Why So Blu?

‘The Dictator’ Seizes Comedy, Whether You Like It Or Not

I am really looking forward to seeing Sacha Baron Cohen tackle more serious and dramatic work.  I saw a hint of it in Hugo and, as is generally the case, comedic actors seem work just as well in a dramatic environment.  I start out this way because I like Sacha Baron Cohen in general, but the movies that involve him trying being as offensive as possible do little for me.  I chuckle at them, sometimes I laugh much harder, but when they finish, I am fine enough with what I saw and have no real desire to watch the film again.  I have seen Borat once; I have seen Bruno once; and now I have seen The Dictator, but I do not really have any real lingering thoughts about any of these films that make me want to reflect on these crazy characters that Cohen has played (with vigorous and committed enthusiasm).  Chances are people will generally enjoy this movie more than Bruno, but I am basically indifferent. Continue reading ‘‘The Dictator’ Seizes Comedy, Whether You Like It Or Not’

Thin Ice Thaws Out This June

I missed this one while in theaters, but look forward to its release.  Hailed as “a crime twist worthy of Hitchcock and dialogue worthy of the Coen Brothers” (Screen Daily), Thin Ice arrives on Blu-ray and DVD June 12 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  Starring Oscar®-nominee Greg Kinnear (As Good AS It Gets, Little Miss Sunshine), Academy Award winner® Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Jesus’ Son) and Lea Thompson (Back To The Future), this intriguing caper premiered to critical praise at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.  Read on the learn more about this upcoming Blu-ray release Continue reading ‘Thin Ice Thaws Out This June’

‘God Bless America’: A Road Trip/Killing Spree Comedy

I have seen and heard a lot of Bobcat Goldthwait lately, as he has been promoting his newest film, God Bless America.  Having retired from stand-up comedy nearly a decade ago, with his eyes set on being a filmmaker, he’s since made some interesting (and quite good) dark comedies; including Sleeping Dogs Lie and World’s Greatest Dad (Robin Williams is great in that movie).  I like Bobcat Goldthwait.  Listening to him now, he is very honest, funny, and brash in a good sort of way.  It is unfortunate that God Bless America is not a better film.  It certainly has a lot on its mind in regards to the state of America’s fascination with reality television, among other things, but the film does not come together as strongly as it could.  There are enough good bits in it overall to make it something worth checking out for a person that wants to enjoy a decent dark comedy/satire, it just could have been more. Continue reading ‘‘God Bless America’: A Road Trip/Killing Spree Comedy’

Dark Shadows Linger With Mixed Results

Dark Shadows is a movie that has everything it needs to be a lot of fun, but ends up being too hit or miss to fully succeed in the end.  The film has a great cast, some very impressive production values (fitting for a Tim Burton film), and an initial setup for a story that could have lead to some interesting places.  The setup is strong, yes, but the film ends up being too messy in regards to handling all of its many subplots and characters.  This would not be all too bad a thing if the film was at least constantly entertaining, but unfortunately, there are also various problems with how well established the characters are and how well the comedy works.  Johnny Depp certainly tries hard, but the film is too messy and unfocused to really amount to much more than a forgettable, gothic jaunt. Continue reading ‘Dark Shadows Linger With Mixed Results’

‘Sleepless Night’ Rests For No One

Remember what happened to action movies after Die Hard came out? A lot of action films were made that basically amounted to things like “It’s Die Hard on a boat” or “It’s Die Hard on a train” to varied levels of success, but one thing was for sure, Die Hard changed how a lot of people and studios wanted to make action films. That has somewhat subsided in favor of other types of action cinema, ranging from the slow-mo escapades of John Woo-like films to the bombastic extravaganzas of Michael Bay features, or the shakiness inspired by Paul Greengrass’s work on the Bourne series. Sleepless Night is a French thriller that feels like a call back to the Die Hard days, placing an ordinary man in incredibly tense, violent, and stressful situations within a nightclub. It is well made from an impressively complex level rather than a stylish one and features action bits that feel very natural. Some minor plot flaws aside, the film is solid.

