Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Spring Breakers.
Written & Directed by Harmony Korine.
Review #205
MPAA Rating: Rated R for strong sexual content, language, nudity, drug use and violence throughout.
Run Time: 94 min
Cast
James Franco...Alien
Selena Gomez...Faith
Vanessa Hudgens...Candy
Ashley Benson...Brit
Rachel Korine...Cotty
Gucci Mane...Archie
Back in 1995 a film titled Kids stirred up quite a storm of controversy. It was directed by Larry Clark who was no stranger to being in the spotlight of contention himself. The film was written by a then 19 year old Harmony Korine. What made Kids so polarizing was the realistic depiction of how teenagers who had no direction acted around people and each other. Kids is a very good but gritty film that can be tough to watch at times. A lot of what happened in that film is common practice in films today but 18 years ago the subject matter was still very fresh and uncomfortable to some.
Korine has gone on to write and direct several other films and the one common thread with all of them is non linear storytelling. The same thing happens here with Spring Breakers and it wouldn't have worked any other way.
It's the only thing that saves the film.
Plot
Four college girls who land in jail after wild partying find themselves bailed out by a drug
and arms dealer who wants them to do some dirty work.
There is something very important to remember when walking into a Harmony Korine film. If the subject matter involves teens or young adults then prepare to witness the following.
1) Gratuitous Profanity
2) Gratuitous Nudity/Sex
3) Drug and Alcohol Abuse
4) Violence
Some of these elements serve their purpose for the story he's trying to tell. The others just serve a perverted sense of shock and awe.
In the case of Spring Breakers the aspects that run rampant are the usual suspects. Korine throws as much nudity and drugs that you possibly can without it being a rich man's version of Girls Gone Wild. Were they necessary to establish the setting and story? Yes and no. When the girls get to Florida and start partying we get the montage full of half naked girls at the beach, by the pool, in the hotel rooms, drinking and smoking. The problem is that we see this EVERY single time the girls party. It bordered on excessive to the point of boredom. The girls are there to let loose for the first time in their lives and they are experiencing all that spring break has to offer.
We get it. Now let's move on.
I'm about to contradict myself a little here but as gratuitous and overbearing those party scenes may have been. They were instrumental with the overall direction the film was going when it came to character development and flow of the narrative. During these montages there were "flashbacks" and "flash forwards". You would get glimpses of the girls' back stories and profiles. Who they were and what their motivations for this trip and their lives were. Without them you wouldn't know anything about these girls except they are bikini wearing, shot drinking party animals.
Korine does give you a little history into the quartet and their relationship to each other. It's not enough to paint a perfect picture but you get the idea. It's established early on who's who in terms of personality and how far each girl will go to reach their goal. This was presented in a robbery sequence.
This is a minor spoiler so consider yourself warned.
The girls don't have enough money to get to Florida so they decide to rob a local restaurant. Korine does a pretty good job giving you the sense that these girls are just pretty faces that just look "hard" but when they rob the place it's no joke time. What made the scene clever was how it was shot. Two girls go in while the third stays in the car. It's shot entirely from the POV of the driver. The girls go in and you can hear yelling, screaming and stuff breaking. Then the car slowly moves toward the back exit. As the car passes each window you see bits and pieces of the robbery taking place. Very similar to a comic book panel. You don't get the full picture but just enough to know what's going on. Then as the car reaches the back door the girls come out and they escape.
Very well done.
The film takes it's odd turn when they meet up with Alien. If James Franco was magical in Oz The Great and Powerful, he was super creepy here. It's hard to fully explain his character without divulging plot details. Having said that the slime factor is ratcheted pretty high. Franco does a great job of making you uncomfortable to be around him. He has this predictable unpredictability that fit this character like a condom.
Forgive the reference but we are talking about a spring break movie.
