WOLFS (2024)

September 26, 2024

Greetings again from the darkness. George Clooney and Brad Pitt are both two-time Oscar winners and are both north of 60 years old now. This latest film from writer-director Jon Watts (three Spider-Man movies) seems to ask the question: Are they still cool in a wise-cracking action movie star way? It’s been twenty-three years since the two long-time friends co-starred in the first (of 3) “Ocean’s” movies, and there is no doubt they were the epitome of cool then. But what about now?  And does it matter? The argument can be made that it does matter since so few non-superhero and non-comic book movies are capable of drawing big crowds to the theater these days. Unfortunately, this film won’t answer the question about drawing power, as a very limited one-week theatrical release will be followed by a run on Apple TV+.

The sound of shattering glass is followed by three F-words, the first dialogue we hear (and also the last). It turns out, the local District Attorney (Amy Ryan, “The Office”) is justified in using the language as she finds herself in a luxury hotel room with an apparently dead, underwear-clad young man on the floor, and blood all over her clothes. Now, if you or I were in this situation, we would quickly surmise there is no way out. In contrast, a powerful politician has a phone number to call. Soon, George Clooney is at her door. He’s a “fixer” or “cleaner”, depending on your preferred nomenclature. He’s calm and cool (there’s that word again) under pressure, and claims to be the only one who can do what he does. This claim is soon shattered as Brad Pitt shows up – equally calm and cool (!) – disavowing Clooney’s ‘only’ claim. If not for the blood and the body, Amy Ryan might be just fine with Clooney and Pitt popping into her hotel room. But that “if” looms large.

Circumstances being what they are, the two lone ‘wolfs’ are forced to work together. Their rivalry is enhanced by the one-liners, facial gestures, and body language that stems from Clooney and Pitt knowing each other so well. Their mission is made abundantly clear once a bag with four bricks of heroin is found … just prior to the body on the floor springing back to life. What follows is a unique and extended (too long) chase scene through the city at night. It turns out the body/young man/kid (played well by Austin Abrams, PAPER TOWNS, “Euphoria”) adds to the complication for our two fixers … despite finding them quite cool (!).

This trio crosses paths with Poorna Jagannathan (“The Night Of”) playing a Chinatown doctor they can trust, Zlatko Buric playing a nasty Albanian mob boss, and Richard Kind as the Kid’s dad with a Sinatra fixation (in a clever scene). It’s entertaining to see the long-time friends playing on screen rivals – both with bad backs, reading glasses, and a shared bottle of Advil. They probably aren’t as witty (or cool) as they imagine, but filmmaker Watts uses their camaraderie as an asset (and also Sade’s “Smooth Operator”). You’ll notice a few tips of the cap to previous characters and films, including Butch and Sundance near the end. Although she’s uncredited, you’ll appreciate knowing that is Oscar winner Frances McDormand’s voice on the phone in an early scene. Overall, it’s decent entertainment while reminding us to “check the pulse.”

Premieres on Apple TV+ beginning September 27, 2024

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT (2023)

December 22, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. It’s always disappointing when a book is so interesting and enjoyable to read, only to be followed up by a movie version that doesn’t live up to the source material. My son recommended the 2013 best-selling non-fiction novel from Daniel James Brown, and it was truly fascinating to read such an inspirational story around the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Of course, we all know the Jesse Owens story, yet somehow the remarkable and unlikely tale of the University of Washington crew team never received the publicity it earned. Director George Clooney (GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, 2015) and screenwriter Mark L Smith (THE REVENANT, 2015) have attempted to reach a wider audience by adapting Brown’s book for the big screen.

The story begins in Seattle during the Great Depression. Engineering student Joe Rantz (an excellent Callum Turner, EMMA., 2020) is behind on his tuition and has had no luck securing work. We learn Joe has been on his own for years, and has remained focused on his education despite living in such poverty that he frequently goes without meals and uses folded newspapers to keep dirt and moisture out of the hole in his shoe sole. His buddy Roger (Sam Strike) informs him of crew tryouts, and a spot on the JV team comes with a job and stipend. No-nonsense coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton) isn’t much for motivational speeches and lets the rookies know most won’t survive the training to claim one of the eight seats on the boat.

