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A date movie? That’s also *gasp*…funny?!? She’s Out of My League may not fit perfectly into this classification, but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun to watch this wonderful little comedy try.
Kirk is a loser, no matter which way you look at him. He’s a deadpan terminal security guard, his manipulative ex-girlfriend still lives with he and his parents, and his friends are less than supportive of anything he decides to take a crack at. But that all changes when he meets Molly, a girl so mind-blowing his friends deem her a “10″ on a hotness scale, and Kirk a 5. Once the kid finds out Molly has feelings for him other than pity, Kirk spends the rest of the movie trying to step up to the ghost standard he assumes she’s set for him. The most original plot? No way. Though She’s Out of My League comes in an arms-open time at the movies where your only hope for laughs is at Shutter Island’s mediocrity. (Yes, I’m still hung up on that.)
Jay Baruchel is on his way to becoming a true blue Hollywood actor. Having only played minor roles in comedies much bigger than he, Tropic Thunder and Knocked Up, Baruchel is finally coming into his own. He brings his Canadian-bred voice to DreamWorks How To Train Your Dragon, as well as having written a few scripts that are finally likely to be put onto the screen. She’s Out of My League is your first real chance to see him in action.
As a leading man Baruchel almost makes it. Kirk’s hero is called to be disguised as a meek dude looking to score with anyone willing to coincide, however at times he seems uncomfortable having to front-run the entire film. English newcomer Alice Eve helps him alongside his trip, marvelous at making Kirk’s daily life pale in comparison to her extravagant one. Debra Jo Rupp, Kyle Bornheimer, and Andrew Daly are welcome cameos in this carefree surprise.
She’s Out of My League falls into hopelessly tired cliches typical rom-coms generally do. But it has a lovable destination in mind that it actually does reach, mechanical as it may be at doing this, but come on! There’s so much to genuinely like here. Director Jim Field Smith’s prodigy isn’t anything as hilarious as something per The Hangover, and it doesn’t have the brains Knocked Up has, however She’s Out of My League is a breezy, feelgood everyman comedy in the likes of I Love You, Man.

3.5/5 stars.

Watch my full review of She’s Out of My League here!

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If I could grade a director on effort alone, Tim Burton would have gotten a much higher rating from me on this. Alice in Wonderland, the 2010 imagining of Lewis Carroll’s novels, is brimming with so much excess everything at times it’s uncomfortable to watch.
Alice is 19-years-old, thirteen years after she first fell down the rabbit hole as a little kid. Summoned by the original film’s gang-bang cast of character, Alice must defeat the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter, hilariously imperialistic) from her reign over the magical kingdom.
Oddly enough, it’s the little things that make the movie feel epic. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter was an expected but triumphant role for Burton’s go-to guy, and newcomer Mia Wasikowska in the title role is top-notch. However way too many characters are introduced in the movie’s 90-minute time frame, and are left wandering around with nothing at all to do. That’s not the Burton I know; the adaptation-happy Burton never sacrifices a good story to include all of the original’s characters. Look how well he made Sweeney Todd and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!
Burton reportedly had a $100 million budget for his take on Wonderland. (Or as this movie stupidly calls it “Underland”, blaming a seven-year-old’s misunderstanding of the world’s original name.) He goes nothing short of crazy with that amount of money, painting every aspect with gross amounts of color and random zany paraphernalia. All of it wildly unnecessary.
Leading to a conclusion that reminded me of something out of Chronicles of Narnia, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is no threat to the original. Yet I still couldn’t bring myself to hate it. It’s not one of Burton’s better works, although the great acting and mesmerizing supporting players we’ve come to love make it that much easier to digest.

3/5 stars.

Watch my full review of Alice in Wonderland here!

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“What are you, some kind of a prophet or something?” I honestly believe that this movie is. A Prophet (or if you want to get really foreign on me, “Un prophete”) is an immaculate gangster conquest. The first in-theater film of 2010 I can sincerely say to rush out the door and see as soon as you possibly can.
A Prophet is an accidental mafia portrayal through the eyes of Malik, an Arab man sent to a French prison where he works as drug runner for a Corsican boss. It’s only later in this late Christmas present where things get interesting. Malik soon faces summons to assassinate, to plot against the dangerous men who got him involved in this business in the first place, and even facing the fact of obliviously coming into his own. It’s as painful as it is a blast following Malik, played by an amazing Tahar Rahim, as his perception of life clears from already-cloudy to murky, though the film makes it seem he’s found a dynasty of sunlight.
A perfect bandit flick among the likes of Goodfellas, and I say this with the utmost respect. I’ve never before compared any movie to Scorsese’s kingpin tycoon, however A Prophet feels so completely epic (and clocking in at around two-and-a-half hours you could see why I feel this way) its meaning can be broken down into anything from antiquity lessons to personal emotional casts.
Where director Jacques Audiard gets it right is by turning A Prophet not into a boring by-the-book film version of a history seminar but a no-holds-barred thespian entourage that will leave you feeling renewed.
Whenever a character overcomes a certain obstacle you as an experienced moviegoer know that something, someone, is always above watching over them, waiting to strike. And the movie takes past crime dramas into consideration and bottles its knowledge up to unleash a fiery monster of gorgeous cinematography, crazed directing, and wonderful acting.
A Prophet is an amazing look into prison gangs and an invested youngster’s rise to the top of a band of thieves with dark hidden secrets too big for a single movie to handle. Yet A Prophet is nearly able to, and still come out as if nothing had ever happened. Because maybe nothing really did.