Of course, Spring Breakers is driven entirely by the four felines. Benson, Gomez, Hudgens and Korine ooze sexuality in a way that completely immerses you into their world. I'll say this. You'll never look at Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens as former Disney Channel princesses. They didn't just break that mold.
They put their feet through it.
Like most of his films, Korine brings his characters to dark places which in turn brings the film down with them. This happens here but only to a certain level. The final act borders on the absurd and it would have played better if the fate of some of the characters had gone in the opposite direction it did. It felt like Korine wanted to have his cake and eat it too and in this case it didn't pass the eye test.
It slightly changes my thoughts on the film which was overall pretty good.
On the 5 star scale. Spring Breakers gets 2.5 stars with a "Go See It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Olympus Has Fallen.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Oz The Great and Powerful
Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Oz The Great and Powerful.
Directed by Sam Raimi.
Written by Mitchell Kapner & David Lindsay-Abaire.
Based on the novel. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Written by L. Frank Baum.
Review #204
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language.
Run Time: 130 min
Cast
James Franco...Oz
Mila Kunis...Theodora
Rachel Weisz...Evanora
Michelle Williams...Annie / Glinda
Zach Braff...Frank / Finley
Bill Cobbs...Master Tinker
Joey King...Girl in Wheelchair / China Girl
Tony Cox...Knuck
The Wizard of Oz is defined in one word.
Classic.
There are so many hidden metaphors and meaning buried in this film that it's very easy to forget that it's simply a fantasy film in it's purest form. It's not perfect. What film truly is? That being said, The Wizard of Oz is a staple in the film world and should be required viewing for every human along with Citizen Kane, The Sound of Music and Inherit The Wind.
So with the recent influx of children's fantasy stories being adapted into "fresh" takes we are not blessed with a Wizard of Oz prequel. With all of the previous fantasy films bombing badly both critically and financially, deservedly so I might add. The question needed to be raised. Was another entry in the Oz saga necessary?
The answer is a resounding NO.
Nevertheless it was made and damn was it good.
Plot
A small-time magician arrives in an enchanted land and is forced to decide if he will be a good man or a great one.
Since the original Oz closes out the potential for direct sequels, at least I hope it did. The powers that be went the prequel route. If the world deemed it necessary that there had to be more Oz films than this was the only way to go and it was smart. They even went a smarter route and focused on the origin of the wizard. Now I only remember bits and pieces of the original film but what always stood out was that the wizard was a fake. Misleading the people of Oz with phony powers and control. This film picks right up from that and gives us this.
The initial impression of Oz is that he's not just a hustler but a bit of a jerk. Like all magicians he's selling fantasy over reality. However, he has a seediness to him that makes him very unlikeable. There is a high sense of "better you than me" with Oz. Obviously this is all set up so that he can redeem himself when it's time to put up or shut up.
The real magic of course happens when he's transported to the land of OZ.
As expected the place is pure fantasy and all CGI. Impressive CGI but CGI nonetheless. The thing that this film does pretty well is two fold. The first being able to give us a credible origin for some of the stories popular characters. Since this is a prequel the wicked with of the west doesn't exist yet. So here you get to see where she comes from and how. You also find out why water is her weakness.
Pretty simple yet clever at the same time.
Secondly you become invested in 2 very cute CGI characters. The first being Finley the flying monkey in a valet suit. He provides most of the comic relief but his facial expressions and mannerisms give him a humanity that I haven't seen in a CGI character in quite some time. Then you're introduced to the china doll. You may remember from the trailer but her character is so adorable that you can't keep your eyes off her. That's pretty impressive. Historically it's easy to dismiss a CGI character and accept them for what they are. But in this case they both are living breathing characters that deserved your attention and respect.
It also helps you believe in the interaction between these characters and Oz.
Which segues nicely to the human characters. Most of the performances were over the top, which were necessary being a fantasy film. The most grounded was James Franco as Oz. He really turned on the charm here. The whole time I was watching this I kept thinking to myself that he's really selling this character to me.
