“A Simple Favor”– Movie Review

This week, I attended an advance screening of the new comedy-mystery, “A Simple Favor”, starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively and directed by Paul Feig.

Synopsis

After a woman’s best friend is missing, she tries to find her – but when the search turns up some rather unpleasant facts, will she continue her search or give up?

Story

As a popular vlogger on homemaking tips, Stephanie (Kendrick) shares with her audience what’s going on in her personal life:  Emily (Lively), her pal and Connecticut neighbor, has suddenly disappeared. Ostensibly, Emily was supposed to be working late at the office due to an unforeseen emergency, leaving Stephanie to care for both her own son Miles as well as Emily’s son Nicky while Emily’s husband Sean (Henry Golding) is overseas visiting family.  As it turns out, however, five days pass without hearing from Emily, leaving Stephanie, Sean and Nicky understandably worried.

Upon reporting this to the local police department, an investigation ensues.  Following a search around the country, Emily’s rental car is located, submerged in a lake; a body is recovered and when lab results return a DNA match, Emily is officially declared dead.  Stephanie, who is herself a widow, now comforts Sean, Nicky and Miles. Before long, Stephanie and Sean develop a romantic relationship.  All is not well, however, when Stephanie gets a mysterious telephone call from Emily. Confused and scared, Stephanie now proceeds with her own investigation of Emily.

Eventually, Stephanie’s research sends her out of state to learn more about Emily’s background.  Gradually, layers get peeled away like an onion and disturbing information is uncovered. Stephanie soon realizes that although Emily was her best friend, there was a great deal she did not know about her – and a great number of secrets Emily withheld as well.  Did Sean know these secrets or was he as much in the dark as Stephanie? The deeper Stephanie burrows down this warren, the more she finds she may be endangered. Will Stephanie be able to complete her investigation before harm comes to her?

Review

When writing reviews for this blog, the following problem occurs:  there’s very little to say when seeing a particularly bad flick other than simply, “Don’t go”.  However, when screening a really good film, writing effusively is effortless. After catching a viewing of “A Simple Favor”, there’s a unique problem:  it’s an uproariously funny and most entertaining motion picture that leaves little to state other than, “Go see it immediately!”. A more enthusiastic offering cannot be stated – and as challenging as it may be to continue, it is welcome to finally be able to say this. 

You will be forgiven if you become delirious from laughter after seeing “A Simple Favor” because it’s just that funny.  The filmmakers have concocted a story that is not only hilarious (based on a novel), but also an enthralling mystery that contains one twist after another, with double-crosses, triple-crosses and even quadruple-crosses, if such a thing is even possible.  The return-on-investment of your entertainment dollar will pay for the ticket and maybe the popcorn, too.  Director Paul Feig and the cast have done such a wonderful job on this movie that it deserves support.

At the risk of sexism, one thing should be mentioned:  this screening was overwhelmingly women, very few men. That’s too bad.  If guys fail to see “A Simple Favor”, they’re missing out on a fun time. While the gals definitely seemed to enjoy the movie, it should not be assumed that it is a “chick flick” just because its leads are Kendrick and Lively (and is directed by Feig, a noted women’s comedy director).  This is an outstanding date-night film – in fact, bring another couple if you can because you’ll want to share this wonder with as many of your friends as possible.

“Peppermint”– Movie Review

This week, I attended an advanced screening of the new action thriller “Peppermint”, starring Jennifer Garner.

Synopsis

After a woman’s family is murdered, will she be able to get revenge once justice is denied by the legal system?

Story

When Riley North (Garner) witnesses her daughter and husband murdered by a gang of drug dealers, she testifies against the killers in court.  Although it looks like an open and shut case since she was able to clearly identify these three men in a lineup, her testimony is discredited and the judge allows them to be set free.  Alone, understandably frustrated and angry, Riley mysteriously disappears. It would seem that she’s dropped off the face of the earth – or at the very least, has dropped off the radar of the Los Angeles Police Department. 

