Iron Man 3

Word on the street (and, by street, I mean Entertainment Weekly) is Robert Downey Jr. might not be back for any future Iron Man endeavors, and that is definitely a shame if it turns out to be true. When these moveis lean toward the mediocre, Downey Jr. is the one who saves them from themselves. It's hard to believe anyone will be able to fill his shoes and fill the character with the perfect mixture of charm, wit, humor and cockiness. Downey Jr. is perfect for Tony Stark / Iron Man, the way Harrison Ford was perfect for Indiana Jones and Heath Ledger was perfect for the Joker.

My feelings about Iron Man 3 are so mixed that I barely even know where to start. Director Shane Black takes over for Jon Favereau here and I think that was a good thing. He injected a much needed dose of adrenaline into the series. However, at times, it's maybe a bit too hectic. I think Black had a lot of great ideas, and maybe he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to do this again, so instead of streamlining all of his ideas, he more or less decided to put every single one of them into this movie. Iron Man 3 takes place after series of events that took place in The Avengers (and the characters talk about those events A LOT... too much) and it finds Stark suffering from anxiety after his near death and unable to sleep. Instead, he's been tinkering with a new suit that comes to him and forms onto his body when he beckons. Soon, he has a whole lot to worry about other than his insomnia. A mysterious terrorist calling himself The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley, having an absolute ball) begins making serious threats against the president. Plus, a swarmy scientist (Guy Pearce) is making a play for Stark's lady Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).

That's about as much plot as I'm willing to get into. The plot is long and confusing and I seriously have no idea how any of the ten or twelve small children who were in the same theater as me had any idea what was going on at any point. Although I guess it doesn't matter. The plots of these movies take a major backseat to the special effects and the action sequence. And while it takes a good 45 minutes to get to any action sequences, each one is bigger and crazier than the one before it, until we get to that final chaotic scene which is so over the top it's almost ridiculous (okay, it's totally ridiculous and I have yet to decide if that's good or not). So, the plot is long and meandering. It takes us back to the 1999 and Stark's encounter with a brilliant botanist (Rebecca Hall) and it takes us to the middle of nowhere, Tennessee, where Stark forms a sweet but completely unnecessary bond with a small fatherless boy. It takes us from houses being destroyed to over the top battles on deserted boats. All the while there are three things that are holding this whole crazy ship together.

Okay, maybe four, if you count Gwyneth Paltrow's abs which are seriously RIDICULOUS. I have literally not been able to think about anything else in the last three days. Those abs are definitely getting me through my latest attempt at planks. But I digress.

Robert Downey Jr. is the shining star here, as he almost always is. He brings so much to the role of Tony Stark that, like I said, it's impossible to picture anyone else in the role. He sort of phoned it in during that last Iron Man movie (or perhaps that script was just such a mess that he didn't know what else to do), but he's definitely back in top form here. The second this is the direction by Shane Black which, while a bit crazy at times, is also refreshing. You can tell he's having the time of his life, that he feels the unadulterated joy of making a movie like this and that sort of energy is seriously contagious. The final is Kingsley, who steals all of his scenes as the Mandarin. Without ruining anything or saying too much, there is a plot twist involving his character which I vehemently hated and nearly ruined the movie for me, but Kingsley at least plays it well. He plays it better than any other actor could. He goes for it, completely and totally, the way very few actors could, and possibly no one else could pull off.

These few saving graces bring Iron Man 3 to a place just above mediocrity. It's definitely no where near as good as the first, but it is better than the second. If it's the end of the Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man age, I think he deserved a little bit better.

