Wednesday, August 14, 2012
JAWS on Blu-ray
Reviewed
Aug 14, 2012
This review reportedly contains spoilers.
Saw this on Blu-ray for the first time tonight. Picture was
excellent, though the sound mix was not what I remembered, maybe because
my sound system is not set-up for 7.
JAWS is probably the first movie that ever had a real impact on me,
and I was only 6 years old the first time I saw it. Steven Spielberg's
first masterpiece has lost none of its power over the last 37 years. It
still thrills me, upsets me and terrifies me. When I watched JAWS
tonight, safe and sound in my apartment...I still found myself holding
my breath in sheer suspense...as if I didn't know what was going to
happen next.
Every time I watch JAWS, I find myself noticing something new. For
example, I never knew until now that it was Mrs. Kintner who put out the
$3,000 reward to catch the shark that killed her son Alex. I don't know
how I missed that the previous 10-15 times I've seen JAWS in the past. I
also never realized that when the shark first attacked the Orca, Hooper
had Brody stand as far he could toward the bow of the boat...so he
could show perspective in the photographs he was taking of the shark.
Photographs? How did I miss that before? It also took me years to pick
up on how much Brody hated the water...and that his fear and loathing
pays off in the last line of the movie "I used to hate the water. Now, I
can't figure out why." No, I am not a complete idiot...it's that JAWS
offers so much in terms of visual and audio stimulation, and
shock...that it's too easy to miss some of the finer points of
the story.
The highlights of JAWS are many...to say the least. Roy Scheider is
terrific as the put-upon, yet forceful Chief Martin Brody. Richard
Dreyfuss has rarely been better as Hooper. Robert Shaw is genius as the
gruff and grand Quint. Murray Hamilton is great as the foolish mayor.
John Williams' score is brilliant...and when the mechanical shark
"Bruce" worked, it looked fantastically scary. Yet the real stars of the
movie are Steven Spielberg, and editor Verna Fields.
You rarely will find a movie as well put-together as JAWS. It's a
marvel the way Fields created extra tension by mixing fast cuts with the
frightening undertones of John Williams score. Thankfully Spielberg
gave her a lot to work from.
For me, the best scene in JAWS is the one I hate watching...as its so
incredibly upsetting. It's the second shark attack we see...though this
time it's not at night...but in broad daylight, with hundreds of
witnesses. Poor little Alex Kinter paddles out in his raft...and is
viciously attacked and murdered by the horrible shark. The way Spielberg
framed the shots, and the way Fields cut it is remarkably powerful...so
much so that every time I force myself to watch it...the scene feels
too real for me to stand. We see Brody's P.O.V. as he watches (from a
great distance) the Kinter boy die a horrible death. The camera lens
zooms out at the same time as it dollies straight into Chief Brody's
horrified face. Yet this doesn't happen until we hear a voice on the
beach say "Did you see that?" It's one of the greatest movie scenes ever
made...and I still have not gotten over it.
There is one scene, however, that I never took to. In fact, this time
around, I found the scene one hundred percent disposable. It features
none of the principal actors and in fact...we never really find out who
these people are. It's two dumb fisherman, on a dock, thinking they
could snag the shark with a pot roast. The shark takes the bait, yet
destroys the dock in the process...and the men are almost killed when
the shark goes to attack one of them. You never see the shark, only part
of the dock moving forward...to represent that the shark is tugging it.
It's not a bad scene, yet if you took it out...absolutely nothing would
change. The incident is only mentioned in passing in the next
scene...so, what good is it? At that point in the film, we'd already
seen the shark attack twice. After that, there's a scare scene involving
a corpse at the bottom of a boat, and the great sequence at the end of
Act 2 when the shark tricks everyone and attacks the man and the kids in
the pond. So, I ask you, why is that scene there? Hindsight is 20/20
and all that...and look, I have seen JAWS perhaps too many times at this
point, but still...
Regardless, JAWS remains one of the greatest movies ever made...because it just is.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954)
As a whim on Saturday night, I grabbed one of the DVDs from an Alfred
Hitchcock boxed set I've had for years, and watched it on my computer.
It's a film I had not seen since May 22, 1992...when I caught a 3D print
at the old 8th Street Playhouse in Manhattan. 18 plus years later, I
didn't remember too much about it...aside from the fact that it was
good, and that it was cool to see it in 3D. The film? From 1954...DIAL
M FOR MURDER. It's a shame I waited all of these years to watch this
classic movie once again. It still is good..REALLY good.
Directed by the great Alfred Hithcock, and featurning a Frederick Knott screenplay (adapted from his own play of the same name)...DIAL M FOR MURDER is stars Ray Milland as Tony Wendice...a washed up tennis player who decides to plot his wealthy wife's murder after realizing that A) she is cheating on him and B) he realizes he can't make do with out her money. Tony's wife Margot Mary Wendice (played by the gorgeous Grace Kelly) has had mixed feelings for her husband's travels on tennis tours...and eventually took up with a mystery writer named Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). Yet Mary still loves Tony, and can't bear the thought of telling him about the affair. Tony, being an evil genius, is way ahead of the game...and constructs the "Perfect Murder" of his wife, using an old college acquaintance named Charles Swann (Anthony Dawson) to do the dirty deed. Tony planned everything to a tee..making sure that the murder goes off without a hitch, and that he himself would have a legitimate alibi. Of course...things don't go exactly as planned...and Tony is resorted to alternating his scheme drastically...all in the hope of getting revenge, and gaining his wife's precious money. Yet with Chief Inspector Hubbard (John Williams) on the case, it's game of cat and mouse to see if Tony will get away with murder....or not.
DIAL M FOR MURDER is a fantastic film. The story reels you in, and doesn't let you go. Hitchcock was able to take a play, keep it within its limited scope of essentially one location (aside from a few, brief, one minute scenes and cutaways) and STILL make you feel as if you're watching a big movie. You never feel you're watching a play. No, Alfred Hitchcock made DIAL M FOR MURDER a fleshed out movie. How did he do it, you ask? It's very simple: carefully chosen camera placement and movement...creating an atmosphere filled with tension and suspense...keeping the best dialogue from Frederick Knott's screenplay...and mix that in with a series of finely tuned performances. Otherwise, I have no clue how Hitchcock did it. Ray Milland is fantastic as the sophisticated villain you actually root for (up to a point). Grace Kelly, is sweet and fragile...and quite sympathetic as an adulterer. John Williams is so much fun to watch as the cunning Chief Inspector Hubbard. There's so much to like about this movie. I would love to see it in 3D again if I ever get the chance. Yet even without the 3D, DIAL M FOR MURDER is truly an excellent film...