Contradictory arguments can be made that director Clooney either took on too much of the story, or not enough. The result is a middling movie about an incredibly inspirational story of underdogs reaching the highest levels of achievement. Included here are only brief glimpses of the personal life of Coach Ulbrickson and his pertinent past, the motivation and wisdom of boat maker George Pocock (screen vet Peter Guiness), and the blossoming romance between Joe and Joyce (up and coming Hadley Robinson, LITTLE WOMEN, 2019). However, the biggest gap here is the connection and camaraderie between Joe and his teammates. The importance of working together “as one” is preached, but we aren’t privy to how this happened so quickly. Skimming over this is the film’s major flaw, as that bond is the key to their growth and success. By the end of the film, most will only recall Joe’s name and two or three other faces on the team.

The racing scenes on the water were surely challenging to film, and come across as realistic, even though we know these are actors and not world class athletes. The rich versus poor element is touched on, as are the politics which, yes, even existed in sports 90 years ago. Initially it’s the newcomers against legendary coach Ky Ebright (Glenn Wrage) and his favored team from Cal, and then it becomes the blue-collar Washington boys against the Ivy League elites … before heading to Berlin. The Olympics give us swastikas, a cheesy meet between the boys and Jessie Owens, and Daniel Philpott reprising his portrayal as Hitler from “The Crown”, only with more outlandish mannerisms.

The radio broadcasts provide a nostalgic look of how challenging it was to keep up with things during the era, and the newsreels are another nice touch. For those who have never been part of a crew, the term coxswain is likely a new one, and Clooney includes actual photos of the team over the closing credits. The memorable quote is “We were never eight, we were one”, but for some reason director Clooney thought it a good idea to have a lame framing device set in more modern times around this historic tale. Somehow, we don’t feel the adrenaline rush we should during this movie as it falls short of Oscar winner CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981), perhaps the film that Clooney was attempting to mimic.

Opening in theaters nationwide on December 25, 2023

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Posted by David Ferguson

TICKET TO PARADISE (2022)

October 21, 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. I’ll begin things with a personal note, followed by a more objective and professional review. From the personal side: Writer-director Ol Parker (MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN, 2018) has delivered the textbook example of the type of movie that, while I understand why they get made, I find the hollowness and predictability to be anything but entertaining. On a more objective note, George Clooney and Julia Roberts are huge movie stars and will almost certainly lead the way to box office success.

Oscar winner Clooney plays David, a highly successful Chicago-based architect. Oscar winner Roberts plays Georgia, a highly successful Los Angeles-based art dealer. David and Georgia have been divorced for twenty years, and have bickered and fought a war of words and ideology ever since. They are forced to reunite and put on a happy face for the law school graduation of their daughter Lily (Kaitlyn Dever from “Justified” and BOOKSMART, 2019). The (un)wise cracks and cringe-inducing one-liners start immediately and continue as David and Georgia drop off Lily and her BFF Wren (Billie Lourd, also BOOKSMART) for their post-graduation vacation to Bali (although it’s filmed in Australia).

A googly-eyed, love-at-first-sight meet cute finds Lily falling hard and fast for local dreamboat and seaweed farmer Gede (introducing Maxime Bouttier). In the blink of an eye, David and Georgia are on a plane to Bali. Only this time they share the same mission … sabotage the wedding to prevent their daughter from making a mistake. Their “Trojan Horse” strategy and insistence on being in ‘lockstep’ are meant to be humorous, but mostly we wonder why these two can’t have an adult conversation with their adult daughter. Adding complications (though not really) to the mix is Georgia’s much younger boyfriend Paul (Armie Hammer lookalike Lucas Bravo, MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS, 2022). He’s a handsome French pilot who is so goofy, we can’t possibly take him seriously or think he could give Georgia pause on where the relationships in this movie are obviously headed.

