Movie Reviews

‘Devil’

2010/09/17 at 12:00am

Devil (Movie Review)

09.17.2010 | By Jack Rico |

Last night I had the chance to see the first screening of ‘Devil,’ written and conceptualized by M. Night Shyamalan, the same guy who everyone seems to be laughing at nowadays. The movie in my mind was entertaining, suspenseful, freaky at times, thrilling and what I think to be, a wonderful and captivating premise.

Five strangers (Logan Marshall-Green, Geoffrey Arend, Bojana Novakovic, Jenny O’Hara, Bokeem Woodbine) in Philadelphia begin their day with the most commonplace of routines. They walk into an office tower and enter an elevator. As they convene into this single place, they are forced to share a confined space with strangers. Nobody acknowl- edges anybody else. They’ll only be together for a few moments. But what appears to be a random occurrence is anything but coincidental when the car becomes stuck. Fate has come calling. Today these strangers will have their secrets revealed, and face a reckoning for their transgressions. Slowly, methodically, their situation turns from one of mere annoyance to sheer helplessness and abject terror. Terrible things begin to happen to each of them, one by one, and suspicion shifts as to who among the five is making it all happen…until they learn the unspeakable truth: one of them is the Devil himself. As those on the outside try in vain to free them, the remaining passengers realize that the only way to survive is to confront the very wickedness that has led them to today.

Devil is the first installment of The Night Chronicles, a series of terrifying stories conceived by Mr. Shyamalan that he now turns into movies with up-and- coming filmmakers. The man chosen for his fist foray into the series is John Erick Dowdle, who displayed a natural sensibility for camera placement and pacing.

Perhaps one of the most delightful experiences of the film was accomplished Spanish composer, Fernando Velázquez’ Hitchcockian score. It was an obvious throwback to the classic Hitchcock scores of Rope, The Man Who Knew Too Much, etc.

The movie is also sprinkled with a plethora of superstitious Latino legends and myths about the devil that I remember hearing ever since I was a kid. Shyamalan did great work in incorporating that Latino theme into the film via Ramirez the security guard (Jacob Vargas), a devout Catholic, recent immigrant who is superstitious and the first to realize the demonic aspects of what is happening in his building. He’s trying to convince the others that the events taking place are supernatural. Vargas played the part innocuously somber, but peppered with a touch of unintentional humor.

The acting by the cast was very solid and not at all deserving of criticism. There was really no blunders to speak of, which is why I can’t review this film as if it were bad. It’s actually good!

I’ve seen all of Shyamalan’s films and I have to say to those who think his films are deplorable, then you haven’t seen Vampires Suck or Miss March. Devil serves its purpose as entertaining escapism and it does it well. It will make you cringe and twinge all while still subtly humoring you. The quality to scare people is a difficult task for any director and Devil manages to do it without misstep. Devil serves up the scares, the screams and the creepiness. Is it the best horror film of the year? No, but you will get your money’s worth.

By Jack Rico

2010/09/16 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Town

09.16.2010 | By Jack Rico |

In his second effort as a director, actor Ben Affleck tackles another Boston theme film in ‘The Town,’ about a romance that stems from a bank heist. This sophomore project is not as enthralling as his first film ‘Gone Baby Gone,’ yet, it is perhaps one of the better films of the 2010. Come Oscar time, it wouldn’t surprise me if it is elected to the ten best films of the year. The acting is wonderful yet again, the story is as interesting as any other this year and its entertaining enough to keep you from ever thinking of ‘Gigli’.

On the surface, ‘The Town’ is a bank heist film and a darn good one too, but at its core, it is about a guy who’s trying to get out of the slum, and more importantly, the life of crime he’s inherited from his father. The premise follows Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), a ‘good guy’ bank robber who is the leader of a crew of ruthless bank robbers, who pride themselves on taking what they want and getting out clean. However, everything changed on the gang’s last job when Jem (Jeremy Renner) briefly took a hostage: bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall). Doug unfortunately crosses the line and becomes romantically involved with the hostage. Yes, he’s crazy, but it’s part of the thrill of the tension-filled film. Don Draper (cough), I mean Jon Hamm, decides he’s Melvin Purvis and Eliot Ness combined and is on a mission to get Doug and Jem. So what’s it going to be Doug? Betray your friends or lose the woman you love?

