Focus - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Focus Director: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Adrian Martinez, Gerald McRaney, Rodrigo Santoro, and BD Wong

A jigsaw puzzle can be put together in many different ways. Some start with the edges, while others focus on distinguishable objects. In the end it's a pleasant process of time spent in a non-too-complicated exercise. “Focus” from Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the team behind 2011’s “Crazy, Stupid, Love”, has this same quality. It's an enjoyable though unbalanced caper and con artist film that has undeniable coolness but unfortunately struggles to find direction with the  chemistry of the leads and narrative structure to make it as memorable an experience as it might have been.

Nicky (Will Smith) is a con artist who runs a team of pickpockets and scam artists during the week of the Superbowl in New Orleans. It’s the perfect gig for the group to make a few easy million dollars taking advantage of gullible and ignorant tourists. Jess (Margot Robbie) is a rookie thief who tries to swindle Nicky with a blundered ploy that he easily identifies. Jess becomes enamored with Nicky’s abilities and tracks him down in an effort to learn and be trained by him. Nicky, living by the crooks rule of never letting heart get involved in business, allows Jess into his group but leaves her when things get too serious.

Chemistry, especially in a film like “Focus”, plays an integral aspect in the execution of the film. Take for instance Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen in 1968’s “The Thomas Crown Affair”, a film that is a clear influence here, where a major part of what makes that film work so well is the undeniable chemistry between the leads. Will Smith and Margot Robbie’s relationship at times comes off natural while other times it feels forced and flat. When it works in early scenes where the two actors are given time to share the screen in moments of flirtation and playful charm without clear insight into their intentions, the film builds a chemistry that assists the distrusting qualities of a story about deceitful con artists. However, as the film progresses and the mystery is slighted for a lazy love story, the chemistry of the actors is lost amongst a story that feels confused with the directions it wants to take. Though it’s easy to see what the film wanted to be, especially in a scene involving Nicky and an egocentric gambler (BD Wong). The moment plays out with building tension, two gamblers who care less about risk than they do about their ego, lending Will Smith the opportunity to be conflicted rather than cool and the narrative to embody the confidence and cunning qualities of the con artist it portrays.

Will Smith still has an indisputable charisma. Whether his cool, calm, and comedic demeanor in every situation, serious or otherwise, or the emotional intensity that he accompanies with teary-eyed sensitivity, it’s never a stretch for him to play these composed yet emotionally guarded characters. Margot Robbie makes a great femme fatale here but she also shines during emotional moments when her character becomes vulnerable to Nicky. Robbie has been consistently good in her short film career so far.

“Focus” has a slick and crafty quality initially but unfortunately stalls in the second half and succumbs to repeating many of the scenes it already utilized to establish the motivations in the beginning. Though Will Smith and Margot Robbie are interesting to watch, a weak narrative undermines the chemistry that could have elevated this film above some of the flaws it falters into.

Monte’s Rating

2.75 out of 5.00

Mommy - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

Mommy  

Starring Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément, Alexandre Goyette, and Patrick Huard

Directed by Xavier Dolan

Rated R

Run Time: 138 minutes

Genre: Drama

Opens February 27th

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

Mommy is Xavier Dolan's thrillingly unique vision of a troubled mother-son relationship. Shot in a 1:1 aspect ratio, the film is a jarring look at a mother facing an ethical dilemma surrounding her compulsive, abnormally grotesque spawn. As a widow, Diane (Anne Dorval) must raise her violent son, Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) in a troubled environment, which grows increasingly threatened from a mysterious new neighbor across the street. Dorval's performance as Diane is marked by tenacity and a profound melancholy; her decision to remove her son from self-imposed institutionalization defines her internal desire to love her son and her external apprehension toward embracing him. Pilon's role as Steve has been noted as a semi-autobiographical role for Dolan, who has attempted to express himself directly through his films with other works like I Killed My Mother. Here, Dolan infuses the straightforward narrative with a sci-fi conceit in the opening moments, laying the groundwork for an emotionally riveting, daringly original feature.

Steve is known for his violent outbursts and struggles with ADHD after his father's death. When his mother takes him out of the institution, she must move to home-based work in order to ensure his safety. That involves homeschooling her 15-year old troublemaker, even looking for help from the stuttering neighbor Kyla (Suzanne Clément), who proves to be a welcome adversary to Steve's abrasive nature. The three form a harsh dynamic that involves Steve's manipulation of the two both emotionally and physically; this furthers the complication of the film's central conceit, in that involuntary institutionalization can be enforced by parents through a fictitious Quebec law, the S-14. This allows parents to submit troublesome children to state care without any questions asked. While it's recommended to Die (the titular mother's nickname, and a potential excuse for Dolan to mirror his debut feature that hinted at homicidal feelings for his mother) by outsiders, she cannot fathom deserting her child. At least, not after already doing that once in the wake of her husband's passing.

Dolan's unusual cinematography adds a portrait-like feel to much of the work. Some will see it as pretentious, but it's masterful when it's used as a means of exposing Die's emotional state. She's suffocated and trapped by Steve's destructive nature, so in the moments that her mind and soul feel free, the cinematography proves powerful. Dolan is an intelligent young director (still only 25) that understands the conventions of melodrama and flips them on its head. He utilizes dispassionate actions and builds a sense of regret that overwhelms characters after their harsh decisions; a brilliant physical altercation between Steve and Kyla epitomizes that challenging dichotomy. One commits a horrible act and the other feels isolated, only for the audience to grow conflicted on how they should feel due to what we know about these characters. Yet their actions always remain true to the individuals, and the emotional core of the film swells with immense empathy in its second half. A four-minute montage stands as one of the most affecting scenes I've ever encountered. Mommy is such an engrossing work that will leave some cold, others confounded, and a few amazed; regardless, it's worth seeing.

The Lazarus Effect - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

The Lazarus Effect  

Starring Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Donald Glover, Evan Peters, and Sarah Bolger

Directed by David Gelb

Rated PG-13

Run Time: 83 minutes

Genre: Horror

Opens February 27th

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

The Lazarus Effect is like that crazy uncle at your family gatherings that comes nicely dressed one time, making you think he's going to act differently. Instead, he just looks good while spewing off a bunch of nonsense that leaves everyone confused and disoriented, hoping that maybe next time things won't be such a mess. Most mainstream horror films as of late fall into that category, and The Lazarus Effect is no exception. It's a nonsensical affair that exudes pretension and self-righteousness when it's really just a painfully familiar and vapid horror story. The story focuses on Frank (Mark Duplass) and Zoe (Olivia Wilde), two scientists working on an experiment that began as a means of reviving coma patients from their mental state. Slowly but surely, it evolved into experimenting on recently deceased animals in hopes of bringing them back to life. They are joined by Clay (Evan Peters), an e-cigarette smoking slacker that's also a complete genius, and Niko (Donald Glover), the shy scientist that not-so-secretly has a crush on Zoe.

They hire a documentarian, Eva (Sarah Bolger), to film their lab tests, and she basically acts as eye-candy for the two single guys while miraculously not having any of her own characteristics. It's impressive. Outside of Zoe, who is developed as a religious believer with a troubled and traumatic childhood, each character is treated like their respective horror movie clichés. Except they also don't really follow them at all, only when they need to die (side note: why does the black guy always die first in horror films?). Nonetheless, an experiment gone wrong one night leads to Zoe's death, with the entire group debating about the ethics of reviving her using their technology. I should probably preface this rapid plot development by the fact that they bring a dog to life who acts aggressively around everyone except Zoe (bear with me), an enigmatic company steals their technology when they pretty much agree that no one would spend the amount of money provided on them (a story that goes nowhere, but it gets better), and some wonderful coincidences that allow for them to break back in to their own lab to do these tests when they literally had everything taken away of them. Who needs plausibility, right?

No surprises here, as Zoe gets revived and everything goes crazy. The ultimate problem with The Lazarus Effect is not simply its clichéd storyline or its emotionless characters, but its complete and utter disregard for being exciting. There's nothing thrilling about its cinematography, score, sound effects, scares, or visual flair. It's a repetitive film. There are numerous scenes that show us, at a variety of different angles (!), a fiery hallway that dominated Zoe's childhood memories, but it never delivers a payoff until an out-of-left-field type plot twist. As Zoe grows increasingly powerful, the film grows even less interesting. She's unstoppable, like a version of last year's Lucy if the character wanted to murder scientists. The story hints at the malevolence behind many pharmaceuticals and attempts to tackle religion, but it ain't no Exorcist. The cast should make for a compelling story, especially with Donald Glover as a comedic sidekick and the capable Duplass in the lead. But even Wilde cannot save the film in a role where she's basically asked to be crazy. The one solid thing about The Lazarus Effect is that it runs a scant 83 minutes, making the experience mostly painless and gone in a hurry, like a tooth getting yanked out.

