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IR Film Review: MIRROR MIRROR [Relativity]

26 Mar

The first entry into the wrestled world of Snow White enters with “Mirror Mirror” whose tone is mired in a sense of indifference that seems to indicate an idea of style that was undeniably shaped by its leading lady’s sense of comedic proactivity.

Tarsem, known for films such as “The Cell” understands the notion of creating a world but, unlike Tim Burton, has never been challenged to create one that both children and adults can exist in. Over time, Burton has struck more to challenging the audience with how far they can accept Johnny Depp in continually more bizarre characters which is a test all its own. Tarsem understands this but imbalances the progression more often than not in this outing.

The intonation from the advertising seems to indicate a more bubble-gum version of Snow White and yet her characteristics exist in Lily Collins as an almost nether perception where she can be slightly vicious and then overly domestic. The reimagining of the dwarves as maligned forest thieves definitely creates a more edgy perception. However most of the time the narrative simply progresses to the wanton needs of the Queen played with definite fun by Julia Roberts. However it becomes overwhelming so. The idea is not so much seeing the Queen as it is Roberts playing the Queen part. There is too distinct a separation.

Certain moments definitely create the movie at times. One involves the Queen retreating to her mirror domain. The literal immersion reversal from water is wonderfully done and speaks to something much more sinister that could be traversed but never truly is. The other occurs closer to the end in a moment that indeed points to the truly intense aspect of what the film could have possessed. Ultimately in practice though, this is a family film specified as a comedy. Its tendencies however tend to run quite odd as if the tone wasn’t exactly predicated upon. This becomes more than duly aware in the closing credits sequences which by all accounts is quite a strange inclusion indeed. In makes sense in terms of the lexicon of who is involved but seemingly tends to disavow structure and tone of the film itself in one fail swoop.

D

THE MUPPETS – Film Review [Walt Disney Pictures]

22 Nov

The consistency of Muppet lore stretches with the idea of the life and times of these characters as a kind of in-joke to the themes of the entertainment industry but with a distinctive off-kilter twist. In bringing back the humor to the notion of the early 80s where both kids and adults could enjoy the films shows a similarity to Pixar in many ways. One has to have enough reverence for the material but also be willing to break a couple rules.

Some things fall short and others feel dated in this update but for the most part, despite the odds stacked against it, the new “Muppets” movie delivers on its promise though it does so by using alot of narrative short-cuts but openly displays them as plot devices.

What has caused The Muppets to regains its popularity, mostly through You Tube, is its penchance to be able to speak on pop culture and satirize it, most specifically movies and music which are currently in the consciousness. That is what made “The Muppet Show” great because it had the ability to do that with the actual stars of the day. While certain elements of that are explored in the new movie, it is a woefully missing element overall which can only be done in a TV show setting like Henson had in the late 70s. Unfortunately, that kind of creative freedom is extinct on TV.

That said, using the old studio system structure of a movie exploring the backstage of putting a show together was a smart move by writer/star Jason Segel as was the introduction of a external Muppet character in the form of his brother which really offers an eye into this idea. This character just wants to go to Hollywood to find The Muppets who were the stalwart and love of his childhood.

Granted the musical sequences are beyond corny but there is, at times, a distinct charm to them especially during a twin sequence that looks like a twisted version of “Ebony & Ivory”. While there are not a whole lot of cameos, the two that count, in the form of Jack Black and Zach Galifinakis, go a long way. The importance of Hobo Joe in the film cannot be overstated.

When the curtain goes up and the widescreen element of the actual opening credits of “The Muppet Show” are recreated as they were for this generation, it is immensely gratifying, helped by the fact that this screening itself was held at the El Capitan Theater which was what was used as the facade for the actual Muppet Theater in the movie.

Segel and Company deserve praise for being able to jump start back the elements of yesteryear and then back away to let the Muppets shine. While certain ones only get a bit of play, others (like Animal and Beeker) need to blow it out a bit more. The balance however gives the movie a distinctly nostalgic field while retaining a contemporary glow.

B

TOWER HEIST – Film Review

5 Nov

The texture of “Tower Heist” reflects in a nice interspersal of old school shenanigans with a high concept wrapper. Had this film been made in the 80s, the chart-topping potential would infiltrate its every being. What transformed in its development might had initiated too much with the plot instead of being a pure comedic character piece which is what the film is at its heart.

The beginning of the picture truly establishes the element of the film, loose and fluid. While Ben Stiller retains a personage of simple everyman (which he has much more possibility than), the other two 80s stalwarts: Matthew Broderick and Eddie Murphy truly bring themselves to bear. Broderick’s first rants sound like Ferris Buellar defeated opting for the first glisten of that fast-talking hipster than we have seen in years. The problem is that when the plot to bilk a billionaire takes over, the character work seems to cease.

The same integrates with Eddie Murphy. It seems that Brett Ratner let the cats loose for the beginning of the film but had to reign in to tell the story (which honestly could have been secondary with this cast). Eddie is allowed to be his bad-ass self for the first 1/3 of his screentime. His rant in the car about “seizure boy” with Stiller followed by his lesbian rant in the apartment during the plan stages and especially his Lego bit are unbelievably old school Eddie, with the crass jokes and no prosthetics needed. But halfway through, it stops…because the plot needs to be served…unfortunately.

Now I am all for story structure but in certain films (specifically 80s films) or even certain throwback series (like “Community”) which only needs the paper-thin throughline (think “Blues Brothers”) to provide a simple backbone for the performers to mess around with. Originally, in development, the thought of “Tower Heist” was that Ratner was going to have an all-black cast led by Eddie which eventually was mixed into the current layout. While the rest of the cast is fine, in the second half, the movie simply runs by-the-book when the audience wants the energy to flow.

