Review: Observe and Report

Observe and Report

For those of you who can only see Seth Rogen as the underdog schlub, like his characters in Knocked Up and Zack and Miri..., Observe and Report will be nothing short of shocking. In director Jody Hill's (Foot Fist Way) bizarre ode to Taxi Driver, Rogen plays Ronnie Barnhardt so well that you might believe this deranged, detached personality may actually exist in this fun-loving guy.

Ronnie Barnhardt is the megalomaniacal "Head of Mall Security" at a mall that has recently fallen victim to a flasher. His loving, yet bizarre relationship with his mother (Celia Weston) is just a testament to how deranged Ronnie truly is... and where that came from.

With the help of his lackeys the Yuen Twins (Matt and John Yuan), Charles (Jesse Plemons), and his right-hand-man Dennis (Michael Peña) attempts to go above the law and apprehend this "pervert," himself. One morning, while on the way to work, Brandi, who is the object of Ronnie's creepy, stalkerish lust falls victim to the flashers flopping member. Ronnie sees this as his opportunity to win over Brandi's affection by putting all of his time and effort into catching said flasher. Although, unfortunately for Ronnie, he has a real cop to contend with.

Ray Liotta has the same hard-hitting fervor that he had as Henry Hill in Goodfellas, as he does as Detective Harrison - Ronnie's would-be adversary. Destined to overcome Harrison, Ronnie crusades to be as cop-like as possible: trying to discover who is secretly stealing at the mall at night, going to the police academy, even beating the shit out of some thugs in the bad part of town... just to arrest a kid. His attempts to woo Brandi are futile nonetheless, but he does attract the attention of the homely Nell (Colette Wolfe), who works in the malls foodcourt. Oblivious to Nell's attraction to him, Ronnie still coaxes a date out of Brandi; and what follows is so wonderfully demented that you don't know whether to laugh, or be appalled.

Seth Rogen really shows true versatility as you see Ronnie slowly slip into madness; and, what's even more maddening is that you don't know if Ronnie knows that he is crazy. The supporting cast is magnificent, but its truly Rogen who carries the show, along with the fantastic writer/director, Jody Hill. Hill is a true gem. His last film, Foot Fist Way, really blurs the line of what we, as movie goers, find funny and what we find disturbing. Observe and Report is no different. This film was fantastic. Quite possibly, one of the best dark comedies in years. See it!

I Love You, Man: Review

I Love You, Man

When it comes to comedic ability and true underlying character depth, you don't get much better than the stars of this formulaic, yet occasionally unconventional comedy. Paul Rudd stars as self pussy-whipped real estate agent, Peter Claven. Peter has just asked his girlfriend Zooey (the very charming Rashida Jones) to marry him; only to find out that he is best man-less. After constant reminders from Zooey and her friends, as well as his dad (J.K. Simmons) and his brother Robbie (Andy Samberg); Peter decides to get back in the game - of man-dating. In comes Peter Segel as Sydney Fife. Sydney is a brash, unapologetic, womanizing loner; he loves to walk the boulevards with his dog (in his UGG boots) and jam out in his man-cave. Peter and Sydney play a very affable, yet contradictory duo -- aside from each of their fondness for Rush (who make a cameo). Unfortunately though, it seems that Zooey's desire for Peter to hit the man circuit may not have been as good of an idea as she thought it would be.

Paul Rudd has been the go-to guy in the last few years when it comes to comedies -- especially when he has one of the Apatow cronies as a wing-man (which Segel is). He has the ability to command, and to interpret the atmosphere of a scene with his apt mannerisms. In I Love You, Man, as opposed to translating awkwardness, he creates it. Which at moments is just as funny. But, that shtick kind of loses its effectiveness. Even as he becomes better friends with Sydney and more comfortable as a friend, he still brings the awkwardness. And the end result is sometimes a little too contrived. But, don't get me wrong, there are many scenes between Rudd and Segel that are quite hilarious. As well as a few scenes between Rudd and Samberg (his gay brother, who seems to have taken a liking to straight men - since the gay ones have become too easy to pick up).