Five out of five stars.

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The first great B-movie of the new year. The Crazies is a gory joyride that wholly satisfies nearly every part of me that was craving a good time.
I loved George A. Romero’s 1973 anti-government horror classic, but it never really had enough time to ever come across as scary. However with director Breck Eisner’s reboot he makes that his top priority. Using the low funds I’m sure he had to work with, Eisner uses his camera to capture every which way to make this the cheesy fun I was hoping for.
The 2010 Crazies is basically about the same thing as Romero’s was: a manifested government creates a lethal toxin that accidentally spreads like wildfire in an Iowa town. Of course the original took place in Pennsylvania, but I won’t hold that against it. If you pick apart a movie like this you’re bound to find numerous reasons not to love it.
Timothy Olyphant seems to be my acting god when I’m looking for a guilty pleasure movie. He starred in another garbage thriller last summer that I enjoyed, A Perfect Getaway. I won’t mention a word about his performance in this movie because to be honest I don’t really care. I mean, Danielle Panabaker is in a movie entitled “The Crazies”. You think I’m going to start an Oscar campaign for any of the people in this?
All in all The Crazies does everything I wanted it to do. It doesn’t alter the original too badly, it never for a second takes itself too seriously, and above all it just has fun. From a shear entertainment standpoint, The Crazies delivers. And isn’t that what you go to the movie for, to be entertained?

3.5 out of five stars.

Watch my full review of The Crazies here!

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Shutter Island is a spectacle and a mysterious film by the works of Martin Scorsese.  This is a unique movie choice for the living legend but you can’t argue with a director trying to take a new creative project.  His leading actor Leonardo DiCaprio joins him for their 4th movie together and the movie will leaves people debating and talking about it for some time.

Teddy (DiCaprio) and partner Chuck (Ruffalo) are US Marshals sent to Shutter Island to investigate the whereabouts of one of the facilities mental patients who is a murderer.  As the investigation begins, the two encounter creepy and mysterious things about the island and it’s staff that leads to a wild ride thriller from there on out.  This movie leaves a lot to be talked about and will stop here from continuing to talk about the plot and what happens do to the spoiler.  It’s a complicated movie that has some pros and cons, and I’m still debating whether I thought this was an excellent movie or not.  The acting was great, but with Leo, Ben Kingsley, and Ruffalo, you expect nothing else and for the performances a lone I would see them.  Kingsley does a great job at playing the smart and sophisticated doctor who runs the show although has enough creepiness in his demeanor that you don’t quite trust him.  Leonardo is my favorite actor and may be considered the best actor of over the past decade.  The cinematography was gorgeous and Scorsese does a great job of bringing this island alive.

The movie runs about 25 minutes too long and gets complicated in certain areas.  It’s a little too tricky for its own good at times, and some sequences were not pieced together the best way and left me and other viewers confused about what the point of it was.

All in all this is a different type of movie that should be watched, and definitely needs to be watched a second time in order to find the subtle clues that may have been missed the first time, although I don’t know if it is a movie worthy of seeing a second time.  Scorsese did a nice attempt at this thriller, but I think there are too many things preventing it from being a classic.

Here is my snap video of Shutter Island.

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Crazy Heart is a tale about a broken man at the end of his career trying to live- it-out and roll-with-the-punches.  Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) keeps his music career alive by playing  in dumpy venues, but just barely getting by as he feeds off his former glory from his country star days.  He is older, has been divorced multiple times and is an alcoholic.  On his travels he gets interviewed by a local reporter named Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and the two form this relationship despite their troubled pasts.

Bad Blake is dealing with the crossroads of his dying career while watching his protege Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell) become a rising country star.  With no money, and alcohol controlling his life, he looks towards his new relationship and his predecessor for a second chance at a new life.

This movie is a slow paced character driven movie revolving around the singers troubles and his hopes for a new chance.  Jeff Bridges puts on a performance that may win him the Oscar, at least I think he will win it.  The movie touches a cord and the fact that Bridges sings and plays the guitar gives it an extra dynamic.  Don’t expect any real action, but if you like top notch acting and character pieces, this movie is for you.

Snap Review of Crazy Heart

What did you think of Crazy Heart?

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The month of February is commonly considered a dark period for movies. Nick mentioned that it is the graveyard for film. New releases are basically overshadowed by the award season.  In fact, Oscar nominated films get a distribution boost in February in order to milk the buzz they get from the nomination.

