December 2015 Pt. 2

The Hateful Eight
Stars - Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen
Plot - A group of nefarious crooks and criminals with lots of secrets are snowed in a cabin together.
Thoughts - No one needs a good editor more than Quentin Tarantino. His longtime editor died before the release if Django Unchained, and you can tell the difference. I love a good long movie but this movie, where very little happens until the last 45 minutes or so, doesn't need to be nearly 3 hours long. Still, the performances are great, especially Jackson and Leigh, and the script is killer.
Grade - B

Joy
Stars - Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Edgar Ramirez, Bradley Cooper
Plot - A broke single mother deals with her crazy family and invents the miracle mop.
Thoughts - Another movie that is too long... and feels it. And despite being nominated in the comedy categories at the Golden Globes, it isn't really very fun. Again, great performances, and parts of it are stellar. It just felt very hit or miss.
Grade - B-

Magic Mike XXL
Stars - Channing Tatum, Joe Magniello, Matt Bomer
Plot - Our lovable strippers go on a road trip to a stripper convention, which is apparently really a thing.
Thoughts - You know how good the original Magic Mike was? Because it wasn't just a gratuitous movie about male strippers, but rather a character study where the characters just happened to be strippers? Well, this is the other thing.
Grade -  D+

Spy
Stars - Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Jason Statham
Plot - A desk jockey becomes a spy after the identities of all the other spies are compromised.
Thoughts - I didn't love this movie as much as other Melissa McCarthy movies, but she is the rare comedian who can make anything funny and she definitely elevates a movie that would have bombed with any one else in the lead.
Grade - B-

The Clouds of Sils Maria
Stars - Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart
Plot - An aging actress returns to the play that made her famous, this time playing the older half of the romantic couple.
Thoughts - Another movie that is way too long. Also, this one is pretty boring. So if you are going to watch it, come for the gorgeous cinematography, and stay for Stewart's award worthy performance (not even kidding!)
Grade - C

The Stanford Prison Experiment
Stars - Michael Angarano, Ezra Miller
Plot - Based on the true story of an experiment involving prison guards and inmates that went way too far way too fast.
Thoughts - This was almost a really great movie. I still highly recommend it, even if it is just for the stellar Angarano performance, and fascinating story. I had two pretty major problems with it though. The first was that some of the supporting actors, who were supposed to be playing college age kids, literally looked 12. The second was, apparently we can CGI dinosaurs, but can't figure out a way for fake mustaches to not look ridiculous.
Grade - B-

The Overnight
Stars - Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman
Plot - Two couples spend a night together.
Thoughts - This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my entire life. Under no circumstances should you ever watch this.
Grade - F

Just For Fun

(Which really this whole blog is just for fun since no one reads it, but it allows me to exercise my inner movie nerd.)  But, so, anyway, the yearly wrap up of 2014 begins...

M.V.P.
Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin, Lucy; Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Chef.
Runner Up - Tom Hardy in Locke and The Drop.

BEST ENSEMBLE
Birdman
Runner Up - The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST LIMITED ROLE
Allison Pill in Snowpiercer
Runner Up - Matt Damon in Interstellar

BEST MOVIE POSTER
Nightcrawler
Runner Up - Whiplash

BEST TRAILER
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Runner Up - Gone Girl

BEST KISS
Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Runner Up: Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike's "sugar kiss" in Gone Girl

BEST CHEMISTRY
Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Runner Up - Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in 22 Jump Street

BEST DANCE SEQUENCE
Zac Efron and Seth Rogen Dance Off in Neighbors
Runner Up - Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum dance along side the car in 22 Jump Street

BEST MUSICAL SEQUENCE
The finale of Whiplash
Runner Up - Lip sync scene from The Skeleton Twins

BEST SONG
Lost Stars from Begin Again
Runner Up - Everything is Awesome from The Lego Movie

BEST SCORE
Birdman
Runner Up - Under the Skin

BEST ACTION SEQUENCE
Quicksilver in slow-mo in X-Men: Days of Future Past
Runner Up - Out running a wave in Interstellar

BEST CAR CHASE
Police car chase at the end of Nightcrawler
Runner Up - Nick Fury car chase in Captain America: The Winter Soldier

BEST FIGHT SCENE
Torch / tunnel scene in Snowpiercer
Runner Up - Elevator scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier

BEST IMAGE
Parachuting with red streaks in Godzilla
Runner Up - Glimpse of a fight on an ice planet from above in Interstellar

BEST SINGLE SCENE
The final ten minutes of Whiplash
Runner Up - Releasing the horses in Foxcatcher

BEST OPENING SHOT
The practicing drummer at the end of a long hallway in Whiplash

BEST ENDING
Final ten minutes of Whiplash
Runner Up - The gut punch ending of The Drop

BEST CLOSING CREDITS
Sequel mania in 22 Jump Street

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman
Runner Up - Under the Skin

BEST COSTUMES
The Grand Budapest Hotel

BREAK THROUGH PERFORMANCE
Nat Wolff in The Fault in Our Stars and Palo Alto
Runner Up - Mackenzie Foy in Interstellar

BEST COMEBACK
Michael Keaton in Birdman
Runner Up - Don Johnson in Cold in July

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel
Runner Up - Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in 22 Jump Street

BEST VILLAIN
Sebastian Stan in Captain America : The Winter Soldier
Runner Up - Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl

BEST HERO
Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow
Runner Up - Scarlett Johansson in Lucy

BEST BAD ASS
Frank Grillo in The Purge: Anarchy
Runner Up - Chris Evans in Snowpiercer

BEST ABS
Zac Efron in Neighbors

BEST SEXPOT
Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A BAD MOVIE
James McAvoy in Filth

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MEDIOCRE MOVIE
Adam Driver in This is Where I Leave You

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Birdman
Runner Up - The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Gone Girl

BEST QUOTE
"I feel like grabbing you by your ears right now and screaming in your face, 'I'm not fucking interested'." - Nightcrawler
Runner Up - "There are no two words in the English language more harmful than 'good job'." - Whiplash

Foxcatcher

The story of billionaire John Du Pont and the Olympic gold medal winning Schultz brothers is so unbelievable that it definitely feels like something out of Hollywood. But it isn't. This is a shocking and thrilling true story. After all, the most unbelievable stories often are the true ones.

