For a Good Time, Call...

Movie Name: For a Good Time, Call...
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Jamie Travis

Stars: Ari Graynor, Lauren Miller, Justin Long, Mark Webber, James Wolk, Mimi Rogers, Don McManus, Steven Shaw, Kevin Smith, Ken Marino, Sugar Lyn Beard, Seth Rogen

Genre: Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

"For a Good Time, Call..." follows the story of two young women in New York, who met each other many years ago, disliked each other and now by force of circumstances, find themselves having to share an apartment. Lauren, comes from a well off family and is trying to get a good job in publishing, while Katie, is living in her late grandmother's apartment, and making ends meet by working as a phone sex operator. Lauren ends up having to forge a partnership with Katie, and both women learn to tolerate and furthermore support and love each other.
Jamie Travis' debut film is a quirky and sweetly written comedy, which hides a very tender heart behind it's raunchy sex-related humor. The film follows the standard pairing of opposing personalities, namely the uptight girl, versus the more liberated one, both of whom eventually find out that their common ground is a lot more profound than what initially separated them. If the screenplay itself holds no particular fresh insight, the actors really bring it to life and are the key anchors of this independent comedy. Ari Graynor in particular holds the film together - she's a natural and vibrant force as the loud mouth Katie, who deep down has yet to know so much about love. The supporting cameos from Justin Long, Kevin Smith and Mimi Rogers, just add an extra bonus of hilarity. A cute little film worth watching!

ParaNorman

Movie Name: ParaNorman
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Chris Butler, Sam Fell

Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, Bernard Hill, Jodelle Ferland, Tempestt Bledsoe

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

"ParaNorman" follows the story of Norman Babcock, a young boy who has the unusual capability of seeing ghosts. Norman's family doesn't believe in his different capabilities, and at school his colleagues mock him and ostracize him. Norman's uncle, unexpectedly appears and warns him about a curse, one that affects the small town where Norman lives. It's up to Norman and his new found group of friends, to prevent the curse from occurring and to restore peace to the small town.
"ParaNorman" is the joint effort from Chris Butler and Sam Fell, both with previous experience in animation, but who tackle with this feature, the challenge that is creating a stop-motion animated film. The film is simultaneously an homage to the features of Stuart Gordon (who directed the cult horror film "Re-Animator"), but also a heartfelt trip to the memories of the Hammer films (which featured Christopher Lee for instance). The simultaneous existence of the reverence for the familiar horror/suspense structure and the comedy that is distilled throughout the film, make this a compelling animated feature. Though there is the conventional undertone of the young hero coming to terms with his own difference and being accepted by his family, the overall tone of the film is still unique and original. The design of the characters should also be highlighted, and the special effects give an extra dimension to the overall film. A small gem worth watching.

Cosmopolis

Movie Name: Cosmopolis
Year of Release: 2012

Director: David Cronenberg

Stars: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon, Mathieu Amalric, Jay Baruchel, Kevin Durand, Samantha Morton, Paul Giamatti, Emily Hampshire, Philip Nozuka

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:

Director David Cronenberg follows 2011's "A Dangerous Method", with a totally different setting, based on the book of Don DeLillo of the same name, "Cosmopolis". The film follows the story of Eric Packer, a young billionaire who decides to go and have a haircut, but due to complicated traffic the journey ends up lasting the whole day. During the day, Eric keeps meeting different people on his limousine, who challenge him, question him and finally end up confronting him with his sense of life and mortality.
David Cronenberg is a fantastically gifted director, one who has built a unique career, made of interesting and challenging films. "Cosmopolis" is an adaptation of the novel from Don DeLillo, and the film ends up being a reflection on the state of most economies and how easily people get elevated to statuses which are devoid of any meaning. The young billionaire at the core of this deambulation, goes through his day, trying to connect to a wife he doesn't know, a mistress who understands him all too well, and a variety of characters that reflect not only himself, but the state of society. The film exists mostly as a general reflection of society, and not necessarily as a narrative with characters who exist as more than "types". That in itself ends up being the limitation of the film - the characters don't really interact with each other - they reflect on different themes. This makes for a cold and detached experience. The supporting cast is uniformly good, particularly Samantha Morton and Paul Giamatti, who bring some humanity to the film. A flawed yet interesting film.

