MovieSet: Remaking the 80s

Having an established audience is a way to calm the nerves of movie producers. Making something that is completely new is a gamble. When a book or a play or lately a board game could be made into a feature film there is a promise that fans of the original shall end up buying a ticket. The latest trend is not to adapt, but to remake. In particular, Hollywood has turned to the films and franchises from the ‘80s.

On paper it makes a lot of sense. The teens from the ‘80s are now in their 40s. Revisiting Freddy Krueger and Conan the Barbarian creates a powerful sense of nostalgia. There is also a new generation of moviegoers who have never seen these films in theatres and could be introduced to these franchises.

This trend really began with the onslaught of horror remakes. The original versions of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes were technically ‘70s products but they opened to millions of dollars their opening weekend. This led to studios making their own version of ‘80s movies like My Bloody Valentine, Prom Night, House on Sorority Row, Friday the 13^th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and the upcoming Fright Night.

Horror films are always a safe investment because they are cheap to produce and always seem to make a profit. People flock to whatever horror movie is in theatres, much like family films. As for critical reception, that is a different story. My Bloody Valentine 3D has the highest score on Rotten Tomatoes with 55%, but the others range from 8% to 25%. Ultimately the critics don’t matter to the studios because there are already plans to make more films with Jason and Freddy. (Not together, though.)

Since this system for horror has worked, it comes as no surprise that the studios are doing the same for other popular items from the ‘80s. It seems like the rationale for adapting or continuing these films is to showcase the improved special effects. That was very evident with the new version of Clash of the Titans. The film has taken the campy scenes and upgraded them with state of the art CGI. Worldwide Clash has made $300 million dollars but fans of the original still site the Harryhousen creations as the more memorable filmic experience.

More and more films are on their way. Next month will ring in a new version of The Karate Kid, this time with Will Smith’s son in the title role and Jackie Chan as the wise teacher. The A-Team is one of the summer’s biggest films as a modern telling of the beloved TV show. The Expendables is not a direct remake, but is undeniable an ode to the action films of its time. It stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and even Ivan Drago himself: Dolph Lundgren. This November the update of Red Dawn comes out. Dawn was the quintessential movie depicting the “red scare.” At the end of the year, we’ll know if it’ll hold up with out the ever-looming threat of communism. There is no official release date yet, but a new version of Conan the Barbarian is on its way to come up next year.

A few studios are taking a fresher route. Instead of just remaking the story, they are choosing to continue it. A third installment of Ghostbusters has been heavily rumored but it’s still unclear if it will ever be made. Actors have said conflicting information on when they are going to shoot and what the film will entail. Bill Murray seems to be very cynical about the project, while Dan Ackroyd is enthusiastic.

A fourth tale of Mad Max will start shooting this summer, but it will be without Mel Gibson. It will be called Fury Road and will be directed by the man behind the first three, George Miller. Little is known about the project aside from rumors about money problems possibly affecting a delay.

With all of this skepticism, there is one sequel that is really exciting fans of the original. At last year’s ComicCon, the footage of Tron Legacy invigorated the crowds. Tron is a cult Disney movie about Jeff Bridges being sucked inside his computer and having to deal with the world inside. It’s most remembered for its light races. Legacy picks up the story many years later with Bridges’s son joining him in the electronic world. The movie is written by two of the writers from the show LOST and will premiere this December.

There is a problem with the updates and remakes though. The reason these films initially worked was because they were something new. If they are still warmly remembered 30 years later, then they had a significant impact. If the studios want to create films fans that will love a films for years and years, it would be more beneficial to have the philosophies of yesteryear. Don’t just literally mimic the films, but mimic the style. Take risks and create something that could generate its own unique fanbase. That gets people really excited.

http://blog.movieset.com/blog/hollywood-intent-on-remaking-the-80s-from-red-dawn-to-fright-night

MovieSet: Inside the Black List

It started as an insider’s award, but The Black List has become more and more known to the rest of the world. It’s a rather uplifting concept. A team of film executives vote on their favorite unproduced screenplays that were read that year. They highlight the scripts based on quality not marketability which is a fresh change of pace.

The first year the list was made public was in 2005. The top three movies were Things We Lost in the Fire, Juno and Lars in the Real Girl. All three of those ended up being produced. The first film wasn’t a complete success. It only received a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes and made 3.2 million dollars at the box office. The other two had much larger success. They were both nominated for Best Original Screenplay during the 2007 Oscars with Juno taking the prize. That movie also was a huge hit in theatres making $143 million while only costing $7.5 to make. Other prominent entires on the list include Charlie Wilson’s War, The Kite Runner, The Queen, Reservation Road, Babel, and The Prestige.

The top choices of 2006 were The Brigands of Rattleborge, State of Play and Rendition. The latter two opened to lukewarm reviews and very low box office despite their A-list casts (Russell Crowe, Reese Witherspoon respectfully). Brigands has yet to be produced but the script has been purchased by Warner Brothers. It is a very dark western about three men who terrorize a town during a thunderstorm. There larger successes but they were farther down the list. Seven Pounds, 500 Days of Summer, and Superbad all earned significant profits in its theatrical releases alone. The latter of the group ended up making over 100 million dollars beyond its budget.

The top three films on the 2007 list were less successful. They were Recount, Farragut North and Passengers. Only Recount has been produced and it never went to theatres. It was going to be a film made by acclaimed director Sydney Pollack, but he became incredibly sick and ended up dying shortly after. Jay Roach took over and made it into a TV movie for HBO. It ended up being a great movie that won several Emmys including Outstanding Made for Television Movie. The other two mentioned have yet to be made, but once again the scripts have sold. There are more on this year’s list that have been made. The Road was high up on the list as was This Side of the Truth, which was later, renamed to be The Invention of Lying. Further down the list are The Human Factor (Invictus), Adventureland and this year’s The Book of Eli. Surprisingly low on the list is Slumdog Millionaire, which ended up winning a ton of Oscars including Best Picture. This movie has always been the underdog because when it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival it almost wasn’t going to get a theatrical distributor.

The films of the 2008 list are too recent to have been seen in theatres, but most are in production. The only ones that have been made are Inglourious Basterds, A Couple of Dicks (Cop Out), The Fourth Kind, and Up in the Air. Two of those ended up being nominated for screenplay Oscars. The first title on the list, The Beaver, was quickly brought into production because of its placing on The Black List. Jodie Foster is directing this Mel Gibson comedy about a man who has a beaver puppet and believes it’s a real animal. The next film The Oranges is currently being filmed (if we can believe IMDb) and has a great cast including Allison Janney, Catherine Keener, Hugh Laurie, and Oliver Platt. The third placement of the 2008 list is also in the middle of filming. Butter is the story of a girl competing in a butter carving contest in the Midwest. It will star Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Garner, Kristen Schaal and Alicia Silverstone. Other notable scripts on this list that have received a lot of buzz include Fuckbuddies, I’m With Cancer, and The F-Word.

