Jane Eyre- She said

Directed by Cary Fukunaga

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench and Jamie Bell

Synopsis: A simple governess finds herself falling in love with her employer only to find out he's hiding a terrible secret.

Like Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Charlotte Bronte's classic, JANE EYRE, seems to be remade every few years whether it be in a TV miniseries, movie, or play. This version, from director Cary Fukunaga, plays up the more Gothic elements of the classic story.  Even though the story is over 150 years old, the rich characters, sweeping scenery, and epic romance still hold up today.

We follow our heroine, Jane (played by Mia Wasikowska), through a troubled childhood where she is sent away to school by her aunt, and because of her unaltered and tenacious spirit, is constantly punished and scorned by her teachers.  Eventually, she becomes the governess of the manor, Thornfield, to care for Adele, the ward of the elusive Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender).  When she finally sits down to talk with Rochester, he abrasive manner doesn't faze Jane.  She sees right through his demeanor and verbally keeps up with his snippy remarks.  This fascinates Rochester.  He becomes infatuated with her and believes she's the one that can shine light into his dark world. 

Wasikowska and Fassbender are fabulous portraying these iconic characters.  Wasikowska's Jane is subtle yet strong.  She reminded me of a somewhat quieter Elizabeth Bennet from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE;  same amount of wit and charm but on a lower key.  She makes Jane Eyre a complicated, dynamic figure where we see her history and how it's shaped her internally.  Fassbender takes an interesting approach to Rochester.  In the book, Rochester can come across as extremely arrogant, which he is, but never really likable.  Fassbender shows his arrogance coupled with a flirty nature almost similar to "the guy" in high school that all the ladies longed for.  He humored them, but he was never interested because he was looking for someone deeper and more intellectual.  Then all it takes is one girl to match his wit and snarkiness, and he's infatuated and in love.  This Rochester was enjoyable and fit into the dashing, dominant, yet has-a-weak-spot-for-the-one-he-loves, Victorian gentleman perfectly.

While they individually embodied their characters, I never fully believed their chemistry.  This is to no fault of the actors.  When an epic novel rich in detail is adapted into a movie, it's very difficult to not only establish the relationship but wholeheartedly convince us of their love.  Even though the movie runs at a healthy two hours, I wanted Eyre and Rochester's relationship a little more developed, so that we feel the weight and tragedy when the "secret" is finally revealed.

Fukunaga makes use of the breathtaking manor and picturesque scenery of England.  The visuals alone are worth the price of admission.  Thorfield, the Rochester manor, becomes it's own character as it's so mammoth and ancient we almost hear every creak and movement throughout.  Fukunaga plays up the Gothic aspect and makes use of our imaginations when Jane explores the house at night with only a candle for light.  There is no extra light provided, so we're just waiting for a ghost or someone to pop out around any corner.

All in all, this adaptation will bode well in the Jane Eyre catalogue.  Will it be everyone's favorite? Probably not.  However, when taking such a classic novel and really taking to it with a fresh perspective, it makes the movie memorable.   

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CEDAR RAPIDS- she said

Directed by Miguel Arteta

Written by Phil Johnston

Starring: Ed Helms, Anne Heche, John C. Reily, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alia Shawkat

Synopsis: Tom Lippe is charged with going to represent his insurance firm at the annual ASMI conference and bring home the Double Diamond reward.

There's always something special about the industry you work in whether it's teaching, insurance, sales or computers. Sometimes the people in your world annoy you, yet it's always comforting you have people to go to when they're problems, and they genuinely understand the ups and downs you may feel. CEDAR RAPIDS takes a look at the insurance world as our protagonist, Tim Lippe (Ed Helms), gets to go to the big ASMI conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa after the sudden death of the top seller at his company.

Lippe is everyone's friend in his spec-of-a-town of Brown Valley, Wisconsin. He's probably has never left his town...ever. So what a thrill to represent his company and try to win the elusive Double Diamond award for the forth year in a row. He arrives and is shocked to find out that he's rooming with an African-American, oh snap! Because I guess he's never seen one in real life; only in stories. His other roommate for the conference is Dean Zigler (John C. Reilly) who almost becomes the cliche frat boy making many, many perverted sex jokes throughout the movie. Now, some of the jokes were genuinely funny, but the act got a little old. Anne Heche rounds out this group as Joan Ostrowski-Fox who settled down early, got a job, and the annual conference is the highlight of her year. Sad existence, but she makes the most of the cards she's dealt.

We follow the foursome throughout the conference and the antics that ensue from a conference talent show, scavenger hunt, Lippe's first time drinking and befriending local prostitute, Bree (Arrested Developement's Alia Shawkat). Because this is what one does at a conference. The charm of the movie comes from Lippe who's innocence is sad yet somehow likable. He even wears a money belt...a money belt in Cedar Rapids, Iowa? He's learning the ropes as the newcomer under the wings of his comrades, and like a kid away at college for the first time, cuts lose a bit. Helms lends himself as leading man material, yet I couldn't shake the fact I could've seen Steve Carell in this role. It was good but nothing special.

Overall I enjoyed CEDAR RAPIDS. It begins with laugh after laugh, then, like most comedies nowadays, turns to a more serious yet poignant tone. It's no Judd Apatow movie, but Helms and company's chemistry keep things interesting in what's really a lackluster story. The film reminded me of a Bloody Mary or Pina Colada because it's a drink that you enjoy every once in a while, but you don't drink all the time.

