Margin Call (2011)
***
Dir: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Zachary Quinto, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Simon Baker
While there aren't exactly any villains (cinematically speaking), there sure as hell aren't any heroes in this story of a Lehman Brothers-like investment firm on the brink of 2008's economic meltdown. Just about every character is fairly despicable, but that doesn't make them any less compelling.
I'm aware that Zachary Quinto is not yet a household name, but between this and his fantastic recent guest appearance on FX's gloriously batshit American Horror Story he feels like a star in the making. Here he's Peter Sullivan, a risk analyst who makes a discovery that quickly works its way up his firm's chain of command, culminating in an all-night series of meetings that spell doom for the firm and its shareholders. It's an unshowy role despite the importance of his character, and Quinto nails the balance of brains, fear and greed that drives Sullivan.
Spacey also delivers one of his least showy performances in years as the hapless middle-manager, caught between wanting to look like a good guy and wanting to actually be a decent person. Towards the final third of the movie the focus shifts a bit from Quinto to Spacey which would be frustrating if Spacey wasn't so good.
Paul Bettany is wormily effective as Sullivan's new boss (after 80% of the workforce is let go in the opening scene), and most of the movie's best lines come from him. Demi Moore is also very good as another middle manager, and Simon Baker is appropriately oily as the firm's second in command.
If you're looking for true smiling-while-I'm-burying-a-knife-in-your-back-and-probably-also-your-front-but-ain't-I-so-nice-despite-it-all false charm (and yes, I'm aware that true false charm is an oxymoron, but it's my blog so I can do what I want), look no further than the great Jeremy Irons as the head of the company. Few people play insidiously disarming well, but Irons has gotta be in the top five, minimum.
The script is smart, and it's refreshing that it trusts the audience to keep up. Admittedly, there are a few moments where characters speak in great globs of infodump, but it serves the story and doesn't get too distracting.
It feels wrong to call it a thriller, but there is a propulsive sense of escalation that holds your interest throughout, despite the lack of anyone to root for. Like I said in the beginning, there are no heroes and every single character is driven only by greed and/or self-interest, but the story is well-told and the performances are all very much worth watching.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
"Frog Dog"
The Hard Way (1991)
**1/2
Dir: John Badham
Starring: Michael J. Fox, James Woods, Annabella Sciorra, Stephen Lang
MPAA: R
Remember everything I said about why Midnight Run worked so well? Well, this isn't that.
Michael J. Fox is Nick Lang, a pampered Hollywood star who wants to shadow hardened cop John Moss (James Woods, clearly having fun) to prepare for a more serious role than the untouchable superhero adventurer he became famous for playing. Moss is on the trail of The Party Crasher (professional crazy person Stephen Lang), a killer with a fondness for taunting cops.
Fox is likable and has decent chemistry with Woods, but it's difficult to buy him as the Tom Cruise-style pretty boy that he's playing. There are a few funny moments (and Penny Marshall is great in a tiny role as his exasperated manager), but the movie can't seem to figure out if it wants to be a comedic spoof of Hollywood clichés or generic buddy action movie #8347, so it never manages to fully become either one.
Annabella Sciorra has a fairly thankless role as Moss's girlfriend who goes to Lang for relationship advice, thinking he knows Moss better than anybody else. Sciorra has a nice easy chemistry with Fox, but very little with Woods which also doesn't help the case that the movie is trying to present.
Stephen Lang is given very little to do as the villain (except one memorably oddball moment that finds him at home in one of those green facial mud-masks, chewing bubble gum and yelling at a clip of Moss on his computer), without enough dialogue or interaction with Moss to feel like a credible threat (or even, you know, a human character).
While not a bad movie, it's not easy to recommend when there are so many great overlooked action-comedies out there like Running Scared or Midnight Run (maybe the secret is just to have the word "run" somewhere in your title). Don't go out of your way to see it, but if you stumble upon it on late-night cable, you could do worse.
**1/2
Dir: John Badham
Starring: Michael J. Fox, James Woods, Annabella Sciorra, Stephen Lang
MPAA: R
Remember everything I said about why Midnight Run worked so well? Well, this isn't that.
Michael J. Fox is Nick Lang, a pampered Hollywood star who wants to shadow hardened cop John Moss (James Woods, clearly having fun) to prepare for a more serious role than the untouchable superhero adventurer he became famous for playing. Moss is on the trail of The Party Crasher (professional crazy person Stephen Lang), a killer with a fondness for taunting cops.
Fox is likable and has decent chemistry with Woods, but it's difficult to buy him as the Tom Cruise-style pretty boy that he's playing. There are a few funny moments (and Penny Marshall is great in a tiny role as his exasperated manager), but the movie can't seem to figure out if it wants to be a comedic spoof of Hollywood clichés or generic buddy action movie #8347, so it never manages to fully become either one.
Annabella Sciorra has a fairly thankless role as Moss's girlfriend who goes to Lang for relationship advice, thinking he knows Moss better than anybody else. Sciorra has a nice easy chemistry with Fox, but very little with Woods which also doesn't help the case that the movie is trying to present.
