Okay, I know, it's been awhile since I posted a review, but trust me I have my reasons. First off, I made the mistake of trying to watch some reviewable movies the day after watching The Muppets. This was a stupid idea, as I was still riding the euphoric high that movie had left me with, and even if the movies I chose had been amazing (which they weren't) I would not have been able to talk about them because my mind kept telling me how The Muppets was so much better then these movies.
Secondly, some of the movies I have watched and enjoyed did not provide me with enough material to write my usual three to four page review. I thought this would eventually change but by the time the third movie in a row did this, I decide it was time to make a change. I may not have enough for one movie, but three movies should be able to come close to my usual output.
So here, for your reading pleasure, is a triple bill of film fun. Three different kinds of movies, two good, one alright, but all here. I'm going to go in the order I watched the films, so the first may have a little less then the last, depends on my memory banks.
Drive Angry (2011)
I will be the first to admit when I heard the name of this movie, and that Nicholas Cage was going to be in it, I pretty much pushed it to the side, thinking it was just another example of the crap Cage was making these days to stave off bankruptcy. However, while watching a 2011 film countdown (I want to say it was Brad 'The Cinema Snob' Jones's Best/Worst of 2011 list but don't quote me on that) the film was mentioned along with terms like 'grindhouse', 'satanic cult', 'b-movie' and suddenly I was intrigued. I snapped up a copy to watch and I must admit- it was better then expected.
Plot
John Milton, played by Nicholas Cage is a man on a mission. He has three days to save his infant granddaughter from a Satanic cult, led by Billy Burke's chilling Jonah King, who murdered Milton's daughter when she tried to leave his 'family'. However, Milton is no ordinary man- he has literally driven out of Hell in order to complete this mission. Along the way he hooks up with Piper, a small town waitress played by Amber Heard, whom he saves from her asshole fiancee, and in return she offers him a lift to his destination. Along the way Milton is followed by The Accountant, a mysterious man in a suit claiming to be an FBI agent and played by William Fichtner, who wants nothing more to get Milton back into Hell.
Thoughts
First off, this movie is fun. Its the kind of movie where you know the people behind in and working on it were aware they were not making an Oscar winner but an enjoyable film. There is an air of enjoyment to the film that I as the viewer got right into- I wasn't expecting anything amazing but I enjoyed what I was watching. The characters are basic but intriguing- we slowly learn Milton's story and we feel for him as he walks this path of vengeance. King is a great villain, the kind of person we expect to be leading a cult- charming, slick and completely out of his mind. The Accountant is a wild card who you are never quite certain of until the very end, but even when you don't think you can trust him you like him simply because he is a fun character. Piper is decent as Milton's friend and the only real 'human' character- King doesn't count by virtue of his villainy. She is trying to understand all this crazy shit she's stumbled into, and she does surprisingly well. The action is good, the violence never too overt but still with a grindhouse feel. Outside of that Cage actually seems to be trying in this film, which is a criticism I have heard as of late in regards to his output- he doesn't seem like he cares most of the time but in this film he seems to be having a ball- never going full blown on the over acting scale but actually showing some emotion.
Conclusion
Drive Angry is a very simple movie when you get right down to it. Sure it touches on some interesting elements in regards to Hell and Satan's role in the Universe, but beyond that is a very straight forward action movie with a good cast and decent writing. The film has cult classic written all over it, and whether that was intentional or not doesn't really matter. This is the kind of movie you will either want to see or not, simply on reading the premise. It's definitely not for everyone but if you like a good, mindless action film it's certainly worth a look.
3.5 Beer Filled Skulls out of 5
50/50 (2011)
I've said it before and I'll say it again- Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of my favorite actors. The man has chosen some really good roles and turned out amazing performances- Brick, Inception, 500 Days of Summer, even Uncertainty, as meh a film as it was, had a good turn by JGL. Hell, he was entertaining as Cobra in GI Joe, and I was one of the first people to shake my head as his casting.
Seth Rogen on the other hand, I am less gracious towards. No offense to the man, he seems pretty decent in most interviews I've seen or read, and he was good in Zack and Miri Make a Porno. But for me he literally seems to only be able to play Seth Rogen. It's Samuel L. Jackson syndrome- you only have one character and that's all in the tank. Now this can work when it's in movies where that character fits, like Zack and Miri or Pineapple Express, but when you retool The Green Hornet to suit that character... Well, it doesn't work.
So what happens when you take an actor I love and one I'm not to keen on, and put them in a movie based on a true story? Let's find out.
Plot
Adam, played by JGL, is a twenty-seven year old man who writes radio programs along with his best friend Kyle, played by Seth Rogen. After going to a doctor about back pains, Adam learns he has a rare form of spinal cancer, and his chances of recovery are 50/50. At first he is in denial, as other then the back pain he is in perfect health, but slowly he begins to accept that he does in fact have a possibly fatal disease. His girlfriend Rachel, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, attempts to help him but eventually cheats on him as he is unwilling to actually talk about his cancer, and his mother, played by Angelica Huston, worries incessantly about him. Adam begins seeing a young therapist, Katherine, played by Anna Kendrick, of whom he is her third patient. They begin to bond slowly, and their relationship, along with the friendships Adam makes with fellow cancer patients Mitch, played by Matt Frewer, and Alan, played by Philip Baker Hall, seems to give Adam hope. Still the shadow of the cancer begins to weigh down on him, and Adam must face the disease and the odds he will survive it, as well as decide what he has to live for.