CEDAR RAPIDS is open in limited release.

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The Dilemma- he said, she said

Directed by Ron Howard

Written by Allan Loeb

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum, and Queen Latifah

Synopsis: Right before the biggest break in their careers, Ronny (Vince Vaughn) catches his best friend's (Kevin James) wife cheating on him.

Review:

Javi: What did you expect going into this movie?

Jonesy: I expected a smart comedy because it’s Ron Howard, and I really enjoy him as a director. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what we got. All in all, I just expected funnier and more sophisticated.


Javi: For me, I thought they were going to go in a different direction. Due to the premise and from what the trailers showed, it seemed that the whole movie would focus on Ronny wrestling with the notion of whether to tell his friend the truth. Instead we got an unfocused movie. Also, the story was boring. That’s my biggest pet peeve about movies is when they’re boring. Although we didn’t get the movie that I thought we would, there were a few times where it did take me by surprise, but it was because those moments weren’t earned.


Jonesy: I honestly don’t know how this script got made. There is great talent on the screen, and they were just doing the best they could with the crappy script they were given.



Javi: But with all that talent, why wouldn’t you get the best script possible? How do you get to the point of just making do with what you have with Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, or Ron Howard? Why not get the top-notch script?


Jonesy: I think tonally it was all over the place. It reminded me of Funny People, where they didn’t know what kind of movie they were going for--a comedy or a drama. I think a lot of the confusion in the tone for me came from Vince Vaughn. Here he was just playing, surprise surprise, Vince Vaughn, but even Kevin James had a different character than himself. I believed him as a work-a-holic hiding from his problems.


Javi: I felt when Vince Vaughn was acting in some of the more serious parts, his performance worked. I don’t think the problem is his lack of personality or character. It felt more of lack of direction on Ron Howard’s part, and it’s true that the movie doesn’t know what it wants to do. It juxtaposes very serious psychological issues with this witty bromance banter. But what’s even worse is that the super serious parts don’t go with a really funny parts. The “funny parts” are never hilarious. What’s worse is that they think that the cliché “embarrassing speech” comedy trope actually works here…


Jonesy: NOBODY DOES THAT! No actual human being would ever make a crazy speech in an anniversary party, at a wedding, or a rehearsal dinner. I wish that writers would stop using that situation. Another complaint is that they mention certain traits of a character, then the traits don’t come up in the rest of the movie until the very end, and all of the sudden it's a bigger deal than it was set it up to be.


Javi: I think that the movie as a whole is really just a bunch of slightly funny moments that are strung together by really boring ones. I almost feel that if you had a 4-minute YouTube video could show you all of the funny parts that’s all you’d need.


Jonesy: I think the most underused character is Zip (Channing Tatum) who makes the most out of what could have been a crappy role. He is only in the movie about 20 minutes, and he made more of an impression on me than most of the other characters.


Javi: how about Queen Latifah?


Jonesy: She was a one trick pony though.


Javi: Her role could have been filled by any other sassy lady of comedy like Kristen Wiig or Maya Rudolph.


Jonesy: Her character was fun, but will be forgettable, just like this movie.


Javi: It’s not a bad movie just unfocusedly-mediocre. However, the cinematographer should get major props. He made this movie look gorgeous.


Jonesy: Everything from the hockey scenes to the city shots were amazing.


Javi: Whenever there were the tracking shots that showed off the city really captivated me. So would you recommend this movie to anyone?


Jonesy: No. Well, I guess I could recommend this movie to people I don’t like or people that thought THE BREAKUP was a good movie.


Javi: Or people that went to see SEX AND THE CITY 2, but then I think this would be too brainy for them, so never mind.


Jonesy: I think the type of people that would see SEX AND THE CITY 2... this movie would hit too close to home.


Javi: Oh man Burn Of The Day! But it’s not mindless or derivative; it just doesn’t know what it wants to be.


Jonesy: And that’s why I can’t recommend this movie to anyone.


Javi: Likewise.

True Grit

True Grit

Directed: Joel Coen; Ethan Coen

Written: Joel Coen; Ethan Coen and Charles Portis (novel)

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Hailee Steinfeld

Synopsis: A tenacious girl enlists the help of the grizzled U.S. Marshall to help

find her father's killer while a Texas Ranger tags along.

Tron: Legacy

Directed by Joseph Kosinski

Written by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Garrett Hedlund, Bruce Boxleitner, Michael Sheen, and James Frain

Synopsis: Sam Flynn is transported into the computer world where his father, Kevin Flynn, has been trapped for the last twenty years.

Black Swan

Directed by Darren Arnonofsky

Written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John McLaughlin

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, and Barbara Hershey

Synopsis: An aspiring prima ballerina lands the title role in Swan Lake.  She deals with being jealous of her understudy, relationship with her mother, demanding director, and discovering the dark side of herself.

Black Swan

Jonesy- What was your gut reaction?

Javi- My gut reaction was I liked it a lot, but I still had some problems.  I will say that the last 20 minutes of the movie exemplified the word intense for me.  I don’t think I’ve ever left a movie theater with my legs shaking.