My Favorite Modern Westerns by Michael Clawson

Great modern westerns by Michael Clawson of Terminal Volume

No genre is more ubiquitous to Hollywood than the western. Some of the very first films were about cowboys, horses and gunfights. The genre is so old that when the first westerns were being made there were certain parts of the country that were only partially removed from the Old West. Westerns were to audiences then what 90s movies are to us now — fading, but still very clear memories.

Yet, every year there is renewed interest in the western. It’s not a ton of interest, not like other genres, but enough that we’re reminded that the western will never die, even though the original stars — Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Will Rogers, Harry Carey — have been replaced by John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, themselves replaced by others.

In the spirit of the Phoenix Film Festival’s Your Favorite Movies series, here are my favorite westerns of the new millennium. I’m cutting it off at 2000, because before that is filled with all the classics that would clog my list. And because you already know about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Unforgiven, The Wild Bunch and, my personal favorite, Once Upon a Time in the West. By removing those and sticking to modern films, we can draw attention to the films that are carrying on the great western traditions.

1- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford — Andrew Dominik’s gorgeous ode to the west’s greatest outlaw is unlike any western that came before it. Rapturously narrated, photographed in poetic stanzas, and with acting that is devastatingly pure, Jesse James established the myth of the man and then shattered it, only to mythologize once again in its closing heartbreaking chapters.

2- The Proposition — John Hillcoat’s Australian outlaw flick was a stark wake-up about the violent implications of the cowboy way. The bad guys here are very very bad; even the good guys are just varying shades of dark gray. About a lawman who gives a man an ultimatum — bring me your terrible brother or your less terrible brother will hang — The Proposition is relentless in its pursuit of overturning the western stereotypes.

3-Open Range — Kevin Costner is the butt of a lot of jokes, but he has a sensitive eye to the Old West and its historical relevance. In Open Range he focuses on several cowpunchers and their desperate fight with a town’s heavy-handed leader. The film is notable for its realism, with gunfights taking place in agonizing realtime, townspeople who don’t vanish at high noon and relationships that don’t just take place behind swinging saloon doors. Dances With Wolves might be masterpiece, but Open Range is Costner’s smaller study of the west.

4-Meek’s Cutoff — Kelly Reichardt’s sumptuously slow Meek’s Cutoff would never get made in another age. It plods along in plain skirts, bonnets, covered wagons and so little exposition that it’s downright vague. But the film captures a rarely seen aspect of the west: tedious travel and crippling boredom. Strip the action out of a western and you have a film that is meditative and a little terrifying in its stillness.

5-The Homesman — Tommy Lee Jones’ The Homesman picks up almost in the middle of Meek’s Cutoff, with Hilary Swank escorting three insane women across the frontier, where they will be cared for by what can only be described as “someone else.” The film rattles along at a fair clip, stopping for various episodes in the wild, but then it becomes something so much more when Swank’s homely cowgirl decides she’s had enough. These later passages are so powerful and tragic that they solidify Jones’ name among the western greats.

6-Brokeback Mountain — Forever known as the gay cowboy movie, people often forget that Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain was a loud declaration of the western’s right to be anything it wanted, without all the white hat/black hat cliché. The film made homesexuality, cowboys, stereotypes of the Old West, hate crimes, family values … all of it relevant in a modern context. Step aside from the cultural response to Brokeback Mountain and peer into this film’s open heart and you’ll see that had a lot to say, all of it eloquent.

7-The Good, The Bad, and The Weird -- This and maybe Sukiyaki Western Django are noteworthy examples of the western being appropriated and tweaked by other countries and cultures. Cowboys are a universal idea, an archetype of brazen fearlessness and machoness. We called them cowboys, but in other cultures they were called samurai. Here in The Good, The Bad, and The Weird, they crash the two together in a fiery mess of stylized gunfights, stunts and special effects.

8-Django Unchained — Quentin Tarantino’s bloody western acknowledged something very rare in westerns: slavery. Part revenge tale, part rescue mission, but thoroughly a Tarantino picture, Django turned two men — one white and one black — loose to fight their way through the Antebellum South. By recognizing and commenting on America’s terrible shame the film committed itself to western history.

9-True Grit — I’m still a big fan of the original True Grit, but what the Coen Brothers did with their rascally remake is notable for a variety of reasons, and language is one of the big ones. Never before have we heard cowboys talk like they do here, with made-up words, stammering syntax, mumbled gibberish and tobacco drippings. Jeff Bridges is great as Rooster Cogburn, but the real star here is the authentic-sounding dialogue.

10-Appaloosa — Ed Harris’ forgotten cowboy flick does not break tons of new ground for the western genre, which is why I like the movie so much — it’s more of a callback to the way these movies used to be. Lawmen with big guns, cattle barons, outlaws, shootouts, main street confrontations … innovation in the genre can only go so far before it must reach back into the past and borrow from what already works. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Forgotten Classics from Major Directors by Michael Clawson

by Michael Clawson of Terminal Volume

The great directors became great not by sitting around plucking the occasional movie from each decade, but by relentlessly pursuing projects at every opportunity. They worked so hard and so fast that today the libraries of their films are vast with forgotten corners and dusty shelves. Here is a small selection of my favorite forgotten works by major directors working today.

Empire of the Sun, Steven Spielberg

Sandwiched between The Color Purple and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is Spielberg’s beautifully terrifying war journal Empire of the Sun, featuring a young Christian Bale as a British boy caught up in the events of World War II in Japanese-occupied China. The film, treasured in certain circles and frowned upon in others, is widely forgotten today, even as a stepping stone for the young Bale, who would go on to become a superstar. I was reminded of this film last year during Angelina Jolie’s similar, but altogether hollow, Unbroken, about another figure caught in the madness of war. Spielberg, of course, has produced some masterful and timeless images for the screen, but look at any highlight reel of his work and it’s all Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, E.T. and Jurassic Park. Yet, here in Empire — which is based on a book by one of the great writers of the 20th century, J.G. Ballard — he continuously one-ups himself with marvelously poetic imagery: a boy riding his bike in a country house, playtime in a derelict fighter plane, showers of sparks on a runway, fields of stolen antiques … it has a continuously magical series of shots. And yet, it’s forgotten, right alongside another Spielberg misfire worth revisiting, 1941. Both films are Spielberg B-sides, but they’re terrific.

After Hours, Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese has a fascination with men adrift in secret worlds that are invisible to the naked eye: gangsters in Goodfellas and Casino, paramedics in Bringing Out the Dead, bankers in Wolf of Wall Street. In his After Hours, his 1985 surrealist comedy, the lights go out in New York City and it becomes an absurd fantasy, where keys, art and angry mobs (but never actual money) are the currency of the film’s hapless protagonist, played by Griffin Dunne. The film bounces from one awful misadventure to the next, until you realize it has ended exactly where begun. Scorsese is frequently cited for his violence and scoundrel leading men, but it should also be noted he has a wicked sense of humor.

Rumble Fish, Francis Ford Coppola

Years after making the first two Godfather films, Apocalypse Now and the The Conversation, Francis Ford Coppola made two movies based on S.E. Hinton books. The first, The Outsiders, was widely seen and appreciated, but the second, Rumble Fish, filmed the same year as The Outsiders, slipped into the cracks of Coppola’s long career. Some of this might have to do with the experimental nature of the film: its odd pace and composition, the jazzy bohemian soundtrack, or its high-contrast black and white presentation. But the unique style of Rumble Fish, coupled with the impressive performances of Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke — playing characters named Rusty James and Motorcycle Boy — stands as a hallmark to Coppola’s power as a director.

A Perfect World, Clint Eastwood

Coming on the heels of Unforgiven, A Perfect World did not make the splash that it was probably intended to make. The movie, about an escaped convict who kidnaps a young boy in 1960s Texas, was a moderate moneymaker and was warmly received by critics, but would be quietly forgotten when presented next to Eastwood’s later works, especially during his directing spree starting in 1997 and barely slowing down since then. The film is notable for its delicately written script (by Disney hired gun John Lee Hancock), the combination of Kevin Costner’s convict and T.J. Lowther’s malleable young boy, and the careful way in which Eastwood filmed their joint escapades across Texas. It’s still, to this day, one of his finest films.

