Source Code: Delightfully confusing

What’s on now: Listening to Kris Allen’s CD on my iTunes. I’ve wanted it since it came out two years ago, and I finally ordered it off Amazon last week. So worth the wait.

I went to see Jake Gyllenhaal’s new action-thriller Source Code with a friend over the weekend. We both thoroughly enjoyed the film, from guessing the answers to the mysteries to cheering for Jake in all his hotness. It was certainly a head-scratcher that will keep you guessing even after the credits roll.

My friend and I couldn’t stop rehashing what the heck just happened over calzones and cannolis afterwards. We nearly forgot to flirt with our cute waiter, we were so confused. But it was a good kind of confused. As much as they drive me insane for days afterwards, I quite enjoy movies that make me yell, “Wait... WHAT??” just as the screen goes black for the last time. This one was even more head-scratch-tastic than Inception’s ending! I shall say no more for fear of spoiling one or both of these movies for you.

Source Code follows the efforts of Captain Colter Stevens, played by Gyllenhaal, as he tries to figure out who bombed a Chicago passenger train earlier that morning. Up in the Air’s Vera Farmiga plays Captain Goodwin, the Air Force technician who is helping Colter through the assignment. Using highly sophisticated simulation technology, Colter is repeatedly sent “back in time,” (it is established early on that the program is NOT actual time travel) to the consciousness of one of the train passengers. From there he has to unravel the attack before the bomber strikes again, this time in the heart of downtown Chi-Town.

Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye) plays Christina, a woman on the train, who happens to be the girlfriend of the person whose body Colter is inhabiting. She’s a sweet woman who wins Colter’s heart, even mid-mission, until he becomes basically obsessed with saving her and the rest of the people on the doomed train. But Source Code, as the program is called, is not time travel. The people Colter is seeing on this train are already dead and can’t be saved. All Colter can do is try to find the bomber before he kills more innocent civilians.

And one more thing. He only has eight minutes to do it.

I definitely would and already have recommended this movie to pretty much anyone. It’s got action, it’s got mystery, it’s even got a little romance, but nothing too distracting from the fact that there’s a big-ass bomb on the train.

In all fairness, however, even though I really liked this movie, the ending bothered me a bit. They get you going thinking it’s going to end a certain way, and I had made my peace with it. As sad or upsetting as it might have been, I think it would have been the best way to do it. But then they throw you this massive curveball in the last two minutes that actually makes no sense at all when you think about it. Not that science fiction-ish action movies always need to make sense, but this one did have some blaring holes in the plot.

I’m willing to forgive Source Code, however. For one thing, it didn’t try to jump on the 3D conformist bandwagon (Hallelujah!!) even though they probably could have if they had forced it. There were more than a few epic explosions, after all. Secondly, I really enjoyed Jake’s performance (almost made me forget Prince of Persia ever happened), as well as his interactions with Monaghan and Farmiga. He really makes you feel for the character of Colter, who’s just trying to save people and keeps getting blown up over and over again for it. And at one point he even gets hit by another train. Yeowch.

Good cast, good effects, good story, good movie.  Definitely worth the price of a movie ticket.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga

Directed by: Duncan Jones

Rated PG-13

2011

Red Riding Hood, a.k.a. Team Jacob: The Movie

What’s on now: NCIS on USA, which I never watch but figured I’d give a go.

A medieval village is plagued by a werewolf. Every full moon the villagers sacrifice the best of their livestock so the beast won’t eat the people. But the peace is broken when the monster kills a girl, and the hunt for the wolf begins.

Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!, Mean Girls) and Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, The Fifth Element) were the two most recognizable faces in the cast. Seyfried played the revamped version of Little Red Riding Hood, whose name is Valerie, apparently. Oldman was Father Solomon, a priest obsessed with ridding the world of witches and werewolves after his wife (didn’t think “Fathers” had those...) turned out to be a werewolf and he had to kill her to protect his kids.

Two unknowns (at least they were to me) served as the eye candy in this flick: Shiloh Fernandez and Max Irons. Shiloh (now there’s a name) played Peter, the boy Valerie loves and wants to spend the rest of her life with. Max (who it turns out is the son of Jeremy Irons, yay!) is the handsome rich boy who likes Valerie and is engaged to her through an arranged marriage. Ooooh, a love triangle.