___________________________________
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
It's true, I was too curious about I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS. I had heard about the film for years...and wondered if it would ever get released. No major, nor minor movie studio wanted it., which was odd for a movie starring Jim Carrey, and to a lesser extent...Ewen McGregor. Yet in a way, it was par for the course for a film whose subject matter and content ranges from the crazy to the controversial....and it's all true.
Based on the real-life story (and book by Steven McVicker), I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS tells the tale of Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), a brilliant, yet misguided con artist. Living for years as a happy, closeted homosexual police officer, with a wife (Leslie Mann) and children...Steven decides to leave his family and live an openly rich and gay life in Florida with a boyfriend. Yet Steven realizes that being gay is expensive...what with a large appetize for expensive clothes, cars and watches. With no college degree, Steven figures the most sensible way to be wealthy was to get a job...as well as commit credit card fraud. Eventually, his life catches up with him, and Steven goes to jail. While serving time, Steven meets the love of his life...Philip Morris (Ewen McGregor), a shy, effeminate man. Steven and Philip fall for each fast...and an intense romance follows. Once out of prison, Steven poses as a lawyer and gets Philip out of prison. For years they shared a happy life together a gay couple. Through ingenuity and flat-out lying, Steven cons his way into a lucrative job as CFO of an insurance company. Yet always looking for a way to get more money to support a lavish lifestyle...Despite promising Philip that "nothing is going on"...Steven embezzles millions from the company by collecting unlawful interest on insurance payments. Caught once again for his crimes, Philip leaves him...and Steven is thrown in jail. Yet with love as his guide...Steven escapes from jail again and again in increasingly ludicrous ways that always seem to work...all in the name of finding Philip and rekindling their relationship so they can be together once again...
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS is at once crazy, whimsical, sad, funny and disturbing...and also quite good. Writers/directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra keep the film light and playful (for the most part)...and do well moving the story along at a good pace. The film succeeds in that you somehow care about the characters, and their compelling story. In particular, I thought Steven was a fascinating character...a smart, cunning, resourceful man who just never learned how to channel the best of his energy and ability into something good...and legal. I may not have loved the explicit homosexual love scenes, yet I believed in the romance between Steven and Philip...and rooted for them to be together. I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS is one of those strange stories that you would have otherwise never believed...if it weren't for the fact that it's based on real people and events. Yet the real appeal of the movie can be found in the performances. Jim Carrey and Ewen McGregor are both fantastic in their respective roles. Carrey has great comic timing, yet he also has an incredible energy, and heart...which meshed perfectly with the personality of Steven Russell. I am now certain that Ewen McGregor can play anything...as he is extremely convincing as the fey and fragile Philip Morris. It's a shame that most people will never see this movie...as the performances alone make it all worth while...
Monday, December 6, 2010
Friday evening I caught an exciting new film called BLACK SWAN. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the film is set in the cutthroat, competitive world of the New York theater...specifically a ballet company at Manhattan's Lincoln Center. Natalie Portman (in her best role ever) stars as Nina...a dedicated yet stressed out young ballerina who gets her big break by being cast in the lead role in her company's upcoming production of Swan Lake. Despite the great opportunity, Nina suffers daily paranoia and humiliation from her sexually forthcoming and demanding director Thomas (Vincent Cassel), her smothering and overbearing mother Erica (Barbara Hershey), her jealous co-stars, a bitter, fading older ballerina named Beth (Winona Ryder), and a new deceptively competitive rival named Lily (Mila Kunis). As the pressure mounts before opening night, Nina struggles to keep herself sane with the craziness all around her...and within her...
BLACK SWAN scared the crap out of me. What's brilliant about it is that even though its essentially a film about a ballerina, the world of ballet, and to some extent...the story of Swan Lake...the movie is presented like a thrilling horror movie. In many ways, it's the best horror movie I've seen in years. This movie truly got under my skin. I was never able to sit back and relax while watching BLACK SWAN; I was always on edge...always nervous...just like the Nina character in the film. Also like the Nina character, there were times where I was unable to differentiate between fantasy and reality...in terms of what I witnessed on screen. There's a part of me that still doesn't know if certain scenes and actions actually happened, or were they just a figment of Nina's paranoid imagination? Either way, the movie is very effective in presenting an artist in total psychological disarray...Natalie Portman is fantastic as Nina...fragile, vulnerable, and always on edge...Barbara Hershey is absolutely frightening as Nina's mother...both domineering and creepy at the same time. I could have done without Winona Ryder...yet Mila Kunis was perfect as Lily's rival...sexy and manipulative, and strangely enough...very grounded, especially when compared to Nina. Darren Aronofsky and screenwriters Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J. McLaughlin all did an amazing job setting up (what appears to be) a very compelling dark, and dangerous world...one that keeps you interested, and on the edge of your seat...BLACK SWAN is not for the feint of heart, yet if you like interesting, challenging, and thought provoking art...I suggest you check out BLACK SWAN when you can...
_____________________________
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Spent the first part of Friday evening at one of the Landmark theater's intimate couch screening rooms (called the "Landmark Screening Lounge")...a small auditorium consisting of leather couches as opposed to standard seats. The set-up is perfect for couples looking for a night out at the movies without losing the intimacy and feel of watching a movie at home on your couch. The audience on Friday consisted mostly of couples...with the occasional three or four-person grouping. I sat on a plush, black leather couch in the 2nd row with my date for the evening...my MacBook Pro. So it goes...