Why couldn't he have pretended to be interested when he was hosting the Oscars?
The rest of the cast did their parts to ensemble the story to it's inevitable conclusion which once again threads the back story of the wizard and the wicked witch. We even get a few quick cameo's of some other popular characters from the original film. It's those little things that made this film so enjoyable. The writers paid attention to the details that Wizard of Oz fans would be looking for and they didn't disappoint.
On the 5 star scale. Oz The Great and Powerful gets 3 stars with a "Go See It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Spring Breakers.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Today's review is Oz The Great and Powerful.
Directed by Sam Raimi.
Written by Mitchell Kapner & David Lindsay-Abaire.
Based on the novel. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Written by L. Frank Baum.
Review #204
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language.
Run Time: 130 min
Cast
James Franco...Oz
Mila Kunis...Theodora
Rachel Weisz...Evanora
Michelle Williams...Annie / Glinda
Zach Braff...Frank / Finley
Bill Cobbs...Master Tinker
Joey King...Girl in Wheelchair / China Girl
Tony Cox...Knuck
The Wizard of Oz is defined in one word.
Classic.
There are so many hidden metaphors and meaning buried in this film that it's very easy to forget that it's simply a fantasy film in it's purest form. It's not perfect. What film truly is? That being said, The Wizard of Oz is a staple in the film world and should be required viewing for every human along with Citizen Kane, The Sound of Music and Inherit The Wind.
So with the recent influx of children's fantasy stories being adapted into "fresh" takes we are not blessed with a Wizard of Oz prequel. With all of the previous fantasy films bombing badly both critically and financially, deservedly so I might add. The question needed to be raised. Was another entry in the Oz saga necessary?
The answer is a resounding NO.
Nevertheless it was made and damn was it good.
Plot
A small-time magician arrives in an enchanted land and is forced to decide if he will be a good man or a great one.
Since the original Oz closes out the potential for direct sequels, at least I hope it did. The powers that be went the prequel route. If the world deemed it necessary that there had to be more Oz films than this was the only way to go and it was smart. They even went a smarter route and focused on the origin of the wizard. Now I only remember bits and pieces of the original film but what always stood out was that the wizard was a fake. Misleading the people of Oz with phony powers and control. This film picks right up from that and gives us this.
The initial impression of Oz is that he's not just a hustler but a bit of a jerk. Like all magicians he's selling fantasy over reality. However, he has a seediness to him that makes him very unlikeable. There is a high sense of "better you than me" with Oz. Obviously this is all set up so that he can redeem himself when it's time to put up or shut up.
The real magic of course happens when he's transported to the land of OZ.
As expected the place is pure fantasy and all CGI. Impressive CGI but CGI nonetheless. The thing that this film does pretty well is two fold. The first being able to give us a credible origin for some of the stories popular characters. Since this is a prequel the wicked with of the west doesn't exist yet. So here you get to see where she comes from and how. You also find out why water is her weakness.
Pretty simple yet clever at the same time.
Secondly you become invested in 2 very cute CGI characters. The first being Finley the flying monkey in a valet suit. He provides most of the comic relief but his facial expressions and mannerisms give him a humanity that I haven't seen in a CGI character in quite some time. Then you're introduced to the china doll. You may remember from the trailer but her character is so adorable that you can't keep your eyes off her. That's pretty impressive. Historically it's easy to dismiss a CGI character and accept them for what they are. But in this case they both are living breathing characters that deserved your attention and respect.
It also helps you believe in the interaction between these characters and Oz.
Which segues nicely to the human characters. Most of the performances were over the top, which were necessary being a fantasy film. The most grounded was James Franco as Oz. He really turned on the charm here. The whole time I was watching this I kept thinking to myself that he's really selling this character to me.
Why couldn't he have pretended to be interested when he was hosting the Oscars?
