Originally Reviewed – 9/20/2010

Summer 2010 may go down in the ledgers of history as the Year of the Disappointment. Comedies didn?t make people laugh, rom-coms annoyed audiences to tears and action ficks either offered mild enjoyment (Salt, The Losers) or flat out made fans cringe (The Expendables). Even the biggest film of the season, Inception, met with some criticism from critics and fell short of that brilliant category it was all hyped up to be. Only one widely released film, Toy Story 3, has lived up to its expectations; the rest have largely been let downs, regardless of how low or how high those expectations might have been. Luckily, the latest film by grindhouse master Robert Rodriguez finally does just that. Gory yet hammy, violent yet silly, Machete delivers everything that small trailer in Grindhouse promised and is one of the best action movies to come out this year.

Starring the ugliest man in Hollywood, Danny Trejo, Machete is the tale of a Mexican federale who, after witnessing the brutal slaying of his family, has resigned himself to a life of day laboring in Texas. However, after beating a man senseless one handedly (the other hand is holding a soft taco), he is recruited by a high powered executive to assassinate a controversial senator, played wonderfully by Robert DeNiro. This sets in motion a whole slew of exciting action scenes as well a nicely drawn story of immigration and its effect on hard working people. While the story is largely unimportant, it does give the movie a root in something real as opposed to the standard ?army / spy / commando? fare we?ve been seeing this summer.

For the most part, the cast is spot on featuring fine performances by pretty much everyone. From Jessica Alba as a sexy immigration officer to Michelle Rodriguez as a taco stand owner / underground revolutionary to even Cheech Marin as a shotgun toting man of the cloth, most of the cast plays their parts in a very shallow but always entertaining way. With performances that are admittedly campy and over the top, the film is written with sly winks all around, making them appear more homage than cornball. Only Lindsay Lohan disappoints as the executive?s prostituting, drug addled daughter. While the part hits almost too close to reality, the fact of the matter is she can?t pull it off and the character really has no bearing on the story except for obvious shock value.

Although many people have been labeling Machete as the Mexican Expendables, nothing could be further from the truth. Where the Expendables was ham handedly written and directed, Robert Rodriguez realizes that even the silliest of action films need to have someone skillful behind the camera and that talent is evident in spades. Not only does Rodriguez create a wonderful homage to the 70?s style grindhouse flicks he grew up with, he peppers the film with his own brand of winking, offbeat comedy. This gives the film a desperately needed shot of style and self awareness, something that was completely missing in that other summer action blockbuster.

Knowing it?s a complete guilty pleasure and embracing every moment of it, Machete is a pulpy, gory and completely enjoyable good time. While not prestige cinema by any means, Machete is, quite simply, one of the best times you?ll have in mainstream cinema this summer. Ever since El Mariachi, Robert Rodriguez has done great things with very little, mainly because he knows exactly who he is as a person and director. This self awareness penetrates almost everything he does and continues with this, one of his best films to date. While the movie isn?t perfect, the spirit of the picture is. Outlandish and brash yet smarter than expected, Machete is a great summer thrill ride that will have you laughing almost as much it will have you gasping. A confidently and competently made piece of summertime candy, Machete pushes the boundaries yet leaves everyone who sees it yearning for more

Score – 90%

Originally Reviewed – 9/16/2010

If the video game series Call of Duty has taught me anything, it?s that I would be a terrible soldier. Let?s just say, if I were in Saving Private Ryan, I?d be the dude getting blown away as soon as the doors opened on the Army ATV. Combat is definitely not for me and God bless anybody who engages in it for a living. Restrepo, a chronicle of one year in the lives of a platoon of US soldiers stationed in the most dangerous part of Afghanistan, did nothing to quell my fears. The film, bravely and empathetically done by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, is an intensely emotional documentary that not only puts you right in the middle of the fray but also places you deep into the psyches of the brave men who have to live with gunfire every single day.

Filmed over the course of one squadron?s tour of duty, Restrepo makes fictional war films seem almost boastful. The firefights are heart stopping in how close they get the viewer to the action; bullet casings bounce off the camera lens, dirt kicks up all around and there is a general sense of controlled confusion amongst the crew that?s honest and interesting. The film also does a fine job of getting us inside the heads of the soldiers engaged in these battles. Filmed after their tour of duty is completed, the uncensored accounts of these GIs really bring you inside the mental strain and anguish that comes with living in constant fear for your life. Filmed with no commentary aside from the accounts of the soldiers and the day to day dialogue of army life, Restrepo is one of the best documentaries of the year and should get a slam dunk Oscar nomination come February. Gritty, unyielding and brilliantly emotional, Restrepo forgoes all window dressing, be it in the filmmaking, the storytelling or the politics of warfare, and instead focuses on the stories of these brave soldiers with startling results. No matter where you stand politically on our current conflict in Afghanistan, Restrepo will make you put that aside and appreciate the people actually engaged in it.

