Oblivion

Oblivion, the latest film from visionary director Joseph Kosinski is the first film that is as wild a roller coaster ride as one could imagine with practically no cast. How Joseph is able to make and keep this movie interesting is a testament to his story telling skills and his imaginative eye. It's because of that alone, I give Oblivion three and a half buckets of Killer Korn.





Oblivion is that kind of film that once you start speaking about the plot, you instantly give too much away. That can make it hard to review the movie, which is probably why I disagree with the critics that have reviewed this film already. They claim this movie fails to deliver the goods, which makes me wonder just what movie they were seeing. Oblivion delivers the goods in every way as well in ways you would never even consider. This compelling story telling at it's finest and for all those Tom Cruise haters, if you decide to skip this film because of him, you're doing yourself a disservice. Tom plays Jack Harper and yes, Tom is in pretty much every frame of this film, but he's damn good in those frames.

Starring alongside Tom is the amazing Morgan Freeman who plays Beech, the leader of the resistance, Olga Kurylenko who plays Julia, Andrea Riseborough (who is on one pretty impressive streaks as far as movies she's been in. Welcome to the Punch, Disconnect, and now Oblivion) who plays Victoria, Oscar award winner Melissa Leo who plays Sally, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (famous for his portrayal of Jamie Lannister the King Slayer in Game of Thrones) who plays Sykes, Beech's second in command. That's it, that's pretty much the entirety of the cast with speaking parts and needless to say the performances were all impressive.

Tom's Jack Harper Tech 49, is a drone repairman. The drones are there to protect the Hydro-Rigs that are there to turn ocean water into energy that is then transferred to Titan, where mankind relocated after the earth was invaded. According to Jack, we won the war but when the alien invaders destroyed the moon, setting of cataclysmic events on earth like earthquakes, tsunamis, land slides and the like. Then the invasion began and mankind repelled the invaders but our world was destroyed so we evacuated. Jack and Victoria are scheduled to leave and head to Titan in two weeks and Jack doesn't want to leave. He doesn't think it's fair that man has to leave earth behind after winning the war. After seeing a ship plummet to the surface, everything Jack has ever known changes forever.

Oblivion is visually stunning and a joy to look at. It's a film of fine lines and great costumes. Director Joseph Kosinski was the man at the helm of the 2010 Tron Legacy and this movie takes many of the cues from the look of that film. When you look at this film is almost hard to believe that this is just Kosinski's second film. Claudio Miranda, the cinematographer who worked on Kosinki's first, Tron framed every scene masterfully and his scenes are greatly enhanced by the score. Crafted by Anthony Gonzalez and Joseph Trapanese aka M83, the music to Oblivion is simply beautiful. I was hooked on this score two weeks before the film hit the theaters and much in the way a score by John Williams can tell a story the same thing applies here.

I highly recommend seeing this movie because it is definitely worth the price of admission. You will not be sorry, even if you are a Tom Cruise hater and I'll see you at the theater.

Disconnect

Disconnect, the first feature length film from director Henry Alex Rubin is for those of you out there that get excited by ensemble casts instead of a film being carried by one star. Harkening back to the days of Crash, Disconnect is a film full of desperate people living disparate lives who in some unknown, six degrees of separation way touches each others. It's a tapestry that lacked a little bit of focus but because the performances were so good, I give Disconnect three buckets of Killer Korn.



Disconnect is either very late to the party, OR it's extremely timely depending on your point of view. Ensemble movies were all the rage back when Crash won the Oscar for best movie much to the chagrin of Hollywood. Other copycats popped up trying to tug on those familiar heartstrings but as with everything in this world, the ensemble movies came and went, rarely to be seen again...until now. Disconnect unearths the same game plan that made Crash such a hit. One emotional story where everything else spins off from it, like spokes in a wheel. The major emotional hub of this film is school bullying, which is why I called the movie timely. The bullying, while not of the physical variety, which would be easier to get over I think, takes place via the internet in Disconnect and it drives the bullied to attempt the unthinkable.

Jason Dixon, played by Colin Ford and his best friend Frye, played by Aviad Bernstein decide to create a fake Facebook account and go after talented loner Ben, played by Jonah Bobo. Jason's dad, ex cop Mike Dixon who is played by Frank Grillo was part of the electronic monitoring division of the police but quit once his wife died, so he could better raise his son. Mike is hunting down an internet identity thief for the morose married couple of Cindy and Derek Hull, played by Paula Patton and Alexander Skarsgard respectively. Ben has no friends, even his sister Abby, played by Haley Ramm wants nothing to do with him at home or at school. Ben's father Rich Boyd, played by Jason Bateman is a distracted lawyer who can't seem to be bothered getting to know Ben and has a better rapport with his daughter Abby. Ben's mother Lydia, played by Hope Davis is the overbearing, helicopter mom that tries her best to keep the family together, and failing miserably at it.

