More Films, More Fun
Film 172
"Old School"
starring: Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Elisha Cuthbert (bit part, but still worth it), Jeremy Piven, Ellen Pompeo, Juliette Lewis, Leah Remini, Craig Kilborn, Seann William Scott (all bit parts for these guys)
Directed by: Todd Phillips
"Old School" is the kind of movie I could put on if I was bored and wanted to watch something that I didn't necessarily have to pay close attention to when it was on. That doesn't make it a bad movie. In fact, just the opposite. It's such a good movie, that I could watch it anytime, with a lack of attention because I already know what's happening. Sure, I'll stop what I'm doing for the scenes with Elisha Cuthbert, because I love her. And yes, there are some classic scenes, like Will Ferrell shooting himself with a horse tranquilizer.
Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn and a handful of outcasts play the anti-hero frat boys. It starts when Owen Wilson's character returns home early from a business trip to find his girlfriend (Juliette Lewis) partaking in some crazy sex stuff. They break up and he has to move. He moves into a house near a college campus, close enough to be considered campus housing, but not really. His buddies, Ferrell and Vaughn, in an attempt to live vicariously through Wilson, decide he should make it "THE party house." He throws legendary parties and ends up with the nickname- The Godfather. His parties and status take on a bit of "Fight Club" mentality, because he doesn't want people talking about it. First rule about the frat is: there is no frat. Until there has to be. And that need and the conflict in the movie comes in the form of Jeremy Piven, the dean of the college- playing the polar opposite of his character in the early 1990s film "PCU." Interesting choice for the role, but Piven is stellar as the uptight dean who will do anything to see the demise of the frat and these 34 year old dudes clearly having more fun than he is capable of.
The trouble with this film is that it is trying too hard to be like its predecessors: (re: "Animal House" which cannot be topped at all, "PCU" and "Revenge of the Nerds," perhaps even a little bit of "Billy Madison mixed in). It also makes a lot of assumptions about the rampant college campus life(style), which I honestly don't know much about because I never went away to college an experience that lifestyle, for myself. But, I do know that a lot goes on: moral integrity takes a backseat oftentimes to having a good time, exhibitionism, promiscuity, excess drinking, drug-taking, and anything else you can imagine. And yes, this movie has it all, with even a guest spot for party entertainment in the form of Snoop Dogg.
The movie's story line seems thrown together and is tied together by the gags and shenanigans that the fellas find themselves in, which doesn't really allow for any real character develop to occur, but honestly are you looking for that in this type of comedy. You know there will be a conflict and the subsequent, expected resolution where the good guys win (it's the formula, sorry folks). The story arc even includes a lovely and adorable new love interest for Wilson's character, found in the equally adorable Ellen Pompeo (who needs to fin herself in more films, I think, forget about "Grey's Anatomy"). But, even that budding romance is nothing that you really care about. You are watching this for the gags, because, let's face it, it's a Todd Phillips movie and there are plenty of them.
Enjoy it for what it is. If only it could do the same, instead of trying so hard to be what it isn't: one of those classic aforementioned college campus films.
.....................................................................
Film 173
"After Sex"
starring: Brooke Shields, Virginia Madsen
"After Sex" isn't the kind of film you expect from just reading the title. You either expect a romantic comedy where sex is treated sort of off-the-cuff and the reason for troubles between the characters, where they define themselves by the sex they have, perhaps in a sort of incestuous way (among the group).
Instead it's a bleak, black-comedy about three couples that experience trials and tribulations after the three ladies go on vacation with each other an debauchery occurs (even if it's implied, but didn't happen, it still affects things for everyone involved). It wrecks the relationships the ladies have with each other and it wrecks havoc on their relationships with their significant others, once they get home. I couldn't help but think, though, that if only they'd all communicated better the entire mess could have been avoided. But, alas, then we wouldn't have had a film. And maybe that's the better option. It sort of plays out like a bad soap opera. The acting is not very good, the writing leaves a lot to be desired, and the directing is shoddy, at best. There are plenty of lame jokes about sex an self-help books throughout the film an perhaps the most confusing as to the point of them, there are interludes featuring Dr. Drew and Adam Corolla from that short-lived call-in help show on MTV, "Loveline." You know what I'm talking about. These interludes are the backseat driver for the actual film, and honestly, if it needed this much help to move it along, perhaps it needed another rewrite. At its core, it is a film about the differences between men and women, especially when it comes to sex. But, it's also about communication, a lesson I've had to learn the hard way a couple of times, now, in my personal life.