Five years later, the FBI believe that Riley may have turned up again.  The LAPD are shown evidence that she has been traveling around the world, learning how to fight, shoot and rob banks.  After some crimes have been committed – and men belonging to the gang of drug lord Diego Garcia are discovered either missing, injured or dead – the police start looking for Riley, who seems to have re-emerged as something of a self-styled vigilante with headquarters in the Skid Row section of Los Angeles.  Given how elusive and skillful she is, the police realize that they have their hands full.

Tracking down Garcia’s location, Riley is finally able to confront him directly.  But when escapes at the last minute, Riley is forced back into hiding.  Garcia is subsequently tipped-off to Riley’s whereabouts and leads his gang into Skid Row to search for her.  Upon their arrival, Garcia soon learns they’re in competition with the police, who are in pursuit of both Garcia and Riley.  Thanks to a corrupt cop who has long been on Garcia’s payroll, Riley is finally cornered. When she tries to take on Garcia one-on-one, will Riley finally be able to get her revenge or will she be killed before she can do so?         

Review

Unable to overcome either a trite screenplay or dreadful miscasting, “Peppermint” feels like it was better suited for another time – say 30 or 40 years ago.  Had this movie been released in the early to mid-80’s, it might’ve had a chance at some popularity. As it is, it seems like a truly bad fit for 2018.  This is especially true when you consider that the filmmakers throw any attempt at political correctness to the wind as they make it seem every Mexican in East Los Angeles is connected to crime.  One might get the impression the script was written by Stephen Miller, the Senior Adviser to President Trump.

With respect to the screenplay, there is a distinct lack of cleverness, originality or humor.  That last part is particularly worrisome given how drab the script is.  There are many missed opportunities throughout “Peppermint” where any number of jokes could have been inserted at various points, just to show that the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously.  This is especially true since the film stars Jennifer Garner; there’s a scene where she demands a man surrender his wallet – given her Capital One commercials, it would’ve been a good opportunity for her to say, “What’s in your wallet?”. 

Regarding the casting, it takes a great deal of effort to suspend your disbelief sufficiently to buy into the idea that Jennifer Garner could evolve into a badass.  Her persona is too much of a girl (or mom) next door type to be able to take seriously the thought that she could transform herself into this one-person wrecking crew – a vigilante capable to taking down an entire crime syndicate all alone (especially at this point in her life).  “Wonder Woman” is more realistic. As if to make matters worse, the end of the movie hints that there might be a sequel. Let’s try to prevent this from happening.

IMDB

“Operation Finale”– Movie Review

This week, I attended a screening of the new historical drama, “Operation Finale”, starring Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley.

Synopsis

When Israeli agents are alerted to the whereabouts of a Nazi war criminal, can they bring him to trial or will he elude them?

Story

Upon the conclusion of World War II, many of the surviving Nazis were brought to trial at Nuremberg.  However, there were some key officers who somehow managed to escape that trial – one of them was Lieutenant Adolf Eichmann (Kingsley).  Eichmann was called “The Architect Of The Final Solution” and was considered one of the most brutal and dangerous of Hitler’s top officers.  In 1960, the Tel Aviv office of The Mossad is obtained reliable intelligence that many escaped Nazis fled to Argentina – and Eichmann is among them.  One of their top agents is then sent to verify the authenticity.

Once Eichmann’s existence is confirmed, The Mossad form an elite team that includes Peter Malkin (Isaac) – a man for whom this job is personal since he lost a family member to The Nazis.  For Malkin, this will be a different type of mission: instead of “Catch & Kill”, this one is “Catch & Extract”. The plan is this: the team will travel to Buenos Aires and locate Eichmann; after captured, they’ll spirit him out of Argentina and return him to Israel where The Knesset will put him on trial for his war crimes.  On its surface the plan sounds simple, but unanticipated obstacles occur which prevent their flawless execution.