The feature of the evening was an excellent new film called FAIR GAME, based on ex-covert CIA agent Valerie Plame's book of the same name. The film chronicles the story behind Plame's harrowing 2003 ordeal when top secret government information outing Plame's covert status was leaked to the Washington Post...thus destroying her career, and throwing her life in shambles. It's the true story of how a woman was victimized by the very system she had served faithfully for years. Yet there's another side to the story, one in which served as the key component in Valerie Plame's demise...her husband, former ambassador and foreign services adviser Joseph C. Wilson. Wilson's New York times op-ed piece "What I Didn't Find in Africa" blew the whistle on The White House's stance on Iraq as a serious threat. One week later, the Washington Post article appeared outing Wilson's wife and exposing her identity for the world to see. Coincidence? Not so much...FAIR GAME sets up the story before the Plame scandal...the complicated domestic life that she and her husband already had, and what lead Joseph C. Wilson to conclude that the White House had gone out of there way to "exaggerate the Iraqi threat." When the scandal bursts open, you get the full brunt of the weight bore down on the Plame/Wilson household...a tornado of anger and controversy that nearly destroyed their lives. The only question is whether their marriage will survive what the media and the government have thrown their way...or will it just crumble?
FAIR GAME is one hell of a movie....not perfect, yet still very very strong. First off, the acting is amazing. Naomi Watts is fantastic as Valerie Plame...smart, serious, and brutal...yet no less a woman, one who has to put up with too much nonsense in the male-dominated CIA. Sean Penn is brilliant as Joseph C. Wilson...a very powerful, frightening presence. Regardless of what you think of Wilson's actions...you know, via Sean Penn's performance, they always come from a place of wisdom and strength (if not practicality). Supporting players are also strong...especially David Andrews as the infamous Scooter Libby. Direction is strong by Doug Liman, as is the screenplay by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth.
As much as I liked the film, I did wonder at times what to think of Joseph C. Wilson. In the movie, he comes off as a selfish, hot-tempered, leftist jerk. Perhaps that was the intention? For some reason, with Sean Penn in the role especially...I doubt it. As a defense of Wilson's actions and outspoken criticism that in turn ruins his wife's career...the movie fails. I am all for a voice of dissent...especially when it comes to exposing government lies. Yet there is a right way and wrong way of going about things...and according to the film at least...Wilson, in writing the Times op-ed piece, seems to have gone the wrong way in an effort to do the right thing. As a result, especially with his insistence on extensive media exposure during the scandal...Wilson just seems like an idealist fool...not the tireless crusader the film (perhaps) wants him to be.
Nonetheless, FAIR GAME is a thought-provoking thriller...filled with a healthy dosage of conflict, ego, duty, political malfeasance, and strangely enough...love and family. It's a tough movie, yet also quiet a good one...
________________________
It's true, I really enjoy the GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Swedish film series (aka the "Millennium trilogy"). Based on the trio of Swedish books written by the late Stieg Larsson...the series' has a fascinating dark tone, mixed with compelling characters and stories. In April, I caught the first film...THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and loved it. In July I watched the second film in the series...THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE...and liked it quite a bit. It was not as good as the first movie, yet still very good. On Friday night, with much anticipation...I caught the final film in the series...THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST.
Picking up wear THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE left off, our heroine
Directed by the great Alfred Hithcock, and featurning a Frederick Knott screenplay (adapted from his own play of the same name)...DIAL M FOR MURDER is stars Ray Milland as Tony Wendice...a washed up tennis player who decides to plot his wealthy wife's murder after realizing that A) she is cheating on him and B) he realizes he can't make do with out her money. Tony's wife Margot Mary Wendice (played by the gorgeous Grace Kelly) has had mixed feelings for her husband's travels on tennis tours...and eventually took up with a mystery writer named Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). Yet Mary still loves Tony, and can't bear the thought of telling him about the affair. Tony, being an evil genius, is way ahead of the game...and constructs the "Perfect Murder" of his wife, using an old college acquaintance named Charles Swann (Anthony Dawson) to do the dirty deed. Tony planned everything to a tee..making sure that the murder goes off without a hitch, and that he himself would have a legitimate alibi. Of course...things don't go exactly as planned...and Tony is resorted to alternating his scheme drastically...all in the hope of getting revenge, and gaining his wife's precious money. Yet with Chief Inspector Hubbard (John Williams) on the case, it's game of cat and mouse to see if Tony will get away with murder....or not.
DIAL M FOR MURDER is a fantastic film. The story reels you in, and doesn't let you go. Hitchcock was able to take a play, keep it within its limited scope of essentially one location (aside from a few, brief, one minute scenes and cutaways) and STILL make you feel as if you're watching a big movie. You never feel you're watching a play. No, Alfred Hitchcock made DIAL M FOR MURDER a fleshed out movie. How did he do it, you ask? It's very simple: carefully chosen camera placement and movement...creating an atmosphere filled with tension and suspense...keeping the best dialogue from Frederick Knott's screenplay...and mix that in with a series of finely tuned performances. Otherwise, I have no clue how Hitchcock did it. Ray Milland is fantastic as the sophisticated villain you actually root for (up to a point). Grace Kelly, is sweet and fragile...and quite sympathetic as an adulterer. John Williams is so much fun to watch as the cunning Chief Inspector Hubbard. There's so much to like about this movie. I would love to see it in 3D again if I ever get the chance. Yet even without the 3D, DIAL M FOR MURDER is truly an excellent film...
___________________________________
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
It's true, I was too curious about I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS. I had heard about the film for years...and wondered if it would ever get released. No major, nor minor movie studio wanted it., which was odd for a movie starring Jim Carrey, and to a lesser extent...Ewen McGregor. Yet in a way, it was par for the course for a film whose subject matter and content ranges from the crazy to the controversial....and it's all true.
Based on the real-life story (and book by Steven McVicker), I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS tells the tale of Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), a brilliant, yet misguided con artist. Living for years as a happy, closeted homosexual police officer, with a wife (Leslie Mann) and children...Steven decides to leave his family and live an openly rich and gay life in Florida with a boyfriend. Yet Steven realizes that being gay is expensive...what with a large appetize for expensive clothes, cars and watches. With no college degree, Steven figures the most sensible way to be wealthy was to get a job...as well as commit credit card fraud. Eventually, his life catches up with him, and Steven goes to jail. While serving time, Steven meets the love of his life...Philip Morris (Ewen McGregor), a shy, effeminate man. Steven and Philip fall for each fast...and an intense romance follows. Once out of prison, Steven poses as a lawyer and gets Philip out of prison. For years they shared a happy life together a gay couple. Through ingenuity and flat-out lying, Steven cons his way into a lucrative job as CFO of an insurance company. Yet always looking for a way to get more money to support a lavish lifestyle...Despite promising Philip that "nothing is going on"...Steven embezzles millions from the company by collecting unlawful interest on insurance payments. Caught once again for his crimes, Philip leaves him...and Steven is thrown in jail. Yet with love as his guide...Steven escapes from jail again and again in increasingly ludicrous ways that always seem to work...all in the name of finding Philip and rekindling their relationship so they can be together once again...
