Tops 5 films of 2011 so far...

We are a little beyond the halfway marker for the 2011.  So, I’m doing a countdown of my top five films of the year so far.  Granted I have not seen every movie out there, and there are a few that I have not had a chance to catch up with that would no doubt be in contention for this list are: Win Win, Midnight in Paris, Beginners, and Jane Eyre.  So with that disclaimer, I give you my top five of 2011 so far in order from five down to my number one.

5.) Coming in at number five I have J.J. Abrams homage to Steven Spielberg,Super 8.   With its blend of mysterious aliens, and a rag tag group of youngster using their summer freedom to make a zombie flick, Super 8, managed to capture my youth and everything I loved about 80’s cinema.  For me the two storylines worked well as the kids’ and alien’s worlds came closer together leading us to a heart-wrenching climax that I have to admit left the theatre a little dusty.  Sure, some of the camera angles and placement only serve to hide the creature’s identity at times, and there are a few moments of suspended disbelief, but overall Abrams homage had everything I wanted in a great summer flick.  The film left me satisfied and more importantly hopeful that with great directors, like Abrams, there is still a place for a bit of story magic in Hollywood.  That’s why Super 8 is my number 5.

4.) Just making my number four slot is none other than Duncan Jones Sophomore effort, Source Code.  Source Code’s high concept and great direction ultimately pay off, in what some have called a resurgence of “Hictchcokian” suspense.  For me the sci-fi elements were enough to keep me engaged and glued to all the twists and turns in this thriller.  The performances are solid, despite Jeffrey Wright’s “mad scientist” role turning a little hammy at times, and Gyllenhal pulls off the “dude with a problem” archetype perfectly as he navigates the memories of his Quantum Leapesque alter, Sean Fentress.  Overall the Groundhog’s Day meets john Malcovich elements worked really well to breath some life into sci-fi, which has been taken over by the horror genre in recent years.  I’m glad Jones and Co. have given us a reason to push the genre into a new direction while maintaining the elements that helped define it.  Hopefully we’ll see more from Jones soon, and that’s why Source Code deserves my number 4 slot.

3.) Winning the battle for my number 3 slot is the great documentary,American: The Bill Hicks Story.  I walked into this film, not knowing really anything about it, or really anything about Bill Hicks.  Yes, I had heard the name before, but never had a chance to sit down and see what all the fuss was about, but I’m glad I did.  American, is the true story of famed comedian Bill Hicks, whose blend of political and social humor carved out a large place for his sometimes over the top comedic persona.  This documentary is truly top notch engrossing subject matter, and directors, Paul Thomas and Matt Harlock, bring the story to life through some amazing visual graphics and photos.  Accompanied by personal accounts from Bill’s friends and family,American, paints a picture of a trouble young comic’s rise, fall, and rise again into the comedy hall of fame.  This is a beautiful crafted brutally honest look at a brilliant comic who passed in his prime.  Unlike most docs, this particular one doesn’t have much of a social agenda, but serves more as a cautionary tale.  I think the most admiral quality of the film is the way it makes ourselves reflect on our friends and how much influence they have in our lives and memories.  So, check this great doc out on netflix streaming and pay homage to my number 3 and true American, Bill Hicks. 

2.) My number two is none other than everyone’s favorite super human thirteen-year-old, Hanna.  This film fires at all the senses as we explore hyper reality through the camera lens of future Oscar winner, Joe Wright.  Accompanied by an all-star cast including: Cate Blanchett, Soirese Ronan, and Eric Bana, Wright and Co. manage to create an incredibly visceral coming of age thriller.  The action sets are excellent, but remain balanced as Hanna begins to discover life outside of her father’s institutions.  Hanna is a feast for the eyes, but one aspect of this film that sores above others is its unique sound track and overall mix.  It’s riddled with sound effects, and nuances that captivate Hanna’s virgin mind conveying the confusion and excitement she must feel at every turn.  Blanchett is superb as the over the top CIA agent that must cover her own tracks and stop Hanna.  There are extremely longs takes in this film that culminate in what one could only describe as a “symphony of violence” that any true cinemafile would appreciate.  Wright’s direction and story telling have never been better; he has really pushed the boundary of his own comfort levels expanding his toolbox to the unfamiliar.  Hanna is a great ride, which is a stray from the usual fair.  With strong female protagonists and kids man-handling adults, Hanna knocks its way to number 2 on my list.

