Monday, October 29, 2012

Silver Linings Playbook Review

Rated R (Language and Some Sexual Content/Nudity)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 2 Minutes

Cast-
Bradley Cooper-Pat Solitano
Jennifer Lawrence-Tiffany Maxwell
Robert De Niro-Pat Solitano Sr.
Jacki Weaver-Dolores Solitano
Shea Whigham-Jake Solitano
Chris Tucker-Danny
Julia Stiles-Veronica
John Ortiz-Ronnie
Anupam Kher-Dr. Cliff Patel
Dash Mihok-Officer Keogh
Brea Bee-Nikki

Directed by David O. Russell

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star as two damaged people struggling to pick their lives up in David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook."
Deep down, everyone is hiding a little 'crazy' within themselves. My quirky penchant for blurting out inappropriate vulgarities at random moments is what makes me so endearing to my friends. Of course, there's always a limit and too much crazy can prove to be harmful, even dangerous. Director David O. Russell knows a thing or two about being crazy as many of his films focus on dysfunctional families, not to mention his various temper tantrums on the set while working on 1999's "Three Kings" and 2004's "I ♥ Huckabees." After taking a six-year hiatus, Russell returned in 2010 with "The Fighter," a biographical sports drama that focuses on the life of professional boxer Mickey Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg. Although I was impressed with the drama and the performances, I felt the story was average. However, critics were ecstatic about the film (90% on Rotten Tomatoes) and apparently, the Motion Picture Academy did as well, with Christian Bale and Melissa Leo winning Best Supporting Actor and Actress at the 83rd Academy Awards. Once again wading into the pools of the dysfunctional American family, Russell's latest work is "Silver Linings Playbook," based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Matthew Quick. The story may not hold any surprises but "Silver Linings Playbook" benefits from a witty script that deftly blends depth with humor and a pair of excellent performances from Jennifer Lawrence and surprisingly, Bradley Cooper. Look for this one to be a major awards contender this year. 

Thanks to a plea bargain, former high school history teacher Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) returns home to live with his parents, Pat Sr. and Dolores (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), in Philadelphia after spending eight months at a psychiatric ward in Baltimore. The infidelity of his wife Nikki (Brea Bee) caused him to have a mental breakdown where he beat her lover half to death. Convinced that he no longer needs medication and deluding himself that a positive attitude will get him what he wants, Pat sets out to woo his wife back despite the restraining order working against him. While having dinner with old friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) and his wife Veronica (Julia Stiles), Pat meets Veronica's sister Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence), a troubled young woman who lost her husband in a sudden car accident and copes by sleeping with every man she comes across. The two quickly form a strange bond and soon Tiffany is following Pat around as he makes his morning jog every day. When he learns that Veronica still keeps in touch with Nikki, Pat asks Tiffany to deliver a letter for him that details his regrets and hopes for the future but she will only help if he agrees to be her partner for an upcoming freestyle dance competition. However, his superstitious father wishes to spend more time with his son, viewing Pat as a good luck charm for the Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl, a game in which he has bet his entire life savings on. Between his obligation to Tiffany, his father, and quest to reunite with his wife, Pat soon finds himself unraveling under all the pressure. 

"Silver Linings Playbook" is a film that definitely caught me by surprise as it wasn't even on my radar until I got my hands on a pair of screening passes last week. Director David O. Russell (who also wrote the script) immediately dumps us into Pat's erratic world by throwing traditional exposition out the window and keeping the reasons behind the main character's mental breakdown a mystery before pulling back the curtain in a hilarious scene that involves Stevie Wonder's My Cherie Amour. While waiting to see his therapist Dr. Cliff Patel (Anupam Kher), Pat overhears the song and soon flies into a Hulk-like rage by tearing up the magazine rack. Once he's settled down, he recounts the incident and admits his bipolar tendencies. It's an example of how the film moves effortlessly between moments of dark comedy and serious drama. The camera mimics Pat's chaotic world, swirling around to create a sense of disorientation whenever certain triggers remind him of his wife's infidelity. To maintain his delusion that he has a chance of getting back together with Nikki, Pat causes a ruckus in the middle of the night by rummaging around the house for his wedding video. When Tiffany enters the picture, their attraction to each other is evident right from the start but Pat is 'stuck' and unable to move on. Pat and Tiffany's interactions crackle with energy thanks to the witty dialogue. Despite their damaged mental states hanging over them like a dark cloud, their scenes are fun to watch as the two play musical chairs with their feelings for each other. Even when it threatens to become a farce, Russell keeps a tight rein on the drama, keeping it grounded and allowing us to care about this dysfunctional family. "Silver Linings Playbook" is ultimately about a broken man picking up the pieces of his life and how the story proceeds is already a foregone conclusion but Russell subverts these clichés. By the time the dance competition arrives, coincidentally on the same day that the Philadelphia Eagles faces off against the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl, we're already rooting for Pat and the rest of the Solitano's to pull through. By using humor, Russell manages to bring out emotion and depth in a way that doesn't feel schmaltzy or overly sentimental. That's not an easy task, balancing two disparate tones, and yet "Silver Linings Playbook" succeeds by hitting a field goal. 