The one story that's really got nothing to do with all the others is the reporter Nina Dunham, played by Andrea Riseborough pursuing a story about internet sex workers. Her source is Kyle, played by Max Thieriot. This particular story line has nothing to do with any of the other lives in the movie but it's still an emotional one that shows the naivete of a street hustler seduced by the good life he sees Nina living, and Nina's no holds barred ambition that almost gets her killed. Once Jason and Frye coax Ben to send an embarrassing picture of himself that makes the rounds around his school, Ben sees no other alternative to attempt the unthinkable that lands him in a coma. Every storyline comes to a dramatic close and even the fractured Boyd family as a tender moment in Ben's hospital room, and the final image on the screen is a touching moment between sister and brother.

Disconnect could have mined more emotional gold, and maybe with a more seasoned director at the helm that would have been the case. It left too much out there I feel, it didn't go for the jugular but maybe that would have been too much. It was scored beautifully by Max Richter, lovely melodies and light musical keys enhanced the film and didn't distract or take away from the movie. It was a well done job. Disconnect was also nice to look at. Cinematographer Ken Seng did a good job at capturing making this somewhat dark in storyline movie pleasant to look at. If you are a fan of the ensemble type movies, you missed them, or you're a fan of Crash (which I feel is a far superior movie), then you'll enjoy this film. So give it a chance, check it out and I'll see you at the theater. 

42

42, the latest film from director Brian Helgeland is in a word, marvelous. This movie is a crowd pleaser from beginning to end. While it steered clear of anything too deep, it did touch on the dangers Jackie Robinson faced by being the first Black man to play major league baseball. The performances were impressive as was the look of the film. Because of that, 42 gets four buckets of Killer Korn.



I know the telling of Jackie Robinson's life has been a dream project for Spike Lee and had he been able to get financing I wonder what he could have done with it. Would Spike have done a better job of bringing Jackie's life to the screen better than director Brian Helgeland? That's hard to say and while I do hope Spike gets to make his film on Jackie Robinson, the bar for ANY Jackie Robinson film has been raised with 42. This film is marvelous in every facet. It's got humor, fire, passion, and great performances. 42 is carried on the very capable shoulders of Chadwick Boseman who plays Jackie Robinson. For a man whose previous work was predominantly in the TV realm, this movie may very well be his break out. Starring alongside him is Harrison Ford playing Branch Rickey, a role he was born to play. Nicole Beharie plays the supportive and loving Rachel Robinson, Christopher Meloni plays Leo Durocher, Lucas Black plays the mind changing Pee Wee Reese, and Andre Holland plays the sage sports reporter Wendell Smith.


We are immediately given a view of Jackie's take no crap attitude when his baseball team's bus pulls into a gas station. The gas attendant begins to pump gas into the bus but won't allow Jackie to use the bathroom. The team knows what's coming and they stand there holding their breath as Jackie tell the attendant to take the hose out of the gas tank, that they will buy their ninety-nine gallons of gas from someone else. Weighing the pressure of the dollar, the attendant relents and allows Jackie to use the restroom. That's just a taste of the man that would be picked by the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey. The moments between Jackie and Branch, if they happened in any way like what's portrayed on the screen must have been amazing. The moments on the screen between these men are tender and poignant. At first Branch states the reason for integrating baseball is because Black people like baseball too and their money is as green as white baseball fans, but when Jackie pushes him to answer why he specifically was the man to do it, Branch touchingly explains what inspired him. It's a great moment and I'll be surprised if Harrison doesn't get a nomination. When he tells Jackie that he is the medicine the country needs, it all makes sense.

The moment of 42 which was in fact the moment of Jackie's rookie year was when Pee Wee Reese put his arm around Jackie's shoulder when they played Cincinnati. Before that game, Pee Wee gets hate mail and brings it to Branch and explains he doesn't appreciate it and isn't sure of what he should do. Branch then pulls out all the hate mail Jackie has received, threats on his life, his wife's life, even their newborn son should Jackie stay in baseball. To see what inspired that moment was special for me, to see the light bulb go on over Pee Wee's head and how he realized his one little letter paled in comparison to the hundreds of letters Jackie has gotten was nothing. When the Dodgers took the field and Jackie came out of the dugout, the vileness the crowd displayed even affected the children in the crowd. It stayed that way until Pee Wee ran over to Jackie and draped his arm around him to show those in the stands and around the country that there was nothing wrong with admiring Jackie. That if you had a problem with Jackie based just on the color of his skin then the problem wasn't with him, it was with you.