A few months ago the latest incarnation was released with a few surprising titles. The top choice is a promising movie called The Muppet Man, which is a biopic about Jim Hensen. That has the potential to be really promising. The second title is a bit of a cheat because this was never in any danger of not getting made. It’s called The Social Network but it is more commonly referred to as “The Facebook Movie.” It’s an adaptation of the book by Ben Merzrich who wrote the book 21 was based off of. The screenplay is written by acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) and has already been filmed with Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake in leading roles. David Fincher also directs it. There are currently no immediate plans to film The Voices a creepy sounding movie about a deranged man who hears his animals talk to him.

Aside from the ones already mentioned, there are a few more in the works. Everything Must Go is a film that will come out next year starring Will Ferrel and Rebecca Hall. It’s an adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story about an alcoholic who loses his wife and job and decides to have a yard sale. The anticipated Water for Elephants will start filming in one week. This popular book club book will star Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz. However one of the coolest upcoming films (Black List or not) is Source Code, which is the next film by Duncan Jones. Jones wowed everyone with his first film Moon and this one is about a soldier who wakes up in another body. All of these movies will be out sometime in 2011.

Ultimately The Black List is a great resource. It’s one of the best ways smaller scripts can get national attention and interest. It may not mean instant financial success, but it draws the attention of a lot of talent actors. When you have specific actors interested and attached then producers feel safer putting more money into a wider distribution. That means they are easier to be seen. It’s not a perfect system, but it has lead to a lot of high quality movies and that’s a wonderful thing.

http://blog.movieset.com/blog/inside-the-black-list-part-1

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MovieSet: Anti-Superhero Movies

Once something has been established and popularized it’s only too soon before there is a counter for it. There was The Cosby Show and then there was Married With Children. It is too different perspectives for the same topic. Obviously the creators of Married looked at the popular family sitcom and decided to comment on it. This is now happening with comic book films and it’s very refreshing.

Superhero films have not necessarily been the most wholesome nowadays. The ones that have been the most popular have had a dark tone and focused on its flawed characters. The Fantastic Four films were not critically received mostly because it felt dated. Iron Man was a hit and still had a fun tone, but it still had several scenes of torture of its playboy protagonist. In fact, The Dark Knight is barely a comic book movie but a crime drama. The next logical step is to have “anti-superhero” movies.

There are two upcoming films that fit this bill: Kick-Ass and Defendor. Both of the movies are about people who are fans of comic books and take it upon themselves to don their own suits. The main character of Defendor (played by Woody Harrelson) is treated as a social outcast and is has to visit a court-ordered psychologist. The film is labeled as a comedy, but it’s obviously a very dark comedy because his mental well-being is in question. Nobody even believes his nemesis, Captain Industry, exists.

In Kick-Ass the kids who make their own costumes are seen as popular and successful. The violence is still based in reality and that gives the movie a certain edge. They are not younger versions of Spider-Man. Their aliases (Kick-Ass, Hit Girl, etc) are not supposed to be noble like Superman but badass like Scarface.

Both of the movies highlight how these “heroes” don’t have any superpowers or even any experience. Their homemade outfits make them look like vigilantes instead of superheroes. This sets the world more in a relatable reality. This is one of the elements that makes these movies so appealing. It’s a fun perspective into one of the most popular trends at the moment. This is something that appeals to those who like comic book movies and those who don’t. The major problem with the future of this trend is finding unique plots. There are already talks for Kick-Ass 2, but I don’t know how many unique franchise could be around these anti-super heroes. For now let’s just appreciate what we have. That’s right. I’m saying we should count our blessings and our crazed crimefighters.

MovieSet: Clash of the Titans

One of the most entertaining aspects of cinema is the opportunity for spectacle. I’m all for nuanced character studies and intricate dialog scenes. Some of the greatest films of all time are like that, but within the same medium are the films that are much grander in scale.

With both ends of the cinematic spectrum, there is still a responsibility to give the audience something new. It is worth noting that as of this review, I haven’t seen the original Clash of the Titans but I believe the new one accomplishes this goal. It takes familiar aspects of Greek mythology and made it into a fun (pre)summer movie.

Perseus (Sam Worthington) is half-god and half-man therefore is the only one who can save Argos from the wrath of the gods. Zeus (Liam Neeson) is tired of the disloyalty of mankind so Hades (Ralph Fiennes) encourages them to strike terror in order to gain back their love. So Perseus and a team of soldiers only have a few days to figure out how to save the city before Zeus….RELEASES THE KRACKEN.

Of course this information isn’t written in a book. (That only happens in movies Jennifer’s Body or The Wolf Man) They have to cross deserts where there are giant deadly scorpions and encounter the trickery of the Medusa. These are obvious set-pieces, but the reason the entire film succeeds is because they are effective. The action is vibrant and exciting. There is allowed to be intelligence in action and audiences pick up on that. There is a reason why someone can name their favorite action scene in Casino Royale but can’t recall one in particular from Quantam of Solace. The action in Clash may still be edited quicker than I would prefer, but there is still a sense of location where you know where everybody is and what the fight looks like.

This is the proper way to handle Greek mythology. A few months ago I was very frustrated with Percy Jackson for all of its missed opportunities. Clash not only uses all of its elements with ease, but also creates a great sense of tone. Yes, a lot of the lines are a bit campy, but everybody is on the same page. Veteran actors Neeson and Fiennes are fun as they are playing off some of their former characters. (It’s basically Qui-Gon Jin and Voldemort as brothers.) The real acting standout is Geema Arterton as Io, the spiritual guide to Perseus. She’s a mysterious character who has dynamic screen presence. In a movie where you’re just waiting to see the next monster, I wanted to know more about her.

The wide landscapes and impressive CGI are the feat to see on the silver screen, but surprisingly I would not recommend seeing it in 3D. That is how I saw it and it seemed irrelevant. I do not believe they intended it to be in 3D when they were filming so it was added in post-production. The end result just ends up diluting the colors. Seeing this in 3D would be a waste of money; seeing it in 2D wouldn’t be.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/ticket-stubs-clash-of-the-titans

MovieSet: Hot Tub Time Machine

Titles can draw you in and give you an immediate sense of tone. The cliché warns against covers, not titles so it’s acceptable to evaluate them. Hot Tub Time Machine is exactly how it sounds. It’s very silly and knows it.

John Cusack, Craig Robinson and Rob Corddry play friends who have become more estranged since their wild days of youth. The gang regroups after Corddry accidently tries to kill himself after using his car’s gas pedal like a drum pedal. Along with Clark Duke, Cusack’s nephew, they decide to return to their favorite ski resort from when they were kids. Disappointed that it’s practically abandoned, the four spend the night drinking heavily and ending up in 1986 thanks to a….hot tub time machine.

Unlike other films in this genre, all of the characters are well versed in time travel movies. They are constantly referencing movies like Back to the Future and Planet of the Apes in order to understand their situation. This is very fun when they try to predict when the grumpy bellhop (Crispin Glover) will lose his arm and how much that spacey hot tub technician (Chevy Chase) knows. The film isn’t interested in making a time travel mythology that makes a lot of sense. Almost every question in this movie can be answered by its title. “Why are they in their younger bodies?” “It’s a Hot Tub Time Machine.”