Grade: C+

The Avengers

Some of the reasons I wasn't a huge fan of The Avengers has absolutely nothing to do with the movie itself. The theater in which I saw the film had terrible sound. I guess they were expecting the action scenes to be so loud that the volume was so low during the dialogue that I missed a lot of it. For the first hour or so, I only understood about every fifth word, missing important plot points and funny dialogue. Not to mention, I was lucky enough to be sitting next to two pre-teen girls who clearly didn't spend their money on the movie, because if they did spend twenty-two dollars to see The Avengers in 3D, they would not have gossiped and gabbed for two and a half hours straight. I mean, I guess I understood the basic plot which was that Loki stole that giant glowing blue thing and threatened to demolish the world and the Avengers had to stop him and his alien army. If there were any finer points to the plot, they were all but lost on me thanks to the universe working against me. I'm the kind of person who likes to get lost completely in a movie so that I can fully enjoy it. Due to all the theater distractions, that just never happened with The Avengers, and that's a shame, because I was stoked about seeing the movie.

Then there are the reasons I didn't love The Avengers that were in the control of the movie. First off, it was at least twenty minutes too long. They definitely could have trimmed that final epic battle scene (although it was bad ass... it just could have been a little shorter). Plus, the first hour or so was pretty much catching up with your favorite super hero. And while it was fun to see what Iron Man and Captain America and The Hulk have been up to in the years since we've seen them on screen, that sequence could have been streamlined a little bit so that it played quicker. Then there's the relationship between Thor and Loki. I know it was touched upon in the film Thor, but I think more attention should have been paid to the interesting dynamic between a heroic man when your brother is trying to decimate Earth. That's an interesting concept and was broached only in a small throwaway scene completely with a funny one liner I barely heard.

This isn't to say there weren't good things about The Avengers. There were. I mean, it was FUN! Watching Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye beat the crap out of aliens during that last big battle scene was FUN! Yes, it was so much fun that the word deserves to be in all caps. The action sequences are thrilling, exciting and well done. Kudos to director Joss Whedon for not getting too bogged down because sometimes in action movies, the sequences can end up looking like a jumbled mess but that's definitely not the case here.

The acting is absolutely top notch but that's sort of to be expected from a super hero movie that boasts the most Oscar nominees featured in a film from that genre. Playing billionaire genius Tony Stark / Iron Man must be second nature to Robert Downey Jr. by now and he continues to be exciting in the role. Tony Stark, with his dry wit and sarcastic humor, is the perfect character for Downey and he nails the character every time. Chris Evans as the loyal leader Captain America is great as well, nailing the earnest, good natured vibe of the character. Mark Ruffalo is fantastic as Bruce Banner / the Hulk and you get the feeling that if he'd been playing the character previously than the last two incarnations of the character wouldn't have been so unsuccessful. He's fantastic and endearing as the character and ridiculously likeable. Chris Hemsworth is sort of a waste as Thor. With such a missed opportunity for a great storyline for his character, he pretty much just goes through the motions as a big, powerful demigod. Scarlett Johansson is totally bad ass as the Black Widow, a deadly assassin / spy. I genuinely hope that rumored spin off happens because her character is mysterious enough that I'd love to learn some back story. Jeremy Renner, who, in my personal opinion, is the best actor in The Avengers is totally and completely wasted. He barely gets any screen time at all until the big climax and then he just gets to shot arrows at things while looking in another direction. He's cool, I guess, but completely wasted.

But, of course, any super hero movie is only as good as its villain. That's why The Dark Knight is (and probably always will be) the greatest super hero movie of all time. And the villain in the Avengers is superb. Played by Tom Hiddleston, Loki is a damn good bad guy, always one step ahead, always smarter than he appears. Even in captivity, you know he has the upper hand and he plays it so cool and collected, you can't help but believe he has the power to destroy the Earth.

Overall, The Avengers definitely was a great ride and lots of fun, I just wish I could have enjoyed it more, and that's not all necessarily the movies fault.

