Snowpiercer

Every once in a while, a movie comes along that feels like a game changer. It feels new and fresh, revolutionary, like something you've never seen before. Think The Matrix. And even if you don't necessarily like the movie (I disliked The Matrix, personally), you still have to appreciate the ballsy attempt at making something different and unique. The newest movie attempting to change the game is Snowpiercer and it's easily the best film I've seen this year.

The setting is in the near future. A new ice age has made every living thing extinct, and the only survivors are traveling on a global rail road. It takes exactly one year to ride the entire track and the train is more than a hundred cars long. But it's not a free for all on the train. The richest one percent live like kings at the front of the train. They've got nightclubs and schools and sauna's. They've got all the food and wine they could possibly want, along with drugs. Meanwhile, all the poor people live like sardines in the very last train car. They are caged in like animals, sleeping on bunk beds, eating a disgusting gelatin protein block. Except one man has been waiting for the right time to start a revolution. And the basic premise of this movie is very simple - move from the back of the train to the front and take the engine.

The star of Snowpiercer is none other than Captain America himself, Chris Evans. And while I've never been a fan of his work in the past, I have to really praise him for his work here. He is absolutely astounding in this role, especially a third act monologue which is heartbreaking and shocking. He plays Curtis, a man who spent 17 years on Earth and 17 years on the train. He is joined on his mission by a rag tag group of passengers including the train kid that looks up to him (Jamie Bell), tough mom Tonya (Octavia Spencer), the conductor's one time partner (John Hurt), the man that invented the locks for the doors who they must break out of prison first (Kang-ho Song), and more. After breaking Namgoong out of prison, they make their way car by car through the train running into characters like Tilda Swinton's bureaucrat and Allison Pill's teacher. The cars themselves are a production designers dream come true - an aquarium car, a greenhouse car, etc. The entirety of the film takes place on a train, so it seems like it might be constricting for a director - filming in this linear, and limited space. But Korean director Joon-ho Bong is more than up for the challenge. He directs the hell out of this movie, making room for extreme action set pieces and also intimate character moments.

This is not just an action movie (although the action scenes are intense and exciting, specifically the torch/tunnel fight scene which is riveting), it's more a movie about humanity and about what people are capable of when society is stripped down to its most basic wants and needs. This is the sort of smart movie that will stay with you for days and months. It's not only destined to become a cult classic, but also probably a sci-fi genre masterpiece. Sure, some of the film borderlines on ridiculous (I still can't decide how I feel about Tilda Swinton's performance which is, to me, the most divisive part of the film), but this is it's own movie - pure cinematic joy, a unique vision, and one entertaining film.

Grade: A

Jumper + more

Jumper - Jumper suffers from what many movies suffer from - great idea, poor execution. I actually really loved the idea - a man could teleport anywhere in the world but has to deal with evil guys hunting for him because only God should have the power to be everywhere and anywhere. The film has great pacing and energy. The special effects are pretty solid (there is a particular fight scene between Hayden Christensen and Jamie Bell near the end which is just simply great). Jamie Bell's performance as the nervy Griffin is the clear stand out. His performance adds a frantic energy to every scene he is in. He's smart and funny and engaging. Unfortunately, he's not in the film nearly enough. Most of the good things I can say end there. The film suffers from one big thing: Hayden Christensen. He surely has the looks to be a matinee idol. He's a great looking kid and he's not a terrible actor (see: Shattered Glass). Unfortunately, he is more often than not wooden and ineffective. I could use those words to describe his performance here as well. There's very little development in the story as well. This could have been a really great superhero or anti-hero story but the writers hardly seemed to notice just how self involved the hero really is. It was almost enough to make the audience root for the villain, Samuel L. Jackson - except he was almost cartoonish, what with the blonde hair and ridiculous dialogue. And I love Samuel L. Jackson! Then there's Rachel Bilson. Summer, Summer, Summer. I loved you oh so much on The O.C. However, I fear she showed the extent of her abilities on that show. The fast talking cutsie thing worked very well on that hipster show but you can't always do the same thing. In film, you have to be able to branch out and do different things. I just don't think Bilson has it in her. Then there is the rumor floating around that Bilson and Christensen are romantically linked in real life. I don't care if it's true or not. If it is true, however, I really hope they have a lot more chemistry in real life because they have none on screen. Unfortunately, this movie is mostly mediocre. A great plot and Jamie Bell can only get you so far. Action sequences aside, the movie becomes quite boring. Jumper is somtimes fun and sometimes interesting. I actually hope they make a sequel and perhaps they can do a better job the second time around because it really is an interesting idea.
Grade: C-

Sex and Breakfast - This is a small little movie that is intimate and mostly interesting. It focuses on two young couples having trouble in their relationships. James (Macaulay Culkin) and Heather (my girl Alexis Dziena) are in love but Heather is unable to acheive orgasm with James. Ellis (Kuno Becker) and Renee (Eliza Dushku) want to marry but they feel like they've become boring. Both couples are looking to spice up their sex lives and see a counselor who suggests group sex. The thing about this movie is it's not as shocking as you would think. When you hear the concept, you think, 'Oh, it's going to be all about sex with tons of nudity and whatever.' But, not so much. It's actually pretty character driven and focuses more on the relationships of the couple than their eventual intimate interactions. The writing is a little hit or miss for me and I don't know if the movie completely works. It actually would have worked a lot better as a short film, I think. Still, the performances are all solid and well done. It's not a great movie, but it's decent.
Grade: C+

Wind Chill - The beginning of this movie isn't half bad. It's sort of ominous, it gives you a great atmosphere and a good character and story build up. I mean, sure the characters are unlikeable, but that doesn't really matter to me much. Emily Blunt is good at being a bitch when she wants to be. Her character sort of has an arc which is unusual for ghost stories. Ashton Holmes is only slightly creepy. There's not much to work with set wise because it's basically too kids stuck in a pile of snow for a long time. The writing is pretty weak. It makes too many uncomfortable shifts from 'romantic' to 'horror.' It just doesn't work in horror movies. The only way romance should ever play a part in a horror movie is if the couple is already established at the beginning of the movie. People usually don't fall in love during terrifying situations. There's absolutely nothing scary about this movie whatsoever. The biggest waste of all is that it just throws away all the atmosphere it built up so well in the beginning. In the end, I just wanted someone to kill the lead characters because they were just so stupid I could barely stand it. Please, skip this movie at all costs.
Grade: D