Compared to other recent crime dramas, like Brooklyn’s Finest or Pride and Glory, this one stands higher because the characters feel more real, like they could exist in real life, except of course, Don Draper who is a walking comic book.

Affleck co-wrote, directed and acted in this film, which is not an easy task for anyone, just ask Woody Allen and Quentin Tarantino. He is establishing he has a skilled and adroit hand at the camera, emotional depth as an actor with each passing film and a keen and intuitive sense for story selections.

The film has very good entertaining value. It has sequences full action and suspense worthy of knots in your stomach. If you like bank heist films this will definitely be on the top of your list along with ‘Inside Man,’ but without the rapid cutting, loud thumping explosions helicopter scenes. This is slower paced, the characters are more thoroughly developed, almost methodically. The Town is a fantastic selection for this weekend and any other time you want to see a film that is a bit better than the rest.

By Karen Posada

2010/09/15 at 12:00am

Reviews

Never Let Me Go

09.15.2010 | By Karen Posada |

‘Never Let Me Go‘ is based on a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, the drama is followed by a sci-fi twist that can be perceived as realistic. It is developed over three different chapters narrated by Kathy (Carey Mulligan), who tells the story retrospectively, which should give you a better sense of the story but still leaves some gaps in it. The film has a nostalgic feel all throughout, the characters are seen smiling on screen briefly; the pained feeling is always floating in the atmosphere. This thriller/drama is well done, but if it wasn’t for the ambiguity of key points to the movie it could have been better.You will be left with a hollow feeling after watching it and after being hit with a very strong closing line.

The story is set in England, it revolves around Kathy and her two childhood friends Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield), who grew up in a boarding school for special children called Hailsham. The school seems to be an orphanage as the only adults are the teachers better known as ‘guardians’, here the children are taught to take care of their bodies and obey all rules without questioning them. The children’s faith is revealed pretty early in the story and that is what sets the mood for the rest of the film. The love triangle that is formed and continues to follow the children into their adulthood is meant to be a strong aspect of the movie and although it is easy to sympathize with it, their naivety and innocence which brings them together takes away from the strength of this bond.

These three children are forced into companionship by their own loneliness and fear of a world that they don’t know. When at 18 they leave the premises of Hailsham knowing the purpose for their existence they try to explore the world around them and figure out where they came from. Kathy becomes isolated by the relationship between her friends and she suffers silently until she makes the decision to change her life, even if it is still within the realm of what she is allowed in the few opportunities they are given. When they reach adulthood they try to fix mistakes made in the past and try to change the path they were given.

Knightley’s casting as a secondary character was surprising, but by the nature of the character it is understood, she gives a good performance and even makes us pity her. Mulligan’s innocence is really convincing and her sweet and obedient attitude keep the mood of the movie steady and at some points you just want to shake her to give her some confidence. Garfield is just there, but he does play one of the strongest moments of the movie remarkably. For director Mark Romanek this is definitely a step up from One hour photo.

The movie questions ethics, humanity, relationships and how much we really understand about our own lives and our purpose on earth as well as our time in it. The story line is good but it is not strong enough to be convincing. It is worth a watch specially for the hopeless romantics, but it is also worth the wait on the DVD.

Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D (Movie Review)

By Jack Rico

2010/09/10 at 12:00am

Reviews

Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D (Movie Review)

09.10.2010 | By Jack Rico |

I have seen some really putrid films in my life (i.e: Punisher: War Zone, Miss March, All About Steve, I Love You Beth Cooper, Year One, to name just a few). ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife’ is not one of them. It is a highly stylized movie that borders on the absurd, yet it has moments of pure entertaining 3D sci-fi action bliss.

This time around, Alice (Milla Jovovich) fights off mean deadheads and continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to Arcadia, a safety zone somewhere in the Arctic.

This is the fourth installment of the Resident Evil series and it can still deliver a good dose of action. This one, unfortunately, didn’t indulge as much in that department as the previous efforts. We got more dialogue than needed. The 3D experience was top notch though and it made up for the sluggish and sedate middle act. It was definitely the highlight. If you are still interested in seeing the film after this review and were wondering on spending a few more extra dollars to see it in 3D, I say go for it. It is money well spent.

As for the rest of the film, let’s be honest – you don’t go see these films for their cinematic achievement. You go see it to laugh with your buddies at the ridiculous over the top posing done by B and C list actors (obviously requested by the B director). Oh and yes, how could I continue without mentioning the obligatory relentless mass killings, death defying jumps, inconceivable far-fetched escapes and slow motion backflips. A great example of those delicious and ludicrous, cheezy, risible scenes include Ali Larter’s character Claire Redfield. She flees a giant wielding axman to only do a backflip at the last second, against a wall, and land perfectly on the floor with a smile as if she was posing for a Maxim magazine cover – oh wait, didn’t she already do one of those? Nevertheless, that scene alone merited a hearty laugh out loud moment on my behalf. There were a plethora of those scenes throughout the film that doomed it from being the best of the four. But alas, this is the type of movie that Paul W.S. Anderson creates. Interestingly enough, he was the director of the first Resident Evil film.

Perhaps one of the most laughable characters of the film was Albert Wesker – the villain. I’m not sure if actor Shawn Roberts was deliberately trying to do his best Agent Smith impression from the Matrix movies or what, but it was embarrassing. Once again, I laughed, laughed, laughed every time he came on the screen. Be original for christ sakes! Then there is the issue with the token Latino (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) and black guy (Boris Kodjoe). From those two, I dare you to take a wild guess at who dies and who lives. Most likely your first gut answer is right.

Yes, most of this review harps on the bad. But as you can tell, the bad is adjoined with laughter, good laughter that serves a purpose – to escape reality for a bit and share the lampooning with your friends. ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife’ is a good bad movie. Go see it and stay for the credits – there is a surprise if you’ve seen the previous three parts.

By Jack Rico

2010/09/09 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Romantics

09.9.2010 | By Jack Rico |

By Jack Rico

2010/09/09 at 12:00am

DVD Reviews Reviews

Solitary Man

09.9.2010 | By Jack Rico |

Rating: 4.0

Rated: R for language and some sexual content.
Release Date: 2010-05-21
Starring: Brian Koppelman
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.solitarymanmovie.com/

Â Go to our film page

The veteran actor Michael Douglas takes heads the indie route to star in one of my favorite films of 2010 – Solitary Man. The film reminds me of Ben Stillerâ€™s ‘Greenberg‘, about a man who is trying to find meaning in life, except that Douglas is far better and much more appealing.

The plot, infused with comic moments tells the story of Ben Kalman (Douglas), a renown businessman who owns a chain of car dealerships, whose career and marriage are being ruined by his constant indiscretions both professionally and personally. Will he be able to rescue himself from the abyss into which it is located? The story also weaves questions about death and the fragility of the human psyche in a very entertaining way.

How many times have you heard of people being in situations where they has lost everything or about to lose everything, but refuse to see the gravity of the situation; a person who never learns from his mistakes, who prefers to apologize before asking permission first. This is one of Douglasâ€™ best performances in years. It’s full of a rogue charisma that he has perfected throughout his career. One of the salient features of Douglas is his charm and outside of Gekko, heâ€™s never played a role like this one.

Michael is accompanied by a cast of heavyweights such as Susan Sarandon, Mary Louise Parker, Danny Devito and Jesse Eisenberg. It is a pleasure to see this cast work together in this genuine, witty and heartfelt film about the ups and downs of a man. I think we all know people like Kalman – or maybe one might look in the mirror and see none other than… Ben Kalman himself.

By Karen Posada

2010/08/27 at 12:00am

Reviews

Takers

08.27.2010 | By Karen Posada |

TAKERS is highly entertaining but it is in no way original and because of this it is very predictable. The action scenes are what makes the movie worth watching, especially the one with CHRIS BROWN. This film is like a roller coaster one second you are thinking it is one of the best movies this year the next it is one of the worst, so it ends up just being a mediocre film. The film is easy to follow which gives it a nice easy flow. It is organized, but the fact that there are so many characters and so little character development it doesn’t give the audience time to connect with them although there is sympathy towards the gang of high class criminals.

