Premise: A psychiatrist takes a new job at a mental hospital and learns about his past.
Stars: Aaron Eckhart * Ian McKellen * Brittany Murphy * Nick Nolte * William Hurt
Story: Zach Riley (Eckhart) is a psychiatrist who takes a job at a new mental hospital. While employed there, he discovers that his father (Nolte), a noted children's author, had stayed there after his descent into dementia. He begins reading his father's files and learns how his father knew of another patient, the schizophrenic Finch (McKellen), and through Finch's madness, he learned of this fantasy world where Riley was conceived of as a hero. While investigating his past and treating his patients, he meets Maggie (Murphy), a childhood friend and they grow attracted to each other.
Review: The film is reminiscent of Don Juan DeMarco, where it seems allowing individuals to live within their fantasy worlds may not be such a bad thing. It's lush and soft light seems to dominate the movie, especially when Ms. Murphy is on-screen.
McKellen and Eckhart give solid performances and the film is pretty straight-forward with its appeal. Nolte (as the tortured writer and loving father who descends into madness) and Hurt (as Eckhart's boss and fellow psychiatrist) also give respectable performances.
The film is pretty standard fare, however. It is a positive film, showing that both self-discovery and coming to terms with the past can be a curative for a person feeling alone and adrift in the world.
It's enjoyable, and bittersweet for being one of the final performances of Ms. Murphy's career.
Overall: Mediocre
Other Sites:
Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Aliens in the Attic (2009)
Premise: Pint-sized aliens invade Earth and set their sights on a family's new vacation home. They didn't account for the kids.
Stars: A bunch of kids * Kevin Nealon * Andy Richter * Doris Roberts
Story: Four aliens invade the planet as a scout force while the Pearson family is arriving at the same location - their temporary vacation home. This sets up a conflict where the kids act to defeat the aliens while the adults are kept completely unaware of the situation. Hijinks and hilarity ensue as the battles occur throughout the film.
Review: Completely derivative of other films - from Small Soldiers to Critters to E.T.. The aliens are typical - an evil leader, a male and female warrior that bicker, and a cute & cowed engineer - as are the kids: the rebellious teen, the skater boy, a pair of tech-involved twins, and the cute daughter. Add in the typical teenage sister and her scuzzy boyfriend, and the setting is ripe for conflict and humour.
If you're ten years old perhaps.
I found the jokes flat, the performances so-so, the aliens unconvincing and sterotypical. Perhaps the only honestly funny moment is when Nana (Doris Roberts) is zombified and engages in wire-fu fighting with the scuzzy boyfriend. Even so, the film was mostly boring.
Overall: Bad.
Other Sites:
Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: A bunch of kids * Kevin Nealon * Andy Richter * Doris Roberts
Story: Four aliens invade the planet as a scout force while the Pearson family is arriving at the same location - their temporary vacation home. This sets up a conflict where the kids act to defeat the aliens while the adults are kept completely unaware of the situation. Hijinks and hilarity ensue as the battles occur throughout the film.
Review: Completely derivative of other films - from Small Soldiers to Critters to E.T.. The aliens are typical - an evil leader, a male and female warrior that bicker, and a cute & cowed engineer - as are the kids: the rebellious teen, the skater boy, a pair of tech-involved twins, and the cute daughter. Add in the typical teenage sister and her scuzzy boyfriend, and the setting is ripe for conflict and humour.
If you're ten years old perhaps.
I found the jokes flat, the performances so-so, the aliens unconvincing and sterotypical. Perhaps the only honestly funny moment is when Nana (Doris Roberts) is zombified and engages in wire-fu fighting with the scuzzy boyfriend. Even so, the film was mostly boring.
Overall: Bad.
Other Sites:
Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
The Remains of the Day (1993)
Premise: A tightly self-controlled butler's dedication to his service hinders his personal life.
