Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Devil In a Blue Dress (1995) Retro Review

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You know those movies that you keep buried in your backpocket in the event that you want to show a friend or significant other something they might not have seen? I have a few, but Devil In a Blue Dress is definitely one that I find myself referring more often than not. I pulled it out of the crates recently for the wife and I to watch and ended up appreciating it way more than the first time I saw it.

Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlings (Denzel Washington) is fortunate enough to be one of the few black men in 1940's California to own his own home. After getting fired from his job at a nearby plant, he is forced to take on a private investigating assignment in order to keep that home. His job is simple: Track down the whereabouts of a one Daphne Monet. The money is great, but it takes him down a road of intrigue and murder that he never expected. He has to get to the bottom of the mystery while warding off the cops, the crooked man that hired him, and two highly elected officials who also happen to be looking for Daphne.

The film can be confusing at times as it take a lot of twists and turns. It definitely requires your complete, undivided attention. It's a good thing that the mystery is so intriguing you can't help but pay all the attention you can afford. What begins as a film about a man trying to locate a missing person quickly turns into a story that you realize has multiple layers. Interesting Motives. Plots and subplots. It has everything you need to keep you glued to the television.

Denzel's performance was stellar as it typically tends to be. He's charming when he needs to be, but can flip the script in heartbeat and take on a more intense nature. His range never ceases to blow my mind. 

He slightly, and I mean just slightly, outdid Don Cheadle's performance as Mouse, Easy's crazy, reckless friend from Houston. Anytime Mouse was in a scene it meant that trouble could happen at any moment. Seventy-seven seconds. That's literally how long he was on screen before he shot his first person. Clearly a man that doesn't have time to waste, his hastiness is also endearing as he is willing to rush to a friend's aid at the drop of a dime. He doesn't have to say much to leave you laughing. He's got a number of lines that stick out, but my personal favorite was: "You just said don't shoot him, right? Well, I didn't. I choked him."

Devil In a Blue Dress is a memorable, phenomenal movie that will stick with you long after you've watched it. I give it a 92.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

A History of Violence (2005) Retro Review

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I first saw A History of Violence back in 2006. I thought it was a perfect movie at the time. Ten years later, I've watched it again for what has to be the forty-ninth time and I'm still struggling to find something wrong with it. My cons are literally empty, folks. There's my tagline.

Who is Joey Cusack? You don't find out until deep into the movie, but you find out very quickly who Tom Stall (Viggo Mortenson) is. Tom is a family man running a diner named after his own surname. He's friendly, quiet, and loved by his wife and two children. Everything is going great in Tom's life until some pretty shady characters show up at his diner accusing him of being a former gangster by the name of Joey Cusack. These men are refusing to leave town and will do whatever is necessary for Tom to come clean and return with them back to Philadelphia.

The dialogue is slow but meaningful. It purposefully helps put your mind in the state of sleepy Millbrook, Indiana. The words are intense and powerful, especially between Tom and his wife Edie (Maria Bello). It appears that Tom and Edie haven't had many problems in the time they were married and they both seem unsure of how to handle this new threat that's now attacking their marriage. Being a part of the audience, you are watching a beautiful disaster unfold. Even during the peaceful times in the film, there's a quiet sense of something floating just underneath the surface. You can't quite put your finger on it, but it's there.

Purposeful. Word of the day. That's what makes this film so powerful and memorable. Every single scene, every single word that's uttered, it all has a purpose.

In the words of Salt 'N' Pepa, "Let's talk about sex." While it doesn't lead me to ever deducting points from a movie, I think a lot of sex scenes in film are unnecessary. For the most part, they never seem to go with the flow of the story, rather they pull you out of it. A History of Violence does have a sex scene and it's a pretty graphic one. Not only does it work for the film, but it's actually one of the more important scenes. It succeeds on multiple levels by homing in on a relationship that's on the rocks and exploring what both characters are desiring at that given time. It's something you have to see to fully understand.