First, getting access to Argentina won’t be easy because El Al doesn’t fly there, so the government concocts a justification to schedule flights.  Also, a nabbed Eichmann is tricky; an effort to sedate him goes awry and when reported missing, his Nazi colleagues delay the planned return flight. With Eichmann hidden in a safe-house until he is exfiltrated, Malkin convinces him to sign a document admitting his war crimes – a requirement by the airline in order to board the plane.  But when The Nazis are tipped off to Eichmann’s location, can the secret agents get him to Israel before he can be rescued?

Review

As stated in previous reviews of historically-based dramas, the problem with these movies generally tends to be that there is little suspense since it’s typically about a well-known event that many (if not most) people know how the story ends.  Refreshingly, this is not the case quite so much when it comes to “Operation Finale”. Although we know how the real-life story concluded, the way in which the filmmakers lay out how it got to that point is extremely gripping, almost making you wonder if you forgot history because you question whether or not the mission will be successful.

End of summer is an unusual time to release a film such as this; normally, you would expect a movie like “Operation Finale” to come out in early autumn.  In large part, this is due to the fact that it is a rather heavy drama rather than light-hearted fare. Also, it’s not exactly the type of motion picture that will motivate the teenagers (the main movie-goers these days) to the theaters; make no mistake about it, this is a picture for grown-ups, especially when you consider (unfortunately) that the youth of today are not getting a sufficient historical education when it comes to the events surrounding World War II. 

Although “Operation Finale” is recommended, it is with a small caveat.  About 95% of it is quite well done – but that last 5% is what almost ruins an otherwise good film.  Without giving away too much, the third act has a “false ending” – i.e., the audience thinks the story has concluded, but it continues for another 10-15 minutes.  This is a huge mistake because it plays with the psychology of the viewers, who are prepared to see the closing credits. Perhaps a better way to have handled this is to merely have provided a brief epilog summarizing subsequent incidents.  Ironically, “Operation Finale” does include an epilog prior to the credits – it’s just unfortunate the last 10 minutes was not included.

Metacritic Score

“Lords Of Chaos”– Movie Review

This week at The Film Society Of Lincoln Center, I attended The New York Premiere of the horror film “Lords Of Chaos” starring Rory Culkin.

Synopsis

When a heavy metal band begins experiencing success, will internal squabbles result in  fatalities?

Story

In Oslo, Norway during the late 1980’s, Mayhem was formed.  Its organizer  was one of its guitar players, Euronymous (Culkin).  Mayhem was a heavy metal band – although Euronymous liked to refer to it as a “Norwegian Black Metal Band” because its music was thematically dark.  Slowly, the band started to gain a small but loyal following by playing in local clubs. Just as it looked like Mayhem was going to hit it big, tragedy struck when Mayhem’s lead singer committed suicide and the group subsequently disbanded.  Euronymous borrowed money from his father and opened a record store specializing in heavy metal music.

One day in the record store, Varg (Emory Cohen) enters; as a fan of Mayhem, he soon reveals he has ulterior motives.  Varg offers Euronymous an audition tape and after listening, he finds Varg is talented. Borrowing money from his mother, Varg records some tracks in a studio with Euronymous and some of the former members of Mayhem; they sell the record in the store and it gets some recognition.  Euronymous invites Varg to become a member of Mayhem; he accepts and when the band reunites, it quickly picks up where it left off, to some extent thanks to Varg, who gave it a new sound.

Not long after, Euronymous learns of Varg’s arsonous inclinations.  Being anti-religion, Varg feels it necessary to burn down churches so the “oppression” (as he sees it) of the Norwegian church will end once they no longer have a safe place in which to worship.   Euronymous fears Varg’s urges go a little too far, so he abandons any association with him, seeking a more normal life. Varg, however, believes Euronymous is doing this out of jealousy; thinking Euronymous hates him because he’s gained notoriety, Varg decides he must rid himself of Euronymous once and for all.  But can Varg be dissuaded before it’s too late?

