BuzzSugar

Bad Lieutenant: Good Cop Gone Nuts

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:49 -0800

Nicolas Cage has said, "There's a very fine line between Method actor and schizophrenic." In Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, he teeters that line maniacally, with an ever-increasing slur and crooked swagger. Cage plays Terence McDonagh, a detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating a drug-related murder and his personal threshold for cocaine and heroin.

The first news of Bad Lieutenant was puzzling: famously extreme director Werner Herzog re-imagining a 1992 cult movie, also called Bad Lieutenant, but shifting the action to New Orleans and casting Nic Cage in the Harvey Keitel role opposite his Ghost Rider costar Eva Mendes. Weird.

But in fact, Bad Lieutenant is Herzog's second surprisingly accessible movie in as many years, following 2007's Rescue Dawn. And Cage is brilliant in a role seemingly made for him, so read more.

The noirish, pulpy, desperate, and often hilarious film opens with a good deed: McDonagh dives into a Katrina-flooded jail cell to save a prisoner's life, in the process injuring his back and subsequently getting hooked on Vicodin and then far harder drugs.

As a degenerate cop in a washed-out city, Cage makes Denzel Washington's Training Day villain look like a Boy Scout. He slithers through the streets, confiscating drugs to snort with his prostitute girlfriend (Mendes), hooking up with a drug kingpin played by Alvin "Xzibit" Joiner, and fending off a rising tide of self-created trouble. "Being courteous is really getting in the way of my progress," he croaks before one of his more disturbing moral lapses.

In post-Katrina New Orleans, Herzog has found the perfect setting. He never lets the city look pretty or even charmingly decayed, and he populates it with iguanas and alligators and snakes and fish. At every turn, McDonagh is confronted by cold-blooded animals, as he careens between the call of duty and the cold-blooded instinct of his addiction. It's impossible to ignore the reptilian symbolism, and the effect is perfectly bizarre. Despite its darkest moments, Bad Lieutenant is a remarkably good trip.

Photos Courtesy First Look Studios

Fantastic Mr. Fox: Lives Up to Its Title

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0800

For the past five years, Wes Anderson's wide fan base has been waiting for his first fully animated film. Would his adaption of Roald Dahl's children's book, Fantastic Mr. Fox appease the same crowd that holds Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums near and dear to their hearts? The answer is an emphatic yes, and the best news is that you don't even have to enjoy Anderson's other work to fall in love with this film.

The story follows the wily Mr. Fox, a professional robber turned family man (er, fox) who just isn't satisfied with his quiet life working as a newspaper columnist. Even a move to prime real estate isn't enough to satiate his appetite for a little trouble making, and Mr. Fox (or "Foxy" as his friends call him) decides to take on the biggest adventure of his life. That's just the tip of the iceberg though, so read more.

Mr. Fox isn't your average wild animal; in fact he's just the opposite. He lives a civilized life with his wife Felicity (Meryl Streep) and 12-year-old son, Ash, making an honest living as a newspaper columnist. Like a kid who can't sit still, Mr. Fox has trouble curbing his desires to rebel and go back to his life stealing squab and running into trouble. Against his wife's wishes, Mr. Fox convinces his dim-witted but trusty sidekick Kylie (Wally Wolodarski) to take on one last hurrah. The crime? Ripping off the three biggest (and meanest) farmers around - Boggis, Bunce and Bean. When Mr. Fox starts an all-out war, he is forced to join forces with his family, friends, and neighbors - and that's where the fun begins.

The film's brilliance lies in the fact that Fantastic Mr. Fox is a movie for grown-ups disguised as a kiddie flick. Even with Anderson's name stamped all over it, there's no denying the furry animals dressed as humans. The animation makes the plot play out like a story book come to life; we're taken deep into the fox hole and beyond in a world that looks like a dollhouse made for fuzzy creatures. Kids will love the adventure and the colors, but the witty dialogue and quirky characters are made for the grown-ups.