Wait. Hold up. A love triangle...? Werewolves...?

Where have I heard this before?

Don’t worry, Red Riding Hood isn’t exactly a Twilight rip-off. At least I don’t think it is. I haven’t actually seen or read any Twilight products (I’m a vampire purist and therefore refuse to touch them). Thank goodness there was not a single mention of the bloodsuckers in this movie.

In all, it was okay. Some of the lines were a little corny (“I could eat you up”), and the special effects were mediocre. I mean, they were fine, I was just expecting something a little... more. The wolf is exactly that... a wolf. Albeit an extra-large, extra-fluffy wolf with homicidal tendencies. Most creature movies these days take a crack at making a werewolf look different (a la Harry Potter or Van Helsing). The wolf in this movie looked like my sister’s cat, Schemy. And no, I’m not even exaggerating. ...It's a funnier joke if you actually know Schemy.

I was expecting something more along the lines of The Village. I didn’t think we’d ever actually see the wolf, it would all just be scary flashes and innuendos to people getting ripped to shreds. Nope, they were very forthcoming with their monster, and there was no huge twist in the end. Like, they weren’t all dreaming or in purgatory or something. It was fun to keep guessing who the wolf was (it’s established fairly early that it is one of the villagers). I was right! Mwahaha! But it wasn’t obvious, and I second-guessed myself quite a few times before the credits rolled.

I did like the score quite a bit. I’m a fan of movies set in past time periods that are set to more modern music (driving drum beats, electric guitar and the like). The part of the film when this is most noticeable is during a festival the villagers have after they think they’ve killed the wolf (turns out they’re just dumb). I thought they were playing Flyleaf for a second. I love that music, so I thought it was cool, but they were riding the line on that one a little.

I loved Amanda’s dress, though. It was a fairly simple light-blue costume, the kind of thing you would expect to see in a medieval-esque costume. The big red cloak she wore was neat too. It made me wish I could get something just like it and pull it off. Somehow I don’t think that would be acceptable at work, though. Unless I get that job at the Renaissance Fair.

I suppose the biggest turnoff for me would actually be something that the poor movie probably didn’t even have control of, and that is the unshakeable feeling that this movie was made just to cash in on the necrophilia/bestiality craze that has swept the globe. Max and Shiloh even kind of look like Edward and Jacob. Max has that more delicate, pale handsomeness (thank GOD the boy didn’t glitter). Shiloh is darker featured, more devilishly charming. He’s also the new version of the woodsman, by the way, which I thought was a pretty cool way to do it. Who doesn’t like sexy young lumberjacks?

Red Riding Hood was all right. I saw it with my sister and we both liked it. Will I buy it? Probably not. Definitely put it on your list of rentals at least. Should you go see it in theatres? Sure. It could be a fun date movie, for any guys or girls out there who want an excuse to be jittery and grab a special someone’s hand when the wolf jumps out. And the ending is actually kind of romantic. My sister thought it was sweet. I laughed.

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke

Rated PG-13

2011

Forever Strong: Mud, blood and rugby. What else could you want?

What’s on now: Vanity Fair starring Reese Witherspoon. Now streaming on Netflix, but only available until March 15, so if it’s on your list, get on that!

I had never even heard of Forever Strong before. It popped up on my recommendations on Netflix, probably because I’d given four and five stars to just about any sports movie I’d ever seen before. What can I say? I’m an athlete. It doesn’t matter what sport it’s about or how similar they all tend to be, sports movies are my lifeblood.

Two words: Loved it. I didn’t even care that it was completely predictable. Starring Sean Faris, a tall dark and very handsome fellow who I had never even heard of, who plays your typical troubled teen who takes his anger out on opponents on the rugby pitch. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Forever Strong is about rugby. If that doesn’t immediately send all you Invictus fans scrambling for your own copy, I don’t know what will. It’s streaming on Netflix now, go to it! I actually liked Forever Strong more than Invictus. Certainly not a better movie in general, but there was more emphasis on the sport than on the political history of the time period.

