Contagion

By Ken Whitney III

Chin Han & Marion Cotillard

It’s funny. No matter how much film tries to terrify us- with their horror films, deranged maniacs, epic war stories, etc. – one of the most terrifying things we as moviegoers could witness is the simple transference of bacteria because somebody didn’t use Purel after touching a car door or shaking hands with someone.

Contagion is everything it was made out to be. Pure and simple. A viral epidemic begins to spread across the world as people become extremely sick and die within days. With no knowledge of the virus’ origins, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and WHO (World Health Organization) race against time to find a way to vaccinate against the virus as countless numbers around the globe continue to perish.

 

THE PROS: With H1N1 only a couple years in our past, the reality of the threat of viral famine isn’t too unrealistic. The script doesn’t play around either. No flashy car chases or gun battles to be found here. What you witness is a snapshot at a potential world we may one day inhabit and the people in it that react the way that many of us would. The dialogue is believable and the task of finding a cure is fascinating and engrossing. Lawrence Fishburne has always been an under appreciated actor in my opinion. Being lumped in with ‘one-hit wonder’ films like The Matrix & Boys N’ The Hood; Fishburne subtly proves that the less you do can make all the difference in a believable character like Dr. Ellis Cheever. as head of the CDC’s task force to battle this epidemic, Cheever assigns Dr. Erin Mears (played by Kate Winslet) to contain the virus where it is in the midwest and begin the clean-up process to stamp out the spread.

This all-star cast is accompanied by Marion Cotillard as Dr. Leanora Orantes from the WHO who travels to China to find the virus’ origins, Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow as a married couple trying to protect their family from the terrifying threat of infection and Jude Law as a blogger seeking to reveal the truth (but for what purpose?). It’s easy to attempt to stack the deck in your favor by throwing big names into a movie like this and hoping their mere presence will support the box office numbers. I have learned never to assume that of Steven Soderbergh’s work. A true master of his craft behind the camera; from Sex, Lies & Videotape to Erin Brokovich & Traffic in the same year (garnering him 2 Oscar nominations that year and a win for directing Traffic), Soderbergh has made his mark. His beginnings as a cinematographer have helped mold his vision of each scene into something important and relevant, no matter how small. He works with his cast to tell the story and makes a comfortable atmosphere that is evident by the relationships formed behind the camera and the final product you see in theatres. Being able to get such talented actors for his films (like the Ocean’s trilogy) just proves that people in the industry know it too.

Anna Jacoby-Heron & Matt Damon

The pale colors make for a dreary and chilling atmosphere throughout. Taking us across the world and at our own front door, the settings in each scene make for cold, frightening tension as you are presented with the scary unknown of who to trust and who to touch. The film’s runtime is condensed into a time frame some believed would hurt the story; rushing plot points. Soderbergh crafts the film well with simple montage & establishing shots to show the elevation of fear and the measures taken by normal citizens and those trying to save them. The beauty of the film is that it doesn’t choose favorites. Each role in the film is up for Death’s easy hands to grab. Our antagonist is unbiased and unapologetic; making for a truly terrifying tale.

THE CONS: Very few, honestly.  Though the script is top-notch, at times it leaned a little too hard on overlapping plot themes; nothing to deter you from making sense of the story but could bog down some moments. Also, and as total personal opinion, the snaggle-tooth on Jude law brought for a humorously distracting inner conversation of whether or not Law had himself an accident this year (maybe an unsatisfied nanny?) or has been hiding his dental problems from us all these years (how COULD you, Jude?! I thought we had something!).

Kate Winslet

THE BOTTOM LINE: Terrifying in all the right ways, Contagion shows us the art of the intelligent thriller; and not only that, but the non-violent horror that presents itself to us every day. We are instilled in us the need to clean up after ourselves, wash our hands and keep ourselves healthy as to stay alive and prevent the spread of sickness. Soderbergh reinforces our childhood conditioning to such an extent as to say, ‘there’s no such thing as too careful nowadays’. New diseases popping up every year, Medical insurance becoming harder and harder to afford in a time where jobs are scarce, and a world full of people too skeptical or oblivious to seem to care about their own health enough to take simple precautions. Alright, alright, Steven- I’m washing, I’m washing!

