Gimme Shelter

Gimme Shelter, the latest film from writer/director Ron Krauss is based on the true story of a troubled young lady and the struggles she endures to get out of the system and away from an abusive mother. The performances are riveting and some moments are truly gut wrenching, but the film came across as a made for TV more more that a full length feature film. Because of that I give Gimme Shelter two and a half buckets of Killer Korn.










I knew Rosario Dawson was a talented actress. While I never paid close attention to her career, whenever she showed up in something I was watching she never failed to impress me. I don't want to say that her performance in Gimme Shelter was the best thing she's ever done and will ever do, but she is going to have a hard time topping what she did here. While there may have been a moment or two of overacting, Dawson nailed this character. When she was on screen it was impossible to take your eyes off her, she dominated the scene and overshadowed anyone else who was unfortunate to be sharing screen time with her. Starring alongside Rosario who plays June Bailey was the talented Vanessa Hudgens playing her daughter Agnes "Apple" Bailey, Brendan Fraser as Apple's father Tom Fitzpatrick, Stephanie Szostak as his wife Joanna Fitzpatrick, James Earl Jones as Frank McCarthy, and Ann Dowd as Kathy.

Apple wants out. She wants out of the foster care system and out of her drug addicted and violent mothers apartment. She's been in more foster homes and shelters than she can remember and she's had it. She believes the only way to get out is to get to her biological father who resides in a bucolic New Jersey suburb. Getting away from her mother however was step number one. Vanessa Hudgens has the kind of cherub face that makes you fear for it and want to protect it so the scenes where she's doing whatever she can to get away from her mother made my gut clench. Vanessa finds her dad and that situation predictably falls apart faster than a house of cards in high winds. It's not until she's virtually kidnapped off the streets by a would be pimp do things start turning around for her. She meets Father McCarthy and he gets her to a shelter for would be mothers where she is finally able to break free of her own mother and meet people she can finally put her trust in. It's hard to see the transformation but she emerges a better person, a whole person with friends and a family she can call her own.

Gimme Shelter is based on a true story and that makes this film more compelling in my opinion even if the script is flat. If this was a work of fiction it would be hard to be believed. The fact that someone lived through this brings to mind all those young ladies who lived and are currently living through the same kinds of hell, if not worse. The movie I'm certain took some creative license with the actual true story and that may have given this film that made for TV feel which in a way I guess couldn't be helped. There were times where Gimme Shelter had the look and feel of a full length feature film and then there were times when it felt like if I could, I would turn the channel. Shot by cinematographer Alain Marcoen the look was inconsistent and that was bothersome. I would have liked less hand held camera work and not so many closeups. The score by Olafur Arnalds was utterly forgettable which was surprising because he is a very talented composer. The lacking music though may have contributed again to that made for TV feel. Unless you know someone who has gone though this sort of journey or you yourself have, I would skip Gimme Shelter unless you're a Rosario Dawson fan. If not then wait for it to appear on cable because then the ending won't be so bad. I'll see you at the theater.

Ride Along

Ride Along, the latest film from director Tim Story, the man behind the movie Think Like A Man is at times both uproariously funny and so utterly predictable it's embarrassing. There is nothing original about this film and if you've ever seen a buddy cop film before, ANY buddy cop film before, then you've seen this one. That's the biggest reason I'm only giving Ride Along one and a half buckets of Killer Korn.











When I walked out of Ride Along, I realized I could have died happy having never seen this movie. It wouldn't have haunted me in the slightest if I never saw it on the big screen, mainly because I had seen this movie already. Ride Along starring Oshea Jackson aka Ice Cube as Det. James Payton and Kevin Hart as Ben Barber is a rehash of every, and I do literally mean EVERY buddy cop movie that's ever come out of Hollywood. The two main films this movie takes, borrows, steals from is the classic Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte vehicle 48 Hours and the seminal and searing film Training Day starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. Now if I wanted to see either one of those films again I could have done it for free since I have them both in my movie collection. I didn't have to pay to see Oshea and Kevin badly re-enact scenes and dialogue from those two films.