This is the fifth film collaboration between mega-stars Clooney and Roberts, and after all these years, we know exactly what to expect from each of them. Clooney exaggerates his facial contortions and plays his part right down the line, while Roberts gets in a cackle or two while often wearing the most unflattering onesies you’ll ever see. If ‘paint by numbers’ is considered art, then romantic-comedy by rote would be as well. We know where this is headed within the first five minutes and only those who enjoy knowing every bump in the road ahead of the trip will find it satisfying. It’s a shame that the talented Dever, Lourd, and Bouttier couldn’t have had more to do here, but it seems superstars still rule the roost.

Opening in theaters on October 21, 2022

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE TENDER BAR (2021)

December 21, 2021

Greetings again from the darkness. Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and journalist JR Moehringer published his memoir in 2005. Fortunately for him, it led to his being in high demand to pen the memoirs of others. Unfortunately for us, it also led to George Clooney directing a mostly listless movie version. Adapted by Oscar-winning screenwriter William Monahan (THE DEPARTED, 2006), the film does offer a surprisingly interesting performance from Ben Affleck, while also failing to capitalize on other elements that could have provided a boost.

Opening with Golden Earring’s “Radar Love” blasting over the speakers, this is the story of JR – from his childhood through young adulthood. Young JR (the acting debut of Daniel Ranieri) is being raised by his resourceful single mom (Lily Rabe, ALL GOOD THINGS, 2010). Financial hardships force them from the city, back to the Long Island home of JR’s grumpy grandfather (Christopher Lloyd). Although his mother is a bit down at having to move back home, young JR embraces the slew of family members who use the house as a congregating spot. He’s also taken under the wing of Uncle Charlie (2 time Oscar winner Ben Affleck), who runs the neighborhood bar called The Dickens.

Uncle Charlie becomes JR’s adult male role model, and he passes along his love of reading to the boy. It’s this that inspires JR to dream of becoming a writer – a dream that doesn’t necessarily conflict with his mother’s dream for him to attend Yale. Other life lessons include cancer, bowling, and living with regular disappointment courtesy of JR’s absentee dad, a radio DJ referred to by the family as ‘The Voice’ (Max Martini, the “Fifty Shades” movies). In addition to Uncle Charlie’s ever-present cigarette, adult beverage, and book of the day, are the regulars at the bar played by Max Casella, Michael Braun, and Matthew Delamater. Regrettably, these guys rarely offer anything outside of well-placed one-liners. JR is surrounded by folks who say they will always be there for him. And they mean they will always be there. They aren’t going anywhere. Dreams and ambition don’t exist, except for JR’s mother – for her son, not for herself.

The first half of the movie is significantly more interesting and entertaining than the second. Once Tye Sheridan (MUD, 2012) takes over the role of JR, we immediately miss the bright eyes and eager spirit of young Daniel Ranieri. The realities of getting older set in as JR heads to Yale (class of ’86). As JR fumbles through a romantic relationship with classmate Sidney (Brianna Middleton), he’s little more than a typically clueless young man blind to realities of his situation. JR’s post-college stint at the New York Times delivers very little that interests us … heck, we aren’t even sure JR is interested in the job.

I rarely find Ben Affleck’s performance to be the best thing about a movie, but he is excellent here, following yet another terrific performance in THE WAY BACK (2020). Growing up, we all have role models. Affleck’s Uncle Charlie is one of those well-meaning adults who seemed larger than life when we were young. His endless advice can be categorized as some good, some not so good – a combination which renders most of it meaningless. But instilling a love of reading and learning is one of the most important traits one can pass along to a youngster. The movie’s issues aren’t with that message, but rather with the bland storytelling. The recurring gags of ‘what does JR stand for?’ and ‘where’s my 30 bucks?’ are just the most obvious misguided attempts at cuteness.

Opening in theaters December 22, 2021

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE MIDNIGHT SKY (2020)

December 22, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. Screenwriter Mark L Smith has described his adaptation of Lily Brooks-Dalton’s book, “Good Morning, Midnight”, as a cross between the Oscar-winning GRAVITY (2013) his own THE REVENANT (2015, nominated for 12 Oscars). It’s a lofty comparison, and unfortunately, one that doesn’t prove out. Two-time Oscar winner George Clooney takes on the dual role of director and lead actor, and it’s his first movie role since 2016’s MONEY MONSTER.

