Limitless

 

 Limitless is one of those films where you think - it had so much potential.  

Before I get started, let's go over the plot summary shall we?  

Limitless is about a writer named Eddie Morra (played by Bradley Cooper) who has trouble focusing on anything, especially his writing.  He can't seem to get in touch with his creativity.  One day on the street, he runs in to his ex brother-in-law who tells him about a drug that allows you to access all of your brain instead of only the proven 20% of it.  He gives Eddie a sample which completely clears out his mind and let's him multitask like nobody has before.  Things start to really take off when Eddie finds his brother-in-law dead and realizes the killers were looking for the stash of those very same pills.  Eddie finds the pills first and takes them for himself.  The movie follows his rise to success with the help of a little pill, as well as the bumps in the road, which is his lifelong addiction.  Like any addictive drug, it has its downside, which begins to unravel as the story evolves.  What do you think happens to Eddie? 

Well, I have to say, not much.           

This film is really interesting.  It starts out strong and really focused; much like the effects of the pill.  It get's to the point right away, which I liked.  The narration is well done and the music plays nicely along with the scenes.  The cinematography kept shots more visually appealing. The acting was good.  They were completely relaxed characters who gave off an 'I don't give a shit' kind of attitude. It gives you everything you think you want in this type of film; fast and edgy.

As soon as the brother-in-law dies, things get a little off beat.  When Eddie finds the pills in the oven, I find that it didn't make sense how he figured it out.  He made a joke about how his friend never cooks and suddenly it's in the oven?  Who makes a joke like that anyways when there's a dead guy right beside you?  It seemed a little too coincidental.  Actually, the word that comes to mind is silly.  But I think it was a douse of dark humour that you see again and again in the film.

The idea of the movie was fairly predictable; not being restrained by anything (as if you had all the money in the world, you could do anything).  The only difference here is, if you had all the knowledge in the world, you could do anything you wanted.  There are no boundaries or limitations.  However, they don't properly explain exactly what the pill does, other than the obvious or how it changes you as a person.  What bothered me the most was that there wasn't enough emphasis on the consequences of being in that sort of chaos.  Sure, he loses control every now and then and it freaks him out.  He loses track of time and it freaks him out.  But he doesn't dwell too long on those events.  Even when he is suspected of killing someone, he doesn't even seem remorseful.  All he worries about is himself and losing the success he's gained, even at the expense of others.  It's a very selfish sort of movie that never really gives in to its selfless side.  The only attempt there is for selflessness, is when he claims to love his girlfriend later on in the film, but still risks putting her in danger for the sake of the drugs.  

But back to a positive note.  Another idea of the film that I liked was how he was in a stuck position.  If he stopped taking the pill he would go into remission, get really sick and probably die, but, if he continues taking the drug, he'll live longer then the former, but he will be more and more prone to losing track of time and not being in control of what he is doing.  Of course, he chooses the latter, because anything's better then death.  But what I don't understand is the ending.  It has no lesson, no real conclusion.  He remains successful, he still takes the drug for his own survival, and he isn't seeming to have any downside that previously came to light.  So what was the point?  That we should make pills like this in real life?  That there are shortcuts to success?  That we really don't need to put actual hard work into anything because it won't really fulfill us?

I'm just not so sure I understand the point of the movie.  All it focused on was the "material".  There was no depth. There was no obvious lesson that I think the movie actually tried to pass on.  I think it was just trying to be a badass movie.  In that sense, some could say mission accomplished.  But in my book, not so much.

I  enjoyed the movie from start to not exact finish.  It had all the raw materials, it just needed more of the depth, of the heart.
But, alas, enjoy the idea of the limitless!  I give this film 7.3/10 for being entertaining.

Rango

I love Johnny Depp.  That is all.
No, seriously, he amazes me 99% of the time in his films.  Even the animated ones.  I'm just going to pretend that The Tourist never happened, like most people who have been unfortunate enough to witness it.

So let's talk about the plot of Rango.  It is about a chameleon (played by Johnny Depp) who gets stranded in the desert away from his home and his very sheltered life full of putting on roles and creating non-existent adventures for himself.  However, now that he finds himself at the center of a real adventure, in a new town full of fellow rodents and lizards, it is here that he gives himself the name Rango and becomes the deputy sheriff of the town.  As the sheriff he becomes responsible for finding out what is happening to the missing water.  However, his role comes crashing down when he realizes that not being himself is deceiving a town of people who he comes to love.  This finally pushes him to become the true hero he was meant to be.  
Action packed enough for you?

