Reel 2 Reel Reviews!

59) MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Director: Tyler Perry

Stars: Tyler Perry, Loretta Devine, Cassi Davis, Shannon Kane, Isaiah Mustafa, Shad 'Bow Wow' Moss, Rodney Perry, Tamela J. Mann, David Mann, Teyana Taylor, Lauren London

Year: 2011

Rating: PG-13

***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

58) DYLAN DOG: DEAD OF NIGHT

2011-08-26T22:04:00.001-07:00

Director: Kevin Munroe

Stars: Brandon Routh, Anita Briem, Sam Huntington, Taye Diggs, Peter Stormare

Year: 2010

Rating: PG-13

**** - Reel Awesome

57) PRIEST

2011-08-24T22:39:00.001-07:00

Director: Scott Charles Stewart

Stars: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, Lily Collins, Brad Dourif, Stephen Moyer, Christopher Plummer, Alan Dale

Year: 2011

Rating: PG-13

***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

56) JU-ON: THE GRUDGE 2

2011-08-21T14:44:00.001-07:00

Director: Takashi Shimizu
Stars: Noriko Sakai, Chiharu Niiyama, Kei Horie, Yui Ichikawa, Takako Fuji, Yuya Ozeki
Year: 2003
Rating: R
(in Japanese w/English subtitles)
*** - Reel Cool

55) I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS

2011-08-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

Director: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa

Stars: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro

Year: 2009

Rating: R

** - Reel Mediocre

54) SOURCE CODE

2011-08-20T18:15:00.001-07:00

Director: Duncan Jones
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Year: 2011
Rating: PG-13

***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

53) HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL

2011-08-18T18:37:00.001-07:00

Director: Mike Disa
Stars: Glenn Close, Hayden Panettiere, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, David Ogden Stiers, Bill Hader, Amy Poehler
Year: 2011
Rating: PG
***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

52) INSIDIOUS

2011-08-15T18:40:00.001-07:00

Director: James Wan
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lyn Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson
Year: 2010
Rating: PG-13
** - Reel Mediocre

51) DITTO

2011-07-23T22:18:00.001-07:00

Director: Jeong-kwon Kim

Stars: Ji-tae Yu, Ha-Neul Kim, Ji-won Ha

Year: 2000

Rating: NR

(in Korean w/English subtitles)

****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

50) BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

2011-07-17T22:21:00.001-07:00

Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez, Cory Hardrict, Ne-Yo, Gino Anthony Pesi, Will Rothhaar
Year: 2011
Rating: PG-13
*** - Reel Cool

49) JEKYLL + HYDE

2011-04-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Director: Nick Stillwell
Stars: Bryan Fisher, Bree Turner, Jeff Roop, Zachary Bennett, Maria del Mar
Year: 2006
Rating: R
* 1/2 - Get Reel-Reel Mediocre

48) THE CURIOSITY OF CHANCE

2011-04-07T21:31:00.001-07:00

Director: Russell P. Marleau

Stars: Tad Hilgenbrink, Brett Chukerman, Aldevina Da Silva, Chris Mulkey, Maxim Maes

Year: 2006

Rating: NR

****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

47) SCHOOLBOY CRUSH

2011-04-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Director: Kotaro Terauchi

Stars: Yoshikazu Kotani, Atsumi Kanno, Yuuki Kawakubo, Kazunori Tani

Year: 2007

Rating: NR

(in Japanese w/English subtitles)

*** - Reel Cool

46) EATING OUT 2: SLOPPY SECONDS

2011-04-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

Director: Phillip J. Bartell

Stars: Jim Verraros, Emily Brooke Hands, Rebekah Kochan, Brett Chukerman, Marco Dapper, Adrian Quinonez, Scott Vickaryous, Mink Stole

Year: 2006

Rating: NR

****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

45) TIMES HAVE BEEN BETTER

2011-03-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

Director: Regis Musset
Stars: Charlotte de Turckheim, Bernard Le Coq, Arnaud Binard, Olivier Gueritee, Stephane Boucher
Year: 2006
Rating: NR
(in French w/English subtitles)
** - Reel Mediocre

44) THE LAST WINTER

2011-03-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

Director: Larry Fessenden
Stars: Ron Perlman, James LeGros, Connie Britton, Zach Gilford
Year: 2006
Rating: NR
**1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool

43) CIAO

2011-03-22T15:58:00.001-07:00

Director: Yen Tan

Stars: Adam Neal Smith, Alessandro Calza, Charles W. Blaum, Ethel Lung

Year: 2008

Rating: R

I was quite surprised by just how touching this film was by its end. A short little gem of a film that offers nothing more than a story between mostly two characters - with a third sort of hovering over the proceedings the entire time - Ciao (which, appropriately here, is Italian for both "hello" and "goodbye") opens with Dallas resident Jeff (Adam Neal Smith) packing up the remaining possessions of his ex-lover and friend Mark (Charles W. Blaum, via flashbacks), who has recently died in an accident. On Mark's computer, Jeff comes across emails from a guy in Italy named Andrea (Alessandro Calza), with whom Mark had evidently been communicating for some time. It seems Andrea is in the process of coming to America for a wedding, and had planned to stop by Dallas and meet Mark for the first time - and, obviously, has no idea Mark has passed. Jeff hurriedly emails, but as Andrea is already on his way the two decide that Andrea will still come to Dallas as planned, and spend an evening learning more about Mark.

Most of the film is about these two characters who shared on thing - the best friend and potential lover they've each lost in the same man. Ciao takes its time playing out the friendship that grows between the two men, as Jeff shares his memories with Mark and Andrea shares the emails and videos and conversations that Mark shared him with online or on the phone. Where some "gay-themed" films might have gone in an obvious direction here, turning the film into an excuse for these two to have sex or get together as a couple, Ciao instead plays itself out - and, more importantly, ends - on a touching, very realistic note that satisfies even while it might make you shed a tear or two. A sweet little film deserving an audience. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

42) DARE

2011-03-22T08:32:00.001-07:00

Director: Adam Salky
Stars: Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford, Ashley Springer, Ana Gasteyer, Alan Cumming, Chris Riggi
Year: 2009
Rating: R

Based on a short film (which is included on the DVD), Dare is - if nothing else - proof that Zach Gilford is a genuine talent far beyond his role as Matt on "Friday Night Lights". The indie feel of the film gives it exactly the right spark ... as Emmy Rossum plays high school senior Alexa Walker, a beautiful and talented girl determined to pursue an acting career. Alexa navigates the waters of school with her shy/sensitive/geeky long-term best friend Ben (Ashley Springer) - and you couldn't find a closer set of friends, that is until Alexa is forced into an acting scene with class jock Johnny (Gilford), who has no interest in acting and less in Alexa. As Alexa finds herself prodded to take risks and be more daring in life in order to improve her acting, she finds herself warming up to Johnny ... who, in turn finds himself drawn into both Alexa and Ben's world, where the friendship and relationships between all three becomes ... well, a bit complicated.

All three principals are believable and good in their roles, but it's really Gilford's Johnny Drake who holds it all together, and Gilford is up for the challenge. Nothing new or groundbreaking here, and those without an open mind to stories about like teenagers exploring their sexuality or questioning who they are may wish to look elsewhere, but Dare has a grittiness and sense of reality that worked for me on-screen. **** - Reel Awesome

41) THE FIGHTER

2011-03-19T20:58:00.001-07:00

Director: David O. Russell

Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo

Year: 2010

Rating: R

The true story of half-brothers Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and Dicky Eklund (Bale), while focusing on the rise of Micky Ward's rise to the world light welterweight boxing championship, is just as much the story of his brother Dicky, whose own boxing career was cut short by drugs and crime, thanks to a spot-on performance by Christian Bale. As Micky's trainer, Dicky (as well as the boys' mother and sisters) is the backbone of Micky's career ... until Micky meets bartender Charlene (Amy Adams), who makes him realize, for the first time, that maybe Dicky and the family are actually sabotaging his career by keeping him in the minor leagues on the local boxing circuit.

This, of course, leads to a lot of tension between the half-brothers ... especially as Dicky does seem to know what's best for Micky, even if Micky doesn't, as Micky starts to break away from the family even as he gets more and more famous as a fighter. Normally not a boxing fan, I really enjoyed the performances in this film, and thought Wahlberg did a fine job - even if his performance is pretty much overshadowed by Bale's extraordinary turn as Dicky. And while Amy Adams - one of my favorites - seems to sort of fade into the background in this film, Melissa Leo MORE than deserved her Oscar as the dominating mother of both boys, Alice. The actors save a fairly ordinary script and story, making for good drama and a film worthy of Oscar nominations. **** - Reel Awesome

40) TANGLED

2011-03-14T22:22:00.001-07:00

Director: Nathan Greno & Byron Howard

Stars: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett

Year: 2010

Rating: PG

Wasn't sure about this one, after seeing a trailer that made the film look a bit too silly and slapstick - but having seen the film, my first reaction is "Welcome Back, Disney!" and Tangled is now one of my favorite films of the year. First off, the film just looks amazing; though CGI/computer-generated, more than any recent Disney film, this one is just so reminiscent - in both color and character - of hand-drawn Disney animation in its hey-day. The film just looks brilliant.

Which only adds to the well-written script, vivid characters, and terrific performances from a cast led by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi as the two leads.

Rapunzel (voiced by Moore), a beautiful blond princess born to a proud king and queen, was healed from illness as a baby with the powers of a magic flower; powers desired by the evil Mother Gothel, a crone who soon after kidnaps the princess, holding her forever prisoner in a tower, pretending she is her mother as she spends years teaching the girl to be afraid of the outside world.

Flash forward about sixteen years, and Rapunzel is a beautiful teenager with long (as in 70-feet long), beautiful hair who still dotes on the woman she thinks is her mother ... but also wonders and dreams of the outside world, and in particular about the spectacular display of floating lanterns she can see far off in the distance, every year on her birthday.

Though highly discouraged by her mother to ever leave the tower (Rapunzel's hair, so long as it is never cut, has retained the power to keep Mother Gothel young forever) , one day when her mother is out Rapunzel's tower is invaded by a handsome runaway thief and scoundrel named Flynn (Levi). Proving she is able to take care of herself, Rapunzel takes the intruder hostage, then eventually makes a deal with him so that he will take her out of the tower to show her the outside world - and in particular the lantern display, and what it means - in exchange for protecting her.

As expected, the two have a hate-hate relationship that carries them into one problem after another - the two meeting up with the usual assortment of Disney sidekicks and villains along the way. Add to that Mother Gothel's return to the tower, where she finds Rapunzel gone and sets out to find her, and you have the makings for a lot of drama and action - spiced up, as usual, with touches of comedy (and yeah, there is slapstick and goofiness - wonderfully so!) and, as the story goes on, touching moments of drama ... all as Rapunzel gets closer and closer to learning her true identity, and Mother Gothel gets more and more determined to stop her.

Even the musical numbers and romantic storyline only add to what is already a brilliant film, lovingly made and truly entertaining ... and one of Disney's best animated efforts in years. Plenty of goofiness for the kids, but also with a real heartbeat and emotional content (even a bit of pathos) for the adults. Truly awesome. **** - Reel Must-See

39) VAMPIRE BOYS

2011-03-14T16:42:00.001-07:00

Director: Charlie Vaughn

Stars: Jason Lockhart, Christian Ferrer, Ryan Adames, Dylan Vox, Tanner Acord, Jess Allen, Zasu

Year: 2011

Rating: UR

Vampire Boys is one of those guilty-pleasure B-movies of so-so quality ... that is, in its way, highly entertaining because the one thing it doesn't do is take itself seriously. The acting and writing are both a bit all over the place, but director Charlie Vaughn holds it all together nicely (especially on the tiny budget the film had), and a very handsome cast led by Jason Lockhart (actually quite a good actor) do their best with the material, for sure.

Lockhart plays Jasin, a centuries-old vampire who travels with his brood of fellow vamps (Dylan Vox, Tanner Acord, Jess Allen), killing and drinking blood around Los Angeles - and yeah even during the day, as these vampires can not only be out in the sun ... but actually tan quite nicely.

Jasin has a problem, however; his time is running out on this earth unless he finds a special companion to spend his life with; one who will willingly allow his or her being turned into a vampire, in order to spend eternity with Jasin. No companion, and not only does Jasin croak but so do his bloodsucking buddies. Jasin's boys have the perfect prospect in mind, a buxom blond named Tara who is more than willing to be vamped up and become Jasin's one and only - but Jasin, however, has found and chosen young male college student Caleb (Christian Ferrer), a fresh-faced kid from the midwest, new to town, who has captured both Jasin's attention and heart.

Jasin starts to woo Caleb, much to his brood's dismay, and even Caleb's roommate Paul (Ryan Adames) - also crushing on Caleb - proves to be an obstacle in need of overcoming so that Jasin can have "The One" he needs in Caleb, in order to continue to survive.

That's the plot, the rest of which consists of Jasin's revealing to Caleb who he really is and what he wants - but also Jasin's having to deal with dissension among his own group of boys. The film is nicely shot, and I thought it a fairly okay B-movie ... until I watched the extra features on the DVD, and realized 1) just how small a budget the film had; and 2) the respect and love the actors obviously had for their director, as well as the fun everyone had making the movie.

Which gave me a whole new perspective on the film. Knowing what the director and actors had to work with, Vampire Boys still comes off as no epic - but I definitely have a new respect for the film, and its "midnight movie" appeal that has made it fans all over the world. Probably not of much interest for anyone outside the gay or gay-friendly community (there is one brief full-frontal male nude scene, but other than that the film could be an easy PG-13); otherwise an interesting and unashamedly fun B-movie vampire film worth a view. *** Reel Cool

38) SHORTBUS

2011-03-12T08:46:00.001-08:00

Director: John Cameron Mitchell

Stars: Sook-Yin Lee, Raphael Barker, Paul Dawson, PJ DeBoy, Lindsay Beamish, Jay Brannan, Peter Stickles, Justin Bond

Year: 2006

Rating: UR

Shortbus is one of those films that affects you for awhile after seeing it. Set in New York City (with an amazing handmade diorama of the city that the film utilizes to show the action moving around different parts of town), the film follows a handful of people, both gay and straight, who are all in crisis mode of their relationships.

There's Sofia and Rob (Sook-Yin Lee and Raphael Barker), a happily married couple that engages in quite a bit of sex ... much of it in the hopes of getting Sofia to finally achieve orgasm, which she's never had. This is personally poignant for Sofia, as for her career she works as a couples counselor, trying to help people very much in her condition. Two of her clients are James and Jamie (Paul Dawson and PJ DeBoy), a monogamous gay couple of five years who are having issues because James now wants to bring a third guy into their lives sexually. The fact that Jamie has a stalker for a neighbor (Peter Stickles) potentially over-complicates things further. And then there is Severin (Lindsay Beamish), a dominatrix who has never really felt love herself.

All end up, at various times, at an exclusive underground club, Shortbus, where men and women come to openly explore their sexuality (and openly is an understatement; before the film is over you will see every manner of coupling, all in the most explicit way possible). Sofia's first trip to the club is a mind-blower for her - one she rejects openly, insulted by all she see - but eventually she even chooses to bring Rob back with her, in the hopes of each of them becoming more open with their sexuality (and, of course, so she can finally peak for the first time in her life).

The film is about what each of these people - people that, yes, we do grow to like and care about - get from Shortbus; how it enriches or affects each of their lives, and what happens after. The sex scenes (even an eyebrow-raising orgy), while 100% explicit and graphic, do not come across as pornography or even necessarily erotic; instead, they fit into the film like a puzzle piece, only coming off as an extension of the characters or what they face. And while a film like this could have been so predictable - each person goes to Shortbus and comes away with his or her life transformed/"fixed" - one of the best things about the film is that you can't always predict what will happen, or where things will go.

Funny, touching, romantic, and lighthearted yet sincere, Shortbus is a film that will turn off some due to its graphic sexual content - but so, so worth the ride as it will also touch something in the universal core of many who see it. Especially those secure in themselves and in what they need, both in bed and out, this is a wonderful film with so much more going on beyond what you see on-screen. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

37) RHYTHM & BLUES

2011-03-11T21:55:00.001-08:00

Director: Stephen Lennhoff

Stars: Paul Blackthorne, Ian Henderson, Gary Fairhall, Angus MacInnes, Philippe Sartori

Year: 2000

Rating: NR

Marketed as a gay dark comedy, Rhythm & Blues stars Paul Blackthorne in one of his earliest roles, playing a cocky, sexy yet kind of mysterious street hustler named John in the UK, who joins the Boys Galore Escort service on the advice of his quasi-psychotic skinhead friend Byron (Ian Henderson), as a way of making some good, quick money.

John, confident and exuding male sexuality, quickly becomes the most popular rent boy at the service - especially when he draws the attention of Bad Daddy (Angus MacInnes), a rich middle-aged queen who purchases the time of only the best boys - usually for days at a time. When John bargains for his buddy Byron to come along for the ride, the two join Daddy and his major domo at Daddy's expensive home for a weekend of mind games, sex games, and John manipulating the players in the game with his charm, good looks and body.

The film has funny moments, but Paul Blackthorne - an amazing and underrated actor whose talents are fairly wasted here - stands out far and above his castmates, many of whom come off as total caricatures instead of real people. You do spend the film wondering if John's really a good guy or a bad guy - and Ian Henderson, as Byron, is so over the top he provides some of the funniest moments of the film - but overall Rhythm & Blues is more about the blues than the rhythm; even with a cool/funny twist at the end, the film overall (especially when Blackthorne isn't on-screen) is often flat and lifeless, both characters and story failing to leap off the screen. Even as a film targeted for a gay audience, the only thing "gay" about the whole thing are the characters; the film itself is so tame (until toward the end), you'd never know it was a film about rent boys or an escort service.

Even as the lighthearted farce the film seems to want to be, it just never shines on-screen. Except for Paul Blackthorne (and Henderson, to a lesser degree) - and there is just so much other stuff, that's so much better, you could catch him in. Not worth your time. ** - Reel Mediocre

36) THE RASPBERRY REICH

2011-03-08T20:58:00.001-08:00

Director: Bruce La Bruce

Stars: Susanne Sachsse, Daniel Batscher, Andreas Rupprecht, Dean Stathis

Year: 2004

Rating: UR

(in English and German w/English subtitles)

I have to admit, this was my first Bruce La Bruce film - and to say watching The Raspberry Reich was a bizarre experience just doesn't even cut it. In your face, very sexually explicit (in fact, even the "toned down" version is virtually worthy of an X rating), the film is part parody, part comedy, part social commentary, and part porn.

In other words, from all I've read and seen, fairly typical of Bruce La Bruce.

That said, it's not an awful movie - especially if you like films that are either political commentaries ... or, in this case, a take-off on them. Susanne Sachsse stars as Gudrun, leader of a terrorist resistance group that, although the film is set in modern Germany, aims to bring back the pro-left wing movement from the 1970s. Spouting cool catch-phrases like "The revolution is my boyfriend!" and "Heterosexuality is the opiate of the masses!" the far-left revolutionary leader assembles a band of male followers to help her lead the cause ... then proceeds to force all of them (including her boyfriend) to have sex with each other, in order prove their mettle as true followers to both her and The Cause.

And that's pretty much the plot, if you include what happens to the guys after the sex. That said, the film never takes itself seriously; indeed, the opening (and very, VERY explicit) scene of Gudrun and her boyfriend having sex - all over their apartment and even into the elevator, with an elderly couple forced to ride the elevator with them - is actually pretty funny, as Gudrun spews much of her ideology ("Madonna is counter-revolutionary!") throughout. Her small, all-male army is certainly attractive enough to make the sex scenes downright hot, at times, and if you're into the whole social commentary thing (or those making fun of it, actually), then there will be moments to satisfy.

But overall, again while you can't hate the film, it's very one-note and would generally appeal to only a very select audience. The ending is kind of sweet, believe it or not - but the question is, is the journey to get there worth it?

In a way. For a low-budget indie film that makes no attempt to be more than it is (and for those interested in anything written in the above interview), it's worth a look. But again, only to a select group - and even those people will find their eyebrows raising, occasionally, throughout. **1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool

**NO TRAILER AVAILABLE**

35) SERVICE

2011-03-07T18:45:00.001-08:00

Director: Brillante Mendoza

Stars: Gina Pareno, Jaclyn Jose, Julio Diaz, Coco Martin, Kristofer King, Dan Alvaro

Year: 2008

Rating: UR

(in Tagalog with English subtitles)

With little characterization and even less plot, Service is a quirky yet engaging little oddity of a film fro the Philippines, directed by Brillante Mendoza, that has as its central character the Family Theater - a once-grand movie palace now covered in graffiti and faded, peeling film posters advertising the theater's second-most popular attraction: porn.

The theater, run by the equally once-grand Pineda family (who also lives above the theater), has as its main attraction the clientele the adult films draw; young street hustlers, gay men, and horny married men hook up with the dark confines and dank hallways of the faded and jaded theater, often with what's going on off-screen more exciting than the actual double features shown.

Service, which depicts little more than the family members' lives in connection with the theater that has become their lives, follows continuously as the family deals with infidelity and divorce, borrowing money to help keep things running, young love, grossly overflowing toilets, casual sex, boils, raising children, even a runaway goat ... all while somehow keeping the movie house running so the family itself can survive. In the unrated version a few of the sex scenes are unapologetically graphic, and the film overall often plays more like a reality show, with the camera hurrying to keep up as different situations (I hesitate to use the word "subplots" here, as there is really not a plot, period) unfold in an "average" day of trying to run a porn theater. Director Brillante Mendoza captures the gritty, grimy world of the theater perfectly, the graininess on-screen giving the film its raw texture - and the strikingly handsome Coco Martin, as young Alan, provides the ray of hope in the film for the Pineda family's future, when all is said and done. I'd heard a lot about Martin, prior to Service, but this was my first time seeing his work, and he alone makes the film worth watching.

Though even overall, I found Service intriguing and unique. While definitely not for everyone, and quirky to the point I am not even 100% sure why I liked it, this is one film I could watch again ... even to the point of purchasing on DVD. Even among the grit and grime and seediness, somehow there feels like a bit of a gem here. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

34) CHARLIE ST. CLOUD

2011-03-06T15:59:00.001-08:00

Director: Burr Steers
Stars: Zac Efron, Charlie Tahan, Amanda Crew, Augustus Prew, Kim Basinger, Donal Logue, Ray Liotta, Dave Franco
Year: 2010
Rating: PG-13

There's a lot to like about Charlie St. Cloud, not the least of which is Zac Efron proving that he can, indeed, act. Almost ethereally beautiful, here Efron digs beneath his looks to flesh out a sympathetic and endearing character in Charlie, a gifted sailor and excellent high school student on the east coast who has just won a full scholarship to Stanford - much to both the joy of his mother (Kim Basinger) and the trepidation of his younger brother Sam (Charlie Tahan), who is very close to his older brother and will be sorry to see him go. As his two best buddies prepare to enter the military, Charlie's future seems much more secure ... until an auto accident takes Sam's life, and nearly kills Charlie in the process (he's brought back to life, in the ambulance, by a stubborn EMT played by Ray Liotta).