Jonesy- My reaction was very similar to yours; I was finding myself not breathing because the last 20 minutes were so intense.  Of course, I knew I was going to be biased because I love movies that involve dance.

Javi-But it almost feels like it’s bigger than that. 

Jonesy-It is bigger than that, and the more I thought about this movie, the more I find I can go deeper with it.  It’s a great discussion piece.

Javi- It’s definitely a complex and densely layered story; it reminded me of very complex electronic music, with all of these little layers that can be accentuated depending on which way one listens to it.   There are a lot of contradictions about the movie.  There is a very lose and almost documentary feel throughout, but then we see how each shot is very symbolic in obvious and deliberate ways.  That was my biggest problem with the story; it wears its symbolism and themes on its sleeve. 

Jonesy- Like I said earlier, Black Swan is such a great discussion movie.  You can break down this movie simply as a ballerina wanting to prove herself, getting the part in Swan Lake, and getting lost in the process.  Thing is the story is so deep and smart that you can take so many things from it. I really felt like I wanted to have the script and have a round table discussion to pick it apart like, “What does this scene mean? What does this clothing symbolize in the first part of the movie and in the end?” There’s so much to study about it.

Javi- I really enjoyed the different themes in the movie: the concept of perfection and if that’s something to strive for, or letting loose and going out of your comfort zone and seeing how that can have an effect on you.

Jonesy- I like the four main characters of the Nina, Lilly, Nina’s mom, and the director because they’re so dynamic, and even though this whole story is about Nina, the few points of dialogue the others do have can tell you so much about their history that you never even considered, which makes them so unique. 

Javi- Out of the supporting cast, the mom was my favorite.  There’s a lot of things to consider when you talk about her.  For example, the Mom in my head, was having an affair with a director when she was a dancer which is why Nina was born, and you, Jonesy, didn’t interpret that. There’s a huge nurturing side, but if you really want to onecan read into a more sinister and jealous side for the mom.  There’s such resentment between the mom and Nina, and that’s the way that I saw Nina relating to Lily.  That relationship is also an interesting one because you can tell that Lily was very much in awe of Nina, and she seem to want to protect her and take care of her, even if it was a little misguided. Whereas Nina sees Lilly as a threat, and yet wants to be with her.  And that’s not a sort of interaction that you see in a lot of movies. 

Jonesy- That relationship is very real to life, and all girls have had that sort of relationship before, where you work your ass off to prove yourself, and someone just swoops in and is better than you.  Then we twist everything around to always make ourselves the victim. 

Javi- What did you think of Natalie Portman's performance?

Jonesy- I’ve seen this said about her before, but I feel her performance was really brave and fearless.  First of all, she had to train for a year to dance professional ballet, and then to portray be a seemingly weak character, make the change that she does, and be completely believable throughout without her performance being too overtly dramatic.  

Javi- I will say that her performance was never bad, but it was really repetitive. I guess it’s in the nature of the story; I just wanted to point that you will see her sad. A lot.  However, it’s very necessary for this story.

Jonesy- Her meekness completely pays off in the end, especially when you see her dance the black swan part, and you can see the change in her demeanor.  That takes a badass actress to do that. 

Javi- You see that intensity at that point, which is why I left the theater shaking, and I have never seen her deliver a performance like that.  I felt like I needed a cigarette after this movie, and I don’t smoke. 

Jonesy: So, what was your overall impression?

Javi- Horror fans would be a good audience for this movie, but only the open-minded ones. I’m not actually sure who would like this movie; it feels like you have to be a movie freak.  I never feel anything in the movie is gratuitous; it always feels like there is purpose.  Anyone who wants to see a great, original movie will see this. 

Jonesy- I think you hit it in the head. If you want to see an original movie that makes you think and is kind of out there, then this is for you.  It’s a movie lover’s movie. 

Javi- It’s a movie where you can look at it in so many ways, and if you want to, you can see the most simplistic interpretation; however, if you want to poke around the movie, you will feel very satisfied and rewarded. 

Jonesy-I concur

Javi- Wholeheartedly?

Jonesy- Wholeheartedly.  

Paranormal Activity 2- He said/she said

                                                                Directed by Tod Williams

Written by Michael Perry, Christopher Landon, and Tom Pabst

Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Brian Boland, Sprague Grayden, & Molly Ephraim

Jonesy-I saw the first one a year ago before it had its wide release, and I really enjoyed it. This one is equally as fun. It has some better jump scares in my opinion, and it’s equally as entertaining. And I would say “continuity-wise” one of the better horror movie sequels.



Javi- I didn’t get to see the first one, because just like with Avatar, I felt I needed to have seen it in theater in order to get the full experience. It’s not that the story or movie itself isn’t great, but the crowd experience is what makes it. I’ll probably go back and watch the first one now that I’ve seen this one. Overall I enjoyed it because of how it built the sense of atmosphere. You see the at the beginning of the movie why there are a million cameras all around the house, and they show all of these boring establishing shots of the house at night. But by the time shit gets crazy, then you see weird little differences and that’s what makes it creepy. It’s one of the better horror movies I’ve seen. If this movie is the exact same as the original then I see why the first got all the hype that it got. Because the horror movie genre is so boring, you always kind of know what to expect. Then you get some stand-outs such as Saw, Paranormal Activity, Hostel, Blair Witch, and The Ring. All movies that kind of did something different with the genre. It didn’t always adhere to all the typcial tropes of horror movies, don’t you think so?


