Month: November 2016

Today’s quick review: I, Robot. Will Smith stars as Detective Spooner, a Chicago police officer who distrusts the robots that have become ubiquitous in society. When famed roboticist Dr. Lanning commits suicide and a robot flees the scene, Spooner suspects foul play. His investigation reveals a pattern of strange behavior among robots, but his conclusions are seen as paranoid by both his boss and Dr. Calvin (Bridget Moynahan), a roboticist helping him with his investigation. With the Three Laws of Robotics apparently failing, it’s only a matter of time before worse happens than one man’s murder. And at the heart of it all is the enigmatic Sonny (Alan Tudyk), the robot that fled from Dr. Lanning’s lab.

I, Robot is a sci-fi action thriller loosely adapted from Isaac Asimov’s book of short stories by the same name. The film features elegant CGI, a creative yet grounded vision of the future, plenty of high-speed action, and a gradually unfolding mystery that leads into an impressive finale. Will Smith brings his usual hard-headed heroism to the role of Detective Spooner, whose issues trusting robots make him the only one willing to follow where the clues lead. Bridget Moynahan plays Dr. Calvin, a stern scientist who views Spooner as a throwback. Alan Tudyk rounds out the cast as Sonny, a seemingly gentle robot who is keeping secrets.

I, Robot does an excellent job of merging classic sci-fi themes with modern cinematic action. The film explores the role of robots in society, the pitfalls of artificial intelligence, and the appropriate level of trust for such beings, all while delivering healthy doses of robot action. The mixture of a strong core plot and satisfying action gives the film longevity, and subsequent viewings are just as enjoyable as the first as long as they are a few months apart. I, Robot ranks very well as both a science fiction movie and an action thriller. While there are perhaps stronger movies in either of these categories, few of them handle the intersection of sci-fi themes and action as cleanly or as satisfyingly as I, Robot. 7.1 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: Memento. A man (Guy Pearce) suffers from a peculiar form of amnesia in which he cannot form new memories. He lives life in bursts of several minutes, guided only by notes, polaroids, and tattoos left by his past self. Waking up in a hotel room, he learns that he has been hunting after his wife’s killer and now may have enough clues to find him.

Memento is a fantastic thriller from Christopher Nolan. The story proceeds in reverse: the first several minutes of the movie are the last chronologically, and each subsequent scene takes place a few minutes farther into the past. This setup ensures that the events of the film are just as much of a mystery to the audience as they are to the main character. Using this one concept, Memento weaves a tale of uncertainty and paranoia. The main character depends entirely on the information he receives from himself and the people around him to make his decisions, and not everyone has his best interests at heart.

Memento is a must-see for its unique premise and its phenomenal execution. Fans of cerebral thrillers will have plenty to chew on, while fans of Christopher Nolan can look forward to a movie as mind-bending as Inception but darker in tone. However, Memento is a difficult watch and should not be tackled lightly. The complicated nature of the plot requires the viewer’s full attention, while the high levels of tension throughout the movie make it emotionally wrenching to watch. Watch it when you’re in the mood for a tense, well-crafted thriller with plenty of mystery. Put it off for another time if you don’t feel like investing the effort needed to follow what’s going on, and skip it altogether if you prefer lighter movies. 8.5 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: Burn After Reading. John Malkovich plays Osborne Cox, a low-level CIA agent with an inflated sense of worth and a drinking problem. His forced retirement prompts him to write his tell-all memoirs, which fall into the hands of his cheating wife Katie (Tilda Swinton), who is planning her divorce. By chance, the memoirs end up in a gym locker room, where they are found by two gym employees, Linda (Frances McDormand), a middle-aged woman who is insecure about her aging body, and Chad (Brad Pitt), her young and clueless coworker. The two attempt to return the memoirs to Osborne, but the phone conversation goes awry and their act of kindness turn into blackmail. Meanwhile, Linda begins to date Harry (George Clooney), a charming philanderer who is cheating on his own wife with both Linda and Katie. The plot grows more and more complicated as Chad and Linda ineptly try to get rich off of the worthless memoirs, believing the intelligence in them to be top secret.