The film flashes forward to five years later ... and the still-grief-stricken Charlie, who now works as a caretaker at the very cemetery his brother is buried in, where he also lives. Charlie never took the scholarship, gave up sailing, and lives now only for doing his job ... and the game of catch he still plays with his brother Sam (whom only he can see) every day at sunset, a date they set to make, every day without fail, just before Sam passed.

Charlie's life has become nothing like the plan, and in fact his mom has even moved away from her own grief at not only losing Sam ... but, in a way, losing Charlie too. It's only, in fact, when an experienced female sailor named Tess, whom Charlie starts to fall for (and who always had a crush on Charlie - the old Charlie, who loved life), comes along that Charlie feels the urge to live beyond the cemetery again ... and maybe start the process of healing, at last.

Charlie St. Cloud plays out a bit like a TV-movie, script-wise, with what may appear to be nothing more than a story of sadness and grief. In truth, the film is much more - ultimately uplifting, and also way above the norm thanks to a great cast headed by Efron. Yes, his beauty almost rivals that of the incredible cinematography/scenery in the film itself. But it's by far Efron who gives pure heart and soul to Charlie, turning in a subtle, thought-out yet very humane and believable performance as a young man who chooses to live within his grief instead of the real world. It's a touching, charming nuanced performance, the film well worth seeing for Efron alone ... though he is certainly backed up by a good supporting cast, as well, that makes the most of a script that's not particularly strong.

Efron chose well here, taking his first steps away from teen idol to mature adult actor with sure footing. Nice to know he has genuine talent behind the looks, it should be a real pleasure to watch him grow more into himself as an actor on-screen; he really is pretty terrific. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

33) KICK-ASS

2011-03-04T23:39:00.001-08:00

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Stars: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mark Strong, Nicolas Cage
Year: 2010
Rating: R

Colorful, funny, violent, well-written and perfectly cast, Kick-Ass is a high-octane comic book come to life ... a film that lives fully up to its name and is one of the best films I've seen so far in 2011.

Aaron Johnson - one of the best young actors working today, with this film and his moving performance as John Lennon in Nowhere Boy living proof - stars as shy, nerdy high school boy Dave Lizewski, a guy who is just sort of there; an average student at an average school, leading a pretty nondescript life hanging out with his two best buddies and pining away for the girl he can't have. He doesn't party, gets decent grades, is respectful to the father he lives with, and is so ordinary and average it's sort of driving him crazy.

Which is why, one day, Dave orders a green scuba suit from online, makes a couple of slight adjustments ... and decides, for almost no other reason than out of boredom, to become a superhero, donning the name Kick-Ass. He has no super powers, no martial arts or fight training - hell, the guy doesn't even work out - and in fact his first run in with some "bad guys" has him getting HIS ass kicked, to the point of spending some time in the hospital and requiring back surgery.

Hopes and confidence dashed, Dave retreats back into his shell for awhile - but Kick-Ass the superhero won't quit, and he dons the suit again, the surgery leaving his torso number enough he can now take a lot more punishment with little to no pain.

Kick-Ass' second effort at crime fighting goes a lot better, and is in fact recorded by a few people at the scene, on their phones - and soon Kick-Ass becomes a YouTube sensation, locally famous as a masked superhero ... who draws the attention of Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz), a father-daughter crime-fighting duo with their own personal reasons for taking down New York City crime boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong, SO good at playing bad). When Hit-Girl and Big Daddy save Kick-Ass' ass, after the poor high school kid almost gets himself killed by a gang of D'Amico's thugs, Kick-Ass is immediately bumped up to the top of D'Amico's hit list when he thinks it was Kick-Ass who's dispatched with his vicious goons (sadly, Big Daddy and Hit-Girl are better at remaining in the shadows than the already-famous Dave, so D'Amico isn't even aware of their existence at first; it's Kick-Ass whose head he wants).

To lure Kick-Ass to his death, D'Amico's nerdy high school-age son Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) - eager to prove to his father he's man enough to get involved in the family business - comes up with the idea of creating his own superhero, in order to get both Kick-Ass' attention and trust. Hence Red Mist is born, and indeed the plan seems to be working, as Dave is lured into believing Red Mist only wants to team up with Kick-Ass to fight crime in the boroughs of New York City ... as Frank D'Amico sets up a plan to not only kill Kick-Ass, but use his slow death as a lesson to others who may come up behind him.

Kick-Ass is a pure comic book come to life - but is certainly not for kids. Violent, bloody, and often times very adult in nature, it's like a Kill Bill for the high school set. It's also one hell of a movie, full of laughs and shocks and with a great plot that never lets up or grows dull for even a moment. Aaron Johnson, yet again, proves he deserves to be an uber-star actor; he's absolutely vulnerable, engaging, funny and spectacularly genuine here - heading an excellent cast that helps to craft one of the most fun, exuberant and truly - well, kick-ass - films I've seen in ages. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is wonderful, as well as Mark Strong; hell, even Nicolas Cage, who often works my nerves as an actor, is a real delight here too, playing it straight and making it that much funnier for doing so. But the other standout, along with Johnson, is Chloe Grace Moretz - an amazingly strong actor for such a young age, and along with Aaron Johnson an actor totally deserving of super-stardom and a very lengthy career.

Few films in recent memory have gotten me more engaged, or more keyed up, than Kick-Ass. If you can handle the violence, it's a brilliant treat that needs to be seen. ***** - Reel Must-See

32) MEGAMIND

2011-03-03T20:34:00.001-08:00

Director: Tom McGrath
Stars: Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt, David Cross, Ben Stiller
Year: 2010
Rating: PG

Much like Despicable Me (another beautifully-animated film I quite liked), Megamind has a premise that finds with a supervillain who finds himself suddenly at odds with his chosen profession. Opening in Metro City on a beautiful spring day, we find Megamind (Will Ferrell) once again kidnapping ace TV news reporter Roxanne Ritchie (Tina Fey) - girlfriend to MetroMan (Brad Pitt), Metro City's protector and superhero - and has defied his arch enemy to find and rescue her.

As the opening scene progresses, we realize that Megamind, coming from another world and sent here by his parents (Superman-style) just as their planet was being destroyed, has - since childhood - become a supervillain after having his childhood overshadowed by the young MetroMan. The child Megamind turned to evil to get attention, and we viewers learn pretty quickly that this playing out of kidnapping-Roxanne-to-try-and-lure-MetroMan-to-his-death-thing has been going on for some time.

Only something goes horribly wrong (or horribly right, depending on your viewpoint), and Megamind actually KILLS MetroMan this time out - putting Metro City at his mercy, at last. Needless to say, at first Megamind - along with his sidekick Minion (David Cross) - is uber-thrilled with the results, and trashes Metro City from end to end, stealing money and the world's most prized artwork for himself. But after weeks of pillaging and ruling with an iron hand, Megamind realizes he's just plain bored; that the best part of being a supervillain was, indeed, having a superhero to fight! So using his mega-mind, Megamind decides to find a local goofball and turn HIM into a superhero, just to give him someone to try and destroy.

But in that super-boob, Megamind chooses Roxanne's dork of a cameraman, Hal (Jonah Hill) turning him into the all-powerful, almight Tighten ... and learns pretty quickly that Tighten is anything BUT a superhero. In fact, Tighten may make Megamind's reign look like The Sound of Music by comparison.

Further complicating things, Megamind - through a series of bizarre circumstances I don't want to divulge here - starts to find himself falling in love ... with none other than Roxanne Ritchie. But what's a supervillain to do when battling another supervillain? And does that make HIM, suddenly, a superhero?

Mixing a terrific blend of humor, dazzling animation, and high-flying action sequences, Megamind at heart remains a story OF the heart. Funny and endearing, even if the ending is a bit corny it all works - in a sweet film both kids and adults can enjoy. Really charming, and well worth seeing. **** - Reel Awesome

31) BLACK DYNAMITE

2011-03-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

Director: Scott Sanders
Stars: Michael Jai White, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Tommy Davidson, Byron Minns, Phil Morris, Kevin Chapman, Phil Morris
Year: 2009
Rating: R

Screenwriters Michael Jai White, Byron Minns, and Scott Sanders understand the number one rule of producing a parody: make it a funny-as-hell, but also a real homage - a love letter - to the film or genre it's playing on. Such is the case of Black Dynamite - an always-entertaining, often genuinely hilarious film about ex-CIA agent Black Dynamite (White) who, after the murder of his baby brother, takes on crime in his Los Angeles inner city neighborhood as he searches to avenge his brother's death. Along with his soul brothers Cream Corn (Tommy Davidson) and Bullhorn, Black Dynamite takes on the corruption of inner city youth as he joins forces with a militant leader Saheed to find his brother's killer, and discovers a conspiracy to keep the Black man down ... as he also courts a fine-ass, socially-conscious sistah named Gloria (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) in the process.

But will his martial arts skills, one hell of a big gun, and a bad-ass attitude (not to mention one sexy mustache) be enough for BD to be able clean up the streets for good? Damn straight it will - thanks to a great soundtrack, period sets and costumes that transport you right back to 1972, and the straitlaced, ingenious performance of Michael Jai White, who plays Black Dynamite with more suave, sophistication, and straight-up finery than Shaft, Superfly and Blacula (minus the teeth) combined. Armed with a supporting cast with character names like Mo Bitches (Miguel Nunez Jr.), Mahogany Black (Nicole Ari Parker), Sweet Meat (Brian McKnight), Tasty Freeze (Arsenio Hall), Kotex (NBA vet John Salley), Black Dynamite never strikes a false note in its authentic reproduction of the best blaxploitation films ever made ... yet plays them up with a real love for the genre, even as viewers can spot the occasional boom mike showing in-frame, or catches a flubbed line or blooper en route.

The ultimate conspiracy that Black Dynamite uncovers is the funniest part of the film, and how he and his friends defeat the bad guys is pure gold to watch. One of the best comedies this reviewer has seen in some time, Black Dynamite is one of those "instant classics" you'll want to catch more than once, to make sure you've caught all the jokes - and would be just as much fun with multiple viewings are the first time you watched it. Michael Jai White, terrific in so many things for so many years, finally gets his due here; terrifically! ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

30) MY SOUL TO TAKE

2011-02-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

Director: Wes Craven
Stars: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Emily Meade, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway, Paulina Olszynski, Denzel Whitaker, Jeremy Chu, Frank Grillo, Raul Esparza
Year: 2010
Rating: R

BIG Wes Craven fan here; have been for over twenty years. BIG fan of Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Frank Grillo, Raul Esparza and Jeremy Chu, as well ... and, thanks to this film, now want to catch more of Emily Meade and Zena Grey's work especially, as well.

Which made My Soul to Take all that much more disappointing - especially after a way-cool opening in which a handsome, very together husband and father named Abel (Raul Esparza) learns, on one dark and ugly night as his pregnant wife lies upstairs in bed, that he's a split personality - his other half being the Riverton Ripper, a serial killer terrorizing Riverton with a sharp hunting knife.

Things don't go so well from there, before the film flash forwards to sixteen years later ... and a riverside ceremony where the seventeen sixteen-year-old teenagers, all born on the night the Ripper was supposedly killed off, hold their annual ritual of pretending to kill off the Ripper again, keeping them safe another year (as the Ripper swore he'd come back and kill all seven of those born on the night he died).

Adam "Bug" Hellerman (Max Thieriot, a good actor who does the most he can with the material given) Heller, the one chosen to "kill off" the Ripper this time around, has been plagued by odd dreams and visions, and in total fear fails in his mission before the cops show to break things up. Sure enough, that night one of the seven is viciously murdered ... and it soon appears that the Ripper is back again, slicing and dicing his way through the unlucky seven. Question is, who IS the Ripper? Or, more importantly, who MIGHT BE the Ripper, as it may also be that the killer is dead - his soul actually now taking over one or maybe more of the ill-fated seven?

Sadly, you won't care too much about the answers to these questions by the end. Oh, the film has some nice, suspenseful moments, and interesting death scenes - thanks to Craven, who can be somewhat of a Jedi at it. And even the cast tries valiantly, Max Thieriot a worthwhile anchor as the confused, disturbed, and quite possibly homicidal apex of the group.

No, the script here is the letdown, by far. It seems too rushed, too much like a first draft put into production to beat a deadline. And then there's the ending; while the last, final "battle" scene starts off promisingly enough, it just goes on too long - until the suspense actually lags. I mean, you can only watch someone getting chased around a dark house for so long. And while the revelation of the killer is in itself a yawn, the ease with with said killer is dispatched - compared to the hellacious time they had getting the guy to lay down in the opening sequence, borders on both nonsensical and ridiculous.

Some moments - visually, artistically, and acting-wise - do shine in My Soul to Take, but they aren't enough to overcome a weak, cumbersome, even amateurish script that I'm having a hard time believing Craven even wrote. Or, if he did, that he took more than a weekend to write it. ** - Reel Mediocre

29) CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT

2011-02-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Chris Massoglia, John C. Reilly, Josh Hutcherson, Ken Watanabe, Michael Cerveris, Ray Stevenson, Willem Dafoe, Jessica Carlson, Patrick Fugit, Salma Hayek, Orlando Jones
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

Based on the popular series of books by Darren O'Shaughnessy, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant at first comes off as a teen vampire flick; think The Lost Boys mixed with the tone of Something Wicked This Way Comes, then turn left and stir in a touch of comedy. That's the best way to describe it, other than to say that - happily - the film is just as appealing for adults, especially toward the end when things, indeed, turn a bit dark.

Chris Massoglia, in a breakthrough performance, stars as Darren Shan - a smalltown high school student who gets great grades and is the apple of his parents eyes. That is, when he's not hanging around his best buddy Steve (Josh Hutcherson), a smart-mouthed kid from a broken home who is usually behind what little trouble Darren gets into. When a chance flyer, promoting a forbidden, exotic freak show that's come to the outskirts of town for a performance that evening, falls into the boys' hands, there is NO WAY they can miss the performance ... and, in doing so, set off a chain of events that will forever change their lives. Or, well, deaths.

Sure enough, at the freak show the buddies are introduced - via front-row seats - to an array of X-Men-style mutants, from Mr. Tall (Ken Watanabe as a deformed giant) and the scaly Evra the Snake Boy (Patrick Fugit), to the bearded lady, Madame Truska (Salma Hayek) and more. The highlight of the show for both boys, however, has to be Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly, in a wonderfully, comically dry performance). See, Darren has this absolute fascination - obsession, really - with spiders, and on-stage Crepsley introduces the audience to the freakiest-cool-looking spider EVER; a colorful, oversize tarantula-esque freak with orange legs that Darren is instantly mesmerized by (especially when it seems to take a liking to him). Meanwhile, for Steve, Larten Crepsley represents something much, much darker ... for Steve's obsession is vampires, and he immediately recognizes Crepsley as the real deal; an image from one of his books on vampire lore come to life.

When the performance is broken up by the local conservative parents, Darren and Steve scatter so as not to be found. Darren, who snuck out of his house to attend the show, inadvertently ducks into what ends up being Crepsley's dressing - and through a strange series of circumstances I won't go into here (trying HARD not to give too much away), Darren steals the spider that night, taking it home with him ... and even to school the next day, where something happens that brings Darren to Crepsley's door, begging him for one hell of a serious favor.

A favor that Crepsley will only grant on one condition: the he, Darren, agree to be turned into a vampire, and become Crepsley's assistant, leaving his family and friends and even Steve forever. Permanently.

To say more might be saying too much, but needless to say things get rather odd for Darren. For Steve too, for that matter, who is still obsessed with knowing Crepsley's true vampiric identity. Worse, there is a group of some pretty bad-ass BAD vampires, too, who all have their own reasons for wanting both Crepsley AND Darran Shan - and indeed, not everything is always what it seems to be in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, which is of course part of the film's charm.

The cast does a great job here, led by Reilly and Massoglia, as well as Josh Hutcherson as Steve - who doesn't even realize his best friend is alive, just undead. The film's own take on various vampire myths/legends is fresh and original, and the freak show campgrounds and even initial performance seem wholly real, as well as dark and creepy; just as a freak show should be. And while the film blatantly sets up viewers for a sequel - in fact leaves things on a bit of a what's-going-to-happen-next cliffhanger, the journey there is fun, funny, and - thanks to one heck of a battle at the end - all too much of a reminder that Darren and Steve have made choices they may not be able to walk away from.

I don't know that Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant should rank up there with modern-day vampire classics like The Lost Boys or Interview with the Vampire ... but it's certainly a well-crafted, very entertaining story with a great cast. The violence, especially in the end, might be a bit much for very young kids, but otherwise the film can be enjoyed by both kids and adults alike. Nicely done. **** - Reel Awesome

28) PASSPORT TO LOVE

2011-02-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

Director: Victor Vu
Stars: Binh Minh, Huy Khanh, Kathy Uyen, Ngoc Diep, Tang Bao Quyen
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13
(in Vietnamese with English subtitles)

Khang (Binh Minh) and Hieu (Huy Khanh) are best friends currently in college in Saigon. Khang, the ladies' man, shirks his studies and becomes adept at spending his rich father's money, leading the high live with plenty of booze and women and sex. Hieu, more bookish, is studious and in complete control of his future, determined to be the next Bill Gates (he even has a poster of the world-famous Microsoft entrepreneur on his world) even as he tries - in vain - to keep Khang libido in check and the guy in school. When Khang's dad busts him for flunking his classes, threatening to remove him from school and cut him off money-wise for sure, Khang instead follows Hieu to California, the two buddies heading off for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to study in America (well, Hieu will be studying; Khang's hopes are to get away with even more while his dad is half a world away).

Hieu bids a sad farewell to his beautiful, sweet-natured fiancee Thao (Tang Bao Quyen), and the boys arrive in Orange County, where almost immediately Khang gets arrested and spends the night in jail after trying to drive drunk during a night of partying with a pretty girl. What Khang doesn't count on is the beautiful but no-nonsense single-mom cop, Tiffany (Kathy Uyen), he immediately falls for at the police station ... who has no problem with letting Khang know she thinks he's a spoiled little rich brat she can't even stand the sight of.

Meanwhile, to please his mother, Hieu connects with an old friend of hers who lives in the area - a very Americanized Vietnamese lady with a husband ... and college-aged daughter who is SO Americanized, it has her parents concerned. Jennifer (Ngoc Diep) can't speak proper Vietnamese, is as vague and shallow as a valley girl, wears too much makeup and too many designer names, and is sexually active with her boyfriend. Jennifer's mother offers Hieu his first job in the States - tutoring the vapid Jennifer in proper Vietnamese - but Jennifer turns out to be such a bratty, uncaring airhead that Hieu pretty much drops the idea after the first lesson, taking a restaurant serving job, instead.

But Jennifer's not out of Hieu's life for good ... and as Khang starts to have genuine feelings for a woman for the first time in his life, he finds himself trying more and more to convince Tiffany he can become a changed man, often with funny results.

And THAT is the main conflict of this romantic dramedy, as Hieu and Khang navigate the waters of romance in America. It's a charming film, with a nice sense of humor and very real performers from a good ensemble cast. Binh Minh is awesome as Khang, the commitment-phobic player you love to hate that viewers will be rooting for all the way ... and Huy Khanh, though he is given much less of an emotional range to work with as Hieu, still manages to breathe real life and heart to the character, making you care very much for Hieu even as the guy makes some very stupid mistakes in his attempt to always do the right thing. Of the ladies, the innocence of Thao is nothing short of charming - she's the girl every good guy in the world hopes to have - and Tiffany, you start to think, might just be what Khang needs to turn himself around ... if only she didn't dislike him so much! Jennifer, the spoiled brat who has to have everything her way, got on my nerves throughout - but hey, every romantic film needs a villain, right?

Charming and funny and tinged with just the right amount of drama, passion and pathos, Passport to Love has enough of a twist on your typical romantic dramedy to keep things fresh. Well worth seeing. **** - Reel Awesome

27) 9 SONGS

2011-02-20T15:19:00.001-08:00

Director: Michael Winterbottom
Stars: Kieran O'Brien, Margo Stilley
Year: 2004
Rating: UR

If you read reviews or comments about 9 Songs - particularly the "Unrated Full Uncut Version" (the version this reviewer saw) - you'll find that the consensus seems to be either that the film is pure art or pure crap, depending on the viewer. Based on director Michael Winterbottom's complaint that novels can have extremely detailed sex scenes and still be deem as "legitimate" art, while film doing the exact same thing is considered pornography. 9 Songs is the two-character study of Matt (Kieran O'Brien), a short, blue-collar-looking British glaciologist (a guy who studies glaciers), and Lisa (Margo Stilley), the carefree, free-spirited American girl on a sojourn in the UK who becomes Matt's girlfriend.

The two met in a musical venue in London, during a concert, and the film chronicles the course of their relationship over nine songs that play out in between increasingly explicit sex scenes of the couple that also defines their relationship.

And that's it - the entire "plot," played out over jsut 71 minutes. The nudity is there from the first sex scene - and for anyone who dares think these two actors are only acting, that CHUNK! you just heard would be your jaw hitting the ground as you see the two actors are NOT just acting; indeed, zero is left to the imagination, each sex scene going beyond the one before ... and it's not surprising that many people would see this as little more than story-porn without the story.

And yet, for me, 9 Songs was indeed more. Kieran O'Brien is the heart and soul of the film as Matt, so in love with this girl who has a tendency to be flakier than new-fallen snow. We see the relationship more through his eyes, and though outside the concerts the scenes between Matt and Lisa seem about nothing more than sex, as the film goes on you do get a sense of what Lisa and Matt (especially Matt) are about, in particular to each other, and while the film does certainly get as explicit as a porn film, for me it never fully felt that way; I could see what Winterbottom was going for, even if the film itself didn't always succeed in finding it.

If you find anything above interesting, titillating, or worth of exploring further, put anyone under eighteen to bed and give 9 Songs a try ... but only if you are of the more indie/artsy film bent, on any level. Anyone else might come away from the film wondering what the hell he or she just saw.

