Stoker

The tagline is Do not disturb the family, but my question is, how can you disturb something so......disturbing?  You know immediately that is going to be a disturbing movie the second it begins.  Of course, it is definitely known by simply viewing the uneasy yet hauntingly beautiful trailer.

Written by Wentworth Miller, one of the stars of the television series Prison Break, Stoker tells the story of India Stoker, a young, melancholy, plane Jane of a girl who has just lost her best friend in the world, her father, in an auto accident.  While at the funeral, India meets her father's brother Charlie Stoker, whom she didn't even know even existed.  On the same day, India finds out from her uncle Charlie that he is going to be staying with her and and her mother, Evelyn, for a while.  Uncle Charlie has psychopath written all over is forehead and I knew immediately the man was up to no good.  The question that is needing to be answered is what does this man want and what exactly are his intentions.   We as the viewer are taken into the world of an extremely disturbed, upper-class family in mourning who have more layers than a 300-year old California redwood.

The imagery, speed, and tone of the movie is subtle, yet, not so subtle if that makes any sense.  Actually, once you see it, you will know what I mean.  Wentworth Miller has crafted a story laced with dark, brooding mystery and even more mysterious characters. Just to let you know, this movie is dark, very dark and I loved it!

Mia Wasikowska strays far from her breakout role as Alice in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, yet not too far.  There is so much I want to say about her character but I certainly cannot do that without spoiling this complex family drama, which I do not believe in doing.  The role was made for her.  I don't know if she as even a consideration for the part in the beginning or if it were a simple audition that won the casting director over but her portrayal of India Stoker was dead on, so to speak.  At first she is the quiet, distressed girl who keeps to herself and does not like to be touched. She's the one who sits in the back, soaked in a quiet innocence, not wanting to be noticed, not making a sound.  Another role perfectly cast was that of India's mother, Evelyn, played by the versatile Nicole Kidman.  She is grieving for a short time until Charlie arrives to help her cope with the loss of her husband, then she is betrayed and gives one of the most chilling movie speeches ever (it's at the beginning of the trailer) in an equally haunting manner. The achievement of that expression on her face is surprising to me.  I've always been a fan, always knew she was talented but that was disturbing; she....doesn't......even.......blink.  I was not real familiar with Matthew Goode.  By looking at his IMDb page, I have seen some of his movies but they did not leave an impression.  That has now changed.  However, I think I said it all before when I stated that I knew immediately he was up to no good.  Goode portrayed the cold, calculating Charlie Stoker in a total cold and calculating manner, channeling a little of the great Anthony Hopkins in the process.

I was afraid I was going to be disappointed when I first saw the trailer, but that did not happen.  The flow of the movie was slow, but it had to be to peel back all those layers these characters have.  The tagline is do not disturb the family, but please disturb your dvd player for an hour and forty minutes and soak up the intensity of the Stoker family. Then, just be glad they are not your family, or are they?

Thank you and see you at the next blog.

Man of Steel

After seeing this movie, I went and had some drinks at my favorite watering hole with some friends and we had a very in depth discussion about movies: our favorite films, performances, and even our favorites by genre.  One of the genres we dove into was of course the popular action/adventure film and I asked everyone what they thought the quintessential action movie was.  Of course, the usual suspects were mentioned: Die Hard, Rambo, more recently the Transformer movies and most everything made by Jerry Bruckheimer.  Two of my favorites, when it comes to awesome action sequences, great writing and characters I want to watch over and over again are Face/Off and Bad Boys 2 (yes, I love the sequel more).  Face it, even the biggest movie snob loves a great car chase, explosions and buildings falling on each other. You know the ones, those people who claim to only watch existential independent movies full of intense, grungy people who don't bathe and are always having sex.

Last night when Man of Steel ended, my buddy and I looked at each other and literally took a breath. My first words were, "damn, I am tired now."  He says, "now that was sensory overload."  He could not have been more right.  Part sci-fi adventure, part dark drama, part disaster movie, Zack Snyder has delivered an epic, well-written, very well acted summer blockbuster.  The film has tons of emotion, depth, awesome characters and lets face it, a lot of stuff blows up.