Segel plays, the blow-hard, Sydney Fife with a subtle grace that very few comedic actors around, these days, could. He has just the right chemistry between his over the top antics with he ability to draw on genuine emotion. Mainly because Segel is a guy who muses his characterization from his own life (his famously hilarious scene from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, when his girlfriend breaks up with him, while he's completely naked -- yeah, that actually happened). Segel's Sydney comes off as a dead beat who enjoys flying solo and taking advantage of any opportunity that he has, but yet he's the kind of friend you can always count on. (Come on, you'd have to be a good friend to be willing to fight Lou Ferrigno, in someone else's honor.) Peter Segel is the kind of actor who rarely comes around, I doubt he's going anywhere.

I Love You, Man was a wonderfully funny, yet occasionally flawed movie. I would have loved to see Paul Rudd at the level he reached in Anchorman or Role Models, but he's a guy you can always count on to make you laugh, and he does just that. There is not enough praise I could give Segel for his role in this film

I wouldn't say the supporting cast was A-list, but they are very deserving of some recognition. Lou Ferrigno is surprisingly (yet unsurprisingly) funny as himself. Jon Favreau, Samberg, Simmons are a delight as well.

If you want to see a romantic comedy -- for bromance, then I Love You, Man is the way to go.

Review: Watchmen

Watchmen

3 blood-stained smiley face badges out of 5

I figure the people that see this movie probably fall into three categories. Fans of the 1986 graphic novel; someone who knew someone that is a fan of the graphic novel, and is going to see it because they heard how good the graphic novel was; and, the everyday movie-goer who wants to see a kick ass action movie. I fall into the second category. So, going into this movie, I had my own expectations. Knowing that the raw material that the director has to work with has as much substance as Watchmen -- it's kind of hard to not go into this film with some expectation. Now, falling into that second category, I find myself a little on-the-fence about Watchmen. It's a very ambitious film. Unfortunately, director Zack Snyder has a hard-on for action, more so than a script's emotional and mythological depth.

Set in an alternate and dismal 1985, Nixon is in his fifth term and the United States and the Soviets are on the brink of nuclear warfare. The Watchmen are a (mostly) second generation group of vigilante crime fighters. The ever subversive Rorschach has become überparanoid after the killing of one of their own -- the Comedian. In his crusades to unmask and bring justice to his killer, he and the presently dormant Watchmen unravel a sinister plot that goes deeper than any of them could have imagined.

Jackie Earle Haley is dynamite as Watchmen's axis: Rorschach. He gives the story the fervor it needs to stay afloat in a sea of potential camp. Even through his mask of ever-changing inkblot formations, you still feel his intensity as much as you do with it off -- yes, you see him without the mask on. The story of his childhood is enough to make the most hardened person cringe. Growing up with a neglecting, prostitute mother that wishes he was never born. He's left on his own from the beginning. You sense his anger and resentment when he responds to the death of his mother, at the hands of her own pimp, with one word: "Good." Haley immersed himself into his role -- being a fan of the original novel -- and it pays off.

Not to be forgotten, Billy Crudup is a driving force in this movie's emotional resonance as Dr. Manhattan. Unfortunately, at times his craft and his talent are overshadowed by his impressive co-star. Penis aside, Crudup brings a lot of emotional depth into a character that's, ironically, losing touch with humanity. Much of that is to be seen in his straining relationship with his live-in lover Silk Specte II.

Matthew Goode is just that: good as Ozymandias (Adrian Veidt). The quote-unquote smartest man in the world and Watchmen action figure entrepreneur. His scenes are dense, unfortunately few and far between. You never really get the chance to connect with him. Patrick Wilson holds his own pretty well as Nite Owl II (Dan Dreiberg). A walking "nice guys finish last" story. He's a great actor, but he has a role that gives us nothing to gravitate towards. He's just... there. We then have probably the main reason why post-pubescent boys will see this movie, Malin Ackerman as Silk Spectre II (Laurie Juspaczyk). Ackerman (as most would remember as Freak Show's inordinately hot wife Liane, in Harold & Kumar) is just void of the acting talent that one would need to bring any contributions to the film. Although, she is colossally hot, and yes, you see boobs! Unfortunately, they are contained within the films most awkward, pandering scene, in which her and Nite Owl II are getting it on in his hover cruiser "Archie," with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" as the soundtrack. Give me a break.