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS is at once crazy, whimsical, sad, funny and disturbing...and also quite good. Writers/directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra keep the film light and playful (for the most part)...and do well moving the story along at a good pace. The film succeeds in that you somehow care about the characters, and their compelling story. In particular, I thought Steven was a fascinating character...a smart, cunning, resourceful man who just never learned how to channel the best of his energy and ability into something good...and legal. I may not have loved the explicit homosexual love scenes, yet I believed in the romance between Steven and Philip...and rooted for them to be together. I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS is one of those strange stories that you would have otherwise never believed...if it weren't for the fact that it's based on real people and events. Yet the real appeal of the movie can be found in the performances. Jim Carrey and Ewen McGregor are both fantastic in their respective roles. Carrey has great comic timing, yet he also has an incredible energy, and heart...which meshed perfectly with the personality of Steven Russell. I am now certain that Ewen McGregor can play anything...as he is extremely convincing as the fey and fragile Philip Morris. It's a shame that most people will never see this movie...as the performances alone make it all worth while...
___________________________________
Monday, December 6, 2010
BLACK SWAN
Friday evening I caught an exciting new film called BLACK SWAN. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the film is set in the cutthroat, competitive world of the New York theater...specifically a ballet company at Manhattan's Lincoln Center. Natalie Portman (in her best role ever) stars as Nina...a dedicated yet stressed out young ballerina who gets her big break by being cast in the lead role in her company's upcoming production of Swan Lake. Despite the great opportunity, Nina suffers daily paranoia and humiliation from her sexually forthcoming and demanding director Thomas (Vincent Cassel), her smothering and overbearing mother Erica (Barbara Hershey), her jealous co-stars, a bitter, fading older ballerina named Beth (Winona Ryder), and a new deceptively competitive rival named Lily (Mila Kunis). As the pressure mounts before opening night, Nina struggles to keep herself sane with the craziness all around her...and within her...
BLACK SWAN scared the crap out of me. What's brilliant about it is that even though its essentially a film about a ballerina, the world of ballet, and to some extent...the story of Swan Lake...the movie is presented like a thrilling horror movie. In many ways, it's the best horror movie I've seen in years. This movie truly got under my skin. I was never able to sit back and relax while watching BLACK SWAN; I was always on edge...always nervous...just like the Nina character in the film. Also like the Nina character, there were times where I was unable to differentiate between fantasy and reality...in terms of what I witnessed on screen. There's a part of me that still doesn't know if certain scenes and actions actually happened, or were they just a figment of Nina's paranoid imagination? Either way, the movie is very effective in presenting an artist in total psychological disarray...Natalie Portman is fantastic as Nina...fragile, vulnerable, and always on edge...Barbara Hershey is absolutely frightening as Nina's mother...both domineering and creepy at the same time. I could have done without Winona Ryder...yet Mila Kunis was perfect as Lily's rival...sexy and manipulative, and strangely enough...very grounded, especially when compared to Nina. Darren Aronofsky and screenwriters Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J. McLaughlin all did an amazing job setting up (what appears to be) a very compelling dark, and dangerous world...one that keeps you interested, and on the edge of your seat...BLACK SWAN is not for the feint of heart, yet if you like interesting, challenging, and thought provoking art...I suggest you check out BLACK SWAN when you can...
_____________________________
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
FAIR GAME
Spent the first part of Friday evening at one of the Landmark theater's intimate couch screening rooms (called the "Landmark Screening Lounge")...a small auditorium consisting of leather couches as opposed to standard seats. The set-up is perfect for couples looking for a night out at the movies without losing the intimacy and feel of watching a movie at home on your couch. The audience on Friday consisted mostly of couples...with the occasional three or four-person grouping. I sat on a plush, black leather couch in the 2nd row with my date for the evening...my MacBook Pro. So it goes...
The feature of the evening was an excellent new film called FAIR GAME, based on ex-covert CIA agent Valerie Plame's book of the same name. The film chronicles the story behind Plame's harrowing 2003 ordeal when top secret government information outing Plame's covert status was leaked to the Washington Post...thus destroying her career, and throwing her life in shambles. It's the true story of how a woman was victimized by the very system she had served faithfully for years. Yet there's another side to the story, one in which served as the key component in Valerie Plame's demise...her husband, former ambassador and foreign services adviser Joseph C. Wilson. Wilson's New York times op-ed piece "What I Didn't Find in Africa" blew the whistle on The White House's stance on Iraq as a serious threat. One week later, the Washington Post article appeared outing Wilson's wife and exposing her identity for the world to see. Coincidence? Not so much...FAIR GAME sets up the story before the Plame scandal...the complicated domestic life that she and her husband already had, and what lead Joseph C. Wilson to conclude that the White House had gone out of there way to "exaggerate the Iraqi threat." When the scandal bursts open, you get the full brunt of the weight bore down on the Plame/Wilson household...a tornado of anger and controversy that nearly destroyed their lives. The only question is whether their marriage will survive what the media and the government have thrown their way...or will it just crumble?
FAIR GAME is one hell of a movie....not perfect, yet still very very strong. First off, the acting is amazing. Naomi Watts is fantastic as Valerie Plame...smart, serious, and brutal...yet no less a woman, one who has to put up with too much nonsense in the male-dominated CIA. Sean Penn is brilliant as Joseph C. Wilson...a very powerful, frightening presence. Regardless of what you think of Wilson's actions...you know, via Sean Penn's performance, they always come from a place of wisdom and strength (if not practicality). Supporting players are also strong...especially David Andrews as the infamous Scooter Libby. Direction is strong by Doug Liman, as is the screenplay by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth.