The success of the film lies in the superb performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Cooper has dabbled in drama before (September's "The Words" ended up being a critical and commercial flop) but he's primarily known for comedy thanks to the success of "The Hangover" films. His performance as Pat is a revelation and he is utterly convincing as a damaged man just hanging by a thread. Even when he's having an angry outburst, we still sympathize with Pat thanks to Cooper's amiable presence. This guy is no monster but he needs help to recover and that sense of vulnerability is evident within Cooper. Jennifer Lawrence almost steals the entire film as the emotionally troubled, sexually promiscuous Tiffany. She offers Pat a shoulder to cry on but isn't afraid to deliver a slap and call him out on his hypocrisy. Blockbuster or not, Lawrence never ceases to amaze me and she's an example of the kind of young talent that Hollywood should be fostering. Come awards season, I expect to see Cooper and Lawrence's name among them. Whether either of them wins does not matter because the recognition is already enough. Robert De Niro provides support as Pat's father, who also suffers from an angry temper in addition to OCD, revealing that he is banned from the Eagles' stadium for picking too many fights. De Niro lends a sense of world-weariness to Pat Sr. while Jacki Weaver exhibits a sweet, motherly charm. One actor that I was surprised to see was Chris Tucker. This is his first non-"Rush Hour" role in fourteen years and while it's a small one, he's pretty damn funny. Rounding out the cast is John Ortiz and Julia Stiles, with Ortiz providing some comic relief as a husband being smothered under the weight of responsibility. 

"Silver Linings Playbook" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September and will be released on November 21, 2012. Reviews have so far been positive with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Of course, that will change but it's guaranteed at this point that it'll be a hit with critics. The audience also responded with applause at the advance screening I attended last Thursday. It's hard to say what the film's box office prospects are since it faces some tough competition during the week it opens. Nevertheless, "Silver Linings Playbook" is excellent and it's a film that manages to transcend its clichés to become one of the year's best thanks to the depth of the performances. Looks like David O. Russell has done it again!

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"When life reaches out at a moment like this, it's a sin if you don't reach back."

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Cloud Atlas Review

Rated R (Violence, Language, Sexuality/Nudity and Some Drug Use)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 52 Minutes

Cast-
Tom Hanks-
  • Dr. Henry Goose
  • Hotel Manager
  • Isaac Sachs
  • Dermot Hoggins
  • Cavendish Look-a-Like Actor
  • Zachry
Halle Berry-
  • Native Woman
  • Jocasta Ayrs
  • Luisa Rey
  • Indian Party Guest
  • Ovid
  • Meronym
Jim Broadbent-
  • Captain Molyneux
  • Vyvyan Ayrs
  • Timothy Cavendish
  • Korean Musician
  • Prescient 2
Hugo Weaving-
  • Haskell Moore
  • Tadeusz Kesselring
  • Bill Smoke
  • Nurse Noakes
  • Boardman Mephi
  • Old Georgie
Jim Sturgess-
  • Adam Ewing
  • Poor Hotel Guest
  • Megan's Dad
  • Highlander
  • Hae-Joo Chang
  • Adam/Zachry Brother-in-Law
Doona Bae-
  • Tilda
  • Megan's Mom
  • Mexican Woman
  • Sonmi-451
  • Sonmi-351
  • Sonmi Prostitute
Ben Whishaw-
  • Cabin Boy
  • Robert Frobisher
  • Store Clerk
  • Georgette
  • Tribesman
Keith David-
  • Kupaka
  • Joe Napier
  • General An-Kor Apis
  • Prescient
James D'Arcy-
  • Young Rufus Sixsmith
  • Old Rufus Sixsmith
  • Nurse James
  • Archivist
Zhou Xun-
  • Talbot
  • Hotel Manager
  • Yoona-939
  • Rose
David Gyasi-
  • Autua
  • Lester Rey
  • Duophsyte
Susan Sarandon-
  • Madame Horrox
  • Older Ursula
  • Yusouf Suleiman
  • Abbess
Hugh Grant-
  • Reverend Giles Horrox
  • Hotel Heavy
  • Lloyd Hooks
  • Denholme Cavendish
  • Seer Rhee
  • Kona Chief
Directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski, with Tom Tykwer

