Yogi Bear Movie Review ..

There has always been something magical about Jellystone Park whether it is the majestic surroundings, beautiful river rapids that end with a gorgeous waterfall, or the talking bears sporting dress ties and bow ties. . . . Yes, that’s right! The world’s most famous talking bear Yogi (Dan Aykroyd) is Jellystone Park’s notorious trouble maker with the help of Boo Boo (Justin Timberlake), Yogi’s faithful pal and co-conspirator in his never-ending schemes to separate park visitors from their lunches. Yogi has always relied on his quick wit and fast feet to stay one step ahead of irate campers while dodging his long-suffering nemesis, Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh).

But he and Boo Boo are about to face a situation worse than anything Yogi has ever gotten them into in the past: Jellystone Park is being sold! To cover his mismanagement of city funds and fuel his election campaign for state Governor, Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly) plans to sell the park to loggers. Families will no longer be able to experience the natural beauty of the outdoors that Jellystone has always provided, and even worse, Yogi and Boo Boo will be tossed out of the only home they’ve ever known. Faced with his biggest challenge ever, Yogi must prove he really is “smarter than the average bear” as he and Boo Boo join forces with Ranger Smith to find a way to save the park from closing forever.

Yogi Bear is the first live action film featuring the talking and pic-a-nic basket stealing bear since his debut as a supporting character on The Huckleberry Hound show in 1958. Over the years, Yogi and Boo Boo have been two of the most famous cartoon characters ever created, which says a lot of Hanna-Barbarra productions who created characters like The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Huckleberry Hound, and many, many more. There are many reason behind why there was never a live action film made of the classic character, the main one being that the technology to create a realistic Yogi and Boo Boo are but recent creations, but the more important, as it relates to the 2010 film release, is that the plot of most things occurring throughout the cartoon never amounted to a very complex story line.

Every cartoon was basically Yogi and Boo Boo stealing picnic baskets, everything goes wrong in their attempts, and they have to make amends to Ranger Smith. So there really shouldn’t be any big surprise that the plot of a feature film would be much of the same thing, which it actually is. So yes, Yogi Bear has a paper thin plotline, but I don’t think there is actually anything else you can do with a character whose only purpose in life is to steal campers’ lunches. But the fact remains that what we get with Yogi Bear isn’t an Oscar worthy film, but it is a very watchable film that would be great for children and families.

The one thing that did impress me with this film is the voicing talents of Dan Aykroyd who created a spot on impersonation of the original voice actor, Daws Butler, who voiced Yogi from his debut until 1988. I say impersonation, even though it was great, because when compared to the talent that Justin Timberlake showed as the voice of Boo Boo in this film, it can only be considered an impersonation. When I tried to hear the voice of Dan Aykroyed, I could hear it sounding like Yogi, but when I listened for Justin Timberlake’s voice, all I could hear was Boo Boo, which is a huge accomplishment for the guy that rarely gets credit for his acting accomplishments.

The only part of the film I didn’t really get was with the casting of a younger Ranger Smith, played by Tom Cavanagh, who doesn’t portray any of the authoritative characteristics that the Ranger Smith of the cartoon series emulated. The only other actor worth mentioning is Andrew Daly who plays the power tripping Mayor Brown trying to secure himself a future victory in the run for state Governor. Andrew Daly is hilarious and over the top as he plays the diabolical, yet simple minded, mayor in search of greater things for himself.

Sure Yogi Bear is probably one of the worst movies of 2010, but it is a great film for children and family audiences. Although the plot is paper thin at best as the characters struggle to save the park, there is a lot of great humor from the dynamic duo of Yogi and Boo Boo as Yogi tries to stay “Smarter than the average bear”. The voicing of both of the famous talking bears is spot on by Dan Aykroyed and more so by Justin Timberlake, and both of their goals are exactly what they were sixty years ago: The steal the food from the human campers.

The strange part of the film is the use of 3D technology that was a complete waste throughout the film since the only thing really in 3D is randomly splattered food. Even with all of its problems, Yogi Bear proves that he is still capable of holding an audience, even if the character is as old as he is. For children and families, I don’t think there was much for to offer in the range of family friendly live action films in 2010, and Yogi Bear is the movie that will fill that gap for you. I wouldn’t go into the film expecting an Oscar worth film, but for what it is, Yogi Bear was a fun movie that has a nice nostalgic feeling to it.

Yogi Bear Movie Trailer

Carbon Nation Movie Review ..

Carbon Nation is a feature length documentary about climate change solutions. Even if you doubt the severity of the impact of climate change or just don’t buy it at all, this is a compelling and relevant film that illustrates how solutions to climate change also address other social, economic, and national security issues. Carbon Nation is an optimistic discovery of what people are already doing, what we as a nation could be doing, and what the world needs to do to prevent the impending climate crisis.