The film grabs you from the first five minutes and never lets go after that. Each character is set up and developed excellently, from Tom's teenage son Jack, a reclusive nerd who just wants to make it through high school without getting his butt kicked, right down to Charlotte (Deborah Drakeford), one of Tom's employees at the diner who has a good soul and an innocent heart. Again these characters are purposeful, serving a vital part in the film's overall story.

And what a grand story A History of Violence turns out to be. I literally have nothing bad to say about it. Therefore, I give a well-deserved 100.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Bad Moms (2016) Movie Review


Bad Moms boils down to a sheer liberation from perfection. Parents, especially first-timers like myself, think they have to act or think or certain way that's conducive to a child's growth. It almost feels like you're walking through a field of mistake mines where every little misstep threatens to blow your world apart. This film begs the question: What if we turned that thought-process on its head? What if we started to act for ourselves first before our children?

The result is one heck of a hilarious time. While the moments of relating to the moms stress out over their kids is funny in and of itself at times, the point when they decide to let go and cut loose is when you really start to crack up. Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis) finally hits a ground zero point where she has had enough of being the perfect parent and her reaction on the other side is priceless. Many in the audience were cheering out loud when Amy stands up for herself against her helpless children and the PTA. It's even funnier because she has no balance whatsoever. She quickly transforms from homemaker to trainwreck without skipping a beat.

Amy is helped along in her quest to be bad by two other moms Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla Dunkler (Kathryn Hahn). Kiki is even worse off than Amy as she has twice as many kids and a husband who demands that she do all the legwork in raising them and taking care of the house. Her timidity is endearing and funny at the same time. Carla, on the other hand, was born to raise hell. She commands every single scene that she is in and I found it rare the moments that she didn't get a laugh out of me. Whether she's threatening to bang the other moms' husbands if they didn't vote for Amy as the Head of PTA or discussing her pure lack of interest in being a good parent, almost every word that comes out of her mouth seems to leave me in fits. 

Christina Applegate plays the role of Gwendolyn James, current Head of the PTA. She was easily my biggest gripe with the movie as I thought she exerted way too much energy in making Amy's life a living hell. I get it, you want to be the best, but the ends to which she was willing to go was too implausible for my taste, even for a movie. Her explanation at the end as to why she acted they way she did didn't really redeem her at all.

No Bad Moms isn't the perfect comedy or on the Apatow plane of funny, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do: It leaves you with a big smile on your face. If you can still find it in theaters (long shot), it's great for a date night. And, guys, don't be intimidated about the higher volume of women present. We're all in this together. We all get it. We're all parents.

Bad Moms gets an 80.

Monday, August 22, 2016

It's All Gone Pete Tong (2004) Retro Review


As I'm writing this review, I'm sitting here watching Avengers: Age of Ultron. It's the scene where Hulk has just been possessed by Scarlet Witch and is tearing up an entire city. Figuratively, it actually reminds me of DJ Frankie Wilde (Paul Kaye), the main character in It's All Gone Pete Tong. Frankie is literally taking his own life and smashing it to pieces with drugs and insane behavior. The beginning shows a montage of the DJ's antics as he does strange things like licking toads and coming out to entertain the crowd wearing a crown of thorns. 

I started to dislike the guy almost instantly and the film's choppy, mockumentary-style shooting doesn't help change one's opinion as you're hit with his insensitive wildness fast and hard. Frankie is a mess but not in a fun way. Think of it as watching a deadbeat relative throw his life away. Frankie is loved by most of Ibiza's population as he is one of their best DJ's, but I hated his guts for the first portion of the film. As a result, I was hating the film.

Then something happens that turns the film a complete 180. Frankie loses his hearing. Ibiza begins to loathe him as he begins to perform horribly at shows. Frankie loses his immortality and becomes human. And that's when I truly began to love DJ Frankie Wilde.