Jonesy-I think of the pluses of Paranormal Activity 1 & 2 and one of the reasons why I liked Blair Witch is you never see the evilness that is terrorizing all of these people. It’s funny because in most horror movies you’re building up to what the monster can be and by the end the monster always looks ridiculous. My mind is a lot scarier than anything they can produce on screen. So I really dug that you never saw it, and your mind begins to play tricks on you while you watch the movie, and you see things that aren’t there.


Javi- And I don’t know if it was just me, but there was a scene where I saw a platter full of fruits and a knife that disappeared and then came back.


Jonesy-I also loved the story. It’s very similar to the first, but the way they explain and interweave both stories together made a nice cohesive arc.


Javi-Would you like to compare it to Breaking Bad with large story arc?


Jonesy- Yea, and they were not expecting the first one to get released, and it was a miracle it came to screens. So I’m sure there were no plans to make a sequel, and the fact that the writers not only made a second movie but a cohesive second movie is a tribute to them. There’re so many sequels (I’m looking at you Saw) that get so diluted you don’t know even know who’s who or what’s going on. With that said, Paranormal Activity 3 does not need to happen.

Javi- I thought it was cool. I knew that eventually shit would go crazy, but in a way it really felt slow, it really felt like 90 minutes. Not like some movies where you really feel that the time flies by, but this one you felt like it initially dragged. This wasn’t too bad because I feel it was necessary in order to build the atmosphere. I wish I’d seen the first one because of all the little nods to the original that I was later told about. They were written in okay, but they were really transparent about it. They made so sure that they fit, and they came close but didn’t hit that level of seamlessness that would have made you think they planned the story all along. It’s not even a big complaint, and in the end when the pay off happens, you grow to appreciate all of the little moments where they try to intertwine both movies.


Jonesy-Was the pay off worth it?


Javi- I think so, and I feel if it had ended any other way it would’ve been cheap. It brought a satisfying conclusion to the two-part story

Jonesy- The biggest downfall of the movie is the characters because they’re so generic.


Javi-You mean like the cheesy upper middle class suburban girl that’s all about the Misfits?


Jonesy- It was just very typical suburban family, but I did like the fact that there was the daughter and step mom, and they have a good relationship. It’s like all the girls know there’s something going on, and the guy is cynical “all women are crazy”, and then he realizes something is up. Even though they’re very typical, they’re very believable. I liked them. The relationship, acting and dialogue had a great documentary feel.

Javi-I do have a similar complaint like you where all of the characters are just tropes, but I don’t think that the story called for a character study, and there were no Tarantino-esque sequence of dialogue. If we’re going to look at it in the sense of the movie, then it’s appropriate. I will say the most believable relationship was the baby and the dog. You see the dog is with the baby and the way she tries to protect him. Apart from that, I liked when the sisters talked. It made me realize that even though I liked their relationship, they had some shady dialogue. “Oh no something happened in the past, but wait! We can’t tell the men, even though we just said something in front of them!” I liked the fact that they really looked like they were related.  Overall, I enjoyed it; I got one good jump scare. But everything else I was lukewarm on, and once again, I would tell you to pay for this movie to be scared. You’re paying to be tense for 90 minutes, and you’ll get your money’s worth. Apparently it’s very similar to the original, and even though I haven’t seen the original, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Jonesy- I liked the movie a lot, and it’s best to see it with a lot of friends in a packed theater. Also, go at night when you see this movie, and then you won‘t even feel comfortable in your own home.



Jackass 3D

Directed by Jeff Tremaine

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Steve-O,

Ryan Dunn, Jason Acuña, Preston Lacy, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey

Premise: A group of friends performing various nasty, gruesome, and/or dangerous stunts.

 

Jackass 3D- She said

I’ve never seen any of the Jackass movies or the TV show. Obviously I haven’t lived under rock for the past ten years, so I know what the concept is. So, when I went into Jackass 3D, I was pretty prepared for what I was getting myself into. Jackass 3D will become this year’s guilty pleasure because you really shouldn’t like it. It’s a 100 minutes of a group of friends putting each other through pain and gut-wrenching antics for the pure enjoyment of seeing each other get hurt.


What I was looking forward to the most was the 3D effects because I heard the movie was actually shot for 3D instead of up converted later. During some of the stunts, the 3D was used very well to show depth within the picture, but I feel that the movie could’ve used even more 3D-ness. The best uses of 3D were the opening and closing sequences with all the cast getting walloped in slow motion. I felt like I was in the room with them and was afraid debris might hit me in the face at any moment.

Knowing how long this franchise has gone on, I honestly don’t know how in the world these guys are still in one piece. Some of the antics and stunts that they come up are pretty fun and creative (of course, I’m not insane or insured enough to even attempt any of these), but I will have to say even with a pretty strong stomach, there are few antics that almost made my dinner come up.

Surprisingly the movie actually comes away with a lot of heart. Their credit sequence in great because of the nostalgia factor it plays to. You get to see all the main cast and crew who have been with the franchise over the years with their baby pictures. Plus, they show some home videos of their earlier days when Steve-O was getting his start by jumping off his roof onto his trampoline in the backyard with a painful ending. It’s actually kind of sweet. These band of misfits found understanding, respect, and love (though tainted and odd as it may be) with each other. Do I understand it completely? No, but that’s not the point. They understand each other, and in the end, that’s all that matters.

