Short Review: There are these two guys and they’re friends. They both love the same girl. This starts a flummoxing love triangle as they struggle to overcome their own selfish needs and expectations…oh yeah, that and then there’s this part where the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. Anyway, so the girl loves the first boy…


After seeing this film, I believe it's fair to say the men and women at Pearl Harbor have been attacked twice.

This is akin to making a film about The Batan Death March and placing the focus of the story on the relationship between a boy and his dog.

The film is a complete horror. The love story at the center of this grand insult is lifeless. Perhaps this is due to the limp script being played out by three of our less charismatic and talented actors: Benny Affleck, Josh “I look like Tommy Lee Jones’ kid” Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale. Maybe I’m nuts but I’m of the opinion that if you’re going to produce a film on one of the most important events in American History, you should go with your A-Team. What’s with the junior varsity players getting a shot at this?

The only serious member of the cast and crew is screenwriter Randall Wallace and this is so bad, I can’t believe he wrote it. Wallace is a national treasure as far as I’m concerned. But to look at the juvenile handling of this movie I’m shocked he’s allowed his name to remain in the credits.

Film is important. It informs people about the world we live in and in cases such as this, it teaches people about history. That is one of the purposes of this production in the first place. This should have been a reflection on that dreadful day and its implications in history. Instead we a mash of music video, action movie and just plain crappy film making. On top of all of that, the film has the nerve to make the fascist FDR look like a hero. He was a corrupt and vile man, to make him look like a strong, honorable man is disgusting.

Revisionist history is bad enough. Do we have to make history itself suck too?


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Labels: Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck. Josh Hartnett, Cuba Gooding Jr, Dan Aykroyd, film, Jennifer Garner, Jon Voight, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Bay, movie review, Randall Wallace, Tom Sizemore, William Finchner

Short Review: Any film where the State Department is shown to be a gaggle of heartless, incomprehensibly inept baboons is cool with me.


Remarkably, this movie not overly political. Given that the film industry feels compelled to shoehorn pathetic political snipes in even films about middle-aged cookbook authors, the fact that this movie saves its lefty political jabs for the opening credits and the final moments of the film, is notable. When you toss in the fact that this film has U. S. agents scuttling around in the sand in the Middle East, the lack of a “blame America first and blame America often” haranguing is almost unbelievable.

While this film begins with a simplistic, and lopsided, but visually interesting history of how American intrusion into Saudi Arabia (for the purposes of obtaining oil) has lead to the modern Islamic terrorist, the movie overall refrains from finger pointing. This said, the opening historical review does somehow manage to only show Republican Presidents and their administrations adding flames to the Islamic fires. Democratic administrations are remarkably absent. The review also avoids holding the Saudi’s, or more importantly the Islamic terrorists, accountable for their own actions.

Overall, the film overall is a gripping thriller. Islamic terrorists conduct a horrific bombing of an American interest in Saudi Arabia and a team of FBI agents investigates the crime. During the process, the lead investigator. Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx), has to contend with Saudis restricting his access, but also the American State Department hamstringing his efforts.

The script by Matthew Michael Carnahan is tight and intelligent. The investigation is smartly handled and doesn’t unfold too neatly. Carnahan does a great job of playing off of the disconnect between Fleury and his fellow investigators (Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman) and their Saudi hosts. The agents are in a foreign land and they are not welcome guests. The continual threat of violence heightens the tension.

The biggest failure of the script is in character development. With a twisting plot, the multiple characters get lost in the shuffle and many lose dimension. In particular Jason Bateman’s character Adam. To be honest, I am not certain why he was brought along on the investigation. His character literally does nothing of note to assist in the investigation except interrupt with humorous lines about how much he doesn’t like being involved.

In addition to the aforementioned flaw in the script, director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) fails to deliver meaningful close. In the advertisements there is particular attention paid to the thrill of the final half-hour. The final segment of the film is indeed riveting. The final segment has some good pacing and it will guarantee to impact an audience. All of this good work devolves into a typical, and sadly predictable, Hollywood ending. It is a very safe resolution slathered in moral relativism. The terrorists are bad, but we’re no good too. No one is right because everyone is wrong. With the intelligent story that preceded it, the ending feels cheap and sanctimonious.

Despite the character issues and the troublesome ending, I think most audiences will enjoy the film. It's just a shame it could have been better.



