In theaters. Rated R, 102 minutes. Trailer. 
Ides of March tells the consultant/campaign manager side of a week inside a close presidential race. George Clooney directs himself as the candidate and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and Rachel Evan Wood as his surrounding cast. Gosling is the lead character, playing an up and coming media consultant that has bought into Clooney's governor for president character. This film could have been called swimming with sharks; it portrays the cut-throat nature of high-stakes politics, especially among the campaign staff and media. Click below for more on IOM:
Golsing is a true believer that learns the dark arts of campaigns, adapts, and comes out a hardened (and successful) operative. As he deals harshly with a bad situation, he quickly feels the same treatment and he is all the more hardened for it.
The film is bathed in gray and it informs the general cynical mood of the film. There are no good lessons to be learned here, as human nature plays out in the big time.
All of the actors are at the top of their game here, with PSH being extra-special. Clooney's candidate gets a little annoying as he spouts Clooney's personal Democratic views with such fervor. This is probably an A- for me just because of my special predisposition to politics.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Ides of March - B+
Weekend Box Office: 10/7-10/9/11
Title/Gross/%Change/Total
1. Real Steel: 27.3 mil / NEW
2. Ides of March: 10.4 mil / NEW
3. Dolphin Tale: 9.2 mil / -34% / 49 mil
4. Moneyball: 7.5 mil / -38% / 49 mil
5. 50/50: 5.5 mil / -36% / 17.3 mil
6. Courageous: 4.6 mil / -50% / 16 mil
7. Lion King (3D): 4.6 mil / -57% / 86 mil
8. Dream House: 4.5 mil / -45% / 14.5 mil
9. What's Your Number: 3 mil/ -44% / 10 mil
10. Abduction: 2.9 mil / -48% / 23 mil
11. Contagion: 2.8 mil / -42% / 69 mil
12. Killer Elite: 2.2 mil / - 56% / 21.6 mil
13. The Help: 2 mil / -34% / 163 mil
14. Drive: 1.8 mil / -45% / 30 mil
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
DVD and Blu-ray Releases - 10/4/11
African Cats - #
Buck
Fast Five - #
Ken Burns: Prohibition - #
Scream 4 - #
Bored to Death: 2nd Season - #
The League: Season 2 - #
The Walking Dead: 1st Season - #
Click below for this week's Blu-ray releases
Almost Famous - *
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Cider House Rules
Cinema Paradiso - *
Dead Alive
Harakiri (Criterion)
Jackie Brown
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Life is Beautiful
The Lion King - *
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Pulp Fiction - *
Salo (Criterion) - ^
Space Jam
# - also on Blu-ray
* - Doctor approved
^ - Crap Alert
Monday, October 3, 2011
Weekend Box Office: 9/30-10/2/11
Title/Gross/%Change/Total
1. Dolphin Tale: 13.9 mil / -27% / 37 mil
2. Moneyball: 12 mil / -38% / 38 mil
3. Lion King (in 3D): 10.6 mil / -52% / 79 mil
4. Courageous: 9 mil / NEW
5. 50/50: 8.6 mil / NEW
6. Dream House: 8.1 mil / NEW
7. Abduction: 5.6 mil / -49% / 19 mil
8. What's Your Number?: 5.4 mil / NEW
9. Killer Elite: 4.92 mil / - 47% / 17.5 mil
10. Contagion: 4.91 mil / -42% / 65 mil
11. Drive: 3.3 mil / -43% / 27 mil
12. The Help: 3 mil / -31% / 159 mil
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Song of the Day - Mighty to Save, Hillsong (!)
Sure, I love the shock value of posting praise choruses as a song of the day. But, this chorus (my second post from Hillsong) is really, really good (especially 2:00 to 4:00). Almost makes me wish I wasn't burdened with my belief system.
Continue reading this postThe Thin Blue Line - B+
On DVD (1988). Rated PG, 103 minutes. Trailer.