We already have the technology to combat most of the worst-case scenarios of climate change, and it is very good business as well. We meet a host of entertaining and endearing characters along the way, including entrepreneurs, visionaries, scientists, business, and the everyday man, all making a difference and working towards solving climate change.

Carbon Nation is one of the strangest documentaries I have watched in a long time because most documentaries are capable of challenging the way I think, but Carbon Nation really doesn’t even test anything I believe in. Yes, for those of you out there reading this, I am one of those mentioned in the synopsis that “don’t buy it at all”, but even I found it compelling to watch the film because the previews tried to make it out to be a film about living a better life, cutting costs, and finding ways to be environmentally savvy.

I thought it was a nice change by director Peter Byck to find varied collections of individuals to “educate” the unbelievers on the “crisis” of climate change. It’s even nicer to find that they weren’t people living in trees and dancing through the woods either, but we actually see spokespersons for large corporations, the military, and entrepreneurs stating that a low-carbon economy is good for business. This adds a sense of credibility to the movement when it is a shrinking concern of many people throughout the world.

The problem with Carbon Nation isn’t so much the fact that I completely disagree with nearly everything in it, but the fact of the matter is that this is a documentary that has to be critically looked at. The first thing we should look at is whether or not there is any artistic value to this film that would warrant your hard earned money. The fact of the matter is that this would have made a great series on network television, but it simply can’t stand up against other films in this genre.

This is a serious problem when we have a series of individuals making statements like “the sea ice cap is almost gone”, “We’re looking at a World War II level of mobilization,”, and generally making doomsday predictions without contradiction. When compared to a fantastic documentary, for this case we will choose The King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters (2007), which is a documentary about competitive play of the original Donkey Kong arcade, Carbon Nation can’t compare. In what world does a gorilla throwing barrels rate as a more intense experience that detailing the destruction of the world? I can hear the moans already because this is just a case of me not “buying into climate change”, right?

Let’s take a look at the film Food, INC (2008). I went into this film with a view like that of Carbon Nation, but to my surprise, it challenged a lot of things I thought I understood and believed in. The problem with Carbon Nation is that it is almost a synopsis of the movement since the phrase “Global Warming” was dropped. So despite my views on climate change, this is an insightful documentary, but it is a film lacking in all power, inspiration, and artistic value.

This is one film that many who are already involved or “believing” of the climate change movement will probably enjoy. The problem with this is that the film is geared towards those that don’t buy into the hype that is climate change and the impending end of the world, and those that are strong believers of the movement will find this documentary good, but redundant since it offers nothing new to the fading movement. The major issue with the film is that it deserves to be on television as a regular miniseries, but I can’t see it lasting too long because most people would get depressed with the underlying message of “change before the word ends”.

A famous comedian, George Carlin, once said that “there is nothing wrong with the planet. Nothing wrong with the planet. The planet is fine. The People are f*****. … The planet is fine. Compared to the people, the planet is doing great.” Sure I don’t believe in climate change, other than the fact that climate change is a naturally occurring phenomenon that have been going on for billions of years, but I do believe in powerful, inspirational, and artistic documentaries, and Carbon Nation is not one of them.

Carbon Nation Movie Trailer

Another Year Movie Review ..

British filmmaker Mike Leigh delivers another emotionally honest portrait of ordinary people trying to make sense of their lives in this comedy drama. Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) are a couple who are drifting past middle age into their sixties. He’s a geologist and she’s a psychotherapist. Tom and Gerri have a stable and happy marriage and a grown son, Joe (Oliver Maltman), an activist lawyer who hasn’t settled down yet, much to his mother’s disappointment.

One of Gerri’s co-workers and close friends is Mary (Lesley Manville), who puts up a facade of desperate good cheer despite the fact she’s been very lonely since her husband left her and has been drowning her anxieties in wine. Gerri has unsuccessfully tried to fix Mary up with Tom’s sloppy but good natured pal Ken (Peter Wight), and she’s startled when Mary begins openly flirting with Joe, more than 20 years her junior. Mary’s troubles only grow worse when she stops by Tom and Gerri’s place only to be introduced to Katie (Karina Fernandez), Joe’s new girlfriend.

The end of the calendar year is perhaps one of my favourite times for watching movies because it is in the last couple weeks of the year that most of the Oscar contenders come out to play. One such film is Another Year, which although a huge Academy award contender, isn’t the emotional weighty film that we have grown accustomed to in Oscar nominated films. In addition to thoughts of awards, this is also a British film, foreign films always have a warm spot in my heart and for those who love Hollywood blockbusters, you may be looking in the wrong direction.

Another Year can be best described as a bittersweet melancholy that is perhaps one of the most realistic films I have ever seen. The film details a year in the life of the long time married couple of Tom and Gerri as they move from their middle ages into their later-middle ages. But perhaps the highlight of the film is the aging couple’s grasp on the vague bohemian ideals of love and happiness, as we the audience watch their friends and relatives make far less successful stabs at it. Unlike most films we see today, the director and the cast is more interested in telling a fast paced story, but in Another Year, the focus of the film is the characters themselves.