Channing Tatum stars as Mark Schultz, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling. He is an eager to please, hard working loner. His older brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo) is also a gold medalist, who seems to be the brains behind the brawn. When Mark is approached by eccentric millionaire/billionaire/wealthiest man in America John Du Pont (Steve Carell) to train on the grounds of his mansion (the titular Foxcatcher), Mark jumps at the chance. What follows is a tale of power struggles and jealousy and homoerotic father / son relationships. Through the lens of Bennett Miller's intimate documentary like camera, Foxcatcher becomes suspenseful and enticing, capped off by a trifecta of powerful and profound performances. 

Based on trailers, I honestly thought Carell was going to annoy me in this movie. I thought his performance was going to feel over the top, but I was wrong. He nails his portrayal of the mysterious man who collects hobbies the way his disapproving mother collects horses. His physical transformation is one thing, but he also expertly taps into the mind of a man who is forced to live vicariously through a group of young wrestlers. I've never thought of Tatum as the best actor, though he certainly isn't the worst either.  Here he is on a completely different level. It's his performance that I can't stop thinking about as the eager to please, desperate to be loved (takes one to know one) man.

If Carell is an enigmatic presence throughout the film, and Tatum is the intense, electric center, then Mark Ruffalo is the heart and soul of this movie. His family man coach is the only real likeable character in the movie and the success of the third act depends entirely on how much the audience cares about him. And we care about his sweet and loyal character a whole lot. And, of course, Bennett Miller directs the hell out of this movie. Though it is a tragic film, it is also a beautiful one, filmed with wide open spaces and overhead shots to contradict with the intimate wrestling shots.

There is only one thing, really, that keeps this from being an A movie for me. It just really drags sometimes. At moments, it was simultaneously interesting and boring. With a bit better editing to make it feel sleeker and more fast paced, this could have been an instant classic. Though flawed, Foxcatcher is still a truly great story of the rise and fall of two men, and a fascinating character study of the complicated relationships we form.

Grade: B+

Friday Top Five - Most Anticipated

I know I have sort of been M.I.A. lately and that's mostly because there just aren't very many movies I am interested in playing right now. But all that is about to change. With September, comes the good movies, the awards hopefuls, the prestige pictures. So, here's a list of the top 5 films I'm looking forward to in the rest of 2014.
Note: I excluded This is Where I Leave You even though I am very excited to see it (loved the book, love the cast). However, it comes out in just a few short weeks so I thought I would clear the way for something that isn't coming for a while.

05. Unbroken
Stars: Jack O'Connell, Jai Courtney, Garrett Hedlund
Director: Angelina Jolie
Plot: The true story of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II.
Thoughts: I honestly had no interest in this based on the few articles I've read. Then I saw the trailer before Boyhood (imo, the best part of Boyhood were the trailers!). And now it's one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Not only does it look like this man led an extraordinary life, but also virtual newcomer O'Connell looks like he gives a tour de force, star-making performance.
Release Date: December 25

04. Foxcatcher
Stars: Steve Carrel, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo
Director: Bennett Miller
Plot: Based on the true story of Mark Schultz, an Olympic wrestler whose relationship with sponsor John du Pont and brother Dave Schultz would lead to unlikely circumstances.
Thoughts: The buzz is unreal with people talking non-stop about the go-for-broke, fearless performances from the cast, all playing against type. I mean, Miller is kind of a genius. He's the guy who got us to look at Jonah Hill in a completely new and exciting way. Also, Miller's resume is short, but kind of perfect - Capote, Moneyball. I'm all in.
Release Date: November 14

03. Inherent Vice
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, Jena Malone, Benicio Del Toro, Owen Wilson, Eric Roberts.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Plot: In 1970s Los Angeles, a druggie cop investigates the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.
Thoughts: Honestly, who even cares about plot when you look at that thoroughly impressive cast? Anderson doesn't just direct movies, he directs masterpieces. Among his flawed masterpieces are There Will Be Blood and The Master. Both of this films aren't perfect, but are so close, it hurts. One of these times he is going to truly make a masterpiece and until then I will see everyone of his films.
Release Date: December 12

02. Birdman
Stars: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone.
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Plot: A washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero must overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past glory.
Thoughts: The trailer for this movie looks absolutely bonkers, but if any movie is poised to make Michael Keaton a legit star once again, I'm more than excited for that. I love Michael Keaton and all the buzz on this movie says it is his best performance ever. Plus, I love weird, unique movies. This is one I am definitely too excited for.
Release Date: October 17

01. Gone Girl
Stars: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit, Neil Patrick Harris.
Director: David Fincher
Plot: Come on guys, we've all read the book, right??
Thoughts: First of all, Gillian Flynn has quickly become one of my favorite writers. Second of all, this book was pretty perfect with a main character so twisted and flawed and complex and fascinating. Third of all, and really, the only thing that even remotely matters, this is a David Fincher film, and David Fincher is perfect. If ever a book was made for a director, it's this book and this man. His movies are already twisted and dark, and he is just going to nail this... I can feel it. My anticipation has been growing ever since he signed on for the project and in less than a month, we'll finally be able to see his latest masterpiece.
Release Date: October 3

22 Jump Street

The best thing about 22 Jump Street is it has a sense of humor about itself. Right from the start, it endlessly mocks tired sequels and the funniest parts of the film are actually courtesy of Nick Offerman and Ice Cube, who both repeatedly let the audience know that, yes, this is a sequel, and yes, they are aware it has to be bigger and more outlandish, and yes, they know the audience wants to see the same thing over and over again. This is a self-aware movie, unafraid to make fun of itself, and right from the start, we know that this is going to be a fun movie, not something that is overly serious.