Grade: C+

Due Date

The elephant in the room, of course, is The Hangover which is one of the best comedies of the last decade or so. Due Date stars one of the stars of that film, Zach Galifianakis, and is also from the same writer / director. So, is it as good as The Hangover? Well, of course not. But did anyone really expect it to be? I tried to keep my expectations at a minimum so I wouldn't be disappointed. It sort of worked.
The story is simple - Peter (Robert Downey Jr.) is a first time expectant father and he is rushing home to Los Angeles from Atlanta for the scheduled C-section birth of his baby (with is the lovely and underused Michelle Monaghan). Well, he manages to get thrown off his plane thanks to a run in with a loony named Ethan (Galifianakis) who likes to throw around the words "terrorist" and "bomb" while on a plane. Not only do they get thrown off the plane, but also they find themselves on a do not fly list. It seems Peter's wallet with his credit cards and money is in his bag on the plane en route to Los Angeles so he can't even rent a car. Luckily though, Ethan can and they begin a road trip. Of course, craziness ensues - run ins with crazy pot dealers (Juliette Lewis) and crazier Western Union employees (Danny McBride) as well as car accidents and an ill fated trip to Mexico. Jamie Foxx shows up as Peter's bestie who may or may not have had an affair with his wife nine months ago. Also, Peter has a dog named Sonny, a cremated father in a coffee can (which they drink, of course) and wants to move to Hollywood to be an actor on Two and a Half Men, his favorite TV show.
So, that's the plot in a nut shell. Does it work? Sometimes. The film starts off insanely slow. In fact, the first half is a little boring. But it starts to get better (more laughs, better pacing) somewhere in eastern Texas. So, the second half is a whole lot better than the first. The ladies of the film are terribly underused. Foxx merely has a cameo. McBride does his same old funny asshole shtick (which I still love because I love him). So, ultimately this movie belongs to its leads and on that level, it most certainly works. These two guys have a chemistry together. Even though Galifianakis is playing a version of the same character he always does, he's still funny. I know a day is going to come when I get really sick of him, like Michael Cera, but that day hasn't arrived yet. All in all, Due Date is a lot of fun as long as you don't expect the greatness of The Hangover.
Grade: C

The Soloist and Wolverine

The Soloist - The main problem with The Soloist is a very bad screenplay. The intentions all around are good but the pay off is never really there. It's hard to relate to a script or a film when you have no idea what the basics are. Is it a movie about the main characters evolution into a good man? Is it a movie about the other protagonists slip into mental illness? Is it just a simple social commentary about homelessness in Los Angeles? I have no idea. I also have no idea who to relate to. It seems like it's the story of journalist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) but then there are these randomly misplaced flashbacks involving Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx). They aren't necessary, serve little purpose and are badly placed throughout the movie. So, basically, the script is awful. The direction, surprisngly, isn't much better. Once in a while, director Joe Wright stumbles upon a brilliant image although they never really seem to fit. More often than not the direction is boring sliding into cheesy territory (the awful Fantasia scene and the even worse flying pigeon scene). At this point, I expect so much more from Joe "I directed the single greatest cinematic moment of 2007" Wright. He disappointed me. The good news? The acting is superb. However, you shouldn't expect less from Robert Downey Jr. who is just excellent and Catherine Keener who is one of my faves and who does so much with so little. Foxx is a little rockier. There was something about the performance that I just didn't buy - it was the poor man's Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. Still, he gets an A for effort. Downey Jr. easily outshines him. Again, the intentions of this movie were good, the performances made it worth it, but it all is just average for me.
Grade: C