As much as I liked the film, I did wonder at times what to think of Joseph C. Wilson. In the movie, he comes off as a selfish, hot-tempered, leftist jerk. Perhaps that was the intention? For some reason, with Sean Penn in the role especially...I doubt it. As a defense of Wilson's actions and outspoken criticism that in turn ruins his wife's career...the movie fails. I am all for a voice of dissent...especially when it comes to exposing government lies. Yet there is a right way and wrong way of going about things...and according to the film at least...Wilson, in writing the Times op-ed piece, seems to have gone the wrong way in an effort to do the right thing. As a result, especially with his insistence on extensive media exposure during the scandal...Wilson just seems like an idealist fool...not the tireless crusader the film (perhaps) wants him to be.
Nonetheless, FAIR GAME is a thought-provoking thriller...filled with a healthy dosage of conflict, ego, duty, political malfeasance, and strangely enough...love and family. It's a tough movie, yet also quiet a good one...
________________________
Monday, November 1, 2010
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST
It's true, I really enjoy the GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Swedish film series (aka the "Millennium trilogy"). Based on the trio of Swedish books written by the late Stieg Larsson...the series' has a fascinating dark tone, mixed with compelling characters and stories. In April, I caught the first film...THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and loved it. In July I watched the second film in the series...THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE...and liked it quite a bit. It was not as good as the first movie, yet still very good. On Friday night, with much anticipation...I caught the final film in the series...THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST.
Picking up wear THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE left off, our heroine
Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) is recovering from major
gunshot wounds, confined to a hospital bed and placed under arrest for
the attempted murder of her villainous father, Alexander Zalachenko
(Georgi Staykov)...who, of course, tried to kill her. The evil,
powerful "Section" shadow government in Sweden wants nothing more than
to finally get rid of Lisbeth...as she holds too many secrets that
could possibly expose their entire operation. If they have their way,
Lisbeth will be declared insane and incompetent, and sent back to an
asylum under the care of the evil Dr. Peter Teleborian (Anders Ahlbom).
To the rescue is Lisbeth's friend, ex-lover, and protector Mikael
Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) ...the controversial journalist,
editor-in-chief and fierce crusader from The Millennium newspaper. He
enlists his sister to be Lisbeth's lawyer, and puts himself and his
staff in danger in order to uncover the details that will reveal once
and for all the many years of abuse that Lisbeth has suffered...and the
men who put her there. Mikael will stop at nothing to set Lisbeth
free, and shut down the corrupt 'Section" for good...
Now that I have seen all three films of the
"Millennium trilogy"...I now can't help but liken it to another
well-known trilogy from "a galaxy far, far away." Like STAR WARS, the
first film...THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, perfectly sets up the
characters, and provides a focused plot that bring all of the characters
together to solve a problem. The film holds up well completely on its
own, and would go down in history as a great film with or without its
sequels...Like THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, the second film in the series,
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE operates as a reaction to the first
film...Now that Lisbeth Salander has made herself known for destroying
the Death Star and/or exposing and bringing down a corrupt evil....there
are various entities out to get her and bring her down. The second
film also reveals for the first time, that the most evil being in the
world...Soviet defector Alexander Zalachenko (and/or Darth Vader)..is
her father. Like EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
ends on a cliffhanger, after a heated battle between father and child.
This latest film, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST...similar to
RETURN OF THE JEDI...continues where the previous film left off, wraps
up all of its conflicts, yet serves as perhaps the weakest link in the
trilogy...
Noomi Rapace once again shines as the strong and defiant
Lisbeth Salander, and I enjoyed watching Michael Nyqvist's stone-faced
portrayal of Mikael Blomkvist. The story is, once again, very
compelling...and kept me on the edge of my seat, for the most part. The
only problem is, director Daniel Alfredson offers nothing new to the
table...resulting in a fair amount of predictability in the
storytelling. The film has an off-beat, yet satisfying
conclusion....the only problem is...the road to that conclusion feels
inevitable, as opposed to just...possible. For example, the antagonists
in the film (men from the "Section", as well as the evil Dr.Teleborian )
are all fairly weak players...who don't pose a big enough threat for
you to be concerned that our protagonists are in serious danger, and
will not succeed. Unlike the first two movies, the stakes in THE GIRL
WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST feel considerably lower. The film rests
too hard on the merits of the set-up from the previous two films...so
much so that filmmakers (it seems) did not have to work as hard in order
to push the story along. THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST works
well within the context of a trilogy, yet I am not so sure how it would
stand on its own.
Don't get me wrong, I really
liked and enjoyed THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST. One could even
say... I am a fan of the film. Was this the perfect way to wrap up the
series? Perhaps not. Yet for my money, any opportunity to spend time
with Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist is a good one...
___________________________
___________________________
Friday, October 8, 2010
THE PROMISE: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town
I can't begin to tell you how much I loved THE PROMISE: The Making of
Darkness on the Edge of Town...which aired last night on HBO. Bruce
Springsteen and his music has been hardwired into my DNA since I was 15
or 16 years old...so it was no surprise that I was absolutely glued to
my television screen watching Thom Zimmy's brilliant documentary on the
making of Springsteen's 1978 masterpiece album Darkness on the Edge of Town...
The miracle in this documentary is the footage shot in 1977 and 1978 by Barry Rebo...I still don't understand why they were filming all of this back then...yet just as the cameras were inexplicably rolling while Springsteen was recording the Born To Run album in 1975...the cameras were in full swing chronicling the actual rehearsal and recording of Darkness on the Edge of Town. Where has this footage been all of these years?? Really...I mean...I still can't believe the Springsteen camp just sat on this footage for the past 32 years! Makes me wonder what other mines of gold they have hidden away somewhere...
Through fascinating rehearsal and studio footage from 70's...to new interviews with Springsteen, his manager and producer Jon Landau, his ex-manager Mike Appel, the entire E Street Band, plus key players in the studio such as engineer Jimmy Iovine and sound mixer Chuck Plotkin...THE PROMISE: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town covers all of the trials and tribulations in making one of the most important records in Springsteen's career. You hear all about the lawsuit that grounded all recording to a halt...You see Springsteen struggle in the studio...with "parts" of songs...as well as drum sounds. He had drummer Max Weinberg in the studio for days just hitting a snare drum...desperately trying to get lively sound out of the dry, over-padded studio. You see Springsteen listening and thinking really hard about how best to translate the sound he hears in his head. You also get to see Springsteen as "the Boss"...giving clear, yet weary direction to everyone involved.
