MOVIE REVIEW: ZERO DARK THIRTY

Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, the Academy Award-winning duo behind The Hurt Locker, reteam for this drama detailing the hunt for Osama bin Laden, which stars Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain as the intelligence expert who dedicated a decade of her life to tracking down the world's most wanted terrorist. Joel Edgerton, Edgar Ramirez, Mark Strong, Chris Pratt, and James Gandolfini co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Release Date: Dec 19, 2012

Rated R for Strong Violence, Language and Brutal Disturbing Images

Runtime: 2 hr. 37 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Edgar Ramirez, Kyle Chandler, Mark Strong

Review:

Zero Dark Thirty is not a jingoistic depiction about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. Kathryn Bigelow takes Mark Boal script and opts for a detached documentary feel. There’s a noticeable neutrality throughout the film. It’s not the type of feel that’s going for a slant or angle; instead it decides to simply unfurl the series of events that occurred even if some are fictionalized. It’s a methodical straightforward film that keeps you engaged as you watch the frustrating and occasionally dangerous machinations of the world’s biggest manhunt. At its center is Jessica Chastain. Chastain gives her character a calculated intensity and steely resolve. She’s fascinating in her singular dedication to her task, so much so that when the task is done you have to wonder how the character would ever find meaning in another task. The supporting characters come and go as the film goes on. Due to the style of the film, we never get very close to any of the characters even the lead. The climatic raid is almost clinical but incredibly tense and powerful. The same can be said about the film as a whole.

A

The Best (and Worst) Movies of 2012

NOTE:

Major Films I missed in 2012:

Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, The Impossible, Beasts of the Southern Wild & Amour.


All films are in no particular order, so without any further adieu;


Best films of 2012


The Hobbit




Not being a diehard LOTR fans left me kind of iffy about this but Jackson’s slightly uneven film kept me entertained throughout, unlike Fellowship of the Ring.

Prometheus



It’s a flawed film with its issues magnified with repeated viewings, still it worked for me on so many levels. So much so that I saw it various times in theaters and multiple times on blu-ray.

The Dark Knight Rises




It’s was one of my most anticipated films of the summer and it didn’t disappoint. That being said, much like Prometheus, its flaws are more and more apparent with repeated viewings but it still leaves me satisfied with each viewing.

Moonrise Kingdom




My favorite Wes Anderson film has been The Royal Tenenbaums for ages. While his films have been consistently solid, Moonrise Kingdom was the first one since The Royal Tenenbaums that connected with me in such a strong manner.

The Master




It’s a movie who’s plot could be written on a post it but it’s has some of the best performances I’ve seen all year. While the plot is frustratingly opaque and ultimately unresolved, Hoffman Phoenix and Adams keep your eyes glued to the screen.

Silver Lining Playbook




I hate romantic comedies because they are so formulaic. At its base this film is a Rom-Com but it does it with such interesting characters and strong performances that you won’t really notice until the film’s over.

Lincoln




Spielberg and Daniel Day Lewis are in top form supported by an equally game supporting cast. Sure it’s ready made Oscar bait, so much so I kept imaging fake trailers for it like on Tropic Thunder, but it’s thoroughly engaging and fascinating.

Life of Pi 3D





Ang Lee’s visually stunning and moving adaptation of the beloved book is the type of film that needs to be seen on a big screen and in 3D.

Django UnChained




Quentin Tarantino’s latest film is another stellar turn. It’s his most romantic and unflinching film, which is saying a lot on both fronts, it’s nearly perfect and easily re-watchable.

The Avengers




It should have worked at all but it did. After a few more viewings I still can’t help thinking its Joss Whedon playing with toys on a massive scale. The interplay between the characters is fun delivering as much fan service as possible.


My Biggest cinematic surprises of 2012


Cloud Atlas




It’s not a perfect film but I couldn’t keep but respect its audaciousness. It’s as massive as it is bold. In a sea of films I really enjoyed, this one left me the most emotionally invested by the time the credits rolled.