Clooney plays Dr Augustine Lofthouse, a renowned scientist, and the only one staying behind as everyone else evacuates the Arctic Observatory after some unspecified “event” as left the earth uninhabitable. Augustine has a terminal disease (also unspecified) and evidently decides to stay behind because he likes drinking alone and self-administering blood transfusions. The drinking alone fun ends when he “finds” a stowaway young girl named Iris (Caiolinn Springall in her first film) and must assume the role of father-figure. To complicate matters, Iris doesn’t speak.

It’s 2049, and the film cuts between 3 storylines. While Augustine and Iris and working on a survival plan, we get flashbacks to a time when he was a younger scientist (played by Gregory Peck grandson Ethan Peck) and sacrificing a relationship with Jean (Sophie Rundle, “Peaky Blinders”) to focus on his career. The third story occurs simultaneously with Augustine and Iris, and involves Aether, a manned spacecraft on a years long mission to determine if Planet K23 can be inhabited by humans. The crew is commanded by Adewole (David Oyelowo, SELMA), and includes his partner, a pregnant Sully (Felicity Jones, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING), pilot Mitchell (Kyle Chandler, “Bloodline”), navigator Sanchez (Demian Bichir, THE HATEFUL EIGHT), and rookie astronaut Maya (Tiffany Boone, “Hunters”).

When Augustine learns of Aether and its route back to Earth, he takes it as his responsibility to inform them that they need a new plan. In order to do this, he and Iris must trek across the frozen Arctic tundra through a blinding snowstorm to reach the satellite equipment that will allow communication with Aether. This road trip through a whiteout allows for the best effects during the Augustine/Iris section. Aboard Aether, the crew is relatively non-descript, but there is a spacewalk segment that is quite something to watch thanks to the cinematography of Martin Ruhe. There is also a visually interesting segment featuring blood in zero gravity.

So what we have is a three-piece post-apocalyptic science-fiction space survival tale with a surprise twist that won’t surprise anyone. It’s likely meant as a warning about how we are destroying our planet, and global catastrophe may not easily be solved through space exploration. The film presents an interesting symmetry between the vast wasteland of Arctic winter vs the vastness of space … neither seem to have borders or boundaries, yet are fraught with dangers. If you pay much attention to the story, you’ll likely be disappointed; however, if you watch for the visuals, you should be fine.

Premieres on Netflix December 23, 2020

watch the trailer

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

MONEY MONSTER (2016)

May 15, 2016

Money Monster Greetings again from the darkness. Adam McKay and Michael Lewis sought to educate us on the corruption and deceit within the marrow of the financial world in The Big Short. Director Jodie Foster and three writers (Jim Kouf, Alan DiFiore, Jamie Linden) scale things way back to show the effects on a single, working class man … and how Wall Street and the media conspire to make it hard on us little guys.

George Clooney stars as Lee Gates, a Jim Cramer type cable news financial guru … the kind of media star who makes an Apollo Creed style entrance (complete with “dancing”) for each segment. Julia Roberts plays Patty, the show’s ultra-talented producer, and the one who keeps Gates and the show from flying off the rails. It’s just another typically hectic day in the studio, when the show is abruptly interrupted by a man who charges the stage pointing a gun at Gates. Kyle (Jack O’Connell, Unbroken) has a few things to get off his chest, and makes it clear that he blames Gates for a recent financial loss … and he expects some answers.

It turns out that Gates had presented a recent investment as a sure thing, and Kyle believed him. When that company lost $800 million overnight, Kyle’s loss was his $60,000 nest egg. Kyle represents the work-class folks who are simply fed up with the lies and manipulation for which the media and Wall Street seeming conspire on a regular basis.

It’s Jodie Foster’s first directorial outing since The Beaver (2011), and she seems at home with a straight-forward hostage-for-admission story. Created for a mass audience (no segment or issue goes too deep), there are snippets of Clooney and Roberts humor that will satisfy their fans. The three most interesting characters are the gun-wielding, end-of-the rope Kyle; his pissed-with-a-twist girlfriend played by Emily Meade (who provides the film a lift when it’s needed); and Caitriona Balfe as Diane Lester, the communications officer for the evil corporation at the heart of the swindle.

