Prisoners

Prisoners, the latest film from director Denis Villeneuve is a tour de force. This film is not for the weak, for it is a film that exposes mans inhumanity to man on almost every level. Just when you think things can't get any worse, Prisoners goes so dark that it can render you motionless. I was tired when I walked out of the theater, shaken by what I had just seen, but smiling because of what I had just seen. Prisoners is an amazing film and because of that, I give it four buckets of Killer Korn.











I have been asked time and time again why I don't have children. I always smiled and gave them some off the cuff answer because I knew they would look at me completely differently were I to tell them the truth. Prisoners reveals my truth. Hugh Jackman plays Keller Dover and that is a character I related to completely. He is a man that loses his mind and goes completely off the common sense scale when his daughter Anna, played by Erin Gerasimovich gets kidnapped on Thanksgiving. Her best friend Joy, played by Kyla Drew Simmons gets taken along with her and the two families are interwoven with what seems like paralyzing grief. All but Keller.

Viola Davis plays Nancy Birch and Terrance Howard plays her husband Franklin, parents of Joy. Maria Bello plays Grace, wife of Keller and mother to Anna. The three of them are content to search the countryside high and low for the little girls, but Keller knows the man the police have in custody, Alex Jones played by Paul Dano is guilty and decides to take matters into his own hands, to force a confession out of him. What Keller does to Alex is gruesome, violent, and at times unmerciful and while it made me uncomfortable to watch, I would have done the same thing, if not worse. Melissa Leo is Holly Jones, Alex' mother and she is absolutely amazing. Jake Gyllenhaal gives his most nuanced performance of his career as Detective Loki, an obsessed cop that has a perfect record of solving any case he's put on. He is a bulldog and won't let this case go no matter how many times he's told to.

The cast is perfect, the performances are gut wrenching and brilliant, and the story written by Aaron Guzikowski is absolutely frightening. Prisoners is not for the faint of heart, it is the feel bad movie of the year and I am so glad I saw it. It's a dark, moody, powerful film that is well crafted and well directed. Denis, the cast, Arron, and the crew should definitely get some love from the Academy because Prisoners deserves it. Shot by cinematographer Roger Deakins, Prisoners makes a prisoner of the viewer. It puts you in the holes, the cages, the traps, and the minds of the people who are trapped by their grief. Scored by the magnificent Johan Johannsson the music just adds to the angst and drama of the images and performances. After seeing this film I couldn't think of anyone who could have scored this film better. If you're not in the market for something heavy, dark, and violent then skip this movie because that is exactly what Prisoners is. If however, you are looking for an Oscar contender to see and you don't mind the subject matter then I HIGHLY recommend Prisoners because it will blow you away, especially the ending. And I'll see you at the theater.  

Rush

Rush, the latest film by award winning director Ron Howard is quite simply, a masterpiece. It is a gripping tale of two men who push each other to their limits as hard and as fast as possible. It's based on a true story of two Formula One racers who developed such a rivalry that it blossomed into a fantastic friendship. For the first time in a long time I actually want to see a Ron Howard film a second time and for that I give Rush four buckets of Killer Korn.











In sports, the three biggest rivalries in my opinion have been Celtics vs. Lakers, Ali vs. Frazier, and Cowboys vs. 49ers. In the realm of Formula One racing the three biggest rivalries have been Senna vs. Prost, Hamilton vs. Alonzo, and Lauda vs. Hunt. Now some may disagree with me on any one of those rivalries I listed and that's fine, it's all subjective. For me though, those six were the ultimate in competition between man and teams. The last rivalry I mentioned is the backbone of the movie Rush by director Ron Howard. Now I am not a big Ron Howard fan, I never really have been because while his movies are enjoyable the first time you see them, they tend to be boring the second go round. His movie of the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt may bring that to an abrupt end. Starring Chris Hemsworth as the charismatic James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl as the driven and exacting Niki Lauda, Ron takes us literally into the hearts, minds, and helmets of the two men during the amazing 1976 Formula One racing season.