The digital work was extremely well done which surprised me because it looked really bad in the trailer. On screen though the CGI work is stellar, as is the production design by Richard Hoover and costume design by Caroline Harris. The clothes were impeccable, the baseball uniforms looked authentic, and the cars were right out of the 1940's. The score by one of my favorites, Mark Isham is heroic in theme but sounds like it leaned too heavily on Randy Newman's work for The Natural. It's still well done, though it could have used more focus on melody and not so much fanfare. Now this film is not perfect and there is one glaring and gaping hole in this telling of Jackie's life in baseball but that in no way lessens how marvelous 42 is. I highly recommend it, baseball fan or not you will enjoy this movie so go see it and I'll see you at the theater.

The Place Beyond The Pines

The Place Beyond The Pines, the latest movie from Derek Cianfrance is a movie the likes of which you don't see coming. It's a subtle slight of hand film that catches you off guard and just when you regain your footing, it switches up on you again. It's a touching movie about fatherly love, sacrifice, and devotion and it's both well written and superbly acted. Because of that, I give The Place Beyond The Pines three and a half buckets of Killer Korn.



The Place Beyond The Pines is really three movies and they star some of the biggest names in Hollywood today, Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. In the first movie, Ryan Gosling plays Luke and Bradley plays Avery, Luke is a drifter, a carnival motorcyclist that moves from town to town with the carnival. He provides the crowds with thrills as he and two other men navigate their way around a metal cage in the shape of a ball without slamming into each other. Avery is a rookie police officer in Schenectady NY who's father is a State Supreme Court Justice. One day at the carnival a young lady by the name of Romina, played surprisingly well by Eva Mendes shows up. The previous year the two of them had a fling and then Luke left town and never called her again. He takes her home and gets a kiss on the cheek for his generosity. He comes back the next day to see her again and Romina's mother answers the door holding his son. Luke promptly changes his life and decides to stick around.

In order to provide for his son Luke decides to start robbing banks and after a few successful robberies wants to keep it going. His partner Robin, played by Ben Mendelsohn says he's out and then destroys Luke's getaway bike. Luke gets another bike which is nowhere as good as his old one and gets cornered in a house. That's when he and Avery meet and movie number two begins. Gunshots are exchanged and the lying and shady moves ensue. Avery, the clean rookie cop who wants nothing to do with the shadiness and corruption of the Schenectady police does the unthinkable for a cop and becomes the Asst. District Attorney. Flash forward fifteen years and movie number three begins.

Luke's son Jason, played by the brooding Dane DeHaan and Avery's son AJ, played by Emory Cohen meet. AJ moves in with his father years after his parents divorce and he's a kid out of control. Jason grows up a loner and the two kids click almost instantly but that's a short lived friendship when Jason finds out what really happened to his father and the man responsible is AJ's dad. It's here when you think you know what's coming, that you can see it clear as day is when the movie pulls the rug right from under your feet. It's a daring move because the payoff you think is coming could lose the audience when it doesn't happen, the one we do get though is nothing short of brilliant.

The Place Beyond the Pines isn't amazing, it isn't the best movie of the year, and it's not going to blow your mind. The Place Beyond The Pines is simply a very good and solid movie that explains how almost every little decision we make impacts not just us but so many others during the life we lead. Some of those affected people we know and so many are people we don't even know exist. It's scored beautifully by Mike Patton and shot inventively by cinematographer Sean Bobbitt and I highly recommend it. Now honestly, I had no desire to see this film but I'm glad I relented and saw it, you will be too, trust me and I'll see you at the theater.

The Company You Keep

The Company You Keep, the latest film by director/actor Robert Redford is a movie that has me scratching my head. It's not a bad film but it's certainly not a good one either. The reason it's a head scratcher is because it makes me wonder why this film was even made in the first place. Admittedly I was curious about the film but there was no real payoff and because of that, Company gets one bucket of Killer Korn.




The Company You Keep is tired, tired and practically dead on arrival. When I saw Argo last year I thought it was perfect except for Ben Affleck. He directed that film brilliantly but his acting was atrocious. The Company You Keep was another one of those kinds of films but far worse. The film is about the domestic terrorist group The Weather Underground aka The Weathermen and I would have loved to have been in the room when Robert Redford and his team came up with the idea to make this film. It's a film about old white people on the run from the FBI for thirty years, for killing a security guard at a bank heist. One of these fugitives decides to give herself up and that's when the movie supposedly kicks into gear. The key was turned, the engine revved, but the film never took off, it just spun its wheels.

