Sunrise: A silent classic!

A married man is tempted by his big city mistress to murder his wife. But just as he is getting ready to do so, he comes to his sense and they end up heading to the city in order to rediscover their love for one another.

I’m sure the bulk of you reading this review have never seen a silent film before. This is not a bad thing, for our generation has always been able to view films which are dependent upon sound (specifically dialogue) to make them the cinema experiences they are. But Sunrise did not have that advantage, so how is it that a film made back in 1927 can still be seen as a powerful and unforgettable film? To start, director F.W. Murnau infused Sunrise with the kind of camera movements, special visual effects and Expressionistic shots that have continued to influence directors to this day (and will continue to do so for years to come). Next, Murnau was able to draw out remarkable performances from his lead actors George O’Brien and Janet Gaynor. Without the welcoming crutch of dialogue, it was up to these two to use their actions and expressions to draw the audience into the story. And while some nuances of their performances could be seen as over-the-top by a modern audience, overall they were daring and completely believable. This allowed the audience the chance to dig their fingers into the story. And that was the final piece of the puzzle which made Sunrise such an outstanding film. It was a simple morality tale of the love between a man and a woman which was tested via an “evil” temptress from the big city. There was nothing extraneous in the story to distract from the main characters trying to rediscover their relationship and become a happily married couple once again. Those scenes of O'Brien and Gaynor rediscovering their love were so emotional and real that the audience was probably able to feel the joy and happiness the couple was beginning to share again and felt a smile creep along their face as they thought about, or reached for, their loved one.

Were this film to be made nowadays, I think the story would be lost amongst a deluge of saccharine romantic dialogue, a dreadful subplot regarding a mousy best friend or any other standard pitfall witnessed in the last god awful Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy. It is often said but in this case, the statement rings truer than ever, they do not make films like Sunrise anymore. Films that are able to truly move an audience.

Grade: A

Piranha: It could have been worse (I don't know how though!)

Spring break is in full effect at Lake Havasu as partiers take to the water. But when an earthquake releases a pack of ravenous piranha into the scene, things take a turn from fun to deadly.

For at least parts of the film (albeit very small parts), Piranha seemed like it was heading in the right direction with its tone, story and scares. There were quick flashes of wit and humor (which were usually provided by Brooklynn Proulx and Sage Ryan, the two youngest actors in the movie), respectful nods to the original Piranha which inspired this remake and decent bits of acting (or overacting in the case of Jerry O’Connell). It was when director Alexandre Aja decided to turn up the gore factor that Piranha became a tired and clichéd hackney creature feature. Rather than build tension and only give the audience hints about all the horrid things the little fish were doing to their victims, Aja hit them over the head with scene after scene of graphic violence. The main attack that the nasty little title characters inflicted on the various spring breakers near the end of the movie was almost pornographic in its violence, so much so that the audience had to either laugh the whole thing off as utterly ridiculous or turn the film off altogether in disgust. Let’s not even go into the “3D” aspects of the film, which were distracting, underwhelming and awful to say the least.

Films like Piranha shine a true light on the sad state that the horror film genre is in these days with its unoriginality, brutality and silliness.

Grade: D

The Other Guys: Another bland comedy

Desk jockey cops Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz are tired of their fellow officers gaining all of the glory. But when they get their big break to finally start doing some real police work, will they be able to crack the case?

There comes a point during The Other Guys where it’s conceivable that the audience started to cringe every time Will Ferrell, as Detective Allen Gamble, tried to make another joke that fell flat on its face. They cringed because they remembered all of the other memorable screen characters Ferrell is responsible for (Ricky Bobby and Ron Burgundy for instance) and wondered if he has somehow lost his touch because Gamble, and the entire film for that matter, was not fun to watch. It’s not as though there were not funny moments in the film, but they were almost singularly provided by other cast members such as Michael Keaton (as the TLC referencing Captain) and Mark Wahlberg as Gamble’s partner Terry Hoitz (who should have been given more of a chance to “fly like a peacock”). It’s not even much of a stretch to say the film would have better if Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. The Rock) had played the roles of Gamble and Hoitz. To cast those two as the bumbling “other guy” cops would have given the film the satirical bite that director Adam McKay was looking for.

Instead, the audience was given two hours of Ferrell trying too hard, and never really succeeding.

Grade: C-

The Thing From Another World: A Sci-Fi Classic!

When scientists in the North Pole discover something strange has crashed into the ice near their research post, an Air Force team led by Captain Patrick Hendry is dispatched to uncover just what it is. However, what they find not only threatens them, but the entire world.

