Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

Arthur Christmas

The Ides of March

The Town

It took him long enough to get it right, but Ben Affleck has finally come of age. As actor, writer, and director, Affleck spins a tale of greed, deception, and love. In Cambridgetown, Massachusetts, the bank heist capital of the world, a robber, Doug MacRay (played very well by Affleck), finds himself falling for a key witness (and victim), Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), in one of his own crimes. His partner, James Coughlin (Jeremy Rinner), discovers the budding romance, and gives MacRay an earful. At the same time, an FBI agent (John Hamm) seeks them out, trying to catch them in the act. This two and a half hour film is well worth the time, as the characters’ lives take turns they never expected, and “one last job” turns into a veritable nightmare, for all involved. The cast is fantastic; the writing is great; the directing is done simply, but extremely well; and the story is an absorbing twist on the heist narrative. If you’re willing, give Ben another chance. He’ll make it worth your time.

3.5/4 Stars

Rabbit Hole

The transition from stage to screen is a tricky one, but it can be done, and it can be done quite well. Lindsay-Abaire rewrites his own script here, suiting it for the move to film. For the most part, the dialogue is just as good as it was originally, and much of it remains. The acting is equally well done, with Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart playing the troubled parents grieving over their son, who died tragically in a car accident eight months prior. Kidman is very good, albeit a bit one-dimensional at first, but she improves vastly by the end. Eckhart has strong moments, but he gets a little trigger happy with his anger at times, more befitting TwoFace, perhaps, than a modern family drama. Dianne West, however, is fantastic throughout as Kidman’s mother, and newcomer Miles Teller plays Jason, the boy who was driving the fateful car. Teller is understated, emotionally present, and ultimately very compelling; this should be the beginning of a long career. Rabbit Hole is a deeply emotional, poignant story, and well worth seeing.

3/4 Stars

Blue Valentine

This one is in the same vein of Rabbit Hole, in that it deals with the profound difficulties of modern marriage, but it’s darker in a way, and the main characters’ issues stem from themselves, rather than from an outside event. The film chronicles the relationship of Dean and Cindy (Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams), fluctuating between past and present, as they quickly fall in love and just as easily seem to lose their grip on it as well. Gosling and Williams have undeniable chemistry, and they must for such an intimate portrait to work. Dean and Cindy seem to love one another, but their affection has clearly waned; in fact, their relationship has fallen to a series of unending frustrations emanating, presumably, from their inability to make each other happy. Blue Valentine is a slowly progressing movie, offering emotional vignettes juxtaposed across years in time. With very little “action”, the performances must carry the story, and they do so impeccably. (To be candid: Gosling should have received the nomination over Renner.) These performances should not be missed.

4/4 Stars

Tangled

Though not nominated for Best Animated Feature (it got a nom for Original Song), Tangled is a fairly solid movie. The story is tried-and-true-blue, and the protagonist is a name we all know, Rapunzel (played by Mandy Moore), so it’s a sure-fire hit, regardless of its actual quality as a film. In truth, it’s funny and mostly well-voiced, albeit somewhat predictable (But does it really matter?). Dan Fogelman (pen of Cars and Bolt) wrote the hilarious script, with the same qualities we’re used to from him. The animation is mostly broad strokes, compared with some of the more finely tuned animated films we’re accustomed to, especially from Disney or Dreamworks (Pixar’s absence is duly noted). In fact, the animation here raises the question as to why Disney didn’t simply “pen-and-paper” this one? It’s a musical, after all, and Disney is clearly known for their hand-drawn musicals. The songs are pretty good, and the singing is mostly adequate, with Mandy Moore being the obvious standout. It isn’t often that I particularly notice “bad” voice acting, but Rapunzel’s step-mother (if you will), played by Donny Murphy, left something to be desired. To Murphy’s credit, she is the least well-written character, and a very unconventional villain, to boot. Don’t let the rating fool you: it’s very funny, with an enjoyable cast of characters, and, overall, an entertaining movie. It’s just not one of Disney’s best. T’would make for a great family movie night, though.

