MOVIE REVIEW: THE IMPOSSIBLE

Director Juan Antonio Bayona follows up his critically acclaimed feature debut The Orphanage with this drama set during the 2004 Thailand tsunami, detailing one family's incredible fight for survival. Inspired by actual events. Tom Hollander and Geraldine Chaplin co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona

Cast: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Hollander, Marta Etura, Sönke Möhring, Geraldine Chaplin

Release Date: Dec 21, 2012

Rated R for intense realistic disaster sequence, disturbing injury images and brief
nudity

Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

The Impossible is the type of harrowing experience that has you watching the film through clenched teeth while grasping the arm rest during some of the more intense sequences. It’s a dramatization of a true story but it does an impressive job of giving you an approximation of the destruction that occurred during this tragic event. Bayona masterfully re-creates the tsunami’s impact with the visceral punch of a horrific amusement park ride. Naomi Watts and Tom Hollander do the majority of the heavy lifting on the emotional side. Watts and Hollander share a strong believable chemistry as mother and son. Personally, I can’t think of anybody better at playing emotionally beaten and frayed than Naomi Watts while keeping a quite strength behind her eyes. Watts delivers an unglamorous raw turn; it leaves a lasting impression even though she disappears for the better part of the last act. Hollander matches her every step of the way with one of the best performances I’ve seen by a child actor in years. Ewan McGregor and the 2 younger actors get some small moments to shine and each does impressive work with limited screen time. They get relegated to the background for the most part and the script seems content to use them for some of the more manufactured moments of heart string pulling such as a trifold set of near misses before the final reunion. It’s an issue that becomes more apparent as the film nears its finale. These moments feel out of place and forced even though the story didn’t need to beat you over the head with agony and could have relied on the organic moments of uplifting human drama.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: J. EDGAR

IN THEATERS

J. Edgar



Acclaimed actor Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Academy Award-winning director Clint Eastwood's richly detailed biopic exploring the life and career of controversial FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. For nearly 50 years, Hoover (DiCaprio) fought crime as one of the most powerful law enforcers in America. During Hoover's extended stint as Director of the FBI, however, his penchant for bending the law in the name of seeking justice and using the secrets of high profile leaders to gain personal leverage won him just as many supporters as detractors. Little did many other than his loyal colleague Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) and faithful secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) know, however, that Hoover himself was a man with many secrets to hide. Josh Lucas, Judi Dench, and Stephen Root co-star in film written by Oscar-winning Milk scribe Dustin Lance Black. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench

Release Date: Nov 09, 2011

Rated R for brief strong language

Runtime: 2 hr. 17 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar is a solid biopic even if it occasionally turns into a chore to watch as it slowly recounts the highlights of Hoover’s life. Eastwood work on screen is precise and deliberate but surprisingly detached as well. Usually Eastwood has a strong emotional connection with his subject matter but it’s strangely missing here. What he delivers is a slightly unfocused hodgepodge of snippets from Hoover’s life, bouncing around from the past to the present, not always with a clear purpose. The script comes off as more informational than thought out; the main characters are fleshed out but only to a certain degree. The audience is kept at arms length for the most part; a few scenes allow us into Hoover’s psyche a bit more but not enough. In the titular role Leonardo DiCaprio is impressive, working a strong accent throughout, breaking out of his traditional mold. His performance showcases the massive contradictions of the man and he tries to give us as many layers as possible. A well groomed Armie Hammer is the film’s heart and soul. It’s a shame the script doesn’t allow him to do more because I’m sure he could have really expanded on this role if he’d been allowed to. His and DiCaprio’s interactions lay the ground work for so much of the inner turmoil that Hoover experience, one can’t help but feel that it could have been explored more thoughtfully. Naomi Watts is left on the sidelines for the most part, more of a spectator than an actual player in the grand scheme of things. The real crime is that her character, especially in the final years of Hoover’s life, seemed fertile for exploration. Since this is one of those films that travels across nearly half a century, heavy make up and prosthetics play a prominent role. DiCaprio and Watts seem to have the best luck with the make with poor Armie left with some the looks like a bad burn victim with liver spots. As a whole J. Edgar engages but lacks the emotional punch you’d expect.

B-

Bluray quality; Video is excellent really showcasing the muted visual tone of the film; Sound is basic with very little flair to make it stand out.

I was hand-selected to be a member of Blu-ray Elite, a beta program from Warner Home Video which has graciously sent me this free Blu-ray disc.

Movie Reviews: THE INTERNATIONAL

Monday, June 15, 2009
Movie Reviews: THE INTERNATIONAL
ON DVD

THE INTERNATIONAL

Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) joins forces with New York prosecutor Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) to put an end to a powerful bank's funding of terrorism. As they follow the money from Germany to Italy to New York to Turkey, Salinger and Whitman find their own lives are at risk from those who will stop at nothing to protect their interests.

Cast: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Brian F. O'Byrne

Director: Tom Tykwer

Opened February 13, 2009

Runtime: 1 hr. 58 min.

Rated R for some sequences of violence and language

Genres: Political Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Thriller

Review:

Tom Tykwer, director of my of all time favorite films Run Lola Run, has plenty of star power to work with in The International mixed with wonderfully scenic and exotic locales this film should be a classic but sadly it merely average. It’s not really Tykwer’s fault, the script is filled with issues and plagued by lack of depth on any of the characters. First-time screenwriter Eric Warren Singer shows an ability to throw large and heady ideas but doesn’t seem able to bring together in a cohesive whole. In addition, Singer’s script never gives any of the characters any type of depth or back story, tidbits about the characters past are mentioned but never fleshed out. Regardless, Tykwer does fantastic work behind the camera giving this film a modern appearance and never presenting anything close to mundane onto the screen. A spectacularly staged shootout in the Guggenheim Museum, meticulously recreated, is an example of beautiful carnage. The cast is impressive and all do solid work with what little they have to work with. Clive Owen wears a steely seething angry look throughout most of the film and he brings a fair amount of gravitas to the affair. Naomi Watts tries to bring something to her character but it’s so thinly written and she’s given so little to do that she can’t help but be forgettable. Armin Mueller-Stahl is impressive in his role and bring a necessary sense of gravitas to the proceedings, sadly his roles is painfully small and mostly confined to the last third of the film. Brian F. O'Byrne has what could have been an interesting role as the bank’s consultant aka assassin but his character is mostly glossed over as his main scene involves the aforementioned shootout at the Guggenheim. Tykwer delivers a visually impressive film which could have been a truly special had it had a more experienced screenwriter behind it. As is, The International is a self serious convoluted thriller, that’s a lot slower paced than the ads would have you believe, which leaves you mildly disinterested when we reach the swift and unsatisfying finale.

C+

Movie Reviews: EASTERN PROMISES & 1408

Sunday, October 07, 2007
Movie Reviews: EASTERN PROMISES & 1408
IN THEATHERS




EASTERN PROMISES

Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), who belongs to one of London's most feared organized crime families, meets a midwife (Naomi Watts) who unwittingly holds damaging information that could lead to unraveling the family's criminal network. Nikolai must make sure this doesn't happen without ruining the young woman's life.

Cast Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl (more)

Director(s) David Cronenberg

Writer(s) Steven Knight

Status In theaters (wide)

Genre(s) Drama

Release Date Sept. 14, 2007

Running Time 100 minutes

MPAA Rating R - for strong brutal and bloody violence, some graphic sexuality,

language and nudity

Review:

Eastern Promises is quite simply one of the best films of the year. David Cronenberg's new film is a complex and totally enthralling work that keeps your eyes glued to the screen throughout. This is due in no small part to stellar performances from the cast. Viggo Mortensen turns in quite possibly his best performance ever and is fully deserving of an Oscar nod come nomination time. Mortensen's Nikolai is a massively compelling character and it's impossible to take your eyes off him when he's on screen. Vincent Cassel supporting role as Kirill is excellent and he gives the character, which could have been played very clichéd in lesser hands, plenty of depth and pathos. Naomi Watts almost gets lost in the mix but her subdued performance is on par with rest of the cast even if her role isn't as meaty as her counterparts. Cronenberg takes advantage of these wonderful performances and elevates what could have been a very straight forward, even clichéd, thriller and turns it into an operatic piece of art with very Cronenberg sensibilities. Try not to winch and grimace during the naked knife fight which is as potent an action sequence as I've seen on celluloid. I've always been a fan of Cronenberg's work but his recent films like A History of Violence and Eastern Promises he's elevated his game to a truly masterful level.

A

ON DVD

1408

Mike Enslin (John Cusack) is a guy who stubbornly refuses to believe in the paranormal. In fact, he's written two bestselling books debunking myths and rumored hauntings. His latest subject is a hotel room in New York City with a dark and infamous past. However, in his determination to prove that 1408 is not haunted, Enslin may just stumble into a real-life ghost story.

Cast John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub (more)

Director(s) Mikael Håfström

Writer(s) Matt Greenberg, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski

Status On DVD

Genre(s) Horror

Release Date June 22, 2007

DVD Release Date Oct. 2, 2007

Running Time 94 minutes

MPAA Rating PG-13 - for thematic material including disturbing sequences of violence and terror, frightening images and language

Review:

1408 starts off very well establishing mood and a pervasive sense of dread but quickly fizzles out as it crashes towards the end. Mikael Håfström (Derailed) movie starts with excellent pacing and wonderfully sets up shots that give the film a refined sense of quality. Unfortunately, once the action moves to the actual room these lavish shots quickly disappear and we are subjected to a fairly pain by the numbers ghost/haunted story. The story is surprisingly layered and deep but the execution just fails. My main issue with this film is that John Cusack is so over the top that it's distracting and hard to take him or the story serious. Needless to say I didn't find it particularly frightening or disturbing, on a side note it did make me want to watch The Shining again. As the film progresses and the situations get more and more outlandish the movie it becomes more of a chore to watch than anything else. 1408 starts the movie with the promise of great things ahead but fails to deliver anything new or frightening.

C-