Anyway, Faris plays Rick, the troubled teen I told you about. He’s sent to juvenile hall after almost killing his girlfriend in a drunken driving accident. At the facility he’s angry and grappling with his daddy issues (Neal McDonough plays his dad and rugby coach), trying to be reached by a kind social worker-type man played by Sean Astin of Rudy and Lord of the Rings recognition. Rick is sent to another rugby team, unconventionally coached by Larry Gelwix (Gary Cole), to try to work out his frustrations on the pitch and learn real teamwork and inner strength. Forever Strong also stars Nathan West (Miracle) as Rick’s new teammate, who takes a while to warm up to him, and Lobster Todd from Easy A (Penn Badgley) as Rick’s old teammate and best friend, who resents him for trying to clean up his act.

As is to be expected in a good sports flick, the climax is at the end when the two teams face off for the U.S. national high school championship. I didn’t even know that existed, but apparently the film is actually based on true events. Who wins the game? Not telling. But it’s worth the watch to find out. The warrior chant the players do before the game made me want to run outside and start tackling other people on a muddy field. Thank goodness I had a good hold on my sense. It’s the kind of thing that will definitely get your blood pumping.

In all, Forever Strong will certainly be on my shopping list for when I need a mindless adrenaline rush or a pump-up movie before a competition. And as an extra bonus, Sean Faris surprised me into a new crush. What can I say? I’m a sucker for abs.

Starring: Sean Faris, Gary Cole, Neal McDonough, Sean Astin, Penn Badgley
Directed by: Ryan Little
Rated PG-13
2008

And for extra funsies, here's that warrior chant done by the cast of Forever Strong.  

Gangs of New York: Critical Analysis

What's on now: Radio now streaming on Netflix.

I had to write this essay for a history class, so I thought, "What the heck." Enjoy!

Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day Lewis, may be a rather sensationalized version of history, but it can’t be said that it’s entirely inaccurate. In fact, a great deal of the story is grounded in actual historical events.

           

In short, Gangs of New York is basically the graphic novel version of the story, like what 300 was to the Battle of Thermopylae. Comic book elements and characters have been added to real-life events to make a far more vibrant and gritty story. In the style of Hollywood, it represents historical events in a more interesting way.

           

One of the main overarching themes of the movie could be that perhaps people who were born in America as opposed to immigrants were not so different after all, and a common enemy could even unite them if it was powerful enough. The latter is not seen until the end of the movie, during the riots. As the Natives and the Dead Rabbits show up to battle each other, they are interrupted by the Union army trying to restore order, and they find themselves inexplicably on the same side. Both groups are fighting for their own reasons, but they are still fighting a common enemy.

           

Another main theme was the struggle of the masses against the power of the corrupt rich, especially politicians, as exemplified by Jim Broadbent’s character Boss Tweed. Hardly a scene goes by without Tweed showing possibly even more ruthlessness than Day-Lewis’ Bill the Butcher ever did. For example, when the house is burning down and the competing fire departments are fighting, he gives them permission to raid the house next door. And at the end of the movie, after the riots had died down, Tweed stood in front of the mass graves with a handkerchief daintily covering his nose and he tells his companions that they were burying a lot of votes there.

This brings into question the validity of both kinds of rule: the corrupt power of elected officials and organized government or the violent but perhaps more honorable power of the street gangs. The former relies on backhanded, under the table dealings during which substantial sums of money are traded. The latter relies on hand-to-hand combat on the street, out in the open. The bloodshed might have been terrible, but at least there was no hiding or secrecy. Bill’s story about cutting out his eye that looked away when Priest Vallon was about to kill him is reminiscent of Japanese seppuku, when samurai killed themselves in order to rid themselves of the shame of defeat. The honor code of the gangs may have been brutal and savage, but at least they had an honor code.  