.........................................................................
Film 174
"Free Zone"
starring: Natalie Portman
"Free Zone" is an interesting movie about another land.
Let me talk about the beginning of the film, though, because it's almost uncomfortable to watch, but you must have patience. It begins with a 9-minute close up of Natalie Portman in a car, staring out the window. Something has happened, that we can deduce. She cries, off and on, for these first 9 minutes while a woman sings a song in Hebrew(?), that seems to play out like the "12 Days of Christmas" song. It must have some relevance to the film's story, you are thinking, otherwise why would director, Gitai's include it with such obvious detail and closeness. Natalie Portman is a master of the technique of crying on film. And she really puts herself into the roles that she plays. Unfortunately, here, she takes a backseat (literally) as a girl trying to escape a war-torn country, and she seems along for the ride as her taxi driver, a woman played well by Hanno Laslo, is on her own mission to recover money for her husband, who sells armored vehicles in the "free zone" of eastern Jordan. Hanna and Rebecca (Portman) spend about 85% of the film in the car, traveling to recoup this money ($30,000) from a famed and mysterious "American" constituent of Leila (Hiam Abbass), who battles wills with Hanna, until finally she is persuaded to get in the car with the other two ladies and lead them to the American. Rebecca is the only one who meets this American, and I think it's because she has to, because although she plays a second-hand character, she has experienced the emotional turmoil the most, and she is the one who needs the conflict resolution, which she gets from a simple conversation with the American, after a scary encounter during a fire-fight of sorts.
Rebecca's emotions are high because she is heartbroken over the ending of her relationship with her boyfriend, whom she seemed to follow to Israel, only to meet his disapproving mother and thus meet the end of their relationship. The end of their relationship plays out in one of the most interesting ways I've seen on film, too. The director decided to layer their conversations as a flashback playing over what is currently happening in the present (riding in the car). If the film was tissue paper stacked on tissue paper, that's what it would look like, and it's not distracting because there's nothing happening except scenery and facial expressions in the present. I loved the look and feel this presented for the film, and it allowed the film to move along nicely, without breaking it up for an entire flashback. I think that would have taken away from the film.
Portman's performance and acting chops are dialed down just enough to let the real star of the film, Hanna Laslo take the lead. There's a lot going on under the surface of the story, as you can expect with the conflict coming from Israel and Jordan. The conflict between the older ladies, Hanna and Leila is perhaps the director's allegory for the bigger picture. It is a microcosm of a seemingly unsolvable catastrophe in a war-torn country.
Here is a movie that thrives on its performances and each actress turns in great performances. I was impressed with this indie film.
.....................................................................
Film 175
"Manic"
starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Don Cheadle, Zooey Deschanel
I didn't necessarily love this film because it treats such a serious topic as teenage mental illness as something not serious-enough, I think. It's presented in an almost documentary style, the way the camera jostles around the actions of each character. There are plenty of scenes within the walls of the institution, and group therapy sessions that make you wonder if that is actually what goes on behind these closed doors. But, also, I couldn't help but feel uneasy for the teenagers stuck in these places, because for the seriousness of their "diseases and disorders" they seem to be left unsupervised or rather lackadaisically supervised quite often. Well, often enough to get into some hairy situations amongst themselves. There's lots of fighting and cutting, as well as cursing and swearing. Yeah, they are playing teenagers well. But, I think there's a lot more to them than what's on the surface, and we really only get to know that about one of the characters (and he's not even the main character, he's the Native American roommate, whom, it's implied gets molested by his stepfather).
