kansas. Time travel hasn't been invented yet, but 30 years in the future it will have been. It will immediately be outlawed but, since it will be impossible to hide a body in the future, some very mean men will use it as a way to transport their targets back to "present day" where special assassins (loopers) will kill the targets, dispose of the body, collect their fee, get high using eye drops, party with hookers and so on. When a mysterious and super deadly figure called The Rainmaker takes over in the future, he begins to do something called "closing the loop." This means that the loopers future self will be sent back to be disposed of. In the case that this happens, you kill your future self, end your looper contract and go on your merry way, where you can live your life for the next 30 years waiting for the day your fate comes a-calling. But, unforunately for Joe (Gordon-Levitt), his future self is portrayed by Bruce Willis, so when he hesitates for just a moment, Older Joe, since he is Bruce Willis, proceeds to be a complete bad ass. He knocks Younger Joe unconscious, steals his truck and takes off into the city. Younger Joe wakes up knowing he's got to find his older self and kill him before his boss (Jeff Daniels) sends his thugs (led by Noah Segan) to find him. The cat and mouse game eventually leads to a farm owned by Emily Blunt's Sara. She lives there with her son, Cid (Pierce Gagnon), and they take in Younger Joe.

Honestly, the plot sounds more confusing than it is. And this is thanks to Johnson's stellar writing. Time travel movies can usually veer into confusing "what is happening" territory but that never happens with Looper. It's mind boggling and keeps you thinking but it's never difficult or impossible to understand or follow. The greatest thing about Looper is that you think it's about one thing - this showdown between your current and future self - but that's only really the first 30 minutes or so. Then Emily Blunt shows up. It quickly becomes something else entirely and I'll say it, something so much better than I expected. But the best writing and directing in the world can't help you if you don't have the right cast. And Johnson has the perfect cast.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an actor I am so familiar with. I loved him when he was starring in little-seen indies (Manic, Mysterious Skin) and I loved him when he was stealing very big movies from actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises). But here, in Looper, he's nearly unrecognizable thanks to make up that makes him look more like Bruce Willis. His performance is intense and searing and it's made all the more real because he completely becomes someone else. Speaking of Willis, he's great too. When I first saw the trailer, I thought the make up effects were going to be distracting. I didn't think Gordon-Levitt looked anything like Willis, but I was wrong. When they are together on screen, you can see it. Although, I will argue that it's not even necessary. The two actors have such a great chemistry that it doesn't even matter whether or not they look alike. Willis manages to be a tough bad ass (like in the scene where he SHOOTS EVERYTHING!!!!!) and imbibes that with tenderness. Even when his character is doing despicable things, you still feel for him. Emily Blunt all but steals the movie for me. Her emotional and subtle performance brings a whole lot of heart to this movie. I know Looper may not be the kind of movie the Oscars love (although they did nominate Inception and this is just as good, if not better), but I'm holding out hope for a Best Supporting Actress nominee for her, as well as a Best Original Screenplay nomination for Johnson. Daniels does a stellar job with a small role as he manages to be both funny and ferocious. Paul Dano is, I think, the only actor under 30 who can hold his own on the screen with the likes of Daniel Day Lewis and Robert DeNiro so, of course, he manages to bring a whole lot to a very small part. Pierce Gagnon was 5 years old when they made this movie but somehow manages to deliver a performance so devastating that it's hard to believe he hasn't been in the business for 30 years. Then there is Noah Segan. I've followed his career closely and I'm so impressed with his Kid Blue, a villain but also, maybe not. I found his character fascinating and of all the great characters in this movie, I wanted to know more about him. I didn't see him as such a bad guy. Just someone who is so eager to please, that he'll do just about anything for someone to tell him he's doing a good job (and we can all relate to that!). This movie will surely put him on the map and I'm not entirely prepared to share him with the world. It's that weird moment when your favorite thing is about to become really popular. I mean, you want to hold it close and keep it to yourself, but at the same time, it's your favorite thing for a reason so, really, it should be everyone's favorite thing. So, you're welcome world. You can share Noah Segan with me.

I hope this review made some sort of sense and it wasn't just be babbling for however many paragraphs. I have been thinking and talking about this movie non stop for two days and so it's hard to sort through all of my thoughts. This movie gives you so much to think about it. Johnson is officially three for three in my book and I'm so excited to see what he does next. Looper is the sort of movie that will inspire a generation. In fact, in twenty years or so, the next generation of filmmakers will be asked about their influences. I think they will cite the complete works of David Fincher, last year's Drive and Looper. And that thought gives me a lot of faith in the future of the film world.

Grade: A

Live Free or Die Hard, Music and Lyrics (DVD)

Live Free or Die Hard - John McClane is back... and better than ever! It seems that summer movies are a bit disappointing so far. Pirates, Spiderman, Evan Almighty... all huge disappointments. But Die Hard does not disappoint. As a matter of fact, so far, it's definitely the most fun you'll have at the movies this summer. This time around McClane (Bruce Willis - who may be 52 in real life but runs around like a 25 year old... plus he's really sexy) has to go pick up and escort a hacker Matthew Ferrell (Justin Long) to FBI headquarters after their computers are hacked. McClane thinks this is a lame job... until he's almost masaquered at the kids apartment. In the meantime, the United States begins to crumble under a nationwide cyberspace attack known as a fire sale engineered by menacing bad guy Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant). Much like the other Die Hard flicks, logic isn't exactly the strong suit here. But it doesn't matter because it's sheer adrenaline packed excitement. McClane isn't just as tough and resourceful as ever, he is a wise ass at the top of his game. The action scenes are just amazing. There is a particular fight scene with Maggie Q that starts with a few punches and ends with a car chase into an elevator shaft that just blew my mind. And let's not even mention the scene where McClane is driving the 18-wheeler truck while being shot at and chased by a jet trying to bomb him. Long adds a lot of comedy although he doesn't really need to be there just for that... Willis is hilarious. They make a great team. Throw in Mary Elizabeth Winstead as McClane's tough daughter Lucy and Kevin Smith playing an uber hacker named The Warlock and this movie is just plain fun. Even with the PG-13 rating, McClane gets to utter his famous line (in a very, very, very clever way). In a summer filled with disappointments, its nice to see John McClane back. Live Free or Die Hard takes my spot as the best summer mover thus far.

