Pride Amongst the Ugly

I can't believe it's been two months since I've thrown something on here, but I've honestly found nothing worth going to in theatres, so here goes writing about something else. The recent events of the bombing at the Boston Marathon + today's shootout are pretty ugly times. A small event in terms of scale, had a huge effect in scope during a Boston Bruin vs. Buffalo Sabres hockey game a few nights ago. I caught it at home on ESPN and was moved to tears. The link is below, hopefully you can enjoy it advertisement free. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzMsagY7oRs It's an awesome response to an awful thing. I also loved both teams coming together at center ice after the game to raise their sticks to salute the fans. I think America is an amazing place. I still have these feelings despite the fact things aren't perfect, nor will they ever be. We won't stop trying to improve though, and that's a part of why America is great. We have freedoms, which cause problems, but I can't imagine being anywhere else. I feel pride in moments like that watching maybe 20,000 people singing their souls out during our national anthem. One that inspires pride when it speaks of our flag waving despite projectiles flying all around it. We get kicked in the teeth occasionally in this country, more so than any other. I'm consistently pleased with how it further bands us together as a nation, rather than tearing us apart. We take pride in knowing we started as a rag-tag group of transplants that earned our freedom by slogging through 7 years of war with the strongest nation in the world at the time. Pride in our growth as a nation in all things. Pride in that despite hardships, this is still a land of opportunity. I want us all to keep our chin up during this time. Let Boston's emphatic pride pick you up and allow yourself to be carried to a better place. I can't wait to watch the Celtics come back to Boston, and the Red Sox, and the Bruins again. The boisterous, proud, and tough people of one of our oldest and greatest cities will make me proud to be able to call them countrymen, I'm certain of that.

Silver Linings Playbook

Upon seeing this posting up 92% on Rotten Tomatoes & two personal recommendations, I knew I needed to see this despite my general hatred of rom-coms (romantic comedies). Bradley Cooper plays a mentally ill (bi-polar & rage issues) former teacher who starts our story in a mental institution. Slowly the layers get peeled back and you find out he snaps after his wife, who he's still in love with, was cheating on him with a fellow teacher. He's trying to figure out how to control his rage episodes and attempt to live a normal life. His friend invites him to dinner with his wife (Julia Styles) and Julia's sister played by Jennifer Lawrence. She just lost her husband and is in a seemingly fragile state as well. The two start spending time together attempting to form a friendship. Robert De Niro plays Cooper's dad who runs a sports book illegally and is attempting to reconcile with the fact he feels partially responsible for Cooper's characters mental issues since he spent more time with his older brother. Damaged characters played effortlessly and perfectly by an amazing cast. It's such an interesting story of people. Cooper's brutally honest all the time, he doesn't know how else to be. Everyone has quirks that are exposed. Bottom Line: 9.2 out of 10. I feel it a cop-out to vote like Rotten Tomatoes, but this film is just excellent. It's really a film you should head out and see. I can see where the Oscar buzz is from, just phenomenal everything.

Flight

I'm a big Denzel Washington fan, so feel free to chew on this with a grain of salt. Flight follows airline pilot Capt. Whip Whitaker through a crash, and the subsequent troubles. The real story is that he's a functioning (for the most part) alcoholic. The role is amazing, deep & complex. A lessor actor wouldn't be able to OWN it like Denzel. He plays the role just incredibly. Kelly Reilly is a heroin addict who is recovering at the same time Whip is trying to stay sober. Whip was drunk and drinking while the plane crashed because he drinks every day & night. Don Cheedle jumps in as his lawyer and is great in limited action. John Goodman is Whip's friend/fellow addict Harley. The story is just gripping and it takes you places. Bottom Line: 8.7 out of 10. Just an excellent picture following around a riveting character and actor known as Denzel Washington. I hope he picks up another best actor on this one. Go out and see this. I'll be watching this one again.

Battleship- I Bit the Bullet for You All

You'll see a ton of people you recognize in this one, but don't be tempted. They may have spent $200 million dollars on this piece of shit, but that only bought some cool CGI. This is just a ton a CGI and garbage thrown together. It just epitomizes every cliche' ever used in an action film. A bunch of shitty one-liners after killing stuff. Attempt at drama and sadness which completely misses. A useless love story that's just pathetic and contrived. A "bad-boy" turned hero. It's just never-ending. Peter Berg is done directing I have a feeling. The story follows "Harper" and his journey from loser to national hero. He's in the Navy because his brother is a C.O. in the Navy and he gets him in despite the fact he's a huge fuck-up and a felon. We make alien contact with a planet similar to Earth and they send back an expeditionary force. Somehow it coincides perfectly with Naval training exercises with Japan, YEAH, THE GUYS FROM PEARL HARBOR! It's all fucked up, don't waste your time. Bottom line: 3.3 out of 10. All flash, no substance. Amazing CGI, lots of people you'll recognize, but just a garbage plot & writing doom it from the moment it starts.