Despite a strong cast and an interesting setup, Burn After Reading does not quite click the way other Coen Brothers films do. The tone changes jarringly between the early and late parts of the movie, abruptly switching from a low-stakes comedy to a black comedy in a burst of violence. The Coen Brothers’ trademark sense of humor works just as well in both flavors of comedy, but the mixture of the two violates the promise of the early movie and prevents Burn After Reading from standing out in either genre. Those who are less affected by the transition may find the film to be more in line with the Coen Brothers’ other works.

The characters are one of the strong points of the film and the source of much of its humor. The characters are given interesting flaws and good reasons to interact with one another. However, the cast as a whole is missing the heart found in the casts of other Coen Brothers films. There is no Marge Gunderson investigating violent crime in small-town Minnesota between quiet evenings with her beloved husband. There is no Ulysses Everett McGill prevaricating his way to a prize worth more to him than all the many trials along the way. There are only shallow, self-interested players without the virtues or good sense needed to escape the trouble their flaws led them into.

Burn After Reading is a quirky comedy with a star-studded cast and an entertaining plot that ultimately does not live up to its potential. The abrupt shift in tone coupled with the lack of a sympathetic character to act as a palate cleanser make this one of the Coen Brothers’ weaker comedies. The movie does have its high points—most notably a handful of marvelous scenes with J.K. Simmons as a CIA officer monitoring the “crisis” as it develops—but isn’t as satisfying as it could have been. Those who are drawn to the high-quality cast, offbeat sense of humor, and well-written plot should give the movie a watch in spite of its flaws. Anyone else should steer clear in favor of other Coen Brothers comedies, like Fargo or O Brother, Where Art Thou?, or other ensemble comedies, like Ocean’s Eleven. 7.0 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: Looper. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a looper named Joe, a hitman in the present who helps the criminals of the future dispose of their victims. The victims are tied up and sent from the future to a predetermined location in the present, along with payment. The looper kills the victim, takes the payment, and disposes of the body. The job lasts until the looper kills his future self, “closing the loop” and terminating his contract. Everything proceeds as normal for Joe until he tries to close his loop. His future self (Bruce Willis) gets the drop on him and escapes into the present, intent on changing the course of history. Now it’s up to Joe to kill his future self before he ruins the present.

Looper is a mind-bending time travel thriller. The rules of time travel are such that everything that happens to Joe affects his future self, wherever he is. Memories, scars, and deformities fade into existence in real time, so that if Joe’s employer’s catch him, they can take out his rogue future self with no hassle. This makes Joe a fugitive who is not only trying to chase down himself but to avoid capture and elimination long enough to do so. For his part, Future Joe has grown a lot since the irresponsible days of his youth, but he’s just as stubborn and twice as crafty.

All this boils down to a thriller plot with a few sci-fi twists. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis play off each other well, each bringing to the table a startling amount of loathing for his alternate self. The tone of the movie is somewhat dark: while Joe and Future Joe each have their moments, neither is a particularly sympathetic protagonist, and the enemies they’re up against are cold-blooded killers. The time travel mechanics are explained well enough to understand, but they are still difficult enough to understand that suspension of disbelief is the best way to approach the movie. There are slight sci-fi elements other than time travel, but these are introduced gradually and are not central to the plot. Overall, Looper is an unconventional thriller with a clever premise, a few touching moments, and heavy tension throughout. While not the top of its genre as either a sci-fi film or a thriller, Looper makes for a solid watch that time travel fans will want to check out. 7.4 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: A Fish Called Wanda. A gang of four thieves pulls off a diamond heist, but their leader George is arrested. Wanda (Jamie Lee Curtis) makes plans with her lover Otto (Kevin Kline) to abscond with the diamonds, but finds that George moved the diamonds before his arrest. To find out where the loot is stashed, she attempts to seduce Archie (John Cleese), George’s lawyer. Meanwhile, Ken (Michael Palin), a man with a good heart and a bad stutter, is tasked with eliminating an old lady who saw George at the scene of the crime, a job that proves difficult for him to carry out.