I do admit however, and happily that there were some very funny moments in this film, The sad part is that all those funny scenes were all in the trailer. If you've seen the trailer then basically you've seen this films best moments. Oshea is a rogue cop in Atlanta after the unseen and notorious Omar played by Laurence Fishburne with his fellow two officers John Leguizamo who plays Santiago and Bryan Callen playing Miggs. Kevin plays Ben who is in love with James' sister Angela played by the stunning Tika Sumpter. He wants to marry her but must first get the blessing from James who feels Ben isn't man enough to marry his sister and keep her safe. In order to get James' blessing he must go on a ride along and prove himself. Add to that fact that Ben wants to join the police force so badly that he'll pretty much do anything to make that happen and James knows he can make Ben do almost anything he wants. The scenarios are at times both funny and yawn inducing and if you don't see what's coming from around the corner, then you just aren't paying attention.

Ride Along was written by (written by being used loosely) Greg Coolidge, Jason Mantzoukas, Phil Hay, and Matt Manfredi. I can't imagine how many times those four men have seen Training Day and 48 Hours but I'm sure, while penning this screenplay, those two films were in heavy rotation. The originality was sorely lacking and the dialogue was laughable at best. The people behind this film set out to make a mindless popcorn film and that's exactly what they delivered. It's set up for many more sequels so be on the lookout for a Lethal Weapon like franchise because it's coming. The cinematography by Larry Blandford and the score by Christopher Lennertz was nothing special. They fit the spirit of the film, one that could have been a two hour pilot for TV perfectly. I would wait for this film to hit the DVD shelves rather than spending any money on tickets for it since you probably have it already sitting at home in your movie collection. I''ll see you at the theater.  

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, the latest film from director Kenneth Branagh is somewhat of a disappointment. It seems that the "intelligence" movie genre has now crashed upon the shore of the horror movie genre. There's very little that's original anymore in either genre, and in this movie there's very little suspense or charm as well. Because of that I give Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit only two buckets of Killer Korn.











When you talk about a film completely lacking in charm or characters lacking in charisma, when you talk about a film that is seemingly devoid of any chemistry between the actors, you are talking about this one. And that is surprising considering the director of this film directed the charming Thor. Thor possessed everything Jack Ryan didn't have an ounce of. Where Thor had humor, Jack didn't. Where Thor had charm, Jack...zilch. Where Thor had chemistry, in the chemistry department Jack was a cold fish. To say this was a real head scratcher is an understatement. I went to see this movie BECAUSE of Thor. I figured Kenneth Branagh was once again stepping out of his usual element of Shakespeare like he did  with Thor and trying his hand at something new, and since I enjoyed Thor and Kenneth's previous works, it just stood to reason that I would enjoy Jack Ryan too. I did, but just barely. Starring Chris Pine as Jack Ryan (the fifth actor to play Jack Ryan btw.), Keira Knightley and Cathy Muller, Jack's paranoid girlfriend/fiance, Kevin Costner as Thomas Harper, Jack's "handler", and Kenneth Branagh as Viktor Cherevin on screen it seemed like these people didn't want to be around each other at all.

The story was tired, lame, and yawn producing. This time around there is a Russian company that seeks to destroy America's economy with a terrorist attack that will destroy the blah, blah, blah. Yawn. This movie was also devoid of any drama as well because you knew that Jack would be successful in foiling the plot, even though he wasn't recruited to be a field agent. He was brought in to be an analyst and yet he was given a gun and sent to dangerous Russia pretty much alone. This movie made very little sense and failed to connect. Who knew Mother Russia had sleeper agents here in America just waiting to strike? Who knew they hated the U.S. so much that they would want to destroy the dollar and watch America fall to it's knees and suffer through yet another great depression? This movie DID have potential but somewhere along the way it missed the mark which is shocking considering who wrote the damn thing. Accomplished scribe David Koepp teamed up with first time writer Adam Cozad. Those men are responsible for this fizzle.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit may be on empty in the significant story departments and off on some of the directing ones as well, but as for the look of the film, that was top notch. Shot by cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos who worked on Thor is a man that knows his craft. This film looked liked it belonged on the big screen in every way. Too bad his effort was wasted. Scored nicely by hit or miss Patrick Doyle, the music of the film was definitely a hit. It struck the right chord, had the right heroic themes and the bad guy themes at the precise times. Again it's too bad his efforts were wasted. Kenneth could have undoubtedly done better and hopefully he will next time around. He should just chalk Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit up to being a teachable moment and not make this kind of mistake again. I'll see you at the theater.  