This movie is fun with a huge group of friends opening weekend or playing in the background at a party. Having never seen the first two, this movie didn’t make me want to go see them, but I still had fun. Some may not have the stomach for some of more gross stunts, so just be prepared. But I have a feeling if you are excited and a fan of Jackass, you will not be disappointed.

Jackass 3D- He said

Jackass 3D is probably the most difficult thing I’ve had to write.  This movie connects with a certain audience, and it probably won’t gain any new fans since it’s basically the same concept as the show and the movies.  The big deal here is that this is probably one of the few movies that were shot for 3D without post-conversion and more importantly without a ton of CG.  I will say that Jackass 3D is either a movie full of pranks full of fecal matter or the greatest commentary on Peter Pan syndrome ever.



I’ve only saw the first movie in theaters.  I have nothing against these sorts of movies either; I just never really cared for them is all, but whenever it was announced that this next one would be in 3D, I got excited for the possibilities.  This was ironically the most underused aspect of the film.  For those of you thinking you’re going to get shot in the face with paintballs coming at you, you will be severely disappointed.  Yes, there is 3D in this movie, but it’s closer to the subtle depth effect created for movies such as Toy Story 3 or Up.  There are some stunts which I don’t necessarily want to “spoil” for you guys that make great use of the effect, and you can tell that they took great time and care coupled with great technical skills to make these shots happen.  However, the rest of the time I was left thinking how ripped off I would’ve felt paying the extra money for the effect. 


What will sell this movie to people are the humor and the stunts.  What you do see is how sad half of these guys, especially Steve-O and Bam, look like they really don’t want to be there which makes their respective stunts even more hilarious or just plain tragic.  You couple that with the end sequence where they show baby pictures of the crew, and it’s almost a little tragic that their lives have all led up to this. The first half of the movie is a complete riot. I’m not sure if I’ve gotten prude in my old age (25) but after a particular skit, I was so grossed out it killed a lot of the enjoyment out of the second half of the movie for me.  With that said those of you that are mentally prepared or are fans of the show know what’s up and will have a great time.  I will say that the opening and closing sequence/credits were some of the highlights of humor and use of 3D. 

I can’t recommend Jackass 3D for people that are even remotely on the fence about it or are not fans of the show.  I’d recommend seeing it in a matinee or a 2D screening if possible.  Otherwise fans of the show know what they’re getting themselves into and will probably have a great time.  Oh and please be a decent human being and don’t bring CHILDREN to this.  They have no business seeing this many penises. 

Catfish

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

Starring: Megan Faccio, Nev Schulman, and Rel Schulman

Synopsis: Nev is a photographer in New York starts recieving paintings of his photos from 9 year old Abby from Michigan.  As he grows closer to the whole family, he starts to realize that things aren't always as they appear.

 

Catfish- He said (Spoiler free)

Documentaries and first person camera movies seem to be the hot ticket this year. This makes sense, given our obsessive nature as a culture to document every aspect of our lives in as many mediums as possible. Earlier this year, we had Exit Through The Gift Shop, a documentary about street art that might or might not have been fabricated in order to make a meta-commentary about the state of modern art. As recently as last week, we had I’m Still Here, the Joaquin Phoenix documentary, that turned out to be false. Now we have Catfish. The story of people trying to make connections over the Internet is not necessarily original. The way that it’s presented here, the story becomes really interesting look at relationships over the Internet. The validity of this movie is in question, due to what some say is the almost scripted nature of the mystery. But unlike I’m Still Here, the message of this movie is not hindered by its validity.


I loved the way that this movie was shot, with the production values being very cheap. Nev, the main character, is a very likable dude living in New York as an artsy photographer just minding his own business. When Abby starts to send him paintings of his work, he becomes rather attached to the girl’s family. Not sure if his empathy is real, but I find it interesting how much he likes this family, just from their online presence. When it comes to talking to the older sister, Megan, who Nev develops a crush on, the movie takes an accelerated pace. We see Nev talk to Megan on the phone, and he’s talking about how much he likes her. You laugh at Nev, but I’m sure you’ve met people that have thought that they’ve made a “real” connection over the Internet. And this is where the movie gets interesting.


If it were to have many flaws is that the story itself has no dramatic tension or pull, even when it gets at its most tense, you never get a sense of true conflict. This is just a series of events happening, which some people might find boring.


I can’t really spoil anything, which is making this terribly hard to write, but after a certain point the movie takes a turn for the weird. It’s not scary like the trailers make it out to be. But I believe that it is making an important statement about how we develop relationships in this day and age. Depending on your point of view, it will take on to a whole different meaning. I’m rather conflicted on it, seeing as the reason I’m writing this is because of relationships and friends I’ve made over twitter. Not sure what this says about me, but it will be different for everyone, which I believe is the greatest strength of this movie.

Catfish- She said (MAJOR SPOILERS)

Okay, I’m prefacing this by saying that I cannot talk about this movie without MAJOR SPOILERS. Pretty much this is a discussion piece more than a review, so if you don’t want to be spoiled…stop reading, go see the movie, then come back and finish the article. :)




So let me start off by saying that I actually really enjoyed Catfish. I felt that the movie was very moving and tragic. In the end, the story had nothing to do with the premise that you’re given. The basic story is about Nev, who is a photographer, and Abby, a nine year old artist, and how their relationship starts and how Nev’s relationships with Abby’s family evolves and comes to be. In the end, Nev (and his documentary making buddies), go to meet Abby, her mom Angela, sister Megan (who Nev has had an online/phone relationship with), and the end results of that meeting.


Now within the first part of the movie, you can tell where the story is going. You know that Abby probably doesn’t paint Nev’s photographs. But the real heart of the story happens when Nev finally meets Angela. He gets a look into her life. She’s a stay-at-home mom of Abby and two step sons with debilitating disorders, and she’s had to give up her dreams of painting professionally because her family had to come first. It’s the classic situation of choosing between family and career. So, in order to maintain some sanity, Angela found some of Nev’s photos and began to paint and send them to him. That doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary.

Then, the more Nev gets closer to Angela’s daughter Megan through Facebook, phone calls, and texting, he begins to see inconsistencies in Megan, Angela and even Abby. Anytime Nev calls, Abby is mysteriously not there or asleep. He finally gets to talk to her once, but only for about a minute. When he travels to see Megan, the address she claims is her farm is vacant. When he asks Abby about painting, she says she doesn’t paint much, and she hasn’t seen her sister in a long time. So, finally Nev confronts Angela about everything, and she admits to painting the paintings, pretending to be Megan on the phone (Angela has two phones for such purposes), and admits to Nev how miserable she is but understands that being a mother is her job.

During this confession, your heart breaks for Angela. She is stuck. I mean like really stuck in her situation. There is literally no hope for her to escape and pursue her dreams. So, she created this alternate world for herself that she lives online. Her story of how she escapes her life makes you wonder how many people do the same thing now because of how easily accessible social networks are nowadays.

Initially I thought I was going to feel for Nev, and I did a little, but Angela became the more tragic character for me. I couldn’t imagine being that hopeless that creating another life online would help me stay sane. In the end, the movie comments more about the relationships that develop through social mediums. Now, what’s great is, depending on your experiences, there’s so much you can take from this movie. It’s a fabulous conversation piece. Sure, there’s speculations of how much of the movie is real/fabricated, but I don’t find that important because the message is still the same.

Machete

Directed by Ethan Maniquis/Robert Rodriguez

Written By Robert Rodriguez and Alvaro Rodriguez

Starring: Danny Trejo, Robert DeNiro, Steven Seagal, Jessica Alba, and Michelle Rodriguez

Synopsis: After he is betrayed by the Mexican government and his family is killed by a ruthless drug lord, Ex-Federale "Machete" is a fugitive in Texas. Living as a day laborer, he is contracted to kill a Texas senator, but he was set up. Now on the run, he is out to get vengeance on those that betrayed him.

Machete- He said

Back in the college days, I had a date (at least I think it was) with a nice lady friend. My problem was what kind of movie to take her to. To my surprise, she decided on Grindhouse; the super risky movie made by pals Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, where they pay homage to old cheap exploitation and grindhouse films of the 70’s. I loved the films, even if I couldn’t appreciate Death Proof at the time, and so did she. What we talked about the most afterwards was the possibility of turning the fake trailers that were played before and in between into the movies. Directors such as Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, and Edgar Wright all contributed to this project. Well, this week we have what is the first of those fake trailer movies with Robert Rodriguez’s Machete. Starring Danny Trejo as his first leading role along with a cast that is wide and varied; this is a fun, gore-filled action movie.

Danny Trejo is the Mexican everyone sees in all movies. He’s like Stephen Tobolowsky in that he is “that guy”, and it’s a shame because, in my opinion, he does a fine job as a leading man. One of the things that I really dug is that it kept with messy film look that Planet Terror and Death Proof had but didn’t over-do it. Seeing as Rodriguez loves Austin, it was great to see so many of the iconic buildings and locations around the city being used. The movie almost reminded me of Shane Carruth’s Primer, in that it contains very adaptive sets and locations, contributing to that rough look and feel of the film. Also the movie does recreate almost everything from the fake trailer as a cool bonus.

The action sequences felt fresh and ridiculously gruesome. Those that don’t have the stomach for a lot of gore might want to stay away. While it is very violent, it’s so ridiculous that you almost can’t help but laugh, either way my warning still stands. The widely varied cast makes this movie a tons of fun. Seeing Jeff Fahey in something other than Lost was refreshing, as well as seeing Steven Seagal in movie that is actually in theaters! Jonesy and I saw it in a packed house and the audience responded to some of the best gags and cameos and it made the experience all that much better, so try seeing it on a Friday night.

A big complaint was the casting of Jessica Alba; she is as cheesy and awful in way that she was the most unbelievable aspect in a totally far-fetched movie and it ruined a bit of the movie for me. Finally, the biggest thing that bothered me was this war/revolutionary tone that the movie takes while commenting on illegal immigration. As a Mexican immigrant with dual citizenship, this has never been an issue for me, but something that I follow closely, and if Robert Rodriguez wanted to comment and do “good” with this movie, I feel this was probably not the way to go. I understand that the context of the revolution and battle talk is directed towards a particularly nasty group of vigilantes, but I feel people might get the wrong impression and put some bad thoughts in their heads.

