THE TOWN 4.0****
A bank robbery goes different than planned when one of the robbers takes a hostage. She is let go and Doug (Ben Affleck) has to duty to check up on the hostage to see if she knows anything about the crew. Surprise, no shock, but somehow it’s believable that they start dating. Can he continue his life of robbing banks and have a love life with the hostage? Will his crew accept that he is with her? Will she ever find out? This is a part of “The Town”.
“Gone Baby Gone was Affleck’s first directorial effort set in the city of Boston. “The Town” is his second. Ben obviously loves the city and if he keeps making films like these two, I'll be happy with more Boston Flick. And
this time Affleck is behind and in front of the camera. He seems to have left his pretty boy blockbuster image behind him. I'm thankful, I can only take so many Armageddon’s or Pearl Harbors. He's matured as an actor. Of course he's had some fun films in between, but he's probably the best thing about those.
For “The Town” he has assembled quite the cast. Jeremy Renner, who is hot off of “The Hurt Locker” plays his long time buddy with an attitude who won't think twice about pulling the trigger . TV’s “Mad Men's” Jon Hamm is the relentless, tough FBI agent on their trail. Blake Lively has a small but stunning role of the almost slutty ex-girlfriend. Rebecca Hall ( the brunette in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”) has the difficult role of playing the woman who is dating her abductor. Things never really look promising for the relationship but…..
“The Town” also shows Affleck's ability at directing action sequences. The movie is full gunfights and car chases.. There are three separate heists in the film, the opening, the middle section and the climactic ending. All three are different from each other, one is in a bank, the other a armored truck and finally a baseball stadium. Each heist is tense and exciting.
The Town is a successful and suspenseful film made for adults. It's slick, well acted and has enough thrilling moments to keep you very entertained. “The Town” does its job as a movie quite well and Ben Affleck has found himself a new career.
NOTE: The title gets its name from the section of Boston where the movie takes place… Charlestown which in reality has the distinction of having more bank robbers from there than any other place in the world.
Clark
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
THE AMERICAN 2.75*** (almost 3.0***)
Before anybody goes to see "The American," let me give you a heads up. If you are expecting another Jason Bourne or James Bond-style of movie with a lot of action sequences ,you may want to stay home. The advertising campaign and previews give you the impression that George Clooney is taking on a role in a movie like Liam Neeson did in that marvelously powerful thriller "Taken". But that is not the case. "The American" was shot on a foreign location (Italy mostly), features a lot of foreign dialect, and was made by an Italian director with a mostly Italian cast. In other words, it's not really an American action film. It's an Italian melodrama.
We know and find out very little about our lead character (George Clooney) who goes by two names: Jack and Edward. All you know is that he's a trained killer, somebody hires him to custom make a special rifle for an assassination, and that's about it. Clooney is an American sent into an Italian town for a last assignment. While he is doing the work which is meticulous, he’s tries to avoid being killed by other trained killers who are after him for some unknown reason, and begins a special relationship with a beautiful prostitute….his almost only human contact is with prostitutes because in his line of work, there is too much risk in having any friends.
He does not relish the work, but is driven to do it well. This also requires that he constantly distance himself from others. Jack demonstrates this in the opening rather shocking scene set in Sweden in which his calculating actions are far more chilling than the frozen landscape where it takes place. Clooney, with an understated performance that registers mostly through his eyes and the tightening of his jaw, portrays a man who has literally grown afraid of human attachment. Here, Clooney is at his best when toggling between extremes - when urgency is required, he tacks toward watchful; when things seem mellow, he's on the verge of jumping out of his skin. It's been a while since he's let himself be alone at the center of a storm like this, and with his gun-metal gray hair and gaunt appearance, he's a far cry from the jovial ringmaster of the "Ocean's Eleven" films.
Rated “R” for strong violence , simulated sex including full female and partial male nudity, gory and bloody imagery, and scattered strong sexual language (profanity). Running time: 105 minutes.
Clark
Before anybody goes to see "The American," let me give you a heads up. If you are expecting another Jason Bourne or James Bond-style of movie with a lot of action sequences ,you may want to stay home. The advertising campaign and previews give you the impression that George Clooney is taking on a role in a movie like Liam Neeson did in that marvelously powerful thriller "Taken". But that is not the case. "The American" was shot on a foreign location (Italy mostly), features a lot of foreign dialect, and was made by an Italian director with a mostly Italian cast. In other words, it's not really an American action film. It's an Italian melodrama.
