The Rite Review

                                                        1 1/2 Nuts

Director: Mikael Håfström

It’s interesting how lazy horror films have gotten.  All you need to have is a few moments that make the audience jump from sudden ear piercing loudness or extreme gore. Thankfully, The Rite does not have gore; however it also does not have suspense.  This disjointed mess of a film had the audience laughing in parts that were supposed to be serious.  They also threw in a few extra jokes to lighten the mood; granted this film was not scary to begin with.  The movie is about Michael Kovack, played by Colin O’Donoghue, a young man who is becoming a priest.  However, when he begins to question his faith, a priest at his school suggests he go to the Vatican to learn how to become an exorcist.  Once there, he meets up with Father Lucas Trevant, played by Anthony Hopkins, who is an experienced exorcist.   Father Lucas then tries to shows Michael how real the Devil truly is. 

This movie did not work for me.  It follows Michael, who is by far the blandest protagonists I have seen in a while.  The story moves around him, instead of him moving the story.  He goes from place to place because other people tell him to.  He is almost emotionless, and in turn he is not a captivating character. Compounding Michael’s lack of likeability, he is also incredible dumb.  Throughout the film there are signs that the devil is real but he successfully ignores them as does the film. I found myself really not caring what would happen to him because the character really didn’t seem to care.

Looking back, I had trouble seeing what the actual conflict of the film was.  I believe the conflict was about Michael losing his faith. However, he didn't really seem very concerned about getting it back. Conveniently, faith returns and falls back into place at the end of the film. Michael doesn’t seem to try hard to regain his religious beliefs, it just happens.  Most of the film he is following Father Lucas around as he performs exorcisms, and in these scene the conflict is not really present.

The 3^rd act of the film is incredibly contrived and is only there so the protagonist faith can be restored. 

In a peaNut Shell:  This is not the creepy exorcism movie that people were expecting. There is little in terms of suspense, in fact, the only time that my heart was racing was when two cops came into our theater and removed some kids that were movie hopping. The pacing of the film is all over the place and the script is just not good. This is one to skip.

The Company Men Review

                                                          2 1/2 Nuts

Director: John Wells

The film, The Company Men, contains the stories of 3 men working for a company known as GTX. It chronicles each of their terminations from GTX and how they cope with it. The president of the company is rapacious and only seems to care about advancing his financial interests. He is responsible for letting thousands of employees go from this company just to produce money for the shareholders, and not have to give up any of his salary. Bobby, played by Ben Affleck, a salesman for GTX, is the first of the 3 characters to be fired. Losing his job comes as a complete shock.  The audience then gets to watch his financial nosedive.  Ben Affleck’s character has an enormous house, goes golfing daily, and drives a Porsche; however, once he loses his job everything changes. Soon after, Chris Cooper’s character, Phil, loses his job followed by Tommy Lee Jones’s character, Gene, the VP.

This is a fascinating film. Unlike many films that show middle class workers losing their jobs, this film shows the effect of unemployment on the rich. The effects of which are notably devastating. The film also showed how difficult it is for these men to get new jobs, because younger, equally qualified businessmen will do the same for less pay.

So, the film’s premise works, however, the execution is a tad slow. This is not a bad movie by any means however, the average ‘movie goer’ may find it boring. There is no exciting scene, no real climax besides the very end, and the entire plot line may seem a bit dull to some. Having said that the movie does show us how the recession is affecting everyone today, even the wealthy. It also shows us how, in a flash, life as we know it can fall apart.

The performances are solid by each of the main characters. The film was somewhat predictable and I found myself kind of knowing what was going to happen next.

My other concern about the film is that it may not be accurate depiction of what is really happening in unemployed ex-corporate America. Affleck’s and Chris Cooper’s characters begin to go bankrupt shortly after they lose their jobs.  Why do these men not have some sort of savings? The film seems to explain that all of the money went into their image however I’m not sure if that’s true for most of the upper middle class

In a peaNut Shell:  All in all, the film shows us how the economic decline is affecting every one. It exposes the greed of major corporations and how CEOs are willing to fire hundreds of workers just to keep their enormous salaries. The movie itself can be rather slow and uneventful, but if this subject matter interests you go see it. 