I am the first to admit, I am by no means a comic book junkie.  I can only review these movies as a movie itself because I do not know much of the actual back story, as told in the comics of course.  When it comes to the Superman/Clark Kent saga, I have seen all the movies with the late Christopher Reeve and the Smallville television series, which I loved very much. This movie was advertised as being a much darker version and it definitely was. Henry Cavill (The Tudors, Stardust, Immortals) portrayed Clark Kent as a tortured, damaged man trying to find his way.  We've always seen that Clark Kent was a tortured guy, especially as the younger version in the series Smallville, as he was played by Tom Welling.  We saw him growing up into a man all the while trying to deal with the world almost literally on his shoulders and all he wanted to do was fit in.  As he grew and found out about how he came to Earth in a spaceship by his Earth father Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner in the film), Clark always knew he had a destiny.  In Man of Steel, the audience literally gets to see his life from the very beginning on Krypton and how emotional it was for his parents Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Lara (Ayelet Zurer) to let him go.  Cavill's performance is very convincing in showing the audience how hard the struggles are for him trying to be like everyone else.

Then, he meets Lois Lane, the iconic Daily Planet reporter played surprisingly well by 4-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams.  I only say surprisingly because her most famous roles have been in dramas, comedies, and the occasional dramedy.  When I read she had been cast, I thought it was a very surprising choice. She played the role like a violin.  She could be tough and no-nonsense and didn't take any crap from anyone and she had to deal with a lot of testosterone in this role.  Kevin Costner and Diane Lane were awesome choices as Jonathan and Martha Kent.  Diane Lane was another surprise in the casting but she nailed the role as Clark's mom.  She was more of a pivotal character, I think, because she had to carry much of her son's anguish and pain for him, like any good mother. Lets face it, this guy needed his mother many times.  Michael Shannon as the villain General Zod was hard core and intense and had to be the entire movie, which takes some chops on his part.

Man of Steel starts off with a bang and ends up being 2 hours and 23 minutes of a nuclear explosion.  Now, I don't know if the more darker tone does any justice to the story in the comic books but at the end of the day, I enjoyed the hell out of it.  It is an all out, bad ass summer action extravaganza from beginning to end, but also has just the right amount character development to show them as real life people.   A great cast was picked, many with imperfections and flaws, just like the rest of us.  Even though Clark Kent is the Man of Steel, this film shows us he has a heart too.

Thank you and see you at the next blog.

The Great Gatsby (2013)

4 STARS!!!!!!!!!!

There are some movies that are not simply movies we sit down and watch; some of them are so profound, so dazzling, so astounding that they can only be called a cinematic experience.  So, yes you guessed it, The Great Gatsby is that cinematic experience and I enjoyed the hell out of it.  I have been waiting to see this movie even since I first heard about it and especially of course, since I saw the first trailer.  I was so disappointed when the release date was moved from December of 2012 to summer of 2013.  It was the one movie I would have gone and seen at a midnight screening, which the people who know me, know I do not do.  Well, as you can tell, I did get to experience this movie, so here.....we......go.

One note:  I am not going to go into the synopsis.  Most of us read this in high school, college, etc.  If you haven't read it, DOOOO IT!  But if need be, here is my favorite trailer of the movie, the one I like to call, The Music Trailer.

First of all, kudos (and kudos again) to Baz Luhrmann, the visionary director behind Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet, and yes, even Australia, which many critics panned but I deeply enjoyed.  He has given us an awe-inspiring, eye-gasm of a movie.  I found it odd at first that it was in 3D but tonight, I definitely see it was necessary.  There is so much glitz and glamor that explodes from the screen, I almost needed an intermission to blink.