After breaking up a drug ring in high school in 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) head to college this time around to find the supplier of a brand new drug called Whyphy (pronounced WiFi, which stands for Work Hard, yes? Play Hard, yes?). While part of the fun of 21 Jump Street was the fact that the roles were reversed - Hill's nerd became the popular kid, and Tatum's jock became the unpopular one - this time, it's more straightforward. Jenko finds a brand new soul mate in the form of Zook (Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, new crush du jour of mine, thankyouverymuch), a hot Big Man on Campus quarterback. This leaves Schmidt feeling completely alone and left out. He's more than jealous of their new found bromance, and finds solace in a group of art students, including pretty girl Maya (Amber Stevens). From there, the movie is more or a less a retread of the original - one of the guys struggles to fit in, while the other gets an experience he completely missed out on the first time around. They bicker and fight and try to solve the crime, and eventually end up at Spring Break with a bunch of half naked co-eds. But, honestly, if you liked the first film, the second will not disappoint.

Hill and Tatum have a great chemistry and they are still as fun to watch as ever. Hill is well known for his comedic talents and one would go into this movie expecting him to be super funny, and he is, but Tatum is just as funny, if not, at times, funnier. They play off of each other so well, and they are truly a great on-screen comedic duo. The movie is funny and action-packed. Not to mention, this movie has one of the greatest closing credit sequences that I can think of! Of course, the movie isn't flawless. It is redundant, at times, and sometimes it feels like it's a lot longer than it has to be. But, again, if you liked the first film, you can't really complain. The sequel is just as funny and just as fun.

And while Hill and Tatum are superb as the leads, there are a few actors with smaller parts who steal the show. First and foremost is Ice Cube. He's absolutely killer in this movie, but revealing why would give away a pretty big plot twist, which I won't do. Needless to say, he kills it though. Then there is Jillian Bell, as Maya's roommate, who absolutely hates Schmidt from the get-go and makes endless jokes about him secretly being an old man trying to pass himself off as a college student. I already mentioned Wyatt Russell, who is a good actor and not just dangerously attractive. But the real stand outs of the film, for me, have to be The Lucas Brothers as the identical twins who live across the hall from Schmidt and Jenko. They are a pair of finish-each-others-sentences, chill as f**k, stoner bros who steal every damn scene they are in.

Overall, 22 Jump Street is the rare sequel that is just as good, or maybe even slightly better, than the original. It's funny and self-aware, and you should definitely check it out.

Grade: B

Side Effects

Word on the internet is that Side Effects will mark Steven Soderbergh's final time behind the camera. And if this is true, it's a shame. Not because he's choosing to retire. Soderbergh has created a well rounded, acclaimed body of work and if he wants to retire to focus on other interests or roll around in his piles of money, then good for him. It's a shame because Side Effects is just so underwhelming. I'm not saying it's a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination, but I truly wanted Soderbergh to go out on top and this just didn't do it for me. It's being sold as a taut thriller with twists and turns. Well, for anyone who has ever seen a movie or a really good TV show, for that matter, the twists and turns are evitable and predictable. Plus, any sort of thrilling feeling this movie delivers is all but ruined by a convaluted mess of an ending.

Side Effects is the story of Emily (Rooney Mara). She is just a young bartender in New York City when she meets a charming young man (Channing Tatum) who, I guess, works on Wall Street. Soon, she has everything she has ever wanted - the house in Connecticut, the fancy cars, the beautiful clothes, the money, a yacht. Her life is like a dream... until her perfect husband gets arrested for insider training and sentenced to four years in prison. Upon his release, Emily is thrown into a world of deep depression, cries for help, and suicide attempts. After she rams her car into a concrete wall, she begins to see a shrink (Jude Law) who helps her with a combination of therapy and pills. But, these pills have ever increasing side effects and, well, that's all I can say about the plot without giving anything away. And while I thought the end sort of ruined the movie, I won't give it away.

Side Effects wants to be a Hitchcock movie but Hitchcock was a master story teller and a master at creating thrills and expense, and while Soderbergh is a solid story teller, he's maybe just a novice with the whole suspense thing. The only character I ever truly felt invested in was Law's shrink and based soley on the fact that I find Law creepy and untrustworthy, I kept waiting for him to be found guilty of something awful, like child pornography or beating cats or something (that being said, Law is the best thing about Side Effects). Side Effects also wants to have a really great OMG moment like The Usual Suspects or Primal Fear but it lacks the cleverness of one and the intellect of the other (I'll let you decide which is which).

The performances are very hit or miss. I always found Catherine Zeta-Jones to be a little hit or miss for my taste. I find her general ability to always over act to only be suited for certain roles - say, Chicago - but, it's definitely not right for this. She's too campy and femme fatale. This is not a 60s noir movie and her performance, while small, is distracting. Channing Tatum is fine if disposable. Rooney Mara, in her first big role since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, proves why she is such a great talent. She is perfect for this sad, broken girl, although I would like to see her do a movie where she gets to smile once in a while. But it's Jude Law who is the stand out here. Even when seeming untrustworthy, he manages to put so much heart and soul into this character, you are completely invested in his future and decisions. It's the first solidly good performance of the year and it will likely spend a few months topping my Best Actor list.

So, basically Side Effects is what it is - a decent slow burn movie with an interesting concept and some good performances. It's not some great classic thriller and it is not going to live forever in your movie memories. It should not be a great director's swan song.

Grade: C+

Summer Movie Survey

One of my favorite blogs to read about films on line is The Film Experience. Recently, he featured a few different people answering a series of questions about their summer movie going experiences. I thought I'd steal borrow the survey and fill it out myself. Here goes...

Best Movie I Saw This Summer:
The Dark Knight Rises. I'm realizing not everyone loved it as much as I did, but I thought it was a perfect wrap up to the best superhero trilogy of all time. It was a thrilling, intense, dark, but ultimately uplifting film and I couldn't have loved it anymore.

Thing I Actually Learned (at summer movie camp!):
That maybe I was too quick to jump on that whole Blake Lively can really act bandwagon after her turn in The Town because she was certainly the weakest link in Savages.