Pitch Perfect




Trailers looked funny enough to be respectable but I was surprised at how well written it was. A good collection of talent and the fact that it never took itself too serious made it a big success.

Wreck-it Ralph




One of the best non Pixar animated film out there. Some inspired voice acting choices along with a more textured than expected story left me grinning and caring about the characters.

Chronicle



I love found footage films but even I can tell it’s overexposed. Chronicle was entirely off my radar so I was taken by surprise at how well acted and inventive this superhero origin story was.


The worst movies I suffered through in 2012



Silent House




Stupid endings with bad plot twist can kill a solid film, a real shame because Elizabeth Olson put in a great performance.

Wrath of the Titans




For some reason I thought this sequel might be better than the horrid remake. It was worse and even stupider.

Chernobyl Diaries




The first third of the film does a solid job of establishing the setting and tone. Then they introduce the mutants from The Hills Have Eyes….

Snow White and the Huntsman




Kristen Stewart as Snow White. I tried as hard as I could to give it a fair shot but Stewart’s endlessly mopey face and Charlize Theron unchecked Mommy Dearest overacting make this an unpleasant experience.


Total Recall




Glossy, slick and just about as soulless and pointless as they come, it’s a perfect example of what not to do with remakes.


Resident Evil Retribution




Why do I keep watching these expecting to be surprised? Somehow even worse than the last one and even more incoherent and idiotic.

Paranormal Activity 4




A cash in sequel which could and should be ignored when the next chapter hits screens. Lazy in everyway possible after some rather well thought out sequels to the original hit.

MOVIE REVIEW: LES MISERABLES

The King's Speech's Tom Hooper directs this adaptation of Cameron Mackintosh's successful musical version of Victor Hugo's classic novel. The drama surrounds the obsessive quest of Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) as he spends years in an effort to capture escaped convict Jean Valjean. Hugh Jackman co-stars in the Universal Pictures production. Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, and Sacha Baron Cohen also star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Release Date: Dec 25, 2012

Rated PG-13 for suggestive and sexual material, violence and thematic elements

Runtime: 2 hr. 38 min.

Genres: Drama, Music/Performing Arts

Director: Tom Hooper

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen,
Helena Bonham Carter

Review:

The cinematic version of Les Misérables will give you goose bumps one moment then have readjusting in your chair as the barrage of bombastic yet bold musical numbers beat you into submission. It’s all wonderfully staged by a dedicated Tom Hooper. He treats this beloved musical with a tenderness and love throughout. Everything is wonderful to look at and listen to. Hooper just lets you dive right in and never really lets you take a breath. His A+ cast belts out tune after tune with impassioned veracity and emotional heft. At its center is Hugh Jackman who anchors the entire production with his impressive vocals and performance. Jackman’s stage talent and experience is readily apparent, making his casting a real win for film. Anne Hathaway has garnered plenty of attention because of her turn as Fantine and its well deserved. Her screen time is incredibly limited but she leaves a strong emotional impression. Less impressive is a miscast Russell Crowe. I’ve been a fan of Crowe for years and while he looks the part, his vocal chops are just all wrong for this type of film and character. It’s a major misstep, one that detracts from the film’s quality as a whole which is a real shame. An angelic Amanda Seyfried is strong if limited as the older Cosette. She’s outshined by her character’s counterpart played by Samantha Barks. Barks oozes melancholy as she belts out her songs about unrequited love. Hooper moves his film at a methodical pace but the story does leave you feeling a bit disjointed as it changes from intimate to global back to intimate. Flaws aside, it’s an opulent piece of musical filmmaking which keeps your eyes glued to each actor’s soulful eyes as they sing about dreams lost and found.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: DJANGO UNCHAINED

DJANGO UNCHAINED



A former slave and a German bounty hunter become unlikely allies in the battle against a tyrannical plantation owner in this western from visionary director Quentin Tarantino. Two years before the Civil War pits brother-against-brother, German-born fugitive hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz) arrives in America determined to capture the outlaw Brittle brothers dead or alive. In the midst of his search, Dr. Schultz crosses paths with Django (Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx), a freed slave and skilled tracker who seeks to rescue his beloved wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from ruthless plantation owner Calvin Candie (Academy Award-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio). Django and Dr. Schultz will have to come out with pistols blazing if they ever hope to free Broomhilda from Candyland and the clutches of its vile proprietor. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins

Release Date: Dec 25, 2012

Rated R for strong graphic violence throughout, a vicious fight, language and some nudity.

Runtime: 2 hr. 21 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama

Review:

Django Unchained is an uneven if effective entry into the Quentin Tarantino catalogue. Tarantino’s trademark mix of stark violence, even more potent here, and humor is on full display. The violence here seems much more grounded than usual, it’s brutal and harsher than some of the more cartoonish violence we’ve seen from him before. Like all of his films, you can tell Tarantino loves the genre he’s selected, Django is no different. He adjusts his shooting style to mimic many of the classic Western films something he did in Kill Bill Volume 2. Needless to say Django is a visually impressive film full of genre vibrancy throughout. Story-wise Tarantino delivers another revenge story with a, dare I say, more romantic slant. It’s straightforward for the most part and while the film didn’t lag at any point, there is plenty that could have been cut to make it a more efficient story. Regardless, Tarantino makes it all work pulling out some impressive performances from a strong cast. Jamie Foxx is stoic yet fiery and determined as the titular Django. It’s easy to forget how impressive of an actor Foxx is when he’s as focused as he is here. In full cowboy get up he’s quite the sight as well, filling out his character’s hero status with ease. Christoph Waltz returns to work with Tarantino with strong results, playing a mentorship role similar to his Basterd character but less sinister and more humane. Their chemistry together works well, creating a believable bond between the two men. Leonardo DiCaprio fills the villain’s role with a gleeful energy that’s palpable. DiCaprio brings the necessary threatening energy needed for the role. Sam Jackson also turns in his finest work in years. Like Foxx, you tend to forget how much talent these actors have because they don’t use it in all their roles. Jackson’s role feels like a caricature at first but as the film moves on he reveals more layers to the character. Both pairs of character work as a fascinating dichotomy to each other with actors on both sides putting in awards worthy performances. The situation and tension builds leading to a dizzyingly violent gunfight, close to the scale of Kill Bill Vol. 1 finale, leaves you with a firm impression of what a human shield is. After that point the film does feel a tad bit aimless, needing to close the final story threads which it does in less operatic fashion robbing it a bit of it’s power. Regardless, if you are a Tarantino fan, you’ll find so much to love here.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THIS IS 40

THIS IS 40




After many years of marriage, Pete (Paul Rudd) is the sole male in a household that includes his wife, Debbie (Leslie Mann), and two young daughters (Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow). As Pete struggles to keep his record label afloat, he and Debbie navigate a three-week course of sex and romance, career victories and financial hardships, aging parents and maturing children. They'll have to learn to forgive, forget and enjoy the rest of their lives -- before they kill each other.

Director: Judd Apatow
Cast: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Megan Fox, Albert Brooks, Chris O'Dowd.
Release Date: Dec 21, 2012
Rated R for pervasive Language, Crude Humor, Sexual Content and Some Drug Material
Runtime: 2 hr. 14 min.
Genres: Comedy

Review:

