True Grit

Happy New Years everyone. It's that time of the season again to start endlessly speculating on the Oscar picks for this year. It's the second day of January and again I am behind on my Oscar Watch movies. The nominations are not in yet but I feel confident that I'm at least 5 or 6 movies behind. Thankfully over the Christmas break I was able to catch up a little bit. So far this year I've seen: The Social Network (It's a Relativity title so sorry guys no review), The Town, Toy Story 3 and Inception and of course now I've seen True Grit. Over the next month I'm going to try to see and review Black Swan, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Kids Are All Right, and I still haven't had the chance to see the Fighter (Also a Relativity title), but I have heard great things about the flick, so I'm really looking forward to seeing this one soon. The Globe nominations came out recently and has given us an inkling about the Oscars although these nominations seem to indicate even more that bribery is the best way to get a nod. Apparently True Grit has not campaigned hard enough so therefore it got completely snubbed for everything. I wanted to know what was wrong with the movie to warrant such a blatant snub. I've got one word for you---nothing.

I know what your thinking, especially if you are a classic western fan, why remake a movie with the great John Wayne who by the way won an Oscar for his performance in said movie. I thought it was crazy too, until I saw it and I was pretty damn impressed. I'll admit I've never been a big fan of the Duke, I've been more of a Clint Eastwood fan myself. The annoying pauses always took me out of it--felt like the guy was trying too damn hard. But he is iconic for sure and before you Wayne fanatics try to lynch me, understand that his Rooster Cogburn is pretty fantastic and unique. That being said Jeff Bridges, who plays Rooster in the new version, makes him even more of a drunk rascal as only Bridges can. He is also fantastic and a source of great enjoyment for me as I watched the film. But unlike the original he is not the main attraction it is actually Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) the 14 year old girl who is looking to get Justice for the senseless murder of her father by the outlaw Tom Cheney (Josh Brolin). She's got a sharp tongue and perplexes almost all of the men she encounters in the film. She's smart and she's got guts and she isn't going to be pushed around even in one of the most dangerous territories in the west. She hires Rooster Cogburn an honorable drunk Marshall who has the habit of killing the men he's instructed to bring in for Justice. They are joined by a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) who has been tracking Cheney for the past few months. They make an unlikely trio but they try to survive Indian territory and the harsh winter weather in order to track down the outlaw. It shows this western world to be a harsh and dangerous country but it is complimented greatly by excellent cinematography and an even greater cast. If this young Steinfeld is robbed of a nomination for the Oscars like she was for the Globes then it should be considered a mockery of the awards process(Eh, who am I kidding it's already pretty fucked up). She absolutely surprised me with her performance right out of the gate. Never saw the girl before but she impressed me greatly. The film kind of ends abruptly but I'm not sure how it could have ended any differently. Some may be disappointed in the lack of elaborate action and sparse gun battles but I thought that it laid out an even pace along with the performances to keep me pleasantly satisfied. I can say easily this is by far one of my favorite Coen brother films right up there with my favorite of them all the Big Lebowski.

Overall True Grit is not exploring anything that we haven't seen in Westerns before but it highlights the most important aspect of Western life, that in my mind which is what makes it so interesting. The vast loneliness and isolation that can cause a normal man to take even temporary leave of his senses. The lawless nature of men in a place where Justice and Law are difficult to find and are sometimes found in men who are perceived as cruel and without societal merit. Always interesting parallels. If you haven't seen this one do so as soon as possible you won't be disappointed.

