Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Our Brand is Crisis & Burnt

Dearest Blog: Welcome to Awards Season, where every film feels vaguely like it *could* be based on a true story. Thus, yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for two stories that kinda sorta seem like they maybe could be a little bit real: Our Brand is Crisis and Burnt.

 

First on my agenda: Our Brand is Crisis.

 

An American political strategist reluctantly becomes part of an unpopular Bolivian presidential candidate's team.

 

Our Brand is Crisis probably isn't a bad movie for any other time of year, but plunked down in October, when everything either hopes for an Oscar or hopes to scare the pants off of you, it seems an inexcusably poor offering. Crisis is hilarious at times, yet the premise is so depressing it feels wrong to laugh. 

 

The film never really earns your full attention, and, sadly, there's no amount of humor that could buoy this all-too-real real depiction of politics with no soul. If there's any good news to be had, it's that the movie boasts uniformly strong performances. Sandra Bullock has a few bravura moments that might justify another Oscar nod, Billy Bob Thornton is an able adversary, and the delightful Anthony Mackie is solid as always. The real star of the picture, though, is Bolivian actor Reynaldo Pacheco, whose earnestness single-handedly salvages what's otherwise a depressing exercise in cynicism.

 

Our Brand is Crisis clocks in at 107 minutes and is rated R for "language including some sexual references."

 

It provides a few good laughs, but Our Brand is Crisis is a mostly-discouraging look at the political process. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Our Brand is Crisis gets five.

 

Next on the docket: Burnt.

 

Bradley Cooper stars as Adam Jones, a brilliant chef who is so messed up he does nothing but hurt the people who care for him, and you'll be too distracted by those baby-blues to really care.

 

Dear reader(s), I don't mean to belittle chefs, as nobody--and I mean NOBODY--has a greater regard for food than I do (as my profile photo will attest), but I am unsold on any attempt to portray a chef, even the world's greatest, as some kind of rock star worthy of a feature film. I'm something of a rock star, myself, when it comes to secretaries, and last I looked, Angelina Jolie wasn't queuing up play me on the big screen anytime soon. 

 

Thus Burnt starts out at an insurmountable handicap: it's just not that great a story. The high-emotion, high-stakes kitchen scenarios may accurately portray behind-the-scenes action at the world's finest dining establishments, but the drama seems plain silly (is it *such* a tragedy if the scallops are a bit overdone?), and the rest of the story is so done-to-death you won't care about any of it for a single second. Bradley Cooper swaggers his way through the film like an actual rock star, and, to his credit, makes the dull exercise almost watchable. 

 

Daniel Bruhl is terrific as Jones' supportive and long-suffering friend, and Matthew Rhys is outstanding as his top rival. Sadly, though, fantastic performances can't save a lame premise that's predictably executed.

 

Burnt runs 101 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout."

 

Much like the pretentious dishes whose preparation it depicts, Burnt is far more interested in collecting awards than it is in actually satisfying anyone. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Burnt gets four.

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Concert Movie Review of Ed Sheeran Jumpers for Goalposts

Dearest Blog: If ever a person were worth a 90-minute drive on a Monday night, it'd be Ed Sheeran. Thus I found myself in Morgantown last night for Ed's concert movie Jumpers for Goalposts.

 

Spoiler level here will be...um...I dunno, really? 

 

I wrote down the set list. Is that a spoiler? 

 

Read on at your own risk then, I guess.

 

Jumpers for Goalposts kicks off with a full 45 minutes of "‪#‎edcarpet‬" coverage from the movie's London premiere, including a segment that features Sheeran responding to fans' Twitter questions and performing acoustic versions of Tenerife Sea, Bloodstream, and Thinking Out Loud. 

 

The alternate versions of his hits are enjoyable, but it's otherwise an awkward exercise. Sheeran is visibly uncomfortable with the Q&A--as are many performers when they're in the public eye but not performing--and I'm thinking maybe suit-and-tie premiere attire wouldn't be his first choice. 

 

The cute, good-natured presenter also does a bit too much buttering up, so it begins to feel fake despite the fact Sheeran *is* widely regarded as one of the nicest guys in the business. Overall, this opening act is far too drawn out; 20 minutes of it would have been more than enough.

 

Once the film finally gets to the Wembley residency, there are pieces from all three nights cut with behind-the-scenes footage, which may look familiar to US fans who will have seen much of it in the NBC special that aired over the summer. Sir Elton John makes a surprise appearance, joining Sheeran for a performance of his old hit Don't Go Breakin' My Heart (Ed in the Kiki Dee role!) and a bit of Afire Love. 

 

John serves as a sort-of mentor to Sheeran, and amusingly names Ed the heir to a pop-music crown that hasn't been his to hand down for many, many years. John is not alone in his gushing praise, both of Sheeran's talent and of his kindness and loyalty. It's a recurring theme that, again, is so often raised that it starts to sound somewhat put-on. Not debating for a minute that Ed Sheeran is one hell of a nice guy, just that...well...eventually maybe they'd do better to just shut up and play another song.