A Fish Called Wanda is a skillful comedy with a colorful cast of characters. The humor derives from the characters’ larger-than-life personalities and their ill-fated attempts to double cross each other for the diamonds. Coincidences and hasty decisions abound, and soon nothing is going according to plan. Michael Palin pulls off a suitably pathetic Ken, who is used by Wanda, abused by Otto, and generally deprived of even the simple joys in life. Kevin Kline plays the bombastic Otto, a self-taught disciple of Nietzsche who wrongly considers himself the brains of the operation. John Cleese brings his typical humor to the role of a man whose quiet life is gradually dragged into chaos through his involvement with the gang. Jamie Lee Curtis rounds out the gang as the fickle Wanda, whose attempts to manipulate Archie do not go as smoothly as planned.

A Fish Called Wanda is a clever and entertaining movie with a memorable cast and an unpredictable plot. Fans of John Cleese or Jamie Lee Curtis should give it a watch, as should future fans of Kevin Kline and anyone who’s in the mood for a light comedy. 7.6 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: Matchstick Men. Nic Cage stars as an OCD conman whose life is upended by the sudden appearance of a teenage daughter he never knew he had. She quickly ingratiates herself into his life, and while her sloppy habits are a source of stress for him, he comes to appreciate her company. Against his better judgment, Cage teaches her how to con, and soon she ends up involved with his latest major con alongside Cage’s partner in crime.

Matchstick Men is credible father-daughter film worked into a crime drama plot. Nic Cage brings his signature style to the role, projecting cool confidence in his role as a criminal, burgeoning tenderness in his role as a father, and extreme irritability in his role as a man suffering from neuroses. His daughter brings out the best in him, and in spite of himself he begins to come out of his shell. Fans of Nic Cage for his acting and fans of Nic Cage for his freakouts should both have something to enjoy in Matchstick Men. The plot is well-constructed and well-executed, and while the film isn’t groundbreaking in its concept or presentation, it is a satisfying watch. Give Matchstick Men a shot if you’re in the mood for a crime film with a quirky protagonist and a fulfilling emotional arc. 7.3 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: The Fifth Element. When an enormous orb of death appears in the far reaches of space during the twenty-third century, an alien race sends their secret weapon to Earth to prevent the death of all life in the universe. The weapon, a genetically perfect being named Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), is destroyed in an attack on the transport ship, but she is reconstructed on Earth from DNA recovered from the crash. Confused and alone, she escapes confinement and plunges into the cab of Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), an unlucky taxi driver and former soldier. He takes her to Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm), the aliens’ contact on Earth, where Leeloo explains that the four elements needed to activate the superweapon are missing. Thus begins a race to find the remaining elements, activate the weapon, and save all life in the universe from extermination. Opposing this endeavor is Zorg (Gary Oldman), the mega-corporation head whose hired goons were responsible for the attack on the transport ship.

The Fifth Element is a movie that has to be seen to be believed. Broadly speaking, it is a sci-fi adventure with an intricate plot and heavy comedic elements. But more than that, The Fifth Element offers a unique tone that would be hard for any other movie to replicate. The setting is a colorful mishmash of futuristic convenience and futuristic impracticality. Bulky, armored aliens, who arrived in an enormous, faster-than-light spaceship, walk at a snail’s pace. Junkies perpetrate elaborate muggings but don’t know how to use their own weapons. An alien diva uses her incredible vocal range to sing what can best be described as dance opera. The Fifth Element takes a sci-fi setting built on old-school costumes and props and runs with it, embracing both the most marvelous and the most mundane visions of the future that the genre has to offer.

The characters operate along similar lines, mixing serious motives with unserious means. Korben Dallas finds himself dragged into the story by chance, drawn by his affection for Leeloo and pushed by a military that wants to use his skills for more or less the same mission. Vito Cornelius sees it as his duty to recover the elements so that the universe can be saved, causing the otherwise peaceful priest to resort to subterfuge and (mild) violence. Zorg has a small army of hired thugs at his disposal, but misfortune and poor management keep them from being an overwhelming advantage. Even the government gets in on the action, sending a general to try to strongarm Dallas out of retirement to help retrieve the elements. The various factions, even the nominally allied ones, are in constant competition, and even minor twists of fate are enough to set one group or another ahead in the race for the elements.

