Movie Review: "50/50"

50/50

Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard
Rated: R for language throughout, sexual content and drug use

Based off of screenwriter Will Reiser’s own life experience, the dark-comedy 50/50 is a terrifically-moving film that is saturated with honesty, humor, and empathy about dealing with cancer without it every straying into the cliché or overdramatic. The story is about Adam (an authentic Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who, at age 27, discovers he has a tumor on his spine that gives him a 50% chance of survival. The heart of the film is then watching him deal with the onslaught of emotions and experiences that cancer brings daily, especially in his relationships with others. The story, while accurate, is more so a caricature of the experience than a realistic depiction; it certainly exaggerates aspects of the story, but it doesn’t do so to simply make us laugh or cry, but to help us experience the emotions that Adam is going through. From the stoic doctor who coldly tells Adam about his tumor to his fellow chemo-patients who turn to weed to get them through, Adam’s experiences seemingly put us through his own emotional journey, which is witty, funny, heartbreaking, and powerful. The only drawback is the always-crass Seth Rogen (who was Reiser’s real-life friend who helped him through his cancer), who despite being a great character in the film, uses extremely strong language that (along with a quick sex scene) should keep those not comfortable with hard-R content away. But, like most of the characters in the film, their short-comings are juxtaposed with the great lengths that they go to help and befriend Adam, showing an honest, funny, and emotional story about the importance of relationships when they are needed most.

Movie Review: "In Time"

In Time

Directed by: Andrew Niccol
Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfreid,
Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde
Rated:PG-13 for violence, some sexuality and partial nudity, and strong language

The pseudo-intellectual action film In Time is what you get when you take the Nolans’ out of Inception or Spielberg out of Minority Report; a film that tries to be smarter, wittier, more intelligent, and more exciting than it truly is. Written and directed by Andrew Niccol (of Gattica and Truman Show fame) In Time is based in a futuristic world where, thanks to endless upgrades in science, humans never age past twenty five, and therefore are killed off when a transplanted timer in their arm runs out. Because of this, currency literally becomes time on your arm-clock, which people can add and spend like cash. This concept could have spurned a unique story, but Niccol seemingly chooses a rather boring plot of turning his protagonist (a decent Justin Timberlake) and his female accomplice (Amanda Seyfreid) into a Robin Hoods of sorts, whom rob time from the rich (who have already been alive for centuries) to give to the dying poor twenty-somethings in the slums. While craftier storytellers have infuse their nuances into their plots (like the dream structures of Inception or the pre-cogs of Minority Report), the arm-clocks has almost nothing to do with the story; one could have simply used money, and the plot wouldn’t have really changed. No one asks why they have these clocks, how to remove them, how they actually kill you when the clock stops, and if they can somehow “hack” them to add more time. While this might be a moot point (every sci-fi film has some plot holes), the world that Niccol has created seems to be built on some simplicity (such as how, despite living in an age of wireless internet, the only way to add time is by holding a bar above your arm, or how twisting your arm during a handshake can steal someone else’s), so it’s impossible not to expect some basic answers, like who put the clocks in their arms to begin with?

These plot holes exist because In Time is a message driven rather than plot driven film. In my opinion, Niccol wasn’t interested in the story or concept, but wanted to make a film depicting how the wealthy are literally living off the poor, and the arm-clocks was the best he could come up with. However, message driven stories always are problematic and never feel natural; the characters, dialogue, and action of In Time seem muted and contrived throughout. Niccol even fails to realize that his villains in the story (the wealthy class) are really only the transplanted villains of the story; they aren’t the ones putting clocks and killing people at age 25, and despite their wealth, they, too are subjected to those rules, so the whole rebellion motif really is misconstrued. I believe Niccol would have had more success making a documentary for the Occupy Wall-Street crowd than trying to make this sci-fi action thriller fit his message.

Archive Analysis: "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind"

Eternal Sunshine
of a Spotless Mind

Directed by: Michel Gondry
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslett, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo,
Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson
Rated: R for language, some drug and sexual content

Michel Gondry’s abstract love-story Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind is an odd film that somehow succeeds as a dark romantic comedy despite it not being very romantic or very funny. The film follows Joel (a rather calm Jim Carrey) who after a nasty breakup with his girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslett) decides to have her erased from his brain. It is through this procedure that Joel goes through the entirety of his life with Clementine, experiencing the highs and lows, which leave him less angry and more confused. As abstract as the film is, it’s actually the most “normal” film I’ve seen from eccentric writer/director Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Synecdoche New York.) While most will lose interest due to it’s abstract plot structure (or it’s harsh material), those who mine through Eternal Sunshine will find the beauty and honesty about relationships that seem to be missing from other films; that, despite their difficulties and potential failures, relationships are worth the journey. As painful as memories can be, to have never experienced them is even more tragic.

Movie Review: "One Day"

One Day

Directed by: Lone Scherfig
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Romola Garai, Patrcia Clarkson
Rated: PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity, language, some violence, and substance abuse

The British film One Day is a sentimental and dramatic look at the relationship of two people over the span of twenty plus years. Directed by former Dogma 95 director Lone Scherfig, the film resonates with romanticism and the resolution that fans of The Notebook will certainly appreciate. But it’s skewed view of love is so incredibly inept that the film, for me, was quite troubling. In the film, Anne Hathaway’s character throws reason and her judgment of good character to the wind to romanticize for years over the sleaze-bag who is Dexter (a once again terrific performance by Jim Sturgess.) I still fail to understand how THIS relationship could bring her happiness and him decency without some life-altering event or understanding. What changed Dexter to suddenly realize this was the girl who would make him happy forever? Or she that this scum-bucket was worthy of her undying love over the others who (may) have truly loved her? And, without spoiling the film, I think this fleetingness of their sudden fulfillment is what leads to that nihilistic feeling at the end when you realize that it can disappear in an instant. Plus the film has enough nudity to qualify it for an R-rating, which only adds to my frustration. As romantic as One Day may make you feel, this misunderstanding of true love is not what builds a fulfilled life but one as fleeting as a one-night stand.

Archive Analysis: "Man on Fire"

Man on Fire

Directed by: Tony Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Christopher Walken, Marc Anthony
Rated: R for language and strong violence.


Tony Scott’s violent thriller Man On Fire is a ferociously emotional film that is energized purely by the performances of Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. Underneath Scott's signature style of saturated color, film burns, and double exposure is the story of John Creesey (Washington), a troubled mercenary who has turned from God to the bottle to ease his guilty conscience, and is transformed through the undying and personal love of Fanning’s Pita, a girl he is a bodyguard for, who is looking for a true parental figure in her life. This transition is astounding, and is one that really is riveting as the remainder of the story, itself. However, the film takes a striking and disturbing turn when Pita is kidnapped and killed, which unleashes the fury of Creesey, showing how much of an emotional and spiritual impact Pita had on his life. As violent and terrible as the imagery may be, the film has a wonderful message, which is pseudo-biblical of self-sacrificing redemption that is wonderfully played out by it’s two incredible lead characters.