Unlike every Hollywood movie I have seen this year, the main aspects of the films are complex plots with lots of twists, fancy camera work, and a lot of special effects. Not that I don’t love films that are being made today in North America, but for some reason, foreign films have mastered the art of subtlety. Another Year basically has no plot at all as the film is framed around the four seasons, there really is no fancy camera work to speak of, and there are no special effects.

Plus, as a special bonus to me, the film was not made in 3D. The majority of Another Year is handed to the cast, who provide excellent work by working a specific mood of diplomatic social pleasantries that are corrupted by alcohol and sadness. Broadbent and Sheen make for an extraordinarily comfortable couple, communicating a lifetime of kindness and security in mere looks and conversational timing. It’s not a nauseating depiction of split second domestic harmony, but rather a natural flow of life between two people who genuinely enjoy each other’s company. As Mary, Lesley Manville steals the show with her troubling role as she is asked to be the cancer of the story without making the character too pathetic or vicious. Manville depicts a jittery obsessive quality to the role that’s both hypnotic and repulsive at the same instant, which is the performance to look for while watching the film.

The problem with Another Year, and perhaps my only problem with the film, is that it was shown as a limited release, so that the chances of you actually finding the movie to watch, is next to impossible. So for most of you out there, Another Year will have to wait until it is released on DVD/Blue-Ray, but for those of you out there that have the chance to see this Oscar worth film, I highly recommend it for everyone. Unlike most films being made these days, Another Year is a realistic breath of fresh air from a director that loves to make good films.

For those who are not familiar with British filmmaker Mike Leigh, you will be quick to find that he has had a hugely successful career with films like High Hopes (1989), Topsy-Turvey (1999), and Happy-Go-Lucky (2008). But the most common element of his films is the stark realism and the excellent character development, and like the rest of the films he has already made, Another Year is another huge success. In today’s world, there are simply not enough films like this heart-warming yet bittersweet film, and watching it is its own reward.

Another Year Movie Trailer

How Do You Know Movie Review ..

How Do You Know stars Reese Witherspoon as professional softball player Lisa, which in itself is mind-boggling, who is past her professional prime at the age of 30. The problem isn’t that Lisa isn’t a good player, apparently she’s very good, but at her age she should be doing something more…appropriate.

Lisa does what any red-blooded woman looking to clear her head and find answers would do—take up two lovers. There’s Matty (Wilson), who is a professional pitcher with the salary to match. There’s also George (Rudd), a finance bigwig who works for his father Charles (Nicholson). The issue in How Do You Know is which guy will Lisa choose, nice guy George or two-timing Matty.

Of course Lisa should choose George, but in all fairness he does come with a lot of baggage. You see it’s quite possible that George will be indicted and sent to prison for some financial misdealings (it doesn’t really matter, it just matters that he “might” go away). In true ‘outta sight, outta mind’ fashion, Lisa decides to love the one who isn’t facing a looming indictment, which is Matty and his amazing penthouse.

Much of How Do You Know is about which man Lisa will choose, rather than what she will do with her life and I have no problem with that…in a better film. The problems in this film pop out at you almost from the beginning. Once you get past Reese Witherspoon as a professional softball player (obviously I still haven’t), you have to find a way to buy her and Paul Rudd as a couple anywhere other than Overnight Delivery.

Normally this is the part of the review of How Do You Know where I’d do a brief rundown of what happens in the film. Unfortunately everything in How Do You Know just kind of…happens. You don’t really get pulled into the story or feel invested in the outcome, which is a shame since How Do You Know came from the same director that gave us As Good As It Gets.

Rather than providing Lisa with an opportunity to find her footing in the world, the film just throws her right into two relationships: one that she would never consider if she weren’t so fragile (Matty), and one that could be sort of perfect if his life weren’t such a mess right now. Making Lisa another feckless woman makes for easy drama in a light and airy romantic comedy, but it doesn’t do justice to the perpetually perky Witherspoon.

A film packed with capable stars like How Do You Know should have so many layers to it. Even the always good if not a little snarky Jack Nicholson comes across as utterly unlikeable in this movie. Sure it’s difficult to make a manipulative tycoon likeable, but I’ve seen Nicholson do it time and again (As Good As It Gets, anyone?).

Wilson and Rudd do their best with the shell characters they portray, although it’s almost laughable to see Wilson as a pro baseball player. Wilson is the shining light in How Do You Know, playing the wealthy playboy with charm and ease. You know he’s feeding you a line, but he delivers it so well that you give him credit for being so ‘nice’. He’s oblivious to the emotions of others and has no clue how his decisions affect other people, you know the guy you’d want your daughter to choose.

Rudd is always likable and charming and funny and How Do You Know was no exception. All of the actors were likeable (save Nicholson), and charming, and pretty funny even, but there was something about How Do You Know that never felt quite right.