Matchstick Men, Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott is one of the hardest working directors in Hollywood, not because he makes more films, but because he makes more big films — his projects are almost always labor intensive, besieged by extras and special effects, and have long runtimes. James Cameron makes big movies, too, but not at Scott’s pace. It was surprising then to see Matchstick Men, a low-key long con movie about a father and a daughter. First of all, I love long con movies, and this one is just spectacular. Nicholas Cage is an OCD grifter, Sam Rockwell plays a sleazy partner, Bruce McGill plays the gullible mark, and Allison Lohman is the long-lost daughter there to gum up the works. The film’s beauty is that after the con drops, the mark — the true mark — actually got what he wanted, which is something I wasn’t expecting.

The Limey, Steven Soderbergh

Between Out of Sight and Erin Brockovich, Steven Soderbergh made The Limey, a crime thriller in the vein of an Elmore Leonard story. The movie is a revenge tale involving a very snappy Brit flying to the Unites States to find out about his dead daughter. He runs into characters played by Peter Fonda, Luis Guzman and Bill Duke, and is generally a cool customer as he murders his way through a criminal empire. The film works because of its star, Terence Stamp, who is simply electric as the fast-talking father with a grudge. It also works because it’s simple. Soderbergh doesn’t drown his material in style and substance. He just tells a story, as quickly and effectively as he knows how.

Salvador, Oliver Stone

Before Oliver Stone would go on to fame with Platoon, Wall Street and Born on the Fourth of July, he made Salvador in 1986, the same year he also made Platoon. The film follows a war photographer, whose desire for blood and carnage takes a turn on him during political unrest in Salvador. The frantic imagery, violence, the characters’ use of language … these are all trademarks that we will see in later Stone pictures. it also helped that James Woods, playing the photographer character, was at his most James Woodsian, bouncing off the walls in all his glory.

eXistenZ, David Cronenberg

This gritty science fiction fantasy likely suffered from stiff competition at theaters in the weeks surrounding its release, namely with a little film called The Matrix. But I maintain here that Cronenberg’s eXistenz is, in many ways, a better film about “jacking in” or “booting up” into a false reality. The film is punctuated with noir-inspired flourishes of mystery, some of them involving skin-draped joysticks that are clearly modeled after the sex organs of some interplanetary species. Also interesting are the almost robotic performances of Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law. The film ends on an Inception-like top twirl that calls into question everything we’ve already seen, a trait of almost all of Cronenberg’s films.

Strange Days, Kathryn Bigelow

Here’s another film that was upstaged by The Matrix, but is largely forgotten: Kathryn Bigelow’s terrific Strange Days, about a black market dealer in SQUID clips, a sensory recording made by jacking right into the human brain. Ralph Fiennes is the dealer, and he’s joined later by Angela Bassett, Tim Sizemore and a very naked Juliette Lewis (singing her own songs). The action thriller works because Bigelow takes the world she creates as seriously as the characters do. The science fiction is out there and weird, but within the scope of plausibility, and the characters react to in ways that are believable. The film also uses these crazy first-person perspectives, which would be an overindulgence in another movie, but here they make complete sense.

Last Action Hero, John McTiernan

Bear with me on this one. Last Action Hero was a disaster when it was released in 1993, but I think the film was way ahead of its time for action movies and director John McTiernan, the director of action royalty Die Hard. It takes place in a world where Arnold Schwarzenegger, the real Arnold, plays a character named Jack Slater in a series of action thrillers. These films are watched by a young fanboy, who is eventually transported into the films, where film logic applies to everything from bullet physics and police station lobbies to car chases and the movie cliche of the Talking Villain. Later, the film escapes from the screen and enters Arnold’s real world. Charles Dance is in there with a false eye, Tom Noonan is an axe-murderer, Ian McKellen plays Death from The Seventh Seal. It’s all rather bonkers, but the movie was meta, before meta was really even a pop concept. It acknowledges the action cliches and tropes in a way that has never been done before or since. The movie has its flaws (eek — that kid!), but it spoke to entire generation of action films and it was laughed out of the room for it. By the way, McTiernan, who has been largely absent from filmmaking due to some legal troubles, needs to stage a comeback.

McFarland, USA - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

McFarland USA  

Dir: Niki Caro

Starring: Kevin Costner, Carlos Pratts, Maria Bello, Ramiro Rodriguez, Johnny Ortiz, Rafael Martinez, Hector Duran, Sergio Avelar, Elsie Fisher, and Morgan Saylor

Rated PG

128 Minutes

How do you make a cross-country running film interesting? You hire an accomplished director and utilize Disney’s tried and true sports movie formula. Get a group of underdogs, add insurmountable odds, base it on true events and that’s the groundwork for this successful formula. “Glory Road”, “Miracle”, and “Remember the Titans” are just a few of the sports movies viewers still mention when listing their favorite sport themed films. It’s not a complicated form by any means but this structure works by combining heartfelt and uplifting sentiments. Director Niki Caro utilizes culture to assist in establishing the dynamic between the characters and the society that defines them.  Though more could have been done with this topic it doesn’t hinder “McFarland, USA” from being an enjoyably simplistic film.

Coach Jim White is moving his family to a small California community after an altercation with a player during a football game that lead to his dismissal. Desperate for teachers, McFarland High School hires White, or “Blanco” as his predominantly Hispanic students refer to him, for a staff position. White and his family are greeted with open arms in the community, though it is a bit of a culture shock for them. White notices that the students work hard, most of them assisting the family in the picking fields, and run everywhere they go. White proposes that the school start a cross county team, a first of its kind in 1987.

A mountain, an early adversary for these young runners, plays an obvious metaphor. Whether the conflict of being more than a field worker or understanding the conflicts of a broken home, nothing comes easy for these young men and Coach White recognizes this early on. Though the community of McFarland is poor they are also rich in heart, taking pride in important matters like family and community. Director Niki Caro understands these bonds and utilizes them within the primary physical attribute of the sport they are participating in, which is ultimately endurance. These young men understand this situation, some even becoming complaisant with the life being shaped without their input, but they endure for more than themselves. They endure for their family. And when they become a team, they endure for each other. Till finally, during the course of the race, the runners recognize they must endure for themselves. It’s a simple narrative device that Caro implements and for the most part it works effectively. However, there are other aspects to this story that are underutilized. Violence exists for a brief moment in only one scene and any approach to a realistic understanding of the world these kids grow up in is left in the background, but that’s another movie completely.

Kevin Costner has always been good as the surly sympathetic kind, here providing the brash speeches of tough love while quietly exhibiting the caring side of his personality. Costner is always good at making everyone better as well. Scenes with the young cast, especially Carlos Pratts who is the most dramatic character of the young actors, are assisted by Costner’s skill but each of the actors fit their specific roles with ease.

“McFarland USA” aims to present a series of uplifting moments with just enough surface level complications to make the journey meaningful. Any exploration of deeper correlations within the characters and the society and culture they are living in are relegated to supportive attributes. This film simply aims at being a purely entertaining sports movie, to which it succeeds.

Monte’s Rating

3.50 out of 5.00

McFarland, USA - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

McFarland, USA  

Starring Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Carlos Pratts, Hector Duran, Chad Mountain, and Johnny Ortiz

Directed by Niki Caro

Rated PG

Run Time: 129 minutes

Genre: Drama

Opens February 20th

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

McFarland, USA has more heart and care for its Hispanic lead characters than expected, even if the story is told through the lens of a white family man coming to terms with his new life. Like many Disney efforts of late (including last year's Million Dollar Arm), the film opts for safe notions of fish-out-of-water ideas rather than investing fully in the culture it's attempting to showcase. For every sincere moment that emerges in McFarland, a grating moment of stereotypical insensitivity dominates the next. There's no definitive storytelling balance between the Hispanic runners and the White family (yes, jokes are made about his name being White, including the worthy language substitute of "Blanco"), particularly as the cultural divide seems to swing rapidly without much build. The narrative is based on a true story, an all too familiar reminder of how calculated the emotional moments in the film are. Does that explain, though, the bouts of gang violence and entirely unnecessary conflict that is introduced in the film's final half hour? Despite this string of complaints, though, the film is affecting and nuanced in its depiction of actual Hispanic culture, and Kevin Costner is phenomenal as always.