Major Summer Crush:
Oh, where to start?? Michael Shannon in Premium Rush. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-man. Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman. The entire cast of Magic Mike.

Moment I <3 So Much I Thought My Heart Would Burst:
Beasts of the Southern Wild - Hushpuppy running through that infectious party scene with sparklers. So much beauty, innocence, hope, freedom.

Princess Merida, Katniss, or Hawkeye?
I'm a sucker for Jennifer Lawrence and The Hunger Games so Katniss all the way. We need more strong female characters being represented in young adult films. Women who have to fight for survival and not just lament having to pick over a boring vampire or an even more boring werewolf.

If Only "Hulk" Had Smashed...
Whoever thought that terrible ending for Premium Rush was a good idea. Way to (almost) ruin a perfectly fun late summer movie.

Mash-Up ~ Summer Movie Characters I'd Like to Introduce (and why):
Giovanni Ribisi from Ted and the cast of Magic Mike, because, even though I hated Ted, I loved Giovanni and his super sweet dance moves deserved a much better show case. Girls like skinny semi-creepy dudes, too, you know!

Rank the Magic Mike Strippers:
1. Magic Mike (Channing Tatum)
2. Dallas (Matthew McConaughey)
3. Ken (Matt Bomer)
4. The Kid (Alex Pettyfer)
5. Big Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello)
6. Tito (Alex Rodriguez)
7. Tarzan (Kevin Nash)

At Least the Theater Was Air Conditioned:
Ted. I think I laughed once, although I can't for the life of me remember why.

Best Old Movie I Saw For The First Time This Summer:
Oldboy. What the hell took me so long?? It was FANTASTIC!

Line Reading That Stuck in My Head:
It's a movie that isn't released yet, but I've seen the trailer so many times and I think it might be the best line of the year... "Why don't you do what old men do - and die." -Joseph Gordon-Levitt from the upcoming Looper.

Catching Up on Summer Movies

So, I sort of temporarily abandoned blogger but it was only because, for some reason, it wasn't allowing me to update. It looks like that might be fixed now so I have returned. In my absence, I was trying to keep up with things over on tumblr. If you want to read my recent full reviews go here: http://thiscinephile.tumblr.com/. For now, however, I will just post little quickies to get up to date.

Rock of Ages - Very similar to Burlesque but without the awesome performances courtesy of Cher and Stanley Tucci. The story of a young girl who tries to make it in Hollywood in the 80s, Rock of Ages was a huge success on Broadway. Julianne Hough has potential. She can dance and sing and act (her level of talent goes in that order too) but lacks any sort of chemistry with Diego Boneta, who also has absolutely no charisma whatsoever. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a titan of the musical world (Chicago) and takes a one-dimensional, slightly annoying role and proves why she is a superstar. Russell Brand and Alec Baldwain are forgettable at best. Paul Giamatti manages to give a great performance in the role of an unlikeable jackass. Then there is Tom Cruise. If you are going to see Rock of Ages, go see it for Tom Cruise. I'm not his biggest fan. But as Axl Rose clone Stacee Jaxx, Cruise, who makes his entrance in assless chaps, is all in. His dedication to this character is ridiculous and he parades around this movie like a peacock, so showy and vain and just damn good. The music in the movie is super fun (and there's a lot of it), but ultimately it's just a Tom Cruise vehicle. Somehow, this movie just didn't jive for me. Something was lacking and missing. Grade: C+

Magic Mike - Under the direction of Steven Soderbergh, Magic Mike becomes so much more than a movie about male strippers. The dialogue is rich and flows realistically. It's also genuinely funny and has a lot of heart. The filmmaking is just great and I especially loved the way the film seemed so vivid at night, but was sort of muted and washed out during the day, looking how you feel with a hangover. The performances are great, as well. Channing Tatum, this is story is based on his life, is clearly the best dancer and is so charming and charasmatic that he just keeps begging his haters to find faults with his seriously improved acting. Cody Horn is a great find and has great chemistry with both Tatum and Alex Pettyfer. Saepking of Pettyfer, this is his finest performance to date (especially during his second half unraveling) and proves he is much more than a pretty face. Then there is McConaughey, so dirty and grimy and slimy and hilarious as the perverse father figure of this group of lost boys. All in all, I loved Magic Mike. Soderbergh and this talented cast created a film that is downright good. Grade: B+

Ted - It seemed everyone in the audience with me loved this movie. I did not. Ted wasn't completely without laughs but mostly I found it boarish and just plain boring. I don't feel like rehasing a negative review so head over to Tumblr to read the whole thing if you want. Grade: D-

The Amazing Spider-Man - The film wastes a lot of time with the first act that doesn't necessarily go anywhere. The movie isn't really all that long (compared to other summer comic book movies) but it sure as hell feels like it. The best thing about this movie is Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. He just completely nails it and you almost don't want the original trilogy to exist because this movie will always be compared to those movies and Garfield doesn't deserve that. He is extraordinary. The Amazing Spider-man is at its best when it's this cute indie love story inside this epic film. When it's at its best, I'm so glad they decided to reboot it. The 3D aspect of the film also ratchets up the fun quotient. I'm not a big fan of 3D but if there was ever a superhero who begged to be in 3D, then it's Spider-man! The other downside is that I felt cheated out of a villain. Horror movies are only as good as their villains and it takes the Lizard nearly two thirds of the movie to arrive, and then he's more misunderstood then villainous. Emma Stone is sassy and witty and adorable as Gwen Stacy. The Amazing Spider-man is, indeed, amazing. It's ultimately a fun, exciting and sweet summer movie. Grade: B

Savages - Savages was a strange kind of movie for me. It's a really well done film, both dark and gritty and kind of funny. There's sex, drugs, violence and it has an actual plot, which is pretty for a summer movie. Plus, the cast is universally pretty great. Still, I was expecting more. Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch are pot growers who are in love with the same woman (Blake Lively) and get involved with a Mexican drug cartel headed by Salma Hayek and her sociopathic goon Benicio Del Toro. The plot and script is mostly great, engaging, interesting, thrilling and intense. Some of the dialogue, however, is a bit cheesy / corny / dumb (mostly Lively's voice overs). The cinematagraphy is great as well. The major problem for me was the terrible / preposterous / ridiculous / stupid ending. Seriously, there had to be a better ending out there somewhere!! Hayek, Del Toro and John Travolta are all hammy great. Johnson is sensitive and endearing. Lively is the weak spot, of course. But Kitsch finally put his summer blunders behind him. This the kind of intense, dark, gritty work the actor should be doing, not fluff like Battleship. Grade: B-