X-Men Origins: Wolverine - I will say this for the prequel to the X-Men trilogy: the action sequences are pretty amazing. From the motorcycle scene that ends with Wolverine practically flying through the air to attack a helicopter, to the more intimate fight scenes between characters to the epic fight scene at the end, the action is spectacular. Everything else... a little boring. Maybe it's just preference but I've never really been an X-Men fan, or a Wolverine fan, or a Hugh Jackman fan. Going into the film, I was hoping for more of an ensemble. I wanted less Jackman and more Liev Schrieber (who is so, so good as Sabretooth), Ryan Reynolds (who is funny and charming as mercenary Wade Wilson who becomes Deadpool), Dominic Monaghan (who is barely in the movie), Danny Huston (who is good at being manipulative) and, especially, Taylor Kitsch as Gambit (who is a total bad ass and is so damn good looking it almost physically hurts me). They've been promoting all of these characters and they've mostly been reduced to glorified cameos. I could have done without all the "RAWRRRRRR I'm Wolverine" moments, as well. Also, and again I know very little about the actual comic book stories, but it seems to me that Wolverine is one of the characters that don't really need a back story. Isn't half of the appeal in his character that he's so damn mysterious? It was all just too focused on one thing when I think it could have been a much better story had they included different, more interesting characters in a bigger way. After all, what's the point of hiring fine young actors if you aren't going to use them?
Grade: C-

Top Ten List - Best Actor 2008

10. Richard Jenkins in The Visitor - One of the best character actors out there, Jenkins delivers a subtle and emotionally complex leading man performance. He's charming, nuanced and completely natural.

09. James Franco in Pineapple Express - Even the picture on the cover is hilarious. Franco shines as a drug dealer who is surprisingly deep in this comic gem from the summer. Franco, who is usually a brooding, serious leading man, shows he can do comedy with just as much ease.

08. Frank Langella in Frost / Nixon - My distaste for the movie is maybe why he's so low on my list. Langella, however, does become Richard Nixon. It's a great and total transformation. The movie may not be spectacular but his performance is awfully good. He steals the show.

07. Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man - It's the perfect role for Downey, actually. He's always been a person who I thought of as charming, witty, just a little cocky. That's who Tony Stark is, essentially as well. Downey probably had no trouble channeling those traits to use for the role. He also managed to be heroic as well.

06. Sam Rockwell in Snow Angels - Probably one of the most underrated actors out there, Rockwell always shines playing complex characters. This time around he's playing a born again Christian struggling with his demons and with his ex-wife moving on when all he wants to do is work things out. It's a frighteningly real performance.

05. Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt - Hoffman and Streep go toe to toe and prove that they are two of the living greats. Hoffman has a difficult job - making his priest seem trustworthy and honest but still managing to make him just a little creepy. You don't know if you should trust him or not. There's a particular scene between Hoffman and Streep and I didn't think either one of them was going to make it out of there alive!

04. Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road - His Frank Wheeler is deeply complex. And DiCaprio plays him with such ease. Maybe its because he's such a phenomenal actor. Maybe it's because he's with Kate again. But his performance here just may be his best ever (or, maybe, second only to The Departed). Frank is unhappy and lonely, struggling with the fact that his wife may not love him anymore. Winslet's got the showier, louder role, for sure, but DiCaprio is perfection as well.

03. Colin Farrell in In Bruges - It's been a long time since we've seen what Farrell could do acting wise. He's long just been a tabloid staple. But guess what? That potential that we all saw back in the days of Phone Booth, that has had everyone saying for the last decade, "If only he could find the right part..." well, it finally shines through. In Bruges is the right part for Farrell and it manages to show his range. He could be depressing, funny, charming, dark and witty all at the same time. I knew he could do it.

02. Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler - Probably the comeback of the year, it's nice to see Rourke, who was once considered the next Robert DeNiro, on top again. Darren Aronofsky took a chance on him and it pays off. The movie is about a wrestler struggling with the fact that his career is just about done, he has burned every bridge in his personal life, his youth is gone, his looks are gone, he's damaged himself physically and emotionally for years and years. Rourke probably didn't have to look far for inspiration.

01. Sean Penn in Milk - I'll say it right here and now - Sean Penn is in the top three of the greatest living actors. I can't decide yet where he would fall in the top three, but he's definitely in there. Penn becomes Harvey Milk. He inhabits this sweetness (yes, sweetness... yes, Sean Penn) and charm and becomes Harvey Milk. We're so used to seeing him play characters who are fiery and intense. Here he takes that passion and channels it in a different way. He plays Harvey to perfection, helping to create one of the two best performances of the year (he's probably tied with Ledger). Penn never ceases to amaze.

