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Film Review: Attack The Block

Christian Allaire — Fri, 27 May 2011 01:28:37 +0000

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From the producers of ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’ comes the film ‘Attack the Block,’ a film about a gang of tough city kids who must defend their block by fighting off savage aliens invading earth.

Set in a South London complex, the film is written and directed by Joe Cornish and produced by James Wilson and Nira Park, who is also the master producer behind indie favourite ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World.’

The film has a lot of british charm. The characters all seem to capture an offbeat british sense of humour, and the banter between gang members is what makes the film really enjoyable. Unlike other horror movies where you want the characters to die, you feel for these characters. You’re cheering them on.

As you gathered from the plot, the movie could easily turn cheesy but doesn’t for several reasons. As mentioned above, the clever dialogue and characters keeps the film dimensional. No stock characters here. Each gang member has a specific style and personality, causing you to connect and feel for each one of them.

The film is more comedy than horror, really. Sure, there are sharp-fanged aliens out to get them, but the film seems to knowingly use its genre to sort of make fun of itself. Let’s just say at one point there is two 9 year olds who defeat an alien with a water gun. Exaggerated, yes, but a funny little scene and duo.

My only complaint for the film is the un-scaryness of the aliens. I’m sure they made the monsters extra cheesy for a reason (they are ape-like, with fangs) but the movie would be that extra more compelling if the aliens were, say, terrifying. Maybe nothing scares me anymore, I don’t know. But there are a lot of fun jumpy scenes to make up for it.

Of course, it is also noteworthy to say that Nick Frost’s character makes the film. A comedic genius he is.

The film has no release date as of yet, but I give the film a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Don’t take it too seriously – just enjoy the ride, the humour, and the scares.

Movie Review: Red Riding Hood

Christian Allaire — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 16:31:08 +0000

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We all know the story: girl wears a red cape, is being followed by a wolf. She then visits her grandmother, her grandmother is the wolf. Or something like that. But all this goes out the window in Catherine Hardwicke’s adaptation of the classic “Red Riding Hood.”

Let’s start with the positive. Hardwicke, the director of the film who’s also directed for “Twilight,” delivers a visually stunning film. It captures great North American landscape, and the film’s forte definitely lies its cinematography and visual appeal. I absolutely commend her artistic decisions and direction she took within the story. I mean, contrasting Amanda Seyfried’s gentle blond hair and piercing blue eyes with that dramatic red cape. Heaven on screen. In fact, Seyfried is genuinely what saves the film from disaster itself – her understated acting is not only realistic but saves the movie from being cheesy.

But let’s move into what’s wrong with the film. Although the movie has its twists and turns that keep it interesting, the story itself suffers from an identity crisis. Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl (Seyfried) falls for an orphaned woodcutter (Shiloh Fernandez), much to her family’s displeasure. So is the movie a thriller? A love story? A dark comedy? It dabbles in a bit of all three. There is a certain melodramatic love tension that occurs between the two young hotties, then there are brutal wolf attacks on the village people, and then there are clever allusions to the original fairytale. But it’s all too much. Pick on one theme, and make it great.

I saw this movie with my friend, and we left feeling neutral. It wasn’t a bad movie, in fact, we both said it could have been a lot of worse so we respected the fact that they made it interesting. But then again, the movie wasn’t great. They could have been much more shocking with how they changed the story, they could have made way more clever connections to the original, and besides Seyfried, the acting could have been better.

But for what the movie is, a teenage love-action story, the movie achieves its goal and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. I give it a 2.5 out of 5, smack dab in the middle. Not great, not horrid.

Movie Review: ‘The Tourist’

Irene Ogrodnik — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:33:46 +0000

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When Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie confirmed their starring roles in director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s latest film, most fans and critics were simply delighted. ‘The Tourist’ quickly became one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year as two of Hollywood’s biggest and most sought after actors would finally share the big screen.

But with the release of the movie trailer, my hopes for a Depp-Jolie semi-masterpiece were quickly and easily squandered. The promotional teaser is bland, unoriginal and forgettable. The film itself, unfortunately, makes a poor job at proving it’s more than a mindless romantic-comedy-action-thriller. Yet, for some, perhaps that’s more than enough.

Jolie stars as Elise Ward, a mysterious Englishwoman with impeccable fashion taste and elegance. She is the lover of Alexander Pearce, a criminal with a target on his back due to stealing $2.3 billion from a gangster. The movie starts off with Elise receiving a note from Pearce in a cafe in Paris, where she is instructed to board the train to Venice. On board, Elise must choose a man of similar height and build to Pearce to serve as a decoy. Cue in Depp who plays Frank Tupelo, a seemingly innocent disheveled math teacher from Wisconsin. Upon their arrival to Venice, Elise invites Frank to her hotel room where a lacklustre kiss results into Frank making a morning run for his life. Indeed, people now assume Frank is Pearce–a financial genius who also altered his appearance with $20 million worth of cosmetic surgery.

Quite a captivating story, isn’t it? Oh, barely.

The film moves too slowly and the story line never accomplishes its goal of truly intriguing the audience. There’s far too little action, yet surprisingly more humour than one might expect. And while it’s a bit refreshing to see Depp stray away from his usual flamboyant roles (which he excels at all too well), Jolie hardly steps too far away from her Salt or Wanted-like role, which is just too repetitive and too common now, even for her. Donnersmarck capitalizes on Jolie’s ability to pull off the femme fatale role effortlessly and perhaps the director relies on this a bit too much. Throughout the film, the camera constantly lingers on Jolie’s flawless features for a moment too long. Yeah we get it, she’s stunning. The subtle filming technique suddenly comes off as creepy and a tad odd, leaving audiences to feel they are invading too much of Elise/Jolie’s personal space.