Even though it was released in 1951 and contains some unavoidably dated special effects, The Thing From Another World remains a fun and intriguing film to watch. The fun comes from the way director Christian Nyby, (although most film connoisseurs will argue that the film’s producer Howard Hawks did the bulk of the directing for the film), was able to utilize the isolated setting of the Anchorage outpost (where the bulk of the action took place) to elicit a sense of claustrophobia and fear as The Thing went about hunting Captain Hendry and the rest of the cast. There was also plenty of action and crackling dialogue (a standard for Hawks - directed films) which kept the film moving at a compelling clip. The intrigue of the movie came from recognizing the impact that it has had on the sci-fi films which came after it. Movies like Alien and Aliens were influenced, both in story and iconography, by The Thing From Another World (witness the Geiger Counter employed by the Air Force men which is similar to the Motion Tracker used by Ripley and others in the Alien films as well as the desire by the Air Force leadership to capture The Thing for further study, something the Weyland/Yutani Corporation was always trying to accomplish in the Alien films). Beyond the obvious influences on modern sci-fi cinema, The Thing From Another World serves as a sort of time capsule which captures the mood of 1950’s America regarding subjects such as the Cold War and the uncertainty regarding the Space Age which had just begun.

All film theory aside, The Thing From Another World is just a tremendously entertaining film to watch.

Grade: A

Paranormal Activity 2: Scary. Yes, it's actually scary.

Dan and Kristi have just welcomed a new baby boy named Hunter into their house. Along with Ali, Dan’s daughter from a previous marriage, and their dog Abby, everything seems wonderful. But when unexplained events start happening in the household, the family must deal with the supernatural forces that are vexing them.

When people hear, “horror film sequel,” they no doubt have visions of Friday the 13th Part 8 or Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5, films that have iconic characters as their villains, but lack in storytelling or even continuity story - wise. In fact, horror sequels such as the ones previously mentioned seem to only be concerned with reusing the same plot devices and storylines (sprinkled with excessive gore and nudity of course). That is why Paranormal Activity 2 was something of a surprise for it was a horror film sequel that not only acknowledged the first Paranormal Activity, but surpassed its predecessor in both scares and story. From the start, director Tod Williams was able to keep the audience both on the edge of their seat and squirming with uneasiness while on that edge for he slowly built the tension in the beginning of the film via subtle knocks and bumps that the family laughed away at first. As the film (whose story cleverly tied to the first in an unexpected surprise) unfurled, the thrills and scares intensified, culminating in an ending that was both startling and disturbing. Another welcome change to this sequel was the lack of gore and blood used to evoke the scares. Williams used those creepy sounds and subtle incidents to make the audience’s imagination fill in the horrifying blanks of what was happening to the family.

You want scary, pick up Paranormal Activity 2. But you might want to think twice before watching it alone.

Grade: B

Machete: A muddled mess

Ex - Federale Machete is hired to assassinate a high profile U.S. Senator but when he is double crossed, he must use all of his skills and cunning to uncover the truth behind why everyone seems to want him dead.

Robert Rodriguez continued to explore his “grindhouse” film roots with Machete (his previous picture, Planet Terror started the trend and the fake trailer for Machete was shown before it), a film loaded with all of the goods one would expect to see in an exploitation (or in this case Mexploitation) piece; absurd amounts of violence and action (which got dull after the tenth time Machete chopped down a bad guy), copious amounts of T & A and a good amount of acting which would not be considered Oscar - worthy (although Lindsay Lohan can play a drug addict surprisingly well!). But therein lies the problem with the film for Machete had all of that silliness and other grindhouse - esque qualities, but it also wanted the audience to take it seriously when the story delved into its parts regarding illegal immigration. Rodriguez and co-Director Ethan Maniquis failed to strike a proper balance between mindless and thought provoking, as a result, the film felt like one of those musical mash ups that failed to connect. Yes, this movie was not meant to be seen as the second coming of Macbeth for it functioned as a sort of male fantasy film with barely clothed women, big guns and loud explosions but if that was what Rodriguez and Maniquis were going for, the story should not have tried to eek out some half - baked social statement that only served to muddle up an already unbalanced film.

Next time (cause in this age of sequels, I got five bucks that says there will be one), just let Machete do his thing and keep the social commentary on the cutting room floor.

Grade: C

Red: Fun for all ages.

Ex black - ops CIA agent Frank Moses has settled into retirement and finds it to be less than what he expected. That all changes when assassins try to kill him and Sarah, the woman he loves. In order to settle the score and figure out the reasons why he is being targeted, Frank reassembles his old black ops team and they get back to work.

The best part of the film was watching a group of supremely talented actors take what could have been a very pedestrian action comedy and turn it into a breezy, enjoyable and ultimately satisfying movie experience. John Malkovich was convincing and hilarious as the paranoid/crazy Marvin, Helen Mirren changed it up and played the 50 cal machine gun blasting badass Victoria, Mary Louise Parker was delightful as Sarah, the “desperately seeking excitement” muse to Frank (played by Bruce Willis). Willis’ performance in particular stood out for he brought an emotional depth to Frank which most of his recent action roles have been missing. The story chugged along, minus a few dull spots here and there, at an agreeable pace and succeeded in either keeping the audience entranced with stylish action sequences or chuckling with delight at the antics of the Retired Extremely Dangerous agents.