Tomorrow - Best Films!

Top Ten List - Best Supporting Actor 2008

10. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Stop Loss - The first good performance of the year, Gordon-Levitt plays the role of a man dealing with being back from war the way he plays every role - with unbridled passion and talent. To say he's one of the best actors under thirty is an understatement.

09. Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight - Eckhart may not give the best performance in the film (more on that later) but he does play the only character with any sort of arc and he plays it extremely well. He starts off as a stand up man full of principle and morality and ends up as a hateful villain.

08. John Malkovich in Burn After Reading - One image from 2008 that I will never forget? John Malkovich coming off a boat dressed in a bath robe holding an axe. His disgraced CIA agent is hilariously on edge. One of the many reasons I celebrate Malkovichmas.

07. Josh Brolin in Milk - Slowly unraveling. He's a coiled ball of nerves. He may not be my favorite of the supporting men of Milk but he is responsible for the single best scene of the movie - a drunken encounter with Harvey at a party. Brolin just keeps getting better.

06. James Franco in Milk - Is anyone sweeter than Franco in Milk? I don't think so. He stands by his man through much of the film and even after they break up, he's still there in spirit. Kudos for saying the line "if I hear about politics one more time tonight I'm going to stab you with a fork" and still managing to sound adorable.

05. Emile Hirsch in Milk - At the beginning, he's a tough talking kid. A queen if there ever was one who just wants to party. Near the middle, he's responsible for one of the most moving scenes as his Cleve Jones describes the unspeakable hatred he saw in Europe. Hirsch is moving and powerful.

04. Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder - What could have easily become an offensive off-putting performance was elevated to something that everyone could laugh at thanks to great writing... and Downey's fantastic performance. He manages to be hysterically funny while still raising poignant thoughts about racism and even method acting.

03. Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road - I have been a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio's for my entire life / his entire career. There's never been a time when I thought he was out done by any other actor - even when going head to head with Jack Nicholson in The Departed. Still, there is a particular scene in Revolutionary Road where DiCaprio and Shannon get in a rather heated argument. During this scene, I thought to myself, "Man, Shannon is acting circles around Leo!" Shannon is out of control in this movie - a continuous explosion that just shakes everything to its core.

02. Michael Pitt in Funny Games - Imagine a killer being the most polite, kind, cutest boy you ever saw? It's terrifying, right? Pitt plays the young killer of Funny Games so straight and sweet that it makes it the most terrifying thing you've ever seen. All at once, he's frightening, hilarious, kind, chilling and fiercly intelligent.

01. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight - Is there anything left to say about Ledger's outrageously perfect performance? I don't think there is. He really, really, really is as good as everyone says. Actually, he's probably better. With every viewing, his performance becomes more effective and more entrancing. The most perfect performance of the year. Hands down.

Tomorrow - Best Actress!

Iron Man + mini reviews

Iron Man - First, let me say this: Robert Downey Jr. is so perfect for the role of Tony Stark that I really can't imagine anyone else even being considered for the role. This is the role he was born to play. He brings the perfect amounts of charming gentleman, cocky cad and comic timing. It doesn't hurt that mostly everything else about Iron Man is pretty damn good as well. I won't say it's great. But I will say that it is fun! This year has been a wash for movies so far (I mean, if I was going to make a top 10 list now - which I usually do - I wouldn't even be able to muster up 10 movies I really liked. I don't even think I could muster 5) but at least Iron Man starts the summer movie season off on the right foot. Iron Man is just about everything it should be: it's entertaining, it's fast paced, it's got great action sequences. It has comedy, it has the obligatory will-they-or-won't-they love story between Downey's Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts (she's really solid as well... plus, she looks great with red hair). It's got a good villain, good music, great gadgets. It's really just the kind of movie you hope it will be. There's really not much to complain about on the Iron Man front (although... and maybe I'm just being picky... but the final act turns a little too "Let's just blow shit up" for me). As for staying until after the credits? I would only recommend it if you are a huge comic book geek. I was told (quite excitedly) to stay until after the credits (quote "best extra scene EVER") and I was a little disappointed because I don't really care about the comic book universe. Still, I'll just think of the pre-credit perfection of an ending and I will remain satisfied completely with Iron Man.
Grade: B