GRADE: A

 

The Debt

By Ken Whitney III

Ciaran Hinds & Helen Mirren

The taking of another life is a terrible act. Whether through tragic circumstances, evil intentions or for the greater good, we carry with us a weight never meant to be carried by any person. That truth brings with it a sense of pride, guilt, and/or shame (depending on the person). Considering that point, The Debt, starring Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinsen, Sam Worthington and Jessica Chastain, presents a theme that seemingly entertains movie goers more than any other: The truth.

Set in two different time periods, The film presents three jewish agents (Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington & Marton Csokas) returning from a secret, undercover mission behind German lines to capture a Nazi war criminal; a doctor named Dieter Vogel (played with coy, sinister simplicity by Jesper Christensen). After the mission is deemed successful by the team, they are venerated by their country and deemed heroes of Isreal. For decades the trio tell their story and inspire countless people; conveying the terror of imminent danger that surrounded them constantly and the responsibility they had to their country to bring a monster to justice. When tragedy befalls one of their own 31 years later; The team is forced to look back at the decisions they made all those years ago and decide how much the truth is really worth now.

THE PROS: I’ve always been a sucker for period pieces. With that, the initial timeline, set in 1966 Germany, is convincingly appropriate. only 20 or so years after the end of WWII, the country is a police state. Armed guards at every checkpoint and corner; it isn’t safe to not be German here, needless to say. The team meet in a loft in the middle of the city as they plan and execute their task. The tightly-spaced atmosphere brings the emotions and heightened urgency of everything they do to the surface and the audience is better for it. John Madden’s skill behind the camera is a true highlight to the story (most would remember him for his heartfelt & humorous Oscar-winning film Shakespeare In Love) as he navigates not only the small spaces of their safe-house and the tight, narrow streets of Berlin but also the building sense of chaos that surrounds our three agents as time begins to run out and Vogel’s volatile nature begins to tear them apart. Helen Mirren is, as always, a pure delight and her portrayal of Rachel is emotionally explosive and yet controlled in her understanding of the responsibility she is given and where it takes her.

Jessica Chastain has had herself quite a year. From her artful performance in The Tree Of Life to the giddy, joyful nature of her character in The Help, Chastain has proven her talent in only a short time. Adding her portrayal of Mirren’s younger Rachel to her list of filmography, Chastain presents a beautiful delicate presence, a strong Jewish woman and a vulnerable, inexperienced agent who, to make their plans work, is asked to put herself willingly into the lion’s den and put her life in the hands of a butcher. Her timid breath, penetrable eyes and yet, strong tactical execution make her out to be Mirren’s equal in translation.

THE CONS: There are things in any film that, if not taken into careful consideration, detract or even take the audience out of a film. One of the biggest is casting. that is not to say that any actor in the film did not bring a fine performance. On the contrary, every character was believable, interesting in some capacity and well-written. The problem facing the casting of this film is the comparative casting of two actors playing the same person. Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain, though not fully similar in look have subtleties that create common characteristics that connect them (and the extremely prominent scar doesn’t hurt either). What didn’t work was the casting of Tom Wilkinsen as Martin Csokas’ older counterpart and Claran Hinds as Sam Worthington’s. It didn’t fit. If anything, Wilkinsen & Claran should have switched their roles to look at least somewhat similar to their younger selves. That alone created such a rift that every time I saw these great actors on screen I initially kept assuming they were the other character. It was frustrating; that goes without saying.