Grade 4 Buckets

   

Tron: Legacy

Greetings Programs, yes, as you might suspect I'm a pretty big fan of the original Tron film from 1982. I remember going with my Dad as the blur of blue lights and cool tricked out light cycle motor bikes captured my imagination. Of course I was only four so I couldn't quite understand what was going on but--nevertheless even today I can remember how excited I was to see it, especially, when I saw it a few years later at the ripe old age of 10. I remember riding my bike to the theatre where they happened to have the actual Tron game and I got to see the movie again during the Summer. I think I loved it even more when I saw it again, the bikes and the technology just seemed pretty awesome. Now Tron was never as cool as Star Wars or as interesting as Star Trek but the environment created by Steven Lisberger had a very distinct personality and it was surely ahead of its time. Even though the film never really became a hit, only grossing about 30 million in it's initial run, it's clear that Tron has a heavy influence on some pretty popular films you may have heard of like the Matrix and even Avatar. Most folks don't realize that it was one of the first true CGI films ever made. Almost all of those guys who worked on the first Tron went on to be very successful animators or special effects wizards like John Lasseter who made his bones on Tron and went on to run Pixar. I know you're wondering why the lengthy explanation, and it's a two fold answer. One it's important to understand and respect the influence the original Tron had on the film industry despite it's shortcomings with the general public. Two, seeing the current box office of the new film clearly indicates that most people don't remember the original, or at least as fondly as Disney would have hoped. When last I checked Sunday they were sitting on about 43 million for the weekend which is about 7 million shy of what they had intended. The reviews have not been kind and a specialty film like this, no matter how tricked out, still requires a bit of a miracle to bust down the doors of public opinion.

Tron Legacy follows Sam Flynn (Garret Hedlund) the orphaned son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who twenty years ago, seemingly disappeared leaving his young son his company Encom and a shitload of questions. Sam takes a trip through memory lane as he visits his Dad's old arcade with some great 80's tunes to get you in the mood. He finds his old computer and accidentally finds himself inside the world of the computer grid. He discovers his long lost dad who is now trying to fend off a sentient digital copy of himself named Clu who is bent on killing his creator and leaving the virtual world for the real one where apparently he will be granted with Godlike powers. Only Sam, his father and the mysterious Quorra (Olivia Wilde), a different kind of computer program stand in Clu's way.

So the question you're asking now is---is Legacy as good as the original? Sadly that answer is no. It's a great ride for sure and I enjoyed it immensely with the upgraded Grid and all the dangers that come with it; Light Cycles and Battle Discs. The story wasn't as shallow as the critics were complaining about but I felt that Clu wasn't nearly the foil for Sam that Sark and the MPC was for Tron and Flynn in the original. David Warner was truly missed in this one. Not to take anything away from Jeff Bridges who is excellent as both, it's just that Clu and young Flynn were a bit distracting with their dead eyes and weird mouth movements. I'm afraid the technology is still not quite there to make Jeff Bridges look 30 years younger. There are times where it works so well that it's startling and then he'll move his face and it just doesn't sit right. It was distracting and at times took me out of the movie. Plus they didn't do a good job of explaining why Clu was doing what he was doing. I got that there was a falling out and that he wanted to leave the virtual for the real, but it wasn't clear why he was so mad at Flynn. He seemed to imply a betrayal but he was the one that committed the coup, so...Your guess is as good as mine.

But there was a lot to love about the film with the history of Encom, seeing Alan Bradley/Tron (Bruce Boxleitner) one more time, in fact it would have been nicer to have him be more integral to the plot. There is a nice surprise in there about what happened to Bradley's program Tron, after all of those years on the grid, but I won't reveal that here. I got a kick out of the improved gaming grid with the levels of play for the Disc Battle, it was dizzying, Cody said it was so nuts he got a little nauseous during some of it. Didn't bother me so much but I can see how it could have that effect. I really fell in love with the new and improved light cycles; I'm sorry whatever your issues with the movie, you can't deny they were pretty fucking cool. As far as the performances go, Jeff Bridges, as always was great as both Flynn and Clu. It was nice to see Flynn again and I am probably one of the few that actually enjoyed his fusion of Kevin Flynn and the Big Lebowski. Bridges played him as a bit of a hippie in the first one so it makes sense he's this way as an older man. I also really enjoyed Olivia Wilde's Quorra, she really brought a real spark to the film that unfortunately, no matter how hard he tries, Garrett Hedlund just doesn't quite get there. He isn't terrible but he doesn't feel like leading man material and he is completely overshadowed by Jeff Bridges twice as well as the over the top Michael Sheen as a Casablanca-like bar owner. Oh, and if you are into Techno or Daft Punk, then you will truly love the score. I'm kinda iffy on that music but I thought the score was pretty good, and it totally works for this kind of film.