Pure art? Naw. Pure crap? Definitely not. I'm not sure the film is "pure" anything, but of the two I would say it definitely leans more toward art than fart. Worth a peek if you don't shock easily ... for the authenticity of acting that doesn't come off as acting, and the performance of Kieran O'Brien alone. *** Reel Cool

26) FRANKLYN

2011-02-19T18:22:00.001-08:00

Director: Gerald McMorrow
Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Sam Riley, Eva Green, Bernard Hill, Richard Coyle, Susannah York, Art Malik
Year: 2008
Rating: R

A science fiction-fantasy tale split between two parallel worlds - modern-day London and the futuristic Meanwhile City - Franklyn is the story of four complete strangers who, as the film goes on, come closer and closer to a climax that will see all four of their paths cross with the firing of a single bullet.

Ryan Phillippe stars as Jonathan Priest, purveyor of justice in Meanwhile City ... a dark, dank metropolis where religion - any religion you like, or even wish to invent - is your key to salvation. Clerics have replaced cops, and law and order is dealt out to those who don't have a faith, or believe. Priest is one such person; a hooded avenger hired to right wrongs and rescue the kidnapped or persecuted ... and, as the film opens, Priest's failed attempt to rescue a young girl from her abductors, resulting in the child's death, has Priest both feeling a failure and determined to get back at the system that wronged her.

In contemporary London, we are introduced to three very different people, none of whom know each other - all of them "lost souls" like Jonathan Priest. Milo (Sam Riley) is a handsome young man on the eve of his wedding, whose fiancee suddenly calls the whole thing off. Emilia, an avant garde performance artist and art student with an obsession for her project on death, videotapes her various attempts at suicide for her project (she prefaces each attempt with a call reporting the attempt, so the paramedics will be sure to rescue her just in time). And Peter (Bernard Hill) is a middle-aged widow desperately searching for his missing son.

The narrative flips back and forth from Priest's efforts to go after and kill "The Individual" ... as, in London, Milo finds himself running into a female childhood friend who has grown into a beautiful woman, while Emilia seems to be growing closer and closer to madness in the name of art, as Peter gains more insight into the disturbing circumstances surrounding his son's disappearance. As various characters from both Meanwhile City AND London cross the paths of each of the four main characters, the parallel worlds seem closer and closer to converging ... as suspense builds, confusion turns slowly to clarity, and the fate of each character, as well as his or her relationship to the others, is revealed.

Though it's definitely on the somber/moody side, I liked Franklyn. You have to pay attention to what's going on or you might find yourself scratching your head in the end, wondering what the hell is happening - but overall writer/director Gerald McMorrow tells an intriguing story that's played out well by a solid cast (in an interview, Sam Riley says he originally read for the role of Jonathan Priest; wish I could see THAT version too, as Riley is really good here). McMorrow drops clues, here and there, to the surprise at the end, but I didn't see anything major coming until just before it happened, leaving me with a sense that I was following the complex threads of the tale pretty well. Meanwhile City is creepy and totalitarian; a nice contrast to the serenity (by comparison) of London, and I really liked that the end left you with a sense of hope - as well as the fact that our lives our constantly intertwined with those of strangers, and how one simple decision or wrong turn can completely change the future.

Stylish and entertaining - though a bit moody - if you like fantasy films, or Phillippe or Sam Riley or Eva Green, this is one to catch. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

25) MARY AND MAX

2011-02-16T19:15:00.001-08:00

Director: Adam Elliot
Stars: Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana, Barry Humphries
Year: 2009
Rating: NR

I had been wanting to see this film for some time, just based on its trailer and overall look; I've always liked the Claymation style of animated films, have since childhood, and this one, Mary and Max, chronicles a 20+-year friendship that begins when a lonely, homely eight-year-old girl only child in Australia, Mary Daisy Dinkle (voiced, as an adult, by Toni Collette) reaches out, via a New York City phonebook in a local post office, and writes a letter to Max Horowitz (Philip Seymour Hoffman), asking him to be her pen pal.

Max - a 44-year-old depressed and overweight New Yorker with Asberger's syndrome - is both freaked out and intrigued by the letter. Max's New York is done all in tones of black and gray, where Max lives pretty much friendless with his goldfish, snacking on favorite delicacies like chocolate hot dogs. He answers Mary's letter, going into a long discussion answering her questions and talking about his own life - and Mary, when she receives the letter, is nothing short of delighted to have found a new friend.

She writes back and over the next twenty years the two share their lives with each other; Mary lives with an alcoholic mother and passive father, and has a crush on a neighbor boy who doesn't see her in the same way even as she gets a job distributing leaflets so she can save money to have her birthmark - which is "the color of poo" - removed. Max deals with the anger issues and high mood swings caused by the Asberger's, while discussing his neighbor lady and search for a dream job ... and the constant need for a new goldfish when he accidentally keeps killing the one he has. A few misunderstandings strain the friendship along the way, but overall Mary and Max is about the bond of two lonely people across two continents, who become dear friends sharing advice and their life experiences even though they may never actually meet in person.

Somber and bittersweet and touching, viewers will relate to the issues Mary and Max discuss in their letters, and grow to care about both of them because we can all relate to feelings of isolation and loneliness and being part of a world that doesn't always understand us. It's a wonderful, effective, quirky (even strange) little film that deserves to be seen; beautifully done and emphasizing the truth behind the quote given at the film's end: "God gave us relatives. Thank God we can choose our friends." **** - Reel Awesome

24) HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE

2011-02-16T15:48:00.001-08:00

Director: Richard Quine
Stars: Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Terry-Thomas, Eddie Mayehoff, Claire Trevor
Year: 1965
Rating: NR

Stanley Ford (Jack Lemmon) has an ideal life. He lives in a beautiful townhouse in Manhattan, has money and fame and the easy life overall - thanks to a nationally-syndicated hard-boiled detective comic strip he draws/writes called "Bash Brannigan." He even has a valet/manservant named Charles (Terry-Thomas) who sees to his every need. It's the ideal life for a single man, and indeed from the first few moments of the film Charles lets us know that there IS no better life than that of the single man, with Stanley Ford being the prime example. There's even an opening action sequence that's fairly hilarious, in which Ford - along with a group of friends - actually acts out a chase scene for his latest "Brash Brannigan" segment, among unsuspecting New Yorkers as Charles films the entire thing for Ford to use later when drawing out the panels and action. From this scene alone, I was thinking, "Man, this is going to be fun!"

But then Stanley Ford attends the bachelor party of a close friend, his fellow unmarried buddies belaboring their anti-marriage issues ... until all, especially Ford, are stunned by the intensely, almost supernaturally beautiful blond bombshell (Virna Lisi) that pops out of their friends cake at the party.

And the next morning, when Stanley Ford wakes up from a heavy drunk from the previous night's party, he not only finds the blond sleeping in his bed next to him ... he learns, to his horror, that sometime in the course of the previous evening he actually married her.

And thus begins Ford's battle to become single again. His own attorney tells him he can't file for divorce without cause. The attorney's wife thinks Stanley Ford's being married is one of the best things that could happen to the man. Even Charles, who feels immensely betrayed by his employer, ends up moving out ... as the new Mrs. Ford slowly but surely takes over the house, as well as Stanley Ford's life. Even "Bash Brannigan," before long, turns from a hard-boiled private eye comic strip into "The Brannigans" - featuring a henpecked Bash who is both dominated and emasculated by his new, beautiful bride.

But when Stanley Ford decides to finally take control of his life again, even to the point of killing off the new "Mrs. Brannigan" in the strip, a series of misconceptions results in the new Mrs. Ford disappearing ... and Stanley Ford accused of her murder.

I loved the first half of How to Murder Your Wife - and, even more, was completely captivated by the Italian goddess that IS Virna Lisi - but the second half of the film really fell apart for me. Yeah, I realize the film was made forty-six years ago, and the sexist, misogynistic viewpoints expressed by Ford and his male cronies in the film should feel outdated; even a bit alarming, by today's standards. But that said, Ford's lengthy courtroom speech toward the end of the film was (to me) nothing short of annoying, and though the film ends on a happy note and has touches of truly great comedy, I couldn't help but feeling let down overall by the film's weaknesses over its strengths.

For Jack Lemmon fans (which I am), certainly - or if you want to eyeball the most stunningly beautiful blond to hit a movie screen since Marilyn Monroe - but other than that the sweet premise this film sets up in the beginning just falls apart sadly in the end. ** - Reel Mediocre

23) PING PONG

2011-02-15T19:32:00.001-08:00

Director: Fumihiko Sori
Stars: Yosuke Kubozuka, Arata, Sam Lee, Shido Nakamura, Koji Ookura, Naoto Takenaka, Mari Natsuki
Year: 2002
Rating: NR
(in Japanese with English subtitles)

Based on a Japanese manga by Matsumoto Taiyo, Ping Pong is one of those films that you discover by mistake on Amazon ... that, in this case, turned out to be one of my favorite films so far this year. More than a movie about table tennis, the film goes much deeper into being about the bond of friendship, the journey of self-discovery ... and what makes a hero.

Best friends since childhood, high school students Peco (Yosuke Kubozuka) and Smile (Arata) could not be more different in personality. Both have grown up with both a love and talent for playing table tennis, Peco has always been the show-off - a bold and brash braggart who taunts his opponents before whipping their butts in the game in his efforts to turn pro - while Smile (so named because he never, EVER smiles) is the quiet, shy loner who keeps to himself and was befriended (and taught ping pong) by Peco when he had no other friends as a kid. Peco and Smile are close, ace table tennis players, and Smile in particular is both a trial and tribulation to his coach, former table tennis champ Butterly Joe (Naoto Takenaka), who recognizes that Smile is actually the better player, and has been hiding his true talent at the game in order to let Peco have the spotlight (especially as, on the rare occasional when Peco does lose to someone, he tends to have a fit).

As the high school championship games grow near, where the boys must face competitors with names like "China" (Sam Lee), "Dragon" (Shido Nakamura), and their childhood rival "Demon" (Koji Ookura), during one match Smile is forced to show his real strengths as a table tennis player ... and it's a real wakeup call for Peco, devastating both his confidence and ability to play the game to the point where he gives up the game, trying to find anything else in life he could possibly have the same level of passion for.

Supporting characters like China (a former championship-league player on his way out), Dragon - the determined leader of a rival school's team - and Demon, who desperately searches for the kernel of raw talent for the game he sees in Smile, within himself - brings extra depth in both characterization and story to the film. But the heart and soul of Ping Pong is in the lifelong friendship of Peco and Smile, along with the sport that has been a part of their lives for just as long. On the surface a sports film about how seriously the Japanese take a sport rarely seen AS a sport in this country, Ping Pong is actually an exciting, funny, and - in the end - truly touching tribute to the bond of friendship ... and again, what truly make a hero. Yosuke Kubozuka and Arata head a great cast, and the last twenty minutes of the film alone are worth the rating, but overall this is a wonderful film that should leave you cheering - maybe with a tear in your eye at the same time. I only wish more American filmmakers could make movies with this much heart and soul. ***** - Reel Must-See

22) 2012

2011-02-12T20:56:00.001-08:00

Director: Roland Emmerich
Stars: John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Thomas McCarthy, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Johann Urb
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

Fans of Irwin Allen films, cheesy sci-fi movies of the 1950's in particular, or doomsayers who've been predicting - for years - that California will one day crumble off into the Pacific Ocean ... boy, are you gonna love this one. Not content with destroying the major cities of the world in Independence Day, or covering the entire top two-thirds of the world in ice in Day After Tomorrow, here director Roland Emmerich goes for the whole enchilada - all wrapped around an ancient prophecy in the Mayan calendar that predicts the world will end on December 21st, 2012.

Emmerich takes that nugget, slam-dunks a decent cast of talented actors into the storyline he's developed around the prophecy ... and turned it all into two hours and thirty-eight minutes of one hell of a special effects mardi gras that's as big on cheese as it is on entertainment. What 2012 lacks in a believable storyline, well-written dialogue, and Oscar-worthy performances, it sure as heck makes up for in visually-stunning destruction that grabs you by the throat and never lets go ... once everything starts going to hell.

John Cusack stars as Jackson Curtis, a writer of high regard and modest sales who - when in the throes of a book - finds little attention for anything else, including the two kids he occasionally has visitation right to via his ex, Kate (Amanda Peet). Curtis loves his daughter and son, he's just a bit of a scatterbrain, and in proving he can show his kids a good time, he's planned a trip to Yellowstone National Park, just him and the kids, for a camping trip.

Provided, of course, Yellowstone is still there; by the time we meet Jackson Curtis, viewers have already learned that, several years back, a scientist named Dr. Adrian Helmsley had detected a disturbing amount of sun flares ... along with the shifting of the continental plates under the earth's surface, all an indication of the planet's self-destruction. While the powers that be have spent the ensuing years since Helmsley's discovery in efforts to build space-age "arks" to save at least a fraction of the earth's population, Helmsley learns that all signs of the apocalypse have sped up considerably ... with only days left to go before Armageddon.

Meanwhile, in Yosemite, Jackson Curtis meets a nutjob named Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson), who mans his own doomsday radio broadcast from Yosemite, which tells listeners about the Mayan prediction and warning them of the end of the world even as he celebrates the beauty of it all. Curtis nods and keeps his kids away from Frost, assuming that's a nut but at least not dangerous ... until some very ugly earthquakes start to happen, and as California literally starts self-destructing around them Curtis rounds up his kids and ex - even Kate's new boyfriend, Gordon (Thomas McCarthy) - and starts their around-the-world-trek, using information gleamed from Charlie Frost, to try get his family to the safe place Frost claimed everyone else is trying to get to, as well.

As if there IS a safe place, once the mayhem starts. Around the world, devastating earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcano-like eruptions begin ripping an unsuspecting world apart ... and this is where the film's stunning visuals take hold, with Emmerich stopping at nothing in some of the most visually mind-blowing, realistic special effects ever committed to film. As Curtis tries to make his way from Los Angeles to China - where the arks are supposedly being hurriedly finished ahead of the destruction - as in the best of disaster films, you have a small group of assembled potential victims running only inches ahead of the devastation, as viewers wonder who will fall and who MIGHT survive.

You may have to check your brain at the door before jumping with both feet into this one, but if you can do so 2012 certainly is as entertaining and substance-free as a super-sized tub of popcorn. At times humorous, melodramatic, thrilling, suspenseful, and downright silly, it's a trip that stretches out a bit too long toward the end ... but is still more than worth the ride. Living in Los Angeles, even I can't look at the mountain view out my office window the same, anymore. *** - Reel Cool

21) TAKE OUT

2011-02-11T20:32:00.001-08:00

Director: Sean Baker & Shih-Ching Tsou
Stars: Charles Jang, Jeng-Hua Yu, Wang-Thye Lee, Justin Wan, Jeff Huang
Year: 2004
Rating: NR

I can honestly say I've never seen a film quite like Take Out. From a budget less than most families spend on a week's vacation, writer/directors Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou have fashioned a moving, suspenseful and utterly realistic film - with a talented cast of actors and non-actors alike (led by the extraordinary Charles Jang) - that the biggest, baddest Hollywood big budget filmmakers could learn from.

The plotline is simple: a young illegal Chinese immigrant in New York City, Ming Ding (Charles Jang), has gotten a few payments behind in the money he owes to the countrymen who got him into America, due to sending some money home to his wife and family. As the film opens, a couple of enforcers at Ming's apartment (which seems already overcrowded with Chinese immigrants), courtesy of the loan shark, to demand payment - taking what money Ming Ding has before cracking him in the back with a hammer and demanding that he owes the rest of his back payments ($800) by the end of that day, if he doesn't want a worse beating or his debt doubled.

The rest of the film spans the course of Ming Ding's day, where - as a bicycle delivery boy for a Chinese restaurant - he heads in the rain over and over again, frantically trying to raise enough money (after borrowing some of it from friends) to stay in the country ... and maybe save his life.

Sound kind of bland? Even boring? On the contrary; as Ming's frustrating day goes on, the young man pedaling all over Manhattan in the rain delivering food to people in a desperate attempt to raise the money, we grow to really care about the young man and his plight, rooting with him especially as we see the way he's treated by some of his customers. For sure, after seeing this film I will never, EVER look at another delivery boy the same way, knowing what one in a big city (especially one who doesn't speak the native language) can go through in a single day, and how important those tips are to his/her livelihood.

And therein lies the brilliance of Take Out; with a simple story, told in a straightforward way and without special effects or tricky camerawork (indeed, much of the film is grainy and muted in color, giving an even more realistic feel to what's going on), the viewer can focus on getting emotionally involved with Ming Ding's story. In just an 87-minute run time, the suspense builds and you truly grow to care about him; rooting for him to make enough money as he returns from each deliver and adds his tip money to the jar ... or deals with a variety customers who do everything from stiffing him on a tip at all, to throwing his tip in his face, to coming onto him sexually and more. So difficult to explain here, the film has to be seen to be believed - but only those with the hardest of hearts won't be on the edge of their seat as the film reaches its end, wondering if this poor guy who only wants a better life for him and his family, working a crap job in an uncaring city, will make enough money to stave off not only the doubling of his debt, but also a severe beating. Take Out is an original, immensely involving and touching film with an authenticity so real, it's almost surreal. True, unblemished, shoestring-budget filmmaking with more heart and soul than nearly anything released by any of the major studios today. Keep the Kleenex handy. And remember it the next time you order Chinese food in for delivery. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome- Reel Must-See

20) THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

2011-02-09T20:30:00.001-08:00

Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Stars: Annette Bening, Juianna Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, Yaya DaCosta, Kunal Sharma, Eddie Hassell
Year: 2010
Rating: R

Nic (Annette Bening), a physician, has been in a committed, long-term relationship with Jules (Julianne Moore) long enough for the two of them to have raised a pair of teenagers. While not without its problems (Nic has tendency to lean toward both controlling behavior and alcohol, while Jules hasn't always been happy with her supporting role of stay-at-home mom), they're a happy couple similar to any other happily married couple in their neighborhood; they even make for good parents, with Nic at the disciplinarian whereas Jules retains the more laidback, flower-child mentality of her youth.

Each woman carried and gave birth to her own child, both kids fathered by the same sperm donor almost two decades before; now both Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) simply refer to them as "the moms" or "my moms," and having a pair of women has always simply been the norm.

But as Joni's eighteenth birthday nears, Laser (who is only fifteen) in particular pressures her to exert her legal right to find out who their sperm donor father was ... which leads both teens, without their moms' knowledge, to find local restaurant owner Paul (Mark Ruffalo) - who, at first, is quite uncomfortable with meeting them, unsure of his role in their lives or even what to say. Laser's unimpressed but Joni takes an instant liking to her affable, scruffy donor-dad, and neither teen understands, as Paul slowly becomes more and more involved in all their lives, why Nic and Jules (especially Nic) seem so against the idea. Jules, trying to start up her own landscaping business, even gets hired by Paul to work on his place, and as Paul is let in on the family dynamics more and more, events happen and things change in ways that lead to conflicts both comical and dramatic ... and a specific problem that, much like real life, isn't so cleanly and neatly resolved by "the end."

What makes The Kids Are All Right work so beautifully is the total believability of the characters - and the actors who play them. Bening and Ruffalo (both Oscar-nominated) and Moore all turn in such humane performances; in particular, you never once DON'T believe that Jules and Nic are a married couple who talk and fight and love just like a real-life married couple would. Ruffalo's Paul is a real gem; like Jules, Paul is more laidback and casual - a trait that leads to his big issues in the film, with Ruffalo making him completely real and sympathetic, even when he's doing something wrong. Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson, both given less to do here, still bring heart to the film playing a pair of teens who wholly love their moms, even as they sometimes drive them crazy (again, just like real-life teens).

Funny, heartwarming, and at turns touching and sweet, The Kids Are All Right has a great script and cast who come off as real people on-screen; real people who live, love, make mistakes, and hope those mistakes can be forgiven. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

19) BLACK SWAN

2011-02-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Stars: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder
Year: 2010
Rating: R

Over sixteen years ago, when I saw The Professional in a theater featuring "child actor" Natalie Portman, I remember thinking that this gal was an amazing talent. That sentiment has been echoed in my head, off and on, over the years - but while watching Black Swan it practically reverberated in my brain like a gong. This stylish, intense, often get-under-your-skin creepy psychological thriller about a young ballerina's total devotion to her craft is completely deserving of its Oscar nominations (especially for Portman) - and one of the most effective suspense thrillers I've seen in quite some time.

Portman plays Nina Sayers, a young ballerina in New York City who lives for her art. She's very successful with her current company, but has never had a lead role ... until she learns that the company's next production will be an avant garde production of Swan Lake, and that the company's usual lead dancer, Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) will not be dancing the White Swan.

This leaves the coveted position open to all the better dancers in the company, and to Nina it means a chance to dance the role of a lifetime. She competes for the role - and, in fact, the artistic director of the new show, Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) thinks she would make a perfect White Swan ... but while he feels Nina can dance the virginal White Swan role, it's the Black Swan - the White Swan's alter ego, who is much darker, sensual and dangerous - that Leroy feels she cannot play. Worse, Nina finds her strongest competition in another member of the company, Lily (Mila Kunis), who herself seems the personification of the darker, dangerous Black Swan. Leroy ends up giving the role to Nina, but almost with an unspoken proviso that if she cannot get into the mindset of the Black Swan, if she cannot dance the Black Swan with equal conviction, she may lose the lead.

He encourages Nina to follow her darker side, to act on her more feral and sexual urges, and as she does so Nina starts experiencing odd visions, or dreams that leave her alternately shaking with fear or sexually aroused. Being stifled and babied by the overprotective mother she still lives with (Barbara Hershey) - an ex-ballerina herself - Nina soon finds herself plunging into the world and mindset of the Black Swan; a mindset she may or may not be able to escape from again.

This is a hard film to describe in a review, but suffice to say that watching it is a riveting experience. Portman is certainly Oscar-worthy as Nina Sayers, a character you grow to care very much about, even as you wonder if she is either the victim of supernatural forces or just going mad. Even more than her other recent work, here Portman has genuinely matured into an actress of real power, in a very adult role that should have nay-sayers forgetting Queen Amidala completely.