The Bourne Legacy

Movie Name: The Bourne Legacy
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Tony Gilroy

Stars: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach, Donna Murphy, David Strathairn, Joan Allen, Albert Finney, Oscar Isaac, Zeljko Ivanek, Scott Glenn, Corey Johnson

Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:

Writer and director Tony Gilroy is back, continuing the "Bourne" saga for which he has written the previous three installments (for directors Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass). The film follows the story of Aaron Cross, who similarly to Jason Bourne, is an agent under the highly secretive program Treadstone. The people responsible for the program are all trying to contain the information from becoming public, and in the process, are eliminating all the supporting players, including agents. Aaron is one of the targets, though he manages to elude his captors and pursue a doctor who may be able to assist him uncovering the whole ordeal and save his own life. Aaron and Marta go on the run from the entire agency and other agents that are trying to eliminate them.
Tony Gilroy has a long career as a screenwriter, and knows the Bourne saga quite well. The main issue with extending the series which had Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass at the helm, is the lack of the sense of urgency and gripping characters the previous films had (not to mention the strong hand from director Paul Greengrass). "The Bourne Legacy" tries to build many bridges between the new characters and the events that surrounded the previous films, but ends up being a convoluted mess, that doesn't provide any further motivation or understanding of the main characters, that are after all, the core of this new film. The film tries quite hard to explain the ramifications of the conspiracies (trying to echo the 70s conspiracy thrillers, such as Sidney Pollack's "Three Days of the Condor"), but ultimately the characters are simply not as engaging, and their relationships not really developed. The film has a fantastic cast, namely Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton, but they simply can't elevate the film to the levels of the previous ones. A missed opportunity.

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Total Recall

Movie Name: Total Recall
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Len Wiseman

Stars: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine, Bill Nighy, John Cho, Will Yun Lee, Milton Barnes

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Len Wiseman's career as a director of big and entertaining action films continues, after his hit with "Live Free or Die Hard". "Total Recall" is another interpretation of the Philip K. Dick short story, which was also the base for Paul Verhoeven's film which came out in 1990. The film follows the story of Douglas Quaid, a worker in a factory whose life is mundane and trivial. Doug always feels as if though his life is meant for something more grandiose, and decides to go to Rekall, and get some memory implants. He soon realizes that he is a secret agent, whose task resides in aiding the resistance fighting a large corporation that wishes to destroy a colony for the sole purpose of profit.
Len Wiseman is an intelligent director, one who clearly inspires himself with the work and vision not just from the author himself, but also from other films and filmmakers. He distills and creates a vision that is unique and original. What "Total Recall" misses in terms of character development, it makes up in an original view of a future where greed dominates everything, one where the problems of social co-existence have become chronically troublesome. The film has hints and nods to Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner", Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report" and even Alex Proya's "I, Robot" (two of them based on the work from the same author). The film has a stunning production design and cinematography, fantastic special effects, and three great actors in key roles, namely Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale (who makes a really awesomely gifted villain) and Bryan Cranston. A very entertaining film worth watching!

The Dark Knight Rises

Movie Name: The Dark Knight Rises
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Christopher Nolan

Stars: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Matthew Modine, Ben Mendelsohn, Daniel Sunjata, Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Brett Cullen, Nestor Carbonell, Juno Temple

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

Following the huge critical and commercial success of "Inception" and "The Dark Knight", director Christopher Nolan is back with his final chapter in the interpretation of the Batman character. The film picks up 8 years after the events of the "The Dark Knight", and Gotham City has become a more orderly city. Bruce Wayne has become a recluse and tends to his wounds. However a new menace comes to the city in the shape of Bane, a criminal mastermind, who battles Batman on equal terms, and who has resources which enable him to take over the city and hold it ransom. It's up to Bruce Wayne/Batman, to rise above all his limitations and with the help of old and new allies, save the city and it's inhabitants.
Christopher Nolan is back expanding on the themes of his previous Batman film, namely the deterioration of the economic and social tissues of society. Batman is a haunted figure, now battered by the fights he has fought, a recluse who has to deal with a menace that looms over the entire city, and over him and his personal well being (as well as survival). The film feels very much like an extension of the previous one, a closure to a path that the character of Bruce Wayne started with "Batman Begins". The film is very successful in building a momentum and a tension that grows progressively, anchored in actors that are uniformly good and solid. The film does feel a bit contrived and forced in certain sections, but the overall spectacle that the director builds, far surpasses the shortcomings of some characters. Special highlights should also be given to Wally Pfister's cinematography and the impeccable special effects. A solid and entertaining film worth watching.