If you are looking for a fun, not overly complicated story with some pretty interesting twists and some pretty jaw dropping effects then you should check this one out. I will say that if you haven't seen the original then you might be a bit more confused about what's going on. Cody had trouble following it and I suspect that they probably didn't really give enough clarification for those who haven't seen the original. Although Flynn telling his son stories about Users, Recognizers and of course Tron at the beginning of the film does help to get a peek at the world of the first film. So my suggestion is just pay close attention at the beginning and you'll be fine. End of Line.

Grade: 3 and a half Buckets

Tangled

To be honest I caught this one with the family over Thanksgiving weekend but it's been so crazy the last week and a half that I haven't had time to put the thing up. So if you are a box office junky like myself you'd have noticed that Tangled actually beat the boy wizard this past weekend which is a pretty incredible feat for it's second weekend considering how dominant Harry Potter has been around this time of year. Also it's pretty rare for a film to take the top billing in the second week of it's release. But I think the good buzz and non-stop marketing probably helped a lot. This is another revamp of sorts for the Disney animation brand. It's been DOA since the late 90's allowing CGI heavy Pixar to take the mantle and never look back. They had a middling hit with the Princess and the Frog but due to Market research they discovered that little boys are not interested in seeing an animated movie with a chicks name in the title or the word Princess. Apparently this kind of thing affected the bottom line for Princess and the Frog so badly that for this film instead of calling it the girl friendly yet boy averting Rapunzel, they opted for Tangled instead. They also added a dashing Han Solo like character to action the piece up. I read about all of these changes and I was a little annoyed. When I was a kid, boy or girl,  you go and see Snow White, Cinderella, etc. they aren't chick flicks, I mean there is some mushy stuff but that Dragon in Sleeping Beauty was wicked scary. I never, even as a kid, cared about the titles as long as the movie was good. I'm not sure what is being taught today with these young boys that they should feel uncomfortable if they see a movie with the words Princess in it. Anyway, I digress, the marketing strategy seems to be a success based on the box office. But thankfully having seen the movie there is so much more than just actioning up the thing for my little boy. It's got adventure, a nice love story and some great chemistry, all you need for a fun Disney animated film.

Flynn Rider (voice by Zachary Levi) is a dashing thief who is a little too into himself, but he meets his match with the lonely girl in the tower Rapunzel (voice by Mandy Moore). Rapunzel was kidnapped as a child because of her magic locks and imprisoned in the tower by a greedy woman (Donna Murphy) who claims to be her Mother. All Rider wants to do is get back the shiny crown he just stole all Rapunzel wants is to see the floating lights from the Kingdom. She hides Flynn's satchel of treasure in exchange for a day out of her prison so she can see the lights. Action and Adventure follows.

Overall I think the film was a success, our little guy seemed to enjoy it despite some slightly intense sadness in the beginning, he really got into the hijinks and music of the film. I noticed that my wife too seem to have some good vibes about it. Those Disney guys led by John Lassetter and Pixar have shaped the Mouse House forever in their image with sharp scripts and engaging characters with a hint of that old Disney magic with more than bearable songs from Oscar winner Alan Menken, who provided the special magic to the run of Disney animated hits in the 90's like the Little Mermaid and Aladdin. I know it sounds harsh when I say bearable, but I'm just not that into musicals at all. If I can shrug my shoulders and say, eh not so bad then I'm sure it's actually a masterpiece in the animated musical world. Anyway, the animation is, like always with Disney, superb and I really enjoyed the vocal characters, the chemistry was pretty good between Rapunzel and Flynn and I swear I thought I heard Zachary "Chuck" Levi singing a couple of songs. Yes there are certainly more songs then you would think if you just watch the trailer, and some of them can be a bit showtoony if you don't like that kind of thing. But the witty banter and slapstick will reel you back in, honest. And of course there is plenty of action for you young boys that are afraid there is too much chick stuff. So if your looking for something family friendly to take your little tyke too over the holiday season definitely take them to see Tangled, you've got something there for the whole family.

