Up and Coming - Summer Hits?

The question here is....potential?

Something Borrowed

I mentioned before, all the way back in December, a few films I was looking forward to in 2011.  Something Borrowed was one of them. I'm not going to mention the plot summaries for these films only because you can pretty much figure them out from the trailers. Above is the trailer for this book turned film, that I've been anticipating all year.  I read the book, for the record, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The characters were completely relatable, especially regarding female friendships.  I really hope I can say the same about the movie.  Its actors include Kate Hudson, Gennifer Goodwin,  and John Krasinski.  It comes out May 6, 2011.

Crazy, Stupid Love

The next trailer that caught my eye is that of Crazy, Stupid Love.  This group of characters are confident, lost, vulnerable and seductive.  They give the audience a very enticing dynamic.  It also helps when the actors are all extremely talented.  This film includes Ryan Gosling, Steve Carrel, Emma Stone, and Julianne Moore.  If that doesn't get you excited, then I have no idea what will.  It comes out July 29, 2011.  It looks promising.

Thor

Another film I am looking forward to is Thor.  I'm not sure I know exactly why I'm excited for this film, except that I enjoy the idea of gods on earth and of bringing something beyond reality to the screen.  This film contains Chris Hemsworth as the male lead, Natalie Portman as the love interest (most likely) and Anthony Hopkins as some other worldly god.  It comes out May 6, 2011.  

The Hangover 2

For me, this film is up in the air.  It's either going to be a hit or miss.  The first film was so good, I just don't see how they'll top it.  But, I am more than willing to watch them try.  This delightful cast includes Zack Galifinakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha.  It comes out May 26, 2011.  

Other summer films include the comic book continuations, spin offs and first attempts: 

-Captain America coming out July 22, 2011, starring Chris Evans

-X-men First Class comes out June 3, 2011.   

-The Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds comes out on June 17, 2011 (A lot of comics).  

This is also the summer of continuations and franchises:  

-Pirates of the Caribbean 4 On Stranger Tides coming out May 20, 2011 

-Transformers 3 Dark of The Moon coming out July 1, 2011 

-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 coming out July 15, 2011.

If there are any films you're excited for, let me know!  Comment!

Shout Out!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so recently I've been thinking, and it kind of bothers me when the critics and the viewers don't really give credit where its due.  Especially when it comes to the acting and the characters.  Yes, the directors of films are incredible people who have extreme talent most of the time, but the actors are also what brings their image to life.  Even if a film as a whole doesn't pass your level of expectations, doesn't mean that there isn't some amazing work being done within it.  In some cases, entire films that really are wonderful, don't get recognized because of timing or distraction.  Sometimes, during all the chaos of a film, looking at all its flaws, the viewers forget to appreciate what makes the film special... or, who makes the film special.  So I'd like to just give a few or more shout outs to some characters/acting/films that I felt didn't get their due.

To start, I'd like to point to a film that has large amounts of issues which prevented it from becoming a success.  Actually, the entire film isn't exactly worth watching to be completely honest, especially the ending.  Talk about a let down.  But because of just one scene, with just one actor, I feel that this deserves a shout out!  American Psycho (yr 2000). The scene I'm referring to includes the main character played by Christian Bale as he is about to kill a man in his apartment simply because he enjoys it.

Now I couldn't, for some reason, upload the clip I wanted onto the page here, but I'm going to give the link, so that you can see the scene for yourself...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwicLgOGJOI    

The next film I chose was an incredible film in all.  Why it wasn't recognized when it was released, I don't know...  It could have had to do with timing; it was too early for its time?  But in my opinion, it is an incredible film that Guy Pierce did not get recognized enough for being in.  He was wonderful to watch and the writing was truly original.  For those who are interested enough to check it out, it is a film about a man with short term memory loss trying to catch his wife's murderer.  However, with his condition, memory becomes unreliable and keeping track of the facts proves to be difficult to say the least.  Check it out! I promise, you won't regret watching it!  Here's a clip from Memento... (about memory)

A third shout out I want to give is to the film Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and its incredible male lead played by Nathan Baesel.  This film plays as a mockumentary of horror films and their many predictable plots and techniques throughout history.  It is a comedy about horror which is hilarious if you sit down and watch it.  The film's plot is based around a documentary film maker who agrees to follow around a murderer as he picks his victims and prepares for a night of terror.  Little does she know what she's actually in for....  

And now just a few honorable mentions....

-Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias in Watchmen (excellent transformation into a character)

-James Franco as Saul Silver in Pineapple Express (he's hilarious and his voice is really well done)

-Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb in Inception (yes the movie was recognized, but his acting wasn't truly appreciated)

-Garret Hedlund as Bo in Country Strong (for his country singing, I was impressed!)