Tom Hanks and Halle Berry lead an all-star ensemble cast in "Cloud Atlas," a bold, ambitious film whose narrative spans across time and space.
The best films are almost always the most polarizing. When director Stanley Kubrick released his 1968 magnum opus "2001: A Space Odyssey," reaction from critics ranged from ecstatic praise to vehement derision. During its premiere, 241 people walked out of the theater. Among them was actor Rock Hudson, who declared as he was leaving, 'Will someone tell me what the hell this is about?' Writer Arthur C. Clarke once remarked that 'if you understand 2001 completely, we failed. We wanted to raise far more questions than we answered.' Forty-four years later, "2001: A Space Odyssey" is widely considered to be one of the best films ever made and its influence on the filmmaking community continues to be felt even today. Likewise, Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" initially received mixed reviews and flopped at the box office when it was released during the summer of 1982 but has since become a cult classic thanks to its distinct visual style. Zack Snyder's 2009 adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' critically-acclaimed DC Comics graphic novel "Watchmen" also divided critics and now you can add "Cloud Atlas" into the mix. Directed by Lana (formerly Larry) and Andy Wachowski with Tom Tykwer, "Cloud Atlas" is based on David Mitchell's 2004 novel of the same name. Like the aforementioned "Watchmen," Mitchell's novel was considered by many to be 'unfilmable' due to the nested structure of its six stories but that hasn't deterred Tykwer and the Wachowski's from taking up such a challenge and the result is a bold, ambitious film that transcends genres to celebrate the spirituality of the human condition. For nearly three hours, "Cloud Atlas" will transport viewers on a journey that touches upon every emotion imaginable. This is a beautiful and visionary work of art that demonstrates, as Roger Ebert put it so eloquently, 'the magical, dreamlike qualities of the cinema.' 

Six interlocking stories are weaved together into a single narrative: in 1850, a young lawyer named Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) contracts a debilitating disease, leaving him trapped in the hold of the ship Prophetess as it sails toward San Francisco, where his wife Tilda (Doona Bae) eagerly awaits his return. Adam is cared for by a shifty doctor named Henry Goose (Tom Hanks) and befriends Autua (David Gyasi), a warrior from the Chatham Islands' Moriori tribe. In 1931, Englishman Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) leaves his lover Rufus Sixsmith (James D'Arcy) after spending the night together to pursue his dream of becoming a famous musician. He manages to find employment as an amanuensis to a well-known Scottish composer named Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent). Four decades later in 1975, a rookie journalist named Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) learns that the new nuclear power plant in Buenas Yerbas, California is unsafe. To prevent the news from becoming public, Seaboard Corporation's CEO Lloyd Hooks (Hugh Grant) sends an assassin, Bill Smoke (Hugo Weaving), to silence her. In the present day, Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent), a 65-year-old vanity press publisher based in the UK, is forced to flee from the nephews of his gangster client but instead finds himself trapped in a nursing home against his will. Hundreds of years later in the mid-22nd century, a genetically-engineered 'fabricant' named Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae) rebels against the totalitarian regime that controls New Seoul when she is saved by a freedom fighter named Hae-Joo Chang (Jim Sturgess). Finally, in a post-apocalyptic future, tribesman Zachry (Tom Hanks) is forced to confront his beliefs when he is visited by Meronym (Halle Berry), a member of a technology-advanced civilization that is slowly dying out due to a deadly plague. 

I have to say that I was left utterly speechless when the end credits began to roll for "Cloud Atlas." Adapting David Mitchell's novel is certainly a ballsy move and apparently, the financial risk was so great that no major studio agreed to put up the money. Despite bearing the Warner Brothers logo, the studio is only distributing the film in North America and the estimated $100 million production budget instead came from a variety of German sources, making it one of the most expensive independent films of all time. For Tykwer and the Wachowski's to get that kind of funding while working outside the Hollywood system shows just how passionate they were about the project and that passion is clearly evident on every frame. The directors wisely do not follow the structure of the novel, which presented each of the six stories in chronological order before 'going back in time' and ending where it all began with Adam Ewing's tale. It points to the cyclical nature of death and rebirth but using the same structure in a film would prove to be unwieldy, not to mention that Ewing's segment is also the weakest out of the six. Instead the directors/writers quickly introduce each tale through a quick vignette, beginning with an elderly Zachry narrating. The film then settles into developing each segment but is unafraid to cut back and forth. 