How Do You Know is a romantic comedy that as very little comedy, and practically no romance at all. You never quite feel as though anyone’s heart is ever on the line here, only that someone’s feelings may get hurt. Lisa is dead-set on defining herself through a man rather than baseball, yet never really seems quite aware of how much she’s lacking.

I wanted to like How Do You Know and I was even looking forward to it. I mean, what’s not to look forward to with Witherspoon, Rudd, and Wilson on-screen? But How Do You Know never lived up to my expectations. With so much big talent at such an easy time of year, it is truly unexplainable what happened to How Do You Know.

My suggestion for the next rom-com writer is to go where you think the audience doesn’t want you to go. We are sorely sick of the same tired tales passing for original, especially with $14 movie tickets! The next time you assemble a cast like this Mr. Brooks, please take more time and allow the movie to develop.

How Do You Know Movie Trailer

Conviction Movie Review ..

At its heart, Conviction is about a woman with dogged determination and lengths she will go to prove her brother’s innocence. That brother is Kenny Walters (Rockwell), and his doggedly determined sister is Betty Anne Walters (Swank). The events that take place in Conviction are based on a true story.

Kenny isn’t what you’d call a nice guy. He drinks way too much and unleashes a wild streak that no one can endure. Kenny is sometimes mean, and every shrugs it off because, well “that’s just him”. The way Kenny drinks, I’m fairly sure would classify him as an alcoholic, and that is the source of Kenny’s biggest problems.

One night in 1980 the woman living in the trailer next door to Kenny is murdered, and he is the primary suspect. Despite the flimsy evidence, Kenny makes the mistake of insulting the female cop (Leo) investigating him. Kenny is subsequently convicted and begins serving a life sentence in 1983 for his neighbor’s murder.

After his conviction, Kenny exhausts all of his appeals options in an attempt to win his freedom. However without a lawyer there is nothing much Kenny can do but wait until his life sentence is over.

Enter the true heroine of Conviction, Kenny’s sister Betty Anne. Betty Anne is an unemployed single mother of two, and the Conviction of her little brother changes the trajectory of her life. Betty Anne is heartbroken over what she views as her brother’s wrongful conviction but as a high school dropout, she is hardly in the position to do anything about it…until she is.

Conviction is Betty Anne’s courageous tale of determination. Dedicated to proving Kenny’s innocence, Betty Anne goes back to school to earn her high school diploma, then her college and law degrees, all with the single focus of freeing Kenny from prison. After all Kenny may be an awfully mean drunk, but that doesn’t mean he’s guilty.

If Betty Anne’s actions seem extraordinary to you, it’s because they are. Betty and Kenny came from what can only be described as an absent and abused household. They spent plenty of time inside the dark world of foster homes, and relied on each other to make it out in tact. Betty’s gratitude to Kenny for his strength then is repaid by her strength, now.

By 1995 Betty Anne has received her law degree, and together with her friend Abra Rice (Driver) and the Innocence Project, they set out to find the truth about Kenny’s Conviction. There are many facts that just don’t sit right about his conviction, namely the “witnesses” who claim to have seen him at the crime scene. All of this however is guesswork because the film plays with the idea that maybe Kenny is guilty after all and Betty Anne simply refuses to believe it.

Despite the best efforts of the cop that railroaded Kenny, Betty Anne overturns Kenny’s conviction using DNA evidence and he walks out of prison in March 2001. But for the hard work and dedication of his sister, Kenny would have spent far more than 18 years in prison.

Like many films based on true stories, Conviction skates incredibly close to becoming formulaic. There are the overly dramatic scenes that are sure to leave you in tears and depleting your Kleenex reserves, and that’s not a bad thing. Conviction could have become just another crime melodrama, but Swank and Rockwell are far too good to let that happen.

Swank embodies Betty Anne beautifully, adding a quiet air of dignity and determination to working class woman. Swank shines playing Betty Anne, a character whose only real flaw is the lack of education that prevents her from helping her convicted brother for nearly 2 decades. And she combats that flaw by correcting the problem and alienating her friends and family to free him from what she is certain is a wrongful conviction.

Rockwell does magnificent as troubled drinker Kenny Waters. He’s not a nice guy and he doesn’t apologize for it, but you can see the depth in his eyes and the humanity in his heart when he and Swank are on screen together. Together they took the stripped down emotion of two hard-luck kids and made beautiful chemistry on screen. You can see Betty Anne leaning into her protector who has now become the protected. Without Swank and Rockwell Conviction becomes more than another played out courtroom drama.

The supporting characters are the only place I could really find a flaw with Conviction. Although Abra does provide comic relief and support to Betty Anne, Minnie Driver deserved more than a one-dimensional character who for some reason also dedicates her life to Kenny’s conviction. The cop Nancy Taylor was even less than one-dimensional, but I refuse to consider it a bad thing because Conviction needed a boogeyman to make the drama work effectively.