The movie is set mostly in the 80s and uses that tone to successfully create the atmosphere of an 80s comedy. Certain elements are very familiar and enjoyable like the preppy antagonists that think the heroes’ technology are from the Soviet Union. Cusack also had a good sense of humor considering all of the clever callbacks to the films that made him famous from this time.

Not every joke in the movie works. There are at least two instances when the gross-out humor is too much and some of that comes from Corddry being too over-the-top. With every joke that fails, there are two more that are really good. The chemistry between the four is really inspired. The way they bounce off each other believably establishes this long friendship through their comradery and annoyance with their actions. The first half hour is probably the strongest part of the movie because it’s just them goofing off before the plot really kicks off.

I say “kick off” but the plot is so light, it can almost evaporate. This is fine because the movie is consistently entertaining and never takes itself seriously. The motivations of the 80’s preppy guys are comically thin. There is no real threat of paradoxes or not being able to get back to the present. There is a major action that is too convenient in order to tie everything in the end; it’s jarring at first but, then again, to comment on the plot is almost nitpicking.

This movie doesn’t get everything right in terms of a buddy comedy like The Hangover did last year, but there is a lot of wit and likability. Especially from Cusack, Robinson, and Lizzy Caplan, who plays Cusack’s love interest. Wait don’t they have an almost 20 year age difference? It’s Hot Tub Time Machine.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/ticket-stubs-hot-tub-time-machine

MovieSet: Top Ten Comic Book Adaptations

It comes as no surprise that comic book adaptations are all the rage right now. Many of the most popular franchises have made millions at the box office. Now the rights to every property are being purchased and made into a movie. This year we have The Losers, Jonah Hex, Iron Man 2, and, my most anticipated, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World still to come out this year. However what are the best? Which ones have held up the test of time? Just how brilliant is Tank Girl? All of these questions will be answered with this list of the Top Ten Comic Book Adaptations.

#10 – Hellboy II: The Golden Army

I find it refreshing to start a franchise that I know nothing about. I wasn’t alone in really enjoying the first Hellboy entry and Guillermo del Toro is to thank for that. His love and energy for this series really shines through in both movies. Both of the movies are really fun, but the second one stands out just a little bit more. They lost the unneeded FBI character and they focused more on the relationships within the team. The scene with Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) drunkenly singing “Can’t Smile Without You” is a real treat.

#9 - 300

All right, everybody. This is a comedy, okay? I usually don’t respond to Frank Miller’s madness, but this one I found to be a lot of fun because it recognizes its ridiculousness. It’s about 300 SPARTANS who attack the entire Persian army in an incredibly violent fashion. Intentionally hammy performances fit in well with concepts like having a giant pit and random rhinos.

#8 – Men in Black

I am not a Will Smith fan and this may be his only movie I completely like. The movie is often silly, but so many of the jokes completely work. There is a good measure of wit as Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are fighting big buggy aliens. The casting for those two were really inspired because they end up being able to play off each other really well. This had the potential to be a really great franchise if only they didn’t botch up the second film so poorly.

#7 – Spider-Man 2

Spider-Man has been a character that has been well liked but never extremely respected. Batman is the type of character who has the deep emotional issues while dealing with the gritty atmosphere. With this film Spider-Man jumped up to the proper ranks. This movie managed to be dark without compromising its central element of fun. The birth of Doctor Octopus is violent and even a bit disturbing and his presence leads to some of the better action scenes in the genre. This ranks up there as one of the best Raimi films.

#6 – Iron Man

Like Hellboy I knew nothing about Iron Man. He was never one of the most familiar names in Marvel’s lineup. However, they really took this project seriously. (Unlike Ghost Rider or Electra). The cast was amazing (Robert Downey Jr., Terence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges) and the movie had the right element of humor. It’s one of the rare examples when Tony Stark was as entertaining as his Iron Man counterpart.

#5 – American Splendor

This was the breakout movie for Paul Giamatti for me. He plays Harvey Pekar, a grumpy cartoonist who lives in Ohio. He decides to make a comic book series out of his own life. His books gain a bit of a cult following and he becomes an odd celebrity. The movie is shot in a fun style as it jumps from real footage to cartoons and back to the movie itself. It’s a story that I haven’t seen told and it’s really captivating.

#4 – Road to Perdition

Many people forget this one is a comic book adaptation and that’s too bad. This was a great graphic novel by the crime writer Max Allan Collins. Tom Hanks plays a gangster during the time of Al Capone. His son witnesses a murder and his boss (Paul Newman) orders a hit out on his son. Hanks defies the mob and goes on the run with his son. The violence and the suspense never takes away from the importance of family. It’s a surprisingly touching story.

#3 – X2

This was the first film that made me respect comic book films. The first X-Men film was fun, but this one really amped up the intelligence. Everything gelled perfectly as the characters served a purpose to a complex story. The subject matter was once again handled respectfully and wasn’t downplayed to the audience. All of the mutants used their powers in a way that made sense. Like in the abominable X3 the characters walk a mile through the fog before someone says something to Storm. None of that is here. The story is smart, the action is great, and there is true emotions connected to the characters.

#2 – A History of Violence

David Cronenberg has been a fascinating director for decades and this may be the film I’ll label as his best. Viggo Mortensen plays a family man whose dark past abruptly resurfaces when Ed Harris’s character comes into town. The film examines the ways we use violence in modern society and the duality of all human beings. The film is able to be entertaining and academic.

#1 – The Dark Knight

It’s almost a cliché, but this really deserves to in the number one slot. This movie elevated the possibilities for comic book films. It chooses to almost ignore the genre, but instead place the characters with the realm of a crime drama. The focus isn’t on the superpowers and the master plans, but instead on the unsettling relationship between Batman (Christian Bale) and The Joker (Heath Ledger). It is often said that these two complete each other, but that hasn’t been fully explored in this medium until this film. The film not only challenges this relationship, but all superheroes in general. Batman is constantly at odds against his own city and its people. He desperately wants to the city to be enforced by someone who isn’t a vigilante. The movie never falls back on familiar devices and tells this masterful story in its own unique structure. This is a triumph.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-lists/top-ten-comic-book-adaptations

MovieSet: The Range of Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson has been established as awesome. You can’t refute it; it’s established. He’s awesome in a way that studios can’t understand. Typically the studios assume that we need someone young and hip headlining movies in order for people go to see the action movies. However when I hear people talk about the new Clash of the Titans movie, all I hear are people repeating Neeson’s dramatic—and silly line—“Release the Kracken.” That is awesome.

He has always been a go-to guy if the character needs to be instantly prestigious. His presence adds a sense of weight even if there’s nothing on page. In the opening scene of Gangs of New York, he plays a character that is considered noble and respected, even honored. He only has a few moments to convey this position and Neeson seems to do it naturally. This also applies to his roles in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and even just his voice in the Narnia films. I’d follow that lion. In the aforementioned Clash of the Titans he appears as a freakin’ god who, in the trailer, is glowing white. Very few can pull that off.