The way "Cloud Atlas" is edited enhances the themes of the film, where aspects of the human condition and the choices that we make transcends not only race and gender but also time and space. To emphasize each story's connection to one another, certain narrative passages are read as voiceovers for others. When Robert Frobisher narrates his letters to his lover Rufus Sixsmith, the scene then cuts to Luisa Rey reading the same letters. Sonmi-451 watches a film titled The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish, which is actually an exaggerated dramatization of the real Cavendish's attempt to escape from the Aurora House nursing home. In many ways, the characters are all faced with a yearning thirst for freedom and are trapped, whether literally or metaphorically. Adam Ewing befriends Autua, a slave that has stowed aboard the Prophetess. Later, Ewing is trapped in the bowels of the ship while the greedy Henry Goose slowly poisons him. Robert Frobisher is forced to keep his homosexuality a secret even as he tries to find a way to escape from the manipulative Vyvyan Ayrs and complete his Cloud Atlas Sextet, which also serves as the film's musical leitmotif. Luisa Rey's investigation emphasizes the increasing power that faceless corporations wield, a theme which is revisited during Sonmi-451's segment, where clones are used to perform mundane tasks and are then processed to be fed back to the clones themselves, creating a never-ending cycle. Timothy Cavendish is trapped in a nursing home that is lorded over by the Nurse Ratchet-like Noakes. Lastly, Zachry is haunted by a Satan-like figure called 'Old Georgie,' which prevents him from saving his brother-in-law from the cannibalistic Kona. What's really amazing is all the emotional beats that "Cloud Atlas" manages to hit on, including several laugh-out-loud moments that keep it from being too self-serious. Much of this comic relief stems from Cavendish's bumbling attempts to escape from the nursing home. The ending is especially cathartic and points to the enduring power of love and karma. It suggests that our lives have more cosmic significance than we are led to believe. 

This is one of the most beautiful films I've seen this year and the attention to detail in every frame is just astounding. The dystopian and post-apocalyptic segments are particularly striking, one a blend of anime, "Blade Runner," and "The Fifth Element" while the other is more "Mad Max" and "Planet of the Apes." Composed by Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, and Tykwer himself, the score is incredibly moving and listening to it creates a wave of emotions, even when it stands apart from the film. The make-up work is phenomenal and one of the more fun aspects is trying to spot the dozen primary actors in their various incarnations. Some appear as majors characters in one segment while as an extra in another. The end credits were a delight to watch as I was consistently surprised to see this actor was that character and vice versa. Unfortunately, there has been some controversy with having white actors made up to look Asian, with some accusing the film as encouraging 'Yellow-face.' As an Asian, I was not offended because the film was in no way stereotyping Asians. Not to mention, Doona Bae pops up as a Mexican and British woman in other segments. To call "Cloud Atlas" racist means that you missed the point of the film because the obstacles that all the characters face are color-blind and transcend such artificial boundaries. 

Tykwer and the Wachowski's have gathered an impressive ensemble cast led by Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. Chewing the scenery as well as bringing a measure of depth to his various performances, Hanks excels in all of his roles, whether as the foul-mouthed gangster Dermot Hoggins or the conflicted tribesman Zachry. However, the make-up applied on Hanks in some of the stories is blatantly obvious even if it's sometimes deliberately played up for humor. Berry slips into and out of her characters with ease while Jim Broadbent steals every scene he's in with hilarious effect. Out of the entire cast, Doona Bae proves to be the standout as the clone Sonmi-451, her haunting and sympathetic performance lends her story a humanity that just isn't as strong compared to the other segments. Hugo Weaving pops up as the villain in all six stories and is almost unrecognizable in drag as Nurse Noakes. Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, and James D'Arcy all excel as well, with nary a weak link found. 

"Cloud Atlas" was released on October 26, 2012 to mixed reviews (not surprising) with 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that the 'sprawling, ambitious blend of thought-provoking narrative and eye-catching visuals will prove too unwieldy for some, but the sheer size and scope of [the film] are all but impossible to ignore.' Despite the applause that the audience gave during an advance screening this past Wednesday, my fears about its box office potential have unfortunately become true as it is set to gross only a mere $10 million over the weekend. This is disheartening but also points to the fact that despite their cries for originality, mainstream audiences will never shell out money for a film that doesn't have an easily digestible premise. While I understand that a film's appeal will always be subjective, it still makes me a little angry when I see something like "Taken 2" earn $50 million whereas "Cloud Atlas" will be lucky to even make that same amount in its entire run. So please, if you care about cinema at all, see "Cloud Atlas." It's an experience that honestly has no equal and is the type of bold filmmaking that audiences should foster. For me, this has already landed on the list of best films of 2012.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5

"Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future."

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Paranormal Activity 4 Review

Rated R (Language and Some Violence/Terror)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 28 Minutes

Cast-
Katie Featherston-Katie
Kathryn Newton-Alex
Matt Shively-Ben
Alexondra Lee-Holly
Stephen Dunham-Doug
Aiden Lovekamp-Wyatt
Brady Allen-Robbie
Sprague Grayden-Kristi
Brian Boland-Daniel

