Reviews

X-Men: First Class Review 0

by Sinoun • Reviews

The mood for the X-Men First Class trailer was sombre and serious – a step up from the previous X films and a giant ascension from the major Wolverine letdown. It also reminded me a bit of the Watchmen trailer; subdued and stylized, enticing viewers through subtlety rather than gratuitous explosions and cheap CGI. But where Watchmen was overly ambitious with its actual delivery, First Class struck a fine balance between ambition and expectation – it understood its audience and gave them exactly what they came for; a substantial, yet digestible summer blockbuster.

Central to any good comic film, are well-developed characters. In First Class, the two main protagonists are handled with compassion and instilled with credibility, with careful attention paid to the fragments of their lives and to the details that paint the picture of who they were prior to inheriting their super-mutant statuses. Before they were Professor X and Magneto, they were Charles and Erik, two friends allied in their mission to save humanity from the villainous Sebastian Shaw and an impending nuclear war. Overriding the initial friendship however, are opposing views on the coexistence of humans and mutants. “Killing will not bring you peace,” warns Charles. Erik, whose past was riddled with injustice and torment, asserts that “Peace was never an option”, thus laying the ideological differences that would go on to create the monumental rift between them.

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, as Professor X and Magneto respectively, were made for these roles. Major props to the casting director for recognizing true talent and enabling some credible onscreen chemistry – bromance in all its realness. I’ve always loved McAvoy for his brilliance and his boyish good looks and as Charles he shines – charming and sympathetic, wise and trustworthy. Michael Fassbender’s Magneto feels like a revelation – he’s as hot as he is troubled, burdened with internal turmoil and a thirst for vengeance, struggling to make his mark in the mutant world and save his fellow mutants from mankind’s cruelty. His heart is full of rage, but Charles teaches him how to summon his true strength with a calm serenity he doesn’t even know he had in one of the film’s more touching moments.

Both Xavier and Magneto are created with integrity and grace, rendering them more real, giving us reasons to care about their legacies. There is no good or bad, just two men with different world views, charting their destinies as legendary characters upholding pivotal roles in the human evolution saga. The supporting cast of misfits and mutants makes for a fun ensemble, an army establishing their positions on different ends of the superhero spectrum. Aside from some filler material, some requisite juvenile montage and the occasional yawn-inducing long-stretches of inaction, X-Men takes its superhero storytelling pretty seriously. Not since Dark Knight has there been a comic-film as engrossing and inspiring, as intelligent and entertaining as the backstory of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr. Batman set the bar for great superhero films and X-Men has made an admirable attempt to reach it, even though it hasn’t quite hit the mark.

What I like most about First Class is that it satiates the need to know the humanity behind the superpowers, providing situational explanations of who these characters are and what makes them so. Had this film been the very first, the true beginning, it might’ve set the tone for the rest of the X-Men movies, a franchise of stories with substance that make them more than just a money-making empire, but a legacy of artful, compelling characters in a turbulent world; a super hero saga embedded with important lessons for humanity.

Of course, as with any comic to movie adaptation, there’s bound to be a few, if not many, inconsistencies. One of the drawbacks of creating a story-line appreciable by even non die-hard X-Men fans is that it veers from the original comics and is made less authentic. But the ability to select an effective and entertaining narrative from the vast libraries of the Marvel galaxy isn’t necessarily an easy undertaking. The end result is enjoyable for what it is. We’re not talking Oscar material here, just an entry into the league of X-traordinary summer films.

Bridesmaids Movie Review 0

by Sinoun • Reviews

Despite all the raunch and rowdiness that makes up Bridesmaids, at its core, it is still a chick flick of standard conventions. While not a bad movie, I only wish it had amassed all its great potential to transcend the familiar rom-com territory and chart out a new path for female-centric comedies. It fails when it relies too heavily on the same devices that make mainstream movies so predictable and formulaic, but redeems itself with the funniest of funny leading ladies.

Kristin Wiig plays Annie, a woman whose long list of personal troubles compromise her ability to carry out her duties as maid of honor for her best friend’s upcoming wedding (played by Maya Rudolph, one of my favorite SNL alums). Both actors are supported by a group of madcap characters who round out the rest of the bridal party, with a standout performance from Melissa McCarthy, another virtuoso of comedy. As if her own problems weren’t enough, (no man, no money, a failed bakery) Annie also finds some unexpected competition in Lillian’s new friend (Rose Byrne) a beautiful and wealthy trophy wife who tries to outshine her as the better “best friend”. A hilarious toasting scene at a dinner party demonstrates their burgeoning rivalry beautifully.