Next, there is the cast, the wonderful, tour-de-force of a cast. Tobey Maguire portrays Nick Carraway, the wide-eyed wannabe Wall Street tycoon who moves in next to Gatsby and becomes his friend.  I had my reservations about Maguire at first but he ended up delivering an intensity which hasn't been seen from him in some time, at least not since Brothers.  Another casting decision I was surprised to see was Isla Fisher, portraying the small but pivotal role of Myrtle Wilson.  We've mostly seen her in comedies (Wedding Crashers, Hot Rod) so, being a fan of hers, I was itching to see if she had the gusto.  As far as I am concerned, she extended her versatility to new heights.  She made you laugh and broke your heart at the same time.  Elizabeth Debicki, who is mostly a stage actress, plays Jordan Baker, a female golfer and friend to Daisy Buchanan.  The expressions on her face are almost haunting and as the viewer, I almost got lost in her big, bold eyes.  She was mesmerizing even when not speaking.  Now, I wasn't real familiar with Joel Edgerton, but with his award worthy turn as polo player and husband to Daisy, Tom Buchanan, I am definitely familiar with him now.  He made the famously arrogant character bolder and sometimes, almost filthy.  Then there is the porcelain, fresh faced Daisy Buchanan who is married to Tom but we find out is the love of Gatsby's life.  Carey Mulligan has already, at the age of 27, accrued quite the versatile acting resume and this role just added a juggernaut of a portrayal to it.  You can see that hidden pain in her face throughout most of the movie. She just broke my heart, I wanted to put her in my pocket.

And then, there is the magnetic, titanic force that is Leo!!  Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby was brilliant casting. There is no doubt in my mind that this guy is not finished with throwing pure and utter acting brilliance in our faces.  His turn as the iconic Great Gatsby was, no I really mean IS, the performance of the year!!! I know I am just a little early but this can be his first for your consideration, someone hand that man an Oscar! As the philosopher, Forrest Gump would say, "that is all I have to say about that."

The entire production is just simply stunning and explosive. You have to watch it in 3D for sure.  The music is awesome and I love how they incorporate modern music into the movie.  That just made it dazzle even more.  The party scenes make you want to jump up and do the Charleston.  If I saw this in IMAX, I think I would know what it felt like to be in 1920's New York City.  So, I don't think I can go on with any more praise.  If you are reading this before seeing it, get your butt up and go to the theater.  Just remember, there is no intermission, so don't forget to blink.

Thank you and see you at the next blog.

Entertainer Profile - Matthew McConaughey

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY

 

 Sometimes I think it is kind of a shame that Matthew McConaughey had the juggernaut year as he did in 2012.  Many times, when someone has that kind of year, it is hard for them to replicate it, which is exactly what I would like for him to do.  He had four major roles, which should have garnered him much award love, but did not, which is a big disappointment.  However, he demonstrated some serious versatility and if he is going to stay on this route, I cannot wait to see what he has in store for the future.

He was born in Uvalde, Texas (a town just a little over 5 hours west of where I am sitting right now) in 1969 but grew up in Longview, Texas, a town just east of Dallas.  His mom was a substitute teacher and dad was in the oil business.  While attending the University of Texas at Austin and studying to be a lawyer, Matthew suddenly decided he had another calling and changed his major to film.  After directing some short films, he was introduced to Richard Linklater (director of Dazed and Confused) and from there, a talented career began.

CST'S FAVORITE MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY ROLES
Dazed and Confused (1993) - He burst onto the scene in Richard Linklater's cult classic following a group of high school students enjoying their last day of school in 1976.  His character, David Wooderson, was the older guy of the bunch who had a deep affection for high school girls.  The character took being a loser to astronomical levels and McConaughey turned "David" into a cinematic icon.
Boys on the Side (1995)
Lonestar (1996)
A Time to Kill (1996) - This is still, to this day, my favorite John Grisham adaptation.  It was an emotional American drama that dealt with extremely sensitive and controversial issues and as far as I am concerned, one of the best casts ever assembled.  This was Matthew McConaughey's breakthrough performance and made him the new 'it' actor in Hollywood.
Contact (1997)
Amistad (1997)
U-571 (2000)
Frailty (2001) - A little known dark psychological thriller that I have always thoroughly enjoyed.
Reign of Fire (2002)
We Are Marshall (2006)
The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
Bernie (2012) - This movie was great and if you are from Texas, you will love it and appreciate this true story out of Carthage even more.  Jack Black received a very well-deserved Golden Globe nomination but Shirley MacLaine and especially McConaughey should have received some award love too.