I expected Snyder to completely lose sight of what made this graphic novel stand above all others, but he didn't -- at least not completely. I think he might have gotten a little too ambitious for his ability, as a director. The movie is still enjoyable though. If I can give Snyder credit for anything, it's that he can direct these frenetically-paced action sequences with grace and ease. He does well with the story and the impact the characters' inner turmoil bring to the story, but he still has a lot of room for improvement. There are a few throw-aways in this film, but I say: If you don't know Jackie Earle Haley or Billy Crudup yet, get to know them.

As a movie goer with no prior knowledge of Watchmen, I felt suprisingly fulfilled. So, now the question is: Who watches the Watchmen? I will... kinda.

Finally!!!

I finally watched "Doubt" and "Rachel Getting Married!" I hope to have reviews up soon. Might be a little busy tomorrow... what with the OSCARS on =P!

Re-cap of 2008

Favorite movies of 2008

I know what you're thinking. Julian, you saw some of these movies in January. Yes, I did. But technically, they were movies released in 2008. So, therefore, this list is credible. Enjoy.

Top 20

1. Milk

2. The Wrestler

3. Slumdog Millionaire

4. Gran Torino

5. Frost/Nixon

6. Wall-E

7. The Dark Knight

8. Iron Man

9. Changeling

10. Revolutionary Road

11. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

12. Tropic Thunder

13. The Visitor

14. In Bruges

15. The Reader

16. Pineapple Express

17. Role Models

18. Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

19. Man on Wire

20. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Honorable Mention

Burn After Reading, The Foot Fist Way, Stop-Loss

The Biggest Letdowns of 2008

Quantam of Solace

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

The Incredible Hulk

Semi-Pro

Cloverfield

and the creme de la creme...

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

... Thank you George Lucas and Steven Speilberg for ruining my life.

Review: The Wrestler

The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke, in "The Wrestler," is a rare case in when being typecast can be a good thing. Nicolas Cage was originally slated to play the role of Randy "The Ram" Robinson. Soon after signing on for the role, Cage pulled out from the project after attending a Ring of Honor show in New York City; which paved the way for Rourke, whom the director Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) said his "heart was with." And what a good choice he was. 

Mickey brings more than his acting talent to this role. He brings the heart, the soul and the authenticity. Rourke's weathered visage, worked wonders as Marv in his role in Sin City; and it is no different for "The Ram." Rourke encompasses every nook & cranny of his character. From his still chiseled, yet battered physique; the hearing aid and reading glasses he wears outside of the ring; the tears he wears in the movie's most touching scenes; the humility he shows his colleagues; the joy he gives the neighborhood kids who look up to him; all the way down to the anger and intensity he brings, inside and out of the ring. The emotional depth Rourke brings to this movie is staggering.

Randy "The Ram", whose real name in the movie is Robin Ramzinski (which he wishes he could do with out), is in the twilight of his wrestling career. He works for the local grocery store to pay the bills, but his heart is in the wrestling that he does on the various independent circuits -- with the wash-ups and the aspiring up-and-comers. He spends his nights at the local strip club where he frequents an aging stripper (who also seems to be in the twilight of her career) named Cassidy (the [very] convincing Marisa Tomei). "Ram" and Cassidy frequently find a connection in the realization that they are both part of a profession that no longer fully appreciates them. One night, after a hardcore match (brutally filmed by Aronofsky), Randy collapses from a heart attack. He wakes up in the hospital, after his bypass surgery, to the prognosis that his body is no longer fit for wrestling. Forced to retire, he gives up a 20 year anniversary match that he hoped would be his ticket back to the big time. Out of desperation to validate himself, he picks up more hours at the store and becomes more proactive in his pursuit of Cassidy, which in turn leads to her advice that he should try to rekindle his relationship with his estranged daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). Soon after, thing start to look up for "Ram." He begins to find fulfillment in his new postion at the store, in the deli section working with the customers. After a futile reconciliation attempt with Stephanie, he manages to convince her to have a talk with him. With a trip to a New Jersey pier; a brutally emotional heart-to-heart; and a dance in a condemned building, they find what they've both always wanted: The love of a father, and the love of a daughter. Unfortunately, Randy is having a hard time breaking the customer-only policy that Cassidy just can't seem to let go of. After a frustrating argument, Randy goes off and relapses on his newly refomed ways. Having a regretable one-nighter with a young lady, who is oddly obsessed with fire fighters -- you'll see. He ends up paying for his recklessness, and eventually regresses to his main drug of choice: Wrestling. The one thing in his life that never caused him any pain.