Stars: Anthony Hopkins * Emma Thompson * Christopher Reeve * James Fox
Story: Mr. Stevens (Hopkins) is a right and proper gentleman's butler. He runs the household of Lord Darlington (Fox) during the interwar period as England slides towards World War II. Darlington hires Ms. Kenton (Thompson) to be his housekeeper. The two are equal in the running of the household, leading to frequent interaction regarding their supervision of the rest of the employees. Beginning with their earliest conversations, Ms. Kenton displays respect and admiration for Mr. Stevens but seeks to engage him on a personal level, which is only grudgingly and haltingly granted. Even as their discussions involve the decline of his father and the employment of two refugee German Jews in Darlington's household, Mr. Stevens refuses to let his tightly held personal views be expressed. Eventually, Ms. Kenton falls in love with Mr. Stevens, but due to his lack of reciprocity, she accepts the betrothal of another man and leaves the household. Years later, Mr. Stevens is contacted by Ms. Kenton and goes to visit her, ostensibly to bring her back to his new employer as a housekeeper, but in his own words "to correct a mistake" he'd made.
Review: Hopkins is excellent as the repressed and tightly wound Mr. Stevens. It's easily one of his best movies. Emma Thompson is additionally great as Ms. Kenton. His total lack of emotions, except in one engaging moment where Ms. Kenton nearly breaks through his shell, epitomize the perfect butler according to his instruction and belief. The abject fear and longing on display when Ms. Kenton approaches him in that moment is easily affecting. His continued lack of understanding and Ms. Kenton's frustration with her advances are understated until the night she announces her departure. Additionally, his steadfast behaviour prevents him from really interacting and reacting to events surrounding him, from his father's decline to his employer's political actions. The lack of self-awareness traps him until long after it may be too late.
The film is easily recommended as it's one of the few where Hopkins clearly demonstrates how good of an actor he can be when he's not playing over-intelligent psychos/non-psychos.
Overall: Good
Other Sites:
Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Anthony Hopkins * Emma Thompson * Christopher Reeve * James Fox
Story: Mr. Stevens (Hopkins) is a right and proper gentleman's butler. He runs the household of Lord Darlington (Fox) during the interwar period as England slides towards World War II. Darlington hires Ms. Kenton (Thompson) to be his housekeeper. The two are equal in the running of the household, leading to frequent interaction regarding their supervision of the rest of the employees. Beginning with their earliest conversations, Ms. Kenton displays respect and admiration for Mr. Stevens but seeks to engage him on a personal level, which is only grudgingly and haltingly granted. Even as their discussions involve the decline of his father and the employment of two refugee German Jews in Darlington's household, Mr. Stevens refuses to let his tightly held personal views be expressed. Eventually, Ms. Kenton falls in love with Mr. Stevens, but due to his lack of reciprocity, she accepts the betrothal of another man and leaves the household. Years later, Mr. Stevens is contacted by Ms. Kenton and goes to visit her, ostensibly to bring her back to his new employer as a housekeeper, but in his own words "to correct a mistake" he'd made.
Review: Hopkins is excellent as the repressed and tightly wound Mr. Stevens. It's easily one of his best movies. Emma Thompson is additionally great as Ms. Kenton. His total lack of emotions, except in one engaging moment where Ms. Kenton nearly breaks through his shell, epitomize the perfect butler according to his instruction and belief. The abject fear and longing on display when Ms. Kenton approaches him in that moment is easily affecting. His continued lack of understanding and Ms. Kenton's frustration with her advances are understated until the night she announces her departure. Additionally, his steadfast behaviour prevents him from really interacting and reacting to events surrounding him, from his father's decline to his employer's political actions. The lack of self-awareness traps him until long after it may be too late.
The film is easily recommended as it's one of the few where Hopkins clearly demonstrates how good of an actor he can be when he's not playing over-intelligent psychos/non-psychos.
Overall: Good
Other Sites:
Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Premise: A prince must save his kingdom, his family, and restore his honor.
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal * Gemma Arterton * Ben Kingsley * Alfred Molina * Steve Toussaint
Story: An orphan is taken off the streets to live with the King after he impresses the ruler with his skill and willingness to help another poor orphan. Years later, that same adopted prince (Gyllenhaal) accompanies his brothers on a mission against their enemy, but they are diverted to attack a neighboring city previously thought to be neutral. The prince is blamed for an assassination of the King and escapes with the ruler of the attacked city (Arterton). The prince discovers he has been deceived and sets out to right the wrongs done to him, his family, and both kingdoms.