Black Swan is a work of art about the world of art - and what artists (dancers in particular, here), are willing to go through, and give up, to reach the pinnacle of their success. Chilling and sensual and just damned good filmmaking, with an astonishing performance from Natalie Portman the tent-pole that holds it all together. ***** - Reel Must-See

Trailer: KABOOM

2011-02-07T15:12:00.002-08:00

Trailer: SCREAM 4

2011-02-07T15:12:00.001-08:00

Trailer: IMMIGRATION TANGO

2011-02-07T15:06:00.001-08:00

18) DREAM BOY

2011-02-06T20:50:00.001-08:00

Director: James Bolton
Stars: Stephan Bender, Max Roeg, Randy Wayne, Owen Beckman, Diana Scarwid, Thomas Jay Ryan, Rooney Mara
Year: 2008
Rating: R

Not having read Jim Grimsley novel on which this film is based, I had very little knowledge of the story going in ... except for knowing it was a love story between a pair of teenage boys set in rural Louisiana in the 1970s. Expecting a typical, downbeat sort of "romantic" gay film with maybe some gratuitous nudity that was more about the sex than the love, Dream Boy was a nice surprise all the way around; a compelling, wholly realistic story of first, faltering love between teenagers ... only here, the teens happen to be a pair of young men.

Nathan (Stephan Bender, effectively underplaying his performance) is a quiet, shy, introverted teenage boy recently relocated to a small backwoods rural Louisiana town due to his father's work. Living in a house seemingly surrounded by woods on a lonely country road, Nathan is happy to see that his neighbor across the way, in the only other house around, is a young boy his own age, who tends to the horses and small farm for his mother. The neighbor boy, sixteen and old enough to have his license, is also in charge of the school bus that takes the kids along this rural area into town for school every day - so eventually Nathan strikes up a conversation with the boy, named Roy (Max Roeg), and even offers to help Roy with some schoolwork he's having problems with.

It's obvious, early on, that Nathan's feelings for Roy go beyond friendship, even though Roy has a girlfriend ... and one night, while helping Roy with his studies in his room, Nathan literally reaches out to Roy - and though hesitant at first, learns his feelings for Roy are reciprocated. The two boys quickly become romantically involved, stealing time together when they can as they try to keep their romance a secret from one heck of a conservative town ... not to mention their parents (especially Nathan's father, who has his own secrets), and Roy's best friends Burke (Randy Wayne) and Randy (Owen Beckman), both of whom seem very much the kind of guys who'd take turns beating the crap out of either Nathan or Roy if they knew.

The film is simple of plot, told in a straightforward and uncomplicated way, yet with real depth of meaning thanks to the cast - particularly the two male leads. And as the supporting role of hunky jock Burke, Randy Wayne takes a real departure from some of the comedy roles I've seen him in, and is utterly convincing in doing so; Burke kind of creeped me out whenever he was on-screen, often with a smile on his face but with jittery, almost predatory eyes behind that smile; a real good ol' country boy whose temper could change on a dime, and a performance that definitely goes a long way toward proving Wayne has a bright future ahead as an actor.

Stephan Bender plays Nathan as almost a backward kid, but as the film goes on and you learn more of Nathan's past viewers will completely understand why; as said earlier, it's a heartfelt, understated performance. Max Roeg, son of director Nicolas Roeg and actress Theresa Russell (and uncannily resembling his mother), gives Roy real depth, making him a conflicted human being who comes off very real on-screen.

Without giving too much away, there are some surprises in Dream Boy that you don't see coming, yet make the love story between Nathan and Roy that much more believable and compelling on-screen. Wisely, director James Bolton only gives hints of skin - instead focusing on the very real fumbling and explorations of teenagers finding both real sex and true love for the first time. Bender and Roeg make the film, and though low budget and to the point, Dream Boy has some truly lyrical moments, and is definitely worth your time. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

17) INCEPTION

2011-02-06T16:50:00.001-08:00

Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, Tom Berenger, Lukas Haas, Michael Caine
Year: 2010
Rating: PG-13

I can sort of see, now, why so many reviewers had a hard time with Inception. Christopher Nolan's mind-bending science fiction head trip is a feast for the eyes; one you'd better not stray away from for a bathroom or food/soda break, if you want to keep track of what's going on.

But that's one of the film's biggest strengths; it makes you think. Makes you pay attention. And with its A-list cast, truly "special" special effects, and multi-level story, you'll find the ride well worth it.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Dom Cobb, a master thief who is probably the best at what he does: extraction. Modern technology is now to the point where you can actually invade people's dreams, and pull out there most secret of secrets - and Cobb has used his talent at extraction to steal corporate secrets for a high price, with his mission impossible-style team including best friend Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Because of his work, Cobb is now however a fugitive of justice; he hasn't even seen his kids in some time because he can't return to the States - his ultimate goal of all.

When a failed attempt at retrieving some major information from a Japanese businessman named Saito (Ken Watanabe) leads to Saito's offering him a job, Cobb has no choice but to listen ... until he learns that Saito wants Cobb to perform the impossible - inception. He wants Cobb not to retrieve ideas from his biggest competitor ... but to, instead, implant an idea into the man, thereby knocking out his competition entirely. Arthur wants no part of things - at first - but Cobb finally admits he's manage inception once before. When Saito offers him the ultimate reward for doing the job - he can pull the strings that will allow Cobb to get back to the States and his kids without issue - Cobb takes the case, and begins assembling a team for one of the most complicated, risky and ultimate dangerous jobs he's ever taken on ...

Making for one of the most complex, visually stunning, and truly intelligent films I've seen in ages. To say much more might give too much away, but Inception truly is a work of art; a thinking man's film that also has the action and visuals for those who need a more visceral film experience. The cast, led by the brooding DiCaprio, is uniformly terrific (Tom Hardy, you are a true "A-lister" in the making; deservedly so!), in a film that truly defines what an ensemble cast should be, and the writing/direction by Christopher Nolan proves - yet again - that Nolan is one of the most gifted, artistic and cerebral filmmakers working today.

Watch Inception when you can give it your full concentration; shut off or ignore the phone, send the kids to the movies themselves, and have your DVD remote handy to his "pause" for any bathroom emergencies. This film's a keeper, with a great story, characters, and plot - and visually is a wowser, too. Definitely worthy of its Oscar nominations (though the absence of Nolan on the Best Director list is nothing short of OBSCENE), and most definitely worth seeing. ***** - Reel Must-See

16) NIGHT OF THE DEMONS

2011-02-06T11:45:00.001-08:00

Director: Adam Gierasch
Stars: Shannon Elizabeth, Edward Furlong, Monica Keena, John F. Beach, Michael Copon, Diora Baird, Bobby Sue Luther
Year: 2009
Rating: R

Being a huge fan of the creepy (yet, somehow, also occasionally funny - in a good way) 1988 original, I was wondering just how bad this 2009 remake of one of my favorite cult horror films, Night of the Demons, would be. As it starred Elizabeth Shannon and Edward Furlong, plus personal-favorite actor of mine Michael Copon, I actually had some hope ... and am halfway-pleased to say the remake wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I guess, if anything, my question would be, why was it remade at all?

In the original, the plot was minor; a group of teenagers go to an old, unused funeral home on Halloween night for a party, hosted by resident high school weirdo Angela, and while there accidentally unleash a really nasty demon that turns each of them, one by one, into demons ... the question being, who can survive before morning, when the demons have to retreat back to their world after Halloween?

Cheesy (yet also very effective, especially the "lipstick scene") special effects added to the campy fun, and the film was actually a treat to watch. For the update, everything is more streamlined/updated; Angela (Shannon Elizabeth) is, like, the most popular girl on campus - a real rebel who rents out this Gothic mansion in New Orleans to host her annual blowout Halloween bash. The mansion is packed to the rafters with college kids, as well as liquor and sex and drugs ... the drugs supplied by one uninvited guest named Colin (Edward Furlong), Angela's ex and a desperate dealer who has only tonight to make enough money to repay a heavy debt owed to his supplier.

The party is barely underway before the cops arrive to break it up, leaving only Angela and six of her friends as stragglers. Determined to party alone and not waste the evening (or the liquor), the group hangs out and even plays spin the bottle ... before Angela reminds them of the truly sinister happenings in the Broussard mansion so many years ago. It seems that, decades early, Evangeline Broussard invited five guests to her house for a party. Five guests, plus the man she loved. And before the end of the evening, all of her guests were dead - had been murdered - and Evangeline herself hung herself over the edge of the second-story balcony at the front of the mansion.

Further, the group discovers the skeletal remains of Evangeline's six guests in a hidden room down in the basement - and when Angela accidentally suffers a cut on her finger from one of the skeletons, that infection grows into something truly ugly ... starting a chain of events that, eventually, those in the household realize has them trapped in the house for the night, with demons trying to take over their bodies before dawn; only in this one, if the demons can inhabit all seven of them by morning, a portal will open that will unleash them on the world.

Like everything else in remakes, things are supposed to be ratcheted up a notch or two here from the original; the special effects and makeup more realistic, the gore more explicit, the good guys' fight more difficult and with bigger consequences if they fail.

And here, certainly, all those things pretty much apply (although the acting is just as weak, in spots, as the original - except in the original, the weak acting fit; it was part of the fun). Good Lord, even the "lipstick scene" is repeated here, but goes to a level I would have thought the filmmakers wouldn't have dared!

Yet with all that, the remake of Night of the Demons is just okay. A valiant effort, but all gloss and no real substance. Not that you expect substance here, but somehow in the original - for all its flaws - the characters grew to become ones you care about. Not so much here, though John F. Beach, Michael Copon, and Diora Baird as Lily are standouts. Monica Keena is okay as the virginal Maddie, but if you've seen Freddy vs. Jason you've seen her pretty much play this character before.

Even an opening cameo from Linnea Quigley, who starred in the original, is nice - but again, nothing special. While I didn't hate - or even dislike - this version of Night of the Demons, after watching it a part of me is still asking: was making it really necessary? *** - Reel Cool

15) CHARLIE CHAN IN THE CHINESE CAT

2011-02-06T07:23:00.001-08:00

Director: Phil Rosen
Stars: Sidney Toler, Benson Fong, Mantan Moreland, Joan Woodbury, Ian Keith, Weldon Heyburn
Year: 1944
Rating: NR

One of the later Charlie Chan films, made by Monogram studios and starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan, this entry in the popular mystery series finds Charlie Chan taking on the case of a businessman who was killed in his private study over six months ago, in a locked room as his desk, a chessboard with just a lone bishop standing on it the only clue.

Leah Manning (Joan Woodbury), stepdaughter of the deceased man, has come to find Charlie Chan to see if he can finally solve this crime, as the police have failed to do. She finds Chan's number three son Tommy, and Tommy ends up promising her the Chans will help - humbly binding his father to his word, so that Charlie has no choice but to take the case. It seems a Dr. Paul Recknik (Ian Keith) has recently published a book about the crime, all but naming Leah's mother as the murderer, and will now do anything to find her stepdad's really killer, if only to clear her mom's now-tainted name.

Jewel thieves, explosions, gunfire, more murders, wisecracking chauffeur Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland, a god comic actor here, if you can look beyond the political INcorrectness of his character!), and a seemingly empty funhouse all contain the answers, and it's up to the world's greatest detective, Charlie Chan to solve it all - which, of course, he does.

For one of the Monogram Charlie Chan b-movies (low budget, so-so script, tissue-thin story), this one has its moments and is fairly entertaining. I grew up with Charlie Chan films on WGN-TV, and every time I catch one I haven't yet seen, it is sort of like old home week.

And for a Monogram entry in the series, this one does have some fun in store ... but would be of little interest to anyone who is not a Charlie Chan (or mystery film) fan. If that's you, best to stick to one of the earlier, 20th Century-Fox films in the series if you ever do want a good introduction to one of hte more interesting, unique detectives to ever hit the silver screen (eveen if the films aren't exactly what you could call politically correct today). *** - Reel Cool

14) PATRIK, AGE 1.5

2011-02-04T17:37:00.001-08:00

Director: Ella Lemhagen
Stars: Gustaf Skarsgard, Torkel Petersson, Thomas Ljungman, Amanda Davin, Annika Hallin
Year: 2008
Rating: R
(in Swedish with English subtitles)

Goran (Gustaf Skarsgard) and Sven (Torkel Petersson) are a happily married gay couple in Sweden who have recently moved to the suburbs. Assimilating right away to their all-straight neighbors of families and other (but male-female) couples, everything seems perfectly ideal as Goran and Sven are accepted into the fold as any other couple, in a neighborhood that somewhat feels more suited to "Leave It to Beaver" than modern-day Sweden, even taking the relaxed gay marriage laws of Sweden into account.

But there's another reason for the move, one that has Goran grinning from ear to ear; he and Sven have finally been approved for adoption, and will be granted a brand new baby to raise as their own. Goran, a kid's doctor with a very caring personality, is about to start work at a new clinic and can't wait to push a baby carriage down the street with the other "moms" in the neighborhood. Sven, his husband and the brooding, macho "husband" who works a weekday nine-to-five office job in town, is happy that Goran is happy - but a formerly married man with a daughter who doesn't really understand (or want to understand) her gay father, Sven has done the raising kid's thing, and is more or less going along for the ride.

After a couple of false starts, a letter finally arrives in the mail that the couple have been approved for a Swedish child, "Patrik 1,5" - and though Goran and Sven think it odd they should list the year-and-a-half old baby's age as "1,5" they are still delighted (especially Goran) ... and soon the nursery upstairs, across from their bedroom, is all decked out with a crib and rocker and mobile hanging over the crib, all by the day of the infant's arrival ...

When Goran, home alone, opens the door and learns there was a typo - a missplaced comma on the letter he and Sven received ... and their 1,5-year-old baby Patrik is actually a 15-year-old foul-mouthed delinquent (Thomas Ljungman) with a criminal record, who happens to also be devoutly homophobic.

Needless to say, neither Goran or Sven - OR Patrik - are thrilled with the arrangement. With the adoption agency closed until Tuesday, Goran and Sven can't do anything about the mix-up until after the weekend ... and spend that weekend living in fear, as Patrik calls them homos and pedophiles who will probably rape him in the dead of night - while Goran and Sven, in turn, hide all the knives and anything else that Patrik may use to kill them overnight, while they sleep. Soon Sven even goes back to his drinking and smoking habits, long since abandoned, while Goran sleeps and Patrik locks himself in the nursery, sleeping on a mattress on the floor and ponders his fate. Goran, always the peacemaker and realizing that Patrik probably acts more out of fear and anger than real hatred, tries to even make some level of peace with the boy for as long as the three have to be together ... and indeed, it is Gustaf Skarsgard's performance as Goran that will endear you to both him and the film; he's a marvel here, playing Goran - a gentle soul who just wants to have his family.

The rest of the film is about how Patrik changes the lives and dynamics of Goran and Sven's life together ... and how, in turn, Patrik is changed by this totally alien world around him. Thomas Ljungman, as Patrik, brings a tough vulnerability to the character that rings so incredibly true, it reaches right to your heart; indeed, this young actor was a favorite of mine from the film Let Me In, but here both he and his talent have grown so much, I can only think of the mega-star this guy will someday be. As Goran learns both about Patrik's past and the question mark that is the boy's future - not to mention a few dirty secrets about the idyllic neighbors who aren't so perfect - even as Patrik's return to the adoption agency grows imminent, Goran finds himself wanting to do something to secure a better future for this troubled young man ...

Which leads to one of the most charming, sensitive and realistic comedy/dramas I've seen in some time. Similar in some ways to another film I've seen this year, Breakfast with Scot, Patrik, Age 1.5 packs so much more of an emotional punch; has more depth, drawing you in to the characters and really wanting Patrik and Goran both to end up with what they want. Touching and funny and full of life, Patrik, Age 1.5 was a wonderful surprise - not only worth watching, but more than worth adding to your own DVD collection permanently; I don't feel I've done it justice with this review, but if you're okay with the subject matter this film is one more people really should see ... period. This one was really done right, with real actors instead of "pretty boys" as the gay characters, PLAYING real characters who make mistakes and have flaws and aren't physically perfect. It's truly refreshing to see this in a "gay-themed" film, gay men as real people and not fashion model types with chiseled bodies and/or perfect faces ... and that, coupled with the young, truly gifted Ljungman as Patrik, makes for a "dramedy" packed with real heart and soul. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

13) A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

2011-02-02T17:43:00.001-08:00

Director: Samuel Bayer
Stars: Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker, Kellan Lutz, Clancy Brown
Year: 2010
Rating: R

Even though twenty-six years had passed since Freddy Krueger first scared the snot out of moviegoers in Wes Craven's classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, it was hard to figure out why a remake was even needed; Robert Englund simply WAS Freddy Krueger, and long before the film franchise turned Freddy into a sarcastic horror stand-up comic, spewing one-liners as he dispatched with his victims, the original Nightmare - even today - still holds up as one hell of a gritty, scary, get-under-your-skin kind of film.

But then there was Michael Bay - the producer who likes excess, action, and film franchises. Already trying to revive the Jason Voorhess franchise with his remake of Friday the 13th retelling, here he reinvents Freddy Krueger - in the form of Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley, here in burnt-face makeup that certainly makes him (as Freddy) creepy and unsettling ... but never, like the film itself, quite up to par with the original.

After the "suicide" of a local high school student, Nancy Holbrook (Rooney Mara) and her closest friends begin to realize they are all sharing a common dream - that of a scary, burnt man in a striped sweater, bearing a glove on one hand tipped with razor-sharp knives, who is trying to kill them in their dreams. Nancy's friend Quentin (Kyle Gallner) - who has been in love with her for years - is, in fact, even taking medication for his ADD that helps him to stay awake. When Nancy's friend Kris (Katie Cassidy) is killed, and Kris' boyfriend Jesse (Thomas Dekker) arrested for her murder, it's Thomas insistence to Nancy that Kris was killed in the middle of her dream that sparks Nancy to investigate ... leading, eventually, to the truth of the dark origins of Freddy Krueger, and long-buried memories that could lead her and her friends to both the truth, and a way to fight the monster ... or to their deaths.

Much as the actors try, this is a fairly pale imitation of the original - with, ironically enough, the most potent scenes being virtual remakes of ones found in the original film (Nancy's bathtub scene, Kris' death in her bedroom). Other than that, the death scenes are fairly uninspired, none of them touching on the dreamworld of the person experiencing the dream (like in the original films), so much as the victim being suddenly exported to the same set almost every time. Freddy's back-story has been changed up a bit, and we're still no let in on that story until toward the end of the film (like the original) - but on the way, nothing truly inspiring happens to set this Nightmare apart from not only the original ... but also from slew of other horror/stalker films out there! Haley, while menacing as Krueger, doesn't have the depth or charisma or even pure horror Freddy extolled in the original, thanks to Englund.

While the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street offers a couple of jolts, and isn't a bad film, at the same time it's just sort of ... there. You may even wonder, after watching it, why they even bothered with a remake in the first place. Fairly uninspired, with a so-so script the actors involved aren't really given much to do with, this would be something to watch if you like horror films and have nothing else to watch. Other than that, maybe pop in the original, instead. **1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool

12) THE LAST AIRBENDER

2011-02-01T20:16:00.001-08:00

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Stars: Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, Cliff Curtis
Year: 2010
Rating: PG

Having never seen the hugely-popular animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender," even after all the criticism online from fans of the show I still tried to approach M. Night Shyamalan's live-action film version, The Last Airbender, with an open mind.

Honest - I tried.

The Last Airbender opens with a world in turmoil. In this world, divided into the four kingdoms based on the elements of fire, air, water and earth, all is ruled over by the Avatar - the one link between the spirit and human world who has the ability to bend all four elements at his will. But a hundred years ago the Avatar disappeared, and in that time the Fire Nation has systematically set out to take over the other three kingdoms for total domination, killing the benders who won't bow to their will ...

Creating the world in chaos that opens the film, in the Water Kingdom with brother and sister Sokka (Jackson Rathbone) and Katara (Nicola Peltz), who live in a frozen climate and dress like nomadic Eskimos. Soon after the film establishes the characters and their world, Katara - a waterbender herself - and Sokka discover something strange hidden under the ice ... and unleash a gigantic ball of water that bursts and releases its prisoner - Aang (Noah Ringer), a young boy who turns out to be the long-missing Avatar.

But as Sokka and Katara acclimate him to the new world he's awoken in, Aang's reemergence has not gone unnoticed by the Fire Nation - and in particular, Prince Zuko (Dev Patel), the exiled son of the Fire King, who via his actions has been banned from his own land until he can bring the Avatar to his father. Along with his Uncle Iroh (Shaun Toub), who's gone along to look after the prince, Zuko's one mission in life seems to be to redeem himself in the eyes of his father, the king (Cliff Curtis) ... so he sets off immediately to see capture Aang and determine if he IS the true Avatar - the one thing standing in the way of the Fire Nation's total dominance over the entire world. But a skirmish with Aang, in which the boy escapes thanks to the help of Katara and Sokka, not only makes Prince Zuko determined to succeed in his quest - but also to beat out his father's head officer, Commander Zhao (Aasif Mandvi), who has also got wind of the Avatar and will do anything to capture the boy and prove HIS loyalty to the Fire King first ...

All of this as Katara and Sokka travel with Aang, in a quest to complete the boy's training (he can, so far, only bend air - though he does it QUITE well, and is in fact the last of the airbenders) before the Fire Nation finds them first.

All of the above crammed into just 103 minutes of visually stunning special effects ... and not much else. The Last Airbender looks great; special care was taken to make the bending (manipulation) of the elements of fire, water, air and earth on-screen nothing short of visually stunning, and there are indeed a couple of fight scenes (including the finale) that have their moments.

Sadly, it's all wrapped around a bunch of characters you're given almost zero time to get to know - much less care about. Slumdog Millionaire's Dev Patel turns in the one truly memorable performance - in fact, the guy radiates on the screen every time he appears, getting your attention - but the rest of the actors are pretty much working with paper-thin characters who are given no time to shine on-screen. There is just too much crammed into the 103 minutes here, a lot of it special effects, so that in the end you're left with an empty, "who cares?" feeling about what happens to the majority of the characters involved.

Like a window display mannequin, The Last Airbender is pretty to look at on the outside - but ultimately hollow when you look beyond the surface. Even as someone who's never seen the animated series, I felt pretty short-changed after this one, and would only recommend it to those who want to see some cool special effects (even though, to be honest, the martial arts gesturing of the benders even got on my nerves after awhile) ... or to see what even a genuine talent like Dev Patel can make of mediocre material like this. ** - Reel Mediocre

11) RIVER OF NO RETURN

2011-01-30T14:12:00.001-08:00

Director: Otto Preminger
Stars: Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe, Rory Calhoun, Tommy Rettig
Year: 1954
Rating: NR

A sturdy, likable western set in the Pacific Northwest (though shot in Canada), River of No Return features Marilyn Monroe in yet another good dramatic performance that proves she was capable of more than the comedic, bubble-headed blond characters the industry (and fans) would eventually push her into.