 

Killer Joe (2012) - I was really looking forward to this movie when I first saw it.  I was really looking forward to it until I recently saw it that is.  The acting was good, it really had a great cast, but the movie as a whole failed to draw me in.  However, there was Matthew McConaughey's chilling portrayal of Killer Joe, police detective by day, hired assassin by night.  His character was just an all around bad seed. But, he made that seed grow and blossom into his most sinister villain since Frailty.

The Paperboy (2012) - This movie was also quite the stinker in the plot department but was packed full of great performances by Nicole Kidman, Macy Gray, John Cusack, and Matthew McConaughey.

Magic Mike (2012) - What is so phenomenal about this performance is before this movie came out, it was hailed as nothing more but a bunch of eye-candy for the ladies, and of course, it was.  McConaughey portrayed the sleazy, aging male strip club owner in an all out awesome performance and nearly got nominated for an Oscar for it, well at least there was a lot of buzz which I guess is the same thing.

There were several missteps between Reign of Fire and The Lincoln Lawyer (except for We Are Marshall of course).  To name a few:  Failure to Launch, Fool's Gold, Sahara, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and Two For the Money.  However, he bounced back brilliantly as far as I am concerned.  He bounced back so well in fact, he should have been nominated (Oscar, Golden Globe, what have you) for one or more of the last 4 movies in the above list.  He was quite the chameleon in these movies, reinventing himself every time.  I know I am not the only one who thinks so because he was applauded by critics.  From what I have read though, we can expect the same level of tour-de-force versatility in the near future and I say bring it on Matthew.  From one Texas boy to another, ya done good son.


Thank you and see you at the next blog.

Warm Bodies

3 1/2 STARS


 I have to admit, there were other movies I wanted to see tonight at my local cinema.  There were even a couple I needed to see for the sake of my "And the nominees are...." series.  However, I had a buddy of mine with me and we decided on the weekend's number one movie at the box office, Warm Bodies.  I have to say, what a pleasant and most interesting surprise.

Warm Bodies was written and directed by Jonathan Levine (50/50).  When the film begins, we meet R who is not only a young zombie, but he just so happens to be a zombie with a conscious who wants more out of his life (I know right).  He basically spends his days sloshing around an airport in a post-apocalyptic world where an epidemic infected most of the population....well, you know the rest of the story.  It's a plot that we are seeing a lot of these days.  However, there is a twist in this tale.  While a group of young humans leave their heavily guarded city, which is surrounded by a massive wall, to obtain medical supplies, they run into a group of the undead and of course a bloody battle ensues and at the same time, R set his sights on Julie and is immediately smitten with her.  He whisks her away to his airport home and an actual friendship begins to develop, but of course this is very forbidden.  Is this starting to sound familiar?  There is a definite Romeo and Juliet going on here.   Another twist to this, as you find out from watching the trailer, is as R and Julie get closer, he starts becoming more human starting with a beating heart.

Warm Bodies is original and funny with a much more interesting and watchable love story than any of these predictable romantic comedies we are bombarded with these days.  Now, just to let you know, this film is not bust-a-gut, laugh out loud funny but you will do plenty of chuckling.  The writing is smart and I thought it flowed at just the right pace in its 98 minutes and if there is a soundtrack, it will rock!  Some awesome throwback songs make appearances.  I was also impressed the young actors in their roles, especially the star-crossed lovers.  Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy, X-Men: First Class) portrays R and does very well in a role that could not have been easy.  You will know what I mean when you see it. Teresa Palmer (Julie) is quite the fresh face and plays her part in awesome form, bouncing from tough as nails to vulnerable with ease.  One of my favorites, John Malkovich was cast in the role of Colonel Grigio, who leads the band of unaffected humans, and played the unemotional jackass leader as only he can, brilliantly.  Rob Corddry was a surprise and a pleasant one I might add.  He brings much of the comic relief of course as R's friend M, as he does with many of his roles, but he also showed some much broader acting chops in this one and I was impressed.

So, I, of course, say go on over and see Warm Bodies.  I guarantee you will leave not feeling like a cold fish.

Thank you and see you at the next blog.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

**This is part of my 2013 Academy Award Best Picture nominee series.  Also nominated for Best Actress,  Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.**

3 STARS


"An almost apocalyptic tale set right in our back yard, and yes, in this century. Poignant, original, heartbreaking, and worst of all, it is all really happening."

