Sucker Punch

Movie name: Sucker Punch
Year of release: 2011
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm, Scott Glenn, Richard Cetrone, Gerard Plunkett
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3

Synopsis:Zack Snyder is a director who has had a consistent output of films since his debut in 2004 with the remake of George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead". He followed that film with the successful "300" who allowed him to tackle "Watchmen" and last year's animated tale "Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole". If his films thus far have been met with different levels of success, both critical and of audience, one thing remains undisputed: his visual flair and visual detail are impressive and effective. The major flaw that somehow is also the common thread to all his films seems to always be the same: the screenplays are usually thin as far as character development is concerned.
"Sucker Punch" follows the story of Baby Doll. After the death of her mother, the young woman is left by herself with her younger sister. Both of them are left at the mercy of a monstrous stepfather, who tries to abuse the younger girl, upon which Baby Doll attacks back and is placed against her will in an asylum for mental patients, where she is going to be lobotomized. Before that procedure takes place, Baby Doll has a week to devise a getaway plan. She enlists the help of other young women who are also patients in the asylum. Escaping from the grim reality through her imagination, the young women slowly but steadily try to achieve their goal.
Zack Snyder with "Sucker Punch" tries his hand at writing an original story - one that is about female empowerment and the capability to find your own voice even in the harshest environments. The main problem with this story is how little his main characters are developed. You never understand where they come from, why they are in the asylum, not to mention characters who seem to exist without any purpose besides giving away plot points. To anchor the story in the domain of one's mind is no easy feat - Christopher Nolan did achieve it with "Inception" - but Zach Snyder seems to have forgotten that in order for the viewer to get invested in what's happening, there has to be more than beautiful visuals: there has to be a soul.
The film has a certain depth mostly thanks to Abbie Cornish's performance and character, who seems to be the only one who is trying to give her character some more dimension besides the cliches that seem to populate the story. Visually the film is impressive and beautiful - the cinematography of Larry Fong is stunning and the soundtrack is well chosen. A mixed experience, this is a film that would largely benefit from a far more developed screenplay.

Battle: Los Angeles

Movie name: Battle: Los Angeles
Year of release: 2011
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Stars: Aaron Eckart, Michelle Rodriguez, Cory Hardrict, Gino Anthony Pesi, Ne-Yo, Bridget Moynahan, James Hiroyuki Liao, Michael Pena
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3

Synopsis:Jonathan Liebesman's career started in his native country of South Africa and afterwards his career moved rapidly within the ranks of Hollywood. He has directed poorly received films such as "Darkness Falls" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning", but films who managed to make some decent money at the box office. "Battle: LA" follows the story of Sergeant Michael Nantz and his platoon, who tackle the invasion of LA and Earth from an alien invasion. The aliens have invaded the planet for water and though humans fight back, their resources are fewer and the technology of their opponents is far more advanced. Sergeant's Nantz platoon however finds a way to expose their weaknesses and the humans counter-attack.
"Battle: LA" tries to be several films combined at the same time. Jonathan Liebesman joins elements of Roland Emmerich's "Independence Day", with Kathryn Bigelow's "Hurt Locker" and Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down", but this mesh comes across as something that is filled with cliches that have been seen in countless other films. While Neill Blomkamp's "District 9" was original in the depiction of an alien invasion/existence, "Battle: LA" exists solely with the purpose of displaying paper thin characters handling guns. Aaron Eckart tries to create a strong character with his portrayal of Sergeant Nantz, a man with a past, carrying a huge burden, but his efforts are not enough, for a film that is ultimately underwhelming. The special effects, usually the draw for films of this kind, also feel under produced. A sadly missed opportunity.

