04.15.2010 | By Jack Rico |
*Updated April 2026
We all know the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses,” and so does first-time writer and director Darrick Borte, who uses it as the basis for his debut The Joneses. Borte highlights modern society’s materialistic obsessions while postulating how out-of-control marketing campaigns have become. Consumers have become like children, seeing something and immediately wanting it. Read More
04.8.2010 | By Jack Rico |
‘La Mission’ is by far one of the best feel-good movies of the young year. The charm and warmth of its ensemble cast sets it apart from the rest of the films I’ve seen of 2010. Benjamin Bratt delivers what I consider the best performance of his career, and even though Ben’s writer/director brother, Peter Bratt’s direction doesn’t raise eyebrows, the script holds an allure that is contagious and genuine.
‘La Mission’ is the story of Che Rivera, played wonderfully by Benjamin Bratt, a San Francisco bus driver respected in his Mission district barrio for building beautiful low rider cars, yet feared for his tough and machismo ways. A reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic, Che’s path to redemption is tested when he discovers that his pride and joy– his only child, Jesse (Jeremy Ray Valdez) is gay. In a homophobic rage, Che violently beats his son, disowning him. Out of pride, Che loses his son – the “best friend he’s got†– and once again loses himself. Emotionally broken and vulnerable, Che is left isolated and alone. In a cathartic moment on the mean streets of the Mission, Che realizes that his patriarchal pride is meaningless to him, and that in order to maintain it, he has sacrificed the one thing that he cherishes most – love.
For those thinking that this is a Latino film, it is not. It never felt like one. It is just an American story about a specific subculture of people, in this case Chicanos, going through issues in their neighborhood of Mission, San Francisco. That they happen to be of Latino descent is irrelevant. Anyone, of any background can enjoy this film. It’s actually as American as it gets. My view of America isn’t ‘Leave it Beaver’ or ‘Father Knows Best,’ it’s this movie.
The story’s genuineness and humility pierces right through the screen. Its simplicity should not be taken as a defect, but should be viewed as its strength. Some of my favorite movies possess some of the simplest stories I’ve seen such as Vittorio De Sica’s ‘The Bicycle Thief,’ Giuseppe Tornatore’s ‘Cinema Paradiso’ and Michael Radford’s ‘Il Postino.’
You’re going to fall in love with this film – the characters are easy to like and the vibe is cool. This is a movie that comes from the heart and it’s those projects that stay with you long after you left the theater.
04.7.2010 | By SBC Staff |
The new action comedy ‘Date Night’ unites two of the funniest comedians in Hollywood in their peak form – Tina Fey and Steve Carrell. Too bad the script wasn’t as funny they are in their respective TV shows. It really is all about the writing. Some jokes worked, other didn’t, therefore it felt choppy and inconsistent. The leads and cameos, by well known stars, were by far the highlights and the action sequences were mildly entertaining. Overall, not a bad film, but it could have been better.
The premise is very empathic. A case of mistaken identity turns a bored married couple’s attempt at a glamorous and romantic evening in New York City, into the most thrilling and dangerous night of their lives. Mark Wahlberg guest stars as a security expert that helps them in their plight. James Franco and Mila Kunis do a cameo as a drug dealer named Taste and a stripper called Whippit, known as ‘The Tripplehorns’, amongst others. The scenes in which they were in were by far the most electric and laugh out loud funny.
Fey is one of the most charming, yet sexy comediennes I have ever seen. Her television show ‘30 Rock’ exudes the best of what she has to offer. Carrell’s brand of sentimental comedy has come into its own and its visible here. His self deprecating sketches really connect. Regretfully, Date Night doesn’t showcase their complete arsenal of comedy. Some secondary roles like ‘Gossip Girl’s’ Leighton Meester, Taraji P. Henson, were underutilized and I ask why even have them there? They’re strong presences on camera.
The script, by Josh Hausner, looks influenced by scads of films such as Doug Liman’s ‘Mr. And Mrs. Smith,’ Hitchcock’s ‘North by Northwest’ and Martin Scorsese’s greatly underrated ‘After Hours.’ All wonderful films that have established directors attached to them. Not really the case here with director Shawn Levy. He lacks the technical skill and magic to create something last long after you’ve left the theater.