           

Amsterdam Vallon’s internal struggle with avenging his father and accepting his killer as a new father figure is nothing short of Shakespearean. At first, he sees himself as simply getting close to Bill until he could kill him. But after he saves his life from the assassin at the theatre, he realizes that he had come to love Bill as he had once loved his father. That event is what sort of snaps him out of the trance he’d fallen under in Bill’s company. The butcher’s charisma and power would have been, and was, intoxicating to any young, angry orphan. Amsterdam finally realizes he has been a fool and must avenge his father properly. He resurrects his father’s gang, the Dead Rabbits, and proceeds to seek out his revenge openly.

           

One particularly interesting reference to true historical happenings was the underlying hatred between Catholics and Protestants. It is a centuries-old conflict stemming way back to when England first invaded Ireland and still continues today, though perhaps not as much in New York City. Brendan Gleeson’s character McGinn aptly describes it when he tells Amsterdam, “That war is a thousand years old and more. We never expected it to follow us here. It didn’t. It was waiting for us when we landed.” The Irish were no strangers to oppression, so it should really come as no big shock that they would fight back.

Gangs of New York is certainly a Hollywood film, not a historical documentary. But it does successfully use various true events and even a few people to deftly tell the story.

           

Heath Ledger: Gone too soon

What’s on now: The Pianist now streaming on Netflix. Adrien Brody definitely deserved the Oscar for this one.

Every Tuesday will feature whichever actor or actress is rattling around my brain more than the others that week. This week’s winner is Heath Ledger, the promisingly talented young Aussie who tragically died in 2008 from a drug overdose.

I’d had a crush on Heath since I was twelve years old, ever since I saw him in my first-ever R-rated movie The Patriot. Looking back, it’s interesting to think about why I liked him so much. He wasn’t conventionally handsome, come to think of it, not like your typical young hotties these days who all look like they’ve escaped from an Abercrombie & Fitch advertisement. I think I was also drawn to his powerful on-screen presence. No matter what character he embodied, he always did it masterfully. The effort he put into immersing himself into a character was always noticeable.

I actually remember hearing the news that Heath had died. I was very sad. I even drew a special farewell message on my dorm room whiteboard. I knew the film industry had just lost one of the most promising young talents ever.

I remember for whatever reason, back when The Four Feathers first came out into theatres, I heard the film and Heath being discussed on the radio. The announcer said something like Heath was someone to watch, because if he kept going with performances like this, he could be the next Mel Gibson. Too true. Hopefully he wouldn’t have had the same ridiculous issues that Mel has had in his old age, but we’ll sadly never know.

This Saturday marks the three-year anniversary of Heath’s death. I’ve watched two of his movies in the past three days or so, and I’m deeply sorrowful that there won’t be any more. As a special tribute to Heath, here are my favorite scenes from my top five favorite of his movies.

5. A Knight’s Tale

Heath stars as William Thatcher, a peasant who disguises himself as a noble so he can compete in the joust. This scene always makes me chuckle. To prove his love for his lady, William is asked to lose a tournament. At first he refuses, but then, to the chagrin of his friends, he decides some things are more important than winning.

A Knight’s Tale is a fun sports film, especially because it gives a modern twist to medieval athletics, complete with screaming fans, trophies and Queen ballads.

4. The Patriot

The first film rated higher than PG-13 that I’ve ever seen. My parents let me watch it with them when I was 12 because it was about a historical time period. This clip contains massive spoilers by the way, so if you really don’t want to know anything about the movie, skip over this section.

The following is Heath’s death scene, one of the most heartbreaking  deaths in a film ever. He did a damn good job of it.

3. The Four Feathers

This is the epic battle scene from the movie I was talking about before. It’s a little less known, but deserves no less recognition. Heath plays a dishonored British soldier who follows his friends to war in order to redeem himself. He finds himself behind enemy lines, even among them in this battle.

This is a long clip, but it’s the only good one I could find online from this film. Heath shows up at 5:22, if you want to skip ahead.

2. 10 Things I Hate About You

Heath’s big break, the first time he was really noticed in America! This is my absolute favorite scene of the movie, which I love dearly. Heath plays juvenile delinquent Patrick Verona, who tries to woo the shrew played by Julia Stiles.