The movie features a crew of lovable characters who deliver hilarious one-liners when they aren't breaking into impromptu dances. There's nothing new about a movie featuring animals acting like humans, but the actors make the movie the gem that it is. Jason Schwartzman playing a crabby 12-year-old but using his regular deep voice is genius. Clooney and Bill Murray (as badger, Mr. Fox's lawyer) bantering back and forth but replacing swears with the word "cuss" never gets old (as in "This place is a cluster cuss" and "What the cuss is wrong with you?").

Rare is the animated film with this much wit, cleverness, and chemistry between characters, but Fantastic Mr. Fox hits it right on the head. Score one more for Mr. Anderson.

(Don't forget that if you see a movie that you'd like to review, you can post your write-up in the Movie Review Group in Community - I may even post it here on the site!)

Disney's A Christmas Carol: A Fun New Spin on an Old Favorite

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol is, quite literally, a tale as old as time. Hollywood has already turned the novel into countless films, so how do you keep it fresh to entertain old and young audiences alike? You give them a pair of 3-D glasses.

I was a bit skeptical about Disney's newest remake of the flick, even with the super stylized animation and all-star cast behind the voices. But once you put on those glasses, you'll be oohing and aahing right along with the kids, making the film a fun ride. It doesn't tug on the heartstrings the way other versions can, but it's not devoid of emotion either. To see what I mean, just read more.

Robert Zemeckis brings the story we already know and love; old Ebenezer Scrooge (voiced by Jim Carrey) defines miserly and crotchety, spending his days counting his pennies and bitterly snapping at those around him. On one particularly Christmas Eve, he his haunted by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley. Sporting chains and a ghastly demeanor, Marley warns Scrooge that he will suffer the same miserable fate if he doesn't take heed of three spirits who will visit him over the course of the night.

The film stays very true to Dickens's short novel, borrowing much of the text straight from the book and incorporating some of the darker elements that I hadn't seen before in versions designed for kids. That said, I still feel like some of the scenes waver on the side of being too scary. Marley's introduction with the chains is frightening but funny, whereas the progression of the ghost of Christmas present to the ghost of Christmas future (complete with full decay from giant to skeleton) probably would have given me nightmares when I was younger.

The special effects are all you could want and more; the 3-D pulls you right in, carrying you along with Scrooge as he flies overhead in his nightgown (and later spits in your face). You're in the midst of Victorian England at Christmas time, from the snowstorms to the festive music. It's dazzling - until you hit the emotional stuff.

The tale is one with a great big heart, but the actors can only go so far using their voices alone. In the most sentimental scenes, I found myself just wishing I could see the big name actors (which includes Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Robin Wright Penn) gazing into each other's eyes pointedly. Instead, it feels a bit like watching two mannequins standing face to face. Still, you're never bored for long, and there's always another thrill waiting at every turn.

In the end, Disney accomplishes its goal, producing a film that looks amazing and will entertain kids and adults alike. It may not be the best version of the tale to date, but it will leave you feeling plenty merry on your way out of the theater.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Love Happens: Not Happenin'

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:30:40 -0700

Love Happens is not a romantic comedy, like the promo photos of Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston smooshed together might have you believe. The real focus of the film is Burke (Eckhart), a widower who's hooked on Grey Goose and his own delusion that he's "a-okay" like the title of his self-help book suggests. He's constantly quoting his own chapters, with turning-lemons-into-lemonade kind of lessons, as a means to get through his day - frankly, the guy's a downer.

The story follows Burke as he reluctantly travels to Seattle - his deceased wife's hometown - to conduct an A-Okay therapy workshop for families who have lost loved ones. He gets drenched in the rain, drinks alone, and basically mopes whenever he's not faking a smile for his book's fans. That is, until he meets Eloise (Aniston), a local florist who supplies the arrangements at his hotel.

To hear what else I thought about the film, read more.

Burke takes an interest in Eloise and comes out of his doldrums seemingly instantly. As for Eloise, even though she wants nothing to do with him at first, she has a change of heart when Burke pushes her away. As much as I love both Eckhart and Aniston separately, their chemistry is lukewarm and you never really understand why these two are working so hard to get together.