Kaye definitely steals the show as DJ Frankie, but is helped along by some pretty funny characters as well. Frank's manager Max (Mike Wilmot) always seems to be in a state of comical panic as he awaits Frankie's next big hit. I can't recall one scene where Max wasn't in a deep sweat. 

When Frankie wasn't with Max or running from the mascot badger (in his mind) that forced him to do coke, he was trying to use what he had left of his hearing to help other bands make records. Those scenes in particular provide some pretty comedic moments as one band member sourly states that Frankie's music "sounds like ze kaka." In another scene of memory, Frankie ties firecrackers to his head and realizes a few moments after they were lit that that was probably a bad idea. He had me cracking up as he is frantically searching for a way to put out the fuses before the firecrackers all go off.

On the downside, the constant replaying of the loss-of-hearing effect (almost like a familiar bell-ringing sound) got old fairly quickly. I understand that it was a necessary effect to put people in the shoes of Frankie, but it was annoying nonetheless. Also, I think the movie would have had even more of an impact had it shown more of how great of a DJ Frankie was before going deaf. Then again, I can understand there might have been a risk of making the film longer than it needed to be. 

It's hard to stay focused during the beginning of It's All Gone Pete Tong as it feels like the mockumentary is all over the place, but, if you can hang in there, you just might come to like the character and the movie just as much as I did. His personality shines through his lines. At one point, his wife is trying to say something serious to him to which he replies, "It's brilliant to almost hear that."

It's All Gone Pete Tong shares the message that your life doesn't end when tragedy happens, rather it's just beginning. It's when we come to the end of ourselves that we truly start to realize how we can fully make a difference in the world. I can definitely dig that. I give this movie a solid 88.

That Thing You Do! (1996) Retro Review


That Thing You Do! takes place in the '60's and is the story of a kid named Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) who works in his father's appliance shop, but plays the drums in his off time. After getting a gig to fill in for a drummer who got hurt, the band he's playing in, The Oneders, quickly takes off and becomes an overnight sensation after one hit song. As the viewer, you will witness way more highs than lows as the group's implosion isn't experienced until close to the end of the film. The downfall of the group, renamed The Wonders, is realistically quick and shows just how easy it is to become yesterday's news.

Movies with a lot of dancing and singing typically aren't my cup of tea, but it's not hard to win me over when the script is done well. There were plenty of funny moments that helped the movie hold my attention. As one of the announcers is about to bring them onto the stage, he can't seem to figure out their name as phonetically it looks like The Oh-Needers. The scene where the band hears their song on the radio for the first time is another especially fun moment. I could definitely see myself reacting the same way if something I poured my heart into made it to the masses. 

The movie also succeeds at giving you likeable characters to root for. For the most part, everyone in the band is a good guy and you find yourself as the movie progresses hoping beyond hope that they continue to grow larger. You definitely get your wish in the long run, but we all know that fame comes at a cost. All four band members are developed well with their own respective drives fueling them to succeed. Guy just wants to make good music while T.B.'s goal is to kill time until his tour of service in the military. The characters are pretty consistent as they never deviate from what it is that they want.

While I'm two decades too late to have grown up in the '60's, That Thing You Do! does an excellent job of putting you right there. From the competing appliance stores with their box radios and tiny television sets to the teeny-bopper bandstand shows, these sweet touches incorporated not only suck you into the era but stick in your memory long after the movie is the over. While the film focuses on this one particular decade, Tom Hanks' performance as the fast-talking Mr. White was timeless. He was the glue that held the group together and helped maintain their forward progress. His acting was subtle, yet worked on a number of levels.

Yes, the movie was solid, but there were a handful of things that kept me from falling completely in love. At the risk of sounding like I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth, I thought the ending was a little rushed. The Wonders are a group one minute...then two minutes later they fall apart. It isn't merely their breakup that was rushed, but I don't want to spoil the film anymore than I already have.

And that song. How many god-forsaken times must you play that song? Over and over and over...I completely understand that "That Thing You Do" is what helped them rise to stardom, but I feel like they made me listen to it twenty times in the first hour of the movie. Might not have actually been twenty, but it was enough to be more than noticeable.