We know and find out very little about our lead character (George Clooney) who goes by two names: Jack and Edward. All you know is that he's a trained killer, somebody hires him to custom make a special rifle for an assassination, and that's about it. Clooney is an American sent into an Italian town for a last assignment. While he is doing the work which is meticulous, he’s tries to avoid being killed by other trained killers who are after him for some unknown reason, and begins a special relationship with a beautiful prostitute….his almost only human contact is with prostitutes because in his line of work, there is too much risk in having any friends.
He does not relish the work, but is driven to do it well. This also requires that he constantly distance himself from others. Jack demonstrates this in the opening rather shocking scene set in Sweden in which his calculating actions are far more chilling than the frozen landscape where it takes place. Clooney, with an understated performance that registers mostly through his eyes and the tightening of his jaw, portrays a man who has literally grown afraid of human attachment. Here, Clooney is at his best when toggling between extremes - when urgency is required, he tacks toward watchful; when things seem mellow, he's on the verge of jumping out of his skin. It's been a while since he's let himself be alone at the center of a storm like this, and with his gun-metal gray hair and gaunt appearance, he's a far cry from the jovial ringmaster of the "Ocean's Eleven" films.
Rated “R” for strong violence , simulated sex including full female and partial male nudity, gory and bloody imagery, and scattered strong sexual language (profanity). Running time: 105 minutes.
Clark
Thursday, September 9, 2010
GOING THE DISTANCE 2.5*** (but barely)
In “Going the Distance”, Garrett (Justin Long) and Erin (Drew Barrymore) meet while arguing over a computer game of Centipede at a bar. Video games turn into beer. Beers turn into beer bongs. Bongs turn drunk and drunk turns into sex at Garrett’s place. However, their initial one night stand turns into 6 incredible weeks. Unfortunately, 6 is all they get the easy way. Erin's internship at the New York Chronicle in NYC is soon over and she's headed back to San Francisco to finish grad school. Unwilling to call it quits, Garrett suggests that they have a long distance relationship to hold onto what they believe is a good thing.
Easier said than done as is shown by the many obstacles such as the long wait between visits, endless phone calls and Skyping, and the pain of loneliness. They even try phone sex which ends up as a funny disaster. Long distance relationships are nothing new in the realm of chick flicks. However the story is rather predictable and at times trite. But the comedy in the movie was fairly good so it was enjoyable at times but not enough times to be more than an average Rom-Com.
Drew Barrymore plays a less kooky character than usual and is all the more likable and believable for it. But I don't buy Justin Long as the leading man. He just seems too young for the part and is not believable in the role. I couldn’t get past this and it nagged at me during the whole movie.
There is a lot of profanity in the movie ( got a “R” rating) with heavy doses of the F-word which at times seems to be for the sole purpose of shocking or titillating the viewers. It also has toilet humor and some rather embarrassing sexual sequences. It may be a “chick” flick but with the “R” stuff, a lot of the guys will probably enjoy it.
Clark
In “Going the Distance”, Garrett (Justin Long) and Erin (Drew Barrymore) meet while arguing over a computer game of Centipede at a bar. Video games turn into beer. Beers turn into beer bongs. Bongs turn drunk and drunk turns into sex at Garrett’s place. However, their initial one night stand turns into 6 incredible weeks. Unfortunately, 6 is all they get the easy way. Erin's internship at the New York Chronicle in NYC is soon over and she's headed back to San Francisco to finish grad school. Unwilling to call it quits, Garrett suggests that they have a long distance relationship to hold onto what they believe is a good thing.
Easier said than done as is shown by the many obstacles such as the long wait between visits, endless phone calls and Skyping, and the pain of loneliness. They even try phone sex which ends up as a funny disaster. Long distance relationships are nothing new in the realm of chick flicks. However the story is rather predictable and at times trite. But the comedy in the movie was fairly good so it was enjoyable at times but not enough times to be more than an average Rom-Com.
Drew Barrymore plays a less kooky character than usual and is all the more likable and believable for it. But I don't buy Justin Long as the leading man. He just seems too young for the part and is not believable in the role. I couldn’t get past this and it nagged at me during the whole movie.
There is a lot of profanity in the movie ( got a “R” rating) with heavy doses of the F-word which at times seems to be for the sole purpose of shocking or titillating the viewers. It also has toilet humor and some rather embarrassing sexual sequences. It may be a “chick” flick but with the “R” stuff, a lot of the guys will probably enjoy it.
Clark
Monday, September 6, 2010
TAKERS 2.5*** (more like 2.8***)
Takers" is a story about a group of efficient, professional thieves who meticulously plan their robberies a year in an advance. They take their jobs very seriously and leave little room for error. There is no standout boss in this crew…. They each have a specialty, an equal voice and, most importantly, an equal cut of the loot.