Conviction tells the story of Betty Anne and Kenny wonderfully, if not a little too dramatic. The build up to the courtroom scene is great, but I should say that I do love a good courtroom drama.

The lead actors make Conviction more than it should have been to their great credit. Conviction is a film I was prepared to hate despite Swank’s name being involved with it. She does well in just about anything, and Rockwell continues to show that he can deliver any role successfully.

Conviction has everything necessary for a good film; good actors, a solid story filled with obstacles to overcome and villains to hate. And you won’t have any boring post-movie conversations while discussing the horrible injustice of wrongful convictions.

Conviction Movie Trailer

Blue Valentine Movie Review ..

Blue Valentine charts a relationship from its promising beginning to its sad collapse in this independent drama from Derek Cianfrance. Dean (Ryan Gosling) meets Cindy (Michelle Williams) when they’re in their late teens; he’s working for a moving company, she’s a college student visiting her elderly grandmother at a home for the elderly.

Cindy is dating Bobby (Mike Vogel), her boyfriend from high school, but as she gets to know Dean better, a mutual attraction grows between them. Years later, Dean and Cindy are married and have a daughter, Frankie (Faith Wladyka), but they’re clearly not as happy as they once were. Dean loves his daughter but feels distant from his wife, and they now have to look after an elderly relative (John Doman). When Cindy bumps into Bobby while running errands, it’s clear he still holds a grudge against her. Dean and Cindy go away for a weekend together at a hotel, but it doesn’t take long for them to realize that the magic isn’t coming back.

Blue Valentine is a film made out of passion and dedications. As it took 12 years to make Blue Valentine, which includes 66 drafts of the screenplay, the obsessive artistry of writer/director Derek Cianfrance, and the commitment of the lead actors, who also are executive producers. I often say that most of the year’s best films are released in the last two weeks of the year, and like most years, 2010 is no different. Blue Valentine is the typical Oscar nominated film that is an all-around excellent film but is so heavy that there is little chance there will be a second viewing. To say the least, Derek Clanfrance co-writes and directs one of the most emotionally “raw” films I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing. It is completely honest in all of its intentions, and I think it rightfully boasts the best performances of any film in 2010.

Unlike most films released these days, Blue Valentine cares little for the typical three-act narrative that we see throughout the year and focuses on the characters acted by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. To say that these young actors are great in their individual roles is perhaps the understatement of the decade, especially since they have both been nominated for Academy Awards. Blue Valentine would be nothing without the acting talent and dedication that Gosling and Williams have both shown in this film.

The film’s brilliance is perhaps that Blue Valentine shows the eventual downfall of a relationship for more or less no real reason. No cheating on one another. No abuse to one another. It is simply a case of the marriage dissolving to the point where it has to end in heartbreak and emptiness. But it seems clear that one of the two is the more obviously unhappy as the life dreams of Cindy never came to fulfilment. She never became a doctor, and had to settle with being just a nurse.

She has come to realise that she emulates the saying, “Been here, stayed here, never left here.” As she grows to be self-hating, she’s also sickened by Dean. He’s still the man she married, and simple furniture mover and labourer, but everything he says and does makes her cringe. The climax of the film brilliantly takes place in a themed hotel room where the couple attempt to salvage to doomed relationship, but what should be erotic turns into something that’s both frightening and threatening for the movie audience as we are so intimately present in the couple’s lives.

Blue Valentine is such a great movie that there really isn’t any need for me to recommend it to you as the Academy Awards has already done that for me. The problem with recommending this film is that it is of course not for everyone. It is incredibly emotionally heavy, and since director Derek Cianfrance is able to give us such an intimate look at this couple’s marriage, when the marriage inevitably breaks down, the audience is given a firsthand look at the threatening and frightful nature of emotional heartbreak.

The power and naked emotional honesty of Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams’ performances are impossible to look away from, much like the slowly unfolding train wreck that their characters’ marriage devolves into. Since their performances are bigger than Blue Valentine in every aspect, it is going to be almost impossible to hand them both Oscars for best actor and actress in a leading role. For most films, what we see on the silver screen in an imitation of life, but what Cianfrance, Gosling, and Williams give us is nothing less than life itself.

Blue Valentine Movie Trailer

The American Movie Review ..

George Clooney should be commended for his taste in films. Lately, if you hear rumors of his name among the cast and crew or you see Clooney’s revered moniker among the credits of a movie, it’s as sure a sign as you need to drop everything and watch it as soon as possible. Once stuck with Batman films and Hollywood blockbusters, Clooney has now maneuvered himself into the position where he can support the screenplays he loves rather than heading for the moneymaking concepts, and recent releases Michael Clayton and Up In The Air have shown that he has an eye for a great story.