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Labels: Ashraf Barhom, Chris Cooper, film, Jamie Foxx, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Jeremy Piven, movie review, Peter Berg, Tim McGraw

This is a 90-minute long Saturday Night Live skit. Literally, back in 1986 SNL guest host Joe Montana performed in a skit called Sincere Guy Stu. The premise? Sincere Stu always says what's on his mind. He says a whole bunch of odd stuff to his roommate and his roommate's date. The skit ends with Stu walking upstairs stating "Oh, you won't disturb me. I'll be in my room masturbating." Back in 1986, this was quick a striking line for a respected football star to say on national television. That was 25 years ago. Now, we're lucky if news broadcasters can refrain from calling average citizens "teabaggers".

Co-writers/co-directors Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson drag this premise out and then beat it to death with all of the finesse of Andre the Giant threading a needle. They even begin their film by having Mark Bellison (Gervais) arriving at Anna McDoogles' (Jennifer Garner) apartment for a date. She opens the door and quickly expresses her distaste for his physical appearance and her doubts that the two will copulate anytime soon. You see, its a world where everyone tells the truth - get it? Anna lets Mark in and he takes a seat on the couch. She explains she needs to finish getting ready for the date and this will include her, what? - that's right - masturbating upstairs while he waits. Oh, how edgy and unique.

Even though it is simple, Gervais and Robinson are incapable of remaining committed to their stated premise. What they show isn't a world that can't lie. They're in a world where people simply say what's on their mind. Everywhere Mark goes in the film, people casually distribute insults to him. Unprompted, he is told he is less than attractive, that people despise him, that no enjoys him. If this was written as its sold, it is far more likely the people would simply avoid subjects rather than blurt out socially unacceptable put-downs.

As it turns out, the other characters in the film are right to loathe Mark. He is a bad guy with no redeeming values at all. As the title states, he invents lying. Once he learns he can manipulate people by lying to them he then begins to serve his self with his new skill. He steals, attempts a rape (lying to someone to force them into sex is a form of rape, sorry) and generally acts like an ass. Here is a tip - make your hero likable. He doesn't have to be a saint but he really needs to have at least one approachable quality. It makes things so much more engaging for the audience.

To make matters worse Gervais and Robinson allow themselves to be misled by their lack of script development two-thirds of the way through. Since there isn't any real villain and therefore very little tension or conflict, the writing duo are forced to scrounge up a conflict. Marks' mother is on her deathbed and he "lies" to her about there being a Heaven and God. She dies with a smile on her face but Mark is overheard. At this point he becomes a prophet and is burdened with having to make-up religion.

The remainder of the film gives itself over to the conceit that all religion is made-up and are lies people are told to keep them from wallowing in existential misery. This is, of course, bunk and how the subject is presented proves it.

The fake religion Mark devises presents God in vague, childish terms. Gervais and Robinson make a theological straw-man by having Mark describe God with all of the depth of a Sunday School drop-out. Presenting God in the most simplistic terms possible, God is a conflicted old man in the clouds kind of theology, Gervais and Robinson make it easy for themselves to lampoon the ideas being expressed. They avoid actual theology, not out of respect, but because they are more interested in kicking faith in the shin than actually arguing the point.

The whole "religion is a lie" overtakes the final third of the film. It changes the tone and saps the comedy from a script that is already desperate for laughs. Again, this all a reaction by Gervais and Robinson because they have no other road to travel. Their script mishandles the premise and the characters and the two paint themselves into a corner. To close their script they're forced to pull this Deus ex machina (ironically enough).

What they should have done is present the world where no one lies. You then have Mark invent lying. He begins with small ones but they beget larger ones. He then tries to put the genie back in the bottle - thus creating conflict.

or

What they should have done is present the world where no one lies. You then have Mark invent lying. This start out okay but then his lies catch up to him and he is found out by society. This makes him an outcast. When he tries to warn people of something, we are given a modern retelling of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Both of these ideas would also do something Gervais and Robinson failed to do in their sophomoric script - it would present lying as a moral wrong.

To sum things up, skip this one. A comedy without laughs is a hideous thing.



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Labels: comedy, film, Jeffrey Tambor, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis CK, movie review, Ricky Gervais, Rob Lowe

So, a bunch of 30-40 year-olds are all single despite their looking like models, being impeccably dressed and living in nice homes.

Wait, hold on...they tossed in some kids to young it up a bit.

If this interests you, you deserve what you get.