The Queen of Versailles

Movie Name: The Queen of Versailles
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Lauren Greenfield

Genre: Documentary

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Director Lauren Greenfield who previously directed the documentary "Thin", is back with a look at the  economic collapse of 2008, through a family who was directed affected by it on a very large scale. The documentary focuses on David Siegel and his wife Jackie, who up to 2008 were living a millionaire life and who became well known for building the largest privately owned home in the USA. David Siegel made his fortune in time-sharing, and alongside his third wife Jackie, embarked on the construction of a large home in Orlando, which aimed to replicate the Palace of Versailles in France. The economic collapse of 2008 left Siegel's finances in shambles, and the future of his house under severe uncertainty.
Lauren Greenfield's documentary is an interesting look into the mechanics of not just the economic collapse we are all still experiencing, but how consumerism dominates so much of our current society. Observing the lives of a family who has so much, and who simply flounders and is unable to cope with the new constraints of a reality who has changed, is very much like looking at so many families who exist all around the globe (though the scale of wealth is considerably different). What makes this documentary so pertinent to these days, is essentially the view it shows of how most people live their lives beyond their realistic capabilities/resources, and how deep down, everyone has ambitions which are so similar (no matter where you come from). A great documentary worth watching.

To Rome With Love

Movie Name: To Rome with Love
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Woody Allen

Stars: Woody Allen, Judy Davis, Alec Baldwin, Penelope Cruz, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Alison Pill, Roberto Benigni, Flavio Parenti, Alessandro Tiberi, Alessandra Mastronardi, Carol Alt, Ornella Muti, Corrado Fortuna

Genre: Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

Woody Allen is back with his regular one film per year output that has been a staple of his since the 70s (which makes him a very prolific filmmaker). "To Rome with Love" is a film with a series of vignettes, following different characters in the city. One of the stories centers on Hayley, a young American tourist who falls in love with an Italian attorney, whose parents come to the city to meet her future husband and in-laws. Another story centers on John, who revisits a younger version of himself in that city, and his tribulations with love and two different women. Another vignette focuses on Leopoldo, a clerk who becomes the center of attention of the media, who constantly harass him. And finally another story that follows a young couple on their first trip to Rome, who get lost from each other, and who come to terms with what they want out of life.
"To Rome with Love" is one of Woody Allen's lighter comedies, filled with entertaining moments, stunning cinematography and great actors. It's a film that touches some of his usual themes, namely death, love, the nature of relationships and sex. It's also a comedy filled with his surreal moments that really brings back memory of his full blown parodies from the 70s. The film doesn't add anything in particular to his body of work, but it's a nice interlude with great actors doing what they do best, namely Judy Davis and Penelope Cruz, who play their usually characters, namely the slightly neurotic woman and the voluptuous temptress respectively, impeccably well. An entertaining film worth checking out.

Savages

Movie Name: Savages
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Oliver Stone

Stars: Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, Blake Lively, Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro, John Travolta, Emile Hirsch, Demian Bichir,  Joel David Moore, Sandra Echeverria

Genre: Thriller, Crime, Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

Director Oliver Stone is back, following his sequel to his own successful film "Wall Street". "Savages" is a return to a style the director knows quite well, having directed the fantastic "Natural Born Killers" and the less seen, but equally interesting, "U-Turn". "Savages" follows the story of Chon and Ben, best friends who have a small business in California selling drugs. Their business draws attention from a big drug cartel based out of Mexico, which is run by ruthless Elena, who wants to take over their little operation. In order to impose her orders, Elena has Ophelia, the girlfriend of both Chon and Ben, kidnapped. What follows is Chon and Ben's attempts to get Ophelia back and get out of the business.
"Savages" is an adaptation of Don Winslow's novel. The film is graphic in the depiction that it makes of violence, but at it's core, tries to showcase the bond between the three main characters (and their need to save each other). That is precisely where the problem with the film lies: none of the actors who embody the central characters transmit a sense of credibility to the whole story. The central characters are suppose to be a small family unit, one where the bond is strong and where the chemistry is palpable, however, the more engaging characters end up being the supporting ones, embodied by Salma Hayek and Benicio Del Toro. The story itself is vividly depicted by Oliver Stone, who again saturates the screen with an energy seen in his previous films, however the poor casting for the central leads ends up making the film feel impoverished, particularly with the numb Blake Lively, who simply can't act. Ophelia is suppose to be an energetic and beautiful California girl, but in the hands of Blake Lively, she becomes a comatose and flat character, something that taints the film itself. An interesting film that deserved better casting.

