Appaloosa, based on a novel of the same name scribed by Robert B. Parker, hearkens back to the quieter, more character-driven types of Westerns.  It’s paced in such a way that it never feels rushed when telling its story, sort of mirroring the fact that the lifestyle of a gun-slinger in those times wasn’t as exciting and dangerous as most other films might lead you to believe.  Ranchers and City Marshalls normally spent their days sipping whiskey, sitting outside in the blazing sun whilst dust swirled in the air before them and spoke in gravelly monotones that suggested these guys were content without violence.  And whenever the occasional problem pops up, the shooting is over just as quickly as it started.  Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) supplies the answer, “That’s because we’re good shots,” when his partner Everret Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) asks about it.

When the film starts, the town of Appaloosa is in complete disarray.  An immoral rancher named Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons) has brought a wave of blood and death over the town, thereby establishing himself as the head honcho, with most people afraid to even make a stand against him.  That is, until Appaloosa hires Virgil and Everret, who are basically hired guns, to clean up the streets.  Immediately, the duo elect themselves as the heads of the town so that they can make the rules and once they make their first stand against Bragg’s men, the outlaws become hesitant in their actions.  However, things get complicated when a beautiful woman rides into town, a woman named Allison French (Renee Zellweger) who just wants to play the piano and contribute to the community.  But when both Virgil and Everret find themselves attracted to Allison simultaneously whilst they begin to bring down Bragg, everything immediately becomes more complicated.

I think the main strength of Appaloosa lies within its characterizations of the people involved in the story.  Yes, this is a more character-driven Western than one would expect, but that’s what makes it all the more compelling.  The team of Virgil and Everret seems to already have been a very strong element, but it’s Harris and Mortensen who inject grizzled yet cool and confident personalities into the characters that ends up being the real meat of the film.  Harris and Mortensen have great chemistry together, and that chemistry lends itself easily to the relationship their characters have with one another; we are able to believe that these guys have years of history between them.  They’ve seen countless shootouts and could probably predict each other’s next move.  The cruel and callous heart of Randall Bragg presents a worthy challenge for them, a challenge that causes them to question their moral ethics at times and consider if being on the other side of the law might not be such a bad thing once in a while.  Jeremy Irons obviously does fantastic work as Bragg, sporting a Western accent that only enhances his gravelly voice, a voice that clearly shows why he makes a good bad guy.

Zellweger also does some fine work as the woman who causes Virgil, who harbors a relative indifference toward women, to become intrigued by her.  Virgil actually tells Everret that Allison is a special woman because he can’t recall being so interested in a woman before.  But we can occasionally see traces of what appears to be jealousy in Everret, mostly by the way he eyes Allison.

Ed Harris directs Appaloosa with what feels like self-certainty.  It’s as if Harris has analyzed each component of the story and assembled the puzzle with as little effort as possible, providing for a rich and linear storytelling experience.  Harris wisely puts more focus on the characters, their relationships and the plot rather than the action when he could have just as easily made the film more violent.  This decision, in my opinion, only enhances Harris’s image as a storyteller, in addition to being a great actor.  I want to see more from Ed Harris as a director after this film.

Appaloosa is one of the best films of the year so far.  With superb acting, writing and direction, I think it’s safe to say we’re kicking off the slew of Oscar nominees this Fall right here.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Dr. Robert Kearns is one of those romantic characters. At least, his film character is. Dr. Bob is a college professor by day, dispensing ethics and the principles of engineering, and is the perfect family man by night. After taking a family drive, the good doctor realizes, that his windshield wipers don’t work as well as they could - they should be able to adjust to the intensity of the rain’s downfall. And, he goes down to the basement to create intermittent windshield wipers. And, of course, he was able to accomplish in his basement, with the help of his kids, what the engineering teams at Ford, Chevrolet, and General Motors could not. America!

On the surface, Flash of Genius appears to be a pretty paint-by-numbers film about the American dream. The ads for the film already tell us that Bob pitches his idea to Ford, and they steal it. And, Bob, being the strong-willed hero type, takes on Ford. And, in true movie fashion, Bob finds that he’s on his own. His best friend, his wife, his kids, and even the legal team he hires all tell him he should accept a settlement and let the battle go. Although, not in true movie fashion, Kearns turns all these people away himself. Kearns became so obsessed with his narrow vision of what was right, that it became an obsession that turns him from possible hero into an unlikable nuisance to everyone around him. Everyone around Bob can see that Ford holds major advantages with time and money, the two things Bob doesn’t have. And Kearns loses what finances he has, and lets time pass him by, even as Ford begins to get more and more desperate to force him to settle. By the final courtroom showdown, Kearns lives in an old house by himself, has graying hair, wears shabby clothes, and, oddly enough, still drives a Ford.