The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street, the latest offering from award winning director Martin Scorsese is an instant classic. It's a tale of excess and greed at the most obscene levels during the early 90's in the life of Jordan Belfort. It is a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs, twists and turns, and it's a ride that will keep you engaged from the opening frame to the last. For that I give The Wolf of Wall Street three and a half buckets of Killer Korn.












Before settling in to watch Martin Scorsese's latest masterpiece The Wolf of Wall Street, I read the negative reviews of those who had seen the movie before me. They didn't dissuade me from seeing the movie at all, but they did somewhat prepare me for what I was about to see. While walking out of the theater I had no idea what movie those people saw. Granted, at 2 hours and 59 minutes, Wolf is an epic telling of the life of Jordan Belfort, the actual Wolf of Wall Street. I feel a few things could have been cut to bring the watch time down by maybe 30 minutes but that's my only complaint with this movie. Leonardo DiCaprio is absolutely amazing in this film as Jordan Belfort. He is uncontrollable at times, owning every inch of the movie screen as he screams, yells, and romps his way through this film whenever he's in front of the camera. The best compliment I can ever pay an actor is to say no one could have played that role BUT that actor, that is most certainly the case for Leonardo. no one could have played this role but him.

Now when I say this movie is a tale of excess, I am not lying. Jordan and his right hand man Donnie Azoff, played by Oscar award nominee Jonah Hill create a new brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont and set off to make their mark on the financial world. They could have done it legally and sober but they chose instead to do it pretty much all illegally and completely high out of their minds as often as they could be. Understand though, Jordan started off as a straight arrow, an eager broker looking to conquer the world the right way, but on his very first day on Wall Street he meets his mentor Mark Hannah, played by Matthew McConaughey and Mark sets Jordan on his debauched path. He divorces the first wife who was with him from the very start, Teresa Petrillo played by Cristin Milioti, marries the trophy wife Naomi Lapaglia played by Margot Robbie, buys a huge mansion, a yacht, a Lamborghini Countach, and any other toy he could think to get. It's a cautionary tale that we have all come to realize with the financial crash of 2008, how the bubble will eventually burst and how when something is too good to be true, it usually is. Now is this film unnecessary, perhaps but it's a damn entertaining one.

Jordan may be a likable character but he has no redeeming qualities to speak of. The movie however doesn't ask you to or lead you down the path of judgement. It just shows you what this man's life was like as you wait for his inevitable downfall. The Wolf of Wall Street will remind you of Wall Street, Boiler Room, and perhaps even Margin Call except Wolf has a sense of humor. I can't imagine the outtakes from some of the moments in this film but I am sure there were times when no one on the set could catch their breath from laughing so hard. Now be warned, there is some significant sexual imagery and a massive amount of drug usage but that's the absurdity of it all, this is how one man and his crew really lived. So take it in stride. The standout of the behind the scenes crew in my opinion would have to be the costume designer Sandy Powell. The stuff she dressed this cast in was hilarious at times and it definitely brought back to mind the fashions of the early 90's. The Wolf of Wall Street will be a classic someday despite the backlash over some of the imagery in the film, count on it. Miss it at your own peril and I'll see you at the theater.

47 Ronin

47 Ronin, the first full length feature film by director Carl Rinsch was a colorful, beautifully rendered remake of the 1961 film The 47 Ronin. It was an entertaining film though there were some head scratching moments. Thankfully there weren't that many of them, because of that I give 47 Ronin two and a half buckets of Killer Korn.