Screenwriter: Katherine Fugate
Director: Garry Marshall (Exit to Eden)
Actors: Jessica Alba (Into the Blue), Jessica Biel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Kathy Bates (Primary Colors), Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Eric Dane (X-Men: The Last Stand), Topher Grace (Spider-Man 3), Jamie Foxx (Ray), Jennifer Garner (13 Going on 30), Patrick Dempsey (Made of Honor), Ashton Kutcher (Guess Who), Queen Latifah (Taxi), Shirley McClaine (Two Mules for Sister Sara), Julia Roberts (Charlie Wilson's War), George Lopez (Henry Poole Was Here), Taylor Swift and Larry Miller (Best in Show)

Labels: Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, film, Garry Marshall, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Julia Roberts, Kathy Bates, Larry Miller, movie trailer, Queen Latifah, Topher Grace

It has Ricky Gervais, Louis C.K. (the best stand-up comic working) and Jennifer Garner - how could this stink?

Well, probably pretty easily. Let's see, the hook is simple enough, in a universe where everyone always tells the truth one man (Gervais) invents lying. This means the film is structurally about morality. Is lying wrong? When it is acceptable to lie? So on and so forth. Looking at the cast list, looking at the folks who developed the film, considering the film industry's track record on making definitive moral statements, I'm left thinking this probably isn't going to leave audiences with a good message.

But that's me. I could be wrong.*



Word is that there is a deep anti-religious message waiting for audiences at the end of the film. You know, cuz religion is all a lie - get it? Sure. You know, cuz a bunch of film makers and actors say so, cuz they got it all figured out. I know when I have complex metaphyscial questions I confer the closest actor, because someone who spends their life pretending to be other people is always a reliable choice.

Let's do a quick unpacking of their proposal. If religion is a lie and by extension God Himself is a lie, then the universe is a soup of random, nonsensical reactions with no inherent worth beyond the whimsical meanings we place on things. Therefore, all understanding is a matter of perspective rooted in our temporary perspectives. So, the concepts of telling the truth and lying are irrelevant given that there is no such thing as actual truth or actual falsehood. Since this is the case, Gervais and company have no grounds to attack my belief in God. Their non-belief negates their standing to have a voice given that their belief negates the relevance of their voice. If I believe in God, and there is no God, your contention that I'm wrong is meaningless since in your truthless universe my stating there is a God is as valid as you saying He's not there. So, shut up. Have a nice day.



Screenwriters: Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson
Directors: Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson
Actors: Jonah Hill (Superbad), Jennifer Garner (13 Going on 30), Jason Bateman (Smokin’ Aces), Tina Fey (Mean Girls), Patrick Stewart (Jeffrey), Jeffrey Tambor (The Hangover), Ricky Gervais (Ghost Town), Louis C.K., and Christopher Guest (This is Spinal Tap)

* - I'm not wrong.

Labels: Christopher Guest, film, Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, movie trailer, Patrick Stewart, Rickey Gervais

Screenwriters: Jon Lucas (Four Christmases) and Scott Moore (Rebound)
Director: Mark Waters (The Spiderwick Chronicles)
Actors: Matthew McConaughey (Tropic Thunder), Jennifer Garner (13 Going on 30), Michael Douglas (Wall Street), Emma Stone (The House Bunny) and Anne Archer (Patriot Games)

Labels: Anne Archer, film, Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Douglas, movie trailer

This is a very pleasant movie about a not so pleasant subject - teenage pregnancy. The titular character portrayed by Ellen Page (X-Men: The Last Stand) is a pregnant sixteen year old who opts to have the baby and give it to a well suburban couple who are more flawed than they first appear. Juno wisecracks her way through the emotional minefield of her unexpected pregnancy with the help of her father Mac (J. K. Simmons).

Much has been made about the film's screenwriter Diablo Cody. No other writer has garnished this much attention since Quinten Tarantino emerged in the early nineties. Former Minnesota stripper breaks into the business makes good copy and its clear the woman knows how to write characters and has a flair for snappy dialog. Her gift is also her curse however. The snappy dialog does grow tiresome after a while. One can watch a sixteen year old fire back perfect comebacks and wiseacre wisdom for only so long. Cody obviously channels herself through Juno's dialog - honestly, what sixteen year old is going to reflexively spew out a Diana Ross reference? Cody's heavy manipulation may have fell hard if not for the likable performance by Page. This film establishes Page's career and announces the arrival of a new matinee presence. She handles the strange duality of this character with an infectious charm - the duality being a confused and scared sixteen year old girl who happens to have the thought process and cynical humor of a former stripper from Minnesota.

The film is far from perfect and has been over-hyped by both critics and pro-life groups. This is an endearing movie that handles a heavy subject with some flair. Its not a great film but it is a darn good one, and in this age of remakes and superhero flicks, it's seems like it reinvents the wheel.


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Labels: Diablo Cody, Ellen Page, film, J K Simmons, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera, movie review

Labels: Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, movie trailer, Peter Berg, terrorism