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

Even pretty girls aren't safe in "Paranormal Activity 4," easily the weakest entry in the series so far.
Another year, another "Paranormal Activity." Released back in 2009, the original "Paranormal Activity" took critics and audiences by surprise, racking up $193.3 million worldwide and receiving positive reviews with a solid 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. Using unknown actors, director Oren Peli shot the film over a one-week period on a measly production budget of $15,000, making it the most profitable film ever made based on return on investment (Paramount Pictures acquired the rights for only $350,000). What made it such a success was its slow-burn atmosphere that perfectly captured our primal fear of the unknown. This wasn't the first found-footage film made but never has the approach been utilized in such an innovative manner. A sequel was quickly announced but 2010's "Paranormal Activity 2" received mixed reviews (59% on Rotten Tomatoes) yet remained a box office success, replacing "Saw" as the new perennial horror franchise of October. The series showed no signs of slowing down as 2011's "Paranormal Activity 3" debuted with an impressive $52.6 million, setting a new fall record. Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman return for another round of supernatural shenanigans with "Paranormal Activity 4" but it's clear that the franchise is now running on fumes, suffering from a creative malaise as this entry lacks the punch of its predecessors and fails to advance the overall mythology in any meaningful way. 

Opening with a brief recap of the events in "Paranormal Activity 2," ("Paranormal Activity 3" was a prequel) a demonically-possessed Katie (Katie Featherston) murders her older sister Kristi (Sprague Grayden) and her husband Daniel (Brian Boland). She then kidnaps their baby boy Hunter before disappearing, her whereabouts unknown. Five years later in 2011, a family living in the suburbs of Henderson, Nevada begins to experience a haunting of their own when Katie moves into the house across the street with a six-year-old boy named Robbie (Brady Allen) in tow. After Katie is suddenly taken to the hospital due to a vague illness, family matriarch Holly (Alexondra Lee) agrees to let Robbie stay with them for a few days until she recovers. Fifteen-year-old daughter Alex (Kathryn Newton) asks her boyfriend Ben (Matt Shively) to set up all the laptops in the house to record everything when she views webcam footage of Robbie coming into her room in the middle of the night and sleeping next to her. His arrival coincides with a number of strange phenomena at the house, which escalates in intensity as time goes on. Holly and her husband Doug (Stephen Dunham, who sadly passed away last month) remain unconvinced that the occurrences are related to Robbie. Meanwhile, Robbie befriends Alex's little brother Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp), whose fate is somehow tied to Katie and the demonic entity now residing within her. 

After doing the runaround with two prequels, "Paranormal Activity 4" finally advances the story but fails to shed any new light on the mythology. While it touches upon some of the plot points introduced at the end of the previous entry, the script from Zack Estrin and Christopher B. Landon is frustratingly vague and creates even more plot holes and questions in the franchise's already-convoluted narrative. What was originally about a normal, everyday suburban couple confronting a supernatural entity has now become a mess. Estrin and Landon even resort to ripping off of other horror flicks, with the most egregious example coming from Wyatt riding around in a Big Wheel like Danny from Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining." Returning directors Joost and Schulman play it safe by sticking close to the formula of the previous entries but the two have bungled the pacing and the suspense. We're treated to scenes where literally nothing happens, with too many fake jump scares of the cat scampering across the camera. Such instances inspired guffaws from the audience, not dread. The obligatory moving doors and loud bangs are all there but their impact has been severely diminished since we already expect them. The only novelty comes from using the Xbox 360 Kinect's tracking dots (which are illuminated by night vision) to give the house's living room an eerie, otherworldly glow but it also points to the sequel's lack of any new ideas as it repeatedly falls back on this sole gimmick. This also points to a larger problem as there some serious lapses in logic that frequently break the illusion. Some of it is inherent to the found-footage subgenre but at no point does Alex use the hundreds of hours of recorded footage in an intelligent manner. She can't even remember her damn password for Pete's sake! Even more puzzling is how the hard drives of the family's various MacBooks (the product placement is really annoying) can even hold all that footage or why no one seems to turn off their electronic devices when they go to sleep. The final minutes of "Paranormal Activity 4" recall the intensity of the original but we're greeted to another non-ending that will leave audiences wondering what the heck just happened. 

One of the strengths of the series has always been its naturalism and Kathryn Newton gives a convincing performance as teenager Alex. She may be poorly written but you sympathize with her character even as her mental state deteriorates due to being caught in a bad situation with no one to turn to. Matt Shively is actually a delight as Alex's boyfriend Ben and provides some much-needed levity with his funny wisecracks. Brady Allen is suitably creepy as Robbie yet his inclusion in the story just raises more questions about who he really is. Katie Featherston also pops up but she's little more than a supporting character. Despite being a real-life couple, the interactions between Alexondra Lee and Stephen Dunham never feel entirely organic. 

