"Spring Breakers"- Awful, Awful, Awful Attempt at Being an Artistic Film

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Awful, awful, awful… I have no other words but awful.  Actually, that's I lie.  I have plenty to say.

I went to see "Spring Breakers" late last night with one of my oldest friends.  Much like everyone else in the theatre, we had a high expectation coming into this film.  There had been so much hype leading up to the premiere, that I was really disappointed in how much it SUCKED.  It was a terrible attempt to be an artistic film.  Throughout the whole movie I kept thinking, "Why am I here?”, "I paid for this?", "What is even going on right now?” 

In case you hadn't heard anything about this disaster film, I will do my best at trying to explain it for you.   Brit, Faith, Candy and Cotty are sick of seeing the same things every day.  It’s spring break and everyone is going down to Florida for this huge college rager.  They are short on cash, so three of the girls decide to rob a local restaurant— total badasses right?  Once they get down to Florida, they are immersed into the party of a lifetime.  Drugs, alcohol, and excessive partying, lead them to getting arrested.  They think they will be caged up forever, until they are bailed out by a major drug lord/local rapper/arms dealer named Alien.  If getting arrested wasn’t MY first ‘get outta town’ thought; then meeting this guy would have been. 

In addition to the clichéd party scenes, there was an unnecessary amount of nudity and I sat in the theatre feeling cheap and dirty.  I just couldn’t wait to get out of there.  There were so many scenes shot with an oblique camera angle that it made me feel dizzy and unfocused.  The really was no plot to this film, other than trashy girls going on spring break to see if they could get even MORE trashy. 

The film was directed by Harmony Korine, and starred Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Heather Morris, Selena Gomez, and James Franco.  I will say that it was interesting to see Franco play a creepy drug lord.  The film definitely proved that he isn’t limited to any particular roles.  I was actually even impressed by Selena Gomez.  She did a great job at displaying emotion through her innocent character.  From seeing her in this film, I kind of take her more seriously now and believe that she can do A LOT better in picking the right films for herself. 

If I were to rate this film, it’s obvious that I would give it a half a star.  You can be the judge for yourself, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you!  Here’s a trailer for the film, along with a cast interview.  Let me know your thoughts!

 

 

"The Host"- Better Than "Twilight", But No Standing Ovation

“The Host” is an American science fiction film, adapted from the Stephenie Meyer novel of the same name.  Meyer is also the author of the well-known series, “The Twilight Saga”.  I’ve read all of the “Twilight” books, and like many others, I have to say that the novels were IMMENSLY better than the movies.  I can’t stand Kristen Stewart, and of course she was cast as the main female protagonist.  But aside from that, I really feel like they didn’t capture the whole story properly in the films, and the acting was subpar. 

Moving on from the vampire films… “The Host” was directed by Andrew Niccol, and it stars Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, Max Irons and Jake Abel.  Saoirse is a very promising young actress, most commonly known for the roles she played in “The Lovely Bones” and “Hanna”.  She is what made the movie for me.  I think she is a better actress then what the movie deserved, but they did right by casting her.

Saoirse plays Melanie Stryder, who is one of the few humans left on the planet that hasn’t been inhabited by an intelligent alien species known as "Souls”.  Although an incredibly peaceful race, Souls can only survive by being inserted into a host body, taking control of their minds.  Melanie is captured by this race, and a Soul named Wanderer is placed inside Melanie’s mind, in an effort to discover the secret whereabouts of some of the last remaining human colonies.  Wanderer soon realizes that Melanie has not faded away in consciousness, and she is putting up a grand fight in order to prevent her family from being found. 

As time passes and Wanderer tries to break Melanie's walls, she begins to feel sympathetic toward the humans Melanie loves so dearly- her brother Jamie and her boyfriend, Jared Howe.  As Wanderer and Melanie’s trust builds, they embark on a journey through the desert to find the resistance, nearly dying in the process.  They are found by Melanie’s uncle, who brings her back to the human resistance— only to discover that Melanie is now a Soul and everyone, including Jared, wants her dead.