He doesn’t always just stand around looking amazing; he also beats people up in violent ways. Oh yes, Neeson is also convincing as an action star. One of the most liked actions movies of late was the film Taken. Taken isn’t strong on plot. It’s mostly just Neeson running around Paris for 90 minutes beating up anyone who comes in his way of saving his daughter. He is going to be in the anticipated A-Team adaptation starring as Col. Hannibal Smith. If that is successful he may have another franchise under his canon. He already made his mark in the extremely profitable Batman reboot as the ninja-esque Ra’s al Ghul.

That wasn’t his first time playing a morally ambiguous character. There is no traditional antagonist in the latest Hayao Miyzaki film, Ponyo, but throughout most of the movie the heroine is opposed to Neeson’s Fujimoto. In one of my favorite films of his, Darkman, he is supposed to be the superhero but is mostly on the verge of violent insanity. Neeson approaches the role by focusing on the character’s humanity much like he did with his acclaimed performance as Oskar Schindler. In his new film After.Life he calls upon these skills once more to play a mysterious (and perhaps malicious) funeral director who knows about the supernatural happenstances of Christina Ricci.

However, for me, my favorite roles of Neeson are when he’s playing a more vulnerable human being. Obviously Schindler’s List, but also his part in the ensemble comedy Love Actually or as the sex-scientist Alfred Kinsey in the titled biopic. It are these roles where I think he is able to show his range beyond the badass or the dark mentor. I would like to see him in more roles like this where he may even be allowed to tell a joke or two. I wouldn’t want to an actor this good to be typecast.

MovieSet: The Ghost Writer

It has become increasingly difficult to adapt a mystery as a big budget movie. It is probably because the books they are adapted don’t call for that much money. Most of the time mysteries are about puzzle solving with motivations towards justice. Explosions aren’t necessary in that task, but can serve as amusing plot points. At the end of the day, with mysteries, the things that stick with you are the intelligence. If that is properly captured on film, then the film succeeded.

Roman Polanski adapted Robert Harris’s novel, The Ghost, with the right mentality. The film is focused on what the characters and situations are actually capable of. This creates honest paranoia and stakes. There are no Bourne-esque chase scenes or elaborate gun fights. This is not a criticism, but a compliment. Those elements work for Bourne and Bond because they are more than human. Most thrillers aren’t about those types of people. The last film I’ve seen to do this properly was a French film called Tell No One, also based off an American mystery novel.

The Ghost Writer is about an unnamed writer (Ewan McGregor) who is called to serve as a replacement writer for Adam Lang’s (Pierce Brosnan) memoirs. Lang used to be Prime Minister of Great Brittan and is not subtly Tony Blair. Bravo for not casting Michael Sheen in this role. The original ghost for Lang’s memoirs drowned. The publisher is anxious to get the book out because scandals are making Lang more infamous than ever. There is something about the memoirs that are having a lot of people nervous including Lang’s personal secretary (Kim Cattrall) and his wife (the wonderful Olivia Williams).

The conspiracy unravels in a naturally peculiar pace, but Polanski does a great job at establishing a certain tone throughout the whole film. There is uneasiness to go from several shots overlooking the distant, shifting sand to shots where people feel a little too close to the camera. Ordinary places become prisons and nobody is saying what they are truly thinking.

The writer knows he is supposed to stay within the shadows, but his own curiosity and morality makes him want to pursue this story. He often states that he is not political so he has a certain objectivity that others do not. This is McGregor at his best playing a very witty man who is not a superhero. (Isn’t it refreshing to have an on-screen writer actually write good stuff?) He is allowed to be scared and uncertain. One of his best scenes is a conversation with the always-fantastic Tom Wilkinson. The clues have led him to this house and he knows there is significance, but he is not sure what it is. So he just carefully balances the line without revealing too much.

The film is very satisfying, but it is easy to pick out the clues that sustain believability. They never succumb to Scooby-Doo level—Jinkees, look at these footprints—but the way the final twist is revealed is a bit groan-worthy. Aside from that moment, the film treats the audience with a degree of intelligence that has become rare in films. These types of films allow for performances and screenplays with depth. It is for those reasons this is the type of thriller that will be remembered and recommended ten years from now instead of dying in the $2 bin.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/ticket-stubs-the-ghost-writer

MovieSet: The Last Station

A lesser film once stated that it was not a love story, but a story about love. That film lied but that sentence surprisingly applies well to The Last Station. This is surprisingly considering the film appears to be about Tolstoy, but it turns out Tolstoy was all about love.

Leo Tolstoy is remembered now as an acclaimed author, but during his day he was a full-blown celebrity. There were literally cameramen perched outside his estate at any given moment. (John Irving and Ian McEwan don’t get that sort of coverage today…) Everyone wanted to know what Tolstoy was saying at every given moment. In the movie, Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) had a best friend under house arrest named Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti.) Chertkov was fearful of Tolstoy’s wife’s influence. So he hires Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy) to be Tolstoy’s personal secretary but also to record all of the interactions going on inside the house.

During this time there is a movement brewing. From his work and sayings, people are trying to be Tolstoyan. This is a humanistic movement to attempt to be morally and socially perfect, I believe. Two of the major elements of this philosophy are the principles of not having private property or sexual relations. That’s where the conflict of this tale comes in. Always with love as the motivation, people are wanting to have both of those things. The Countess (Helen Mirren) is worried that her husband is drifting too far away and will give up his copyrights to the public. Valentin is developing an affair with one of the housemaids. Everyone has strong affection towards respected others, but that affection creates contradictions.

The real main character of this tale is Valentin. This world is seen through his fresh and naive eyes. It is always humorous to see him interact with his idol, but I just wish there were more of them. There are many hints about Tolstoy’s opposition to his own movement, but he is still going through with it. This was a really fascinating component, but briefly touched upon. The main focus really is between the Countess and Tolstoy. Mirren plays the role with deliberate strides. There is no such thing as perfection so Mirren highlights the best and the worst in the character. She can convincingly break plates (a pre-requisite for any Oscar nomination) but can also be compelling in just listening to what’s going on around her. Despite her manic and often destructive personality, she is able to show why she is the perfect match for Tolstoy.

The parallel story of young love is just as effective. This sort of story is often misconstrued. There has to be a love there beyond just the first love in order for the audience to be invested. Instead of just focusing on Valentine’s sexual awakening, the film does a good job establishing their connection as people and not just lovers. Their banter as they chop wood (Not an innuendo) is one of the highlights of the film.

The film has a strong focus and that is why it succeeds over other period pieces and biopics. This isn’t the definitive story of Leo Tolstoy or the Duchess, but a new story about love. Love towards lovers; love towards friends; love towards humanity; love towards symbols. It’s a powerful emotion that makes for some good cinema.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/ticket-stubs-the-last-station

MovieSet: The White Ribbon

Michael Haneke’s films seem to be anti-mysteries and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Instead of focusing on the whodunit, Haneke explores the repercussions from the crimes. This has been seen on a personal level in Cache, but in his latest film the ramifications become on a global scale.