Also, I've seen a lot of other films in my self-imposed exile from reviewing. Here are a few mini reviews...


Forgetting Sarah Marshall - On the Judd Apatow scale of major release hilarity this one falls somewhere between Superbad (my very favorite) and The 40 Year Old Virgin. It's true. I haven't laughed this hard since Superbad. Especially at the exceptionally hilarious Dracula: The Musical scenes (actually, I don't think I ever laughed so hard). Overall, Sarah Marshall is a really solid, funny, surprisingly heartfelt comedy. I couldn't exactly click with the female characters (these Judd Apatow boys can write crude comedy but they can't write a solid female character to save their lives) which was pretty much the only major problem I had. Except for the utter wastefulness of Paul Rudd. Still, this movie is worth seeing, for sure.
Grade: B-


Smart People - Great cast. Still, something never quite works here. It's not a bad movie but it's not necessarily a great movie either. It feels like a retread of about a dozen better movies. Ellen Page is fantastic but it really just makes me want to netflix Wonder Boys.
Grade: C


Deception - File this one under "Missed Opportunity." When you've got such a great cast to work with - Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams - you think a solid movie is in the bag. But, not so much. In fact, the glamour and the glitz is all just so fake looking. For a movie about an underground sex society, there is nothing remotely sexy about the movie. It's all a little silly and just plain bad.
Grade: D+


Lars and the Real Girl - Ryan Gosling is great. Emily Mortimer is even better. Still, for a "unique" indie comedy, I felt this was just about as cliched as possible. And who would think you would be able to use the word "cliche" for a movie about a man in love with a blow up sex doll? Predictible is another word that comes to mind. And that's a shame. Great idea. Great performances. Solid execution. It just all comes apart in the last act or so.
Grade: C+


Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Well, someone totally ruined the ending for me but I still mostly enjoyed this dark and twisted musical from the wonderfully creative Tim Burton. Johnny Depp is just plain out fantastic. Ditto for Helena Bonham Carter. Still, I love Alan Rickman the most. I could have done without the story line about his daughter. I know it's necessary to the plot but it bored the hell out of me.
Grade: B


The Savages - Who was the MVP of 2007? Philip Seymour Hoffman! He's phenemonal in this indie comedy. Still, it's Laura Linney who got the Oscar nomination, and rightfully so. She's hilarious and completely relatable as well. This is a really solid, well-done black comedy. What a great screenplay and even better performances.
Grade: B


The Orphanage - Yawn.
Grade: D+ (maybe I should take away the "+." I only put it there because I liked the ending.)


Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - Again with the Philip Seymour Hoffman! He's amazing in this movie. I gave him such a hard time about his Oscar nomination for Charlie Wilson's War and I still believe he outright stole it from Paul Dano. Still, he should have been nominated. He just got it for the wrong movie. His performance here is definitely Oscar worthy. He's slick and cocky and manipulative and just plain great. Ethan Hawke plays his brother and does a pretty good job as well (although he's not nearly the actor Hoffman is). Sidney Lumet was something like 113 years old when he directed this movie (okay, he was 80 something) but he does such a spectacular job. The movie is an intense, satisfying thriller. It's also one of the best of last year. Wish I would have seen it earlier because it definitely would have made my top 10 list.
Grade: A-