Robert Mitchum stars as Matt Calder, a rancher with a dark past whose young son Mark (Tommy Rettig) is coming to live with him after the death of the boy's mother. Arriving late to pick up the boy, Calder fins Mark in the capable hands of Kay (Monroe), a saloon singer whose taken a motherly interest in the boy, even going so far as to berate Matt for being so late and leaving his son alone in such a wild, unsettled western town. Calder thanks Kay for her kindness and departs with the boy, just in time for Kay's boyfriend - conman and gambler Harry Weston - shows up to tell her they have to blow town; he's won a gold claim in a card game, and needs to get to the claims office before anyone else does to make sure he declares ownership first. Kay (and viewers) get the distinct impression that Harry might not have won his fortune legally, but Kay loves her man, so goes along with the idea ... even though, with no horse or way out of town, he tells her he's rented a raft to sail down the river to town, instead.

But the river is called "the river of no return" by the local Indians (who live in an unfriendly peace with the white colonists) for nothing; full of twists and turns and dangerous rapids that come upon you with no warning, local legend has it that anyone going down the river has yet to survive ... and sure enough, early the next morning a frazzled and wet Kay and Harry are pulled from the rapid currents by none other than Matt and Mark Calder, who have settled into Matt's cabin near the river.

Hospitality abounds, the Calders feeding their guests and Matt cautioning Harry not to try the river on his rafter - while Kay, just happy to see Mark again, practices more mothering - but that hospitality isn't much appreciated when Harry "borrows" Matt's gun and horse, threatening to shoot him and his son if he doesn't let him and Kay use the horse to ride into town so he may stake his claim. Kay is so angered by Harry's actions, she actually stays behind with Matt and Mark - hoping this will guarantee Harry's promise that he'll be back right after staking his gold claim - and soon Harry is riding off, leaving Matt and Mark and Kay without a gun to fight off any attacks from the local Indians ... and no way to get away from them if they need it.

Except for the raft. When, sure enough, an Indian attack forces Matt to use the raft so the three of them aren't killed, Matt decides to sail the thing all the way into town - revenge on Harry his only goal. But can one man, his young son, and a beautiful saloon singer ride the rapids and survive the rough trip down the rive or no return? Even as, with the river enough to navigate alone, they also have to fight off Indian attacks from the shoreline?

Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe have some genuine on-screen chemistry here, further enhanced by the spectacular Canadian backdrop thanks to the CinemaScope process this entertaining western was shot in. Monroe is, of course and as always, absolutely engaging on-screen, with real glimmers of genuine acting talent in what is in many ways a one-note role. The journey of Matt, Mark and Kay down the river is exciting, dangerous, and even tinged with romance/sexual tension - all held together nicely via director Otto Preminger, who keeps the reins held in on the performances.

Viewers used to seeing Marilyn in romantic comedies REALLY need to see this one - but even for someone like me, who is not usually into westerns, River of No Return was a nice treat ... and even nicer surprise. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

10) NOWHERE BOY

2011-01-28T21:50:00.001-08:00

Director: Sam Taylor-Wood
Stars: Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Sam Bell, David Threlfall
Year: 2009
Rating: R

A moving, sensitive and wholly real biography of a young John Lennon - played to star-making perfection by Aaron Johnson, who MUST be destined for a brilliant career if there is any justice in this world - Nowhere Boy tells the story of the early years of a young Lennon as he first learns to discover music ... at the hands of a mother he never really knew.

The film starts in Liverpool, where a fifteen-year-old John lives with his Uncle David (David Threlfall), a man he gets along with famously, seeing him as a father figure ... and Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas), a stern and seemingly unhappy woman who couldn't smile if her life depended on it. Early in the film, John is devastated by the loss of his uncle, due to a heart attack, and this loss prompts him to inquire more into the whereabouts of his real mother - something Mimi won't divulge.

Which makes it more of a shock when the rebellious Lennon learns, through a friend who has found her, that for nearly all his life his mother has been living within walking distance from his home. Finally working up the courage to knock on her door one day, John find a vibrant, exuberant, and beautiful redhead named Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), who embraces the fact that her son has come to see her at last ... even as she begs John to never, EVER allow Mimi to know they've spoken.

Thus begins a clandestine relationship between natural mother and son. John meets his two young stepsister, and Julia's husband - who is the only one who seems less than thrilled about John's reappearance - and the young, flighty Julia starts hanging out more and more with her teenage boy ... and, in a small eatery one sunny afternoon, introduces young John to rock and roll via a jukebox.

Lennon's obsession with Elvis Presley grows fast; he even styles his hair like the King, and decides he wants to play music; maybe even start his own band. Julia teaches him to play the banjo, and during this time perhaps the best exchange of dialogue comes into play in the film, when John asks his mother, "Why couldn't God make me Elvis?" ... and Julia replies, with a smile, "'Cause he was saving you for John Lennon."

The film touches on the man John Lennon would become, in light of his growing up - but the real story of this film is about Lennon the young man, and the relationship he had with the two most important and influential women in his life: his mother Julia, and his Aunt Mimi. Both relationships were complex, and deeply important to Lennon growing up; indeed, his mother and their relationship would be reflected in his music for years to come. The film also chronicles beginnings of the band John Lennon would form, and his meeting of a terrific young musician named Paul, and another guy named George that Paul would bring into the band that would later become the Beatles.

The look, feel and performances in the film - in particular by Johnson and the two ladies, all of whom turn in Oscar-worthy work here - completely invoke the 1950's and a complex dreamer and rebel who, at heart, just wanted to love and be loved ... and to make music. Nowhere Boy is a touching portrait of a young man determined to pursue his dream, whether that be to make music, or to find his place in the world; a film made all the more poignant knowing how, in the end, Lennon's story would end. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

9) SURROGATES

2011-01-27T19:15:00.001-08:00

Director: Jonathan Mostow
Stars: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe, Ving Rhames, James Cromwell
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

Set in the not-too-distant future, Surrogates is a stylish science fiction action piece that works largely due to the presence of Bruce Willis as FBI agent Tom Greer.

The world was dramatically changed in just four years' time, by a man named Canter (James Cromwell) who created the technology that would enable humans to live complete lives without ever having to leave their home. How? You use a surrogate - a mechanical, robotic you that you can style to your satisfaction (make it younger, thinner, more attractive than you are in real life), then send out into the world to do your job, shop for your groceries, or even go out dancing and drinking in a club, while you lay at home in a chair and experience what happens in safety. It's the perfect you, in the perfect life you want to live - and the idea became so popular that four years later (as the film's story begins), nearly every human being on the planet is buried in their home, the world now filled with surrogates. So unpopular is it to be human in the outside world now, that those few who deign to remain surrogate-free are called "Dreads," and have relocated themselves to small reservations within the city, with their own little community, living as if technology didn't exist at all and with a fierce hatred of surrogates they won't even allow them onto the property they've claimed for their own.

Into this peaceful existence comes along a case that has Tom and his partner, Agent Peters (Radha Mitchell) completely baffled - the fried remains of two surrogates, apparently destroyed by some sort of bizarre ray-gun that has never been seen in the world before. It's easy enough to destroy a surrogate - they can take a punishment, but CAN easily be brought down - but the odd part of the case here is that when the surrogates got fried, their human counterparts, safe at home on the other end, were also killed.

Such technology has never been seen before, and Greer and Peters are determined to find the murderer and get the weapon. We soon learn that the Greer and Peters we are watching in the film are surrogates themselves (no wonder they were so pretty/perfect!), and that Greer's home life isn't exactly idyllic; after the death of his own child, Greer and his wife have become more than estranged, with her virtually never leaving her room in favor of sending her much younger, more beautiful surrogate into the world to live.

Complicating matters is The Prophet (Ving Rhames in a horrific Halloween rasta-wig), a "holy man" and leader of the Dreads who himself is always preaching for an uprising of the human beings to destroy the surrogates for good. Such a man would be the ideal creator for such a weapon as the mysterious ray-gun used to kill the surrogates Greer and Peters found, but when something happens to Greer's surrogate and he is suspended from the force, it's up to the real, human Greer to force himself back into the mean streets ... to find a killer out to change the world back to the way it was for good, no matter how many people have to be murdered to do it.

Surrogates looks fairly amazing; when Willis, as Greer, hits the streets as himself, it really puts an exclamation point to all the pretty, perfect people on the streets around him - really hitting the mood and look of the film home. The plot twists are decent, to the point where you don't know who Tom Greer can trust and who he can't trust, and at just 89 minutes the film moves at a fast pace and never loses momentum.

In fact, it anything that might be the big flaw with Surrogates; the lack of time. Time that, had the film even been just a bit longer, could have been spent putting viewers more solidly into the world depicted on-screen. Ditto for the characters; you have a decent sense of Tom Greer and his wife, but beyond them don't get a very strong sense of any of the other characters. Happily, the acting skills of the talented cast make up for much of these shortcomings, but I still wish the film had spent more time showing us various aspects of this intriguing world - or, by comparison, even more of the characters behind the surrogates. The ending is pretty rousing, however, and though a bit predictable you will still be rooting for Willis' Greer.

In fact, Willis saves this film BIG-time, actually making it exciting and fun to watch. The plot and action are both enough to hold your interest, and even if the revelation of who is behind all this mess won't come exactly as a surprise, the ride to get there is short, sweet, and swift.

Thanks in large part to Willis, I really enjoyed Surrogates - though even for its look and story alone, the film is also worth a look. *** - Reel Cool

8) TORMENTED

2011-01-23T15:38:00.001-08:00

Director: Jon Wright
Stars: Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Tuppence Middleton, Calvin Dean, Georgia King, Mary Nighy, Olly Alexander, Tom Hopper, James Floyd
Year: 2009
Rating: N/R

A nifty little British horror flick that is surprisingly good - with equal dashes of suspense, humor and violence - Tormented, billing itself as "a slasher movie for the Skins generation," is about a set of British high school teens who are attractive, privileged, and rule the school ... and the class nerd they tormented for months, before the kid finally committed suicide.

The film does, in fact, start out at the funeral of Darren Mullet (Calvin Dean) - with the school's head girl, Justine (Tuppence Middleton) in charge of delivering the boy's eulogy. It is painfully obvious, from the start, that Justine didn't know Darren at all, and in fact causes Darren's best friend Jason (Olly Alexander) to disrupt the funeral and call her out.

Afterward, Justine is comforted by fellow classmate Alexis (Dimitri Leonidas), an attractive guy who obviously likes her. Justine likes the attention, and through Alexis is eventually invited into his circle of special friends - led by the vain, manipulative, mean-spirited Bradley (Alex Pettyfer). Turns out, in fact, that Alexis' friends are all a bunch of unlikable creeps - but as they're the cool kids, and as Justine really likes Alexis, she sort of decides to temporarily go along for the ride.

That is, until they start to die, one by one and in violent ways, seemingly at the hand of Darren Mullet - who has come back from the grave to enact his revenge. As Justine slowly learns just what role her new friends had in Darren's suicide, the body count rises and Justine learns that she may have not only been added to the list ... but moved to the top of it.

On the surface, Tormented might seem just like any other slasher/horror flick, but there are some really cool, subtle differences; little tweaks that make the film unique in its own way. You get some nice insight to Darren Mullet while he was alive, via video footage, and see the bulky, overweight asthmatic being tormented by his classmates ... which makes things more surreal later when, though Darren is dead, he still uses his inhaler to breathe. I also very much liked Alexis' character (and Dimitri Leonidas, who as Alexis is one of the best reasons to watch the film); without him acting as the bridge between Justine and his nasty friends, you wouldn't give a damn about the friends when they start dying. It's Alexis' regret over what happened, his desire to repent for what he and his friends did to Darren while Darren was alive, that makes you even remotely care about what happens to the others, in the end. And though there are a couple of fairly violent scenes, the film isn't a total gorefest like so many of its American counterparts have become. Even the humor is well-done, self-deprecating and keeping things a little light in between all the scares and giving the film a nice balance.

Overall, the film is a nice little thriller about the ghosts that come back to haunt us - in this case, literally. A really enjoyable thriller, with a good-looking cast of victims. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

7) A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA

2011-01-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

Director: Archie Mayo
Stars: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Sig Ruman, Charles Drake, Lois Collier, Lisette Verea
Year: 1946
Rating: N/R

Hard to believe (for me, anyway), but there are still a handful of Marx Brothers films I have yet to see; something I am trying to rectify, so I thought I'd start with their last good one (and next-to-last film, overall). While A Night in Casablanca is nowhere near the quality of the films made in their early/golden years, the boys are pretty darned funny here - in a film set in post-war Casablanca, with murder, intrigue, Nazis ... and the Marx brothers caught up in it all.

The film opens with another murder of the new manager at the Hotel Casablanca. It seems that the last several managers of the famous hotel have all died under mysterious circumstances - and with no one left to turn to, next in line is Ronald Kornblow (Groucho), the manager of a small hotel far enough outside of town who has no clue as to the Casablanca's reputation. In fact, Kornblow has no clue about a lot of things ... and as the hotel's new manager, it seems Kornblow is next in line for check-out.

Chico and Harpo are aboard as hotel employees, while Marx Brothers regular Sig Ruman plays undercover Nazi Heinrich Stubel - the man behind the murders, scheming to eventually BE manager of the Casablanca so that he can start the hunt for the Nazi treasures still hidden somewhere within the hotel. Add a wicked woman scheming with Stubel to get rid of Kornblow (Lisette Verea), and a young serviceman (Charles Drake) eventually framed for the murders, along with his naive girlfriend (Lois Collier) who professes his total innocence - and you have a heady mix of characters, along with some laugh-out-loud scenes (Chico's piano playing and Harpo's scene strumming the harp are fitted in wonderfully here, without slowing down the film at all) that include the brothers slowly making a nightclub dance floor smaller and smaller by setting up dining tables amidst couples trying to dance. Oh yeah, and the packing scene, toward the end - PURE classic Marx Brothers! The chase scene at the film's finale is perfectly shot, choreographed flawlessly and a real homage to some of the boys' best work, and overall the film is definitely one of their better efforts in their later years ...

And yet somehow, the film feels only slightly above average. Terrific as a film in general, for a Marx Brothers film you can sort of feel the test of time here a bit. The gags, one-liners, and writing all hold up - yet somehow, none of it seems delivered with the sharp snap and wit of their earlier films. VERY entertaining, often funny, and genuinely enjoyable as a comedy, A Night in Casablanca is a great little film that just - somehow - feels like it could have been greater *** - Reel Cool

6) POWER KIDS

2011-01-22T15:57:00.001-08:00

Director: Krissanapong Rachata
Stars: Nantawooti Boonrapsap, Sasisa Jindamanee, Paytaai Wongkamlao, Nawarat Techarathanaprasert, Johnny Nguyen
Year: 2009
Rating: R
(in Thai with English subtitles)

The great film with the silly title, Power Kids (original Thai title: 5 Heart Heroes, but also known as Force of Five) is a terrific, action-packed martial arts film produced by the director of Ong-bak and Chocolate - which, if you've seen either of these films means you know what a rollercoaster ride the action sequences in this will be. Kids are the heroes here, as the film opens with a little shrimp of a kid named Wun, who lives with his brother Wut at a Muy Thai school where they have grown close to a few other students, forming a close bond of friendship between all five. Adorable and precocious, all Wun wants to do is be a normal kid - but born with a severe heart condition, the little boy has always had to take things slow, always under the protective eye of his older brother.

When circumstances occur that make Wun even more ill, to the point where a transplant is the only solution or Wun will die, the local hospital seeks frantically around Bangkok for a compatible heart donor - finally locating one at another hospital nearby. But with only four hours to spare, the heart is held up at the hospital - literally - when a band of violent terrorists take over the hospital, taking hostages and threatening to kill any and every person who stands in their way until their demands are met. With Wun so close to death, young Wut and his three friends band together to sneak past the terrorists, retrieve the heart for Wun, and get it back to the hospital before it's too late.

Yeah, the film is pretty obvious in trying to tug at the heartstrings ... but it's also an entertaining, action-packed roller coaster ride that has, at its center, a story of bravery, dedication, and friendship. The kids, while decent actors, are freaking amazing martial artists; there are no "little people" stunt doubles here, and these kids can both give and take a hit with real conviction on-screen; you'll be rooting and cheering for Wut and his friends from the very beginning, fairly yelling at the screen for them to kick the total ass of the bad-guy terrorist leader (Johnny Nguyen, coolly evil here).

Sure, the film can be overly sentimental; the plot even a bit far-fetched. But Power Kids is one of those films you'll be completely, emotionally caught up in, that also happens to have a positive message about love and friendship (though definitely not for young children, due to the violence and fight/action sequences). A worthy addition to your DVD library, and also worth repeat viewings just for those way-freaking-cool fight sequences alone! ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

5) PIRANHA

2011-01-19T21:08:00.001-08:00

Director: Alexandre Aja
Stars: Steven R. McQueen, Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O'Connell, Jessica Szohr, Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, Adam Scott, Ricardo Chavira, Dina Meyer, Richard Dreyfuss
Year: 2010
Rating: R

Director Alexandre Aja has said, with Piranha (or Piranha 3D, as it was also known in theaters), that he wanted to invoke the era of big, bad monster/horror movies that permeated the 1980's. On that level, Piranha succeeds grandly - but even overall, the film is a fun, bloody, boob-heavy ride that is at times funny, gory, and sexually risque. Throw in a lake full of razor-toothed prehistoric man(and woman)-eating fish, and who could ask for more?

Set in the fictional city of Lake Victoria, Arizona, Piranha opens with the beginning of spring break, and Lake Victoria being overrun with horny college kids out for a good time. Trying to rein in all the insanity is Sheriff Julie Forester (Elisabeth Shue, playing things just seriously enough to be truly entertaining here), a no-nonsense single mom of three kids, whose oldest son Jake (Steven R. McQueen, of "The Vampire Diaries" fame) seems doomed to spend most of his week babysitting his younger siblings, as opposed to joining in on the fun ... something that truly makes Jake unhappy as it means he also has no chance of spending any time with the beautiful girl he's crushing on, Kelly (Jessica Szohr), who he pines for even though she's dating one of the big-mouthed jocks at school.

Things change, however, when a chance meeting puts Jake in touch with the hyperactive Derrick Jones (Jerry O'Connell, who is wonderfully insane here), a "Girls Gone Wild"-style producer of softcore girl (or girl-on-girl) porn who has come to the lakeside town to shoot some footage of hot college chicks. Hiring a reluctant Jake as a local guide to the best spots on the lake to shoot, Derrick promises the young man both fun and naked women - and ensures Jake's cooperation when he also enlists Kelly on-board his boat for the ride, hoping to get some hot footage of HER on film ... something Jake is determined to not let happen.

But while all this is going on above the water's surface, below it an underground tremor has cracked open a rift in the lake bed, setting free a huge school of prehistoric piranha now able to get to the warmer waters of Lake Victoria. Ugly-ass, nasty, extremely hungry piranha, and a hell of a lot of them - all set free just in time to enjoy the young, tasty, all-you-can-eat human buffet lining up on the surface to feed them.

Okay, so the plot is thinner than rice paper. Sometimes the acting is so-so; even over the top. Occasionally even the special effects get a tiny bit cheesy (although this, more than ever, invokes the 1980's period of such films). And if you have a problem with blood and gore, or naked women, this might not be the film for you.

But otherwise, Piranha is simply a whole lot of FUN. It fully lives up to its trailer, commercials, and all the advertising, pretending to be nothing more than what it is - bloody entertaining (literally). From Richard Dreyfuss' cameo in the opening scene, you know you are in for some genuine craziness here, and the film never lets you down from then on. It won't win any awards for acting, writing, or direction, but Piranha is a sweet little monster movie with (dare I say it) a whole lotta bite. Definitely worth catching for those who like this kind of thing; others would probably find it too gruesome or corny ... but hey, the world needs wimps, too! ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

4) LOST BOYS: THE THIRST

2011-01-18T20:05:00.001-08:00

Director: Dario Piana
Stars: Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, Casey B. Dolan, Tanit Phoenix, Seb Castang, Felix Mosse, Steven van Niekirk, Joe Vaz
Year: 2010
Rating: R

While Corey Haim turned down a role in this second sequel to what is now seen as a classic teen vampire film, The Lost Boys, Lost Boys: The Thirst still in many ways rates above its predecessor, Lost Boys: The Tribe (see my review for that film here) by NOT taking itself as seriously. While The Tribe was not that bad (it definitely has its moments, as well as a couple of strong cast members), The Thirst is all about enjoying the ride, thanks to a slightly hammy performance by Corey Feldman that, here, makes the film that much more fun to watch.

As the film opens, vampire hunter Edgar Frog (Feldman) is pretty down on his luck. He lives in a trailer in San Cazador, California, a rundown coastal town, and is within thirty days of being evicted from his home. Even selling his precious comic book collection to the local comic book guy, or via his friend who works in the store, Zoe (Casey B. Dolan) - who puts the better ones up on eBay - simply isn't going to save his behind. He's also become somewhat estranged from his brother Alan (Jamison Newlander), and doesn't even hunt bloodsuckers anymore, thanks to that parting with his brother.

Which makes Edgar even more conflicted when best-selling romance-horror author Gwen Lieber (Tanit Phoenix) finds him in San Cazador, and begs Edgar to help her find her brother Peter. It seems there is a new breed of vampires on their way to the top, led by a handsome, enigmatic alpha vamp named DJ X (Seb Castang) - and these bloodsuckers are playing for keeps. DJ X and his crew are going around the country throwing underground rave parties, and at those parties are giving some of the young attendees a "new drug" that gives them a kind of high they've never had before ... by turning them into vampires, as the "drug" is nothing more than vampire blood. The fang-bearers, led by DJ X, have kidnapped Gwen's teenaged brother Peter, and are planning to bring their biggest rave yet to San Cazador - on the night of the blood moon, no less, when Peter will be sacrificed and hundreds of partygoers turned into vampires for good, starting a worldwide plan the vamps have for taking control of the world.

Edgar won't bite at first, not wanting to believe Gwen's story - plus he has his own, very personal reasons for not wanting to hunt bloodsuckers anymore, which you learn in the film but I won't divulge here. But in the end, of course, it DOES become up to Edgar to save the world, and when his brother Alan refuses to join in Edgar instead enlists the aid of comic book store clerk Zoe - even as Gwen (a nice play on Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, by the way), after Edgar's initial refusal, has also brought in a dorky, slab-of-beef reality-TV star named Lars (who thinks this whole thing is a staged reality show, not realizing he will be fighting real vampires) and a cameraman, to join the team. And when Edgar learns the rave is going to be at an old, deserted slaughterhouse on an island just off the shore of San Cazador, Edgar and his crew have to set out in the hopes that they can stop the sacrifice before DJ X turns hundreds of young people into a bloodsucking plagues set loose on the world.