Chronicling that 1976 season where Niki Lauda almost lost his life in a horrific crash, screenwriter Peter Morgan captured the essence of the two men perfectly. James was the lothario, insecure bad boy, play boy type who loved a good time and Niki was the exact opposite. He was precise, exacting, a perfectionist who often rubbed people the wrong way with his abrupt and blunt nature. The one thing they had in common was racing and they pushed each other to be better. They were each others perfect nemesis. The racing scenes were phenomenal, taken right out of history and put up on the screen. The cars were amazing, and Ron even put us in the engine at times. I can't imagine how much of the reported $38 million dollar budget was spent on the cars alone, but they were worth every penny.

Rush is a display of master film making and if Ron Howard isn't careful, he may just make me into a fan of his. The performances by Olivia Wilde who plays Suzy Miller, one time wife of Hunt's and Alexandra Maria Lara who plays Niki's wife Marlene Lauda cannot be overlooked. They added some mush needed levity, charm, and beauty to the high octane, high testosterone world or auto racing. The production design by Mark Digby deserves incredible praise for doing an amazing job of recreating 1976. Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle should walk away with a few awards for his work. The look and feel is beautiful, he puts you in the middle of the action making you feel like you're doing the driving. Scored masterfully by Hans Zimmer, the music is mesmerizing. It heightens the drama and the tension, takes it to another level. I loved his Man of Steel score and I rank that as my favorite score of 2013, Rush is a close second, a job done to perfection. If you don't like auto racing you can still enjoy this movie because the racing is really secondary. The main plot of Rush is the battle of wills between two men who initially hate each other only to come to respect each other and love each other as brothers. If you do like auto racing, then you're in for a treat because Rush does not disappoint in that regard, trust me and I'll see you at the theater (for this movie again).

Enough Said

Enough Said, the latest film from writer/director Nicole Holofcener is a charming and delightful movie about what it's like being a middle aged, divorced parent who is trying to date again. While that may not sound like a ideal movie scenario, the writing and the performances make this little independent movie something worth seeing. That's why I give Enough Said three buckets of Killer Korn.












I am no fan of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, never have been and more than likely I never will be. Since Seinfeld she has made a living continually playing Elaine. While some may not see anything wrong with that, and may actually look forward to seeing whatever she's in because of that, I avoid whatever she's in like the plague because of that. I would have avoided Enough Said as well, a movie starring Julia,  and directed by a TV director with only four movies under her belt, and this one being written by her as well. It sounded like a recipe for disaster in my honest opinion. The only thing that made me want to see Enough was the fact that it's the penultimate film of James Gandolfini. I'm glad I saw it. Though there is one scene where he says he knows he needs to lose weight that broke my heart because that's the very thing that may have directly contributed to his death.


Julia plays Eva, a middle aged divorcee masseuse with a child that's about to head off to college. At a party she meets poet Marianne, played by Catherine Keener and eventually becomes her masseuse. At that same party she meets Albert, played by James Gandolfini and while there was no initial attraction, the two get together and begin to fall for each other. Eva discusses her ex husband with both Marianne and Albert, and they tell her all the horror stories of their past marriage. What she's not initially aware of is that Marianne's ex husband is Albert. At the start of the budding relationship between Eva and Albert, the connection is sweet, charming, and funny. He easily makes Eva laugh. Though while talking to Marianne, she explains to Eva how her ex was not funny and is basically a loser. Once Eva puts the picture together, she begins to subtly push Albert away, finding fault in everything he does.

Outside of the romance, Eva goes through losing her daughter Ellen, played my Tracy Fairaway who is going off to college while becoming a surrogate mother to Ellen's friend Fran who was played by Kathleen Rose Perkins. That prompts an angry reaction from Fran's mother that was somewhat out of place considering the vibe and feel of the movie. The look of the film was clean and bright, shot by cinematographer Xavier Perez Grobet almost makes this movie looks like something that belongs on TV. Scored sparsely by one of my favorite movie composers Marcelo Zarvos, the music is nice and light when called for and heartbreaking when there is heartbreak to be had. His talent never ceases to amaze me. I would recommend Enough Said if you're a James Gandolfini fan, you'll appreciate the way he brings Albert alive. If you're not a Gandolfini fan, you'll still enjoy the film, even if Julia Luis-Dreyfus is being Elaine in it. Check out Enough Said and I'll see you at the theater.

