I can’t say I was anxiously counting the days of this film’s release, because then I’d be lying. And I can’t really say I’m a fan of Chris Rock, because then I’d also be lying. And I certainly can’t say that I’m into Fox Searchlight Pictures artsy comedies, because then I’d be lying hard enough to make Baby Jesus flood Heaven in tears. So then why one Earth did I go see this ill-marketed Fox Searchlight Pictures artsy comedy starring Chris Rock? Beats me.
Richard Cooper (Chris Rock) is your painfully average every day suburbanite male. He has a pretty wife (Gina Torres), two kids, a high-paying white collar job…the works. And he hates it. It’s not the kids or the job or the house that he loathes, but the monotony of it all. Oh, and the fact that his wife (who loves him) no longer wants anything to do with him sexually. The temptation of a single life is driving poor Richard mad, but what finally sends him over the edge is the arrival of an old flame, the ravishing Nikki Tru (Kerry Washington). Richard is drawn to Nikki not only for her charms and all they share in common, but for the shear adventurous curveball her presence throws into his life. However, deep down inside, Richard’s appetites battle with his conscience for dominance, as he’s not sure whether he prefers a stable, boring life with his loving family, or an uncertain future with the sultry girl of his dreams.
So I’ve established that this isn’t my type of movie, but that aside, there were things I enjoyed about this film. For a romantic comedy without any explosions or buckets of blood, it wasn’t half bad. It states at the very beginning of the film that in order to fully appreciate the story and the situations, you kind of have to have experienced married life. So right then and there I knew the movie wasn’t really aimed in my direction. However, I found its portrayal of married life and the various temptations that accompany it to ring quite true, even as someone on the outside looking in. So all you married men out there who have suffered similar slings and arrows as Richard Cooper, you’ll probably spend the flick nodding your head and chuckling at all the little things.
The cast is strong and carries the film from beginning to end with very few slip-ups. Kerry Washington’s portrayal of the gold-digging wild girl, Nikki, was quite good. Nikki is an interesting character as you’re not sure you want to love her or hate her. Steve Buscemi plays a supporting role as Richard’s coworker, George, and does his usual excellent job. I can’t say he did anything to stand out, though, and while he delivers some funny lines and provides a few memorable moments, he’s just sort of there.
Now this is a Chris Rock movie through and through. He wrote it, he directed it and he starred in it. Your enjoyment of this film will likely ride entirely on whether or not you can stand Chris Rock. I can stand Chris Rock, sure…I just don’t really like him all that much. From a writing and directorial point of view, he does an excellent job. Even though the movie is a remake of an earlier film called “Cloe in the Afternoon”, his script (co-written by Louis C.K.) is still quite strong with a lot of subtle humor and several memorable lines (I especially liked Mr. Landis’ line about chasing women and chasing money). The script and direction were solid, so that just leaves Chris Rock as the leading man…
Chris Rock can be funny. He can be very funny, which is one of the reasons why I don’t hate the guy like I do other loud and obnoxious comedians (Chris Tucker). However, in true Chris Rock fashion, he can’t go ten minutes in any role without insulting white people and portraying all black people as hideously oppressed. I know it’s your “thing”, but c’mon, Chris. You had a strong, engaging script; did you really need to draw a few cheap laughs at the expense of alienating and entire skin color?
Why am I even asking this? We’re talking about Chris Rock, here. Making fun of white people is his claim to fame.
Anyhow, endless “white people suck!” jokes aside, was this movie very funny? Sometimes, but not often. It was more a drama than a comedy, honestly, and wasn’t sure what kind of humor it wanted to use. Sometimes it was the aforementioned stale anti-white stuff, sometimes it was lowbrow sexual humor of the nasty variety, sometimes it was bizarre “wha?” humor and sometimes it was just plain old witty dialogue. It felt a bit inconsistent and went long periods without even cracking a single joke. At other times it included completely unnecessary gags that did nothing to enhance the story and felt tagged on at the last minute, such as the entire Viagra segment.
For what it was, “I Think I Love my Wife” was okay, but there was far too much wasted potential. If Rock could have stuck with the strength of his script, cast and story rather than hurling unnecessary penis and cracka jokes then the entire film would have been better for it. As it stands, “I Think I Love my Wife” came out rather luke warm.