Wanderer chooses to help the humans hide from The Seeker (Diane Kruger), who is one of the main leaders of the Souls.  She is very vindictive towards the human race, and is determined to find and seize the remaining human survivors.  “The Host” tells an inspiring story of friendship, love, loyalty, and the strength of the human spirit.

I have never read “The Host”, so I only hope that the story line was a little fuller.  I understand that the movie was just over two hours long, but I still think that is enough time to develop strong character relationships.  I felt that there wasn’t enough character development, and the movie jumped into the story too fast without giving the audience enough time to understand who these people were.

I enjoyed the movie enough, but I wouldn’t give it a standing ovation.  You be the judge for yourself.  Check out the trailer, along with an interview with the cast from the movie.  Tell me what you think!

imdb.com

 

 

"The Call": Surprisingly Good Thriller

Last night I went to see the suspense/thriller, “The Call”, which starred Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin.  It was directed by Brad Anderson, and a lot of reviewers pronounced it to be high-concept.  The film follows Jordan Turner (Halle Berry), who is a 911 operator.  On one of her shifts, she receives a call from a frantic teenage girl whose house has been invaded by a serial killer.  Jordan's clever instructions allow Leah to escape the killer, but when the call disconnects, Jordan redials the number which alerts the killer.  This mistake costs the girls life, and she is found dead several days later.  After this traumatic event, Jordan explains to her boyfriend that she can no longer field 911 calls.

Six months later, Jordan is now a trainer for 911 operations.  This is when a rookie operator receives a call from teenager, Casey Welson (Abigail Breslin).  She was kidnapped in a mall parking lot and shoved into the trunk of a car.  Casey is obviously distraught and fearing her impending murder.  The rookie operator is inexperienced and clearly cannot handle the situation, so this is when Jordan takes over the call.  Jordan soon realizes through the call that the man who kidnapped Casey, is the same man who murdered the other girl 6 months prior.  Jordan is forced to confront the killer from her past in order to save Casey’s life. 

“The Call” was expected to earn about $11-12 million on its opening weekend, but surpassed this by a significant margin and grossed $17 million in its first three days.  “The Call” has received mixed reviews from critics, as it currently holds a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 81 reviews with the consensus: "The Call builds plenty of suspense before taking a problematic turn in the third act”.  I have to agree with this unanimity.  I found the film to be extremely thrilling, but I was unhappy with how quick and short the end of the movie was.  I felt as though there could have been a better way to finish out the movie.  That being said, I thought that Abigail Breslin gave a tremendous performance, and she really made the audience sympathize, and fear for her situation. 

It’s not an Oscar winning film, but if you’re looking to be creeped out, and kept clinging to the edge of your seat—then I recommend you go see this flick.

As always, here is a trailer for the movie, along with Halle Berry's interview for the call.

                                                                         Source: imdb.com

 

"Argo": Great Film; Historically Inaccurate

So you know those weeks where no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to fit everything in?  Well this past week was like that for me.  I was so busy with school, work, and family, that I just couldn’t get a chance to see a new movie this week.  I had planned on seeing “The Call” with Halle Berry, but something ALWAYS seemed to get in the way.  I was worried that I wouldn’t have anything to blog about this week, but then it hit me.  I remembered that I had seen “Argo” not too long ago—and this film has sparked some recent controversy so I figured now would be a perfect time to submit my thoughts!

For those who don’t know much about this film, “Argo” won a TON of worldwide awards, including the Oscar this year for Best Picture.  It’s a historical drama, thriller starring Ben Affleck, and was also directed by him as well.  In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans were taken hostage.  Six of them managed to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador and the CIA was eventually ordered to get them out of the country.  Exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Affleck) developed a plan to create a fake Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran, in order to successfully smuggle the Americans out as its production crew.  He seeks out the help from some trusted Hollywood contacts, and they work together to try and put this plan in motion. 