Don Cheadle plays the counselor and the man in charge of these unruly, troubled teenagers, in an ultimately thankless position, since his job is to help these teens heal themselves, so that they can return to real world, where they will face conflicts daily. He is trying to help them see the grass that is greener on the other side, while also teaching them to take responsibility for the actions and holds them accountable for their actions- something these teens don't want to deal with, ever. They'd much rather just remain pissed off at everyone and everything about life.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the "newbie" to the institution and group, who will be tested by them, because of some violent angry outbursts at school, the latest of which left a peer in an awful condition. Gordon-Levitt's character will be challenged by Cheadle's counselor to learn how to control and stifle his anger. And there are plenty of opportunities for him to be angry, the least of which coming from another teenage boy, who plays the antagonist, with his own desire to just want to fight, and will find any reason to provoke anyone. Although, he targets Levitt's character the most, because he wants to see what he's got. Levitt's character is a complex being, and we see it play out with his encounters with his antagonist, with his group friends, especially his roommmate, whom he feels a strong bond with, and also the somewhat love interest, of course, thrown into the story, played quietly by Zooey Deschanel, as a girl who needs to stand up for herself better and louder.
Overall, the film's presentation with the hand-held camera takes away from the seriousness of the topic and the truths that are revealed throughout the film. There are a lot of teens who feel the way these teens do and I wish it had been handled better. I can think of one film that tackled troubled teens perfectly, "Thirteen."
I loved the scene in which Don Cheadle loses it, because he's trying to prove a point to Levitt's character, but he's also doing what perhaps many adults have wanted to do throughout their lives, when dealing with stubborn, troubled teenagers. You want to make them see that the world is bigger than them, that there are larger problems in the world, and that the world does not revolve around them, no matter how much they want to think it does- but, as a teacher, I also know about child psychology and, more importantly, I've been a teenager, not too long ago, and I know what it's like to feel like all the chips are stacked against you. It's a terrible position to be put in, and often times, it's not that kid's fault, but it's an important lesson to learn, what Cheadle's character is trying to teach these teens.
................................................................
Film 176
"Trollhunter"
starring: some Norwegian actors
I love this film and I think it falls in line with "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity" as one of the best "found footage" and "hand-held camera" movies. Here's why: if not if the simple reason that both former movies severely lack in the presence of the antagonist of the film, and in "Trollhunter" there are plenty of trolls to be seen, but it's also scary and funny when it needs to be.
It's about 3 filmmakers in Norway on the trail of an assumed bear poacher. Turns out the guy they've been following actually works for the government in a secret agency that hunts and kills the trolls that are terrorizing Norway (and have been for years). That's funny! Right? It's almost like "Men in Black," I guess.
Anyway, these trolls are a nuance because they haunt the forests at night (they can't come out during the day because of a Vitamin D processing issue within their bodies), they live in caves (which seem way too small for them when the hunting crew approaches and navigates the caves, themselves), and they seem to hunt Christians, besides eating livestock (which is the real problem, blamed on the bears, but the bears are the government's cover-up solution).
Hans is the troll hunter, who takes his job seriously, even makes the film crew smear troll stench on themselves to avoid detection (unfortunately, one among them is a Christian and can be smelled regardless).
I enjoyed the ride that these faux filmmakers took me on throughout the film. I liked the change of pace halfway through, too and the switch over to the night-vision in the cave, when they seem trapped by sleeping trolls. The trolls themselves were a spectacle, ugly for sure and mostly gigantic and larger-than-life, enough to scare the filmmakers and present a fear in the viewer as well, even though we all know trolls are not real. There is also a great scene that brought to mind the childhood story, "Three Billy Goats Gruff" in which Hans is trying to get a blood sample of one of the trolls suspected to be sick and spreading his disease. Hans uses 3 goats as bait for the troll and has them on top of a bridge. The troll apparently sleeps/lives under this bridge and he appears, eats one of the goats and then confronts Hans, who is in an armored suit.
There was the right amount of suspense, thrills, chills, laughs, wonderings, and action to make for a complete film experience. I love this movie and hope you will see it, too.