The Dark Knight Rises - The best movie of the year, so far, for sure. It might not be as good as The Dark Knight but it's pretty damn close. There are flaws in the movie, sure, but sometimes you just have to look at the bigger picture and appreciate a movie for being so epic and entertaining. And all the good stuff, no BRILLIANT stuff, more than makes up for any nitpicky flaws you might find with the movie. My review over on Tumblr is longer and more detailed but the gist is this: Christopher Nolan has crafted a trilogy that will stand that test of tie and be revered as, probably and hopefully, the greatest superhero trilogy of all time. The Dark Knight Rises is the perfect ending to that trilogy. Grade: A-

The Vow (DVD)

Here's an interesting thing I learned while watching the opening credits of The Vow: despite my very popular belief that it was, it, in fact, is NOT based on a book by Nicholas Sparks. Go figure. Instead, it's supposedly based on a true story of a couple who get into a car accident. The wife then loses her memory but, as fascinating movie scripts go, she only loses her memory for the exact amount of time that she's been married to her new husband. The entire movie is very trite and unconvincing. I guess it's maybe loosely based on a true story.
Anyway, Rachel McAdams, who is not my favorite actress in the world, plays Paige, an artist / sculptor who lives in Chicago with her husband Leo (Channing Tatum). They had a quirky relationship which culminated in getting married illegaly inside a museum and saying in their vows that they won't fight over red velvet cake. I'm all for the quirky relationship. I'm as quirky as they come. My problem here? Well, I can't think of any two people in the entire world who are less quirky than Rachel "I've never had a bad hair day and was probably prom queen" McAdams and Channing "My God, I'm so hot I can barely stand it" Tatum. I found it extremely hard to fathom that McAdams and Tatum were these artsy / boho / king and queen of the island of misfit toys characters. Just because you put a fedora on someone, it doesn't make them a musician hipster.
Anyway, post-accident, Paige doesn't remember any of her life with Leo. Instead, she remembers being in law school (she's dropped out), living with her family (who she hasn't spoken to in five years) and being engaged to swarmy lawyer Jeremy (Scott Speedman... yum (pity the girl who has to choose between Speedman and Tatum!)). So, Leo sets out to make her fall in love with him all over again. Frustration, cliches and "romance" ensues.
Plainly put - The Vow is just not good. It has all the cliches you would expect in a romantic comedy and then some. The writing is horrid. The romance is unbelieveable and even boring. You just don't care about these characters, really, at all. Paige is frustrating and kind of annoying. This continues a streak of movies where McAdams continues to play unlikable harpies and somehow people continue to like her and I, for one, don't get it. Tatum does a great job with what he's got to work with. I've long been a fan of Tatum and I'm so happy that his career is blowing up right now and he's getting a lot of credit that he deserves. If you think he's just another pretty face (and body) that can't act then I suggest you watch A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints, Stop Loss and Haywire. In that order. Also, pretty much all I think about 24/7 right now is Magic Mike. Anyway, try as Tatum's biceps and ass and cute smile might, they can't make The Vow anything other than a cheesy, over done cliche. If this is what Hollywood thinks of romance and love, then I'm not interested.
Grade: D+

Silent House & 21 Jump Street

Silent House - There are good things and bad things about Silent House. First, the good news. It's ridiculously creative. Filmed in one continuous take, the 88 minute long film was filmed in real time and features creative direction and camera tricks. Also, Elizabeth Olsen is INCREDIBLE. Her performance is so terrifyingly real and sincere that it's hard to not become involved in the story. The story, of course, is about Sarah (Olsen) who goes to her family's old lake house with her dad and her uncle in order to fix it up to sell it. It's been mostly abandoned for the last year and there are squatters who keep breaking in and destroying the house. Or maybe the squatters are still in the house. Because Sarah soon finds herself locked in the house. Then she finds her dad's unconscious body and so begins a game of cat and mouse with Sarah trying to stay alive and make it out of the house. Now for the bad news. The movie just isn't scary at all. Plus, it gets a little too weird at one point. Also, it's full of all the same old horror movie cliches. Then there's that ending. SPOILER ALERT. I'm not going to totally ruin the ending. I did like the IDEA of the ending. The problem is I don't think it was executed properly. An ending similar to that has been done so much better before in films like High Tension and Triangle. All in all, Silent House was merely mediocre. The creativity and Olsen's incredible performance definitely make it watchable. If it wasn't for those things, Silent House would just be another run of the mill, trite, boring wanna be scary movie.
Grade: C


21 Jump Street - A few days ago when I reviewed last year's remake of Footloose, I talked about how the best way to remake a classic film (or, in this case, TV show) was to make it your own while still paying homage to the original. Well, 21 Jump Street totally succeeds at both of these things. The film is based on the TV show that made Johnny Depp a mega star and is about a group of young looking cops who go undercover at local high schools. In the movie, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as ex-high school enemies (Tatum was uber popular, Hill was a loser) who become besties and then find themselves going back into their old school to infiltrate a drug ring. This time around, Hill finds himself in with the cool kids (including James Franco's equally strange and talented younger brother Dave) while Tatum is a nerd who is mistakenly signed up for AP-Chemistry. So, the plot is pretty commonplace, but here's the thing - the movie is actually really, really funny. In fact, at certain points, I kept thinking about how this movie really has no right to be this good. In fact, after the barrage of trailers that took over for a while, I was convinced this movie was going to be terrible. But it's not. We all know Jonah Hill is funny but here, again, he's proving that he's a pretty damn good actor as well. Tatum is known as being a pretty face but after seeing A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, I always suspected there was a good actor in there somewhere. Here, he's funny and charming and absolutely great. The supporting cast (from Franco to Ice Cube to Ellie Kempler to a small scene stealing part from Johnny Simmons) is all fantastic as well. Plus, there are cameos by a bunch of the original cast members of the show (including Johnny Depp - whose cameo is absolutely great). All in all, 21 Jump Street is a GOOD movie. The only thing keeping it from being a great movie is the too long run time. Other than that, it's totally recommendable.
Grade: B

