Being Flynn

Watching ‘Being Flynn’ is like eating a heavy meal right before you go to bed, it is very hard to digest. The subject matter is so loaded that it took me a while to understand how I felt about the movie, and that effect on its own says a lot. The movie is entertaining up to a certain point because the story develops delicately and although it only runs for 1hour 42 minutes, there’s a precise moment in the end where if it would have finished, it would have been enough. This true-life story no doubt is interesting but perhaps it is this very element of realness what drags it down.

The film narrates the life of Nick Flynn (Paul Dano) from his childhood to his adulthood. He tells us of his absent father, Jonathan (Robert De Niro) and about his obsessiveness of being a writer. Despite many obstacles in his childhood his single mother, Jody (Julianne Moore) was able to raise a somewhat normal child. Although he does seem to be struggling, he starts putting his life on track by working at a shelter in Boston and just as he seems to be shaping his life how he wants it his father comes in to mess with any kind of confidence or goals that he may have. The struggle between these two is what carries the movie forward and what brings on the heavy sentimental tiring subjects.

Dano does a good job at capturing the very complicated life of this man who’s had very little in his favor to reach his goals. De Niro plays well the character of an arrogant, self-centered alcoholic; he really is such a versatile actor that you can almost believe him to be this character in real life. There’s no denying that the movie is most intense in the homeless shelter scenes, it is such a haunting dose of reality because of the sense that nowadays specially with the economic crisis anyone can end up in this situation.

Most true-life stories that turn into movies usually have great success because of all the elements that it combines, but in this one the sad reality is way heavier than the uplifting moments; therefore you come out depressed and pensive. The fact that it does open our eyes more to certain things we overlook such as homeless people is a very positive point of the movie but having to deal with all the other emotions it brings is too much of a burden to want to be excited about seeing this film. 

‘End of Watch’: First official clip!

‘End of Watch’ will open in theaters nationwide September 28, 2012. The Open Road Films action thriller production stars Mexican-American Michael Peña and Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal as two young Los Angeles police officers that patrol the toughest streets in South Central vs. the Mexican cartel.

The movie shows an interesting picture of the city’s most dangerous places, the police partners that put their lives at risk working there and the stakes they and their families are forced to face. The film is written and directed by David Ayer the screenwriter for ‘Training Day’.

The film also stars: Natalie Martinez, America Ferrera, Anna Kendrick,  Frank Grillo and David Harbour. Watch the first official clip of the movie, which premiered this past weekend at Comic-con in San Diego. Also, don’t forget to check out the poster at the bottom.

‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ is #1!

The fourth part of the animated film ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ premiered at number one with $46 million dollars. The continuation of the funny story of the three friends that make up a peculiar family has many followers, despite of the fact that many think it’s time for their journey to end.

‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ surprisingly fell to second place with $35 million dollars, although it has already collected 500 million dollars worldwide. It’s expected to take advantage of its time before Batman premieres, which will probably make it go down a few spots.

The obscene teddy bear ‘Ted’ ended up in third place with $22.1 million dollars. This comedy has held on strong since it premiered and continues to do so.

The Top 10 in the Box Office are:

1. Ice Age: Continental Drift – $46

2. The Amazing Spider-Man – $35

3. Ted – $22.1 mil

4. Brave – $10.7 mil

5. Magic Mike – $9

6. Savages – $8.7 mil

7. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection – $5.6 mil

8. Katy Perry: Part of Me – $3.7 mil

9. Moonrise Kingdom – $3.7 mil

10. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – $3.5 mil

Ice Age: Continental Drift (Movie Review)

‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ is 94 minutes of fun for all; this might be the best out of the last two sequels. It’s hard for three main characters to entertain over so many movies, perhaps the reason why it works here is because they take a back seat at points and let the new characters tell the story. This movie combines drama with comedy very well, so that even in the most dramatic moments there’s an upside to it all. Also, the 3D works well throughout the movie, but it works best in the first part where there are a lot of objects popping out of the screen.

In this chapter thanks to Scat’s (Chris Wedge) endless pursuit of the acorn, he triggers a continental drift. As Manny (Ray Romano) is learning to deal with his teenage daughter Peaches (Keke Palmer), Sid (John Leguizamo) is reunited with his Granny (Wanda Sykes) and Diego (Denis Leary) ferociously helps them both. The gang all learn a lesson after they get separated from part of their pack and they face a rare group of pirates that use an iceberg as a ship. Their captain, Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage) rules the oceans and with the help of his best crew members Shira (Jennifer Lopez) and Squint (Aziz Ansari) he will fight anyone that gets in their way.  