This wonderful cast also includes Isla Fisher and Abigail Breslin.  The voices were very well done, so much so, that I forgot who played who, even Depp, and found myself completely invested in the film.  The story had a really important message for kids, which is to be yourself in order to live a happy life and to never be ashamed of who you are.  The plot surrounding the missing water was not as exciting as it should have been however.  I felt as though there were several parts where you found yourself bored because there was too much establishing of characters and setting up the climax.  I find this ironic because I usually criticize films because of their lack of detail and for rushing the scenes.  Now I find myself wanting the opposite.  In this case, there was too much down time, too much detail and preparation.  This made the film feel lengthy and tiresome.  I also would have liked a little more humour.  The subject felt a little too heavy at times.  There needed to be more comedic relief, especially for a kids film.   

That was my only criticism of the film.  Everything else was perfected to an admirable degree.  I really respected the effort put in to the making of the film - all the actors actually acted out the scenes with props and such, to make the result more realistic and effective.  And I believe they succeeded.  The voices, especially Depp's, were transformed amazingly and I really enjoyed it.

It's a film worth watching if you appreciate actor dedication and talent, a good overall purpose or message, and some entertaining accents.  I give this film 8.3/10.  

The Lincoln Lawyer

This film left me feeling split somewhere down the middle.  A part of me really truly enjoyed it.  The other part of me... well.... its having some battles of its own.

The Lincoln Lawyer is about a lawyer (if it wasn't obvious enough) named Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) who is known for representing criminals in trial.  He decides to take the case of a rich Beverly Hills family, more specifically their son Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who is accused of sexual assault on a woman.  Little does Mick know of what he's actually getting himself in to, until he discovers the truth of the case and fights for justice.  The cast also includes Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas and John Leguizamo.

First and foremost, this film purposely and wonderfully deceives.  The story itself is about deception; about manipulation.  This is the part I enjoyed the most.  And no, there isn't something wrong with me.  The scenes that included the characters putting on a show, was really a work of art, especially in the courtroom.  Matthew McConaughey was sensational.  It was acting within acting.  His character had to be convincing towards his client in order to fool him - but, he did so well, that even we, the audience, weren't sure what was real and what wasn't.

It's about keeping the audience guessing, never really being sure of fact or fiction.  This is how films engage the audience; by giving them something to do - we sit there and make predictions and assumptions about the characters.  You'll never lose your audience's attention because they'll want to wait and see if it was their prediction that would turn out to be the right one. And that's exactly what I ended up doing.  They definitely kept my attention throughout, which is quite a feat.     

Everyone played their part in this film.  Tomei and Macy filled their roles in the best way possible, making their characters seem important no matter how little they were in the movie.  Lucas played the caught-off-guard attorney extremely well.  His expressions of surprise and defeat were priceless and extremely entertaining.  The camera angles were effective, especially the close ups of McConaughey's face after his friend is killed.  McConaughey did a wonderful job with his character and I applaud him for rising to the challenge.  The story was decent, a little hard to follow at times, especially with the random clues here and there, but interesting none-the-less.    

Now here is where my opinion gets a little more fuzzy.  The film starts with an impression.  You're left with an impression that Mick is an arrogant, somewhat corrupt lawyer, who simply has to win no matter what kind of person he is setting free.  He seems to have nothing prying on his conscious about what he does and its consequences.  However, when he takes the main case of the film, suddenly, what his client confesses to doing is unspeakable and shocking to him.  Yet he admits earlier that he once represented a man who cut his wife's head off and put it in a freezer.  So, how is it that one criminal's actions took some sort of conscious priority in Mick's mind, over the supposed numerous others?  Why did this one case, wake him up to what he had been doing?  It seemed like an abrupt 180 degree transition from arrogant prick lawyer to suddenly having respect for the loss of human life.  For someone who had had so many cases before, you'd think he wouldn't be so surprised when the truth comes out, or, be so offended that a client could do such a thing and lie about it.  You would also think that a lawyer with as much experience as they make Mick out to be, would not be so gullible to a client's word alone.  He was so sure Louis was innocent over one meeting with him.  And for those who have watched the movie know all too well how that blows up in his face.