"Paranormal Activity 4" was released on October 19, 2012 and has received largely negative reviews with 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics concluded that it 'wrings a few more screams out of the franchise's surprisingly durable premise [but] provides fans of the series with dismayingly diminishing returns.' You know there's a serious problem when the audience's reaction is laughter, which is what happened during an advance screening this past Thursday. Of course, there's no question that it'll be a box office success since the production budgets are so low. The film has already collected $15 million and while its opening weekend gross will trail the record-setting $52.6 million debut of its predecessor, it'll be enough to convince Paramount to go ahead with another sequel. "Paranormal Activity 4" is not a total disaster but it's a severely underwhelming installment that lazily rests on the laurels of what came before, stringing its fans along while laughing all the way to the bank.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5

Note: There is a post-credits scene that teases the upcoming spin-off, to be directed by Christopher Landon and made for a Latino audience.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Sinister Review

Rated R (Disturbing Violent Images and Some Terror)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 50 Minutes

Cast-
Ethan Hawke-Ellison Oswalt
Juliet Rylance-Tracy Oswalt
Michael Hall D'Addario-Trevor Oswalt
Clare Foley-Ashley Oswalt
James Ransone-Deputy
Fred Dalton Thompson-Sheriff
Vincent D'Onofrio-Professor Jonas
Nicholas King-Bughuul/Mr. Boogie

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Ethan Hawke discovers some amateur porn in the attic of his new house
Has Hollywood lost the ability to scare us? The last two weeks of August saw the release of "The Apparition" and "The Possession" but the former flopped (massively I must say) in the scares department and couldn't even muster some cheap thrills while the latter simply ripped-off of "The Exorcist," only it was dumbed down for the PG-13 crowd. The number of horror films that have managed to strike a chord with me over the last twenty or so years are small but now you can add "Sinister" into the mix. Directed by Scott Derrickson and produced by Jason Blum (whose previous credits include 2009's "Paranormal Activity" and 2011's "Insidious"), the film mixes the serial killer, found-footage, and haunted house subgenres to create something that actually fills you with a sense of dread and unease despite treading some well-worn territory. I have to admit that the experience of watching "Sinister" left me drained by the time the end credits rolled due to the intense atmosphere that Derrickson has created. It serves as further proof that horror isn't just about creating a sense of revulsion with blood and guts but on reducing the audience to their baser instincts, to make them feel genuinely afraid as they sit inside of a darkened theater. "Sinister" does not rewrite the rules of its genre and suffers from some truly hackneyed moments but it's a surprisingly effective horror film that manages to feel fresh thanks to its disturbing visuals and chilling sound design. 

After becoming a household name with the release of his book Kentucky Blood, true-crime novelist Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) has been struggling for the past ten years to replicate that same success but to no avail. For his latest novel, Ellison moves his entire family to a small town where a young girl disappeared under mysterious circumstances after her entire family was murdered by hanging. Unbeknownst to his wife Tracy (Juliet Rylance), the house that her husband brought is the same house where the murders took place. Stopping by for an impromptu visit, the local sheriff (Fred Dalton Thompson) expresses his dislike of a fame-hungry writer second-guessing his department's investigation. Soon after he moves in, Ellison discovers a box containing reels of Super 8 film in the attic. Each film begins as an innocent home movie of a family gathering before suddenly cutting to them being brutally murdered in various ways. One of the reels proves to be especially disturbing as he sees a dark figure with a demonic face come into view. Believing he's stumbled upon his own version of In Cold Blood, Ellison becomes obsessed with solving the murders and enlists the help of a star-struck deputy (James Ransone). Strange occurrences begin to haunt the house and it soon becomes clear that Ellison and his family are in terrible danger the longer they stay. 

To horror veterans, much of what happens in "Sinister" won't be a total surprise but what puts it a cut above the rest is Derrickson's skillful use of horrific imagery, opening with grainy Super 8 footage of a family being hung from a tree and setting the tone for the rest of the film. Although there's a surprising amount of restraint with the gore, there is one key scene that invokes a sense of morbid voyeurism that's almost Hitchcock-like. During one late-night viewing session, Ellison watches as the killer prepares to slit his victim's throats (each one bound to their beds) but it immediately cuts to our haggard protagonist weakly closing his eyes while the gruesome bloodshed happening before him is reflected in his eyeglasses. Despite the effect these films have on him, he continues to watch and so do we, tapping into our fascination with evil. Derrickson also replicates the rough editing of Super 8 within the film to ratchet up the tension. A creepy score from Christopher Young is overlaid with each flickering reel, adding to its already tense atmosphere with a faint child-like chanting and other deeply unsettling sounds, blurring the lines between music and sound design. 

The script from C. Robert Cargill does not feel like a supernatural tale, at least not at first as the footage that Ellison watches is filmed as if a serial killer was both documenting and admiring his own work. This grounds "Sinister," allowing the audience to buy into its more ridiculous aspects as it slowly unveils an interesting backstory about an obscure Pagan entity known as 'Bughuul.' While the marital drama is well-done, some of the dialogue can get downright cringe worthy, such as a heated exchange where our beleaguered hero exclaims to his wife that this could be his version of In Cold Blood. The director also relies on jump scares a little too much, with Ellison wandering around his house at night yet he never turns on the lights for some inexplicable reason. The fact that his son Trevor (Michael Hall D'Addario) sleepwalks and has night terrors makes carrying a butcher knife rather head-scratching. However, we forgive this because the rest of "Sinister" is so well-made due to its foreboding, slow-burn atmosphere. This is a film that rewards patience and might even leave you sleeping with one eye open. 

"Sinister" is a one-man show, with Ethan Hawke giving a convincing performance as a true-crime novelist who initially wants to solve the murders to recapture his former glory but it soon becomes less about the book and more on his insatiable need to know what happened to these families. Hawke's Ellison Oswalt is arrogant and selfish yet he remains a sympathetic character, his research taking its toll on his mental health and marriage as the film wears on. Although underwritten, Juliet Rylance is fine as Ellison's long-suffering wife while James Ransone provides some much needed levity as an eccentric deputy sheriff. Vincent D'Onofrio also pops up, literally phoning it in through Skype. Premiering back in March as a 'secret' screening during the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival, 

"Sinister" will be released on October 12, 2012 and has received largely positive reviews so far with 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. I attended an advance screening this past Monday (which was packed and many people were turned away) and the response was somewhat mixed. Thankfully, the audience wasn't as rowdy given their usual penchant to provide their own audio commentary. "Sinister" should do well at the box office this weekend thanks to its effective marketing campaign despite three other releases competing but it won't become the breakout success it hopes to be as "Paranormal Activity 4" is opening a week later. Going in with absolutely no expectations, "Sinister" really took me by surprise and while it's hardly original, this is a horror film that succeeds in what a horror film should do: scaring the pants off its audience.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

"Get the kids. Pack the car. We have to leave here now!"

Monday, October 1, 2012

Pitch Perfect Review

Rated PG-13 (Sexual Material, Language and Drug References)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 52 Minutes

Cast-
Anna Kendrick-Beca Mitchell
Brittany Snow-Chloe
Anna Camp-Aubrey
Rebel Wilson-Fat Amy
Ester Dean-Cynthia Rose
Alexis Knapp-Stacie
Hana Mae Lee-Lilly
Skylar Astin-Jesse
Adam DeVine-Bumper
Utkarsh Ambudkar-Donald
John Benjamin Hickey-Dr. Mitchell
John Michael Higgins-John
Elizabeth Banks-Gail
Christopher Mintz-Plasse-Tommy

Directed by Jason Moore

Anna Kendrick shows off her vocal chops in the a cappella musical, "Pitch Perfect."
It all began with "Glee." Since the show's premiere on FOX three years ago in 2009, the comedy-drama/musical created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan has become (for better or for worse, depending on your point of view) a wildly successful pop culture phenomenon. Hollywood loves to follow the latest trends and this summer saw the release of Adam Shankman's "Rock of Ages," based on the Broadway rock/jukebox musical of the same name. Unfortunately, the film received mixed reviews with 41% on Rotten Tomatoes and was a major box office bomb, grossing only $51.8 million worldwide and falling short of its $75 million production budget. Now we have "Pitch Perfect," a film about rival a cappella groups competing in a national championship, inspired by Mickey Rapkin's 2008 non-fiction novel Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory. "Pitch Perfect" may feature a formulaic and clichéd plot but this estrogen-packed musical comedy is just too funny, too energetic, too charming, and too darn delightful to hate. 

During the national a cappella championships at New York City's Lincoln Center, the all-girls group known as 'The Bellas' from Barden University lose to their rivals, the all-boys 'Treblemakers' (also from the same university), when 'Bella' member Aubrey (Anna Camp) suddenly vomits all over the stage in the middle of her solo of Ace of Base's The Sign. A year later, Aubrey and her friend Chloe (Brittany Snow) find themselves leading the Bellas, who are in serious need of new recruits after most of its members graduated. Beca (Anna Kendrick) is a freshman at Barden who wants to move to California and follow her dream of being a DJ but her father Dr. Mitchell (John Benjamin Hickey), a professor at the university, won't pay for her move to Los Angeles unless she completes a year of school and makes a serious effort to join a club. While singing David Guetta's Titanium in the shower, Beca is accosted by Chloe, who only leaves her alone on the condition that she auditions for the Bellas. A number of students arrive the next day to audition for the various a cappella groups but Beca, who is last, easily blows away the competition. Aubrey and Chloe select an eclectic group of girls to join the Bellas, which includes Beca, self-proclaimed Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), provocative Stacie (Alexis Knapp), lesbian Cynthia Rose (Ester Dean), and quiet Lilly (Hana Mae Lee). Together, they pledge to never sleep with a member of the Treblemakers or risk being kicked out. Under the strict supervision of Aubrey, the Bellas begin rigorously training for the national a cappella championships but Beca is frustrated at the conservative song list and urges the group to try something new. However, Aubrey is adamantly against this, leading to friction within the Bellas. Meanwhile, Beca must fight her growing affections for Jesse (Skylar Astin), a new member of the Treblemakers. 