The film opens in 1987, with Jim White (Kevin Costner) talking with a frustrated football team that has given up the most points in their high school's history. One of his captains, and the only senior on the team, makes a joke of the moment, causing Jim to react unfortunately and lead to his termination. Jim has to move his family from Boise to McFarland, California, one of the poorest cities in the nation. It's a town that looks like it belongs in southern Arizona or right past the border of Mexico; signage, food, and culture scream "Mexico!," a remark that Jim's daughter makes with the cultural acceptance of a hazelnut. Jim fears for his family's life upon seeing a group of car enthusiasts that are mistaken for "gangbangers," as the driver so aptly puts it. His experience at his new job is hostile and marked by unmotivated children, including an awful football team that cannot compete. Yet he notices that most of the kids are excellent runners; what if they start a cross-country team and begin to compete?

The first thirty minutes of the film are a rough set-up, with the Whites coming across as fearful racists that believe they cannot live within a Hispanic culture. Yet the story develops into a quite accepting look at how difficult it can be for Hispanic children to distinguish themselves in a world that already believes they fall into certain cultural stencils. The students who form the cross country team at the heart of the film are intelligent, remarkably hard-working, devoted, and passionate. That cannot be said about most teenagers depicted in film, let alone ones based on a true story. Moments when Jim eats a proper Mexican meal and Cheryl (Jim's wife, a mostly thankless role played respectably by Maria Bello) undergoes a makeover while her car is fixed shine an honorable light on a culture that is often mocked or generalized in film. Here, the story allows a development of a quinceañera to feel fitting in the story, along with the devotion to working within the family and preserving the tirelessly working spirit it takes to work in fields for entire days.

For every moment that the film spends developing that culture, it throws in unnecessary moments that only make the Whites seem out-of-touch. Jim White's desire to work in a field one day simply makes him look old rather than unable to work, and his inability to run with the students makes him seem like an inappropriate choice for coaching a cross-country team. Regardless, the film has merits in its presentation of teamwork and resilience, particularly as racial stigmas pervade a white-dominated sport like cross-country. Californian prep students can be real jerks, at least based on what the film suggests. Costner's good in his role, one that allows him to shine when the script doesn't steer toward pandering; he doesn't do well in tried, emotionally dead scenes after an act of gang violence drags the film to a halt. There are predictable beats, as with all Disney entries, never opting for surprise so much as inspiration with a nice cherry on top. That's fine and all, and the film has plenty to enjoy, but it makes McFarland, USA feel like another safe entry in Disney's catalog.

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

Hot Tub Time Machine 2  

Starring Adam Scott, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, and Gillian Jacobs

Directed by Steve Pink

Rated R

Run Time: 93 minutes

Genre: Comedy

Opens February 20th

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 opens with a nipple joke and closes with a dick joke. It's quiet poetic, considering the asinine attempts on display of repeating the previous film's successes to lesser, more vulgar degrees. While the original HTTM had a sense of nostalgia and a lighter comedic tone, the characters on display here are mostly repugnant and unlikable. By having Lou (Rob Corddry) take over as the main character of the film, the story is asked to navigate around a modern-day Caligula who has no likable traits or moral decency. So when we're asked to view the film through his eyes and watch his character supposedly change, it's off-putting and mostly uncomfortable. Yet the film's biggest fault comes from its belief that every one of its jokes is amusing, including homophobic jokes and outdated references to scarcely watched shows like Fringe. The film just doesn't have a clue as to how to spruce up its thin premise, falling into the trap of repeating its predecessor in almost every way. It's unoriginal, mostly unfunny, and a huge misfire.

The film picks up after the events of the first film, with Lou (Rob Corddry) inventing his knock-off brand of Google and being considered one of the biggest tech geniuses in the world. He's a billionaire, and his son, Jacob (Clark Duke), is the classic slacker of a rich father who doesn't aim for all that much. Nick (Craig Robinson) is still churning out hit after hit ever since he introduced the world to "Let's Get It Started," the Black Eyed Peas song he passed off as his own. And Adam (John Cusack) is nowhere to be found, although they believe he may have time traveled for some unknown reason. Nonetheless, at a self-indulgent party that Lou throws, he gets fatally shot in a nether region and faces his mortality; what if the guys went back in time, though, and prevented Lou's manhood from being destroyed? Lo and behold, they get black-out drunk (just like in the first film), Chevy Chase's crazy hot tub operator makes them uncomfortable, and they land 10 years in the future.

What could strike as genius ends up falling flat in almost every way. The jokes don't necessarily revolve around the future so much as more futuristic dick jokes. It's woefully uninspired. The concept of sentient Smart Cars is genius and almost feels like it belongs in a smarter, more adept comedy than this one, since the gags used for it are pretty impressive. How Hot Tub Time Machine 2 attempts to make sense of itself might be the most frustrating part of it all: it throws around supposed logic of alternate universes but doesn't seem to care about appealing to the audience. Instead, it treats the time travel as something that doesn't really matter or shouldn't be understood, even when they put a lot of effort into presenting the rules of the world. Adam Scott and Gillian Jacobs are the two new additions to the crew, and those apt comedic players are reduced to lifeless roles. It's a bland film, not particularly offensive or awful. Just lazy and vapid.

The Last Five Years - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

The Last Five Years  

Starring Anna Kendrick, Jeremy Jordan, Natalie Knepp, Meg Hudson, and Nic Novicki

Directed by Richard LaGravenese

Rated PG-13

Run Time: 94 minutes

Genre: Musical/Romance

Opens February 20th

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

It's rare to see a full-bodied independent musical released theatrically in today's cinematic landscape. Told almost entirely through song, The Last Five Years is an unevenly affecting romance told through the eyes of both of its lover protagonists. As each of their careers face the traditional ebb-and-flow associated with artists in New York, one's success leads to another's emotional downfall. Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan both fill their roles compellingly, exuding palpable romantic chemistry and gamely singing the on-the-nose and lavishly obvious lyrics. That's one of the core problems associated with musical adaptations, particularly ones that reveal almost all of their character and story through song. It's frustratingly obvious, a flaw that I found with Into the Woods that originates primarily from Sondheim's influence on stage music. In its adaptation to film, The Last Five Years does explore compelling, open cinematography and a non-linear narrative that challenges the viewer, but it also leaves little past its surface and falls into repetition in its final half hour.

The film focuses on Cathy Hiatt (Anna Kendrick), a struggling actress, and Jamie Wellerstein (Jeremy Jordan), a fledgling novelist, who carry their romance to New York City in the hopes of pursuing their dreams. Cathy helms from Ohio and has failed to find herself in the vast acting world of New York. She's been called for many auditions but had little to no success, trying out for Broadway shows, routine acting gigs, and even settling on bartending in the downtime between those options. She waits five hours at some points in hopes of getting an acting opportunity, but either succumbs to pressure or doesn't know if she wants the role. Simply put, she cannot seem to find herself. Jamie, on the other hand, finds an agent that trusts and respects his work, leading to his success continuing to grow as his first novel finds publication. He often visits with other writers, publishers, and various industry people while Cathy stands on the sidelines as a discontent cheerleader. But she wants to be more than that, and doesn't appreciate Jamie's dismissal of her presence at times when she needs him most.

Writer-director Richard LaGravenese works from the play originally scribed by Jason Robert Brown. There's a semblance of a longer, more balanced narrative in the mix somewhere, as there are notions of familial scenes and stronger supporting characters in the background, but they never come to fruition. While the main characters aren't boring by any means, they are often one-note and repeat the same emotions, albeit in different songs. The music, however, is quite absorbing and always insightful, even if it is a bit too agreeable for narrative advancement. Kendrick is thoroughly phenomenal in a role that gives her plenty to work with, and Jordan often giggles through his happy songs and falls into the role of potentially manipulative man in the film's latter half. They're both great singers, which is a huge plus. The non-linear narrative surprisingly doesn't help or hurt the film, since it gives the audience a broad spectrum of emotions early on that these characters feel, only to narrow them over the course of the film. The Last Five Years finds sincerity in its occasionally derivative romance, and will undoubtedly please musical enthusiasts looking for well-sung, on-point lyrics.

