Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Public Enemies. In 1933, notorious criminal John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) perpetrates a series of daring bank robberies all across the Midwest. His many crimes put him in the crosshairs of FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), the newly appointed head of the Bureau’s Chicago office. But when Dillinger meets Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), he risks becoming entangled just as law enforcement is beginning to close in.

Public Enemies is a historical crime drama based on the life of John Dillinger. The movie follows Dillinger through his glory days, as his bold tactics and efficient crew take America by storm. Under the direction of J. Edgar Hoover, Melvin Purvis escalates the war against Dillinger, hunting down his associates and gradually forcing Dillinger into a corner.

Public Enemies excels at dramatic storytelling. The script has the unpredictability of real life and the polish of fiction. Unlike other crime dramas with similar premises, the meandering plot is offset by an engrossing tone and characters who live from moment to moment. The direction is sensible, and the faithful setting gives the movie a fine sense of atmosphere.

Johnny Depp, Marion Cotillard, and Christian Bale all give credible performances. Johnny Depp plays a stony-faced and gentlemanly John Dillinger, a competent criminal protagonist. Marion Cotillard plays Billie Frechette, whose whirlwind romance with Dillinger shows a softer side of the man. Christian Bale plays a fine Melvin Purvis, stumbling a little with his accent but otherwise holding together the law enforcement side of the story.

For all its virtues, Public Enemies is neither the most exciting nor the most moving crime drama. The lack of an overarching plot means that Public Enemies can only deliver what impact it can muster from scene to scene. The impassive characters are suitably impressive as dramatic figures but fail to stir up much emotion. The film does offer a good bit of action, but not enough to draw in action fans.

Watch Public Enemies when you are in the mood for a historical crime drama with decent exeuction and a knack for dramatic presentation. The realistic plot and emphasis on character may not be every viewer’s cup of tea, but Public Enemies has enough general quality to be a worthwhile watch. For better writing and emotional impact, check out The Untouchables. For a tight mystery and strong writing, check out L.A. Confidential.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for solid dramatic presentation missing some emotion and excitement.

Today’s quick review: Going in Style. Joe (George Burns), an aging retiree, decides that he wants to feel young again. Together with his best friends Al (Art Carney) and Willie (Lee Strasberg), he hatches a plan to rob a bank. Either the trio will get rich or spend a few comfortable years in jail while their Social Security checks build up. One way or another, the retirees will get what they want.

Going in Style is a comedy about three old men who decide to rob a bank. The movie explores themes of aging and vitality through a low-stakes caper. Its solid cast and amusing premise give Going in Style the tools it needs to succeed, but an aimless plot and subdued comedy keep it from living up to its full potential. The result is a wryly amusing and occasionally touching comedy that fails to follow through on its ideas.

As a comedy, Going in Style is a mixed bag. When George Burns and Art Carney are on, they sparkle. But these moments of charm are padded by stretches with few real jokes and slow pacing. The jokes are understated, especially by modern standards, often with no real punchline. The tone flirts with the amused attitude towards life that some comedies use in place of overt humor, but the writing lacks the insight to pull this off consistently.

As a story, Going in Style has clear deficiencies. The plot goes through significant lulls in which its direction is unclear. Events happen with little setup or motivation, and the plot changes track several times before it finally coasts into a conclusion. The events themselves form a fine story skeleton, but they are tied together poorly. A couple of dramatic moments are handled tastefully and actually carry some weight, but they are an odd fit with the comedy.

Watch Going in Style when you are in the mood for a light comedy with fine execution but a few rough patches, or if you are a George Burns fan. Most viewers will get more out of the remake, which has a better-developed plot, deeper characters, and a heftier dose of humor. For a more outrageous classic comedy, check out It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. For a comedy about aging with well-handled dramatic elements, look for Macaroni.

7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for decent entertainment value with some foibles.

“I need your help. I can’t tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we’re gonna hurt some people.” —Doug

Today’s quick review: The Town. Boston native Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) heads a small crew of bank robbers with Jim Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), his violent best friend. Doug’s professional and personal lives become tangled when he falls for Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), a hostage his crew took during their last job. Meanwhile, FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) closes in on Charlestown’s most successful criminals.