While guys will probably enjoy it just as much, it’s certainly a movie to see with your closest gal pals, as it capture the dynamics of female friendships and fragile scenarios with a perceptive eye and open heart. Emotions can and do get confusing when it seems your best friend’s life is nearing perfection while your own is crumbling with no signs of happiness in sight. I respect the film’s ability to draw out honest and intense emotions from its characters, when the alternative could’ve been to just feign delight and then talk about your friend behind her back, as Maya Rudolph’s character humorously quips is the “normal thing to do”. Let’s face it, jealousy can and does get in the way of friendship sometimes – while we love our friends and want them to be happy, their external perfection can highlight our own personal shortcomings, making us feel like losers. (This is why insecure people often make the worst girlfriends). But solid bonds can not be broken and Bridesmaids takes its characters over some zany and hilarious hurdles to prove this point.

In the end, I feel the movie could’ve benefited from better editing: less body humor (overdone bathroom jokes, anyone?) and a lot more of the subtle, refined, witty variety of comedy we see in the first half of the film. The trailer leaves out the best scenes and punch lines, which is good for audiences who all too often are fed the best material in the promos. Bridesmaids keeps its meat for the main course. Still I just couldn’t help but feel that as everything was coming together, the movie had fallen apart for me. Brace yourself, or better yet, “hold on” for the cheesiest of cheese-fests at the end. (Admittedly, a guilty pleasure for many of us).

Despite my reservations, the negatives shouldn’t stop you from giving Bridesmaids a chance, (perhaps better saved for a 5-dollar day) because it still has a lot going for it. If you can forgive the sappy last third of the film, you’ll bear witness to Kristin Wiig’s brilliant humor, a performer gifted in the art of timing and subtlety, who shines in almost all her scenes. I don’t think Tina Fey will be losing her comedy crown any time soon, but Kristin Wiig is a legitimate contender and a rising star in her own right.

TiMER 0

by Sinoun • Reviews, Uncategorized

When it comes to romantic comedies, Hollywood has a formula to rule them all: lovers meet, conflicts ensue, sad music intervenes, and a race against time that culminates in a frantic heartfelt confession. Jennifer Aniston is cast. A quirky, lesser known actress plays her best friend or sister. Josh Duhamel or Matthew McConnauhey are leading men. Cheesy top 40 songs are dispersed throughout. And, like shady massage parlors, happy endings are guaranteed.

What do you get when you take a film, stripped of typical Hollywood conventions, add a dose of originality and a dash of unpredictability? You get a quirky, delightful film like TiMER – a movie who’s premise rests on a simple question: What if a small device could determine the precise moment we meet our soul mate? After all, when it comes to love, timing is everything – is it not?

This story arc is what sets TiMER apart from the usual stack of craptacular rom-coms – the introduction of a sci-fi-esq twist, the idea that love can be preprogrammed, literally, not just by some inscrutable idea of destiny, but by actual mechanisms within our bodies. Sounds a tad over the top right? Well, of course it is. The loftiness is what makes it fun. In order to truly enjoy Timer, you have to suspend reasoning and rational logic. Accept the implausible premise and resist the urge of over-analyzing and looking too much into it. It’s not a “thinking” movie – it’s a romantic comedy, one augmented by a team of good writers and a set of likable actors.

Emma Caulfield plays Oona O’Leary, a leading lady of standard conventions – pretty, petite, single and successful. She’s also desperate to know the verdict of her blank timer, a sign that her true love is out there somewhere without a timer of their own. Admittedly, the anal nature of her character gets pretty annoying – sure, she just wants to know who her true love is, but sort of wish she would just ride some chill waves [via Hipsterrunoff] and learn to go with the flow. She reminds you of those unsettling micromanaging types who need to be in control of everything in their lives at all times. I can’t deal with those folks. But luckily for Oona, she meets Mikey, an attractive, younger check-out clerk, who, is perhaps the best thing about the movie. He introduces her to concepts like “living in the moment”, which, to someone like Oona, is pretty novel. As expected, fireworks [a la cheesy pop act Katy Perry] erupt. The catch? While her timer remains blank, his is set to go off in four months. What will happen? Like MTV Diaries – you think you know, but you have no idea. (Lame catch-phrase intentional!)