Kingsman: The Secret Service - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Kingsman: The Secret Service  

Dir: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Sofia Boutella, and Michael Caine

The spy movie is defined by the James Bond film series. Whenever the world is in some kind of beyond ridiculous circumstance of peril James Bond is called in to handle the situation with that cool and calm British demeanor. Director Matthew Vaughn, the creative mind behind “Kick-Ass” and “X-Men: First Class”, takes the copied spy formula and adds his own twists of violence and humor to craft “Kingsman: The Secret Service”. From the beginning moments of the film you’ll understand that Vaughn’s outlandish version of a spy film shouldn’t be taken too serious, in fact it works better if you simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a rebellious young man, is on the verge of ruining his life after a car jacking gone wrong. However, a medal given to him by an associate of his late father offers a phone number for a "favor", one that after being called upon immediately releases Eggsy from jail. Waiting for him is a man named Harry Hart (Colin Firth) who is a spy in a secret agency known as The Kingsman. Eggsy is recruited and trained in deadly combat but also in the finer manners of being a gentleman. A billionaire known as Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) concocts a plan to give the world free phone and Internet service controlled by his global network, one that when initiated with a signal will turn all the users of his service into bloodthirsty maniacs. It's up to Eggsy and the Kingsman to stop the nefarious plan.

"Kingsman" works best when Colin Firth is around to anchor the film with his characters serious tone and demeanor. The film is constantly moving and filled with flamboyant characters, just like any early James Bond film would be, but it takes at least one character to uphold the dramatic elements so that the danger and peril hold substance. When Firth isn't on screen the film spirals with an uneven tone. Though this film isn't the kind to be taken too serious. Even when the film comes off the hinges and succumbs to the excesses of glorious over-the-top violence and narrative winks and nudges that offer a comic homage to the spy movies that came before it, “Kingsman” is still entirely entertaining. Whether the shocking viciousness of a henchwoman with sharpened blades for legs or the “Free Bird” assisted soundtrack that plays amidst the bloody carnage of a no-holds-barred fight to the death inside a church. Just when you think it can’t get more audacious it somehow does.

Samuel L. Jackson plays a great villain, even when he's speaking with a lisp and sporting a sideways baseball cap. Jackson's character is composed of the kind of cliché bad guy archetypes that make them so amusing, big ego and even bigger plans. Jackson is clearly having fun with the character. Newcomer Taron Edgerton is also good, playing Eggsy with equal parts authority defying confidence and reluctant self-consciousness. It's a nice composition especially when the character is challenged with a unnerving task.

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” incorporates some very interesting aspects, the connection to King Arthur’s roundtable and the gentlemanly weaponry are just two of the fun elements that transcend this film beyond others like it. Even though the film pushes the preposterous components sometimes too far, it also strangely works within the realms of a spy film. Matthew Vaughn is a good director who has established his unapologetic and at times controversial style of filmmaking, a quality that assists in lifting this film above many of the trappings it should fall into.

Monte’s Rating

3.50 out of 5.00

Fifty Shades of Grey - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Fifty Shades of Grey  

Dir: Sam Taylor-Johnson

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eloise Mumford, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden, Luke Grimes, and Victor Rasuk

Fairy tale? Sexual awakening? Wish fulfillment? Whatever it may be E.L. James’ bestselling novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” has a devoted following filled with people who love and loathe the sexual charged relationship story. Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed the adoring John Lennon focused film “Nowhere Boy”, adapts James’ book mostly exact except for a decrease in the extensiveness of sex varieties explained in the novel. However, the film still has near twenty minutes of R-rated sexual content.  Though the film starts with promising potential, accommodated by a great performance from Dakota Johnson, “Fifty Shades of Grey” gets lost in the physical sensations and forgets about keeping the character and story compelling and dynamic.

Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), an English major on the verge of graduation, is tasked with conducting an interview for her roommate with a billionaire businessman named Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). Upon meeting each other they are immediately enamored with one another. Anastasia captivates Christian, he shows up at her work and pretends that it was coincidence. They go out for coffee and the attraction grows, but Christian unexpectedly leaves, telling Anastasia that he’s not the kind of guy she is looking for. They don’t stay apart for long as Anastasia is opened up to Christian’s world of dominating sexuality, one that incorporates contracts and control.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” is focused on sex while also attempting to convey something about the complicated nature of relationships. The problem with this film isn’t the sex, which is dialed way back from the graphic renditions depicted within the pages of the novel, but instead lies within the characters. As the desires of these two people become more complex and complicated so should the characters ambitions and choices. Instead the averting one-dimensional qualities of Christian Grey continue to undermine the growth of the characters and their courtship. Nothing seems to change between the characters, as Anastasia blossoms sexually and Christian guides her into unexplored territory the same scene of the two characters wanting to transition towards the next step is proposed but never taken. Anastasia is left indecisive and conflicted about Christian’s wants. It’s frustrating but understandable considering the film is a trilogy and room needs to be left for further examinations.  This aspect of narrative structure keeps the film from being nothing more than a waiting game for visual stimulation, and there is nothing wrong with that. The comic book movie, the horror film, every Michael Bay movie, have long been successful by offering nothing more than a visual experience with little worry about narrative cohesiveness.  With a movie released on Valentine’s Day weekend what else would you expect but a little romance, albeit a sensationalized romantic drama with hallmark movie sentiments topped with hard R-rated sexuality.

Dakota Johnson is quite good in the role of Anastasia, her plain yet still attractive appearance and somewhat naïve perspectives accommodate the development of the character. In one of the best scenes Anastasia is talking to her mom and is overcome by the unusual and confusing situation with Christian. Trying to withhold the emotions, a teary eyed Ms. Johnson simply listens and reacts. Unfortunately Jamie Dornan feels miscast. The authoritative and dominating side of the character that is also composed with elements of fear and to an extent pity never feels committed, which renders his mysterious eroticism mute.

While “Fifty Shades of Grey” tries to be a daring examination of sex and gender, it’s unfortunately overly formulaic and conventional. It ruminates from a romantic comedy into a place of melodrama and continues this structure after each sexual encounter. Though there are moments when the director and writer attempt to correlate deeper implications into the nature of sexuality, it is undermined by superficial trappings.  Though I wonder if I am being too critical of a film that looks to impose no more than two hours of playfulness in the safety of a movie theatre?

Monte’s Rating

2.00 out of 5.00

Kingsman: The Secret Service - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

Kingsman: The Secret Service  

Starring Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, Mark Strong, and Taron Egerton

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Rated R

Run Time: 129 minutes

Genre: Action-Adventure

Opens February 13th

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

Kingsman: The Secret Service is an anarchistic, pessimistic, and caustically funny spy caper that stands as the most thrilling action film to be released by a major studio in years. While most will peg the film as a British actioner in the vein of James Bond due to its source material, cast, and even most of its crew, that typecast defies every convention that the film aims to undermine. Throw away predictable spy tropes and intense action scenes without any care for the violence they are inflicting; the audience here is asked to revel, revolt, and altogether examine why we must senselessly watch long bouts of extreme violence. Every moment is infused with character, empathy, sophistication, and humor. It's a difficult, near impossible mix of tone and quality that are unrecognizable in practically any way; I have, simply put, never seen a seething satire with as much skip in its step and weight in its heart as this one. Director Matthew Vaughn has made his best film to date, and one of the decade's most distinct, thrilling visions of modern socio-political world affairs.

Harry Hart (Colin Firth) is a veteran agent within a secret service in the United Kingdom. They call themselves the "Kingsman" service, a name that comes from the store that makes all of their tailor-made suits and acts as their unofficial headquarters. Enter through practically any dressing room and there are weapons hiding in secret compartments, an elevator that heads down hundreds of feet to an underground transportation system in the center of England, and of course the standard mirrors and hooks to ensure people fit their suits correctly. After the death of one of Harry's co-workers, he realizes the deceased saved his life and heads home to console the wife and newborn son. He provides them with a necklace engraved with a number that, when called, will provide them help when they need it most. That child turns out to be "Eggsy" (Taron Egerton), a rebellious teenager living with his downward-spiraling mother and newborn sister. His family life is hell because his stepfather is a repulsive, abusive man, so naturally he acts out and gets himself into far too much trouble.