As with so many things these days, the hostage ordeal plays out on TV and captures the limited attention span of average Americans … heck, the film even references the OJ Simpson event. Of course, this film isn’t an instigator, but rather an exhibitor – a mirror of the times. Once the spectacle ends, everyone returns to their normal activities.

Since this thriller really only offers a few moments of real suspense, viewers might have more fun spotting and identifying the multitude of cable TV faces sprinkled throughout. The 1970’s were the era for extraordinary conspiracy movies, and this one is less Network or Chinatown, and more like Phone Booth or John Q. ‘Forget it Kyle. It’s Wall Street (and cable news).’

watch the trailer:

 

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

HAIL, CAESAR! (2016)

February 6, 2016

hail caesar Greetings again from the darkness. Homage or Spoof or outright Farce? Though the Coen Brothers motivation may be cloudy, their inspiration certainly is not. The Golden Age of Hollywood is skewered by the filmmaking brothers who previously applied their caustic commentary to the movie business in Barton Fink (1991). However, this latest seems to borrow more from the unrelated universes of their films A Serious Man (2009) and Burn After Reading (2008) in that it alternates tone by focusing first on one man’s attempt to make sense of things, and then with a near slapstick approach to “urgent” situations.

The film seems to be made for Hollywood geeks. Perhaps this can also be worded as … the film seems to be made for the Coen brothers themselves. Rather than an intricate plot and subtle character development used in their classic No Country for Old Men (2007), this is more a collection of scenes loosely tied together thanks to their connection to Eddie Mannix, Capitol Pictures “fixer”. Josh Brolin plays straight-laced Mannix, a twist on the real Eddie Mannix, notorious for his behind the scenes work at MGM in controlling the media, protecting the stars and studio, and protecting movie stars from their own idiotic actions. He was a real life Ray Donovan. It’s Mannix’s job that creates the hamster wheel to keep this story moving (complimented by narration from Michael Gambon).

We witness a typical day for Mannix as he confesses to the Priest that he had a couple of cigarettes after promising his wife he would quit, negotiates with communists who have kidnapped the studios biggest movie star, deftly handles the studio head’s greedy desire to shift a western movie star into a genre for which he is ill-prepared, plans a cover-up for the starlet having a baby out of wedlock, and juggles the demands of the competing twin gossip columnists searching for scandal. Mannix keeps his cool through all of this while mulling a lucrative job offer from Lockheed that would put him right in the midst of the nuclear war scare.

With an exacting attention to period and industry detail, the Coen’s remind us of the popular genres and circumstances of the era. George Clooney plays mega star Baird Whitlock, working on the studios biggest picture of the year – a biblical epic entitled “Hail, Caesar!” (think Ben-Hur, The Robe, etc). Whitlock is kidnapped by a group of communist writers (not yet blacklisted) who are striking out against a capitalistic studio that doesn’t share the rewards with the creative folks. It’s a different look than what Trumbo offered last year. In a tribute to Roy Rogers and famed stuntman Yakima Canutt, there is a segment on popular westerns featuring Alden Ehrenreich (Beautiful Creatures, 2013) as Hobie Doyle, a popular actor whose an artist with a rope and horse and guitar, but not so smooth on his transition to the parlor dramas being filmed by demanding director Laurence Laurentz (a terrific Ralph Fiennes). In boosting Doyle’s public perception, the studio sets him up on a date with a Carmen Miranda-type played by Veronica Osorio. Her character is named Carlotta Valdez in a nod to Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Another sequence features Scarlett Johansson as DeAnna Moran, an Esther Williams type (with a behind the scenes nod to Loretta Young) in a Busby Berkeley-esque production number featuring the synchronized swimming so prominent in the era. One of the film’s best segments comes courtesy of Channing Tatum in a take on films like On the Town, where sailors would sing and dance while on leave.