2.5/4 Stars

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

Arthur Christmas

The Ides of March

A simpler plot hast ne’er been writ: a girl searches for her missing father. The bleak nature of the cinematography coupled with the remote environment in which the story takes place, engender more horror film qualities, though, than one might expect. Jennifer Lawrence plays Ree, searching for her father in order to save herself and her family. Lawrence possesses a cool demeanor, bracing herself against those whose rough character and backwoods mentality threaten both to foil her search, and, consequently, to make her life extremely difficult, in more ways than one. Her unlikely partner, Teardrop, played all too convincingly by John Hawkes, is an unconventional knight in a pickup truck, who cares for Ree, though he often has an odd way of showing it. Though its surface is straightforward, Winter’s Bone is anything but artificial. Developing slowly and methodically, this is an affecting, haunting story, told exceedingly well.

4/4 Stars

The Kids Are All Right

“A toast: to an unconventional family, ” Mark Ruffalo’s character, Paul, says one night at dinner. Two Moms, a son and a daughter conceived via artificial insemination, and a sperm donor “Dad”. There is nothing conventional about it, except for, possibly, the number of children. In a 21st century world, the modern family has no definition. No principle governs the creation or nurturing of a family, or dictates its constituents. Annette Benning and Julianne Moore play the Moms, Nic and Jules respectively, as they attempt to raise their teenage children, Joni and Laser (Joni is played by Mia Wasikowska, of Alice in Wonderland fame, while John Hutcherson plays Laser). The writing is some of the best of the year, and the acting is likewise. Benning and Moore are wonderful, with impeccable chemistry to boot, while Ruffalo is equally great as the easygoing, debonair California college dropout. This reflection of modern family life is both heartbreaking and hilarious, often in the same moment. A crowd pleaser with a dash of melancholy, this film should be seen again and again.

4/4 Stars

True Grit

A Western. A remake. The Coen Bros. The latter are not often in the same company as the former. Here, however, they are, and they make it work, as they usually do. A remaking of the John Wayne film of the same name, True Grit bears a similar aura to many of the Coens’ movies: a troubling feeling, evocative of suspense films, though more inchoate (but not less substantial for it), lending it a disquieting, yet unseen, presence that lingers throughout, a reminder that all may not be as it seems. It might be…but it might not. Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) and Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges, who wears the patch over his right eye, as opposed to the Duke’s left, perhaps out of respect) team up, much to his chagrin, to find the man (Josh Brolin) who killed her father, with the occasional help of the somewhat clownish, self-parodied LaBoeuf (Matt Damon). As is expected, all the elements are in place: great writing, absorbing direction, and strong performances, producing an exciting, enthralling story. The Coen Bros. have done it yet again.

3.5/4 Stars

How To Train Your Dragon

Ever since Puff, kids and magic dragons have had a nearly universal appeal, evidenced by the fact that we keep telling these stories. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is the ugly duckling, not only of his family, but of the entire island. His father (Gerard Butler) considers him a disgrace, and everyone knows it. His dream girl, Astrid (America Ferrera of Ugly Betty), loathes him, and the other kids know it. To make matters worse, he humiliates himself at every turn, and he knows it. He is the poster child for unlikely heroes. Until he meets Toothless, a wounded dragon, who befriends him and elevates him to places he had never imagined. This is more-or-less a children’s film, but it appeals to almost anyone, especially those of us who want our own magic dragon. The voice-acting is pretty good all around, with the most notable performance from Craig Ferguson (the late night talk show host). And the score is phenomenal. At turns funny, charming, and thrilling, How To Train Your Dragon packs a lot of punch into an age-old plot.

3/4 Stars

Unfortunately, this is the only song I could find publicly available. I’ll keep checking, though. Check back if you want to hear the whole thing; hopefully by then I’ll have the whole score posted.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

Arthur Christmas

The Ides of March

Black Swan

Black Swan is the newest addition to the Aronofsky oeuvre, a movie which swells relentlessly, undulating between expressions of subdued pathos, until the (quite literal) final act. Natalie Portman is very good as Nina, a disturbed ballerina incessantly battling her demons, both physical and imagined, though her performance is rather monotonous at times. Mila Kunis, who has begun to take on more legitimate roles, costars surprisingly well as Lily, the troublemaking ballerina from out of town, hellbent on taking what isn’t hers – or so Nina believes. Filmed almost entirely in close-up shots reminiscent of The Wrestler, the intimacy of this film is striking, and, at times, unsettling. Intense, psychological, and implacable. A must-see.

