"Marriage is hard. Two people, year after year. Sometimes you stop seeing the other person," says the character, Jules. In writer/director Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right, her innovative screeplay explores the world of marriage and parenthood in an unconventional setting. It's a witty and heartfelt story about the bonds that make us a whole, both marital and familial.
The story follows a lesbian couple, Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening), living in Southern California with their two children, Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson). Since Joni is about to leave for college, and Laser is aching to have a father figure in his life, they make a call to finally meet their "donor dad." Paul (Mark Ruffalo), an up-and-coming restaurateur, comes into the picture. The family's quiet living soon has to learn to adjust to having the children's father in their lives.
The crown jewel of this indie treasure is the acting from its gifted cast, Moore and Bening in particular. It's difficult to praise one without praising the other at the same time. They are a duo of genuine talent, setting off dramatic and humourous sparks of life. Mia Wasikowska's talent is much more noticable in the film. Seeing as she's not being upstaged by visual effects like earlier this year in Alice in Wonderland, she's given room to branch out, making her one of Hollywood's best newcomers. The acting is so natural throughout the entire cast, that it feels as though you're watching a home video rather than an actual movie.
Lisa Cholodenko's script never preaches its stance on marriage. It's not about gay or straight marriage, what's right or wrong. All it does is share a tale of family dynamics, and the obstacles and rewards of parenthood and marriage. The family shown in the film might seem unconventional, but that's not always the case. Seeing the care and love that the parents express for each other and their children is about as conventional as it gets. It doesn't matter what your views on marriage are before and after you see the film. It's still one of the finest comedies of a modern American family to treat us in a while. And that's coming from a moderate conservative.
Final grade: A
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Nolan's immersive 'Inception' challenges the mind, with a rewarding payoff
One of the first terms that comes to mind when describing Inception is 'mind-blowing.' Yes, it sounds cliched, but it's really one of the only comments that perfectly compliments the experience of watching it for the first time. Director Christopher Nolan's film deserves nothing less than this type of praise, seeing as it delivers on all accounts: story, cast, visual effects, and most important, brilliance. Inception offers a vastly original look at the world of dreams, one that is as intriguing as it is striking. Nolan's vision is a marvel to explore, as we navigate a whole new world he has created with it's own unique detail and complexing rules.
Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a hired thief in the area of corporate espionage who is able to extract information from the subconscious of people as they sleep. His services are valuable to many, but he plans on quitting the business in order to return home to his children. In order to have his wish granted, he must accept one last mission from a business mogul (Ken Watanabe). Rather than taking out ideas, Dom and his team will have to place one in the mind of a rival business heir (Cillian Murphy), a process known as inception. Dom then puts a team together to fulfill their mission. Included in this round-up are Dom's dream-invading partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an architect (Ellen Page), and a "forger" (Tom Hardy). All the while, Dom is continually burdened by memories of his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), memories that he's not at all ready to part with.
Deciphering Nolan's dreamworld is not only a challenge, it's a fun challenge. The film contains an instruction booklet collection of theories, logic, and rules of the subconscious that provide us with an innovative perspective of dreaming. The director offers a fresh concept in the film, that of dreams within dreams, and dreams within dreams within dreams. Like David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, the movie wants the audience to contemplate what is a dream and what is reality. Not only is it fun, it makes for great conversation afterwards.
There isn't a single bad performance in the film. Seeing as most of the cast consists of Oscar nominees, that's a given. The two standouts are DiCaprio and Cotillard. The romance between Dom and Mal manages to be compassionate and haunting all at once, and serves as the emotional focus of the film.
The visual effects are every bit as alive as the cast. They don't bombard the audience with in-your-face explosions one after the other. They serve the story with a purpose, and that is to move it foward. The action scenes and fights are expertly choreographed. One of the showstoppers is a fight that takes place in a hotel hallway with zero gravity. Lee Smith flawlessly edits these sequences, all while cutting through each dream level, always letting us know what is happening to each character.
Christopher Nolan has become a new master of the sophisticated blockbuster. He dared to present fresh ideas to the world, and was not hesitant to have us use our heads while watching an action picture. Inception is not as difficult to follow as you would think. All it does is beg you to pay attention, and hand yourself over to the puzzle. In fact, it's a film worth seeing more than once, even if you understood it the first time. Each viewing will present something different, and might or might not change your interpretation of the film's open-ended conclusion. Despite it's 2.5 hour running time, the momentum keeps building, leaving your heart pounding as you wait to see what happens next. Inception is like a dream you don't want to wake-up from.
Final grade: A
Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a hired thief in the area of corporate espionage who is able to extract information from the subconscious of people as they sleep. His services are valuable to many, but he plans on quitting the business in order to return home to his children. In order to have his wish granted, he must accept one last mission from a business mogul (Ken Watanabe). Rather than taking out ideas, Dom and his team will have to place one in the mind of a rival business heir (Cillian Murphy), a process known as inception. Dom then puts a team together to fulfill their mission. Included in this round-up are Dom's dream-invading partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an architect (Ellen Page), and a "forger" (Tom Hardy). All the while, Dom is continually burdened by memories of his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), memories that he's not at all ready to part with.
