“Constructing Albert”– Movie Review

Recently, I attended a Film Society Of Lincoln Center screening of the new documentary “Constructing Albert”. 

Synopsis

When Albert Adria leaves his brother’s famous restaurant, will he be able to make it on his own?

Story

When Ferrin Adria began at a Spanish restaurant that was elBulli, it became famous because of the chef’s foray into what has become known as molecular gastronomy.  He brought his younger brother Albert along with him. Despite the fact that Albert lacked the vision and expertise of his older brother, over time he learned a great deal about what makes a restaurant work and why.  When Ferrin decided that he had long-term plans to eventually close the restaurant and convert it into a culinary school to train aspiring chefs, Albert saw this as an opportunity to strike out on his own; as a result, he wound up leaving elBulli before it closed.

Inspired in part by his brother Ferrin, Albert set out to open his own restaurant.  In fact, he wanted to open a few of them. As if that goal wasn’t daunting enough, he tried to open them all roughly simultaneously.  Each restaurant would have its own unique personality: not only in terms of decor and locale but also in terms of menu as well. But if Albert learned a lesson from elBulli, it was not just that “success” (however that would be defined) is the eventual goal, it was also that it could bring about its demise as well.  Sometimes, just as one restaurant would attain a degree of success, he would then close the space.

There were other cases where the concept of the restaurant simply never caught on and Albert was forced to close the space prematurely.  In other instances, a restaurant would achieve a Michelin star one year, only to lose it the next. Regardless, Albert would learn valuable lessons from these experiences and instead of letting it discourage him, he used this as a heuristic that would serve as more reasons to succeed with his next venture.  Albert would then go on to not only challenge himself but also to challenge potential customers and critics by continuing to open restaurants that would expand the concept of cooking.

Review

Viewers will definitely learn a considerable amount about Albert Adria when watching this documentary.  While his background and the context of the story -- opening new restaurants -- are interesting, the conclusion of the movie doesn’t necessarily leave the viewer with a definite feeling of closure.  This is definitely one of those cases where a brief epilog would have proven extremely useful. What happened with this restaurant in the ensuing weeks and months? Did he wind up closing the Mexican restaurant which he felt was under-performing?  Were any of his other restaurants closed -- either by design or due to bad business?

Aside from Albert, there are some familiar faces to be seen here.  In addition to his brother Ferren, there is also Jose Andres, who has been in the news lately for his heroic work feeding the hurricane victims in Puerto Rico.  While it is occasionally entertaining to observe their enthusiasm for both food and cooking, it may be a little confusing for those who don’t share a similar passion.  Nevertheless, this peek behind the kitchen door does attempt to either demystify or enlighten on the business of running a restaurant -- and particularly, a restaurant by a high- profile chef that has great expectations from critics and foodies alike.   

Perhaps that may be part of the problem -- the glamor is being removed from something that the public thinks should be glamorous.  In presenting the brutal reality behind this business -- as well as the driven nature of the key people behind it -- the whole thing becomes suddenly unappealing, even distasteful.  While things such as Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” revealed truths in an entertaining way, this documentary remains somewhat dry. Ultimately, we are led to believe that Adria will forever be unhappy -- possibly miserable -- because he’s chasing some kind of dream of perfection which he has in his mind which is, realistically, unattainable.  

“Tag” – Movie Review

This week, I attended an advanced screening of the new comedy “Tag”, starring Ed Helms, Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner.

Synopsis

When former classmates reunite to play their annual game of Tag, will they be able to finally make a member of their group lose after all these years?

Story

It’s May and that means one thing:  Hoagie (Helms) and a bunch of his childhood friends have to assemble for their annual game of Tag which they’ve been playing since childhood.  This year, however, it’s going to be a little different from years past:  their buddy Jerry (Renner) is getting married and as a result, will retire from the decades-long game with his friends once he takes a wife.  Therefore, this year’s game will be the last opportunity any of them  may ever have to tag Jeremy as “It” because he’s been the only one of his friends who has successfully evaded being tagged. 

Hoagie then sets out across the country for the purpose of not only continuing the game, but also to entreat his lifelong friends to join him in his quest to make Jerry “It” before it’s too late.  After a bit of convincing – which includes some rather strenuous games of Tag – Hoagie is ultimately able to get Randy (Jake Johnson), Sable (Hannibal Buress) and Callahan (Hamm) to join him in his quest.  Together, they travel back to their hometown to hunt down Jerry before he gets married.  Jerry introduces them to his betrothed, Susan (Leslie Bibb), and they are immediately smitten. 

Susan, while supportive of Jerry, doesn’t want her wedding to become a travesty by this game.  Therefore, Jerry requires the men to promise that while playing Tag, they won’t disrupt the wedding ceremony itself – and furthermore, they must agree to completing the game before the wedding.  If Jerry loses by the wedding day, then so be it – but if they haven’t managed to Tag him by then, then the game is officially over.  What the men soon come to realize is that both Jerry and Susan are in cahoots to plan various deceptions that will cause Jerry to avoid being tagged.  As the wedding day draws near, will the men be able to get their wish and tag Jerry or will he forever remain victorious? 