Beasts of the Southern Wild seemingly came out of nowhere this awards season.  For a few months last year, I had heard about it on news shows and saw its title pop up in articles online.  It may have been some time in December of 2012 when I finally saw the trailer.  I was still under the impression this was some National Geographic documentary taking place somewhere in Africa and then when I found out this amazing story is set less than 5 hours east of where I am sitting right now in Southeast Texas, I was stunned.  I am still stunned at the utter brilliance of how this movie is laid out.

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a movie set in the southern most part of Louisiana in an area of the bayous called the Bathtub.  It focuses on a small group of people who still call the small island home.  I know now that it was the intention of the movie makers to make us, the audience, think we were going into a NatGeo documentary about a family on another continent, but it was so subtle and so sly that I have to give them a standing ovation.  The main human character would be Hushpuppy (played by, as of now, the youngest actress ever nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award, Quvenzhane Wallis) who also narrates the story of how she, her father, and a band of Bathtubians (my own choice word) are surviving extreme poverty and flooding of their low lying area.  Her father, known as Wink, is in failing health but refuses to leave the Bathtub and tries to encourage others to stay even when a major storm is about to hit their shanty town.

During all of this plight, more extreme than most of us can only imagine sitting in our warm (or cool) comfortable homes, Hushpuppy is learning, far too early, about courage and how far the human spirit, and human imagination, can take you in this life.  Quvenzhane Wallis is way ahead of her time in actual life also.    The nine-year old Houma, Louisiana native shines in this powerful role.  Much of the cast are, in fact, Louisiana residents.  Hushpuppy's father, Wink, is portrayed in a haunting performance by Dwight Henry, who owns a bakery in New Orleans's seventh ward. Now, the movie does get a little wabbly in the middle.  It seems to not know where it wants to go. However, it does quickly get back on track and ends up leaving you speechless.  The performances are powerful, the plot is uber original, yet frightening.  When you finally see Beasts of the Southern Wild, hopefully you will see Hushpuppy and her gang as less beast and more beauty.

Thank you and see you at the next blog.

Once Upon A Time (TV series)

 
Once upon a time, something brilliant came to television.
Once upon a time, something smart came to television.
Once upon a time, something energetic came to television.
Once upon a time, something........fantastical came to television.


This is so audacious for a network, but lets face it, networks have to put their balls to the wall these days to compete with all the original series on the cable networks, who can do, say, and be as naked as they want.  The actors and actresses on cable can take their characters anywhere they want, be as extreme, as daring, as....well......audacious as they want.

ABC seemed to have told themselves they needed to bring something to our living rooms that was completely different, and they did.   Now in its second season, Once Upon A Time is set in the fictional town of Storybrooke, Maine where it turns out all the residents are under the curse of an evil queen.  Actually, they are all the characters from the fairy tales we all grew up reading (and from the Disney movies we watched) who, because of the curse, were transported from their world to ours.  Half of each episode takes place in present day in the town of Storybrooke and the other half shows them all as their fairy tale character in their own world.  As far as I am concerned, it is an ingenious plot oozing with originality. 

Leading this amazing ensemble is Mary Margaret Blanchard (played beautifully and innocently by Ginnifer Goodwin, Walk the Line) who is also Snow White from the fairy tale world.  There is also Prince Charming/David Nolan, The Evil Queen/Mayor Regina Mills, Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold (in a, as far as I am concerned, constant award worthy performance by Robert Carlyle), Ruby/Little Red Riding Hood,and so on and so forth.  Another great aspect of the show is the constant introduction of more and more intriguing characters.  Season 2 has seen the introduction of Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, and Captain Hook (played by the dashing Colin O'Donoghue).  The special effects are also pretty impressive especially for network television.  Even though the characters come from stories we already know, the story lines are extremely fresh and original for these times of every subject known to man being portrayed on television now.  I absolutely love the originality, and everyone who reads my blogs knows I devour originality.

So, for all of you Netflixers who have been skipping over Season 1, stop and start watching now then go onto abc.com and get on board with Season 2.  Once upon a time, you will be happy you did.

Thank you and see you at the next blog.