1.) My number one is full of all my guilty pleasures: quirky characters, a great soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, surreal thoughts, and teenage angst.  Yes, I’m speaking of Richard Ayoade’s indie, Submarine. Ayoade’s unique blend of comedy and heart culminate into a beautiful coming of age story that Wes Anderson and Hal Ashby would be proud to call their own.  The story is simple, but the characters are deeply complex.  Keeping the plot simple keeps the story moving, while the surreal thoughts of Oliver Tate play like dreamscapes I want to visit over and over.  Unfortunately movies like Submarine suffer from limited engagements and low distribution.  Hopefully if more audiences demand distributors get their mitts on more original films than the standard Hollywood fare, films like Submarine, stand a good chance of saving the cinema from seasoned clichés and Michael Bay wannabes.  Do yourself a big favor, if you live in the Chicago, LA, or NYC area make your way to the theatre and show you support.  However, I realize most of you won’t be able to journey to these locations; so, please ad this to your netflix queue and continue to support indie film.

And that about wraps it up for my top five.  Again there are some films that I would like to see that have already come out that more than likely would have made my list.  This list will no doubt change as we begin to wrap up the rest of the year in cinema.  Perhaps one of these five picks will be lucky enough to run the gauntlet and Oscar season to remain afloat in the coveted spots.  Again if you agree or disagree with my opinions consider posting a response.

Soucre Code Review

I know.  I’m a little behind on this particular film.  I am actually disappointed that I didn’t make time to catch up with it in theatres.  However, I’ve finally returned from the Stone Age and entered the “now” recently to sit down and watch Duncan Jones sophomore effort, Source Code.  For those that don’t know who Jones is; he is the son of Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie.  Jones, made his freshman debut with the great little sci-fi film, Moon.  After carefully picking his next project, he has finally been handed a beefed up budget, solid script, and some top-notch talent.  In the world of cinema this is where Jones belongs, where the air is crisp.  No doubt, if you can’t tell already, I like Duncan Jones.  So, I had high hopes for this thriller, and needless to say I wasn’t disappointed. 

Source Code follows Cpt. Colter Stevens (played by Jake Gyllenhal), who finds himself strapped in an enclosed capsule of some kind, alone, and with little memory of his recent past.  All he really knows is that he was a soldier in Afghanistan, then woke up in the capsule, and is now forced to relive the last 8 minutes of Sean Fentress’ life on a train speeding toward Chicago (don’t worry we’ll get to this) in hopes to find out information about a terrorist bombing that will take place in the near future.  Wow, that was a mouthful.  To break it down for you the premise is a more or less a Groundhog Day meets Being John Malcovich, where “Sean Fentress” is Malcovich and Gyllenhal is the puppet master pulling the strings.  While Colter is forced to relive the train crash and use his detective skills to hone in on the terrorist, he also struggles to find out his own past and determine how he ended up in this capsule.  As an audience member, I felt that Jones does a great job of letting me “experience” this film.  Each twist and new development kept me in suspense; guessing the next move Colter might make, only to be surprised later.  For me, this is a sign of a great thriller.  Nothing is terrible predictable, but you also don’t feel like Alice tumbling blindly down the rabbit hole.  Jones manages to balance all of these aspects, in a pretty high concept thriller that feels like a fresh take on the sci-fi thriller.  This is one of those films where the trailer is fairly miss leading.  Upon first glance, I think whoever marketed this film tried to sell it with a romantic angle.  And, yes, while there is a bit of that aspect, its pretty void of overtly “Hollywood” plot devices that just serve to broaden the audience share.  Jones’ direction is solid over all.  I think he knows just where to put his camera and pull solid performances from the talent around him.  Sure, at times, some of the performances get a little hammy, but Jeffrey Wright is supposed to be playing a mad scientist arch-type.  And frankly, I think it works.  Maybe this is just me reading into this too much, but a common theme I’ve noticed between Jones’ two features, is that Source Code, like Moon, places our protagonist in tight quarters.  Jones’ loves these characters that are trapped in their environments.  He does a tremendous job of making you feel isolated and alone.