"Old School"
starring: Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Elisha Cuthbert (bit part, but still worth it), Jeremy Piven, Ellen Pompeo, Juliette Lewis, Leah Remini, Craig Kilborn, Seann William Scott (all bit parts for these guys)
Directed by: Todd Phillips
"Old School" is the kind of movie I could put on if I was bored and wanted to watch something that I didn't necessarily have to pay close attention to when it was on. That doesn't make it a bad movie. In fact, just the opposite. It's such a good movie, that I could watch it anytime, with a lack of attention because I already know what's happening. Sure, I'll stop what I'm doing for the scenes with Elisha Cuthbert, because I love her. And yes, there are some classic scenes, like Will Ferrell shooting himself with a horse tranquilizer.
Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn and a handful of outcasts play the anti-hero frat boys. It starts when Owen Wilson's character returns home early from a business trip to find his girlfriend (Juliette Lewis) partaking in some crazy sex stuff. They break up and he has to move. He moves into a house near a college campus, close enough to be considered campus housing, but not really. His buddies, Ferrell and Vaughn, in an attempt to live vicariously through Wilson, decide he should make it "THE party house." He throws legendary parties and ends up with the nickname- The Godfather. His parties and status take on a bit of "Fight Club" mentality, because he doesn't want people talking about it. First rule about the frat is: there is no frat. Until there has to be. And that need and the conflict in the movie comes in the form of Jeremy Piven, the dean of the college- playing the polar opposite of his character in the early 1990s film "PCU." Interesting choice for the role, but Piven is stellar as the uptight dean who will do anything to see the demise of the frat and these 34 year old dudes clearly having more fun than he is capable of.
The trouble with this film is that it is trying too hard to be like its predecessors: (re: "Animal House" which cannot be topped at all, "PCU" and "Revenge of the Nerds," perhaps even a little bit of "Billy Madison mixed in). It also makes a lot of assumptions about the rampant college campus life(style), which I honestly don't know much about because I never went away to college an experience that lifestyle, for myself. But, I do know that a lot goes on: moral integrity takes a backseat oftentimes to having a good time, exhibitionism, promiscuity, excess drinking, drug-taking, and anything else you can imagine. And yes, this movie has it all, with even a guest spot for party entertainment in the form of Snoop Dogg.
The movie's story line seems thrown together and is tied together by the gags and shenanigans that the fellas find themselves in, which doesn't really allow for any real character develop to occur, but honestly are you looking for that in this type of comedy. You know there will be a conflict and the subsequent, expected resolution where the good guys win (it's the formula, sorry folks). The story arc even includes a lovely and adorable new love interest for Wilson's character, found in the equally adorable Ellen Pompeo (who needs to fin herself in more films, I think, forget about "Grey's Anatomy"). But, even that budding romance is nothing that you really care about. You are watching this for the gags, because, let's face it, it's a Todd Phillips movie and there are plenty of them.
Enjoy it for what it is. If only it could do the same, instead of trying so hard to be what it isn't: one of those classic aforementioned college campus films.
.....................................................................
Film 173
"After Sex"
starring: Brooke Shields, Virginia Madsen
"After Sex" isn't the kind of film you expect from just reading the title. You either expect a romantic comedy where sex is treated sort of off-the-cuff and the reason for troubles between the characters, where they define themselves by the sex they have, perhaps in a sort of incestuous way (among the group).
Instead it's a bleak, black-comedy about three couples that experience trials and tribulations after the three ladies go on vacation with each other an debauchery occurs (even if it's implied, but didn't happen, it still affects things for everyone involved). It wrecks the relationships the ladies have with each other and it wrecks havoc on their relationships with their significant others, once they get home. I couldn't help but think, though, that if only they'd all communicated better the entire mess could have been avoided. But, alas, then we wouldn't have had a film. And maybe that's the better option. It sort of plays out like a bad soap opera. The acting is not very good, the writing leaves a lot to be desired, and the directing is shoddy, at best. There are plenty of lame jokes about sex an self-help books throughout the film an perhaps the most confusing as to the point of them, there are interludes featuring Dr. Drew and Adam Corolla from that short-lived call-in help show on MTV, "Loveline." You know what I'm talking about. These interludes are the backseat driver for the actual film, and honestly, if it needed this much help to move it along, perhaps it needed another rewrite. At its core, it is a film about the differences between men and women, especially when it comes to sex. But, it's also about communication, a lesson I've had to learn the hard way a couple of times, now, in my personal life.