I'm sure there are many more and If I remember or notice them in the future, I'll be sure to point them out.  

If you have any of your own shout outs you want to share, feel free to comment!  

Paul

Okay, now I'm probably going to offend or just simply piss off a lot of people, but, I just didn't get it.
Obviously, I don't mean that literally, but I didn't find it particularly funny.  

For those of you who don't know, Paul is about two sci-fie geeks named Graeme Willy and his best friend Clive Gollings (played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost), who are on a comic book convention tour across America.  Along their travels they encounter an alien named Paul (voice of Seth Rogen), only to discover that he's being used as a source of information for the government and now he's being held against his will.  The film follows the three of them, and some interesting characters along the way, trying to help Paul get back to his home planet.

Okay, now that the essential is over, I can explain myself a little bit better.  So, it's not that the film doesn't have its funny moments.  I just felt like the humour was more obvious funny, along the lines of silly rather than memorable.  I thought Seth Rogen did a good job with his voice for Paul and I thought the concept was funny in its own right.  But, every time I see Kristin Wiig in a film, my mind directly goes to SNL and that sort of stupid humour.  Like when you laugh because someone walks in to a pole rather than laughing because of an extremely ironic or original joke.  Now, I'm not saying there is no humor in it, it's just not very lasting humor.

The film as a whole runs much like a comedy: crazy coincidences happen, a strange and uncharacteristic romantic element takes place, some sort of "loser" character is the lead.  These are a lot of things you can expect in a raw comedy.  But all in all, for me, it was forgettable.  You really have to be in a specific mood to enjoy these kinds of movies, and frankly, I can see it being appealing for those who enjoy it under the influence.  Which, coincidentally, they do in the film.  The ending was one of your attempts at tying up everything, but ends up being ridiculous and random, as you'd expect.  The acting was okay, the story was okay, the flow of it was okay.   

It was just okay.  Wouldn't see it again.  If you enjoy these kinds of movies, knock yourself out.  I give Paul 6.6/10 ... and I personally think that's kind of generous...

Source Code

 

It was definitely a lot better than I thought it was going to be...

Source Code is about a soldier named Colter Stevens (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) who finds himself in a mission where he is forced to relive a past event over and over, in order to find a bomber who is expected to blow up a train.  He is only given 8 minute intervals to complete this task, and along the way, he discovers details that change the outcome.  It's like Groundhog Day meets a better version of Unstoppable.  

So let's get started.  This was actually a well-rounded movie.  I kept expecting disappointments, but I'm happy to say, I didn't find many.  The story line starts out a little confusing, not because you don't know what is going on, but because there were some holes in the dialogue.  But, luckily, this gets resolved later on in the film, when things are properly explained, to leave out any confusion.  So that was less of a problem.  They actually did a good job of explaining everything.  It plays on the idea that- if there are two versions of yourself, one in your original reality and one in an alternate reality, how would you be able to change your future?  It also explores the dangers of risking your morality for the sake of the world; doing something immoral and unethical, in order to save lives.  This definitely applies to the treatment of soldiers in our world today.  

Anyways, moving away from my dissecting the film's purpose, to simply critiquing its form:

The acting was good.  I was impressed by Jake Gyllenhaal.  I know he's capable of this level of acting, but sometimes I find him lazy about it.  But in this film, he stepped it up a little.  Which I liked.  Then there is the visual appeal of the film.  It wasn't anything special, but it wasn't bad either.  The excitement of the film was limited though.  I realize people are sitting in their seats waiting for something big to happen, but for most of the film, it never really meets those expectations.  One thing that particularly - not bothers me - but sticks in my head, is the ending text.  I won't ruin it for anyone, but if the film suggests an alternate universe, than how is it possible?       

Finally, I was a little taken aback that Russel Peters appears in the film, as a comedian.  It seemed unnecessary to me and simply irrelevant that they asked him in the first place to be in the movie.  Unless he asked them to be in it, for whatever reason.  I thought it was humorous for about half a second and then I just saw it as desperate for publicity or simple attention.  He was pointless.  My advice: stick to what your good at. 

For me this film was a solid, well-put together really good film.  I wouldn't see it again, because nothing about it really stands out to me personally, but I don't regret sitting for an hour and a half to watch it either.  I think it has more to do with the type of person you are, and personally, sci-fi has never truly done it for me.  So, for the majority of you out there, I would say see this film if you enjoy some action, minor suspense, and an attempt at an original/creative plot.  I give this film 7.7/10 for having the essentials, hitting all the marks, but for just not shooting for fantastic!        

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!