I thought it was a fantastic film.  Affleck fully immerses you into this hostage crisis, almost to the point where you feel as though you were actually there.  It was witty, thrilling, and emotional all at once.  However, as a Canadian who was not even alive in the time where this event took place, I am still aware that this film EXTREMELY downplayed Canada’s involvement.  Argo largely credits the American CIA at the expense of the Canadian’s.  In an interview conducted my CNN, former President Jimmy Carter says that “90 percent of the contributions to the ideas and the consummation of the plan was Canadian”.  He also gives his personal opinion stating that the real hero was the Canadian Ambassador, Ken Taylor, who orchestrated the entire process.  According to him, Tony Mendez, who was played very well by Affleck, was only in Tehran for “a day and a half.”

I understand that this was a Hollywood movie, and it of course was American, which is probably the main reason why the Canadian contributions were kerbed.  I just hope that those who enjoyed the film will educate themselves on this important piece of history—with the ACTUAL FACTS.  With all that being said, I still recommend that everyone see this movie, and let me know your thoughts on it!  You can leave me a comment here at the bottom!

I’ll also leave the theatrical trailer at the bottom, along with the CNN interview with Jimmy Carter.  Very interesting and worth checking out!

                                                                                  imdb.com

"Oz: The Great and Powerful" Film Review

This week is March Break so I took my niece to see Oz: The Great and Powerful, which she had been dying to go see.  We arrived 45 minutes before the film was supposed to start, and it was ALREADY sold out.  I couldn’t believe it!  I guess everyone had the same idea as I did.  So we waited an hour for the next show time, which was unfortunately in 3D.  I’m not a fan on 3D movies AT ALL.  First of all, it’s like 4 dollars more just to wear the stupid glasses to see it in a third dimension.  Secondly, I always end up leaving the theatre with a huge head afterwards.  But I’m glad we decided to see it anyways because it was a really mesmerizing film.

Oz: The Great and Powerful is a prequel to the ever so famous classic, The Wizard of Oz (1939).  This film has a stunning cast, which consists of James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz.  Oscar Diggs is a small-time circus magician with questioning ethics.  He is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, where he meets three witches, Theodora, Evanora and Glinda.  Oscar presents himself as “the great and powerful Oz”, but the witches are not entirely convinced that he more »is the great wizard everyone's been expecting.  The Wicked Witch has been wreaking terror onto the land, and Oscar reluctantly agrees to help the people of Oz defeat her.  He must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late by putting his magical arts to use through deception, ingenuity-and even a bit of wizardry. 

The film is a little over 2 hours long, and it is rated PG.  I don’t know who was responsible for this rating, but I really thought that this movie was still too scary for some kids, even with parental guidance.  I saw some kids in the theatre who had to of been around 3 years old!  I’m sorry, but I find that age to be too young.  The Washington Post even said that some of the scarier parts make the film a little much for children younger than 10- especially if it’s in 3D.

Overall, I have to say that my niece and I both enjoyed the film.  The graphics were magical, and Director Sam Raimi takes you on a magical journey through the Land of Oz that you didn’t get to see in the original Wizard of Oz.

Take a look at the trailer below, along with a behind the scenes featurette!

 

21 and Over

“21 years ago, Jeff Chang entered the world naked and screaming. Tonight, he will end up the same way."

Before last night, I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed so hard in a movie. I went to see “21 and Over”, starring Miles Teller (Footloose), Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect), and Justin Chon (Twilight Saga).  This film is from the writers of “The Hangover”, and was the directorial debut for Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. 

I’ve loved Skylar Astin ever since I saw “Pitch Perfect”.  I think he is completely charming in a hot, nerdy kind of way, and he has this sarcastic type of humor that I love.  I’m still a little new to Miles Teller but I think he is fantastic.  I’ve seen him play a total douche bag jock in “Project X”, and an adorable southern boy in “Footloose”.  Regardless of their previous roles— these guys made me laugh my pants off in this film.