In comes Harry to save the day, and their journey begins. World leaders are being kidnapped around the world without any hint of their location; it's at the whim of a madman, one who turns out to be a billionaire tech genius named Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) with a lisp and all of the power in the world. When he unveils his new product to the masses, everyone lines up for the free technology that will obviously carry ulterior functions. Harry and crew, including the resourceful Merlin (Mark Strong) and the old-blood Arthur (Michael Caine), aim to take down Valentine and save the world from a deadly, greedy, and evil plan. While many of these elements sound conventional and commonplace in the traditional spy film, Kingsman takes them and infuses every one of their occurrences with comedy and social awareness. Valentine acts as a man driven by greed and power who has gone practically insane, while people like Harry and Eggsy come from lower social rank and feel the weight of the wealthy leaders' actions. That's one of the many themes explored underneath the action-packed surface.

Kingsman ends up being an absolute blast without a care for audience expectation or predictability. There's something inherently zany and exciting in practically every scene, yet almost every moment is prefaced with concrete context and the stakes at hand. The audience is never left as pure spectator, but almost taking place within the picture itself. Vaughn asks us to introspectively revel at the action when incredibly violent scenes take place, yet they often end with the "hero" either facing a certain realistic peril or regretting their mayhem. Even a scene within a Southern Baptist Church where members spew hate is filled with a certain level of sympathy; that's a huge testament to the filmmaking power on display here. Major characters also die more often than expected and the film uses remarkably unconventional action, including an amazing villain with blades for legs. A random, loving ode to The Shining gains social meaning while the peril of children and even dogs are not used to excite, but to terrify. Kingsman: The Secret Service respects the audience, asks them to enjoy the ride, and simultaneously makes them feel weary about everything they have just seen. It's an amazingly confident, brutally honest take on the action genre.

Fifty Shades of Grey - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

Fifty Shades of Grey  

Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dorman, Jennifer Ehle, Eloise Mumford, and Marcia Gay Harden

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson

Rated R

Run Time: 125 minutes

Genre: Romance

Opens February 13th

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

Fifty Shades of Grey is an effectively erotic and self-amused film until its second half, when it falls into the much-talked about BDSM sex scenes that continue to titillate everyone's imagination. It may come as a surprise, then, that director Sam Taylor-Johnson's approach is reserved and mostly sensual in nature, with Seamus McGarvey's impressive cinematography allowing for the kinky visual metaphors and color-drained imagery to soak up the Northwestern landscapes. As far as controversial romances go, Fifty Shades has held the attention of the masses for the past year, with everyone hyping it up as a shock-and-awe type love story that so decidedly goes against what we've seen before in cinema. Yet it's all very rote and familiar, minus the handcuffs and whips. It's not misogynistic, nor is it disgusting; rather, it treats the concept of explorative sexuality as a means of understanding someone and their upbringing. The film empowers Dakota Johnson's Ana, even if Jamie Dornan's Christian is a sadomasochistic nutcase with clear power issues and familial struggles. It's just a traditional romance in the guise of something more exploratory.

The film opens with Anastasia Steele (not a porn star's name, oddly enough, but Johnson's virginal protagonist) heading into Grey Enterprises to interview the man behind the company. Her friend, Kate (Eloise Mumford), was supposed to interview him until she came down with a sickness; now, Ana gets ten minutes with the intimidating Christian (Dornan). Even if she feels threatened by his billionaire aggression, she is clearly attracted to him; when she walks out into the rain and becomes soaking wet, it's clear that the visuals are telling us something far more self-revelatory. Christian won't leave her mind but also won't stop showing up in her life. He appears in the hardware store where she works when she's not at school studying English literature and even shows up on her night out with Kate and friends. He simply won't let her be, and that's because he, too, is attracted to her. While most people would find these actions stalker-ish, Christian sees them as a normalcy because he's used to using his power to get what he wants. Since Ana won't give it to him, that complicates things.

Look, Fifty Shades of Grey serves its target audience very, very well. It appears to follow the book religiously (based on the girl next to me reacting giddily for most of the film), minus the complaints about misogyny, and gives its central character Ana plenty of amusing confusion surrounding her whole situation, including some unexpected humor. There's not much chemistry, though, between the two leads because Dornan's Grey is given so little charm. Johnson plays her role convincingly and showcases a virgin being sexually awakened in pretty much every way she can be; it's like ordering a sampler on a restaurant's appetizer menu, except your sampler includes physical pain and sexual arousal. Depending on your type of restaurant, that metaphor might connect with you. Taylor-Johnson's film isn't backed by a particularly strong script from Kelly Marcel, considering most of the dialogue focuses on characters like Christian talking in abstracts about their life. It's frustrating, because there's plenty underneath the surface when the film wants to explore those moments. They're just few and far between.

The much-discussed sex scenes aren't necessarily graphic, although there's plenty of frontal nudity by women. Men, eh, not so much. I suppose that stems from the film being more concerned about commercial appeal, including Danny Elfman's mostly inoffensive score being littered by pop staples like Ellie Goulding's "Love You Like I Do," which blares over a helicopter ride. Strangely enough, though, I found the film quite intelligent, more so than people will expect. While the romance is one-note and tiresome after the 125-minute running time due to a repetitive structure, there are some hilarious moments that stem from the main couple's lingering attraction. One shot early on zooms in on a pencil that Ana is biting right when the word "Grey" appears for the camera. You don't need to be a lit major to read into that metaphor. There's also their first meet-cute in her hardware store where he's buying what she deems "serial killer" items. I found it oddly off-putting, then, when the film grows self-serious in its conclusion in favor of overblown melodrama. As a Valentine's Day romance, it fulfills many standards. Whether those standards are appropriate for romantic filmmaking is another story entirely.

Jupiter Ascending - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Jupiter Ascending  

Dir: Andy and Lana Wachowski

Starring: Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Douglas Booth, and Tuppence Middleton

PG-13

127 Minutes

The best way to describe the Wachowski’s newest science fiction film is to relate to it to a buffet. And just like a buffet, filled with good-looking fare, you’ll get a little of this and little of that. Put it all on the plate and some of the entrée will be exceptional while other selections will be terrible and others will be spoiled simply because of the mixture of everything on the plate. “Jupiter Ascending” looks great from the outside, with some incredibly accomplished special effects making for adrenaline pumping moments, however with so many ideas floating aimlessly in and out of scenes and a narrative that operates without much cause for coherency, the result is a film of squandered potential.

A young caretaker named Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) dreams of a life with more than just her unruly family and dirty toilet bowls. She wakes up each morning, coaxed repeatedly out of bed into the same routine day after day. However, Jupiter’s life is far from normal. Her place in the universe is one of royalty, an heir from a family that controls with the power of planets. The ruthless son (Eddie Redmayne) of this powerful family targets Jupiter for his own domineering plans. However, Jupiter is saved from assassins by a hunter named Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered warrior who takes Jupiter to a far away planet and protects her from the numerous forces looking to take advantage.

The filmmaking flair that the Wachowski’s are known for is in full display here. The special effects are impressive, from the painstakingly complex chase at the beginning of the film that weaves and dodges through the skyline of Chicago, to the dazzlingly choreographed fight scene between a gravity defying, speed skating-like Channing Tatum and a giant reptile with wings. The cities are exquisitely rendered, one in the midst of an enormous hurricane of fire and chaos while another is within the overpopulated confinements of a bureaucratic big city. It’s all very interesting to look at. Unfortunately all these great sights exist within a narrative that is confusingly overblown with seemingly every idea the Wachowski’s have ever wanted to incorporate within a film. The worst part is that there are actually some very interesting thoughts proposed. Some that if is expanded on more thoroughly could offer an exceptional film. The film moves quickly from one thought to the next, never giving appropriate time or proper explanation to the proposed concepts. Instead, this swift moving surface examination makes the film feel detached from scene to scene. There is also an obvious predictability, one that the Wachowski’s fall victim to often, seen throughout the film. The viewer can telegraph when the romantic connection will happen, when the hero will swoop in to save the day, and when the villain will gain the first upper hand of the film, it becomes exceedingly formulaic as the film proceeds.

It’s easy to get swept up into the visual enjoyment of “Jupiter Ascending”, though it’s unfortunate that the narrative doesn’t match the beauty of the design. Even with the help of some accomplished actors the script is lacking material for them to build upon, Channing Tatum is left to float around being chased by spaceships and bounty hunters while Eddie Redmayne is relinquished to whispering threateningly. While “Jupiter Ascending” struggles from the very beginning, there are enough thought-provoking concepts proposed here to indicate that these filmmakers still have places to explore.