The Green Hornet Review

                                                          1 1/2 nuts

Director: Michel Gondry

For me there are two types of bad films.  One type acknowledges its absurd nature, and attempts to poke fun at itself.  This type of film can result in a rather enjoyable movie going experience.  The other type tries to be something it is not.  The Green Hornet is the latter of these two.  I wanted greatly to like this film because it stars Seth Rogan; a man whose movies are generally quite funny.  I also wanted to like it because I was seeing it in 3D and had paid more than I desired to for that “extra dimension.”  As I sat there, I tried desperately to find the redeeming value of this film and I simply could not.  The film is about Britt Reid, who is the sole heir to his father’s newspaper empire.  He is a rich, arrogant, spoiled individual, who up until his father’s death did nothing but party.  Now that his father is dead Britt must take over as the head of the newspaper company.  Britt is reunited with his father’s ex assistant Kato, played by Jay Chou, and the two decide to go out and fight crime. Britt and Kato decide to pose as bad guys so they can get to the really bad criminals.

Here in lies a big problem with the film; although I was watching it in 3D the characters were extremely two dimensional.  Kato, Britt’s side kick, is treated like garbage.  Kato’s has no depth; he simply is a super genius, armed with gadgets, and martial arts master.  There is a scene early on in the film where it seem like Kato is going to tell us something from his past and Britt cuts him short.  As the only real superhero in the film Kato is far too quiet and difficult to understand.

The female character in the film Lenore, played by Cameron Diaz, comes in as a temp secretary for Britt at the newspaper company.  Her character made no sense to me.  She is a college graduate with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Criminology, but somehow her career choices have landed her a temporary position as a secretary at the local newspaper.  Clearly she is overqualified for this job or just inexplicably unmotivated. 

The generic action scenes are long and repetitive.  There is nothing really new here in terms of a chase scene.  Rogan’s character is not a good guy and by the film’s end he hasn’t really changed. 

The humor in the film was bland, with only a few funny moments.  The film has a running joke regarding the pronunciation of certain characters’ names which just wasn’t funny. Regardless, the script kept pushing the same joke.  Christopher Waltz, who plays the villain, is not a very good bad guy; however, I do not fault his acting as his character is poorly scripted. 

In a peaNut Shell:  This film has a serious identity crisis.  I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be a comedy or superhero film.  In the end it was sort of a combination of the bad parts of both.  As much as I have commented about the weak elements of this film I don’t think everyone will hate it.  It does have the occasional funny line and although the action is pretty average the gadgets in the car are cool.  There were good parts to this movie, however, I had seen them all before in better films.  The bad parts, I hope, I won’t have to see again anytime soon.  

The Dilemma Review

                                                             2 Nuts

Director: Ron Howard

Romantic comedies generally follow a similar format.  At first everyone is happy, there are initial funny moments, then a conflict arises and the two main characters get into an argument which ultimately is resolved at the end of the film.  Unfortunately, the conflict in this romantic/buddy comedy drags on for too long.  The film is about two best friends in their early 40s.  They work together selling inventions to car companies.  Ronny, played by Vince Vaughn, is the salesman and Nick, played by Kevin James, is the engineer who actually works on the cars.  The two had just signed an agreement to develop a product for Dodge and Nick is really feeling the pressure to produce.  The problem arises when Ronny accidentally catches Nick’s wife Geneva, played by Wynona Ryder, cheating on him with another man.   Ronny can’t decide if he should just come out and tell his friend what he had seen or wait until after Nick finishes their current commitment with Dodge.

Spoiler Alert: It takes Ronny a damn long time to tell Nick.  I sat there frustrated and annoyed waiting for Ronny to man up and just tell his friend what was going on.  Instead Ronny wastes time by playing detective, spying on the personal lives of both Nick and Geneva.

Ronny tries repeatedly to gather proof to show his friend, but nothing seems to go right for this guy, and the film just becomes depressing to watch.  The two characters don’t have great chemistry together and the movie falls a bit flat.  Kevin James’s character is awful; he has truly become typecast as a sad, pathetic loser.  I’ve seen Kevin James be very funny plenty of times in his television show but he does not seems to reach his potential in this film.  By the end I wasn’t sure if I was watching a comedy or a bad drama on marriage.