The Americans

On the verge of refusing to watch a seemingly pretty good show in Kevin Bacon's The Following, I started watching FX's The American's. It's very good. It made me wonder why I don't remember Keri Russell in anything other than knowing she was "Felicity". It made me wonder why I never knew who Matthew Rhys was, or really remember him in anything either. They are both phenomenal, and I love the premise. They are undercover KGB agents completely engrossed in American society. They have two children, "jobs" at a travel agency, and are seemingly completely normal. They carry out KGB missions while attempting to maintain normalcy in our society. You also recognize a few of the other characters like Noah Emerich, who I eternally remember as Coach Craig Patrick in Miracle. This has my recommendation to jump on the band wagon as another excellent program on FX. Bottom Line: I'm giving it around a high 7-low 8 right now. It's just really interesting and well done. It blends the complexities of the life of double agents living in another country. Really good stuff.

The Artist- Two Years Late...

So I was immediately turned off of The Artist when I heard that it was essentially a silent picture in black and white. I saw it on the dollar shelf of Family Video and figured it was about time. The movie is an interesting picture about the demise of the silent film, an art form, in favor of the classless "talky". The appearance of sound in film did indeed ruin the acting career of a few actors of that period. I believe the true story is of Rudolph Valentino, a silent film star who resisted the "talking" picture, I believe my freshman history teacher said it was because he had a high-pitched voice, to paraphrase. This film stars at his incredible peak where he dominated the silent film era as the top leading man. He's at the peak of the film industry and is rich, famous, and adored. His marriage is already loveless and strange though, a theme that continues throughout. In one of his final silent film he's introduced to an actress who storms on the scene by stumbling into paparazzi photos with him named Peppy Miller. She storms onto the scene and becomes the next "it" thing during the first films with sound while Valentino falls into despair. He denounces the new films and promises to keep the silent film strong, a real film & art form. He throws all his money into a silent film he directs, produces, and stars in. It inevitably tanks and he's sent spiraling into despair. All without sound his downfall is painfully portrayed. The acting in this film is top notch. The only cast members I knew heading in were John Goodman and James Cromwell, the two leads are actually French. Bottom Line: 8.4 out of 10. Just an excellent picture despite the complete lack of technology. It was awesome to view this film because it's beautifully acted and done. It's obviously a "tad" boring, but it's a beautifully done film for people who appreciate that side of the medium. I'd rent it for sure if you appreciate fine cinematography and acting.

The Raid: Redemption

I watched The Raid: Redemption when I was on my crazy action trip yesterday. I had it explained by filmdrunk.com as an excellent action/kung-fu movie (paraphrasing here). The story jumps in watching a cop "work-out" in his house and features the most impressive bag work I've ever seen. He kisses his pregnant wife goodbye, and simply says to an old man that "he'll bring him home" (paraphrasing again). Then you are immediately taken inside an armored van with 20 Asian looking guys for a quick speech about the building and the crime lord inside they are trying to take down, and then it's just on. It's a great sustained entrance sequence with a lot of long takes that I really enjoyed. It's 20 "highly" trained cops versus a slumville apartment (I'm really thinking Dredd stole their idea from this picture CLEARLY). Inevitably (SPOILER) the crime lord finds out they're in his crib and INSANITY ensues. It's just awesome for sustained stretches as the apartments violently oppose this Inquisitional force. There is an actual plot that takes some nice turns so it's not just crazy action, which actually isn't a bad thing. There is too much "kung-fu" fighting, even though it's fucking awesome, because you can't possibly believe the surviving cops wouldn't be picking up the weapons of the people they are running through. LITERALLY the "hero" character walks past two knives and a baton HE JUST USED TO KICK THE SHIT OUT OF EIGHT DUDES WITH and rolls unarmed. That pissed me off, but the fighting is just awesome. I'm not going to get the actors names because it doesn't matter, but they are just great at fighting at lightning speeds. The early gunfights are really good as well. It's just frenetic and you are uneasy for the most part. I love the premise and the execution is excellent. Bottom Line: 8.6 out of 10. I really enjoyed the insanity of this film. The action is awesome and really the acting isn't a liability. See this over Dredd FOR SURE if you're looking for an action film. The directing/style is excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I honestly think this is the highest score I could give an action movie and I'll probably end up buying this one.