3.5/4 Stars

The Fighter

Sports films often have the unfortunately accurate stigma of being unsurprising, saccharine, and kitschy. Thankfully, The Fighter is (mostly) none of these. The film takes unexpected turns; the characters lives are genuine (in more ways than one), wrought with authentic emotional burdens; and kitsch only rises to the surface for a breath of a producer’s fresh air, then dives back below into the murky depths of the Hollywood Ocean. “Irish” Micky Ward’s story (and that of his brother Dicky) is succinctly adumbrated by Micky’s song, played repeatedly in the film, as it might be on a road trip: “Here I go again on my own, down the only road I’ve ever known.” He and his family, his girlfriend (played by Amy Adams, who seems an odd casting choice, but she plays Charlene quite well), and his town, walk down much the same road, and, although it could have taken more time developing in certain spots, the film limns it rather effortlessly, with superb writing, and clear, unembellished directing.

3.5/4 Stars

127 Hours

Though the macabre elements have been overemphasized, this film is certainly not for the faint of heart. Danny Boyle (of Hypedog Millionaire fame) directs this one in the same visceral, stylistic mode as some of his earlier, more expressionistic work, such as Trainspotting. Each scene – each shot for that matter – is an impression, creating an associative image in the mind, and a cycle ensues, fostering a close relationship for the entire movie, both on the screen and in the mind, in which Boyle’s impressions induce our own instinctive response patterns, putting us in the protagonist’s shoes. Or  climbing gear, as it were. Aron, played impeccably by James Franco, spends an eponymous 127 hours trapped in a deep, narrow canyon, with only his mental strength to keep him alive (well, that, a water bottle, a dull blade, a camera, and, eventually, a bag of his own urine). He daydreams, hallucinates, and has feverish nightmares, but he never concedes defeat. Boyle examines each aspect of Aron’s physical and psychological landscape in an hour and a half, in this gripping and fascinating film. This Cast Away for a new generation deserves the nominations it received. And it deserves to be seen by all. Or at least all who can stomach it.

4/4 Stars

The King’s Speech

Historical films involving eminent figures overcoming great personal adversity garner much attention when done well. The King’s Speech is another in this mold, a “True Story” of the obstacles of the British royal family in the years leading up to the second World War. The Duke of York (Do I even need to say that Colin Firth was excellent? If you haven’t seen A Single Man yet, slap yourself. Then put it on your Netflix queue.) and his wife (the simple, yet quirky, Helena Bonham Carter) quickly find themselves the heads of state, and King George VI’s speech impediment becomes not only a personal inconvenience, but a national dilemma. His wife seeks help, eventually finding it in an unorthodox speech therapist played brilliantly by Geoffrey Rush. Other than a moment undoubtedly ordered by the producers in which Firth is required to utter an utterly vacuous line of dialogue, this is a well-written historical drama, with beautiful art direction, that seems to play directly to the Oscar voters. Whether it will win the big ticket, though, is uncertain. The King’s Speech is a genuinely compelling story, often quite funny, and, ultimately, inspiring. If that’s your cup of tea, drink up. If not, what kind of tea do you drink?

3.5/4 Stars

A solid children’s film isn’t really a children’s film at all. We all know that. But it takes a group of people working together toward that aim like Pixar to make this deceptively complex truth a reality. Time and time and time again, they succeed. And Toy Story 3 is yet another in a long line of “children’s films” that are anything but. They are films directed at the child in each of us, and films to which we can all relate, regardless of childhood or background. And, yet again, it’s hard to find one better than this one.

The saga of Woody, Buzz, Slinky, Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, and the whole gang goes back more than a dozen years (it all began in ’95). Since then, they (and their imaginative and fearless leader, Andy, who is about to head to college) have given us a riot of laughs and tears and everything in between. Here, our hapless group of toys finds themselves stuck in a daycare center, among other foreign lands, constantly within inches of mutilation or simply being covered in fluorescent green paint.

They come to find that the children that play with them on an hourly basis are the least of their worries, as Lotso the Bear, Ken (of Barbie fame), and a host of other malevolent toys have it out for their imminent demise. Working together, they must find a way out of the daycare and back to Andy, back to the life they once knew, however fragile it might be.