1. The Dark Knight

Heath’s most unforgettable role. He received countless posthumous awards for his iconic portrayal of the Joker, including an Oscar. It was his last full role (his unfinished part in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was taken on by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell after he died), and it was definitely his most memorable, in my opinion.

I remember when I saw The Dark Knight in theatres, I did not recognize Heath at all. If I hadn’t already know that was him, I would have had not a clue as to who was that devilish genius behind Batman’s most deadly foe of all time.

I’ll miss Heath. I mourn the loss of him, his talent, and all the movies he will no longer make. But he has given us plenty of memorable films to keep forever in his memory. Though he was only with us for a short time, his lasting impression on the movie world will remain for a long, long time.

Triple Whammy: Glowing hair, homicidal mist and... girl on girl?

What’s on now: The Wind That Shakes the Barley now streaming on Netflix. I was feeling nostalgic for Ireland, probably my favorite place on earth. Turns out Cillian Murphy is actually quite handsome. You can’t really tell by his usual gig as some murdering psychopath (a la Red Eye and Batman Begins).

First of all, I apologize for my long absence. I’ve been home for winter break for the past month and had neither the time nor the desire to really get on this. Sorry to leave like that when I had only just started this thing, but I’m back now!

To make up for my disappearance, I’ve decided to talk about the three new movies I got a chance to see in theatres during my vacation, starting with my favorite.

I wasn’t expecting to like Tangled, Disney’s latest animated feature. The cast was mostly made of non-hoursehold-name actors, the kind of folks that are usually only recognized by die-hard movie buffs and random trivia-seekers. I realize now that was probably because, as with most Disney flicks, the actors did all of their own singing. Mandy Moore was the biggest name attached as the voice of Rapunzel. Zachary Levi played the devilishly charming Flynn Rider (who knew Chuck had such a nice singing voice?) and Donna Murphy, of Center Stage and Spider-Man 2 recognition, rounded out the primaries as Mother Gothel. There was even a cameo by Brad Garrett, so what’s not to love?

I was wondering how Disney was going to go about this story. Have you ever read the original fairytale? It’s incredibly dark, with lots of blood and violence. I barely remember it, but I think at one point the prince fell from the tower into a patch of thorns and was blinded. Spoiler alert, that does not happen in Tangled. This revamp of the tale of Rapunzel was very light and fun, complete with a handful of catchy musical numbers and plenty of laughs, not to mention possibly the cutest little animal sidekick in any Disney film yet. Even without dialog, Pascal the chameleon (random, no?) stole scenes with his adorable antics.

The basic plot of the story is thus: A magical flower born from a drop of sunlight has the power to heal and restore when a special tune is sung to it. The flower is used to save Rapunzel’s mother when she falls ill during her pregnancy. After the princess is born, she is endowed with the same power in her golden hair. Mother Gothel, a nasty old woman, wants the power to herself so she can stay young forever. She realizes the girl’s hair loses its power once cut, so she kidnaps the child from her royal parents and hides her in a tower deep in the woods.

Eighteen years later, Rapunzel wants nothing more than to go outside. She finally gets her chance when Flynn Rider, a charming rogue thief, stumbles upon her sanctum while running from the law.

The climax near the end of the tale was the best part. I absolutely will not divulge what happens, but it actually had me tearing up, it was so romantically heartbreaking. In all, Tangled is a fun film for the whole family. I was worried I would be a little too old for it, but I was wonderfully mistaken. I would definitely see it again in theatres, and it’ll be on my shopping list when it hits DVD.

Starring: Mandy Moore,  Zachary Levi and Donna Murphy
Directed by: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
Rated PG
2010

Next on the docket is the third installment of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The next film in the series follows Lucy and Edmund as they once again find themselves in Narnia, this time also with their maddeningly snotty and peckish cousin Eustace. They join their old friend Caspian, now king of Narnia, on a voyage to find seven of his father’s old exiled supporters.

It was a little odd to me that Caspian, played by Ben Barnes, went from having a Spanish/Mediterranean accent in the last movie to a British one in this film. The change was a welcome one, the old accent sounding a bit forced from Barnes at times in movie two.