The film shows us the workings of a gang of high class criminals that play by their own rules, such as doing one job a year and not killing anyone; specifically cops. They mean no harm, just gain which makes them likable. The gang love each other like brothers and are successful at what they do by working out every single intricate detail of their jobs in a timely manner. Their leader Gordon Betts or “G” (IDRIS ELBA) is the one to give each of them tasks and they take his advice seriously, but unfortunately he has a downfall his sister Naomi (MARIANNE JEAN-BAPTISTE) a drug addict trying to go clean. His right arm is John Rahway (PAUL WALKER) he executes the important parts of the dirty work. The brains of the operation is A.J. (HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN) he works out the gritty details with great results. Jake Attica (MICHAEL EALY) is the sweetheart of the group, he is the heart of the gang and gives them a human touch; his biggest worry is his brother Jesse (CHRIS BROWN) their father is in jail and he feels terrible for bringing his little brother into the business and therefore wants to keep him out of harm’s way. The bad influence and outsider of the group is Ghost (T.I.), on their last job he’s the only one that got caught and as soon as he’s out of jail he’s ready to execute a new plan. The gang doesn’t trust him but decide to break their one year rule to go along with his risky plan to rob an armored car carrying over $12 million; they only have 5 days to plan the heist.

Jack Welles (MATT DILLON) a cop for the LAPD becomes obsessed with catching the criminals after they pull off a $2 million heist leaving very little traces. He brings his troubled partner Eddie Hatcher (JAY HERNANDEZ) along and although Eddie is incredulous, as a best friend he’s trying to help Jack cope with what seems abandonment from his wife because he is so absorbed by his job; this is never clear in the movie.

The acting leaves very little to be desired, it was hard to believe Dillion and Hernandez as cops; Dillon does look like he’s going through a major life crisis throughout the movie but he may look like that in real life. One doubts Elba’s British accent when in fact he is a real Brit. Walker plays the same white boy ghetto wanna be as he does in most of his roles. T.I. plays T.I. there are no skills there. I do have to give Brown props for his awesome Parkour performance, that was one of the best scenes of the movie. Finally, our very popular dominican actress Zoe Saldaña was in the film for very short periods and she was just eye candy for the guys; us girls have plenty of eye candy all throughout the movie.

The movie picks up right in the middle when you start getting your hopes up but it is killed with a couple of montages that are super corny especially because of the music that accompanies them. The movie reaches its goal, to entertain and although at some points it is overkill it still does the jobs. If you go to watch it knowing that the well developed action scenes are the only things to take from it, then go right ahead otherwise wait to watch it comfortably from your couch.

By Karen Posada

2010/08/24 at 12:00am

Reviews

Flipped

08.24.2010 | By Karen Posada |

Flipped will take you back to your Junior High School years, to your first crush. One of the nicest things about it is that we get the boy and the girls point of view on different situations and we get to analyze and see how often human interactions are misinterpreted, specially when it comes to the opposite sex. The movie is set in the early 60’s giving it an all American feel to it, this helps it be so innocent which is what makes it so real an relatable. The main characters are so opposite to each other that the contrast is one of the entertaining features of it. It’s a good family film from Junior High School kids to adults.

Our female lead, Juli Baker (Madeline Carroll) is not your regular teenage girl, she’s confident and hardheaded; she’s practically an adult trapped in a girl’s body. Juli falls in love with Bryce Loski (Callan McAuliffe) the second she stares into his dazzling eyes when they are 7 years old and his family moves across the street from her. Bryce is not happy with Juli crushing on him, she doesn’t get the hint and follows him and idolizes him for years, even when he starts going out with her worst enemy. Juli is just like the rest of her family, free spirits; nature and animals are her drives. She falls in love with a sycamore three and she spends endless hours on it starting at the horizon and the beauty of it, she protests when they want to chop it down and she expects Bryce to come to her rescue; when he doesn’t she starts questioning her obsession for him. Juli’s father (Aidan Quinn) is the one that gets her, he advices her on how to perceive people and teaches her kindness by showing her how he supports his brother that is mentally retarded. Juli is grateful to have such a close bond with her family and to see that despite of the fact that they are lower middle class the one thing that matters and she doesn’t lack is love. The Loski’s are completely opposite, Bryce’s father (Anthony Edwards) is always drinking and never has anything positive to say, specially about his neighbors. Bryce looks up to his dad and takes on some of his attitude but does start to question it slowly. Bryce is also influenced by a boy he befriends in school, that talks him into disliking Juli even more. When his grandfather Chet (John Mahoney) comes to live with them he immediately realizes what an amazing girl Juli is and spends more time with her than with his own grandson. This starts changing Bryce’s outlook on the girl he’s ignored and been annoyed by for so long.

The director Rob Reiner decided to bring this touching story to life after it was given to him by his son who was reading it for school.The acting here is sensational, our lead characters are so believable and so real that they take us in all too easily. The setting of the period fits in great and gives it a homey feel to it, along with the beautiful sceneries of the country side. For its proposes having us focused on the main characters is a good tactic, but a little more background on the other characters and the not so jolly reality that they live in the sixties would make the movie more real.

The movie is enjoyable and easy to follow, it has some laughs as well as sad moments. It does teach us good values on how a family should be supportive of one another, that we should stand up for what we believe it and not let anyone step on our dreams or make us question who we are. You will come out reminiscing and with a smile on your face.Â Â

By Jack Rico

2010/08/24 at 12:00am

DVD Reviews Reviews

The Back-Up Plan

08.24.2010 | By Jack Rico |

Rating: 3.0

Rated: PG-13 for sexual content including references, some crude material and language.
Release Date: 2010-04-23
Starring: Kate Angelo
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.theback-upplan.com/

Â Go to our film page

Puerto Rican actress Jennifer Lopez makes her long awaited comeback to the big screen in the New York romantic comedy â€˜The Back Up Planâ€™. Lopez is back to form in what is, in my opinion, a charming and pleasant cinematic experience. Any thoughts on Lopez being washed up will have to wait since she can still carry a film on charm alone even with a modest B list cast. The movie possesses appeal, mostly from its star, but also from its relevant and topical plotline.

Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has been on hundreds of dates looking to find a prince charming whom she can fulfill her life long dream of starting a family with. Regrettably, she discerns her time has past and resorts to what she feels is her â€˜back up planâ€™ – artificial insemination. As fate must have it, Zoe meets the man of her dreams (Alex O’Loughlin) on the same day she submitted herself to the procedure. Will she tell her shining prince that sheâ€™s pregnant with some unknown manâ€™s sperm? Will he feel he has to father kids that arenâ€™t his own? How will it all end for Zoe?

Jennifer Lopezâ€™s movie career spiraled down a bit when El Cantante was released in 2006 (the film only generated 7.6 million dollars). For those who have followed her career since Money Train we have noticed her strengths lie in the romantic comedy genre and even perhaps in action films. When she naturally decides to branch out into more demanding genres such as drama, her deficiencies as an actress are magnified. I disagree with people who say she isnâ€™t a good actress. She is not an Oscar caliber actress, but she is a good one. You might think itâ€™s easy to play cutesy and adorable in a movie. But she makes it look that easy. Thatâ€™s her gift. I compare her to Sandra Bullock and put her in that range set. You never know Jennifer Lopez might have one Oscar win in her.

Nevertheless, most women will love this film, at least the ones that are suckers for romance. Men will barf at it because Alex O’Loughlin, the male lead, portrays a character at the end of the film of a man that doesnâ€™t seem to exist in real life. The implausible fantasy is a bit too much to bear. It is a fantasy film full of romance though, full of hope and obviously a feel good sentiment. That is what youâ€™ll be buying for the price of a movie ticket, and that is not bad. I liked it, it made me like that world a bit better than ours, even if itâ€™s just for an hour and a half.

To follow Jack Rico’s film reviews check him out on Twitter at @jackricofficial

By Jack Rico

2010/08/23 at 12:00am

DVD Reviews Reviews

Survival of the Dead

08.23.2010 | By Jack Rico |

Rating: 2.0

Rated: R for strong zombie violence/gore, language and brief sexuality.
Release Date: 2010-05-28
Starring: George Romero
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://magnetreleasing.com/survivalofthedead/

Â Go to our film page

George A. Romero, known as â€˜the godfatherâ€™ of zombie movies, is releasing his new deadhead movie called â€˜Survival of the Deadâ€™ about two families who live in an island plagued by zombies.

The story centers on an island in the middle coast of North America where dead people are beginning to rise from their graves to eat their own offspring. The leaders of the two families on the island then quarrel about how to go about their strange situation… do they kill their deceased relatives, or would it be better to try and find a cure that could return them to a normal life. Many decisions are explored in this film.

If you’re going to see this film to entertain and frighten yourself, you will be very disappointed. Romero has long said he does make these films to scare his audience, rather he uses the horror genre to communicate a social and political message through the stories. Survival of the Dead is more given to devotees of the cult films of Romero and not so much to new audiences. Stay away.

« Previous 1 … 32 33 34 35 36 … 73 Next »

Movie Reviews

Latest Podcasts

Follow SBC

Film Reviews

The Best From The SBC Archive

Film

TV

Broadway Music

Music

Food

Podcasts