As for the performances I think Gyllenhal is good choice as Colter Stevens, and he does a nice job playing the Quantum Leapesque detective he must embody inside the train memory.  Where I think Gyllenhal’s performance really shines though are the scenes that take place in the capsule.  Like him, I felt suffocated by the capsule, I wanted to break out and feel some sunshine if only for a few moments.  Over all his emotions on screen feel genuine when another less seasoned actor I think would have had difficulty conveying that on screen.  Vera Farmiga is also excellent as Goodwin, the mentor and puppeteer behind the reasons why Stevens is in the capsule to begin with.  As she de-briefs Stevens after each returned visit from the train crash, the hard exterior she is supposed to maintain weakens, and she begins to feel sympathy for the Captain.  Her transition at times feels a little too convenient, but never truly forced.  Overall she does a great job keeping her character interesting despite her task of delivering most of the exposition in this story.  Michelle Monahan, who plays Christina, the recent girl of interest of Colter’s alter ego, Sean Fentress, is decent.  She’s not great in this role, but I felt ultimately her character isn’t really given a lot to do.  She is sort of this fly on the wall for most of the film because her character has no idea the events happening outside the memory.  In a lot of ways she serves to help Stephens find meaning in his “mission” and to offer a spark of romance.

In the end, Source Code, manages to be a breath of fresh air.  Its unfortunate that I was unable to catch this one on the big screen, but I’m really glad I had a chance to see it finally.  It’s nice to finally have a sci-fi thriller that is totally void of angsty vampires, wolves, or wickens (which technically are fantasy characters, but Hollywood seems to have lumped them into sci-fi).  If you didn’t have a chance to catch up with Source Code, consider skipping the theatres this week and staying in.  A solid 3.75 out of 5.

Love the Beast Review

Eric Bana, acclaimed actor and star of countless successful films, makes his directorial debut with, Love the Beast. Beast is a documentary that follows Bana’s obsession outside the acting world, car racing.  More specifically though, Beast is about his love for his Ford GT Falcon Coupe, a classic American muscle car.  I’m not going to pretend that I’m a huge “gearhead”, but I do have an appreciation for fine automobiles and the engineering behind them.  Bana’s appreciation for his car goes beyond the norm.  I think it’s fair to say that Bana loves this car as you or I might love a pet, or even one of our own children.  It’s not dangerous or bordering on insanity, but more about what this car stands for and the memories that Bana’s crew shared working on the Falcon.  In reality I found his admiration towards this hunk of metal and super charged pistons endearing.  I can’t think of anything in my own life that has brought me the same amount of joy as this car has brought him. 

The Falcon is more than just a “car” it’s a symbol, a symbol of freedom that many of us can relate too.  Your first car is the step toward independence, the first time when you are the one behind the wheel feeling as if you are totally in control.  It’s a microcosm for our entry toward adulthood.  All we need to do is pick a direction and the road will take us to wherever we want to go.  I think at its core, even if you aren’t a “gearhead”, this film speaks to you on that level; it’s relatable. 

After pondering about this film, I re-watched this gang of misfits pour their blood and sweat into this machine several times over.  Their dedication is unflinching as they bring the “Beast” back to life and prepare for Bana’s second attempt at a five-day drive across the streets of Australia.  A grueling race that challenges the most seasoned drivers.  As we follow Bana and his driving mate, Barry Oliver, through city roads, small towns, and large stretches of open road, I too found myself falling in love with the Beast.  I’m actually getting emotionally attached to this car.  I want to be in the garage having a beer, working on the suspension with the guys, taking the car out on the open road, or opening up the 600 horses upon the streets of Australia.  In some ways its funny how this car brought these friends together, kept them off drugs and away from crime.  It gave them purpose and in a weird way I feel that by watching this film, I too have become a part of this crew.  As my desire for Bana to finish the race grows, my connection to the car grows as well.  And that’s the point, and where Bana’s film really succeeds.  Bana has managed to make you a part of his family, if only for an hour and half, you really feel that you have been initiated into this group.

It’s only when Bana makes a small mistake during the race steering off the road and creaming into a tree that I’m brought back to reality.  With the car mangled and crushed, so too was my heart.  Just seeing the car lifeless is almost more than I can bear, I even forgot to make sure that Bana and his driving partner are “okay”.  And, yes, they were fine.  They barely had a scratch on them, but the car, along with Bana’s dreams of finishing the race, were gone.  Bana’s reaction to the incident is gut wrenching, he is almost worse off now, than he was when the car wasn’t even moving.  He must start all over from scratch.  Bana’s plans to work on the car are put on hold as the third act winds to a close.  Reality has checked back in with Bana and now he must go on the road to promote his next Hollywood film.  This brings me to my favorite moment in the film.