The Adjustment Bureau

Movie name: The Adjustment Bureau
Year of release: 2010
Director: George Nolfi
Stars: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Michael Kelly, Terence Stamp, John Slattery, Jennifer Ehle, Brian Haley, David Alan Basche, Anthony Ruivivar
Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:George Nolfi's directorial debut, adapts a story from Philip K. Dick, the science fiction author, whose work has been adapted to films like Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner", Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report" and Paul Verhoeven's "Total Recall" to name but a few. George Nolfi has made a name for himself as a writer, having written films as Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's Twelve" and Paul Greengrass' "The Bourne Ultimatum". "The Adjustment Bureau" follows the story of David Norris, a young congressman who casually meets a woman by the name of Elise. Upon their encounter both of them fall in love, which causes for a strange group of men to appear before David and tell him that their relationship is not to happen. These men, their bureau, controls the fate of men, and the relationship of David and Elise is against their designs. David decides against everything and all odds and goes after Elise.
George Nolfi's debut feature is an elegant film, one where the thriller elements are downsized for the romance that flourishes between the two main characters. David's quest for his true love, goes against everything, against a fate that is established. As in most Philip K. Dick's stories, the lone hero is a voice of antagonism in a world dominated by a larger establishment. George Nolfi's direction is a classic one, elegant and reminiscent of films like Stanley Donen's "Charade". Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are great in their roles, with a visible chemistry that makes the story utterly convincing. The soundtrack from Thomas Newman is beautiful as usual, as is the cinematography of John Toll. A great debut feature.

Rango

Movie name: Rango
Year of release: 2011
Director: Gore Verbinski
Stars: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Harry Dean Stanton, Timothy Olyphant, Ray Winstone, Ian Abercrombie
Genre: Comedy, Animation
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:Gore Verbinski has made a name for himself with two largely successful franchises, "The Ring" and "The Pirates of the Caribbean". Following the disappointing "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", "Rango" is a return to form, in a film that is fantastically well animated and that is a visual stunning experience.
The film follows the story of a domesticated chameleon, who due to an accident, finds himself lost in the middle of the Mojave desert. Rango, as he calls himself, finds a small town called Dirt, where all the creatures living there, are desperate for water. The mayor of the city, controls the city through water rations, but ultimately has other plans for it. Rango showing up and becoming the city's law, changes everything.
The film follows the traditional western genre, clearly utilizing the pattern of the Sergio Leone films with Clint Eastwood: the stranger without a name that comes to town to establish law. The film is also an ode to friendship and overcoming one's self doubts, something that is traditional in Disney films, but here is presented in the western context. The animation from Industrial Light and Magic is stunning, with the details of all the textures simply breathless. All the voices are fantastic, but Johnny Depp clearly relishes his role as Rango and imbues it with a lot of humor. This film is stunning in it's design, storytelling and animation. A gem!

Cedar Rapids

Movie name: Cedar Rapids
Year of release: 2011
Director: Miguel Arteta
Stars: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Root, Kurtwood Smith, Alia Shawkat, Rob Corddry, Mike O'Malley
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:
Miguel Arteta's new film following "Youth in Revolt", follows the story of insurance salesman Tim Lippe. Tim is an idealistic man, living in a small town, having an affair with his much older, high school teacher Macy, whom he loves. Following the accidental death of a co-worker, Tim gets sent to a convention in Cedar Rapids, where he has to make a presentation and hopefully get an award for his insurance agency. Tim gets roomed with the extroverted Dean Ziegler and with the hard-working Ronald Wilkes and during his stay, he finally sees life from a different perspective and has fun like never before.
Miguel Arteta creates with "Cedar Rapids" a comedy that lives from the observations of people with simple dreams, who maintain their ideals and a certain naivete. Tim Lippe is a man who always lived a sheltered life, and who gets to experience life beyond his limits and boundaries. Tim gets tainted, but remains true to himself and his ideals. The film has a sweet irony to it's core and manages to feel heartfelt, most of it due to the wonderful cast, from Ed Helms, the always fantastic John C. Reilly, Anne Heche and of course, Sigourney Weaver. This film is a small gem waiting to be found.

I Am Number Four

Movie name: I Am Number Four
Year of release: 2010
Director: D.J. Caruso
Stars: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Callan McAuliffe, Kevin Durand, Jake Abel, Judith Hoag, Garrett M. Brown
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3

Synopsis:
The new film from director D.J. Caruso, following the huge hits of "Eagle Eye" and "Disturbia", is again targeted at a young audience. The film follows the story of John Smith, a young man whom we come to find out early on, is an alien possessed of great powers. John and 7 others are a group of selected young men and women, who have been entrusted with those powers to defend their planet of the attack of a hostile species. The first three of this special group are found and killed - John is the next and feeling the menace of exposure, and possibly extermination, he and his protector run off to Ohio. As John enrols in high school and meets the special Sarah, things get increasingly complicated with the appearance of his followers.
D.J. Caruso has made a name for himself as a director, starting with the underrated "The Salton Sea", after which he directed "Taking Lives" with Angelina Jolie. His latest two films were both considerable hits, produced by Dreamworks, who again backed up "I Am Number Four", alongside director/producer Michael Bay. The film is written as part of a serial, which in itself would not be a problem, if the characters existed and not just disappeared or have no consistency. The director tries to build momentum with the good special effects, but there's only so much that can be achieved - creating memorable entertainment requires a solid screenplay which clearly isn't here. There are plenty of cliches throughout the film and the acting for the most part is forgettable. A film not worth visiting.