The Town is a crime drama with a solid cast and an impressive script. Unlike many entries in the crime genre, The Town has characters who are competent and professional. Even when Doug and Jim butt heads over how to do a job, they never compromise their heist to squabble. For his part, Adam Frawley follows the few leads he has with remarkable persistence, culminating in a confrontation whose outcome feels earned by both sides.

The Town also invests the time to fully develop its characters and clearly establish its conflicts. Every scene serves a purpose, and even the most dialogue-heavy ones are engaging thanks to the movie’s creditable writing. The story has a great progression. Although it drops a few plot threads along the way, enough of them become important down the line to make the plot well worth following.

Watch The Town when you are in the mood for an all-around solid crime drama. Smart writing, thoughtful characterization, and just the right amount of action make The Town a satisfying watch. For another Boston-based crime drama with more tension and a more elaborate plot, check out The Departed.

7.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for competent, well-rounded execution.

Today’s quick review: Tower Heist. Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller), the manager of a luxury apartment building in the heart of New York, discovers that the pensions of his entire staff have been stolen when his boss, Wall Street tycoon Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), is arrested for fraud. To get their money back, the employees of the Tower hatch a plan to steal $20 million in cash from Shaw’s penthouse apartment.

Tower Heist is a crime comedy with a decent premise and a good cast. Ben Stiller stars as Josh Kovacs, a capable and loyal employee driven to theft by his boss’s unscrupulous actions. Eddie Murphy plays opposite him as Slide, Josh’s criminal neighbor and reluctant partner on the job. Matthew Broderick, Michael Pena, and Casey Affleck are all in on the heist as well, an unlikely crew of concierges, elevator operators, and bankers.

Tower Heist is a soft comedy with few overt jokes. Instead, the movie opts for a steady stream of low-grade humor stemming from the incompetence of Josh’s untrained band of thieves. The movie succeeds in keeping a light, moderately amusing tone throughout, but lacks any standout jokes to make the film memorable. Entire scenes feel like they were cut where the movie clearly sets up for a joke, then moves onto the next scene as though nothing happened.

Tower Heist also misuses its cast in a few key ways. Eddie Murphy brings his usual loudmouthed attitude, but his character is not likable enough to make it work. The result is an abrasive character with only moderate comedic value, rather than the comedic powerhouse Eddie Murphy has been in the past. For his part, Ben Stiller plays a likable if somewhat bland Josh Kovacs, a decent protagonist but the straight man in many of the movie’s jokes.

Watch Tower Heist when you are in the mood for a light diversion in the heist comedy genre. Though the movie lacks any real punch or attitude of its own, its decent script, good cast, and moderate charm make it a viable choice for casual or background viewing. For crime comedies of higher caliber, check out Ocean’s Eleven for tight plotting and star power or Snatch for sparkling writing and madcap antics.

6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for watchable comedy and decent production values without much character to call its own.

“Finally, a man worth killing.” —Cerdic

Today’s quick review: King Arthur. Arthur Castus (Clive Owen), a Roman soldier in 5th-century Britain, leads a loyal group of knights who are nearing the end of their forced military service. As the Saxons prepare to sweep Britain from the north, Arthur and his men are sent on one last mission deep in the heart of Saxon territory. Success will mean their freedom, but failure will mean a brutal death in a land far from home.

King Arthur is a historical action movie based on the purported real-life exploits of King Arthur and his knights. The movie casts Arthur as a faithful Roman soldier near the end of his long service, now doubting that Rome shares the Christian ideals he was raised with. He wants freedom for his men, but he is forced into taking them on a suicide mission at the behest of a Roman bishop before they will be released.

King Arthur’s greatest failing is that it robs its source material of much of its character. Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd), Guinevere (Keira Knightley), and Merlin (Stephen Dillane) all appear in one form or another, but of all the many legends about Arthur, few enter into the story, and those only in passing. The result is a down-to-earth tale of war and valor set in the twilight of the Roman Empire rather than the medieval fantasy epic one might expect.

King Arthur touches on a few interesting themes, although it fails to make the most of them. Arthur’s loyalty is split between his knights, his Christian values, his duty to Rome, and the Brits he has been defending for so many years. The interplay of these influences leads to a few good dramatic moments, but they are not played to their fullest and the plot would have been similar without them.

Watch King Arthur when you are in the mood for a Roman-flavored historical drama with decent execution and a few interesting ideas. Slow pacing, a weak plot, and middling action keep King Arthur from living up to its full potential, but the film has enough to its characters and setting to make it a reasonable watch. Skip it if you are looking for the Arthur of legend or a bit more action; check out Gladiator for a markedly beter take on a similar premise.