While Kinnear was perfectly acceptable as the everyman, the surrounding cast seemed pretty tacked on. Nothing from the characters or from the film seemed to give it any sort of quality that let you empathize with Bob, or anyone. In fact, the film as a whole seemed to give off a “Lifetime Original Movie” vibe. I can’t say for sure, but I get the feeling that this was an interesting idea for a movie, but ended up just being slightly interesting, and not much more.

Did a movie about windshield wipers really need to be made? Well, maybe not.

Ah, but did a movie about one man fighting the system, in these times of economic turmoil and corporate greed, when there seems to be a lack of strong role models for America, really need to be made? Certainly, yes.

Well. Did this movie fill that role?

I’m afraid not.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

]]> http://www.atomicpopcorn.net/flash-of-genius-movie-review/feed/ http://www.atomicpopcorn.net/religulous-movie-review/ http://www.atomicpopcorn.net/religulous-movie-review/#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:21:09 +0000 Ray http://www.atomicpopcorn.net/?p=1161 Religulous?  For starters, it rhymes with incredulous.  As in “Bill Maher can’t help being incredulous in the face of anything he deems supernatural,” or “Bill Maher is incredulous that anyone could think differently than he does” - you get the idea.  On the surface, the 100 plus minute mockumentary is…

The story starts off bringing us into an unnamed city during rush hour. People hustling and bustling everywhere, cars beeping their horns and then we zoom in on an unsuspecting man. He is not moving his car and people are rightly pissed off. While the camera takes on a long ride to get to him, you can make out that he is rubbing his eyes. He is shouting that he can’t see. He is blind.

We follow the strand of this sickness from this man onto everyone that he comes in contact with, his wife, the doctor who he visits (Ruffalo) and eventually to everyone they come in contact with. Its a large domino effect, a very large one.

Ruffalo gets home that night to what seems to be a marriage that is on the brinks. Moore plays a wife that seems to need a drink to get through the evenings at home. Going to bed early, leaving the doctor to his studies to this amazing sickness he encounters, she retires for the night.

Waking up the next morning proves to be an bad day for the doc. He cannot see either, at all! He is afraid to let his wife know or get to close due to it having an effect on everyone you come in contact with. This is where the true story begins. The doctor’s wife doesn’t go blind…at all! She is the only one that can see.

I won’t go into any more of the story as you can see this yourself if you so choose. But please be warned, while this movie is a struggle for humanity, pride and justice, it is one of very naked realism (no pun intended). Folks run around naked, there is rape involved, pillaging, basically anarchy to an extent in this film. Relationships are torn apart and made anew. The struggle that goes on in each person we meet in this film is strong, it definitely has an impact on the viewing audience.

While I would like to say I enjoyed this film, I did not. It’s not at all the film itself, its more the concept. Its depressing to think of things such as this happening to anyone you may love or come in contact with. The brutal honesty within the film kind of struck a chord with my senses along with others in the theater. I counted 7 people who left the film early.

The film can drag in places and then pick up just when you thought maybe it would end.

Overall I would probably not recommend this to anyone to see in the theater. No children at all should see this as its something that may leave a small imprint in my mind for a while. The movie itself was directed wonderfully. he scenes themselves were done well and thought out in a great way. Just the content matter itself is what I disliked. The bleakness, the white, the drab, the death…not something I look forward to spending two hours of my life contemplating.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

If you like slice-of-life teen movies, you’ll enjoy Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. While not breaking any new ground, it delivers solid performances with a few chuckles, a few ‘eww gross’ moments, and your typical boy/girl love story. It also has a backdrop of a boy/boy relationship that was done very well - no gay agenda forced on anyone, and no disruptive messages of intolerance pushing you towards being uncomfortable. I kept waiting for one or the other to drop, but instead it just ended up being a great side story that kept you engaged with multiple characters.

Nick and Norah’s has a superb soundtrack that kept me engaged throughout the movie. It was eclectic enough to keep you interested and yet fit perfectly without overwhelming the different scenes.

The movie takes place over the course of one night and zeroes in on two high school seniors, Nick (Michael Cera - Superbad and Juno) and Norah (Kat Dennings - The House Bunny). They meet at a club and end up driving around New York all night in search of the band ‘Where’s Fluffy’. There’s also a subplot going on involving friends of Nick trying to get Norah’s drunk friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) safely home, and the antics that come from them not caring a whole lot whether they accomplish this or not.

If you’re a fan of New York’s lower Mahattan, you’ll see several fun hot spots. It was great seeing places like Vaselka’s that are hip hangouts for the late night crowd and getting the romantic overview of New York nightlife. Although - it did leave me questioning how none of these high school students ever had to call home or otherwise get any grief about being on their own…in New York City…all night long. But slice-of-life doesn’t have to equal realistic for the movie to be fun!