The Amazing Spider Man

Movie Name: The Amazing Spider Man

Year of Release: 2012

Director: Marc Webb

Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan,  Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Chris Zylka, Max Charles, C. Thomas Howell, Kari Coleman

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

Marc Webb's second feature after his great debut, "500 Days of Summer", is a retelling of the story of the iconic Spider Man. The film follows the story of young Peter Parker, whose parents leave unexpectedly one evening, leaving him with his uncle and aunt, who become surrogate parents after his own die in a car accident. Peter grows up to be a highly intelligent, but timid adolescent, who stands up for what he believes, sometimes at a risk of being bullied. After visiting the lab and a scientist colleague of his late father, Peter is accidentally bitten by a radioactive spider, which gives him some extraordinary powers. Peter also discovers some research his late father was developing, which he successfully adds information to, enabling his father's former colleague to develop a serum. This serum ends up turning him into a monster, something Spider Man has to battle to save his closest loved ones.
Marc Webb's take on the classic Marvel Comics character, tries to balance three interesting components in the story of Spider Man: the awkward teenage years, the first love of two adolescents and the big action picture with a lot of special effects. The mix of these components is the main problem with the film - the director aims to create more than standard flat characters, something he and his great actors successfully achieve, but the problem of the film is the mix of this component with the more spectacle side of a comic book or adventure film for that matter. The fantastic special effects aren't enough to hide the fact that ultimately, the villain in this story presents no real menace and the action set pieces feel inserted into a story that was told very differently (the tone is more akin to a romantic film). This is a different Spider Man (even the origin story is told somewhat differently), but one that still needs to find a better balance between character development and action/special effects extravaganza.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Movie Name: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Stars: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jimmi Simpson, Rufus Sewell, Martin Csokas, Erin Wasson, Joseph Mawle, Robin McLeavy, John Rothman, Alan Tudyk

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Horror

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:

Russian director Timur Bekmambetov experienced his biggest hit to date with "Wanted", which was an adaptation of a comic book by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones. "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is the adaptation of the novel from the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith (who also co-wrote the screenplay of Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows"). The film introduces the audience to young Abraham Lincoln, who loses his mother following an attack by a vampire. Young Abraham grows up and tries to avenge his mother's death, upon which he is tutored by Henry Sturgess, a vampire himself, in the art of killing the undead. Lincoln, becomes a resourceful vampire hunter, but also studies to become an attorney and gets involved in politics. As the years move on, Lincoln becomes president of the United States, and leads the movement to abolish slavery, something that the vampires want to stop at all costs.
"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is a film that holds an interesting premise - mixing an iconic historical character, with fictitious events that would allow to bring out an adventuresome angle to the whole story. However, the film ends up faltering precisely due to an unresolved screenplay. The director decides to create two major action set pieces within the story, both involving battles with vampires, but both cases are underwhelming. Abraham Lincoln, even as an adventurer never really comes alive, the same going for any of the other supporting characters - they are all uni dimensional (even the vampire villains are... bloodless). Where the film does come alive are in the fantastically staged action scenes, where the visuals are indeed superb. An interesting premise that deserved a better screenplay.