6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a faithful setting, good themes, and passable execution, held back by a mediocre plot and other failures of imagination.

Today’s quick review: Flushed Away. Roddy (Hugh Jackman), a pampered but lonely pet rat, gets flushed down the toilet and into a strange new world: a subterranean rat city in the sewers of London. His only hope of getting back to his home is Rita (Kate Winslet), a tough sewer rat. But when the two run afoul of the Toad (Ian McKellen), a displaced aristocrat, Roddy and Rita must escape from his henchmen if they want to make it to the surface alive.

Flushed Away is a CGI animated family adventure from the studio behind Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run. Aardman’s first foray into CGI, Flushed Away borrows heavily from the visual style of the studio’s previous work, but with stunts that would be infeasible in stop motion. The resulting film lacks the charm of its predecessors, but retains a good deal of their sense of humor and creativity.

Flushed Away has an odd relationship with its genre. Entire portions of the film are typical for a kids’ adventure, from its madcap humor to the beats of the plot. Yet individual elements of Flushed Away show care, creativity, and forethought. Its playful attitude and signs of craftsmanship briefly lift it above the norm for its genre before it settles back into its rut.

As an example, the relationship between Roddy and Rita is highly archetypal at a broad level, but its details make it unique. Though pampered, Roddy is not entirely useless, and his singing, cooking, and willingness to help all distance him from the cardboard cutout he could have been. Likewise, Rita not only has a softer side, but an entire family, an unusually detailed approach to her type of character’s development.

To its credit, Flushed Away packs a surprising number of jokes into its one-and-a-half hours, from sight gags and slapstick to wordplay and allusions. Many, if not most, of the jokes are cheap, easy humor, but the volume and variety are great enough that a few are sure to land home. The production quality is decent, albeit with dated CGI, and the talented cast of voice actors includes Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Bill Nighy, Andy Serkis, and Jean Reno.

Flushed Away does not break the mold, but it embellishes upon it in interesting ways. Watch it when you are in the mood for a decent family comedy with a few nice touches. Most viewers would be better off watching Chicken Run or the various Wallace and Gromit films, stop motion comedies in a similar vein with much more charm, creativity, and character of their own.

6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for decent humor held back by conformity to its genre.

Today’s quick review: Castle in the Sky. When a mysterious girl named Sheeta (Anna Paquin) falls from the sky, Pazu (James Van Der Beek), a young miner, saves her and takes her in. In her possession is a rare crystal that could be the key to finding the mythical floating city of Laputa. But Sheeta is pursued by Muska (Mark Hamill), a ruthless government agent, and Dola (Cloris Leachman), the leader of a band of sky pirates, both of whom want the secret to Laputa.

Castle in the Sky is a Japanese animated fantasy adventure from director Hayao Miyazaki. The movie presents a breathtaking world of flying machines, elaborate early industrial technology, scenic rural vistas, and ancient floating castles. Its two young protagonists must use all their pluck and resourcefulness to stay ahead of the pirates and army troops after them, all while unraveling the mystery of Laputa.

Castle in the Sky has a great deal in common with many of Miyazaki’s other films: stunning animation, vivid fantasy, and an eye for detail. Its themes of hard work, nature vs. technology, and growing up should be familiar to Miyazaki fans, and Castle in the Sky provides a particularly clean, consistent, and accessible iteration on these shared elements.

Castle in the Sky is not Miyazaki’s best, but it is not far off. Films like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle get the nod for their iconic moments and striking stories, but Castle in the Sky comes very close in terms of vision, character, and adventure. Check out Castle in the Sky when you are in the mood for a gorgeous, family-friendly adventure that brings joy to the heart.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for a phenomenal setting, gorgeous animation, and a well-crafted story.

Today’s quick review: Constantine. When the Spear of Destiny resurfaces, John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), a chain-smoking exorcist with a gruff personality, notices a spike in demonic activity. His investigation leads him to Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz), a cop whose sister committed suicide under suspicious circumstances. With limited time and the forces of Hell on his trail, John must figure out what is going on and put a stop to it before it is too late.