My favorite new character is Sid’s Granny, everything she does and says it’s adorably cranky and funny; she’s one of those old people that don’t hold back. Also, the tiny hyraxs (chipmunk like animals) are awesome with their ‘Braveheart’ skit. One of the most substantial new characters is Louis (Josh Gad), a molehog who is Peaches’ best friend.

The new group of villains is an interesting mix but Captain Gutt is the only that’s worth mentioning, his yellow teeth really shine with the 3D making him all the more disgusting and scary. One thing I could have lived without is the pirate jig they use to introduce Gutt. Manny still has a lot of screen time and is certainly the leader, but Sid and Diego really are secondary characters. There are also appearances by Nicki Minaj and Drake, which obviously were just added to the film to draw in a bigger audience.

What makes this movie more entertaining than the 3rd part is the fact that there are two simultaneous stories developing, the action shots of one complements the heart of the other. The introduction of new characters that lead the story gives it a more refreshing look. Of course Scrat is basically a third part of the story that always makes it all the more interesting as he’s the catalyst to everything that occurs.

If you are a fan of The Simpsons make sure to arrive early as there’s a short 3D film ‘The Longest Daycare’ with Maggie. This movie is better rounded than the last one of the series and there’s a lot more humor that will keep you and your children entertained. There are a few lessons the film tries to teach as an undertone, but they don’t over take the movie, this is more fun, action and laughter than anything else.

Red Lights (Movie Review)

‘Red Lights’ is an interesting psychological thriller up to a certain point; because it begins to get so complicated it is easy to loose interest. The subject is far-fetched, although it gives us both aspects of the matter one begins to win over the other without much explanation as to why. We can appreciate the fact that obviously director Rodrigo Cortés explored the angles of the subject of paranormal things and science, but it falls short at the end and leaves us with a sour taste.

 

In this film two physicists, doctor Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her apprentice Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) investigate in a scientific way what others believe to be paranormal phenomena. By doing this they’ve brought to light all the ghost hunters, mind readers and others, showing their dishonesty. But when the psychic Simon Silver (Robert De Niro) returns after 30 years of retirement, even Matheson who isn’t afraid of anyone tells Buckley that Silver is dangerous and isn’t worth investigating. Buckley obsessively wants to investigate Silver without caring about the warnings; with Sally’s (Elizabeth Olsen) help they risk everything to find out what Silver is hiding.  

 

Cortés told us in our interview that he wanted to explore how the human mind works, that we believe what we want to believe and this changes the perception of many things. The game of uncertainty between the audience and the characters in the screen as to what is really happening works and is what keeps the mystery of the film alive; since science and the paranormal face off to show us the reality of each character. It’s interesting to see how the scientist work, as well as how the tricksters work and how the believers reacts. This is the base and heart of the film.

 

Despite this the subject begins to be too complicated and certain things start to happen without any explanation. It’s had to believe in a movie that makes vague questions without exploring them more and that at the same time shows random scenes without any explanation. The movie doesn’t have a lot of action, except for one of the most violent scenes I’ve seen in a while, which makes it boring at times. But, the most disappointing thing of all is that in the culminating point although it gives us a revelation is isn’t satisfying. Obviously one theory wins over the other but we are not told why.

 

Without a doubt the three main actors: Weaver, Murphy and De Niro give us first class performances; specially Weaver, they take their characters to the point where the script allows them to. Olsen is left so much in the dark that she’s basically inexistent until she is needed. Cortés’ talent is easily seen, but perhaps if he let loose he would be able to give us a more complete movie.

 

According to Cortés he decided to make this film in English because he believes there’s a bigger paranormal market in the United States, I disagree since if it would have been in Spanish it would surely have a bigger audience in Latin America. The people that tend to believe in the paranormal or are curious about it can give this thriller a chance since it combines the old art of psychics with the modern world of science; everyone else stay away. I warn those that decide to watch it to keep their expectations low.      

‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ takes over the box office

‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ premiered on July 3rd and swept the box office collecting $65 million dollars at number one, with a grand total of $140 million dollars until now. Sony Pictures is ready to work on part two of the trilogy seeing its success.

The comedy that was number one last week ‘Ted’ dropped to the second spot with $32 million dollars. Seth MacFarlane’s film held on strong despite of the superhero premiere.

Pixar’s ‘Brave’ continues at number three with $32.6 million dollars, it seems like the redheaded heroine has captured the public’s attention. The entire top ten this week is an interesting mix of family and rated R films. 