That said, another one of the highlights of the film after the beginning elements of Broderick and Murphy, is Tea Leoni, returning to the bawdy but funny kind of character that she first tackled in “Bad Boys”. However, with her experience now and chops, her portrayal of the FBI agent here is so much more fluid and nuanced. Her drunk scene in a bar with Stiller is both funny, sexy, charming and a little unnerving because she is so dead-on.

“Tower Heist” is director Brett Ratner focusing his love for 80s films and talent in an interesting package without truly understanding that the necessary element in a high-concept comedy structure (much like “Rush Hour”) is just to step back, let the story morph and just let you stars shine.

C

MARGIN CALL – Film Review

5 Nov

The angle of the Freddie Macs crash seemed quite unreal to some Americans because of the ideal was that the US economy had safeguards in place even after the insider trading scandals extracted their penance from the system. One of the great intentions that “Margin Call” provides is the multiple progressions that allow for such a large scale meltdown from the bottom up in allowing the viewer to experience the unraveling structure from any level.

The basis begins around the low level traders/assessors (specifically Zachary Quinto of “Heroes” and “Star Trek” fame) who after the head of risk assessment (played by the always understated Stanley Tucci) finds a numbers problem in the overhead trading, blows a hole in everything they are doing. This causes a spiral from downstairs upwards which is distinctly interesting to watch because of the class structure and specifically the actors playing them.

Moving up from Quinto, the next step is Paul Bettany, the hot shot trader they look up to who pulled down 2 milliion the previous year which is alot of money for them. He functions as the go-to guy but understands the functioning beneath him having just left. Kevin Spacey heads the department as a guy who wants to do good but understands the bottom line despite the necessity to skirt it. He functions it with just the right amount of razor yet the unbalance threatens beneath him as he struggles for the middle common ground.

What is really interesting to watch is the difference in power and screen strength when Jeremy Iron faces off at the conference table of sorts with Spacey. The presence of Irons (which we have not seen in a while) distinctinctly rings true and shows a difference between even actors of 20 years ago. Sopacey regains posture in later scenes so his intention might have been to defer to Irons but it still comes across as glaring in a good way.

In terms of the mid tier connecting, the balance of Demi Moore as the risk management executive and Simon Baker (of “The Mentalist” fame) as the figurehead of the company provide an interesting dichotomy. This role for Moore is more indicative of her high-profile work in films such as “Disclosure” where she uses both her physicality and psychology to work what she wants. Here there is a repercussion factor which works quite well in terms of showing her paradox while Baker’s player is a lot more sinister because he smiles and sneers through everything he is doing (unlike his TV counterpart).

In the periphery, what the film does is show the unraveling of a major institition within a critical 48 hours in the American economy from the inside. The funny thing, especially in the way it is portrayed, is that on the outside even during the dreaded fire sale everything seems normal until it was too late…and the big money guys let it happen. “Margin Call” shows the danger from alternate angles made promising by grounded performances, tense structure and a focused progression.

B

THE THING [2011] – Film Review

17 Oct

The inflection of a remake disguised as a prequel always debates a sense of comparison but ultimately it comes down to the basis of satisfying the fan while also retaining a sense of a new storyline that will bring in a new breed of audience. Such is the case with “The Thing”, an updating of the 1982 cult classic of the same name which pioneered many cool prosthetic effects for its time through the vision of director John Carpenter in what many consider his best movie.

The new movie directed with reverence but not overdone tendencies by Matthijs van Heinjningen, works on the basis of what was alluded to in the first “The Thing”. The alien life form that is discovered inside a hidden spaceship below the ice in Antartica returns to life and is able to replicate the human cells to become an exact fascimile, except for the fact that it cannot replicate non-organic materials like teeth fillings. The camp it hit first was a Norwegian base who wants to keep the discovery of alien life a secret.

Watching the beginning of the first movie, the attention to detail in the replication of the sets and exactly how they looked back in 1982 is uncanny. The first film was supposedly shot in the Yukon whereas much of this was shot at Toronto Pinewood. The similarities in terms of this set work are eerie in how close they are. The actual storyline fits well without purely copying the first one though the idea of international structure at an ice station is definitely brought more to bear. The idea of the year as 1982 is not alluded to more than the beginning titles and Colin Hay of “Men At Work”  covering his own “Who Can It Be Now”.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead who was nearly unrecognizable in her turn in “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” after her first bigger turn in Quentin Tarantino’s “Deathproof” plays an paleontologist who is brought into extract whatever secrets from the ice that might be possible. She by default turns into the lead protagonist against the alien which of course is a big departure from Kurt Russell’s reluctant anti-hero. Joel Edgerton, slowly but surely building his adherance to American audiences, plays an American pilot along with Lost’s Adele Akinnuoye-Agbaje giving the film definitely genre cred without overwhelming it with stars.

The key many might be wondering is the balance of practical versus CGI effects. In reality, the balance struck is exceptional considering how close it will be scrutinized, especially by movie buffs (including yours truly). Certain practical elements are certainly in play but they are subtle especially since the fluidity of effects has gotten better over the years. The only time it is more remarkably obvious is when the effects take place in day which specifically functions during one chopper scene. The rest of the action in this sense takes place at night.

Another obvious concern is connection from the end of this one to the beginning of the original. The prequel seemed to end at one point prompting pre-emptive “boos” from the audience before images began again almost shot for shot with elements just like the 1982 original. This was followed by clapping. There is no bigger endorsement to say that something works on both ends than this. And thereby, because of this, despite what came before it, this new “The Thing” earns its stripes.

 B

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