The Green Hornet (DVD)

Well, the good news is that The Green Hornet is not the worst movie of the year. That's not to say it's good, or even average, but it is not terrible. The thing about it is there is a lot of talent involved and it's almost sort of a shame that it is as bad, or really, as grating as it is. Director Michel Gondry is responsible for directing one of the best movies of the 2000s (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and his direction here is fine. It's just a shame he couldn't craft a better film.

The Green Hornet stars Seth Rogen (who also co-wrote with his Superbad/Pineapple Express writing partner Evan Goldberg) as spoiled, cocky rich brat Britt Reid. And there's your first problem. Or actually, first two problems. First of all, I'm sorry but Seth Rogen will never be a charismatic leading man action hero. He's lost a lot of weight and he looks great, but he will always be the slightly chubby, adorable teddy bear of a dude that you meet at a bar and want to get a drink with and maybe eat some burgers and get high and talk about comic books. Second of all, his character is so highly unlikeable that it is nearly impossible to cheer for him in any way. He's a jerk. A rich, spoiled dick who treats his bestie Kato (Jay Chou) like shit and nearly sexually harasses his brand new secretary, Lenore (Cameron Diaz). Anyway, after the sudden death of his billionaire publishing mogul dad (Tom Wilkinson), he takes over the responsibilities of running a newspaper and decides to become a superhero with the help of Kato, who is kind of bad ass and a martial arts expert. Needless to say, Kato does all the work but Reid takes all the credit. They beat up a lot of gang members and drug dealers but the ultimate showdown comes when they get mixed up with the man who practically runs the L.A. crime scene, Chudnofksy (Christoph Waltz).

And there's where it gets mildly interesting. Not the story line. No, that is watered down and so boggled down with mythology and back story and silliness that it doesn't even really matter. I mean, really, the entire third act is a fucking joke, so ridiculous and over the top, that it's not even entertaining. No, the interesting part is Christoph Waltz, who is magnetic on screen. He is evil incarnate, if he wants to be, but also funny as hell. This is why he won an Oscar for his brilliant portrayal in Inglourious Basterds. It's a shame there isn't really much for him to work with here. The terrible script (and Seth and Evan wrote a BRILLIANT script for Superbad!) almost turns him into a caricature, but Waltz manages to craft a bit of a believable comic book villain out of the crap he has to work with. He's simply fascinating to watch. The only other mildly enjoyable parts of the movie were the cameos by James Franco (!!) and Edward Furlong (!!!). Other than that, and I'm sorry to say it, this movie is a mess.

Grade: D+

Top Ten List: Best Actors of the Decade

10. Michael Shannon in Bug (2007) - Shannon's work as a possibly mentally ill ex-soldier is so intense that it just sticks so firmly in my mind. This performance could be outlandish but he makes it real. His performance is fearless and his chemistry with Ashley Judd is out of this world.

09. Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild (2007) - Hirsch is funny, charming and a little cocky in this film as he builds his supertramp character who doesn't think he needs human contact for happiness. Still, it's his moments with other characters that are truly divine. Plus, his final few moments on screen are guaranteed to break your heart.

08. Bill Murray in Lost in Translation (2003) - This is Murray at his best. This is a completely different side to him which is impressive in itself. He captures this role with such precision that you believe it was tailer made just for him. His chemistry with Scarlett Johansson is surprisingly realistic and complex. And he has a good singing voice!

07. Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (2008) - Everyone says he made a hell of a comeback, but for people who are real Rourke fans, they know he never really went anywhere (see also: Spun). The film 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 looks are fading, he's damaged himself pysically and emotionally for years and years. Rourke probably didn't have to look far for inspiration and it shows with this knock-out performance.

06. Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain (2005) - The Dark Knight was a showier role, sure, but at the end of the day, I truly believe Ledger will be remembered for his role as a cowboy in love in Brokeback Mountain. His performance was so simple and so understated that it just seemed so much more realistic. His Joker may be a hell of a lot more fun but it's so much harder to do a quiet, understated performance like he did in Brokeback Mountain.

05. Tom Wilkinson in In the Bedroom (2001) - The movie excellent but mostly it just reminds me of the astounding talents of Tom Wilkinson. He is so perfect as a grieving father and when he sets out to exact his revenge, he acts with intelligence and compassion.

04. Sean Penn in Mystic River (2003) - Penn never misses a beat as a man dealing with the worst possible thing a parent can face - the death of a child. Penn is left playing a complicated character - a grieving father but also a cold-blooded ex-con. He manages to make his performance so intense, so passionate, so realistic and so damn good.

03. Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed (2006) - DiCaprio is an actor who keeps getting better. In The Departed, he manages to wear his emotions on his sleeve, playing such a vulnerable, terrified, yet tough character. The crazy paradoxes to his character are impressive and DiCaprio simply nails it. He embodies this modern day tragic hero with such grace and ease.

02. Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood (2007) - Make no mistake, There Will Be Blood is a movie made for Day-Lewis to do whatever the hell he wants. This is HIS show. His performance is such a powerhouse that it puts most other actors to shame. Then there's that final scene when director Paul Thomas Anderson really lets Day-Lewis off his leash, so to speak. Because, let's face it, he was a sweet little kitten up until that point.

