Author: Irwin

Bachelorette

Bill I’s Review – 2.5 out of 5

Pleasant film, plenty to smile about but nothing histerical, certainly not better than The Hangover, which some critic claimed. Kirsten Dunst plays the Type A leader of the 4 “B’s” ten years after their high school high point; now they are mostly disappointed, wandering aimlessly except for the character played by Rebel Wilson, a pudgy one they used to pick on (called her pig face), now engaged to Mr. Wonderful, leaving the rest speachless and jealous and half heartedly celebrating with a bachelorette party that goes wrong. Shenanigans result, leading up to the main even the next day. Will she, won’t she, is the suspense, and while the predictable conclusion arrives, it’s enjoyable to see some of the plot lines, most notably for me the unique Lizzy Caplan character, and of course, the wonderful Isla Fisher, who can make any role memorable, even though in this case it’s a dumb blonde type. Kirsten is actually interersting to watch as she plays against type cast, a very unpleasant, unhappy beeatch. The guys are mostly fill-in, foils for the gals.

Lawless

Bill I’s Review – 3.5 out of 5

I had no expectations going into this film, and loved being immersed in the time period (1930), the place (rural Virginia), and mileu (band of brothers running a profitable bootlegging business during prohibition). Into this “lawless” county, the wettest in the country supposedly, where the local sheriff and his boys buy the hootch along with everyone else, steps an over the top villain as new law in town, a sadistic dandy played by Guy Pearce, here:

I was thinking of the recent spate of villians, including Michael Shannon in Hit and Run and Bane in Dark Knight Rises (played I realized by Tom Hardy, who here plays the lead brother – I guess a good guy… sort of, at least you root for him), that Pearce out does them all. There’s plenty of blood spilled, guns shot, and even some young courting (Shia LaBeouf as the younger, and wannabe gangster brother out to prove himself, spies the innocent daughter of local Amish-like preacher, Mia Wasikowka, here

Mia Wasikowska Picture

The plot is pretty simple: brothers want to keep selling hooch, Pearce wants to shut them down and ideally kill them, and lots of bad things happen, seemingly without much forethought. The brothers wait around to get attacked, then they fight back brutally. The wonderful Jessica Chastain supplies the female perspective, as a hardened but somehow vulnerable city girl from Chicago looking for a quiet place to live, and becomes the brothers’ bartender/manager/girlfriend in waiting. Jessica, seen here

can convey her thoughts and emotions without saying anything like almost no other actor I know, and look great while doing it. She inhabits a character, usually 180 degrees different from her prior role, that just amazes me. If you want to escape the current 2012 US, and enter another world for a couple of hours, that seems realistic and historical (movie is based on real life brothers, written by one of their gransons), then check this out.

Hit and Run

Bill I’s Review – 3 out of 5

I saw this back-to-back (Katie style for those who know my daughter) with Premium Rush and it doesn’t quite measure up to that film, both of which are based on bad guys chasing “good” guys. The reason behind the pursuit in this film is somewhat contrived (former partner in crime, played with glee by Bradley Cooper – or is it Paul Rudd?

Bradley Cooper Hit and Run

– who wants revenge and money owed), and the urgency is forced (Dax Shepherd must deliver his girlfriend, Kristen Bell, to LA for a job interview by a certain time). The surprising highpoint is any scene that Tom Arnold is in. I never realized what a good comic actor he is. Overall, a fun movie if you have nothing better to do, but see Premium Rush first.

 

Premium Rush

Bill I’s Review – 3.5 out of 5

I was pleasantly surprised that a film that tracks pretty much in real time a bike messenger through New York City would keep my interest, but it did so and was a lot of fun. Joseph Gordon Levitt plays the three time winner of the bike messenger of the year, as a reckless, aggressive, no-brake, one gear rider who cuts in and out of traffic to deliver whatever mail package has been given to him. He’s got a rocky relationship with another rider, the beautiful Dania Ramiriz, (see below)

Dania Ramirez Picture

who I remember as Turtle’s assistant turned girlfriend on Entourage. They are both terrific and believable as riders. Michael Shannon is perfect as the bad guy, continuing his typecasting from HBO’s  Boardwalk Empire. Shannon gives the film urgency and logic for the pursuit, as Gordon-Levitt and his pals swerve in midtown traffic. One of the coolest aspects is when he comes to a packed intersection, and the camera freeze frames while you see him working out visually which path will leave him untouched and not have to stop, reminding me of an NFL running back looking for daylight through the tacklers. I don’t see how this movie could have been better. From now I will look at those wrong-way bike riders a little more symathetically, for sure I won’t mess with them. I highly recommend this for all ages (well, over the age of 12 I guess).