In The American, Clooney plays an unfamiliar role as Jack, an assassin living in blissful harmony with his girlfriend (Irina Björklund) in Sweden. Unfortunately for Jack, movies aren’t made about harmonious relationships in Europe, and it isn’t long before men track him down, forcing him into hiding. This leads him to a small Italian village, where he befriends a priest (Paolo Bonacelli) and a prostitute (Violante Placido) as if trying to find two opposites of the social spectrum. He sets to work making a specialized rifle to complete what he tells his contact will be his final job before retiring.

The American doesn’t rush things. Our protagonist is stoic and aloof, portraying an icy assassin who rarely speaks. With Clooney’s good looks and a history of charming roles, you might expect a hitman who makes clever quips and the occasional witty observation with a glint in his eye, but Jack doesn’t see any glamour in what he does.

In fact, as the story slowly proceeds and he forges bonds with the priest and an affair with the prostitute, he gradually takes on an aura of paranoia as it becomes obvious that he knows that he can’t run and hide forever before he is tracked down. Unlike many of his peers, Clooney is much more than a pretty face and has always had the talent to back up his reputation. It’s a tribute to his skill that he can say so little but convey so much, carrying a gently paced story with little dialogue but still managing to hold the audience’s attention.

What’s so refreshing and encouraging about The American is that it isn’t trying to impress us. It doesn’t ask you to fall in love with the main role or distract you with flashy explosions or shock tactics, and yet you find that the simplicity of a film that perfectly reflects the emotions and journey of one man is enough of a draw. In some ways, the honesty of what director Anton Corbijn and George Clooney have done makes it so much more appealing.

The romantic aspect of the film lies almost solely on the shoulders of Violante Placido as the prostitute Clara. Jack is a man who at the start of the film shot his own girlfriend to tie off loose ends and get away from the men following him, so Placido has to make Clara seem fairly special to convince us that Jack is actually interested in her. Fortunately, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine that he is genuinely emotionally attracted to her, due to a very impressive performance by the young actress.

The major flaw of The American’s marketing campaign is that someone has failed to correctly identify the target audience. Either that or they read a synopsis and pigeon holed the film as another spy/special agent thriller to advertise to fans of the Bourne Saga. The trailer has an urgency and highly strung drama that the film just doesn’t have, and to make it they must have picked out all of the most violent moments and squashed them together into a minute and a half to make a grossly inaccurate depiction of The American.

This is a film that has been created with incredible attention to detail in a refreshing, honest style, which almost seems indifferent to whether or not the audience favors it but remains appealing. It’s not an action thriller, nor is it the type of movie to fit neatly into a box, but it’s a new approach to film and storytelling that’s strangely enticing.

The American Movie Trailer

Love & Other Drugs Movie Review ..

I’ve never really thought of Anne Hathaway as an actress. I mean of course she acts and I’ve loved her in a bunch of movies, but I never considered her as one with acting chops until I saw Love & Other Drugs. What should have just been another rom-com notch on Hathaway’s belt has become a truly romantic love story that is also kind of funny.

Love & Other Drugs introduces use to Jamie (Gyllenhaal), a charming pharmaceutical sales representative with visions of grandeur in his head. Whether it’s Zoloft, Viagra, or love Jamie sells it like, well like it’s his business. Jamie’s current goal is to leave behind Ohio for a more exciting and sales worthy adventure in Chicago.

In an effort to fulfill his goal, Jamie makes nice with doctors, goes undercover in hospitals, and even sabotages his biggest rival. Love & Other Drugs makes it clear that Jamie and his rival Trey (Macht) sell without regard to the effectiveness of the drugs, and that’s just fine. This is supposed to be a good time at the movies and I’m glad the director stayed away from mid-90’s social commentary about the pharmaceutical industry.

Aside from my above comments, it is important to note that during the 1990’s a fierce battle was waged between Zoloft and Prozac, each trying to out-prescribe the other. In order for Jamie and his sales partner Bruce (Platt) to make it to Chicago, they target Dr. Knight (Azaria). After several failed attempts to speak with the good doctor, Jamie falls back on his reliable assets—charm and boyish good looks to sneak into the office and steal all the Prozac samples.

When all else fails Jamie resorts to old-fashioned bribery, and pays Dr. Knight to allow him the privilege of following him around all day and extolling the benefits of Zoloft. It is on this ‘shadow day’ that we finally meet Maggie (Hathaway), who is a patient of Dr. Knight’s. Maggie has Parkinson’s (yes that Parkinson’s) and someone has stolen all of her medication. She gives Jamie a list of refills she needs replaced and asks him to look into a strange lump on her breast, which he happily does. The strange “lump” is a harmless spider bite, but Jamie’s intern cover is blown.

In the parking lot, Love & Other Drugs becomes…predictable. Maggie hits Jamie in the face with her bag for obvious reasons, and walks off in a huff. Even after he tracks down her number, Maggie must play hard to get or else the story isn’t as believable I guess. She turns down his offer of a date, only to accept it and start sleeping with him! Her only saving grace is that she’s totally on to him, but she’s sick and he’s hot, so who cares?