At first glance, "Pitch Perfect" may look like an a cappella version of "Glee" but that would be doing the film a great disservice, as it avoids the excessive preaching that plagues Murphy's popular television series. Both director Jason Moore and writer Kay Cannon (who worked on "30 Rock" and "New Girl" as writer and producer) are making their feature film debuts here and while Cannon's script isn't something that can be called original, it's elevated by the snarky humor that recalls 2004's "Mean Girls" and 2010's "Easy A". Like those films, "Pitch Perfect" also pays homage to the works of the late John Hughes, making a number of references to 1985's "The Breakfast Club." The Bellas even sing Simple Mind's Don't You (Forget About Me) during the national championships at the end, along with other songs. Although the film does not offer any real surprises (its story is essentially about being receptive to new ideas and that it's okay and even necessary to break away from tradition), there is still a ton of laughs to be had, the energetic cast and music performances sweeping you off your feet and leaving you singing along. A cleverly edited montage of various students singing Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone and a hilarious 'riff-off' at an empty pool where the various a cappella groups at Barden compete by mashing up songs in the same genre or decade are just a few of the highlights, including Kendrick solo-rapping to Blackstreet's No Diggity. The script is full of memorable one-liners as well, many of them delivered by Australian comedienne Rebel Wilson, who steals every scene and almost the entire film as Fat Amy (she calls herself this so that 'twiggy bitches' like Aubrey and Chloe don't do it behind her back). Her rendition of Gloria Estefan's Turn the Beat Around had the audience in hysterics! There's a running joke where Aubrey would add the syllables 'aca' of a cappella to everything she says, e.g. when she exclaims 'aca-scuse me' when she finds her authority being challenged by the 'alternative' Beca. It repeats throughout the film and yet it never gets old as Amy chimes in with a humorous 'aca-awkward' or 'aca-believe it' when you least expect it. The choreography during the music performances is somewhat pedestrian and while Auto-Tune may rear its ugly head at times, the sheer amount of fun you'll have manages to diminish these flaws. Forgive me for not helping myself but "Pitch Perfect" is aca-amazing! 

Ever since her Best Supporting Actress nomination for 2009's "Up in the Air" at the 82nd Academy Awards, Anna Kendrick has been on a roll and the only black marks on her résumé are the "Twilight" films, of which she is thankfully now rid of. Kendrick trades in her chatterbox perkiness and dons a rebellious smirk and black eye-liner as Goth girl Beca while showing off her vocal chops. Yes, she can sing and even received a Tony Award nomination when she was just twelve years old for her role as Dinah on the Broadway musical High Society, the third-youngest performer to receive such a distinction. The romance between her and Skylar Astin's Jesse is harmless enough, with the two generating enough chemistry that allows us to remain invested, their characters never devolving into asinine foolishness. The rest of the cast conform to familiar stereotypes but Cannon gives each character enough twists to keep it fresh. Rebel Wilson is without a doubt the highlight as she pokes fun at herself, throwing one zinger after another and revealing a surprisingly good singing voice. Anna Camp and Brittany Snow are appropriately uptight and perky, respectively. Ester Dean and Alexis Knapp complement each other well, with Dean's Cynthia Rose unable to keep her hands off Knapp's Stacie, who in turn is unable to help herself from seductively feeling her ample bosom while dressed in skimpy clothing. Hana Mae Lee also shines as the ultra-quiet Lilly, the camera often hilariously cutting to an extreme close-up of her face as she mumbles some strange non-sequitur. Adam DeVine practically makes love to the camera as preening Treblemakers leader Bumper and finally, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins provide some colorful commentary, saying the most outrageous things with a straight face. Even Christopher Mintz-Plasse pops up with an amusing cameo. 

With advance screenings going on since this past summer, Universal Pictures decided to give a limited release for "Pitch Perfect" on September 28, 2012 before going wide a week later on October 5. Reviews have been positive so far with 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. The screening I attended last Wednesday didn't have a huge turnout but the audience clearly enjoyed the film, with a number of girls sitting a few seats away from me breaking out into a dance. That's how into it they were! Despite playing at only 335 locations, "Pitch Perfect" managed an impressive sixth place at the weekend box office with $5.2 million, translating to an outstanding per-theater average of $15,522. Compare that with "Won't Back Down," which opened at eight times as many theaters yet mustered a pitiful $2.7 million. These results suggest a lucrative road ahead and points to the importance of word-of-mouth in today's increasingly connected society. "Pitch Perfect" has no business being this good with its by-the-numbers script but there's such a snarky wit to the characters and the music performances are just so fun that you're unable to resist its charms. This is by far one of the most pleasant surprises of 2012 and you know what, it's aca-awesome!

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

"You guys are gonna get pitch-slapped so hard, your man boobs are gonna concave."