 

As with the times I've seen Sheeran in concert, I was lucky to count my two favorites (Bloodstream and I See Fire) among the songs that made the movie's set list. The special guest was enthusiastically received, but, since the Elton John songs I like don't seem to be the Elton John songs everyone else likes, I was a bit ambivalent. Guess there's noplace for a would-be Kiki Dee in Madman Across the Water...go figure. Much camera time is devoted to crowd shots: singing and dancing fans, weeping teenagers, and two (2) marriage proposals that I counted. Having sold more than ten million units of his latest record, it's clear Sheeran's music speaks to a generation. Of course, some will always roll their eyes at any artist who moves that much product, but Sheeran is a solid singer/songwriter, and there's a fire in his live performance that doesn't begin to translate to his studio recordings. This film gives something of a feel for it--particularly an aggressive rendition of You Need Me (I Don't Need You)--but I enthusiastically encourage everyone to get out and see Ed Sheeran live for the full experience. I promise you will be impressed.

 

Jumpers for Goalposts full set list: I'm a Mess, Lego House, Photograph, Bloodstream, I See Fire, Don't Go Breakin' My Heart, Afire Love (partial), Thinking Out Loud, The A-Team, You Need Me (I Don't Need You), Sing. 

 

Jumpers for Goalposts runs 150 minutes (including premiere coverage) and is unrated. 

 

Dubious content is limited to references to drugs/drinking and a few f-bombs (some are censored; some made it into the finished product). 

 

Jumpers for Goalposts will be released on DVD/Blu-Ray November 13th, and is now available for pre-order at edsheeran.com or your favorite online retailer.

 

While it's not quite on par with an actual live performance, Jumpers for Goalposts boasts some great tunes while providing an entertaining look at one of the world's biggest and most talented pop stars. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Jumpers for Goalposts gets seven.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: STEVE JOBS

Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.

Director: Danny Boyle

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen, Katherine Waterston, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels

Release Date: Oct 09, 2015

Rated R for Language

Runtime: 2 hr. 1 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Danny Boyle’s electric biopic of Apple’s cofounder and CEO crackles at a steady pace throughout.  Aaron Sorkin’s script is excellent as expected with Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet excelling at the requisite walk and talk throughout the film.  Boyle’s direction and his filming techniques, he uses 3 different film stocks for each section, keeps the dialogue heavy film moving at an impressive pace.  It rarely lags, an impressive feat for a 2 hour film that doesn’t have much going on outside of a series of conversations.  Fassbender disappears into his role especially as the film moves into the final act.  He’s magnetic for the entire run time.  Kate Winslet delivers equally impressive work in a supporting role with Jeff Daniels and Seth Rogen making the most of their limited screen time.  Daniels and Rogen both get excellent exchanges with Fassbender that you just have to sit back and appreciate the level of talent on display.  Steve Jobs is sure to litter the awards docket with Fassbender leading the charge with a best actor nomination.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION

A family that has recently moved into a new house in Palo Alto, CA is terrorized by supernatural entities in the fifth installment of the Paranormal Activity horror franchise. The father Ryan (Chris J. Murray) discovers a box of video tapes left in the house and a video camera that can record paranormal occurrences that are invisible to the naked eye. Together with his wife Emily (Brit Shaw) and his brother Mike (Dan Gill) they must fight protect their daughter Leila (Ivy George), a six year old who is talking to spirits. Directed by Gregory Plotkin, who previously served as the editor on several films in the franchise. ~ Jennifer Lackman, Rovi

Director: Gregory Plotkin    

Cast: Brittany Shaw, Don McManus, Cara Pifko.

Release Date: Oct 23, 2015    

Rated R for some Horror Violence and Language    

Runtime: 1 hr. 35 min.    

Genres: Horror    

Review:

If you find yourself sitting in the 6^th installment of the Paranormal Activity series, you probably have some sort of lingering affection for the franchise or just needed someplace cool and dark to sit down.   In all seriousness, I’m the type of person who likes to follow through and see how things end.  This is supposed to be the last entry in the series and they’ve thrown in some tweaks that kind of goes against what made the series impressive in the first place.  The ghost camera is a neat idea but it just kind of throws out any subtly about the things that go bump in the night.  Instead we get to see everything coming from a mile away leaving very little to the imagination.  A few jump scares here and there don’t really make up for it.  Doesn’t help that the last act of the film starts mining just about every possession and creepy little girl horror movie trope you can think of.  It’s a sputtering end to the series.  By the time the finale comes, you can’t help but feel like you’ve watched this all before.

D

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Last Witch Hunter & Steve Jobs

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: With awards season in full swing, the weekend once again features too many desirable cinema options and too little time. My schedule allowed for just two of the four new releases playing at my theatre, so I chose the two everybody knew I would.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

 

First on the docket: The Last Witch Hunter.

 

Vin Diesel protects humanity from big bad witches. No, seriously, that's it.

 

The Last Witch Hunter combines Hobbity-looking historical battles with an uneasy present-day truce between witches and humans. There'd be no movie if said truce didn't quite hold, so it won't be much of a spoiler to reveal that witches are, in fact, hunted here. Diesel goes from looking like a caveman to looking like an undertaker (or The Undertaker), and I am unsurprisingly giddy about all of it. 

