Movie Reviews from the Dark

GASLAND

January 29, 2011

Greetings again from the darkness. This is Josh Fox‘s Oscar nominated documentary on the effects of natural gas drilling known as fracking. The film deserves your attention because it is a frightening look at how huge companies and the government can work in conjunction on projects that clearly put citizens at risk. I realize that last sentence sounds like Chicken Little yelling “conspiracy”, but the details of the film will give you pause.

Can you light your tap water on fire? If so, chances are good that you are within range of natural gas drilling. Our government somehow agreed to allow this practice to remain exempt from the clean air and clean water laws. If brown water comes out of your faucet, then you already know what I am talking about.

Mr. Fox is from Pennsylvannia and that’s where the cross-country story begins. He is concerned about his neighbors, the environment and our drinking supply. Clearly an enormous amount of chemicals are used in this drilling process. Clearly these chemicals seep into the wetlands and water supply of neighboring areas. Clearly too many people are looking the other way. The only thing not clear? The water near these drilling sites.

No mystery why this is allowed. The almighty dollar. It is cheaper for these companies to “pay off” the backwoods citizens than it is to not drill. Not sure how you decide the payoff when your kids are being poisoned and the damage to the water sources continues.

The film itself is a bit amateurish and sometimes the camera work is downright awful. But the point here is not to make a beautiful film. It is to educate … to awaken people on just what is at stake with these dangerous procedures and lack of regulation and safety requirements.

The most painful piece was when the EPA executive was interviewed and he said that his agency must be directed by the government to check into allegations made by citizens. They have no authority to move on their own. If this is true, it’s just one more instance of a bass-ackwards policy that needs to be reviewed. I encourage everyone to see this. If they aren’t drilling in your area currently, it won’t be long now.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: natural gas drilling is already occurring in your area OR you drink water

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you prefer to stick your head in the sand and pretend the government will take care of you OR you believe companies can be trusted to put the good of people over the drive for profit.

Leave a Comment » | Documentary | Tagged: Josh Fox | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

REACTION: OSCAR NOMS (2011)

January 25, 2011

Greetings again from the darkness. Announcement Day for the Oscars is always fun! Arguing about who got a nom that they didn’t deserve? Who was snubbed? Were politics involved? (Yes, always). Pleasant Surprises? Disappointments? All that makes for indigestion-inducing lunchtime banter … and the ceremony (the 83rd) is still 33 days away! So below are just a few of my observations and reactions to today’s announcements … these are NOT my predictions. At the end, there are two links. One to my Best of 2010 list, and the other to a full list of nominations.

1. BEST PICTURE: thrilled to see Winter’s Bone get a nom (4 in total). It’s a shame more people didn’t see this little film (box office less than $7 million) during it’s theatrical run. It’s very compelling and features two of the best performances of the year. Toy Story 3 (my favorite film of the year) got nominated for both Best Picture and Best Animated Feature … and it deserves both. Other than that, I just don’t have much to say about this category as it was pretty easy to predict (except for Winter’s Bone vs. The Town). Not a year for great movies, but there were plenty of good ones!

2. DIRECTOR: OK, this one actually bothers me. How does Christopher Nolan (pictured) get snubbed AGAIN? I certainly understand how some people don’t like his movie Inception, but it was nominated for Best Picture and it, more than any other film on the list, is clearly a director’s film. Mr. Nolan is an amazing filmmaker who has somehow ended up on the “naughty” list for Academy voters. With ten Best Pic nominees and only five Best Director nominees, there will always be some terrific directors who are left out. Nolan should not have been one. If you ask me who should have been left off for Nolan, my answer is David O. Russell for The Fighter. It is a terrific movie, but we all know this has been Mark Wahlberg’s pet project for almost a decade.

