Australia (Movie Review)

Rated: PG-13 for some violence, a scene of sensuality, and brief strong language.
Release Date: 2008-11-26
Starring: Baz Lurhmann, Ronald Harwood
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Country: USA, Australia
Official Website: http://australiamovie.com/

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With ‘Moulin Rouge!’, visionary filmmaker Baz Lurhmann finished his ‘Red Curtain Trilogy’ (Strictly Ballroom and Romeo+Juliet are the other two) – a series of stylized and highly choreographed retelling of stories we’re all pretty familiar with. 

Australia however, Lurhmann’s latest film, is not only a departure in style and content but in ambition as well.  Let’s just say this is Lurhmann’s ‘Gone with the Wind’.   A near three hour epic no one other than himself could have directed. 

But Lurhmann fans need not fret.  There is still plenty of singing (no, it’s not quite a musical) and borderline corniness to make your time worthwhile. 

The romantic action adventure sets itself in a country on the explosive brink of World War II.  In it, an English aristocrat named Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) travels down under, where she meets a rough hewn local (Hugh Jackman) and reluctantly agrees to join forces with him to save the land she inherited.  On this journey however, she finds herself caring for an enchanting young orphan named Nullah (brilliantly played by Brandon Walters), a half-Aboriginal, half-Caucasian boy adrift in a segregated society that treats him as an outcast.

And that’s precisely where the strength of the film lies. The story, narrated by the boy himself, is most powerful when it confronts Australia’s horrifying past.  Yet Lurhmann cautiously tries to abstain from the plight of the Australian aborigines in the 1940s.  A deeper exploration of the historical context in which it set its love story, would have served it well. Instead the film flirts with a magical realism that is mawkishly sentimental.

As an action film there are certainly some riveting sequences which prove that Lurhmann can direct more than mere dance numbers.  And though the accents are a bit difficult to navigate past, the performances are solid as well.  But in the end, it’s the long running time and the lack of focus in the screenplay that do the film in.

Traitor (Movie Review)

Rated: PG-13 for intense violent sequences, thematic material and brief language.
Release Date: 2008-08-27
Starring: Jeffrey Nachmanoff,
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://traitor-themovie.com/

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We know someone is either betraying a friend, a country or a principle – that we obviously get from the title. But who and why is something that’s buried deep enough in the film to keep us guessing and wondering how clever the filmmakers can actually get with this.

In some ways, ‘Traitor’ is the classic espionage film that mixes and matches modern day headlines to construct a plot where Americans continue fighting terrorism all across the world.  To its credit however, it manages to personalize the story of its protagonist to a certain degree, stripping the film of the politically sententious rhetoric that so often make these films come across as propaganda.

Deceptively, Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Crash) plays Samir Horn, a former U.S. military operative who is linked to illicit activities in the middle east.  When an FBI agent (Guy Pearce) heads the investigation, he begins to track Horn’s every move slowly uncovering the truth behind the massive conspiracy he’s been a part of.

Ultimately, the film is about a man trying to do the right thing for the right reasons, or his own convictions, but also about how wrong things can go in the process.  In Traitor, that man just happens to be a Muslim American who finds himself in the middle of the conflict with hard decisions to make.  However dangerously close the films comes to being about religious extremism and how far people will go for what they believe in, it is very careful with its commentary on the matter. 

With a story that’s so rooted in politics and religion, the filmmakers actually manage to say very little about either subject. Both a good and a bad thing depending on how you look at it.  Its moral ambiguity may frustrate some but alleviate others just tuning in to watch bombs being disarmed at the last possible second.

The film’s strong performances (save for Jeff Daniels as the veteran CIA contractor with a personal agenda) almost do the impossible: make it cliché-proof.  Unfortunately, it is what it is: another spy thriller mirroring the ever present war on terror.

Death Race (Movie Review)

Rated: R for strong violence and language.
Release Date: 2008-08-22
Starring: Paul W.S. Anderson
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.deathracemovie.net/index.php

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A remake of Roger Corman’s 1975 cult action film starring David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone, Death Race pumps even more adrenaline and senseless gore into a film that seems more like a video game adaptation than a ‘B’ movie remake.

Set in the not so distant future, Death Race tells the story of Jensen Ames (Jason Statham), a former speedway champion turned blue collar worker who is framed for a gruesome murder.  He soon realizes however, it’s all been part of a plot to coerce him into participating in the world’s most popular televised sport: a car race set in a maximum security prison in which the inmates must brutalize and kill one another in order to win. If they are lucky to finish the race alive and in first place, then they’ll also gain their freedom.

Despite all the action, the film attempts to make its subtle satirical jabs at our culture – the one that can’t enough reality television, extreme fighting competition, and violent video game titles.  One in particular, ‘Twisted Metal’ certainly comes to mind as a game which essentially shares the same premise as the movie.  But like those video games, Death Race’s plot is thin and lacking the emotion necessary to really push a story forward.  In this film, its all about outfitting cars with weapons you pick up along the way and blowing up your competitors off the tracks.