Continue reading ‘‘Sleepless Night’ Rests For No One’

NBFF Review: Save The Date

Wrapping up my work at 2012’s Newport Beach Film Festival, the last film I was able to attend was the romantic-themed comedy-drama, Save the Date.  Having just watched Lola Versus the previous night, I felt like I found myself more or less in familiar territory, except that Lola Versus took place amongst a hip bunch of New Yorkers, whereas Save the Date revolves around some of the exploits of a hip bunch of Los Angelinos.  It is another independent film that deals with a woman coming out of one relationship and finding her way into another, despite the fact that everyone still hangs around with each other, occasionally.  I can’t hold the film back for timing on my part, though I can be put off by the drastic tonal changes that take hold over the course of the film.  I appreciated the performances, as it starred people I liked seeing, but a lot of the warmth this film has is brought down by the required drama of a film of this type.  Regardless, it is the kind of film that I generally like when it comes to this familiar story and the film had enough in it for me to enjoy it overall. Continue reading ‘NBFF Review: Save The Date’

NBFF Review: Doppelganger Paul (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself)

I kicked off the last night of the Newport Beach Film Festival with a really offbeat piece of work.  Doppelganger Paul (Or a Film about How Much I Hate Myself), to borrow a descriptor from one of my favorite NBFF programmers, is a sardonic, strange, occasionally humorous, and fairly introspective film that plays like an alternative type of buddy movie.  It revolves around events that bring two very different people together in an effort to confront some of the issues they have and share, given that they would appear to despise themselves.  Very much fitting the bill of an independent feature, it is the way the film’s moody sense of humor carries over with the players involved, which makes this somewhat slow film worthy of an open-minded viewing. Continue reading ‘NBFF Review: Doppelganger Paul (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself)’

NBFF Review: Lola Versus

To go a completely different direction from Detention of the Dead, the first film I saw at the Newport Beach Film Festival on Wednesday night, May 2, 2012, the follow up screening was an offbeat romantic comedy, starring an actress who is currently a fixture of independent and art house features, Greta Gerwig.  Lola Versus may play out in its own sort of way, but it very much follows a lot of the same patterns that these types of films tend to have.  That does not make it bad, as I liked a lot of the film, save for some issues I had with the third act.  Despite the disastrous nature of some of the romantic follies Gerwig’s character becomes involved with, the film had enough going for it to make it work for me. Continue reading ‘NBFF Review: Lola Versus’

‘The Avengers’ Assemble For A Comic Book Fever Dream Of Fun

I love it when a plan comes together.  In one of the most ambitious film proposals in recent memory, The Avengers has finally arrived and paid off greatly.  Setting itself up back in 2008 with Iron Man and adding on layers through the other four Marvel Comic films that have come since, the massive gamble of bringing in multiple actors, directors, studios, and comic properties has led to what is basically the ultimate Marvel superhero film.  Frankly, this film should not even exist.  It seems unwieldy to think about combining so many elements into one feature and not have it topple due to the lack of fair balance or the lack of a cohesive and unifying story, but writer/director/comic geek Joss Whedon has managed to pull it off and deliver a ridiculously satisfying experience. Continue reading ‘‘The Avengers’ Assemble For A Comic Book Fever Dream Of Fun’

NBFF Review: Detention Of The Dead

Wednesday night, May 2, 2012, at the Newport Beach Film Festival gave me the chance to see something different for a change.  As opposed to another independent comedy/drama (which was the type of film I saw at the next screening), the film I was able to catch a showing of was Detention of the Dead, a horror-comedy about high school students caught up in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.  The film is very lighthearted, playing out as a riff on both The Breakfast Club and Shaun of the Dead, even though it never quite reaches those levels.  Still, the film is a fun enough watch that is very cute overall, in a gore-filled, dumb comedy sort of way.  It does not really add much to the genre, but it’s a fun little ode to the joy of seeing zombie movies. Continue reading ‘NBFF Review: Detention Of The Dead’