On the eve of the First World War, there is a small German village where mysterious acts are occurring. A carefully placed tripwire hurt the doctor and his horse; people keep dying; buildings are burned. There is an attempt to discover who committed these crimes, but they are not aggressive with their search. Instead there is uneasiness and fear. Through fear comes punishment. The punishment is always from the imperfect adults towards their children.

The audience of this film almost becomes victims themselves. We know what that generation will grow up to become. Despite this being a period piece, it plays off like a more detailed parable that still applies today. The schoolmaster is telling this story through narration and (one can assume) personal bias. While these terrible acts are going on, this is also the story about how he met and fell in love with his fiancée.

The story is told through beautiful black and white cinematography. Few filmmakers have really gone back to this potential. A film without color shouldn’t divide an audience no more than a photograph should. It is simply an artistic decision. Haneke has spoken that he has used this technique to subliminally distance the viewer from the story. I don’t know how much he succeeded since he still inspired emotion from me.

The style of this film also reminded me of Ingmar Bergman’s canon. Both sets deal with morality through occasionally cruel actions. I felt a strong comparison to Bergman in my two favorite scenes in the movie. There is a scene when a young boy is walking atop the railing of a high bridge. The schoolmaster stops him and asks why this happened. The boy replies by saying he was testing God. If he fell, he knew God was angry with him. This was a profound scene to me because through the eyes of the child if there is no punishment then the actions must be just.

The other scene revolves around a girl teaching her younger brother about death. Such a complex topic is being handled very adequately. She never patronizes him and there lies the major point of the movie. The children are our next generation. The way we treat them will become the way they will run things. The White Ribbon is a film that asks us to examine our own responsibility and our own ethical code. It is not an easy film at times, but it is an important one.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/ticket-stubs-the-white-ribbon

MovieSet: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Nope. No more, Chris Columbus. You are I are no longer cool. I was just indifferent to you for the longest time, but now we are enemies. Everybody mocked me for looking forward to Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which wins the award for the most bloated title. The trailer had some cool shots and Greek mythology is always awesome. So where did it all go wrong?

I have not read the books, but I have heard a lot of critically positive things about it. Ultimately that is irrelevant considering adaptations have to stand on their own. If something doesn’t make sense in the movie, then it’s the movie’s fault. You must either fix the books or just properly tell their story. What is the story? Percy Jackson appears to be just a normal kid. As we all know, normal kids can sit at the bottom of a swimming pool for 7 minutes and mentally translates every line of English into Greek. It turns out he is a demigod which means his mother (the bored Catherine Keener) was intimate with the god Poseidon. I found this fact to be amazing. She is now hooked up with Joe Pantoliano who is the most exaggerated bad husband ever. We know this because almost all of his lines are “Get me a beer!” (I do not believe that Pantoliano knew the camera was rolling though.) Why doesn’t Catherine Keener’s character just occasionally scream “I had sex with a god! Get your own beer!” Clearly I would have written this character differently.

Back to the plot, Zeus is so angry. It turns out someone stole his lightning bolt and he instantly blames Percy Jackson. Why? Well…that’s a good question. He says that Percy has 14 days to get it back to him or he shall declare war against…everybody I think. Why 14 days? No matter. So everyone thinks Percy is the lightning thief which means various mythological creatures are after him. One murders his mother! Back to me for a second. I was the only one in the theatre who reacted to this. I looked around at all the kids, families, and my friends to make sure we all saw the same thing. The movie just acted like this was no big deal and so did everyone else. Percy is not even fazed. He immediately goes from the crime scene to Camp Hogwarts to play capture the flag. Why in the world would Columbus not want this to be a sympathetic moment? It’s simple: he does not care at all about characters or story. He’s just like Michael Bay except not obviously sexist and racist.

This entire movie is lazy and lifeless. That is aggravating because this could have been wonderful. The cast is awesome: Steve Coogan is Hades, Sean Bean is Zeus, Rosario Dawson is Persephone, Uma Thurman is Medusa, Kevin McKidd is Poseidon and Pierce Brosnan is a centaur! Even the kids have charisma. Their performances aren’t very good, but I blame Columbus for that too. Look at the Harry Potter films. He made the first two, which I consider to be bad films. Those leads were young, but once a real director came in they suddenly became really talented. Not a coincidence!

This film was ruined. The dialog is pathetic and there are way too many plot holes to comprehend. Clearly Columbus doesn’t care. He has no imagination. There is a scene when our leads are in a casino. (Just…don’t ask.) Guess what song is played when they drive into Vegas? Of course it’s Elvis’s “A Little Less Conversation” because we’ve never seen that connection before. Don’t worry, “Poker Face” showed up minutes later despite the fact the characters were playing craps. Why have a poker face for that? This movie is riddled with cliché after cliché. Any other director would have treated this with respect. If this was a first time offense, it may be acceptable. No more Columbus. We’re through.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/ticket-stubs-percy-jackson-the-olympians-the-lightening-thief

MovieSet: Crazy Heart

Everyone keeps calling Crazy Heart the “country Wrestler” and in many ways it is. Both films follow a 50 something that used to be more famous in their respected niche. As they got older, their popularity waned even though they still have talent worth noticing. Yet unlike The Wrestler, this movie is actually compelling. (Yeah, I said it.)

The story of Bad Blake may not be the most original, but it is worth seeing because it still manages to be unpredictable at times. Bad is country singer who can only get gigs at bowling alleys and his best friend’s bar, but he takes everything he can get. He drinks more than he should, especially during his performances. He has no personal ambition until he meets Jean, a younger reporter living in Texas. She is different from the other women in his life. Simply, she’s not a groupie hillbilly who just wants to sleep with him for the story.

I repeat, this is a familiar story but what makes this worthwhile are all of the little things. In these types of character studies, usually only the main character are fully fledged, but this world felt richer. They never spelled out what happened with Jane’s first marriage, but from her actions and some nuances clues are apparent. None of the characters are simply archetypes only there to serve Bad’s arc. His protégé could have easily been a clichéd antagonist who doesn’t “get” the music. Instead you can understand why there was a falling out between these two artists, but it was comforting to see nothing was intentional.

It wasn’t just the secondary characters either, but even smaller things amused me. The writer/director, Scott Cooper, had a nice eye for detail. I liked the throwaway images of Bad’s cowboy had on an empty mic-stand. I liked Bad absent-mindedly play with the lock on the hotel door that doesn’t work. These could be taken as symbolic devices, but they worked because they didn’t have to be. The character and the movie are allowed to breathe for a few beats. Too many character studies race to each beat; the worst sprinters are usually biopics that try too desperately tell an entire life in a few hours.

As with any movies about artists, the art plays a major part in the story. If Bad’s music wasn’t any good then the entire movie changes. Then it isn’t about someone who needs one more chance, but about someone who needs to find a new job. I wouldn’t like this album if it wasn’t for the movie, I think. It’s like the movie Once; there is so much emotion behind the tracks because we know where the character was at that moment. They aren’t just songs, but Bad’s viewpoint at that moment.