Grade: C-
Zodiac (2007) – Review
There were a lot of famous serial killers in the 20th century, many of which inspired movies and documentaries (such as Ed Gein, who inspired “Psycho” and “Silence of the Lambs”), but few were as intense, complex, long-lasting and all around fascinating as the Zodiac murders from the early 1970’s. The Zodiac murders inspired many movies and books (such as “Dirty Harry”), but there had never been a truly well-done retelling of the events behind the scenes until now. The film “Zodiac” is a marvelous and dark look at the investigation behind the Zodiac case in all its frustrating, soul-crushing, heart-stopping glory. It’s been a long time since a murder-mystery film has latched onto my attention and sucked me in from start to finish like “Zodiac” did.
In 1969, after the murder of a young woman, the San Francisco Chronicle began receiving threatening letters from the culprit, a serial killer calling himself “the Zodiac”. Enclosed with each letter was a bizarre cipher which presumably hinted at the Zodiac’s motives or state of mind. The Chronicle’s cartoonist, Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), is quite talented at puzzles and proceeds to decipher the Zodiac’s code. As the murders and letters continue, Inspectors David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and William Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) become mired in the bizarre and frustrating effort to find the killer’s identity and bring him to justice. The search seems futile as years pass and results thin out to nothing, yet as more time goes by more clues surface and the identity of the Zodiac may be just within reach.
First let me say, the trailers for this film stink. The first half of the theatrical trailer presents the film as a run-of-the-mill slasher flick, while the second half makes it look like it’s some sort of dark comedy. Pay no attention to those trailers, they were pieced together by imbeciles at Warner’s marketing department.
No, “Zodiac” is no horror movie (though it is rather frightening) and is certainly not a laugh-out-loud comedy. It’s a mystery-suspense flick which pits the audience on the side of the journalists and detectives struggling to identify the Zodiac. As the movie progresses you get caught up in their search; you get just as frustrated when leads don’t work out, just as angry when evidence comes up short and just as disappointed when all the suspicions prove incorrect as the characters in this film.
The movie takes you back in time and throws you into the maelstrom of news as it happens. For those of you who lived through the Zodiac insanity when it actually happened, this is as close as you’ll get to reliving it. The movie progresses chronologically, so there’s no skipping back and forth. As a result of this, the players are presented with what feels like uneven amounts of screentime. For example, at the beginning of the Zodiac case, the main character of the film, Graysmith, feels more like a back-up character supporting the Chronicle’s star reporter, Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.). Then, when the Zodiac killings really fire up, the movie focuses a great deal of time on the two inspectors, leaving Graysmith and Avery with hardly any screentime at all due to their actual irrelevance during this period of time. Then, when the investigation seems to end, Graysmith takes on the starring role and reawakens the case while Avery slips away into obscurity. Although this does seem rather uneven it maintains the reality of the ordeal and doesn’t pad out the film with fluff involving certain characters who did nothing of note for a few years. Every minute of this movie is important and director David Fincher doesn’t waste any of the audience’s time. I had to pee for the last hour of the flick but was too fascinated with the story to risk getting up for a second.
The acting and direction of the film leave little to complain about. There’s no over-bearing star power which detracts from the story and the atmosphere is quite spooky (major kudos on “the basement scene”). It’s a period piece and 1970’s San Francisco is brought to life especially well. Even the Paramount opening credit is the vintage 1970’s version. I suppose the only kind of “off” choice of casting was John Carroll Lynch as suspect Arthur Leigh Allen. He was fine in the movie but every time I see that guy all I can think about is the Drew Carey Show where he played a cross-dresser. But that’s probably just me and likely won’t distract anyone else in the audience.
“Zodiac” is without question the best movie I have seen this year and I’m sure will remain in my Top Five by the time December rolls around. It’s just that good. I couldn’t recommend it more.
Grade: A
Breach (2007) – Review
Check it out, another political conspiracy suspense thriller movie that’s, surprise surprise, based on a true story. Okay, okay, so it may not be anything particularly inventive, but to my astonishment, “Breach” was actually pretty interesting. I mean, it’s not something I’d grant a repeat viewing or go out of my way to purchase, but I don’t find myself regretting the $8.25 I spent on the ticket.
Eric O’Neil (Chris Cooper) is a young hot shot, looking to make FBI agent. He is assigned to watch a fellow government employee, Robert Hanssen (Ryan Phillippe); an assignment he at first considers beneath him. It would seem that Hanssen is a sexual deviant and the FBI is looking to catch him red handed. However, as O’Neil works closer with Hanssen, he discovers the man he’s gradually coming to respect is something much worse: a spy. Hanssen may very well be the worst spy in United States history and O’Neil has only a few months to catch him in the act before he retires and gets away scott-free.
“Breach” is a bit textbook, I have to admit. The very first scene of the movie makes it perfectly clear that Hanssen is caught and exposed. But then, this was based on a true story which happened only six years ago, so I suppose secrecy about the film’s ending would be a bit futile. Nevertheless, when you know how a story ends, you can’t help but feel the “suspense” aspect of this “suspense film” take a slight plunge.