Review

“Lords Of Chaos” would hardly be considered the typical horror flick; in fact, it is a biopic with characters made even scarier because they actually existed.  The story of this band is truly horrifying and one which is spelled out in excruciating detail. If you are the type who likes their movies with plenty of blood, guts and gore, then “Lords Of Chaos” is definitely for you.  The film is not without its controversies, however – many people knowledgeable of the band maintain that this is not a true portrayal of its story or that a number of crucial details have been omitted (either intentionally or accidentally). 

What is most notable about “Lords Of Chaos” is the rather intense performances – this is especially true of Rory Culkin and Emory Cohen, but really it’s true of the entire cast.  It is this intensity that truly holds the entire story together. Also, the directing choices by Jonas Åkerlund enhance the tale, although they may sometimes leave the viewer a bit puzzled as to a given shot’s reference or meaning.  His screenplay (based on a book about the band) also sets up a great sense of foreboding from the very first scene that perfectly sets up the tone for the remainder of the movie.

Following the screening, there was an interview with its star Rory Culkin and writer/director Jonas Åkerlund.  Åkerlund maintains that he tried to keep “Lords Of Chaos” as close to reality as possible, but admits to some embellishment.  In this shoot – which lasted 18 days, most of it in Budapest – he tried to tone down the murder scenes, compared to how they actually played out in real life.  Culkin said he based his characterization mostly on photographs since films and videos of the real Euronymous were incredibly difficult to come by.    

“The Meg”– Movie Review

This week, I attended an advanced screening of the new action-adventure, “The Meg”, starring Jason Statham. 

Synopsis

When scientists discover an immense prehistoric shark, can it be stopped before it endangers a vast number of people?

Story

Five years after a traumatic event that saw a loss of human life,  Jonas (Statham) has effectively checked-out.  Spending his days drinking beer in Thailand, he is resistant to the beseeching of oceanographers who beg him to come out of retirement as an expert rescue diver in order to save members of their team who have been trapped underwater.  Jonas turns them down flatly until he learns that one of those people happens to be his ex-wife.  With that in mind, Jonas reluctantly agrees to take the assignment – but what he doesn’t yet know is that all of this is related to his last mission.  

This time around, Jonas is somewhat more successful:  he is able to save two of the people – including his ex-wife – but one of them perishes.  As tragic as that may be, the group soon come to realize that there is something of much greater concern – the reason why these people were left stranded in their vessel is because it was damaged when it was attacked by the same sea creature that killed the men on Jonas’ previous dive. After further research, they come to realize that this creature was officially called a Megalodon – basically, a prehistoric shark approximately 70-90 feet in length which scientists assumed was extinct long ago. 

Jonas is then determined to join the others in taking out “The Meg”, as they now call the beast.  He now sets out with Suyin (Li Bingbing), the daughter of the oceanographer who is heading the team; as a scientist herself, she is an expert on the biology of this particular type of shark and her expertise would prove helpful.  Together, they successfully track the shark and entice it into a confrontation.  After killing the shark, their celebration comes to an abrupt end once they find out that there is a second Meg and it is now headed to a populous resort community.  Can Jonas and Suyin find and destroy the other Meg before it attacks the tourists?  

Review

Is “The Meg” a perfect movie?  Absolutely not. Is “The Meg” a great movie?  No. But that said, for all of its flaws, “The Meg” may be the right movie at the right time.  What does that mean? Well, we are currently in what is known as the mid-summer doldrums; all of the major releases have already been in theaters (and some may even still be there).  Anything left over is often held until August and the next set of major releases usually occur post-Labor Day (often, late September). Therefore, August releases can frequently be considered second-rate fare.  While there may be some validity in that theory, there are occasional exceptions and arguably, “The Meg” may be one.

