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Movie Reviews and Ratings

Sugar
Mack Chico
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2009/09/01 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Sugar

09.1.2009 | By |

Rating: 3.5

Rated: R for language, some sexuality and brief drug use.
Release Date: 2009-04-03
Starring: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.sonyclassics.com/sugar/

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Sugar is about being a stranger in a strange land, when the strange land is America. It’s about the point where ambition falters and reality kicks in. And it’s about baseball – in that order. The established fantasy of the sports movie is confronted with some pretty harsh facts here, about the tiny minority of players both good enough and lucky enough to make it professionally. That customary certainty that all will come good, that the crowd will roar and the music will swell at the bottom of the ninth inning, is anything but a given.

 

Writer-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck pulled off something similar with their first film, the teacher-student drama Half Nelson, by loading it with a subtler freight than that particular genre is usually asked to carry.

 

They are becoming a distinctive team and a valuable one – their stories have clout, their style is lean and forceful. They borrow a formula and adapt it into something real.

 

We have certainly seen the journey of “Sugar” Santos (Algenis Perez Soto) before, or journeys like it: he is a star pitcher in the Dominican Republic, given the chance to join an American training academy for a shot at major-league success. He sends money back home to his family, while impressing the selectors enough to be installed as a fixture in minor-league Kansas City. Sugar’s time there has its ups and downs – a knee injury at the worst possible time, a flirtation with performance-enhancing drugs. As he’s told at the start, there are hundreds of players above him who have already proved themselves, and hundreds below – many of them Dominicans – jostling for a chance to take his place.

 

There are clichés strewn in this this film’s path like unexploded landmines, but weaving their way past them isn’t Boden and Fleck’s only achievement. They dig away honestly at the relationship between effort and success, one that most movies distort in one direction or the other. To try, to fail, to try some more: this never feels like a pre-determined tract about the struggles of a homesick immigrant, and Sugar, winningly played by the complete newcomer Soto, isn’t a cut-out ingenu but a testy, competitive, driven but fallible person. The road he follows is modest, but the film is beautiful and searching in letting him find it for himself.

Extract
Namreta Kumar
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2009/09/01 at 12:00am

Reviews

Extract

09.1.2009 | By |

Rated: R for language, sexual references and some drug use.
Release Date: 2009-09-04
Starring: Mike Judge
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.extract-the-movie.com/

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Extract

When you leave this film the first thing that you recall is that it was a comedy; beyond that the characters were peculiarly familiar, and then even the comedy becomes textbook.

Overall this comedy rings through the characters, but unlike “Office Space” this film brings nothing novel to cinema. “Extract” pulls from Mike Judge’s all too familiar space and creates a new score of characters we can all say we have met before.

Jason Bateman plays the “Extract King,” Joel, in this blue-collar comedy that is all about its ensemble of characters and the trouble they brew. From the incorrigible best friend Dean, played by Ben Affleck, down to the gnawing neighbor Nathan, played by David Koechner, each character is a satire all on their own and the film benefits most from the casts’ unison. However, that is about where the fun ends. As one gets to know the little pieces that each character plays the film becomes a little too predictable and even the characters lose their familiar charms.

As the film progresses, the little doses of rolling laughter almost feel typical rather than being synonymous to the anecdotes they all seem to have been created from. The audience may feel swept away for bits as the cast does a great job portraying their little world, however as the film closes there is not much that resonates. The story comes full circle as the satire thins out and the final credits roll in the last little stunts.

Extract can benefit from its release date as summer winds-down and some people look forward to an unassuming film to wind-down with; but this Judge film, much like its predecessor, will more likely find its place in the cable and DVD market.

Taking Woodstock
Alex Florez
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2009/08/27 at 12:00am

Reviews

Taking Woodstock

08.27.2009 | By |

Rated: R for graphic nudity, some sexual content, drug use and language.
Release Date: 2009-08-28
Starring: James Schamus
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/taking_woodstock

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Taking Woodstock

I’ve always felt that Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee can do anything.  A director as versatile as they come, Lee refuses to be pigeonholed to any one genre and be restricted by the technological challenges of a film.

Think about this: Lee has gone from the experimentation and liberalism that defined the 1970s (Ice Storm, 1997), to the adventures of a young woman in feudal China (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000), to the biggest and baddest hero of the Marvel universe (Hulk, 2003) to an Oscar award winning cowboy drama (Brokeback Mountain, 2005).  How’s that for range?

But fearlessly stepping out of your comfort zone has its risks. Lee has made his share of forgettable movies and with ‘Taking Woodstock’ he maybe adding to that list.

Based on the memoirs of Elliot Tiber, the comedy stars Demetri Martin as Elliot, who inadvertently played a role in making 1969’s Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the famed happening it was.  When his parents are in danger of losing their dumpy motel in the Catskills, Elliot offers it up to the festival promoters to generate some much needed business. 