Ironically enough, what gives a film like The Debt it’s draw is also what it inherently lacks. The film challenges us with the perception of truth and the reality that each character struggles to live with. At the same time though, the freedom it has in it’s fictitious storytelling is trumped by it’s lack of risks. Considering that the film is not based on any true event, the writers and filmmakers had the opportunity to make one of two films: a highly entertaining action drama or an engrossing period drama challenging us with themes. Though both are evident in the story they are also not at full capacity. It’s almost as if the producers were afraid of making the film to be a draw for any one side. Instead, playing it safe is what makes The Debt run the very likely risk of falling in with many other similar dramas of it’s kind (The ending in particular takes the predicable, easy route). For the film to be as strong as it had hoped to be, it actually being based on a true story or event would have been a leap forward for what will inevitably be deemed only as a smart, well acted film that still falls somewhat short.

Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington & Marton Csokas

THE BOTTOM LINE: With wonderful acting, a generally solid script and smart, engrossing direction, The Debt is a film easily recommendable. Though it has some hiccups, they do not deter one from taking the time to enjoy what’s laid out. The question of how much truth is worth is challenging on many fronts. Seeing the scars (both internal and external) Rachel must bare is a testament to the people she represents. A culture brought to the brink of extinction because of a fanatic’s desire for selfish perfection; this small band of Jewish agents bring a multi-faceted view of how one is to survive the aftermath of such horror. In addition, how far the truth is to be stretched and twisted to serve the purpose of bringing a sense of closure is solely left to each individual. Whether or not we recognize it; we make these decisions every day. Perhaps the question is easy for some to answer. Either way, that decision carries with it a weight that must be considered lest we be drowned by it.

GRADE: B-

 

Fright Night

Anton Yelchin & Colin Farrell

By Ken Whitney

What scares you? Whether we care to admit it or not, we have fears. The thing that sets us apart is what we do when we’re face to face with the thing that stops us dead in our tracks.

Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) is given that challenge when he begins to realize that his new neighbor is actually a very real vampire (played with style by Colin Farrell). As the evidence begins to mount, Charley realizes that the threat of being a midnight snack comes right to his doorstep and he must figure out how to defend himself and defeat Jerry (that’s right- ‘Jerry The Vampire’. Don’t worry. The film doesn’t miss out on the humor of the name choice) before everyone he knows and cares about it given the ol’ 1-2 in the neck.

THE PROS: Colin Farrell truly shines as a hard-working ‘graveyard shift’ worker who finds time to ‘drain’ a few on his breaks. Farrell’s ability to keep the character mysterious and grounded while showing hints of what is obviously in front of us is entertaining and full of wit. When asking for a 6-pack from Yelchin for a girl he’s entertaining, Farrell takes the time to make Jerry ‘twitchy’ and alert throughout the entire interaction; almost as if sensing what’s beyond our comprehension. David Tennant’s Peter Vincent is also hilarious as a Chris Angel-type entertainer in Las Vegas with a dark past and connection with Charley’s troubles. What makes the movie really seem to work is the script’s desire to keep things plausible. Not only does the skeptical dialogue between Charley and his childhood friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) feel relatable but the circumstances that Charley & Co. find themselves in bring a realistic charm to an otherwise overwrought subject.

The element that makes the film really stand out is it’s comparison next to the vampire films that have been of major attention and fandom as of late: The Twilight Series. As we’re asked to ingest an atrociously-written, unevenly paced and horribly acted series like Twilight; films with charm, wit, believable drama and the desire to truly entertain rather than pound a teener-bopper sense of romantic tension (like the horrid tale of Edward & Bella) become gems that are easily overlooked because of their categorization as ‘horror’ (and rightly so). The film doesn’t shy away from the violence that is expected of it, but at the same time doesn’t desire to pour gallon after gallon of red juice our way just to satisfy some sick addiction our culture has found in gore. The ‘Saw’ series and others like it truly degrade the cinematic experience and create an addiction to ‘tortureporn’. It’s pleasant to see the genre that brought hollywood to the forefront in entertainment isn’t completely dead but thriving with mature and contemporary growth behind the limelight of what has been mistakenly considered even close to ‘art’.