Grade 3 Buckets

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows part 1

Harry Potter has finally grown up. I guess, technically, you can say that he grew up during the third film but its safe to say he became an adult in this film. They waste no time throwing Harry into the thick of a dirty war after the first few seconds. And its not just Harry but his two best friends Ron and Hermione that have finally taken the big leap into adulthood. Especially Hermione who is forced, because of these dangerous times, to erase her parent's memories of her in order to protect them. It's a great scene, unspoken, as she fades from her parent's minds. It sets the tone perfectly for what is to unfold in the next two films. No Hogwarts to shelter them, no Dumbledore to protect them. It's just the three friends against the worst kind of evil imaginable.

This is the 7th installment in the series building up to the big showdown with the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).  Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) are forced to take their show on the road literally to escape the Snatchers, or Death Eaters, who are killing everyone in their path just to get to Harry. The kids find themselves searching for the three remaining Horacruxes that contain pieces of Voldermort's soul. In the process they learn a little bit about their Hogwart's former Headmaster Dumbledore and his past. They also learn a bit about those Deathly Hallows; which by the way has a pretty great animation sequence to tell the story. Apparently Voldermort is searching for a special wand that can help him kill Harry. The trio are forced to work together to avoid Voldermort and his death squads, hunt the Horacruxes and destroy them and deal with that isolation, jealousy and those ever changing hormones; well they are only 18 after all.

Honestly I believe I enjoyed this film the most out of the series. By breaking the book into two films they are allowed to give more time to the three main characters and it makes for a much better film. The only downside of course to splitting them into two films you make it difficult to have a complete film. I wish I could say that you could watch Deathly Hallows on it's own without the previous films and feel it complete, but that just isn't the case. It's honestly a shame because the film is so solid in performance, camera work and pacing that I just didn't want it to end, but it does and far too abrupt for my tastes. It doesn't have a true ending--it's a cliffhanger, which is to be expected,  but it's not a great one for a film of this scope. I think they could have jacked it up a bit more to give us a spectacular firework show to boost it to the next film, but I just feel they dropped the ball. This is where a trilogy like Back to the Future get's the cliffhanger ideal just right. Say what you want about the Back to the Future sequels with Marty left in 1955, Future Doc disappeared to the Old West and 1955 Doc passed out -- it was a holy crap I wanna see what happens next ending, wonderfully executed. And that's the problem with the Deathly Hallows, where is the holy crap moment at the end to bridge the films. Not that I don't want to see what happens next I really do, but visually the end was a bit of a let down. I won't go into too much detail about it but take my word for it, you'll be like, uh, what--is that it?

But the abrupt ending aside, what happens in the film itself is pretty extraordinary and Director David Yates seems to get the best work out of his young cast. Especially the "Lost in the Wilderness" scenes, which personally didn't work for me at all in the book. In fact the Forest Chapters in the book reminded me of the boring "Hedges" pages from the Fellowship of the Rings. It felt like JK was running us in circles and it was at times a tad boring. But for the Film Yates makes the quiet and the isolation a strength in the film as the kids deal with jealousy, loneliness and true fear. I think this emotional struggle is best realized in a scene where Ron is tempted by the dark side and sees visions of Harry and Hermione making out in what appears to be the buff, yes I said they were nude, it's CGI but still, you see some skin in Harry Potter. Which was completely unexpected. Some of the scenes felt like I was watching Cormac McCarthy's the Road, in tone and visuals. It just really brought a new feel to these films that I never thought they were capable of. They've come along way from the Sorcerer's Stone. There are also quite a few deaths in this film and a couple are pretty big characters from films past.  All of these darker themes have really brought this series from the whimsical magical world to the harsh realities of the real world. Magic is still a commodity but it is certainly a much more dangerous place.