I also docked a few points because the ending is somewhat predictable. It's like watching a fast ball: It's a good pitch though you can see it coming a mile away. All in all, not a bad movie for a family night. I give it a 75.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Jason and the Argonauts (1963) Retro Review


Despite being a victim of its time, I found myself absolutely falling in love with Jason and the Argonauts. Just like other movies of older decades, if you can keep things in perspective and remind yourself that this was made in 1963 and not 2013, you might find yourself enjoying it just as much as I did. Some of the things that I found wrong with the film end up being another selling point. For example, the special effects are extremely cheesy, however they are great for the time. If I was watching this in 1963, I would have been the guy asking, "How in the world did that guy just transform into Hermes like that? How did they make Jason just disappear in smoke?"

The movie doesn't overdo itself as it ends about twenty minutes earlier than where it could have stopped. You see what you need to see while other things are merely implied. Just like in The Dark Knight Rises where you know Christian Bale ends up happily ever after with Anne Hathaway, you know exactly what's going to happen when Jason gets his hands on that golden fleece. The film takes you on a good ride then drops you off at just the right place.

Jason and the Argonauts does a great job of taking itself seriously which can be hard to do when dealing in the fantasy genre at times. As much as I thoroughly enjoyed it, I do have to address one scene that made me roll my eyes a bit however. Towards the end of the movie, King Aeetes is chasing Jason and his remaining argonauts as they are fleeing. They come to a cliffside where King Aeetes does this long speech then releases demons from the underwold or something of that nature. There was a long pause, maybe like ten or fifteen seconds, where Jason is just standing there watching things unfold and I'm thinking, "Seriously? You've run from all the other dangers up to this point and NOW you want to sit around and wait?" Pretty small in the grand scheme of the movie but it annoyed me nonetheless. 

Jason and the Argonauts is the story of a man who goes on a great adventure for a powerful artifact so he can get revenge for the murder of his father and take his rightful place as king. A great movie to cut your teeth on if you are trying to expand your movie culture beyond the last three decades. I give it a well-deserved 99.

The Other Side (2016) Movie Review


To say The Other Side is obscure would be a gross understatement. It took me a few hours to figure out how I could even get ahold of this documentary on a back woods, podunk area of Louisiana. While I think it could have been done better and my final score probably won't endorse what I'm about to write, I think it's a documentary that everyone should sit through at least once. The cultural implications are eye-opening and powerful.

For the majority of the documentary, you get a look into the lives of Mark and Lisa, a couple addicted to meth. While they live in a humble home, their opinions about the state of America's society, particulary Mark's, are very bold and outspoken. These opinions include some critical shots at Obama, the state of the economy, terrorism, and race. 

You are taken throughout their daily lives with numerous choppy segments that don't have a lot of direction and don't seem to be leading to any kind of endgame. That, in and of itself, is my biggest gripe with the documentary as a whole. You find yourself spending more time wondering where things are heading rather than embracing the culture and opinions you are being exposed to. Just when you think you have things figured out, you're throw into an entirely new situation that's even more confusing.

Don't get me wrong, you're given fair warning that something like this might happen from the beginning of the film. The first shot shows Mark naked on the side of the road flicking his penis for God knows what reason. You understand right then and there that this is going to be a different kind of documentary. And that's not the last time you'll see his man parts, fair warning.

The realism is disturbing, but much appreciated. In the back of my mind, I imagined people like Mark and those in the second segment (composed of a self-formed militia) existed, but it's an entirely different animal watching them actually walk through their daily lives unedited. We truly live in a divided world.

In the final segment, the militia spray paints "Obama sucks ass" on an old jalopy, puts an Obama mask in its window, then proceeds to shoot the car to pieces which ended in a final grenade or rocket launch (couldn't quite tell what the weapon was). The car is still burning long after they had finished with it. Those last embers seemed to signify humanity surviving the stupidity of division.