And that’s what Nick and Norah’s is - fun. An updated teen movie that doesn’t preach to kids; doesn’t make adults think kids are out of control; and doesn’t ruin your date night with a lot of overhyped angst.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Miracle at St. Anna is A SPIKE LEE dis(JOINT)ed film. Unfortunately the only miracle at this premiere was that people didn’t get up and leave the theater before it was over. The film starts with the seemingly random killing of a man in a post office. While every part of you expects that the murder will be explained, two plus hours into the story you’ll be asking yourself if the opening scene actually had anything to do with this jarring jaunt back and forth through the lives of the main characters.

The movie at its core is about the plight of the 92^nd Infantry Division, known as the Buffalo Soldiers Division, during World War II. This segregated unit was the only African-American infantry division to see combat in Europe during the Italian Campaign.

Focusing in on four soldiers separated from the rest of their unit; Second Staff Sergeant Aubrey Banks (Derek Luke); Sergeant Bishop Cummings (Michael Ealy); Cpl. Hector Negron (Laz Alonso), the man charged with murder 40 years later; and PFC Sam Train (Omar Benson Miller) find themselves holed up in the town of Colognora, Italy looking after an injured boy named Angelo (Matteo Sciabordi).

The storyline alternates between somewhat touching looks at wartime compassion, realistically gruesome battle carnage, way too much subtitled dialogue involving German forces and Italian partisans, and a clear look at the ugliness of racism.

It’s problem is that it dwells too long on parts that are utterly boring and makes you wonder if the subtitles are there to keep your eyes open and your mind engaged lest there be an important clue as to where the movie is going.  And then it whisks frantically through any sort of compelling character development that may have let you care about what was happening. By the end of the 160 minutes you leave wishing it had been about 50 minutes shorter, and wondering why we were force-fed more Italian war political discussion and German forces interaction than was needed to set up the conclusion.

At its best, this movie was a compelling and visually chaotic glimpse into what most blacks experienced as infantry soldiers in WWII. Spike Lee’s action sequences amp up the adrenaline in a visual cacophony that leaves you hoping you’ll never have to endure a firefight - and praying for the ones who have to each day or have been scarred by them in the past.

Ultimately, Miracle at St. Anna ends up being an overextended foray into 1940’s racism. While the unjustness of the story seeks to remind us of where we’ve been as a country; it’s clouded in a murder mystery, within a war crime, inside a vision of the supernatural, ending in a sigh of frustration despite the all too neatly wrapped up, but overly late conclusion.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Using this money along with his work paycheck he is able to keep his mother Ida (played by Anjelica Huston) in the state run mental hospital she is a patient in. Ida believes Victor is her various lawyers when visiting due to her Alzheimer’s as her symptoms seem to be getting worse. During one of his visits he bumps into the new doctor taking care of his mom, Dr. Paige Marshall (played by Kelly Macdonald).

On top of his mom’s medical issues, Victor also attends the weekly Sex Addicts class which is run by Phil (played by Joel Grey). Phil teaches that there is more to life then just having Sex. Too bad Victor isn’t paying attention as he is mainly there to pick up the women that are willing to do anything, anywhere, with him.

His work life isn’t the best there is. He works as a tour guide at a Colonial theme park. His best friend Denny (played by Brad William Henke) is having problems with their boss Lord High Charlie (played by Clark Gregg). Meanwhile, Victor wants to hook up with Ursula (played by the very lovely Bijou Phillips) and can’t seem to get the time of day from her.

Going into this movie I had no clue what to expect except for what I saw in the Red Band trailer. I was surprised at how well this story was put together. I have to say that there is lots of sexual intercourse throughout this film but the movie isn’t pornographic in the least so it doesn’t feel like one long skin-a-max movie. There are bright spots of comedy that enhance the story while showing the absurd nature that is Victor’s life.

Choke is opening in limited release on Friday, September 26th, so check your local listings to see if it is available in your area. Clark Gregg, not only acting, also wrote the screenplay and directed this wonderful oddball of a movie. Choke is rated R for sex, nudity, and adult language and situations with a run time of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Eagle Eye, D.J. Caruso’s latest film is the 2nd best film of the year behind The Dark Knight! Yes I know that is a bold statement with the likes of Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Indiana Jones premiering in ‘08.

Yes I also know that there will be Watchmen, and The Spirit and others out this year to follow. And I will stand by this film till the end. This movie kicked so much ass!

From the first few minutes of the film, introducing us to Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachael Holloman (Michelle Monaghan), we see a connection on the big screen. Not necessarily between the two of them but between the viewer and them. You actually start to care for these two strangers very quickly. You want to know what is happening, who their family is and most of all what their story is. Then all of a sudden the ride starts and doesn’t end for another hour and a half. This thrill ride follows two ordinary folks, or so it seems, through a maze of calculated steps to achieve an end goal of extraordinary measures. From FBI mishaps, to the Air Force, to top secret levels in warehouses that don’t exist, we follow these two everywhere.

From the start of the film you get a sense that something big is happening. Bigger than the people we are quickly getting to know more about. Jerry is a normal guy working at “Copy Cabana” and Rachael is a single mom working as a paralegal . With Jerry’s twin brother just dying and Rachael’s son just sent off on a school field trip, they are both very alone in their sad lives.

With a twist of fate the two each receive a phone call from a woman with very explicit instructions to follow. This is when the action becomes so intense I thought my fingers lost circulation from holding onto one another so tight.

The direction from Caruso was great if you ask me. The way the camera moves and the acting by Shia and Michelle made me believe I was part of their crazy thrill ride. The score itself left a little to be desired but at the same time, most folks don’t sit through a movie thinking, do I like the music in this movie?

Overall I would recommend this to almost anyone, short of folks who are stupid enough to bring their young children to any movie. The action is non stop, the intelligence is believable and the world we live in just got creepier.

With lots of oohs and ahhs from the crowd, you can’t expect much more from a sleeper hit. This movie will do well and I promise you will be worth price of admission.

I was able to bring a buddy of mine to the showing who works in the intelligence sector and working with data encryption, way over our heads. His statement at the end of the movie, a big smile and said “That was the best movie I have ever seen”. Take it with a grain of salt, but this should knock your socks off.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The story revolves around a disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent that ends up in the hands of two everyday gym employees who attempt to sell it. One would think this could have some very funny twists and turns but the humor in this one was very dry and almost awkward at times.

The Coen’s have brought complex characters to the screen in the least warming way possible. If it weren’t for Brad Pitt’s crazy chararcter the film would be very drab and lacking in many places. The way in which the chararcters are introduced was very abrupt and not well thought out.

Brad Pitt plays Chad, a gym trainer at a Har Bodies chain. The way in which he goes throughout the movie is something to watch. He made the movie if you ask me.

Harry (George Clooney), an OCD womanizer, is a character you begin to route for towards the end of the film. Even though it seems he sleeps with anyone he can get his hands on, he grows on you. Creator of story after story, and lie after lie, you begin to like this guy.

Osborne Cox, played by the ever talented John Malkovich, has to be the most screwed up chararcter on screen, and in this movie that is saying a lot! Cox recently quit his post at the CIA after his boss wanted to reassign him due to having a drinking problem.

While the film had its funny parts, I must of missed the point of the film throughout. Pitt was the savior of the movie in my eyes. While each actor put in a great performance, the film was subpar as a comedy and on par as a dramedy. With that said I would also watch out for the very random violent parts of the film. In Coen style, the blood, is over the top everytime its called for.

The soundtrack on this movie was great if you ask me. It is not something that is something that I notice in a film. Over all I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Coen Brothers films. Beside that I would probably call this a rental.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

It’s been 13 years since these two giants shared a few short scenes in Heat, and another 11 years before that since they both appeared in The Godfather: Part II, in which they never shared a scene at all.  To see them side by side for an entire feature could be the main reason you were interested in Righteous Kill.

There are few scenes that don’t feature Turk (De Niro) and Rooster (Pacino). two old cops who crack jokes as they kick asses and try to solve crimes. Interestingly, they aren’t portrayed as fantastic cops or great detectives, just seasoned veterans who’ve been together forever.

When the two maverick cops watch a child-murderer go free, Turk forms a plan to put the criminal away for good. While Rooster initially tries to dissuade him from the crusade, he keeps his partner’s secret for years.

At this point, things get complicated (for the viewer even more than the characters). Turk and Rooster are on a case of a serial killer who leaves poetry at his victims’ crime scenes. The victims are all criminals, and Detectives Perez (John Leguizamo) and Riley (Donnie Wahlberg) are convinced that only a cop would have access to them all, and they take their suspicions to Lieutenant Hingis (Brian Dennehy).

Meanwhile, Officer Corelli (Carla Gugino), Turk’s masochistic girlfriend, is becoming more and more curious about what’s really happening. And all of these scenes in the present are constantly interrupted by non-sequential scenes of Turk, in a black and white video, confessing to the serial killings and explaining why they were necessary.

The movie resembles Lethal Weapon and Showtime’s Dexter combined in strange harmony. A buddy cop movie that vaguely poses some philosophical questions about the nature of right and wrong.  And there’s potential for a great, out of the ordinary story that showcases those kind of questions. Instead, it wraps up with a safe but tired gimmick that threatens to rip the story apart.

In the end, you won’t stay in your seat for dialogue like, “you pick up a check sometime and then I’ll believe in miracles” or for action that’s made up of a few people being shot.  You might even get annoyed or frustrated by the long, complicated road the storyline takes or the clichés it visits along the way.

But if the reason you’re going to see Righteous Kill is because it stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, well, it does. Have fun.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars