Before The Fall (aka Napola)

Before The Fall tells three compelling stories at once; the first is of Friedrich, a young promising athlete given a chance to attend the Napola (National Political Institutes of Education.) The second is of Albrecht, a smart but physically lacking boy whose father dreams of being the ultimate Nazi warrior. The third and most fascinating is the Napola itself; a type of finishing school for teenage Hitler Youth on track to becoming officers of the SS. A great, smaller film that shows how the Nazi’s turned your every day normal person into the monsters of World War II.

BrianS


4 Dead Clowns

King Kong (2005)

King Kong is an amazing tribute to the 1933 original. Peter Jackson proves again why he is one of the elite directors, producers, and writers in Hollywood. He gets so much from Jack Black, Adrien Brody, and Naomi Watts. Most importantly the original animators could only dream of having a Kong this lifelike. You easily forget it is actually Andy Serkis running around the soundstage. The CGI and special effects are flawless, even though some may disagree about a certain canyon run scene.

Kong 's last stand is reason enough to watch this movie.

Everyone should own this one.

4 1/2 Dead Clowns

~BC

Shine A Light

After seeing this in IMAX, I can’t imagine seeing this in a regular theater or on the small screen. Brilliantly shot by Martin Scorsese, you are on stage with the Rolling Stones. More often than not you are looking out at the audience. There is still magic in the elder statesmen of rock, still a swagger in Mick’s hips, a hint of madness in Keith’s glare. Only Charlie seems to have loosened up over these many years. Ron still has the look of someone who can’t believe he’s there. After nearly 20 years I don’t quite understand while Darryl Jones hasn’t been made an official member of the band.

The set list is Some Girls heavy; possibly because it’s such a New York record. And considering they were out promoting a new disc, A Bigger Bang, it’s shocking to find no songs off it in there. I guess since it was a benefit show, they stuck to older fair. Keith is a mess for the most part, but then shows signs of brilliance as when he pulled out a 12 string for As Tears Go By. Mick is in shockingly good form, both in voice and with his manic stage prancing. My only real complaint is that there is some needless vamping at the end of certain songs, most notably Tumbling Dice and Sympathy for the Devil.


BrianS

4 Dead Clowns

Beowulf

An Epic tale about a hero and his unbelievable feats and accomplishments that was unfortunately not good enough on its own for Hollywood. Changes were made to flesh out a two-hour movie, and the revised story does not work well and leaves the audience without any reason to care.

Beowulf did not translate well in the animated medium even with the use of live action actors. The acting left much to be desired, but acting in front of a blue screen is never ideal. The CGI on the backdrop shots was excellent, but that was the only bright spot (except the rolling credits).

You’ve been warned.


1 1/2 Dead Clowns
~BC

Eastern Promises

A.K.A History of Violence 2 set in England in broken Russian and English. Viggo Mortensen wastes his time and a strong effort. At least he was given some recognition by being nominated. The pacing of the movie is terrible, and the movie easily predictable. The poor dialogue also plagues this movie leading to a noticeable lack of chemistry between the actors. This leads to some tense scenes only because you cannot bear to watch them.

You’ve been warned.


1 Dead Clown

~BC

I disagree! Look, I can't stand David Cronenberg, but this movie worked for me. A constant air of tension and look behind the iron curtain of the Russian mob.

BrianS

3 Dead Clowns

We Own the Night

A crime drama directed by James Gray that tries to be something more. The strong acting of Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, and Robert Duvall is the only thing that carries it. The dialogue and pacing are good enough. Unfortunately the plot gets lost in sequences and situations that we’ve seen many times before.

Predictable, but I always enjoy movies set in New York (1980s Brooklyn). Attention to detail (The Twin Towers standing statuesque as you look out towards downtown Manhattan) is what really separates this movie from the forgettable gritty cop crime drama.


3 1/2 Dead Clowns

~BC

The Brave One

Headlined by Jodie Foster, The Brave One is an exciting story of a woman trying to piece her life back together after a traumatic event, but as hard as she tries she will never be the same person again. The movie is well written and the dialogue is strong and believable.

Unfortunately, Terrance Howard is not and he is actually what weakens this movie. His interactions are forced and unnatural, and it really takes you out of the movie. The editing worked in some scenes adding a lot to the composition and emotion of the movie, but it really took away from some other scenes and killed the pacing. (Trying to be different and inventive really ended up hurting the overall movie).

However, there is one scene that gave me chills because it was executed perfectly, the camera was in the right spot, and there was a definite attention to detail. (In an attempt to maintain a spoiler free review I will not mention any more detail)


3 1/2 Dead Clowns

~BC

3:10 to Yuma

3:10 to Yuma is a western that isn’t all about pointless violence. It goes beyond the main story (making a 3:10 train to Yuma) and becomes a battle on screen between Russell Crowe and Christian Bale’s characters. (Thank god Tom Cruise backed out of this movie.) The acting and dialogue are strong throughout the movie, but it falls entirely on Crowe (I guess when he’s not busy throwing phones at people he can act) and Bale’s shoulders. While this isn’t Unforgiven it is still an enjoyable movie.