3. LEAD ACTOR: Two rarities here: a Lead Actor nomination for a non-English speaking role (Javier Bardem) and back-to-back years (Jeff Bridges). Bardem’s film Biutiful will just start gaining release this upcoming weekend, and Bridges was terrific in the Rooster Cogburn role that won John Wayne his only Oscar. While this is not a list of my predictions, it seems pretty clear that Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) is the lead horse in this race. I had hoped Robert Duvall (Get Low) might sneak in, but the buzz of The Social Network got Jesse Eisenberg some recognition. It will also be interesting to see how they handle James Franco’s (127 Hours) nomination since he is also one of this year’s co-hosts!

4. LEAD ACTRESS: Was relieved that Julianne Moore did not get a nomination. I thought both she and Annette Bening overacted in their roles as lesbian parents in The Kids Are All Right. Ms. Bening did get a nom and may get the win (vs Natalie Portman) since she has been wrongfully overlooked in the past. The other three nominees were all fantastic, but in movies very few people actually saw.   Jennifer Lawrence (pictured, Winter’s Bone) is my breakout star of the year.

5. SUPPORTING ACTOR AND ACTRESS: Along with Jennifer Lawrence, three of my six favorite performances this year all belong to women in this category – Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), and Jacki Weaver (pictured Animal Kingdom).   My other two favorite performances are also noted in this category for the men – Christian Bale (The Fighter) and John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone). I would not have picked Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech), but it is her best work since A Room with a View.

6. FILM EDITING. I know … you don’t realy care about this category, but I must mention the major snub of Inception (Lee Smith). Whether you like the film or not, there is no argument to how well it is edited. Not only should have been nominated, but should have been the clear front runner. Bah.

7. SCREENPLAY : only oddity is that Black Swan was not nominated, and in it’s place was Mike Leigh’s Another Year. The rest of the nominations followed the Best Picture list.

8. DOCUMENTARY: some will argue that Waiting for Superman should have been nominated. I believe that argument is based on the importance of the topic, rather than the quality of the film. Very cool that Exit Through the Gift Shop scored a nomination. Banksy.

9. VISUAL EFFECTS: the third biggest snub belongs to Tron: Legacy. The tidal wave opening scene in Hereafter was amazing, but the entire Tron film was a study in spectacular special effects. I believe the Academy voters took it’s brilliant production for granted.

Sure there are some minor quibbles, but for the most part, this year’s nominations were pretty easy to predict. That said, the eventual winners might not be so clear cut. I will post my Oscar predictions as we get closer to the ceremony. In the meantime, let me know what you think. Did your favorite get snubbed? Did one you hated get nominated? This is much more fun to complain about than your job!!

Oscar Nominations: http://oscar.go.com/nominations

Best of 2010: https://moviereviewsfromthedark.wordpress.com/annual-bests-2/best-of-2010/

Leave a Comment » | Articles | Tagged: Academy Awards, Oscars | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

NO STRINGS ATTACHED

January 23, 2011

Greetings again from the darkness. If you have read even a few of my reviews, you know I am not typically a fan of the Hollywood Rom-Com. I find most of them lazy, lame, predictable and irritating. But when legendary comedy director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters, Dave, Stripes) gets involved, I will at least pay attention. Here Mr. Reitman directs a script that on the surface will examine the “friends with benefits” phenomenon.

The leads are played by Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman, and the twist here is that Portman’s Emma is the driving force behind the agreement with Kutcher’s Adam to not have a relationship … only relations. Even Adam’s friends point out to him that he is living every man’s fantasy. So does anyone think this will really work? Of course not.

First, they are both just so darn cute! And Adam is oh-so-adorable as the sly one hoping to break through and convince Emma that he is worthy of her love. All the physical stuff continues as Adam works his job on the set of a “Glee” knock-off, battles with his dad (Kevin Kline) who is sleeping with Adam’s ex-girlfriend (a wonderful Opehlia Lovibond), and Emma slaves away saving lives in her job as a brilliant doctor. Oh, and one of Adam’s co-workers (a hilariously manic Lake Bell) has a mega crush on him, and Emma’s little sister (Olivia Thirlby) finds true love as does Emma’s friend Patrice (Greta Gerwig from Greenberg), who falls for Adam’s best friend. Wow. All that love and our two heroes just have to keep things between the sheets.