Anyhow, if you can get that out of your head, “Breach” is rather thrilling. There are no explosions or car chases or high octane max the envelope thrill ride banzai extreeeeme action sequences; “Breach” is grounded very firmly in reality. This works well, as you feel a stronger connection to the characters knowing they’re all real and that their actions have actual consequences. You have to be in to this kind of movie, though, otherwise you might get a little board. Still, I never considered myself a big fan of the political conspiracy thriller genre, yet I had a perfectly entertaining time.
I suppose what really ails the movie hasn’t anything to do with the story or acting (both the leads, Cooper and Phillippe, deliver excellent performances), it’s just that the movie is very…unremarkable. A bit like that film “Arlington Road” which came out some years back; it seems destined to be forgotten. Still, a nice low-key thriller such as this makes for a refreshing diversion from most of the other so-called “suspense thrillers” being released these days; films that have more in common with “Fast and the Furious” and “Under Siege” than other films from their genre.
Also, while it was probably the fault of the projectionist at my theater, I could see the freaking boom mike through-out the entire film. It drove me insane and almost killed the movie. If this happens, go get the manager and tell him/her to tilt the projector up a little more. Believe me, that is no way to watch a movie.
Grade: B
Black Snake Moan – Review
There has never been a more bizarre story of romance and surrogate father-daughter bonding than “Black Snake Moan”. Judging from the premise and the trailers, I had anticipated a bad soft core porn film with some wacky comedy interspersed between shots of Christina Ricci’s breasts and Samuel L. Jackson’s screaming. Instead, what I got was a strange tale about a man seeking a purpose by helping a troubled young woman set her life straight, albeit through the most unorthodox method imaginable.
Lazarus (Jackson) has just seen his wife of twelve years walk out on him with his younger brother. Feeling helpless, the farmer and former blues musician spirals into alcoholism. Elsewhere, Rae (Ricci) watches helplessly as her boyfriend, Ronnie (Justin Timberlake), leaves her to join the National Guard. Rae has some serious mental health issues, and no sooner than Ronnie leaves, Rae begins slathering herself all over anything that says “yes”. This inevitably gets her into trouble and a brutal ass-kicking which leaves her out-cold in the middle of a rural road. Lazarus finds her and nurses her back to health, only to learn in town of the girl’s self-destructive behavior. Believing he’s found a new purpose in life, Lazarus dedicates himself to helping Rae find a better path. Unfortunately for Rae, Lazarus’ lessons involve a chain and a radiator.
There was something rather unsettling about watching Wednesday Adams spend the first half of this film running around topless and screwing everything that moves. An interesting career choice on her part. While at a glance “Black Snake Moan” may look like nothing but material to jerk-off to, it honestly has a very solid script, strong characters and excellent performances (even Justin Timberlake’s).
The movie is almost entirely character-driven, with everything riding on the actors and their performances. Samuel L. Jackson has to be one of my favorites. Only he could do something as goofy as “Snakes on a Plane” one minute and then something as deep as “Black Snake Moan” the next. I found Lazarus to be the better character of the film; watching him find the strength to weather his crisis by helping Rae conquer hers was very moving. And anyway, there’s something very satisfying about seeing him scream some sense into a crackwhore.
Christina Ricci’s character starts out nearly impossible to like; an absolute tramp with a bad attitude and a personality so ugly you’re aching for someone to pop her in the mouth. Her nymphomania at the start of the film seemed rather gratuitous, like it was only there as an excuse to watch her get naked and turn all the guys and lesbians in the audience on. Be sure to watch where you sit when you go to the theater to see this, folks. However, it was necessary, since, well, she is a nymphomaniac and that’s what they do, after all. As the movie progresses you of course learn that there’s more to her than meets the eye and the usual tragic sort of history that would turn a person into that. It was a bit textbook, character-wise, but her gradual transformation into someone of decent mental health as well as the hardships she faced trying to atone for her past behavior eventually made her a more endearing character.
Justin Timberlake’s role as Ronnie in this film is a bit smaller than Jackson’s or Ricci’s, but still rather important. Ronnie is a pathetic kind of guy who needs Rae to take care of him. While this may make him seem unlikable, he isn’t evil or anything, and he was also the only source of stability in Rae’s life. He also develops throughout the film, coming to terms with his own weaknesses. I’m no Justin Timberlake fan by any stretch of the imagination, but there was nothing particularly bad about his performance. He plays the sickly, pathetic type very well.