The Top 10 Movies in the Box Office:

1. The Amazing Spider-Man – $65 mil

2. Ted – $32.6 mil

3. Brave – $20.2 mil

4. Savages – $16.2 mil

5. Magic Mike – $15.6 mil

6. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection – $10.2 mil

7. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – $7.7 mil

8. Katy Perry: Part of Me – $7.1 mil

9. Moonrise Kingdom -$4.6 mil

10. To Rome with Love -$3.5 mil

Savages (Movie Review)

‘Savages’ has so much star potential and a solid story that it could easily have been one of the best movies of the summer; unfortunately it fails to reach its full potential as it gets lost in all the twists and it doesn’t take itself seriously. Controversial film director Oliver Stone uses a not so original setting in the world of drug dealing and turns it into an almost dark comical action thriller, where cold-blooded dealers are gossiping coworkers that easily fool one another. I’ve said this before and I will say it again, a movie that has so many characters and that tries to fulfill too many genres most likely will fall short to what it tries to accomplish.

 

Best friends Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Johnson) lead a successful marijuana producing business in California, they each bring something different to the table, which is what makes their partnership unbreakable. They also have a love triangle with their girlfriend O (Blake Lively) who keeps them balanced and creates this unusual family they all need. Their picture perfect life gets disrupted when the powerful and violent Mexican Baja Cartel wants part of their business’ action. The Cartel’s fierce leader Elena (Salma Hayek) runs her operations from her living room, commanding her right hand Lado (Benicio Del Toro) and her lawyer Alex (Demián Bichir). Not sure what to do, Chon and Ben consult a dirty DEA agent, Dennis (John Travolta) who’s helped them run their business without getting caught. A savage war breaks out when both teams try to outsmart one another.

 

Del Toro is just the perfect person to play a bad guy and the audience easily begins to hate him by his actions and behavior. Although Bichir’s part is miniscule, it’s very important and he plays it well despite of the film almost mocking his character, he’s still able to come out unharmed. The problem with Hayek wasn’t her performance, as it was great to see her play such a strong, powerful character; the problem was the script as it decides to show her as someone gullible and that’s hard to believe having seen what kind of person she is.

 

Kitsch has had a tough year with ‘John Carter’ and ‘Battleship’, he has a lot of talent and it shows here but at times the script does fail him, but he’s able to overcome it. Johnson gives the film a good balance, as he’s one of the few pacifistic characters and it is quite refreshing. Lively is the weakest link here, as she’s doesn’t have a lot of say and gets used over and over again. Although the narration by Lively helps the film, as she’s able to give background information, at the end the narration starts treating the audience like idiots and it takes away from the film.

 

Stone made some great casting choices as he combined veteran stars such as Travolta, perhaps Stone’s political angle in the film, with the three main young actors, which quickly have come to be known in Hollywood. Stone shows his capability as a filmmaker mixing in shots of black and white as well as beautiful sceneries and bloody scenes.

 

The film is based on Don Winslow’s novel and this might be the reason why it becomes over dramatic, ironic and comical at times; those were the biggest flaws of the film. The actors gave it their all despite of the script failing them at times. Unfortunately when it begins to have funny scenes and ridicule the characters who have earned the audience’s respect it undoes what it’s done. The film tries to overcompensate with violence but it doesn’t succeed. I expected so much more from this movie but it drowned in a pool of mediocrity as much as it struggled to keep afloat. 

‘Ted’ is #1 at the box office!

‘Family Guy’s producer Seth MacFarlane took over the box office with his comedy ‘Ted’ with $54.1 million dollars. The story of the not so adorable teddy bear and his owner Mark Wahlberg, certainly is worth a peek as many would agree. This is the third best debut for an R-rated comedy, ever!

Channing Tatum’s ‘Magic Mike’ premiered at number two with $39.2 million dollars; this R-rated dramedy sure dragged plenty of ladies to the theaters this weekend. The film takes viewers into the world of male stripping, which is not as glittery as one might expect.

Surprisingly, ‘Brave’ dropped two spots to number three with $34 million dollars. Apparently the adults decided to leave the kids at home this weekend and give themselves a treat with the top two R-rated films of the box office.

The Top 10 Movies in the Box Office are:

1.Ted – $54.1 mil

2. Magic Mike – $39.2 mil

3. Brave – $34 mil

4. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection -$26.3 mil

5. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted -$11.8 mil

6. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – $6 mil

7. Prometheus – $4.9 mil

8. Moonrise Kingdom – $4.9 mil

9. Snow White and the Huntsman – $4.4 mil

10. People Like Us $4.3 mil