For Statham, its a no brainer role, as he slowly turns into the Jean-Claude Van Damme of our era, funny accent and all. For Joan Allen however, this might be her worst mistake as a professional actress.  Allen playing the role of the Warden who organizes the race is as believable as the film’s own premise.  One pleasant surprise is the addition of Natalie Martinez, the rookie cuban american actress, who teams up with Statham playing ‘Case’, his ‘navigator’.  Giving the film its sexiness, I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of her in these Angelina Jolie/female action star type roles.

Although a case can be made that these days, video game have evolved with much more complex story-lines, there will always be a great appetite for the ‘shoot em up’ types games where users can’t wait for the next level to keep smashing the buttons on their controllers.  For those type of people, Death Race is must.

 

The House Bunny (Movie Review)

Rated: PG-13 for sex-related humor, partial nudity and brief strong language.
Release Date: 2008-08-22
Starring: Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.thehousebunny.com/

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From the get-go ‘The House Bunny’ wants you to believe it’s a post-modern fairy tale comedy set on a college campus. Only when it nearly forgets what the moral to its story is, it almost becomes the ‘makeover’ episode from a daytime talk show.  In fact, I’m inclined to say it turns the word ‘makeover’ into a genre.

Leading the way is Anna Faris (Scary Movie), who steps into Shelley Darlingson’s pumps as a stereotypical blond Playboy bunny who is kicked out of Hugh Hefner’s mansion. But soon enough she finds a new home at an awkward sorority where the girls are dull, unpopular and desperate for pledges in order to keep the dean from taking away their house.  Predictably however, Shelley takes it upon herself to transform the girls into beauty queens and become the most coveted group to be around.

The ‘girls’, played by stars on the rise, Emma Stone (Superbad), Kat Dennings (Charlie Bartlett), Katharine McPhee (American Idol), Rumer Willis (Bruce and Demi’s eldest) and a few others, are so surprisingly likable during their pre-makeover stage that you’d almost wish they didn’t undergo any treatment.  Emma Stone in particular, works the ‘bookworm’ role so charmingly well, she steals more than one scene clearly meant for Faris to carry, who can’t seem to hide how hard she tries for every laugh. 

The pitfall here is that for too long a period, the film paints vanity in such a great light, that it sends mixed signals to the audience about the message the filmmakers want to convey. Is being beautiful on the outside really that important to get ahead in life? Well, for most of the film, they make you think so.  Of course, that’s no message for a fairy tale to send – Shelley must learn that what boys really like is what’s on the inside. And so begins a mad and sloppy dash during the second half of the film to make things right.  

One opportunity that the filmmakers certainly missed was to demystify the famous Playboy mansion. It does nothing to change or add to the widely held and fixed idea we all have of the estate.  Instead we’re limited to some Hugh Hefner cameos and a thinly put together subplot involving Shelley’s banishment.

Nevertheless, this female driven comedy has its appeal as screenwriters Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith (Legally Blonde) take parts from ‘The Revenge of the Nerds’ lore and attempt to make it their own. 

 

Bottle Shock (Movie Review)

Rated: PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexual content and a scene of drug use.
Release Date: 2008-08-08
Starring: Jody Savin, Randall Miller, Ross Schwartz
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Official Website: http://www.bottleshockthemovie.com/

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It’s always a tricky situation to have a film’s protagonist be some-thing rather than some-one.  Such is the case with Bottle Shock, wherein California wine, in particular the one from Napa Valley, plays the underdog that goes for glory against all odds.  It may sound absurd, but at times this film does indeed have this ‘Rocky’ sensibility to it, where respect is earned and hearts are won. 

Based on a true story, the film tells us of a moment in time (1976) when a small American winery competed against the exalted French wines, putting californian vineyards on the map for decades to come.  Unfortunately, director Randall Miller muddles the picture with a few other story-lines that to be quite honest detract from the film.

Bill Pullman plays Jim Barrett, the founder of the Montelena vineyard that will eventually compete, but whose perfectionist ways don’t bode well for his son Bo Barrett (Chris Pine), who seems to disappoint his old man on a daily basis.  This father-son dynamic continues throughout the film while a contrived love triangle develops between Bo, his best friend Gustavo (Freddy Rodriguez), and a gorgeous intern named Sam (Rachel Taylor).

Then there’s the Steven Spurrier story – the British connoisseur played by an affable Alan Rickman, that travels to northern california in search of bottles for an upcoming wine tasting event he’s put together in europe to promote the diversity of offerings in his failing Paris shop.

But none of these plot lines are fully developed and so they aren’t as compelling as the competition itself.  A sad notion when you consider that said competition is only as long as a round in one of the famous Rocky bouts.

Still, those who are not wine enthusiasts or connoisseurs will find some of the scenes rather silly.  I’m referring to the faces the actors make when they taste the wine, when they caress the grapevines, and gaze upon the acres of land while the wind dances around the vineyards.  