Deciphering Nolan's dreamworld is not only a challenge, it's a fun challenge. The film contains an instruction booklet collection of theories, logic, and rules of the subconscious that provide us with an innovative perspective of dreaming. The director offers a fresh concept in the film, that of dreams within dreams, and dreams within dreams within dreams. Like David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, the movie wants the audience to contemplate what is a dream and what is reality. Not only is it fun, it makes for great conversation afterwards.
There isn't a single bad performance in the film. Seeing as most of the cast consists of Oscar nominees, that's a given. The two standouts are DiCaprio and Cotillard. The romance between Dom and Mal manages to be compassionate and haunting all at once, and serves as the emotional focus of the film.
The visual effects are every bit as alive as the cast. They don't bombard the audience with in-your-face explosions one after the other. They serve the story with a purpose, and that is to move it foward. The action scenes and fights are expertly choreographed. One of the showstoppers is a fight that takes place in a hotel hallway with zero gravity. Lee Smith flawlessly edits these sequences, all while cutting through each dream level, always letting us know what is happening to each character.
Christopher Nolan has become a new master of the sophisticated blockbuster. He dared to present fresh ideas to the world, and was not hesitant to have us use our heads while watching an action picture. Inception is not as difficult to follow as you would think. All it does is beg you to pay attention, and hand yourself over to the puzzle. In fact, it's a film worth seeing more than once, even if you understood it the first time. Each viewing will present something different, and might or might not change your interpretation of the film's open-ended conclusion. Despite it's 2.5 hour running time, the momentum keeps building, leaving your heart pounding as you wait to see what happens next. Inception is like a dream you don't want to wake-up from.
Final grade: A
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Even with an affable cast, 'Cyrus' is a bit of a letdown with its slight lack of originality
The new indie film 'Cyrus,' written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, tells the tale of John (John C. Reilly), who is still trying to cope with the divorce from his wife Jamie (Catherine Keener) after seven years. In order to get him out of the house, she begs him to come to a party with her and her boyfriend Tim (Matt Walsh). Lonely and desperate, he reluctantly decides to accompany them. At the party, he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei), a woman who John immediately hits it off with. After being together for some time, he finds out that she has a 21 year old son Cyrus (Jonah Hill), who turns out to be a bit of a momma's boy. Not much later, John and Cyrus are locked in a battle of wits, both trying to win the affection of Molly.
John C. Reilly continues his streak as one of today's best funnymen. He plays John with a charming blend of awkwardness and loveability, and shows a talent for drunken karaoke as he belts out The Human League's hit song 'Don't You Want Me.' Marisa Tomei is a class act as Cyrus' sensitive and soft-spoken mother; and although Molly and Cyrus might not have the healthiest of mother-son relationships, she never fails to be there for him. The standout of the movie is Jonah Hill as the titular character. He proves that he has acting range, throwing in some fine dramatic scenes in the midst of his whacky antics.
'Cyrus' is a simple, very human story. But its simplicity is also a weakness. The first half of the film is funny and enjoyable as we're introduced to the quirkiness and realness of these characters. By the time the second half rolls around, however, the film becomes predictable, and we all know what will happen in the end. If the movie was a little longer than ninety minutes, maybe there might have been a chance for the directors to tweak the story a little bit, and bring it in a direction that we wouldn't expect. But the ensemble works well with what they're given, and they make 'Cyrus' more memorable than it should be. Because of its predictability, you just leave the theater wishing for a better emotional impact.
Final grade: B
John C. Reilly continues his streak as one of today's best funnymen. He plays John with a charming blend of awkwardness and loveability, and shows a talent for drunken karaoke as he belts out The Human League's hit song 'Don't You Want Me.' Marisa Tomei is a class act as Cyrus' sensitive and soft-spoken mother; and although Molly and Cyrus might not have the healthiest of mother-son relationships, she never fails to be there for him. The standout of the movie is Jonah Hill as the titular character. He proves that he has acting range, throwing in some fine dramatic scenes in the midst of his whacky antics.
'Cyrus' is a simple, very human story. But its simplicity is also a weakness. The first half of the film is funny and enjoyable as we're introduced to the quirkiness and realness of these characters. By the time the second half rolls around, however, the film becomes predictable, and we all know what will happen in the end. If the movie was a little longer than ninety minutes, maybe there might have been a chance for the directors to tweak the story a little bit, and bring it in a direction that we wouldn't expect. But the ensemble works well with what they're given, and they make 'Cyrus' more memorable than it should be. Because of its predictability, you just leave the theater wishing for a better emotional impact.