Review: It's a forgettable action film in the vein of the Mummy movies by Stephen Sommers. A nice escapist film that won't engage too many brain cells.
Plot: The plot is simple and predictable. The adopted prince (who wowed the King with his parkour abilities) acts against his conscience and supports his brothers in an ill-advised attack on a neutral city. During the celebration, the king is murdered, the brothers assume it's Dastan (Gyllenhaal, although I kept thinking Dustan, as in "Dustan in the Wind") and order his arrest and execution. Dastan escapes, taking Princess Tamina (Arterton) with him for the predictable love-hate witticisms that accompany any such pairing, as well as escape attempts. Along the way they come across a Sheikh (Molina) and his bodyguard (Toussaint) who imprison them, they escape again, discover the true source of the conspiracy (Kingsley wants the magical dagger the Princess guarded), they escape again, team up with the Sheikh, try to find a way to stop the conspiracy, escape again, confront the presumptive king with the truth, are foiled, then fight the big fight against the end boss to save the world.
Sounds like a videogame, doesn't it?
Effects: There is some excellent stuntwork in the movie: the parkour sequences (there are at least five if not more - I stopped counting) are excellent and thrilling to watch. While the snake-fighting scenes are obviously CGI (who's willing to fight horned pit vipers for real?) they're quick, understandable and reasonably painless to watch. But the wonky CGI definitely pulls the viewer out of the film. Rubber faces, non-practical effects and the over-the-top battle scene near the end seem to be pulled straight out of a Sommers film. There are also a couple of bad edits - not the "which flap of the collar of the coat is on top?" version but the "hey, she was on his left a second ago" kind. Not a killer, but distracting.
(I just had a notion. Jackie Chan has been doing parkour-type work for YEARS. Why does this method of stunt-traveling have a FRENCH name?)
Acting: Gyllenhaal does satisfactory work as a Persian prince (although who knew lots of people in the ostensible Middle East had blue eyes?) and seems confident enough in the role. Arterton also does well enough (channeling Rachel Weisz's performance in the Mummy movies at time, but I was wondering how British accents ended up in the Middle East during the sixth century?) Add in Molina and Toussaint as basically a twist on a pirate and his henchman (think Han Solo and Chewbacca, or at least I did) as some comedy relief / muscle and your basic foursome moves the predictable plot along. Kingsley plays Kingsley. Has he done anything else since Gandhi? The only thing positive about his acting is that he didn't eat the scenery like Jeremy Irons is wont to do when he knows the film is popcorn fluff. The rest of the crew also perform decently enough to keep the audience in the film (okay, at this point basically no one has a Persian accent. They're either American or British. Is this a sign of things to come in the nineteenth/early twentieth centuries?)
Overall: Mediocre
Other Sites:
Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal * Gemma Arterton * Ben Kingsley * Alfred Molina * Steve Toussaint
Story: An orphan is taken off the streets to live with the King after he impresses the ruler with his skill and willingness to help another poor orphan. Years later, that same adopted prince (Gyllenhaal) accompanies his brothers on a mission against their enemy, but they are diverted to attack a neighboring city previously thought to be neutral. The prince is blamed for an assassination of the King and escapes with the ruler of the attacked city (Arterton). The prince discovers he has been deceived and sets out to right the wrongs done to him, his family, and both kingdoms.
Review: It's a forgettable action film in the vein of the Mummy movies by Stephen Sommers. A nice escapist film that won't engage too many brain cells.
Plot: The plot is simple and predictable. The adopted prince (who wowed the King with his parkour abilities) acts against his conscience and supports his brothers in an ill-advised attack on a neutral city. During the celebration, the king is murdered, the brothers assume it's Dastan (Gyllenhaal, although I kept thinking Dustan, as in "Dustan in the Wind") and order his arrest and execution. Dastan escapes, taking Princess Tamina (Arterton) with him for the predictable love-hate witticisms that accompany any such pairing, as well as escape attempts. Along the way they come across a Sheikh (Molina) and his bodyguard (Toussaint) who imprison them, they escape again, discover the true source of the conspiracy (Kingsley wants the magical dagger the Princess guarded), they escape again, team up with the Sheikh, try to find a way to stop the conspiracy, escape again, confront the presumptive king with the truth, are foiled, then fight the big fight against the end boss to save the world.