EK Tha Tiger

Bill I’s Review – 4 of 5
Short review for now: my first Bollywood movie and I loved it! Fun combination secret agent action thriller/love story. Ending is somewhat similar, but much better, than in Bourne Legacy. Go see this and enjoy the incredible stunts, scenery, comedy and beauty.

The Bourne Legacy

Bill I’s Review – 4 out of 5

Awesome movie, just like it’s predecessors! I guess Matt Damon is not essential, as Jeremy Renner does an admirable job as the new “rogue agent” being tracked down by the evil US spy agency black ops. I don’t think Jeremy can punch as fast as Matt, but he certainly can jump from rooftops as well, and ride a motorbike like a champ (incredible chase scene in Manila traffic – remind me never to drive in Manila). Rachel Weisz is perfect as the “innocent” scientist; her character makes you think about true guilt and innocence. The film’s opening 15 minutes is great because it immerses you in a couple of scenarios where you have no idea what’s going on, or how these people figure in the plot, or even what the plot is. So, a thought provoking thriller, that ends up as a more typical chase movie, but it will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. The ending (no spoiler here) seems abrupt; I was hoping for more, but I guess two hours is long enough. Can’t wait for next Bourne.

Bll C’s Review – 3 out of 5

I agree with most of Bill’s review.  This is a good, quick paced action movie that is never boring.  I also like the opening sequence (the parts with the wolves made me think Liam Neeson could have used Jeremy Renner’s help in The Grey!)  Both Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz were good (Renner’s fighting looked pretty good to me).  I also liked Edward Norton as the person directing the chase for Aaron Cross (Renner).  The movie did end too abruptly and could easily come back with a fifth Bourne movie if they desire

For the most part I found the plot interesting and challenging although not all made sense to me (BEGIN SPOILER ALERT: they decided to eliminate all of the Bourne like agents but when they have trouble killing Aaron Cross they whip out another, later edition one that they had kept in reserve!  END SPOILER ALERT).  I liked part of the action sequences but parts went overboard.  BEGIN SPOILER ALERT!:  The motorcycle chase is good but there were a couple of parts that were ridiculous (ok – i know the whole thing was ridiculous) but when Aaron Cross is barely squeezing between things on a motorcycle in totally chaotic Manila traffic there’s no way the guy in the car should be able to keep up and there’s no way Rachel Weisz would not have fallen off, etc.! END SPOILER ALERT

While I did have my quibbles I did enjoy the movie.

  IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer for “The Master”

By Paul Thomas Anderson, inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, with Philip Seymour Hofman and Jaoquin Phoenix, this should be awesome: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/07/19/the_master_full_trailer_is_finally_here_with_philip_seymour_hoffman_and_joaquin_phoenix_video_.html

 

Knuckleball

Bill I’s Review – 3 out of 5

A film about a baseball pitch? What’s next, Sky Hook about Kareem? Crossover Dribble about Iverson? There’s already been Slapshot…Actually, this is a superb documentary about that small fraternity of otherwise ordinary athletes who have mastered that freak pitch that moves in unanticipated directions and makes big sluggers look foolish as they swing at empty space. The two pitchers that are focused on, Tim Wakefield (long-time Red Sox ace) and R.A. Dickey (current Mets star), are interesting people with good back stories and of course happy endings (in Tim’s case he retired last year, and in R.A.’s case, he pitched in this year’s All-Star game). We see insights from famous old-timer practictioners such as Phil Neikro, Charlie Hough and Wilbur Wood, who act as mentors passing on their wisdom. At the screeing I attended last night, Tim Wakefield attended and answered questions from the audience. He’s a classy gentleman, and I am now a big admirer of him. He’s most proud of receiving Baseball’s Roberto Clemente award for his off the field contributors to charities and his communities. And R.A. Dickey also seems to be an admirable character, with his wife that he met in 7th grade (he was also in 7th grade, so he’s no cradle robber!). I don’t know if non-baseball fans will find this as captivating as the rest of us though.