Final grade: B
Friday, July 9, 2010
'Toy Story 3' is a beautifully bittersweet finale to Pixar's one-of-a-kind trilogy
It's hard to believe that already fifteen years have passed since Pixar reached a moviemaking milestone with Toy Story's dazzling computor animation that charmed all of its viewers. The adventures of Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and their playtime friends have found a special place in the hearts of each audience member with every installment in this adored series. Toy Story 3 is Pixar's eleventh tour de force film, and never does it show that they are losing their touch. Nothing in the film feels stale. It all feels as fresh as if it has been unwrapped for the first time. Pixar can set the bar as high as they'd please, and still have the potential to have our expectations greatly exceeded. As expected, they did just that with Toy Story 3, the film that concludes the trilogy that has depicted the childhood experience and the wonders that toys can have on the imagination.
In this installment, Andy is finally headed for college. Hard to believe, right? It really goes to show how much we grew-up with him and this trilogy. The toys are stressing over their possible fate of being thrown in the trash. When Andy's mom mistakes them for being garbage, not realizing Andy's real intention of storing them in the attic, the toys feel unwanted and sneak into a box that's set to go to Sunnyside Daycare. While there, Woody, Buzz, and company deal with the importance of family, friends, and faithfulness, as well as problems such as separation-anxiety and abandonment. They then set out on a perilous journey to be reunited with the owner they love before he leaves for college.
The film has its share of colorful new characters, such as Lots-o'-Huggin'-Bear (Ned Beaty) who is the leader of the daycare toys, an eerie-looking doll named Big Baby, and most notibly, Barbie's (Jodie Benson) significant other, Ken (Michael Keaton). Watching their love for each other blossom is a treat to witness, seeing as their relationship is being portrayed on screen after their huge popularity in toy stores. What could be more appropriate for a movie series titled Toy Story? One of the movie's other highlights is an exciting sequence of the toys trying to escape the dreaded daycare center that's highly reminiscent of John Sturges' 1963 film, The Great Escape.
Toy Story 3 gives its viewers a lovely pattern of emotions throughout the adventure. There's the feeling of immense delight at the first frame of the movie when we're reunited with our favorite playtime buddies, and when Randy Newman's Toy Story anthem, 'You've Got a Friend in Me,' begins to play; as well as the feelings of gloom and apprehension that come with thinking about the possible separation of the toys from Andy along with the bleakness of their future. Between it all, there are some truly funny moments to give the thought that maybe, just maybe, Woody and his family might be all right in the end after all.
Pixar has accomplished something wonderful: creating a trilogy where all three films possess the same amount of rich storytelling magic. Given Pixar's track record, they could easily make a fourth entry in this series; however, all would probably deem that highly unnecessary, because this film provides a perfect ending for the toys' three-part epic journey. Although many of us that saw the first Toy Story as young children are now adults and have grown out of playing with toys, we could never get too old for Woody, Buzz, and their gripping adventures that have tugged at the heartstrings of anyone who has joined them.
Final grade: A
In this installment, Andy is finally headed for college. Hard to believe, right? It really goes to show how much we grew-up with him and this trilogy. The toys are stressing over their possible fate of being thrown in the trash. When Andy's mom mistakes them for being garbage, not realizing Andy's real intention of storing them in the attic, the toys feel unwanted and sneak into a box that's set to go to Sunnyside Daycare. While there, Woody, Buzz, and company deal with the importance of family, friends, and faithfulness, as well as problems such as separation-anxiety and abandonment. They then set out on a perilous journey to be reunited with the owner they love before he leaves for college.
The film has its share of colorful new characters, such as Lots-o'-Huggin'-Bear (Ned Beaty) who is the leader of the daycare toys, an eerie-looking doll named Big Baby, and most notibly, Barbie's (Jodie Benson) significant other, Ken (Michael Keaton). Watching their love for each other blossom is a treat to witness, seeing as their relationship is being portrayed on screen after their huge popularity in toy stores. What could be more appropriate for a movie series titled Toy Story? One of the movie's other highlights is an exciting sequence of the toys trying to escape the dreaded daycare center that's highly reminiscent of John Sturges' 1963 film, The Great Escape.
Toy Story 3 gives its viewers a lovely pattern of emotions throughout the adventure. There's the feeling of immense delight at the first frame of the movie when we're reunited with our favorite playtime buddies, and when Randy Newman's Toy Story anthem, 'You've Got a Friend in Me,' begins to play; as well as the feelings of gloom and apprehension that come with thinking about the possible separation of the toys from Andy along with the bleakness of their future. Between it all, there are some truly funny moments to give the thought that maybe, just maybe, Woody and his family might be all right in the end after all.
Pixar has accomplished something wonderful: creating a trilogy where all three films possess the same amount of rich storytelling magic. Given Pixar's track record, they could easily make a fourth entry in this series; however, all would probably deem that highly unnecessary, because this film provides a perfect ending for the toys' three-part epic journey. Although many of us that saw the first Toy Story as young children are now adults and have grown out of playing with toys, we could never get too old for Woody, Buzz, and their gripping adventures that have tugged at the heartstrings of anyone who has joined them.
Final grade: A
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