The Other Side is a very unique documentary that could have been shot with a better flow in mind. I give it a 61.

Monday, August 15, 2016

Nerve (2016) Movie Review




In Nerve, Emma Roberts plays the role of Vee,  a girl who is the picture of innocence. Vee has somehow made it to high school without doing a single brave thing in her life. She doesn't even have the courage to tell her mom that she wants to go to an art school across the country for college. Courage is not her strong suit and it shows in every mannerism that she displays. The fear she shows when she is asked to do something well beyond her comfort zone. The way her eyes dart to and fro when someone with more confidence is staring her down. This film works mostly in part because, if you can't relate to Vee personally, you root for her anyway because she is a severe underdog. Roberts' performance is impactful in the sense that she not only gives us a character to get behind, but she helps to push the character's growth as well. By the end of the film, Vee is not the same Vee that we knew in the beginning. Not even close.

This is helped largely in part by her forced relationship with Ian (Dave Franco or "The Other Franco" as I like to call him). Ian not only exudes confidence, he's also very chill, very go-with-the-flow. Separately, Ian and Vee are like night and day, but together they are an inseparable team. Vee needs to be pushed to do more while Ian needs someone to protect as he seems to hold little regard for his own life. Their combo works very well.

The film itself carries intrigue in the sense that you're watching something unbelievable that could someday be a reality (if it isn't already). In a society where the majority of our lives have become dominated by the internet and social media, Nerve, a game of Dare or Fail, could easily become the next big, dumb thing that sweeps the masses. Thinking about it in that sense raises the intensity of what you're seeing. The film is even shot in such a way that you forget at times that what you're seeing isn't a reality show. 

As I mentioned earlier, Ian and Vee are a team. They are paired up together during a game called Nerve where the goal is to complete a series of dares during a 24-hour time period and make a lot of money in the process. While a few of the dares resulted in some pretty intense moments, there were a handful that were somewhat weak, resulting in false build-ups. One dare, for example, requires them merely to go into the city (New York). One of Vee's friends says something along the lines of, "Vee, no way, you can't go into the city! That's dangerous!" Meanwhile, I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what the big deal is.

Other portions of the movie made the story unbelievable at times. Winnings from dares were transferred into peoples' accounts at the speed of light and anyone that has ever tried to transfer any dollar amount out of Paypal knows how hard moving money can be. Finally, in one scene, Vee tries to report Nerve to the cops and the cop seems extremely disinterested even though she is clearly frazzled. These little touches are sacrificed for the sake of advancing the storyline and might be bothersome to some like myself.

Nerve is a pretty fun watch that was enjoyable though it could have pushed the envelope a bit more. I give it a 77.

Monday, August 8, 2016

I, Robot (2004) Retro Review





I, Robot provides a fun mystery with a few predictable, but interesting, turns. The mystery aspect is clever enough to keep you guessing without frustrating you to the point of taking you out of the movie. You'll care about it right up until the point you realize that the movie is actually a summer blockbuster and your thinking cap should be put on the backburner while you're bombarded with one action scene after the next.

Outside of the movie's decent attempt at having a brain, I, Robot has a few other redeeming qualities that at least keep it in the neighborhood of a Folding Clothes Movie. Yes, Will Smith's solid performance is worth a mention, but ladies first. I have to show some love for Adrian Ricard playing the role of Granny. In her short-but-sweet time onscreen, she was every bit as entertaining and funny as Smith was. There's a special place in my heart for actors/actresses that can maximize their time, however long it may be and she certainly accomplished that mission.

Taking place in 2035 Chicago, I think director Alex Proyas does a solid job of giving us a glimpse into what our future could look like. Interactive holographic messages can converse with you based on a predetermined conversation. Vertical parking garages free up space on the ground for Americans to build more nonsense. Self-driving cars allow you to kick back and read a book during your drive home. These little touches give the film that extra sci-fi touch that helps add to its magic and intrigue.