They begin a sexual relationship which consists of Maggie calling and Jamie coming—no pun intended. But where Love & Other Drugs really took my breath away was with the love story between Jamie and Maggie. Sure at first it seems like every other romantic comedy on the planet, but then even the audience can tell that Jamie & Maggie are awfully fond of each other.

Love & Other Drugs takes on a heavier tone when Maggie accepts Jamie’s invitation to a conference in Chicago. There, Maggie goes to a convention on Parkinson’s disease where she meets many others who share their tales of illness and death. When a man at the convention suggests that Jamie run like hell from Maggie and her illness, Jamie instead begins researching information on Parkinson’s and looking for specialists who can help Maggie.

What I liked most about Love & Other Drugs is the way Maggie and Jamie dealt head-on with her illness, instead of allowing it to pop up from nowhere for maximum emotional effect. The characters are surprisingly adult about the subject when their emotions aren’t getting in the way.

Gyllenhaal and Hathaway have amazing chemistry in Love & Other Drugs. His boyish face and handsome features play the career-obsessed playboy to perfection. At the same time Gyllenhall has consistently shown the depth and diversity he’s capable of and in Love & Other Drugs he proves that he is this generation’s next Leading Man.

Hathaway stands out too in her own right too, making Maggie a realistic and admirable blend of tough and tender. You honestly feel her hopelessness and refusal to give up as a deathly ill waitress without health insurance, which is another issue I’m grateful Love & Other Drugs avoided. It would’ve been easy and I’m sure it was enticing to throw a jab at American healthy care (or lack thereof), but this film was too good for that and the director knew it.

Although Love & Other Drugs is billed as a romantic comedy, it is truly a love story. The first half of the film has moments of humor and frivolity, but that all becomes irrelevant as the relationship and story of Love & Other Drugs unfolds. It is exactly what you’d expect from a romantic movie, but it’s far more than we’ve come to expect from romantic movies and Gyllenhall and Hathaway deserve all the credit.
Love & Other Drugs has an emotional depth that so many films are missing and that alone makes it a real stand out film.

Love & Other Drugs Movie Trailer

I’m Still Here Movie Review ..

Walt Disney Pictures presents “Tangled,” one of the most hilarious, hair-raising tales ever told. When the kingdom’s most wanted-and most… Oscar-nominated Walk the Line star Joaquin Phoenix announces that he’s retiring from acting to launch a hip-hop career as his brother-in-law Casey Affleck captures the curious transition on camera in the film some are labelling an elaborate Andy Kaufman-style prank.

In the fall of 2008, Phoenix shocked his fans with the announcement that he would no longer be appearing in features, but instead trying his hand in the music business. In the wake of a particularly bizarre appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, everyone began to wonder if the eccentric actor had finally fallen off the deep end. In this film, Affleck follows Phoenix as he attempts to convince Sean “Diddy” Combs to produce his debut album, and responds to a request by Ben Stiller to appear in director Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg with casual indifference.

What the hell is going on? That about sums up the entire film in a nut shell. Before even trying to write a review about this film, you have to first figure out what it is. Is it an actual documentary about the downward spiral of Joaquin Phoenix as he attempts the transition between actor and hip-hop singer? Is this a mockumentary about a fictitious version of Joaquin Phoenix that is supposed to be something of a social commentary about famous actors? The problem is that no one really knows what the hell is going on.

The issue people are having is that this “act” that Joaquin Phoenix is putting on started a year or two before the film was released, which raises the question of whether he was living the role like a method actor, or if it is in fact real. Although no one truly knows, the general consensus is that it in actually just an act for a film. IF this is the case, this film was a huge risk for one of the best actors of this generation, but more importantly, it is easily one of the best performances of the year. But of course if it is the other way around, basically a snap shot of his life, it is an absolute career suicide. Throughout the film, Phoenix acts like a narcissistic jerk in meltdown mode.

He curses and berates people mercilessly. He rants and raves in sudden fits of temper, and he rambles aimlessly, mumbling and shuffling lethargically. He laughs and fidgets maniacally. He becomes dishevelled, bloated, and unkempt, which you can tell from the movie poster. He takes various drugs, and he vomits in the middle of a rap concert in Miami after attacking a heckler. Like I said, career suicide. And even by the end, where you’d expect to find answers, you will go home empty handed.

The other issue with the film falls on the shoulder of Casey Affleck. Younger brother of actor Ben Affleck who has starred in a long list of films that have included Gone Baby Gone, Ocean’s Eleven, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. But the issue with Affleck’s involvement with the film is that he is the director of the movie, which would mean that the film is a mockumentary because it has a director, right? Not quite I’m afraid. According to J.P., the name Joaquin Phoenix prefers to go by, he asked Affleck to film his progress as he transitions from actor to hip-hop artist because Affleck is his actual brother-in-law.