Dredd: Karl Urban's Wet Dream

After accepting a few warm reviews of Dredd, and needing to use a free coupon at Family Video, I rented it last night. I was immediately worried knowing that Karl Urban is the "star" since most pictures he's in go straight to video and suck donkey balls. The story is same old, same old in the respect that Judge Dredd is the ultimate bad-ass in a world totally destroyed and ravaged from nuclear war. 800 million people occupy a strip of land from Boston to Washington D.C. (Go Sawx). Dredd's job is to assess a new "recruit" who is slightly below the passing grade (which remains unexplained since she's like a female Terminator), but can read minds, which seems helpful in this line of work (Played by Olivia Thirlby, thanks IMDB). Wood Harris is in it (Avon Barksdale from The Wire is who he forever shall be), the wife of King Leonidus from 300 (Lena Headley) is the ruthless slum ganglord, that's about all you'll recognize. Dredd + rookie investigate three bodies thrown from the 25 floor of a giant building slum occupied by the "Mama's" gang. Dredd + rookie find the killer (Wood Harris) and try to escort him to interrogation, "Mama" (300 Lady) locks down the building and tries to kill them. It really is a pretty decent action movie that isn't completely ridiculous, which is refreshing. Urban plays a Terminator clone that's a person, which isn't a stretch at all. Thrilby is pretty decent too actually, and she's very good looking, so maybe that's something worth taking from this experience. They move through the building, killing people, escaping death, having a good time. Really, it's a pretty basic, no-frill action movie that moves along pretty decently and doesn't introduce a bunch of stupid bullshit. Bottom Line: 6.4 out of 10. It's really not shitty and puts a lot of dicks in the dirt. If you like action (A bunch of shooting) and nothing else, it's for you, if you don't IT IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT FOR YOU AND DO NOT WATCH IT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. I imagine I'm missing something not seeing it in 3D, but it was pretty entertaining. Worth a free rental or whenever Showtime (I'm assuming) picks it up if you want 1.5 hours of violence.

Zero Dark Thirty- Fuck you Osama

Kathryn Bigelow jumps back into the Middle East for her follow-up of the Hurt Locker. This story follows the hunt for Osama bin Laden through Jessica Chastain's brilliantly played Maya, a fresh CIA recruit tasked with finding Bin Laden and other top Al-Queda members. Jason Clarke is her on the job trainer who shows her the brutal methods of interrogation to get information out of Al-Queda members. It's some of the more realistic "torture" you'll see. The whole film has a realistic feel that shouldn't be too far off from a documentary. Chastain is amazing and needs to capitalize on this role. She's too good to not be in a bunch of stuff. She checks interviews and data and compiles a target known to be Bin Laden's top courier, handing his direct messages off to other head Al-Queda members. She relentlessly follows this lead around the Middle East and even while she's back in Langley, VA. It follows the painful hierarchy she has to negotiate and her fight to get this lead followed to the bitter end. There's a lot of stars in minor roles, which I love. James Gandolfini, Pete from the League, Mack Strong, the Coach from the TV Show Friday Night Lights, and Andy from Parks & Rec (I use "star" loosely, but you'll recognize a lot of people). Lots of guys who look like terrorists do a really good job acting as well. Clarke is stellar as the head of interrogating on site in Pakistan. This movie essentially glorifies the tedious work done to lead up to capturing Al-Queda members, especially Bin Laden. It makes you want to jump into the CIA and start beating terrorists (probably just me). The raid scene is very well done, on par with parts of Act of Valor even. It's completely in the dark and just awesome. Bottom Line: 9.2 out of 10. Excellent movie throughout about an amazing topic and essentially part of our countries history. Chastain carries it SO well and there's just great story and acting throughout. It's really a must-see film if you like movies.

Gangster Squad

I saw Gangster Squad assuming it'd be disappointing, but it wasn't all that bad. Josh Brolin is the tough WWII vet who comes back to Los Angeles to raise a family. Sean Penn plays legendary gangster and L.A. terrorist Mickey Cohen. Ryan Gosling is the street smart cop who doesn't care, then a tragic event happens and he is all-in versus Cohen. Giovanni Rabisi is the wiring guy, Michael Pena, Anthony Mackie, & Robert Paatrick (T1000/ Agent Dagget) round out the list. They brutally take down Cohen's operations with brute force and it's entertaining. Emma Stone is sprinkled in as Cohen's Special Lady Friend who happens to feel like banging Ryan Gosling as well even though he'd do horrific things to them if he ever finds out. The story follows their gang through infancy, to coming together, to taking down Cohen. There's fighting, some shoot-outs, everyone is pretty good to be honest. There are a little too many cliches' and corny bits for my liking, it's more graphic novel than action/drama, but it's entertaining and pretty well-acted. The accent on Penn is a little bothersome for me, but maybe that's just me. If you do like action and period pieces, this is more Sin City than L.A. Confidential, but it's OK. Bottom Line: 6.8 out of 10. I wouldn't spend money on it, but it keeps you largely entertained for an hour and 50 minutes. Really solid cast helps you deal with the corny/unbelievable stuff.