After the dazzling opening bank robbery we are introduced to the team of Takers. These guys are suave and know how to present themselves. It was like watching a group of "Esquire" magazine models relax after a hard day at the office. They all wear expensive suits, drink high-end scotch and smoke fine cigars. They each retreat to their own slice of heaven to relax. . After the successful bank job they seem to revel in their male bonding and their exploits.
They decide, against their better judgment, to team up with an ex-partner of theirs who was just released from prison to do a dangerous armored truck heist, worth $20 million. The movie also focuses on an obsessed cop (Matt Dillon) hot on their trail and his seemingly more 'by the book' partner.
The cast adds a lot of sizzle and charm to their roles. And each actor is cast perfectly in his or her part. The action scenes are stunning. The two heists are extremely impressive and there's a breathtaking foot chase sequence which is by far one of the most spectacular I’ve ever seen The movie is entertaining as a action thriller
One thing that amazed and disturbed me about the movie or I should say movie audience…it’s one thing to pull for the bad guys and hope they can pull off a successful heist, but it’s another thing altogether for the audience to cheer and applaud when the bad guys coldly gun down a policeman who is only doing his job. They cheered I said… there is something wrong with moviegoers who do that…I was shocked and appalled.
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, a sexual situation/partial nudity.
Clark
Takers" is a story about a group of efficient, professional thieves who meticulously plan their robberies a year in an advance. They take their jobs very seriously and leave little room for error. There is no standout boss in this crew…. They each have a specialty, an equal voice and, most importantly, an equal cut of the loot.
After the dazzling opening bank robbery we are introduced to the team of Takers. These guys are suave and know how to present themselves. It was like watching a group of "Esquire" magazine models relax after a hard day at the office. They all wear expensive suits, drink high-end scotch and smoke fine cigars. They each retreat to their own slice of heaven to relax. . After the successful bank job they seem to revel in their male bonding and their exploits.
They decide, against their better judgment, to team up with an ex-partner of theirs who was just released from prison to do a dangerous armored truck heist, worth $20 million. The movie also focuses on an obsessed cop (Matt Dillon) hot on their trail and his seemingly more 'by the book' partner.
The cast adds a lot of sizzle and charm to their roles. And each actor is cast perfectly in his or her part. The action scenes are stunning. The two heists are extremely impressive and there's a breathtaking foot chase sequence which is by far one of the most spectacular I’ve ever seen The movie is entertaining as a action thriller
One thing that amazed and disturbed me about the movie or I should say movie audience…it’s one thing to pull for the bad guys and hope they can pull off a successful heist, but it’s another thing altogether for the audience to cheer and applaud when the bad guys coldly gun down a policeman who is only doing his job. They cheered I said… there is something wrong with moviegoers who do that…I was shocked and appalled.
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, a sexual situation/partial nudity.
Clark
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
THE OTHER GUYS 2.0***
The previews for this one looked promising but unfortunately all the good stuff was in the previews. It turned out to be a disappointment even with Will Ferrell in it…and I’m a fan of his. Main problem is awful writing and a Director that should have stuck to the basics and just made a comedy rather than a comedy with a couple of unnecessary albatrosses elaborated on below that drag it down.
Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) is an accountant for the New York Police Department. His partner is detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), who is being punished for a particularly embarrassing incident at Yankee Stadium. The stars of the department are Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson, but Walberg hopes that he and his passive partner will be able to step up and be the next stars. They begin to investigate a scaffling permit violation ( I know…Huh), committed by billionaire businessman David Ershon , who may be involved in a massive investment corruption scheme of untold Billions . Of course, the comic cops constantly bungle things and get themselves in trouble. For example, Allen loses his firearm and his Captain gives him a wooden "practice" gun instead; later, he has that taken away and is given a whistle.
There are lots of supporting roles and cameos, notably an excellent Michael Keaton as the police captain, who must work a second job at Bed, Bath & Beyond to make ends meet. Eva Mendes stars as Allen's wife, and the running joke is that Ferrell thinks she's "plain," while Walberg can't stop ogling her, and she is very ogable in her part
When the movie focuses on Terry and Allen and their banter, the movie is sorta funny but not laugh out loud. And unfortunately the movie is full of too many other characters, has an unnecessarily complicated plot and subplots, and strays away from the movie as a comedy and tries unsuccessfully to blend in a cop thriller AND political statements. Thus we end up with car chase sequences and shootouts that are just plain awful and way too much seriousness about America’s financial and political woes. We surely don’t need to go to the movies to be reminded about that with ticket prices now up in the $10 range.