The rest of the cast did their parts to ensemble the story to it's inevitable conclusion which once again threads the back story of the wizard and the wicked witch. We even get a few quick cameo's of some other popular characters from the original film. It's those little things that made this film so enjoyable. The writers paid attention to the details that Wizard of Oz fans would be looking for and they didn't disappoint.
On the 5 star scale. Oz The Great and Powerful gets 3 stars with a "Go See It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Spring Breakers.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Dead Man Down
Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Dead Man Down.
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev.
Written by J.H. Wyman.
Review #203
MPAA Rating: Rated R for violence, language throughout and a scene of sexuality.
Run Time: 118 min
Cast
Colin Farrell...Victor
Noomi Rapace...Beatrice
Terrence Howard...Alphonse
Dominic Cooper...Darcy
Isabelle Huppert...Valentine Louzon
Funny how a movie earns your respect by taking a washed up plot and giving it a fresh take. Then in the blink of an eye, another movie yanks that respect away by doing the exact opposite. I came across this very situation. After seeing Side Effects and Dead Man Down. The first film did everything it could to ignore the distinct reality that you weren't watching something new. They pulled it off very well.
This film did not. That however wasn't it's downfall.
Plot
In New York City, a crime lord's right-hand man is seduced by one of his boss's victims, a woman seeking retribution.
My initial impression of Dead Man Down is this "man did this film felt familiar." That's because there was nothing new or fresh about the story. This film was a gumbo full of plot lines taken from other action films. Once again this wasn't the film's downfall. It had it's moments of stupidity and the pacing drags a bit but overall, Dead Man Down does provide some level of entertainment.
This is mostly due to the 2 main players. Noomi Rapace and Colin Farrell.
The relationship they formed in the films was believable and sensible. They each had something they wanted from each other and worked together to achieve their goals. From that spawned a pretty nice relationship that grows nicely as the film progressed. Both characters back stories were a bit predictable but handled slyly enough that you're not annoyed that the originality isn't present. Their motives were less original or inspiring but again it fits the mold Oplev created to move everything along.
The biggest problem I had with Dead Man Down was Terrence Howard. He plays the main antagonist and was probably the weakest villain in movie history short of Elmer Fudd. This guy inspired more laughter out of me than fear. This is something that absolutely CAN NOT HAPPEN in an action film. Especially when the main motive of the film is revenge. Your villain needs to be despised at first sight. You want to feel so much anger toward him that his demise can't come fats enough.
In this case I couldn't wait for his demise so I could go home and play God of War.
Howard's character Alphonse had no backbone, no violence, no (pardon my french) asshole gene. Every great villain has this gene that inspires so much angst toward them that it's eternally gratifying for the viewer when their comeuppance arrives. Howard who's a very talented actor plays Alphonse with the wannabe gene. He's played with more sophistication and polish than power. Then when it's time to knuckle up and hit the street he looks and feels even less of a tough guy. It was truly a shame because a more capable and feared villain would have made this film better than it is.
The action was very muted until the final shootout at the end which borders on the insane. And not in the good action movie way. It felt like nobody knew how to show the final showdown so as a Plan B they just decided to drive a truck through a house and have a 5 minutes of bullets flying everywhere.
Lazy.
Dead Man Down falls into the "What Could Have Been" category. A vicious more methodical villain combined with a slicker finale would have upped the ante big time.
On the 5 star scale. Dead Man Down gets 2 stars with a "Netflix It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Oz The Great and Powerful.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Today's review is Dead Man Down.
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev.
Written by J.H. Wyman.
Review #203
MPAA Rating: Rated R for violence, language throughout and a scene of sexuality.
Run Time: 118 min
Cast
Colin Farrell...Victor
Noomi Rapace...Beatrice
Terrence Howard...Alphonse
Dominic Cooper...Darcy
Isabelle Huppert...Valentine Louzon
Funny how a movie earns your respect by taking a washed up plot and giving it a fresh take. Then in the blink of an eye, another movie yanks that respect away by doing the exact opposite. I came across this very situation. After seeing Side Effects and Dead Man Down. The first film did everything it could to ignore the distinct reality that you weren't watching something new. They pulled it off very well.