Straight-A college student, Jeff Chang has always done everything his controlling father has told him to do.  It’s his 21^st birthday, but he is more focused on the important medical school interview his dad set up for the morning after.  His two oldest friends, Miller and Casey, surprise him on his milestone birthday and plan to take him out for “just one beer”.  But, similar to The Hangover, things get out of control and their night turns into a sequence of events engulfed by over indulgence, embarrassment, and absolute debauchery. 

Turning 21 in America is similar to turning 19 in Canada.  It’s a rite of passage.  Like Miller says in the movie, “This is the day that you get to tell every bouncer who’s ever carded you! You’re 21”!  A bunch of stuck up old geezers from Rotten Tomatoes called this film, “tasteless, and unfunny”.  I can only assume this means that they forgot what it was like to be young and 21- probably because it’s been decades since their youth.

Life moves so fast, and before you know it, we are going to be those boring old people with mortgages and kids to take care of.  So until then, I say we all party like it’s our 21 birthday.

Here’s the trailer and a short clip!  Tell me what you guys thought!

Identity Thief & Oscar Talk

Well first I would like to chime in on the Oscars that aired this past Sunday. Here were some of the winners:

 Anne Hathaway won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Les Misérables

Christoph Waltz won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Django Unchained

Best Director went to Ang Lee, for Life of Pi

The AMAZING Jennifer Lawrence one Best Actress in a Lead role for Silver Linings Playbook

Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor is a Lead Role for Lincoln

And Picture of the Year went to… ARGO OF COURSE!

I have to say that I agree with all the chosen winners.  They were all amazing films and well deserved.  I was most excited for Jennifer Lawrence, because if you haven’t noticed, I’m a HUGE fan.  She was simply adorable the way she fell on stage walking up to receive her Oscar.

But, onto todays review!

Last night I decided to see “Identity Thief”, which stars Melissa McCarthy, alongside Jason Bateman, John Favreau, and Amanda Peet.  Jason plays Sandy Bigelow Patterson, a modest account rep who lives in Denver, Colorado with his pregnant wife (Peet) and their two young daughters.  He works for a company where the top dogs get all the rewards, and the real workers get nothing.  He and a group of coworkers are tired of it and decide to take their clients and start their own branch together.  Sandy will be making triple the amount he is being paid now. 

All seems to be going perfectly until Sandy gets pulled into the police station because he is being accused for missing his court date for a truck load of charges.  Sandy insists that there must be a mistake and the police pull a mug shot of the person they are looking for.  This is when they discover that the “Sandy Bigelow Patterson” they are really looking for… is a woman.  It’s clear that this woman (McCarthy) has stolen the REAL Sandy’s identity, and has also been maxing out his credit cards.  They police also learn that because of this woman, Sandy’s name was used to buy drugs from a dangerous criminal.  Unfortunately the police can't do anything unless the identity thief was standing right there with them.  Sandy gets an idea. 

Earlier, Sandy had received a call from a women’s salon saying that he has an appointment on Friday in Florida.  He was confused at first, but after discovering that this identity thief was from Florida, he realizes that he can find her on his own.  Sandy decides that he will go down to Florida and bring her back to Denver where she can talk to his new boss, and clear his name— since he is at risk of being fired for all of these false charges. 

But Melissa McCarthy’s character is anything BUT cooperative.  This trip turns out to be more than Sandy bargained for as he tries everything to make sure that this woman returns back to Denver with him. 

In my books, the movie was okay.  I usually enjoy Jason Batemans sarcastic remarks, and Melissa McCarthy’s outrageous behaviour, but I really wasn’t overly impressed with this flick.  I found it to be a cheap attempt at being a comedic film.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the actors, but I wish it had been better.  Let’s just say, I wish I had saved my money and waited until it came out on DVD…

But regardless, here is a trailer for the film and a clip of charming Jennifer Lawrence talking about her Oscar experience.