While the movie does manage to have its enjoyable moments with its stunning Venice views and somewhat comical one-liners, its easily forgettable and painstakingly predictable plot might make viewers wonder why Depp and Jolie even bothered with such a project.

Movie Review: ‘It’s Kind of a Funny Story’

Megan MacKay — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 14:14:28 +0000

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The art of producing a comedy-drama is a delicate one. Tell too many jokes and you run the risk of your message getting lost. Go too serious and the audience may feel bogged down in the story or worse, ripped off by your lack of gag material. There’s a fine line filmmakers have to walk in order to achieve success in this hybrid genre, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to make a winner. “It’s Kind of a Funny Story,” opening October 8th in Toronto and October 15th nationwide, walks the razor thin tightrope with the unshakable balance of past genre stars. It may be a little early to call it a sealed deal, but the film based on Ned Vizzini’s popular novel of the same name is most definitely in the running to become this year’s Little Miss Sunshine or Juno equivalent.

The film tells the story of sixteen-year-old Craig (Keir Gilchrist), an imaginative overachiever who’s struggling under the pressures from his family and academic career. After experiencing a particularly vivid suicidal fantasy, Craig decides to check himself into a mental health clinic. Shortly after he’s admitted, Craig finds out that due to ongoing hospital renovations the youth ward has been temporarily closed – meaning that he’ll be spending his 5-day stay intermingling with both teen and adult patients. The situation is daunting for Craig until he meets Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), a 36-year-old fellow patient who decides to mentor Craig through his stay. Craig also bonds with Noelle (Emma Roberts), a suicidal teen with an affinity for Radiohead and line drawings. With the help of Noelle, Bobby, and the rest of the ward, Craig reprioritizes his life and discovers that beauty and happiness can be found in the most unexpected of places as long as you’re brave enough to go looking for it.

The terms “suicidal” and “mental health” tend to send up red flags for people. The topics are touchy at best, and if not approached in precisely the right way they can make a film come across as downright offensive. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck tackle the subject matter flawlessly, creating a film that allows the setting and circumstances step aside to make room for the stunning characters their actors and writers have created. It’s explained why each patient has checked into the hospital but their illnesses don’t take centre stage, a technique that allows almost everyone on screen to portray wonderfully multi-dimensional individuals that refuse to be defined by “what’s wrong with them.” Zach Galifianakis in particular delivers an absolutely incredible performance that totally blew me away.

Galifianakis obviously brought a dash of humour to his role (if you’re a fan of his comedy work, keep an ear open for his almost-mandatory Werther’s reference), but he also brought an incredibly grounded sense of humanity that made him a total show-stealer. Comedy fans will also love Jim Gaffigan’s brief-but-crucial appearance as Craig’s workaholic father, a role that proves Gaffigan’s got some versatility too.

Be warned, though: there’s an indulgent lipdub number to the tune of Queen/Bowie’s “Under Pressure.” If you’re not prepared for all the glitter in Vegas to be represented on one screen at one time, you may want to head out to the snack bar for that particular five minutes of the flick. But despite being over-the-top, the number isn’t jarring in the slightest. The scene feels fitting and fun within the confines of the movie – no “WTF why” moments here, just straight thumbs-up.

“It’s Kind of a Funny Story” is exactly that – kind of a funny story that ends up becoming kind of the perfect movie. As a huge fan of both the book and anything Zach Galifianakis has ever touched, I left the theatre feeling exponentially happier and totally fulfilled. Don’t miss this one – you’re going to want the “I saw it first” bragging rights when the time comes.

Movie Review: Street Dance 3D

Megan MacKay — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:26:34 +0000

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For the terminally uncoordinated, simply watching a dance movie can feel challenging. Sometimes you even break a sweat on behalf of the tortured lead character as he or she foxtrots their way from the underdog position to the top of the dance pyramid. One such movie is Street Dance 3D, a British dance drama to receive wide release Friday, October 1^st. As I walked (and tripped, and fell, and picked myself up and laughed awkwardly) into the theatre to catch a screening, I was prepared to feel some serious dance envy.

Street Dance 3D follows the story of young Carly (Nichola Burley) and her dance crew as they’re fresh off the thrill of winning a spot in the national street dance finals, the grand prize of which is a trip to New York and a chance to represent Britain in the world street dance championships. Trouble lies ahead as Carly’s crew leader and boyfriend Jay announces he’s quitting dance temporarily to focus on school. Carly takes over as the crew’s leader but struggles as crew members drop out left, right, and centre, and their rehearsal space is booked to the nines. All seems lost until Carly runs into ballet teacher Helena (Charlotte Rampling) who, impressed by the crew’s work, offers them a deal – unlimited rehearsal time and space at the ballet studio in exchange for a position on the team for some of her ballet dancers. Can Carly pull two cultures together and create a winning routine in time for the UK Street Dance Championships?

Street Dance 3D, as you may have guessed, is presented in full 3D glory. As Carly dances out her frustration, every turn and hair flick seems to be magnified in complexity by the 3D aspect of the picture. Though I’m by no means a trained dancer in any way, shape or form (save for one well-intentioned but tragic brush with the YMCA’s beginner’s dance program) my mind was blown by the sheer difficulty of the moves. I was pretty sure human bodies are limited in the shapes they can make, but there Nichola Burley was, contorting herself onscreen and showing me I was very very wrong about physics. Yes, Step Up 3D may have done 3D dance magic first, but the film’s choreography was numbingly stale in comparison to Street Dance 3D’s. And when you pair the excellent choreography with the flick’s fun and well-produced soundtrack, Street Dance leaves the Step Up soundtrack in the dust.

Though the choreo was spot-on, Street Dance 3D’s plot left me in the lurch. I understand that there’s only so many ways one can make a movie about a dance competition, but the only thing different about Street Dance was the lack of a satisfying ending. I found myself thinking “…wait, so it’s over? That’s it?” as the credits came to an end and I left the theatre (tripping and falling on my way out yet again because I assume some divine power didn’t think I was publicly embarrassed enough for one day). But then again, who really goes to a dance movie for the story, right? It’s all about the moves for most people, and those, as I mentioned, were utterly killer.

If you’re into lighthearted dance movies that leave the focus on the steps and not on the plot, Street Dance is an excellent choice for this weekend’s date night. Though the film may lack substance in dialogue and plot, you’ll find more than enough in the choreography and soundtrack to make you leave the theatre with a new spring in your step.

Movie Review: ‘The Tillman Story’

Megan MacKay — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:13:30 +0000

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If there are three things in the movie world I tend to avoid like the plague, they’d probably be sports stories, war flicks, and movies where an endearing and lovable primary character dies (I’m looking at you, Disney’s Bambi). Which is why I was so pleasantly surprised by Amir Bar-Lev’s newest Sundance supported documentary, The Tillman Story. Sure, there’s some football and some war and somebody really nice dies, but there’s a fourth element that got me totally invested in the story. Think of it this way: have you ever thought that the government was, well, maybe totally making stuff up and/or strategically hiding the truth to get you and the people you love to do something like, say, go to war? Yes? What a coincidence! The Tillman Story totally exposes the Bush administration doing exactly that.

Very few men would give up a career in professional football to enlist in the armed forces. To most of us, trading in a cushy seven-figure job and hordes of adoring fans for camouflage jumpsuits and a scary gun seems like a pretty insane thing to do. Enter Pat Tillman, a promising young twenty something who meteorically rose to become the apple of the NFL’s eye in the early 2000s. Concerned by the shaky political climate of post-9/11 America, Tillman gave up his contract with the Arizona Cardinals in 2002 to join the army with his brother Kevin. The men are quickly shipped off to Afghanistan, where Pat becomes disenchanted with the operational practices of the United States Army. Though his heart isn’t in it anymore, Pat decides to complete his full three-year tour with his brother. Tillman remains in Afghanistan until April 22, 2004, with just over a year left on his contract, he is tragically killed by what is reported to be an errant enemy bullet during an ambush. Pat is awarded the Silver Star, an award of valor, and painted as a true American hero who sacrificed himself to save his peers. But when it becomes apparent that his death was almost definitely caused by friendly fire at the hands of the soldiers he was allegedly trying to save, the Tillman family find themselves at the centre of one of the most high-profile government cover-ups of the twenty-first century.

The thrill of Bar-Lev’s film definitely comes from the awe-inspiring depth of the Tillman conspiracy. The paper trail leads straight to the very tippy top of the Bush administration – yes, to George Jr. himself. If you’re looking for another reason to hate the 43rd president, you’ll find it here. Nothing makes you question the integrity of your government quite like falsified political propaganda, am I right?

Though the movie is really well organized and coherent, there are times when the military lingo is laid on so thick that the personal accounts of the soldiers in Tillman’s unit can become difficult to follow. Understandable, since they’re soldiers and not professional actors pretending to be soldiers.

Recommended? I think so, but you’d have to be in a specific mood to watch Tillman. The movie is best appreciated when you’re in the mood to analyze and think about what’s being presented to you. It’s definitely not a work of escapism. If you have any interest in politics, governance, and totally insane conspiracies, it’s definitely worth the lineup.

Movie Review: ‘The Trotsky’

Ilan Mester — Fri, 14 May 2010 04:36:17 +0000

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The lists of high school comedies that deal with sex are endless. The list of high school movies that are concerned with socialism on the other hand, are not. That’s why “The Trotsky” is a rare gem.

The latest from Canadian filmmaker Jacob Tierney tells the story of Leon Bronstein, an affluent Montreal teen played by Jay Baruchel (“How to Your Dragon,” “”She’s Out of My League), who believes he’s the reincarnation of socialist Leon Trotsky.

Most to-do lists consist of taking the dog to the groomer or mowing the lawn – not Leon’s. His list features the most important happenings of Trotsky’s life (including marrying a woman named Alexandra and getting assassinated).

After organizing a hunger strike at his own father’s company (played by Saul Rubineck), Leon is sent to public school. He sees it as an opportunity to engage the students in some good old fashioned activism and of course, he ends up on the principal’s bad side.

Movie goers can ultimately go into the movie without knowing much about Trotsky and still enjoy the comedy. Tierney, who also wrote the flick, does a good job of summing up Trotsky’s ideals without making the film seem like a two-hour history lesson.

After seeing Baruchel play Leon, it becomes impossible to picture any other actor playing the lead character. Aside from having the hair and the glassed down packed, Baruchel convinces in the part. Leon is extremely awkward and stubborn, but he makes the character likable.

Baruchel’s scenes with Emily Hampshire, who plays his much older love interest Alexandra (another Trotsky parallel), are often funny and engaging. Equally funny are Leon’s scenes with his step mom, played by Anne-Marie Cadieux.

“The Trotsky” could have shaved off 15 to 20 minutes. However, that can easily be forgiven because the movie’s concept is so creative that it’ll still keep you hooked.

Movie Review: Death At A Funeral

Ilan Mester — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:47:57 +0000

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There are two actors, their respective characters and subplots that keep “Death at a Funeral” alive: James Marsden on drugs and Tracy Morgan taking care of an elderly uncle.

A remake of the British comedy of the same title, the latest “Death at a Funeral” sticks to a similar plot. It focuses on a day in the life of a dysfunctional family that has come together for a funeral, this time in Los Angeles. This description may come across as a tear-jerker film, especially for those who haven’t seen the movie’s trailer. But make no mistake, “Death at a Funeral” is anything but a drama.

The movie stars some of the biggest names in American comedy, including Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan. Unfortunately, it miscasts Rock, the movie’s protagonist. The funnyman plays the film’s most serious role, an older brother living in the shadow of his younger sibling (Lawrence).

The deceased has a secret one man (played in both movies by Peter Dinklage) threatens to share with the family — if you’ve seen the original, you’ll know exactly what it is. While this secret definitely shakes things up for the characters, it’s ultimately a mislabeled bottle of Valium that carries this movie through.

“Avatar’s” Zoe Saldana plays Elaine, Rock’s cousin who’s responsible for accidentally drugging her boyfriend, Oscar (Marsden). It’s worth noting that Marsden steals nearly every seen he’s in. Half of them involve him being naked and/ or or talking to a leaf.

There’s definitely some shock value to “Death at a Funeral” and even some laugh out loud moments involving other characters aside from Marsden. But there aren’t enough of those moments.

At times, the movie relies too much on pop culture references for laughs, which is weird seeing the number of talented comedic actors that make up its cast.

Movie Review: Greenberg

Ilan Mester — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 03:27:19 +0000

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Ben Stiller has played nearly a hundred different characters throughout his career.

Anyone who’s seen one of his movies knows many of Stiller’s films are comedies featuring slapstick humour (just take a look at the first 10 minutes of “There’s Something About Mary”). There’s no such humour in “Greenberg.” In fact, it’s barely a comedy at all compared to Stiller’s previous projects.

The film tells the story of Roger Greenberg (played by Stiller), a 40-something musician-turned-carpenter who’s recovering from a serious breakdown. Roger has a talent few people possess: writing crafty letters of complaint about minor issues.

Some people go out of their way to do something. Roger goes out of his way to do nothing (or so he claims).

He returns to Los Angeles after spending 15 years in New York to take care of his brother’s lavish hillside house while he’s on vacation with his family. During his time in L.A., Roger starts working on a dog house for his brother’s pet, contacts some old friends and starts a romance with Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig), his brother’s personal assistant who’s almost 20 years his senior.

Their relationship is unconventional to say the least and just like their bond, it’s difficult to pinpoint this movie. It switches from comedy to drama in a matter of minutes, but this back and fourth only makes it interesting.

Oscar-nominee Noah Baumbach (“Margot at the Wedding,” “The Squid and the Whale”) knows how to tell a refreshing story. He definitely got Stiller out of his comfort zone. There’s no slapstick comedy or “blue steel” poses in “Greenberg.”

Few films capture friendship like this one. Roger’s friendship with old pal Ivan Schrank (Rhys Ifans) has depth. Their dynamic is completely different from bromances in films like “I love You, Man.”

The cinematography by Harris Savides is refreshing as well. He captures a more realistic, unglamorous version of L.A. – smog and all – and still manages to maker the city appealing to the eye.

Warts and all, Roger offers some great insights into the world. At a gathering with old childhood friends he says, “All the men out here dress like children.” It’s these little gems that make “Greenberg” worth while.

Movie Review: The Bounty Hunter

Ilan Mester — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:18:39 +0000

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There’s a reason why action movies are rarely paired up with romantic comedies. Could you imagine Jason Statham and Meg Ryan sharing the same silver screen? Probably not.

“The Bounty Hunter” tells the story of Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler), a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter who lands an ideal job that allows him to chase his bail-jumping ex-wife, Nicole (Jennifer Aniston). What Milo originally deems an easy way to make $5000 bucks ends up turning into one of his toughest hunts when Nicole, a daily news reporter, has something of her own to chase: a lead on a murder cover-up.

For those expecting a romantic comedy a la “The Ugly Truth,” you’re out of luck. While both films feature Bulter in all his rugged, spit-on-the-street glory, “The Bounty Hunter” fails to charm. It’s not exactly a romantic comedy (or a great action film for that matter).

On the positive side, the movie assembled quite a diverse cast. “Saturday Night Live’s” Jason Sudeikis plays a co-worker whose obsession with Nicole knows no bounds. Christine Baranski (“Mamma Mia!”) plays Aniston’s martini-gulping mother and Jeff Garlin plays Butler’s boss. Unfortunately, the film features way too many characters and way too little character development.

For lack of a better cliche, Aniston is like an ageless wine that only gets better with time. The former “Friends” star has undeniable screen presence and adds an abundance of feistiness to the role. However, that alone isn’t able to hold the film. Since we never find out what drew Nicole and Milo together and what caused them to drift apart, it’s hard to care if they’ll ever reunite.

The movie is being marketed as a comedy, but the first 15 minutes are joke-free. With the exception of a tumbling here, a quirky one liner there, it fails to bring in the laugh-out-loud moments featured in comedies like “The Proposal”.