THE CONS: Though the film has its many fine moments, an unevenness and abrupt push in plot brings the film to uneven places. The setup of Jerry’s character is a little too thin to be thought believable or even close to acceptable in explaining a backstory not only for the characters but also for the audience. The budget of the film (or lack thereof) is also visible in some scenes (the car chase in particular) and thankfully doesn’t ruin the film but makes the silver screen that much more evident. Some characters are limited to placeholders (like Ed) while others are simply injected into the film to progress the character arc of our main protagonist (Toni Collette as Charley’s mom Jane). And though the relationship between Charley and Amy (played by the lovely Imogen Poole) is sweet, endearing and humorously relatable, it’s given only the obvious stereotypical treatment of romantic distress and heroic sacrifice.

As Peter Vincent is brought in and out of the film to the audience’s delight; his character is pained by it’s lack of development in emotional relevance to the situation at hand as Charley seeks out the remaining options at his disposal (I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of a flashback, but heavier references wouldn’t have hurt in flushing out the things we want to see in the people we are drawn to).

Imogen Poole & Anton Yelchin

THE BOTTOM LINE: Where some see predictable cliches others may find what they’ve been missing in a good ‘fangs & fright’ film. Fright Night is a remake of the 1985 cult film by Tom Holland and I make a comment in this only to inform you;not to judge this rehashing in any negative light. It remains charming and enjoyable; though at times it’s potholes may leave you desiring to check the tires. Though make sure to have a sharppicket sign in the trunk- you never know what may be caught on the bottom of your axle.

GRADE: C+

 

The Help

By Ken Whitney III

 

Octavia Spencer & Viola Davis

We are in limited supply of quality female talent in Hollywood. And to voice another qualm: There aren’t enough well-written female-driven films nowadays. That being said; say hello to ‘The Help’.

The story of an aspiring writer, Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan (Emma Stone) who, to get a dream job writing, must prove herself to a top-tier publishing company by writing a piece on what challenges or disturbs her. Living in Mississippi in the 1960’s, Skeeter gets more than she bargains for when she decides to pen the minds and opinions of the African American working class woman; more specifically, that of Aibileen Clark (played with powerful restraint by Viola Davis) and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer in all her sassy glory).

 

THE PROS: A period piece like this runs the risk of feeling repetitive. Or even plagiarizing other films before it such as ‘The Color Purple’ and countless other films portraying racial injustice and the civil rights era. What it does is incredibly simple and yet- impressively right.The script makes it about the women. In every way (written from the novel of the same name by Kathryn Stockett). From our couragous maids to our growing young writer; from the aging, bigoted past generation to the now young, ignorant and hateful one that attempts to cling to it’s hateful comforts, The film keeps our gaze on the here and now of one little town and the women that make it what it is. Viola Davis is simply incredible. With the lack of diverse talent that resides in this type of business, Davis continually triumphs over the rest in never conceding that she needs to stick to what is expected of her from role to role. Turning heads in her small but astounding role in ‘Doubt’ (which earned her her first Oscar nomination) to taking powerful female roles like the District Attorney in ‘Law Abiding Citizen’,  Davis is finally given a chance to take front and center in a film and takes a character so humble that it can easily be forgotten. But I assure you, you will not forget Aibileen Clark. Octavia Spencer should not be overlooked either. With enough attitude to make anyone stand in attention and intimidation, Spencer’s Minny is coarse, rude, no-nonsense and with good reason. In a time where the black community is treated (as the Constitution defends) as 2/3 of a person in almost every way, A man couldn’t eat in the same building as a white man, the working class couldn’t earn minimum wage and African Americans weren’t even allowed to use the same restroom for fear of the white community contracting diseases. And when a person, no matter the color of their skin, is pushed so far, would you expect any less?

And what gives these women a reason to voice their pain and civil liberties to expose the truth? Enter Bryce Dallas Howard’s Hilly Holbrook. A Mississippi woman born and bread; Hilly personifies the white opinion in the south so well. Her racism is actually masked and coated in an ignorant form of reality that can easily be argued as her form of truth. From her subtle mistreatment of the maids that work in her home to the attempts at seeking to be perceived as righteous by throwing a benefit to feed the poor African youth, you cannot convince Hilly that she is wrong (in any way). As her mother Missus Walters (played with charm by Sissy Spacek) says, like her upbringing, ‘your father ruined you’.