This film did not. That however wasn't it's downfall.
Plot
In New York City, a crime lord's right-hand man is seduced by one of his boss's victims, a woman seeking retribution.
My initial impression of Dead Man Down is this "man did this film felt familiar." That's because there was nothing new or fresh about the story. This film was a gumbo full of plot lines taken from other action films. Once again this wasn't the film's downfall. It had it's moments of stupidity and the pacing drags a bit but overall, Dead Man Down does provide some level of entertainment.
This is mostly due to the 2 main players. Noomi Rapace and Colin Farrell.
The relationship they formed in the films was believable and sensible. They each had something they wanted from each other and worked together to achieve their goals. From that spawned a pretty nice relationship that grows nicely as the film progressed. Both characters back stories were a bit predictable but handled slyly enough that you're not annoyed that the originality isn't present. Their motives were less original or inspiring but again it fits the mold Oplev created to move everything along.
The biggest problem I had with Dead Man Down was Terrence Howard. He plays the main antagonist and was probably the weakest villain in movie history short of Elmer Fudd. This guy inspired more laughter out of me than fear. This is something that absolutely CAN NOT HAPPEN in an action film. Especially when the main motive of the film is revenge. Your villain needs to be despised at first sight. You want to feel so much anger toward him that his demise can't come fats enough.
In this case I couldn't wait for his demise so I could go home and play God of War.
Howard's character Alphonse had no backbone, no violence, no (pardon my french) asshole gene. Every great villain has this gene that inspires so much angst toward them that it's eternally gratifying for the viewer when their comeuppance arrives. Howard who's a very talented actor plays Alphonse with the wannabe gene. He's played with more sophistication and polish than power. Then when it's time to knuckle up and hit the street he looks and feels even less of a tough guy. It was truly a shame because a more capable and feared villain would have made this film better than it is.
The action was very muted until the final shootout at the end which borders on the insane. And not in the good action movie way. It felt like nobody knew how to show the final showdown so as a Plan B they just decided to drive a truck through a house and have a 5 minutes of bullets flying everywhere.
Lazy.
Dead Man Down falls into the "What Could Have Been" category. A vicious more methodical villain combined with a slicker finale would have upped the ante big time.
On the 5 star scale. Dead Man Down gets 2 stars with a "Netflix It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Oz The Great and Powerful.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Side Effects
Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Side Effects.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Written by Scott Z. Burns.
Review #202
MPAA Rating: Rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence and language.
Run Time: 106 min
Cast
Rooney Mara...Emily Taylor
Channing Tatum...Martin Taylor
Jude Law...Dr. Jonathan Banks
Catherine Zeta-Jones...Dr. Victoria Siebert
Vinessa Shaw...Dierdre Bank
Steven Soderbergh is an interesting film maker. He makes smart movies. Even his Oceans Eleven trilogy contained some level of intelligence. His talent rests with handling ensemble casts. Look at his library and the names he's collaborated with is pretty impressive. Side Effects is no different. Just a bit on the smaller scale. That doesn't make it any worse or better. However if this is Soderbergh's last directorial effort as it's rumored to be.
He goes out an a good note. I just wished it was a great one instead.
Plot
A young woman's world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects.
I could sum this movie up in 8 words.
Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned.
This film had so many good things going for it that it's hard to believe that the plot was as basic as they come. Unfortunately it's because of this I can't really get into any of the major details. That would ruin the entire film for you. What I will talk about is how Soderbergh was able to craft a been there done that story and make it fresh. The first way he accomplishes this is by using the time honored skill magicians use.
Misdirection.