.........................................................................
Film 174
"Free Zone"
starring: Natalie Portman
"Free Zone" is an interesting movie about another land.
Let me talk about the beginning of the film, though, because it's almost uncomfortable to watch, but you must have patience. It begins with a 9-minute close up of Natalie Portman in a car, staring out the window. Something has happened, that we can deduce. She cries, off and on, for these first 9 minutes while a woman sings a song in Hebrew(?), that seems to play out like the "12 Days of Christmas" song. It must have some relevance to the film's story, you are thinking, otherwise why would director, Gitai's include it with such obvious detail and closeness. Natalie Portman is a master of the technique of crying on film. And she really puts herself into the roles that she plays. Unfortunately, here, she takes a backseat (literally) as a girl trying to escape a war-torn country, and she seems along for the ride as her taxi driver, a woman played well by Hanno Laslo, is on her own mission to recover money for her husband, who sells armored vehicles in the "free zone" of eastern Jordan. Hanna and Rebecca (Portman) spend about 85% of the film in the car, traveling to recoup this money ($30,000) from a famed and mysterious "American" constituent of Leila (Hiam Abbass), who battles wills with Hanna, until finally she is persuaded to get in the car with the other two ladies and lead them to the American. Rebecca is the only one who meets this American, and I think it's because she has to, because although she plays a second-hand character, she has experienced the emotional turmoil the most, and she is the one who needs the conflict resolution, which she gets from a simple conversation with the American, after a scary encounter during a fire-fight of sorts.
Rebecca's emotions are high because she is heartbroken over the ending of her relationship with her boyfriend, whom she seemed to follow to Israel, only to meet his disapproving mother and thus meet the end of their relationship. The end of their relationship plays out in one of the most interesting ways I've seen on film, too. The director decided to layer their conversations as a flashback playing over what is currently happening in the present (riding in the car). If the film was tissue paper stacked on tissue paper, that's what it would look like, and it's not distracting because there's nothing happening except scenery and facial expressions in the present. I loved the look and feel this presented for the film, and it allowed the film to move along nicely, without breaking it up for an entire flashback. I think that would have taken away from the film.
Portman's performance and acting chops are dialed down just enough to let the real star of the film, Hanna Laslo take the lead. There's a lot going on under the surface of the story, as you can expect with the conflict coming from Israel and Jordan. The conflict between the older ladies, Hanna and Leila is perhaps the director's allegory for the bigger picture. It is a microcosm of a seemingly unsolvable catastrophe in a war-torn country.
Here is a movie that thrives on its performances and each actress turns in great performances. I was impressed with this indie film.
.....................................................................
Film 175
"Manic"
starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Don Cheadle, Zooey Deschanel
I didn't necessarily love this film because it treats such a serious topic as teenage mental illness as something not serious-enough, I think. It's presented in an almost documentary style, the way the camera jostles around the actions of each character. There are plenty of scenes within the walls of the institution, and group therapy sessions that make you wonder if that is actually what goes on behind these closed doors. But, also, I couldn't help but feel uneasy for the teenagers stuck in these places, because for the seriousness of their "diseases and disorders" they seem to be left unsupervised or rather lackadaisically supervised quite often. Well, often enough to get into some hairy situations amongst themselves. There's lots of fighting and cutting, as well as cursing and swearing. Yeah, they are playing teenagers well. But, I think there's a lot more to them than what's on the surface, and we really only get to know that about one of the characters (and he's not even the main character, he's the Native American roommate, whom, it's implied gets molested by his stepfather).