Constantine is an action horror movie based on the DC Comics character. Keanu Reeves stars as John Constantine, a reluctant servant of God whose past sins and selfish deeds have barred him from Heaven. With his network of allies and informants, he works to banish demons from Earth and buy his salvation. But his latest exorcism points to something larger, a threat to the Earth itself.

Constantine begins with a loose take on the Christian mythos, works it into a decent plot with tight progression, sprinkles in a pinch of noir, and tops it all off with CGI action that stands the test of time. None of its elements are all that oustanding, but they add up to a tidy package that contains a few treats for those who look for them, such as the bits of personality and history that make Constantine more than just a typical anithero.

Watch Constantine when you are in the mood for a horror-tinged action adventure with a few clever ideas. Though certainly not alone in its genre, Constantine’s creativity and solid execution make it a very worthwhile watch for the curious. Check out Hellboy for a lighter take on the same genre, Ghost Rider for a superhero variant, or any number of other action horror movies or TV shows according to your taste.

6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for solid plot, character, and action.

Today’s quick review: Going in Style. When Joe (Michael Caine), Willie (Morgan Freeman), and Al (Alan Arkin), a trio of retirees, learn that their pensions have been taken away, they hatch a plan to solve their money troubles the direct way: by robbing a bank. With no real criminal experience, they try to come up with a plan that will get them in, get them out, and get them the cash, all without getting caught.

Going in Style is a heist comedy from director Zach Braff. Featuring a trio of talented leads, an entertaining script, and tight pacing, Going in Style is a light and enjoyable movie about a low-stakes caper. The humor comes from observations about aging, banter between friends, and the heist itself, which is less a source of excitement or tension than a source of comedy.

Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin are perfectly cast, perfectly balanced, and a delight to watch. Much of the film’s charm comes from watching the three old friends interact, quipping and reminiscing with a twinkle in their eye. And while all three actors have their merits, Alan Arkin deserves special credit for stealing the best punchlines as the group’s resident cynic.

Going in Style delivers on its premise but does not exceed it. It is funny rather than hilarious, charming rather than heartwarming, and amusing rather than exciting. As such, Going in Style makes for an excellent casual watch that delivers a steady stream of honest laughter. Give it a shot when you are in the mood for something light and carefree. Skip it over if you are looking for a side-splitter or a proper heist.

6.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for great characters and entertaining comedy.

Today’s quick review: Free Fire. Late one evening, Frank (Michael Smiley), Justine (Brie Larson), and Chris (Cillian Murphy) show up at an abandoned factory to buy a shipment of guns from a South African arms dealer named Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and his assistant Ord (Armie Hammer). But when a petty squabble erupts in gunfire, the deal turns into a hectic shootout as each side struggles to escape with the money and their lives.

Free Fire is an experimental crime comedy based around one protracted shootout. The premise is a simple one: a gun deal gone wrong leads to a messy fight involving a dozen people, several crates of guns, and a building full of rubble, scrap, and pillars to hide behind. As the bullets start to fly, tempers flare and the few remaining cool heads try to untangle the hairy situation.

Unfortunately, Free Fire ends up caught somewhere between comedy and drama. The characters, their incompetence, and the farcical nature of the shootout all scream comedy, but the movie never manages to be all that funny. The best it can offer are a few hurled insults and some bullet-based slapstick. On the drama side, Free Fire suffers from a dearth of likable characters, chaotic plot progression, and little story to work with.

As such, Free Fire has a peculiar, hybrid tone that is hard to take in. It is stylized, but not punchy enough for style to carry the movie alone. It is comedic, with characters trading flesh wounds as readily as verbal barbs, yet it tempers its comedy with downer moments and real strife. It is dramatic, with characters thrust into a tense and dangerous situation, but dilutes its drama with absurdity.

Free Fire does have a few points in its favor. The cast is talented in ways that become more apparent as the movie progresses. The premise is unusual in both its elegance and its opportunities for mayhem. The situation eventually develops some real tension, and a few of the turnabouts are almost poetic. But the muddy tone, slow start, and myriad failings offset even these virtues.

Watch Free Fire only if you feel like taking a chance on a crime movie with a peculiar tone and an experimental premise. Free Fire is stylized enough that it is bound to scratch some viewers the right way, but those expecting either a taut thriller or a side-splitting comedy will be disappointed. For better takes on similar themes, check out Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels for comedy or Reservoir Dogs for drama.

7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for vision and style let down by tone issues and a lack of real comedy.