Paradise Reel

Just a gentle reminder for all you Firefly fans out there who have kept this story flying, “Serenity” opens tomorrow!

A little bit about the film for those who are still clueless to one of televisions’ best kept secrets…

“Serenity” is the movie continuation of the unjustly cancelled “Firefly” television series which only lasted 14 episodes before Fox Television pulled the plug. The series told the story of a rag-tag band of smugglers in a future not to distant from our own where the west is still wild and everyone is “supposed” to be able to speak chinese (i kid you not). This film, continues their story.

From the looks of the trailer and publicity hype, “Serenity” promises to be a worthy late-summer movie. Review to come soon!

View the Trailer!

Due to inflation and burgeoning costs, Hollywood decides to save a buck or two by recycling older posters… The ease of cropping.

Lord of War

The film opens to a sea of empty bullet casings and a lanky Nicholas Cage in a cheap Armani suit sprouting the unnerving statistic of armed and potentially dangerous individuals around the world and how its his job to increase that number. If it was Niccol’s intention of arresting our attention in an apt humourous sort of way, I think he did a pretty decent job.

It is impossible to miss Niccol’s satirical style of storytelling. All of his films sport crisp dialogue and witty scenarios that makes one chuckle quietly to oneself in the that darkened theater. This is no exception. The thing that separates “Lords” and his other fare is the much darker undercurrent and a rather dodgy anti-hero as his main protagonist. Needless to say, this is a film about the multi-billion dollar, not to mention covert and highly morally challenging industry of gun running.

The nephew of one of elder Coppola (Nicholas Cage, yes he does belong to the Coppola Clan…) has a penchant of portraying disenchanted characters. Probably because he does it so well. Its like how Hugh Grant has cornered the market for the “mumbling bungling British aristocrat searching for love in all the wrong places”. Nicholas Cage has the unique ability to allow us to empathise with the character he brings to life on screen. The character Yuri Orlov is one of the largest arms dealer in the world, supplying weapons of mass destruction to the highest paying dictator hell bent on ruling his little corner of the world. He is primarily responsible for getting his younger brother hooked on cocaine and cheats on his wife, on occasion. But at the end of the film, the sympathy we find ourselves investing in is not directed to the ‘victims’ of his actions, but Yuri Orlov himself. The extent of Cage’s acting ability is that he is able to subtilely persuade us to voluntarily take a look at the life of a person most vile in the eyes of humanity and come out saying, “He looks like a guy i could invite to dinner…” I would venture to say that this role does not showcase anything new from Cage but it is still one of his best performances since “Adaptation”.

Jared Leto (”Fight Club” and “Panic Room”) last seen as Hephaistion, Colin Ferell’s ambiguously gay companion in “Alexander”, charges into the role of Vitaly with all his engines. His turn as the drug ridden younger brother constantly trying to escape the moral confrontation of gun running exceeds anything that he has done prior. He totally wins the audience over in the limited scenes that they feature him in.

Although this may be the most political film of Andrew Niccol’s repertoire, it is difficult to outright classify “Lord of War” as a political film. This is a slight departure in subject matter for this writer/director famous for his satires on human nature (”Gattaca”, “The Truman Show” and “Simone”) . I certainly would not deem this as Niccol’s best work but it is still deserving of a recommendation. It is a film that is best seen in a theater and for most, not a repeat viewing. I’ve been acquainted with others who would watch it trice just for Jared Leto (You know who you are…). This film will definitely float your boat if you are into intelligent dramas laced with tongue slightly in cheek brand of sarcasm. One last note, “Lord of War” is most certainly not a “date movie”, I pity the fool who thinks contrary, so either leave your partners at home or at least warn them in advance.

“Lord of War” Trailer

An Unfinished Life

This is a what I would label as a “quiet film”. There are no huge set pieces or action sequences nor are there any character monologues that go on for five minutes without any cuts. This is an honest film about relationships and the normality that encompass it.

The story line is not one that we are unfamiliar with. The main running theme to this film seems to be about setting things straight with the heart, kind of making your peace with the world. The story begins with Einar Gilkyson, played by Redford (”Spygame” and “The Horse Whisperer”),who has yet to move on after the death of his son. He spends most of his day tending to his run down ranch and the wounds of his best friend and fellow rancher Mitch, brilliantly portrayed by Freeman (”Million Dollar Baby” and “Batman Begins”) who was mauled by a grizzly a year ago. All is quiet on the rancher front till the appearance of Einar’s daughter-in-law Jean, played by the colourful Jennifer Lopez, with his grand daughter in tow. Each of these characters come to the film with an obstacle that they need to overcome.