Onto the whole reason I decided to write this review – I needed a conduit for indulging in the high crush-factor of Mikey’s character (played by John Patrick Amedori). That a young twenty-something can display so much tenderness and vulnerability while maintaining his juvenile, fratboy qualities is quite endearing to someone like myself. That, and his longer, mid-90′s rocker hairstyle that is so uncommon these days, reminding me of my first elementary school crush (oh the memories of young love). His charm and youthful charisma carry the film like a wayward ship, weathering the overly-emotional scenes and sappy sentimentality that nearly derail the movie. Safe to say that without him, I would have enjoyed the movie much less. Dudes like him did not seem to exist during my dating days; harmless rocker with a heart, the kind of guy many young females would lust for, except he leaves Oona conflicted – after all, she and he are not meant to be, agreed?

Without giving away spoilers, I’ll say that many commenters on the web weren’t happy with the ending, claiming it “ruined the movie” and that everything was going well, up until that point. I thought the sequence of events and the ending they led up to were congruent enough – in fact, it was exactly what I wanted to happen. Whether one would agree or not, the message here is that one must always trust their hearts and these characters are designed such that their actions are natural and rational.

As stated earlier however, this isn’t really a thinking piece – It’s a playful film in the realm of an over-saturated and over-played genre known to have perpetuated false notions of love and relationships. While this movie does eventually succumb to the conventional Hollywood chokehold, it is still smart enough that it offers its own clever perspective on the science (fiction) of love.

The Social Network 4

by Sinoun • Reviews • Tags: , , , , , ,

Whether you’re a Facebook fan or not, chances are, you’re probably a tad curious about the backstory of the boy-wonder billionaire. How did a socially-marginal undergrad end up at the apex of Internet super-stardom? Well, the film’s tag-line says it all: “You don’t make 500 million friends without making a few enemies.”

A film about Facebook could’ve been cheesy and silly, but it negated all the lame possibilities and ended up being a huge success. In The Social Network, Mark Zuckerberg is a geek of questionable sanity with no sense of social etiquette. His behavioral oddities get him unwittingly dumped by his girlfriend and slandered by a slew of students. He’s so painfully untrained in the art of human interaction he makes Dr. Evil look like Dale Carnegie. Jesse Eisenberg will certainly become a hot commodity after this winning performance.

Z-berg has only one true friend, Facebook’s original chief financial officier, Eduardo Saverin, whom he ends up screwing over and consequently gets sued by. Andrew Garfield (slated to be the next “It” boy and Spiderman) portrays Saverin in a very likable light, making him the only character we feel sympathy for.

The film darts back and forth between the Harvard dorm-room beginnings and two deposition scenes. Zuckerberg is faced with not just one, but two lawsuits.

The other lawsuit involves two hot brothers – the Winkelvoss twins – aka “The Winkelvi” – who along with a hugely annoying business partner, claim Zuckerberg stole their social-networking idea. Somehow, Zuckerberg is able to avert an ass-kicking by these two athletic adonises. That’s because the “men of Harvard” do not engage in such barbaric acts; why use fists and kicks when you’ve got lawyers and dollars at your disposal, right? Cheers to that, brothers.

Sean Parker is another central character; he’s the Napster founder who introduces Zuckerberg to Silicon Valley. Parker’s a paranoid, ecentric genius, notorious for dabbling with illicit drugs and underaged girls. Parker’s got a sweet deal regardless of how he’s portrayed – he’s played by Justin Timberlake. He comes across a smooth, well-connected womanizer who knows how to own every place he walks in to – kind of like JT himself.

Every character is well-developed, fully-engaging and perfectly cast. What makes them interesting is that they’re only partially true to their real life counterparts. They’re more like caricatures, those cartoonish drawings done by street artists, who exaggerate each feature for an amusing, outrageous effect. One would also assume the actual events occurred with less drama, less intrigue, and certainly less excitement. I too would hope that the movie version of my life undergoes some spicy embellishments, to make it seem like I lived a crazier, more bad-ass life than I actually did.

The movie plays out more like a Shakespearean tragedy than a factual biography – which it doesn’t claim to be. Facebook’s founding is the film’s focal point, but beyond that, the makers have taken liberties with the details, resulting in a fabricated and exaggerated version of the truth – which is what makes it so good. The Social Network benefits from slick storytelling, smooth editing as well as some serious acting. It’s biggest asset? The fascinating subject matter.