In the end however, the film is about the peculiar relationship with his overbearing parents.  The rock n’ roll, the drugs, the mud slides, and everything else we’ve come to know about Woodstock plays second fiddle and is ultimately nothing more than a backdrop, a setting for what is otherwise a family drama with very little at stake. 

Regrettably, something about the performances doesn’t seem as sincere as some of the others we’ve seen in other movies set in that time period.  But I won’t pin all the blame squarely on the actors.  Mr. Lee stumbles but doesn’t fall.

The September Issue
Jack Rico
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By

2009/08/26 at 12:00am

Reviews

The September Issue

08.26.2009 | By |

Rated: PG-13 for brief strong language.
Release Date: 2009-08-28
Starring: Documentary
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.theseptemberissue.com/

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The September Issue

Le tenemos la reseña de la película ‘Earth’ y le diremos si merece invertir su dinero en verla.

Inglorious Basterds, reseñas de Inglorious Basterds, resena de peliculas, criticas de Inglorious Basterds

Check out our movie review of Max Payne and we’ll let you know if it’s worth going to or not.

Max Payne, film review, movie review

Rudo y Cursi
Jack Rico
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2009/08/25 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Rudo y Cursi

08.25.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: R for pervasive language, sexual content and brief drug use.
Release Date: 2009-05-08
Starring: Carlos Cuarón
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:Mexico
Official Website: http://www.rudoycursilapelicula.com/

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“Rudo y Cursi” is a lively and engaging comedy that highlights some drama in its storyline. Regrettably, in the end, feels a little thin, largely because it is unsure of how earnestly to treat its own lessons about fate, ambition and brotherly love. There is a lot of velocity in this ultimately familiar tale of rising and falling, but not much gravity. “Rudo y Cursi” is partly about the consequences of taking a game much too seriously, but at the same time it treats everything else — life, death, love, money — like a game.

 

Beto (Diego Luna) and Tato Verdusco (Gael Garcia Bernal) are half brothers who work together at a banana plantation and live with their extended family in a village in southern Mexico. When the two of them are suddenly (and somewhat improbably) plucked from rural proletarian obscurity and turned into professional soccer players in Mexico City, they achieve fame as Rudo and Cursi, nicknames that can be translated more or less as tough and corny.

 

But Mr. Cuarón also has trouble managing the tone of the film as it swerves from light-hearted absurdity toward a darker, more cynical view of its characters and their fate. Too often he allows “Rudo y Cursi” to coast on the likeability of its stars, who seem at times to be enjoying themselves more than their characters are able to.

Inglorious Basterds (Movie Review)
Jack Rico
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By

2009/08/21 at 12:00am

Reviews

Inglorious Basterds (Movie Review)

08.21.2009 | By |

Inglourious Basterds is a collection of brilliantly crafted scenes, often interrupted by Quentin Tarantino’s ego. Concerned that we might forget who’s directing, he reminds us constantly that this isn’t just any old World War II film. The movie could have been one of the great cinematic works of this decade, if not for Tarantino’s compulsion for attention, which overshadows the craft and the audience’s experience.

Set in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, the film follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” (Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger), chosen to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and killing Nazis. They soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl (Mélanie Laurent), who runs a movie theater in Paris, which becomes a target for the soldiers.

Don’t expect Kill Bill. This is Tarantino’s new evolution, a director who has grown in every way, except as a storyteller. The film is supposedly about Nazi killers during WWII, but it’s really about the love of cinema—Tarantino’s love of cinema. “Can it be?” you might ask. That’s exactly what I thought when the movie ended. The constant dialogue references to French and German classics are unavoidable, but regrettably, they disrupt the pace of the film in their effort to pay homage. As a result, the audience is taken for a bit of a switch-and-bait experience. The crazy part is that it’s a delightful switch-and-bait. Expect a beautiful, meticulously crafted visual cinematic experience, highlighted by an Oscar-winning performance from Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa and potentially Mélanie Laurent as well.

The opening scene is riveting, one of the most memorable sequences Tarantino has ever put on screen, rivaling Pulp Fiction. It’s elegant, sophisticated, tense, and engrossing. However, at times, the film falters, slipping with miscasting choices and a somewhat anticlimactic ending. We witness a director trying to find himself as the film unfolds. It’s not particularly admirable, but it’s certainly interesting.

What you’ll appreciate about Inglourious Basterds is its compelling story concept, artistic cinematography, Tarantino’s directorial tone and mood, and Waltz’s mesmerizing and terrifying performance. What you might not like is that you paid to see a movie about Brad Pitt killing Nazis, but instead, you get a film about the romanticism of world cinema and Tarantino’s place in it. Go figure.

Post Grad
Alex Florez
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2009/08/20 at 12:00am

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Post Grad

08.20.2009 | By |

Rated: PG-13 for sexual situations and brief strong language.
Release Date: 2009-08-21
Starring: Kelly Fremon
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: Not available.