Haywire

The problem with Haywire isn't that it's confusing (but it is) and it isn't that the lead character can't really act (because she can't). The problem is: if the lead character was a man, this movie wouldn't be interesting. It wouldn't be on anyone's radar. It would probably be widely regarded as one of the worst movies of the (very young) year. But because a female is the main character and that is supposed to encourage some sort of bad ass, feminist movement, then this movie is getting very generous reviews.

That being said, Haywire isn't a bad movie. It's a very mediocre movie with some very good supporting performances. But that's just not enough. MMA star turned American Gladiator turned movie star Gina Carano stars as Mallory Kane, an ex-Marine turned mercenary who is back stabbed and framed and sent on a cross country mission to find out who did her wrong and clear her good name. Or, it's the Bourne Identity without the memory loss and without Matt Damon. Carano is not an actress and although she can kick all kinds of ass, she's not all that compelling to watch. I just kept finding it completely unbelievable. I don't care how tough and awesome she is. I believe that she could fight tough boys and probably win most of the time. But that she always walks away without a scratch?? Come on! That her only injury during the entire movie was when she falls from a building and hurts her back and has to limp away? Please. She's not perfect.

So, Carano was kind of a wash for me. It's a good thing her role is largely silent and she doesn't have much dialogue because I didn't find her to be a good actress. The thing that saved this movie for me were all the great male supporting actors. Channing Tatum shows (again) that he's more than a pretty face as Mallory's ex-partner. He was impressive in previous efforts like A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and Stop Loss, so hopefully this is a step in the right direction for him. I don't want to see him in movies like the upcoming The Vow because that isn't going to do anything for him. He needs movies like this to maybe earn some cred. Michael Fassbender oozes sexy charm as the partner Mallory is set up with in Berlin. The two try to kill each other in a knock em down, drag em out hotel fight which is totally sexy. It's the best part of the movie, hands down. Michael Angarano, one of my favorites, is great as the comic relief - a young boy who happens upon Mallory in a cafe and gets forced along on a crazy road trip. Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas are great as the powerful potential bad guys in suits. But it's Ewan McGregor who all but steals the movie as Kenneth, Mallory's slime ball ex-boyfriend/ex-boss. He's delightfully slimy and wonderfully creepy.

Like I said, Haywire isn't a bad movie. It's just not a good one either. All I kept thinking during the entire movie was, I wonder what this movie would have been like if it had been directed by Quentin Tarantino. A talky, stylish, bad ass spy epic from one of the coolest directors around?? I would have loved to see that.
Grade: C

Top Ten List - Most Anticipated Films of 2009

Since I've been putting off writing reviews for the 2009 movies I've seen so far (because, well, they suck really bad), I decided I was going to do a list instead. I will write reviews very soon, promise. But, for now, here is my list of the top ten most antcipated movies of 2009...

10. Lymelife (April 8)
Directed by Derick Martini
Starring Alec Baldwin, Kieran Culkin, Rory Culkin, Timothy Hutton, Cynthia Nixon, Jill Hennessy, Emma Roberts
The darling of the Toronto Film Festival, Lymelife is about a life in the late 70s seen through the eyes of an innocent fifteen year old boy. It follows two families who crumble while dealing with family dynamics, divorce, etc. The plot may not sound all that great but look at that cast! I'm up for anything with one Culkin let alone two!

09. Drag Me To Hell (May 29)
Directed by Sam Raimi
Starring Alison Lohman, Justin Long
Sam Raimi's return to the horror genre!! It follows a young loan officer (Lohman) who is ordered to evict an old woman from her home and finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse which turns her life into a living hell. She tries to save her soul while evil forces try to push her to her breaking point. Sounds like fun for the whole family! Bonus points for the great title.

08. Public Enemies (July 1)
Directed by Michael Mann
Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Channing Tatum, Emile de Ravin, Leelee Sobieski, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Graham, Marion Cotillard, Rory Cochrane (!!), Shawn Hatosy
A movie where the cast is SO EFFING GREAT that it doesn't even matter what the movie is about. Honestly, it could be about printing phone books or quantum physics or flying kites and I would still see it. However, it is actually about the Feds trying to take down notorious gangsters John Dillinger (Depp), Baby Face Nelson (Graham) and Pretty Boy Floyd (Tatum!!) during the 1930s.

07. Taking Woodstock (August 14)
Directed by Ang Lee
Starring Demetri Martin, Liev Schreiber, Emile Hirsch, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Paul Dano, Kelli Garner, Eugene Levy, Imelda Staunton, Mamie Gummer
Ang Lee is back with another movie about the counterculture of the 60s with a gay protagnoist and no real big name stars. But it's hard to beat a supporting cast with Hirsch, Dano, Schreiber, Garner and Gummer. It apparently follows a man who inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in 1969. I'll be there for the cast. And Ang Lee, of course.

06. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (August 7)
Directed by Stephen Sommers
Starring Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Sienna Miller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (!!), Christopher Eccleston
We all know what this is about. I'm mostly excited for two reasons and only two reasons: 1) Channing Tatum who I love more than I probably should. 2) Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing Cobra Commander a.k.a one of the main villains. There's got to be a reason he did a movie like this and I imagine his character is so effing cool since he's the only one we haven't even seen a glimpse of yet (in leaked photos or character posters or in the teaser trailer). I just can't wait!

05. Nine (November 25)
Directed by Rob Marshall
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Stacy Ferguson, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren
2009 may well go down as the year of the great ensemble pieces. Nine follows a famous film director (Day-Lewis) as he struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent and his mother. Plus, I'm hoping this is the movie that will win me back to Hudson. I've been rooting for her. Really, I have. She's disappointed me for nearly a decade. Will this be the big role that bounces her back?

04. 500 Days of Summer (July 24)
Directed by Marc Webb
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel
First of all, greatest casting ever. Anyone who has ever seen Manic knows Joey and Zooey (as I like to call them because I wish they were really a couple) have amazing chemistry. So, to have them back together again is nothing short of fantastic. An early review out of Sundance that I read promises it's not a love story, but rather, a story about love. The trailer promises it will be an offbeat kinda film. The cast promises it will be something other than a cliched romantic comedy.

03. Whatever Works (TBA)
Directed by Woody Allen
Starring Evan Rachel Wood, Henry Cavill (!!!!!!), Patricia Clarkson, Kristen Johnston, Ed Begley Jr., Larry David
We all know how much I love Woody Allen. Then he goes and casts Henry Cavill in a lead role? Forget about it. My love for Woody knows no boundaries. I have no idea what this movie is about. I could care less. Woody is the master. Whether it's a comedy or a drama - doesn't matter. Everyone keeps saying, "Woody is back." Guess what? He never went anywhere.

02. The Road (TBA)
Directed by John Hillcoat
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall
Usually when a movie gets pushed back a year, it means trouble. I choose not to think that way about The Road. Based on the Cormac McCarthy book of the same name, The Road is a bleak, uber-depressing tale about survival in a post-apocalyptic world. I choose to believe what ever re-shoots or re-tooling they are doing is only going to make this movie even better. My anticipation hasn't wavered in the least.

01. Shutter Island (October 2)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley, Elias Koteas, Patricia Clarkson, Ted Levine
Again with the amazing cast. Again with the movie taken from a brilliant novel (Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane). The story is set in 1954 and follows a U.S. Marshall (DiCaprio) who is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.


Some plot descriptions taken from IMDB.
Reviews of Bride Wars, My Bloody Valentine and more coming SOON!!!!

Stop Loss, Horrorfest, April Movie Preview + more...

Stop Loss - It's been a long time since Kimberly Peirce has graced us with her presence. She, of course, made the amazing Boys Don't Cry way back in 1999 (that movie is the single reason why I still even bother with Hillary Swank). Well, it was worth the wait. She's back with Stop Loss, a gritty, powerful war film that is more about characters and friendships than politics and George Bush. Peirce could have easily taken the easy way out and made a film full of propaghanda and extreme liberal thinking. Instead she made a smart film with no real political agenda. It doesn't glamourize desertion. It's not anti-war. Instead, it focuses on the men who volunteered to fight for our country. This is a movie about soldiers and, if anything, it respects them immensely. The story follows two childhood friends serving together in Iraq - Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) and Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum). They arrive back in Texas after their tour ends with friend Tommy Burgess (Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is absolutely Oscar worthy - more on him later). All starts well with a night of drinking and dancing. Steve is excited to get back to his fiancee Michelle (Abbie Cornish) but soon drunken fun turns into fights. After that, King learns he has been stop lossed. Instead of being released from the service as his contract states, he is being sent back to Iraq thanks to a clause in the finest of print. This doesn't exactly make him happy and he chooses to fight it instead of go back to war. He figures he's done fighting for his country. He did his job and now it's the armies turn to live up to their side of the agreement. And guess what? You can't really argue that he's wrong. The film is absolutely solid and riveting. It meanders a bit for my taste. I would have prefered much more time with the great ensemble of characters instead of focusing so heavily on Phillippe and Cornish as they cross state lines to try to get answers and help. The acting is all top notch. Phillippe, who is usually very hit or miss for me, is superb and does some very emotional, gritty work. War films usually leave very little for women to work with but Cornish does a great job of playing a woman trying to deal with her fiancee seemingly choosing war over her. Tatum is amazing as well. (I just need to say this - as a film fanatic, I want to thank Kimberly Peirce for this movie, but as a woman, I want to thank Kimberly Peirce for the scene of Tatum digging a foxhole in his underwear). It's tiring to hear people complain that Tatum can't act. Clearly, they haven't seen A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. And they can't really say that after seeing this movie either. He doesn't have the biggest role but he does wonders with what he has to work with. Then there's Gordon-Levitt. I think it's pretty clear how I feel about him. He's, hands down, the best actor under thirty (forty, even, maybe). He's done increasingly impressive work ever since Manic. His performance here is really amazing. He gives layers and layers of rage that can only be hinted at on a page. He plays an alcoholic who enjoys target practice with the marriage presents he and his wife (Mamie Gummer) recently recieved. He's a little bit funny, a little bit tragic and just plain outstanding. His final scene is riveting. In the hands of a lesser actor, his character could have been completely forgettable but instead, Gordon-Levitt has instead created the perfect picture of a haunted and tormented soul. His performance is amazing and the movie is really the first truly good verging on great film of 2008.
Grade: B+

Wristcutters: A Love Story - Now this is my kind of movie! It's a unique and original idea - people who commit suicide and end up in a place that is just like life only worse. It stars Patrick Fugit and Shannyn Sossoman. It's wacky and enjoyable and quirky and funny and a little depressing but mostly uplifting. It's not exactly groundbreaking or anything but it does serve as a reminder that sometimes you can find beauty in the strangest of places.
Grade: B+