The Social Network didn’t just entertain me, it inspired me as well. More than just a movie, it’s a snapshot of our current zeitgeist and its league of extraordinary youthful ambition. There are certain scenes that really resonate with our generation and capture our digital era. When Sean Parker talks to Zuckerberg about unhinging themselves from the hooks of corporate control and establishing success on their own terms, he’s also addressing the Millenials – us – who have the resources and tools at our disposal to create and contribute to the world we live in. “This is our time” he says, with the unique conviction of a youthful visionary and experienced entrepreneur. You could almost see visions of world domination and massive dollar signs swirling in Zuckerberg’s eyes as he hears those words, solidifying his determination to create the social reality he desperately wants for himself.

Facebook is not just a social networking tool, it’s a system that plays on one of our most intrinsic needs – the need for acceptance and belonging. In setting out to create Facebook, Zuckerberg didn’t want 500 million friends – he only wanted one. It’s clear from this brilliant film however, that his biggest enemy is himself.

The Town 0

by Sinoun • Reviews • Tags: , , ,

The Town is being touted as a great crime thriller involving themes of love, violence and redemption, but more accurately, it is the resuscitation of Ben Affleck’s film career.

Remember that dip in time when Gigli was the socially-accepted equivalent of walking around with a “kick-me” sign? Or when Bennifer was akin to Hollywood’s modern-day Godzilla? Or how about that cheesy “Jenny From the Block” video featuring a slick-haired Affleck nuzzling J-Lo’s bounteous booty? Yeah, it appeared that Affleck’s career was headed for the mortuary and critics were getting ready to close the casket.

But then something unexpected happened: an impressive directorial debut called “Gone Baby Gone” turned all the criticisms into compliments. The man once endlessly mocked was suddenly making way for all the positive buzz surrounding his acclaimed film. Still, many called it luck and doubted he could replicate that initial success.

Well, “Doubters be damned” thought Affleck, for he’s unleashed a taut thrill ride called “The Town”, which is currently being hailed as his sophomore success story. It wouldn’t be far-fetched then, to predict that Affleck has a promising directorial career ahead of him as he solidifies his reputation for creating smart and sentimental stories, set in Boston’s least glamorous parts. This time around, he explores Charlestown, notorious for having the most bank robberies, kidnappings and carjackings per capita. Here, crime is like an honorary key passed down from father to son.

The Town examines these family crime lineages, explores a love story and the struggles to overcome ones’ life circumstances. Affleck casts himself as the central protagonist, Doug MacRay, who’s caught between reluctantly fulfilling his criminal duties at the behest of an unassumingly menacing crime boss and running away to start a new life with the woman he unexpectedly falls for. The woman, Claire Keesey, is the wild card in the story. Hers was the latest bank to be robbed, unbeknownst to her, by MacRay and his cronies.

Of course, The Town is nowhere as remarkable as Gone Baby Gone, or other crime dramas like The Departed, but it is well-played, smartly-acted, intense and handsomely directed by a quite handsome Affleck.

I’m not a big crime/action/violence fan, but Affleck creates a narrative so absorbing, those necessities are bearable. His characters are given a canvas to display their motives, their inner flames burning through their dialogue – creating players you’re supposed to hate, but come to care about regardless of where your morality lies. This is why you’re left holding your breath during those pivotal climactic moments, or why your heart is racing when it appears your anti-heros are just at the brink of their survival. You grip on tightly until the very end, with a serious emotional investment in the fate of the characters. One such character is played by Jeremy Renner, of “The Hurt Locker” fame, who occupies the standout role of Jem, MacRay’s long time friend and crime confidante. He’s somewhat of a loose cannon, a man whose world seems to revolve solely around bank heists, guns and getaways. Affleck may have made himself the main character, but Renner is the real star of this movie. A definite strong-point of the production is the ensemble, the actors who bring this story to life. Kudos to the casting department.

As per the rest of the film itself, I was wholly absorbed for almost the entire thing and then it happened – I was released from my trance. The credits rolled, the lights came on, the audience raced to the exit, and my conscience re-awakened to real life with a semi-startled “What – was that it?” as I tried to rationalize the movie’s strong build up and smooth execution with the sudden, unsatisfying conclusion.

Where I thought Affleck might’ve been a genius, he only turned out to be a really good story-teller with an admirable ability to inject heart and depth into a crime saga so cold, amid streets so bleak, in a town left behind, insulated by its own disgraceful legacy. Genius or not, he’s certainly come a long way since “Jenny From the Block”, and where Hollywood is concerned, it looks like he’s getting ready to run that town.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World 4

by Sinoun • Reviews • Tags: ,

If the film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World were take on the entire crop of summer movies, not only would it annihilate them in a perfect K-O, it would finish each of them off with some sort of crazy Fatality (with the exception of Inception of course).