Score – 100%

Originally Reviewed – 9/3/2010

Saying Robert Duvall has made himself one heck of a film career could be the understatement of the year. Despite being one of the most celebrated American actors working today, Duvall hasn’t really had many starring roles as of late. With a cameo in Crazy Heart here and few lines in The Road there, Duvall has become one of those actors that you see in a film and say while smiling, “Ahhh…that’s Robert Duvall”. However, not since his Academy Award nominated performance in 1997’s The Apostle has Duvall really showed his stuff as a leading actor and no, Gods and Generals doesn’t count because that film stunk. So, to see Duvall take a stab at an intensely emotional starring role really made me stand up and take notice. Luckily for me, Duvall does not disappoint in Get Low as he puts forth another classic performance, one that should get him a look or two for a Best Actor nomination.

In the film, Duvall plays Felix Bush, a curmudgeonly old hermit who has sequestered himself in his densely wooded farmhouse for over forty years. The year is 1930 and Bush has become quite the folk story for the citizens of the lonely Tennessee town that borders his land. Because of these wild stories, Bush decides to come out of seclusion and with the help of a local funeral director, played by Bill Murray, starts to plan his own funeral. Naturally, there’s a catch: Bush not only wants to attend his own funeral while he’s still alive, he wants to invite everybody in the county that has a story about him and have them tell those tales. What happens next is a touching tale of owning up to the past and confronting ones mortality that cements both Robert Duvall and Bill Murray as acting greats.

Much has been written about Duvall’s performance and all I can say is that the accolades are well deserved. Duvall gives the character of Felix Bush a number of different textures; initially Bush looks to be a miserly old hermit but as the film goes on, you see shades of who he was before the incident that caused him to shy away from the world, especially when he interacts with his old flame, played wonderfully by Sissy Spacek. With Spacek, Bush warms up and projects the charm of an old world gentleman while still maintaining the veneer of grittiness that is the core of the character. While Duvall does err on the side of overacting on occasion, the real triumph of his performance is how connected he is with the events of the film. The story is really about confronting mistakes from the past and Duvall, at the age of 79, brings a sense of personal world weariness to the role that is quite profound. Watching Duvall dig deep into his own fears of mortality and project them on screen is quite moving and makes up for any lapses in his performance.

The rest of the cast is equally superb. Bill Murray, who should also get a look for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, is brilliant as the town funeral director. Murray has perfected the art or wry comedy and gives the film some humorous flavor while still maintaining a sharp acting performance. Top marks also have to be given to Spacek and Lucas Black as Murray’s protégé in the funeral business. First time director, Aaron Schneider, also deserves credit for maintaining an even tone throughout the film, even though it does play a bit slow in some of the middle sections. Make no mistake, this is a patient movie that plays out almost like a theater production and as a result, has the same magnetic ability to drawn the audience in.

Filled with outstanding performances, solid directing and a final reveal that ties the whole experience together, Get Low is one of the better movies to come out this summer. While the movie does seem to take a while to reach a somewhat predictable conclusion, the quality of acting on display overshadows any missteps in the filmmaking or lapses in the storytelling. A homespun yarn of revelation, self-forgiveness and facing one’s imminent demise, Get Low is a rough jewel in an otherwise bland summer season. There may be more exciting pictures in the cinemas right now, but there are few that features two American icons at the top of their game telling a story that nobody wants to see yet everybody ought to.

Score – 80%

Originally Reviewed – 6/29/2010

The moral conundrum of life, the source of it and who holds sway over the very fabric of our existence is a long running and controversial discussion. Do human beings have the authority to manipulate DNA or is that a task better left to a higher power and what are the consequences to that meddling? These high minded questions, among a host of others, are examined in grisly detail in Vincenzo Natali’s latest film, Splice, a movie that’s one part horror, part mediation on modern relationships and still another part cautionary tale. There’s a ton going on in this film, way more than a simple trailer can convey and that saves the film from getting too wrapped up in its desire to be three different films at once.

The main story centers on two genetic engineers, played by Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley, who after creating a successful pair genetic hybrid animals, decide to try to add human DNA to the creation. Most likely, you’ve already seen the end result of their efforts in the various trailers that have been circulating online and on TV, but do not let that stop you from seeing this movie. The film tracks the entire lifecycle of this creation and each iteration is visually interesting enough to where the trailer spoiler isn’t really spoiling anything at all. As a matter of fact, the trailer does the film a bit a disservice in painting the movie as a standard creature feature, when it fact, it’s much more complex and original than the advertisements make it out to be.

