Review: Speed Racer

Sound and the Fury

This film has a lot more in common with William Faulkner's classic novel, titled above, than one might expect. However, I doubt that Faulkner would have imagined a duo like the Wachowski brothers helming an adaptation of anything he's written. Truthfully, they probably haven't either. The brothers prefer to work in their highly visualized world in which their imagination can't seem contained. It worked with the first Matrix outing, and for some parts of its successors. In some points of Speed Racer, that style works behind the scenes of some big failures. But, there might be something underneath the slick paint job, and that is a good ride.

Everyone remembers the famous (or infamous) Japanese cartoon that was imported to the United States in the mid '60s. The Wachowskis have now "matrixed" the cheaply made cartoon and have attempted to put a plot behind it. Speed, played by a rather bland Emile Hirsch, is seen as a hyperactive, ADD ridden young boy in his early days who translates that impulsive energy into racing, particularly after his brother Rex was killed in a fatal accident. Speed likes to keep racing in the family, as his Mom (Susan Surandon) and Pops (a wonderfully campy John Goodman) head their clan along with Spritle and the chimp. Then, after a big win at a race, the sponsors try to lure him onto their team, and the CEO of the Royalton Company (Roger Allam, who hammed it up good in the Wachowskis scripted V for Vendetta) sparkles the charm in his eyes before pulling the rug out from under him about the real, dirty side of racing.

What that side is, anybody could care less. The film's plot devices of stock trading, company mergers, fixed races and Korean pop sensation Rain are only there to pad up the films two hour and fifteen minute running time (about forty-five minutes two long). As soon as Allam starts his lecture to Speed about everything, the 10-year-old boys' ears will tune out, along with everyone elses. This story doesn't need exposition after exposition because the source material certainly didn't require that. However, when the film does recognize where it needs to be, in the world of its candy colored visuals and stylized racing scenes, it goes full throttle. I have to hand it to the Wachowskis and their visual effects team for going all out with the effects while not letting the visual style overpower the senses. Every race is an eyeful, but there is never a sense where the computer enhanced features are wearing thin. There is also an added bit of excitement whenever Michael Giaccino's zippy music features an underscoring of the original Speed Racer theme song.

An interesting aspect of the film, and sometimes a very annoying one, is how the Wachowskis' screenplay operates. Much like Faulkner's novel, every scene seems to have no sense of time. It prefers to weave in and out of storylines and subplots as soon as a new thought enters a characters mind. That writing style impresses at first, but quickly gives way when a dragged out second act causes the acting to be sucked out. Hirsch gave an impressive turn last year for Sean Penn's Into the Wild, but his deadpan expressions are too great to ignore. Also, the littlest family member reminds me a little too much of Ron Carey from Mel Brooks's High Anxiety, and the chimp is just as annoying. The script tries hard to make some substance out of this premise, but whether it's the self-congratulating lines of encouragement ("It's art what you do out there") or the very lame jokes ("Ninja? More like a Non-ja!"), it never really succeeds. The vision of the directors overpowers here.

Sometimes an overtly visual style only creates a loud and opinionated atmosphere that just can't be contained on the screen (look to Julie Taymor's Across the Universe as an example), but for some reason, the Wachowskis have found a way to place this style on the screen without losing something in the process. Well, most of the times that happens. Sometimes, the Wachowskis adhere to the phrase "style over substance," where they keep the camera and backgrounds moving continually even during a mundane conversation. Still, everybody tries their best to work within the green screen world while trying to go beyond the Star-Wars-like acting. If your brain switches during any part of this film, you're going to realize that all of this is insane. However, I'd advise you to let the 10-year-old boy out and let him yell, "Go, Speed Racer, Go!" **1/2 / ****; GRADE: B-.

Review: Iron Man

Heavy Metal

For the longest time now, the summer movie craze has been a highlighted season for studios to start a frenzy of releases that will promise a big profit in the end. Some of them are huge successes, some are gigantic flops, but all provide the audience with something. I really hope that this film fits into the former category, because it is a wild ride that everyone can enjoy.

Continuing the Marvel Comic book adaptations, Iron Man's leading man is Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., who is the eccentric, playboy billionaire that just so happens to control the most powerful arms dealing company. While Stark is testing his newest weapon in Afghanistan, his envoy gets ambushed, and he is captured by terrorist who try to get him to rebuild the weapon for them. Instead of being a good little arms dealer, he instead invents a sort of Iron Man prototype, and escapes. Upon his return to the US, he has a device in his chest that will prevent the shrapnel from entering his heart and a new found sense of the world to protect it. And thus Iron Man is born.