Monte’s Rating

2.25 out of 5.00

Jupiter Ascending - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

Jupiter Ascending  

Starring Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, and James D'Arcy

Directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski

Rated PG-13

Run Time: 127 minutes

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi

Opens February 6th

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

Jupiter Ascending is a cinematic marvel, if only because it's such a blundering misfire on a narrative and emotional level. While the prominent special effects are often exciting and altogether well-produced, the story surrounding them resembles a toddler who plays with toys and dreams up a story full of twists and turns without any character development or foreshadowing. Unlike the filmmakers' brilliant, toweringly ambitious Cloud Atlas or even the zippy Speed Racer, the writer-director-producer siblings have assembled a misguided assortment of storytelling clichés. At times, there are hints of the film aiming for Star Trek-level ensemble space exploration, with other times feeling like it borrows the best of Star Wars and other space capers. There's no semblance of an original voice, theme, or message. It's a vapid film with miscast leads and an even campier, more awful turn from Eddie Redmayne as the soft-talking villain. It's an overblown, exasperated take that epitomizes the film's misjudgments from inception.

The film follows a young destitute maid named Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis). Her father loved astronomy and, after his unfortunate passing, her mother succumbed to his wishes and named her after his favorite planet. Jupiter lives with her Russian family, starting the film with narration talking about her being an "illegal alien" (cue obvious metaphor). While preparing for a medical donation, she has a run-in with Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), a half-Lycan half-human that travels across space to protect whom he considers a special woman. Jupiter finds out through him that she may have the exact same DNA coding as a famous queen from another race of humans (bear with me, here). Her genes could be a "recurrence," as the film names them, a quasi-form of cloning that links itself to the Abrasax family. The arrogant, power-hungry brother at the helm of their dynasty is Balem (Eddie Redmayne), who wants Jupiter captured from Earth so that he can mine the world for their resources. In this case, that means human lives. That leads to another long-winded metaphor surrounding natural resources and presumably genocide, but the editing makes for a muddled film with even more confused thoughts, characters, locales, and motivations.

It's shocking how inept Jupiter Ascending becomes over time, a solid explanation for Warner Brothers' decision to delay the film from a late summer release to work on improving special effects and more. That "more" are probably a trimmed running time, more linear narrative, and the ensuing hodgepodge. It doesn't feel like the same type of film from the people behind Cloud Atlas, which was also a box office disappointment for Warner Bros. despite a tremendous cast. With leads like Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis, their latest should be a resounding success. Yet it's tracking poorly amongst younger viewers and doesn't even have a discernible set of characters, which becomes more apparent with its thin supporting crew and a significantly weaker thematic pull. The film is simply thin on narrative meaning and full of repetitive special effects. No matter how compelling they may look, they don't drive the story. There are shreds of a longer, more ambitious narrative here, but Jupiter Ascending testifies that the Wachowskis were given far too much freedom in a narrative that falls flat on its head.

Black Sea - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Black Sea  

Dir: Kevin Macdonald

Starring: Jude Law, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, David Threlfall, Tobias Menzies, Michael Smiley, Karl Davies, Daniel Ryan, Konstantin Khabenskiy, Bobby Schofield, and Grigoriy Dobrygin

By Monte Yazzie

Many films have found success by putting a group of people in a confining space and letting human nature take its strange course. Place variables like an alien trying to get into a barricaded room, the decision lingering for a jury of clashing personalities, or the quest for gold at the bottom of the ocean inside the belly of a claustrophobic submarine and you have the makings of good storytelling. That finishing submarine scenario is the subject of Kevin Macdonald’s underwater thriller “Black Sea”, a film that succeeds in building suspense and remaining exciting even though it becomes a familiar and predictable story.

A recently laid off submarine captain named Robinson (Jude Law) comes across valuable information concerning a German U-boat that was lost in the depths of the Black Sea and contains a life-changing amount of gold Russia paid Germany during World War II. Robinson is angry with the company that he loyally served, a job that kept him away from his family and created a rift in his marriage that ultimately led to a divorce. Robinson dreams of better times with his family but only awakens to unhappiness; this leads him to an American financer who endorses the voyage to the depths in a corroding submarine with a group of men equally as discontent.

Greed and desperation are two themes that Macdonald utilizes effectively. At the core of this story is simply a group of men trapped in a submarine, a vessel filled with hopefulness that quickly turns into a container of deteriorating life support. Robinson lets the men know from the beginning that the treasures will be split equally, it doesn’t take long for the men to realize that less people means more money and greed takes over. This leads to disaster for the submarine then desperation for the men and their lives, but also their fortune that is within grasp. On board the submarine is a diverse crew of Russian and British men, a device cleverly used by Macdonald to instantly draw the lines of allegiances between the groups. Add into the mix the role of an American broker named Daniels (Scoot McNairy) and a young homeless teenager named Tobin (Bobby Schofield) and the narrative becomes prime with character motivations.  Unfortunately these characters all fall into easily identified categories that make decisions that become overly predictable. While this isn’t always a bad thing, especially in a film like this, it does make the holes in the narrative seem even larger. The decision to limit the transitions between underwater scenes that display a moving submarine and the interior confinements of a submarine creates great claustrophobic atmosphere, though in parts it also restricts the space inside the submarine making the movements throughout seem somewhat confusing.

Jude Law is excellent here, changing Captain Robinson emotionally throughout the journey. He begins as the levelheaded leader and moves into an obsessed tyrant with ease. The remaining cast is also good even though they are unsurprising and familiar characters, however the performances keep together the loose ends that periodically snag the viewer out of the film.

“Black Sea” is one of those films that pleasingly occupies time for an impromptu movie decision. While there is nothing terribly wrong with this film, there is also not much that is especially memorable either. Amongst the weekly barrage of new releases at the movie theater, it’s still nice to have something that is purely and simply entertaining.

Monte’s Rating

3.25 out of 5.00

Two Days, One Night - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

Two Days, One Night  

Starring Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, Catherine Salée, Batiste Sornin, and Pili Groyne

Directed by Jean-Pierre and Paul Dardenne

Rated PG-13

Run Time: 95 minutes

Genre: Drama

Opens January 30th

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

Two Days, One Night refers to the amount of time that Sandra (Marion Cotillard), a young Belgian mother, has to convince all of her fellow workers to keep her job. Her co-workers were posed with an opportunity that was misleading yet enticing: not everyone could be kept at their factory, so by cutting off one employee, all of them would be provided a raise. Due to the working class infrastructure of these families and their desire for a higher income, the decision was simple; they wanted to keep their jobs and didn't want to be fired, so naturally they'd get rid of another worker. But the workers were misled by their supervisor, leading Sandra to plead for a recount on Monday and give the others the weekend to deliberate. This simple premise allows for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the talented Belgian writer-directors, to explore a human in her most fragile state. The result is one of the finest films from 2014, a beautiful examination of a struggling woman put in the hands of her comrades.

Sandra has a nervous breakdown that causes her to leave work for a considerable amount of time. During her time away, the workers realize that they can cover her hours, working slightly longer each day, and making more money in the process. The management ends up convincing the employees that Sandra is redundant, and the greater pay (in addition to the proposed "bonus," which is simply a distribution of Sandra's yearly wages) leads almost all of them to vote in favor of her dismissal. Sandra, then, uses the weekend to plea with these people that she once considered her friends, at least in the workplace. Now, she must get a majority vote or else she will be passed over. This leads to some traumatic attempts at convincing others to sacrifice what they have now been promised (their raise) in favor of giving this woman a second chance at restarting her life after it almost fell to pieces. Her life on the domestic front hasn't eased matters either, particularly with her post-breakdown depression involving a lot of sleep and dependence on prescription pills.

The Dardenne brothers have crafted a delicate feature that truly glistens in its dialogue. Much like other foreign directors that want to shine a light on their country's economic state and the humanity that must endure, the filmmakers have explored the nature of the workplace and the breakdown of trust when certain circumstances challenge those relationships. Particular scenes that shine include a discussion with a man coaching a soccer team as Sandra feels defeated after multiple rejections, and a conversation with a man and wife that both have different emotions toward her in two drastically different scenes. Marion Cotillard was a surprise Oscar nominee this year, her second after her win seven years ago for La Vie en Rose. She's one of my favorite actresses working today simply because she embodies every role with a commanding humanity; here, then, the role is perfect. Two Days, One Night delivers a solemn ending, reminding the audience that the film is decidedly anti-Hollywood in its narrative and aims for a more realistic dictation of society.