Sounds like a videogame, doesn't it?
Effects: There is some excellent stuntwork in the movie: the parkour sequences (there are at least five if not more - I stopped counting) are excellent and thrilling to watch. While the snake-fighting scenes are obviously CGI (who's willing to fight horned pit vipers for real?) they're quick, understandable and reasonably painless to watch. But the wonky CGI definitely pulls the viewer out of the film. Rubber faces, non-practical effects and the over-the-top battle scene near the end seem to be pulled straight out of a Sommers film. There are also a couple of bad edits - not the "which flap of the collar of the coat is on top?" version but the "hey, she was on his left a second ago" kind. Not a killer, but distracting.
(I just had a notion. Jackie Chan has been doing parkour-type work for YEARS. Why does this method of stunt-traveling have a FRENCH name?)
Acting: Gyllenhaal does satisfactory work as a Persian prince (although who knew lots of people in the ostensible Middle East had blue eyes?) and seems confident enough in the role. Arterton also does well enough (channeling Rachel Weisz's performance in the Mummy movies at time, but I was wondering how British accents ended up in the Middle East during the sixth century?) Add in Molina and Toussaint as basically a twist on a pirate and his henchman (think Han Solo and Chewbacca, or at least I did) as some comedy relief / muscle and your basic foursome moves the predictable plot along. Kingsley plays Kingsley. Has he done anything else since Gandhi? The only thing positive about his acting is that he didn't eat the scenery like Jeremy Irons is wont to do when he knows the film is popcorn fluff. The rest of the crew also perform decently enough to keep the audience in the film (okay, at this point basically no one has a Persian accent. They're either American or British. Is this a sign of things to come in the nineteenth/early twentieth centuries?)
Overall: Mediocre
Other Sites:
Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Friday, June 4, 2010
Splice (2010)
Premise: Two genetic scientists do what they shouldn't and add human DNA to their experiment.
Stars: Adrien Brody * Sarah Polley * Delphine Chanéac * David Hewlett
Story: Two genetic scientists, Elsa and Clive, are working on projects that may provide medical benefits to people suffering numerous maladies with a genetic basis. They experiment on creating new lifeforms combining genetic traits of several species and, intoxicated by their success, they decide to move to the next level and use human DNA. Unfortunately their program sponsor and their boss want to concentrate on retrieving products from the current creations and do not want to move forward without gaining the support of the shareholders.
The scientists move forward on their own, creating a human hybrid named Dren.
Review: While the technology and attitude is cutting edge, the film is a definite throwback to the moral tale of the first Frankenstein film. While the scientists are human and the hybrid is definitely not - chicken legs, four fingers, eventually wings, and a tail with a venomous stinger - it is the hybrid that earns the sympathy of the viewer. This film is definitely a notch above the typical "mad scientist" flick of the past decade or so (eg. Mimic, Species).
Adrien Brody (Clive) and Sarah Polley (Elsa) - references to the original scientist and his bride from Frankenstein - put in strong performances as the two scientists. Dressed in the trappings of geek culture - T-shirts and jackets, an AMC Pacer for a car, anime posters, etc. - the two scientists are also lovers and are simultaneously dreaming of a better place for themselves, as well as pushing the boundaries of science for the betterment of mankind. There is an ongoing dialogue regarding self-discovery of themselves and a growing realization of the harm they've done to themselves, to their research, and to the new lifeform, named Dren.
Dren really steals the show, as the monster did in Frankenstein. From its first appearance as a defensive lifepod (carrying Dren) to the rabbit-chicken infant, the creature moves from something to be feared and destroyed to an "almost cute" and needing to be examined and protected. As Dren grows, the girl-like appearance draws the viewer in as she is incapable of speech but clearly demonstrates emotions and intelligence. When the secrecy surrounding her is threatened by the scientists' boss (played by David Hewlett, Rodney of Stargate: Atlantis fame), the pair move the child to Elsa's old family farm.
