Movie Reviews
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(*Updated 02/03/12*)
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Chronicle
Directed by Josh Trank
Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan), his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan) behave like typical high school students until, one day, they enter a hole in the ground where
they touch a giant crystal that gives mysterious telekinetic superpowers. They start using their superpowers on very small scales, i.e. by using their mind to lift up Legos and items, such as stuffed animals, at a store. Then they move on to moving cars in parking lots and, before you know it, they learn how to fly. Andrew documents everything with a video camera, so what you see is from the camera's footage. Soon, a second camera enters the picture when Matt befriends Casey (Ashley Hinshaw), a girl who records her life on video for her own blog. Will Andrew, Matt and Steve be able to control their superpowers from getting out of hand? What might happen if their secret were publicly exposed?
A truly great sci-fi thriller should not only have nifty special effects, but it should also be intelligent and at least somewhat grounded in reality with believable characters. Fortunately, Chronicle has just those elements to turn it into a sci-fi classic. Andrew isn't just a stereotypically alienated high school student. He's clearly suffering from being bullied at school, the abuse by his alcoholic father, and the fact that his beloved mother lies dying of cancer in bed. There's a lot of pent-up anger inside him, so the events that transpire to him in the second half of the film make logical sense. It's also worth mentioning that he and his two buddies actually show some signs of intelligence, i.e. when Matt refers to Plato's Allegory of the Cave from The Republic as he and his buddies descend into the cavernous hole in the ground. There's no particular nemesis in Chronicle because the characters are quite complicated humans instead of cartoonish, cardboard characters. It also helps that the performances, particular DeHaan's, remain thoroughly believable and natural.
Director Josh Trank moves the film along at an appropriately brisk pace so that not a single moment drags. Given the budget limitations, the special effects look quite impressive at times---although, fortunately, those effects aren't the only special aspects of Chronicle: it also has a clever and surprisingly poignant screenplay. Screenwriter Max Landis should be commended for not dumbing down the dialogue. He treats the audience (and characters) with respect which is more than you can say for most films in the "found footage" sci-fi/horror genre, i.e. Paranormal Activity, which normally require you to check your brain at the door in order to be entertained. When the stakes become higher in the third act, the internal logics of the film remain intact and nothing feels too gimmicky, convoluted or over-the-top. Moreover, you will also find a few moments of comic relief, which won't be spoiled here, as the boys find ways to amuse themselves with their superpowers.
At an ideal running time of 1 hour and 23 minutes, Chronicle manages to be a thoroughly exhilarating, imaginative and character driven sci-fi thriller that's invigoratingly smart and surprisingly poignant. It's destined to become a sci-fi classic.
Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Now playing nationwide.Released by 20th Century Fox.
The Artist
Directed by Michel Hazanavicius
In 1927 Hollywood, George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), a huge star in silent romantic/adventure melodramas, lives a glamorous life with his loving wife, Doris (Penelope Ann Miller) and dog. He even has his own chauffeur, Clifton (James Cromwell). When producer Al Zimmer (John Goodman) shows him some clips of movies with sounds, a.k.a. “talkies,” a new format that will soon replace silent movies, George refuses to believe in the new technology, storms off and starts directing and starring in his own silent films. Meanwhile, as he falls from fame into despair and even bankruptcy during the Great Depression, his co-star Peppy Miller (Bérénice Béjo), rises to fame in Hollywood.
Shot in glorious black-and-white, The Artist will dazzle you with its visuals and captivate you with its lively performances so much that you’ll easily forget that it’s actually a silent movie and not in color. Writer/director Michel Hazanavicius imbues the film with a plethora of wit, charm, humor and a little poignancy along the way. Finding the right tone can be quite a challenge, but he achieves it above and beyond without it ever feeling uneven or over-the-top. The same can be said for the performances all across the board whether it’s the charismatic, playful Jean Dujardin, the sizzling and radiant Bérénice Béjo or even the cute little dog that would get a nomination if there were Best Performance by a Dog category at the Oscars.
A true classic movie is one that not only provokes you intelligently and emotionally while thoroughly entertaining you, but also takes some risks. The Artist certainly takes risks being a silent, black-and-white movie because there’s simply no other film like it in today’s world, unless you count the experimental films that aren’t exactly delightful or accessible for mainstream audiences. The risks this film takes pay off tremendously, and audiences will be rewarded with a sense of joy and exhilaration upon leaving the theater. At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, The Artist is an invigorating, charming, witty and crowd-pleasing delight that’s destined to become a classic while skyrocketing the careers of Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Béjo.
Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Now playing at the Angelika Film Center and The Paris Theatre.Released by The Weinstein Company.
Drive
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
&Nbsp A Hollywood stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) also works as a mechanic at the car shop of his boss, Shannon (Bryan Cranston), and as a driver for criminals during the nighttime hours. He gets caught up with a local mobster, Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), who hires him to drive his race car. Meanwhile, a romance between him and his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), blossoms. Irene has a husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), who’s about to be released from prison, and a young son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). Upon Standard’s release from prison, the stunt driver gets into deep trouble as he tries to protect himself as well as Standard from criminals.
For a film that combines many different genres, namely, drama, thriller, action, mystery and romance, Drive succeeds that delicate rather well thanks to the sensitively-written screenplay by Hossein Amini ans the stylish, assured direction by Nicolas Winding Refn. If you’re familiar with Refn’s previous films, Bronson and Valhalla Rising, you should already know by now that he has a knack for including bold, stylish visuals as a means of creating atmosphere. The most captivating scenes of Drive are the ones where the characters remain silent thereby allowing you to interpret what they think and feel through their facial expressions. Ryan Gosling, a very talented actor, does a great job of conveying a lot of hidden emotion throughout those silent scenes. You’ve never seen Albert Brooks in such a mean-spirited role as a gangster before.
&nsbp Given that Refn relies on nuances, character development and atmosphere, his film feels somewhat European in its sensibilities while paying homage to the B-movies of the 1980’s. The opening sequence, with its well-chosen soundtrack and cinematography, is worth the price of admission alone. There are also a few very graphically violence scenes that might shock you on a visceral level, but those moments are far and few between. Fortunately, Refn doesn’t resort to using shaky camera movements as a means of creating tension nor does he bombard the film with action sequences; the tension builds gradually as you learn more and more about the stunt driver and observe the evolving dynamics between him and the other characters. There are a few twists and turns that transpire along the way, but they won’t be spoiled here.
&nsbp At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, Drive manages to be atmospheric, refreshingly intelligent and suspenseful with a well-nuanced performance by Ryan Gosling. It’s one of the most invigorating thrillers of the year because it offers both style and substance.
Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Now playing at the Quad Cinema. Released by FilmDistrict.
The Tree of Life
Directed by Terrence Malick
Jack O’Brien (Sean Penn), a middle-aged architect, feels haunted by the death of his older brother, R.L. (Laramie Eppler), who died at the age of 19. As he grapples with the emotional pain, he recalls his memories as a child and teenager growing up with R.L., his younger brother, Steve (Tye Sheridan) and parents (Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt) in Waco, Texas during the 1950’s. His father was a tough, domineering man who never fulfilled his dreams of becoming a pianist; his mother was kind and gentle. Little by little, vignette by vignette, you learn more about the dynamics of the O’Brien family, but, concurrently, there are more questions than answers to be found here. The opening scene’s quote from the Book of Job helps to provide an overview of the film’s thematic elements as does the voice-over narration where the mother states that there are two ways through life: the way of nature, and the way of grace.
Had writer/director Terrence Malick chosen the conventional approach to tackling the themes in The Tree of Life by spoon-feeding the audience with an easy-to-follow narrative, it would have been criticized for being too cliché and familiar. Instead, he takes an approach that’s concurrently elliptical, spiritual, infused with symbolism, and awe-inspiring on a purely visceral level. The picturesque images of nature coupled with the enchanting musical score create an experience that cannot be adequately explained merely through words. Malick leaves the narrative of the O’Brien family wafer-thin, thereby demanding a lot from the audience because it leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Patient audience members will be able to tolerate that effort for 2 hours and 18 minutes, but others will most likely become frustrated and exhausted after the first hour.
The Tree of Life leaves you with a lot of heavy topics to thinking about and discuss, such as grief, love, grace, the purpose of life, death, true happiness and hope. Each of these is an important issue that can be easily ignored throughout the hustle-and-bustle of today’s technology-centric world. If you watch the film and feel confused by it, perhaps a second viewing would help or perhaps you’ll see it in a whole new perspective at another stage of your life and will only be able to appreciate it or understand it then. Nonetheless, The Tree of Life manages to be a mesmerizing experience filled with breathtaking sights and sounds. It’s much like life itself: visceral, enigmatic, spiritual, profound and simply complex.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1 Now playing at Cinema Village.Released by Fox Searchlight Pictures. 
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