01. Sean Penn in Milk (2008) - Sean Penn is known for his moody, intense work (see number 4) so it's refreshing to see him play someone like Harvey Milk, so carefree and emotionally open. He embodies Harvey Milk and literally becomes him. Penn even inhabits and exudes a sweetness (yes, sweetness... yes, Sean Penn). He plays Harvey to perfection and definitely deserved that second Oscar.

Michael Clayton, We Own the Night

Michael Clayton - This is the kind of movie that is a little bit hard to explain. Why? Well, it takes all of about the entire two hours to finally get a grasp on what exactly is going on. Guess what? I love movies like that. Also, the plot is just a little bit complicated. George Clooney plays Michael Clayton, a "fixer" for a high-powered law firm in New York City. Said firm is representing a manufacturing company, U North, in a class action libel suit that says their weed repelent has killed family members. Tom Wilkinson is the lawyer in charge of that case (but also, he's sort of making a case against them). Tilda Swinton is a sort of public relations person for U North. Sydney Pollack is the head honcho at the law firm. These are the main characters you need to worry about. The movie surely requires a lot of attention, but it's not the convoluted jigsaw puzzle I'm making it sound like. There are a lot of secondary characters involved in the story that make explaining it difficult. There are also various important pieces of information that I wouldn't want to give away. The film makers aren't spoon feeding the audience but they also haven't made the movie something you can't understand (David Lynch didn't direct it, after all). To make things generic, the basic plot is not unlike 'A Civil Action' or 'Erin Brokovich.' But unlike either of those films, this film works on a much higher level. It unfolds in a spell binding way. It's completely engrossing (except for the middle section which dragged a bit for me but whatever). The story telling is mesmerizing. The dialogue is pitch perfect. And those performances! The spotlight surely falls on Clooney - as it always does. He's amazing, for sure (especially while the credits role - don't look at them - look at everything that is happening in Clooney's face... those 2 minutes alone are nomination worthy). But the real stand-out here is Wilkinson. He does over the top with a subtle nuance and it's just perfect. He's on my short list for Best Supporting Actor. Holding it down for the ladies is the amazing Tilda Swinton. You can have your Cate Blanchett. I'll take Tilda. She's amazing to watch. There is a particular scene in which she practices a speech while getting ready for work that just knocked me out. The movie is not without it's flaws of course. It's hardly convincing that lawyers wouldn't know better than to assume Clayton died in a fiery car crash when there was clearly no body. Also, the final 10 minutes is terribly predictable and cliche. Although, Clooney and Swinton somehow make it almost work. Maybe I'm just getting tougher. After all, pretty much every movie that comes out after September wants to be considered for an Oscar. If this movie was released in, say, April, it probably would have gotten a higher grade.
Grade: B

We Own the Night - There's a lot to like with We Own The Night. Unfortunately, there's a lot to dislike as well, especially after last year's fantastic The Departed. This movie will inevitably be compared to that movie and it's almost not fair. But guess what? Both are complicated mob/cop movies. The Departed is as close to perfection as possible. Compared to Scorsese's masterpiece, We Own the Night is mediocre at best. The movie which takes place in the 80s (wonderful setting) in New York City follows Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix), a nightclub manager who has a hot girlfriend (Eva Mendes) and a decadent drug fueled lifestyle. Meanwhile, his brother Joseph (Mark Walhberg) just got promoted to the captain of the drug inforcement task force on the police department. Their father (Robert DuVall) is also a respected and veneered police officer. That's the basic plot. What are the fatal flaws here? The characters are terribly contrived. The storyline is a little bit nonsensical (I really don't want to ruin anything but Phoenix's character makes such a drastic character change near the end that I just personally find hard to believe). There are quite a few boring parts. The acting is superb but that's to be expected with such a high caliber cast. The on-screen family, however, has little chemistry together. Mendes' character is annoying and a bit ridiculous (she and Phoenix take part in the most gratitous, unnecessary sex scene in recent memory). There's a lot of things that don't make a lot of sense (where is the cop back-up? why is DuVall so mad at Phoenix just for managing a nightclub? why would the drug dealer just hang around in the city?) . They give us reasons for some of this stuff but they don't satisfy my curiosity. But the movie definitely isn't all bad. The two shootouts are well done with a lot of shaky camera, which makes them more exciting. The final cat and mouse game in the long grass is thrilling and engrossing. There's a car chase in the pouring rain that will make your heart stop beating. Overall, the movie is barely more than average.
Grade: C+

The TV Set - I would definitely recommend this movie. It's fun and funny, witty and well done. It's an interesting look at how exactly a television show gets made. Grade: B-

Lucky You - Ah, my most hated film genre - the romantic comedy. It is my mortal enemy. This movie is about 30 minutes too long. It's also a shame that Texas Hold Em' is so 2005. But, kudos for small roles from Robert Downey Jr. and Michael Shannon. Grade: D

Reign Over Me - I'm about 3/4 of the way through this movie right now and it's so boring that I am doing this instead. I heard so much about Adam Sandler being Oscar worthy? Are you kidding me? Don Cheadle is wiping the floor with him. Grade: D (as of right now anyway).