The character of Bad is one worth following. Despite being in an undesirable state, he still has charisma and intelligence. This movie is not about the world giving him another chance, but him beginning to test his own limits in his life. The conclusions are satisfying but never profound enough to affect you months later.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/ticket-stubs-crazy-heart

MovieSet: A Single Man

True actors love having a role that is the complete driving force of the movie. We’ve seen that last year with Up in the Air and Crazy Heart, but also with more classic films like Secret Honor and Taxi Driver. I also love these chances for the same reason as the actors. It’s a challenge that has the opportunity to be really brilliant.

In this tale, Colin Firth plays George, an English professor living in the 1960s. His boyfriend abruptly died in a car crash and George finds the grieving unbearable. Literally the color in his life faded into a cruel gray. He has decided that today will be the last day of his life. He goes through his day, not expecting to see tests towards his decision.

One of the major reasons the film is effective is that his day flows by beautifully. With this fatalistic mindset, his decisions towards human interaction are slightly different. He is able to admire the natural beauty of his secretary, for example. The camera and editing match his perspective as he hones in on what he finds stunning. Color sneaks back into his palate before it can be corrupted once more. He also allows himself to be slightly more truthful to the people around him without fear of long-term consequences. However, his day evolves through these decisions towards an unpredicted path. The character is an intelligent one but he keeps trying to battle emotions with logic. One of the best scenes in the movie is where he tries to plot out his suicide. All of his possessions are delicately laid out and identified for someone to find him. He silent searches for the cleanest way to shoot himself in the head, which is considerate and absurd at the same time.

Firth is wonderful as he tries to maintain a solid persona even though his peers are seeing through the cracks. With this premise, his performance requires many layers with every frame of the film. Through flashbacks, his talent is shown again when he plays another variation of the character. This is George in a state of bliss when his former lover was alive. Since this movie is entirely his narrative, it is possible that these flashbacks are tainted with bias. I believe they are. We are not seeing how the world was on this day, but how George’s world was that day. That is a world I am now much more interested in. This movie is so concise and fully realized that it is a shock this is Tom Ford’s first film. This is a treat.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/ticket-stubs-a-single-man

MovieSet: Legion

Movies have to make sense. They don’t have to play by the rules of our reality, but they have play fair within its own world. A great movie leaves you without any questions about its plot. A good movie could have you questioning a few things, but you allow it. A bad movie leaves you in a confused ramble as you leave the theatre. Legion is a bad movie.

In a terrible voice-over that is way too similar to the Terminator series, Charlie (Friday Night Light’s Adrianne Palicki) gives an anecdote her mother told her. It’s about how God will end it all because he’s tired of the bullshit. Okay that has the potential to be pretty cool. Then Michael (Paul Bettany) comes down from heaven and he has a collar! Wait, angels have collars? Then he painfully cuts off his wings and then his collar falls off! Wait, what did the collar prevent him from doing? Before that reasonable question could be answered, Michael gets an insane amount of guns. There is stopped by some cops who get possessed…by angels? Wait, angels can possess people and make them look like doped up sharks? Okay…

So Michael races to this diner in the middle of nowhere to protect pregnant Charlie because her baby will save mankind. So God was tired of the bullshit but He has this savior back up plan? A back up plan that, once again, sounds very similar to The Terminator? Whatever. The rest of the movie is about the characters trying to survive at the diner as hoards and hoards of possessed people attack. Of course none of the 2-D characters at the diner become possessed because…actually they never explained that. Nor did they explain how that kid will save humanity from God. Nor did they explain why the possessed people didn’t just all attack at once. Let’s focus on that one. Why in the world would the angels send waves against the diner? The best scene in the movie is one staring the wonderful Doug Jones. An Ice Cream Truck drives up creepily to the diner and then the man inside (Jones) morphs into a creeper spider hybrid. It’s creepy and cool but why did it occur? It’s insanely impractical!

This movie is all over the place in terms of tone. It wants to have silly Evil Dead-esque moments, but then has terrible monologues that beg you to care about these dull characters. Even if you try to turn your brain off, which seems like a dangerous task, the movie doesn’t work. The action is hard to decipher at times and they keep building everything up to one awesome fight. Not to spoil anything, they completely and utterly dropped the ball. In fact the whole last act is full of twists so contradicting that it could give you an aneurism. I’m not saying seeing this movie can be dangerous to your health, but do you really want to risk it?

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/ticket-stubs-legion

Ticket Stubs: Nine

To remake a film that is considered one of the greatest of all time is quite a task. Another extremely challenging task is to adapt a beloved Tony-award winning musical. Guess what Ninehad to do? From screen to stage and back to screen Federico Fellini’s 8 ½ has gone through the treatment. However does anything remain from the surreal character study? God, I wish.

In Italy, Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) is preparing his ninth film with much anticipation. Despite the fact that production starts in a few days, not a word of the script has been written. In fact Gudio is in a complete funk, unable to think of a premise. Like most tortured geniuses, he retreats to internal musical numbers. (I was worried it was just me for all these years.) Yet…it doesn’t really make sense. The effect worked well in Rob Marshall other film, Chicago, but it’s always unclear who is concocting the numbers. It can’t always be Guido because most of sad ballads of his wife, played wonderfully by Marion Cotillard, are oblivious to him. Also if these are his songs, shouldn’t they be insightful into what surrounds him?

If the songs connected in a meaningful way, this would be something special. I have a friend of mine who believes I should not think about what the movie could be but examine what it is. Well I apologize Pedro, but the film made me do it! So many of the characters talk about the magic of Italian cinema and how Guido is the embodiment of it all. I had no choice but to compare that to what I was watching. This movie was so different from what it was praising, that it became depressing. I started to wonder why this movie was even set in Italy. This is a bland Hollywood movie through and through. There’s no spark or rawness that I’ve seen with Fellini or Vittorio de Sica. Nine needed someone who wasn’t afraid to try and truly capture that spirit, like Steven Soderbergh. (I would pay top dollar to see a Soderbergh musical.)

I seem completely grim, but Day-Lewis saves the film in many instances. He is very entertaining as the self-absorbed and conflicted artist. He may not tap dance across the sets like Marcello Mastroianni, but he is able to address the world like he is always directing. Even when he’s throwing up his arms and wanting nothing from anybody, there is a style to it. As great as he makes certain moments, the movie ultimately lets him down. Due to the mediocrity of the musical numbers, which is the main narrative push, his big moments aren’t deserved or anyone’s moments for that matter. That’s too bad.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/nine-ticket-stubs-review-of-the-star-studded-musical

Ticket Stubs: It's Complicated

Let’s get one thing out of the way: it’s not complicated. Right away the title is lying to you, which is a no-no. Benjamin Button certainly had a curious case, Richard Gere was an officer and a gentlemen and that is exactly where the wild things were. This isn’t that difficult. To the movie’s credit, it certainly thinks it’s complicated. Unfortunately it is completely alone in that belief.