A key component in the documentary lies in the true songwriting genius of Bruce Springsteen. His voluminous notebooks are filled to the brim with incredible songs that seem to just pour effortlessly out of him. It is discussed more than a few times that some of the greatest Springsteen songs were just thrown away...or put aside, or just given to somebody else (i.e. "Because The Night"...given to Patti Smith...or "Fire"...given to Robert Gordon). Despite an outpouring of about 60-80 songs in the studio...only 10 songs actually made the album...Of these 10 chosen songs, Springsteen stuck to a specific, dark, blue collar vision he had for the record...despite the fact that other songs he had written would have had much more of a commercial appeal. Darkness on the Edge of Town could have been a HUGE record, yet instead...Springsteen choose to make it a smaller one.
I could have easily watched another 2 hours of THE PROMISE: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town...Watching the doc reignited my interest in the album...and my hunger for all things Springsteen. I wanted to know all about "Candy's Room"...a track on the Darkness on the Edge of Town that is barely discussed in the film....or "Streets of Fire"...which is not mentioned at all for some reason. There was so much more I wanted to learn about...and witness for myself.
THE PROMISE: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town is a treasure trove for Bruce Springsteen fans...yet also will prove to be entertaining and engaging to any music fan. Rarely has the process of making a great record album been so expertly captured, and explored...HBO will continue to air THE PROMISE: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town for a number of weeks now...so catch it while you can if you know what's good for you...
___________________________
Sunday had me making a trip to the Los Feliz 3 cinema in Los Feliz to catch a 4:15pm showing of the new comedy EASY A. Starring the lovely Emma Stone as Olive, the film tell the story of Olive's journey from high school nobody to scandalous school slut...without ever having sex. You see, Olive lives in a rumor-hungry times...where even the slightest hint of scandal spreads like wildfire around her high school campus. Such is the case when Olive tells a white lie in order to avoid spending a weekend with her best friend Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka) and her oddball hippie family. That white lie soon turns into a false story about Olive losing her virginity to an older guy...and within days...the word was out around school that Olive is a loose woman looking for action. Boys loved her, girls hated her...Her parents Dill (Stanley Tucci) and Rosemary (Patricia Clarkson) are wildly understanding and accepting of anything Olive does...Yet a religious, Bible-thumping group from school, led by the vindictive Marianne (Amanda Bynes)...clearly does not. Soon, Olive is approached by young boys at school...with hope that she would add to her already-damaged reputation by pretending to sleep with them too...for a price. She becomes a highly controversial fake prostitute...accepting cash, coupons, and gift cards in exchange for going along with other people's lies. The ruse has its perks....yet also gets her into trouble with people like school Principal Gibbons (Malcolm McDowell), super-cool teacher Mr. Griffith (Thomas Haden Church), and Griffith's neurotic wife/ school guidance counselor (Lisa Kudrow). At the same time Olive's life turns haywire...she falls for a boy she's known since grade school...Todd (Penn Badgley)...one of the few people who has ever been kind and respectful to her. Yet as her life, and reputation spins wildly out of control...Olive has to choose whether to continue the lie....or reveal to all the ugly truth...
Yes, I realize it sounds awful....yet EASY A is quite good, and certainly funny. Emma Stone is just perfect as Olive...she's sexy, subversive, smart, cynical, sarcastic, yet also sweet and vulnerable. Every time I see Emma Stone on screen...I know I am watching a real person...perhaps someone I've met before...someone I could relate to. The rest of the performances are also good...It's amazing that such a slight...relatively small comedy got such a stellar cast...Tucci, Clarkson, Kudrow, Haden Church, McDowell...and even SNL's funnyman Fred Armisen shows up in a small role. I wish the film's tone and overall feel was funnier....that said, Director Will Gluck and screenwriter Bert V. Royal did a good job presenting an interesting, and humorous truths in the context of an otherwise unrealistic, broad based commercial comedy. EASY A works...and it works because you care about it's protagonist (Olive)...and root for her to succeed, and overcome the madness surrounding her...even though she is the cause of it all. In addition, the movie is fun and entertaining...and sometimes, that's all you really need...
__________________________
The miracle in this documentary is the footage shot in 1977 and 1978 by Barry Rebo...I still don't understand why they were filming all of this back then...yet just as the cameras were inexplicably rolling while Springsteen was recording the Born To Run album in 1975...the cameras were in full swing chronicling the actual rehearsal and recording of Darkness on the Edge of Town. Where has this footage been all of these years?? Really...I mean...I still can't believe the Springsteen camp just sat on this footage for the past 32 years! Makes me wonder what other mines of gold they have hidden away somewhere...
Through fascinating rehearsal and studio footage from 70's...to new interviews with Springsteen, his manager and producer Jon Landau, his ex-manager Mike Appel, the entire E Street Band, plus key players in the studio such as engineer Jimmy Iovine and sound mixer Chuck Plotkin...THE PROMISE: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town covers all of the trials and tribulations in making one of the most important records in Springsteen's career. You hear all about the lawsuit that grounded all recording to a halt...You see Springsteen struggle in the studio...with "parts" of songs...as well as drum sounds. He had drummer Max Weinberg in the studio for days just hitting a snare drum...desperately trying to get lively sound out of the dry, over-padded studio. You see Springsteen listening and thinking really hard about how best to translate the sound he hears in his head. You also get to see Springsteen as "the Boss"...giving clear, yet weary direction to everyone involved.
A key component in the documentary lies in the true songwriting genius of Bruce Springsteen. His voluminous notebooks are filled to the brim with incredible songs that seem to just pour effortlessly out of him. It is discussed more than a few times that some of the greatest Springsteen songs were just thrown away...or put aside, or just given to somebody else (i.e. "Because The Night"...given to Patti Smith...or "Fire"...given to Robert Gordon). Despite an outpouring of about 60-80 songs in the studio...only 10 songs actually made the album...Of these 10 chosen songs, Springsteen stuck to a specific, dark, blue collar vision he had for the record...despite the fact that other songs he had written would have had much more of a commercial appeal. Darkness on the Edge of Town could have been a HUGE record, yet instead...Springsteen choose to make it a smaller one.
I could have easily watched another 2 hours of THE PROMISE: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town...Watching the doc reignited my interest in the album...and my hunger for all things Springsteen. I wanted to know all about "Candy's Room"...a track on the Darkness on the Edge of Town that is barely discussed in the film....or "Streets of Fire"...which is not mentioned at all for some reason. There was so much more I wanted to learn about...and witness for myself.