Overall, Machete is well worth the price of admission, and even if the audience it caters to is a niche one. It succeeds in making a ridiculously bloody action movie full of great scenes with a great cast. Let’s hope that Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving isn’t the last we see of these fake trailers being turned into movies.

Machete- She said

I never actually saw Grindhouse. I know…horrible of me. So, I went into Machete not really knowing anything about it except it was a “trailer” before Grindhouse, and this guy, Machete, kills with machetes. Literally, that’s all I knew. So, when the movie started the opening sequence had me laughing, I knew this was going to be a wild ride of a movie.


Machete is ridiculously fun. It’s balls the wall blood, guts and action. I could describe to you the plot, but it really doesn’t matter. It’s all about the style. It’s gritty and dirty and hot. The action scenes completely fresh and fun and includes one the best ways to swing into a window I’ve ever seen in a movie. Even though the movie is very stylized, all the action is easy to follow. It doesn’t get weighted down by too many fast cuts.

One of my favorite aspects of the movie is how even the small “throw away” characters were all dynamic in their own way. There’s a pretty hilarious scene between body guards that almost speaks to the what most people think about illegal immigrants. Also, the movie treats many stereotypes in a respectful yet funny way. Balance it takes to create a scene where a Mexican comes running into a fight with an ice cream cart and not have the audience be offended takes real talent. There’s so much politically incorrectness that it gives Bill Maher a run for his money. The movie makes a strong comment on today’s immigration situation and the lengths people will go to on either side of the debate. What’s different about Machete is both sides are very extreme in their standings, very extreme.

For me, there were so many surprises in terms of casting, I found it really enjoyable not knowing who all was in the movie before I saw it. And it’s funny as hell. I mean really, really funny. Machete almost fits into the new category of “cheesy, fun” movies. I know it probably won’t make my top of the year list, but I feel like it’ll deserve a mentioning. Part of the reason I enjoyed the movie so much is crowd I saw it with. The theatre was packed with crazy Grindhouse fans who were ready for a good time and knew what cheesiness we were about to watch. This is a movie to see with your friends on a packed opening weekend. It’s smutty, gory fun for everyone.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Directed by Edgar Wright

Written by Edgar Wright, Michael Bacall, and Bryan Lee O'Malley (comics)

Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh, and Jason Schwartzman

Synopsis: In order to date Ramona Flowers, Scott Pilgrim must defeat her seven evil exes out to destroy him.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World- she said

Sometimes we forget to have fun at the movies. Or the movies that are suppose to be “fun” end up being very forgettable and lackluster. I am honestly tired of those movies. I can’t remember the last time I left a movie smiling because I spent the whole time laughing and thoroughly enjoying myself. Then, I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.


This movie is just plain fun. Fun, fun, fun. It’s non-stop hilariousness, with a copious amount of heart and a splash of coke zero mixed with hair dye…oh and people exploding into coins. It’s flashy, gaudy, cheesy, unique and feels like you just stepped out of a pop-art exhibit or an Atari video game.

Now, I was told by my cohort, Javi, that I needed to read the books because they were epic. I agreed to read them because he’s never suggested a graphic book that I’ve disliked (well, the only other was Watchmen, but still), so I gave the books a shot. And the most notable thing about the books are they made me laugh, literally, out loud. So, when I heard there was a movie being made, I got really excited. But were they going to keep the campiness that is woven throughout the books? After all, the books are basically about a 23 year old falling in love, but in this world, any character can break out into a Mortal Kombat-ish fight, and when defeated, will burst into coins.

I am happy to say that yes, the movie keeps the heart and campiness that the books possess. And you would think that this would seem weird or out of place for fights to break out, but no, in this world, it seems perfectly normal. Everything detail in here is so unique and fun, it almost requires a second viewing to catch everything. Sometimes I found myself laughing so hard, I think I missed some things.

What I enjoyed about the movie is how accurately it captured the awkwardness that life is for a jobless, semi-hopeless, looking-for-love twenty-something. Now Scott is dating 17 year old, Knives, who is way more into him than he is to her. But he keeps dreaming about a girl, Ramona, who he later and very awkwardly tries to pick up at a party. All the while, he’s in a band with his friends trying to find their big break. Ramona seems to dig him. Why…I’m not exactly sure, but they seem to hit it off. Then trouble comes. Ramona is apparently THAT girl which exes have a problem getting over. There are seven of her exes that Scott has to defeat in order to even date her.

So that’s Scott’s quest. Not an easy one when two of her exes are Chris Evans and Brandon Routh. It’s hard to pick which ex was my favorite because they’re all extreme in their own ways. Chris Evans channels his inner-douchey action star who’s too big for his own britches, while Brandon Routh is the clean-cut, perfect Vegan who gained his powers from being Vegan (maybe I should think about that). All the other exes are just a quirky, but they were my favorite.

Also, when did Michael Cera become an action star? I mean, this is the kid from Arrested Development and Juno who has become trapped as playing himself in every movie. Here, he is able to take a different route and actually play a believable love interest and action hero. Weird, I know, but he does it.