This raises so many morality issues that my brain is about to explode. If Affleck was his brother-in-law and friend, which he is both, should he not have put the camera down to get J.P. the help that he apparently needed? And thus we are back to the idea of whether or not this is real again, which is perhaps the entire point of the film. I think the film is suggesting that the world is more concerned with watching from a safe distance rather than acting on something that they actually know they should act on. Rather than help, the world sits back, openly mocks the troubled individual, and then moves on with their life without looking back. Joaquin Phoenix is nothing more than a pawn in this entire film, but again, that explanation only works if this is a mockumentary.

This is probably one of the strangest films I have seen for quite awhile, and I am almost certain that the majority of people out there will not like this film. It’s not that it’s a bad film, but it’s just so strange that there seems to be no point to the thing at all. The fact is though that, if you assume that it is a mockumentary like I do, the film is nothing more that the examination of a being in transition. Even the title of the film I’m Still Here speaks to the shifting identity of Joaquin Phoenix, or J.P. if that’s what he is called these days.

I don’t know about you, but I have a feeling that somewhere out there, Andy Kaufman is smiling because this is perhaps one of the best stunts that has ever been pulled off, even during Kaufman’s own career. Plus if this is actually a fictitious film, like many of us out there suspect it to be, it is easily one of the best performances of the year, and I truly hope there is an Oscar nomination out there with J.P.’s name on it. On the other side though, if it was a real documentary then all I can say is good riddance because the film made him look like a terrible human being.

I’m Still Here Movie Trailer

Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief Movie Review ..

If you’re going to see a strange spectacle it’ll probably be in New York and generally anything goes but how about a man made from water walking the streets? Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief introduces us to Poseidon, Kevin McKidd, who quickly alters his image to a more conventional look. He meets up with Zeus, Sean Bean, who informs Poseidon that the lightning has gone, Zeus’s actual lightning bolt which allows him control over the lightning has vanished, been stolen.

Zeus insists that Poseidon’s son is the thief but Poseidon says his son knows nothing of Poseidon or the gods. So the plot is set for Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief as Zeus tells Poseidon that he has until midnight on the 21st June to return the lightning bolt or war will be declared.
Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief stars Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson, he reminds me of a young Zac Efron, when we first meet Percy he’s sitting on the bottom of a swimming pool quietly collecting his thoughts, when he surfaces his friend Grover, Brandon T.Jackson, is timing him. Percy has been underwater for 7 minutes in total; he loves the water and finds it a great location to think in.

Percy and Grover attend the same school in Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief and we see Percy struggling to read a quote written on the blackboard, the letters literally appear to be moving. Percy suffers from ADHD and dyslexia which makes him understandably frustrated when he’s trying to learn.
Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief now takes us on a school excursion to a museum where the group are being shown a gallery of Greek and Roman exhibits.

Mr Brunner, Pierce Brosnan, is the group’s lecturer and explains how the gods would have children with humans called Demigods; whilst the class is taking place another teacher wishes to have a private word with Percy. There are many surprises in store for you when you watch Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief and I won’t spoil your enjoyment by giving too many away, suffice to say that things aren’t always what they seem and neither are people.
You’ve probably already worked out for yourself that Percy is different and he’s now beginning to realize that himself, he’s whisked away to a camp called Camp Half Blood where he first meets the beautiful Annabeth, daughter of Athena.

The role of Annabeth in Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief is played by Alexandra Daddario, the actress known for her stunning eyes. Percy & the Lightning Thief forwards now to later that night and during dinner the god Hades, played by the fabulously funny Steve Coogan, pays a visit and informs Percy that he has his mother and will bargain with Percy for the lightning bolt. Percy denies any knowledge of the bolt but is determined to rescue his mother from the evil clutches of Hades, only problem is that he’s holding her captive in the Underworld which Hades rules. Percy won’t be facing his quest alone though in Percy & the Lightning Thief as his new found friends Annabeth and Grover insist on accompanying him.

They face many dangers along the way including Medusa, superbly portrayed by the alluring Uma Thurman who, even with a head full of snakes manages to still look and sound sexy! Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief’s intrepid trio visit a casino and enjoy the exquisite flavour of some delicious lotus flowers which might be tasty in flavour but they have deadly consequences. Percy & the Lightning Thief also stars Julian Richings as the ferryman who can take them to Hade’s kingdom, well actually that’s not strictly true, the ferryman can only ferry souls through to the kingdom. The ferryman informs them of this and tells them to return later when they’re properly dead! Incidentally if you’re fan of the series Supernatural you’ll recognise Julian Richings who played Death, obviously the guy likes cheerful roles then!

Percy & the Lightning Thief is an enjoyable watch with some great special effects coupled with some superb acting, not quite the blockbuster of Harry Potter which was directed by the same guy, Chris Columbus. The best performances for me are Logan Lerman and Pierce Brosnan closely followed by Uma Thurman and Brandon T.Jackson.

Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief Movie Trailer