That being said , the film does have some mildly interesting plot twists. But it seems like these twists arrive when the movie’s already an hour in.

Director Andy Tennant (“Hitch,” “Sweet Home Alabama”) has seen some highs and lows directing cute romantic comedies and some not so cute romantic movies (a.k.a. “Fool’s Gold”). Let’s just say “The Bounty Hunter” won’t be one of his high points.

Movie Review: No Distance Left To Run

Ilan Mester — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:54:05 +0000

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Most North American fans of Blur weren’t able to catch the British rockers during their 2009 summer tour. If that’s the case, you’ll probably have to settle for the next best thing: the small screen.

“No Distance Left to Run” is a feature length roockumentary that follows the band throughout their summer tour. It was the first time in years that Blur rejoined forces to play together — and you can bet enough happened in between that time to fill up notebooks worth of song lyrics.

However, the movie also focuses on their successful, yet rocky past as brothers; brothers in the sense of their bond as opposed to their blood. You see, the band members all have sisters but no biological brothers. The film starts off with Blur explaining how close they are. But they’re also distant to each other in a way only brothers can be.

Blur fans will be happy to know the movie doesn’t go more than five or 10 minutes without some music. This makes perfect sense judging by the number of hits Blur produced between the late ‘80s and early 2000’s.

The documentary also features exclusive interviews with all four band members along with unseen archival material. Directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace don’t shy away from asking lead singer Damon Albarn and the band about his highly publicized romance and brake-up with singer Justine Frischmann, the complicated dynamics between Albarn and Blur guitarist Graham Coxon and of course, their chart battles with Oasis.

“No Distance Left to Run” isn’t necessarily a raw documentary. It’s clear the directors put some thought, both visually and narratively, into how they wanted to tell Blur’s story. In fact, the storytellers are the band members themselves. For this documentary, the lack of outside narration is a plus. Having band members interviewed individually allows the less outspoken Blur members to share the spotlight that belongs to them.

While the movie may be just a tad too long (aside from having multiple ending points), it will undoubtedly strike a chord with Blur fans. And who knows, maybe it’ll bring in a new generation of fans — ones who recognize other Blur songs aside from Song 2.

Movie Review: Youth In Revolt

Ilan Mester — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:20:38 +0000

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Finally: a movie where Michael Cera doesn’t play Michael Cera. Well, sort of. In “Youth in Revolt,” he still plays his signature awkward-to-the-max character — only this time, a bad-ass is added to the mix. And that bad-ass just so happens to be played by Cera.

Based on the cult-classic novel by C.D. Payne, the film directed by Miguel Arteta (“The Good Girl,” “Chuck and Buck”) tells the story of Nick Twisp (a.k.a. Cera), a self-lamenting high schooler who sees everyone around him getting some action but fails to lose his virginity.

Nick isn’t your stereotypical teen. His playlist includes songs by Frank Sinatra and he enjoys classic prose. Nick meets the girl of his wet dreams, the beautiful Sheeni Saunders (played by Portia Doubleday), during a “family vacation” (it’s less glamorous than it sounds — you’ll understand once you see the movie).

However, Sheeni has a stuck-up poetry-writing prick of a boyfriend and in order to win her over, Nick has to get in touch with his dark side. You see, Sheeni likes her men bad and we’re not talking high school bully bad, we’re talking brash French playboy bad, and that’s exactly what Cera becomes. He adopts a mustache-baring, Euro-pant wearing, smoker alter-ego who goes by the name of François Dillinger.

Troublemaker would be an understatement when describing François. He convinces Nick to do the most unrealistic things involving cars (I won’t ruin the surprise). But more importantly, Cera himself is relatively convincing as François. He’s mastered the nebbish teen character in movies like “Juno,” “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playist,” and “Superbad,” but François may very well be his ticket to varying roles. The scenes involving Nick and François are by far the funniest ones. Still, the movie counts with a talented supporting cast who help keep the ball rolling.

Three-time Emmy-winner Jean Smart plays Nick’s promiscuous mother, “The Hangover’s” Zach Galifianakis plays her boyfriend, Justin Long plays a druggy, Steve Buscemi is Nick’s father, Ari Graynor appears in “Youth in Revolt” as well (she previously co-starred with Cera in “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” as Norah’s very funny drunk friend) — and the list goes on. Newcomer Portia Doubleday is charming as Sheeni and holds her own with Cera.

While entertaining, “Youth in Revolt” isn’t a movie that will renovate its genre. However, Cera fans will have plenty of awkward moments to rejoice and for those of you who aren’t Cera fans, well he may just win you over with François. One thing is for sure: we can definitely forgive him for starring in “Year One.”

Movie Review: The Young Victoria

Ilan Mester — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:59:02 +0000

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Emily Blunt rules literally and figuratively in “The Young Victoria.” After all, the main reason to see this biopic is due to the actress’ vibrant performance – a far stretch from the Victoria we’re used to reading about in text books.

Do a simple Google search and you’ll find tons of portraits of a frowning, stern-looking Queen Victoria dressed in a black lace widow’s outfit. “The Young Victoria” shows her in a completely different light. Instead, it opens with her growing up as an over-protected child, leading to her receiving the crown as a teenager.

This focus on her early years as queen is really refreshing but ultimately, it’s Blunt’s playful performance that makes this movie engaging. As a teen, Victoria doesn’t quite understand why she wants to be queen. But she knows from birth that she will carry this “royal burden.” When King William IV (Jim Broadbent) dies, Victoria suddenly realizes what she — or rather her family –have gotten her into.

Instead of the costume melodrama that 19th century biopics usually consist of, “The Young Victoria” features more of the political side of Victoria’s early reign. But of course, there had to be a love story in the midst of that and rest assured it’s front and centre (but only at certain points).

Rupert Friend plays Prince Albert, Victoria’s cousin whom she eventually falls in love with. The catch is that at first, Albert is what you could call an undercover agent for the king of Belgium, a man he calls uncle.

In the beginning, Victoria is trusting of nearly everyone, including the affable Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) who becomes her advisor. However, after marrying Albert, Victoria loses most of that trust in those who surround her and as the film progresses, she tries to figure out a balance between independence and manipulation.

French-Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y.) offers an interesting idea of how even a castle can act as a prison — that’s how Victoria feels at certain points. However, the movie’s main downfall is its pace. When the pace is fast it moves at lightning speed. But when it’s slow, the film just drags on – there’s no happy medium. And unfortunately, even with the focus lying on her tumultuous early years, “The Young Victoria” manages to be somewhat relatable but not that memorable.

Movie Review: A Single Man

Ilan Mester — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:37:52 +0000

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Tom Ford brings style to his new movie and it’s not just in the wardrobe. The former creative director for Gucci who now fronts his own fashion line makes his directorial debut with “A Single Man”.

Loosely based on the famed novel by Christopher Isherwood, the film follows a single day in the single life of a gay English professor who teaches in L.A. during the ‘60s. After losing his longtime partner Jim (played by Matthew Goode), George Falconer (Colin Firth) plans his suicide in order to end his suffering. However, George has a few things to settle before taking his own life.

The great thing about this film is that audiences can feel the suffering regardless of whether they’ve lost a loved one or not. That’s partly due to Ford’s directing and also to Firth’s impeccable performance.

Whenever George reminisces about his life with Jim, Ford uses black and white, a strong contrast from the vivid, colourful scenes that take place in the present. These colours come to life whenever George meets with his fellow British friend Charley (Julianne Moore) or with Kenny (“About a Boy’s” Nicholas Hoult), a student whose interest in George is more than academic. It’s clear that Ford — who also co-wrote and produced the film — knows how to use light and texture to his advantage.

And it should come to no surprise that he also has an unfailing eye for detail. Everything from the suits to Charley’s accessories (including a pink cigar) hint to his obsession with detail. Whether it be a conscious decision or not, Ford makes many of the scenes resemble advertisements, perhaps due to his fashion background. This could be a turn off to some while others will praise the cinematography.

The production team behind the set of “A Single Man” is that of the hit TV show “Mad Men,” so be sure to count on an equally authentic set. But at the end of the day, a film isn’t complete without a talented cast and this one has an abundance of talented actors.

Firth delivers one of his best performances yet. He’s already won an award related to the movie at the Venice Film Festival and he’ll undoubtedly continue to garner nominations for the role. Moore is radiant as Charley and provides some much needed comic relief. Audiences will be surprised to see “About a Boy’s” Hoult all grown up. And audiences will also be pleasantly surprised at what a fashion-designer-turned-director can bring to a movie.

Movie Review: Brothers

Ilan Mester — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:25:11 +0000

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There’s one main reason to see Jim Sheridan’s latest drama “Brothers:” its talented cast. The adaptation of the award-winning Danish film about post-traumatic stress is gripping to say the least. However, its main fault is being predictable, but if audiences can get past that, they’re in for an emotional battle.

“Brothers” takes place in a small Minnesota military town and tells the story of Marine captain Sam Cahill (played by Tobey Maguire). Unlike many other war films, however, this one focuses on the family.

All is well in the Cahill household until Sam is called up for a return trip to Afghanistan, forcing him to leave behind his beautiful wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and two young daughters. Tension rises among the family when Sam’s younger brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is released from prison. The two brothers share a rapport, unlike the rest of his family (mainly their father), who doesn’t understand the ex-con and deems Sam as the “good” son.

It’s no surprise that the family dynamics start to change as soon as Sam is pronounced dead in Afghanistan. Following the absence of his brother, Tommy finds purpose in taking care of Grace and his nieces — giving him a newfound sense of responsibility. However, Sam’s survival is never in question for the audience, no spoilers here — in fact, it’s in the trailer.

And it’s also no surprise that the Sam that returns from war — one who endured Taliban-inflicted torture and guilt while under captivity — is a changed man. Unfortunately, his relationship with every single family member takes a volatile turn and the old Sam slowly vanishes. As expected, the film really stresses post-traumatic stress disorder, which is what the story hinges on.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say this movie hinges on its cast as well. But there’s no denying their role in making “Brothers” worthwhile. The film’s three stars, Portman, Gyllenhaal and Maguire deliver one of their best performances to-date. Grace could not be a more fitting name for Portman’s character who exudes grace and integrity.

It’s also interesting that each of the three actors was cast in a relatively new and unexpected role. Gyllenhaal who’s no stranger to the friendly “guy next door” type of role, was cast as an ex-con. Portamn, who to many is still labeled as a member of “young Hollywood,” was cast as a mother of two. And finally, Spider-Man himself (a.k.a Maguire) is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in the film.

They’re all out of their elements and yet they undoubtedly pull the characters off with memorable performances. Also worth mentioning are the two young actresses Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare, who play Portman and Maguire’s daughters. The way they connect with the cast is so authentic, it makes it effortless for the audience to in turn connect with the family’s hardships.