NBFF Review: Le Skylab

After seeing Supporting Characters at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the next film I saw that Tuesday night was Le Skylab, written and directed by Julie Delpy.  The film is a French comedy/drama that features Delpy, among many other well cast individuals, all playing the members of a large family, gathering for a reunion of sorts, as they honor a grandmother’s birthday at her country home.  The film plays around with the various dynamics seen between all of the different family members and has many moments of humor, emotion, and depth in understanding where everyone is coming from.  It is more aimless than plot driven, but it is an enjoyable film that brings a lot out of its ensemble cast. Continue reading ‘NBFF Review: Le Skylab’

NBFF Review: Supporting Characters

Tuesday night, May 1, 2012, at the Newport Beach Film Festival proved to be a pretty entertaining one.  I managed to see a couple films, which were both very enjoyable.  The first was Supporting Characters, a film about two young film editors in New York, who are in the middle of working on a film project that has lasted for months, while also sorting out their romantic relationships.  Despite being set in modern times, the tone and handling of the characters and various scenes of dialogue definitely calls back to 70s Woody Allen, regardless of how successful it is in truly matching up.  The film may be a little too loose and all over the place as a whole, but there was a charming quality to all that was occurring and I enjoyed the core friendship in this story.  It is too well scripted to be described as breezy, but it certainly fits the type of being a film that gets by with ease. Continue reading ‘NBFF Review: Supporting Characters’

NBFF Review: Jewtopia

On April 26^th, 2012, the opening night of the Newport Beach Film Festival saw the world premiere of Jewtopia.  Based on one of the longest running off-Broadway plays, Jewtopia is the film adaptation, which revolves around two friends dealing with the prospect of finding love with Jewish women.  Unfortunately, while billed as a “comedy”, I can’t recall ever even smiling during this terrible feature.  Jewtopia turned out to be one of the worst films I have seen in recent time, managing to leave me so unsettled that I could not honestly write up a review immediately after I saw it, choosing to let my emotions simmer down instead.  Now, even after having calmed down, I still have nothing very positive to say.  The cast and crew may have had a good time, but the bad jokes, bad story, poorly established comedic style, among other factors, all proved to sum up to a bad time at the movies for me. Continue reading ‘NBFF Review: Jewtopia’

You’re Generally ‘Safe’ In The Hands Of Statham

Modern action stars are rare to come by these days.  There are plenty of past action stars who occasionally star in action movies still and there are younger actors that have done a few action movies, but a true action star is not as big a commodity these days.  One of the few still consistently putting out work is Jason Statham.  It is unfortunate that Statham’s films continue to only pick up moderate success, as he has a cool, steely charisma and knows how to deliver a whoopin’, but at least the man is fairly consistent.  Safe delivers a fairly conventional action film experience, which is made better in spurts do to the early work done to really establish the characters, before settling into crazy action mode.  It helps that Statham adds some shades to his performance here, that distinguishes his character a bit more, this time around, but mainly, Safe delivers what fans would want in their standard Statham action film. Continue reading ‘You’re Generally ‘Safe’ In The Hands Of Statham’

Some Laughs And Unevenness Throughout This ‘Five-Year Engagement’

Chemistry can certainly make up for a film that is way too relaxed.  The Five-Year Engagement is a film that follows a pretty standard formula, despite the few tweaks and R-rated sensibilities, but ultimately never rises above average at best, given effort to shove so much into a film that runs far too long.  It is fortunate that the film has a large, funny, and mostly likable cast.  The leads, in particular, have a strong chemistry together, which makes the film work better than it could have been, were it to be handled differently.  Still, the over-reliance on various tangents and lack of a stronger core makes the film uneven overall, despite being quite funny when it shines best.  The fact that drama plays heavily into the film also reflects on the tonal issues I had, but there is still enough here that I found nice enough to ease into a very mild recommendation for an easy rental. Continue reading ‘Some Laughs And Unevenness Throughout This ‘Five-Year Engagement’’

