MOVIE REVIEW: LIFE OF PI 3D

Yann Martel's ponderous adventure novel gets the big-screen treatment with this Fox 2000 adaptation helmed by director Ang Lee. The coming-of-age story surrounds the son of a zookeeper who survives a shipwreck by stowing away on a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger by the name of Richard Parker. Suraj Sharma heads up the cast as the young boy, with Gérard Depardieu, Adil Hussain, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, and Bollywood actress Tabu also starring. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Ang Lee

Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall, Gérard Depardieu

Release Date: Nov 21, 2012

Rated PG for peril emotional Thematic Content and Some Scary Action

Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

Ang Lee’s wonderfully epic and visually stunning parable on life religion and survival is dense but still fairly accessible. The film’s plots starts grounded but gets more mystical existential as we move along. Along the way we are treating to a visually stunning and utterly engrossing parable that borrows from many a religious source. There are big topics at play here but it’s done, with the help of some truly stunning 3D, in an intimate and personal way which makes the entire easier to digest without losing much of the sentiment. At its center is Hollywood newcomer Suraj Sharma who performance impresses throughout. He’s given the Herculean task of carrying the film while working on a green screen mostly by himself. Sharma conveys a bevy of emotions throughout the span of the film, his face and eyes expressing heartbreak and hope while he traverses a Job like set of trials. His shipmate, a meticulously created CGI tiger is a marvel of technological achievement. If there is a fault to be found here it’s the film’s insistence on making sure we don’t miss the point by restating it various points throughout especially near its finale.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK



David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook stars Bradley Cooper as Pat, a bipolar man from Philadelphia who has spent the last eight months in a mental hospital. He was ordered there after a violent incident involving his wife and another man. Pat moves in with his father (Robert De Niro), a lifelong Eagles fans who has low-level OCD issues. Pat wants to get back together with his wife, even though there is a restraining order keeping him from contacting her. He soon befriends a depressed young woman who's mourning the death of her husband by engaging in compulsive sex with almost everyone she meets; she also knows his wife and offers to deliver a letter of his to her if he acts as her partner in a local dance competition. Silver Linings Playbook screened at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Director: David O. Russell

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker

Release Date: Nov 16, 2012

Rated R for some Sexual Content/Nudity and Language

Runtime: 2 hr. 2 min.

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Review:

Silver Linings Playbook is an interesting film that’s probably better than it should be because of a pair of outstanding performances from its leads. David O. Russell directs this film with a steady hand giving it a frantic energy during some of the more intense scenes. What’s impressive about his direction is that at its base the story and film as a whole is a romantic dramedy. Bradley Cooper really impresses as the male lead showing a level talent we hadn’t seen before. Cooper expresses so much on his face, you can see so much about what’s going on in his mind without saying a word. Jennifer Lawrence matches him step for step with an equally impressive and occasionally ferocious performance. Lawrence gives the character strength mixed with a pervading sadness throughout. The pair share a manic yet believable chemistry onscreen with both giving us plenty of insight into these broken people who are still trying to run away from traumatic event in their lives. The supporting cast is filled with an impressive list of actors and actresses giving the film a lot of credibility. If there’s a fault it’s that the film does start down a familiar path especially in the last act. It’s not terrible but noticeable, not enough to detract from the strong work put in by Cooper and Lawrence.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: LINCOLN

LINCOLN



Steven Spielberg helms his long-in-the-making biopic of Abraham Lincoln for DreamWorks and Touchstone Pictures. Daniel Day-Lewis portrays the former head of state in the Tony Kushner-penned adaptation of Doris Kearns Goodwin's book Team of Rivals, which chronicles the President's time in office between 1861 and 1865 as he dealt with personal demons and politics during the Civil War. Sally Field leads a co-starring cast that includes Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Academy Award nominee John Hawkes. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook

Release Date: Nov 09, 2012

Rated PG-13 for intense Scene of War Violence, Brief Strong Language and Some Images of Carnage

Runtime: 2 hr. 29 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Steven Spielberg’s Oscar bait biopic of Lincoln is that rare features that portrays history honestly with as little sentimentally, for a Spielberg film at least, as possible. At its center it’s a cornucopia of wonderful dialogue performed by some of the finest actors work in the business. In the title role, Daniel Day Lewis once again loses himself utterly and totally into Honest Abe’s skin. It’s not as showy a role as you think; instead it’s a testament to nuance and restraint. Lewis displays his talent to emote a range of emotions through his face and eyes, giving us a look into the man’s heart and soul with only a few rare “splash” scenes. Sally Field surprises with her turn as Mary Todd Lincoln. She gives her an emotionally broken depth that’s palpable, building to a masterful climatic scene with Lewis that gives us a glimpse into the relationship and dynamic. Tommy Lee Jones, even more bulldogged faced than usual, is appropriately sarcastic and single minded in his pursuit of true equality. James Spader and John Hawkes supply some needed levity as a pair of fixers working to “convince” opposition party members to change their mind on the vote. Spielberg keeps to the entire thing together working with restraint and tact throughout. Certain scenes feel like moments from stage plays as watch characters give speeches and pontificate about large issues. Spielberg is able to make it engrossing and engaging, an appropriate tribute to a great leader.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: SKYFALL