Like the story of the 300 (or 500 depending on which version of the story you believe) Spartans that stood up against the massive Persian army, the story of the 47 Ronin is very similar. It's a tale of great shame and heroism both at the same time. The story deals with the half breed outcast Kai, played by Keanu Reeves who was raised in the woods by certain creatures that taught him their ways who he then turned his back on. He was instead found in the woods by Lord Asano, played by Min Tanaka and his men. Lord Asano brought Kai into his home and raised him with the help of his daughter Mika, played by the beautiful Mo Shibasaki. Because Kai wasn't full Japanese he couldn't become Samurai and the leader of Lord Asano's Samurai Oishi, played by the very talented Hiroyuki Sanada and his men never let Kai forget what a shame it is that he's even allowed on the property.

This story takes place in feudal Japan, with Lords protecting his people and their lands from other Lords who are seeking to expand their kingdoms. Lord Asano's rival is Lord Kira, played by Tadanobu Asano who has grand designs on Lord Asano's land and his daughter. Lord Kira doesn't play fair  and solicits the help of a very powerful witch, played by the lovely (but creepy in this movie) Rinko Kikuchi to help him get what he wants. After a fateful evening, the Emperor orders Lord Asano to take his own life via seppuku. When a Samurai no longer has a Lord to follow, he becomes a Ronin and Lord Asano's Ronin are ordered by the Emperor to not seek revenge for Lord Asano's fate. That's when the movie truly get's interesting. Lord Asano's men are scattered to the four winds, Oishi is imprisoned for a year, his lands are taken over by Lord Kira and his daughter Mika has been given a year to grieve for her father but after that, she's Lord Kira's wife and will be the mother of his children. The problem with that is Kai and Mika have been in  love with each other since they were children so Kai is enlisted by Oishi, upon his release to help avenge Lord Asano's shame and to prevent the marriage of Lord Kira to Mika.

47 Ronin is a visual feast for the eyes. The colors, the costumes, the makeup, it's all there to titillate that particular sense. And for a movie that was all about feudal Japan to not be shot in Japan, it was a job well done by production designer Jan Roelfs. There should be a nomination for some award coming his way soon for this movie. The sets felt organic, like they were filming in existing locales and not on built stages. The cinematography was gorgeous and again for 47 to not be filmed in Japan the shots were impressive. The score by Ilan Eshkeri was graceful, gentle, and dramatic, and sometimes the music was all those at the same time. 47 Ronin had the potential to be a really bad film but surprisingly it was a job well done all around, well maybe not with the dialogue which at times didn't really connect but that tends to happen in Keanu Reeve's vehicles for some reason. If you want a fantastical romp through feudal Japan and you enjoy tales of Samurai, or if you know about the 47 Ronin already and are interested in it's retelling then check out 47 Ronin, and I'll see you in the theater.            

Her

Her, the latest film by accomplished writer and director Spike Jonze, whose last feature length film was the wonderful Where The Wild Things Are delivers an amazing fun and heartbreaking film. It's the most creative take on male/female relationships that I have ever seen and it's because of this that I give Her four buckets of Killer Korn.












Spike Jonze has delivered yet another movie that seems to have taken the romantic relationship movie genre up another level. It's a charming movie that has all too familiar moments to those that have been in a relationship of some kind. Her will make you smile, laugh, and make you uncomfortable as you're taken through familiar relationship circumstances. The difference here is that the relationship is between a man and his computer's operating system. It's not just any operating system though, it's the most advanced OS ever created. It's an artificial intelligent, intuitive, ever evolving operating system and it gives you the choice of picking a male or female voice. The main character in the movie, Theodore played by the talented Joaquin Phoenix chooses a females voice and what man wouldn't when the sultry voice of "Samantha" is provided by Scarlett Johansson.