On the plus side, the side stories are enough fun that the film is easily watchable despite the predictable nature of the premise. Even the Portman/Kutcher story is tolerable thanks to the gender-switching nature of their personalities. I would have preferred to see the Friends with Benefits pact extended and examined (it worked in the Stieg Larsson books!). This is easily Mr. Reitman’s best comedy since 1993’s Dave, which also featured Kevin Kline. It’s nice to see Ms. Portman do something lightweight after her fabulous Black Swan performance, but I am really hoping Mr. Kutcher understands that someday he may really have to act and not just smile on cue.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you just absolutely must see a Rom-Com this week OR you want to see two very funny actresses going all out (Lake Bell and Ophelia Lovibond)

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: even a slightly subdued Ashton Kutcher is more than you can take OR you are looking for a hugely surprising plot twist

Leave a Comment » | Rom-Com | Tagged: Ashton Kutcher, Cary Elwes, Greta Gerwig, Ivan Reitman, Kevin Kline, Lake Bell, Ludacris, Mindy Kaling, Natalie Portman, Olivia Thirlby, Ophelia Lovibond | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

ALL THINGS GOOD

January 23, 2011

Greetings again from the darkness. Who among us isn’t intrigued by a real life “unsolved” murder mystery? Throw in a very wealthy New York real estate family, a never-discovered body, an executed friend, and a horrible childhood trauma and it is certain to draw the attention of filmmaker Andrew Jarecki. Jarecki’s film Capturing the Friedmans won numerous awards and is among the best documentaries ever made. He has a knack with dark family secrets.

In the film, Ryan Gosling plays David Marks, disenchanted son of Real Estate mogul Sanford Marks (a powerful Frank Langella), who witnessed the grisly suicide of his mother when he was very young. David meets the energetic and affectionate Katie (Kirsten Dunst) and the two dreamers escape Daddy’s clutches and head to Vermont to open a health food store. Finally wilting under pressure from Sanford, the couple returns to the city and David joins the family business. The good things are soon to end.

Since much of the real life story is still a mystery, Jarecki does a nice job in assembling pieces from the trial records. Along the way, we meet David’s friend Deborah Lehrman (Lilly Rabe), an acclaimed writer who seems to always be there for David … as he is for her. We witness the transformation of David from loving husband to mentally disturbed murder suspect.

Jarecki gives us some guidance on what might have happened and how the plan could have been executed, but we’ll never know for sure. What we do know is that there was not much happiness associated with this family, despite the wealth and 42nd Street real estate holdings.

The acting in the film is tremendous. Gosling, Dunst and Langella are top notch. Yes, Ms. Dunst provides what is easily her best screen performance ever. Support work from Lily Rabe, Phillip Baker Hall, Nick Offerman and Kristen Wiig is all strong and believable. This one will give you the creeps … and rightly so.

A brief overview of the real story: Seymour Durst is the real life NY real estate mogul, whose son Robert stood trial and was also accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen. Author Susan Berman wrote “Easy Street”, was friends with Robert, and was the daughter of a Las Vegas mob boss. She was murdered, execution-style, and the case was never solved … though police believe it could be linked to the disappearance of Kathleen Durst.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you believe the best thrillers are based on real life mysteries OR you want to see Kirsten Dunst in her best ever performance (yes, better than Spider-Man)

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: real life murder mysteries give you the creeps OR you don’t want to give your spouse any ideas!

Leave a Comment » | Drama, Thriller | Tagged: Andrew Jarecki, Frank Langella, Kristen Dunst, Kristen Wiig, Lily Rabe, Nick Offerman, Phillip Baker Hall, Ryan Gosling | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

THE COMPANY MEN

January 22, 2011

Greetings again from the darkness. With a successful TV writing background (“ER” and “West Wing”), writer/director John Wells tackles the economic downturn in his first feature film. The story offers perspective on how a corporation’s blind focus on profit wins out over employee loyalty when times get tough.