THE PROMISE: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town is a treasure trove for Bruce Springsteen fans...yet also will prove to be entertaining and engaging to any music fan. Rarely has the process of making a great record album been so expertly captured, and explored...HBO will continue to air THE PROMISE: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town for a number of weeks now...so catch it while you can if you know what's good for you...
___________________________
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
EASY A
Sunday had me making a trip to the Los Feliz 3 cinema in Los Feliz to catch a 4:15pm showing of the new comedy EASY A. Starring the lovely Emma Stone as Olive, the film tell the story of Olive's journey from high school nobody to scandalous school slut...without ever having sex. You see, Olive lives in a rumor-hungry times...where even the slightest hint of scandal spreads like wildfire around her high school campus. Such is the case when Olive tells a white lie in order to avoid spending a weekend with her best friend Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka) and her oddball hippie family. That white lie soon turns into a false story about Olive losing her virginity to an older guy...and within days...the word was out around school that Olive is a loose woman looking for action. Boys loved her, girls hated her...Her parents Dill (Stanley Tucci) and Rosemary (Patricia Clarkson) are wildly understanding and accepting of anything Olive does...Yet a religious, Bible-thumping group from school, led by the vindictive Marianne (Amanda Bynes)...clearly does not. Soon, Olive is approached by young boys at school...with hope that she would add to her already-damaged reputation by pretending to sleep with them too...for a price. She becomes a highly controversial fake prostitute...accepting cash, coupons, and gift cards in exchange for going along with other people's lies. The ruse has its perks....yet also gets her into trouble with people like school Principal Gibbons (Malcolm McDowell), super-cool teacher Mr. Griffith (Thomas Haden Church), and Griffith's neurotic wife/ school guidance counselor (Lisa Kudrow). At the same time Olive's life turns haywire...she falls for a boy she's known since grade school...Todd (Penn Badgley)...one of the few people who has ever been kind and respectful to her. Yet as her life, and reputation spins wildly out of control...Olive has to choose whether to continue the lie....or reveal to all the ugly truth...
Yes, I realize it sounds awful....yet EASY A is quite good, and certainly funny. Emma Stone is just perfect as Olive...she's sexy, subversive, smart, cynical, sarcastic, yet also sweet and vulnerable. Every time I see Emma Stone on screen...I know I am watching a real person...perhaps someone I've met before...someone I could relate to. The rest of the performances are also good...It's amazing that such a slight...relatively small comedy got such a stellar cast...Tucci, Clarkson, Kudrow, Haden Church, McDowell...and even SNL's funnyman Fred Armisen shows up in a small role. I wish the film's tone and overall feel was funnier....that said, Director Will Gluck and screenwriter Bert V. Royal did a good job presenting an interesting, and humorous truths in the context of an otherwise unrealistic, broad based commercial comedy. EASY A works...and it works because you care about it's protagonist (Olive)...and root for her to succeed, and overcome the madness surrounding her...even though she is the cause of it all. In addition, the movie is fun and entertaining...and sometimes, that's all you really need...
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
MACHETE
Had a great time Friday night with Baby ISH, Quinn, and their good
friend Jack at the Arclight Hollywood. We all met up around 9:30pm. and
hung out at the bar area on the 2nd floor for about 90 minutes...before
walking over to the Cinerama Dome to catch the 11:10pm showing of a
cool fun new movie called MACHETE.
Directed by Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez, MACHETE is a
grind house romp through 70's-style action and exploitation. Danny
Trejo stars as Machete, a former Mexican Federale who's ambition to
bring down the evil drug dealer named Torrez (Steven Seagal)
backfires...resulting in the death of his wife and child. A year or two
later...Machete keeps a low profile in Texas, doing odd jobs here and
there. Times have changed...and illegal immigration issues have
ballooned between the U.S. and Mexico. On one side, you have Luz
(Michelle Rodriguez)...a tough-as-nails food truck owner, who also helps
out illegal immigrants. Despite being constantly shaken down by a
determined immigration officer named Santana (Jessica Alba), Luz works
hard to continue the good work for "The Network"...an underground
operation which protects Mexicans coming across the border. On the
other side, you have Lt. Stillman (Don Johnson) and his band of racist
vigilantes...who happily gun down men, women and children who attempt to
cross the border. Stillman is secretly backed by corrupt Senator
McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro), whose goal is to eliminate any and all
immigrants from ever entering the United States...among other things.
While working the streets, Machete is picked up by a shady wealthy man
named Booth (Jeff Fahey), and asked to assassinate Senator McLaughlin
for money. Machete has no choice but to accept the job...yet is soon in
more trouble than he bargained for. Booth, on the other hand, has
troubles of his own dealing with his drug-fueled, sexpot daughter April
(Lindsay Lohan)...who has no trouble parading her body around the
internet. Caught in a jam, Machete turns to his old friend Padr (Cheech
Marin) for help...yet with the whole world after him, Machete is
running out of options...He must kill, or be killed...and have a little
fun along the way while he's at it...
What's
great about MACHETE, is that it's a fun, retro, action romp, with a
strong sense of humor. Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez know their
movie is ridiculous, yet wants you to have fun watching it anyway.
Robert Rodriguez wrote the script with his cousin Álvaro Rodríguez, and
you can tell they had a blast working on it. When you're watching
MACHETE, you're laughing with the filmmakers...as they employ
over-the-top sex and violence throughout the story. Danny Trejo is a
66-year old worn and weathered tough guy...with a fierce face like
sandpaper...yet MACHETE has him as a ripe, indestructible force of
nature....and a stud to boot! Machete beds down women left and
right...as if they are powerless to his unmistakeably manly sex appeal.
Of course, Trejo is terrific in the movie...portraying Machete as very
human, despite his animal-like nature. I loved the fact that the move
mixes it's 70's pastiche with a 2010 outlook...and 21st century
technology. Don Johnson, in a brief role, plays Stillman with a
menacing presence...doing his best Brando. Speaking of Brando, I got a
kick of seeing Robert DeNiro having fun as Senator McLaughlin...Jessica
Alba is not much an actress, yet she does well as Santana...jibing well
with Michelle Rodriquez's Luz. MACHETE is just a great, funny,
tongue-in-cheek revenge tale...that leaves you wanting for more. In
anyone else's hands, this could have been a disaster...yet with Robert
Rodruguez as the master of ceremonies...you're guaranteed to witness a
well-made, fun movie...and a good time had by all...