Jane (Meryl Streep) has been divorced from Jake (Alec Baldwin) for about ten years now. He’s married to the younger woman he cheated with and things aren’t so great at home. At their son’s graduation they hook up and decide to start an affair. Meanwhile Jane is flirting with her architect Adam, played by Steve Martin. That’s it. To the sane eye, this seems rather simple and mundane, but in the eyes of the characters this is ZANY! Twice Jane talks to her one-dimensional friends where she repeats the entire plot. I actually pitied these non-characters. They all sound exactly the same and only existed to listen to Jane’s quasi-problems. They disappear midway through the movie. The only way I would be amused by those nauseating scenes would have been if Judy Greer had been cast as all three of the “friends.”

Often times the dialog is one of my favorite parts of a movie. Everyone can’t be Cary Grant or Rosalind Russell, but wouldn’t it be great? Dialog doesn’t have to be witty, but there is an art to progressing the story with words. Perhaps my ultimate pet peeve in film is what I call “looping dialog.” Instead of moving the plot forward, like a straight line, looping dialog unnecessarily backtracks and the line now looks like a loop-de-loop on a roller coaster. This movie has so much of this I felt motion sickness. It was like this was a single TV episode painfully stretched into two hours.

Now I do not want anybody out there to play the age or the gender card. My youth does not mean I cannot enjoy this film. In fact I would rather watch a romantic comedy with these three over three random airheads from my generation any day. How about my Y chromosome? Does that stop me from enjoying this movie? No. This movie’s poor quality transcends gender.

Every scene is uninspired and dull. The actors, at times, seem to be struggling to find anything to latch on too. When they aren’t sitting around talking about their dull and static emotions, they are just embarrassing themselves. Yes, the leads get high during their son’s graduation party. (I would talk about how I can’t think of a single college senior who would enjoy that party, but since I am a sophomore I obviously can’t relate.) The scene goes on, I believe, until the end of time. It could have been fresh and interesting, but it chose not to be. This happens throughout the entire film. There is a scene when Streep disrobes in front of Baldwin. It was reminiscent of the scene from Something’s Gotta Give. Turns out Nancy Meyers wrote and directed that one too. Come on!

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/its-complicated-ticket-stubs-review-of-alec-steve-and-meryl-smiling

Top Ten Underappreciated Movies of 2009

Every year around this time a lot of smaller films get attention from the media because they are part of the Oscar Buzz. It’s the all-powerful buzz that boosts ticket and DVD sales. Unfortunately this golden treatment doesn’t happen to a lot of films that really deserve it. That’s what I’m here for! I’m going to shine a light on ten films this year that deserve more attention by the general public. Starting with…

Adam

One of the best romantic movies of the year is the unconventional story of a man with Asperser’s Syndrome and the woman he meets at his apartment complex. This trailer played at my art house theatre for two months straight, but I haven’t met anyone who actually went to go see it. The two leads (Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne) are truly incredible and the script always plays fair, which is difficult with this premise.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call, New Orleans

Remember way back when to the days when Nicolas Cage was a respectable actor? That day may finally be coming back if he keeps picking roles like this. In the latest Werner Herzog crazyfest, Cage plays an incredibly immoral police lieutenant who has to solve the murder of an entire family. It’s more of a comedy than a mystery because the memorable scenes include Cage staring down hallucinatory iguanas. It’s so much fun.

The Box

On this site, you can find my full review of The Box but I need to bring it up again because this movie is HATED. There are some stats saying this was one of the worst audience received movies of the year. Are we all in crazy town? This is a very fun thriller that actually equipped an element of mystery to it. I think people didn’t like the answers to the mystery, but the whole movie was such a unique experience that I enjoyed every second of it.

Drag Me to Hell

This is the widest released movie of the year, but it still wasn’t seen enough in my opinion. Its PG-13 rating put off a lot of the horror buffs and a lot of the mainstream public didn’t recognize that it was as much of a comedy as it was a horror movie. Sam Raimi has a very unique sense of humor and it hasn’t been on this much display since Army of Darkness. Check this out so you too can join the chorus about how poorly this movie was advertised.

Easy Virtue

This is the most flawed movie on my list, but there are so many redeemable parts to it. This is based off the Noel Coward play that was made into a movie once before by Alfred Hitchcock during his British years. It’s about a son of a prestigious British family returning home suddenly with his new American wife, played by Jessica Biel. The pacing is all over the place at times, but the performances by Biel and Colin Firth are so great that it makes up for it.

Humpday

For a while now I’ve been against the mumblecore movement. I had seen a few of the films and really didn’t like them. Then Humpday came along. This is the story about two straight men who decide to make a gay porno staring themselves to enter into an art festival. First of all, it’s remarkable that this premise actually works. Second of all, this premise allows for one of the most heartfelt and occasionally suspenseful movies of the year. This is the kind of movie that is bringing more credit back to the independent movie scene.

Shall We Kiss?

What a loveably strange movie this is. It’s reminiscent of the French New Wave as it has a creative and unique storytelling device at its center. After a lovely date, a woman refuses to kiss a man out of fear of what would happen next. The woman tells the story of her two friends who, after one kiss, had their romantic lives thrown into turmoil. The movie is thought provoking, sexy, and constantly entertaining.

Sita Sings the Blues

There are some movies that make your face hurt because you are smiling too powerfully. A lot of things are happening at once in this movie. The director tells her own story of her break-up in parallel with the Ramayana, a classic Indian story about a princess who has to fend on her own during troubling times. In addition to this we also have three Indian narrators who are constantly bickering about how the story goes. Also the princess breaks into 1920s American show tunes as escapism from her situation. Now here’s the amazing bit: It all fits together brilliantly.

Trick r Treat

This is a horror movie for those who love horror movies. Director Michael Dougherty obviously knows all of the typical horror clichés for he puts his own twist on them in this Halloween anthology. Each story is filled with obvious adoration for the genre and that brings fresh life into what would be tired stories. He knows when we’re expecting the jump-out scares and he plays with those expectations. This is how you make a horror film.

World’s Greatest Dad

The last film in my underappreciated list is not one for everybody. This is a dark comedy. Robin Williams plays a lousy poet teacher who has the worst son in the world. Truly any natural sympathy you have towards youth shall evaporate when you see how this kid behaves. About halfway through, the film has a dramatic plot turn that has a lot of ethical questions attached to it. Yet the film never loses its tone or emotion center and with this film that’s rather impressive.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-lists/top-10-under-appreciated-movies-2009

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Ticket Stubs: Avatar

I have come to the point where I am craving for originality. It seems that every movie in theatres derives from a book, TV show, another movie, video game, or lately a theme park ride. All I want is something new. James Cameron heard my cry and made Avatar. It took him 17 years to perfect the technology in order to create his vision and I can only hope it doesn’t take that long to revisit this world.

His world is Pandora. It is an incredibly planet filled with luscious and colorful wildlife and unique natives. The natives include the Na’vi who are ten feet tall blue people with a few cat like features including (of course) tails. It takes several years to travel there, which I assume means you have to plan very well when requesting supplies. Jake Sulley (Sam Worthington) travels there after his twin brother has died. The brother was a scientist who was working heavily on designing avatars. Instead of trying to sit down and talk to the natives, humans have created their own Na’vi bodies. With the avatar technology, humans can transfer their mind into their designated Na’vi body. Now they can infiltrate their society and learn from them. Since Jake has enough similar genetic material as his brother, he can use his brother’s avatar.