Marvel comic book adaptations have been hitting some rough spots lately. Even though their films outnumber those produced by DC Comics (which has currently stuck with their Batman and Superman), the comic chain has had some serious duds. Even their most successful franchises, Spider-Man and X-Men, had hit snags around their third pictures. However, Iron Man is a welcomed gift perhaps because of the Downey casting. It's true that he isn't the typical superhero, and there are times where his manic personality and witty comebacks would fit more so an over-the-top supervillian, but because Downey isn't Tobey Maguire or Hugh Jackman, his character offers a really fascinating quality. He isn't an everyman, but he's far different than what is expected.

The film also features a fine supporting cast, which is headlined by Gwyneth Paltrow as Stark's assistant Pepper Potts. Her chemistry with Downey is right on the money and Paltrow delivers her best performance in years (and I'm not even including her Oscar-winning work for Shakespeare in Love). As for the rest, they may be fine, but they don't match up to the quick steps from Paltrow. Terrence Howard is in kind of a throw away role as Stark's best buddy from the military and a nearly unrecognizable Jeff Bridges is Stark's business partner and eventual villain. Bridges is a good actor, but he's got one of the clumsiest, half-witted and forgettable villainous roles around, particularly faulting points because he stores his secrets in his computer inside the subtly named file "ultra-secret."

If you thought Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man was an odd choice, an even more unconventional thought is Jon Favreau as an action director. The not-quite-indie-sensation has been known in front of the camera, but has ventured behind it for films like Elf, Zathura and penning Swingers. The film is a little too maneuvered for him to be officially established in this genre, but I think Favreau, as unlikely as he is, has room to grow and any other films in this franchise from him would be welcomed.

This is an action movie, plain and simple. It has some good special effects and acting, particularly from Downey and Paltrow, but it does suffer from a lame villain and a bit of a labored script. However, it is still a great ride to take, and kicks off the summer season promisingly. Hopefully, the season will continue to be as good as this. ***1/2 / ****; GRADE: B+.

Reviews: 21 & Under the Same Moon

Breaking Even

To be in complete honesty, this movie doesn't really offer anything that the viewer probably hasn't already conceived by watching many other films about this genre. George Clooney and Stephen Soderbergh have made it their life long goal to see that all the twists and turns of the traditional Las Vegas heist movie be explored. However, that isn't to say that 21 doesn't have it's moments that put a smile on your face. So what's the verdict? Well, read on a little more, and you might find out.

To start, this is "inspired" by a true story. Taken from the book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich, the tale focuses on Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) who is that ordinary guy with the bright brain and gifted abilities but cannot seem to get the things in life. He's at MIT now and has been accepted at Harvard Medical. The only thing standing in his way is that measly little $300,000 needed to attend. His solution to presented to him by his math professor (Kevin Spacey, who also produced) who takes Ben and some other hotshots to Vegas to basically count cards at blackjack. One of those students is played by Kate Bosworth (can anyone say love interest?) and the rest of the crew does their own part.

To be fair, there are many moments in the film where I was very entertained. However, this would be a much better film to recommend had it not be riddled with so many conventional cliches of the genre. For instance, Ben is given the usual day and a half to think over joining the team, he says he's only doing it for the school money, but then he gets greedy, and there is an inevitable double cross. The bulk of these problems comes from the script adapted by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb, who also infuse this story with dialogue that seems below the par of what George Lucas would consider ("I'm not the same guy back in Boston" is a very direct line uttered by Ben; duh!). Also, director Robert Luketic seems more interested in making the game itself look interesting with a lot of slow motion and computer enhanced closeups of the cards, that he forgets that people are the ones actually behind them. Luketic knows how to do stories with people (I recommend his surprisingly pleasant Win a Date with Tad Hamilton), but he has misguided steps here.

At the same time, the cast does its fare share to make up for the flaws. British star Jim Sturgess is already becoming a household name. He recently appeared in this year's The Other Boleyn Girl and made his debut to American audiences last year in the Beatles-inspired Across the Universe. Sturgess is starting to get noticed, and while this is not the type of film that showcases acting talent, he is providing a pretty beefed up resume, and I suspect we'll get one film out of him where he's going to blow us away. Kevin Spacey is having pure fun with this role, as well as Laurence Fishbure, who plays the casino's security manager who catches on to the plans of the students. Both take the usual guest roles of veteran actors in minor supporting roles. They don't mean to steal the spotlight, but they do it accidentally and we could care less. Unfortunately, that's about all the supporting cast brings (Bosworth is a definite bore), with the exception of Josh Gad, one of the geek friends of Ben who brings life in the story when it sometimes needs it.