I almost hate to admit it, but I had a whole lot of fun watching Lost Boys: The Thirst. And if you're willing to just enjoy the ride, without looking for things like original plotting and rock-solid acting skills from some of the cast involved, I think you'll at least have fun with this one, too. It's got action, humor, blood/gore, and Corey Feldman talking like he's got a throatful of crushed glass; what more could you want? High-spirited and quirky, with (believe it or not) an ending/plot twist you almost don't see coming until you're already there, Lost Boys: The Tribe is sprinkled liberally with both jokes and jolts throughout, featuring inspired performances by a decent cast that at least keeps the tension and energy level high. It won't win any awards, but then again doesn't want to; this films seeks only to ENTERTAIN, and on that level does so nicely. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

3) PUSH

2011-01-13T20:41:00.001-08:00

Director: Paul McGuigan
Stars: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Djimon Hounsou, Cliff Curtis, Neil Jackson, Ming-Na
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

Convoluted to the point of being (at times) downright confusing, Push is still a feast for the eyes, with some decent performances and a killer soundtrack.

Chris Evans stars as Nick Gant, a "mover" (someone with the telekinetic ability to move objects with his mind, at will) living in Hong Kong forever under the watchful eye of The Division, a secret government agency who - years ago - conducted scientific experiments on Nick's father (as well as a slew of other people) to try and turn human beings into the ultimate weapon. Nick, a second-generation mover, watched his father killed by The Division, under direct orders from agent Henry Carver, over a decade before after Nick's dad tried to free him and young Nick from the Division's grip. Now living fairly peacefully in the highly-dense population of Hong Kong (which gives "sniffers" a harder time at finding you), Nick leads a relatively normal life, never practicing his talent for fear of being discovered - when, on one fateful day, a pair of "sniffers" (whose noses are so sensitive, they can smell your toothbrush and arouse images of their mind of when and how you last used it) show up at his door, demanding to know the whereabouts of a young woman named Kira (Camilla Belle), who escaped from The Division's headquarters with a suitcase containing something very dangerous The Division wants back.

Nick convinces The Division goons that he knows no such girl, but right after their departure he's visited by a 13-year-old second-generation "watcher" (those who can foretell the future, and must draw it out when they do so) named Cassie (Dakota Fanning), who is also seeking the case that Kira stole. Cassie's mother, a major-league watcher like Nick's dad was one of the best movers ever, is being held prisoner by The Division because she's too powerful to let loose on her own, and Cassie is determined to get her out ... by getting back whatever is in the case Kira stole, which Cassie is sure will take down The Division for good. She has seen, in the future, that Nick will help her to find Kira, while poor Nick still swears he doesn't even KNOW any Kira. But when a gang of Chinese "bleeders" (they can scream at such high decibels, glass shatters and the eardrums and eye sockets of those the scream is aimed at are eventually shattered, causing bleeding from the eyes and ears), Nick is almost killed and he ends up with no choice but to help Cassie ... and maybe, after over ten years, get revenge on Henry Carver - a powerful "mover" (someone who can manipulate another person's mind, making that person do anything they want) himself - for having his father killed. Enlisting the aids of a few other rogue watchers, sniffers and pushers, Cassie and Nick find Kira (also a powerful mover), learn what she's carrying ... and why she is so important to Carver and The Division.

Overall, I liked Push. The performances are uniformly good, with Dakota Fanning (as usual) standing out as Cassie. Even the supporting players show off their stuff, especially Cliff Curtis as roguish pusher Hook Waters, and Neil Jackson as the very evil, very loyal Victor, bodyguard for Henry Carver and a top-level mover himself that will defend his boss to the death. The special effects in the film are masterful, truly striking and a whole lot of fun to watch as they draw you into the action and story ... and after the film I even had the urge to get the soundtrack, the music in the film was so cool.

But overall, in plot and writing, the film comes up short. After awhile it's like, "Okay, so WHAT is going on here, again?" and you sort of lose track of what exactly is going on and why, even as you enjoy the stylized look and feel of the film. Even the ending is no real ending, of sorts, with certain major plot issues not even resolved.

Deserving of the extra half-reel I gave it simply for the special effects, this is good but not great entertainment; nice for a rainy day diversion, or if you're a Chris Evans or Dakota Fanning fan. Other than that, mixed results at best. *** - Reel Cool

2) CHERRYBOMB

2011-01-09T17:54:00.001-08:00

Directors: Lisa Barros D'Sa & Glenn Leyburn
Stars: Rupert Grint, Robert Sheehan, Kimberley Nixon, James Nesbitt
Year: 2009
Rating: UR

Set in Belfast, in northern Ireland, Cherrybomb opens with a bruised and battered teenager named Malachy (Rupert Grint, of Harry Potter fame) being questioned by authorities along with his friend Luke (Robert Sheehan). Separately and in closeup, each boy gives a brief but strong indication that something is horribly, horribly wrong ... before the film flashes back to four days prior, and the start of what led the guys to where they are now.

Malachy works at the front desk of a huge workout/recreational facility owned and run by his aggressive and over-sexed boss Dave Crilly (James Nesbitt), who happens to be carrying on a sexual tryst with one of Malachy's fifteen-year-old co-workers named Donna. Malachy is a good student and good guy, well-groomed and presentable, who comes from a middle-class family very secure in his future because he's always been a smart, well-behaved boy they can rely on.

In fact, the only problem that Malachy's family - or even his boss Dave, for that matter - has with Malachy is his best friend Luke. Luke, the polar opposite of Malachy, smokes and drinks and seemingly has no future, living with his alcoholic father in a bad part of town, where both are forced to sell drugs out of their home by Luke's more "successful" older brother Chris. Both Dave and Malachy's family barely tolerate Luke's presence, but have no choice because Luke and Malachy have been best friends all their lives, and nothing is going to break that bond.

That is, until Dave's beautiful blond teenage daughter Michelle (Kimberley Nixon) arrives in Belfast, having lived with her mother in London for some time. The emotionally-distant Kimberley, shuffled back and forth from parent to parent, finds the instant attraction she generates in both Malachy (who is smitten with her) and Luke (who, seemingly emotionally distant himself, only wants to shag her) utterly intriguing, and soon plays the two best friends off each other. Seemingly attracted by Luke's bad boy side, as the two head out to party Malachy feels the need to keep up - to prove he can be bad-ass, as well - and the trio's weekend together includes starting fights, doing drugs, and stealing cars, as the boys' antics grow increasingly more dangerous in their efforts to impress ... the viewer always keeping that opening scene, of Luke and Malachy being grilled by the authorities, in mind.

Cherrybomb is a strong, well-acted film about teen angst that's very simple on plot but effective nonetheless (and with an ending that's a genuine surprise, to say the least). Watching the film, I sort of kept thinking of it as a modern-day Less Than Zero of sorts, even though the emphasis here isn't entirely on drugs; maybe the trio of two guys and a girl as the central characters made that comparison inevitable. I was very curious to see how much Rupert Grint could get away from his Harry Potter/Ron Weasley persona with this film, and was really happy to see him give a terrific, very heartfelt and sympathetic performance as Malachy; Grint truly is talented, and can play more than the comedic doofus for sure! Kimberley Nixon, as the center of the triangle, gives a good performance as the conflicted Michelle. But as fine a performance as Grint gives here, really adding to the film, the real star of Cherrybomb, to me, was Robert Sheehan. As Luke, Sheehan's character is more than just a bad boy who smokes and drinks and picks fights; Sheehan gives Luke an emotional complexity that resonates to the core of the character, making you feel such sympathy for him, hoping like hell he can escape the fate that seems laid out for him in life. It's a brilliant performance, subtle and totally convincing, and between this and his turn as Nathan on the UK series "Misfits" alone, Sheehan is shaping up to be one of the best actors of his generation.

While Cherrybomb doesn't cover a whole lot of new ground, the performances of its three young leads (as well as James Nesbitt as Dave, who is great here) and the story that unfolds in the end make it well worth watching. Grint definitely deserves a lengthy career beyond Ron Weasley, and Sheehan is headed for true stardom if he chooses his roles wisely; both, here, turn what could have been a so-so film into something more. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

1) DEVIL

2011-01-02T13:26:00.001-08:00

Director: John Erick Dowdle
Stars: Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Jenny O'Hara, Bojana Novakovic, Bokeem Woodbine, Geoffrey Arend, Jacob Vargas
Year: 2010
Rating: PG-13

M. Night Shyamalan has developed a bad rep for mediocre films, of late. While producing and providing the story for Devil (he neither directed nor wrote the screenplay, as some would believe) - and while Devil has, itself, gotten its share of a bad reputation for having Shyamalan attached - the film itself is an effective, sometimes quite creepy little gem that aims to do nothing more than entertain; on that level, it succeeds quite well.

A security guard named Ramirez (played by Jacob Vargas - one of the best, most underrated actors working today) narrates the story, telling viewers in voice-over about a tale his mother always used to tell him as a child, about how each time someone commits suicide a door is opened that allows the devil to come to our world and claim some lost souls as his own. But first the devil torments and tortures these souls, prior to taking them ... so when the film begins with a guy taking a header from the thirty-fifth floor of a high-rise in downtown Philadelphia, we know that truly bad mojo is on the way.

Even as Detective Bowden (effectively played by Julie and Julia's Chris Messina) - a homicide cop with his own issues, still dealing with the loss his wife and child to a hit-and-run accident years ago - starts his investigating of the suicide (he happened to be in the area when it occurred), inside the same building five complete strangers have just stepped aboard elevator number 6, on their way up, when the elevator becomes stuck between floors. Disconcerted and annoyed at first, the small group of people - a mechanic named Tony (Logan Marshall-Green), a cranky old lady (Jenny O'Hara), a young, beautiful woman named Sarah (Bojana Novakovic), a temp security guard named Ben (Bokeem Woodbine), and a sleazy, smart-mouthed mattress salesman named Vince (Geoffrey Arend) - all become increasingly more alarmed when the security staff in the building keeps telling them they will get them out, yet all attempts to do so seem to fail.

Then things get even weirder as the lights start to flicker in the elevator, going in and out ... and each time they go out, something bad happens in the elevator, until finally one of the occupants, under cover of darkness, is murdered right there in the car.

This is when Detective Bowden comes aboard - but also when Ramirez sees something strange on the tapes, when he rewinds the footage from the elevator. It's a face, the face of the devil himself, and as the body count adds up it becomes apparent that the devil himself is in the elevator with his victims ... and that any attempts by humans to interfere will not be tolerated until the devil finishes his work and collects the souls of those sinners targets for damnation. Each person in the elevator has his or her dirty little secret to hide, and even those watching the events play are not where they are by accident.

Devil is, as said, a creepy little thriller that doesn't pack a huge punch, but should still get under your skin. The cast is uniformly excellent, and even if the mechanics of having most of the violence happening when the lights go out might grow a bit repetitive, at the same time it does keep the gore level down and makes the viewer, instead, use his or her own imagination against them about what's happening, effectively creating tension and suspense that works. Viewers enjoying the ride should be kept guessing right until the end, and even the last-minute twist in plot might not be the most shocking by the time you get there, but it still satisfies and provides a strong close to the story, tying up loose ends. I don't know that it will make anyone watching it creep out over their next elevator ride (I didn't think about it until I got on a full one for the first time), but at just eighty minutes Devil is a short, sweet little suspense tale worth catching. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

PREDATORS

2010-12-25T22:20:00.000-08:00

Director: Nimrod Antal

Stars: Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali
Year: 2010
Rating: R

On the surface, this seemed a done deal; there's not an actor whose talent I respect more than Adrien Brody, and while I thought him a curious chose for the lead role in Predators, I was willing to go with the flow until I saw the film ... after all, I'm also a huge fan of the Predator series (yes, even the first Alien vs. Predator, although its sequel was quite a disappointment). And with a fine supporting cast that includes a few of the best "character actors" working today, I knew the film would at least have some substance in the acting department, if not the story itself.

The film certainly opens up with a bang; Adrien Brody, hurtling toward the ground after having evidently been tossed from a plane, regains consciousness just in time to open the parachute he wears, saving his life as he lands in the middle of a tropical jungle. Confused and disoriented, Brody's character soon learns he's not the only one in the same situation - in the first few minutes of the film, eight people of various nationalities and from different parts of the world all learn they share nothing in common but this same bizarre experience. None of them can remember what happened leading up to their blacking out, or why the hell they've been literally thrown into some wild jungle with various sorts of weapons they've never seen before on their person.

Brody's character, because of his military training and determined-to-survive mentality, becomes the unspoken leader as the others follow him, searching for a way out ... even as the lone woman in the group, Isabelle (Alice Braga, channeling Michelle Rodriguez at her toughest here), shows little trust and even less liking for Brody's tough, loner demeanor.

The group, forging their way toward high land to get an idea of where they are, soon come across some strange crates, attached to parachutes, that lay broken and open and empty on the ground. What was in the crates becomes frighteningly apparent when the group is attached by dog-like creatures the likes no human has ever seen before - and it becomes apparent, very quickly, that these creatures are only the first offense; behind them is something bigger, deadlier, and hot on their trail - an alien species out to hunt them for sport, tracking them through the forest to pick them off one by one.

Predators is very much a throwback to the first films in the series, negating the whole Aliens crossover films entirely. Here we are back in the jungle, with predators again hunting humans - only this time its a group of murderers and mercenaries, those who don't fit into society, chosen for the game, as opposed to a group of soldiers fighting a war ... and this time the action takes place on an alien world. The predators themselves have been upgraded, as well; know there are the "regular" predators as from the first two films, but also an even more advanced species of hunter, bigger and uglier and meaner than even the "regular" predators, who indeed hunt the smaller, "weaker" faction of society when there are no humans or other creatures to hunt. It's a nice upgrade, and the monsters in this film are most convincing.

As is the acting, thanks to a fine cast - led by Brody, who here is all buffed out and as Rambo-like as he can get, only with much better acting chops - who do their best with material that ranges from very intriguing to a bit on the melodramatic side. Laurence Fishburne, in particular, plays a nutcase named Noland and almost borders on over-acting in a couple of scenes - but overall the film's pacing is right, the cinematography beautiful, and even the music in the film is used smartly, when either heightening suspense of simply setting a somber mood ... as our little group is, indeed, picked off one by one by the predators.

Good points aside, the film has its share of problems. The road traveled here is all too familiar to anyone who has seen the previous films in the series, so that even though many things have changed since Arnold Schwarzenegger caked himself with mud in the first film, the mood and energy and storyline of the film just don't feel particularly fresh. The action overall is well-paced and suspenseful - but overall things feel a bit rushed here, and the downbeat ending , setting the scene for another sequel, gives a hint of things to come that just doesn't satisfy, or have any real resolution.

I liked Predators; just didn't love it. It's a must-see (maybe "should-see"?) for completists of the series - or even for Adrien Brody fans - but otherwise you can catch it on cable of via Netflix, and be perfectly satisfied. With the cast involved especially, however, you can't help but feel it could have been a little better. *** - Reel Cool

Artistic Inspiration: My Interview with KYLE CLARE

2010-12-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

Since my first interview on this blog, with Gran Torino's Bee Vang, I've halfheartedly sought out other actors to speak with; actors whose work not only inspired me, but also who deserved the attention of everyone I knew, because his or her talent was so freaking out there, it should be seen. Well, between moving to L.A. and other things in life intervening, I came across an actor who - in just one performance - blew me away so much, I sort of dug in and hung on, more than happy to work around his busy schedule until he could find the time for a chat.

You may never have heard of him, but I suspect that is only temporary. It's real talent that holds its own in this town, building a lengthy career, and if that's the case I think Kyle Clare is pretty much set.

It was Watercolors that did it for me. The first time I saw the film, I sat down expecting another formulaic film about a young gay high school boy who falls for the jock he can never have - yet, somehow, manages to get, even if only temporarily. Such indie films are rampant, usually showing excessive skin in lieu of a plot or characterization, and almost always such films also end in tragedy for those involved, especially the main character (or someone he or she loves).

Watercolors broke that, beautifully. On paper it may play out as as read above, but thanks to the phenomenal heart and soul put into the film by writer/director David Oliveras, as well as the pure, very honest and humane performances of the two lead actors, Tye Olson and Kyle Clare, Watercolors takes a compassionate, very honest and wholly real approach to its subject matter - and delivers beautifully. And much as Tye Olson's character of Danny finds artistic inspiration for his drawings and paintings in the form of Kyle Clare's character Carter, it's Clare himself, with his performance, who inspired not only this interview, but my own work as a writer, as well. I hope he won't mind if I call him my friend, but that's just how Kyle is; one conversation, and he treats you like he's known you forever.

But enough of that; you can read the review here; this piece is about one of the stars of a film everyone who has ever fallen in love should see.

Kyle Clare, was born in Santa Monica in January of 1985, the son of parents who divorced while he was still very young. Movies were a big passion even from an early age, and a young Kyle would often find himself acting out characters to the point where he wouldn't answer to his own name. He was signed to a children's agency as a kid, but barely remembers the experience; it was in the eighth grade, after his class attended a show at the high school, that young Kyle first realized THIS was what he wanted to do.

Though he'd start off well, playing the purser in "Anything Goes" in high school, Clare's the first to admit, "I didn't have it all together in high school. I tested well, but didn't really have a plan." While he got good grades, and had landed the lead in every show by the time he was a senior, it was a guidance counselor who saw a young man in need of direction that saw the young man's talent and handed him a few applications for acting schools. Four days after graduating high school, Kyle auditioned for the prestigious AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy) conservatory in New York City, who accepted him into their program. "So I was just graduated from high school and off to New York," Clare recalls, citing that his mother especially ask him, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" - but by then, the acting bug had fully bitten.

Clare has nothing but good thing to say about the AMDA, though it was often all work and no play. "It was a tough school," he says. " There was no time to rest, you were always acting. But I learned that you get out only what you put into it ... and if you're really focused, which I was, then you can get a lot out of it." When asked how he feels attending the conservatory helped shape his career, Clare stresses "the best training an actor can get is from theater; theatrically-trained actors have a real advantage." That said, Clare did eventually choose to take the second year of his two-year training in Los Angeles, where he could focus more on film and television, though his respect and admiration for the school and for theater are obvious when he admits, "Looking back, had I been older I might have stayed (in New York) and pursued stage, but the glitz and glamor of being rich and famous gets to you ..."

Then, soon after graduating from AMDA, Kyle Clare only wanted to take a break when his girlfriend at the time, Jessica, talked him into submitting for an independent film he'd found was seeking actors online. After reading about the indie film Watercolors, which was to be shot on video for a more-than-modest budge of $35,000, Kyle wasn't sure about submitting for a role in which he'd be not only playing a closeted gay male (especially for his very first film role), but also for a part that, right out, stated would require nudity. But Jessica encouraged him to seek out the role, pointing out that Carter was Kyle Clare as described in the breakdown - a lean and athletic with long hair - but that didn't stop Clare from being more than a little nervous at the audition.

"What really made me nervous, though, was that I knew I was perfect for the role," Kyle says. "I was nervous about getting it, about playing a gay character and the nudity, but I called back and after the call back I heard from David (Oliveras, the writer and director). He told me it was between me and this other guy, and he wanted to get together and just hang out, get to know me. After the second time we hung out, he called to offer me the role."

From here, the friendship between Oliveras and Clare only grew, especially as Kyle grew more excited about the project, and even became a part of the casting process. "At the time I was cast, Danny's character was called Eric, and another actor had been cast in the role. But after two weeks of rehearsals the vibe just wasn't right, and David ended up letting the other actor go. He asked me to help him re-cast Eric, and we got this kid who dropped out, like, after one rehearsal ... so by now, five weeks since being cast as Carter, we were still looking for a Danny - which was what David had changed the other lead character's name to - and then Tye Olson walks in."

Clare was impressed from the beginning. "Tye walks in, and Tye was Danny. I read with him, then Tye left and I turned to David and said, 'I want him.' We called him at Starbucks and cast him."

But more than just winning a role, what makes Watercolors work is that the Olson and Clare seem absolutely in-sync with their performances; you fully believe in the characters and their relationship with each other, both good and bad. And talking with Kyle Clare, it's easy to see, now, why the film works on an emotional level the way it does.

"Even if I wasn't shooting, I was on-set all the time. David, Tye and I became "the trio" - we hung out together, talked about characters, and got very close. I don't like to over-rehearse, but forming this great friendship with Tye and David, just hanging out and talking about the characters and story, really helped the film."

And it works; just see the film to believe that. Better still, go by the fact that Kyle Clare - for his first feature-length role, won the 2008 Best Supporting Actor Audience Award at the Clip Film Festival, and FilmOut San Diego, in 2009, presented him with the Jury Award for Best Supporting Actor, for playing Carter Melman. Not bad, for a straight guy playing a complex, troubled and closeted gay teen in his first film.

When asked how his family and friends reacted to seeing him as Carter, Clare curiously mentions that his mother of all people had little problem with the character. "I had blond curly hair as a little kid," he remembers, "and was always made fun of, seen as artistic and a little weird. In school, because I was artistic and a performer, I was called gay a lot, so I think my mom sort of always wondered if I was gay, which prepared her a little more." To this day, while Clare knows he has his father's overall respect and support, he's not even sure if his father has seen the film - "though I know he bought it the day it came out on DVD" - and admits to taking a ribbing from his friends about playing Carter, especially for the nudity. And even his girlfriend at the time, Jessica - who started the whole thing - was very proud of his work as Carter, and loved the film.

Life since Watercolors involves Kyle Clare cutting his acting teeth back on the stage - particularly with Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre in North Hollywood. "It's really unique, a 50-set, black box theater; total audience immersion, with some crazy, really out there shows ... and I've learned a lot there; it's prepared me for when the right project comes along. Being forced to play some really crazy characters, its torn and pulled and stretched me; now I know, if I can do Zombie Joe's, then I can do into any audition, on any set, and pull off the character. With every show I'm stretched; tested."

It's also taught Clare to be an actor's actor. His taste in favorite performers - or actors he'd like to work with one day - runs toward a few of the most well-renowned working today. "Sean Penn is my man. He's so deep. I really relate my style to his in some way, he really seems to understand his characters; he's so cerebral." On Robert Downey Jr. - "One of the most naturally-gifted actors of all time; he never ceases to entertain or amaze me." And Clare adds Sam Rockwell as a third influence on his work, stating "he's just an incredible actor, period."