Craig T Nelson stars as James Salinger, who along with Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) started the GTX company years ago. The company made its name in ship-making and is now a conglomerate charged with shareholder return despite the economic recession. No mystery how to do that … start cutting employees. Hundreds of them. Get the lawyers involved so the perfect balance of elder statesmen and young guns can be established – gotta avoid those lawsuits!

The initial focus is on Bobby Walker, hotshot salesman played by Ben Affleck. When he gets laid off, his initial reaction is anger followed by denial. While his wife, Rosemarie DeWitt, starts making practical plans on how to get through the crisis, he continues playing golf and driving his Porsche … foolishly believing this makes him look “successful”. He expresses near disgust when his brother-in-law played by Kevin Costner offers him a job on his home remodeling team. Of course, he can’t picture himself “banging nails”.

Next up is self-made man Phil Woodward, played with total annoyance by Chris Cooper. He is the first to realize that the image he had of his value to the company and his family was a total facade, and his reaction is not pretty.

As the film moves forward, we see how the strength of DeWitt’s character not only holds her family together, but also helps her husband realize his self-value is not in his job, but rather with his loved ones … including his parents.

The film is beautifully photographed (Roger Deakins is DP) but really doesn’t offer much other than a reminder that what makes us who we are is really not tied to a title or job description. It’s also an example of how tough times bring out the best and worst in people, and can draw a family much closer … or drive a wedge. Character is revealed when tough choices are forced.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are looking for another reason to despise what big business has become OR you just want to laugh at Kevin Costner’s Boston accent

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are one of the many unfortunate ones who have lost their job … you are already living this nightmare.

1 Comment | Drama | Tagged: Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Craig T Nelson, John Wells, Kevin Costner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tommy Lee Jones | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

THE GREEN HORNET

January 16, 2011

Greetings again from the darkness. There was much uproar when Tim Burton rolled out his 1989 feature length BATMAN film. He took the campy TV series, turned it inside-out, and created a dark brooding Batman … more in-line with the tone of the comics. In a near polar opposite move, writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg took the dead-pan humor and straight-laced characters of the Green Hornet TV series and have delivered a slacker version for their Gen Y fans.

Being a fan of the mid-60’s TV series, but too young to have experienced The Green Hornet radio series which ran from the 1930’s through the 1950’s, I will readily admit that I am not a fan of Mr. Rogen’s re imagined Hornet. However, I will also admit that Kato-vision and the new Black Beauty are very cool. And Jay Chou as Kato works very well. He exudes cool and brilliance and an understanding of his role.

Where this film fails miserably is every time Seth Rogen utters a line of dialogue. Yes, EVERY SINGLE TIME. The film has no chance to build momentum through action or bad guy story line despite the presence of Christoph Waltz. Rogin slobbers through another line of dialogue and it’s like the air brakes on a semi locking up on icy roads. It’s just brings the flow to a standstill.

Besides Chou and Waltz, who are both very good, other supporting work is provided by Cameron Diaz, Tom Wilkinson, Edward James Olmos and Edward Furlong. Diaz, Olmos and Furlong have little to do and Mr. Wilkinson was the perfect choice as Britt Reid’s dad … if only Britt Reid weren’t Seth Rogen! While adaptation can be a good thing, I doubt creator George Trendle had this in mind when he wrote the original Green Hornet character as the great nephew to the Lone Ranger. Rogen seems to think the Green Hornet is a spin-off of PINEAPPLE EXPRESS.

I am going very easy on director Michel Gondry because it appears he did all he could visually, while making do with a weak script and a lame lead actor. Mr. Gondry has directed such feasts as ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and BE KIND REWIND, so he gets credit for the good parts of this one.

If you see this film in 3-D, you can play with the glasses and easily identify which scenes were filmed that way and which weren’t. I would encourage you to only use the glasses when necessary, because the colors are definitely muted through the lenses.