I’m not sure how well it’ll do box-office-wise though, since audiences have a tendency to overlook original awesomes in favor of formulaic predictables. Scott Pilgrim might not win the award for most ticket sales but it most definitely takes the prize for most creative and most likely to be owned on DVD by me, and the last time I bought a DVD was never.

The plot is simple enough: in order to win the girl of his dreams, Scott Pilgrim must defeat her seven evil exes. The fun is not in predicting whether or not he succeeds on his mission, but how he goes about doing so, considering he’s up against some powerful opponents, and he’s armed with nothing more than Michael Cera’s body. The result is a stylish blend of comic culture and video game worship with enough pizazz to dazzle even the most standard spectator. Mind you, it helps if you’ve ever played Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat and can appreciate the aesthetic nuances of comic book contexts.

But don’t worry if you’re not into any of that stuff, because the film prevails on so many levels there’s no shortage of mass appeal, if fun and laughter is what you’re after. It’s loaded with zany characters and an all-around perfect cast, with each member bringing their own unique strengths like players in a video game.

Of course, my favorite cast member is none other than Michael Cera, who is quick on the draw with every line and never misses a comedic beat. The titular role was tailor-made for his personality prototype and he portrays Pilgrim in a way no other actor ever could. I mean, who better to play the character that Michael Cera always plays, than Michael Cera, right? Whether his name is Scott Pilgrim, Paulie Bleeker, or Nick Twisp, it all comes down to the same guy every time: dorky, funny, awkward, lovable and the second man of my dreams. That’s right, I like my men on the scrawny side, as opposed to those overly-macho types who always seem to be over-compensating for some inner insecurities. Michael Cera owns his oddness and knows how to work it to his advantage, continually distinguishing himself from the bland band of leading lads.

Admittedly, had anyone else been cast as Scott Pilgrim I probably wouldn’t be all up in this movie like Stouffer’s in a turkey, no. And while the movie deserves association with all the best adjectives there were certainly moments when mine eyes were getting restless (“oh dear, another evil-ex encounter?”). But it’s times like those where Michael’s humor restores my energy and prepares me for the next round of action, which is somewhat unpredictable, seemingly unending, and fun ’til the last frame. Would I press ‘continue’ at the end of it all? Quicker than you could say “SUPER AWESOME DEADLY COMBO!”.

Recommended Rental: Whip It 0

by Sinoun • Reviews

What would you say about a roller-derby film featuring an almost all female cast, directed by Drew Barrymore, starring Juno-tart Ellen Page? Boring? Lame? “Someone set my alarm clock ’cause this’ll be a snoozer?”

My thoughts trailed along those lines. I certainly did not expect to be entertained. Nor did I expect to cry, or laugh, or feel all warm inside. Well, all my non-expectations were wrong. At the end of the film, all I could think to say was “wow, that was actually really good. That was a very good movie!” My boyfriend and I turned to each other in unison, nodded and smiled, satisfied at having wisely spent our Saturday evening. (We’re old folks, that’s what we do!)

Why was ‘Whip It’ so good?

Ellen Page, that’s why. She’s the go-to girl for that dry, witty humor, or that sex-kitten without the sex part. “She’s so tiny compared to the other girls, so cute!” my boyfriend gushed during the movie. And I couldn’t agree more. There she was, like a skate-strapped mouse, brawling in a roller-derby rink with brawny femme fatales twice her size and aggression level, eschewing her frail, beauty-pageant contestant frame. And she can actually act, which makes all the difference with a light-weight script and a simple story-line.

I think what I liked most about this movie was that it epitomized the true meaning of “Girl Power” without resorting to the usual “sex as empowerment” nonsense to showcase female emancipation. Call me conservative, but sexual exploitation has nothing to do with liberation and everything to do commodification. But whatever. The point is, “Whip It” doesn’t use its female characters as props or accessories, it brings them center stage and provides them a space (in this case, a roller derby rink) to unleash that octane-fueled fury, the non-provocative wild side usually reserved for guys in race-car films and bank heists scenes.

I assume that many people didn’t actually go out and watch the film, which is a shame because it would certainly have been worth it (if you go on a five-dollar day, as opposed to a thirteen-dollar day, that is…). In any case, Whip It was a welcomed change from so much of the onscreen sludge that assaults our senses. I was once told by a Hollywood producer that most of the films that make it to theaters are targeted to males in the 18-24 demographic. Well, Whip It is kind of like the branding of Secret deodorant – you know, strong enough for a man, but made for a woman. But of of course, dudes can watch it too – and they would probably enjoy it as well!

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