David O Russell is in top form, rejoined by his Silver Linings Playbook principals (Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence), plus further “it” actors of the moment Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner (plus more uncredited cameos). The film dramatizes the ABSCAM FBI sting operation of the late 70s/early 80s which nabbed several corrupt politicians including Congressmen, told from the viewpoint of the small-time conman (a nearly unrecognizable Bale) who was hired to be its brains. Though not as crowd-pleasing as Silver Linings (the characters are not as likeable and more one-dimensional, dialog not quite as sharp, and plot not as simple as a rom com), the movie will surely be a contender for top gongs, and thoroughly deserves its 7 Golden Globe noms so far. A lot of fun!
Category Archives: Film Reviews
American Hustle (2013, dir. David O. Russell): a lot of fun!
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013, dir. Peter Jackson): PJ gets his mojo back, largely
Peter Jackson gets his mojo back (largely) for the 2nd Hobbit installment – skips all the long sequences of dwarves singing a cappella while doing the dishes, getting straight into the action and fantastic new locales, requiring craploads of both programmers and carpenters. Some cool action set pieces imaginatively leap off the book’s pages, like dwarves in barrels. Acteur du jour Benedict Cumberbatch snarls away as “the CGI bad guy” (Necromancer/Sauron and Smaug). Plus expert foreshadowing of the central conflicts which we can be sure Jackson will dramatize to the max in the 3rd movie (*spoiler alert* the moral showdown between Bilbo and Thorin and the Battle of the Five Armies).
To pad out the 300 page children’s novel into 9 hours of feature film, Jackson has to add in quite a bit of backstory (like Gandalf and Radagast’s adventures) and some new characters (such as Evangeline “Lost” Lilly’s evoking if-Katniss-Everdeen-were-an-elf), but one can overlook all that for the spectacle … after all, retconning a chaste Elven-Dwarven love triangle is a mostly harmless creative exercise vs. some of the more legendary Hollywood executive pronouncements that were apparently flung around the first trilogy (e.g. Weinstein: “You have to kill one of the hobbits. I don’t care which one.”)
Frozen (2013, dir. Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee): fun for both kids and parents
3 years after Tangled, Disney is back at it with another CGI musical adaptation of a classic fairy tale. This time, it’s Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” (1845), though there’s not much in common with the original story – there’s a Snow Queen, trolls (now cute instead of evil), a young girl, and it’s set somewhere in Scandinavia. Disney, being Disney, added in no less than two princesses :-(, but at least in keeping with the times they aren’t waiting around for a handsome prince to save them. John Lasseter’s Pixar formula is by now well-oiled and slickly executed – the humor, the intelligent animal, the sidekick (this time a talking snowman), etc. Fun for both kids and parents (thumbs up from Little Miss 4yo!)
Ender’s Game (2013, dir. Gavin Hood): solid yet flawed adaptation of the beloved sci-fi coming-of-age novel
Solid sci-fi action with deeper-than-typical thematic exploration of the protagonist’s psychology and whether the ends justify the means. Given controversial author Orson Scott Card wrote the book decades before the current crop of young adult coming-of-age-while-saving-the-world fantasy (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, etc.), it’s interesting to observe the debt the later writers owe on plot, characterization, etc. Asa Butterfield redeems his Hugo (2011) turn in the titular role (streets better than Jake ‘annoying Anakin’ Lloyd who was under consideration for the part), while Harrison Ford shows us what Han Solo might have become if the civil war never ended, and Ben Kingsley epic fails at a New Zealand accent.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013, dir. Francis Lawrence): a quality follow-up for fans of the first film
For fans of the first film, a quality follow-up, but doesn’t quite reach the hallowed circle of sequels that were better than episode 1 (Empire Strikes Back, Wrath of Khan, etc.) Somehow, the stakes felt a bit lower and less dramatic, and the plot is entirely predictable to anyone who’s read a lot of sci fi/ dystopian future lit – though Jennifer Lawrence does a creditable acting job (as ever). Entertaining, well-crafted, slightly-deeper-than-typical action fare, though still not good enough to make me want to read the books 🙂
Gravity (2013, dir. Alfonso Cuaron): 90-minute cinematic CGI thrill ride, tailor made for IMAX
See it in IMAX (3D is optional). Very simple movie where the premise is the plot – an accident happens in space and the novice astronaut needs to survive. A 90-minute cinematic CGI thrill ride, alongside Sandra Bullock, who based on her performance will be in the hunt for her 2nd best actress gong.
Pacific Rim (2013, dir. Guillermo del Toro): fun, frenetic popcorn flick
Fun, frenetic popcorn movie, think of Transformers or Godzilla on steroids (lots more and bigger scale cool robots and monsters) plus a better-than-expected human dimension – a few likeable characters and back story vignettes squeezed into all the action. Reminded me of the recent Japanese live action version of Space Battleship Yamato (2010) – which I’d highly recommended for any BSG fans – though not as dark or emotional. Just don’t go expecting any layered story telling and thematic depth a la Neon Genesis Evangelion … perhaps Pacific Rim will now pave the way?
Man of Steel (2013, dir. Zack Snyder): disappointing product which doesn’t live up to its brilliant marketing
I can imagine the conversation Christopher Nolan (Dark Knight Trilogy) had with the studio execs:
Execs: We’d really like to reboot Superman the same way you did Batman. Like for example a dark, gritty, realistic take on Richard Donner’s classic Superman 1 and 2 from the 1970s. Can you do it?
Nolan: How droll; been there done that. But can I recommend my mate Zack Snyder (300), he’s not as good (if I do say so myself) but he’s looking for a gig
Execs: OK, but can you at least take a producer credit? We’ll pay you a gazillion?
Nolan: Sure, why not?
World War Z (2013, dir. Marc Foster): half-decent medical action thriller, just don’t expect any Walking Dead
Half-decent medical action thriller, mashing up the medical disaster genre (see Dustin Hoffman’s Outbreak (1995) or Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion (2011)) with the aggressive, fast zombies of I Am Legend (2007) plus some competently tense Brad Pitt horror action and grandiose CGI set pieces. Just don’t go in expecting Walking Dead-style depth of character study, or exploration of themes such as the depravity of humankind (the living being worse than the undead), the soullessness of materialistic society, American isolationism, or for that matter, any real fidelity to the critically acclaimed source material (Max Brooks’ novel). Director Marc Forster is clearly leaving all that on the table for a future visionary to craft the definitive next-gen apocalyptic zombie flick. Until then, World War Z is a fun, big budget diversion (sequel already on its way)
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12 Years A Slave (2013, dir. Steve McQueen): showing us the closest thing to a living Hell on earth
Addendum: After it’s well-deserved Academy Award for Best Film, and further reflecting on the movie, I’d have to remark that being a non-white in the 19th century American South was the closest thing to a living hell on earth. In every way as horrifying, de-humanizing and fundamentally evil as the Holocaust.
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Posted by Jokersmiley on January 25, 2014 in Film Reviews, Passive Media, Social Commentary
Tags: 12 Years A Slave, Academy Award, Best Film, Brad Pitt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Oscars, Solomon Northup, Steve McQueen