There’s no question this small film has passion, but its also careful enough not to overdo or over glamorize the events that took place in the mid 70s. What’s hurts its chances nevertheless, are the many subplots that are touched upon so subtly but so forcefully thrown together. 

 

While it won’t leave a bad taste in your mouth, you might be more inclined to stick the cork back in the bottle, and call it a night.  

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Movie Review)

Rated: PG-13 for adventure action and violence.
Release Date: 2008-08-01
Starring: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
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Official Website: http://robcohenthemummy.com/

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THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR IS NO RELIC

Make no bones about it, The Mummy franchise is and always has been a blatant attempt to recreate the Indiana Jones lore.  In this third installment, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the similarities are even more apparent.  Rick ‘Ricochet’ O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) is Indy of course; Maria Bello (who replaces Rachel Weisz as Evelyn) is their version of ‘Marion’; and their son Alex O’Connell (Luke Ford) matches up with Indiana’s heir apparent, Mutt Williams (as played by Shia LaBeouf).

Unfortunately, the similarities also extend to the campiness, predictability, and unintelligent plot lines of ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’.  Come to think of it, even their titles are both ridiculously long. 

This time around, the O’Connells travel to Asia to battle the resurrected Han Emperor (Jet Li), awoken from a 2,000-year-old curse that a chinese sorceress (Michelle Yeoh) cast on him.  The film, to its credit, moves along rather quickly with one battle scene following another, and its a good thing because the acting is often unbearable.  At times, I couldn’t shake the feeling that newcomer Luke Ford, was doing his best Matt Damon impression.  Just a terrible pick altogether to play Brendan Fraser’s son, since they look only a couple of years apart.   An army of mummies, yetis in the himalayas and witchery I can believe, but Luke Ford playing Rick’s son, not a chance.

Of the three films, this one seems like the most poorly thought out as it strives to become more of a family adventure, than the thrilling archeological escapades in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ that most likely inspired the filmmakers in the first place.  I assure you that years from now, these films will be no relic.

Swing Vote (Movie Review)

Rated: PG-13 for language.
Release Date: 2008-08-01
Starring: Joshua Michael Stern, Jason Richman
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Official Website: http://swingvote.movies.go.com/

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SWING VOTE: ELECT TO SEE SOMETHING ELSE

Few would argue that Hollywood, as a whole, is a pretty ‘liberal’ industry whose star studded cast often shows its support by way of propaganda and sizable donations to left-winged presidential nominees every four years.  Nowadays, whenever filmmakers have the opportunity to chastise our republican administration in the not-so-subtle of ways, they’ve taken it and in some cases exploited it – and I’m not just talking about Michael Moore and his rattling documentaries.  Take films such as ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ and ‘Transformers’, to name a more recent one, where the political jabs are more humorous than they are sharp. 

Nevertheless, there are those, more conservative members of Hollywood, that from time to time strike back. Which is why it’s so surprising to see actor Kevin Costner, a registered republican, so decidedly neutral in this latest comedy about a middle-class american who will decide the next president of our country.  Instead, the Costner produced movie, tries to focus itself on a father-daughter relationship while only underlining the importance of our civic duty.  But that’s as much credit as I can give Swing Vote.

In it, Costner plays Bud Johnson, an apathetic, disorderly, but lovable father who is coasting through a life that has almost passed him by. The only bright spot is his overly precocious and overachieving 12-year-old daughter Molly (Madeleine Carroll) who in this case, is the one that takes care of him.  That is, until one mischievous moment on Election Day, when she attempts to vote on Bud’s behalf when he is too drunk to show up to the booth.  Later that night, when the tallies are all in, the nomination happens to come down to one final vote – Bud’s vote – which needs to be recast because of a technical error in the voting machine.  The media soon takes hold of the news and within minutes, the courtship from both campaigns are full throttle. 

But It’s that same courtship to win over Bud’s vote, that makes this film hard to watch.  The politicians in the movie, played by Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Hopper are merely stereotypical representations of the republican and democratic party respectively, and consequently, the ways in which they attempt to win over Bud’s affection are beyond predictable. 

Then there’s the media – represented by George Lopez as the local, cutthroat news director and his journalist on the rise Kate Madison (played by Paula Patton), but both come off as one-dimensional. 

Costner seems more than complaisant with the notion of letting little Madeleine Carroll carry the movie, but she is too precocious for her own good.  If she were more like a ‘kid’ then perhaps it would be easier for us to empathize with her and the situation she’s in.

Notwithstanding, the film does deliver a couple of Disneyesque moments where Costner’s character finally shows some arc.  Unfortunately, they come way too late in the story, at a time when all you want to know is who ends up being president so you can leave the theater.  However, even those curious of the outcome will be seriously disappointed. 

Step Brothers (Movie Review)

Rated: R for crude and sexual content, and pervasive language.
Release Date: 2008-07-25
Starring: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/stepbrothers/index.html

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