Movie Review: "The Muppets"

The Muppets

Directed by: James Bobin

Starring: Jason Segal, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Jack Black
Rated: PG for some mild rude humor
On some level, most of American culture has some connection with the Muppets; whether it’s their television show, their tv specials, their movies, or even their Christmas album, most people have at least one nostalgic memory of the Jim Henson’s iconic puppets. Obviously, producer/actor Jason Segal would agree, because that’s exactly what his new Muppet movie is; one funny and incredibly nostalgic look at the beloved characters, though it thankfully strays away from becoming too sentimental. The terrific style of the film comes from the direction of James Bobin, director of the Ali G Show and the hit HBO series Flight of the Conchords. Bobin also got one of the Conchords’ members, Bret McKenzie (of Lord of the Rings fame) to compose the terrific musical numbers, infusing the Muppets’ slapstick humor with their own quick satirical brand. Because of it, The Muppets doesn’t feel like the Muppet movies we’ve seen in the past, or even the characters from the past films. But, perhaps that’s what makes this new film work so well; it reminds us of those good times rather than trying to recreate them. Thanks to the humor of the story, the parody of the genre (“maniacal laugh”), the outrageous wit of McKenize, the brilliant direction of Bobin, a ton of cameo appearances, and a story that reminds us of the good old days, The Muppets may be the most “sensational, inspirational, celebrational, muppentational” movie of the holidays.

Movie Review: "Margin Call"

Margin Call

Directed by: J.C. Chandor

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Paul Bettany,
Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Simon Baker, Stanley Tucci
Rated: R for language

The critically acclaimed, low budget film Margin Call, written and directed by J.C. Chandler, doesn't tell some great narrative or depict a historical character; it simply puts a somewhat fictitious face to the people who began the great mortgage and financial crisis of 2008. The movie follows key players within a financial firm during the 24-hour time frame that they discover that their company is built on a house of cards that is about to topple. As the word is spread through the chain of command, characters reveal, not necessarily why thy got into this mess, but more how they'll get out and how they justified doing so. One of the key moments is when the head of the sales floor, played by Kevin Spacey, asks the company's CEO, played by a brilliant Jeremy Irons, if he understands what he is about to do. Irons retorts back with the same question. "I'm telling, you this is it. This is it," he exclaims, emphasizing how ethics fly out the window when you come to the end of the race. Although we as the bourgeois act as if we don't understand this mentality, we are really no different; when faced with particular problems, human nature resorts to selfish survival tactics that throw ethics to the dogs. Margin Call may have not been much in terms of a story; it's slick editing and quick dialog is sure to lose those whom aren't too familiar with market terminology. It does boast a terrific cast which includes Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Paul Bettany, and a bone-chilling Simon Baker. And while it certainly brings to light the beginnings of the financial crisis, it more so depicts the essence of human nature and how, when one elevates oneself over society, ethics become amoral.

Movie Review: "J Edgar"

J Edgar

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench
Rated: R for brief strong language

Perhaps the most powerful and controversial figure of the past 100 years, one would expect a biopic on FBI founder J Edgar Hoover to live up to it's potential. Despite it's all-star cast and crew, the new Clint Eastwood film J Edgar is a simple disappointment. Writer Dustin Lance Black, who wrote the biopic Milk, once again wrote a boisterous piece that follows a man's life instead of the overarching story the propelled him to greatness; despite seeing the story unfold before us, we never really know what the story is about. (Also, he allows his protagonist to once again break into poetic narrations that doesn't match his character's dialogue the rest of the film.) Because of it, J Edgar doesn't feel very emotional or interesting because we never know where it's trying to go, and the two-hour plus run time feels like an eternity. Unlike Milk, Black's weak script isn't saved by the directing; Gus Van Sant gave Milk such a strong sense of style and creativity that is completely missing in Eastwood's biopic; this movie lacks nostalgia, feels very dark, bleak, and dreary, yet without reason. DiCaprio tries to elevate the script by delivering a solid performance, but it only serves as a reminder of how he excelled in truly great films like The Aviator, Revolutionary Road, and Blood Diamond. Naomi Watts and Judi Dench give solid performances as well, but the rest of the cast fall prey to Eastwood's inability to truly direct actors. Armie Hammer lacks subtlety and Jeffrey Donovan's Robert Kennedy seems like he is reading the lines straight from cue cards with a cruddy New England accent. Perhaps these nuances could have been solved had Eastwood and Black known exactly where J Edgar was going, but it seems that neither really understood the mysterious Hoover, causing them to this detached and amoral portrayal of his life, which leaves the audience very unemotional and confused. While subtlety can be an effective tool, a theme requires some interpretation of the message, yet J Edgar gives us neither interpretation or message. What are we supposed to think of the great investigator, initiator, self-assured, cross-dressing, timid bully who practically ruled America for over sixty years? It seems that, even with Eastwood and Black simply giving us the "facts" without interpretation, he seems more a mystery now then ever.