Also, the parade of supporting characters completely embody the epicness of the books. Many of them have amazing one-liners and subtleties within their scenes that make this movie one of the most unique movies of the year. Pilgrim’s roommate, Wallace Wells (played by Kieran Culkin), kept me in stitches. Every thing he says is so perfectly placed and timed, he has such a future in comedy.

At its core, Scott Pilgrim is a coming of age story. It’s kind of like Garden State, except if Garden State was set in a video game inspired by Andy Warhol. It’s about trying to find yourself and actually being happy; it’s about trying to let go of the past and facing the past if it interrupts your life; it’s about, literally, fighting for what you want; and it’s about second chances. The movie explores all of these situations with a fresh and original take.  It will definitly speak to the under 30s, but I'm not sure how it was play to older audiences.  People will embrace it for it's unique style and visual eye-candy, and I just hope they see past the campiness and are able to embrace the film.  It’s loaded with heart and humor and is easily one of the most fun movies of the year.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World- he said

     2010 has been a dreadful year for movies in general. Movie stars are not commanding the same box office power they once held; esteemed blockbuster producers are failing all around, and all the meanwhile, moviegoers keep getting charged more to see extra dark “3D” movies that look like a graphic design student’s first project. Even though I digress, there are still really great movies here and there. (Inception was obviously one of them). This is why it is exciting to see a movie like Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World that comes out to show people the fun times that can be had at a movie. On its surface, the movie is about a lazy and kind of dickish protagonist, Scott Pilgrim (Cera not playing Cera for once), trying to win the heart of the wonderfully alluring Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) by fighting her seven evil exes. But it is so much more; with its fast paced sense of humor, its entertaining visuals that add to the hilarity and deceptively deep story, Scott Pilgrim is my most recommended movie of the year.



     To preface, I will say that I have been a fan of the books and have read the entire series, so walking into this I had a bit of an idea of what this would look and feel like. It goes to say, that this is a great adaptation of the source material, and even if it doesn’t maintain the exact same events of the comics, it does keep the spirit. Director Edgar Wright has made what I imagine could very well be our generation’s version of The Graduate (Oh snap! Did I just go there?) This mirrors my generation’s overall feelings of confusion and uncertainty all while trying to find our meaning in this fast-paced world. The set and costume design was like seeing the book on screen, in the best way possible. The music is a particularly high point for me because the movie highlights three of my favorite artists, Beck, Broken Social Scene, and Metric. They all contributed music which masqueraded as the in-universe bands. Coupled with Nigel Godrich scoring (psst he’s Radiohead’s main producer for those that don’t know), you have aural and visual treats keeping you so busy you need to see this movie again.

     But what about the actors? I know everyone has the same complaint about Michael Cera at this point, and I will say he finally doesn’t play himself! I never saw Youth In Revolt, but I almost feel that this is an evolution of that role, where they said he was breaking away from playing the same tired character. In the comic, Scott is clueless, cocky and all the while being childish and a bit insecure of himself (why else would he date a high school girl?), and I have to say that Cera channels him well. When he hits on Ramona, there’s shyness to him, but he’s no Paulie Bleeker (his character in Juno). Plus! he does pretty amazing fight moves; hell the final battle is worth the price of admission alone, but I will say I am not 100% how much of the stunts he did himself. Among the large and awesome cast, Kieran Culkin, who plays his awesome gay roommate Wallace Wells, steals the show constantly from Scott. Ellen Wong, who plays Knives Chau, Scott’s high school girlfriend, is not annoying like in the book, and this makes her character all the better. Out of the evil exes, my favorite had to be Chris Evans as Lucas Lee, an overtly cocky movie star/skater, because his one-liners are amazing. And since I hated him so much, Jason Schwartzman, as Gideon, does a good job of making Gideon a complete tool, though I will say he’s basically the same character that he played from Funny People, which is getting old.

     As far as the story goes, the fans of the books will be greatly pleased. There are many times during the first 30 minutes of the movie where scenes are recreated perfectly from the books, giving you that awesome feeling that some people might’ve gotten from Watchmen. After that, the movie goes off into its own unique but good direction. This makes sense since the first draft of the movie was already done when the third book was released. The only time that the change of the story really bothered me was the final battle and the ending. While it was great, compared to the battle and ending of the book it felt a bit lacking. But this feels like a little fan boy nitpick.

     Even though I might be forgiving in ending of the movie, the editing and transitioning between scenes was a little strange at times, and might be off putting for some people. It’s very stream-of-consciousness, but if people aren’t familiar with the style of the book or “get” the movie, they will not like it. And in a weird way, I have a bit of a problem in how Scott and Ramona’s relationship starts. In the book, the relationship feels more organic, whereas the movie was just her liking him for no real reason, and maybe she was a bit frisky, but who knows. All of these are just personal quirks against it; it feels nothing major when compared to how big the applause was after both of the screenings I went to.

     For anyone that grew up loving video games, pop culture, and copious amounts of Mountain Dew and wants a movie with great fight scenes, visuals, and even a smarter-than-the-average-bear romantic comedy, go see Scott Pilgrim. Edgar Wright has managed to make not only an entertaining and hilarious movie, but also one that I believe speaks to a lot of twenty-somethings right now. While I noticed that a lot of older people in my screening liked the movie, the potentially niche appeal this movie has might be killer at the box office. Out of all of the movies coming out this week, Scott Pilgrim is the only that manages to be either original or entertaining.