IMDB

Savages

Bill I’s Review – 3 out of 5

Reminiscent of the movie Traffic, this is a tale of surfer dude/drug kingpins having their Laguna paradise bubble burst by a dose of Mexico cartel reality. Shades of Tarantino when you see the great Travolta as a corrupt, scheming, sleazy DEA agent, and the wonderful Salma Hayek as the ruthless, but motherly, cartel leader. Blake Lively is excellent as the muse and key to the menage a trois with the surfer/dealers, who are  very believable and fun to watch. Benecio del Toro is Salma’s captain gone wild, and kills the role; he should get a best supporting actor nomination. Some brutal scenes of violence but it moves fast and holds your interest. Nothing groundbreaking here, but a good summer action movie.

Bill C’s Review – 3 out of 5

Overall I agree with  Bill’s review and assessment of the performances.  In addition to the good performances there were some good plot twists and it kept you guessing to the very end.  I was disappointed with the ending as Oliver Stone manipulated the audience down the stretch and the final ending seemed to be a bit of a cop out.

For those looking for additional drug related movies in addition to Traffic (Benicio Del Toro was in that one too!) and Breaking Bad (TV) here’s a list of some guys top 10 drug related movies.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Ted

Bill I’s Review – 3 out of 5

Very funny as well as fun, although not as many hilarious moments as I had hoped for. The memorable fight scene between Ted (aka the teddy bear) and his childhood buddy Mark Wahlberg is uniquely done, kept me laughing and incredulous. Kind of made me wonder towards the end of the film when Ted is unable to defend himself against a couple of minor goons, where did his fighting instincts go. Mila Kunis is wonderful as always, although in a thankless role of not even straight man/woman, but the exasperated girlfriend who’s too often the odd man/person out in this buddy film. It’s a romantic comedy at heart, however, which follows the hollywood script of boy meets girl, etc. To make this a great movie, they should have employed some of Sasha Baron Cohen’s go for broke sensibility, or at least borrowed his best writers.

Bill C’s Review – 2.5 out of 5

I can think of a lot of words to describe this movie: rude, crude, funny, politically incorrect, and nostalgic. Ted has a lot of very funny moments but, as Bill says, not as many hilarious moments as I expected. And of course it’s stupid. Not just because it’s a movie for adults (this is not for kids) about a living teddy bear, but because of things like Bill points out with Ted’s ability to protect himself. They also couldn’t keep the weather straight. In one scene Ted is getting soaked in a rain storm. In the next scene just fifteen minutes later, they’re at an outdoor concert and the weather is beautiful. In a later scene there’s a thunder storm and another fifteen minutes later, Mila Kunis is gazing in a Boston sky that has not seen so many stars since the invention of the light bulb!

I was surprised by all the cameos in this movie: Norah Jones (she must really have wanted publicity for her new album), Tom Skerritt, Ryan Reynolds,  Johnny Carson (in a very funny Forrest Gump-like appearance) and Sam J Jones of Flash Gordon fame. There are a lot of funny references to old movies, TV shows and commercials and I loved the pictures of Ted and John in movie scenes in the opening credits.

As far as performances go, I thought Ted was awesome. He can sing, dance, fight (sometimes), showed great range and did his own stunts!  Mila was wasted.  I learned that Mark Wahlberg can talk very fast and that Sam Jones still can’t act.

This movie would be best seen at a theater like the Alamo Drafthouse, with a bucket of beer to let you focus on the funny moments and forget the stupid ones. Unfortunately I saw this at a regular theater. Otherwise I might have rated this a little higher.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Ted