SKYFALL




007 (Daniel Craig) becomes M's only ally as MI6 comes under attack, and a mysterious new villain emerges with a diabolical plan. James Bond's latest mission has gone horribly awry, resulting in the exposure of several undercover agents, and an all-out attack on M16. Meanwhile, as M (Judi Dench) plans to relocate the agency, emerging Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) raises concerns about her competence while attempting to usurp her position and Q (Ben Whishaw) becomes a crucial ally. Now the only person who can restore M's reputation is 007. The film was directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) and shot by acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins (True Grit, The Reader, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Release Date: Nov 09, 2012

Rated PG-13 for language, Intense Violent Sequences, Smoking and Some Sexuality

Runtime: 2 hr. 23 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Director: Sam Mendes

Cast: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ben
Whishaw

Review:

Roger Moore’s take on James Bond still sticks in my mind whenever the series pops out another entry into the long running series. Moore was the Bond of my childhood and while some of it was enjoyable it never really did much for me as a series or character. So much so that I skipped the entire Dalton and Brosnan iterations of the character, the latter of which fell into some of the sillier set ups and situations. Craig’s take on the other hand, I rather enjoyed even with the overly self serious mess that is Quantum of Solace. That misstep seems like a distant memory with Skyfall, it cover so much franchise territory that it feels like the perfect Bond flick, doubly so with this being the 50th anniversary. Sam Mendes direction is superb, his love of the series seeps through every moment of the film. Skyfall is a visually stunning film, thanks to some truly impressive cinematography from Roger Deakins. The entire production could be seen as a love letter to the franchise as a whole, yet it works perfectly as a film and story in of itself. Mendes lets the plot breathe, never letting it get too serious dour or overdone. He moves it all forward at a steady pace and delivers an experience which never feels its 2 and ½ hours. Action set pieces are all very strong, especially the opening sequence which start thing off on a great note. Craig comfortably steps back into Bond’s tuxedo with ease. He is able to maneuver the character’s nuances, dealing with some deeper character moments very well. Judi Dench is given more to do than just issue orders and sit behind a desk. Her status as Bond’s surrogate mother figure comes into play here, allowing for some great character moments between M and Bond. The newcomers to the series; Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw all make for strong additions with Whishaw making his presence felt in a natural and organic manner for the character and series. Javier Bardem is wonderfully flamboyant and maniacal as the villain. Bardem’s villain encapsulates all the craziness of past Bond villains but adding a great twist to it, he’s hard to take your eyes off when he’s on screen thanks to Bardem’s commitment to his creation. The story itself has enough beef to keep causal and hardcore fans engaged especially with it’s focus on the old fashion ways of doing things.

B+

[Trailer] World War Z

As the poster tells you this is the cinematic version World War Z starring Brad Pitt. First off, this would have been better off have been named something else since the novel it’s borrowing its name from is a collections of individual accounts about the cataclysmic event.

This, along with some shoddy looking CGI, looks like a run of the mill Hollywood production with Pitt out to save the world against super fast extra climby zombie ant people.

MOVIE REVIEW: SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

Steve Carell and Keira Knightley star in this apocalyptic comedy following two neighbors who set out for one last road trip after learning that a massive asteroid will wipe out all life on Earth in just three weeks. Dodge (Carell) and Penny (Knightly) are both having a very bad day. This mismatched pair spend their time on the road together, their journey takes on a new meaning -- one that neither could have ever seen coming, but which both sense was the way things were meant to be. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Lorene Scafaria

Cast: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Connie Britton, Adam Brody, Rob Corddry.

Release Date: Jun 22, 2012

Rated R for language including sexual references, some drug use and brief violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 41 min.

Genres: Romance

Review:

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a tonally uneven film that goes from one extreme to another. While the cast is committed to their roles and both bring some verifiable heart to the roles and story, you wouldn’t be the only to feel like you are watching 2 different films. During the first half of the film it works well as a dark comedy dealing with all the extremes that seem plausible in the face of impending doom. The 2nd half plays more like a romantic comedy with a heady philosophical slant. The shift is clunky and noticeable occurring as soon as the musical cues become more and more pronounced. Lorene Scafaria, who directed the underrated Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, seems to have a lot on her mind here and there’s some strong themes and ideas at work but she never seems to finds a steady cohesive flow for it all. Carrell and Knightley seem incredibly mismatched at first glance but as the film moves on they find a certain rhythm together, sharing some impressive yet subtle scenes together. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a strange film that could have worked had it picked a direction and stuck with it. That being said, if you prep yourself for a massive shift in tone, you may find plenty to like here.

B-