____________________________
Yesterday I drove east to the Los Feliz 3 cinema in Los Feliz to catch the 4:15pm cheap matinee (only $6.50!) of the new comedy DINNER FOR SHMUCKS....and had a great time. I had been looking forward to seeing this movie...yet also dreaded it just the same. You see, I loved the French film THE DINNER GAME (or..."Le dîner de cons") when I saw it in Santa Monica back in 1999...and was at first excited when I heard that Hollywood was trying to make an American version of it. Sascha Baron Cohen was attached at one point, then dropped out....and the project dragged on and on for years...until Director Jay Roach finally pulled it together with stars Steve Carrel and Paul Rudd. The previews I saw of the finished film looked awful...and I feared the worst. Yet to my surprise, DINNER FOR SHMUCKS was actually quite good....and very funny.
Story tells of a hapless financial analyst named Tim (Paul Rudd), who tries to impress his art curator girlfriend Julie (a very cute Stephanie Szostak) by getting a promotion at the L.A. financial company he works for. After a successful presentation, his boss, Lance Fender (Bruce Greenwood) is impressed with Tim...and offers him a chance to move up into the big leagues by attending a private dinner that all of the important executives attend. The only catch is that it's a dinner for morons....and each person must bring a complete idiot as their guest. The person with the biggest idiot wins a trophy, and gets in good with the boss. Tim is not thrilled at the prospect, and neither is his girlfriend....yet he does not want to miss an opportunity to get ahead. Just when he is about to drop out, Tim literally runs into Barry (Steve Carrell), a truly misguided, and perhaps idiotic IRS man who spends his spare time as an amateur taxidermist...creating majestic, intricate scenes and models using the carcasses of dead mice. It does not take long for Tim to realize that Barry is perfect for his boss's dinner...and invites him as his guest. Yet when Barry shows up at Tim's apartment a full day early....complete and utter mayhem ensues...
I really enjoyed DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS...both Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell were both hilarious and likable in their respective roles. They both do and say horrible things...yet you still somehow root for them just the same. Also, I loved what Jay Roach and screenwriters David Guion and Michael Handelman did with the original story. Instead of doing a flat American remake...they instead were inspired to create a different story with the same plot. It's been 11 years since I've seen the original French film, yet almost nothing in DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS seems to resemble its French predecessor. Usually this spells disaster...yet Roach, Carrell and Rudd are comedic pros, creating a a very fun atmosphere....and yes, with heart. If that were not enough.. DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS also features a stellar supporting cast...including an hysterical Jemaine Clement (from "Flight of the Concords") as a pretentious artist who never met a goat he didn't like...OFFICE SPACE's Ron Livingston, British actress Lucy Punch (in a frightening role you won't forget), and Zach Galifianakis as a disturbed IRS employee who claims he can control people's minds. Yes, DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS can be goofy, silly and over-the-top...yet this is no mere dumb comedy. Everyone involved with the project knows better....as each party rises to the challenge in order to create a truly enjoyable and funny movie.
____________________________
Monday, August 2, 2010
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
Yesterday I drove east to the Los Feliz 3 cinema in Los Feliz to catch the 4:15pm cheap matinee (only $6.50!) of the new comedy DINNER FOR SHMUCKS....and had a great time. I had been looking forward to seeing this movie...yet also dreaded it just the same. You see, I loved the French film THE DINNER GAME (or..."Le dîner de cons") when I saw it in Santa Monica back in 1999...and was at first excited when I heard that Hollywood was trying to make an American version of it. Sascha Baron Cohen was attached at one point, then dropped out....and the project dragged on and on for years...until Director Jay Roach finally pulled it together with stars Steve Carrel and Paul Rudd. The previews I saw of the finished film looked awful...and I feared the worst. Yet to my surprise, DINNER FOR SHMUCKS was actually quite good....and very funny.
Story tells of a hapless financial analyst named Tim (Paul Rudd), who tries to impress his art curator girlfriend Julie (a very cute Stephanie Szostak) by getting a promotion at the L.A. financial company he works for. After a successful presentation, his boss, Lance Fender (Bruce Greenwood) is impressed with Tim...and offers him a chance to move up into the big leagues by attending a private dinner that all of the important executives attend. The only catch is that it's a dinner for morons....and each person must bring a complete idiot as their guest. The person with the biggest idiot wins a trophy, and gets in good with the boss. Tim is not thrilled at the prospect, and neither is his girlfriend....yet he does not want to miss an opportunity to get ahead. Just when he is about to drop out, Tim literally runs into Barry (Steve Carrell), a truly misguided, and perhaps idiotic IRS man who spends his spare time as an amateur taxidermist...creating majestic, intricate scenes and models using the carcasses of dead mice. It does not take long for Tim to realize that Barry is perfect for his boss's dinner...and invites him as his guest. Yet when Barry shows up at Tim's apartment a full day early....complete and utter mayhem ensues...
I really enjoyed DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS...both Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell were both hilarious and likable in their respective roles. They both do and say horrible things...yet you still somehow root for them just the same. Also, I loved what Jay Roach and screenwriters David Guion and Michael Handelman did with the original story. Instead of doing a flat American remake...they instead were inspired to create a different story with the same plot. It's been 11 years since I've seen the original French film, yet almost nothing in DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS seems to resemble its French predecessor. Usually this spells disaster...yet Roach, Carrell and Rudd are comedic pros, creating a a very fun atmosphere....and yes, with heart. If that were not enough.. DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS also features a stellar supporting cast...including an hysterical Jemaine Clement (from "Flight of the Concords") as a pretentious artist who never met a goat he didn't like...OFFICE SPACE's Ron Livingston, British actress Lucy Punch (in a frightening role you won't forget), and Zach Galifianakis as a disturbed IRS employee who claims he can control people's minds. Yes, DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS can be goofy, silly and over-the-top...yet this is no mere dumb comedy. Everyone involved with the project knows better....as each party rises to the challenge in order to create a truly enjoyable and funny movie.
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