Vince Vaughn has some hilarious moments and these moments help pull this film out of the gutter.  This is classic Vince Vaughn supported with some very humorous dialogue.  I found myself laughing along with the rest of the audience at quite a few of his lines.

In a peaNut Shell:  This film adds nothing really groundbreaking to the buddy/comedy genre.  Vince Vaughn helps it with some very funny moments.  In the end we leave the theater glad the movie is over.

Top 10 of 2010

1. True Grit- It’s tough, gritty, and damn entertaining.  This film rekindles the spark of the American western previously lost to our generation.

2. The Kings Speech- An underdog story on a truly grandiose scale.  It’s an uplifting film.  Not only does it look good but the actors do a great job portraying their characters.

3. The Other Guys- The funniest movie I’ve seen in a long time.  I was laughing from start to finish.  Will Farrell has returned to his Anchorman days.

4. Buried- Suspense from start to finish, couldn’t ask for anything more engrossing.

5. Shutter Island- Can be rather creepy at parts but, hey, it’s got Leo. 

6. 127 Hours- It’s not the easiest film to watch, but it’s certainly captivating.  The movie is beautifully shot and the audience is just as glued their chairs as James Franco is stuck between a boulder and a hard place.  Franco gives a great solitary performance. 

7. Inception- The story is unusual and original.  The film is shot on a massively large scale.  It’s a movie that  keeps you thinking well after the final credits roll.

8. The Ghost Writer- This film has a rather fascinating premise and Polanski executes it well.  Despite the film’s marked lack of hype, it is incredibly engaging from start to finish.

9. The Fighter- Yes, at times this film feels like a generic boxing movie; but, in this case, that proved not to be a bad thing.  It is Christian Bale’s performance that separates this film from the genre.

10. The Social Network- This movie got a lot of hype and it delivered.  

The Fighter Review

                                                          3 Nuts!

Director: David O. Russell

Another boxing movie, but once you’ve seen one, haven’t you really seen them all?  This is the question I asked myself as I walked into see The Fighter.  By the end of the film, my answer was well, sort of.  The film is about Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg.  Ward is a professional boxer in the1980s and 1990s who, with the help of his half brother Dicky, his coach, has a chance to become a great fighter.  Dicky, played by Christian Bale, is a washed up, drug addicted, has been boxer.  Dicky is remembered for having once knocked down the famous Sugar Ray Leonard many years ago.  Dicky lives in the past. In contrast, Micky feels that now is his time to become a champion.  In their family’s eyes Dicky is the favorite, even though he’s a real f*** up.

What makes this film different from other boxing stories is Dicky.  Christian Bale absolutely steals the show with his powerhouse performance as the quirky brother.  While the audience watches the story of Micky’s boxing journey, his brother is simultaneously being filmed for an HBO documentary about crack addiction.  In Dicky’s mind, the documentary is about his boxing comeback, but we know the truth, that it’s simply a documentary chronicling his addiction.  Bale’s performance is outstanding and completely convincing.  Some of the most powerful scenes of this film were driven by Bale’s passionate portrayal.   It’s not that Wahlberg's performance isn't good, but Bale’s portrayal is so grippingly convincing that he wins the audience over. 

Micky’s family is a little strange but entertaining.  He has seven sisters who all seem to be unmarried and all still living at home with their mother.  The sister’s interactions with Micky’s girlfriend played by Amy Adams, are comical absurdities.  Micky’s girlfriend wants Micky to take his fighting in one direction while the family feels differently.  In the end it’s really up to Micky to do what he believes is best.

In my opinion the boxing elements of the film all seem generic. The film has no big surprises.  It has everything you would expect out of a typical boxing film.  Regardless, the film is good. 

In a peaNut Shell:  This is a good boxing film.  It has some elements that are new to the genre however at times it feels like a film we’ve all seen before. The boxing scenes, although short, are rather enjoyable and intense.  Bale’s performance is phenomenal and watching him on screen is well worth your time and money.