Although “The Meg” will certainly not go down as this generation’s version of “Jaws” or even an underwater version of “Jurassic Park” (despite that’s probably how it was positioned during the pitch meeting), it’s a decent popcorn movie seen in a big-screen theater with plenty of air conditioning and comfy seats.  This is especially true if you’ve already seen the major blockbuster releases (or if you’ve missed them and they’re already out of the theaters). Despite its shortcomings, “The Meg” is not without its own appeal, albeit limited. For Jason Statham fans, that’s enough justification to buy a ticket.  

The film is trite and formulaic – which can be a good thing if you’re looking for mere entertainment rather than something a bit more challenging.  There is the edge-of-society action hero, the romance, the feminist aspect, the sense of family and the anti-corporate hatred (Rainn Wilson plays a nefarious venture capitalist who gets his comeuppance in the third act).  Is “The Meg” worth spending the extra bucks for 3-D or IMAX if it’s available in your area? Probably not. But if you’re in the mood for pure escapism that’s not terribly demanding, you could probably make worse choices than “The Meg”.  

“Alpha”– Movie Review

Recently, I attended an advanced screening of the new action-adventure, “Alpha”.

Synopsis

When an Ice Age hunting trip goes awry, a teenager gets separated from the group – but once he’s befriended by a stray wolf, can the two help save each other survive?

Story

Twenty thousand years ago, the planet Earth experienced what has come to be known as The Ice Age.  Somewhere on the European continent during that time, there was a small village whose inhabitants needed to go out to hunt for food for their family.  The leader of the tribe, Tau (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson), chose his best weapon-makers to join him on this expedition – including his teenage son, Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee).  There is some degree of trepidation around this choice not only due to the boy’s relative inexperience but also because Keda does not exactly have a reputation of being fierce.

During their journey, Keda suffers an accident and winds up being separated from the group; alone and injured, he must figure out a way to survive as he tries to find his way back to the village.  Since Keda’s hunting skills are underdeveloped, scrounging for food is a challenge and he has to settle for anything he can get. Keda also has to fend off various predatory beasts who wish to attack him either because they believe he’s a threat or because they want to use him as a food source.  One such experience is with a wolfpack; unable to fight them off, Keda climbs a tree to evade them.

Hours later when the pack has given up on their prey, Keda descends and upon returning to the ground finds one of the wolves has remained; discovering that it is badly injured and no longer a danger, he proceeds to nurse the animal back to health.  Over time, the two seem to develop something of a trust between each other and the natural animosity gradually dissipates. When the wolf has an opportunity to return to its pack, it instead stays with Keda and together, they overcome various life-threatening adventures as the wolf, who by now Keda has named Alpha, follows him back to the village.  But as a blizzard hits, will the two be able to survive long enough to return to civilization?

Review

Although “Alpha” is only an hour and a half in length, it feels much longer due to its slow pacing and the fact that it takes quite a while for the story to get started.  Additionally, Keda keeps facing one adversity after another so you just want to scream, “Enough already, we get it!”. At that point, it almost turns into a self-parody.  This also begs the question about what was the father doing – or perhaps more to the point, what was he not doing?  As far as we can tell from the film itself, the father never once tried to look for his boy, which makes scenes where he appears to get all emotional about the assumed loss of his son all the more suspect. 

The second act of any movie is typically its longest; structurally, this is handled by the screenwriter asking the question, “What are the other characters up to?”.  This is done to keep the main character from being forced to carry too much of the middle of the film, potentially causing the audience to zone out at best or get sick of him/her at worst.  What might’ve helped “Alpha” from feeling longer than its actual running time may have been including scenes of the villagers or what the hunters did after they were separated from the boy (as mentioned above, the father didn’t even seem to make any kind of an effort –it appears he quickly gave up and just went home). 