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Post Grad
Art & Copy
Alex Florez
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2009/08/20 at 12:00am

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Art & Copy

08.20.2009 | By |

Rated: Not available.
Release Date: 2009-08-21
Starring: Gregory Beauchamp, Kirk Souder
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.artandcopyfilm.com/

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Art & Copy

Walking out of the theater I couldn’t help but think to myself “I can’t wait to sell this movie to our readers!”

More than just a history lesson on 20th century advertising, Art & Copy is the story of some of the most influential creatives of our time. Ones that have profoundly impacted our society and shaped our everyday lifestyle. That is, if we are to define ‘lifestyle’ as the site where consumer culture and individual identity intersect.

In his latest effort, Director Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!) introduces us to the artists and writers that exploded onto the scene during advertising’s heyday or the “creative revolution” of the 1960s.  And chances are that you, over the last few decades, whether you like it or not, have fallen victim to the people featured in this film: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow and Hal Riney.  We may not recognize their names but we’ve certainly heard from them: “Where’s the Beef?”, “Got Milk?”, “Just Do It”, “Think Different” are just a few of the slogans that have swayed us throughout the years.

Most might ‘sell’ Art & Copy as the ‘behind the music’ of advertising or as an addendum to the ever so popular AMC series ‘Madmen’.  And while it is true that fans of the show will most certainly get a kick out of meeting the real life versions of their Madison Avenue heroes, Art & Copy is ultimately an inspiring documentary that explores the power of creativity, not just to sell a car to a customer or a president to a nation, but to problem solve.  As George Lois puts it: “The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.”

Casi Divas
Karen Posada
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2009/08/19 at 12:00am

Reviews

Casi Divas

08.19.2009 | By |

Rated: PG-13 for mature sexual content, language and thematic material.
Release Date: 2009-08-21
Starring: Issa López
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.casidivas.com/

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Casi Divas

I have to admit that neither the title nor the trailer would have made me go see Casi Divas; I came out of the movie theater surprised at how fun and interesting it was.
 
The film was a hit in Mexico which is what helped launch it in the U.S. The plot of the movie is to find the main movie star for a soap opera turned movie. It sounds a little ridiculous but among the mockery of soap operas and other themes that make up the plot we stumble along some interesting themes such as: the racism of the indigenous people in Mexico, the way women factory workers at the border are abused by the coyotes, and a common theme among teenagers who try to follow Hollywood’s hype by doing extreme diets. The cast is made up by five women Patricia Llaca, Ana Layevska, Diana Garcia, Daniela Schmidt and Maya Zapata one stud Julio Bracho; each one of them offers a different view point and element to the story.

 

The movie sticks to its roots by the way the characters speak and by having its setting in Mexico City in places where the locals live. The movie is in Spanish but the subtitles make it true to the American viewer, they even change some cultural references so we can connect better to what the characters say when they refer to their cultural icons.
 
The movie is well rounded, its audience (teenagers, adults) will not be disappointed thanks to the different cultural themes that it touches upon along with the mockery and slapstick comedy; it has something to offer everyone, it is a movie that will surprise many.

Tyson
Jack Rico
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By

2009/08/18 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Tyson

08.18.2009 | By |

Rating: 4.0

Rated: R for language including sexual references.
Release Date: 2009-04-24
Starring: James Toback
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.sonyclassics.com/tyson/

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‘Tyson’ is an insightful biopic on arguably the greatest heavyweight boxer who ever lived. If you were a witness to his tumultuous personal and professional boxing career, this documentary clears up all, if not many of the rumors and debauchery he became notorious for: the biting of Evander Holyfield’s ear, the rape charges and the Don King attack to mention a few.

Indie director James Toback directs this portrait of ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson where he manages to extract, without inhibition, information about his womanizing, alcohol and drug addiction, bouts of mental instability, and criminal activity in great detail. Through a mixture of original interviews and archival footage and photographs, the film ranges from Tyson’s earliest memories of growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn through his entry into the world of boxing, to his rollercoaster ride of worldwide fame and fortunes won and lost.

You might be surprised with the Tyson who narrates this movie. He is different from the monster built up and torn down by the media during the ’80s and ’90s. Age often brings perspective, and that would seem to be the case here. His explanations and views of the mischievous events of his dark days might not satisfy you, but what you have to appreciate is the sincerity and surrendering that Toback manages to withdraw from a man known to have a volatile and fractured mind. In terms of visual stylistics, there is a film quality that Toback directs with in contrast to the sensationalistic and over-dramatized VH-1 show ‘Behind the Music’ or Barbara Walters’ special interviews where the questions are crafted to draw tears from the interviewees. Here it is just you and him.

There are some scenes with heavy language so I wouldn’t suggest bringing children to see it. If in fact ‘Tyson’ is a spin free of publicist intervention documentary, it is a remarkable look inside the mind of a ‘killing machine’ who became a docile beast ready to welcome peace within himself. If you are a fan, you’ll enjoy it and if you’re not, it’s one informative retrospective at a living boxing legend.

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