Theodore is your every day, garden variety hard worker in the somewhat distant future, working for HandWrittenLetters.com. He dictates letters to his computer at work and when they are printed out, they look as if they were written by hand. He's recently divorced and seems to have great rapport with his upstairs neighbors Amy, played by Amy Adams and her husband Charles who is played by Matt Letscher. Theodore, a recent divorcee isn't quite ready to date yet and though seems truly mortified by the idea of it, goes on a date with the lovely Olivia Wilde. That leads him, somewhat unwittingly to get the latest OS and soon after, Theodore has never been happier. He finds himself thinking of Samantha as the girl he's dating and not his computers operating system. Samantha is taking care of him in ways his wife never did and even gets Theodore a book deal. There is this odd moment when Samantha and Theodore try to include sex into their "relationship" but I won't divulge that secret, you'll just have to see it to believe it.

Her is a movie I couldn't wait to see once I saw the trailer and it did not let me down. While I wasn't all that big of a fan of Spike's Wild Things, I was impressed and Her has impressed me yet again. He is a great director and a very talented writer and I almost wish it didn't take years to get another film from him. Shot by cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, Her has a very soft look. Nothing is too bright or dark and the colors red and orange are often prominently displayed. The city landscapes seem to change in the blink of an eye. One moment it appears Theodore is in L.A. and the next he's in Japan. I'm guessing that's done to give us the idea that future cities will be even more massive in size and scope. There is no "score" for Her, instead there's music by Arcade Fire, Karen O, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and others. The music selections fit this movie perfectly, a movie that really didn't need much music to begin with. I highly recommend Her if you're looking for an intelligent, well written, and well acted film and I'll see you at the theater.

Saving Mr. Banks

Saving Mr, Banks, the latest film from director John Lee Hancock is not the "feel good" movie of the year, to say the least. Brought to life by the man that brought us The Blindside, Saving Mr. Banks is a true dramatic retelling of how the iconic Mary Poppins was brought to the screen. It's a heavier film that I thought it was going in and it possess more heart that I initially gave it credit for, because of that I give Saving Mr. Banks three buckets of Killer Korn.










I honestly don't think Saving Mr. Banks could have cast any better. Tom Hanks playing Walt Disney, Emma Thompson playing the immovable author of the Mary Poppins books P.L. Travers, Colin Farrell playing Travers Goff, Paul Giamatti playing the affable limo driver Ralph, Bradly Whitford playing Disney screenwriter Don DaGradi, and B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman playing the talented songwriting brothers Robert and Richard Sherman respectively. If they gave out golden statues for best cast then Ronna Kress would walk home with one. I'm sure it wasn't hard to get this movie cast, but to get the right people into the right roles is never easy. They got the job right on this movie.

Saving Mr. Banks is the story of the struggle Walt Disney and his crew underwent to get the rights to and make the movie of the iconic character Mary Poppins. According to the story, Walt (he prefers first names) has been approaching Ms. Travers (she doesn't) for almost twenty years about the buying the book rights to her book and she has declined him every year. This time however, she's not selling anymore books, her royalties have dried up, and she could lose her house and that just won't do. So she reluctantly flies to Los Angeles to meet Walt and what she does to her hotel room after Walt adorns it with the stuffed animal likenesses of his famed characters, you have a pretty good idea Ms. Travers won't be an easy sell (spoiler alert, they all end up in the closet...well not all of them).

Ms. Travers has final script approval, doesn't want the movie to be a musical, and demands no animation in the movie, with Walt is at his wits end Ms. Travers flies back to London. Now while Tom and Emma are on the screen together are magical, the real star of the show is Colin Farrell. His Travers Goff grabs your heart, captures your imagination, and puts a smile on your face with his sense of humor. Sadly he is a tragic character that needs saving, more from himself than from something else. The relationship between him and his daughter "Princess" Ginty, played wonderfully by relative newcomer Annie Rose Buckley is full of laughter, wonder, and tears.

Once Walt figures out the Mary Poppins didn't arrive to save the children, but instead was there to save their father did things finally start moving in the right direction. Saving Mr. Banks is a charming yet heartbreaking tale of learning how to let go of your past and how not to let it get in the way of your present or future. Scored wonderfully by Thomas Newman, the music added a really beautiful element to a movie that could have done without music. It was a fitting score. I highly recommend Saving Mr. Banks, but you may want to keep some tissues on hand, yeah...it's another one of those and I'll see you at the theater.