One minor point has to do with the dialog.  Since this takes place in Europe during the Ice Age, the characters appear to be speaking a long-extinct language – possibly Solutrean in its origin, which might make it a French/Spanish variation.  In any event, it will not be immediately recognizable to the audience – it’ll pretty much just sound like a bit of gibberish. This is why the dialog is translated to English in its subtitles. While this might not be considered a deal-breaker for the cineaste who’s seen many foreign films, it could turn out to be something of an impediment if the filmmakers are trying to reach a wider audience.   

IMDB

“Skyscraper”– Movie Review

This week, I attended an advanced screening of the new action thriller, “Skyscraper”, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Neve Campbell.

Synopsis

When a Chinese tower is ablaze, can the American security expert hired to assess its safety rescue his family trapped inside?

Story

When it finally opens in Hong Kong, The Pearl will be the world’s tallest building – and that’s where Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) comes in.  Sawyer is a security expert who has been hired by the building’s billionaire real estate developer Zhao Long Ji (Chin Han) to ensure that the structure is totally secure.  For Sawyer, this is something of a forced career change; having worked previously as a member of a SWAT team, he was severely injured on one case – his left leg had to be amputated below the knee, requiring him to wear a prosthetic device.  A decade later, he’s now happily married to Sarah (Neve Campbell) and they have two children.

Having completed a preliminary inspection of the various security and safety systems installed in the building, Sawyer reports to Zhao that The Pearl is in pretty good shape –but the inspection is not yet complete.  Sawyer will have to visit the remote location which is the central headquarters that manages the building’s security and safety systems. Unknown to either Sawyer or Zhao, the software that controls the building has been hacked by a nefarious crime syndicate out to seek revenge on Zhao.  But in order to totally fully take control of the building, they steal the tablet Zhao gave Sawyer – a device which allows him to biometrically authenticate into the system as an administrator to inspect the system in detail.

Putting their plan into motion, the criminals set fire to one of the floors in The Pearl; after disabling the anti-fire system, the edifice will likely burn to the ground.  But there’s one thing that they didn’t take into consideration: Sarah and her children would still be in the construction at the time the fire starts. Trapped inside with no way out of the building, Sarah must protect her family from the fire while simultaneously dealing with the criminals who caused the blaze in the first place.  Can Sawyer somehow manage to rescue his family while also bringing the criminals to justice?

Review

The Rock on only one leg can still kick butt – and for that matter, so can his wife (who is also a combat surgeon who fluently speaks Chinese … but perhaps that’s giving away a bit too much).  That said, maybe the real star of the movie is duct tape -- yes, duct tape. One of the lines Johnson has goes, “If you can’t fix it with duct tape, then you’re just not using enough duct tape!”.  In fact, the studio, Universal, believes in it so much that at this particular screening, they used as a marketing tool a roll of duct tape – that is to say, they were giving away rolls for free as a way of promoting the film.  No joke – the word “Skyscraper” was emblazoned across the roll of duct tape. (If you’re not getting it now, you will when you see “Skyscraper”)

But enough about duct tape.  While the movie might be reminiscent of “Die Hard” where Johnson would be the Bruce Willis character, the script of “Skyscraper” is nowhere near clever enough to compare it to “Die Hard”; there are no jokes – in fact, one complaint about the film may be that it seems to be taking itself way too seriously.  It might’ve benefited from more humor as a wink to the audience. The script, of course, isn’t always clear or logical in its story or motivations – but then again, you don’t see a motion picture like this expecting nuance and symbolism or allusions to Italian post-war neo-realism. The greatest applause by the audience came in the explosions. 

If an old style action movie is what would make you happy to while away a summer day or night, then purchase a big tub of popcorn and barrel of soda and check your brain with the theater’s ticket-taker and run straight to the next screening of “Skyscraper”.  There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, even if you did take that last sentence to be derisive in its tone. But having said that, the experience may instead leave you yearning for something a bit better – in which case, you may want to go home and stream all of the “Die Hard” movies as a reminder of how it’s done properly. 

IMDB

“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