Another thing that was off, was the conclusion.  We find out who actually shot William H. Macy's character, but we never find out why it was this particular person.  The problem with that is, without the proper human explanation coming from the killer's mouth, without that understanding, the audience struggles with finding human connections with the film as a whole.  And without connection, there is no unity, and the audience and the film divide.  There is never that final conclusion, that final closure, that final explanation that ties up the mysteries of the film or the details.  Therefore, we are left unfulfilled, once again.

Oh, and as a final note.  A random thought really.
I have a little issue with Ryan Phillippe.  And it has nothing to do with his overall acting, which was good.  Now, I can't explain it exactly, but he bothers me.  And as silly as this sounds, it has something to do with his voice.  For some reason, whenever I hear it, it makes me think of an adolescent boy purposely trying to deepen his voice to sound more manly, but instead he just sounds like he's trying too hard. It's unnatural.  That artificiality of his voice, rubs off on the acting for me.  I can't take him seriously, when I feel like he's doing something to his voice to change it in some way.  That's the best way I can think of to explain myself.  Go back to Cruel Intentions and I think you'll understand my meaning.  Or, maybe it was that movie that ruined him for me in the first place.  I dunno.        

 Anyways, back to my point.
This is a good film.  It is lacking in some parts as I pointed out, but it is still worth $10.75 a ticket to watch, at least in my personal opinion.  So if your in the mood for a thriller that keeps you guessing, with excellent acting, some adorable men (I mean adorable), and some good old fashioned entertainment, then go see this film.  If not for McConaughey's abs then... well... then I don't know who you are, but, what's wrong with you?
I give this film 7.8/10  Enjoy!

Update: so I figured out my problem with Ryan Phillipe.  It wasn't the sound of his voice after all, it was his lips.  If you watch him, they barely move as he talks, just kind of slamming up and down as a dolls would.  They don't properly form the words he's saying, which makes his acting have a more artificial outcome, instead of genuine one.  I just wanted to clarify myself.  It's still a good movie.  Go see it!

How Do You Know

This film has a tendency to catch you off guard.  Depending on the type of person you are, this might be in a good way.

How Do You Know is a film that follows the lives of two lost individuals just trying to make sense of their suddenly plummeting lives.  Lisa (played by Reese Witherspoon) is a former professional baseball player who gets cut from her team despite her talent and love for the sport.  George (played by Paul Rudd) finds himself caught up in illegal circumstances involving work, where his loyalty to his father and his honesty begin to conflict.  Despite all of this, they meet and become taken away by one another.

Personally, I enjoyed this film, but I want to completely acknowledge that it is an unconventional film which is in no way suitable for the majority of audiences out there.  In other words, it takes a specific type of person to find this film somewhat charming.  I seem to be one of them.

Let me try to explain why.  This film has a way of being completely self-aware.  It is awkward and the relationships that form are awkward.  But the fact that the characters have no filters - they say everything that they're thinking when they're thinking it - makes it refreshing and sort of inspiring.  The whole movie runs like a constant admittance of the truth.  Whether it's the truth to yourself, the truth to another person, or the truth to the dating world and those within it, it is truth none the less.  I think it's honest and endearing.  I really enjoyed how everyone played their characters, especially Reese Witherspoon, who always transforms herself with every role she's given.  I also want to mention Owen Wilson who I thought was funny and someone you find yourself rooting for much like Reese's character does, even though his character doesn't quite deserve it.

Now, from a more practical approach.  The ending of the film was cute but not really fulfilling.  Another slightly anti-climactic moment.  The film wasn't really smooth.  Transitions from scene to scene were fine, but things just felt out of place sometimes.  But the biggest fault of the movie, I think, is that with all the awkwardness of watching the film, the meaning can easily be lost to the viewer.   I believe the meaning was that life happens, and love happens, and you can't always control it, but it's important to accept it for the good and the bad.  Something along those lines.

So interpret it as you like, but if your not open minded to the unconventional, this might not be the one for you.  I give this film 6.6/10 because even though I like aspects of it, it wasn't as whole as I know it could have been.                 

The Adjustment Bureau

I went in to this film not expecting too much, especially because the concept is a little too out there for me.  However, I am happy to say that they pulled it off for the most part.