The King's Speech Review

                                                          4 Nuts!

Director: Tom Hooper

It’s always a delight when a film that you anxiously anticipate seeing turns out to be praiseworthy. What is an even greater feeling is when that film lives up to the hype you have created for it; and then exceeds it.  This is the Kings Speech. The story  is about King George VI who as a young man succeeds to the throne after his father’s death. His older brother who was next in line to become king abdicates and marries a divorcee.  Ultimately it is up to Bertie (King George VI) to take the throne.  The problem is that Bertie has a stammer, which means when he speaks he has trouble getting the words out.  Unfortunately for Bertie as the new king he will be required to give speeches to his countrymen.  As the threat of war with Germany approaches the importance of having a strong articulate King is essential. 

Most of the plot chronicles the events that take place prior to King George VI’s coronation.  Only in the third act does he actually become king and give his big speech of the film.  Most of the film however, concentrates on our two main characters Bertie, played by Colin Firth and Lionel his speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush.  They develop a strong friendship as the film progresses and we get to watch Bertie completely transform.  The film is surprisingly lighthearted considering that the story deals with death, abdication and the threat of impending war. The primary focus is on the relationship between our two main characters.  This is a serious film but well balanced with frequent funny moments, the audience I saw it with laughed a good amount of the time. 

The film starts out with a tremendous opening scene in which Bertie, who at the time was the Duke of York, is giving a speech to a large audience of British citizens.  The scene is almost painful as we watch Bertie struggle to get the words out.  We immediately feel for our protagonist and although we know next to nothing about him at this point, we want his circumstances to change for the better.  I believe this was an excellent way to begin.      

Colin Firth’s performance is astonishing.  He plays the King exceptionally well.  This could not have been an easy role to play because not only do his mannerisms have to change but his verbal communication skills have to gradually evolve.  We watch as firth skillfully combines both anger and frustration as tries to get his words out. The result is a very believable portrayal.  I definitely see an Oscar nomination and possibly a win for Colin Firth.  Geoffrey Rush is also excellent and adds a lot of the comic relief to this film.  His character is genuine and likable.  I must also add the king’s wife, Elizabeth played by Helen Bonham Carter does an outstanding portrayal as the queen, supporting her husband wholeheartedly.

In a peaNut Shell:  This is an enjoyable film that not only provides insight into a crucial part of history but is an uplifting film that leaves the audience feeling inspired. 

         On a side note, if you have not seen this film please do not watch the trailer.  Although it is excellent, I feel it gives too much of the plot away and some of the strongest moments in the film are blown.

Catfish Review

                                                            3 Nuts!

Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Don’t go on Facebook, better yet don’t go on the internet.  This Independent film came out over the summer and it will make you laugh and cry.  It also will present the occasional scare.  It is a documentary style film about Nev Schulman a photographer and his new found friendship with an 8 year old girl Abby that he met through facebook.  Abby is an artist and Nev is taken by her talent.  Being a photographer he sends her his photographs and she sends him back paintings of those photographs.  He speaks to her mother on the phone and eventually starts to develop a long distance relationship with Abby’s 19 year old sister, Megan.  We follow Nev accompanied along side with his brother Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost as they record the entire experience. They travel across the country and eventually meet the family they have come to know through facebook.  It is then that the film’s true mystery begins to unfold.

The film’s story line is original, unlike any I have seen.  Overall, Catfish seems to have a cautionary message for the users of facebook.  The film is fascinating and frightening, as we learn how facebook can easily be used as a means to mislead unsuspecting users. 

The film can be exciting and even enjoyable to follow. The viewer finds himself immersed alongside the main characters, in a quest for answers.  Whether this film is in fact a true documentary or some elaborate hoax is still up for debate.  The directors are quoted as saying that it is a 100% true and that everything shot in the film actually happened.  For me, as much as I want to believe that this film is true-to-life, it seems a little too good to be true.  My doubt comes from the film’s plot going almost too smoothly and things working out all too well for the characters.

In a peaNut Shell: I am a skeptic but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that this is an excellent film regardless of its authenticity.  This film definitely should be watched by today’s youth.