So, we know that you are not going to hit up the theaters for new releases. Instead, we know that you all are going to try to catch up on the Oscar movies that you didn’t get to see the first time around.  Get this, “An Education” went from 100 theaters before being nominated for the award, to over 700 after receiving the nod for Best Picture. However, Summit’s “The Hurt Locker” was sent to DVD, which went from being in theaters to being completely removed. Theaters will not show movies that get sent to DVD FYI. So, Summitt messed up.

As we are in the Oscar season, there is trophy talk everywhere. We have a year where 10 films got nominated and lots of movie hooplah to go through.  Since we know you all are trying to play Oscar catch up, we wanted to help you out.   Here are the 10 films nominated for Best Picture and our review for each one.

1. The Hurt Locker

2. Avatar

3. Up in the Air

4. Precious

5. Inglorious Basterds

6. The Blind Side

7. District 9

8. An Education

9. UP

10. A Serious Man

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Edge of Darkness is a thriller that attempts to take you off of you seats, but fails doing so.  When Thomas Craven’s (Mel Gibson) daughter is accidentally shot as the two leave their house on the way to the hospital, Craven vows his revenge for the horrific killing.  When his initial thoughts that he was the real target are proven wrong, he discovers that his daughter was involved in trying to get the truth out about a government conspiracy.  By himself, he tries to piece together the information and track down those involved to get justice for his daughter, and to learn the truth.

This movie was a poor man’s Taken, and was even more underdeveloped than that movie.  We find nothing about Cravens past or why he ended up the way he is.  All we know is his daughter is killed, and this one cop somehow drives everywhere finding out information and killing all of these hired thugs in the process unraveling it all.  The brings no real dimension to it and is laughable at times.  So many characters are underdeveloped and prove no real value to the movie.  At times it seems like the movie is trying to be lead with some major twists, when in the end its just annoying its getting confusing for no reason.  This was not a very good movie, no shocker it was dumped in January with the rest of the turd movies.  It may be sad to say but Gibson is at the end of his career and pretty pathetic that this is the first movie he has done in years and this is what he gives the audience.  Let me know your thoughts if you saw it and the video review is below.

Snap video review of the movie Edge of Darkness

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Rob Perez, the writer of 40 Days and 40 Nights,  makes his directorial debut in this creative, well-made character film about art school grad students.  Josh Harnett, the star of 40 Days and 40 Nights, was also a producer on this film.  “Nobody” is a clever piece that tells the story of these grad students and their dealings with quarter life crises. When you are at the end of your life in school, you always ask yourself the question, what is next? Do you know? I bet you don’t, especially if you want to be a starving artist.

Lindeman, the main character of the film, played by Sam Rosen, is completely freaked out about the next chapter in his life. He has no direction and seeks advice from anyone who will give it. His close friends in the movie make for a very dynamic group of people, which makes for some extremely funny scenes. This is Rosen’s first major starring role and he delivers a good performance. He kind of reminds me of like a cooler Zach Braff – confident about his insecurities but not as awkward as Braff’s JD in Scrubs.  Mark Margolis, from Ace Ventura – the crazy landlord, plays Lindeman’s adviser, and is a PG-13 verison of Donald Sutherland from Animal House. The relationship between Margolis and Rosen is incredibly funny with some scenes that are completely laugh at loud hilarious.

Perez does quite a good  job at telling the stories of many personalities in this film. The driver of the film is that everyone is so different yet need one another for support. Thus, it was extremely important to develop each character’s role in the movie. We have the happy couple, the lost intellect, the goth, the beauty, the old washed up professor who lusts for students, the young up-and-comer, and of course Lindeman, who is more freaked out then any member of the group.

The music in Nobody adds to the ambiance of the film as well. Nobody is really a comedy about serious issues. From the moment the film starts the music kind of sucks you right in, delightfully changing to the mood of the story.  We see the music following the path of our characters.  Overall, Nobody leaves you smiling and feeling content with yourself. Sometimes you just don’t have the answers, and you know what, that’s ok.

Check out my video review as well.

On a side note, we will hopefully be doing an interview with Rob Perez within the next week. We might be able to swing some DVD’s as well and will be holding a give away.  We will keep you all posted

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The White Ribbon was originally filmed in color, however when director Michael Haneke took a look in the editing room, he stripped the movie of all pigments. Smart move. The White Ribbon certainly benefits from its policeman tones, even better in establishing a macabre pre-World War 1 German setting.
I’ll admit, I don’t know much about Michael Haneke other than he’s the beloved director of the 1997 twisted horror Funny Games. With The White Ribbon, he creates a different kind of cache. Haters will rank on the movie’s slow pacing and awkward character interactions, but this guy praises its ability to entice the viewer into constantly craving more and more of its overall bleak assertion.
The White Ribbon is itself an example of phenomenal symbolism. In the movie, a father ties white ribbons on his children, thinking that this will keep them righteous and free of sin. The unclear minute village just north of Germany adds to the story’s psychotic overtone. At the root of it, The White Ribbon is a smart and suspenseful crime caper. One that will stay with you long after every work Haneke will ever make; the alarming belief will engrave itself in the back of your mind.

See this movie!

4 out of 5 stars.