Freeway

Movie name: Freeway
Year of release: 1996
Director: Matthew Bright
Stars:Reese Witherspoon, Kiefer Sutherland, Dan Hedaya, Wolfgang Bodison, Brooke Shields, Brittany Murphy, Alanna Ubach, Amanda Plummer, Michael T. Weiss, Tara Subkoff, Conchata Ferrell, Bokeem Woodbine
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:
Matthew Bright's career has thus far been a short one, with "Freeway" being his debut feature and his best effort. The film executive-produced by Oliver Stone, is a take/variation on the story of the Little Red Riding Hood, but with a contemporary edge to it. The film follows the story of Vanessa Lutz, a teenage girl with a messed family life. Her mom prostitutes herself and her step dad is trying to abuse her. When her mom and step dad get thrown in jail, Vanessa decides to go stay with her grandmother. On her way, her car breaks down and she hitches a ride with a man, who turns out to be a therapist. Or so he says, since Vanessa knows there's a psycho killing young girls on the road.
Matthew Bright's film is one populated with great character actors that really bring the story to life. Bright manages to create the story vivid, engaging and always dynamic. Though nothing particularly new is happening on screen, the sheer energy and enthusiasm of everyone involved makes the film enthralling. The Red Riding Hood story, which has been used in so many different films, gets a more urban scenario, with the wolf being replaced by a serial killer (which is a departure, considering for example Neil Jordan's "The Company of Wolves" which used the werewolf metaphor). The actors are also really vibrant, particularly Reese Witherspoon, who at this point wasn't known for her mediocre comedies, but for her actual acting talent. She creates a character that is hilarious and unforgettable, whereas Kiefer Sutherland, excels as the creepy killer. A hidden film worth discovering.

Mini Cooper Illustration

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Winter's Bone

Movie name: Winter's Bone
Year of release: 2010
Director: Debra Granik
Stars:Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Sheryl Lee, Garret Dillahunt, Lauren Sweetser, Dale Dickey, Tate Taylor
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:
Debra Granik's second film, "Winter's Bone" has been collecting accolades since it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2010. With 4 Oscar nominations the film has definitely achieved a critical acclaim that is certain to continue propelling her career forward.
The film follows the story of Ree, a teenage girl who lives with her mom and her two young siblings, in the remote area of the Ozarks. Ree's life suddenly changes when she's given notice that her father has placed their house and property as collateral for his bail, and that since he hasn't shown up for his hearing, her family is going to be evicted. Ree sets upon herself to find her father, trying to ask the unfriendly neighbors and family his whereabouts.
Debra Granik has chosen with "Winter's Bone" to track the life in the Ozarks, a remote area, where life is extremely difficult and where everyone is very closed up in terms of their social interactions. Ree, having grown up in that area, knows the difficulties she will have to encounter in order to get the answers she needs. Her mission is a difficult one, since her mother isn't capable of assisting her and her uncle is unwilling to provide much assistance, and is to a certain extend a menacing figure in the community. The young woman's resilience and her despair in not losing her family keep pushing her forward trying to find answers, placing her in danger, something that is emphasized by the people and by the location itself. Debra Granik chose to cast unknown actors and it pays off. Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic as the stoic Ree, as is John Hawkes as Teardrop. They give the film it's heart and edge. A good film worth watching.