There is a beautiful moment towards the end; it’s short, but honest.  It happens as Eric begins to prepare himself for a walk down the red carpet.  As he laces up his shoes, he groans about how little this appearance means to him, how he must carefully choose his wardrobe, how every decision he makes will be scrutinized by the media.  And all of it means nothing; it means nothing because the car is dead and sitting on cinder blocks.  It’s so trivial; all he wants to do is get back into the garage, where things make sense.  It’s a beautiful contrast between his obligations and his passion.

Love the Beast is a great doc.  It’s a nice break from documentaries that have an agenda.  This film is more a love story that isn’t trying to convince you of anything, it’s just trying to share something with you and remind us what it’s like to have passion for what you love.  Love the Beast: 4 out of 5 stars.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review

Michael Bay and gang are back (minus Megan Fox) in Transformers: Dark of the Moon.  I’m not going to waste a lot of time getting into the plot of this film or even a small summary of events.  The gist of the movie is quite simple, good robots are defending earth from bad robots (pretty much the same plot in all these films).  The good robots, or Autobots, need to get some kind of “McGuffin”, which will no doubt destroy earth and alter the course of human history.  That’s it, nothing more, nothing less, and yet, surprisingly this third installment has more plot and character development than its predecessors (which I realize isn’t saying much).

T:DOTM is filled with a ton of action.  This film is on more steroids than the 1999 “home-run race” between: Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire (too soon?).  The opening of the film, which sets up the limited plot, infuses the film with a brief alternate history lesson that is fun and visually interesting.  It’s also the only part of the film void of any explosions, slow motion, or half naked woman.  DOTM is the film equivalent of a shark.  All sharks do are eat and swim, they’re pure primal instincts.  DOTM is no different; this movie is a three-part formula: run for your life (while yelling, of course), look at the semi-naked girl, cue explosion, rinse, and repeat.   And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  This is a similar formula we have seen in the first Transformers installment, and unlike the second installment in the trilogy, Bay and Co. have gone back to what made this series work.  DOTM is absent of any robot testicles (yes, this happened), racist comic relief, and over complicated filmic devices that serve to move the plot forward, but confuse the audience.  Bay’s team manages to deliver a silly fun popcorn flick that fires at all the senses.  Even the 3D, which may be the real star of this movie, is well done. 

Bay, who originally was adamant that the third film would not be shot in 3D, eventually succumbed to studio pressure.  I have to give the man some props for at least putting up a fight for all of us tired of the so-called “third dimension”.  And, I have to admit the 3D in the film is maybe the most tastefully done aspect of the film.  Prime and all of his comrades have never looked better.  ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) has done an amazing job with the visuals in this film, and the 3D only helped to enhance their visual stylings.  For those of you that are visual effects junkies, this is a “must see”, and even if your not this will at least make you appreciate the painstaking effort all of those visual artist go through to bring all those 1’s and 0’s to life.  For me personally, I continually ask the question, “How in the hell did they make this movie?”  I really don’t understand how this stuff is even possible to make.  It’s so real looking, the logistics about shooting a project on this scale and magnitude seem impossible to my primitive brain.  While the visuals will keep your mind stimulated, for me, the real reason to see this film is for voice-actor, Peter Cullen, who voices super robot, Optimus Prime. 

Cullen has never been better.  Now, you may only know him as the voice of Prime, but he also moonlights as everyone’s favorite depressed donkey, Eeyore, from the Winnie the Pooh franchise.  And, cue the proverbial, “Aaahhhh.”  Prime is the only character in this franchise, whose words continue to hold any weight or brevity.  I almost feel embarrassed to admit this, but I actually care about Optimus Prime.  Shame on you Cullen, shame on you for making me care about a giant fictional robot.   In a movie era void of 80’s alpha males, Cullen’s Prime is a more than acceptable replacement, which just goes to prove we don’t need steroid infused heroes like Stallone or Schwarzenegger, but just one made of brawny metal.

In closing, the third installment of Bay’s robot epic is a return to what we loved about the first film.  It is a great “popcorn flick”.  Sure, its run time is a little long at two and a half hours.  And yes, if they cut down the slo-mo shots by about half we would end up with a more reasonable runtime at about two hours.  But, DOTM is just what we needed to carry us through the summer.  Aside from Thor, this is the second summer popcorn flick I’ve seen that deserves to be called a “summer popcorn flick”.  3 ¼ stars out of 5 (the extra “¼” is for Cullen’s performance).