Newspaper Want-Ad reads: “Wanted – Someone to go back in time with me. You will get paid when we get back, must bring your own weapons, I have only done this once before, safety not guaranteed.” I was sold on this when the promos hit in March and am very happy to report that it does not disappoint. B+
Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni
Pixar has officially grown up. From thematic material, to skillset in animation. Brave represents Pixar animations greatest achievement in digital animation and unfortunately it’s greatest disappointment in story lines. It’s the first Pixar film to taut two Directors and the first one to prove that two heads are not better than one. C-
Brave!
No no, don’t turn away. Keep reading. This isn’t a joke. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter is the first film made from the wealth of historical/horror spoofs that have been hitting bookstores over the past few years (Sense and Sensibilities and Seamonsters, anyone?) Thankfully, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter rises above it’s one-joke premise and delivers a spine-tingling rush of action that makes it a perfect summer treat.
“History prefers legends to men”, Lincoln says in voiceover as the film begins, and it’s the truth regardless of our current obsession with reality television. We love to stare at the glorious enormity of the Lincoln Memorial, but beyond the stovepipe hat & trusty axe, what do we really know about the man? The screenplay (and novel on which this film is based) from Seth Grahame-Smith (The Hard Times of RJ Berger) gives us a possibility. Sure, it’s a far-out fabrication, but there’s also a love of country and a desire for the freedom of all people tucked in there that got to me. Sure, it’s produced by Tim Burton, but it doesn’t have the wacky Burton/Depp-ness that has fallen flat of late (Dark Shadows anyone? Anyone?)
I look at foreign films with subtitles as I would any film in my native tongue; is it an interesting movie? Will I be drawn in? Reading bits at the bottom of a screen has never been a problem for me if the film is good. So if you’re on the fence about The Intouchables (a French film that has become so popular that it’s France’s highest-grossing non-English language film) don’t worry about reading. This film will suck you in, and before long you’ll be eagerly awaiting the next bit of text. Like champagne — another import from France I adore — The Intouchables is a bubbly bit of fun with just the right balance of bitter and sweet.
I pride myself on being a woman of my word. When I reviewed Mirror, Mirror back in March, I vowed that I would continue my ride on the fairy-tale bandwagon all the way to seeing Snow White and the Huntsman. And that I did. I cannot say that it exceeded my expectations, because I am not sure that anything involving Kristen Stewart ever will; however, it did meet said expectations, and I was certainly pleased with the outcome. The film succeeded at creating a darker and deeper version of the classic Grimm Brothers tale, and did its best to allot a third-dimension to its respective characters. From start to finish, the picture was beautiful visually, save for a few elements of the Dark Forrest that I could have done without (but an aversion to snakes is purely personal). Now, I could regurgitate a story that we have all heard over and over again (especially as of late), but I think it would be more exciting—at least for me— if I tell you exactly what sets this adaptation of Snow White apart from its television and cinematic predecessors.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since the original Men In Black (MiB) hit the big screen. And harder still to realize that it’s been 10 years since Men In Black II (MIIB). I must have been neuralized or something. Luckily all the years fall away once Will Smith’s Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones’ Agent K show up on screen in Men In Black 3 (MiB3). Luckier still is that Josh Brolin does such a wonderful job as the younger Agent K; what could have been a hammy mimic performance that shot this movie in the foot instead breathes life into the series. Yeah it’s the same old “Save The World” story we’ve seen before, but it’s just as much fun this time around.
I don’t even know where to start when it comes to Kirk Jone’s What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Ironically, I don’t think that Kirk Jones knew where to start either. WTEWYE is a mess with too many plots, too many characters, and too much going on. It’s another one of those movies that takes the formula that Paul Haggis used with Crash and turns it into a comedy. It didn’t work with Gary Marshall’s Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve movies and it doesn’t work here either.
I guess no one learned that sometimes too much is just too much.
Beth (Diane Keaton) is a woman that is coming to terms with her empty nest. Her kids are growing up, marrying and starting lives of their own. Well, Grace (Elizabeth Moss) isn’t going anywhere, or so she insists. So when Beth and Grace find an injured dog by the side of the freeway, it’s probably kismet. Beth’s husband Joseph (Kevin Kline) isn’t happy about the new addition, but the dog — christened “Freeway” — soon becomes a part of the family. So when Freeway is lost in the woods, family and friends all do their best to find him. Poor puppeh!
When I read the summary for Darling Companion, I jumped at the chance to review it. Then I saw that it was by Lawrence Kasdan, director of one of my favorite movies, The Big Chill, and screenwriter for my nerd addictions Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, (part of what I like to think of as The Good Trilogy) and Raiders of the Lost Ark. I tried not to get too excited for fear of building things up too much in my head. I needn’t have worried; Darling Companion had me harkening back to my favorite feel-good films, like Baby Boom, In & Out, and yes, The Big Chill.
Friends Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling wrote Sound of My Voice as a reaction to the shock they had felt moving to Southern California. We’ve all heard about how everyone seems to be searching for something in the bright Cali sun, and here, in Sound of My Voice, is a breathtaking look at how far some people will go to belong to something. Utterly mesmerizing and beautifully acted, this is a hauntingly brilliant film that leaves you with more questions than answers. Instead of tying things up with a bow, Sound of My Voice lets you draw your own conclusions; a brave piece of filmmaking that stands out among most of today’s cookie-cutter productions. This is the movie Martha Marcy May Marlene wanted to be but just missed.
Written by Jason Segel and Nick Stoller, who also directed the movie, The Five Year Engagement should be the movie that makes you want to laugh so loud that your body will breakdown from all the shaking going on. Between the two of them we’ve seen plenty of brilliantly written movies over the years – Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Muppetts, Fun with Dick and Jane. Add to that long time Segel fan and friend Judd Apatow as the Producer behind this and other movies such as Bridesmaids, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The 40-Year Old Virgin, and Pineapple Express and you’d think that this would be the recipe for another hit. Yet The Five Year Engagement falls flat and can’t really seem to shake itself out to become the movie we want it to be.
The plot is relatively simple. Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) have been dating for a year after meeting on News Year’s Eve. On that very night a year later, Tom and Violet get engaged. However the twist is that they don’t have any plans for their wedding and thus have ups and downs over a five year stretch on their way to the “big day.”
So what could go wrong with this premise? Answer: A lot!