3 1/2 Dead Clowns

~BC

The Triplets of Belleville

Written and directed by Sylvain Chomet the Triplets of Belleville is a French animated film that tries to redefine the category. It does not have either the stunning scenic animation of Japanese Anime or the fuzzy/cute characters of American animated movies. The Triplets is a simple yet poignant story of grandmother doing anything to make her orphaned grandson happy. It is also a social commentary on the over development of the Parisian suburbs/countryside and the consumerist driven over-indulgence of America. (The reasons many people have said they hated this movie.) The animated characters are gangly, grotesque, and over exaggerated, but they are extremely compelling relying on emotion and the environment instead of dialogue to tell the story. Wonderfully executed overall, the Triplets of Belleville is an under appreciated movie.

4 Dead Clowns

~BC

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

I guess it helps to know who Julie Newmar is. Ms. Newmar is most famous for her role as Catwoman on the 1960's Batman TV series.








In some bizarre twist she becomes the inspiration for three drag queens about to embark on a road trip. Like most movies involving drag queens, the are lots of laughs punctuated by periods of threatening behaviour on the parts of others. These seems to be an odd theme (also see The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) that I guess reflects how they see life around them or how they are actually treated outside the big cities. Anyway...To Wong Foo has its moments, though not a great movie by any means, its worth seeing Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo and expecially Wesley Sinpes (as the unforgettable Noxeema Jackson) get all gussied up. Its also a good reminder these three gents, excuse me, "career girls" can act. Swayze has become the butt of so many jokes sometimes its hard to remember that he's had some memorable roles.



BrianS



2 1/2 Dead Clowns

The Kingdom

Starring Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman, and Jeremy Piven (yeah I know what your thinking) The Kingdom provides a solid action movie with a message (notice it does not star Steven Seagal.) The movie is slow to start, but it is not for naught because it actually builds up to a strong climax. The movie is well written and acted, and actually incorporates some comedic relief. It helped ease you off at the right time and the action sequences made a stronger impact. The dialogue flows and exchanges between characters feel natural.

It is a gritty movie and the urban combat scenes rival the intensity of Black Hawk Down.

Well worth renting. (Enjoy the special features which includes a breakdown of two important scenes.)

4 Dead Clowns

~BC

Knocked Up

Knocked Up is well written and directed. (it's a shame Judd Apatow's only black mark is Fun with Dick and Jane) Seth Rogan carries this movie, although I was pleasantly surprised by Katherine Heigl's comedic ability. The supporting cast was strong, I only wish they had written stronger dialogue for Jonah Hill's character. While the movie was strong overall it did have some slow spots, but there were scenes where the movie could have gone on for another hour.

Definitely worth renting although I enjoyed Superbad much, much more. May be a tad on the graphic side for some. You’ve been warned.


4 Dead Clowns

~BC

I agree: Superbad is the better movie. Leslie Mann steals this movie. The best scene is when she and a club bouncer get into it. Great stuff. The problem with the Apatow crew (as with the Stiller crew) is that they seem to think beating something into the ground makes it funny. It doesn't. This drags on a good half hour too long.
I'm talking away a Dead Clown!

BrianS


3 Dead Clowns

Grosse Pointe Blank

" What do you do?

'I'm a professional killer.'

Oh, good for you. It's a growth industry."

A great quirky movie that's well acted and well written. It is supported by a strong cast from John and Joan Cusack, Minnie Driver to Dan Ackroyd and Jeremy Piven. The soundtrack is also a great time capsule of 80s music.

Well worth watching. I wish more movies were done this well.

4 1/2 Dead Clowns

~BC

Disturbia

Ah, Shia LaBeouf. This “re-imagining” of Rear Window would not have worked without him.

He is a very talented guy, and much like Transformers, the material here is elevated by his charisma. In the hands of a lesser actor, this would have bombed. It’s through sheer force of personality that lifted this from direct-to-video quality to theatrical success.

Shia plays Kale, a kid reeling from the loss of a family member, who falls into some trouble that leaves him on house arrest. As tedium sets in, he decides to grab some binoculars and spy on the neighbors. He gets more than he bargained for, and with the help of hot neighbor girl, must unravel what is going on at the neighborhood loner’s house. There are a few good scares, but there isn’t enough of a creepy factor. It takes a little too long to get the ball rolling, and then it just jumps from zero to sixty. A more skilled director might have built it up a little more, but there is very little room for doubt about how this will turn out. Still it’s worth a rental.