Jennifer Lawrence and the Oscars
Identity Thief

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Warm Bodies

So this week I saw “Warm Bodies”, which was a very unusual film.

It stars Nicholas Hoult, who is also starring in the upcoming adventure/fantasy film, “Jack the Giant Slayer”.  He plays “R” who is a very uncommon zombie.  The film is set sometime in the future after there has been a huge zombie epidemic, where the remaining humans are fighting for survival.  But unlike “The Walking Dead”, this movie has some cute humour to it by adding a funny twist on a classic love story.  During one of his zombie escapades, R meets Julie who is a human survivor, and he saves her from an attack.  This is very strange because zombies don’t have thoughts or emotions, and it doesn’t take Julie long to discover that R isn’t like the rest of the zombies she’s encountered.  She spends some time with him, and he shields her from the dangers outside, and they begin to form a special relationship.  R increasingly becomes more human, and it seems to have awoken something human inside of a lot of other zombies.  R and Julie believe that they may have discovered a cure to this epidemic, but they need to convince her father— who is kind of like a commander in chief to the zombie battle on the human side.

I’ll admit that this film is a little weird, but it touches base on some more important values, such as love, human connection, and hope.  There was a lady sitting in front of me who repeatedly kept commenting on how “silly” this film was.  Yes, it may be a little out there, but I think that’s what makes it good.  It’s quirky, original, and I can’t compare it to any other movie I have seen before.  I would recommend you all give it a shot and see this movie!  Maybe it doesn’t seem like your cup of tea, but you may surprise yourselves!

Here is a four minute clip from the beginning of the movie! It’s pretty funny!

Oh and be sure to check out the 85th Academy Awards, this Sunday on ABC at 7pm! Hosted by Seth MacFarlane!

 

Warm Bodies Clip

Oscar Promo

Silver Linings Playbook

In light of “Bell Let’s Talk Day” (which raised $4.8 million for mental health), and Oscar season, I thought I would give my entry on David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook”.  This touching film has made Oscar history by becoming the first movie in 31 years to receive nominations in all acting categories.  Best Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro) and Best Supporting Actress (Jacki Weaver).  The film is also nominated for Best Picture, Director (David O. Russell), Adapted Screenplay, and Film Editing.  In addition, the amazing Jennifer Lawrence won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical.  Needless to say, this is a definite must see film.

 The film follows Pat Solitano (Cooper), who now finds himself living back with his mother and father after spending eight months in a state institution on a plea bargain.  He is suffering from Bipolar Disorder which so many Canadians are battling through today.  He lost his house, his teaching job, and his wife.  Pat is determined to follow the road of recovery; rebuild his life and get his wife back.  Pat then meets Tiffany (Lawrence), who is also sorting through her own problems.  Tiffany knows Pat’s wife and offers to help him reconnect with her.  That is only if he'll do something very important for her in return— enter into a dance competition with her.  Pat reluctantly agrees to Tiffany’s proposition and a surprisingly unlikely bond begins to form between the two of them.

There is a huge stigma surrounding mental illnesses in North America.  This often is the reason why people ignore their problems and don’t seek treatment.  I think this film does a great job a showcasing this misunderstood illness, and they demonstrate that it is possible to find your silver lining along with the help of family, friends and inner strength.

Take a look at the trailer below, and be sure to tune into the 85^th Academy Awards, February 24^th 2013, at 7pm on ABC.

Silver Linings Playbook

The Impossible

Today I am going to write about a fantastic movie I saw over the weekend.  It is a must see film and I promise you won’t be disappointed.  The film is called “The Impossible”, which stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.  The story follows an English family while they are on their winter vacation in Thailand.  Maria (Watts), Henry (McGregor) and their three sons are enjoying their time playing and relaxing by the pool when they hear an awful roaring sound coming from around them.  The sound they heard was the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of Boxing Day 2004.  Maria and her family were swept away by a 30ft wall of water that destroyed everything in its path.  She was being thrown around underwater for about three minutes before she resurfaced and grabbed hold of a tree.  She finds her oldest son about 15 meters away and bravely swims over to get him, but the rest of her family is nowhere to be found.