Thoughts
I tend to avoid movies based on true events for a simple reason- you tend to know the ending going in. In the case of 50/50, the original trailer included an introduction by the film's writer, whose story the film is based on, and seeing as he is alive and well, we pretty much have a good idea going in that Adam is going to make it. That said, his survival isn't the point of the movie. What matters is how he lives his life between the original diagnosis and his eventual beating of the cancer. We see his relationships with the people around him either grow, strengthen or end, both due to his disease and the revelations it bring upon him. His relationship with Rachel for example, seems to be one of settling- early in the film he confides in Kyle that the two have not had sex in months even though they live together. While Kyle points out the issues with this Adam is willing to shake it off because at this point in his life he is willing to accept what is going on around him. It is only after he is diagnosed that he sees how empty his relationship with Rachel really is, which leads to a great scene post break up when Rachel returns for her stuff and Adam tells her off.
So the story and writing are pretty good, on to the cast- JGL is great as always, and we get to see the gradual changes going on with Adam and feel for him every step of the way. Howard plays the distant girlfriend role decently enough, Huston does well with her limited screentime, and Kendrick is lovable as the unprepared therapist dealing with the offbeat Adam. Frewer and Hall are great as the old timers who help Adam understand his cancer as they two are going through it, and though they don't get much screen time what little they have is worth it. Rogen is playing Rogen, but in a film like this it works- this could be due to the fact that in reality he is friends with the films writer and thus didn't have to change much to fit into the narrative. Still he does well in the best friend role and really that's all he needs to be in this as he is not the focus of the story.
Conclusion
50/50 is a well put together dramedy with a good cast and solid writing. It is not for everyone as I learnt when mentioning it on Facebook, as some may find it slow or depressing, to which I say- it's a drama based on a true story, it's not going to be short and super happy. It's not overly sappy or emotional, which in my book puts it above other such movies that try to hard to tug on the heartstrings- there is laughter in this movie, and even at the worst times in our lives we need to laugh. That said if you like the sound of it or the look of the cast give it a watch, it's worth that at least.
3 Pot Flavored Cookies out of 5
The Loved Ones (2009)
You ever see a poster or a quick trailer that gives you little to no information but tingles that part of your brain that controls your intrigue? That's what happened to me when I saw a post on one of my sites about this movie. The poster, showing a girl dressed up for prom holding a power drill, was odd to begin with, and the trailer, which was just a scene from the movie in which said girl sat at a table with her father and a young man also dressed for prom gagged and tied to a chair, seemed just bizarre enough to interest me.
This was a mistake.
Let me say one thing right off the bat- I'm not a big fan of the torture porn genre. Yes I liked the Saw movies but not so much for the overt violence and death traps as for the overreaching morality play that was the franchise's story arc. Movies like Hostel did not interest me in the slightest as they looked like violence for violence sake. Some people dig it and that's fine, me, not so much. So while a few reviews pegged this film as falling into that genre, the bizarre marketing scheme and the fact that it was only eighty minutes was enough to get me to check it out. Let's see how that turned out.
Plot
While out driving one day with his father, high school senior Brent, played by Xavier Samuel, swerves to avoid a mysterious bloody figure in the middle of the road and drives straight into a tree. His father is killed and six months later we find Brent has grown withdrawn and distant from his mother, who hold some blame over him for the event. His only solace lies in marijuana and his girlfriend Holly, played by Victoria Thaine, whose love seems to keep him stable. The day of the prom Brent is asked to the dance by school outcast Lola, played by Robin McLeavy. Brent rejects her as he is going with Holly, whom he proceeds to fool around with in her car- unknowingly being watched by Lola. Later while out walking his dog Brent is chloroformed and kidnapped by a mysterious man who turns out to be Lola's doting and somewhat insane father, who brings Brent out to the family's home, where Lola has planned her own Prom night involving incest, cannibalism, a power drill, and other fun.
Thoughts
If I can sum this film up in one word it would be fucked. As stated I can handle the macabre and violent flicks, but this movie pushes things to a level I do not find the least bit entertaining. The film's set up is very loose and only really serves as a means to lead to and eventually tie things together with the torture that takes up the majority of the film. I will say some positive things before I continue to attack the film- first the cast does pretty well, especially McLeavy- she plays her role as the completely out of her mind and sadistic Lola to a tee, and can go from innocent looking little princess to lunatic in a heartbeat. Every time you see her once the real meat of the film begins we feel uneasy because she is just that creepy. Samuel does alright but really has little to work with- he may be the main character but when all is said and done, he exists as a plaything and eventual foil for Lola- this, like the psycho Prom, is her show. As brutal as some of the torture scenes are I will admit they are effectively shot and cringe worthy- they are not half-assed in the least. Still, a decent cast and well shot torture hardly makes up for a film that's goal seems to be how much crazy stuff can we have happen/ how sadistic can we make this girl? Again I'm sure there are people that enjoy this kind of film but I am not one of them. I'd love to say good things about the movie but really other then the above mentioned stuff I can't- this movie to me is violence for violence sake, and that doesn't work in my books.
Conclusion
I'm going to keep this short and sweet- The Loved Ones is a film for people of a specific taste, of which I am not. You will know very quickly if this is the movie for your or not, either based on my review, or plenty others available on IMDB which either praise or destroy the film. It has some good in it but not enough for me to recommend it to a general audience. It's torture porn plain and simple, take from that what you will.
2 Lobotomized Prom Dates out of 5
That's all for now, hopefully next movie I watch can stand on it's own, until then I'm The Drew and I Be Awesome..
No comments:
Post a Comment