At the beginning of this review, I mentioned that the film is "inspired" by a true story. The word inspired has gone to the lengths of some controversy because the original Ben Campbell was named Jeffery Ma, an Asian American student. Whether or not you want to call that racist (and there are some puns in the screenplay that suggest the writers knew about this change) is a matter of opinion. To me, it neither adds nor takes away anything from this film. Even with John Cho in the lead, we'd still get the same movie. So what is the verdict? It's a good time waster. You already know the outcome, but if you're interested in some light entertainment with an attractive cast, then I'd say bet your money on it. **1/2 / ****; GRADE: B-.





Beyond Borders

Conservatives are going to love this movie. Why? Well, it certainly isn't going to be because of the film itself. That's the thing they're going to hate. No, conservatives will love this movie because it's going to give them about two episodes worth on their talk shows to talk about how this film is another bolt in the Hollywood liberal machine to turn America soft on the immigration issue. Rush Limbaugh and Lou Dobbs will be so happy to have more to talk about. However, if these two every chose to watch this film, they'd be in for a big surprise.

In a tender, if somewhat sappy and conventional, story, little Carlitos (Adrian Alonso) is still living in Mexico with his ill grandmother as his mother (Kate del Castillo) works in the United States illegally in order to provide a better life for her son. However, Carlitos is getting impatient and worries that he will never see his mother again. So after his grandmother dies, Carlitos begins his long journey to get to Los Angeles and reunite with his mother. His path begins with a botched attempt at being smuggled across the border (with the aid of Ugly Betty's America Ferrera) and he soon ends up with Enrique (Eugenio Derbez), another illegal who doesn't want a kid to tag along with him (but do you think he'll change and warm up to the little guy?).

Again, this is a story that wants to pull on the heartstrings of the audience, and sometimes, admittedly, it works. During one moment when Carlitos is looking at the moon, remembering that his mother told him looking at it will bring his mind closer to hers, and then imagines his mother right beside him, I couldn't help but choke up a bit, especially with Carlo Silotto's music swelling up the background. The screenplay by Liagh Villalobos tries all the tricks it can to evoke these reactions, but you can't help but respond to it.

Adrian Alonso, who has the daunting task of carrying this movie, is phenomenal. Granted, it's an easy story to be phenomenal in, but something really does have to take notice here. Previously seen in The Legend of Zorro, Alonso has much more personality and charm here, and he creates a character that we so much want to root for. At the same time, Kate del Castillo does a nice job in the parallel story of Carlitos' mother Rosario, evoking the same type of angst and emotion that Alonso has dealt with. One complaint would come from Derbez, who does seem to steal the spotlight from his younger costar now and again before giving it back.

One thing to remember is that this is not a political film, even though many will argue that it is. At its bare facts, this is the story of a mother and son trying to reunite, and when it does happen, we all feel so good inside. It's not the best film out there about the subject, but it is certainly one that will stay in your heart for a very long time. ***1/2 / ****; GRADE: B+.

New Reviews

In Bruges

This is truly one of the funniest films I've ever seen, and even though the year is young, it is also the best of the bunch at this point. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play two hitmen taking refuge in the Belgian city while they await word from their boss, fellow Harry Potter co-star Ralph Finnes. Gleeson has always been a warm character actor, and he shines very well in a sweet hearted role. Farrell, who has never really been the most gifted actor, has finally found the right role for him. It's just him being Irish, basically. However, since we can find him convincing in those everyday moments, when the role demands more drama, we can buy it (unlike Alexander). Writer-director Martin McDonagh has made a great film rich with uproarious jokes and fine characters. I do believe a story line involving a distraught dwarf, plus the continuing overuse of the now popular ambiguous ending, did hinder it a bit, but it is still the the best thing I've seen. ***1/2; GRADE: A-.


The Bank Job

I was entertained during this film from beginning to end. From the first sex crazed moments down in the Bahamas to the great conclusion in the halls of English streets, the film is filled with the type exhilarating and pent-up energy that one would find in heist films. Jason Statham (Transporter, The Italian Job) has built his career as the new Bruce Willis for action films, and while his trademark moves are restrained here, it's still damn good to watch him. The film will occasionally drag into it's usual heist film cliches (convenient coincidences, untrusting alliances), they are easy to overcome in a film that truly fulfills its purpose. ***1/2; GRADE: B+.