My final complaint is the minimal use of the iconic Green Hornet theme song (Flight of the Bumble Bee) made famous by the great Al Hirt (link below). We get only a taste of it in the final scene. So, realizing I sound like an old geezer, I will say that I enjoyed Kato, Black Beauty and the action scenes, but desperately miss Bruce Lee, Van Williams and the uber-coolness of the original.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you have little or no experience with the TV series or the comic book line OR you believe Seth Rogen is a comedy genius.

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are dedicated Green Hornet purist OR you suspect that Seth Rogen and Pauly Shore are related.

Leave a Comment » | Action, Comedy | Tagged: Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Edward James Olmos, Evan Goldburg, Jay Chou, Michel Gondry, Seth Rogen, Tom Wilkinson | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

THE DILEMMA

January 15, 2011

Greetings again from the darkness. On average, I see two new releases per week. Selections are based on subject matter, cast, director, and most often, the trailer. My two most recent viewings were BLUE VALENTINE and SOMEWHERE, both somber to say the least. So a light-hearted buddy flick with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, and directed by Ron Howard, seemed like just the right change of pace.

Unfortunately, the actual film has little resemblance to the film advertised in the trailer. Sure the comedy scenes from the trailer are present: Vince gives an acidic toast, Kevin James does his fat-man dance, and Channing Tatum plays an off-center tattooed boy toy with a loaded gun and dead fish. Where the fraud comes in is with the rest of the film. This is a pretty dark, weighty relationship movie that poses quite the moral dilemma (hence the title) for Vince. Should he tell his best friend and business partner that his wife is cheating on him?

Rather than a few rounds of funny scenes with Vaughn trying to get it right, we get “deep” emotional wrangling of a poor guy who just doesn’t know the best solution. Along the way he hurts many people he likes, and a few he doesn’t. Please don’t take this wrong, I am fully onboard with dramas being mixed with comedy. In fact, Ron Howard has provided us with one of the best examples of this … PARENTHOOD. However, this is nowhere near that level, and in fact, misses the mark in both comedy and drama.

I spent much of the movie trying to decide who was most frightening, Winona Ryder or Karen Carpenter. What?? Oh wait, I meant Winona Ryder or Jennifer Connelly. Too soon? Come on, she died in 1983. The point is Ms. Ryder carries forth with her BLACK SWAN look and Ms. Connelly evidently hasn’t had solid food for at least a dozen years. Queen Latifah does her best to bring some energy to the film, but her character only has about 3-4 scenes. It’s always nice to see how Ron Howard works in his brother Clint and his father Rance … thereby keeping their actor’s guild cards current.

There really was a good idea here, but the comedy and drama just weren’t meshed well. And Kevin James as a genius engineer? Seems a stretch from Mall Cop! Ron Howard has some classic movies to his name. Some funny ones like NIGHT SHIFT, and some dramatic ones like A BEAUTIFUL MIND and APOLLO 13. Unfortunately, this one falls flat and really provides little entertainment.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: umm … sorry, I’ve got nothing … just watch the trailer and save your money.

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are expecting a slapstick comedy with Vince Vaughn, Kevin James and Queen Latifah.

Leave a Comment » | Comedy, Drama | Tagged: Clint Howard, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin James, Queen Latifah, Rance Howard, Ron Howard, Vince Vaughn, Winona Ryder | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

SOMEWHERE

January 13, 2011

Greetings again from the darkness. My reaction to this film is that no way it gets made and no way anyone would care … unless Sophia Coppola was involved. With her involvement, our approach as a viewer is totally different. She has lived this life and, more importantly, observed this life since she was an infant. She captures details and minutiae that no other writer or director would even sense.

Stephen Dorff plays Johnny Marco, a very successful movie star who is holed up at the infamous Château Marmont. This is the Hollywood retreat where celebs go to disappear for awhile. Marco has gone a step beyond retreat. He is lost. Lost as a person. Even his daughter Cleo, played by Elle Fanning, can’t “find” him. He dutifully fulfills his movie star responsibilities: press junkets, photography sessions, awards ceremonies, etc. He plays video games with his daughter with the same emotion that he poses for pictures or answers questions from reporters. He is a shell of a man and he is beginning to see that himself.