 

The Last Witch Hunter is too dark at times to really see much of anything, but the effects are pretty solid and overall it's got a cool gothic look that's well suited to the subject matter. Action sequences are well executed and keep the picture moving, amid a backstory that's a bit of a shambles and more than the movie needs. 

 

There's a good deal of humor, both intentional and as a result of some spectacular overacting. Female lead Rose Leslie has come a long way since she just wanted to learn to type on Downton Abbey, and I lost count of how many times I muttered, "You know nothing, Jon Snow," under my breath when she was onscreen. 

 

She's not bad by any means, there's just nothing about the role or the performance to make anyone forget what she's done before. Michael Caine and Elijah Wood are both underused, but certainly up to what little is required of them. The movie is nicely-paced and smart enough not to wear out its welcome. 

 

Not an awards hopeful by any stretch of the imagination, The Last Witch Hunter earns its October release with Halloween-appropriate subject matter, but, if you're looking for real scares, you'll need to look elsewhere.

 

The Last Witch Hunter runs 106 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images."

 

It's undeniably hokey, but The Last Witch Hunter is also great fun. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Last Witch Hunter gets six. 

 

(Yes, that's one more than Mississippi Grind. So sue me.)

 

Next on my agenda: one of my most anticipated 2015 titles, Steve Jobs.

 

Long before people started queuing up for days to get the newest iPhone, Steve Jobs was a meanie who actually failed at stuff.

 

When a movie like Steve Jobs is released, the loudest initial reaction is almost always from those complaining about exaggerations and inaccuracies in the portrayal. No doubt this film contains a fair few of both, but, even if it were two hours of total fiction, Steve Jobs is a great, GREAT movie.

 

Starting with the obvious: Aaron Sorkin has once again penned a masterful script, full of the smart, rapid-fire dialogue that is his trademark. Michael Fassbender is remarkable, completely disappearing into his role as the future electronics juggernaut. The handsome Fassbender even bears an uncanny resemblance to Jobs at times, especially in his later years. 

 

Kate Winslet is no less stunning as Jobs' long-suffering right hand, Joanna Hoffman, seemingly the only person able to derail the locomotive of Jobs' ambition when sanity requires it. Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Seth Rogen round out the award-worthy supporting cast.

 

Steve Jobs can be a difficult film to watch, as Jobs browbeats staff and friends, and alienates the few people who actually care for him. Winslet is especially heartbreaking as she lobbies Jobs to do right by his daughter. For an entirely action-less picture, Steve Jobs keeps an extraordinary pace and never once feels dull or too long.

 

Like the Social Network before it, Steve Jobs paints its subject as quite the jerk, but, if lack of social graces is the cost of foresight like Jobs' (or Zuckerberg's), for my money, it's worth it every time. Daryl Dixon may survive alright without the products of such genius, but I daresay the rest of us wouldn't even be interested in trying.

 

 

Steve Jobs clocks in at 122 minutes and is rated R for language.

 

I cried at the end of Steve Jobs, not because it was happy and not because it was sad, but because it was just that great. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Steve Jobs gets eight and a half.

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of Mississippi Grind

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: This week, Wednesday brought me a new flick in the form of Mississippi Grind, thus managing to achieve something besides being not-as-horrible-as-Monday-but-not-as-awesome-as-Friday.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the...erm...has anyone even *seen* a trailer for this? I haven't. Okay, I'll try not to give away anything of consequence.

 

A gambling addict hits the road with a newfound friend, in search of a big score or redemption or maybe just something new.

 

Dear reader(s), you know me. I like actors. I like a LOT of actors a LOT, but far greater in number than those obsessions who sometimes grace my Instagram are those who simply delight me when they turn up in a movie or show, even if I have no idea of their birthdays or favorite colors. One such actor is Australian Ben Mendelsohn. 

 

When I heard there was some Oscar buzz around his Mississippi Grind performance, it didn't take more than that to sell me on the movie.

 

Mississippi Grind is a downbeat portrait of addiction. It's occasionally humorous and sometimes even a bit sexy, but it's mostly a realistic depiction of desperation, a person who just can't stop what he's doing, however harmful it is to himself or to those around him. Mendelsohn is breathtaking, probably no greater than he's been a dozen times before, but for some reason people are noticing this time. Ably playing opposite is the constantly maligned Ryan Reynolds. 

 

For my money, Reynolds is always solid, however bad the project. He'll surely lose his reputation as box-office poison with next year's Deadpool, but, for now, give him full marks for holding his own opposite a performance that's being called Oscar-worthy. Verbal exchanges between the two leads, as the new friends try to get a read on one another, are the clear highlight of a movie that's otherwise somewhat slow and unremarkable.

 

Mississippi Grind clocks in at 108 minutes and is rated R for language.

 

It won't brighten your day, but Mississippi Grind is a decent drama made worthwhile by stellar performances. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Mississippi Grind gets five.

 

Until next time...