Jake was a marine who has lost his legs in combat. The government promises to pay for his spinal treatment if he convinces one of the Na’vi tribes to move locations so they can acquire all of the Unobtainum (This is a real scientific term, I promise) that lies there. Now this is where the movie wowed me. Pandora is an incredible place. Jake walks around the planet in awe of everything he sees and every gasp is justified. Every single plant and creature is a work of beauty. Everything is vibrant and fresh that I wished to pause the movie to get a further look at all of the nuances of each monstrous creature.

Many people have compared Avatar to the original Star Wars with all of its unique creations. The movie I kept thinking about was the original King Kong. I adore that movie, but this is more of what it wished to accomplish. Skull Island in Kong was just a typical island with the occasional oddity, including dinosaurs. With Pandora everything flows together in a perfect symbiotic fashion. The Na’vi can flow effortlessly through the trees and the floating mountains. Oh there’s floating mountains. And they’re awesome.

As I mentioned Cameron spent over a decade working on the technology and I’m so grateful he didn’t compromise. Everything looks real. I don’t know too much about computers so I’m willing to believe that CGI is just a bluff. It’s easier for me to fathom the idea that Cameron personally genetically created all of these wonders. How he got them in glorious 3D is a whole ‘nother question. By the way this film must be seen in 3D or you are missing too much. Preferably IMAX 3D because REAL-3D dilutes too many colors.

The story has been under criticism for being too simple or familiar. It is reminiscent of Dances With Wolves and Pocahontas at times, but that is not the point. Cameron created more stakes with this environment than those other two films combined. Oddly enough this isn’t the movie with the talking trees. It is Cameron’s powerful visuals and style that makes this a movie’s movie. It would be a good story. It would be a fine book. Instead it is a brilliant movie.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/avatar-ticket-stubs-review

Ticket Stubs: Invictus

In today’s cynical society “inspiration” has become a curse word. Too many movies try so desperately to lay on the schmaltz, that the viewer becomes annoyed instead of inspired. So how do you do it right? That is the premise at the heart of Invictus. During the early 1990s, Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa shortly after the end of apartheid. Needless to say, the country was very divided. In an unconventional technique, Mandela turned to the country’s rugby team.

Casting Morgan Freeman as Mandela may be the most obvious casting in the history of time, but that is primarily because brilliance seemed guaranteed. That assumption turned out to be more than accurate. One of the major reasons why the inspiration is successful is because Mandela is perceived as a human being, not a saint. His actions towards rugby are always in question by his confidants and there are constant glimpses at his imperfect personal life, which includes his poor physical health and depressing family situation. Pure inspiration comes from those who are relatable and genuine. When Mandela gives a speech in Invictus, it is powerful because Freeman shows how much Mandela wants and needs these things to happen.

In order to create unity, Mandela befriends Francois Pienaar, the captain of the South African Springbok rugby team. They look to each other for ways to lead their people and in turn they inspire themselves to become greater leaders and men. Matt Damon plays Pienaar and once again gives a fantastically subtle and heartfelt performance. I doubt it will receive its proper praise, but Damon constantly turns in these excellent feats that should label him as one of our greatest actors working today. (Freeman you would be up there, but you did take part in Wanted. Yikes.)

Now I feel I should devote a paragraph to the third man associated with this film: Mr. Clint Eastwood. Now people often associate him as the epitome of the gender and a solid actor, but I think his real skills have been shown this decade as a director. He’s been directing forgettable spaghetti westerns since the seventies, but lately he crafted such great movies such as Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and Letters from Iwo Jima. With Invictus, he shows his patience by taking the time to subtly generate necessary tension. Also his powerful use of the camera is in full display during the rugby scenes. No, I don’t fully understand the game of rugby, but Eastwood creates an environment that is exciting and terrifying. There is no need to explain the minute rules because in every frame the stakes and motivations are clearly defined.

These scenes and the rest of the movie completely work because this movie achieves its goal. Yes, I admit it! I was inspired. I haven’t seen a movie that completely earns moments of triumph since last year’s Slumdog Millionaire. Nothing is hokey or corny, only powerful.

http://blog.movieset.com/movie-reviews/invictus-ticket-stubs-review-of-south-african-rugby-movie-with-matt-damon-and-morgan-freeman

Ticket Stubs: An Education

Dear Carey Mulligan,

How do you act so well? I hope you don’t see this as an insult in anyway, but I’m shocked by your performances in your career thus far. As you can probably guess, I’ve just recently seen An Education. I’ve also seen you as the star of my favorite Doctor Who episode “Blink.” You’re something else.

When you look at these shows, it’s clear the producers understand how good you are. Unless I’m forgetting something, you’re in every scene of those two productions. That’s really impressive especially when you have more screen time than the title character of a TV show. They know what they are doing because you have proven without a doubt that you worthy to act with Peter Sarsgaard, David Tennant and Emma Thompson as a true peer.

This praise, as hyperbolic as it may seem, is accurate. It’s not because of how young you are and what a feat that is. I mean, I’m younger than you (Not by too much! I’m just throwing that out there…) Let’s just examine your work in An Education. You have to play many different evolutions of the character of Jenny. I still can’t pinpoint how you do it, but it seems effortless as you transition from her being a naive girl to a wiser woman. Your character meets a slightly older man, David, almost on a whim. He is charming and romantic and your character’s feet are swept up. Beloved author Nick Hornby properly crafted David in a way that truly benefited you. If David was a phony during these interactions, then it would be difficult to respect Jenny. With this you are able to play with the naturalistic ways Jenny is curious and enamored with this new London David opens to her.

There you are able to use your remarkable screen presence. The way you show the character at any given moment added so much to this already fine film. In fact it became a debate between my brother and I after the screening to figure out how old you are. The beginning of the film we are convinced you were 15 playing 16. By the end we figured you were 20 playing 17. In Doctor Who we figured you were in your upper 20s. This isn’t a makeup trick, but a perfection of character comprehension. At the right times you are able to be confident, insecure, crushed, overjoyed, or disappointed. These aren’t stock emotions, but tailored personally to your established character.

The acting nominations are already trickling in for your performance this year. Get used to it, missy. There will be many more this year and many more for years to come. The phrase “rising star” not only applies to you, but also could have been invented for you. Now don’t slip up. Don’t let these nominations and schmaltzy letters like this one go to your head. I think you have the potential to be one of the finest actors of our generation. You even have me wanting to see Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps now. (Though see if you can work on a title change. Is Return to Wall Street too conventional for them?) So I’ll be watching and you’ll get another letter if you stop trying. Yet, I doubt that’s going to happen.

Congratulations,

Austin Lugar

http://blog.movieset.com/films-on-movieset/an-education-ticket-stubs-review-in-praise-of-carey-mulligan