Tilda Swinton (whose appearance improves any movie) appears as the competing twin sister gossip columnists Thora and Thessaly Thackery. Her hats and costumes are sublime and pay worthy tribute to Hedda Hopper (who also balked at being termed a gossip columnist). Jonah Hill’s only scene is from the trailer, and it could be misleading to any of his fan’s coming to see his performance; and the same could be said for Frances McDormand (a very funny scene as a throwback editor). And so as not to disappoint their many critics, the Coen’s have a terrific scene featuring four men of various religious sects who are asked their opinion of the script – so as not to offend any viewers. The pettiness is palpable.

Roger Deakins is, as always, in fine form as the cinematographer. The water and western productions are the most eye-catching, but he does some of his best camera work in the shots of individual actors or scenes-within-a-scene. We have come to depend on Joel and Ethan Coen for taking us out of our movie comfort zone, while providing the highest level of production – music, costumes, sets, camera and acting. While this latest will leave many scratching their heads, the few in the target audience will be applauding fiercely.

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE MONUMENTS MEN (2014)

February 11, 2014

monuments Greetings again from the darkness. Movies based on real life are often some of my favorites, but that doesn’t let them off the hook in needing to be well made. The real life story of the Monuments Men provides both pride and heartbreak. The Allied group tracked down and rescued so much Nazi-stolen artwork, while at the same time being so short-staffed that they resorted to picking and choosing what parts of history and culture to save.

For much of 2013, this movie was mentioned as a possible Oscar contender. When the release date was delayed and director George Clooney admitted he was struggling with the film’s “tone” – a balance of comedic and dramatic and historic elements – all the warning flags shot up. This final version would certainly have benefited from script improvement, though the cast is so strong and the mission so true, that the film is still enjoyable enough. Director  Clooney and co-writer Grant Heslov have adapted the source material from Robert M Edsel, but Clooney can’t resist stamping the movie with his smirk appeal, despite capturing the look of the era.

The actual Monument Men spend very little time together, so it’s tough to call this an ensemble piece. Bill Murray and Bob Balaban have their own subtle comedy routine going, while John Goodman and Jean Dujardin enjoy a jeep ride. Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett add a dose of gratuitous love interest where it’s not needed, and Hugh Bonneville strikes the heroic pose of redemption. Director Clooney ensures that actor Clooney and his buddy Damon get the most screen time and close-ups, detracting from what the real story should be … the men who saved art and culture.

Michelangelo’s Madonna of Bruges and Hubert van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece are supposedly the centerpieces of this group’s mission, but the film really is just an amalgam of individual scenes that leave the viewer working frantically to tie all the pieces together. Shouldn’t that be the filmmaker’s job? The question gets asked a couple of times, “Is art worth a human life?”. That critical theme could have been the core of a far superior movie … one not in such desperate need of suspense rather than more punchlines.

Very few war projects have successfully blended comedy and drama. A few that come to mind are Kelly’s Heroes, The Dirty Dozen and TV’s “Hogan’s Heroes“. It’s a tricky line to walk, even with a great cast. So while this one has sufficient entertainment value for a February release, I would rather recommend two others that deal with this same subject matter: The Rape of Europa (2007, documentary) and The Train (1964, directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Burt Lancaster).

**NOTE: the phrase “women love a man in uniform” was well established prior to anyone seeing John Goodman don the Army green.

**NOTE: the actor playing an elderly Frank Stokes (Clooney’s character) viewing the Madonna near the end of the movie is actually George Clooney’s real life father.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: it’s February and you just need a pleasant movie break

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are seeking for an in-depth look at the fascinating folks behind this fascinating story

watch the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreneTs7sGs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreneTs7sGs

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Posted by David Ferguson

GRAVITY (2013)

October 9, 2013

gravity1 Greetings again from the darkness. Gravity is a visually stunning film that creates a you-are-there-in-space feeling unlike any other.  That said, hopefully you aren’t expecting yet another in the seemingly endless stream of unadulterated praise fests for Alfonso Cuaron’s critically beloved and audience pleasing film. While the mass appeal is certainly understandable, I’ve never been one to sit back and accept the surface value.