This movie takes place down south, and I’m talking way down south. Writer/Director Craig Brewer manages to capture the backward, filthy American deep south exceedingly well, not just in location, but in the people who play townsfolk and supporting characters. These people don’t look like they were churned out of a Hollywood cast factory, but act with exceptional skill and prowess. I think some words of praise should be especially sent to John Cothran Jr. (who plays Reverend R. L.) and S. Epatha Merkerson (who plays Angela) for their wonderful performances that were on par with any of the “big name” actors.
“Black Snake Moan” surprised me, and this is the kind of surprise I like. It’s more a romance/drama than a comedy, so don’t go in expecting a laugh-a-minute (though there are some hilarious parts). Nevertheless, it’s an excellent film with strong characters and an equally strong cast.
Grade: B+
Bridge to Terabithia – Review
The trailers and television spots for this film gave me the impression that it was going to be another “Harry Potter” or, more appropriately, another “Chronicles of Narnia”. You know, a movie where a group of adorable kids travel to a beautiful fantasy world and engage in a slew of amazing adventures, jam-packed with gorgeous special effects and CGI from start to finish.
Well, that’s not what this movie is like at all, but I’m sure that everyone who read the book (ie: not me) already knew this. So, even though this movie is only somewhat similar to what the marketing campaign promised, is it any good? Yeah, actually, it’s pretty good.
Jess (Josh Hutcherson) is a young boy with a gift for creative art but is constantly forced to repress his imagination by his father (Robert Patrick), who wants him to “keep his head out of the clouds”. Things change when a new girl, Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb), arrives at school. Leslie is the daughter of two fiction authors and has a wild imagination. Gradually, she helps Jess set his imagination free and the pair become fast friends. Together, Jess and Leslie create their own fantasy world known as Terabithia, where they use their imaginations to escape from reality as well as devise means to conquer their own personal problems.
At first I was disappointed with the film because I felt like I’d been snookered by a very misleading marketing campaign. Then, as I began to understand the real point of the movie, I came to appreciate it. For the most part, anyway.
“Bridge to Terabithia” is for kids, more-so than “Narnia” and “Harry Potter”. It is not crawling with special effects like the trailers imply (in fact, just about all the special effects in the film are shown in the trailers), but instead is a much more personal tale about two close friends growing up and making the most of the time they have together. For at least the first half of the film, yes, the entirety of the plot is basically two kids frolicking in the woods and having imaginary adventures. Kind of like live action role-players, only okay, because they’re children and not mentally-stunted 30 year-olds.
I was a bit “Meh” through the first half. I could tell it was a good movie for kids, and I’m sure if I’d been a ten year old I would’ve been having a great time, but I didn’t feel like I was in the right target audience. Then the big twist happened halfway through and I was in shock. I won’t say any more about it for those of you who don’t want spoilers, but I will say that it was an emotionally thrashing moment which hits you like a bus (if you haven’t read the book or had it spoiled for you, anyway). It was here where I understood the movie’s true lesson, or at least, the dominating one: treasure every moment of your childhood and never let the good memories escape.
It’s kind of hard to talk about the movie (the parts I really liked, anyway), because I don’t want to spoil it. So I’ll talk about something else.
The special effects provided by Walden Media (the “Lord of the Rings” people), as sparingly as they’re used, are up to their usual standards of quality. The fantastic creatures and landscapes which make-up Terabithia are quite cartoonish, but they’re supposed to represent the imagination of a child, so it’s perfectly appropriate.
There’s also the acting from the two lead kids, which impressed me quite a bit. AnnaSophia Robb shines brightest as the wild and rambunctious one, not coming off anywhere near as annoying as characters of her archetype usually do. Josh Hutcherson also carries his role quite well, playing a boy with a strong imagination but crippling amounts of responsibility. The kids who played the supporting characters, such as school bullies and what-not, aren’t so notable. They’re your typical child actors, so I’m not going to rag on them for being underwhelming.
One of the film’s other lessons is one I felt rather strongly about: kids, use your freaking imaginations! In this age of video games where fantasies are mass-produced by corporations and kids are getting out and playing with each other less and less, a movie that comes along and inspires kids to play “pretend” is quite welcome. It was always my favorite game, growing up. The film captures what having fun as a kid and using your imagination is like, and as an adult whose not allowed to do that anymore, I almost found myself longing for simpler (and more fun) times.
So if you’re expecting sword, sorcery and epic quests from “Bridge to Terabithia”, I’m sorry, but you aren’t going to find them here. Now, if you have kids and you want to inspire them to go outside and play, then this is more up your alley.
Grade: B+