The stumbling nature of the race makes for a complicated and interesting plot. The core concept of the plot is classic sci-fi fare stripped down to its essentials: a threat to the universe can only be stopped using a prophesied weapon, which must be retrieved before it is too late. But around this core is an intricate web of cause and effect, of fortune and misfortune, that lends the movie its hectic charm. Between its complex setup and its round robin character interactions, The Fifth Element ends up moving at a rapid clip, working a lot of plot into a little time. The nature of the turnabouts is such that key plot points easy to miss, but the general intent of the characters is always obvious, and the missed plot points are quickly buried under further developments. The logic of the plot is robust even down to minor details: an attentive viewer will be rewarded with extra insight into events that seemed random on first viewing.

The direction of the movie gives it an extra bit of character. Parallel conversations are often used for exposition, cutting back and forth between two characters in different locations reacting to the same facts. Scene transitions are often built around related elements in the two scenes, some quite subtle, again rewarding close watching. Lively supporting characters, punchy musical cues, and a continuous trickle of jokes combine to reinforce The Fifth Element’s unique tone.

The acting of The Fifth Element has a number of gems. Bruce Willis brings his usual style to the film as Korben Dallas, an everyman whose clear thinking and decisive action gives him a leg up in a chaotic world. Milla Jovovich plays the innocent but talented Leeloo, who babbles cheerfully in an alien language with interspersed bits of English. Ian Holm and Luke Perry play Father Cornelius and his assistant Billy, a hapless duo whose kindly natures are at odds with the dangerous adventure they step into. Gary Oldman delivers a memorable performance as Zorg, amoral and prone to bouts of temper. And Chris Tucker steals the show as the role he was born to play: Ruby Rhod, a shrill and flamboyant radio personality who gets swept up in the action.

Overall, The Fifth Element is a classic of the sci-fi genre. Its campy setting and characters, energetic direction, and persistent sense of humor make it an eminently enjoyable watch, while an intricate plot and a keen attention to detail give it plenty of replay value. Those looking for a serious take on the future should avoid it. Those who prefer their movies neat and orderly should avoid it. Those who are not willing to put up with Chris Tucker screaming at the top of his lungs for the sake of comedy should avoid it. Everyone else should give The Fifth Element a watch when they’re looking for a fun, frenetic sci-fi adventure. 7.7 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: The Bucket List. Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson star as a pair of aging cancer patients who decide to spend their last weeks on a globe-trotting adventure to complete their bucket list, “the list of things to do before you kick the bucket”. Funded by Nicholson’s riches, the two go skydiving, drive racecars, and see the sights of the world. But their trip runs aground when Freeman cannot convince the irascible Nicholson to make up with his estranged daughter, and the two are left to make what they can of the rest of their lives.

The Bucket List is a bittersweet comedy carried by a duo of excellent actors. Freeman plays a warm and honest working-class man who has spent his life working to support his family. Nicholson plays a grumpy but charming millionaire who has spent his life building his business. The two meet in a cancer ward and quickly become friends. Rather than waste away in a hospital, they decide to live out all the dreams they never had the money or time for before. The two actors are masters of their craft, and they play off each other well, quickly settling into a buddy comedy interaction.

The premise of the movie is a simple one, and its execution is linear. Much of the movie is spent on the pair’s world tour, bookended by the emotional and familial aspects of terminal cancer. The actors do manage to work real bits of humanity into these scenes, from Nicholson’s unwillingness to confront his mistakes to Freeman’s principled devotion to his wife. The tone of the film is one of joyous optimism brought down to earth by its more dramatic scenes. Overall, The Bucket List is a well-executed but straightforward movie. It’s worth a watch if you’re in the mood for a life-affirming comedy that mixes in sadder elements as well as bits of catharsis. Skip it if you want a pure comedy with no strings attached or you are looking for something with a little more meat on its bones. 7.4 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: Inspector Gadget. A security guard (Matthew Broderick) is injured in the line of duty and gets reconstructed as Inspector Gadget, a robotic police officer with a wide array of cartoonish tools at his disposal. After a brief adjustment period, he then goes up against Claw, a fiendish CEO who plans to use robotics for evil. Along the way, Gadget learns to be a better parent to his niece Penny and finds love with Brenda, the surgeon responsible for his transformation.