As the film progresses you start to feel the direction it's headed then in a puff of smoke you are turned another way. All good thrillers employ this tactic and Side Effects does this very well. What makes it even better is the subtlety behind it's story turn. It doesn't announce to the world that it's coming or doesn't feel as obvious as it should be. If you're paying attention you can see it coming but you Sherlock Holmes the moment right before the film actually tells you anyway so bragging about your detective skills is a fruitless pursuit.
I don't say this to insult anyone. In fact what I am doing is complementing the film. Having seen so many good and bad mystery thrillers, the playbook is already in my hands before the theater lights dim. To pull this off was quite impressive. Of course we're talking about a very talented film maker who knows how to pull the audience's strings like puppets.
The cast was phenomenal. Headlined my Rooney Mara. Her star is shining brightly right now. Jude Law does most of the heavy lifting and after seeing the film compared to the trailers. His character was really taken behind the woodshed. It was good to see him play a normal dude after his last few roles. Including his portrayal of the scumbag blogger Alan Krumwiede in Contagion. He was such a dick in that film that it was a nice change of pace. The rest of the cast which is really small was equally strong. Everyone did their part to weave the story into the web of deception and intrigue that Side Effects was.
I really wished I could have said more about this but the movie gods deem it impossible.
On the 5 star scale. Side Effects gets 3.5 stars with a "Go See It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Dead Man Down.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Today's review is Side Effects.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Written by Scott Z. Burns.
Review #202
MPAA Rating: Rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence and language.
Run Time: 106 min
Cast
Rooney Mara...Emily Taylor
Channing Tatum...Martin Taylor
Jude Law...Dr. Jonathan Banks
Catherine Zeta-Jones...Dr. Victoria Siebert
Vinessa Shaw...Dierdre Bank
Steven Soderbergh is an interesting film maker. He makes smart movies. Even his Oceans Eleven trilogy contained some level of intelligence. His talent rests with handling ensemble casts. Look at his library and the names he's collaborated with is pretty impressive. Side Effects is no different. Just a bit on the smaller scale. That doesn't make it any worse or better. However if this is Soderbergh's last directorial effort as it's rumored to be.
He goes out an a good note. I just wished it was a great one instead.
Plot
A young woman's world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects.
I could sum this movie up in 8 words.
Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned.
This film had so many good things going for it that it's hard to believe that the plot was as basic as they come. Unfortunately it's because of this I can't really get into any of the major details. That would ruin the entire film for you. What I will talk about is how Soderbergh was able to craft a been there done that story and make it fresh. The first way he accomplishes this is by using the time honored skill magicians use.
Misdirection.
As the film progresses you start to feel the direction it's headed then in a puff of smoke you are turned another way. All good thrillers employ this tactic and Side Effects does this very well. What makes it even better is the subtlety behind it's story turn. It doesn't announce to the world that it's coming or doesn't feel as obvious as it should be. If you're paying attention you can see it coming but you Sherlock Holmes the moment right before the film actually tells you anyway so bragging about your detective skills is a fruitless pursuit.
I don't say this to insult anyone. In fact what I am doing is complementing the film. Having seen so many good and bad mystery thrillers, the playbook is already in my hands before the theater lights dim. To pull this off was quite impressive. Of course we're talking about a very talented film maker who knows how to pull the audience's strings like puppets.
The cast was phenomenal. Headlined my Rooney Mara. Her star is shining brightly right now. Jude Law does most of the heavy lifting and after seeing the film compared to the trailers. His character was really taken behind the woodshed. It was good to see him play a normal dude after his last few roles. Including his portrayal of the scumbag blogger Alan Krumwiede in Contagion. He was such a dick in that film that it was a nice change of pace. The rest of the cast which is really small was equally strong. Everyone did their part to weave the story into the web of deception and intrigue that Side Effects was.
I really wished I could have said more about this but the movie gods deem it impossible.
On the 5 star scale. Side Effects gets 3.5 stars with a "Go See It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Dead Man Down.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
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