There are two elements for discussion here: the visually stunning and technical marvel from a filmmaking perspective, and the emotionally-manipulating and somewhat emptiness of the narrative story-telling and characters. On the technical front, one would be hard-pressed to come up with a more impressive film. It is simply breath-taking, gravity2especially when seen in the format it should be seen … 3D IMAX. Rarely, if ever, has space seemed more real, more beautiful and more ominous. From the extended opening take (Cuaron is known for his long takes), to the numerous shots of Planet Earth (from dominating the screen, to reflections in helmet shields), we are drawn in to the space walking and perils of Kowalski (George Clooney) and Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock).  Even Carl Sagan and his “pale blue dot” musings would admire these space-based visuals of our home planet.

From an entertainment viewpoint, the film works as a high-stress, thrilling space mission gone bad and ultimate survival story. What left me feeling a bit distracted and hence, quite annoyed, was the often eye-rolling dialogue seemingly designed to force our connection with the Clooney and, especially, Bullock characters. I prefer to experience my own emotions in both real life and in movies … obvious cues and manipulating tugs through weak character development drives me away from, rather than towards the desired connectivity. My issues with the film are not related to the numerous scientific issues identified by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and astronaut Buzz Aldrin. This is all explained away by Mr. Cuaron’s statement that the film is “not a documentary“. If we can be cool with Forrest Gump creating the smiley face, we can accept that Sandra Bullock can navigate her way between space stations with a fire extinguisher.  What I can’t be cool with are cheap writing ploys that tell me I must feel a specific emotion at a particular time for a certain character.

gravity3 Despite this, it’s tough to argue against the technical marvel and thrilling (computer generated) experience created here. The 3D adds depth of field and adds a touch of realism, rather than the gimmicky tricks we often see with the format. With only a couple of jarring exceptions, Steven Price’s score is minimal and complimentary to the quietness of space. Director of Photography Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men) re-teams with Cuaron for the extraordinary look (with probably numerous technical Oscars on the way). Some of the symbolism was a bit overdone – recurring umbilical imagery for the re-birth, but it’s done to ensure no viewer misses the point. Finally, I got a kick out of Ed Harris’ voice coming from Mission Control (think back to The Right Stuff and Apollo 13).

I would encourage you to seek out the largest screen with the best sound … 3D IMAX is greatly preferred.  Yes, it will cost you more than you should pay for a movie ticket, but the payoff is significant.  This one won’t be the same on your ipad or even your home theater system. It’s the first step forward in movie technology since Avatar.  If you can sit back and let the movie guide you, perhaps you will avoid the frustrations I experienced.

**NOTE: Although many critics have already proclaimed this the best picture of the year and are saying Sandra Bullock is a shoe-in for Best Actress, I will not be onboard with either.  I found it fascinating and would even label it a “must see”, but truly great movies have characters and stories that draw me to them.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you have access to a theater with a huge screen and great sound system – preferably 3D IMAX

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you miss its theatrical run … watching it on your laptop or ipad 6 months from now will be time wasted

watch the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgGPTa7-vlE

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

TMI (1-7-12)

January 7, 2012

TMI (Today’s Movie Info)

 GEORGE CLOONEY had his first TV credit at age 7 on “The Nick Clooney Show”, a local Lexington Kentucky talk show hosted by his father.  George became a TV star playing Dr. Doug Ross on “ER” in 1994.  Director Robert Rodriguez gave him his first big movie break with From Dusk Til Dawn (1996), and he became a mega-star alongside Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight (1998).  Since then, he has gone on to international fame and won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Syriana (2005).  He has also directed 4 feature films … including an Oscar nomination for Good Night, and Good Luck (2005).  However, it wasn’t always champagne and caviar (nod to Robin Leach) for Clooney.  He tried out (didn’t make it) for the Cincinnati Reds, spent some time as a young man working in tobacco fields, and when he finally moved to Los Angeles, he slept in Charlie Sheen‘s closet.  George’s aunt was Rosemary Clooney, a very popular singer and actress who got her start in the 1950’s.  George has Oscar hopes again this year with two films: The Descendants and The Ides of March.  He will next appear in the sci-fi thriller Gravity from director Alfonso Cuaron.  Expected release date: November 21, 2012

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Posted by David Ferguson

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