Grade: B+

Music and Lyrics - We all know that romantic comedies are not my thing. Not at all. But, I will give this movie a little credit and say that it is, in the very least, cute. And to give it even more credit, the beginning of the movie is actually almost enjoyable. I actually really enjoyed the first 20 minutes or so which follow Hugh Grant's 80s has-been pop star meeting eccentric plant water lady Drew Barrymore. While Hugh's Alex is trying to write a pop song for a current chart topping sensation, Drew's Sophie randomly spouts a few inspiring lyrics and the two begin to write the song together. That part of the film I actually enjoyed. But once the song is actually written, the movie becomes boring. It becomes a cliche ridden romantic comedy again and loses some of its charm. I'm not saying it's a bad movie, but it's just like every other romantic comedy. None of them are really great and none of them are really bad. They are all the same. I couldn't even remember the main character's names (I had to look them up) because they are like every other main character in a romantic comedy. The film isn't really funny enough to recommend on a pure comedic level and it's not really romantic enough to reccommend on a pure romance level. It's predictable, it's forgettable, and after the first 20 minutes, it's mostly bland and boring. Although, the Pop Up Video at the end of the movie is quite enjoyable. But, basically, it's just your average romantic comedy. If it's your thing then you'll probably like it.

Grade: C

Alpha Dog

This movie was supposed to come out last year at this time. I remember reading a story about it a year before that, so, more or less, I have been waiting to see this movie for two years. This movie could very easily have let me down because I had it so built up in my head. However, it did not in the least. It was well worth the wait. It's the sort of movie that sucks you in, entrances you, and then hits you over the head with a baseball bat. It's full of characters who are not too likeable, yet we somehow feel for most of them because they are free in ways that most people are not. Nick Cassavetes (who follows up The Notebook with this movie!) really does a wonderful job capturing the essence of this true story. The way he puts you into the prospective of what happened, the way you see what happened as though you are actually experiencing it yourself, is absolutely brilliant.
The story is true, as most people know by now. In an interview, Cassavetes said that this is as true to what happened as could possibly be. The only thing that he changed were the names. So, instead of Jesse James Hollywood, Emile Hirsch plays Johnny Truelove, a young drug dealer who sells various drugs to most of his teenage friends in the sunny, barren wasteland of San Gabriel, California. He's got a group of drug addicted, tough guy friends including Justin Timberlake as Frankie and Shawn Hatosy as Elvis. Ben Foster and his character of Jake Mazursky is sort of the catalyst for everything that happens in this film. It seems Jake owes Johnny money and after a few days of back and forth retaliation between the two (breaking windows, stealing televisions, using the living room carpet as a toilet...) things really spiral out of control when Johnny decides it would be a good idea to kidnap Jake's innocent and sweet little brother Zack (Anton Yelchin) who they happen upon en route to Palm Springs for Fiesta Weekend. They bring little Zack along for the ride and he doesn't mind so much because he gets to play video games, drink and smoke, have sex with two girls and all around feel like one of the crowd. If you've read anything about the true story, then you know what is going to happen next. Still, even if you see it coming a mile away, it still knocks you out of your seat. The relationship between Timberlake's Frankie and Yelchin's Zack is really the backbone of the film. They genuinely become almost friends and that final scene with the two of them will easily break your heart.
There's a mood and energy, a style that Cassavettes so easily captures and portrays that makes this film so far removed from any cliched studio product geared toward the teenybopper set. The film feels honest and genuine and has a lot of unexpected heart and soul, and that makes all the difference in the world. Cassavettes also does a lot of creative things in the movie including interviews to make it feel more like a documentary than a drama, split screen camera tricks, a run down of the dates and times that everything went down, and the part I loved the most, a running count of all the witnesses who saw the kidnapped boy over the three day period. To say that these kids are stupid is a huge understatement. But that's the point. They are a bunch of drugged out, tripping young kids who think they rule the world, because in a strange sort of way, they do. They think they can do anything they want and get away with it. This is, essentially, a story about a group of people who make one bad decision after another until it spirals so far out of control they have no idea how to get out of the mess they created. And, of course, they choose the worst possible way to try to get out of the situation.
The performances are really most impressive. This is a sprawling cast with a ton of wonderful performances. It's nearly impossible to pinpoint any one person specifically because I don't really think there was a star of the movie. This is ensemble casting at it's best. There are wonderful performances from Shawn Hatosy, Emile Hirsch, Chris Marquette, Sharon Stone, Dominique Swain, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Willis, and Anton Yelchin (whose last few moments on-screen are gut wrenching). Everyone just really does a great job. Justin Timberlake is the most surprising, of course. Surprise, surprise: the guy can act! Forget everything you think about him, all your preconceived notions of the boy bander or whatever. He crackles whenever he's on screen and he has all the right ingredients for a stellar acting career: charisma, screen presence and natural acting talent. But, the standout performance, for me anyway, was from Ben Foster. I remember watching a documentary a few years back about meth addicts and Ben Foster just nails it. He's so on spot in every single scene. He's almost frightening to watch. He's stunning and terrifying. I never thought that little Tucker James from Flash Forward would scare me so much but he does. He's just simply wonderful. He gives one of those rare performances that you won't soon forget.
Grade: A