Towards the end, the movie delivers more action than the beginning, including a fun car chase sequence that is over the top. It’s these moments when you feel that the movie lunges from one big moment to the next and it never takes sufficient time to create a consistent pattern of action or comedy. It’s a mix that was good, not great.
All in all, go see it and have fun. Fey and Carrell is a comedic dream team that amuse and entertain, sort of the way Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn did in films like ‘Holiday’ and ‘The Philadelphia Story’.
04.1.2010 | By Jack Rico |
Of his six titles sent to the big screen, ‘The Last Song’ is Nicholas Sparks worst film. Most of the drawbacks hinge on Miley Cyrus’ acting. She is officially on my list for a 2011 Razzie for worst actress. But perhaps the biggest problem with the film is the calculated, manipulative script that delivers phony, inorganic moments that don’t seem plausible enough for any teenager or adult to believe. It has some feel good moments, but not enough to deserve praise. This is definitely not a date movie adults will enjoy, but rather a transitional primer young fans of Cyrus will be expecting from her in the near future.
‘The Last Song’ centers on a rebellious girl (Miley Cyrus) who is sent to a Southern beach town with her brother (Bobby Coleman) for the summer to stay with her father (Greg Kinnear). Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect, but in typical Sparks fashion, some sort of calamity strikes.
I’ve seen Miley’s work on TV and I’ve seen her in concert. Her work seemed to embody the desires and ambitions of her contemporaries and it fit perfectly well within those parameters, but now her and her team of agents and managers are treading treacherous territory to put her in the same dramatic genre where the likes of Carey Mulligan and Anne Hathaway feast on. She isn’t ready to act in these roles that demand so much of her limited emotional range. As a result, the scenes where she has to push and drive the emotional guts of the film fall flat. The rest of the cast do well, but Kinnear and Coleman are the highlights. Kelly Preston was probably the most irrelevant character in the film, she was never around.
Nicholas Sparks is a co-screenwriter here and once again we see the trail of sentimental tragedy he has left in his way. His recent ‘Dear John’ from last month, doesn’t help either, if it hadn’t been for actor Richard Jenkins’ gravitas and acting credibility, it could have been a low point for all involved.
Bottomline, you can find this schmaltz for free on Lifetime or Oprah, don’t pay to see it here.
03.31.2010 | By Jack Rico |
*Updated 2026
In 2026, when effects-heavy remakes are still fighting for attention, Clash of the Titans shows how spectacle can look big and still feel light.
03.29.2010 | By Namreta Kumar |
The best parts of “The Greatest” are also its worst. Unfortunately, Shana Feste has created a film about spectacular moments but she failed to connect them.
This family drama is all about life and death. It is about loss and strength. Allen (Pierce Brosnan) and Grace Brewter (Susan Sarandon) are faced with the death of their son, Bennett. At that moment walks in Rose (Carey Mulligan), pregnant with Bennett’s child.
What stays with me after the end of the film are some very distinct moments. The honesty with which Shana Feste crafts her scenes is remarkable and is the high point in the drama. Each character has their own catharsis, distinct of the rest. For a second it seems to fool you into thinking that you are with them. However, as you move to the next scene that link is broken. The overall film suffers from this disconnect.
The most powerful connection the audience does make is between Allen and Rose when Rose takes Allen to a “Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead In” party. This is one particular moment to watch out for Brosnan and Mulligan’s performance and the layers that Feste has created in this moment of joint abreaction. Another powerful moment of association to watch out for is between Brosnan and Sarandon at the beach.
The greatest moments of the film are the ones that bring more than one plot in face of another, and unfortunately the lack of those moments leaves to many holes in the film. Unlike films like Crash and Babel, that have multiple stories that connect to some end, this film has a constant connection that does not justify parallel plots.
03.26.2010 | By Jack Rico |
*Updated April 2026
Chloe, Atom Egoyan’s new directorial work, is the lesbian version of Fatal Attraction. You can expect a high level of nudity and explicit, erotic sexual lesbian scenes that almost make it feel like soft core porn. The look of the film is different though and resembles more Stanley Kubrick’s artistic Eyes Wide Shut. Read More
03.25.2010 | By Jack Rico |
*Updated 2026
In 2026, when nostalgia comedy is everywhere, Hot Tub Time Machine is a reminder that a great premise still needs enough jokes to justify the trip back.