This is 40 is Judd Apatow’s 2nd uneven film in a row. Honestly, you might start to wonder if he’s losing touch with the type of humor that really put him on the map. The honestly and crassness is here but it only makes an appearance here and there in between grating arguments between 2 incredibly well meaning leads. The better part of the blame for the faults falls on Apatow who wrote the film. His leads aren’t ever particularly likable and come off as annoying and entitled throughout. A meandering molasses like pace doesn’t help matter either. The film trudges slowly and aimlessly towards an unresolved ending which leaves the audience with questions but so exhausted that they couldn’t be bothered to ask what will happen afterwards. 2 hours plus for a comedy is a stretch at best, something Apatow could get away with in The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up with a better story even then just barely, but here it’s just a drag. The film feels longer than The Hobbit by a mile. Paul Rudd does his best to pull the film out of its doldrums. He and Leslie Mann do share some good comedic chemistry as displayed in Knocked Up but here when it’s front and center for the entire film it makes the entire thing look like a fool’s errand. That’s not to say there are some strong scenes with plenty of laughs because there are. The problem is that there are twice as many scenes of them arguing or fretting about manufactured problems throughout. Mann is likable, she works well as a supporting player but here her acting shortcomings are on full display and her bugged eyed occasionally emaciated figure can start to wear on a viewer. The supporting cast is strong but only Albert Brooks and Melissa McCarthy leave a strongest impression while being thoroughly underused. John Lithgow, Chris O'Dowd, John Segal and Megan Fox are all played for types and given very little else to do. Apatow and Mann’s real life daughters appear again with the Maude screaming her lines, playing on the worse piece of first period humor possible, for the better part of the film with Iris coming off more muted than before. The first hour or so of the film has some steady steam providing a good series of laughs especially for anyone in a long term relationship but the film’s faults start to weigh it down ultimately bringing down the entire production.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY,

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY IMAX 3D

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) lives a simple life with his fellow hobbits in the shire, until the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on a quest to reclaim the kingdom of Erebor. The journey takes Bilbo on a path through treacherous lands swarming with orcs, goblins and other dangers, not the least of which is an encounter with Gollum and a simple gold ring that is tied to the fate of Middle Earth in ways Bilbo cannot even fathom.

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish

Release Date: Dec 14, 2012

Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images.

Runtime: 2 hr. 49 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

Watching Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in IMAX 3D is a bit of an undertaking, it’s like trying to eat a cake in one bite. Trying to take in all the grandeur and majesty that Jackson poured onto the screen take some effort at first. It’s a film that has more than a few noticeable flaws but I found it far more accessible than the first Lord of the Rings film. Jackson, as he does when in Middle Earth, takes his time with everything, slowly acclimating us with the prequel story while laying the ground work for the Lord of the Ring story along the way. The opening portion of the film can be a bit of a bear to trudge through but once the story gets moving in earnest you’ll find yourself rather enveloped in a massive action piece after another one. The story’s more straightforward nature makes it easier to digest. Martin Freeman brings an instant likeability to the younger Bilbo. Freeman isn’t saddled with the angst Elijah Wood had to deal with as Frodo so he’s free to be a bit more easy going and easier to connect with. Richard Armitage is appropriately billow-chested and stoic as the leader of the dwarfs. Armitage fits the hero mold perfectly and he delivers fine work throughout. Ian McKellen returns to his role as Gandalf The Grey with noticeable ease. McKellen could have just phoned in his performance and honestly nobody would have complained but he takes the opportunity to add more layers of emotion and doubt to Gandalf The Grey. Thankfully, these three deliver strong performances because that’s it. The rest of the cast simply fades into the background; we barely know their names but not much else, only Ken Stott’s Balin gets a substantial scene. Even Bilbo fades into the background during the middle and first part of the final act. There are a handful of returning actors (along with Andy Serkis as Gollum) from the original trilogy, serving as threads leading into The Lord of Rings. I understand why Jackson felt the need to include them but they bring the main story’s forward momentum to a grinding halt. Lastly, the film suffers from the same issue the first 2 films from The Lord of the Rings, it’s merely an opening act and ends as such. The latter is to be expected and while there are a handful of issues The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey delivers an impressive cinematic experience which reminds you why certain films should be seen on a big screen.

B