The voice acting is as good as we remember. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen lead the troupe, of course, playing Woody and Buzz Lightyear respectively, and Ned Beatty joins them as the maleficent teddy bear. The animation design team is equally wonderful, bringing to life the loveable band of plastic misfits. And who better to direct it than Lee Unkrich, who directed the second film in this series (the other obvious choice is John Lasseter, who directed the original film)? The whole team works so well together, so seamlessly, that the end result is nothing other than what it must be: an incredible film on all levels.

Near the roll of the credits (and the floodgates), as this epic coming-of-age tale comes to a close, we reflect on our childhood, on the life we are living, the friends we have made (both physical and imaginary), and, if we have them, children of our own, who are learning to understand the world around them, weaving their very own sigils in the air, and giving to their stories a local habitation and a name, as the creators of this film have done beautifully over and over again.

Toy Story 3 is a must see. It is this year’s Up, captivating people of all ages, touching us, coaxing us into a vulnerability in ways that much passing as film these days doesn’t even dream of. We were all children once, and inside each of us a child continues to live, continues to play and to create immense worlds of adventure out of wooden blocks and tuberous dolls, out of cotton cowboys and space invaders, out of magic and the stuff of the imagination. If you see an animated film this year, please make it this one. You’ll thank yourself (and so will your kids).

Rating: 4/4 Stars

Sigmund Freud, that veritable master of the mind and erstwhile liaison betwixt the dream world and our own (is there really such a hard distinction between the two?), said, “Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy.” In a world where dreams are entered into volitionally, like remarkable virtual reality chambers, anything is possible, including theft, and its opposite, what the film calls Inception, a beginning and an end in which both are simultaneously evident and obscured.

Cobb (Leo) is a master of this soi-disant “inception”, a criminal of sorts, on the run from authorities and, in more ways than one, from himself, from his past, from the memories that haunt his waking and dreaming life, an admixture he can’t seem to separate clearly, as if his internal centrifuge has gone horribly wrong.

Along with his cast of oneiric bandits, played by a cast of top-notch actors, some familiar faces (Caine, Murphy, and Watanabe) and others new to the Nolan regime (Gordon-Levitt, Page, and Cotillard), Cobb seeks to infiltrate people’s minds through their dreams, colluding in and amongst their projected lives.

As we have to come expect, Leo is fantastic. His ability to draw on the melodramatic styles of his directors, to inhabit the characters he plays, and to simply speak the truth of the scene, is captivating, if not intoxicating. Christopher Nolan, the director, has surrounded Leo with a cast that both highlights the film and punctuates its very calculated movements with panache and a sense of jeu d’esprit, which is only one side to Nolan’s coin, with a backside as insidious as it is immaculately acerbic.

Dreams have a life of their own, the film seems to tell us, while reminding us that we are the authors of those selfsame dreamings: the creator and the created, enfolding on itself in an open and mysterious loop. That is the meaning of inception, after all – both a beginning and an end, at times one and the same, of a thought or feeling or desire whose provenance is lost in the labyrinthine hedges of our minds.

The film instills a sense of wonder at the world of dreams, of our dreams and the dreams of others, of another world in and of itself, a created cosmos, in which the rules may have changed, and in which the playful musings of the spirit are made manifest alongside the penumbral magic of the other side of our lunar souls. In a word: Art. All art is essentially volitional dreaming of sorts, entering into another place and time, created either by ourselves or by others, sometimes simultaneously.

Art, like dreaming, may seem, at times, to lack meaning, to be obfuscated by a misleading artist or, simply, by postmodernism, an absconding racket. Inception is neither. Inception is a work of art, discernible and impenetrable, a dream incarnate on the silver screen, and, though not quite perfect, still the best picture of the year thus far.

A quote comes to mind, something said by Luis Buñuel, another filmmaker, both enlightening and amusing, its truth apropos to Inception, and, indeed, to all art, and to all artists: “If someone were to tell me I had twenty years left, and ask me how I’d like to spend them, I’d reply ‘Give me two hours a day of activity, and I’ll take the other twenty-two in dreams.’” I think Nolan understands this as well as anyone. And I most certainly agree.

Rating: 4/4 Stars