The Adjustment Bureau is about the life of a man named David Norris (played by Matt Damon) and a woman named Elise Sellas (played by Emily Blunt) that both have a specific fate created for them by a higher power.  But when they meet and pursue each other they go against this plan.  Suffice it to say, chaos ensues immediately and the Adjustment Bureau comes in to correct the error and get back on track.

The idea of the film is admirable.  The idea that we need to fight for our freedom, our choices and decisions.  We have to fight for the outcomes of our own lives.  I enjoyed the obvious appeal; the chase scenes and the romance scenes were done well.  I don't know if it was just me, but I found some of the acting a little lax.  I can't explain it exactly, there wasn't anything particularly wrong with the way they played the characters, but I found Matt Damon a little too casual, perhaps a little too laid back for his role.  Nothing he did really blew me away and we all know he's capable of it. 
Surprisingly, nothing felt rushed or too hard to believe under the circumstances of the film.  It was definitely a relief because it could have been very easy to speed through things.

Something that kinda bothered me was the lack of meaning behind the Bureau's existence in the first place.  They didn't properly explain it.  I also felt as though it was anti-climactic, especially at the end.  It was almost an abrupt ending.  It kind of kept building up and then never really gave you what you were waiting for (whatever that was).

Because of this slight let down at the end, I give the film a 6.9/10

I Am Number Four

 Okay, so this film gets mixed feelings from me.  Can I say it is a well rounded film?  No.  Can I say all the acting was consistent? No.  Can I say I still enjoyed it?  For some reason, yeah, I can.

I Am Number Four is about, essentially, a boy (Alex Pettyfer) from another planet that is sent to earth as a precaution.  He is number four of nine people left over from his home planet, and being one of those nine, he has special abilities or powers. If that wasn't enough, he is being hunted down by an enemy clan that wiped out most of their people.  So now he has to lay low on earth among everyone else and try to live his life as normally as possible.  Little does he know who he'll meet and how they'll change his life forever.
Dramatic enough for you?

Side note: I swear, sometimes I feel just ridiculous summarizing some of these movies. 

Anyways, to start, let me just point out that this film is based on the novel by the same name.  The wonderful thing about this is that the film is open ended, and as I predict, so is the book.  It leaves you expecting continuation because the story is really incomplete.  However, there are no sequels written in book form and lord knows how long it takes for those to come out.  So my concern is, by the time the second book is written, and the second film is created, how relevant will the story be to our generation?  How dedicated will the fans be, to still anticipate it?  And how old will the actors look by that time?  And for argument sake, let's say that they decide to make the second film without a book to follow.  How pathetic will the attempt be?  How smooth will the transition in thought, imagination and writing seem?  These are just a few concerns for the future of the soon to be franchise.

But enough about these observations.  Let's get back to the movie shall we?

I like the idea of the story.  It's enticing in a way.  I mean, where can you go wrong with a hot male lead, a romantic interest, supernatural power and strength, action and adventure?  Well, apparently in several places.

The thing that bothered me the most was the weak romantic element.  Pettyfer's character pretty much obsesses over Agron's character immediately, but their wasn't enough pull for it to be convincing.  The lines were extremely predictable and cheesy, to the point where I had the urge to laugh.  That's definitely not a good thing.  I'm somewhat of a sap, so it doesn't take much usually.  But they just didn't reach me with that romantic relationship.  Ironically, they are dating in real life: a nice tidbit for you guys.  With some better writing maybe they could have pulled it off.  As for the action, it definitely overcompensated for the romance.  But for me, it was also what saved the film.  I really enjoyed the battle scenes and the bad ass Number Six played by Teresa Palmer.  I also loved the soundtrack, the way they applied it to the scenes and used the popular music of right now.  
Overall the acting was decent.  Nothing was horrible, but there were weak parts here and there.

The entire time watching, I felt as though there was some vital information being left out.  Like, details in the book they didn't find time to include.  There were a lot of things not explained properly, and explanation is necessary, especially if is this is considered sci-fi.  Just look at The Matrix.  Just imagine where that movie would be without the detail of explanation. If they fixed the romance and the detail, I would have been one happy gal.

A few shout outs, to the evil guys and their makeup artists- good job (thumbs up).  And I'd like to thank the adorable beagle dog in the film for making it a little bit more enjoyable.  Here's to his adorable self!

Finally, I say, see this film for some action, some adventure, some good times, some inner laughs.  Just don't hold your breath for the second installment.  I give this film 6/10.