And, yes, Will Smith did his thing as troubled detective Del Spooner. He has a certain charisma and energy that translates well onscreen. Not only is he funny (although over-the-top at times), but the emotion he is able to evoke provides for some pretty strong moments. There's one moment in particular where he's explaining how he came to have such a dislike for robots. This is a turning point for the viewer as you finally start to understand why Spooner seems to always have his guard up.

There are a few corny moments that take you out of the enjoyment of the film at times. I don't know if Smith just has an awkward body because he's tall, but some of the special effects sequences involving him seemed stiff and unbelievable. In one scene, you'll find him surfing over debris on a door. Let that sink in for a moment...I could stop there and you would probably get my point, but there's one more moment that really sticks out: There's a scene where Smith is in a tunnel being attacked by robots. After getting a little bit of breathing room, he picks up the biggest weapon he could find, turns to the robots, and yells at the top of his lungs, "Come on!" Cheddar. Mozarella. Gorganzola. Take your pick, it was cheesy.

I, Robot is the story of a man trying to get to the bottom of a murder that he is convinced was done by robots. What he discovers could end up being even worse than his original fears. It's a film that won't change your world, but is worth a watch for a good two hours of escape. I give it a 76

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Star Trek Beyond (2016) Movie Review


The crew of the USS Enterprise is back in Star Trek Beyond heading out into the far reaches of space on a routine mission. An unwarranted attack from a mysterious alien race suddenly leaves them stranded on a foreign planet with little hopes of escape or survival. 

This time around under the direction of Justin Lin the film takes more of an action-oriented approach. Viewers coming to see some awesome sci-fi battles will not be disappointed as the action is way more noticeable than in the first two films. Lin uses the scenes to properly establish and dictate mood. You'll feel overwhelmed watching as the Enterprise has to cut its way through thousands of alien ships that literally come together to form what looks like a bee swarm. Tension rises within as Captain Kirk is creeping down a red-lit hallway with a blaster in hand while trying to hunt down the enemy. Death-defying drops. Last-minute rescues. Explosions! Explosions! Explosions! You name it, the film has it.

The entire cast is back and is in rare form yet again. Three films in, Chris Pine seems to have matured in the role of Captain Kirk, both in the comfort level of playing the role and within the confines of the role itself. You're getting to see Kirk grows as his mission count rises and his knowledge of space expands. He's starting to lead less by emotion and more by practicality. In terms of other mentionable actors, I appreciate the fact that they gave Karl Urban more screen time in this installment. After all, you can never have too much Bones. While he typically shines in the way of comic relief, this being no exception, Bones got to put on more of the hero hat which definitely lightened the mood at some points.

Where the movie fell short for me comes partly in the way of how it handles the science fiction side of things at times. There are moments when someone is explaining a plan and discussing all the technical nuances and you're sitting there scratching your head. Then, when the plan is actually executed, you think, "Oh, is that what they meant?" On the flip side, I think the movie suffers from not being sci-fi enough at times. I loved how the first movie explored other worlds by showing you a few different creatures not of Earth. It's quite the opposite in the third film which is suprising because they spent the majority of the movie on a low-populated planet. You would think there would be creatures of some sort lurking around somewhere. To some of you, I probably sound like Ebert when he criticized the tripod alien attack pods in the 2005 version of War of the Worlds ("Why balance these towering machines on ill-designed supports?"). I love the man vs. beast aspect of sci-fi and I didn't get my fix, unfortunately. However, I'm hesitant to deduct too many points for that as it could be very much just a personal preference.

When JJ Abrams left the Star Trek series, I think the emotional umbilical cord went with him. Star Trek Beyond has great action that gives it a pulse, however there aren't any emotional stakes to give this movie a true heartbeat. At the end of the day, it is a very fun summer movie, but don't go see it if you are expecting deep substance. I give it an 87.

P.S.--As I was hunting for an image to add to this review, I read that Karl Urban almost passed up his role for this film. What a shame that would have been.