Comedy filmmakers should learn that comedies are better when they are short and lean, with more emphasis on jokes and characters than on plot. No one laughs at a plot. Nonetheless, there's enough good Will Ferrell material here, nicely matched by Wahlberg theatrics, to make at least half of a good movie…. and, therefore, wait and rent it for a $1.00 at Red Box are $3.00 at Blockbuster…or even go to the $1.50 movie in Raleigh on Blue Ridge Road..
Clark
The previews for this one looked promising but unfortunately all the good stuff was in the previews. It turned out to be a disappointment even with Will Ferrell in it…and I’m a fan of his. Main problem is awful writing and a Director that should have stuck to the basics and just made a comedy rather than a comedy with a couple of unnecessary albatrosses elaborated on below that drag it down.
Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) is an accountant for the New York Police Department. His partner is detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), who is being punished for a particularly embarrassing incident at Yankee Stadium. The stars of the department are Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson, but Walberg hopes that he and his passive partner will be able to step up and be the next stars. They begin to investigate a scaffling permit violation ( I know…Huh), committed by billionaire businessman David Ershon , who may be involved in a massive investment corruption scheme of untold Billions . Of course, the comic cops constantly bungle things and get themselves in trouble. For example, Allen loses his firearm and his Captain gives him a wooden "practice" gun instead; later, he has that taken away and is given a whistle.
There are lots of supporting roles and cameos, notably an excellent Michael Keaton as the police captain, who must work a second job at Bed, Bath & Beyond to make ends meet. Eva Mendes stars as Allen's wife, and the running joke is that Ferrell thinks she's "plain," while Walberg can't stop ogling her, and she is very ogable in her part
When the movie focuses on Terry and Allen and their banter, the movie is sorta funny but not laugh out loud. And unfortunately the movie is full of too many other characters, has an unnecessarily complicated plot and subplots, and strays away from the movie as a comedy and tries unsuccessfully to blend in a cop thriller AND political statements. Thus we end up with car chase sequences and shootouts that are just plain awful and way too much seriousness about America’s financial and political woes. We surely don’t need to go to the movies to be reminded about that with ticket prices now up in the $10 range.
Comedy filmmakers should learn that comedies are better when they are short and lean, with more emphasis on jokes and characters than on plot. No one laughs at a plot. Nonetheless, there's enough good Will Ferrell material here, nicely matched by Wahlberg theatrics, to make at least half of a good movie…. and, therefore, wait and rent it for a $1.00 at Red Box are $3.00 at Blockbuster…or even go to the $1.50 movie in Raleigh on Blue Ridge Road..
Clark
Friday, August 20, 2010
CHARLIE ST. CLOUD 2.5***
This is a good, heartwarming movie about the importance of family and especially brotherly love…the kind of bond between brothers that can even survive the most tragic of events. Here the older brother is willing to sacrifice a very promising college career and most everything else out of his deep love and commitment to his 11 year old brother.
The older brother is played by Zac Efron who is an international star/teen idol as a result of the huge success of the “High School Musical”’ TV and movie shows. He is one of THE current teenage heartthrobs and, in fact, when my wife, Sara, and I went to the afternoon matinee, it was the 2 of us and about 16 teenage girls who somehow seemed to sigh and swoon in unison whenever Efron batted those gorgeous blue eyes …of the Paul Newman variety. Actually, I could identify with the girls somewhat as I experience much the same reaction to seeing Scarlett Johansson in a movie.
Back to the movie . To be honest this is a small film of the “B” variety but with a BIG heart. Also, although the story is supposed to take place in Marblehead, Massachusetts, it was, instead for cost reasons, filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia…and that is a blessing for the viewers because the scenery is absolutely gorgeous… breathtaking is another word for it.. That awesome scenery… mountains and lakes and forest… is almost worth the price of admission.
Lastly, this is a movie that all ages can enjoy… especially kids from 6 to 18 who should see it so they can experience the love and the meaning of love portrayed in the film.
Clark
This is a good, heartwarming movie about the importance of family and especially brotherly love…the kind of bond between brothers that can even survive the most tragic of events. Here the older brother is willing to sacrifice a very promising college career and most everything else out of his deep love and commitment to his 11 year old brother.
The older brother is played by Zac Efron who is an international star/teen idol as a result of the huge success of the “High School Musical”’ TV and movie shows. He is one of THE current teenage heartthrobs and, in fact, when my wife, Sara, and I went to the afternoon matinee, it was the 2 of us and about 16 teenage girls who somehow seemed to sigh and swoon in unison whenever Efron batted those gorgeous blue eyes …of the Paul Newman variety. Actually, I could identify with the girls somewhat as I experience much the same reaction to seeing Scarlett Johansson in a movie.