It’s clear that Sheridan knows how to tell a story through family dynamics and specific detail. You add a great cast to the mix and there’s little room for error.

Movie Review: New York, I Love You

Ilan Mester — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:40:24 +0000

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Sorry “New York, I Love You,” not everyone will fall head over heels for you. The film interlocks a series of shorts from 11 directors – all based in The Big Apple.

Of course, a vignette set in New York City has only one place to start off: a yellow taxicab. “Hangover” buddies Bradley Cooper and Justin Bartha kick off the movie by playing strangers who land the same cab. But aside from the yellow car, a few distinct restaurants and references to Central Park, “New York, I Love” seems like it could take place in any other metropolis. It fails to show what makes New York one of the most visited cities in the world.

To be fair, each director had only two days to shoot their short film and a week to edit each segment. But you would think that a diverse group of directors from around the world (including Yvan Attal from France, Jiang Wen from China, Shekhar Kapur and others) would paint a multicultural picture of New York –which is not the case. That being said, at least there’s an abundance of love in this movie, ranging from platonic love to parental.

There are definitely worthwhile moments as well as both acting and directing revelations in “New York, I Love You.” Natalie Portman, for example, takes both a behind the camera role and an on-screen one (playing a Hasidic diamond broker). The short she directs, featuring Taylor Geare (who plays Portman’s daughter in the upcoming movie “Brothers”), is a highlight of the movie. Also keep an eye out for Anton Yelchin who had a supporting role in this year’s revamped “Star Trek.” He proves in this movie that he could very well give both Michael Cera and Jesse Eisenberg a run for their money.

“New York, I Love You” brings together a mishmash of young Hollywood stars including Blake Lively, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Christina Ricci, Hayden Christensen, Olivia Thirlby and Shia LaBeouf in what seems to be an attempt at attracting a younger crowd to see the film. However, it fails to have that “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” vibe.

Produced by the same people who brought you “Paris, je t’aime,” this movie is the second film in the Cities of Love franchise. The next stop will be Shanghai, followed by Rio de Janeiro and Jerusalem.

While you may not love “New York, I Love You” there’s bound to be parts you’ll enjoy.

Movie Review: Pirate Radio

Ilan Mester — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:20 +0000

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“Pirate Radio” is entertaining, well written — but also forgettable. Directed and written by Richard Curtis (“Love Actually,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”), there’s no question this movie will appeal to rock lovers and rock dummies alike. However, that doesn’t make it a memorable film.

In theory, this comedy has everything going for it: actors who can actually act (like Philip Seymour Hoffman), a reasonably original plot and a witty, Oscar-nominated screenwriter. The movie is based on the true story of a seafaring group of rock-obsessed DJs who captivated 1960’s Britain with their “pirate radio.” This at a time where rock music was mostly banned from the airways so the group broadcast live-to-air in an old tanker from the middle of the North Sea.

Their radio station helped unify millions across the nation and their story is without a doubt hilarious as told by Curtis. So what’s the problem? It’s just clustered. “Pirate Radio” is an ensemble film, but one with too many characters. While the movie does a fantastic job of developing a handful of oddball DJs, the rest of them are merely props.

There are some fantastic scenes in “Pirate Radio,” but unfortunately they just flit from one to the next. The one thing (or character) who reoccurs throughout many of the scenes and sort of binds them is a teenager by the name of Carl (played by Tom Sturridge), the godson to Quentin (Bill Nighy, the station’s manager). He’s freshly expelled from school and sent by his mother to spend some time on board. Having Carl’s character in the movie is smart to say the least because it makes the film accessible to a much younger crowd (including those who think a record only refers to an achievement).

One thing that’s definitely phenomenal about this movie is its cast. From established actors including Hoffman, Nighy and Emma Thompson to younger actors like Sturridge and “007’s” Gemma Arterton, the movie exudes talent.

The plot is interesting as well. The thing that keeps this movie going is the government’s attempts at sinking the pirates through legislation, along with subplots from some of the DJs. When one subplot is unveiled, another one takes off. The problem is there’s too much filler to get cheep laughs from the audience.

However, with all it’s faults, “Pirate Radio” is still a worthwhile movie. The film may not be a masterpiece (and may be a half hour too long), but the songs it features are without a doubt classics. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a soundtrack that includes The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks can you?

Movie Review: Inside Hana’s Suitcase

Ilan Mester — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:48:07 +0000

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“Inside Hana’s Suitcase” will move anyone and everyone. The film mixes documentary with narrative techniques to tell the true-life story of Hana Brady, a girl who was killed during the Holocaust.

The film was inspired by the 2002 bestselling book Hana’s Suitcase. It retraces a series of coincidences that lead Tokyo school teacher Fumiko Ishioka, to the suitcase that belonged to a Czech Jewish girl, Hana Brady.

Ishioka, who also happens to be the director of the Tokyo Holocaust Education Centre, receives the suitcase with only two bits of information on Hana: her date of birth and the fact that she was an orphan by the time of her wartime capture. It doesn’t take long for the teacher to become emotionally invested in discovering Hana’s story, an investment she shares with her students. After intense research, she discovers that Hana’s brother George, a Holocaust survivor and thriving grandfather who lives in Toronto, is still alive.

Don’t let the documentary aspect turn you away from seeing this movie because it’s anything but dry. Director Larry Weinstein does a fantastic job of combining interviews with George and surviving friends and family with stunning re-enactment footage of Hana and George as kids. The two types of storytelling mesh together so well that sometimes they literally blend (a scene involving Ishioka and a drawing by Hana is simply amazing and unique).

But perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this movie is its narration. Forget about the stereotypical monotone voice that narrates many documentaries, this one is told by children. And the interest these kids have in Hana definitely adds to the movie. It’s rare to find a kid-friendly documentary that a) captures children’s attention and b) informs them. This one does both.

For Ishioka, the purpose of teaching her students about the Holocaust was to show what can happen when prejudice and hatred are taken too far. The movie does a great job of capturing this. Take the advice of one of the schoolgirls in the documentary. She simply says, “we need to learn from this story” — advice worth taking.

Movie Review: This Is It

Eric Emin Wood — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:49 +0000

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Dunno if you heard, but a concert documentary, starring a little-known performer who died recently, opened across the country at 12:01 this morning.

This performer, Michael Jackson, would likely have been plagued by scandal through much of his adult life had anyone actually heard of him, so perhaps it’s just as well.

To Sony’s credit, This Is It does not feel like a quickie cash-in on Jackson’s death. A bit over-adulatory perhaps, but that’s to be expected. It must be said, however, that Jackson’s death casts a pall over the movie’s early proceedings; to me, his fake cleft chin and overly manufactured nose make his face look like melted wax, his voice occasionally lilts – not in a good way – and some of his dance moves look robotic.

But as time passes, the rehearsals have an obvious effect on him; his dancing becomes smoother, his singing becomes stronger, and he appears to become younger. Performing came as naturally to Jackson as breathing, and while his voice occasionally disappears, he’s never off-key (and explains more than once that he’s trying to save his vocal cords), and every number yields enthusiastic applause from the gathered technicians and back-up dancers.

If there’s an aspect of This Is It worth complaining about, it’s that a series of early interviews with Jackson’s back-up dancers never mentions their names, nor does the movie return to them, making their initial praise of him and nervousness when auditioning both creepily voyeuristic and shamelessly sentimental. It’s also worth noting that we never learn anything about Jackson himself; whenever he’s talking it’s all business, though it’s enlightening to learn just how clearly he knew his music inside and out. As you might expect, Jackson is very affectionate with the people he works with, and the choreographers, musicians, back-up singers and dancers all speak highly of him.

And what of the performance itself? Jackson and High School Musical director Kenny Ortega created a very cinematic production – show-stopping sequences were filmed for at least five of the songs – and after a clumsy introduction, the movie soon feels like a private concert.

Most of the expected hits are here – half of Thriller (the title track; “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”; “Billie Jean”; “Human Nature”; “Beat It”), some of Michael’s early stuff with the Jackson 5 (“I’ll Be There,” “Dance and Shout”), half the singles from Bad (“Smooth Criminal,” “Man In The Mirror”; “The Way You Make Me Feel”) and some of his most popular late-period work (“Black or White”; “Heal the World”; “They Don’t Care About Us”).

Watching This Is It, I couldn’t help but think about what Jackson’s detractors would have thought of the final product. Would they have seen his show and enjoyed it, or dismissed it as overproduced fanservice mounted by a fallen icon? Hard to say, since those detractors won’t see the movie; as for his fans, those who haven’t seen it already can expect a fond farewell. Whatever his faults, Jackson wrote some great music and remained a terrific performer until the end, and my impression is that anyone lucky enough to get a ticket would have seen a hell of a show.

Movie Review: Astro Boy

Ilan Mester — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:34:08 +0000

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If you can sit through corny lines such as “everyone has their destiny,” “Astro Boy” isn’t too shabby. While it doesn’t live up to Pixar standards, the movie is quite an engaging family-friendly action flick.

The animated film tells the story of a robotic boy who first emerged in the 1950’s as part of a Japanese manga series. Astro Boy then ventured into television in the ‘60s and today, he can be seen on the silver screen with upgraded CGI animation.

The film starts with Toby (voiced by Freddie Highmore), a brilliant, curious kid who’s the son of an even more brilliant scientist (Nicolas Cage). Unfortunately, he dies in a freak lab accident and his father, stricken with grief and guilt, creates a robot that looks exactly like Toby (memories included).

However, he realizes shortly after bringing the robot home that no one — or in this case nothing — can replace his son. He abandons the robot, who later takes on the name Astro and leaves the gleaming Metro City in order to find a place where he belongs (I apologize for the cheesiness, but that’s literally how he feels).

There’s one catch, Astro is powered by Blue Core energy, a crystalline nugget that’s extremely powerful and that the government, mainly the vicious president, wants to get its hands on.

While the plotline may not appear simple on paper, it’s easy to follow on screen. As a film, “Astro Boy” is quite simple and doesn’t offer much innovation to its animated-action genre. But, it isn’t a completely passive movie. The war-obsessed fictional President in the film (voiced by Donald Sutherland) is an obvious political allusion anyone who sees the movie will pick up on within seconds. Also, the treatment of robots is quite cynical.

As far as the animation goes, it isn’t necessarily realistic per say, but it’s well done — to the point that you really get into the action. One thing the film deserves kudos for is its cast. While Summit Entertainment is relying on big names — including Samuel L. Jackson, Charlize Theron, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, among others — to draw in the audience, it pays off, because for the most part, their voices suit their respective characters — including Highmore who brings Astro to life.

Director David Bowers (“Flushed Away”), who penned the movie’s screenplay alongside Timothy Harris (“Space Jam”), clearly borrowed certain concepts from films like “WALL-E” and “Robots,” to create this movie. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make “Astro Boy” unique from them.