THE CONS:  The character of Skeeter, bright eyed, energetic & hard-nosed, becomes uneven and unimportant as the story progresses. The novel is a 3-level story told from multiple perspectives; from Skeeter, to Aibileen down to Minny. And though, appropriately, Aibileen and Minny’s stories were focused on, Skeeter’s was sadly minimized almost to the point of unnecessary; only serving to move the plot forward (and only from time to time). Directed by Tate Taylor (in his first major studio film), his helming behind the camera helps portray characters and relationships nicely but sometimes tries too hard to be creative and takes you out of the moment in certain scenes.

Emma Stone

THE BOTTOM LINE: As stories go, ‘The Help’ doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know. Only fifty years ago, the gap between classes extended further than just financially but also racially and we have, whether some may disagree, come incredibly far to open our arms and minds to those different from us. Thankfully we now have another rare gem of a film that tells the story from the eyes of strong women overcoming odds that were never thought to be challenged and give us a reason to believe that classic cinema is not dead. I hope the Academy does not overlook characters and performances this honest and real when awards season comes around next year. The performances of Davis, Howard & Spencer are ones that should not be overlooked and I wouldn’t be surprised if these three women were given the recognition they rightfully deserve. Let’s hope this revival isn’t a needle in a haystack, but a pearl in the ocean- only waiting to be found and brought to the surface.

GRADE: A

 

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

By Ken Whitney III

We are in the age of the remake! … Or the sequel… or prequel… Ya know what? Whichever way you’d like to put it, we live in a time where originality is hard to come by (if not frowned upon) and studios only take chances on films that have already made money in the past. Sequels get green lit and pumped out faster than their predecessors’ opening release date (Amazing Spider-Man, Twilight, Pirates) and succeed only in ‘distracting’ the audience for the amount of time it lasts on the big screen. So when a prequel to the now cult-classic film ‘Planet Of The Apes’ starring Charlton Heston was due for release this summer I was… beside myself, to say the least.

The film follows Dr. Will Rodman (played by James Franco), a geneticist who is attempting to find a cure for Alzheimer’s to save his dying father (John Lithgow) and finds something more. In the trial experiments on chimpanzees and apes, An ape named Bright Eyes (a loving reference to the original film) shows remarkable results and passes on the concoction to her son Ceasar (motion captured by Andy Serkis). The genetically-enhanced ape slowly realizes it’s place in humanity’s chain of command & respect and decides to change the status quo.

THE PROS:  As our ability to advance storytelling via the big screen increases and the controversy over genuine talent & originality continues to be a topic of preference, I believe that one thing goes without saying: Andy Serkis is paving the way for recognition in the category of motion-capture technology. The argument has been around for decades as to if we can recognize the performance of characters in film based on the fact that we cannot see the performers themselves. This young generation won’t even know Serkis’ name but those of us who have marveled at the magnificence of Lord Of The Rings and Serkis’ performance as Gollum in particular know better. And Andy has only gotten better. What we see in Ceasar is more than just a smart ape. We see, for lack of a better word, humanity. His eyes show pain and concern and eventually anger and a coldness far deeper than that of the so-called ‘soulless monkeys’ we categorize them all as.

I’m also a huge sucker for a prequel. Especially a GOOD one. And this one carries itself quite nicely. The notion that we are able to see the steps that bring us to what we had only known to be fact from it’s earlier sibling films is always a treat to behold. The direction of new-on-the-scene Rupert Wyatt lends a simplicity and style that many other directors may have wrongly taken over the top *cough* TIM BURTON! *cough*.