The Family

The Family, the latest film by acclaimed director Luc Besson is a wildly entertaining film about witness relocation. Not necessarily a subject known for it's humor, Luc takes a pretty good stab at it and with the thanks of a cast full of Oscar award winners and nominees. The Family comes together like no other mob film before, and for that I give The Family four buckets of Killer Korn.












Luc Besson is best known for his work on films like The Professional, La Femme Nikita, and The Fifth Element, though my favorite film by him was a little known film entitled Angel-A. With Angel-A I saw that Luc Besson had the talent not just to thrill, but to charm and with The Family, Luc does both. Starring Robert De Niro as Fred Blake aka Giovanni Manzoni, Michelle Pfeiffer as his wife Maggie Blake, Dianna Agron as Belle Blake, and John D'Leo as Warren Blake, they are a family on the run from the mafia boss he put behind bars by testifying against him. Tommy Lee Jones is hilarious as Robert Stansfield, the man tasked with keep the family alive.

Now with De Niro, Pfeiffer, and Jones you would think they would make this film something special, and normally you'd be right. This time around though, you'd be dead wrong. Don't get me wrong, those three heavyweights are good, but the real stars of this film are the kids. Dianna Agron and John D'Leo steal this film from the big three every time they are on the screen. You have a pretty good idea what you're going to get when the big three are on the screen, but you have no idea what's coming when Belle and Warren are front and center and that's what makes The Family so damn enjoyable. The best thing about this movie also is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's almost like a spoof of the mob films made by Coppola and Scorcese, who is also the executive producer on the film by the way.

There are a lot of faces you will recognize in The Family, mainly because they play the stereotypes so well and have been in countless mob movies over the years. The best one of the lot is the un-remorseful hit man Rocco played by Jon Freda. He's hilarious as he is deadly and his introduction scene is shot masterfully by Luc Besson's longtime cinematographer Thierry Arbogast. The Family has a familiar feel to it if you are a fan of Besson's work, it's a style that has been missing over the years. Scored playfully by Evgueni and Sacha Galperine, the music set the perfect tone for the films moods. Mischievous, somber, playful, or deadly the music is always right on. I highly recommend The Family if you're looking for something to make you laugh and I'll see you at the theater.




Killerkorn121@gmail.com

DVD Recommendation...Punch Drunk Love

I am NO fan of Adam Sandler. There, I said it, and you know what, I never have been and I really doubt I ever will be. I don't find him funny, and in fact I find him utterly lacking in talent in every respect. I have my own reasons as to why he is where he is in the world of entertainment, but I'll keep those to myself. I don't think there is any need to look at his last couple of movies, all of them being complete wastes of time, but had someone else had that list of movies on their resume, they'd never get work again.

The only thing I ever liked Adam Sandler in was the amazing 2002 film Punch Drunk Love. If you're in the mood for something quirky, offbeat, funny, and fun then Punch Drunk Love should be the movie you cue up. Directed by the talented Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Emily Watson as Lena Leonard, PDL was unlike anything I had seen before and since. It was a romantic comedy with a serious edge, and if you know the films of Paul Thomas Anderson then you have some idea what I'm talking about.

PDL will make you laugh and think, and it's one of the only films that after watching a friends copy of it, I went right out and bought a copy of my own the next day. You will thank me after you see Punch Drunk Love, and if you like Adam Sandler then you will love this movie. If you're like me and you don't like him, you will at the very least like him in this movie. So pop some killer korn and I'll see you on the couch!




killerkorn121@gmail.com

Adore

Adore, the latest film from accomplished director Anne Fontaine is quite simply, a masterpiece. It's an astounding film on absolutely every level and it is one definitely worth seeing. So far I count this movie as one of the best of the year, and because of that I give Adore 5 buckets of Killer Korn (with extra butter).