Back to the movie . To be honest this is a small film of the “B” variety but with a BIG heart. Also, although the story is supposed to take place in Marblehead, Massachusetts, it was, instead for cost reasons, filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia…and that is a blessing for the viewers because the scenery is absolutely gorgeous… breathtaking is another word for it.. That awesome scenery… mountains and lakes and forest… is almost worth the price of admission.
Lastly, this is a movie that all ages can enjoy… especially kids from 6 to 18 who should see it so they can experience the love and the meaning of love portrayed in the film.
Clark
Thursday, August 19, 2010
EAT PRAY LOVE 3.0***
Eat Pray Love is a movie aimed at and marketed towards women. So when I connected with it -- and enjoyed it -- it was somewhat of a surprise but then again, I often like chick flicks. It wasn’t so much the story either, which we’ve seen multiple times before (usually with a man in the lead), as it was the cast that made it work. Julia Roberts does a fine job and it was refreshing that she was such a good match for this part.
Based on the bestselling Oprah-approved memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, the story follows Gilbert (portrayed by Roberts) on her travels over the course of a year as she tries to reconnect with her true self after she splits from her marriage on an impulse one day, leaving her husband (Billy Crudup) in a state of shock and with a broken heart. Along the way she finds comfort with food and new friends in Italy, enlightenment at a temple in India, and searches for love and trust again in Bali.
As already mentioned, it’s the cast that really makes Eat Pray Love connect so well. Besides Roberts’ performance, the two parts that stand out most are Javier Bardem as her love interest, and Richard Jenkins as the man she meets in India, known only as “Richard from Texas”. Bardem delivers a very raw, human character and makes an impression that he is the real deal while Jenkins nearly ripped my heart out with a powerful and sincere scene.
Many people are going to be repelled by Eat Pray Love before they even see it (the same way the book had its detractors before people read it) because they feel what Gilbert did was selfish. Whether you agree with her or not doesn’t really matter because director and co-writer Ryan Murphy (creator of Glee and Nip/Tuck) has made a good movie that deserves a fair trial. I went in expecting a “chick flick” and ended up seeing a very human film.
Also, a lot of people, especially people that are happy and comfortable with traditional life and family will not understand a woman leaving a perfectly nice man that is in love with her to go on a journey and find herself. Many people will say that Liz is selfish and it's all about her. Yes. This movie (and the book) is all about her. It is a real story about a woman searching for something missing in her life. It was refreshing that someone could be honest about being unhappy and wanting a different life. Taking the difficult path, an unknown journey and risking everything is to be admired even if it’s not for some noble purpose.
Clark
Eat Pray Love is a movie aimed at and marketed towards women. So when I connected with it -- and enjoyed it -- it was somewhat of a surprise but then again, I often like chick flicks. It wasn’t so much the story either, which we’ve seen multiple times before (usually with a man in the lead), as it was the cast that made it work. Julia Roberts does a fine job and it was refreshing that she was such a good match for this part.
Based on the bestselling Oprah-approved memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, the story follows Gilbert (portrayed by Roberts) on her travels over the course of a year as she tries to reconnect with her true self after she splits from her marriage on an impulse one day, leaving her husband (Billy Crudup) in a state of shock and with a broken heart. Along the way she finds comfort with food and new friends in Italy, enlightenment at a temple in India, and searches for love and trust again in Bali.
As already mentioned, it’s the cast that really makes Eat Pray Love connect so well. Besides Roberts’ performance, the two parts that stand out most are Javier Bardem as her love interest, and Richard Jenkins as the man she meets in India, known only as “Richard from Texas”. Bardem delivers a very raw, human character and makes an impression that he is the real deal while Jenkins nearly ripped my heart out with a powerful and sincere scene.
Many people are going to be repelled by Eat Pray Love before they even see it (the same way the book had its detractors before people read it) because they feel what Gilbert did was selfish. Whether you agree with her or not doesn’t really matter because director and co-writer Ryan Murphy (creator of Glee and Nip/Tuck) has made a good movie that deserves a fair trial. I went in expecting a “chick flick” and ended up seeing a very human film.
Also, a lot of people, especially people that are happy and comfortable with traditional life and family will not understand a woman leaving a perfectly nice man that is in love with her to go on a journey and find herself. Many people will say that Liz is selfish and it's all about her. Yes. This movie (and the book) is all about her. It is a real story about a woman searching for something missing in her life. It was refreshing that someone could be honest about being unhappy and wanting a different life. Taking the difficult path, an unknown journey and risking everything is to be admired even if it’s not for some noble purpose.
Clark
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