Movie Review: "Immortals"

Immortals

Directed by: Tarsem Singh

Starring: Henry Cavill, Frida Pinto, Mickey Rourke, Luke Evans
Rated: R for sequences of bloody violence, and a scene of sexuality

Acclaimed director Tarsem Singh’s new film Immortals will be unjustly compared to Zack Snyder’s 300. Despite the obvious similarities, Immortals is very different; the world he depicts is global, mixing other European, Indian, and Asiatic cultures together rather just setting it in ancient Greece. He also spends more time on the characters and allows the visuals to help tell the story rather than just look cool. He even depicts the spiritual realm and the importance of faith despite a naturalistic world not understanding it, which is the exact opposite theme of Snyder’s 300. In the end, none of this really matters; the faith storyline is contradicted with scenes of violence and sexuality, the story is cliché, the character are not interesting, and whatever themes the story tries to convey are lost in the midst of the massive body count. As visionary as Tarsem may be, Immortals is a pretty lifeless film.

Movie Review: "Hanna"

Hanna

Directed by: Joe Wright

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Tom Hollander
Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual material, and language

Whenever he decided to helm the child-assassin thriller Hanna, most of his loyal fans (myself included) thought it was an odd choice. For a filmmaker who has flourished on artistic human dramas (including The Soloist, Pride and Prejudice, and Atonement), it was a shock to go to a genre that traditionally doesn’t deal with deep human emotions and artistic detail. Despite the genre switch, Wright’s cinematic brilliance comes through again, and the film is one of the most unique action thrillers I’ve seen. The color, settings, characterizations, cinematography, and soundtrack is mesmerizing, almost as if you are watching a CIA fairy tale. Even the actors, from the young and isolated Hanna (Saoirse Ronan), to the sinister-yet-dentally -concerned Merissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett), to her perverted henchman (Tom Hollander, a regular in Joe Wright films), the acting is extraordinary. And yet, as incredible as it may appear, the quality is wasted on a product that is both unemotional and says very little. For a film as interesting and unique as Joe Wright’s Hanna is, you would expect it to mature into something great. In the end, Hanna’s story remains childish and silly at best.

Movie Review: "Limitless"

Limitless

Directed by: Neil Burger

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro, Abbie Cornish
Rated: PG-13 for thematic material including a drug, violence including disturbing images, sexuality and language.

Medication can often do some incredible things; heal diseases, alter conditions, and, according to the movie Limitless, evidently make you the perfect man. The Neil Burger directed film has the opportunity to tell a low-budget, B-rated, Faustian-like tale where a black-market medication turns a loser into a perfect man; he becomes smart, likeable, wealth, and ambitious. But the side effects, including paranoia, addiction, health ramifications, and the loss of control of one’s self, comes with a high price tag. Unfortunately, the film not only embraces a happy ending which, thanks to the drug, is free of consequences (such as murdering a woman) but embraces a purely naturalistic view of life. While there is a portion of physical talent needed to succeed in some aspects of life, it downplays if not ignores the roles that will, determination, and providence play. (For instance, look at what handicapped people, such as FDR, were able to accomplish despite their situation.) To think that physical/mental ability somehow plays a role in those factors is a completely limited view of life and what’s valuable. So much for the title.

Archive Analysis: "Good Will Hunting"

Good Will Hunting

Directed by: Gus Van Sant

Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver
Rated:R for some strong language, including sex-related dialogue

Gus Van Sant’s 1997 drama Good Will Hunting (written by actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck) is a very human film; the plot is no deeper than the character of Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a twenty-something genius who is living the life of a hoodlum in downtown Boston. Once the discovery is made that Will is brilliant, people begin to try to help move beyond his circumstances and live up to his potential, only to discover that Will doesn’t want that. He shoots down his girlfriend’s (Minnie Driver) confession of love, he outsmarts his professor (Stellan Skargard), and even mentally breaks his councilor, Sean McGuire (Robin Willaims). However, through the unconditional love of these characters show him, especially Sean and Will’s hoodlum friend Chuckie (Ben Affleck), we learn that Will’s rejections of these opportunities and relationships are really a defense mechanism to keep him in the world where he is comfortable and safe. Outside of that, he believes the world is a scary and difficult place, and will eventually hurt him. It is and will, but what he discovers at the end is how, through truly living life, the world can also become a mesmerizing and wonderful experience that can lead to something truly profound. What isn’t wonderful or profound is the offensive language and dialogue in the movie, leaving me to suggest caution to anyone interested in the film.