Not as hardcore in tone and action as The A-Team or outlandishly ridiculous as Salt, Red found a good balance of both gun play and one liners to make the two hours the audience spent with it a fun time.

Grade: B

Salt: Been there, Seen that.

When she is accused of being a Russian sleeper spy by a defector, CIA agent Evelyn Salt goes on the run and tries to stay ahead of the Government agents who are pursuing her. In her quest to clear her name she uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to push America and Russia to the edge of war.

Who is Evelyn Salt? This was the question that was posed throughout the film and the plot device that drove the story forward. For the most part however, Salt wanted the audience to be aware of this storyline only on the surface and chose to focus more on the number of ways that Angelina Jolie could look badass either by utilizing heavy weaponry or punching someone’s teeth out. Jolie pulled off the physical stuff without breaking much of a sweat, making Evelyn Salt the kind of female CIA agent you did not want to cross paths with, but her story and her efforts to clear her name, save her husband and unmask the true conspiracy behind why she was accused of being a Russian spy got lost in the shuffle of fist-fights, car chases and other action sequences that the audience had seen before (and in better movies). Without that emotional core to the story, the film just felt like another mindless actioner and Salt's quest, while visually thrilling, rang hollow. An example of this would be Salt's relationship with her husband Michael. The audience was never shown the particulars of that relationship (because trust me, they didn’t just meet up via eharmony) so when his ultimate fate was revealed, their reaction was undoubtedly like Salt’s (unemotional and uninterested).

There was a definite feeling of “been there, done that” after the credits started rolling on Salt so if you are looking for a half-hearted attempt at an action thriller that will deliver at least entertainment on the surface, check it out.

Grade: C

Solaris: Brainy Sci-Fi at its best!

Dr. Chris Kelvin is sent to investigate what has happened to his friend and the rest of a research team on a space station that is orbiting the planet Solaris. But once he discovers the truth behind the strange happenings on board will he want to return to Earth himself?

I don’t believe that directors set out to confuse the audience with their films, confusion leads to alienation and, ultimately, an upset crowd. After viewing Solaris, I am sure there were more than a few viewers who were looking for a refund because they did not get it. They no doubt saw the name James Cameron on the dvd cover or movie poster and thought Solaris would be a rip-roaring, action packed thriller with big guns and even bigger explosions much in the same vein as Cameron’s previous films (Aliens, Terminator, etc.). Little did they realize that Cameron only produced the movie and let the director, Stephen Soderbergh, craft Solaris into a brainy sci-fi thriller more in line with a film like 2001: A Space Odyssey.

It is a shame if viewers decided to turn off the movie once they realized they were not seeing the second coming of Aliens for they missed a film that challenged them to think and react to concepts and ideas that the story introduced, an exercise missing in most sci-fi films (or films in general) nowadays. Solaris dealt with a number of philosophical questions such as what is real, are we alone in this universe and if we are not, what would those other beings we come across want from us (if anything), what does it mean to be alive, and other thought provoking issues that could cause one’s eyes to go cross if they thought about them long enough. A film like this one could easily veer into the realm of pretentiousness if its actors are not believable, thankfully the performances were strong and helped to carry the narrative along. George Clooney gave a very un - George Clooney like turn as Dr. Chris Kelvin in that he was not suave and smooth with the usual charm he is known to exude. Kelvin was a broken man, disconnected from life thanks to the suicide of his wife Rheya (an affective Natasha McElhone) , who is simply going through the motions. When Rheya suddenly reappears to him thanks to the alien phenomena on the space station that is orbiting Solaris, he has to face the feelings and emotions of their tenuous relationship (which we see via flashbacks during the film). Their relationship was the thing that kept the audience hooked and made them ponder some of those deep questions previously mentioned.

Solaris is definitely not for everyone, but you are willing to take a chance and immerse yourself in a film that forces you to work out your own answer, it is worth a look.

Grade: B

The A-Team: Just a good old action film!

A group of Iraqi War vets known as The A-Team are on the run from the military. They are accused of a crime they did not commit and are not only trying to clear their names, but also bring the real perpetrators to justice.

Far from being just another big, dumb excuse for showing explosions the film had an actual story to it (certainly one tinged with hints of the modern world as in the movie evil military contractors and shady Government agencies were after a set of one hundred dollar bill printing plates and framed The A-Team when they stole them) that kept the audience engaged but all director Joe Carnahan needed was the slightest bit of a plot so that he could unleash a plethora of outlandish and extremely entertaining action sequences that would have mouths gaping (the “flying” of the tank was my personal favorite). Throw in a sturdy and effective performance from Liam Neeson as the team's leader Hannibal Smith, good support from Bradley Cooper as Face and Sharlto Copley as Murdock (sorry Quinton Jackson, I did not buy you as B.A. for a second), plus the always beautiful Jessica Biel and you get a nice bit of popcorn action film amusement that will keep you entertained.

If you are looking for the prototypical summer action film extravaganza, you could not do much better than The A-Team.

Grade: B-