As a cinephile and a Dallasite, it is sad that it took me this long to watch Errol Morris' The Thin Blue Line. The documentary tells the story of the wrongful conviction and near execution of Randall Dale Adams by the Dallas County District Attorney's office in the 70's. Morris does a masterful job of presenting the facts in a reasonable and fact-based manner (Michael Moore should take notes) and the stunningly depraved attitude of the DA (their mantra was that any prosecutor could convict a guilty man but it took a real prosecutor to convict an innocent man). Worth your time - the film led to Adams' release and the Oscar for Best Documentary in 1988.
Friday, September 30, 2011
SNL - Alec Baldwin
Amazingly funny season opener with Alec Baldwin and Radiohead. Favorites sketches:
1. Who's On Top?
2. Top Gun Screen Tests (Pacino is great - Doc will love Harvey Firestein)
3. Red Flag
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Moneyball - B+
In theaters, PG-13 for language, 133 minutes
In Fall 2001, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is the Oakland A's General Manager and former player who never reached his full potential. He's faced with his 3 biggest stars leaving for bigger markets and more importantly, bigger paychecks. After he meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), they find a way for their small salary team to compete with the wealthy. This is mostly by evaluating players different than everyone else - placing a higher value on on-base percentage rather than a "name" player. Initial skepticism and failure eventually makes way for success and validation . . .
Pitt is excellent in the movie star role - he's in every scene and carries it all effortlessly. Hill is the best he's ever been, especially in the trading deadline scene when he's on the phone. As A's manager Art Howe, Philip Seymour Hoffman is borderline unrecognizable as the crabby, condescending roadblock in their way. The uncredited Spike Jonze is at his wacky best in a short scene. The writing by none other than Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List, the upcoming The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) is great as expected. The highly detailed (and nerdy) statistics are explained well and the banter between Pitt and Hill is superb. But you've already seen all of the best lines in the trailer.
The main problem is the generic made-for-TV directing by Bennett Miller. There's maybe one shot (Beane's truck hurrying onto an exit ramp) that breaks the mold. While Miller does nicely allow several scenes to play out with pauses and breaks, there's hardly a "cinematic" shot in the whole thing. And this is despite the considerable talents of cinematographer Wally Pfister (The Dark Knight, Inception). The editing is frequently distracting, with unimportant shots sporadically spliced in for no effective reason. And the whole thing is 10 minutes too long. Even worse, the baseball player close-ups look like outtakes from Jerry Maguire. Then, Miller bungles the ending by using a song (sung by Beane's 12 year old daughter) that's horrifically similar to Juno's "Anyone Else But You". It's contrived for an emotional payoff that eluded Beane in real life. But the real Beane is a true hero - choosing family and loyalty over money. And ultimately winning the war while losing all the battles that mattered most. B+
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
DVD and Blu-ray Releases - 9/27/11
Carlos (Criterion) - #
Good Neighbors - #
The Hour - #
Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos - #
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - #
Click below for this week's TV and Blu-ray releases
TV:
Army Wives: 5th Season
CSI: 11th Season
CSI: Miami - 9th Season
CSI: NY - 7th Season
How I Met Your Mother: Season 6
Hung: 2nd Season - #
King of Queens: 9 Season Set
Kojak: Season 2
Law & Order: SVU - 12th Year
Married With Children: Complete Series
The Middle: 2nd Season
New Tricks: Season 5
Blu-ray:
Basket Case
Ben Hur
Footloose
Mimic
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 & 3
Phantom Carriage (Criterion)
Torso
# - also on Blu-ray
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Song of the Day - Lithium
By Nirvana
The 20th anniversary of Nevermind's release was 2 days ago. It started an excellent musical mini-revolution that lasted 5-6 years. All the Nevermind tracks are essential, so this one is arbitrarily singled out. Only "Territorial Pissings" is even close to a throwaway, but it shows them at their most raw and powerful.
Weekend Box Office: 9/23-9/25/11
Drive's disappointing box office numbers probably reflect an audience that expected more car chases and less character development. Maybe the marketing led them astray. The "Drive" in the title isn't really about his job, but what motivates him internally. It's really about his connection to 2 people and how this changes his modus operandi. Audience members should be challenged to examine their own inner drive. Anyway, the meaningless box numbers after the jump.