Inspector Gadget is a lightweight, slapstick comedy that falls flat on its face. Its chief strengths are the silliness of Gadget’s tools and the charm of its characters, but both of these are mismanaged and are unsatisfying. Slapstick requires a fine touch to make it look natural, but the bungling in Inspector Gadget feels jarringly intentional. Likewise, reasonable concepts for characters and their relationships are let down by simplistic dialogue and flat acting. The movie also proceeds at a feverish pace, burning through what plot it has in a mere 80 minutes.

Overall, Inspector Gadget works well enough as a kids’ film but isn’t worth revisiting as an adult. There are a few good ideas here—cartoon gadgets, the relationship between Penny and Gadget, and the Robo Gadget doppelganger fight—but the execution is too silly to take advantage of them. Skip it. 4.1 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Directed by the Coen Brothers, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a loose retelling of the Odyssey set in 1930s Mississippi. Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) is a smooth-talking convict who escapes from his chain gang with two fellow prisoners, Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) and Pete (John Turturro). Together they set off to find the treasure that Everett hid before he was arrested. Their journey leads them through challenges strange and wondrous: a blind railwayman, an adult baptism, a trio of sirens, a cyclopean bible salesman (John Goodman), an unscrupulous gubernatorial candidate, and others. Along the way they encounter the best and worst in human nature, as well as few aspects of it that aren’t so easy to define.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a masterful comedy laced with wry allusions and rich detail. The Coen Brothers at once pay tribute to Homer and carve out a piece of American history for their own observations on life and humanity. Their characters are drawn along classical comedy lines: fallible, self-centered, and often dim, yet capable of great pathos. Their winding, episodic plot nonetheless comes together into a cohesive whole. Their setting shows a keen attention to detail and remarkable consistency. The craft of the film makes it a pleasure to watch again and again, with new touches of artistry jumping to the fore each time.

The characters are of the lively, human sort that the Coen Brothers are known for. Everett is a facile speaker whose mouth gets him both into and out of trouble. His loquacity leads him to unjustified vanity; he believes himself smarter than he is. Yet he is often as gullible as those he looks down on, and only by continued rationalization does he manage to keep his ego intact. His fundamental conflict is one of repentance: his own mistakes require humility to fix, yet his ego won’t let him remain on bended knee for long.

Pete acts as Everett’s foil, a reluctant follower of Everett’s lead and the voice of common sense in the group. Unable to delude himself the way Everett can, he sees the bad as well as the good, and he doubts that Everett’s schemes will get them out of trouble. He is torn between the promise of treasure and the dangers along the way, and he is quick to blame Everett when his plans go awry.

Delmar is a cheerful simpleton who is happy to follow the others wherever they go. He brings an innocent enjoyment to the group, the only one who appreciates the journey rather than the destination. His firm sense of morality also makes him the conscience of the group. While his limited understanding of the world makes him an unwitting accomplice in a number of dubiously moral deeds, he does manage to keep Everett’s self-interest and capacity for rationalization in check.

The movie is rounded out by one of the best soundtracks to ever grace the silver screen, a beautiful selection of American folk songs performed by capable singers and adroitly used throughout the movie. They are joined by Man of Constant Sorrow, an original composition that steals the show with its memorable tune and heartfelt lyrics. The soundtrack is the final touch that brings the setting to life, that turns a detailed facsimile of the historical South into an immersive, breathing world.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a comedy that succeeds on multiple levels. Its engaging setting, entertaining characters, outstanding soundtrack, and epic origins provide it with a depth beyond its superficial humor. Fans of the Coen Brothers should appreciate this as one of their best works, even though it lacks their traditional edge. Watch it if you are looking for a well-crafted adventure, wonderful to tell, with plenty to offer beyond its sense of humor. Skip it if you prefer more straightforward comedy or dislike the Coen Brothers’ quirky tone. 7.8 out of 10 on IMDB.