Just approaching his twenty-sixth birthday, when asked where he'd like to be in, say, five years, Clare - as many actors before him - mentions wanting to direct in time. But as always with Kyle Clare, it all has to come with meaning: "People have said they'll see me hitting my stride in my thirties," he says. "If so, I hope I can continue to do roles that I find interesting and satisfying. Working on things that mean something; heartfelt projects I want to do, and be able to sustain myself doing them. Just be able to act, and focus on that; whether theater or small, independent films, I would like to be where I can do the projects I want to do." When asked the kind of character he'd most like to play right now, Clare - in line with his theatrical training - cites his desire to explore the psychology of a character out of the norm of society. "Mental illness intrigues me," says Clare. "Exploring the character or a crazy person, or maybe a savant or even a psychopath, like Heath Ledger's Joker. I'd die a happy man if I could play a role like that, or maybe even like Sean Penn in I am Sam ... Hoffman in Rain Man. It's the only other role I've consciously thought of doing."

But no matter what, Kyle Clare is in it for the long haul. With most of his lengthy career still left ahead of him, the young and hugely talented performer has been around enough to have some good, solid and very realistic advice for the aspiring actor; advice as blunt and honest and together as Clare himself.

"Go home, sit down, and think about the whole thing. If you could ever see yourself doing anything else ... then do that. If you have doubts then do something else, because to be successful and effective and a good actor, it must be something you HAVE to do."

For more about this amazing actor and his work, go to www.kyleclare.com

BREAKFAST WITH SCOT

2010-12-14T17:25:00.001-08:00

Director: Laurie Lynd
Stars: Tom Cavanagh, Ben Shenkman, Noah Bernett, Jeananne Goossen, Dylan Everett
Year: 2007
Rating: PG-13

While Breakfast with Scot plays more like a TV-movie with a twist, the characters - as well as the actors portraying them - give a certain charm to the tale, especially in the case of the three leads.

Tom Cavanagh (TV's "Ed") stars as Eric McNally, an ex-Toronto Maple Leafs hockey player whose career has been sidelined due to an injury. Now reporting for cable sports station in Toronto, Eric still rides on his popularity as a gruff, no-nonsense hard-head on the ice ... who happens to also harbor one small secret: that he's gay, and living with his boyfriend of several years named Sam, a corporate attorney. Eric and Sam lead a quiet life, Sam not so concerned about being out but Eric much more on the downlow about things because of his career and reputation ...

When one day that quiet is shattered, as Sam learns that his brother's ex-girlfriend has died of a drug overdose, and until Sam's brother (who is supposedly in Brazil) can be located, Sam and Eric are next in line to be granted custody of the dead woman's eleven-year-old son, Scot.

Eric freaks; the last thing he wants is a kid in the house, let alone a young roughneck kid he'll have to clean up after, or be responsible for. Sam calms him down, telling Eric they really have no choice and he'll make sure Scot doesn't cause any trouble; that this will only be until they find his brother, then Scot will be gone for good, but until then how can they desert a young boy?

But when Scot arrives, it's clear early on that this is no run-of-the-mill kid. In fact, with a wardrobe of tights, boas, hairbrushes that light up, and clothes with more sparkle than a Vegas showgirl costume, Scot alone is more flamboyant than Eric and Sam put together. At first, this tests Eric's patience even more - especially when, because of Sam's more rigid work schedule, he is forced to take care of and spend more time with Scot, especially out in public - but soon a bond does form between the flamboyant young boy and Eric, especially when Eric talks Scot into giving up some of his more "out" tendencies (the jewelry, his mother's makeup), and even teaches the boy to play hockey to sort of "man him up" a bit.

Question is, is this a good thing? As mentioned, the story plays out like a TV-movie, maybe on Lifetime if it were a gay channel, but even with a fairly schmaltzy ending the film still has some real heart and warmth to it; again, chiefly due to the three leads - though there is also an outstanding performance by young actor Dylan Everett in the film as well, playing a foul-mouthed kid in Eric and Sam's neighborhood who is all too realistic about his feelings on gays in general and Scot in particular.

Breakfast with Scot is harmless entertainment that will touch at the heartstrings a bit, even while being a bit manipulative in doing so. Tom Cavanagh is great as Eric, carrying the emotional weight of the film on his shoulders, and while Ben Shenkman does an equally impressive job as Sam, I wish his character were given much more to do. Special kudos, though, to Noah Bernett, who plays Scot with real humor and heart, in an engaging film with a very positive message of tolerance in the end. Definitely worth seeing (and no, I'm not going to tell you why there is only one "t" at the end of Scot's name; you'll have to watch it yourself to find out). ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

DESPICABLE ME

2010-12-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

Director: Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud
Stars: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig
Year: 2010
Rating: PG

When we first meet Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) in the visually stunning animated feature Despicable Me, we understand right away that Gru is a pretty callous bad guy. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to Uncle Fester from "The Addams Family" television series, Gru is anything but lovable or altogether ooky; from making children cry to attempting to take over the world, Gru is a supervillain of the highest order.

Or, at least, he used to be. Gru's gotten older, and there is most definitely a crop of younger, even more evil supervillains coming up behind him, with bigger and more expensive plans to take over the world. SO expensive, in fact, that when Gru goes to the Bank of Evil to take out a loan for his latest, most evil plot of all - to shrink and steal the moon, holding it for ransom - he is turned down by the bank's president, who no longer is so sure of Gru's capabilities, and is instead forced to steal the shrink ray first, to prove he is still the baddest villain. The new villain on the block, a young impresario named Vector (voiced by Jason Segel), has recently stolen the great pyramid of Giza in Egypt, replacing it with an inflatable copy, and such daring, super-DUPER villainy has put Gru squarely into the #2 position of bad guys.

So Gru - along with the help of his elderly friend Dr Nefario (Russell Brand), and his many hundred of odd-looking, bright yellow minions, manages to steal the shrink ray ... only to have the machine, in turn, stolen from him by Vector, even as he escapes capture! Thwarted and determined to regain ground as #1 supervillain, a disgruntled Gru makes several attempts to break into Vector's compound - with hilarious results that prove, to a badly-bruised and beaten Gru, that Vector's fortress is impenetrable.

That is, until Gru witnesses three young orphan girls, out selling cookies to raise money for their orphanage, allowed in to the compound when Vector learns they have his favorite cookies. So Gru, being evil and uncaring, makes immediate plans to adopt the girls, plant robot cookies into their supply of treats, and use them to gain access to Vector's home and get the shrink ray machine back.

But what Gru doesn't count on is that raising three little girls can, in itself, be more work than the most evil of plots. What starts off as a nuisance and a chore, necessary to put his plans into action, instead starts to change the lives of Gru, the girls, and everyone around them. And even as Gru fights to get back his Most Evil Supervillain title, he also grows to learn a lot more about life, and love, and what's really important than he'd ever knew possible.

Yeah, you can sort of see where things are going in Despicable Me early on, but it takes nothing away from the joy in getting there. Carell, even with the harsh European accent, is perfect as Gru, turning from evil to empathetic in the course of the film, in scenes that go from hilarious to touching and everything in between. Visually the film is a treat for the eyes, the animation oddly quirky and perfect for the story. Happily, even all those yellow guys, Gru's minions, don't take over things like such supporting characters usually do in these films; instead, they remain wholly entertaining, surprisingly fresh and funny, and provide some great moments in the story without stealing them from other characters.

You won't find a lot of depth of story or character here, but on the other hand the silliness and slight story and appealing characters all come together to make Despicable Me a charming film worth seeing, even owning on DVD. It's feel-good animation that comes from the heart, and also provides some hearty laughs; who could ask for more? **** - Reel Awesome

Trailer: COWBOYS & ALIENS

2010-11-17T20:18:00.002-08:00

THE TRAP

2010-11-17T20:18:00.001-08:00

Director: Howard Bretherton
Stars: Sidney Toler, Victor Sen Yung, Mantan Moreland, Anne Nagel, Tanis Chandler, Kirk Alyn
Year: 1946
Rating: N/R

When Monogram picked up the Charlie Chan film series from Twentieth Century-Fox, the quality of the films - which had always been entertaining and just a lot of fun to watch - seriously dipped from low-budget to practically no-budget territory. Sidney Toler, having taken over the role years before after the death of Warner Oland, gave Charlie Chan a warmth and humor the character had not had on-screen before. Toler was pretty much my favorite Chan, and this was the last film he made as the character, before his death in 1947 from cancer. Sadly, it's not a fitting tribute to the fine character actor, as The Trap features poor acting, poor writing, and a weary Sidney Toler who looks ill here, and isn't even introduced into the film until twenty minutes in - which, considering the running time of The Trap is just over sixty minutes, is pretty significant.

The plot, such as it is, revolves around a theatrical troupe - mostly female - who rent a beach house in Malibu for some well-deserved time off. The female performers are headed by the vain, bossy Marcia (Anne Nagel), who knows enough dirt on the other girls, she pretty much gets away with everything, even though the others hate her. The very day they move into the beach house, Marcia blackmails a young ingenue named Lois into stealing some incrimination letters from the trunk of another girl, and during the theft Lois is strangled to death by an unknown assailant. A state trooper who had pulled the troop over earlier in the film (Kirk Alyn) starts the investigation, but it's one of the women - a young Chinese girl named San Toy - who calls Jimmy Chan (Victor Sen Yung) for help, and soon Jimmy's father, the great detective Charlie Chan, is on the case ... along with his bumbling chauffeur Birmingham, played with humor and to great "yessir, boss, yessir!" stereotype by Mantan Moreland. At first Charlie's mission seems to be to find Marcia - who has gone missing since the murder, and is presumed to be the killer - but when Marcia's body washes up on shore the next morning, also strangled, it's up to Charlie Chan to figure out the motives and means ... and the identity of a dangerous killer.

While the film is not a total waste - especially for Chan aficionados - there is not enough here to make the film worthy of more than maybe a single viewing. Most of the cast truly hams it up for the camera, and the cast of characters leans toward run-of-the-mill stereotypes you will find in any murder mystery/thriller, right down to the sinister housekeeper/caretaker of the beach house, a C-movie version of Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca who goes around quoting about drink being the root of all evil. The playful, humorous banter between Victor Sen Yung and Toler, which was one of the best reasons to watch the series (especially when it was with Twentieth Century-Fox) is almost non-existent, the plot is both convoluted and fairly laughable, with lots of screaming from the girls and an ending that's a bit boring to say the least.

Sad that this was Toler's last film - but good that he left a legacy of great work behind, Chan and otherwise, as a terrific character actor; one who deserved better than this for his final bow. ** - Reel Mediocre

Trailer: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PT. 1

2010-09-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

THE FINAL DESTINATION

2010-07-17T18:38:00.001-07:00

Director: David R. Ellis
Stars: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Nick Zano, Haley Webb, Mykelti Williamson
Year: 2009
Rating: R

Not having seen the film in 3D, I can honestly say I don't know how those effects turned out on the big screen ... but almost from the beginning, this incarnation of the Final Destination series was still pretty obvious about taking every opportunity possible to throw or thrust something at the audience. Having no real connection whatsoever to the previous films in the serious, this story of death coming after those who cheated it is set at a racetrack, where college boy Nick (Bobby Campo) has a hideous premonition of him and his friends (and everyone around them) dying horribly in a freak accident.

As in the other films, most around Nick scoff at the vision, and Nick's insistence starts a fight that ends up getting a small group of the attendees thrown out of the proceedings, where they stand outside arguing with and berating Nick - as, seconds later, Nick's vision comes 100% true and the bodies do, indeed, begin to fall (or get crushed, or decapitated, what have you). Now all the survivors are freaked out, none more so than Nick, but this is only (of course) the first ten minutes of the film; from here on, as death comes back to claim those, in turn, who would have died had they stayed for the entire race, the deaths get more bizarre and gruesome - and Nick and his girlfriend Lori (Shantel VanSanten) start a-sweatin', as they were the last to die in Nick's vision.

While the filmmakers try to be inventive in the death scenes (and, indeed, the opening credits - spotlighting some of the more spectacular deaths from previous installments - make for pretty cool viewing, the way it's done), watching the film you can't help but realize you've been down this road before. And before, it was much more interesting. At only 82 minutes in length, the film has a rushed quality about it that make for no story or character development (not that you'd expect that here, anyway), so much as each scene, as the film goes on, being nothing more than a set-up for the death to follow. None of the actors particularly stand out, with one exception - Mykelti Williamson, who brings class and heart to everything he's in - and we're not really given enough time with any of them enough to care. The fact that the film's "plot" (such as it is) also makes zero effort to tie into any of the previous films (as some of the others did) also leaves the impression that the filmmakers didn't care about making this one GOOD as much as they did about making it FAST. And the ending, which doubles back on itself and literally has a "surprise" coming about the last three seconds of the film, seems hackneyed and forced ... and, frankly, a bit of a downer after what those characters had already been through!

Definitely the weakest of the series, with the fifth installment in the works you can only hope more care and TLC is taken with the franchise next time. Watch the first two in the series especially, and you'll realize it deserves it. *1/2 - Get Reel-Reel Mediocre

BLACULA

2010-07-16T18:51:00.001-07:00

Director: William Crain
Stars: William Marshall, Vonetta McGee, Denise Nicholas, Thalmus Rasulala
Year: 1972
Rating: N/R

The death of blaxploitation film actress Vonetta McGee was a wake-up call that I had never even seen Blacula, though I have heard so much about it over the years. Finally sitting down to watch this early 70's hit, the film definitely proved to have its flaws ... yet remains a fun, very entertaining, suspenseful and seductive film to this day (largely due to its star).

Classically-trained actor William Marshall stars as an African statesman named Mamuwalde, who centuries ago visited the castle of Count Dracula with his wife, Luva (Vonetta McGree), as a sort of ambassador of good will. Unfortunately, Dracula had a thing for Luva, and in expressing both his lust and racism caused the angered Mamuwalde into attacking him. As punishment, Dracula bites Mamuwalde, turning him into a vampire ... but then seals the great man in a coffin forever, so that he would always know the vampire's hunger for blood but never get to quench it.

Flash forward to modern-day (the early 1970's), where a pair of effeminate male interior decorators buy up what's left of Dracula's castle from an estate sale (Dracula was, supposedly, killed off long ago). The decorators have everything shipped back to the States, where of course they accidentally set Mamuwalde - now a bloodthirsty vampire - free. Blacula, now loose in Los Angeles and on a killing spree, soon come across the surprise of his unending life, however, when he comes across a beautiful young woman named Tina (again, Vonetta McGee) - the image of his beloved Luva, now dead for centuries, whom quickly becomes Mamuwalde's obsession.

That's pretty much the plot, but this is definitely an old-school vampire flick that's a lot of fun to watch; humans turn into vampires soon as being bitten for the first time, all blue-tinged and clawing like zombies for their victims in a film that's most definitely campy yet never takes itself seriously enough to be anything other than fun. William Marshall, as Mamuwalde/Blacula, is as sensual a vampire as they come with his good looks and baritone voice; you sort of feel sorry for him, hoping he finds his Luva, even as he has to feed on and kill those in his way! Even the wonderful Denise Nicholas, as Tina's sister Michelle, is wonderful in the film - and even if the word "fag" is thrown around too offhandedly regarding the interior decorators, or the makeup (especially on Dracula's brides in the prologue) and "special effects" are overdone to the point of being a bit silly, there is just something so involving and exciting and fun when Blacula is at its best, the film becomes a must-see for anyone claiming to be a vamp-fan.

Old school for sure, but surprisingly enjoyable even in 2010, Blacula should be watched in the dark with a big bowl of popcorn, on a chilly night when the moon's full. Lots of fun with just a touch of suspense! **** - Reel Awesome

THE GOOD GUY

2010-07-10T19:11:00.001-07:00

Director: Julio DePietro
Stars: Alexis Bledel, Scott Porter, Bryan Greenberg, Andrew McCarthy, Anna Chlumsky
Year: 2009
Rating: R

With an attractive young cast forming the (potential) love triangle and the amazing New York City as a backdrop, The Good Guy plays not so much like a feature film as it does a Lifetime or Hallmark movie-of-the-week, only bumped up a notch. The lead actors keep it slightly above that notch and are a pleasure to watch, but the script itself is a letdown, with foreshadowing that's never quite acted upon, and a story that - in the end - simply doesn't have a lot of conflict, or for that matter any kind of revelation for a resolution.

Maybe it's because viewers are supposed to spend the film wondering who is the good guy, and who is not. Alexis Bledel ("Gilmore Girls") stars as Beth, a lovely young Manhattanite with brains, beauty, and a love for keeping the planet (and her city) green. As the film opens (after a prologue more than suggesting their relationship is in trouble, the rest of the film acting as a flashback), Beth is dating Wall Street investment banker Tommy Fielding (Scott Porter of "Friday Night Lights"), a boisterous and very sure-of-himself handsome young man with money and friends ... and the most beautiful girlfriend in the world. Beth and Tommy's relationship is still fairly new, but seems more than ideal; they are the picture of two people falling in love in the greatest city in the world, young and attractive and with their futures in their hands.

But then Daniel Seaver (Bryan Greenberg) comes along. The newbie at Tommy's job, Daniel is inexperienced and not nearly as suave or savvy as he needs to be for the job he's supposed to be doing. When the departure of another guy from Tommy's group at work opens the door for Daniel to move up, Tommy - always the good buddy - takes Daniel under his wing, training the sensitive, quiet, handsome ex-soldier in everything from how to dress, how to maneuver the market ... even how to pick up girls. As Tommy's new project, Daniel indeed becomes more sure of himself, learning fast - as Tommy spends more and more of his time with Daniel and the guys, and less with Beth. And when Beth and Daniel finally meet - Daniel joining Beth's all-girl book club, no less - the inevitable question of Daniel's humongous attraction to Beth becomes obvious, even as the film hints that maybe Daniel has a past, and is not quite the gentle soul he seems to be.

Therefore, even as the couple evolves into a potential triangle, at the same time the script never really fulfills a lot of the promises made throughout. That's about as much as can be said without spoilers - but needless to say, while the cast (particularly the three leads, with special emphasis on Bryan Greenberg) does the most with the material they have, that material (as mentioned before) is pretty much TV-movie material. Writer/director Julio DePietro doesn't build up much suspense in the film, giving the characters or story enough development to really make viewers care much about who the "good guy" really is - which, in the end, is not even that big a surprise when revealed.

The film is great to look at, with an honest feel of sincerity, but overall is a letdown that's been done before on television. Unless you're a fan of someone in the cast, this one is harmless but could be missed. **1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool

THE CRAZIES

2010-07-04T16:26:00.001-07:00

Director: Breck Eisner
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker, Brett Rickaby, Lisa K. Wyatt, Justin Welborn, Justin Miles
Year: 2010
Rating: R

Some horror film buff I am; I didn't even know, at the time of seeing this film, that it was a remake of a 1973 Wes Craven film of the same name! Actually, though, that probably worked out to my advantage - 'cause when I sat down to watch The Crazies, I didn't even have an idea of the plot. All that had hooked me was the trailer, and the fact that Timothy Olyphant was starring. And that was enough.

So pre-conceived notions-free, I was actually able to enjoy the shocks and surprises of what The Crazies had to offer - and, in the end, really enjoyed the movie. Timothy Olyphant, too. I swear, that guy could do a feminine hygiene commercial, and I'd still watch; he brings a charisma and energy to the screen that few actors do today, and is one of this country's most-underrated actors (even WITH the success of "Justified").

Here Olyphant plays David Dutten, sheriff of Ogden Marsh, Iowa - a small farming community just far enough outside Cedar Rapids to have that peaceful, folksy feel that communities have where the people are always looking out for each other. David Dutten has a good life ... a beautiful wife named Judy, who also happens to be one of the town's best doctors (Radha Mitchell) ... and even a good-old-boy deputy, Russell Clank (Across the Universe's Joe Anderson, in perhaps the film's best performance), whom David also calls his friend.

But one day at the little league field, during a game, a local man comes marching across the field with a shotgun. Dutten and his deputy evacuate the field of its players, David trying to calm the local - Rory Hamill - who he thinks is back to drinking. Instead, Hamill raises his shotgun and points it straight at Dutten ... who has no choice, when Hamill starts pressing the trigger, but to shoot the man in self-defense. Hamill dies from the gunshot, and Dutten is left broken and angst-ridden with guilt; this is, after all, Ogden Marsh. Where everyone knows each other, and Dutten feels like he's just shot one of his own.

But it doesn't stop with Hamill. Soon after the incident, out on the outskirts of town, another citizen of Ogden Marsh burns his wife and son to death in their farmhouse - and is found by cops and firefighters at the scene, calmly mowing the lawn while the house (and his family) goes up in flames. Dazed to the point of almost seeming drugged, Dutten takes the man into custody that night - and the next day, when his call for county help goes unanswered ... and the internet goes down throughout the town ... and no cell phones or landlines work ... Dutten and Deputy Clank realize that something is very, very wrong in Ogden Marsh.

I thought, at first, that this was going to be another zombie movie. And indeed, while not a zombie movie, this is definitely a deadly-virus-makes-the-entire-town-go-whacko film. But thanks to the script, the action sequences (which lean to violent, and at times truly edge-of-the-seat-suspenseful - though the director stops just short of actual gore, leaving that nasty detail to the viewer's imagination), and the earnest performances of the lead actors, The Crazies is also a fairly terrific movie. Olyphant makes for a great lead, and as Dutten tries to hold the situation, those he loves, and even himself together in the middle of a town whose citizens - one on one - seem to be turning mad. "Chaos ensues" is a bold understatement, and even the intervention of the government/military, when they arrive, turns out (of course) to be anything BUT a good thing! But to reveal more about the plot would be to maybe say too much, so let me just say that The Crazies has everything you'd expect in a horror film - suspense, terror, violence, death, and at least a few "jump in your seat" moments - but never overdoes any of them, or even overstays its welcome. And as mentioned, just when you think you're going to get hit in the senses with blood and gore in the film, the director cleverly cuts away just before it happens - screwing with your mind by letting it put in the worst possible scenario itself, and in this case it really, REALLY works to make for a much more suspenseful film.