Moonrise Kingdom

Movie Name: Moonrise Kingdom

Year of Release: 2012

Director: Wes Anderson

Stars: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban, Harvey Keitel, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, L.J. Foley, Jake Ryan, Charlie  Kilgore, Gabriel Rush

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

After the wonderful "Fantastic Mr. Fox", director Wes Anderson is back to his traditional universe, populated by whimsical details and nostalgia for a time that has long gone. The film follows the story of two young kids, Sam and Suzy, who plot and runaway from their surroundings, in hopes of finding a sense of belonging. Sam lives with a foster family and is a cub-scout, whereas Suzy lives with her parents and three brothers in a huge house, where she feels lost and at odds with everyone. They both decide to run away, upon which a whirlwind of people find themselves on their tracks in order to restore some order to their lives.
The films of Wes Anderson are always about the journey that the main characters make. Be it journeys of growth into adulthood ("Rushmore") or journeys centered around family ("The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou", "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Darjeeling Limited"). The path is populated with interesting characters that make the journey colorful and interesting, which is where the core of his films lie. An interesting display of quirks and oddities of characters that are different, yet filled with insight and with a core that is, for the most part, decent and humane. Some of the characters are not strongly developed, but fit within the larger picture that is being built. "Moonrise Kingdom" is no different: the story of young love is punctuated with interesting characters (and situations) that surround the young children at the core of the story. The film has a wonderful cast, from the usual Bill Murray, but also the excellent Frances McDormand, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton. Another interesting film to the work of Wes Anderson. It will be interesting to see what comes next from his universe.

Prometheus

Movie Name: Prometheus

Year of Release: 2012

Director: Ridley Scott

Stars: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall Green, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Kate Dickie, Patrick Wilson, Emun Elliott, Benedict Wong, Lucy Hutchinson

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Suspense

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3

Synopsis:

Prolific director Ridley Scott is back, after his latest disappointing titles, "Body of Lies" and "Robin Hood". "Prometheus" is a prequel to the "Alien" saga, and tries to establish ties and connections to the events that occurred in the original "Alien" also directed by Ridley Scott. The film introduces us to a couple of researchers, Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway who discover ancient writings in a cave that point out to a civilization who are the creators of human life. The information gathered points out to a planet situated in a different galaxy. With a crew sponsored by the Weyland corporation, they set off to find out the birth of the human species, and end up discovering something quite different.
Ridley Scott is a master at creating environments and ambiances. "Prometheus" excels at building a futuristic landscape that is simultaneously alien, beautiful, but also vaguely menacing. The film is possessed of a beauty in terms of art direction, set design and perfect integration of special effects, however the characters and their arc/development is very limited. The screenplay has plenty of ambitions and lots of ideas, but forgets to populate it with characters that have some depth and some motivation. The actors have little to do, and Noomi Rapace never really brings the dimension and strength that Sigourney Weaver made so fully realized in the "Alien" saga. Charlize Theron is as always fantastic, but in the end, she has little to do. A high point should be made of the fantastic Michael Fassbender, who creates the unforgettable David. The film is a mixed result - for all it's connections to "Alien" (even in the design details), the screenplay is definitely not as accomplished as that classic ever was.

Snow White and The Huntsman

Movie Name: Snow White and The Huntsman

Year of Release: 2012

Director: Rupert Sanders

Stars: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Sam Spruell, Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan, Toby Jones, Noah Huntley, Lily Cole

Genre: Adventure, Action, Fantasy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:

Rupert Sanders' debut feature film, following a career in commercials, is the second project of the current year to tackle the Snow White fairytale (the first one was Tarsem Singh's "Mirror, Mirror"). The film follows the story of Snow White, whose father, the beloved king of a prosperous kingdom, marries a malevolent woman, who quickly kills him in order to seize the throne. Ravenna holds magic powers in her hands and wants to gain immortality. In order to vanquish all opposition, she has most of the king's supporters killed or banished, and imprisons Snow White. Once she reaches adulthood, Ravenna decides to consume her heart, in order to gain her much sought immortality. Snow White escapes to the Dark Forest, trying to elude her grim future.
Rupert Sanders clearly has a visual style, however in this film in particular, it tries to be many films simultaneously. There are influences from Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and also from Guillermo Del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth". The main problem with this film is that it tries too much to be many things and go in many directions without really embracing any. The screenplay simply doesn't go anywhere with any depth - the elements of fantasy aren't really embraced, nor are the more belligerent ones. The film has an uneven rhythm also - starting out quite dynamically and then leaving the main characters without much to do or say during most of the film. Another big problem in the film is Kristen Stewart, who simply doesn't have the acting ability to carry the character, who is asked to be simultaneously innocent but also iconic and charismatic. Charlize Theron ends up being the best thing about a film that definitely had a lot more promise than it finally delivers.