Title/Gross/%Change/Total
1. Lion King (in 3D): 22 mil / -27% / 62 mil
2. Moneyball: 20.6 mil / NEW
3. Dolphin Tale: 20.3 mil / NEW
4. Abduction: 11.2 mil / NEW
5. Killer Elite: 9.5 mil / NEW
6. Contagion: 8.6 mil / -41% / 57 mil
7. Drive: 5.8 mil / -49% / 21 mil
8. The Help: 4.4 mil / -32% / 154 mil
9. Straw Dogs: 2.1 mil / -59% / 8.9 mil
10. I Don't Know How She Does It: 2 mil / -53% / 8 mil
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Drive - A
Lawyer's original review with plot points is here. There are small spoilers below.
Valhalla Rising was highly stylized but too grimy and gritty to connect to the characters. The violence was overdone from the opening scene. Of course, I'll never know what director Nicolas Winding Refn did between that medieval debacle and this modern masterpiece. He apparently watched the first and second seasons of TV's Miami Vice. And he probably watched Blue Velvet, Manhunter, and Thief several times too. All films are derivative and have to start somewhere. Refn emulates some of my favorite directors while finding an amazing balance and patience that allows the characters to breathe and develop . . .
Refn's use of color is reminiscent of Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. His tight frame composition informs on characters motivations, desires, and connections. Refn's slow camera movements are hypnotic (particularly the shots of the LA buildings). It's always fascinating to see how foreign directors see America and Refn clearly loves Los Angeles. The fusion of music and images is evocative of none other than Michael Mann and as assured as Martin Scorsese. Light bulbs that change intensity are downright Lynchian as is the way Gosling retreats into the bathroom after his shotgun kill.
The emotional depth of Carey Mulligan is perfectly balanced by Gosling's flat affect. Some beautiful compositions have Mulligan bathed in red and orange lights while Gosling is supported by cooler colors - blue, green, silver, and white (see below, but there's a better one in the film). A late terrific touch has an Exit sign above Gosling's head as he makes some final decisions. And this is one of dozens. I needed a pause button to keep up with the genius. The editing is consistently intriguing, flashing forward and back just enough to keep it interesting. The tension is brilliantly built with ticking clocks and Gosling's reaction shots.
The violence is severe and shocking, but (like Bound's severed finger) the film wouldn't be as intense without it. Some minor flaws include Albert Brooks's shaved eyebrows, Ron Perlman's attempts at profanity, and Gosling walking around in public with blood stains on his jacket. For a guy that plays it safe, this seems way out of character. But the rest of it is pure cinema, probably too artsy for some, but right up my intellectual alley. A massive jump in style and substance for Refn. A
Friday, September 23, 2011
Win Win - B+
On DVD and Blu-ray
Rated R for language
Mike (Paul Giamatti) is a small town New Jersey lawyer whose practice is struggling to stay afloat. For some extra money, he agrees to take care of Leo (Burt Young), one of his wealthy clients, who has Alzheimer's but wants to stay at his own house. When Leo's grandson Kyle shows up to see him, Mike has to make further adjustments. Mike also coaches wrestling at the high school and finds extra inspiration when Kyle turns out to be an excellent wrestler. . .
If it sounds like every American indie film you've seen the past 10 years, it is. But the performances by Giamatti and Amy Ryan (the wife) give it depth while the sacrifices (and compromises) Mike makes for his family makes it relatable in these down times. The inspiring score helps as does the comedic relief from friends/coaches Bobby Cannavale and Jeffrey Tambor.