If you haven't seen the other films I recommend you see them soon while you can still catch this one on the big screen, or if you can hold out till the Summer, supposedly they will release it again before the final chapter in glorious 3D. I will warn you if you haven't read the books and if you've been frustrated with the films in the past for not clearly explaining everything, you still may find that frustration when you see this film so beware. It can be annoying at times I truly understand, having read the books, I also get peeved sometimes when they gloss over plot points. But this is just how it is, love it or hate. Nevertheless it's a great experience and keeps you occupied for it's almost three hour running time. It really does suck now that we have to wait six months to finally see the conclusion to the series. Damn Warner Brothers and their blatent milking!!!!

Grade 4 Buckets

Fair Game

Recently I attended a luncheon for charity where three prominent people from the film industry were honored for their work. One of them was director Doug Limon (Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith) who seemed to be a decent fellow. He spoke about his newest film Fair Game, the bio-pic about former CIA agent Valerie Plame, who was outed as such by the Bush Administration. He told us that he made the film as a sort of love letter to public service and that he had asked Mrs. Plame, after wrapping the film, after everything she went through if her kids wanted to serve either in Clandestine Services or the military would she try to talk them out of it. He said that she didn't hesitate or waver in her answer she said very plainly that she would be proud for them to serve. Considering the public bashing this woman took during this ordeal I wouldn't have begrudged her at least hesitating on that answer, but she didn't she didn't regret it at all. That in my mind is the sign of a true patriot. Its what also compelled me to see the film. I wanted to see for myself what a love letter to public service would look like. Whether it would preach on the pulpit for one side or would it give a balanced portrayal of these people without distorting the facts. I think it was kinda both, honestly.

Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) is an agent for the CIA in a division that specializes in non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Her husband former Ambassador Joe Wilson (Sean Penn) is sent by the VP's office to investigate claims of Yellowcake Uranium being processed for Saddam Hussein in the African country of Niger. After Wilson reports back that the report was bogus the White House continues the drumbeat about Niger alive in the State of the Union address which eventually led us to war with Iraq. Wilson, upset by the lie, decides to write an op-ed piece criticizing the administration for not telling the truth and for his actions the Administration decides to go after Wilson's wife by outing her in a newspaper article. The Wilson's struggle to hold their marriage and their collapsing careers together during the aftermath.

The performances are really exceptional and the chemistry between Sean Penn and Naomi Watts are solid. Naomi Watts will probably be a long shot for an Oscar but I think the Academy should seriously consider her for the nod. The film is at it's best following Valerie as she juggles her very stressful job with being a mother and a wife to a very public figure. The film falls flat when they follow Joe Wilson, especially when he launches his crusade against the administration. This is where the film veers off into pander territory and tends to get preachy. The film also was shot very poorly, good Lord, a person could get sick as the camera bounces around aimlessly from person to person. There were only one or two segments where I felt the camera was stagnant. I'm not entirely sure what Limon was going for here with the shaky cam. It works great for the Bourne movies but not for a drama like this. It just looks really unprofessional, which is sad because I thought the script and performances were so good. Nevertheless I found the film to be very entertaining and I found myself admiring Mrs. Plame for her unwavering ability to keep things level headed even while she is getting death threats. This is truly a woman who is apolitical and was only interested in doing her job to the fullest and most importantly interested in protecting her assets in the field. This is one of those stories that should be burned into the brains of every American that a crime was committed here, whether you agree with Joe Wilson politically or not his wife should not have been considered Fair Game, as Karl Rove famously told Chris Matthews. She was doing her job and lives and careers were lost because of this political action and that should never be forgotten.

Grade: 3 Buckets