Horrorfest 2008 continues...
Tooth and Nail - I hope I haven't peaked so soon. Last year it took me until near the end of my run to find The Hamiltons and so I appreciated it all the more. I really hope Tooth and Nail isn't the best Horrorfest 2008 has to offer. I mean, it's good compared to the rest of the crap they churn out but it's nothing fantastic. It's a solid 'end of the world' story (I've been watching a lot of those lately) and has it's creepy moments, for sure. It stars Rider Strong and Rachel Miner as a group of survivors during the apocolypse who hide in a hospital to fend off evil cannibal rovers led by the great but underused Michael Madsen. It's interesting how this movie chose to have the world end. Not by war or virus or bacteria. We simply run out of oil. And guess what? That's totally believable to me. The acting is mediocre and the writing is too. It's cheesy at times and a little over the top. Still, for what it's worth, it's not a bad little horror movie.
Grade: C+
Lake Dead - And then there's this... It's like Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets Lake Placid meets The Hills Have Eyes meets some random soft core porn all done by a hack with little talent. And that's putting it nicely. Even mentioning two of those movie titles in the same paragraph with 'Lake Dead' makes me a little sick to my stomach. There is no originality, no style, no substance, no scares, nothing. I just... there's nothing really more to say. It's not getting an F just because there were times when I thought it could possibly be one of those 'so bad it's good' horror movies but it never even gets to that point. Sad.
Grade: D-


April Movie Preview...
April 4
Leatherheads stars George Clooney, Jim from the Office (ha) and Renee Zellweger. Two out of three ain't bad, I guess. Then there is The Ruins. This one has me interested. At face value it looks like just another cheesy horror movie. However, starring Jena Malone never really hurt any movie. Then there is the fact that it's based on a totally rad book. Makes things a little more interesting, now doesn't it? Now that Martin Scorsese has won his Oscar, he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants... like make a concert film about the Rolling Stones called Shine a Light. I'd pretty much see anything Scorsese made, even if it was a movie about dentists drilling teeth or something.

April 9
Young @ Heart opens in limited release and looks so fricking great I can barely stand it.

April 11
All I can say about Prom Night is - what are these people thinking with the horror movie remakes? Still, I'll probably see it just so I can complain about how people don't have original ideas anymore and they have to taint the name of great original horror movies and no one can make a good horror movie anymore and blah, blah blah. Smart People stars Sarah Jessica Parker (who is NOT the unsexiest woman in the world and I don't care what some stupid magazine says) and Ellen Page. Two of my favorite people together in a movie? You know I wanna see it!

April 18
Al Pacino is BACK in 88 Minutes, a movie about a professor whose life is threatened after he maybe helps lock up the wrong man in a series of murders. It may be cheesy or it may be great. I'm not decided how I feel about it yet. Then there is Forgetting Sarah Marshall which is Judd Apatow's next chance to actually win me over to the dark side. By the way, Mila Kunis > Kristen Bell. Oh, and Bill Hader!!

April 25
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey may be a match made in heaven in Baby Mama. Or it may turn out like The Brothers Solomon, a similarly plotted film that looked great on paper but not so much on film. Deception stars Michelle Williams, Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman. I'm not entirely sure what it's about but the cast looks great! Then there is Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo. Yep. You heard me.

The Ballad of Jack and Rose / A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints (DVD)

The Ballad of Jack and Rose - Daniel Day-Lewis has never been better as an idealized hippie who lives with his tween daughter Rose (bewitching Camilla Belle) in their abandoned commune he created with her mother (who left them when Rose was very young) on a small remote island off the East Coast of the United States. These two share a very close bond (very close) and have kept pretty much to themselves for years and years... except that Jack has been sneaking into town to see a woman named Kathleen (Catherine Keener). When Jack learns he has a serious heart condition, he invites Kathleen and her two sons from previous relationships - bad boy Thaddius (Paul Dano) and introverted Rodney (Ryan McDonald) - to move in with him and Rose. Naturally, this sudden invite causes some alarm for all involved, shaking up the ecosystem he has preserved and rattling the fragile yet rebellious Rose to no end (she pulls a shotgun on the sleeping bodies of her father and his new lover, for example). Written and directed by Rebecca Miller (daughter of Arthur), the film has a leisurely pace and is lovely to look at (sun dappling water, twinkling of an electric storm in a blue-violet twilight, dazzling full moon on a clear night). There is also a literate outlook on her characters and their interlocking, both sutble (a painful look by Day-Lewis to his daughter's deliberate display of losing her viriginty to Thaddius) and not-so (a snake slithering loose under the bed during the deflowering representing a loss of innocence). While this is well-acted across the board - including a small role by the usually laid-back Jason Lee - it is a showcase for Belle whose got dark quasi-exotic/girl next door/angelic looks who walks a tightrope of madness and a desire for normalcy. There is a magical sort of charm that works between her and Day-Lewis that is both tragic and inspiring. The weakness? A tad self-righteous, a bit tedious at times, a bit preaching of a message. But it's still a wonderful, gorgeous and tender film.
Grade: B+

A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints - This movie goes to show that you can keep everything inside and think you will never have to think about it again... but the truth of the matter is that no matter what, your past is something you just can't escape. You almost have to see the movie to understand it in the least. This is a staggering, powerfully moving film with performances that are nothing short of brilliant. It's the sort of drama that explodes off the screen. All the elements are at such full potential that you have no choice but to become fully immersed in the story. It's so visually stunning that it reminds us what cinema is all about. You can easily compare this film to the best films from John Cassavetes and even compare it to Larry Clark's brilliant Kids, but this is the sort of movie that will challenge you relentlessy and honestly. It has an aesthetic creativity that is not manipulated or affected in any way. Plot? Dito Montiel (who also wrote and directed) is a poor Italian kid growing up in Queens. He meets a new kid from Scotland (Ireland, whatever) and the more he hangs out with him, the more he realizes how much he needs to get out of Queens. This is told mostly through flashbacks as the older Dito prepares to return home to visit his ill father who refuses to go to the hospital. The cast is nothing less than brilliant. Robert Downey Jr. and Shia LeBeouf (as the older and younger Dito) are stunning with the right amount of dangerous swagger, charm and innocence. Chazz Palminteri, Dianne Wiest, Eric Roberts (in a very, very small part), Rosario Dawson - everyone is wonderful. But the biggest surprise for me was Channing Tatum. I always thought he was a pretty face and a bad actor. Well, I was wrong and I will freely admit that after seeing what he's truly capable of with his angry tough guy work in this movie. He easily steals the movie from everyone else with his charimsa and talent. Watching this film is rewarding for anyone who craves more depth and complexity than is found in the typical Hollywood movie.

Grade: A-