Adore possesses the three key ingredients that all great films must have. Those are great story, great directing, and great acting. This movie has all three of those traits in abundance. When I first saw the trailer for this movie I couldn't wait to see it. It seemed to have such a taboo storyline that I was chomping at the bit for it to be released, and I told anyone I could about the movie. Starring Naomi Watts as Lil and Robin Wright as her best friend Roz, we first meet them as two little golden haired girls racing for the beach. Fast forward some twenty years and we catch up to them at the funeral of Lil's husband. They are neighbors in some remote part of Australia and they each have a son. Lil's son is Ian who is played by Xavier Samuel, and Roz' son is Tom who is played by James Frecheville.

Adapted from a short story by Doris Lessing entitled The Grandmothers, the two best friends fall deeply in love with the others son, and while that alone may be shocking, that's not the most surprising thing about this film, that comes at the end. The chemistry between the four main actors is phenomenal and at times director Anne Fontaine films this movie in such a way that you feel like you're eavesdropping and spying on these people and their lives. You follow these four people in love and you watch them sacrifice so much for each other, you watch them destroy lives and break hearts for each other throughout this film that it's almost unbearable at times. It is such a well crafted and well rendered film that I wished it didn't end. I personally wouldn't have minded another half hour added to the running time of an hour and forty minutes.

As well as Adore is written, directed, and acted, this movie is shot exquisitely. Cinematographer Christophe Beaucarne is a very talented man, though the location deserves some credit. Shot in beautiful Seal Rocks and Shelly Beach, New South Wales, and Sydney Australia, Adore is, in my opinion, the prettiest looking film of the year. Scored beautifully by Christopher Gordon and Antony Partos, the music added beauty, vulnerability, insecurity, and a passion to a film that almost didn't need music. From the lighting to the camera work to the color schemes to how the movie ends, Adore is exceptional. If you are looking for something worth seeing, something other than Riddick, then I highly recommend Adore. You will not be sorry, and I will see you at the theater. 




KillerKorn121@gmail.com

Farewell Jack?

There is a report going around that one of the most recognizable faces of all time is retiring from acting. The amazing Jack Nicholson is reported to have chosen to walk away due to struggling with his memory. Now while I understand the reasons given for his retiring, I hope the report is false. There aren't a lot of actors or actresses I like. I don't go see a movie based on who is in front of the camera, I never have actually. I have always been drawn to a film by who's behind the camera, except when it came to Jack.

I first became aware of Jack thanks to Terms of Endearment for which he won a best supporting actor Oscar award. I became a fan of his the moment that film ended and I walked out of the theater (yes I saw that in the theater). I then went on to see pretty much everything Jack was in. I went back and saw One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and I even went back to when he played Wilbur Force in The Little Shop of Horrors. 

Jack won his first Oscar for Cuckoo's Nest and everyone thought he was snubbed when he didn't even get a nomination in his most memorable role as the demented father in The Shinning. His second Oscar win was for Terms and his third was for the romantic comedy As Good As It Gets. He is tied with Daniel Day-Lewis and Walter Brennan for the most Oscar wins, and he and Michael Caine are the only two actors to be nominated for an Oscar in every decade from the 1960's to the 2000's.

Jack was a force no matter where he was or what he was doing. Whether it was in front of the cameras in films like Batman as the Joker, Easy Rider, Chinatown, Wolf, A Few Good Men, the hilarious About Schmidt, The Pledge, Tommy, Mars Attacks, The Passenger, Hoffa, The Departed, The Witches of Eastwick, or cheering on his Lakers from the floor of the Forum, when Jack was around all eyes were on him.

It would be nice to see him in front of the camera just one more time. Greedy maybe, since he's got such a massive volume of work already under his belt, but I'm a fan and that's what fans root for, we root for more. If this is the end though, if this report is true and Jack is hanging up his star for good, he's earned the right to do so. So here's to you Jack, and thanks.