Although Rourke has recieved the most attention and praise, his supporting cast holds their own. Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and Todd Barry are phenomenal in their roles. Although, their best contributions to the movie were perfectly planting the emotional seeds that allow Rourke to flourish. "The Wrestler" is a raw, cerebral masterpiece. The screenplay, written by Robert D. Siegel, a frequent contributor to The Onion (who's work I look forward to following, in the future, as he makes his transition into films), is seamlessly adapted to the big-screen by the master himself, Aronofsky. I look forward to more brilliance from the veterans: Aronofsky, Rourke and Tomei. As well as the seemingly bright futures that lay ahead for Wood and Siegel.

Review: Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road

It's a reunion! Leo and Kate reunite for the first time in 11 years for "Revolutionary Road." Directed by Kate Winslet's husband, Sam Mendes, this film - in the same vein as Mendes' previous work - is very engaging, as well as emotionally exhausting. Just as Mendes' did in 1999's "American Beauty", he gives us a glimpse of the dark side of suburban life.

Set in the mid-1950's, in suburban Connecticut, Frank and April Wheeler are your typical suburbanite couple -- their worst nightmare! Everyday, Frank goes to his job in New York City. Everyday, feeling more unfulfilled. April is a failed actress, now playing the role of stay-at-home wife and mother to their two children. Desperate to break out of their rut, April approaches Frank with a proposition: Move to Paris! Where they have always wanted to go, together. Reluctantly, Frank answers "Yes!" With that answer, it seems that their failed marriage and their bourgeois lifestyle are no more! But, when a few incentives are thrown their way, Frank starts to find it difficult to break away from their safe, comfortable lives. April, on the other hand, is still desperate to secede. This conflict of interest creates a rift in the rejuvenated couples marriage; ultimately leading to it's shocking conclusion.

Director Sam Mendes, like his work in Jarhead and American Beauty, gives you an introspective look into the minds of this perpetually deteriorating couple. Moments of levity keep Revolutionary Road from falling into a melancholy bore. Moments like when Frank and April return home after being grilled over their improvisational decision to move to Paris, they seem to find common ground in their arrogance. As if they're better than their neighborhood peers. Leonardo DiCaprio is great (like always) as Frank Wheeler, the young hot-shot at the office who is constantly battling with his fear of becoming "second-rate" -- just like his father. Kate Winslet plays April, the whimsical ying to his yang. Winslet is on fire in this movie, pinpointing every nuance of April Wheeler as if she wears this character, instead of portraying her. A real player in this film sadly over-looked is Michael Shannon. Shannon plays John Givings, the son of the Wheeler's gossipy real estate agent, Helen Givings (Kathy Bates). John, with his four-hour passes from the "funny farm", pays a couple of visits to the Wheelers and really cuts to the core of their defeated marriage. Initially in praise of the couples poise and unwillingness to conform, things turn sour for him; and with an impetuous argument between Frank and John, things turn sour for the picture-perfect Wheeler family.

Every player in this film shows up, and with a vengeance. Revolutionary Road leaves it's impression on you. It's raw and unapologetic in it's portrayal. Mendes is back -- in the same way he first got our attention with American Beauty -- with a harsh realism: That we may need to "... look closer."