THE CONS:  A story about enhanced apes besting humans doesn’t just need a good script- it needs a GREAT one. We need to believe the premise and follow it to it’s believable conclusion. ‘Rise’ gives us a promising beginning and draws us in to it’s acceptable climax. Sadly ‘acceptable’ in this instance takes us only so far in bananas & uprisings. Knowing that the film will acknowledge what came before it is a given when you look at a film like this. But I found the heavy-handedness of some reference lines taking me out of the scene momentarily and sometimes not fit the character delivering it entirely. Though James Franco continually surpasses my expectations and brings something fresh to certain roles some would deem ‘unsuitable’ for him as an actor (you best watch ‘127 Hours’ to grasp that), his portrayal of Will Rodman was stiff and unconvincing (it also didn’t help that he smacked the film around a bit in a Playboy article only weeks before it’s release).

THE BOTTOM LINE:  What you see is what you get and thankfully for “Rise of the Planet of the Apes’, that’s not a bad thing. Sticking to the foundation of the many ‘Apes’ films that came before it, ‘Rise’ fits well into the canon of the history of how we were bested by our own arrogance and humbled by those we deemed ‘less than’. It is a intelligent reminder that we should not overreach our grasp of what we understand and allow God’s plan to be what it is. If we’re searching for a miracle, we shouldn’t be trying to make one. Let nature, as it were, take it’s course. Leave the God-like changes to our world to more… capable hands.

GRADE: B-

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes: Take Two – By Jon Olsen

THE PROS: I went into Rise not remembering much about either previous Planet Of The Apes movies (the teenagers I saw it with referred to both the Mark Wahlberg version and the Charlton Heston version as the “original”), and because of that I can put myself into the perspective of most people who will see this film this summer. As a standalone movie, this movie holds it’s own in excellent form. After hearing about James Franco’s phoned-in performance from multiple friends, I went into the movie not expecting much (“Watch apes get smart and throw parking meters at cop cars!”), but I can safely say that this movie is not about Franco’s character, Will, at all. Caesar, the ape Will brings home about 10 minutes into the film, is firmly and wisely at the center of this story. Caesar is an excellent vehicle for the film and carries it along wonderfully. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Caesar reminded me of WALL-E more than once; the ape can use ASL, but his physical reactions are more poignant and telling than most of the dialogue in the film. The credit for this rightfully goes to our good friend Andy Serkis, who did the mo-cap for Ceasar and truly brought him to life. I agree with Ken; The Academy needs to start recognizing what this medium does for film, and the first award had better go to Serkis for all he’s done. Last big pro for me: San Francisco being the setting. This could have easily been set in New York City (major homage to the first film), but my goodness I love seeing my hometown (ish) on the big screen.

THE CONS: Most of the human performances in this movie are forgettable. The two standouts are John Lithgow as Will’s father (after his part on Dexter, it’s hard to see him as anything else, but he fit into this role perfectly) and Rupert Wyatt (OMG DRACO MALFOY) as the cruel and snide monkey handler. Aside from these two, no character was fleshed out enough to make an impact on me. Granted, almost 100% of the screen time is given to Caesar, but the fact that I remember the acting as nothing special is always going to be a con for a movie. I also agree with Ken in terms of the script; this movie needed a great one and was given a serviceable one instead. If Serkis had not been involved in this project, it would not have been worth my time. Also, putting Charlton Heston into this movie was a mistake. You’ll miss him if you blink, and I get the whole “We want to reference the original source material!” thing, but it clearly breaks the fiction. This universe belongs to The Planet Of The Apes! That guy playing the role of Ben Hur on that screen? He’s a real person in this universe, and he doesn’t exist for a long, long time. PARTY FOUL.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, despite it’s ridiculous title, is a very good movie and one you can enjoy without worrying about the original film. Caesar is captivating, both as a tragic character whom you pity and ferocious animal whom you fear. I was consistently entertained throughout the story, even though I knew from the trailers what it all was eventually heading towards. Any movie that can take my preconceived notions and turn them on their head with one furious “NOOO!!” is A-OK in my book. There’s no reason to see this in theaters though, enjoy RedBoxing it when it comes out on DVD.

GRADE: B+