I enjoyed the movie for the most part. It didn’t exactly have me biting my nails or my heart pounding (although the battle with the sea monster had me going for a bit), but it was a solid addition to an already solid series of films. The books are very short, so naturally the screenwriters took some liberties with the plot, but I didn’t notice any blasphemous alterations.

I don’t know as of yet whether they’re planning to continue the saga. Will Poulter gave a lovely performance as Eustace, so I wouldn’t mind seeing him again. The next book, The Silver Chair, does not feature any of the original Pevensie children, but rather follows a new adventure for Eustace and a new character Jill Pole, who had an amusing mention at the end of Dawn Treader that is sure to tickle fans of the books. After that is The Last Battle, in which Eustace, Jill and all the Pevensies are back for one last adventure, but there’s no telling whether the filmmakers will go that far. They’ve already skipped The Magician’s Nephew and The Horse and His Boy, so there’s really no telling.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader was an all-around good film, especially if you’re already a fan of the other films.

Starring: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Will Poulter and Ben Barnes
Directed by: Michael Apted
Rated PG
2010

And now, last but not least, Black Swan.

Even now, I’m somewhat at a loss as to how to explain my reaction, but I’m certain the letters WTF would be involved.

Black Swan follows the story of Nina Sayers, an accomplished ballerina who is finally given her big break with the leading role in her company’s production of Swan Lake. However, the stress soon begins to take a heavy toll on Nina, who has struggled with psychiatric problems in the past. She experiences horrifying hallucinations that will make even the most steadfast of audience members squeamish. Even the mild bits used in the trailer still give me the willies.

Natalie Portman stars as Nina, and I have to give major props to her preparation for the role. She dances wonderfully in her ballet scenes, looking as if she’s been doing this forever. Mila Kunis is a firecracker as Nina’s frenemy rival.

The rumors are true, folks. This film contains some serious sexual content, including girl on girl oral. Just because it turns out to have been a hallucination doesn’t really do much to detract from the shock factor. You never “see” anybody’s parts per se, but prudes and children are nevertheless advised to keep away.

I can certainly see why this film has garnered a lot of attention from the awards committees. It’s dark and deep, with absolutely fantastic dancing and acting. I’d say it was worth seeing, even the bits where I had my eyes covered, and I certainly appreciate it as a film. But if I never see it again, I think I’ll be all right.

In fact, I think I'll be far better off.

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Rated R
2010

Real Steel: Transformers meets Cinderella Man

What's on now: The Fifth Element now streaming on Netflix. Utterly bizarre, but it's a cult favorite for good reason.

I've decided to have a special thing on Saturdays where I find trailers and information about up-and-coming movies and give you my preliminary impressions. This week's feature is Real Steel, a futuristic film about robot boxing. Is anyone else heavily reminded of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots?

The film is set to hit theatres on Oct. 7, 2011 and stars the deliciously hunky Hugh Jackman and the delightfully spunky Evangeline Lilly of Lost fame. Plot details are few to be had for now, but it looks like it might follow at least the basics of the conventional sports movie plotline.

"The human body can only take so much. But the steel... never stops."

Jackman's character is probably an ex-fighter, one who probably took quite a beating and was robbed of his career is some way, whether by injury or foul play. Now he makes his living operating the humanoid robots that do all the fighting. Lilly will undoubtedly be his love interest, the beautiful woman cheering for him ringside as he does battle with an intimidating foe.

I'm certain we can count on some pretty cool special effects, if the trailer is any clue. At some point, undoubtedly near the end, our hero will probably be in a high-stakes fight for his life in which he is the underdog. And even though at this point it looks like it'll be a little predictable, I actually like the looks of it. I've never been averse to some mindless entertainment, in fact it tends to be one of my favorite forms of entertainment. After all, isn't one of the main reason we go to the movies to avoid thinking?

One question I'm interested in is: Are the robots just really high-tech video games, or do they actually have some sort of self-awareness a la Asimov? From the looks of the trailer, they're just pieces of machinery that a human has to drive, for lack of a better word. But how cool would it be if these robot boxers had some sort of spirit? With Real Steel, we could have a robot Rocky on our hands.

Or Steely.



Starring: Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Rated NYR
2011