While the central narrative centers on the growth of the human / animal hybrid, there are a number of sub plots that elevate the movie beyond a standard “spook you out of your seats” summer flick. The struggles of modern relationships, the influence of corporate America on scientific advancements and the morality behind genetic manipulation all help move an excellently written screenplay along without the jumble and mess a story like this could bring to a film. Although the film starts to loose its way in the third act, the story as whole is about as well written as one would expect from a thus far bland summer season.

The film also works thanks to some terrific acting by both Brody and Polley, who perfectly play the conflicted scientist couple. The two have an endearing on screen chemistry that works both in intimate situations and when things get a touch grittier. Natal also does a nice job in direction, allowing for some truly shocking moments as well as quieter moments within this creepshow of a film. Although the final third of the film takes some pretty daring twists and turns, Natali keep the film focused enough to bring the whole affair to a satisfying conclusion.

Splice is one of those films that attempts to be everything all once and for the most part pulls it off. Even though the final half hour may leave some viewers bewildered, unsettled and a little grossed out, there is an intriguing web of subtext in this film that can be overlooked by the unobservant and enriches the movie for those who catch it. Featuring excellent performances, an intriguing storyline and an ending twist that, while telegraphed an hour beforehand, still gets one’s heart racing, Splice is a bright spot on this so far dull summer season. Films like this do not get released wide very often and even though it has some bumps and bruises, Splice is an excellent film for those who need more than Adam Sandler or action rom coms from their summer movie-going experiences.

Score – 80%

Originally Reviewed – 6/23/2010

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is one of those filmmakers that everybody knows yet nobody’s heard about. With a career that started with the critically acclaimed black comedy Delicatessen and peaked with the fan favorite Amelie, Jenunet is known for mixing striking visuals and dark comedy with a deeply human element. While his latest feature, Micmacs, doesn’t have the texture of Amelie or the morbidity of Delicatessen, the film re-stamps Jeunet as a virtuoso behind the camera. Packed with imagination, beauty and a frantic, infectious energy that I haven’t seen since the aforementioned Amelie, Micmacs marks a return to form, especially for fans who fell in love with 2001’s quirky French brunette.

The main arc of Micmacs is a fairly straightforward story of salt of the earth pranksters instigating a war between two competing weapons manufacturers. The main character, played by Dany Boon, catches a stray bullet right to the cranium that, now lodged deep in his skull, can kill him at any moment. But rather than go through life cautiously avoiding head trauma, he enlists a team of scrap scavengers to help him bring down the corporations that made his imminent demise possible. What follows next is a series of ingeniously inventive traps, schemes and ploys that feed the fires between the two rivals, with often explosive results.

As you can tell from the synopsis, the screenplay is fairly by the numbers, as is the character development. With the exception of Boon and his contortionist love interest, the rest of the team suffers from lack of screen time and proper development. The same could be said for the war mongering antagonists as they play the standard bad guy archetype you’ve seen a hundred times. To be honest, I barely remembered the lead characters name, never mind the names of his cohorts. Also, the ending (not the surprise at the end, but the eventual result) was crystal clear a half hour in. While this may seem a recipe for failure, Micmacs only benefits from these omissions; anything more detailed, more complex or more cerebral and the spirit of the film would have been totally lost.

This is not a complex film by any stretch of the imagination, but the simplicity in character development and storyline gives way to a visual treat that more than makes up for the threadbare plot. Jeunet re-establishes himself as a wizard behind the camera with a depth of imagination that is almost breathtaking. Billed as a satirical tale about the dangers of the weapons industry, Micmacs eschews subtlety for explosions, trickery and a grand final set-piece that even had me fooled for a bit. From the contortionist flexing her way out of trouble to the charming creations of the elderly inventor to the harebrained schemes these crusaders concoct, it all has a wild joy about it that shrouds any flaws in the narrative

Micmacs knows what it is from the first frame and never pretends to be anything more than a stunning visual guilty pleasure, with a deeper meaning you can either absorb or leave at the door. The film has a whimsical, fairy tale quality to it that is joyful and infectious. Like anything overly saccharine, you may or may not have the taste for it, but like a five year old on a candy binge, I nearly went into diabetic shock during this film while loving every minute of it. Micmacs plays like a wild Saturday morning cartoon with a visionary director pulling the strings and the result is memorable. It’s not the deepest of film going experiences, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable lighthearted farce in the cinemas this summer.

Score – 85%