It is an inspiring and heartfelt story about hope, faith, love, family, and the human spirit.  It truly is a moving film, and I challenge you not to shed a couple tears.  What’s even more inspiring is that this film was based off the survival of a real family who suffered from this tragedy.  The tsunami of 2004 was a devastating catastrophe that killed 230,000 people across Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and 11 other countries.  Eight years have passed since this natural disaster occurred but this film serves as a reminder to those who lost their lives so suddenly.

Take a look at the trailer below.

photo source: philonfilm.net

The Impossible Trailer

Gangster Squad

So last night I went to see “Gangster Squad” with my friends, and aside from being completely smitten with Ryan Gosling, we actually loved the film!  For those who haven’t seen the trailers, “Gangster Squad”, is set just after World War II in 1949, Los Angeles.  The city is being run by Brooklyn-born mob boss, Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn).  A merciless gangster who traffics guns, drugs, and prostitutes, and even has the protection of the police and politicians who are under his control.  He’s basically untouchable—but that isn’t enough to stop Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) from putting together an secret crew of LAPD outsiders to bring Cohen’s empire to the ground.  Emma Stone also stars as Cohen's etiquette coach and girlfriend—Grace Faraday.  She meets Jerry Wooters, and they begin a secret relationship. 

I love films that take place in a different time period.  Director, Ruben Fleischer does a great job of capturing the glitz and glam of 1940’s LA, and the cast is brilliant to say the least.  “Gangster Squad” got some negative reviews from the critics saying that the film, “suffers from lackluster writing, underdeveloped characters and an excessive amount of violence” (Rotten Tomatoes).  I think that the critics are full of baloney, and they take their jobs too seriously; but you should all go see it and decide for yourselves!

You can watch the trailer below and I also posted a clip of Emma Stone talking about the film on The Ellen Show.  You will probably notice that I will post a lot of clips from The Ellen Show because I love Miss DeGeneres.

Gangster Squad Trailer

photo source: plug-in.bestbuy.ca

Emma Stone on Ellen

Django Unchained

Welcome to my first ever blog post! I've never done this before, so bear with me.  I'm very passionate about film and I have a fair bit amount of acting training from Sears Acting Studio.  I'm a Business Marketing student and I hope to work in film marketing one day, and perhaps to continue with my film training as well.  I will be writing some short reviews on recent motion pictures that I have seen, and I’m going to start off with a film I am really avid about.  The other day I went to see Django Unchained, and let me say that it was FANTASTIC.  I love pretty much anything from Quentin Tarantino, but this flick is now my all time favourite.

The film is set in the South of the United States, a few years before the start of the Civil War.  Jamie Foxx (amazing) stars as Django, who is freed from slavery by German bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz, who is played by Christoph Waltz (also amazing).  He is freed under the terms that he will help Schultz capture the murderous Brittle brothers, because only Django knows what they look like.  The two men continue to work together, long after they capture the Brittle brothers.  They then set their sights on rescuing Django’s wife, Broomhilda who was lost in the slave trade years ago.  They discover that she is slave to the wicked Calvin Candie, who is played by Leonardo DiCaprio (again, amazing).  He is the infamous plantation owner of “Candyland”, where he grooms his slaves to fight against each other for sport.  Django and Schultz enter the plantation, pretending to be interested in this “fight club”, but they need to get out of there fast because ‘someone’ is suspicious of their real intentions.

In an interview that Jamie Foxx has with Ellen DeGeneres, he explains how difficult it was for him to play a black slave who had no rights or freedom.  He also tells her that DiCaprio really had to lose himself in his character in order to really capture his essence.  I will post both the trailer and the interview in this blog.

LOVED this movie.  Everyone should go see it.  So go... now.

5/5 stars people!

Django Unchained Trailer

Jamie Foxx on Ellen