Robert Redford plays Jim Grant/Nick Sloane, a single father to a child far too young to even be considered his biological daughter, yet the movie never states if she is his stepdaughter. Jim is a lawyer in Albany and is living his very comfortable life when news of Sharon Solarz, played by Susan Sarandon gives herself up. There is never any reason why she does this, she just does and Jim knows it's just a matter of time before the feds come kicking in his door. Before that though, Jim is contacted by Billy Cusimano, played by Stephen Root. Billy wants Jim to be Sharon's lawyer but he declines and recommends another lawyer, around that same time a reporter from the failing Albany Sun Times, Ben Shepard played doggedly by Shia LeBeouf who begins to unravel everything. Ben contacts Jim which sends Jim running.

Jim begins his track meet across the country with Special Agent Cornelius, played by the multi- talented Terence Howard. Jim goes from former member to former passing secret notes and having discussions of jealousy. He sees ex member Donal Fitzgerald played by Nick Nolte, Jed Lewis played by Richard Jenkins in order ti get to the one member that can set things straight with the authorities regarding him and the night in question. That person is an old lover and member of the group Mimi Lurie, played by Julie Christie. What I don't get is why does the character Ben Shepard even exist? His character is almost a throw away character and yet, he's the center piece of all the madness. He pieces all this together but really the movie would have been far better off without the character of Mister Shepard.

This movie looks like Robert wanted to give his old friends one more paycheck and one more time on the big screen, that's the only reason I can see why this movie was made. It was a movie made about characters you don't care for, about a group long forgotten, during a time of civil unrest here at home about the Vietnam War. The movie is flaccid and there's no other way to put it. Everyone looks like paranoid grandparents that ran away from the home instead of running from the law. Even the music by Cliff Martinez is stale and I really like Cliff's music. I think very highly of his talent, but it seems he was uninspired this time around and I can completely understand that, this movie was uninspiring and should be missed. That is unless you are a hardcore Robert Redford fan, even that won't make you like The Company You Keep however. Skip this film unless you need some help getting to sleep and I'll see you at the theater.

Trance

Trance, the latest film from the incredibly talented director Danny Boyle is in my opinion, as of right now the best film of the year. It is a FANTASTIC film in every way, and there are quite a few ways this film travels but you won't be sorry. From beginning to end, this movie keeps your attention and the climax is almost as ingenious as Danny's Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire and because of that, Trance gets four buckets of Killer Korn.



Trance is a movie that stars two favorite actors of mine. You already know I admire the acting abilities of James McAvoy and this time he stars opposite the ferocious Vincent Cassel, another man that can play virtually any role (much like Mark Strong). The surprise of the movie though is Rosario Dawson. I have never been a fan of hers so going in I was just hoping she wouldn't ruin the movie. Not only did she not ruin it, she held her own on the screen in amazing fashion. Her portrayal of Elizabeth Lamb didn't make me fan but it didn't make me dislike her  afterwards and that's something, right? With a screenplay written by Joe Ahearne and John Hodge, Danny Boyle delivers what has to be the best mind fuck film in the last ten years.

James McAvoy plays Simon, a degenerate gambler who works for an auction house in London. He gets himself into debt with a lot of the wrong type of people thanks to his gambling addiction. The guy he buys drugs from introduces Simon to Vincent Cassel's Franck, the ring leader of some very dangerous men. Simon gets Franck to pay off his debts for a very valuable painting. The two men agree to steal the painting and the plan gets put into action. The operation goes smoothly up until Franck gets tasered by Simon which had no real effect. Franck in turn smashes Simon in the head with the butt of his shotgun and leaves with the painting. Simon ends up in the hospital with amnesia and Franck ends up with an empty frame. Franck and his band of merry men torture Simon but to no avail, Simon truly can't remember what he did with the painting. Franck has an idea and has Simon pick a hypnotherapist of an ipad and that's when all hell breaks loose.