NBFF Review: Headhunters

Monday night, April 30, 2012, at the Newport Beach Film Festival proved to be fairly worthwhile, as I was able to see a fairly entertaining thriller.  This was the Norwegian film Headhunters, which felt, in a lot of ways, like a nice follow up to other recent trashy thrillers such as Limitless or even The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (when referring the basic plot of that film).  Headhunters is not so much a film that has deeper meanings as it is a film that simply sets up some key characters and lets various amounts of suspense and action follow suit.  The film has some tonal issue, as the thrilling nature of the film is counterbalanced by some over-the-top elements, but for the most part, Headhunters is a pretty entertaining (and violent) way to spend a couple hours. Continue reading ‘NBFF Review: Headhunters’

I’ve Seenith ‘The Raven’, Nevermore

Here is an example of a film that I wish was sillier.  As it stands, The Raven is a slickly made thriller about a serial killer who goes to implausibly complex extents to recreate scenes from the more gruesome works of Edgar Allan Poe, but it suffers due to it not being much fun to watch.  The film could have gone two ways to help itself out.  The Raven could have gone a very serious route and played out like a 19^th century Se7en.  Or, the film could have added a layer of camp or more dark humor and turned out to be something like Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow.  Unfortunately, The Raven falls somewhere in the middle; with John Cusack being the only thing to help it along, aside from some neat production aspects.  The story never becomes more than bland; the other characters are equally uninteresting, and the results are fairly lackluster.  What starts out as a neat idea is ultimately unfulfilling. Continue reading ‘I’ve Seenith ‘The Raven’, Nevermore’

‘Pirates!’ Plunder A Plethora of Phun!

I will just start by not apologizing for my title, as I will easily sacrifice spelling for the sake of alliteration.  With that out of the way, I think it is wonderful to see a new stop-animation motion picture from Aardman Animations.  Being one who is a big fan of Wallace & Gromit, I was thrilled to be going back into a world of very specific character designs and some dry British humor.  ‘Pirates!’ did manage to deliver quite a bit in that regard, even if it was a bit different from what I was expecting.  Regardless, with plenty of jokes that range from subtle to off-kilter and an inherent level of sweetness that is always seen in Aardman Animations, The Pirates! A Band of Misfits is a fun take on a swashbuckling story and it has a great look to it. Continue reading ‘‘Pirates!’ Plunder A Plethora of Phun!’

Bravely Accept The ‘Sound Of My Voice’

Last year I gave lots of praise to the quietly chilling Martha Marcy May Marlene and the sci-fi, existential drama Another Earth.  Sound of My Voice functions like a film that has the sensibilities of both and will fit in well for those who at least found intrigue in either of the aforementioned films.  The film is an example of low budget filmmaking succeeding in presenting a story that contains science fiction elements without the use of any special effects and getting the best out of limited production values and a small group of talented actors.  The story is certainly one that can draw the viewer in as well.  Despite wishing for a little more and finding the ending fairly abrupt, I can still say that I took away a lot of appreciation for what came from this interesting and somewhat challenging film. Continue reading ‘Bravely Accept The ‘Sound Of My Voice’’

The 2012 Newport Beach Film Festival Begins

There should be a lot more coverage coming in the near future, but I just wanted to point out that from April 26^th to May 3^rd, 2012, the 13^th annual Newport Beach Film Festival will be in full swing.  As always, the festival takes place in beautiful Newport Beach, right along the coast.  Over 400 films from over 50 countries will be screened during the week and, in addition, the Newport Beach Film Festival offers filmgoers the opportunity to meet the filmmakers.  Directors, screenwriters and cinematographers eager to share their work will provide an exclusive inside look at the industry during post-screening Q&A’s. Continue reading ‘The 2012 Newport Beach Film Festival Begins’