BrianS


2 1/2 Dead Clowns

Dead Silence

From the same team that brought you Saw, comes a retread of other ventriloquist dummy movies and shows that preceded it. It’s well acted, well shot, but the only innovation here is the use of “dead silence” that warns people trouble is approaching; certainly not enough of a gimmick to keep you in suspense. I will give them some credit as it has the feel of a 1970’s movie, and gore is kept to a minimum.

BrianS

1 1/2 Dead Clowns

Sunshine

You know, I expect a lot more from Danny Boyle. This film is a lot more The Beach than 28 Days Later. There are a lot of interesting concepts at work, but the film drags at a Solaris pace that begged for some editing or a few more action pieces. Though I can't knock it to much, as it does give a nice role to the criminally underused Michele Yeoh. There is a scene towards the end that made me think Chris Evans just took the role as an inside joke (though he and Michele were the only two actors who were really given emotional beats.) And just what are we supposed to make of that ending? And interesting attempt that falls flat, I give it 3 Dead Clowns.



BrianS

---

The most surprising thing about this movie was the score, which was well done throughout. I agree with Brian that the acting was unexpected, but the dialogue was unatural in some scenes. The pacing is terrible. There were moments during the movie that it felt like a day by day diary of their 16 month journey.

Put up with it (that's what the fast forward button is for) and you'll get a good sci-fi thriller.


3 1/2 Dead Clowns

BC

CSA: The Confederate States of America

What an interesting movie. Is it satire? Social commentary? I'll have to read up on the film makers to see what their intent was.

CSA basically presents you with a fictional look at what our country would look like had the South won the War of Northern Aggression.

The highlight isn't even the story itself, but the jaw dropping racist commercials interspersed throughout, along with the wicked twist at the end.


3 1/2 Dead Clowns

BrianS

Arctic Tale

Arctic Tale, by the creators of March of the Penguins and An Inconvenient Truth, focuses on three main characters a Polar Bear, a Walrus, and the damaging effects of global warming.

Arctic Tale does easily convey its message about global warming because the awkward narration (Queen Latifah), score, and personification of the animals tells us how we should feel. It really undermines the cinematography, which is the strength of this documentary.

Watch it to feel bad about wasting electricity or driving your gas guzzling SUV because this excess consumption will eventually lead to the extinction of these Arctic creatures.

2 1/2 Dead Clowns

~BC

Norbit

That Eddie Murphy is a funny guy. No, really. Funny guy. There is a scene where Eddie as an old Chinese man insults Eddie as a fat Black woman. Priceless. There are a lot of moments like that, but the glue holding the story together? Eh...we've all seen it before. Investors want the land to do something else with it; mayhem proceeds. But, if you want a laugh, and there are several great ones here, its worth a rental.

2 1/2 Dead Clowns

BrianS

Cloverfield

Cloverfield was book ended by two events for me. The first was while waiting on-line to get in. A woman coming out of another showing and shouted “you’re all wasting your money!”

Cloverfield as a film owes as much as a film to The Blair Witch Project as it does Godzilla. Thankfully it’s more the latter than the former. And I’m very glad I thought ahead and took some motion sickness pills. I feel for anyone entering the theater that didn’t. Still, when it was over I was unsteady on my feet, and had to stand for a few minutes before attempting the stairs.

One the surface, Cloverfield is what it appears to be in trailer form, a kick ass monster movie; all head of the Statue of Liberty rolling down the street and building smashing you can take. On the other, much like the original Godzilla, it’s a parable. Where Godzilla played on nuclear fears, Cloverfield plays the terrorism card in such a way that it will go right over most people’s heads.

The movie is shot by camcorder, as a going away party suddenly becomes a quest to escape a horrible event in lower Manhattan. As the head of Lady Liberty rolls, so too does the dust of a building crumbling to the ground. As the human throng runs from falling debris, you can’t help but recall the memory of people fleeing the attack on the World Trade Center, as the Twin Towers crashed to the ground. There is no condemnation of anyone here, there is little time for reflection; these are people on the run for their lives. With so little time to look back, the monster is seen in camcorder flashes, as is the horror left in its wake. There is such a visceral response to the terror these people feel and empathy for their plight that I found I had to remind myself that this was a movie. And that is part of the genius of how it was filmed. This is not some slick Hollywood version of a monster movie, but a post 9/11 look at terror. Not to say the effects aren’t top notch. The destruction of New York is so realistic I’m still not sure how they pulled it off. Is it model work, CGI or a mix of both? There is one scene towards the end that stretches disbelief a bit, but it’s so pee-down-the-leg intense that I can forgive it.

This is a film that no matter the box office should never have a sequel. It is what it is, and should stand that way. You could easily show the story from another camcorders perspective, but it would dilute what was done here. This is masterful storytelling that should stand on its own.

The second event of the evening was a woman who stood up at the end of the film and said “I want my money back!” Both women left me shaking my head…some people just don’t get it.

4 1/2 Dead Clowns

BrianS