He Was a Quiet Man - An interesting film, for sure. There are quite a few creative decisions that I liked very much. There are also some truly excellent parts. Overall, however, it doesn't really add up to a particularly good movie. The ending is great but, other than that, it's merely average. Elisha Cuthbert is terribly miscast. I would have liked to see someone else in her role. Maybe Christina Ricci or Thora Birch (what has she been up to lately?). Christian Slater, however, is a revelation in his performance. He hasn't been this good and this electrifying in a movie since, I don't know, Heathers, maybe.
Grade: C+

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-

Zodiac

When Zodiac, the new serial killer thriller from diretor David Fincher, is at it's best, it's reminiscent of The Silence of the Lambs and other classic taut thrillers. When it's at it's worst, it's still interesting, well acted, well directed and just altogether well done.

Since the movie is based on the book written by Robert Graysmith (portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie), then it's smart to assume that the facts are as accurate as possible. The film starts with a few scary scenes of a man killing couples in the middle of the night. The killer begins to call himself the Zodiac and starts sending letters to various newspapers including the San Francisco Chronicle which is the main focus of the film since that is where Graysmith worked as a cartoonist. At first, he really has nothing to do with the case. He's merely interested in the codes the Zodiac sends to the paper. Instead, it's reporter Paul Avery, played wonderfully by Robert Downey Jr. who is ordered to cover the case. On the cop side of the issue, two cops, Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards, become involved in the case once the killer moves out of the suburbs and into the city. The story follows the murder and the suspects and the investigation for a good chunk of time, but once you begin to accept the film as a sort of ensemble piece, it takes off in a different direction and follows Gyllenhaal as he becomes more and more obsessed with the story. After so many years of not solving the murders, he just can't let it go. He gets involved under the guise that he's writing a book about the murders but really he just wants to solve them for some inexplicable reasons. He even jeopardizes his marriage in order to have a resolution to the murders. It's debatable about whether that resolution ever really comes. They never arrested anyone for the murders although the movie (and the book) finger one particular suspect very heavily and makes it difficult to dispute his involvment in the murders.

This movie is close to 3 hours long but it doesn't really feel like it. I read an interview with David Fincher in which he said that it was impossible to cut anything from the movie. He said in order to tell the story completely, it had to be 2 hours and 50 minutes long. I agree. The movie sticks so closely to the book and it covers every angle very well. In order to tell a story that covers nearly two decades, it's necessary to be a little on the long side (but, then, I'm a fan of long movies in general).

The filming techniques aren't as flashy as Fincher's earlier works (Seven, Fight Club) but that actually works for the film and lends it more of a documentary feel. The clothes and the surroundings are so authentic to the late 60s, 70s and early 80s, that the movie just feels real. The screenplay is wonderful and the characters are compelling and interesting. All of the performances are wonderful, down to all the supporting players, but Gyllenhaal, Downey Jr., and Ruffalo are all really wonderful in the starring roles. Gyllenhaal and Downey work well off each other and have a really great chemistry. The movie even has that witty, darkly humerous charm that most Fincher movies have. There are a few particular scenes that are downright scary, including a cat and mouse scene with Gyllenhaal's character in the home of someone who turns out to be a suspect that had me barely breathing. The outdoor shots of San Francisco make artistic use of vibrant dark colors at night, and glowing pastels during the day. The interiors capture the maze-like atmosphere that cops and reporters must navigate daily. The news room scenes bustle and explode with loudness. The murder scenes remind me of Bonnie and Clyde.

Zodiac is the kind of movie that sticks with you. For an unsolved case, it's terrifying to think that the killer is still out there somewhere (although it's widely accepted that the killer died int he 90s). But, still, this is the kind of movie that instills a realistic dread inside of you. It has an ending that is ambiguous and perfect for the film. Zodiac is an excellent combination of nerve-racking suspense and police procedural work. If you have any interest in murders or serial killers (or great film) then you should be riveted. If you have a small attention span then you should probably stick to Wild Hogs instead.

Grade: A-