Review

“Tag” has a cast quite capable of comedy and decent jokes sprinkled throughout, but sometimes it feels like it doesn’t know if it wants to be a comedy or an action film.  It would be understandable if you assumed this was just another bro-fest buddy road movie – and in some ways, it is precisely that.  But the filmmakers do make an effort to try to be more inclusive of women as a key parts of the story.  That said, it does come across as a little bit forced; also, when you consider that this is inspired by a true story (from a Wall Street Journal newspaper article), it seems even more contrived.

Despite the fact that “Tag” is a short movie – it comes in at under two hours – it starts dragging during the second act, making it feel a little longer.  During that period, you start getting the reaction that you understand the premise and they need to get along with it – but there are certain plot points introduced that wind up taking you on some unnecessary and unwelcomed detours.  One example is the character of Cheryl, played by Rashida Jones.  Although Jones is fine, the character is not terribly crucial to the story.  One gets the impression that this character was added merely to have a romantic interest and pad out the film’s running time.

In some ways, this might have played better as a documentary; as a matter of fact, videos of the actual men playing the game are shown at the end of the movie and this seems much more fascinating.  Instead, they got a bunch of familiar names with a big Hollywood budget and trivialized the entire tale.  Among the few bright spots are portrayals by Buress and Isla Fisher as Anna, Hoagie’s wife.  That said, despite the performances and occasional verbal and sight gags, there isn’t enough to elevate the film above the mundane.   

 

“Hotel Artemis”– Movie Review

This week, I caught an advanced screening of the new action-thriller “Hotel Artemis”, starring Jodie Foster and Sterling K. Brown.

Synopsis

When a hospital that caters only to criminals is overwhelmed after a chaotic riot, will they be able to treat their patients?

Story

In 2028, the city of Los Angeles is in a state of anarchy; with its citizens unable to get easy access to water, riots ensue and the city becomes unsafe.  It is at this time that Waikiki (Brown) and his brother Honolulu (Brian Tyree Henry) decide to rob a bank; of course, this does not end well for either of them.  While making their getaway, Honolulu is shot and desperately needs immediate care.  Waikiki knows exactly what to do:  he’ll take his brother to the legendary Hotel Artemis where he’ll be well taken care of by The Nurse (Foster). 

The Hotel Artemis is actually something of a misnomer; although it was formerly a hotel in the downtown section of  Los Angeles, it closed long ago.  Eventually, it reopened, in a sense, being rebranded as something of a medical center that caters only to members of the underworld – but not just for any offender.  Instead, it is only available to those who have been previously vetted by the proprietor.  Since Waikiki is known to The Nurse, he and his brother gain admission easily.  Unfortunately, Honolulu is seriously injured and will require extensive care. 

Reaching maximum capacity, The Nurse severely restricts further patient admissions, no matter how severe.  She does have to make one exception, though:  Niagara (Jeff Goldblum) has been hurt and is brought in by his son Crosby (Zachary Quinto).  The Nurse has to make an exception for the wealthy Niagara since he’s the one who financed her operation after her alcoholism caused her to lose her nursing license.  But once it’s been discovered that certain patients have clandestinely entered for the sole purpose of destroying the facility, can The Nurse find a way to keep it open to care for her patients?

Review

Escapist entertainment can be good for the soul, not unlike comfort food.  But like comfort food, no one can exist on a steady diet because it’s unhealthy.  Having it every once in the while as a treat won’t hurt too much.  That’s pretty much how one might characterize “Hotel Artemis”, which often requires suspension of disbelief.  But the question becomes whether or not doing so is a challenge to enjoying the film. In this case, the answer is that while there are some questions that aren’t answered, it shouldn’t interfere with appreciating this motion picture on purely an entertainment level.  Just surrender yourself to the pure escapism and allow the picture to take you on its wild ride.

This ensemble cast contains many familiar names and faces; although a skeptic might understandably presume they’re in it for a payday (which can’t be ruled out entirely), the screenplay is likely what attracted them to the project.  It’s very well written and extremely funny; despite the movie being extremely dark (in both its mood and its lighting), there are a good number of very amusing jokes that take you by surprise at the most unexpected moments.  The humor is well utilized here; when plot points start feeling heavy, a gag is inserted to lighten the emotion in the scene.

The director is Drew Pearce, who also wrote the screenplay and was a co-producer.  As a director, this is his first feature; with previous writing credits that include “Iron Man 3” and “Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation”, the action-thriller genre certainly does seem to be his expertise; it’ll be interesting to see if Pearce continues to direct his own scripts in the future or if he will work on other projects.  As noted, “Hotel Artemis” doesn’t demand very much of its audience -- in fact, that’s almost a pre-requisite. Whether or not Pearce’s future films will be similar is hard to say, but parts of the screenplay suggest he might venture on to something more weighty someday.

IMDB