The stronger focus of the film is Burke's grieving process. Prepare for buckets of man tears. Not only does Burke shed a few, but there are also two subplots that work them in. I enjoy seeing a sensitive guy as much as the next girl - I even got misty over one scene - but when tears happen five or so times in a nearly two-hour film, it just feels overwrought.

Not that the movie doesn’t try for laughs. Try being key. They bring in Dan Fogler (Balls of Fury) to play Burke’s best bud/agent and everyone's go-to sidekick girl, Judy Greer, as Aniston’s co-worker friend. Unfortunately, the jokes fall flat, and the talented Greer, who I've always loved from Arrested Development and 13 Going on 30, is underutilized.

What I did enjoy: the soundtrack, which includes everyone from Rogue Wave to Priscilla Ahn to Postal Service. But as for the movie? It's not sure what it's trying to be. Is it a tug-at-your-heartstrings drama about a PhD overcoming his wife's tragic death? Or is it a sweet love story with the obligatory cheesy jokes? Instead, Love Happens tries to cover all the bases, gets mucked in cliches - there's actually a slow clap at the film's climax - and love never seems to quite happen. They really should reconsider that title.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

9: A Small Film With a Giant (Albeit Dark) Heart

BuzzSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:30:04 -0700

I was a bit apprehensive about going to see 9, because it didn't look like your typical animated movie. However, the buzz on it has been huge (the short film on which it's based was Academy Award nominated), and Tim Burton is one of the producers, so I figured it had to be twisted good fun to get his stamp of approval.

Directed by first-time feature film director, Shane Acker, the film opens with our robot hero, 9, in the workshop of his scientist creator - who has just died on the floor after completing his final invention. Like I said, this isn't your typical cutesy cartoon. 9 is a sad-looking underdog with a burlap bag for a body that's reminiscent of a child's sock puppet. Upon entering the world, he soon realizes that it's a bleak, postapocalyptic wasteland where humans have been wiped out by destructive machines.

A cautionary tale about the dangers of science gone too far, perhaps?

For more about the film, including my thoughts, read more

The plot is simple: 9 leaves the scientist's lab and encounters 2, an early model of 9 who quickly becomes his friend. When they encounter “The Beast,” a terrorizing machine that obliterates everything in its path, 2 sacrifices himself to save 9, and 9 makes it his mission to get 2 back and fight the Beast - meeting a cast of characters along the way numbered 1-8, naturally.

It's a basic David-vs.-Goliath premise, but I was surprised to find myself on the edge of my seat throughout the entire film. This is an action movie, complete with full-scale battle scenes and even a few Matrix-esque maneuvers. The chase starts within the first 10 minutes and doesn’t let up until the very end, and the creative means Acker uses to get you there are entertaining to watch. 9 is also a solid protagonist to root for - humble, but full of gumption, and with his goggle-like eyes, he's even kind of cute. (You've got some competition, Wall-E!)

Several A-list stars lend their voices to 9, including John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover, Jennifer Connelly, and Elijah Wood as 9, but be warned - this isn't an animated film for your 6-year-old cousin. The tone can get morbid at times, and it's definitely not cheery. (The gray-brown color palette that Acker uses is proof of that.) But if you like quirkier sci-fi stuff, 9 is a great pick. It’s inventive, visually mesmerizing, and ultimately a story about friendship and the human soul that will leave you with a few warm fuzzies. Yes, even if you’re a robot with sheet metal for a heart.

Photos courtesy Focus Features

Inglourious Basterds: Graphic, but Good

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Meet the Inglorious Bastards, er, the Inglourious Basterds: a quintessential Quentin Tarantino clan (see also Reservoir Dogs) helmed by an accent-affected Brad Pitt. Pitt, who plays a sort of Tennessean hillbilly, is the ringleader of the group of mostly Jewish-American soldiers whose aim is to kill - specifically by scalping - Nazis. It's as disgusting as it sounds, but the film is not all gory and the Basterds are only one in a series of interwoven stories. In fact, Brad Pitt and his band of men are each in fewer than half of the movie's chapters. Yes, there is violence but the biggest tone of the movie is artfully crafted tension that left me holding my breath, wondering where the action was going to come from next.

At its core, the film has the violent tendencies you'd expect from writer/director Tarantino. It's incredibly graphic and gory (it was actually comical to hear all of the moans coming from the critics at my screening), but it's peppered with moments of genuine humor (albeit of the dark variety) with just a small dash of romance. In this regard, Basterds is very much like his classic film Pulp Fiction, but topically, the two couldn't be more different.

To hear more about the plot of the film, with some minor spoilers, read more.

The movie begins with an incredible and very intense scene between a Nazi colonel (played by Christopher Waltz) and French countryman Perrier LaPadite (Denis Menochet). It sets up the tone of the film perfectly, while introducing one of the most chilling villains I've ever seen on the big screen, played superbly by Waltz. The vignette could stand alone as a short film, and doesn't quite blend in with the rest of the movie, but it will be what stays with you long after you've walked out of the theater. The rest of Basterds fast-forwards a few years, but we haven't seen the last of the first scene's survivors.

Elsewhere, Aldo Raine (Pitt) is prepping his troops to drop into Europe and kill as many Nazis as possible - he wants each solider to gather 100 scalps. Based on some of the more graphic scenes, the mission is a success. Most of their work takes place off-screen but their influence is clear when a bumbling Hitler and his high ranking official start trembling in their boots. As the Basterds' popularity rises, they're presented with an opportunity that ropes in famous actress and spy Bridget von Hammrsmark (Diane Kruger). The movie is building up to a climactic movie premiere, but unbeknownst to the Basterds, they're not the only ones plotting.

This, for me, is when the movie really starts getting good. Firstly, based on her relatively small résumé (National Treasure, Troy, Wicker Park), I was not expecting to be so blown away by Kruger. She's simply stunning in her role including carrying one of the longest and most intense scenes. Pitt also pulls off the necessary swagger and bravado that goes with his ringleader role. When these two get together the screen seems to warm to their combined presence. Both Pitt and Kruger also add to the element of humor in the film, which is clear throughout all 2.5 hours of it.

It's hard to talk much more about the plot without spoilers, but it's one of the most satisfying - and quite frankly, entertaining and thought-provoking - movies I've seen in some time. If you can stomach the violence, the film is worth its weight in gold (or blood).

The Time Traveler's Wife: Doesn't Fulfill Its Destiny

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:30:26 -0700

What makes the book The Time Traveler's Wife so magical is how well it marries two genres: romance and sci-fi. But the big-screen adaptation leans more toward old-fashioned Hollywood love story, with the attendant schmaltz and a touch of slapstick.

Fans of the cherished book - myself included - had many hopes and fears about the film. Although the movie didn't make me swoon, it is satisfying to see the story on screen, and the movie is very sweet in parts. Still, what should be an epic tale and a first-rate tearjerker sadly let me down.

The Ugly Truth: A Misogynistic Mess

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:30:14 -0700

When reviewing The Ugly Truth, it's impossible to ignore what Katherine Heigl had to say in 2007 about her film Knocked Up:

"It paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys. It exaggerated the characters, and I had a hard time with it, on some days. I’m playing such a b*tch; why is she being such a killjoy? Why is this how you’re portraying women? Ninety-eight percent of the time it was an amazing experience, but it was hard for me to love the movie."

For a very similar reason, it was hard for me to love The Ugly Truth.

The ugly truth about The Ugly Truth is that it's, well, ugly. At its core, the film is a love story that tries to prove that men are from Mars and women are from Venus. What it actually succeeds at is much more sleazy, belaboring the point that men only want sex (read: women who eat hot dogs seductively) and women only want love (read: men who drink red wine and prefer cats to dogs). You don't have to be Katherine Heigl to find these stereotypes offensive.

To dig a little deeper, read more.

These types of movies aren't always bad. When Harry Met Sally became a modern classic with its examination of differences between the sexes. But that movie does so smartly - it's more subtle, more nuanced, more quaint. And while When Harry Met Sally has its fair share of risqué content (who could forget the infamous deli scene?), it's tame compared to what we see in The Ugly Truth. Case in point: this scene. It's almost a carbon copy of the notorious Meg Ryan performance, except this time the leading lady is actually climaxing at a table because her vibrating underwear is being controlled by a child with a remote. Classy.

Beyond being offensive, the movie is just boringly predictable. If you've seen the trailer, you've likely figured out the entire plot. Not to mention which, that two-minute clip is actually better than the film! The acting isn't the problem here: Heigl and Gerard Butler are great in their roles, as are many of the supporting characters. The two leads carry the film easily - it's just not a film worth carrying. Frankly, they should have known better.

I can't wait to see what Katherine Heigl has to say about this in the future.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Humpday: Wonderfully, Uncomfortably Awkward

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:30:24 -0700

Bromance: it's a trendy topic. Between Brody Jenner's reality show, Paul Rudd and Jason Segel's I Love You, Man, and practically anything Judd Apatow touches, it's clear that platonic man-love on film is here to stay. Sundance darling Humpday takes the notion to an entirely new level, but not in the way you might expect. It's not overtly graphic - Bruno is much, much more in-your-face - but the squirm factor here is just as high. The uncomfortableness comes not from the explicit content (there is only one scene of brief nudity), but more from the raw, emotional dialogue and shockingly realistic acting.

I went into the screening expecting a film similar in tone to John Cameron Mitchell's Shortbus - lots of indie actors, a sprinkling of sex scenes, a few off-beat laughs. And, while all of that is true, this movie feels wildly different. In fact, if I had to compare it to one other film it would be, weirdly, The Blair Witch Project. Topically the two couldn't be more different, but from the way each are shot (documentary style) to the way the characters interact, both give you a feeling that you're in on the action. As my friend said, "I feel like I'm living these scenes." I couldn't agree more.

To hear more about the plot of the film and what I liked, read more.

There are three main characters in the film: Ben (Mark Duplass), his wife Anna (Alycia Delmore), and Ben's friend Andrew (Joshua Leonard, who, ironically, also starred in Blair Witch). The three embark on a kind of You, Me, and Dupree existence when long-lost friend Andrew returns from Mexico and decides to crash in on Ben and Anna. Conflict ensues when the free-spirited Andrew starts getting under Ben's skin. Has Ben become a square now that he's married? Is he too "white picket fence?" It seems, after one drug-fueled night, that the only way to prove he's not is by competing in The Stranger's Humpfest (link NSFW) and creating something truly original - a porn featuring two straight guys having sex. The two key players being Andrew and Ben, naturally.

The rest of the movie revolves around this basic premise and the logical questions that arise. Can the two actually have sex on film (logistically speaking)? Will Anna be okay with her husband participating in this "art" project? Why, exactly, do they feel so compelled to complete this task?

All the while the audience has its own question - will these guys do the deed? I'll leave that question unanswered, but I will say this: the scenes between the two men are the least awkward. The interactions between Ben and Anna are what kept me cringing. Their conversations, their fights, their camaraderie feel like most of the relationships that I've had. It is uncomfortable to watch. Regardless, I recommend Humpday. It's wonderfully original, and any movie that makes me feel like I'm intimately involved has accomplished something substantial.

Photos courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

(500) Days of Summer: A Fantastical Unromance For Realists

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:30:36 -0700

The unnecessary parentheses in the movie's title are the first sign that (500) Days of Summer might be too cute and contrived for its own good. Often, it is: the female lead (played by Zooey Deschanel) is named Summer, the wardrobes and apartments are impossibly hip, and shopping at Ikea acts as a relationship milestone. I'm willing to forgive much of that, however, because despite its overly indie constructs, (500) Days of Summer captures many achingly real sentiments. Like the relationship it chronicles, the movie is full of ups and downs but ultimately worthwhile.