10,000 BC

Roland Emmerich used to be the master at this type of film. It's hard to imagine that the director of Independence Day and The Patriot has reminded us that he's also the director of Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow. It's a wildly inept, historically inaccurate tale that was already told two years ago with Mel Gibson's bloody Apocalypto. In fact, one would almost wish that Gibson, or even Zack Snyder (director of 300) would have come on the set and tell Emmerich how you shoot an action picture these days. The cast is made up of mostly unknowns, but the best type of unknowns: the mildy talented but very attractive kind. Be that as it may, the "Blue-Eyed One" has a bit too much eye-liner on for the time. Plus, the insane inaccuracies (mammoths building the pyramids, tropics next door to an ice age) overpower the good looks from the cast and special effects. Mr. Emmerich, it's time to look at your peers and think to yourself: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. **; GRADE: C.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Every once in a while, all you want from a film is to fill you with a bubbly sense of attachment. All it gives you is the knowledge that once it's over, it doesn't have a strong barring on you but there is some twinkle in its eye that will stick with you for a while. You get that with this film, which, despite a rough beginning with terrible over actors, finishes off smoothly. Frances McDormand and Amy Adams shine in their respective roles as a poor governess to the flimsy American socialite. Once they tone down the playing for the stage act, both settle to an even tone. This is also helped by a tender performance from Ciaran Hinds, who is a love interest of Miss Pettigrew, and Lee Pace, who brings that level or reality to the film that is very much appreciated. All in all, a good time at the show. ***; GRADE: B.

Final Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men

There's no doubt in anyone's mind that by March, Bardem is going to be an Oscar winner. It's that type of performance that is truly a defining presence and Bardem has created a memorable movie character that will go down forever as one of the most memorable Oscar winning characters.

Should Win: Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James...

I did like Bardem, but Casey Affleck's great performance in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was amazing. He took on a character that was so deep and so complex, yet he made it work. Every scene that character is in feels so authentic. It is a great performance that represents a great year for the younger Affleck.

Snubbed: Paul Dano - There Will Be Blood

Daniel Day-Lewis has sucked up the entire acting buzz for the film, as he probably should, but I can't help but say that among all the supporting players, Dano was the only one who had the guts to try to match Day-Lewis. He didn't quite make it, but he did a hell of a job trying.

Final Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actress

Will Win: Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

.

When Ruby Dee won the SAG Award, that was very surprising, and did put some of the odds in her favor. However, I think that Blanchett will ultimately become the victor here. Her role is something that is very difficult to forget, and I don't think the voters are going to. However, you can't count out Dee or Ryan, who are close on her heels. But, feel confident that this she'll be claimed a winner once again.

.

Should Win: Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone

.

While I did like Blanchett, I was amazed by Amy Ryan. She took a character that we all know and turned her into something that still caught our attention. Every action she takes feels very genuine and that is amazing. There is a possibility she could upset, and that would be outstanding if she did.

.

Snubbed: Taraji P. Hensen - Talk to Me

.

I actually have very little complaints about this category, but I wish there could have been more love for Talk to Me and I loved Hensen's character. She was smart and tough, yet vulnerable at the same time. It's the kind of supporting performance that you really want to root for, and I sure did.

R.I.P. Heath Ledger (1979-2008)

R.I.P.

Heath Ledger

1979-2008

.

As we are still in the first few moments of this tragic event, I don't think people realize how much Heath Ledger will be missed. He left an early mark in supporting roles against big players like Mel Gibson in The Patriot and Billy Bob Thornton in Monster's Ball, and he also tried some leading roles in action films like A Knight's Tale, The Order, and Ned Kelly, but it was that beautiful performance in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain that earned him an Oscar nomination and a new legion of fans. He was a great actor who could really dedicate himself into to the role, and I'm sure the upcoming summer film The Dark Knight would have provided more evidence of how much dedication he had to creating a memorable character. For those who missed it, Ledger played another Bob Dylan alter-ego in I'm Not There, perhaps the only other performer who could match up Blanchett. It is hard to believe that such a gifted performer has been taken from us so soon, and it is a shame that his talent will never be seen again. He will be sorely missed, and every performance of his will never be viewed the same. Goodbye, Heath.