Match - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

Match  

Starring Patrick Stewart, Matthew Lillard, and Carla Gugino

Directed by Stephen Belber

Rated R

Run Time: 92 minutes

Genre: Drama

Opens January 30th

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

Match takes place almost entirely in an apartment, which reminds the audience of the source material's adaptation from a stage play. It recalls Roman Polanski's ensemble piece Carnage, a film that utilized a cast confined to interiors and made the most of its material, bringing every insecurity and imperfection to the surface. Here, three terrific performances emerge from the cast, with Patrick Stewart leading the way in an outstanding role that emphasizes longing, regret, and a missed opportunity. As a professor of dance at Juilliard, Stewart's Tobi Powell lives a fairly lonely life involving cross-stitching, smoking weed, and keeping to himself when not motivating young talents. One day, he's called upon by a woman (Carla Gugino) and her husband (Matthew Lillard), the former of which is working on her dissertation for dance in 1960s New York. They begin at a diner, then move to Tobi's apartment, where the interrogations grow increasingly personal and begin to reveal that something else is amiss in their journey.

Toni lived a promiscuous life in the 1960s, with many of the questions aiming at his romantic interests, particularly a young female dancer with whom he was involved with for a short while. According to him, everyone was experimenting back in those days, whether it meant with drugs, sexuality, or really any kind of lifestyle. He describes those moments in his life with fanfare and nostalgia, a clear divide in his psyche as only the audience has seen just how empty and quiet his life is today. Gugino's Lisa feels more adventurous than her husband, including smoking with Tobi, while Lillard's Mike is a police officer from Washington who isn't shy when it comes to bending or avoiding the law. Clearly everyone is hiding something from each other, so the film plays out awkwardly and unevenly for much of its opening moments. The middle act, though, particularly as the central reveal emerges and lays out all of the film's dramatic force, is especially pointed and challenging. Questions of ethics and goodness boil underneath the surface of every conversation, while sympathy and antipathy run rampant in these characters and their pasts, presents, and prospective futures.

Match features one of Patrick Stewart's best performances in his illustrious career. His character is a flamboyant bi-sexual dancer that doesn't seem to have a need to hide anything, but elements of his past that have haunted him simply cannot be avoided when examining his own actions during the 1960s. Stewart plays the role with confidence and chews every bit of scenery in the apartment; considering much of the film relies on the confinements of those walls and allows us to see every square inch of his living space, Stewart breathes life into every one of those moments. His character has a nagging place in his heart where his past continues to gnaw away at who he is and what he has become; if only, if only. That sense of personal regret and tragedy underly his character and allow Lillard in particular to dichotomize him masterfully. It's one of his finest performances as well in a career that hasn't allotted him many great roles. This is one of them. The film's conclusion is a little rushed and tied in a neat bow, but the journey is wholly fulfilling and proof that micro-budget independents can be thematically and emotionally powerful.

Cake - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Cake  

Dir: Daniel Barnz

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Anna Kendrick, Sam Worthington, Felicity Huffman, Chris Messina, and William H. Macy

Rated R

102 Minutes

There is a moment in Daniel Barnz’s film “Cake” when the lead character stares at a blank wall where a significant picture once hung. The grief on the characters scarred face is visible, displaying the effect of time with wounds both physical and emotional. Jennifer Aniston plays Claire, a woman who was in a car accident and is struggling with constant pain amongst other upsetting issues from the past. Aniston is quite good in the lead role, bringing a performance that holds the otherwise predictable and oversentimental story together.

Claire is introduced in a group therapy session for people dealing with chronic pain. A large poster of a young woman named Nina (Anna Kendrick) sits on a chair in the front of the room. Nina recently committed suicide and the group is sharing their thoughts and feelings in a discussion. The question “Will you forgive me?" is asked by the group counselor (Felicity Huffman), referenced as if Nina were asking the group. Claire, biting her tongue long enough, is asked how she is feeling about the situation. A scathing and offensive response is given and Claire is kicked out of the group. This mask of aggression coincides with the pain that is controlling Claire’s life.

The narrative moves ever familiar from one transition to another. Claire begins in a very bad place, searching for pain medication hidden throughout her expensive, memory shadowed home and yelling at her physical therapist who is clearly tired of hearing the same excuses from her. Then Claire begins to pick herself up with the assistance of her sympathetic maid, played by an exceptional Adriana Barraza, and begins to confront the ghosts of her past and present. The rest of the journey is as foreseeable as they come. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with a film that indulges in these simplicities, there are moments where the film touches on some very interesting aspects of the healing process, specifically the people that help you along the way. Adriana Barraza plays Silvana, a character that accepts Claire with all her faults regardless of how terribly Claire treats her. Silvana knows all the personal details of Claire’s past, even handling the grieving process in her own way by helping Claire without question. In one excellent scene Silvana’s own daughter questions why she puts up with Claire. The response from Silvana is simple yet somehow still complicated, exposing more than any other scene, the character of Claire through the changed relationship experienced by Silvana. It’s unfortunate that these insightful scenes are overlooked, instead replaced with situations that offer nothing more than movement from scene to scene.

Jennifer Aniston is given the opportunity to showcase her talent. The portrayal of Claire is more than just grimaces and guarded motions, Aniston ventures to make more of the character than what is on the surface. And for the most part she succeeds. It’s unfortunate that other characters, ones that could have offered more for Aniston to work against, were terribly underwritten. “Cake”, at the focus, attempts to examine the process of grief. While Jennifer Aniston offers an exceptional performance, the narrative doesn’t offer more to make the healing journey more compelling and meaningful.

Monte’s Rating

3.25 out of 5.00

Cake - Movie Review by Eric Forthun

Cake   

Starring Jennifer Aniston, Adrianna Barraza, Anna Kendrick, Sam Worthington, Felicity Huffman, and William H. Macy

Directed by Daniel Barnz

Rated R

Run Time: 102 minutes

Genre: Drama

Opens January 23rd

By Eric Forthun of Cinematic Shadows

Jennifer Aniston delivers the performance of her career in the uneven and familiar Cake. She brings to light a character quietly marked by tragedy and a hope for triumph, even if that end doesn't seem in sight. Aniston's Claire Bennett is first seen in a support group for chronic pain, surrounded by other women mourning the loss of one of their own, Nina (Anna Kendrick). As the leader of the group, Annette (Felicity Huffman), explains, Nina recently committed suicide because her pain was simply too much. Claire doesn't seem all that sentimental, interested, or even human, but rather makes a callous comment about the nature of the suicide and then is formally asked to leave the group. She's not particularly liked by many because she doesn't try and doesn't seem to care. Her housekeeper and confidant, Silvana (Adrianna Barraza), doesn't think she's trying hard enough to overcome her pain and self-pity, but Claire mostly doesn't listen to her and instead opts for drinking wine and taking pain killers as a cathartic escape.

Not only is Claire an addict, but she's also recovering from a personal tragedy. Her husband, Jason (Chris Messina), wants to collect all of his belongings from the house and doesn't seem to love Claire like he used to. There are suggestions as to what happened to her but never a description of the events that transpired; I'll leave out the details that are given for fear of spoiling any undisclosed plot details. Nonetheless, Claire is ravaged and in constant pain. She had pins in her legs for a year and must now learn how to walk and live comfortably without the support of those in her body. Water therapy, a permanently reclined car seat, and various aids to her pain can't seem to alleviate the constant self-hatred and loathing she feels. She externalizes everything and makes others feel terrible, while also being haunted by Nina everywhere she steps. She meets her widow, Roy (Sam Worthington), who can't even live with his son because the young boy can't stand staying in the house anymore.

The film wallows in pain and starts to feel like it revels in our sadness toward these characters. Patrick Tobin's screenplay, though, is aware of its nature and handles most of its tragedy with gentility. I was surprised by how many clichéd elements and subplots pop up that seem to still fit in this narrative; I didn't so much have a problem with them as I found them predictable. Daniel Barnz's direction, then, is even further graceful and elegant, not necessarily providing new insight into the narrative so much as letting Aniston occupy almost every frame. There are some hackneyed visual cues that remind us of her drug addiction and struggles with reality, which are unnecessary, but Aniston owns those scenes. She's such a commanding force throughout the film, bringing intensity when needed but mostly playing it cool and composed. Her face says it all. She's been a talented comedic actress for most of her career, but there's endless potential on this new path she's explored. Cake handles personal tragedy with occasional grace despite its familiar narrative, yet Aniston's performance remains the biggest, most affecting takeaway.