Franck feels that Simon will reveal what he did with the painting if he can be hypnotized. Elizabeth Lamb, on the very first visit gets into Simon's head and helps him find his missing car keys. The next visit goes completely off the wheels as far as Franck is concerned. Elizabeth has done her homework on her client and wants to partner with Franck and get a cut of the painting's profits once it's found and sold. Basically she holds Franck hostage because without her, they'll never get the location of the painting out of Simon's head so he reluctantly agrees to cut her in. Then hell breaks further loose as it becomes now a game of cat/cat/mouse and the second you the viewer think you know who the mouse is, is when it becomes the cat. The great thing about this story is that no one is the victim here, no one is innocent but you don't really know who to pull for.

Danny Boyle's Trance will not bore you, it will have you on the edge of your seat at every twist and turn. If you are looking for a movie you can sink your teeth into then this is IT! This movie is meaty, fun, and accessible and that's a hard combination to achieve, but Danny does a masterful job of pulling it off. It's also a very pretty movie to look at. Granted the screen is always full of the beautiful people but the sets are perfect. Franck's condo is amazing with it's pool right off his bedroom, Simon's condo has an amazing view of London but Elizabeth's apartment is the jewel with it's orange glass walls and truly futuristic look. The colors are vibrant, which is nothing new for a Boyle film. Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle has been working alongside Danny on most of his films, giving Danny and his movies a signature look and this one is no different. Same thing with the music, working with longtime collaborator Rick Smith, Trance also has a signature sound and it all works to perfection.

I highly recommend Trance if you are looking for something that will mess with your mind only to culminate with an ending that will most undoubtedly please you. Get on line, buy your ticket, get some popcorn, see this movie, and I'll see you at the theater.

Welcome to the Punch

Welcome to the Punch, the second film from director and writer Eran Creevy is a taut and intelligent crime drama that entertains from start to finish. It's beautiful to look at, the acting is superb, and the story telling was well crafted. Because of all that, I give Punch four buckets of Killer Korn.




When I saw the trailer for this movie, I was instantly intrigued. Mainly because it starred two men of whom I am a huge fan of, Mark Strong who plays master criminal Jacob Sternwood and James McAvoy who plays rogue cop Max Lewinsky. They weren't the only reason though, when I saw this movies executive producer was Ridley Scott, there was no way I was missing this film because of course I am just as big a fan of Ridley's as I am of Mark and James. Welcome to the Punch is a glossy, gritty crime drama much in the way Michael Mann's Heat was which starred Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. In fact, you could almost imagine Punch being a kind of sequel, the kind of sequel had De Niro's character lived of course. It has the makings of that kind of film right from the beginning.

Jacob and his team are robbing a bank, in fact they are walking out of it with bags of what one would assume is money. Max is on a roof somewhere sitting on top of a reluctant informant who just revealed what was going down. Max calls it in and then high tails it to the bank. Jacob and team get on motorcycles and tear out while Max is ordered to stand down and wait for back up, an order he of course ignores. He gives chase on foot when his car runs out of room, finds a short cut through the labyrinth of tunnels, picks up a pipe and smacks one of the riders off his bike. A fight ensues which ends with Max getting shot by Jacob which sends Max down a road of hatred and bitterness. Jacob and his team escapes and Jacob is never seen in London again.

Flash forward three years and Jacob's son Ruan Sternwood, played by Elyes Gabel is shot and wounded, his partner murdered which makes the front page. Ruan is trying to leave town but the gunshot wound would have killed him in flight so he abandons the plane and collapses on the tarmac. The last person Ruan called was his father who then heads to London and his wounded son. Meanwhile, Max and his partner Sarah Hawkes, played smartly by Andrea Riseborough are looking into the murder of Ruan's partner while Jacob is reunited with old friend played by the extremely talented Peter Mullan. The two teams begin an investigation that leads them to one man, Dean Warns played by the equally talented Johnny Harris.

This is a great cast for someone's second film, but make no mistake, this film crackles. Everything about the film from the performances, the visuals, to the story (though it could have been tighter in some spots) makes this film cook. It was a pleasure to have this kind of film make me sit on the edge of my seat again. The crime drama has recently been treated like the stepchild of the movie industry, especially when it comes to England. Everyone there seems hell bent on trying to either become the next Guy Ritchie or at the very least out do him. Thankfully, there was no Guy Ritchie-ness to this movie. That's not a knock on Guy, I love his stuff but too much of a good thing, especially in the hands of those far less talented, is a bad thing.

The score, by Harry Escott is perfect, simply perfect for the look and feel of this movie. It's sparse, tight, and doesn't get in the way. It's just enough in the background that it's both easy and hard to ignore, the way a score is supposed to be. Welcome to the Punch is a wonderful film about reluctant relationships and how fragile life can be. I highly recommend it and I assure you, you will not be wasting either your time or your money. I'll see you at the theater!