Don Cheadle plays the counselor and the man in charge of these unruly, troubled teenagers, in an ultimately thankless position, since his job is to help these teens heal themselves, so that they can return to real world, where they will face conflicts daily. He is trying to help them see the grass that is greener on the other side, while also teaching them to take responsibility for the actions and holds them accountable for their actions- something these teens don't want to deal with, ever. They'd much rather just remain pissed off at everyone and everything about life.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the "newbie" to the institution and group, who will be tested by them, because of some violent angry outbursts at school, the latest of which left a peer in an awful condition. Gordon-Levitt's character will be challenged by Cheadle's counselor to learn how to control and stifle his anger. And there are plenty of opportunities for him to be angry, the least of which coming from another teenage boy, who plays the antagonist, with his own desire to just want to fight, and will find any reason to provoke anyone. Although, he targets Levitt's character the most, because he wants to see what he's got. Levitt's character is a complex being, and we see it play out with his encounters with his antagonist, with his group friends, especially his roommmate, whom he feels a strong bond with, and also the somewhat love interest, of course, thrown into the story, played quietly by Zooey Deschanel, as a girl who needs to stand up for herself better and louder.
Overall, the film's presentation with the hand-held camera takes away from the seriousness of the topic and the truths that are revealed throughout the film. There are a lot of teens who feel the way these teens do and I wish it had been handled better. I can think of one film that tackled troubled teens perfectly, "Thirteen."
I loved the scene in which Don Cheadle loses it, because he's trying to prove a point to Levitt's character, but he's also doing what perhaps many adults have wanted to do throughout their lives, when dealing with stubborn, troubled teenagers. You want to make them see that the world is bigger than them, that there are larger problems in the world, and that the world does not revolve around them, no matter how much they want to think it does- but, as a teacher, I also know about child psychology and, more importantly, I've been a teenager, not too long ago, and I know what it's like to feel like all the chips are stacked against you. It's a terrible position to be put in, and often times, it's not that kid's fault, but it's an important lesson to learn, what Cheadle's character is trying to teach these teens.
................................................................
Film 176
"Trollhunter"
starring: some Norwegian actors
I love this film and I think it falls in line with "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity" as one of the best "found footage" and "hand-held camera" movies. Here's why: if not if the simple reason that both former movies severely lack in the presence of the antagonist of the film, and in "Trollhunter" there are plenty of trolls to be seen, but it's also scary and funny when it needs to be.
It's about 3 filmmakers in Norway on the trail of an assumed bear poacher. Turns out the guy they've been following actually works for the government in a secret agency that hunts and kills the trolls that are terrorizing Norway (and have been for years). That's funny! Right? It's almost like "Men in Black," I guess.
Anyway, these trolls are a nuance because they haunt the forests at night (they can't come out during the day because of a Vitamin D processing issue within their bodies), they live in caves (which seem way too small for them when the hunting crew approaches and navigates the caves, themselves), and they seem to hunt Christians, besides eating livestock (which is the real problem, blamed on the bears, but the bears are the government's cover-up solution).
Hans is the troll hunter, who takes his job seriously, even makes the film crew smear troll stench on themselves to avoid detection (unfortunately, one among them is a Christian and can be smelled regardless).
I enjoyed the ride that these faux filmmakers took me on throughout the film. I liked the change of pace halfway through, too and the switch over to the night-vision in the cave, when they seem trapped by sleeping trolls. The trolls themselves were a spectacle, ugly for sure and mostly gigantic and larger-than-life, enough to scare the filmmakers and present a fear in the viewer as well, even though we all know trolls are not real. There is also a great scene that brought to mind the childhood story, "Three Billy Goats Gruff" in which Hans is trying to get a blood sample of one of the trolls suspected to be sick and spreading his disease. Hans uses 3 goats as bait for the troll and has them on top of a bridge. The troll apparently sleeps/lives under this bridge and he appears, eats one of the goats and then confronts Hans, who is in an armored suit.
There was the right amount of suspense, thrills, chills, laughs, wonderings, and action to make for a complete film experience. I love this movie and hope you will see it, too.
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