Once there, the film focuses on the emotional development of the now young-adult Dren (Chanéac) and her relationships with her "parents". We can see the frustration on her face as she yearns to be outside the farm, to experience life without being chained or hidden. Yet the film doesn't play on the typical "Why am I not like other people" trope that many other films have used. Dren knows she's different but simply wants to feel sunlight and freedom.
One of the strengths of the film is that as we watch Dren develop through the film, the relationship between Elsa and Clive also changes; additional character traits are shown and their relationship moves from ecstatic scientists reveling in creation (like new parents) to fears over what they have done (for the future, for themselves) to loving Dren as an actual child. The strength of the casting is clearly on display - from Brody's anguished spontaneous attempt to kill Dren, to Polley's just-below-the-surface madness as she tries to control Dren.
There are a few horrific moments in the film that will place the viewer on the edge of their seats, but the slow-burn of the film and the great character development is a great counterweight. While I expected simply another "genetic experiment gone awry" like the earlier films, it was a pleasant surprise to see a true throwback to the classics.
Definitely a great modern take on the classic Frankenstein. Easily recommended.
Overall: Good
Other Sites: Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Adrien Brody * Sarah Polley * Delphine Chanéac * David Hewlett
Story: Two genetic scientists, Elsa and Clive, are working on projects that may provide medical benefits to people suffering numerous maladies with a genetic basis. They experiment on creating new lifeforms combining genetic traits of several species and, intoxicated by their success, they decide to move to the next level and use human DNA. Unfortunately their program sponsor and their boss want to concentrate on retrieving products from the current creations and do not want to move forward without gaining the support of the shareholders.
The scientists move forward on their own, creating a human hybrid named Dren.
Review: While the technology and attitude is cutting edge, the film is a definite throwback to the moral tale of the first Frankenstein film. While the scientists are human and the hybrid is definitely not - chicken legs, four fingers, eventually wings, and a tail with a venomous stinger - it is the hybrid that earns the sympathy of the viewer. This film is definitely a notch above the typical "mad scientist" flick of the past decade or so (eg. Mimic, Species).
Adrien Brody (Clive) and Sarah Polley (Elsa) - references to the original scientist and his bride from Frankenstein - put in strong performances as the two scientists. Dressed in the trappings of geek culture - T-shirts and jackets, an AMC Pacer for a car, anime posters, etc. - the two scientists are also lovers and are simultaneously dreaming of a better place for themselves, as well as pushing the boundaries of science for the betterment of mankind. There is an ongoing dialogue regarding self-discovery of themselves and a growing realization of the harm they've done to themselves, to their research, and to the new lifeform, named Dren.
Dren really steals the show, as the monster did in Frankenstein. From its first appearance as a defensive lifepod (carrying Dren) to the rabbit-chicken infant, the creature moves from something to be feared and destroyed to an "almost cute" and needing to be examined and protected. As Dren grows, the girl-like appearance draws the viewer in as she is incapable of speech but clearly demonstrates emotions and intelligence. When the secrecy surrounding her is threatened by the scientists' boss (played by David Hewlett, Rodney of Stargate: Atlantis fame), the pair move the child to Elsa's old family farm.
Once there, the film focuses on the emotional development of the now young-adult Dren (Chanéac) and her relationships with her "parents". We can see the frustration on her face as she yearns to be outside the farm, to experience life without being chained or hidden. Yet the film doesn't play on the typical "Why am I not like other people" trope that many other films have used. Dren knows she's different but simply wants to feel sunlight and freedom.
One of the strengths of the film is that as we watch Dren develop through the film, the relationship between Elsa and Clive also changes; additional character traits are shown and their relationship moves from ecstatic scientists reveling in creation (like new parents) to fears over what they have done (for the future, for themselves) to loving Dren as an actual child. The strength of the casting is clearly on display - from Brody's anguished spontaneous attempt to kill Dren, to Polley's just-below-the-surface madness as she tries to control Dren.
There are a few horrific moments in the film that will place the viewer on the edge of their seats, but the slow-burn of the film and the great character development is a great counterweight. While I expected simply another "genetic experiment gone awry" like the earlier films, it was a pleasant surprise to see a true throwback to the classics.
Definitely a great modern take on the classic Frankenstein. Easily recommended.
Overall: Good
Other Sites: Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)