Watch for Justin Welborn - who, since Dance of the Dead, has been in enough of these kinds of films, he's practically a horror icon already - in a small role as Rory Hamill's distraught (and damned angry) son. But for excellent thrills and chills, without excessive bloody spills, The Crazies is a pretty awesome ride. **** - Reel Awesome

Trailer: THE GREEN HORNET

2010-06-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

NEW MOON

2010-06-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Director: Chris Weitz
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Billy Burke, Graham Greene, Michael Sheen
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

This is my third year, now, for trying to make sure that I watch at least fifty new films per year - and each year, I try to make the fiftieth something unique; memorable. Last year it was Gran Torino (great film) - this year, the sequel to Twilight, which I gave a good review to back in September of 2009 (you can read the review here). For all its faults and fairly wooden dialogue, I enjoyed Twilight overall; it had an interesting story, very cool setting, a great-looking cast that did their best with the material, and a suitable ending that (of course) left everything open for a sequel.

I liked New Moon even better, on many levels - the stronger acting, the richer storyline, and even the deeper characterizations. But the woodenness remains ... and somehow, here, it's more apparent.

Kristin Stewart stars as moody high school student Bella, Robert Pattinson her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (does anyone living, right now, NOT know these two are the stars of the film?). Though a definite threat hovered over the two at the end of the first film (one I won't, of course, reveal on a blog that promises no spoilers), that threat is nowhere to be seen in its sequel - at least, not for starters, as Edward and his vamp-family prepare to celebrate Bella's birthday at their home.

But an incident at the birthday party throws things into a bit of turmoil, prompting Edward to realize that as long as he and Bella are together the girl remains in danger. This is further exacerbated by the fact that Bella is pushing Edward to turn her into a vampire, so that they can be together always - the last thing Edward wants to do, as that would (he feels) condemn the soul of the one person he loves to hell forever. So before the fact that none of the Cullen family is aging begins to really register on the local townspeople, Edward decides that they need to leave town ... and that it would be best for Bella if the two of them broke up for good.

Needless to say, Edward's sudden decision leaves Bella heartsick and broken; she spends months in a depression, mourning Edward's departure, sure she will never be over him. Then, quite by accident, she discovers that Edward is watching out over her as best he can, for whenever danger is near a vision of him appears, warning her before disaster can happen.

This send Bella into one desperate act after another, trying to always keep Edward near - and when she needs a pair of dirt bikes rebuilt from the ground up, in pursuit of her new over-the-top hobbies, Bella turns to none other than childhood friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), the hunky Native American who, himself, has been in love with Bella for a long, long time already.

But even as Edward constantly hovers nearby (sometimes literally), like a shadow she can never let go of, Bella starts to have feelings for Jacob - the boy who was there for her, in her grief, when no one else was. But Jacob soon has his own issues to contend with, ones that override even his love for Bella ... and soon Bella not only finds herself alone again, but caught between the natural enemies of vampires and werewolves - and on the radar of not only the vengeful vampire Victoria, but also of the Volturi ... the royal court of all vampires everywhere, who see Bella's knowledge of vampires as a threat to their very existence on earth.

New Moon does have a richer story and better-developed characters than Twilight, and indeed I enjoyed it more. Taylor Lautner did a much more impressive job capturing the vulnerability of Jacob Black than I had thought he would; you really are rooting for him, even though you know Bella probably belongs with Edward, during his scenes with Kristen Stewart.

But in fact, it's the scenes with Bella and Edward that are (by far) the weakest in the film. While a lot of criticism has been leveled at Pattinson for delivering one-note performances as the sullen Edward Cullen, it's really Kristen Stewart who (at least, for me) is the weakest actor in the film. She simply has little to no emotion throughout the film, as Bella, and while at first I thought it might be a chemistry issue between her and Robert Pattinson (which has been mentioned in many other reviews of the film), the same lack of on-screen chemistry is evident (though to a lesser degree) even in her scenes with Lautner. Even a death-defying leap of faith (pun intended) in the movie lacks emotional depth ... because Stewart does, in the scene, as well. It's hard to tell if she's underplaying Bella, or just not that emotionally in the role - but either way, she and Bella both come off very flat on-screen, period.

A shame, considering Bella is the central character. But Stewart's woodenness, combined with the heavy teen-angsty melodrama and sometimes-just-plain-silly dialogue, definitely make New Moon a film geared for the young audience the books are intended for. Happily, it's also entertaining enough for adults to watch - so long as you're an adult not asking for too much from the film. So if you can sit back, check your brain at the door, and just enjoy, New Moon won't disappoint; it has plenty of action, story, nifty special effects, and shirtless young men to keep most of those who would watch it happy (if you don't scratch too deeply beyond the surface). **** - Reel Awesome

DAYBREAKERS

2010-06-19T18:27:00.001-07:00

Directors: Michael & Peter Spierig
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Claudia Karvan, Isabel Lucas, Michael Dorman
Year: 2010
Rating: R

Just when you think you've seen every single take on a vampire story possible - along comes Daybreakers, a slick, trippy, and very bloody thriller with an intriguing premise, an exceptionally moody look and feel (think Gattaca, only about vampires), enough action and gore and splatter to satisfy the most blood-hungry of fans, even as the plot itself tickles your mind into attention.

The year is 2019, and a worldwide plague - over the last decade - has turned 95% of the world's population into vampires. Everywhere, "life" only exists now after the sun sets, and what life there is, is now in imminent peril as the world's supply of human blood has dwindled to nearly nothing. Those humans remaining - at least, those not in hiding - have been rounded up and are kept in huge farming communities, their blood harvested for the world's supply ...

But even this is not enough, and for years now scientists around the world have been trying in vain to find a blood substitute; one that will enable the vampires to survive long after the last human being has been wiped off the face of the earth. The need for such a supply has, indeed, grown even more critical, as society at large is learning that a vampire who has gone without human blood for an extended period of time begins to morph into a hideous animal gone insane - an animal who will kill anything it can in order to find sustenance. Indeed, under the real worlds of today, in 2019, there exists an underground of monsters; of rabid vampires gone out of control. A fate that's to befall everyone left on the planet, unless an alternative blood source can be found. Meanwhile, what's left is filtered into coffees and other drinks, often at only 20% in quantity, just to try and sustain the world's population as scientists work night and day to save vampirekind from extinction ... even as the human race certainly seems doomed for the same fate, already.

Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) is a hematologist for the biggest blood harvesting company in the United States. A vampire himself of course, Edward is one of the battalion of scientists conducting experiment after experiment, test after test, in the hopes of finding a blood substitute before its too late. His brother Frankie (Michale Dorman), one of the many soldiers out constantly hunting for and rounding up humans, is just one of the vampires Edward is trying to save ... even as, in his own heart, the bit of humanity that still resides in Edward feels sympathy and even pain for the dying out of the human race. Indeed, his reasons for finding a cure aren't so much rooted in trying to save what humans are left to build up a new blood supply ... but instead, finding a substitute that will enable the vampires to give up living off of human blood forever.

Such would not be the plan of Edward's boss, Charles Bromley (Sam Neill), a ruthless entrepreneur who - though once a human himself, of course - is now all about the money, as well finding a blood substitute so that real human blood becomes that much more valuable on the market. Even Bromley's own daughter Alison (Isabel Lucas), still a human and in hiding herself after running away from her father, weighs on Charles' mind as second place over business. Edward Dalton reports directly to him, and Edward Dalton - the best at what he does - is the only one Bromley sees as capable of producing that substitute and saving the world.

Which makes Edward's task that much harder when, after a traffic accident one night, he runs across a human female named Audrey (Claudia Karvan), and in turn helps her escape from the police. Soon after, Audrey - realizing Edward just might be sympathetic to the remaining humans - finds Edward again, this time bringing along her friend Elvis (Willem Dafoe) ... a grizzled, gruff-sounding revolutionary who holds the key not to a substitute for human blood - but to a potential cure for vampirism that could mean a second chance for the human race.

Wow, did I enjoy Daybreakers. With a strong premise, interesting characters, solid performances, and an intriguing story that holds the mind's attention far beyond the bloody violence meant to keep your eyes riveted - even a slightly weak ending and a final-act plot point I could see coming a mile away still did not curb my enjoyment of the film one bit. Ethan Hawke, doing his usual brooding thing in this film, makes it work perfectly here as the concerned scientist who himself is starting to change into a monster, due to his own lack of human blood - and Willem Dafoe, always captivating on-screen, commands your attention as Elvis in every scene he is in. Sam Neill plays evil brilliantly as always, and all are backed up by a supporting cast in a film that never fails to surprise, and definitely have more than a few jolts in store for viewers along the way (the overall mood of the film, plus the special effects and the way the vampires were designed to look, only help to create a very real world mostly devoid of mankind).

Daybreakers is genuinely entertaining; a vampire movie I could really sink my teeth into (yes, I went there). The gore might be a bit much for those with weaker constitutions, but if you can ride it out this is a fairly unique spin on a subject that's been done to death in recent years. One well worth seeing. **** - Reel Awesome

DORIAN GRAY

2010-06-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Director: Oliver Parker
Stars: Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, Ben Chaplin, Rebecca Hall, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Emilia Fox
Year: 2009
Rating: R

This latest adaptation of Oscar Wilde's famous novel, regarding a young man who never grows old thanks to a secret that lies in the portrait painted of him long ago, is a film that's very appealing to the eyes and ears - even if it does lack any real substance overall.

Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian of the Chronicles of Narnia films) stars as young British aristocrat Dorian Gray. As the film opens, its Victorian London setting suitably dark and grimy, Dorian is in the middle of committing and hiding a vicious murder, seen first stabbing an unknown victim with pure malevolence in his eyes before managing to dump the body in a river. We, the audience, have no clue as to what is going on, or who Dorian seems to be killing ... as the film then flashes back one year, to tell us Dorian's story as he first arrives in London due to inheriting a mansion and much wealth. Dorian's young, exceptionally handsome, and immediately the draw of every female in the area. Fortunately for him, he also draws the attention of a painter of some local fame, Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin), who finds Dorian so incredibly striking, he asks the young heir if he might pose for a portrait.

Dorian, flattered, agrees; he's a nice young man, after all, making new friends. And the painting, which turns out just as incredible as Dorian is, also brings Dorian a new friend in the form of Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth) - a smug, self-consumed member of upper-crust English society who believes in pursuing all of life's pleasures and apologizing for nothing.

Wotton becomes an immediate influence over Dorian, who (in ways that won't be revealed via this review) in time turns into the hardened, narcissistic, pleasure-seeking and heartless creature that Wotton would still be - if only he had Gray's looks and youth. Pleasures of the flesh, of narcotics and opiates and drink, literally remake Dorian into a monster inside; a monster who still manages to retain the outer appearance, the youth and beauty, of the young man who originally arrived in London. Nothing touches Dorian, or changes him physically - not disease or drugs or drinks - even as the portrait does start to change, and the now-corrupt Dorian realizes he's only just touched on testing the limits of what he can do ... and get away with.

Wilde's novel, while intricate and full of messages on beauty and its corruption, here feels very flat on the screen. Ben Barnes, certainly handsome enough for the role and a very good actor, somehow never reached through the screen for me and truly became Dorian Gray in the film. As mentioned earlier, the film's look and feel (with credit due to the cinematography) does a pretty good job of creating both the aristocratic side of Victorian England, as well as its underbelly of poverty and crime - but even when held up to the look and feel of a film set in a similar time, like the recent The Wolfman, Dorian Gray again comes up short, even if difficult to pinpoint why.

Colin Firth is perfectly rotten as Lord Wotton, corrupt a man as ever existed and determined to turn his protege the same way ... and Ben Chaplin is wonderful in the small role of artist Basil Hallward, playing a painter whose brush strokes seem to have reached right into the supernatural for their inspiration.

But none of the main characters (with the possible exception of Wotton) are set up very well from the beginning, giving the viewer very little to work with as far as being able to feel they know or could sympathize with that character. We're told (and, in some flashbacks, briefly shown) of the sweet-natured Dorian's background as an orphan and abused child - but not in a way that makes us feel we know Dorian any better, which would have therefore made it that much more shocking when he morphs into such a bad guy in the film. The film also seems a bit obsessed with showing viewers nude or scantily-clad women, or Dorian's having sex with them, as a way of presenting Dorian's corruption in a titillating way over focusing on the dialogue or interacting with those around Dorian - who see him remaining the same youthful beauty even as they, themselves, grow old.

If this review seems muddled, I apologize - but at the same time, it reflects my own feelings about the film. Dorian Gray isn't bad, it's just ... lacking. At first I credited this to Ben Barnes, who just doesn't come across as charismatic or particularly believable in the lead role, but in the end I think the script let him down; a script that seems more focused on the sensational, controversial aspects of Dorian's story over Wilde's haunting "beauty corrupts" message, or the wit and sophistication of character and dialogue found in his writing.

Dorian Gray is a compelling enough ride for nearly two hours - but overall, in the end, a ride that is easily forgotten once it's over. It has a few heartfelt moments, but overall comes off one-dimensional and showy as the painting at the crux of the story ... or as shallow as the man, in the end, forever changed by it. **1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool

WATERCOLORS

2010-06-13T23:17:00.001-07:00

Director: David Oliveras
Stars: Tye Olson, Kyle Clare, Casey Kramer, Jeffrey Lee Woods, Ellie Araiza, Ian Rhodes, Greg Louganis, Karen Black
Year: 2008
Rating: N/R

When first seeing the trailer for this film, I thought it looked like a nice, typical little coming out love story about a nerdy, bookish gay high school student who falls in love for the first time with a jock. In other words, a typical-to-stereotypical, potentially cliche-riddled plot that might work on the screen ... or might fall apart in the telling.

After seeing the film - and throwing away the handful of Kleenex I needed to watch it - it's a pleasure to report that Watercolors is terrific. Effective and very realistic, it's a little indie film with a great big heart; one that pulls you in, and makes you care for its characters (especially the two wholly-impressive young lead actors, Tye Olson and Kyle Clare) on a deeper level than expected.

Olson stars as Danny Wheeler, a suburban high school gay boy, slightly on the effeminate side, who excels as an artist and is constantly picked on in school for being a "fag." He lives with his mom, Miriam (Casey Kramer, in a heartfelt performance), his father having passed away and spends much of his time drawing and painting. He has a devoted "fag hag" girlfriend at school named Andy (Ellie Araiza), and an even more devoted art teacher named Mrs. Martin (wonderfully played by Karen Black), who thinks Danny is a brilliant artist worthy of great success one day. Danny's life, in other words, is fairly normal for a gay teen not quite out of the closet, being raised by a single mom; some days good, some days not so good, and overall a bit boring.

Enter Carter Melman (Kyle Clare), a fellow student of Danny's, and ace swimmer, member of the school's championship-caliber team - who one weekend is thrust upon Danny and Miriam, when Carter's dad (Jeffrey Lee Woods), who Miriam knows from her AA meetings, has to go out of town on a job lead. Carter's a blond, longish-haired jock with an attitude, recently in trouble at school for pulling off a fairly mean-spirited prank, and the last thing Mr. Melman wants to do is leave his son unattended for a full weekend, potentially causing more trouble. Carter is dropped off during the day, to Miriam, and by the time Danny comes home from school Carter has already found a beaten-up men's underwear catalog under Danny's mattress, which an embarrassed Danny quickly snatches up and hides away. It's never questioned whether Danny is gay or not by Carter - presumably from school, Carter just assumes it even without the catalog - but from the beginning the boys get along fairly well, even with Carter's occasional teasing of Danny's homosexuality (he even half-flirts with the boy) ... and Danny's revelation to the school's best swimmer that he can't even swim, himself.

The latter is taken care of that first night at the school pool, when Danny arrives to find Carter and bring him home for dinner. Carter, alone in the darkened pool - with only the lights from the pool reflecting upward, turning everything blue - wants to give Danny a swimming lesson instead, when he learns the boy can't swim ... and when Danny says no, finally proffering that he has no swimsuit, Carter (ever the flirt) strips his off in the water, throwing it at Danny as an alternative to swimming nude. Eventually, Danny strips down to his underwear and gets in, Carter teaching him to the first basic lesson - floating - and it's so, SO obvious, written all over Danny's face, that he's starting to fall for Carter as of that night.

That first night is a long one for Danny, in fact, as he gets a kiss on the cheek from Carter in exchange for writing an important English essay on "Romeo & Juliet" for the jock. Carter even offers Danny more, sexually, if he'll write the essay, but Danny calls him an asshole ... even as the egocentric Carter yanks off his boxers and throws them in Danny's face, naked under the covers as he goes to sleep on the floor and tells Danny that he (Danny) won't be able to sleep knowing that he (Carter) lies naked inches away.

Sure enough, hours later Danny is awake, sitting up and staring at Carter for awhile before gently pulling the blanket off the nude boy, revealing his lean, smooth and muscular body. Once that's done, Danny then reaches out ... for his sketchbook, before sitting up half the night to sketch the handsome, sleeping form of his new muse - and the boy he is, indeed, falling for.

Soon after, the two begin an affair that is fun, playful, and even romantic whenever they are alone together - but, because of Carter's place in school society as a straight-laced jock, fraught with problems and even potentially dangerous whenever they're in public. To say much more would possibly ruin the film, but it needs to be stressed here that the story is not as predictable or stereotypical as the set-up might imply (you can sort of see the end coming, but it still doesn't spoil things at all) ... in HUGE part due to the astonishing performances of the two leads. Tye Olson is nothing short of perfect as Danny, never for once giving you the impression that he is acting; that he is nothing BUT the character. He brings such humanity, such heart and soul, to Danny's character, in a performance that the entire rest of the film hinges on. You will laugh with Danny, ache for Danny, and understand everything Danny does with the clarity of knowing you are watching someone in the agonies and ecstasies of first love. It's an amazing, affecting performance that should guarantee Tye Olson, if there is any justice at all, a long career ahead as an actor.

But even with all that praise, the film rests equally on the shoulders of Kyle Clare. Carter Melman, as a closeted jock, is on the surface a character that could easily have come off as one-dimensional or - indeed - a gay film/literature stereotype. But Clare, a gifted young actor deserving of "A-list" fame as well as Olson, brings real conflict and emotion to Carter, who only wants to feel important in the world ... even as he can't publicly be with the one person who makes him feel that way. It's a performance more complex than Olson's, also equally touching and effective. I would seriously, as of this film, watch ANYTHING either of these young actors appear in now; both are just so brilliant here, and the two biggest reasons the film works as well as it does on an emotional level.

Kudos still need to go to the supporting cast, however - especially Casey Kramer and Karen Black. Greg Louganis, as Carter's hard-ass swimming coach, in fact stuck the only false note for me in the film; much as I am a fan of Louganis, for some reason (at least, to me) he just always seemed "camera-conscious" whenever on-screen, throwing me out of the film's story in the few short scenes he has.

The entire film is told in flashback, opening with an adult Danny (Ian Rhodes) at his first major gallery showing as an artist, reflecting over the inspiration for the paintings and sketches hanging on the walls before him. Much as I sit here now, reflecting on Watercolors - a film I thought might be an enjoyable little coming out story, that instead came from nowhere and hit me with an emotional punch I never saw coming. Highly recommended. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

Trailer: THE COVE

2010-06-12T12:30:00.001-07:00

AN EDUCATION

2010-06-11T21:01:00.001-07:00

Director: Lone Scherfig
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, Cara Seymour
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

Starting off with a piece of fairly surprising trivia: An Education marks the first time in his fifteen-year career that Peter Sarsgaard has received top billing in a film. Considering Sarsgaard's impressive body of work, it seems a real injustice that such an accolade was this long in coming ... but boy, does Sarsgaard earn it here, in a wonderful, totally enchanting film in which Carey Mulligan not only shines as a British teenaged girl trying to get into Oxford in the early 1960's - she also shows the makings of a fine actress, worthy of the Oscar nomination she got for this film and a true star of the future.

Here Mulligan plays Jenny, a 16-year-old suburban British girl from Twickenham who, in 1961, dreams of little more than living the bohemian lifestyle in Paris one day, where she will wear all black, smoke incessantly, and absorb nothing but French music, literature, and culture. Her short-term goal, however, is to get into Oxford by passing her A-levels - a goal set by her parents, and in particular her father, Jack (Alfred Molina, in one of his best performances), who wants his daughter to be successful and self-sufficient. Jenny is bored, bored, bored, playing her cello (after years of lessons) and smoking behind the backs of her parents and teachers, and just biding her time until she can get away to university and start the life she really wants to lead.

Until, one day during a thunderstorm, Jenny meets David (Peter Sarsgaard) - a man nearly twice her age who loves music and can't stand the thought of Jenny's cello being ruined in the rain. David gives Jenny a ride home, and the two bond instantly over a love of the arts and culture - and a short time after, when Jenny is with her girlfriends from school and runs into David again, this time the older man asks her if she'd like to attend a concert with him and his best friends, Helen and Danny, later that week. At first Jenny declines, thinking there is no way her parents would let her go, so they make a bet that if he can talk her parents into saying it's okay she will go - otherwise, he will give Jenny the tickets for her and her mother to go, instead.

The night of the concert, David proves a master charmer and indeed talks Jack into practically suggesting David take Jenny himself. At the concert, Jenny meets David's friends - the beautiful, worldly, yet somehow vacuous Helen (Rosamund Pike) and her handsome boyfriend Danny (Dominic Cooper) - and from that night on, the four start spending a lot of time together around town, as David starts to woo Jenny, even as her parents think of it more as a nice young man trying to expose their daughter to new cultural and educational influences (this was the early sixties, remember; a somewhat more innocent time than today). Jenny, in turn, starts to fall for David, who eventually suggests they make her dream come true and go to Paris, just in time for her seventeenth birthday. Even after the luster wears off of David a bit - when Jenny finds out what he and his best friend/business partner Danny really do for a living, for one - Jenny still cannot deny that her world and life have both opened up in such beautiful and glorious ways; ways she never thought possibly except in her wildest fantasies come true.

An Education is a quiet, subtle and very affecting film that is not so easy to define, yet simple in both approach and story. Carey Mulligan, at times, is deeply reminiscent of a young Audrey Hepburn as Jenny, and her performance is so real you never for once see her as an actress in the film. Sarsgaard, as a character you never quite know if you can trust fully, is perfectly cast as David, with genuine chemistry and outright charm igniting the air between the two actors on-screen. Even as the relationship between Jenny and David deepens, you grow to wonder how things will work out, or if these two even should be together. More to the point, you will be rooting for Jenny all the way, whether you agree with her choices or not.

Ultimately, the film works on several levels in terms of the title alone. And while this is something most would probably call a "small" film in terms of budget, story and characters, it still makes quite and impact, mostly due to the amazing Carey Mulligan. She is the heart of the film, and the heart you'll want to protect as she breathes heart, soul, humor, and life into Jenny. What a treat of a performance, and what a treat of a film. **** - Reel Awesome