This is definitely a ensemble movie and all principal cast members turn in excellent performances. Yes, even the ostentatious J-Lo. This is probably her best foray into the realm of serious drama since her first starring film “Selena” (which is still her best film to date). Redford and Freeman both infuse their characters with such nuances and subtleties that one never does question the friendship Einar and Mitch developed over the years. Their characters share a unique dynamism that one buys into their friendship without much difficulty. Redford and Freeman both deliver what one would expect of Oscar winners and they do not disappoint. Well, Redford got his Oscar from directing “Ordinary People” but he is still gives actors half his age a run for their money.

A notable mention to Becca Gardner who plays Einar’s grand daughter, Griff. Although the part of the grand daughter does not require much, the 15 year-old actress slips into her role easily and portrays a convincing chip of the old Gilkyson block.

Lasse Hallström is the director who gave us “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” and “Chocolat” delivers another film in his unique style and pace. For those who are expecting an all-out drama fest might be a tad disappointed as this film is about a “slice of life” of this bitterly drunk cattle rancher. Imagine if you could pick a total stranger and watch him/her for a period of time. “An Unfinished Life” feels exactly like that. The film throws the audience right in the middle of things without much explanation or back story. We are introduced to the three main characters but no light is shed upon their relationship till much later on. To keep it short, this is a slow movie but in doing so, the film allows those interested to gradually invest our time and emotions into these characters.

One thing that stands out in this film is how all of the characters are devoid of any glamour. Redford is gruff and unshaven most of the film and Freeman spends most of his time bedridden and layered with scar makeup on his back and half of his face. There seem to be an effort to portray these actors as normal and unpolished as their characters are supposed to be which is quite refreshing considering all the concealer and makeup that we are treated to throughout the summer blockbusters.

No one is going to be raving about this film when the credits roll but I would be surprised for those who stayed to the end are not contented in experiencing one of the hidden gems of the summer. This film languished on the shelve for about a year or so and only was released recently (Miramax has a tendency to hold off films for ‘possible’ Oscar contention).

So, if you are looking for a serious drama with solid performances, (Redford and Freeman for the price of one movie ticket? C’mon…) then catch this film before the theaters deem it financially destructive to screen anymore, which should be soon from the looks of the attendance when I watched it.

Flightplan

Jodie Foster still remains one of my favourite actresses of all time but as to why she chose this film as her followup movie to 2003’s “Panic Room” is a mystery to me. “Flightplan” plays out more of a star vehicle to showcase Foster’s immense acting range than an ensemble film infused with great actors. Do not get me wrong, Jodie Foster’s portrayal of Kyle Pratt is spot on, down to the little twitches of her eye when the situation heads south and her level of anxiety shoots the other way. One does completely believe that this woman may not be playing with a full deck of cards.

With that note, i do detect a hint of showboating on Foster’s part, or perhaps the director’s role in pushing Foster’s character to the forefront of every scene, down to the slow motion sequences of Jodie running down the aisles towards the camera. It does raise the question of whether they were trying to extend the already two hour long movie slightly longer or did those sequences actually serve a purpose.

I may sound a tad nitpicky but there are some things seriously missing in terms of balance in a film of this scale. For starters did no one look up the definition of the term, “supporting actors”? We are treated to such a flurry of Foster that we never have the chance to develop any of the other characters on board. Sean Bean is so completely convincing as the captain of the plane that it would have made no difference recruiting a real airline pilot to fill the role! And that is not the end of the list of cardboard character cutouts, Erika Christensen (”Swimfan” and “Traffic”) portrays an air stewardess on board the flight whose only task was “to tackle any situaiton in a calm and composed manner” [RE: The Air Stewardess 10 Commandments] and depict the token red herring to throw the audiences off. It is as if these great actors had their roles relegated to that of mere cameos.

There are a host of excellent actors on board this flight that go underutilised and forgotten. We did pay the admission price to see Foster and her name is plastered all over the marquee but a film is not a one man, in this case WOman, show. Peter Sarsgaard (”The Skeleton Key” and “Kinsey”) tries to bring up the rear and actually does serve up a worthy attempt as Foster’s only counterforce but drops the ball during the conclusion of the movie.

The audience is kept guessing if this is all a highly delicate conspiracy and if so, who is involved or is Kyle Pratt is just simply delusional? The gripe I have with this film is that no one gives the audience any clues as to the final outcome of the story. There is little to absolute zero character development. There are no hints from any of the characters that they might somehow know more than they let on. It is almost as if the director just decided to flip the ‘evil’ switch and the once neutral parties are now behind the entire conspiracy and are holding Julia Pratt captive. There is no transition to guide us from one state of confusion to the other.

Granted that this is a must-watch for all Foster fans, but for those seeking a smart tense thriller, look elsewhere. This film is worth the DVD rental but not the price of admission, especially since the recent price hikes and the latter. Overall, this is a movie that starts out promising but takes one too many liberties with regards to realism and scientific plausibility. In an age where the audiences are a lot more saavy and not to mention demanding when it pertains to realism, this film falls short.

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