Stephen Lang is given very little to do as the villain (except one memorably oddball moment that finds him at home in one of those green facial mud-masks, chewing bubble gum and yelling at a clip of Moss on his computer), without enough dialogue or interaction with Moss to feel like a credible threat (or even, you know, a human character).
While not a bad movie, it's not easy to recommend when there are so many great overlooked action-comedies out there like Running Scared or Midnight Run (maybe the secret is just to have the word "run" somewhere in your title). Don't go out of your way to see it, but if you stumble upon it on late-night cable, you could do worse.
"I'm a white collar criminal"
Midnight Run (1988)
***1/2
Dir: Martin Brest
Starring: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, John Ashton
I'm kind of torn about this one. De Niro and Grodin play off of each other incredibly well as a bounty hunter and captive, respectively...but I'm also afraid this may be the movie that led De Niro to believe that he could do comedy, which in turn led to The Adventures Of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Showtime, and even worse those goddamn Fockers movies.
Those crimes against humanity notwithstanding, Midnight Run is a great action-comedy. De Niro is Jack Walsh, a bounty hunter tasked with bringing milquetoast accountant Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas cross-country to testify against a mobster that he embezzled $15 million from. Naturally, their personalities clash all the while, even as they grow to begrudgingly respect each other.
The stellar supporting cast includes Yaphet Kotto as the imposing FBI agent on their trail, Dennis Farina and his awesome sweaters as the head mobster, John Ashton as a rival bounty hunter, and Joe Pantoliano (with the worst combover of his career) as the bail bondsman calling the shots.
Everyone in the cast gets their moments to shine, and the movie never gets overwhelmed by all the characters or their various double-and-triple-crosses.
There's plenty of action, but the dialogue is consistently fast and funny, never letting one tone overshadow the other. Despite the comedy, Walsh and The Duke feel like real people, not just constructs of a clever screenplay. Even with the tremendous amount of buddy-action movies released in the wake of 48 Hrs and Lethal Weapon, this one stands out as smart, funny, and exciting. Well worth a look.
***1/2
Dir: Martin Brest
Starring: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, John Ashton
I'm kind of torn about this one. De Niro and Grodin play off of each other incredibly well as a bounty hunter and captive, respectively...but I'm also afraid this may be the movie that led De Niro to believe that he could do comedy, which in turn led to The Adventures Of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Showtime, and even worse those goddamn Fockers movies.
Those crimes against humanity notwithstanding, Midnight Run is a great action-comedy. De Niro is Jack Walsh, a bounty hunter tasked with bringing milquetoast accountant Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas cross-country to testify against a mobster that he embezzled $15 million from. Naturally, their personalities clash all the while, even as they grow to begrudgingly respect each other.
The stellar supporting cast includes Yaphet Kotto as the imposing FBI agent on their trail, Dennis Farina and his awesome sweaters as the head mobster, John Ashton as a rival bounty hunter, and Joe Pantoliano (with the worst combover of his career) as the bail bondsman calling the shots.
Everyone in the cast gets their moments to shine, and the movie never gets overwhelmed by all the characters or their various double-and-triple-crosses.
There's plenty of action, but the dialogue is consistently fast and funny, never letting one tone overshadow the other. Despite the comedy, Walsh and The Duke feel like real people, not just constructs of a clever screenplay. Even with the tremendous amount of buddy-action movies released in the wake of 48 Hrs and Lethal Weapon, this one stands out as smart, funny, and exciting. Well worth a look.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The Fly (1986)
The Fly - ****
Dir: David Cronenberg
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz
MPAA: R
I might as well start with one of my favorites. The story is fairly uncomplicated...scientist Seth Brundle (Goldblum) invents a device that allows him to transport matter from one place to another. He transports himself without realizing that a fly got into the telepod with him, and since the computer doesn't recognize them as separate beings, it combines them at a molecular level.
What follows is a gruesome, horrifying allegory for cancer, AIDS, or any other degenerative disease you can think of. As we watch Brundle's body break down (with the help of outstanding make-up effects courtesy of Chris Walas) we are forced to confront our own mortality, our own inevitable loss of control over our bodies. Even under heavy prosthetics, Goldblum is mesmerizing, able to convey brains and pathos in equal measure. Davis is well-matched with him as journalist and love interest Veronica Quaife, and Getz is a blast as her sleazy editor and former lover Stathis Borans, which may just be the greatest name in the history of movies. Seriously, say it with me: Stathis Borans!
The film is a remake of a 1958 creature-feature starring David Hedison and Vincent Price, and while the original's not a bad movie, Cronenberg's version is a masterpiece. I saw it for the first time on VHS when I was about 13, and I had already seen the original once or twice. In the original, Hedison emerges from the telepod with the head and claw of a fly, and has no further dialogue. I was shocked when Goldblum stepped out of the telepod looking no different than he did when he went in. By making the change happen gradually, Cronenberg and co-screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue lent a sense of tragedy to the story that elevates it from a simple monster movie to a harrowing story of loss.