The film gains momentum as it progresses and while the ending is never really in doubt, how it gets there is so nicely restrained and understated, that it still sneaks up on you. The deft touch is provided by writer-director Tom McCarthy, whose previous 2 films (The Visitor, The Station Agent) were too contrived and preachy to be completely successful. His subtle, complicated touch here allows it to build into a sum greater than its parts. B+
The Wire alumnus: None other than Mr. McCarthy, who played an ethically challenged newsman in season 5. And I can't help but think of the similarities.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Snap Judgments - a Quick Review of 5 Movies
In a Better World
A doctor alternates working between an African refugee camp and his hometown in Denmark. He has marital problems and his sons are having trouble at school. But it really doesn't compare to the horrifying lives the Africans have. Which is the whole point director Susanne Bier bluntly brings home. Bier made the same point more subtly in After the Wedding, which was much less manipulative about white guilt and how the affluent create problems for themselves to solve. But, the acting and emotions ring true and it never hurts to have a reminder of how good we still have it. This won last February's Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. B-
Unknown
Liam Neeson and his wife (January Jones) arrive in Berlin for a medical conference. When he discovers his briefcase is missing, he takes a cab back to the airport (without her). The cab gets into a wreck and he slips into a coma for 4 days. When he wakes up, no one recognizes him - and he may not even exist. Neeson is in full Taken mode here, but it's not nearly as sharp, invigorating, or honorable. Taken played it straight while films like this will obviously have lots of twists. The best scenes belong to Bruno Ganz (Downfall) who plays a former Stasi agent that's become an investigator. His comments about modern generations forgetting about their past could have spun off into another movie, which would have been more interesting than what we got. C+
Just Go With It
Adam Sandler plays a plastic surgeon who finally wants to settle down (with Brooklyn Decker) after years of falsely wearing a wedding ring to pick up women. After she finds the ring, he has to fake a marriage (and impending divorce) with his assistant (Jennifer Aniston), who has 2 kids from a previous marriage. Lies begat more lies until everyone learns the elusive life lesson that it's better (and easier) to tell the truth. The simplicity of the message matches the obviousness of the humor - and the predictability of the conclusion. What exactly is the elegant Nicole Kidman doing in this? And why is Sandler so physically abusive to the kids? At least I laughed at the sheep getting the Heimlich maneuver. So there's that. C
Paul
Two nerdy Brits (Simon Pegg, Nick Frost) are traveling across the American Southwest when they discover Paul, an escaped alien (voiced by Seth Rogen). They then try to protect him from the pursuing FBI agents. The script (by Frost and Pegg) seems to only exist in an attempt to discredit Christianity. A fundamentalist Christian (Kristen Wiig) loses her faith immediately when Paul feeds her brain all sorts of information through his hand. She quickly becomes a foul-mouthed slut and is happier for it, of course. The script certainly doesn't exist to provide any laughs. We can safely say the success of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz belongs entirely to former Pegg-collaborator and director Edgar Wright, who succeeded without him with Scott Pilgrim. Director Greg Mottola has done good (Superbad) and great (Adventureland, Arrested Development) work, but the heavy Lucas-Spielberg references and ridiculous plot leaves him stranded. The sole bright spot is Jason Bateman, who deadpans every one of his agent's acerbic lines beautifully. D+
Take Me Home Tonight
A recent MIT grad (Topher Grace) returns home and regresses to living with his parents and working at the mall. His twin sister (Anna Faris) is about to marry her shallow boyfriend (Chris Pratt) and his schmuck best friend (Dan Fogler) just lost his job. But his unrequited love of high school is back in town and the group heads to a party for one crazy night that will change everything. The message of "you can't win if you don't take a shot" is fine, but the writing lets the hard-working actors down. There are no memorable lines or moments and the whole thing feels like a retread from every coming-of-age movie (or TV show) ever. The movie is set in 1988 for apparently no other reason than to have an expensive soundtrack of 80s pop songs. They should have spent more money on a rewrite. C-
DVD and Blu-ray Releases - 9/20/11
Bridesmaids - #
The Kennedys - #
The River Murders
Set Up - #
Spooky Buddies - #
Body of Proof - 1st Season
Castle: 3rd Season
Hawaii Five-O: 1st Season - #
The Mentalist: 3rd Season
Mike & Molly: 1st Season - #
Modern Family: 2nd Season - #
Raising Hope: 1st Season
Click below for this week's Blu-ray releases
Breakfast at Tiffany's - *
Dead Heat
Dumbo - *
Le Beau Serge (Criterion)
Les Cousins (Criterion)
The Others - *
Scrooge
Vamp
# - also on Blu-ray
* - Doctor approved
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Vanilla Ice Real Estate Program
Vanilla Ice has a real estate investment plan for you. This video is priceless. Money Quote:
"When I'm not touring around the world....I'm makin' money in real estate."