Biutiful

Movie name: Biutiful
Year of release: 2010
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Stars:Javier Bardem, Maricel Alvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella, Cheng Tai Shen, Luo Jin, Ruben Ochandiano, Karra Elejalde, Eduard Fernandez
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:
Alejandro González Iñárritu's last two films were big critical successes, being nominated for several Oscars - "21 Grams" and "Babel". "Biutiful" comes again in the same vein as the previous ones, having been nominated for the Oscar for best Foreign Picture and best Actor for Javier Bardem. The film follows the story of Uxbal, a Spanish man who lives with his children in a small apartment in Barcelona. Uxbal lives of schemes, namely illegal African immigrants selling on the streets and Chinese immigrants working in construction. His ex-wife is bi-polar and can't control herself about basically anything, while his brother is involved in all sorts of illegal affairs and does drugs/alcohol non stop. Uxbal discovers his health is failing and his life starts to unravel as he tries to find a way to keep his young children safe and protected.
Iñárritu is a director who likes to probe the frailties of life, the apparent disconnections between people. With "Biutiful" he once again, explores a dramatic slice of life in Barcelona, one where corruption, extreme poverty and social decadence exist, as part of every day life (and he shoots it very documentary style). In this film he injects a spiritual/paranormal component that somehow lifts Uxbal from all that gruesome suffering and pain that surrounds him. This is a film where the pain of every day life is only balanced by the joy of small moments with the ones you love, in Uxbal's case, his two young children and the memories of his father. Javier Bardem carries this film with anguish, pain and such sadness, unlike any other role he has played before. He is, as always, excellent. This is a film, that beyond it's bleakness has something not many films these days do: a beating heart.

L'illusionniste/The Illusionist

Movie name: L'Illusionniste/The Illusionist
Year of release: 2010
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Stars:Jean-Claude Donda, EilidhRankin, Duncan MacNeil, Raymond Mearns, James T. Muir, Tom Urie, Paul Bandey
Genre: Animation
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:
Sylvain Chomet became well known with his awarded animated feature "The Triplets of Belleville", which was nominated for the Academy Award in 2003. His latest film adapts a screenplay from the fantastic Jacques Tati. The film follows the story of a magician who goes from city to city, playing small venues, trying to make ends meet. When he goes to a small town in Scotland, a young girl becomes fascinated with him and follows him to Edinburgh. They decide to stay in a small hotel, where the Illusionist tries to find odd jobs in order to maintain both of them.
Sylvain Chomet uses and designs the characters and situations in an homage to Jacques Tati's work. His Illusionist is trying his best to fit in a world that has moved along, one where magic probably has no place. His young companion for whom magic seems to be the freedom she aspires to, is his last connection to times that have passed by. This is a bittersweet tale, superbly designed and animated, filled with incredible details and a soundtrack that stays with you. A good film!

Somewhere

Movie name: Somewhere
Year of release: 2010
Director: Sofia Coppola
Stars:Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning, Chris Pontius, Michelle Monaghan, Laura Chiatti, Amanda Anka
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten: 6.5

Synopsis:
Following the flawed "Marie Antoinette" from 2006, Sofia Coppola went back to familiar territory with her latest film, "Somewhere". The film follows the life of American actor and star, Johnny Marco, as he goes through a series of random encounters with different women, while he stays at the Chateau Marmont. His daughter Chloe comes to stay with him, since her mother decides to take some time "off" without elaborating when she comes back. Left to take care of his daughter, Johnny is forced to reassess his own life.
"Somewhere" touches some similar ground that Sofia Coppola explored with her celebrated effort "Lost in Translation": the characters are drifting aimlessly in life, trying to find a path and a connection with someone. Both films explore the artificiality of the Hollywood life, but "Somewhere" slowly shows the angst and loneliness of the life of Johnny Marco, the big star, who hasn't been present for his daughter's life, and who all of a sudden is required to be there, be an adult and provide a support that he does not know how to deliver. Stephen Dorff does a great job playing the playboy actor who slowly starts to unravel and who feels the emptiness of his life. Elle Fanning does a good job playing his young daughter who is growing up and feels the loneliness of not having a real family support to anchor her life. The film also boasts a great cinematography from the usually fantastic Harris Savides. A good film worth seeing.

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Oscar 2010

The Oscar nominations are in. This year the list of films selected is uniformly good. Though the most surprising omission is Christopher Nolan's nomination for best director, the few highlights given to "Fair Game" is also surprising, as is the overload of nominations for "True Grit". You can check the full list of nominees here.

Golden Globes 2010

The Golden Globes have been awarded. This year most of the praise fell upon David Fincher's "The Social Network". The saddest omission was the foreign film award not going to "I Am Love". Onward to the Oscars. Check the results and winners here.