Nobody does body horror quite like Cronenberg, and his clinical approach to the material grounds it in reality while also scaring the ever-lovin' shit out of you. In today's era of soulless cash-in remakes (I'm looking at you, Platinum Dunes) it's gratifying to remember that sometimes a remake truly can bring something fresh and exciting to the table, preserving the spirit of the original work without being a carbon copy.
Even 25 years later, the movie still has the power to captivate, horrify, and possibly make you throw up. How could you ask for more than that?
Dir: David Cronenberg
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz
MPAA: R
I might as well start with one of my favorites. The story is fairly uncomplicated...scientist Seth Brundle (Goldblum) invents a device that allows him to transport matter from one place to another. He transports himself without realizing that a fly got into the telepod with him, and since the computer doesn't recognize them as separate beings, it combines them at a molecular level.
What follows is a gruesome, horrifying allegory for cancer, AIDS, or any other degenerative disease you can think of. As we watch Brundle's body break down (with the help of outstanding make-up effects courtesy of Chris Walas) we are forced to confront our own mortality, our own inevitable loss of control over our bodies. Even under heavy prosthetics, Goldblum is mesmerizing, able to convey brains and pathos in equal measure. Davis is well-matched with him as journalist and love interest Veronica Quaife, and Getz is a blast as her sleazy editor and former lover Stathis Borans, which may just be the greatest name in the history of movies. Seriously, say it with me: Stathis Borans!
The film is a remake of a 1958 creature-feature starring David Hedison and Vincent Price, and while the original's not a bad movie, Cronenberg's version is a masterpiece. I saw it for the first time on VHS when I was about 13, and I had already seen the original once or twice. In the original, Hedison emerges from the telepod with the head and claw of a fly, and has no further dialogue. I was shocked when Goldblum stepped out of the telepod looking no different than he did when he went in. By making the change happen gradually, Cronenberg and co-screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue lent a sense of tragedy to the story that elevates it from a simple monster movie to a harrowing story of loss.
Nobody does body horror quite like Cronenberg, and his clinical approach to the material grounds it in reality while also scaring the ever-lovin' shit out of you. In today's era of soulless cash-in remakes (I'm looking at you, Platinum Dunes) it's gratifying to remember that sometimes a remake truly can bring something fresh and exciting to the table, preserving the spirit of the original work without being a carbon copy.
Even 25 years later, the movie still has the power to captivate, horrify, and possibly make you throw up. How could you ask for more than that?
Wanna Be Startin' Something
Welcome! I'm JP, and I'm gonna start this blog on a bit of a maudlin note, but I promise it won't stay that way. The purpose of this is to talk about movies, but that won't really start until the next post. The thing is, my grandpa died earlier this week. His name was Seymour (which is why Little Shop Of Horrors was a popular movie in my family and gave this blog its name and address), he was 88 years old, and I have been incredibly fortunate to have been able to know him for 35 of those years. I've been a movie buff my whole life, and he always encouraged me to talk and (especially) write about movies.
When I was in college, I would go to the movies as often as possible, usually several times per week. Every week, my grandfather requested that I e-mail reviews to him of everything I saw. He always encouraged me to keep writing about movies, and to keep him and my grandma updated on whatever was worth their time.
My grandpa had macular degeneration, and as a result he went blind over the last couple of years. Even though he couldn't physically see movies anymore, he still always wanted to know what I thought of them, and what was out there that would have appealed to him. The last movie I was able to see with him was J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot, which we both had a lot of fun with.
As much as I'm going to miss talking movies with grandpa, I'll always be grateful for the times we had, and for the talks we shared. This blog should pretty accurately reflect the reviews I sent to him back in my college days, except it won't only be for theatrical releases. Any time I watch a movie, I plan to write about it here. My reviews are pretty informal, and fairly rambly (as I imagine you have already gathered from this intro post). I use a four-star rating system, and while horror is my favorite genre, I'm open to any kind of movie, so if you have any suggestions of movies you'd like me to see or to write about, please post them in the comments. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy these as much as my grandpa always did.
When I was in college, I would go to the movies as often as possible, usually several times per week. Every week, my grandfather requested that I e-mail reviews to him of everything I saw. He always encouraged me to keep writing about movies, and to keep him and my grandma updated on whatever was worth their time.
My grandpa had macular degeneration, and as a result he went blind over the last couple of years. Even though he couldn't physically see movies anymore, he still always wanted to know what I thought of them, and what was out there that would have appealed to him. The last movie I was able to see with him was J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot, which we both had a lot of fun with.
As much as I'm going to miss talking movies with grandpa, I'll always be grateful for the times we had, and for the talks we shared. This blog should pretty accurately reflect the reviews I sent to him back in my college days, except it won't only be for theatrical releases. Any time I watch a movie, I plan to write about it here. My reviews are pretty informal, and fairly rambly (as I imagine you have already gathered from this intro post). I use a four-star rating system, and while horror is my favorite genre, I'm open to any kind of movie, so if you have any suggestions of movies you'd like me to see or to write about, please post them in the comments. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy these as much as my grandpa always did.
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