The film displays all the trappings of stardom and shows that no stream of Ferrari’s, strippers, fans, supermodels, international trips or pile of money can bring personal fulfillment. The man that has everything can still have nothing. Sound a bit depressing? Well it is. But it’s also a nice little peek behind the celebrity curtain. The film could even be a fun parlor game with all the relatives of famous people who play some minor role … another tip of the cap to Ms. Coppola’s background.

A ride in the elevator with Benecio del Toro (presumably a Marmont guest) is no more substantive than a party in his room filled with beautiful people who just want to be seen … or do what some people do with celebrities. Isolation can happen in plain site and Ms. Coppola has proven herself to be quite the expert with this film and her even better film, Lost in Translation.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you would like a peek behind the curtain of celebrity and the Chateau Marmont

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: slow moving films put you to sleep … don’t pay $10 for a nap!

Leave a Comment » | Drama | Tagged: Chris Pontius, Elle Fanning, Michelle Monaghan, Sophia Coppola, Stephen Dorff | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

BLUE VALENTINE

January 13, 2011

Greetings again from the darkness. OK, so I was extremely surprised to be the only male in a theater with 30 plus viewers. I had not previously thought of this as a chick flick. In fact, it is quite a weighty relationship expose’ and that probably explains the lack of present men. What is surprising is that while the film is about the ever-so-slow crumbling of a marriage, the Hollywood staple of “men are slime” is missing and no one person is saddled with the blame.

You might have already guessed that this is no upbeat, loosie-goosie rom-com. Rather, it is a bleak look at a marriage that starts with good intentions and fades into misery. On the plus, we witness an acting clinic by two of today’s absolute best … Ryan Gosling as Dean and Michelle Williams as Cindy. Young Dean is quite the oddball romantic as he strums his ukulele and quivers “You Always Hurt the Ones You Love” in a bit of foreshadowing. Young Cindy, on the other hand, is a bit more ambitious and has dreams of medical school.

The two meet by happenstance in the hallway of a nursing home when Cindy is visiting her grandmother. Immediately, there are sparks and after Cindy’s macho boyfriend proves his true rotten self to her, she becomes more enamored with Dean. When an unexpected pregnancy occurs, Dean is pretty quick to stand up for Cindy and they set off to build a life together.

Flash forward 6 years and Dean has changed very little … except his initial charm now comes across as a bit of a slacker. On the other side, Cindy just seems totally beaten down by her situation. They both cherish their precious daughter Frankie (played by newcomer Faith Wladyka) but their relationship is nowhere, gone, kaput. Even an attempted one-night getaway to a themed hotel doesn’t provide the relief they need. Instead, it’s the final straw. When Cindy repeats “I’m done” … we don’t doubt her at all.

Many other movies have dealt with failing marriages – most recently Revolutionary Road. This one lacks the anger of that one. Director and co-writer Derek Cianfrance does a tremendous job with the details and creating the personalities of these two people. Every relationship requires work, and failure can be predicted when one gives up and the other pretends all is fine. This one probably won’t save any marriages, but it is worth seeing just to watch Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in action.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you can appreciate fine acting performances and wonderfully detailed writing despite a less-than-upbeat tone OR you just enjoy a rare ukelele performance!

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: after seeing a downbeat film, you carry the weight with you for awhile.

Leave a Comment » | Drama | Tagged: Derek Cianfrance, Faith Wladyka, Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

Best of 2010

January 4, 2011

Greetings again from the darkness. The BEST OF 2010 has posted! As always, it includes not just my favorites, but also some special features … “Best of the Rest” and “Oldie but Goodie“. You can access all Best of lists since 2004 on the site, or you can click on the link below and it will take you directly to 2010. Let me know what you think!

https://moviereviewsfromthedark.wordpress.com/annual-bests-2/best-of-2010/

1 Comment | Articles | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson